#which of these is the best casting? your favorite? let's talk about this (or that)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

The Best Friend Showdown

Season four had many, many flaws. One of the big ones was the Rena Rouge vs Chat Noir conflict where Ladybug starts relying on Alya more and more, basically using her to replace Master Fu. We get a sense that Chat Noir feels inferior to Rena Rouge because of this change, but it’s never directly addressed. The most we get is this conversation from Hack-San:

Ladybug: I'm really sorry, Cat Noir. I should've told you. I mean, if I found out that you told someone about your secret identity, I'd... probably be upset, too. I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings. Cat Noir: You didn't hurt my feelings. You did everything right. 

Which is actually a really weird bit of dialogue because - as far as I can tell - nothing in the episode revealed that Scarabella knew Ladybug's identity. She hands out miraculous all the time and no one knows who she really is. Why would this time be different? Ladybug could just show up in costume, explain what's up, and then hand off the earrings while using yet another miraculous.

Anyway, the Rena Rouge vs Chat Noir conflict is “resolved” by Rena Rouge being outed again (and I guess that matters this time), leading her to give up her miraculous so that Gabriel can’t steal it away, which of course leads Gabriel to steal it away and fully disempower Ladybug’s larger team, leaving Chat Noir her only teammate.

How satisfying! This is such good, character-driven story telling!

It’s not. This is plot contrivances to the max with no meaningful character beats, but we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to do one of my favorite things: gush about a relevant Kim Possible episode! Today’s topic is episode 12 of season one: Pain King vs. Cleopatra, the episode that introduces Kim’s female BFF, Monique!

This was a bit of a shocker for me because I didn’t realize that Kim and Monique weren’t pre-series friends. Turns out that, much like Alya, Monique is a new girl, which isn’t a bad call. This was a nice way to delay Monique’s introduction for a few episodes so that the writers could focus on establishing Kim’s relationship with other key members of the cast like her partner, Ron. Spacing out your intros is the way to go whenever you can pull it off as it’s a kindness to your audience that keeps them from feeling overwhelmed, making it more likely that they’ll remember your cast.

The other, more important similarity between Alya and Monique is that, when Kim’s hero partner and life-long friend finds out about Monique, he is less than thrilled:

Kim: I barely got to see them. Right after I hooked up with Monique, the museum was robbed by some glowing-headed animal guy. Ron: Oh, that's nice. Ron: Wait a minute, who's Monique? Kim New friend, really great. Anyway, the thief stole an enchanted ancient talisman. Ron: Whoa, whoa, back up! How can I not know about a new friend? Kim: I met her at Club Banana, then again at the museum before I chased the glowing robber. Ron: So what's she like? Kim: The robber? Ron: The friend, Kim, the "new friend".

Throughout the episode, Kim and Monique continue to bond without Ron, leaving Ron feeling left out:

Ron: Seein' a pattern here, Rufus: Kim does her thing, I do my thing, and pretty soon - we're doing different things.

Which leads him to get a little territorial:

Kim Ron! What are you doing here? Ron: Can I dine with my best friend and her new friend? Kim: Uuh, Ron, Monique, and vice versa. Ron: Bearclaw? Monique: No, thanks, I'm vegetarian. Ron: Uhm, I'm pretty sure it's imitation bear? Kim: She's joking, Ron. Ron: Good one, hahaha, ha, good one. So, did Kim tell you that I'm her sidekick? Cause that role is definitely taken by me. Monique: Riiiight. Well, in... you know I better get to class. Later, Kim. Um, n-nice meeting you, Ron. Ron: Likewise, I'm sure! Kim: What is your problem? You're acting really weird. Ron: Well, let's see. You went to the museum with Monique, not me. Monique was with you this morning, not me. Hmm, pattern? Kim: Yeah. You. Weird. Ron: No, we're drifting apart because you're excluding me. Kim: I am not excluding you. It's just that you and Monique are... different.

Noticing some similarities to Miraculous here?

So how does Kim Possible resolve this conflict?

Well, the plot of this episode resolves around Kim Possible’s version of professional wrestling, the GWA. There’s a competition going on that Kim has no interest in watching (mood), but when Kim mentions the GWA to Monique:

Monique: Why didn't you bring [Ron] along? Kim: Unless someone put a waiter in a headlock, this is definitely not Ron's scene. Besides, he had a date with "Steel Toe". Monique: He scored tickets to Mayhem in Middleton? The GWA rocks! Kim: What?

It turns out that Monique and Ron have a shared interest! Multiple shared interests, in fact! Interests that Kim does not share:

Monique: You know, I still can't believe you met Pain King and Steel Toe. Ron: I can't believe you're into wrestling. Kim: I can't believe I know either one of you.

By the end of the episode, the conflict is resolved not with Kim having to pick a BFF or with Monique somehow being demoted, but by showing that this didn’t need to be a conflict at all. Kim can have multiple close friends that she shares different interests with without any of those friends being lesser. Those friends can, in turn, have their own friendships that don’t always involve her.

It’s a genuinely lovely resolution that makes me love this little friend group because it now has added complexity. Monique and Ron are friends in their own right! Kim is not the center of the universe in spite of her main character status!

I also love that Kim isn’t vilified for having other friends or portrayed as constantly leaving Ron out of things that he'd want to do in favor of Monique. Ron genuinely would not enjoy most of the things that the girls love to do together. At the same time, Ron’s feeling aren’t treated as totally irrational either and Kim even admits to ditching him. It’s a genuine, complex conflict that is super common when someone enters a new relationship be it platonic or romantic.

Obviously Kim Possible’s version of this conflict feels far less complex than Miraculous’ because Kim Possible understood that Ron should be Kim’s one-and-only partner, so his position was really never threatened. Monique does not want to be an action hero and is never given the sort narrative weight that elevates her to Ron’s level or higher, but that doesn't matter. The basic lesson here is still relevant and super important for the intended audience of both of these shows.

There did not need to be a Rena Rouge vs Chat Noir conflict that never got properly resolved. Miraculous could have made these two friends and no, Scarabella doesn't count because Chat Noir has no idea that Scarabella is Rena Rouge/Furtive. Their relationship ended at the end of Hack-San. He didn't even know that Rena Furtive was a thing until she was in the process of being benched and that's the problem.

Kim Possible is not a team show, Miraculous is, and yet Kim Possible has better team dynamics than Miraculous. Monique could have joined Kim's team at the end of Pain King vs. Cleopatra and it would have felt natural because both Kim and Ron had welcomed Monique and formed a genuine bond with her. This is a true friend group that Miraculous can only dream of even though they've been adding new superheroes since season two.

We're going into a season with a full, massive team and yet that team has no established dynamics on the hero side. It's not a functional team! None of these characters have meaningful relationships with each other as heroes save for Alya and Nino since they know each other’s secret identities. The only relationships Miraculous cares about are the various romances and everyone's relationship to Marinette and everyone suffers for it.

The show would not have been harmed by Rena Rouge, Chat Noir, and Ladybug being a team. It was the thing I kept think after watching the Kim Possible episode. Since the team is the end game, why aren't we seeing them? It would have been so nice to have Hack-San end with Ladybug introducing Chat Noir to Rena Furtive instead of a nonsense discussion about an issue the episode didn't even address.

[foone]

whats your favourite narnia book if you have one

Since I grew up as an autistic christian, I have many Narnia Opinions!

So, my favorite book for it's own reasons is probably The Magician's Nephew. I'm always a slut for worldbuilding and backstory and that novel is basically just only that. Some guy we know from another book goes on an adventure and in the process gets to be involved with the creation of one world and the destruction of another? kick-ass.

Best book to adapt? The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. 1988 BBC version, 1979 Cartoon version, 2005 theatrical? All good, in their own ways. The BBC version is just perfectly 80s and the costumes are amazing (because they are costumes! they did all the monsters by sticking a guy in a big costume and I love it), the cartoon version captures the fucking whimsy of a story where SANTA SHOWS UP AND GIVES EVERYONE PRESENTS and the first person to offer any serious lore about the situation is named MR BEAVER. And the 2005 film has the big battles and CGI and Tilda Swinton as the White Witch which is... so much. I love them all.

But the best book adaptation is the 1990 BBC The Silver Chair. Hands down. It's got Tom Baker's Puddleglum, Warwick Davis playing an owl, 0£ BBC budget greenscreened giants (MULTIPLE TIMES), a group of people discovering IT'S A COOKBOOK and one of them being offended by the cookbook saying they don't taste very good, the bad guy turning into a giant rubber snake. a witch trying to gaslight some humans into believing the sun is a myth, and the ultimate salvation of Eustace Scrubb: a boy who almost deserved being named that.

And since I can't not list basically everything Narnia ever made, BBC's 1989 Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is pretty good too. It's a fun "road movie", in that it's an odyssey into a fictional Mysterious Ocean of Here There Be Dragons.

Lotta hits in that one. It's also got a "collect the macguffins!" plot where they're trying to collect the Seven Lost Lords.

But yeah, it's like... the first Island gets them a lord and they get to end slavery. Next up, Dragon TF island (The dragon is Greed... but it's also just a literal fucking dragon). Next, Gold TF island. Gold, it turns out, makes you go insane in your lust for wealth, even if you're already a Prince of a whole country. The gold is Greed, but it will also just fucking kill you because you'll be turned into gold.

Then it's the island of the ugly invisible one-foot guys and it turns out they cast a spell to turn invisible so no one could see how they're ugly but they're not ugly, they just think they are? and then it goes "HEY LUCY COMPARE YOURSELF TO YOUR OLDER SISTER" and she's like "I'm ugly.... unlike her. Maybe I should use magic to STEAL HER BEAUTY?!" and it's like, wow. Is there maybe a theme here about self-esteem in your appearance? and Clive Officemax Lewis is over there going I'LL NEVER TELL.

Anyway it's got the good line about how the Wizard in charge of the ugly invisible one-footed pogo-idiots is that how he eagerly awaits the day that they can be ruled by wisdom, instead of magic. It's a fun approach to magic: it's something that is a shortcut, a crutch, and it's a poor replacement for Wisdom, even when used by "the good guys". Tell me, Mr. FedexKinkos-Lewis, do you have any opinions on the complicated relationship between Christianity and magic? oh, you do? I never would have guessed!

They also find The Island Where Dreams Come True. They don't land there, they just fish a screaming man out of the ocean who is trying to escape it. The sailors hear it's The Island Where Dreams Come True and are like "wow, I could have my own ship!" and he yells no, you fools, not dreams like your wishes and imaginations, your actual dreams come true on this island.

and everyone agrees: Get us the fuck away from this island and lets never return.

Anyway I'm not gonna talk about THE ENTIRE MOVIE/BOOK but it's got a great weirdness at the end where they reach the end of the world (which is flat. It's okay, this is Narnia, a completely different world with different physical rules than Earth), and it's a waterfall, but a waterfall going up?

It turns out Heaven is on the other side of it. They turn around, but the anthropomorphic mouse is like "ehh, I'll take that journey" and becomes the Elijah of Aslan's Country, their equivalent of heaven.

Narnia, won't you?

[strnilolover]

.✦ ── Kiss ‘n’ Cold ── ✦.

♡ Bff!Chris x Bff!Fem!Reader

⚠︎ Warnings : Mutual Pining, Fluff, best-friends who share a kiss (smooch), Rainnnn, mention of a pet name (sweetheart)

♡ Wc : 1.3k

♡ A/N : Have you ever had a kiss in the rain moment? I’ve only ever had it once, I’m not normally a fan of the rain cause it’s cold and wet lmao. Also wanted to write a fluff thing for Chris cause I need to write more for him :(

Fall was your favorite time of the year, of course Chris knew that, he was your best friend. Lounging around inside his house wasn’t how you really saw your day being spent, and he could see that.

Chris looked over at you with a playful smile, his eyes bright with an idea. "Hey, why don't we go for a walk to the park?" he suggested, his voice carrying that familiar warmth that made your heart thump every time you heard it.

It was a simple request, one you guys had done a hundred times before. Without hesitation, you nodded, getting up off the couch to slip your shoes on. Chris followed in tow, slipping his shoes on as well.

You paused momentarily, turning to Chris after your shoes were on and your scarf was wrapped around your neck. “I don’t have a jacket Chris.” You stated. Your big eyes looking into his, having asked a question without needing to speak.

He just smiled again, moving from his spot on the couch to a closet by the front door, pulling out two different zip up jackets that were his. He turned to face you, holding the fabric items in his hands. “Which one do you want sweetheart?” He asked.

You stood there analyzing the two jackets, a dark grey zip up and a more fluffy zip up. Of course after looking at the two options, you chose the fuzzy one. Chris nodded when you pointed to the one you’d like, moving toward your frame and spilling the jacket over your shoulders.

You smiled at him, looping your arms in and zipping the jacket up while Chris put the other one on. “Alright,” Chris started, walking toward the front door. “You ready to go?” He asked, turning the knob and opening the door for you.

You nodded eagerly, walking through the door as he held it open. He followed suit, closing the door and locking it before he turned and held his arm out for you to take. You obliged, looping your arm through his own as you guys started to walk.

The air was crisp, fallen leaves crunching under the weight of your feet. It was chilly, but not enough to be deathly cold, the jacket providing extra warmth. There was a comforting silence between you both, not needing to say a word to just enjoy each others company.

You hummed softly, kicking little piles of leaves. Chris watched, lips tugging up into a smile.

“You know, we should get hot chocolate.” You stated, turning your head to now look at Chris as you continued to walk. He hummed, “we’d have to walk so far for that though.” He whined, lips turning into a pout.

You shook your head, eyes rolling as you laughed at his childlike behavior. “A little walking never hurt no one, besides we’re already out and I know there’s a place up the way!” You cheered excitedly. Chris couldn’t keep up his pout for long, seeing how happy you were. So he just nodded, “okay okay — let’s go get your hot chocolate.”

-

You guys had been walking for about 20 minutes now, the hot chocolate place just a few more blocks up. The whole way you and Chris had been talking nonsense, laughing at one another’s jokes and bad puns.

Though mid laugh, you noticed the sky turning darker. Casting a gloomy look over the town, the wind growing a little more chilly.

You tapped Chris’ arm, his laughing stopping as well. “Chris, I think it’s going to rain.” You whispered softly, eyes gazing up into the sky as more dark clouds seemed to roll in.

Chris groaned, “well so much for our nice walk.” He muttered, kicking the ground slightly. You giggled, watching as he basically threw a small tantrum. “You know Chris, rain isn’t all that bad. I actually enjoy it.” You say, holding your hand out in front of yourself.

The first drops of rain fell softly against your hand, almost unnoticed at first. But, soon the sky opened up, the once light drops becoming heavy, drenching both you and chris as you walked side by side.

Your legs continued to move as the rain drenched both your clothes. The items clinging to your skins, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. Chris on the other hand, didn’t like the rain as much as you did. Silently complaining under his breath as he began to grow cold.

You thought to yourself for a moment, breathing in the now earthy smell of the air. “You know Chris, I’ve never kissed anyone in the rain.” You say, Chris’ brows pinching in confusion as his eyes looked at you.

“You mean like from those mushy romance movies, where they confess their love for one another n’ shit?” He asked, faking a gross expression.

“Yes like those you weirdo.” You said, rolling your eyes at him. He chuckled, his eyes lingering on you a little longer. He couldn’t help but notice your cheeks now more pink from the cold, your nose the same shade. It made you look adorable. Your hair sticking slightly to your wet skin.

Chris stopped dead in his tracks, your interlinked arms tugging you back slightly as you turned to look at him in confusion. “Chris, why’d you stop?” You say, the sound of rain muffling your words slightly. He just looked at you, his own face pink from the coldness of the rain.

He gently pulled you toward him, your feet carrying you without hesitation. His arms wrapping around your back, practically holding your wet body against his own. Your head tilted to the side, brows pinched together.

“Do you want to have it?” He asked, his right hand coming up to your face, thumb brushing against your cheek softly. You froze, face now heating up at what he may be implying. “You — what do you mean?” You mumbled, tongue darting out to lick your lips, collecting water in the process.

Chris leaned forward more, “I mean, do you want to have it. Cause I’ll give it to you.” He said. You could feel his warm breath fan across your face despite the cold weather. “You mean..you’ll kiss me?” You asked, your head tilting up more to look at him better.

He nodded, the hand on your waist gripping you slightly tighter. “If that’s what you want, I’ll be happy to give it to you.” He said again, and you just stared at him, dumbfounded for a few moments. But once his words registered in your head, you couldn’t help the butterflies you felt. So you quickly nodded your head, a silent answer to his question.

He smiled, his right hand now gripping your chin softly as he pulled your face to his own. Your eyes fluttered shut, lips meeting each others. Surprisingly, his lips were warm despite the water that decorated his features.

The rain poured down around you both, the world a blur of gray and mist, but all you could focus on was Chris. His hands cradled your face, his touch gentle, almost hesitant, as if he was still unsure this was real. Your lips met in a kiss that was soft, yet full of everything you had held back for so long—years of friendship, of unspoken words, of wanting.

When you finally pulled away, both breathless and shivering from the cold, Chris rested his forehead against yours, his eyes half-closed, a smile tugging at his lips. “You know,” he whispered, his voice barely louder than the rain, “I think I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” You laughed softly, heart swelling as you looked into his eyes, and in that moment, the chill of the rain was forgotten, replaced only by the warmth between you guys.

“I never thought you’d be willing to make my kiss in the rain come true.” You whispered back before you pushed your head forward once again, capturing his lips once more.

© Strnilolover

♡ A/N : you both might catch a cold with how long you both were in the rain for. But I’m sure it was worth it. (Sorry if this seems dragged on)

[shytastemakerthing]

I would like to request a Albino! Reader with Pomefiore version if you dont mind!! I really love your writing very much🥀🦇🦇

A/N: And the albino!reader series continues! I will admit, I had a lot of fun with this dorm, especially with Vil's part, I can only imagine how this man would react to our lovely albino!reader. Enjoy!

Tw: None

Request: Pomefiore with Albino!Reader

Headers and dividers made by @blueberry-pride and @cafekitsune

The first time that this beautiful man saw you, he quite literally had to pause in his steps

Granted, he had seen you from behind

You were sitting on a bench in the courtyard underneath a tree, a parasol over your head and a book in your hand

The first thing he saw was your hair that he swore was brighter than the snow that would fall in the winter

You wore quite a bit of layers but in such a way that they complimented each other, and yourself, rather beautifully

Having made his way over, and finally being able to see your face, he saw more to the reason for your state of dress, rather than being rather fashionable and protecting yourself from the sun, that is

You were albino

Now, you were not the first person who he had seen with the condition, but you were certainly the closest that he has ever been, and in his opinion, rather the most beautiful

It is what led to where you both were now, several weeks later, and inside the comfort of his room

He has just returned from Film studies and you had met up with him just outside of the Pomefiore mirror

The sun was setting, casting a rather beautiful glow, mostly on yourself that made you look quite literally golden, a color he thought looked beautiful on you

He was helping you with your skin care for the night. After many talk, you were both able to find the best routine for you, and it has become a favorite part of your evenings

Would you like to accompany him to his next modeling shoot? He wouldn't mind sharing the spotlight if it was with you

Let's be honest, this man already knew of both you and your albinism, he knows pretty much everything at this point

Became quite the expert on albinism as well, no matter the severity, but paid closer attention to your specific type

Now, Rook is a very outdoorsy person and as much as he would love for you to join him, he knows that with your albinism, that makes things a bit more difficult

It was how you both met after all

Rook has just been returning from the latest Science Club meeting to see you underneath a tree trying to mend your broken parasol

It didn't take a genius to find out why you were shielding yourself from the sun

And much like the gentleman that he is, offered his assistance

Walking you back to Pomefiore dorm, after you agreed to spend some time with him, his hat on your head, his jacket over your shoulders

In his words, everything was history after that

You often went with him outside on days that were more cloudy where you would not have to worry about the sun as often

And on days where the sun was bright and shining, you would go with him for club activities, or join him in Pomefoire, he was happy either way, so long as he was able to spend time with you

His family has a home further north away from the heat and the sun isn't as bright. Perhaps you would like to join him there this summer?

