#will i ever answer a simple question in a straightforward manner?

[janearts]

Overall, I liked it. I've written another goddamn essay under the cut and tagged it as spoilers just in case, but if you've already played EA, then this'll be nothing new to you.

Based on what's currently available in EA, I thought the premise of the romance was well executed. Gale felt a romantic connection with Mystra, was unceremoniously dumped by the Goddess of Magic, and is still pining after her. And he mourns not just the relationship, but grieves his own deeply human error and the loss of the power he once held as a result of his goddess' favour.

I really love Gale's backstory because it reminds me of a lot of mythological stories where a mortal strives to equal a supernatural creature and/or crosses a line ("Don't do this." → Proceeds to open that box, fly that high, etc.) and is punished for their hubris. His romance storyline begs the question, "Well now, where do we go from here?"

While I liked this set up to Gale's romantic storyline and enjoyed romancing him this playthrough, I am not sure he would be a good romantic choice for my canon playthrough with Roisia (I say, completely seriously, as if they were real and I was some sort of matchmaker). There are two things that make me think maybe Roisia wouldn't choose him or, if she did initially, would not choose him again if the opportunity arose. One reason is character-driven and is not the fault of the devs and the other is more about how Gale's romance was written, which falls within the realm of the devs.

Reason the First: The Character

The first is that Gale is extraordinarily slow to open up even when you have high approval with him. Gale is not vulnerable with the PC; he demands vulnerability before showing vulnerability in return. For example, Gale asks the PC to swear to help him no questions asked. Only when the PC swears to assist Gale does he reveal he is, essentially, a ticking time bomb without the sustenance of magical artefacts. (Great, now you have TWO vampires in the party.) And even though the PC should be vaguely aware of Gale's relationship with Mystra, his grief over his loss of favour, etc., he does not reveal the whole story explicitly until after the PC has sex with him.

Now I clearly classify sex as an act that requires some degree of vulnerability and my character would likewise think that sex requires her to be physically and emotionally vulnerable with another, but I should acknowledge that this isn't a universal view nor does it apply to everyone under the sun (or moon, to include types like Astarion). So for Roisia, I think she would find this burgeoning relationship frustrating in that Gale takes before he gives. Usually there is simultaneous giving and taking in a relationship, but the start of this particular relationship feels heavily weighted towards Gale taking and Roisia giving.

That being said, I'm not convinced Gale's guardedness is a good enough reason to avoid romancing him in my canon playthrough because I wonder if this dynamic applies to all of the burgeoning relationships in Act I. I.e., are all the romances in Act I largely framed as your PC meeting the romanceable NPC's emotional/physical/whatever needs?

In any case, regardless of whether Gale would suit as the "canon romance" for my first playthrough, I'm super curious as to how Gale's romance plays out in later acts and down the line! So even if I'm like "Roisia would not choose this for herself", I'll do a playthrough of his romance just to see what it's like.

Reason the Second: The Writing

The second is that much of Gale's romantic story hinges on the fact that he was once a powerful wizard and you are not. So I'm guessing the Weave Scene would feel more magical and more intimate if you are playing a character who has no connection to Mystra or the Weave. Gale is inviting you into his world and, in doing so, showing you who he is and what is important to him.

As a wizard, however, you're already fuckin' there. Roisia may not be as high-and-mighty as Gale was under Mystra's favour, but she is powerful in her own right and in her own ways. And the game acknowledges this: the movements, the incantations, etc. are described as easy peasy in the game dialogue and when Gale asks the PC how they feel, the Wizard-tagged option is "The same as it always does." This can make Gale's whole "Follow my lead" shtick feel condescending and patronising. Where the fuck is the romance in that, Larian???

A Gale/Wizard romance has the opportunity to be a beautiful meeting of the minds and have that contribute to the spark of romance. I love the idea that Gale would write a Wizard PC off as not-good-enough upon their first meeting, only to be continually surprised at their ability and surprised again at their combined ability during the Weave Scene. (E.g., Maybe Gale felt weak after Mystra deserted him, but with you? Together you're a force of nature.) I would've much rather the gestures, incantations, etc. have been described as strange and obscure for your Wizard character, rather than run-of-the-mill-did-this-last-Tuesday. I felt like the devs did Wizard characters a disservice during that portion of the romance.

TL;DR: All-in-all, really enjoyed myself. Not sure if this romance would be right for Roisia in the end, but I'd like to try it out for a playthrough simply because I'm interested in Gale's story and I love him to bits as a character.

[ssentimentals]

seventeen members as their natal charts: woozi

sun in sagittarius, moon in aries

he loves a good challenge, his straightforward and self-assured personality can make him come off as arrogant but he's not like that; this man won't accept anything but the truth, he's fearless and very generous to people he loves, enjoys solitude just as much as he loves big crowds (but not being the center of attention there)

'looks like it's gonna be hard,' you mutter, staring at bunch of documents in front of you. 'do you think you can-'

'i know i can,' jihoon interrupts, not even bothering to look up.

you nod. jihoon's curt answer may have irritated other people, but not you. after working together for almost half a year, you realized that these kind of replies from him are simple statements of facts, not just arrogant atempts of showing off. still, you ask: 'need any help?'

jihoon blinks, finally looking up from his laptop. no one really sticks around with him, always uncomfortable with his silence or too straightforward manners, so your question surprises him. you, in general, surprise him in many ways and part of him desperately wants to reach out, because he may or may not have written dozen songs about your eyes and how your smile makes his day better. 'um,' he lets out eloquently. 'only if you're okay with helping.'

you nod and he breathes out in relief, shutting his laptop. work is easier with you, huge pile of documents gets sorted out much faster with two pair of hands and jihoon nods in satisfaction as you finish the last one. 'thank you,' he says sincerely. you smile and your smile makes him feel... things. makes him want to get upclose and personal with this smile, maybe even be the reason behind it. he's not dumb, he knows there might not be any other chance, so he barrels on: 'do you have plans for tonight?'

jihoon is certainly not the one to beat around the bush, but you're still surprised, looking up at him. 'you're asking because..?'

'i heard new thai place opened around here, thought it'd be good to try it out,' he meets your gaze, looking serious and confident. 'i'd like to treat you, if you're free.' and then, because if he started he has to go until the end, giving all in, he adds to clear things up: 'it's a date.'

silence that stretches makes him nervous, but when smile blossoms on your face and your cheeks color just a tiny bit, he thinks that risks always are worth taking in the end. smile stretches his own lips and he mirrors your excitement: 'i'll take that smile for a 'yes' then?'

he doesn't tell you that he heard you talking about really wanting to try out that place and nor does he tell you that he already went there and tried out bunch of dishes, just so he would know what to order when he'll finally get the courage to ask you out. you nod at him and something else twirls inside of his chest, warming it up. something akin to hope, that he thinks will turn out just great.

in relationship he can sometimes be insensitive and have a temper, but willl ultimately be the most protective partner ever! he longs for domesticity and is very much 'i don't see anyone but you' type when he's in love, he needs someone who's good at avoiding conflicts and can sometimes push him to change

'jihoon, that was too rude,' you say, closing the door with a loud sigh.

'he had his hands all over you,' jihoon huffs, shaking his coat off angrily. he doesn't get jealous easily and rarely has problems with other people, but his protective instincts flare up whenever someone gets too familiar with you. 'and you looked anxious, you know i can't just stay still at times like that.'

'i thought you didn't see,' you mumble quietly enough but of course jihoon catches it.

he grabs your hand, pulling you closer to him. 'i'm always looking at you,' he says seriously, not understanding how your heart flutters at those words. 'babe, i- i'm looking only at you. even when we are surrounded by other people, my eyes are always on you.'

and it's the truth. he keeps his eyes on you not in some creepy way, but just looking at you grounds him, he checks on you cause need to make sure you're fine is exactly what it is - a need. you smile at him, but still don't let go of the situation, telling him that he took everything too far. jihoon nods, knows that you're right, but he also knows that you won't ever nag him about it. this is the best thing about you, how you let something not critical go, knowing him too well. 'that was probably too rude, okay. you know i won't go and apologize to him, he did make you uncomfortable and i won't stand for that, ever.'

you sigh fondly, reaching out to caress his cheek softly. 'i know,' you say. 'my protector.' you didn't say it in a mocking way and jihoon knows it. he really is your protector in the sweetest and purest way; someone who you always wanted and never thought you'd have.

'i'll always protect you,' he says matter-or-factly with no traces of joke in his voice. but then his face changes as he shyly suggests: 'let's drink some tea?'

you almost laugh at this, but hold back. nodding, you lean in, smiling when he pecks your lips and both of your cheeks lovingly. never have you ever thought that jihoon will be like this, this protective and this caring at the same time. 'let's,' you agree easily.

you drop the conflict before it could grow big, because it's not worth it. nothing is really worth it at the face of jihoon's wide smile as he understands that the subject is dropped and that you're not angry at him anymore. sometimes words are not needed and silent understanding that passes between you two is more important. he hugs you tight and that's all that's needed as you both settle into comfortable domesticity, the one you both protect fiercely and put above everything else.

a/n: a bit surprising for jihoon i think, but i love his chart so much!!

my masterlist is here

taglist @prpldahy

[luneariaa]

𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫; 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢.

❥︎ - ; x fem! reader

❥︎ - 𝐚/𝐧 : shibuya arc really left me feeling dreaded and stuff. grammatical errors may happen.

❥︎ - contains manga spoilers. ( more to implying near the end. )

☾︎ - 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.

-✰-

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗥 is approaching, but at least, the skies managed to look quite pretty; at least for now. Moving your gaze upwards, a small smile is visible upon your lips as you decided to stay for a little more longer. Who knows when will you be doing this again?

Nanami, on the other hand, actually doesn't approve of you wanting to fight alongside him as well. Perhaps he finds it way too dangerous at times, even though you have some experience with it too.

But in the end, he can't really tell you on what to do anyway-- you're an adult, and deserve to make your own decisions after all.

The blonde ex-salaryman stands not too far from you, still being quiet himself for the time being. It was after a few minutes have passed that he decided to break the stillness between you both.

"... How are you feeling today?" A simple question, but somehow it carries some sort of weight to it. But still a question, nonetheless. It's enough to make you snap out of your own temporal wonderment.

"A lot." A small grin is being sent out to him despite the unknown future that possibly awaits for you both. "I know I can't expect much, but at least, I know you'll be there for me too."

Nanami stayed silent for a while, as if contemplating on what to answer next.

"Hm.." He doesn't say anything after that just yet, but he wasn't mad at you either. While you're keeping your gaze elsewhere, he did took his chance to steal some glances; noticing every single detail of the expression that's being displayed upon your face somehow.

Or maybe, he just likes to simply stare at you for hours if possible; not like he would ever admit that.

"Shibuya will always look beautiful to me, just like right now." You seemed to notice his gaze from the corner of your eye as you spoke, though didn't pay any mind to it. Perhaps, you were just too distracted by the sights alone to care, it didn't even feel awkward between the both of you.

Nanami takes a deep breath, before finally standing by your side, yet still leaving some respectful distance with you.

"That's true. Best to just enjoy the view right now." You turned your head toward him slightly, nodding with a small smile of agreement over the truth of his words.

"You're right."

There was a mini silence after that, and you took your chance to ask something else. "Oh right-- you told me before that you're planning to live in Malaysia after all of this is over, right?"

Nanami couldn't help but to let the tiniest bit of smile out, at least, directed toward you alone. "You still remembered? Yes, I do."

"Though, why did you ask?" He asks back after his own confirmation, not wanting to admit but finding your sudden question surprising. You shrugged it off nonchalantly while chuckling lightly.

"Of course I do." You turned your gaze away from him once again. "Just wanted to make sure, that's all."

He merely hums lowly upon your statement, seemingly not questioning anything further regarding to it.

"How about you? Do you still plan on opening a bakery someday?"

Your eyes lit up at his words almost instantly, becoming a little excited at the thought. "Mmhm! It's probably not gonna be here though, and I still have no idea as to where should I do it yet."

Nanami rests his hands a bit on the railings nearby, going silent for a bit as he begins to think of something. "You can always open a bakery in Malaysia once everything here is settled, and we can move in together there."

"We?" Your eyes widen a little at the straightforwardness of his words, but then you crossed your arms in a lighthearted manner. You decided not to question any further since the mere idea of it seems so nice. "Sounds like a plan!"

The blonde-haired male chuckles a bit at the energy you emitted, finding the idea that he had just suggested rather comforting as well. "If you ever decided to open one there, I'll be sure to help you out."

"And maybe, we can buy a nice house that overlooks the beach." He added even more, the seriousness within his tone is far more apparent to you.

It was right at this moment that he caught you off guard with the way he spoke, but it feels so... warm. It gave you some sort of hope; your eyes shining naturally on their own as you turned your head at him.

"That's a promise then."

Still, despite all this, you weren't so sure. Your feelings are all over the place, it's quite a mess. Yet you didn't bother to pick it up; the feeling and words he gave you makes you feel very warm and happy deep inside. Needed, even.

Without you even realizing it yourself, you finally stood a little more closer to him, keeping your gaze ahead still.

It was then, you couldn't refrain yourself anymore. You engulf him into a warm embrace; one that is rather tight, yet not to cause any discomfort to either one of you at all. You didn't care if he didn't want to return the embrace back or even push you away because of it-- you just wanted to give him one out of genuine appreciation.

Also, you feel like he deserves one after everything he endured in his life.

Nanami didn't push you away once the contact was being made. In fact, he even gradually returns the action by wrapping his arms around your form after recovering from his small shock moment. He never minded your embrace at all; now letting one of his hands move to the back of your head with such tenderness, smiling ever so softly.

When was the last time that he had received such hug..? The touch alone is enough to make him melt in some way, especially from you. It's quite different, to say the least. He usually wasn't fond of people who tried to hug or even cling to him.

But he allowed you to do so because he trusts you so deeply, or was he foolish enough to say that he trusts you because his heart and soul told him to..?

Alas, the tender moment had to be cut off shortly after a few minutes. Nanami is the one to slowly break the embrace away from you.

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." His professional and stoic demeanor is back in mere seconds, fixing his tie a bit.

"We should leave." To which you nodded along, appearing to have no choice at this time. It's as if he's trying his best to downplay the moment for a good reason, at least. You understand why, you always do.

But it's not wrong to keep hoping, right? Even if his fate ended during the fight, you know that you'll be joining him soon after anyway.

If life didn't spare any mercy for the both of you in this timeline, you know that you'll see him again. Perhaps not here, but in another life, you will. One where you both are living happily and free from the burdens of being a jujutsu sorcerer.

-✰-

© 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚜.

[sunstranded]

INTJ: The Ominous Power of "Simple"

Simplifying is just as dangerous to me as oversimplifying. In oversimplifying, we worry about removing important nuance. In simplifying, we need to start worrying about possible interpretations.

I think with my manner of speech and the examples/allegories I have of which I complain about my life makes these considerably... viable to be applied for academic use in a certain extent.

No. It's a tumblr post, not an essay. I don't say it often but... reader discretion is advised.

Now to simplification. INTJs like doing these in a way but at least for me it's confused as simplification but Im actually deducing something. Deduction is deduce, determine, pin down that precise answer in a way. Simplification is simplify, reducing into basics, streamline or lessen the complexity. The reason these two could he confused is the upside down pyramid way it goes to clarify something.

Deduction delimits too but it specifies not simplifies. Deduction makes sure that because it is specific, there cannot be the case our premeses are true and the conclusion is false.

Simplify delimits with specificity in mind but it's primary concern is reduction not certainty. It's closer to shortening something rather than specifing it.

Here's an example:

It's raining. People tend to drive horribly in the rain because of possible bad moods, slippery roads, or even the expectation that others will drive bad then traffic will be heavier. Basically it all sucks when it rains because you'll be stuck in heavy traffic.

This is closer to a summary, there is a causal relationship we can see. Its raining, people drive horribly because of: numerous different reasons, and it all sucks because youre gonna be stuck in heavy traffic. The last sentence/point closes of the whole thing by simplifying the sentences that came before it. It reduced the whole thing into a sentence that can stand on it's own to make sense.

This sucks, it's still raining. Asphalt roads are slippery when wet. People are gonna suck at driving and traffic is gonna be bad.

This is closer to a deductive logic argument. There is an inference in every sentence/phrasw (it sucks because its raining, asphalt roads are wet because its raining, they are slippery because they are wet, people are gonna suck at driving because its slippery, and traffic is gonna be bad because bad drivers) This is just as inaccurate and not really comprehensively factual but the order feels objective. That's because it's a deduction, you deduced or determined something. Separate the last sentence (conclusion) from the others, and it won't make the same effect. It'll sound like an assumption.

The problem in example giving is people can completely misinterpret the point so you still have to explain the example even if they "understood it" because you need to clarify the delimitation and purpose of the example. In conversations, it feels redundant to do that. You know why?

The appeal of the simple. This is because SIMPLE is clear. Deductions are clear too. That is, both simple things and deduced things are just as clear as we make them to be. Simple can be clear to some but to others not at all, similarly with deductions. But what makes simple so appealing?

It's short. Less work in a way. Less listening, less reading, you get it straight to the point. If we ever learn anything from our tendency to deep dive, nothing is so simple, so straightforward. Even in history anything with less work but more results is so attractive. Even in white lies or lying, they say just make it simple.

People will take simple things for granted, people will prefer simple things, but that does not mean they care about clarity.

I can list more problems about simple such as people's constant assumption that if it is explained simply, only an idiot would ask clarification questions. Because the simpler it is, the clearer it must be.

But that is not always the case for how WE SHOULD think or how OTHERS may think.

With the climate today, how people prefer 1 minute videos of so much and such different contents and mu constant recurring concerns of people's attention span dwindling by the popular mode of consumption... it'll be hard to detach the appeal of the simple to the people.

I mean, even intellectualism has been used to justify ignorance and villify people that are "smarter" than you? Talk about oversimplification!

Now, I leave the reason for my word choice: "Ominous power" open to interpretation because it isn't so simple. Try and deduce it instead.

[fromaliminalspace]

1-5, 14, 21 for the year end asks :3

hi, thank you so much for asking, really!! and apologizes in advance for such long answers, as you can see, i'm just being “a bit” indecisive, hopefully I won't bore you too much with it!

