#today is my free day and when I went to remember that today is your birthday Neko I decide to draw a little fast doodle for you<3<3<3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[mushroomjar]

I don't like the way you guys talk about Palestinians asking for donations. I don't like it.

I had to see someone make MULTIPLE posts bitching and moaning about how people need to stop sending them asks asking for them to reblog their donation posts, that they'd just be blocking them from now on, and that they didn't care if they were vetted because they still found the act of sending asks to get reblogs on their donation links suspicious, even if they were in a dire situation. They even went as far as to say that they got an ask, deleted it, and then they got another ask from the same person, and accused the person of sending another ask to purposefully "get under their skin"

I don't know man, have you considered that being a victim of ongoing genocide will make you ask for help in whatever way you can? And sometimes that involves sending random blogs asks to see if they can donate or at the very least share your donation links? A Palestinian reaches out to you multiple times because they need help and your response is to whine about getting donation links in your inbox? I wish I had your problems

Also the thing about "getting the exact same ask from the exact same blog multiple times"... uh, duh? First of all, they're probably reaching out to dozens of blogs daily, do you think they're gonna type up a new paragraph for each blog they reach out to? Second of all, maybe they reached out to you multiple times because a. They really really really need the help and b. What, do you think they're gonna see your URL/blog and be like "oh! I already reached out to this blog, I'm not gonna send them another ask"? Or do you think they'll be like "this person has been reblogging other people's donation posts, maybe they'll reblog mine too"?

Like I understand being suspicious about getting sent donation links to your inbox, but literally all you have to do is check if the blog's been vetted by other bloggers? It's as easy as searching for their URL on tumblr sometimes, it literally takes less than a minute or two. And that's what bothers you? That's what you're complaining about? Find a real problem!!!

[sugucidal]

# HOW TO SEDUCE YOUR NEIGHBOR 101 !!

CHAPTER ii. [9.1k words]

୨୧‬┊pairing: toji fushiguro x fem! reader

୨୧‬┊synopsis: the shopping trip you were forced to go on with Toji doesn't go exactly as planned.

୨୧‬┊warnings: taboo cw! + semi-smut + age difference (reader is in her 20's and toji is 34 ) + slow burn + one-sided pining + attempt at humor + slice of life + reader takes multiple L's + megumi is mentioned + reader gets objectified (not by toji) + toji is a serial hoe

୨୧‬┊a/n: make sure to check out my main post! ive included a pinterest board for everything described + a playlist ♡

MAIN POST | part i. > part ii. > part ii.

You didn't know if it was a blessing in disguise, or a curse. Perhaps a cruel joke the world was playing on you like it always did. Yet here you were again, your knee high fluffy socks skidding across the oakwood flooring of your room, scouring through your closet like a deranged cat looking for something to wear on today's decor run.

"Shoes, shoes…I'm missing shoes," digging through the furthest corner in the enclosed space of your closet, you spotted an unopened box on one of the shelves. It was a simple pair of heeled, white mary janes with a heart buckle. You got it 2 birthdays ago but never saw an opportunity to wear them, until now.

Your mother told you that Toji was picking you up at 10:30 am despite you telling her that you would go after lunch.

'He's a busy man. He said this is the only time he's free today.'

"Yeah, of course he is. Always busy doing God knows what." Sighing, you decided on your ensemble for this morning. It was rushed and unplanned, but it would have to do.

Looking at the time on your phone, you saw that it was 10:15. You've still got 15 more minutes left till Toji arrives to pick you up. Letting out a breath, you sat on your bed, shoe cladded toes tapping the floor as your knee bounced, restlessly waiting.

Going over to your floor length mirror, you checked over your choice of outfit once more. It wasn't too cold of a day, so you opted for a knitted long sleeved, off-the-shoulder, cream toned sweater dress that hugged your curves. With its hem stopping just right underneath your ass.