Another boy who spent much of his life outside working on an orchard in Harveston

The upside to this, it wasn't as hot being that far up and in the mountains, which would make it a perfect place to visit

He had met you after magic shift practice after you had finished your own club activities and at first, thought you were much like Vil in not wanting to damage your skin with the sun

And in a way, he was right

But you had a very different reason

And after hearing how the sun can actually cause severe damage to your skin and eyes, due to your albinism, and how heat wasn't the best thing for you, he did feel a bit bad at first for the thought that you were like Vil, but kicked into gear in offering to help you back to your dorm

He offered his jacket as he used it to shield your shoulders and back from the sun

Rook saw this and reported back to Vil, given Epel hadn't shown up for his lessons...... Vil let it slide

After helping you back to your dorm, he certainly was very much like a charming country boy, seeing how his natural accent made you smile all cute like that

Several weeks later and you were underneath a shaded section of the bleachers, cheering Epel on, wearing one of his shirts during a magic shift game

His dorm members and fellow players saw that day just how intense he could be in a match and the players are inviting you back for every game

Wanna join him for winter break in Harveston? It would be perfect for you there.....and he's already told his grandmother so much...

Thank you for your request! Have a wonderful day/night!

[lookforsomeoneelse]

Can we get some more sahsrau? Does not have to be a long one-shot, I just really like how you write! And I would love to hear more of your ideas!

Maybe about how specific characters show that they interact with the reader? For example, how they act before reader is in HSR, and once reader is in HSR? As for characters, you can choose who ever you want! You're the one writing it after all.

As for writing, you asked if writing gets better if you do it often? And well, for me what works is writing, doesn't matter if it not good, just enjoy yourself. Plus reading books, fanfics, or whatever you like once again, and this time try to pay attention to how things are worded in your favorite books/fanfics.

Anyway, take good care of yourself cause there are always people who care about you, and stay hydrated!

Alright! First ask. Only gonna be headcanons because I’m a procrastinator. Reader discretion is advised, because I have no idea what to put for the content warning. I think it only goes for Kafka though.

Herta

I touched on her briefly in another post, but know that despite her arrogance and apathy towards most, she’s just as down bad for you as the rest of the cast.

She gives her absolute best when it comes to you.

Also in Simulated Universe, your word is absolute law. If the simulated you decides that the project is a bad idea or something, Herta will absolutely stop, regardless of the resources she put into its creation.

I imagine her to be with you the exact opposite of how she treats everybody else- with the utmost respect and attention.

Once you actually do make it inside of the game for whatever reason, Herta is absolutely ecstatic.

When you’re actually around her though…

Let’s say that her IQ drops by a significant amount.

Combined with her intense faith, this can lead to a lot of misunderstandings and false assumptions.

You can legit just be sitting down or something and herta will be in the background like “WRITE THAT DOWN, WRITE THAT DOWN!”

Misha

Born as a reincarnation(?) of the Watchmaker, I’m not actually going to discuss him. Rather, I wanna talk about who he originally was, and (technically) his creation.

Mikhail Char Legwork, aka The Watchmaker, was also a devout follower of yours.

All throughout his travels on the Express, he never lost sight of your mercy, which allowed him to survive on his long journeys.

Thanks to this, you end up as a “character” in the Clockie cartoon, who the writers show as a mysterious figure who gave Clockie his powers.

There’s also a LOT of propaganda surrounding you in basically every piece of media, (in the game) including Clockie.

Speaking of media…

Robin

ah yes, the shining popstar of the universe herself, Robin!

Robin’s no doubt another faithful follower of yours.

She believes that her amazing voice and innate talent came from you (it actually came from Chevy, holy cow is she a good singer) and she gives many praises to you for that.

In fact, do you want to know what her best selling single is?

It’s not Sway to my Beat in Cosmos, nor Hope is The Thing with Feathers, and it’s not even If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking!

It’s actually a song- a hymn, rather, composed and sung specifically just for you.

Ask basically anybody who is a fan of hers and I can bet that they know the lyrics by heart and can absolutely sing it backwards.

Make it into their reality, and you’ll get free access to front seats to any and all of her concerts. And when I say “front seat” I mean you get a whole ass throne specifically built for your comfort.

She will die of joy if you ask her for an autograph. Keep that in mind.

Kafka

last but most certainly not least, it’s our mom, but more commonly known as Kafka, the charismatic and beautiful Stellaron Hunter with a big bounty and big boobies. (I’m f#cking ashamed of myself for writing that)

She’s the one character on this list that we haven’t been given a backstory for- except some voice lines, but they really don’t tell us anything.

As such, the only real thing I can tell you is that she’s faithful to you, just like everyone else.

It becomes a completely different song and dance if you come to them, though.

She’s essentially a glorified wine aunt, and she will treat you out for whatever you wish.

She’s also very very defensive of you.

That guy over looks stole a glance? Dead next morning.

That girl goes even within 50 meters of you without your permission? Her fate is sealed.

Kafka is by no means like this to you, however.

She’s probably gonna lick your shoes free of charge.

(A/N: I, uh, really like asks. please send more. you probably won’t get anything good, but least you’ll get what you requested.)

[koolades-world]

not sure if u've wrote Abt this already, but could u write about the om cast with an insecure mc? been feeling really insecure lately, so i just need this😭 it's okay if u don't do it tho:>

hi! of course :)

not sure if i've already done this? if i have, well, we have two now haha. hope you're feeling better now and that this might help!!

enjoy <3

Insecure Mc

Lucifer

at first, he tries to reassure you with your achievements and what good you've done for the devildom

after he thinks about it some more, he lets you in on his inner monologue

he tells you how you've affected him personally

you softened him and changed him for the better, which everyone around him agrees with. he really does care about you and wants you to know

Mammon

he's your personal hypeman!

once he hears that you're feeling insecure, he'll surround you with all of the positivity he can give you

you are enough, you are loved, and you are perfect. you're his human after all, he wouldn't have things any other way

he promises the next day, you'll do some shopping, on him of course so you can get that expensive bag you've been eyeing for a while

Levi

oh he’s had his fair share of insecurities and he knows how awful it can feel

so, he’s determined to make you feel better!

of course he tries your favorites shows and games, and while he can see you visibly perk up, he knows you still might be feeling a little down

he tells you how grateful he is for you, that it's ok to feel insecure, and that he hopes he helped even a little

Satan

after you confess this to him, he doesn't hesitate to tell you what you mean to him

he knows that it's normal, but this is what you'd do for him

he can't leave his partner in crime down in the dumps, not after everything you've done for him

if there's anything you've ever wanted to do, and that means anything, he'll organize it and take you to do it within a week

Asmo

he's quick to try to show you what he finds beautiful about you

this isn't just limited to physically features, he finds all of you beautiful and he'll list it all to you no matter how long it takes

he's blocking off his evening to have a spa day with you!

it's important to him for you to feel beautiful inside and out, so expect lots of cute little kisses to help sweeten the deal

Beel

he's more than happy to be your shoulder to lean on

but even more so, he's your biggest supporter and is always there if you need to talk

after you're done talking, he scoops you up into a huge hug

it's not much, but you can feel all the love and emotions he wanted to convey to you though it <3

Belphie

he really knows what it's like to feel down in the dumps and really going through it

you're a little surprised when he invites you to take a nap with him

when you wake up, there's a nice set up of all your favorite foods and favorite movie

he's there, and since he's not the best at talking, he cuddles with you and peppers you with kisses

[fruitywritter]

Feelings

Summary: You hang out with Hermione, Harry and Ron by the lake

Pairing: Hermione Granger x gn!reader

Warnings: None just fluff :)

Words: 2.6k

A/n: Haven’t updated in months, finally got some motivation :)) If you read this I hope you like it!

It has been a tough week for all the students at Hogwarts, almost all of the teachers had them write multiple tests so they would be prepared for the exams which would take place in around two weeks. After finishing the last class of the week, the plan was to go hang out on your favorite spot beside the lake with your friends. Things didn’t exactly go that way as Snape made you stay after class to clean up after some Slytherin student’s mess.You didn’t want to argue with him so you told Harry, Ron and Hermione to go and that you would join them later.

So fifteen minutes later you found yourself walking over the field and towards the lake as your friend came into your vision. Students sitting here and there, conversing with their friends or doing homework. It was a sunny evening, the sun having a few hours before setting since summer came closer so days were longer. You didn’t mind it, you liked a few more hours of light.

You walked over as you saw Harry and Ron trying random spells on each other making you chuckle. You sat beside Hermione who had her face buried into a book.

“Hey.” You spoke as she turned her head and looked at you with a soft smile, the book quickly forgotten in her hands.

“Are you alright?” Hermione looked at you in question as you nodded.

“Yeah. Snape kept throwing his ugly remarks at me while I was thinking of any good spell to make him shut up.” You said with a grin on your face as the brown haired girl rolled her eyes and playfully slapped you on the shoulder. “I’m kidding Hermione! I would never attack a teacher..” You shook your head as you pulled slightly away.

Hermione hummed, “You better not get in trouble.”

“I won’t! I cleaned up and left quickly.” You laughed at the look she was giving you, clearly not trusting you. You turned your attention to your friends before asking, “What are they doing?”

“Looking for a good spell to use on Snape.” Hermione said with an unamused voice before looking down at her book. A chuckle left your mouth as you watched Harry cast a spell and lift Ron in the air before letting him fall back down on his ass. You heard Ron groan as Harry laughed, Hermione took a quick glance at them before muttering under her breath, “Idiots.”

You turned towards her as you heard her voice, she wasn’t looking at you as her attention was back on her book. Glad that she couldn’t see you staring at her, you continued looking over her features. You simply sat there and admired her beauty, how her eyes moved when she read over the pages, how her fingers gently touched and flipped the paper. Her lips were slightly open as she concentrated. Hair was up in a messy bun as a few strands fell over her face. Her legs were crossed and the book was sitting on her lap.

You cursed yourself into your head. You shouldn’t be thinking about your best friend like that, you thought that this attraction towards her had disappeared but no. At this moment you knew you couldn’t stop feeling like that. Only Harry knew about this.. crush. Since he was your brother and knew you for so long, he had noticed and talked to you. You felt relieved when you talked to him, he seemed to understand and be happy for you. Harry had told you to tell Hermione but you were scared. You didn’t want to ruin your friendship if the girl didn’t feel the same.

It felt good having to talk to someone about Hermione, even if it was your own brother. Even though it was annoying whenever he found you and her together. He would always send you teasing grins without Hermione noticing.

“You know I can feel you staring, right?” Her voice made you break out of your thoughts and look at her as her eyes were already on yours.

“I’m not staring..” You shook your head knowing that you were caught. Your eyes averted towards Harry and Ron who were now sitting opposite from you and talking with each other.

“Sure you aren’t..” Hermione mumbled as her eyes went back to her book as you looked down at your hands with a small smile.

After that you spent a few minutes not daring to look towards your best friend. Instead you tried to listen to the conversation Harry and Ron were having to pass the time. When you realized that you didn’t really care about what they were talking about, you decided to look towards the lake. The water looked so peaceful as the sun reflected on it. Many students around you had started to walk towards the castle, probably wanting to hang out in their common rooms.

You sighed, needing Hermione’s attention so badly. Taking a glance towards her, your eyes light up with an idea. Your hands grabbed the book on your lap before pulling it off her, she looked at you in question and you just smiled.

Turning your body, you let your head rest on her lap as her eyes followed your every move. Finally you looked up at her with a grin and handed her back the book.

She stared at you for a few seconds before shaking her head with a smile and moving her hand to rest on your hair. You sighed in happiness as she went back to reading and at the same time playing with your hair.

You closed your eyes and relaxed with your head on Hermione’s lap. Eventually Hermione closed the book silently and joined the conversation the boys were having quietly not to disturb you. The only thing you could focus on was her fingers gently playing with your hair and the way her stomach moved as she breathed.

Minutes later you heard Harry stand up as well as Ron as they told Hermione that they were going back to the common room.

“Okay, we will come in a bit.” You heard her say softly as the footsteps of the boys disappeared. You felt Hermione take a deep breath before pushing away some of the hair that had gotten into your face. “Y/n..”

“Hm?” You mumbled with your eyes still closed as she moved her other hand to your side, softly squeezing you.

You opened your eyes and blinked a few times before meeting her gaze as she looked down on you with a soft smile. “Hello.” You muttered and moved off her lap, sitting beside her.

“Hey..” She spoke in a quiet voice while you stretched your arms. “The boys are going back..”

You hummed before moving a little closer to your best friend, carefully laying your head on her shoulder. “Can we stay just a little more?” You asked with a soft tone with your cheek against her. You felt the vibrations as she chuckled quietly and you smiled.

“Alright.” Hermione simply said before relaxing against you.

You two sat there for a few minutes, watching the sun begin to set behind the mountains. The air started getting more chilly but you didn’t care. The warmth of your bodies was enough for you to feel comfortable.

You had pulled away from Hermione at this point, still close enough to feel her through her clothes. Your eyes moved from the sunset towards your best friend. She had yet to realize that you were looking at her.

She was watching the sight in front of you like at this moment she didn’t have any care in the world, her eyes had a soft look in them. Her lips slightly apart, you wondered how they would feel against yours.

“So pretty..” You heard her say with her soft voice.

You nod even though you knew she couldn’t see you. “Yeah..” You mumbled, still looking at her side profile.

Next thing you knew, her eyes had met yours. Her face had an unreadable expression in it, her eyebrows raised and her eyes looking at you slightly wide.

It was like the world had gone quiet. Brown eyes staring into your light green. You didn’t even notice how much closer you had gotten to her. Suddenly your body seemed to be doing things without your mind’s consent. Your right hand moved towards her neck, slowly reaching upwards and finally resting on her cheek.

Hermione seemed to be fine with that as she slightly leaned against your palm. “You’re beautiful, ‘Mione..” You muttered while your eyes moved down to her lips for a second before moving back up.

She seemed to lose her words as her lips parted, trying to find something to say. You could see a slight blush creep onto her cheeks. Your noses could touch at this point, she could feel your breath on her face. Hermione had never felt you that close to her.

If she would lean a little more towards you, she could easily touch her lips against yours. But she didn’t do that.

You both knew what you were doing. No one said anything though, not even one word came out of your mouths. The sun was almost setting by now, the light shined on her eyes making them glow a light brown. You could count all the freckles on her face.

You’ve never been this close to her, you thought.

Both of you could feel the tension in the air.

She looked between your eyes, trying to find some sort of answer. She received none.

As Hermione went to open her mouth to finally speak, the question fighting to get out of her lips. She never got to make a sound though.

Your lips crashed against hers.

They were soft and sweet.

Then when you felt her not moving you immediately pulled away with wide eyes.

“Oh my god- I’m so sorry. Hermione-”

The apologies quickly rolled out of your tongue as your best friend stared at you with a look. You didn’t even notice it as you panicked.

Of course she wouldn’t like you like that. She was just your friend and you had fucked up.

A few seconds passed with you continuing to shake your head and mumble apologies to her.

“Fuck. I’m so stupid, I’m sorry-” You didn't get to continue as Hermione reached and grabbed your neck, pulling you with forcefulness towards her and stutting you up with her lips.

This time it was you who stood frozen, only for two seconds though. You closed your eyes as you felt her lips move against yours in a slow pace. Her arms moved around your neck as she pulled you closer to her while your hands grabbed her waist.

She was kissing you.

Hermione Granger. Your best friend was kissing you.

You felt like you were on cloud nine. Her lips moved so perfectly against yours. The kiss wasn’t harsh, there was a softness in it. Her hands played with your short hairs on the back of your head making you calm down.

Seconds later, her lips disconnected from yours as you both pulled away for air. Your eyes stared at each other while you tried to calm down, your cheeks definitely a deep pink by now.

“That was…” Hermione said but stopped trying to take a breath in.

“Amazing.” You finished her sentence with a chuckle while your faces were still close. Her eyes had a spark in them, she was admiring you.

Oh for how long she wanted to do that.

She nodded, letting out a big smile that matched yours.

You stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity, when it was in fact only a few seconds. The sun had settled by now, it was getting darker the seconds passed. The lights from the castle were now the only source of light. The sky although still had an orange color in it, but starting to disappear slowly as dark blue was starting to overcome it.

Hermione was the first to talk after a while.

Her arms were still around your neck, holding you close to her. “We should head back.” She spoke, her voice so quiet but you could still hear it.

You gave her a nod as you looked around you, no one was there anymore. Every student had gone back to the castle. You could stay there all night, with Hermione’s presence only. But the wind started to get colder making you agree with her.

Hermione grinned after seeing you nod as her arms left your neck and began to stand up. That wasn’t possible though since your arms were still gripping on her sides, not letting her go.

“One more, please..” You mumbled as you waited.

The brown haired girl let out a chuckle before leaning back towards you and capturing your lips with hers.

This one lasted a little longer than a peck. She pulled away with a gentle smile before tapping your arms to let go.

You with a stupid grin, still looking at her lips, you removed your hands from her waist. You watched her stand up before turning towards you and extending her hand for you to take.

“How nice.” You teased her as you grabbed it and she pulled you up.

“I know.” She smirked as you stood beside her, straightening your clothes. You playfully rolled your eyes before grabbing her book from the ground and handing it to her. “Thank you.”

You nodded before taking her hand in yours and beginning to walk towards the castle.

Her voice sounded from beside you as you entered the castle, “I have a question.”

“Yes?” You looked at her as she was already staring at you while walking.

She seemed to think for a few seconds before letting out a sigh, “What- What are we?” Hermione asked, her eyes watching every move your face made.

Now it was your time to think, although you didn’t have an exact answer you shrugged with a smile, “Whatever you want us to be.”

She suddenly stopped walking, making you stop as well and look at her in question. She took a breath as she looked into your eyes, “I like you.”

You tilted your face, something Hermione always found it cute whenever you did it. She didn’t know if it was the way your eyes looked at her, or the way your lips always moved to a smirk.

“And I like you too.”

Her eyes widened slightly, something about hearing these words leave your mouth made her blush. She smiled as you spoke again. “We don’t have to put a label yet, we can simply watch how it goes.”

Hermione nodded at that before moving closer and standing on her tiptoes to reach your lips with hers. She gave you a quick peck before smiling widely. “I’d like that.”

You two continued walking towards the Gryffindor common room, after passing by the portret you found Harry and Ron playing magic chess, Ginny was sitting in one of the couches while reading a book. Fred and George were casting some spells in one of the corners of the room.

Hermione and you went and sat close to your Ron and Harry as Ginny smiled at you.

Harry finally noticed you and gave you a smile before looking down on your intertwined hands. You never let go of Hermione's hand, you knew she wouldn’t have a problem with your friends knowing.

Your brother smirked as his eyes found yours before going back to playing chess.

Hermione moved your intertwined hands to lay on her lap as she started a conversation with Ginny. You couldn’t help but admire the girl beside you, you’ve liked her for so long. And it turned out she liked you back.

She felt like home.

At this moment, you knew you didn’t only like her. You loved her.

You were in love with Hermione Granger.

And she was finally yours.

[taylormarieee]

Drunkenly Yours Drew Starkey

Summary: You and Drew go out and you get drunk and he confesses...

Pairing: Drew Starkey x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: None, Just pure fluff, Mentions of Alcohol, Slightly Sober Drew, Drunk reader, Confessions, Kissing, Sweet ending.

