#i tried syncing up the second and third BUT...shrug

[kamiversee]

Sharing Is Caring ꨄ (part 3/3)

[ { Synopsis } ] ➤ You'll never accuse your boyfriend Choso of being too jealous of a lover after he reveals to you he has absolutely no problems with sharing you... (part one) (part two)

[ { Need to know } ] ➤This is a What-If scenario that stems from my fic; The F*ck List— A tale in which Gojo Satoru blackmails you into seducing a list of people to clear his debt.

[ { Content & Warning } ] ➤ f!reader, language, threesome, dirty talk, tw; possible men smooching, rough & semi-soft sex, choking, praise, degrading, etc.

[ { Parings } ] ➤ Choso x f!reader & Gojo x f!reader.

[ { Word Count } ] ➤ 6.8k (this entire thing is so long & I am no longer the same woman I was before I wrote this)

The two men don't think they've ever moved faster to do something in their lives. Gojo was scooping you up into his arms in the blink of an eye and Choso was rushing to clean the mess you'd made of his couch.

They were both oddly in sync, seeming to have had the same thought process of what they were about to do with you and how. Choso stayed where he was to clean up a bit and Gojo was carrying you off in the direction of Choso's bedroom.

He was carrying you bridal style and your eyes were all wide and up on his pretty face. You couldn't read his expression very well and you're not sure if that's because you were too fucked out to do so or if it was because you were just distracted by his features.

It's been so long since you'd been this close to Gojo, you nearly forgot how angelic his features are-- even when he's about to ruin you. Gojo catches onto your staring and glances down at you for a moment as he makes a turn, letting out a soft scoff in reaction to you.

"Why're you lookin' at me like that?" He hums before lifting his gaze and peering down the hallway ahead of him. He had no idea where he was going but he'd soon figure it out.

You tilt your head and smile a little, "Third door on your left, 'Toru." You instruct, to which blush spreads across his face as he clears his throat.

"Yeah, I knew that..." Gojo pouts a little and you can't help but find him cute while he continues his little walk, "But you didn't answer my question."

"I'm not looking at you any kinda' way, am I?" You ask with an innocent bat of your lashes.

Gojo makes it to Choso's bedroom and he's quick to walk in and kick the door almost shut behind him as he does so. You wonder why he tried to close the door for a second but you don't get much time to ponder on it as Gojo b-lines for the bed and lays you on it.

Then he's hovering over you, his eyes low on yours, and this look of pure desire washing over his face, "You're giving me that needy lil' look," He explains, "Like you want me to hurry up and fuck you."

You shrug, "Maybe I do."

"You don't wanna wait on your boyfriend?" Gojo asks. He's taunting you now. It's so very obvious with the way the corners of his lips curve into a smirk.

You swallow hard and don't answer for a moment. The two of you just gaze at one another for a long while, Gojo steadily inching down toward you and tilting his head opposite of yours.

His larger body was in between your legs so it's no surprise that you feel his cock brush against you as he gets closer. What is somewhat surprising is how wet his tip is as it brushes over your skin.

Then Gojo's lips are less than an inch away from yours, "Hm? Answer me."

You blink, "He's taking too long," You murmur in response with a slight pout. Lifting an arm and wrapping it around Gojo to pull him impossibly closer, you whisper right against his mouth, "Why wait when you could just fuck me right now? You know you want to."

Gojo's not sure he's ever had this much restraint in his life. Especially not when you sneak a hand down in between your bodies and grab a light hold of his leaky cock just to try and align him with yourself.

Your lips and his were right against each other but you two weren't kissing, simply breathing each other in, staring so longingly for one another. Hell, you might've been too into this because you genuinely forgot about Choso for a moment.

Then Gojo's pushing his hips down into you ever so slightly and his hard and flushed cock is just pushing against your cunt, begging and aching to enter you.

"You're so lucky you aren't mine," Gojo whispers, shifting to kiss only your lower lip before he repositions slightly and moves your hand away from his dick only to grab ahold of himself and tease you by dragging his tip in between your folds, "I'd lock the door and force Choso to listen to me fuck you senseless."

You grin, "What's stopping you? That's probably what he wants anyway..."

Gojo smiles, "What happened to you being nervous about cheating on him?"

"It's not cheating if he wants me to do it, right?" You hum.

A sight leaves Gojo's lips and he starts pushing only an inch of his cock inside you, feeling the way your legs move to wrap around his waist and how your pussy tries to suck him in deeper.

He's then shaking his head, "Thought' you wanted us both?"

"He can join later," You breathe out, your voice airier than before, "J-Just put it in Satoru."

Gojo draws his hips back and you let off a whine. Then he moves to tap his cock against your cunt, listening to how wet and lewd the little smack is, "Want' me that bad, huh?"

You nod, "Mhm..."

"Beg for me," Gojo utters, "If you want me to fuck you so badly and you just can't wait for your boyfriend," He's leaning into your lips again and speaks against you in such a messy way, "Beg for me."

"P-Please?" You whimper, feeling his cock nudge into you again but only an inch, "Fuck, Satoru please?"

"Please what?" He sneers and this time he's pushing another inch in, making you moan slightly.

"Just fuck me," Your words come out in a desperate little whimper and it drives the man crazy.

Gojo lifts his face up and slightly away from yours and pouts, "Just fuck me," He mocks, to which heat rushes to your face and you turn your head to the side, "So fuckin' needy," He groans as he finally starts pushing his cock inside you.

Truth be told, he couldn't wait either. Not when he had you to himself for a second, not when you were looking at him so longingly, and not when your cunt just squeezes around his shaft as he enters you.

It was like you wanted to push him away and yet suck him all the way in at the same time. You were so perfect. Gojo couldn't help but stare at the way your eyes flicker as he gets about halfway in-- you were too damn cute.

All that whining moments ago just for you to start struggling already. And to think you're supposed to be able to handle both him and Choso?

Gojo starts snickering, "Fuck, you're adorable," He says as he flashes a smile at you.

You glance out of the corner of your eye and furrow your brows as he continues pushing in-, fuck how much more does he have to go?

The man tilts his head at you and inclines down again, "Face me, sweetheart," He says, "I wanna watch the way your face twists up when I'm all the way in."

You swallow and slowly turn your head to him, your lips grazing his as you do so.

Then Gojo bites his lower lips, "Good girl," He praises, earning a whine from you. And that's all it takes for him to shallowly thrust the remaining inches of his cock into you.

Oh how he loves watching your entire facial expression change. Eyes rolling, jaw-dropping a bit, lips parted, and a sexy moan leaving your throat. Gojo pretty much forgets what the hell he's supposed to be doing at that point.

Because then he's pulling back out and thrusting deeper in, his hips crashing into yours and another moan, this time of his name, pouring out your mouth. Yeah, how did he get here again? What-, no who was he supposed to be waiting on?

Ah, he couldn't remember. Not now at least, not when your arms and legs are moving to wrap around him comfortably. And goddamn the way your pussy squelches around his dick, so loud and messy for him and he's barely even worked up a pace yet.

He'd fix that relatively quickly though, allowing you a few thrusts to get used to him before he can't take it anymore.

Gojo's eyes bore down into yours and he drinks in your face while he starts drilling himself into your tight hole. Then he's talking, "Fuuck, y'like that? Like' bein' an impatient lil' slut and gettin' dicked down without your boyfriend, huh?"

God, you hated his mouth. Or at least, you think you do. "M-Mmgh, Satoru-"

"What's he gonna think when he walks in, hm?" Gojo taunts, shifting to angle his hips differently and fuck into that one mushy spot inside you. Then he scoffs, "Actually, moan a lil' louder so he can hear ya'."

You bite your lower lip on purpose to keep your sounds in and then shake your head no.

Gojo scoffs, "No? Fuck you mean no?" He grunts, his voice getting so low as your brattiness ticks him off. Then he moves a hand to your face, grabbing a rough hold of your chin and moving his thumb to pry your lips apart, "Let your boyfriend hear how impatient you are," He huffs out.

"Fuuck-, S'toru p-please," You whimper, a slight bit of drool leaving the corner of your mouth.

He smirks, "Goddamn brat," The tip of Gojo's cock is just hitting deeper and deeper and deeper, "Tellin' me no," He huffs, "The hell has gotten into you, huh?"

You whine again, "M'sorryy... mmmh, hahh-, ahh..."

He tips his head to the opposite side, "M'sorrryyyy, she says. Please fuck me, Toru, she begged. Aaand yet here you are; fuckin' whining," Gojo mocks you as he just buries his dick as far in as he can go.

It felt like he was tearing you apart. His hips were so mean and brutal against yours, never giving you a chance to properly breathe before he's drilling into that spot that makes you see stars. You couldn't even think straight anymore unless he was talking to you and even then his words only made your situation worse.

Hell, you were cumming around his cock before you even realized it.

"Ohh, look at thaaat," Gojo huffs out, "Now she's creamin' on me-, fuuck..."

A shaky hand moves and tries to go to his mouth because fuck you just needed a second to breathe, to process what was happening, and to shut him up. But of course, Gojo just grabs your wrist and then pins it up over your head.

"Tryna shut me up?" Gojo snickers, "Why, pretty girl? Am I not makin' you feel good?" He whispers.

The heavy smack of his balls to your ass echo throughout the room, the loud and sloppy sounds of his harsh thrusts heard everywhere. In and out and in and out, Gojo wasn't slowing down for even one moment. He was damn there pussydrunk already.

By this point his mouth had a mind of its own and his hips wouldn't stop ramming into you. His soaked tip hit yet another spot that had your breath leaving your throat over and over and over again.

"F-Fuck-, oh fuck-," You gasp, eyes widening as your back arches up into him a bit, your chest flush with his as he then rolls his hips down into you to really dig into that very spot, "Oh my g-god- fuuuck, 'Toru p-please."

Gojo moves his free hand and trails down along your body until he feels the prominent outline of his cock inside you. Then he smirks just as he presses down on it, "Yeah? Feel' me right there, huh?" He whispers sensually.

His voice drove you insane and it's just perfect that he simply never stops talking.

And of course he moves over to whisper in your ear as he pounds into that spot of yours, feeling your walls clamp and clamp around his cock, "Forgot allll about your lil' boyfriend, didn't ya?" He taunts, making you let out such a whiney moan in response, "He's gonna walk in any second now 'nd catch you makin' a mess all over my cock."

You unintentionally squeeze around him and Gojo moans before his hand dips lower down and his thumb makes a messy connection with your clit, the initial contact making your entire body jolt and your legs clamp up, "F-Fuu-uck-, p-please-, please... hahhh," You're not sure what you were begging for but it's all you could say as his thumb circles your no-so-forgotten clit so tortuously slow.

Gojo kisses the crown of your ear softly and his thumb continues to draw tiny little shapes around your clit despite the rough thrusts into your pussy. Your cunt was spasming around his cock, twitching and throbbing all around him and making him groan at the way you squirm.

"C'monnn, y'know what I want," Gojo utters, his words caressing your ear so softly, "Cum f'me, sweets. Squirt on my fuckin' cock," He pleads, voice deep yet desperate with you, "Lemme prove your boyfriend wrong."

"Hahhh, S-Sa-, mmmgh-, Satoru," You whine out, voice slurred as you feel that sensation building up in your core again.

Gojo's eager for it so his pace grows a bit animalistic, sloppy even. So badly did he want to experience you squirting because of him, not your boyfriend. Choso's little comment from earlier still has Gojo upset so, he's taking it out on your poor overstimulated cunt.

All whilst he's whispering into your ear, "Fuuck, c'monn. Give it to me," He groans, "Fuckin' give it to me, sweetheart," Gojo's blurting out whatever comes to mind as all rational thoughts fade from his mind, "Y'know I'm fucking you better than he does anyway."

And with that, it happens.

Well, not you squirting again but your boyfriend walking in. Neither you nor Gojo realized until Choso huffed out a scoff, "Not like that, no you aren't." He comments in response to Gojo.

Maybe it was the shock from hearing Choso's voice, or perhaps it was the way Gojo thrust in balls deep as he too was shocked but either way, you do experience another leg-shaking orgasm.

As you do so, you're letting out a moan and you feel like you're about to pass out. You came a lot but, you didn't squirt— which ultimately leaves Gojo disappointed.

His lengthy cock is still buried into the hilt of your pussy but he stops moving at the sound of Choso’s voice. His breath is felt against your ear before Gojo grits his teeth a little— he knows he was close to getting what he wanted.

Then Gojo sighs and leans up, not daring to pull out of you yet as he sits back on his heels and pulls your hips along with him. It’s like he didn’t want to separate from you at all.

Turning his head back, he spots Choso standing at the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his eyes low and on the lewd scene before him. The two men lock eyes before Choso shakes his head.

Gojo frowns as he finally processes what the hell he’d said to him, “What do you mean not like that, no I’m not?” Gojo huffs, “Had you not come in here, she would’ve wet me up like I wanted.”

Choso scoffs, “Yeah? Think so?” He taunts.

“I know so,” Gojo argues, eyes narrowing at the dark-haired man, “I felt it.”

“Uhuh,” Choso chastises, smirking a bit as he crosses his arms over his chest, “And what ruined that, me?”

“Yeah.” Gojo huffs.

“Aw,” Choso frowns, mocking Gojo’s expression as he pushes off the doorframe and slowly walks toward you two, “You’ mad cause you can’t make my girlfriend squirt?”

“I can,” Gojo emphasizes, “You just ruined the moment.”

“No one told you to stop,” Your boyfriend argues.

Gojo’s fingers are gently tracing indescribable shapes on your hips as your cunt keeps his cock nice and warm, “No one told you to come in here.” He fires back to your partner.

Choso raises a brow, “No one told you needy lil’ sluts to start fuckin’ without me.”

Gojo’s cock twitches inside you, “I’m not the needy one. Your girl here was the one beggin’ for my-“

“You told me to,” You mumble.

The man doesn’t even look down at you. Instead, all Gojo does is move a hand and squat his thumb over your clit again, making you jolt as you take that as his way of telling you to be quiet.

“Pretty girl couldn’t keep her hands off me, what was I supposed to do?” Gojo says as your back arches a little and your hips roll upward for more friction.

Choso couldn’t exactly see you too well yet but it was pretty obvious what Gojo was doing and he could hear the gentle whines you released. “Wait,” Choso says, “You were supposed to wait.”

A groan leaves Gojo’s lips and he rolls his eyes before turning his head away from your boyfriend and down to you, his eyes softening as soon as they land on the way you’re looking up at him. You had a hand trying to reach down and push his finger away from your clit but you were struggling— adorable, Gojo thought to himself.

“How could I possibly keep this,” His hips roll into yours and you moan, “Waiting?” Gojo questions.

“Toru,” You hum with a pout on your face.

He smiles and tilts his head at you, “Hm? That’ feel good?” He coos, his thumb shifting a little and pushing against your clit before he swats at it again. You nod in response and he continues his motions.

Choso rolls his eyes at you two. Despite the attitude he was putting on, he can’t deny how painfully hard he’s been. Even as he was cleaning the mess in the living room moments ago, he could hear you and Gojo going at it so he knew what was happening.

And when he had walked in and saw the way your cunt stretched around Gojo’s veiny cock, he couldn’t help but stare. Choso had to swallow hard at the sight because it made his dick throb wildly.

He was actually just watching for a bit before he even said something, his hand groping his erection at the sight before he couldn’t take it anymore.

All of which leads to now as he approaches the bed and you and him finally catch sight of one another.

Choso tips his head to the side as your eyes lay on his, “Look at youuu,” He murmurs, “Havin’ fun gettin’ fucked by someone else, huh?”

You frown, “N-No,” Gojo suddenly spits down on your clit and your body twitches as you talk to your boyfriend, “W-Want you too, Cho….”

He smiles, “Do you? Y’look like you’re havin’ a great time without me.”

It’s so sexy how you reach a hand out in his direction and whine for him, “P-Please, Choso?”

“You’re so cute when you beg for me, baby. How could I ever say no to ya’?” Choso comments with a smile on his face while he moves to get on the bed.

You and him forget Gojo’s there for a moment as Choso makes his way closer to you and then leans down to your face, his eyes gazing so intently into yours.

You try lifting your face to his to close the distance and kiss him but he leans up a little, “You want a kiss?” Choso teases.

You nod, “Uhuh.”

His hand carefully moves to grab a gentle and loving hold of your face, completely forgetting that he earlier said he was gonna put you in your place— Choso can’t even think of that right now when you look so fucked out and gaze up into his eyes so lovingly.

He sighs and leans down to you again, “Promise me somethin’ first.”

You bat your lashes at him and your eyes widen a little, “…Okay.”

All while Gojo’s sulking as he watches you two converse so intimately and just leave him out. As if to insert himself, despite his cock literally resting deep inside you, he spits on his thumb and rubs against your clit gently just to make your conversation a bit more difficult for you.

A breathy sound leaves your lips and Choso smirks, whispering to you so that Gojo can’t hear, “Stroke his ego a lil’ bit f’me, okay?” Choso instructs before placing a soft peck onto your lips.

You hum and then furrow your brows a bit as he pulls away.

“Make him feel good, baby” Choso hints and you think you get the idea of what he wants you to do.

Then he presses his lips into yours and carefully makes out with you. Ah Choso couldn’t help but forget why he was ever even upset with you. Why’d he call Gojo over again? What was all this for?

He was mad at you about something, right?

Oh who cares, all he wants now is to watch you lose your mind more than you already have as you get pleased by two men. And, he can’t deny he is a bit excited to taunt you with the help of Gojo— he makes things entertaining.

So he gets a little lost in kissing you, having not felt your lips on his in what felt like an eternity. Choso’s not even thinking straight as he groans against your lips and shoves his tongue into your mouth where it oh so rightfully belongs.

And he’s thriving in doing so up until you move a hand down and start reaching for him, your fingers grazing his waistline and making him moan into your mouth.

Your lips curve into a smile and you hum as he shifts so that you can reach him properly, your fingers sliding to grab ahold of his cock through his clothing and making him moan filthily against you.

His hips instantly push into your hand as your fingers cup his length. Choso pries himself off your lips for a split second, “Fuck, I missed kissin’ you s’much,” He grunts into your mouth.

You grin, “M’sorry, I m-missed you too baby,” You murmur against him.

Choso lets out the sweetest little whine as that nickname hits his ears and he had half a mind to just kick Gojo out of the situation entirely and make love to you.

Pulling away from your lips with a slight smile on his face, Choso huffs, “You have no idea what you do t’me, do you?”

You give him a cheeky little smile, “I do.”

Gojo suddenly clears his throat, “…Am I interrupting something?” He teases.

You and Choso look at him in sync and scoff at him.

You then roll your eyes, “Yes.”

“No,” Choso corrects, glancing at you once more to tell you to behave yourself through his gaze before looking to Gojo again, “You’re not.” Then Choso cocks his head to the side, “What, did you want a kiss too?”

Gojo’s got this little pout on his face after being left ignored for so long even though his cock had been sitting inside you all this time. He’d felt you clench and twitch around him numerous times ever since Choso walked in.

So, playfully, he shrugs, “Maybe.”

Choso rolls his eyes for a moment before he sits up, “Y’know, I was gonna say no buut, I have an idea.”

A very faint shade of red flushes over Gojo’s face as he blinks. Choso was considering his answer? He’s gonna kiss him? Why? What-

“If you can make my girl squirt,” Choso starts, cutting Gojo’s thoughts off, “I’ll give you a kiss…….. if that’s actually what you want, of course-“

“Okay,” Gojo breathes out and the two make eye contact.

Gojo looked all too excited and Choso couldn’t tell if it was to kiss him or make you squirt but either way— it was kinda cute.

Your boyfriend smiles briefly before looking down at you and nodding his chin toward you, “Remember what I said,” He hums.

You nod before looking at Gojo and then moving to sit up a little, holding yourself up on your elbows. Gojo meets your gaze and for a moment, he’s not even sure where to begin.

Choso chuckles at the two of you before he says your name and you look at him, “C’mere,” He directs, watching the way your eyes light up as he stands on his knees.

You’re quick to wiggle yourself away from Gojo, who lets off a whine as his cock slips out of you. The sound catches your boyfriend’s ears and he shakes his head.

“Relax,” Choso says to Gojo, “You’ll get to feel her again in a second.”

Gojo frowns and simply sits on his heels as he then watches you move to crawl over to your boyfriend, your legs wobbly and thighs wet from all activities done thus far. Then Gojo’s staring at your cunt and he starts to get the idea of what’s about to happen.

You hastily get to your boyfriend and just as he opens his mouth to say something, your hands are at his hips and your lips are making sudden contact with his lower abdomen. Choso swallows thickly as he stares down at you, moving his palm over your head of hair and smiling at you.

“Hahh,” Choso breathes out, “Eager, are we?” He taunts.

Your gaze flicks up to him for a moment as you kiss lower and your fingers slip beneath his pants. Then you’re tugging them down and moving to pull his cock out, your eyes going a bit wide as you see how painfully hard he was.

Choso’s cock was throbbing and twitching like crazy, so much so that it made your mouth water. You start to move your lips toward him but he pushes your head away a little.

Frowning, you glance up at him again and your boyfriend smiles down at you. Taking his cock into his free hand, he moves to tap his tip against your lower lip as he speaks, “Take care of our guest first, princess.” Choso hums.

You whine before angling your head back to make eye contact with a very pouty and slightly forgotten Gojo. With a sigh, you part your legs and reach a hand back to spread yourself invitingly.

Gojo bats his eyelashes at you, “Is that supposed to be an invitation, sweets?” He teases as a smile starts to spread on his face, cock dripping at the sight of you.

You nod your head, “Mhm…”

“You want me inside you again?” Gojo asks while he begins to move toward you, already knowing the answer to his question.

“Obviously,” You huff out, your gaze rushing him.

He takes his time anyway until he’s finally behind you, quickly aligning his tip with your messy folds and rubbing himself against you, “Thought I fixed that attitude of yours already?” Gojo says with a scoff.

Purposefully, you roll your eyes and start to face forward again, glancing up at Choso afterward.

“Baby,” Choso coos, his brows furrowing a bit, “Go ahead ‘nd arch your back, show him what you do f’me,” He utters softly.

You frown but do so anyway, the curve in your back making Gojo swallow hard as he takes in your form. “Damn,” He breathes, shifting a hand to palm your ass, “This is perfect.”

Choso can’t help but smile proudly because of you, “I know right? We gotta reward her for that, don’t we?”

Gojo nods his head but his eyes are stuck on how you’re trying to wiggle your hips back onto him, “Yeahhh, she’s so needy f’us too.”

Meanwhile, you’re also moving your mouth forward and pressing your lips into Choso’s aching tip— watching how his entire body tenses up and he flinches before looking down at you.

“S-So fuckin’ needy,” He unintentionally stammers. Then he moves one of his hands to your chin and opens your mouth for himself, “Nice ‘nd wide f’me, baby.” Choso instructs.

Naturally, you listen, dropping your jaw and even sticking your tongue out for your boyfriend as he carefully pushes his hips forward.

All while Gojo’s still teasing your cunt by rubbing his tip all in between your folds and even purposefully pushing his cock past your pussy wetting his shaft up with your slick.

Gojo’s hands then slide up along your body until he grabs onto your waist, still admiring that arch of yours before he finally rolls his hips forward and pushes his cock back into you. A moan leaves your throat immediately but the sound is muffled by Choso stuffing your mouth full of his cock.

Your boyfriend lets out a deep and guttural groan at both the feeling of your wet mouth around him and the way you moan against him. Then there’s Gojo who moans as he finds himself buried into the hilt of your tight cunt again.

Gojo swears you got tighter than before because he barely even realizes he has to move for a minute as he just sits there submerged in your pussy— feeling your walls clamp and clamp and clamp around him just because you’ve got two cocks inside you.

“Fuuuck,” Gojo whines a little, his head tipping back as you squeeze around him so perfectly.

While Gojo’s busy… adjusting to your pussy sucking the soul out of him, Choso’s in front of you easing his cock in and out of your mouth.

As he does so, you’re flicking your tongue against that one sensitive vein he has trailing along his shaft and the sensation makes your boyfriend moan above you. The sound stirs Gojo out of his trance and he blinks back into reality.

Glancing up, he pulls his hips back before rolling them forward so very slowly just to match the pace at which your boyfriend was going. And of course, you moan at how in sync they are, feeling Gojo’s tip kiss your cervix as Choso’s cock dips deeper into your throat.

All your moans were muffled against Choso and he groans just about every time he feels your warm mouth vibrating against him. Then there was every time he pulled himself back, your tongue would twirl around his tip so sloppily that he couldn’t even take his eyes off you.

Then suddenly Gojo’s pelvis snaps into you, the harsh thrust making you whimper while Choso’s dick slips right back into your mouth. Your boyfriend’s hand then finds its place on your head to hold you steady as he ups his own pace, biting his lower lip at how good your mouth feels.

“Shiit,” Choso whines and you feel him twitch against your tongue, “Makin’ me feel so fuckin’ good, princess.” You hum against him and he flashes a lazy smile down at you, his eyes low and breath heavy, “Enjoyin’ this, huh?”

Sloppily, you nod and then there’s a sudden jerk forward of your body as Gojo grabs onto your hips and snaps his own into you yet again. Your eyes flicker and you moan yet again.

Then Gojo lands a hand on your ass, smacking you harshly as he grows a bit rough, “Course’ she likes this shit,” He suddenly groans out, “Pussy won’t stop squeezin’ me,” He hums with a heavy pant.

Choso feels you suck on his cock a bit more eagerly and he starts thrusting in and out a bit faster as if to match how needy your mouth was moving against him, “Yeah?” He huffs out to Gojo, “Well,” Choso tilts his head and lifts his gaze to Gojo, “Looks like you’re strugglin’ over there.”

Gojo’s brows push together and he pants, “Shut up,” He grunts as he shifts to fuck into your sweet spot, feeling how heavenly your cunt throbs around him and listening to the wet squelch that emits from your hole every time he pushes in.

Your boyfriend feels you gag a little and he eases his hips back but doesn’t look down at you just yet— keeping his eyes on Gojo who’s definitely losing his mind right now.

His hair was wet with sweat, messy white locks sticking to his forehead and sweat dripping down along his body. Choso thinks he’s jealous of this guy’s physique as he stares at him, watching how aggressively he beats his hips into you— his slutty lil’ girlfriend.

Gojo’s eyes suddenly flicker and Choso’s feels you moan. The white-haired man then whines, “S-Shit, m’gonna-, fuuck… m’gonna cum-,”

Choso’s fingers suddenly curl into your hair and he grips onto you a bit tighter as he ruts his hips into you, your nose meeting his pelvis with his every thrust as he mindlessly fucks your throat.

“Yeahhh, I can tell….” Choso blurts out, his face instantly going red as Gojo locks eyes with him and raises a brow.

Gojo, never being one to back down from some harmless teasing, rolls his hips into you and huffs, “Oh can you now?” He sighs, cracking a half-smile at the man.

The red in Choso’s face deepens before he shifts his gaze down to you, “Fuck off ‘nd focus on makin’ my girlfriend squirt.”

Gojo grunts a little as you squeeze around him, “Kinda hard t’do that when you’re starin’ at me, y’know.”

“You liked it,” Choso argues back thoughtlessly.

Now it’s Gojo’s face that was brightening up, his eyes widening as he opens his mouth to argue back. Unfortunately for him, you suddenly pull your mouth off of your boyfriend and shift to lift yourself up and grab ahold of Choso’s jaw.

Your boyfriend bats his eyelashes at you as you toss one arm around him and hold his face close to yours whilst Gojo continues thrusting into you.

“S-Stop flirting with him, it’s annoying,” You huff out, your voice slurred as you moan in between your words.

Choso blinks, “I wasn’t-, wait… baby, were you gettin’ jealous?” He coos.

Gojo shifts behind you, leaning his body forward and wrapping one arm around your waist before trailing his hand down. His fingers roll over your clit and your body twitches as his lips suddenly press into the side of your neck.

You were being sandwiched by the two at this point but you weren’t complaining at all.

“Scared m’gonna steal your boyfriend from ya’?” Gojo taunts in a low whisper.

Your brows furrow and you remove your hand from Choso’s jaw, dropping it to wrap your fingers around his cock possessively, “No… he knows who he…. mmgh-, b-belongs to,” You huff out as you stare into your boyfriend’s eyes.

Choso chokes at the sound of that and to make it even worse for him, Gojo peers over your shoulder, and all three of you are all too close to one another.

His hips push into your touch and he whimpers, “Y-Yeahh, yeah I do,” Choso sighs out, nodding his head in agreement to your words.

And then your lips are on his and the two of you are a moaning mess against one another, Gojo moving to sink his teeth into your shoulder just to never once feel left out. He bites down hard enough to leave a mark and then Choso moves a hand in between you and him just to reach up and grab ahold of your neck.

Their touch was everywhere at this point, large hands all over your body that it was making you dizzy. Choso’s fingers tighten around your throat, Gojo swats at your clit again as his cock bullies your insides, and then there’s his other hand at your waist, holding onto you for dear life whilst his tongue swivels over the area he’d bit.

Your hand was busy jerking Choso off and the bedroom was filled with such sloppy and filthy sounds of sex. You and Choso were whining into each other and Gojo was grunting near your ear.

Then, similar to earlier, he’s talking into your ear, “Takin’ me so well, sweetheart,” Gojo groans, “Fuuck, m’gonna cum inside ya’ if you keep squeezin’ like that.”

Choso suddenly pulls off your lips and you whine. Then your boyfriend glances at Gojo, whose face is closer than he expected, “Y-You’re gonna do what?” Choso questions.

All three of you were more than fucked out by this point but Choso’s ears twitched at the sound of Gojo saying he was gonna release inside you.

Gojo smirks, “What? I can’t cum inside your girlfriend? C’monnnn, don’t be mean,” He teases with a little pout on his face.

Your head drops into the crook of Choso’s neck, his hand falling off you as you do so, and his face gets even closer to Gojo’s because of it— the two nearly sharing breaths by this point.

“M’not bein-,” Your hand tightens around Choso’s shaft and his eyes nearly roll back, “S-Shit-, m’not bein’ mean, y-you can’t-“

“Please?” Gojo whispers, his eyes lowering and his face shifting into something needy, “Lemme cum inside her, p-please? She feels so fuckin’ good… I gotta-, agh-, f-fill her up,” Gojo moans out.

Both men are struggling with their words due to you. Then, your hand begins to slide along Choso’s cock a bit faster than expected and you take a peek down just to realize he was cumming.

“Oh fuck-,” You whine at the sight, “Choso,” You moan.

Gojo lets out a loud groan and he starts drilling into you a bit sloppier than before, his sanity waning as his orgasm approaches, “Please,” He begs, “P-Please? Fuuck, I can beg all day, man. Please-“

And suddenly, Choso’s leaning in and grunting into his mouth, “Okay,” He hums as he suddenly acts on impulse and kisses Gojo.

