#why couldn't they look like how they did before?

[inkedinshadows]

First of all congratulations for 1000 followers 🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉 it’s honestly amazing and you deserve all the best❤️❤️❤️ also happy new year 🎆🎆🎆 secondly, all the prompts are super good it, I had such a hard time choosing from them cause they that are all amazing, anyway I think 19, 20 and 21 just fit together perfectly for an angsty Azriel fic.

Broken Vows

Pairing: Azriel x f!reader

A/N: thank you so much anon, you're the sweetest! <33 And happy new year one month too late oopsie 🤭

Prompts: "I trusted you." + "Don't leave me now. Please. I still need you." + "Baby, please, just look at me."

Warnings: Az is not the best partner here (I promise he didn't cheat)

Word count: 1.3k

It must be a dream. A nightmare.

Whatever was happening, it wasn't real. It couldn't be. You refused to believe it.

Azriel was still talking, but you weren't listening anymore. His words blurred together in your mind, yet his first few sentences remained sharp, playing over and over in your head.

I've found my mate.

You had never been the jealous type, so it hadn't bothered you when he began spending more and more time with Madja’s new apprentice. It had started as small talk after her visits and you usually lingered too. Talya seemed nice enough—quiet and reserved yet friendly.

You hadn't questioned it when Azriel started visiting the apothecary for even the slightest headache. But then those visits became too frequent. He went there even when both of you felt perfectly fine.

You should have realized something was off when Azriel became distant. The signs had been there. You had just been too blind to see them.

But the problem wasn't that he had found his mate, was it?

I want to be with her.

A few simple words, and the whole world collapsed around you.

“Baby, please, just look at me.” His voice finally cut through your thoughts. “I know this is hard to hear, but let me—”

“You promised,” you interrupted him. Your eyes met his from where he sat at the other end of the couch.

“Baby…” he began, but you cut him off again.

“You promised,” you repeated, your voice rising as tears pricked your eyes. “You promised!”

Guilt flashed across Azriel's face, and he at least had the decency to remain silent as you pressed on.

“You said you'd reject your mate for me, Az,” you blurted out. Hot, angry tears rolled down your cheeks, but you barely noticed. “It was in your wedding vows, for gods’ sake!”

Azriel shook his head. “It's not that simple. I don't—”

“Isn't it?” you interrupted again. “Because it seems simple enough to me. You just reject the bond, like I did.”

His expression immediately hardened. “I don't want to reject the bond. If you would only let—”

“Why wouldn't you want to reject it?” you demanded.

“Because she's my mate!”

“And I'm your wife!”

For a moment, you just glared at each other. His shadows swarmed nervously around his wings, but then his shoulders slumped and his expression softened slightly.

“Can you let me explain?” he asked, studying you. “Please.”

With a sigh, you wiped your cheeks before crossing your arms over your chest. You simply looked at him, waiting.

“I don't want to lose you, baby,” he said softly.

“I don't see how that is going—”

Azriel stopped you mid-sentence. “Let me finish? Please?”

You rolled your eyes but gestured for him to continue. Listening to him was the last thing you wanted right now, but maybe he was going to surprise you. Maybe he was going to say it was all just a joke, a prank, and you'd be mad, but it would be fine.

You were grasping at straws, and you knew it.

“I still want to be with you,” Azriel said. He shot you a sharp look when you opened your mouth, and you sank back against the couch to let him continue. “But I also want to explore this bond with her.”

You scoffed. “So what? You think you can have both of us?” You shook your head, something vicious twisting in your gut. “That's not going to work, Azriel.”

You rose from your seat to head upstairs. You needed time to think, to figure out what to do. If you stayed, you would only get angrier. You had already cried and had no desire to do it again. But if you left, maybe you could spare yourself the fury.

Though the pain—the ache in your heart—could not be avoided, no matter what you did.

“Talya said that she understands the situation and she'd be willing to—”

You froze on the spot. Azriel must have realized he'd said the wrong thing because he didn't finish the sentence. His eyes dropped to your clenched fists as you turned back to face him.

Your restraint was gone. You wouldn't hold back now.

“You talked to her before you talked to me?” you seethed.

“Well, I…” Azriel seemed to be grasping for words. “She's my mate,” he repeated, as if that was explanation enough.

“And I'm your wife!” You threw your hands up. “I have been for the last two centuries!”

“I'm sorry, baby, but I—”

“Don't you ‘baby’ me, Azriel!”

He lowered his gaze, but you were too upset to care about the hurt look in his eyes. It was nowhere close to the heartache he was causing you.

“You know why I never worried about you finding your mate?” you asked. He looked up at you, but even if he had planned on saying something, you didn't give him time. “Because you promised you'd choose me. You promised you would reject the bond. And I believed it, believed you. I trusted you.”

You were well aware of what rejecting a mating bond felt like, how difficult it could be to deal with. Even without feelings involved, even knowing that you and your mate wouldn't have been a good match, it had still taken you two weeks to feel whole again. But Azriel had been there, filling the empty spot where your bond had been with his love.

You had never regretted your choice. You never had a reason to.

“And now I find out that not only did you spend time with her knowing she was your mate,” you went on, “but that you also want to be with her?”

Azriel’s voice was firm, edged with frustration. “I told you I want to be with you too, didn’t I?”

“Mother above, Azriel,” you snapped. “You think that makes me feel better? I trusted you, but you didn't even try.”

You had fought before. After two hundred years together, arguments were inevitable. But you usually talked it out and reconciled after a few hours—a day at worst. Maybe that was why Azriel didn't look particularly concerned.

Until you slipped the wedding band off your finger and tossed it onto the couch beside him.

His eyes widened in shock, and his usually restless shadows stilled behind him. You both stared at the ring, the silence stretching as your anger faded, leaving behind only a broken heart.

“You can't have your cake and eat it too, Az,” you finally said, your voice calmer now, resigned.

You turned on your heel again.

“I'm leaving,” you announced, already walking toward the stairs. You could go stay with your parents. They would welcome you without pressing for an explanation.

Azriel snapped out of his stupor and stood, reaching for you.

“Don’t leave me now. Please. I still need you.” His fingers closed around your wrist. “I still love you.”

You yanked your arm free, but didn't turn to face him. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him as you bit out, “You should have loved me enough not to pursue your mate. You promised.”

He tried to stop you again, his shadows swirling around your legs as if to keep you from walking away from their master.

“Baby, that's not—”

You turned back one last time. Tears lined your eyes and your voice broke on the words. “I should have been enough, Azriel.”

You didn't wait to hear his response. You didn't try to go upstairs to pack some clothes.

Unable to stomach his presence any longer, you winnowed away.

a/n: technically, this is the end. I wanted to leave it open and hanging, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I am a sucker for happy endings so I might write a part 2 bc I already have an idea :))

Taglist: @mrsjna @navyblue-eternity @paintedbyshadows @highladyandromeda @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @azrielsmate3 @mollygetssherlockcoffee @mirandasidefics @tinystarfishgalaxy @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @anarchiii @readinggeeklmao @anneas11 @azrielslittleslut @lilah-asteria @aaahhh127 @lorosette @azrielsrealmate @pey2618 @mellowmusings @k8r123-blog @daughterofthemoons-stuff @minnieoo @saltedcoffeescotch @georgiadixon

1k taglist: @onebadassunicorn @thegoddessofnothingness

[heeikeuu]

In Your Embrace Is My Solitude

» how lads men comfort you during a panic attack

» pairing – lads x fem!reader

» genre – fluff, comfort, romance

» warnings – blood, panic attacks, teeny tiny angst, violence (please let me know if I missed anything)

note: my first official lads fic! Sorry for any typos in advance, enjoy!

ZAYNE:

Returning from a rough mission, you were badly injured and needed to attend to your wounds immediately. However you couldn't stop thinking about how you childishly fought with your fiance this morning because he kept telling you to not go alone on this mission but you argued back that you weren't a little girl and could handle yourself. But those words came to bite you right in the ass as you returned home at 1:30am covered in blood. It was hard to tell if it was mostly your blood or the wanderers. You weakly made your way to the hallway. You were nervous to face Zayne because you didn't want to burden your already tired and hard-working fiance, knowing he already does so much for you. What you didn't know is that he was sitting in the living room, worried sick, waiting for you. Your body froze seeing him. He looked at you and felt his heart drop. He instantly made his way to you, "What happened? Darling, are you alright? Why are you covered in blood?" His questions were rushing, but you could barely hear him anymore. Your anxiety spiked up further as you buried your face in his warmth. Zayne wasn't sure if he should hold you or not because he didn't want to make your injuries worse, but then he heard faint sobs and "I'm sorrys." Leave your lips. His heart ached, but he held back his tongue from scolding you. Instead, he gently inspected your body and held you. Your knees felt weak, and so did your entire body. Before you could collapse, Zayne carried you to the bedroom to care for your wounds and clean you up. Your body was still shaking as he wiped off the blood. Though Zayne wasn't a man of many words, he gently held your hand, "Next time, I'll be more careful, I'm sorry." You told him sincerely, "there is no need to apologize, darling. There will be no next time, I won't let you get hurt like this ever again."

SYLUS:

The night was very lively. You would argue too lively as the air felt stuffy. You had agreed to attend a charity event with your lover. However, you underestimated just how well known he would be during this event. You felt very uneasy, like eyes were on you almost as if they were trying to cut through the depths of your soul. Feeling your ears ringing as you were spacing out without realize. Suddenly, you felt a warm hand hold your own which was clamy, looking up you notice it was Sylus, he looked at you knowingly with a soft gaze and squeezed your hand twice, asking you if you're okay. You didn't want to ruin the night, so you simply nodded and flashed the best fake smile you could muster up, but he wasn't convinced. Pulling you towards his chest, he whispers to you, "Honey, if you're not feeling, we can always go home. There is no pressure to stay here, and I'm not going anywhere." His words eased your heart, making you calm down a bit more. Looking up at him, you no longer wanted to protest. Scared to use your voice, you just nodded again. He gently yet with a firm grip took your hand again and led you to his car to go home. His job was done for the night, and his wife was his top priority no matter what.

CALEB:

Waking up from a nightmare, you felt your sweaty body shake as you were trying to process that it wasn't real. Your hand instinctively reached out to your right side, expecting to feel your boyfriend next to you. However, you don't. You felt your anxiety spike up even more. You hadn't even bothered to check your phone or the time. You quickly got up from your shared bed and went to look for Caleb. You looked everywhere and couldn't find him. Tears flooded your vision further, scared that something happened to him like it did in your nightmare. What if he got into a fight with wanderers like the ones in you saw, you started pacing, heart pounding, hyperventilating now with tears streaming down your face because you remember the last thing you said to your boyfriend was that you couldn't promise to live a 100 years with him. After 2 minutes passed, you didn't seem to notice the soft click of the apartment door opening and closing, caleb came into view. Shocked at your state. Without hesitation, he immediately set down the groceries he got to make breakfast for you on the ground and ran up to check on you. Your body froze once you saw him and immediately ran into his arms. He held you protectively, "shhhh, I'm here, angel. Look at me, yeah?" He spoke ever so gently as he held your face in his hands. Looking at him, through your blurred vision, you see him kiss your tears away, his warmth a sharp contrast to how cold your body felt. "Do you want a distraction or a hug, angel?" He asked carefully, "a hug," you whispered. He held you until you calmed down and soon made you both breakfast to eat as it was 6am.

XAVIER:

You didn't mean to, but you had been spacing out too often today. You felt uneasy and kept trying to distract yourself however you could. You and Xavier were cuddling on the couch, watching old films together, but as Xavier was talking to you and explaining the movie's plot, you kept absentmindedly nodding. He eventually caught on and grabbed your chin, making you face him. "What's wrong, starlight? You've been out of it since this morning," He asked sweetly while carefully observing your body language. He noticed. He saw the way your eyes got ever so glossy, how your hands were sweaty, your fast heartbeat, and how you tried to discreetly stop your legs from shaking. You tried to speak but kept stuttering, "deep breaths, slowly." He talked you through it while holding your cheek with one hand and your waist with the other, bringing impossibly closer to him. You had trouble controlling your mind and often had panic attacks due to your intrusive thoughts. They always came unexpectedly and you couldn't stop them. You had been suppressing your feelings since this morning, but you ended up breaking down in front of your boyfriend. Tears were streaming down your face, "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me today," you voice muffled as he brought you to his chest, softly petting your hair and rocking back and forth with you in his arms. "It's okay, starlight. I'm not mad, I won't go anywhere, and yes I made sure to turn off the stove earlier" he joked at the last part making you giggle softly at his attempt to make you smile. You stayed like that for a while, feeling whole and safe in his arms.

RAFAYEL:

You were out with your friends having a great time after not seeing them for a long time, but you couldn't shake off the feeling of someone's piercing gaze on you. You brushed it off a few times. It's probably nothing, you thought to yourself as you excused yourself to the bathroom to wash up. Your heels clicking, but you were on high alert of your surroundings. Too high that you got lost in your mind, "going somewhere, miss?" An eerie voice spoke, flinching slightly. You look up and notice a strange man looking at you like you were deer caught in his trap. His smile got wider as he stepped closer to you. Shit what do I do, I don't have my weapons on me, you notice he had a knife, trapped between his large body, you felt your body and mind panic, you felt the cold dagger pressed closer to your pulse point drawing some blood in its awake. You tried to rack your brain on how to escape this situation swiftly, "You tell that lousy boyfriend of yours to not meddle in my business," the man threatened with a crazy look in his eyes. Rafayel? As if on que, your thoughts came to a halt as you heard his voice, the next few seconds were all a blur as you saw the man being pinned against the hallway walls with a deadly grip, "touching a woman without permission is a lousy move," Rafayel's voice said mockingly, "but touching my woman without her permission is a death wish." He spoke as the man cried in fear apologizing again and again. Rafayel wasn't having any of it. He threw the man onto the ground roughly before his gaze softened as he turned to look at you. Holding you in his arms, "shhh, it's okay, cutie, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you, yeah?" His tone ever so sweet and soft. Your shaking body slowly calmed down afterward. Part of you knew that if you weren't here right now, that man would've been killed off in cold blood, yet you weren't scared of Rafayel. You knew he could never hurt you or let anyone hurt you.

Special tag; @imaluvsj7

© heeikeuu | likes and reblogs are appreciated ♡

[imsofreakingtired]

Can we PLEASE get an angsty sevika!Xreader headcannon for reader who is a removing shimmer addict and is struggling with cravingssss

omg i love that. also, sorry this took a while, couldn't figure out a way with a hc list so i wrote it as a drabble instead 😭

hold me, console me

content warning(s): depictions of addiction and withdrawal

"come on, don't leave me, it can't be that easy babe if you believe me, i guess i'll get on a plane fly to your city, excited to see your face hold me, console me, and then i'll leave without a trace"

~~~

“Sevika,” you groan, “I’m going to die.” 

“I hope not.”

She walks into the room, twisting off her prosthetic arm. This is a good sign. It means she is ready to settle down with you, that she doesn’t have any plans of leaving again for a while. 

Sevika sits down on the side of the bed where you’re lying with your knees curled against your chest, trying to breathe through wave after wave of pain. She places her warm hand on your thigh and straightens your leg. Her voice is soft. “Stretch, baby. It’ll get easier.” 

What they didn’t tell you about coming off Shimmer: the muscle spasms. The blinding headaches. Your body can’t adjust to the sudden drop in energy after such intense and constant enhancement of the senses. It is recoiling at normality. It is punishing itself for ever getting hooked in the first place. 

You can deal with the physical symptoms, though. You’ve been through some shit. You’re tough enough to handle a little pain. What you can’t stand are the cravings, the nightmares, the paranoia. You wake up several times a night in a cold sweat, shaking uncontrollably after some terrifying, nonsensical dream. You break down at the most inconvenient times, convinced that Sevika has finally gotten sick of you, that she’s leaving you, that she’s already gone. On really bad days you’re ready to kill for just one shot, one tiny vial, just to take the edge off. You crave the kick, the rush of heat in your head, the burst of energy. The feeling that you can do anything. Even as it killed you slowly, even as you felt the aftereffects eroding your body. You know in the back of your mind that the decision to quit has saved your life. But gods, was it hard to stay off it. 

Sevika watches your face with gentle eyes as she massages your legs. Her big hand, rough with calluses, powerful and tender. She is strong even without Shimmer. When you were using it, you felt almost like you deserved her, that you belonged to her—that you could repay her even a little for what she did for you. 

Now you look up at her and wonder what she sees first—the traces of Shimmer, the faded pink veins lining your skin? The desperation in your eyes? The way your limbs lie, depleted and scarred from the past use of the substance? 

“Sevika,” you say.

“Hmm.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Miss what?”

“Me when I was on it.” You shift on the bed, your head feeling heavy. “You know…you know how I fucked like you never saw before when I was on it.” You mean it to be a joke, but you can’t bring yourself to smile. This is your fear: that she met you when you weren’t quite yourself, that she’s disappointed in the person you actually turned out to be. 

She’s quiet for a moment. Then she asks in a low voice, “do you think I was with you because of the way Shimmer made you in bed?”

“I’m useless now,” you say. You feel the tears burning behind your eyes, and you’re ashamed of the way your voice falters. “I can’t even lift a full crate of bottles.” 

Sevika moves closer to you. You push yourself away, not because you don’t want her to touch you, but because you don’t want her pity. You dread some words of nonsense flattery, empty reassurance. You don’t want her to lie to you, then turn her back, the way countless others have done before. It was part of the reason why you started using Shimmer in the first place—so you could feel, for once in your life, that you were powerful—someone people wanted to stay for. 

She doesn’t say anything of the sort, though. You’re lying on your side now, back turned to her so you can’t see her face. 

She says, “get over here, idiot.” 

You turn your head. She lies down beside you, aligning her body close against yours. The heat of her skin feels good against your aching back. She wraps her right arm over your waist, pulling you close to her. 

Into your shoulder she murmurs, “you’re not useless.” 

The tears gather in your eyes and you can’t stop them from falling into the bedsheets. 

“It’ll get easier,” she says again. She brushes your hair away, kisses your neck. “And I’m always gonna want you.” 

“How did you do it?” you whisper. “It must have been so much worse for you.” 

“Baby, does this body look like it’s built the same way as yours?” 

You laugh weakly. 

“It was hell,” Sevika says. “So I get it.” 

You reach for her hand and hold it close to your heart. “It’s still beating, right?” You ask. 

“Yes, thank god.” 

“You’re not leaving, right?” 

“No, fool. Get some rest.” 

You let your eyes close. Your breathing grows even. Sevika is not a woman of many words, but you know that when she makes a promise she will keep it.

