#I think I’m a collection of experiences and expectations and I don’t know how to return to the origin point
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romantichopelessly · 2 years ago
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literally the catch 22 of making urself less to keep people around you directly leading to people leaving u bc you’re not opening up to them 🧍‍♀️
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heartyluv · 2 months ago
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Note: Sylus is just the fluffiest man ever. He deserves all the love in the world and I shall be first in line to give it. ♡︎
Creds to @/strangergraphics & @/omi-resources for the banners.
No warmings ◡̈
Word Count: 1,040
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Protective!Sylus/Reader Headcanons
♱ Sylus is so protective over you in a way that you thought only existed in all the movies you’ve watched and books you’ve read.
♱ It’s not overwhelming in the sense that it’s too much or suffocating. It’s overwhelming because you never thought someone could ever love you so much that your entire existence is what completes theirs.
♱ Sylus hesitated to tell you how important you were to him. He had difficulty accepting it himself when he came to the realization that you were his endgame, because loving someone meant vulnerability—even weakness.
♱ I feel like the moment he realized you meant the world to him was when he saw how seamlessly you mended into his life and daily routine without judgment. I’m still imagining him as the leader of Onychinus, so he’s still that feared arms dealer that everyone whispers about.
♱ I don’t believe he hid anything from you. He laid everything out on the table. For one, it’s because he doesn’t lie to people and two, putting everything out there left no room for you to find something to leave him for later. Sylus doesn’t necessarily have a fear of being abandoned, but he views it as an expectation. If you knew what and who he was from the beginning, he knew it wouldn’t be long for you to be solidified in whatever decision you choose.
♱ But when you stayed, when you held him and told him that there was nothing unlovable or unworthy about him, you were stuck with the man for life.
♱ “I’ll never disappoint you. Everything I do from this point forward will always and only be done with your wellbeing at the forefront of importance. Thank you for choosing me.”
♱ He definitely has a tracker on you, at least two. One in your phone and another in a necklace he gave you (you still don’t know about that one).
♱ He proposed the idea of you moving in with him a few weeks after you officially became a couple. While every part of you wanted to say yes, you had to be realistic. The relationship was just starting to get serious, but Sylus had already started moving you in without you being aware.
♱ I’m talking he buys an exact replica of your wardrobe, shoes, jewelry and extras. He’s got at least double of your favorite body wash, perfume, lotion, and hair products. Basically, all the things that make your house a home, he brought it to his place. All your books, records, and movie collections are in his home and if they’re classics, he tries to find original copies just because he loves to make you happy.
♱ “When you tell me that you are ready, there’s no need to wait so that you can gather your things. I have everything you need and more, ready for you to come home. Just like me, it’ll be waiting.”
♱ Sylus became so protective of you because you were the only thing in his life that seemed real. He did nothing, as he says, “to earn you love”, but Sylus being who he is, is what won you over completely. You didn’t question him when things felt a little concerning or judge him when it got scary. You stuck by his side, praised him, believed in him, trusted him. You loved him, something he thought he’d never experience.
♱ He appointed a personal driver and bodyguard(s) to you whenever he’s unable to be around you and they’re what he deems the best available. But if he finds better, he’ll replace them without any issue.
♱ He threatens them for sure LOL. I don’t think he’s light about it either. Like he’s gruesome and detailed about what he’ll do to them should they fail in keeping a smile on your face and your safety secured.
♱ And he goes to you for daily reports. You think it’s the cutest thing despite him being so serious.
♱ “Should you have any concerns or complaints about who I’ve assigned to you, bring it to me directly, sweetie. I’ll handle it.”
♱ He buys you everything. He wants you to feel secure in every aspect within his control. Keeping you happy is what keeps him happy because for him, you’re all that matters. So emotionally, physically, mentally, financially and whatever other -lly there is, he’s going to make sure you have the best because it’s what you deserve.
♱ You bring up a gaming system? He’ll buy it. You bring up a hobby you’re thinking about getting into? He’ll have nothing but the best supplies delivered to you. You want a baby? He’s more than willing to start the family he’s been ready to give you since you first time you told him you loved him.
♱ He has hurt people when it came to you. You don’t know this, but times when someone has called you out of your name or disrespected you and you told him about it, he didn’t go as far as to off them, but he made them feel what will happen should they or anyone else dares to ever try it again.
♱ “Your first mistake was believing you had the privilege to be in her presence. Your second and final one was disrespecting her and thinking there’d be no consequence.”
♱ Sylus loves your skin. HEAR ME OUT!!
♱ You’re just so soft, you always smell so good, and he lovessss to feel you. The man is addicted to rubbing you, licking you, touching you, anything he can do to be close to you because unfortunately, living in your skin just isn’t gonna happen. Like he’s addicted to you and only you get to see how serious he is about it.
♱ He hates seeing you cry, especially if it’s about something he can’t directly handle.
♱ “Tell me how to make it better, kitten. Nothing is unreachable when I’m here to correct it. Talk to me.”
♱ Basically, you’re like porcelain to him. By no means does he think you’re weak or that you need saving. But because you let him be your shield, because you allow him to be the one to protect you from all the dangers and the harshness of the world, he doesn’t take that responsibility lightly.
♱ You are his happiness. You are his reason.
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honeyncherry · 27 days ago
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all good things ii - joe burrow
summary you thought you'd mastered the art of letting go, turns out you'd just gotten really good at looking the other way
content angst, fluff, idk what im talking about in half this
part one
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"Why are you here?"
You don't look up from the glass you're drying when you ask it, but you can feel him settling onto the barstool across from you. Same spot as always—third from the left, close enough to the corner that he can see the door but far enough from the other customers that conversation stays private.
"For a drink," he says, and there's that familiar hint of amusement in his voice, like he knows you already know the answer but enjoys the routine anyway.
Without thinking, your hand finds the bourbon, muscle memory from months of the same dance. The bottle feels heavier tonight, or maybe it's just you. Maybe it's the report waiting on your laptop at home, or the way certain thoughts have been circling back when you least expect them.
“How was Denver?” you ask, sliding the glass his way.
He catches it without looking, thumb brushing along the rim before taking a sip. “Great. Got a good win.”
You lean in, resting your elbows on the bar, giving him your full attention now. "Yeah? How good are we talking?"
"Really good." He grins, the kind that reaches his eyes and makes him look younger than he is. "Like, career-defining good.”
You laugh before you can stop yourself, the pride bubbling up quicker than expected. “That’s incredible. I’m so happy for you.”
He drops his gaze a little, almost shy about it. Compliments still make him weird. But you can tell it means something—coming from you, maybe, or maybe just being heard out loud.
“Actually,” he says, reaching into his jacket, “I got you something. Well, two things.”
That makes you pause. He's holding out a small wrapped box, the kind that comes from hotel gift shops or airport stores. The paper is slightly wrinkled, like it spent the flight home pressed against other things in his carry-on.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I know." He places it on the bar top between you and then grins. "But I saw it and thought of you. Plus, I have some news." There's something sweet about it, the casualness of the gesture with no hidden agenda. 
You peel the paper back carefully, and inside is a snow globe, tacky and perfect in the way only tourist gifts can be. Denver’s skyline is centered in the middle, suspended in that fake snow that never quite swirls right.
“It’s terrible,” you say, but you're already smiling.
"Absolutely hideous," he agrees, sipping his drink. "But you collect weird shit, so I figured you'd appreciate it.”
He’s right. Your apartment’s full of it—odd little trinkets that don’t belong anywhere but somehow belong with you. Salt shakers shaped like ducks. Postcards from places you’ve never been. That cracked ceramic owl from your grandma that you still won’t throw out. 
"Thank you," you say, setting the snow globe on the shelf behind you, next to the register where you can see it while you work. "Okay, so what's the news?"
"Remember that California project I mentioned? The sports coverage thing?" He's trying to play it cool, but you can see the excitement barely contained behind his eyes. "I got you the spot."
Your heart stops. "What?"
"I put in a word with the hiring manager. Told them about your work, how good you are with people." He leans forward slightly. "They want you to fly out next week. Production assistant role, technically, but it's exactly the kind of experience you need."
You stare at him, mouth slightly open. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. You're going to California." Quinn's fingers drum once against the bar, a nervous habit you've taken note of over months of Thursday nights. Sometimes Tuesdays too, when his schedule allows it. He'd started showing up around the time you stopped flinching every time you heard calls of a certain name, when you could make it through a shift without checking your phone for messages that never came.
That was just over a year ago now, right when everything felt like it was crumbling—when you'd left that hotel room and came home to an apartment that felt too quiet and a life that suddenly seemed smaller than it had before. You'd been serving drinks like you were underwater, going through the motions of existing without really living in any of it.
The first few times, Quinn was just another regular. Bourbon, two fingers, splash of water. He was the best tipping regular you’ve ever had and never lingered too long. But then one night you'd been particularly frustrated, slamming glasses a little too hard after another rejection email, and he'd asked if you were okay.
"Just job hunting," you'd said, the bitterness leaking through despite yourself.
"What kind of work?"
"Anything that uses a communications degree, apparently." You'd laughed, but it came out hollow. "Four years of college to be really good at serving drinks."
He'd been quiet for a moment, then: "My company's always looking for interns," he'd said, casual as anything. "Might be good experience."
That conversation lives in your mind now, growing roots in the spaces between doubt and possibility. Three months of showing up to offices that smelled like expensive coffee and ambition, of learning that your degree wasn't worthless after all, just misplaced. Quinn had opened a door you didn't even know existed, and now here he is, trying to push it wider.
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll pack a bag." He finishes his drink and leaves cash on the bar, always exact change plus fifty percent, never more or less, and stands to go. "They'll email you the details tomorrow."
He hesitates for a moment, like he wants to say something else, then seems to think better of it. Instead, he just nods and heads for the door.
"Thank you," you call after him. "Really. This means everything."
"You earned it," he calls back over his shoulder. "I just made sure the right people knew." 
When he's gone, you’re left with the rich smell of bourbon and the snow globe that glimmers under warm spotlights. Underneath it all lies the strange, fluttering feeling that comes with being cared about in small, uncomplicated ways.
───
The folder hits your hands like something dropped from a height, thick enough that the pages buckle under their own weight. Sarah's already talking, words streaming past in that efficient way people have when they've explained the same thing a dozen times before.
"So you'll be handling athlete transport today," she says, gesturing vaguely toward the folder while her attention drifts to her phone. "Everything's in there—pickup times, studio assignments, the usual."
You flip the cover open to pages of schedules and headshots, names printed in blocks that your eyes catch without really processing. Sarah keeps talking about the logistics and backup plans, but her voice becomes mumbled as you scan down the list.
Micah Parsons - 9:30 AM pickup, Studio A 
Lamar Jackson - 10:45 AM pickup, Outdoor Setup 
Cooper Kupp - 12:15 PM pickup, Studio A 
Tua Tagovailoa - 1:30 PM pickup, Studio B
Names that mean little to you, faces that melt together in professional headshots. You're half-listening, trying to make sense of time slots and meal breaks, when Sarah's voice sharpens.
"—and Quinn should be here any minute with an early arrival."
The sound of voices approaching makes you glance up from the folder. Quinn appears in the doorway, that easy smile already in place, talking to someone just behind him. You look back down automatically, eyes finding the next line on the schedule.
Joe Burrow - 3:00 PM pickup, Studio B
Your stomach drops like you've missed a step in the dark. The letters blur, then sharpen, then blur again. You blink hard, certain you've misread, but the name sits there like something burned into the page.
When you look up, he's standing three feet away.
And he's already looking directly at you.
The folder stays open in your hands, but the words might as well be written in a language you don't speak. Everything else in the room—Sarah's voice, the hum of equipment being tested, the distant sound of someone setting up lights—fades into white noise. There's just him, standing there in dark jeans and a jacket that probably costs more than your rent, looking exactly like he does in your memory of that morning in the hotel room, except somehow more solid. Real this time.
His expression doesn't change when your eyes meet his. No surprise, no recognition he'd let anyone else see. Just that steady, unreadable look that used to make you feel like he could see straight through you.
"Perfect timing," Quinn says, completely oblivious to the way everything seems to have tensed up around you. "This is our impromptu production assistant I was telling you about." He gestures toward you with the kind of enthusiasm that makes you want to disappear. "She'll be handling your schedule today, making sure you get where you need to be."
Quinn turns to you, still smiling. "Joe got here early—his flight landed ahead of schedule, so I figured we'd get him checked in now instead of making him come back later. Hope that's okay?"
You force yourself to close the folder, to stand up straighter, to remember that you have a job to do. That you're not the same person who used to fly across the country for crumbs of attention.
"Of course," you manage, extending your hand in what you hope looks like professionalism and not the careful choreography of someone trying not to fall apart. "Hi."
Joe's eyes flick down to your outstretched hand, then back to your face. For a second, you think he might not take it. That he'll let you stand there with your arm extended like an idiot while Quinn watches.
But then his hand closes around yours, warm and familiar in a way that makes your chest ache.
"Nice to meet you," he says, voice perfectly polite like you're a stranger. As if he's never traced the curves of your body with his tongue in the dark.
The handshake lasts exactly as long as it should and no longer, nothing that would make Quinn raise an eyebrow or Sarah look up from her phone. But his thumb brushes across your knuckles once before he lets go, so quickly you almost think you imagined it.
"She's fantastic," Quinn continues, either missing the tension entirely or choosing to ignore it. "Really knows her stuff. You're in good hands."
The irony of that statement sits heavy in the space between you and Joe. You've been in his hands before and you know exactly how that story ends.
"Alright," Sarah pops her head up suddenly from beside you. "Let's get you set up for hair and makeup first, then we'll run through the shot list." She's already guiding Joe toward the door with the kind of practiced authority that doesn't leave room for argument.
Joe follows, but his eyes find yours once more before he disappears into the hallway. The look lasts maybe two seconds, but it's long enough to remind you of every sleepless night you spent wondering if he thought about you at all.
"Ready for Micah?" Quinn asks, already checking his watch. "He should be set by now." You nod, grateful for something to focus on. Something that doesn't involve navigating the minefield of seeing Joe again.
Quinn studies your face for a moment, "you good?"
"I'm good," you say, forcing a smile that feels more convincing than it probably looks.
"Good. Because we had to shuffle things around. Lamar's flight got delayed, so we bumped Joe up to right after Micah." He pats your shoulder in that paternal way that makes you remember why you trust him. "You've got this, kid."
───
Micah Parsons turns out to be exactly the kind of interview subject that makes your job easy. Charismatic without being overwhelming, thoughtful in his answers, the kind of natural storyteller that probably makes every journalist he talks to feel like they're getting something special.
You escort him from hair and makeup to Studio A, making small talk about his off-season training while mentally taking in the way he carries himself—confident but approachable, the kind of details that might matter for the piece you're supposed to be writing.
Because that's the thing Quinn arranged that makes this more than just a production assistant gig. You're not just managing logistics; you're also shadowing the main journalists, taking notes that will help with a behind-the-scenes article to accompany the video content. It’s what manages to turn this little side gig into real experience that could actually matter for your future.
It had been Quinn's idea, pitched to his partners as a way to get more comprehensive coverage without stretching the budget. "She's sharp," he'd told them, according to what he'd shared with you later. "Give her the PA duties but let her gather material too. Two birds, one stone."
He'd stuck his neck out for you in a way that meant something. Which is why you're sitting in the back of Studio A with a notebook, jotting down observations about Micah's interview style and the way he deflects certain questions with humor while being surprisingly vulnerable about others. 
Quinn had been right—you were good at this. At reading people, at catching the moments between the soundbites that revealed who someone actually was.
Which is exactly why seeing Joe again feels like such a potential disaster.
By the time Micah wraps up, you've filled three pages with notes and feel like you're truly starting to understand the rhythm of this kind of work.
"Joe should be ready now," Quinn says, appearing at your elbow as you escort Micah to his next location. "Studio B."
Your stomach tightens, but you nod. This is your job. This is the opportunity Quinn fought for you to have and you can't let seeing Joe ruin it.
The walk to Joe's dressing room feels dreadful. Each step is like walking through quicksand, carrying you toward something you're not ready for but can't avoid. When you knock and push the door open, he's sitting in the chair by the small mirror, scrolling through his phone with careful focus.
"Ready?" you ask, the word coming out more clipped than you intended.
He looks up, nods once, and stands with no acknowledgment beyond basic professionalism.
The hallway to Studio B stretches ahead of you both, and the silence that follows is different from anything you've experienced today. Not comfortable like it had been with Micah, who'd filled the space with easy conversation. This quiet feels intentional. Measured like you're both working very hard not to disturb something that might break if handled wrong.
"Studio B," you say when you reach the door, gesturing unnecessarily.
"Thanks."
He disappears inside, and you take your position in the back corner. Notebook ready, pen poised. The same setup as for Micah's interview; professional and focused, gathering material for the article.
But something shifts the moment Joe starts talking. His voice carries that familiar cadence, the one that used to lull you to sleep during late-night phone calls when distance felt manageable. You find yourself leaning forward, pen moving across the page in ways that have nothing to do with journalism.
The little things catch your eye. The way he touches his jaw when considering an answer. How his shoulders settle when he's comfortable with a question. The pause before he responds to anything about pressure, weighing what's safe to share versus what's true.
You catch yourself, redirect your attention to actual content. This is work. Quinn's faith in you made everything tangible, you can't let this pull toward someone who used to matter ruin what you've been given.
But it's difficult to ignore the familiarity, the way certain moments remind you of hotel rooms and conversations that felt bigger than they were. 
This is likely the only time you'll see him again. A one-off encounter that doesn't have to mean anything beyond coincidence. You've made progress, moved forward. You can't let a single afternoon undo the work it took to get here.
When the interview wraps, you've filled two pages with notes—half meaningless observations about Joe rather than context about the content. You close the notebook as he thanks everyone with practiced grace, then finds you in the corner.
"All set?"
"All set."
The walk back is similar to the walk there in every way. By the time you reach his dressing room, you're almost convinced you can end this cleanly. You open the door and stand to the side.
"You're done for the day. Someone will coordinate transport when you're ready."
Joe settles back into the chair by the mirror, phone already in hand. You should leave now. You've completed your assignment, same as with Micah. But professional courtesy demands you ask. The same question you'd posed to Micah, the same standard you'll maintain.
"Is there anything else you need?"
Joe hums to himself then looks up, and for the first time all day, really looks at you. Not the careful glances he's been offering, but the kind of direct eye contact that used to make your heart race.
"Just curious," he says, voice level but edged with something sharper. "Are you supposed to say that, or am I just special?"
The question hits hard. You feel it in your stomach first, then spreading outward, a slow recognition that you're not getting out of this room without acknowledgment. 
Because that’s the thing: he was special.
In the way you still dream about his voice. His hands. 
In the way you never really got around to donating the shirt he left behind, even though it stopped smelling like him months ago.
In the way you still scan for his face on the screen when a game is on at work, even when you tell yourself you’re not supposed to.
Something shifts in your face, you can feel it happen. The twitch of your eyes, the press of your teeth into the inside of your cheek, just a second too long. Like your body is betraying the careful neutrality you’ve been maintaining all day. 
He catches it, of course he does.
