#SURPRISE. i worked on this 3 days straight without doing much of anything else

[qserasera]

CHAPTER 16 IS HERE

for the holidays or smth nice

fic: the light we kindle here

A series of stories about the horrible exorcists of Natsume Yuujinchou set in an established relationship AU. Coauthored with sulfatetocopper. 

(Read on AO3)

[rafeys-sweetie]

fic idea! ex boyfriend jj who is desperate for you, like imagine it — he cheated on you with kie, and being the sweet girl that you are, forgave him. it's not like you'd forget though, when you're hanging out with him and your other friends (because of course you'd stay friends) he keeps doing nice things for and to you, he tries to become a better guy (no more fights, no more flirting, no more being reckless) and all that, but you don't see him as anything more than a friend anymore. months after months he tries to prove himself, to you. to give him another chance. (not that you'd notice though, you think he's just being nice) and he doesn't stop, not even when you get a boyfriend.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

(I love your brain sm, best anon ever. <3)

౨ৎ

The sun poured over the marsh like warm honey, thick and golden, coating everything in light that made it too easy to forget how cold the past had been. Summer had this way of lying to you. It made you believe things were softer than they were. That people could change.

Your legs hung over the edge of the dock, heels scuffing the wood, your toes barely brushing the top of the water. You stayed still even when you heard the footsteps behind you. The boards creaked, but not enough to startle you. You would have known that sound anywhere.

JJ sat down beside you like he always used to, quiet and a little careful now. There was space between you. Not much, but enough that it made you ache in a way you refused to let him see.

“I figured you would be here,” he said. His voice was lower than usual, softer. Like he was trying not to scare something off.

You did not look at him. You just nodded. “It’s quiet out here.”

He hummed in agreement, stretching his arms over his knees. The air between you held weight. You felt it pressing against your ribs, felt it in your throat, behind your eyes.

This was where you used to come with him when everything was easier. When you could still trust him.

Now it was just a place.

“I brought you something,” JJ said after a long moment.

You looked over, surprised. He held out a bottle of water and a bag of your favorite chips. A dumb gesture. Small. Kind. The kind of thing he had been doing for months now.

You took it without a word. You were thirsty, but you hated how your fingers brushed his when you grabbed it. You hated how he smiled at that, like it meant anything.

“It doesn’t change anything,” you said quietly.

JJ looked down at his hands. They were dirty in the way all his clothes always were. Calloused fingers, bruises on his knuckles, a scrape healing on his forearm. He still fought too much, still worked too hard, still never listened to reason.

“I know,” he said. “I am not trying to change anything. I just wanted you to have something to drink.”

You scoffed, more out of reflex than anything else.

“You keep doing this,” you said. “Being nice. Buying me stuff. Letting me talk first in group conversations. Laughing at everything I say even when it’s not funny. You act like we are still a thing.”

“We were not just a thing,” he said, voice tight.

“No,” you said. “We were a mistake.”

JJ flinched like you hit him.

You did not take it back.

For a moment, all you could hear was the wind and the lap of the water. Far off, a gull screamed something miserable into the sky. The cicadas had not started yet. It was too early in the evening.

“I know what I did,” JJ said after a long silence.

You closed your eyes.

“I think about it every day,” he went on. “Every fucking day. I know I don’t deserve shit from you. But I am still here because I want to be. Not to make you feel bad. Not to get something back. I just want to try and be better than I was.”

You finally looked at him.

JJ was staring straight ahead, jaw clenched. The muscles in his throat were working like he was trying to swallow something sharp.

He looked older now. Worn down. Maybe that was what guilt did to people. You were not sure.

“I forgave you,” you said softly. “I meant that.”

“I know.”

“But it does not mean I want you.”

He nodded. Slowly. Like it took all his effort.

“And you are with Rafe now,” he said, barely above a whisper.

You blinked. That was the first time he had said it out loud. The first time either of you had acknowledged the truth of it, even though the whole island knew.

You were with Rafe Cameron.

And JJ had no one but himself.

You looked away again, the air thick with the things you did not say.

Like the way JJ had looked when he first saw you holding Rafe’s hand. Or the fact that Rafe was everything JJ never could be. Polished. Unbothered. A boy who knew how to keep his promises. At least, for now.

You had not told Rafe that JJ still did things for you. That JJ still tried.

“I should go,” JJ said, voice hollow.

You did not stop him.

You listened as his boots scuffed against the dock, each step dragging a piece of your past away with it.

When he was gone, you looked down at the water and whispered to yourself,

“You never should have fucked her.”

And you were not talking about Rafe.

JJ left the dock like something heavy was chained to his back. You did not watch him walk away, but you felt it. The silence he left behind was louder than anything he could have said. You sat there until the sun started to sink lower, turning everything a kind of tired orange, your drink forgotten beside you.

You were not crying.

You never cried over JJ anymore.

By the time you walked back up the dirt path to your car, the sky was bruising with dusk and your phone buzzed twice in your back pocket.

Rafe: Dinner still on?

Rafe: Or should I come pick you up?

You hesitated before answering.

You: Yeah. I’ll be there. Just got caught up with Sarah.

The lie rolled out easy. Too easy. Rafe was not the jealous type, but he was the possessive type, and there was a difference.

He was already at the house when you got there, leaned against his car with a bottle of wine in one hand and a cocky little smile on his face. His sunglasses were pushed into his hair, and his shirt was unbuttoned just enough to show the edge of his collarbone. He looked like someone who never had to ask for what he wanted.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he said when you stepped out. He’s finally in a good mood today.

You kissed his cheek because it was the safe place to kiss. He smelled like clean cologne and salt air and the kind of trouble you used to think was romantic.

“Took you long enough,” he said, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“I lost track of time.”

He tilted his head like he almost believed you.

You slid into the passenger seat and let him drive you toward the restaurant you always went to when he wanted to be seen. His hand rested on your thigh the whole way there. He talked about something shallow. Surf conditions maybe. Or Topper getting kicked out of another bar. You did not really listen.

You just nodded when it seemed right.

Dinner was loud. The restaurant was crowded. You saw people you knew. People who looked at you like they remembered the way JJ had once kissed you against that very wall. The same booth. The same goddamn drinks.

You hated that it still clung to you like smoke.

Rafe ordered for both of you. He liked to do that. You let him. You sipped your wine and laughed when he said something biting and charming. You touched his arm when he made a joke that cut someone else down.

You were a good girlfriend.

At least on paper.

By the time dessert came, you had almost forgotten what JJ’s voice sounded like. Almost.

Until your phone lit up.

A message.

From him.

You swallowed the breath that tried to rise.

JJ: I left my hoodie in your truck. You can toss it if you want.

You stared at the words like they were a trap.

He had not left a hoodie in your truck.

He was lying.

Rafe was watching you now, his jaw twitching slightly as he raised his wine glass again.

“You good?” he asked.

You nodded too quickly.

“Yeah. Just Sarah being dramatic again.”

Another lie.

Another reason to avoid looking in the mirror later.

You opened the message again that night when Rafe was asleep beside you. His arm was heavy across your waist, breath even, warm against your shoulder. He had been good to you lately. Steady. Comfortable.

He had not kissed someone else.

He had not touched your best friend and come back with apologies that broke your heart all over again.

But he was not JJ.

You stared at the message for a long time. Your thumb hovered.

Then you replied.

You: It is not in there. You just made that up.

No response.

You did not expect one.

You rolled over and tried to let Rafe’s presence soothe you, but it was like trying to sleep with an open window during a storm. Too much wind. Too much noise.

Too much that did not belong.

The next day, JJ was already at the Boneyard when you got there. Pope was laughing at something he said. Sarah was barefoot, sipping out of a flask. Kie avoided your eyes. She always did now.

You did not know why you kept coming.

Maybe it was habit.

Maybe it was punishment.

JJ’s gaze found you the second you stepped onto the sand. He straightened up, expression unreadable. You pretended not to notice the way he had changed his shirt. Like he had tried.

Rafe was not with you this time.

You needed space.

Or maybe you just wanted to remember how it felt to be here without him.

“You came,” JJ said, walking up slowly.

You shrugged. “I always come.”

He gave you a smile. Small. Broken. “You texted me,” you added, quietly.

JJ looked down. “Yeah.” “Why?”

He hesitated. Then looked at you. Really looked. “Because I wanted you to think about me.”

You felt the breath leave your lungs before you could stop it. “That is not fair,” you said.

“I know.”

“You do not get to do that anymore.”

“I know.”

“Then stop trying.”

JJ took a step back like it hurt to stand near you. Like your words were knives. “I can’t,” he said. And then he walked away.

Again.

And you let him.

Again.

The morning after the Boneyard felt heavier than it should have. You woke up in Rafe’s bed, sunlight cutting across your face like a warning. Your limbs were stiff, throat dry, stomach hollow.

You had not slept well.

Rafe wasn’t beside you.

That was the first thing you noticed.

The second was your phone buzzing on the nightstand.

1 new message — JJ

You stared at it for a second, heart climbing into your throat. You didn’t touch it. Not yet. Not when you knew it was probably another quiet little sentence meant to keep him on your mind. And worse, it was working.

You sat up, pulling the blanket tighter around your chest. The house was too quiet. Rafe’s house was always quiet like that. Not calm — quiet, like silence was something forced down its throat. You got dressed in the shirt he had tossed on the floor the night before, the collar stretched and smelling like his cologne and weed and something colder underneath.

You stepped out of the room just in time to hear a drawer slam shut in the kitchen.

Rafe was pacing, shirtless, one hand clenched around a bottle of pills, the other running through his hair.

He looked up when he saw you. His eyes were too bright, his smile too fast.

“There she is,” he said. “Sleeping beauty.”

You said nothing.

He walked over and kissed your cheek, too hard. Too sharp.

“You were tossing all night,” he said. “Nightmares again?”

You lied without thinking.

“Yeah. I guess.”

He watched you like he didn’t believe it. His jaw twitched. That smile was still on his face, but it was starting to crack.

“You weren’t dreaming about your ex or anything, right?” he said with a crooked grin.

You blinked.

“What?”

“JJ,” he said. “Don’t play dumb.”

You crossed your arms, something cold forming in your stomach.

“Why would I dream about JJ?”

“I don’t know,” Rafe said. “You tell me.”

You stared at him.

He stared back.

The silence stretched until it turned sour.

“Jesus, Rafe,” you said finally. “You sound insane.”

He laughed. Loud. Sharp. But there was no humor in it.

“I sound insane?” he repeated. “You’re the one who can’t stop looking at him every time we’re in the same fucking room.”

“That is not true.”

“Bullshit.”

You looked down, voice quiet.

“He cheated on me.”

“Yeah, and yet you keep orbiting him like some sad little moon hoping he turns into the sun.”

You winced.

He was right. And he was wrong. And he knew exactly how to cut you open with the things that lived in your chest.

Rafe grabbed your chin suddenly, fingers too tight.

“Don’t lie to me,” he said. “You know how much I hate liars.”

You swallowed, heart crawling up your throat.

“I’m not lying.”

His grip stayed there for another second before he let go, stepping back like he hadn’t just squeezed your jaw hard enough to leave a mark.

“Good,” he said, voice too smooth now. “Because I really fucking like you, baby. You know that. Right?”

You nodded.

“I need to hear it,” he said.

You forced the words out.

“I know.”

He smiled again. Bigger this time. As if your fear was something he could drink.

“Good girl,” he said.

Later that day, you did not go home. You drove. Nowhere in particular. Windows down, radio off. The wind whipped through your hair and it felt like something trying to pull you back into yourself.

You stopped at the convenience store on the edge of the island. The one no one really went to except kids skipping school and guys looking to score without being seen.

JJ was there.

He was leaning against the vending machine, hood up, jaw bruised from something that probably happened last night. He had a cigarette in his fingers and a look on his face that went soft when he saw you.

You froze.

He stood straighter.

“I didn’t think you’d come here,” he said.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

You stepped closer. Close enough to smell the smoke on him. Close enough to see the little cut above his eyebrow, probably from another fight he said he was done with.

“Is that from Rafe?” he asked suddenly, voice low.

Your stomach twisted.

“What?”

He pointed gently at your jaw.

The bruise. Faint. Small. But visible now in the daylight.

You reached up before you could stop yourself, fingertips brushing it like maybe you could erase it with enough pressure.

“No,” you said quickly. “No, he didn’t— it’s not—”

JJ’s face changed.

He took a slow step forward.

“I swear to God,” he whispered, “if he’s putting his fucking hands on you—”

“He’s not,” you said again, firmer. “JJ, it’s not what you think.”

He stared at you.

You stared back.

Neither of you said anything.

Then you looked away.

“He’s just… intense,” you said. “He’s not like you.”

“Yeah,” JJ said. “I know.”

He put out the cigarette on the metal edge of the vending machine. The sound was small. Final.

“I was a shitty boyfriend,” he said. “But I never hurt you.”

Your eyes burned.

You hated that he was right.

“I let you down,” he said. “I fucked up in every way a person can. But I never laid a hand on you.”

You nodded, throat closing.

JJ looked at you like he still knew your every thought. Like he still cared. Like he would still give up everything to go back to that night and make a different choice.

And part of you the part that still woke up cold wanted to believe that meant something.

“I should go,” you whispered.

JJ stepped back.

“Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”

But neither of you moved. Not for a long time…

HjjThe bruise on your jaw had darkened overnight. You stood in front of your bathroom mirror, light washing over your skin, exposing the ugly truth you had tried to smother under layers of makeup. The discoloration was deeper now, edged with the yellow of healing but still angry beneath the surface. You reached up, fingertips grazing it without pressure, as if the touch alone might convince it to disappear. It didn’t.

You had not cried. You would not cry. Not over this. Not over him. Not anymore.

Your phone buzzed again from the sink. Third time in five minutes.

JJ.

You let it ring once more, staring at the name on the screen, then answered. His voice hit you before you could brace for it.

“Are you okay?”

There was a pause. You swallowed, eyes flicking back up to your reflection. Your voice, when it came, was quieter than you meant it to be.

“I don’t know.”

He didn’t say anything at first. Just breathed. You could hear the tension behind it, the things he was holding back. When he finally spoke again, his voice was careful, firm.

“I saw your face yesterday. The bruise.”

“I told you it wasn’t—”

“I do not believe you.”

You didn’t answer. A bird cried out somewhere beyond the house. The silence around you stretched until it felt like something would snap. And then he spoke again.

“Come outside.”

Your stomach sank. “What?”

“I’m outside your house.”

You blinked, heart kicking against your ribs. With slow steps, you moved toward your bedroom window and pulled the curtain just enough to peek through.

There he was.

JJ stood by his dirtbike, hoodie zipped up to his chin, hair tousled like he had ridden here fast and without thinking. He was staring at your front door, his shoulders rigid with whatever emotion he couldn’t say out loud.

You didn’t speak. You just ended the call and walked outside.

The air was thick with early morning heat and something worse something that clung to your skin. JJ met you halfway down the driveway. He didn’t touch you. He just looked at you like you were something he had lost and kept trying to find again.

“I had to see you,” he said. “I couldn’t let it sit.”

You nodded, arms folded tightly across your chest, unsure if it was to guard against him or yourself.

“I do not care if you hate me,” JJ said, his voice rough. “I do not care if you never want to be with me again. But I’m not going to sit back while that guy puts his fucking hands on you.”

Your throat clenched. You opened your mouth and forced the words out like they were rusted shut. “He loves me.”

JJ’s eyes darkened. “No,” he said, voice flat. “No, he doesn’t. Not if he’s hurting you.”

“He didn’t mean to,” you whispered. “He was upset.”

“Upset does not mean violent.”

You looked away, blinking hard. You didn’t want this. You didn’t want to be the girl with the bruise and the excuses.

“You think I don’t see what this is?” JJ’s voice cracked slightly now, that old desperation creeping in. “I fucked up, yeah. I ruined us. I’ll never stop hating myself for that. But I never made you feel scared. I never left marks on you.”

You closed your eyes, chest tight. “Stop.”

“I can’t,” he said. “I won’t.”

A car pulled up fast. The tires ground against gravel.

You both turned.

Rafe’s car skidded to a stop at the curb, engine humming like something alive and furious. The door swung open before it fully parked. Rafe stepped out, shirt clinging to his chest, eyes already locked on JJ.

He looked wild.

Like he had seen enough to decide how this story was going to end.

JJ took a step in front of you without thinking. His hand hovered, not touching, but close enough to make a point.

Rafe’s voice cut across the space between you.

“What the fuck is this?”

You stepped forward. “Rafe, just—”

“Get in the house,” he snapped.

JJ didn’t move. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

Rafe’s hand slid behind his back. You froze.

It was not a gesture. It was instinct. It was muscle memory from a boy who carried too many threats in his pockets.

And JJ saw it too.

You saw his jaw tighten. He stood his ground.

“I swear to God,” Rafe said, eyes burning, “I will put you in the ground if you touch what’s mine again.”

JJ stepped forward.

“I am not afraid of you.”

Rafe pulled something from behind his waistband.

You gasped.

It was not a bluff.

Not this time.

[cobaltperun]

The Catalyst (3) - Monster

WandaNat x Female Reader

Chapter summary: The tensions keep rising and the first actual danger makes you act in a way you didn't think you ever would act again.

Spotify Playlist

Masterlist / First Part / Previous Part / Next Part

Word Count: 4.5k

-I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin I must confess that I feel like a monster-

Seething, you headed for the lab where Banner and Stark were working on finding the Cube, still very much affected by what Loki did to Natasha. And it annoyed you. It proved a fact you’ve been trying to ignore ever since you saw her for the first time in three years. That, as angry as you were, you still cared and you didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.

“L/N,” you saw her and Thor coming from the other hall, heading in the same direction as you were. Bringing Thor with her was smart, Loki wanted to turn Banner against you and if he succeeded you’d need someone as strong as Thor.