~~~

thank you @prettyinpink69 for the req :)

[jinnie-ret]

breathe

hyunjin x reader

genre: fluff, angst

content warnings: work exhaustion

word count: 1.2k

summary: you let yourself belittle your own problems because surely they couldn't be as bad as your idol boyfriend's own ones?

requested by: @skzoologist

1K FOLLOWERS PLAYLIST 💚🖤 MAIN MASTERLIST

You always found it interesting how you were held up by a strong armour of bones; how you'd practically be jelly without them, but when your boyfriend was Hwang Hyunjin, all of those existential thoughts trickled away. Sure, those things were true, they were facts, yet he was the one to hold you up when you couldn't do it on your own anymore and you'd be lying if you said that sinking into his arms after a hard day of work didn't also turn you into jelly. To tell a long story short, you lived and breathed Hyunjin and him, you.

Almost instinctively, he could tell something was wrong the minute, no, the second you hobbled in through the freshly painted, front door of your new home. The two of you had only recently moved in, so with the combination of unpacking your joint array of various possessions and also going to work everyday, you were exhausted. Hyunjin had insistently reasoned with you that you didn't have to wake up early in the tiresome mornings to work. He could cover it. That didn't sit right to you. It didn't feel fair. You wanted to start this new chapter of your lives as equals, wanting to contribute and provide too.

"Baby, you're back!" Hyunjin's soft voice cooed as he immediately encased you with his long limbs. Just like that, you were putty in his hands. He brought such comfort to you, such a warmth that he could melt the ice caps.

"Hyune," you simply said his name whilst burying your face into his neck. The small exhale of air as you sagged against him told him everything he needed to know in confirming if he was right or not. Something had to be wrong.

"What's wrong, darling?"

"Nothing's wrong."

Liar, he thought. Before he could press you further, however, you were reluctantly leaving his arms to crouch down and unbuckle the boots you had worn that day, a wince forming on your face as you did.

"You sure? Why you scrunching up your nose like that, baby?" Hyunjin's tone remained delicate with you but you didn't mind it. It didn't feel demeaning, it was comforting considering the people you had been around today. He rubbed careful circles into your shoulders, keeping contact with you as you stood back up and looked at the floor unsurely.

"I'm fine," you sighed, huffing as you pushed some hair out of your face.

"I already know that you've had a hard day," Hyunjin let out a sigh of his own, bringing up a hand to caress your cheek. It grabbed your attention and your eyes to met his.

"Did my manager call or something? Why would they tell you? I'm honestly doing perfectly well," you groaned, the frown on your face disappearing as quickly as it came with Hyunjin smoothing out the furrow of your brows.

"Not because of your manager, but because I know you," he led you into the kitchen, making you sit down whilst he filled up a glass with some water.

"Thanks, Jinnie," you mumbled before taking a few sips. The rush of ice cold water through your body should have alerted you to letting your walls back up like you usually did, but your boyfriend had always told you to be honest with him and that you could be, so there was no stopping you now.

"I've been really tired recently and going into work should feel good for me with having the routine but I think I'm finding it... tricky?"

As you spoke your thoughts and feelings, Hyunjin listened intently from next to you, a hand resting on your arm as to not overwhelm you too much. His fingers caressed the skin that he could reach beyond your sleeve.

"You always say 'tricky', baby, but how do you really find it?" Hyunjin spoke up after a moment.

"Umm, well, I do find it tricky... Like, it's difficult. It's quite possibly wearing me down a bit," you admitted, rubbing your forehead with your thumb and index finger, trying to soothe the impending headache you've been getting every evening this week so far.

"Oh, baby... you'll be okay," Hyunjin pressed against you, hands cupping your cheeks and wiping away some stray tears you didn't even notice had made their appearance, "Let's go cuddle, yeah? That always seems to help."

He had lit a candle in the bedroom, the orange glow setting a calming hue across the bedroom walls. You had never been happier than the decision you had made in unpacking the bedroom as a priority, being able to snuggle beneath the shining, silky sheets. Face to face with you, your boyfriend stroked your hair with one hand, the other resting on your lower back.

"Talk to me, baby," Hyunjin began.

"I already have," you groaned, shutting your eyes.

"There's something else, I can tell," Hyunjin murmured.

"Isn't."

"There is."

"Ughhhhhh."

"Flopping about like a fish won't get you out of this, baby" Hyunjin giggled, arms wrapping around you tighter to cease your random movements.

"Fine. It's just, I can't just stop going to work, Jinnie," you chewed your lip as you paused, "I don't even do as much as you do as an idol and I end up tired and complaining. It's not fair to you."

"Is this why you hold back so much with these things? Because you keep making comparisons?" Hyunjin frowned, "Baby, I'm not going to make it a competition and tell you that I'm more tired or tell you that you don't work hard. I can tell that you do, I see that every day."

"You don't see me at work though-"

"That's not my point," Hyunjin whined, smacking you on the arm playfully.

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'," he giggled at your blank face.

"I just want you to rest and relax. We'll take a nap, have a nice dinner and then enjoy the weekend, how's that sound?" Hyunjin kissed you on the forehead for a couple of seconds, relishing the feeling of holding you so dearly.

"It's the weekend?" your eyes widened ever so slightly despite the sleepy haze that had taken over.

"You're so silly," Hyunjin giggled lightly, shuffling closer to you and lifting you so that you could rest your head on his chest. Once again, that light, airiness returned to you as well you could think about was him. Not about work or any other worries that entered your mind. They had floated away just as easily as you did into a peaceful sleep, not needing that strong armour to hold you up in this moment. You were safe, loved and cared for whenever you were around Hyunjin and that's all you needed.

tagged: @linoalwaysknows @royal-shinigami @jolly04 @turtledove824 @yangbbokari @thisrandomgoofy15 @lieslab @hannamoon143 @arumlilyeclipse @skz-streamer @kiraisastay @katzline @kiwihrt @arloo00 @dunno-wut-to-do @splat00z @his-angell @2minstan @skzoologist @lovingchan @atinyniki @writingforstraykids @lilmisssona @astraysimp @lixie-phoria @theo4eve

[he3ts]

GIVE YOU MY LOVE

squid game masterlist / part one — part two — masterlist

pairings: nam gyu x reader

warnings: angst, jealous!nam gyu, smut ( p in v ) less than the first part but i prioritized tension and sadness!! toxic relationship, sub reader, alcohol use. mild thanos x reader. this is part two, i recommend you read part one to continue reading. sorry if this is long, but i got too carried away. never mind the mistakes, i'm fucking tired

──────────────୨ৎ──────────────

and i don't see an easy way to get out of this,,

her diary, it sits by the bedside table

the curtains are closed, the cats in the cradle

who would've thought that a boy like me could come to this

oh i, i just died in your arms tonight

──────────────୨ৎ──────────────

This time, you would not come back

At first, he didn't pay him any mind; you always did that. You would walk away, disappear for a few days, then come back, slamming the door and insulting him for his way of doing things. It was your sick game, a cycle that repeated itself over and over again. He knew it, had always known it, and that's why he hadn't worried when, for the first time, you didn't answer his calls.

You're being difficult. He had told himself a thousand times, throwing the phone on the table with a tired smile. But then the days had passed. Seven, to be precise. A week without a message, without a call, without even your name lit up on the screen in the middle of the night. A week of total silence. And then the weeks had turned into a month.

Nam Gyu had begun to feel it on his skin, that emptiness, like an ink stain slowly spreading, staining his days, soiling everything. The phone had become an obsession. Every night he unlocked it, looked at your contact, but he couldn't call you. He was too proud. Too convinced that, sooner or later, you would give in. You. Not him. Just you.

Only you hadn't. As the months began to roll by, Nam Gyu began to change.

He was no longer him. Or maybe, he was more than before, but without your eyes to make him feel like someone better. Without your presence to balance his chaos. His nights were made up of never-ending cigarettes, of glasses left on the edge of the table, of pills melted under his palate, of days that blurred together without meaning. He did not sleep, or slept too much. He talked little, or talked too much and to the wrong person.

Girls came and went. Bodies without faces, kisses without taste. He looked for your scent on them and never found it. It irritated him. It drove him crazy.

One year. A year without you. That was how he measured time now.

No one was saying it out loud, but everyone was noticing. The way he reacted to things had changed, patience was in tatters, irritability a constant. Friends knew it, strangers who crossed his path at the wrong time knew it, but no one knew it as much as he did.

No one felt your absence like he did. Yet, he was no longer looking for you. Because inside him, though he didn't want to admit it, he understood. This time, you were not coming back. For your own sake.

The club Pentagon was still the same. Dim lights, pounding music, bodies moving too close, but never enough to fill the void. The air smelled of alcohol, sweat and stale desire, a perfect place for those who wanted to forget, for those seeking a temporary escape from reality. Nam Gyu had dropped onto one of the black leather couches, a drink between his fingers. The amber liquid swayed slightly as he stared blankly at it. He didn't even know why he was there. Or maybe he knew, but he didn't want to admit it. It had been months since he had heard from you. Months that had stretched into a whole year.

"May I sit down?" A female voice brought him back to reality. He looked up as his eyes rested on a young woman with dark hair, bold eyes, a smile that tasted of promise. She wore a black dress that swathed her body in a way that should have attracted him. It should have.

Nam Gyu did not answer right away; he already knew how it would end. It was going to be a night like many others, a night when he would try to forget you in the arms of someone else. It never worked, but he kept trying anyway. He nodded his head. She smiled, satisfied with his silent acceptance, and sat down next to him. Her scent was sweet, perhaps too much so.

"Are you alone?"

He gave a small, bitter smile. "For a long time"

The girl laughed, as if that answer was a joke, and moved just enough closer to reduce the distance between them. Her fingers grazed the rim of his glass, her red-lacquered fingernails tracing a circle on the cold glass.

"Can I buy you another drink?"

He finished what was in his hand in one slow sip, letting the fire from his drink trickle down his throat, and then set the empty glass on the table.

"That's not necessary"

She leaned even closer, her legs crossed in a studied way, her knee brushing against his. "Then maybe I can offer you something better"

Her fingers slid down the collar of his shirt, playing with the first open button. It was an inviting, calculated gesture, something that should have ignited a modicum of interest in him. Yet, he felt nothing. There was no excitement, no desire, just a sense of apathy that suffocated him.

But he did not back down. He could not go on like this. Maybe, this time, it could work. Maybe, this time, he would stop thinking about you.

The cab sped silently through the brightly lit streets of Seoul. Nam Gyu sat beside the girl, his head leaning against the window. He looked out, the reflection of the lights stretching across the glass, distorted like his thoughts. She was talking to him, but he wasn't really listening, occasionally nodding, occasionally hinting at a smile. He had gotten good at pretending.

When they reached his apartment, she took him by the hand and pulled him inside, without hesitation. She closed the door behind her, dropping her purse on the floor, and pushed him against the wall.

"Are you always this quiet?" she whispered, biting her lower lip as her fingers slipped over his shirt. He looked at her, searching for something in her eyes, something that might convince him she was doing the right thing. But he found nothing. Still, he let her. Her lips came to rest on his, the kiss was expert, voracious, but it didn't make him feel a single thing. Her hands touched him, sought him out, and he reciprocated out of pure automatism.

He let himself be pulled toward the bed, his breathing heavy, his body moving without his mind really being there. She pushed him down, lay on top of him, her lips tracing a trail down his neck. He closed his eyes. For a moment, just a moment, he tried to imagine that she was you. That the hands caressing him were yours. That the voice whispering his name was yours.

And then, without meaning to, without thinking about it. She had squeezed his hair vigorously. Only you could do that.

"Y/n, oh my god bunny"

The girl stopped suddenly, hearing that unfamiliar name. She stiffened and pulled away slightly, her breathing labored. "What did you say?"

Nam Gyu opened his eyes. Her own whisper still seemed to echo in the room. Your name. He had said it. He had whispered it against the lips of another girl. A heavy silence fell between them. She drew back, her eyes narrowing in a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Are you kidding?"

He did not answer. There was nothing to say. She stood up abruptly, hastily picking up her clothes scattered on the floor. "Take your ex back at this point," she spat, slipping on her jacket without even looking at him again. And then, without another word, she walked out, slamming the door behind her. Nam Gyu stood motionless, his gaze lost in the ceiling, his breathing heavy.

He closed his eyes again, but this time there was no illusion, no lie to take refuge in.

The bed was cold. And the emptiness he felt inside him seemed to have no end.

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Time had stopped making sense, your days had turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into a whole year without him. Without his burning gaze on you, without his voice to make you shiver, without his touch to always bring you back to where you started, without his caresses.

You had left without a trace, because you really needed it. Needed to change. You had changed areas, found a different job, away from those places that talked too much about him. You had deleted numbers, blocked calls, closed every door left ajar. You had even nipped relationships with people who could have brought you back, because you knew that all it took was one small crack to bring you down again.

It had been difficult at first. The sleepless nights, the phone that went silent but you kept looking at it anyway. The dreams in which he still appeared, vivid, real, with that damned ability to creep under your skin even when you didn't want him to.

And then there was the silence. Too much silence.

The mornings when you woke up with a heavy heart, a tight throat, and the knowledge that you were facing another day without him. The dumb ache of knowing that, deep down, no one had ever made you feel the way he did. Not even in the good, and especially not in the bad. But then it had become habit.

Silence had stopped being an enemy, and had begun to seem almost like a salvation, no longer having to explain to yourself why you always came back, no longer having to justify your need for him with excuses that no longer held up. And, little by little, you had begun to convince yourself that it was really over, that there was nothing left between you. That the love that had consumed you had died along with that old version of you.

But some days were harder than others. You simply woke up already in the morning in a crooked moon. You suffered from lifelong insomnia, but with him it was rare to happen, but that night it was past one, then two, then three. You were lying on the bed, the ceiling a white void that gave you no answers, darkness enveloping everything but your thoughts. Your chest ached, as if there was a weight on it, a tight knot that wouldn't untie.

You didn't know what had triggered that particular night. Maybe a familiar smell heard on the street, maybe "I Just Died in your Arms" played on the radio just that afternoon, his favorite song, maybe just the weariness of having to pretend every day that you had moved on. You had gotten out of bed with soft legs, head light. In the kitchen, the silence was deafening. You had leaned your hands against the counter closing your eyes, biting your lip to hold back the burning that rose in your throat. But it was no use. You could feel it coming. That silent pain, that grip that gripped your stomach and left no escape.

And then, without warning, the tears began to fall. Slow, heavy.

No sobs, no sound, just a silent weeping that seemed to never end. Warm drops on your cheeks, on your lips, falling onto the kitchen countertop one after another, as if your body was expelling all the pain that had been trapped inside for too long.

You felt stupid. You felt weak.