"Just part of the job, Mr. Burrow." The formality tastes wrong in your mouth, but you need the distance it creates and the reminder of where you are, what this is supposed to be. 
You're already turning away before the words fully settle, hand reaching for the door handle like it might save you from whatever comes next. "Have a good rest of your day."
───
The wine tastes expensive in a way that makes you hyper-aware of everything. From the conversations flowing around you that you can't quite step into, to the way everyone else seems to belong here without thinking about it.
"Market yourself," Quinn had said earlier, straightening his tie in the mirror of his hotel room. "There are some serious people here tonight. Network. Make connections. This is how careers get built."
Easy for him to say. He moves through crowds like he was born into them, shaking hands and remembering names and making everything look effortless. You feel like you're wearing a sign that says imposter in flashing neon letters.
The venue is exactly what you'd expect from Quinn's company—all exposed brick and elegant lighting fixtures, floor to ceiling windows, the kind of casual that costs more than most people's rent. Servers weave between clusters of well-dressed people holding wine glasses that catch the light just right. 
You take a sip of wine and scan the room for someone who might seem approachable. Someone who won't immediately see through whatever facade you're trying to maintain. The conversation nearest to you is about market projections and quarterly reports, which makes your experience feel even more inadequate than usual.
"Why are you standing by yourself?"
The voice comes from beside you, close enough that you feel the words more than hear them. You don't have to look to know who it is, you've been hyperaware of his presence since the moment he walked in twenty minutes ago.
"I'm supposed to be marketing myself," you say, not turning toward him, voice dry with the kind of sarcasm that feels bitter. "Networking. Making connections."
There's a pause. You can feel him looking at you.
"Well, you shouldn't have any problem doing that looking like that."
Your fingers tighten around the stem of your wine glass. The comment slides under your skin in a way that makes you feel uneasy. It’s like you're back in some hotel room where his opinions about you mattered.
You turn to look at him and something in your expression must give you away because his face changes immediately.
"No, no, that's not—" He stops and runs a hand over the bottom half of his face, looking genuinely panicked. "That came out wrong. I just meant you look good. Like, really good. Not that—fuck. That was all wrong."
And despite everything, despite the way your jaw is still tight with irritation, you have to bite back something that feels dangerously close to a laugh. Because Joe Burrow, who takes hits from three-hundred-pound linemen without flinching, who never seems rattled by anything on or off the field, is standing here stammering like a teenager who just got caught red-handed.
You compose yourself, finding that professional tone again. "Okay. Well, thank you." You set your wine glass on the nearest table, already turning away. "Have a good night."
His hand catches your wrist before you can take a step, gentle but insistent enough to stop you. "Wait." You follow his gaze to a quieter corner near the windows, away from people. 
“Can we talk?”
Part of you wants to say no, to keep walking and maintain whatever distance you've managed to create. But a bigger part knows that if you don't do this now, you'll spend the rest of the night, maybe longer, wondering what he would have said.
"Okay," you say, and let him guide you toward the windows.
The space feels more intimate immediately, the noise of the party fading to background hum. Joe runs his hand through his hair, a nervous habit you remember, and looks out at the city lights for a moment before turning back to you.
“I was an asshole,” he says. The bluntness of it surprises you, how he doesn’t sugarcoat it or try to spin it. "This afternoon, I mean. And just now. I was just—I was doing what I always do, being defensive because seeing you here threw me off, and I didn't know how to handle it."
You wait for him to continue, watching the way he struggles with words that don't come as easily as the ones he uses for interviews.
“I was hurt,” he says, a little softer now. “When you left. Not just because you did. But how fast it felt. Like one second we were figuring things out and the next... you were just gone.”
There’s a long pause where neither of you says anything. You’re not sure what breaks you down first—his voice or the fact that it’s not angry in the way you last remember it. 
“I didn’t leave because of that night,” you say eventually. “If anything… I stayed because of it.”
Joe finally looks at you and your hands tighten around your arms.
“I meant what I said,” you continue, slower now. Like the words are heavy in your mouth. “I believed you. What you said. How it felt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like that before.”
The words keep coming even though your mind is already starting to regret opening your mouth. You should stop. You should just stop.
“I think part of me was already bracing for the quiet,” you say. “For things to go back to normal the next day. I don’t know. It’s like… the moment was everything I wanted, but it didn’t feel safe.”
You see the flicker in his eyes. You almost backpedal, almost say never mind, but you’ve already gone too far.
“It's not that I didn’t trust you,” you continue. “I just didn’t trust that version of us to last. And I didn’t want to stay long enough to watch it fall apart again.”
Joe’s silent. You shift your weight, suddenly aware of how exposed you feel, how fast your heart is beating now that the words are out there.
“I didn’t stop feeling it,” you murmur, eyes darting toward the window. “That was the problem. I finally let myself feel all of it. And once I did, it felt like too much to carry alone.”
He exhales slowly, like your words knock the wind out of him.
“So it wasn’t just the night,” he says eventually. “It was everything before.”
You nod. “Yeah. It was the before. The buildup. The silence. The feeling like I was always one step ahead of you.”
There’s a pause. Then, almost like a reflex, you add, “I know you meant what you said. I really do.” He looks at you then, something raw behind his eyes. “But I think I’d spent so long waiting for you to mean something,” you say, voice tightening, “that when you finally did, I was already halfway through learning how to let go.”
“I get that,” he says. You nod, surprised by the relief you feel at being understood. "So you left because you had to," he says, not a question.
"Because I had to."
The silence that follows feels different from all the others today. Not loaded with tension or unspoken accusations, but something closer to understanding. Like you aren’t standing on opposite sides of it anymore.
Joe straightens up slightly, and something shifts in his expression, still serious but with a hint of something lighter around the edges.
"So," he says, extending his hand toward you with a small, almost shy smile. "Hi. I'm Joe."
The gesture is so unexpectedly dorky that you feel a laugh bubble up before you can stop it. "Are you serious right now?"
"Starting fresh," he says, hand still extended. "New note."
You look at his outstretched hand, then back at his face, and despite everything—despite the history and the hurt and the complicated mess of what you used to be—you find yourself smiling.
"This is ridiculous," you say, but you take his hand anyway. "Hi, Joe,” you introduce yourself in the same manner.
The handshake lasts longer than necessary this time, in comparison to the one you shared earlier. When you finally let go, your fingers feel warm where his touched them.
"Much better introduction than this afternoon," you say, and Joe laughs—a real one this time.
"Yeah, well, I was trying to play it cool earlier."
"How'd that work out for you?"
"Terribly," he admits, grinning. "Clearly not my strong suit when it comes to you."
"Well," you say, and there's something softer in your voice now, something that feels like a door opening instead of closing. "There's plenty of time to get better at it."
The words hang between you, simple but loaded with possibility. Not a promise or a plan, just an acknowledgment that time exists now where it didn't before. That this new beginning, this fresh start, doesn't have to be figured out tonight.
Joe's smile changes, becoming something quieter. "Yeah," he says. "I think there is."
In that moment you realize the difference between starting over and starting fresh. One erases everything that came before; the other builds something new on a foundation that was always there, just waiting for the right moment to matter again.
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lovelybucky1 · 4 months ago
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1.The Interview
main masterlist
go greek masterlist
“So you’re interested in being our frat sweetheart?” Joaquin asks, a comically confused look on his face. He holds your resume in his hand but hasn’t read a single word on it.
“Yes, that’s why I’m here,” you say, now matching his confusion. “The position is open, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s open. I guess I’m just confused about why you’d want it. I mean…” he looks down at your resume and begins reading. “Secretary of the Environmental Action Club, Co-Editor of the newspaper, English Honors Society, Treasurer of the Feminism Collective. This is all very impressive, but I gotta say, you’re not the usual frat sweetheart type.”
“Well, involvement in Greek Life looks good on resumes and I’m not interested in joining a sorority, so I thought this was the next best thing,” you explain.
Joaquin nods in understanding. “Got it. I’m gonna be completely honest here, I’m not really sure how an interview for this kind of thing is supposed to go. Usually, sweethearts are just one of the guy’s girlfriends, but we’re all single. All the other frats have someone to design cool posters and take pictures and stuff, and we need to look appealing to the PNMs.”
“I do have experience doing social media for the Environmental Club, and I did photography for the Theater department last semester. I’m pretty crafty so I’m sure I can make some party decorations and stuff like that.
Joaquin leans back in the wooden chair that’s likely older than him. He crosses his arms over his chest and the muscles in his arms bulge against his shirt sleeves. “You are definitely way overqualified for us. I just have one more question,” he says. “Do you party?”
You pause. You knew your personal social life would come into question eventually. It’s not like you don’t have friends, you have a great network of people you love to spend time with. You just happen to spend that time doing things other than blacking out and vomiting on a basketball player’s shoes in a sweaty basement.
“Is that a requirement of the job?” you counter.
“Being the sweetheart is more than just a job. Like, yeah, you’ll have responsibilities, but you’ll also be a member of the frat. We strongly encourage all the guys to attend the parties. It’s the whole brotherhood part of it. You wouldn’t have to go to all of them if you don’t want to, but making an appearance at least a couple times a month would be best.”
You suppose a couple of parties a month wouldn’t hurt. You have been meaning to get out more anyway.
“I think I can manage that,” you smile.
“Perfect! Do you have any questions?” You shake your head. “Then I think we have just found the newest member of SAE.”
He grins cheerfully and extends his hand for you to shake. His grasp is firm and warm, and it lingers a touch too long. Before he could say anything else, two men walk through the front door.
You turn around and find Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, the President and Treasurer. You recognize them from the sports articles you’ve read in the paper. Print certainly doesn’t do the pair justice, because you had no idea that guys this attractive even went to your college.
“Buck, Steve, I want you to meet our sweetheart!” he says.
You can’t help but feel a bit shy in front of them, but you smile and introduce yourself as normally as possible. Steve gives you a charming, classic Hollywood smile and you almost swoon. Bucky is just as handsome but in a rougher way that screams trouble.
They’re both sweaty and flushed, fresh from practice. They’re holding lacrosse sticks and wearing matching team backpacks like you’ve seen all the student-athletes have. Steve is in a red Stark University tee and Bucky is in a black crewneck sweatshirt with the same logo.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Steve says. “I know being a sweetheart has a certain reputation, but I promise you that nothing like that is expected of you.” You’re not exactly sure what he’s referring to, but you could take a pretty good guess. One woman in a house full of frat guys… It doesn’t take a genius.
“That’s reassuring, thank you,” you smile. It feels weird to be thanking him for not wanting to sleep with you, but you weren’t sure what else to say.
“Are you free tomorrow at 4? We have a chapter meeting and I’d love for you to meet the guys,” Steve asks.
“Yes, I’m free,” you say. “Are meetings every Sunday?”
“More or less. It really depends on how hungover everyone is,” he jokes. That smile is blinding. “But none of the teams have practice that late on Sundays and everyone is usually free, so that’s when we try to do them. We’d really like it if you came to as many events as possible to take pictures and stuff, but also because you’re a member too.”
“Sounds good to me,” you say.
Bucky is still standing next to Steve but lets him do all of the talking. He seems more focused on trailing his eyes over every inch of your body. You dare a glance, and the smirk that forms on his lips when your eyes meet is nothing short of devilish.
“We don’t wanna take up any more of your time, I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than let Steve talk your ear off” Bucky chimes in, nudging his friend with his elbow.
“I do have some work I need to catch up on,” you say, then immediately regret it. Why did you have to pick the lamest thing to say? Bucky and Joaquin share a look, both with a small smirk on their lips.
“Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?” Steve asks.
“Take a load off, Steve. I can do it,” Bucky offers.
“Really, guys, you just came back from practice. I can walk her back,” Joaquin chimes in.
You look between the three of them, wide-eyed. You’ve never had this much attention from guys who looked this good before.
“It’s okay!” You speak up. “I can walk by myself, it’s not a problem.”
The three are unfazed by the rejection. “Okay, but you’re part of the family now. We’ve all got your back,” Steve says.
You nod in understanding and wish them a good evening before hurrying out the door, not wanting to make a bigger fool of yourself. You’re not sure how it turned from a professional interview, something you’ve done a thousand times, to you becoming a flustered mess.
As you walk down the sidewalk back to your building, you shake your head. This is just another club you’ve joined. It can’t be different than running the newspaper or the painting club. And those guys were just being friendly, there’s no reason to look into it any deeper than that.
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He's your sugar daddy..
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character: Sugar daddy!Gdragon x fem!reader
Summary: He's your sugar daddy✨️✨️
Warnings: none
You were sitting in the back of a sleek black car, feeling the soft hum of the engine beneath you. The plush interior was as luxurious as you'd expect, with leather seats, soft cushions, and the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the air. Outside, the lights of the city twinkled, promising an exciting day ahead. G-Dragon, your very generous sugar daddy, had planned a shopping spree—your favorite kind of day.
The car stopped in front of the grand entrance of a high-end boutique, its glass doors gleaming in the daylight. You couldn’t help but smile. "You really didn’t have to do all this," you teased, but the excitement in your voice gave away just how much you were looking forward to it.
G-Dragon turned his head from his phone, giving you a soft, amused smile. "I know," he replied, his voice smooth. "But you deserve it. Now, let’s go make some memories."
You stepped out of the car, the cool air hitting your skin as you followed him toward the store. He had that signature swagger, a look of confidence that seemed to demand attention. The moment you entered the boutique, the staff greeted you both warmly, already prepared for the kind of shopping spree that could only come with his presence.
You had been dating Jiyong for a while now, but he still surprised you. It wasn’t just his wealth—it was his thoughtfulness. He didn’t spoil you with expensive things because he felt obligated. He did it because he knew it would make you happy.
"Pick whatever you like," he said, casually, as he leaned against a rack of designer coats, watching you.
You grinned, "You really are going to regret this."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why? You think I don’t trust your taste?" You could tell he was only half-joking. Jiyong trusted you completely, and you’d never been the type to go wild and pick out everything in sight. But he loved spoiling you.
You wandered down the aisles, casually browsing the latest collection. A part of you was tempted to take advantage of the situation and grab everything in sight, but there was something about the way he watched you, the way he smiled when you’d find something you loved, that made the whole experience feel less about the things and more about the time spent together.
It wasn’t just about the clothes or the price tags. It was about the way he made you feel special. A lighthearted joke broke your thoughts as Jiyong sidled up beside you, his arm around your waist as you both looked at a stunning white jacket. "That one would look good on you," he said, his voice soft.
"But I think it’d look even better on the floor."
You gave him an incredulous look. "You’re really trying to get me to wear that around the house, huh?"
He laughed. "Hey, I never said it was just for the house."
"Jiyong," you warned, narrowing your eyes, but there was no real anger there. He was being playful.
The sales associates kept bringing items to you—dresses, skirts, shoes, accessories—and Jiyong didn’t bat an eye. He was too busy looking at you, admiring how you looked in the clothes and laughing with you at the absurdity of some of the more outlandish items.
You tried on a velvet dress, its rich burgundy hue making you feel like a queen. Stepping out of the fitting room, you saw his expression—slightly widened eyes and that lazy, satisfied grin on his face. "You’re stunning," he said, walking over to you, his gaze appreciative, but with a hint of mischief.
“You always say that,” you replied, twirling in front of the mirror.
“That’s because it’s true.” He brushed his hand against your cheek, sending a pleasant shiver through you. "You’re like a dream I never want to wake up from."
You couldn’t help but smile, your heart fluttering despite the lavish shopping spree. “You sure know how to charm me.”
“Why do you think I’m your sugar daddy?" He grinned, before taking a few steps back. "Okay, let's get that dress, but only if you promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?” You tilted your head, intrigued.
“Wear it for me later. Just for me.”
You chuckled, already knowing where this was going. "Fine, but only if I can get those shoes, too."
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Deal.”
---After hours of shopping, you had more bags than you could carry, but Jiyong made sure you were comfortable, holding onto them with ease. The sun was beginning to set, and as you both strolled out of the boutique, the lights of the city began to twinkle again. He was quieter now, and you could tell he was happy simply being by your side.
“So, what’s the plan now?” you asked, glancing up at him.He smirked. “Now, we head back. But you’re going to need a new wardrobe to go with your new style.”
“Jiyong, we literally just bought everything in the store.”
"Well, I guess we’ll just have to go back next week," he said with a wink.
You laughed, leaning against him as you both walked toward the car. "You spoil me rotten."
“I spoil you,” he said softly, “because you’re worth it.”
You smiled, heart full, as you both got into the car. It wasn’t about the clothes or the bags or the extravagant date. It was the way he made you feel, special and loved, and that was worth more than anything he could buy.
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nicromancytarot · 9 days ago
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WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW? 2.0
This is a general reading based on a collective of people. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. If you don’t feel the pile resonates with you, don’t be scared to try another, if it still doesn’t feel right, that’s ok! Maybe our energies aren’t as connected and my readings are not for you.
I do these strictly for fun and educational purposes. I do not charge for these readings, and I do not fake readings. I would tell you the cards I get for the readings, but I pull like 15-20 cards each reading and that is just slightly a strenuous task to write them all down lmao.
PICK A CARD READING
I asked my spirit guides what you need to know right this moment, pick a picture to find out what they had to say!
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PILE 1
Hello my beautiful pile number 1’s! I am feeling that your reading has a lot to do with the expectations of others around you, and your complicity to do as they tell you without really taking into account what you yourself desire. I’m getting the sense that the people you surround yourself with gain from your labours and success, whatever that may be — but they may not quite realise how this situation affects you. I’m getting the message that you need to begin prioritising yourself when it comes to what YOU want in life, things seem so fruitful to others, but you’re not feeling completed, or whole in what you’re doing.
My guides want me to relay that you may need to take some very nerve-racking leaps in order to get what you want and do as you so please. This may mean that you have to leave comfort behind, possibly even people. Say you’re in a stable job and decide to throw it away to pursue a career in a creative position — it may not be so extreme, but it reads all the same. Whatever this is will shake you up, you may feel out of place when you begin these changes, may even be scared of what could happen next.
I feel you may experience loneliness or lack of financial stability during this era of change, but I promise it will all be worth it. I’m getting the message that your “soil isn’t fertile” and that’s why your “plants” aren’t growing. You could need to relocate perhaps, or just try new things to figure out what helps your growth the best. Always know that you’re in control of your life, if you decide to stay in this energy out of worry of loss, that’s fine, but no one can force you out of this more, it’s your choice that matters the most. So choose wisely. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours!!
PILE 2
Hello my fabulous pile 2’s! This reading seems so targeted, so this is for anyone that is having some type of competition in the workplace. I’m seeing that you’re spending a whole lot of time focusing and keeping productive when it comes to whatever has transpired here. I will however say that you may be lacking the security that you need right now, this competition or possibly even resentment may be making your energy fairly unstable right now, I’m getting even temperamental.
My guides want you to know that your biggest priority right now is getting back to that stable area in your life, possibly taking a step back from this competition whether it be a person or event — though you do have a high chance of ace’ing whatever it is. You’re being told to take a moment for yourself, think a fun relaxing weekend, treating yourself to something you denied yourself of in the resent weeks or months. I am also getting the feeling that you need to be more careful when it comes to money and financial decisions as a whole — ensure you’re not overspending, especially when it comes to this competition.
