#youre MAD that you weren't able to give them MORE MONEY as PART OF YOUR BOYCOTT PLAN.

[marklikely]

these tumblr boycott protests are always a mess but this latest one has to take the cake. you tried to blaze this?? you tried to give tumblr money. to protest tumblr.

[andcars]

# 𝗙𝗖𝟰𝟯 ─── MAKE IT UP OFF-TRACK MASTERLIST . . . REQUEST ME . . . TAGLIST . . . AO3

YOU'VE RACED WITH HIM AND you've been under him. still, it hurts you when he outqualifies you. it almost hurts as much when you both still think you're just fuck buddies. ────── original prompt req.

PROMPTED DIALOGUE . . . # “You’ve been staring for a while” PROMPTED TAGS . . . # praise kink, rivalry, friends with benefits, jealousy ADD. TAGS . . . # quickie vibes, sex in the hospitality, author has a language kink, but also deepl translations WORD COUNT. . . # 1.6k

────── AO3 VERSION

P11. Fucking P11.

Everyone else is in the garage as you come in, all angry and disappointed. You were tenth of a second behind P10 and you weren't able to push it on the last lap because you went off track limits.

What’s done is done. You can’t work with a car that clearly doesn't wanna work with you. The better part of you wants to let this go and simply rest for tomorrow. Call it a day. Think of how to dominate tomorrow. Sleep it off.

But Franco walks to the garage at P7 and proceeding into Q3. The plan gets thrown away immediately.

You don’t hate the guy, of course not. You’ve met him times before when he was still in F2. If, of course, meeting him included hotel rooms and secluded bathrooms. You met him a lot, if so.

It’s not his fault that he’s better than you, as of now. You should be happy, really. But fuck, it should hurt how some rookie is better than you in a car you’ve driven for a year.

Despite all of this anger bubbling in you, you can’t stay mad at him. You could never stay mad at him, you think. Yet it hurts all the same.

You look away as your eyes meet. Not giving him a chance to even confront you or attempt to comfort you, you leave.

It’s pivotal now to talk with your strategist. He’s expecting you, unfortunately. Knowing damn well that your next duty was to come to him to see how to improve your performance, he already had your data pulled up.

Your, and their, wrongs are being talked into your ear and out the other. The farthest screen turns black, and you see Franco in the reflection. His blurred figure is towards you, his panting from the race still evident on him.

It’s difficult to pretend to care about racing right now. It’s not like they say anything different anyway. The rear wings are fucked, the tyres are fucked, the wheel can’t turn, and your head is just in the wrong direction. All the same things said before.

To the driver’s room you go. Q3 starts and you don’t do anything. The TV screen shows the delayed race as the crowd cheers from the opposite sides of the wall. Franco is in danger, with Mercedes finally coming out from the pit—you don’t expect anything more.

After the stretched minutes alone in your room, a knock comes on your door.

You say, “I’ll be out soon, tell James to get some patience,” with your head in your phone. No fucking way you’re going to be dealing with them while you’re still pissed.

The door opened and you grunt. Looking up, Franco was grinning at you.

“I’m also hiding from Jego,” he says, the grin on his face annoying, “can I come in?”

“And we both get caught?” It doesn’t matter what you think, he puts his feet in anyway.

The couch is uncomfortable. If they aren’t spending money on the car, they might as well spend it on the seats. With you laying across the couch, he kneels between your legs. You raise an eyebrow at him as he undresses his fireproof suit.

You ask, “You seriously wanna fuck?” and he laughs.

“¿Me dirás que no? (Will you tell me no?)” he murmurs, getting on top of you with his hips pressing against your ass. “Did you know I placed 6th today?”

“Mhm.”

“No?” He places a kiss on your cheek. “Didn’t watch me? What were you doing in here?”

His lips ghost over your neck, the warmth of his breath sending a small shiver down your fine. You know he felt it when he chuckles in your skin.

“Getting fucked my brains out,” your voice is flat. “What were you doing out there?”

“Ah, amor (love), you won’t get me like that,” he whines and kisses you once in one side. Then twice the other. He says, “You are so mean though, telling me things like this. Do you wish you were with someone else? Hm? ¿No me querés más? (You don’t want me any more?)”

Franco comes up to part your lips open with his tongue. You gasp a little, your arm limp over his back. His mouth wide open, chest pressed against yours, tongue just brushing against your lips, he says—

“Quiero coger. Te quiero comer a besos. Quiero que me hagas tuyo, mi amor. Don’t go making me jealous because you are.” (I want to fuck you. I want to lavish you with kisses. I want you to make me yours, my love)

His hand is gentle on yours, playing on the hem of your pants as his kisses turn wet. Desperate. Loving. It hurts you how careful he is with you when you spent the past hour hating him in your head.

And he’s always so gentle. He always used to ask you if you liked it, his words almost always in Spanish. As if he’s lost in you, he doesn’t know what words to use.

He no longer needs your permission now. A finger rubs between your clothed cunt as his hand pushes your shirt up to hold your tits. He moans more than you, in love with your body.

“So good,” he murmurs, “don’t ever look for anyone else. For me, please?” You moan against his cheek as he focuses on rubbing your clit through your pants. “I can make you feel so good. Amor, I can be yours.”

In moments like this, he’s too drunk on sex to know the words he’s spewing. He reaches for the lube and condom hidden in your desk. His movements are sloppy. You swear he struggles a little in opening the cap up.

He asks you something in Spanish. It’s out of your vocabulary, so you tilt your head.

“I don’t need to prepare you, right? You’re still loose?” You can see his hips grinding against the palm of his hand. His cheeks are flushed, and you see drool coming down his chin. It’s pitiful.

You nod. “Yeah, just give me a bit to adjust if you wanna—fucking hell.” It’s out of your control when you laugh. Franco eagerly shoves his pants down alongside yours.

“What has gotten you so eager?” you ask.

“I got P6,” he smirks. That little fucker.

His cock is rubbered and wet when it enters you. He moans loud as your hand comes to his cheek. It’s catlike, the way he goes soft against your hold.

Shifting slowly, he grinds inside of you. The soft rubbing inside your walls almost has you mewling. But you keep your eyes on him, ignoring the pooling pleasure between your legs.

Telling him, “You’ve been looking at me,” has his lips pouting. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you were in love with me.”

“I am in love with you,” your cheeks flush, and you’re not sure if it’s the sudden thrust of his cock or his words. “I’m in love with the way you race, how you over-perform a dying car, how you move.”

His eyes drop to where you two meet, jittering his hips a little. With the quick thrusts, you’re caught off guard and moaning out his name. He looks very satisfied with it.

“Oh, amor—” his words turn gibberish to you as he starts to move. His pace is uneven, driven by the thought to take you carefully and the urge to bring the both of you to climax. Not a single word is getting into your head.

But his voice is so loving. He’s panting between every other word, lips pouted and eyebrows furrowed. His voice is getting louder, and you put your hand against his mouth.

“Shut - oh, God… Shut up,” you whine, feeling the cockhead rub against your g-spot. “You’re so fucking… good. Just like that, fuck me.”

He shuts up when he goes down to kiss you. Both his arms wrap around you, embracing you as he finds the right angle to make sure you’re still getting stimulated. His hair is rubbing against your clit, the little tickle in them getting you to moan a little louder.

You feel dizzy. It’s not the lack of air during the kiss, you know it. He’s just holding you close to him while he takes you like you’re his lover. Your heart curls in itself, punishing itself for its own stupidity.

But fuck, you want to focus on the now. The way his hands are going up and down your back, soothing you as you get lost in the pace of his thrusts. The way his body towers over you, completely enveloping you in his hold. 

“I’m gonna—” he gasps, his pace barely slowing as you assume he cums inside of you. You whine when he bottoms inside.

Franco knows you. He knows you too well. He grinds inside of you before pulling out. Still, he doesn’t let you think another thought before he’s flicking your clit.

“Shit, fuck, Franco!” he smiles under your silent praise as his other fingers tease at your hole. “I’m gonna cum too. Just like that. Don’t fucking stop.”

He only leans down to spit on your pussy, easing the rub as you’re moving your hips along him. You cum with your back arched and your hips off the couch. His hand stills on your clit as his eyes are fixated on the way cum leaves your pussy.

You drop back down when he places your hips on his lap. “Don’t get it dirty,” he reminds you, tying the condom and throwing it in the bin. “It’s embarrassing to explain to the cleaners.”

His humour comes in at the worst moments. You grunt and he only laughs. “It’s not even funny. You’re just telling the truth.”

“It’s funnier in Spanish,” he promises.

You think about how it probably sounds just about the same.

🗒 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗟 . . . first time writing for bro ! i'm so open to writing more of him so i added him in my taglist options, so if you wanna be tagged for future fics of him 👀 you know what to do . if you already sent me a form before , you can resend another with him included ! anyways , fixing up the next few fics soon . ˎˊ˗ ᝰ. ──── 📨 @delululeclerc @hiireadstuff

you support me best on tumblr with reblogs and comments ! ── by andcars ⟡

[slytherinshua]

I'm not asking you to rush things out but you were being way too unfair, don't you think? You write the requests that were requested by your FAV ANON or MOOTS. If you won't be able to write them, don't open a request

....i thought i explained myself well enough in the original post, but i guess not.

i am being unfair, but not in the way you claim i am. if you look at all my fics, i'd bet that the majority were ideas that i came up with, from my own brain. my writing is extremely unfair because i value my own ideas above anyones. i enjoy writing my own ideas more than anyone else's, even my best friends. isn't that unfair?

your point about writing the requests from my favorite anons and moots, isn't even accurate. it should be, because when i write something for my moots or a favored anon, at least they'll thank me for it or give some feedback (which is extremely rare on tumblr). more often that not, random anons that aren't named won't claim their request and thank the author for it. when they do, it's like a happy little surprise and honestly makes my day. but it's not common. writing for my moots and favorite anons is more fulfilling and more fun, which is why i like it. but requests from my moots are still lying at the very bottom of my inbox-- some of them were requested in summer of last year. that's how old they are. what i don't see is my moots complaining to me about not writing their idea.

not all things in life are fair, i'm sorry to say. should i be complaining because the things i've requested my moots to write haven't been finished yet? or what about those requests that i sent into writers when i first joined tumblr in august of 2022? those weren't finished-- so should i be mad about it? i'm not. because i requested them not feeling entitled that the writer needed to finish it. think about it, you're asking that someone else use their creative skills to write something for you. AND FOR FREE. art commissions often cost money, people get paid for journalism. these things are usually valued and the original artists get something out of it; money.

but fanfic isn't like that, and i definitely don't think it should be. it's for free and that's part of the charm. us authors are writing because we want to, and the fact that the readers can request something at all and the author might write their idea is a beautiful thing. but the relationship between author and reader needs to have that balance. we are giving you something to read, something to enjoy out of your day, all for free, and because we want to. the least you could do is send in feedback (which tumblr struggles with). a comment or reblog makes an author's entire day believe it or not. but if you then complain to us about not writing enough or about not completing requests, that is only going to deter us from doing it.

anonymity can be a great thing, but one of the negatives is that when 1 anon sends us a complaint or hate, we can't associate that anon from another. named anons, we can, of course. but among the dozens of requests in my inbox, i don't know which one is yours. you really could be anyone-- all i can see is the anon icon. and my inbox is full of that icon. when one anon complains, an author is going to start to get a bad feeling from interacting with anons in general. some authors won't take requests from anons, i've seen blogs do that.

i don't want to do that, and i'm not going to. i like taking requests both from moots and anons in my inbox. unlike some other blogs, i also like to keep my inbox open at all times. and there's a reason why i do that, and it all comes back to my writing process.

i don't work with the mindset that an old idea needs to be finished before a new idea. when you get an idea that you're really excited about (whether from my own brain or from a request in my inbox sent in that day) you want to write it immediately. and you should. as authors, we learn that you have to work with the motivation, otherwise you'll get frustrated. when you're motivated, writing becomes easier and more fun. when you're frustrated, it becomes harder and you're usually less happy with the outcome.

it was probable that i was just not motivated in the moment to write your prompt, whatever it was that you sent in. i don't delete requests, though, because i never know when i'll get the motivation for an idea. usually on days when i'm not particularly motivated to write anything in particular but still want to write something, i rng my list of requests. if i land on one that i'm not motivated to write, i simply skip it.

but i never delete it.

i don't feel overwhelmed by my inbox being full because i've never put pressure on myself to finish these requests. i remember my sister being worried about me whenever i said that i had to work on a request. she didn't want me to feel pressured to have to write something. she emphasized that it was okay to not write requests. but i told her that i was only doing it because i wanted to and that it was fun.

there is a way to ask a writer if they've forgotten about your request or ask them how it's going without being entitled and whiny like you, anon. you could come into our inboxes and say something like:

"hi! i requested something from you a while ago [let them know what the request was], and was wondering how it was going? please take all the time you need to complete it, i don't want you to feel pressured. thank you ^^"

a request like this, more often than not, will motivate the author to look back at the request, check how much they've written on it, or if they've started it at all, and maybe write some more. next time, i'd suggest you try this method instead of complaining that an author completed a request from one of their named anons.

[lisxdumbr]

lis please do rant!! i cant get my thoughts on the story sound coherent at all and i would love to hear what you think since this was so????? but good lord that was a lot huh. literally never getting a break in anyway as a 2winkP

-🌟

After god knows how much time I tried to get my thoughts compiled ! I apologize it this doesn't make sense but I am still very unwell, I just !! I figured I'd share

JESUS CHRIST WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE 2WINK CLIMAX

I do have to say, the story started in an extremely bitter way for me. Perhaps it was about my expectations for their climax being really opposite for the first half of it, but at the end everything came together and it ended up being a much more enjoyable experience than I imagined.

Akira is still a man that no matter how much I try, I can't predict.

The story starting with them communicating almost telepathically and Yuta feeling down was an entire throwback to many moments before. Setsubun. Volcano Island.. it's always that moment in which after a lot of stress you open your eyes and see everything in slow motion happening right before you. I think Yuta was hit with this realization and that's why everything started being a burden. The lights, the audience, just the thought of him and his surroundings.

I expected Ibara to have a more important appearance in the story, however I understand he was really busy with Double Face at the same time, I still respect the figure he represents to 2wink though, I think half of this story wouldn't have gone the way it did without that little push he gave them.

I think it started stressing me out when the Anzu plot came on board. Please don't get me wrong, I love Hinaan, I think everyone should read Daybreak Heliolite. "Anzu-san, you're smiling just now..." the comfort Hinata is able to give Anzu is incomparable to any other member of the cast.

However, Anzu is mad? Anzu is angry? Why hadn't this showed before? Why weren't there signals? That repayment fes mention really dizzed me out because. after skimming through it again, wasn't Hinata just meaning to grow and prove Anzu that they were not going to be under anyone's shadow ever again? Something, something felt so bitter to me about it. Hinata's reaction was not good either, everything felt so uncomfortable, you could smell the arson between them and I guess that's what made me so. so mad.

On the other hand, you have Yuta relying on Shinobu for everything, once again, as they have always been that close. Didn't this feel like climbing a stair? Yuushino climbs one side while hinaan climbs the other, why did it feel like a competence?

I felt conflicted and stressed about their attitude, why are they doing this and what is going on? I couldn't puzzle it together until the realization suddenly hit me and everything made sense.

Hinata is growing lonely. And at the same time Yuta is drifting away to try and search for his own self, the timing couldn't be better.

We feel loneliness when we feel that there's no one near us that we can rely on. Hinata was surrounded by many, many people, but none of them understood, none of them knew how it was and how it felt.

I think I got everything when the street kids kidnapped him to make him see reality, it was their way of saying "we're like you. the same way you're like us". Hina may have fame and money now, but his heart is as dirty and as fragile as those kids'. It was not a matter of dragging him to the shadows but rather to take the blindfold out of him by screaming "please help us".

Anzu and Hinata then notice how similar they are. Yuta said it since ! era, "so Anzu, you're a big sis too, right? I'll just give you an advice, never underestimate us little brothers". See that part where Hinata says Yuta is projecting his since onto him like a mirror? I think that's what Hina was doing with Anzu. "You sacrifice yourself for everyone and that's why I cannot stand you, because you're like me.. but better".

That's the moment when Hinata realized everything and discovered he didn't have to bear the world on his shoulders, that not everything had to be pain but that there's rather another answer and that being alone is also ok. Hinata is starting that path to find out his true happiness without relying on anyone but himself.

This is what I said once about Yuta wanting to change by separating himself from Hinata, but Hinata needing to stick towards Yuta's side not to fall into the abyss.

Hinata finally understood that's not true, he finally understood he's able to live by himself and that that is ok. And that's where everything started kicking in for me.

Hinata choosing kindness and love is the perfect ending for me. That part of the story moved me so much you can't even understand. I think if I had to put this into a performance I would put a rising sun being quietly observed by the calming moon. A relationship that will always be held so close despite it never touching.

And then of course, the epilogue that drove me to tears of incommensurable joy

Yuta loves Hinata. Yuta has always and will always love Hinata like he loves anyone in this world. He's also not talking to whoever here. He's talking to us. He's asking us to please watch them become what they have always dreamed of.

Do you remember that part on Love Letter where Yuta tried so hard to unveil Hinata's 'evil' side to help him? I think he actually did.. but instead of finding an evil, twisted person in it's core, he found a gentle and healing being. Like the ying-yang, they're the perfect balance for each other.

Forever in a sweet memory, that's what 2wink is and will always be.

[shallow-between-stars]

I did not stay out of the tags. Spoilers below.

Varric is weird because it's not Varric. It's Rook's impression of Varric.

There's no mention of Slavery and Child Kidnapping in the Crows missions because the Talons are not stupid and they're not going to tell their allies about their heinous crimes apart from the really obvious one. You are dealing with the upper echelon of the Crows. They're not going to let you peek behind the curtain just because you ask nicely.

Taash's mother is not abusive. She is stubborn, and so is Taash, and their relationship is volatile because Taash is a twenty-something who has yet to have the harsh growing-up lessons they need and still has a very teenage mentality, and their mother is a person with flaws who finds that hard to deal with. They clash because they are too alike. Taash also springs a huge thing on their mother with no preamble and thier mother reacts with surprise because it's a huge thing with no preamble and then tries her very best to understand by relating it to her culture. This is your reminder that up until this point Taash was internalising their struggles and had spent significant time away from their mother in which they worked all this shit out. The fact they didn't tell their mother about the gender stuff is a direct follow-on from the fact that through a misplaced attempt to protect Taash, their mother tried to teach them as much as she could about the qunari so Taash could best understand and protect themselves against a huge threat to their safety and wellbeing. The information drop Taash does is therefore completely out of left field and in the moment Taash's mother's reaction was surprise, knee-jerk, then near instantly trying to understand and accept - and it was Taash that threw this overture back in their mother's face. The gender stereotyping that Taash's mother does before this point is shitty, I will give you that, but the key point here is that as soon as Taash's mother is told that Taash is not, in fact, a girl, she near-immediately tries to understand, is rebuffed, and then gives her child space.

We are in an incredibly poor part of Minrathous. It does not make sense for people who have very little money to even have slaves, let alone abuse them. The magisters (and ex-magisters) we meet in the game already have a previously-established anti-slavery viewpoint that the player helped establish. When we do encounter other magisters, they do have slaves, or are shown working with slavers. Neve's personal mission deals with hunting down a slave ring that is selling to the Venatori. The Venatori also try to traffic an entire elven clan to use as ritual sacrifices.

Eight years have also passed and it was established in Inquisition that the Venatori were pushing for power in the upper circles of Minrathous. If you do not save Minrathous, they use this as a bid to seize even more power. The other magisters are dead. The corrupt assholes who were not venatori (like the literal Archon) are assassinated as part of the coup to seize power. If you do save Minrathous, there is absolutely evidence of corruption in the ranks because the Venatori coup doesn't happen and the corrupt people weren't told to join or die.

Your friends aren't fighting because you, the player, told them not to. There were cut-scenes and everything. You literally told them to kiss and make up and are mad because... they... kissed and made up?

The Veilguard are not Dalish. They were started by the Dalish, and have several prominent members who are Dalish, but the game very explicitly states that they welcome people from all corners. There are qunari, humans and dwarves in the camp. They are predominantly elves, but they are not a Dalish group. Following on from that, they independently learnt all the God stuff through being in Arlathan and having access to The Old Capital Of The Elves that was lost to the elves of Southern Thedas. They know shit. Also - they have been able to avoid Tevinter slavers to the point where Dorian says that there are no Dalish Elves in Tevinter in Inquisition. The reason the dynamic feels different is because it's a different dynamic.

Did I miss anything?

Fuck I'm gonna get hate for this.

No, Tumblr, I really, really do not want to tag this.

[rainbowrosegames]

PLEASE get started on the boiler and buildings please please please please

The buildings: The cogs have to fight the shopkeepers to take over the building, and presumably they have to advertise the new business and do other official stuff because they're cogs (leasing, renting, the deed to the land, cleaning fees, etc) since they're using buildings as workspaces. But have you ever noticed the cogs in the background, in cubicles? That's right, that's even more overworking for the cogs. You can see cogs working diligently in the cubicles or cogs that are clearly having a mental breakdown due to burnout, stress, etc. This tells us that the cogs themselves don't even enjoy all this work, and even if they do, it kills them. We could actually be doing them a favor by destroying them how we do, because gags are designed for laughter, and cogs essentially can't laugh or don't in public if they can help it due to the company (C.O.G.S INC), pressuring them to make the company look better. We could actually be giving them a laugh, but they have to keep working and unfortunately, laughter destroys them.

And the field offices?? There's even more overworking in there! They have stamper equipment and it's being overseen by those cogs you fight on the stamper floor! They're not qualified for the job, you would expect a foreman to be there at least since they're made to oversee factories and factory-like functions, but it's just security cogs. Not only is this a big workplace safety issue, but it's a lot of pressure on those cogs. And I assume they're stuck doing administrative work on that security cameras floor we fight them at. Random cogs were appointed to high pressure positions that they weren't designed for. They're robots and sure there's like 4 of them, but they still have a lot of pressure to make sure toons don't break in, more so than other cog buildings. They call extra cogs from their work desks too. There's no way that when you get randomly called from your desk, that you and your coworkers don't know you've been selected to be destroyed. Same to cog buildings, it's a random selection of destruction.