A year had passed. A bloody year. You should have been better off. You should have been free of all this. Instead, there you were, crying in the darkness of a kitchen you didn't even feel was yours, your heart still beating for him, his name trembling on your lips even though you didn't say it.

With the knowledge that, perhaps, you had never really forgotten him.

And that, perhaps, you never would.

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Rain was falling incessantly on the city's gray streets, slipping from the rooftops like tears that no one would ever wipe away. The sky was a cluster of dark clouds, and the air had that oppressive weight that precedes something inevitable. You walked aimlessly, your hands stuffed in the pockets of your jacket too light for that bitter cold, your mind clouded by thoughts that would not shut up. It was one of those days that seemed meant to break you down, no money in your wallet, no place to return to with a smile.

And now him, too. You had rebuilt your life, of course you had to, you were engaged and maybe in love but you didn't know for sure. You thought it centered on the theory that first love is forever, maybe that was why you couldn't open your heart easily to someone else. It was like a poison. But fortunately you had managed, however briefly, to be happy. It had all started that morning with a seemingly innocuous sentence, a joke said lightly, almost in jest.

"You are with me, but sometimes I feel like your head is elsewhere"

You had looked up from the empty plate, fingers fiddling with the now useless fork, your boyfriend was standing in front of you, a smile on his face, you knew him well enough to know something was up. And you knew yourself well enough to know that at that time you were not as spry as before.

"What are you talking about?" you had asked, trying not to sound defensive. He had shaken his head, the smile barely on his lips, but his eyes betrayed his frustration.

"About him"

Your breath had caught in your throat for a second. Yes, him. Nam Gyu.

He had said it out loud. Even though he had never spoken his name, that name that was no longer supposed to belong to you. You had set your fork down on the table with a clatter, trying to maintain control. "I don't want to talk about it"

"But you still think about it"

"I don't"

He had laughed, but without mirth. "Are you really sure?"

Were you? His words were a knife digging into you, slow and precise. "It doesn't matter," you had said finally, crossing your arms.

"It matters to me"

His fingers had drummed against the table, the sound rhythmic and nervous. Then he had shifted, leaning against the back of the chair, watching you with a gaze that made you feel naked, vulnerable. In that perspective, you had noticed how a little like him he looked. You were so screwed.

"I heard you in your sleep," he had said. "You call him. Not me. Him"

You had stiffened.

"No"

"Yes"

The air in the room had become heavy, unbreathable, and going back seemed impossible. "It's not my fault if-"

"If what?" he had pressed, raising his voice. "If he left you? If he destroyed you and now you think no one else can put you back together?"

You had felt your face heat up, your throat tighten. It was unfair. It was cruel. But it wasn't a lie. "If you think that, why did you stay with me?" you had retorted, your voice broken with anger and pain, "You knew my history, you ... You cannot hold my greatest weakness against me"

He had shaken his head, and for a moment had looked more tired than angry. He raised an eyebrow, not expecting me to respond that way.

"Because I thought that in time things would change"

A long silence had fallen between you. One that hurt more than words. Then he had sighed, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, not turning around before leaving. Nothing more had needed to be said. He had been right. He could not be a replacement and you were still trapped in the past. Alone again.

You had left the house only three hours later, your cheeks streaked with bitter tears, your nose red with shame. You felt the air lacking inside the crowded subway, the air saturated with the smell of rain and dampness. You had sat in a corner, your hood up, your eyes fixed on your hands entwined in your lap. Then you had seen him when you hurried downstairs. A well-dressed man with an enigmatic smile and an expression of someone who always knew more than he was saying. He had stretched a smile at you in a casual, almost distracted gesture.

"Will you play with me?" he had said, and you had almost laughed. A game. It was almost funny, maybe he was trying to cheer up your depressed mood. He had shown you two cards, one blue and one red, and you immediately knew what the game was. Ddakji. You had accepted, perhaps just out of defiance. Maybe because you needed something to take your anger out on.

Every blow you gave against the card seemed a reflection of the chaos inside you. Every pop in the air, every defeat, every burn on your skin when his hand hit your face. But then you had won and the bills had slipped through your trembling fingers. It was not the money that scared you. It was the temptation, because you needed the money. And, perhaps, you had nothing left to lose.

You had returned home sadder than before, the room was a reflection of you, you had taken off your soggy jacket and dropped it to the floor with a dull thud, you sat in the armchair cross-legged looking at the damn note.

Then the music had begun.

"Oh, I just died in your arms tonight..."

You had frozen. A chill had gone down your spine, your hands had begun to shake. That song, that damn song. The radio croaked slightly, the sound imperfect, lived-in. An old gift. One you had kept out of habit, just because it was part of you, and like a slow poison, your mind had gone back.

To him.

To the first time you had listened to that song together, lying on the bed with the rain beating against the glass. To the way he had smiled, brushing your hair away from your face with a careless gesture. To the taste of his lips, to the unspoken promise that was in every kiss. To the anger. To the longing. To everything you had tried to bury. Your gaze had slipped to the note clenched in your fist. Maybe you weren't really free. Maybe you never would have been.

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The metallic sound of the doll's voice was still echoing in your head.

The field was littered with motionless bodies, some lifeless, others paralyzed with fear. Blood stained the dusty ground, yet adrenaline did not allow you to dwell on that scene of terror. Your heart was beating so fast you feared it might explode. You had survived. Where the fuck had you gone? Blood, too much blood, your beautiful face was stained crimson red, you could no longer breathe regularly. But you were alive. With hands still trembling, you had turned around slowly, trying to catch your breath, to process what had just happened.

Terror made your whole body shake in a ghoulish dance, you hid your hands in the pockets of that horrible green sweatshirt. You were breathing only because you had to, only because you wanted to live again. You could not die, you were young, poor, yes, but still young. Everyone seemed too interested in money, blinded almost to want to continue. You obviously voted X, how could you continue knowing that maybe you would die next?

The bed was uncomfortable, you couldn't even eat, you were terrified, and now you were forced to play again just because of someone else's greed.

Nam Gyu no longer knew how long he had been staring into space, the spoon trembled between his fingers, he was nervous, he was in withdrawal, the bland meal had now cooled before him, but none of this mattered. He was in withdrawal and thought it was just yet another vision he had before him. But no, he had seen you. You. Across the room, far away, your back slightly bent as if you wanted to make yourself smaller, more invisible. There you were, intent on eating in silence, not drawing attention to yourself, but your face, your movements, everything about you screamed your presence like a deafening echo in his chest.

The spoon almost slipped out of his hand. His lungs closed, as if the air had suddenly become too thick for him to breathe.

One year.

But it had only taken one glance. One bloody instant to shatter every lie. He had lost you. But he had never forgotten you. And now you were there. You were real.

Your hair was longer, slightly messy, but it still looked good on you, as if it belonged to that version of you he had never known. Your face was more mature, marked by something he couldn't define. Suffering? Weariness? Or was it just time that had left its mark?

You were even more beautiful. A kind of beauty that hurt the eyes.

You looked fragile, almost ethereal, as if the world had crushed you for too long. But he knew. He knew that inside you was still that flame, that storm that had always engulfed him. He watched as you brought the spoon to your lips slowly, with no real desire to eat, with no real taste to that meal. Your movements were mechanical, lifeless, and that realization hit him like a punch to the stomach.

He bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. A laugh at his side abruptly brought him back to reality: Thanos, the purple-haired boy, the rapper, always stoned and a little disconnected. Sitting next to him looking relaxed, as if they hadn't just risked their lives. He was saying something, a joke maybe, but Nam Gyu couldn't follow him.

Not as long as you were there. Not as long as your breath seemed to echo in every corner of the room. Thanos followed his trajectory, turning his head sharply toward Nam Gyu "Do you know her?"

"No," he had gasped, but he still stared at you with too much intensity, without shame or modesty. Your eyes met. One moment. A single, eternal moment.

Your lips barely parted. The spoon remained suspended between your fingers, as if you had forgotten what you were doing. Nam Gyu felt the blood freeze in his veins.

You.

It was really you.

Bunny.

He had missed you.

He had missed you to death.

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He did not know how it had started, but Thanos had set his eyes on you from the start. He had opened the cross necklace around his neck only to pull out what looked like an ecstasy pill to Nam Gyu. He scrutinized you as if you were a fun puzzle to solve, as if he had already decided you were worth playing with.

After the fight with Player 333 he seemed more fierce than ever, his had been a test toward him, he was plotting something, and Nam Gyu knew it. Maybe he had noticed the way he was looking at you? He didn't want to talk, didn't want to hunt for some weakness. But seeing you there again had ignited that flame in him that he was unlikely to extinguish now. He felt the fire sprinkle in him everywhere, how delirious.

Thanos was serious, approaching you with that relaxed walk of his, his head slightly tilted, as if everything was a big joke and he was the only one who knew the punchline.

Nam Gyu could tell from your eyes, from that little glint, that you were amused. Maybe from his dilated pupils. Okay it's done, it's going to be really funny.

He clenched his fists inside his pockets, his fingernails digging into his palm. Thanos was already in front of your figure, his face tilted in a theatrical gesture, while you were still trying to finish your cross-legged meal.

"Hey, Señorita"

Nam Gyu felt the blood boiling in his veins, you barely looked up from your meal, the spoon suspended in midair. You tilted your head, watching him curiously.

"Señorita?" you repeated with a smile that, however small, was enough to annoy Nam Gyu. That symptom of belonging. You had never been engaged, not officially, but at the club his friends always tried to stay away from you.

"Yes." Thanos nodded slowly, with that air of a sassy kid who enjoyed pushing himself. "I've decided I'm going to call you that. It sounds better than your number, doesn't it?"

"I don't like it"

Thanos clutched his shoulders. Nam Gyu forced himself to look away. He felt his own breathing becoming heavier, his chest rising and falling with effort. He had no right to be annoyed. He had no right to intervene. Yet, he felt the need to do so.

You chuckled, lowering your gaze to your meal.

"Join my team, and I will protect you at all costs"

Another laugh. Light, almost distracted. Yet every time Nam Gyu heard it, it was like a punch in the stomach. He hadn't heard you laugh like that in a long time. Not with him. Not for him. He was the one who knew every expression on your face, every nuance in your voice, and yet, there you were now, smiling with someone else.

And then, as if that were not enough, your eyes shifted to him. You were doing it on purpose, it was so predictable. You hadn't seen him in years. Years in which you had tried to forget the sound of his voice, the way his touch could burn your skin, the look with which he had always made you feel naked, exposed, vulnerable. You had vowed never to think of him again, to rebuild yourself, to erase his name from your mind. But when your eyes had landed on him in that bare, stuffy dormitory, time had stood still.

He had changed. Thinner, harder. His face seemed carved in stone, his black eyes were duller, more hollowed out. Did he have new tattoos? For a moment, you had seen a spark of something familiar before he looked away.

"So now you want to impress me?" you had told him, as Thanos sat down next to you just to talk some more.

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Nam Gyu sat in a corner, his body motionless, his hands intertwined in front of his face. He was trying to ignore it. He was trying to ignore the discomfort that knotted in his stomach every time Thanos spoke to you. But then, Thanos spoke.

"Strange," he said, with his usual arrogant smile, his eyes cast toward the piggy bank. "I didn't think you were the type to let a woman like that go"

Nam Gyu did not react. Not right away. Thanos understood. He was high and only wanted to annoy him.

"Or maybe," he continued, tilting his head slightly, "you never really had her?"

A deep breath. Absolute control. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Why are you talking about things that don't concern you?"

Thanos laughed softly, with the confidence of someone who knows he has the upper hand. He leaned in slightly closer, as if deliberately trying to provoke him.

"Because it amuses me," he whispered. "Because I want her. Because you had her in your hands and threw her away like an idiot"

Nam Gyu clenched his jaw, still silence. Still checking. Yes, he was an idiot. Yes, he was wrong. Yes, his heart still burned for you.

"But maybe it was for the best," Thanos continued, the grin becoming more and more evident. "She is free now."

The bed creaked in an instant, Nam Gyu stood, his breath short, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes burning with pure rage. Thanos smiled even wider. "Ah, so you still feel something? What a surprise"

"Leave her alone"

Thanos stared at him, and for the first time a shadow of caution flashed in his eyes. He was only joking. "What is it you call her? Bunny? Bro, you're really fucked up to call her in your sleep. Maybe you should-"

Nam Gyu moved even closer, his gaze now a bottomless abyss. His sweatshirt sleeves were up, Thanos noticed his scars, from when he was piercing himself. He took his necklace with a dry gesture, opening it in front of him, Nam Gyu's eyes lit up with something all too intense.

Thanos studied him for a long moment, then tossed him the pill, the smile barely noticeable. "Don't worry, champion. I don't want any trouble. At least not yet"

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You could not sleep. The need to go to the bathroom had become impossible to ignore; you were so terrified that you hadn't thought about your physiological needs at all. You had risen cautiously, slipping away from your bed without a sound, moving like a shadow among the huddled bodies. You crossed the dark room, the faint red and blue lights on the floor were blinding. When you reached the door, the guard behind the glass looked impassive.

"You can't get out"

The metallic voice rang through the device, cold and impersonal. You paused, your breath suspended for a moment.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Your voice was firm, but your body tense, but the guard remained still. Not an ounce of sympathy. Clenching your fists, the idea of having to stay there, of being denied even that slightest freedom, made your blood boil in your veins.

"If you'd rather I do it here, be my guest and watch"

The guard did not move. He did not respond. Nervousness burned under your skin. Your instinct told you that you would never be able to convince him, because you couldn't even convince yourself. Do it in front of everyone, even if they were asleep? That was out of the question. But then, a presence behind you.

"What's the problem?"

His voice. Low. Deep. Strange. A shiver went down your spine even before you turned around. He was there, so close you could feel the heat behind you. His gaze, heavy as a mark on your skin, did not leave the guard in front of you.

"She just needs to go to the bathroom"

The guard did not move, "It is not allowed at night"

Nam Gyu took a step closer. "Not allowed?" His voice dropped a tone, becoming darker, more dangerous. "Either you let her pass, or we make a scene. But I guess you don't want to attract attention, right?"

The guard was impassive, as always, and he was so close, and you desperately needed the bathroom.

Nam Gyu looked at him as if he could break him in two with a single glance, resting his hand on your back. "Don't be an asshole," his voice was pure threat. "Open that door."

A second of absolute tension, then finally the guard opened the door. As soon as the door opened, Nam Gyu gently grabbed your wrist, guiding you out without another word. He walked in front of you, determined, his shoulders broad and tense. His grip on your wrist had barely loosened, but the contact between your skins was still there, alive, electric. Reaching the bathroom door, he stopped, you turned toward him, finally meeting his gaze. He was staring at you in a way that almost made you hold your breath.

His eyes were dilated, shiny, you remembered, because you had those eyes too, then you had decided that ruining your life was not the thing and stopped. Only when you had turned away from him had you felt the air lacking. So close, you could touch him, just reach out. All you had to do was ... No, you couldn't. Not now that you were both vulnerable.

"What an honor to know you still care about me," you barely whispered, he tightened his lips into a single line, he wanted to speak, he wanted to stop you. He wanted to... He didn't know anymore either. You had entered the bathroom not knowing that he had followed you quickly. You had done everything in a hurry, not wanting to upset the masked men.

Water ran over your cold hands as you rubbed them under the rusty jet of the sink, trying desperately to concentrate on the monotonous noise that echoed in the small room. But the only presence you could feel was his.

He was there, standing still against the door, his arms crossed over his chest, his body relaxed in that silent arrogance that had always driven you crazy. His dark eyes watched you with an intensity that seemed to dig into you, making you feel vulnerable, as if he saw every thought hidden behind your impassive facade.

You knew he was watching you. He was devouring you with his eyes. You breathed deep, trying to find the voice to break that nerve-wracking wait.

"You can leave, you know"

The sound of your words echoed in the small room, but he did not move. Then he slowly left his position against the door and took a few steps toward you, slow, studied. Curse.

"Still playing hard to get" His voice was low, rough, with that undertone of danger you had come to know well. You felt your heart quicken as the reflection in the small mirror above the sink returned his figure to you, getting closer and closer. And then-the contact. His hands. Warm, sure, terribly familiar.

His hands rested on your hips with devastating naturalness, his fingers sliding lazily along the elastic of your sweatpants. A shiver ran down your spine, your breath jamming for an instant.

"Don't touch me. Back away," but you had arched your back so pathetically that your words betrayed themselves. He knew that your breathing had just changed. He knew that your body was already responding to his.

"Really?"

His tone was a challenge-laden whisper, his mouth close to your ear, his warm breath brushing against your skin. He moved even closer, his chest almost touching your back. The warmth of his body against yours made you shiver. And then, you felt it. His erection, how much he wanted you, and the tip of his thumb sliding slowly under the fabric of your panties. A very light, almost accidental touch.