Solitude could give you an incredible idea.
I’m also seeing that you’re very focused on making others proud, being able to aid other people in some way, and while you can absolutely look forward to that, please make sure you take care of yourself first and foremost.
Also always remember to work from your head and not your heart, never overwork yourself to the point of exhaustion, be smart about how you spend your time. Get those face masks on right this instant!
PILE 3
Hello my wonderful pile number 3’s! Y’all are my obsessive relationship type — if not, this pile is definitely not for you lmao. The people here are looking, searching the scorched desert that is the dating sphere right now. You’re getting out there, going out to places to meet new people, or joining social groups and dating apps hoping you’ll truly meet the person or your dreams. Unfortunately it’s not quite working out, is it? Well I’m here to say that luckily you’re just crying over spilt milk here, and there are definitely a pool ready for you to jump in and test the prospects.
Firstly, and I know it’s hard, but you need to let go of any resentment you have from past relationships, situations, anyone who has disappointed you romantically. Let go of the exes, the people whom had ghosted you and you’d hoped they’d come back — sorry, they’re not 🫤 But alas! I have a better solution to solve each and every one of your little romantic heart problems. Seeking out your soulmate? We shall find them, but first and foremost, you MUST focus on yourself, letting go of everything and every fear you have, then I want you to do the hardest thing ever, and look forward people whom you would normally never interact with — your lover is in that pile somewhere, I swear it.
My cards depict the 8 of cups as dirty dishes in the sink, clean your damn dirty dishes. Out with the old and in with the new, you gotta work to clean up everything you don’t need, and then once your dishes are tidy, you haven’t got to worry about them until the next time they’re messy!
You are doing the best you can do with all romantic prospects, you’re putting in the work, checklist ticked off, you’re not just expecting them to turn up — so don’t worry, they will! Buttt you also need to ensure you know what you 100% want when looking, no “they’re not perfect, they’ll do.” You’re going to have the best of the best if you just keep experimenting and looking around. Good luck!!!
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mysteryshoptls · 30 days ago
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Idia Shroud Shared Lines
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Tutorial: You're here... ...Can I go home now?
Level Up 1 / Buddy Level Up: I'm gainin' more EXP... Dwehehehe
Level Up 2: Leveling is crucial.
Level Up 3: Da-da-da daa dum da dah da-da! Level up~
Level Max: H-Hey, isn't my EXP gauge all maxed out already? I don't need to try any harder, right?
Vignette Level Up: There's folks out there who like running challenges using characters with ridiculous stats. ...I'm talking about you.
Spell Level Up: Ughhh, even if my magic gets stronger, it's not like it does me any good out there in the real world. Bleegh.
Friendship Level Up: Y-You’ve got some ulterior motive for being so nice to me, don’t you? Honestly, I’d feel more relaxed if you’d say that you did…
Friendship Level Max: When you first said you wanted me to come to your guest room, I thought you were being forced to on a dare or something, but… Guess I was wrong. Uh, well… I’ll come again. Yeah.
Uncapped: Is it that fun sticking to me like that? Stop it with that cheesy smile. Weirdo......
Groovification: Now we're getting somewhere. The whole cosmos awaits me! ......How cringe can I get? Yeah, no.
Lesson Select 1: I don't want class outside... I don't want class outside...
Lesson Select 2: I don't need to go to class to study... Why's it gotta be in person?
Lesson Select 3: I-It feels like people have been glancing over here for a while now. Hurry and pick something. Faster!
Lesson Start: Eep! There's too many people...
Lesson Finish: I drained about a week's worth of energy in one go.
Battle Start: I’ll finish this pronto in one turn.
Battle Won: You need to level up more~
Trouble 1: That was a dreadful experience… Hey, didn’t you take too long to jump in and stop that?
Trouble 2: This is why I hate guys who try to solve everything with force!
GIFT CALENDAR 2023: “How will you be spending the day?” Obvi, just been hyperfixating on my online games, like always… Rather, why would you think I’d go out in cold weather like this in the first place? I recently overhauled the internet speed in the dorm, so it’s crazy fast now lol. Gonna actually pull an all-nighter, it’s been a while!
Birthday Login Message 1: What? I’m a bit busy right now collecting the birthday voice line of my favorite character in this game… The only ones who congratulate me irl are my family, anyway. …Eh? You came to throw a me birthday party? Y-you? Hie… I-if there’s going to be such a high-difficulty event, why can’t you announce the news ahead of time!? I was completely off my guard so I’m utterly unprepared, you know!?
Birthday Login Message 2: I’m busy right now. If there’s something you want to say, can you just get it over with? …Oho~, so you’re here to give me my “Birthday Greetings”? Well, since you’re already here, I might as well let you celebrate me. I can’t wait to see if you can really make me happy~! I’ll try and patiently wait without any expectations.
Birthday Login Message 3: Don’t know how I feel about you celebrating my lifespan shortening by another year… Eh, guess I’ll at least say thanks. Oh yeah, how 'bout you join our gaming tournament? The others in the dorm are setting one up. Ah, but don’t you even think of trying to go easy on me just 'cause I’m the birthday boy. Doesn’t matter what the game is, there’s no way I’d lose to an amateur. So if you’re going to play with us, come with all you got.
Birthday Login Message 4: Siiiigh… As expected, I didn’t win a greeting from Premo’s birthday present campaign. Looks like, as always, I’m just a poor soul that’ll only get birthday wishes from my family and my games… EEK!? WHEN DID YOU GET HERE!? Eh, you came to wish me a happy birthday? I-Is that so…? Well, thanks. Wheehee.
Birthday Login Message 5: Hi… Need something from me? …My birthday? Oh, well, now that you mention it! Th-Thanks… I completely forgot after Ortho wished me a happy birthday this morning… Did I get anything from anyone else? Wh-Wh-Why’re you asking a loner like me that!? I p-pretty much just avoid everyone else, so. The most I did today was play with Azul-shi during our Boardgame Club time… Obviously I utterly crushed him!! …Eh, you think he went easy on me 'cause it was my birthday? Uh-huh… If you really think that, how about a game, then? Don’t come crying to me later after you lose, though, fheehee.
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Requested by Anonymous.
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lavandulawrites · 23 days ago
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Yandere OCs When You are on Your Period
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Yandere loser (Adrain) x reader, yandere water elf/ Nøkken (Eilif) x reader, yandere botanist/ florist (Oliver ) x reader, yandere elf/ Huldra (Sigurd) x reader, yandere surgeon (Ulrik) x reader (all separate)
I’m on my period rn so I thought this was fitting.
Masterlist Original Characters Masterlist
Warnings: female reader,
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Adrian/ yandere loser
He has no experience with periods other than his mum. He did do it rather well in biology, so he isn’t that oblivious. He is however not prepared whatsoever.
When your period first starts he is in a constant state of panic. He is frantically googling both symptoms and solutions. He wants to be the best boyfriend ever and he is not going to do so half hearted.
He will buy lots of period products, way more than you need. When you tell him you don’t need that much he will get visibly embarrassed. He stocks up on chocolate and other snacks and he baked you cookies.
He is all over you, clinging to you like a koala. You play video games together and watch Studio Ghibli movies. He will make sure you are as comfortable as possible, he is very a bit awkward but he means well.
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Eilif/ yandere water elf (Nøkken)
Eilif is not a human so periods are rather foreign to him. Despite him being well over 1500 years, he has never really dealt with periods (but he hasn’t been oblivious to its existence).
He dedicates his nights to study the female body through his large collection of books. He will get his hands on some menstrual products as he cannot have his precious darling bleed through her garments.
He will make you some medicine from various plants and herbs, a recipe that has been perfected throughout centuries.
He is worried about you at first. Even if he has read about periods, it is something else seeing it. Eilif is not squeamish by any means (he does after all eat humans from time to time), but the scent of your blood worries him. He knows it’s natural, but he thinks it’s unfair that human women have to suffer so much and not the men. He has met more men throughout his long life, than what you could ever imagine and the majority of them has been disgusting. As a male he makes it his duty to make your menstruation as comfortable as possible. You deserve no less.
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Oliver/ yandere botanist/ florist
Oliver has two sisters so periods are something he is quite familiar with.
He already has plenty of pads and tampons way before you start your period (it’s important to be prepared). He bakes you whatever you might crave and he has snacks ready before you even ask.
He will gift you beautiful flower bouquets and the plushie you have been eyeing for a while. Oliver will make you take painkillers if you are cramping a she cannot stand to see you in pain.
If you don’t have any energy and your cramps are bad, he will make you stay at home. He can take care of you and besides missing work for a day isn’t too bad is it? He is a big cuddler so expect to be wrapped into a blanket burrito that may or may not restrict your movement.
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Sigurd/ yandere elf (Huldra)
Sigurd has been with a handful of human women, so he has experience with periods (though he left the women for the mostly to themselves as he didn’t really have any feelings for them).
You however are someone he cares very deeply about. He does some research about periods in village library. He reads through old and new texts till he has enough information to be able to take proper care of you.
He is new to showing romantic affection towards a loved one, but given his confident attitude he doesn’t struggle too much.
He will cuddle with you without your asking (you know he can never say no to holding you). He will prepped your face with kisses as you lay in foster position with horrible cramps. He will never get over how adorable you are! You are so weak and compliant, it truly makes his heart ache with love. He won’t help you with your cramps, other than giving you some medicine (god knows where he got it from) and talk your ear off. His endless yapping does help you get your mind on something else, so you won’t complain too much.
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Ulrik/ yandere surgeon
Ulrik is a doctor so periods is something he is knowledgeable about. With his photographic memory he will remember all details about your period and he will do his best to meet your needs to the best of his ability.
He is rather strict and will have to take painkillers even if you don’t want to. You are to rest in bed if you have cramps. He is rather overbearing, but you don’t have the heart to say no to him. Not when he is so sweet towards you (totally not his intention…).
If you ask him nicely, he will give in and give you some of the food you are craving. Other than that he will cook you food that is both nutritious and delicious.
He has stacked up on all different kinds of menstrual products (obviously only the best brands). If you feel extra cuddly, he won’t ever say no to cuddles. Your cramps feel a little bit better as you snuggle underneath a blanket with a heating pad and Ulrik’s arms wrapped around you.
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aziraphales-library · 1 month ago
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Hello beloveds!!
Do you have any recs with Aziraphale being disgustingly smitten with Crowley, maybe trying to woo him and Crowley being utterly oblivious?
Thank you for everything you do 💛 I've found so many favourites here!
Hi! We have #oblivious crowley and #wooing tags, so check those out. Here are more fics along those lines...
Yellow by Dancer_in_the_rain (G)
“What is it with you and this colour anyway?” Aziraphale almost choked on the sniff of daffodils. He coughed long enough for Crowley to start patting him on the back with a sympathetic expression. “Whatever do you mean, my dear?”, asked Aziraphale when he could speak again, tears in his eyes and face red from his coughing fit. Crowley rolled his eyes. “Really, angel, I thought we talked about you dodging uncomfortable questions like this. You know damn well, what I mean. Whenever you see something in this shade of yellow, you just got to have it. And when I question you on it, you get all flustered like just now. So, what’s up with you and yellow?” Aziraphale was very quiet for a while, not looking at Crowley and opting for fiddling with the daffodils instead. Ultimately, Crowley sighed. “Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, I’m not forcing you. You could just say so though, I was only asking.” “It’s stupid, really.” Or: Crowley notices over the years how Aziraphale seems to prefer a certain shade of yellow and eventually asks him about it. The answer is not at all what he expects.
to have a heart to break by moonagedisasterr (NR)
Crowley, for his part, knows he can’t say anything. That’s up to Aziraphale now. Beyond that, though, he doesn’t want to talk anymore. He doesn’t have anything left to say. He wanted Aziraphale down here so he could see, so he could feel. In Crowley’s experience, feelings have always done much more than words.
I Could Drink A Case Of You by mandysimo13 (T)
Everything had gone quiet. The end of the world was averted. Satan had crawled back into his hole. The Four Horsemen dissolved back to their respective corners to lick their wounds. Shadwell and Madame Tracey popped onto her little scooter and started for home. Anathema let Newt follow her back to her cottage so they could discuss the future. Adam’s real father had collected the Them and driven them back to their own homes. Aziraphale and Crowley were left alone. Together, they learn how to live in semi-retirement while learning how to nurture the love they held for each other for so long, now that they are free to do so. But when Aziraphale begins working on a secret project, Crowley can't help but become suspicious.
The ducks and the bees by Yoite (E)
"Um", the angel cleared his throat. "Well, as we know, when humans like each other, sometimes, they, er, give each other a.. special hug." "Are you asking me to sleep with you?" Aziraphale wants to investigate what this whole sex malarkey is all about, but nothing goes according to plan.
moonstruck by foolishlovers (M)
Crowley finds solace in the stars, the moon, in the soft glow of distant lights. He treasures these moments of quietude, gazing up at the night sky through the windows of his favourite café - a small sanctuary from his hectic life as a professor. Yet his peace is disrupted when a new bartender, annoyingly cheerful and unreasonably cherubic, takes it upon himself to strike up conversations Crowley never asked for. As the months slip by, however, he catches himself getting more and more involved… and maybe a little less irritated than he’d care to admit.
Forsaken by VerdantVulpus (E)
Aziraphale has quietly loved his frenemy for a very long time. It had been a simple, innocent love once, but grew overtime in its abundance and complexity. It was ever present, at times bothersome or painful, other times driving him to acts of courage he didn't think possible. Always quiet, though. There was no point sharing his feelings with a demon. Demons were incapable of love. So imagine Aziraphale’s dismay to learn that not only had Crowley loved him terribly for just as long, but that Aziraphale had missed all the signs and the demon had given up hope. Now Aziraphale must organize his own thoughts and feelings and learn how to woo a demon before Crowley moves on for good.
(Mind the tags on this one!)
- Mod D
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impossiblesuitcase · 10 months ago
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This You I Choose - part i.
Peeta is rescued from the Capitol, tortured but not hijacked, and 'this would've happened anyway' happens earlier.
When Peeta and I do reunite, he doesn’t kiss me like I’d expected him to. He’s in a stupor, vague and bleary-eyed and can only weakly mouth my name in disbelief. His limbs are rubber as I crash into him yet he wraps them around me all the same. I’m the one to cup his face in my hands, sobbing and angry and so relieved it electrifies every nerve in my body.
The doctors prod at him for what feels like the length of a whole Hunger Games, and I’m waiting for them to leave so I can cry and hold him and I need them to just leave. Leave. 
They don’t. So I pretend they aren’t there.
Peeta doesn’t kiss me. He doesn’t grin or tease like he did without fail in the arena, no matter how dire the situation. He strokes my hair, face slack with awe. He repeats my name, again and again and again like a mockingjay. My questions—interrupted by sobs—go unanswered. Are you okay? What did they do to you? Where did they hurt you? 
So as the doctors are grabbing his arm far too roughly for my liking and forcing a needle into his vein, he squirms something awful.
And I kiss him.
Once, twice, again and again. It’s kiss five that he registers and kisses me back, and then this lasts for a long time but never long enough. Haymitch comes to collect me, tears me from Peeta’s arms so the doctors can experiment on him some more. I thrash, I scream. Peeta does too.
I’m not allowed back in the hospital until the next morning. With no doctors closely lingering, I crawl under the thin hospital blanket and envelop him in my arms. I trace his scars, monitor his crackling breaths and sponge kisses to his lips and pulse points. When I stop, he comes in for more, and I know that we are both administering pain medication this way.
The morphling relaxes him, but I think my touch is much longer lasting.
———
Over the next days I am consumed by Peeta. He is constantly on edge, distrusting everybody except a handful. Me, Prim, occasionally my mother. Even Haymitch is a bad taste in his mouth, and for how little he speaks, we’re all shocked when he summons the lung capacity to scream at him for lying to us in the Quarter Quell.
It ends in whimpering sobs, which only abate as I cradle his head into the wee hours of the morning.
I can’t stand to be parted from him, convinced Snow will turn the corner, laugh at me balefully and taunt from those puffy lips, “Oh, Miss Everdeen, you didn’t truly think I’d let you keep him?” When those nightmares awaken me at night, I do my best to stifle my gasps. I can’t disturb Peeta’s precious few hours of sleep.
Something different now is how often I kiss him. It’s for his sake, I think at first, but I begin to seriously doubt that. When I’m forced to leave his side for meals I swear I feel myself growing weaker if I go too long without my source.
Haymitch relays to me updates on the resistance, their efforts, Coin and Plutarch’s latest strategies. He more than once reminds me that Coin is looking for a Mockingjay, not the star-crossed lovers, and I’m expected to eventually show up to strategy meetings. I ignore him.
Once, when I’m barred from his room by the doctors—citing a medical procedure that cannot be interfered with—I return to my own quarters. Prim is there, stroking that mangy cat, and looks surprised to see me.
“You’re back?”
“Not for long. Just until they let me back into the hospital,” I grumble.
Prim stands and heaves Buttercup up to her chest, who hisses at me as though I’m the one who disturbed his rest. She opens the drawer where my belongings lie; the locket, the stopwatch, the pearl.
“I thought you might want to take this.” She picks up the pearl and folds it into my palm.
I run it around my knuckles. “Why?”
“Haymitch suggested that you ‘give it to the boyfriend,’” she explains. “We thought it might settle him a bit.”
I scoff at Haymitch’s choice of words and look at Prim, expecting a glint of teasing in her eyes. She of all people knows the love story was for show. To protect her, in fact. A byproduct of protecting my sister’s childhood for all these years is that she has the gall of a teenager. She makes jabs at me often but her giggles and grins always give it away. I wait for this now, but her face is as sound as ever.
“What?” 
She looks at me, innocent and unblinking. “You know, to remind him of how things were before he was in the Capitol.”
“You think he’s my boyfriend?” I spit out.
She smiles. “A lot of people think that. I’ve seen you together since he was rescued. Seemed a little more than friendly.”
“That’s no different to how we were in the Games,” I argue.
“Yes it is. No one’s forcing you to do any of it anymore.” Buttercup is glaring at me condescendingly, and I hate the idea that this stupid cat thinks it understands emotions better than I can. “You’re a bad actress, Katniss,” Prim continues, laughing a little. “And you hate being lovey-dovey. Could you have played out that romance thing with anyone else?”
No. But maybe—Gale…and then, I don’t think either of us would’ve thought to play the romance card. We would’ve treated it as one of our hunts, except some of our prey spoke like us. I try to imagine if I’d like the strategy better and I’m struck by a realisation. Gale would have killed. Not just defensively. I remember—just before I was taken to the Capitol for the first Games—he told me that the other tributes were just like animals. Would he have set up snares and traps, sized to fit a child rather than a rabbit? Would he have sought to eliminate our competition? Peeta wasn’t just trying to protect us with the love angle. It prevented us from having to kill.
Would I have been horrified by Gale by the end of the Games?
“Maybe it was for the Games, but I don’t think you could’ve done it if you hadn’t at least liked the person to begin with,” Prim observes.
