#rather than - you know - ACTUALLY getting ready to do it?

[all-my-love-for-harry]

❧ Almost Eden (part one)

pairing; jake seresin x childhood friend!reader

word count; 1.3k

a/n; part one is here!!! i'm so excited for you to meet these characters, this is mostly backstory about bambi and jake and the future parts will be longer, but don't worry, there is some good stuff coming!! let me know what you think <3

August, 2006.

Seventeen-year-old Jake Seresin stood by the kitchen door, watching his mother rearrange a flower bouquet the size of the marble island it was sitting on. She loved flowers and took special care of her greenhouse in the east wing of the house.

"Marigolds?" He finally asked, pushing himself off the wall and getting closer to her mom, his fingers delicately brushing the top of the bouquet.

Mrs. Seresin hummed. "Straight from my garden. Stunning, don't you think?"

"They're beautiful. What's the occasion?"

"Don't tell me you forgot about tonight." Disapproving eyes landed on him. "We have dinner at seven o'clock, Jacob. Darling Bambi's birthday, remember?"

"Oh, yes. I remember, but I'll have to miss it."

"Oh my, why? And don't tell me you're going to a party."

"Mom," Jake groaned, straining the word as he threw his head back. "Don't start, please."

"I just don't understand why you would blow off your friend's birthday dinner! You two were adorable as babies."

"It’s weird, all right? We were never friends. She’s just the kid who’s always there, like a shadow I didn’t ask for."

"Don't be rude, Jacob." His mother shook her head, incredulous at her son's words. "I expect you to be there on time."

Without another word, she left the kitchen, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor being the only noise in the house. Jake rolled his eyes, already dismissing what Caroline Seresin had just said.

The truth was, Jake didn't mean to sound harsh. He actually didn't mind spending time with you; sure, it was a little odd to hang out with a twelve—sorry, freshly thirteen— year-old. After all, you've known each other since you were born.

Four years, nine months, and twenty-six days. That’s how much older he was. It was enough to matter. When you were little, it didn’t—he played with you, laughed with you. But once he got to high school, things changed. Not suddenly, and not with any big goodbye. He just started drifting—found friends his age, his world—and you weren’t part of it anymore.

[...]

Jake didn't make it last night. In fact, he almost didn't make it to his own home. The party he went to was full of pretty girls demanding his attention and, well, who was he to deny them of it?  When he got home around three in the morning, his mother was long asleep, so now he was lying on his bed, trying to nurse his hangover without any help, so he wouldn't have to face her disapproving look.

Well, fuck it. Jake thought as he forced himself off the bed. He'd told his buddies he'd meet them in a few hours, and that meant facing his mother sooner rather than later. So he got ready for the day while he silently hoped her mother had gone out and was not waiting for him.

They were picking him up, so all he had to do was get out of the house and walk down the trail toward the gate of the property. Mrs. Seresin wasn't home, just like he had hoped. However, there was someone else waiting for him on the other side of the gates, and it wasn't any of his friends.

There you stood, dressed in clothes that were ironed to perfection, probably by your nanny, as Jake was certain your mother had never touched an iron in her life. Your face, he couldn't read. There was a hint of disappointment aimed at him in your gaze, yet your eyes sparked with a little hope upon noticing him. He said your name, walking closer to you as if nothing had happened. As if he didn't bail on you last night on your birthday, and last week when you invited him over to go horseback riding.

"Hi, Jakey." You finally said, a little smile forming on your still baby face. "Your mom said you'd come last night."

"Yeah, sorry. I had a p—uh, it was nothing. Happy birthday, Bambi." He said somewhat apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do you want to come over? My nanny said we would make cookies." Her tone was cheerful like everything was water under the bridge to her. He liked that about her, always had. She never held grudges and never demanded any explanation from anyone who wronged her because it did not matter.

He opened his mouth to reply, to give in and say yes, of course, he'd spend time with her, it wouldn't kill him to go bake some cookies to make her happy, to make it up to her. But a loud horn cut him off, followed by the whistles and hollers of his stupid friends.

"Wow, Jake. Didn’t know you were into daycare work now!"

"Shut up, Aiden." He rolled his eyes, suddenly annoyed his friends had spotted him with you.

"C'mon, dude. We snagged some cold ones from Carlos' dad's liquor store unless you prefer juice boxes and naptime." The dark-haired boy behind the wheel snorted, clearly enjoying poking at Jake.

"Can we raincheck?" He said softly to you, hoping they wouldn't hear.

"Actually—," Another horn.

"Sorry, Bambi. I gotta go."

"Wait, Jake." She took a few steps, trying to reach for him but he had already begun to walk away.

"Oooh looks like someone's got a little crush on Jake!" Another head poked from the car's window.

"She's a child, dumbass." Jake hissed at them before turning to you, now clearly annoyed as he mouthed your name once again. "I can't do this right now."

"But I just wanted—"

"I said no, kid. Jesus—are you seriously this dense? I'm not your friend. You still play with Barbies and cuddle a stuffed animal at night, and I'm currently nursing the worst hangover of my life. I was trying not to be an asshole, but you clearly don't get subtle, so let me spell it out: leave me the fuck alone."

Jake didn't know why he said that. Really, he didn't know why those words left his mouth, and he immediately regretted them as he saw the instant tears forming in your big doe eyes, your hand dropping to your side as you stopped trying to reach for him. But despite the guilt pooling in his stomach he still turned around and got in the car, leaving you alone on the sidewalk as they drove away.

He told himself he'd go find you later, probably by the horses in your family's land, and he'd apologize to you. Because, yes, he cared a lot for you. No matter the age difference there was a time when you were attached to the hip. He figured he had some time to cool off and get his shit together before he went to you.

"Did Bambi come by the house today?" Hours had passed and Jake was once again sitting in the kitchen when his mother appeared.

He stopped chewing. Now, he wasn't an idiot, he wouldn't give her a reason to yell at him for being disrespectful even though he deserved it. But her tone was normal, curious even. He knew for a fact you didn't tell on him, or else his mom would've entered the kitchen in a less friendly way.

"Uh, yeah. I couldn't stay with her though. But I was thinking of going over to her house later."

"She didn't tell you?" She furrowed her brows, her line of gold bracelets clicking on the marble as she took a seat next to him.

"Tell me what?"

"Jake, honey, she's gone."

No way. "What do you mean gone?"

"Her mother got her into boarding school. Her flight was today."

"Boarding school?"

"Yes, boarding school. Sweetie, I thought you knew. Didn't you go ride with her last week?" He said he was going to go but that might have just been to get out of going to church with his mother, but she didn't know that.

"She didn't mention it. But she can't be gone, mom. Before I left her this morning she invited me over, before I—" Oh, God. "She’ll be back for the holidays, though, right? They wouldn’t send her that far... they couldn’t."

"I don't think so, the school's in Switzerland, honey."

Fuck, he thought he had more time.

[zorilleerrant]

Okay so the thing is, I think Shawn and Gus are kidnap bait. So I do think that the Doctor would just pile them in the TARDIS and disappear. However, they can't do anything the normal way, so I don't think they'd manage to get kidnapped directly by the Doctor - no, they have to make a mystery of it.

If we structure this like an episode, then we'd start with Shawn and Gus almost but never quite crossing paths with the Doctor and Belinda several times as both investigate the same mystery. Now, no one else knows about all the alien stuff, so every time that Shawn says something about aliens or Gus tries to show everyone what he found online, people dismiss it, leaving them no choice but to venture off on their own. They have to prove that aliens are definitely showing up and definitely up to something.

The real bulk of the story starts a little bit later: Psych has managed to infiltrate an alien spacecraft, or possibly they were apprehended and thrown in the brig. Shawn is telling it a different way than Gus, and if you asked the aliens they'd say it yet a third way. But they've managed to sneak their way out with a pair of swiss army knives, investigated around the ship, and actually fully solved the mystery they started out with. They nab some evidence and hide, ready to run the second the ship touches down.

Which they do. The problem is that they're stuck on some random ass planet now, trying to fit in with the locals, which goes about as well as you expect. They've managed to cobble some outfits together (they look insane to all the aliens, but our intrepid heroes don't know that). Now, of course, the Doctor is on the trail of either the same mystery or a deeply intertwined one, so knows exactly which planet to go to, and Belinda insists that it's something to do with why they can't get to the future, so suggests they investigate more thoroughly. Unfortunately, they've arrived just at a time of particular political upheaval, so the Doctor suggests a light touch.

Cue strange aliens showing up, and Belinda being immediately suspicious of "Shawn and Beezlebop" from "Neptune, probably". Especially when she asks if they mean her Neptune, and Gus immediately answers, "no, a different one, definitely." He also clarifies that Shawn is short for Shawntiskalisk, which is definitely a regular Neptunian name from Different Neptune. Shawn has already entered the TARDIS and is squirreling away the evidence, anticipating they may have to shelter here while the riots are going on. Gus is greeting the Doctor with a Traditional Different Neptunian Dance in order to distract him, while the Doctor tries desperately to remember whether he's ever met this species before, since he probably should have. And maybe it's hidden somewhere in his amnesia.

The Doctor does, of course, offer to let them stay a few days, if they don't have anywhere else to go, since there's weather about to happen anyway - the weather is significant artistically and he's excited to capture it as long as they have to wait to solve their mystery anyway - and Shawn makes a show of not having already stepped into the TARDIS. "Love what you've done with the place," he says, making up names for gears and widgets.

This allows Gus to do some exploring, which he'd rather. You see, Belinda is still suspicious that these aliens aren't quite what they seem, and might be related to the mystery at hand. Certainly they seem a little too interested in the Doctor. (Little does she know that's just because they love this spaceship! Who made it this kitschy? It's great!) So she might slightly be interrogating him, while the Doctor is trying to be extra polite, in case this is one of those time anomalies in which he's accidentally disappeared an entire planet again. He's basically forgotten about the mystery.

Gus finds the kitchen. Probably he shouldn't be able to, having only just arrived and not being a proper Companion yet, but he's very polite and asks the TARDIS genially for directions. He's seen science fiction before. He knows how to be polite to computers. (He'll probably find out later she's not a computer.) But he's so polite that the TARDIS ends up showing him all of the time dials in the kitchen, which means he can bake an entire cake practically instantly. The Doctor was trying to keep it a little quiet that this was a time machine, in case anything went wrong. Belinda was trying to keep it quiet because she thinks they might have been the aliens who were on Earth causing a mystery in the first place.

Shawn has just accidentally revealed that they solved that whole mystery already when Gus returns with a full meal, saving the day. "Seven courses, Gus, really?" "I was hungry!" he replies, but a meal was just what everyone needed. To, you know, distract them. The Doctor, who loves seeing what other people do with food, trusts the judgement of the TARDIS, and relaxes a little. Belinda, who was just hungry, tucks in. She only notices a little bit later that all of this is food she's maybe not entirely familiar with, but doesn't find strange at all - and starts steering the conversation to pop culture.