1. Song of the year?

(for real, why such a seemingly simple question turned out to be the most difficult one. it's impossible to choose just one!)

czxcohjkhv okay, the first to come to mind is "Stargazer" by Rainbow, so gonna go with it. the drum intro, the sheer onomatopoeia that Ronnie's vocal approach always is, the astonishing guitar solo that practically spoilers the plot by being so evocative as well, the fucking intensity that this song is overflowing with??? I can never be normal about it, just can't. about their “Catch the Rainbow” (live 1977 Munich version specifically) neither. most ethereal ballad ever (and nope, Blackmore's solos don't even ruin the “balladiness” of it, just add to the vibe).

out of Black Sabbath's songs, i'm very much torn between Children of the Sea, Die Young, The Sign of the Southern Cross, After All (The Dead), Time Machine, Sins of the Father. and out of Dio's own stuff — Like the Beat of a Heart, My Eyes, Evil on Queen Street, Evilution, As Long As It's Not About Love, Shame on the Night. hhhng they're all too good, how am I supposed to choose anything, even one per band.

when it comes to music that doesn't have anything to do with RJD (yeah, I have been listening to it this year. sometimes), I still can't get enough of Queensrÿche's “Take Hold of the Flame” (especially live in Tokyo 1984). *in loud whisper* but also “The Story of One Sky” by Dimash, “Until It Sleeps” by Metallica (whoops accidentally became obsessed with it years after first hearing it), “Incense and Myrrh” by Arch/Matheos, and “Between Two Worlds” by Uriah Heep. (can you tell how tricky it is to choose just one..?) and out of this actual year's releases (but tbh I haven't really been keeping up) most memorable was Liliac's “Carousel” or Metallica's “Screaming Suicide”.

and the most satisfying one to play on guitar is definitely “the Last in Line”, it's a literal dopamine feast for my brain for some reason.

2. Album of the year?

have admittedly been listening more to live performances than to studio recordings this year so it'd be easier to just list specific concerts but gonna try pick a latter one after all. actually I think the album i've most often listened to from start to finish is “Lock up the Wolves”, it just flows very nicely in its entirety. the second place would likely be the masterpiece that is “Heaven and Hell”. as for the album that's made me spin it in my head most intensely it's “Magica” bc it's a concept one but in the least straightforward manner possible.

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

my most prominent discovery of the year was probably Fates Warning (and their more modern incarnation Arch/Matheos), I believe. or Jethro Tull (and nope, I legit haven't even heard about them until recently, what of it).

but there's also a musician who's basically defined this year for me and whose voice i've been listening to almost daily (and who probably needs no introduction at this point). I have by no means only started listening to him this year though (c'mon, Blind Guardian cover of “Don't Talk to Strangers” was literally one of the very first songs to get me into metal in the first place; and my most favorite Sabbath song, back when I didn't give a damn about different lineups and was just vibing to the songs I liked most regardless of their albums, was from the Dio era). the difference is that only last December I first heard a live recording of his voice and was overwhelmed by the unparalleled level of intensity in it. bc ultimately his magic is so much more than just his voice, it's the laser-pointed intention behind every single word and the multi-layered thought-provoking lyrics and the everything hiding between the lines and the neverending love and generosity. it's not even sth easily convertible into words so i'd probably better stop being insufferable about him right here and now but the point is that Ronnie has had such a huge impact on my life that goes beyond anything that I ever thought any musician or even just anyone who i've never technically gotten to meet would be capable of having. but this impact has in fact helped heal sth very deep down so just... yeah.

4. Movie of the year?

i'll probably go with “predestination” (2014). there's just sth very intricate in all the levels of meaning in that movie, and especially in the way the main character is queer and their queerness is used of all things as a metaphor for quite a lot of interesting stuff. ngl I do have some issues with this movie but honestly considering that the short story it's based on was written in the fucking 50s and was still focusing on it is impressive already despite its flaws (also I love how the movie extrapolated and expanded on the original premise).

the most rewatched movie this year though would definitely be the “dreamers never die” documentary, no contest here (not crying at the very end of it is a challenge I always fail tbh).

oh and a honorable mention to “Nimona”, really loved that one.

5. TV show of the year?

realized only now that I haven't really watched lots of tv shows this year, huh. I think the only thing I did watch was the second season of “shadow and bone” and that's it, even though there's lots of other stuff i've been meaning to catch up with.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

answered there!

21. What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

hmm i've got a new pin board, does it count?? it's bigger than my old one (and made from a different material, which turned out to be better) but i'm somehow already running out of space on it XD it was nice though to rearrange everything on it in a more systematic way rather than just slapping new bits of paper onto whenever I found a free spot (and to add Silvy's gifts there💜).

another new (like. literally last week new) thing is actually on my computer but it's sth i've been wishing for for literal years so it gets a mention anyway and it's an amp simulator. bc to be able to just plug my guitar in and build up the sound I want from scratch (well, not necessarily, there are tons of presets, it's just a very rare one that sounds well enough with solos imho) and have so much control over it, even over how much distortion I get depending on how hard I hit the strings? it's divine, i'm telling you. took me a while to figure out what exactly I need but damn, it's just so freaking awesome

[journaltoremember]

An In-Between Tale

I tested my luck, and it appears that the manifestation blooms almost perfectly. The familiarity, even in the long silences, pauses, and conversations. The abstract discussions. The awkward gestures — are they all within me, or are they mutual? That's the answer I'm trying to crack. 

My mind was in chaos; I needed some sort of human-to-human interaction. So, casually and intentionally, I asked my close friends on Instagram to hit me up if they were free to meet. No one responded, except for this specific person. The person with whom I longed to share a discussion. "Why?" I wonder. 

Even the friendly gesture of offering companionship seems complex to me. I know if it weren't for him — any of my dear friends — I wouldn't make a fuss. But it's him. His simple, straightforward answer took me by surprise. 

It was my lucky day. My former colleague was there too. Personally, I enjoyed the nostalgic moment: the familiarity, the friendly manner, the excitement of meeting old friends. Besides, it was an impromptu communication — a signal I showed him that I needed human-to-human interaction with anyone, not specifically with him. There was no urgency to communicate this, but my overthinking self told me it was the right thing to do. After a short yet nostalgic chat, I moved over to his table. 

There he was, with his tired face all too apparent, wearing a beige sweatshirt and focused on some work on his laptop. His hair casually tied back, and a smile greeted me. Aware that he was busy, and possibly enjoying his own company, I felt a sudden pang of guilt. "Is it okay if I join you?" I asked, almost rhetorically. "Sure! Have no worries," he replied shortly. "So, you cut your hair," a question that felt more like a statement. "Yup, I did. Now I have bangs," I answered a little coyly. 

Then he began telling me about a project he was working on. I didn't ask for too many details, afraid my questions might be intrusive. Yet, he shared the details willingly, without me prompting. I was quite surprised by his transparency. My foolish, sentimental heart asked the same question: Why? 

I couldn't recall the conversation we had, but I'm deeply engrossed in the dynamics when we're not speaking. He's occupied with his business, while I, on the other hand, have little to occupy my time. Occasionally, I find myself with tasks, but they don't demand much attention. Most often, I sit quietly, gazing at the sky or simply enjoying his company. The awkward silence between us is strangely captivating, always has been. Sometimes, he'll express frustration through gestures, and I deliberately observe him. Occasionally, I'll shrug my shoulders, commenting, "Must be frustrating, isn't it?" Once, I quipped, "I've got nothing better to do, so I'll just sit here and watch you drown in your work," accompanied by a smile. He laughed. 

Perhaps, deep down, I hope that our awkwardness carries meaning. That on some level, he experiences what I do — the confusion, the desire to navigate this companionship. I'm reluctant to let go of our awkwardness, preferring it remain unchanged as long as my feelings persist. In essence, I wish he could perceive me as I perceive him, if that's not too much to ask. 

 Amidst these intriguing dynamics, I find myself observing closely. Though it may be a one-sided affair, every small gesture carries weight for me. Yet, there are moments when I consciously avoid overanalyzing. For instance, as I watch his movements while engrossed in a book. I've observed that his posture occasionally shifts ever so slightly — a fascinating revelation considering my perception of him, primarily through screens, as someone exuding confidence. His expressions of frustration possess a peculiar charm. At times, I struggle to catch his words, whether intentionally or not, sensing a hint of hesitation. 

 It's crucial for me to see him as a complete individual, rather than an idealized image confined to my thoughts. Moments like these present an opportunity for such perception. 

We talk about a lot of things after he's done with his business. I like how he proudly runs through his work to me, as if it’s an act of asking for validation. Does my validation matter? I might tell you about the depth of our conversation later. Right now, there is something that is more interesting to write about. 

It was getting darker, and we decided to leave. “Thank you!”, I said sincerely which quickly replied by a thank you from him. He made a high-five gesture, which I immediately returned. But it feels like there's more to it than that. His fingers seemed to hug my hand, which I responded with the same thing. It’s too much to assume, I thought. It feels like the feeling is mostly just my assumption. Nothing more. When we say goodbye once more, we high-five for the second time. This time, I am the one who holds his hand. It was meant to be a high-five only, but he welcomed my gesture. Then, the question remains, what is this? 

[brainbashin]

Hey thanks for answering my question earlier, and btw can I please request Zhanna x Reader x Soldier. Hcs?

The reader is smiling. All the time. They always have some form of smile on there face, even if they just witnesses something horrible.

🔪 𝔰𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔷𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔞 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔞 𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶 𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔭𝔶 𝔰/𝔬 🔪

a/n; not a problem, i'll gladly answer any questions you have. also this request is adorable. <3

contains; polyamorous relationship, gender neutral reader, slightly unhinged (?) reader, slightly unhinged soldier and zhanna, you are all kind of questionable in terms of morals but you're in love so it doesn't matter. <3

lord have mercy (affectionate).

i feel like your...optimism, let's call it, is what attracts them to you in the first place. even as blood and gore splatter in front of you, as shrill screams fill the air, you always seem to be as chirpy and positive as ever.

admittedly, your mannerisms and personality probably flew right over soldier's head at first. he's oddly oblivious when it comes to things like that. it takes him time for him to pay attention to you as a person entirely, but eventually, he does. his appreciation is a little simple, finding you to be a very brave american citizen, whose smile just so happens to be very pretty and constant. matches your shimmering smile tenfold, especially as something horrible is happening.

your shining personality happens to catch zhanna's attention fairly quickly, however. she found it very admirable how positive and cheerful you could be no matter the situation. and even despite your bright personality, you weren't too talkative, nor were you a crybaby. you didn't need to be coddled, and she appreciated that.

it wasn't long before soldier and zhanna started to have discussions about you, about how they would pursue and woo you, and how they wanted you to be an addition to their relationship.

how they court you is actually very straightforward. they are both very blunt, honest people, and the thought of dancing around the bush is just silly to them. not to mention they are both basically each other's cheerleaders. if one has a chaotic thought, the other will suggest something even more batshit crazy and it just carries on from there.

so it's very easy they probably asked you out in a very chaotic way. probably asked if you wanted to go kick some maggot ass and you said hell yeah and they just claimed you as their partner from there on. not that you were complaining.

how it all came to be aside, i do feel like they genuinely adore you. you're their little sunflower, and they would die for you in a heartbeat. would also kill someone for you if you asked.

the way your smile glows so brightly makes them so warm and fuzzy inside. it's such a constant thing to them now, that if they didn't see you that day - say because of a mission or because you hadn't come out your quarters yet - they'd feel so deflated. of course, they adore each other's smiles, but there's just something about yours that makes them feel so lovely and cozy inside.

missions are basically dates where you all just kick ass. <3

but there are other things too that don't include violence. like snuggling up on the coach or the bed and watching movies while eating dinner and/or snacks.

or going out to drink during the weekend. the best times are when none of you remember what happened the night prior. <3

everyone's at least a little bit afraid of you three, but they couldn't ask for anything more.

[moxfirefly]

Hi!

Can I ask you to do a fic about some numbers of the 200 prompts? If it's not a problem for you... ✨🥺👉🏻👈🏻✨

Maybe 51, 110 and 144 with Donnie and a fem reader? 🥺💜✨

I imagine that he's alone with the reader and she's listening some music. They're talking and then some songs with 'hot' lyrics or with 'sex vibe start to play, u know? Like Call Out My Name (The Weeknd), Chateau (blackbear)... They like each other so they get horny and end up fucking like animals. :)))

(The + kinky the better. I'm a horny™ girl xd)

Ps: If it's too much work or something don't worry. I don't want you to do something that you don't want/can :)❤️✨

Ps 2: I love your blog ❤️

As a member of the Donnie thirst brigade I’m more than happy to just give out some shameless smut with that tall sassy nerd. Also you had me at The Weeknd so yes. Took a small liberty with the music hope you dig it.

Goes without saying,

Rated Explicit (18+ Years Only)

“You give me energy, make me feel lightweight”

It starts with a simple question, a small fixation you’ve had when it comes to Donatello and your rapidly growing crush on him.

It’s a silly question, possibly even a comical one, but nevertheless an interesting one.

You’re both in his room, the ever changing LED lights accompanying the two of you while music drones out of his speakers. Inside the nook he barely sleeps in but still smells of him. Opposite each other, with your foot buried beneath his strong legs because you’re easily cold. That small detail of having Donnie’s hand resting close to your ankle making you smile.

Being best friends naturally meant that all manner of conversations have been had. Fun topics, curiosities of life and even some personal things you wouldn’t actually discuss with just anybody.

So you ask it,

“What’s a must have song in a sex playlist” You grin, wondering if this might be the time you both reach a TMI moment, but Donnie doesn’t disappoint. “I believe the mood is a big factor there, there is no sole correct answer” He throws back with a knowing smile. You slip your feet from under his thigh and opt out to prop them up on his lap, and on auto pilot he grabs them giving the soles of your feet a squeeze.

“Define mood? mood for sex is pretty straightforward and there’s gotta be a must have on said sex playlist” You retort back, enjoying how he just starts massaging your feet. “True but what I’m referring more is the mood of the moment, is it a loving mood? A kinky mood?” You wiggle your toes when he catches a ticklish spot. His answer absolutely delights you so you prod just a little more.

“Ok follow up, you’ve got a girl on your bed and she’s got the hots for you, what are you playing to set the mood just right?” You lean back, proud of yourself with the sheepish smile Donnie sports, making him flush was one of your favorite past times.

“Depends, is this girl kinky? Is she vanilla?” He pushes up his glasses when you make an ‘oh’ sound. “I think you like vanilla girls” You enunciate your statement by poking him with your foot.

“Y/n I’m seriously hurt, all this time as friends and you think vanilla girls are my favorite?” He shook his head with a snort.

“Donatello well I’ll be, we gotta circle back to that in a bit. So final answer, what are you playing when this hypothetical girl is giving you bedroom eyes?” You found his gaze, a shy smile gracing his features. Donnie leaned over plucking a tablet from his many little Knick knacks in the nook. He scrolled for a bit, swiping his finger upwards before a pleased look appeared on his face.

The familiar bass beat made your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Streets by Doja Cat? Really?” He nodded placing the tablet back in its stand. “Don’t approve?” He asked, you shook your head. “Au Contraire, I’d jump anybodies bones who’d play that to set the mood” The two of you looked at one another, Donnie eyes carefully scanning over your features, assessing a mile a minute in that brilliant mind of his.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” He followed the tip of your tongue sneaking out before you bit down on your bottom lip.

“Depends. Are you seducible?” You felt his hands run down your feet, gripping your ankles.

Donnie moved your legs, scooting closer to you with an unreadable expression. You didn’t register holding your breath until you reached for his glasses. Setting them aside you inched closer towards his lips. Donnie closed the remaining space, catching your lower lip between his lips, he kissed softly chastely leaving you somewhat hanging for what you hoped would be a deep kiss.

“You’re such a needy baby” His smile spread and you felt your heart skip a beat.

Oh. So that’s how he wanted to play.

You were ready to crash your lips onto his but felt his hand wrap around your throat, the way your pupils dilated only made him chuckle softly. “Call me vanilla again” His thumb caressed your throat, the sensation soothing but only making your stomach flip flop on itself. You were about to let another sass laced comment fall from your lips when his hand slid up, cupping your chin, rubbing the pad of his thumb across your lips.

God if he didn’t jump you by now you were going to scream.

“Donnie-“ He slid said thumb into your mouth and on command your eyes closed, where the fuck and how the fuck was he being this cocky and sure of himself?

Feeling the bed dip and said digit in your mouth disappear your eyes shot open. Donnie was pleased as punch with how stricken you looked. You bit the inside of your cheeks, pressing your thighs together. Time to level the playing field. You smoothed out your skirt, sitting up better to entice him with your legs.

“Chicken” You smirked.

“You can do better than that, Y/n” Donnie made sure the space was safe and no interruptions would take place, he toned down the colors of the lights. For a fraction the air of cockiness left him. “Are sure about this? Do you want to keep going?” Ever the gentleman, you gave your answer by hooking your fingers in his belt loops and tugging him closer. You backed up into the nook, Donnie knelt on the bed, astride your hips, eyes focused on taking in the details he’d often fantasized about.

“You already know how this one will end” You ran a hand up that hard plastron, the sensation making you curious, gently you placed open mouthed kisses. You felt him inhale deeply as you slowly undid the button of his pants. His hand came to rest behind your hair, digging into the scalp as you continue your trail of kisses.

“This your plan all along?” You snapped off his suspenders. “Too obvious I’ve been wanting to fuck my best friend silly?” Donnie swallowed, hands untying his signature mask, he tugged you down onto his bed, he’d never seen an image so beautiful and right. Without hesitation his hands cupped your breast through the thin fabric of your shirt. He buried his face between them, all tension rolling off those broad shoulders in shuddering breaths. “You smell perfect” Came his muffled reply between your breast. You raised your hips, trying to find some friction which Donnie was happy to provide with a roll of his hips.

That felt big, that felt way too good. “I feel better I can assure you” That definitely caused a deep churr to vibrate from within him. Explorations can be resumed for another time, right now you wanted him to feel the mess he had caused with such simple touches and words. Somewhere around breathing each others hard gasps, you felt your skirt being pushed up, as you nudged his pants further down with your foot. Donnie was super glued to your lips, even as hands explored, cupping, grabbing, running along the product of his torture.

With a plead that you pressed against his throat you felt Donnie throw your leg over his hip, your hand disappearing between the two of your to guide his hard slick cock to your aching core. There on your sides you met eyes as he pushed into you so deliberately slow, not just to not hurt you but to watch that very second where your gaze comprehended the sensation of him. Your knuckles ran the edges of his shell before landing at his neck. Each thrust sending waves of dizzying pleasure.

Donnie pressed his forehead against yours, that cockiness replaced by pure bliss, mouth agape and eyes shut tight as he moved with each of your wanton sounds. “Donnie look at me, want you to look at me when you cum” Your voice trembled when his eyes fluttered open and you saw such a debauched display. This time you grinned breathless as you wrapped a hand around his neck. “Yes, just like that baby, for me come on” You moaned when his hips began to stutter ruthlessly.

Kissing Donnie as he started to cum was possibly going to be your favorite thing from now on. He went to limp against you but still kept a bruising hold on you as he filled you up and made you so warm. Running the tips of your finger across his cheek you saw that sated smile appear. Slowly disentangling you he slid down moving your legs apart, and already you knew that there was no stoping this.

You were both simply hooked.

[rinharu-purple]

On Jealousy

I owe this analysis/answer to an anon ask which I've accidentally posted, though only with the introduction sentence and then couldn't retrieve.🙈

Dear anon, this analysis is dedicated to you.

