#you wanna be apart of the fronting roster

[euclydya]

we've only been awake for like 2? almost 3 hours i think and in that timeframe we've almost teared up multiple times bc we r So Happy To Be Alive And We Want To Live And Experience The World And We Are So Joyful And Excited For The Future and I'm just like WHO the fuck is co-con rn.* What the fuck. What the fuck is going on**

(*i know exactly who's co-con rn)

(**This is one HELL of a period that's what's going on)

[buckevantommy]

Buck wakes slowly, his sore muscles protesting as he stretches out in the early morning. He needs more sleep, but he can hear tommy moving around the room getting ready for his shift.

Buck hums. "G'mornin'." His eyes are still closed. He takes his time edging towards full consciousness but can't help the smile that stretches his mouth wide as Tommy echoes his words back to him, voice low and gentle.

The bed dips at his hip as Tommy settles beside him. Buck sighs contentedly when Tommy's hand cards through his sleep-mussed curls. "How was your shift?"

Buck makes a face, head tilting this way and that, then deciding to push into Tommy's touch like a sleepy cat. "Gerrard's a real piece of work, huh."

"Unfortunately."

Tommy's hand scritches at his scalp and a whine trips out of Buck's throat. He doesn't want Tommy to leave. He hates that their shifts haven't aligned properly in over two weeks, only managing to catch each other for a few hours of sleep together here and there.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Buck makes a noise of displeasure, his softened smile replaced with a pout, he knows. He folds his arms around Tommy's forearm, keeping him close. He can have his arm back later. And his hand. Buck's not finished with them just yet.

Tommy fits his other hand to Buck's cheek, thumb brushing under his eye. "Hey."

Buck finally blinks his eyes open to find Tommy looking at him, gaze soft and fond and mouth quirking to hold back a smile. Buck takes a breath and exhales in a huff, turning his face to press a lingering kiss to Tommy's palm. He wriggles in place under the duvet, wondering what the likelihood is of convincing Tommy to call in sick and spend the day in bed with him.

"Wish I could bring you to work with me."

That coaxes Buck's smile back. He presses another kiss to Tommy's palm. "Bring your boyfriend to work day should totally be a thing."

Tommy chuckles and it makes Buck want to record that sound and play it on a loop. Tommy fills his senses. He can smell the woodsy note of his aftershave and the ocean pine scent of his soap. The combined scent of their bodies mingled with Tommy's detergent in the sheets. He wants to bottle the redolence and take it to work to sniff whenever he's missing his boyfriend or just having a hard day. Because Tommy's presence soothes him.

"I miss you." His thumbs sweep over Tommy's wrist, his pulse steady beneath his touch.

Tommy sighs and leans down to press a kiss to Buck's birthmark. He melts, but still tilts his head up, pout returning a little, demanding a proper kiss. Tommy obliges. "We'll figure it out. I promise."

Buck wants to believe him. He knows Tommy will do everything he can on his end to get their rosters aligned. He also knows Gerrard has it in for both of them, meaning he'll continue doing everything he can to keep them apart - until Buck gives up and quits, probably. The guy really needs a hobby.

Brushing his nose alongside Tommy's, he nods. "Call me when you're on break? Or if it's not too busy?"

"Of course."

With one last kiss, Tommy pulls away and Buck lets his arm slide from his grip, fingers entangling for a moment before he lets Tommy go. He glances over from the doorway as Buck urges him to, "Be safe."

Tommy nods, his smile a private thing. A promise. "Get some rest."

Buck wants to say it. But they haven't said it. Not yet. Doesn't mean he doesn't feel it, or that he thinks Tommy doesn't. They're definitely on their way, even if Tommy's not there just yet. And Buck has a habit of rushing things and he doesn't want to ruin the good thing they have going. So, he doesn't say it. They have time.

As he listens to Tommy making his way through the house and out the front door, his eyes slip shut again. It's still early, and this time of year doesn't see much sun in Tommy's bedroom in the morning so sleep begins pulling him back under quickly. He lets Tommy's reassurance soothe him as he drifts off, cocooned in Tommy, hugging the covers closer and turning his nose into the pillow. They'll figure it out. Together.

[brujawrites]

✧ ˚ · . 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 — 

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: "𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞," | masterlist | next chapter

contains: suguru x female reader, shoko ieri, college au, modern setting, college!suguru, english major!suguru, pining, slow burn, inspired by lana del rey lyrics, 18+ ONLY MDNI

synopsis: meet reader! see how suguru and reader's paths have crossed before and why we're especially excited to see him in class this final semester. chapter 1 of a series so there's alot of background being set up!! ao3 - kofi - playlist - pinterest

"sometimes I feel like i've got a war in my mind, I wanna get off but I keep riding the ride, I never really noticed that I had to decide to play someone's game, or live my own life -- and now I do. I wanna move out of the black, into the blue,"

— "Get Free", Lana Del Rey

Suguru Geto was so cool to you. He just exudes an air of captivating mystery, a quality that draws you in. You found a reflection of yourself in him — the curious, introspective soul that found joy in dissecting and analyzing literature and movies for the sheer pleasure of finding a deeper meaning in art. This was a stark contrast to the persona you currently inhabited. Ever since you got everything you thought you wanted by joining the sorority, there’s this “hot girl” facade you’ve been keeping up. You had to, at least you tell yourself that. Being Vice President of the sorority, the hair and nail appointments every couple weeks, the packed schedule every single week, consumed by obligations at work, for the sorority, date functions, or mixers with fraternities — it was everything you thought you wanted. 

The past two years had been hard in an unconventional way. You were suddenly best friends with over 60 girls, learning about what it meant to be a ‘sister’, navigating your academic life, new found social life, & trying to not fail miserably. 

Meeting Suguru in Spanish class two years ago may have actually been around the time things started to get overwhelming. The sight of him walking into the bustling lecture hall remains etched in your memory. His raven black hair gracefully framed his cheekbones, a striking contrast to his fatigued expression. He calmly looked around the room for a potential seat when his gaze suddenly met yours, his velvety dark eyes sending what felt like a jolt of electricity through you. Immediately, you looked away, intimidated by such abrupt intimacy. As the moment drifted away, you couldn’t help but steal more glances, mesmerized by the effortless allure of his hair half-tied, and admiring the contrast between his hair and the crisp white of his band tee. Your hungry eyes lingered on the sight of his strong, lightly tanned forearm, the muscles flexing as he set his bag on the ground in front of his feet. 

A small smirk played on your lips as the facts informed the fiction, aligning your romanticized narrative with reality — you liked him. You wanted him… right? It seemed like a recurring pattern, a new infatuation added to your roster each semester, you were starting to hate how your mind went to those places when looking at complete strangers. He settled into his seat a few rows ahead, to your right. The rest of the hour-long class went by as your attention wavered from the professor's lecture to the constant pings of the pledge class' group chat on your laptop, all while thoughts of this enigmatic boy swirled through your mind. What was it about him? Obviously, his looks played a role — he was undeniably attractive! But there was an unspoken allure about him that resonated with you. Something remarkably genuine.

He was attractive, but not like the frat boys you had started to learn — those confident, almost arrogantly charming boys supported by the rowdy group of self identified brothers. Suguru stood apart in that way, his demeanor stoic, shrouded in enigma. You, on the other hand, were no different than those frat boys. Donning your Greek letters, surrounded by sisters at parties or on campus, you exuded a confidence that was empowering. But when you’re all alone, face to face with a cute guy, maintaining prolonged eye contact feels like you’re in over your head. 

A twinge of disappointment grew inside you as the realization set in; you haven’t changed. You hadn’t felt the profound shift you had envisioned when justifying your sorority membership to friends back home. College was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to compensate for feeling like a loser in high school. Encountering someone like Suguru served to remind your of your discomfort within your own skin, in your clothes. Despite this, you pressed on, going through the motions because you thought that was what would make you happy. You thought it was what you wanted. 

That concern quickly snowballed into a full-fledged personal identity crisis, intensifying by the time you were twenty-one. Everyone your age experienced that overwhelming anxiety about the trajectory life seemed to be going in, right? You were pretty aware that these insecurities stemmed from your less than wonderful experiences in grade school. The desire to be accepted, to belong, felt deceptively straightforward but in reality, it was complex. Seeking validation through association of status started to overshadow authentic connections, a realization that took two years to hit. Stepping down from the exhaustive responsibilities of the exec board of your sorority, a position that took way too much time and stress, you now craved a final semester dedicated to your genuine pleasure. No more putting on a facade, no more living for appearances. 

So, when you trudged through the cold, grey January air to your senior seminar to find three or four other students, you immediately slipped into your unnatural facade, feigning interest in your phone screen instead of others around you that actually held your interest. So much for not living up to appearances, you thought silently to yourself when he walked in. 

Suguru Geto. The name alone sent a jolt through you, so seeing him walk into the room sent a surge of excitement swiftly followed by a pang of panic. Today, he looked impeccable. His hair effortlessly framing his features, a brown flannel that accentuated out the deep hues in his eyes, paired with a white crewneck & off-white khakis. Simple, but something about it brought on a flush of warmth over your body. As he moved closer to your side of the classroom, the facade threatened to crumble. Buried in your phone, pretending to text your roommate, Utahime, just trying to avoid the prospect of awkward eye contact or embarrass yourself by speaking to him. 

Your attention is lifted from the screen when the desk in front of you starts to shift. Suguru stood before you, unfastening his backpack, meeting your gaze. You silently hoped your flushed cheeks weren’t betraying your emotions as you offered the boy a friendly grin. After all, the two of you knew each other. A soft smile grew on his lips before he turned away, settling into his seat before class.

Yeah, you think to yourself, recalling that you and Suguru had crossed paths before, that it wasn't a fantasy you made up. Last Spring you took that boring poetry theory class together. That professor was super strict & everyone in the class realized it at the same time when he revealed the daunting project: reconstructing a Wikipedia page for an ancient poem. You got a B for the midterm, Suguru got a D and was shocked to see your grade so much higher than his. “Everyone got a super low score,” you remember him rationalizing, a touch of defeat in his tone. There was nothing you could really say back to him thanks to the slight intimidation that comes from talking to someone so effortlessly cool. Handsome, even. 

“Yeah, I’m not entirely sure how I managed that score either. I didn’t really know what I was doing.” You admitted, not intending to mislead, but also recognizing you had no actual insight to give.

“I’m gonna call Shoko and see what she got. See ya later,” he waved before strolling over to the bike rack, phone already at his ear with Shoko on the dial. You tentatively wave back, feeling a peculiar sensation settling in your stomach. You noticed Shoko and Suguru in class together, but they’re dynamic never struck you as particularly flirtatious. They were definitely close though. It was funny for you to think back to the immense crush you had on him the spring semester one year before, only for fall semester to roll by — out of sight, out of mind. And then, there you were a year later.

The digital clock on the wall hit 9:30 right as the professor entered, exchanging morning greetings before setting up the projector. The first class of your last semester is starting now, causing a subtle flutter in your stomach. It was surreal that just four years ago you got lost in this exact building during orientation week. You had experienced a myriad of changes within yourself since starting university. Why did you feel such shame about it? Because it’s not you, you quietly reasoned to yourself. As Suguru adjusted in his seat in front of you, his hair and big shoulders encroaching on your desk space, the subtle whiff of his black-cherry scented cologne served as a gentle reminder of your conundrum. 

Okay, so you’re into him.

This time, you silently told yourself, you’re actually going to do more to get to know him. Usually, your interest in men gravitates towards fraternity-affiliated boys, but after two years of mingling with them, nothing felt truly authentic, worthwhile, or genuine. Reflecting on the time an upperclassman in another sorority was gushing about her parents meeting through Greek life at a mixer — you could barely mask your dismay at the notion of finding a lifelong partner within that circle. Gradually, you learned to adapt to navigate those environments with copious amounts of alcohol among other substances. They served as a mask, veiling the disdain some of those young men would bring out in your expression. Their thoughtlessness with their dicks and carelessness with their words often left you repulsed and disheartened..

“Alright,” the disappointment in your professor’s voice snapped your attention back to the room. “Well, you were expected to have had that reading done for today’s discussion. Given that only two of you have actually taken the initiative of checking their emails before class, we’ll need to end early. Check your email for Thursday’s assignment as I’ll be sending it out briefly.” The sound of zipping bags and shuffling papers filled the room as the Professor’s words trailed off, students preparing to leave. Both you and Suguru remained seated, attentive. Hot, you thought. A man with respect for women speaking. “Thursday’s discussion will cover today’s missed discussion along with the planned agenda for our second meeting. See you then.”

She nodded briefly in your direction, and a faint warmth spread across your cheeks from the unexpected attention. Only two of you completed the reading? That caught your curiosity, and it seemed Suguru shared that sentiment. Pivoting in his seat to face you, his grin returning with your flush. “Hey,” his voice, smooth and gentle, made the corners of your mouth instinctively curve upwards. 

“Hi,” you replied with a playful smirk, casually tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Did you do the reading?” Suguru’s voice lowered, his gaze discreetly scanning a few classmates nearby. You responded with a nod and a soft giggle. 

“Did you?” You teased back, your own voice barely above a whisper. You felt like jelly when he rewarded you with a chuckle. Oh man, you thought silently.

“Yeah, I did. It’s just... none of it really made sense. Wondering if you might have some notes or something you could share,” he admitted as you both gathered your belongings, preparing to leave. You suddenly felt self conscious about your outfit, conscious of his attention. You and Suguru were unintentionally matched with your puffy, white turtleneck and shades of brown from your plaid mini skirt complementing his flannel. The leather knee high riding boots didn’t exactly match his black Converse in style, but certainly in color — you just worried it was too… girly. You hoped he wouldn’t write you off for your affiliation to Greek life. 

“Um, I did read it, but I have a bit of a weird approach... Do you have a class next or are you free for a bit?” the words spilled out before you could second guess yourself. Yes, keep going, you urged yourself silently as you led the conversation with Suguru into the hall. He can’t make assumptions without knowing you, you reminded yourself. He nodded agreeably, indicating he had some time to spare, then suggested grabbing a table at the coffee shop near campus. As you exited the building together, you decided it was time to let him see the real you. 

[monstercampus]

Harpy Professor - First Meeting

(cws: slight alcohol mention, brief lewd references)

wc: 3.5k

Last night was a mess. Priam had been out all night partying with his friends, while Antón had been rage-cleaning the apartment in a frenzy in order to have everything spotless before the first day of term. The two of them you've gotten used to, of course, but their habits still tick you off when you're not in the mood to deal with them. Priam's drunken stumble back into the dorm at 4 AM didn't help either, as your vampiric roommate got into an argument with him over leaving the living room a mess. Exams have been over for weeks, and yet the two of them still find stupid things to fight about in the heat of the moment.

And you were left to endure it as best you could, your pillow clamped over your ears for half the night and your blanket pulled down over your feet by your shadow friend–who also seemed to be quite frustrated by your other tenants and their noise, trying vainly to block out the light and seal your door in his mist to try and muffle the ruckus. Either way you weren't going to sleep, not well, so now you've stepped into your first class of the new semester with bags under your eyes and half your school supplies forgotten. Just get through it today. Tomorrow will be better.

First on the roster this morning is Monster-Human Relations–a class you knew would be small, but not this small, with barely ten or so seats filled so far in the mid-sized lecture room. There's only about five rows of staggered desks on a slope anyways, with a curved, connected desk to separate the section from the front of the class and the podium. And you're a few minutes early, so you anticipate there'll be more students filing in as they wake up from their respective hangovers or hangovers-by-association, like yourself. Being an advanced class, though, it's not going to be much bigger than this. The only reason you're even taking this class was because the professor made a request for your attendance, and gave you special permissions to attend based on your unique species allocation. And lo and behold, even so, there's a face you recognize right as you walk in the door, his piercing eyes perking up as he lifts his head at the sound of your footsteps. It's Nick. Gods you are glad to see him. He peers at you through a few loose strands of dark hair, and at the sight of you a smile flashes across his face.

"Hey," He brightens up, pulling on the back of the chair beside him to offer you a seat. "Didn't know you were in this class too." He chuckles, though your look of relief doesn't seem to entertain him enough not to notice the weight of weariness you carry in your slumped shoulders. You're quick and eager to drop your bag on the table and slide into the chair, but Nick's worry stops you in your tracks. "What's up, buttercup? You look exhausted. Why aren't you in bed?"

"Roommates kept me up," You sigh, flipping open the lip of your bag to pull out your laptop. "But I'm okay. Can't miss the first class, anyways."

"Of course you can." Nicky's grin returns as you hoped it would, but it's gentler this time. "Besides, Wellwright's a big puffball. You can pretty much do whatever you want in his classes."

"I don't wanna be rude."

"You don't have a rude bone in your body." He's not flippant about it, but he does avert his eyes as he makes his comment–although it could just be because he's scribbling the date and the course number down in his thick notebook. "Wellwright's a super sweet guy, he was my mentor in Commonspeak class. He'll love you."

"You took Commonspeak?"

"Sure did." Those pearly teeth make an appearance as he chuckles, pride swelling his chest. "Barely spoke a word when I got here. Now I'm the most voracious person you probably know."

"Voracious?" You laugh, and he joins you, though as uplifting as it is it doesn't last for very long. You're grateful for it even so, your chuckling devolving as more people filter in and drawing to a close as the door to the classroom nearly slams off the hinges.

One moment of peace turns into chaos like the flip of a light switch, a pair of huge, strong wings entering the room with a scraggly, rough-looking man stumbling in alongside them. A tornado of feathers seems to cascade over the front of the room, flying off and whipping up with the breeze as those enormous wings flap and fold in an attempt to keep their host on his feet. Both you and Nick have to grab hold of your notebook and laptop respectively just so they don't fly off the table.

"My apologies!" He squawks, arms full of books and papers that also seem to be flying everywhere as he makes his way to his desk. You spare a glance over Nick's shoulder as he checks his watch, to which he taps and mouths "late" to you to elicit another giggle.

Raven Wellwright, a harpy of considerable acclaim, is definitely a name you've heard beyond the professor hastily scribbling it up on the whiteboard. Not only is he one of very, very few male harpies known to the world, but he's also very conveniently one of a handful of experts on the field of monster and human cooperation. He's penned a library of papers, articles, and books on the subject, won awards for his aid in developmental projects and awareness campaigns, and he's even been the first monster to be welcomed into a previously human-exclusive collegiate of considerable prestige. He's a rarity in all senses of the word…a rarity that's molting his feathers all over his desk, sweat gathering at his collar as his short waves of strawberry-blond locks falling haphazardly back into place while he shuffles around.

"Right!" He bellows out to the three-quarters-empty classroom, the tak tak of his papers hitting the podium echoing off the walls like glass marbles. "What was I saying?"

"You haven't started yet, professor." Nick calls out, and although it's certainly an awkward air in the room the harpy seems somewhat relieved that he hasn't already forgotten what just came out of his mouth.

"Right, thank you Nicholas. Nicholas!" He suddenly bursts into a frenzy, a smile plastered over his glowing face and his eyes sparkling with grateful familiarity. "Nicholas will be our note-taker this term, as well as your TA! Take a bow, Nick!"