"Ha! You'd only know about that podcast if you were stationed on Earth for ages!" she says, when she catches them out, to which Shawn replies, "stationed? We live there!"

"We live on Neptune," Gus corrects, waggling his eyebrows meaningfully, while trying to hide behind a slice of cake. A mango and peach flavored cake. He was feeling experimental.

"Yes," Shawn agrees immediately, "Beelzebub is right," to which Gus has to correct, "that's not what you named me." They both swear, and then each hold up a hand to ask for a time out from the others to get their stories straight. Gus offers a fruit compote to occupy them for the few minutes it will take.

"They're definitely from Earth," says the Doctor, in enormous relief, while Belinda reminds him, "see? They must have something to do with it," and won't let them off the hook that easily.

Even though Gus offers them homemade ribbon candy, which did not turn out the right shape at all - Shawn offers to fix that, since he's finally figured out the trick to it - they refuse to be dissuaded. Eventually, with many asides and confusing explanations, our detectives manage to explain everything but how they ended up on an alien planet. They might dig themselves a little deeper after the Doctor mentions that he's also psychic, but that's a problem for Later Psych! Which they do ask about.

Belinda, as it turns out, is very talented at being vague about the future while technically not lying. It's not that she couldn't lie about it, it's just that she feels a little bad about it when they're not asking anything she wouldn't wonder about. And at least she's definitely never heard of them, so she doesn't have to lie about that. But she does share a few glances with the Doctor, having suddenly realized why he does his mysterious pronouncements like that.

Anyway, the convoluted reveal has allowed the Doctor and Belinda to start putting together the pieces of a larger conspiracy, one hiding behind a time of change on a distant planet, so their nudges at the timeline are harder to see until later on. That's also why they were going through Earth's history, hiding objects during various political and social events. Woodstock among them, probably. The ripples in the culture cover alien interference!

And that's how Shawn and Gus manage to get themselves instituted as the Doctor's companions. Shawn calls Plucky Ingenue, and Gus calls Classy Older Gentlemen, and when Belinda asks if they were supposed to be picking roles the Doctor assures her that they weren't, but what harm could it do, and so she picks out something in holographic silver and finds a raygun looking thing while Shawn and Gus are raiding the closet. Just in case it helps to have a Scifi Action Hero. Then they investigate the conspiracy.

What if I started just putting the psych characters in random places like I used to do with Star Trek…

Fuck it actually switcheroo

They got separated…

[b3ach-bunn7]

SUPER SHY pt 3

You’re in desperate need of a bassist, and the only person available in the rumoured arsonist at your school.

Highschool!au, no quirks, bassist touya

—————————————————————————-

You have about four hours until you need to be in front of of stage, singing to a crowd of teenagers your own age. And even worse, younger than you.

You’re alone, right now, hidden away in a park to try and gather your thoughts. You need a little time to de-stress. Contrary to everyone else in the band, you do still suffer from a tad bit of stage fright. Not only that, but you feel a little more pressure to do well. The gig is one you know is important, but more importantly, Touya is going to be standing beside you, hearing every note you belt, which is enough to make the uneasy feeling you’re used to become way more intense.

Your feelings for Touya have not gone away. You thought that maybe it was all the time you spent hanging together in your room, all that close proximity and his fingers flying across his bass that was making you feel the way you do about him. 

But, even when you aren’t practicing together, they’re still there. 

When he waves at you in school, sends you stupid Instagram reels at three in the morning, argues with his siblings when they burst into his room. It fills your heart with this feeling that you’ve never felt for a guy before, one that makes your skin heat and your pulse thready.

You try to ignore it. Nana is certain he likes you back, but you’re too scared to think about it too much. You don’t mean to pry, but Touya seems cagey when it comes to relationships and feelings. You really don’t think you can live down the mortification of confessing your feelings and being rejected. You’d rather let these feelings consume you than risk losing what the two of you have.

So, that, and the show you have in about five hours, is weighing pretty heavily on you. 

The park you’re in is nice. Honestly, to call it a park is probably a stretch. There’s four swings and a slide, and a hopscotch outline faded from use on the floor. The grass you’re sitting on tickles your ankles, and you’d wish you’d worn something thinner, the sun beating down on your back.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you pull it out. And speak of the devil.

May 28th, 2:37 pm

Touya: Whyxthe hell are you in a park

You: ???

You: my stalker 🩷

Touya: U r the one who added me on ur snap map

You: yes cause I WANT y to stalk me

Touya: So obsessed

Touya: Why r u in a park

You: to destress 

Touya: Why r u stressed

You: Oh I wonder

He leaves you on read. You frown a little, but before you can get annoyed at him, your phone buzzes once more with a phone call. You press the phone to your ear, a smile already gracing your lips. 

“Hey.” You speak, and his voice replies staticy.

“Why are you moping in that park?”

You frown. “I’m not moping.”

“You are. You should be getting all dolled up for tonight.”

You snort. You hand tugs up tufts of grass and throw them in the air. “I don’t need four hours to get ready.”

“Agreed. You’re gorgeous enough.” He drawls and you roll your eyes, grateful he can’t see the red flush on your cheeks.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Do you need a ride home?” He suddenly says.

“Touya-“

“I’m not far. I can pick you up. We can get food, or something.”  

The offer is actually not a bad one. You are kind of hungry, and you’re not one to say no to spending time with him.

“Alright, fine. I’m at-“

“I’m outside.” He cuts you off.

“What?”

You scramble to your feet, squinting in the direction of the car park. And sure enough, Touya’s car is there. He always insists you drive, so the fact he’s just parked up in front of you like it’s nothing is enough to make a laugh slip past your lips.

“You actually are a stalker!” You start making your way towards him.

“I’m not a stalker.” You hear the click of his engine turning on. “I told you I was in the area.” 

“Yeah, yeah.”

You hang up as you reach his car, pulling the door open. He grins the second he sees you, one hand resting on the car door and the other holding a lollipop stick. You found out recently that Touya’s obsession with candy is apparently a way to try and curb his smoking addiction. You don’t think it’s working very well, considering his car always smells faintly of cigarettes.

“Hey.” You hop into the seat.

Touya nods in greeting. “You hungry? I’m hungry.” 

“I’m always hungry. Especially when you’re paying.” You beam.

Touya scoffs. He grabs the back of your car seat so he can pull out the parking space he’s in. You try to act like it's not as attractive as it is.

“Who said I’m paying?”

As much as Touya doesn’t like driving, he always looks effortless behind the wheel, his open window letting in a cool draft that ruffles his hair. You tug out the wire from where it’s caught under your chair to plug your phone in, connecting to the aux. You tap through your Spotify aimlessly. 

“I say. I’m nervous and spending money is going to make me feel even worse.” You sigh dramatically.

Touya’s brows furrow. “Why are you nervous?”

“I don’t know. I always get like this before a show.” You mumble.

The playlist you land on is one you’d made together. A blend that told you your music taste had an eighty percent match.

“It’s fine. You’re good, the band’s good. You ain’t got anything to worry about, doll.” 

“I guess.”

You can feel him glance at you where you’re staring out the window a little aimlessly.

“Come on, you gotta be on your game,” Touya teases. “Who else is going to stop me from beating up Ren?”

You know he’s joking. Him and Ren have reached some sort of an understanding after your first rehearsal. You’re not sure if it's respect for each other or respect for you, but their petty comments and weird masculine arguing had stopped. They didn’t talk much, but if they did, it was civil enough. You recognise his comment for what it is, though. A cute way to try cheer you up.

“You’re right, you’re right.” You sigh heavily. “I think a nice meal paid for by my dear friend will make me feel better.”

Touya knows where to go. Your favourite food currently is the ramen spot near his place. He’d shown you it, actually, and you’d fallen in love ever since. It’s quiet and pretty secluded most of the time, just like it is when you both walk in today.

The lighting is always dim, paper lamps illuminating the shop with a soft red glow. It’s cluttered in a good way, the walls filled with paintings and pictures of Masako, the owner, and her family all hung over the place. You and Touya fit easily into your favourite booth, and you don’t need the menu to know what you’re going to order.

“God, I’m so hungry. And it smells so good in here.” Touya groans.

And it did. Like spices and warmth, and your mouth starts watering already. His knees knock against yours under the small table, his fingers drumming against it.

“Want me to order for us?”

“Yes, please.” You nod.

Touya tilts his head, cooing a little. “God, how could I say no to that beautiful face?”

“Shut up and go.” You snap, pushing his laughing figure away.

You prop your face on your hand so you can cover the smile that’s creeping on your face. You watch him shamelessly seeing as his back is turned to you as he orders. His hips lean on the counter as he pulls his sleeve up to his forearms, rattling off your orders.

It’s sort of weird to think about the fact that Touya wasn't even in your life two months ago. That he was just another faceless student in the hundreds of people at your school. And now, you can’t imagine your life without him. Touya turns, and your eyes lock. He catches you staring, and waves. 

“You look love-sick, darling.”

Your grin widens, despite the embarrassment the words make you feel. 

Masako insists she greets all her customers, but it was obvious the first time you saw her that she had a soft spot for Touya. Him and his family had been coming here since he was tiny, and despite his annoyance at her doting and the fact he always calls her an ‘old hag’, you know he loves her more than he can put into words.

She’d taken a liking to you almost instantly, insisting that you come back as soon as you’d sat down on the rickety chairs. She was funny and sharp, spoke every thought that came to her head, and you love her. 

You don’t love the way she’s looking at you, though.

“Masako, I-“ She doesn’t even let you defend yourself. 

“Come now, Y/N, I’m not stupid. I’ve been alive a long time, I know what that look means.” She pats your shoulder gently.

“That look means I’m hungry.”  

“It’s bad to lie to your elders, you know.” She scolds you lightly.

“Leave her alone, you old hag.”

You’ve given up trying to tell Touya off for what he calls her. Masako doesn’t seem to mind, because she only smile brightly when Touya takes his seat in front of you.

“Touya! I hope you ordered enough, you’re getting so skinny.” She frowns, faffing about him.

He shrugs her off. “I’m fine.”

“Fine my ass. And it’s too hot for all the jumpers.” Masako pinches at the material of his hoodie. “I won’t have you dying of heatstroke in my shop.”

“I’ll be fine.” 

Touya’s not doing very well in hiding how much he likes being doted on. He handles about five more minutes of her doing so before he starts to get antsy.

Masako takes the very obvious hint. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you lovebirds alone.”

Touya’s eyes dart to your face, and you stifle a laugh at the pretty shade of pink his cheeks turn. “Just- Just go!” He hisses.

Masako cackles, waving goodbye, and finally leaves you two alone.

“She’s so cute.” You smile.

Touya scoffs. “She’s always doing too much.” 

You poke his arm. “Be nice.” 

“I am nice. Nice enough.” 