I HOPE YOU SEE THIS!!! 🙏🏻💫🙏🏻

Thank you @sin-with-quiche for proofreading and @lunabai78 for the spiritual support 💕💕💕

---—-----—

We have quite a number of moments in our journey with Gavin... Some are funny, some are cute, some are...mmm over the edge

(。-ω-)ﾉ

If you ask me whether Gavin is a jealous man, I would give you two answers:

1) Pre and early relationship... Absolutely!

2) Established relationship... The fitting colloquial term is "territorial".

In order to look at Gavin's attitude towards other males and whether to categorize them as jealous behaviour or not, first we need to describe jealousy .

Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety.

The word stems from the French jalousie, formed from jaloux (jealous), and further from Low Latin zelosus (full of zeal), in turn from the Greek word ζήλος (zēlos), sometimes "jealousy", but more often in a positive sense "emulation, ardour, zeal" (with a root connoting "to boil, ferment"; or "yeast").

As you can see, there are different set of emotions that might boil or ferment the reaction of jealousy in one's belly.

My personal take on this is that jealousy arises from two simple things 1) Lack of self-confidence 2) Lack of trust towards one's partner (in terms of romantic jealousy). You don't get jealous when you know you're one hell-of-a-mate and are with the right person. Which is why as we will see in a minute Gavin fits the bill at the beginning but afterwards his jealousy isn't actually jealousy at all!

So which sets of emotions lead to his jealous behaviour and in which conjuncture?

We know that Gavin is completely attuned to MC. This also applies for his reaction towards the presence of other guys around her. So the type of jealousy he displays is attuned to MCs type of reaction to the source of his jealousy. He observes MCs aura and attitude carefully and then reacts in an either desirous, protective, territorial or downright pouty manner.

If he sees the person is overstepping their boundaries like TNTs Tyson or the guys catcalling her during Romantic Date, he gets protective. If he sees someone from his inner cycle being only the slightest overfamiliar with MC as in his phone call with Eli, he gets territorial and draws boundaries. If he gets ditched by MC and walks on her having lunch with another guy all the while she's being touched by him and she's not showing any protest, he pouts in the corner and stabs MC with his words "Too much of anything can get boring after a while" (love this moment and how Joe delivers this line with a strong tonation on the word - boooring-)

If he sees the person is actually drawing MCs attention, well... This is where we can look more into. Because this is actually a stereotypical example of making one jealous. Seeing your love interest with another person in an over-friendly manner.

In Trio Date, he worries that MC might have a crush on Kiro and a close relationship with him. Which is understandably an alarming situation for him, because he isn't that close to her himself and Kiro is... well... Kiro. Pretty much everyone's into him 🌟. But Gavin doesn't show any aggression or envy towards Kiro. On the contrary, he praises him for his charm and even says that he can see what people mean by that as in confessing to being charmed by Kiro himself. I really praise how elegant Gavin acts in the face of this situation 👑 Needless to say, it's a Gavin date, meaning the canon couple in this scenario is Gavin x MC (On a side note pretty bold and disrespectful of PG to put another LI in the supporting male role in a date for another tbh) And also RIP Chandler, the poor guy didn't do anything wrong ^_^

At this point I need to let one thing out of my chest though. I can't say that I appreciate him telling MC when and where to wear revealing clothes <spoiler alert> only for him. Even though we don't actually see him seriously forbidding her to wear them I think it would be better to leave her be the judge of it. But considering the fact that she gets catcalled even at his presence I can kinda see why Gavin gets protective here. On a side note, his girlfriend isn't better on this matter either. MC covers Gavin's body at the beach during 2021 summer event in CN server so that other girls don't drool over him 🤣 These two have some homework to do in that department I tell you that 😅

In the more mature phases of their relationship, we no longer see Gavin feeling himself threatened by the presence of another male. AT ALL! All Gavin jealousy after this point is only because someone is overstepping their boundaries and making "his girl" uncomfortable.

Gavin might be the one acting jealous the most frequently among the LIs, but he never ever gets possessive over her, limits her freedom or makes unconfirmed self proclaims on behalf of her. Being possessive over someone objectifies them and the moment you objectify a person, you no longer need to be in a relationship with them tbh. Leaving your partner room to breathe and respecting their personal space is important and Gavin does this the best alongside with Kiro. We also never see Kiro getting possessive, limiting or doing anything of that nature with MC.

Further in their relationship Gavin still acts jealous, but in an extremely cute, pure and harmless way. Be it against prankster ghosts, animals she's met in the middle of the desert, a wild child, service dogs, birds and co. Basically anyone and anything that diverts her attention from him for more than a nanosecond can be perceived as a threat but an adult male 😂At his core, Gav-babe wants MC all for himself but his jealousy is actually only adorkable.

(´∀｀)♡

In the main story, however, there is a certain LI which becomes the magnet for Gavin's firsthand jealousy and even kinda provokes this. And this is actually what I am dying to write about in this post😈. It only happens at the beginning of the story, but I love it so much and therefore it must be in this post.

Gavin shows signs of jealousy towards one particular LI at various occasions and that is...

Gavin shows obvious signs of jealousy towards our genius scientist and that is completely understandable! Lucien is the one who makes his advances first and is the most straightforward one throughout the main story. Plus, he lives right next to MC and, let's be honest here, is the only one who toys with MC's poor hormones the most. Just to give one example:

Gavin and MC don't become quite a couple before CH12 and S1 Gavin has some issues with self-worth and confidence (towards MC). When he meets MC again after 6 years, he is perplexed and is fairly clueless as to how to approach her romantically. Lest Gavin making the wrong moves, he acts weirdly around MC which further confuses her. Gav-babe is really weird at the beginning of the story 😅

The first time we see Gavin getting jealous about Lucien is in CH2, when he and MC spend a prolonged period of time for the first time as they investigate the time warping incident. Our birdcop is hopelessly in love with MC so when he sees her become so red on the phone with another person, he gets worked up.

Fun trivia, Joe's reaction to this moment can be found here

The second instance is when MC spends two nights in a row with Lucien in CH5 and then falls asleep in her office.

It is crucial to remember at this point that up to CH5, MC seems to be most romantically involved with Lucien and spends most of her time with him. LuLu mercilessly teasing her and flirting with her doesn't help much in that sense either because he is actively making advances on her. Thus announcing his candidacy for "Mr. Love". So when Gavin catches MC spending nights following Lucien, having phone calls with him, living right next door to him, working closely with him and blushes because of him, it's fairly understandable that our birdcop gets fairly jealous because at that point in the story Lucien seems to have a better shot at love with her than he does.

Btw, MC flatlines on his question as to who is the resource of her flustering this time around and doesn't explain herself ;)

Interestingly though, in the third instance, where Gavin sees MC and Lucien, he isn't jealous at all! In the famous "Rude Awakening" moment, the vibes we get at first is as if Gavin walks in to MC and Lucien. But actually our protective boyfriend is there to save MCs life. What's more, he doesn't give credit to Lucien's provocations, such as when he calls Gavin "dangerous" or pulls MC behind him, stays extremely close to her and plays the "protective boyfriend" in front of him. On Gavin's defense, the one actually saves MCs life and protects her is Gavin here as he deflects the bullet shot at her.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Furthermore, he asks Lucien to take MC home, albeit not before telling her that he will be contacting her later, signaling to Lucien that he shouldn't stick along for long. A highly subtle way of "marking his territory", much like a wolf would. God I love this scene both in the main story and in the anime.

It is necessary to mention at this point that the chapter following this scene revolves around Gavin and MC clearing all kinds of misunderstandings between them and MC trying to bind with him. Hence laying the first stones in the temple of their relationship. After that point we no longer see Gavin showing any kind of jealousy towards anyone. So mark CH7 people ;)

----—-----—-----—

You know what I would love to see? Gavin getting jealous over Shaw. I wonder whether he even knows that MC spends time with him 🤔 Too bad that PG has left the idea "brother conflict".

If you would like to read another perspective on this, Cheri has posted her analysis here

[shotofire]

hello ! hru ? plz if you dont mind, levi ackerman x reader (modern) doing to him "wipe away kisses prank", they're watching tv, his girlfriend kiss his lips then wipe it away acting like nothing happend xd thank you take care of yourself 🖤🖤

Hi!!! I’m great! Awe this is such a cute idea! and i’ve been wanting to write a modern fic. thank you so much for requesting my sweet! <3 you take care of yourself as well :p I sorta changed up the prank part a bit but it’s the same concept, I hope you enjoy.

•MODERN!LEVI x F!READER

•Warnings: cursing here and there, very very very slight mentions of smut

•Season: Not set within the show

-

Levi Ackerman wasn’t big on affection. So when he starting dating (y/n) it was a huge surprise for everyone. She had to be the most touchy person on the face of the Earth. Hugging people was a hobby of hers, and she liked to poke peoples sides for the fun of it.

The first time he’d met her was at a gathering Hanji had dragged him to with a few friends. The last thing he wanted to have to do was make small talk with some people he worked with. He was taken aback when a girl he’d never seen before was coming up to him with a sweet smile and arms open wide.

It was obvious that Levi acted different around her. Someone would do something little as put their arm around his shoulder and he’d flinch away. Then someone like her wrapped their arms around his middle and Hanji literally gasped out loud when he hugged (y/n) back.

After months went by of him seeing her at friend events, he asked her out on a proper date. The man hasn’t dated since he was in his early twenties so this was a game changer for him. No one saw the pair getting together, they were polar opposite.

That’s why Levi took such a liking to the women. She was nothing like him and it kept him interested. Everything she did was out of the kindness of her heart, and she was very into speaking her mind. Levi usually just said a simple sentence that was somewhat insulting and went about his day.

(y/n) on the other gave entire speeches of exactly what she was thinking, and wasn’t scared to call somebody out. He admired how big she was on helping anyone that she could. He didn’t even have to worry if the kindness was an anterior motive, he knew she didn’t like seeing people down.

“Are you judging me?” She had asked one day at a table full of their closest friends.

His eyes had narrowed at her question. They hadn’t talked very much at this point, but it was the moment that really drew Levi in. He looked around at everyone else at the table and they were already snickering under their breaths. The whole group thought he found her annoying but it was the complete opposite.

Everything she did had him in a trance. She kept him entertained with everything she said, but it’s understandable why she felt he had a disliking for her. The man never talked unless spoke too, but that was just how he worked. Though (y/n) took it rather personally because she found herself easy to talk to, and she’d never met someone so observant and quiet.

“No, if I did i’d make it obvious,” he had answered with his arms crossed.

She smiled at his words. In a way she found them sweet instead of rude. She was one of the few people who could understand his real meaning behind his words.

“Good,” she said proudly, “cause I would hate for a cutie like you to find me annoying.”

Levi’s mouth had fallen open at her words. Never in his life had someone called him a cutie, maybe when he was a child but not anytime in his adult life. The way her eyes sparkled as she watched his flustered reaction made him realize he liked this girl a lot. That was the night he’d first asked her on a date, and things escalated from there.

(y/n) was different and he liked it. Most people didn’t say straightforward things to him because they were scared for his reaction. But she wasn’t in anyway frightened by him. She actually found it kind of funny that the group find him so scary at times. Sure she could admit his gaze would be rather intimidating at times but that’s the worst it got to her.

He first took her out to eat at a sushi place and she literally squealed when they walked in the door. He couldn’t even hold back the laughter at her excitement, and that was the fist time she had heard his sweet laugh. She’d seen him smile plenty of time, but the fact she got him to go further than that only boosted her confidence.

They had sat there for hours talking about the most random things. (y/n) had never heard Levi spill so much information at once and she was absolutely living for it. She still couldn’t believe the quiet mystery guy of her friend group found interest in her.

“Did you know your quietness makes you more intriguing to me,” she had said with a blush on her cheeks, “It makes me want to get to know you more than anyone i’ve ever met.”

He nervously chuckled at her words and took another bite of sushi. That was the first time in the night he had kinda gone quiet. She began to worry she’d embarrassed him somehow and started to think too much. He noticed her manner change pretty quickly.

“I’m glad i’m interesting to you, no ones ever been interested in me,” he had said with a quiet voice. 

She smiled softly, “You’re too pretty to not be interested in.”

That was the first day she had seen Levi blush so hard. She was also the first person to call him pretty. He had nervously ran his fingers through his hair with a slight chuckle. This women truly was something else and he found peace in her mannerism. He liked the way he felt when he was with her, and he had no plan on letting her go.

“You’re gorgeous,” he’d said on their next date which was a picnic.

It was (y/n)’s idea of course, she wanted to do something different. She told him she already had an idea for another date if he was interested, and of course he was. She smiled brightly at his words, even though she had just taken a bite of her sandwich. The sweet moment made her wonder what their friend group would say about this alternative Levi they had yet to meet.

After a few more weeks he’d invited her to his apartment. There was no alternate motive behind the invite, he just wanted to cook for her. She had told him many times she was a ‘slut for spaghetti,’ which made him laugh harder than he had in years. When he told her he wanted to make her food she absolutely insisted that she get the pleasure of watching.

He didn’t expect her to ask something like that but she was persistent with the question so he allowed it. She’d asked about a million questions as he made it, and everyone who knew him would be surprised to know he found joy in her constant talking. He was so used to silence, but her sweet voice always filled the air and made him feel whole.

When (y/n) had literally moaned as she took a bite of the spaghetti his stomach did a flip. The sound was beautiful and he thought about the day he’d get to hear it over and over again. Though, Levi was in no rush whatsoever. He was an extremely patient man and valued taking things slow. The two had been seeing one another for almost three months now and the most that had happened is hand holding and cuddling.

After dinner (y/n) suggested a movie. Of course she insisted on something romantic, she valued the cliche of it. Levi agreed but wasn’t as excited as she was. But seeing her eyes light up as he said yes was way better than any movie they could watch.

Now Levi sat on the couch with (y/n)’s arms wrapped around his waist and head on his lap. The sight was very heartwarming and he wanted to take a picture of how beautiful she looked, but he decided not too. Sure she had taken many pictures of him and with him but he was still scared she’d find it weird.

She felt his eyes on her and moved her hands from around him so she could lay flat on her back. She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

“Do you find me better to watch than the movie?”

A shock ran through him at your straightforward question. She always did things like this to him on purpose. Making his stern self flustered had to be one of her greatest powers. She reaches up to touch his soft hair and he shivers slightly from her cold hand.

The room fell silent and the air began to change. (y/n) gulped at the the feeling and turned her attention back to the movie, acting as if nothing had just happened. He frowned when she did this. Did she not want to kiss him?

That wasn’t the case, though. She wanted to kiss him more than anything. Hell, she wanted to do a lot of things with him. One would think she was straight forward in every department, but not when it comes to kissing. The last time she kissed someone her tooth went into their lip on accident and embarrassed the hell out of her.

She felt Levi’s body become sluggish when she turned away. In that moment (y/n) decided to get over her fear. After all he was different, they had a whole different story line. Her last failed hookup wasn’t anything compared to the bond her and Levi had created.

(y/n) sat up quickly and Levi almost jumped at her sudden action. He turned his head to look at her, and was about to ask what the matter was, but her lips were already being pressed against his. Warmness filled both of their bodies and the softness of her lips were addicting. But as soon as it started, it ended.

He almost whined when she pulled away, then her hand dragged across his lips, and he was beyond confused. Her attention was turned back to the television as if nothing had happened. As if they didn’t just kiss for the first time and she hadn’t just tried to wipe it away.

“Why did you just do that?” he asked confused, but he couldn’t help but smile a bit at her. She was hard to figure out and understand sometimes, but this was different. Was she embarrassed?

“Do what? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said without even looking at him.

The man had never seen her act this way. He found it funny honestly. (y/n) had never been afraid or reluctant to do something. He guessed he had found her weak spot.

“Oh yes you do,” he said with a laugh, “you think wiping away the kiss is gonna change something? Cause I still want to kiss you again.”

She gulped at his words, “really?”

Levi had never seen her so flustered and red faced. She was an absolute mess of nerves right now and he loved it. He had no idea he could have this type of effect on her. She did everything with confidence and zero fear yet a simple kiss had her second guessing everything.

“Really,” he whispers, and this time she’s the one who’s stomach flips.

His lips reattached to hers and she melts at his touch. Lips move against one another softly and slowly, enough to make her head spin. Delicate fingers squeeze at her waist and she makes a slight noise at the feeling.

That’s when Levi grabs her hips and pulls her on top of him, and the once sweet kiss begins to intensify.

Kissing Levi was already becoming one of her favorite things to do, and they were just getting started.

[goldentournesol]

The Receptionist and the Profiler (Seven)

Chapter Seven: Sweet Fulfilment

(Spencer Reid x f!Reader)

Series Masterlist

General Masterlist

The silence that fell upon them in Rossi’s backyard was so heavy, no one dared to break it. Derek was brave enough to stand and follow Y/N into the house, most likely to drive her home. The rest received the message and began to dwindle away, until only Ashley and Spencer were left.

Spencer absentmindedly fiddled with the top of his cane, still stunned into silence from Y/N’s heavy confession. He could feel Ashley’s eyes on him, but didn’t bother looking at her. His mind was racing ten times faster than it ever had before.

Ashley breathed out a sigh and kept it simple and straightforward, “Do you love her?” She asked softly. 

He wished to hear some malice in her tone, thinking it might make him feel something other than shock, but all he heard was curiosity. He didn’t even have to think to find the answer, but which answer was he willing to give?

“Yes.” He said, not even having the audacity to see the reaction it brought upon her eyes. 

He should have felt horrible for hurting Ashley, but he couldn’t bring it upon himself to feel anything but relief as he replayed Y/N’s words in his head. He heard her move to stand up and remained motionless as she left him on the couch. She went inside and Spencer deduced that she’d probably already taken her car and returned home. He’d have to find a different ride home but that was the least of his problems right now.

No one knew what to tell him as he passed them in the spacious living room a half hour later. No one knew where to start with him, but their unrelated hushed conversations continued on. Y/N had stupefied them all, but him especially. His heart should have been soaring because of her confession, but he knew he’d have to give Ashley a proper goodbye. She deserved one, even though he had quite literally used her in the most ungentlemanly of ways. He hadn’t let themselves get too invested in the relationship, though. He’d always kept her at arm’s length for fear of getting too attached. 

The next day, he’d promptly gone to her apartment and given a heartfelt apology. She’d let him know how hurt she was and that she was not going to be returning to the BAU. He still felt bad, but once again, he felt like he could breathe. Like the air knew its way back to his lungs. 

The weekend came and went, silence on both ends. Both lovers just stewing in their own pots. Both pots teeming with unadulterated, unconditional love and affection for one another. It could barely be contained at this point. Time seemed to float by and before they knew it they were back in the office. A new month had just begun. She felt new, she felt like she’d peeled off a layer of her skin, one that had been holding her back, trapping her within the confines of herself.

With the new month, she was called in early to have the routine monthly meeting with Hotch where they went over the itinerary of the next month. They liked to plan whatever they could given that half of the BAU’s job was unpredictable.

“So, I have here the form that Strauss asked for. Also, the 6th floor’s printer is a literal piece of junk and I’ve typed up a formal proposal so that maybe we could get a new one? I coordinated with Penelope about the funds and she says there are sufficient funds for a new printer.” Y/N said, handing Hotch a typed document. 