Words ‘are you okay’ got stuck in your throat and you just nodded, refusing to meet her eyes. You weren’t even sure she knew you’ve seen what happened. Fury knew, but that never meant everyone else involved knew. But no, she wasn’t okay, she was distraught, no matter how well she was hiding it.

In the end the decision was made for you. Even if you wanted to tell her anything you were already close enough to the lab to hear the guys arguing.

You went in, followed by Natasha and Thor, only to be met with the sight you frankly should have expected. A high-tech weapon, a firearm somewhat resembling a shotgun, right there on the table. You shouldn’t have been surprised, this was S.H.I.E.L.D. after all, the same people who developed mutant depowering serum, then strengthened it, made it last longer and finally turned that into gas and went after the X-Men. Now only a handful of the team remained, and they were scattered, spending their days in hiding. Perhaps you would have been one of the targets if you didn’t already leave the organization. That was a question you refused to entertain, you had enough gripes with S.H.I.E.L.D. as it was, you didn’t need those what ifs.

“Did you know about this?” Banner asked Natasha as you looked at Fury. He was dangerous, willing to do anything if he believed it was necessary.

“You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?” Natasha suggested, setting her priorities straight, Banner could not lose control.

Banner laughed in disbelief. “I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed,” he reminded her, hints of his anger slipping through the cracks of his composure and putting damn near everyone on edge.

“Loki’s manipulating you,” Natasha warned him, tried to make him see reason and you were reminded of her conversation with Loki, how he got under her skin. Banner, with his fears and insecurities, was an easy target, one Loki didn’t even need to directly speak to.

“And you’ve been doing what exactly?” he challenged her, seeing right through her and Fury’s manipulations.

Against all the logic of self-perseverance you spoke up. “Fair point,” you had to agree, and you saw her hand twitch ever so slightly. Normally you weren’t all that eager to raise the tensions, but you couldn’t help yourself. You just spoke without thinking it through first.

Natasha ignored your quip and instead focused solely on Banner and deescalating the situation. “You didn’t come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.”

“Yes, and I’m not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy,” he then turned the screen and pointed at the schematics for missiles. “I’d like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.”

Everything became silent for a few moments, before Fury relented. “Because of him,” he said while pointed at Thor.

“Me?” you could hear confusion in Thor’s voice, hell, there was even a hint of hurt there.

“Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, out-gunned,” Fury argued his case, and you’ve read the reports, you’ve seen from a relative distance what Hulk fighting that other monster looked like. As it was, S.H.I.E.L.D. was truly hilariously out-gunned.

“My people want nothing but peace with your planet,” Thor stated confidently.

You laughed at that, catching the man’s attention. “I’m sorry, isn’t one of your people the reason why we’re all here?”

Thor opened his mouth to respond, but Fury spoke up before Thor could utter a single word. “And, you’re not the only threat. The world’s filling up with people who can’t be matched, they can’t be controlled,” the fact that you actually sort of fueled Fury’s argument made you want to take it back.

You turned to glare and pointed your finger at Fury. “Oh, don’t you go playing a saint here, not when you turn on your own people,” you accused him.

“Controlled? You mean like you controlled the cube?” Rogers demanded fiercely, angered by the reckless actions Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. took.

“Yeah, that’s his M.O., he tries to control people and when they don’t let him, he turns on them. How long until you turn on your precious Avengers? Hm?” you asked, getting in Fury’s face, you could see a spark of anger in his eye, which only made you angrier that he even felt like he had the right to get angry.

“You are making this personal, agent L/N, it’s clouding your judgment,” you had to admit he had balls to say that when you could turn him into a pile of ash.

“You leave her to die, and you expect her to fight for you? I’m a narcissist, but you developed a brand new level of entitled,” Stark walked up to you and shoved a bag between you and Fury. “Blueberries?” he offered so casually you almost forgot about how serious this situation was.

It was like Stark’s whole demeanor brought at least a hint of clarity to your mind, reminding you that fighting Fury just wasn’t worth it. But then there was Stark. You observed him for a moment before taking a few. “Thanks,” at the end of the day there was no harm in the slight distraction. And come on, you were offered blueberries.

“I expect all of you to fight for this world!” Fury declared and you could tell he was getting frustrated over all of this. The team he was trying to gather was falling apart right in front of his eyes.

“But only under your terms,” you countered and when Stark offered you more blueberries you went and took them. “You don’t want a team, you want puppets to do your bidding,” at least the blueberries were good.

“This is bigger than all of your individual egos and grudges,” Natasha joined in, recognizing that Fury was losing his patience.

And you suddenly got a foul taste in your mouth that not even the blueberries could fix and what little clarity you regained was once more enveloped in fog of reckless anger. Of all the people to throw that at you it had to be her. “Yeah, you just keep on following orders,” you snapped at her and watched as she opened her mouth and then changed her mind, choosing to instead just look away.

“You brought this on yourselves. Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war,” Thor tried to focus the conversation back on what was important.

“A higher form?!” Rogers demanded, alarmed at the idea. And he wasn’t even around to see the worst of what the Second World War brought.

“Sure, that’s exactly how war works. They’ll wait for us to get ready,” Natasha countered sarcastically and took a few steps back, trying to remove herself from the arguments, especially if it meant arguing with you even more.

Fury turned to Thor in disbelief. “You forced our hand! We had to come up with some-“

“Nuclear deterrent! ’Cause that always calms everything right down,” Stark was having none of it and was more than eager to call Fury out on his bullshit excuses.

“Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?” somewhere deep down you had to admit you were enjoying watching Fury have a meltdown as he turned his full attention toward Stark. Even if the meltdown wasn’t nearly as dramatic as you hoped it would be.

“At least he was open about it,” you countered. You’ve kept up with the news, you knew Stark shut down weapon manufacturing and turned his attention elsewhere. And you respected that, but more importantly you were really pissed at Fury for making a jab at something Stark once did when Fury himself had plenty of things to own up to.

“I’m sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep-“ Rogers argued back with a hell of a low blow.

“Wait- Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?” Stark had no intention of backing down, especially when it was clear Fury was diverting the attention away from his own bullshit.

“I’m sorry, isn’t everything?” and Rogers, like the model soldier that he was, was unknowingly doing exactly what Fury wanted.

“This wasn’t until you brought it up,” you turned away, very tempted to leave. Not just this conversation, but helicarrier in general. Loki was captured, as far as you were concerned the job was completed.

“I thought humans were more evolved than this,” oh, that was rich coming from a guy most humans considered a myth and some still worshiped to this day. The same guy that less than a minute ago talked about the Earth sending a signal that it was ready for higher forms of war.

“Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?” Fury, who had clearly given up on using Stark as a decoy to take the heat, turned to Thor yet again.

Thor seemed disgusted. “You treat your champions with such mistrust,” he nearly spat.

“You’re not my champions!” Fury exclaimed, and though everyone was standing around it felt like even the slightest push might cause a fight.

“For once we agree. I am not his champion,” you actually felt a tiny bit sick for agreeing with Fury in any way.

“Are you going to argue with everyone here?” Rogers asked you and you could see his confusion over all of this. Your reaction, your anger, it confused him, and you weren’t even going to consider explaining yourself to him.

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want,” you shrugged at this point just going along with the chaos. It was frustrating, but it also kind of felt good to let it all out.

“And you should! Let the woman talk, she has more gripes with the super spies than any of us do,” Stark took your side, and you looked at him, not quite sure how to read him just yet. “Also, hasn’t argued with me or Banner yet,” he pointed out matter-of-factly.

“I’ve still got time,” you were actually joking. So far you had no reason to argue with Stark or Banner.

“Bring it,” Stark offered you more blueberries and well, you just took another handful.

“And lose blueberry privilege? No thanks,” you popped the blueberries into your mouth and honestly considered getting a bag or two, or five, after this was over.

“Knew you were smart,” he tapped you on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

“Can you two focus for once or does everything have to be about you?” Rogers demanded in disbelief.

You swallowed and then let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh no, the world is ending because we ate blueberries instead of losing our minds,” you rolled your eyes and Rogers just stared at you, speechless.

But none of this was a conversation anymore, it was just a group of people yelling at one another over one thing or another. You weren’t getting anywhere like this, and chances were things wouldn’t get better anytime soon.

“You speak of control, yet you court chaos!” Thor accused Fury, and for what it was worth it, you agreed.

“It’s his M.O., isn’t it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We’re a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We’re a time bomb,” Banner caught Fury’s attention after a while and it was like Banner’s presence in the conversation shut down any other arguments as all the attention turned to him.

“You need to step away,” Fury warned him, realizing that whatever this argument brought, it could, under no circumstance make Banner angry, or there would be consequences.

“Why shouldn’t the guy let off a little steam?” Stark asked curiously as he placed his hand on Rogers’ shoulder.

“You know damn well why! Back off!” Rogers pushed his hand away and glared at him.

“Oh, I’m starting to want you to make me,” and Stark was back at it again with Rogers. It was the clash of the opposites in every way imaginable. Red against blue, armor against whatever Rogers was wearing, and the clash of their ideals was even more apparent.

Rogers circled around Stark and glared at him. “Yeah, big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?” there was even some contempt in Rogers’ voice.

And Stark didn’t immediately glare back, he wasn’t even looking at Rogers. “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” he only looked at Rogers by the end of the sentence.

“I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I’ve seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself,” scratch contempt, this was disdain, he looked at Stark and reached his conclusion about the man. And it wasn’t a positive one. “You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you,” and Rogers was completely sure of that.

“I think I would just cut the wire.” Stark shrugged, seeing no reason to be so dramatic if there was another way to solve the problem.

“Sacrifice play, how noble,” you scoffed, sick and tired of those ideas. Rogers already sacrificed himself once, nearly losing his life. In a way losing his life, since he woke up in an entirely different world. Yet he haven’t had enough, he was ready to do it all over again. Noble, but stupid ideal, as far as you were concerned.

“Always a way out. You were an agent, you accepted the risks,” Rogers turned to you, disappointed for whatever reason.

“Yeah, is that what I did? You know me so well, Rogers,” you mocked. There was a difference between the two of you. He chose to sacrifice himself; you were left to die an unnecessary death.

“You know, the two of you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be heroes,” he warned you and Stark, which was kind of funny to you because you certainly never even thought of yourself as a hero.

“A hero? Like you? You’re a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle,” yeah, there was definitely something a lot deeper underneath those words, but you had neither the information nor the will to dig into it.

“Put on the suit, let’s go a few rounds,” Rogers challenged, finally saying the words that were probably on his mind since Stark chose to go after Thor and Loki on his own.

“What, super soldier serum didn’t boost your brain?” you smirked a bit, taunting Rogers for pretty much losing the argument.

“You people are so petty, and tiny,” Thor scolded you all like that would do anything.

“Yeah, this is a team,” you looked down to see if the sarcasm dripping from Banner’s voice was causing a flood.

“Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-“ Fury began but Banner cut him off.

“Where? You rented my room!” he reminded him and you all suddenly stopped arguing, focusing entirely on Banner. He was getting angry and that was making some of you nervous.

“The cell was just-“ Fury tried to calm him down but there was no going back now.

“In case you needed to kill me, but you can’t. I know. I tried!” if the arguments didn’t stop before now they were absolutely done for as you all listened to him. “I got low. I didn’t see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So, I moved on, I focused on helping other people. I was good,” he lamented over the stable environment he had. “Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk,” he turned to Natasha and despite all the anger, despite all the things she did, you still got worried. “You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?” he asked

You moved closer to Banner and reached up for your glaive, ready just in case. Natasha and Fury reached for their guns.

“Doctor Banner, put down the scepter,” Rogers told him, and Banner looked down to his left, confused and surprised to see the scepter in his hand.

Suddenly there was a beeping sound coming from one of the monitors and you looked back, seeing that the Tesseract was found. You let out a sigh of relief, it was finally over. Well, not quite because Thor still argued about where the Tesseract should be taken and Stark and Rogers were once again arguing. But then it happened, an explosion caught you all by surprise and sent you flying to the back of the lab while everyone else scattered. Stark and Rogers ended up near the entrance, Fury and Thor fell behind a table and from what you saw when the explosion happened Natasha and Banner dropped down to the equipment room.

You turned onto your back and stared at the ceiling. You were going to let them handle whatever that was on their own. Rogers was right, you weren’t a hero. You never were, and you weren’t about to start acting like one.

~X~

The explosion took her by surprise and now she was paying the price for her carelessness. A large steel pipe pinned her leg down and if it wasn’t for her super soldier serum her leg probably would have been broken. Natasha still groaned, the pain wasn’t the worst, but it was definitely there. She looked above her, toward the hole her and Banner fell through and wondered what happened to you. It was an explosion, and though it was a strong one it probably wouldn’t affect you much. She was still worried, she just couldn’t help herself, even if it truly seemed like it was too late for those sentiments.

It was kind of ironic. The last time you were on a mission together your positions were reversed, with you falling and getting hurt, only your injury could have been fatal. For her this would be a temporary annoyance some pain killers would handle. But it was dark, and she was hurt, and Banner was close to her, and she thought that you must have felt something like this back then as well. Only much worse because you were dying and she left you there.

“Romanoff!” she heard Fury’s voice over the earpiece and tried to pull her leg free. She still couldn’t do it, but she was getting there. What worried her was Banner; he didn’t seem like he was fine.

“Okay!” she replied to Fury, not even sure if she was telling the truth. Banner probably landed hard and was now in pain, which definitely wasn’t good for her. She watched him closely, noticing his eyes turning green and his face twisting in rage and desperation. “We’re okay, right?” she whispered fearfully.

Banner’s body seemed to be changing bit by bit and that sent panic through Natasha’s body as she struggled harder to pull her leg from underneath the pipe. He was groaning, clenching his fists like he was trying to suppress the Hulk, but it was all too much. Being pulled away from somewhere he felt relatively safe, pulled right back into this crisis, manipulated, and now in pain, it was a miracle he didn’t snap much sooner. But she still hoped she could calm him down. “Doctor? Bruce?” she tried to call out to him, to establish at least some slight connection between them by calling him by his name. “You gotta fight it. This is just what Loki wants. We’re gonna be okay,” she tried to assure him. “Listen to me,” she had to get him to listen.

She heard footsteps and she cursed internally. Regular agents would be torn apart if Banner transformed. “You hurt?” one of them asked her and she quickly waved them away. The further from all of this they were, the better.

“We’re gonna be okay. Right? I swear on my life I will get you out of this, you will walk away, and never ever-“ she tried her best, her voice shook from pain and fear and pure panic, and all she thought about was that she didn’t even get to try and save Clint, and that she never even tried to apologize to you for what she did. And now, with Banner about to transform there was a good chance she’d never get the chance to do either of these two things.

“Your life?” he growls, mocking her oath bitterly and she couldn’t blame him. Not after everything. Understanding him didn’t help her one bit though, not when she saw him transforming. She watched in utter horror as he grew larger, his shirt tearing as he did his best to get as far from her as possible. He did  not want to hurt her, but there was no way to keep her safe here.

The lights went out for a moment and she fearfully called out to him again. “Bruce?” some of the lights flickered back on just enough for her to see her nightmare became a reality. She was no longer looking at Bruce Banner, but rather at the Hulk. The desperation made her pull her leg out from underneath the pipe just as the Hulk looked at her. Their eyes met just for a moment, and she saw exactly what his intentions were. He was going to hurt her.

He was going to make her pay for manipulating him. For bringing him here. For being close to him in this very moment. And she ran as fast as she could, hoping to somehow escape him as he roared.

~X~

You still didn’t get up. You weren’t going to. As far as you were concerned if the helicarrier fell, then let it fall. This was probably Clint’s doing, but you weren’t eager to go after him either. You could do it for Natasha, but that felt like a rather unnecessary thing to do. Suddenly, you heard a roar, and it wasn’t human, it wasn’t even a beastly roar, it was something much, much different from either of those two and a shiver ran down your spine.

“Natasha!” you gasped, realizing that the roar came from the Hulk, and that she was beneath you with him.

It was pure instinct that drove you, caused by the good times you spent together, caused by the idea that, as angry at her as you were you didn’t want her dead. The idea of Natasha being killed by the Hulk terrified you as you burst into flames and the ribbons of fire and lightning attached themselves to your wrists. They were long, nearly ten feet long in fact, and they flowed behind you as you jumped down the hole to where Natasha fell.

You landed easily once you slowed your fall down with some fire bursting from your feet. You looked around, noticing the destruction all around you. The Hulk wrecked the place, that much was clear but there was no Natasha in sight, so hoping she was still alive, you rushed after the Hulk and listened for more roars, which were luckily happening quite often. You jumped onto the pipes and ran, hoping you would spot Natasha easier if you were a bit higher from the ground.

You heard the sound of running and went in that direction just in time to see the Hulk running through everything like it wasn’t even there. He didn’t slow down even after he ran through some steel pipes. And Natasha was right in front of him, running for her life with him coming closer and closer with every second.

You didn’t even consider staying out of this, just fleeing and making sure you were safe. You just moved. You jumped from the pipe, enhancing your speed with lightning and sent a powerful lightning strike right at the back of his head. The Hulk stopped for a moment, roaring in anger at you slowing him down. But that was just enough time to zap right past him and grab Natasha and get her off the narrow walkway and into a wider area where you could both maneuver more easily.

“Why the- Y/N why would you do that?” she gasped and leaned back against the wall. You noticed her legs were shaking.

You ignored her as the Hulk roared at you. You didn’t think, you didn’t panic, you knew if you made one mistake you’d be killed. The only way out was to try and buy enough time for someone else to jump in and help you. “Let’s see if I can actually fry your brain,” you got ready as the Hulk lunged at you.