You were debating between thigh highs or leg warmers, but decided leg warmers looked better scrunched down on your ankles with the shoes you opted to wear. You didn’t do much with your hair last night since you were only at home, but since you were going out in public today, you felt like doing something with it. Something cute specifically, as you opened your vanity drawer deciding which accessory to wear today. Picking some silk ribbon you saw laying about, you braided it into your hair, sealing it with a rubber band and tying an extra ribbon into a bow to conceal it. And finally, you had your bag. Well, more like bear. The teddy bear backpack you had on matched well with the neutral color scheme. So, you went for it. Honestly, you reminded yourself of a doll. A doll with a pretty face, and a whole lot of problems.

Taking a deep breath, you puffed out your chest. Your confident expression stared back at you, but on the other side of that mirror you felt nothing but anxiety simmering the longer you stood there in silence.

"I might as well wait for Toji outside then." It was no use standing around in your room. The bed looked way too inviting as it only made you think of excuses not to go. You wouldn't let your bed get the best of you this time.

Walking down the stairs, you headed towards the entrance, petting your cat's furry head along the way. Upon opening the door, you were met with the sight of freshly layered snow. It was thin, barely half an inch thick, but it already had you feeling a little better with the anticipation of making a snowman with it once the days got colder. You remember there was a time when you used to do that with Toji.

God, you can't even reminisce about the past without Toji having some part in it.

You desperately needed to figure out how you were going to do this.

Last night was a bust. Not much progress was made besides the fact that Toji actually spoke to you for the first time in years. Not that he had much chance to do so sooner even if he wanted to, with you a couple hours away from home and all. But it was the bare minimum. Right now you needed a plan, and you needed to think of one fast.

Standing against the railing of your porch, you sorted through your thoughts. You're going to get picked up by Toji in less than 10 minutes. You'll ride in his car, pretend that everything's okay because it is, you'll buy whatever this party needs, and if it goes well you'll confront him on the ride back home. And that'll be the end of that.

Easy.

But when is anything ever easy when it comes to that man. Nothing. The answer has always been nothing.

This line of thought has you so deep into your own frustration that you don't even realize you've been ranting to your teddy bear backpack. Murmuring to it harshly, and rolling your eyes like you're gossiping with a friend about the latest dumb thing that happened on Twitter today.

And it's only when you see a black pickup truck from your peripheral vision pulling up, that you stare back at the bear in horror. Mind being snapped back to the present, and feeling embarrassed that you were seen like this. A man was causing you this much turmoil, that you've been complaining to a damn backpack about it.

Quickly putting your bag back on, you smoothed out your sweater dress. You really fucking hope he didn't see that.

Facing towards the driveway you paused. Your eyes widened, already in awe at the vehicle as you saw it more clearly up close.

The last car you saw Toji with was an old, red Toyota truck. It did it’s job, but definitely not without a couple repairs here and there every so often (that you may or may not have checked him out while he was doing so.) So seeing this new, shiny, black Chevy parked right outside the driveway was definitely an exciting upgrade. The wheels were lifted, making the body higher than its original design, and the windows were tinted midnight black, making it nearly impossible to see who was inside unless you stuck a cheek to the glass.

Overall it was big, and intimidating.

Just like him.

'Guess those freelancing jobs paid off then.’

*BEEP BEEP*

Jesus. You didn't even notice Toji had already parked. How long were you just staring at it for? If he started to honk at you, it must’ve been more than what society deemed normal.

Running up to the passenger side of the truck, albeit meekly, you stopped right in front of the door just as the tinted windows were being pulled down giving you a better view of the inside. There sat Toji on the other side, upper body turned and facing towards you with one hand still on the wheel.

Toji’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets at your appearance but it was quickly masked by a look of amusement.

"You busy daydreaming or what?"

Ignoring his remark, you placed your hands on the edge of the cold glass, peering up at him and around the interior.

“So, new truck huh?”

"Oh this? Yeah, got it not too long ago after receiving my payment for….from work."

You squinted your eyes in suspicion, noticing that he caught his words, but you weren't going to question it. No, you were going to let it go. You knew he wouldn’t tell you anything anyway, most likely just brushing it off as suddenly being hit with a stutter. He never spoke about his “overseas” jobs that he apparently racked up stacks of cash from, and despite him saying it was only freelancing work, you had a hunch it was something a lot shadier than that. You weren’t that dumb. Which is exactly why you weren’t going to ask.