Even after all these years, her dedication to this job continues to blow him away. He’d come to see her as a work-daughter. He has taught her so much over the past few years and he’ll always have a special place in her heart. He nodded, glancing over the document.

“Great, I trust you and Penelope will pick an adequate printer.” He paused, sending her a smile. He noticed the slight glimmer in her eye, “I know you’ve been having a rough few months, Y/N, and it’s not technically my place to get involved in your personal life, as your boss, but as your friend, I hope you know that I am available to help you in any way I possibly can.”

Her whole face formed into a fond smile, “Thanks, Hotch and yes, I know.” She chuckled slightly.

“You are a dedicated employee and a wonderful person. If you ask me--” He was interrupted by his office door slamming open, showcasing an absolutely beaming Dr. Spencer Reid in the doorway.

“Hotch, I am so sorry to interrupt your meeting,” Spencer’s eyes flew from Hotch to Y/N, his attention now zeroed in on her. He leaned into the office, not fully entering, “are you free for dinner tonight?” he asked in a rushed manner, as if not getting a fast answer would somehow make him lose all the confidence he’d mustered up.

“M-me? Yes! I mean, yes, I’m free tonight.” Y/N answered, flustered at the interruption as well as the question. Spencer’s face split into a grin and he tapped the doorframe once awkwardly.

“Great, then...it’s a date.” He raised his brows and tried to lessen his grin as he snuck a glance at Hotch before gracelessly forming his lips into a line and scurrying out of the small office.

Y/N turned back to Hotch quickly with eyes widened with disbelief and a face totally failing to contain the utter joy she felt, “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

Hotch only responded with a knowing smile at the precious interaction he’d just witnessed firsthand.

First dates were supposed to be awkward, however, their first date was anything but. Spencer had showed up with a fresh haircut, his shoulder length hair cut into a dreamy, swoopy style that sat along his forehead comfortably. It was so much more attractive than Y/N could outwardly-or inwardly- admit. His knee was now fully healed and no longer needed his cane which allowed them to walk around the city freely.

They’d both realized how stupid and blind they’ve been over the years. Y/N confessed to feeling especially stupid for staying with Anderson for so long, even when she had realized her true feelings for Spencer. Time had passed them by like it was nothing. 

Spencer, like the true gentleman he is, insisted he’d walk her home. He’d feel more comfortable knowing she was safe, not to mention that he was extremely curious about her new apartment. He hadn’t expected Y/N to invite him in, but of course she did, because that was who she was. She was warm and inviting, and if she was being honest, she didn’t want the night to end yet.

“I’m sorry about the mess, I haven’t really been in the right headspace these past few weeks.” She said, walking him inside. He took a look around and noticed a few unpacked boxes out of place but he definitely wouldn’t characterize it as messy. 

He chuckled softly and shrugged, “Trust me, it’s fine.” Her shoulders dropped with relief slightly and she returned his lightheartedness by smiling and flopping onto the couch.

“It’s been so long since I’ve lived on my own. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the silence.” Y/N said, but only realized how sad it must have sounded after she said it. Spencer took a seat next to her on her small, but comfortable couch.

“I feel quite the opposite, I think I’ve been living on my own for--for a long time.” He said, thinking back to his days but pushing away the especially dark parts. 

She dared to glance at him, seeing him in her space was so...different. So refreshing. It’s like this apartment needed Spencer in it for it to feel complete. Or maybe that was her heart speaking. Maybe both the apartment and her heart needed Spencer to feel whole. Her glance had long been forgotten and had turned into a longing gaze instead.

“Spencer, I-” She gazed at him, feeling the words get caught up in her throat before she could have had the chance to voice them. Besides, what words would ever be able to convey the way she felt towards him? 

Words escaped her when he looked at her like that--all soft eyes and a fond, lopsided smile, despite his curiosity at her interrupted sentence. She made the mistake of glancing at his lips, the lips that were so appealing, practically calling her name. The ones she’d caught herself daydreaming about for years and years on end. His proximity was intoxicating and before she could doubt herself, she closed the gap between them, her hands attaching themselves to the lapels of his blazer to pull him ever so slightly closer.

His lips were just as warm and inviting as she’d remembered them, but this time the kiss tasted sweeter, it was no longer tainted with suppressed guilt and confusion. His lips tasted like certainty. It was clear that she’d finally found what she’d been missing all these years. The gentle push and pull of the kiss was invigorating to them both. His slightly calloused hands found her flushed cheeks, each thumb delicately caressing the delicate skin beneath the pads of his fingers. They’d savored the kiss so much that when they pulled away, two, three, four tender, short kisses followed the initial one.

Almost as if they’d never get enough of each other. Like if the world was ending, it wouldn’t matter, they’d go peacefully, knowing that this is what it was like. That this is what quenched thirst felt like.

“I love you.” She murmured against his lips, breath uneven. She’d known it for as long as she could remember and he’d known it too, but she was past the point of timidness to admit it now. There’s no use in prolonging it, not when she was this certain. 

The pad of his thumb traced a line across her jaw slowly as he heard the words. His face couldn’t contain his smile, teeth almost clashing into each other from their closeness. His warm, amber eyes flitted to hers, visible comfort and reassurance filling his irises. He was transported back to Rossi’s garden when he’d first told her he loved her. She knew, she knew he loved her too, which is why it was so easy.

“I love you, too.” He murmured back, pressing another passionate kiss to her lips, as a quiet admission of love. She could feel the tears gather underneath her closed lids almost as quickly as relief flooded her chest.

They’d decided to keep things under the radar for a while, neither of them too eager to showcase their relationship to the world just yet, excluding Hotch of course. They did their best anyway--or at least they thought they did. Their recent smiley faces and cheery attitudes were not invisible to America’s top profilers and well, Penelope, who was perhaps the sharpest of them all, despite not being trained to analyze behavior like the others.

Exactly two weeks after their first date, Penelope cornered Y/N at her desk around lunchtime, right before the two lovebirds took their daily lunch walk. 

“Spill.” Penelope demanded, her colorful teapot earrings swayed, contradicting the sternness in her voice.

“What are you talking about?” Y/N gazed up at her with genuine confusion.

“Uh-uh, don’t give me that. I know something fishy is going on. I can smell it.” Penelope leaned in closer and began pointing fingers. Y/N barked a laugh.

“Garcia, nothing is going on. Please tell me what you’re talking about.” She laughed, amused at the sight of her friend being so outwardly nosey.

“You think I haven’t noticed you and Boy Wonder--” She was interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat noise from Spencer to announce his presence.

“Garcia, Derek said something about making hot chocolate in the kitchenette and you know how he dips the sugar spoon back into the chocolate mix? Yeah, you should probably--” Spencer lied through his teeth but Penelope wasted no time in rushing off to the kitchenette, groaning about how she hated finding extra sugar in the chocolate.

Spencer caught Y/N’s eye and they both burst out laughing. They quickly made their exit, whispering about how close of a call it was with Garcia. Little did they know, Rossi had caught every little bit of the very tender, intimate kiss they shared before the doors of the empty elevator had closed, leaving him shaking his head at the obliviousness of the two. 

The team decided to make a game out of it very quickly when they all realized. They wanted to see which of them could expose the couple the quickest.

 JJ found extreme joy in trying to set Y/N up with one of Will’s friends right in front of Spencer.

“Come on! This guy’s totally your type, Y/N.” JJ pushed, showing her a picture of a man on her phone, leaning towards her over the top of her desk. Y/N laughed uncomfortably and glanced with panic at Spencer who was watching curiously.

“I don’t know, I d-don’t think I have a type, JJ.” She tried to brush her off, continuing to laugh in discomfort. Emily and Derek almost split their lips as they bit them to try and keep from laughing. They watched Spencer shift nervously in his seat.

“I’m just not interested.” Y/N said, “Thanks, though.” JJ finally gave in and accepted that she’d lost the bet.

Emily tried her hand at “girl-talk”, hoping that maybe Y/N would slip up and tell her about Spencer, but to no avail. That woman’s lips were sealed shut.

Derek and Penelope both tried to follow them around but Spencer and Y/N were far too cautious at work now. Derek actually had to convince Penelope to take the moral high road and refrain from tracking their devices or hacking into their messages.

After trying and failing for so long, the team finally gave up on trying to rat them out and instead decided to respectfully wait for their announcement. 

Y/N realized that she hadn’t technically invited anyone over to her new apartment and decided to throw a somewhat delayed “welcoming party” for herself. She’d cooked dinner, which Spencer did his best to contribute to, decorated the place nicely, and invited the whole team over.

“Thank you all so much for being here. I know this has been a long time coming. I’ve missed our little get-togethers and thought it’d be fitting if I finally host one, given that I now have my own apartment.” Y/N spoke from her place at the head of the dinner table which had barely ever been used before this night. It was a tight squeeze, but her heart soared as she saw the faces of her caring coworkers and friends staring up at her. They all lifted their glasses and gave her a silent toast of appreciation.

Spencer stood from his seat that was to the right of Y/N’s and cleared his throat, “Also, we have an announcement to make.” He timidly began, catching the eager smiles. “Y/N and I are, finally, together.” He waited for the cheers of excitement but nothing but an eerie knowing silence befell the dinner table.

Something clicked in Y/N’s brain as she spotted Rossi handing Hotch something under the table not-so-discreetly, “You all knew?!” She gasped in disbelief. The team broke out into fits of laughter.

“The whole time!” Garcia guffawed. Spencer and Y/N shared a look of incredulity before breaking into laughter themselves. Y/N shyly hid her face in Spencer’s shoulder as he wrapped an affectionate arm around her back.

“You guys thought you were so sneaky.” Derek threw his head back, laughing.

“Wait, so what was all that about?” Y/N asked, referring to Rossi handing Hotch something, “You guys had a bet going?”

“Technically there were two bets going. Everyone else was determined to expose you, which they all failed at, thankfully, while Rossi and I had a separate bet. I said that you’d announce it first and Rossi apparently had more faith in the team.” Hotch explained, smirking triumphantly at Rossi, who appeared delighted despite having lost the bet.

“Bet or not, you two deserve each other. I’m glad you two are happy together. To the lovely couple.” Rossi raised his glass and everyone followed in pursuit.

Spencer turned to Y/N to place a sweet but chaste kiss on her lips, leading everyone to cheer in response.

There was little he could compare to the feeling he had then, but if he had to, he’d compare it to being whole.

previous chapter/epilogue

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thank you all for joining the ride, feedback is always appreciated!

[lockefanfic]

Business Trip: 780 Days

Parts One, Two, and Three of the Nayeon prequels.

---

Day 3: 

On your first date Im Nayeon reaches over and swipes the two pieces of delicious-looking salmon sashimi off the wooden tray of sushi the waiter had just placed in front of you.

“I love salmon,” she says.

Her theft complete, she takes two pieces of tamago sushi from her own tray and places them on yours. It was clearly meant to be some sort of payment or compensation for the grand theft sushi that had just been committed in front of your very eyes - a deal you were clearly on the losing end of.

You look up at her, still a little dumbfounded at her brashness during a first date, when most people were often overly concerned with being on their best manners and presenting the best version of themselves that they could. But here she was, swiping the two most delicious - and expensive - pieces of sushi from you, uncaring of your say in the matter.

You are about to open your mouth and start a tirade about how unjust and unfair this transaction was for you, when she gives you a smile - toothy and gummy, not a hint or remorse on her adorable features. 

The prominence of her two front teeth remind you a little bit of those of a rabbit. You smile back despite how surprised you were by her sushi theft.

This probably wasn’t going to last very long.

Day 7:

ImNayeon says: I had a good time last week :)

You say: So did I!

ImNayeon says: I owe you some salmon I guess. Free on Friday?

You sigh out loud as you receive her text. You didn’t have the best of first dates. You didn’t have much in common, she seemed a little more straightforward than you would’ve liked, and you weren’t sure you were over the entire sushi theft thing. 

She was cute, though, and that smile - that damn smile.

You didn’t know it at the time, but as you type your response a smile has crept onto your lips.

You say: Sure - pick you up at 7?

Day 20:

Your first time was awkward. 

You were both young and inexperienced, bumbling around each others’ bodies trying to recreate things you’d seen in porn or trying something that might have worked with a previous partner, not quite realizing just yet that every person’s body is different, and what worked for your prom date on prom night was by no means guaranteed to work for this young woman.

But what you lacked in experience you more than made up for with enthusiasm. It had been months since your last hookup, and from the second you’d entered her dorm room you were metaphorically and physically salivating at the opportunity to sleep with her. Nayeon seemed a little more hesitant, a little more nervous about where things were going, but she was still clearly as into it as you were, if the soft gasps and sighs that left her mouth as you explored her neck were any indication. Your hands, hungry to finally have the opportunity to explore her body for the first time, roam her small, tight frame, squeezing her cute little butt, caressing her back, pressing against her sides.

You both stumble onto the bed - quite literally, as you were both too focused on exploring each others’ mouths to realize how close it actually was. Nayeon falls onto it first, a cute little giggle leaving her mouth as she does so. You loom over her for a moment, enraptured by her smile, those cute bunny teeth of hers, those welcoming lips, her button nose, those perfect, expressive eyes rendered into adorable upside down arcs - her image took your breath away.

You find a smile appearing at the corner of your lips, the way it always seemed to whenever you spent time with this amazing young woman who had been at the center of your thoughts over the past couple of weeks. Sometimes it was something she said or did that made you smile - a funny joke, the way she reacted with half-serious anger when you teased her about her unusually large hands, the clumsy way she blew strands of hair away from her face while she studied. Sometimes she made you smile just by being her - when she was doing nothing in particular, managing to bring a smile to your lips even before you knew your lips were moving.

The sex that was to come was awkward, clumsy, far from being the best sex you’d ever had. But when it is over and you are both lying there with her head on your chest, you take a moment to look down and watch as she begins to doze off, her eyes slowly becoming too heavy for her to keep open, until finally she drifts off and begins to lightly snore.

You add that moment to the growing list of moments when Im Nayeon made you smile.

Day 21: 

“...and counting you, yeah, that’s the number.”

Nayeon takes a moment to respond, and you fear that you might have surprised her with how many girls you’d slept with. Should you have lied? What number was she expecting when she asked you? You tilt your head as best you could to try and get a look at her face as she rests her head in the crook of your neck. She is facing away from the nearby window and the mid-morning sunlight of the day after your first time together sheds little light on her expression.

“Is that… a lot for you?” you ask.

“No, no it’s not,” she replies, “Don’t worry, I’m not a prude or anything. People can sleep with as many people as they want. It’s just sex. This isn’t the 1800s.”

You find it a little difficult to gauge her reaction from her flat response.

“Some of them were just one night stands. Stupid drunken hookups at house parties. They didn’t mean anything-”

“What about me? Do I mean anything?” she asks suddenly. She tilts her head up at you, and you are relieved to see the cheesy smile on her face that told you she had meant the question mostly as a joke.

“Of course you do,” you reply, before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, “I don’t usually buy my sexual partners dinner.”

Nayeon gives you a punch to the gut, and while she meant it to be playful it still caught you unprepared. 

“What about you?” you ask once sufficiently recovered. “What’s your number?”

Nayeon takes another moment to consider her answer, tapping her bottom lip with her index finger as though reviewing the entirety of her sexual history in her head. The length of time she takes to compose her answer makes you more than a little nervous, but you resolve to accept whatever number she gives you - she was right; it wasn’t the 1800s.

Nayeon’s finger leaves her mouth and she places it back onto your chest, where she begins to idly play with a random patch of skin.

“Counting you?” she asks, softly.

“Yeah.”

“One,” she answers.

Day 113:

Im Nayeon turned out to be a pretty good shot.

Of the ten targets set up at the carnival booth you were currently visiting, she downed eight with her BB gun - good enough for the surprised staff member to give her her choice of oversized stuffed animal.

“You’re a pretty damn good shot,” you say as you leave the booth, a large stuffed rabbit slung over your back. “If you’re some sort of international super spy you should probably tell me now.”

“Nope, not a spy,” she answers as she takes a bite from the large cloud of cotton candy she just bought from a nearby stand. She rips off a small piece and pops it into your mouth before hooking her arm in yours.

“Special Forces?”

“Nah, I don’t take orders very well.”

“Cop?”

“Fuck cops,” she says plainly, an edge in her voice. “No way in hell I’d ever want to be a cop.”

Day 283: 

It didn’t take long for sex to become a regular and frequent occurence with Nayeon.

It almost seemed like your first time together had flipped a switch inside the young woman, as though she were introduced to this new exciting thing that she had to have at every opportunity. 

You were both taking mid-level classes now and while the school workload and extracurricular commitments had ramped up, you both made sure to set time aside for each other. Nayeon was a caring, loving young woman and you were constantly in awe at the fact that you were lucky enough to be in a relationship with her. She was everything you had ever wanted in a girlfriend, and you did your best to make her feel as such. She rarely admitted it with words, but you could tell from the small things - the way she held your hand, the way she always bought you little trinkets and snacks and gifts, the way she looked longingly into your eyes every now and then - that she must have felt the same. 

It surprised you, then, that such a sweet and caring girl could be so aggressive and daring when it came to sex. You’d figured her to be the vanilla, simple type, especially after your first time together - but she quickly became open to experimenting with different positions and kinks. It was most often her that wanted to try new things in the bedroom - or the library, or the bathroom. Recently she’d taken a liking to two new kinks - light bondage, and sex in increasingly daring places on campus.

Nayeon hated the professor of the mid-level criminology class she was currently taking, and so she wanted to exact some measure of revenge on him by having sex on the lectern in the lecture hall a few hours before her class. It was a flimsy excuse, but you weren’t one to turn down such an opportunity.

She even dressed for the occasion - her blue plaid skirt and the tight white button up she wore gave her all the appearance of an innocent schoolgirl, even if the shirt was currently undone and the skirt bunched up around her waist. She even went through the trouble of wearing white knee socks and a blue tie to complete the schoolgirl ensemble, although the tie was currently serving rather admirably as a restraint for her wrists, bound behind her back.

You are almost worried that being pressed face down onto the lectern without her hands to support her was painful for her, but the tightness of her tight, slick pussy wrapped around your cock and her endless stream of only half-suppressed sighs and moans convinced you that there was nothing to be worried about. Your hands wander her helpless body as you take her roughly from behind, sometimes squeezing a cute ass cheek, sometimes pulling her body back by her shoulders as you slam forward with your hips, sometimes grasping a handful of chocolate hair, moistened with sweat, and pulling back, enjoying the gasp of pleasure and pain that leaves her throat with each tug of her hair.

Fucking her over the lecture hall lectern was a risky move, of course, given that absolutely anyone in the university community could have walked in and witnessed you pounding away at her - but Nayeon’s sexual appetite had become more and more ravenous in the past couple of months, and when she decided she wanted it, you were in no position to refuse her.