And the boiler? They didn't ask to be here, they were created for the sole purpose of making the sellbots even more money. They're a newer cog and have way less experience than the other cogs because there's always thousands of them getting data on the world and more. The boiler is basically a child compared to the rest of the cogs! And they've got a bunch of anger issues, literally having a meltdown mode, AND they're stuck at the top of a field office! They're not allowed to go anywhere like other cogs, they're just at the top floor until we come along and destroy em. They may be the boss but even cog building bosses have more freedom! The cog building bosses have seen the world before, and they kinda chose to take over a building, but the boiler has never seen the outside world for themself, or be able to be there. The only information of the outside world would come from their subordinates, but everyone's so focused on work anyways, and it'd make the company look bad if the boss had time for sentiments like the outside world. They've got dozens of robots at their beck and call but none of them are really there for them. They're just a victim of cog nation's profits, made only for more profit and data processing power (why they have all those PowerPoints ready to buff up the cogs), and no wonder they're mad all the time, they literally watch the day go by them as there's a clock above the elevator, right in their line of sight. They watch cogs clock in and out, and their day is a blur. I had the theory that maybe they had ADHD (I'm always looking for ADHD in media xd) mainly because the clock never moved, they're always stomping on things in the fight (others said it's to stay alive and it might be part of that, but cog nation is advanced enough to just have a constant flow of fuel to them), they literally have a meltdown mode, and like a neurodivergent child, angry a lot and also defensive of themselves, with a strong sense of what's right or wrong, hence why they're fighting so hard, it's partially their job, but really, the toons did break into the field offices first. I used to say to them stuff like they're mad that the VP, their parent, didn't love them, and honestly it might be true. The boiler is really only there for profit, not even being respected like the original four cog bosses, just there to make more profits. In fact, from the little I know from Sellbot taskforce tasks, the other cog factions like cashbots and lawbots hate this business of the field offices, because it inconveniences them. The boiler is widely hated now, by toons and other cogs.

[crsssie]

russian roulette is not the same without a gun

Word count: 12.5k

Warnings: Inspired by Kakegurui, fingering, mentions of giving birth, gambling, guns, collars, reader wears lipstick, Master/doll dynamic, relatively feminine reader

Summary: The path to hell is always tricky, so only the devil knows the right routes. It's not like a mere snake could overtake the devil anyways.

Gambling is an art.

The way the dice rolls, the way the cards fold; everything is a carefully crafted move. Each gifted gambler wears a graceful smile on their face. The next card and move are beyond the reader. That's what makes gambling addictive. The way the white orb spins down the center, sliding into a random slot. The simplest way to drive a man mad with greed. The additional zero after the number, the exhilaration of winning a game. It's a simple game when you master it. But then again, it's addicting.

You stare at the building in front of you.

The rest of the students rush in behind you, and you stare at them silently. You wonder who you'd prey on. Well, it didn't matter. You're not here to do anything. Your family was nothing more than a bankrupt one. You were sent here with no mission. The only mission was to mingle among high society and find a rich guy to get married to. You stare at everyone, wondering who to pick up over your shoulder and steal a fortune off of. A black cat sits on top of the gates, and you're shoved to the side by a white-haired male. You blink at him.

"Ah, L/n, was it?" He stares at you, eyes sneering at you. "I didn't know poor people could come to this school without a housepet tag on them already."

You blink at him. "I'm allowed to call a gamble when I want, right?"

"Yeah," He laughs. "Going to gamble with me?"

You hum lowly, eyes sharp with tantalization. "Maybe another time. I need some quick money to bet before I have you kneel before me, no?"

He tries to argue back, but you're already gone in the school.

That was the first time Komaeda met you.

The second time, your eyes were red with mirth, an amused smile on your face.

Komaeda watches you from the crowd of students, you having made an incredible amount of money from simple betting already. Your fingers are nimble while picking up cards, and you seem to have quite the impressive luck. No. That would be an understatement. You've pulled two straight flushes and three full houses out of the seven hands you've had. A couple of students have considered that you're cheating, but no one was able to prove anything.

You stare at your hand, lips parting in mild surprise. The rest of the students stare at your opponent, sweaty with anxiety, worried about loss. Your nails are a pretty shade of emerald, streaks of gold sliding through the gaps. You stare at them, a smile on your face. Your voice is sweet, but your eyes are looking down on them. Your lips are a dark red, curled into a mesmerizing smile. You haven't bat an eye the entire time you've been playing.

"So?"

"Call." They swallow. There's no way you can beat a straight flush. They place their cards onto the table slowly, your smile widening as they do.

"Oops," you smile menacingly, tossing your hand onto the table. "Royal flush."

"And we have a winner!!!" The girl cheers. "Five Hundred Million Yen!!!"

Your opponent slams their head onto the table in tears. Five hundred million yen. You laugh at their loss, watching your ranking in the school climb to the middle. That would pay off half of the debt your family raked up. You weren't here to marry rich unless you were the rich one. Who would ever settle for a poor person in a school all about connections? You hold your hand out to them, smiling. "It was a lovely game. I hope you recover, kitty."

The election committee member smiles, sliding the chips to you, punching in the new number of your donation. You went from practically nothing to one of the top donors. You feel the chips between your fingers, and you smile. "How lovely! So, how will it be? Cash or cheque?"

Your opponent bares their teeth, lunging at you. You take a step to the side, them falling onto their face. "So?"

"Give me three days," They glare at you.

Komaeda watches you toss the chip in your hand as the election committee throws a housepet chain to the loser. They glare at you, hating the way you won so easily. It wasn't even possible to cheat. They had all the cards marked. How the hell did you even win? Surely someone was telling you the answers. You stare at them, eyes glistening with innocence. "Hm?"

"You dirty cheater! How'd you win? Huh?!"

You place a hand on their shoulder and lower your lips to their ear. "By using an algorithm and taking out every possible outcome based on your expression. Obviously."

You stand back up, and you wave at them, a halo over your head. "Best of luck, kitty!"

Komaeda smiles. You hadn't cheated. You had relied purely on expressions and the cheats the others set out in advance. You're quite the player. He wonders how you'll tear him down from his wealth. You click on your phone, lips pouting at the sight of you only barely in the middle. That wasn't good. If you wanted to regain all of the money your family lost, you would have to work harder than that. But nonetheless, it was an excellent bound to your name. You would get more gambling chances now that you've established your position.

The next game comes in the form of an overconfident child of a rich family.

"I heard you made a mess of Angie-senpai," She smiles at you, holding her hands out. "Ah, you have such nice nails..."

You smile at her. "Really? Thank you! I do them myself."

"Shall we play a game? It's relatively simple." She clasps your hands in hers. "It's called double memory! It's just a memory game with two decks of cards."

"Ah?" You beam. "Of course! I love a good memory game."

"Shall we start with a simple bet? How about 20 million?"

You stare at the two decks of cards, and you lift your fingers to your cheek. You pout. "Ah, I don't know if I have 20 million carried around on me..."

"I can borrow it to you. How about that?"

"Ah? Yes, then," You beam at her. "Please take care of me... sorry, I don't know your name."

"Shirogane-san," She smiles.

"I'll be in your care then, Shirogane-san!" You beam.

The two of you stand at the table, 54 cards spread out. You blink at the cards, and smile at the girl in front of you. Everyone chatters about the new student in class. The student who had destroyed Angie on their first day at school. Everyone wants to watch them play. Something about their pretty golden nails and charming lipstick. The smile of an angel, the hands of a devil. Everyone wants to know when you'll mess up.

Komaeda stands next to you, observing the cards on the table. He wonders if you could win based on pure memory. You seem like you'd be able to. But then again, it wouldn't be something like that. Shirogane's family is well known for producing toys and cosplay outfits. It wouldn't be surprising if she had won by cheating you. That would teach you your place.

You flip a card over.

Ace of Diamond.

You flip the second one over.

Ace of Clubs.

"Ah! How lovely!" You beam. "My tarot readings for the day."

"Excuse me?"

"An ace of diamonds means a gift of jewelry, a letter or message, or improvement," You flip the cards back over. "An ace of clubs means financial fortune, wealth, or good news! That's lovely news for someone whose family is in debt."

The girl ignores you, and she flips her cards.

"King of diamonds," She mumbles and then sighs. "Three of spades. Huh? No luck for me either."

"Ace of spades..." You sigh. "Two of hearts."

"Four of clubs. King of clubs."

"Ace of hearts." Shirogane pouts. "Four of hearts."

The two of you continue flipping. Komaeda's eyes follow your fingers, making mental notes of where each card was. He'd be able to make five pairs by now. He wonders if you know that. Shirogane sure seems to know. The two of you pick and pluck at the cards, mapping everything out. The stems are snipped, the heat is cooled. You finally start creating pairs.

"Ah, an ace of diamond!" You beam. "Now... where was the other one?"

Komaeda watches you scan the table and reach for another card. Your nails are a different color today. The emerald green from yesterday has been replaced with the light green of the marble. Your nails look like the expensive marble found only in roman architecture. The color of your eyes are kind. You blink angelically at the girl. Komaeda watches you flip it over. Ace of diamond.

"That's a point, right?" You smile at the girl.

"Yes," She smiles back at you. "and since you found a match, you can pull again."

"Alright." You reach for another."Now..."

"Ace of clubs!" You beam. "That one is here."

Another pair.

"Ace of hearts," You pause to think where the other one is. No one catches the way you glance at the girl as you reach the cards on the board. She shows no signs of faltering, yet you glimpse at the panic that flashes across her face as you find the right card. "How lucky of me!"

The girl smiles at you.

You pause at the sight of Ace of hearts that you've just flipped over. Komaeda stares at Shirogane smile at you. She's looking down on you. Komaeda is to, to be fair. You had one yesterday's game purely with luck, without an ounce of skill. It would be surprising if you win today. Komaeda supposes that you might not be able to. Maybe then you'd have that pretty chain around your neck.

"Ace of hearts again!" You beam. "Oh, I think I only know the aces... two of clubs."

True to your word, you don't end up with a pair. Shirogane exhales, blue eyes digging into yours. She starts slow. Flipping over the two of clubs you flipped previously, and proceeds to fold over four cards. Your face shows no signs of worry. If anything, you stare at her in awe. The pairs just keep on stacking, and Shirogane smiles at you gracefully. "Ah, ten cards... lady luck herself must be smiling at me right now!"

Your eyes widen in surprise, but your lips make no change in expression. You look happy.

"Please know that if you don't get a pair in your next move, there will be no chance of you winning."

"Mhm!" You beam. "9 of hearts and..."

Your eyes scan the table, fingers tapping your chin. As you play, the green of your nails is starting to look more like yesterday's color. Komaeda thinks he's hallucinating when he catches a brief smirk flash on your face. As fast as the expression was on your face, it quickly disappears. Your lips part as you pick up a random card.

"Oops. It was a ten of diamonds..." You jut out your bottom lip, and Shirogane raises a brow at you.

"Well," She sighs. "It's a shame you lost to someone as plain as me..."

Her fingers work quickly as she creates pairs out of the rest of the cards. Your eyes follow her movements, your lips mumbling quiet whispers to yourself. Komaeda watches your lips move, the gloss on them reflecting the light of the cafeteria. You watch Shirogane finish the last pair, and then sigh in despair.

"Well, newbie? How will you pay?"

"Is one more game possible?" You plead her, eyes wide, begging silently. "I have no money to pay you 20 million yen..."

Komaeda scoffs from next to you.

Shirogane feels bad. "Well... you have no money, right?"

"Yeah," You mumble. "Sorry."

"Then..." She smiles, reaching into her bag. "It might be a little strange... but I have an infatuation with nails."

The girl pulls out a glass box of nails, and you blink at them.

"Since I'm a cosplayer... I've got a pretty big collection of them. This is just a portion of them. What do you think? Aren't they cute?"

"They are," You lean in to get a closer look.

"But the truth is..." She stares at you, eyes half-lidded. "They're all actual human fingernails."

You feel a shudder ripple through your skin.

"With the kind of money I have, it would be easy to buy them, but no one wants to sell actual human nails to me," She sighs. "So most of them are from people that lost to my gamble. I'll put another twenty million on the line, but L/n-senpai... I want your nails!"

The crowd behind you gasps, and you tilt your head in interest. That was new. You had heard rumors of insane rich kids, but this one made you interested. Not even you had such an insane thought in mind. You think this bet will be entertaining. "Nails? Oh, like, you want my fingernails?"

"Mhm!"

Komaeda thinks of stepping in. Even if you lose twenty million yen, you'd just have a housepet chain around your neck. You were willing to go that far to not rack up any more debt? You had just earned five hundred million yen less than a day ago. If you lose your fingernails, your value on the marriage market goes down. Isn't that why you joined the school to begin with?

"Well then," You shrug. "I have no choice anyways. Let's play one more game!"

Komaeda thinks you've gone insane. You lift your head to meet his eyes, and you grin. He scoffs, and he rolls his eyes at you. You were nothing more than a gambling addict like your family then. If you were just going to bet on your luck, why would you even attend here? You could've just found a random rich man and then clung onto them. Well, it's not his place to judge your decisions. He wonders if you're aware of how many rich kids have their eyes on you right now.

"Aha!" Shirogane laughs. "Now we're talking!"

You watch the girl pull out two new sets of cards from her bag. You don't show any sign of emotion, but there's a nearing euphoric spark in your eyes. You watch her spread the cards out one by one, the ocean blue nails glistening on her fingers. You'd try that out for your next nail art. She glances at all of the cards and then places her hands on the table, leaning toward you. Her eyes shun you, but you don't care. She had just sold you a complete win.

"Shall we begin?" She smirks. "If I lose, I give up 20 million yen, and if you lose, L/n-senpai, then you give up your fingernails and toenails."

"Oh, both?" You blink and then shrug.

"Mhm!" She smiles. "For pity points, you can start first."

The innocent gleam in your eyes is replaced with a new one. Komaeda remembers that look. It was the same look in your eyes when you won 500 million yen yesterday. Your lips are pulled into a smug smile, and your pointer finger rests on your lips. You hum a cheerful tune as you take a look at all the cards.

You start with the Queen of Hearts, flipping it right-side up; then, the King of Spades. The two of clubs fall next, followed by the ace of spades. Your fingers match the jack of hearts, and your nails scratch the surface of the two seven of cloves. The four of diamonds are carved out of their rest. The six of clubs break from the table. The ten of diamonds flip over. The five of diamonds emerge from their hiding. The eight of hearts greet the two of you. The nine of spades glow. The Queen of Clubs fall. The jack of diamonds grin. The ace of cloves shines. The three of hearts laugh at Shirogane. The nine of clubs are cool. King of Diamonds. Three of cloves. Four of spades. Six of hearts. Two of hearts. Five of spades. Eight cloves. Seven diamonds. One diamond. Two spades. Eleven spades.

Shirogane's heart rams against her chest. what the hell? How did you do that? 

"Shirogane-san," You hum, picking up another card. "I heard your family makes toys."

"Yes," She nods. "And cosplay material."

"With that much of a fortune," You make another pair. "Wouldn't you guys be worth at least 10 billion yen? Why are you betting so little?"

"huh?" She loses focus on the way you're turning the cards.

"Just a piece of advice," You hum, picking up another card. "Before betting something like a business, you better be prepared!"

Her eyes widen as she looks back at the table.

"That's..." You count. "That's 58 cards! Oops, I didn't mean to turn that many. But regardless, I win!"

The crowd gasps, and they mumble amongst themselves. Komaeda gives you credit. You're smart for memorizing all of the patterns from the previous deck. Or, perhaps you had relied on luck again. But the look that returns to your eyes is those of someone who read the cards properly. You giggle, and Shirogane slams her hands onto the table.

"HOW! HOW'D YOU KNOW WHERE THE CARDS WERE?!"

"Oh?" You smile at her. "If you were just a tad more careful, then I would have lost."

"H-huh?"

"Well, the marks are the same as last game, right?" You tilt your head, holding a card up to your lips. "If you prepared another pattern, then it would've been KO for me!"

Shirogane's eyes widen, and she feels a rush of disgust flood her soul. "YOU PLAYED ME?!"

"Played is a little rude," You sigh. "I'd say it was a fair game. After all, didn't you cheat the first round?"

Shirogane glares at you, and you grin.

"It's a shame, though. I didn't get to push you into housepet territory. Shall we play another game so we can? How about we bet both of our fingernails this time! Then, I can turn yours into a pretty little set that I get to experiment on! How about it? Does that sound more fun?"

The girl sweats, heart racing in fear.

"You know, it's quite cute. You cheated so confidently and somehow still lost! Don't you want your honor back? Come on. Don't you?" You taunt the girl, driving her to tears.

"No!" She cries. "I'm sorry! I can't! I'm sorry for taunting you!"

You sigh in disappointment. "A shame. Someone from the student council can't even bet their life on the line. You sure seem like someone who bought their way into the council."

The girl clenches her fists, tears falling onto the table.

"Well, if our business is over," You turn on your heel. "I'm off! Toodaloo!"

You make gambling look like a form of elegance. The way you fold and call cards. The way your fingers slide the tiles to the center. The way you reach for cards on the table and smile like a pretty doll. The way your nails changed depending on the day and game. You made gambling look like the imperial court instead of a war. The way everyone was slipped with poison or fell to their own schemes. You made the gambling look easy. It was like you were lady luck herself, winning the right hand and then smiling innocently at your opponent. You end up in the student council within a month.

"Ah," You blink, staring at the students in the room. "I think there's been a mistake?"

"Y/n L/n," A file is tossed onto the table. "You gambled and won over two billion yen in the span of a month."

"If this is a promotion, I don't want it." You blink at them. "With all due respect, of course. I have no interest in running the school."

"Even if it means we could pull your family out of debt?" The president smiles at you. Pretty red lips, pretty pink hair.

You bat your lashes at them, a smile on your face. "I'm sure you know the reason I joined the school was never to fix my family's debt. Besides, this meeting obviously isn't for me to join the student council."

"Yes," They hum. "Yet, you somehow escaped the life plan that your family planned to chain around your neck."

"Oh, you know what they say about the family's only child," You smile. "Ever the sly one. They sent me here to find a husband. It doesn't matter who it is. I don't want to get married. They tell you marry a rich man, but what if I am the rich man?"

"Regardless of what your motive is," The girl sighs. "You're messing up the school's ecosystem."

"Since when have you cared about balance?"

"No more preying on people with money whose parents would get us in trouble," She shrugs. "I admire your love for gambling. I hope you enjoy."

"Oh," You slide your fingers up your cheek. "Since when did this school care about the outside? If you're worried about me taking a student council student's position, then don't. I have no interest in running the school. I don't care about school affairs."

Your eyes land on the male with black hair. "Although... you most certainly have quite the eye candy here." Your eyes trail to the lolita.

"As long as none of us are pushed off." The president smiles.

"As long as you aren't pushed off." You shrug. "Anyone not engaged to another rich person?"

No one answers you.

"Figured," You bow quickly before excusing yourself.

To you, the school doesn't matter; neither does finding a husband, actually. It's amusing. You find joy in the simple pleasures of betting. Your parents failed to gamble back their fortune, so they decided to sell their only child to the school in hopes of marrying rich. Well, not like it mattered. If that was how rich people showed their love, then so be it. You don't really care how much you're worth to your parents. 

You stare at the new student.

"Hajime Hinata." he nods.

Class carries on as usual, and you rack your brain for which house Hinata yields from. There were plenty of Hinatas in the circle of wealth. You stare at the new student, and you catch the backpack he uses. Huh. You think you've seen that brand before. Nonetheless, it doesn't matter. You could worry about him if he decides to gamble with you.

Or... if he decides to follow you around?

"Alright, newbie," You stare at the male, lips pulled into a frown. "What do you want?"

"Teach me how to gamble."

"Excuse me?"

"You've never lost a single bet," He mumbles. "I want to learn."

You stare at him. He doesn't stand out in terms of appearance or anything else. You wonder why he's so desperate to gamble.

"Ah, it's a good thing," Komaeda passes the two of you. "Poor people like you should hang around each other."

"Does that mean you hang out with the orphans?"

Komaeda stops walking, and he turns to glare at you. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said," You stare at him, batting your lashes innocently, a shit-eating smile on your face. "You know. Since people tend to hang out with people similar to them."

"Is that so?" Komaeda steps closer, towering over you. "So you admit to being poor?"

"Komaeda-senpai," You tap his chest twice. "The whole world knows that my family is famous for their debts. However, that doesn't mean we're poor."

"Is that so?" He grabs your chin, tilting it to get a better look at you. You look pretty, actually. The way your lashes are nice and long. You take good care of yourself for someone whose family sold you off. Komaeda hates people like you. People who think they can marry rich and become set for life. You'd have to be damn talented at something for someone to love you like that. But he supposes you have a face pretty enough to be a mistress for someone. He wonders if your mouth is good for something other than talking.

You bat your lashes at him prettily, a smile on your lips. Maybe you'd settle for him. After all, he is one without troublesome parents. Or. He doesn't have parents. You wonder if any of his nannies were obsessed with money while he grew up. He probably lost a good chunk of his fortune. To him, a couple hundred million dollars is nothing. You wonder how much his net worth is. Even then, he wasn't part of the student council. Maybe you would go for the black-haired male from before. But, the male tilting your chin and sneering at you made you feel things. "It is." You wrap your fingers around his tie, adjusting it.

Komaeda is pretty. His lashes are a pale white, and his hair resembles that of a cloud. The tips of his hair are a dainty pink. His skin is pale, yet he doesn't look sickly. You heard something about how he had actually been sick, but you don't care. He's pretty. The way his fingers are nice and long compared to yours, and the way his grip on your chin is hard yet gentle. He's so tall... you can only wonder what else comes with that height. You shake thoughts like that off. You could worry about some messed-up fantasy with him when you flip a pretty chain necklace around his neck.

"How else would I be able to make two billion in a month? Did you think I only played small bets?" You tap his lip once, his grip on your chin loosening. "Real men are into the intelligent. Shall we go, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata follows after you, eyeing the male. There was a... tension... between the two of you. It was like cutting a fishing wire. Or, it resembled that of a siren's song more. Your tongue drips with the gods' nectar, your words sweet to taste. The melody of your voice snaked around him, plaguing his mind and thoughts. It was like he wanted you on a leash to pull. Yet, he was never able to, blind from the song from your lips, luring him into deeper waters. He wonders if Komaeda's aware of his situation.

"He's from the Komaedas? The one without parents?"

"Yeah," You hum, slowing down to match Hinata's pace. "He also has a bone to pick with me, apparently."