Choosing to stay oblivious, you gave a compliment instead. "It's nice, Toji. Really."

You were about to open the door to get in and cut the small talk short (and because you’d rather bask in the in-system heating than out in the cold) but it wouldn’t budge. It was still locked. Why isn’t he unlocking the door?

Instead of unlocking the door for you like normal people do when picking up a person with their car, Toji isn't exactly someone you'd consider normal. Instead, Toji looked you up and down slowly as an awkward silence took over. You stood there rigid, allowing him to unashamedly undress you with his eyes. At least you think that's what he was doing. He’s being really bold today…does he seriously not plan to open this door?!

Your mind was running a mile per minute. You felt exposed, vulnerable, but you kind of liked the attention he was giving you right now. Especially since he hadn’t bothered to give you any last night. Not that you blame him. Looks like the effort you had put in, despite being rushed, was working, leaving him dumbstruck. You felt proud that you managed to have him speechless.

Unfortunately, your sudden boost in ego was quickly shut down.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Oh. Talk about anticlimactic.

"Huh? W-what do you mean?"

"I mean," He stood there, a single eyebrow raised, and vaguely gesturing to your form with his hand, "This."

Looking around to see if anyone else was witnessing this, you quirked your head in question. "What about it?"

"I know ya didn't just decide to go out looking like that when it's freezing out here. Go back upstairs and put some real clothes on." He looked at you sternly with a scowl etching onto the scarred side of his lip, arms crossing in front of his chest.

Was Toji actually scolding you right now? The nerve of this guy!

You hadn’t seen it right away, but after staring back at him in disbelief at what you were hearing, you noticed his own personal ensemble.

There’s no damn way…

Looking up and down at him as he had done to you just moments prior, you saw that he was wearing an unzipped puffer jacket with a hoodie underneath which was fine, you had no issues regarding that. The problem was what he was wearing below.

This man, who was condemning you on your sweater dress because it was apparently unfit for “freezing” temperatures, was wearing shorts and slides. At least he wore socks with it, if he hadn’t you think you may have actually gone back home and let him do the shopping himself.

You couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, but quickly shut up after seeing Toji wasn’t finding this as amusing as you were.

This was crazy.

Tilting your head to the side, you scrunch your nose in disbelief. “You’re telling me to put warmer clothes on, when you’ve got shorts and slides on?”

Toji was quick to counter. “It’s not the same, don’t compare it.”

“Yeah it is!”

“Look kid, I’m not gonna argue with ya. Either change your clothes, or stay home.”

That’s exactly what you want to do. But you know deep down you can’t, you already told yourself you had to sort things out with him. And the first step to that, is sorting this out.

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After a couple pleading looks and adamant convincing of, 'I'm not cold!' 'I swear I'm fine. It doesn't even feel like winter out here!'

Toji relented. Letting out a sigh, shaking his head as he told you, 'Fine, whatever. But don’t come cryin’ at my feet when your stubborn ass gets sick and your mom gets mad at you.'

Now here you were, seated on the heated, brand new black leather seats of his Chevy after he finally gave in and unlocked the door, letting you in. You spent the trip with your head resting against the palm of your hand somberly, as you watched the scenery of snowy trees and other cars pass by.

The awkwardness throughout the entire car ride was at an all-time high. Higher than what it'd started out with earlier. You were both quiet; your brain a little less. Toji's disappointment regarding your attire was a total blow to your ego. You were just trying to look cute.

Not like it was meant for him anyway.

Is what you wanted to try convincing yourself in order to feel better, but really, you knew it was a lie.

As for Toji, that thought you had earlier about him ogling you? It was right on the money.

But he had to quickly save face by instead acting like a concerned adult worrying about the wellbeing of his innocent, young neighbor. If he was being honest, he didn’t give two shits about what you chose to wear. As long as it was for his eyes only.