Touya fiddles with the drawstring of his hoodie. You watch as he wraps his fingers around and around, then lets it fall.

You sit up suddenly. “Oh, yeah. By the way, I don’t need a ride to the show anymore.”

“You don’t?” 

You nod. “Nana wants to get ready together so we’re going to head there together.”

Touya is pouting. You laugh at the look on his face. “Are you moping?”

“Yes! You’re ditching me!” He’s almost shouting.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think you’d mind that much.” It’s hard to apologise through your giggling, and even Touya can’t keep up his frown.

You reach forward and grab his hands. “Please, please forgive me.” You fill your voice with as much dramatic emotion as you can.

Touya’s glances at your hands in his and then back to you. He sighs, just as dramatic as you.

“I suppose it’s okay. As long as you and Nana look real sexy when you come back.”

You snort. “You freak.” 

The food arrives shortly after, and the table falls into silence as you two start eating. The restaurant isn’t that full but there’s still the quiet hum of chatter, and your body feels warm as the food sits in your stomach. 

Touya takes you home after that. He makes sure to sigh heavily anytime you mention Nana, and the ‘fact he’s coming alone’, and you’ve taken to just ignoring him. The ride home is fast, and Touya parks roughly in your driveway. Just before you can walk out, though, he grabs your wrist. You look back, confused, and he’s looking at you intently.

“You feeling better?” He asks.

You heart clenches again, much like it always does whenever Touya does sweet things like this.

“Yeah. Thanks for getting me food.”

And you both just stay still for a moment. You, with the car door in your hand, some takeout for you mom in the other, and him behind the wheel. And you both just look at each other, the air filling with a tension you try to ignore whenever you’re too close to him.

But the moment is broken as he nods. “No problem, doll. You’re paying next time.”

Your answer to that statement is a wave and his car door clicking shut, hoping the little flicker of disappointment is not visible on your face.

——-

“Y/N, does this shirt make my boobs look good?”

You turn around from where you’re sitting at your makeup desk. “They always look good. But yes.”

“Perfect.”

Nana always looks incredible at these shows. You and her always get to match in some way, whether it be the colours or the aesthetic of the outfits you have on. Tonight, she’s wearing a stripped top, cut at her shoulders, and low enough for the top of her lacy black bra to peek out. She's wearing frayed jeans that hug her legs in all the right places, and she looks amazing. She’d also picked out your outfit. A red top, cut just below your stomach, a tangle of lace and flowery patterns tight against your skin. You’re also wearing a long maxi skirt, the same colour as Nana’s jeans, with stars sewn into the material.

This is one of your favourite parts before a show. You and Nana, music playing softly form your CD player. She does your eyeliner because you can never get the wing right, and you do her eyeshadow because she thinks your eye for picking the colours is better than her own. It’s fun. It feels girly and soft and the kind of teenager stuff you’d always dreamed about doing when you were a kid. 

“So,” Nana fiddles with the clasp of her necklace. “You finally gonna kiss Touya tonight?”

“Nana!”

She holds up her hands. “Sorry! Someone had to ask. We’re all tired of you two eye-fucking during rehersals.” 

“I- We are not eye-fucking.” You splutter. “We’re friends.”

“Friends, lovers. What’s the difference?” Nana starts packing up her purse.

You pause where you’re adding the last touches to your makeup. The fact that it was this obvious to everyone else makes a little glimmer of hope flare in your chest.

“Is it that obvious?” You ask.

“Uhm, duh.”

You groan a little. “He’s just- I don’t know. I think I’m obvious. Towards him, I mean.”

Nana hums. “I think he’s just a shy guy.”

“You do?”

She nods. She sits down on your bed. “I mean, I don’t ever remember him having a girlfriend or anything during school. But that being said I never kept tabs on him.”

She doesn’t need to worry about that. You have done ample searching, scouring his social media and tagged posts on Instagram, and found nothing more than his arm around a few girl friends. At least girls you think are friends. And really hope are friends. But nothing that looked anything more than friendly.

“Regardless, I think he likes you back. And if he doesnt, then there is plenty of attractive people that’ll be there tonight for you to sink your teeth into.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you.

Shes right. Touya Todoroki is not the only man out there. No matter how much it feels like it’s the complete opposite.

“So emotive with your language, Nana.” You drawl.

“I try.”

——

The first thing you notice, much like everytime you walk into a venue, is how loud it is.

Loud, and hot, the room flowing with people your age and older, all set with the colourful lights and someone’s Spotify playlist playing in the background. You love it, though. It all just makes your skin crawl with excitement, the promise of the stage and performance that much closer.

You and Nana make your way to the front, hands intertwined as you manoeuvre through the people. It’s only half six, and so it’s still nowhere as busy as it will be, but that doesn’t stop people from crowding in every corner possible. Despite the fact it’s all local bands playing tonight, tickets have sold well, and you’re excited to perform for all of them.

“Hey, who’s that girl waving at us?” Nana nudges your shoulder and you follow her line of sight.

It’s Toga. And she’s not just waving, but jumping up and down in excitement, her grin almost big enough to split her face in half. Besides her is Shigaraki, Twice, and Spinner.

“Oh, those are Touya’s friends!” You exclaim.

Nana hooks her arm around yours. “Who’s that one with the long hair? He’s cute.”

“That’s Shigaraki. Ren will kill you if you even look at him.” You sing, but you words fall on deaf ears, her eyes trained on him.

“Well, I’m looking right now.”

You walk over, and immediately tackle Toga in a hug. 

“Oh, you look so cute! And your friend does as well!” She beams, waving at Nana over you shoulder.

“You look great, too! Thanks for coming guys.” 

You had only hung out with Touya’s friends very few times, but you liked them. They were funny, and always up to stuff you were probably better off not getting involved in, but still. They were good people. To you, at.

Nana pinches your side, and you wince. “Oh, yes. This is Nana, guys. She’s in the band as well.”

She waves at them all, but her gaze is zeroed in on Shigaraki. Who, you think, is definitely not used to all the attention, because his pale skin darken enough for you to notice it in the dim room. 

“Hey. You here to watch me perform?” She jokes, and his Adam Apple bobs as he swallows.

“Here for Touya. And- I guess. You, too.”

Twice shakes spinners shoulder excitedly. “Shiggy’s getting laid tonight.” He whispers very loudly, and Shigaraki punches his shoulder.

“So, you guys excited for the show?” You tease, and they all nod.

“Very. I didn’t even know Touya played bass.” Spinner says, and you laugh.

“I scouted him out. He’s really good.”

Twice chuckles. “He better be. These tickets weren’t cheap.”

Toga rolls her eyes. “They were five dollars, you cheapskate.” 

“Five dollars is a lot!”

“Hey, Toga,” you ask, “Have you seen Touya?”

Toga taps her chin. “I think he said he wanted a drink. So he’s probably at the bar!” 

“Thank you, angel. Will you be okay on your own, Nana?”

“Yeah, of course!” She’s already sliding closer to her latest victim.

God bless Shigaraki. 

You wave your goodbyes, promising you’ll see them all later, and head over to the bar. Your eyes search the crowd for that mop of white hair you’ve become so accustomed with. Instead, you find a blond one.

“Oh my god, Keigo!” You squeal, giving him no warning before you tackle him in a hug from behind.

Your relationship with Keigo is one that had happened completely by chance. You’d been paired together for a stupid project, and found out that you two got along really well. You lived in two completely different social circles, and so you didn’t hang out much during school, but you always tried to make sure you met up every few weeks outside of it.

You have no idea why he’s here, though. This sort of music is not really his thing. 

“The fuck?” You relish in the confusion on his voice.

He turns around, and he gasps at the sight of you, finally hugging you back. 

“Aw, hey, babe! I was looking for you.” 

Keigo always smells like cologne way too expensive for an eighteen year old. 

“What are you doing here?” You ask, hands on his shoulders as you both pull back.

“I came to see you.” 

Your eyes narrow suspiciously. “Lie. I’ve asked you a million times and you always call these gigs too emo.”

Keigo laughs loudly. “That’s because they are. But tonight is a special circumstance.”

“It is?”

He nods, blonde curls bouncing around his head. “I’m here to see my favourite lady, and also-“

“Touya!” You cry.

Touya looks confused, his eyes darting between the two of you, flitting to your arms around Keigo. But you’re not focusing on that, because Touya looks too food for you to focus on anyone else.

He’s wearing a t-shirt, this one with a skull pattern on the front, and a plaid button up with the sleeves rolled up. His hair is styled, sticking up in perfect coils, and his arms are adorned with bracelets. You have to physically will yourself to look back up to his face, and you let go of Keigo to throw your arms around him.

“Hey! You look good.” You almost yell in his ear, and he lifts his arm to keep the drinks from spilling.

“Thanks. You look good, too.” He smiles but his voice sounds a little off. He nods at Keigo, who’s watching this all with a smirk on his face.

“You know birdbrain over there?”

Keigo rolls his eyes, grabbing his drink from Touya. “Yes, she knows me. Jealous?”

“Fuck off.” Touya grunts. 

“We’re friends. Met in English class.” You explain.

Keigo wraps his arms around your shoulder, teeth glistening as he grins widely. “Isn’t that cute?”

You brows furrow, a little confused at his sudden touchiness. You shrug him off. “Get off me, weirdo.”

He pouts. “Fine, fine. Shouldn’t you two be rehearsing, or something?”

You nod. “Yeah, I was just looking for Touya. We need to head backstage. Last minute preparations, and all that.”

Touya’s face softens as it meets yours, and he nods. “Okay.” 

He points at Keigo. “You can hang out with crusty and the others.”

“Yes, sir.”

You hook your arm through Touya’s, waving goodbye to Keigo. Your fingers tap against his bracelets. “I like these.”

“Stole them off Natsou.”

“Aw!” You coo. “I wish they could’ve come out tonight.”

Touya snorts, taking a sip of his drink. “As if. He’d get way too excited if he was here.” 

“Fine, fine. I’ll make Keigo take some videos for us and you can send it to them.” You muse.

Touya shifts a little. You feel the muscles in his arm flex. “You and Keigo close?”

You hum under your breath. “Yeah. He’s a good friend.”

Touya only nods. There’s a look on his face you can’t quite decipher, like he’s decided on something he’s been thinking about for a long time. You want to ask what it is, but you don’t think you have the stomach for any serious conversations right now.

The crowd gets thinner the closer you get to the back of the room. You enter the door meant for the performers, and lead Touya to the dressing room. Well, it’s not a dressing room. It’s a shitty little storage room with a couch, a vanity and horrible lighting. But it feels like a dressing room, and only works to make your excitement soar.

Ren and Aizawa are playing a game of snap on the floor, cross-legged, with half empty beer bottles beside them. Ren is losing horrible, evident by Aizawa’s growing deck and Ren’s growing scowl. They glance up as you swing the door open.

“Hey, guys.”

“Hi. You look nice.” Aizawa nods and you thank him.