The time seemed to slow down as you realized just how much you fucked up with this choice. What were you thinking? Putting yourself in the Hulk’s path? The truth was you didn’t think. You just knew Natasha was in danger and that was all you needed to know to act.

“NO!” Natasha cried out, but before the Hulk could reach you, or before you could even do anything, Thor flew right into the Hulk and sent him through multiple walls.

You took a few steps back, knowing full well this would have been your end if it wasn’t for Thor. You were a mutant, with highly destructive powers, but the Hulk was the Hulk, and there was no way for you to come out on top. And most importantly, this wasn’t the place where you could go all out, especially with Natasha this close to you.

“Y/N,” Natasha’s shaky voice brought you out of your thoughts and you turned to look at her, not yet sure of what would come out of this situation.

A/N: And that's the third chapter. I think I'll be done with The Avengers part of the story in the next chapter or two, depending on how much detail I put into the fight scenes. Either way I'm happy with how this story is going and thank you all for the support! Also... I need Wanda to show up already. All the good things I have planned need her to be here as well 🤣🤣🤣

Taglist: @toxicitytiger @wandaromamoff69 @womenarehotsstuff @psychickryptonitebouquet @seventeen-x @maddsdotorg @arualdcg @ilovemybabygirlmoon @redroomgraduate @canyonyodeler

Masterlist / First Part / Previous Part / Next Part

[btssavedmylifeblr]

Void - Part 10 - Wednesday

title banner by @rude–jude♡

Genre: Sci-fi with a little angst and a LOT of smut

Pairing: BTS x Reader (yup - all seven)

Summary: You are the only female crew member on a 12 year space mission with seven handsome men. The sexual tension is real, y’all.

Word Count: 1.9k

Part 9 /?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Warnings: very short chapter

Mercifully, Taehyung does not wake you up with a thumb in your mouth. You wonder if you will even see him today, given he only signed the form to hide his feelings for Jimin. 

You head straight for the greenhouse, determined to avoid Hoseok for as long as possible. Will you ever be able to face him again? Maybe you should start working nights.

Luckily, there’s plenty to do in the greenhouse and you manage to work all day without interruption. Dinnertime arrives and your stomach grumbles, but you procrastinate heading for the kitchen out of fear of who may be eating there. You can’t stomach bumping into any of the men you’re fucking or any of the men you aren’t.

At a little past seven o-clock, Taehyung sticks his head into the door of the greenhouse. He furrows his brow to see your hands covered in soil. “I thought we had a date?”

“Huh?” you ask, wiping the dirt from your hands onto your pants. “I thought that was pretend. For the benefit of the crew.” 

Taehyung laughs, stepping further into the greenhouse. “Well, some of it was, but I did actually make dinner.”

“You did?” You aren’t dressed for a date. Not that you have anything else to wear. Just a different slightly less dirty jumpsuit. At least none of your clothing is covered in semen today. Yet. 

Taehyung is wearing the same jumpsuit from the accident with the rover. It’s still missing a sleeve from where it was cut off of him. It’s quite flattering on him, no surprise. His exposed upper arm has just enough muscle definition to draw your attention. It’s still in the sling but the bruising has faded. The asymmetrical look with its rough unsewn edge makes him look rather roguish. 

“Come on! The food’s getting cold!” He ducks back out of the greenhouse, waving for you to follow him.

You clean your hands with a cloth and follow him. You're surprised when he veers away from the kitchen and heads for the hangar instead.

The overhead lights in the hangar are off. The room looks so different, it takes you a minute to process what you are seeing. The Europa rover sits in the middle of the room, glowing from the inside with soft blue light.  Scattered around the room are little twinkling lights of white and blue and green. 

“Taehyung!” you gasp. “What is all this?”

“A date!” he answers triumphantly. He clambors up onto one of the large wheels of the rover and opens the door. Even from a distance, you can see a white tablecloth covering the center console, topped with more twinkling lights. He reaches down a hand to help you up. “Your chariot, m’lady.”

“This is…” You are at a loss for words as you take his hand and climb up into the rover with him. “This is so…” You examine one of the twinkling lights on the make-shift table up close. It’s one of the LEDs intended for lighting your paths down on the Europa ice sheets. At least it was rechargeable. "Taehyung, this is so much work for a fake date.” 

Taehyung laughs. “Just because we’re not bumping uglies, doesn’t mean it can't be a real date. I like dates.”

He pulls out a reusable water bottle from behind one of the seats that makes a surprising pop when he opens it. Then he pours something golden and bubbly into two champagne glasses. 

Without thinking, you take accept glass as he hands it to you, then do a double-take. “Is this champagne? Where on Earth did you get champagne? Or champagne glasses?”

He laughs, enjoying your surprise, as he takes a sip from his own glass. “Unfortunately, it’s not the real stuff, just some apple juice I ran through the carbonator.” He clinks his glass to yours as you hold it, still suspended in shock. “The glasses are from Earth though. Packed them for a special occasion.”

He stares a bit wistfully at the glass in his hand and you get a little pang of sadness. “Were you planning this for Jimin?”

He looks up at you and shakes his head, waving your concerns away. “No, no, no. I did this for you.”

“For me?”

He nods. “I’m trying to make amends.”

You’re surprised. “Amends for what?”

He sighs. “For the tape, for the jealousy, I feel like…” He gestures around at the ship in general. “I feel like a lot of this is my fault.”

“What? No.” You shake your head. “This is my fault. I started all this.” 

Taehyung gestures to one side of the console table welcoming you to sit down. “It seemed like you and Jimin were happy though, until I broke my arm and messed everything up.”

“Yeah…” You sigh as you sit down across from him. You sip your fake champagne as you remember orgasming with Jimin inside you, but Yoongi’s voice in your head. “Mostly… but there was something missing…”

“Ah,” Taehyung gives a bit of a teasing smile. “A certain flight engineer, perhaps?”

“Yeah,” you shrug nervously, running your finger around the rim of your glass and teetering on the edge of admitting your real problem. “And not just him…” 

Taehyung nods knowingly. “We do have a devastatingly attractive crew, don’t we?”

“Yes!!” You exclaim, laughing in relief at someone who finally understands. “Why did you all have to be so fucking hot?!”

“All of us?” He places a hand on his chest in fake surprise. 

“Oh shut up, you know you’re hot.” The bubbles in your glass make you feel a little tipsy even if there's no alcohol in them.

Taehyung gives an exaggerated wink, then laughs. "You are very good at seeming uninterested in anyone though. I couldn’t believe how well you held it together when Jungkook stripped in front of you for that haircut.”

A lightbulb goes off. “Oh my god, you put him up to that, didn’t you?”

Taehyung bursts into delighted giggles and you smack him on his good arm. “You did! You maniac! Are you trying to kill me?”

“Not my finest moment, I will admit. Perhaps I had ulterior motives for throwing the hunk at you. Sorry. Just one of many reasons I owe you apologetic fake champagne.” He takes another sip and smiles as he recalls the memory. “Still, you kept your cool remarkably well. If it were me, I would have had his dick in my mouth well before the end of that haircut.”

Your mouth falls open. Fuck. That’s… that’s a very attractive mental image. Your pelvic muscles flinch with a twinge of arousal. 

Taehyung sees your surprise and his eyes widen. “Oh shoot, sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He takes your glass from you and sets it down on the table, before turning to rummage with something in a cooler sitting under the seat next to him.

“Oh no.” You squirm in your seat. “I’m not… you didn’t…” you stammer. Fuck. What are you even trying to say? “I just didn’t realize you were attracted to Jungkook as well.”

Taehyung turns back to you and smiles. “I mean… how could you not be? That smile… those abs…”

You both sigh in unison, then laugh. “It’s deeply unfair,” you agree.

He nods, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “What’s deeply unfair is how you have this crew wrapped around your finger.”

“What? No I don’t.”

He arches an eyebrow.

“I don’t!”

He sips his apple juice skeptically.

“No seriously! Hoseok and Namjoon won’t have sex with me even though I practically begged them…” 

He shakes his head. “I still don’t think you realize the power you hold.”

“What power?”

“I saw that video you made with Yoongi. That was incredible. When you let go of all the fear and stress and were so open and vulnerable, that was beautiful. It’s no wonder they all love you.”

Something about hearing it from someone you’re pretty sure doesn’t want to have to sex with you makes you feel like it might really be true. But the whole thing is still too embarrassing and uncomfortable to think about for too long. 

“They’re not in love with me. They’re just… I don’t know… can we talk about something else?”

“Sure.”

Taehyung sets down two plates of what looks like fine dining. Red beets sliced thin and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a rounded mound of rice pilaf topped with a whole chicken breast.

“My god, where did you get all this?”

He smiles, pleased with himself. “Jin helped me with a bunch of it. I’ve technically given up two of my Christmas dinners for this, but it seemed worth it.” 

You are shocked again that he would go to so much effort. “You didn’t have to do all this just for the sake of our pretend relationship…”

He reaches over the table to take your hand in his. “I do want a real relationship with you though,” he says and your heart starts racing. His dark eyes hold such warmth even as the rest of him is so statuesque. But then he draws back. “Even just as a friend.” he says and you’re a bit disappointed. 

The two of you chat the rest of the evening as you savor your meal, both relieved to find someone you can be honest with. 

At one point you offer to mend his jumpsuit sleeve for him, but he declines. “I like it," he says, shrugging. "Reminds me of important lessons."

You wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn't. "I suppose it is rather dashing," you admit, trying to fill the silence. "But I suppose you would make a dish towel look dashing." You can't even blame the fake champagne for your loose tongue.

His eyes widen in delight and he laughs as he pours the last of the bubbly apple juice into each of your glasses.

“So…” he says as you take a last bite of your dessert, a delicious chocolate cake designated for some future New Year’s Eve. “Fuck, marry, kill: Namjoon, Jimin, Yoongi.”

You gasp in horror. “Taehyung, I can’t answer that!”

“Too violent? How about fuck, marry, kiss?”

“No way, not answering.” You mime zipping your lips closed. 

“I’d marry Jimin, obviously.” He continues, undeterred. “And I think I’d have to fuck Yoongi. Those hands… my god.”

“Ugh…” Just the memory makes you groan and collapse onto the table in front of you. “Tae, he’s so good with them. It’s terrible. Those goddamn hands are what started this whole mess.”

Taehyung is pleased to have finally cracked through your facade. “Though the commander… he just carries himself like he has a big dick, you know?”

“Agh…” you groan again, laughing as you stand up. “I think that’s my cue to go to bed.”

“Allow me, m’lady.” He stands up and takes your hand to help you out of the rover. He’s still holding your hand as the two of you reach the floor of the hangar. 

“Thank you again for all this.” You gesture at the twinkling lights spread over the floor, looking especially lovely now that most of the ship has gone dark. 

“Would you mind a platonic goodnight kiss?” He asks, tapping his cheek.  

You bite your lip and shake your head, feeling a whole storm of butterflies in your stomach that do not feel platonic at all. He leans in and gives you a soft kiss on your cheek. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” he murmurs close to your ear.

“Same time next week?” you ask, trying to fight down how on fire your face feels now. “I’ll cook next time.”

He grins. “Looking forward to it.”

______

Thursday is next! And it's going to be dramatic. Hopefully it will be ready soon! Thanks for reading!

[strwbrychffoncke]

"i feel a little less alone,, 5.9k words ⸺ event masterlist synopsis: the notorious & mischevious twins from your class work in tandem to put together a surprise for you contains: lnds luke + kieran x reader ,fluff! ,school au (tbh was going for hs but feels more like college after reading it LOL) friends -> lovers ? ,v light angst ,kind of oblivious!reader (sorry self-indulgent) ,sylus cameo ! (trying to drop hints) ,the twins are really silly here ,twins bickering ,they both like you ,jealous!luke ,they make chocolate together ,confession <3 ,i cant think of anything else my brain is fried note: (unedited! will edit later im too tired rn its too long) hey lol.... making myself complete these before i begin my bday event for myself hehe :x this idea has been in my head for months & finally have the will to bring it to life

-

luke and kieran were menaces.

it was apparent to anyone and everyone that had the pleasure (or lack thereof, depending on who you asked) of interacting with them. they were known tricksters, sometimes called "the crow delinquents," with rumors circulating that they never played fair, that they picked fights often, and hid clubs and shurikens in their lockers and secret compartments of their clothes.

shockingly, most believed these rumors, but you were not most, and thus you figured they were just that: rumors.

the little that you did know about them was 1, they were almost never seen apart (if one was without the other, it would be safe to assume that something was wrong). two, they often hung around an upperclassmen by the name of Sylus, notorious for his own reasons with his own reputation preceding him (and maybe he, the delinquent of the school, was the reason for the rumors circulating the twins). and 3, for some reason or another, they were always lingering around you.

not just one, but the both of them.

whether it was the seating arrangements in class (how did you always end up in the middle, you were unsure), your sacred space of silence during breaks suddenly filled with two voices either ranting, joking, or bickering with one another, the previously empty classroom you sought refuge to enjoy a lunch suddenly filled with two more presences (but how is it that you still wound up being the only one who ate in this time?), and even during your walk home, what once was a leisure time filled with your music now taken up with two boys who started being referred to as "bodyguards" accompanying you to your humble home.

despite this change in your daily life, its not like they were unpleasant, per se.

on the contrary, you very much enjoyed the twins' company in what was otherwise an uneventful day, week, month before they began talking to you. you often kept to yourself, and didn't mind it too much, but now you found yourself snorting at the bickering that broke out between the two that you had no choice but to be witness to, taking note of their preferences and spending your precious allowance on drinks from the vending machine for kieran when he seemed a little breathless, and catching yourself laughing a little too hard at something that luke said bluntly (and more so at the smack he'd receive from his brother).

if anything, you were more confused than anything else at the twins apparent attachment to you.

but well, you weren't exactly complaining. they seemed to carve their way into your heart, and you were more than happy with the new routine set in motion with the two of them around.

-

everything good comes in threes, which is how you found yourself faced with sylus of all people seated in what was supposed to be kieran's spot in the otherwise empty classroom.

you were so shocked at his presence— sitting confidently albeit questionably with one leg bent at the knee towards his chest, foot planted on the seat and the other stretched straight, arm resting on his knee as he flipped a coin over in his other— that your first instinct was to run. while you didn't do exactly that, you simply turned around, hoping that he hadn't already noticed you.

"hey."

dammit.

you stopped immedietaly, but refused to turn around. it was silent for a moment before his voice rang through again.

"come, sit. i wanted to talk to you."

this couldn't be good, could it?

you peeked behind you, only to find sylus piercing gaze already on you.

"i wont bite," he jokes, gesturing to the seat infront of him.

you don't respond but carefully make your way to your seat, settling yourself in before the so-called delinquent.

"where—"

"they're... indisposed, at the moment," he answers smoothly, cutting of your impending curiosity.

you wonder if you should pry, but before you can, he speaks again.

"those two seem to have taken such a strong liking to you that i figured i'd speak to you myself."

you feel your face heat up at his choice of words.

"well... what did you want to talk about?"

sylus leans forward slightly, elbow planted on the desk, hand in a fist where he rests the side of his head.

"what did you do to get them like that? i wanted to see the kind of person that captivated them so strongly."

your eyes widen.

"captivated...? they were the ones who approached me first—"

"they don't go around approaching everyone, now do they sweetie?"

when you think back, you're not even sure you'd see them approach anyone else, usually only sticking with one another and speaking when approached by any student.

"..no, i guess not."

sylus smirks.

"and why do you think that is?"

you fish out your utensils from the wrap, popping the lid off of your container before reaching for the rice while answering.

"actually, ive been trying to figure that out myself."

your gaze is fixed on your lunch now, scooping some rice into your mouth while eyeing what to go for next, missing the incredulous look sylus shoots your way.

"what do you mean?" he murmurs, watching as you pick up a piece of meat and happily chow down on it.

you swallow, taking a sip of water before speaking again.

"well, they kind of approached me all of a sudden one day, and have lingered around me ever since."

realizing how that may sound, your head shoots up, panicked eyes meeting sylus' gaze, waving your arms around in front of you.

"its not like i have a problem with them or anything! i just— i mean—" your gaze shifts to the side before falling back on your food, one hand falling to your lap as the other picks at the warm meal.

"i'm not sure why those two would hang around someone like me, thats all," you mumble, picking at some greens and shoveling them between your lips.

sylus raises an eyebrow at your shift in expressions just moments ago.

you were quite an interesting one, indeed.

he leans back in his seat, his propped leg falling to stretch out beside the other, crossing his feet and folding his arms over his chest.

"have you considered that maybe they like you?"

your eyes flit up to meet his, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

sylus thinks he's got you.

you swallow again, taking another sip of water, setting it down and staring straight ahead.

"well, id hope they do."

sylus' eyes widen ever so slightly. you tilt your head slightly, continuing.

"i mean, they're around me so much, i would only hope its out of likeness and not pity," you finish before shoveling some more rice into your mouth.

sylus narrows his eyes, exhaling through his nose.

clueless, aren't you?

"i meant romantically, sweetie."

your reaction is immediate.

your eyes widen before you let out a series of coughs, reaching for your water bottle in haste to gulp the liquid down and soothe your throat.

"wh-what?" you finally ask between coughs, wiping your mouth with the back of your sleeve.

"is it that unbelievable?"

"well, why would they—"

"boss!"

"y/n~!"

before you know it, you're wrapped up in several arms, with one twin sliding into the seat beside you and sliding his arms around your waist and head on your shoulder while the other stands behind you, arms wrapped around your shoulders and lightly pulling your head towards his chest.

"what are you doing here with our y/n?" the voice behind you asks, playfully accusatory, and you realize its luke.