Funny enough, even confident-and-cool Nick boasts a spot of shyness and a dark flush to his ears as he's encouraged to stand, turning around to wave at your fellow students who eye him up with varying degrees of interest, all while Raven claps with an eagerness to him that lasts until your friend reclaims his seat. Whispers dominate the classroom while Raven's head is turned, though it doesn't seem like they're just regarding the scatterbrained professor and his handsome assistant–especially not when he turns back and his square glasses-framed eyes land directly on you.

"Oh," That soft puff of air could just as well be a gunshot with how loud it feels to you, Raven's lithe fingers trembling slightly as he pushes his lenses higher up on his nose. For a split second, even with Nick's comforting words in the back of your brain, a tense knot of worry tightens in your stomach as you wonder whether your presence will be met with disdain.

"H-Hello! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," And yet that concern evaporates the instant he skirts around the podium, features bright and his wings rustling excitedly as he hustles towards your desk and thrusts his hand out to yours. You barely have to hold his at all with how violently nervous his grip is, fingers clamped down so tight you can just barely feel the itch of his filed claws for nails against your skin. "Raven Wellwright, P.H.D! I'd like to welcome you to our university–it is a joy and an honour to have you here!"

With one last tight squeeze of his unusually cool hand, he pats your arm and releases you from that iron grip to scurry back to his podium. As luck would have it, all he's got prepared for today is a review of the syllabus, which soon flies by despite being peppered with occasional comments and brief anecdotes to supplement it, courtesy of a now hyper-focused prof who clearly knows what he's talking about. It's almost a little intimidating to watch him switch so quickly from anxiety to decisiveness, the nervous shakes vanishing as he briefly divulges the core topics of the material you'll be going over. It actually helps to stir you a bit from your exhaustion, though the half-smushed granola bar in the bottom of your bag also helps once he reiterates that eating in his class isn't a faux pas.

"I'm sure you're all readily familiar with the plagiarism policy and academic conduct sections as well, yes? Any questions?"

A revolution of head-nodding round the room seems to suffice, and with a quick glance at the clock by the door Wellwright rolls out his shoulders and drops his papers against the podium with a refreshed sigh.

"Well, that's good enough for me! Take an early lunch and enjoy the rest of your day, we'll start with our introductory lecture next class–oh, and could you two come to my office for a spell?" As he passes by your joint desks he gives them a tap, making eye contact with both you and Nick with a reassuring smile as the rest of the class shuffles their bookbags and lets their chair legs squeak as they get up from their seats. Your heart kicks up with a nervous thump, thump, thump, but whether Nick can smell it or hear it or is completely oblivious to it he pats your thigh under the table and nudges your shoulder playfully.

"No worries. He probably just wants to gush over you." He whispers into your ear, and with a half-smile conjured up from your dwindling pool of strength you gather your things in kind and follow alongside the werewolf as you both make your way to Wellwright's office, the path known well enough to him that he can chat your ear off the whole way there, and still make it in time to watch the professor hustle along down the corridor with his bag in tow as the two of you wait for him to unlock the door.

"Come in, come in! Take a seat–anywhere is fine–and have a snack! I've got tea…uh, somewhere! Just give me a moment.."

It's most certainly more haphazard being around him in the cramped office than it was in the lecture hall–as Wellwright hurries in and you two follow behind, Nick has to bring his hand down firmly on your head for you both to duck, just barely missing the professor's wing as it swings around and nearly collides with both of you. And with the size and strength of those muscles and that coat of healthy tawn-coloured feathers, you don't even wanna know how hard it would hurt to get smacked with one of those things.

But, oblivious to your plight, the avian totters around his office chirping up a storm while the werewolf at your side leads you–with your heads appropriately bowed under his wing line this time–to take your seats in the two plush chairs across from his spacious corner desk. Raven busies himself by the window with what looks to be a teapot on a portable burner for a minute or two, before the spout starts to whistle a familiar tune and he expertly tips it out to pour three steaming cups of fresh tea. Ginger-flavoured by the smell of it, the scent pervading your nostrils in an oddly relaxing way as he lays out each cup in front of all three of you. Curious, you watch as he takes his own seat, and notice that the arms of his chair dip towards the back for each wing to settle comfortably in the empty slots. Monster creativity truly knows no bounds, no matter how benign the design.

"-Anyways, that's quite enough about me! I'd like to know more about you." His bangs flutter over each brow as he turns to meet your eyes, not an ounce of enthusiasm missing from his gaze as he takes a sip from his cup–and proceeds to splutter and cough with a napkin pulled up to cover his mouth, mumbling in a half-lisp about burning his tongue. When you follow his lead with a giggle you make sure to at least blow on yours, and it's actually rather sweet despite the strength of the ginger threatening to overwhelm you. "I–we–are well and truly excited to have you here! I can't tell you how integral your presence will be in the pursuit of monster-human cooperation–you are sincerely a gift to this establishment, and I cannot thank you enough for taking the plunge and attending despite the odd circumstances."

Somehow–perhaps it's an effect of the tea–the mouthful of praises the professor drops are free from his usual stutters and vocal stumbling, as if the topic of you is yet another subject he can't help but be eloquently passionate about. You, on the other hand? You're not even sure what to say to that...such high praise feels uncalled for, not that it's unpleasant in nature, but that it should be reserved for someone that's actually done something to deserve it. All you really did was go with the flow and refrain from kicking up a fuss.

"I, uh…th-thank you, professor, but I really didn't do much…" You shrug shyly, suddenly wishing you could disappear from the awkwardness and hide inside Nick's jacket for comfort. But the silent moment passes not in a hollow, nerve-wracking way, because it's filled by Raven's easy smile growing into something a little more intimate, his feathers settling to lay flat as he reaches over the desk and gently clasps both hands over yours.

"You took a risk, my dear. Unsure of what lies on the horizon, you chose a path seldom travelled yet long overdue for progress. That in itself is worth a world of praise."

You knew he could be eloquent, but that…that was poetry. And could that warmth tipping his pointed ears be a blush, coincidental with how his fingers retract from touching you? Worried his touches may come off as something more the longer they linger? Or are you simply reading into things?

"Maybe I should go," Nick teases, and that thankfully eases the tension enough for you to snap back into the reality at hand–and for Raven's feathers to ruffle in embarrassment as he leans away from you just to bump his head painfully on his overhanging lamp.

"Sweet Chaos–ah, I'm fine, I'm fine!" He waves away your worry while Nick erupts into a cheeky laugh beside you, the professor's unyielding clumsiness proving too much for him to keep it all sealed in. Especially hearing a string of curses fly from such a sweet, kind-hearted man's mouth, who wouldn't hurt a beetle even if it bit him. "Before I injure myself further, perhaps I should just get to the point." He sighs with a palm pressed to the back of his head, rubbing the soreness off the fortunately very minor bump there.

"It's the MHC thing, right?" Nick pipes up, sobered from the giggle fit but still grinning from ear to ear.

"Just so." Raven nods, those cotton candy-pink eyes shifting back to you. "My dear, I have a favour to ask of you. Would you consider being a human ambassador on my behalf?"

"...Ambassador? As in..?"

"Oh, i-it's nothing too taxing! Allow me to explain: being an ambassador simply means you would be willing to speak as an individual of your species for MHC conferences. It would really just involve me calling on your opinion and presenting it to the Monster-Human Commission–most of it will just be in writing, no more than a sentence or few."

"You mean 'sentence or two', professor." Nick cuts in, leaning back in his chair like he owns the place. If you weren't mistaken, you could swear there's a glint of something fierce in the harpy's eyes as his gaze flits over to his protégé–but it's there and gone in a moment, and you try not to let the thought linger for fear of how it might make you wonder.

"Goodness! Surpassing your mentor already, eh? Maybe you should be the one teaching commonspeak, Mr. Wolf." He soon returns to the comfort of your gaze on him. "By no means is it a necessity, but it would be of brilliant use to my colleagues in the commission. Take some time to think about it, okay? There's no rush. You can start and stop whenever you please."

"I, uh…yes, thank you, professor. I'll give it some thought." Wellwright nods with a happy grin, and allows you to finish the rest of your tea with a few occasional spurts of scatterbrained conversation peppered in between. He's so courteous and well-spoken, gentle and kind…there's no wonder you've heard giggling from the harpy girls on campus when he's brought up, his dreaminess a total diamond in the rough for any self-respecting monster. An absolute gem. A-

"Hey, professor, I can't quite remember–are we reviewing interbreeding this term?"

As if burning his tongue and bumping his head wasn't enough, Wellwright balks at Nick's unforeseen question and nearly chokes on the dregs of his tea, the liquid splattering his chin with a cough that he's quick to wipe with the back of his hand. If it crossed your mind in time, and if you weren't so tired, you'd have half a mind to give Nick a pinch under the desk for torturing the poor man.

"C-Cross-species mating? Uh, ye…yes, we are.."

"Mmh. Gotcha. We've got a human this year, so maybe we can do our independent study on it? That'd be pretty helpful for your research, huh?"

What hits you right away is that he doesn't say no. Not that it's not his first reaction, but that the word doesn't even cross his lips. The slightest twinge of his brow has the harpy narrowing his eyes at the werewolf, and for a brief spell you think the professor might be humouring the exact same reaction as you were.

"Th-That would depend on the human's decision, Nick–and that is certainly not the full extent of my research, I might add!"

"Y-You, um…you study interbreeding, Dr. Wellwright?"

Your query flits out like the most timid of butterflies, curious and interested in equal measure. It must be so easy for both of them to pick up, but you can't really help it–the idea of such a sweet professor pursuing such a lewd scholarly topic is…fascinating, to say the least.

"He does. In great detail." Nick leans over to whisper into your ear, and the air in the room seems to change as Raven squirms anxiously in his seat.

"I-It's a necessary component of my research…" He mumbles, suddenly unable to meet your eyes as the heat in his face stretches to reach the tips of his pointed ears.

"So necessary." Nick adds with a shit-eating grin.

"Nicholas!” Raven finally huffs, brow furrowed and eyes dimmed of their sparkle. Oh, now he's mad. And yet, with a glance over at your companion, Nick couldn't look more enthused about the prospect. They certainly seem to be on familiar terms with how much teasing your friend knows he can get away with. Ripples start to part Wellwright's feathers like shudders, and almost under his breath, he quietly asks if you would give him a moment with his T.A–and you have never been more quick to oblige, setting down your teacup at an earnest pace before your bag is slung over your shoulder and you're soon closing the office door firmly behind you. The click of the lock echoes in the otherwise empty corridor, and though you'd like to wait for Nick out of courtesy, the hushed whispering that ensues followed by the flap of your professor's wings clues you in that perhaps it would be better to give them some���privacy.

Although, at the very least your phone buzzes before you've even left the wing, a glance down at the messages revealing that Nick's gonna be tied up for awhile, but he's alright. His words echo in your head, “Wellwright's just a big puffball”, and it loosens a pleasant sigh from your throat as you let your shoulders relax. The last thing you want is to get anyone in trouble, which you seem to do quite easily by your very nature of being human.

This class may end up being a different story though, if your professor's…enthusiasm towards the human race is anything to go by.

[v6quewrlds]

Hello! Any post game thoughts (Bengals) ? Happy Sunday and I hope you have a lovely start to your week!

-🦈

a lot of thoughts honestly! i held off on saying anything during or right after because i was heated lmao.

i don't know what shifted after the half (probably jalen's rushing td being called on?) but the offense was not connecting the way they were earlier in the season. defense was okay but not good enough for this eagles team that was making the right calls, the right plays, and fighting for every inch.

i wouldn't hit the panic button yet (i don't think they'll make the playoffs) but this loss was embarrassing for them. and you could just feel things falling apart in the second half. their most immediate concern should be getting their offense back on the same page because the defensive problem isn't going to fix itself for a couple of games if it even happens at all this season.

the next concern once this season is over is their front office management. they need to find out where the breakdown is happening between their impressive roster, the contracts these guys are getting, and the coaching. i'm leaning toward coaching being the most glaring problem but there's something else going on in that locker room. the offense does not look like themselves AT ALL from just three or four games ago, and that's concerning for a team like the bengals led by two of the most in-sync, dynamic players in the league.

i'm not gonna sit here and act like i think this bengals team has the most potential or most talent in the league, or that i thought they were gonna be on a super bowl run this season. but, i thought they'd make the playoff at least. but as of right now, i wouldn't be surprised if they end up with a losing record.

i wanna be clear though, i don't think it's a talent issue. joe, ja'marr, andrei, chase, GESICKI, trey, mims, jermaine, erick, and evan (bc kickers matter!) are playing outstanding football this season. and that's just the players off the top of my head that have stood out to me in games. ultimately, the biggest problems are play calling (coaching issue) and cohesion. they can of course turn it around but right now it's not looking too hot.

[kultklassickiller]

Turning Tables a novela (4)

Summary: Janessa Davis lives for the drama—and she’s got a front-row seat to the wildest show on Earth: professional wrestling. As a reporter, content creator, and certified shit-stirrer, she’s earned a reputation for being the backstage wildflower everyone loves to hate (or secretly loves to love). Most of the roster can’t resist her probing questions and chaotic charm.

But the Bloodline 2.0? Oh, honey, they’d rather suplex her into next week than entertain her antics. Insults? Check. Threats? Double check. A few creative “Yo Mama” jokes? Let’s just say tensions are high, and Janessa isn’t exactly making friends.

She should probably quit while she’s ahead—but where’s the fun in that? Janessa loves playing cat-and-mouse, especially when she’s convinced she’s the cat. But someone in their camp knows the truth: she’s no predator. She’s the prey. And the Bloodline? They’re sharpening their claws.

There’s one man who might save her neck… or hang her out to dry. His loyalty is as questionable as Janessa’s filter, but he knows how far the others are willing to go to make her disappear. The real question is: how far is he willing to go to keep her alive—or keep his secrets hidden?

In a world where every feud blurs the line between fantasy and reality, Janessa’s about to learn the hard way: when the lights go out and the crowd goes home, the real monsters come out to play.

Pairing: Tonga Loa x Janessa (Nessa) Davis (OC)

Author’s Note: This begins right after the Bloodline 2.0 loses War Games ’24. I envision this happening over a certain period of time only focusing on major turning points, past and future. This is AU so it follows the timeline and certain events but not really.

Additional parts may be added..

Warning: None.

Disclaimer: This work of art is fictional in nature including the original characters created by me. I do not own any of the existing characters or lyrics from songs referenced in this story. All rights belong to their respective owners with the exception of my original characters. This work is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to cause harm.

If you wanna join the taglist for this story, just let me know! Taglist: @isabella-2025

Chapter Four: Cracks Beneath the Surface

Tonga Loa had always prided himself on being unshakable. A pillar of strength, a fortress for his brothers—both blood and chosen. But as he sat in the darkened hotel room, his arm strapped in a sling and his frustration simmering just beneath the surface, he felt more like a crumbling wall.

The Bloodline 2.0 was coming apart at the seams, and he was powerless to stop it. Tama and Solo were constantly at odds, their arguments escalating to near-physical fights. Jacob had withdrawn, a storm brewing beneath his stoic exterior. And Bronson? Bronson’s injury was the final insult, a reminder that their dominance wasn’t invincible.

And then there was Janessa.

The thought of her brought an ache that had nothing to do with his torn bicep. She was a wildfire he couldn’t help but chase, even knowing it would burn him. Their secret meetings, their stolen moments—they were the only thing keeping him grounded. But they were also a dangerous distraction.

He exhaled sharply, his uninjured hand running through his hair as his phone vibrated on the nightstand. The screen lit up with a notification: Janessa.

Tonga picked up the phone, his thumb hovering over the screen. He didn’t need to read her message to know she was worried. She always was, even if she’d never admit it outright.

“How’s the arm?” she’d asked earlier.

“Still attached,” he’d replied, trying to downplay it. But he could see through her facade as easily as she saw through his. She cared, and that scared him more than anything.

A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He frowned, setting the phone down as he stood. “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Tama’s voice came through, muffled but unmistakably tense.

Tonga opened the door to find his brother standing there, arms crossed and jaw set. “We need to talk.”

“Come in,” Tonga said, stepping aside. “What’s going on?”

Tama didn’t waste time. “Solo’s losing it. He’s pushing too hard, making calls that don’t make sense. And Jacob’s no help; he’s just watching it all fall apart like he’s waiting for us to self-destruct.”

Tonga sighed, sinking onto the edge of the bed. “What do you want me to do, Tama? I’m useless like this.” He gestured to his injured arm. “I can’t even train, let alone step in the ring.”

“You’re not useless,” Tama said, his voice firm. “You’re the only one Solo listens to. He respects you. If anyone can pull him back from the edge, it’s you.”

Tonga leaned forward, resting his head in his good hand. He wanted to believe Tama, but the weight of everything—the injuries, the team’s decline, the secret he was keeping—pressed down on him like a mountain.

“I’ll try,” he said finally. It wasn’t much, but it was all he could offer.

----

Janessa was back in her element, weaving through the backstage chaos like a shadow. Tonight was a big night for the Bloodline 2.0. Not in the ring—they weren’t booked for a match—but in the court of public perception. Solo was set to address the crowd, a promo meant to reaffirm their dominance and silence the doubters. But Janessa had her doubts.

She watched from the sidelines as Solo paced, his intensity almost palpable. Tama stood nearby, his arms crossed, glaring at nothing in particular. Jacob leaned against the wall, silent and brooding, while Bronson sat in a wheelchair, his frustration etched into every line of his face.

“How’s your source holding up?” a voice drawled behind her.

Janessa turned to find one of the production crew grinning at her, clearly fishing for gossip. “You’ll have to be more specific,” she said coolly, brushing past him.

Her “source” was at his breaking point, and she knew it. Tonga’s absence from the ring was a glaring void, and it was clear the rest of the Bloodline felt it too. But what worried her most was how much longer they could keep their secret. Every glance, every shared moment—it felt like a spotlight.

The promo didn’t go well. Solo’s words were sharp, but the crowd’s reaction was lukewarm. The once-unwavering fans were beginning to waver, their faith shaken by weeks of infighting and missed opportunities. Janessa felt the tension radiating from the group as they returned backstage.

Tama threw his hands up as soon as they were out of earshot. “That’s it? That’s your big plan to save this team?”

“You got something better?” Solo snapped, rounding on him.

“Yeah, how about we actually work together for once?” Tama shot back. “Instead of you barking orders like we’re your damn soldiers.”

“I'm the Tribal Chief,” Solo growled, stepping closer. “You want to challenge that? Go ahead. Let’s see how far you get.”

Jacob’s voice cut through the rising argument. “Enough.”

Both men turned to him, but he didn’t flinch. “We’re already hanging by a thread. You two ripping each other apart isn’t going to fix anything.”

Janessa watched silently, her heart racing. This wasn’t just a team on the verge of collapse; it was a powder keg. And she was standing far too close to the fuse.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, her breath catching when she saw the name.

Tonga Loa: “How bad is it?”

She hesitated, glancing at the scene unfolding before her. Then she typed back: “Bad. Really bad.”

Tonga stared at the screen, her words sinking in like a stone in his gut. He wanted to be there, to step between Solo and Tama and remind them what they were fighting for. But all he could do was sit in this damn hotel room, a spectator to his own downfall.

He’d never felt so powerless.

Another message popped up: “You should rest. We’ll figure this out.”

He almost laughed. Janessa, ever the optimist. Or maybe just stubborn. Either way, her words did little to ease the weight pressing down on him.

He typed back: “Stay safe.”