I gape at my sister and her unabashedness and how she’s right. I think about my own mother; how I reject her every advance and brush of affection. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to kiss and feign endearment for some random boy that I met in the Games, even with survival on the line. I would’ve recoiled instantly and Haymitch would’ve groaned as the sponsors dried up and I’d be dead.
But I hadn’t really known Peeta before the Games. Not properly. How did he make it so easy?
I snatch up the locket, tuck the pearl in the pocket of my uniform. “I’m going to lunch,” I say, despite the hollowness in my stomach having nothing to do with food. Prim bids me goodbye, unfazed by my flightiness. 
After a lacklustre meal of some grey mush, I check the schedule on my arm and finally follow it.
———
“Hey, Catnip.”
I jump back, startled. Even with the telltale nickname, it doesn’t immediately register to me that the newcomer is Gale. As I turn to face him, taking in the amusement in his seam-grey eyes, I scold myself. This is Gale. Whom I’ve been spending almost all of my time with since coming to 13.
It’s only in realising this that I also realise I haven’t seen him since Peeta’s return. 
“Hey,” I say.
“Feeling better?”
I cock my head to the side. “Better?”
“Now that Peeta’s back,” he says, like it’s obvious. “Do you feel like yourself again?”
I’ve been incomplete since he was kidnapped, and I try to determine if I’m whole now that he’s been returned. Almost. He isn’t quite the Peeta that I lost anymore; still, I am not his Katniss from the Seam.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
He gazes at me expectantly. I quirk an eyebrow. 
A chortle rocks his chest. “You’re not going to ask if I’m okay? After rescuing his life?”
Right. Prim, Gale, Peeta. The three people I protect in every universe. “Sorry, I’ve been distracted lately,” I confess sheepishly, scratching my forearm. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
Seeing him again makes me feel steadier. A little more like that girl from the woods. “What are you doing here?”
He taps the tattoo on his arm. “I’m rostered to be here. As are you.”
Weapons training. Trainee soldiers are scattered around the range, some aiming at targets and others being taught the anatomy of a gun by a soldier. No one is shooting yet. With how skittish I become at loud sounds these days, I’ll probably leave when that starts. Gale unstraps a gun from his holster and hands it to me. I fiddle with its mechanisms, trying to recall any of the training on its assembly.
Gale watches for a while and decides to pity me. “Here, let me show you.”
He comes up behind me, my back to his chest. His arms weave around my waist and lay over my hands. Then he manoeuvres them around the parts, removing the magazine and the other pieces I don’t know the name of and leads my hands in a rehearsed dance of reassembling them.
This closeness is nice and familiar. I haven’t embraced him for a while now, but his strong heartbeat reflected against my back reminds me that—even in these dismal bunkers of 13—I can have a piece of home.
With the weapon readied, I graze the trigger and have a sudden vision of it firing against my will. A shudder courses through me. His hands still.
“What’s wrong?”
My head shakes on its own. “Nothing.” But knowing he won’t believe that, I shakily amend, “It’s…this whole thing. We can’t live in this bunker forever. But 12 is gone. I feel like I’m just waiting for this stint to be over”—and to kill Snow, I don’t say—“so we can just go home.”
“Me too.”
“No. I can’t want that.” I extricate myself from him, turning to face him instead. His face is set with hardness as always but his eyes droop with sympathy. “I’m alive. So is Prim and my mother and you. And Peeta was taken from me but he’s back. I have better things to fret over.”
Gale cups my face with one hand and I lean into the touch. “It was home, Katniss. Of course you miss it.”
“I don’t deserve to.” And then I whisper what’s been underlying, plaguing me for weeks with nowhere for the thought to go. “Not when it’s my fault.”
He looks displeased. “Did you drop the bomb?”
I’m starting to think that that doesn’t matter much anymore. That whether you’re at the scene of the crime or being lifted from a broken arena by hovercraft, every thread eventually leads back to the spool. The larking Mockingjay.
“I did, in a way, didn’t I? Doesn’t matter if I was there or not. I practically devised it with every move I made against Snow.”
“Things happen in war, Katniss.” Perhaps I would agree with him, but the roiling in my stomach can’t easily digest this simplification. “You can’t keep hurting yourself. You have to forgive yourself.”
I toss the gun to the floor, loathing the sight of it and distancing myself from him because he’s wrong when his hands still me. His eyes are deep with intent. Then he’s leaning in and I have ample time to know what’s coming. I allow him.
The second his lips touch mine, I flinch. It’s instinct. I have no control over the action.
He pulls away. “What’s wrong?”
“I…” I trail off, unable to find the words. I don’t know what’s wrong.
He considers me for a long moment, then shoves his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “I see.”
“What? What do you see?”
He shakes his head, voice acerbic. “No, no, I knew. But I ignored it. Can’t anymore though, can we?”
“Tell me,” I order, because he’s being cryptic and irritable and I am unable to draw the conclusion he has. It frustrates me just how well he can read my own emotions when I can’t even decipher them myself. I thought it was bad enough from Buttercup, but this is exponentially worse.
“You love him. Peeta.”
The instinct to refute him shrivels up in my chest. It doesn’t ring false. Yes, I do care about Peeta. He’s a friend. An ally. A partner.
“I care about him,” I agree. “But I care about you too.”
“How?” he challenges.
“The same as him. You’re my friends. My allies.”
He crosses his arms over his chest, frowning. “But that isn’t all.”
I think of when Gale was whipped, laying beneath the cover of ice, and I chose him. Then, as soon as I’d been called for the Quarter Quell, I had been all too comfortable seeking another pair of arms to warm me. Because I was lonely, a voice scolds. Because I’m selfish. 
Am I still lonely now? Yes. Am I clinging to Peeta merely because I need company? Is that why I would have done anything to get him back?
I would’ve killed Snow. And Coin. And if Gale stood in my way….
“I don’t know,” I say.
“Don’t you?” he says bitingly. “Isn’t that the reason you’ve been glued to his hip since the moment he came back?”
“And what’s it to you?” I snap. 
“You know what.”
Because I owe him. As a friend. As I had personally appointed myself to be Gale’s lover. Even if ‘lover’ never came to fruition. Even if he never knew it.
Peeta. Friend. Ally. Partner. There’s something unsaid. For Peeta, partner feels…insufficient. Something is missing.
The hunger coursing through my body. The desperation I felt without him.
“No. That’s not all. Not for him,” I admit.
Gale chuckles ruefully. He reaches out and tucks hair behind my ear. There’s a coldness on his face with the action. “I knew. Since I saw you kissing him on that beach, I knew—it was a foregone conclusion. You’ve chosen him.”
“That’s not—”
“When you were kissing him in the arena, were you thinking about me?” he interrupts.
My mouth opens and closes a few times. “Sometimes. I’d feel guilty about kissing him. Because of you.” 
“Because you wanted to be kissing me? Or because you thought I’d be hurt by it?”
His words—plain, but cutting—stun me. I hadn’t allowed myself to consider it, but isn’t it true? Did I want him in my arms, rocking me to sleep, kissing me and me kissing him? No, I wasn’t thinking of that at all. I felt guilty. It felt like I was being unfaithful to him.
I can recognise that feeling because at this moment he has stolen the kiss from my mouth that is reserved for Peeta’s lips.
All the moments I’ve shared with this boy run past my thoughts and away into oblivion. I think about how I spent years with him, alone in the woods. How at any point my feelings should have developed and appeared. How only now, in war and Games and death, do I feel a longing for him.
If this is over, do I see myself in his arms? When things are good? Do I crave his kisses? His comfort?
Gale leans in and kisses me on the cheek. It’s familial and stirs nothing beneath my sternum. “Told ya. I won’t stand in your way, Catnip.” 
Then he leaves. I have no desire to chase after him though I feel I should. It’s the nice thing to do, the friendly thing. But after this interrogation, I wonder if that’s why I do anything for Gale. Because I fear that if I don’t he will leave me and I can’t bear to lose anyone else.
I listen to his retreating footsteps until the guns begin to fire. I touch my hand to my cheek.
———
I spend a good hour meandering down the halls of 13’s gloomy bunker. My thoughts tick over on repeat, again and again and again. Peeta will be waiting for me and that’s louder than most of my other ruminations.
You’ve chosen him, Gale said, but that tastes like a lie in my mouth. That implies that I have committed to a relationship, and in turn a future, a marriage, children. Anyone who knows me knows I haven’t committed to that, ever. So there’s no choice to make.
Some choices I have made were never choices in the first place. To volunteer for Prim. To ally with Rue. To save Peeta in the Quarter Quell over myself. Those were never something I decided. I would not be Katniss Everdeen if I had chosen otherwise.
I reach the hospital. My feet brought me here unbidden, drawn by the magnetism lying inside. Peeta. I linger by his doorway, listening for his slow breathing. If he’s asleep, I’ll go in. That way I can just look at him. To understand. To decide if Gale is right.
“Katniss?” I hear him call softly.
I enter. He’s smiling wearily, tired but content. “How did you know I was there?” I ask.
“I didn’t. I heard footsteps. I was hoping it was you.”
My arms are crossed over my chest, my stance defensive.
His brow furrows. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I resist.
“Well, then come here.” He holds out his arms.
“What?”
“The most effective treatment for ‘nothing’ is burying yourself in hugs. Shouldn’t you know that—healer’s daughter?”
He must be picking up a bit if he’s teasing me like this, so I go over. I cuddle up in his arms and my skin is electric with his touch. It’s never felt this way before. Not even on the beach. That was hunger. This is safety, my soul fitting back into my body exactly as it should. I have embraced him every day and night since his return, but this ailment is symptomatic only now that I know about it.
I can never leave his arms. I kiss him, just to double-check, and I sigh as I have my confirmation.
I never chose Peeta. Just like I never chose Prim or Rue. It is, what did Gale call it? A foregone conclusion.
It would be against my very being to not need him.
I pull away and he whines, gently. “Hey, I was enjoying that.”
“You can have more.”
He gives me a tired grin. “When?”
I lay my head on his chest and settle in for the night. My mother won’t be expecting me anyway. She’s given up trying to keep me from him. In fact, only two days past Finnick had teased that Plutarch’s query as to my whereabouts was stupid, because I had a new residence in the Mellark room in the hospital. When Prim relayed the story to me I’d been ambivalent about to react. Now, I want to scoff alongside Finnick. Yes, what a stupid question. Where else would I be?
“Whenever you want.” 
Notes
Part two
@gingerale2017 i know you love everlark ;)
221 notes · View notes
thewickedjazzy · 10 months ago
Text
𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 : A vignette fic
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Pairings: Chuuya x fem!reader x Dazai
Tags: crack, mention of word 'crotch' , mention of words' S&M' 'ropes & belt' but overall nothing nsfw, swearing & curses. please let me know if I forgot any Xx.
Author's note: omg, omg!! So this is my first vignette, i love the idea of it sm (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), so a vignette fic is basically a collection of multiple shot scenes. And the fact that it's crack? Tops it *mwah mwah* hope you guys actually enjoy it? Please let me know if you want me to do more of this.
P.S. I'm not sure who created Chuuya and Dazai's bantering scene in the photo, but I edited it a little, and UwU, it's cute.
Word count: 2.2k
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You and Chuuya Nakahara stand side by side, squinting down a narrow alley that reeks of old ramen and questionable life choices. The tension in the air is thicker than a badly cooked stew, but it’s not because of the mission. No, it’s because you’re stuck with Chuuya—the guy who seems to have skipped the tutorial on how to chill out.
“I still don’t get how we became friends so quickly,” you mutter, glancing at Chuuya from the corner of your eye.
Chuuya huffs, adjusting his fedora like it’s the crown jewel of his entire aesthetic. “You think I get it? The last thing I expected was to actually like one of Dazai’s friends.”
“Wait, are we actually getting along now? I should definitely blog about this—‘Unexpected Friendships: How I Learned to Tolerate My Frenemy.’” You said with an exaggerated british accent, your head tilted slightly to the side, giving a flirty pout and holding up a peace sign with a wink.
“Don’t push it,” he warns, though there’s no real heat behind his words.
The truth is, working with Chuuya is surprisingly easy—once you get past the short temper, the constant complaints about Dazai, and the occasional death threat. You had always thought you’d be in over your head dealing with someone from the Port Mafia, but instead, you found yourself enjoying his company. His straightforwardness was a breath of fresh air compared to Dazai’s endless scheming.
As you two began your search for the culprit who had pilfered sensitive information from both the Agency and the Port Mafia, you couldn’t help but throw a bit of sarcasm into the mix.
"Okay, but imagine stealing information only to figure out that the most feared Port Mafia member has a whole wardrobe collection of fedoras. heeehh," You sighed, rolling your eyes playfully.
Chuuya shot you a sidelong glance. “If you keep making jokes, I’m going to start thinking you’re the one who stole the files.”
“Please, I wouldn’t risk getting on your bad side,” you replied. “You’ve got a way of making even paperwork seem like a death sentence.”
“I’ll torture you one day,” Chuuya said with a sigh, more exasperated than serious.
“Oh, absolutely!” you said with mock enthusiasm. “I've always wanted to experience the classic ‘tortured by Chuuya’ scenario. Make sure to use ropes and belts, though—nothing says 'fun' like an impromptu S&M session.”
Chuuya’s eyes widened, and he froze in place, his face flushing bright red. “What?!” he stammered.
“Bestie, I’m kidding,” you said, stepping closer and whispering in his ear with a mischievous grin, “Even though I’m not entirely joking... I’d love to see you try it someday.”
Chuuya’s blush deepened, and he turned away, clearly flustered.
You chuckled and patted him on the back. “Come on, lighten up. Let’s get back to finding that bastard before you actually get the chance to use those ropes and belts.”
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You and Dazai were hanging out at Chuuya's house, enjoying some wine and the rare moment of peace that didn’t involve life-or-death situations. However, you should’ve known better than to leave these two motherfuckers alone together, even for a second. As you walked back into the living room, you were greeted by the sight of Chuuya looking absolutely furious while Dazai was laughing like he had just heard the best joke of the century.
As they both turn to look at you, their expressions shift from whatever chaos they were engaged in to sheer confusion. Why? Because you’re now wearing sunglasses—at 10 p.m.
Chuuya, barely containing his anger, is the first to speak. “Why the hell are you wearing sunglasses indoors? At night?”
You strik a dramatic pose, placing two fingers under your chin and lips bitten like you’re about to slide into someone’s DMs with a “Hey, baby girl, you up?”. With all the confidence in the world, you sit down across from Chuuya, leaning back nonchalantly.
“I’m wearing sunglasses,” you say, your tone oozing fake coolness, “so no one knows what I’m looking at.”
Then, you slowly shift your gaze to Chuuya’s crotch, your eyes completely hidden behind the tinted lenses. The room goes silent for a moment. They're both utterly confused, obviously—Chuuya’s face turns from angry to completely flustered, his eyes widening as he realises where your focus is.
“W-What the hell are you doing?!” Chuuya splutters, clearly thrown off by your audacity.
Dazai, who had been watching the whole thing, finally loses it, bursting into uncontrollable laughter. He nearly spills his wine as he clutches his stomach, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
“Oh my god! y/n you did notttt!!” Dazai gasps between laughs.
Chuuya shot Dazai a glare, his face still bright red. “Shut up, Dazai! This isn’t funny!”
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You stand in the middle of a crime scene in Yokohama, your head pounding like a drum solo gone wrong. Sleep? Who needs it when you’ve got coffee—enough to make your system hate you for life. You’ve been running on caffeine and sheer willpower, and it’s a miracle you haven’t started seeing pink sheep dancing on the rooftops.
Dazai is strolling around like he’s on a casual walk in the park, while Kunikida is already knee-deep in his notebook, scribbling down everything with the precision of a man who’s too serious for his own good. Meanwhile, you’re squinting at the crime scene, trying to piece together the puzzle through a caffeine-induced haze.
After what feels like a marathon of connecting the dots, you sigh heavily, shaking your head as the realization dawns on you. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” you mutter. “It’s the dead guy’s girlfriend. Classic case of ‘hell hath no fury.’”
Dazai glances at you, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “Figured it out, have you? And here I thought you were too sleep-deprived to function.”
“I’m running on three cups of coffee zero hours of sleep I'm ready to fight god or become him, but I still have more brain cells firing than you, Dazai,” you shoot back, earning a chuckle from him.
The investigation leads you to the suspect’s location. Turns out, she’s an ability user, so the police are out of their depth. It’s the Agency’s mess now, and you’re not sure if that’s a good thing or if you’re just about to add another layer of mess to your already weird day.
The three of you burst into the room where the suspect is holed up, only to find her cozied up with another woman, their fingers interlocked like they’re the leads in a sappy romance drama. It takes you all of two seconds to figure out what went down: she killed her boyfriend because he cheated, and now she’s got with the girl he cheated on her with.
Before you can say anything, Kunikida charges in with the no-nonsense attitude of a man who’s had enough of everyone’s crap today. He knocks her out cold and cuffs her with swift efficiency. Meanwhile, Dazai’s just standing there, hands in his pockets, watching the whole thing like it’s the best entertainment he’s had in weeks.
As the suspect curses under her breath, you can’t hold back the joke that’s been bubbling up inside you. It’s too good to waste, and your brain is running on autopilot now.
“Well, well, well,” you say, grinning like a maniac. “It’s obvious she did it for the plot. You go, queen! Honestly, you better spill the tea when we get to the investigation room.”
Dazai loses it completely. He doubles over, laughter echoing through the room.
Kunikida narrows his eyes as he tries to process what just came out of your mouth. “This is serious! How can you joke about this?!”
“Come on, Kunikida-san,” you say, patting him on the back. “She’s in cuffs, the case is solved, and we’ve got a hell of a story to tell back at the office. Chill a bit, yeah?”
Kunikida just shakes his head, muttering something about needing a vacation. But despite his irritation, there’s a tiny, begrudging smile tugging at his lips.
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After what felt like an eternity drowning in paperwork at the Agency, you finally hit send on the last report and tossed your pen aside like it had personally wronged you. The boredom was suffocating, and you needed a break—preferably one that involved good company and even better wine.
You grabbed your phone and shot a quick text to Chuuya: “Yo, I’m crashing at your place before you head out. Got wine. Don’t argue.”
With the wine bottle in hand, you made your way to Chuuya’s place, already picturing the relaxation ahead. When you knocked on his door, it only took a few seconds before it swung open, revealing Chuuya in nothing but his black pants, the belt hanging loose, and his chest on full display.
You blinked. Then blinked again. It wasn’t every day you got to see Chuuya Nakahara shirtless—okay, maybe this was the first time, but still.
“Hey,” he greeted casually, as if this was the most normal way to answer the door.
“Sheeeshh, lord have mercy!” you giggled, not dropping your gaze off of him just yet.
He rolled his eyes, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks as he stepped aside to let you in. “Shut up. I was just about to get dressed.”
You sauntered past him into the living room as if you hadn’t just been blessed with the view of the century. You tossed your jacket and vest onto the nearest chair and unbuttoned the top few buttons of your shirt, trying to fight off the sudden wave of heat.
“How hot is it in here? Ugh, must be the humidity,” you muttered, though you knew damn well the real reason your face felt like it was on fire.