Your body was being completely squished between the two and with each of Gojo’s mind-numbing thrusts, your body just presses into Choso’s. The tip of Gojo’s cock is digging and digging and digging deeper inside you, making your eyes water with how hard he was fucking you all because of Choso suddenly kissing him.

And the two had the nerve to be loud with it too, lips sliding over each other so messily as they kissed each other without second thought.

You believe you were too out of it to even process the fact that your boyfriend was making out with Gojo because then you’re experiencing that mind-boggling sensation again, gummy walls suffocating Gojo’s cock as your body jerks and twitches in between the two.

Then, all at once, you’re seeing blissful sparks of white in your vision, making a filthy mess in between the two as Gojo’s cock slips out of you and you squirt yet again. Choso’s hands move to hold your body tenderly as you start to fall over a bit and then his mouth pops off of Gojo’s.

“Fuck,” The two breathe out in unison.

Gojo’s eyes are down on the lewd mess you just made and he notices his cum leaking out your cunt— wondering to himself when it even happened? One minute he was begging Choso to cum inside you and the next…

The next he was kissing him…

Meanwhile Choso’s dazed as he shifts to get a good look at your face.

You think you were a bit lightheaded, lashes fluttering so softly as you pant heavily trying to catch your breath. Your eyes just barely meet Choso’s and he smiles at you.

“You okay?” Choso murmurs. You frown and shake your head. “Tired already?” Your boyfriend continues, then you nod and he moves to kiss your forehead, “S’okay, baby. You did s’good for us.”

Gojo’s behind you moving to wipe the sweat off his forehead, “Too damn good…” He comments.

Your eyes narrow at your boyfriend and your voice is hoarse again, “…You kissed… him.”

Choso’s face flushes and he swallows, “I was in the heat of the moment, I’m s-“

“And it w-was so fucking…” Your body leans into him a bit more as you shut your eyes, “…Hot.”

Both Gojo and Choso are at a loss for words and neither of them really wants to discuss what they just did, both telling themselves that they weren’t thinking straight (literally) despite both of them having thoughts of doing so a few times throughout the night.

Choso starts shifting to wrap his arms around you and move you away from the… filth below, just to lay you down as you start yawning.

Then, he hovers over your face and watches how you sleepily blink at him, “No more sex-ban, right?” Choso whispers.

You pout but close your eyes, “…Mhm.”

He leans down and kisses you, “Promise?”

“S’long as you invite Satoru over again, yeah,” You hum.

Choso freezes and glances back to Gojo for only a second, before smirking and looking back down at you, “Yeah sure, whatever you want princess.”

he’s definitely inviting Gojo over for himself, not you.

tags;

@blognicole @suguruologist @luqueam @ivoryviness @sinaxalui @rxnnie18 @carlacujo @gods-landing @bitchysouljellyfish @miles4hour @sinaxalui @annananamin @heart-snow @kiyomizzx @hanuh @acehyacinth @mccookiemonster @tojis-ball-sack @cartwheel6869 @mariluvsusstuff @addie1010 @slammynics @actualz0mbie @hisbitchhh @kay-xle @cunttee3 @voids-universe @raininglovelyfire @itsbokutosjuicyass @peaceoutbritta @barbielani @gennaray @r3inae @kfmcykdy @camiihutt @tokina @curtin81937 @hopefullydecent @nameless-shade @ureuphoriasworld @forgetfulmachine @legbouk @lilliaannn @clementineee0-0 @divinelseraph @didibxx

[ankababy]

A Home (part 21)

Part 1 Part 20 Part 22

Chishiya x reader x Niragi

What’s that I see there, Y/N? A little crush, perhaps?

You and your fucking SIDE QUESTS😭

You loved spending time with Chishiya and Kuina.

You really did.

But right now… you felt a little off. A little out of place.

They were talking about something, voices lowered just slightly. You stood there, hands loosely clasped in front of you, head tilting slightly as you tried to listen but—

It was like you were just watching.

Like you were there, but you weren’t.

Silent.

Uncharacteristically so.

Not because you didn’t want to talk—because of course you did. You always did.

But because it kind of felt like… maybe they didn’t need you to.

And wasn’t that a strange, sinking feeling?

You were used to being in the middle of everything. People liked you. Talked to you. Paid attention to you.

But right now, Kuina and Chishiya were so… in sync.

It was an ugly, unfamiliar feeling, settling heavy in your stomach. Because you weren’t jealous, no. That wasn’t it. You adored Kuina. And Chishiya was—Chishiya was Chishiya. But for the first time since coming here, for the first time since finding your footing in this place, you felt like maybe—just maybe—you didn’t quite fit the way you thought you did.

And you didn’t like that.

Didn’t like the creeping insecurity, the quiet little whisper at the back of your mind that maybe they didn’t need you here at all.

And you hated that you even felt that way. Because that wasn’t you.

You weren’t insecure. You weren’t the kind of person to doubt yourself, to second-guess the way people saw you, to wonder if you were just there instead of wanted.

But right now? Right now, you kind of felt… like a third wheel.

And wasn’t that something?

You shifted your weight from one foot to the other, eyes flickering between them, still caught up in that stupid, sinking feeling in your stomach. Chishiya hadn’t even looked at you in a while, not really, and Kuina—Kuina was so wrapped up in the conversation, in whatever they were talking about, that she hadn’t noticed the way your smile was slipping at the edges.

So you swallowed. Pushed it down. Lifted your chin just a little and smoothed your expression over, because whatever you were feeling didn’t matter, did it? It was fine. You were fine.

Even if you weren’t.

“I’ll go.” you said suddenly, cutting into their conversation.

Chishiya barely reacted, only glancing at you for half a second, then looking back at Kuina, like whatever she was saying was far more interesting.

Kuina, though—she blinked, tilting her head slightly. “Go where?”

You shrugged, casual, easy. Like it wasn’t a big deal. Like you weren’t feeling fucking weird inside. “I don’t know. Just—somewhere.”

That should’ve been a clue. The way you didn’t have a set place to go. The way you weren’t just leaving to go somewhere, but just… leaving. But Kuina didn’t pick up on it. Chishiya neither, it seemed likr.

Because they just let you go.

No why?, no where are you actually going?, no stay.

Just:

“Okay.” Kuina said, like it was nothing.

“Yeah, sure.” Chishiya murmured.

And that was it.

You just nodded, like that didn’t fucking sting, like you weren’t feeling so strangely out of place, like you weren’t wondering if they’d even notice you were gone, and then—

Then you turned. Walked off.

Didn’t look back.

And if your chest felt a little tight? If your stomach twisted a little as you left?

That was your problem, wasn’t it?

~

You’d done so much already.

Walked around, talked to people, laughed at stupid jokes, figured out the frog thing finally—turns out, the guy just liked frogs. Had a whole little collection of them. A real hobbyist, you guess. And sure, that wasn’t exactly groundbreaking information, but it was something. Something to do. Something to keep your mind busy.

Because you needed it. You needed the distractions, the conversations, the little moments with people who wanted you around.

You needed it because you were trying very, very hard not to think about—

Were you that much nothing to Chishiya?

The thought hit you suddenly, right in the center of your chest, an ache buried beneath all the noise and movement.

Because wasn’t that what it felt like?

You’d left, and they just—let you.

Just okay.

Just yeah, sure.

Like it didn’t matter. Like you didn’t matter.

You smiled at some guy who looked at you too long, let him start a conversation. Let him flirt, let yourself laugh at something not even funny, let yourself just exist there with him for a moment. And then, when that moment passed, you let yourself drift to the next thing.

Because you knew how to do this.

How to be bright, how to be friendly, how to make people want you around.

You knew how to make people choose you.

And still—still, Chishiya hadn’t.

And you hated that it mattered. Hated that you cared at all. Hated that, despite all the distractions, despite all the ways you could pull attention in any direction you wanted, your mind still circled back to him.

So you kept moving. Kept doing.

Let boys talk to you. Let them look at you. Let them laugh at things you said, let them try to impress you.

Because somebody should.

Somebody should want you there.

And if it wasn’t going to be him, then fine.

Fine.

You had other things to do. Other people to see. Like Niragi.

And wasn’t that a whole different fucking situation? You didn’t know what was happening with Niragi right now.

You missed him, you missed him so much.

And not just him—Chishiya, too.

You didn’t even realize how much you needed them. You knew you loved them, knew you were attached, but this much? It felt like something was pressing against your chest, something unbearable, a weight you couldn’t shake.

You had spent a lot trying to ignore it, trying to replace it with something else—talking to people, laughing, doing, moving—but it hadn’t worked.

It just made it worse.

Because none of them were them.

None of them felt like home.

And now, as you walked through the halls of the Beach, the walls of this place suddenly too bright, too clean, too empty—it all started to catch up to you.

You felt the first tear slip down your cheek before you even realized you were crying. You wiped at it quickly, sniffling, but more followed.

You had been fine earlier. You had been fine because you weren’t thinking about it, but now—now, you just wanted to sleep. You just wanted to close your eyes and wake up and have everything feel normal again.

You sniffled again, wiped at your face, tried to pull yourself together—but your breath hitched, and suddenly you were sobbing.

Little, quiet sobs, barely making a sound, but shaking through your whole body as you walked.

You covered your mouth with your hand, as if that would stop it, as if that would make it better, but it just made your shoulders tremble harder.

And then—

Oh.

You blinked up through your blurry vision, realizing someone was standing there. Right in front of you.

Last Boss.

You froze for a second, quickly wiping at your face, trying to make yourself presentable—because fuck, you looked a mess right now, you were crying in the middle of the fucking hallway, and of all people to run into—

But he didn’t say anything. Of course he didn’t. He just stared.

And, despite everything, despite the way your chest was aching, despite the tears still clinging to your lashes, you still managed to smile at him. Because you were you. And you weren’t going to be mean, just because you were hurting.

“Hey.” you sniffled, voice still wobbly, but soft, sweet. “What’s up?”

He just looked at you.

Then, suddenly, he was reaching into his pocket.

Your breath hitched for half a second, because, well—Last Boss reaching into his pocket was not exactly the most comforting sight, given the usual circumstances.

But then—

He pulled something out.

And when he held his hand out to you, you stared.

Because it was a frog.

A living frog.

Just sitting there, in his palm.

Hesitantly, you reached out, cupping your hands together, and let him place the frog into them.

It settled there, legs kicking a little before going still.

You stared at it.

Then back at him.

His mouth twitched.

Then turned and walked away, without a single fucking word.

You stood there, silent for a long moment, tears still drying on your cheeks, holding the fucking frog.

“…Oh.” you said finally, voice quiet, confused. “…Huh.”

You sniffled, rubbing at your nose with your sleeve. Then you looked down at the frog again. Then back up at where Last Boss had already disappeared down the hall.

“…Well, okay then.”

~

The hallway was quiet, save for the distant hum of voices from the main party. Kuina leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a toothpick rolling between her lips as she glanced at Chishiya. He stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, shoulders loose, posture relaxed—but she knew better.

She had known Chishiya for long enough to recognize when he was thinking too much. When his mind was running in circles, every possible outcome filtering through his head like some kind of algorithm.

And right now, she knew exactly what was on his mind.

Because it was on hers, too.

“…We should tell her.” she said finally.

Chishiya didn’t look at her. Didn’t react at all. He just kept his gaze fixed ahead, as if he wasn’t listening.

“I’m serious.” Kuina continued, pushing herself off the wall, standing properly now. “If we’re actually going through with this, she should know. She’s smart. She could help.”

Still, nothing. Chishiya’s expression didn’t shift, didn’t so much as flicker.

Kuina sighed. She took a step closer, tilting her head, watching him.

“…You just don’t want her involved, huh?” she guessed, voice softer now, more knowing.

That, finally, got a reaction. Not much of one—but a small twitch in his jaw, a shift of his fingers in his pockets.

And that was enough of an answer.

Kuina exhaled, shaking her head with a small, humorless laugh. “Wow. Didn’t take you for the type to get sentimental.”

Chishiya’s gaze finally slid over to her, unreadable, blank. “I don’t.”

“Then why are you hesitating?”

Silence.

Kuina studied him, waiting, but he didn’t say anything. And that was all she needed to know.

“You like her.” she said after a moment, quieter now.

Not teasing, not mocking. Just the truth.

Chishiya’s fingers curled slightly in his pockets, but his expression remained calm, detached, like always.

“I like her, too, you know.” Kuina continued, watching him. “She’s good. She’s… different.” She paused, then added, “And she’s already involved, whether you like it or not.” Kuina shrugged. “She’s Niragi’s little favorite. She’s walking around with you. She’s talking to everyone. If this place goes to shit, she’s going to be in the middle of it anyway.”

Chishiya’s lips pressed together slightly.

That was the thing, wasn’t it? Because it was true. You were already a part of this, whether he wanted you to be or not. You were—you. You talked to people, you knew people, you got involved without even trying.

You couldn’t help it.

And that was exactly why Chishiya didn’t want to tell you their plan to steal those fuckass cards. Because if you knew, you would care. You would try to help. You would put yourself in danger without even realizing it.

And he—

He—

Chishiya exhaled through his nose, looking away. “She’s naive.”

Kuina gave him a flat look. “She’s smart.”

“She’s reckless.”

“She’s adaptable.”

Chishiya didn’t answer that. Because he knew. He knew you were all of those things. And that was what made this so fucking complicated. Because he didn’t want to involve you, but he also knew that keeping you in the dark might be even worse.

Because if something happened, if everything went to hell—you wouldn’t see it coming.

And that thought bothered him more than he was willing to admit.

Kuina sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck. “Look, I get it. You don’t want her getting hurt. But she’s not stupid, Chishiya. And if we don’t tell her, she’s just going to get caught up in all of this anyway. Wouldn’t you rather she knew what was going on?”

Chishiya was quiet for a long moment.

“I’ll think about it.”

That was the best she was going to get.

Kuina just shook her head, smiling slightly. “Yeah. You do that.”

~

The Beach was a strange place, but somehow, you always managed to find yourself in even stranger situations.

Like now, for example.

You were currently crouched in the sand near the back of the resort, next to a guy you had only met, what—an hour ago? Maybe two?

Tatta.

And somehow, within that short span of time, you had found yourself helping him fix a motorcycle.

Because sure. Why not.

“Alright, pass me that wrench.” Tatta said, leaning over the bike, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

You blinked. Looked at the mess of tools scattered in the sand. Then picked up a screwdriver and placed it in his palm.

Tatta glanced at it, then up at you. “That’s a screwdriver.”

You squinted at it. “…Yeah.”

That got a chuckle out of him.

You sat back, crossing your legs in the sand, watching him work. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting everything in that golden-orange glow.

It was nice. It was peaceful. And yet—yet, there was this small, persistent feeling tugging at you.

Because you missed them.

You missed Chishiya. You missed Kuina.

You didn’t want to miss them—you had spent all day convincing yourself that you didn’t care, that if they wanted you around, they would find you—but it was still there. That ache in your chest, that annoying little voice in the back of your head telling you that you wanted to be with them.

And Niragi— Niragi needed time. You knew that. You weren’t stupid. He was volatile. Emotional. He was an asshole. But you missed him.

God, what a sad little thing you were. Sitting in the sand, passing the wrong tools to a guy you just met, pouting about the fact that your friends hadn’t come looking for you.

Pathetic.

“Hey.” Tatta’s voice pulled you from your thoughts.

You blinked, looking up at him. “Hm?”

He gave you a look. “You alright? You got all quiet all of a sudden.”

You hesitated for half a second—then shrugged. “Yeah. Just thinking.”

Tatta studied you for a moment, then went back to working on the bike. “You wanna talk about it?”

You tilted your head at him. “You even know me well enough to care?”

He just laughed. “I dunno, man. You’re kinda hard not to like.”

…Huh.

You didn’t know what to say to that. So you just let out a breathy little laugh, looking at the sky. “That’s a bad habit of mine.”

“Yeah, I can tell.“

There was something oddly easy about this. About talking to him, about sitting here, about doing something as simple as watching him work. And you liked it. Because it was simple. Because it wasn’t complicated the way everything else was. No power plays, no silent wars, no cruel smiles or lingering stares.

Just two people, sitting in the sand, talking shit.

It was nice, maybe you needed this. A break. Something normal.

You sighed and flopped onto your back in the sand, arms stretched above your head, legs sprawled out. The grains were still warm from the sun, sticking to your skin, clinging to your clothes, but you didn’t mind. It felt nice.

Tatta glanced at you from where he was crouched by the bike. “You good?”

“Mhm.” you hummed, closing your eyes. “I like the sand.”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You let out a slow breath. “It’s like… I don’t know. It holds you. Supports you. It’s soft, even though it’s rough. It gets everywhere, sure, but isn’t that kind of comforting, in a way? It lingers. Like it doesn’t want to let go of you.”

Tatta just stared at you for a second. Then shook his head with a smile. “You’re real poetic.”

You peeked an eye open at him, smiling. “Sometimes.”

He chuckled, shaking his head again before going back to working on the bike.

You stayed like that for a while.

It was different from how you usually felt at the Beach. Usually, you were moving. Always moving. Talking, playing, laughing, getting into things you probably shouldn’t, finding things, people, getting attached, getting lost in it all.

But right now, you were still. And you needed that.

You turned your head slightly, looking at Tatta. He was focused, brows drawn in concentration, hands working on something in the bike’s engine.

“You’re nice.” you said suddenly.

He blinked and looked over at you. “What?”

“You’re nice.” you repeated, smiling softly. “I like you.”

Tatta laughed. “You say that to everyone?”

You thought about it for a second, then shrugged. “Not everyone.”

“Guess I should feel special, huh?”

“Mhm.” You nodded. “Very special.”

There was something so easy about talking to him.

Maybe because he didn’t know you yet.

Maybe because you didn’t know him.

There were no expectations. No assumptions. No complicated, tangled mess of emotions and history and things left unsaid.

Just two people, in the sand, talking.

And you liked that.

~

Chishiya sat on the edge of his bed, hands loosely clasped between his knees, staring at the floor.

The room was quiet.

He never minded silence before. He preferred it, actually. It gave him space to think, to analyze, to plan his next move.

But right now? It was suffocating. Because he knew exactly why it felt different.

You weren’t here.

It was strange, how he noticed it so fast. It wasn’t as if you were always around him—though, lately, you’d been closer than ever, orbiting him with that light, that warmth that made him feel things he didn’t want to feel. Things he had long trained himself not to feel.

But now that you weren’t here, now that he wasn’t being pulled into your gravity, he felt—

Tch. Annoying.

He clicked his tongue against his teeth and tilted his head back, sighing.

He had already accepted it, hadn’t he? That he wanted you.

That was fine. That was manageable.

He wanted many things. He wanted to outsmart the Beach, steal the cards, and get out of this hellhole with as little damage as possible. He wanted power, control, to be the one pulling the strings rather than being strung along.

And now, he wanted you.

He wasn’t ashamed of it.

No, he had fully embraced it.

It wasn’t even surprising anymore. Not when everyone wanted you. You had that effect. That ability to draw people in, make them crave you, need you, in a way that was almost pathetic.

And Chishiya? He was no different.

He had been playing the long game with you. Watching, waiting, analyzing. Letting you come closer, letting you get comfortable, letting himself get comfortable in the way you naturally drifted into his space.

Because he was smart enough to know that you were going to belong to him, eventually.

The real question was: what was he supposed to do with that?

Because unlike those other men—Niragi, Akira, that pathetic group of Beach rats who groveled for your attention—Chishiya knew he wouldn’t be capable of giving you what you deserved.

He knew himself.

He wasn’t a good man. He wasn’t a man who felt in the way you did, who loved in the way you did. He wasn’t soft. He wasn’t kind. He wasn’t selfless.

He wasn’t capable of the type of relationship that you—bright, affectionate, angelic you—deserved.

It wasn’t even about morality. It was about capability.

Chishiya did not have it in him.

He wouldn’t hold you late at night, whisper sweet nothings into your ear. He wouldn’t put your feelings before his own, wouldn’t make grand gestures of love, wouldn’t sacrifice for you the way other men would.

And the worst part?

He knew you deserved it.

You were so… good. Too good for this place, too good for him, too good for the pathetic bastards who followed you around like lost puppies, hoping to get even a fraction of the affection you handed out so freely.

God, that was the worst part. The way you loved so freely.

You liked people. You liked Kuina. You liked Akira. You liked the men who sat around playing gambling games with you. You liked Last Boss, Last Boss, that bald, sword-wielding fuck.

And you liked him.

That was the one thing that made him feel like he was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring down into something bottomless and dark.

Because he didn’t deserve it.

And yet, he would take it.

He would take everything you gave him, all that warmth, all that love, and he wouldn’t even think twice about it.

Because he was selfish.

Because he wanted you anyway.

Because the idea of you belonging to someone else—to Niragi, to Akira, to some faceless man who didn’t even know you—made something sharp and ugly claw up the inside of his chest.

Because he could already see it.

You, draped over someone else, all soft and sweet, looking up at them the way you looked at him. Smiling, laughing, touching them. Holding their hand, leaning into them, letting them have you in all the ways Chishiya wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to.

Would you move on, eventually? Would you get tired of him, when you realized he would never love you the way you wanted?

And if you did—if you left—would you ever look back?

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly.

Did it matter?

Because he knew, deep down, that even if he had you, even if you fell into his hands, warm and perfect, the way he wanted—it wouldn’t last.

Not because you would leave, but because he wouldn’t be able to hold on.

That was the thing about people like him. They didn’t get happy endings. They didn’t get love. Not the real kind. Not the kind that you gave.

And it wasn’t that he didn’t want it.

It was that he wasn’t built for it.

Wasn’t wired that way.

You were all bright colors and open hands and love. And he—he was cold, detached, calculating. He was a fucking survivor. And survivors? They didn’t get to keep the things they wanted.

Chishiya wasn’t used to feeling like this.

It was—what was the word? Overwhelming? No, that wasn’t quite right. Overwhelming implied that he couldn’t handle it, and he could handle anything. He was smart, always in control, never the type to be thrown off by something as trivial as emotions.

And yet.

Yet.

It was something worse than overwhelming.

It was irritating.

It was annoying.

It was you.

Chishiya clenched his jaw, running a hand over his face. He barely even felt before. It had never been a problem. It was just how he was. His emotions had always been muted, dull, distant. As if they existed behind a thick pane of glass, something he could observe but never really touch.

He never needed to. Feelings were impractical. They clouded judgment. They made people weak.

That was what made him different from people like Kuina. Like you.

He wasn’t ruled by his emotions.

Or—at least, he hadn’t been.

But now? Now, it was as if something inside him had been cracked open, raw and unfamiliar, like some forgotten part of himself had been dragged into the light. And it was you who had done it.

And the worst part? The part that made him feel like he wanted to crawl out of his own fucking skin?

It wasn’t even just one emotion.

It was all of them.

He wanted you. That was the easiest one to identify, the one that sat in the center of his chest like a slow-burning fire. It wasn’t even just want, it was hunger, an ugly, clawing thing that made his skin feel too tight. He wanted you in ways he never let himself want anything.

But it wasn’t just that.

It was everything else.

He was frustrated. Because you were everywhere, in everything, woven so seamlessly into his life now that it felt unnatural when you weren’t there. Because you talked to everyone, liked everyone, let people in so easily when he had spent his entire life making sure no one could get close.

He was jealous.

Jealousy. What a fucking joke.

It was ridiculous, because he had no right to feel that way. You weren’t his. You weren’t anyone’s. And yet, he hated the way you looked at other men. The way you laughed so easily with them. The way you touched them.

The way you liked them.

It was childish, possessive, beneath him—but he felt it anyway.

And then there was something else. Something worse. Something that dug under his ribs, made his stomach twist in ways he didn’t know how to deal with.

Because he missed you.

And Chishiya didn’t miss people.

He didn’t fucking miss people.

He had spent years pushing people away, keeping his distance, making sure he never needed anyone. It was easy, effortless. He had mastered it.

So why was it so easy to need you?

He hated that you made him feel this way. That you had the power to do this to him, to turn him inside out, to make his world shift just by existing in it.

Because before you, things had been simple. The world was black and white, and he was perfectly content existing in the grey.

You had color.

And now, he could see it.

And he didn’t know if he could ever go back.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that you got to be like this, that you got to feel so openly, so freely. That you got to love without hesitation, without fear.

Because Chishiya knew what fear felt like.

And if he let himself love you—really love you—he knew what would happen.

He would lose you.

That was the only inevitable outcome.

So what was he supposed to do?

Because if he let himself have you, if he let himself love you, and then he lost you—he didn’t know if he would ever come back from that.

And yet, he already had you, didn’t he?

Not fully. Not in the way he wanted.

But you liked him. You cared about him, sought him out, touched him, gave him pieces of yourself in ways that made it so, so easy to take more.

And he wanted to.

He wanted to take more.

More of your time. More of your attention. More of you.

And maybe that was selfish. Maybe that was cruel. But Chishiya had never pretended to be anything else.

And if there was one thing he knew about himself, it was that he never lost.

So if he had already decided that he wanted you?

Then it was only a matter of time before you were his.

~

You had checked on Niragi earlier. Or, well, you tried.

The problem was, he wasn’t in his room. At least, not the room that people told you he was in. You had even knocked, just to be sure, standing there for a minute before giving up. Maybe he was out. Maybe he was avoiding you. Maybe he was just being Niragi.

It wasn’t as if you were upset about it. You were used to him disappearing when he wanted, used to him shutting himself away until he decided he was ready to crawl out of whatever pit of self-inflicted torment he had thrown himself into. You understood that about him.

Didn’t mean you didn’t miss him, though.

Still, you had other things to do.

That was how you ended up at the back terrace of the Beach. You had come outside for some air, stepping into the humid night, the distant thrum of the party still echoing from inside as you leaned against the railing.

You were about to head down the steps when the door behind you swung open again.

You turned, half-expecting to see Niragi—or maybe even Chishiya—but instead, it was Akira. He spotted you immediately, surprise flickering over his face before he smiled.

“You just keep showing up everywhere I go, huh?” he teased, stepping forward.

You grinned, leaning back against the railing. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you.”

Akira chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets as he came to stand beside you. He had a way about him that made people want to talk to him, trust him, let their guard down. Not that you minded.

“Escaping?” you asked, tilting your head toward the Beach behind you.

“Something like that.” he said, glancing over at you. His gaze was warm. “What about you?”

You shrugged. “Needed some air.”

His lips twitched. “Not hiding from any admirers?”

You laughed. “Please.”

“I mean it.” he said, turning fully toward you now, leaning an elbow on the railing. “You have a presence, you know. People like you.”

You raised a brow. “Including you?”

“Especially me.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m serious.” he said, voice softer now, more earnest. “You… shine here. In a place like this, where everything is dark, where everyone is just trying to survive—you shine.”

You blinked. You hadn’t expected that. “I don’t know about that.” you said lightly, glancing away.

“I do.” he said simply.

You felt his eyes on you, unwavering. Akira wasn’t subtle. He never had been. He looked at you the way people looked at something they wanted. But not in the way Niragi did, not in the way Chishiya did.

It was softer. Sweeter.

It wasn’t just about wanting you.

It was about adoring you.

You exhaled, drumming your fingers against the railing. “Lover boy.”

Akira grinned. “Only for you.”

~

Niragi sat on the windowsill of your room, his long legs spread wide, one arm draped over his knee, the other holding a cigarette he barely remembered lighting. He was watching.

And what he was watching was you.

Down below, standing on the terrace, leaning against the railing, the faint glow of the outdoor lights making your skin look soft, golden. You weren’t alone.

That Akira fucker was beside you, turned toward you, looking at you the way everyone fucking looked at you. Like you were some rare, shining thing that didn’t belong in a place like this. Like you were something to be cherished.

Niragi exhaled, smoke curling from his lips as he narrowed his eyes, watching the way you laughed, the way you leaned just slightly toward Akira, comfortable, relaxed.

You had looked at him like that once.

Once.

Before he fucked it all up.

His fingers twitched. He had always been like this—obsessive, possessive, selfish. He knew it. He accepted it. The idea of sharing what was his made his blood boil, made his teeth grind. And you—whether you knew it or not—were his.

At least, you were supposed to be.

But there you were, standing with him.

And Niragi hated it.

Hated the way Akira looked at you, hated the way he made you smile, hated the way he spoke to you like you were the only person in the world. Hated that he wasn’t down there instead, standing where Akira stood, making you laugh, making you his again.

He took another drag of his cigarette, exhaling harshly.

He could go down there.

Could easily walk onto that terrace, pull you away, make it clear exactly who you belonged to. Could shove his gun in Akira’s face, force him to understand what Niragi already knew—he didn’t fucking deserve you.

No one did.

Not even Niragi himself.

He grit his teeth, shifting his gaze back to you, and fuck—you were touching Akira’s arm now, fingers brushing lightly as you spoke, and Niragi wanted to rip the whole fucking window frame out of the wall.

His free hand curled into a fist against his knee.

You didn’t even see what you did to people, did you?

Didn’t see the way you drove everyone fucking crazy, the way you slipped under their skin, turned them into something desperate.

Niragi knew he wasn’t the only one who looked at you and wanted to burn.

The door opened. Chishiya stepped inside your room.

Niragi didn’t turn his head at first. He didn’t need to. He could tell it was him just by the sound of his footsteps. Niragi fucking hated that about him.

For a second, just a second, Niragi thought about pulling his gun and blowing a hole through Chishiya’s head. Pop, done. He could even throw him out the window after, watch his body plummet all those stories down, see how that pretty face looked smeared across the pavement. Or maybe he’d choke the life out of him with one of your bikinis—because, really, what better way to go than suffocated by something that had touched you?

But he didn’t.

Instead, he flicked his cigarette into the ashtray on the windowsill, exhaled a slow stream of smoke, and nodded his head.

Come here.

Chishiya hesitated. Just for a second. Because he knew whatever Niragi was about to show him wasn’t good. But curiosity was a fucking bitch, wasn’t it? So he stepped forward.

He saw you. You, on the terrace below, laughing softly, eyes bright, leaning against the railing while that Akira fucker stood beside you, looking at you like you were his fucking everything.

And now there were two of them watching.

Neither of them spoke. They didn’t have to. Niragi was tense beside him, practically vibrating, like he was seconds from jumping out of this window and ripping Akira apart with his bare hands. Chishiya, on the other hand, stayed still, his face the usual.

But inside? Inside, he felt something ugly. Something bitter. Niragi felt it too. And Akira. And everyone else who ever looked at you for more than five fucking seconds.

Chishiya exhaled slowly, dragging his gaze away from you just long enough to glance at Niragi, who was still staring.