Ren is still scowling, but he lightens up at little at the sight of you two. “Hey. I’m getting fucked right now.”

Your nose scrunches. “Ew. Language.”

“Sorry, mom.”

You dump your purse on one of the side tables. Touya nudges his cup at you. 

“You want some?” 

You eye it suspiciously. “Are you drinking?”

“No.”

A beat. “Okay, yes, but-“

“Touya! We could get in trouble.” You hiss. 

“I have a fake ID, it’s fine.” He shrugs you off, but his words only stress you out more 

“There’s nothing fine about a fake ID!” You exclaim.

“Chill, woman. You know it’s legal to drink when you’re eighteen in the UK?” 

“We are not in the UK!”

Your mini argument is interrupted by Nana walking in, a hand on her heart. She points at Touya.

“Touya, you have some very fine friends.”

Touya tilts his head a little. “You must be confused with someone else.”

She shakes her head, reaching in her purse for her lipgloss. “I am not confused, I’m in love.” 

You wonder how long this obsession will last. Nana isn’t one to keep a guy in her life for longer than a few days, always insistent that her teenage years are for experimenting, and nothing long term. 

“Sure, sure.” You nod. 

You pull out your phone, checking your makeup. Everything looks fine, except for the fact the eyeliner on your waterline has faded. You grab it from your purse, having already known that this would happen. It's not very good quality but it’s a cheap one you’d stolen off of Nana, so you can’t really complain.

Your tongue sticks out of your mouth as you pull your eyelid down, careful not to smudge anything as you carefully paint it on your eyes. You can feel someone staring at you, and when you finish one side you notice that it’s Touya. 

“Hi.” You say.

“Hey.”

You bite back a smile. “Can I help you?”

Touya hums, watching you carefully. “Can you do me some?”

“Yeah. Sure.” You mumble.

Ren and Aizawa are still playing on the floor, now arguing because apparently Aizawa is cheating. Nana is reading over the notes for the show one last time, and you are trying to not freak out at being this close to Touya’s face.

He’s too tall, and so he’s sitting down while you stand between his legs. One hand ghosts over his cheek, the other gripping the pencil tightly to steady yourself. Touya looks even prettier this close. Long lashes and the faintest ghosting of freckles across the bridge of his nose. You can make out the exact shade of his eyes, the mosaic of blues so vivid they look fake. 

Touya has the same eye colour as his dad, he’d told you once, his voice sharp as he explained how much he hated them. They were a reminder, he said, of his father and all the awful things he’d done. You told him they only ever reminded you of him, and he’d looked at you with so much emotion on his face you nearly looked away. 

“Don’t move too much.” You hope your tone sounds light and he can’t hear how nervous you are to be so close to him.

His breath tickles your wrist. “Don’t poke my eyes out.”

You giggle. “Stop talking.” 

“Stop laughing.”

“Stop being funny.” You retort.

He tuts. “Stop talking or you’re gonna poke my eye out.”

You huff, but you’re not irritated in the slightest. The black eyeliner highlights his already vibrant eyes, the slant of his gaze. He looks good. And he does kind of look like an emo. You tell him as much and his eyebrows furrow.

“Shut up.” His voice is softer than usual. 

Your hands are hovering awkwardly over his face. You bit at your lip, contemplating how awkward it would be if you just grabbed him.

“What are you doing?”

You blink. “What?”

His lips curl up. “You look so confused.”

Your hands twitch a little. “Can- Can I like…” you make a motion with your hands you hope he can decipher.

“You can touch me anywhere you want.”

Your lips part to speak, but no words come out. And he has this stupid smirk on his face, fingers toying with the loose thread on your skirt.

“You- Just, stop moving.” You mumble, ignoring the burning in your face.

He does, thank god, because his hand has moved to hold your waist just slightly, and you’re not sure if you could take anymore flirty comments with the added contact.

You step back to admire your work, tapping the pencil against your lip.

“Perfect. You really do look emo.” You sigh.

“Fuck off.”

Ren slams the cards down on the floor. “Okay! Now that those two lovebirds are finished fondling, we need to get on stage.” He says.

You shoot him a look, but quickly start making your way out.

This is when the nerves come back. They coil in your stomach, as the five of you walk down a corridor in the back to reach the stage. You're in the back of the line, wringing your hands in front of you.

“Calm down.” Touya whispers to you. He’s standing beside you as you all walk down.

You shoot him a look. “I’m trying.” 

“Try harder.” He jokes, but it lands on deaf ears.

Touya reaches up and unclasps your hands from one another. He hooks his pinkie in yours, lets them swing between you.

“Calm.” He says.

You sigh. “Yeah, yeah.”

The crowd has gotten larger since you and Touya had weaselled your way through it. You recognise people from school, some of Ren’s friends. It’s hard to make out faces with the bright lights shining down on you guys, and you smile, walking up to the mic. 

They clap, and cheer, and you smile wider.

“Hello, everybody! How are we doing tonight?” You yell, greeted by cheers from the crowd.

“Thank you so much for coming out to see us, and thank you to the Apollo for having us.” Ren says besides you.

Touya looks effortless on stage, bass strung around his neck. He’s not watching the crowd, despite the girls you can see near the front all ogling him. No, his eyes are trained on you.

“We are Meat Cute with an a,” you say, “And this is our first song, Back to me by the Marias.”

The opening lines of the song fill you with an adrenaline rush you don’t think you could find anywhere else. Your voice, prepped after embarrassing vocal warm ups with Nana, spills effortlessly through the mic. Much like every time you perform, any nerves you have melt away the second the music starts, and the others play around you.

The show goes amazing. It’s been too long since you guys had a proper gig, and it's evident on all your faces how much fun you’re all having. Your cheeks ache from how hard you’ve been smiling. The crowd seems to be eating it up, too. Toga screams especially loud, and when you wave during your third song at her she pretends to pass out on a less than amused Shigaraki.

By the time you’ve reached your last song, there’s sweat running down your neck and your hair is a mess from how hard you’ve been shaking your head about but you feel alive.

“God, what a great crowd!” You beam. “You guys have been great! And I hate to say this is our last song, but it is.” You pout, struggling to keep a straight face at the animated boo’s coming from the crowd.

“Come on!” Ren yells. “These people are here to listen to music, not your speeches!” He pairs his words with a clash of his drums and you roll your eyes playfully.

“Fine, fine. We’ll finish off tonight with Cologne.”

This song is your favourite to play, mainly because you think of Touya the entire time you’re signing it. Which isn’t good. Because the song is definitely not appropriate, and so, when you sing certain lyrics with your eyes sliding over to him, you can only imagine the sort of message you’re sending to the audience. Lines about kissing, and touching, and how someone’s in your head. It makes your skin feel hot, especially under the heady gaze that he sends back to you. You can already hear Nana teasing you two about eye-fucking, but you couldn’t care any less.

Because, like always, Touya looks good. Even better than normal, if you’re being honest. The erratic movement of his hands flying across the bass, the chain he has on jumping against his chest every time he moves. He fits perfectly on the stage, and you think he should be a permanent addition if it means you can ogle him like this all you want.

It ends sooner than you wish. You all bow dramatically and wave as your crowd out the back, the energy still thrumming through your veins as you all clap each other on the back. Even Aizawa is smiling, a rare sight, his guitar hanging off his back. You all pour into your makedo dressing room. 

“Fuck, we kicked ass!” Ren yells, looping his arm around Nana.

“Ew, you’re sweaty.” She groans, but she looks too giddy to be too bugged by it.

She looks back at you. “I’m gonna go find Shigs. See what he thought of the show.”  She winks.

Ren frowns. “Shigs? Who the fuck is that?”

“I think you of all people should know.” Aizawa drawls.

It takes Ren a beat before he realises and his face drops. “Nana. I’ll kill you.”

She only grins, kissing your cheek and dashing off towards the exit, Ren hot on her heels. 

“You two were great.” Aizawa nods, stalking off to probably go smoke a cigarette outside.

And then it’s just you and Touya.

He’s standing in front of you. The room is quiet and yet there’s a tension so palpable you can feel it on your skin. White hair sticks to his forehead, his face flushed red from exhilaration or heat or something else you can’t quite place. His tongue darts out to lick his lips and you can barely draw your eyes away from them to meet his, bright blue and practically glowing as they scan over you.

And maybe it’s the adrenaline wearing off, or the fact that you’ve been thinking about Touya so much ever since you’ve met him, but your skin crawls with the urge to touch him, kiss him, do anything to pull you two closer.

He runs a hand through his hair. “You- You were great out there.” 

You smile, a little breathless. “You were great, too.”

“Of course. Had to show off a little.” 

You laugh. You push your hair back from your face, sighing contentedly. The two of you are still standing near the doorway, and you lean on the wall, your head knocking back against it.

“God, it was so perfect. I was kinda pitchy a couple times but I don’t think anybody noticed. And Aizawa didn’t mess up on the guitar, either! He’s always worried-“

“I really wanna kiss you right now.”

Your words die on your lips instantly. Your head shoots up, turning to look at him. And Touya looks almost wrecked the way he’s looking back.

“I- I had to say something before I pussied out. Again.” He chuckles a little, but you can see the fear creasing his brows, and you want to reach out and smooth it.

“You looked beautiful out there.”

You’re sure you didn’t. You’d caught a glimpse of yourself walking in, and your mascara is smudged and your hair is a mess. But he speaks with so much conviction, like he’s daring you to disagree, that you have to believe him.

“Thank you.” You swallow roughly.

Your lips are still sticky with your shiny lip gloss, but Touya doesn’t seem to mind. Because when he cups your face gently, his palm hot against your already warm face, his fingers tangled in your hair, he presses his lips to yours with no issue.

And it’s nothing like you’d imagined, because it is infinitely better. His nose brushing against yours, the hand that snakes to your waist to push you against the wall. The heat in your stomach that shoots through your body, the desperation that claws at your insides as you drag him closer by the cuff of his shirt. Touya makes a noise in the back of his throat, content and pleased and you want to drag him even closer, swallow him whole.

His tongue licks into your mouth, tangling with yours, and it tastes sweet, like the candy he’s always picking at. You pull away for air and nothing more, your arms looped around his neck.

Touya hums. “You taste like strawberries.”

You laugh, and when you speak, your lips brush against his. “It’s lip gloss. You taste like candy.”

“Thanks. It’s candy.”

You roll your eyes, but it’s hard to act annoyed when his hand slips up from your waist, past the slither of exposed skin to rest on your shoulder. The other is still on your face, and the room feels hotter. Or maybe you just feel hotter, struggling to ignore the coil of need in your stomach.

“You look so beautiful.” Touya says it again, and his voice is softer than usual, so gentle for you.

Your heart flutters with the careful way he kisses you then. Tender, devoid of all the urgency he had before. He’s still holding you close, but he’s not squeezing as tightly, letting his hand leisurely roam. Your head thumps against the wall once more as he starts kissing down your throat, tongue hot and biting as he licks at your pulse.