Chuuya, seemingly oblivious to your internal chaos, started yapping about something—what, you couldn’t quite tell. Your brain was too fried from the paperwork and the unexpected view to keep up. He eventually headed towards his bedroom to get dressed, leaving you to pour two glasses of wine. You took a deep breath and followed him, wine glasses in hand.
When you entered the bedroom, Chuuya was already half-dressed in his usual getup, adjusting his choker in the mirror. You couldn’t help but stare at his waist, so slim it could rival that of a top model. The words slipped out of your mouth before you could stop them.
“How many bicycle crunches do you do? Ain’t no way your waist is that slim.” You pouted, genuinely baffled at the injustice of it all. Like, seriously, what the hell?
Chuuya shot you a look that could only be described as utterly confused. “Say what now?”
Ignoring him, you walked over, setting the wine glasses aside before placing both hands on his waist, feeling the firm yet unfairly slim muscles beneath your fingers. “Ain’t no way you’re not wearing a corset underneath. Be honest.”
Chuuya froze, his face turning a shade redder than his hair. “Are you serious right now?” he sputtered, his voice rising slightly as he smacked your hands away. “Get a grip!”
You pouted dramatically. “I’m just saying, Chuuya. It’s not fair. I can barely do a sit-up without collapsing, and here you are, looking like you walked straight out of a fashion magazine.”
Chuuya headed over to his glass, holding it to his lips before drowning his wine in one go, probably regretting ever opening the door. “I seriously hate your guts.”
"Nahh, you love me," you say, raising your glass in a mock toast.
“Only because you bring wine,” he quips back, finally allowing a small smile to break through.
You clink glasses with him, both of you taking a sip. For a moment, you just stand there, enjoying the quiet. The mission can wait; right now, it’s all about enjoying the moment—and maybe, just maybe, teasing Chuuya a little bit more.
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You: [sends a photo of yourself in the arcade, holding an AK and posing beside the score] “Honestly? SLAYED 💅🏻"
Bandages Whore: Ah~,😫 my bella, it would be an honour to meet my end by your hand—your tight black dress has me mesmerised.
Tainted Wine: I will kill you, Dazai! And y/n delete that photo right now!!!
You: Too late, it’s already immortalised in the group chat, babe.😚
Bandages Whore: got my first death threat online ngl the world is healing.
Tainted Wine: Piss off shitty Dazai! But seriously, y/n you look absolutely gorgeous and with that gun? A real spitfire. (ꈍᴗꈍ)
Bandages Whore: Spitfire??? Chuuya, what century are you from? 😭😭😭
You: Spitfire? 😭😭 Where’d you dig that one up? I CAN'T- KSJEJWIW
Tainted Wine: Hey!!! I was trying to be nice! At least I don’t go around asking to be killed in every conversation, you damn weirdo!😠
Bandages Whore: Maybe, but at least I know how to give a modern compliment. You gotta keep up with the times, Chuuya!😭
You: It’s okay, Chuuya. I appreciate the effort. But next time, maybe skip the spitfire line and try something that doesn’t make me feel like I’m in a black-and-white movie. 😭😭😭😭
Tainted Wine: I HATE YOU GUYS! 😤
Bandages Whore: [sends a photo of Chuuya doing yoga, looking very zen]
Look at Chuuya here, so zen and peaceful.
You: Aww look at him, very demure, very considerate, very mindful. ๑(◕‿◕)๑
Bandages Whore: Very demure? I'm dying 😭😭😭
Tainted Wine: Stop with that trend and those slangs. You’re older than that! Seriously!!🤦🏼
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➵Want more of Chuuya & Dazai ?
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chelseasdagger · 2 years ago
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Teacher - Chapter III
Frank Castle x Inexperienced F!Reader
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Summary: Frank invites you to hang out with him at a bar on the outskirts of town. After some good food, and lots of teasing, you get invited back to his place to take care of the problem you caused him.
Warnings: age gap (reader is in her early 20s), mentions of drinking and smoking, cursing, grinding, detailed handjob sorry, slight praise kink
Author's Note: I am so incredibly sorry for how long it took for this chapter to come out!! I had a lot of life issues that delayed this, but I'm pretty happy with how this turned out so please accept this super long chapter as my apology/holiday gift!! And if you want to be added to the tag list just let me know. As always, reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated :) Leave a comment or shoot me an ask!! I'd love to hear what you think!
Word Count: 9k
Previous Chapters: I, II
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“So I was thinkin’… Said you didn’t get many experiences even after high school, right?” Frank asks. His voice slightly muffled through the phone, which is wedged between your ear and your shoulder as you drag the spatula over the food you’re cooking on the stove. He had randomly rang you out of the blue and, after attempting to control your breathing, you answered the call. This was what he chose to greet you with and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t confused by the topic of conversation.
“Good morning to you too,” you tease, the food sizzling as you flip it in the pan. “But no, I haven’t. Why? What’s up?” you question.
“There’s this bar on the edge of town,” he begins his offer. “Little bit of a drive but they got good food,” he explains. 
“Tempting…” you trail off, trying not to immediately agree just because it’s Frank. “Who all is coming?”
“Just me,” he replies. “That alright?”
“Yeah!” Your answer is too loud and far too fast to be playing it cool. After cursing yourself mentally, you try again. “Yeah, I was just wondering if it was a whole… get-together thing.” Your voice grows quiet at the end, not wanting to plant the idea in his head that you’d prefer it if there were more people.
Honestly, you were surprised he was reaching out this soon after the bonfire. It was one of the best nights of your life. Whenever you think about it, there’s this warmth that rushes through you; you’re not sure if the heat was from the big flames or his strong chest you laid against all night.
“Nah, just me. Just thought it would be somethin’ you might like,” you push the spatula around in the teflon pan as he speaks. “Plus it’s another thing off the list, right?”
“Yeah, it is! Thanks, Frank,” you say cheerily as you turn the burner off and open the cupboards to grab two plates.
“No problem, kid. Just thought about you, y’know?” You sink your teeth in your lower lip to calm yourself down before another thought comes to mind.
“Oh! When are we going?”
“Tonight,” he answers nonchalantly and your eyes grow wide. “If you’re free.”
You seriously weren’t expecting him to want to see you only two days since you two were last together. In your head, Frank is so calm and collected and you’re practically certain that this… thing you two have going on isn’t as big of a deal to him as it is to you. Still, you try not to question too much why he actually seems to enjoy having you around. Instead, you decide to just take the good as it comes.
“I am, I can do tonight. But I’m not sure I have something to wear. Is it like a club? Should I dress up or is it more jeans and—?” You don’t even realize when your voice picks up in speed and the questions fly out faster than you intend for them to, but Frank is quick to center you out of the beginning of your spiral.
“Just wear somethin’ cute, alright? I’ve seen some of your outfits, sweetheart, you’ll be fine.” You bite the inside of your cheek at his comment and inhale deeply before sighing. “I’ll pick you up at six, okay?” You hum an agreement as he confirms the time and say a goodbye before hanging up.
As you pull the phone away from your ear, you see an incoming text from your best friend drop down from the top of the screen.
“I’m two minutes away! I can’t wait to hear everything.”
That night when you got home from the bonfire, she had sent many texts in hopes of finding out the reasoning behind the newfound closeness between you and Frank. In your exhausted and slightly inebriated state, you told her that you would have her over Saturday morning to explain it all to her. You were much too tired to string the words together and you also know how she can tend to put her own emotions onto words; the last thing you needed was for her to hear the little arrangement you and Frank have and blow it out of proportion.
You set the table as you wait for her, making sure to leave a mug beside her plate for her tea that tends to be the staple of her breakfast. By the time the food is divvied up for each of you, there’s an impatient knock at the door. You shake your head with a smile as you open the door and she’s pushing past you as the questions immediately begin to roll off her tongue.
After guiding her to the small dining table in the kitchen, you watch her sit down and her eyes never stray from you. Her voice continues to fill the air as she talks over herself; there’s no distinct end to one sentence and the beginning of the next. By the time you’re sitting beside her and about to dig into your meal she finally covers her mouth, stopping all the enthusiastic queries she desperately wants to know.
“I’m gonna let you talk,” she mumbles behind her palms. You laugh at her attempts to force herself to be quiet and pick up a forkful of your food.
“I promise you it’s not as exciting as you think it is,” you warn her before popping the food in your mouth.
You start at the beginning—trying to skim over the details of your not-so-controlled crush on Frank as well as the more heated parts of the things you two have done together. Excited gasps fill the space surrounding the dining table and you watch as her eyes go wide when you mention it was his idea. Her mouth gets the better of her though and she begins to ask more questions while you speak. You make sure to answer all of them in time, save for a few chuckles here and there, before finishing your last bite.
“I actually have a question for you now,” you start again, watching as confusion washes over her features. “Frank called me this morning and he wants to take me out to this bar he likes. I just don’t know what to wear and I was hoping… you could help me?” You hesitantly look up to face her and you’re met with a beaming grin.
“Is this a date?! Is this the first one? Are you going back to his place after?” You shake your head once again as the sudden influx of questions fill the air.
“No, it’s not a date. I mean… I don’t think it is?” you let your thought process be shown aloud and watch as her giddy expression comes back to the surface. “It’s not! We’re just friends and he’s doing me a favor. I’m sure of it.” You decide then and there that you can’t afford to hold out hope and expect more than what he’s given you—which is already so much.
She raises her eyebrows up from behind the rim of her mug and you scoff at her knowing look. You brush your hand through your hair and try your hardest to not let your anxiety creep in about the idea of being on a proper date with Frank Castle.
And so together the two of you spend the afternoon diving through your closet together for something that could fit. It felt similar to a movie montage where the teenage girls toss different colorful fabrics through the air. With a growing pile on the floor of your bedroom, she gasps once you stand in the completed outfit.
“That’s the one!” she says excitedly before tugging you towards the bathroom. “Time for makeup!” She eagerly pats for you to sit on the counter while searching through your, admittedly limited, makeup bag. Doing the best with what she’s got, she gets to work on the eyeshadows and blush, finishing up with a curl of your eyelashes and combing mascara through them. You always loved how focused she got when it was time for something special; her tongue pokes past her lips as she concentrates, her eyes squinting to get the very last detail to sit right.
Once she’s satisfied, she spins you around to see yourself in the mirror and you’re actually surprised at how nice it all came together. You’re wearing an oversized, comfy jumper, tights that line your legs, and a black skirt that accentuates your frame. It’s not too fancy, but the black tights make your outfit more sleek and you silently hope that Frank will like it. As you fluff your hair up to give it some more volume, you thank her behind a wide smile.
A buzz of excitement rushes through you as you wait by the front door and hear the heavy revving from the engine of Frank’s van. You physically shake your arms in an attempt to let go of some of the nerves that built up and your friend gives you a quick hug.
“You got it, baby!” she encourages sweetly. “Have fun!” she calls out as you slip past the door. Making your way down your porch steps, you hear her shout something else from behind you. “Don’t do anything stupid!”
You chuckle at her warnings and make your way to the big, black van. You open the door and find Frank sitting with his elbow on his armrest and his head in his palm as he turns to face you. You stand there for a moment and await his initial reaction to your outfit. His eyes widen slightly before they rake over your boy, his lips parting as he takes it all in.
He brushes his thumb along the defined line of his jaw before sinking his teeth into his lower lip. His eyes settle on the small slit of the skirt that rests high on your thigh. There’s a pause for a moment before he finally speaks up.
“Told you you’d find somethin’ cute.” He fixes his posture and gives you a smile as you roll your eyes and sit in the passenger seat. Being with him felt easy now—of course there’s still the butterflies, which you’re expecting to make a permanent home in your stomach any day now, but it’s mostly when you’re about to see him. When you’re actually in his presence, it all fades away and you love how comfortable he makes you feel.
If you had told yourself a few weeks ago that you’d be on a half hour car ride with Frank Castle to the outskirts of town, she probably would’ve brushed it off as some sick joke. But here you are, sitting beside him and watching as he flips through radio stations until he settles on a classic rock song. You enjoyed getting to discover little pieces of him the more time you spent with him.
As he drives under the lamp posts longing the winding roads, you watch as the passing lights illuminate his face before it’s cloaked in shadows of the night once again. Each time you move underneath them, light showcases his features in a warm glow for mere moments at a time. You think your new favorite thing might be when the gleam seeps into the small dip in the bridge of his nose. That small highlight makes you smile and he catches it as he turns to look at you once you’re stopped at a red light.
“What is it?” he questions, his eyes squinting slightly as he looks at you. With a shake of your head, you face back to the light strung up in the air. His gaze doesn’t leave the side of your face though, and you know he’ll want an answer.
“This is just nice,” you shrug your shoulders. “Thank you for thinking of me,” you add. You want to make sure he knew how happy you were to be doing this, despite your quiet nature due to your fear of somehow screwing this up with your words.
“Haven’t even done anything,” he laughs softly.
“Well, I’m still enjoying myself,” you reply in a gentle tone. Frank doesn’t say anything more as he continues to look at you. The light changes and a green glow washes over your face, queuing him to face the open road once again. You glance down as his hand moves to the gear shift, trying not to focus too long on how the veins in his hand are accentuated as he curls his fingers around the knob.
Frank speaks up again after a moment and you quickly recenter your attention. He engages you in some light conversation and pretty soon you’re laughing along to his comedic storytelling. You don’t even realize you’ve arrived until he’s put the car in park and turns the key off in the ignition. Looking out from behind the glass in front of you, you see the neon lights surrounding the big, bold letters of the name of the bar. It shines brightly in the night sky and acts as a small beacon in the dark parking lot.
You look up at the sound of the driver side door closing and realize Frank has left the car. You reach for your bag that’s resting on the floor between your feet and by the time you move for the handle, he’s opening your door for you. It’s the first time you’re able to truly take him in. He’s wearing a pair of nicely fitting blue jeans and a grey jacket, complete with the black boots you’ve never seen him without. You can’t tell what he’s wearing under the thick material that conceals his chest though, and you find yourself hoping it’s something tighter and hugs his torso.
“You ready?” he asks, and you nod in response. “Alright, watch your step,” he warns and you feel his hand bracing your upper arm as you hop out from the slightly lifted van. Once you’re secure on the ground, the two of you begin making your way towards the entrance. As you pass by the cars parked in organized rows under dim lamplights, you begin to make out the few scattered people smoking and even spot a couple sharing a cigarette just outside the main doors.
Once inside the building, he shrugs off the jacket and you can finally piece together his outfit. Frank’s broad shoulders stretch the fabric of the dark blue button up shirt. It’s tucked into his denim pants and secured with a black belt. He fits the attire of everyone else here in the bar, but still stands over a head taller than the rest—not to mention infinitely more attractive. You try desperately to rip your eyes away from him, and in doing so, take in the scenery of the pub.
The bar is crowded but not so occupied that you can’t move. The loud, overlapping voices meld to create a soft droning that accompanies the background. It doesn’t stand a chance to the band though, whose loud amplifiers cause a shake in your chest with each note they strum. Polished wood lines the walls and there’s photographs of smiling people decorating them, forever cherished behind glass frames. It feels oddly homey, admittedly impressive for a place you’ve never stepped foot into before tonight.
You accidentally bump into Frank and he steadies you with his large hands on your waist. He’s staring down at you with a subtle smile on his face. He begins to talk but you don’t have the slightest clue what he’s saying; the song that’s playing is far too loud to hear the lower tone of his voice. Shaking your head with a frown, you let him know you can’t understand him and his smile grows wider. He then leans down, his fingers brushing your hair away from your ear before he speaks.
“Asked if you wanted to eat,” he starts, his breath immediately warming the side of your neck. With just those few words, it feels like all the other noise falls away. All you can focus on is the rumble in his voice and how the words feel as if they dance down your spine. “I’m starving,” he adds, and you’re certain your new headspace gave his words a different context than he intended.
He pulls away for your response and all you can muster up is a slow blink and a delayed nod. There’s no cocky smirk at your expression and you wonder if maybe he decided to spare you the embarrassment this time. He promptly turns and you fall in line beside him, letting him guide you around the crowd. His palm finds its way to your lower back as he leads you and just like that, your heart picks up in pace once more.
You’ve only seen the same small movement depicted in movies and you can now safely say that experiencing it is so much more exhilarating. Part of you is frustrated that such an insignificant touch can make you this excited, but Frank’s charm has a tremendous effect on you. Still, you tell yourself it’s the anticipation of his hand being elsewhere on your body that riles you up.
His hand stays put until the two of you reach a booth lining the back wall. There’s a small lamp that bathes the whole table in a warm glow and you and Frank place your things down before sliding into the long seats. As you stare at him from across the table, you watch as his eyes scan the crowd and then the main stage as he focuses on the band. They’re currently playing a cover of a classic rock song and Frank smiles as he nods his head to the music.
“This place is nice,” you raise your voice slightly to be heard over the music. He turns to face you and his smile grows wider.
“Yeah? You like it?” His question is accompanied by your own nod and he continues. “I’m sure there’s fancier ones close to town, but I’ve been coming here for years and they’ve always been good.”
He raises his hand in the air, tilting his head up and leaning to the side as if to catch someone’s attention. You follow his line of sight and look over your shoulder to see a woman with a black apron tied around her waist. She looks slightly past you as a grin covers her face and walks over to your table quicker than you expected.
“Frank?! What are you doing here?” Her voice is already grating and she’s only said a handful of words. Her tone is drawn out, almost flirtatiously, and she stands closer to him than you would’ve liked.
“Just showing her around,” he answers simply. He looks at you and when the waitress does the same, her face falls. You muster up an awkward smile and try to shake off the weird look she gives you. “She’s never been here before, you think we could get some menus?”
“Sure thing,” she mumbles, stepping away only to return a moment later with two long, laminated sheets of paper. She drops them to the table and you spare yourself the trouble of looking at her again.
“She sure seems to like you,” you speak up once she’s left. Frank scoffs before grabbing a menu and shaking his head. “Did you see the way she looked at me? What did I do?” You ask with a frown, wondering if you did something unintentionally.
“She’s probably just pissed cause you’re sitting with me and she’s not,” he answers with a sigh. He flips the paper around and you notice the way his eyes dart around the page. His answer wasn’t very reassuring though, and you still feel the tension in your body. As you scan the small print of the menu in your hands, you can feel his gaze on you. You try to shake the disappointment and to make it less obvious that what she said affected you, but you’re not certain how good of an actress you are.
“Y’know what?” he speaks up after a few seconds. You raise your face to him as he continues, “I know this place a couple of blocks down? Best god damn beer I’ve had.” His hand disappears under the table and a moment later you see his fingers curled around his jacket. “It’s German! You haven’t tried that one before.” He leans across the table before whispering, “You’re gonna hate it.”
His attempts at distracting you work well and you can’t help the laughter escaping you at the final thing he said. Frank’s own crooked smile returns at your reaction and a softness settles into his brown eyes.
“There she is,” he mumbles once he sees your regular self bubble back up to the surface. You bring in a deep breath and choose to shake off any residual awkwardness you felt from before.
“No, no it’s okay. We can stay here.” You finish your sentence and look back towards the music before facing him. His hands are empty now as he continues to stare at you and you feel confident in your choice to stay.