“I didn’t think you had the attention span for this kind of thing.” Chishiya murmured.

Niragi didn’t look away. “Didn’t think you had a fucking heart, but here we are.”

Chishiya’s lips twitched. “And here we are.”

Back to silence.

Back to watching.

Niragi’s hands flexed on his knee. “You wanna kill him, too?”

Chishiya didn’t answer. Didn’t need to.

Because they both knew the answer to that.

A sound.

Both of them turned their heads, on instinct, hands twitching toward their weapons. Niragi had his gun, and Chishiya had the knife you gave him.

But instead of an intruder, a threat, something that justified the way their adrenaline spiked—there was a fucking frog.

Just sitting there on the floor of your room.

Chishiya stared. Niragi blinked, lips parting slightly, eyebrows furrowing like his brain was short-circuiting.

“…The fuck is that?” Niragi finally muttered.

Chishiya tilted his head slightly, unimpressed. “A frog.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” Niragi sneered, leaning forward slightly, inspecting the damn thing like it might start speaking in tongues. “I mean why the fuck is there a frog in her room?”

Chishiya exhaled through his nose. He was annoyed. He was so fucking annoyed. And not even because of the frog. Because of you. Because only you would somehow end up with some random living creature in your room like it was a fucking pet.

“…It’s probably hers.” Chishiya muttered, rubbing his temple like this whole thing was giving him a migraine.

Niragi scoffed. “What, you think she’s collecting them now?”

Chishiya shot him a flat look. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Niragi raised an eyebrow.

Chishiya sighed. “She has been running into them a lot.”

“What.”

“She found one on the ground the other day.” Chishiya continued, voice monotone, like he could not fucking believe he was explaining this. “Picked it up. Showed it to me and Kuina. I don’t think she actually cared about the frog itself, more so just the fact that it was there. Earlier, when we saw her talking to Last Boss, she had another one—don’t know where the hell that came from.” A pause. Then, as if the sheer memory exhausted him, he added, “She even showed him the frog.”

Niragi turned his head so fast Chishiya thought he might snap something. “Last Boss?”

Chishiya hummed, gaze flicking back toward the frog, which was just sitting there. “She was talking to him for a while.”

“What the fuck?”

Chishiya shrugged. “She said he was chill.”

“What the fuck?”

Niragi was deeply, deeply disturbed by this information.

“You’re telling me she was just fucking kicking it with Last Boss?”

“That’s what I said.”

“And she showed him a frog?”

“That’s also what I said.”

Niragi stared at him like this was the most unhinged shit he had ever heard. And, to be fair, it kind of was.

Chishiya sighed again, glancing at the frog, your frog, before shifting his weight slightly, sliding his hands into his pockets. “So, are we going to ignore it?”

Niragi narrowed his eyes. “The frog?”

Chishiya nodded.

A long pause. Then:

“…Yeah.”

And that was it. That was the extent of their civil conversation.

Because, as much as they wanted to kill each other, at the end of the day, this was about you.

And neither of them wanted to acknowledge the fact that, despite everything, despite all the logic and reason in the world—they both cared about you enough to talk about frogs in your fucking room.

Niragi looked back down, and you were gone. Only Akira was still standing there, hands in his pockets, looking at the door you just walked back into the building.

Something ugly twisted in Niragi’s chest.

He was always angry. Always had been. But this—this particular type of anger was something he wasn’t used to. It wasn’t just rage. It wasn’t just irritation. It was this deep, festering, acidic feeling that made his skin itch and his fists curl and his fucking teeth grind because he didn’t even know what the fuck to do with it.

He felt fucking useless.

And he hated that.

He glared down at Akira like it was his fault, like the mere existence of this random fucker was some kind of personal offense. The mental image of throwing him out of the building was so easy to conjure. So fucking satisfying to imagine.

But instead—

“…Who is he?” Niragi asked, voice flat, sharp.

Chishiya glanced at him, then back at the guy below. His expression didn’t change, but he clearly knew who Niragi was talking about. “Akira.”

Niragi scowled. “Yeah, no shit. I meant what’s his deal?”

Chishiya was silent for a moment. Then, like he wasn’t actually interested, just stating facts, he said, “He likes her.”

Niragi laughed once, dry, humorless. “Yeah? No shit?”

Chishiya hummed. “She seems to like him, too.”

“She likes everyone.”

Chishiya tilted his head slightly, considering. “That’s true.”

A pause.

“Must be nice.” Chishiya murmured.

Niragi’s jaw clenched. “What?”

“To be liked so easily.” Chishiya said simply, gaze still down on Akira. “To be so naturally adored. She barely has to try.” A pause. Then, with something almost amused under his breath, he added, “Must be exhausting, too.”

Niragi scoffed, his rage simmering just beneath his skin, his mind still conjuring every possible way to get rid of this Akira fucker.

And then, out of nowhere—

“…Think she’d still like us if she really knew us?” Niragi muttered, barely aware he was even saying it.

Chishiya’s lips quirked, but not into a smirk. It wasn’t smug. It wasn’t cruel. It was something else. Something almost bitter.

“I don’t know.” he admitted.

It was rare, so fucking rare, for Chishiya to ever admit not knowing something. And for some reason, that made Niragi’s anger feel even worse.

He exhaled sharply through his nose, looking back down at Akira. That fucking prick. Just standing there. Just existing. Just… just—

“…Maybe we should kill him.” Niragi muttered.

Chishiya huffed a quiet laugh. “That’s your solution for everything.”

Niragi shot him a glare. “And?”

Chishiya turned to face him, fully this time, expression smug, almost. “And that’s why she’d never pick you.”

Silence.

A heavy, thick silence.

“…Us.” Niragi corrected.

Chishiya raised an eyebrow.

“She’d never pick us.”

And for the first time that night, Chishiya didn’t have a response.

~

You walked through the halls, minding your own cute little business, because that’s all you ever did, wasn’t it? Minding your business, being sweet, being silly, being you.

“Y/N.”

A voice behind you, smooth, confident.

You turned.

Hatter.

Two bodyguards next to him, massive and silent, but they didn’t matter. Not when Hatter had that smile on his face, not when his gaze raked over you, shameless, approving.

You tilted your head, smile easy. “Oh, hi.”

Hatter grinned, stepping closer, casual, relaxed, walking like he had all the time in the world. He wasn’t in a rush. He never was. And why would he be? He owned this place.

His gaze flicked down, taking you in—your bikini, your skin, the way you just stood there, so unbothered, so effortless.

“Now this is a sight.” Hatter mused, all smooth charm, all man. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of talking to you properly yet.”

You smiled, because that was true. You’d seen him around, obviously—everyone saw Hatter around. He was the leader of this place, the face, the king. But you’d never really talked.

“Guess not.” you said lightly. “You’re a busy man.”

Hatter let out a low chuckle, tilting his head as he looked at you. “That I am.” he admitted. “But I can always make time for a girl like you.”

The way he said it was so easy, so practiced, but not fake. No, no—Hatter meant it. And that was what made him dangerous. He wasn’t just charming. He wasn’t just smooth. He was believable.

“So.” Hatter drawled, hands slipping into the pockets of his robe, shoulders loose, relaxed. “What’s a sweet thing like you doing all alone?”

“I’m not alone.” you said easily, smiling. “I have me.”

Hatter laughed at that, warm and rich. “Oh, I like you.”

You smiled wider, tilting your head. “I like you too.”

And he could tell you meant it.

God, you were fascinating.

Hatter was smooth—so fucking smooth. Before you even realized it, his arm was slung around your shoulders, easy, casual. He walked with you like that, leading you through the hall like you were already one of his girls, like this was a normal fucking thing.

You let him. Because why not? Hatter was nice. Not just in the obvious way, not just in the way men with power could be when they wanted something—but in the way he spoke to you, the way he asked questions, the way he listened.

“So.” he started, voice light. “You’re close with Chishiya, huh?”

You blinked up at him, tilting your head. “Yeah, I guess?”

Hatter chuckled. “You guess?”

You laughed a little, adjusting your steps to match his. “I mean, I am. But Chishiya’s…” You trailed off, trying to find the right words. “He’s just Chishiya.”

Hatter laughed at that. “That he is.”

He gave your shoulder a small squeeze, like he was pleased with your answer.

“Smart little bastard.” he mused. “Always watching, always thinking. But I gotta admit, I didn’t expect him to get attached to someone.”

You blinked, surprised. “Attached?”

Hatter smirked, his grip tightening just a fraction. “Oh, come on. You must have noticed.”

You pursed your lips, considering that.

Had you?

Had you really?

Because Chishiya was your friend. Or… something like that. But the way Hatter was saying it made it sound like more.

Hatter was still watching you, still smiling. “You’re cute when you think.” he teased.

You rolled your eyes, but your smile didn’t fade. “And what about you?” you countered. “Are you attached to anyone?”

Hatter let out a low chuckle, one that rumbled deep in his chest. “Now that is a dangerous question.”

You looked up at him, genuinely curious. “Why?”

Hatter glanced down, meeting your gaze, slow, knowing. “Because if I say yes, you’ll wonder who.” he said. “And if I say no, you’ll wonder why not.”

You did laugh at that. “Okay, fair.”

Hatter smirked, looking pleased with himself. “But if you must know…” He leaned in a little, voice dropping lower, more conspiratorial. “I am attached to this place. To the Beach.”

You arched a brow. “Not a who, but a what?”

Hatter grinned. “The Beach is my girl.”

You shook your head, smiling. “That’s kind of sad.”

Hatter let out a full laugh at that, squeezing your shoulder. “Maybe.” he admitted. “But she treats me well.”

You gave him a look. “Does she?”

“She gives me everything I want.” There was something in the way he said that—something deeper, something real. And for the first time, you saw a glimpse of the man behind the charm. “What about Niragi?”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What about him?”

Hatter gave you a look, that same slow, knowing smile. “Now that’s an interesting situation, isn’t it?”

You bit your lip, considering how to answer that. “Niragi’s… complicated.”

Hatter let out a hum, nodding. “That’s one way to put it.”

His arm was still around you, his body warm against yours, the scent of him thick—salt,, alcohol, power. You knew he was leading this conversation somewhere, but you weren’t sure where.

“What’s your read on him?” Hatter asked, voice easy, curious. “You spend enough time with him.”

You exhaled slowly, thinking. “I think…” You hesitated, choosing your words carefully. “I think Niragi’s really intense. And a lot. But he’s not as simple as people think he is.”

Hatter grinned at that. “Oh, I like that answer.”

You shrugged. “It’s true.”

Hatter fascinated you. So, when he kept talking, you kept listening.

“You know,” he said, voice smooth, easy, the kind of voice that had charmed so many before you. “I don’t usually take the time to chat like this. Too many things to do, too many people to manage. But you…” His grip on your shoulder tightened, just for a second. “You are interesting.”

You laughed softly, tilting your head up to look at him. “Because I hang around Niragi and Chishiya?”

“Because you understand them.”

That made you pause. Because, yeah, you did understand them. In ways most people didn’t. In ways most people couldn’t.

And the fact that Hatter noticed that? Well. Maybe he was more interesting than you thought.

You smiled. “I just pay attention.”

Hatter hummed, his thumb brushing against your arm absentmindedly. “Not many people do. Most just take things at face value. But you?” He glanced down at you. “You see people, don’t you?”

You met his gaze, not backing down. “And you use people, don’t you?”

There was a pause. A long, slow pause. Then Hatter laughed.

“Now that,” he said, voice full of delight. “is an observation.”

You just shrugged. “It’s true. I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” you said, tilting your head. “Using people. Not in a place like this.”

Hatter raised a brow, clearly intrigued. “Oh?”

You nodded. “Survival isn’t just about being strong. It’s about knowing how to move in a place like this. How to adapt. And, well…” You smiled at him. “You are surviving, aren’t you?”

Hatter let out another low chuckle, his hand squeezing your shoulder again. “Y/N,” he murmured, almost affectionate, almost impressed. “I think I might actually like you.”

The warmth in his voice was real. Not just performance, not just another act. He meant it. He was fond of you.

And that was dangerous. Because Hatter was the king of this place. And now, you had his attention.

You leaned into him a little, just enough to make it seem like you meant to, just enough to play along with his charm. If he was testing you, you were testing him right back.

“So,” you said, sweet as honey. “if you like me so much…”

Hatter nodded. “And I do.”

“Then is there a way I can get a little tank? One of those small aquarium ones. And an UVB light. And, you know, other little things. A proper setup.”

Hatter blinked. “For what?”

“A frog.” you said, completely serious.

There was a pause. A long, amused, utterly stunned pause. And then—Hatter laughed. Hard.

“Alright.” he said, voice lazy. “I’ll make sure you get all of that.”

You beamed. “Really?”

“If you do something for me.”

There it was. The catch.

You tilted your head, playful. “Of course.”

Hatter grinned, clearly entertained. “Go deliver a message for me to Aguni.”

You blinked. “Aguni?”

“Yes.”

Your lips pursed slightly. “Why don’t you do it yourself?”

Hatter let out a slow, easy chuckle, waving a hand dismissively. “We’re not exactly on good terms right now.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Why?”

Hatter’s grin didn’t fade. Instead, he simply tapped your nose, like you were some cute, curious little thing. “You ask too many questions.”

You swatted his hand away, but you were smiling. “And you avoid too many answers.”

He laughed again, shaking his head. “Just tell him I’d like to talk.”

You raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” he confirmed. “And in return, you’ll get everything you need for your little frog.”

You stared at him for a moment, thinking. It was suspicious. It was definitely suspicious. But it wasn’t like you weren’t curious. And, besides… you had already been planning on talking to Aguni at some point. Might as well get something out of it.

“Fine.” you said, tilting your head. “I’ll do it.”

Hatter smiled, he was delighted to see what would happen next. He let his arm slip from around you, his touch lingering just a second longer than necessary before he fully let you go. “Well, go on, then. I have business to attend to.”

“Oh, business.” you teased, taking a step back. “So important.”

“Very important.” he confirmed, giving you a lazy look. “But don’t keep me waiting too long for my message. I do expect results.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Bye, Hatter.”

“Call me Takeru.”

Hm.

You just smiled, nodded. “Alright. Bye, Takeru.”

And then, without another word, you turned and waved—not just to him, but to his bodyguards too.

And those two big, intimidating men?

Yeah. They totally waved back.

A little awkwardly. A little like they weren’t used to being acknowledged like that.

And then, just like that, you were off.

Hatter watched you leave, and his two bodyguards? They stood there, a little stiff, still thinking about that cute little wave, still feeling the lingering effect of that smile.

One of them cleared his throat.

The other crossed his arms, looking too serious all of a sudden.

“God, you two are pathetic.” Hatter said, shaking his head.

~

You made your way back to your room, humming a little under your breath, mind half on your conversation with Hatter and half on the errand you had to run for him. Aguni, huh? Okay.

But when you got to your door and stepped inside, all thoughts of that were gone.

Because Niragi was already there.

Sitting on the edge of your bed, his rifle leaned against the nightstand, arms crossed over his chest. Waiting.

You blinked at him.

He didn’t say anything. Didn’t smirk. Didn’t sneer. Didn’t even move. Just watched you.

And god, it hit you all at once how much you missed him. It was like someone had reached into your chest and squeezed, tight and sharp and real.

“Niragi—”

“Where the fuck have you been?”

His voice wasn’t loud. Wasn’t even angry exactly. But it was sharp. Accusing.

You faltered. “I—”

“You haven’t come looking for me.”

You blinked. “I did—”

“Not hard enough.”

Fuck, Niragi was a mess over you.

He was obsessed with you. You were in his fucking head, twisting him up, making everything feel wrong when you weren’t around.

And he hated it. Hated you for making him feel this way. Hated himself even more.

But now, here you were, standing in front of him, looking at him with those big, stupid, sweet eyes, and—

And—

Fuck.

You missed him too, didn’t you?

It was all over your face, all over the way you were looking at him, all over the way you were already reaching for him, coming closer, stepping between his legs like you belonged there.

And he let you.

“You know I care about you, right?” you asked softly, tilting your head down at him, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Niragi just stared.

Because no.

No, he didn’t know that.

People didn’t care about him. Not really. Not unless they wanted something from him.

But you—you just looked at him like that was a fact. Like it wasn’t even something to question.

His throat worked, but he said nothing. So you just kept talking.

“You’re important to me, Niragi. I don’t want to fight with you. I missed you.”

And fuck, that made his head spin. Because you said it so casually. Like it wasn’t something huge. Like it wasn’t something that completely wrecked him.

But it did.

It did.

“You missed me?” His voice came out rough, disbelieving.

You nodded without hesitation. “Of course I did.”

Then you reached for him. Your hand, small and soft, resting against the side of his face, your thumb grazing his cheek.

Like he was fragile.

Like he was something precious.

Like he was worthy of that kind of touch.

Niragi couldn’t fucking breathe. He swallowed hard, looking up at you like he didn’t deserve this, like he wanted to shove you away for making him feel like this—but also like he couldn’t. Like he needed this.

Because fuck, he did.

You didn’t even realize how bad he had it for you, did you?

Didn’t realize how much he craved you.

Didn’t realize that if you asked, he’d let you do anything to him.

Use him, hurt him, fuck him up—

He wouldn’t care.

Because he just wanted you.

And it pissed him off. He hated it.

But he wasn’t going to push you away. Not now. Not when you were this close, touching him, looking at him like that, letting him feel this. Not when you were the only thing in this whole fucking world that made him feel real.

So he just—he just stayed there, letting you touch him, letting himself have this.

Letting himself believe you.

That you cared. That you missed him. That you meant it.

He was warm. And soft. Despite how sharp he looked, how cruel and dangerous he was—he was still soft under your touch.

And he let you. He sat there, looking up at you through dark lashes, lips slightly parted, his breathing deep but slow. His eyes, those pretty eyes, were fixed on you, watching every little movement, every breath, every flicker of emotion on your face.

It did something to you.

Because Niragi wasn’t the kind of person you were supposed to want. He wasn’t safe. He wasn’t kind. He was mean and smug and cruel.

Yet he was so fucking pretty like this.

Looking at you like that.

Like he didn’t know whether to devour you or let you ruin him.

And fuck, maybe you had a bit of a thing for that.

Your fingers traced up, skimming along the cut of his cheekbone, barely touching. And his lashes fluttered.

Oh.

Oh, he liked this.

That did something to you, too.

“You’re staring.” you murmured, voice soft, playful.

Niragi smirked. That mean, sharp little smirk that should’ve been annoying, but instead just sent something hot curling in your stomach.

“Yeah?” His voice was slow, deep, teasing. “You gonna complain about that when you’re the one all over me?”

You scoffed, fingers trailing up into his hair now, barely touching, just lightly enough to make him feel it. “You like it.”

“Maybe.”

And fuck, his voice when he said that. That slow, smug, mean drawl.

But his eyes—his eyes gave him away.

There was something softer behind them, something vulnerable, something real.

He did like it. He loved it.

But he wasn’t going to say that. No, instead, he poked at his cheek with his pierced tongue, tilting his head just a little more into your touch. “You wanna fuck me that bad, huh?”

You rolled your eyes. “Jesus, Niragi—”

“Nah, nah, it’s okay.” he continued, mock sympathy in his voice, but his eyes were glowing with something wicked. “I get it. You just can’t resist me.”

You huffed a little laugh, shaking your head. “You’re the one who hasn’t moved away.”

“Maybe I don’t wanna move away.”

Your breath hitched for just a second. Because that was the most honest thing he’d said so far. And you felt it. Felt the weight of it between you, felt the heat under your skin, felt the way your heart stuttered just a little at the way he was looking at you.

You swallowed, fingers still tangled in his hair. “Good.” you whispered. “Don’t.”

And Niragi—for just a second—he looked wrecked. Fucked up. Just from that, just from you saying that.

And fuck, you liked him.

You liked him.

And maybe, just maybe—he knew that.

Your hands slipped further into his hair, tugging him gently toward you, and before he could say anything, before he could smirk and make a joke and be him, you pressed his head against your stomach.

You hugged him.

Held him close, fingers slipping through the thick strands of his hair, nails barely grazing against his scalp.

For a split second, he didn’t react at all, body locked up tight, as if this wasn’t real, as if he wasn’t sure how to process it. You felt it. Felt the tension in his body, felt the hesitation, felt the way his hands hovered near your thighs—like he didn’t know if he was allowed to touch you.

And you wondered—

Had anyone ever held him before?

Not to fuck. Not to take something. Not to break him down or use him up.

Just—held him?

Your hands softened against him, fingers brushing through his hair, slow and gentle and real.

He could have done anything.

Could have slid his hands up your legs, under the thin fabric of your bikini. Could have taken advantage of the fact that you were standing here, offering yourself in a way you didn’t even seem to realize.

He could have been Niragi.

But instead, slowly, hesitantly, his hands came up, wrapped lightly around your thighs. His fingers curled slightly, barely gripping, as if he didn’t know if he was allowed to do even this.

He thought about how fucking insane this was. How he had people throwing themselves at him all the time, wanting him, craving him, but none of it had ever felt like this. None of it had ever made him freeze up, made his chest tighten, made him feel like something inside him was breaking apart and rearranging itself.

He thought about how much he liked this. More than he wanted to admit. More than he could ever say out loud.

He thought about how fucking stupid he felt.

Because he wasn’t this guy. He wasn’t soft, he wasn’t good, he wasn’t someone who deserved—this.

Deserved you.

But you just kept running your fingers through his hair, kept holding him, kept being real. And maybe—maybe for once—he let himself believe it was okay. For just a second.

A second was all he got before the thoughts turned back to that other thing eating at him.

“That Akira guy.” he muttered, voice rough against your skin.

You blinked, tilting your head down. “Huh?”

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at you, hands still lightly gripping your thighs.

“That guy. Akira.” His eyes were big, looking up at you but you could see something behind them. “Who is he?”

You sighed, finally letting go of him, stepping back slightly.

Niragi hated the way that felt. Hated how much colder it felt the second you pulled away, how much he wanted to grab you, pull you right back to where you were. Instead, he just leaned back against the bed, watching as you sat down beside him.

“You don’t have to worry about him.” you told him easily, tilting your head. “Why do you care?”

He sneered. “You’re always with him.”

You huffed out a little laugh. “Barely.”

“Enough.” he muttered, looking away for a second.

You watched him. Watched him, with those soft, sweet eyes that made his chest ache. Then, finally, you sighed. “He’s just… someone I talk to. That’s all.” You looked at him, tilting your head slightly. “He’s nice.”

“Nice.” Niragi muttered, scoffing.

“Yeah, Niragi. Nice.” You rolled your eyes, nudging him slightly with your knee. “Not everyone is trying to get something from me, you know.”

That made something in him snap.

Because wasn’t he?

Wasn’t he just like that?

Wanting you. Wanting something from you.

Maybe not in the way he used to. Maybe not in the way he took things from people.

But he still wanted.

And that made him feel—

God. He didn’t even fucking know.

You sighed, tilting your head back slightly. “Look, I don’t know what you think is going on, but he’s not—”

“You like him.” Niragi interrupted, his voice quieter now.

“What?”

“You like him.” he repeated, staring at you. “Right?”

You just smiled. “I like a lot of people.”

Niragi clenched his jaw.

You were like that, weren’t you? Like a fucking angel. A little light in this fucked-up place. Liking everyone. Letting people get close to you.

And he hated it. Hated how fucking easy it was for you to be like that.

Hated that it wasn’t just him.

Hated that he was sitting here, trying not to need you, while you were out there smiling at everyone else.

But mostly, he hated how much he still wanted you. Even now.

You stretched out across the bed. Niragi watched the movement, his gaze tracing the slow, lazy way your body melted into the mattress. It was like you had no worries at all, no fear—like you had any idea what you did to him when you were like this.

Your hand moved, fingers brushing against his. Absentminded, innocent. You traced over his knuckles, the curve of each finger, his skin. You didn’t even seem to realize you were doing it.

But he did.

Felt every little touch like a fucking brand against his skin.

“You’re really hung up on this.” you murmured.

Niragi clenched his jaw, eyes locked on where your fingers danced across his.

“I don’t feel anything for him.” you said, tracing the tip of his ring finger before sliding back down.

The words should have settled something in his chest, should have made him feel better, but they didn’t. Because it didn’t fucking matter, did it? Akira liked you. And Akira wasn’t the only one.

You said you didn’t feel anything for him—but what about the others? How many more men were walking around this place thinking about you? Talking to you, wanting you?

How many more were waiting for their turn?

Your fingers curled around his pinky now, looping around it before you moved back, playing with his hand so gently, so easily, like this was just some casual thing. Like you weren’t making his head spin.

You exhaled softly, a little hum to your voice. “He clearly likes me though.” You said it so simply. Like it was just a fact. Like it was something you were used to. And maybe it was. Because why wouldn’t he like you? Why wouldn’t anyone?

He hated that. Hated that it was true.

His eyes dragged over you, sprawled out so fucking pretty like that, your legs stretched out, your hair fanned around you, your fucking fingertips still brushing over his knuckles, soft and delicate and completely unaware of what he wanted to do to you.

The things he could do to you.

If you were just a little stupider, just a little weaker, just a little less you—

But you weren’t.

You weren’t stupid. You weren’t weak. You weren’t less.

You were everything.

Everything he wanted.

Everything he couldn’t fucking have.

Niragi pushed himself up from the bed. He moved like he had somewhere to be, but he didn’t. Not really. He just had to go. Had to get out before he did something stupid. Before he let himself stay any longer, let himself sink any deeper into this bullshit that was you.

You watched him, still stretched out across the bed, head tilted as your eyes tracked his movements. “So.” you started, voice light “Are we made up now?”

Niragi scoffed, reaching for his rifle. “If we weren’t, you’d fucking know it.”

You just smiled at that. Like that was an answer. Like it was good enough. And maybe it was. Maybe it always would be.

You didn’t push. Didn’t ask him to stay. Didn’t do anything except watch him, eyes full of something sweet. And that was worse. Worse than if you had begged, worse than if you had reached for him, worse than if you had tried to keep him there with that fucking warmth of yours. Because this? This made him feel like he was the one running.

And fuck—maybe he was.

He turned without another word, pulling the door open and stepping into the hall. He didn’t stop. Didn’t look back. Didn’t let himself. Because if he did—he might not leave at all.

You stayed where you were, staring at the door long after he was gone.

The room felt different now. You felt different now.

You weren’t stupid. You knew what this was. What was happening between you two.

And still, you sighed, rolling onto your side, curling in on yourself.

You felt so much. Too much. For him, for Chishiya, for all of this.

But most of all, you just wished he had stayed.

~

You had done everything.

You had bathed, exfoliated, lotioned, oiled yourself up. Every inch of you was soft, glowing, perfect. You had taken your time, done every little self-care ritual you could think of, because surely—surely—they would come for you.

Kuina would knock on your door like she did until now, dragging you along for some random conversation, some anything.

Niragi would show up like an asshole, leaning against your doorframe, saying something mean but with eyes that meant the opposite.

Chishiya—

Well. You weren’t delusional.

Still, the longer the morning stretched on, the more it started to settle in your stomach—something sour, something off.

Nobody came.

You had never felt alone here before.

But now? Now, it was pressing down on you.

So, you left. The lounge was full with laughter, conversation, people slumped across couches, drinks in hand. The usual.

You weren’t looking for anyone. Not really.

But then you saw him.

Niragi.

He was across the room, sprawled out, surrounded by his little army buddies, the other militants. They were all talking, laughing, shoving at each other like they were just guys at a bar instead of what they actually were.

You made eye contact with him.

And that was it.

Just—nothing.

He didn’t smirk, didn’t nod, didn’t move.

He just looked at you.

And then he looked away.

Like you were nothing.

Like you were just another person in the crowd.

Your stomach twisted.

You waited. Waited for him to get up, to come over, to acknowledge you.

But he didn’t.

He just kept talking, kept laughing, like you weren’t even fucking there.

You had hugged him last night. You had played with his fingers, let him hold you, let yourself feel for him.

And now—what?

You weren’t important when his little friends were around?

He didn’t love you when there were people watching?

Your chest ached, that stupid little fragile part of you cracking.

You knew what he was like. You knew.

But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

~

Kuina stretched her arms over her head, groaning as she slumped further into her couch. “I miss her.”

Chishiya barely looked up from where he sat, flipping a card between his fingers. “You’re acting like she’s dead.”

Kuina huffed. “Well, it feels like she is.” She turned her head to glare at him. “You’re really gonna sit there and pretend like you don’t miss her?”

“I don’t have to pretend.” he said flatly.

Which was a fucking lie, obviously.

Kuina scoffed, rolling her eyes. “God, you’re such an asshole.”

Chishiya just kept flipping the card, his expression the same.

But Kuina wasn’t stupid. She had eyes. She had seen him watching you. Had seen the way his gaze lingered too long, how his head tilted ever so slightly when you spoke, like he was listening to something precious.

It was almost funny.

Chishiya, who didn’t give a single fuck about anyone—who treated people like pieces on a chessboard, who never let anything touch him—was so obviously into you.

His first dumb little crush.

It would be cute if he wasn’t being such a stubborn prick about it.

Kuina leaned back, crossing her arms. “You know, we wouldn’t even be talking about this if you just let her in on the plan.”

Chishiya sighed, finally setting the card down. “You think she needs to be part of this?”

“She’s smart.” Kuina said.

“Reckless.”

“She’s good with people.”

“Too good with people.”

Kuina frowned at that, because she kind of knew what he meant.

You weren’t just charming. You weren’t just beautiful. People adored you, flocked to you like moths to a flame. Even the most closed-off, fucked-up people around here ended up orbiting you eventually. Chishiya and Kuina were no exception. But that was exactly why Kuina wanted you in on the plan. Because if you could get them to love you, if you could get Niragi to fucking soften for you—then you could get anyone. Including Hatter. Including Aguni. Including the people who mattered in this game.

“You know she could help us.” Kuina said.

Chishiya exhaled through his nose, tipping his head back against the couch.

He did know that.

But that didn’t mean he wanted you anywhere near this.

He had been fine before you. Detached. Unbothered. Watching everything from the outside like it was one big experiment.

And then you showed up, and it was colorful.

It was annoying.

You smiled at him. You touched him. You were sweet, and kind, and reckless, and he wanted you, and he hated that he wanted you.

And now, Kuina was asking him to drag you into something dangerous.

Something that could get you killed.

No.

He wasn’t doing that.

Not even for her.

Especially not for her.

Kuina watched him, waiting. When he said nothing, she sighed, shaking her head.

“Fine.” she muttered. “Be a dumbass about it.”

She didn’t argue, didn’t push, because she knew something he didn’t. It wouldn’t matter what he wanted. Because one way or another? You were going to end up right in the middle of this anyway.