You stiffened instantly, your fingers gripping around the edge of the sink tightly, as if it were the only thing holding you up.

"Stop it"

Nam Gyu smiled against your neck, a smile you couldn't see but felt all over.

"Lie"

His hand moved another inch, his fingers playing with the hem of the fabric, lazily caressing the soft skin beneath it. Your breath grew shorter, the heat spreading along your skin like a slow poison.

"You always said you hated it when I did that"

His voice was low, hypnotic, dangerously close.

"And I hate it." You tried to maintain control, to ignore the way your body responded to his touch. But he laughed softly, a deep sound that made you shudder.

"Stop your bullshit. Can't you hear how much I want you, bunny." That name. That damn name that had always made you melt.

You had bitten your lip, hating yourself for the way your body seemed to give out without you being able to stop it. Stop, stop, stop.

"Go away, Nam Gyu"

He did not move; rather, he let his lips barely graze the skin behind your ear, his hot breath making you tremble.

"Tell me you don't want this"

"Tell me you hate me"

You hated him. You hated him because he knew you would never say it. When his hand reached your opening, opening it with two fingers, your breath was ragged, you had rested your head on his shoulder you could see his face looking down at you.

"Is that a no?" he turned several times between your folds as he gave you pleasure and you closed your eyes. Maybe it was his twisted way of enjoying himself. Maybe he liked seeing you tremble under his intense gaze, knowing that he could destabilize you. Or maybe he simply wanted what he couldn't have.

"He's on you like a hungry dog," Nam Gyu had whispered, his voice low, laden with venom, as he kissed your neck. He was talking about Thanos, you knew; he was jealous because you were still his stuff.

"None of your business," you had replied, your heart pounding in your chest. He had removed his fingers from your pussy too quickly, grabbing your hair with a tug, you had already complained about his distance.  "Yes it is my business. I see your face in my nightmares, I can't touch a woman after you anymore.... bunny, don't you understand?" his eyes were black, damned, you felt your intimacy melt deprived by your orgasm. But you were bursting.

"You reduce yourself to this! I am not a piece of meat! I loved you and you just exploited my weakness, my love to your liking!" before he could continue torturing you, his hand let go of your hair, you were looking at your bodies through the mirror, him behind you, and you trembling in front. Your pants slightly pulled down over your legs, his hand continuing to pull them down.

"You are more than a piece of meat"

"You didn't give me a way to think that, though" you had turned around, now you were face to face. His cheeks red, his eyes half-closed, as he grasped your cheeks with his palms as if to lock them in.

"Maybe we won't get out of here alive, bunny," he sighed, playing with your hair; it was the drug, you knew. "Maybe I'll die. But at least I was lucky enough to see you one last time"

"You're not in you. That's the drug talking"

Your still damp hands clenched against the fabric of his suit. You stared at him, your breath short, your eyes struggling to stay cold, not to betray the fire he always managed to ignite. He smiled. A game. Always the same, the one where he pushed and you tried to resist. Only this time the bathroom walls seemed to close in on you, the breath of both of you was too close, and the air was thick with something you could no longer ignore.

"You're always the same," he continued, his tone softer, almost bitter. "Always ready to say no to me"

You didn't know what to say, you were like stuck, still too shaken.

"You like to drive me crazy, don't you?"

You didn't have time to answer. His hands closed around your face, "Please, bunny, kiss me" It was that closeness you knew, it was that you couldn't stand it anymore, to say enough. It was the fear, the fear of dying in a place like that. It was too strong, and painful but his lips touched yours without any warning. It was a violent, hungry, angry kiss. No gentleness, no attempt to hold back. Just years of anger, repressed desire and unspoken words exploding all at once.

Your fingers slid into his hair, squeezing hard as his body pushed you against the sink again. Your mouths sought each other, taking, biting.

He moaned against your lips, his tongue sank deeper into your mouth, as if he wanted to claim you, as if he wanted to remind you that, in spite of everything, he had never really let you go.

And the worst of it was that you didn't want to stop him. Never. Not even when he turned you over for the second time, and bent you over the cold sink, his erection pressing against your butt was just yet another signal about how much he was treating himself. How many times he had dreamed that you were the woman he had between the sheets, your face, your hair, your lips.

"Nam Gyu," you had said, trying not to wince as he slid down your sweatpants and panties. His body was pressed against your bottom, his hair in front of his face and his hands clasped around your hips.

"Do you know how much I've missed you?" was a rhetorical question, sure enough, your head was foggy and your legs gave out. You were all wet, he found it funny. It was sloppy, all so fast, his breath on your neck and the tip of his cock already inside you. You lifted your butt higher toward him, because you wanted more, you were addicted, "Fuck"

"How I had missed your voice" he muttered, as his hand grabbed your hair, pulling you back toward him kissing your neck. You weren't protesting, you couldn't do anything more, you were exhausted and confused completely loose under him. His hands were everywhere, reaching for your breasts under your bra.

"Hurry the fuck up, I'm going crazy"

Your breath took away as he began to giggle and then grabbed you with far too much force as he fucked you in that fatal position. It was your head spinning, sweat soaked into your forehead. You felt it all, his tongue on your neck and moans against your ear. You were so hungry for him but so little in control of your person, "We are both doomed, you know, bunny"

"I know"

You had been struck by time, out of control, and for that night you had been his again. He couldn't get enough of it. Then a soft knock against the door. There were a few thrusts, unrestrained like animals possessing themselves. He stepped out of your frustrated womanhood, pulling your hair back from your neck and laying a chaste kiss on it. You had rested your head on the sink, your cheek flattened, and your face formulated a small smile. Your legs completely filled with him. You were cursed, yes. You were alive, again.

"I love you"

MASTERLIST.

[cutielando]

runaway bride | charles leclerc

synopsis: in which he saves you from making a mistake

a/n: based on this request!

my masterlist

The soft music echoed through the church hall, making you let out a deep breath.

There you stood, in front of the huge double oak doors, waiting for the moment to finally walk down the aisle and marry Aiden, your boyfriend of 2 years.

After you had broken up with Charles, you didn't think you would ever find the same kind of love again. The bond that you shared with the Monegasque was something so strong and beautiful, you thought it was for life.

Then, you met Aiden.

He was sweet, kind, understanding, loving. He was an incredible guy, a guy who took care of you, who respected you and who made sure you were safe and taken care of.

However, deep into your heart, you knew the truth that nobody could ever change: he wasn't Charles.

He didn't make you feel the same things that Charles could, he didn't make you feel alive, like every fiber of your being was on fire, he wasn't as passionate and intense as Charles was.

He was just...Aiden.

But you felt comfort that you hadn't felt in a long time, which was the primary reason why you had accepted his proposal. He offered you safety, offered you comfort and stability.

You would learn how to truly love him down the line.

Or so you tried to convince yourself whenever you would get cold feet about going through with the wedding.

"Are you ready?" your father's voice suddenly pulled you back to reality, the oak doors now open, the entire hall looking at the two of you.

You smiled tightly and nodded, looping your arm through his as you slowly started walking towards the aisle.

Watching all the guests around you, a sort of guilt settled deep inside of your gut.

All these people, all of your families having gathered here today to watch you and Aiden get married, watching you supposedly seal your fate and look to a 'happy' future with him.

Not knowing that, deep inside, you knew it was anything but that.

Upon reaching the altar, your father gave you away to Aiden, who took your hand and helped you up the steps.

"You look beautiful" he whispered, his eyes twinkling.

You smiled, trying to make it look as natural as possible.

He didn't deserve this, you knew that. He deserved to be getting married to someone who truly loved him, who wanted him just as much as he wanted you.

But that person wasn't you, and it was probably very selfish of you to go through with the wedding while knowing that your heart belonged to someone else.

What choice did you have, though?

All of these people, your entire families, waiting for this day for months. Aiden, finally happy to have found his one true love.

How could you possibly ruin that?

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the wedding of Y/N Y/LN and Aiden Becker" the bishop started, prompting the entire wedding hall to sit down and listen with eager.

You didn't hear anything else after that, your feelings all over the place as you looked anywhere but Aiden's eyes.

The church was silent, all oblivious to the internal turmoil you were having before their eyes. Your mother couldn't keep her eyes off of you, and once you had made eye contact with her, you could have sworn that she nodded slightly, a look of understanding in her eyes.

She knew, probably better than anyone, about your conflicting feelings for both Aiden and Charles. She knew how hard it was for you when you and Charles broke up, and she knew that Aiden would never measure up to the way Charles made you feel. She was your mother, after all. She knew you better than anyone.

Out of the corner of your eye, suddenly, you saw movement at the far end of the room, right by the big oak doors you had walked through mere moments before.

Your heart started beating out of your chest as you saw who it was.

Him.

He was standing there in a clad black Ferrari suit, his hands in his pockets, not moving an inch.

Your eyes widened slightly, fixated on his figure standing a mere few feet away from you. He didn't make any move to walk closer, to actually enter the church hall.

He just stood there, his eyes widening in awe as he took you in, tears slowly welling up in his eyes.

Your stomach was in shambles as you couldn't tear your eyes away from him. He was just as beautiful as you had remembered, his eyes just as kind as they used to be.

All kinds of emotions were running through you, making your head spin and your nerves go into overdrive.

Why did he do this? Why did he show up on what was supposed to be the happiest day of your life? Why did he have to show up at your wedding?

Maybe because he knew you would leave Aiden behind and run to him, you thought to yourself.

"Y/N? Is everything okay?" the priest's voice suddenly made you whip your head around.

The entire hall was staring at you, Aiden looked concerned and was looking at you with a worried expression, and nobody had seemed to have seen Charles standing right outside the doors.

"I, um, I..." you croaked, not being able to find your words.

You looked around once again, Charles' figure giving you a sad smile before he slowly began to retreat, up until he was now out of sight.

Desperately searching for a sign on what to do, your eyes gravitated towards your mother, hoping you would be able to communicate with her through your eyes.

And there she was, smiling subtly at you, her eyes sparkling as she gave you a very tiny nod.

That was all the confirmation that you had needed.

You looked back at Aiden, who had an expression like he knew exactly what was about to happen and he knew it had been a long time coming.

"I'm so sorry, Aiden" you whispered, slowly letting go of his hands before you sprinted out of the church hall, leaving behind you dozens of shocked guests.

You quickly ran out of the church, bursting through the front doors and stepping out into the warm summer day.

And then, there he was.

Leaning against his car right in front of the church, his hands crossed against his chest.

And he was smiling.

For a little while, neither of you knew what to say. You had just left your future husband at the altar for him, and he had just shown up at his ex-girlfriend's wedding.

What could a person even say in this situation?

"What are you doing here?" that was the best you could muster up, your voice not louder than a soft whisper.

Charles could only imagine how you must be feeling.

Years after you guys broke up, on the happiest day of your new life, he decides to show up. He knew it was going to be a very long shot, and he was aware that it was extremely rude of him to be showing up at your wedding.

But he couldn't help himself.

He couldn't bear the thought of ever seeing you married to someone else, someone who wasn't him.

Just like he couldn't bear not being with you any longer.

"I couldn't let you go through with the wedding" he said, his expression now somber.

He knew he was already pushing his luck, but he had already ruined your wedding. What more harm could he do?

Dozens of emotions were cursing through your veins, some of which you couldn't even identify.

Hurt? Anger? Disbelief? Disappointment in yourself? Longing for what you once had with Charles? Guilt over a thrown-away future with a great man?

But even in the midst of all the confusing emotions, there was one that stood out between the sea of doubt, clear like a new day.

Your unwavering love for Charles.

A feeling that has not changed from the beginning.

"Why now?" you whispered, your shoulders sagging in defeat.

There was no point in trying to act like you weren't so glad to see him, like your heart wasn't beating out of your chest as you stood in front of him, like you weren't dying to be in his arms after such a long time.

Charles sighed and pushed himself off the car, taking a few steps closer to you until he was almost chest-to-chest with you.

Your breath hitched as you felt the warmth of his body against yours for the first time in years. You had missed it so much, so much more than you had ever admitted to yourself.

"I've spent the past couple of years kicking myself for making the mistake of pushing you away from me. I've never forgiven myself for the way our relationship ended, and I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words just how sorry I am. The moment I found out you were marrying someone else, I couldn't not do anything. I know I sound selfish, and I know it's not fair of me to barge in like this, but if there was even a tiny chance that you might still feel the same way about me, I had to take it" he said, and as you stared into his eyes, you couldn't see even a sign of dishonesty.

He was being real, he was being brutally honest, probably more honest than he had ever been with you before.

And he was completely right, which was probably the worst thing about the whole situation. He was right, you did still love him just as deeply as you had before. And deep down, you probably had hoped that he would show up and save you from making a mistake by marrying Aiden.

"You've always had a flair for the dramatic, you know" you said, hoping the joke would lighten up the atmosphere.

Charles chuckled, nodding his head. He looked up at you again, his eyes sparkling with a sliver of hope.

"Do you want to go somewhere quiet and talk about this?" he asked, a deeper, hidden meaning planted behind his words.

You drew in a breath, but didn't feel any pain or heaviness in your chest. All you felt was peace, peace and love for the man standing right before you.

"Yeah, I'd like that" you said, smiling before giving him your hand, which he gladly took.

And that's how you found yourself sitting in the passenger seat of his Ferrari, his hand tightly holding onto yours, driving away from the church and ceremony that was supposed to change your life.

But why change it when you had everything you had ever wanted for, right in this car?

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[elliewrites77]

Uncle!Sukuna

Uncle!Sukuna who always hated the idea of settling down and having kids. he definitely did not want to be a parent.

Uncle!Sukuna who refused to even consider a pet because he didn't want that kind of responsibility.

Uncle!Sukuna who almost went off the grid when he got a call about stepping up as a guardian after his brother Jin and sister-in-law passed away, leaving their 6 year old son Yuji, who Sukuna hadn't seen since he was...1? maybe 2?

He hadn't been very close with Jin, and Jin's wife had always had "a bad feeling" about Sukuna, so it wasn't like he was going over every Sunday for family dinner.

Uncle!Sukuna who agrees to talk to Yuji's social worker, after multiple phone calls, to at least get an understanding of what's being asked of him, and what's at stake.

Uncle!Sukuna who the second he sees Yuji, knows he won't be able to say no to the kid. Despite being Jin's son, the boy looked exactly like Sukuna. The biggest difference in their appearance was the gummy grin that Yuji gave as soon as he saw his tall, broading, indimidating uncle. Sukuna was surprised at the...brightness the kid held, despite all he had lost.

Uncle!Sukuna who spends the next few weeks before he officially becomes Yuji's guardian getting his life together. He has money, owning his own bar and sometimes bartending there has kept his bank account more than happy. But he's never cared for big spending, except for his fancy car. So he moves out of his apartment, moving into a nice family house, in a quaint, safe neighborhood, neither of which he ever saw himself doing.

But the second he saw Yuji's face light up when he pulled up to the house for the first time, he knows he made the right choice. Even if he did grumble and act indifferent and uncaring.

Uncle!Sukuna who is suprised how easily Yuji takes to him, how comfortable he is so quickly. Considering the kid barely knew him, he acted like he had been around forever. He already calls him Uncle Kuna, and is not the least bit deterred by his hard, cold exterior.

Uncle!Sukuna who acts like Yuji is an inconvenience, an annoyance. He tells him he better not ask for anything unless he's willing to work for it. But he always finds himself buying the kid stuff whenever he goes to the store, whether it's a toy, a snack he doesn't need, a movie, or whatever. even if Yuji doesn't ask one.

Uncle!Sukuna who internally panics when there's an emergency when there is an emergency at his bar that requires his immediate attention. It's late, and there's no one to watch Yuji, and he definitely couldn't take him.

Uncle!Sukuna who practically drags a half-asleep Yuji out of the house, ignoring the kids mumbled confusion as he pulls him to the house across the street. He recalled seeing a kid in the yard the week prior, so he was taking a chance in hoping that meant there was a willing parent there too. Irresponsible and risky but he only had so many options.

Uncle!Sukuna who practically bangs on the strangers' door, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. He completely ignores the fact that it is 2 am and a weeknight.

When you open the door, rubbing your tired eyes to see a tense, tall man holding the back of a little boy's shirt, who is grinning brightly as if it wasn't 2 am, it takes you a moment to process. You glance between them a few times. They look familiar, but you can't place where you've seen them.

"Can i help you?" You eventually ask, confused and tired, and slightly annoyed at his previous banging.

Sukuna is a little thrown by the softness of your voice, by how sweet it sounds. Even with the clear tiredness and weary. He does nothing to hide his glance of..appreciation of your figure, but only lets himself get distracted for a moment before he gruffly explains why he was there, not even introducing himself.