"yeah, what are you doing here with her? is that why you made us run that errand for you?" kieran, by your side, asks in the same tone.

sylus puts his hands up in mock surrender, the twins' gazes following his movement as he stands up, lazy smirk plastered on his face.

"as i told them, i was merely curious about the person you both can't seem to stop talking about."

the twins' eyes widen, feeling their heartrates increase, sharing the same look of bewilderment as they stare at sylus.

"b-boss!"

"i'll be taking my leave now," he says smoothly, all-too satisfied at flustering the twins. you only squirm in their grasp, but they don't budge.

"and you," sylus makes eye contact with you, stopping you in your futile struggle.

"we'll speak again soon." his voice is laced with promise and you can only nod in agreement before you watch him turn on his heel, and coolly make his way out of the classroom, sliding the door shut behind him and disappearing down the hallway.

you breathe out a sigh of relief and in seconds, the twins slide into the chairs beside yours, lazer-focused on you.

"what did he say?"

"was he talking about us?"

"did he say anything strange?"

"were you nervous?"

they're questions come in rapid fire, and you have to plant a hand on each of their masks to signal them to slow down.

"sorry," they mumble in unison, lightly pushing your hands down, letting them fall into your lap.

"do you want some?" you gesture to your lunch. "i made a lot, so...."

"yes, please!" they answer in unison, their eyes skimming over the meat, rice, and veggies within the container.

already accustomed to their antics, you turn around to allow them to eat with little worry before you begin answering their questions one by one.

"he said he was here to 'see the kind of person i am?' i didn't really understand, but thats what he said."

the twins shared a look behind your back.

"he did mention you both. when i asked where you were, he just said you were 'indisposed.'"

"typical of boss," kieran states plainly.

"anything strange... well, he asked if it occurred to me that you both might like me."

in seconds, the sound of something akin to a shocked screech was accompanied by coughs, and shortly after, someone slapping the others back.

"are you okay?? should i turn around?"

"no, he's fine," kieran answered, making luke chug some juice before looking at him in concern.

"are you—"

"HE SAID THAT!?" luke cried as soon as he could speak again.

"ye—"

"what did you say??" now kieran sounded just as frantic.

"i.. i said i hoped you did like me since you hang out around me so much, because i like you both."

"you..."

"you said that..?" kieran asked, a little breathless.

"y-yeah—"

"did he say anything else???" luke interrupted.

"he..." you trailed off, wondering if you should say it.

'i meant romantically, sweetie.'

you felt your face heat up at the thought of his words again. but why would he say that? surely because he was messing with you. despite what he said or may be implying, you were sure the twins didn't, no couldn't, think that way about you, and so why bring it up and embarrass yourself further?

"he didn't say much else like that," you lied, a little relieved once you heard the twins sigh out in what you assumed was relief.

"were you nervous then? i know how boss may seem," kieran piped up after a few beats of silence from what you assumed was them eating.

"yes, actually. the second i saw him in your spot, i turned around thinking i was in the wrong room."

kieran snorted while luke practically cackled.

"ah, i wonder, hahaha! what he must've thought, ha!" luke pondered aloud, words broken between his pleased giggles.

you smiled at the sound.

you had a passing thought, for just a moment, that you'd like to hear the sound everyday.

the rest of the break was spent as usual, the twins doing most of the talking, making a mental note to talk to their boss later as they relished in what lunchtime they had left to spend with you.

-

if you were to ask kieran, he would say the moment he fell for you was well before they ever even approached you.

while he may prefer to throw himself off of the roof of the school before ever admitting it aloud, you might say that it was "love at first sight." and honestly? his only regret these days is not approaching you sooner.

he remembers the day so clearly, its almost a core memory for him. they went back and forth on the idea of going or skipping orientation, ultimately deciding to go for the sole reason that they had nothing better to do that day.

matching in simple black jeans, black hoodie and black face masks they approached the school together, talking about something he couldn't recall even if he tried.

he remembers nodding along to something luke was saying as he looked ahead towards the entrance of the doors, and thats when he saw you.

you were dressed nicely, nowhere near formal but much nicer compared to him and luke, posture anxious but with promise, phone clutched in your hand, messy pieces of hair falling to the front of your face despite the pins you had-

and then, you met eyes.

it was so brief, just a second, but something about those eyes of yours- bright yet unsure, glittering yet anxious- made kieran's heart skip a beat.

a second later he blinked and you were gone, disappeared behind the entrance doors no doubt scurrying off towards the orientation's location and then kieran remembers luke stopping by his side (when did he stop walking? he wasn't sure) his brothers' hand slapping then resting on his shoulder as kieran held a hand over his rapidly-racing heart.

"hey, you good? whats up?" luke asked out of concern but tone still light, mixed with more confusion then anything, seeming completely unaware of the sensations running through his brother's veins.

kieran insisted that it was nothing, just a little hot he managed to choke out, and despite the clouds almost completely shielding the sun behind them, luke only gave a quizzical look before nodding.

"better get inside, then!" he chirped, patting his brothers shoulder again before returning both hands to his pockets and walking ahead.

kieran knew what he was thinking without him having to say it.

bullshit, but i wont push it right now.

after all, they were twins, and to some degree, their "twin telepathy" wasn't just some inside joke.

the orientation and checking out the classes passed in a blur. all he could recall was your pretty outfit and that look in your eyes.

. . .

when he found himself in the same class as not only luke but you as well, he felt like he might implode.

though, rather than getting involved right away, he thought maybe it was better to keep his distance, that you'd come to him first.

but the longer he waited, the more impatient he got.

and the more time that passed, the more rumors began floating about them both.

he noticed you around, how you mostly kept to yourself, more often than not seen with your headphones over your ears, drowning out everyone and everything, a little dazed and lost in your own little world.

distant, comfortable, alone.

at this point, he began second-guessing himself. there's not way someone like you would willingly hang around some "shady delinquents" that just so happened to be in half of your classes.

not to mention every time he did try to approach you, his heart rate sped up so rapidly he'd always get cold feet last minute.

he was just about to sigh in defeat, faceplant straight into bed and sob his eyes out over his broken heart while blasting sad music when a notification brought his attention to his phone.

it was an email of a group project, and within it the groups that everyone was assigned to.

he opened it, uninterested, eyes skimming over the names in boredom, subconsciously looking for yours.

and he found it.

right next to his and luke's.

his heart lurched.

that evening, he let out a scream so loudly, luke was convinced he had been attacked, so imagine his surprise when he burst into his brothers room only to see him rolling around on the floor.

after that, friendship came quickly.

he, by some miracle, managed to mask his nerves behind his actual face mask and witty banter with luke, shamelessly inserting himself deeper and deeper within your daily schedule until it became natural.

luke followed suit, and though his suspicions of his brothers antics was ever present, he remained, finding solace in your company and reveling in the new addition to tease and chat away to (not with, since you mostly listened rather than spoke yourself, not that he minded, neither of them did).

kieran felt his feelings grow with each passing day, hiding it behind mischievous eyes and dramatics. he would figure out the next step later, he thought.

-

if you asked luke, he would say the moment he fell for you was after he saw you getting hit on.

honestly, it may have been before that, but he just refused to face his feelings, pushing the weird-fluttery feeling he'd get every time you laughed (either by his doing or getting smacked by his brother), smiled (he really likes that expression on you, he feels lucky to be able to witness it everyday), or touched him (either your hands grazing his after handing him a drink from the vending machine or tugging on his sleeve to get his attention, he always thought his heart might just burst right then and there).

this must be a very strong liking towards you because you were so different from kieran and sylus and others, is what he convinced himself of.

that was, until someone appeared to try and snatch you away.

even now at the mention of that day, luke can immediately feel heat creep up his neck, his ears burning bright red, the crimson spreading across his face as he begs kieran to just shut up, already! to which his twin simply laughs his head off.

it was a normal day— at least, thats how it began.

he remembers the part where he made you laugh in class, having a chill period as you three worked on your assignment together. any day he makes you laugh is a good day in his book.

and then, came lunch time.

out of the norm, you decided you wanted to eat outside in the courtyard. it wasn't often you decided this, and you always told luke and kieran they could go wherever else they wished (knowing they probably wanted to hangout with sylus too) but they had insisted they would join you.

and they did. for awhile.

at some point, kieran had said something about talking to sylus about something, saying he'd be back in a blink. that left you and luke for some time, until you offhandedly mentioned a drink you were craving, to which luke perked up and offered to grab for you from the vending machine.

"i want one too, its not biggie! ill be quick, so don't miss me too much~"

he gave a little wave and you laughed before thanking him, watching him walk off before you gathered some more rice together.

. . .

luke was absentmindedly humming to himself, swiftly tossing and turning the drinks in hand as he momentarily wondered if kieran would beat him to returning to you. at least he'd have something for him if—

"—y/n, right? we share the class..."

lukes train of thought seemed to crash.

"..been looking for you...."

he tilted his head to the side.

who...

he took a couple of steps closer, enough to hear but not enough to be immediately spotted.

"im so glad i was able to catch you on your own!"

luke could get a clearer look at the guy that approached you.

he wasn't anything special in his opinion, maybe a little charming if he squinted, dressed decently enough, he thinks as he watches the guy give a nervous yet polite smile your way.

why was he scrutinizing him so deeply?

why was he so irked at someone else looking at you like that?

why did he want to tackle him so badly?

he reasoned with himself that he shouldn't, not when he hasn't done anything.

but if he did....

luke wouldn't hesitate.

"actually, i..."

the guy looked away, scratching his cheek and giving a nervous chuckle.

you urged him to continue, how nice of you, always so nice, luke thought.

"well... i just...."

he took a deep breath.

"i think you're really cute, and wanted to know if you'd like to go out with me!"

luke has never been so filled to the brim with dread.

he quickly garners your expression, and you're nothing less than shocked.

"i... um...." you avert your gaze towards your lunch, pondering.

you're trying to find a way to turn him down.

the guy takes a step closer, holding a hand over his chest.

"come on, give me a chance! we can get to know each other, and if you dont like it, well..."

his words trail off as something behind you catches his eye.

its luke, making a beeline toward you.

"birdie~~ im back with— oh, whos this, is he a friend of yours?"

lukes tone is playful and light, but his eyes are piercing, aimed straight towards the mystery guy.

he doesnt actually know how he got here, all he knows is that his body moved quicker than his brain, perceiving a threat and acting as your shield: namely, wrapping his arms around you from behind, and planting his chin atop your head.

a cute gesture, but this way, you cant see his expression.

"oh, thank you, luke...."

"w-wait, is he...?"

suddenly the student's eyes are wide and shaking, hand trembling as he points towards the protective twin twisted around you.

ah, someone who believes the rumors.

for the first time, luke is actually grateful for them.

"y-you're the one who... he.... i— im sorry, i should've known—!"

"wait—"

you begin to stretch a hand out to gesture for the student to pause but he's already bolted off and out of sight, taking himself towards safety.

luke lets out a sigh.

even with the perceived threat gone, his arms tighten around you slightly.

he can feel his heart racing.

"you're so soft..."

"luke..?"

that somehow snaps him back, and he jumps away from you.

"s-sorry," he mumbles, shaking his head before taking his seat beside you.

"your drink," he holds the can out towards you and you thank him.

"why did he look so afraid?"

out of everything you could ask, thats the first question that spills from your lips.

luke opens his mouth to answer but is beat to the punch.

"thats because of the rumors. we are delinquents, ya know?"

luke chokes on air at the sound of kieran's voice flitting through the air as he reclaims his spot.

"sorry i took so long, i—"

"how long have you been here?" luke cuts him off.

"long enough," he answers deliberately, his eyes with a knowing glint in them.

that evening, luke never head the end of it.

but one thing was now certain in his mind:

he did not like the idea of you with someone else.

especially one that ran at the sight of danger incarnate.

he remembers the way he felt, his heart racing at the memory of you clutched in his arms, like you two were the only ones that existed for a few moments in time, and finally confronted what he'd been running from.

he liked you.

a lot.

what an awful thing, luke sighed, falling backwards on his bed, cheeks warm and rosy.

-

without having an actual conversation of acknowledgement, the twins knew that they both garnered feelings for you.

the perks of twin telepathy.

after acknowledging these feelings, they decided to work together on putting something together for you.

the idea, in theory, was genius.

they would make homemade chocolates (who didn't like sweets?), surprise you with them, confess their undying love, and live happily ever after with you.

except... someone (or two) underestimated just how difficult making chocolates from scratch could be.

"no thats— what are you doing?"

"what am i doing? im trying to follow the recipe!"

"in what world does it need that?"

"its called 'a little extra love,' idiot."

"oh, im the idiot??"

the kitchen was a mess, and their banter filling it made it all the more worse.

at some point, they mutually agreed to take a break.

kieran took a long sip of water while luke slumped down beside him, letting out a long sigh.

"this sucks."

"too bad neither of us is all that good in the kitchen."

"im not even talking about that."

kieran raised an eyebrow.

"i just mean— feelings."

kieran let out an amused scoff.

"feelings suck?"

"god, yes!" luke exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"i mean, who even created love? we should kill them."

kieran snorted.

"you'd rather do that then face your feelings?"

there was a beat of silence.

"probably."

"idiot."

"arent you worried at all?"

kieran shrugged his shoulders.

"of course i am."

"then, why—"

"i mean, they're not the type to just up and run, ya know? they didn't run away when we—"

"when you," luke interrupts.

"when we approached them," kieran continues.

"so even if they dont reciprocate, they wouldnt leave us in the dust."

"...you really think that?"

"i know that, they proved that," kieran emphasizes his words, giving a kind looks towards his brother.

"it'll be okay."

luke sighs.

"i sure hope so."

he moves to stand up, taking kieran's outstretched hand and pulling himself up, dusting himself off.

"god, making chocolates is so sappy, isnt it?"

kieran smirked.

"do delinquents make chocolates?"

luke smiles.

"the best in the world."

-

the twins have been acting strange these days, to say the least.

you like to think you know them well. after so much time together, months upon months, you're quite pleased with the fact that you can tell them apart (not that it was difficult, you learned just how different they were from the very first couple of encounters back then) and your ability to sense shifts in their demeanors.

not that it happens often, but every so often, there's something that slips just enough to let you know something is wrong.

and more and more of those days have popped up recently.

though, rather than annoyed or down about something, they seem a little on edge instead.

you immediately noticed it the first day, when kieran was subconsciously bouncing his leg in class along with luke's fingers dancing across the tabletop.

there wasn't any exam expected today, you mostly took the time to go over your notes and study the current material, so you wondered if there was another reason for the sudden anxious movements.

"are you both alright?"

your concerned tone made both pairs of eyes flit up to meet yours, shimmering to the brim with confusion and worry.

their hearts clenched.

"what do you mean, birdie?"

"its just... you're bouncing your leg," you point to kieran's leg, who's movements seize as soon as you do,

"and you've been drumming for awhile now," you then turn and point towads luke's hands that quickly clasp over one another after pointing them out.

you lean in closer, your heart beginning to race with worry.

"if something's bothering you, you know you can tell me!"

they feel their hearts throb in sync, and glance at each other.

"we know, little birdie," luke begins.

"but, lets just say its a secret~" kieran finishes with a playful tone, one pointer finger positioned in front of his lips.

he drops his hand back in his lap, and you sigh.

"its not any trouble with sylus, is it?"

"nope, nothing like that!" luke reassures with a wave of his hand.

you frown, tilting your head and lowering your voice just a touch.

"you're not being threatened again, are you?"

kieran lets out an amused laugh.

given their reputation, they've become prone to receiving threats from some gangs and other "wannabe delinquents," as luke calls them. they had opened up about this offhandedly before, leaving your mouth agape in shock and now very much more concerned for their safety.

they simply waved you off, laughing and cooing at how cute you are before insisting they can handle themselves. shouldnt you know better than anyone else? they ask in regards to the rumors you're all-too accustomed to, with many random students approaching you to borderline interrogate you about the twins, if the rumors are true, and what your goal is with them.

(the last one always rubbed you the wrong way, your stomach turning in disdain. what do they mean "what your goal is?" if they only knew their true nature, then....

but you held the simmering feelings for the two within your heart).

kieran only shakes his head, a smile adorning his lips.

"nope! not that either."

"well..."

"dont worry," kieran cuts you off, patting your head.

"we're just fine," luke pipes up, giving a thumbs up and unconvincing smile.

you huff out a breath.

"if you say so..."

. . .

the second time is when they ditch you for lunch.

"boss' orders~!" kieran says as he leaves your favorite drink in an apology before scurrying off with luke in tow.

you didnt entirely mind being on your own even after growing accustomed to two extra guests...

but the way they left so suddenly made your heart sink.

you tried to busy your mind by scrolling on your phone as you ate when a knock at the classroom door startles you.

"mind if i join you?"

its the familiar velvet that suddenly surrounds you, grounding you and filling you with nerves and a strange sense of comfort.

you look up to crimson eyes, shaking your head as you gesture towards the seat next to you.

sylus takes his seat, looking you up and down before raising a brow.

"where are those two? its rare to see you by yourself."

you offer him your own look of confusion.

"i... thought they were with you? or, doing something for you. thats what kieran told me, anyway."

sylus' expression morphed into something unreadable before he exhaled sharply.

"sorry, but it seems they're off doing their own thing."

those words felt like a weight on your chest.

doing their own thing..? why would they lie? was it something you did?

your mind reeled.

what could it have been? you wrack your brain but cant think of anything.

did they... get tired of you?

your spiraling state must be showing on your face because suddenly you feel a sensation on your shoulder- a comforting hand.

"hey..."

you look up and for the first time see concern shining in those rubies.

he lets out a heavy sigh.

"you know, before jumping to conclusions, why dont you confront them yourself?"