Hinata looks over his shoulder, and he spots Komaeda lifting his fingers to his lips, the tips of his ears red. Pink dusts over his cheeks, and Hinata pauses. Ah. Komaeda was aware of the effect you had on him. 

"I think it's more of a reaction formation."

"You think he's into me?"

"Yeah," Hinata pauses. "But that's only speculation."

You stop and stare at him, the red and green eyes reminding you of someone. "Ah, you're the illegitimate child of the Kamukuras. You're that Hinata-kun."

Hinata pauses to stare at you.

"Are you trying to get back at your younger brother?" You tilt your head. You know the answer. 

Hinata stares at you, eyes digging into your soul. The different color eyes burn into yours. Unlike his brother, his hair is a pretty brown. His lips are drawn into a thin line, determined to prove his worth in his house. Ah, so that was why he had his mom pay so much to end up in the school. You suppose his mom wasn't that different from yours. 

"I am."

"Then," You hum, smiling at him. "Shall we play Mahjong?"

"The tables are full."

"No," You shake your head, adjusting your hair. "Watch."

You open the door to the room, and you blink at everyone. Everyone's eyes turn to look at you, and you wave sheepishly. A handful of students move from their seats, and Hinata watches the people move according to how you want them to. He's surprised. 

"Oi! L/n-san! Come play Mahjong!" A boy waves in the back. "Our table needs one more person."

"How much are we betting?" You walk up to him, Hinata trailing after you.

"Starting is ten million," He smiles.

You gasp, hands flying over your mouth. "Oh, my! Of course! But..."

Your eyes meet Hinata's. 

"Can I have newbie play in my place?" You scratch your cheek. "I won't help him. He just wanted to try things out."

"Of course," The boy nods. "anything for you, L/n-san."

"See?" You seat Hinata down. "Simple!"

Your fingers tap on his shoulder as he flips his tiles to face him. Circles, Lines, characters, numbers. Mahjong relied on both luck and skill. Tiles are swapped for others. People want to win money. If the luck was to your advantage, then you'd earn more. The tiles shuffled across the board. Pon. Hinata replaces another tile in his deck. You wonder if he knew how to gamble. His mother was notorious for being the queen of a casino.

You're not surprised when the boy ends up winning fifty-fifty. He leaves with no debt on his name, and nine hundred thousand more on his name. You squeeze his shoulder affectionately, and the game comes to an end. Hinata doesn't come out victorious, but he makes a good number. You let him stand up, and you replace him at the table.

"You did well," You hum, watching the table reshuffle all of the game. "But sit back and watch what playing with luck is like."

Your luck is a demon. It looms over your shoulder, driving your opponents to insanity. Your smile is pretty, your nails shiny. The cards on your nails are daunting as you slide another tile to yourself. You rearrange your hand; a laugh rolls off your tongue. The creature flips and collects tiles like there's nothing stopping them. The laws of the universe bend according to its will. Hinata is terrified of the calm smile on your face as your opponents tremble in fear. You twist and carve out each tile until it's the perfect one for you. You run the game.

"I win," You flip the tiles over, and the students sigh. "How much did you win?"

"Uh," You count. The devil on your shoulder laughs. "All. Everything was drawn."

"Scary luck as usual, L/n-san," They sigh, handing you their chips. Ten million. Spare pocket change. "You could rival Komaeda-senpai."

"I'm looking forward to the day when I do," You laugh gently, cheeks flushed. "I can't wait until I get to play him."

"You look forward to it?"

"Yes!" You clasp your hands together. "A battle of luck! Both of us rely heavily on it, so it'd be nice to see whose luck runs out quicker!"

"But L/n-san, you play heavily with skill." The student hands you cash from his bag.

"Yes," You smile. "But so does he."

Komaeda looks at his cards, a smile on his face. His opponent's face turns red with anger as he slips another chip onto the table. 

"Hit." His opponent grumbles.

The dealer slips him another card.

Komaeda taps his finger on the table, one leg kicked over the other. He raises a brow in amusement, staring at his cards again. His opponent hits again. The light returns to their eyes, a greedy smile all over their face. Oh, that beautifully hopeful look on his face. Komaeda hides his lips behind the cards, licking his lips. He couldn't wait to wipe that gleeful look on his face off.

"Show."

The two set their cards down.

Komaeda's opponent's heart drops.

"Win," Komaeda smiles, teeth out. "Fifty million yen. How will you be paying that?"

The student stares blankly at the table, and Komaeda adjusts the rings on his fingers, waiting for an answer. His eyes are pale, yet something sinister hides behind them. It's like he knew this was going to happen. His luck snakes around him, looming over him like a predator waiting for prey. His luck devours everyone else in his way. He holds the majority of the school's fortune, yet he stays away from the council. He had more important things than to be entwined in some political battle for the position. He glances at your at the mahjong table across the room. You won. Again.

You stare at the cash in your hand, and you smile. "Lovely game."

"Oh?" Komaeda leans over your shoulder, staring at your deck. "Are you sure you didn't cheat?"

"I'm sure of it," Your fingers loop under the knot of his tie, tugging him closer to your ear. "Unless you're projecting again?"

"Keep your peasant hands off of me," He loosens your fingers from his tie. "What makes you say that?"

"Surely, you didn't your luck could win you that much money with just blackjack?" Your voice is laced with interest as you step out of your seat. Hinata replaces you in your seat, and he begins his game. You lean over his right shoulder; Komaeda leans over his left. The two of you stare at Hinata's deck, making up different possibilities on the spot. You squeeze his shoulder as Hinata picks up another tile from the table.

"Wow, did you pick him up from the streets? The other card would have been a smarter move." Komaeda scoffs when Hinata merges the tile.

"Slow and steady wins the race," You chuckle. "Komaeda-senpai."

Hinata's hand remains the same, only a few tiles being swapped out. You wonder if he'll have double the luck since Komaeda is here too. You watch over his shoulder like hawks. Hinata's shoulders are tense, yet he plays well. You nearly praise him when he's only one tile away from winning. Komaeda's fingers dig into Hinata's shoulder as he finally wins.

"All on luck?"

"No," He shakes his head. "You placed down two. I'd earn around only 2 million."

"Ah, still a good amount," The boy smiles. "Another round perhaps?"

"That's it," Hinata shakes his head.

"Someone with control," Your eyes grow wider, lips parted in surprise. "How rare! Oh, I'm so glad you're my pupil of all things!"

Komaeda sprays the part of his sleeve that came in contact with Hinata, and you pull him back by the collar.

"Hinata-kun, I'm going to talk to Komaeda-senpai real quick. Is that alright?"

"Mhm," Hinata nods. "I'll go play blackjack then."

"Let's go!" You sing, pulling Komaeda along. You can practically taste the disgust radiating off of him in waves. Your lips are pulled into a pleased smile, and a handful of the students pause to stare at the two of you. Though, it's not like it mattered. Komaeda didn't have much of a reputation to begin with. You, on the other hand, everyone knew dragged whoever you wanted to gamble. To them, it would have been just another day where you wanted some spare change. Komaeda cranes his neck to stare at you, and pauses at the sight of your lips in a pout. You look cute.

He wonders what you'd look like all breathless from him. 

His eyes glance to the side, and his fingers slip under the fabric of your collar, pulling you backward roughly. 

"!-" Komaeda shuts you up pretty quickly, forcing his lips onto yours. Behind you, you hear the sound of a door shutting. You wince at the feeling as his teeth gnash with yours. They're rough and anything but gentle. The better part of you argues that this is wrong, but you don't care. You drape your arms around his neck and press your lips harder to his. It might leave a bruise or two, and there's a chance that his lips are going to be stained red from your lipstick. Good. You plan to leave at least some evidence on the boy. 

Komaeda's barely there by the time you pull apart from him. You grin at his hazy eyes, and you press a gentle kiss to his jaw, the red of your lipstick staying there. Then, another to his cheek. And another to his neck. You pepper his face with the wine of your lips, and you lean back to admire his work. Smiling at him through your lashes, your hand meets the knob behind you. You smile at him innocently before leaving him there to sort out his own emotions. You stare into your mirror, fixing your lips and hair. You hum as you open the door to the classroom again. 

Komaeda chuckles at the sight of you leaving, wiping his lips. Oh, he was looking forward to playing you. He steps out the closet, adjusting his uniform and heading to the men's room. The students in the hall turn to look at the mess of red you left on him, and he only chuckles. He was going to get back at you for that.

Hinata laughs, a grin on his face. He's won over seven million dollars by now. He stares at his hand and hums in content. His eyes have a sinister glow; they almost glow red. He isn't smiling, his face remaining neutral in its resting state. While you laugh at your opponent, breaking them down mentally, Hinata puts his opponent on edge, driving them insane with nothing. The lack of expressions wears his opponent down unusually fast. His opponent takes a second card, and they slam their head onto their table.

A twenty-six.

"That's nice," Hinata places his cards down. A thirteen.

"HAH!?" His opponent slams his hands onto the table out of rage. "YOU HAD A THIRTEEN AND TRICKED ME INTO GOING OVER?!"

"Well," You smile at his opponent, stepping from the crowd of students. "Technically he didn't trick you. He just simply put you on edge, and you decided to draw out of fear."

"L/n-san." They grimace at you. "You have a scary pupil."

"How much have you made?"

"With this one," Hinata places a hand on yours on his shoulder. "Ten million."

"Not bad," You hum. "It's an excellent start."

"Another round?"

"No," Hinata shakes his head. "That's all I'll do for the day."

"With the skill of constraint," You hum, sliding your hand off his shoulder. "Let's go, Hinata-kun."

Gambling is a skill.

The resting face of a gambler. You never know what's in your opponent's hand. If you cheat, you manipulate the game to your will. If you play fairly, the laws of fate bow to you. Gambling is a skill that takes practice. Natural talent without skill is bound to fail one day. That's what made the student council so scary. The president played incredibly well, and the rest of the students were in no way lacking. Yet, the scary ones weren't those on the student council; they were students who gambled with their whole soul until there was nothing left in the opponent. The simple skill of wearing a player down until there were no rational decisions left to make. That's what made gamblers of skill so scary.

You stare at your bank account while on break. Hinata peers over your shoulder, and you hum at the number. To you, the option to bet your life on the line was now an option. You hum in satisfaction as you check your messages from family. You could worry about your family's debt later when you married. Your mother had kept in contact with you because she was the reason you got in. Rich people were strange. A simple mistress could get their child in. You don't care what your family does. 

"Say, Hinata-kun," You close your phone. 

Hinata hums.

"If you rack up enough money here, what do you think about marriage?" You hum. 

Hinata stares at you and physically pauses. "So I pay off your family's debt?"

"I don't see why not," You laugh. 

"Two brokes don't make a rich, you know." Komaeda sneers.

"Bored of the orphans already?" You lean your head back to stare at him.

"No." He hums. "Just listening to my favorite pet going on about marriage."

You sigh. "Such a shame. If I'm your favorite pet, how come you still can't wrap that pretty chain around my neck? It's such a nice silver color too."

Komaeda taps your cheek, smiling scornfully at you. "When are we going to play a game then?"

"I don't feel like doing that today," You sigh. "I have the sudden urge to play one of the student council members."

"You played Shirogane-chan already."

"I have the urge to gamble her entire fortune away," You sigh blissfully. "Or her nails."

"You're into the nail thing she does?"

"it's always good to have nails to practice art on," You clasp your hands together. Today, your nails are a strawberry pink. The color is milky, and they remind Komaeda of a certain student council member. You giggle childishly, cheeks flushed. "I'm kidding. Rather, I wanna meet the pretty lolita girl from last time. It seems like I'd have a fun time playing Russian roulette with her."

"Russian roulette?" Komaeda raises a brow in amusement. "Shall we play right now?"

He pulls out a gun from his back pocket, and your eyes glimmer with interest. "Hm? Doll?"

Your lips part at the name, eyes practically shining. "Oh! Of course!"

You smile as Komaeda hands you the gun. You check the model. It should be an airsoft revolver, but just to be safe... You pull the trigger at your desk. The bullet pierces through the wood. You blink. "Ah. AN ACTUAL GUN!! KOMAEDA-SENPAI, YOU'RE INCREDIBLE!!"

Komaeda smiles at your praise. "Shall we play?"

"What will we bet?" You bat your lashes prettily at him. 

"Loser grants the winner a single request."

"Won't we die?" You hum. "How will we grant a request? Unless you're into dead people?"

"I'll put in an empty bullet." He smiles, showing you the bullet. Sliding it in, he spins the cylinder, forcing it into place. He starts, pressing the barrel to his temple, a smile on his face. No bullet.

"Your turn, doll," His hand brushes yours as you take it from him.

"Ah," Your cheeks are flushed from arousal. "A bet with my life! How thrilling..."

You bite your pinky, eyes glazed over in lust. Your finger curls around the trigger, and you pull it. Nothing comes out. You sigh in discontent as you pass the gun back to him. The third pull doesn't release a bullet. Neither does the fourth. The two of you stare at each other, and Komaeda pulls the gun. Something swirls in his eyes when nothing comes out of the gun. You take it from his hand, and you sigh. Pink splatters over your hair, and you blink. Ah. It wasn't empty.

Komaeda smiles at you, eyes in slits, looking down at you. "Shall I take you to the nurse?"

"Oh, if you would," You smile at him, the pink tricking down the side of your cheek. He wipes it with his thumb and presses it into your cheek. 

"Let's go." His grip on your wrist is tight, and you smile drunkenly as he pulls you along. It's like the paint from the gun had gotten into your system. You smile, your cheeks flushed with drunkenness. Komaeda hums, opening the door to the nurse's office. 

The nurse is out.

Komaeda grins. "Shall I wash you up for you?"

"Wouldn't it be better if I go wash up in the locker room? Why'd you bring me here?" You seem to blink out of your stupidity, and you look for a towel to wipe your hair with. Komaeda stares at you with curiosity, and he hums. "What about your uniform?"

"You think a little uniform will get in my way?" You stare at him, a smile on your face. "The school doesn't care how we alternate our uniforms as long as they're somewhat recognizable."

"So?"

"So," You wipe your hands and reach for his jacket. "I'm going to borrow some clothes."

"Since you're all messy from the bullet..." Komaeda grabs your hand. "Shall you just fulfill my request here?"

"What do you want?" You peer at him. 

"What I want?" Komaeda loosens your wrist, a sly smile on his face. "Shall I show you?"

"Mm," You hum. 

"My request is that you don't say no during the time that we're here," Komaeda hums, wrapping his fingers around your throat gently.

"Not like I can say no," You mumble, waiting for him to move. He presses his thumb to your lips, smearing the red off your lips, onto your cheeks. Komaeda makes a lovely mess of you. His wrist is drenched by the time that you've lost your ability to think, his words getting to your mind. You're not allowed to tell him no, but it's not like you would've even if you could. He's way too good with his hands. You should've known there was a reason he shuffled cards so easily. But he was being such an ass. He's put you on the edge of an orgasm so many times, yet he's never let you cum.

"What's wrong? Braindead already?" Komaeda taunts edging another orgasm out of you. "You came here with the intention of being my doll alone, isn't that right? From the first day," He coos, mocking you. "You wanted to wrap your pretty little nails around someone like me's neck. To pull on a pretty black collar around my neck. Hm? Doll?"

"I," You pant. "I wanna c-c- ah."

"Oh? What was that, doll? You want to what? Come on. Speak up. I can't hear you from all the babbling." He taunts.

"Cum." You whine. "I wanna cum."

"Oh? After the mess you made of me yesterday?"

"No," You whine. "Y-you started it."

"Mm," His lips frown mockingly. "So I should take responsibility?"

You whine as he curls his fingers in you.

"I can't understand when you're whining so bad, doll." Komaeda blows on your ear, causing you to clench on his fingers.

"You're clenching around me" He chuckles scornfully. "It's almost like you like the idea, don't you? You like the idea of being used by me, and only me, isnt that right?"

Your back arches as he adjusts his fingers in you.

"Those other rich students," he spits. "They could never make you writhe and beg like this, could they? You're my toy to use; Isn't that right? You would never let Hinata finger you stupid like this, hm?"

Komaeda likes how you look. Your mascara is ruined from him and him alone, and your lips are a mess of red, a streak leading to your cheek. You look like a hot mess. Komaeda's hot mess. The pink on your nails are chipped from gripping the metal of the infirmary bed's railing. He coos at you as mindless agreement slips past your lips, begging him to let you cum. You can feel it. The wiser part of yourself knows he won't let you cum again, but god, do you hope he lets you. 

"Come on," He scoffs. "The nurse will be back any second now."

"Please," You whine, nails carving into the skin of his wrist. "Please let me cum, Nagito-senpai. Please. Please."

A waterfall of thank yous trickles past your lips as you finally, finally, get to cum. Komaeda fingers you through it, you gasping and clawing at his uniform. He curses quietly as you gush around his fingers. You're leaving a mess on the nurse's bed thanks to him. Well, at least he got to pay you back for those lipstick marks. Ah... he has a better idea. He moves his clean hand to your jaw, forcing it open, sneering at you.

"Open wide, doll." You stick your tongue out, and Komaeda spits into your mouth. His saliva slides down your tongue, and he loosens his hold to let you close your mouth. He watches you swallow, and he smiles. "See? Such a good toy."

You pant for air, grimacing at your reflection in the mirror. Your mind is still foggy from his fingers, but you manage to speak. "Is that it?"

"Mm," Komaeda hums, rummaging through the shelves. "Stay still for a moment. I'll grab you a towel."

Your eyes trail to the shower behind you. Ah. That's why he was so insistent on fingering you stupid before you washed up. Cunning bastard. The pink has dried into your hair, and you stare at the stains on your hand. "Spare me your jacket, will you?"

"When you finish washing up."

"Any chance you'll be able to find me a shirt?"

"No."

"Alright," You shrug, wiping off your makeup and turning on the shower. 

Komaeda rests on the bed, pulling off the covers to throw them into the laundry basket. He wasn't sure what possessed him to ask for that as his request, but he supposes he doesn't regret it. He takes off his jacket, unfolding his sleeve. His lips quirk into a smile at the sight of your stuff on the bed. It was a lie. The nurse was never in her office since she was always sticking around the student council president. It was a place where students went to hang out. He closes his eyes as he waits for you to finish cleaning up.

The paint was absolute hell to get out of your hair. The water kept bleeding pink until there was nothing left. You finally step out of the shower, a towel on you. You glance at what's left of your clothes that you can wear, and you start putting them on. Komaeda seems to be resting his eyes. He's not asleep, because if he was, he would've laid down. You grab his uniform coat, and you button halfway up to cover your chest. You hum, a smile on your lips. You reach for the lipstick in your jacket pocket, and you press the pigment onto your lips. "Wake up, Komaeda-senpai~!"

Komaeda opens his eyes, staring at you brush on your mascara in the mirror. You pucker your lips and fix your hair. You look pretty. Komaeda has no problem admitting that now. It's no secret how the boys and girls around school ogle at you. They want what you have. Even the student council called you for an offer. Something about you. Komaeda finds it amusing that other students would want you, but he wasn't backing down on this one. It was the few things he wasn't going to give up to the student council he adored so much.

"Ready?" He stares at you, a smile on his face. You might've held more money now, but you were still far from his standards.

"Mm," You smile, leaving the room first.

The two of you come back to a bustling class, and Hinata sits at the center of it. He stares at the chips on the roulette table, and he stares emotionless. You squeeze through the crowd of students to step behind him and watch. He's placed fifty million dollars on a single number. The rest of the students have spread their money out, and he stares at the dealer spin the wheel. He's surprisingly calm about the whole situation. You would've started laughing at your opponent by now. You stare at the number.

One.

You're much too amused to say anything, and Komaeda stands on the other side of Hinata. The snake and demon loom over his shoulders, picking up the ball and placing it back down. The snake rolls the wheel, and the devil plays with the ball. There's an incredibly heavy atmosphere as the two of you step next to Hinata. Komaeda's more than yours. Your atmosphere only darkens when your eyes change. Komaeda smiles to himself. "Oooh, only one number? I'd expect you to do better, illegitimate."

"Shut up," Hinata's voice stays level as the ball rolls into the number slot.

One.

He wins.

"A... A HUNDRED MILLION!!" The dealer yells in shock.

You double over in laughter. The devil and snake return to their masters, and Hinata hums. He finally smiles, the look on his face gone. Children who grew up with nothing claw their way up the mountain until there's nothing in their way. They fight the most while growing up. For Hinata, even if it meant being average, he would still overtake his brother. He had met you based on instinct, and somehow picked up another one. The two monsters of luck.

Hinata wonders how you even ended up with Komaeda. There was a certain animosity between the two of you. It was like mixing oil and water. The two of you could never combine no matter how hard one tried. But somehow, it worked. There was makeup remover that combined the two to get makeup off. Maybe that's what the two of you were. A pair that would never mix, but would destroy. 

You ruffle Hinata's hair, a grin on your face. "Good job, darling! Is that all?"

"One mo-"

"I want to gamble," Komaeda chuckles, cutting Hinata off. "Hm? Y/n-chan?"

You turn to look at him. His face is flushed pink, eyes going insane. You press your nails to your lips, and you smile. Your lipstick seems a shade darker than usual. Your nails are a little scratched, and your lashes are dolly. "Maybe another day. My nails got all chipped from an animal earlier."

"Why not now? When your luck is weakest?" Komaeda smiles at you. "It can be a life bet."

"A single game?"

"Choice poker," The vice president of the school steps into the room. The student council had been waiting for this moment. "It'll be live broadcasted. The two lucksters of the school playing it off."

"Instead of something like betting your life with money," You hum, eyes red with interest. "How about betting yourself as a person? Your entire status is wiped. You become not a dead one, but a person who belongs to the other."

"Then there's no loss on either of your sides." The vice president rolls her eyes. "The two of you are a beautiful mess when together. What loss is there to either side?"

"Oh?" You look at her, lips quirked up into a smirk. "Is that so? I lose all of my hard work here, and he loses his status of president of the world's biggest banking company. I think it sounds like a fair bet. If we get to that point, that is."

"Where's the downside?"

Komaeda speaks up. "We hate each other. Having our entire life on the line for someone we despise to control sounds pretty bad to me. Besides, Y/n-chan doesn't want to get married."

The girl taps her cheek, and she smirks. "Alright. Let's play."

You hum, following the girl to the school's stage. The two of you sit down, and you smile the smile of a sinner. You're horrendous. You look like you're about to go insane from a single match. The idea of being sold off was the lie your family painted for you. The empire was fine; the gambling with them just got boring, yet never was able to bring joy. You were looking for growth at the school, and Komaeda seemed to have provided it for you. The match was going to strip both of you down to whose luck was stronger. Just thinking about it made you excited.