A/N: This is a second fic dedicated to @ribbonprincess for her birthday! shhhh i'm a lil behind but love you beautiful<333

BIRTHDAY FIC 2/2

You and your cast members went out for drinks tonight. You are celebrating because you just finished filming season 3. You played as Rafe's love interest and supposed savior.

You got really close with Drew more than anything given the amount of scenes you guys had together. Granted you grew close with everyone on the cast, Drew was your favorite but of course you would never admit that.

You guys went to a little mini bar by your apartment complex that you all lived in, (Seperate floors and rooms of course) and you guys got all dressed up.

You were met by some paparazzi and some fans on the way out of your hotel but you guys didn't mind as you guys weren't in any rush. You all took pictures and posed and even signed things if asked.

Once that was over you all got into the car and drove away. You guys listened to music and jammed the whole way there.

Once you guys arrived at your destination, you are so excited yet nervous at the same time.

You loved going out but it was always hard especially when the love of your life was always going to be there and always suggesting to go out.

"Drew! Put me down!" you scream out while laughing as your conversation with Madelyn about something was interrupted.

"Nope, no can do peaches, gotta make sure you don't get your princess shoes dirty." Drew whispered in your ear.

You nervously giggled holding on to him tighter. He holds you in his(Big, handsome, strong and sexy) arms for a little longer while Chase confirms the reservation for tonight.

Once you guys were in, Drew finally put's you down. "M'lady." he says as he bows in front of you to let you walk first. "Hm. Thank you kind sir." You say in the best british accent you can muster up.

He chuckles and you giggle as you walk closer to Chase and put your arms around Chase.

"Hey bunny." He says to you wrapping his hands around your waist and furrowing up your hair.

"Heyyy! I told you not to call me that anymore Chase!" you say puffing your bottom lip out and stomping your foot down.

"Ok fine, then should I call you thumper? You do know how much you act like a bunny right?" He says laughing.

You punch his arm and sit down in the booth that the waitress guided you guys too.

Your in front of Chase but next to you is Drew. You look up at him and admire him as he sits down and takes his order.

The waitress is going down the line of your cast mates before she finally get's to you.

You give her your order which is the same as Madelyn's. She was your best friend, you could talk to her about anything. She was like a sister to you.

She was the only one out of the entire cast that knew you liked Drew. You didn't exactly tell her she kind of figured it out on her own.

She was a bit of an observer and she would watch how much chemistry (as she likes to call it) you and Drew had on certain scenes, or just being together in general.

You loved Drew, you could say it a million times and it would never sound like a lie.

Drew was the best person in your life right now. Yes, you had Maddy but there was something about Drew that just made everyday a better day when you were with him. Everyday was never dull when you were with Drew. It was filled with happiness and fun.

"Alright guys. I don't know about yall but i'm trying to get hella wasted." You say and everyone starts laughing and aggreeing.

"Wait but someone needs to stay sober to get us all home." Madison says.

"1 2 3! NOT IT!" Everyone except Drew says. "You guys are doing this like i'm not the one that drove you all here in the first place." He says chuckling at everyones childish behaviour.

"Drinks on me?!" You yell going up to the bar while you guys are waiting on the food.

"Bet!" Jonathan and Rudy say at the same time before bursting out laughing. You laugh and scoot out of the booth after Drew gets up.

"Hey I'll come with you, can't hold all those drinks yourself girl." Madelyn says.

You smile at her as you both walk away to the bar to get 12 shots of tequila.

'So, when are you gonna tell him?" Madelyn asks. Your head immediately spins towards her and your eyes are wide.

"Uhmm ha, real funny Mads, i'm not doing that." You say turning back to all the dancing people.

"But this could be your only chance to tell him!" Madelyn says. You look back at her.

"Oh really, and how do you suppose I actually grow the balls to do it. Plus, this is supposed to be a fun, calm night with all of us together. Celebrating season 3 of Outer Banks. I don't wanna embarrass myself on this wonderful night in front of everyone." You say to her before the waiter comes around with your drinks.

"Hey, can we also get some beers please and thank you!" Madelyn says to prolong this conversation. The waiter nods and smiles at you both.

"But, what if I made a plan? Created like a diversion maybe? Like idk invite evryone to dance but then you keep Drew waiting and then you guys talk for a bit." She suggests with a smile on her face.

"Yea that could work, but you know how much drew loves to dance." You say already taking a shot or two.

It's as if a lightbulb appeared over Maddy's head the way her face lit up. "What if, you get so wasted that you confess to him. I'll still let everyone go dance once we get enough shots in us and then you can confess to him." She says taking two shots with you as well.

You face screws up but before you can say anything Madelyn speaks, "Yea that decision is final." She says with a smile on her face before bringing the shots towards the table.

You smirk and shake your head before grabbing the beers that the waiter passed towards you.

When you make it back to the table people are already taking shots and interacting. Everyone seems a lot more loose now and more livid.

"WHO WANTS BEER!" You yell over the music so they can hear you. They cheer and so does the crowd, but there cheering for a different reason.

You pass out some beers to everyone and then chug down some shots.

Your a lot more loose now that your tipsy and you feel like doing something spontaneous.

You walk over to the bar and stand on the table with the permission of the waiter and he helps you up since your in high heel black boots.

"I have an announcement to make my fellow partyers! ALL DRINKS ARE ON MEE!!!" You yell out and everyone starts cheering and you pop open a bottle of champagne filling everyone's cups.

You ask the waiter for a couple beers and tell him that everything is gonna be on your tab. He smiles at you and nods.

You hand beers to people in the crowd and your taking more shots. Your turnt now. Dancing on the table still and then hoping down to dance in the crowd.

Your dancing when you feel a hard chest behind you and hands on your hips. You don't even look to see who it is and you start grinfing and dancing on them with a shot glass in your hand.

You dance on this perosn for about five minutes before you turn around and put your arms around there neck. You open your eyes and realize it's Drew.

Your eyes widen and you lightly push off him muterring a sorry.

"Your hype aren't you?" He asks with a smirk on his face. Your face is hot now and you can't control the smile that appears o your face.

"Even though your drunk you still look so adorable." He says putting his hands back on your hips and bringignyou closer to him.

Drew has been teasing you like this all night. You just wanted to tell him how you feel. You wanted to say it so badly that your throat was burning and not just from the alcohol.

"Hey Drew!?" You say his name so lovely that he melts. "Yes princess?" He replies.

"I'm in love with you. I've loved you for a while now and I just never had the courage to say it. I know i'm like really fucking drunk right now but I'm so in love with you it makes my heart hurt! Everytime I see you I get butterflies in my stomach. I love you Drew Starkey, I always have." You say dancing slowly with him.

He stares at you with a goofy lopsided smile on his face.

"Hey, I'm still sober but i'm a bit tipsy and I heard everything you said and my input on that is I love you too. Not platonically but romantically. I've thought about you all the time. It was like love at first sight. I fell in love with you from day 1 and I wanna be the one that is in your life forever. Will you make me the happiest man on earth and be my girlfriend?" He confesses.

You smile so much that your cheeks hurt. You feel like crying! You shake your head yes and grab his face and kiss him. You kiss him so hard he's stumbling back a bit but he catches himself.

He slips his tongue between your lips and you both kiss passionately on the dance floor.

You hear cheering behind you and you see Chase and Madelyn and the rest of the cast cheering for you and Drew.

Some others who are most likely fans are recording the moment as well.

Today was a good night. You finally got your prince and you were going to make sure you guys had your happily ever after...

Taglist: (?)

[halfvalid]

the blade daughter, pt. 2

ABOUT

pt. 1 | pt. 2 | pt. 3

alternate title: dracule mihawk cures your daddy issues!

rating: mature

characters: live action!roronoa zoro | fem!reader | live action!dracule mihawk | live action!straw hat ensemble

pairing: live action!roronoa zoro x fem!reader

word count: 23.6k total | 8k this part

description: after joining the straw hats on board the going merry, you're confused as to what to do with your life from now—and you can't help but get closer to zoro.

tags: mihawk's daughter!reader, female reader, canon-typical violence, cursing, no use of 'y/n', pet names per mihawk ('dear', 'darling', 'sweetheart', 'little hawk'), emotional hurt/comfort, slow burn, patching of wounds

author’s note: second chapter! i hope you like it <3 out of the three this one's probably my favorite personally, i really like the wound-stitching scene & i think it's one of the best scenes ive ever written. i'm suchhh a slut for the patching up of wounds trope.

You rose before the sun, careful to pack your belongings all in one sack. Considering the very little amount you’d brought, it was a relatively easy task—leaving the sloop would be fine, too, as you paid for the slip for a few months longer at least. Your father had so many ships across so many seas it hardly mattered much anymore. 

You double-checked that you had all of your things before shutting down and leaving the sloop, consulting some of the dock men to transfer a boat lift under the berth. You moved carefully across the east port, making quick time as you returned to the Straw Hats’ ship in slip fifty-two. 

There were apparent signs of life when you reached the ship, even with the sky cast over in dark hues of navy. All of the dead bodies had been removed, for one, and dock men were loading barrels up on the deck while Sanji watched over them. His expression brightened as his gaze fell across you. 

“Lady Dracule!” he called out, slipping off from the barrel on which he’d been perched to meet you at the pier. You gave him an unimpressed look. 

“I have a name, you know.” 

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that,” Sanji answered, a lopsided grin pulling up the side of his face. You rolled his eyes and introduced yourself, which only prompted a brighter smile and a steady pat of his hand on your back. “A fine name, for a fine woman.” 

“Sanji, stop flirting with the crew.” You glanced up to see Nami, one hip cocked to the side with her hand on her waist, staring down with an exasperated glint in her eye. “Welcome aboard the Going Merry. Sorry I was a little grouchy last night. I don’t like having my sleep interrupted.” She leaned down to offer you her hand, and you took it, climbing aboard the ship. 

“The Going Merry?” 

“Fits it, don’t you think?” Sanji asked from behind you. Nami eyed him again, volume dropping as she tilted her head towards yours. 

“He’ll quit with the sweet talk eventually. I’ll give you a tour once we’ve cast off. We’re just waiting for Zoro to get back from town, and then we’re all set.” She turned to bark out another few orders to Sanji— “Finish up with the crates already!” 

“Anything you want, madam,” Sanji said with a little bow. Nami let out a long-suffering sigh. 

“Luffy already prepared a room for you. I’ll show you to it.” She led you below deck, back towards the ship’s aft. There was a collection of rooms all crammed together, one beside the other. “These are the women’s quarters. Men’s’ are all the way at the front of the ship.” She nodded behind her. “You get this one here. Sorry, it’s small.” 

She opened the door to the very last room, and you stepped inside, surveying your surroundings. It wasn’t much; the cabin barely scraped by as a room, consisting of only a wardrobe, a hanging bed, and a small table and chair stuck in the corner. A round window at the very edge of the room revealed the water just a mere few feet below. 

“It’ll do fine, thank you,” you said. Your room back at home was far more ornate, but you’d never been picky. 

“You can sleep for a few more hours,” Nami said, lingering by the cabin mouth. “Come find me when you’re ready for a tour. We should be setting off in a few moments, if Zoro’s back.”

You gave her a smile, and she left, the patter of her footsteps dying off as she walked further and further away. 

It didn’t take you long to get arranged, and afterwards, you gingerly sat down on the bed, the rope tied to the ceiling causing it to sway under you. You were still uncertain about boarding the ship, but you couldn't exactly return to your sloop now. And it wasn’t the worst idea in the world, you tried to convince yourself. 

You felt the ship start moving just a few moments later, and you stood up, walking across the rocking ship to get up to the deck. You were making fast time, Loguetown’s silhouette rapidly getting swallowed in the gulp of the horizon. 

Nami was bickering with Zoro and Luffy when you found her. “What even took you so long? We were due to leave a half-hour ago.” 

“I was getting new swords,” Zoro said calmly. Nami eyed him, then yanked something out of his hand. A wallet, it looked like, stuffed with bills of berry. “You can’t be mad at me. I spent less than half of your budget.” 

“They scammed you,” Nami scoffed, eyeing the katanas at Zoro’s hip. Zoro simply shrugged. “A sword for free? It’s probably made of plastic.” 

Zoro snorted. “I’d be able to tell.” 

Nami cast him a look, gaze unimpressed under the line of her eyelashes. “You can’t tell the difference between a ship mast and a tree.” 

“Yeah, but I know swords.” 

“Oh, hey!” Luffy, who’d seemed tuned out of his crewmates’ conversation, said as he spotted you. “Glad to see you here. Officially part of the crew.” 

“Oh, well…” you hesitated. “Not so sure if I’ll be joining you forever.” Luffy looked confused by that, but not particularly offended—Nami and Zoro had turned to watch you, too, argument dying on trembling legs. “Right now the plan is to help you get to the Grand Line. From there you can drop me home. And then we’ll part ways.” 

“If you change your mind…” Luffy trailed off, then patted you on the shoulder. “Nami, were you going to show her around?” 

“I was, but I’ve got some mapping to do.” Nami glanced over at Zoro. “Hey. Make yourself useful.” 

“I hate you,” Zoro muttered. He brushed past you, just barely motioning with his head for you to follow. “Afterdeck.” 

You stepped into the small space. It was easily the most secluded place on the ship deck, decorated with three young tangerine trees in white boxy planters. “I like your trees.” 

“They’re Nami’s trees.” Zoro gestured with his head again, and you followed him. The tour was brief; Zoro didn’t have much to say, generally just showing you a room before telling you what it was and departing for the next area. 

You were about halfway through the tour when Zoro spoke again, the words abrupt in his throat. He spat them out rather than spoke them, and you got the impression he’d been mulling over talking for a while— “You ever beat your dad in combat?” 

You snorted. “No.” 

Zoro didn’t look at you, opting instead to push through the next doorway and gesture vaguely around him to show you the surroundings. “Gotten close?” 

“Never.” You shrugged. “He taught me the basics, but I wasn’t the best student. He’d try to be strict and everything, but… sword fighting isn’t really my thing. You’re probably better than me.” 

Zoro gazed at you skeptically. “He taught you.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Do you—” He paused, mouth open for a moment before resuming his sentence. He didn’t sound particularly hesitant, but the pause had you stifling a smile anyway, knowing he was at least a little bit flustered. “We should train together.” 

“Was that a question?” 

“Not really.” Zoro’s lip quirked, one side of his mouth tugging upwards in an odd semblance of a smile. He didn’t seem the type to smile often, though, so it didn’t look out of ordinary on his face. “Have you seen enough of the ship yet, or do you want me to show you the bilge too?” 

“I’m good, thanks,” you answered primly. “Now did you want to fight me or not?” 

Zoro actually smiled at that. 

You decided to train on the main deck, in an area wide enough to not bump into anyone else. You shed your jacket, pulling Hiru out of its scabbard. Zoro winced as the sun hit the silver blade, reflecting a blinding gleam off its surface. “That a stylistic choice?” 

“I polish things when I get anxious,” you answered. “So not really.” 

“Right.” Zoro untied a black bandana from where it was fixed on his bicep, fingers working fluidly against the knot. Once he got it untied, he wrapped it around his head, tying it carefully around his head. Afterwards, he slid one of his swords out of its scabbard, holding it with his fingers to follow with the other. “How low should my expectations be?” 

“I don’t know, you tell me,” you answered. Zoro let a soft sound out through his mouth, but he said no more, transferring one sword to each hand. He moved carefully, arms arching over his head to lower to each of his sides. You lifted Hiru up, more casual in your movements than Zoro was. 

You paid more attention to Zoro than the actual fight when you started moving. You figured you’d have time to genuinely practice later—you hadn’t kept a close eye on the swordsman in the battle against the pirate hunters, and your curiosity was eating at you. Zoro was all angles when he fought, elbows lifted and limbs pin-straight. That wasn’t to say there was no flexibility in his movements, though—he dodged your oncoming attacks easily, sidestepping with a light twist of the torso so your blade cut air instead of flesh. 

Just a few seconds in you could tell Zoro was far, far better than you. You parried one of his attacks, gasp ripping from your throat as you just barely managed to block off a slash from his katana with Hiru. He spun towards you, careful not to actually cut as his blade came for the throat. You managed to dodge just in time, moving backwards with a quick patter of your feet against the wooden deck. 

There was barely anything skewed in his motions, you were soon to realize. He was perfect in every sense of the word. Your styles were vastly different, of course—Zoro mainly relied on his blades, and his physicality was carefully practiced, no curves or bends apparent in the straight lines and slants of his body. In comparison, you were much more slippery, focusing mainly on your agility to carry you throughout a fight rather than your strength. 

“Your elbow,” Zoro said. You barely managed to respond, letting out a grunt of effort as you blocked Zoro’s oncoming attack. 

“Hm?”

Zoro’s katana came from the left. He used the other one to knock your arm up, nearly gentle in his movements, and you were reminded of how Mihawk used to train you—stopping mid-fight to reposition your limbs, using his sword to carefully push your hands in the right places. “You’re dropping it.” 

“I don’t care much for angles,” you answered, ducking under Zoro’s incoming blade and sliding off to the side instead of trying to shove against it. Zoro seemed startled by that, struck off-balance as he stumbled, turning to face you. 

You jerked your sword towards him, one leg coming up to shove against his torso whilst doing so. You managed to knock him fully off-balance then, and he staggered against his feet, teetering precariously backwards. “Your center of gravity is screwed.” 

“You dad kept flinging me around the pier,” Zoro said. You raised your brows, the phrase nonsensical to your ears. But it did sound like Mihawk. “It run in the family?”

“Very funny.” You dodged another slash of Zoro’s swords. “The only thing I picked up well in our lessons was about keeping balance.” 

“And dodging, apparently.” You snickered at that, parrying another one of Zoro’s attacks—but it was getting harder and harder, what with the immense strength of his body you simply couldn’t keep up with. As flexible as you were, you weren’t quick enough this time, and Zoro swept you off your feet so you fell to the ground, wind bursting out of your chest all in one rush. Hiru clattered a few feet away, your fingers unfolding from their grip and letting it move freely.

Zoro slid his swords back in their sheaths, letting them close with a satisfying click. “You fight too defensively.”

You lay there for a moment, trying to gather air back into your lungs. “Never found a point in attacking others, really.” You got up, straightening your shirt before bending over to pick Hiru up from the floor. “Good fight.” 

“Yeah,” Zoro said, but his voice was weak, tapering off to blend in with the wind. He had an uncertain look on his face, big brown eyes all fuzzy around the edges, like there was some cloudlike film covering him from seeing properly. You frowned at him. 

“Is that because I’m worse or better than you expected?” you asked, gesturing vaguely up at his expression. Zoro blinked, the fog over his eyes clearing as he glanced down to meet your gaze. You waited expectantly, but he didn’t say anything. “Zoro?” you prompted. 

“Sorry,” Zoro said. “I’m—I’m going to go to my cabin.” 

You watched him leave, growing more quizzical by the second. Well, you’d gotten what you’d come there for, anyway. Roronoa Zoro was a great swordsman. And he certainly had the potential to be the greatest in the world, too—a realization that shook you a little, heart trembling from where it was fixed in your chest cavity. You swallowed hard, mind replaying the firm motions of his body from the fight. He’d been confident, sure of himself. You had even forgotten he still hosted Yoru’s slash along his torso from just a week or so prior, he’d been so… perfect. 

“He’s good, huh?” 

You startled, turning to see Usopp sitting atop a pile of crates like a king on a throne. He was picking at his fingernails. “Zoro,” he clarified. “Best swordsman in the East Blue.” 

“Yeah,” you said, glancing over at where Zoro had left. “He is.” 

Usopp eyed you for a moment. “Your shell phone is ringing.”

You startled, patting down your figure before finally unearthing your phone from where it was tucked safely away in your pocket. You opened it, pushing the den den mushi in your ear as it vibrated, little mouth making soft rumbling sounds to catch your attention. Usopp clearly didn’t know a thing about privacy, though, because he kept watching even as you picked up— “Hello?” 