And then, after a moment’s hesitation: “I miss you.”

[dependante]

Ghost MW2 / Reader

Cee prompt, compt as one might say even.

Simon Riley/reader

CW's: none that I can really think of!

Wc: 2,400+

"You wanna switch?"

You scowl and tighten your grip, refusing to acknowledge the man in the seat next to you. It's only been 6 hours and he's already driving you crazy. The stench of cigarettes has already permeated the small musty cabin of your truck, despite his small mercy of rolling down the windows when he lights another up. 

"No, we've only got a couple hours of daylight left. I’ll switch when it gets dark." You say.

He lets out a noncommittal hmm at that and takes a drag instead of a worded answer.

You would fucking kill for some new music, the silence of the truck is stifling, but one more repeat of the two CDs you had (Santana's greatest hits- a gift from your dad and boyz ii men) would drive you both insane you think. The radio too staticky to really enjoy out here, and there was only so much npr one wanted to listen to. The last playthrough ended abruptly when the Santana cd was restarting and with more than necessary force Simon had popped the cd out the player and into the back seat, out of reach. 

Asshole. 

Why you had agreed to drive the man three states over is beyond you.

He’s not bad company, quiet, with a good sense of humor and patience but, you barely know the him and the last minute request from your friend meant you had scrambled into a road trip with an absolute stranger. 

–

“Please! It'll be this one time you know I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate!

You sigh into the receiver, looking out the peephole again to the mass of a man currently at your doorstep, wearing a balaclava? You move away from the door before you hiss into the receiver.

"You have this HUGE man at our door unprompted at seven in the morning and asking for you. This is crazy!"

You've begun to quietly pace the small expanse of the living room heart still pounding from the sudden wake you had. You'd rolled out of bed to the pounding at the door only to yelp at the sight through the peephole. Apparently, he had heard you as the man paused before gruffly calling out for you to call your roommate. 

Should've called the cops instead, you think grumpily. 

"Simon's cool I swear! He’s military, we’ve been talking for a year now, I just didn't know he’d be coming in. He's got no transport and flights are bad right now-"

What him being military had anything to do with trustworthiness was beyond you but she certainly had a type it seemed.

"No shit, it's right before the holidays." You say.

"Exactly! Listen you can call John, he's a friend of his- he’s the one that introduced us! He can vouch I swear."

You sigh, pausing in front of the door again. You liked Johnny, you trusted his opinion. He was a new addition to your roommates' roster but he was at least tolerable. 

Sans the mohawk.

"Alright alright, fine, but if I die it's on you."

"Thank you! We'll be waiting for you guys to get up here. I'll Venmo you the gas total."

You hang up before opening the door to the man behind it. The man, Simon apparently, stands in your doorway, backlit by the early morning oranges of the rising sun. He's tall, and you crane your neck up to look him in the eye, trying to appear stern.

"You almost gave me a heart attack."

His eyes scan you slowly, burning through you and you suddenly remember the little amount of clothing you sleep in.

"I assumed she would've called to let you know." He says monotone.

"Well you assumed wrong."

“Can I use your bathroom?”

–

"Between the mask and the smoke I don't know how you even fucking breathe." 

You see his jaw flex out of the corner of your eye. He wordlessly rolls down the window farther and tosses the half-smoked cig out the window. 

Not very eco friendly but you decide not to comment, having already obviously pushed his buttons. 

The mask was interesting. He had partially pulled it up in the apartment before you both left to formally introduce himself but had quickly pulled it back down as you left the apartment. A bit nerve wracking as you considered the fact he was most likely hiding his identity, but in for a penny in for a pound and some change you guess.

It's boring and the drive is long, your eyes fight to stay open as the cross state backroads you're taking seem to stretch on and on forever. The occasional jolt of a shitty road or bout of convo is the only thing keeping you present. No aux in your rust bucket unfortunately and now no Santana.

Upon seeing your lovely ride Simon had in fact not been impressed. Even less so by the mile meter. 

You've asked Simon several questions so far. How did he know John, how long had they been in the force together, what was being British like, everything. All of his answers entertaining but vague with details, particularly the questions pertaining to his job which made sense, but only made you more eager to prod much to his annoyance. You learned he was a part of a special ops group high up in military and that they were currently both on leave, unplanned. John had flown out first to see your roommate and Simon had only decided last minute to join, having told no one and unaware that they had gone states over. 

You couldn't quite get a straight answer on how the man knew your roommate. Oh so subtly you were trying to figure out if you were in the clear to flirt with him without potentially crossing a line, but again, he was frustratingly vague with the exact nature of their relationship. You really should’ve just outright asked if they’d fucked but you weren’t quite sure you wanted to hear that answer. 

Finally, the sun had begun to set and as you pulled into a gas station for a quick refill of gas and a moment to text your travel status. You swapped positions and Simon settled into the driver's seat. 

It didn't take long for you to nod off, kind of worrying considering that you could always be murdered by the man in the seat next to you. (He had brought his gun, you’d seen it briefly before he pushed it under the passenger seat of the truck, emptying the clip and setting it beside the gun. State laws and all.) But what could you say besides that you were an idiot and bored. Plus vote of confidence from John and location tracking makes it probably less appealing to murder you. 

–

You sleep fitfully, never fully falling asleep but still managing to let hours pass by in an unconscious state before you’re finally and fully awoken by the rising sun. You groan and stretch, popping the ligaments in your feet before reaching for your phone in the glove compartment. You note the faint playing of the radio. He must've gotten lonely, or bored. 

"I'm hungry," you state, not looking up from your phone. No new developments to be seen, just a stray email and message from your mother.

"Slim jims in the back, picked 'em up last night while you snored away."

"I don't snore and gross? Why would I want to eat that."

"Go hungry then."

He's teasing, you can hear the smile in his voice and as you finally turn to look at him disapprovingly you realize you can also see it. See him. Huh.

"You took off your mask?" You can't help but ask. You wonder what changed. 

His lips thin in a line before he shrugs.

"Got gross. No reason to cover up out here."

"Ah."

You almost wish he'd cover back up. Simon had already been attractive with just his sharp eyes and mouth and now? You can't help but subconsciously try to make yourself look a bit better, sit a little taller. God-god, get a grip. First man you've been slightly interested in for months and you're losing it. Not to mention the non-answers you had received about his connection to your roommate and their relationship. You hoped to get there soon. 

"I'm looking up a place and we're stopping. Gotta give you the full americana experience don't you know?" you say smiling.

"Right, no proper British breakfast here. You yanks couldn't even replicate if you tried."

"Oh my god yanks? Are you all trapped in the 1800s?"

"Just pull up somewhere already."

"Aye Aye Cap'n."

"Lieutenant."

"Whatever you say sir." You laugh.

A slight shiver and adjustment at that.

Oh.

Yes, you hoped you’d both get to your destination soon.

–

You end up stopping at a travel stop -slash novelty store -slash restaurant which works out incredibly well as you send Simon to fill up the tank while you change in the bathrooms and peruse the small gift shop. Everything is old and gimmicky, trying to sell you on a western fantasy with belt buckle fridge magnets, small boot shot glasses and of course, mood rings. You're debating getting a keychain pocket knife or ring when a hand grabs your shoulder and you startle. 

Simon. 

He towers over the racks and you in the store and looks down in amusement. His mask is back on you notice.

"Are you going try to make me jump as much as possible."

"Yes."

"It's not that funny" you say.

"Neither was forcing me to get the gas." 

"Aw boo hoo, here put on this mood ring" you grab the largest size and yank Simon's hand up from his side, pulling it into your palm as you shove the ring down on his pinky. His other fingers are too large. It definitely hasn't caught your attention at all. Especially not the way his hand dwarfs yours or the way he'd pull the stiff wheel of your truck. Definitely not.

"What does purple mean?"

"Huh?" You tune back in.

"The ring is purple."

"Oh let's see, it means"- you turn to the chart.

"It means you're buying breakfast."

"Bullshit."

"No seriously."

“Lemme see” he says, slipping off the ring and trying to peer at the small chart behind you.

“Nevermind that, you owe me some fucking breakfast for a multitude of reasons. Besides aren’t you loaded or something?”

He looks at you incredulously.

“When has working for the government ever made someone a rich man.” 

“Yeah yeah, fair point” you say, “Go look at the menu I’ll be over there in a second.”

“Don’t make me wait too long or you really will end up paying for yourself.” Simon says before stalking over to the door that separated the store from the dining area of the travel stop. You grab two mood rings and head up to the counter to pay before a CD wall catches your eye.

Oh yeah, there will definitely be some new music added to the next leg of your journey, Simon be damned.

—

The food’s ok. 

Average breakfast for a good price. Despite his earlier shit talking, Simon had damn near ordered half the menu. Made sense, he was a big man after all. His earlier chattiness seemed like a fluke now in the midst of the general public, and by chatty you mean not intimidatingly silent as he was now across from you. 

You finish eating before he does. Occupying the time on your phone and occasionally glancing up to look at Simon before quickly going back to your endless scrolling. 

He would watch the doors and people as he ate you noticed, scanning them before looking at you awkwardly everytime. No such thing as subtle glances with him.

His jaw flexed as he ate, mask pulled up only enough to reveal his mouth. He had a strong chin, stubble, he must not have shaved the last couple of days. 

"Have you texted and let them know our eta yet?" Simon asks offhandedly, still scanning the room as his jaw works. 

"Uh yea, when you were getting the gas."

"Good, you have Johnny's number?"

"No, just my roommates, why?"

"You should have his number just in case, tell me your number and I'll text it to you"

You tell him your number and wait for his slow thumbs to send the message. His phone is something other than Samsung or Apple and it amuses you.

"I'm surprised you have a touchscreen phone at all."

"I like pictures, this phone is better for that."

"Oh yea? What kind of pictures?" you ask, leaning closer and raising a brow conspiratorial. He chuckles.

"All the kinds you can imagine, gets real lonely in the field."

"You've got Johnny haven't you?"

"Who said I wasn't sending beautiful photos of the country side as well?" He leans in, matching your position.

He's close enough that you can feel a slight bit of warmth emanating from him, the smell of drip coffee strong on his breath. 

"Fair, I'd also be sending pictures to Johnny if I were you. He's a handsome man and fun to boot" You state. 

He chuckles, staying just as close as before.

"Well you've got his number now don't you?"

Your face feels hot, whether it's from the proximity or line of conversation who's to say.

"Maybe I should, mind giving me some privacy in the truck so I can take some photos?" You ask.

"Hard to imagine one needs privacy to take a couple photos of trees." 

"You'd be surprised."

Simon gives a nonverbal response, a small hm while his eyes burn through you. You swear he takes a split second glance at your lips but you aren't sure. You look away and it feels like losing.

He leans back, the trance broken and leaving you flustered in its wake. Time to cool off, you think.

A moment of hesitation, before you lean across the table to pat your hand on top of his.

"Why don't you go change, and I'll go ahead and start the car."

He clears his throat and agrees, you get up and grab your bag before turning back to him.

"Oh, I picked up a new cd for us by the way. It's top country hits." You smile and head out the door before he can react.

_

[madamoizzelle]

im crazy.

idk why,

but i hate the idea of my partner being accessible to any strangers. I don't want people to even feel comfortable flirting with my partner, it feels disrespectful. like it just agitates me the idea of other people having you. i hate that i'm a possessive or jealous person when it comes to dating. but it makes me nauseous and grit my teeth.

i hate the idea that you have a roster. i hate the idea that i'm not the only one. i'll delete a dating app once im talking to someone, i compartmentalize my relationships.

i was so torn apart that Zy wanted space,,, but like i get it, i got some goddamn problems. in a spiritual crisis, in a emotional space of fear of the future and the unknown. i really wanna slow down but i cant, the time is ticking, and i want to pursue some really cool shit. i got alot of tenderheartedness, i don't wanna be 20 and still dating. if i have at least someone where i can just sit and be shushed in to silence...

my mind goes a mile a minute, i'm so so soooo hard on myself. everyone loves the performance i put on but i be fronting...

but at the same time i'm like... i hate the idea of competing. if shes got a roster or someone else, its cool. i'm not just an option tho. i'm thee choice. but ion find it fun when someone thinks they're entitled to be like "oh i know her" or "oh i used to date her". because its different with me, i don't have time for the rigamaroe, either we bound for life or we not.

its like a 360 deal, i got attachment issues, i can't help it. you not gon get close to me and then leave me uknow?

[annikin-annotates]

Can you write something sickly sweet with Eddie Munson? My heart hurts so much after volume 2.

'86 Baby!

Eddie Munson Fluff

A/N: AU where Eddie lives and has a lovely graduation and is no longer vilified.

Content: Fluff, that’s it. Because that’s what we deserve.

Word Count: 593

You sat in a crowd of a few hundred people, the hum if indistinct conversations from all around you borderline deafening. You hated this place but today was a happy occasion, today you got to see Eddie graduate, it had been a long road to clear his name but between Hopper, you and the rest of the party managed it. You looked over to Dustin, Mike, and Wayne who had the same ear to ear grin as you did to be able to see your partner graduate after all the hardship; after almost dying. It wasn’t long before they started naming names off the roster, “Edward Munson” Principal Higgins spoke into the microphone on the podium.

You couldn’t help but leap from your chair “’86 Baby!!” you yelled, throwing a hand into the air, Eddie copied your gesture. Before doing exactly what he always said he was going to do, he snatched his diploma, flipped Higgins off and ran like hell. To which you and the two other boys copied, hauling ass out of the gymnasium, down the hall and out the building. You smiled at him completely enamoured with the man who stood in front of you. Eddie grabbed your hand pulled you into a kiss, it was soft and passionate and sweet like honey. He pulled back taking a few breaths, as were you, you stayed like that for a moment, taking in each other’s features. Like how after he kisses you, his eyes stay closed for a moment as if he never wanted the moment to end. Or how when the light catches his eyes they glow like fiery amber or warm honey catching the rays of a summer afternoon. How his lips form a pout when you pull away, like he can’t fathom being more than a foot from your Prescence anymore.

You were pulled out of your love drunk stupor by two awkward coughs “Can you two save that until you take us both home? Jesus Christ” Dustin gagged, causing you to let out a laugh that Eddie thought was nothing short of a melodic masterpiece. “Alright alright, come on you two get in the van and I’ll take you back to Dustin’s” Eddie responded, slinging an arm over your shoulders, and kissing your cheek. The four of you piled into the van and began the trip to Dustin’s house, the boys chatting away happily, listening to music on the way home. It gave you a chance to reflect on everything that had happened the last few months.

You had no idea that any of this would have turned out the way it did, but you were happy that it had. You were happy that you had gotten to Eddie in time, that you set those got awful bats alight before they had a chance to do any more damage. Both you and Eddie had been in rough shape coming out of the upside down, but you both survived. Eddie had survived, and that was enough for you.

“What are you thinking about?” Eddie’s voice broke the silence, your head snapped in his direction then to the back seat to see that both boys were gone. “They said goodbye, but you were off in your own world, do you wanna talk about it?” He asked, seemingly already knowing what you were thinking about. You shook your head “I’m okay, I just want to go home with you.” The words came no more than a whisper. He simply nodded, pulling out of Dustin’s driveway towards your apartment.

Towards home.

[brattyfics]

Like That

Pairing: Rio x Black!Reader

Summary: You and Rio get to know each other better. Loosely based on ‘Like That’ by Doja Cat. 

Warnings: Smut.

Word Count: 3.5K

Installments: Say So | Like That | Talk Dirty

And baby, I want it, and I'll just be honest 'Cause I just can't front when I look at you

About six weeks have passed since Rio declared himself your man, and you quickly learned he took the title very seriously.

He was busier than usual with ‘flipping his game,’ and you were busy preparing to transition your shop, but you saw each other often despite time constraints. You agreed date nights at least once a week were a must, but when you couldn’t see each other, Rio made sure to end nights with a phone call. Virtually falling asleep next to him gave you butterflies, reminding you just how exciting new relationships could be. It took prodding, but he told you made-up bedtime stories and the boring details of his day. In return, you shared things about yourself— childhood memories, the crazy things your mom did to embarrass you. He was sweet and attentive, and you found it refreshing to be with someone who was just as infatuated with you.

On your second date, he took you to his favorite restaurant, a fancy sushi place with expensive rolls. He taught you to hold chopsticks the wrong way the way he did and even fed you across the small table, a couple of unfortunate rolls falling apart due to his prodding. You tried your best to hide your amusement at the pensive look on his face. For whatever reason, Rio thought of himself as a sushi connoisseur, but it was clear to you that he was still learning.

“You’re no better than me!” He admonished when he noticed the way you held your chopsticks. Like his technique, it was incorrect, but it worked for you— sort of. “I never said I was.” You couldn’t keep the amusement off your face any longer. “You’re the one who comes here weekly. I thought you were a professional, and we’re in the same boat.” He folded his arms on top of the table as he insisted you were wrong, but secretly he found your teasing endearing. Later that night, he called and gave you a cheesy line about loving to see you smile.

The following week, you had lunch at a mom-and-pop soul food restaurant that served the best cornbread and peach cobbler in the city. The owners, an adorable older couple, Donna and Gene, and servers alike stopped by your table to meet Rio. Donna gushed over Rio, showering him with compliments and extra cornbread. “Girl, he is cute!” She told you, failing miserably at whispering. He smirked as you rolled your eyes, but he handled the attention well, being friendly and personable even when Gene kept going on and on about changes to the menu, one chef to another.

A few days later, he called you up randomly and asked you to get ready and ride with him somewhere. “What should I wear?” You asked, hoping for a hint. You could hear him smile as he said, “It doesn’t even matter, ma. You always look good.” The occasion had turned out to be ‘Foodtruck Friday.’ Barbecue, kebab, taco, ice cream, and other miscellaneous food trucks were parked in a spacious lot in Downtown Detroit. You settled at a picnic table and shared several plates of food as you discussed the possibility of your own mobile ‘Mad Batter’ shop somewhere down the line. It got you thinking about the future.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” You asked the dreaded question in between bites of a colorful Korean fusion taco. He stiffened as he considered the answer. “What is this, a job interview?” Sometimes you saw peeks of bossman Rio rather than the Christopher Castillo you were getting to know. It happened seemingly out of nowhere when you asked questions he felt were invasive.

You looked up from the panko-fried shrimp, red cabbage, shredded carrots, and tasty orange sauce wrapped up in a flour tortilla with a frown. You had two choices: respond in the way he had or make light of the situation. So, you said, “Kinda. You’re auditioning for a spot on my roster, so...”

He stopped chewing the half-eaten dumpling and swallowed hard. “That’s not funny.”

“You better start taking the interviewing part of the audition more seriously then.” You wiped your fingers on a napkin, and he gathered your hand in his own, wearing a look you couldn’t decipher. “You got it, ma.”

You played a game of mini-golf at the local arcade. Rio stood tall behind you, holding you by your hips as he corrected your stance. You purposefully arched your back, brushing against him just slightly. “Like this?” You looked over your shoulder with the most innocent look you could muster, but his eyes were glued to your ass. “Yeah, just like that.” He answered in a low tone without looking up. You giggled as you took your swing, adding a wiggle for his benefit. You pretended to care about the ball as it glided across the bright green tarp towards the hole. “How was that?” You chirped, looking down the lane.