~

“Aguni!” you called out, quickening your pace.

Nothing. No reaction.

You frowned but didn’t stop. “Hey! I have a message for you.”

Still nothing. If anything, his shoulders tensed slightly, as if the mere sound of your voice was annoying. You were used to that, though. People ignoring you, brushing you off—except, they never really meant it. People acted like they didn’t care, but in the end, you always got under their skin. Chishiya certainly hadn’t wanted to like you. Niragi had fought against it tooth and nail. Even Kuina thought this would be easy.

Aguni would be no different.

You kept up, undeterred. “Hatter wants to talk to you.” you finally said, slipping in front of him, walking backward so he had no choice but to look at you.

Aguni’s eyes flickered to yours, but only for a second. “Not interested.” His voice was gruff, dismissive.

You tilted your head. “I don’t think it’s optional.”

He exhaled sharply through his nose, like he was debating whether or not to push past you, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the sheer audacity of you blocking his path. Whatever it was, he didn’t shove you aside like he easily could have. Instead, he turned and continued walking.

You followed. Because of course you did.

“You know,” you started again, falling into step beside him. “you’re kind of rude.”

No response.

“I mean, I get it.” you continued as if he’d encouraged you. “Big scary guy, leader of the militants, don’t need to waste your breath on someone like me, right? But I did you a favor, running around to find you, so I think I deserve a little acknowledgment.”

He still didn’t say anything, but the corner of his mouth twitched—like he was annoyed, like he wanted you to shut the fuck up. Which only made you talk more.

“Personally, I’d say—”

“You talk too much.”

You smiled. “Yeah, I’ve been told.”

At some point, without realizing it, you had followed him into a supply room. The room was filled with crates and metal shelves lined with supplies—food, medical kits, weapons.

Mostly weapons.

Guns, knives, ammo—enough to arm a small army. And here you were, standing in the middle of it all.

You had the survival instincts of a fucking butterfly.

Aguni grabbed a chair and sat down, picking up a knife from the table in front of him. He grabbed a cloth, methodically running it along the blade, cleaning it.

You, with all the self-preservation of a housecat, sat down next to him.

He stilled for a moment, giving you a look that could kill. But you just smiled.

“That knife’s in good shape.” you said, nodding toward it. “You take care of your weapons.”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Obviously.”

“That’s good. Not just because, you know, this place is insane and you need them to survive, but because it says something about you.” You rested your chin on your hand, watching him. “You’re not careless. You don’t rush into things.”

“You got a point?” he asked, voice as gruff as ever.

“Just making conversation.” you said, leaning back. “You seem like someone who doesn’t get a lot of that. At least, not the kind that isn’t about strategy or weapons or murder.”

He let out a low, unimpressed hum and continued cleaning the knife.

You leaned forward, resting your elbows on your knees, watching him work. The rhythmic drag of the cloth against the blade was oddly soothing, like the world had slowed down to match the precise way he moved. You sat there, silent for once, just watching.

But, of course, that silence didn’t last.

“So,” you said, tilting your head. “what’s going on with you and Hatter right now?”

Aguni’s movements didn’t falter, but his expression darkened just enough for you to notice. He didn’t answer. Didn’t even spare you a glance. Just kept running the cloth over the blade in smooth, practiced strokes.

You waited a beat. Then another.

Nothing.

Alright. Not talking about that, then.

You sighed, stretching your arms above your head before dropping them into your lap. “Okay, no answer. Fine. But can I help?”

Aguni finally turned his head toward you, giving you a look that was about 90% exasperation and 10% disbelief. “Help with what?”

You shrugged. “I dunno. Whatever it is you’re doing.”

For a second, you thought he might tell you to leave. It was written all over his face—the way his jaw tensed like he was holding back the urge to tell you to fuck off, the way his fingers tightened just slightly around the knife handle. But then, without a word, he grabbed another knife from the table and shoved it into your hands. He had no idea why he was even entertaining this. Then he picked up another cloth, tossed it into your lap, and went back to cleaning his own knife.

You looked down at the blade in your hands. Then at the cloth. Then back at Aguni.

“Right.” you muttered, shifting your grip slightly. “So I just…?”

Aguni didn’t answer, so you did what made sense—you mimicked him. You picked up the cloth and ran it along the blade, trying to match the same slow, deliberate movements he was making.

For a minute, you both sat in silence, working.

…Well, he was working. You were fumbling your way through it, watching him from the corner of your eye to make sure you were doing it right.

“Like this?” you asked, glancing at him.

He barely even looked. “No.”

You frowned, trying again.

“Still wrong.”

“Okay, well.” you huffed, pausing to adjust your grip. “Not all of us were born knowing how to clean murder weapons, you know.”

Aguni exhaled through his nose, which might’ve been a laugh if you were being very generous.

He reached over, grabbed your wrist, and adjusted your grip. His hands were rough, fingers strong as they pressed yours into the proper position.

“Steady.” he muttered. “Angle the cloth. One direction, not back and forth.”

You followed his instructions, trying again. The movement was smoother now, more controlled. Still not perfect, but better.

“Like this?”

He grunted. “Good enough.”

You grinned. “I’m so good at this.”

Aguni rolled his eyes and went back to his own work.

For a while, you just sat there, cleaning knives in companionable silence. Well, as companionable as it could get with Aguni. He still looked vaguely fed up with you, but he wasn’t kicking you out, so you counted that as a win.

“You’re not really as scary as people say, you know.” You glanced at him.

He shot you a sharp look.

You just smiled and swung your legs absentmindedly, heels tapping lightly against the floor as you worked. The motion was unconscious, almost childlike, completely at odds with the fact that you were sitting in a room full of weapons, holding a knife in your hands.

Aguni, who had spent his entire life surrounded by dangerous people, who had seen and done things that would make most people lose their minds, looked over at you like you were a piece of blueberry. Harmless. Kinda dumb to be in a room like this. Useless. Sitting there, diligently running the cloth along the knife in your hands, feeling the weight of it, the sharpness of the edge. Your grip still wasn’t quite right, and your movements were clumsier than Aguni’s, but you were getting the hang of it.

Kinda.

“You ever actually used one of these?” Aguni asked after a moment, nodding toward the blade in your hands.

You glanced at him. “What, a knife?”

He gave you a look.

You huffed a small laugh. “No, I haven’t used one. Well, in the kitchen yes, but not to hurt anything. I mean, I know which end is the sharp one, so that’s something.” You turned it over in your hands, inspecting it. “Do you use these more than guns?”

Aguni let out a low hum, wiping down the last of his blade before setting it aside. “Depends.”

“On?”

“Situation. Ammo. Distance. Knives don’t run out of bullets.”

“That’s true.” you mused, flipping yours over again. “Less noisy, too.”

Aguni gave you another look, like he was just now realizing you weren’t as naive as you looked.

“You ever shot a gun?” he asked.

“Once. Like, just once.” You tired to hide that it was a bad memory. “Didn’t learn much. But I assume it’s one of those things I should probably learn if I wanna keep surviving out here.”

Aguni hummed again. “Probably.”

You paused, eyes flickering toward the shelves stacked with weapons. “Which ones do you use the most?”

Aguni followed your gaze to the guns, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he just watched you for a moment.

“Depends on the job.” he said eventually. “Close-range? Shotgun or pistol. Distance? Sniper rifle. Standard is an assault rifle.”

(AN: y’all tell me if I wrote bullshit here, I had to search it up I don’t know SHIT about guns.)

You nodded like this was normal, like you weren’t having a conversation about murder weapons while sitting in a dimly lit room with a literal warlord.

“You know a lot about this.” you said, swinging your legs again. “You think Niragi’s any good? In this?”

Aguni scoffed. “You’ve seen him, haven’t you?”

You hummed. You had. You’d seen Niragi shoot a man dead without hesitation. More than once. You’d seen the way he carried himself, like he was invincible, like he knew he was good at what he did. You saw everything like a good little therapist except how head over heels he was for you.

“You’re Niragi’s little girlfriend, aren’t you?”

You blinked. Then let out a laugh, shaking your head. “No.”

Aguni raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not.” you repeated, still smiling, still calm.

He made a low sound, but he didn’t press further. He didn’t have to. Because you didn’t argue, didn’t get flustered, didn’t try too hard to deny it. You just stated it like a fact, and if you were lying—well. That wasn’t his problem.

Instead, you turned your attention back to the guns.

“Do you guys have snipers on the roof?” you asked, shifting the subject with all the subtlety of a flashing neon sign. Aguni didn’t call you out on it.

“Sometimes.” he answered simply.

“Do you let Niragi up there?”

“Sometimes.”

You nodded, tapping your fingers against the handle of the knife you were still holding. “You trust him?”

Aguni was silent for a long time.

Then—“I trust that he’ll do what he wants.”

You let that sit between you for a moment before nodding. “Fair enough.”

Aguni, despite everything, despite looking like he wanted to throw you out the window at least three separate times, kept answering you. He was interesting. He didn’t talk much, but when he did, it was blunt, to the point—none of the usual Beach things. You liked that.

You also liked testing your limits.

Tilting your head, you smiled at him. “Be honest—on a scale of one to ten, how annoying am I right now?”

Aguni let out a long, suffering sigh, rubbing a hand down his face. He didn’t even have to say anything for you to know you were probably hovering somewhere around a twelve.

Still, he finally muttered, “Nine.”

Your grin widened. “Not a ten?”

“You’re getting there.”

You laughed, adjusting your grip on the knife again. “Respect for the honesty.”

Aguni exhaled sharply.

You were annoying. You knew that. But you also knew that if Aguni really wanted you gone, you’d already be gone. He was tolerating you, despite all appearances.

And that was fascinating.

Because people like him didn’t tolerate just anyone.

He thought you were dumb—had to, because what kind of person willingly sat next to him in a room full of weapons and just started talking? What kind of person swung their legs and smiled and treated him like he was someone worth spending time with, instead of someone to be feared?

A dumb one, obviously.

But he also knew you weren’t dumb. Otherwise, Niragi wouldn’t stick around like that. Otherwise, people at the Beach wouldn’t be so drawn to you, wouldn’t watch you with that mix of adoration and curiosity.

You were a problem. An anomaly.

So, finally, he leaned back in his chair, and gave you a look. The kind that meant he was done, that you had pushed your luck as far as it would go.

“Go.”

You blinked. “What, already? We were just getting to the fun part.”

Aguni didn’t budge. “Out.”

You pouted dramatically but didn’t argue. You knew when to push and when to let go.

So, instead of making a fuss, you placed the knife down on the table, patted the hilt like it was some kind of pet, and stood up.

“Alright, alright.” you said easily, stretching your arms over your head. “Kicking me out. I get it. Can’t have too much fun, right?”

Aguni just stared at you.

You smiled, warm and sweet as ever. “Bye, Aguni.”

And then, just like that, you turned and left.

No argument. No whining. If he wanted you gone, you’d go.

You liked Aguni.

❤︎︎ @lizntstoptalking @cherryheairt @fiction-fantasy-folks @monkey4lifer @psychicyouthfox @so-dramatic1 @mypsychoticlove @unhinged-sorcerer @rattymess @mocchii-writes @adanfore @scarlet703 @fluentgoddess @maxinehufflepuffprincess @onyxmango @bluerthanvelvet444 @risingofjupiter @enhasrii @potato-vagina @cherryyserenade @l5byrinth @soaplickerrr @sillyenemyarcade @miellette @sk1ndx0

[closetfascination]

the light that is blinding me

Rated G: Eddie Diaz Character Study- pre-relationship buddie - 1407 words

@eddiediaznetwork event: favourite moment - Eddie finds joy

An open mouth grin stretches across Eddie's face as he collapses, breathless on the couch.

Something unspools inside him as he rocks his head from side to side against the soft fabric of his couch.

He has been so tightly wound for so many years, the simple act of lip syncing and dancing feels like finding the inner string in a ball of yarn, and having the yarn pull free easily, without resistance.

Warmth pools in his belly, and he feels lighter than he has in months.

No, not months—years.

It was just a silly little dance but—

Silly, self-indulgent, joyful.

Just for him.

Read the rest under the cut or on AO3

He has barely caught his breath when he hears the doorbell. He jumps up to answer the door, smoothing his hair back and adjusting his popped collar as he walks toward it. At this hour, it's probably Buck, but he looks through the peephole just in case.

Blue eyes shining, sad and his jaw tight and determined, Buck is holding a six-pack of beer.

Eddie opens the door, and Buck immediately grabs a beer while holding eye contact with him and then wordlessly hands it to him as he walks in like he has a million times before.

He looks at the beer and looks at Buck. Something's up with him, but the way Buck immediately takes a seat on his couch and opens his beer and drinks, Eddie knows Buck doesn't want to talk right now.

Eddie is grateful because he isn't sure he wants to explain why the music is blaring or why he isn't wearing pants right now.

Sitting with Buck, with no pressure to talk, is a different kind of joy.

Eddie sips his beer leisurely, savouring the bitter hops and lively pops of the carbon dioxide on his tongue. Buck downs the beer quickly, in large gulps like he is drinking to forget. He finishes the beer and immediately grabs another.

Eyebrows raised, Eddie takes another sip of his beer.

Buck gives him a sideways glance and takes another long pull from the bottle, drinking slower than before.

"Tommy broke up with me," Buck says, licking his lips, and taking another drink.

Eddie frowns.

"What? I thought you two were in a good place."

"Me too," Buck shakes his head. "I asked him to move in, which I didn't think was unreasonable. We've been dating six months, and I-I thought—"

"—you thought you might have a future with him," Eddie finished. It was a shame. Tommy was one of the first of Buck's partners that Eddie got along with. He considered Tommy his friend as well, although maybe not anymore.

"I-I did. I feel really stupid—and sort of angry? Like he said some bullshit about him being my first but not his last. They can be the same thing, can't they?"

"They can but—"

"—they usually aren't." Buck's knee bounces the way it always does when he is agitated. "That's what Tommy said. But it's not like Tommy is my first relationship. First guy, but honestly, it's not that different."

Eddie tries to imagine what it might be like to be with a guy. It's not a thought he'd ever entertained. Why would he? He’s straight. But when he imagines what a romantic relationship would be like with a guy, it just seemed easier—like what he had with Buck but with sex. A tug in his gut, like the yarn is being unwound further. He almost chokes on the thought and shoves it into the back of his mind.

"It's not—different?"

Buck shrugs, and chugs back the rest of his second beer. Clearly, he was drinking to forget tonight.

"Not really—I mean obviously a little different, but all the relationship stuff is pretty much the same. People are people."

"Well, he's an idiot for breaking up with you."

Buck smiles at him, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"Thanks," Buck says, reaching for a third beer. "Can I sleep on your couch tonight? I don't think I can go home to my loft."

"Anytime—my house is your house."

Leaning back into the couch, Buck takes a slow drink from his bottle and his eyes scan Eddie's body, eventually locking eyes with Eddie, his brow furrowing.

"So, why aren't you—" Buck makes a sweeping gesture with right hand, the hand closest to Eddie, — "why aren't you…" His voice trails off.

"—wearing pants?" Eddie chuckles, feels his cheeks heat a little and takes a sip from his beer, suddenly feeling a bit exposed without his mustache or his pants even though he hadn't thought twice about it before opening the door to let Buck in. But then he relaxes, because it's just Buck. It's not like he's never seen Eddie without his pants before. "It's sort of a strange story."

"Go on," Buck says, his grin widening, the heartbreak easing a bit from his eyes. "It can't be stranger than the curse of Billy Boils, and, uh—I could use the distraction."

"You know when I was having, uh, issues with Marisol, and the—"

"—the nun thing?"

"Yeah. And you told me to talk to Bobby, and he suggested confessional but then I met Kim and never went, instead making a bigger mess of my life?"

Buck nods and sips his beer. There is still music playing, a playlist of suggested songs based on Old Time Rock and Roll. John Denver's "Take me Home, Country Roads whines in the background.

"Well, I decided given the mess, it couldn't hurt. So I went and confessed but immediately felt stupid about it—I don't even practice anymore, I'm not sure I believe—" he explains, meeting Buck's unwavering gaze. He had this way of making Eddie feel so heard, and he couldn't tell if the warm tingle that spread through his body was from the beer or Buck's attention. "Anyhow, I left and didn't think twice about it."

"After working out today, I stopped by that new juice bar—"

"—I've been wanting to try that place. Is it any good?"

He smiles.

"I wouldn't know—I ended up getting water. And that's when the strangest thing happened." Eddie paused and took a sip of his beer. "The priest—"

"—the one from confessional?"

"Yeah, he, like, comes up to the table I'm sitting at. I didn't recognize him at first—confessional boxes are dark. But then he said my name—well, actually, I thought he was hitting on me at first—"

"Well, you had that handsome mustache," Buck teases, a mischievous glint briefly replacing the sadness in Buck's eyes.

With how hot his cheek feels, Eddie is sure his face must be beet red.

"That's what he said." He smooths his hand over his bare lip. "Anyhow, that's not important. Long story short, he suggested I do something just for me. Something fun, joyful and I've always enjoyed dancing…so—"

Buck's brow furrows as he processes.

"—so you had a no-pants dance party in your living room?"

"Yes—well, mostly. You've never seen Risky Business, have you?"

"Is it a movie?" Buck asks.

Eddie nods, not surprised Buck didn't know the reference. Even though he enthusiastically agreed to his idea to go as Crockett and Tubbs to Chimney's bachelor party, Eddie had to explain who they were.

"Well, it's a good look on you. Sorry I had to show up and kill the vibe," Buck says, sadness darkening his blue eyes again.

Eddie squeezes Buck's shoulder.

"You could never. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather spend my evening with." And he really couldn't, other than perhaps Christopher and the thought of him makes his heart feel like a fist is squeezing around it.

Buck drains his third beer and Eddie could see where this night was going. Although, maybe—for once, he wouldn't need to get completely drunk to tap into that inner joy.

"I should've brought more beer," Buck says, glancing towards the one remaining beer in the six-pack.

"I have more beer."

Buck licks his lips, and smiles, his eyes softening a bit.

"I knew there was a reason I came here."

Eddie rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

"Using me for my beer," Eddie teases, knocking his shoulder against Buck's, the effervescent bubbles of joy expanding inside him.

Buck's expression turns serious again.

"Thanks, for, uh, everything."

Eddie's lips curve into a soft smile, his eyes meeting Buck's gaze.

"Anytime."

[eijakushingomel]

P.2 Safe Haven! AU - The Ember Knight

It was another visit to Zuis' apartment. This time, Fidorance brought along several old toys that Myusa hadn't played for a long time to gift to the twins – also in hope that he could win their trust. Something about it reminded him of Darigon who tried to appease their local cat with some edible cat snacks.

This time, the person who answered his knocking was Zuis.

Zuis quirked an eyebrow at the gifts "What are these?"

"Gifts," he simply replied "Where are the twins anyway?"

"In the living room."

True enough, when Fidorance walked into the apartment, he saw those two on the living room. They appeared to be drawing something on papers, and pretty occupied with their activity until one of them (Nagyunn, he assumed) lifted his chin and saw a light blue haired stranger.

As if they were sharing mind, when Nagyunn stared at him in alarm, instantly Najin looked up at him in alarm as well. Fortunately, the younger twin remembered him because he less stiffened, leaned to his brother and whispered in his ear. Well, not really whispered.

"Gyunn-ah, that's the gangster I told you about."

Zuis snorted, obviously he heard it too.

First of all, he was not a gangster. He was a PE teacher in elementary school and occasionally he would cover the Geography teacher when she was absent.

Second, the twins should know better than to judge people. But Zuis did said they were isolated, so it wasn't their fault.

Third, they lucky they were cute.

(Not as cute as Myusa, though)

Still, Fidorance flashed one of his smile that didn't involve teeth showing (apparently, his sharp teeth scared the children - or anyone in particular) and said "Hello. I'm Fidorance, one of Zuis' friends."

The twins shared an adorable double blinks, before eyes squinted in wary. They were so synced it nearly freaked him out if he never met Waron. Najin slightly pulled away from his drawing to scoot behind his brother, while the other stared at him with his makeshift glare. Which somewhat made him less threatening and cuter. If Darang was here, she would squeal in joy.

Decided he must ease their wariness first, he complimented their drawings – or whatever they were doing on those papers.

"That's a nice drawing. Is that a dog?" he asked, pointed to the drawing in Najin's paper.

Najin looked offended "That's Zuis-nim."

Now it was Zuis' turn to look offended.

"Why are you drawing me?"

Najin shrugged "You're the only model."

"Fair."

Nagyunn, still the wary one, eyed Fidorance carefully. He squinted his eyes at the stuff in his hold, wondered what it was in the same time, thinking if any of those was edible.

Fidorance, who misunderstood the glare as a curious glance, smiled and kneeled forward. The twins stirred backward in respond but didn't run away from him.

"These? These are toys. A gift for you."

"...gift?" Najin turned to his brother.

Nagyunn helpfully supplied "a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present."

Fidorance blinked. Did that kid...just quoted something from a dictionary?

He looked at Zuis, who replied "Big brain," as a simple answer, and "Their mom only gave them dictionary as toy."

Yup. Okay. Fidorance will buy them a whole toy store. Only after he bought Myusa one.

"Hey, do you think it's still too early to make play date with Myusa?"

[pixidrmgirl]

🏴‍☠️ ༉‧₊˚. stealin’ my heart .ᐟ pirate leo v. multi-fic.

p.s : i made a playlist for this fic if you guys want that 🤍 ALSOOOO leo and (name) don’t interact until later IM SORRY I LOVE BUILDING THE STORY FIRST, and i switch from third to first somewhere in the middle of this, happy reading! 🧘‍♀️

chapter two,

✧˚ there was a sudden ring in (name)’s ear. she paused her story as she rubbed her head. “everything okay, (nickname)?” theo asked, concern etched on his face. she shook him off, “yes, sorry.” she smiled softly at him.

theo only nodded— “sure?” he asked a second time. but this time, she only bit her lip. “what do you know about leo valdez?” she asked, standing up from her criss-crossed position, curiously.

“he’s a natural thief!” annabeth cried, a few steps away as she placed a barrel on top of another. dusting her hands on her blouse, she turned to (name). “and cocky, it’s really not a good look on that guy.” she clicked her tongue in obvious annoyance.

(name) let a giggle slip, “cocky?” she looked at theo with a raised brow, who only shrugged his shoulders. “i heard he’s really good-looking,” her brother will walked out after tending to percy’s wounds from a falling incident.

“please!” annabeth’s pitch raised, moving the barrels appropriately. percy got to help his girlfriend, “who are we talking about?” percy asked, looking up at (name) as his brows furrowed.

“leo valdez, captain of argo ll?” she repeated. percy hummed, “only seen the guy through posters. looks like a fun guy though, so does the rest of his crew.” feeling the beads of sweat roll down his forehead.

her brother walked a little closer to his younger sister, blonde hair reflecting the sun as he walked, “why the sudden interest?” he asked her with his arms crossed over his chest.

did it suddenly get hotter? (name) liked to think, or was it just her dad messing with her? she shook her head, “no.. no reason.” she looked away, afraid that her brother will easily tell she’s lying through her eyes.

“liar,” the three synced. she let out an exhale of disappointment, looking back at them with furrowed brows. “alright fine!” she could already feel the blood rush to her face. “i dreamt about him last night,” she quickly added, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

gasps, well, mostly from annabeth. “dream about him? is this a specific dream or..” will raised a brow quizzically at her. she flushed a deep red, “no! no! it was.. we were in seperate rowboats, and it was cloudy, and he looked so.. so real, it felt real.”

her three crewmates all gave each other looks. “you don’t think..” will mumbled to his sister, before theo cried,

“all hands on deck for porting at hanahaki!” they all suddenly scrambled, putting in their own work to help dock stella-wren. (name) continued steering, focused on directing her ship towards the pier.

✧˚ “leo, we have no idea where this girl even is, the ocean is huge!” hazel yelled, her voice echoing across argo ll. leo wasn’t paying any attention to her, busy looking at maps as he walked around the deck.

“are you even listening?!” she yelled again. “why do you even wanna find the pirate princess so bad?” nico asked again, carving an apple to look like one of the pegasi flying by. leo finally lifted his head up, “wasn’t it rumored that she was trying to find the answer to the prophecy too?”

the curly-haired asked, avoiding the questions. his crew all stared at him in silence, a little unsure & confused.

“some crew i have,” leo rolled his eyes, tucking the map under his arm and stared out into the horizon of the endless sea. “yes.” jason came forward, “she was,” he added.

leo looked back, facing his taller best friend with an ‘how’d you know that?’ look. and it seemed that jason got the message. he cleared his throat, “the radio. but she doesn’t go by the pirate princess, or (name), she goes by wrella.”

“stella-wren,” leo responded in a whisper. “how original of her.” he tried to the hide the chuckle of impressment that slipped from his lips. “said she’s taking course up north, by the seven-seven-one coordinates.”

jason then replied, walking closer to stand beside leo, leaning his body against the rail. “so she is looking for the answer to the prophecy! you’re the man, jace!” leo patted the boy’s back, excitement rushing him. “sail to hanahaki, fellas.”

✧˚ “isn’t that..” there were whispers across the market as (name) shopped by herself, her crew took the day off to explore hanahaki. she was just looking at some trinkets, before she lifted her head up to see another ship porting to hanahaki.

she squinted, trying to get a better look, going on her tip-toes to try and get a look from the back of the swarming crowd.

“it’s him!”

“the thief?”

“i heard he’s a fire manipulator,”

“a captain who manipulates fire? sounds like a whole lotta foolery,”

the vendor behind the booth she was shopping at chuckled at her, “having trouble, miss?” he asked. she turned her heel, sighing. “some people can just get sooo nosy.” she rolled her eyes at the crowd.

“if it helps, that’s definitely argo ll.” he added. her head started to hurt, the ringing in her ear was back. why’d that name seem so familiar? “argo ll?” she asked, rubbing her head in circles.

he nodded. “captain leo valdez and his crew, a troublesome group.” he nodded, looking over across the crowd. “captain..” she whispered before she let out a small gasp, the vendor raised his brows in shock.

“are you okay miss—“

and she dashed. pushing herself in the middle of the crowd to get to argo ll, her heart beating like it never had before.

“watch it!”

“excuse you!”

as soon as she made it through the crowd, she could finally see the ship up close. it was the biggest and the coolest ship she’s ever seen. and in the top deck, was none other than, captain leo valdez.

✧˚ leo’s seen many islands. but this in particular was starting to become his favorite. it was the way you looked at him like you’d cross the whole ocean for him. it was the way your hair blew your hair away from your face that helped show your sun-kissed cheeks more.

“leo, left!” jason yelled, taking the wheel from a distracted son of hephaestus to avoid hitting the pier. leo was too distracted by you to fully understand what his crew was trying to tell him.

but all that was repeating in his head was, was it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve only shared a glance with?

next chapter ↳ chapter three,

[fruitcoops]

Hi! I love your writing! I live for every notification that you've posted something new.

I really like your fics where Coops are being fluffy and adorable, and the team finds them and are all adorable about it, like the Sirius cuddle one. I think that's my favorite.

Would you write Coops skating together before/after practice, and the team finding them and quietly going mushy watching?

I love those moments, too! This was an interesting (and difficult) fic for me to write, since I've never written Cole before, but I'm so looking forward to him in Vaincre. The song playing at the rink is 'American Gods' by ONR. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

Cole frowned. Upon Katie Dumais’ request, he had listened to “Hoedown Throwdown” enough times in the past two weeks to know the rhythm in his sleep, and that third beat just wasn’t lining up. He paused his attempt at working through the mess of his stall and straightened up, removing one earbud—sure enough, different music drifted from outside the locker room.

Someone else was at the rink.

He scanned the locker room, but saw no gear other than his own; two voices burst into faint laughter. Not the janitor, then. “Hello?” he called cautiously. It wasn’t against the rules for him to be at practice early, but maybe it was frowned upon by the others. Oh god, what if he became known as ‘the early guy’? The last ‘early guy’ he knew had become a suckup Coach’s pet, and everyone hated him for it.

There was a clatter, then more of the voices. Cole took his earbuds out and crept into the hall, wincing with each squeak of his sneakers.

Dumo’s at home, so it’s not the kids…Cole bit his lip as he tiptoed around the corner to the rink. “Oh, shit!” someone yelped before dissolving into laughter. He spotted two duffel bags on the bench, still full of gear, before a blur of movement flashed past and he had to duck behind the wall again to stay out of sight.

“Did you just trip over yourself?” Remus shouted across the ice from the other end with a wide grin. Cole craned his neck in time to see the captain nod, red-faced. “The great Sirius Black, everyone. Bravo, sir!”

Sirius skated over and checked him lightly—neither of them were wearing their pads, just skates and regular clothes. It was an odd sight. Cole felt a little like his two worlds were colliding. Off the ice, Remus and Sirius were kind (if a bit intimidating), and close with the team in a way he desperately wished for himself. On the ice, Cap and Loops were a wicked one-two punch that he idolized. They were careful with their words, and closed-off whenever media was around.

But out there, in their street clothes with well-loved sticks and a scattered collection of pucks, they looked so very different than the people Cole thought he knew.

A new song came on and Remus started doing the Sprinkler; Sirius had to sit down for a moment to catch his breath from laughing so hard, only to be dragged back to his feet and pulled along as Remus skated backwards. “If I have to get up, you have to sing for me,” he said with a groan, though his fond smile was visible from twenty feet away.

“Tell me all of my secrets, tell me all of my lies,” Remus sang, then paused. “And something, something, something…oh, American gods.”

Sirius shook his head. “Hopeless. Isn’t this your playlist?”

“I only added it for the drumbeat!” Remus protested, spinning him in a slow circle. “What, do you want to change it?”

“No, I want to watch you try to remember the lyrics while I push you over.”

“Wh—” Remus cut off with a squawk when Sirius let go of his hand mind-twirl, nearly sending him to the ice. “Son of a bitch!”

“Yes?” Sirius bit his lip and made a dash for the other end of the rink as Remus raced after him; Cole would never understand how someone so compact could build up that much speed in mere seconds. They chased each other in loops and swirls around the fresh ice, their voices echoing off the empty bleachers that didn’t hold a single fan or camera.

Realization trickled in like summer rain and he rested his shoulder against the wall. If he didn’t know them, Cole would have thought they were just some random couple, instead of two of the most famous modern athletes. He wasn’t watching Cap and Loops warming up for practice—he was watching Sirius and Remus screwing around in their free time, on the equivalent of a date.

Remus tried to dip sideways—a move that had helped him evade countless opponents, though Cole could never figure out—but Sirius caught him around the waist at the last second and lifted him off the ice. “Dirty play!” Remus called, sticking two fingers in his mouth to whistle. “Ten minutes in the box.”