Yes, he knew he’d hurt your feelings for telling you to go change. He understood that he was being overbearing and unreasonable especially after you brought up his own attire, but you had to understand. He physically couldn’t accept seeing you wearing an outfit that barely covered your ass like that in public when he should be the only one to see you looking like that. Yes, he was sick for looking at you that way and he knew that which is exactly why he needed you to cover up. Both so that no other creepy assholes (except himself) could see you that way, and because he doesn’t think he could control his thoughts about you for the next couple hours you have alone together. It’s why he had to shift in his seat a couple times. Though, you didn’t notice that.

This game you were playing with him? This seducing thing? With little skirts and shit, yeah it was doing something to him.

Maybe you haven’t changed as much as he thought. As they say, old habits die hard.

After about 15 more minutes of unspoken thoughts, you finally arrived at the store.

Why did you agree to do this again? Oh yeah, you didn't.

Unbuckling your seatbelt, you took a deep breath to try and regain your composure. Just focus on the task. Opening the door, you hopped down and out onto the recently snow-shoveled pavement with Toji following suit as he turned off the truck, taking the keys from the ignition and shutting the door behind him.

You could feel Toji’s burning gaze boring into your back as he walked behind you, keeping a slight distance between you and him but still enough that people could tell that you two came together. Entering into the store, you whipped out your phone, unlocking it and clicking on the notes app filled with a list of things you needed to get that your mom instructed you two to buy. You crossed your fingers hoping you could get all this done quickly and smoothly.

Obviously, life loves to humor you because things did not go smoothly.

Everything was going well at first, you scoured the aisles looking for streamers, fairy lights, pretty napkins, silver and white balloons, and whatever else was needed; putting it all into the basket that Toji was holding, still following you like a sort of puppy—or more like a guard dog with the menacing aura he carried around himself with every step he took.

Walking around you’d occasionally find something that caught your eye, tinkering around with the item for a couple seconds before putting it back down and walking over to the next intriguing thing—like a snow globe you found of a character you recognized filled with pink and white sparkly snow. You bet your ass you added that one to the basket. That hello kitty snow globe was a need, not a want. How something like that even found its way to a store like this was beyond you, but hey, you weren’t complaining.

You even found cute little hats while looking around and managed to get Toji to wear a pair of elf ears while you wore a Santa hat, telling him a silly joke about how he was Santa’s jolliest helper. That only earned you a huff, and roll of his eyes as he took off the ears and pulled the hat you wore down over your face, chuckling as he watched you make dramatics about how you were being suffocated despite being able to breathe perfectly fine.

Interacting like this with him gave you butterflies. You’d let him ruin your perfectly styled hair if it meant things were going back to the way they used to be between you both.

Everything was going fine.

You were actually having…fun. Which you hadn’t anticipated. You were so caught up about feeling like you were on thin ice with Toji, and though you still sort of felt that way, you felt ecstatic that things were beginning to feel normal. Like nothing even happened.

“Hmm, looks like the last thing on this list are more scented candles. Thought we already had some? Oh well.” You shrugged your shoulders. You think your own obsession with candles might have stemmed from your mom now that you think about it.

Toji leaned his body over your shoulder, looking down over your list himself at the check marked boxes except for one. You immediately stiffened up, not expecting him to get so close to you, and especially not for him to make body contact with you. You wish you didn’t have all these layers in the way. You internally shook the thought off before it could escalate. Now was not the time to be having these touched starved thoughts!

Pulling away from you, but still keeping close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from his body, he put the basket down next to your feet. “Yeah, I saw a couple of those on the other aisle we passed by.”

“Oh good! One of us can get it. Stay here and I’ll quickly-“ Your suggestion didn’t even have a chance to reach the other end of Tojis ears before it got shut down.

“Nah, you stay here, and stay put while I grab it. And don’t go straying off you understand, kid?” Toji looked down at you, waiting for your answer. He’d rather not leave your side, especially since he didn’t trust that you wouldn’t get distracted by something and walk off like a lost mouse-but he tried to reason out in his head that it was only one item. He’d quickly get it and come back, and you’d still be there.

You weren’t going anywhere.

So why did he find it so hard to walk away from you? Must be some type of trauma he thinks.