“I can’t even lie. I don’t care about the game right now. I just wanna watch you.” Your aim was terrible, and the ball never went in the hole without several attempts, but he insisted you finish playing the course. You teased him about it for days after despite his claim that he actually enjoyed the game because it was one of Marcus’ favorites.

“Stop lying! You just wanted an excuse to openly watch my ass.”

“Why you always gotta call me out?”

You shopped a cozy health and wellness store with hundreds of cool little trinkets for sale. Neither of you had been there before, so you took your time exploring, stealing unexpected kisses from the other. Rio took full advantage of the size of the store, pulling you by the hand and holding you close to his side.

He frowned at the large collection of shiny crystals. “A rock, really? What does anybody need with a rock?”

“It’s not a rock!” You hissed, head whipping around as you hoped the owner didn’t hear him.

“What is it then? It looks like a rock to me.” He picked one up, turning it over in his hands.

“It’s a crystal!”

“What’s the difference?”

“It has healing properties...” Rio snorted but strung his arm across your shoulder and listened intently as you read the info cards to him. When it was all said and done, he bought an aventurine stone to apologize to the owner for prosperity, well-being, and good luck.

The next day, he disappeared with no warning. You had been worried sick until Mick let you know he was busy handling something. It would have only taken a minute to tell you that, so you were (understandably) pissed. He showed up at the shop several days later like nothing had ever happened. “What’s up, mama?” The greeting that usually melted you grated on your nerves. All of your feelings about the situation bubbled up to the surface. It was hard to find the right words— you were still getting to know each other, so how mad could you be? At the same time, how little did he think of you to not say anything? Finally, you settled on, “I can’t do the disappearing act.”

Rio wasn’t used to answering to anyone, not even his child’s mother, about his whereabouts, but he put his palms up in surrender when he saw the serious expression you wore.

“You’re right, mama. That’s my bad. It won’t happen again.”

And it hadn’t.

But knowing ahead of time only made it a tiny bit easier, especially when he didn’t have a set return date. You were going on day seven (the longest you had gone without seeing him since you started dating) when he called to say he made it home and wanted to see you. Your heavy heart swelled with relief. You missed him way more than you probably should have, so you insisted on a night in at your place, wanting him to feel relaxed and at home instead of on guard somewhere public.

It had been a long six weeks without sex while he romanced you with delicious food and beautiful words. It wasn’t an easy task, but you knew as soon as sex was thrown in the mix, you would be done for, either destined to be his or ruined by him. It was a scary thought, but distance had indeed made the heart grow fonder, and you cared about him enough to take a chance.

He was set to arrive within the hour, but you were still unsure of what to wear, frantically rummaging through the dresser for something cute and comfortable. You let out a frustrated groan when your phone started to ring, thinking Rio might have come early, but when you look down at your phone, you see your best friend’s name and face. You swipe quickly, accepting the FaceTime call. “Hey, girl!”

“Hey, stranger!” You pick up the phone, so you can look at her. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” She replies with just as much sass. “I haven’t talked to you in what— two weeks?”

“We talk—“

“—text.”

“Okay, fine. Text. We text every day. What are you talking about?”

“That’s not the same.” She insists even as you remind her of the ridiculous amount of time you spend trading memes and food pictures with her.

“Anyway, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to decide what I’m going to wear between this, this, or this.” You move the camera around, showing her the different options. A black-and-white tank and short set with ‘Being cute is not a crime’ in a cute font. A fuzzy grey sweatsuit set with hearts, or a simple cream hoodie with matching shorts.

“Um, what’s the occasion?” You giggle at the look on her face, knowing she thinks none of the above are appropriate for wearing outside of the house.

“Movie night in.”

“You need help picking an outfit for movie night with yourself?” Her face scrunches up in confusion. “Wait, is it movie night with yourself?” You try to be casual about it, shrugging your shoulders in response. As usual, she sees through your bullshit and goes straight into an interrogation. “Oh, bitch. You been holding out on me!” She asks you five questions in a row without stopping to breathe before settling on one. “Who?”

You gnaw on your bottom lip. “...Rio.”

“Rio?” She frowns. “Like the guy we work for, Rio? With the eyebrows and the neck tattoo, Rio?”

“Yes, that Rio.”

“Wow.” You wince but decide it’s best to get it over with. “What? I know you, so I know there’s more where that came from.”

“I don’t know what to say! From what I can tell, he’s a decent dude, I guess, but you know what he does. You definitely know what we do for him! You don’t think that could be a problem?”

“It’s messy, for sure, and I can admit that, but I’ve been thinking about getting out anyway...” She nods. “Then, I guess there’s nothing else for me to say about that. You’re both grown, and you know what you’re doing.” She was your best friend, which meant she’d always give her honest opinion, but wouldn’t berate you about your choices. Just like that, you return to your regular discussion topics, everything from warehouse gossip (yes, even in the business of crime, there’s a rumor mill) to new music releases. Before you knew it, forty minutes had passed, and Rio was calling your phone. You promised to call her more often before hanging up.

You sing your ‘hello’ into the phone, hoping Rio can’t detect the shakiness in your voice as you clumsily pull on your bottoms.

“Hey, mama. You about ready? I know you’re sensitive about your space and all that.” He was referring to the fact that he had never been past the doorway of your home. Your home was your sacred place, so you were extra careful about who came in and what energy they brought. It was always nerve-wracking to let somebody into the space that you cherished so much.

“Yeah.” He picks up on the hesitancy in your voice. “Are you sure?” You nod your head as if he can see you before telling him yes with a giggle. “Alright, well, I’m outside. Can I come in?” You bite your lip, butterflies fluttering in your tummy. “Yeah, I’ll come unlock the door.” He whispers his thanks, and you take a moment to force yourself to relax. When you meet him at the door, you do so with an open mind and heart, taking in his appearance with a goofy grin on your face. As usual, he’s dressed in all black, wearing a well-fitted t-shirt and sweatpants. He’s casual but still so high quality and attractive.

“Hi.” You breathe out like a dork when you realize you’re staring. It helps that he seems just as mesmerized, stepping forward to envelop you in a tight, warm hug. He sways you from side to side before pulling back, his hands resting heavily on the top of your ass. He settles for a quick peck on the lips because he has something to say. “You’re as pretty as ever, darlin’.” He says earnestly, shaking his head as he steps back to look you over once more.

“Kiss me again.” His hands cup your ass as you devour each other in the open doorway. You forget your surroundings. “Damn, ma. Can I at least get inside before you jump my bones? I don’t mind giving your neighbors a show if that’s your thing, but…” You turn to hide your embarrassment, leaving him to close the door behind you as you gesture around the room as if you’re in an episode of MTV Cribs. “... here’s the living room. The kitchen’s through the arch. The bathroom’s over there...” He follows you with his red as you point.

“And the bedroom?”

You snort. “The tour stops here for now. Sit down.” Your tone leaves no room for argument. He settles into the soft couch while you grab the snack tray from the kitchen. Homemade popcorn, chocolate-covered pretzels, and dried fruit gummies are on the menu.

“All this for me?” His arms snake around your waist so that you can curl up into his side. “What we watching?” You grab the remote. “I saw a trailer this week that caught my attention. I’ll play it for you.” He didn’t care what you watched as long as he got to be close to you, so it didn’t take long for you to get the movie started. He stole glances at you when his knuckles brushed against your bare knees under the blanket. You’re embarrassed at how wet the small action makes you, so you stretch out across the couch and place your bare feet in his lap, silently planning your revenge. The movie may as well not be playing because you couldn’t be less interested in the plot as you lightly stroke him through his sweatpants with the balls of your feet.

“Ma...” He warns, watching you in the low lighting. He’s come to learn you like to tease, but he doesn’t think he can take it, not tonight. “Hmm?” You hum innocently, loving the strained look on your face. He doesn’t move even as you sit up on your haunches and kiss him. It’s slow and long in the best way. He pulls you to sit in his lap. His hands roam your body as you grind down onto him, relishing in the feeling of the soft skin on your tummy. He sighs into your mouth as one hand finds your bare breasts.

He pulls away to talk shit. “No bra? You just knew I was gonna put out, huh?” He pushes the cotton material up so he can see you properly. “Perfect.” He murmurs into your skin. You let him kiss and lick and suck on your nipples until the pressure you feel below is too much to handle. You’re a quivering mess when he finally helps you pull the cotton material up and over your head. It lands on top of the television behind you, but neither of you notice.

You nudge him until he removes his own shirt, and then he lifts his hips to help you when you begin tugging on his sweats. They puddle at his feet while you spread your legs wide, desperate to get your hands on him. “I could cry right now.” You admit honestly when you finally see him, biting your lip. He arches a brow. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing, darlin’?” His hips jerk when you take him into your hands, the cold temperature surprising him.

“It’s definitely a good thing.” You whisper excitedly, staring with wonder as he hardens in your hands. He barks out a laugh, stunned by your ability to make him laugh, even with his dick in your hands. “That’s really nice, ma. I feel real special.” Your eyes meet, and silent promises of all the filthy things you’re going to do to each other are exchanged. “You should. I’m about to change your life.” He throbs in your hands, loving that you find small ways to challenge him.

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.” He wraps his arms around you in preparation to get up, but you stop him with a shake of your head. “I don’t wanna.”

“No? What you wanna do then?”

You answer him by slipping to your knees. You spit on his dick, stroking him up and down slowly. He watches you closely as you lower your mouth, wrapping your lips around the tip. It takes a lot of restraint, but he lets you do your thing, slowly working him deeper into your throat. He closes his eyes as he concentrates on lasting, but he can’t turn his ears off, the obscene smacks painting a vivid picture for him. When you swipe your tongue across his balls, he moves to stop you, grabbing your shoulders. Fire dances in your eyes as you realize you got him where you want him. “I don’t wanna.” You repeat.

“You are a brat.”

You release him with a pop. “The biggest.” You admit, swallowing him once more. He groans, thinking he can’t believe you’re the same sweet girl who bakes in a frilly pink apron and begs him to tell her bedtime stories.

“I want you to fuck me now.” He stops you before you can bend over the couch. “Slow down. I want you on your back, darlin.”

You throw his earlier words back at him. “That’s nice. I feel really special.”

“You should.” He mocks you, instructing you to hold your legs wide. He wastes no time licking and sucking you as enthusiastically as you had done him. “You’re so pretty. I could eat this pretty pussy forever.” He compliments as you squirm in his hold. “You’d let me, huh?” You shake your head frantically. “No! You’d drive..me crazy!” Payback is a mother, especially when Rio’s the one dishing it out. “Wait, wait—“You whimper, clawing at his shoulders.

“What?” He cajoles. He almost wants to laugh at the distressed look on your face. “I want you.” You pout, trying to sweet-talk him.

“You have me.”

“Not like this. Inside.”

“Yeah? You sure?”

“Mhm.” You swallow, watching as he fumbles around with his pants searching for a condom. He opens the golden foil packet with expert fingers, positioning himself in between your spread legs. “You don’t have any pointers for me now?” He drags his tip up and down your slit, slowly pushing his way further. Teasing. You shake your head. “No. Just fuck me.”

“That ain’t polite. You gotta say please, mama.” You scowled, but he didn’t budge. “Please.” You pleaded with the sweetest tone you could muster, sighing as he gave in. You cursed at the stretch, him at the way you squeezed him. “You feel…” He couldn’t find the words, so he buried his face in your neck, trying to gain some composure. You caressed the back of his neck sweetly. “You feel good too, baby.”

His hips stuttered forward, and you gasped as he worked himself deeper. You grasp his shoulders tightly, your nails embedding themselves into the soft skin.

“Yes!” You squeal.

“Like that?” He grits out, struggling to keep his rhythm.

“Yes, just like that!” You cry, moaning as he pounds up into you. His lips find yours again, and it’s bliss. Then before you can stop yourself, you’re calling him Daddy like it’s his given name. He groans into your sweaty neck like he’s in pain.

“You’re so nasty.” Overwhelmed and breathless, you whine your protest, “You’re nasty. Look at what you’re doing to me.” His eyes shift to where you’re connected. You’re creaming all over him and leaking down onto the couch, but you can’t bring yourself to care about anything other than coming. You do just that, mewling as you make an even bigger mess between your legs. He whispers filthy things into your ear as he finishes, grunting at the way you seem to be sucking him in even deeper.

“That was—“

“—unreal.”

“Yeah.”

Neither of you can bring yourself to move. Your sweat-covered skin sticks together. You swipe your hand against your forehead while he pants.

“I wanted to ride you at least once tonight, but after that, I’ll be lucky to make it to bed.”

GENERAL TAGLIST

@woahitslucyylu @briannab1234 @sheeshgivemeabreak @breakingnewsin-no-oneasked @angelreyesgirl @blessedboo @glimmerglittergirl @apantherinmypastlife @brownsugarcoffy @marvelmaree @starrynite7114 @scuzmunkie @thewarriorprincessxo @sadeyesgf @pearlkitten33 @imanerdychubbyqueen @literaturefeen @ourlittlesecretsoveragain @everyhowlmarksthedead @yourwonkywriter @trulysuccubus @sparklemichele @luckyharley1903

RIO TAGLIST

@xsweetdellzx​

[oneshot-wxnderland]

Lab Partners With Benefits Pt. 1 | Percy Jackson

Summary: Y/n becomes lab partners with Percy, the quiet guy who sits in the back and seems a mystery to the world, but Y/n ends up getting closer to him than she expected. A lot closer.

Category: smut

Part 2 | Part 3

______________________

          “Ms. Y/l/n,” your TA, Mack, called you up to the front when you walked into your lab. You approached him, trying not to get nervous. You weren’t in trouble, right? That’s such a childish thing to worry about now that you were in college, but you still felt a rush of relief when he continued,“It appears that your former lab partner has dropped this class.”

          This didn’t really surprise you, while Sam was nice and did her share of work, she never stopped talking about how much she missed home, so you were pretty sure that she had just dropped out of school all together.

          “And while normally dropping a class in the middle of a semester is unadvisable at best, this time it works out fine since we have a group of three.”

          The room was starting to fill up now and you looked around to spot your possible new partner.

          “You can partner with...” Mack peered down his roster before looking back up to you. “Percy Jackson. Mr. Jackson!”

           You saw the boy in question’s head pop up and his gaze move from Mack to you. “Meet your new lab partner, you guys can move to the back table.”

          Aside from introductions on the first day, you hadn’t ever heard him speak in class, you only knew him as the quiet guy who sat in back. Admittedly, he was attractive, but it was the “never going to happen, so why bother?” kind of attractive. Except now that you were walking up to him, seeing him up close and becoming hotter with each step, you began to think that he was going to become quite the bother.

          “Hey,” He greeted you when you sat down next to him. His voice was deeper than you thought it would be, probably because you were still used to high school guys.

          “Hi.” 

          The silence between you two turned awkward as you listened to Mack explain the lab. Percy kept fidgeting and accidentally brushing his arm or leg against yours and you wondered if this lab table was smaller than your old one because all you could focus on was the guy next to you. 

          You felt like you were about to burst when Mack finally told you all to start working.

          “I’ll get it,” you said and quickly left the table grateful for the distraction of grabbing the bin of rocks you had to classify. What is going on? Has it been that long since you and your boyfriend broke up that just sitting next to a guy has you hot and bothered?

          Get it together, Y/n. 

          Unfortunately, as soon as you turned around you caught Percy’s eyes flick from your lower half to the paper in front of him. 

          Oh boy.

          The rest of the lab was excruciatingly long. You could hardly focus on your work with his thigh pressed against yours, and his bouncing leg making sure you didn’t forget about it. You nearly dropped the rock you were holding when he leaned in close and reached around you to you to grab a sample from your side of the table. His breath on your neck caused you to bite your lip and you almost sat back into his arm, but thankfully he pulled away before you could embarrass yourself further. 

          After that incident you were determined to push him from your thoughts and focus on classifying the stupid rocks so that you could finally go.

           “Wait, that guy?” Lauren’s eyebrows shot up when you mentioned your new lab partner. 

          “Yeah....” Your carefully neutral tone must have betrayed you because you found yourself being stopped and facing your friend. 

          “Oh no you don’t.” 

          “What?”

          “No way, Y/n. He’s bad news.”

          You shrugged her off and scoffed. “I never said I-.”

          “You didn’t have to, it’s all over your face.” She wasn’t going to let this go. “You have a weakness for mysteries and that guy is a giant one.”

          This caused you to laugh. “Even if I did, how do you even know him?”

          “He’s in my psych class,” she looked around, then lowered her voice conspiratorially. “He sometimes leaves the middle of class in a hurry, he never talks to anyone, and he has a weird tattoo.”

          “You do realize that you just described half of the collegiate population, right?” Lauren was big on any conspiracy theory or mystery she could find, so of course she decided to invent one about Percy.

          “I think he’s in a gang.” She whispered to you with the utmost sincerity and you laughed.

          “You’ve got to be joking.”

          “I’m not.” She sighed when she saw that she wasn’t getting through to you and shook her head. “Just be careful with that one, Y/n.”

          One week later and your lab class had gone annoyingly similar to the last one. The tension between you and Percy was unbearable. At one point he reached down to grab something from his backpack and his fingers grazed your thigh. You attempted to cover your sharp intake of breath with a cough, but judging by the way he brushed the same spot again on the way up, lingering for far too long for it to not be on purpose, he saw right through it. 

          “Wanna come over and work on the write-up at my place?” 

           The question shocked you and you paused packing up your things to look at him. He didn’t radiate evil villain energy like Lauren seemed to think, but there definitely was something about him that you couldn’t put your finger on. That made you want to find out more. You knew you should’ve said no. You barely knew the guy! And yet... When you met his gaze you couldn’t help but accept his invitation.

          The short walk to his building was similar to the silence that you both usually worked in, but now it wasn’t awkward, it was anticipatory. 

          “My roommates aren’t here so we have the place to ourselves,” he commented as he unlocked the door.

          “Okay.” He opened the door and let you in, locking it behind him. You two stood there looking at each other. “We should get started.”

          “Yeah, we should.” Your backpacks dropped to the floor as his hands met your waist and pushed you back against the door. 

          One of your hands pulled him to you by his shoulder while the other threaded itself in his hair and brought his lips to yours. Your mind went blank as his mouth moved eagerly against yours, pressing you in between his hard chest and the door. 

          This is so wrong. I barely know this guy!

          But the way his hands gabbed your hips and pulled them into his made your mind go blank. You had never felt anything like this in any of your previous relationships. It was always just simple kisses and when things had gone farther it was nice, but the way Percy seemed to be putting everything he has into kissing you made you realize all that you were missing. 

          You were so focused on the way his teeth caught your bottom lip that you didn’t notice his hands sliding to your thighs until they pulled you up. Automatically, your legs wrapped around his waist and your gasp allowed his tongue to meet yours.

          Time seemed to stop completely while you were wrapped in his arms and only the jiggling of the door handle broke the moment.

          Your eyes widened as you pictured the embarrassing scene to come when his roommate finds you pressed against their door, but you heard, “Wrong door, idiot.” come from the hallway.

          Percy’s chest heaved with a sigh of relief and you looked back at each other. The intensity of the moment was gone but if you kept looking into those sea green eyes you knew it would be back fast. 

          Surprisingly, you were grateful for the strangers interruption because now your head was clear and you knew that if not for them, you would have done anything Percy wanted. But Lauren’s warning in the back of your mind kept nagging at you that this was a bad idea. That he was a bad idea. 