You stare at him in suspicion for another silent moment, before glancing back to the boy next to him and giving him a kind, soft smile. Sukuna ignores the unfamiliar feelings in his chest when he sees that smile aimed at his nephew.

"I can watch him till the morning." You finally said, looking back to Sukuna. He took no time to push Yuji into your house, a breath of relief and a mumbled thanks leaving his lips before he turns, briskly walking to his car.

Once the door is shut, you stare at the child in your entry way, while he stares back up at you. You were still processing the situation, to be fair.

"Hi honey, I'm y/n. What's your name?" You ask with a tired sigh. he grins once more.

"I'm Yuji! you're pretty."

you chuckle, ruffling the kids pink hair fondly. Something about this situation told you this little boy and his unnamed guardian were gonna bring something totally new to your life.

----

not proofread

[cjjohansson]

- sweat you out of my system -

natasha romanoff x reader - 18+ - smut - 1.2k

It had been going on for a while now, 2 years to be exact. The constant back-and-forth flirting, but it had never gone beyond that.

At first, sure it was playful flirting, nothing of meaning to it, but that soon changed. It had started in training, her pinning you to the mat and staring at you with her breathing extremely heavy, you could barely process how she felt pressed against you before she was already out of the room.

It got worse from there, parties consisting of you both lingering next to one another, slight gentle touches. Natasha dragging you to the dance floor, grinding up against you, whispering things into your ears. But again, you both never crossed that line. You don't know why you never did. You both just didn't. And it stayed like that, the constant cycle of back and forth. 

But you were done with not crossing that line, done with your dreams consisting of her. Done with her taking up with your mind 24/7, it was driving you absolutely crazy. So tonight that was all to change. 

You kept her in mind as you looked over the dresses you had picked out which now laid on your bed. Your mind kept falling on the short red dress. You knew it would catch her eye, more than you already do anyway. 

You took your time getting ready, not needing to be early to the party, you knew she would be there dot on the time it started, she always was. You knew showing up later would give you the perfect opportunity of an entrance. And it did. 

You walked through the doors 3 hours late, everyone's eyes instantly zoning on you but all you could pay attention to was those green eyes that kept following you as you walked down the steps and towards the bar where she was sitting. 

Natasha stood up as soon as you were close enough to her, her tight suit, hugging her body perfectly, it was hard to not look at the bulge prominent in her trousers.

She waited until you stood across from her, her hand coming up and brushing some hair behind your ear, leaning close and whispering, “fuck…you look…wow” 

Your hand moves to her iconic arrow necklace, hooking your finger around it to pull her back into you, muttering “I think you’d look better if your clothes were on my bedroom floor…” As you leaned back you refused to look at her, turning towards the bar and ordering a vodka tonic, but you couldn't ignore the way she moved to stand behind you, pushing you against the bar. Her erection pressing into you, making you push back against her even harder, a smirk on your face when you faintly hear her breathing stutter. 

You grab your drink, taking a sip before turning around to finally face her, she pushes closer again. Natasha's eyes linger on your lips, her eyes hazy as she somehow maneuvers herself even closer. 

You place your drink on the side of the bar, bringing your hands to rest on her chest, slowly inching closer to her neck. You pull her in, your mouth against her ear. “Meet me in the meeting room in 10 minutes…” You breathe out, moving to kiss her neck, as she moves away from you, you let your hand drag down her chest until you reach her trousers, brushing your hand against her bulge, smirking at her, and walking away. 

It wasn’t long until Natasha stepped into the meeting room, your back already pressed against the wall. Her eyes were crazy, her breathing slow but turning heavy all over again. She marched over to you after taking you in, her hands meeting your hips and pushing you violently against the wall as you tried to move toward her. 

She acted quickly, her lips meeting yours in a hurry, lust running through the kiss as she moaned into your mouth. Her hands kneading your ass, to pull your center into hers. Your own hands find her hair, pulling on the red tresses to get her to pull away from you. 

The heat in your stomach was intense, the most intense it had ever felt, she stayed still, waiting for your next move. 

“I’m not wearing any panties…” you whisper against her lips, she rewards you with a groan of her own, smashing her lips to yours again and then dropping to her knees in front of you. 

Natasha pushes your dress up around your hips, the sexual tension in the air was overwhelming. You could feel how dripping wet you were, the build-up to this had been long coming. 

She gave herself a moment, pressing small kisses and bites to your thighs before looking up at you, silently asking for confirmation of what she wanted, no, needed. 

You lifted your leg and placed it on her shoulder, one of her hands moving to hold your ass. Your hand moves to the back of her head and pushes her into you. 

Natasha’s first lick on your clit, lights a fire throughout your whole body. You couldn’t stop the moan falling from your mouth, looking down at her and pushing her more into you. And when you looked down, her eyes were already looking up at you, stray hairs falling down her face, falling from your hand on her head. She looked unreal like this, on her knees and eating you out like it was the last thing she would ever do. 

“Fuckkk Tashaaa…” Your moans fill the room, your back arching off the wall as her other hand drags up your thigh and presses into you.

The fire remains alight, while her tongue continues to build the sensation on your clit, while her fingers drag in and out of you, you were so close, so, so close. Each lick, each stroke, drove you wild, tears lining your eyes at how intense her movements felt and that fire quickly turned into an explosion. 

“FUCK, shit, I’m cumming!” You shouted into the room, hoping the music from the party drowned out your sobs of pleasure. 

Natasha slowed her movements, taking her time to move away from you and then resting her head on your thigh, pressing a kiss to your clit before pulling her fingers from you. 

Natasha raised from her knees, coming eye to eye with you but your own eyes couldn’t help but fall to her mouth. Your cum covered her lips, dripping down her chin. Her breathing was still heavy as she stayed staring at you. 

A smirk fills your face, your hand moving to wipe your cum off her lips with your thumb before forcing it into her mouth, her reaction is instant. Her lips mold around your thumb as she sucks gently, but that’s all you allow, pulling your thumb away and then patting her on the cheek. 

“Good girl” you whisper to her, pushing her away by her shoulders, pulling your dress back down, and walking towards the door. 

You can feel the heat of her stare on your back as you finally reach the door. Her breathing hasn’t stopped being heavy since she walked into this room. She stays still as she takes you in. And without turning around you mutter, “Meet me in my room after the party.”

[katsu2ji]

fool for you — m. fushiguro

a/n: i love writing megumi as a cheesy lovesick idiot fool because he IS a cheesy lovesick idiot fool. an oblivious one, at that.

megumi didn't even intend to make a joke. he was being completely serious, talking in that deadpan, monotone voice that everyone around him was all too familiar with. he was talking about gojo, of course—he'd done something stupid, yet again.

despite his intentions (or rather, lack thereof), you thought what he said was funny. he was surprised when he heard you laugh; it was a sound that made him turn his head to the source of the noise, his face a mixture of flustered and confused.

"what? what did i do?" he asked, his eyes wide. he looked over your facial features, committing them all to memory without him even consciously thinking about it. christ, you looked—

"no, it's nothing," you answered, smiling at the boy. "it's just the way you said that just now was funny. sorry, i hope you didn't think i was laughing at you."

he was silent for a few seconds before realizing you had spoken; he blinked, coming back to himself.

god, what was going on with him? he was fine two seconds ago, but now he couldn't even look you in the eye. his stomach was doing some odd thing; he felt like he was simultaneously going to throw up and some, strange, other feeling that he wasn't sure how to describe.

"oh—no, i didn't think you were laughing at me. i just..." he paused, looking for his train of thought, "i didn't think what i said was very funny but, um—"

he mentally cursed himself, feeling like an idiot. why the hell couldn't he speak? why couldn't he look at you?

this had been happening a lot recently—the stuttering over his words, being unable to make eye contact you at certain moments—and with the way it's making him act, he wasn't sure if this an avenue he wanted to keep going down.

he took a breath, feeling his cheeks get hot. he ignored the it as he finished his sentence, "i'm glad i was able to make you laugh, i guess?"

jesus, he probably looked like an moron.

later, as he closed his eyes for bed, he couldn't stop thinking about that exchange. never in his life had he felt like he'd made such a complete and utter fool of himself, but he couldn't figure out why it bothered him so much. and that bothered him even more.

he replayed your laugh in his head over and over, the sound turning over in his mind like a lullaby in a music box. he wasn't sure why the thought of your laughing, the look on your face as you did so, struck him as much as it did.

and that wasn't the first time that had happened when it came to you, either, he reminded himself; there had been other moments when you'd done something that stirred up mysterious feelings inside him, like that one time you grabbed his hand to pull him along somewhere, or when you had slumped over on the train and fallen asleep on his shoulder. his mind was spinning now, keeping him from sleep.

what was it about you? everytime you done something or said something that he had found particularly...endearing...he felt the same feelings that he felt today: the warming of his cheeks, his stomach feeling like it was doing somersaults, his words tripping over his tongue. what was happening? why was he acting so unlike himself? why was he acting so—

his eyes shot open as he pieced everything together.

"oh god," he whispered to himself in the dark, staring up at the ceiling wide eyed and awake. as it finally settled into him why he'd been acting like so stupid around you lately, so completely out of character, he threw his hand up over his face and took a deep, loud breath.

oh god, he thought, repeating himself. i'm fucked.

katsu2ji © 2025. please don't copy, modify, or do anything of the sort with my work! i work very hard and you simply do not have my permission.

[kpopscruggles]

My baby

Mingi x Chubby reader

warnings- obv smut, mature language, unprotected sex, FWB into small confession.

word count- 2k

more about the smut here, I got a request that someone liked my other old mingi fic and a lot of ppl liked my yunho so why not make more. I am a chubby reader enthusiast so don't be shy..

I've never seen you around here before, is there a reason for that?" such a simple question yet such a response you could not produce. The male in front of you, holding a smirk on his face as he then took down half his drink. Never were you the type to go home with someone after the clubs or in this case a house party but this time was different. The way he came up to you, immediately praising you was almost sickening, but you liked it. Little did you know it led you to a whole other situation. You two would become friends with benefits. 

Now you were sitting on your bed watching Mingi get dressed after what was supposed to be good sex, but if failed. Was he good? Yes, he was, so it wasn't him, it was the situation. For the fourth time he willingly kissed you but for the first time, he willingly bred you as soon as you asked. Normally it wouldn’t happen, in fact it wouldn’t ever happen. Mingi was a simple friend with benefits, these were his rules he asked you never to break but what was strange is he broke them first.  

Again, seeing him put his clothes on in stress made you raise a brow, this led him also quite simple waving and leaving your apartment. It bothered you; it bothered you extremely. There was something that just seemed off. Again, it was all strange that he started it but what was even worse was that you wanted it again. It haunted you. Never were you supposed to kiss, never was he supposed to cum inside. There were strict rules he had, and he was breaking them. 

Surely it wasn’t going to be easy, but you had to bring it up to him eventually, right? Especially after the left with the most stressful body language you've ever seen anyone have. The next time he comes by you'd bring it up. You had too at this point. When Friday had hit and you walked past his car you could feel his eyes on you, giving him a sweet smile you watched him blink out of reality. It was cute... 

I'll be at yours around 7? Be ready.  

That message sent a spark through you. Getting home you did your usual routine before getting into a decent set like usual. Looking in the mirror you admired how the set hugged you differently than others, something about you and the chubby frame felt way more sexual than usual. Meanwhile Mingi was already parked outside your apartment, his heart racing as he realized how deeply he wanted you, craved you. How he craved to watch that juicy cunt takes his cock so effortlessly, your tummy giving small jiggles as he railed you senseless, your pretty stomach, being covered in his cum... Or your pretty cunt leaking of him. No, he couldn't think like that.  

Getting inside he had the condoms in his pocket but that brain telling him you both wanted that creampie, his brain telling him how he wanted you to moan against his lips as buried his cock in that sloppy pussy, Jesus Christ! He was a goner if he kept letting his brain fuel him. He couldn't help it, he never wanted to love something so bad, to cherish yet ruin something that was growing so special to him. Taking a deep breath, he then knocked on your door like usual. 

Sometimes he wished you had a dorm with a roommate then maybe he wouldn’t be so comfortable with ruining you...Who was he kidding, if anything a roommate could watch how much he adored that plump body of yours. He jumped slightly seeing you open the door in your comfy clothing, usually you had a set on, so this was new, wait, there's the lingerie print through the clothes. Fuck. 

The usual simple introduction went by, but you watched as mingi relaxed on your sofa and not straight to the bedroom, this was the time to bring up the situation you had been wondering about, but then what if it gets awkward and he leaves? Your kind of, no you really want that dick first. Walking over you watched his stare at your thighs, knowing he watched them jiggle as you walked. “Is this what you've been doing all day is waiting for me to get here?” 

Smirking at his cock yet genuine question I sat on his lap, leaving space to pull his cock out without delay if you wanted. A sigh leaving him as your weight got comfortable on him, got he was gonna cum like this even he didn't speak to make a distraction for himself “I'm just curious princess~” He coos playfully, his large hands gripping your thigh, the flesh against his fingers sending a jolt up his spine.  

Looking up at you through his lashes he then leaned his head back onto the sofa, your gorgeous smile, pretty face, this stunning body. His hands running up before slipping under your shirt “I missed you today, you know that?” He watched you nod but he also seen the confusion of him saying such affectionate things. “I thought about you so much, how I was ready to come over and see that pretty body you have.” He felt you shiver making him smile. Your shirt slipped off before you realized and he tossed it “You want it?’ he whispered against your lips, his hot breath lingering slightly till he gave you a kiss “I know I do; I love coming over, I’ll be doing it more often too...” 

You just nod before feeling him pool you into a kiss, you could tell by the kiss he was already salivating at the thought of you, which he was. He had been mind fogged all day and all he wanted was to come to you, a comfort and pleasure he had to have forever. He had to have it. He needed you; he needed his baby...HIS baby. Tonight, he was going to have you the way he had been craving too.  

Pulling from the kiss, he watched your lips glisten with saliva before he licked it slightly. Taking a breath laid you down on the sofa, reaching your bottoms and pulling them off revealing the lingerie, the lace hugging your curves, high waisted just enough to peak out a bit more of your chubby flesh. Your pretty breasts and hardening nipples peeking through the lace, or the pretty fat cunt waiting to be filled. God he was begging for anything even though it was right in from of him. 

Gripping your thighs you watched him take a deep breath before slowly resting his small his between you, his cock noticeable as he slowly begun to grind his hips. his mouth leaving open warm kisses on your neck “mm~ gonna fuck you're so sweet baby I swear” he coos before giving you another kiss. His hips grinding deeper “G-gonna make sure you feel every bit of my cock, every drop of my cum.” You couldn’t respond, just sinful moans leaving you before nodding, you agree with anything Mingi said. You watched him smile proudly, the tension in the room filthy, but it felt different. Watching him strip his top a small moan leaving him as you sat up leaving kisses on his chest.  

His hands reaching to comb your hair back “Thank you baby...” was all he whispered. His hands moving to run his hands over your bralette straps, running the lace between his fingers. ‘Pretty girl. Pretty girl...” he whispers again before pulling you into another kiss. Your whimpers loud enough for him to hear no matter how muffled you both were. You felt the bra unclasp and he gently pulled it off your body before laying you back down. 

A sweet smile on his lips as he lays on you, his mouth grazing against your nipple as he looks up at you, your eyes begging for him to put your nipple in his mouth and he did. His warm saliva making your nipple harden even more, if possible, his eyes on you as he moans softly, his large hand gripping both your tits admiring them slightly. One in his mouth, one between his fingers.  

Pulling away he made his way to the other nipple; you watched his thumb flick at the saliva-soaked bud. “M-Mingi please...” He knew those pleas; you couldn’t wait any longer. Removing his nipple his hand reached down, making sure to rub your tummy before slipping into your panties. Your slit ached as his fingers slowly teased by them. His mouth coming up to give you another kiss, his tongue swirling with yours. 

His hand hugged between the lace and your warm pussy sending his head in spins. His forehead against yours before pinching your cushiony hood playfully, your small gasp making him smile. Smiling even wider as he watched your eyes roll back, two fingers grazing against your cozy walls as he pushed them inside. “Gotta makes sure princess is comfy before she takes my cock. My sweet thing~” he coos before giving you another kiss. You looked so precious. 

Looking down he watched your chub tremble as he pushes his fingers deeper “I love that pussy so much~ I can't wait to be buried inside, watch that pretty, fat, warm pussy hug my dick!” he groaned biting at your neck. Hearing your reappeared gasps and pleas he knew you were close, but fuck he was greedy. You were so achingly close, your cunt pulsing around him, the small moans coming from you. 