-

the third time is when you stop by their dorm.

you'd been over a couple of times before, but they mostly spent time in yours, "preferring the atmosphere" they had said once when you asked.

now you wondered if they were simply hiding something.

luke is the one who answers, standing in silence with eyes too wide in shock for a second too long, probing you to wave a hand in front of his face to bring him back to earth.

"sorry, uh, co-come in!" he stutters, stepping aside and letting you in, mentally facepalming as he shuts the door behind you.

"is kieran here, too?"

"yea, he's—"

"who is it, luke?"

"its—"

"its me," you call back, and you think you hear something clatter. theres footsteps, and then he appears from behind the door.

"bi-birdie?!"

your heart picks up as you stare at them both.

"i want to talk."

they share a glance, then lead you to sit down on a couple of cushions on the carpeted floor.

its silent for a few moments, but soon you find the words you wish to say, willing yourself to just try to get through it without crying.

you take a deep breath.

"you know, if you're tired of me, you can just tell me."

the twins eyes resemble saucers. you continue.

"its been a whole week that you two started acting strange. avoiding me, blowing me off, leaving me alone... if you.."

you steady your breathing. you wont cry.

"if you dont... if you dont like me anymore, thats okay, but—"

"who the hell put that idea into your head?"

your head snaps up to kieran, whos tone of voice you almost dont recognize, being the first time you catch what sounds like a mesh of anger and regret within it.

you stare for a moment, unbelieving.

"kieran..."

"no, someone— someone must've said something, right? to put that idea into your head?"

"you... you're the ones who..."

"its not what you think!" luke chimes in, all defense and reassuring merged into his tone.

he turns to kieran.

"i think now's the time."

kieran looks at luke then at you.

"but..."

"lets prove it now, since we havent really been the best...."

kieran takes another moment to think then nods in understanding.

"wait here," he tells you before getting up and retrieving something from the next room.

he come back moments later with a little box.

"we're so sorry, y/n," luke begins, voice drowning in regretful sorrow. he reaches his hand out and you allow him to grasp one of yours.

"we... we were actually making this for you, and, well, we were pretty nervous..." kieran trails off, holding out the box to you.

you look it over, grabbing it with your free hand.

"the... secret?" you ask, remembering that day in class.

they nod.

your breath hitched.

slowly, you pull your occupied hand from lukes and use both to open the box in your lap.

inside are an array of chocolates, your favorite flavors, all in the shape of little crows.

"we made them ourselves," kieran begins.

"so... hopefully they'll taste good, and..."

"they're sort of...."

they take a deep breath.

"its our profession of love to you!" they exclaim together, wholeheartedly.

your heart rate spikes.

their.... what?

"we've liked you for a long time..." says kieran.

"and, we were planning to tell you, a little later, but..."

"we needed to give you this now, to show you."

"we like you plenty, as you can see."

luke smiles when you laugh.

"we're sorry for making you think otherwise," kieran finishes.

now they're looking at you expectantly, and you can't help but to smile, words escaping you at the heartfelt confession.

instead of responding right away, you reach for a cute little crow chocolate, and pop it into your mouth.

they watch your expressions as you take in the flavor.

first curious, then surprised, and then—

that cute smile and hum when something particularly pleases you.

you look up, gazing at the two, who still look like they're bracing themselves for something.

instead, you set the box aside for a moment, reaching forward and planting a kiss on each of their cheeks, smiling sweetly afterwards.

"dummies."

they each hold a hand over the cheek you kissed, half in awe and all in pleasure.

you could talk more about everything later. for now, you offer them some of their hard work, somehow moving together like magnets, sandwiched comfortably between their warmth as you all feed each other the precious chocolate crows.

you'd have to remember to thank sylus later.

-

a/n: why am i releasing this so late..? um as the marias once said ooo its valentines day in the city~ why it turned out so long..? i wish i knew all i can say is i was possessed n needed this out of my system even though theres barely any luke/kieran content out there sigh... sorry for the rushed ending! if this stayed in my drafts one more night i thought i might explode

-

[lady-arcane]

Gojo Satoru’s Playlist Is a Cry for Help, but No One Notices :

Gojo Satoru has a playlist for every mood.

You think that means something. That it’s deliberate. That he sits down, carefully curates songs, matches them to the moments in his life with some kind of precision, like a film director setting up a perfect shot. You assume that when he walks into battle, he has something dramatic playing in his ears—classical, maybe, something weighty and orchestral, like he is the tragic hero of an opera no one else is privy to.

(maybe he is)

But Gojo Satoru has never been what people expect.

-----

You catch him once, sitting on the couch, eyes half-lidded, fingers tapping lazily against his knee. A rare moment of stillness. You pause, listening, assuming—just for a second—that maybe, just maybe, he’s indulging in something introspective. Some quiet, soulful melody, something that carries the weight of everything he refuses to say out loud.

Then the music filters through.

"Tell me why—"

You stare.

Gojo doesn’t even look up. Just nods along, entirely at peace, like the Backstreet Boys are revealing the secrets of the universe.

“You’re kidding.”

He finally opens one eye. “Disrespect one more time and see what happens.”

And the thing is—he means it.

He listens to early 2000s pop unironically. He has a dedicated anime opening playlist. He has hours of video essays queued up—ridiculous things, debates over the best artificial grape flavoring, five-hour breakdowns on why Scooby-Doo is an anti-capitalist masterpiece.

He watches them like they’re gospel.

And if you call him out on it? He just shrugs. “It’s nice to pretend dumb things matter.”

That sentence sits with you.

Because Gojo is a man who understands exactly how much things matter. He lives in a world where people die when he blinks. Where life is a sequence of battles and sacrifices and impossible expectations. He is too powerful, too untouchable, too aware of the fact that most things in life have already been decided for him.

So he listens to nonsense.

Because the alternative is unbearable.

-----

You don’t get it at first. You think it’s a joke, that he’s just being obnoxious for the sake of it. But then one day, the silence catches him off guard.

It’s late. The world is quiet in a way that feels unnatural, like even the city has taken a breath, waiting for something to happen. Gojo is sitting on the floor, legs stretched out, phone abandoned beside him. No music. No videos.

Nothing but quiet.

He doesn’t notice you at first. He’s staring straight ahead, not moving, like he’s listening to something. But there’s nothing to hear.

And suddenly, you remember something he said once.

"You ever notice how loud silence is?"

You thought he was joking. But he wasn’t.

Because Gojo doesn’t get silence. Not the way you do. Not the way normal people do. When everything is quiet, when there’s nothing to distract him, he hears everything else.

The past.

The future.

Every mistake.

Every loss.

All the things he couldn’t protect.

All the things he will lose, eventually, because that is how life works.

You clear your throat. “You okay?”

He blinks, just once, then looks at you like he’s surprised you’re there. Like he forgot about the present entirely. Then, with a grin that’s just a little too sharp, he reaches for his phone, presses play, and fills the silence the only way he knows how.

"Oh, I think that I found

myself a cheerleader—"

You almost laugh. Almost.

But you don’t say anything.

because now you understand.

Gojo Satoru doesn’t listen to music because he likes it. He listens to it because he needs it. Because the moment the noise stops, the real weight of his life settles in. And Gojo Satoru—who can bear anything, who can win any fight, who can carry the world on his shoulders without flinching—has no idea how to carry that.

So he fills his head with things that do not matter.

And if you ever see him alone on a rooftop at 3 AM, staring at the city like he’s trying to belong to it, do not ask him what he’s thinking. Do not ask him what he’s hearing.

Because he will just grin. He will push his sunglasses up his nose. And he will press play.

And somewhere, in the dark, Carly Rae Jepsen will start singing.

And Gojo Satoru will pretend that it’s enough.

-----

Greetings, Dreamers and Readers 🌸✨

Honestly, who doesn’t do this? We all have that one playlist, that one show we put on just for the background noise, that one stupidly long video essay about something irrelevant that we suddenly need to know everything about. It’s almost funny how universal it is—how so many of us keep the volume up just to avoid our own thoughts.

But then there’s Gojo. And the thing is, he’s just like us. And at the same time, he’s nothing like us.

Because we can let ourselves stop. We can sit in the quiet, let the weight settle, and maybe—maybe—find a way to live with it. But Gojo? Gojo doesn’t get that. He’s not allowed to stop, not really. So he buries himself in nonsense, clings to the stupid, the mundane, because it’s the only thing that isn’t heavy.

And honestly? That’s kind of pitiful. But also… kind of him. And somehow, weirdly enough, it makes me like him more.

anyways— I'll love to hear your thoughts on this one shot.

✨ Bye and take care, Hope you all have a good day ✨

[writeonwhiskey]

Summer in Seoul: Ch 3

word count: 620 [ fic master list ]

You toss and turn all night, thanks to the time difference. When your alarm goes off at 9:00am, it feels like you’ve only taken a short nap. But, having a new task added to your day because of the cracked screen, you decide to get up instead of snoozing it. After getting dressed, you have to use your computer to look up and write down literal turn by turn directions like some stone aged heathen. You drop your phone off at the repair shop, then go to a nearby cafe and watch some Korean language videos on your laptop while you wait. 

It only takes an hour before they email you saying the phone is ready for pickup. You pay the nearly 200,000 won out of pocket, as it will be too much of a hassle to go through your insurance in another country. 

On the walk back to the hotel, you finally take your phone out of airplane mode and you’re inundated with vibrations for missed calls and messages. You had already let your mom and boss know you landed via email, so nothing needs an urgent response. You see a voicemail from an unknown foreign number and a small smile tugs at the corner of your lips—he is a man of his word. You put the phone to your ear and listen as it plays.

“Hey, uh, just checkin’ to see if you got your phone fixed. Straight to voicemail so I guess not, eh?”

And that’s it. That’s the message.

It makes you laugh. He also sent a follow up text an hour later through WhatsApp.

Unknown [10:08am] Still cracked?

You [1:33pm]

Not anymore.

You put your phone in your pocket and continue back to the hotel without thinking too much more of it. 

The rest of the afternoon is filled with preparing for your pitch tomorrow. It isn’t until sometime in the evening that you hear the WhatsApp notification tone. 

Unknown [6:41pm] Good. What do I owe ya? Still cracked?

You [6:43pm]

Nothing It’s my fault for not having a screen protector.

Unknown [6:45pm] That’s true 😊 But still, I feel bad

You [6:47pm]

I’m only here on business, so it’s safe to assume I’ll never see you again You can forget about it.

Unknown [6:50pm] Unfortunately I have a terribly good memory.

Part of you is happy for this break in your train of thought to get work off your mind. You call down to order room service before replying. 

You [6:52pm]

Oh? What color was my phone?

Unknown [6:53pm] I’m not sure...

You [6:54pm]

See? You'll forget about this in no time. 

You stare at the phone for a moment, to see if he starts typing a response but he doesn’t. His status changes to inactive. You sit your phone down and return your attention to work until the room service arrives. 

After eating you call it a night early, still needing to catch up on sleep. While you’re settling into bed, you get another notification.

Unknown [9:23pm] Well, you had a phone case. It was lilac. So I couldn’t see the color of the phone. It’s got a black pop socket with a golden sun 😉

As you hold your phone (with its lilac case and black pop socket), you can only shake your head. You’re genuinely surprised. He seemed to be focused on other things at the time. You start to type out a reply but delete it halfway through. You’re not even sure what to say at this point. There’s a part of you that wants to keep talking to him, but you don’t know if he’s reaching out to be polite or something else entirely.  

You think about asking him to meet up, bargaining that he could treat you to a meal instead of paying for the repair. You don’t know if it’s too forward, though…or what exactly you would want to come out of seeing him again. It has been a couple months since your last Tinder tryst, so getting some kind of flirtatious or physical action would be nice while you’re here.

Alas, you think better of it and push the thoughts aside. You don’t need to be focusing on anything other than tomorrow’s meeting right now.

a/n: he's so cuuuute! [ read chapter four here ]

[btswit7]

The Bodyguard Series 4

Pairing: bodyguard Jungkook / rich reader

Wc: 2.8k

Genre: slow burn, slight 18+ content, age gap, bodyguard au.

Summary: A wealthy heiress and her newly assigned bodyguard—two opposites forced into each other’s orbit. She resents the intrusion; he’s just doing his job. But as tensions rise and secrets unfold, protection starts to feel a lot like something more.

Read part 3 here

The entire house was utterly quiet when Jungkook left last night and today it's the same. Sunday, it is but what Jungkook knew is that the staff at your house work the entire week without any off and hence he is surprised to see no staff other than Ms. Min who he knows as the most personal staff of yours.

She has known you the longest among everyone else, that's the most Jungkook knows about her. Other than her as the staff member none felt important.

Of course, Ms. Min is in the house, which means both you and especially your father trust her and hence Jungkook doesn't think a lot through her only presence in the house on a Sunday.

Another hour rolls down of the day when Jungkook just sits in the house, in the huge lounge alone while Ms. Min does her kitchen chores. She is done preparing lunch as the clock ticks past 2 pm. She serves some portion of the lunch in a plate, covers it with a plastic bowl and silently takes the way to the stairs. In the way, when her eyes fall on Jungkook's figure who seems to meet her eyes at the same moment, she decides to throw a sweet smile in his way, which Jungkook as always doesn't reciprocate.

She comes back empty handed which means like the breakfast, she wasn't rejected that means you took the lunch. Something inside Jungkook calms down seeing this, that means you are doing well.

“ Mr. Jeon, please take a seat, I have made lunch for you too” Ms. Min offers with a gentle smile.

“ That's completely alright Ms. Min, I have no appetite” Jungkook answers, shifting to sit straight.

“ That's a big lie Mr. Jeon” she says, her eyes narrowing in a way that radiates some motherly affection. As if she has known Jungkook for long.

“ Ms. Min I really don't will to have lunch right now” he refuses again and this time Ms. Min’s smile flatters a bit but again she smiles.

“ That's alright, I won't force you but if you need anything you can call me,” she says with a understanding look in her eyes,” I'll be right in that room” she says pointing to the room which is to the left of the open kitchen and can be easily seen from the drawing room.

In response to her care, Jungkook stands up and says, “ thank you Ms. Min”

Ms. Min wastes no more time and takes the route to her room.

—-

Jungkook is left alone in the hall now, sitting idle. His personal life is very much messed up due to his job but this is the most high paying job he has ever had in all his working life and hence Jungkook has promised to give his all to his job, to keep you safe.

He wakes up flinching, alerted. That's when he sees you crouching down to pick up the bowl with two apples in one hand and a knife in the other. The bowl must have slipped off your hands.

“ Sorry Mr. Jeon” you say with an apologetic smile on your lips, “ the

bowl just slipped from my hand”

“ That's completely fine Ms. Y/n” Jungkook says instantly sitting straight in his position, his hair disheveled.

You take a seat beside him on the sofa maintaining some distance in between. Now that Jungkook takes a look at you, he notices that you are just in your home clothes, calmly sitting beside him with your legs folded on the sofa.

You don't say anything as you focus on cutting the apple. Jungkook now realised that he must have fallen asleep while sitting in the drawing room. Jungkook looks at his watch, it's past 4 pm. So he slept for nearly two hours.

He twists his neck as it aches due to the weird position he slept in.

“ Mr. Jeon,” you call out softly to get his attention but your eyes are still focused on cutting the apples.

“ Why did you not take the guest room if you were so sleepy?” You say taking a glance at his face as you forward a slice of apple towards him.

“ Not needed, Ms. Y/n”

“ Ms. Min said you had nothing the entire day neither breakfast or lunch, are you fasting?” you stop with narrowed eyebrows.

Before Jungkook could start you continue, “ even if you are fasting you can have apples, this is a fruit”

“ Ms. Y/n, I just didn't feel like” he says.

“ I would not like to have this alone, come on have this” you push the slice of apple more towards him, now your hands are completely stretched.

Jungkook couldn't deny further, it's not a lie that he is hungry. He does need food in his system, the reason he has not brought food today is because on Sundays, his chef is on leave. Now, unlike his job he can't be asking his chef to come on Sundays too.

“ You didn't answer the previous question Mr. Jeon” you say now taking a slice in your mouth.

“ Uh, that was not needed Ms. Y/n, in fact I am sorry I slept during my working hours, that's really unprofessional of me” he says with an apologetic look in his face. He indeed is sorry that was very unprofessional of him.

“ You don't need to apologise, I can understand the worse schedule you have gotten due to this work” you say with an understanding nod to yourself as you forward another slice of apple towards him which Jungkook hesitantly takes.

“ I'll talk to dad about this” you say as an agenda.

“ This is my job, that's how hectic it always is,” he says.

Silence falls in the entire house, as the shades of evening fall. You have successfully fed Jungkook one of the two apples without your or his knowledge. The entire house glows in the light of the setting sun. He can't deny that this is the best mansion he has ever seen.

Jungkook needs to talk this out. At first, he thought you would bring it up but certainly you didn't. He clears his throat as he says, “ Ms. Y/n, I am very sorry for what happened yesterday. I don't back away from the fact that it was largely my fault and I am very ashamed of it”

Your position straightens, you visibly gulp at those strange thoughts. It would be wrong to say you aren't hurt, you are. But it would definitely be wrong to say that Jungkook is solely at fault, he isn't.

You can't blame him when it was you who wanted to show him you can do things alone, which of course you can. It was hard for you to fall asleep last night after what happened. Your period hormones played the best role, you couldn't stop crying but when you fell on the bed after the shower, it didn't take long for you to fall asleep.

You felt tired emotionally and physically.

“ I am at fault and I am willing to take the result of it. I'll…” he takes pause before continuing, “ I'll myself talk about this to Mr. Min”

“ Mr. Jeon.. I..” you don't know how to explain so you pause before continuing, “ I think it would be better if we don't tell dad about this for now” you don't want to continue any further talks on this topic and hence you get up to go to the kitchen and then to your room.