          Sensing your hesitancy he let you down, but the look of disappointment on your face kept him close. 

          “Ah, we should...” You tried to remember the reason you came over to his apartment in the first place. “Um...”

          “Yeah...” He stepped away from you and it felt like the air pressure changed. “Geology... rocks.”

          “Rocks,” you agreed and picked your backpack up off the ground. “Yeah, rocks.”

Part 2 

[troubatrain]

sober - m. barzal (pt. six)

a/n: so after the hell week we all survived in the good ol’ USA my brain finally decided to let me actually write. tbh i wrote this about four times before i forced myself to just finish it and stop tweaking it.

Five

Mat’s kitchen looked like a tornado had run through it. The usually pristine, absolutely untouched kitchen of the young bachelor was getting more use in the twenty minutes Mat had been awake than it ever had. Truthfully, Mat wasn’t a morning person. Mat slept like a rock, and he thought there was nothing besides the fear of his coach that could get him up earlier than noon, but he was wrong. You had him up before eight, hoping if he could beat you to waking up you wouldn’t have a chance to sneak out on him. He did, opening his eyes to catch you snoring softly beside him. He laid there for a moment, his eyes on you because he almost in disbelief you actually stayed. It was a moment of peace, the complete opposite of the mess you’d both gotten yourselves into. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t debating how he was going to get someone to leave, he was figuring out how he was going to get you to stay.

Mat was an absolute whore, and he didn’t care one bit. Why should he? He was young, he was at the top of his game, and his ego got a little bigger everyday. He was just as guilty as you were when it came to his lack of commitment. Mat had never been able to be a good boyfriend, no matter how hard he tried - so he just stopped trying. His schedule wasn’t made for dating, and he never wanted to put the work in. You were different. Something clicked in Mat when he realized how enraged his body felt hearing DeAngelo talk about you the way he did. He was going to let it go, and in hindsight maybe he should have, but he didn’t want to. That protective feeling took over his body because it was too strong for him to shove back down before it got out.

Mat would have told you he loved you after that game, because he does, but he knew he was playing a dangerous game. The reality of what would happen if this was real scared him, but not nearly as much as he knew it had to scare you. You had something to lose, a life that Mat just wouldn’t be apart of. Mat wasn’t in a position to ask you to give that up, especially for someone who you weren’t even dating. Mat knew if he moved too quickly you’d get spooked and run away without giving Mat a second thought. He’d disappear from your memory like everyone before him.

Mat’s thoughts were broken by the sound of your feet padding into his kitchen, your arms wrapping around his waist while you pressed a kiss to his back, “Hi pretty girl.”

This was uncharted territory, the morning after. You’d always been an expert, leaving yourself enough time to sneak out and leave before anyone would notice you were gone. That kept your heart safe, free from the feelings that were present in this very moment. You couldn’t have left last night, slipping out of Mat’s bed and into a cab in the middle of the night, but something stopped you, “Do you actually know what you’re doing?”

“I thought I’d try to make you breakfast,” Mat admits, a smile on his face while he turned off the stove, eggs forgotten to look at you, “I’ll get better at it, I promise, breakfast can be my thing.”

“Your thing?” You muse, letting Mat gently push you onto the island, standing between your legs.

“Yeah, when we fall in love or whatever, I’ll make breakfast,” Mat chuckles, pressing a quick kiss to your lips.

“You’ve lost your damn mind Barz,” You sigh, leaning your head on Mat’s shoulder while you savored the last few moments of peace you were feeling. You were going to have leave his place, off to a four game road trip where Mat was free to fuck whoever he wanted.

Mat’s finger was gently gliding over your face, “If I’m crazy it’s because you made me crazy.”

“You were insane before I met you,” You defend not daring to open your eyes and meet Mat’s gaze, “And now you’re just annoying.”

“I don’t remember being annoying when you were begging me to fuck you last night,” Mat counters back, hands moving to your bare thighs, the warmth from his hands was a stark contrast from the cool counter, “If I’m correct it sounded something like Mat please.”

“Don’t push your luck Mat,” You threaten, his impersonation of you from the night before stopping almost immediately.

“Would I push it if I asked you to stay until my flight later?” Mat asks, eyes full of hope while he tries to hang onto the moment just a little bit longer.

“If you never talk about it again,” You nod, deciding that the damage was already done. You were so far gone a few more hours couldn’t hurt you anymore.

“We can talk about how fucking good you look in orange and blue though,” Mat teases, a grin on his face. You furrow your eyebrows, looking down and realizing just what shirt he had given you the night before. A bright white number thirteen in the corner, with an Islanders logo present on the front.

“Mat if you don’t take this off of me right this second.”

“You never have to ask me twice to take off your shirt babe.”

***

You leaned your head against the window of the private jet that definitely cost more for one flight than your entire salary, taking a deep breath and a break from the laundry list of emails you were due to answer. You were flying to St. Louis for the All Star Game, your plans of a week long vacation somewhere warm with some of the team and their significant others thrown out the door the second Chris stepped in for Panarin last minute. Not even two minutes later, Charlotte strutted over to your desk to tell you that without a need for someone to translate for Artemi, you were the new kid and that meant you had to suffer through the weekend while everyone else took their vacations. 

“At least pretend to be excited,” Chris mutters next to you, taking a break from his own reading and elbowing you in the side.

“It’s hard to be excited when everyone’s on a beach and we’re flying to Missouri in January,” You snark back, pulling your glasses off your face and rubbing your eyes.

“You either need to start sleeping or stop hanging out with that secret boyfriend of yours,” Chris jokes, but it struck a nerve with you.

Mat wasn’t your boyfriend. Mat. Wasn’t. Your. Boyfriend. He didn’t get to have all of you, because he didn’t deserve it - no man does. Nothing about the very small amount of vulnerability that he got to see after that game meant anything. You left that morning and he went on a four game road trip and the world spun on. You could stop whenever you wanted to, move on with some other dumb boy who didn’t care more about you in clothes than without. But did you want to? That was a debate you’d been having with yourself for days.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” You grumble, gritting through your teeth. Technically, it wasn’t a total lie.

“So you are seeing someone!” Chris points out, as if your deliberate words were going to make it past him. Chris held most of the intelligence on the entire Rangers roster, and there was nothing that he didn’t pick up, “So, What's the deal? He doesn’t want anyone to know about you or you don’t want anyone to know about him.”

“It’s mutual,” You hum, sipping the coffee that had gone cold.

“Are you a sugar baby?” Chris questions, a cautious tone to his voice, “Not that I think there’s anything wrong with it or anything-”

“No I haven’t found a sugar daddy,” You roll your eyes, waiving Chris and sparing him the lecture that there’s nothing wrong with the idea at all, “We’re just in a limbo.”

“For what it’s worth,” Chris says, taking a deep breath before he finished his thought, “You seem happy, you haven’t snapped on Tony in almost a week.”

“Thanks Chris,” You laugh softly, popping a headphone back into your ear so you could finish up some work.

***

Mat was in absolute disbelief the moment he saw you step into the hotel lobby. You weren’t supposed to be in St. Louis, you were supposed to be on some island in a bikini making him wish he wasn’t good enough to be selected for the All Star game at all. Mat scratched his head for an answer as to why you didn’t mention the change of plans, but then the thing that he spent his entire roadie before he left for St. Louis entered his brain at full speed.

You’re not her boyfriend.

Mat owed you nothing, and you didn’t have to tell him anything you didn’t want to. Mat honestly knew about four things about you and all of them related to your job. He was dying to know everything, even the stuff that didn’t matter that much. Hell, Mat would’ve killed to see the inside of your apartment at this point. He just needed one thing, one thing that he could hold onto that you showed him that no one else got to see. He was sure he’d find it, especially after he finally got you to stay at his place, but now he was starting to think maybe he’d never crack you.

You were going to just avoid Mat like the plague. The hotel was swamped with players, their families, and any staff that had tagged along for the weekend. The city was still buzzing from last season’s Stanley Cup win and there was not a chance Mat wasn’t going to be busy all weekend, because Mat Barzal was an amazing hockey player. You hated to be reminded of it, because if you could have Mat feed you stupid compliments and never remind you of his job you’d be happy forever.

hotel sex is on the table

and you look fucking hot today

You roll your eyes, checking your phone while you were standing in line to check in. You look around the room, trying not to draw any attention to Mat who was giving you a shit eating grin from across the lobby. He looked good, a white button up tucked into suit pants that were doing his ass justice. You look at Chris, who was too engrossed in his own phone to even look back at you.

pretend like i don’t exist right now and we’ll talk

wanna play a game?

that didn’t go well for you last time Barzy

if i beat your buddy kreids tomorrow night you give me one night

you won’t

is that a yes?

fine

You turn around, giving Mat one last death stare to remind him you weren’t kidding on your plea to pretend you didn’t exist. Your job was important to you because you weren’t Mat. You weren’t going to get paid millions of dollars to play and then retire with a pretty penny in your pocket. You worked, and the stress of losing your job would definitely break you. Charlotte instilled fear in you like no other boss you ever had could, and if you got caught messing around with someone who played for another team while you were working she’d probably just fire you on the spot. Not to mention the heartbroken faces of your chosen family. Mat somehow existed in both a different and the same world as you. He understood your work life because it was so close to his, but he had his own work family and you had yours. No matter what, there would always be some sort of weird divide caused by that stupid rivalry. For now, it was just going to have to be something you’d worry about later.

***

You turned in the mirror of your hotel room, the lacy black lingerie set fit your body like a glove, and you were impressed with Mat’s taste given all he ever wore was sweatpants. You look in the corner of the room, the last piece of his little gift sitting in the box. Mat dropped it off earlier, a note on top telling you that when he inevitably smokes Chris in the faster skater competition he had something in mind. You weren’t surprised by his confidence, but you were surprised by the gift itself. Folded neatly in the box wasn’t just the lingerie, a bright blue and orange jersey was right underneath it, a shiny white number thirteen stitched into the back. You knew you didn’t have to wear it, because Mat wasn’t going to force you to do anything, but you were wet at just the thought of how animalistic Mat would probably get. You tossed on the jersey, throwing an even bigger sweatshirt and sweats over it before you snuck up to Mat’s floor- hoping Chris wouldn’t catch you leaving from the room across the hall.

You pull out the room key Mat gave you, sneaking into the door and locking it shut behind you. You slipped off your sweats, leaving you in nothing but the jersey and your panties.

“Fuck,” Mat dropped his phone from his hand the second you came into his view, “I didn’t think you’d wear it.”

“I wasn’t going to,” You muse, your confidence boosting while you strutted over to Mat. He had that effect on you, the ability to always make you feel like the sexiest woman in the world - even if you didn’t feel like were, “But then you beat McDavid.”

Mat pulled you between his legs while he sat on the edge of the bed, his hands toying with the jersey while he let the fabric slip through his fingers, “You look so fucking good in my jersey baby.”

“I’m proud of you Mat,” You purr into his ear, playing into Mat’s ego just a little bit. You were proud of him, and for the first time you wanted him to know. You pressed a kiss against his jaw, feeling his own breath hitch in his throat, “Can I show you?”

“Keep that jersey on and you can do whatever you want to me,” Mat admits, slipping his hand under the jersey and tapping your ass lightly.

“I’ll keep it on,” You giggle, pushing Mat on his back and getting to work. Your lips kissed down his chest with every button of his dress shirt you got undone, tossing it in the corner to be forgotten about until later. You unhooked his belt, leaving open mouth kisses just above his pants. You slid off his dress pants slowly, taking his boxers with them to let his cock spring free. Mat groaned at the sight, gathering your hair to pull it back for you.

“Wait,” Mat stops you, holding your hair back to stop you from putting your mouth on him. His finger traced your cheek, a look on his face you couldn’t quite read, “I just want to remember this, you look so beautiful right now.”

You could feel the heat rush your cheeks, Mat had called you to dozens of things but never once did the word beautiful ever slip through his lips, “You’re just saying that because I’m about to blow you.”

“No, baby, I mean it- fuck,” Mat groans, this thoughts halted by your mouth on his cock. His hips snapped up, hitting the back of your throat, “You’re so fucking good princess.”

You moan, hollowing your cheeks and gripping Mat’s thighs a little tighter, giving him the show you so desperately wanted. You head bobbed in a perfect rhythm, taking as much of Mat as your body could handle. Mat pushes your head back, taking a look at the line of spit that was still connected to his dick, your eyes were glassy and your throat was sore but Mat would keep you like that forever if he could, “Let me finish.”

“I’m in charge tonight,” Mat reminds you, the tone in his voice sent a chill up your spine. You knew Mat was rough, and a little demanding but he never crossed that line with you, “On your knees.”

“Like this?” You tease, sitting up on your knees to rile him up just a little bit more.

“More like this princess,” Mat stands behind you, gently pushing you down so your ass was in the air. He was quiet, bunching up his jersey so he could get a full view of the lingerie he went out and bought just for you, “Be good or I won’t let you cum pretty girl.”

Mat’s threat with a light smack to your ass, a moan escaping your lips. He slipped the black lace panties to the side, gliding one of his fingers against your folds while he pressed a kiss to your skin, “So wet for me already.”

“Only for you Mat,” The words tumbled out of your mouth, your eyes widening at your own confession.

Mat was thankful he was behind you, because if you saw the way his gaze changed from your words he’d never live it down. You looked so perfect, spread just for him. His jersey. His number. And in his own fantasy: his girl. He snapped himself back into reality, sliding into your pussy that was practically dripping in anticipation.

“Faster, fuck Mat please,” You whimpered out, trying to move yourself to get Mat to pick up the pace. He chuckled darkly, hips snapping back and forth until the only sound in the room was the string of curses leaving your mouth, “I’m close-”

Mat flipped you over before you could finish, his hand grabbing your chin and forcing you to look at him, “Tell me this pussy is mine.”

“Fuck I’m yours Mat,” You breath out, locking your eyes with his while it felt like time froze around you, “I’m yours.”

“Look at me when you cum baby,” Mat urges, his hand still gripping your chin. He picked up his place, making use of his other hand around your clit, “C’mon princess just for me.”

Your pussy fluttered around him, Mat letting out a groan while he tried to hold onto this moment for just a bit longer. He looked down at you, catching your breath from your own high. You hand snuck down to his cock, pumping it slowly, “Cum on me.”

Mat nods, letting you work on his dick with your hands while he nibbled at your neck. He was going to mark you up, make you remember who you belonged to because he so desperately wanted it to be him. He spilled onto your pussy, head pressed into your neck while he came down from his own high. You both laid there for a moment, your hand gently stroking Mat’s back while you both took a moment to think about what just happened. Mat was possessive in a way he’d never been before, and you ate it up without a second thought - that had to mean something right?

“I need to get back to my room,” you whisper, afraid to break the comfortable silence.

“I know,” Mat nods, finally picking his head up, “Keep the jersey, you might need it one day.”

“Your stupidity is honestly astounding,” You joke, brushing his hair out of his face while Mat’s face turned into a pout.

“Can I take you on a date?” Mat breathes out, hoping he wasn’t reading this the wrong way, “No games, no funny business, let me take you out.”

Say no. Say no and never call him again.

“One date,” You agree against your better judgement, pushing Mat away and looking around the room to find your sweats that you snuck into his room in, “Better make it a good one.”

Mat smiles, teeth on full display while he watched you slide your pants back on, “I’m the best at everything Y/N don’t forget that.”

“Goodnight Barz,” You tease, giving him one more look before you left his room.

The elevator ride down was quiet, most of the hotel’s occupants already asleep or still out partying the weekend away. For your sake, you hoped Chris would be fast asleep like the grandpa he was. You rushed down the hallway, Mat’s jersey still hanging loosely off your frame while you looked in your hand for your room key. Your search was stopped by a throat clearing behind you. You jump, turning around to see Chris’s eyes boring into you.

“You’ve got some explaining to do.”

[outro-tearist]

paws of paradise - chapter 2 {bangtan ot7 x reader}

hi everybody! sorry for the inactivity but idek how to do a schedule ever. i think that maybe once a week is what i'm shooting for, but i honestly have no plot and im making it up as i go!

as per usual, i'd appreciate comments, thoughts, suggests, anons, anything! have a great day!

~silver~

chap 1 chap 2 chap 3

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“Shit.” (Y/N) whispered. Not only were there two new dogs today, but Jimin also couldn’t make it to help with walking today.

Kim Yeontan and Jeon Gureum had joined the roster of new regulars, and while she appreciated the support of her business in the bustling city, she couldn’t help but stress over the fact that so many people were becoming dependent on her.

This was the busiest day she had seen ever since she had packed from her old home in a small countryside town. As the small town stereotype goes, everybody knew everybody in her hometown. She was mostly known for being a farmer’s daughter and having a preference for animals over humans.

After spending most of her teenage years hanging out in barns of cows, horses, goats, and other farm animals, she had realized her passion was helping and caring for them.

At the same time, (Y/N) was bored of her small-town life and wanted to experience the hustle that city life promised. She could have easily gotten a grooming job somewhere in the country but decided that it would be best for her to move to Seoul.

She had never once regretted her decision, but that does not mean it was easy for (Y/N) in any way. Buying a shop, getting certified to groom, remodeling her shop, finding an affordable apartment, and getting a small job before her shop opened were just a few struggles she had fought through.

“You little- c’mon Gureum! I have yummy treats!! Mmmmmmm come get some.” (Y/N) baby talked to the small white dog. He seemed to laugh in her face as it turned around and continued to jump around Yeontan and another larger dog that she forgot the name of.

Gureum seemed to instigate the most trouble out of all the dogs she had met. She would always find the “dynamic duo” (Jimin’s nickname for Gureum and Yeontan) prancing around the other dogs and creating chaos. Yeontan would usually stop when told but would be roped back in by Gureum to run around and bark wildly.

“Gureum! C’mere boy,” a new voice called from behind (Y/N). Apparently, somebody had come into the back of the shop and she didn’t even hear the bell.

She let out a small shriek as he rushed past her legs and made her lose her balance. She desperately tried to regain her balance but unfortunately fell backward. She closed her eyes to brace for the ass flattening she would receive but was only met with a firm chest and bulging arms wrapping around her quickly.

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay Noona?!” the young boyish-faced with the largest build she had seen called out to her.

(Y/N) looked up at the boy with bunny teeth and quickly pushed herself up and off his chest. “AH! Yes! I am all good now,” she chuckled awkwardly. “Um, how did you get back here?”

“I didn’t mean to scare you! I thought you’d heard the bell in the front but then I saw you struggling with him so I thought I would help a little.”

“Is Gureumie yours?”

The boy bashfully ducked his head as he leaned down to pet the calmest version of the white dog the girl had ever seen. “Ah, yeah. My hyungs say that he and I are kinda similar but I don't see it… Anyways, they also told me that you are the best groomer around, and from how he looks now, I think I’ll be here more often.”

“Wow… Thank you, and tell your hyungs thanks too! What’s your name so I can log him out?” (Y/N) was so excited to hear people giving her small shop good reviews. It meant that all her hard work actually meant something.

“I’m Jeon Jeongguk, and I’ll let Namjoon hyung and Seokjin hyung know. They’ll be happy you thought of them too.” he smiled brightly and picked his still wiggly dog up.