He couldn’t he wanted all your cum on his cock, slipping his fingers away he watched your whine uncontrollably, so sensitive he knew if he put his fingers back in you'd cum. Lifting he slipped his fingers into his mouth before his free hand reached down to take off his jeans, the buttons giving a faint click as he undid them. Soon using both his hands he gently removed his jeans and boxers at once. His veiny cock reddened at the slit, pale pink at the head, it was pretty to be honest, you knew that. Tossing the clothes on the floor he soon reached for your panties peeling them off as well watching your wetness glisten on your hood, your swollen clit peeking out slightly between your chubby folds. 

Taking a deep breath, he hooked your legs with his arms, pulling you against him, your gooey cunt pressed against his straining cock. Your feet hooked to his neck as he placed soft kisses on your ankles. His hands growing a tight grip on your hips before lifting you slightly, his enough to use his thumb, pushing slightly, hearing your creamy folds separate as he slowly slipped in. 

That perfect view of your fat cunt hugging his cock so tenderly, a small whimper even left him at the sight. A pant growing in the room as you felt his cock slowly inch inside, bottoming out your whimper made a groan from him follow behind. Leaning forward slightly he watch your chub squish together making his cock twitch already. Taking one last final breath, he started his thrust, a decent pace, enough to hear the small yet rushed skin contact. 

His eyes looking down at you, his hair slightly swaying before he combed it back. “Fuck I missed this pussy baby~ did you miss me? Hmm?” he smirked deeper, his language rough but tone so soft. Shakey sounds leaving him as he watched you nod, eyes screwed shut as you pulsed around him. There wasn’t much that had to be said, you both knew the pleasure was immaculate, you both knew it would only take a small minute before he’d paint your walls with his creamy cum.  

Your moans growing louder by the second, your body bouncing slightly to his thrusts, you were so fucking gorgeous. He felt himself at a loss for breath, this edge taking him over, you had the deepest hold on him. His tip begging to spill the cum, his base twitching, his balls growing heavy. You were gonna make him cum so fucking fast it was almost making his sick. 

Gripping your hair, he made you look at him, your eyes glossed by pleasure as you left the creamy precum on his cock. “So fucking pretty~ My sweet baby~ mine.” he could feel himself growing close, His body shivering against your as he laid on top of you going harder. The passionate glint in his eyes as he rested his forehead against yours. Sticky sweat connecting you both close, your legs wrapping around him, the thick thighs giving him a comfy cushion, your breasts pressed against his chest. 

“I-I'm gonna cum baby~, I'm gonna cum for you!” he coos, a smile forming on your face. The small response of “For me...,” the tone of assurance made him lose it as he let out a moan of submission.  

“For you baby! Just for you! Oh shit!”  

That sounds sending a ringing through your ears, his eyes squeezing shut before burring his head in your neck “Gonna cum for my baby~” he coos one last time, his breath hitched. Your body trembling as you felt your stomach coil, your cunt pulsating extremely at this point. The pit in your stomach deepening harshly as you felt a wave of release, painting his cock with your cum only made him let one last thrust before feeling you to the brim. A loud cry leaving him as his fingertips dig into your hips, reaching just enough to grip a love handle to steady himself.  

Both of you, panting, sweating, a small chuckle leaving his lips. “Fuck this...” he added before looking at you “Your mine, I hope you know that” he whispers, it was confident, yet it had a question like tone making you giggle. A small smile forming as he seen your pretty smile and a nod. That was all he needed; he was content and ready for another round.  

[isuggestforcefem]

Forcefem February story: Nicole saves Ethan

Part one - Nicole

It began as it usually did. Nicole, a poor helpless orphaned young woman, with a story to make the most stoic of men sob, and such a great excuse for her to join the town. The town's eldest was wary of her. He knew, she thought. Or at least, he suspected something. Nevertheless. That wouldn't stop her. This wasn't her first, anymore. Nicole knew how to handle herself. Keep herself en guarde.

It did make her job less fun, though. She had barely any respite, needed a consistent story and a consistent character, every moment of her waking day. And she couldn't work at night, lest they see the light of her room.

Angela had been very lovely, on this part. The old woman had allowed Nicole to stay in her ex-husband's study, as it hadn't been used in years. Angela had lost him, she would say, on the lonely nights. He had walked out one day, and never came back. Taken by the night, she would say. Nicole wondered if she knew, too. She wondered if the creaks of wood she heard from behind her door were Angela, watching her, spying her.

All that to say it really wasn't a fun time. She yearned for the plan to enter motion. It had already been a month! Usually, she could have had cleared step one in a week, at most, but clearly, Diana's choice of town still lacked. She'd have to talk about it with her, once she was back. Even though Diana was her best friend and most trusted ally at the Academy, she still lacked a lot of technical skills. Maybe that was why the administration still refused her application for solo missions. "I ought to help Diana out", Nicole thought to herself. Her friend was her senior in experience and yet Nicole risked graduating before her.

Nicole approached the mirror. She was still as beautiful as ever. Surely, this face would be enough to sway most hearts. Her hair was undone. She grabbed her hairpin, held a strand of hair, and clipped it onto her hair. Suddenly, a swirl of magic took control of the brunette's hair, assembled it in a neat ponytail. She messed with it a little bit. Better not make it look too neatly woven. She had an image to keep up. She grabbed her dress, Angela had washed it for her. What a treasure of a woman. She almost felt guilty to betray her trust in this way. But then again, she always did. It never stopped her.

Going down the stairs, Nicole yelled "I'm ready!". Angela's brother had asked for a helping hand. It did upset her plans,, but she had to keep up appearances until the end. She could still do it tonight. She would do it tonight. She had faith.

The day seemed to never end. She had been gathering herbs for hours by now, but still Angela's brother showed no sign of going back home. At least the sun was still high. Finally, the man spoke to her. "I think we're done for today, you can go back." "Oh thanks," she said, without a trace of emotion in her voice. Finally, speaking her soul.

This place was boring. The local pub served frankly disappointing alcohols, and was only inhabited by things that were more of the decaying corpse than they were of the person. The town's center was usually occupied by a group of gangsters - guards - that looked at her like she was a piece of meat. Whatever. This would soon be over.

There he was, her target. A boy named Ethan. He had little presence, few friends. Nobody would miss him. Nobody would care.

She would.

He had short black hair, wore a white shirt and brown pants. She had seen boys like him by the dozen, and all of them had became beautiful, happy girls. He would follow.

"Hi," Nicole exclaimed brightly, with a little wave, "I'm here early! -Nicole! Hello, I am glad to see you. -I have a gift for you!" Saying this, Nicole reached for her bag's contents. There was a choice to be made; four rings from which to decide the step to take.

[d0rothydraws]

Piercing

(You have nipple piercings and Sylus finds out. I might do a part 2 is people want it i have ideas.)

You never thought that you would be the kind of person to do this yet here you were. You were out with some friends, as one does. Maybe you were slightly tipsy, maybe someone planted an idea earlier that night. You didn't really know. All you did know is you were laying on a padded chair, shirt off as a man was piercing your nipples.

Now you knew you wouldn't regret it. If anything, you could always take them out and the hole would close eventually. But as the piercings healed and you got used to it, you loved it. It wasn't as uncomfortable as you thought it would be and also it was like jewelry only you could see. Well, you and..

The night Sylus discovered your piercings was a night you would never remember. You had been what some would call dating for a month or so. While you tried to take it slow because you felt like that was the responsible thing to do, things just felt very natural with him. Though physically, you didn't take the leap yet. At least, fully.

There were plenty of nights where you were on his lap. His hand between your thighs, lips on yours. Yet for some reason you didn't feel ready to fully reveal yourself to him. Call it insecurity or maybe even the fear of it all ending up being for nothing, like usual. You didn't really know.

It was your weekend off work and you came over to his place to destress. You had made plans to watch some movies, play some board games and maybe even finally if you were brave enough, take that final step of intimacy. Coming straight from work Friday night you were still in your work clothes as you arrived. You already had everything you needed at his place. A whole dresser of clothes, your own shampoo and body wash. Any toiletries. If you ran out, he restocked. It was like a second home.

Sylus was still out finishing up god knows what which meant you were alone to your own devices. A fresh change of clothes was calling your name. Moving through the house you entered a room that you continued to deny was yours even though it had more of your items in it than your own room in your apartment. Opening the dresser you pulled out a tank top and some shorts.

Maybe you were still tired from work, maybe you couldn't hear over the song you were humming. Either way, you failed to notice that you no longer were alone. You turned your head to toss your work shirt in the clothes hamper to be washed and in turn was met with ruby eyes. They weren't looking at yours though like usual. They were looking lower.

It took you a moment to realize, you pulled your bra off with your shirt. Not the best for your bra's lifespan. But the best for convivence. So there you stood, in front of Sylus. Topless as your little secret was exposed. You felt heat pull in your gut. This isn't how you wanted the big reveal to happen, but the look on his face made you feel.. powerful. He looked hungry. You even seen his adams apple bob just a bit as he swallowed. With just a simple action you made this man look like he was going to devour you. But even still, he knew you had boundaries. No mater how badly he wanted to touch you.

"My my, kitten." He said, his voice low as he tore his eyes away from your chest to look at you. "Now that is a surprise I wasn't expecting." His voice was teasing but playful. He chuckled slightly, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder if you have any other secrets to uncover."

You didn't know if it was the adrenaline of being walked in on or the look in his eye but your body moved before your mind caught up to you. You stood in front of him as you took his hand and moved it to your breast. Your heart raced as his fingers began to play with the piercing. Taking a deep breath to try and steady your nerves and quickly growing heat that was beginning to boil inside you, you took a step closer so his hand was pushed even more against the soft tissue.

"Why don't you come find out?"

That's all it took before his lips were on yours. His free hand moving to cradle your head as his other hand continued to play with your nipple. You stepped back. He followed. Another step back, and again. Each one until the back of your legs pressed against the bed. Pulling back from the kiss you looked up at him. He looked back at you, his eyes intense but waiting. He was letting you have full control, for now at least.

"I always wanted to try something." You admitted, feeling your heart in your throat. You motioned for him to sit on the bed and as he did you straddled him, not able to stop yourself from pushing your hips against his just enough to make him groan. You had barely done anything to him. You weren't even fully naked. Yet you could feel how much you effected him.

You curled a hand into his hair as you guided his lips to your chest. He didn't need anymore instructions. His teeth toyed with the metal, pulling slightly as it made you gasp. His tongue brushing against your nipple before he pulled it into his mouth. Your head fell back as your eyes closed. A groan vibrated against your skin as he licked and bit at your sensitive skin. After a few minuets he pulled back with a growl before he moved in on the other one. His hips rutted up against you making you moan. His hands moving to your hips as you moved back against him. It felt like he was devouring you.

You heard a slight wet sound as he pulled away from your nipple to lick up your chest and neck. Shivering as the air hit your sensitive, wet skin. A hand moved up your side to cup one of your breasts, thumb and finger playing with your piercing. His voice was a low purr that made your skin tingle.

"I'm not going to be able to keep my hands of you, sweetie."

~

I havent written anything in so long im tired im sorry. i found this prompt in my drafts and ran with it

[delight-angelsbliss]

Hi there! May I request for your Valentine's one, S1 numbers 23 and 30 with Shadow and reader? Thanks and have a great day/night! ☺️

Prompts: "I wish everyday could be like this" + writing a love letter only to throw it away but they find it

Warnings: none that I know of (^-^)

Notes: depressed gamer you're a genius this is such a cute pair!! I was a bit out of ideas while making this cuz of bad cramps but it'll be fine lol my first laptop should arrive today which makes me really happy<3 guys I love Tommy February6 songs too much I'll never let them go.. Guys I totally didn't think of ratatouille when saying your eyes widened with each word because of that one short chef trust Might make a pt2 to this cuz this is such a cool idea but I kinda rushed this cuz of some things I needed to get ready for</3

Shadow was known as a loner who never engages with people unless he knows them well enough and can trust them with everything. He is an emotionally unavailable person with little to no knowledge on how to successfully comfort someone which makes it hard for his peers to engage with him or make small talk since he always gives dry and short responses that are hard to respond to

Since he's so distant to people it felt near impossible to be friends with him, only a few people successfully cracking through his facade and becoming close friends with him

But you wanted something more than friendship, something more, intimate something more romantic, and something more close now of course that was a hard task to achieve

You were certain that if he did reject your advances he couldn't act nice (hundred percent he'd look at you disgusted and degrade you before leaving) which is why it would be hard to face him directly face to face

What you didn't know was that the hedgehog was in fact quote infatuated with you! Stealing quick glances while you're around, getting quiet when you walk in the door, keeping his hands seen whole you're talking to him

It was quite obvious for most, especially Amy and Sonic, instead of teasing him like he expected (even if sonic did tease him a bit) they were telling him to make a letter and how cute that could be

They referred him to some shops that could have cute things and stickers for the letter, even giving him some pointers how to express his feelings in writing (me next please I need a tip or two) after a while of working on the letter, he decided to stop, thinking it would be stupid

Someone as great as you could never like somebody as brooding as him! Why'd he ever try? He decided to go outside and throw it in that dumpster instead if the one inside so no one finds a trade of the letter

What he didn't realize was that he threw it in the wrong trash. The trash was full and if anything else was in there he'd be certain it would fall out. Doubling down he throws it anyway and leaves, going to go sulk in a corner probably

In this hot day he decided it would he best to sulk inside.. As for you, you decide to go take a walk outside since the weather was so nice, while walking around you spot the letter

Like a good pedestrian you pick up the letter and try to throw it in the trash before realizing it was addressed to you! What could possibly be in it? Curiousity gets the best of you, you decide to open the letter and read it... Your eyes widen slowly with each word as you realize it's a love letter from shadow

"I wish everyday could be like this" you say to yourself in surprise. He really did like you?! This felt like a dream come true as more emotions started spiraling in your mind

Now how do you go about telling him you found the note?

[wizard-on-whales]

Okay but imagine late 80s to 90s James dating an overly emotional girl. He's the macho, men don't cry type of guy who doesn't let anyone see him get emotional over anything. He's either just stoic, angry, or occasionally silly but that's it.

But she's a roadie who he quickly falls for and they start spending all of their time together. But just as quickly as he fell for her, he realizes just how emotional she gets over things and how often she cries.

The first time it happened he panicked, walking into a backroom where she was organizing some chords and seeing her a complete mess. He rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her and cooing.

"Hey..hey, birdie why are you crying, what's wrong!" He questions in a bit of a panic, making her look up at him.

"I'm okay...I just can't get these chords wrapped right!" She sobbed, dropping her head to his chest. He looks over at the chords on the desk, perfectly wrapped in his eyes.

"Baby, they look fine, why are you crying over something like this," James sighs softly, lifting her head from his chest and wiping her tears.

"I keep wrapping them the wrong direction and having to start over! They go a certain direction! I always wrap them that way!"

After that day he realized there were many things that she had to do a specific way or she'd burst into tears and criticize herself. Although it was a little upsetting to hear her call herself stupid over the smallest things, he could help but smile at some of her childish tendencies.

And when it got worse it was an easy indicator of her period getting ready to start soon. He'd prepare by getting her chocolate and making sure she had her heating pad and meds. And of course, his simple efforts made her cry over how sweet he was.

The tour was over and she had come home with him. James was at the studio all day but he promised he'd bring something home for dinner, he decided on pizza. He stumbled through the door of the house and set the food down on the counter, his ears picking up on a soft sniffling.

He rounds the corner of the kitchen and steps onto the living room where she was sitting on the couch crying, a photo clutched in her hands.

"What's got you crying now, Birdie?" He asks softly, stepping over to the couch. She looks over at him with her messy face and puffy eyes, another sob escaping her as she holds out the photo. It was a childhood photo of his.

"You were so cute, I just wanna hold you!" She sputters out causing him to laugh softly and shake his head in amusement. He sits down on the couch and pulls her head to his shoulder, kissing the top of her hair.

"You're a little mess, you know that," He says affectionately, stroking her hair. He couldn't help but feel his heart warm over the fact that she was crying over his baby photos.

"I just wanna hold you and make all your pain go away," She mutter softly, her thumb gently stroking the photo as her tears fall. James had never really understood how she got emotional over simple words and actions but as she says that he can't help but feel a pang of longing in his chest, his throat closing, and tears threatening his eyes.

"You seemed so sweet but so sad. I hate everything you went through," She continues, sniffling softly and trying to look up at him but he doesn't let her in fear of her seeing his glossy eyes. He swallows thickly and takes the photo from her hands, looking at it himself. Baby James...where did it all go wrong? He thought to himself...why was that my life? Why did those things happen? And why is this lovely woman in my arms so emotional over wanting to protect me at that age...