“We- They’re going to be back, you know. And I promised I’d see Toga after the show.” You mumble, and he sighs.

He reluctantly releases you, not before he places another hasty kiss to your cheek. And it’s good you split, because you hear the doorknob turn, and you have about a second to fix your hair before Nana comes striding in.

“I got his number! Ren nearly killed me, but-“

She cuts herself off at the sight of the two of you. You, face a furious red as you try and fix your hair and straighten the shirt Touya had gotten very handy with, and the man in question standing with the most shit-eating grin you’ve ever seen in your life.

Nana grins. “Kiko Milano looks very fetching on you, Touya.”

Your eyes dart to him and the mess of lipgloss all over his mouth and chin. You shove his shoulder.

“Touya, your face.” You scold.

He only shrugs, still looking too proud, as Nana cackles in front of you. “I like it. Smells like you. Tastes like you, too.”

“Oh my god!”

—————————————————————————-

guys.. writing the concert was so much harder than I thought?? it took me toooo long omg. But I hope u enjoy!! I love band aus and I love Touya so.. big fat kisses

also… I made a playlist for the band and one for Touya! I think I’m gonna do this for all the characters I write for so I’ll post them here when I do :D

I’m not sure if there will be a part four, but comment if you’d like to be reminded!!

[changingplumbob]

Second Round - Day Seven (Gonk) 1 of 2

@sleepyselkiesims, @sanitysims, @bakersimmer, @invisiblequeen, @abbysimsfun, @fallin4fiction - Sim creators and co-writers

Bright and early, the household wakes up. Room order was randomised with Arista and Evelyn getting the ground floor suites. A wheel was spun for type of shower the contestants would have (opportunity for energised, flirty or inspired moodlet) and whether they would brush their teeth (possible confident moodlet). Once they are finished getting ready they're sent to breakfast. Autonomy is toggled on and room doors are locked.

The order the contestants arrive at breakfast matters a little. Deanna compliments each of them in the order they arrive. Those who are talked to early seem to have more chance of fitting in autonomous socials with Deanna. They might fit in a joke, flirt or gossip between her complimenting others.

Evelyn and Arista arrive for breakfast first, where Arista spontaneously makes some mermaid noises.

Arista: Sorry about that, it's involuntary

Evelyn: Fascinating! Do all merfolk have it as an involuntary reflex? Like how erratic people will just hiss sometimes

Kristina: I heard that. It's not like I hiss at nothing you know

Yasmine: But what do you hiss at Kristina? Nothing I can see

Kristina rolls her eyes while Nephinae and Nicola sit down with dramatic sighs.

Deanna: Nicola, Nephinae, are you okay?

Nicola: *sighs* I don't want to talk about it

(She's uncomfy from the Poseidon's Kiss moodlet today)

Nephinae: *stabbing breakfast* Just feeling extra hot headed this morning

Evelyn: Is it true that all merfolk come from Atlantis or is that a myth?

Arista: I'm probably not the best mermaid to ask. I'm not a massive fan of the ocean. I prefer steady land

Yasmine: There's a lot on the land to enjoy, but we have to look after it and our oceans

Nicola: Henford is good for getting back to nature

Nephinae: If you really want to help the planet, I recommend thrifting

(Thrifting i.e. second hand clothes shopping)

Kristina: I'm not a massive fan. I got a lot of hand-me-downs as I was growing up so I like getting to pick my own stuff

Nephinae: But you can pick your own stuff when you go thrifting! Just look at my outfit

Deanna: It is very nice but I can also see Kristina's view, the hand-me-downs can make you less enthusiastic for clothes other people have worn

Yasmine: But you don't even know who had it before you when you're thrifting. It's great for the planet

Arista: And it's a great way to find clothes that help you stand out rather than be overlooked *turns to Kristina* I come from a big family to. Seven of us kids

Kristina: *gasps* I thought growing up as one of six was hard

Evelyn: I'm glad I have my younger brothers, but I can see how more than two could be difficult

Nicola: There's only me and my brother but I'm sure with my attitude it sometimes felt like he had several sisters

Yasmine: Wait... your family are foresters? That's horrible

Kristina: Oh no it's really quite eco friendly! They work in the renewable forests around Moonwood. So once they cut down and remove trees, new ones get planted in their place

Evelyn: That would help if you're not wanting to run out of trees

Nicola: I did a science unit with my class recently. You'd think mature trees produce more oxygen but actually actively growing trees do. They need more glucose so they photosynthesize faster, meaning more oxygen

Nephinae: Plus we need timber for building and making things

Arista: Well if they're replanting as they go that would mean the trees can absorb more carbon dioxide, which has to be better overall for the environment

Deanna: It's not as if they go and cut down the rain forests but I understand being concerned Yasmine

And then in a surprising move, back tracking on her earlier statement, Arista leaves the house. She jogs all the way to the beach to go for a swim... we do have a pool.

The rest of the household stays talking after their breakfast until it's time for a costume change.

Devin: Hello everyone and welcome to Tartosa Gym. Today's challenge was picked by our pa, who is a fitness fan. Each of you has been tasked with completing the beginners endurance challenge on the rock wall. Fastest time wins. Good luck everyone

Devin hands it over to Aaron who gives a brief tutorial on how the rock wall works. It operates like a vertical treadmill, ticking over as contestants get closer to the top. Aaron takes everyone through some pre climb stretching to warm up, we need to be safe after all.

Aaron: I've picked this challenge because love is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to keep putting in the work if you want it to thrive. I'm looking forward to seeing who wins

Devin directs everyone to the right walls and the cameras position themselves.

Aaron: Any guesses who might win this one?

Deanna: I think Yasmine has a good chance, she's always exercising around the villa. If not her then probably Kristina, she must have climbed loads of trees growing up in Moonwood Mill

Aaron: Care to tell me who you want to win?

Deanna: Sure pa! One of the girls

Aaron: *laughs* Alright smarty

Arista: ... oh. Oh no.

Evelyn: Oh yikes, tried it once and it went not great. I'll try my best though...

Nicola: I'm glad I picked up that skill book at the villa, because other than that I have no experience with this. Some kids growing up would climb the rocks up the side of Cordelia Falls when we were kids, but I always had a fresh manicure and it seemed a little dangerous. At least these rock walls are inside and there won't be any bugs.

Yasmine: I’m excited. My core is so strong from all those pushups. It’s like I’ve been  prepping for this moment.

Kristina: I would prefer if we were climbing a real rock wall than an indoor one, but this is the kind of challenge where all my years climbing trees with my brothers should come in handy!

Nephinae: I have already accepted I will be last place. It's okay.

In a surprise upset, Kristina is the first to fall off the wall. She's closely followed by Evelyn who was unable to keep up with the challenge. Another shock, Yasmine was unable to complete the challenge as well. But she did all those sit ups? Guess she didn't spin a brisk shower today though… Nephinae takes it slow but manages to finish. 39.19 is not an impressive score BUT it is a finish.

Two contestants left, Nicola and Arista. Fully back in her human form Arista conquers the wall in 28.29 seconds! Is it enough? Nicola puts her all into the challenge and finishes in 27.85 seconds! That's it, Nicola is the fastest! But she's already had a date so bonus points for her. Arista would then win but she has also had a date… Does that mean slow and steady Nephinae is actually the winner?

Evelyn: Makes sense. Well, I tried my best!

Kristina: I knew I'd prefer an outdoor climbing challenge, but I still thought I could win this one

Evelyn: I thought you started great

Kristina: Thanks. Congratulations to Nicola though - today just wasn't my day

Evelyn: So if Arista came second does she get bonus points?

Kristina: Surely not. I mean second place doesn't normally get anything? Wouldn't be very fair to other groups

Yasmine: I had fun out there, but rock climbing is tough! Some of these women are so fit... 

Devin: They are indeed

Yasmine: A little bit surprised all my sit ups didn't push me over the edge to victory though *laughs*

Villa renovation by @paracosmic-sims Gym build by @hashimasims

[it-happened-one-fic]

Unfair Incarceration - Kinich

Author Notes: I wrote this in a waiting room. This is not the first time I've actually written Kinich, but this is the first fic outside of the dance series that I felt (after editing) was ready. It took a little bit, even after summoning him, but I think I've finally gotten a feel for how to write Kinich. As per usual, reader is gender neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-Neutral Reader/ sfw/ fluff/ suggestion of flirtation

Word Count: 1135

I leaned back, letting my weight settle against Kinich as we sat back-to-back on top of one of the mountains surrounding the Scions of the Canopy.

“Tired?” I felt him twist his head to glance back at me from over his shoulder. The motion caused the tips of his windblown hair to tickle against the back of my neck.

“Not really, I’m just resting my hands,” I shook my head lightly as I spoke, spreading my fingers and stretching my hands out in front of me. Idly look at the way the sunlight streamed between my spread fingers.

He hummed in response, and I fully expected silence to lapse easily between us as he turned his attention back to the traps he was working on. But instead, he spoke, his voice ever calm as he shifted slightly, “Repairing these traps can be tiring… Would you rather bait them instead?”

“And risk getting my hand caught again? No, thank you,” My response was immediate, and I didn’t even fight to keep the sarcasm from my tone.

I’d only tried baiting the traps once, and I’d promptly thrown the trap and gotten my hand caught. It hadn’t really hurt, but it had startled me. I also hadn't been able to get myself free, though, which had been a fact that’d had Ajaw all but crowing in amusement when I’d embarrassedly gone to Kinich for assistance.

Kinich let out a huffed, but suppressed laugh that told me he was also recalling that day, and I felt myself frown slightly as I curled my fingers back into my palm.

But while he’d scolded Ajwa back when it had happened, I knew perfectly well that he’d found the entire thing amusing too.

Of course it certainly hadn’t helped that I’d been incredibly confident that I wouldn’t have any trouble baiting the traps whatsoever simply because I’d seen Kinich do it thousands of times.

“Suit yourself,” He hid it well, but I could clearly hear the amusement in his carefully neutral tone, and I leaned back, pushing against him petulantly until he braced himself. Stopping my vain attempts to harass him all too easily. 

I let out a slight huff, but sat forward. Completely freeing him of my weight as I pivoted to look back at him, “Have you got Ajaw in time-out?”

It was the only explanation for the peaceful quiet, and Kinich nodded, offering a perfectly vague explanation, “He was being a pest.”

I felt my eyebrows arch at his words, fully expecting there was more to the story than that. After all, Ajaw being a pest was hardly anything new. That was his resting state. 

I didn’t bother pressing for more, though. It was already perfectly obvious that was all I was getting out of Kinich on that front.

So I just went back to working on the traps. My hands took up that almost rhythmic set of motions that eternally reminded me of weaving as muscle memory kicked in, and I let my mind wander. Idly considering what to make for dinner, whether Mualani would come exploding onto the scene to startle while Kinich watched without an ounce of surprise, and what, exactly, Ajaw might have done this time.