“Ten minutes?” Sirius laughed. “I don’t think there’s an official penalty for picking other players up.”

“You wounded me.”

“Wimp.”

“My emotional state is in tatters,” Remus insisted as he kicked his legs halfheartedly. “I’ll never recover from this.”

“Are you sure?” Sirius set him down and turned him around, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“I feel short when you do that.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you are short.”

“Tremzy is short. I’m above the national average for men’s height by four full inches.”

“Shortie.” Sirius caught his hands and pulled, skating backward across the ice as the next chorus began. “Show my life in a mirror, through the opposite side—”

“Singing won’t get you out of this.”

“—and we kill for that moment, when we long to take flight—”

“How do you even know this song?”

“Because I actually remember lyrics when I listen to music,” he teased, turning them in a wobbly circle.

Remus leaned back, using his momentum to slide closer until they bumped chests. “Poet.”

Cole forgot that they were people, sometimes. Just people, enjoying some well-deserved time out of the spotlight.

“Cute, aren’t they?”

Cole jolted and clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his yelp of surprise.

James shot him an amused look. “They do this before every afternoon practice.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm.”

“It’s so…normal.” He knew his bafflement shone through every word, but Pots seemed unbothered. Ahead of them, Sirius was lip-syncing to an old Paramore song as Remus tried to skate around him to get to the goal.

Pots raised an eyebrow. “What were you expecting?”

Cole made a vague gesture. “I dunno, actual practice? Running drills? The captain face?”

“The what?” James laughed quietly.

“The captain face.” He felt heat rise to his cheeks. “The one where it looks like you’re about to get reamed out by Cap at any given moment. It’s terrifying.”

“Reyes, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but that’s just his resting face.” Pots clapped him on the shoulder. “He’s the definition of RBF.”

Cole blinked at him. “This whole time, I thought he was gonna kill me if I slipped up.”

“Yup.”

“I’ve been afraid of him for two months and that’s just his face?”

“You get used to it.” He turned Cole back toward the ice, where Sirius’ smile was brighter than every fluorescent light in the building. “But he only looks like that around Loops.”

They stumbled a little going through an awkward attempt at a waltz, but they recovered at the last second, and Remus pulled him in for a light kiss. Cole felt his blush creep to his ears. “Should we go?”

Pots shrugged one shoulder. “They won’t notice either way.”

“This isn’t…creepy? They’re basically on a date.”

“They’re at the rink, remember?” A gleam entered his eye behind his glasses. “That means we get to chirp them for PDA in the workplace.”

Cole paused for a second and looked back, where Remus was playing keepaway with Sirius’ beanie. They darted around each other, practically flying over the ice—their footwork looked as natural as if they were born doing it. “It must be hard for them.”

“What?”

“Finding time to do this.” He glanced at James. “Everyone is expecting them to be one way all the time. I expected them to be one way all the time.”

James’ face softened and he draped an arm over Cole’s shoulders, leading him back down the hallway. “That’s what we’re here for. The best thing about this team isn’t our cohesion on the ice, or the Cup we won, or any of that. It’s that we’re friends, on and off the ice. As long as you remember that, you’ll never have to fit yourself in one specific box.”

Cole blinked at him. In two months of mentorship, he had never thought of James Potter as wise. “I swear you’re the same person that put shaving cream in everyone’s skates and blamed Harzy for it.”

James barked a laugh and ruffled his hair. “No boxes, Reyes. No boxes.”

[surestargument]

120218 122522.

Sreya and Radko-3, trapped in a cave with a bunch of Hive and about to do something stupid.

**

“I don’t know about this,” Ghost fussed for a third time. It zipped around Sreya nevertheless, dutifully finishing up her biometrics scan while she doublechecked her gear. Updates to data she already knew flickered across her helmet’s HUD — low ammo reserves, depleted Light, structural damage to her armor, a list of all her wounds Ghost couldn’t heal fast enough this deep into a Darkness zone  — but right now, she was only focused on one number still ticking up slowly: the alignment rate of her Light with her fellow Guardian.

“Join the club,” she said out loud. “I’m the one who’s gonna have to actually sync up with her, you know.” 

She looked beside her at Radko, Radko’s Ghost a silent mirror of Sreya’s as it completed its own scan. Radko just shrugged at Sreya, impassive and resigned all at once. They both knew they only had two options right now: do nothing and die to the Hive horde hunting them down in these caves, or at least give themselves a chance of making it back up to the surface. Of course Sreya’s Ghost understood that too. 

“Light frequency alignment at 57%,” Ghost reported. Radko’s Ghost remained quiet, preferring to subvocalize directly to Radko. “Estimated time to a full sync, about 3 minutes.” In the distance, they heard the triumphant shriek of a Hive wizard, and the replies of its many Thrall — they had found Sreya and Radko. Ghost’s eye flickered in frustration. “Or whenever they show up. Sreya, we — I mean, Ghost and myself, neither of us have tried this before. And you two are… well, you’re an Awoken, and she’s an Exo. We don’t know how long we can match your frequencies with each other —”

“As long as it boosts Sreya’s Light enough at the start,” Radko said. “We’ll handle the rest if that goes to plan.”

“You heard the fireteam leader,” Sreya said cheerfully. “If we die, we die. Now go stow yourself away.” 

“That wasn’t exactly what she said,” Ghost muttered, but it blinked out and settled into Sreya’s HUD to complete the alignment. 67%, 75%, 88% … Sreya felt something change at the edges of her Light as the number ticked up and her internal equilibrium was forced out of balance too quickly. It was like a deep itch prickling just out of reach, the sensation that there was something not quite right with her body. Her limbs jerked in an involuntary spasm. She shook it out and jumped a few times on the balls of her feet, annoyed that any of this might come off as nerves from the outside. 

Radko ran a gentle finger across the top of her Ghost before it disappeared as well. If she felt any of the same twinges as Sreya did, she didn’t let her body show it. They could both smell the horde’s approach even with the filtered air in their helmets; the Hive were getting closer and closer. Any second now. 

“Ready?” Radko said.

“With you? ‘Course I am,” Sreya said. “But take me somewhere more romantic next time.”

“Don’t lie.” The first traces of amusement entered Radko’s voice. “I know you think some desperate last shootout like this is the height of romance.” 

The Hive burst through the holes of the cavern. Ghost reported that the alignment had just hit 100%. Sreya laughed, in anticipation, in acknowledgement of the truth, turned, and ran headfirst towards the screaming horde.

Radko’s Light hit her like a tank mid-run and then just kept going, pushing her legs forward despite the initial shock of impact. Whatever she’d been expecting from sharing two different Light frequencies, she realized, it was nothing like the real thing. She’d held arc energy in her body before, but only as hunters used it: fluid, precise, tightly controlled; all that lethality compressed down to the sharp edge of a blade. Strikers didn’t have any use for that. They only needed to hit hard and move fast, as far and as long as their Light could carry them. From a distance, all Light looked similar enough when Bladedancers and Strikers were on the battlefield together. She was very quickly understanding now, even through the thrill of feeling her depleted reserves refilled to burst again, that it wasn’t the same thing at all.   

Gritting her teeth, she pushed that aside and forced herself to reach out for the emptiness of the Void. But there was nothing to touch but the storm all around her instead. Blue-white light blinded her, and for a split second, she felt her body stutter through an unfamiliar spike of panic. They’d only planned far enough to figure out how to get enough Light to let her draw her bow, hadn’t had the luxury to consider that a sync might affect her ability to touch the Void in the first place.

If a successful sync meant she still couldn’t use her Light the way she needed to, then what was the point of it? They were still fucked. 

Sreya sucked in a sharp breath, and then two things happened at once. 

She heard Radko say her name through her helmet. And at the same time, somehow more distinctly, she felt what could only have been described as essentially Radko (a rare laugh — Mars sand in her boots — the telltale glow of her red eyes out of the darkness and a solid hand at Sreya’s back) reach out to Sreya (the glint of her knife as she flipped it — an easy but not particularly friendly smile — slow breaths as she stared down her rifle scope — the small ways her expression shifted only when she looked at Radko), a touch between the two of them that was more a series of associations exchanged than actual words, but more deeply understood than anything they could have verbalized.  

In that moment, Sreya was intimately aware of Radko in a way she never had been before — her presence behind her on Sreya’s radar, yes, but also with Sreya now, in her skin and muscles and nerves. In her Light. 

Radko pressed the feeling of certainty across Sreya’s mind as a responding of course to her realization. She hadn’t just dumped her Light reserves on Sreya and then cut herself off; their synchronization went much deeper than that. For however long their Ghosts could balance their frequencies, she was a part of Sreya now. If she had complete control over her storm — and she always had — then Sreya did too.

All this passed in a matter of seconds. Sreya leapt and drew her bow, and this time the Void answered as easily as it ever did. In three quick shots, she pinned the Hive down. Before she’d even landed, her pulse rifle was already out and turned on the tethered Hive. She was low on ammo; she had to make every bullet count.  

Light spilled out of her opponents in great orbs as they fell to her. A flicker of Radko’s anticipation ran through her, told her Radko was making her move before Sreya even registered the heavy steps behind her. Radko raced past Sreya and into the mass of screaming Hive, and the Light from the dead came eagerly to her until she was once again pulsing, crackling with blue-white lightning, a singular loose cannon that tore now through the tethered horde. This was the Radko that Sreya loved seeing the most, so different from her usual tightly controlled self, and to Sreya’s quickly dawning delight, she realized she could do far more than simply watch this time. 

Radko chided her with a brush of discipline against her mind — pay attention — that made her grin, and I am, I am! she affirmed in bright bursts as she gathered up the Light Radko was creating for her now. It’s just — 

(Comprehension, before she even completed the full thought.) I know. (A reflection, a mirror between them.) Me too, remember?

It was just that she could feel it this time. Down to the click and whirr of Radko’s complex machinery, the burst of paper thin Hive skin against her lightning-charged fists, the grit and grime on her armor burning away in a flash as her body carried her to the next target, and the next, and the next.

And somehow even more unexpected (more terrifying, she thought) than that — she could see what Radko was thinking, the way she reassessed and recalibrated effortlessly to both Sreya and the Hive, and she knew she was equally on full display to Radko. It was nothing but flicker-quick impressions between them, natural in the way one’s personal thoughts were, a jumble of mental images and half-formed words and sensory inputs that nevertheless made perfect sense. They’d always enjoyed being opaque to each other; now there was nothing not understood between them. They were moving together as two effortless extensions of one form, Sreya’s bow and Radko’s fists replenishing each other’s Light as they fought their way up through the cave tunnels. It was a perfect sync. It was heady stuff.   

Because she could never resist getting the last word in, Sreya teased Radko with a flash of exaggerated indignation: If you really think I can’t enjoy you killing a bunch of Hive and also kill a bunch of Hive myself at the same time, then I’d almost say you don’t know me at all, except… you know. 

Radko didn’t bother responding, just shoulderchecked a group of Thrall and ran through the opening she’d made, but the brush of her presence in Sreya’s head, dark and warm, felt something like low laughter. Sreya grinned and raced after her. It was clear how the sync would become dangerous soon enough, but in this moment, buoyed by the high of their assured victory, she thought she could follow Radko like this for a long, long time. 

**

Their Light began regenerating as soon as they burst out of the caves and onto the planet’s surface, but they still ran until they were well away before Radko stopped them to catch their breaths and let their Ghosts materialize. Sreya immediately fell back on the ground in an exaggerated sprawl. Now that they were out of immediate fire, all her injuries were finally taking a toll on her.

“We need to get out of here,” Radko said to the two Ghosts. “Call up whichever of our ships is closest. And as soon as you get the chance, send a message to the Vanguard about the Hive infestation. They need to increase patrol activity here, make it a high priority for fireteams.” 

“We need to desync you as well,” Ghost pointed out. “It’s probably not good to leave it so long, and I don’t want to cut the line in one go either. And we need to heal your wounds before both of you actually collapse.” 

“One thing at a time,” Sreya said from her position on the ground. She flapped a lazy hand at Radko, but her voice was firm. “Desync us first before it gets too weird. Neither of us are bleeding out right now, and when we get back to the Tower, we can always debrief the Vanguard ourselves.” She felt Radko’s protest, and added, “This planet might as well be bumfuck nowhere, Radko; even when the Vanguard does put out the call, it’s not like anyone’s just gonna immediately show up here tomorrrow.” 

Radko shrugged in acquiescence and sat down next to her, her boot bumping Sreya’s outstretched hand. She let the silence hang between them for all of five seconds before she said quietly, “Think we’re past ‘too weird’ already, anyway.”

Sreya grunted and turned her head away, but she didn’t move her hand. No point in bothering with a reply because she knew Radko already knew, and wasn’t that just great, now that the high was fading while they were still synced. It was almost funny how fast her mood soured. In the caves it had been so simple, so new, to fight with Radko like that, practically as Radko. There was no greater thrill quite like facing life or death with her fireteam leader. But out here on the stillness of the surface, the need for all that focus was gone and now her mind was starting to inevitably flit through trains of thought she absolutely didn’t want to go down while Radko was still a part of her. She didn’t feel connected, she felt exposed.   

“Don’t think about it if you don’t want me to know,” Radko said blandly. That made Sreya snap her head back to glare at her.

“Are you fucking doing that on purpose?” Yes. 

“Yes,” Radko said. “You know I am.” Of course she did. Talking out loud helped pull them out of their own heads, gave them at least the illusion of privacy. “Anyway, it’s nothing I didn’t already know.” And then it was broken all over again. 

“I don’t —” Sreya started, but that was obviously, annoyingly false. Normally it was fun to lie a little and let Radko humor her, even as they were well aware of what was going on between them, but the sync was making it all too transparent, brutal honesty at its worst. “You know it’s different.” 

“It’s not that bad,” Radko said. Sreya gritted her teeth. The worst part was that she could feel that Radko really meant that — she didn’t like it either, but she’d simply accepted the discomfort of knowing that Sreya knew, the way she always did. Sreya usually admired how easily Radko rolled with things — rolled with her —  but now it just infuriated her that Radko wasn’t anywhere near as on edge as she was about something they both weren’t happy with.  

“Sreya, we’re almost done desyncing you two, so please don’t have a heart attack over it,” Ghost cut in. 

“I wish I was having a heart attack, if it meant I didn’t have to deal with this,” Sreya muttered, and meant it. She would have shot herself right now, except Radko was already pressing a warning in her mind to cut that shit out. She threw her head back hard against the ground instead. Radko let her do it, and they both winced from the impact. “Can’t you at least go sit somewhere else? Like anywhere not five inches away from me?”

“You need the exposure therapy,” Radko said. Bastard. Sreya stared up at the sky, breathed through her nose, and thought about shooting Hive in painstaking detail until their Ghosts finally, mercifully unaligned them.

It left a great emptiness left behind in her, flattened her to the ground as her body tried to adjust to being alone again. Gradually, like everything else, it passed. Sreya sat up gingerly and looked over at Radko. She hadn’t moved from her spot, arms resting on her knees, and she very deliberately didn’t look back at Sreya. Sreya knew that was for her own sake, the smallest of mercies offered to her now that they didn’t have to be innately aware of each other’s attention anymore. The eternal contrarian in her balked at being handled gently in any way by Radko. The rest of her, strung out and a single light breeze away from tipping over, was just glad all that was over.  

She cleared her throat and said, “Alright. Let’s never do that again if we can help it.” Good, she sounded reasonably casual.

At the verbal acknowledgement, Radko finally did move; it was just the smallest turn of her head towards Sreya before they both paused, uncertain. Then Radko said, deadpan as usual, “I’m sorry. As your fireteam leader, I’ll make sure to never again put you in a situation where anyone has to know what’s going on inside your brain.”

Sreya huffed a laugh at that, and that was that. 

Radko stood up to go check on her Ghost’s progress and cupped a brief hand to Sreya’s shoulder as she passed. Sreya leaned back against a rock to wait for their ship. Safe in her own head, she let herself replay the feeling of sharing Radko’s mind, the solid intensity of Radko’s affirmation to her, and, shielded by her helmet, she couldn’t help but smile. 

[the-bau-quinjet]

Round 2: Tik Tok

Bucky x reader

Part 2 to Round 1: Fruit Snacks

Summary: You enlist Peter to help you prank Steve, Sam, and Bucky.

Warnings: Language!

Word Count: 1795

a/n: Ahh, part 2! Gotta love tik tok. This entire part was inspired by the first Chris Evans tik tok I linked... I linked all the tik toks I referenced, but the descriptions in the fic have been edited a bit to better fit the scene!

Masterlist

"Peter!" You called to him from the other end of the hallway as he entered the elevator. "Hold the door!"

He smiled back at you, holding the doors open as you ran down the hallway.

"Perfect. I need your help." You whispered as the doors closed, never knowing if a super soldier could hear you or not. You had an evil glint in your eyes that clearly said you were scheming.

"Oh, okay. What do you need Ms. L/N?" His eyes were wide, never having seen you this devious before.

"Peter. How many times have I told you to just call me Y/N? You make me feel old, and I am not old." You huffed, stalling for time.

"Right, Y/N. Got it. What do you need my help with?" He asked as the elevator doors opened.

You peaked your head, looking both ways before exiting. You gestured for him to follow you, exiting the compound and walking toward the gate where May was picking him up after a date with Happy.

"I need you to play the video on this flash drive at Tony's next party." You said when you reached the end of the driveway, handing him the mentioned flash drive.

"Why?" He took the device, albeit with a bit of hesitation.

"Because, I'm pranking Steve, Sam, and Bucky. They tried to get me the other day and failed miserably. Honestly, just watching them on edge has been great, but it's time for payback." You smirked, knowing the prank wouldn't do any real harm.

"Oh, Mr. Stark told me about that!" His eyes were wide with recognition. "Good job with the fake crying, I would've loved to see it."

"Well, you can help me get them back if you play that on the projector screen at Tony's next party." You nodded toward the flash drive, wanting to confirm the plan.

"What is it?" Peter looked nervous, unsure if he should get involved.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just a few tik toks I found from fans. Three for each of them." You smirked, already picturing the blushes. This would really get Steve and Bucky more than Sam, but when you came across the first video you couldn't not do it.

"Alright. I'm in!" He smiled, happy to help you. "But, why can't you just play the video?" He questioned, obviously not well versed in the world of pranks.

"Because, if they see me doing anything out of the ordinary at the party, they'll know something's up. I have to act normal, so it's a surprise." You outline the plan, explaining the need for two people.

"Why me?" He asked again, genuinely curious.

"Because, they won't think I'd go to you for help. They think you'll do anything to get them to stop teasing you, so they won't see it coming."

Peter nodded, understanding your logic. "Wow. You've really thought of everything." He smiled as May pulled up.

"I know. It's going to be great." You smirked, turning and running back inside before anyone could see you.

-

The night of the party, it took everything in you not to wear the world's biggest smirk.

Sam, Bucky, and Steve have been on edge ever since your warning, waiting for you to strike. They were huddled by the bar, appearing deep in conversation.

"Hi boys." You greeted them from behind, causing them to jump at the intrusion.

Sam recovered first, smirking at you. "Y/N. We've got a theory."

You raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"You warned us about your next prank, and then planned nothing." You bit your lip, trying to appear deep in thought.

"Interesting theory. What do you have to support it?" You tilted your head to the side, waiting for more of an explanation.

"It's been a week, and you haven't done anything." Steve started, less confident than Sam, but still sounding sure.

"I haven't?" You questioned, enjoying watching them squirm. "You sure?"

Bucky shook his head with a grin. "You're doing it again. Trying to make us paranoid."

Your gave them your sweetest smile, running your hand up and down Bucky's arm. "Whatever you say, dear." You said it with mock reassurance, then walked away grinning.

The three men shared a look, trying not to seem overly paranoid, but failing.

-

You felt eyes on you for the entire party. There was never a minute at least one of them wasn't watching your every move. You were fairly certain they were even keeping tabs on Wanda and Nat, just to make sure you hadn't enlisted their help.

You chatted with Nat, Wanda, and Pepper, danced for a bit, and ate some food, all while ignoring their stares.

Around 9:30, Peter managed to get the video queued up. All eyes were on the projector screen at the sudden noise.

A tik tok started playing, flashing different images of Steve as the music played.

"Hush hush hush, blush blush blush, you are now my big fat crush."

Steve's face grew redder as the video played, turning into a tomato by the end.

"Love me, and hug me, and touch me. And well, fuck me."

Another video immediately started playing, also featuring pictures of Steve.

The caption read "Let me present to you: Steve Rogers Walking" backed by some sexy music.

"When marimba rhythm starts to play, dance with me, make me sway."

Clips of Steve walking, whether it be in uniform from a news clip or in suits from press events, graced the screen.

He was hiding his head in his hands, too embarrassed to even think you could have done this. He had been watching you all night, you couldn't have set up the video.

Bucky and Sam laughed as a third video started to play.

The on screen text read as follows:

"People: how do you sleep at night? Me:"

A girl fell into her bed, swaddled in a blanket covered in pictures of Steve.

The screen flashed black for a few seconds, making everyone think the impromptu display was over. That is, until a new video began playing.

A heavy bass started thumping as a girl appeared on screen, counting down with her fingers along with the sound.

"3, 2, 1."

Sam appeared on screen, a plethora of his most used interview and press clips being played.

He was enjoying the praise, although slightly embarrassed at the video being played in front of all these people.

Another video began playing, showing Sam acting out different Avengers in a game of charades.

"Oh!" It was highly edited to draw attention to his amusing sound effects.

Finally, a clip from an interview Sam did with Steve and Scott came up.

"The problem isn't the kids, the problem is the parents."

You knew he wouldn't be embarrassed by the same things as Steve, so you chose a few random videos you found to call him out for not always thinking before speaking.

The screen flashed black again, transitioning to videos of Bucky.

A clip that had gone viral from Sam's account was edited with new music, resulting in the crowd hearing Bucky say:

"Suck my dick!" Followed by the song "if you gave me a chance, i would take it."

These videos were really just for you. You watched them so many times while looking for the three best ones.

Although, Bucky's wide eyes and rosy cheeks definitely didn't hurt.

The next video began with Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake.

"Take it to the chorus. Come here girl."

Pictures of Bucky flashed across the projector screen, showing off his physique. You don't know where fans find this pictures, but you loved them for it.

The last video of Bucky was a pov someone made about yours and Bucky's relationship. Although the two of you were flirty, nothing had been discussed.

Maybe that's why you chose this one.

You and Bucky were having a fake conversation that went as follows:

Y/N: "Bucky, I like your last name."

Bucky: "Oh thanks, that's sweet."

Then, in sync with the music in the background:

Y/N: "Can I steal it from you?"

Bucky: "Of course, doll."

Y/N: "What'd he sayyyyy?"

The crowd laughed at that one, knowing how the media and fans speculate about your relationship.

Finally, the screen went dark, no more videos lined up to play.

You made your way over to the guys as everyone resumed their normal party activities.

"What a show guys. Really well done. Don't forget to thank your fans." You slow clapped, enjoying their flustered faces.

"How long were you planning that?" Steve, blush just beginning to fade, questioned you.

"I've had the video made for 6 days. I started planning the second you left for the store." You grinned, enjoying the high of a good, harmless prank.

"We've been watching you all night. How did you manage to queue the video?" Sam questioned, eyes narrowed.

"I had help." You shrugged noncommittally. You wouldn't give up Peter's role in the prank unless he wanted you to.

"From? We had eyes on Nat and Wanda." Bucky questioned further, but you just shook your head.

"I can't reveal my sources." You laughed again at their matching looks of annoyance.

Suddenly, something clicked for Bucky.

"So, you chose all of the videos?" He sounded so curious, you couldn't help but fill him in.

"I did. It didn't take long. The internet is full of videos of the three of you. They were pretty fun to look through." You laughed at a few videos you opted to leave out of the montage.

"What's this about you liking my last name then?" Bucky had a new confidence about him with this question.

Having expected this question at some point, you had already thought of how you would answer.

"Well, the fans want what they want. Maybe we should give it to them." You stepped closer as Sam and Steve awkwardly shuffled away.

"You think so, doll?" Bucky relied, hands moving to your waist.

"I don't see why not." You closed the distance, pressing your lips to his in a moment you had been thinking about for months.

You moved together, pulling each other closer even when you were already chest to chest.

Eventually, the sound of a throat clearing caused you to break apart.

Tony was playfully glaring at the two of you.

"L/N, if you ever use my protégé to pull a stunt like that again, at least include some videos of me." He whined.

You laughed at his statement, having expected him to be annoyed at you interrupting his party.

"Can do Stark."

He walked off as you turned back to Bucky, whose mouth was hung open like a fish.

You gave him a questioning look as he sputtered.

"Parker helped you?!"

Permanent tag list:

@averyhotchner

[milazka]

someone said they left together |𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝.

the less i know the better masterlist

main masterlist

harry and charlie polaroids

warnings: sex, swearing, choking, underrage drinking, little age gap.

last thought: sorry for the delay! i had to finish all my exams before starting this and i had the white page syndrom for a few days, but now i’m back! i hope you will like it! love, milz.

─── ° • ❀ ───

The warm weather of September had recently given way to the raining days of October. It has always been her least favorite month; first, she was forced to remain confined to the four walls of her home. Second, she hated halloween and everything that came with it. Third, her father always spent most of his time in the hospital due to limited staff resources or locked in his office with his patients files. Rain flowing down her window accompanied by Sweater Weather echoing in her dimly lit room only makes her boredom worse. She misses the summer evenings working on Marcus' motorcycle or staying up until the early hours of the morning, drinking cheap wine on the roof of her house.

Touch my neck and I'll touch yours

A shiver runs down her spine at the words. It’s been more than a week since his perfectly shaped face was buried between her shaking thighs; she can still remember exactly how his big paw-like hands gripping her thighs felt. Her face heats up and flush at the thought of being in that position with him again. It had been more than a year since she had orgasmed this hard with a man.

Realising her father will most likely be stuck in his office for the whole evening, she slips on her favorite oversized flannel over her black hoodie and grabs the camera on her desk before walking down the hardwood stairs.

"I'm going to be at Marcus'!" she shouts to his dad who looks at a white sheet of paper, eyebrows furrowed. "Just text me if you're leaving for the hospital so I know you need me to come back and take care of Brady," she pets the little dog on the head before closing the door behind her.

The droplets of rain glide along her face despite her hood pulled back over her head. As soon as she reaches Marcus’ bedroom window, she can’t help but laugh at his awkward position; he is laying on his bed, his head upside down in the void. 

“Are you drunk, stoned, or just stupid?” she looks amused, a smile slipping on her lips as she stands in front of him, taking a picture of him with her disposable camera. 

“All of them,” he smiles clumsily, patting the mattress on his left to encourage her to lay down by his side. Upside down like him, she feels the blood flowing to her head, making her feel a bit lightheaded.

“Why don’t we join Max and the others downstairs?” she suggests, sitting at the end of his bed, feeling the blood leave her head. “We have nothing else to do and you already smoked the last blunt without me,” she emphasizes the fact that he didn't wait for her, which amuses him.

“Alright, let me change and I'll meet you downstairs,” he sighs; he knows that she gets along with her twin and her friends more than him.

The multicolored lights flash to the rhythm of the music. Her eyes take a few moments to get used to the intense lighting while she pours some vodka and orange juice in a red solo cup. 

“Hey pretty girl, would you pour me one of those?” this voice, she could recognize it among hundreds. She turns around instantly, meeting two ocean irises and a smile that awakens millions of butterflies in her tummy.

“Harry!” she smiles, slipping her arms around his neck, burying her nose in the crook of his neck while his hands grab her hips firmly. The familiar fragrance of Giorgio Armani tickles her senses, bringing back memories from two years ago. “I thought you were still in Indiana?” she says, pulling back from the hug to face him. 

God, she missed those blue eyes and perfect blond hair. 

“I’m just visiting my family for the week,” his hands lightly squeeze her hips like he used to do, making her weak in the knees. “Jordan told me Maxine was having a little get together and I had nothing better to do,“ he laughs, deliberately omitting to say that he was hoping to run into her. 

“I missed you,” she admits, her thumb caressing his cheek. 

“I missed you too, pretty girl,” he kisses the palm of her hand, making her blush and lose the last ounce of self control that she had left. 

He was her first. 

Her first kiss.

Her first date.

Her first 'i love you'

Her first time.

Her first heartbreak.

It’s probably the emotion of the moment mixed with the alcohol flowing in her veins, but her eyes get lost in his and their lips collide in a fiery kiss. She can taste the last bit of beer on his lips when she bites his bottom lip, stealing a grunt from him that makes her core throb in desire. Both of his hands cup her face as his tongue slips into her mouth to move in sync with hers. 

“Take me to your place,” she whimpers against his lips, pulling on his belt so that their crotches collide. 

─── ° • ❀ ───

“Have you seen Charlie?” Marcus asks Abby as he pours himself a drink.

“Last time I saw her, she was with Harry,” she answers, grabbing a few cans of beer in her hands. 

His heart tightens at the mention of this name. Harry was Charlie's first boyfriend and her first heartbreak. Marcus clearly remembers the day he picked her up in crumbs after they decided to break up because Harry was going to Indiana to play quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. Marcus never really liked him; Harry had always had a reputation for sleeping with girls and wasn't the type to have girlfriends. It surprised everyone in school the day he arrived hand in hand with Charlie. She was the first girl to win his heart. Six years younger than him, she had him wrapped around her finger for two years. 

“Do you know where they are?” he tries to look unaffected by the whole thing.

“Someone said they left together,” Brodie shrugs, taking a sip of his beer, not noticing the way Marcus' face drops. 

─── ° • ❀ ───

As soon as they reach Harry’s room, his lips meet hers while he waste no time to sit her on his old school desk. Her fingers lace across his hips, pulling him close to get the friction she is desperate for. Her hands find their place at the back of his neck while he grabs the bottom of her black hoodie, peeling it off her body in no time and does the same thing with her jeans. Charlie starts to grind on his crotch, moaning silently at the feeling of his hard on. 

“Fuck… you’re…so hot...” his jaw goes sharp in hunger as he takes a look at her perfect boobs squeezed in a forest green lace bra. She almost rips his shirt off when she pulls the black clothing from him, biting her bottom at the sight of his toned chest. His lips are reddened and swollen from the kiss, hair messy like she loves. Her hands roam his chest, feeling his abs tense under her touch. She squeeze her legs around his hips, sending him a clear message of her intentions. 

“Eager, ma’am?” he teases her, slowly unzipping his belt until his erection is only contained in his briefs. He presses his hard on against her core, rubbing himself up and down. The whimpers leaving Charlie’s parted lips are like music to his ears as his lips suck the sensitive skin of her neck. “Fuck, I’ve missed this…” she moans, tugging at the roots of his hair while his mouth works wonder on her neck.