He feels her hands on his cheeks, her thumbs stroking the silent tears that had fallen. She looks at him with concern before tugging his head to her lap and wrapping her body protectively around his head. His hands gripped her tightly as a sob left his lips, a sound that hadn't left him in who knows how long...maybe not since that photo was taken. She coos to him softly, her own tears falling quicker at the sound of his broken cries and how tightly he was clutching her, as if she was a lifeline. Right now, to her, he was the same little boy in that photo. She rocked him softly, her fingers stroking his hair, letting him cry.

"I love you," he mutters quietly, looking up at her with a pout on his lip, his cheeks red and wet with tears. Her own face matched his as she leans down and places a kiss against his forehead.

"I love you too, My Lion."

His little bowtie....OH MY SHAYLA 😭🙏

✭-----------------------------✭

[kiemiu]

𝓒𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍: 𝓞𝐧 𝓜𝐲 𝓜𝐢𝐧𝐝

pairing kang sae-byeok x fem!reader | wc: 3.4k

summary → sae-byeok can't get you off of her mind, and ji-yeong notices. warnings → none.

(beneath the quiet masterlist )

12:39am

𝐒𝐀𝐄-𝐁𝐘𝐄𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐃 in bed, her eyes darting across the ceiling decorated with water stains, her fingers splayed across her blanket as she gripped it loosely only to release it, repeating the motion over and over again. Sleep refused to come like it did most nights. Always a lingering reason for why she couldn't sleep. Whether it be the worry of what came next, or the fear of some drug lord kicking down her door because he felt cheated for betting on the wrong girl. No longer was it the acrid scent of bleach seeping in from the locker room next to the employee break room that kept her awake. No, she had long since gotten used to the lingering chemical smell after late-night cleanings at the gym. What kept her from drifting off was the persistent image of you occupying her thoughts.

Sae-Byeok turned to lay on her side, exhaling through her nose as if that would expel the unwanted warmth creeping into her chest, her body exhausted but her mind refusing to quiet. The sheets felt cool against her skin, and the muffled hum of the gym’s old ventilation system filled the silence.

She exhaled sharply, jaw tightening as she shifted her position once again. It was pointless to pretend otherwise. What kept her from drifting off was the persistent image of you occupying her thoughts.

It had started with a simple observation—you had looked more tired than usual today. There had been a weariness in your eyes, subtle but noticeable, a heaviness in your movements that suggested you hadn’t been sleeping well. Sae-Byeok had seen it immediately, even when no one else seemed to. She had watched the way your posture slumped just slightly, how your fingers toyed absentmindedly with the hem of your sleeve.

Sae-Byeok wasn't used to something so small and insignificant as you being tired had stayed in her mind throughout the day, it was strange.

But then, there was the bruise.

A dark, ugly mark decorating your arm, just below the sleeve of your shirt. It hadn’t been there before, she knows it hadn't because it wasn't there the last time she visited when you wore a short-sleeve shirt.

Sae-Byeok was nothing but an observer. Catching sight of it while you were reaching for a spoon, her gaze lingered longer than she intended. A flicker of something unfamiliar twisted in her stomach at the sight. Annoyance? Concern? She wasn’t sure, but she hated the feeling all the same.

She should have said something. Asked.

But what would she have said? Who did that to you? Did someone hurt you? She wasn’t sure what answer she wanted to hear nor was she sure if she was prepared to hear it.

Instead, she had stayed silent, only stealing glances when she thought no one would notice. But the image stuck with her long after, the deep purple of the bruise imprinted in her mind like a phantom stain she couldn’t scrub away.

And now, lying in the quiet of the employee break room, she was still thinking about it. About you.

At first, it was nothing but fleeting worry. Until it drifted off to other things. Small details—harmless things. The way your hair shaped the curve of your face perfectly, the way you pressed your lips together whenever you were lost in thought, the way you always smelled faintly of something sweet despite working with 20+ messy children. But then, like a slow unraveling thread, her mind drifted further, past the point of control. Her thoughts drifting from the bruise on your arm, to your big doe-like eyes.

Her heartbeat faltered for just a quick moment as she pictured your soft gaze..

They held an innocence, a quiet curiosity, but there was something else beneath the surface—something deeper, something unreadable. Sae-Byeok had spent too long trying to decipher that look, trying to figure out if it was ever directed at her in the way only she had imagined and hoped you reciprocated.

And then her thoughts drifted to your lips.

Soft. Full. Always slightly parted, as if you were on the verge of speaking but never quite did. The thought slightly unsettled her as she shifted against the mattress, but she couldn't keep her thoughts away from you.

Her thoughts continued to linger on the soft curve of your lips, the way they might move if you spoke her name in the quiet of the night. Would your voice be as soothing as she imagined? Could it lull her to sleep better than the restless silence surrounding her now?

She wondered how they might feel—if they would be as soft and warm as they looked, if they would move slowly against her own in your own quiet rhythm or if you would take her by surprise.

Have you ever noticed her staring at them? At you?

The thought made something tighten in Sae-Byeok’s chest as she turned once again onto her stomach, pressing her face into her pillow as hard as she could in hopes it could smother the thoughts away. But even in the darkness behind her eyelids and in the softness of her plush pillow, she could only see you.

She hated how you haunted her thoughts, and she hated it even more when you followed her into her dreams.

She barely had time to dwell on herself, let alone anyone else, especially someone as insignificant as a “babysitter” or so she told herself.

No matter how many times she’s tried to shut you out, the maddening truth remained—you lingered in her mind every single day, constantly, and it frustrated her to no end.

Yet, even through her frustration, she couldn’t help but wonder—would your presence ease the restless ache in her bones? If you were by her side, would you run your fingers through her hair, whisper soft reassurances, and hold her close, offering the quiet comfort she didn’t know she needed? Would you make it easier for her to breathe, even just for a moment?

She knew you would. You wouldn't even have to try because everything felt easier around you.

The idea sent a shiver through her, a quiet, unfamiliar ache settling beneath her ribs as she released another restless sigh. Lifting her head from her pillow to press the heels of her hands into her eyes, as if she were trying to scrape the image of you out of her consciousness Silently begging in her head for you to stop haunting her..

She didn’t know why this was happening. Why had you taken up so much space in her mind?

Despite all the times she pushed you away, all the moments she refused to acknowledge you, maybe—just maybe—she didn’t want you to leave.

Maybe she wanted you to stay.

And that realization alone terrified her.

Eventually, her exhaustion had won, slowly pulling her under. But even in sleep, she wasn’t free of you.

You followed her there too—your presence slipping into her dreams like a whisper, threading through the quiet corners of her subconscious. It had been that way ever since the night you first opened your home to her. Since the moment you unknowingly carved a space for yourself in the restless expanse of her mind.

You wrapped around her like a warmth she never realized she had been yearning for, seeping into the hollow spaces she had long convinced herself were unfillable. In her dreams, she let herself sink into that warmth, let herself believe—for just a little while—that it was real. That it was hers to keep. That you were hers to keep. To protect, to love, and to hold.

But the morning was cruel.

The shrill blare of her alarm shattered the illusion, ripping her from sleep with all the subtlety of a knife against glass. Reality yanked her back into the cold, fluorescent-lit sterility of the gym, where the air smelled of lingering bleach and steel, and the walls felt just as unyielding as she had forced herself to become.

The warmth of you faded like a dying ember, slipping through her fingers before she could hold on.

The day began early, the world outside still cloaked in the muted hues of dawn. With a hefty sigh, Sae-Byeok began moving through her morning routine with quiet efficiency—stepping into the cold tile of the women’s locker room, the overhead lights casting a harsh glow against the steel-gray walls.

She let the scalding water of the shower wash over her, steam curling around her like a ghostly embrace. It was a fleeting moment of solitude before the day truly began. By the time she was dressed, her damp hair pulled into a loose ponytail, the gym had begun to stir with the faint hum of early risers.

She met Ji-Yeong in the center of the gym, their movements seamless, familiar. There was no need for words—they had done this routine a hundred times before. Together, they moved with practiced ease, adjusting punching bags so they hung at just the right height, their chains rattling softly with each shift.

The mats needed wiping down, the scent of disinfectant mingling with the lingering musk of sweat and rubber. They checked the gear, ensuring every glove, wrap, and pad was in its place, making sure the space was primed for the trainees who would soon filter in.

It was muscle memory now—preparing the gym for the day ahead, partnered with Ji-yeongs usual sarcastic remarks, tossing playful jabs like she was already in the ring.

“Man, you’re quieter than usual today,” she mused, adjusting the last punching bag before turning to glance at Sae-Byeok. “C’mon, throw a dog a bone here. Am I that unbearable without some back-and-forth?”

Sae-Byeok barely acknowledged her. A noncommittal shrug, a flicker of attention, but nothing more. It wasn’t like she was ever particularly talkative, but today, the silence stretched longer, heavier.

Ji-Yeong huffed, stacking weights onto the rack with exaggerated force. “Great. Guess I’m talking to myself now.”

Sae-Byeok let out a vague sound—half a hum, half a sigh—but her mind was elsewhere. Her hands moved on instinct, tightening wraps, straightening mats, checking the gloves lined up along the wall, but none of it really registered.

Because you were still there. Lingering in her mind like a shadow that refused to fade. Even after hours of sleeping and fighting—both physically and mentally, even through the exhaustion that should’ve drowned out everything else, you remained—woven into the edges of her thoughts, slipping into the quiet spaces she had no control over.

She hated it.

Or at least, she told herself she did.

Ji-Yeong, never one to let a shift in mood go unnoticed, finally turned to face her fully, hands on her hips. “Alright, what’s up with you?”

Sae-Byeok blinked, the question pulling her out of her thoughts. “What?”

Ji-Yeong narrowed her eyes. “Don’t ‘what’ me. You’ve been weird all morning.”

“I’m fine,” Sae-Byeok said, too quickly, too flatly.

Ji-Yeong snorted. “Yeah, okay. And I’m a professional ballerina.” She leaned in, studying her closely, as if trying to read something beyond Sae-Byeok’s carefully guarded expression. “Did something happen?”

“No.”

Ji-Yeong didn’t look convinced. “You sure? Because if you’re secretly planning to rob a bank or something, I’d love to be included.”

Sae-Byeok exhaled sharply through her nose, shaking her head. “You watch too many movies.”

“And you dodge questions like it’s your full-time job,” Ji-Yeong shot back, smirking. She nudged Sae-Byeok with her elbow, a playful yet probing gesture. “Seriously though, if something’s messing with your head, you know you can talk to me, right?”

Sae-Byeok hesitated for half a second—so quick that most people wouldn’t have caught it. But Ji-Yeong wasn’t most people.

Her smirk softened slightly, the teasing edge still there but gentler now. “Just putting it out there. In case, you know, someone is occupying your thoughts more than usual.”

Sae-Byeok tensed. The instinct to deflect, to shut down, to deny, flared up instantly. But she forced herself to keep her expression neutral.

“It’s nothing,” she said, grabbing a towel and turning away before Ji-Yeong could see anything crack through the surface.

Ji-Yeong sighed, stretching her arms over her head as she let the conversation drop—for now.

“Alright, alright,” she relented. “But just so you know, ‘nothing’ doesn’t usually look like you staring off into space every five minutes.” She grinned, slinging an arm around Sae-Byeok’s shoulder for half a second before stepping back. “But hey, keep your secrets. I’ll just be here, suffering in silence, tragically left out of whatever’s messing with your head.”

Sae-Byeok rolled her eyes, but a small—very small—smirk tugged at her lips.

Ji-Yeong caught it.

“Ah-ha! Emotion!” she declared triumphantly, pointing at her. “I knew I’d get something out of you.”

Sae-Byeok shook her head, but before Ji-Yeong could press further, the first few trainees trickled into the gym, breaking whatever thread of conversation they had left.

Ji-Yeong stretched once more, shooting Sae-Byeok a final glance before turning toward the newcomers. “Alright, let’s get to work.”

And just like that, the moment passed.

But even as they slipped back into routine, even as Sae-Byeok focused on the day ahead, she couldn’t shake the truth that had been gnawing at her from the start.

It wasn’t nothing.

And no matter how much she tried to push it away, she knew it wouldn’t stay buried for long.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Hours passed, the steady rhythm of the gym fading as trainees filtered out one by one. The clatter of weights, the sharp echoes of punches meeting pads, the low hum of conversation—all of it slowly gave way to silence, leaving only the faint hum of the overhead lights and the sound of their own breathing.

By closing time, it was just the two of them. Which meant one thing—training together.

Sae-Byeok barely needed to exchange words with Ji-Yeong as they stepped into the ring, slipping into their routine as naturally as breathing. They squared up, circling each other, gauging movements, waiting for the first strike. It was muscle memory now—the sharp snap of a jab, the instinctive dodge, the controlled counter.

But something was off.

Ji-Yeong could tell almost immediately.

Sae-Byeok’s form was the same, her stance solid, her reflexes sharp—but there was a hesitation, a split-second delay in her movements that shouldn’t have been there. She wasn’t fully present.

Ji-Yeong exploited it without mercy. She faked left, then sent a swift jab toward Sae-Byeok’s side, expecting her to dodge. She didn’t.

The impact wasn’t hard, more of a tap than an actual hit, but Ji-Yeong immediately dropped her guard and leaned back against the ropes with an exaggerated sigh.

“Alright, what the hell is up with you today?”

Sae-Byeok exhaled sharply, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her wrist. “Nothing.”

Ji-Yeong’s smirk widened. “Oh, it’s definitely something.” She tapped her chin in mock thought, drawing out the moment. “Let me guess…” She snapped her fingers like she had just solved the greatest mystery of the century. “You got a little crush on someone, don't you?”

Sae-Byeok scoffed, reaching for her water bottle, her movements carefully indifferent.

Ji-Yeong, of course, wasn’t buying it.

“Wait—” Her eyes lit up with sudden mischief, her lips curling into a knowing grin. “Is it a boy?”

The sheer disgust that flickered across Sae-Byeok’s face was all the confirmation Ji-Yeong needed.

She cackled, pointing at her like she had just caught her in a lie. “Ohh, it’s a girl, huh?” She nudged Sae-Byeok’s arm, grinning. “Kinda figured. Never really took you as someone who liked boys anyway.”

Sae-Byeok huffed, rolling her eyes as she took a long, deliberate sip from her water bottle, refusing to dignify Ji-Yeong’s teasing with an answer.

“Hey, no shame in it,” Ji-Yeong said with a casual shrug, unwrapping the tape from her hands and tossing it onto the bench. “If anything, you’ve got good taste. She must be cute if she’s got you spacing out like this.”

Sae-Byeok ignored the remark, focusing instead on shutting down the gym for the night. She moved through the gym with quiet precision, her body on autopilot as she wiped down the last of the equipment, ensuring everything was in place before locking up for the night. The scent of sweat and disinfectant lingered in the air, the steady hum of fluorescent lights casting elongated shadows across the mats. She focused on the routine, on the muscle memory of closing down a space she knew as well as the back of her hand.

Ji-Yeong, of course, didn’t make it easy.

She trailed after her, tossing out playful remarks, nudging at the edges of Sae-Byeok’s silence, waiting for her to crack. It was the same as always—Ji-Yeong’s way of getting under her skin, of making her react, of reminding her that she wasn’t as unreadable as she liked to think she was.

And usually, Sae-Byeok would roll her eyes, brush her off, dismiss her entirely.

But tonight, she didn’t mind.

Because even if Ji-Yeong was teasing, even if she was just poking fun, there was something comforting about the way she noticed things. About the way she never pushed too hard, never pried with the intent to unravel, but instead just existed beside her, offering the kind of easy companionship that Sae-Byeok had never quite known how to accept.

She didn’t have to say anything. Didn’t have to spell out the tangled mess of thoughts she refused to acknowledge. Ji-Yeong already understood, in that frustratingly effortless way of hers.

Sae-Byeok wouldn’t talk about the way her mind had been preoccupied all day, about the way you had taken up space in her thoughts without permission. She wouldn’t admit that her usual focus had been shaken, that there was an unfamiliar warmth lingering beneath her ribs, something unnamed and unsettling.

But Ji-Yeong didn’t need her to.

She just threw out her jokes, her playful nudges, her knowing glances—never demanding anything, never forcing Sae-Byeok to confront what she wasn’t ready to.

And somehow, that was enough.

So Sae-Byeok let her talk. Let her tease. Let her existence fill the space where words might have gone.

Because even if she wouldn’t say it outright, it was nice.

Having someone like Ji-Yeong.

Having someone who knew when to push, and when to simply stay.

With the gym locked up for the night, the world outside greeted them with a sharp contrast—the crisp night air wrapping around their sweat-cooled skin, the distant hum of traffic, the neon glow of streetlights casting long streaks of color onto the pavement. The city was still alive, even at this hour, buzzing with movement and voices that blurred into the background like a song on low volume.