—-

It was half an hour later when Jungkook was not expecting you to return, you returned. You are wearing the same clothes. It's just your hair is combed neatly and you have a small wallet and your phone in your hand.

“ Are you going anywhere Ms. Y/n?” Jungkook asks as he stands up.

“ Ah yes, to the Mart” you say moving towards the door as you take out your shoes.

“ I am coming along”

“ You don't need to Mr. Jeon, I'll be quick it's cl–”

“ Let me do my work” and that gets you shut, “please.”

He indeed is right, you should let him do his job which is about him being your bodyguard. The thing he is being paid for.

Apart from this as a reason why he is tagging along with you, you are scared. A Lot scared. You don't feel ready to be in the crowd, you don't want random boys to hit on you even the thought of it is messing up badly with you. This is overthinking. You are overthinking. So you look to your left and you see him. Jeon Jungkook.

You are walking side by side on the road and you don't know how but just by looking at him you feel secure. You know he will protect you. He did protect you and he always will. An unknown smile forms on your lips.

Oblivious to your thoughts, Jungkook keeps walking with hands in his suits. He is so handsome. Ethereal.

The setting sun's rays falling on his beautiful feature and making him glow more. He is glowing. His pink lips and that piercing on his lips. That lip ring. Those doe eyes. That small nose, the perfect place for butterflies to land on. His black hair falling on his forehead, the jel doing no work.

Your brain fills itself with his picture so you look again at his face and damn he looks— fuck.

You trip.

You trip hard and just when you felt you would fall flat on the concrete road, you were held by some warm hands and tough muscles.

Your hands finding its position on his biceps. You gulp looking at the ground then at him. You feel his worried eyes gaze on you. You feel lost.

“ are you okay Ms. Y/n?” He says as he helps you straighten up.

“This is so embarrassing” you say after coming out of your trance as you shyly tuck your hair behind your ear.

“ it must be” he agrees with a nod and pressed lips. He ain't helping at all.

“ Uh.. the Mart?” He says as he points to the Mart a few steps ahead. Great distraction.

“ Yup, that one” you agree, quickly moving inside as Jungkook holds the door open for you.

—

You walk through the snacks corner of the Mart. You want to have something spicy as well as sweet. That's how you get your periods.

So you pick up two packets of spicy snacks and move towards the corner with cookies to get something. You check on the cookie boxes to see what flavor are they off.

“ Mr. Jeon?” You find yourself asking.

“ Yes?”

“ What is your favourite cookie flavour?”

“ I like… chocolate fudge cookies”

“ We will get those then” you say, adding two in your cart. Jungkook doesn't mind thinking they are for you.

Being done with your snacks shopping you move towards a particular section women's section which turns to be in the farthest corner. Jungkook comes behind you carrying a shopping basket. Well, he insisted on taking it instead of taking the basket even before you could hold it as if it belonged in his hands.

You don't realise, neither Jungkook but you at the farthest end in front of the pads section. You ran out of them just today and hence you needed to buy a new pack.

“ New ones?” You murmur to yourself picking up the new pads in the market.

You put the new ones back where they belonged and took the biggest pack of the pads you use. You turn around to put the pads in the basket and that's when your eyes meet his. He was already on you.

Shit shit shit!

You feel yourself getting red. This wasn't supposed to happen. How come you were so stupid and did not realise you brought Jungkook in the women's section with you.

As if he understands what you are going through he looks around as his ears go red. He slowly looks back just to see you still frozen as you hold the big pack of pads with both your hands.

You look like a high schooler to him. Short and embarrassed. As if caught doing a sin.

He quietly takes the pack from your hands, placing it in the basket.

“Anything else from here, Ms. Y/n?” He asks looking back at you.

“ No.” You say in a louder voice quickly moving as he follows you, a small smile forming on his lips.

Being done with your payment at the cash counter, you come out of the Mart. Jungkook is now carrying your shopping bag. You did insist but only if he would listen. He was clear with his words, “ I would never let you carry any bags if I am with you” that's what he said. You know he meant it just as a bodyguard to his principal but you still couldn't stop the mini heart flutter you had.

You aren't sure what this is, these random sweet feelings whenever Mr. Jeon does something for you. He is your bodyguard, that's it… right?

“ Ms. Y/n, focus on the road or you will trip again”

Your mouth falls open as you dramatically slowly turn your head towards him as he tries to suppress the smile forming on his lips, “ Mr. Jeon that was.. that was..”

“ The truth?” He raises his eyebrows in question.

You close your mouth as you twitch your lips later continuing walking. Soon, you reach one of the food trucks near. The sweet aroma filling your inside makes you feel hungry even after a heavy delicious lunch.

Lunch. Mr. Jeon had no lunch. He must be hungry, you think.

“ Mr. Jeon I need to have something from there” you say pointing to the food truck a little far away from where you stand. The road is not that busy, few people moving in all directions and some standing at the stores.

With a nod, Jungkook follows the direction of the food truck, you go and place the order while Jungkook stands beside you.

“ Two boneless fried chicken please, one with extra chilli”

“ Serving in minutes ma'am”

You both wait for just a few minutes and by then get your containers of food. You pay from your wallet as you forward one of the packets of food to Mr. Jeon.

“ Huh?”

“ For you, Mr. Jeon”

“ Ms. Y/n, uh that's not needed, I am–”

“ Please? You must be hungry”

Jungkook is a hardcore dieter but when you look at him with those eyes with all the hope shining in them, he can't deny it. He is hungry but it's just that he actively avoids fast food.

You walk home together while eating your food. It's past 7 pm when you reach home. It was a great evening. No chaos, just calmness.

—-

It's been fifteen minutes in the house that you went in your room and Mr. Kim joined him in the lounge.

“ So, how is everything going, Jungkook?” Mr. Kim asks, his voice cold as usual as he sips on his evening tea.

Jungkook feels like he is sweating inside. He is extremely nervous, out of words and also a lot tensed. It's there in his physic, tensed shoulders, clenched jaw and palms clasped.

He needs to tell this to Mr. Kim. He can't run from any responsibility or punishment coming his way. He deserves it. It was his fault for what happened and he will take the responsibility of it all.

Jungkook gulps before starting, “ Mr. Kim everything was going well but yesterday at the party… uh”

“ What happened?” Your dad's voice is calm but cold. He knows this means no good. This is the calmness before the storm. The storm that will hurt Jungkook the most.

He ain't scared of your father. He is scared of none. He knows many big government parties who have been under his supervision and were protected. No harm, safe.

But today he is at fault. He hated this feeling, that he couldn't complete his promise of keeping you safe and hence he will speak the truth to your father.

He closes his eyes for a mere second gathering some courage.

“ Yesterday at the party, Ms. Y/n was harrassed–”

“ What?” He puts the glass on the big table as he rounds the table to some stand in front of him which makes Jungkook himself stand in front of him.

“ Harrassed? What the fuck are you saying?” he is angry. It's in his voice, the way he speaks and the words he chooses.

“ Yes Mr. Kim. I need to let you know that yesterday Ms. Y/n was harrassed at the party by this dude”

—-----

Notes: the aim for this post is 100 notes with 5 comments. The next post will be made then!

[bitemevanitas]

Hii, may I request some Vanitas headcannons? Him giving reader some encouraging (tsundere) words when he notices them struggling?

Watching the anime I noticed that he's not too fond of directly showing his feelings, he likes to care for others indirectly so they don't easily realize or notice he's caring for them in the first place. It's so cute, and tsundere of him. He gives advice and comfort in his own way under a facade of annoyance, nonchalance or straight up wrapped in cutting remarks (Like when he asked Noe, ‘why the hell are you losing to Astolfo of all people if you could stand up to Roland?’ in a way he was telling Noe he was stronger and better than this, but by implying it while nagging him lol)

I see the vision, and you're absolutely right. I tend to write him too soft ngl...

But alas! Here we are <3

𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐋𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫

• Vanitas doesn’t miss much, especially when it comes to people he lets close, which is rare

• He may not show it, but if you're quieter than usual, less responsive, or your eyes linger a bit too long on the floor, he notices

• He doesn't say anything at first and just watches, or glares

• If you trip up or fumble during a task, he scoffs

• "Tch. You’re hopeless."

• But five minutes later, you’ll find the task subtly made easier

• Tools would be left in place, books reorganized so the right one just happens to be within reach

• He'll never admit he helped

• "You look pathetic. Honestly, how did you survive this long without me?"

• Translation: I’m worried. You’re strong. I know you can get through this, but I hate seeing you like this

• "Get up already. If you had time to sit around moping, you could’ve finished your work twice by now."

• And yet, he remains close longer than necessary, close enough to offer silent company

• If you’re physically hurt, say, a light injury on a mission or you faint from exhaustion, Vanitas will go on a whole tirade

• "Are you seriously this careless? You idiot, how can you expect to help anyone if you can’t even take care of yourself?"

• He’ll won't bandage your wound until you ask him to, and even then he would mutter insults the whole time

• He absolutely hates how much you affect him

• So when he catches you crying, truly crying, maybe for the first time in which he's known you, he freezes

• Then comes the scowl

• "Stop that. You’re making me uncomfortable."

• He won't stay close and watch you break apart, that's weird

• So, instead of pretending everything's fine, he might drop his coat around your shoulders

• He won't say anything more and simply walk past, but he might just be in the next room, remaining nearby

• Much like with Noé or Dante, Vanitas motivates by provoking

• "What’s the point of tagging along if you’re going to fall behind like that? Even Dante’s doing better than you today, and he has the brains of a stunned chicken."

• It sounds mean, but if you listen closely, it’s always paired with an affirmation of your capability, which he doesn't speak aloud

• He once shoved a hot cup of tea into your hands after a long day, and muttered, "It’s not for you. I just made too much."

• If you’re particularly down, he’ll make a big show of dragging you out for an 'incredibly urgent' recon mission

• He claims he received intel from Dante, while clearly just trying to get you moving again

• If you surprise him, perhaps by standing up for yourself or someone else in a moment of struggle, he’ll raise an eyebrow

• "Huh. Didn’t think you had it in you. Not bad."

• The faint upward curl of his lips betrays how proud he really is

• For Vanitas, this might actually be the equivalent to a standing ovation

• If you’re endangered, he immediately throws himself into the fray with zero hesitation

• Then later, he yells at you for "being in the way."

• "What were you thinking?! Stay behind me next time. I can’t— I don’t have time to clean up after your mistakes."

• It’s not that he doesn’t care

• Actually, it’s that he cares too much, and only the gods know why, he often hates himself for it

• "If you give up now, I’ll never forgive you."

• "Alright, disaster-in-waiting, try not to trip over your own feet this time."

• He might check your gear, straighten your collar, but doesn’t meet your eyes

• "..You’ll be fine."

𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄:

The room was too quiet.

Not in the peaceful way. No, it was the kind of quiet that settled between the ribs and ached like fresh bruises.

Outside, the muffled hum of the wind passed through the shutters of the roof. Vanitas hated nights like this.

Nights where stillness wasn’t safety, but weight.

And worse: you were sitting in it, drowning in it, and pretending not to be.

He didn’t say anything at first.

You sat hunched over a worn book, its spine cracking under your fingers. The page hadn’t turned in ten minutes. Your hand had stopped taking notes, ink drying at the edge of the quill.

The odd slump in your shoulders had nothing to do with posture.

Vanitas leaned against the backrest of his seat, arms crossed, half-shadowed by the flickering, golden lamplight.

He clicked his tongue.

“You look pathetic, by the way.”

No reaction.

“Tch,” he snapped again, pushing off the arm-chair in the corner. “You planning to sit there all night wallowing?”

Your gaze lifted, tired. “I’m fine.”

A lie.

And poorly told one at that.

He scoffed and stalked across the room, grabbing the book and snapping it shut with a sharp thwack. You flinched. Good. That meant you were still awake inside there.

“Oh! ‘Fine,’ are you?” he muttered, tossing the book aside. “That’s rich.”

You opened your mouth, maybe to argue, maybe to apologize.

He didn’t let you.

“I don’t care what’s eating at you. The world isn’t going to wait while you sit here like the picture of misery.”

Still no reply. Your fists clenched. Maybe a little spark of defiance—that was something. He sighed. Dragged a hand through his hair. Why did this feel as nerve-wrecking as surgery?

“…Look.” His voice dropped, sharper but quieter now. “I get it. The weight. The noise in your head. The part where everything feels like it’s slipping sideways and you can’t hold it all together.”

Your eyes widened immediately—and that pissed him off even more.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped, cheeks heating. “I’m not baring my soul. I’m stating a fact.”

He crouched in front of you then, catching your gaze with his own. Unflinching. Deep cerrulean meeting yours. It didn’t matter. It was the look that mattered. The kind that didn’t blink.

“You’re stronger than this. I’ve seen it. You’ve dragged yourself through worse.”

His tone softened, just barely. “So don’t stop now.”

A pause. His hand hovered for a second, before he clicked his tongue and stood up, shoving it into his coat instead. When he turned and vanished behind you, the weight of his coat came tossed over your shoulders.

Still warm.

But before he could storm off entirely, you finally, finally, looked up at him with a crooked little smile tugging at the edge of your lips.

“You know,” you said, voice lighter than it had been in hours, “you’re… kind of terrible at hiding how much you care.”

Vanitas froze mid-step.

Your smile grew, slow and mischievous. “All that ranting and yelling and ‘you’re so pathetic’ nonsense? You totally do care!”

He spun around, a horrible sense of dread blooming behind his ribs.

“I—I don’t—What the hell are you talking about?!” he barked, pointing a gloved finger like you had just said something insane. “That wasn’t— That’s not what this is! I was giving you practical advice, obviously. Someone has to knock sense into you!”

You tilted your head, clearly enjoying every second. “Mhm. Of course.”

“It—! You looked cold! I—I tripped, and it landed there, alright?!” he snapped, ears going a dangerous shade of red.

You raised a brow. “You tripped?”

“I—shut up!” he snarled, spinning away from you in a flustered whirl. “This is what I get for wasting my breath on emotional simpletons. Clearly, you’re fine now if you’ve got energy to mock me.”

But he didn’t leave.

He stood there, back to you, the ends of his coat sleeves twitching like an angry cat’s tail. His fists clenched at his sides, jaw tight. And yet he didn’t move. Not one step.

You laughed. The first real one in days, and despite everything, Vanitas felt something sharp in his chest ease. Just a little.

He didn’t turn back around.

But as he stormed back towards the arm-chair in a flurry of indignant curses, you heard one last barked insult echo behind him:

“Get some sleep, you annoying birdbrain!”

.

.

.

[fragileruns]

Hey can I submit a request for Rooster please? Perhaps where he and the reader met as teens and have been together for a while and they rarely argue, but they’ve had an argument and are trying to stay mad at each other but they can’t and it’s like super fluffy but also a lil bit of angst dashed in there? 💗

hi, lovely!! thank you so much for requesting, i hope this is what you wanted <33 ily! also, for everyone else, i’m working on fics for the speak now (taylor’s version) event! i’m planning on either posting one for mean or enchanted sometime this week <3

warnings: very very light angst, some cursing, fluffy ending w/ lovesick bradley/reader, reader is called needy, female terms used for reader, not proofread

You and Bradley hardly ever argued. At least, not over anything major - maybe over who’s turn it was to do dishes, or over where to eat, but anything else was a rare occasion, which was surprising for a couple that had been together over twenty years, but nice.

The not-so nice part, though, was that when you did argue, it was always so much worse. It was filled with pent up frustration and it never ended well. Tonight might have been the worst one yet.

It started off small, both of you being tired after having long days, and neither of you were in the mood to be messed with. You argued over what to eat, then over how messy the house was, and it somehow escalated from there. It went from him, in somewhat nicer terms, calling you lazy and you telling him you could use help trying to clean things up, to you accusing him of never being home and him telling you that you were too needy.

You both said hurtful things, and you knew you were no better in the argument than he had been, but that had been what hurt the most.

“God, you’re just so fucking needy all the time. I can’t come runnin’ home everytime my girlfriend decides she wants to cuddle or something. This is my job.”

You were silently washing the dishes now, and Bradley glanced up from where he was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands every few seconds. He felt guilty, but he was hurt, too. He wanted an apology as much as you did.

Once you got down to the last dish, Bradley watched you scrub it more times than it needed to be, and you dried it as slow as you possibly could. It was killing him, and he needed you to finish and just say something. Anything. Even if he didn’t want to hear it.

You set the dish to the side, and rather than walking to the couch to talk things out, like he had expected, you just went straight upstairs to your shared bedroom. He was quick to follow up, like a puppy on a leash, but he still stayed silent. You ignored the fact that he was on your tail, keeping your gaze ahead of you.

You changed into more comfortable clothes, and he had been sitting on the bed once you came out of the bathroom, watching your every move. You grabbed a pillow from the bed and once you reached for the blanket, he broke.

“What are you doing?”

“Sleeping somewhere else.”

“You’re not doing that.” It wasn’t a question, and he grabbed the blanket from your grasp before reaching from the pillow. You let him, but he could still see the upset on your face.

“I don’t want to be around you right now. I’m still mad.”

“I’m not exactly thrilled with you either, sweetheart, but you’re not sleeping on the couch or anywhere else. That’s not how this works, you know it.” And you did. You both had an agreement, from your first big fight - it was right after you had graduated highschool, and long distance in college was tricky to navigate. You had been mad at each other and refused to text or call for days, and even after you were both over it, it felt too awkward to reach out first. So, the rule was formed: never go to bed without talking to each other. Even if you’re still both upset, running away or avoiding each other wasn’t an option.

“You hurt my feelings,” you admitted, your voice quieter than you would have liked, and Bradley sighed at the confession. His hands reached out to grab your own, and despite how much you longed for the comfort, you pulled them away. He frowned, but didn’t force it.