What came first? The chicken? The egg?

The fall of angels came first.

Before the creation of man, there was the prideful angel. The prettiest, most loved of them all. But there was a greed. The greed to be the more. The lust to become the one in power. The envy for the creator. The insatiable gluttony to become more. They wanted to become the best of the best, overtaking their creator. The devil wanted to become the creator but failed. The wrath when he had failed. The blame on the slothful nature of the other fallen angels. Yet, no matter how hard you try, there was no denying that the devil was attractive. The prettiest of the angels, the most pampered. The devil is adored by everyone. The devil that people despised yet plagued all of them.

Then came the serpent. The form that the devil took to destroy mankind. The fruit was so pretty. Did the creator really say that? Did he really say that you couldn't take of the fruit of the tree? Oh, but it looks so good. I'm sure that it wouldn't be an issue if you ate it. Didn't he say you could partake of any fruit in the garden? Why would he stop you from having the fruit? Surely it's because it has something that he wants to hide from you, right? That singular bite of the fruit that destroyed mankind.

The serpent could never overtake the devil himself.

The students file into the room to watch the two of you play. They want to watch you play. The destruction of the best gamblers in the school. The only two students that could absolutely destroy the student council. People wanted to see this. The worst part of man wants to see the downfall of the other. Humans are evil creatures. That simple sin from a bite of a fruit. It burned into a human's nature.

Yet the snake could take a physical form while the devil couldn't

It was a gamble of fate.

It's simple, really. The two of you sit on opposite sides of each other. It would be a lie to say that you loved each other, yet it would be a lie to say that you hated each other. Ambivalence, perhaps. You hum, staring at your hand. The two of you had a simple goal in mind. To drag the game on as long as humanly possible before either of you fall. It's not the fall that the two of you care about; it's the gut-wrenching, euphoric feeling that you feel, winning a high-stakes bet. That rush of dopamine that drove a person mad. That, was what made the two of you play this gamble.

The vice president slides the two of you cards, and the game begins.

The snake moves first, a sly grin on his face. He discards an eight and a four. He raises you ten chips. The snake curls up your wrist, settling on your neck, a smile on your face. You chuckle, tapping the snake's pretty head twice. Komaeda's eyes are green with lust. It was like he was waiting for this moment. His luck was a viper, curling around his opponent's leg, biting into their ankle. The snake's poison is slow, wearing down his opponent over time. His smile was proof of it. After all, was it not the serpent who tempted the woman into biting the fruit?

You hum. "One card, please."

Your devil resembles less of a demon sometimes. Sometimes, it takes the form of seduction, a pretty smile on your face. It slides its fingers over the shoulders of your opponent, glancing at its cards, helping you deduce it. Its fingertips are cold against the skin, sliding it down Komaeda's jawline. Komaeda places a hand on it's, and he leans into its touch. You hum. The devil raises eleven chips back. Your eyes are still their normal color. Komaeda wants to see you be driven to the edge with a gamble. You want to see him go mad with desire.

"What a selfish bet," The vice-president chuckles. 

Komaeda smiles. "I raise you twenty more chips."

"Twenty-one more chips." You smile.

Komaeda stops, the snake on your shoulder sinking its fangs into your neck.

"Just a single more chip." Komaeda places it onto the table, fingers taking its time.

"I'm not putting anymore in." You hum.

The devil presses a kiss to his jaw.

"Strongest or Weakest?"

Komaeda slips a coin from his pocket and flips it. 

Heads.

"Stronger."

Komaeda drops his cards onto the table, a smile of victory on his lips.

Three tens.

You chuckle.

"My loss."

Three nines.

Komaeda takes the chips with grace. The snake releases your neck, and you can feel the sting from the poison. The devil steps back behind you, and Komaeda can taste the temptation it left on his jaw. He chuckles, doing a quick calculation on the number of chips in his hand. He's gained 31 more chips. Maybe that's what you were going to do. You were going to lose everything and then throw something unexpected into the table. Oh, the thought of that by itself was incredible enough to get him horny. Oh, you're such a spontaneous delight. He couldn't wait to have you in the palm of his hand.

You press your fingers to your lips. Oh, it was such a euphoric day. First, you play Russian roulette with the school's strongest luckster, then he fingers you stupid as punishment? Now you're playing choice poker with him? Oh, how heavenly! You can practically taste the drugs on your tongue. Your lips quirk into a smile, a lovesick look in your eyes. Komaeda's luck was so strong! You'd have the time of your life with this! You could bet with him until you were gone!

The devil on your shoulder steps onto the table as the vice-president reshuffles the cards. 

Five of hearts.

Six of clubs.

Two of diamonds.

Three cards fly out of the deck, both you and Komaeda reaching for one.

You pull the five of hearts.

"Oh, my," You smile. "It seems like someone's jealous of me."

Komaeda holds the two of diamonds.

"It seems that there's disapproval of a relationship." He chuckles.

The six of clubs falls to the ground, and Hinata picks it up.

"Success in prosperity," Both of your voices come out as you face Hinata. The look in your eyes is scary. "How lucky of you, Hinata."

The cards are returned to the deck, and the five cards are dealt. 

The cards are slid to the two of you precisely. It's elegant how it's dealt, and you slide the card to yourself slowly. Your fingers bend with the crease of the card, and your nails gleam under the stagelight. The shine is a reminder of everyone's eyes on you. The whole school is watching which one of you will take the other out. The drop of blood. Two sharks in the tank. The entertainment of one's downfall. 

The devil slides only one card out of your deck. A singular king of hearts. They raise Komaeda twelve chips. Their fingers work at his tie and loosens it. Komaeda's cheeks are flushed; he breathes heavily. His lips are parted so prettily. You want to pull on it. Yet, you restrain yourself as you hum at your deck. While you might not be able to win, Komaeda sure as hell won't either. You'll make sure of it.

You smile as Komaeda slips out three cards.

Three ones.

"Thirteen chips."

"Fourty chips." Your voice is even.

"Fifty."

"Fifty five."

Komaeda chuckles. 

"Seventy." 

"Seventy-five."

"A hundred."

"A-A BILLION YEN?!" The crowd of students gasp.

"A hundred and ten."

You dig your fingers into your cheek, and you shrug. "A hundred and twenty"

"A hundred and forty."

"A hundred and fifty," You hum, staring at your hand. "Please? Komaeda-senpai? Just this round."

He chuckles. "I'll crush you the next one."

"Thank you," You beam.

"No more?" The vice president stares at Komaeda. He nods.

"Strongest or Weakest?"

"Weakest," You nod, placing your cards down. 

High card.

Komaeda chuckles.

He places his down.

Two pair.

You grin at the chips that end up on your side.

The cards are filed again, and you hum. The devil on your shoulder reaches for the snake on Komaeda's and gets bitten. It hisses, yet it lunges at it again. You ignore the brawl between the two, and choose to sigh instead. The girl hands you both your cards, and the devil gawks at your cards. What the hell.

The snake on Komaeda's hisses at the devil's hand. It bites and fights all it wants. The devil grimaces, and it yanks the snake off of Komaeda's shoulder. The two fight on the floor of the stage. The air chills around the two of you, and Komaeda stares at his hand. The corner of his lips quirk up, a scathing smile on his face.

"I raise you fifty chips." Komaeda beams.

"Seventy."

"Ninety."

"A hundred and twenty."

"A hundred and fifty." Komaeda hums.

"A hundred and seventy."

"A hundred and eighty."

"Two hundred and sixty."

Komaeda pauses. "That much?"

"That's all I have," You shrug.

Komaeda chuckles.

"Two hundred and seventy."

You pause. 

No more. 

"Player two?"

"He can take it." 

"Strongest or Weakest?"

Komaeda hums, flipping the coin. His fingers are slim, and they move with ease. It's hard to believe those were the same fingers that had you whining earlier. You smile at his movement, and you mirror the expression on his face. He wouldn't fall off that easily, but you would create a ripple that eventually storms an entire sea.

"Reveal your cards."

Komaeda places his cards onto the table.

A full house.

Your lips pull into a frown.

Three of a kind.

Two hundred and seventy chips go to Komaeda. 

Your lips curl into a sick smile, drool slipping past your lips. Oh. Yes. This was the feeling you wanted to experience. That feeling of utter despair when you lose everything you worked for. Oh, the idea of being nothing more than a pet to the person you lose to. You can't wait to see what sick relationship you're going to have with him.

"Are you sure you want to keep going?" Komaeda stares at you, the snake on his shoulder.

You smile in affirmation.

The cards are reshuffled. The vice-president's fingers work gently with the cards, and she presses them down onto the table for the two of you. She's enjoying this just as much as the two of you are. The idea of the most unpredictable students in the school playing it out. It sent a rush of ecstasy right to her brain.

The devil discards one card again.

The snake discards one as well.

The two of you sit here, staring at the other.

Neither of you speak.

"So? What will you bet, Y/n-chan?"

You sit there, the same look of madness swirling in your eyes. You clench your thighs, and you giggle to yourself. Oh, this was so arousing! You have nothing left for you, yet you can still fall further. Shall you do that? Shall you have the time of your life and bet everything you're worth to him? Oh, yes. Of course you shall. You adore the wetness forming underneath you. The only time you could feel it was like this. You couldn't wait to live a life where your mind swirled with ecstasy whenever you wanted to. It would destroy the life that your parents wanted you to have. You could taste it on your lips. The gods' nectar, the fruit of knowledge. Oh, you would die for this one.

"Shall we bet our lives this round?" You lean forward, eyes glossy with desire. "Shall we? If I lose, then I'll be nothing more than someone who's stuck with a life plan the school has! I'll become the pretty little lover of yours, and I'll be told to give birth to children and do nothing else! I'll become a stupid slave to the school's system! Hm? Oh, and if you lose, I become your owner! You'll be my pretty little househusband who's good for nothing except maybe fucking me. Who knows. Maybe you'll enjoy that life."

Komaeda wipes the drool from your chin, and his face mirrors yours.

"To fall into utter despair only to have you as my source of hope? Oh, I thought you'd never ask!" Komaeda grabs your blazer, his blazer, and giggles. "I'd love to bet my life for someone like you. Someone who would lift me so high only to crash me back down immediately. I'd love the idea of doing nothing but raising a stupid little lover who peppers me in kisses and cooks and cleans. You'll be nothing more than a discardable accessory to me. Hm? Doesn't that sound incredible?"

You giggle, pressing a kiss to the other side of his jaw.

The red of your lips linger there.

"That sounds lovely."

"Betting your lives?"

"Yes!" You clasp your hands. "Oh, vice-president. You'll let the winner write the loser's life plan, won't you?"

"Of course I will," She smiles. "It'll be the entertainment of the crowd."

"I'm so excited," You gush, giggling childishly.

Of course you are.

"I'm worth less than him, though," You smile sadly. "So in the end, it's up to fate to decide."

Komaeda smiles, staring at his hand.

"Strongest."

Your bottom lip quivers, and Komaeda smiles. Tears roll down the apples of your cheek, and the mascara runs down with it. Komaeda nearly pities you. "Oh, doll. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'll treat you just like a pretty doll on display at the store."

Komaeda places his hand down slowly.

Four Kings.

You press a napkin from the vice-president to your tears, and your lip stops quivering. A wretched smile snakes onto your face. The smile of a snake. The smile of a devil. The snake wraps around your neck. The devil seats itself back onto your shoulder.

You slap the cards onto the table, an insane smile on your face. The world slows down as your cards hit the table. It's silent. No one talks. The students hold their breath. The screen flashes to your cards. The crowd screams.

Your chair falls behind you, and both the devil and the snake smile at Komaeda. Your eyes are green with delight, lips pulled into the prettiest of smiles. You seem to glow under the spotlight.

Komaeda's heart drops at the sight.

You laugh, throwing your arms up in ecstasy.

Five of a kind.

Five aces.

The joker.

Something in Komaeda shatters.

He isn't sure if it's self-worth or dignity, but something breaks. He stares at his loss, and he lets out a simple laugh. Then a second. A third. Then, it's a maniacal laughter that sends a chill through everyone's spines. He's gone insane. 

Komaeda stares at his loss with stars in his eyes. His smile is from ear to ear, and he cranes his neck to look up at you. "Oh, I'm so happy to be your housepet! I'll do anything for you! please! Oh, crush me with the bottom of your heel! I'll do anything for you! Shall I refer to you as mistress or master? Oh, maybe you can call me doll!"

"Oh," Komaeda clings onto your hand, insanity swirling across his face. "Oh, master. You're just so bright. Like the messiah being sent down to free me of my sins. Oh, bathe me in holy water, drown me under your perfection. Trash like me doesn't belong close to you." He throws his hand off of yours, the corners of his lips collecting drool.

You stare at his kneeling figure, and you place the palm of your hand on his cheek, and you coo at him. "Is that so?"

"I'm so glad you put me in my place. The chain around my neck is a testimony of my love for you. Please keep me around you until I am of no more worth to you. I'll give you all the money in the world for you to gamble. Oh, master, you're just so pretty..." He rambles. "I can't believe I get to be your doll of all things. I can't believe I get to experience the joy of being your pretty little househusband. Will you bring me to events? Or will you have me cling onto your arm as a symbol of your status? Would you like the company under your name? Or, maybe you'll-"

"That's enough," You press a finger to his lips, and the vice president smiles at you.

"Here's the blank life plan."

"My doll," Your fingers tilt his chin up to face you. "What age do you think you should be wed to me?"

"I don't care," He rests his cheek on your thigh, closing his eyes, lashes fluttering. "Whatever age you want."

"Hm," You hum. "How about this? Since you lost your ability to do anything, you'll be my pretty doll to play with. When you turn eighteen, we wed. Before that, your goal is to gamble back all of your net worth with only 100 thousand dollars I borrow you. You can do that for me, can't you, doll?"

The sinister red in Komaeda's eyes tell you yes.

"Of course, if you can't then I won't be able to take you as my husband until you do. You know? I can't possibly marry a man who can't even match to their lover in terms of gambling." You giggle, scribbling it down. "And then when we turn twenty four, we can have our first child. Your company will become one of the most expensive ones out there, and then I can officially declare that we're married that year. When we turn twenty seven, we can have our second child. After that, we'll both run our businesses. Of course, I hold all the stock to yours since you lost. Hm? How does that sound, doll?" 

Komaeda purrs happily. "Anything for you, master."

You smile mockingly. "Then get working."

Both the snake on your neck and the devil on your shoulder help Komaeda out. His luck manifests in a new form. The black cat. The cat that sits on the table, knocking cards and tiles out of the opponent's hands. The cat that sits on the wheel, pushing the ball into a specific slot. The cat that is a horror for people to see. The symbol of bad luck. Komaeda's luck manifests in the form it has been all along.

The cat on the first day of school.

"Master!" Komaeda's eyes brighten as you step into the room, Hinata behind you. 

"My doll," You smile at him affectionately, running your hand through his hair. "How is it?"

He shows you his hand, and you smile. You flick the bell on his collar. "I'll leave this to you, my pretty toy."

Komaeda stares at his opponent, lips curling into a smile.

"Let's play."

A black cat licks its fur outside the window.

[starshipsofstarlord]

The Baby Factor

Summary: You want a baby, but there are multiple things that can get in the way of a decision like that. The lack of a sperm donor, men, friends, secrets. (This is Part One of a new series so there will be more parts, no need to enquire about it).

Fandom: Marvel (MCU/AU)

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader, Eros x Female Reader, mentions of Peggy x Steve x Sharon (and possibly more pairings later in the series!)

Warnings: mentions of sex, talk of having a baby, the word sperm (since sperm donors and stuff duh), blackmail, fake dating, real dating, mentions of secrets, alcohol consumption, brief talk of violence, talk of breakups and long distance relationships, fluff, awkward and cute Bucky (he is a warning!), lady killer Eros, flirting, lying

Word Count: 3316 (I haven’t wrote anything this long in ages)

Masterlist Link

Necessarily you didn't know Bucky Barnes too well, he was just the batch of beef that followed your friend Steve Rogers everywhere since they reunited. Delicious, jaw dropping, stunning beef may I add to the description. He wasn't doing much with his life, he was just idly getting by and had just finished therapy, Nat had even dragged you to the small party in concur of the celebration since he didn't have many other friends. The two of you were alike in that department, both new to the group of brilliant minded and humorous people. Though there was one thing that was not obvious for any of them to expect from simply looking at you; you wanted a baby. Just to be a mother to a child you had birthed was the dream, no longer did you think about happy families, a family did not need two partners. All that was crucial was for somebody to get you pregnant, the good old fashioned way was preferred as it would be scarcely cheaper and you prayed for the process to be less time consuming. The problem? You still had yet to have decided on a sperm donor, not to mention that it was a strange thing to outright ask somebody.

You were in your thirties, and every minute that was gong past meant less time you were able to conceive a child. Sure it was a healthy age, but after this decade of your life was over, the less chance there would be. The entire circumstance was ravenously driving you mad, Tony had offered to give you the money to get inseminated in the sperm bank, however if that was the route that you wanted to go down, then you'd rather have summed up the money yourself, rather than feel indebted for getting pregnant. Only two people knew of your plan - Tony and Nat, and it would stay that way until you finally asked someone the question that you were dying to ask someone. The one thing through your journey so far that you had realised was that you wanted to know the father of your child, see his mindset, his appearance, know about his own history so you could we how each detail of him conjoined into the child's form and made them who they were. It wasn't an easy favour to ask someone however, you still had to dictate your choice which would be unfathomably hard; not everyone wanted a child, or to know they had one, and then there was the endurance of actually getting pregnant which when you were trying was known to be more difficult than some drunken one night stand where you'd end up knocked up nevertheless.

Steve came to accompany you at your side, there was a glass of water in his hand, and he reached out to put it in your own grasp. "You look deep in thought over here kid, thought I'd just check in." He always called you kid, you weren't sure why when you were only a couple years younger than him but you never paid it much attention. After all this time knowing him, it was normal. In college it had just been you, Nat, Steve, Tony, Bruce and Thor, and now the lot of you were all grown up, getting your lives together and starting your futures that would stick with you for the rest of your lives. Some people made no attentive differences in their lifestyles, surviving on minimum wage and cheap beer was how most got by, except for Tony of course, but you had made a significant decision. You knew what you wanted, and though you weren't keen on waiting any longer it was the easiest and most sensible thing that you could do. Taking a sip out of the glass, you were joyous to discover that it was really only water than vodka, both were clear and see through, as was your posture in the corner to your blond friend. Nodding when you finished you gulp, your nails tapped on the glass, creating back ground noise to your overly loud thoughts.

"If Sharon was here she'd scratch your eyes out for so much as talking to me." Ah yes Sharon Carter, his crazy and possessive girlfriend. You'd always preferred Steve with her cousins Peggy, he had met her on a college transfer to England, she had even stayed in Brooklyn for a while but the distance split them apart, and missing each other every second of every day just wasn't fair for them. And then in the midst of their breakup he had spent much time alone until Sharon came into the picture, he could do so much better, but he had fallen under her cynical spell and there was no saving him nor avenging his freedom. Steve laughed lightly and rolled his eyes at your naivety, putting a large and warm hand atop of your shoulder; it was always a lovely sound to hear, it was better than serious Steve that gave lectures i the gymnasium of schools when he filled in for Fury the teacher. "Y/n..." he had you on a hook as you awaited for him to finish speaking, raising your brow. A smile was on his face, one that you hadn't seen in a long time, and it all made sense as he finished speaking. "We broke up. Albeit she was cheating on me with Brock, she's living with him now, that said Sam and Buck are beyond pleased, I'd say they're happier than me. They hated her."

"I think we all did." You laughed simultaneously with him, until the sound of footsteps captured your attention. They were heavy and paced, and as you looked up you had to stop your jaw from dropping, it was the man of the hour, James Buchanan Barnes himself. He smiled shyly at you, there was a glass bottle in his hand, the metal one, and Steve could only pull his friend closer. "What're we talking about?" Bucky asked, and you found confidence in yourself to answer in place of Steve. "Sharon." You stated simply, and instantly a grimace covered his features causing you and Steven Grant Rogers to burst out in laughter again. It wasn't so hard to speak to him, but this was normal conversation, which you could have with any guy. Why was asking someone, whoever your choice may be, to have impregnate you without having to be tied down with a parental role, so hard? Bucky shook his head at you, clicking his tongue lightly before downing the rest of his beer. "Steve do you, um-" Steve surrendered his hands high as he patted his comrade on the shoulder before walking away, leaving the two of you alone.

"Hi." It was now just you and Bucky, he was the first to speak, his teeth gnawing at his bottom lip a little as he adjusted his weight from foot to foot a few times. "Hey." You responded softly in return, a smile stretched along your face as the pair of you openly gazed into the others eyes. There was definitely mutual attraction, you thought. Bucky didn't just stare at any women, in fact he often avoided women due to them having hurt him a lot in the past, sometimes he'd peruse through the bars but he'd never stick to his desire to take anyone home, he was stuck in his old ways of distancing himself by avoiding anything that could so much as scathe his feelings. "I've, um, wanted to speak to you one on one for a while, we haven't really had much chance to get to know each other." At that you could feel your heart racing phonemically in your chest, rattling inside of the cage of your chest, the sound reverberating in your ears like thunder coursing through each individual blood vessel. "Steve said to me that you've been single for a while, and I have too, and so, I was uh wondering if you'd maybe, I don't know, want to go on a date with me?" His fingers scratched at his scruff, exhibiting that he was feeling slightly nervous as he awaited for your answer. You'd have loved to have said yes but given your circumstances it'd have been rather strange, however you couldn't turn him down, his baby blue eyes were practically begging you to agree to go out with him.

"I'd love to." There was so much you wanted to know about him, more than what Steve had told you, or the snarky remarks that Sam would pry him with now and again. A goofy smile wandered onto his lips as he breathed out a large breath, he surrendered to the notion of his nerves fading away. "You can get my number off the group chat, right? I mean so long as you don't put our plans on there otherwise Stark may pay our bill and have a secret army following us. And trust me he would, he's crashed plenty of my dates in the past, and Thor always accompanies him which doesn't exactly make their dream team inconspicuous." He laughed as he scratched the back of his neck; he knew exactly where he was going to take you, Coney Island, he and Steve always went as kids, he loved it there and whilst the option may have not been some perfect dinner date, he was aware that you always liked to occupy yourself with something, he was certain you had a self project in the works right in the moment, and he wouldn't ask what it was in order to respect your privacy, but he could not help but be intrigued by the mystery of your thoughts.