The exhaustion of the day clung to Sae-Byeok’s limbs, but it wasn’t heavy—not in the way that weighed her down. It was the good kind, the kind that came from a body well-used, from muscles worked to their limit, from the familiarity of routine.

Ji-Yeong stretched her arms over her head with an exaggerated groan before stuffing her hands into her hoodie pockets. “Food?”

Sae-Byeok didn’t hesitate. “Obviously.”

They fell into step beside each other, the chill of the night a stark contrast to the heat that still clung to their skin. Sae-Byeok tucked her hands into her hoodie, glancing at Ji-Yeong with a smirk. “You’re paying.”

Ji-Yeong scoffed, shooting her an incredulous look. “Oh, come on. You don’t have any more viper money to spare on little ol’ me?”

Sae-Byeok groaned, tilting her head back. “You know how my last fight went.”

Ji-Yeong chuckled, her grin widening as she bumped her shoulder lightly against Sae-Byeok’s. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. But next time, you better win. I have a taste for Korean BBQ, not some sad, gas station ramen.”

Sae-Byeok huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head as she nudged Ji-Yeong’s elbow in retaliation. “Well, you better start saving up too, then.”

Ji-Yeong clicked her tongue, feigning offense. “Wow. So now I have to treat you?” She sighed dramatically, shaking her head. “I swear, the things I put up with for you…”

Sae-Byeok rolled her eyes, but she didn’t bother hiding the smirk that lingered on her lips.

For a moment, with the cool air easing the tightness in her chest, with Ji-Yeong’s familiar presence beside her, she allowed herself to not fight it.

The thoughts.

The feeling.

The quiet tug of something she wasn’t sure she fully understood.

She didn’t know why you had taken up so much space in her mind—why your presence lingered long after you were gone, why she caught herself searching for you in quiet moments when she should have been focused on anything else.

But maybe… maybe she wasn’t so sure she wanted to fight it anymore.

Maybe, it was something she could get used to.

NEW ENTRY ! NEW ENTRY ! NEW ENTRY ! NEW ENTRY !

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

LEE YOO-MI as JI-YEONG

"what's a life without excitement?"

' 𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 ' 📷 : @miabcuzz @twicesuuui @kissyslut @kritkalhit @st4rcs @dumbbellxo @theforestchoseme3 @wlvlurvsfimmia @genshinenjoyer @theweirdanimation @ch-3-rry @nenukkjhj @giaqnn @crack240 @pookalicious-hq @laurenkenss @sheinhamood @pooksterrr @bbynai @diorzs @beaaluv @colorfulkittenperfection @yourl0caltrash @kidicaruslover911 @sherryuki-callmeyuki @i0nic02 @knfthxv @mina-has-been-here @monroesturnns @lyuuw @brooke-rainbow @freakykkuras @womanl0ver @we1rdth0ughts

[writingwithciara]

across the hall; part 3 -quinn hughes-

summary: y/n moves in across the hall from quinn and in an emergency, she leaves her five-year old daughter in his care

word count: 3.1k

pairing: quinn hughes x reader, toxic ex-boyfriend x reader

notes:

"what the hell are you doing here?" y/n looked from abby to andy before shielding her daughter from him.

"i came to see my daughter." andy bent down and looked at abby. "hi there princess."

"how did you find me, andy?" y/n was reaching for her phone. "i left you behind for a reason. not for you to come follow me here."

"i have my ways, y/n." he was standing straight up now, over a foot taller than y/n. she was always intimidated by him and it worried her. "aren't you gonna invite me in?"

"you shouldn't be here, andy." y/n slowly inched her way to the door while clutching abby behind her. she handed her daughter the keys and stood by her while she unlocked the door. when abby made it inside, y/n closed the door and faced andy again. "you really should go."

"look, i know i was a terrible person in the past. but i've changed. honestly."

"i don't believe you. now please leave."

"i'm serious, y/n. what can i do to prove it to you?"

"that's up to you to figure out." she sighed and turned back towards her door.

"y/n, wait up." quinn called from down the hall. he jogged up to y/n, not registering that she wasn't alone. "i grabbed a puck for abby."

"you didn't have to do that, quinn."

"it was your first game and it's the game winning puck." he handed her the puck with care. "i don't know if you remember, but-"

"it's the game winning puck from the game winning goal that you scored." she looked up at quinn and smiled.

andy, who couldn't stand there quietly anymore, cleared his throat. "babe, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"no. i don't think i want to." y/n opened her door slowly but stopped when she heard andy continue the conversation with quinn.

"hey man. i'm y/n's boyfriend, andy. and you are?"

"quinn." he looked between y/n and andy with a raised eyebrow. "wait, boyfriend?"

"ex-boyfriend." she turned to face him. "he's abby's father."

"oh. okay." quinn stuck his hands in his pockets. "well, it was nice to meet you, man."

"no. no it was not." y/n shook her head then pointed a finger at andy. "i think it's time you left now."

"alright. but i'll be back tomorrow." he kissed her cheek and walked down the hall.

y/n headed into her apartment and, unsurprising to her, quinn followed. he set his hockey bag by the door and looked at her.

"are you alright?"

"of course. why wouldn't i be? it's not like it's an everyday thing where your toxic ex shows up on your doorstep months after you decided to get as far away from him as possible." she looked at quinn. "i'm sorry you had to see him."

"i'm sorry i didn't ask you guys to stick around the arena after the game. this could've been avoided."

"don't blame yourself, quinn. you are a good person. and the EXACT opposite of that jackass." she chuckled dryly and turned the puck over in her hands. "i can't believe i fell for that man years ago. i was so stupid back then."

"no, you were a teenager in love. it happens to us all." quinn crossed the kitchen to come stand in front of y/n. "plus there's a bright side to your relationship."

"i supposed there is. if i didn't need to get away from him so badly, i never would've moved here and never would've met you." y/n smiled up at quinn.

"well, i was thinking about abby. but yeah. this friendship is another bright side i suppose."

"of course abby is the brightest side to it. she's my baby girl." y/n glanced down the hallway and sighed. "whenever i think of how horribly i was treated in the past, i look at abby and everything i went through before her seems totally worth it."

"i agree. she's an amazing little girl."

"she loves you, ya know? sometimes i think she loves you more than she loves me."

"no she doesn't. she could never. you're her mother and that's an immediate win over everyone else."

"thanks, quinn. not just for everything tonight. but everything you've done for me since we met. i owe you huuuuge for it all."

"it's not a problem. you're my best friend. i'm just happy making you happy."

"awe quinn." y/n smiled and slid him a glass of water. "i'm really thankful for you."

"as am i for you." he smiled and sipped the water. "it's getting late so i should head out. if andy bothers you tomorrow, do not hesitate to text me. i'll be over here in a second. do you understand me?"

"yes sir." y/n smiled and walked with quinn to the door. "see you later, quinn."

when the door was closed, y/n kept replaying quinn's words over in her head.

i'm just happy making you happy.

why was he so perfect for her and why did he have to come into her life when she was still in the middle of healing herself?

she threw herself down on her bed and groaned loudly. abby, who was sitting in her own room, walked in. "are you okay?" she asked.

"oh, honey. i'm fine. just thinking about some stuff." y/n turned to face her daughter. "come here." she made room for abby to join her on the bed. "i'm sorry about your dad. he shouldn't have just shown up."

"it's okay." abby smiled and looked at her hands. "what do you have there?"

"oh. quinn grabbed it for you. it's the puck that he won the game with." y/n handed it to her. "and he even signed it for you. how thoughtful."

"I love quinn. he's so much fun."

"more fun than me?"

"of course not, mama. you're the funnest."

"i love you, munchkin."

"i love you too. always and forever."

y/n smiled as abby slowly drifted off to sleep. she didn't even bother moving her from the bed and taking her to her own room. instead, she just cuddled her close and fell asleep with her daughter by her side.

the next morning when y/n woke up, she was expecting to have a text from her boss asking her to come into work on her day off. but when she rolled over to check it, there was nothing from him.

there was, however, a text from andy that was received nearly 40 minutes ago. see you in about an hour, it read. she groaned and turned her phone upside down so she didn't have to look at it any longer.

before she had a chance to get out of bed and decide how she was going to avoid andy for the day, there was a knock at the door. abby opened her eyes and y/n got out of bed to answer the door. quinn stood on the other side with a big smile on his face.

"good morning." he leaned against the wall. "i was just about to head out to breakfast and wanted to see if you lovely ladies would like to join me."

"that sounds like a great idea." y/n grinned. it was the perfect excuse to avoid andy. "as long as we can get ready and leave within the next 10 minutes."

"well, you look good right now so it shouldn't take too long."

ignoring the sudden intense burst of butterflies in her stomach, y/n kindly smiled at him. "thanks. but it's abby i'm more worried about. she doesn't like getting her hair brushed. and i don't want to argue with her in such a short amount of time."

"want me to try?"

"you?"

"yeah. i've been told i have an amazing gift when it comes to reasoning with children."

"okay. then, be my guest." y/n closed the door when quinn stepped in. she followed behind him as they headed down the hall to abby's room. just as quinn was about to open the door, y/n ushered him to the next door. when he gave her a raised-eyebrow look, she explained. "she slept in my room last night."

"oh okay." he opened the door and abby, who was sitting up in the bed, rushed off the mattress to give quinn a hug. "hey, sweetheart. i'm taking you girls out for some breakfast. but your mom tells me you don't like getting your hair brushed in the morning."

"i don't. i hate it."

"understood." he chuckled and bent down to her level. "how about this...if you let one of us do your hair in 5 minutes, we can go to the store and pick out a toy, or whatever else you want to do."

"a toy sounds nice." abby smiled and looked at her mom. "can quinn do my hair?"

"that's up to you. but you gotta get dressed in 5 minutes." y/n smiled as abby nodded and ran to her room. she then turned to quinn. "can you do hair?"

"i'm a natural, as you can tell." he smirked and gestured vaguely to his own hair, which only looked like he crawled out of bed and ran his hands through it a few times. but yet, she had faith he would make abby's hair look amazing.

"okay. i trust you." y/n smiled and walked out of the room. "abby, quinn's gonna do your hair while i get dressed, alright, sweetie?"

"okay." abby walked out and dragged quinn to the bathroom.

y/n got dressed and smiled. she had only known quinn for a month and he was already a better father figure to abby than andy was. and it scared her just how close abby had gotten to quinn.

now with andy in their lives, y/n had no idea if they would have to leave to get away from him again. and the idea of severing her daughters connection with quinn, felt like a knife to her own heart.

5 minutes later, y/n was standing in the doorway of the bathroom as quinn gently and calmly brushed through abby's wild hair. he set the brush down and carefully braided it. when he was done, y/n just stared at him through the mirror. he looked up and caught her staring, causing him to smirk.

"what do you think?"

"i think you did a great job, quinn. better than i probably would've." y/n smiled and checked her phone. "okay. we ready to go?"

"absolutely." quinn grabbed one of abby's hands and she used her free one to grabb y/n's. to any outsider, they would look like a typical family. but that was far from the case.

the three of them ventured out to quinn's car and to nobody's surprise, they found it was parked next to y/n's. she reached in and pulled out abby's seat before carefully setting it up in quinn's backseat. she strapped abby in before climbing into her own. quinn shut her door and walked to the driver's side.

"what restaurant are we going to?" abby smiled and looked out the window.

"wherever you want to go." quinn glanced up in the rearview mirror and smiled while he listened to the places abby was listing off.

y/n looked out her own window and they were pulling out of the parking garage just as andy was getting out of his car. luckily, he couldn't see y/n because quinn's windows were tinted. but she saw him and he had a couple of bags hanging off his arms. she couldn't tell what they were but she had a feeling they didn't look like they were meant to be a good thing.

"you alright?" quinn asked as he drove.

"yeah i'm fine." she offered him a smile. "after breakfast, what are you doing?"

"i have no plans for the day. why?"

"would you maybe want to catch a movie with us? abby and i were planning to see that new animated movie-"

"we were?"

y/n ignored abby and looked at quinn "and since one of the restaurants are close to the theater, i figured we could kill two birds with one stone, right?"

"fair point, i suppose." quinn smiled. "of course i'd love to join you."

"great." y/n looked out the window and figured she could use the movie to stall as long as possible so andy would get tired of waiting and just leave.

at the restaurant, a little old couple walked by their table. the lady stopped and smiled.

"my, what a lovely family."

"thanks, but-" y/n began but quinn reached across the table to hold her hand.

"thanks. you guys are the goals we strive for."

"oh, did you hear that marvin? we're what the kids call 'couple goals'. isn't that cute?"

"yes mel. it's so wonderful to hear, darling." he grabbed her hand and as soon as they were out the front door, quinn let go of y/n's hand.

"sorry. i thought they were gonna judge if they found out you were a single mother that looked like she was on a date."

"times have changed, quinny." y/n smiled and watched the waitress bring their food to the table. as she was setting the plates down, she winked at quinn.

usually, he enjoyed what little female attention he got, this act made him uncomfortable. couldn't the waitress see he was with someone? instead of flat out rejecting her, he smiled kindly but focused his attention on y/n and abby as the waitress walked away.

"she was cute, quinn. seemed interest too."

"not my type, honestly." he just shrugged and pulled the top part of the wrapper off abby's straw for her.

abby thanked him before shoving one end of it in her mouth and blowing the rest of the wrapper directly at y/n's face. it hit her cheek and quinn laughed.

"who taught you how to do that?" y/n raised her eyebrow, knowing that it was probably quinn who taught it to her. her suspicions were confirmed when the two of them shared a look over the table that pretty much read 'oh. busted'. y/n just shook her head slowly and smiled. "thanks for that, quinn."

"you are most welcome." he replied just as sarcastically as y/n had. he watched as she looked out the window. her gaze went across the street to the movie theater. "everything okay?"

"huh? oh yeah. i'm just thinking what movie we're gonna see."

"i thought you said we were going to see the new animated one, mama."

"right. yeah we are."

quinn looked over at y/n while abby colored on the placemat. "hey, are you sure everything is okay? i don't want to pry but you've been a little off today."

y/n knew she couldn't hide around quinn. so she sighed and told him what she saw this morning. "i saw the devil as we were pulling out of the parking garage this morning."

"oh no. is that why you wanted to get out there as quick as possible?"

"yeah. he texted me this morning and said he was stopping by. i don't know if you know this but i have a hard time of saying no to him if we're left alone."

"if you want, we can come up with plans to make sure you have no time to spend around him while he's in town."

"i would love that, honestly. but i'm gonna have to face him eventually. i just didn't feel like doing it today."

"well after breakfast and the movie, we're going shopping. but after that, we could grab dinner & do whatever you want to do while we wait it out."

"thanks, quinn. i appreciate it."

the rest of the day went by smoothly. while they were shopping, quinn ended up buying abby whatever she asked for, even though he had only promised to get her one toy for getting ready fast this morning.

when they pulled into the parking garage, y/n couldn't see andy's car so she let out a breath.

"everything okay?"

"yeah. i think so. i don't see his car anywhere so he must not be here."

"well, let's head up and see if he's actually gone." quinn grabbed the bags from the trunk and followed the girls to the elevator. he kept an eye on them when they walked out onto their floor. andy was nowhere in sight.

"thanks for today, quinn. i needed a relaxing day."

"no problem. always happy to be here for you when you need help."

"i know." y/n smiled and let abby into the apartment. she stood in the hallway with quinn for a moment. both of them were silent for at least 2 minutes before quinn spoke.

"i should let you go and get abby ready for bed." he opened his door but turned around before heading in. "you go back to work tomorrow, right?"

"yeah. from 2 to just after midnight. why?"

"well, i was wondering if you wanted me to watch abby. i mean, i have a game and will be at the arena pretty much all day but i feel like it'll be a fun experience for her. you can come too, if you want. before you have to go."

"what time do you go to the arena?"

"9 in the morning."

"okay. i'll meet you there then. you sure it's okay with everyone that abby will be there?"

"oh yeah. she can sit on the bench during the morning skate & bella will be there during the game so she'll be in good hands."

"then you technically won't be watching her, will you?" y/n smiled, causing quinn's eyes to widen.

"technically, no. but i will be responsible for her. i promise she'll be in good hands all day. if you trust me."

"relax. i trust you, quinn." y/n squeezed his hand and smiled. "we'll see you in the morning."

"can't wait." quinn headed into his apartment while y/n went in hers. he couldn't help but think back about what just happened in the hallway. she really trusted him. it had been a while since anyone had put their trust in him the way y/n has the past month he's known her.

he couldn't wait to get to the arena in the morning.

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tags: @alwaysclassyeagle