“Have a great day! Hope to see you soon.” (Y/N) smiled at Jeongguk as he walked out of the shop. She walked into the back only to see Yeontan jumping up on Jimin.

“Jimin! I thought you were busy today- and how’d you get in?” (Y/N) grinned at her coworker. She felt her cheeks warm and her heart beat a little faster now that he was here, but she brushed it off as soon as Jimin responded.

“The back door is always opened, like usual. And I still am but I just wanted to stop by… check-in and make sure you’re doing alright?” Jimin started somewhat nervously. (Y/N) giggled a little bit as she stood a little closer in order to pet the dog in Jimin’s arms.

“Well, Jimin, I am doing very well right now. In fact, I walked all the dogs AND finished the appointments scheduled so far. Maybe you need to step up your game on dog walking.” (Y/N) teased lightly.

Jimin scoffed, “Oh please, you wouldn’t have hired me if you didn’t need to. Admit it, you need me to be here.”

This statement made (Y/N) freeze up a little. He was her first friend that she had met in Seoul, and thanks to him, she was able to achieve everything she had wanted and more. The girl softened a little bit and looked up into Jimin’s eyes.

“You’re right. I really appreciate all that you’ve done for me. Thank you so, so much.” she expressed her gratitude gently.

Jimin seemed to fluster at this, not expecting a genuine response from his coworker as he stuttered and stumbled to find new words. Luckily for the blushing man, the tinkling bell sounded from the front of the store.

“Hello, welcome to Paradise Pet Groomers, what can I do for you two?” (Y/N) politely asked the men as she walked out of the backroom. “Ah, Yoongi-ssi, good to see you!”

“Likewise.” the stoic man responded. He had Holly on a leash as his dog smelled the second man who walked in with another incredibly handsome man. His face seemed to be perfectly chiseled and he seemed to be a few inches taller than Yoongi standing next to him.

“Hi, Taehyung-ssi. Jimin will be right out with Yeontannie. And Yoongi-ssi, I’ll grab Holly now if you’d tell me what sort of cut you’d like for him.” (Y/N) smoothly managed the two customers.

“Taehyungie!” Jimin shouted as he ran out from the back with Yeontan. Taehyung greeted him back just as excited, and (Y/N) couldn’t help the twists of jealousy that ran through her veins as they seemed so happy to see each other. Despite that, she forced a grin on her face to turn back to Yoongi, who had brought him back into the grooming area.

“Just do the same cut as last time, please. Holly looked good like that.” Yoongi’s deep voice grumbled as he bent down to say goodbye. He let out a few small high-pitched squeals as (Y/N) watched through the window as Jimin and Taehyung were hugging.

Fuck. That should not have made her feel as angry as it did. Yoongi seemed to notice the tension that entered the air as he cleared his throat.

“Oh- sorry. Holly’s cut should only take about an hour and a half, so we’ll see you soon!” (Y/N) tried to crush the bitterness in her voice, but it was useless. Yoongi had to have noticed it, but he didn’t say anything. All he said was, “See you soon, (Y/N).”

(Y/N) took in a strained deep breath, and picked up Holly just as Jimin’s blushing face entered through the back again.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stay longer, but-”

“It’s fine. See you later Jimin.” (Y/N) cut him off shortly. Jimin’s eyebrows raised as he began to wonder what had happened when he was talking to- he blushed a little bit more thinking of Taehyung.

“Did Yoongi say anything? Are you alright…?” Jimin asked tentatively.

“No! I-I’m fine. Sorry to worry you, but you should get going. Don’t wanna be late to wherever you’re going.” Jimin’s shocked face hurt (Y/N) to look at, so she looked down at Holly and brought him to the baths.

“Oh. Right. I guess I’ll get going then.” Jimin stared at her a bit sadly before he awkwardly walked out the backdoor. “Oh my god Holly what is wrong with me.” (Y/N) said to the small brown poodle. He simply panted happily as she scratched behind his ears as the warm water flowed down his back.

[melodyalanaroster]

Miracle Romance

"Oh my god." Alana gasped with tears in her eyes. She stood in front of a large mirror and stared at herself. "I finally look like Serenity." She smiled as she left the dressing room and showed herself to Nathaniel. "You look amazing." Nathaniel smiled. Alana began to cry. “For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be like her... And now, even for a few moments... I can be her.” Tears made their way down her face as she smiled. "I guess I have to break your one rule." Nathaniel smiled. "You are not dying your hair black." Alana remarked. "I could wear a wig." Nathaniel replied. “But Nath... We talked about this...” Alana began. "I am not letting anyone else be your Endymion." Nathaniel interjected.

★

Throughout Alana's life, she had made it very clear that Sailor Moon had been a staple to her. It was a staple in the Roster family. By the time Alana reached the point of living in the Black Tower, at least four generations of the family enjoyed it. Including both primary sets of sisters, Margaret and little Ravenna.

She would play pretend with Viktor, Severina and Sam when they were children. She would always be Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity, Viktor was Tuxedo Mask and Prince Endymion, Severina was Sailor Venus and Sam was always Sailor Jupiter. The tree house in Alana's backyard was often the Moon Kingdom and they would frequently save the world. The adventures would always end with the power of love winning and the kids going into the house for a snack.

As the kids reached adolescence, they were forced to stop playing. But, their love of the anime was still prevalent. Alana always kept up with merchandise news and rumors about the release of a second anime. Lynne had made sure that Alana and Sam had their own copies of the manga, original anime and movies. Viktor happily talked about being Endymion to Alana’s Serenity until they were forced to break up. They wanted to continue the fantasy, but circumstance parted them. Severina was always happy to talk to everyone, and toss out ideas for a proper cosplay group, but Sam dampened the idea with the reminder that, as long as Viktor’s and Severina’s fathers remained in control of their lives, they’d never be allowed to do so.

When Lynne moved Alana and Sam to Amouria, things began to change. "She won't shut up about that Nathaniel guy." Viktor growled as he sat down next to Severina. “Viktor, you knew from the day one that you and Mels weren't allowed to be together. She has to find her Endymion." Severina sighed. “But seriously? aunt Lynne moves her and Sam to Amouria and they both immediately find guys they like?” Viktor complained. “You know Mels talks about other guys too. Right now, it could be Castiel, Lysander, Armin or Nathaniel.” Severina tried to make things sound better. “No, it's definitely Nathaniel. She barely mentions the others to me. Mostly about Armin playing games, Castiel being an ass, and Lysander losing his notebook. But she dotes on Nathaniel a lot.” Viktor retorted. Severina sighed. "Viktor... Do you remember what happened to Adonis and Beryl? Their envy got the best of them, they became evil and they died. Please keep a clear head.” She reasoned. "I am not like Adonis and Beryl." Viktor shot. “Viktor, I can't believe I have to be the voice of reason here. Both of our moms made it very clear that aunt Lynne, Mels and Sam have more freedom than we do. They're not blue bloods. They have to find their miracle elsewhere... Although, you and I will probably end up being paired together in an arranged marriage set up by our fathers.” She explained. Viktor thought for a couple of minutes and sighed. "I just thought..." 

The first time Nathaniel ever went into Alana's room, he instantly noticed her Sailor Moon dolls. "They're really hard to find these days... And Sailor Moon means a lot to me..." She said as she explained what the show meant to her. “It's a connection to my past, my closest friends, and my family.” She smiled. Nathaniel looked puzzled for a bit, then smiled. "That's really sweet.". He smiled. He noticed a picture of her, Sam, Severina and Viktor on a shelf and picked it up. “You all look like you’re having so much fun.” He mused. “Yeah... That’s the only time we’ve ever been able to dress up.” Alana sighed, wistfully. The kids were in makeshift Sailor Scout uniforms. Their hair wasn’t perfect, and Viktor’s tux didn’t fit right, but they didn’t care. The photo had been taken a few weeks before Cosima Chevalier’s death, and was one of the last happy memories they had as a group. “Its cute.” Nathaniel chuckled as he looked at her lovingly.

When her mother went into the hospital, Nate arranged it to where Alana and Lynne could sit and watch whatever they wanted in the room. Lynne suggested marathoning Sailor Moon. The days in the hospital weren't as bad when they watched the show and Lynne stayed stable, but there were days where not even fighting evil by moonlight could save the day. But, that didn't keep them from trying. It didn't take them long to get through all five seasons and three movies of the original anime. “I heard they're making a second anime that's supposed to be closer to the manga!” Alana attempted to be cheery. She was sure that she, Severina and Sam had told her about Crystal, but she really couldn’t think of anything positive to say.  “That's lovely! Do you know when it's set to come out?” Lynne asked. “I have no idea. I'm sure Toei will update us when they can!” Alana replied. “I hope its soon.” Lynne smiled. Suddenly, Lynne began coughing and her monitors started to go off. “NURSE! HELP!” Alana cried.

Even when Sam and Alana fought so badly that the Military and RDR felt it was necessary to create a treaty between the two organizations to prevent the sisters from ever being enemies again, it was actually their love of Sailor Moon that truly began to bring them together again. Severina had gotten wind of the fight and forced the girls to go to her house. “OW! RINI! YOU'RE HURTING MY EAR!” Alana whined. “Seriously! What the hell?” Sam whined. “I don't care if I'm hurting you two! This kind of fighting is unacceptable! You two are sisters and you know that this behavior will tear the family apart! I won't allow that!" Severina began to cry as she lead the sisters to her home theater. "What's all this?" Alana asked. "You've forced my hand, so I'm pulling out the big guns!" Severina cried as she grabbed a remote and turned on the screen. Sam and Alana looked at the menu then at each other. "Go figure." Sam grinned. "Of course." Alana grinned. The menu on the screen was the DVD menu to Sailor Moon R: The Promise Of The Rose. By the time the song “The Power Of Love” was playing, tears were streaming down the sisters' faces. "Mels." Sam began to choke. "Sam." Alana's voice wavered. They looked at each other, sadness and regret in their eyes. “Mels... I’m s-so s-sorry f-for what I-I said..” Sam sniffled. “I’m s-sorry t-too S-Sami...” Alana blubbered as she hugged Sam. “I love you.” Sam muttered as she held onto her sister. “I love you too.” Alana murmured. 

When Death’s Domain was getting set up, Alana dedicated a whole room to the series. “You’re seriously going to have an entire room dedicated to Sailor Moon?” Derek had asked. “Yes. Its going to have shelves for merch, posters, and a couch to relax on.” Alana mused. “Melody can have whatever she wants for her apartment. And, if it helps her destress, I most definitely approve.” The  Red Death announced. “Well, the majority of my collection will be in there. There’s going to be something Sailor Moon related in every room.” Alana smiled. “Of course there will be.” Derek facepalmed. “I’m not apologizing. I love Sailor Moon and I wanna showcase it in my home.” Alana laughed. “And I’m sure you’re going to do nothing but post about your collection for a while.” Derek rolled his eyes. “Obviously. Moonies have a good presence online.” Alana mused. “I thought “Moonies” were people who followed the Unification Church?” The Red Death inquired. “Yeah, they are called that, but Sailor Moon fans are also called “Moonies”. I know, in certain circles, I have to be sure to differentiate... But, its what we’re called.” Alana explained as she shrugged her shoulders. The room ended up becoming a paradise for fans of the series. Shelves filled with various collectibles, a couch decorated with two throw pillows and a blanket, a coffee table with two sets of coasters, a large rug, framed posters, plushies, moon and star lights along the walls and showering down the window and a tv mounted on one wall. In contrast to the vast majority of Death’s Domain, the room was an explosion of bright colors.

★

Nathaniel stepped into the restroom for a few minutes. Alana watched the door in anticipation. When he came out, he was running his hands along the circumference of the black wig, making sure it was in its proper place. The thought of how similar he looked to Viktor shot through her mind. She did her best to suppress that thought. "You don't even like cosplay..." She muttered as she smiled. "You do so much for me, I don't mind doing this for you." He grinned. "Nathaniel! I love you!” She cried as she wrapped her arms around him. “I knew I was going to see Princess Serenity, I didn't know Prince Endymion would be with her!” someone called from behind them. They turned around and saw Sam leaning in the doorway. “Sam! I look just like her!” Alana cried. "I wonder if I can get Ken to be Nephrite." Sam commented. “I'm sure he would be if you asked him. You two would be the perfect Jupiter and Nephrite!” Alana beamed. “I didn't know this was turning into a full on cosplay group!” Ken laughed as he walked up behind Sam. "Why not?" Sam asked. "I'm not sure Viktor would appreciate being Kunzite." Alana remarked. “He'd have to get used to it. Since Nathaniel is Endymion, that demotes Viktor to Kunzite.” Sam stated. "Right because when you guys were kids, Viktor was always Endymion." Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “Viktor has had years to accept his position in my sister's life. If he doesn't accept it, it will not end well for him.” Sam replied. "Do you think he will?" Nathaniel asked. "If he truly cares about her, he will." Sam nodded. “Viktor has known for years that our time ended long ago. Accepting his new position is painful for him, but he is well aware of the fact that it's something that he must do.” Alana explained.

A few minutes later, Renee walked into the room. “You both look magnificent! The girls and I have gotten a backdrop ready, would you two mind taking a few pictures?” She beamed. Alana smiled and turned to Nathaniel, a very hopeful look on her face. "Would you be okay with that?" She asked. Nathaniel nodded. "Sure." He grinned. They followed Renee into a room. "Oh my god! You two look utterly amazing!”, “You look beautiful Mels! Nathaniel, you look so handsome!”, “True Moon and Earth royalty!” the other girls cooed when they saw them. “I think we should do a cosplay group. I'm Jupiter and Rini will be Venus.” Sam commented when she walked in. "I volunteer to be Mercury!" Renee cheered. "I'll be Mars." Lyra smiled. "I'll be Pluto." Veronica beamed. "I don't mind being Saturn." Nora suggested. "I wonder if we could get Lucy and Noelle to be Uranus and Neptune." Sam pondered. "We could also see about getting Ravenna to be Chibi Moon." Alana proposed. “I think that would be fantastic. Who would be the rest of the Shitennou?” Lyra asked. "I could see if Armin could be Jadeite." Alana thought out loud. "Are we really setting up a cosplay group?" Nathaniel asked. Sam looked at Nath, as if he had said something really stupid. "Do you not realize how highly rated Sailor Moon cosplay groups are?" She asked. Nathaniel shook his head. “Sailor Moon cosplay groups are some of the most elite cosplayers in the anime world. Sailor Moon being one of the most iconic anime in history, it is instantly recognizable. The cosplayers take some of the most beautiful pictures, make some of the coolest videos, and even do events. They may not be unionized like Star Wars' 501st Legion, but they come together and coalesce with great ease whenever they recognize each other. Children who recognize them run up to them the same way that they do with superheroes, and typically, they are nice to them. It is a sisterhood of love and justice.” Sam explained. "Not to mention how fun it would be to finally be in one." Alana cooed. “We'd still need Zoisite.” Veronica stated. "I wonder if Derek could be him." Nora pondered. “Uh, guys? Can we please get to the photoshoot?” Renee asked impatiently. 

After posting for photos for what felt like an eternity, Nathaniel and Alana went into the changing room to get out of their cosplays. "You do look really beautiful in that." Nathaniel smiled as he took the black wig off. Alana blushed. "Do you really think so?" She asked nervously. “Of course. You look magnificent.” He blushed as he walked over to her and kissed her. “Thank you for doing this my love. It means the world to me.” Tears came to Alana's eyes as she spoke. “I love you my Melody.” Nathaniel cooed as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I love you so much Nathaniel!” She mused as she threw her arms around him.

★

A few weeks later, in the early hours of the morning, several cars arrived at an old castle in the country. “This place looks amazing! Perfect for our photo shoot!” Alana cheered as she got out of the car. “Welcome to the Astarian Royal Palace Lady Melody!” A woman with long brown hair, sunglasses and wearing a knee length blue dress beamed as she walked up to them. “Mrs. Reynard, I presume?” Alana asked as she shook the woman's hand. “Yes ma'am. We spoke over the phone.” the woman smiled. “You are fully aware as to why we need the palace today. Am I correct?” Alana inquired. “Yes. For your little photoshoot. Cosplay, I believe.” Mrs. Reynard replied. “Yes. Sailor Moon. Its important the palace be the backdrop to this shoot.” Alana stated. “The photographer will be here in a few minutes to set up. They'll need time.” Mrs. Reynard explained. “That's fine. We need time to prepare.” Alana smiled.

After a couple of hours, the members of the group began to step out of their respective preparation rooms and into a lounge. Lynne Roster as Queen Serenity, Sam as Sailor Jupiter, Severina as Sailor Venus, Renee as Sailor Mercury, Lyra as Sailor Mars, Noelle as Sailor Uranus, Lucy as Sailor Neptune, Nora as Sailor Saturn, Veronica as Sailor Pluto, Ravenna as Small Lady Serenity, Viktor as Kunzite, Ken as Nephrite, Armin as Jadeite, Derek as Zoisite, Nathaniel as Prince Endymion and Alana as Princess Serenity. When the entire group was gathered in the lounge, tears filled Alana's eyes. “It's so beautiful!” she happily cried out. “Awe! Mels!” Severina cheered as she hugged Alana. “This was a fantastic idea!” Lynne beamed. "How long do we all need to wear this?" Armin asked, slightly uncomfortable. “Just a few hours. We're gonna get a TON of shots! ” someone replied as they walked up. It was a young woman with short platinum blonde hair, bright green eyes, and pale skin. She wore black pants, a white button up top and a deep blue beret. "You all look so regal!" She cheered. “Alright everyone, let me introduce you to you Catarina. She's a friend of mine from boarding school. She's the photographer I told you guys about!” Severina introduced. “Hello everyone! It is an absolute pleasure to meet you all!” Catherine bowed. ” Severina introduced. “Hello everyone! It is an absolute pleasure to meet you all!” Catherine bowed.

The photoshoot took several hours, and took place at various locations within the castle grounds. Lynne insisted on at least one family shot with Sam and Alana, and one with Sam, Alana, Severina, Ravenna, Ken, Nathaniel, and Viktor. “This is odd. I don't quite know the anime, but those characters aren't actually family, aren't they?” Catarina asked, curiously. “Not exactly... I mean, Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, and Small Lady Serenity are three generations of lunar royalty, and Prince Endymion is Princess Serenity's husband and Sailor Chibi Moon's father... But, this shot isn't about the show's family. It's about their family.” Lyra explained. “Oh. That's sweet!” Catarina smiled. Alana insisted each “couple” got their own picture. Viktor wasn't too happy that his couldn't be with Alana, but he didn't mind posing with Severina. Kentin was very happy to have a romantic pose with Sam. "Nephrite and Jupiter look so fantastic!" Renee cheered. “Are you kidding? I've been wanting to do this set for a long time!” Sam beamed. “My favorite part of all of this. I hate this wig, but being your knight is worth it.” Ken mused as he looked at Sam lovingly. "This is awkward." Derek rolled his eyes when he and Renee had their turn. "Oh grow up!" Renee snapped. "Derek... You know what happens when Renee gets mad!" Alana laughed. “Yeah... She gets pretty scary.” Derek sighed. Everyone laughed as Renee forced Derek into a somewhat romantic pose. "But this is so awkward!" Derek whined. "Just do it!" Renee demanded. When their part of the shoot ended, Derek sat down and shot back a bottle of water. “That was weird. "Lyra, Armin, you're up!" Alana cheered. “Now this will be interesting! ” Ken chuckled. “And in Dragon Ball references Armin! Toei may own both franchises, but now is not the time to try to mix the two!” Sam ordered. “Awe come on! That takes part of the fun out of it!” Armin whined. “Armin, if we were doing a smaller photoshoot, I wouldn't mind a few “fun” shots. So please be more serious.” Alana urgent. "Fine." Armin sighed as he and Lyra took their places in front of the camera. 