After all, the tiny dragon had been behaving in an incredibly superior and knowing manner lately. And while that wasn’t particularly odd for him, it did seem far worse than usual as well as weirdly associated with my being around.

Or so I’d been told, at least.

I heard Kinich shift behind me, and, after a moment, he was looking over my shoulder. Silently watching me work in a way that had me leaning to the side. As if to afford him a better view as I tilted my head to glance his way, “Already do-”

I was cut off as he suddenly reached around me, one of his hands wrapping around mine while the other caught a part of the trap that had sprung loose in the brief moment I’d looked away from it.

“Careful,” As ever, his voice was wholly unbothered despite the way I tensed at his sudden proximity.

His breath fanned across my cheek as he leaned around, shifting slightly as he spoke, his eyes staying on the trap the entire time, “The trigger slipped free.” He explained calmly as he calmly shifted the trigger back into place and held it in place for me.

I nodded, ignoring the strangeness to my tone and fighting the urge to tense self-consciously at the way he was all but wrapped around me in what essentially amounted to an embrace, “Right.”

I made short work of finishing that final trap even as I felt the weight of his gaze settle on me. I pressed my lips together, though, as he silently shifted, letting his arm wrap around my waist and lazily rest there.

I let out a soft exhale but didn’t fuss even as I pushed the trap away from me. Pretending like I was wholly unbothered by his proximity and the way I could feel the warmth from his body sinking into me like he was a demented weighted blanket.

“All done,” I chirped out my words, and he hummed his response, causing me to lean to the side to look at him with raised eyebrows.

And he didn’t look the slightest bit chastened, guilty, or even bothered as he met my gaze, nodding slightly, seemingly unaware of the fact that he was doing anything to bother me, “Thanks for the help.”

I blinked at him but nodded. Knowing perfectly well that we were both going to pretend like absolutely nothing had happened.

And, in reality, I supposed nothing had.

He’d just calmly invaded my personal space while Ajaw hadn’t been here to be a pain about it. 

Which was, admittedly, a rather odd coincidence now that I thought about it.

And all at once, I knew exactly why Ajaw had been in time-out.

I was the one who pulled away. Casually disentangling myself from Kinich before I stood with a knowing smile as I looked down at where he remained seated, “Be sure to apologize to Ajaw for his unfair incarceration.”

Kinich pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head slightly as he met my gaze, standing a little too close for normal but far enough away that there was nothing truly odd. “He deserved it.”

I almost snorted, crossing my arms slightly, “You just took advantage of it?” I gently called him out, lightly teasing him as I smiled at him.

His response was merely a shrug, his face showing absolutely nothing despite the fact both of us knew the answer to my question.

After all, Kinich, with his utilitarian philosophy, definitely wasn’t above getting the very best out of Ajaw not being around.

[icewindandboringhorror]

(also feel free in the tags to clarify Why you made the choice you made!! :0c)

[owlheartt]

Something I really like about timebomb is that Ekko actually knows what he's getting into.

I'm not really seeing it get talked about but in season 1 they mention that Ekko and the firelights help people addicted to shimmer get off it and lead more fulfilling lives within the community. I should probably rewatch the scene for the exact wording (might be misremembering tbh) but that comment implies A LOT.

First: Ekko's mission is helping people where he can, he would probably try and help Jinx even if he wasn't in love with her

Second: He has experience dealing with severe mental illness as that often goes hand in hand with drug abuse, namely depression/suicidal ideation like what Jinx was exhibiting

Third: He's probably mapped out best course of action FOR dealing with this and has already figured out his own limits/boundaries. Meaning he knew what he was getting into trying to talk Jinx out of suicide, and was thus more equipped to deal with the aftermath

Fourth: He's probably helped ex members of Silco's gang. The firelights seem to have a theme of healing and repairing and recovering, so they've probably also learned to forgive. If they're mission is to rebuild the lanes into a safe space, they can't exclude people they don't like, they have to make room for them. I think they fought Silco out of necessity, and I doubt Jinx would be the first person they help who's killed one of them.

These all might be a bit of a stretch but I think it really fits. Beyond that, it shows that Ekko can ACTUALLY help Jinx. As much as unconditional love can do, Ekko has the tools for Jinx's recovery and a path ready for her. He also probably knows that her "healthy" will look different from AU Powder's "healthy." On top of that, I expect he knows how to respect her even in the middle of psychotic breaks and won't agitate her already frail mental state

[thenexusofsouls]

Xenos had most certainly never felt this sort of connection with anyone else before, especially considering he wasn't actually human, he only looked reminiscent of one. To feel connected to someone was an entirely new sensation for him, and he was so innocently excited by it. Interacting with humans usually left him feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and misunderstood, but with Wanda he was calm and even happy. She didn't seem to misunderstand him at all. If anything, she understood him better than anyone else ever had. Not that he made a habit of explaining himself to others, but it was still nice to be understood.

When Wanda said she would handle the sorcerer if he did try to harm him, Xenos looked at her with concern. "You will... be alright?" he asked. While he was somewhat afraid of sorcerers, he didn't want to leave Wanda to face off against someone who might actually hurt her. She seemed pretty firm about protecting him, though, and he supposed se wouldn't be offering if she didn't think herself capable. "Yes... I promise. I... go somewhere safe... if sorcerer attacks me," he agreed.

Her complimenting how he looked with a little blush in his cheeks only caused it to darken. "You... as well," Xenos said with such a boyish shyness that one could easily forget he was a powerful, ancient creature from a shadow realm. "Very pretty." So... she liked him? And his blush? And his laugh? She... she liked seeing him happy. "Really?" he asked, his head tilting as he thought it over. Those words meant so much to Xenos. "You are... only one... who has ever cared... about... w-whether I am... happy," he told her. "So glad... we met, Wanda. You are... s-special... to me... already."

- - - - -

"Yeah, we definitely don't want a nuclear Wanda," Tony chimed in. "Dunno about the other guy, but I really don't wanna find out." But as Steve brought up the fact that Wanda had been the one to figure out how to get inside the dome, Tony nodded. "That's a good point. If she figured that out, maybe she can also figure out how to stop him if he does go nuclear. I bet she could," he said with a bit of an ominous vibe. He'd seen what she was capable of, so he would've bet good American money that Wanda could handle Xenos, even if he was old and powerful.

"I suppose that might be possible," Stephen was forced to admit, though he was with Tony at least on not wanting to have to find out.

"I'll feel Wanda out when I got to tell her the room is ready. Maybe he's chatting up a storm with her and she'll be willing to share some of it. Until then," he finished the rest of his pickle and took his plate to the sink, "we act like we're welcoming him into the fold and sit tight until we can talk and learn more. That work for you?" he asked Strange.

Stephen sighed again. "Work is the wrong word, but... I guess that's fine for now. I'm still going to watch him, just in case."

"Will he know you're doing that?" Tony asked.

"No," Stephen said rather confidently.

"You sure?" Tony asked.

Stephen smirked in slight annoyance, created a portal, and left through it.

"I wish I could do that," Tony mused to Steve. "It'd make my commute to the city during rush hour a lot quicker." He washed his plate and his hands, drying them with a little towel by the sink. "Care to help me install some soundproofing panels?" he asked.

what are you afraid of? (Xenos)

Xenos should never have come this close to this developed of a human city. Even wandering the suburbs of New York City had been a trial for him, with car horns blaring, people yelling, and a sense of too many things moving around him all at once. But once he'd reached deep into the city, he knew he'd made a mistake. There was a stark lack of awareness from the people walking around him. Some bumped into him without warning while others simply seemed to have no spatial awareness whatsoever. There were even more car horns, and more yelling, and Xenos felt his chest tightening from the stress of it all.

Soon, he couldn't breathe, and try as he might to get out of there, it seemed the more he walked, the deeper into the city he embedded himself. "Back!" Xenos shouted to someone who had bumped into him hard, pushing him away with one of his hands.

"Hey man, screw you!" the human said to him as he kept on walking.

He hadn't realized that he'd wandered into a roadway until he was almost hit by a car. It screeched to a halt and Xenos lifted his hands to cover his ears as the sound of the car's horn blared so loudly he thought he would die. "Get away!" he yelled, and it happened. His magic lashed out, creating a dome of isolation around him, encompassing the entire block. Everything went silent, for he'd removed all the humans from within the dome, leaving them outside its invisible border. Inside, he left the animals and insects for they did not bother him, but the cars, trucks and buses were now uninhabited, turned off, still.

The silence was wonderful, and he felt the tension begin to release him. The dome's barrier kept out the sounds of the surrounding city, as well as those of the angry and confused humans who had been moved from their vehicles, or who could no longer pass down the street because of the invisible barrier. While Xenos paced back and forth in the middle of the street, slowly calming himself, people outside the dome where already calling emergency services and police, angry and scared by what had occurred.

The Avengers were called in.

Xenos moved inside a building, where it was dim and peaceful, taking deep breaths as he slowly wandered around. This was better. Much better. He didn't care or even realize the disruption he'd just caused within a major human city.

Outside, people were telling tales of a strange man who had somehow made invisible walls in the city, not fully understanding what all had happened. When the Avengers arrived, they were met with a large block of New York City that looked... empty, uninhabited. Cars left abandoned, doors to buildings left open. It looked like something out of a zombie apocalypse... but where were the zombies?

Steve couldn't punch through the wall. Tony's repulsors couldn't penetrate it either. They couldn't even see what it was they were trying to knock down. But not all members of the team were as hindered by the magical barrier as the rest...

Xenos knew the moment someone had entered the dome, and he twitched with the sensation of his magic being disturbed. Perplexed, for this had never happened before, he walked to the door of the building and peered out. A human was there... but how? No human should be able to defy his magic. None ever had before. He watched her from afar for a bit, until it seemed that she was, either intentionally or inadvertently, headed right for him. Did she know he was there? No, no, she could not. Humans lacked such senses, he knew, especially in this time. The sorcerers of old were all but gone from the world now, or... or at least Xenos hadn't encountered any for a very long time.

Slowly, he stepped out of the building and onto the sidewalk, his body tilting awkwardly to the right as his head did the same, as though he was trying to size her up and see her better. When she spoke to him, he recoiled suddenly from the sound of her voice. He didn't take steps back from her, but rather only leaned back, his head snapping backward a bit as a dog or cat might do if they were startled while curiously trying to get the scent of something. He thought about her words for some time before responding.

"Not afraid," he said, but his voice was barely there. He couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken to anyone to any real capacity, and his voice suffered from a lack of use. He didn't think it was loud enough for communication purposes, so he tried again. "Not... afraid." Xenos put up his hand almost as if he was making a wait a minute motion with it, but moved it up and down, as though pressing some imaginary buzzer in the air, his fingers outstretched. He was merely thinking of the right word, his head turning this way and that like the word might suddenly be floating in the air somewhere he could see. "Overwhelmed," he finally decided upon. "The city is... too much." His hands found his head and he swayed a bit, as thought he was in pain. "So I have expelled it... from this space." He then made a pushing away motion with both his hands, moving them out from his body.