The rest of the night went by without an issue, smoothly. Nat went home with you and you both sat in your room, changed out of your casual dresses into pyjamas that brought a sleepiness to your state of which the alcohol probably didn't help with that. She now thought you were mad, but had made a prime suggestion to which you weren't completely opposed to. "If you want a sperm donor why don't you just ask Barnes?" You weren't overly certain if the redhead was being overly serious or not, but it made you think a lot about that scenario. He was possibly an option, though as you sat in your room mulling over the idea, your roommate Eros without disdain wandered into your private space, causing you to roll your eyes. Your mind swapped from Bucky and the date that the two of you would be going on soon to the red headed narcissist who had no respect for privacy, he was a gentleman like Bucky was, however their perspectives were far different, as were their personalities. The two of you got along most of the time, sometimes things such as his current intrusion was one thing that diverted that however. "Hey pretty girl, I was hoping I could pick your brain with a favour..." Nat raised his brow, she had never met him before, he shot her a wink before returning his attention back to you, taking a couple of steps closer. "I mean if this is a bad time I could always ask you later, but I'm kind of running out of time, so could I pinch you for a second?"

"Anything you want to say you can say in front of my friend, whatever crap it is I'll probably tell her afterwards anyway." Curtly he nodded. You were spouting the truth anyways, she already knew of the unison of time that you'd be spending with Bucky alone, which in foresight was why she had mentioned him being your donor. Though you wouldn't rush into anything, if any man didn't want to, then they didn't have to stick around as a father, that was not their duty. To be a mother would be a lifelong miracle that you wanted now! If any suitor of yours had a problem with you wanting a child, it firstly did not have to be with them, and secondly, they could always find someone else that did not have intentions to get pregnant. Eros took it upon himself via your instructions to continue speaking, after living with him for a few months you'd found him to be quite chatty, he was one that liked conversation. You liked that, it made you feel less lonely within the walls that you lived. "My brother Thanos is coming into town, and I may or may not have said that I have a girlfriend. And I need you to pretend to be said person, please." He was desperate for you to agree to his terms and conditions, though from what he had already spoke Natasha could not hold it in to remark her pure mindset. He took a couple of courageous steps forward, getting a better perspective of the frown that framed your features; you were already reacting better than he had expected though he knew that soon there was the possibility of that changing with the more that he talked.

"Does your entire family have weird names or are you guys aliens or something?" Natasha snorted out of the opposer of courteously, Eros rolled his eyes at your friend, you had enquired about a similar question when the pair of you had first met. He remembered the event in the timeline like yesterday, he was surprised to see such a beautiful specimen in the place that he would be paying to stay in each month as rent was a demand, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't try his luck with you, but you denied all of his trials and errors since you claimed that you wanted to live under normal circumstances with your flatmate rather than sexual ones. And with that said tension between the pair of you remained, though his favourite evenings were spent whilst the pair of you watched television, rom coms on Netflix specifically, where the duet of you and him would be sat on the small couch. Sometimes you fell asleep, with your head resting comfortably one his shoulder, and Eros dared not move a muscle, scared that if he did the solace that he was experiencing for a limited amount of time would end shortly. "And why should I do this roomie? I'm sure you have no problem getting girls, you practically get room service for them each night, so why not use one of them? I'm sure you could settle on rather acceptable payment that you'd enjoy also for them, however I'm not like them, we have very large difference, I'm not interested in you like that." You enquired suitably, crossing your arms to eventuate how unimpressed you really were with the damage that he had already done.

"Because... I may or may not have said that I'm already dating you; the descriptions were rather on point, and I said that we're living together which is not a lie. And I also sent him that video of you being high in our bathroom, so I guess I could say that I won't release that to anyone else?" Was he really blackmailing you right now? It was in a very Eros fashion, it wasn't anything particularly serious at least you wouldn't say so, however you didn't want that video getting out to anyone, your reputation would crumble to decimal pieces - it was private, and caused you to dramatically sigh, again when Natasha decided to pipe up and remind you that she was there also. "Now that I would pay to see." Nat said in reference in the video, her emerald eyes were flickering back and forth between you and your roommate, the chemistry between the pair of you was undeniable. It made her smile to herself, you were so oblivious to the connection, all the redhead wanted was for you to be happy. Though the way to be was for you to have a child rather than take up a lover, and that was okay, she just hoped that you found your solace soon without any more distractions ruining your private schemes.

"Well nobody is going to see it, because I guess I'm going to have to accept your offer Eros, and you better stay true to your word, otherwise we're going to have a rather huge problem here." Your brow quirked up at him, a dimple pronounced smile playing on his cheeks as he nodded at you, staring at you with his green eyes a moment longer, before evacuating your room, allowing you to regain your privacy. He even shut the door, his manners were already uplifting since he had done the reverse to gain your attention. Gulping you ogled at the ground for a second, Nat found a strangeness obliterating your gaze and thus the woman snapped her fingers. "What's really on that video y/n?" She didn't know Eros, in fact it was the first time that she had even seen him in person, occasionally his face would pop up on suggested friends on Facebook, but she'd never in person interacted with the man, and she wasn't sure if she liked him or not. The blackmail was something that she couldn't quite make up an opinion on, she would have to stick around a bit longer if she intended to do that. "There is a video of me getting high in the bathroom, but I know he's not referencing that one... There's another, and I know he wouldn't actually send it to anyone, not even Thanos who doesn't know me, but that's a risk that I can't take." Your chin dropped as you brushed the hair out of your face, your fists clenching tightly by your sides; there were things that Eros knew that others didn't have the privilege to, and if a single soul uncovered your secret, especially Bucky, everything would be ruined. You weren't sure anybody would trust you again.

Even if you divulged the truth to Nat, she would never look at you the same - everything would be a grand mess, you may as well burn the world down and start over, because you'd lose everything. "Then I'll help you, and make this lie believable. I may not know what this thing that you want to hide is, but I'm your best friend, and I will do anything that means that you are protected." All that you could do was pull your old friend into a sensual hug, this was why you appreciated her, she was one of the most loyal people that you'd ever had the chance of knowing. So now you were to go on a date with the Bucky Barnes that was weaving his way around your social circle, and allegedly dating Eros your roommate. Everything was occurring at once, simultaneously making your life more complex than it already was, hence why you wanted a child rather than a partner. It was someone to protect instead of be protected by, because every man or woman that had tried to keep you safe always got hurt, your legacy wasn't to live on through memories, instead it'd have been through a creation of your own, someone that you'd love forever no matter the mistakes that they made in the journey of survival. The world was vastly cruel, yet it was within your every intention to bring some reason to continue living in it to your life. Even the thought of having a child made your heart flutter as though a thousand leaves had been raised off the ground but the autumnal wind, and that was how you knew that was the right path for you to take, all you needed was for someone to help you paint that picture, and you had yet to discover who that person was to be.

[rainpudding]

Hiii sweety c;

I loooveee your writting

Hope you are fine 💖

Can I request some angst alphabet C,F,H,I,K,N,

Or P with Venti and zhongli separately?

note; since im venti simp I decided to do venti, but i will do zhongli later, also due to kidnapping being too long I will do part 2 with others later.

- also thanks for those kind words! They make my heart warm >3

ANGST ALPHABET | VENTI

kidnapped

TW: venti going insane, agressive behavior, alcohol, su1cide,

Kidnapped (you’re kidnapped)

It was morning around nine am, the sun was peeking through white curtains tingling Venti's cheeks. He was too tired from the day before, and his head hurt. As if someone stabbed him multiple times with miniature needles. He just pulled his blanket over his head, muttering your name. As he turned around looking for a warm comfort he was left just by cold silence. He jumped out of bed, wondering where you might be, your shared room was messy and cold. As if you were looking for something and had to leave in hurry.

This made him slightly uneasy, you're not that type of person that would strictly wake up at six am and go for a daily stroll. He got dressed deciding to look for you, in case something bad would happen to you.

He started by walking around Mondstadt, still with a lightweight head he hummed tunes, softly playing his lyre. Expecting to bump into you at any given moment. He was wrong, it felt like you disappeared into thin air. His cheeky smile turned into a more nervous one, he started questioning people around him. Asking if they saw you, just for them to shake their heads and turn their back on him. This made him fall into a spiral of paranoia. Just where could you go? Where are you? He was now running around asking people again and again as if he thought they would give him a different answer.

A day later he successfully made knights print missing posters of you. They were everywhere, even in the most unusual places. He spent all his life savings to ask Mona to tell him your future, however, she just pouted as she said that your fate in stars was too foggy for her to see. He started to grow more and more anxious, it felt like the Celestia turned a blind eye on him. No matter how much time he spent in the church, begging Celestia to help him find you.

The fourth day of you missing was the day his sanity started to slowly slip out, when he one day found a letter on his doorstep, the letter saying that you have been kidnapped and that it was revenge for khaneriah. His heart dropped. His body shivering in a pool full of fear. He took dvalin, flying over the whole mondstadt, he even went to Lyuie to meet Zhongli and talk to him about the letter. Zhongli however didn't bring him as much comfort as he hoped. He just said that mortal lives are fragile, and you were a mere sacrifice for his past mistakes.

Knowing that everyone ignored him, and no one came to help. His heart turned into stone. Wherever he went, a heavy tension hanging behind him.  He became much more aggressive, when someone approach him to sign a tune for money he just bitterly laughed. He no longer smiled, he was just emotionlessly staring at the wall. When talking he was yelling his lungs out or answering with small "yes" "no". It felt like all his kindness left his body a long time ago. For a while, he enjoyed writing poems, in the dark corner of your shared house, he was writing his heart out as tears stained the paper. But later his melancholic poems weren't enough, and he stopped singing and performing.

He exchanged dandelion vine for hard alcohol, drinking all the time, constantly getting into fights at the bar. And being known for having a little no patience. He hated everyone, he hated mondstadt, he hated his stupid lyre. He hated you. Every little thing that reminded him of you pissed him off. It ended up being torn or beaten, or just destroyed and thrown into the trash. He was so mad for not being able to protect you, so mad for being so careless. And so mad for you to leave him.

Hatred was pumping through his veins like poison, he was like a ticking bomb that could explode at any given moment. Now ladies and gentlemen (and nonbinary pals) you might ask what would happen if u suddenly showed up? It pretty much depends on when would you show up. Was it before he found the letter, or after?

1, Before :D

Well, congrats there is still time for salvation! Venti might be a bad and heavy drinker but his behavior is still somehow acceptable. If you would suddenly appear in the tavern asking for help, you would be greeted by Venti. He would cling onto you like a koala and cry his eyes out (crying kind of like Zenitsu from demon slayer) he would be very drunk yet very happy.

  Well, he would force you into having an ameno mark on your body. No matter if you like it or not he would still do it. This means that if you disappeared again he would be able to locate you, thanks to his powers.

2: AFTER

It was three months after you disappeared without a trace. Venti was now lying on the cold floor of your shared house. His chest came up and down as the moonlight softened his features. His hair wasn't braided, and his clothes were messy. He was here heavily breathing, pills around him. He thought about destroying Mondstadt, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

You were just opening the door of your house, after days of being tortured by fatui promising to take Venti's gnosis you were sent free. Many scars covered your body yet the idea of reunition with Venti gave you enough power to travel and run all the way from Shenzaya to here. You peeked through the door seeing Venti on the floor," V-venti you will get sick what-" before you could finish your sentence you laid your eyes on the pills around him. Your eyes became glossy as nails dug into your palm, you were shaking so hard. As if there was an earthquake.

Heart in your throat you walked towards him, your legs so weak. You fell down, "I thought, I thought I would never see you again," he laughed sarcastically. He didn't cry, there was sadness in his voice, but on the outside, he was like a porcelain doll. Emotionless.

You wish you could speak, but you couldn't, you just gripped him hard as your knuckles turned white. Trails of tears falling down. Venti's head was on your lap. He smiled, with his weak body he sat up, now his pale slim fingers caressed your cheeks. You held your breath, unsure of what to do you just watched him with wide eyes. He hummed as he wiped your tears and moved to kiss you.

While in the shared kiss he gave you a pill he had. You just blindly swallowed it. And as you did he pulled away, saliva still collecting your lips. He fell to the floor with a quiet chuckle. The pill being a poison you both ended up dying minutes later in each other embrace. Now nobody could take you from him, not even Celestia. (Juliette and Romeo inspired)

[giorno-plays-piano]

The Hollow

Pairing: monster!Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: yandere, horror, stalking, kidnapping, death of minor characters.

Words: 2137.

Summary: You were finally going mad. Apparently, it was something in the air, right? Something the management told nothing about that caused hallucinations and all those scary things. Obviously, all those people who worked in the assembly shop #4 before you left because they knew that. That was the reason behind the stupid legend and all those rumors.

_______

There’s a man inside the wall behind you.

This was what the factory workers told you as soon as the manager left, forcing you to question people’s sanity. At first you thought it was a bad joke or something. A man inside the wall in the assembly shop #4? What the Hell was that?

You thought they wanted to scare you away because they didn’t like you: your colleagues were simple people who lived in this godforsaken place for ages and knew each other as if they all were one big family. You, an outsider from somewhere far away who didn’t even look like them, weren’t the same kind, they probably thought. Of course, they didn’t take a liking to you and tried to make you leave so that you wouldn’t become an eyesore.

However, soon you found out they all were pitying you. You could feel their eyes on you each time you left the shop where you worked alone, and all you saw on their faces was fear and regret. A couple of women tried befriending you, sitting at the same table as you during lunch, and the next day they all told you anyone who had been working in the shop #4 left in less than a month. Naturally, you didn’t believe that crazy talk about the man in the wall - it’s not like the factory was built in those times when people were buried alive inside the walls for good luck. Then the women tried convincing you to work facing the wall - you were now standing behind it because of how the rusted pipeline with a barrel shifter was placed. You almost rolled your eyes in irritation: you wouldn’t risk losing your job because you couldn’t stand where you were told by the manager. You desperately needed money.

The day after you received a letter in your locker: somebody asked you to leave the assembly shop #4 immediately if you valued your life. It was starting getting scary. Were these people schizophrenic's? No, there were far too many of them who believed in this creepy urban legend.

At some point you got so fed up with this stupid talk that you headed right to Andy, your manager, to ask him why on Earth people were bothering you with this. The man spent half an hour talking about employees who had nothing better to do other than slacking off and telling silly stories when they needed to work. Yes, rumors had it that almost a hundred years ago there was a man, an talented engineer, who entered the assembly shop #4 and never came back, but it had nothing to do with this ridiculous legend. The wall behind you was all solid blocks of stone that were never moved since the day this factory was built. Even if the engineer was killed - although Andy believed the story wasn’t even real - how would somebody hide the body of a grown man there without dismantling the wall? 

The story should have put you at ease, you thought, but instead it only made you more concerned: now as you knew about a disappeared engineer, every time you stood with your back facing that cursed wall you felt the shivers running down your spine. What if there were a ghost or something? You didn’t believe in them, of course, but the dim light in the shop #4, its rusted pipeline, dirty floors and dust balls were hardly making you feel any better. And that disgusted lunch bell... it sounded almost like Silent Hill siren.

You worked in the shop for 8 hours every day, having no time to literally visit the bathroom. Assembling metal parts that always looked ugly over and over again could make anyone go nuts. By the end of the day your body ached as if you carried a giant stone on your shoulders, your back hurting, arms heavy as you barely kept standing. You didn’t even have strength to smile at Dean, an elderly night guard, but he just nodded to you with understanding, knowing well what it meant to be a factory worker here. This shitty job could kill anyone if you stayed long enough here.

Was it the reason why everyone kept talking about that man in the wall? This was the only way to liven up things here, you guessed and decided to talk about it more with the women who you befriended.

They were happy you finally started asking questions. They talked about the legend of the engineer vanished into thin air: you had never heard so much nonsense, sitting quietly in the bus and waiting for it to bring you home. Somebody said the engineer made a pact with the devil himself and merged with the wall, becoming immortal within the stone; the others claimed the engineer went mad because of his loneliness and buried himself in the wall; one woman argued that the engineer, on the contrary, was a ladies man and got sealed up there by a relative of his former lover who committed suicide. There were far too many rumors for you to remember, and soon you abandoned the idea to use the-man-in-the-wall topic to "liven things up" in the factory.

The two weeks had passed since the time you first started working here. You hated this rusty place with all your heart, but this job kept you afloat. It was still better than nothing. Biting down on your dry lower lip, you exhaled tiredly and lifted a particularly heavy detail, trying to fit it in the right place.

The next moment it fell down the dirty floor as you heard an awful sound behind your back as if the heavy stones were moving. It was just for a second, a mere second, but it was enough to have you on edge as you stared at the wall with your eyes wide open. It was some kind of an auditory hallucination, right? There was nothing different in the wall behind you. It looked just like it always did, a nasty grey stone with a tint of orange from the rusty hooks. The wall couldn’t open up just like some Narnia’s wardrobe, could it? It was far too old for any sort of mechanisms like that. Besides, it wouldn’t be able to close so fast, leaving no traces. It was some hallucination from your lack of sleep.

Your coworkers didn’t think so when you told them about it. It was the man in the wall, of course. It always started like this - with an awful, frightening sound. Soon you would be hearing things and feeling the stare of that man all the time, they said. The room #4 was a terrible place, and you should leave it immediately, they said. One woman even offered you to stay at her place if you couldn’t provide for yourself until you found a better job. Of course, you declined her kind offer.

But you did start hearing all kinds of things while you were working. Stones moving, metal clinking, some weird rustling out of nowhere - it was all making you insane, especially since every time you turned around only to see nothing but the wall behind your back. Everything was as it should have been, but you felt something was happening when you didn’t look. 

You were finally going mad. Apparently, it was something in the air, right? Something the management told nothing about that caused hallucinations and all those scary things. Obviously, all those people who worked in the assembly shop #4 before you left because they knew that. That was the reason behind the stupid legend and all those rumors. Obviously, you - and all those people who ran away from here - lacked money to do all the necessary medical tests to prove anything.

Shit, you really needed to find a better job if you didn’t want to spend the rest of your days in an asylum. 

Now at night you were sending your CV and cover letters, but you couldn’t stop working, nonetheless, forced to constantly look behind your shoulder or turn around just to make sure you weren’t totally crazy. You tried ignoring the noise once, but when it grew louder instead of disappearing in one second just like before, you realized it was a big mistake. Every day was turning into a nightmare.

Grey stone, rusted hooks, dust bunnies on the floor. The same picture you saw over and over again when you were turning back. It was simply unbearable. At one point you even wished to see something different there, something that would prove you weren't going insane.

You had to be careful with your wishes. When you came to the shop #4 the next time, you saw a face of a man cut in grey stone.

You didn't know what happened after that, coming to your senses in the resting room with your coworkers giving your water and some pills, your body shaking so badly you barely managed to sit. Was that a hallucination? A face of a man in the wall? All people around you kept saying it wasn't, describing this face to you so vividly as if they saw it themselves.

You needed to get out of here. Even if it meant becoming homeless and begging for money on the street, it was still a better option than staying in one room with that thing.

It was the next day you prepared to give Andy your letter of resignation, turning back to face the wall nearly every minute. No, you weren't going to stay here and watch how your life was becoming a living Hell - damn, it already was, wasn't it? You no longer slept peacefully, barely eating, constantly trying to keep a bottle of cheap wine you kept in the kitchen out of your reach. No, no, no, you weren't stupid enough to work for a minimum salary in a place like this, risking your own life.

It happened when the lunch bell rang, making you cringe - the next moment something had exploded with such a defeaning boom you almost fell down to the floor. Shit, you knew this sound - an omen of a great catastrophe that certainly disfigured somebody, if not killed. Something went horribly wrong in the assembly shop #3.

The blood drained from your face. Oh God. Were Shirley, Agatha and Simon alright? No, they weren't. Judging by the horrible screams coming from the metal door, they weren’t.

You moved as if in slow motion, your legs suddenly giving up on you, the siren wailing so loud your head could burst, forcing you to forget all the emergency instructions you were given. You needed to open the door. You needed to get this people out of there, those who were screaming in pain, cursing, and pleading for help.

"You can't go." A soft voice somewhere behind you said, and you froze. "You will die out there."

Someone's hands wrapped around you like a rope, making it harder to breathe, not letting you take one more step to the rusted metal door and dragging somewhere back instead until you felt the cold grey wall with your back. It was him, wasn't it? It was the man who had been watching you for a month from inside the stone, waiting for his chance.

When the realization hit you, the fear became suffocating. You couldn't move, couldn't even speak or cry out something to make others know you're trapped here, with a man in the wall who was taking you with him. But nobody would hear you anyway: the unstopping cries of people from the assemble shop #3 were earsplitting, and the siren didn't get silent either, making your efforts futile.

"Don't be afraid," he murmured so gently as if he was your lover, making you want to puke, "I won't leave you here."

The wall behind your back moved with a sound you knew well. Although you expected to bump into cold stones and rusted hooks that would tear your skin apart, instead, you felt darkness embracing you, wrapping around you like a cocoon. The picture of the assemble shop #4 looked so far now, so little as if you were staring at the tiny photo in an old album. It felt surreal.

You were behind the stone wall - or inside of it, you couldn't tell - looking at the real world through the looking glass. They were right. All those people who were constantly telling you about the man living in the grey stone wall were right.

"I was waiting for you a long, long time," the voice behind you said, and you felt somebody - or something - lowering their monstrous head to your shoulder, making a quiet sigh, "but you finally came to share my solitude... Thank you."

________

Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki   ​@helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @hurricanerin ​@inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @navegandoaciegas @rosalynshields @brattycherub @sllooney @angrythingstarlight @lookiamtrying @buckysbunny @soleil-dor @stargazingfangirl18 @dillybuggg @literate-lamb @cosicas-cuquis @sarge-barnes-sir @buckybarnesplumwhore @jaysayey @megzdoodle @gotnofucks @lux-ravenwolf @ximebebx @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @sourpatchspinster @biiskuitx @stupendouslovegardener @melodie-rin @iheartsebandchris

[sylverstorms]

Mother Miranda x Lawyer!Oc ----Tilted Scales

Hello guys :) This is another commission I wrote for the amazing, wonderful @saltwatereulogies

Your support has been insane, I can't thank you enough. Hope you enjoy the story ❣

Three days.

That is how long you've been in the village, after years of studying abroad, before everything turns to shit.