“God that was exhausting! Who'd have thought that Cosplay would be THAT much work?” Nathaniel whined he crashed onto the living room couch at Death's Domain. "If you had cosplayed as the Winter Soldier when Armin and I cosplayed as Captain America and Black Widow at that Marvel Exhibition in High School, you would have known, first hand, A LOT sooner!" Alana shot as she crashed down next to him. "You still won't let me live that down?" He asked. "Nope." She chuckled. "Why not?" He asked. “Because Armin and I worked our asses off to do our characters justice and we were hoping you would join in on the fun. Especially considering how Natasha and Bucky get together in the comics several times, so it would have been a cute “couple's cosplay” for you and me. Not to mention how cosplay is more than just “wearing a costume”. When someone properly cosplays, they also wish to play the character, even for just a day. They temporarily escape reality and enter the one the character they're cosplaying as resides in. Weeks, months, and even years are spent building props and even hand making the items and outfits. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into it!” She explained. "I know you and Armin love it, but I don't think I could do it as often as you want to." Nathaniel sighed. “I get that. Its not for everybody. But, I'm thankful you did it for me.” Alana Mused. “I love you Alana. You always do so much for me... And it has been a long time since I've been the "prince" to your "princess." He grinned. "And I'm sure rubbing it Viktor's face added to your enjoyment.” She chuckled. "That did make it a bit more fun." He smirked. "I really wish you wouldn't antagonize him." She sighed. over you and find someone else. It's the same with Castiel. You're not going to be with him, so he needs to quit pining." He shot. "Yes, but with Castiel, you two have reached a mutual agreement, and he has angered me in such a way that I spat that truth with him." She chimed in. "Which makes the situation with Viktor worse. had your family and Severina telling him for years... Yet he insists." He huffed as he rolled his eyes. "Despite that, he is still one of my best and oldest friends. We were raised together and are still like family. Can you at least try to play nice with him?" She requested. Nathaniel looked at her annoyed. "Please! Pretty please! My sweet Endymion…” Alana begged as she playfully batted her eyes. He thought for a minute and exhaled. “Fine. ” He sighed. "Thank you." She mused. “But if he oversteps the boundaries that you and I put in place, I won't be so kind.” He stated. She cuddled up next to him and kissed his cheek. "I love you Nathaniel." She cooed. He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I love you too Alana."

★

Several weeks later, after the images from the photoshoot had been posted and gone viral, an idea came to Severina's mind. She turned to Alana and Sam and smiled. "What?" Sam asked. “What if we did a cosplay concert?!” Severina cheered. “Nope. I'm not singing.” Alana stated. “PLEASE! We could choose a song from Sailor Moon and singing it at a convention!” Severina urged. “Really? What song would we even do?” Sam asked. “What about “Moon Effect”? It's sung by all of the scouts!” Severina cheered. “Please no. I don't sing.” Alana begged. "But, you wouldn't be alone... And we can't do it without our Sailor Moon!" Sam sneered. “Honey... You're such a beautiful singer! Please!!!!” Severina pleaded. “No…” Alana muttered. “Damn it Mels! Just do it! We all know that you sing when you're alone! On top of that, Nath, Rini, Viktor, Mom and I have all been telling you for years that we all think your singing is beautiful! So, just do it!” Sam snapped. "Don't forget how your teammates think so too." Severina added. Alana thought for a few minutes and huffed. “Fine. I'll do it.” She sighed. “Huzzah! Let's do it at Comic Con!” Sam cheered. "No! That’s too big a venue!" Alana pleaded "That's why it should be done there! You'll get over your stage fright on one of the biggest stages on the Convention Circuit!" Sam explained. "My babies singing a Sailor Moon song in full cosplay? I'd love to help you with it!" Lynne cheered as she walked up to them. "Fantastic! We'll make it a family project!" Severina smiled. Alana looked around at the other women, thought for a few minutes, sighed, and sheepishly grinned. “I guess the Roster Family women are putting on a show!”

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

Words cannot describe how badly I've wanted to write something Sailor Moon related to my story... 

Sailor Moon means a lot to me... It was my mom’s and my “thing”. No matter how much we fought, argued, and went at each other’s throats, we always bonded over the series. The first and last time I watched it in it’s entirety was with her just before her disease started taking its hold. She was the one who got me my first bits of merch, who was always happy to talk to me about it. The last Christmas gift I got her was a blanket with all the scouts on it, and she gave me plushies of Luna and Artemis. When mom died, Sailor Moon came to mean so much more to me. My aunt made me pendants with her ashes in them that look like the Legendary Silver Crystal, I got Pluto’s Garnet Rod tattooed on my back, and I became more adamant about collecting items. Each time I get a new item, I feel closer to her... There are times where I’ll even burst into tears because of Sailor Moon making me think of her....

Yes, I used the character sprite of Nathaniel that I edited from the Dark Chocolate Steward to make him look more like Endymion. I made his hair black, and edited his rings and earrings out.

Little tip... The bit about Adonis won't make sense unless you've read the Codename Sailor V manga.... If you’re not in the mood to read it, Adonis was a lowly Venusian soldier who was in love with his princess (Venus). Venus fell in love with Kunzite instead of him. He found her on Earth and cursed her to never be able to have love again, thus freeing more of her time up to focus on her duty as the leader of Princess Serenity’s Sailor Guardians.

This was originally going to be a Valentine's Day special for 2020. Then 2020 became the dumpster fire that it was and my real life needed more of my attention....

The majority of this does take place during the first year between University Life and Love Life. Before Nath and Alana go on their globe trotting adventure. The flashback section takes place at various points in time.

Credit goes to:

Naoko Takeuchi for Sailor Moon

@candysweetposts for the Princess Serenity Pack (seriously, thank you for going through with my request!)

@chinomiko and Beemoov for My Candy Love

[hidden-otaku-stuff]

Different but the Same (pt. 9)

tw: Swearing, kit-kat discourse, minor bullying, Alpha superiority complex

Word count: 4.4k 

Rating: R18+/M

Omegaverse AU, Rating: 18+/M

Pairings: Iwaizumi x fem!reader, Ushijima x fem!reader

Summary: An unexpected encounter at the Inter-High tournament tossed you into a whirlwind. Being tugged between two males, two different packs, who will reign supreme in this battle for your heart?

Masterlist | prev | next

ch. 9: Tokyo - Day Two

The elevator chimed as the doors opened. The Omega had barely entered the lobby before she bent over with a massive yawn. “Long night?”

“The longest,” she mumbled, making her way to one of the benches and collapsing onto it. She’d made it back to her room at 3 AM. (Name) looked up with bleary eyes. With arms of lead, she extended them up and made grabby motions. He raised an eyebrow, confused. “Snuggle.”

“What?”

She tugged on his shirt, “snuggle!” She demanded, leaning back and letting her eyes flutter shut. 

The ash-blonde Alpha took a seat besides her. Immediately, she curled into his warmth, burying her face into his chest as she threw her legs over his thighs. Semi’s arms hung loosely around her. (Name)’s chest filled with purrs as she wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness. Semi sat there frozen, unsure of what to do. He anxiously looked around, glad that he had been the first of his team-mates to arrive in the lobby but also worried about what would happen when they entered. He knew Ushijima had started courting the Omega, and he wasn’t quite sure of what the Apex Alpha would do. Ushijima had literally broken Kirishima’s nose for being vulgar, what would he do when he caught the Omega cuddling him? A soft hand distracted him as the omega pulled it more snugly around her waist.

“Do you always get cuddly when you’re tired?” 

“Yeah,” she yawned again, eyes still shut. “That or when I’m anxious.”

“Does Iwaizumi let you cuddle his pack-mates too?” The Omega hummed in affirmation, causing Semi’s brown eyes to widen. “Oh really?” 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” 

“Pack pile?” Oikawa looked over to his best friend, eyeing the venomous look in his eye. They’d left the club room only to be greeted with the sight of (Name), Kyotani, and Makki cuddling together in the gym. Kyotani had his head on (Name)’s lap, and Makki had his arms around her as she leaned into him from her spot in between his legs.

“With MY mate though?” Iwaizumi scowled, the burnt pine filling the air.

“Wait!” She sat up, nudging the males aside as she stood up. “I asked them to, Haji.”

“What?” His Alpha paced angrily; they all flinched as his scent lashed out at their noses.

“I was having a really bad day and getting a little anxious, and you know how I get when I’m anxious, so they offered to help calm me down.” 

Iwaizumi crossed his arms, irritated. “You could’ve gotten me.”

“I didn’t wanna bother you.” She shrank into herself, eyes downcast. “I figured that you wouldn’t mind since they’re in the pack.”

Iwaizumi pinched his nose, breathing heavily. “Just...tell me before or something. I don’t like finding you guys like this.” 

She jumped up, running into his arms. “You’re the best,” she squealed, before she tugged him to the ground. With a startled grunt, he landed beside her. “Pack pile!” She cheered, as the other males turned into her. Kyotani placed his head back onto her lap, and Makki decided to lean against Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, taking Makki’s old position - though he did pull her in much closer than Makki had. Oikawa let out a bemused chuckle as he watched, only to yelp as Makki tugged him down. Oikawa crashed into Makki’s lap. They all laid there until more members entered and piled on top, effectively squishing and suffocating the Omega who was in the middle. 

“Well yeah, they’re my pack too,” she muttered, her strawberry scent filling his senses as she squirmed in his arms. “We love pack-piles.”

“Did I hear pack-pile?” 

Semi groaned internally, cinnamon overtaking strawberry. The Omega let out a squeak as Tendou plopped his head onto her lap laying between her legs and throwing his legs up on the length of the bench. “Hello Tendou,” she sighed, threading her hand through his locks. The other Alpha shuddered under the familiar touch.

“Ooh, (Name)-chan, that feels nice.”

“I’m guessing you guys don’t really do pack-piles?” Her eyes lazily flicked between the two.

“Nah.”

“I’ve tried!” Tendou proclaimed, nuzzling his face into her stomach and eliciting soft laughter. “But nobody felt like reciprocating.”

“Ushijima shoved him off the bed,” Semi whispered into her ear, sending her into a fit of giggles. “And when he tried at training camp, I threw his futon out into the hall.” 

“What are you doing?” Their heads snapped up. Semi’s blood ran cold as he was greeted with a tense Alpha. Tendou sent his best friend a pleasant smile as the Omega sleepily waved. Ushijima’s jaw was clenched as he observed the scene, fists trembling slightly.

“Pack-pile,” she shrugged. “I’m sleepy.”

“You shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night,” Ushijima reprimanded, crossing his arms. She rolled her eyes. It’s not like he wasn’t there! But of course, Ushijima didn’t even look tired.

“Okay, Dad, I’ll sleep early tonight.”

Ushijima’s gaze hardened. “I am not your father.” Without warning, he took a seat besides Semi, pulling her towards him and plopping her onto his lap. She blinked in surprise while Tendou’s head went crashing into Semi’s knees. Both males flinched at the contact, Tendou letting out a surprised yelp. 

“What are you doing, Ushijima-san?” She spluttered, attempting to pull back as she looked up at the captain. 

“Pack-pile.” His arms snaked around her waist before he leaned into Semi, scenting her with his wrist glands. Her cheeks glowed at the close contact. 

She was saved by the rest of the pack trudging into the lobby. “Guess we should go get onto the bus,” she chuckled awkwardly, detaching herself from the massive Alpha. Ushijima let her go without a fight, olive eyes following her figure as she greeted the rest of the team. They made their way to the front of the hotel where their bus was waiting. 

The Omega waited for everyone to board, double-checking the roster as they all entered. Once everyone - except for the coaches - had boarded, she clambered on, pulling out a black bag. She went up and down the aisles, passing out kit-kats. 

“Thank you, (Name)-san!” Goshiki bowed, accidentally hitting his head on the seat in front of him.

“Be careful, Goshiki-kun,” (Name) said, ruffling his hair before making her way to the front where she took her seat beside Ushijima. Tendou sat in the row across from her. By now, the coaches had climbed aboard and they were making their way to Itachiyama.

“Ooh, thank you!” Tendou beamed, sticking his hand into her bag and snagging a few more. (Name) smacked his hand, pulling the bag away.

“Only one, Tendou,” she scolded. 

Tendou rolled his eyes, “no fun allowed.” He opened his kit-kat, breaking them apart. The crinkle of plastic filled the air as the boys helped themselves to their sweet treat. “Wakatoshi, that’s not how you eat a kit-kat.”

The Omega whirled around, looking at her seat-mate. Ushijima had just taken a bite out of both sticks. Simultaneously. Without splitting them. Semi leaned over Tendou, looking too.  “Wakatoshi, you’re supposed to split them.” 

Ushijima’s brows furrowed. “Why? That seems unnecessary.”

The Omega frowned, looking between the kit-kats. It’s true there really wasn’t a reason to do so. It was just preferable? “Well,” she hesitated, “the creators made it so they’re meant to be split and shared, right?” 

“But I’m not sharing this.” Ushijima frowned, looking at the candy and then back up to her. “Unless you wanted to share this with me, (Name)?”

She shook her head. “You’re right. Enjoy your candy, Ushijima-san.” (Name) patted his head, before tucking the candy away into the belt-bag she wore over her shoulder. She peeked into it, noting that she’d need to pick up more medical tape. The rest of the trip consisted of Tendou trying to “persuade” her to give him more candy - a.k.a., he tried to distract her and slyly steal some. Eventually, Ushijima forced her to switch seats with him so that she could nap for the remainder of the trip without Tendou’s constant interruptions. This only led to Tendou harassing Shirabu and Semi and the trio were all yelled at by Coach Washijo.   

“I did tell you to behave, Tendou.” 

Tendou shrugged, ignoring Ushijima’s words. “You should wake her up, we’re almost there.”

“You act as if I could sleep with the racket you were making,” the Omega replied, her eyes still shut as she rested her head against the window. 

“Why are you so tired anyways?”

She leaned forward, glaring over Ushijima’s form. “Gee, Tendou, I wonder why?” She replied sarcastically. 

“I have no idea!” Tendou grinned sardonically as the bus came to a halt. 

“Let’s just get these practice matches over with,” the Omega grumbled, crossing her arms.

****

Itachiyama and Shiratorizawa ended up playing eight sets, with Shiratorizawa winning 5 of them. As the scrimmages came to an end, (Name) stepped forward to help clean up. “Shiratorizawa has never had a manager before.” 

She jumped, whirling around to find a masked Alpha. “Hello, I’m new.” She bowed. “I’m (L.Name, Name).”

The male stood at a distance, disgust flickering in his eyes. He raised his face as if he was sniffing the air. “You’re an Omega.”

(Name) fixed her hair, readjusting her hair again so that it was out of her face. “Yes, I am.” She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny.

“How long have you been courting Wakatoshi?”

She flinched. “I’m not courting Ushijima-san.”

“Oh really? You stink of him.”

The Omega flushed, averting her eyes that coincidentally landed on Ushijima who was talking to the Captain of Itachiyama. She chose her next words carefully. “Ushijima-san and I are friends. He is the Alpha of the pack, and as manager, we interact quite often.”

“Yes, but you reek of him.” The Alpha sneered. “Shiratorizawa probably would have won more if you weren’t such a distraction.”

She gaped, bristling with fury. Her? A distraction? When all she did was take notes? “Excuse me?” She took a step closer to the Alpha, ready to put him in his place.

“Sakusa!” Another Alpha came sprinting over, stepping in between the two bristling people. “I’m sorry for his behaviour. He’s just...protective and proud of Ushijima-san.”

The Omega rolled her eyes. “That’s fine and all, but that’s no reason to make baseless accusations.” She crossed her arms before addressing the first Alpha, eyes darkening with barely restrained fury. “I was assigned to be the Omega for the volleyball team to fulfill a graduation requirement. I have no relationship with Ushijima-san outside of that. If you feel like he did not perform his best, then you should have a discussion with him about it. I believe that he played his usual.” With that, she spun on her heel and stalked off towards Tendou and Semi. Goshiki stepped to intercept her only to immediately turn away with his tail tucked between his legs at the energy she radiated. 

“For an Omega, she sure is angry.” Komori commented, before looking at his cousin. “Why’d you do that anyways?”

“Wakatoshi was distracted for most of the game.” With that, Sakusa spun around and left. “I’m going to shower first.” 

As the Omega reached Tendou and Semi, a wave of guilt hit her causing her to bite her lip. Sakusa wasn’t wrong. Ushijima had been a little off, probably from not getting enough sleep. She shook her head. Ushijima still played well, and Shiratorizawa still won. “Something wrong?” Semi glanced down at her disheveled form.

She shook her head. “I’m just tired.”

“Why don’t you head to the bus first? We’ll finish cleaning up,” Semi offered, taking the mop from her. 

“You’re the best, Semi.”

“I try,” he chirped. “Now scoot.” He shoved her in the direction of the door. She stood in the doorway, glancing back only to see Semi waving her off. (Name) sent him a grateful smile before making her way to the parking lot. 

The Omega climbed into the bus, collapsing back onto her original seat. She let out a deep sigh, letting her head drop onto the cool window once more. At least summer would be soon and she wouldn’t have to worry. As much anyways.

****

(Name) tightened the gold obi, examining her reflection. “How do I look?” She asked, glancing down at her phone. 

“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I knew you would.” A pink flush overtook her features. She was wearing a pink yukata adorned with sakura blossoms and lotuses. It had been a gift from her mate last summer. Iwaizumi leaned back in his chair, a resigned smile sliding onto his face. “Wish I was there taking you though.”

“Me too.” She kneeled in front of the mirror, smoothing the soft fabric. (Name) adjusted her courting necklace, anxiously fiddling with her jewelry. “You could have made it if you had left earlier,” she teased, glancing back at her mate. 

He rolled his eyes. Iwaizumi had his own exams and final projects to work on. “I’ll just take you to the festival when you get back, ok? So don’t eat too many sweets without me.”

“I promise.” 

Iwaizumi leaned forward, holding his pinky to the camera, “swear?” He knew his mate. Omegas naturally had a sweet tooth, but she had the biggest sweet tooth he’d ever known. 

“I swear!” She giggled, tapping her pinky against the camera. “Can’t believe you don’t trust me,” she joked. (Name) looked up as someone knocked at her door. 

“I’m guessing you have to leave now.” Iwaizumi sighed. They’d been video-calling for the past hour or so while she was getting ready for the festival. It had been Coach Saito’s idea as a treat for the pack. After a long day of practice matches, they were excused to go have fun tonight at the festival provided they were back in time for the midnight curfew. 

“Yeah,” she murmured, turning her full attention to the phone. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” he grunted. “Have fun, be safe. Don’t wander too far from the pack, okay?”

“I won’t.” 

“Bye babe.” The phone beeped as he hung up. She sighed, getting up and sliding her sandals on as another urgent knock was placed on her door.