In one harsh motion, he lays her down on his bed, hovering above her until his lips crash against hers. His hand slides down into her underwear, running two of his fingers up her slit. She groans when his fingers graze her clit, slowly circling the bundle of nerves.

“Please… I want you,” she begs, her hands grabbing his biceps. 

“Say it again,” he demands, applying more pressure on her clit until she starts to squirm under him. 

“I want you,” she cries out. “I fucking need you.”

Charlie’s legs spread open on either side of him, he grabs the lace underwear off her body, lifting her legs up in the air as he slides the material off her ankles. Completely naked on his bed, she remembers the first time they did it, how safe she felt with him. She blushes when she notices the way he bites his bottom lips as his gaze travels down her body. He pulls out a silver square foil from his jeans pocket, ripping the corner open. 

“You sure about this?” he asks one last time in all seriousness. She nods quickly, lifting herself on her elbows to kiss his plump lips. A smirk curves up his face as he wraps one of her thighs around his waist and throws the other over his shoulder, kissing the ankle bone next to his head. He takes his tip, running it up and down her slit in tease. Holding himself in place, he slowly push his hips forward, a whimper escaping the back of her throat at the so desired feeling. He lets out a heavy exhale when his hips meet the back of her thighs. 

“Fuck Charlz...you feel so good,” he cusses in pleasure.

He slowly pulls back and rolls forward, letting her get adjusted to him. She feels lightheaded; she missed this feeling of fulfillment that he had always given her and the way he can be gentle and rough with her at the same time. 

“Harry...fuck, harder…” she moans, eager for him to rock his body into hers. He immediately picks up speed, sending a wave of warmth pleasure in her lower stomach. Trembling whines leave her parted lips as he rolls his hips in a perfect rhythm. He had always known what angles and speed felt good for her, he loved to watch her lose control under his touch. Her stomach starts to spin, the familiar warm feeling starting to grow in her lower abdomen. 

“Shit, right there!” she cries out, her nails digging into his skin. 

“Are you gonna cum for me, pretty girl?” he encourages her, squeezing her hips firmly to the point of leaving a dark red mark. She hums, eyes shut under the pleasure. His hands slide further up her body, meeting her throat where he wraps both hands. The pornographic moan that escapes her lips when he applies pressure around her throat makes his dick twitch. 

“You missed being choke, didn’t you?” he whispers darkly, rocking his hips harder to hit the right spot. She whines in response, clenching around him as his grip on her becomes tighter. He crashes his lips on hers, kissing her without slowing down his pace. She digs her hands into his hair, yanking it hard. He moans into the kiss, his hand around her throat tightening. 

“You still like it when I pull your hair?” she says in a cocky way, pulling his blond locks harder. She knows he likes to be in control. He grunts into the top of her shoulders, rocking his body roughly into her. He brings his thumb in her mouth, lubricating it with her own saliva before bringing it between their bodies. She gasps at the sudden feeling on her sensitive nerves, whining as he starts to circle it with the pad of his thumb. It doesn’t take long for her to start feeling the familiar feeling of her orgasm. Her jaw drops as she feels the wave of bliss rolling up her body. 

“Oh shit!” she screams, her core pulsating around him and her head getting filled with hot air. 

“Give it to me, pretty girl,” his raspy voice sends her over the edge and he soon follows, thrusting fast into her as they both ride out their orgasm. His forehead crashes to her chest in total exhaustion, heavy breath leaving his parted lips. They both catch their breath, his hands engulfing her sides. He slowly pulls up and locks his eyes into hers. 

“I’ve really missed you, pretty girl.”

─── ° • ❀ ───

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[batsandbugs]

The Great IKEA Game

Chapter 3: Food Court Shenanigans 

AN: Well, it’s two months later, but I’m finally back! Enjoy! 

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Cautiously they snuck around from display to display - hiding their cloth robins in increasingly creative places, on a corkboard, with a dining set, on a fake bird. It became somewhat of a competition to find the best place within the display room. 

They remained serious in their mission at first, but soon conversation flowed. Snide comments about passing customers, little anecdotes - Damian’s humor was hilarious once you understood his sarcasm and pointed edges were just a defense mechanism (it reminded her of Chloe)- and joking around. Well, as much as they could be, being on the lookout for his older brothers. 

Over an hour they hid over thirty birds, changed outfits twice, spotted Jason another time, which resulted in Damian diving behind some fake curtains while Marinette tried not to drool over a butcher-block table perfect for a sewing room (but which was way too expensive). 

 “Coast is clear,” Marinette called, once Jason once again disappeared. Damian slid out from behind the curtain and joined her by the table. 

“This is nice,” he said. “But I like the dark oak better.” He pointed to the options available, and Marinette had to agree.

“Yeah, but my cabinets are light brown. Not that I need this or can afford it for that matter. I didn’t have a proper workstation even when I was in Paris.”

“Why not?” 

“No room. My parents had the bakery downstairs, then they lived on the second floor. I lived in a converted attic, which was great - I even had a balcony, but my computer desk took up a lot of room.” She shrugged a little self-consciously. “Besides, my projects always ended up splayed all over the floor, anyway.” 

“That’s fair,” he said with a small nod. He pulled out a map of the store, although Marinette couldn’t ever remember seeing ones to pick up. “We've neared the end of the showrooms - or at least the ones we placed calling cards in - once we enter the warehouse we’ll be out in the open. I’m sure one of my brothers are stationed there.” 

“Question is do we want to leave calling cards on the shelves of the warehouse, or do we need to avoid them more?” Marinette asked. 

Damian considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “We’ve still got several hours to go - open and bold moves now are an unnecessary risk. I would propose avoiding it altogether, but…” he trailed off. 

“What?” she prompted. A loud rumbling sound erupted from her stomach, and Marinette instantly wanted to die. Damian bit his lip, holding off a small smile. 

“Oh, laugh it up.” Marinette rolled her eyes, studiously ignoring the burning in her cheeks. “All I had to eat today was a pack of crackers.” 

“I thought you might be hungry - you could go grab something to eat from the food court and take a break if you wanted?” 

Marinette frowned. “But what about you? Aren’t you hungry?” 

Damian waved her off. “Nothing I can’t handle. I’ve gone longer than a few hours without food before.” His eyes were hard and cold, opposite of the teasing glint that had been there a moment before. It sent a small shiver down Marinette’s spine. It was obvious to anyone - or maybe it was just her - that Damian had been through things. 

But it didn’t sit right with her to head off to the safety of the food court and leave him alone and without food. While he had seemed perfectly capable of handling himself before she came along Marinette was very invested in how this turned out.

“How about I go grab both of us something to eat, come back here, and then we work on our next move from there?”

Damian rolled his eyes. “Fine, if it makes you feel better.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black wallet.

Marinette shook her head. “No, no, I can-”

He shoved a black metallic card into her hands; it weighed more than she thought it should.  

“I insist.”

“I have money.”

“So do I.”

“I don’t need your charity.”

“It’s not–it’s… payment.”

“I’m doing this for fun.”

“I won’t take no for an answer.” He crossed his arms and glared. It might have worked. If Marinette had been someone else. But she had been subjected to both Chole and Kagami’s overprotective and stubborn glares for years. This was nothing in comparison.

“I can pay, it’s nothing.”

He rolled his eyes again. “You’re a college student, it’s not nothing. Take. The. Card.”

Marinette threw her hands in the air. “Fine, you stubborn man.” A brief smile overtook Damian’s features, and then he dove out of sight. She turned to leave.

“I’m a vegetarian," he called. "Nothing with meat. And the pin is 1914.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in fifteen.” Walking away with the card in hand, she felt a little guilty for not fighting more. She was the one who was hungry, and who had offered to get him food. He didn’t need to give her his card.

Sighing in fond exasperation, she left the end of the display rooms. The warehouse section was large with rows upon rows of metallic shelving covered in boxes, but the food court sat off to the side; easy to find. It was mildly busy for a weekend afternoon, so she quickly stood in line and figured out what to order.

As she placed her order, she thought for a moment about just buying everything with her card, and then returning it to Damian as if she used it. She had a sneaking suspicion he would see right through that. Even after years of being a superhero, she still sucked at lying directly to someone’s face.

She scrolled through her phone, enjoying the slight break off her feet when she heard a familiar-sounding voice.

“Damn it, I don’t see the demon spawn,” growled an irritated voice.

Jason.

It was only years of practiced eavesdropping that stilled Mariette’s head from turning toward voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Damian’s older brother running a hand through his two-toned hair. A slightly smaller, but no less attractive man stood next to him, frowning at his phone.

“His credit card just pinged; he can’t have left that quickly.”

Marinette felt herself grow completely still at the mention of the credit card.

‘I am so going to tell him, I told you so,’ she thought furiously in her mind. How the hell would she leave without looking suspicious?

A third man jogged up to the two. A little older than them, but still just as attractive.

'This entire family looks like they could be on the cover of a freaking magazine,’ grumbled the part of her mind that was not overtaken with panic.

“I just checked the perimeter. No sign of him. Are you sure the charge was for the food court, Timmy?”

The man with the phone rolled his eyes. “Yeah–It comes out as $8.32, IKEA Food Court, order number 177.”

“Order 177. Order 177. Your food is ready,” called out a server. They placed the food on the counter, and Marinette saw the men all turn in sync to where the order laid innocently on the counter.

Marinette felt her stomach rumble again but knew the food was out of her reach now. Sacrifices had to be made to win.

‘Damn, I was looking forward to those meatballs and fries.’ No. She had to get out of here without Damian’s brothers noticing anything suspicious. They walked over to the counter, probably to ask the server who had ordered the food and which way they had gone.

Shit. She didn’t have any time.

Tapping on her locked screen, she placed it up to her ear as if taking a call.

“Hey Chole, yeah, no good to hear from you…” She rose from the plastic picnic bench. Only a few minutes before had seemed like such a nice place to rest, now it mocked her. She strolled away from the food court calmly, knowing one wrong move and she would be found out.

She reached into her bag, still walking normally, and grabbed a small metallic ball. It had a green paw print on the front.

Now, this was an experiment she and the kwamis had worked on over the summer. With a little help from Max–not that he knew what it was for–they had siphoned off a bit of pure energy from the Kwami’s and placed it into a small metallic ball that could be activated in a time of need. Mostly when it wasn’t safe to transform. It wasn’t super powerful and, so far, they’d only managed it with Plagg and Tikki, but it was something.

‘A bit of bad luck to distract them,’ Marinette thought.

Now, strictly speaking, this wasn’t exactly what they had in mind when creating the little devices, but desperate times called for desperate measures and all that.

She pressed the small paw print–using a bit of her own energy to activate the device–and threw it on the ground, letting it roll. She continued to walk calmly, and by the time she reached the entrance back to the showrooms, a clatter of noise erupted behind her. She only let herself glance back for a second, watching as a mostly empty display shelf collapsed onto an empty forklift.

Marinette winced. Hopefully, nothing was too damaged.  

Off to the side she saw multiple people had gotten into a traffic jam with their shopping carts, and… oh, everything had spilled out of one, and another looked like it had lost two wheels.

… okay, maybe the balls were a bit powerful.

Seeing she wasn’t being followed, she picked up her pace and made her way back to the showroom she’d left Damian at. Along the way, she saw multiple employees rushing toward the warehouse section. She felt a little bad for them, it would be a mess cleaning all this up, but it was her best shot at a clean escape.

After what felt like forever, but was just five minutes, she made it back to Damian’s hiding spot. Taking a moment to check her surroundings, she glanced around, not seeing any of Damian’s brothers. She breathed a small sigh of relief. She entered the showroom and ducked behind the counter.

“We need to go,” she whispered.

“Where’s the food?”

She shook her head. “Who cares about the food, we have bigger problems. Your brothers were waiting in ambush.” She shoved his credit card back at them. “They tracked your card.”

“Damn it,” Damian muttered.

She paused, thinking over the absurdity of the situation. “Who tracks their brother’s credit card?”

“People who want to win. What about you, Miss Disguises-in-your-purse?”

“They’ve come in handy multiple times.”

“Attention all IKEA customers be warned that aisles seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, and twenty are now closed because of potentially unsafe shelving units. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

Damian looked at her with a questioning glance, “Did you…?”

“I needed a distraction.”

“How… you know what… no, never mind.” He shook his head, but a small smile told Marinette it amused him.

“They’ll know you’re working with a partner if they get anything out of the server at the register. We need a better hiding spot.”

“Well, while you caused chaos, I figured out our next move.” He motioned her to follow him, and they crept along the floor to the back of the showroom. He moved aside a curtain to reveal an air conditioning grate big enough for both of them to crawl into. “The ventilation layout shows this running straight back to the loading docks, which have rooftop access. We can access another shaft which will take us back to the front of the store. I figured the long route would be safer than going the ground route.”

“Genius.” Said Marinette in amazement, although slightly wondering how on earth he got access to something like ventilation layouts.

“I am aware.”

“But how will we get it off the wall? I have a sewing kit, not a tool belt.”

Damian reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

“That’s a pen,” Marinette deadpanned.

“It’s a specially designed pen.” He grasped the top. “Avert your eyes.” Marinette glanced away, but then heard the sizzle of metal, and felt the warm rush of heat.

She looked. In Damian’s hand was a small laser, shaped like a pen, easily cutting through the metallic grate blocking off the air shaft.

“It’s a LASER?” Marinette whispered in a shriek. “You… just have a laser in your pocket.”

“Well, you apparently disabled four industrial shelving units with your mind.” He grabbed hold of the grate as it came loose and placed it behind the curtain.

“I didn’t disable four shelving units. Just one,” she paused, “and a forklift… and some shopping carts. Just enough to cause a distraction.”

“Whatever,” he rolled his eyes, but she could see the glee lurking beneath the surface. She couldn’t help the smile spreading across her own face. Something about Damian was infectiously fun and absurd. Marinette was reminded of her earlier days as a hero before the weight of the city fully settled on her shoulders. Back when fights were simple, and midnight patrols were racing across the Parisian rooftops–making the blood in her veins pound with the rhythm of her steps.

She missed it.

“Ladies, first,” Damian said, gesturing to the vent.

“Thanks.” She crawled in, beyond grateful she decided to wear pants that day. Damian crawled in right behind her and readjusted the curtain over the uncovered air shaft.

She grabbed her phone from her bag and turned on the light. Holding it and crawling was difficult, but it was better than crawling around in total darkness. It was times like this where she questioned the absolute insanity of her life.

She wouldn’t have it any other way, though. Tag List: (Closed, sorry!! I’m so glad you all like it though.) 

@multplelifes @bluesimani @justhugefangirl @nik-nak-3@redscarlet95 @purplesundaze @incredulous-reader @k-poplunardreams @our-preciousss @blackmagicforever @vgirl-10123 @lozzybowe @wannajointhecrabcult @dast218 @chaotic-mess-of-a-life @fidget-eep @kawaiigiantjudgefish @queenmj10@tumbling-down-hills-and-stuff @crazylittlemunchkin @fandom-writer642 @nach0ava @ladybug-182 @sam-i-am-0222@spyofthenightcourt @how-to-fuction-properly@emotionalsupportginger @dreamykitty25 @tomanyfandomsonmy-mind @mystery-5-5 @theatreandcomicfreak @weird-pale-blonde-person @whatthechickenfriedfuck @myazael@pawsitivelymiraculous @urbanpineapplefarmer @karategirl119@consumeconstantly @hauntedstudent99 @ertyzeta @thornalchemist23 @iloveitwhen @animegirlweeb@byronsacademics @i-wanna-be-a-ninja @moonlitjiminie@iglowinggemma28 @constancetruggle @catgirlkittypryde @waffelyunsure @maskedpainter @lilkymilky @unhappyraspberry @avengerthewarrior @quotesandanime @tbehartoo @clumsy-owl-4178 @g-arya @chocolateherringtacofan​ @jalaluvsu​ @crazyrandomrebel @fatimaabbasrizvi​ @thenillabean​ @goblinwhoships​ @bluefyoto94​ @nerinalith​ @loopingtangent​ @demonicbusiness​ @hecate-hallow​ @themcclan​ @tropestropestropes​ @paintedhope7​

[nonbinarychaoticstupid]

fifteen (hugging each other) if you want? (any ship/pairing/anything you feel like) aaaa

:0 skjckiskjdshd i was going to do carulia bc AA but then i fell into the lumity hyperfixation and this was born dksjdjksdjknjf this is the fastest i have ever written for a prompt

ft amity being ridiculously soft and in love and probably a lot of spelling mistakes idk

They drop Willow and Gus at their respective homes before midnight sets in - Amity even helps Gus crawl in through his window, which is nice of her, Luz thinks. She's too sore and tired to do anything except stand behind her, watching the street in case Odalia comes tearing down it on top of another abomination (probably with teeth this time, because who knows what happened after they ran away from the warehouse), gripping her sore arm and thinking about how her heart started pounding in her ears earlier, how she flushed when Amity grabbed her shoulder and hurried her outside and had to stare determinedly at the stars for a good ten minutes before she could look her in the eyes again, how -

"Luz?"

She jumps. It's Amity - of course it's Amity, she's been anxiously hovering around her and mumbling apologies for her parents since they were sure they weren't being followed - and she's holding out her hand and offering her a small, awkward half-smile, and Luz's heart gives a funny little jump, and then a second as she takes it and laces their fingers together.

And then a third, this time for a different reason altogether, when Gus pokes his head out of the window above them and waves.

Amity waves back (She really likes us now, Luz thinks, grinning up at the illusion of Gus's disembodied head propped on his balcony), and when they set off down the street, she feels her own grip tighten ever so slightly around her hand.

She lets out a long breath. Everything is fine. It's a beautiful, silent night, and she's wandering down the prettiest street in Bonesborough and holding Amity's hand, and there's still abomination gunk in her hair, but everything is... fine. Great, actually. And Amity is smiling, which is awesome, because Luz has never seen her smile at anything like that before.

She could get used to it, honestly.

Amity glances at her and smiles again, softer, slower. "You're making your idea face."

Luz blinks, resists the urge to reach up and feel exactly what face she's making. "Oh, am I? I have an idea face? That's pretty cool, actually. Or is it? Because then everyone knows what I'm thinking. Nah, still cool. I have an idea face. Yeah. I'm intimidating and cool. A bad boy, if you will."

She laughs. (Luz's heart does the funny little jumping thing again. She wonders, distantly, if it shows.) "The literal walking definition of a bad boy, you goof."

"Baddest boy in the Boiling Isles. Lesser witches cower before my star power."

Amity laughs again. She has a really nice laugh (like, wow), and it's still making something in her chest feel funny. "Luz the Bad Boy," she says, somewhat giddily.

"Azura the Good Witch and her edgy cousin." She squeezes Amity's hand, swinging their interlaced fingers between them. It's not often they get moments together like this, and she's starting to understand now what it is that's making her heart race and her breathing feel funny, and she thinks, a little distantly, that spending time alone with Amity is going to be - weird now, and - "I'd read that book."

"Please don't tell me the next thing we do is write it."

"Oh, we?" Luz turns to grin at her. "There's a we now?"

And Amity - Amity flushes.

"Yes - I, um - a - a we, sure, I don't - I dunno, uh - we as - as in - um -" She bites the inside of her cheek, glancing away, and Luz's heart does the jumping thing again.

"Wow, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she mumbles, grip loosening on her hand, and she chews on her lip and squeezes it tighter. It probably isn't the best move, but Amity... Amity seems to respond well to it - she squeezes her hand back, and when they round a corner and officially make it out of the main town, Luz notices that they're walking in sync. The realisation makes her smile.

"Amity," she begins, and Amity jumps.

"Hm?"

"Are you gonna go back to your parents tonight? I - I don't think that's really safe. You - you could - uh, you could stay with us, if you want. Just until school tomorrow. King won't sleep on your clothes if I tell him not to, I swear."

She smiles at her over the space between them - the same soft, slow smile that made Luz's heart do the Thing again earlier. "I - thanks for the offer, but I'll probably go to Skara's. She's used to it. Me coming over after an incident, I mean."

"Stuff like that's happened before?" Luz whispers, and she meant it to sound casual, not... tense. "I'm - I'm really sorry, Amity. I'm sorry for pushing you earlier."

Amity shrugs. "You didn't know. It's not like I go around telling people. And it's not - it's not a big deal, anyway."

"Amity, that necklace -"

"Luz," she mumbles, not unkindly. "It's not a big deal. I can handle it. I've got Edric and Emira."

"And your father?"

She shrugs again, slower this time. "He doesn't care. Mom could dangle us over the edge of a cliff and he'd be more concerned with the soil density than, you know, his children."

Luz can't think of anything to say except "I'm sorry." She reaches out with her free hand, touches Amity's shoulder, and she gives her a long, warm look. And they fall silent.

And Amity's head falls gently onto her shoulder.

--

The silence lasts for the majority of the walk home, right up until they make it into the woods, and then Amity lifts her head from Luz's shoulder and murmurs, "It's really pretty out here at night, isn't it?"

Looking over at her and saying yeah, it is would be the obvious and cliché thing to do, and also Amity would notice and probably laugh at her, so Luz stares determinedly again at the sky for the second time tonight and chokes out, "Yup. Really pretty. Love living out here. Especially at night."

Amity giggles, and it's the most undignified and adorable sound she's ever heard come out of her mouth. "You're a dork."

"Biggest dork on the Boiling Isles. Baddest boy around. My list of qualifications just keeps on growing."

She laughs again. And Luz realises that ever since they escaped the warehouse, she's been... relaxed. Not happy, because dealing with a mother like that probably couldn't leave her feeling particularly cheerful, but... open. Softer, warmer. And she thinks it's because of the absence of the necklace.

They stop not far from the Owl House, in the shelter of a large tree she knows, logically, isn't oak, but looks too close to be anything but. Amity's head falls back onto her shoulder again. She makes a soft, contented noise (and the Thing happens again, and she thinks, wow), and mumbles, "You're thinking about the necklace, aren't you?"

"I didn't say anything. That was all you. But yes, I am curious. D'you - d'you want to talk about it?"

A long, almost languid shrug. She reminds Luz of a cat sometimes. "She used it to talk to me. And, uh - and keep me in line, I guess. Threaten me where no-one else could hear it. Where Dad couldn't stop it. Yeah, he did try to stop it sometimes. Mostly because he seems to draw the line at physical injury he can't explain to the authorities." The corners of her mouth twitch up, and Luz has to shake herself.

"That's awful," she breathes, feeling small. "That's horrible, Amity, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Amity detaches herself from Luz's side, and her hair is messy and sticking to the side of her face and when she steps away and turns to face her she keeps a hold of her hand. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door."

Luz smiles at her.

--

Amity lets go of her hand when they get to the porch. (Luz tries not to visibly frown at the loss of her presence.) She makes it all the way to the door, Amity trailing behind her with an odd, uncertain expression, and then something shifts a little within her ribcage and she spins around and flings herself into her arms, and Amity yelps and stumbles back a little, and then she loops her arms around her shoulders and hugs her back.

Luz likes hugging Amity.

It's such a simple thought, and it makes her feel so strangely delighted. They fit perfectly between each other's arms, and in the half-dark, lit only by the dim, guttering light from the lamps inside the house itself, and she has the feeling that the only reason Hooty isn't directly behind them making some snide comment is because Lilith is inside and entertaining him, thank G0d.

Something like five minutes pass - I've been hugging Amity for five whole minutes, oh my gosh - and then she hears, somewhere to her left, "Uh, Luz?"

"Hm?"

"This is nice."

She settles her head on Amity's shoulder. "It is."

"I think I have to let go now."

"Nooo..." She buries her head in Luz's hoodie, just gently enough to make her heart do the Thing again, and sighs, and Luz laughs.

"You okay there?"

"Don't get a lot of hugs."

"Mm. You can still stay with us tonight if you want." ('Don't get a lot of hugs.')

Amity shakes her head. "I'm good. Thank you, though."

"Thank you for saving my life today. You were awesome. You are awesome. I can't imagine doing anything like that."

"Luz," she says, warmly, softly, "You do it all the time."

And with that, she steps back, lets go of her entirely, and practically skips into the night, leaving Luz to stare after her and wonder why she left so fast, and spend the rest of the night agonising over this weird, warm feeling buzzing away in her chest.

[mochikeiji]

Kinktober Day 6: Cool Down Methods

↠ Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime x Reader

↠ Warning: SMUT! Ice Play, BDSM, cunnilingus, fingering, handjob.

↬ Word Count: 2.1k

↣ a/n: ohayo! It's ur bby's birthday today!! Supposedly was about to post an Akaashi but I will save that for Day 25 :')) I apologize for the delay, exams are coming up this week. But afterwards I will be back and yes, Kinktober up til Day 31 will be completed, just delayed! Thank you again for loving my recent works!!

⇢ Day 6: Ice Play

The heat from his kisses were addicting. They made you feel like you were flying, safe with his presence, and loved. The way his hands roamed to tweak a nipple from your breast, escaped a mewl from your connected lips. He rubs it between his thumb and index, the other hand sliding up and down against your tied arm from the bed post for assurance; letting you know that he wasn't here to be rough with you today. That he was going to tale care of you. Good care of you.

Training the all star, monster generation of Japanese players was draining, more so during the hot, summer air. Hours of being cramped inside the damn gymnasium with a bunch of sweaty, built men wasn't helping your dearest Iwaizumi. It was a pure blessing that no one managed to thicken his skull today, not even Atsumu or Bokuto with their shenanigans, or else he would've came home with another round of heated rants running from his potty mouth. Instead he finds another way to cool the both of you down.

Innocently watching TV and in hopes he was talking about getting ice cream at the nearby convenient store crossed in your mind. Now, Iwaizumi was very timid around women, even if he had been stuck with you since his third year, he was still sometimes the stuttering mess around you whenever he had some...Intriguing matters.

But as you were effortlessly hoisted up from the comfort of your couch, legs  instinctively locking themselves around his waist, all he did was gave you one look in the eye with his hands squeezing the globe of your ass and you were in his trance. Oh you would never pass down an opportunity where he comes home all bothered and ready to take you.

Once he settled you in bed not too long, his head leans in on your face. You thought you were going to have a taste of his lips as you were shutting your eyes closed. Once he knew he was close enough, he let's out a chuckle that made you confuse and pulls away, swinging his legs out of the bed.

"Wait there."

He came back after a few seconds and here you were, stripped out from the protection of your clothing and tied from the bed post. The elastic ropes he'd use for when he works out came to be more useful than he thought as they held your thighs open, tied to the knots on both sides of your wrist. With the help of a spare silk rope he used when tying curtains together, now to tie your wrists on each side of the bed post. You were so open; so vulnerable before his eyes.

"Hajime.."

A warm, callused palm laid on the base of your neck. Lightly squeezing it as he dives in for another taste of your kisses, the heat from both the air and the intimacy was getting unbearably annoying. It made your head spin a little from the lack of oxygen, luckily for you Iwaizumi pulled away and brushed away the locks of hair from your skin to keep you cool.

The air from the fan soon hits the spot that were at the verge of dropping a sweat, giving out a sigh in comfort, you heard clinking beside you, but unable to move your head up to process what Iwaizumi was doing from the heat, your body immediately arched with a loud gasp ripping out from your throat. Smooth with trails of freezing water slid from both of your sides. Ice cubes. So this is what he meant by keeping cool and why he went away.

Your back was kept arched as his hands continues moving up and down to your side, with the small blocks of ice cubes held in both fingers waiting for it to melt against the sensitive, heated skin.

"We should've done this a long time now, baby girl."

The last drop from the cube melted onto your skin then on the sheets, slowly relaxing your back on the mattress again, your heart pounded widely, thinking of the possible locations he might slide the cubes at and how it would feel. The anticipation made you gulp, Iwaizumi was not as merciless in bed as you thought. Imagining the hours of sliding those cold, deadly cubes against your cunt has you whining and bucking your wrists.

"H-haji!!"

He wasn't letting you arch your back this time. Having half of his weight laid on your stomach with his clothed crouch grazing against your naked cunt, one ice cube in his hand rubbing against your perked nipples alternatively. The smoothen corners of the ice taunting your nipple when he moves in circular motions. Each time he would press a little hard against the sensitive skin, your breathe would hitch.

"You're so sensitive here."

Half lidded as he stares hungrily at the puckered buds of your breast, when the cubes finally melted to their last drop, he leans down and began slurping a little too loud at each bud. Crying, you pulled onto your wrists; thighs getting numbed from the position as they were held open with less support. Iwaizumi wasn't pleased with your squirming while he was occupying himself with your breast, his erection prodding at his joggers to your exposed cunt and begins to grind along the wetness pooling.

Breathlessly whining his name, you couldn't help but tightened in desperation knowing the hardened erection of his— the tip, just poking teasingly at your wanting flower. The heat in your body was getting unbearable by the time passes as he still suckled on your buds. Crying, you pathetically tried to buck your hips against his, hoping to get some relieving friction.

"No, no, be patient, baby girl."

Finally stopping the assault on your chest, a huge wave of relief passed through your lungs as you breathed out. Iwaizumi had both of his hands now holding your hips down, but you missed the way his jaw was visibly clenched in irritation, feeling his own arousal pool on the fabric of his boxers.

No, not now. He wanted to see something.

"You just couldn't wait huh?"

Like all the color in your skin drained. You knew that tone, it meant you did something wrong and evidently you would have to face your consequence. You've seen this a lot when he was with Oikawa, it always ends up with him scolding the former setter.

Hearing him shrug his joggers off, you raised your head in curiosity, only to have your eyes scan down to see a spot on his boxers visibly leaking with pre cum and smirks up to you. 

"Look what you did, baby. Now I'm all bothered too."

You wanted to shut your legs close when he glanced down to your pussy. Clenching to nothing, he continues to watch in hunger while you turned your head to the side to hide your embarrassment. There was this part of you that wanted to demand him to get inside of you and work you until you drop. But the otber side was being too submissive— still anticipating his next moves with the sound of cubes clinking to each other reached your ears.

But it drowned out to the sound of slurping and moaning to your precious center.

"A-AH!! Hajime!"

Sucking in your stomach at the sensitivity, Iwaizumi places a kiss with your wet cunt before using all four of his fingers to rub on your clit in fast cricles. You didn't dare look down as your mouth sprayed numerous of pleas and begs, knowing he was gazing up to see your expressions and your already flustered face look more fucked out. He gives you clit one last lick before sitting down as the sound of clinking was heard on his palms.

"AHH!"

The immediate contact of coldness was met with the bursting heat of your cunt. Iwaizumi hums and has a firm hold of the slowly melting cubes against your cunt. Your legs couldn't shut close, only making small movements with your tied arms followingz drooling and rutting on the cold cubes as he has you on his mercy.

"You like it, baby girl? You're practically shaking right now."