As you slowly blink focus back into your eyes, you try to clear the haze from your mind. It feels as though you've collided with a truck. Your body hurts, your wrists protest in their iron cuffs, stuck to the wall as they are, having supported your weight while you were unconscious.

Desperately, you try to recollect the events that led you here...

A grey sky. A bleak day. One moment you were making coffee for your mother, excited to be able to sit down with her in the mornings again... and the next you heard the echo of screams.

Overcome by adrenaline, you bolted out of your house, only to witness a scene straight from a nightmare; humanoid monsters ripping villagers apart, cries and blood and animalistic growls all blending together into one mad mix.

And before you could even warn your mother...

Damn it all, what the fuck happened!

You suddenly struggle against your bonds, hard enough to rattle your whole frame. Your wrists burn from the grind against metal, but you don't care–

“Stop that. It is pointless and you will only injure yourself.” A cold voice, strangely familiar, says from far to your right.

You peer deep into the shadows, searching for the only other person in the empty room... until you see her. A mask advances on you, gold and shaped like a crow's visage, then wings folded into a cloak come into view.

You would be a fool to not recognize her. The local saint. The village's prophet. The very 'saint' your mother prayed to, for your safe return, all these years. Mother Miranda.

The sound of her heels bounces off the walls until she comes to stand directly in front of you. Looking past the openings of her mask now, you realize....

This isn't possible.

She hasn't aged a day. Not a single day, since you left the village. The years should show around her deadly blue eyes, somewhere, and yet they don't.

“I see you remember me...” she says, while you're still trying to find your voice. “Miss Warren.”

“What is going on? Mother Miranda, what happened to the village?!” you demand.

Her expression shows nothing. “The village is in need of... renovation.” she speaks, even, regal. “Repopulation, even.”

You stare at her with wide eyes.

“Now, don't give me that look. You would not be here if you weren't of the ones I chose to keep.” she continues. “You see, from now on, every single person in my domain will make themselves useful in some way, or they will be replaced. And you... you have been abroad studying law for a while now, yes?”

“I... yes.” you reply, still not fully having wrapped your mind around your situation.

“Excellent. What I need from you is simple. You will make the village independent from the state’s taxes as a religious organization... and you will keep foreign investors out from that point onward.”

What... what part of that is simple?!

“Do that for me and in return I guarantee your mother and you will go back to your house safe and sound. You will have no shortage of Lei for as long as you live, Miss Warren.” Miranda promises.

But it is not the sweet part of the deal your mind stays glued to. “And if...” you gulp. “If I can't work around the law to do that...?”

Miranda blinks slowly at you, like you shouldn't even ask such a basic question. Like the answer is obvious.

“Well. Then I have no further use for either of you.”

It is in this moment that it dawns on you.

This woman is no angel and no saint.

She is a devil.

-

-

You spend countless sleepless nights pouring over every single paragraph, every little opening or ambiguity in the law you can use to free the village of taxes.

To keep your mother in the dark about this, you work in the office Mother Miranda has provided for you, in her very stronghold.

Although technically it's her home, you don't see her nearly as much as you initially thought. She is gone throughout the day and returns late at night, not even sparing you a glance before heading for her chambers, at the upper sections of the building.

The days she does come into your office to inquire on your progress are few and far-between, your conversations always short and cold.

This evening is different.

“How is your work coming along, Miss Warren?” the prophetess asks with her aggravatingly nice accent, seating herself like a queen on the chair in front of your desk.

Your eyes are tired, but you force them on hers, through the mask obscuring her face. “I think I've got it. I'll be sending the necessary papers tomorrow and the answer shouldn't take longer than a month.”

“Very good.” she nods, a miniscule curve to her lips.

Icy eyes then drop to the wine in the whiskey glass at the corner of the desk. You think she will make a comment about drinking at work, but instead she says;

“Pour me a glass, will you?”

You will your hands steady as you comply, then carefully slide her drink over.

Miranda takes her mask with claw-shrouded fingers... and soundnessly sets it on the wooden surface. Then she pushes the veil at her hair back, shaking long, platinum locks free.

You do a double take you hope she doesn't notice. Because what the actual fuck.

You didn't think her hair was that long, or that straight, or that it would fall over her shoulders like she's staring in a shampoo ad. You didn't think her lips were shaped like a cupid's bow or that her skin was this flawless and radiant.

The helplessly lesbian part of you could begrudgingly admit she was beautiful before... but now you arrive to the painful realization she's drop-dead gorgeous.

“So. I've heard you won cases others would describe as impossible.” she begins.

“Nothing's impossible. You just need to know where to look.” you reply. Law is your comfort zone and she is not that far above you here. “But how do you know that?”

“I have my sources.”

"Nobody truly leaves this village, huh.”

“Not without my consent, no. But I knew you'd come back.” At your slight frown, she elaborates, “You would never leave your mother behind.”

She's right. There was a whole world of opportunities waiting for you out there and yet... here you are.

“Good work, so far. You can take the next two days off. Your eyes could use the rest, Miss Warren.” Miranda speaks, finishing her wine.

“Sarah.” you say. 'Miss Warren' is for clients and she is your boss.

Miranda's lips give a slight quirk that may or may not be a trick of the light.

“I know.” she replies and exits the room, long hair billowing behind her back.

-

-

The taxes were only the first challenge. Now that the village is free of them, investors are flying in circles around it like vultures over meat.

In the meantime, Miranda comes to talk to you more frequently.

Lately, it seems she has more free time. You wish that was a good thing, but...

“So... are you like... going to stay here?” You ask after reading the same sentence five times to make sense of it, because her gaze on you is distracting as fuck.

“I'm not getting in the way of your work.” she says. You want to argue she is, but can't quite do that in a way that won't get you killed.

“I'm simply not used to working with company. Isn't this boring for you?”

“No, actually. I find it interesting, even though science is my field of expertise.” she answers. “And the way you take notes is… amusing.”

You try not to blush as you look down at your notebook, filled with different colored markers and post-it squares with tiny stick figures pointing to the more important paragraphs. You have been doing this for so long to sort out information you didn't even realize you were keeping it up in her presence.

“What is this supposed to be?” she asks with a small smile, the first of its kind you've seen.

To your horror, her clawed pointer aims at a particularly silly doodle, barely the size of a pencil's eraser.

“A... bird.” you grimace like you've been stabbed.

“Ah, of course.” Miranda holds back a chuckle but you can tell she's dying to make a comment.

Studying becomes hell for the rest of the time she's there with you, those sharp eyes picking apart every little move you make. At the same time, though, the hours you spend with her make you realize...

She's not a saint, though she may look like one. She's not completely a devil, either, even if she may act as one, at times.

She's human.

-

-

Miranda shares nothing about herself when you chat, but she seems to like it when you speak about your time abroad and all the things that left an impression on you there.

Your conversation over wine is cut short, however, when you receive a call from a number you learned means nothing but trouble, lately.

“Sorry, I have to take this.” you tell her.

The one calling you is none other than this month's rival lawyer, trying to dispute your claim over the land for his own boss. He's lost to you before, so it's also personal, but you are confident you have cornered them good with the latest papers you sent them...

And you are proven correct, when, a few seconds later, he is all faux polite on the other line, resorting to offering you money for you to withdraw your arguments.

Miranda comes to stand next to you, listening in to what he's saying.

The problem with that is, the second her arm brushes yours and you catch a whiff of her perfume –which always lingers in your office long after she's left— youare the one who stops listening to him.

Your attention flies to other things, like the inches she has on you, the exact color of her pale blonde hair, the little glint of victory in her stunning eyes.

Oh, no. God, no...

You know what this is, the feeling in the pit of your stomach. Alarm bells go off in the back of your head, as though your own mind is telling your body how foolish it's being.

There isn't a worse thing you can do to yourself than be attracted to Miranda.

-

-

Over time, familiarity with the prophetess brings higher levels of difficulty into your 'try to ignore your crush on her' game.

Miranda joins your side and leans over your shoulder, sometimes, to peer down at what you're doing. You don't move and don't breathe until she's within a safe distance again.

Then there are the wayward 'reward' touches, when you turn another investor away from the village. She may pat your back or leave her hand on your shoulder, or even scratch your nape with her claws as a job well done.

You hope your poker face hides the fact you feel her touch on you for far longer than you should, after she's gone.

Tonight, the situation is the toughest it's ever been for you.

There is a rainstorm going on outside; the waterdrops are tapping against the windows of your office as though they're trying to break it. Miranda has pulled her chair next to you so you can talk easier, without having to shout over the cacophony.

“And basically the judge's decision was that—”

You are interrupted by a blinding flash of lighting, during which your mind lets you know the stronghold is easily the tallest structure in it's vicinity—

When thunder cracks down the sky and strikes the building, you nearly scream. Your body tenses and you jump; but Miranda's hands come to your biceps and hold you steady, against herself and your desk.

Another flash comes before you really have time to think about your proximity. She covers your ears with her palms before the thunderclap can send you into overdrive again.

“You are with me and you're scared of a little thunder?” she teases when things quiet down and your heartbeat eases.

It's true; Miranda is the more terrifying force of nature. At the same time, however...

You feel oddly safe to be this close to her.

“Well... I'm not scared right now...” you quietly admit.

Her pointer comes underneath your chin and lifts it so you are looking straight into her hypnotic blue eyes. How is this color even real...

“And why is that?” Miranda asks, her wings coming around you both. They're curtains of black, cutting out some of the storm's sounds.

You want nothing more in this moment than to run your fingers through each individual feather.

You lick your lips. That's...not a question you can answer if you want the balance in your arrangement with her to remain.

Perhaps, though, the scales have tilted for you long ago. You just haven't been brave enough to admit it.

You have the courage to face it now when she leans down and covers your lips with hers, warm in a manner you never imagined she could be.

Her wings pull tighter around you and your mouths slide more firmly together. Lipbalm and creamy lipstick mix, tongues brush, tasting of wine. You are shaking so bad on the inside from how much you want this, more of this, the rumbling of the thunder be damned.

Miranda's palm cups your flaming cheek when she pulls back, perfectly composed and staring at you with a little smirk in place.

You dare to turn a little, lay a tiny kiss on the inside of her wrist, beyond her rings and accessories.

You aren't very fond of storms, but...

You willingly walk right into the eye of this one.

[fandoms-x-reader]

Roman Reigns x Reader {1}

Summary: You are a member of the SHIELD and have a crush on Roman. You aren't able to tell if he has feelings for you until one day you get hurt badly during a match. (2500)

(A/N: If you would like to, you can find more of my writing on Wattpad @FandomsxReader and @Sammy_Dean_Cas)

You watched the T.V. screen that was in the gorilla cautiously, while you played with the bulletproof vest that you were wearing. You messed with one of the buckles that were on it before fiddling with the blue "Hounds of Justice" badge that was embroidered into your black shorts. Your hair was tied back, ready for a fight, but not looking for one. 

"We're going to go out there tonight," Seth Rollins told you, coming up behind you with Dean Ambrose by his side. The three of you were dressed in your "SHIELD" outfits. You were a part of one of the most dominant groups in WWE, alongside Seth, Dean, and Roman Reigns.

"To do what?" you asked Seth. "Braun Strowman tried to cash in his "Money in the Bank" contract at SummerSlam, but he wasn't able to. He's looking to cash it in again tonight after Roman beats Finn Balor. We're going to stop him again, and give Roman the chance for a fair match with Strowman for the championship," Dean explained.

"So, get ready. As soon as Finn goes down, the SHIELD is going to go out," Seth told you, amping himself up for the fight that was ahead. You nodded your head, fixing your outfit, as you continued to watch the screen that was currently displaying the fight between Roman and Finn. 

Braun Strowman was standing outside the ring, watching like a hawk, waiting for Finn or Roman to make a pin. "Now," Seth stated, as Finn hit the ground. The SHIELD's music began playing as the three of you rushed out from the gorilla. Roman had a smile on his face, loving the camaraderie that you and the two boys next to you always provided him.

Seth and Dean began attacking Braun Strowman outside the ring while you climbed inside the ring where Roman was standing. He gave you a smile and you gladly gave one back before he rolled out of the ring. 

Dean and Seth cleared the announcer's table as you climbed the turnbuckle. The three men then worked together to pick Braun up and you lined yourself up with them before jumping from the turnbuckle and stomping Braun into the announcer's desk. You tumbled to the ground, but Roman quickly helped you up while the crowd began cheering.

The four of you left a few moments later, and as you entered the gorilla, Roman said, "Thanks for coming out there." Seth nodded and Dean replied, "We always have your back." "Can we talk about how much distance you flew through the air though, Y/N? That was insane!" Seth stated excitedly. You laughed but brushed the compliment off by telling him, "It wasn't that far."

The boys looked at each other before laughing and rolling their eyes, knowing that you were just being humble. The move you did was awesome and you knew it. "Alright, well Dean and I have some unfinished business, so we'll catch up with you guys later?" Seth said, giving Roman a handshake. 

He nodded his head and Dean winked at you before the two of them walked away. You felt a bit nervous now that those two were gone and you were alone with Roman. Of the three boys, you've always had a crush on Roman, and Seth and Dean sure knew it.

Whenever they could embarrass you in front of him, they took the opportunity. You hated them for it, but you loved them too much to stay mad at them for too long. Despite their best efforts though, Roman was still oblivious to your feelings. Part of you wanted him to know, but the larger part of you didn't, refusing to let your feelings ruin your friendship with Roman.

"You wanna have a movie night?" Roman asked, avoiding eye contact with you as the two of you continued to walk. "I would love to," you replied with a smile. Roman's eyes lit up as you questioned, "Your room or mine?" 

"We can hang out at yours tonight, let me just shower and I'll meet you there?" he said. You nodded your head and told him, "Sounds like a plan, I'll leave the door unlocked for you." Roman smiled before parting ways with you and going to his room. Since he was showering, you decided to do the same.

You got into your room and left it the slightest bit propped open so that Roman could get in and then you hopped in the shower. After getting out of the shower, you realized you had forgotten your clothes.

Your mentally face-palmed and cracked the bathroom door open before asking, "Roman? Are you here yet?"  When there was no answer, you carefully walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around your body to make sure no one was there. Thankfully, the room was empty, so you dropped the towel and pulled on your bra and panties, first.

Once you were done, you began looking for other clothes to put on when the door opened and you heard Roman's voice. "Hey Y/N...oh...I'm sorry!" he said, quickly turning around with a blush coating his cheeks as he saw you were only in your underwear.

You felt your cheeks heat up in embarrassment as you quickly grabbed some shorts and a tank top. You put them on before saying, "Sorry, Roman, I forgot my clothes when I got into the shower. You can turn around now." Roman hesitated before turning around, relaxing when he saw that you were dressed.

"Sorry, I should have knocked first," he muttered, looking down at the ground instead of at you. "It's okay, I'm the one who left the door open," you replied. He made eye contact with you and the two of you just sat there in awkward silence for a moment, not sure what to say,

"At least Seth and Dean weren't with me tonight," Roman joked, trying to alleviate the tension You laughed and nodded your head, agreeing before asking, "What movies are we watching tonight?" Roman shrugged his shoulders before telling you, "We'll both choose one." You agreed with his decision, letting him pick first as you climbed into the bed that was facing the T.V.

You got under the covers before motioning for Roman to come sit next to you, and he did, getting under the covers too. You put on the movie as Roman pulled out some snacks that he brought. "You know me so well," you teased with a smile as you took the snacks from Roman.

The two of you sat comfortably together as you watched the movie. It was one of Roman's favorites and you couldn't help but smile at him when he would quote the movie lines with the actor on-screen. "What?" he asked you, catching you smiling one time. "Nothing, it's just cute how well you know the movie," you replied. He couldn't help but smile at your words, but he tried to hide it.

When his movie was over, it was pretty late, but you still insisted on watching your choice of movie next. You moved from your sitting position in the bed to lay down, and Roman did the same, getting cozy.

About halfway through the movie, you felt yourself begin to drift off and noticed that Roman had already fallen asleep. Luckily, it was a movie you had already shown him, or you would have teased him about it the next day. You turned off the movie and decided to let Roman stay in your room that night, not wanting to wake him.

The next morning, you woke up and Roman was still asleep next to you. You blushed when you noticed that his arm was draped across you, and you tried not to move too much. He woke up a couple of minutes later, and when he realized he was holding you, he quickly moved his arm, apologizing. You reassured him that there was no need to apologize before rolling out of the bed and getting ready for the day.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay the night," he told you, leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom as you were doing your hair. "Of course," you replied with a smile. "See you later?" he asked with a hopeful looking. You nodded your head and he went to his own room to change his clothes.

_________

You and Roman hadn't hung out since that night, and now it was the end of the next week's Smackdown. Braun had confronted Roman about what the SHIELD did to him the previous week and told Roman that he was going to cash in his "Money in the Bank" contract at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Acting General Manager Baron Corbin then came out and approved the Hell in a Cell match before stating that Braun and Roman would be in a tag-team match against Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre later that night.

You were watching the match a bit away from the gorilla. Roman started off strong, taking out both Dolph and Drew, but they quickly came back, wearing Roman out. They refused to let him make a tag to Braun, as they continuously beat him up.

Finally, Roman got away and made a tag to Braun, but instead of helping him, Braun crushed Roman's hope of having a partner as the three of them began to beat Roman up. Your heart dropped at the sight as Dean Ambrose suddenly rushed in by himself. You had to help too. You began making your way to the ring as the three of them attacked Dean.

Seth was the next to come out, but it was another three-on-one attack. Right as they knocked Seth down, you snuck up behind them. You were able to use your weight to pull Braun over the top rope, jumping up and grabbing him by his head before letting your body hit the ground hard.

He fell out of the ring and smacked the ground and you jumped in side-sweeping Dolph's legs. As Dolph hit the floor of the ring, you stood up, and Drew immediately hit a claymore on you, sending you out of the ring. You hit your head on the steel steps, hard, and you watched as the three men stood victorious over you and your boys before everything started to fade to black.

You were going in and out of consciousness as you watched the three heels leave the ring. Seth and Dean were still down, while Roman was slowly making his way over to you. You were still on the steel stairs. 

"Y/N?" Roman asked, gently cupping your cheeks before officials pulled him away so that the medics could get to you. They gently pulled you off the steel steps and you felt something wet drip down your face. You touched your forehead and realized that you were bleeding from your head, bad. You must have hit the edge of the steps.

The medics rolled you onto the stretcher that they had brought out, reassuring you that you were going to be fine. By now, Seth and Dean had gotten to their feet and were standing next to Roman, all three of them clearly hurt.

They looked at you with sadness in their eyes as the medics began to carry you away. You felt your body go limp as your eyelids were getting too heavy to keep them open anymore and you let yourself drift off.

You woke up a few hours later with a horrible headache. You blinked a few times trying to figure out where you were and you realized that you were in a hospital room. You looked to your right and saw Roman there asleep, sitting in a chair he pulled up next to your bed as your hand was in his. Next to him on the table was a vase with flowers and a card from Seth and Dean. You smiled at the gesture before gently shaking Roman to wake him.

He woke up with a startle and sighed a big breath of relief when he realized you were awake. "How do you feel?" he asked. "Like I have the worst hangover of my life," you joked. Roman was concerned with your answer as he quickly stood up, saying, "Let me go get the nurse real quick."

You shook your head no, motioning for him to sit down before you told him, "I'm okay, really. I just have a headache. What did the doctors say?" "That you have a pretty bad concussion, but no other injuries. Once your concussion heals, you should be cleared to wrestle again," he responded. You could tell something was off by the way he spoke and looked anywhere else but you.

"Roman? What's wrong?" you asked him. "I'm so sorry Y/N, this is all my fault," he told you, sadness filling his expression. "What do you mean?" you questioned. "This was my rivalry with Braun. You shouldn't have gotten hurt," he explained.

"Roman, it was my decision to go out there. Just like it was my decision to go out there a week ago. We're all in this together and you know that if three girls teamed up on me, you would be out there to defend me too," you replied. He nodded his head knowing that he would have done the same in a heartbeat, but he still was off.

"Roman, there's something you're not telling me," you stated, reading him like a book. He looked into your eyes when you said that and crashed his lips onto yours, tangling his hand in your hair before deepening the kiss.

He pulled away a moment later and you were shocked. "I don't ever want to lose you," he said, barely above a whisper. You gave him a soft smile before cupping his face and gently placing your lips on his. "You won't," you replied, before moving over in the bed and patting the spot next to you.

Roman climbed into the bed with you, holding you in his arms as you laid against his chest. You flipped through the channels on the hospital T.V. until you found a movie you would enjoy. You watched the movie with Roman, both of you enjoying every moment.

When you were discharged from the hospital, Roman stayed with you everywhere you went. When your concussion healed, he helped you train so that you could return to WWE. Seth and Dean were there, of course, offering every bit of support they could; and, when you finally healed, they made sure to tease you and Roman badly.

You were annoyed at first but then you and Roman embraced it, officially telling him that the two of you were together. Dean and Seth were stunned but happy for the two of you, and you and Roman couldn't have been happier.

[freakynct]

「 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏 」

— 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 —

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: sugar daddy!jaehyun, slight mention of sexual harassment, alcohol, daddy!kink, degradation, dirty talk, choking, oral [fem receiving], spanking, hair pulling, unprotected sex and a little angst at the end

𝐚/𝐧: this one shot was heavily inspired by this anons ask and some of the lines they suggested were used, so a especial thank u to this person!

when you started this all you wanted was an easy and quick way to pay for your college since your relationship with your parents has never been the best and they wouldn't help you pay for one cent of your studies, and if you really wanted to have a better life than theirs, you need this. but when you signed for the website all you got were messages from disgusting old men with the sole purpose of fucking a much younger girl because their wives weren't able to satisfy them anymore. and as you were about to give up and just accept the fact that you would have to keep working at the store where you were constantly sexually harassed by your boss and were the salary barely covered your food expenses, you got a new message, but this time from a much younger man that approached you with a kind line instead of a dick pic. you read his name at the top of his profile: jung yoon-oh. and at that time you didn't know just how much your life would change because of that man.

‏‏‎ ‎

this was already your fifth time meeting up with jaehyun. that's what he had told you to call him on your first date with him, when he took you to the finest restaurant you had ever set foot on. you thought about the memory and how much he had done for you since then, as you stood in front of the big rotating doors of the hotel where you always met him when it was time to thank him for all the money he spent on you. you let go of the hem of the expensive dress you had been nervously picking on since you got there. it didn't matter how many times you met him and did this with him, you always felt a shiver inside your stomach at the thought of seeing him in front of you again, at the thought of his fingers touching your skin again. you finally took the courage of stepping forward and walking inside of the big building, making your way to the reception.