But then Xenos' head tilted again, his face obscured by the draping hood of his long coat. "How...?" he asked, pointing back in the direction she came. "How... did you enter?"

[pissmoon]

Mens attempts at hitting up on random women are so bizarre at times to me bc they just walk up to a stranger n go 'u want to go to a coffee date' out of nowhere without attempting any small talk at first at all? And then they get hit with no and say 'why not?' all shocked. Yea why not we clearly have nothing to talk about with each other we cant even have any small talk for a couple of minutes and 0 chemistry lets go on a date lets get married yay

[lunar-years]

No one asked but here’s my vision:

They’ve gone to separate colleges, and while it’s been nice and vitally important to both of them to have their separate identities and build their own lives in the colleges and cities of their choosing, they’ve also missed each other terribly and are ready to never do that again!

That they will moving in together as soon as they graduate has therefore always gone without saying...

Nancy knows her parents are going to be Grade A Annoying about this.

Her dad probably doesn’t actually care what she does, but he lovessss being performative about playing a certain Dad Role when he deems it necessary. He can’t have his eldest daughter ~living in sin~ in a big city!! Spooky!!!

Her mom loves Jonathan and is under no delusions about what he and Nancy are to one another, but in her head that means they ought to get married like, yesterday. Why wait if it’s inevitable? (Karen is bored in Hawkins now that Mike & Nancy are gone and even Holly isn’t far behind. She is desperate for something to do, and planning Nancy’s wedding is her ideal solution. Also, she would much rather brag to her friends over girl’s lunch about her daughter getting engaged than have to explain to them why she’s moving in with Jonathan unmarried and with no wedding on the horizon). She has already been pressing Nancy about the ~timeline of her relationship~ for months during their weekly phone calls. Again, Annoying!

Jonathan goes to Emerson one weekend to visit Nancy shortly before graduation and Nancy is complaining about the previous bullet points. Sort of jokingly (but also sort of seriously) she’s like, “You know, maybe we should spare ourselves the trouble of dealing with them and just get married now.” To which Jonathan responds without hesitation, “I’d marry you right now if you wanted to. Today.”

Eloping is honestly Jonathan's best case scenario. To not have to deal with any of the horrible aspects of weddings? Hop and Joyce recently got hitched and were bickering constantlyyyy over the details, which Jonathan would prefer to avoid happening to him and Nancy. Plus, the thought of Nancy's anxiety over her mother's micromanaging is enough to give him anxiety. Plus he hates when all the attention is on him. Most importantly, eloping means he'd get to marry Nancy now. Nancy could be his wife right now!! Holy shit, they could actually do this.

once they decide on this, they are all in. they never do anything halfway.

So that's how they end up signing papers at the courthouse with a couple of Nancy's college friends as their witnesses.

when they drive out to Hawkins and tell the Byers, Joyce is thrilled for them but also (understandably) disappointed, because that's her first child and she really wanted to be there when he got married. Jonathan understands this but for once does not feel guilty about his and Nancy's decision one bit. He's had so few chances in life to do anything entirely on his own terms, and marrying Nancy was the best decision-on-his-own-terms he's ever made. (*growthhh, baby!*)

doing what her mother wanted (getting married) in a manner in which her mother could never approve (eloping) is totally freeing for Nancy. As a compromise she does agree to let her mom plan a reception for them in Hawkins the next summer, but all the stress of planning and angsting over it has dissolved entirely now that she's already had her "wedding" just her and Jonathan, and it was so perfect.

this means they can actually relax and just enjoy the reception and celebrating with their families when it comes.

and then of course they live happily ever after

The more I think about it the more I believe Jonathan and Nancy elope straight out of college.

[lexicals]

Swear to god I don't know why I ever try to bring anything up with that woman it's never a good idea but every time I'm like "what if this time I'm not immediately told I'm wrong". Call me either an optimist or a fool

[freepassbound]

Merry Christmas to you 🎄🎁😊

30+38 :)

30: What I hate the most about work/school

There is far more administrative busywork at this school than there ever was at my school - stuff that does not contribute to the teaching of children (which is kind of the point). It drags on me.

38: My childhood career choice

I don't know that I ever really had anything beyond the cliché dreams of being a professional athlete (baseball first, I would think, segueing into basketball) as an actual child... by teenage years, I was leaning toward architecture or something with computers.

[235uranium]

every time the female character discourse happens i just sigh. the ppl critiquing fandom misogyny don't even like that interesting of women

[finallychaoticeffigy]

Yandere patient x psychologist reader

You can't believe it. How were you assigned to work with the most dangerous patient in the hospital when you just started working a few months ago.

You shook your head "Sir there must be some kind of mistake here, I don't have enough experience to work with him"

Your boss chuckled putting down his coffee at the nearby table as he looked at you "I know it's been only a little while since you started working here, but i believe in your abilities y/n"

You stared at the door , guards behind following you. Room 13, every psychologist would rather quit than to be seen here. Last time he tried to run away, he killed over 9 guards with just a fork. But like your bosses say you have the abilities so it's only worth a try.

You opened the door. You saw a huge man with a straitjacket on.

"Hi" you greeted, putting down your things at a table. You turned to the guards "Leave us, I'll just call when there's an emergency. They nodded as they closed the door.

The patient, or should i say Darius looked at you. His eyes softened. "H-hey" you looked at him with awe . According to his documents he doesn't speak a word to anyone. So that simple word shocks you.

"Come closer...please" He softly utter making you think. Is he trying to get you to come close so he can also stab you with a fork? Even with a straitjacket on , you never know what happens next. Oh well you can't really talk to him when you are this far, unless you shout that is.

You came close to him. You get a better look at him. Jesus this man is beautiful, you thought. Even though he's a murderer psychopath who looks like he could crush you with his pinkie. He's sitting down but you can already tell he's tall as hell.

You then explained the things he had to do to get better. "Don't forget to drink your medicine at the right time." You fix your coat and stand up ready to leave.

"Wait, leaving already?"

"Yes, our time is over" you explained

"oh...Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Totally" you picked up your papers and left

It's been a month since you have been assigned to Room 13. And dare you say ,you two have gotten a bit close. He's not as cold as you thought he was. Actually, he seems clingy and sweet, but you're still not completely comfortable with him.

"Am back" You gave him a small smile. He quickly turned to you and beamed "Y/n !! Come and hug me please" He softly pleaded.

It's kind of weird how he would want to always get in contact with you but you brushed it off. I mean you do work in a mental ward , people here are naturally weird.

As you get closer to him you notice his straitjacket looks a bit out of place. Your suspicion was confirmed as he suddenly lunged at you.

"Hey ! What are you doing Darius get off " you tried to hit him but he's just too strong, heck he even broke his straitjacket.

"Mmmh you always smell divine baby, You have no idea how long I've waited for you to be in my arms" He commented as he licked your cheeks down to your lips.

"No get off! Help someone! " You screamed feeling terrified at his actions. His arms wrapped tightly around you as he also began to suck and lick all over your neck and he moaned in delight.

"I love you Doc , i love you so much i could die, I just wanna kiss you, lick you, suck you and love you forever." He smiled at you , his other hand moved down to your waist and softly squeezed it.

It continued on for a few minutes , the most terrifying moments of your life until the guards came to sedate him.

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

You were given a week of vacation to make up for the traumatic experience you've been through.

You entered the hospital to get some of your things when you noticed how uncomfortably quiet it was.

You suddenly stopped at your track. Is this a prank? You don't think so. You let out a scream as you saw multiple bodies with blood, gut out.

You know those stupid characters in horror movies when instead of running through the exit they ran upstairs instead.

You used to get so annoyed with that , but who knew that's what you'll also do. You didn't think . You just ran through your office .

You collapse on the floor as soon as you close the door. With trembling hands you began to type.

"911 what's your emergency" the other line calmly asked.

H-hello , th-theres been a massacre at the xxhospital. I saw so many dead bodies please we need help" You cried feeling terrified for your life. You still have dreams, you can't die.

" Maam i need you to stay calm , please go to a safe plac-"

"Hello!" You began to panic as the line on the other side was cut off.

"Y/n" you heard a voice outside calling you

"Doc... please come out , i know you're there" He cooed as he began to bang on the door and twist the knob.

You could only cry , not knowing what to do. "Go away !"

"Fuck y/n even your shaken voice is cute. I love you more and more now"

You ran under your table hoping this nightmare could all go away.

Just then you heard the door break down. No..No this can't be, is he in?

"Baby..." Softly said and yanked you out under the table .

You protest and kicked him which was obviously useless as he began to hug you suffocating you,almost.

"Aww. You look so vulnerable right now Y/n, i could just eat you up" The huge man chuckled at you breathing heavily, you swore you could see heart forming in his dark eyes.

"You're mine.. Everything about you " He picks you up still hugging you tightly.

"Now let's get out of here and live together for the rest of our lives"

----------

English is not my first language so my apologies if my grammar is not perfect

[nezuscribe]

(previous part)

it's been a week since you've spoken to arranged!gojo, and he feels like he's about to start going crazy.

you don't speak during your meals, not even when he addresses you in a question. sometimes you spare him a glance, but he'd still rather see your icy glare than see nothing at all.

and he knows he fucked up. he knows that you seeing him alone with anya was perhaps the worst possible place you could’ve caught him, but he's been almost begging you to listen to him, to hear his side. but every time he goes to explain you leave abruptly, leaving him alone, feeling the looks of pity from those around the two of you.

and you know you're being petty. after all, the two of you are only bound by words, nothing else. if anything, the two of you were just becoming friends, so this shouldn't hurt you as much as it does.

but you hear the whispers of the ladies, hear of their secret proposals of how gojo would surely bed them if they just asked. how miserable he must be trapped with you, how this marriage is ruining his life. and you know anya, know about her history with him. before you were his wife you were the higher echelon wallflower, listening to all the gossip, observing from afar.

you've gathered some ideas in your head as to why he might want to speak with you. perhaps he wants to gently break the news that he's found a mistress, one that he actually loves. or that maybe he's already had one and now you know why he's been so secretive.

so the more he tries to talk to you, the more you pull away. you don't know why he cares so much, why this even matters to him. if anything, you feel like he should be content with your silence.

but he's not, and gojo grows more restless by the hour.

he decides he can't live like this anymore. tonight he's going to make you listen to him, even if you want nothing to do with him.

you're holed up in your room, talking with alina as she dabs lavender oil on your neck before you go to sleep. you know she knows about your silence with gojo, but ever friend, she does nothing to bring it up.

well, she wouldn't have to if he didn't come knocking feverishly at your door.

you watch in your mirror as she peeks her head out, her gasp of surprise causing a sinking pit to form in your stomach. you can hear how she scrambles with the titles of my lord, how she explains that you're nearly about to go to sleep.

it's late, the only light is the flickering of the candles on your nightstand. he should be asleep by now.

gods, you wonder for the millionth time this week, why does he care so much?

alina finishes up, closing the door slightly as she turns to you, her eyes finding yours in the mirror.