His voice dripped with roughness and dominance. The devilish hand of his began to move along your grinding, the ice melting faster with the rhythm until it only became water that slud from both his palm and your slit.

"Haji, no more, please, I need you."

His dick throbbed at the sound of your desperation. Already leaking through his boxers, shrugging them down without hesitation and his member slapping against his defined stomach. You hear him moan and saw the way his muscles flexed when his cock was freed, the air finally making contact on the naked skin made it twitch around.

Your mouth watered at the sight, bucking your hips upwards as a sign for him. But Iwaizumi sighs in bliss and went on his stomach, holding your inner thighs apart and diving in to eat out your cold cunt. The shocks on your body heightened, letting out a small scream and rutted on his face. Iwaizumi loved the way you tasted; loved the way you would lose yourself just for him as he did for you.

He couldn't withstand his own impatience and began thrusting his own cock on the bed, each time he'd grind against the mattress, his tongue would slither along your cunt in sync with his movements. The tip of his nose was tickling your little button of nerves, and all you could do was sob and beg for him to be inside of you.

The left over ice caught his gaze for a second, he wanted to make use of it, but he didn't want to pull away from his meal. Instead, he grabs the lcube from the bowl and held it with his fingers, groaning at his idea ans stopped thrusting, sliding the cube first at the tip of his cock.

"Mmh!!"

"Haji!!"

He moans louder at the contact of the ice, vibrating on your poor cunt that made you into a drooling mess. Iwaizumi felt bold enough to slide the cube on the sides of his cock, the water slipping down to drip on his balls. His brows were no longer furrowed as if they were irritated, the way they looked droppy with his eyes half lidded and cheeks tinted, he looked lost in his own ministrations and poured all of his noises on your cunt.

His dick began to twitch, when the ice melted he removes his hand from your thigh and grabbed onto the soaked length. Pumping it fast up and down and let's his mouth go off your cunt, panting and gripping your thigh.

"Fuck, fuck, baby. Cum with me, okay?"

Still trying to regain your breath, you looked down lazily, confused by his words until he introduced two fingers inside your pulsating cunt, making you squeal at the pace he was settling like on his cock; fast, rough and hard.

"FUCK! HAH AH— HAJI, PLEASE!!"

Fingers thick and long as his was another part where you loved to cum on. The way his beckon them on the right places has your toes curling, and your heart pumping with adrenaline. Iwaizumi can feel it, fje sound of your lewd voice singing went straight to his angry cock, the way his mind was getting fuzzy and no longer in control of the pave he has with both hands; he was close.

"HAJIME!!"

Fuck, he curses in his head and shuts his eyes. Your back was deliriously arching away from the bed as he hits the spot inside you. The tips of his fingers massaging roughly enough for the bubble inside you to combust and cream on his fingers with a scream.

"Fuck, baby—"

Pulling his fingers away from you cunt, he engulfs it with his hot mouth. Gulping and moaning out what you had to offer him as his cock spurts thick white ropes that went to his thighs. You could no longer say or give out a sound as his slurping is heard. Your legs were tired, but Iwaizumi immediately unties the ropes from your legs to let them drop on the mattress to rest.

He pulls away from your soaked pussy, giving them firm pats just to tease you until you whined for him. Chuckling, he moves up in between your legs and kisses you. Whispering sweet nothings and praises while peppering your face with small kisses.

"Was that suppose to cool us down?"

Both of your bodies were sweating, hearts can be heard beating fast from each other's chest. But both held the same smile that had so much love into them and satisfaction.

"You want me to do it again?"

Cupping both of your cheeks with his palms as he lays on top of your chest, his smile was cheeky. It made you wonder where has your shy, hedgehog of a boyfriend go, but nevertheless gave him the mirroring expression.

"This time, fuck me for real, Hajime."

[everafterkeiji]

Summary: The so-called chemistry between you two is superbly deadly, so why not take it to the next level?

Pairings: Testurou Kuroo x fem!reader

Word count: 5.3k

Tags, Genre: fake lovers! trope, slight angst

A/N: 🤺 stay back🤺feelings🤺

Maybe you should've disagreed on the 10th time or maybe the 8th or 11th?

Honestly, there was no stopping the couple of the year.

"She didn't really say yes at first but with a little push of love she finally did." Kuroo comments, a drink in hand as you smiled against his side, with his arm around you.

"Please, I didn't need a push. I was too in love with the dumbass to say no." Your relatives practically awe at your comment while Kuroo kisses the top of your head, as you smile to sell the deal.

"What are you guys planning on after you graduate? I hope you two continue to stay like this." One of your relatives says as you both recall the plan.

"Moving in doesn't sound so bad, right babe?" He asks you while you sip your drink, feeling his hand slide down to your waist while they cheer at his dialogue.

"I wish young love looked like this when I had it!"

"Y/N is so lucky!"

"Tetsu is the best man for Y/N!"

Sighing with pain to your gums, you spoke.

"Excuse me, I'm just going to refill my drink. Coming babe?"

"Of course, bub." He says before excusing himself as well, while he walks away, his hand loses contact with your waist knowing there wasn't a sight of anyone else in the kitchen apart from you and him.

And cut.

"I thought our fourth line was that we would take things slow—what you said was literally our fifth line, Tetsu. It's too early." You say as you actually refilled your cup as Kuroo sighs but he smiles, leaning on the wall looking at you.

"Well might as well go all out, I'm not an actor for nothing, babe." You sigh as you drank as Kuroo pats your hair, after a sip, you let out a chuckle.

"Actually, their reactions were everything." You say as Kuroo smiles before setting down the cup on the table.

"Did you see your grandmother? She's going to beg you to wear her wedding dress now." He jokes while you shake your head, denying the offer.

You introduced your relatives to him last year, he was thankful that you trusted him this well to get this far in your family. You hated how they fell into this little trap of yours but it was still entertaining to see them act like this, even if guilt trailed alongside it.

"Seriously, do we go over line 5 now?" You asked with a slight smirk as Kuroo intertwined his hands with yours, with the other ready to open the door.

"We'll see how our audience reacts first, babe."

-

"You did not— you guys are taking this too far. How are you feeling?" Yaku asks through the phone as you bit down on your finger as you tried to come up with another excuse to why you keep allowing yourself in this position.

"I'm fine Yaku seriously! Me and Kuroo are staying at this hotel because of the whole family event earlier." You ran a hand through your hair, feeling the stress set in that you were actually sleeping in the same room as him.

This faux relationship has never led to this point. Kuroo has asked you for permission in case he were to kiss your cheek, hand, or forehead and you allowed yourself every time because this is what you got yourself into in the first place.

You agreed because it didn't bring your heart leaps of excitement—not even a sight of a butterfly in your system.

No matter how many times he's held your hand or planted a kiss on your temple, it didn't feel like Cupids touch— the arrows of love purposely hitting you in the wrong places. You initially thought that it was actually risky, to find yourself falling sooner than expected but a year into this 'relationship' you actually enjoyed the experience without having your heart miss a beat because of it all.

Your bond with Kuroo can only be described by the words bickering and platonic. Because of the way you interact with each other and how you constantly visit each others places, everyone could see where this friendship could end up so you took this advantage just for people to avoid the both of you which turns out to be the opposite, now everyone wanted to dig themselves in the news that you actually got together.

"Y/N- Kuroo please explain your work here on the table." You had your experiment carefully in your hands as Kuroo guides you to the table as you went on with your explanation. The teacher was well impressed with the two of you with how prepared you are, you can thank Kuroo for that and your ability to act like you've got your shit together.

"This is why we-" You two said it in sync making the two of you stare at each other as Kuroo chuckles continuing the explanation while you were left to stay silent with the glares from the girls who admired him—and the boys who liked you sent their threats to Kuroo just by glancing at him.

"Thank you, good job you two. I see that chemistry suits the both of you." Your teacher comments and as you walked away you rolled your eyes, disgusted at the corny joke.

"It's working too well actually."

Someone shut him up. You think as you felt the urge to give him a punch to shoulder. Kuroo was dragging more attention to the two of you and you hated it. You knew they were all jokes from your classmates but Kuroo kept feeding and responding to these claims, now you were the center of curiosity.

"Tetsu, I will shove a foot down your throat." You threatened when you were back to your chairs he shrugged making you more irritated.

"It shut them up didn't they? Let's fake it instead." He suggests, now making you slap his arm but his smirk remained on his lips.

"Dumbass, we'd be surrounded with questions and attention- I hate this idea already."

"What about the free couple food and drinks at the mall? You don't wanna experience that?"

"You are not using that card on me, Tetsurou." You said pouting as your chemistry teacher sends a suspicious eye to the both of you, also signalling for you two to stay quiet.

"I know you and you know me well enough that this isn't gonna lead into an actual relationship plus my dad has been bugging me about a girlfriend for weeks." You sigh as Kuroo extends his hand to you, to finalize this outrageous deal.

Looking at where you are now, you wouldn't have it any other way even if it was odd to fake date your best friend. You wouldn't agree if you didn't trust Kuroo to an extent. He would never do anything that makes you uncomfortable, he dragged you into this so he was always careful with his actions. It was always your feelings before his even if his jokes didn't show it.

Kuroo enters the room with a yawn just as you ended the call with Yaku. You patted the space next to you as he plops down on the bed, his head on your lap as you ran your hair through his dark locks.

"Is my boyfriend exhausted from the attention?" You asked him with a giggle as he closes his eyes, in a trance at your fingers doing him magic as you continued.

"Isn't that the girlfriends job to comfort me?" He says, making you smile. There really wasn't any meaning to his words, you were glad that the two of you were sure that everything is a joke. If not, then maybe you two are absolutely fucked.

"Is it okay for you to sleep here? I can always drive us home if you want." You shake your head no as you leaned your back in the soft pillow, relaxing a bit.

" 'S fine, Tetsu. Looks like we're gonna have to sleep here for a while huh?" He sighs before sitting up and leaning on a pillow as well before planting his head on your shoulder, his hand comfortably resting on your knee. It was a habit he had whenever he comforted you in your sorrow but it grew when he does it under the table when you sat next to each other.

Kuroo denies that he's doing this because he just wants to feel close to you. He may be in a sea of people but if he holds onto you, he forgets them in a second. There's always a possibility for him to feel lonely in a crowd but this feeling washes away when he has a chance to feel you around him.

"Tell me if somethings wrong yeah?" He says softly as you nod and he leans to your body more, feeling drowsy at the warmth you gave.

"I do find you annoying, that's a problem right there." You joke as he rolls his eyes and pulling away from you and transferring to the right side of the bed.

"Good night then." He says stubbornly, covering his ears with the pillow while you laugh before going to the right side and drowning in the blankets.

"Night, Kuroo." You bid him as you turn off the lights.

-

The next morning you really wished you didn't give in to him.

Tangled in each others arms, the blankets scattered everywhere as Kuroo was snuggled into your neck when you woke up. It's difficult to move without worrying about him waking up, so you had to move little by little. First, you slowly remove his arm that was on your waist. Second, you tried to rest his head on the pillow instead of you. Third, you scurry away from him successfully.

All of these were disregarded when he pulls you back into his arms, mumbling something while you mentally groan. Kuroos fingers continued to gaze itself on your skin while you sighed, accepting it as it is.

"Tetsu-"

"Five minutes." He whispers not minding the state he's in. He moves away from you when he realizes the sleepiness in him has faded. He stretches, making you stand up and fix your appreance. He sits up after a few seconds and you turn to look at him and his bed hair which never fails to make you laugh.

"I don't allow bullying this early." He says as he throws on a proper shirt. You decided to fix the bed while he brushes his teeth.

"Tonight's the party right?" You asked him as he nods before spitting out the residue of the toothpaste. You went through your bag plotting out the outfits you could wear later. The event was a wedding week of your relatives and it was also an opportunity to set out your weekly episode of a relationship.

It's currently Saturday and the wedding is tomorrow. Tonight was basically a party for both sides of the family. One for the bride and one for the groom. You gave Kuroo a fair warning about their traits when they were drunk but you guys are third years—you've seen how people acted when they were intoxicated.

"Should we just drop line 6?" He jokes, making you throw a pillow directly to his face.

Let's do a role call on these lines.

Line 1 was the backstory of your lovestory. Silly as it may come to others, all these excellent lies were planned beforehand. Each and every one of them. To the date where you confessed, to the exact details on each memory, to the date you officially started dating and of course it included the story that Kuroo has told one too many times already, like a script he remembers with no trace of mistake.

Line 2 were the filler memories. Random come ups of dates and embarrassing stories to grab their attentions in each gathering. Though, this line is the most truthful then the rest. Some of these stories are actually true to life but those that are too romantically disgusting? You can thank your imaginations for that.

Line 3 is the talk of seriousness. Love has actually blossomed by then. It consisted of stories of who said "I love you" first and who actually fell first in the relationship. Mentions of what moment made them realize how in love you were and precious memories that could make everyone long for a companion like yours.

Line 4 is fake maturity at its finest. Why not look like the perfect couple there is to exist? This was sort of a pit stop in your 'relationship'. This is where Kuroo narrows down the pace of you two by throwing some lines like "We're too young to decide for something that big." And "We never know what happens in the future."

Line 5 is moving in with each other. God, you even looked for proper apartments just so you don't mess up a question. You were graduating after all so it was inescapable to talk about your upcoming plans together.

Line 6 shouldn't be used. That's talks of marriage and god— adulting. You two inserted this line as a mere joke knowing once you've gone through college, all these lines would simply disappear because they could never ask about you two anymore. If parents loved something about couples, it's the talk of marriage. Luckily, you and Kuroo hate the topic and simply agreed that this should be avoided at all costs.

"Never." You say as he hands you the pillow you threw before setting it back on the bed. You share a look to each other while you head out of your room to meet with his family.

Hours later, you got distracted in the sensation of his hands intertwined with yours.

Kuroo has subconsciously done it again. Underneath the table, swiping his thumb on the palm of your hand while his expression doesn't even show the slightest bit of interest in what he's doing below. Occasionally, Kuroo would send you a text on how boring the conversation was going so you'd bring up a topic for the both of you.

"You ok?" He asks while you smile at him before leaning your head on his shoulder, suddenly exhausted with wondering about him.

"I'm fine, babe." You say while he forgets the noise in the background. The nickname slipping of your lips so easily, even when you didn't need to call him that.

"Wanna go back to our room?" That was what you wanted anyway but was it rude to walk out of gatherings like this?

"Is that fine with you?" You asked looking up to meet his eyes.

"As long as your okay." He says, making your heart give out a pocket of panic.

You stood up with him following behind you. He was genuinely concerned with you so he catches up to you, slinging his arm around your shoulder bringing you close to him.

"Thanks, Tetsu." You bid him as he opens the door for you. You lied down on the bed as Kuroo sits beside you.

"You sure you're okay? I can tell them that you can't attend the party if you're sick."

"I just got really bored and distracted back there. I'm sorry if I made you worry." Kuroo flicks your forehead with his finger making you say "ow."

"Stop saying sorry, dumbass. You're my priority either way."

Stop. No. Never, remember? You think to yourself.

"Is it because I'm your 'girl?' "

"You've always been my girl, what are you talking about?" He says raising an eyebrow at you while you hit him with a pillow, confused to why your cheeks became warm at his statement.

"Oi, what was that for!" He says before throwing a pillow at you as an act of revenge. Still flushed from earlier, you threw another pillow at him. You couldn't even respond to him without telling your heart to calm down.

"You know what? Let's just watch a movie to pass some time." You suggested taking your laptop while Kuroo stares at you, bewildered at how swift your mood changes.

"Women confuse me. Especially you, god- you remind me of Bokuto. Now scooch over, lady."

-

I really am lucky.

Kuroo thinks to himself while he watches you twirl around the mirror for the 5th time just to temporarily assure your insecurities.

Your outfit fits you like a glove. Hugging every curve of your body, the fabric decorating you with its design. Shades of dark colors on your eyes and a tempting lip color that drives Kuroo insane with this new found thought.

"Before you can ask me, you look amazing Y/N- I don't think that's enough to describe how you look tonight." He says, almost out of breath. You quickly get flustered, turning to notice his outfit. Eyes daring up and down, taking in every bit of the stunning middle blocker.

"Hopefully I can remind you that my eyes are up here." He takes a step towards you, inches away from your nose as he studies your appearance. You just stand out, like a star blinding him. Dangerous as it is, he stares the longest at your lips.

"Y/N? Honey, our ride is here! Tell Kuroo that the guys are looking for him as well!" Your aunt shouts making Kuroo step back, not wanting a problem to surface upon the deal.

"We can meet here at 10pm if you ever feel bored okay?" You nod at him as he places a kiss on your forehead.

"Noted." You said smiling at him, you honestly forgot to thank him for the compliment but the way your eyes danced around him gave him an answer already.

"I'll see you in a bit."

-

Kuroo feels the need to step out of this party. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy the stories of your uncles but this wasn't a circle he could fit into. Sure, the karaoke was humourous to watch but there was a need for him to be alone with you instead.

So, he dials your phone.

"Kuroo? What is it?" You asked him, escaping the noise of your aunties laughing as you went to the balcony.

"Just checking in on you, you good?"

"Is this a signal that you wanna leave babe?" You said chuckling, Kuroo smiles while he stands up to meet with your relatives to bid them goodbye.

"Sadly, yes and you?"

"I'll be there."

Few minutes passed as Kuroo got to your location. He couldn't allow you to commute when you looked that stunning, he was there to keep you safe at all times so you spent your time with silence in a cab back to the hotel. Kuroo didn't wanna talk about the party because he felt too drained to do it.

He takes his jacket and places it on your shoulders while you pull them closer to your body.

You two were seated on the bed while Kuroo removes your heels and setting them on the floor next to your other pairs of shoes. After removing them, you travel to the kitchen and sit on the sink as you drank water. Kuroo follows you with him beside you, leaning on it.

Why is it so quiet? You wondered.

Usually, Kuroo would make remarks or just bring up a conversation with you but you two just sat there with thoughts lingering around each other. While you set down the glass, Kuroo sets himself between your legs making your eyes widen while he sets his hands on either side your hip.

"What's on your mind? You do know that your silence is too loud for me." He says stroking your sides, making you trapped in a heated moment.

"Tetsu-"

"You've been off all morning. What's going on, Y/N?" He asks with sincerity. Ever since breakfast, all he's noticed is how your eyes never dared to stare back at his. How fidgety you were with his hand in yours, the way you'd gaze off into a state of thinking for a few seconds and your hands would feel cold compared to his.

"I- I don't know." You said honestly. There was a block in your mind and your heart. You couldn't notice how you were acting because there's a certain discussion that you unintentionally avoid. Was it the panic Kuroo set your heart in? Is it the way his skin on yours makes you wanna melt?

Was it the butterfly fluttering in you when he said you were his?

"Maybe you're just falling in love with me." Kuroo whispers leaning his face close to yours. God, he was joking. He should be but with his body moving without his system functioning before his orders, he was doomed already.

Unexpectedly, you leaned closer.

You could feel how Kuroo held his hand firmer to your hip while he continues to take away the centimeters in the space you had left. Tilting his head, his lips were impeccably close to yours, threatening you with how you wished they'd be on you already.

But what if I am?

"Isn't that part of the game?" You whispered back, as he steps away. The moment washes over him making his knees almost give out at what he just wanted to do. You sighed as he walks away, leaving you stranded in a pool of questionable feelings.

Your hearts were screaming. What foolishness did you insert yourself in? Kuroo felt like he shouldn't have walked away and chose the fatal move by kissing you the way he always wanted to do but he had to avoid the tightening of his chest.

No one can win in a battle of temptations, especially when your lips were calling his name.

You removed yourself from the sink while you entered your shared bed seeing Kuroo tucked in the sheets, obviously hiding.

You hopped on the either side of the bed with a sigh as you tried to silence out the voices in your head.

I don't want to be in this with you anymore.

-

It wasn't a surprise to see the left side of the bed empty. The moment you woke up, the both of you weren't ready to converse what happened last night, especially the middle blocker. It was his move and you couldn't even manage to move on your own after it. Now what surrounds the room is unresolved tension.

You finally got out of bed, stepping into the bathroom to brush your teeth, locking the door to leave you at peace with your mind. You decided to take a shower knowing the time of the wedding.

Kuroo comes back from grabbing your breakfast. He sees the impact of what happened last night. It was his fault for leaving without explanation now he has to endure the coldness of it all.

He hears the water running so he leans his forehead on the door, his heart wanting nothing more then for everything to be the way it was before.

"If only you knew." He whispers before gathering his tux for the event, sighing to himself.

When you walk out with a towel on, hair dripping droplets, he turns away immediately while you felt the frustration grew in how he was acting.

During your shower, you chose to base your actions with your brain instead of your heart. It can never lead you to proper decisions. Kuroo was making the situation worse—you had expected him to act like nothing happened the next day, maybe then things would have been easier.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" You asked him while he gives you a nod.

Speak to me please.

"I'll go get ready then." There was no point in hoping for a response from him and you grew tired because of it.

His mouth couldn't agree with his mind. He was caught up on if he wanted to apologize or act like nothing happened. He couldn't read your emotions properly even if he feels like he should 'cause if not then this going to grow into something you could both hate.

He's in between of thinking if you want things to be 'normal' or if you want some sort of explanation from him. He also feels like you'd escape the conversation seeing that you leaned in as well, which surprised him. He just can't face it, he can't bring up the words to express how right it felt even if it was wrong.

Still, both ways has his heart still long for you. The regret hasn't died in his body and he wishes it would.

"What time do you think they'll take us to the venue?" Your voice makes him awake somehow, he turns to see applying your makeup in the dress that the bride suggested you'd wear. Just like yesterday, he was struck again. The way the white stood out with the faint details of the dress had you glow like a star he wishes on.

"I don't know." He responds, he fell short on his words and there was still a clear state of hesitation that follows him.

You were fueled by him, yet this fire couldn't be held back.

Kuroo sees the way you drop the brush, leaving a sound echo through the silence he made, the way your heels clicked when you walked right up to him, a weak feeling setting in him knowing your stare was digging holes in his head as he looks at you.

"I think you're forgetting that you moved first."

You say, making him sweat under the confrontation but you let your words show how he managed to place your heart in your hands.

"So why act like we didn't want the same thing?"

You had him stunned. There weren't proper thoughts that ran in his mind, some parts of him still bringing him back to what happened last night and the other wanted to look into the future which was looking unsteady.

"We wouldn't want to ruin our deal, right?" His tone was laced with a threat. He couldn't even set his decisions right. Just blurting out words he thought was enough for the both of you.

"Kuroo, that wasn't an act." You argued making him crumble with another mistake in his response. You both felt it and there wasn't a way to act all blind to it. You were aware and admitted it to him face to face. That was the confirmation he needed to get his heart removed from its knots.

"Y/N-"

You step closer to him, a firm finger on his chest while your eyes stayed on

"If the show is more important to you, then let's call it like nothing happened."

While you give a push to his chest, you turned your back to him hoping it'd make him walk to you and tell you his genuine feelings.

But your heels lead you away from him and his feet remained glued to the floor.

-

They say weddings brought people together to celebrate love.

That is- the love that circled between you two is an experiment you'll never understand.

As you went to the wedding, everyone looked at this perfect couple who radiated silent rage with each other.

Kuroo feels the sting in his heart when you were forced to hold his hand and stick around him. Your voice portrayed it so easily- like this role of being his girlfriend was a reflex, something that you know by the back of the hand.

Meanwhile, he's forgotten his lines.

His expressions, the nicknames guardedly falling off his lips, the shaking hands that roamed around your waist, he was falling apart.

Suddenly, forgetting his role and searching for the script of reality.

Everyone can see it. The way you smiled and tried to avoid questions of why you both seems so close but feel so distant with each other. You'd laugh it off or change the topic to the lovely couple instead, even the bride could sense it.

While the ceremony begins, Kuroo couldn't stop looking at your direction. How could he not when his eyes loved the sight of you? Disregarding the tone of your voice earlier that scared the wits out of him, the way you strutted in that dress of yours still had his heart held captive.

Meanwhile, you kept your eyes busy by trying to focus on the couple. If you didn't control yourself, you would drown in him. Did that tux really have to be perfect in him? The way his hair was actually swept back with gel, exposing a new level of attraction for you.

For a second, Kuroo looks away knowing you'd never look his way the same way again.

And Cupid was sure to hit you right this time.

"Honey, you've shown me love in ways I never knew you could do. At first, I was scared. You know me- love is a deadly road but you drove me to the safest place. Love is scary but with you— I'm willing to fear it as long as I'm yours." The bride vows making some of your relatives form tears in their eyes at the beautiful choice of words.

You bit your lip, finding it ironic how it fits you. You were sure as hell scared. Knowing Kuroo and having to experience a bond with him and it could all end because of a mere kiss. You weren't ready to lose, both in love and in this level of fate.

"I've never said it before but I was scared too. It doesn't show- I know. Losing you is something that haunts me for the rest of my life, it's cliche but what's love without you? Even if I'm having some trouble in saying it, I love you and I don't think I can ever lie about that." The groom says while the bride wipes away her tears, fanning her eyes.

Didn't that just took the words right out of Kuroo?

He gulps, looking at you as you also turned to look at him. An antsy feeling settling in your bodies, the number of butterflies swarming around you was increasing with every word that replays in your minds.

Minutes pass as the newly married couple kiss, making you both awaken at the sound of cheers from your relatives. You stood up from your seat, joining the crowd as they watch the two walk down the path smiling at each other.

Kuroo was on the other side, joined by your male relatives while you were on the side with your aunties. Both of you were tremendously nervous. You decided to avert your eyes on the bride as she readies herself to thow the boquet of bright flowers.

You sighed as you decided to walk away but destiny tugs on your motives.

Time slows down as the boquet thrown in the air was circling around while they all watched on whose lucky hands it lands on. They all tried to reach it, believing in the myth that surrounded it.

Dropping an item from your bag, you bent down to pick it up but what made your eyes widen was the sight of the fallen flowers in front of you and everyone that surrounded you, disappeared in your mind.

Picking it up slowly, the boquet resting in your hand as you admired each flower but your heart was struck like an arrow hittings its target point.

Kuroo held his breath, clenching his hands as he stood there.

Giving one last glance to the boquet, your eyes finally met Kuroos astounded ones and the world goes into a blur while he remained to stay focused in your line of sight.

Just like that, Cupid lands a bullseye to both hearts.

[reidingandwriting]

“Beats Me”

Word Count: ~900 words

Ship: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader (platonic) (or is ittttt?)

Warnings: For once, none!! Just Reader, Peter, and their friends living their best lives.

A/N: Credit to write-it-motherfuckers for the prompt!! I also tried to keep this as neutral as possible, so please let me know if you prefer it this way ♥️

Person A: “Why does everyone assume we’re a couple?”

Person B: *sitting in Person A’s lap, playing with their hair* “Beats me.”

✨ Masterlist ✨

“Oh, no, we aren’t together.” Peter made eye contact with you, and you mouthed ‘four’ to him. It was the fourth time this week that someone had asked if you and Peter were a couple. First was Ned, Peter’s best friend. Second was Peter’s Aunt May. Third was a barista at a coffee shop while you and Peter made a coffee run, and this time was Bruce.

To an outsider, it wasn’t some out-of-pocket accusation that you two were together. You and Peter met shortly after your dad had recruited him to fight in Germany against Team Cap. You instantly had become close, with you being close in age and both being gifted in the STEM fields. Your friendship didn’t have many boundaries when it came to personal space, and you two were often attached at the hip. You could communicate without speaking, and you were so in sync with each other it was almost scary.

“Hey, Y/N. Can you hand me-?” Peter asked, not looking up from the project in front of him. Wordlessly, you tossed a screwdriver to Peter from the other end of the bench as you read over the schematics for Tony’s suit upgrade. “Thanks.”

“Peter, can you pass me the...?” You trailed off as Peter slid a file over to you. “And-“ A pencil followed the file. “Thanks, Parker.”

“Sorry. I thought you two were...” Bruce trailed off, and you spoke up.

“Everyone thinks that. Peter, we should probably start wrapping this up. MJ and Ned are supposed to be here soon.” You stood and offered your hand to Peter, which he took and pulled himself up. “I’ll order delivery while you get the blankets and pillows?”

“Don’t get into trouble.” Tony’s head peeked out at the two of you, coming out of his corner to look at the two of you.

“Don’t worry, we’ll only have two raves. Maybe a small bonfire. Do you think we can make some fireworks?” You grinned and Tony pointed at you with his screwdriver, eyes narrowed.

“Peter-“

“We’ll be fine, Mr. Stark. We won’t do anything you wouldn’t do.” Peter started to say.

“And definitely won’t do anything you would do.” You continued.

“There’s a small gray line in there, and that’s where you two operate.” Tony groaned as the two of you laughed before you walked out of the lab.

“You really would think they are a couple, wouldn’t you?” Bruce asked and Tony hummed in agreement before both men continued their projects.

———

“Pause.” Peter said as he stood up, the movie that played on the television pausing. “Sorry, I need a refill.” Peter shook his now empty glass, the remnants of ice rattling inside.

“Oh, Peter.” You said in a singsong voice and held out your glass. “Please?”

“Why can’t you refill it yourself?” Peter asked and you pouted up at him and pulled your blanket closer to you.

“‘m really comfy.” Ned snorted at your reasoning, but Peter took your glass anyways and you grinned. “You’re the best, I love you.” You moved to a kneeling position, leaned up, and pressed a kiss to Peter’s cheek.

“I love you too. Don’t let them start the episode without me.” You saluted Peter as he left the room. You settled back into your spot, and looked at your friends who gave you questioning glances.

“What?”

“You and Peter just said you love each other. And you kissed him.” Ned said in a ‘duh’ tone.

“And? I do love him. And it was a harmless kiss on the cheek. I’d kiss you and MJ too if you’d let me.” MJ raised an eyebrow at that, her interest now piqued. “Come on, you didn’t know I was bi? Surprise!”

“I’ll drink to that.” MJ said before she took a drink, and you rolled your eyes but smiled fondly. “But you’re really telling us there’s nothing between you and Parker?”

“Oh, we’re definitely soulmates.” You said and Ned nearly choked on his drink. “But platonically. People keep getting the idea we’re together, but.” You shrugged. “It’s not really anything we’ve considered. We work together well as friends. Why risk it?” The room fell into silence as Peter walked back in.

“Here’s your drink, your highness.” Peter bowed and you took the glass from him.

“Merci beaucoup!” You smiled and threw your legs over Peter’s as he sat back down.

“If you’re going to use me, at least share the blanket.” Peter adjusted the blanket to where it was draped over both of you.

“Lovebirds. Can we continue our show now?” MJ asked and you flipped her off as Peter played the episode.