It had started simple enough, with some relatively vanilla sexual positions in her dorm room or yours. And then it turned into weekends where you did little more than eat, sleep and fuck. Then you began fucking on campus, starting in the library against the bookshelves, and then in washrooms between classes - culminating now in this afternoon’s escapade, your most brazen one yet.

You wonder, for a split second, what the punishment might be should a faculty member walk in and find you two going at it atop the lecture hall’s stage. But as Nayeon’s pussy tightens around you and her moans begin to reach a crescendo, you realize that you would have accepted any such punishment with a happy, satisfied smile on your face.

“I’m gonna fucking cum on your cock,” Nayeon states through gritted teeth, matter-of-factly, as though she were answering a question posed by her professor, and not being fucked atop his lectern. “You’re so… so fucking big inside me.”

The audacity of the situation she had put you in - the thrill of the possibility of being caught, her schoolgirl outfit, the tight, wet heat of her pussy and the level of arousal she was clearly experiencing - it was no surprise how turned on you both were. Your bodies made it obvious.

“And you’re so fucking tight, Nayeon. Are you… gonna think of us fucking on this lectern when you’re in class later?”

“Fuck yes!” Nayeon gasps, “Fuck, fuck yes, I want to picture you fucking me on this lectern while the professor gives his lecture, it’s gonna make me so wet, oh fuck, oh fuck… I want to sit in class with your cum in my pussy, fuck, you’re gonna make me cum!”

“Fucking cum for me, Nayeon,” you spit. 

“Oh fuck oh god I’m gonna fucking cum oh fuck I’m cumming!--”

You grit your teeth as she does just that, her body tightening and pulsating around you, her limbs shaking as she tries and fails to contain the pleasure radiating out from her core. You consider joining her, and your aching cock almost begs for release as it continues to pound the quivering young woman atop the lectern - but you do your best to hang on a little longer, seeking to savor every moment, relish every thrust into Nayeon’s tight, slick pussy.

And so when the door to the lecture hall opens, you almost don’t realize it.

Nayeon is thankfully more alert than you, and even through her post-orgasm haze she realizes the danger the opening of the door posed to the both of you. Before you realize what she is doing she pushes herself off you and off the lectern, ducking beneath it. On her knees, she quickly turns to face you and before you know it she takes your cock into her mouth.

You are left breathless, suddenly going from having your cock buried in your girlfriend’s pussy to having her under the lectern and having your cock buried in her mouth literally leaves you unable to move, much less process the fact that someone else has entered the lecture hall.

It is a few more seconds before you are cognizant enough to realize that the newcomer is dressed in grey overalls - a janitor. While he is far off at the top of the stairs that lead to the entrance of the large lecture hall, from his stooped posture you could tell he was likely an older gentleman. The fact that the lectern is a solid piece of wood, combined with the janitor’s age and eyesight, likely meant that there was little chance of him realizing Nayeon was there.

“Oh, sorry, professor, I didn’t know you were in here. Just cleaning up the garbage bins,” the janitor says as he shuffles towards the bins at either corner of the hall.

“Oh, no problem at all,” you answer, your voice wavering only slightly as Nayeon continues to take your stiff, aching cock in and out of her mouth, “I’m just… getting some notes ready.”

You make a show of shuffling some random papers and forms that were lying atop the lectern. You are too afraid to look down, knowing that the sight of Nayeon’s large, expressive eyes as she took your cock in and out between her lips, her arms still bound behind her, might be too much for you to handle.

“Nice weather we’re having, eh?” the janitor asks in a pleasant tone as he finally reaches one of the bins at the corner of the hall.

“Wonderful!” you snap, your voice cracking as you answer, “-wonderful. It’s pretty damn hot down there.”

“Down there?” the janitor asks, quizzically. 

“Out there. Sorry. I meant to say ‘out there.’”

“Ah,” he responds, before shuffling, painfully slowly, towards the other bin.

Beneath the lectern Nayeon redoubles her efforts, as though challenging you to cum before the janitor leaves the room. Her lips tighten around your cock, her tongue dancing in random patterns around and under your head, each swipe of it sending fierce shocks of pleasure shooting up your spine. Your grip tightens on the lectern’s edge as you seek some outlet for the pleasure.

You try to focus on the random notes that some previous professor had left on the lectern, trying to avoid looking down at Nayeon as she continues to suck deeply on your cock. At the top of the lecture hall the janitor has almost reached the second bin.

You notice some struggling going on beneath the lectern, and you glance down long enough to see that Nayeon has relieved herself of the tie wrapped around her wrists - you hadn’t deemed it necessary to double knot it, trusting in her lust and newfound desire to be bound up to keep her wrists tied. 

You watch, enraptured, as Nayeon takes you halfway into her mouth, her eyes locked on yours, lips tight around your shaft. Her hands now free, she quickly slips her already unbuttoned white shirt over her creamy shoulders before quickly reaching behind her and undoing her bra, letting it fall from her now topless frame. She lets your cock pop out of her mouth, jerking it slowly with her right hand as she straightens her torso and lets you have a glimpse of her naked chest, a thick stream of saliva dripping from her lips to fall down her chin and onto her small, round breasts.

As she continues to jerk you off with her right hand, eyes still fixed on yours, her left hand drops to her upper chest before capturing one of her own stiff nipples and pinching the hard bud between her index finger and thumb. You gasp audibly as you watch her touch herself. Knowing every ounce of your attention is fixated on her, she slips her hand between her legs and beneath the hem of her skirt. From the sudden pleasured expression on her face you know she has slipped her fingers inside herself.

Eyes glazed over with pleasure, she locks her gaze on yours and takes you into her mouth again.

Nothing else exists in your world. Never mind the janitor - every one of the two hundred seats in front of you could have been filled with students and nothing could have stopped you from watching, helplessly, as Nayeon brings you to orgasm. In reality it probably only took twenty seconds or so of her sucking your cock while she fingered herself - but in your mind it seemed to last forever.

A split second before you reach your peak you bury yourself as deeply inside her mouth, reaching down involuntarily with your right hand to grasp the back of her head and thrusting your cock as deep between her warm, wet lips as you could. Nayeon gags slightly as the head of your cock enters her throat, but she manages to control her gag reflex, and maintains it as your orgasm overtakes your senses and you send thick, hot semen down her throat. Time became abstract - seemed to slow down and then stop completely as you fill Nayeon’s mouth and throat with your cum.

“All done!” comes an announcement from some far away voice - and it takes you a few seconds before you realize it is the janitor, having finally reached and emptied the second garbage bin. “Sorry to bother you again, professor. Have a wonderful class.”

“Th… thanks,” you mumble as the janitor gives you a friendly wave, one you struggle to return with a weak wave of your own quivering arm. Your knees have similarly gone weak, and you are holding onto the lectern with both hands now, struggling to remain upright.

Beneath the lectern Nayeon tries to ensure that she swallows as much of your cum as possible, her throat working quickly to greedily swallow each rope of thick semen that you give her. Despite her best efforts she fails, some of the large volume of cum escaping from the corners of her lips to drip down her chin and onto her naked chest. When she has swallowed as much as she can she swirls her tongue around your hyper-sensitive cock a few times before finally releasing it from her lips. As her mouth leaves your cock it remains joined to her lips by a thick stream of semen, before the rope snaps and drips onto her naked upper chest.

“Fuck, I wanted it in my pussy,” she says as she begins to clean your slick cock with a thirsty tongue, “I guess you’ll have to fuck me here again tomorrow.” 

Day 365: 

“It’s leaking out of me.”

“Jesus, Nayeon, it was your idea. I thought you cleaned up before we left the bathroom.”

“I didn’t know there would be that much. I thought I drained you this morning,” she answers, squirming about in her seat. She straightens her dress as best she could, but there was no hiding the recent wrinkles that came with having said dress pulled up around her waist.

“Either way, it was hot as fuck,” you admit. Having sex in a university library or even in a lecture hall seemed woefully vanilla now that you could both add sex in a high-class, overly expensive restaurant’s bathroom to your list of achievements.

“Definitely,” she answers, a sly smile on her lips and a slight blush on her cute, puffy cheeks. It amazed you, sometimes, how she could switch so quickly between being adorable and sultry and beautiful. Sometimes she was all three, all at the same time.

“Anyway,” she continues, “I got a present for you. It’s our anniversary, if you didn’t notice.”

She bends to pick something out from her purse before sliding the rectangular velvet box across the table. You are a little surprised, suddenly worried that the new pair of running shoes you’d bought for her earlier in the day was now not enough. What the hell were you thinking getting a girl a pair of Nikes for your anniversary? In your defense, she loved to run, she loved Nikes and she had insisted that she make it easy for you by picking out a pair for you that she wanted... but you should’ve known better, should’ve gotten her a bracelet or a necklace or-

“Open it,” she says, softly, a small, sly smile on her otherwise unreadable features. She takes a small bite of her salad, but her eyes remain locked on yours, as though wanting to capture every split second of your reaction.

You are a little apprehensive when you reach for the box and open it, expecting a watch or bracelet or some other expensive piece of jewelry.

Inside is a circular strip of red leather - a choker or collar of some sort. Its buckle gleams in the restaurant’s low light.

“Um, thanks, Nayeon,” you answer, a little puzzled by the present, even if it was clearly of exceptional quality and looked quite expensive. “I don’t own a pet, though.”

“It’s not for animals,” Nayeon answers as she pushes around some of the lettuce on her plate. “It’s for a slave. It’s for me.”

Day 712:

“It’s not a sexy anniversary present this time, so don’t get your hopes up,” Nayeon says as you tear the neatly applied wrapping paper from the box. Sitting next to you on the couch of your apartment, she idly plays with the necklace you had just given her, her fingertips tracing the outline of the silver bunny rabbit at the end of the black leather string. Her lips curve upward in a soft, happy smile. You’d learned from last year and weren’t about to make the same mistake two years in a row.

“I’m sure it’s awesome no matter what it is,” you reply, truthfully. You finally open the box to find a blue hoodie inside it - simple in design, but you could tell by its fabric and its details that it was a high quality one.

“You’re always shivering in those ratty old sweaters and jackets of yours,” she notes. “I can’t have my boyfriend freezing his ass off all the time.”

You smile as you give the hoodie a closer look, admiring its stitching and the detail work. It was such a simple present, but it spoke of how much she thought of you.

“I love it. I’ll never take it off.”

Day 741:

Nayeon is playing idly with your knuckles atop the restaurant table as she describes an interesting case study in her criminology textbook - something about inter-jurisdictional police work, or something like that. Truth be told, you could barely piece together what she was going on about, other than the fact that it involved the rules and regulations put in place when law enforcement agencies and personnel from one country have to work in another.

She seemed engrossed in the topic - and while she was an intelligent young woman who seemed to breeze through all of her classes with flying colors, she had rarely shown this much actual personal interest in any of her other school work.

So while you weren’t quite following or understanding every detail she was relating about the complexities of international law and its relation to cross-jurisdictional law enforcement, you were content simply to watch her speak, gesturing expressively with her free hand while she kept her other atop yours, her thumb idly stroking the knuckle of your index finger. You smile and nod, content simply to watch her talk about something she was so deeply interested in.

The waiter arrives with your order - two wooden trays of assorted sushi. He gives you both a friendly smile as he places the food down on the table; you’d been to the restaurant almost weekly since your first date there more than two years ago. Despite the waiter’s friendly demeanor and the impending prospect of another delicious meal, you feel a ping of sadness in your heart as Nayeon lets go of your hand to make room for the newly arrived food.

Almost as soon as the waiter leaves, you pick up your two pieces of salmon and reach over to drop them onto Nayeon’s tray. In return she leaves you with her pieces of tamago, which you’d come to love over the past couple of years.

You look at each other and share a smile. She begins to dig into her food, but your gaze lingers on her for a moment more, your smile refusing to leave quite yet.

Day 751:

“Huh,” you say out loud as you read through the email.

“Mmm?” Nayeon asks as she pops the last french fry on her plate into her mouth. You are both sitting in the university student union building, having just shared a quick lunch between classes. Sitting next to you, she leans over to get a better look at the screen of your laptop.

“I applied to this job at this company called JYP last week, and they want to interview me.”

“Ooooh. I hear they’re gonna be big soon. Go for it.”

“Not sure if I’d even want the job if I were to get it, though,” you answer. “Their head office is all the way on the other side of the country and I’m not gonna move all that way for a job - even if it does sound a bit like a pretty cool company. And it’s for a pretty low level position.”

“You should still take the interview -  it might be good experience for the future, when you’re doing an interview for a job you’re more serious about. Worst case scenario you make a fool of yourself in front of people you’ll never see again. Best case scenario, you get a job offer from one of the best companies in the industry.”

“Yeah, I hear thousands of people apply for these new-grad positions and they only accept a handful. It’s a career-defining opportunity… but making people move to the other side of the country so they can start at the bottom making coffee for meetings is a big ask.”

“You’re a fresh grad - they’re not gonna give you your own team and have you travel the world making deals right off the bat. There’s no point in thinking about it, either way. Take the interview, and if you get an offer that’s great, if not, well, at least you got some experience out of it.”

“That’s true,” you admit. “Okay, let’s make deal. I’ll take this interview, you apply for that grad school program you’ve been thinking about.”

Nayeon groans - she was majoring in criminology and was thinking about pursuing a career in the field, but hadn’t quite decided on whether grad school was something she wanted to pursue given the amount of work that it would entail.

“Ugh - you know how I feel about that.”

“Nayeon, you love the field. You don’t stop telling me about these new cases you come across in your classes. Your grades are more than good enough. It would be awesome for your career.”

“I suppose. But we’ve been over this. I want to find a good job right after graduation. I have plans for post-school life. We have plans.”

You nod, knowing Nayeon was referring to the idea of the both of you moving in together after graduation. Things were getting pretty serious with her, and you were both looking forward to taking the next step. You’d caught her once or twice looking at listings for apartments around the city in neighborhoods you’d both liked. And more than once her gaze lingered for more than a few seconds at rings in jewelry stores as you passed by them on the street.

“I get that, but you can still work while you’re in grad school. And hey, if we live together, it won’t be so bad. Soon you’ll finish the program and get a job as an international crime fighter and I’ll sit at home being your trophy husband - which is my real dream job, let’s be honest.”

Nayeon giggles, snuggling closer to you on the cafeteria bench. Her cheeks blush pink, and it takes you a second to realize it was probably because you used the word ‘husband.’ While you knew you were both young and the idea of marriage seemed a little premature, you would’ve been lying if you’d said it hadn’t crossed your mind once or twice over the past couple of years. 

“Husband, huh? What makes you think I want to marry you?”

“Well, I’m your dream guy,” you answer as nonchalantly as you could, “of course you’d want to marry me. We’d live in a perfect little apartment downtown next to our favorite sushi restaurant and we’d have three dogs named Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. You can go off chasing bad guys in foreign countries while I concentrate on being the very best - like no one ever was.”

“I suppose that does sound like a dream come true,” she says softly, her eyes suddenly thoughtful. She touches the silver rabbit on her necklace, her fingers tracing the well worn patterns on it.

“Right? So we’ve agreed, then. I’ll interview for JYP, you apply for that grad school program.”

“Gah, fine,” Nayeon submits, although you could tell her reaction was more than a little exaggerated. Her cheeks are still flushed, her eyes still wistful, as though she were processing the thousand little thoughts running through her head.

“Good. Let us drink to our agreement.”

You raise your half-empty can of coke, and Nayeon picks up her water bottle.

“To chasing our dreams,” she says, before you tap your drinks together.

Day 783:

It takes Nayeon most of the morning to get out of bed. 

When she finally drags herself to the washroom to look at herself in the mirror, she can barely recognize the mess she sees in its reflection.

Her eyes are red, dry, and itchy after having spent the night before crying herself to sleep. For a moment she thinks of grabbing her phone, of calling you and telling you that you could still be together, that you broke up prematurely, that you were meant to be - that you could maybe give a long distance relationship a try. It was a temptation that came up often in the past three days since your breakup. Every time it came up she fought it off, even if every time she did it cost her in tears and heartache.

She sighs. You were probably already starting your new life on the other side of the country. Far away from your university, far away from the sushi restaurant where she traded egg for salmon, far away from the apartment open houses that she’d hoped you would visit together - far away from the life she thought she’d be living with you.

She feels the tears start to well up again. 

But this time she tries her best to fight them off, wiping at them with a tissue before they have the chance to fall down her cheeks.

She needed something, anything to get her mind off of you. And while the prospect of crawling back into her bed and allowing sleep to dull her heartache was appealing to her, she knew it would solve nothing, wouldn’t do anything to help her recover. She was sad now, and she would be sad when she woke up.

The new textbooks for her graduate program in criminology, sitting in a pile on her desk, catch her attention.

Eyes still red and teary, she breaks the first one open and begins to read.

Day 2,013:

It takes Nayeon most of the morning to get the stench of the decomposing body out of her nostrils. 

“Jesus Christ,” her partner swears as they step out of the main elevator in the building where the murders took place, “I won’t be forgetting that any time soon.”

“Neither will I,” she agrees, taking long sniffs of air through her nostrils in a vain attempt to cleanse her sense of smell.

“What’s your call, boss?”

“Jealous wife stabs cheating husband to death in his sleep. There was a hunting rifle and ammo elsewhere in the house that she could have used if she just wanted him dead. They were filthy rich, so I doubt this was life insurance fraud or anything like that. This wasn’t about money. Use of the knife suggests it was personal. Passionate. Repeated stabs, too, not just one clean cut. She wanted to send that asshole a message as she killed him.”

“Their mistake was in getting married,” her partner states, unprompted. He fancied himself a bit of a playboy, although Nayeon knew his self-confident exterior and dismissal of long term relationships masked an internal irrational fear of commitment. She’d always been good at getting the measure of people, even before her job as a detective allowed her to turn it into a career.

“Whatever,” she says, dismissive. “Let’s pull the CCTV from the building, especially the ones from the underground garage. This was a crime committed in the heat of passion. Unplanned. I’m guessing she panicked, took their car and drove off. We should be able to pull a license plate - make sure you get it out and distributed in case she stayed local. They’ve got a ton of money so she’s probably out of the country by now, but we can at least track the car on airport CCTV and deduce what flight she hopped on. Pull their credit card info and start looking for flights. Once you have that I’ll start having a chat with my contacts in those countries.”

“Roger that, boss,” her partner says. “Another case Sherlocked by the great Im Nayeon,” he adds, before heading off to track down the building superintendent.

Nayeon smirks in his direction as she ducks under the yellow police tape that bars the entrance doors to the building, pushing past the gathering crowd of concerned apartment neighbors.

As she approaches her squad car to head back to the precinct, her phone vibrates in her jacket.

“Detective Im,” she answers.

“Im? Im Nayeon? I’m not sure if you remember me, but this is Park Jihyo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police. We met at that convention in Madrid last year.”

“Of course I remember you, Jihyo. How are you? What’s up?”

“I’m doing good, thanks. Listen, something’s come up here in Seoul that I was hoping you could help me with.”