“You hurt my feelings, too. We both said some things we shouldn’t have.”

You knew he was right, but you were stubborn and he knew that. You looked down to the floor instead of responding, and he stood up from where he was sitting so that he could cup your cheeks and force your gaze back on him.

“I’m sorry, okay? We were both in the wrong, but I shouldn’t have said that. You’re not too needy. And if I could come running home everyday just to spend time with you, I would. If there’s a needy one in this relationship, it’s me, and I’m sorry for saying that to you,” he spoke first, letting your head go once he got his point across.

“I’m sorry, too. I was horrible. I shouldn’t have said you’re never home ‘cos I know you want to be, I know you’re here as much as you can - and you do help out, a lot. More than you should have to, I was just so upset and I don’t even know why,” you bursted out, the apology having built up until you couldn’t stand it. You just hadn’t wanted to be the first one to break.

Bradley sighed, being quick to wrap you into his arms, pressing your head into his chest, kissing the top of your hair. “I know, it’s okay. It was just a long day, hmm?”

“I’m sorry,” you said again, quieter this time. And, as if he had some sort of sixth sense for these things (which he does, he calls it the ‘boyfriend sense’), he pulls your head back to wipe away the oncoming tears.

“It’s okay, I forgive you. You don’t have to apologize again, we’re okay,” he assured you, though it didn’t stop the tears. All the emotions from the argument had gotten pent up, and you couldn’t push them back in now. “Hey, I was an asshole too, huh? If anything, I should be apologizing to you. Can’t believe I called my perfect girl needy.”

You could tell he was just trying to switch things back around to him, always being the one to do anything to stop you from crying. You were grateful, so you played along. “Lazy, too.”

“Lazy, too. My poor girl, I’m sorry.” Your head was back laying on his chest now, and he was mumbling into your hair. You knew it was all for the sake of cheering you up, both of you knew there wasn’t just one person in the wrong. That wasn’t how your fights worked.

“I don’t like being mad at you,” you admitted, calming down a bit from where he had been rubbing your back. “You make it too hard.”

“I make it hard? You were giving me the silent treatment, how was I supposed to deal with that? You know I can’t go a second without hearing your voice.”

“That’s why I do it.”

“Mean.” He said, and you knew he was joking. His hands fell to your sides, pinching the skin there lightly, and you pulled away from him with a slight giggle. He grinned at the sound, successful in his mission at getting rid of your upset. He sat down on the edge of the bed again, pulling you with him to curl up on his lap.

You let out a content sigh as he placed his head in the crook of your neck, peppering light kisses there.

“Can we never fight again?”

“You ask this everytime, honey.”

“Yeah, and we still fight. I think,” you started, getting distracted by the kisses he was leading up to your face now, and you tried to hold back your grin. “I think you should just always agree with me.”

“Yeah?” He questioned as he placed a kiss to your cheek, and you only nodded your head. “I guess I can do that.”

You both knew he wouldn’t, that another fight would be inevitable. But, you also knew that it’d always end the same way, just like this: both of you too lovesick to ever stay mad.

[mavrintarou]

[3:45PM] Suna Rintarou (prequel of DD) [3]

I started a part-time job so my writing and posting will slow down tremendously. Hopefully, I'll get inspired lol. If you are new, this is the 3 part, please go back and read the initial post, and prequel - parts 1, and 2. You can find those chapters here

Warning: none, angst/hurt & leading to comfort Note: There is a time jump, hopefully, I don't confuse you guys

Prequel (part 2)

.

Rin realized he found himself watching Y/n sleep more often than usual. He never understood romantic films where the man watches the girl sleep, often thinking how creepy they were.

He didn’t care that at the moment he was doing the same thing, watching Y/n sleep like a little creeper. All that mattered to him was seeing Y/n asleep beside him safe and sound.

Rin still could not believe the wild roller coaster he and about 300 other passengers went through less than 72 hours ago.

It was one thing to be surprised to discover that Y/n was the pilot of the plane he was flying to Thailand for a tournament.

Four months ago, he would have waved at her like a hopeless romance and shown everyone they were lovers.

But it has been four months since Rintarou broke everything off with Y/n.

Everything has been a mess since that day and nothing was going right.

With each ticking second his conscience questions whether he made the right decision. Was it impulsive or was he right?

All he wanted was to make them official, he wanted the right to call her his girlfriend and show her off. He also wanted her to take him home to her place.

He wanted a home with her.

But he got the sense she didn’t want to share much of her life with him. 

He began questioning her about when she would cancel plans or tell him she would no longer be coming home that day and be gone for days on end without communication.

He respected her busy career and work schedule, but he couldn’t help but feel left out of her life.

They had been seeing each other for almost four months, he was ready for the next phase and thought they were both on the same page.

When he initiated and asked her to be his girlfriend, she did not consider his request, immediately turning him down.

“I’m sorry… I can’t… I thought you understood, Rin?”

Like a light switch, anger consumed him. He threw the comforters off and stalked naked around his room to search for his boxers. “Understood?” he mimicked her tone, he wiped towards her with hurt and pain written on his face. “What is there to understand when you don’t tell me anything?”

“What do you mean? I tell you when I’m done with work, I make time on my off days to meet with you. What is it, Rin? What is it that you want?” Y/n kept her voice leveled, not wanting to meet his energy.

“I want you!” he shouted, throwing his hands up, “I want you to be mine, Y/n.” He inhaled sharply, “I want everything there is out there to want. I want to know where you are at all times because I can’t help but be anxious you might be with someone else when you are not with me. I want to know what you are thinking about and if I even cross your mind at all because you are always on mine. I want to tell every damn hot-blooded male out there you are mine, fuck – even the women too because you’re fucken amazing.” His breath shook as he slowly took a deep breath. “I want to not have this terrible feeling that I’m not good enough for you…” he choked, “I feel like I’m being childish, wanting you to only look my way, wanting you to only want me… want you in every way possible. But I feel like it’s one-sided…”

He felt foolish pouring out his childish feelings. He couldn’t even look at her at this point.

To make matters worse, Y/n hadn’t spoken a word. She had not attempted at all to assure him that she too wanted him.

“I think we should end this, it is obvious you do not feel the same way for me,” he muttered, “please see your way out.” He turned his heels and headed straight to his bathroom.

When he came out after a hot bath almost an hour later, she was gone, every trace of her gone.

He stared out the air plane window, zoning out until something was held in front of him, a paper bag.

“Our captain has asked me to deliver this to you.” The young flight attendants informed with a smile.

Rin accepted it and opened the bag.

It was snacks he and Y/n enjoyed eating together. At the bottom of the bag was a piece of paper inside.

I hope you have been well.

He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He missed her dearly.

Reaching for his bag, he began searching for stuff he could give back to Y/n. “Excuse me,” he called the flight attendant, “do you have pen and paper?” She returned with the items he requested.

As he was about to signal the flight attendant again, the plane suddenly jerked and trembled violently before it suddenly veering sharply to the left, causing standing passengers to lose their balance.

Y/n’s voice came over the intercom with a vague announcement, immediately ordering all passengers to fasten their seatbelts.

Rin could not mistake the uneasiness in her tone and nor did he miss the looks on the flight attendants' faces as they quickly shuffled around, making sure all passengers followed the announcement.  

Quickly fastening his seatbelt, unknowingly holding his breath.

Talk to me Y/n, Rin silently prayed to himself.

No one could have anticipated encountering a situation typically happening only in films. The lights inside the plane started flickering, and the aircraft continued to sway as if struggling to remain airborne. This prompts passengers to demand an explanation.

Rin looked down at his watch and began counting.

It was the longest five minutes of his life before he heard Y/n’s voice.

“This is your pilot Y/n, we will be making an emergency landing shortly here in Singapore, please remain seated and keep your seat belt fastened until further notice.”

Thirty minutes later, the plane landed on the tarmac and moved towards the many flashing vehicles.

At last, an announcement was made, except this time it was not Y/n’s voice. “This is your co-captain speaking, I sincerely apologize for the sudden change and inconvenience. There has been an emergency medical situation and I ask everyone to please remain seated until further notice. Another announcement will be made as soon as you can exit the aircraft, there will be gate agents ready to assist and get you on the next flight to Thailand.”

Outside of the aircraft ambulances and other medical services were waiting outside.

Rin’s eyes widen as he catches a glimpse of Y/n rushing alongside the stretcher that is being hauled into an ambulance.

.

Rin and his team boarded the next flight to Thailand. His mind remained clouded and hazy as he awaited Y/n’s text response, any response from her. During the game, he found himself sidelined for most of it, as his coached noticed his lack of mental focus. The moment EJP Raijin was declared champions, Rin rushed to the locker room to check his phone.

He has never been so relieved to see her name on his screen.

I’m in Thailand at XXX Hotel. Dinner?

.

“Usually, on long flights lasting 6 hours or more, there are three pilots, but this time, there were four due to the larger aircraft. It was my co-pilot’s and my turn to swap and rest. Thirty minutes after falling asleep, I heard him call my name, gasping that he was experiencing chest pains,” Y/n recounted, rubbing her face with her hand as she relived the moment. “He was having a cardiac arrest,” Y/n pushed the food on her plate around, not having much of an appetite. She described how she administered CPR to her colleague while simultaneously giving commands to the other pilot to request an emergency landing. “An as if that wasn’t challenging enough, we flew into a flock of birds that caused one of our engines to blow out,” Y/n explained, her expression reflecting extreme fatigue as she recount the situation on the plane. “The plane got out of control so I had to quickly switch and gain control in the air until we landed in Singapore.” She smiled tiredly at Rin, “he’s okay if you’re wondering.”

“That’s good, but are you okay?” Rin cared more for her well-being than the others. He too lost his appetite, pushing his food around. He reached for her hand and laced their fingers. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m just… exhausted. It’s been a long four months…” she tightened her fingers around his. “Long four months of training and… without you.”

Rin could only maintain eye contact with her in silence before softly inquiring, “what are you trying to say…?”

“I’m saying that I have missed you, Rintarou. I have missed you every single day,” Y/n answered earnestly.

A deep sigh escaped from his lips, as though he had been holding it in for quite some time before they curved into a smile. “I missed you too,” he admitted.

.

In the brief period he’s known her, she has consistently been a sound sleeper, likely due to her hectic work routine.

But at this moment, he could tell she was deeply asleep as she didn’t stir when he shifted himself so he could hold her. His heart rate eased as she nestled closer into his warmth. The tip of her nose pressed lightly against his nipple, erecting his nub as she unconsciously rubbed against it.

He hist softly, cursing silently in his head. Counting backward from one hundred, he distracts his mind with other thoughts to distract himself.

He found it hard to grasp the reality of her presence beside him. After dinner, there was no way he was going to part from her.

He held on to the end of her shirt like a lost puppy, “stay with me.”

Y/n reached for his hand, holding it tightly, “I’m so tired, I’m ready to fall asleep on my feet.”

“Your place or mine, I don’t care, your call.” Rin stepped closer and cupped her cheek, “I just want to be wherever you are.”

They came back to hers. Rin noticed her small luggage and a handful of her belongings spread out on the desk.

Y/n began stripping her clothes off, leaving only her panties and sports bra on. Rin could feel his face heat up as he turned away.

“I’m just getting comfortable, don’t worry I won’t take advantage of you,” she teased, slipping into the bed. “Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to get in?”

He stripped down to his boxers briefs and slipped in, he might as well get comfortable with her too.

“Are you afraid I’ll bite you? Why are you so far away from me? Are you lying about missing me?”

Y/n was tugged into Rin’s arm as they tightly locked around her. “I would lie about many things but missing you isn’t one of them.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, “sleep, you can barely keep your eyes open.”

“Rin.”

He hummed watching her close her eyes before she whispered, “I like you.”

Minutes later, her breathing steadied, and she relaxed in his embrace. Rin couldn’t pinpoint when he started noticing the small intricacies about her. Like the tiny beauty mark at the outer corner of her left eye, or how her green eyes occasionally shifted to yellow in the sunlight. He observed how her eyes crinkled when she smiled widely and how she would quickly use a hand to cover her smile. He longed to reach out and smooth the wrinkles on her forehead when she was deeply focused on something.

He found himself missing her every second of the day whenever she wasn’t by his side, and every little thing seemed to remind him of her. Whether it was spotting someone with the same shade of green eyes or hearing or seeing an airplane in the sky, thoughts of Y/n would flood his mind.

Every little thing about Y/n came down to one thing, he was hopelessly in love with her.

.

For the past five minutes, Y/n had been observing the man sleeping beside her. She couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and how he seemed to have lost weight, his cheeks appearing sunken.

She had noticed her weight loss and general disinterest since their fallout, believing she was the only one suffering. As her fingers lightly brushed his bangs aside, she pondered whether he, too, might have been enduring similar struggles.

After she left his place that day, regret weighed heavily in her heart ever since. She has never felt rejected and hurt as much as Rin telling her to leave his place.

She distracted herself with work, taking on additional shifts until one day she was greeted by someone she least expected, her old boss, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Specialty Force.

“We need you to come back,” was the first thing he said. “We have a project and you are the only one who can lead it and carry it out.”

Pursuing aviation had always been Y/n’s passion and dream, so joining the military straight out of school seemed like the optimal choice for her. In a sense, she was achieving two goals at once: pursuing her passion while also upholding the long-standing family tradition of military service spanning decades.  

A year ago, she would have eagerly accepted the mission, always eager for a fresh challenge. But now, she found herself struggling to find her voice. Accepting the mission meant being away for an extended period – ranging from at least six months to two years or more.

Y/n couldn’t understand why she was hesitating.

A part of her was her pride.

She is reminded of a painful past incident that had her dismissed with an uncharacterized discharge. After she returned to the civilian world, she was pulled into commercial aviation to maintain a part of her passion.

But that wasn’t it either.

At last, Rin’s face came to her mind.

Everything has changed since she met Rin.  

He was only meant to be a distraction. Their relationship was never meant to have gone this far or deep.

She wasn’t supposed to care for him, let alone, formed a bond with him.

Her time in the military and her specialized field compelled her to prioritize her duty over settling down, understanding that investing in something that might only lead to heartbreak was not in her best interest. Even in her current time, she was always on the go, never settling in one spot for long, she was convinced a relationship wouldn’t survive if one partner was always gone.

This is why she steered clear of committing to a relationship or remaining attached to someone for an extended duration.

Y/n had refused to acknowledge her feelings for Rintarou. She viewed their interactions as mere entertainment whenever she was back at home. She enjoyed his pursuit and the undivided attention he gave her. She has never had anyone give her as much attention as Rin had. At first, she believed it was because he was younger than her and was infatuated with the thought of chasing and finding interest in an older woman.

However, as they spent more time together, the hours slipping by unnoticed, she gradually found herself caving into him, basking in the warmth of his arms and feeling her heart beat in sync with his.

She had never yearned for someone’s company as intensely as she did for his. Simply being in his presence was sufficient to make her feel at ease and rejuvenate. He filled a void in her life that she hadn’t realized existed.

Her heart and mind started yearning for every detail about him. In a crowded place, she’d catch a glimpse of men similar in height, instantly reminded of him. The sight of the color yellow would remind her of his eyes that glowed whenever they locked with hers. She began following his volleyball team to stay on top of updates about him and his professional life.

She thought she was the only one who was feeling these aftereffects.

Therefore, it was a hasty choice on her part to accept the mission, driven by the desire to distract herself from him and put physical distance between them.

She was simply a coward who was hopelessly in love with him.

. . .

E/n: I'm happy to explain anything you might be confused about, or hopefully my next part will explain/answer it.

>>> @queenelleee @mfreedomstuff @erintaro @callmeraider @chaotic-fangirl-blog @wolffmaiden @cloud-lyy

[good-beanswrites]

Haruka clenched his fists. “Y-you would be surprised if you woke up and -- and -- and your cell was full of ice cream!

I was just thinking of this line from your last Mikoto drabble and wondered… Can you make this happen?

I certainly can >:3 I tried for a while to frame this as straight-up comedy, but it actually worked so much better as something sweet, with silly lines here and there :) Thank you so much for the request, it was so fun!! (Also, I wrote John using Mikoto's name for ease, but in my mind he's switching between first person pronouns.)

There was someone unexpected in cell 009. 

No, no, it’s not like that. Everyone was very aware that there were two distinct residents of that cell. John himself was very aware of his position in that cell. 

The thing was, someone else ended up in there, too. 

John kept his eyes shut, feigning sleep. The other person was here on a mission. They’d slipped in without creaking the metal door. Their footsteps were nearly inaudible against the floor. He would have thought it was Kotoko, with skills like that, but she would have leapt to an attack. This person was busy doing… something. 

He strained his ears. It was impossible to tell their goal. They were going in and out, moving things around. Was it a trap? There weren’t enough materials in the prison to set a trap. Were they stealing things from around the room? He had nothing of value. Plus, he was sure Mikoto would have given anything to anyone who asked. What, then?

Unable to come to any conclusion, he readied himself. He’d protect himself. He always did.

In one fluid motion, he rolled out of the bed and pinned the other to the ground. The perpetrator let out a high-pitched squeak. Impossibly wide and frightened eyes looked up at him.

“Haruka…?” That was the last person he was expecting. John squinted around the room. “What the --”

Ice cream. He didn’t know what it meant, but that’s what Haruka had been arranging. Dishes and dishes of ice cream. Everywhere. Plates stacked on the desk. Bowls strewn across the floor. All  vanilla. There was a scattering of toppings; some with colorful sprinkles and others dripping with chocolate sauce. When he’d tackled the poor boy, he sent another dish of it clattering across the ground.

“I’m sorry! Ah, I-I, ah, I’m sorry!” Haruka squeezed his eyes shut. “It-it’s a, it was a surprise, for you! For M-m-mikoto…!”