“Back home yet, darling?” Mihawk asked over the line, and you relaxed, your entire body going slack with comfort as you heard the familiar low hum of your father’s voice. “I figured you’d go back as quickly as possible.” 

“No, actually,” you said. “Luffy roped me into coming aboard his ship.” 

You could practically see Mihawk’s brows lift up in surprise. “You joined the Straw Hat pirate’s crew?” 

“No. They’re bringing me home. I’m helping them get to the Grand Line,” you corrected. Mihawk hummed, the sound a crackle of monotony through the den den mushi’s mouth. 

“And why, pray tell, would you do that?” 

You chewed at your bottom lip, glancing off the side of the Going Merry to the East Blue. The sun had risen fully, fixing itself in a warm beam in the sky. “I was curious about Roronoa Zoro. You never told me why you left him alive. Or why you let Luffy go.” You could still feel Usopp’s gaze on you while you spoke, and you just knew he’d be telling the rest of his crew this after your conversation finished. “So I wanted to figure out your reasoning.” 

“Ah,” Mihawk said. “Has he healed from Yoru’s wound yet?”

“It’s not like I tore off his shirt to check, dad,” you muttered. Mihawk barked out a laugh, and you startled at the sound before settling down again. “He walks fine. I saw bandages.” 

Mihawk seemed pleased by that. “Wonderful. He’s a hardy one. You should fight him.”

“Already did,” you answered. “He beat me.”

Mihawk considered that for a moment. “Eh, I saw that coming.”

You scoffed. “You have no faith in me. Where are you now?” 

“South Blue, still,” Mihawk replied. “Are you at least enjoying yourself there? It’ll be good for you to make friends, sweetheart. You don’t get much social interaction other than me and the villagers, after all.” 

“I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to get a ride home,” you said insistently, but your voice was weak, and Mihawk clearly didn’t believe you. Your mind wandered back to Zoro—the firm muscle of his body, the hushed tone he spoke in, and you found your face pinkening. “One of them—one of them wants to kill you. That’s his entire life’s purpose. To murder you.” 

“I think you’re being a tad bit broad, darling,” Mihawk said with a click of his tongue. “You seem rather enamored with this particular young swordsman. Something to say?” 

“I—” your words fumbled in your mouth, and you were certain you were entirely pink now, the sun’s glowing rays only making your face warmer than it was rapidly turning. “Stop. I’m hanging up now.”

Mihawk’s voice was tastefully dry when he responded. “I’m sure.”

“Shut up, old man,” you grumbled. 

“Right. Remember the rule, dear,” Mihawk trilled, and despite his voice being as monotone as ever, you could still identify the undertones of it—laced with syrupy mocking, all teasing and dramatic. “No dating unless he can beat you in combat!” 

You actually did hang up this time, practically tearing the den den mushi out of your ear. You huffed out an irritated breath, rubbing a circle into the shell of your snail as an apology just a moment later. “Sorry,” you murmured. “My dad’s a bitch.” 

The snail just let out a little grumble in response. You tucked it back into its case and snapped the phone shut. 

“Aw, we’re not allowed to say hi?” You spun around at the new voice, glaring upon seeing Sanji and Luffy having joined Usopp in his eavesdropping. Sanji bore a gigantic grin on his face. “Sounded like an interesting conversation.” 

“None of you know what boundaries are,” you muttered, but it was light-hearted. 

You didn’t see Zoro until suppertime, a fact that rang odd in your head. It seemed like he’d completely evaporated from the ship, disappearing around every corner as you spent the rest of the day getting to know the rest of the crew better. Something had happened, but you weren’t exactly sure what—and you weren’t exactly sure if you were close enough to him to even ask, yet. 

Sanji had cooked up a dinner so fine you doubted it could even quality as ship food. From your time traveling with your father, rations on-board hadn’t been much of anything—a few scraps of bread or dried meat, old apples, perhaps some fish if you were lucky. Mihawk hadn’t the biggest priority on eating well, but the Straw Hat crew seemed to have the exact opposite opinion. You were served a bowl of miso soup along with a bowl of rice, and dishes of tofu and oyster sauce stir-fried vegetables were carefully laid out all across the table. 

“Bon appétit,” Sanji said, taking a half-bow before slipping into the last seat around the table. “I hope it’s to your liking. Yours especially, Lady Dracule.” He gave you a little wink at that. You just stared at him. 

“I thought I told you my name.”

“Well, you did, but I thought Lady Dracule had a nice ring to it.” 

“It doesn’t,” you said. Nami stifled a snort, the hand not holding her chopsticks coming up to cover her mouth. Sanji didn’t look the slightest bit dissuaded. You turned your attention on Zoro, who hadn’t spoken a word throughout the whole meal. He was rather studiously focused on his bowl, eyes picking apart the grains of rice like they’d reveal the world’s greatest secrets. 

Carefully, you leaned towards Nami, voice coming out in a hushed whisper. “Is he okay?” 

“He gets like that sometimes,” Nami answered, her words drowned out by Usopp and Luffy’s cheerful conversation. “Nobody can crack him except for Luffy. I’d just leave him be.” 

“You don’t know why?” 

Nami just shrugged. “Hell, we’re all depressed sometimes. Not within my rights to question him.”

You nodded, but your gaze didn’t move away from Zoro’s figure. There was a particular squeezing sensation deep in your chest—a little flip-flop thing, a sort of panging you couldn’t quite place. He glanced up, dark eyes meeting yours for just a fraction of a second. But he didn’t flinch away. He just returned your gaze, strong and unblinking. 

To your surprise, Zoro was the first to look away, craning his neck to study his bowl again and continuing on like your extended bout of eye contact hadn’t even happened. You watched him, dumbstruck, until Nami nudged you in the shoulder. The rest of the group’s idle chatter had died down, and Usopp and Sanji were staring at you, low murmurs falling out of their mouths. You cleared your throat, finally dropping your gaze from the green-haired swordsman and attempting to ignore the fact everyone had caught you staring. 

You didn’t do much of anything after supper—you just returned to your cabin, carefully walking across the creaking boards of the ship. Luffy assigned you mid watch, so you had a few hours to sleep before waking up at midnight to look out for any enemies. 

You couldn’t find yourself falling asleep even after you’d slipped into bed. You’d changed, a loose blouse light against your skin, black silk shorts grazing your thighs. It was cold out, so you shrugged on a robe as you headed out into the darkness of the Going Merry. You emerged out on the deck, taking in a breath of the night air as you glanced to see who had the night watch. 

Just your luck. It was Zoro. 

He seemed tranquil, lounging across a hammock with his white sword—the Wado Ichimonji—cradled in his arms. In the dim light you couldn’t see if his eyes were open or closed, but as you got closer, he cracked one of them open, a gleam reflecting off his right iris. “Hi,” you said, moving over to the side of the ship to watch the waves on the water. 

Zoro didn’t deign to respond, so you just stood there, watching the sea lap at the side of the ship until eventually the hour struck twelve. Zoro left soundlessly. You stayed awake all throughout your watch until Usopp came to relieve you of your duties. 

Zoro was avoiding you. 

A few days had passed since you first boarded the Going Merry. They hadn’t been of much interest—just days of practicing with your sword and chatting with the crew, for the most part. You helped around the ship, completing various tasks apparently none of the members knew or cared enough to do. You were just emerging from the bilge, having done basic maintenance to ensure everything was working properly, when you bumped into him. The man was apparently taking a nap, though you couldn’t figure out why the storage area was a very good place to sleep. Still, he seemed comfortable enough, long body splayed along a grouping of crates. 

“Hi,” you said, for what seemed like the hundredth time over a few days. Zoro just averted his gaze and let out a little grunt in response. You stared at him for a moment. The realization had dawned on you ever since the first day, but it was growing more and more apparent, and you were baffled as to what you’d done to incur the silent treatment. 

“Hi,” you repeated, more purposefully this time.

“Hey,” Zoro said, though the word was clearly bitter in his mouth. You propped your hands on your hips and stared down at him. 

“You’re avoiding me.” 

Zoro closed his eyes, expression not even changing. “You’re not that special.”

“Ever since we fought that one time, you’ve been ignoring me,” you barreled on, entirely ignoring his quip. Zoro cocked a brow, eyes still closed, and you glared down at it. “I’d like to know why.” 

“Why do you care? We’re not friends.” 

“Isn’t it natural to want to know why someone is mad at you?” you demanded, perplexed. Zoro sighed then, shifting around on his boxes. 

“I’m not mad at you.” You heaved out a sigh even more irritated than Zoro’s. Your experience in the realm of dealing with close-lipped men’s personal issues was, unfortunately, rather well-seasoned. You’d had to coax situations out of your father, one hand pressed against Yoru’s hilt to prevent Mihawk from lashing out his frustrations rather than explaining them. But that didn’t mean you were all too fond of it. 

“Okay, well, why else would you be ignoring me then?” 

Zoro’s response was annoyingly frank. “It’s not really any of your business.” 

You pursed your lips, trying to suppress the irritated noise that threatened to burst from your throat. “I don’t like being on bad terms with people,” you started. “If I did something to piss you off, I’d very much like it if you—” 

The floor slipped out from underneath you before you could finish your sentence. You fell with a graceless clatter, lurching forward into the stack of crates Zoro was leaning on, words dying on your tongue. The entire boat trembled, quivering from side to side as if the ocean waves had suddenly propelled a thousand more ripples at its surface.

Zoro sat immediately up, one hand pushing you off of him as he scrambled off the crates. “What was that?” 

“I don’t—” Just a moment after regaining your balance, there was another dull thud and a row of quivers. You remained steady this time, glancing carefully around you before you and Zoro were both hurrying up towards the ship deck. The Going Merry was in chaos when you emerged, Nami at the helm while Sanji was firing up a cannon beside her. 

“What’s going on?” you demanded, the tails of your coat lapping around your calves as you hurried up besides Luffy. 

“Pirates,” Luffy said grimly, nodding towards a ship that was quickly gaining on you. “They blew through the stern railing. Do any of you recognize the jolly roger?” 

You glanced up, taking in the billowing sail boasting a pure-white jolly roger with a top hat and mustache. “Nope. These things are getting more and more ridiculous,” you muttered. 

“Yeah,” Luffy agreed, affronted. “Ours is way better.” 

You turned your gaze up at the Straw Hat crew’s aforementioned jolly roger. “...No comment.” 

“We can’t outrun them!” Nami shouted from her place at the helm. Sanji had successfully nailed a cannonball into the railing of the oncoming ship, but they had a dozen more men. “I’m going to try to get closer. Best chance we have is one-on-one combat.” She turned to fix the small grouping with a glare. “Don’t just stand there. Get to it!” 

You launched into action, hurrying to climb up the rigging to get a better view as Nami veered hard to starboard. The enemy ship had dropped their cannons, and you could see them preparing to board the Merry, grabbing onto loose ropes of rigging. “They’re going to swing over,” you reported, watching as the ship tilted in your direction, gaining on you. “I see maybe two or three dozen men.” 

You hesitated, glancing around at the rather stationary crew around you. Your lip tugged between your teeth, and you stood there for a moment, unspoken words heavy on your tongue. You could see the captain yelling out orders on the ship across from you, and you turned abruptly, fixing Sanji with a look. 

“Sanji, trade with Usopp. I want you to nail a cannon at their port stern.” 

“W—What? Me?” Usopp stuttered. You nodded. 

“I want Sanji on the frontlines. That should be close enough now.” You gazed out at the rapidly thinning gap between the two ships. One final cannonball whizzed towards, and you ducked, watching as it just brushed the side of the Merry. The ship rocked, and you tightened your grip on the rigging, satisfied to see it’d barely left a mark. 

“They’re coming over,” Sanji reported, and you nodded, sliding Hiru out from your scabbard as enemy pirates started swinging over on ropes. Luffy was the first to react, an arching, rubbery limb catching one of them midair and yanking them down into the ocean. Boots thudded on the ground as the enemy pirates landed aboard the Going Merry. 

“Time for a fight,” Zoro murmured, barely audible from your left. You jumped down from the rigging, sword coming down to crash against one of the enemy pirates. He reacted slowly, pistol cocking towards your chest—but you just brushed it to the side with Hiru, cutting it straight out his hand and following up with a flurry of sword thrusts. 

Besides you, you saw Sanji sliding into battle, spinning on his palms to deliver a mean right hook to someone’s jawbone. An audible crack pierced the air, and you winced, breezing backwards on your feet as two pirates closed in on you. 

Luffy seemed to have engaged in a one-on-one with the enemy captain, who was easily identifiable due to the gigantic top hat perched upon his head. He had thick black hair tied neatly back in a ponytail, and a mustache and beard to match. A thick cutlass was tightened in one fist, thrusted towards Luffy—but every sweep was dodged with unbelievable bends of the torso. 

You turned your attention away, whipping your sword at the pirates that surrounded you. Hiru clashed with their blades, gleaming silver scraping against theirs. You leaned forward, and the blade before you broke with the pressure, sword snapping under Hiru’s will. 

The sword dropped out of the pirate’s hand, and you took the opportunity to pull your leg up, kicking him squarely in the jaw. The other lunged for you, and your fist dug into their torso, hands gripping tight to their belt. You bent over, twisting into his body to push him over your shoulder in a sweeping throw. 

He fell to the floor all in one, and you landed a kick to his chest just to ensure he wouldn’t get up again. Another man—bigger, this time, probably half your width and inches taller—gunned for you. 

You sidestepped him easily, agility tilting in your favor as you escaped his grasp. It was harder to take this one down—while you could dodge him well enough, and parry his oncoming attacks, he was simply too strong to compete with. Strength isn’t everything, little hawk, Mihawk would always tell you. Everyone has a weakness. Get them off balance. Use your points. 

The man delivered a stinging left hook to your torso, and you gasped. He took the opportunity to grab onto your wrist, grip so tight you couldn’t move your hand. Hiru clattered out from between your fingers. You directed a hit with your elbow towards the pirate’s sternum, but it was oddly-placed, and he just sneered down at you. 

One of his large fists rose to thud against your skull, and you braced for impact, but the blow never landed. A warm squishing sound of a sword against skin made your entire body shudder, and you turned to stare as your assailant’s head slid cleanly off of his neck. 

Zoro was behind him when his body collapsed, sword slick with blood as he spun it lazily around in a hand. “Careful,” he said. 

You gaped up at him for merely a second more before you realized your jaw was ajar. You flushed, bending over to fish Hiru up from the floor. “I was fine.” 

Zoro just thrust his sword cleanly into the torso of an incoming pirate, eyes not breaking away from yours. He slid it out with a sickening sound, flicking the blood off the blade with a motion of his hand. “A thank you might be nice.”

“Behind you,” you said instead, but Zoro was already reacting. You watched him, an incurable sigh perched on the tip of your tongue. He was good. He was really, really good, and you didn’t know how to feel about it. “Is that most of them?” 

“I think—” Zoro cut himself off, glancing over his shoulder as you both hear the familiar yell of Luffy’s voice screaming out one of his final moves. You both watched, soundless, as his foot smashed into the top hat pirate’s face, flinging him all the way across the water straight into the mast of his own ship. Only mere seconds later did the mast crack, the wooden pole falling down in a glorious, wooden heap. 

“...Yeah, we’re fine.” Zoro said. He leaned down, grabbing the shirt of one of the fallen pirates to wipe his blade with before sliding it back in its scabbard. “Let’s get out of here.” 

“On it.” Nami snapped her bo staff closed—when she’d jumped down into the battle, you were unsure, but she was already returning to her place at the helm. “Toss these bodies off our boat, would you, Zoro?” 

“Right.” Zoro bent over, easily picking up the fallen pirate and chucking the corpse overboard without another thought. You watched him the entire time, the strain of his biceps against his skin forming solid ridges up his arms. 

“I can clean your swords,” you said, words a bit too late out of your mouth. Zoro glanced up, brow creased. “While you’re doing that.” 

Zoro looked uncertain, but he unstrapped the scabbards from his hip, handing the twin katanas to you. You took them, glancing over his figure again. He moved with difficulty, and while you’d originally thought that was because of the bodies’ weight, you now saw the real reason. Lines of crimson were seeping through his shirt, a pool by the left side of his lower abdomen the biggest injured site. You took an involuntary step forward. “You’re hurt.”

“I can treat them later,” Zoro said dismissively. “Gotta clean up the Merry first.” 

“No, mosshead, the lady is right,” Sanji said. You startled, not having noticed him slip up beside you. “Usopp and I can manage with waste control, eh?” He winked. “Go clean up.” 

Zoro glared at him, the look dripping with malice, but he didn’t argue past that. “Fine,” he said, chucking another body—this one alive—off the side of the ship before straightening. You heard the hitch in his breath as he spoke, along with the near-imperceptible wince of his face. “You good, Luffy?” 

“A little hungry,” Luffy responded truthfully. He was still watching the other ship. Fire had started aboard it, and soft billows of black smoke drifted in the air. “Can you cook something up later, Sanji?” 

“Got it,” Sanji said. “Tell your first mate to patch up his wound before he bleeds out all over our beautiful deck.” 

“The deck isn’t beautiful, it’s got blood and guts all over it,” Zoro muttered. 

“Well, have a little respect and don’t add to the mess.” Sanji fixed him with a stern look. Zoro bared his teeth at him in a grimace, extracting a sharp little laugh out of your throat. His eyes brushed over yours, a glimmer of surprise dancing in his irises, before he ducked inside. 

“Why are you following me?” Zoro asked flatly, as you entered the cabin he’d gone into. You’d hastened to keep up with him, only a few steps behind before finding the room he’d gone into. Zoro had propped himself up on the hanging bed, loosening the ties of his wrap shirt to expose his bare chest. 

“I was wondering if you needed any help with your wounds.” You deposited Zoro’s swords, along with Hiru, on the table in the room, moving closer to him to survey the scene. “If you wanted it.” 

Zoro’s gaze met yours, and he said nothing for a moment. “First aid kit’s over there,” he finally said, nodding to the table. You moved towards it, opening up the small box to expose supplies of bandages, needles, stitch string, and disinfectant inside. You carried the box over to the bed, sanitizing your hands before carefully parting the folds of Zoro’s shirt. The cloth stuck to skin, coagulating blood making the shirt peel rather than move. Now that his entire torso was bared, though, you could fully inspect his wounds. There were still bandages from Yoru’s cut, all dirtied up now from his other injuries—you’d have to take them off and re-dress them, so he’d be in the bed for thirty minutes at least. 

You turned your attention to the cut by Zoro’s abdomen, deciding it was the most important thing to focus on. The cut wasn’t too deep, but it was gushing a steady flow of blood, and you picked up a towel to press against the wound. “Hold,” you instructed, and Zoro’s fingers brushed against yours as he took a hold of the cloth. “Thanks. I’ve got to take your bandages off, then I’ll clean and dress all the wounds. That one down there might need stitches.” 

“How do you know how to do this?” Zoro asked, watching as you unwrapped the previous bandages from around his chest. You were careful to touch his skin as little as possible, distracting yourself with the blood and gauze. 

“My dad,” you answered. You’d spent too many late nights patching up a wound Mihawk had brushed off as unimportant, only to wind up bleeding out on your couch. Zoro raised a brow. 

“Dracule Mihawk gets injured?” 

“Of course he does,” you said with a huff. “Don’t be stupid. He’s a man, just like the rest of you.” The gash from Yoru had fully scabbed over, revealing a long, trembling crust of dark ochre. You finished peeling off all the bandages, and cast them to the side. 

“You know a lot.” 