Nayeon puts her phone on speaker, continuing her conversation with Jihyo as she pulls the squad car out of the garage and starts to head back to the precinct. 

After their call Nayeon reaches under her jacket to the black string of the necklace around her neck. Her fingers find and trace the outline of the silver rabbit hanging from it.

The chance to chase an old dream. It was time to see if it would come true.

--

Author’s Note: 

Too much fluff? :P

Yes, this was heavily inspired by 500 Days of Summer lol. I had thought of having the days in mixed order like in the movie but decided to keep it linear so as to not confuse people. 

Let me know what y’all think. :)

[vrishchikawrites]

I suck at writing dialogue.

Any advice, senpai?

Ok *rolls up sleeves* I have 10 tips!

1. Give characters individual vocal characteristics.

2. People don't write and speak in the same way.

3. Read the sentence in one breath.

4. Think about what the character would say and wouldn't say.

5. Characters interact differently with different people.

6. Use Dialogue to show what's happening and people's opinions on it.

7. Mind the dialogue tags.

8. Avoid cliche phrases.

9. Avoid saying obvious things.

10. People often don't respond logically or answer questions.

I've elaborated everything below and cut for length.

1. Give characters individual vocal characteristics.

LWJ has his famous 'mn' and I tend to use 'aiya' with WWX to showcase his casual manner of speaking. Nailing character voices at first is important to create natural dialogue. Clear vocal characteristics help readers identify one person from another, especially if you don't want to overuse identifiers like names or pronouns.

2. People don't write and speak in the same way.

People will sometimes skip articles, forego a few grammar rules, and will almost always shorten words and sentences wherever possible. Instead of saying, 'I'm hungry, I want to eat' most people will say, 'I'm hungry, want to eat' Remove all unnecessary words from the dialogue as much as possible, even if the character is considered talkative.

Use italics if you want to emphasize, ellipses to highlight pauses and indicate hesitation, dashes to also highlight sharper pauses. Use them instead of saying words to describe the situation.

3. Read the sentence in one breath.

When you finish writing the dialogue, read it out loud to see if you can say it in one breath. If not, add a pause or a full stop at appropriate places.

4. Think about what the character would say and wouldn't say.

LWJ speaks very efficiently. He always makes his point without speaking too many words. You wanna condense such a character's sentences as much as possible - without making him sound robotic because afaik, he doesn't sound stiff and robotic in Chinese (i may be wrong). WWX, on the other hand, is liberal with his speech but he's not verbose. To me, he doesn't say unnecessary words either, he just tends to elaborate more than LWJ does.

Before you create dialogue for any character, you'll need to understand what is characteristic and uncharacteristic for a person to say.

5. Characters interact differently with different people.

A person's tone will change based on who they're talking to. WWX will be more open and playful with LWJ, he'll take on a more mature edge when interacting with the juniors, he'll be distant and respectful with LXC, and distant but with an edge of sharpness with LQR.

Examples from the first chapter of Trapped and Patient

With WQ - "This is madness." He protests, "You're giving me too much credit!" With a stranger - Wei Wuxian taps on the table, smiling at the notes as the wine bottle is placed in front of him, "My friend, does that man come here often?"

With JYL - “Shijie! You know how restless I get,” His voice is cheerful, “What can I do here? I’m just sitting on my hands and languishing while everyone else is out there, preparing for war-”

With Sect Leader Yu - Wei Wuxian frowns, “Very well, I’d like to personally speak with them before I accept any sort of offer.”

With LXC - “I will tell you all, of course.” He assures and looks around, “I heard a few rumors and decided to offer my services to you and Chifeng-zun.”

With LWJ - "Lan Zhan! Lan er-gongzi!" He greets, elated, "I missed you!"

Everyone's tone changes based on who they're addressing and what kind of situation they are in.

6. Use Dialogue to show what's happening and people's opinions on it.

In T&P - Ch - 2 - WWX and LQR have a conversation and WWX says this:

He glances at Lan Qiren, “You have been in my position before, Elder Lan, was it a privilege?”

With it, WWX is able to explain his position in a way that is relatable to LQR, establish a connection with LQR, and lay the foundation for their relationship down the line.

LQR's response is an indication of acceptance and truce. It is also a conversation between adults instead of an elder and a teenager. If I played my cards right, I have showcased that LQR's perspective has shifted and WWX has grown enough and is cautious of his new position to take LQR seriously like he didn't before.

“Good. It is past time you live up to your potential, Wei Wuxian.”

Dialogue can establish the foundation of relationships better than paragraphs worth of description can and it does it in a way that is more personal.

7. Mind the dialogue tags.

He said, she said, etc, are sometimes necessary and sometimes they're not. If you can clearly identify the speaker, there's no need to add the tag. If the conversation is a rapid-fire exchange of words between two parties, you can forgo tags entirely.

He grins sheepishly, “I seek advice from you against his wishes, Zewu-jun. Forgive me for being a bit anxious.”

Lan Xichen waves his hand, “We’re both older brothers, are we not?

“Tell me about your new cultivation. It is remarkable.” There’s genuine interest in Lan Xichen's voice, “Where did you come up with the idea?”

“You’ll laugh,” Wei Wuxian says-

This dialogue uses the tag 'WWX says' only once and the rest of the conversation doesn't have it. Be conscious of the tags and where you use them.

8. Avoid cliche phrases.

Few things pull a reader away from a story than cliche phrases that people will rarely utter in their life. An exchange like this - "Why are you doing this?" - "Because I love you, damnit!" has become too common and isn't as effective as it used to be, especially when a character is confessing for the first time.

Best way to avoid cliche or cringy dialogue is to read the sentence out loud and consider whether it sounds natural.

9. Avoid saying obvious things.

If you've already written a paragraph on how eerily quiet a forest is, there's no need for a character to say - "It is quiet here isn't it?" Especially if the character is someone like WWX or LWJ, who are naturally observant. Don't let your character explain everything you have already described in text unless they need to explain it to someone.

10. People often don't respond logically or answer questions directly.

People tend to not answer questions directly. Even in serious conversations, they'll go about it a round-about way.

Wei Ying is silent for a while before he laughs softly, "Aiya, Lan Zhan, I already know what you wish to ask." Wangji waits patiently for permission and Wei Ying huffs and nods, "Yes, you may."

"What did you eat?"

Wei Ying picks up Wangji's hands and presses a gentle kiss on them, lacing their fingers together. He lingers for a moment before sighing, "My Hanguang-jun doesn't deserve to hear of such grim things."

Wangji curls his fingers because that might as be a confirmation. His heart breaks for his beloved and he closes his eyes, "Your husband wishes to know, Wei Ying."

"Mostly some small critters, Lan Zhan," he admits, "Sometimes I'd dig up roots of trees. They were softer and easier to consume. I managed to catch a few birds. Bugs, earthworms, maggots, crickets- they were plentiful.

WWX doesn't give a straightforward reply without LWJ coaxing things out of him. Characters lie, deflect, evade, blurt out excuses. LWJ consciously doesn't interrupt people but it is natural for people to interrupt each other's conversations too. Sometimes people will take a frustratingly long time to get to the point. You need to incorporate that.

"Hanguang-jun, surely you understand! Our village has faced draught ever since these children arrived and we finally know why! The Gods are displeased with us!"

Wangji looks at the children, feeling a stir of concern at their wan faces. They've already been beaten black and blue by angry villagers.

"I'll be taking the children," Wangji looks at his husband in surprise but doesn't voice any objections. It is rare for Wangji to deny his husband anything these days and Wei Ying's desires are often simple things, easy to fulfill with the greatest pleasure.

No one directly replies to the person who has spoken. That's also a common thing. Every question or comment doesn't need reciprocation to carry dialogue.

Of course, this is my amateur attempt. I would also recommend doing some online research. Hope this helps?

[laurieteddy]

alone together | laurie laurence

Description: March!reader is upset about life’s rather quick changes, Laurie is there to comfort but also it turns into him proposing (don’t ask me how, it just happened)

Request: anon requested Laurie comforting the reader

Warnings: describes experiencing some anxiety about feeling left behind

Word count: a brief ~3.5k

A/N: this took me 5 rewrites and forever to finish because I ended up self reflecting a lot and just couldn’t get it how I wanted at first.

Requests are open!

“I’ll only be a moment,” you called out to Marmee as you quickly made your way up to the attic.

You had “misplaced” your book and were on a wild search for it. Really, you left it in the attic earlier that day and planned on using it as an excuse to be alone for just a minute longer. No one would’ve minded had you wanted to be alone for a bit but you couldn’t help but feel judged for it.

You didn’t want to make anyone worry about why you wanted so much time alone. There was so much going through your mind lately and you just needed time to think it through, Marmee could tell and so she didn’t press you to talk about it. Your two older sisters, Meg and Jo, also knew you needed time and kept Amy from pressing further, Beth was no trouble.

The book was sat on the old three legged couch, right in plain sight. You picked it up, taking a seat on the couch and looking out the window taking in the evening sun. The attic was a safe and quiet place for your mind to wander.

Life was picking up, or at least the people around you live’s were. Meg was soon to marry, Jo wanted nothing more than to escape to the city, Amy was soon to leave with Aunt March for Europe. Beth was still young, unsure of where exactly she was heading which was completely fine being so young. Even Laurie was leaving for college soon.

You hadn’t a clue what you’d be doing. Life away from the March home didn’t even seem to exist as a possibility. You’d be separated from Marmee, from your sisters, from Hannah and Laurie. Nothing would be quite the same.

But, everyone was growing up. And it was near time for you to be as well, Jo only being a year older than you. Tears seemed to prickle your eyes every time you thought of the occasion of your childhood ending and adult lives beginning.

“Y/n’s right up the stairs, looking for her book.” You heard Marmee’s voice.

You assumed it was Jo she was talking to, as she had left to go to the butcher earlier. You quickly wiped the tears that were forming from your concealed thoughts and stood from the couch. Tucking loose hair behind your ear, you made your way towards the stairs.

“I found it, no need to help Jo.”

“It’s me, actually.” The voice was a bit startling, definitely not Jo’s or anyone that lived in your house.

You froze, waiting to see who would come up. Dark curls peaked from the stairs, allowing your shoulders to relax and you found it was Laurie. He had a smile on his face and parcel in his hand.

“Sorry to disappoint,” he joked at your lack of enthusiasm to see him.

“No, no. Sorry,” you smiled, “I just wasn’t expecting you.”

You hadn’t seen Laurie in a few weeks, he was gone with his grandfather visiting someone. It was great to see him, you were awfully close and could use a good talk with him. You were hiding your thoughts, though, not wanting anyone to see. The problem was, Laurie would notice right away as he always had. You knew each other far too well.

“I got this for you,” he held the package out to you.

You smiled, taking it from his grasp, “Oh, Laurie, thank you.”

You gently untied the dark green ribbon, curious to see what was inside. To your surprise it was a new copy of Pride and Prejudice, a novel you had read time and time again. Laurie knew how much you enjoyed it, noticing how the spine of your copy was wearing.

“Pride and Prejudice,” you smiled softly.

He nodded with a grin, “As a much needed replacement. Pages are practically falling out of your old one.”

You chuckled, picking up the old copy. He was right, it had been through a lot for a book. Well read, pages torn thanks to Amy, and even dropped in the mud before, once again thanks to Amy. Still, you kept it and continued to read it. The mud hadn’t ruined much and what was ruined you had memorized anyway.

“Thank you, again. I don’t know how much longer this one would’ve lasted.” You held up your old book, looking at it with tender eyes.

It was just a simple book but the idea that he remembered how much you loved it was too heart warming.

“Let’s catch up!” He clapped his hands together, “You have to update me on everything I’ve missed.”

“Oh, you were only gone for a few weeks,” your eyes followed him as he took a seat on the couch. “Nothing really happened.”

He let out a little laugh, “You want me to believe that nothing happened in the March family over weeks?”

He was making a point, your family was always up to something. Lately you hadn’t been paying much attention though, doing your best to avoid the reality of things. Everyday consisted of simply going through the motions, doing your best to make it to the next day without crumbling into tears. You couldn’t say that to him though.

“Well, nothing too important. Just the usual. Amy’s tantrums, Jo’s rambling, Meg’s pining, Beth’s music.” You wiped your hands on your legs, sweat forming on them.

Laurie leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He watched you carefully, a soft smile on his lips. He could tell something was off, and you knew he that could.

You hadn’t hugged him when you saw him, which you would do whether it was a day or month since seeing him. You’d typically immediately be going on and on about everything he missed out on. He wouldn’t have even gotten to give you his gift until a good hour into talking, and when you opened it he’d earn another hug from you.

At the moment you seemed shut off, hardly even processing the conversation you were having with Laurie. He knew you had countless thoughts running wild in your mind, you always had. Typically you’d let out all your thoughts and he would very happily listen, but you seemed to be desperate to hide them which was far from normal.

“What’s on your mind?” He decided to be straightforward, it was usually the best way to go with you.

Your breath hitched and you looked to the floor. You wished deeply he hadn’t asked, there was no way you could not answer. You and Laurie told me another everything. If knew something was wrong he would eventually get you to talk about it, it was just how your friendship was. Part of you was relieved that he did ask though, desperately wanting to share with anyone willing to listen.

“Shouldn’t you be going home? It’s nearly time for dinner.” You glanced at him, looking away when you saw his eyes were still on you.

“Marmee invited me over for dinner, we have time to talk.” He gestured to the empty cushion beside him, “That is if you want to?”

Taking the spot next to him was risky, even staying upstairs with him was. You knew you’d spill if you stayed a second more. Maybe that’s why you were taking a step closer. You knew you could talk to him, that he even wanted to listen.

“No,” you shook your head. “I mean—“ you froze in place, “no thank you. Like I said, there isn’t much to catch up on.”

“I get the feeling there is plenty to,” his voice was gentle, even warm in a way.

He knew you’d deny that anything was wrong for the rest of your life, he wasn’t asking you to admit anything though. He just wanted to talk. To help ease your mind of whatever was weighing it down, and he had a good guess of what it was.

“I hear Meg is to marry.” He leaned back again, making the atmosphere more relaxed.

You should be relieved at the change of subject but this was one of the issues in your mind. If you were to open up to anyone about it Laurie would be the perfect person. He was the most wonderful listener and always offered such great advice.

“She is, John Brooke as you know.”

“What do you think of it?” He asked.

You were puzzled, “What do you mean?”

“What do you think of it?” He repeated. “She is your sister, the first to marry and to leave.”

It wasn’t an odd question to ask and it was a conversation you already had with your sisters, though in a different manner. With them it was all excitement, giggling as you all teased Meg of her engagement. This version of the conversation would be filled with less teasing and laughter and more about how you were dreading the idea.

“I will be happy for Meg, so long as she is happy.” Which was the truth, you would be happy for her.

“Hmm,” he smiled weakly. “But would you be happy yourself?”

Your heart swelled and you nearly lost your balance. The question was so unexpected. “What?”

“I only ask because I imagine her going would be a big change,” he explained. “You’re all so close and none of you have ever left before, it must be scary in a way.”

Maybe it was more than a coincidence. You knew Laurie understood you but you forgot how he could practically read your mind at times. To hear him say the words you were thinking for weeks was a huge weight off of your shoulders, a weight you were forgetting was even there as you became numb to it.

“Laurie, I—“ you were wringing your fingers. “It isn’t just about Meg. It’s,” you shook your head, “everyone.”

His brows furrowed and he leaned closer again, doing his best to show you his interest. He knew that Meg leaving would weigh heavy in all of your minds, it would be a tremendous change with her gone. But when you said that it was about everyone he was a bit taken back, unsure of what you meant.

He was more than willing to listen, even hoping you would explain. “Everyone? Is someone else planning to leave soon?”

“Don’t be daft, Laurie.” You let a breath through your nose, “You’re going to college, Jo talks of moving to the city, Amy is going on a trip to Europe. All of that with Beth being so poor in health anymore.”

Laurie relaxed his face, taking in your words carefully. You were getting frantic, but doing your best to stay calm through it. Having not spoken about it to anyone you knew there wasn’t a possibility that you could remain calm, everything was going to leak out at once.

“You were gone for three weeks and look at me,” you gestured to yourself. “I’ve fallen into shambles at the mere thought of you all being gone. All of you mean the world to me and I just,” you paused for a moment as if to gather your thoughts. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do without you.”

His mouth opened and closed as he felt apprehensive about what to say. He didn’t want to say anything until he had the perfect words but he knew that would never happen. He was now realizing that the issue was bigger than he had first thought, he had to reanalyze the situation.

“We’ll all be back, y/n.” He rested his hand over yours, which were still fidgety. “Meg may be going to marry but Jo, Amy, and I... that’s all temporary.”

“You don’t know that,” you spoke softly.

You were right, and he knew that you were. His own heart was aching as he saw how much pain you were truly in. You didn’t often open your heart to many people, hiding your feelings away in hopes to protect yourself. Laurie understood this and wanted to do his best to reassure you that you didn’t have to do that. He could tell you were shutting down again as you refused to make eye contact.

“I should help with dinner,” you wiped your eyes and turned to leave.

“Y/n, wait, please,” he stopped you with his hand on your shoulder. “Please, let’s talk?”

“No, it’s alright, Laurie. You wouldn’t want to hear all of this anyway, it’s so silly.”

“I’m scared too,” he blurted.

Confusion was arising again. What was Laurie afraid of? His future seemed so bright, having endless opportunities ahead of him. He didn’t seem thrilled to be going to college but it wasn’t something that he seemed to fear either.

He removed his hand from your shoulder, running it through his own hair. “I’m terrified to leave.”

You slowly turned to face him, seeing a true anxiety in his eyes. You wondered how long he was afraid and said nothing. How long he had gone getting lost in his thoughts, digging himself deeper just as you had been doing. Part of you scolded yourself for not realizing but another part was simply glad you knew now.

“You’re terrified?” You asked.

Laurie nodded, finding himself now unable to make eye contact with you. “I’m not ready to leave you guys, especially not for something I don’t even want to do.”

You were all close for so long but you hadn’t expected Laurie to mind that much. You hoped he had, and you truly knew he had, but you also couldn’t help but second guess yourself.

“Y/n, I...” he began, “I don’t want to leave alone. Meg is leaving with John, Jo dreams for some alone time, Amy is traveling to meet all sorts of new people and I,” he chuckled, thinking to himself how foolish he sounded. “I am leaving to be somewhere I don’t wish to go, surrounded by people I have little desire to meet.”

It was shocking to hear. Laurie has opened up to you before but never about such things. Typically you would hear about how Jo had gotten on his nerves one day, just a typical annoyance everyone experienced. And to hear that he was fearing the same thing you were was dispelling your fears.

“I know what you are going through because I’m going through it too,” he stepped closer. “So please, talk to me so I may understand how you are feeling.”

You couldn’t help but hug him, tears already brimming from your eyes once again. No one had even noticed how severe your pain was, but Laurie, who was previously gone for three weeks, recognized it immediately. To even hear someone say that they saw your pain was so emotionally relieving, it meant you weren’t as enclosed as you felt.