“A surprise?”

“The other d-day he said, we were, we were talking ab-bout --”

“He asked for this?”

“Uh, no, but --”

“He didn’t know about it?” John’s eyes narrowed. “It’s some kinda prank?”

“NO! No, n-no I’m not being m-mean. It was f-fun. A fun surprise.” Haruka held his palms up, unable to make his smile anything but panicked. “...Surprise!”

John stared.

Despite how nonsensical the whole situation was, there didn’t seem to be any danger. He rose. Haruka scrambled to his feet. 

John gestured to the extensive supply of sweets around them. “How did you get all this together, anyway?”

“O-oh!” Haruka wrung his hands. “I was, uh, planning it for a while. I requested ice cream three times in a row. And I n-never ate mine for dessert. I’ve been saving it. Es asked why, b-but they still let me keep it.”

“And why did you? Why do all this for Mikoto?”

“I t-told you, it was sup-supposed to be fun...”

John braced himself against the desk. He was just wondering how long it would take to take care of this mess. He mused, “it’s all going to melt.” 

He might as well have thrown a punch, the way Haruka’s expression shifted. “I’m sorry! I’m -- I… I didn’t think of that…”

“Eh? You don’t need to apologize or anything. It’s fine.” 

They fell into silence. Haruka shifted on his feet. 

“Y-you… can have it, if you want. The ice cream. I didn’t let anyone else have it but-but, you can, I think. ”

“I don’t want the ice cream.” He wanted to be left alone. He wanted the cell clean so Mikoto didn't stress out about cleaning it. He wanted to avoid being bothered by bizarre ‘surprises’ first thing in the morning.

His stomach disagreed, apparently. It let out a loud grumble. Both prisoners looked over. 

He muttered a curse. With a huff, he picked up one of the bowls. 

“Alright. But even if I did eat this, or Mikoto did, there’s no way I could finish it all.” He shoved it into Haruka’s hands. “You made this mess, you’re gonna help me deal with it.”

The boy nodded frantically. 

“Come on, you can sit here. Pass me that one, with the syrup. And hurry it up.”

[vickyyoon]

Stepbro Han profile (hcs)

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C/w: stepcest, smut, sub!Han, dom!fem!reader ( and just pure filth)

Paring : stepbro!Han x fem!reader

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Step bro han

He was your elder step brother, he loves you and adores you alot as an elder brother but compared to his age he was pretty dumb, naive and such a people pleaser.

He was pretty popular at school, everyone's attention would be drawn to him because of how pretty he was and how talented he was as well but he would always turn this attention to you jk matter what, he loved to show you off.

He took you in dates and happily let you join his friends on hangouts but things only started to change when you notice how he was really under your fingers without your complete control

One night you caught him with your underwear in his room just sniffing it, you couldn't help but smirk because you too had feelings for him and thought his was straight up disgusting but he wasn't really your brother was he?

Ever since then you used him to your advantage.

" what? do you not care about your little sister? I thought you loved me?" you pouted his jaw was aching from eating you out from the past few hours.

" ofcourse I do but what if mom and dad finds us?" he asked you.

" Don't worry about them, they're not coming back until tommorow night." you smirked down on him.

Type

He was almost submissive all the time maybe it was just for you though. Acting so cute whenever youre disappointed or begging almost all the time when it's just the two of you.

He always likes to please you because you give him compliments and praises afterwards, he puts your needs first and would drop everything to come to your need, I mean anything.

Like one time he was in the kitchen helping your mom when you got extremely horny, just by one call he left your mom with all the work in the kitchen kind of surprising her.

He will do anything for you, he'll spend money on whatever you want from him, he loves giving you gifts as well, to you he was the best elder brother you could ever ask for.

He gets pretty sad when you talk or get too close to another guy and you'll probably have to ride him afterwards to make him understand and feel better.

He is shameless around you, if you put a collar on him, he'll gladly accept it, if you ask him to bark he'll do it (no joke 💀) but anything to make you happy <3

" I said keep quiet! Or I'll absolutely stop right here and now!" you whispered into his ear.

You were in the back seat of your parents car while they were driving, your hand wrapped around his aching dick under that blanket on his lap.

" No please! I won't I promise."

Distance

He was going to college very soon ND since his college is quiet far he has to live in a near by hostel which meant diatancing for you two.

But he still manages to make time out of his hectic days to call you and always visits you during his weekends sacrificing his hangouts with his friends, because his friends might leave him but you won't, you're his little sister.

He'll always be sure to satisfy your needs when he's back home and spends more time on you than anyone else in the house. He gets very clingy and can't help but sometimes touch you while at dinner

He really misses you alot, not seeing your face twice a day will kill him instantly most of the times you've forced yourself on him but after reaching college he starts to grow alot on you.

He won't let you go out of his sight and gets much more possessive, he takes a hold of your socials and often checks what you like or post. Though he knows you won't date any one but he still makes sure to scare your male friends so that they won't even try to get you.

" it's not fair! It's just a picture of me and my friendy at the beach!" you argued but he wasn't having it.

" you look so naked in that photo, your boy friends will see it!" he said again and again.

And by the time you knew it you were straddling on his lap trying to calm him down.

" they won't lay a finger on me, trust me." you kissed his forehead as he looked at you with tear filled eyes trying to understand you.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

[unch4rtedwxters]

a/n: i made two new ocs and decided to make a oneshot for them :3 yes, i may have already posted this on wattpad, but! not with a name! divider credit to @cafekitsune. also– i am aroace – i don't know how love actually works so please tell me if i need to fix anything!

warnings: dagger/sword mentions, blacking out, abduction

word count: 754

✦ 𝙸 𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚈𝚘𝚞 ✦

I sit on my fluffy bed, breathing in the salty scent of the ocean, letting my mind fill with extravagant fantasies. Pressing the tip of my quill to the paper before me, the scenes spill from my mind onto the paper, telling the story of a girl who only wishes to see the stars. 

She’s just about to kiss the boy of her dreams, a moment I still long for, as I look out the window at the star-speckled sky. 

It’s peaceful, a feeling I don’t get very often with my twin brothers following me around. 

I stand up to move closer to the window, smoothing the ruffles in my dress. 

I look up to the stars. It’s calming to find the constellations; it reminds me of my mother... 

SLAM! 

My door crashes to the ground, and I whip my head around, snatching the dagger I keep handy off my desk. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Princess,” a voice says. I look to see who was speaking to find a boy, seemingly around my age, holding a sword that puts my weapon to shame. A black bandanna is tied around his forehead to keep his messy jet-black hair out of his hazel eyes. Freckles dot his warm brown complexion. 

I raise an eyebrow. “Why not? You’re a pirate.” 

He rolls his eyes. “You’re a princess. And this is a kidnapping. So you can come in peace or come in pieces.” 

I don’t get a chance to respond. The world fades to black, and my mind fills with gold-flecked eyes. 

~~~ 

I wake to the constant rocking of a boat, my back and head aching. 

“Morning, Princess. Took you long enough,” a familiar voice says. I open my eyes blearily and sit up to get a better look of my surroundings. 

The pirate from before sits precariously balanced atop a flimsy-looking stool, a lopsided smirk on his face. 

“Who are you and what do you want?” I croak. 

“Why, you’ve never heard of me?” The boy’s voice takes on a hurt-sounding tone, but he’s still smiling. “You must feel so much shame.” 

“No,” I interrupt. “I really don’t. Now answer my questions.” 

“Assertive, are we? Straight to business, then. Matteo, at your service.” He dips into a bow, then smirks again. “What do I want? Well, take a guess.” 

I blink. Matteo pouts. “Aw, you’re no fun. Can’t a boy just want a friend?” 

“Can’t you get any without kidnapping?” I counter. 

“Huh. I didn’t think of th- oh, who am I kidding? I did think of that. And you know what? I disregarded it. And think about this, Princess.”  

My cheeks get hotter with every word he says. 

“Think about this,” he repeats. “I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve seen every corner of the continent. I could’ve chosen a princess from any other kingdom. But I chose you.” 

Something about the intensity of his words makes my heart triple in speed. Matteo leans in close, so close I can feel his breath on my cheek. 

“I chose you.” 

I’m not sure if he repeated the words or if they’re bouncing around in my brain, but before I can say anything else, he orders his guards to put me in a separate room. 

As I mull over my thoughts, the boat rocks me back. And forth. Back. And forth. 

“I chose you.” 

~ One Week Later ~ 

I’m surprised. 

It barely took Matteo two days to win me over. I hadn’t liked my role as princess, and pirate seems... better fitting for me. 

“Princess!” 

And yet, nothing seems to stop this boy from calling me a princess. 

“I thought I told you,” I call back with an eyeroll, “to stop calling me Princess.” 

Matteo peeks into the hall where I stand, my back resting against the wall. His hazel eyes sparkle as he replies, “I thought you’d know by now that there’s nothing that can stop a Valentino.” 

His grin makes something flutter inside of me. 

A feeling I know all too well, thanks to my writing. 

“Well, Charlotte?” Matteo says. His use of my first name startles me. He snickers at my look and remarks, “I thought you didn’t want me to call you Princess.” 

“I don’t,” I manage to say. 

The boy’s grin turns into a smirk. “Well, Charlotte? Ready to go?” 

I tell him yes. 

He turns down the hall to walk up to the deck. 

Maybe I won’t have to long for my moment for much longer. 

©unch4rtedwxters | do not repost, copy, or translate on any other platform.

[just-some-friendly-fun]

Random Personal HCs I Made Of Miguel O’Hara While Writing Smthn (Electric Boogaloo)

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Turns out it's fun thinking up stuff for this guy. So have some more random stuff about Miggy, I came up with.

When he's not usually being his big bossy self at Spider-Society HQ or is just-- speaking with someone who's outside of work (ex. Him speaking to a barista or something at a local coffee shop he frequents). He tends to mumble a lot. Big man with soft voice. It's definitely a huge contrast to his usual angry, irritable, commanding gig going on. I'm also pullin' this one out from the comics? (I personally lean more to Miguel having retractable fangs but he still occasionally mumbles more frequently out of habit and/or just in case they start popping out and he doesn't realize it).

ALSO ALSO. Yeah, Miguel definitely has a certain coffee shop he likes to frequent in Nueva York.

Very picky about the way his coffee is done too oddly enough, aside from when it's the usual straight black coffee that's straight out of the coffee machine (blegh) in whatever the Spider-Society HQ equivalent of a break room is (or one of the many they have there [you cannot tell me that they don't have multiple break rooms for the bajillion amounts of Spider-variants they house there]).

He just might be an espresso guy.

Doesn't like sweet stuff that much. He's not incredibly repulsed by sugary stuff but he's not one to bother indulging in eating something like candy or ice cream as a treat for himself (he'll sure as hell tolerate it though if he's enjoying it with someone else... Maybe someone like Gabriella).

Definitely wears glasses because you cannot tell me that he can stare at those digital screens every day, all day, at such close proximity, without it at least having it affect his eyes? Not one bit??

Miguel is... Aware. That there are gay people and anybody associated with the LGBTQIA+ community. Hell, he runs an entire elite strike force organization full of Spider-variants across every dimension. There's bound to be an arm-full he'll find. But he doesn't necessarily pay too much mind to it nor will he ask on the sake of privacy and respect. He's mostly more focused on the idea of "I don't mind who you date or do in your personal life or anything else. All I know is that you're a Spider-man/women/variant and as long as you don't destroy the multiverse and just help me maintain the multiverse. I won't say anything". He knows about gay people, he knows about lesbians, he knows about trans people, a little bit about bi people, but everything else?? That's a whole thing on his own that leaves him more confused than anything. Just start throwing in other sexual or gender orientations and watch this man scrunch up in confusion when you explain them all to him. (He gives me the vibes of a supportive dad who's trying, you get me? [def an ally tho])

I'd like to think he has an insane amount of patience. Probably more than what the movie shows.

Is well aware he's attractive, isn't too overly narcisstic about his looks but has minimal amount of self-confidence at best, but it doesn't stop him from being surprised when people refer to him as anything else but "handsome" or "attractive" like "pretty", "gorgeous", or "beautiful". Those are the type of words that'll get him to turn red from his face up to the tips of his ears if you keep throwing it at him.

[riikive]

DESERVE IT ALL ⌕ 강태현

masterlist

pairing. kang taehyun x female!oc | genres. comfort/hurt, romance, fluffy, etc. | warnings. maybe a bit suggestive, but it isn't too bad, overstudying, no breaks, not eating healthy, etc. | word count. 1.1k

note. Enjoy the story. I wrote this during my midterm week because I was stressing out and overwhelmed with everything. Please leave a reblog to help with the algorithm. It helps me so much, and I want to get more readers soon. Thank you for reading!

Sitting alone in her apartment bedroom after a messy day at university, Ria was stressed over her exams. All she wants to do is sleep. But unfortunately, she couldn't. With a pile of assignments, there was no way she could relax. Taking off her glasses before pitching the top of her nose, she went back to work.

In the living room, Taehyun opened the front door before entering. He sighed softly as he put down his keys and took off his shoes. He didn't come home for 8 days because of work. Instead, he stayed in the dormitory with his band members. Since it was easy for him. He got a 4 day break, so he decided to stay with his girlfriend.

As he entered the shared bedroom, he straight away noticed Ria was working on her assignments. He quietly entered the room without trying not to disturb her. Sneaking behind her, he wrapped his arms around her. She didn't notice him at all since she was so focused on working on her due assignments. Taehyun kissed her on the cheeks before breaking the hug. Still, she didn't even notice.

Taehyun went to the bathroom to wash up. Once he came out with his comfortable clothes, he went to the kitchen to cook something for Ria. As he scanned the kitchen and the refrigerator, he noticed something odd. He closed the refrigerator before walking back inside the bedroom. "Did you not eat anything the past few days while I was gone?" He asked.

the rest is under the cut

Ria didn't respond or even hear him. Instead, she was focusing on her assignments. "Ria!" No answer. "Anh Ria!" Still no response. He sighed before he closed the laptop. "Wait! What!? My freaking assignments!" She panicked. She tried to open her laptop, but his hands were on top of the laptop. Finally looking up, she saw Taehyun. "O-oh, when did you get here?" She asked with a surprised expression.

"Not too long, now answer me. Did you eat at all the past few days while I was gone?" She looked at him nervously. "Uh….yes I did." Taehyun raised his eyebrows. "What did you eat?" "Umm, fruits…" "Anything else?" She shook her head. He made her turn to face him before squatting down to her eye level. "I told you to take care of yourself and eat at least 3 meals a day." Ria looked down at her hands. "But－" "No, but no excuses." He interpreted her.

She bit the inside of her lips before nodding. Taehyun ruffled her hair with a gentle smile. "Come, I will make you something to eat and it will be a big meal since you haven't eaten a proper meal while I was gone." Ria nodded. He pulled her up from the chair that she was sitting on for hours and sort of dragged her to the kitchen. He made her sit on the kitchen island stool before walking inside the kitchen. "What do you want to eat?"

Ria thought for a minute. "I am not sure….pasta?" Taehyun nodded. "Alright, pasta it is." He started to get the ingredients before making the meal. Just like he had said. He made a big meal of her favorite foods for her. Knowing she wouldn't eat the food unless he ate with her, he made 2 to 4 servings of the pasta for them to eat and for her to bring to university for lunch.

She watched him cook the meal. "Do you like what you see?" He looked at her with a smirk. She shook her head before facepalming with a slightly pink blush on her cheeks. "You say something weird again." He raised his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ria shook her head. "Nothing." Taehyun hummed in response before going back to cooking.

After he finished, he served the pasta on two plates and turned off the stove before placing the plates on the island. Ria waited for him to sit down before beginning to eat. They ate in silence. Taehyun glanced over to see if she was eating. She was eating all alright. "You are a mess." She looked at him. "What do you mean?" She asked after swallowing the pasta. "This." He kissed her lips, making her eyes widen and making her cheeks light red.

Taehyun broke the kiss before using his thumb to get the rest of the sauce off her lips. Then, lick it off his thumb. "The sauce tastes much better." Ria's cheeks were bright red, and she quickly hid her face. "You could've told me where the sauce was so I could wipe it off myself with a napkin." He laughed before taking her hands off her face. "You are cute, plus kissing you is way better than that." He pecked her lips. She nodded before finishing her food.

After they ate and cleaned up, they went to the living room. Sitting down on the couch, watching 'Wednesday'. "Sometimes I wonder what you were doing when I was working or in the dorm with the others." Rai turned to him. "What do you mean?" Taehyun looked at her. "I missed you." She smiled before giving a small kiss on the cheeks. "I miss you too." He kissed her on the lips. She smiled before focusing on the movie. "You are so stubborn, but that's what makes you, yourself. I will bring you with me when I go back to the dorm so I can take care of you because you can't take good care of yourself on your own." She quickly turned to him with a mad face. "Hey, I can take care of myself. I am not a child anymore."

Taehyun nodded. "I know you can. You just need another person to help you since you sometimes are too busy that you forget the basic things to take care of yourself." Ria frowned but nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry." He shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." "Oh… it's a habit." He kissed the top of her forehead. "I know, and I want you to know. I am not mad at you. Just worried about you." She looked at her hands. "I know…" They turned their focus back on the movie.

"Hey, Taehyun"－he looked at her, giving her his full attention－"thank you for everything. I don't deserve you.." He quickly paused the movie before turning on the side lamp and facing her. He took her hands and squeezed them not too tightly. "No, you deserve me and the whole world. You are precious to me. I will do anything for you." Tears unknowingly falling down her cheeks. "It just…you did so much for me, and I don't deserve them." Taehyun wiped her tears. "You deserve it, and I will do more to make sure you know you deserve everything." Ria quickly hugged him. "Thank you, Taehyun….thank you so much."

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