"hello, i'm here for jung yoon-oh." your voice couldn't help but to shake as you tried to deliver your only line, watching as the receptionist's face lit up at the sound of your words.

"miss [y/l/n], yes. he's expecting you at the presidential suite on the 20th floor." she said with the brightest smile on her face while handing you the room's card key and you figured she must've only been this nice because it was part of her job. 

you thanked her and made your way to the elevator, pressing the button to the 20th floor and making the whole journey in silence, alone with your thoughts and the soothing elevator music. you found yourself hesitating as you stood in front of the door where you knew we would be waiting for you. you fixed your hair and dress, preparing to face him but before you could unlock the door with your own key, jaehyun did it for you, standing tall and proud in front of you, your eyes meeting for the first time that night.

"you were planning on just standing there?" his deep voice sent shivers down your body and even though you were still confused as to how he knew you were already there, you didn't dare to question him, walking into the hotel room as soon as he made way for you to pass. 

you nervously stood there, your back turned to him as your eyes scanned over the luxurious and spacious room, already so familiar to you.

"is everything ok?" his voice sounded now closer to your ear, as you felt his presence right behind you, his hands caressing down your arms and his warm breath fanning certain strands of your hair away from your neck.

"hm, yeah. everything's fine." you slowly turned around to face him, a small smile on your lips as you finally had the time to admire his perfect facial features. he was indeed one of the most handsome men you've ever met.

"come." his voice was almost soothing to you, making your body relax as you took his hand that he had extended for you, pulling you across the room to sit at the end of the large king sized bed decorated with fine red silk sheets and small rose petals. you admired the way he moved in his all black suit, his hair pushed back and a shiny silver watch on his wrist as he holded the champagne bottle in his hand, pouring the liquid inside of two tall glasses. he handed you one of them, sitting next to you in bed and you noticed how his eyes ran through your body.

"you look so beautiful tonight." he brought the glass to his lips, taking a sip of the bitter drink.

"thank you. you bought me this dress." you smiled as you looked down at the detailed dress that you modelled, sexy but so sophisticated at the same time, accentuating every curve on your body perfectly, it had become one of your favorite dresses you've ever owned.

"i know. and it fits you perfectly." you lifted your head back up as soon as you felt his warm hand on your thigh, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on your skin and as your eyes met his, you saw the dark sparkle in them and suddenly you were reminded of why you were there in the first place. 

"how's college going? have you paid your tuition yet?" you nodded your head, now being your turn to take a sip out of the champagne, frowning your face at the bitter taste.

"yes. thank you, you know, for the money." he could see how sincere you were and jaehyun felt his heart warming up in a way no one has ever done.

"you're endearing." your eyes widened slightly at his comment, not expecting such compliment to come from him. "you're always so grateful for everything i give you." his thumb came up to caress your cheek and you couldn't help but to lean against his hand, admitting to having missed his touch.

over the couple of weeks you spent together, surprisingly he had become more than just your sugar daddy. you had found yourself talking for hours on the phone with him about your problems and even laughing with him. you found a friend and someone you could open up to without feeling any judgement and you felt happy and safe by his side. you saw him leaning closer to you, his hand taking the glass from your hand and placing it down on the floor next to his own. his lips carefully brushed against yours before involving you in a deep and passionate kiss, his soft lips moving perfectly against yours and you had forgotten how much you missed his taste of mint and alcohol against your mouth. your hands found their way to his shoulders as his bigger ones moved over your bare thighs, his fingertips brushing ever so slightly under the hem of your dress and you longed for the moment when they actually reached where you wanted him most. he moved his lips away from yours and you almost whined at the lost of contact, watching him getting up and extending his hand to you and as always you did has he commanded, taking his hold and getting up from the bed, his agile hands turning you around abruptly by your waist so that your back was now facing him and you felt by his rougher touch that you were in for a long night.

he brushed your hair out of the way and over your shoulder, unzipping the back of your dress slowly, helping it slide down your body as his lips pressed a warm kiss to your shoulder, making you close your eyes at the touch, the only piece of clothing covering your body now being a very thin and small pair of white panties. his fingers ran down your exposed back while he continued to press gentle kisses all over the surface of your neck. he turned you around one more time, and if it wasn't for his tight grip on your arm you would've lost your balance. he pushed you to sit down on the bed, squatting in front of you and placing your foot on top of his thigh as he unbuckled your heels and carefully removed them from your feet. you couldn't help but to feel butterflies in your stomach at how gentle he was being with you, knowing that that was about to change in a few minutes. 

"my accountant told me there was a very big expense made at a clothing store in my name." you immediately felt your cheeks burning up, remembering the shopping spree you decided to do with your friend when jaehyun so kindly handed you over one of his cards. you were never someone to just spend a large amount of money like that but you couldn't help but to feel excited when such possession was in your hands. "care to explain?" you avoided his eyes as much as possible, too embarrassed to even look at him after being caught like that and you cursed yourself mentally for being so dumb. you couldn't seem to be able to find your words and you could feel his eyes burning down on you and suddenly you were surprised by the small chuckle he let out.

"i just wish you would've told me. i thought someone had stolen one of my cards." he got up again, his big and strong body hovering over your practically naked one. you were surprised he wasn't mad at you. you thought you would get the biggest scolding of your life but no. all he wanted was for you to tell him that you would indeed spend all of his money on overly priced clothes. you looked up at him with doe eyes, his thumb brushing against your bottom lip and applying pressure for you to part your lips for him.

"my spoiled little girl." he slowly introduced his digit inside your mouth, your lips wrapping around and sucking gently at it, gaining a satisfying grunt from jaehyun and you could feel the wet patch in your panties growing bigger. "what should i do with you?" he tilted his head to the side, slowly removing his thumb from your mouth and moving his hand down your jaw until his fingers were perfectly wrapped around your neck and before you know it he had you pinned down to the bed, his larger body over yours and the way the fabric of his suit rubbed against your exposed skin made you squirm. he applied a little more pressure to your neck and you parted your lips, trying to gasp for air and watching as a devilish smirk appeared on his face.

"you like spending all of your daddy's money on clothes? hm?" he let go of your neck and you were able to breathe normally again, biting on your bottom lip as his fingers made their way down your body, raising goosebumps underneath them as he created a trail of kisses from the top of your neck to your chest. your eyes fluttered shut as you felt his soft lips wrapping around one of your nipples, his warm tongue soothing over the hard bud and he sucked a little harder on it, your hands quickly finding their way to his hair as he worked on your breasts. your legs wrapped around him, wanting to feel him closer to you and to feel his bulge rubbing against your covered core, letting a soft moan escape between your lips at the combination of his wet mouth on you and the friction on your clit.

"you're such a greedy little girl. you have to learn to be patient." his voice was calm but stern at the same time as he sat up on the bed, looking down at your naked body sprawled out on the bed for him, his hands undoing his tie and throwing it somewhere on the floor, his blazer following right after, only unbuttoning two or three buttons on his dress shirt to give him more freedom but he still insisted in being all dressed while you stood there naked, it gave him a feeling of power over you.

he came down to your breasts one more time, giving them quick little kisses before making his way down your body, kissing over your ribs and stomach until his lips where the closest they'd ever been to your core that night, only the little barrier of thin fabric dividing them. he looked up at you as he hooked his fingers on the sides of your panties and you lifted your hips slightly so he could pulled them down your legs. you were officially naked in front of him and you felt vulnerable as you felt his eyes burning holes on your skin. he got up and kneeled at the end of the bed, grabbing your ankles and yanking you down towards him, your dripping core now standing face to face with him and you had the urge to close your thighs together, being interrupted by jaehyun's much stronger hands that holded your legs apart.

"don't be shy, princess. don't you want daddy to make you feel good?" your body shivered as you felt his lips trailing kisses on the insides of your thighs, so close that you could feel his warm breath against your core. you whined when he sucked a small hickie on your skin and your fingers came down to caressed his hair as his mouth got closer and closer to where you were burning.

"please…" your words came out almost as a whisper and a small smirk formed on his lips.

"how bad do you want daddy's tongue?" he pressed a gentle kiss to the outside of your lips and you arched your back slightly, wanting to feel more of him, a deep sigh leaving between your lips. 

"i want it so bad… please daddy." the words rolled out of your mouth without much effort and you finally felt his warm tongue lick up at your wet slit, sucking gently at your clit and you couldn't help but to moan as he worked his mouth on you in such a skillful way. his hands grabbed tightly at your thighs that rested on his shoulders and his eyes looked up at you, his cock getting harder in his pants as he examined the fucked out expression on your face every time his tongue flicked your clit. your fingers tighten on his hair and you received a grunt from his part, sending vibrations down your spine. you whined when his lips left your sensitive nub and he stood up again, standing so tall over you. his fingers worked on unbuttoning the rest of the buttons on his shirt and you took the opportunity to raise your foot up his leg, brushing it against his boner and he quickly grabbed your ankle, groaning at the feeling as you let go of a little chuckle.

"didn't i just say you had to learn to be patient? hm?" he raised an eyebrow at you and let go of your ankle to take off his shirt, exposing his perfectly toned abs to you. but because you weren't particularly in the mood to listen to him tonight, you decided to keep teasing him, applying even more pressure over his boner with your foot and he flinched away from your touch, causing you to laugh at his reaction, a deep sigh leaving through his nostrils as he grabbed your ankle again, pushing it away from him.

"oh i see. you wanna act like a little brat? is that it princess? you want me to treat you like the fucking brat that you are? alright then." and without giving you time to even react to his words he had you flipped to your stomach, your body jolting forward and a whine escaping your lips as you felt a stinging pain where jaehyun smacked your ass. a cheeky smile made its appearance on your lips as you heard the sound of his belt being unbuckled and your body burned with anticipation. you were never like this but jaehyun somehow brought a different side of you out, a side that only he got to see.

"daddy, are you going to fuck your little girl or what?" you asked in a whiny tone, pushing your ass up slightly but only getting a harder smack on it in return.

"my little girl is not here, only this greedy brat." you let go of a soft moan as you felt his body being pressed against your back, his hard cock brushing over your ass as his fingers wrapped firmly around your neck, pulling your head back, his lips touching the side of your ear.

"and since you wanna act like one, i'll fuck you like one." and suddenly his body wasn't over yours anymore, his hands grabbing your hips to push your ass up and the tip of his cock brushing against your entrance, his length sliding inside you slowly as you whimpered from finally being filled with him. you moaned loudly as soon as he started moving inside you, missing him more than what you would like to admit.

one of his hands came in contact with the back of your neck, pressing the side of your face into the mattress as his other hand kept its place over your ass, grabbing and kneading at the flesh as his pace got faster and rougher, a overwhelming sensation running through your body.

"yeah… you like my cock inside you just like you like my fucking money? hm? greedy brat." all you could do was moan into the silk sheets, your fingers holding tight to them. you felt jaehyun's fingers on your hair, pulling your head back once again and you noticed that you had forgotten to breathe for a second, gasping as his cock hit deeper inside you. "answer me, brat. or have you forgotten your manners too?" you tried to gather your words before answering but you probably took too long doing so because you felt jaehyun's hand smack your ass as his movements got even faster and rougher, wanting you to spit out your words for him.

"yes… yes daddy… i love it… i love your- i love your cock." you spoke between moans, your voice equally as weak as your body was. you clenched around him at the feeling of your orgasm approaching, drool falling from the corners of your mouth into the red sheets from having your mouth open for so long.

"that's my pretty girl." he groaned, grabbing both of your hips in his hands, thrusting inside you fast, he also feeling his orgasm coming closer. "are you going to be a good girl and come all over daddy's cock, princess?" you thought you were going to explode at any moment and you couldn't hold it in any longer.

"yes, i-i'm gonna…" you felt your orgasm finally washing over you, your pussy clenching hard around him and your body shaking as jaehyun's hand caressed the small of your back.

"there you go. let go for me, baby." you cried out into the silk sheets as you came down from the intense feeling, your mind completely blank. you heard him groan loudly and suddenly he wasn't inside you anymore, making you feel unpleasantly empty as you felt his warm cum hitting your back, painting it white.

you couldn't hold yourself up anymore and as soon as jaehyun let go of your hips, your body fell weak into the mattress, your breathing heavy and your eyelids way too heavy to keep them up. 

your body squirmed when you felt a warm wet towel against your back, cleaning up the mess that jaehyun had done. you just layed there, in silence as he carefully brushed the fabric between your legs and your heart warmed up at his kind gesture that he never seemed to miss at the end of a heated session like the one you just had. it didn't matter how rough he was with you during sex, you knew that at the end of it he was always going to take care of you. the rough fabric of the towel was replaced by the soft skin of his hand that now caressed every part of your bare body as he remained seated next to you, his eyes soft as he stared at you.

"you're ok?" his sweet voice spoke and you were brought to reality, slowly sitting up on the bed, nodding your head and jaehyun was quick to hold a soft white robe around your naked body, encouraging you to put it on, his thumb caressing your cheek and a beautiful smile making an appearance on his lips and suddenly you found yourself lost in his deep brown eyes.

"oh wait." he spoke, getting up and walking towards one of the tables where he grabbed a white envelope, joining you on the bed again and handing it over to you.

"what is this?" you spoke, still confused at what was going on and that's when he said the words you never thought could be this painful.

"it's money, for tonight." you couldn't help but to feel your heart break as you were reminded once more why you were there in the first place. you were there for money and you were stupid to believe that for a second he would look at you as more than just an exchange of favors. "what's wrong? is everything ok?" the concern was evident on his voice as his thumb brushed away the one tear you had allowed to fall, shaking your head and forcing yourself to put on a smile on your lips.

"it's nothing. i just… remembered something." you chuckled to push away your feelings and you felt his arms wrapping around your body and pulling you closer to his chest.

"you know you can always tell me everything, right?" you looked up at him, a sad smile adorning your lips as you were once again met with his soft brown eyes.

"i don't think i can tell you this." it was your turn to caress the side of his face, pulling him closer until your lips met, moving against each other gently and you knew how that kiss didn't mean nearly as much to him as it did to you.

[hughiecampbelle]

Being The Smartest Shelby Would Include:

Polly knew you were smart from the start

She said so when you were a baby, but of course no one believed her

Everyone thought their kids were special, but you really were

Born just a few years before Finn, you weren't the baby, but you definitely weren't the oldest, so it was hard to be taken seriously

It started with your homework

You spent a lot of nights trying to tell your siblings it was just too easy

You weren't just getting every answer right, you were finishing pages of work in minutes, faster than anyone in your class

Eventually, you moved on to your brothers work

Finding it discarded on the table, you recognized Johns scraggly handwriting

He'd only made it halfway through, so you decided to finish it, even fixing some of his mistakes along the way

You wanted to show them what you'd done, but of course no one listened

At least, not until you stood on your chair and demanded that someone look over your work

It was a bit dramatic, and made for an embarassing story later, but you wanted to be heard

They did, finally, and they were shocked

Tommy handed it to John, who passed to Ada, skipping over Arthur, who eventually got it to Polly

"Well?"

"It's right, all of it. . . ."

"Fuck."

It wasn't just math though. You were reading every book you could find, even the ones your siblings struggled to get through

You had a knack for puzzles, for figuring things out no one else could, able to pull things apart and put them together just in your head

Polly knew, and she was going to do something about it

Anything she could find to keep you entertained, occupied, your mind at work, she'd bring it home

You had an incredible memory too, remembering everything from the contents on the back of bottles you brothers drank from to entire speeches Polly gave when all of you were misbehaving

It was amazing, to say the least

You were a kid when your brothers went off to war, so it was mostly Ada and Polly who spent long nights with you at the table over homework

You didn't think it was fair, that you were forced to stay in school when none of your siblings were

Polly called it a gift, said you shouldn't take it for granted

She had big plans for you, the kind of career kids like you could only dream of

Finn grows up with you reading to him every night

Even helping him with schoolwork, though that didn't last very long

It still irks you Polly let's Finn drop school, not even getting past reading himself, but you know better than to push the subject

By the time your brothers come back, thankfully all in one piece, you've become a bit of a myth or legend around the Small Heath

Not only are you taller and with more acne, a young teenager, you've made a name for yourself, and a business

After school you could be found with a hat on the ground, getting pocket change for your "abilities"

Showing off and splitting the money with friends, you put on shows

Memorizing the faces of strangers, drawing them almost perfectly by hand, reciting lines of poetry from class all from memory, etc.

Sometimes you bring Finn along, promising candy for his silence, making him part of the act

Your favorite is showing off the languages you've lesrned, switching between Romani, French, Italian, and German (to name a few) without a second thought, so effortlessly

Arthur caught you once, but instead of saying anything, he simply cheered you on, laughing at the fact that your business was doing better than the familys

You spent a lot of time in the shop like Finn, growing up there, but never really allowed in on business, not even to listen

Instead you were ordered to be quiet and focus on your studies

And you did, for a few years, slipping notes to John about what you thought would improve business, pressing your ear to the door to listen, putting up with being categorized as "one of the kids" with Finn

And then you made an announcement, one that almost killed Polly

You weren't going to university, and instead you'd be joining the family business

Your aunt put up a good fight, but your brothers were more than happy to welcome you, with rules of course

Ada wasn't too thrilled either, knowing how smart you were, and how special it was, but she wasn't going to stop you

Pol was, or at least she was going to try

"You could be anything you want y/n."

"And I choose this."

"You're-"

"Wasting my potential? So you've said."

You'd be more behind the scenes, working on the business side rather than the side with razors and guns

Your brothers were more than happy to hear that, though you'd gotten more than a few comments muttered by Pol

If you really wanted to, you could always be a doctor or a lawyer later in life, for now this is what you wanted most

You were finally part of your family

Within the first week, you have a full list of what could be improved and you're center stage in the family meeting

To say that was nerve wrecking was an understatement

Tommy had his doubts, of course, but John knew you'd been keeping their heads above water for a long time

"Go on then, you've got our attention."

You were the one they went to check over the books, the numbers, catching mistakes no one else did

It wasn't just spelling mistakes or addition issues, you were taking stock in inventory, in all the bullets that were wasted, the little things that went missing that no one seemed to notice

It didn't take long for you to work your way up, prove yourself not only to Tommy, but Pol too, showing her this wasn't a waste of your time

She's still not thrilled, but you're as stubborn as the rest, and she knows it's a losing battle

At least you're being smart with your work

Tommy made you check over every contract and agreement he made, making sure he didn't miss a single detail that would screw them over

He brought you to the races too, working out probability, though your math was shaky at best under that kind of pressure and uncertainty

You were the one counting the profits and losses too, weighing the options of whether or not to invest

You're really the only one who knows just how much the family makes

That is a dangerous thing in itself

You make friends quite easily

Not only can you speak an array of languages, bonding with everyone, but you've got that Shelby charm and good looks, too

You're quite popular, though your brothers constantly get in the way of any potential relationship

You're smart though, and not just for their gain, but yours too

If and when you're ready to date, you'll find a way

Alfie adores you

Tommy drives him mad, but he'd have you over any day

Not only does he love the fact that you can keep up with him, witty beyond belief, but your Hebrew is perfect

"So, you're the brains behind the whole operation?"

"Something like that."

You're brought along to a lot of in person deals

You pick up on things no one else does, remembering the littlest of things that can and will be weaponized if need be

Their kids and spouses names, the way they look at you, how they speak and carry themselves

It doesn't take long for you to know exactly who they are

"They're lying Tom. I know they are."

"How can you tell?"

"They look away when they answer, their eye twitches, and they always lean forward when they're saying something true."

"You got all that from a five minute conversation?"

You're not only their beloved little sibling, but the perfect weapon

They don't teach you how to use a gun, but you've been watching for years, making note of every tiny detail

When you do use a gun, which is inevitable, it's a perfect shot

Arthur and Tom insist you carry something with you, but you're fine sticking with a simple razor

The guns can stay with them. . . .

Not only does it come in handy with work, but your family, too

You pick up on the way Arthur escalates, talking him down before there's a full outburst

You know the nights Tommy does and doesn't sleep just by the sound of his voice, the way he signs his name

You know when to check up on Ada if she's not doing well after Freddies gone, even if no one else can see the hurt in her eyes

That's the thing everyone seems to forget, is that you're not only book smart, but people smart, too

Constantly making fun of your siblings right in front of them

"Pol, y/n's making fun of me!"

"I am not! You don't even speak Russian."

"No, but I can guess."

He'd never admit it to you, but Finn really is amazed by you

Ever since he was a kid he always looked up to you

School and homework and all that never came easy to him, and it lead to him giving up, so the fact that all of this comes so easy makes him proud to be your brother

"Y/n, curse in a language we all know or don't say it all."

Along with learning weapons along the way, you pick up on how to be a nurse, tending to whatever it needed

From your nieces and nephews scraped knees to bullet wounds

"Do not get blood on my new shirt!"

No one really suspects you to be listening or watching the way you do, so when they need it, you go "undercover"

Gaining the trust of the enemy, pretending to be a stranger that just so happens to get their attention as if you hadn't been figuring out what makes them tick, distracting them with drinks and small talk

If anything goes wrong, you picked up on how to get away, how to fight without getting too much attention, and not just by watching

With a memory like yours, there are some things you'd like to forget and can't

A lot of things do leave you with nightmares, with flashes of panic, with this dreadful feeling in your gut like you'd seen it all before

At one point or another you've called your siblings and aunt in the middle of the night, just to check up on them, see if they're okay

Begging your brothers to be more careful

They rarely ever listen though

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can't go on a date."

"Nope, not until you're forty."

"Come on Arthur, you can't scare them all away."

Despite all this, you're still treated like a child

Your siblings still see you as that smart little kid correcting their work and growing bored of even the most complicated things

No matter what you do or say, you'll always be small in their eyes

[reignstormz]

✓WORK IT OUT ✓

|IMAGINE; PART ONE|

INTRO; You run into a handsome man at the gym, well, maybe in a different way than you had hoped. You never intended to go any further with him despite how interested you really were, but one touch led to another, and things got really nasty.

WORD COUNT; 5,023? (idk tbh Tumblr is tripping)

WARNINGS; Sexual content ahead, read at your own risk. Also, covid doesn't exist in this imagine. Also, there's a part two to this! Keep your eyes open!

CAST; You (Y/N) / Roman Reigns / Jey Uso /Paul Heyman.