“I’m going to miss Meg’s mothering dearly,” you wept. “And Jo’s endless scribbling and mumbling. Oh, and even Amy’s rants about such small things.”

He hugged you tighter, nuzzling his nose into your hair. “Days will never be the same without her telling us of her “dreadful” nose,” he joked.

You laughed, closing your eyes tightly with your cheek to his chest. “And Laurie, how will I ever do without you?” You sniffled, “You are the best friend I’ve ever known. I can’t go without our walks or conversations. Even imagining never hearing your ridiculous impressions you do during stories makes me heartbroken.”

He grinned, a new thought wandering into his mind. He laid a kiss atop your head before slipping out of the hug. His own heart was breaking simply at the thought, just as your’s. The idea of of living without all of these things, and them so abruptly stopping as well, made Laurie quite upset. He didn’t want to leave it all behind, nor was he ready to.

“What if,” he smiled, “we don’t have to let one another go?”

Unsure of what he meant you said nothing, a cue for him to continue.

“Leaving Meg and Jo and Amy is all a horrendous thought, so what if you we at least don’t leave each other?” He could see how confused you were, “Think about it. I don’t want to go to college anyway, you always say you don’t want to be stuck here especially with your sisters gone.”

“Laurie, I—

“I know how foolish it sounds,” he took your hands in his own. “Y/n, I... I can’t stand the thought of living without you. Without your daily hugs, your horrendous yet beautiful singing, your absolutely horrid jokes. I hate to go a week without seeing you, let alone months at a time. I have never let someone know me as well as you, nor have I ever been so infatuated to learn more about a single person everyday.”

It was like hearing your own thoughts being spoken. You could tell his words were true and that these were things Laurie wished he had said long ago. You both seemed to be good at holding back your thoughts until there were so many they all came pouring out.

“Infatuated? Truly?” You asked.

His smile widened, “Completely.”

A blush creeped on your cheeks which you were quick to hide. He let go of one of your hands, gently brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. He cupped your cheek and ran his thumb over your cheekbone, a twinkle in his eye as he thought more of you.

“I say all this because I love you, y/n. I should’ve said it sooner, I know, and maybe now is not the best time, I’m sorry if that’s the case.” His eyes stayed locked on yours, “I just can’t hold it in any longer.”

Hearing him say those words in that moment was not just craved but needed. You had loved Laurie since the day you met him, he was too sweet to not love at least as a friend from the start. As love does, it grew and developed into something more. Something you believed you could never share with him, until now that is.

To hear him say that he loved you was heartening, it showed you even further that you weren’t alone. He wanted to stay with you, to keep at least some of your normal lives in place. But it wasn’t just about the normality, because if you were to stay together things would definitely take a big turn. It was the idea of being together, of never having to leave one or the other behind.

“To go through life with you would be a dream,” you smiled to him. “But, Laurie, how realistic are dreams?”

“Dreams come true everyday. We could stay together, I’ll get down on one knee and ask you to stay with me. All you have to do is say yes an—

“Laurie,” you cut him off. “Your grandfather expects you to go to college.”

“And I will, but that doesn’t mean we can’t marry after, even before if I wanted.” He ran his hand down your arm, “It’s only four years and I can promise you now that I’ll be returning after, and any chance I get in between. We would still be promised each other.”

It all seemed fake, it was coming from practically nothing and yet it seemed so natural and right. Four years could blow by like nothing, and it would give you the perfect opportunity to prepare for a life you would start with Laurie. You could say your goodbyes to your family, slowly taking time to ease yourself out. It wouldn’t be abrupt, it would spawn from no where. You would expect this change, be ready for it even.

You took Laurie’s hand in your own, “I adore the idea of being promised to you. It would bring comfort to me, too, to know that I would have you to look forward to in my future.”

Excitement filled Laurie, he was trying his best not to jump up and down right then. Instead, he did as he said he would and got down on one knee.

“Well then, y/n l/n... would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

You laughed a bit as Laurie put in a bit of drama into his words. You quickly nodded, accepting his proposal and filling with your own excitement.

“I haven’t a ring,” he looked around before grabbing the ribbon off the book he had given you. “For now... wear this around your wrist?”

“Of course,” you offered your hand.

He gently tied the ribbon on your wrist and gave the back of your hand a kiss before standing. Soon enough he was pulling you into another hug, both of your excitement washing over you. It all seemed like it was something that was meant to happen sooner, though you were both so young. There was something about your relationship from the start that stood out much more than a friendship.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Fire and Light (ao3) - on tumblr: part 1

- Chapter 2 -

The sayings of Wen Mao were not exactly what Nie Mingjue would consider to be entertaining reading, but he put in the effort to learn them in the hope that it would explain something about the people around him. They were always speaking in significant tones and looking at each other, finding meaning in the spaces between words, and he felt as though he was falling further and further behind in understanding what they meant.

“- be beheaded for tens of thousands to revile,” he murmured, staring down at the words with a frown. It seemed straightforward enough at first glance, but surely it couldn’t mean what it said, not with how Wen Ruohan regularly behaved. “Wen-da-gongzi?”

Wen Xu twisted to look at him.

“This particular saying – the one about people who oppress others and do evil using the power of their clan –”

“You’re still reading that old thing?” Wen Xu asked, sounding exasperated. “Why? Haven’t you memorized it yet?”

“I can recite it,” Nie Mingjue said. “But I don’t think I understand it. Aren’t these sayings supposed to serve as a guide for behavior for the Wen sect? Take this saying. It can’t be right. I mean, your father is always going around doing things on the basis of his sect and clan having the most power. So is the nuance in the definition of ‘oppress others using the power of your clan’, maybe, or possibly in the interpretation of what’s being defined as ‘evil’? Or is there some other –”

“No one listens to those sayings,” Wen Xu said. “Haven’t you figured that out yet? There’s the rules on paper and then there’s the rules in reality, and only the latter matter.”

“But then why have the rules on paper at all?” Nie Mingjue asked, utterly baffled. The Nie sect didn’t have sayings, like the Qishan Wen sect, nor rules, like Gusu Lan; it had principles, basic ones, and everything else in the world could be debated based on how those principles interacted with reality. It was simple and straightforward, yet allowed for a certain degree of independent thinking and flexibility: as long as you could account for your behavior with one of the principles, the action was generally considered acceptable; if you couldn’t, you knew you had done wrong. “If they’re not being used, then they’re hardly worth the paper they’re written on. Just replace them with new ones!”

“Knowing the sayings of Wen Mao is our tradition.”

Nie Mingjue frowned, turning the words over in his mind and trying to understand what he was missing. “So the tradition is to know the sayings but not follow them?” he hazarded. It seemed utterly bizarre to him. “That’s very complex. Is the idea to teach people to think for themselves?”

Wen Xu laughed – the first instance of that that Nie Mingjue had heard, and it didn’t sound quite right, sounding less like a laugh and more like a strangled noise that echoed in the ear in a manner not unlike the yelp of an injured dog. “You’re getting further away, not closer,” he told him. “Just – do as you’re told, all right?”

Nie Mingjue was trying.

He attended the classes and did his best to excel in them. He maintained his training even when the Wen sect techniques didn’t work quite as well for the saber as Nie sect techniques. He took care of Nie Huaisang, ensuring as much as possible that he did the best he could in both classes and training.

He didn’t grieve for his father out in public where people could see, keeping his pain to the late hours of the night, when his weakness could not be used to hurt his family and sect.

It would all be so much easier if they just told him what they wanted.

-

It was another few weeks after the Wen cousins joined them that Wen Ruohan finally decided to attend one of the dinners himself, sweeping in unexpectedly to seat himself at the head of the room.

The start of the meal was as silent as a Gusu Lan banquet. Everyone had recently started talking a little more during meals, probably as a courtesy to the two of them since Nie Huaisang couldn’t stop running his mouth about everything and mealtime was the ideal place to catch Nie Mingjue up on everything he’d done that day, but now it was as if that had never happened, everyone reverting to the silent and gloomy atmosphere the meals had all had at the beginning.

At first, Nie Mingjue thought it was silence out of respect for the food, like it was for the Gusu Lan, or maybe just the quelling presence of an elder, but after a while Wen Ruohan finished serving himself, and then he looked down at them and began asking questions.

Nie Mingjue’s father had done the same, sometimes, but where he’d asked questions about their studies and training and general well-being, about their friends or their hobbies, wanting to know more about what interested them, Wen Ruohan seemed instead to take vicious pleasure in quizzing them all on various hypotheticals, testing their intelligence and retention and ability to deliver an answer on the spot.

Nie Mingjue was able to answer the questions directed at him, and Nie Huaisang lucked out in the first round – it was a question about poetry, moderately obscure but at least something Nie Huaisang actually knew – and the others were able to answer theirs as well, but in the second round Nie Huaisang was not so lucky and he got a question on sword forms.

“I – don’t know?” he said, sinking down a little in his chair.

All the other Wen children averted their eyes, except for Wen Xu whose eyes went vacant as if he were deliberately forcing himself not to really watch even as he did not turn his head away. A cruel smile played around Wen Ruohan’s lips. “How – disappointing,” he said, though his tone was far from disappointed. More like anticipatory. “You will need to be punished, of course.”

“For what?” Nie Mingjue interjected, forcing his voice to remain level and disinterested. “Not knowing the answer, or missing the logical fallacy in the question?”

Dead silence.

He looked up and met Wen Ruohan’s eyes.

-

“When you said I could practice on you, I didn’t think you meant that you’d be throwing yourself into trouble,” Wen Qing scolded. Her hands were shaking as she wrapped bandages around his chest and back, but that was fine – he didn’t actually think he needed bandages, since the bleeding had stopped, but it was, in fact, good practice for her so he didn’t say anything about it.

“If I didn’t interfere, he would have punished Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue said instead. Wen Ruohan had actually given him a choice: three strikes with the whip for Nie Huaisang, for failure to answer, and two for himself, for insolence, or else ten for himself alone.

He’d chosen the latter, of course.

“He knows he’s your weakness now, you know,” Wen Xu said, standing by the door watching. Wen Chao, Nie Huaisang, and Wen Ning were all behind him, Nie Huaisang sniffling and Wen Ning biting his nails and Wen Chao’s tense shoulders up high by his ears. “He’ll use him against you.”

Nie Mingjue shrugged, then stopped when Wen Qing poked at him. “It’s not like it would be hard to guess,” he said. “And our teachers would have told him that we were close anyway. If he was always going to know, what does it matter to tell him?”

“Aren’t you worried about him knowing?” Wen Chao burst out. “Not that you care about Huaisang, but that you’re stupid over it – he’ll think less of you because of it. It’ll make it harder to avoid disappointing him in the future.”

The way he looked at Nie Mingjue’s back made clear what being ‘disappointing’ would entail.

“If it’s a choice between suffering pain and having to hold myself distant, I’d pick pain every time,” Nie Mingjue said, then smiled ruefully. “I’m not smart enough to play the mind games of Qishan, A-Chao; I’d only ever trip myself up even trying. I’ll find my own way to survive.”

Wen Chao turned away from him.

“You’d better,” Wen Ning suddenly said, his reedy little voice unexpectedly fierce. “You’d better survive.”

“He will,” Nie Huaisang said, and he was a little fierce, too. “He will.”

-

The cultivation styles of Qishan Wen and Qinghe Nie were not that different, even if the Nie used the saber and the Wen the sword, and Nie Mingjue had always had something of a genius for cultivating. Although he had suffered a setback at the death of his father, he was young and unwillingly resilient; once he was properly settled in at the Nightless City, he began to progress quickly once more, earning the praise of his tutors and teachers alike.

It drove Wen Xu up the wall.

“What’s the use of having extra years or height,” he snarled, viciously kicking a practice dummy, “if you match up to me so quickly? If we spar and I lose and he sees…”

It was not necessary for him to identify who ‘he’ was.

Nie Mingjue looked at Wen Xu, feeling helpless. “If I pulled my strikes, he would know,” he said, and Wen Xu jerked as if he’d been struck by lightning.

“You can’t say something like that!” he hissed. “That was almost an offer!”

Nie Mingjue was out of his depth again. “No, it wasn’t,” he said, and Wen Xu relaxed a little. “I was explaining why it wouldn’t make sense for me to offer –”

“You’re hopeless,” Wen Xu declared, scowling. “Don’t you have enough trouble, without drawing more on your head?”

“My shoulders can bear the weight of a little trouble,” Nie Mingjue said with a shrug. “Besides, you have the harder hill to climb. I’m only his ward, not his son, after all, and anyway I only want him to leave me alone, while you want to impress him. If it costs me nothing, why shouldn’t I help you?”

Wen Xu was silent for a moment. “Some things will never be more than dreams,” he finally said, shaking his head, and Nie Mingjue wasn’t sure of what part of his statement he was reacting to. “Do you train outside of the regular hours?”

Nie Mingjue blinked at the abrupt subject change. “Yes,” he said. “I like to train in the mornings, before breakfast, and I meditate with Nie Huaisang in the afternoons. Would you like to join in?”

“I don’t see that I have much choice,” Wen Xu said, although for once he didn’t seem especially resentful about it. “It’s one thing not to have as much talent, that’s the disposition of the heavens, but not putting as much effort? Now that would be beneath me.”

Nie Mingjue nodded, understanding. “I’d be happy to have your company.”

“I don’t understand how you just say things like that,” Wen Xu muttered nonsensically, and stalked off before Nie Mingjue could tell him that he probably didn’t need to bother with coming to the afternoon sessions, since those weren’t really about his cultivation.

Instead, he put Nie Huaisang on his lap and helped guide his brother’s feeble qi through a full rotation, meridian by meridian. The doctors of Qinghe had helped put together this routine to strengthen Nie Huaisang, to empower his too-weak musculature and help build his foundation piece by piece so that he could one day create the golden core with his own efforts, even if they were weaker than most. It was time-consuming and exhausting for Nie Mingjue, who had to deal with trying to direct spiritual energy that wasn’t his own through an exceedingly complex sequence, and Nie Huaisang had complained about it being boring when they were back in Qinghe.

He didn’t complain now, though Nie Mingjue sometimes wished he would. It would make things feel more normal.

Nie Mingjue explained what he was doing to Wen Xu when he showed up, and to Wen Chao and Wen Ning and even Wen Qing when they unexpectedly appeared as well, but they all decided to sit in the little garden he’d found and meditate alongside him anyway.

“It’s a nice place,” Wen Chao mumbled, not looking at him. “And you don’t own it.”

Wen Qing shoved him. He shoved back.

“Of course not,” Nie Mingjue said, breaking them up with his hands, a little puzzled. “You and your cousins do. But if you find it peaceful and conductive to your meditation, you are welcome to stay.”

He wasn’t sure how quiet they really found it – he’d been born with his nose stuck in other people’s business and couldn’t help but offer unsolicited advice whenever he saw something that he thought could be improved, telling Wen Ning to prioritize finding his calm over any specific technique, walking Wen Chao through breathing exercises he thought would suit him better, showing Wen Qing the pressure points that could be pressed to help induce relaxation, even making small suggestions to improve Wen Xu’s form that mostly got glares and eye-rolls – but they came back every day.

-

Wen Ruohan attended dinner with them again only a week after the previous time, asking new questions and letting his eyes linger on Nie Mingjue and the way his actions were slower than usual, a smile curling his lips at the involuntary flinch Nie Mingjue gave when he twisted to respond to a question with a demonstration.

Wen Xu had advised Nie Mingjue to play up the injury, rather than try to deny or suppress it, in order to give the impression that he was nearer to his limits than he really was, a stratagem designed to reduce future injury, but Nie Mingjue had never really known how to dissemble.

He answered the questions directed at him with his tone a little short but carefully near to neutral, keeping his eyes down in what could be seen as respect. Perhaps Wen Ruohan found his little rebelliousness entertaining, but the questions didn’t seem that bad this time, and everyone was able to come up with something to satisfy him, even Nie Huaisang who grimaced and strained himself to recall the most basic concepts and Wen Ning who knew the answers but stuttered so badly in Wen Ruohan’s presence that he could barely utter them aloud.

When dinner was done, Wen Ruohan asked Nie Mingjue to touch his toes and laughed at him when he couldn’t, pushing his head down to ‘help’ his inferior flexibility and tearing the few marks the whip had torn into his skin open again as he did.

“Do better, next time,” he said, and left without demanding any other exhibition of talent.

“There’s a discussion conference coming up soon,” Wen Xu said, looking down at his mostly unfinished plate. Noodles, as always, with pork and vegetables in a sauce, pungent but not as spicy as Yunmeng, served alongside a too-thick lambs’ blood soup and delicate side dishes that were more appearance than taste; it was the usual food they got, and most of the time they all ate it quite happily. “He’ll be busy for a while, preparing for that.”

“Could you show me where the kitchens are?” Nie Mingjue asked instead of anything else. “I have the sudden desire for barbecue.”

Qinghe used more salt than Qishan and applied spices in a different fashion, focusing more on the savory meat and evoking sour flavors using vinegar; it took them the three incense sticks to teach the cooks how to prepare it, but that meant that by the time the food was ready they’d all regained their appetites.

“Aren’t there medical cuisines, too?” Wen Ning asked Wen Qing, slurping up the thick noodles that Qishan people apparently couldn’t do without but which at least were swimming in a proper soup for once. “To strengthen the muscles, replenish the blood, that sort of thing.”

“There are,” she said, looking thoughtful. “I’ll ask my teachers about it.”

“Can I come?” Nie Huaisang asked, and it was so unexpected for him to ask to take more classes that Nie Mingjue dropped the piece of meat he’d been dipping right into the sauce. “Hey, food is good! How boring can a class on food be?”

“I’m always willing to encourage your interest in things,” Nie Mingjue said, and everyone laughed at him even though he was being sincere. “I’m sure you’ll be an excellent chef someday, Huaisang, if that’s what you like.”

“You’re just calculating whether wielding a kitchen knife still counts as cultivating,” Wen Xu said with a smirk, which of course meant that Nie Mingjue held out his hands and pointed out that the Nie were butchers, after all, and that in turn made Nie Huaisang start complaining that cooking and butchering weren’t the same thing in the slightest. Wen Qing, Wen Ning, and Wen Chao laughed at each of them equally, adding unhelpful comments all the while.

By the time they went to their afternoon lessons, it was as if Wen Ruohan hadn’t been there at all.

[xoxo-teddybear]

Oh, The Lies You Tell - Bakugou Katsuki - pt.5

Bakugou x f!reader

Warnings: angst, trauma, abuse, betrayal, fluff, slice of life, smut, cursing, manipulation, possible spoilers, physical harm, 18+

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

Ep. Warnings: cursing, blood, DADZAWA, tiniest bit of angst, Kinda Short Again : P

Summary: Bakugou and Y/N have made up and have gotten much closer. Y/N still isn’t completely sure what they are yet, but that thought will have to be put on the back burner since Shigaraki has a job for her. But what happens on that job is what makes this part interesting. 