“Jack of all trades, master of none,” you quipped. You moved away from the desk to fill a bucket with warm water, dipping a cloth into it and squeezing out the excess. You dabbed around Yoru’s scab with the cloth, careful not to break the shell while still cleaning it of any extra gunk. Then you focused on flushing out the other wounds, wiping across his skin and getting all the little nicks on his chest and arms. Zoro didn’t say a word, but you could feel his eyes boring into your skull, watching you with a hardened intensity that made your insides churn. 

You nudged his hand away, examining the big cut. The rag he was holding had filled up with blood, white cotton dyed red and sodden with liquid. Thankfully, the bleeding seemed to have lessened. You wiped up all the last of it with your towel, swiping it against the pills of blood that had caught along the waistband of his trousers. Zoro hissed as you came into contact with the wound. “Sorry,” you murmured. 

“Why are you apologizing?”

You frowned at that. “Because it hurt?” 

“I thought you were mad at me,” Zoro said stiffly. You raised your brows. “Since… you thought I was annoyed at you, or whatever.”

“Just because you feel a certain kind of way towards me doesn’t mean I reciprocate the same feelings,” you answered, setting aside your towel after deciding everything had been cleaned out well enough. You picked up another cloth, dabbing this one with some alcohol to disinfect the wound. “This is going to sting,” you warned. 

Zoro’s jaw clenched, teeth grinding against each other as you flushed out the wound. His torso clenched, and your eyes fell across his exposed midriff, watching the tight skin that was seemingly sculpted into muscles. You glanced away just a moment later, a dusting of warmth brushing over your cheeks. “On that topic,” you hastened to say, trying to distract yourself from the half-naked man in front of you, “Why were you avoiding me?” 

Zoro let out a sigh, the sound stuttered as he clenched his jaw again when you brushed your towel against his wound. You waited, taking out a fresh cloth to dab at the other nicks on his body. You examined the wound near his left side again. “Stitches.” 

“Great,” Zoro muttered. You ignored him, searching in the kit for some needle and thread. “Can you take the stitches out from your dad’s yet?” 

“Ha ha. You’re going to need those for a few more weeks,” you said, without even looking at the scab to check. “Ask me again later. Yoru cuts are deadly.” 

Zoro let his eyes flutter closed. “It’s a great sword.” 

“Yeah, it is,” you said. You paused from where you were threading the needle, glancing up at Zoro’s face now that you knew he couldn’t catch you staring. He looked so peaceful in this state, eyelashes splayed along his cheeks, dark umber freckles that you hadn’t noticed before splattered across his face. There were dozens of them, skin sun-worn and bearing the marks as proof—constellations of dark brown stars, so similar to his warm, glowing skin it was easy to miss. A five-o’-clock shadow traced around his mouth, and at his left ear, his golden earrings gleamed bright. 

“I don’t feel anything,” Zoro said, and you snapped out of your reverie, fingers fumbling to finish threading your needle. 

“Patience is a virtue, you know,” you hissed. Zoro snorted.

“Yeah, one I don’t have.” You rolled your eyes, tying off the string and bending down to examine the cut again. It wasn’t too wide—maybe five or six stitches at most. You gave Zoro no warning except for the light brush of your fingers against the wound, and he hissed again. 

You glanced up. “Do you want something to bite on?”

“I’m not a toddler,” Zoro sneered. You mouthed his words mockingly, though you didn’t actually speak them, not wanting him to catch you doing such an immature action. You fixed your gaze back on the wound, free hand resting flat against Zoro’s abdomen to steady you—his skin was warm under your palm, and you expected him to say something, but to your surprise, he didn’t even flinch. 

The first puncture came carefully. Zoro hissed, the sound of a low rumble in his throat as you felt his abdomen clench under your palm. You forced yourself to continue, pulling the thread fully through the skin before moving onto the other side of the wound. You did it again, carefully to keep the string untangled as it ran through Zoro’s flesh. 

“It wasn’t because I was mad at you,” Zoro said abruptly, and you paused, glancing up to look at Zoro’s face. His eyes were still closed, brows contorted tight and mouth bared down into a grimace. “Don’t stop. I wasn’t avoiding you because I was angry. Or because of anything you did.” 

“Why, then?” you asked, lowering your head to continue with your stitches. Zoro took in a sharp breath at the next one, the edges of a scream cutting into his breath but not fully escaping from his throat. You were rubbing a comforting circle into his stomach before you could stop yourself—muscle memory from patching up your dad’s wounds. You swallowed hard, but didn’t stop the motions—Zoro didn’t seem offended by them. 

His voice was raggedy when he spoke again. “Fighting against you. It reminded me of—my friend, from back then. I told you about her.” 

Your lips pursed, but you didn’t stall your actions, running the thread through the hole you’d pricked. “The one you made the promise to?” 

“Yeah,” Zoro said, the word falling out all in one breath. You fixed the string tight along the wound, fingers splayed across his stomach warning him for the next puncture. He continued speaking despite it, and your needle hovered over his skin. “We were training together—fuck.” 

“Sorry,” you said again, still running your thread through his skin as he heaved out a long, ragged groan from low in his throat. 

“We were training together,” he repeated. “Haven’t done that in a while with a girl. So it—” His voice tapered off in another breathy groan. “Reminded me of her. I got bitchy.” 

“Yeah, I noticed,” you said. You were getting close to the end of the wound now, but your actions slowed, just to keep him talking—the words came out all harsh and hesitant, and you got the feeling speaking about his past was a laborious task. Might as well let him have the safety of avoiding your eyes like this while he spoke. “Do I look like her or something?” 

Zoro huffed out a laugh. “Ha. No.” 

“Okay,” you said. You pierced his skin again—he took this one better, muscles clenching as he sucked in hard. You waited until you finished the stitch to speak again. “Are you going to keep avoiding me?”

“No,” Zoro said. His words pierced the air, weighed heavy with a gasp of pain and a hiss, but it still rang sharp in your ears. He eased out a breath, long and soft. “It was unfair. Can’t help it sometimes, that’s all.” 

“That’s fine,” you answered carefully. You threaded one last stitch, both of you mute as you tightened the wound closed with the suture and tied it off. You snipped the string with a pocketknife, using another damp towel to clean up any of the excess blood. “I’m going to dress everything with bandages now. Almost done.” 

“Okay,” Zoro said. You reorganized your supplies, tucking away your stitching things to replace with bandages and dressing pads. You washed your hands again, then returned to bend over Zoro’s torso. When you did, you were surprised to see Zoro’s eyes had opened, soft brown irises boring into yours. You swallowed, feeling the burn of his gaze into your skin as you stared at the skin of his midsection. 

“I’ll do the big one first, then everything else,” you said carefully. You worked in silence, pressing a dressing pad along the wound and tying it off with some gauze to fix it in place. You moved around his body, bandaging up any cuts you deemed worthy until you finally were left with Yoru’s cut. 

It stretched the entire expanse of his torso, from shoulder to hip. It’d been well done, the cut deep but not deep enough to kill as long as someone was fast enough with treatment. You recognized the shape of the cut, the very tip of it thin before Yoru’s mouth caught the skin with the center of his blade. “He did it like this on purpose?” Zoro asked.

“Yeah,” you said. “He’s methodical with most things.” You wrapped gauze around the scab, tightening it up and then finally tying it off by his hip. “I’d keep that on for a few days before replacing it. Keep dressing it for another two weeks or so. It’ll probably start swelling soon, so I can help you drain whatever fluid develops.” 

“I’ll let you know,” Zoro said. He was still watching you with those big brown eyes, and a soft shiver traced down your spine. “Thank you.” 

“Thank you for saving me from that pirate earlier,” you said. You surveyed him again, though you were careful not to meet his eyes. A long silence filled the space, heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. You ducked your head, busying yourself with putting away the first aid kit. The words fell from your mouth before you could stop them— “I like your earrings.” 

“Oh,” Zoro said. Nothing else. 

You were pretty sure you liked more than the earrings. You liked the way he fought, even if it scared you sometimes—even if you knew one day he’d probably be able to beat your father. You liked his face; those big brown eyes, soulless at times but holding the world in those glistening irises at others. Those freckles, adorned with the entire galaxy, stars and planets and constellations dotting his cheeks like a mural of life. The way he talked, soft-spoken but utterly real, voice low in his throat, words disturbingly honest. 

You didn’t say so, though. You stuck with the earrings, because those were safer.

pt. 1 | pt. 2 | pt. 3

taglist: @untoldshortsofthefandoms @ellisaworld @yeonieesss @sarcastic-sourwolf @rouzuchan @dashcrashbash @blossomedfloweroflove @ fangeekkk @winuvs @katiemrty @asexualimmortal @fayetheenthusiast @freedom-kitty @ren-ni @je4nc4tb0y @dwcode @albedosfiance @13-09-01 @dimplewonie @cellgore @ shabzy1644 @applepie972 @mayo0ma @smoochesfromlevi @ csmbrainrot @intoanothermind @junieloonie @yourlocalgoose @swthrxrry @lovefooi @dailybrekker @taeriffic @xxemmarldxx @alastorswife63 @butterfliesinthenightsky @mukeovernetflix @wonuskie @mysingularitybts @sorasolarium @chaitea-69 @wishyouwere-sober @mchlist @bibi-bieber-winchester @prowkarma @loveyluv7 @hhighkey @jesssssmaybankk @threadofdestiny @hinata7346 @thevampiricprincess @wreckmyimage @prettyinsatiable @fairygirl18 @idcalol @bangtannie7 @carav4l @kookie-doughs @bluesiebirdie @endeaz @q8852p @addisonwilkins1 @louweasleymalfoy @alelovesmitski

© halfvalid 2023

[lillian-gallows]

Kinktober Day 11: Voyeurism with Remy LeBeau/Gambit

Pairing: Remy LeBeau/Gambit X Fem!Reader Word Count: 1746 Warnings: Voyeurism, masturbation (M and F) and watching each other, Dirty talk, Pet names, Sex toys/Vibrators, Reader is a resident of the Institute so she could be a mutant.

Kinktober 2024 Master(sub)list.

Minors DNI

Your room was nearly silent as you closed the door, the click of the latch and the snick of the lock had a sense of finality.

Of course, the finality was that of your day, seeing as it was nearly ten at night, and all the other residents of the school were either asleep or heading that way.

You, however, had other plans.

It had been a long day, and a lonely one at that.

Remy had been sent off on a mission the morning before and you were left to wait for him to come back, and who knew how long that would take.

He could be gone for a day, a week, more even. And it drove you crazy, both with worry and need.

The lamp on your bedside table cast a low golden glow that didn’t quite reach the very corners of the room, a fact for which you were thankful. You didn’t have to think about what you couldn’t see, and for what you were planning, you wanted to maintain that bubble as much as you could.

The drawer made a quiet rasp as you opened and closed it, retrieving your treasure and tossing it on the bed without much thought before kicking your shoes off and shuffling your jeans down your legs, leaving you in your tank top and light pink panties.

You bounced a little as you plopped onto the bed, taking your treasure in hand.

A little powder blue vibrator.

It was maybe 4 or 5 inches from end to end, made of a soft silicon with embedded buttons for the settings. It was the best toy you’d ever owned, able to reach all your favorite spots at a speed that made your body light up like fireworks with minimal effort.

But tonight, you weren’t aiming for minimal effort. You wanted to draw out your own pleasure a bit.

So, rather than immediately turn it on and get down to it, you set it within reach for later as you lounged back against the pillows.

Slowly you trailed your fingertips along your skin, starting at your thigh with a feather light caress, as if you were your own lover, which you supposed you were tonight.

Goose bumps bloomed along your flesh as it tingled from the barely there touches, trailing up your body, tugging your shirt just a touch above the waistband of your panties but no higher.

Your fingertips brushed along your tummy and the touch had your nipples hardening as your body caught up to where you were heading.

Jumping up to your chest, you pinched lightly at the little peaks through the soft fabric with one hand, letting out a sigh at the sensation, as the other continued to caress along your belly and thighs, dipping between them but never touching the end goal.

That was for later.

Instead, you gave a slightly harder pinch to your nipple before switching sides to give the other some attention, your eyes rolling closed momentarily at the sensations.

Soon enough, your shirt just became annoying, and a little stifling. So, off it came, falling in a little heap with your jeans on the floor.

This time both hands gave your tits attention, first with a slow massage, kneading the soft flesh before returning to the darkened peaks of your nipples, rolling both at the same time.

The feeling had a soft gasp falling from your lips before you drew them between your teeth, though you knew you didn’t need to, seeing as all the rooms are soundproofed after a rather…Interesting night for Logans hallway-mates.

Shaking your head you pushed all thoughts of anything that wasn’t what you were currently doing away.

And it worked. For a solid 3 seconds before…

“Now, Chére. If Gambit had known this was what he was going to be welcomed home to, he woulda come back a lot sooner.”

You shot up right, eyes flying open as you looked toward the ensuite bathroom to see him leaned against the door frame, arms crossed and smirking.

“Remy!” You grinned as you went to stand, but slowly sank back down as he lifted his hand to wordlessly tell you to stay.

“Don’t stop the show on my account, Petit…” He purred, red irises looking like smoldering coals as they trailed up and down your nearly naked body.

He’s seen you plenty of times, you’d been together for long enough, but he never got tired of just looking at you.

“Back to it, Chére…I’m waitin…” He continued, starting to look like a cat that got the cream.

You could feel the flush rushing up your neck to your cheeks, this was new. You’ve touch gotten each other off with just your hands before, but watching the other do it themselves? It was untread territory, and God was it hot.

Settling back on the bed, you continued where you left off, rolling your nipples with your fingertips. Your eyes tried to roll closed again, but you resisted it, wanting to see the man that stood before you.

As you slowly worked yourself up, Remy moved to the chair that sat in the corner, pulling it to the foot of the bed and sitting down. His legs were spread, and you could see the growing bulge in his pants.

You could feel you were getting wet, and you needed more. So, you let your right-hand drift down between your legs to ever so lightly rub your clit through the fabric of your panties.

It felt like being shocked and it yanked a gasp from you, legs twitching as if to close but you stopped yourself, not wanting to obstruct Remy’s view.

And what a view it was. His girl, on the bed in just her damp pink panties, making herself feel good while she looked at him. The Cajun thought he could get drunk on a sight like this.

Your fingertips made little circles, and your head fell forward as soft moans escaped on every breath. You could feel the material soak through, and decided you were thoroughly done with all the barriers.

So, with a soft huff you shoved them down your legs, kicking them onto the floor, and earning an amused chuckle from the man in front of you.

“So cute all frustrated like this…” He mused with a tilt of his head.

You sent him a withering glare before returning to the task at hand, slipping your hand back between your thighs to run your fingers between your folds before bringing them, now slickened, back to your clit.

It felt like a shock before. Now it was electrifying.

Little waves of pleasure made even more little goose bumps form as your flush spread down your chest, warming you even further.

In the quiet you could hear wet noises that you might have been embarrassed about if not for the way Remy was watching your hand with rapt attention, like he was watching some kind of religious event.

“Belle…” He murmured, dark eyes drinking you in.

“Rem…” You whined as your finger sped up a little, watching his cock give a little kick behind the material of his pants.

“What is it, Chére?” He asked coyly, as if he wasn’t fully aware that you wanted him to touch you, almost as much as you wanted him to stay right there and keep watching.

“Feels good…” You answered as your head fell forward and your eyes drifted closed.

“Good. Pretty petits should feel good.” He answered as he leaned forward on his seat, elbows on his knees. “Look at me, Chére…” He ordered and you were helpless to resist.

Your half lidden eyes met his and you could see the air punch out of him at the sight.

“Where’s your toy?” He asked and watched as your free hand lifted from where it had been slightly under you, how it had gotten there was mystery to you. “Go on.”

He didn’t need to elaborate.

You pulled your hand from between your legs and used the slick that clung to your skin to lubricate the end of the toy just a little, and you heard Remy groan softly at the sight.

There was the sound of a zipper and your gaze returned to him, finding that he’s pulled his dick free from its confines and it lightly stroking it, a manner like he’s simply keeping it hard till you make your next move.

Patient as you please.

His cock head is red and glistening with pre-cum, which his hand spreads down the length with what you’re sure would be a filthy sound if not for the sound of you turning on your vibrator.

First contact is loud as you jolt with a high gasp, pulling the toy away from your clit immediately lest it turn from pleasure to pain from too much too fast.

“Easy, Chére…” Remy drawled, half lidded eyes watching you breathe hard for a moment before relaxing once more.

You let out an annoyed whine before taking a deep breath and bringing the head of the toy back between your thighs, this time hovering it lightly against your clit.

A shiver rolled through you as tight waves of pleasure rolled through your system. “F-F-Fuuuck…” You moaned as you got used to the feeling, slowly giving a little more pressure as your free hand moved down to your neglected hole, caressing up and down before pressing two fingers in. Your legs shook as the pressure in your belly built.

Your eyes snapped open when another wet sound met your ears, landing on Remy’s fast-moving hand, cock wetter than it had been a few moments ago and you wondered when he’d grabbed the lube.

“C-C’mon, Chére…Lemme see…” He moaned as he watched you, looking like a man that just spent a hundred years in the desert being offer a glass of water.

Pressing your fingers further in, you searched for a moment before another high breathy sound left you, rubbing hard against your G-spot as you circled your vibrator on your clit.

Your orgasm hit you faster and harder than you expected as your body tensed up, eyes locked on Remy’s as his own end came crashing into him with spurts of white staining his hand and lower tummy.

Your legs shook as you stared at each other, an unspoken agreement that this wasn’t going to be the last time you did this.

Not by a long shot.

[bluewolfangel01]

Can you do the Obey Me! cast with an MC who finds out about their childhood pet getting ready to pass on and how they deal with the aftermath of the pet passing on. My dog is getting ready to go from the sounds of it and I’m looking for some comfort from my comfort character group. Take your time in answering! Here’s a picture of my sweet baby girl.

Aw, that's a very cute and sweet looking baby. I'll try my best to write something that'll help and comfort you as best as it can 🙏

If Mc tells the brothers that their beloved childhood pet is getting ready to pass on, they'll do everything in their power to comfort them

And even if Mc doesn't tell the brothers at first, they'll eventually find out why Mc is acting so strange and sad

Whose ever turn it is to cook, either for dinner or breakfast, they'll make sure that it's one of Mc's favorite or a dish that they like

Beel will make sure that Mc gets as much as they want to eat, even if he's really, really hungry he'll wait for Mc

Mammon will hang around and basically escort Mc everywhere when he's not extremely busy, kinda like an emotional support demon

Whenever Mc is hanging out with Levi, he'll play whatever games that they like best

Whenever Mc is hanging with Satan, he'll read to them if they like, and he's very much willing to listen to any stories that Mc has about their childhood pet

Asmo will steal Mc away, with permission of course, for extra long self care sessions that involve only the best treatments and letting Mc talk about any and all their memories with their beloved pet

Belphie will cuddle with Mc at night, or any time during the day really, and make sure they sleep extra well and dont have any nightmares while they sleep

If Mc wants to chat late in the night to better process things, Lucifer is very much willing to listen as long as Mc doesn't feel hurt that he may not be listening fully at all times since he is working away at the paperwork on his desk, but he'll try his best to listen fully as much as he can

If Mc wants, Lucifer will also talk to Diavolo about allowing Mc to go back home to the human realm

In the aftermath of Mc's childhood pet passing, the brothers would do the same stuff that they did beforehand to comfort Mc, but of course they'd do it with much more gusto

Whatever Mc wants or needs, even if it's something silly, the brothers get it so fast that Mc will get whiplash

Mc wants cuddles or to be held? Immediate line of the demon bros asking which one of them Mc wants to cuddle with or if they just want to have a cuddle pile with everyone

Mc wants to go back to their home in the human realm to be there for their pet's funeral? One or all of the brothers are willing to go as both support and company if Mc is okay with or wants that

This next bit is if Mc is okay with or finds being around "pets" to be helpful with coping

Don't forget that there's a giant doggo under the HoL in the catacombs

Although Cerburus is all teeth with the brothers, except Lucifer of course, he loves Mc and is willing to help them cope however he can, which is mainly via fluffy cuddles

If the brothers can't find Mc anywhere, then they'll check the catacombs, to which they'll find a Mc laying on top of Cerburus

Overall the brothers will do anything in their power to help Mc

Mc wants to forget about the whole thing for a while, talk through it, cry for a bit, sit in silence while being held, etc?