After looking over the endless list of drinks, burgers, and other appetizers, you read a description of a sandwich that makes your stomach rumble to life. You immediately decide on it without a second thought and smile up at Frank, watching him run his finger across the page between two options and looking quite indecisive.
Before long, the ill behaved waitress is back to take down your order. You pick your sandwich, remembering to take off the toppings you aren’t too fond of, add in an order of fries, and your usual favorite drink to top it off. With a hesitant glance up, you see her scribbling down your order on the small notepad in her hand. Her expression is twisted up as if she smelled something foul and you feel that uneasy feeling settling in once more.
“I’ll have the same as my date here,” Frank answers before she can ask about his meal. He gently taps the two menus on the tabletop before handing them over to her. His lips part as his eyes drag over your features and you notice the way they stop for a little longer than they should when they reach your mouth.
To say you were shocked was an understatement. You weren’t sure if he said it just to get under her skin or not but part of you didn’t really care. He said it regardless and that made a smile carve its way onto your face. An annoyed scoff is heard from above and you see a hand come into view to snatch the menus away from Frank. He never looked away from you once.
The moment the food arrives, you’re excitedly grabbing your sandwich and lifting it to your mouth. As your teeth sink into the toasted bread, the flavor hits your tongue and a satisfied moan escapes you. Frank is quick to lift his eyes at the sound, his eyebrows raising as he takes in the scene in front of him. You raise your hand to your mouth and begin to grow bashful at the look on his face.
“Sorry!” You apologize, your voice muffled behind your palm. “It was just really good,” you explain once you swallow your food down.
“Don’t gotta apologize for that, kid,” he replies through his own raspy chuckle. You bite your lip and tuck a strand of hair behind your ear before reaching for the fries in your basket next.
The two of you dig into your identical meals and make some easy conversation in between bites here and there. You’re honestly impressed with how good the sandwich is and you’re glad you picked it out of the infinite number of items on the menu. Frank wasn’t lying when he said he loved this place. You watch him look up from his meal every now and then with a big smile on his face as he moves his head to the beat of the music. His energy was infectious and you found yourself tapping your toes along too. 
“Y’know,” he speaks up after finishing the last bite of his sandwich. At the sound of his voice, you begin to look up to his face, but your eyes latch on to something else. Frank sucks his fingers clean of the salt from his fries, his lips pursing as his cheeks hollow, and you immediately lose any grip you had on controlling your thoughts around him.
“When we ordered I saw your beer on the menu.” You hear his words but they have absolutely no meaning, no way of stringing them together to make a continuous thought as you watch him suck the seasonings from his thumb. You begin to feel a sense of injustice at the fact that those fingers weren’t where you desperately wanted them to be. With a pout, you look back to his gaze and see the confusion clear in his eyes.
“What?” you blurt out, finally remembering he had spoken and that you hadn’t processed anything he had said. He scoffs before shaking his head, his smirk spreading wide across his face before he speaks again.
“Said they have the beer you like here,” he repeats himself, his cocky grin a clear indicator that he saw how you froze up at sight just moments ago.
“I’m actually good tonight,” you say confidently. Reaching for your glass, you take a sip of your drink and hold his gaze as you stare at him from under your eyelashes. He sits back against the cushion of the booth and his eyebrows pull together as he thinks about what you said.
“Yeah?” he asks, squinting his eyes at you.
“Mhm, not letting a few beers stop me from what I wanna do after this,” you explain. You’ve never felt more frustrated than when he stopped you from kissing on his neck. You understood why he did it, and are actually very thankful he didn’t want it to go further, but the disappointment coursed through you all the same.
“Hmm? And what exactly is that?” he questions as the band finishes up the song they had been playing. Your eyes follow the noise as the crowd erupts into whistles and claps, applauding the musicians. When you finally look back over, Frank’s in the same position. It’s like he never looked away from you—hell, you’re not sure if he even blinked.
You don’t answer him though and make up your mind to keep him on the edge of his seat. Instead, you smile sweetly before picking up a fry from your basket and popping it past your lips. 
He gives you a knowing look, but doesn’t pry. Perhaps he was looking forward to the surprise of it all. You only hope you can remain as confident as you feel now so you can properly act out your plan. Before long, he swallows down his last french fry and Frank speaks up with a question.
“You wanna go dance?” Your whole body freezes at the mere thought of attempting to dance, not to mention the added nerves of doing it in a crowded room with Frank Castle standing witness. But as you look out onto the dance floor full of moving bodies, you realize most of them are probably far too intoxicated to really pay attention to you. Deciding to push past the initial fear, and wanting to be fully present with him and have fun, you nod and scoot out of the booth.
Frank stands in front of you and his hand soon comes into view of your eyeline. You place your hand in his and feel his fingers curl around your palm as you brace your weight on him and rise to your feet. You stand on your toes and motion for him to come closer so you can speak into his ear.
“Just so you know, I’m a terrible dancer,” you say after he’s tilted his head towards you.
“What part of me screams that I’m a good one?” he asks, and you chuckle at his joke. He smiles down at your laughter and nods his head behind him, letting you know he’s going to the dancefloor.
Frank keeps a hold of your hand as he leads you through the crowd. His broad body splits the sea of bodies as he walks and you follow close enough behind him to squeeze past them as well. There’s blue hues from the dim lights that shine over the people, but other than that you can’t see much beside their moving feet. He must’ve gotten to a clearing where there’s not as many people bumping into one another, because he stops walking and turns to you.
You’re sort of frozen still for a moment as the reality of it is beginning to creep in. But then Frank starts to shimmy his shoulders and you can’t help but break into a wide grin. Just like that, you’re thawed. The awkwardness you felt is starting to leave you as you begin to loosen up in front of him.
The band plays a fun, upbeat song that you don’t recognize, but he seems to be making the moves up as he goes along. You follow his direction, copying him but still keep some distance, trying to slowly shake off those nerves that are still lingering around. Suddenly, Frank does a move that you can’t even begin to describe with words alone and you burst into laughter as you watch him. Holding your stomach, you shake your head at him and he begins to laugh too. 
The band then retires from the stage, saying their farewells as the crowd applauds and whistles. Frank claps along with the rest of them and you cup your hands around your mouth to give a small cheer. You really enjoyed their set and wouldn’t mind coming back here again to watch them play once more.
Once the stage is clear, music begins to play over the speakers and Frank’s face lights up. His excitement is clear after just the first few notes.
“God, this takes me back,” his wide grin causes his eyes to squint up. You smile up at him, happy at his enjoyment, but you can’t help your head from tilting to the side confusedly.
“You haven’t heard this before?” he asks incredulously and you shake your head. “It’s literally my favorite song, how do you not know this?”
“When did it come out?” you ask, and watch him look up as he starts to think.
“Must’ve been… right after graduation, I think?” He does the math for a moment longer before answering with the year it was released. The answer has you fighting back a giggle as you stare at him awkwardly.
“Frank, I wasn’t born until two years later,” you answer honestly, and the look on his face is priceless.
“Jesus Christ…” he replies, dragging his hand down his face. You begin to worry now, wondering if you shouldn’t have brought up that point. He must’ve caught a glance at your anxious frown because he’s quick to explain himself.
“You’re fine just… my back hurt when you said that.” His hand comes to the back of his neck to emphasize his point and your smile finds its way back to your lips.
Despite the initial embarrassment you ran into after being reminded again of the gap in age between you and Frank, you found yourself really enjoying the song. He was honest when he said it was one of his favorites. You’ve never seen him this lively before and you love being able to soak up every minute of it. He’s so animated as he dances, holding you close to him with his hand secured at your back. The lines to the song fall past his lips like muscle memory as his forehead presses to yours.
You can’t stand being this close to him. Your whole body feels like it’s been shot with a current of electricity and you’re desperately wanting him to stop singing and put his mouth to yours. He might have a sixth sense—or simply just picked up on the timing—because his lips are on yours a second later. He kisses you deeply, his tongue brushing your lower lip for a moment before you eagerly let him in. Your head tilts to the side as you kiss him back and your arm wraps around his wide shoulders to ensure you’ll have your fill.
All too soon he’s breaking the kiss and you immediately suck your bottom lip behind your teeth to savor the feeling of him. He suddenly lifts his arm into the air and cues you to spin. You twirl under his hand with a huge grin and then he yanks you in for the finish, timing it so that your back is to his chest when you land against him. His same palm immediately finds your hip and tightens to keep you flush to him. His opposite hand travels down the length of your torso, his index finger tracing your side as he moves.
He begins to whisper the lyrics against your ear and you can’t bring yourself to focus on their meaning. He’s all over you and it’s making you feel dizzy, as if you’re drunk on his scent alone. Each pass of his finger along your ribs alights a fire at your side and you try to keep up as he begins rocking you from side to side to the rhythm of the song. His breath warms the entire side of your face and neck with each word he whispers. You fall under his spell and roll your head to the side at the feeling of his warmth all over.
When the song starts to fade and a new one begins overlapping it, you’re left with a bittersweet feeling; part of you never wanted to leave that moment and would gladly listen to that song on loop for the rest of your life, but the other half of you was almost frightened at how easily you turned to putty in his hands. You felt the need to have a better grasp on yourself, especially if you wanted to stay courageous for what you had planned for tonight.
The mix of two songs smoothen down into one and you instantly recognize the slow, sexy bassline that’s pumping through the speakers overhead. You’re not sure what came over you. Perhaps you wanted to prove to someone that you’re not that same timid, little girl. Whatever it was that coursed through your veins, you’re thankful that it gave you the strength to grab his large palm and put it back into place at your hip. You use the extra support to push your ass back into him, making sure to press hard enough until you feel the bulge in his jeans.
Frank doesn’t show any reaction except for his fingers tightening into your skin as if you were a lifeline. You smile as you continue to grind into him, your hips following the similar movements he taught you just a few days prior. Facing away from him gives you the extra boost of confidence needed to perform this act, but you’d be lying if you said you wouldn’t kill to see the look on his face right now.
With each push of your ass against the denim fabric, you feel the heat of his bulge so close to where your own warmth had started to pool. This felt good and you felt pride surging through your chest once you realized exactly what you were doing.
And then his arm crosses your chest and pulls you flat against him once more. His forearm is pressed against your collarbones and you feel your breath hitch at the hold he has you in. With a shaky inhale, you swallow down the lump in your throat and wait for him to speak.
“Look at you, sweetheart,” the tip of his nose brushes the curve of your ear and you try your damndest to not let your body double over. “Someone’s getting confident, huh?” His arm begins to slowly drop from across your chest, and instead reaches your lower stomach. From there, he applies pressure until you’re as close as you could be to him.
“You feel that? Hmm?” There’s an undeniable hardness under the thick layers of fabric. It doesn't feel as big as the last time he got turned on from you, but it’s still noticeable. “That’s all you,” he finishes with a lower tone of voice before taking half a step back and leaving you to sit with his words.
It takes you a moment to wrap your head around this entire situation. It’s abundantly clear that the mood has changed from light laughter and awful dance moves to something more sultry. You can feel the warmth slowly spreading between your legs and it leaves you with a buzz that makes you feel like your movements are slowed. When you turn around to finally face him, he’s already staring down at you expectedly.
“Why don’t we get outta here?” he asks, deep voice blending in with the booming bass. You nod at him and it feels like you’re moving in molasses. The dull, blue light from above catches his face for a moment. There’s something deeper to his unreadable expression; his jaw is clenched as if he’s trying to hold something back.
Once the two of you make it back to the table, Frank reaches into his back pocket for his wallet. He thumbs through the notes before tossing a few bills onto the table. He reaches into the booth seat for his jacket and shakes it out before draping it over your shoulders.
“Thank you,” you mumble in a quiet voice.
“Don’t gotta thank me for that, sweetheart,” he shakes his head, insisting that your gratitude isn’t needed. He begins to walk towards the door with his hand in its designated spot at your lower back to help guide you once again. The chill of the night air hits you the second you step out of the building and you find yourself curling his jacket snugger around your body. His scent is stuck to the collar and it helps lessen your shivering from the cold breeze.
He walks you to your side of the van and opens the door for you to climb in. Even after he gets in and begins driving down the same winding roads, there’s not much conversation between the two of you. The tension in the car is thick and incredibly palpable. You’re indecisive about whether to break the silence or leave it untouched so as to not make it worse.
Eventually Frank pulls into his parking spot that faces the front door of his apartment. After putting the van in park and walking around to open your door once more, you take his hand and carefully step down. He unlocks the door and gets you inside quickly, trying to shield you from the chilly air. Once he flicks the lights on, you’re greeted by the familiar sight of his living room and feel that desire to touch him creep back in. Your name falls from his lips and you turn your head at the sound.
“I’m sorry if I went too far back there. I shouldn’t have—,” he begins to apologize, but you’re quick to interrupt by pressing your lips to his. A surprised grunt comes from him and you smirk into the kiss, pleased to have caught him off guard. He wastes no time in wrapping his arms around you and begins leading you towards the couch. When you feel the back of your knees hit the curve of the cushion, you angle yourself in front of Frank and push him into the sofa below.
He looks up at you with his lips parted and his chest is noticeably bringing in deeper breaths each time he inhales. His usually soft, brown eyes have a darkened glint to them and you’re certain you’ve never seen this emotion on him before. Your pulse is racing through your own body and you swiftly straddle him with your knees on either side of his hips.
His impatient fingers grab hold of you in a way no one ever has before. The action causes a surprised gasp to fall past your lips, but it’s swallowed down by Frank who can’t seem to keep his mouth off of yours. The light stubble decorating his jaw scratches at your skin and the rough feeling does nothing but spur you on further. You begin to roll your hips into his as you fall into a familiar pattern and he uses his hold to help guide you into moving faster.
His movements are rushed and needy and it makes you feel reassured that he wants this—he wants you. That little boost to your ego has your hands tracing down his body, your palms rubbing down his strong chest, before finally reaching his belt. Your fingers search blindly for the leather and the sound of the buckle clinking sounds out in between the wet noises of your kisses.
“Woah, easy,” Frank breaks the kiss the second the sound reaches his ears. “Let’s just, uh…” he trails off and you feel his fingers gently prying yours away. “Let’s take it slow, alright?” His tone is so soft and the concern is written clearly across his features.
“Frank, please,” you try to reason with him. “I didn’t even drink tonight! And I just… last time I was all worked up and I really want to do this.” You finish with a pout as you glance up at him with pleading eyes. He swallows hard as he stares at you for a moment, probably battling something internally.
“What do you wanna do?” he asks slowly, trying to make his words clear. The question is so simple but admitting it to him makes you feel small again.
“I… I want to touch you,” you mumble, silently hoping he doesn’t ask you to be more explicit than that.
“You sure you want this?” His eyes never leave yours as he confirms your consent.
“I really do,” you reply, bringing your hand up and cupping his cheek. You brush your thumb over his skin and watch as he begins to shut his eyes and breathe deeply. “Please?”
You’re not sure if it’s the quiet plea, his own craving that’s swaying his decision, or some combination of the two, but he slowly uncurls his fingers from your wrist. You beam brightly at him and whisper a thanks as you peck him on the cheek.
“You’re still gonna have to walk me through it, Frank,” you say through a small chuckle.
He nods with an equally quiet, “I know.”
From there, he doesn’t try to deter your movements any longer. He lets you continue as you slide his belt past the metal buckle. You look up at him for reassurance and he nods his head with a smile. He takes your hand in his and pulls it to his bulge, letting you feel it properly for the first time. Excitement races through you and settles in your lower stomach as you watch your hand touch him over the denim.
“Can I take your jeans off?” Your question is met with another nod as he lets go of you. Slipping the button past the slit, you then lower the zipper past the teeth and the sound feels so loud in the otherwise silent room. You move to sit beside him and Frank helps you tug his pants down, raising his hips to lower them some more until they fall past his knees. He’s wearing a pair of dark grey boxer briefs and your eyes linger far too long on how they hug his thighs.
The thick outline stretching the fabric is enough to recenter your attention though. You start to feel the nerves coming back once you register just how big he is as he lies against his hip. You always had a feeling, given the sheer size of the man, but seeing it is a whole other experience. Thankfully, Frank doesn’t rush you as he lets you take this all in. You hesitantly move your hand over the length of him, brushing your fingers over the defined line underneath the head of his cock.
The next thing you reach for is the waistband of his boxers. You curl your fingers over the edge and tug them down, watching as more and more of his happy trail becomes exposed. He once again helps you pull them past his legs and now that he’s bare in front of you, you can’t help your eyes from widening. You had thought the bulge was big, but it was misleading; Frank is actually much larger than you had anticipated.
“What? You’ve never seen—?” He starts but you’re quick to cut him off.
“I have. I’ve seen, like, porn before but…” you find your voice leaving you as you stare between his legs. “It’s just bigger in person.” His chuckle sounds out and you raise your head to the noise only to be met by an amused smirk at your confession.
“S’not just cause it’s in person, kid,” he laughs through his words and you roll your eyes at his cockiness. You like that you can still crack jokes during a time like this and you find yourself thankful that you get to have Frank as your first introduction to sex. Feeling more relaxed, you reach forward and gently curl your fingers around his thick base.
“You can hold it tighter than that,” he speaks up after a second.
“I know,” you respond, tightening your hold on him a little more. He snorts lightly at the, apparently, subtle increase in pressure and you feel his larger hand curling around your own. His long fingers squeeze over yours, adjusting your grip on his length as he begins to move your hand up and down. He’s warm and heavy in your hand, two things you hadn’t given much thought of before now. Frank lifts your hand once more and a satisfied sigh leaves him.
The sound stirs something in your stomach and you try to swallow down your own growing arousal at the noise he’s making. He loosens his hold on you and you watch as his hands find the hem of his shirt before bunching it up and exposing the lower half of his stomach. There’s so much to look at and it’s pulling your attention in too many ways. You try to focus on him in your hand though and begin speeding up your movements.
“You can spit on it,” he speaks up after a few seconds. You turn to face him and feel your eyebrows pull together at his words.
“Like just… spit on it?” The confusion is more than likely obvious in your tone but you want to ensure that you don’t embarrass yourself with him. Not now when you’ve made it this far.
“Yeah, go for it,” he encourages gently. With one last glance at him, you lean forward and lower your head over his length. You purse your lips and part them as you let the split slowly drip until it’s sliding over his head. You watch as it runs down past the tip and Frank clears his throat.
“Shit, yeah that…” he trails off as he raises his hips slightly. “That works too.” You smile at his words and wonder if his movement was an instinctual reaction to the warmth running along the smooth skin of his cock.
With the help of the extra slick added to his length, you begin to work your hand faster on him. You know from what you’ve heard that the tip is more sensitive, so you raise your hand right underneath his head and tighten your grip. A grunt immediately falls from him and you impulsively let go of him. You face him with a worried expression and watch as he brings in a deep breath before swallowing thickly.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Just felt real damn good.” The praise in his words immediately rushes to your heart and you feel yourself swell with pride. You can’t believe you made him feel that good, but now you’re determined to see what other sounds you can pull from his pretty lips. As you focus your attention back to his cock, you see a few beads of precum beginning to bubble up at his swollen tip. You rub your thumb in circles over the slit, spreading around the proof of his pleasure, and you feel him twitch in your hold.