Sometime during the series binge-a-thon, you ended up in Peter’s lap. MJ was sprawled across her chair and Ned was curled up in the fetal position, both of them asleep.

“It’s only, like, three in the morning. How are they asleep?” Peter whispered.

“Not everyone thrives off two hours of sleep, Parker.” You whispered back and Peter scoffed.

“Weak.” You hummed in agreement. A bit of silence passed, the only noise in the room being the now forgotten TV show, until you spoke again.

“Ned and MJ think there’s something between us.”

“Why does everyone keep assuming we’re a couple?” Peter asked, fingers combing through your hair. You looked back at Peter with a smile as you shrugged.

“Beats me.”

Taglist: @daughter-of-stark @agent-barnes40 @spideygirl2003 @missmulti @5aftermidnight ♥️ Taglist and requests are open!! You can DM me or send me an ask with any details

[capcarolsdanver]

Why Her? (Part 3)

Summary: This fic is based off a request from an anon after some speculations that have been made on my blog. Brie enlists the help of the reader to get a date with a girl that reader knows from class, only for unexpected feelings to be caught. Drama/angst/fluff to come! Pairing: Brie x Reader

A/N: Part 3 is here! Apologies for the slight delay! The next and final part should be out soon! As usual, any feedback is much appreciated, so I look forward to hearing what you think! Enjoy!

Please do not repost my writing anywhere without my permission.

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 4

“Wait, you’ve never seen Star Wars?!”

Brie has to literally shout for you to hear her over the loud thumping of the music that fills the room around you, though her apparent outrage at your new admission is evident. You shake your head and laugh as she continues to look at you incredulously.

“None of them?”

You take a brief glance around to see if anyone else is paying attention to the outburst you’re being subjected to, though none of your fellow partygoers seem to pay you or Brie any mind.

“Nope,” you confirm again. Brie stares at you in disbelief for a few more seconds, almost as if she is personally offended by your revelation. In fact, the longer she stares at you, the more you’re convinced that she does feel personally offended.

“Well, we’re gonna have to fix that, then,” she says with such determination that you’re actually a little worried what she would do if you tried to disagree with her.

Since you had first introduced Brie to Sarah about two weeks ago, you both have attended another two parties together, this being the second. During those two weeks, you and Brie have grown a lot closer, texting each other constantly and even hanging out every couple of days. Of course, you’re still helping her with Sarah, and you have to remind yourself of that every now and again.

It’s hard for you to admit to yourself that Brie is probably the person you are the closest to now when you are highly aware that the reason for that is because you’re trying to help her get another girl. Who knows how Brie views your relationship, and who knows what will happen between the two of you when she does inevitably get that date with Sarah.

You’re pulled from the rabbit hole your thoughts had managed to take you down when Sarah herself suddenly appears in front of you and Brie.

“Oh my god, I’m running into you guys again?!” She exclaims instead of a more formal greeting, a large grin on her face.

“Small world,” you reply, and return the warm hug that Sarah envelops you in, a greeting that you’ve grown used to from Sarah. You watch her then turn to Brie and crush her in a hug too. You would laugh at the sudden shock and panic evident on Brie’s face if it weren’t for the uncomfortable feeling that hits your entire body at that very moment.

Brie is late to wrap her own arms around Sarah, who seems entirely unfazed by Brie’s awkwardness as she steps back again to regard you both. You notice that her skin is flushed, the expression on her face perhaps a little too laidback, and she takes a large sip from the cup that you only now realise she’s holding.

Sarah is drunk. Very drunk, if the slight sway of her body despite her standing in one spot is any indication.

She surveys the space around her, her body dramatically twisting around with the movement, and she looks back at you and Brie with excitement in her eyes.

“Let’s dance!” She proclaims eagerly. You and Brie share a quick look while Sarah downs the rest of her drink and unceremoniously drops her plastic cup to the ground. She grabs you both and drags you towards the overcrowded group of people who appear to be attempting to move in sync to the beat. Although, it looks like most are too drunk, or just simply have no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

Sarah doesn’t give you a chance to protest before she joins the flock of people and starts moving her body to the music. You hazard a glance at Brie, who still looks shell-shocked at the sudden turn of events. You also can’t help but notice the distinct direction of Brie’s gaze, her eyes obviously landing on Sarah’s ass as she dances in front of you, seemingly in her own world. That same uncomfortable feeling washes over you again and you frown at whatever reaction your body seems to be having without your permission.

You purposefully advert your gaze from the scene unfolding in front of you. Suddenly feeling like a major third wheel, you decide that maybe it’s a good time to leave Sarah and Brie on their own. You can’t be a buffer between them forever after all.

Without another glance at either of the two girls, you turn away from them and begin pushing through the thick crowd of people towards a more open space. You noticed earlier that the house has a wrap-around porch. Maybe you can go there for some fresh air now.

On your way, your arm catches on something, or more accurately, someone. You’re pulled to a stop a you let out a deep sigh, getting ready to ward off any unwanted to advances from some drunk frat boy that you expect to find attached to you.

You turn around in a flash, your deep scowl quickly fading from your face when you realise that it’s Brie who has a hold of your arm. You freeze, watching her. Her eyes move over you, her features laced with concern and she tightens her grip on you, leaning her body towards you. She stops once her face is practically right next to your ear so you can hear her.

“Are you okay?” She asks. Despite having to somewhat raise her voice still, her tone is surprisingly gentle. You realise you aren’t actually sure how to answer her question. It’s obvious you’re going through some kind of emotional reaction, though you aren’t quite sure what to make of it just yet.

Brie waits a long beat, and when you don’t answer she leans back so she can look at you again. She observes you for another few moments before she seems to make up her mind about something, her hand dropping from your forearm to your hand.

“Come on,” she says and tugs you to walk with her towards the porch you originally were headed towards.

She pushes the sliding door open and shuts it again when you have both made it outside and you’re surprised by how much the door drowns out the sound of the ridiculously loud music. Suddenly in a much more open, quiet space, you feel like you can actually breathe again.

“What’s wrong?” She asks. She’s still watching you carefully, and you begin to wonder just how fragile you must look given her reaction. Damn your stupid emotions. “Did something happen?”

“No,” you breathe out, shaking your head, willing this rogue feeling inside of you to go away. “I’m fine.” You lock eyes with her in an attempt to convince her. Judging from the expression on her face, you don’t do a great job of that.

It’s silent for another minute when something suddenly crosses your mind. “Wait, why did you come after me? You had Sarah dancing basically on top of you.” This time it’s her turn to drop eye contact and she shrugs lightly.

“I was worried about you.” You’re taken aback by how sincerely she speaks. “I mean, you just up and left.”

In truth, you hadn’t even expected her to notice your absence after you saw the way she was watching Sarah. The fact that she immediately realised you’d left and then followed you to make sure you were okay is actually remarkable to you, considering the circumstances.

“Well I’m okay,” you assure her, squeezing the hand that’s still clasped in your own before letting go and dropping your own hand back to your side. “You wanna go find her again?” You nod behind you towards the door and Brie’s eyes follow, glancing passed your shoulder.

She considers it for a second before shaking her head. “No, it’s okay.” You blink at her, not expecting that. She notices your surprise and jumps back in to explain herself further. “It’s getting pretty late now so I think it’s a good time to go. Besides, she’s drunk. She probably still hasn’t realised we’ve left her on the dance floor yet.”

You laugh at that, figuring that she could actually be right. Sarah did seem pretty out of it. You doubt she’ll remember much of tonight.

You agree with Brie, eager to leave the party as well. Brie walks with you back to your dorm, which is thankfully only a short walk, before you bid her farewell and watch her walk in the direction of her own apartment.

————————

The following Friday, you’re trying to force your brain to pay attention in your morning class when you phone vibrates on your desk, easily pulling your attention away from your professor.

You see a new text from Brie waiting for you.

“Are you free tonight?”

You sigh, expecting yet another invite to a party to help Brie out with Sarah. You personally haven’t heard anything about any parties she’d be attending that night, but maybe Brie had.

“I don’t have any grand plans if that’s what you’re asking”

You don’t even bother to put your phone back down. You’ve learnt by now that Brie is a quick replier.

“Okay great!! Movie night??”

You stare down at your phone for far too long. It definitely had not been the text you were expecting from her. You of course consider Brie at least a close friend at this point, but you weren’t sure Brie considered anything similar about you.

“Where?”

“How about my apartment?”

Again, you’re slightly surprised. Over the admittedly short few weeks of friendship you and Brie share together, Brie had only seen your dorm room once when you had to run back up there after forgetting something before one of the parties you’d gone to. You still haven’t even seen the building that Brie lives in.

You consider your answer for a moment. It briefly occurs to you that this might just end up being another planning session, but the prospect of spending more time with Brie has you agreeing before you really even give yourself time to think too much about it.

“Sure”

————————

You stare at the apartment door, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. Though, it seems to be a more and more common feeling the longer whatever you have with Brie goes on. You step forward to knock on the door and then step back, surveying the hallway while you wait.

There’s nothing out of the ordinary, and you find yourself feeling glad that Brie is living in what seems to be a clean, safe apartment building. You had admittedly been worried when you first arrived, as the building itself doesn’t seem to have any lock or security feature to stop strangers from waltzing into the building whenever they please. Those fears seem to dissipate slightly, though, when you see no reason to worry by the state of the interior of the building thus far.

An older woman steps out of her own apartment a few doors over and notices you, offering you a smile before heading in the opposite direction down the hall. The people here seem nice, too.

The door in front of you swings open and Brie is greeting you with a wide smile.

“Hey!” She pulls you into a hug. You’re not quite expecting it but you happily return the hug. “Come in,” she says and steps back to give you room to walk through the doorway and into her apartment.

It’s not the greatest apartment you’ve ever seen, but it’s a major improvement over the tiny shoebox you call a dorm room. The apartment is mostly one big open space, the kitchen to the left of the entrance and the living area to the right. It looks like there’s a small hallway straight ahead that must lead to the bedroom and bathroom.

“It’s not much,” she says, watching you take in the new space around you.

“I love it!” You reply, shooting a reassuring smile her way before you continue scanning the apartment. You can see that her living room area to the far right is perfectly set up for movie-watching, with a ridiculously comfortable looking couch, a couple of bean bags and some plush throw blankets neatly folded over the back of the couch.

She also has a couple of gaming consoles and their respective games all stacked neatly within the TV cabinet underneath her large television. You smile at the insane amount of Nintendo games you see.

What an absolute dork you’ve managed to make friends with.

“Did you bring popcorn?” She excitedly asks, noticing the bag of microwave popcorn in your hand that you’d bought on your way to her place. She grabs it from you and looks at the bag to confirm what it is.

“Of course,” you nod. “What would a movie night be without popcorn?”

“I like the way you think,” she laughs, dropping the bag on the kitchen counter. “I’ve ordered some pizza too, so once that gets here we can officially start the night!”

You silently thank whatever higher power is out there when you realise that Brie appears to be planning on taking the night off of the whole Sarah thing too.

She walks over to the couch and drops down onto it and you join her, sitting towards the other side of the couch. You’re unsure of the appropriate distance you should sit from her so decide on a relatively safe distance. Not too far but not too close. The couch is just as comfortable as it looks and you practically melt into it.

“So what are we watching?” You ask and Brie hits you with an expectant look, as if you should know the answer already.

“Star Wars, obviously. Duh,” she says matter-of-factly. “I told you I’d make you watch them.” You snort at her how serious she turns at the mention of Star Wars, and raise your hands defensively in front of you.

“Okay, okay. Star Wars it is. I’m too scared to try to make you put something else on.”

Her serious look suddenly brightens and she smirks at you. “That’s what I thought,” she says in a playfully menacing kind of way and you chuckle at her.

Yep, an absolute dork.

There’s a knock on at the door that grabs your attention and Brie jumps up to her feet again.

“Must be the pizza! Gimme one sec.”

Brie hurries off to the door and answers it, chatting politely to the delivery guy on the other side of the door, and a moment later she closes the door again and walks back over to the couch, looking all kinds of pleased with herself over the pizza in her hands.

She throws open the pizza box and eagerly grabs a slice, taking a bite. You grab your own slice as well, just as eager as Brie. While she continues munching on her pizza, she grabs her TV remote and gets the movie ready.

“Are you ready for the most incredible cinematic experience of your life?”

You roll your eyes at her playfully and hold back a laugh at the intense look on her face. “Just play the damn thing, would you?” You say, which does earn you a glare from Brie, but she decides not to retaliate in favour of playing the movie. She puts on A New Hope.

To your surprise, you actually do enjoy the film. Although, you do have to ask a lot of questions throughout the entire thing to understand everything that’s going on. To Brie’s credit, though, she doesn’t seem at all annoyed by your non-stop questions. She seems more happy that you’re actually trying to pay attention and understand it than anything.

“So?! What did you think?” Brie asks when the credits start rolling, turning to you and expectantly awaiting your response.

“I liked it,” you confirm, smiling when Brie grins at you. “But where was the little green guy? Isn’t he, like, one of the main characters?”

Brie’s grin drops so quickly that you almost flinch. “The little green guy?!” She exclaims. “You mean Yoda?”

“Yeah, him!” You light up with recognition of his name. Brie looks completely dumbfounded.

“I can’t believe you forgot Yoda’s name. Everyone knows who Yoda is.” She shakes her head at you, truly looking speechless. “Luckily for you, he’s in Empire Strikes Back.” You blink at her, a completely blank look on your face, and she narrows her eyes at you. “It’s the next movie in the series,” she explains.

You nod your head in understanding, quietly enjoying how frustrated she seems to be getting by your complete lack of knowledge of all things Star Wars.

“Let me go get some popcorn ready and then we’ll put it on,” she says and stands from the couch again. “Do you want anything else?”

“No thanks, I’m good,” you smile and watch her head to the kitchen.

Your attention is pulled away when you hear your phone vibrate on the couch beside you. You pick it up and check your new notification, frowning at the screen.

It’s an invite to some last minute party one of your peers has decided to throw tonight. You do get these kinds of invites a lot, and you know practically the entire student body usually gets sent the same invite, so you quickly click on the link to take you to the event page for the party.

You click on the list of people who have confirmed their attendance and you feel your frown deepen when you see Sarah on that list.

Brie returns to the couch where you’re still staring at your phone and notices the frown on your face before she even sits back down.

“Is everything okay?” She asks.

“Hm?” You look up at her, snapping yourself back into reality. “Oh. Yeah.” You sigh before aiming the phone screen in her general direction. “Turns out someone’s throwing a party tonight.” You try to add some kind of lilt to your voice but you know it falls flat.

“Oh,” Brie says, barely paying any mind to your phone screen before flopping back down onto the couch, closer to you now than she was before. She looks remarkably unbothered by the event page open on your phone.

“Looks like Sarah is gonna be there,” you say, studying her face. All she does is nod vaguely at your words, and then she’s picking up her TV remote again like she doesn’t even register what you’ve said.

“Okay, are you ready for Episode V?” You blink at her for a moment, watching for any kind of rogue emotion on her face, but seeing no signs of any.

“You don’t want to go to the party?”

“Not really,” she shrugs with one shoulder. “I’d honestly rather we just stay here tonight.” Her eyes flick over to you, showing the first signs of emotion you’ve seen since you brought up the party. “Did you want to go?”

“No,” you easily answer, and you mentally scold yourself for answering so quickly, but your answer seems to please Brie. You notice the hint of a smile at the corner of her lips and she looks back at the TV.

“Good,” she mutters. She presses play on the movie and leans back into the couch, offering the bowl of popcorn out to you. You grab some and find yourself leaning back and making yourself more comfortable, too.

You let yourself forget about the party, at least for now. If Brie would really rather stay here watching movies with you instead of dragging you along to yet another party so you can help her talk to another girl, then by all means you’re thrilled to go along with it.

You still have more questions to ask throughout the movie so you can follow along, but you do at times find yourself a little distracted by the gap between yours and Brie’s bodies that seems to be growing smaller and smaller as the movie goes on.

By the time you’re halfway through watching Return of the Jedi, your thigh is pressed against Brie’s and her head is resting on your shoulder, tucked slightly into your neck. You realise she’s asleep somewhere towards the end of the movie, and it’s not long after that you find yourself drifting to sleep too.

————————

You wake up the next morning to sunlight filtering in through the windows, pleasantly warming your skin as it reaches you. You let out a content sigh, stretching your arms out and snuggling further into the throw blanket that’s been draped over you.

Your eyes suddenly open the second you remember where you are. You’re alone on the couch now, lying down, no longer in the seated position you remember being in last night. You sit up, glancing around Brie’s apartment from your spot on the couch.

Everything seems very still, and you wait for any signs of someone else in the apartment, only to be met with complete silence. You stand up from the couch, dropping the blanket back down and take careful steps through the apartment, almost too scared to disrupt the quiet of the morning.

You don’t exactly feel comfortable making yourself at home by walking through Brie’s apartment wherever you like, but you do glance down the hallway, looking through the open bedroom door to find no signs of Brie.

You make your way back to the kitchen counter, hoping for some kind of clue as to where Brie could have gone to. Luckily, you find it; a piece of paper with a handwritten letter that you assume is meant for you.

“Morning Sleepy Head,

Was in need of some coffee so I’m heading to the diner down the street. Come meet me there once you’re awake. I’ll order us some pancakes!

xx Brie”

You assume she’s referring to the diner you and her had previously met up at to discuss the Sarah plan. Now that you think about it, you do realise that the diner is incredibly close to Brie’s apartment. That certainly explains why she likes to go there so frequently.

You smile to yourself as you read over the letter again. Your feelings towards Brie had grown confusing, but they were starting to become more and more clearer. So you can’t help but wonder if the fact that Brie wants to spend even more time with you means anything significant or if you’re just reading into things.

You move quickly, trying to make yourself at least somewhat presentable given that you’re still in the clothes you showed up in last night, and leave Brie’s apartment to head to the diner.

It’s only a short walk, and you don’t even allow yourself to overthink anything before you walk into the diner and start scanning for Brie. You spot her standing near the same table in the far corner that she was at the last time you were here. Only, you abruptly realise, she isn’t alone.

Standing opposite her is Sarah. The two of them are chatting animatedly, laughing among themselves. At one point Sarah reaches out and touches Brie’s forearm mid-laugh, and you can do nothing but watch their interaction from a distance.

The smile that you don’t even realise is on your face drops and you only watch them for another couple of seconds, but that short time makes you second-guess everything. Your heart sinks in such an indescribable way that you almost start worrying that you can’t breathe for a moment.

Without even thinking about it, you’re already turning to leave, just at the same moment that Brie looks your way and notices you. She goes to wave at you but instead her brows furrow as she watches you turn and hurry towards the door you had only just entered through.

In the back of your mind you register her shouting your name, but there’s only one thought that demands every ounce of your attention, repeating itself over and over again.

Why her?

[jenanigans1207]

Tender Melody

Honestly, they’re making a bigger deal out of this than they need to.

Reki is fine. He might have a few bandages and a long list of things he’s not supposed to do, delivered to him with a stern stare from the doctor who is getting to know him far too well, but he’s fine . He lost to Adam, but barely , and he had the time of his life doing it. The adrenaline is still pumping through his veins, all this time later, and he feels like he could do it all over again. He remembers the sight he was treated to from that jump and knows in that unshakeable sort of way that he has to see it again. And if he feels that way, if he went through all of that and feels no fear about stepping on his skateboard, he's absolutely fine in the grand scheme of things.

So there’s really no reason for the fuss as the doors open to the waiting room and he limps out to meet the group of people waiting for him.

They rush to him at once, Langa making it to his side before anyone else even comes close. Reki doesn’t even have a chance to say that he’s okay before Langa’s hand is on his shoulder and he’s meeting Reki’s gaze with an earnest question that he doesn’t even have to ask because Reki can read it in his expression. There's worry, there, creased between his brows, but pride, too, in the look in his eyes. Miya is the next to make it to him, barely scrambling to a stop before he runs into Reki, all pretenses that he dislikes Reki abandoned for the time being. It takes another second for Joe to make it  next to him with Cherry still in his wheelchair but they’re still there in just a matter of moments.

And suddenly Reki is standing there, bandage around his head, crutch under his arm, and all the people that meant the most to him surrounding him like there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.

Well, okay, Reki assumes that all of them would rather be anywhere but at a hospital. But they want to be with him, wherever that may be, and that thought practically paralyzes him in his spot. Because it's one thing to know them casually, it's another thing entirely to have all of them here, scanning him over and waiting with bated breath to hear the status of his injuries.

“I’m alright.” Reki says after a moment, his throat suspiciously tight as he glances away from all of their gazes. “No injuries that I haven’t had before.”

“That’s not a good thing, Reki.” Langa chides, but he sags in relief next to Reki. And even though he's lecturing Reki, there's a smile at the edge of his lips that's more fond than almost anything else Reki has ever seen. "You need to be more careful."

"Skating's a dangerous sport." Reki raises his one arm in a shrug, the other bearing his weight through his crutch.

There's a small chorus of laughter at his comment and Reki knows that everyone here understands. Something about that realization is almost too much for Reki to bear and he swears he feels his lower lip wobble.

For a moment, Reki just takes a second to look at all of these people— all of these people that he idolizes, that he looks up to. He looks at them as they stand in the hospital waiting room, all still dressed in their clothes from S. They had come straight from the track to the hospital, following Langa as he’d raced around town with Reki on the back of his bike. They’d all come here no matter how many times Reki had insisted that they didn’t need to, that he was perfectly okay and could handle all of this alone. After about the third time of saying it, Joe had all but shoved him on the bike and sent him off with a firm and non negotiable, we'll see you when the doctor's done with you. And that really had been that.

And it wasn’t that they didn’t believe he could handle it alone— Reki was absolutely certain of that. Nobody was here because they needed to hear what the doctor said, because they didn’t trust Reki to be honest with them. They were here to support him, to let him know that they cared. They were here because that's what people did when they cared for someone, they looked after them, they shared the hard times with them as much as the good times. They were here because Reki mattered to them enough to be here.

And that— that was one of the most unrealistic things Reki had ever experienced.

“Tell us the truth, Reki. What’s the damage?” Joe asks, snapping Reki back into the moment as he leans his weight onto the handles of Cherry’s wheelchair and surveys Reki. Cherry doesn't even glance up at Joe as he shifts his weight, his full attention on Reki as they all wait for an answer.

“Ah,” Reki glances down at the crutch under his arm, the bandage wrapping around his wrist. It actually goes up to his elbow but with his hoodie on, the rest of it can’t be seen. “Just a few bumps and bruises mostly.”

“Mostly?” Cherry presses, his gaze stern on Reki. Reki can feel it, even if he’s not meeting it. It's not unkind, though, not even a little bit. The weight of it feels similar to the gazes Reki's mom gives him when she's exasperated with him. It comes from a place of concern, and that concern is laced into every syllable.

“And okay, maybe a few breaks.” Reki mumbles into the collar of his hoodie, hoping the fabric will stop the words from going any further.

It doesn’t.

“You really are something, kid.” Joe’s smile is audible in his voice, each word dripping with the sort of fondness that Reki didn't expect to ever hear from someone so superior to him, and this time Joe lets go of the wheelchair and moves around Cherry to come stand in front of Reki directly. “I’m proud of you.”

And there is the lump Reki was feeling in his throat earlier, only now it’s about three times larger than it had been then. He tries to swallow around it. “Thanks.”

Joe claps a hand on Reki’s good shoulder, his hand dislodging Langa's that had been firmly there the whole time, and there’s something about it that’s so comforting, even if Reki can’t put it into words. It feels like the pride of a close friend, the pride of a father. It feels like the kind of pride Reki has never been able to feel in himself. “Now c’mon. Let’s go celebrate. I’ll cook whatever you want.”

“Celebrate?” Reki echoes, glancing up into Joe’s smiling face. “I lost.”

“Barely.” Langa says immediately. And something about Langa defending him, something about Langa seeing the good in him that he's never been able to see before that makes Reki feel his heart clenching in his chest. “If your board hadn’t broken—”

He tries desperately, valiantly to keep his knees underneath him and his voice steady, to not drown in the overwhelming amount of gratefulness he feels in this moment. “But it did .”

“You came back.” This time it’s Miya who speaks up and Reki feels his heart squeeze even tighter in his chest as he looks over at Miya— Miya, who isn’t looking at him. Miya, who has done nothing but call him a slime. Miya, who rightfully yelled at Reki for quitting skateboarding when he did. Miya, who accepted Reki back, despite it all, who held onto the promise Reki had made him like it was the most precious thing he had.

“Exactly.” Cherry wheels a little bit forward on his own, completing the circle. And then they're all there, a family standing together in the hospital waiting room, bound together by choice. Bound together because they want to be. Nobody in this circle is burdened by the others— nobody in this circle is burdened by Reki and recklessness. “And that is worth celebrating.”

Of all the things Reki would’ve ever expected in his life, this would’ve never been on the list. At no point in his life would he have even dreamed that he could end up in a situation like this.

Reki has looked up to Joe and Cherry for as long as he can remember. From the first moment he had heard about S, the first time he had learned of the creators of it and their skills, he had dreamed about someday meeting them. That was as far as he had ever imagined it was possible for it to go. Even childhood Reki and his wild imagination hadn't ever pictured something more than just meeting them in passing.  And then he had met them— and then he’d done so much more than that. He’d become friends with them— he’d become family with them. Because here they were, in the middle of the night, in a hospital waiting room, worried about him. It was a redundant point and he knew that, but his mind was still snagging on it, over and over again as each new wave of gratefulness overcame him.

And when he’d crossed that finish line earlier, they had been there, too. They had been there ready to cheer with him if he’d won, ready to cheer him up if he’d lost. He’d crossed that line and Cherry and Joe had showed up at his side before he’d even gotten off the ground, telling him how worried they had been for him, how impressed they were with his guts and his talents. These people who had skills he could never even dream of not only considered him worthy, they considered him equal . These people who had impressed him for years upon years were now looking back at him and telling him that they were equally impressed.

If that wasn’t enough to leave Reki wondering how he got here— and it certainly was— he also had Miya at his side. The young Japanese National hopeful, the guy who had a reputation of not having time for other people. Miya was here and he was worried, he was here and he was glad Reki was alright. He had joined Reki’s side and become a part of the family, no matter how much he had insisted that was something he would never want. It warmed Reki’s heart more than he could possibly express to have Miya here, checking in on him. And no amount of fuss Miya could put up would ever change that.

And then, somehow, on top of all those amazing things, Langa was next to him. After everything they had been through, after all the times Reki had felt like Langa was miles away from him, they had found their way back to each other. After feeling like he was staring at Langa's back for so long, he was once again at Langa's side, in sync with him again. And somehow, more than anything else, that was the thing that mattered the most to Reki.

“So?” Joe squeezes Reki’s shoulder before taking his hand back. There's a knowing edge to the way he catches Reki's eye, like he might have some idea what it is Reki's thinking about, like he might feel the same way about this ragtag bunch of people that have somehow come together. “What do you say? Celebratory dinner?”

Reki glances at everyone’s faces for a minute, his eyes lingering on Langa and the way the corner of his lips are tilted up into one of those proud smiles that Reki is starting to recognize. “Yeah, I could go for some food.”

-- x

For the fact that it’s only the five of them in the restaurant after hours, there’s plenty of noise. Joe and Cherry are arguing good naturedly over some story from their past, both of them trying to embarrass the other. Their bickering has more of a casual edge now, tucked away from the rest of the world like they are. There's something gentle in the way they poke at each other, like they both know where the lines are, know that nothing they're saying now comes even close to crossing them. There's something intimate about it, and Reki feels lucky to be trusted enough to witness it.  Miya sits across from him at the table, head ducked in a desperate attempt to hide his own laughter. It doesn’t work, because Reki can see the way his shoulders are shaking.

And for a moment, Reki just feels warm . For a moment, all of the pain of his injuries, the sting of his loss, the fear of what’s going to happen when Langa has to face Adam again— all of it is just gone. For a moment, it’s just Reki, eating his favorite food, sitting with his favorite people, laughing as if this is the sort of normal thing that they all do together.

And the truth is that it could be. It sort of already is. This is the kind of thing Reki gets to do with these incredible people.

Because Reki knows with that sort of certainty that sits in the center of his bones, pumps through his body with every beat of his heart, that this could happen whenever he wanted. He knows that he could show up at Joe's restaurant after closing any night of the week and Joe would let him in with nothing more than an exasperated shake of the head. If Reki called any of them now— and that's something he could do because he has their numbers, incredibly— he knew they would answer. They would come to him if he needed them. These people were his unfailing support system now.

Reki thinks back to when he was a child, thinks back to the way he used to dream of just being in the same location as his idols. He thinks about the first time he saw Cherry and Joe arrive to S, the way he stood in the crowd and just stared at them, completely in awe like the rest of the people there. He thinks back to when Miya walked into the shop and Reki’s jaw had nearly hit the ground because he’d seen so many videos of Miya skating. He thinks back to the first time he watched Langa tape his feet to the skateboard and take on Shadow. And even Shadow, Reki thinks fondly as he watches Cherry snatch a glass out of Joe’s hands. Even Shadow who had been perhaps his worst enemy was now a part of this family that he had found himself in. All of these people that he had admired from afar were now the closest people he'd ever had in his life.

“And then, later that night—” Joe is somewhere in the middle of a sentence when Cherry’s foot lands on top of his and whatever words he’s about to say next are cut off through a series of low curses that he at least tries to keep under his breath since the room is filled with children. Something about it draws Reki back to the moment as he watches with a deep-seated joy.

“The way you remember it,” Cherry cuts in smoothly, taking a pointed sip of his water. “Is far from the truth, you oaf.”

“Oh, far from the truth, huh?” Joe challenges, but he’s smiling warmly and there’s not an ounce of malicious intent in anything either of them are saying. There never is, Reki thinks fondly, but it's especially obvious now.

Joe and Cherry resume their bickering, a bunch of half-thoughts that somehow they understand well enough to keep going, despite neither one of them making much of a point. Reki can’t stop the smile that fits to his lips as he takes another bite of his food.

“You look happy,” Langa murmurs from next to him, leaning in so Reki can hear him over the arguing on the other side of the table.

Reki glances over and feels his breath catch in his throat at the sight of Langa smiling back at him, cheeks flushed with the same happiness that Reki feels coursing through his own veins. “I am.” He says after a minute. “Aren’t you?”

Langa’s arm finds its way over Reki’s shoulders and Reki leans into it as much as he can. “Of course I am.”

And just like that, Reki relaxes into Langa’s touch, letting the sounds of his found family echo around him like a tender melody, a sound he never wants to forget. He may have been through a lot, but all of it led him here. And in this moment. There isn’t anywhere else on Earth Reki would rather be. No matter what comes next, he knows that he’ll get through it because the bonds he has with the people surrounding him at this table are stronger than anything else in the world.