Mc is apart of their family, they'll do whatever it takes for Mc to feel even a little bit better

[puma-riki]

No One Noticed...

Synopsis: You've never seemed to make friends well. Sure, you had people you knew and were well acquainted with, but no one ever seemed to get closer to you or want to. You think that no one notices you and you'll continue the rest of your college years alone like all the years before. Except Ni-ki notices just about everything you do.

Pairing: Nishimura Riki x Fem! Reader

Genre: Fluff, Humor (or attempts at), slight angst, smau + written parts, idiots to lovers, university au

Warnings: consistent cursing, kms/kys jokes [Subject to change every chapter]

Characters: Enhypen (all), Eunchae (lesserafim),Keeho, Soul, (P1Harmony)

Status: Ongoing (Start: 092124)

Taglist: @bee-the-loser @iaintseggsy @channieismylove @yangjungwonnie @luluvhs @nikiswifiee @kingofthekards @skepvids @sammie217 @sh0dor1 @sirens-dreams @starfallia @polarisjisung @minhosimthings @mochiwonz @jiiyen @strawberrieswithchocolateo3o @ritzy-dream-boy @roseangelxfuma @sugarikiz | Comment on any chapter from No One Noticed... saying you want to be added to the taglist!! or send me an ask !! | bold could not be tagged :c

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

Masterlist | Previous | Next

A/N: I still feel like this is terribly written YEOUCH

09. No One Tried, No One But You + written (wc:5.7k)

It had been a day since Ni-ki had had that conversation with his friends over text. He hadn't meant to feel this way. Last year, when he had first noticed you, he was drawn to you simply because you were pretty. It wasn't something complicated or deep, just a typical feeling. The one you get when you see someone and think wow, they're cute. But now, a year and some months later, he's being tutored by you and is your lab partner. He had gotten closer, more so physically, and there was something else- he couldn't quite place it and couldn't quite put it into words.

You had this allure, a quiet and inexplicable aura. You didn't talk much, but when you did you always had something insightful and sharp to say. You were smart, and it was the kind of smart that people would sit up and take notice to. Except no one did. Why was that? Ni-ki felt himself being pulled into you and he didn't even know much about you. Which is why he wanted, no needed, to get closer to you. And he knew you weren't one to let people in just like that.

Operation Riki[Name]. The name he had come with yesterday was a joke obviously, he wasn't that delusional. He was kidding but deep down he knew it wasn't just a joke. He wanted this to work. He wanted to be friends with you, and maybe possibly more than that. The problem is, that Ni-ki's not the best with words or feelings. Talking about anything personal felt cringey, and he wasn't used to making the first move, especially in friendships. His friends were all older than him and "adopted" him as their youngest friend back when he was in middle school and they had just started high school.

Yet if he didn't nothing between you guys would change.

He found himself constantly wondering what you were thinking about, what you liked, what kind of stuff you laughed at. hell he even spent his restless nights staring at his bedroom ceiling wondering what your favorite color was, was it blue? blue was a calming color, you never seemed to worry about anything, maybe that was your favorite. Or maybe black? black was cool, like you. Black seemed very you. What the hell am I doing??

With these swirling thoughts, Ni-ki found himself wandering around aimlessly on campus. It was almost dark, the sun dipping and casting a soft golden glow over Seoul. The autumn air was crisp and leaves crunched beneath his feet as he walked. He hadn't even realized where he was going; his mind too occupied with the dilemma of how to break through your walls.

He looked around, and as if the universe had heard of his dilemma, he spotted you. You were walking a a little distance ahead of him, your school bag slung over one shoulder, and your arms full of textbooks, all the same. Ni-ki felt his heart jump a bit, his nerves immediately kicking in. Before he could even think of what to do, he watched you try to adjust the strap of your bag that was almost slipping off your shoulder and lose your grip on the stack of textbooks. They slipped from your arms and tumbled onto the pavement.

"shit" he heard you mutter under your breath, crouching down quickly to pick up the books and inspect them for any damage. Other students passed by and only glanced at you and continued on their way.

Ni-ki froze for a second, watching you dejectedly pick up the books.

This was it. This was his opening.

Taking a deep breath, he jogged over to you and crouched down beside you before you even noticed him.

"Need some help?"

You looked up, startled, eyes wide for a split second before you regained your composure.

"Oh. Ni-ki. uhm, yeah thank you."

Ni-ki smiled at you, trying to play it cool even though his heart was hammering against his chest. He grabbed a couple textbooks and handed them to you. His fingers brushing against yours for a brief second before you took them in your arms.

"These look heavy, all ten of these things yours?" he asked jokingly.

You laughed softly, as you both stood up, each with 5 books in your arms. Yes, I made her laugh.

"No, thank god" You rolled your eyes playfully," My professor asked if I could take these back to the library, they're extras that are just collecting dust in his office."

"If you need a hand carrying these, I can help." Ni-ki offered. His tone was light and casual. He was hoping he didn't come off too forward.

He saw you hesitate for a second, and then glance up at him. Then you shrugged, "If you don't mind." Your head tilted to the side as you shrugged.

god, you were so cute.

"Not at all," He replied quickly, reaching to take one book from you and lay it on his pile to lighten your load. You smiled at that.

You both set off in the direction of the library, side by side. The silence began to creep him. The kind that hung heavy, making ni-ki all too aware of how quiet the campus had gotten as the sun sank further into the horizon. The golden glow was slowly giving away to dusky purples and blues, and for a moment he felt the weight of your guys' conversation slipping away- just like it always did.

Say something. Ni-ki told himself. anything. Just... not about school.

He swallowed, his mind flipping through a million topics. What did people even talk about that wasn't academics in this type of situation? He wasn't used to this kind of thing. But then he remembered what Heeseung had said- Just be yourself. You don't have to dive too deep, just show her you're interested in being friends.

"So..." he started, his voice a little tentative, "What do you usually do when you're not studying or tutoring?"

You glanced at him, a little surprised by the question, for a second you didn't know how to answer. "Uh... not much, really," You admitted, your voice quieter than usual, a bit embarrassed.

Ni-ki nodded, feeling the conversation teetering on the edge again. He tried to think of something else, something that could keep it going without being weird or awkward. "Do you have any hobbies? Like stuff you do when you're not drowning in textbooks?"

You glanced at him again as you continued walking, the corners of your lips pulling slightly into a half-smile. "Uh... yeah, actually. I play video games sometimes."

That caught Ni-ki off guard, in a good way. He remembered that time he had texted you when you told him you were playing Fortnite, fuck he had totally forgotten. Ni-ki blinked his interest piqued. "Really? What do you play?"

Your expression shifted- your usual neutral face softening. It was subtle, but Ni-ki noticed the slight spark of enthusiasm in your eyes like you hadn't expected anyone to care about what you did outside of school. "I play a lot of RPSs. You know, the ones with really good storylines. I like being able to get lost in them when I have the time."

For a split second. Ni-ki was caught between listening to you and just... looking at you. The way your lips curved when you talked about something you liked, the small changes in your expression when you weren't guarded. it made his heart do this weird little flip in his chest.

You were still the same person who intimidated him with your intelligence and cool demeanor, but now he was seeing these small cracks in your exterior. There was more to you, and every time you revealed a tiny piece, he felt himself being more drawn in. It wasn't just the fact that you were pretty- though he couldn't deny that. It was the way you made him want to know more. And the fact that you played video games like he did? That felt like a bonus.

"No way," He said, his eyes lighting up. "I play RPGs too."

You raised an eyebrow at him, a little surprised. "Really? I didn't think you'd be into that kind of thing."

Ni-ki grinned, glancing down at the pavement, did that mean you'd been thinking about him outside of an academic setting? "Yeah, well I mostly play online multiplayer games, But you know, I like sitting down and playing one every once in awhile. Which ones do you play?"

You shifted the books in your arms slightly, your posture a bit more relaxed now, like the topic had released some of the tension. "I also play some online multiplayer ones but, I really like Final Fantasy and Resident Evil. Mostly, the newer remakes, but I replay the classic ones sometimes."

Ni-ki felt a surge of excitement that you had this in common, and for a moment, he forgot about all his nerves from before. "Okay, you just earned some major cool points. We should team up on a game sometime- if you're into that"

You hesitated for a second, and Ni-ki braced himself for rejection. But then, you gave him a small nod, a quiet smile tugging at the corner of your lips again. "Yeah... maybe."

Ni-ki couldn't stop the boxy smile that spread across his face. It was small progress, but it felt huge to him. "Cool."

---

From that point, the number of times you interacted with Ni-ki like this only increased.

You stared up at your ceiling. It's been days since that moment you had with the textbooks, if you could even call it a moment. You knew Ni-ki was trying to get closer to you. He kept catching you off guard around campus and asking you questions during lab and your tutoring sessions. Maybe you were completely misreading the situation and Ni-ki was just being nice and treating you like a human being. You didn't know, you've never experienced something like this in all honesty.

You seemed to run into Ni-ki often. More often than regular days in class and tutoring sessions, which would soon be ending as the second semester continued creeping up. However, it was odd, wherever you seemed to be he was.

It wasn’t like he was looking for you on purpose… right?

Right.

There was that moment with the textbooks, but there had been moments before that, and after. He started walking with you after biology to your next class, he texted you more with concerns and questions that weren't even related to academics, and he had even pestered you earlier today to move to sit in the empty seat next to him in lecture.

People never went out of their way to bring you snacks during tutoring, like Ni-ki did. They didn’t linger after the work was done to ask about your day or talk about shared interests. You couldn’t help but notice how easy it seemed for him to slip these small gestures into your routine. But maybe that’s just who he was—kind, thoughtful, maybe even a little awkward himself. And you? You were just someone who happened to be around. Maybe this was all just to break the tension, make things less uncomfortable since you had to spend so much time together.

But… what if it wasn’t?

You wanted it to be more. You wanted him to want to be your friend. The thought alone sent your mind reeling—because what if you were completely wrong? What if he was just trying to make the best of the situation, and here you were, overanalyzing every small thing? The thought of misreading his actions made your stomach twist with unease. The last thing you wanted was to embarrass yourself by thinking he was reaching out to you, only to find out he was just being nice. You didn’t know if you could handle that kind of disappointment. Not after all the years of feeling invisible.

Still, the idea of getting close to someone like Ni-ki was too tempting to ignore. For once, you didn’t feel quite so alone. His little gestures, whether intentional or not, made you feel like maybe—just maybe—you could be worth knowing.

In frustration, you dragged your hands down your face and turned on your side. Would it be so wrong for you to open up to Ni-ki? Or at least show you weren't some emotionless robot whose only program was to keep things superficial and study constantly.

Your phone buzzed from your nightstand. You sat up and grabbed it before laying back down and unlocking your phone. The text was from none other than the guy who had you overthinking this late at night.

-----

Ni-ki walks into a cafe fairly early and is hit with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods almost immediately. It's Saturday, so there's only a few people other than the employees who would leave their bed at 7am for a drink on the first day of the weekend. The sun shines into the small cafe and the warmth engulfs him, shooing the slight chill outside away from him and he walks further in to wait in the small line to place his order.

He remembers Jake telling him about this new tea that was recently added to the menu here, and Ni-ki wanted to try it. He thought he should get out of bed and do something since he had been restless last night. He was too giddy to sleep after he had been texting you half the night. He really tried to move on after your text conversation ended last night, but every time he thought about you returning his playfulness and teasing banter his heart would soar and he'd start kicking his feet. So here he was ordering a drink. After he ordered, he walked past the counter and further into the store where seating was. He was about to pull out a chair he first came across, until he actually looked up and saw you.

You were sitting in one of the small booths by the windows. Your knees were pulled to your chest, and you seemed to be writing something down on a black leather-bound book placed against your legs.

Before Ni-ki could even think about approaching you, his feet were already carrying him in your direction and sliding him into a seat across from you

"Hey," Ni-ki greets, his voice is soft but loud enough for you to hear him.

This time you don't seem as surprised to see him as you look up at him," Hey, are you stalking me or something?" you joke as you furrow your eyebrows at him. He lets out something between a laugh and a scoff as he ignores your question.

"What are you doing up so early on this fine Saturday?" he places his elbows on the table as he leans slightly closer to you over the table.

"Just... you know, writing." You shrug. "Nothing too serious."

"Seems pretty serious, are you writing out your plan to take over the world in there or something."

"Yeah, for sure," You roll your eyes but could be further from annoyed with the smile that graces your lips.

"Well, sharing is caring, lemme see."

"Come here then nosey" You scoff as you scoot over to your side of the booth to make room for Ni-ki to sit next to you. Ni-kis's heart jumps a bit. You would have never made an offer like that so casually a week ago. Caught up in his curiosity about what you're writing about, he swiftly moves seats.

He settles in next to you, and you still have your knees close to your chest as he does.

"Okay you're not allowed to think I'm weird for this." You say, your voice is quieter, as if you're about to tell him a secret.

"I won't," He copies your volume of voice, "Promise." He holds out his pinky. You smile softly and wrap yours around his and raise your thumb to seal the promise. Your hands are warm in comparison to his deathly cold ones. He does the same and your thumbs kiss.

"Okay, so I come here pretty often just to get out of the house and I guess there's a couple people here that do the same." You lean in closer to Ni-ki and so does he so you both can see your journal. Your shoulders touch and Ni-ki's throat feels dry. He could really use that tea.

Ni-ki peers at your journal that's scribbled with several entries form various dates.

September 3rd, 9:15 a.m. Barista with the bright orange beanie (his name is Jason, I think?) seems to only know how to make the coffee machine angry—the damn thing has been growling for ten minutes. How did he get hired.

September 7th, 3:45 p.m. Saw a guy spill his entire iced latte while trying to impress the girl sitting next to him. The universe may have it out for him because this is his 3rd time spilling a drink. She still smiled and helped him mop it up, so maybe the universe was helping but just had to be petty about it. (My turn when?)

October 1st, 12:30pm “The Frappé Couple” came in again. They share a large frappé with two straws, but every time, the guy always wipes the whipped cream on the girls nose. Every. Time. It’s like watching the same rom-com scene on repeat. I am SICK of it.

October 13th, 4:00 p.m. I overheard the cafe workers talking about what they'd name a band if they ever started one. So far, top contenders are “The Bean Fiends” and “Grindcore.” Pretty sure they're joking... but not 100%.

October 15th, 7:13a.m. There’s a guy sitting by the window with a scarf longer than my entire existence. I swear he’s wrapping it around himself just to see how far he can go before someone asks if he’s okay. Also, Ni-ki just walked in, didn't take him for a cafe type of guy..

Ni-ki's stomach did a flip reading the last sentence. She noticed me almost immediately after I came in and thought it was relevant to write down? You were cute. "Hey, I can be a cafe type of guy if I want to." Ni-ki nudges you with his elbow after he finishes reading your most recent entry. He turns his head towards you with an offended look, well tries to because he's fighting the smile that makes its way onto his face when you look at him.

"I forgot I wrote that, look away." You snort and cover the rest of it, Before bringing the book close between both of you. Close enough to cover both of your mouths as you turn your head to say in a hushed voice. Ni-ki could feel his ears heat up at the proximity. "But, look at the guy sitting a few booths down from us. The one with the scarf and glasses." Ni-ki looks straight ahead and sure enough, there's a guy sitting so upright you would think someone replaced his spine with a metal pole, looking out the window.

The guy has a red scarf on and it's the longest he's ever seen in his life. The scarf looks like it's been wrapped around his neck 100 times, it almost covers his mouth. The guy is straight-faced and his glasses are tinted pitch black, reflecting the view from the window.

"He looks robotic," Ni-ki notes, still staring right at the guy with no shame as you do the same. You're still holding the book close to cover the lower halves of your faces

"Right, I think he may be AI" Ni-ki snorts at your remark.

"Are we in a social experiment right now." Just then, the guys head turns sharply in your guys direction, still holding that deadpan expression. Your quick to bring your journal up to cover your faces fully.

"Oh shit I think he heard us," You whispered covering your mouth with your free hand. Ni-ki can't help but snicker at your shocked expression as you both huddle behind your journal and converse in hushed whispers. Ni-ki can't help but smile at the intimate feeling. You're so close he can smell your perfume. His heart skips a beat for what feels like the millionth time.

"He probably felt you staring, you gave us away!" He nudges you again with his elbow as he grabs a corner of your journal. Ni-ki begins pulling at your journal to take a peek at the guy again.

"Me? If anything you gave us away, you're so obvious with your staring!" You hiss, holding the journal tightly as Ni-ki tugs on it, the two of you practically shoulder to shoulder, squished together behind your leather-bound shield.

"I was following your lead," Ni-ki protests, a smirk creeping onto his face as he peeks over the top of the journal.

"Don’t look!" You try to pull the journal back over both your faces, but Ni-ki leans forward just enough to get another glance at the guy with the scarf.

"He's definitely looking this way," Ni-ki whispers, his eyes wide, fighting to keep his laughter in check. "It's over."

You snort, trying not to laugh too loud. "You think he's about to come over here and ask us what we're looking at? Because I’m not ready for that kind of confrontation."

Ni-ki bites his lip, clearly on the verge of laughing. "Okay, we have two options. One: we pretend nothing happened and just wait it out... or two..."

You give him a curious look. "And what is two..?"

"We run out of here after we get my drink"

"We run for it?" You repeat, raising an eyebrow at him. "You can't be serious."

Ni-ki shrugs, still fighting his grin. "Okay, maybe not. But we can't just sit here like we're in a spy movie. It's too obvious."

"You're the one who’s obvious," you whisper, eyes wide as you glance back at the guy, who’s still eerily upright and definitely still looking your way.

"I’m just waiting on my tea!" Ni-ki protests softly, but there’s no hiding the playful glint in his eyes as he leans in closer. "Besides, it’s you he’s gonna come for. You’re the one writing about him in your secret little journal."

You nudge him with your elbow, scoffing. "Right. Because a guy with a scarf that long is clearly about to start a fight with me over my highly classified café notes."

"Hey, you never know," Ni-ki grins, glancing at the counter where his order is still being prepared. "You should be thankful I’m sticking around to protect you."

You roll your eyes but smile. "How noble of you."

He nods, clearly enjoying himself. "Exactly. But I still need my tea, so we can’t exactly run out of here yet." Just then one of the employees behind the counter calls out his name and order. "Which is right now, lets go." Ni-ki tugs on your elbow as he slides out of the booth,

"Hey wait," you laugh, trying to untangle yourself from your curled-up position. You finally manage to get your legs down and grab your journal and bag, trailing behind him as he heads toward the counter.

Ni-ki grabs his tea and turns to you with a playful grin as you shove your journal into your bag. "Okay, now we can make our escape."

You snort at his commitment to the bit.

He raises an eyebrow. "Unless you’ve got a better idea."

You glance back toward the window where the scarf guy sits, still staring out like nothing ever happened. You shake your head and gesture towards the door, " Lead the way."

Ni-ki laughs, opening the door for you as you both step out into the fresh morning air. The cool breeze hits, and you can’t help but shiver slightly.

"Think we’ll ever be able to show our faces in there again?"

You laugh, glancing over your shoulder at the café. "Maybe... but not for a while."