“Shiiiiiit,” the drawn out curse sounds raspy and you don’t stop your movements as you check once again to see his reaction. Frank’s head is tilted back slightly against the couch cushion, his mouth is parted, and his eyes are scrunched up slightly. You try your hardest to memorize this version of him. You wish you could ingrain this memory so you’ll never forget how good he looks when he’s succumbing to his pleasure.
Twisting your hand as you move it over his length, you notice the way his adam's apple bobs as he swallows down presumably another groan. You can’t resist the urge to feel even more of him, and press your lips against his neck. Lazy kisses are littered across his skin while you work your hand faster, intermittently tightening your hold on his thickness. His throat tightens as he feels the wet marks of your affection, and the next thing you feel is his fingers tangling in your hair. He pulls gently as he tugs your head up to his and he kisses down your surprised gasp, his tongue slipping into your mouth.
You’re having trouble keeping up with his movements and you realize this must be what it’s like to be kissed breathlessly. Any moment you get, you’re greedily gulping down air before he continues his ravenous attack on your lips. You never slow the speed of your hand and press yourself against his side, trying to feel more of him to satiate your need. Frank tries to break the kiss but you push against him harder, not wanting to let go for a second. But he tries again, grabbing your wrist gently and you immediately pull away with a frown.
“What did I do?” you ask in a worried tone. He’s quick to lock his eyes with yours and speaks clearly.
“You’re okay. You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” he starts, and then nods down towards his lap. “I’m almost there, kid. Just wanted to warn you before it happens.” And just like that, a wide grin splits across your face. I’m making him feel that good?!
“I really wanna make you come, Frank,” you tell him honestly and you notice his cock twitch slightly as he registers your words.
“You keep talking like that and you will,” he grumbles in a low voice. His tone almost seems as if it was meant as a warning, but all it does is add to the fire in the pit of your stomach. You’re quick to reach for him again and fall back into the rhythm you established just seconds ago. With each pass of your hand you feel the veins protruding slightly through his skin and make sure to add slightly more pressure to the ring underneath his tip—he seemed to like that in particular.
“Just like that—fuck, attagirl,” he breathes through gritted teeth while he stares down at your smaller fingers wrapped snugly around him. The praise courses through you and you hide your face in his neck. You place sloppy kisses under his jaw and listen as more grunts start to fall from his parted lips. They slowly twist into a new sound and it takes you a second to realize it’s your name that’s coming out in a twisted groan. You glance down and watch as he raises his hips for a moment to chase after the feeling of you, his orgasm following soon after.
One long moan falls from him as warmth spills over your hands. You make sure not to miss a single second and don’t dare slow down or pull away. You want Frank to feel as good as possible and so you’ll drag this out for as long as you can. White begins to coat his head and the rest of his length as you continue moving over him. It isn’t until he reaches for your wrist that you take notice of the way his thigh is tense and you let go to give him some relief.
“T…That’s enough,” he pants as he speaks through uneven breathing. You mumble an apology as you snuggle into his side again, leaving the remainder of your kisses on his collarbone. His hand rubs at your back while he regains his breath and you feel him press his lips to your forehead. 
“Jesus Christ,” he whispers, and you follow his gaze to the mess in his lap. His cock lies on his hip, all spent and giving a weak twitch once or twice. You don’t even try to hide the smile that grows on your face at the sight.
“Oh, you proud of yourself, huh?” he asks through a fit of chuckles. “You should be,” he holds you to his side again. “Did so fuckin’ good.” You feel another long kiss to the side of your head. Pride isn’t even a strong enough word to describe how you feel at this moment.
“Thank you, Frank,” you smile up at him.
“Thank me? Nah, you did all that,” he brushes it off just like last time. “Thank you for making me feel good, kid. You were absolutely perfect.” The warmth spreading to your cheeks makes you hide your face in his chest again. You weren’t really sure how a scene like this was supposed to normally end, but Frank doesn’t say anything more. He keeps you close in his arms and you can still hear his pulse attempting to slow in his chest. For now, you don’t want to question what comes next; for once, you’re comfortable exactly where you are.
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discordantwritings · 1 year ago
Text
Discipline (Crocodile x Reader)
Warnings: Fem! Reader, mean dom Crocodile, bratty Reader, spanking, fingering, orgasm denial, overstimulation, PiV sex, inappropriate use of Crocodile’s hook, creampie
WC: 4K
Summary: Despite your dad’s warnings you decide to go have some fun at Rain Dinners. Sir Crocodile decides to keep an eye out for you- but he’s not expecting just how unreceptive you’d be towards his help. Seems like he will have to teach you some lessons…
Notes: I just like when he’s mean ok
Tagging: @keiva1000 @fanaticsnail
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“Are you sure you want to come? You know how dangerous some of these people are…” Your father’s worried voice causes you to hesitate on your way out the door.
“Dad, it’s not like anyone would hurt me, they know I’m your daughter. And besides- you never let me have fun I just want to play at the casino! I probably won’t interact with any of your contacts.” You do your best not to be annoyed with him, he’s well meaning but overly paranoid- although that’s probably why he’s been so successful in dealing with so many pirates.
“Just- promise me you you’ll do your best to keep safe alright?” He looks at you with earnest that melts any budding defiance you had.
“Of course.” You wrap your arms around your dad’s shoulders and pull him into a tight hug.
“Alright kiddo let’s get going.” He squeezes you once before letting go and opening the door for you, letting you lead the way to Rain Dinners.
You knew it was going to be loud but nothing could prepare you for the overlapping sounds of slot machines, roulette tables, cards, and yelling all coming together in a wall of noise. While off putting for a second you quickly adjusted- the loud hustle and bustle was just what you wanted to experience. Bouncing on the balls of your feet you give your dad a thumbs up before bounding off further into the casino, ignoring the worry on his face.
You quickly find yourself at a blackjack table- the only game you have some confidence in your ability to not lose all your berry immediately- and strike up friendly conversation with the people already at the table. You’re not ignorant of the way some of the men lean in when you talk, the way the man sitting next you tried to guide your choices. The attention was exactly what you wanted, giggling as you played dumb and let the man on your right explain to you that you should always double on an eleven as if you didn’t know that already. The attention rode the line on smothering- which is why you noticed when everyone suddenly went cold and glued their eyes to the table.
“Find another table.” A gruff voice sounded to your right and for a second you think it’s directed at you but when you see the man sitting next to you scramble away without his chips you realize what’s going on.
Sir Crocodile, owner of Rain Dinners and notorious pirate slides into the seat next to you, golden hook absently counting the chips left on the table. You can’t help but stare at him, broad shoulders pushing into your space and imposing presence making everyone else at the table slowly collect their chips and leave.
“Don’t tell me I’m getting kicked out already.” You smile up at him, already mapping the features of his handsome face.
“No, certainly not. You’re a valuable customer.” There’s a twinge of sarcasm to his voice that has you raising your eyebrow.
“Now don’t sound so enthusiastic.” You watch as he slides a bet forward and you do the same, letting the dealer get the round started.
“Your father called in a favor.” The dealer is showing a ten and you frown at your sixteen.
“Do I want to know what my dad did to get a favor from you?” You joke but Crocodile is still gravely serious.
“No.” Of course he has twenty in front of him so he waves and leaves you to pick your move.
“I’ll hit.” You tap the table and the dealer flips a card- a five.
Crocodile scoffs next to you as the dealer flips over his own seventeen. You shoot him a look as he lights an expensive cigar.
“You don’t hit on sixteens? It’s statistically even, one way isn’t better than the other.” You explain yourself but Crocodile just shrugs you off.
“I just don’t like seeing berry leave my casino.”
“Well I’m not leaving yet.” You slide another bet forward and Crocodile does the same.
“I doubt playing with me is the thrilling night out you wanted, you should just take your small winnings and get out of here.” As he does his best to dismiss you you realize exactly what your dad has done.
“He called in a favor for you to be my babysitter tonight didn’t he?” Crocodile rolls his eyes and you know you’re right. “He’s so… sometimes I don’t think he realizes I’m an adult.”
“Barely.” He scoffs and you glare back.
“More than barely. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to- I’m perfectly fine in a casino by myself.” You focus back on the table as you win another hand.
“I can’t imagine you weren’t aware of the way the sharks were circling you.”
“I was. And I was in control of the situation. I wanted the attention.” As you talk Crocodile pauses, turning slightly to face you more.
“You don’t realize how dangerous most of these people are.” You feel like you’re being talked down to like a child.
“What? And being alone with you is so much better. You’re not going to hurt me because it would ruin your relationship with my dad. The rest of them would do the same.” You stare him down but he just laughs at you.
“Oh, sweetheart, no one wants to hurt you. Those men wanted to take advantage of you.”
It’s your turn to laugh. “It’s not taking advantage of me if I want it.”
You watch as his eyes scan your face for a second before a grin settles on his face. “Your dad was right to have me watch over you.”
“I highly doubt you would care enough to stop me from going off and doing whatever- or whoever I want.” You fire back, blackjack game long forgotten.
“If you had done that before we had this conversation you would have been right. But now? I think you need to learn some manners.”
“Manners? Excuse me?” You can’t even get in his face, his figure towers over you even as you both sit.
“Yes, manners. Your father gets a very powerful man to protect you for the night and this is how you treat that kindness? With a bratty attitude?” You’re getting under his skin, his fist balled in his lap evidence of his waning patience.
“You’re stopping me from having a good night out. I think I have a little right to be pissed.” You say, dodging the probably appropriate brat label.
“You really don’t know how those disgusting men would treat you.”
“Oh- I am fully aware. Didn’t you hear me before? I want to be taken advantage of.” You push yourself up a bit to get some more height as you lower your voice. “I want one of those disgusting men to take me home. Well, honestly I’d settle for one of the very nice bathrooms here. Oh I bet there are some nice secluded alleyways around here… I don’t mind a brick wall if I’m being fucked well enough.”
The vulgarity of your words catches him off guard for a second and you let a smug smile come over your face- only for it to be quickly wiped away as Crocodile literally throws you over his shoulder.
“What the fuck!” You yell as he starts walking somewhere. “Put me down you piece of shit!”
Your objections fall on deaf ears as you’re hauled into an elevator and taken to some higher floor. You huff and stop yelling as he gets off the elevator and practically throws you onto a plush couch. When your brain orients itself you find yourself in a very nice office- one you quickly put together is Crocodile’s.
“What am I doing here?” You ask as he walks to his desk and sits behind it, already getting out paperwork.
“This is where I can keep an eye on you so you don’t do anything stupid tonight.” He explains like it’s a basic fact.
“Seriously? You can just kick me out of your casino instead of putting me in this weird time out.”
“I told your father I would watch after you tonight. As much as I want to kick you out I wouldn’t be holding up my end of the deal.”
“Perfect. Great. Whatever.” You pull your legs up on the couch and lay down. “So tomorrow night-“
“You’re not allowed back.”
“You could be at least a little fun.”
“I’m not really known for my levity.”
“Clearly.”
The room falls silence except for the scratch of his pen and the occasional shuffle of paper. You let your gaze drift over to him as he works. His large coat was draped over the back of his chair, leaving him in just his vest and button up shirt. You could probably watch the way his muscles subtly flex under the tight fabric of his shirt for hours. And so you let yourself watch, rolling over and perching your head up to at least give yourself some entertainment. You get probably 15 minutes of this before Crocodile’s eyes meet your own and his brows furrow.
“What?” You ask, smug smile on your face once again.
“Stop that.”
“Stop what?” You play innocent, head tilting slightly.
He doesn’t play into your game. “Staring.”
“Ok so I can’t play in the casino and I can’t even look at you so what am I supposed to do? Just lay here and stare at the ceiling?”
“Yes.”
You groan and dramatically flop onto your back. “Fucking impossible.”
“Well, when you act like a child you get treated like one.” He comments and that causes you to sit upright.
“Really? This again?”
“You’re throwing a temper tantrum so, yes.”
You get up and stalk over to his desk, standing on the opposite side and slamming your hands down, which in hindsight was not helping your case. “Let me leave.”
“No.” He ignores you and continues on his paperwork.
You walk around his desk and are about to rip some of the paper off of it but Crocodile is fast and the point of his hook is at your neck before you can blink. Adrenaline rushes though your veins as you fight to stay still as the cold metal threatens to pierce your skin. Crocodile hasn’t even gotten up from his seat, simply turned just enough so his hook can reach you. His gaze is cold as he looks you up and down and you feel fear creep up your spine.
“Do you know what I would have done to you if your father wasn’t a close contact of mine?” He asks, voice even.
“Kill me?” You guess, given the deadly weapon a few inches from ripping open your throat.
“Oh, no.” He stands up, moving slow and deliberately so his body towers over you and cages you against his desk with the point of his hook still at your throat. “I would have fucked this bratty attitude out of you on that blackjack table.”
Fear quickly bleeds into arousal, warming your skin and stomach. The power he holds over you is absolute there’s not a single doubt in your mind he could and would kill you- and for some reason that made you want him more. You test how much you can move, leaning back into his desk with both your arms behind you for support. The hook follows you but the movement doesn’t draw any punishment. Looking into his eyes you use your support to push yourself up to sit on the desk, already short dress riding further up your thighs. You watch his gaze dart down to your legs for a second and you know you’ve won.
“In front of all those people?” You press your neck gently into the point of his hook. “Took you for someone a little more private.”
“No one would dare look.” His hook drags upwards and settles under your chin, forcing you to keep eye contact.
You don’t move your head but you open up your thighs, the fabric of your dress bunched up where your ass sits on the desk. He keeps eye contact with you but you know he’s felt your movement as he steps forward, his large thighs now keeping your knees apart.
“You really think you can break my resolve?” He asks, voice low and gravely.
“I think I can convince you that you’re a very smart man who knows that I’ll keep this a secret from my father. Or…” You hum. “That this already looks very very bad for you. I could run down to my dad right now and say you… debauched me. Everyone already saw you take me over your shoulder and up to your very private-“
“That’s it.”
Before you can react Crocodile grabs your hips and forces you to turn, chest pressed against his desk and ass displayed for him. He shoves your dress up to your hips, fully revealing the incredibly small thong you wore tonight. His hook presses between your shoulder blades as his hand rubs over your ass, grabbing handfuls occasionally.
“Maybe I can teach you a lesson.” His hand stills and you look over your shoulder at him.
“What? Gonna make me beg-“
Your words are cut off by a harsh slap to your ass, the sting of skin on skin making your grip tighten on the wood of the desk. His hand rubs over the red mark forming as you see and feel him lean over you.
“I am going to make you beg. That smart little mouth is going to be doing nothing but pleading with me.” One of his fingers finds its way under the strap of your thong around your hip, pulling it up until you think it’s going to break before letting go and letting it snap against your skin. “Don’t worry. You’ll get off if you learn to be obedient.”
“Don’t you think for a second you fucking reptile-“ You hear the spank before you feel it and you have to bite down on your cheek as the pain blooms out from the impact.
“You can call me sir and nothing else.” He growls, pinching the spot he just hit causing tears to well up in your eyes.
“Fuck you.” You spit back, only to earn another swift hit that further presses you against the desk.
“That’s not how you get what you want.” His fingers go beneath the strap of your thong again, this time pulling the thin fabric over your crotch. “Although by the looks of it I’d say this is what you want.”
Your face burns red as you realize that he can see how soaking wet you are, slick drenching the scrap of fabric between his fingers. “Don’t get cocky.”
“Still so much attitude…” He sighs.
He pulls on the fabric until it snaps, ripping it free from your body. His foot kicks at one of yours, forcing your legs wide suddenly. There’s another swift hit to your ass that has you swearing under your breath but his hand lingers, fingers dipping between your thighs. You moan as a thick finger shoves its way inside you, easily slipping in with how wet you are. A second finger stretches you open and with how worked up you’ve been the whole night it’s not surprising that you already feel so close to your orgasm. You press your hips back to get him deeper but just as you feel like you’re getting close his fingers leave you.
“No! Fuck!” You try to stand up but his hook shoved you right back into the desk.
“What? Did you really think I was going to let you cum?” His hand continues to grope your ass, dragging your slick across your skin.
“You’re a piece of shit.” You mumble and he laughs.
“This could all be over. You could just be a good girl and I’d let you cum on my fingers or my cock… but you keep choosing to be a brat.” His fingers dip between your folds again. “You’ll come around eventually.”
Now you had a goal, if you could just get there faster before Crocodile realizes you’ll have beaten him. As his fingers slowly work into you you do your best to will yourself to orgasm faster but he can feel the way your walls react and is able to pull out again before you get too close. You yell as Crocodile chuckles at you, reveling in your suffering.
“It’s so easy. C’mon now.” His fingers press into you again and you feel like you’re going mad.
This cycle repeats until you lose track of how many times your orgasm has been ripped away from you. He can’t keep his fingers in you for more than a few seconds before you’re about to orgasm now, your body on edge and strung out. You’re not sure what’s the last straw- but you break.
“Please.” Your voice is hoarse as you plead quietly.
“What’s that?” Crocodile stops his movements and leans in closer to you.
“Please!” You repeat, louder.
“Not quite- I know you know better.” His hook rubs between your shoulder blades.
“Please, sir.”
But just when you thought that would be enough, he moves the goalpost. “Much better, but I know you could do just a little more. You had all these vulgar words before… where did those go? Are you suddenly shy?”
There’s still a small part of you that wants to fight back at those words, but you’ve come so far at this point that the bratty voice inside is easily snubbed out. You look over your shoulder at him, face stained with tears and swallow your pride.
“Please let me cum sir. On your fingers, on your cock, fuck I’ll take your hook just please-“ You plead and you’re afraid it’s not enough when he pulls back and sits down in his office chair.
You wait a few seconds before you slowly stand up straight and look back at Crocodile. He’s sitting with his legs wide in his large chair, hands slowly working at the buttons on his pants that strain against his large bulge. You watch, entranced, as the buttons open and he drags the waistband of his boxers down under his cock to free it. When his movements pause you look up at his face and he smiles, a single finger beckoning you over.
Your wobbly legs manage to carry you the short distance and he guides you to straddle his lap. His hand moves his cock so his tip drags against your folds and you move your hands to his shoulders to steady yourself. When he stops moving you take the initiative to slowly lower yourself onto his cock, both of you moaning as he fills you up. Taking him would have been a struggle if he hasn’t already been edging you for god knows how long, but even so you feel his girth stretch your walls close to their limit.
“Fuck- see? Being a good girl is so much better isn’t it?” His hand firmly grips your hip while his hook rests behind your back.
“It’s- it’s nice.” You relent, but wiggle your hips to encourage him to move.
“Just nice?” His head tilts and he has a smug grin on his face.
“What do I have to say to get you to move?” You snap back, brattiness threatening to rear its head again.
“Oh, sweetie. You wanted this so bad, you’re going to do the work yourself.” He leans back into the chair, hand now loose on your hip.
“But-“ You start to protest but he cuts you off.
“You still need to make up for your attitude. Now, be a good girl and fuck yourself on my cock.”
You want to be angry. You want to smack that smug look off his face. You want to spit in his eyes and leave him here. But more than any of that some deep traitorous part of you wants to be a good girl for him. That maybe making him cum too would earn you some respect or praise. And most of all you just need an orgasm.