Pt.1 Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt.4 Pt.5 Pt.6 Pt.7 Pt.8 Pt.9

All day, you and Bakugou were together. Talking, laughing, just doing whatever. Almost like a couple. Quick kisses here and there and long hugs quite often. It even got to the point where they were constantly cuddling. Mind you, this all happened in just a day. Speaking of which, at the end of it, Bakugou went back to Y/N’s room and they fell asleep together.

*Beep* *beep* *beep* *click!*

You woke up to the glorious sun, shining it’s golden rays through your dorm window. It’s 6:00. Time to get ready for school. As you looked around in a strangely peaceful atmosphere, you found the reason why. Right next to you, layed a sleeping Katsuki.

You smiled at his peaceful state and took a moment to admire all of him. Bakugou chose to not sleep with a shirt due to his quirk, which gave you the benefit of laying eyes on someone who was truly built by the gods. His chiseled chest glowed under the solar rays and his abs were covered in scars from his past adventures as a UA student. Your eyes traveled to his face, where porcelain skin lay. His ruby eyes shut, as his long lashes curtain them. Your hands automatically went to his head, running your fingers through his surprisingly soft spiky hair. You giggled as you noticed it refused to lay calm, much like Bakugou himself. To your surprise, his deep morning voice spoke up.

“Can we just stay like this forever?” He smiled in his drowsy state. You jumped at his voice as he chuckled at your jittery behavior. Your hand had left his hair, much to Bakugou’s dismay, and so he brought it back to where it previously was. “I never said stop, princess.” He said as he attempted to drift off back to sleep.

“Heh, well I didn’t ask if you did. You gonna keep sleeping or you gonna get up and get ready for school?” You teasingly asked.

“You gonna keep petting my head?” Bakugou asked with his eyes still closed and a slight smile.

“No.”

“Then no,” he said as he woke up with a scowl and grumpy eyes. He sat up from his previous position and stretched his arms as he watched you get up and walk to your dresser. You grabbed your rebellious uniform before walking back to Katsuki.

“See you soon, okay?” You said and pecked his pouted lips. He replied with closed eyes, a smile, and a simple “mhm” as he got up and left to his dorm.

As Bakugou walked to his dorm, he tried to savor the feeling of your plush lips on his. He smiled at the recent memory. He walked back into his dorm and got ready, excited because he knew once he was done, he would get to see you again. As Bakugou finished and left, he walked to your dorm and found you and Rumor shutting the door, ready to go. He walked to your side and held onto your waist.

“Ready to go?”

“Mhm!”

You both walked and talked until you reached class, as you opened the door and walked in, everyone saw you and cooed.

“Ouuu~ whats this Bakugou?” Sero asked in a playful manner. Bakugou just rolled his eyes but continued to hold onto you.

“Is she your girllllfriendddd?” Kaminari teased. The whole class giggled at the cute little POSSIBLE couple. It was adorable. Who would’ve guessed the ruthless and “dedicated to being number 1 only” Bakugou would have fallen for someone. They continued to laugh until Bakugou spoke.

“Maybe she is, morons. Is there a problem if she is?” He asked with piercing eyes, causing the group to shut up. “Good.” He said as he sat down in his seat and placing you in his lap. You guys had a couple minutes before class started so it would work out just fine.

As the group continued to talk, a deep voice was heard throughout the room.

“Are you going to continue holding my daughter hostage in your lap, Bakugou? Or are you gonna let her take her seat?” The group looked towards the door and saw their teacher, Mr. Aizawa, standing in the doorway. Everyone, besides Bakugou, Y/N, Kaminari, and Kirishima, gasped at the revelation of Y/N being Aizawa’s daughter.

Bakugou sighed as he let you go to his seat, which was right next to him, and looked towards his teacher. “Happy?”

“Very.” Aizawa replied.

“You know, for the record, you aren’t my real dad.” Y/N clarified.

“Correct, but I adopted you. Which legally makes you my daughter. So listen to your dad and hush!” He said with glowing red eyes which made you quiet down with a huff. You placed your head in your hand as you blew a strand of hair out of your face.

‘He’s probably gonna mention the competition tomorrow,” you thought to yourself.

“Alright class, to begin let me tell you about a battle competition we’ll be having next week.” He said.

‘Next week?’ You were confused. What happened to tomorrow? This would throw off the league’s plans, which surprisingly, you were kind of okay with.

“It was supposed to be tomorrow, but we caught word of a few villains figuring out about the event so the school rescheduled it to a different time at a different location,” Mr. Aizawa began, “the competition will be a battle of schools. Class 1-A and B will be attending. Each class will be its own team. You guys will do something similar to a race but depending on the routes and turns you take, you will end up facing a challenge or fighting an opponent aka a different school’s class. The race is over when a class gets to the finish line and rings a bell. Winners get a week off from all work.” He explained.

The class cheered in excitement at the event coming up and spoke amongst themselves about how they would prepare. You, however, were in minor distraught.

‘Villains? The only villains that could’ve know were the league. Did one of them slip up?’ You thought.

Mr. Aizawa refocused the class and began the lesson. Blah, blah, blah, quirks, blah, blah, blah, law, blah, blah, blah, heroes. The usual. Except this time, you payed a little attention. Hero work did interest you but there was no way it was possible for you. You were already in too deep with villainy, so you just sat in self pity as you listened to the lecture.

At the end of the class, Aizawa pulled you aside to talk. He said he had a few things he wanted to ask you.

“Y/N..” he said.

“Eraser-Head..” you replied. He rolled his eyes at the name.

“It’s Mr. Aizawa, or Aizawa sensei, or even dad!” He complained but this time you rolled your eyes.

“Alright then, DAD, what do you want?” You asked.

“I just want to know what’s going on with you and Bakugou. You’ve gotten awfully close. Kissing in the kitchen, sitting on his lap. Are you dating that boy or what?” He questioned you, and to be honest, you couldn’t really answer. What exactly was your relationship with Bakugou? You weren’t dating, that wasn’t established, but you guys weren’t just friends. This was all so confusing. Still, you couldn’t give the man a straightforward answer.

“Even if I was, it’s none of your concern.” You said with a puffed chest and total confidence.

“It is my concern as your now father.” He said. “I just want to know. I’ve seen some improvements since you came here.....I’m proud of you.”

This shocked you. It threw you off and your body basically deflated from its once confident state. He was proud of you. Words you’ve longed to hear from somebody..anybody, and you finally got to hear it. It almost made you tear up but you had to stay composed.

“Proud of me? For what?” You asked with a little sass and attitude. Gotta keep up your bad girl rep, you know?

“Proud of you for choosing to come here in general. You made a good choice. You’ve benefitted yourself in all the right ways. You’re going down a path of greatness, I can see it. I’m also proud of the friends you’ve made and how open and social you’ve become. It makes me glad knowing that you’re coming out of that dark spot you were stuck in for so long. And it seems that having Bakugou around really helps.” He explained.

The whole thing almost brought you to tears. A father figure was proud of you. He knows your past and who you are and he was proud of you. It’s like a dream come true. You were so stunned, you could barely speak.

“Yeah...Umm..thanks.” You began. “Well! If that’s all..I have to get to lunch. I’ll see you around,” you said as you blinked away the tears gathering in your eyes and began to walk to the door.

“Y/N...if you’re ever struggling, you can come talk to me about anything. I’m your teacher and dad now, so I’m always here to help.” He offered. You looked back at him with a kind face before speaking.

“Thank you..”

‘...Dad,’ you thought to yourself as you let out a small smile and walked to the cafeteria.

——————————————————————————

The day went on as usual and when school and training was finally over, you and Bakugou got to spend more time together! You don’t know what it was but being around each other just made each other feel more..complete.

After school, you guys took a fly around the city on Rumor, stopped for some ice cream, and went to play with puppies at the local shelter. By the time you guys got back, dinner was being prepped in the kitchen, so you guys had some time to kill. You both decided it was cool to just hang out in your room.

“Hey, I’m gonna change real quick and I’ll meet you there, okay?” Bakugou said, pointing to the area of his dorm.

“No problem!” You said as Bakugou leaned down and pecked your lips before leaving. You smiled as he walked away and looked towards Rumor who had to be giving you some type of smirk. “Shut up,”

When you both walked in to the room, you changed out of your school uniform and opted for something more comfy. Before you sat down in bed, your earring went off. The league was calling.

“Y/N!...Can you hear me?!” Shigaraki said through the communication device. You ran to it in fear of displeasing your superior if you took too long.

“Right here. What happened?! What villain got caught speaking about the competition???” You asked in shock.

“It was Twice. Idiot can’t keep his mouth shut.” Shigaraki said as you heard Twice’s voice in the background saying it was an accident.

“Look, it doesn’t matter, because the events been cancel due to concern.” You explained.

“ARGHH, figures!” Shigaraki screamed, “look, I’m just here because I have a quick job for you. The others are out setting up our next attack so you’re the only one available.” He said.

“But- but I have something to do right now,” you said, hoping you wouldn’t have to go.

“Well drop it. You’re not getting out of this one. Besides, it’s simple. Get in and get out.” He said.

“..alright,” you didn’t know why. It wasn’t like this was your first job, but it made you want to cry.

“Good. All you have to do is get into heartfilia manner. Boss man, Jude Heartfilia, hired the league for a job offering big banks. He never payed up. All we want is revenge and you’re our best stealth fighter. So get in, kill the man, and get out. Oh! And grab his checkbook too, it’s signed off with his name already. Sounds like easy money. Okay?” He explained.

Kill. Kill. It wouldn’t be your first time. Heck, it wouldn’t even be your 100th time, but the thought of doing it again made you nauseous. However, denying a request from Shigaraki made you even more nauseous. You feared him. You didn’t know just how powerful you were so in your mind, you were the weakest link in the league. So with that in your head, you answered. “Okay.”

You looked towards Rumor in sadness. He seemed to have known what was about to transpire.

“Go get ready, Rumor. We have a job to do.” You said as you walked towards your closet to pull out your villain costume tucked in the back. What stopped you was your...whatever he was to you, walking in.

“Hey princess, I’m back! Miss me?” He said with open arms, closed eyes, and a cocky face, expecting you to leap into his arms. But nothing came. He opened his eyes and saw you near your wardrobe.

“K-Katsuki! Hey! Umm, I’m sorry, but something came up so I can’t really hang right now.” You explained while closing your dresser and walking towards him.

“Oh? What happened? Do you need some help?” He offered. Ugh, why did he have to care about you so much. It’s making things so much harder.

“Um, no. I’ll be good. I just remembered...Korra wants to speak to me. So..I’ll be heading out to talk to her for whatever she needs.” You lied. You felt so guilty lying right to his face but it had to be done.

“Mind if I joined you?” He asked.

“Um, yeah actually, I kinda do. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that these meetings between mentor and pupil are kinda..private. You know?” You asked. You could feel in your soul how furious Korra was that you were using her name to lie your way out.

“Okay, no problem. I’ll see you later?” He said hopeful. You couldn’t deny him that.

“Of course,” you said while giving him a tight hug and a peck on his cheek. Satisfied, he walked out of the room and off to wherever. You let out a sigh as you shut the door and locked it. “Okay Rumor, let’s go.”

——————————————————————————

Rumor was in giant hawk form as you sat on his back and you both were flying over the estate. You looked down and saw the place covered with security, however, there was a landing on the rooftop with a doorway inside. You had Rumor glide down there in silence and quickly tranformed back into Wolf-dog form mid air as you landed on your feet. You both quickly ran inside but not before knocking out the single guard standing inside.

Inside, you both were very cautious. The halls were surprisingly emptied. Nothing but a guard or maid here and there. When you finally found the master bedroom, you busted in and saw he wasn’t there. You scoped around, checked his private bathroom, and still got nothing.

“Rumor. Go into the closet and find some dirty laundry or something. Track his scent and then come find me.” You ordered and Rumor nodded in confirmation. You went back out into the halls and found his study. You walked in prepared to kill and get you still saw no one.

‘Where the hell is everyone?’ You thought to yourself.

You saw scattered papers laying on his desk as you approached the laying furniture. He must’ve been in a hurry if he left the place so disorganized. That or he’s always been a slob. You scurried through his desk and drawers and found his checkbook.

“Bingo. At least we found one thing.” You placed the check board into your pocket as you continued your search. You read through the papers on his desk and saw he had frantically signed a signature to book a place at the Inko Hotel right in Musutafu. Then your eyes went wide.

“.......He knew!” You said in shock. He knew the league would send an assassin. Right when you said that, Rumor came in and barked. He had his scent. You ran towards Rumor as he transformed into giant wolf form and hopped on him. He began to run not caring about the people he bumped in to. Security obviously noticed you all and began shooting at you. You turned around on Rumor’s back and used your metal bending to stop the bullets and send them back, killing others in the process. You cringed behind your mask at the sight but kept a strong facade as Rumor finally made it out. You jumped into the air giving him enough time to turn in a giant hawk again and fly off, picking you up mid-air along the way. You both flew off as fast as you could to the hotel where Rumor’s nose was taking you.

Once you arrived you entered the hotel through a back way entrance. You realized you would have to fit in so off came your black cloak and mask. You walked around in your villain costume that thankfully no one was suspicious of and followed Rumor’s nose. He sniffed the floor and followed Jude’s scent until he reached door 402. You noticed a guard standing by and so you used your charm to seduce the man. While he was distracted by the flirt, you surprisingly used your dim mak and paralyzed him from the neck down. You knocked him out and dragged him to a storage closet and returned to the room. You busted open the door and saw Jude laying there in his sleep. You shut the door and locked it. In case he woke up, you put your cloak and mask back on as you approached his unknowing body.

‘He looks so.....peaceful.’ You thought while watching him. ‘But I have to do my job...no matter how cruel,’ you reminded yourself. You reluctantly and shakenly used your air bending to create a sphere of wind around the man’s head. While maneuvering your hands you took his breath away, depriving him of oxygen and killing him in the process. You just killed a peaceful man in his sleep. As you came to that realization, you released a breathy sigh as you put your hands together to pray for him and allow his spirit to leave the world in respect.

Once you opened your eyes again, you noticed tears pricking at the ends. You hated this part of the job. Stealing and grifting was easy. But murder? That was a whole ‘nother level that made you want to scream. As you walked off with your head handing low, you left the building in a sadly successful job. On the journey back to UA, you called Shigaraki through the earring and told him of your mission results. He congratulated you on a job well done and asked for you to return the checkbook when they would later attack UA. Your face grew sour at the reminder that you’re all here just to create misery. What a pity.

You had noticed Rumor had gotten generously tired and so you opted to just walk instead of fly home. It wasn’t that bad and you needed to clear your head anyway. After walking for some time, you were close to the dorms but as you took a turn, you of course ran into....... Bakugou?!

Due to a quick reaction, Rumor had shrunk to a mouse and you were so thankful you wore your cloak and mask....YOU WORE YOUR CLOAK AND MASK!

“Woah! Hey! Watch we’re you’re-“ he cut himself off as he noticed your attire. He recognized you instantly. “You’re...Titania!”

Thankfully he wasn’t aware of who was under the mask. You picked up Rumor dashed off before anything else happened. But Bakugou being the hero he is, he chased after you.

“Hey! Get back here!” He said using his explosions to blast himself further and give him some speed. However, you had a few tricks yourself. You used your air bending and applied it to help with your running and give you a boost.

As the chase went on, you zig-zagged through alleyways and over city obstacles like trash cans and such. Bakugou was right on your tail...or so you thought. As you turned back to see if he was still behind, you saw nobody, and in the heat of the moment, you let your guard down. You allowed yourself to stop and just breath as you layed against a brick wall in the shadows but to your surprise Bakugou had tackled you to the ground from the side. Now he had you pinned down as he huffed closed to your face.

“You damn villain scum“ those words made you cringe behind your mask. He was right. Villain scum is what you are, but those words coming from Bakugou just made your heart hurt. “What the hell are you doing out here?!”

When he asked that questioned, you remained silent. He grunted as his eyes squinted in frustration. “Tell me!” He demanded.

As your head got back in the game, you kicked his groin and used some wind to push him back. Throwing him behind a pile of trash cans, you quickly used your fire bending to blast you into the air as Bakugou’s sight was blocked. You threw Rumor’s mouse form into the air as he transformed into a giant hawk and you both escaped before Bakugou looked back up to look for you. You successfully got away.

—

When you returned, you had Rumor go back to his mouse form to sneak into the dorms. You waited by the side as Rumor went to retrieve some clothes for you to change into on the side of the building. When he returned, you changed under your cloak and then hid it as you walked in with Rumor. You passed a few students but none seem to be suspicious of anything. You made it to your room and sighed in relief as you layed down but then, Bakugou of course barged in.

“You’re never gonna guess what the fuck just happened, Princess.” Bakugou said as he threw off his jacket and flopped on top of you. You let out a ‘Oof,’ and giggle as you began to pet his head. Yes, you felt guilty for what you did and were about to do but you had to. Right?

“What happened, Suki?” You confidently said. Bakugou slightly flinched as he looked up to you with a slight blush.

“Suki?” He questioned.

“Mhm! My new name for you. Cute right?” You happily said.

“M-mhm,” he said as he tucked his head away in your chest and blushed even more.

“So tell me what happened.” You said. He sighed before speaking almost as if he was frustrated.

“I was out walking after stopping by my parent’s place to drop something off and I ran into..Titania.” He explained.

“Titania?” You played dumb, “that top ranking villain?”

“Not just any top ranking villain. She’s the top and most wanted female villain out there. She’s bad news and I chased her down. Of course she got away though, can’t believe I thought I could take her down. Her skill level is insane. She’s had to have been fighting since she was probably our age or even younger.” He went on.

“You know her age?” You said with a slight panic. You didn’t want Titania’s anything to be revealed.

“With her skills, I’d bet she’s at least in her late 20s.” You were slightly flattered by the fact that Bakugou thinks you’re that powerful, but of course he didn’t know it was you. That was kind of disappointing though, he didn’t know who you truly were. Then you thought back to what he said. Villain Scum. If that’s what he thought Titania was, then when he found out who she really was, he would definitely have a thing or two to say about you. You saddened at that thought but wanted to change the topic after becoming slightly uncomfortable with the “news.”

“Don’t let it get to you. We are still hero trainees after all. We can only do so much. C’mon, let’s watch a movie and cuddle instead.” You offered to which he happily agreed. And so you both sat and just enjoyed each other’s presence and the movie. You were seated in Bakugou’s lap as you both sat on your bed just living in the moment. Bakugou would pepper you in kisses every now and then to which you laughed and happily accepted.

You loved the time you got to spend with Bakugou. It felt right whenever he was around. Your life was a hot mess but then he came and became your little getaway. He was a breath of fresh air to you and everything about him just made you smile. His presence made you happy, his smile made you swoon, his touch had you melting and his kisses were just...amazing. You guys weren’t an official couple, but you were something. And although it was confusing, that something was enough to fill your heart with all the warmth and love that you’ve been missing for the past 16 years of your life. The only question was...how long was it going to last before it all came crushing down?

*sorry for any spelling mistakes, this was quick and delayed*