As the two of you start walking down the sidewalk, still giggling about the whole thing, Ni-ki stays close by your side. You and Ni-ki fall into an easy rhythm, wandering through the city streets with no clear direction. The hours pass in a blur of laughter and casual conversation, your feet carrying you from one block to the next. The conversation and banter flows so effortlessly between you now that neither of you really stop to think about the day's responsibilities, not that there was much for a Saturday. You stop occasionally to peer into shop windows, pointing out random trinkets or quirky storefronts, sharing lighthearted banter about the things you see. There’s no rush, no plan—just the two of you lost in the simplicity of enjoying each other’s company. As the day stretches on, you realize how effortless it feels, the weight you’ve been carrying for so long lifting with each step you take by his side.

Neither of you remember agreeing on a night walk by han river, yet here you are.

The sun set an hour ago and you're both still wandering. Ni-ki long finished his drink from this morning. The water ripples softly and reflects the stars beginning to appear in the sky. Ni-ki feels giddy. He's trying to play it cool and match your pace and not start skipping his way along the path. He feels close to you, and even though he is so close to you your shoulders keep brushing past each other he feels like there’s an invisible thread tying you together, drawing him in even more. Every shared laugh and casual glance feels electric, sending warmth spreading through him, igniting a flutter in his chest. He’s acutely aware of how your presence lights up the world around him, making the ordinary scenery of the Han River seem enchanting. With each step, he wonders if you can sense the unspoken connection between you, a bond that feels both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

As you walk in silence beside Ni-ki along the river, the day’s events start to settle in your mind. You feel lighter than you have in ages, like a part of you had been buried under the weight of being invisible to everyone around you, and for the first time, you feel seen. Spending the day with Ni-ki had been unexpectedly fun—laughing, talking, wandering without a care. But now, in the quiet of the evening, doubt starts to creep in. Why did Ni-ki choose to spend the day with you of all people? You’ve never thought of yourself as interesting, and the fear that you’ll eventually bore him gnaws at you. What if this is just temporary? What if, after a few more days like this, he realizes you’re not worth the time and moves on?

You know deep down that Ni-ki isn’t the type to simply drop people without reason, but that familiar insecurity lingers, the one that’s been a constant companion for so long. You’ve always felt like there’s something off-putting about you, something that keeps people at arm’s length. It’s hard to believe Ni-ki would be any different in the long run, even if he’s shown you nothing but kindness today. You glance over at him, wondering if he can sense the quiet battle going on in your mind as you both continue walking in silence.

Ni-ki's voice breaks you out of your thoughts. You turn your head to look at him. "I hope you didn't have any plans for today." he jokes.

"Kind of late to start thinking about that isn't it." You joke back, a small smile playing on your lips. "Your roommates aren't putting your face on milk cartons yet?"

"Oh, nah. They probably haven't realized I've been gone, like, literally all day yet." Ni-ki chuckles at the chaos that'll break loose when all 6 of them convene later tonight and realize neither of them have seen their youngest since this morning.

"Well, when they do I hope they don't try to put me behind bars." You say, wrapping your arms around yourself as there's a soft breeze blowing past you.

"I won't let 'em. Besides I wanted to hang out with you today, I'm more of the reason why we've been out all day." His tone is light and teasing as nudges you with his elbow playfully.

You smile at him and look down at your shoes. You don't reply and continue walking together. You're both enjoying the scenery, well at least Ni-ki is. You're trying too, but those thoughts keep rounding your mind and you think it'll eat you alive if you don't say something. Before you can even think it through, your mouth is moving faster than your brain.

"Hey... Ni-ki" You sound unsure and maybe even a bit guilty.

"yeah..?"

"Why... uhm.." You purse your lips suddenly very unsure, would this steer him away? "Why do... you want to be friends with me so badly?" You can feel Ni-ki's eyes on you and you ignore it, continuing to look at the ground.

"What do you mean?" Ni-ki's eyebrows furrow as he looks at you. He tries to read your face. You look guilty and a bit hurt. This only confuses him further because what would you have to be guilty about? And you had fun today, didn't you? Why do you look so sad? Was the blooming connection between you completely one-sided?

"I mean like," You pause, and so do your steps, You had been walking closer to the water's edge that was blocked by a safety railing. You grab onto the railing as if it would save you from this uneasiness between you, the uneasiness that you had created. Ni-ki stops as well, leaning against the railing, his eyes haven't left your face and his heart rate is starting to pick up as his eyes search yours, but they never meet his.

"I know that you've been trying to get close with me. Before I couldn't tell if you were doing it to just fill the void between us since we see each other so often, you know." Ni-ki's face flushes at the mention, did you think it was weird how much he sought you out? Was this you trying to tell him to leave you alone or something? It made his stomach churn.

"But I don't want to misread anything..." Your voice trails off, unsure of how to put the swirling mess of thoughts into words. Ni-ki waits patiently, his gaze steady, but the tension between you grows heavier with every passing second. The cool breeze tugs at your clothes, but you barely feel it, too caught up in the moment. You sigh softly and grip the railing tighter, trying to push the words out, but the fear of rejection clogs your throat.

"I guess... I'm just wondering why," you finally say, glancing at him briefly before looking back at the water. "Why you’re so insistent on being my friend. Like, out of everyone, why me?"

Ni-ki shifts beside you but stays quiet, he can tell you have more to say. It seemed like a stupid question to him. Is she really that unaware of how amazing she is?

"It’s just..." You take a deep breath. "I’ve never really had someone want to spend this much time with me. I'm not that interesting you know." You chuckle, but it’s weak, barely disguising the insecurity that leaks through.

The silence stretches, and you can feel Ni-ki's eyes on you, but you don't dare to look up. If you had, you would've seen Ni-ki looking like a puppy who had just been kicked. You feel so exposed, like you've peeled back layers you never meant for him to see, and now there’s no taking it back.

Ni-ki's heart breaks a bit. His voice is soft when he finally speaks. "You really think that?"

You nod, staring down at the ground, your fingers gripping the railing as if it’s the only thing holding you steady. "I don’t know. It’s just… what I’m used to. I've never really had friends before. like people just never seemed to like me much, at least enough to hang out with me." You rest your forearms on the cool railing, suddenly very interested in the fabric of your sleeve as you pick at it.

"I think I just give off a really off-putting aura or something like that," You let out a breath and turn to look at Ni-ki with an awkward grin. Trying to ease some of the tension. Fortunately, Ni-ki lets out a playful scoff.

"I know you're not trying to downplay your feelings to me right now," He says turning around to copy your position against the railing.

"Well... is it working?" You ask as you pucker your lips and give him a sideways glance.

"Shut up." He laughs and gently knocks your shoulder with his as you giggle but when he glances back at you, the smile fades from his face. He looks at you for a moment, his brow furrowing as if he's trying to figure something out. "Wait, hold on," he says, turning to fully face you. "Why do you think that? That you give off some kind of... weird vibe or something?"

You shrug, unsure how to explain the years of feeling like you were always on the outside looking in. "I don’t know," you say, voice quiet. "It’s just how it’s always been. People never stick around, so I figured it was something about me."

Ni-ki’s expression softens, but there’s also a bit of frustration in his eyes—not at you, but at the situation. "That’s... not true. At least, not from what I see." He leans against the railing, hands stuffed into his pockets as he speaks. "You’re not off-putting at all. You’re just... you. And I like that."

You feel your face heat up at his words, unsure of how to respond. "I mean... you say that now," you mumble, trying to brush it off, but Ni-ki doesn’t let it slide this time.

"No, seriously," he insists, his tone more firm. "I’m not saying it just to make you feel better or whatever. I wanted to get close to you because I actually want to. Not because we see each other often, or because it’s convenient. I like being around you. You don’t have to try to be anyone else, and you don’t need to think that I’ll just get bored and leave."

His words hit harder than you expected, and for a moment, you're caught off guard by the sincerity in his eyes. Ni-ki wasn't exactly known for being overly sentimental, but right now, there’s no teasing in his expression. Just honesty.

"I don’t really know how else to say it," Ni-ki adds, a little more softly this time. "But... you’re not someone people should just pass by or give up on. I mean, I wouldn’t want to miss out on... on getting to know you better." He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, glancing away. "I guess what I’m saying is, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t really want to be."

The weight of his words settles over you, and for the first time in a long while, you feel... understood. It’s strange, almost too much to process all at once. The insecurities still linger, but the way Ni-ki looks at you—like you're someone worth being around—makes it easier to breathe.

You bite your lip, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that’s threatening to spill over. "I didn’t expect you to say all that," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper.

Ni-ki shrugs, a small smile playing on his lips again. "Yeah, well, didn’t expect to either. But I’m serious. I’m here because I want to be. Don’t forget that, okay?"

You nod, feeling a strange sense of comfort in his words. For the first time in a while, you believe it.

"Okay," You smile at him and turn your attention back to the water. Your chest swells, but not with the icky feeling from before. You feel light in Ni-ki's presence as you stand close to him. Shoulders squished together again. Ni-ki would rather keep looking at you and the stars that reflect in your eyes, but for the sake of his sanity, he follows your gaze toward the water. You both feel warm pressed next to each other like this.

[wambsgansshoelaces]

maybe general dating headcanons of the succession characters? like the type of partners/lovers they are? thx 😸

hi anon!! so sorry this is late AKDJSJF hopefully you like it x love u thank u for requesting <3

listened to “i see the light” on loop while I wrote this so now it’s the size of a oneshot

dating them (succession main cast)

Kendall

ᝰ idc what you have to say, words of affirmation is his TOP love language

ᝰ all the others apply to him but like

ᝰ that one is his favorite

ᝰ both to give and to receive

ᝰ he’s always making sure you’re happy

ᝰ in the moment and just in general

ᝰ and it’s like his world comes crashing down when you express you’re feeling insecure

ᝰ he’s your #1 supporter in self love

ᝰ once you’ve moved in together, he starts leaving you notes where he know’s you’ll find them

ᝰ things like “you’re loved” with crappy doodles of hearts and two stick figures that you think are supposed to be the both of you

ᝰ he likes treating you to nice things whenever he can

ᝰ fancy dinners, jewelry, watches, vacations

ᝰ he has the money; it’s not like he’s just going to NOT spend it on you

ᝰ and he’s your biggest advocate in everything

ᝰ sometime’s he’s lowkey rude about it

ᝰ like if your order comes out wrong at a restaurant

ᝰ he’s all “um, actually, no, this isn’t right”

ᝰ and you’re just “ken calm down”

ᝰ “no, you deserve the best, which is what you’re going to get.”

ᝰ maybe he’s not so much into kissing in public, but he’s always touching you one way or another

ᝰ he’s always holding your hand, or you’ve taken his bicep or elbow, or he has his hand on the small of your back, your hip, your shoulder

ᝰ the paparazzi is always around, and he wants you close and safe

ᝰ and he also likes that everyone can see that the two of you are involved

ᝰ committed to each other

ᝰ at the end of the day, he’s just happy you’re his

ᝰ you make him a better man

ᝰ and he’s eternally grateful that he has you

ᝰ he’s your big ol softie

Roman

ᝰ physical touch and quality time

ᝰ you spend all of your evenings together cuddled up and murmuring to each other about your days

ᝰ can’t cook for the life of him, but when he can, he makes you breakfast

ᝰ if your hair is long, he’ll learn to braid just so he can spend mor time with you

ᝰ under all the jokes he’s really just soft and sapp

ᝰ he treats you with so much car

ᝰ everything he does is thought out as to how you’ll receive i

ᝰ he only takes you out to dinner when he knows you’ll be able to have your favorite table

ᝰ he learns how to make different kinds of soup for you when you’re sick

ᝰ subtle pda king

ᝰ if you’re at dinner with his family, his hand’s on your thigh

ᝰ if you’re out walking in the street, he’s holding your hand

ᝰ if you’re lounging around on his dad’s yacht, his head’s on your stomach

ᝰ and he’s snoring but that’s not the point

ᝰ he loves just being with you

ᝰ he sits right up against you when you’re on the couch

ᝰ he lets you sit in his lap whenever you want

ᝰ his arm’s around you in every picture you take

ᝰ your cheeks smushed together in a bunch of selfies

ᝰ you’re his phone wallpaper

ᝰ work and home

ᝰ he loves talking about you

ᝰ at work galas he absolutely adores introducing you as his spouse

ᝰ or if you’re not there he asks “oh, do you happen to know my partner?”

ᝰ and then talks about you nonstop

ᝰ at a dinner you leave him to go get something for you both to drink

ᝰ before you make your way back, you spot him talking to a colleague

ᝰ he has his wallet out, and he’s showing the colleague something

ᝰ you get closer and realize it’s a picture of you

Shiv

ᝰ she treats you like a queen

ᝰ she’s a physical touch girl

ᝰ but really she loves words of affirmation

ᝰ and gift giving

ᝰ giving you gifts, specifically

ᝰ her favorite part of life after meeting you is spending lazy mornings in, cuddled up, kissing, touching

ᝰ she particularly enjoys going on long walks with you

ᝰ down piers, beaches, whatever

ᝰ her hand in yours, her eyes towards the sky

ᝰ she loves bringing things back for you from work trips

ᝰ or any trip she takes

ᝰ chocolates, matching bracelets, trinkets that remind you of her

ᝰ she makes all your days brighter

ᝰ one day on a visit to her office to bring her lunch, you find out there's literally seven framed pictures of you on her desk

ᝰ you are her phone wallpaper

ᝰ but she has it so it changes every time her phone closes

ᝰ so it's really thirty different photos of you are her wallpaper

ᝰ most mornings, she’s tucked up against you

ᝰ face buried in your neck

ᝰ it’s her favorite place to be

ᝰ just with you

ᝰ despite all of her peacocking and chest puffery, she just needs your support

ᝰ she needs you

ᝰ she needs her rock

ᝰ your love

ᝰ she tends to overthink and stress herself out

ᝰ but when things look like they’re going bad, she knows she can come to you

ᝰ and you’ll kiss her, tell her she’s beautiful, coo to her with that perfect voice of yours

ᝰ and suddenly everything is okay again

ᝰ for that, she knows you deserve the world

ᝰ she pampers you

ᝰ spoils you

ᝰ a tradition between the two of you is an annual trip down to the caribbean

ᝰ you both spend all your time out on the beach

ᝰ either splashing each other in the water

ᝰ or her curled up on top of you, skin pressed to yours

ᝰ she loves doing your hair and picking out outfits when you let her

ᝰ she loves doting on you when you’re sick

ᝰ she can’t bear it when you’re hurt

ᝰ but obviously won’t ever show it

ᝰ what she will show is how much she loves you

ᝰ everywhere you go, you feel loved

ᝰ she’ll never stop loving you

Tom

ᝰ mr. quality time

ᝰ literally does not care what you’re doing; he’s with you

ᝰ all he wants is to be with you

ᝰ you bring him peace

ᝰ his favorite pastime is cuddling with you in bed

ᝰ specifically with your jaw cupped in his hand, anchoring your head to his chest

ᝰ along with quality time, he’s huge on gift giving

ᝰ every week, he comes home with flowers

ᝰ and there’s always a fresh vase on your work desk

ᝰ he LOVES writing you notes

ᝰ love letters, even

ᝰ every new bouquet of flowers that show up at your work come with a heartfelt note

ᝰ in every single one, he tells you he loves you

ᝰ then writes about whatever it is he has going on in his day and how he’s thinking of you

ᝰ while he’ll never admit it, he loves pda

ᝰ specifically when you initiate it

ᝰ it makes him all smiley and happy

ᝰ he especially loves it when you’re hanging off of his arm at work things and he gets to show you off

ᝰ he just thinks you’re the most gorgeous person to exist ever

ᝰ he can never go to sleep without his arms around you

ᝰ he started wearing those nasal strips because he knows he snores and doesn’t want to keep you awake

ᝰ this man loves him a good restaurant

ᝰ but only if you’re there with him

ᝰ he can never get behind sitting across from you unless you’re in a booth

ᝰ he says that it’s more intimate when you’re sitting next to each other at a square table

ᝰ ALWAYS lets you eat from his plate

ᝰ if he ever ‘stoops as low’ (his words) as to go to a fast food place, he always asks if you want fries

ᝰ he knows to get you an order regardless otherwise you’ll just steal from him

ᝰ not that he cares anyway

ᝰ he also particularly loves watching the sun set with you

ᝰ something poetic about the sky almost being as beautiful as you

ᝰ you both try to watch it whenever you can

ᝰ because you only have so many days on this earth

ᝰ he wants to spend as many of them as physically possible with you

ᝰ you’ve noticed, though, over the sunsets, he doesn’t really pay attention to them after a certain amount of time

ᝰ he just stares at you

ᝰ and whenever you catch his eyes, they’re so full of love

ᝰ just for you

ᝰ only for you

Greg

ᝰ acts of service warrior

ᝰ LOVES doing things for you

ᝰ whether it be chores or bringing you coffee at work

ᝰ he likes feeling useful

ᝰ especially if he feels useful to you

ᝰ it’s a different sort of ecstasy for him

ᝰ you like buying him bracelets

ᝰ he wears them everywhere

ᝰ you’d gotten him an “i love my partner” (those like i <3 my gf) pin as a joke and he unironically wears it around on his waystar lanyard

ᝰ "yeah, my partner got that for me!"

ᝰ he’s a bit panicky and overthinks too much

ᝰ but he just has to look at you and his anxieties come under control

ᝰ he’s always running around, so he really enjoys just laying with you in bed

ᝰ he sleeps like a dying victorian child

ᝰ slumped over on you like the life was sucked from him

ᝰ he likes going on miniature adventures with you

ᝰ they’re nothing crazy; just dates that push him out of his comfort zone

ᝰ like kayaking

ᝰ you had to force him into the boat to go kayaking with you

ᝰ like physically

ᝰ yeah he’s scared, he doesn’t want to get hurt

ᝰ he doesn’t want you to get hurt

ᝰ but he hears you laughing and sees your gorgeous smile

ᝰ and that’s when he realizes he can just suck it up

ᝰ because he wants you happy

ᝰ he learns how to make those braided bracelets for you

ᝰ it’s a calming hobby, and he likes seeing them on your wrists

ᝰ he made something for you

ᝰ and you like it

ᝰ that’s all he could ever need in life

ᝰ he learns how to cook your favorite meals for you

ᝰ and he’s a surprisingly good cook

ᝰ his hyper vigilance over the food makes it come out almost perfectly every time

ᝰ unless he’s having a breakdown

ᝰ which happens less now that he’s gotten with you

ᝰ you make things calm

ᝰ he loves calm

ᝰ he loves you

Stewy

ᝰ he’s so extra

ᝰ literally every single love language under the sun is his favorite one

ᝰ showers you with little trinkets that just remind him of you

ᝰ if you collect something, he’s constantly gifting you specifically that

ᝰ he spends as much time as he can with you

ᝰ as long as he’s not working, he’s perfectly content just sitting in silence with you

ᝰ he’s a massive fan of the water

ᝰ may it be yachts, jetskiis, floating gazebos

ᝰ he likes making special dates out of things like that

ᝰ he wants you to feel like everything you do together is new

ᝰ he doesn’t want you getting bored

ᝰ he’s worried you will, actually

ᝰ if he buys you jewelry, it’s hella expensive

ᝰ and diamond studded

ᝰ if you’re a watch person, he’s even worse

ᝰ he buys you every watch you ever look at

ᝰ goes the most bananas over pda out of everyone

ᝰ internally, anyway

ᝰ he doesn’t make it kown, but his some of his favorite moments with you are when you’re both bustling through a crowd in italy or something

ᝰ but you’re clinging to each other so neither of you get lost

ᝰ did i mention he likes traveling

ᝰ he likes traveling

ᝰ and you’re the only person he’d ever even consider traveling with

ᝰ at night in greece, he discovers he likes the pinky holding thing

ᝰ he saw it on tiktok

ᝰ so when you’re walking back to your hotel, he hooks his pinky with yours

ᝰ and it becomes a thing between you two

ᝰ also is for some reason obsessed with giving you his jacket when you’re cold

ᝰ it could be below freezing and you already have a jacket on

ᝰ and he’d give you his blazer or coat anyway

ᝰ and he’ll stand there shivering with this dumb grin on his face

ᝰ it always ends with you two sharing a scarf

ᝰ you think he does it on purpose, just do be close

ᝰ just to have an excuse to have an arm around you

ᝰ and really, you’re right

ᝰ he just needs you

[strawberriemarswrites]

Ok ok I love Kid, but I also love Killer so why not BOTH

any relationship hc crumbs I can lick off the table for a kidkiller and afab reader? (idc pronouns or if they’re are any)

OOOOHOHOHOHO yes yes. I can do this. I probably should put in my header that I take headcanon requests. I'll remedy that.