🦋Tampa, Florida 🦋

🦋 February 20th, 2021🦋

You walked into EOS fitness gym, with absolutely no energy or motivation in your body. The emotions you felt all week had tugged you down, including this morning; Tired, gloomy, unhappy, nonetheless, heartbroken. It's been two weeks, or maybe one--you definitely weren't counting, since you had found out on Valentine's Day that your ex had been sleeping around with other women. Two in fact, and caught him right in the act. In you're house, in you're bed, meanwhile, you've given this man everything. A five year relationship, gone down the drain. You started to wonder what you did wrong, or what you could've done better to make him not make the mistakes he made.

Were you not pretty enough? Were you not pleasing him enough? Were you boring? Why did he treat you the way he did? and how could he betray you like that? All of those questions ran through your mind. In all honesty, none of it was your fault. The problem was, from the very beginning, you didn't love yourself. You didn't appreciate your value, and when you don't appreciate your value, you leave a window of opportunity for another person to do the same, and that's exactly what happened. However, you were still lost. You tried to do anything, absolutely anything to get this mess off of your mind. The last resort was the gym, and maybe that was just the thing to help for the time being.

It was about six in the morning, and rarely anyone was there except for about a three or five people. You liked it better that way anyway, working out when the gym was packed irritated you to the fullest. Walking further into the building made goosebumps rise all over your skin due to the air conditioning blasting throughout the gym. You sighed dreadfully, slowly taking off your jacket as you hopped onto the treadmill.

"I knew I should've worn a long-sleeved shirt," You scolded yourself. As you hit the button, putting the speed only on number two, you slid your earbuds into your ear and played the playlist of your liking while you walked. You stared the treadmill's screen ahead of you, until you noticed someone else walk into the gym. It was a man. You looked down briefly before you did a double take, gosh, such a beautiful man. It was like you were hallucinating, even though you weren't.

"Damn.." You muttered under your breath as you stared at the handsome guy. He was tall, muscular, had olive-like toned skin, black long hair that fell to his shoulders, and a beard that covered his angelic face. You're eyes traced his every move as he made his way over to the weights, where all the jacked, crazy fit individuals typically stayed in the gym. Today though, it was just him. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt which caused his muscles to show through, including some black sweatpants.

It was too early in the morning for this, you thought. He dropped his bag next to the bench, and wrapped his hair into a neat bun. You're mouth watered at the sight at him, but you quickly snapped out of it. You needed a distraction, but that was far from what you needed, especially from another dude. Stay focused, you reminded yourself continuously. You decided to put the treadmill on higher speed, figuring that if you were at a running pace, then you would've gotten your attention back. Long story short, your resolution didn't solve.

You're eyes worked against you, slowly looking forward once again to see him. He had a heavy set of weights on his shoulders, while squatting over and over again. Not only did his capability of strength make you drool, something else did as well underneath it. His ass, was unreal. If you could just reach out and touch it, you probably would've. Deep down, you were a little mad at yourself for not toughing it out, but you couldn't help it. He looked so sexy, and you could watch him all day.

Little did you know, the beautiful man before you, was completely aware that he had an audience. Well, you were his audience after all. As he worked out, there was a mirror in front of him and he caught your glance in his reflection. Even though you were a little too far away to notice him looking, the mirror gave him a better view to look at everything that surrounded him. He smirked to himself, admiring the woman behind him. The fact that you most likely had no idea that you had his attention, made him chuckle a bit as his legs began to burn from the squats, but he decided to keep going, hoping that your attention would stay fixated on him.

Roman was also a single man, a mafia boss to say the least. He kept his identity more on the low, and rarely let anyone in his circle. His trust issues were thin, but he had a big heart that he deeply wanted to share with someone else. The Samoan had been with other women in the past, but never found someone that completed him fully; The money, relevancy, extravagant lifestyle, and everything in between he had, often found himself in situations where he was used, they were never with him because they truly loved him. Now, he's focused on himself for awhile and his empire he's been working on for years, however, if the right woman were to walk into his life, he wouldn't hesitate to give it a chance.

Before you knew it, something awful happened. You were so lost into the mysterious man, that you had accidentally stepped in front of your left foot, tripping yourself and you lost all of your balance. A huge thud echoed across the gym, and you held your head in pain after you slid off of the treadmill. The few people that were in the gym slightly gasped, and after a few seconds, awkwardly went back to what they were doing. Assholes, but you were too out of it in order to notice. You bit your lip, trying your best to hold back tears at how bad the fall was to your head. You're eyes were closed shut, and you were about to attempt to get back up until a large hand rested on the small of your back, stopping you.

"Are you okay, Mama?" The deep, montone voice asked gently. It was smooth like butter, yet chilling. You had no idea who it was still due to how unconscious you were.

You slightly turned around on your back, and your arm naturally rested around the person's neck as he lifted your body up with his arm. You're eyelids slowly lifted back open, but your vision wasn't all the way there yet. Who was talking to you? You turned your head to the left, seeing who had come to help you. Since you were still a little dizzy, you were seeing double vision of the person in front of you. Once your head finally stopped spinning for a second, you were finally able to determine who was it front of you, and it was him. His pretty brown eyes, stared into yours with concern as you stared back into his, nervous out of your mind. It couldn't get anymore embarrassing than this.

You gulped, avoiding his gaze. A lie was told by the nod of your head, despite being hurt, "Yeah, I'm fine-"

"No, stay." He warned politely as you tried to stand up fully. His arm was secure around your waist, and then his eyes trailed up to your head. The look in his eye softened even more, "You're bleeding."

You furrow you're eyebrows, going to touch your head. You sigh, looking at the marks of blood on your fingers, "Shit..I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" The man chucked, and rubbed a small circle on your back before getting up to get a paper towel from the nearby wall. He squatted back down to your level and gently put it against your wound. You winced a little at the pain, but took deep breaths in between. As he continued to wipe some of the blood off your head, you on the other hand stared at him the entire time. From far away, he was out of this world fine, but up close was even better. Looking at him was like being hypnotized.

"What's your name?" You asked bluntly.

He alternated looks between your eyes and your head, and smiled small, "Roman, and yours?"

Damn, and you thought he couldn't look anymore good. His smile was..

"So sexy.." You blurted out, thinking at first that you said it in your head, but you didn't. Shit, you thought. You lowered your head, closing your eyes from embarrassment. Roman paused from wiping your head, and stared at you a little bit from what you said. His lips turned into a smirk, with his tongue lightly brushing over them.

"So are you," He shoots back. What did he just say? Your eyes widened a tiny bit and you lifted your head up to meet his glance. Roman gave you a subtle wink before getting up, and throwing the paper towel in the trash can. He walked back to you, giving out his hand for you to take.

"Come on," Roman nodded his head towards the gym with a comforting smile. "Let's get out of here."

Depending on how hard you hit your head, you were still a little out of it and wasn't sure what to make out of this situation. Were you really about to leave with a guy you barely even knew? Despite how fine he was, a part of you thought this was a terrible idea, and made zero sense if you went through with it. However, you didn't care. The stars that you were seeing currently, especially when you looked at him gave you butterflies in your stomach that were unexplainable, and you just couldn't say no. Who was he? You needed to know.

A slow, small grin appeared on your face as you hesitantly took his hand, letting him take you wherever he wanted to go.

⏩

After about an hour or two of slumber, your eyes flew open, slightly closing due to the lights piercing through the ceiling. You blinked a couple of times, and realized there was something cold on the top of your head. You furrowed your eyebrows, bringing your hand up and gently touching the ice pack that was laid there. Then, you slowly sat up, setting the ice pack next to you as you looked around at your surroundings. You had a brown, fuzzy blanket wrapped around your body and you were laid against a long, white couch.

Not to mention, the living room that you were in was extremely huge. You had a hard time remembering exactly how you got here. All you remembered was that you were at the gym, you saw a handsome man; What was his name, Roman? You thought. After that you face planted on the treadmill, and he went to help you, anything after that was a complete blur. Where were you right now?

You turned your head to the left, and saw the night life outside of the window. Thousands of lights, and the settle stars of the night sky had you in awe. As you continued to stare at the view, a voice interuppted, "You alright, Uce?"

You jumped back a little, putting a hand on your chest from feeling startled. You looked ahead to see a brown-skinned, attractive man with unqiue tattoos on both of his arms and a gold chain around his neck. He was very swagged out, from head to toe. You looked him up and down, and slightly tilted your head, "Excuse me?"

"How are you feeling?" He repeated, looking at you weirdly. Did she not understand the slang? But the again, it was Samoan slang, not everyone understood it off the bat, He thought. You sighed, slightly face-plamimg your forehead gently before apologizing once again, "I'm sorry, Who are you? and how did I get here?"

"Jey Uso," He introduced shortly. I stared at him blankly, still having no clue who he was. He sighed, pointing at a picture of three children on the wall, "Roman's cousin?"

You looked at the picture, seeing Jey, another kid who looked exactly like him and Roman who I believed was in the middle. You wanted to coo at how adorable the picture was, but you were still confused. Damn, they're cousins? So is everyone attractive in his family or is it just them? Besides, why is he here anyway, standing there like some guard? Was he watching you this entire time?

"You guys are cousins?" I ask in disbelief. He nodded quietly, looking a little confused as to why I was surprised, "What, he didn't tell you?"

"No, because I just met the guy?" I say dumbfoundedly, "And I have no idea how I even got here in the first place. I need to go back home." You plead, starting to get a little nervous.

"Relax, this is Roman's place. He only brought you here because you got hurt at the gym and he didn't think it was safe enough for you to be driving back home." He informs, "I'll actually go get him, now that you're awake."

Before you could open your mouth to speak, he left the room. You sighed, and then thought a little about what he said afterwards. You knew that this was nice of him to do, and it did mean a lot that he cared, but you were still on the fence about being at a random guy's house you didn't know too well. Roman's intentions were in the right place, but this was the last thing you needed to be involved in right now. You were focusing on yourself, and yourself only, and it just hurt too much to have someone else in the picture at the moment. It wasn't the time to catch feelings or be interested in someone new, especially him, he was too fine and you knew it would be too easy to give in.

As you played with your fingers, the two gentleman stepped into the room, making you look up. Roman looked back at you with a soft, yet relieved expression as Jey stood behind him. He was wearing a dark blue muscle shirt, that showed a long, tribal patterned tattoo that covered his entire right arm, along with Jordans on his feet to match with his shirt. It's like this man had so many secrets about him that you had no idea about, the tattoo was like the perfect touch and made him look even more sexy than he already was, it also was identical to his cousin's. He turned his head, whispered something to Jey. He nodded his head and walked away, leaving you and Roman alone.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Roman called you, which made you chuckle a bit, making you a less nervous. You watched him make his way over to you, and he sat down, putting the pack of ice on the coffee table in front of you.

"How's your head?" He asked, gently putting his fingertips under your chin, trying to get a good look at it which sent shivers down your spine. You licked your lips subtly, watching him but you sighed, closing your eyes. Get over yourself, Y/N.

"It's fine, um.." You trailed off, grabbing his soft, large hand and took it off of your chin. You really didn't want to let his hand go either, but you had to listen to your pride.

"Listen, I think I should go." You suggest, standing up from the couch and he looked up at you, clearly not wanting you to leave.

Shit, was I coming on too strong? Roman thought. This might've been an unusual way to approach a woman, but the moment he met you at the gym, he just knew he had to get to know you more. There was something about you, that pulled him in and had his full interest. You were beautiful, out of this world gorgeous, your body and the way the heavens shaped you drove him crazy, and the way you looked at him made Roman feel something that he doesn't feel everyday. Usually he was a bit more straight forward on what he wanted, and he wouldn't have to tell anyone twice for him to have it. He had a whole different side to him, that you had no clue about, but that's because you were different to him. He wanted to be careful with you.

Before Roman could respond, You felt around your neck and realized that it was completely bare. You froze and your blood ran completely cold. You remember going to the gym wearing a gold necklace that had your name written in cursive, which was a valuable gift of yours that you received on your birthday years ago. You never took it off, and you thought you might've lost it when you got hurt. Fuck, you thought, starting to feel upset all over again.

Roman realized a change in your mood, and he raised his eyebrow shortly, "What's wrong?"

You shook your head, not wanting to stress about it, even though deep down you were, "Nothing."

Roman looked at where your hand was, which was motioning at your neck. He then remembered the gold necklace that you dropped when you both walked out of the gym. He made sure to get it for you before you guys left.

"Are you missing something, gold maybe?" He teased playfully, knowing that you didn't want to worry him. Your eyes widened and you snapped his head at him, how did he even know that?

"You have it?" You say in a hopeful tone, with a brief smile on your face. He smiled back, with a light-hearted chuckle which made your heart melt, "Yeah, I got it. I'll go get it."

Roman stood up, and then looked back at you, "Just promise me you won't leave once I give it to you." You sighed in relief, and nodded agreeing. He left the room, leaving the room to get your necklace. You admired how kind he was, especially how much of a gentleman he was. He didn't have to help you at all or care about your well being, but he did. Give it a chance, go for it, you tried convincing yourself. It seemed like he also was interested, but then your insecurities kicked in, there was no way a guy like him would be interested in someone like you. There were you again, second guessing yourself. You just wished you didn't get yourself involved in this situation to begin with.

Roman went to his office, and picked up your necklace from his desk. He read your name quietly to himself, "Y/N..."

Such a gorgeous name, he thought. As if she couldn't seem any more perfect that she was. He smirked to himself, staring at your necklace for a couple of seconds before returning to the living room. Roman motioned you to turn around, and you followed, letting him put the necklace around your neck. Once it was, you touched it, thanking God in your head that you didn't lose it. You then turned around, facing him. You were more closer to him than you thought you would be. Roman stared down at you, looking into your eyes as you stared into his brown ones. The things you would do to him, you bit your lip and was able to pry away from his stare, backing up a away from him a bit.

Damn it, Roman cursed to himself. He cleared his throat, backing away from you, hoping he wasn't making you feel uncomfortable, even though you weren't. On the other hand, you were just hoping you wouldn't make a fool out of yourself again.

"I was just kidding about what I said earlier," He said. You looked back up at him, wondering what he was talking about. He smiled small, "If you still want to leave, I'd be happy to take you home."

You couldn't help but hold back a smile, finding his gestures heart warming. I guess showing your appreciation wouldn't hurt, in your way. You raised your hand to his cheek, holding it gently and tilted your head, kissing his other cheek sweetly.

"Thank you, Roman." You said appreciatively. His eyes were glued onto you, not being able to tear them off of you. Roman's blood turned warm, and his heart that was already racing began to go even faster. It's like there was a glow around you, that nobody else could see except for him. You were a diamond in the rough, angel in disguise, a woman that should be treated like a queen. He didn't know if you were seeing anyone else, but quite frankly he didn't care. You were going to belong to him soon.

"Are you good?" You asked, trying to get his attention. Roman nodded, trying to disregard his thoughts before he said them out loud, which he did most of the time.

"Yeah," He says. Roman picked up his keys off of the coffee table, and looked down back at you, not being able to look away from your beauty, "After you." He insisted, wanting you to go first. You nervously smiled, thanking him again silently before you walked in front of him. He took the opportunity take a look at your rear end, he bit his lip and sighed. All that, will be mine he said to himself in his head before he went and followed you.

➰

Tags; @gold--gucciempress @wwzentertainment @serenityfiretrash @flawlessglamazon @nicolewoo @romanreignshairdresser @sassymox @pennysky @msnikkimoneypenny @jazzy-tzw @lemonjvicey @thandiwethagirl @haharollins @reignsprint @rollinshield3 @sheerbeautyreigns @zaddyreigns @brookethegamer @glowinnbabyy

[mossybee-exe]

Customer Service|Hawks x Reader

Your job wasn't a really excited one, but it paid well so you didn't care.

It's not like you have a great quirk that would allow you to become a hero even if you wanted to so you were fine with it.

Your job was to supply pro heroes small essentials that they ordered. Such as giving pros a healthy lunch if they forgot it, capture rope for villains, etc.

But you also did other things like photo shoots for magazines, artwork, etc.

For the most part, you didn't care who came in even if they were a popular one, as they were always nice and paitent with you. Even when they weren't the nicest, you didn't have a problem with them.

But for some reason, there is one pro hero who you can not STAND! And that was the Number Two Pro Hero Hawks.

You had never met the guy but just from the talk shows he would be on or what you read in magazines, and how he acted, it just made you so annoyed for some reason. You thought he was a bit of an idiot.

But since you never met him you didn't care all that much.

That was until one very slow and boring Friday at your store.

You were just packing up another lunch into a bento box and in a brown paper bag for the next hero that would come in, when you hear the front door ding as someone walked in.

"Welcome to Hero's Spotlight! How may I help-" But you stop mid sentence when turn around and see the one person who you couldn't stand.

Hawks.

This day just got less pleasant. You think to yourself.

You do your best to keep your friendly smile on as he walked over with his usual smirk. "Hey there. I'm here for a photoshoot for Hero Daily." He tells you. "Oh I see.. well the just step over here for me!" You reply pointing towards the photo equipment.

You grit your teeth as you kept smiling as you don't want to give bad Customer Service otherwise your boss would chew you out with it.

You position him so he's facing the green screen sideways and he stood straight with his hands stuffed in his pockets and he stares off ahead of him.

You were about to take a picture when you noticed his wings wouldn't stop twitching and moving. "I need you to be still! That includes your wings!" You tell him in the NICEST tone and smile you could muster.

"But I can't stay still for long!" He complains. Knowing him, that is entirely possible, as he lives in a fast moving world. You honestly think he goes TOO fast and doesn't take time to stop and enjoy life around him.

"It's just for a second! You'll be fine!" You tell him and he sighs returning to his position. This time he was able to stay still and you got a couple of good shots.

You got a few more pictures in different poses until he was finally done. "Done! Happy now??" You ask, a little bit of hostility in your tone as you didn't want to spend much more time with this guy.

"Finally!" Hawks says with a sigh as he follows you back to the front desk. "I will send these pictures to the editor and that will be ¥1300!" You tell him as you stored your camera down below the counter where it usually went.

"Yes ma'am." He replies giving you the money before heading out of your store. You sigh of relief, glad it was over. Now it was nothing but smooth sailing for the rest of your work shift.

You hoped at least.

The next few days, Hawks kept coming back for either more pictures, or capture rope, or a lunch cuz he forgot to make one.

Each time he visited, you got less and less paitent.

Eventually, you couldn't take it anymore! The day you snapped you were already not having a good day. When Hawks came in and rushed you to get him a special requested lunch packed, you just couldn't take it anymore.

You were tired of his annoying "flirty responses," sarcastic remarks, and pressure of rushing you to get it.

Once again moving in his fast paced world.

"That's it! I'm already having an AWFUL day and I don't need YOU coming in here rushing and stressing me out! I know your world is fast, but you NEVER stop to appreciate it and rush into everything!! But I DON'T like being rushed so could you just be quiet for one second?!"

You tell angrily and immediately guilt had over taken you as Hawks' am, turning to a frown, and h had a blank expression, but you could see the hurt in his eyes.

You sighed and finished packing his lunch before handing it to him. "I'm sorry. Just take your lunch. It's free." You reply as you bowed, not daring to look up at his face as you were ashamed in yourself.

You expected Hawks to reply with his usual optimistic tone.

"Don't worry about it!"

"Nah don't sweat it! It's fine!"

But no. He didn't say anything. You just heard his footsteps walk away and out the door as it rung. You sigh and hide your face with your hands.

That was the worst think you could possibly say.

He was the NUMBER TWO HERO for heaven's sake!

But what was done was done. You couldn't reverse it.

A few weeks pass and Hawks never once returned to your store. You knew why. You knew he was disgusted with you, or hurt by your harsh words and tone. You were immediately regretting how you treated him.

Good news is, your boss hasn't approached you about it so at least he didn't report the situation to her!

But feeling the guilt was worse than any punishment you could ever get from your boss.

One day though, on your day off, you were walking through the relaxing and beautiful park near your apartment complex. You figured by now Hawks probably forgot all about how you yelled at home but even if he did, you could never.

You could never forget the hurt in his eyes and the fact he walked out silently.

You hoped a walk would help clear your head. But low and behold you saw Hawks sitting on a bench a few feet away, looking around.

He had his content smirk on and had casual wear on. And you hadn't realized until now, but as the sun's ray hit him at just the right angle, he looked like an angel from heaven.

You quickly pushed that thought away though as you felt a slight blush appear on your cheeks. You were about to turn and walk the other way, as you couldn't even bare being near him afraid he may yell something hurtful at you.

Which you probably deserved anyway.

But you knew you couldn't run from this any longer, so you decided to take it. You walked over to him and stood in front of him. From the way his smirk disappears again, you knew he recognized you.

You then look down and then get on your knees and bowed to him. "I am very very sorry for how I had treated you at my store. I just ask for your forgiveness! If you want to yell at me, I deserve it." You tell him.

You didn't care if people were watching now, you just didn't want to live with this guilt anymore.

Truth being, he really wasn't all that bad! You were just overreacting! Maybe sometimes he annoyed you but nothing extreme.

That's when you hear Hawks laugh and you look up to see him laughing and smiling before looking down at you. "I was never mad at you! Why would I be mad?" He tells you, and as relived you were by him not being angry, you felt yourself a bit annoyed.

He was never angry yet you suffered the past few weeks, feeling awful and thinking he was mad!

"Look I get it. Everyone just has those days, so I don't care! Infact I'm actually taking your advice now! I decided to slow down today and just enjoy nature." Hawks tells you while he grabbed your hands and helped you back up to your feet.

You then sat down beside him as he stared back at the bright green trees. "You were right about just taking a moment to enjoy life. It relieves a lot of stress as well." He adds while you just stared at him.

You were not only glad he wasn't angry or upset with you, but he also took your advice! You also couldn't get over how he looked like an angel in the light. A handsome one at that.

You felt a light blush before looking forward as well. What were you thinking?! This was the Number Two hero! Even if you did like him, he was busy with life and didn't have time for a partner. Plus you barely knew him.

But you guys talked for the rest of the afternoon before you both get ready to part ways.

"Well this was nice!" You tell him. After getting to know him better, you realized he wasn't at all that bad of a guy. "Yeah! But I never actually got your name." He points out. "Oh right! It's Y/N!" You reply.

"I see. Well, call me Teigo." He says writing something down before handing you the paper. "There's my number so we can keep chatting. See ya around!" He says before walking off.

You blush and close your eyes.

The guilt finally gone.