Your thighs are already burning as you raise yourself up, you have to use the support of his shoulders as you try not to let the drag of his cock take away your little remaining control over your legs. Dropping yourself back down is a relief in more ways than one- your muscles getting a short break while his cock hits deep inside you. Just one thrust has you needing a break, leaning forward to press your forehead to his.
“That’s it-“ His thumb rubs over your hip in a surprisingly soft move. “You’re so close already, I can feel you tightening around me.”
You nod wordlessly as you raise yourself up again, mouth hanging open as you savor every inch of him. When you drop yourself down you hold yourself there, grinding your hips down, chasing the sensations you need to bring you over the edge.
“Are you going to be a good girl for me and cum all over my cock?” He asks, and those filthy words send your orgasm crashing over you.
The release after so much denial is overwhelming, stars swimming in your vision as your head collapses on Crocodile’s shoulder. You’re confident you’ve made a mess of his very expensive pants but you’re also sure you don’t care. Crocodile doesn’t give you a second to rest though.
His strong hand maneuvers you around, twisting you until your back is to his chest and your legs are over top of his. You make a noise of confusion, unable to form words, but are quickly shushed.
“I’ll do the work this time- don’t worry.” You can still hear the that smug smile but you suddenly don’t care when he starts thrusting up into you.
The new angle paired with the fact you were still feeling your orgasm has you practically screaming, reaching up and behind you to tangle your fingers in his dark hair. Every rough thrust hits your bruised ass, sparking new pain that you are learning you love.
“Fucking tight- see this is all you needed huh? A good fucking? Next time maybe I’ll get all those mean words out of your mouth by shoving my cock down your throat- shit- I feel how much you like that idea.” His arm is holding you tight against his chest as he says all these nasty things into your ear.
“Sir-“ Your body feels like it’s on fire, overheated, overstimulated, and every inch of his cock drains what’s left of you.
“I know baby-“ He coos, and you feel the cold metal of his hook trail on your thigh. “Just need you to cum one more time, get me off like a good girl-“
The outside curve of his hook travels up your thigh and finds your clit, the sensation of the hard cold metal unlike anything you’ve ever felt there. He presses down firmly as his thrusts become faster and less consistent and despite having cum just a few minutes ago you’re pushed over the edge to another orgasm. Crocodile isn’t far behind you, burying himself inside your contracting walls and cumming deep inside you.
The two of you sit there in silence, both catching your breath as you feel his cum slowly leak out of you. He still has you held close to his chest and you can’t help but relax back into his hold, back of your head resting on his shoulder.
“So…” You break the silence first. “Am I still banned from the casino?”
“As far as your father is concerned? Yes. But don’t worry, I’ll show you where the back entrance is.” His nose brushes against your neck as he speaks. “I’m sure you’ll need a lot more discipline to keep you in check.”
And despite how absolutely destroyed you feel, you think that’s exactly what you’ll need too.
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valeriehalla · 2 years ago
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I don’t know what to do about the internet. It’s getting worse, and getting worse faster than I think any of us ever could have imagined even just six years ago. Tumblr shot itself in the heart at the behest of Apple, at the behest of whichever nameless evangelical finance perverts are in charge of credit card policy, whereupon people like me (artists and people who like art) fled in droves to Twitter, the present state of which I don’t have it in me to be funny about.
Even after that one-two punch, Twitter and Tumblr are still the only (major) social media platforms I can stand to use. I mean, they’re the last ones left where you can, for example, see posts that your friends have made. I might have said that that seemed like the whole point of social media; every digital elsewhere has now collectively agreed that it is, in fact, social media’s greatest flaw. Your friends like to hang out and post weird jokes and titty drawings — they don’t know the first thing about your favorite marketing trends, let alone your unslakable thirst for 30-second phone videos. We have to move on: I’ll die if I think about it.
Uh — I wanna let you in a little. Here’s where I’m at, okay? I’m working on this project. I like it a lot: it’s a writing thing and an art thing and a music thing all at the same time. I’m still struggling with art burnout, but every day I get to sit down and write or compose for this thing is an unending delight, so on the balance it’s been great to work on. It’s taken me a while to get here, though — I’ve blown past all my estimates about when it’d be done. Still, it won’t be much longer.
In the mean time, I keep having these compulsive worries. I feel that I should be posting, but the nature of a long-form project like this is that I don’t have anything to post. I tweet complete nothings now and then, as if to announce my presence, like a lighthouse pulsing in the distance. And every week the websites get worse. They’re bleeding out, and it feels like some of my blood’s in there, maybe. Like, maybe you’d call me naïve, but it wasn’t that long ago that I really, really liked all this online stuff. I never had the hustle culture mindset about it: by good luck alone I managed to make a living posting the stuff I wanted to post on the places I wanted to post it.
The places I liked to post don’t exist anymore. My experience of using the internet feels hostile, alien. The ground beneath all our feet feels eggshell-thin.
But I have to use the internet: it’s where my stuff goes. It’s where all of you are. Here is where art and artists and art-likers live.
The things I love live here, in precarity, as the saw blades and lava traps of our digital dungeon grow every day more numerous.
Anyway, what I’m saying is that the web sucks now, but as long as we’re here — and we will be here — I want to try loving it again anyway. I want to untangle myself from all this disappointment and expectation and try simply “vibing” again. I wanna use cohost more: I’ll even crosspost stuff to Tumblr like I keep saying I should. I’m making a cool thing and I should show it off! I should relearn how to draw a little doodle and post it without feeling like it’s a suboptimal use of my time or whatever!! I want to believe in what joy may find us, though our world be a dumpster.
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meow1007 · 3 months ago
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what if i said i want kuzuryu content….. i need that man so bad, i want him in every single possible way 👓
(if not kuzuryu then chishiya. can u tell my type :3 )
— thank you so much for the request!! I hope you’ll enjoy this <3. Also he’s so lana del rey coded… I need to be his controversial young gf…
Headcanons + NSFW Alphabet
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- Definitely a little closed off at the start, he might act like he doesn’t care but it’s simply because he finds it hard to express his feelings
- Once he warms up, he would show his love for you in subtle but meaningful ways
- His love language is acts of service, there’s a task you’ve been procrastinating? he’s definitely going to do it for you or at least help you with it
- He sees that you’re tired and stressed? He’s going to massage your shoulders without a second thought
- Always notices the subtle changes in your demeanor, and remembers everything that you say to him, even if you think it’s something dumb
- The kind of man that gives you logical solutions when you’re complaining about something, even if you all you wanted was for him to comfort you
- As soon as you tell him he starts working on it though <3 from then on he always asks you if you need advice or simply for him to be emotionally supportive
- I don’t think he’s really big on cuddles, he’ll always keep a hand on your lower back tho, he loves knowing that you’re next to him where he can always keep you safe
- If you do like cuddling he’ll be more than happy to indulge you!! Secretly loves when you put your head on his chest
- So so patient, you barely argue because he’s always calm and collected, if you tell him that something made you sad or uncomfortable he immediately tells you he’s sorry and promises to make it up to you
- Always holds your face with both of his hands and kisses your forehead
- Service dom <3
NSFW ALPHABET
A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)
Cleans you up, massages you if you’re sore, makes you fall asleep with your head on his chest as he plays with your hair <3
B = Body part (his favorite body part of himself and also his favorite part of you)
I don’t think he has a favorite part of himself tbh, it’s not something he’s ever stopped to think about it. Of yours? Please don’t make him choose, he loves everything about you. Loves to put his hands around your waist, on your thighs, even on your throat if you ask for it :P
C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)
He will come inside you, there’s no doubt about that. So so possessive just the thought of marking you makes him hard
D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory)
This may be controversial but I don’t think he would mind being the submissive one for once, he always has so many expectations put on his shoulders, maybe letting go for once might feel good?
E = Experience (how experienced is he? does he know what he’s doing?)
I think his body count is pretty low, maybe 2/3 bodies. My man was a lawyer he was too busy studying to have sex. He’s very good at pleasuring you though!! That’s because he’s so perceptive, pays attention to every expression and little sound you make when he’s inside you.
F = favorite position
Missionary!! Loves looking at your pretty face Definitely makes you stay on top when you’re being bratty though, he can’t take his eyes off of you as you’re fucking yourself on his cock and your tits are bouncing.
G = Goofy (is he more serious in the moment? is he humorous?)
Definitely serious, he’s very collected in his everyday life so nothing changes during sex. He’ll just thrust inside you harder when you’re feeling funny and making jokes
H = Hair (how well groomed is he?)
Neatly trimmed!! Also has a happy trail it’s true I’m sorry I don’t make the rules
I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)
Takes things slowly, it’s such an important moment for the both of you so he wants you both to savor it. Definitely a little rough though, he’s spent most of his life being told what he’s supposed to do, so he doesn’t mind putting you in your place when he needs to. Open mouthed kisses <3 might even spit in your mouth if you’re into it I don’t think he’s big on praise but when he’s in the mood of being sweet he throws in an extra “good girl” and “you’re doing such a good job”
J = Jack off
Not the type to do it that often, maybe if he really needs to take the edge off. Especially now that he has you? It doesn’t even go trough his mind.
K = Kink
I wish I could headcanon him with a daddy kink but I’m not entirely sure about that :(( he doesn’t mind at all if it slips though, he loves taking care of you in any way so he guesses that it fits him perfectly.
Don’t know if it counts as a kink but he loves watching you play with yourself, he may even make you hump a pillow in front of him. The thought that nothing is good enough to satisfy you like he does makes him want to devour you, especially when you cry out because your fingers aren’t as big as his are </3
Would love to tie you up, maybe even hurt you a little. He feels very guilty about it tho so he never brings it up!!
L = Location (favorite places to do it)
The bed!! I’m sorry but he sees no point in having sex any other places when you have the option of doing it in bed. It’s comfortable and practical!
M = Motivation (what turns him on, gets him going)
Tbh everything about you, just your scent is enough to turn him on. And when you’re making all those sweet sounds and whining his name? How can he not want to ruin your for anyone else.
N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)
I don’t think anything is off the table with him tbh. He’s definitely down to try something new if you bring it up!!
O = Oral
Certified pussy eater please trust me!!! You’re his sweet girl so of course he loves to make you feel good!! You’re sad? hurt? stressed? He’ll put his face between your legs and make you feel better, could go on for hours. He keeps his glasses on if you ask him <3 Also loves when you suck his dick, but like I said, your pleasure always comes first. Won’t hesitate to fuck your face if he has the chance tho.
P = Pace
I think it depends tbh! If he’s in a romantic mood he’ll definitely take his time with you, build it up till you’re begging him to go deeper and faster. Other times he just shoves your face in the pillows and rams into you till you’re begging him to stop :P
Q = Quickie
Not really into to them. Like I said, he loves taking things slow with you, make you crave his touch and dick. He’ll maybe even refuse if you ask him, just to make you appreciate everything more the next time he’ll fuck you.
S = Stamina
Usually two rounds, maybe even three if you’re particularly in the mood and you beg him nicely.
T = Toys
Doesn’t own them! But he’s will use them on you if you want to, loves to watch you squirm and moan as he overstimulates you with a vibrator. If he feels like he needs to put you in your place he might even buy the remote controlled ones and make you wear them while you’re outside <3
U = Unfair
I know his whole character is about making things fair but I just know he loves to tease you!!! He usually loves to indulge you but sometimes he just has to make you beg, I just know he brings you to your orgasm countless of times before taking his cock out of you right when you’re about to come :( Can get really mean if he wants to, but he loves you even more because you always take it <3
V = Volume
Doesn’t make sounds that easily tbh, he will groan in your ear when he’s close
Y = Yearning (how high is his sex drive?)
He would be down to fuck you everyday tbh! You’re so pretty and he loves you so much, what other best way to show you? But he’s really good at controlling himself if you have a low sex drive
Z = Zzz (how quickly he falls asleep afterwards)
Waits for you to fall asleep first!!
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cosmowgyral · 5 months ago
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"The Vicious Wildcat is Clumsily Affectionate"
▪︎ Kagari's 1st Birthday
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This is a fan translation so please don't expect it to be 100% accurate. Creative liberties have been taken. All content belongs to Cybird. Reblogs are appreciated. Hope you enjoy!
This is my very first time translating/reading a Kagari event and since he is not yet out in the EN server, there might be terms that will turn out different than what I have used here when he is finally released.
Chapter 3
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As Prince Kagari’s birthday drew to a close, the hustle and bustle gradually died down.
When night fell, I was sitting under a cherry tree, watching the lantern-lit town lights, when I heard footsteps coming.
Kagari: I had an appointment today.
(….You really came.)
Prince Kagari sat down next to me under the cherry tree.
There was a normal distance between us.
Emma: Is the party over?
Kagari: Not yet.
Emma: You left though.
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Kagari: Meeting you is more important.
Cat: Meow
Mike no. 1 who cried out in agreement, was introduced to me by Prince Kagari.
He was playing around Prince Kagari’s feet, and moved away after being petted once.
(I had given him a letter and it looks like he safely delivered it to Prince Kagari.)
Kagari: Did you change your clothes?
Emma: Yes, I wanted to meet you as my normal self, Prince Kagari.
Emma: If we’re going to celebrate your birthday, I wanted to do it while being the person who met you in Kogyoku.
Kagari: …….
Emma: Happy birthday, Prince Kagari.
I swallowed my nervousness and gave him the gift I had been keeping hidden behind my back, wrapped in a cloth with a cherry blossom design.
Even after receiving the package, his expression remained unchanged.
But, he didn’t turn it down.
Prince Kagari skilfully opened the present after receiving it and quickly took out the item.
Kagari: A book?
Emma: It’s a book from Rhodolite.
Emma: You taught me a lot about the splendour of Kogyoku.
Emma: Getting to know so much about an unknown place is exciting….
Emma: I chose this book because I wanted you to experience the same emotion as me, Prince Kagari.
Emma: …And I hope that I can convey the splendour of Rhodolite…
Kagari: Is this a book set in Rhodolite?
Emma: That’s right! It’s a collection of short stories, but each story is heart warming,
Emma: It should be a panacea for when you’re exhausted.
(Particularly in the case of Prince Kagari, who rarely has peaceful times.)
(I want you to be at peace even for a brief moment.)
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Kagari: I had almost forgotten that you are a book merchant.
Kagari: You’re the only one who’d gift me a book.
Prince Kagari looked at the cover of the book with interest and began flipping through it.
He seemed to like it as his gaze followed the letters.
(I’m glad he didn’t reject my gift because there was a possibility that he wouldn’t like it.)
Emma: ….I’m relieved that we were able to celebrate properly.
When I relaxed and expressed my emotions, Prince Kagari looked up from the book.
Kagari: You’re overthinking it. Birthday wishes don’t bother me.
(It seems that my thoughts were obvious to Prince Kagari after all.)
Emma: However, I was concerned about how you react like it’s none of your business.
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Kagari: …So that’s what it looked like.
Prince Kagari closed the book, and quite unusually, lowered his emerald eyes.
Kagari: It’s not that I don’t like being celebrated, or that I’m not interested in birthdays.
Kagari: But… I still don't know how I feel about being celebrated.
Kagari: This has been a recent problem.
(That’s surprising….I can’t believe his cold demeanour was just because he wasn’t used to being celebrated.)
As I get to know this adorable side of the yasha, I suddenly realised something.
(‘recent problem'?)
(Birthdays come every year. If his behaviour is the same every time, it cannot be considered as recent.)
(Now that I think about it, it does seem strange. Apart from being the yasha, Prince Kagari is also a royal of Kogyoku. There must have been plenty of opportunities for him to be celebrated.)
(But he says he’s not used to these….)
After giving it some consideration, I decided not to ask any further questions, thinking it might not be appropriate to intrude.
 (…I’m still confused by the way people in town celebrate…)
(But if Prince Kagari is unaffected by it all, there’s nothing for me to say.)
As the words trailed off, a light wind causes the petals of the cherry blossoms to flutter down in a lovely dance.
(Wow..)
Emma: It’s beautiful.
I turned my face away from Prince Kagari and held out my hand to the falling petals---
Emma: Prince Kagari?
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He grabbed my skirt tightly and I blink in surprise.
Kagari: You’ve been thinking about my birthday since morning, and now you’re fussing over cherry blossom petals?
He sounded somewhat sulky.
Emma: Of course I’m still thinking about your birthday.
Emma: It seems like even the cherry blossom trees are celebrating you.
Kagari: You’re the only one who needs to celebrate. So don’t look away.
It somehow feels like he wants to be spoiled.
A smile welled up in my face as I thought this was probably the best request Prince Kagari could come up with, since he was not used to celebrations.
Kagari: …What’s that smile for?
Emma: It’s nothing.
As I made an effort to relax, Prince Kagari’s suspicious face softened.
(Ahhh…)
This is the first time I’m seeing him smile today on his birthday.
(….He smiled at the very end.)
(Even if it was just for a moment, if it gives him a good memory on his birthday then it was worth celebrating.)
To avoid revealing my racing heart, I turned my focus back to the cherry blossoms, and Prince Kagari's tightening hold on me caused my skirt to wrinkle even more.
We remained quiet, and the wind carried the noise of the banquet.
Emma: ….I just wanted to give you the present but we ended up talking so much.
Emma: Prince Kagari, isn’t it about time you returned to the party?
Kagari: …..
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Kagari: Don’t you want to keep the yasha to yourself, princess?
Emma: I think I have had enough.
I suggested that out of guilt, but Prince Kagari wouldn’t let go of my skirt. 
Kagari: ….I want to stay here.
Emma: In that case…I’ll take you up on your offer.
When I accepted it, Prince Kagari sat closer to me.
Our bodies touched and the resulting warmth seeped into my heart.
(You chose to be by my side on this special day of yours.)
(My expectations are subtly revealed by the tense atmosphere.)
Emma: Can we continue to celebrate you for a little longer, Prince Kagari?
Kagari: Yeah
With the book in his hand, Prince Kagari leans towards me.
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Kagari: Celebrate as much as you want to. I don’t know if I’ll be able to celebrate my birthday properly next year.
Emma: …..I don’t like such jokes.
Kagari: I was not joking. But don’t worry, I want to celebrate with you again and again.
(We need to celebrate in a manner that will keep him thinking that way.)
I accepted his cat-like, clingy behaviour while suppressing my restless heart.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ㅤ𔘓 ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
----A few days later.
As I left my inn, a familiar cat rubbed himself against me.
(Mike no. 1)
Today he had a small backpack, and he was looking at me as if he wanted me to open it.
I opened the backpack and revealed a small, palm-sized letter inside.
Cherry blossom petals dropped into my hand as I took out a small piece of paper with a brief message written on it from inside the envelope.
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Thanks to the book you’ve given me, I won’t have problem killing some time for a while.
You’ve fetched a perfect score, princess.
(He liked that book.)
(If we can celebrate again next year, I wonder if he’ll be even more delighted to receive my wish than he was this year.)
(….I hope that happens.)
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[Chapter 2] [Masterlist] [His POV]
➽──────────────❥
Y'all I was giggling and kicking the entire time while reading and also while translating this. He is SO adorable. I'm reallyy looking forward to Kagari now.
Guess I have a weakness for men who call me princess.
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