General Relationship Headcanons w/ AFAB Reader/SO - Kid, Killer

SFW and NSFW (18+ only) - 569 words

K I D

In public, he’ll sometimes act in ways that make it hard to believe he likes you. It’s no intentional, he just doesn’t think about it. He’s a ruthless pirate after all, and he’s gotta show it.

In private he’ll give you a little extra attention. Mostly teasing, definitely a physical-touch-as-love-language type of guy, and it’s mostly behind closed doors.

There is the rare occasion when on deck he’ll have part of his furry coat draped over your shoulders with a hand on your waist while he’s barking orders to the crew.

If anyone seems like they’re coming onto you or posing a threat, he will make it known that you’re off. Limits. Acts first, thinks later (if ever).

(Which has led to more than one instance of you just being looked at in a way that Kid didn’t like and him just going straight for the throat).

Kid prefers having you ride him. He likes watching you squirm a little trying to make him feel good.

Notably, this carries over to eating you out, but only if you’re sitting on his face and he’s got both hands on your hips to keep you there. Again, he likes watching you squirm.

K I L L E R

Quieter in the ways he shows affection. He’s also a physical touch kind of guy, but leans pretty heavily on acts of service, too.

In fact, he combos that shit. Brushing your hair out of the way when you’re cooking together. Bandaging you up after a rough battle. Pulling his button-up shirt you keep stealing right off your back so he can launder it and conveniently leave it out for you to steal again.

He especially likes just sitting with you and letting you talk his ear off. If you’re brave enough to start idly braiding bits of his hair, he’ll leave them in.

Not as quick to anger as Kid, but he’ll still loom behind you if you’re interacting with anyone he thinks will cause trouble. You have frequently had moments where you’re talking to someone only to have a shadow cast over you mid-conversation because Killer’s rolled up.

In somewhat of a contrast to his more reserved attitude, any position where he’s bending you a little out of shape or to your limits is a plus. He likes posing you like a little doll — but mating press is his favorite.

Face-down-ass-up is a close second however. He can get a little carried away and feral when he just needs to get it out of his system~

B O T H

The definition of “scary dog privilege”

You up front and them tailing close behind, both of them effortlessly exuding the most menacing aura.

Both are protective of you in their own ways when they have you alone, but together? If Kid’s throwing hands, Killer’s throwing hands.

Unless Killer can identify whoever’s involved isn’t a threat. In which case Kid will still do a little fake-out lunge just to watch them piss their pants a little.

Kid is surprisingly willing to share you with Killer when it comes to the bedroom. Though he will taunt you the whole time, asking if you like being so full, how it feels being spitroasted, whose cock is better and you better not lie.

Afterwards you’re sleeping smushed right between them with Kid’s deafening snores and Killer’s human furnace body. You still somehow manage to get the best sleep at night like this.

[accio-bagel]

Coming in hot with a Natty appreciation post ❤️

Wall of text below the cut

I love Natty. She's my brave, frustrating, badass girl, and while the writing for her storyline lacked somewhat in comparison to the other companions, much of the discourse I see around her is so negative - it has really been disappointing to see the kinds of things people say about her. She doesn't have to be your favorite. I'm not saying you have to love her. But you can actually prefer Sebastian and Poppy without disparaging Natsai. You can also critique her without resorting to making fun of her voice or accent. Give her a chance and consider her dialogue and her actions, and you might gain some more appreciation for her.

She is a peak Gryffindor and here are some reasons why I love her, including her flaws:

Friendly, kind, and empathetic: with her experience being the new student the previous year, she knows how scary it can be and she's quick to offer you a place to sit on your first day of class, then readily shares her book with you when she sees you don't have one. She even gives you advice during Summoners Court when you're playing against her, and isn't upset if you win. She tells you she was actually planning on asking you to Hogsmeade with her if you choose her as your guide. She wants you to feel welcomed right away and wants to get to know you.

Brave, powerful, and reckless: just like Sebastian, she jumps in to help you fight a troll without a second thought on her first day knowing you, and she's a strong duelist both in Crossed Wands and on your missions with her. She is ready and willing to gather evidence on her own while you go save a host of beasts from poachers the second she finds out a Hippogriff that means something to you is in danger. She sticks her nose into business she shouldn’t and doesn’t consider the reality of the dangers she’s getting herself into (a very Harry Potter trait.) But would you really rather have her be without flaw? Sounds boring. Ultimately she doesn’t ever let fear stop her from acting to protect others - don't forget she dives in front of the Cruciatus curse for you! She's a damn good friend to have by your side.

Proud and confident but can still be humble and open to change: she is happy to share some interesting information about Uagadou if you choose to ask her and she has pride in both her magical abilities and where she came from. She's confident in Summoner's Court but acknowledges afterward that it took her a while to gain that skill. She also admits she likes the drama of using a wand and she's grown to appreciate Hogwarts and Scotland (except in winter, which who can blame her? it's cold!)

Talented: to name just a few examples, she can cast wandless magic, Weasley calls her out as one of the best students in school, and let's not forget she's an animagus by age 15 - we know from the Harry Potter books that is no small feat and very few people actually achieve the ability.

Strong morals and ideals, stubbornly so: she is a pure heart and wants to take down the bad guys so nobody has to suffer the same way she did as a young girl. Can you really begrudge her youthful idealism? While her motivations are a bit muddy because she has no solid personal connection to Harlow or Rookwood, she is ultimately looking at the bigger picture and striving to make the world a better, safer place. Like Sebastian and Poppy, she won't let anyone talk her out of her ideals and remains undeterred in her belief that what she's doing is right, regardless of the dangers involved. While it shouldn't be up to two teenagers to clear out a criminal organization, in the end, she and you actually do get Harlow arrested finally, no thanks to the utterly useless Officer Singer, so Natty kinda had a point.

Loving and emotional: she is emotionally open with you and isn't afraid to ask for support from a friend while she's suffering from grief and guilt about her father. She isn’t embarrassed to tell you that you’ve inspired her to stand up to power, or how much your friendship means to her. Despite her frustrations, she loves her mother deeply, and she misses her father with all her heart.

Rebellious and independent: similar to Garreth, she has a guardian whom she feels is suffocating her. She wants to roam freely in her animagus form and explore her new home on her own, but her mother is worried about her safety (fair) and the closer Professor Onai clings, the more it pushes Natty to act out. She wants to challenge the system which is allowing Rookwood to strut around Hogsmeade like he owns the place when he should be in prison, and takes matters into her own hands when the authorities fail to act. Nothing more punk and badass than fighting the man and getting shit done.

Pretty, cute, tall: really, seriously look at her! Big Brown EyesTM and lashes for days. Freckles! Need I go on? (I will anyway.) Her profile. That cute little curl in the front of her hair, and from the back her hairstyle looks like a flower. I also recently noticed she is slightly taller than the female MC (tall girls need more love in media) and I can imagine them and Poppy being a cute witch trio of different heights. I also think her awkward smiles are endearing.

Lovely, soothing voice: I find her voice to be very soft and personally, I could listen to her talk all day. Her VA, Jessica Hayles, put so much emotion into her lines, and did you know she also voices three other characters: Nellie Oggspire, Charlotte Morrison, and Hyacinth Olivier? I have huge respect for a VA who can do multiple accents and change their voice to be so distinct for each character that I would've had no idea if I hadn't looked it up.

If anyone actually read all of this just know that I appreciate you deeply

[m00nsbaby]

Jealous of your celebrity crush.

Moon system x reader. - Headcanons.

Steven.

It was an amazing date.

You couldn't remember when was the last time you went to the theater, and even though Steven and you had never had money problems, you still saw buying tickets for the front row as a luxury.

That night, you laughed, cried, and even hummed softly to each other. After all, it was your favorite musical.

Oh, and Steven's hand never let go of yours.

"Shall we go to the back?" "Here? Love, we can't…" "Steven!" You blushed, giving his shoulder a light tap. "Not for that, to get an autograph."

Steven was well aware that you both chose that particular show mainly because your favorite Broadway actor was in the cast.

"Run, or we won't catch him."

Your boyfriend truly was your best accomplice in everything. You couldn't think of a time he had said no to your whims, and he was the one who stood up to lead you out of the venue.

As you got closer, he felt something odd in his stomach.

A different sensation.

You felt his hand tighten around yours, and you could only assume he was making sure not to lose you in the crowd that was starting to exit as well.

"I'm nervous," you whispered. "Me too." And you didn't question how odd his response was.

There was a small group of people at the back of the theater, all with the same intention as you – to get an autograph and a photo with the stars of the show. A metal barrier separated them from the actors.

You took a spot toward the back, holding onto the barrier, and Steven positioned himself behind you.

"Should I take the photo, love?" That strange feeling invaded him again when you declined.

And again when a round of gentle applause and cheers echoed through the air. It all felt quite intimate in a way, and that didn't sit well with him.

You gasped loudly when you saw him coming out. That was another point on the list of things Steven wasn't enjoying about this situation.

It didn't seem strange to you when he draped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him.

"What should I say to him?" You asked eagerly as you watched him move through the crowd, talking, signing autographs, and thanking other fans.

Luckily, you had positioned yourselves towards the end, which gave you time to think about what to say.

"That he did a great job?" Steven pressed his lips together at his own words. It was as if he was suddenly regretting this whole idea, no matter how hard he tried to find his usual kind words, nothing came out.

Finally, it was your turn.

"Did you enjoy the show, guys?" He was so dreamy. A sigh escaped you at how kind he remained, even though he must have been tired. He took his time with each person, getting to know them and chatting.

Steven wasn't impressed by him at all.

In fact, thinking about it, neither his performance nor his singing were as good as he had initially thought.

Rather mediocre, actually.

"Your work is… incredible, really." Your eyes shone as you watched him sign your program.

Your dramatic boyfriend could only think that was the way you looked at him. And that you should only look at him that way.

Only at him.

Steven dissociated from much of your conversation, especially the part where you handed your phone to the other guy for a selfie with you. He snapped back to reality when he asked about Steven.

"He's my boyfriend; I forced him to come." You joked. Why did you two suddenly seemed like lifelong friends?

Besides, it was a lie; he was the one who had initiated the idea.

"I-I wasn't forced at all; I love being involved." He replied honestly. It churned his stomach that the other guy looked at him with admiration. Why did he have to be such a good person?

You said your goodbyes with a hug that left a slight scent of his cologne on you. If it was possible, it made Steven even more nauseous.

"Isn't he charming?" "Sure."

You pursed your lips at Steven's sudden coldness as he walked beside you in the well-lit city, not letting go of your hand.

"Didn't you like him?" "Of course, I liked him, love. Why wouldn't I?"

His rapid speech gave him away, and you remained silent as you tried to figure out what had upset him.

Oh.

Oh.

You decided to test your theory.

"Don't you think his eyes were beautiful?" Another squeeze of your hand, and you had to bite your lip to keep from laughing. "They were just regular eyes."

Bingo. Steven was jealous.

At the entrance to your house, you turned on your heels, taking advantage of the stairs to give you a few extra inches in height so you could look him in the face.

"You know you don't have to be jealous of anyone, right?" His cheeks turned red as you placed your hands on them, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Steven, obediently, held onto your waist.

"You're the love of my life, Steven Grant." Your words were the culmination of a wonderful date, of the happiness he brought you every day.

And yes, a jealous Steven was amusing, but it broke your heart to think that insecurity might be getting the best of him.

His eyes sparkled like the stars.

"You are mine, right, love?" He sounded like a little kid begging for confirmation.

He knew exactly how to play his cards, what puppy-dog face to make based on the situation, and the tone of voice that made butterflies flutter in your stomach.

And a special warmth in your body.

You played along.

"Only yours, sweetheart." You whispered before kissing his lips.

Steven was content with how his little jealousy issue had been resolved, but he was sure of one thing after this.

You wouldn't be watching anything starring that idiot again.

Marc.

Marc was proud of his accomplishment.

Fighting for tickets on a website was more challenging than you could have ever imagined, not to mention the secret maneuvering behind your back. It had probably been his most difficult mission, surpassing all the tasks Khonshu could assign him.

But he would be the first to say it had been worth it. Even more so after having the opportunity to see you cry tears of happiness in his arms on your birthday.

"Will you come with me?" "Of course, dear." That was the biggest surprise, actually. Marc despised crowded places with all his heart, but he was excited to accompany you on such an important moment for you.

When the day of the concert arrived, Marc almost fainted.

He was left speechless by your style, a bit more… dark? You had definitely gotten into character for the concert, and that only encouraged him further.

For a short time.

He regretted it as soon as he saw the line to enter, but that was another matter.

You arrived at the venue early, mentally prepared to stand and wait for a good couple of hours.

And you had to say that after that experience, you were truly ready to marry Marc because you had an amazing time in your little corner between the metal fences. You talked about everything, because despite spending as much time together as possible, once you started talking, no one could silence you.

It was worth it; you almost fainted when you entered and realized you had reached the front row.

Marc, on the other hand, was starting to feel nervous due to the number of people arriving, but he immediately went into his boyfriend role. He let you hold onto the metal railing, and he positioned himself behind you, enclosing you between the fence and his body.

He would rather die than let you get crushed.

When the concert started, Marc was already feeling overstimulated, but he was willing to let you enjoy this. After all, according to the band's official page, it would only be about an hour after the opening acts.

He was satisfied to hear you scream, jump, sing, and smile like he had never seen you do before.

The problem began around 15 minutes into the concert when the lead vocalist fixed his attention on you.

Like clockwork, Marc remembered all those times you had talked about your teenage crush.

A burning sensation rose to his throat, and he furrowed his brow when he saw the singer wink at you while singing.

"Marc! Marc! Marc!" Your shouts pulled him from his thoughts, and you looked at him over your shoulder. "It's my song!" You had been saying that for the last 10 minutes, but it made him laugh. He kissed your lips, and you returned it briefly.

Marc mentally prayed that the idiot had seen that. Who, by the way, seemed unable to take his eyes off you.

The noise was enough to cover the groan that escaped your throat when Marc's hands tightened on your hips, pressing you closer to his body if that was even possible.

You blushed, though it was impossible to tell whether it was that or just the heat from jumping around for so long.

The straw that broke the camel's back was when the other guy leaned over the edge of the stage to your level and grabbed your phone from your hands.

You were going crazy. Screaming, with tears of sheer excitement in your eyes.

Marc rolled his eyes. Cheap tricks, he thought.

His only consolation was knowing he had made you scream louder before.

The phone returned to your hands after the guy recorded himself singing a few lines and interacting with the crowd.

This was definitely the best day of your life, or you were dreaming.

When the last song came on, his instinct was stronger than him. He ended up turning you around, and you didn't complain.

This was his special moment.

You could swear he kissed you the entire time the song played, until you relaxed in his arms, and the music seemed like a background melody accompanying you.

You would have never imagined that Marc was marking his territory.

He showered you with kisses until the lights came on, making you aware that you were still in public. You separated almost instantly, your cheeks red.

"Marc! You made me miss the last song!" You didn't seem upset as he leaned his forehead against yours.

You had enough time for yourselves while people began to leave.

"You don't seem too upset." Your hips hurt from the way he had been holding you for the past several minutes.

"Thank you," you whispered before kissing him one last time. "It's the best gift I've ever received."

Marc didn't have time to tell you how much he loved you; his gaze focused on the two large guys wearing backstage passes on their chests that were scanning the crowd.

You never knew why Marc pulled you out of there in a hurry, but you had no more doubts or questions when he distracted you with bribes, he bought you the T-shirt you liked the most, and a poster at which he would later throw darts.

Straight at the lead singer's face.

Jake.

At this precise point in his life, Jake considered himself probably the most unfortunate man who had ever existed.

Because, of course, the first time he ignored his desires to throw the guy into the nearest sewer and let him be forgotten over time.

Even more when he complimented your nails.

"Of course, they're nice," he thought to himself. "Even more so when they're wrapped around my…"

He couldn't continue mentally killing him; he had to smile and say "I'm the boyfriend" when you two bumped into your favorite actor on the streets of New York.

It made his stomach turn to notice how you fidgeted with your hands, trying to appear calm.

In fact, he couldn't decide whether he liked that more than if you had just voiced your desire to scream.

Both options made him want to put on Khonshu's suit.

The upside was that, for security reasons, you couldn't take a photo with him, so he could live without having to see you smile even more next to him forever.

Without being dramatic, he would erase his memory if he could just to forget that all this happened.

But you could say it was a fairly harmless encounter as far as possible. Well, for Jake, who never expressed how this was eating him up inside. You, on the other hand, had to wake up the next day with marks on your body caused by him.

His hands on your neck and waist, bites on your shoulders.

Although, you weren't complaining. It was a nice reminder that even though there were many attractive men out there (with acting skills like gods), none of them would ever drive you as crazy as Jake Lockley.

The problem came when you ran into him for the second time.

Jake didn't consider himself particularly insecure.

You yourself had to deal with a thousand girls who thought he was flirting with them because of that permanent smile on his face.

Or that habit you hated so much of winking at them to get a free dessert or to get you two seated faster at the restaurant.

But sometimes, Jake's ego wavered.

That small part of him that still felt like a tool for Marc and Steven, forgetting that he was a person in his own right.

You kept him aware of his independence, and when he doubted that… everything was a disaster for him.

So, you can imagine how he crumbled when the other guy recognized you.

"Of course, I remember you!" He was so loud that Jake swore he had a headache just from listening to him talk.

You almost fainted right there.

He grabbed your hands again to see your nails, excited about the new design, while Jake was thinking about how easy it would be to cut off his hands in that position.

You didn't need to say anything for him to understand your protest; both of you looked at each other in reproach.

"It's the same perfume, right?" The aforementioned guy took you out of the momentary staring contest with Jake, whom you could feel breathing down your neck despite being about two steps away from you.

You nodded silently.

"I knew it. I can still smell you on me."

After that, Jake swore he was seeing everything in shades of red, and a shiver ran down your spine because you could feel his gaze fixed on you.

"Well, we're already running late." Jake's accent interrupted your conversation, and his hand settled on the small of your back. You bit your lower lip because at this point, you didn't know if he was scaring you or if you wanted to push this limit further.

"Oh, but this time we can take the picture that you wanted so much…" "Really late." Jake interrupted him immediately, that smile that made you tremble from head to toe. In fact, he didn't even let him respond, or finish that sentence in which he seemed about to tell you he was glad to see you.

"Come on, mi vida." A bad omen.

His hand slid slowly down your back until it reached your hand, gripping your wrist with his usual firmness, but you noticed an extra touch of strength.

It's needless to emphasize how he devoured your mouth as soon as you entered the building.

It was going to be a long night.

And mentally, you thanked the city's cold weather; you could wear scarves without anyone wondering what your possessive boyfriend had done to you the previous night.

You would consider making him jealous more often.

yeah, i wasn't really a fan of this lol, anyways, here's a little extra of which guys i thought about while writing this in order of appearance!!