"i'm sorry my lady," she bows her head almost apologetically, "but my lord wants to talk to you. he's requested me to leave...if you'll excuse me," she bows, quickly leaving, not giving you any time to actually excuse her. you know she can't stay any longer, but you do wish she put up more of a fight. you watch her skirt bustle away, the door being left slightly ajar.

you try to act nonchalant, continuing to dab the oil onto your wrists as you look down, even when you hear the door click shut, even when you can feel his presence several feet behind you.

you sigh through your nose, heat rising to your cheeks.

"what?" you bite out, your own voice shocking you. you want to get this over with, not too desperate to hear about how he's ready to take on a mistress and shun you away.

you can hear him take in a deep breath, your eyes briefly looking up in the mirror to catch his, the same ones that make your knees weak, and avert your gaze.

"you haven't spoken to me in over a week," he says after a beat of silence.

you shrug indifferently, despite the fact that he could probably ask you the specific amount of hours it's been since the two of you had talked and you'd give an accurate number.

"i've been busy," you murmur, taking your earrings off as you place them gently in the little glass bowl to the side.

he doesn't say anything about your blatant lie, just nods slowly, as if he understands.

"i missed hearing you talk," gojo tells you quietly, almost as if his voice had been stuck in his throat, and you wonder if any man before him had ever tried to sweet talk his wife before he told her about his new mistress.

you don't say anything, still refusing to look at him as you stand up from your seat, turning off one of the candles near you as you smooth out some of the wrinkles of your nightgown.

"is this what you really want to tell me gojo?" you say bluntly, looking to the side momentarily, getting a longer look at his bulky figure, how he tries to make himself seem smaller, "that you miss my stupid jokes and dull stories?"

"they're not stupid," he quickly cuts in, his voice a little stronger, brows furrowed, "and i like your stories."

you roll your eyes, moving around the bed, to the side where he's not, and fluff your pillows. you've never found this useful, but it gives you something to do with your hands other than fidgeting with them.

truth be told, you're reflecting. you're scared of what it is he has to say, and so you try to appear stronger, and less caring, despite the fact that it's tearing you apart.

you try not to feel self-conscious of the fact that this is his first time ever seeing your room, or the fact that it's so bland. you didn't come to this estate with many things, and so you've tried to spruce up the space as much as you can, but aside from the few flowers and paintings on the wall, you fear it looks bland compared to everything else he's seen.

"and no," gojo adds, running a hand through his already tousled white hair as his arms crossed over his chest, and you finally allow yourself to stare at him, "that's not all i wanted to say."

he paused for a second.

"i don't know why i followed her out, or why i even stayed to hear her speak, but she kept saying these things about..." he trails off, gnawing on his lips as your eyes narrow slightly.

"me?" you finish for him, and his eyes dart to yours.

gojo nods a little bit, arms bulging a little bit as if remembering what she had said.

"i'm used to people staring at me, i lived with it my entire life. but with you, people..." he struggles to find words, "people stare longer. and i don't know why."

you raise a brow.

"do you want me to explain?" you say and he looks at you briefly, almost in a brazen way.

he shakes his head as if he had steered off track.

"that's beside the point. what i wanted to tell you is that she...she was saying some nonsense and i was about to leave until she offered for me to stay at the hostelry she was at." his blue eyes are wavering, his finger itching to get closer to you. this stupid bed is in the middle of you two and he wishes it were gone.

your breathing hitches a little bit, and you hope he doesn't see the sad tilt on your lips.

"so i banished her. or, well, i guess you saw her and then i banished her, but i would've done it regardless," he explains hurriedly, "look, i'm sorry...really sorry. if you want me to-"

"you banished her?" you cut him off, voice raised slightly in confusion.

his mouth gapes open for a second, and then blinks slowly, nodding.

"of...course," he tilts his head, his gorgeous head, slightly "you know that i am married, right? to you? she was offering to-"

"i thought you were going to tell me that you slept with her. o-or i don't know! that you were going to make her your mistress or something!" you spew out, your voice raised as you pace around the floor, moving a little bit closer to him as his eyes widen.

"why would you ever think that?" gojo says in a panicked tone, nothing like the man who commanded the northern army, but more like somebody who was watching his world burn in front of him.

"why?" you exclaim, shocked, "why? are you daft? every single woman wants to sleep with you! every single time we host those dinners, o-or we go to those parties, they look at you and they look at me and they pity you. i hear the whispers of the ladies, how they wouldn't mind being the other woman."

gojo hears the way your voice wavers, how your lips tremble, and the way you try not to let your bottom lip quiver. he sees the way you try to stay strong, to keep your image unbridled, but right now he feels like he's watching you break and he doesn't know what to do.

"so? what makes you think i'd do anything with them?" gojo argues, his voice raised a little bit, not in shouting, but in genuine disbelief.

you take a moment to step back and observe his behavior, and a nagging voice in your head tells you that he's telling you the truth. that he's concerned and worried, that maybe all he came to tell you tonight was an apology.

but that can't be correct.

so you sigh, your arms crossed over your chest protectively.

"i...i don't know," you murmur, "you sleep in another wing, you're always away. i thought...maybe..." you can't meet his eyes, fidgeting with the ring on your finger.

gojo takes a step forward, lips parted, cheeks rosy and flushed.

the two of you don't say anything for a minute, his chest heaving up and down. you feel like there's a weight both removed and added onto your shoulder.

"why didn't you say anything?" he whispers, "did you think...did you think i was...?" he can't finish the sentence, the words themselves too gruesome.

he doesn't say anything as he takes another tentative step closer.

you watch him, your eyes mirroring one another.

"i made a vow to you," his voice is heavy, traveling across the spanning stone walls, going deep into your bones, "and even if you prefer me to be your friend, i'll keep to that vow till the day i die."

your eyes gloss over, lips trembling.

you don't say anything, taking a couple steps forward as you smash against his chest, face crumpling against the stone wall of his torso as you hug him tightly, hoping that he can't feel the tears that seep through his nightshirt.

never in your life has somebody made a promise to you. and never in your life has somebody kept to that promise.

"thank you," you murmur, your voice muffled as his arms wrap around your body, steady and strong.

"and anyways, i'd prefer to be married to you than those miserable women any day," he mumbles into your hair and you laugh wetly, squeezing your arms tighter.

"really?" you say, tears blurring your vision.

"really," he hums, not able to say anything because he fears what you'd say if he told you that he'd rather be your husband and your friend. but he'd keep that inside, respecting your wishes.

if only he knew you wished the same.

[kkusuka]

more roommate simon!

i love the idea that simon thinks he's super open and available with his emotions and reader thinking he's really cold and disinterested. is he ooc? yeah. do i care? no. if you want cannon ghost, play the game!

simon riley doesn't know when you became so important to him.

the only reason he even put out the ad for a roommate was because his landlord though he'd moved out while he was away and he'd rather have some bird in his place than deal with that again.

you were just so easy; showing up to the coffee shop (where you requested to have your first meeting just in case he was some crazy murderer) face flushed, strands of hair all over the place, and sweater a mess; rushing to explain how you got sprayed by a sprinkler on your walk over then chased by a dog. and just as you repeat sorry for the 30th time simon thinks he's in love. you're officially his roommate 30 minutes later.

but it's so out of character for him. he hasn't been around anything other than hard ass military men since he was a teenager. fuck, he's killed hundreds of men in his line of work, tortured thousands more. (he doesn't like to think that that's why he's so drawn to you. that you're so different from who he has to be, someone he's been for so long, that being around you lets him breathe. that he feels like he can actually sit and enjoy his moments away from the field in your tiny manchester apartment.)

he thinks it actually started with the decorations.

the small trinkets you let around the common spaces when he was away. it starts with your room obviously; fairy lights above your bed that spills light into the hallway when he comes home in the early morning hours, paintings on the wall that eventually flow over into the living room, the small plants in your window sill that you ask him to water one day after you leave for work.

then the dinner table suddenly has checkerboard placemats and a vase of flowers that change with the season. and his run-down couch has decorative pillows and a throw blanket (both words he learned from you when he questions what the fuck is on his couch). then the bathroom in the hallway gets a new soap stand, and a mat is placed at your front door, next to the shoe organizer and coat rack.

so he starts buying things too; the penguin plushie in the supermarket window, the vase that matches the curtains in the living room, and a small skull magnet to rest on the face of your fridge.

and before simon knows it his dreary, cold apartment actually looks lived in. and instead of coming home to a dark hallway and an empty fridge, your flower lamp is on, some random show from the 90s is playing, and there's food on the table.

he gets to know you more than he thought he would; he knows what foods you don't like, the books you're reading and the ones you refuse to read again, and even that dick from work he promises to take care of if he bothers you again (it's evident that you think it's a joke and not something that he would genuinely do but simon doesn't think he's ever been more serious).

but he never lets you know too much about him, you don't need to know about it and the less you find out the better.

then came dinners, actual dinner not just him showing up while you already had food ready. you would ask if he wanted whatever you had made ( 'i'm already making food and i normally don't eat is all anyway, so i might as well share' ). so suddenly he was spending his nights at your table with a homecooked meal and simon doesn't think he could ever let this go.

then he gets sent away again, for way longer this time. he makes sure to update his paperwork, changes his emergency contact, your name swirled onto the spouse line. you were probably as close as he'll ever get to one and if you're there they'll tell you if anything happens to him faster. he doesn't want to think of how nice your first name looks with his last name. and you'll probably never even know, simon's never gotten that injured before and he doesn't plan on it now.

months in the heat of the middle east return him to hard shell of a man he was. coming home caked in dirt, blood speckled on his clothes; he doesn't want you to see him like this, he doesn't want you to know this version of him. and for the first time he regrets letting you come into his life.

you are home when he gets back, 2:30 in the morning and every light is off, he opens your door to make sure. you're asleep, not shocking, cuddled into the giant octopus you won at an arcade. he tries not to move, he just wants to look at you for a little bit.

he wakes up the next morning to breakfast and a new pair of combat boots. he's only home for a week this time, not that he's ever home for longer than a month, and he tries to soak up all of your time. you complain about your car, he's on it. the heater started being testy, that's fine he'll take care of it. he's going grocery shopping with you, he watching that weird hospital show, and he enjoys his time in domestic bliss before getting thrown back into some random country.

somehow that all led him here. laying in a hospital bed with two bullets lodged in his shoulder with you sitting in some shitty chair pulled as close to the bed as you could.

"so uh, i'm mrs. riley now?"

"yeah, ya are. 'av been for a while."