“I’m coming!” (Name) walked to the door, opening it. Leaning on her door-frame was Semi who was wearing a white v-neck with a black cardigan and jeans. 

“Ready?”

“Yep!”

She stepped out, closing the door. Semi offered her a smile. “You look lovely, (Name),” Semi complimented, offering her his arm. 

“I thought we all agreed on wearing yukatas,” she raised an eyebrow, sliding her arm into the crook of his elbow. Semi shrugged.

“Must have missed the memo.” 

“I better not be the only one in a yukata,” she threatened.

Semi threw his head back in a laugh. “I think you might be,” he admitted as they headed to the elevator. “Everyone else is already in the lobby. We were just waiting on you.” She rolled her shoulders back, smoothing out the yukata. “Excited?”

She hummed. “Of course. It’s not every day that we go to a festival, let alone a festival in a different city.”

Semi barked with laughter. “Fair enough.”

Sure enough, as they entered the lobby, only the Omega was wearing a yukata. Goshiki’s eyes brightened at the sight, his cheeks glowing like cherries. “You-you look beautiful, (Name)-san!” 

At his comment, the pack’s heads turned to appraise her. Semi released his grip on her, heading towards Tendou who was smirking while looking between Ushijima and (Name). The captain stepped forward, obscuring her body from view. “You look very nice, (Name).”

The Omega’s hand crept up to her neck, scratching at it lightly. “Thank you, Ushijima-san.” She peeked over his shoulder at the pack. “Shall we?” The younger students tripped over themselves as they headed towards the Omega, offering to hold her stuff and escort her to the bus. They flinched as Ushijima looked down on them, a dangerous glint in his eyes. 

“Let’s.” He said, taking her elbow gently as he led her out to the bus.

****

The group entered the festival, eyes wide as they absorbed the scene. The younger students immediately split off to go check out the food stands. (Name), drawn to the flashing lights and massive prizes, wandered towards the games. Tendou, Semi, Ushijima, and Goshiki followed her. 

“Ooh, that’s such a cute plushie!” The Omega grinned, gazing at all the prizes.

“I can win it for you, (Name)-san!” Goshiki pumped his fist, stepping up. The other boys watched with amused expressions as the Alpha tried to prove himself as a provider.

“Oh, no, that’s-” she started before Goshiki paid the attendant. “-okay,” she stopped, lamely. She watched as Goshiki tried multiple times to shoot down the target, her grimace growing at each attempt. By the fifth try, his face had gone completely red and she grabbed his wrist before he tried again. “Goshiki-kun, I can do it.” She paid the attendant, and knocked down three targets right on the bullseye. Semi stifled a laugh at Goshiki’s face.

“How-?” Goshiki’s jaw dropped. 

She shrugged, “this is one of my favorite games. I play it every year.”

“Very impressive, (Name)-chan!” 

“Thank you, Tendou!” She beamed. Only Ushijima didn’t comment about her win, but the Omega ignored that. The attendant handed her the giant eagle plushie, waving them as they left. The plushie was almost bigger than she was, obscuring most of her face. “Ooh, let’s try that game!” 

“Should we really bring back goldfish?” Semi raised his eyebrows skeptically. “I don’t know if they’ll transport well on the bus.”

The Omega pouted, squeezing the eagle. “Fair enough.” 

They proceeded to play more games. Goshiki tried to play every single game, only for Ushijima to be nonchalantly better at it. The strength game? Goshiki only filled a little more than half of the bar. Ushijima completely knocked it off. Ring toss? The young Alpha missed whereas Ushijima somehow managed to score the grand prize. Goshiki got more and more dejected with each loss as at each and every turn, Ushijima would win. Their arms were ladened with the prizes Ushijima won. Originally, the Apex Alpha had kept trying to hand his prizes to the Omega, only to realize that she could only hold the plushie that she had won. With a minor huff of disappointment, he passed the prizes to the other Alphas to hold.

The Omega stumbled, missing the stone step in front of her, unable to see around the plushie in her arms. “Maybe you should’ve gotten the toys at the end,” Semi commented, grabbing her elbow and chuckling loudly as the Omega struggled.

As she opened her mouth to agree, Ushijima plucked it out of her hands, grabbing the other prizes as well. “He-hey!” 

“I’ll go put it in the bus.” With that, the lumbering Alpha disappeared into the crowd.

“Well then, should we go play more games?”

Tendou threw his arm over the Omega’s shoulder. “Wanna win me the figurines at the shooting game?” 

“Only if you pay for the plays,” (Name) smirked. Goshiki followed, lagging in the back as he pouted. Semi just shook his head, ruffling Goshiki’s hair as he followed along, worried for any trouble that Tendou would stir up. Of course, the attendant only let them win two more prizes before he banned them from playing anymore. But, Tendou was satisfied as he walked away with two figurines of his favorite characters. 

“We’re going to the festival back in Miyagi,” Tendou said, eyes wide with glee.

“Nope!” The Omega walked off, linking arms with Semi. “Where’s Ushijima-san?” 

“Here.” Ushijima appeared. “I got side-tracked.” 

The Omega cocked her head, letting go of Semi and approaching the Apex Alpha. “By what?” 

“This.” Ushijima opened his palm, revealing a cloth. She raised an eyebrow.

“What’s that?” Ushijima unraveled the cloth, revealing a beautiful gold and pink floral kanzashi. The golden fan shimmered under the yellow stall lights, contrasting beautifully with the various pink flowers that sat on it. Gold chains cascaded down from the hair-piece. “That’s beautiful, Ushijima-san,” she breathed. 

“It’s for you.”

She gaped. “W-what?”

“I bought this for you.” He bowed. “I apologize for taking so long. May I put it on for you?”

She averted her eyes, thankful that she was wearing makeup to obscure the heat that crept up her cheeks. “Wait, where did everyone go?” 

“They said they wanted to get food.” Ushijima replied, before grasping onto her yukata sleeve. “(Name).”

She shuddered. “Yes, Ushijima-san?”

“May I put the kanzashi in your hair?”

“Of-of course, Ushijima-san.” They stepped off to the side. She turned, facing the crowd as Ushijima delicately tucked the hair-piece into her locks. 

“Beautiful.” Ushijima breathed. Her cheeks glowed even brighter, she could swear that anyone could see it now despite her makeup. “Do you want to go get some food too?”

The Omega gave him a shaky nod. “S-sure.”

“What type of food do you enjoy?”

The Omegas eyes brightened as she went into elaborate detail on all of the sweet treats that she enjoyed at festivals. Ushijima couldn’t help but watch her in fascination. He had known that Omegas loved sweets. It was a universal truth. His grandmother had always mentioned teaching him how to make sweet treats in order to win over an Omega, and he thought that he’d have to start as soon as he got back to Miyagi. “...but I really love ramune with takoyaki.” She sniffed the air. “Ooh! And ringo-ame and baby castellas!” She rambled, a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth. “Oh god, I’m so embarrassing,” (Name) flushed, wiping at her lip. 

Ushijima chuckled. “Wait here.”

“Wait but-- and he’s gone.” The Omega looked around. She couldn’t spot any of their pack-mates, even though they had all gone to the food stalls. (Name) stood to the side under the bright golden lights. She watched with delight as kids ran past her playing with hanging lanterns and pin-wheels.

“What’s a sweet little Omega like you doing here all by yourself?” A male purred, causing the Omega to sigh and turn to see a group of Alphas.

She offered them a sickly sweet smile. “Can I help you?” Internally, she cursed herself for forgetting her scent blockers. Being caught up with the pack, she figured she wouldn’t need it. Nor did she expect to be left alone.

The largest one of the group, a burly dark-haired male, stepped forward and sniffed her. “Why don’t you come and give us some company, sweetheart?”

They exchanged dark looks as they stepped closer. “Yeah, it’d be better than being alone.” Another chimed in, smirking, a hand outreached to stroke her cheek. 

“Oi, knock it off.” The Omega warned, stepping back slightly. Her strawberry scent began to fill the air, agitation flickering in her (e/c) orbs. “My Alpha wouldn’t be too happy to see you guys.” Her eyes flitted around, searching for Ushijima.

“What Alpha?” The first male scoffed, sniffing the air again. “All I smell is strawberry, little Omega.” They stepped forward, blocking her from sight.

Another Alpha snorted. “Yeah, don’t make up lies about an Alpha.” 

“We’ll take good care of you,” a third Alpha purred. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting something.” At the sound of his voice, everyone’s head flinched up. The swirling scent of possession, jealousy, and anger surrounded (Name) as her Omega cried in relief at the sight. “Omega.” Ushijima stood there, a bag of baby castellas tucked into his pocket and a ringo-ame in his hand. 

“Alpha!” (Name) cried, ducking under their arms and running into his arms. Ushijima almost purred in delight, but anger flickered through him as his olive eyes focused on the invasive Alphas. He wrapped an arm around the trembling Omega. 

“Were these Alphas bothering you, Omega?”

“Hey, she was all alone and unscented.” The first Alpha smacked his lips, eyes darkening dangerously.    

Ushijima tensed, his jaw clenching. “That does not give you a right to intrude on her space.” His eyes darkened, a fist tightening as he made a move to step towards the other Alphas.

The Omega, sensing a potentially violent situation occurring, leaned up and started nuzzling his neck, scenting him. “Let’s just go, Ushijima-san. We should go find somewhere to watch the fireworks or find the rest of the pack.” 

Ushijima took a deep breath, letting the scent wash over and soothe his nerves. “Very well. Let’s go, Omega.” With one final glare at the other Alphas, Ushijima wrapped his arms around (Name) and escorted her far away from the festivities so that they could find an unobstructed view of the fireworks. 

He handed her the candied-apple, leading her away. She linked her pinkie with his. “Thanks for rescuing me,” she whispered. 

He tightened his grip on her pinkie. “Always.” 

 ****

Bonus:

“Think (Name)-chan noticed us leaving her with Wakatoshi?”

“Wait, we ditched them together on purpose?” Goshiki’s eyes widened.

Tendou patted Goshiki’s head. “They’re courting, we should give them some alone time. You can’t keep stealing all of her attention, Tsutomu-kun.” 

“They are?!”

“Shhh, not too loud,” Semi hissed, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, I wanna get some takoyaki before the fireworks start.” Goshiki crossed his arms, pouting. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Semi sighed exasperatedly.

“But I wanted to court her!” Goshiki flushed. 

“She has an Alpha!” Semi exclaimed, pinching his nose. “Two of them!” 

“Besides, she wouldn’t want such a young Alpha anyways, Tsutomu-kun,” Tendou snickered. “Not after you couldn’t win any prizes.”

**** “Hey what’s going on over there?” Bokuto pointed in the distance, noticing a group of Alphas approaching a small Omega.

“Looks like trouble,” Akaashi commented, glancing up from his takoyaki with disinterest. 

“I’m gonna go stop it.” Bokuto declared, jabbing a thumb into his chest. “I’ll go rescue the Omega-in-distress!” As he rolled up his yukata sleeve, a familiar lumbering shape entered his eye-sight. “Is that--”

“Isn’t that Ushijima-san?” Akaashi asked, raising an eyebrow as he surveyed the scene.

Bokuto pouted, crossing his arms. Ushijima had already stolen one of the top 3 spaces, and now he’s going to steal Bokuto’s opportunity to impress an Omega? “Let’s just go, ‘Kaashi.” Bokuto stomped off, joining the rest of the Fukurodani pack. 

Akaashi followed, letting out a soft sigh. This was definitely going to put Bokuto into one of his emo-modes, and Akaashi wasn’t sure if he wanted to deal with it tonight.  

FUN FACT

💟 Semi was used to (Name)’s demand for physical contact, but once she and Ushijima started courting, he got nervous about helping her with it in case Ushijima was a possessive Alpha

💟 (Name) typically isn’t the one who initiates pack-piles with Seijoh. It’s normally Makki or Oikawa who does. Out of the Seijoh third-years, Mattsun is the most touch-deprived because he’s scared of asking for it. Makki’s learned the signs and would often initiate on his behalf

💟 Tendou used to try and start a pack-pile during every single trip and training camp. The Shiratorizawa pack had to threaten to kick Tendou out of the room if he continued to try and instigate pack-piles

💟 Ushijima had never been in a pack-pile before nor has he cuddled another person before

💟 Sakusa had noticed Ushijima staring at (Name) throughout the entire match. The Apex Alpha would preen and stare especially hard whenever he scored a point

💟 (Name) often gets aggressive when she doesn’t get enough sleep. Semi is the only one who knows this though

💟 The first time she’d played the shooting game was with Iwaizumi, and (Name) ended up winning an overnight beach trip on her first try

💟 This was the first time Ushijima had played a majority of the festival games. He would normally only browse the food and art stands with his pack-mates

💟 Ushijima was kinda upset that (Name) wasn’t wearing her watch, so he decided to buy her the hair-piece in an effort to spoil her and prove himself as an Alpha

💟 Ushijima’s grandmother taught him how to cook mostly to impress Omegas

💟 (Name)’s heart skipped a beat at Ushijima’s promise to protect her

Please feel free to pop into my inbox if you have any questions, comments, or concerns 💞 I love interacting with you all!

Taglist: @sawamooora  @kriswu46 @pantasticalcat @shadowkunoichi @awuariyuh @4lfalfagarlic @kuroowh0r3 @sourapplex @pastelpuffbar @cutepet09​ @michelepiekenma @gywjd0131​ @aideen00 @loudpoetry23 @scrappydaisies @chrisrue15​@aideen00 @mayor-chu-of-many-towns @ ephemeralninon  @kinkymint  @dabilove27 @sol-demure​

[13uswntimagines]

Prime (Soran x Reader)

Request: Emily x Lindsey x reader where reader has really bad ocd and anxiety and it spikes at random times and Lindsey and the team help her

Authors Note: So this one hits a little different for me because one of my very close family members actually has OCD. I’m not an expert, but everything in here is stuff that we learned in order to help him, or a variation of a ritual he does. Hit me up with any requests you have, or questions, or if you just wanna say hi. 

You knew that the thoughts that raced through your brain were irrational. You knew that how your shirts were placed in your locker or how you washed your hands didn’t inherently matter, but that didn’t stop that little voice in your brain from telling you that if you didn’t do it just right, the people you loved would die or be hurt. 

You were having a bad day, that much was obvious. Between your medication and therapy, you could normally control a large majority of your compulsions. Throughout the World Cup, you had been coping with the increasing pressure relatively well, but today was the much-anticipated game against France and your anxiety was through the roof. 

You glanced down at your boot, tying the laces with 3 particularly placed knots. If the knot wasn’t right then you would trip, either breaking your neck, or the neck of one of your teammates. The knot was wrong, it was dangerous, so you naturally started over. Untying the laces and laying them parallel to your cleat. Then restarting the ritual. 

You needed it to be right. You felt your anxiety spike as the knots were yet again wrong. You had to get it right, and so the ritual started over and over again. 

“What number are we on?” Emily asked softly, placing a hand on Lindsey’s arm watching what was one of your least common rituals. It typically only appeared when you were under an immense amount of pressure, and at least they knew what the trigger was this time. 

“11,” Lindsey whispered back, intently watching you concentrating on the laces. This should be one of the last iterations of the ritual, as you tended to prefer prime numbers, and 13 was usually your go-to. 

“Hey guys, what…” Kelley started, Approaching the pair, only to be cut off by the two women’s glare. 

“Shhh. Let her finish first,” Emily said, gesturing with her hands for the approaching women to stay quiet. They had discussed this with your therapist at length. They weren’t supposed to enable your rituals, but they were also supposed to pick their battles. Stopping you in the middle would probably send you spiraling, which no one needed. You were obviously stressed, and adding to that wouldn’t help anyone. 

“How do we help her,” Kelley whispered, watching as you moved on to putting on your kit top. You needed it to be done right. If it wasn’t, then it could choke and kill you. The team watched as you put the jersey on, adjusted it accordingly, before taking it off and placing it back on the hook. You had to do it right. 

“Today, we just let her knew we’re here for her,” Lindsey said quietly, mentally sighing when you stopped at the number 5. She knew telling you that your thoughts were irrational wouldn’t help. 

“But don’t accommodate,” Emily added, biting her lip. As difficult as it was, they couldn’t allow you to avoid the situations that would for sure make your anxiety spike. The situations they were sure you were going to try and stay away from. They also weren’t supposed to get involved in your rituals. 

“We can reassure though?” Alex asked, double-checking. She knew how your crippling your OCD was, and the massive leaps you had made in treatment. Even now, your bad days paled in comparison to some of your darker times in college. The two of you had been roommates throughout college and had shared an apartment while Alex played for the Thorns. 

“Yes, but don’t dwell. Make it as insignificant in your conversation as you can,” Lindsey nodded, repeating the words they had all heard before. Part of their job was to prevent you from ruminating on the thoughts that coursed recklessly through your brain. 

She smiled when she saw you approaching, and you shot her and Emily a nervous look. Emily hummed placing a careful hand on your shoulder, avoiding touching the skin of your arm. 

“Ready to go, babe?” She asked softly, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek. 

“Do we have to stand in the tunnel?” You whine, glancing behind Lindsey to the door. On a good day, you could do the tunnel with minimal effort, but today it made your heart race, and the breath leave you. It wasn’t the people that bothered you, no. It was the possibility that someone would touch your skin, and contaminate you. You weren’t afraid of germs, but the voices in your head told you that you would get sick and die. That you would infect the people you loved. 

“You’re in the starting 11, so yes,” Lindsey stated firmly, kissing your other cheek. 

“There’s just so many people,” You mumbled lowly, and the women sighed. They knew that it wasn’t the people that worried you. 

“What will happen if one of them touches you,” Emily asked, squatting just a little so she could make eye contact with you. You fucking hated this coping technique. It was designed to show you that you weren’t being logical as if you didn’t already know that, but the urge to avoid it was so great. You sighed in defeat. 

“We’ll be right there babe,” Lindsey reassured you, rubbing circles into the back of your jersey, and placing a light kiss on your lips. Emily pouted at the action, and you leaned in to kiss her pout away. What had you done to deserve these women who put up with your… difficulties? Who were there for you no matter what. Who listened when you told them the crazy things going on inside your brain, and did their best to help you stay on track. Treatment was difficult, and they were there for you every step of the way. 

They made you want to get better, to be able to enjoy the life you were going to spend with them. To no longer be a prisoner to your brain. 

“Promise?” You muttered hesitantly, looking up at your girls through your eyelashes. 

“Always,” Emily and Lindsey said in sync, joining their pinkies and offering you the other side. You connected the very tip of your pinky with theirs and kissed your thumb. You never minded this contact like you did the others. There was something safe about them. 

“We’ll be there too short stuff,” Alex said, appearing over Lindsey’s shoulder and sending you a reassuring smile. 

“You can do this,” Tobin hummed, appearing on Emily’s side. 

“You’ll be in front of me?” You asked, looking her dead in the eyes. You were #19 (the last prime number open on the roster). You could do this if she was here. You had known her almost as long as you knew Alex, and she had been your buddy on the Thorns before you had ever met the loves of your life. 

“Yeah kid,” Tobin nodded

“And I’ll be right behind you,” Christen added, her presence soothing you further. You smiled at them. Yes, you were having a bad day, but between them all, you would make it through. Yes, it would be hard but your OCD wasn’t going to stop you from winning a World Cup. 

“Let’s kick France’s ass,”