Nodding your head, with a ‘Mhm! Promise. Not going anywhere. Nope, staying put.’ Toji searched your face to see if you were lying but decided you weren’t, and began jogging off towards another aisle in a different section of the store.

He couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about this as he looked over at all the scented candles, picking up the most expensive looking ones.

“S’not my money anyway..”

Maybe he should’ve just taken you along with him. It’s not like it would’ve caused the both of you any more hassle than going alone would. Shit. Something was gnawing at Toji to hurry the hell up and get back to you. As he briskly walked to the aisle where he had left you, he was met with something far worse than overpriced décor, and it had him seething.

There you were, face scrunched up, and looking highly uncomfortable as some random guy, around your age it seemed, was trying to flirt with you.

Keyword: Trying.

Toji didn’t know who this guy was but he knew damn well what was happening, and he wasn't going to let it slide. Not on his watch. That he wasn't even wearing. 

You hadn't noticed Toji's arrival yet. Still preoccupied with keeping calm and trying to ignore this random man that thought it would be chivalrous of himself to make comments about your body. Saying things about how he doesn't know why your man let you out like that, and if you were his bitch he wouldn't let you out his sight.

It's a good thing Toji wasn't there to hear any of that.

What Toji did hear as he was silently coming up behind the both of you, that almost made him run up and deck the guy in the nuts was when he leaned his body down exaggeratedly to look at your ass and said, "DAMN. That's more ass than…. I've seen….in a while!"

This prick didn't even know where the hell he was going with that line, but Toji sure knew where that guy was gonna end up if he tried it again.

At this point, you were more than ready to kick this guy in the balls, but you didn't want to anger him. Who knows what this guy has got going on in his head? He's harassing you at a decor store for fucks sake!

Before you were thinking about making a run for it to the direction of where Toji had gone, deeming your situation helpless without him; it seemed like someone finally answered your prayers because the moment you looked back, there he was standing right behind the both of you.

'How did I not notice him?? He's wearing slides for god sake! I should've heard the 'plip' 'plaps'!'

"The fuck are you doing?"

The guy was still leaning down when Toji spoke up. He was about to cuss out whoever this other guy was for interrupting his daily "I objectify women for fun" hobby, until he looked up. There Toji stood, 6'2, built like he was made for war, in his shorts and slides, holding candles, and a look so threatening etched onto his face, you think this guy may have almost shit his pants. If the audible gulp meant anything.

"O-oh fuck. Look sir, I was just admiring your hard work, very beautiful daughter you have here. Didn't realize…Sorry." The way he ran away was almost pitiful. Almost. But none of you had any pity for trash.

'Well that was quick', Toji thought. He assumed he might've had to light up this candle he was holding and choke him with it but it seems that wouldn't be happening today.

That's one less crime the authorities could pinpoint on him.

Turning his attention towards you, he asked if you were alright.

"Sort of…not really. Being objectified isn't exactly the greatest feeling…" Toji noticed the way you hugged your hands around yourself, most likely trying to cover up. Suddenly feeling too exposed for comfort despite attempting to brush the interaction off.

Maybe you should've listened to Toji earlier and changed your clothes to something more fitting for winter weather. Screw looking cute.

Though, the regret didn't have a chance to get very far because suddenly you were being brought back to the present.

"Lift your arms up."

Huh? "Wh- why?" The next thing he did nearly had your heart leaping out of your chest. Taking off his puffer jacket, he nudged your arms to lift up so he could help put it through the holes of the sleeves. After checking to make sure it was on properly, he zipped it up a bit more than halfway and patted you down in an effort to make you look a little bit less like the emo version of the Michelin Man.

"You gonna be okay?" You were still a little surprised at the gesture, especially since it was coming from him of all people, but you answered, "..Yeah. Yeah, I'll be okay."

"Good. Lemme finish paying for all this crap and I'll drop you off at your place."

Leading the way towards the cashier, he placed his large palm over your lower back and kept it there until your goods were paid for, and you were out the door.

Situating yourself on the seats of Toji's car, you couldn't help but feel a smile creep up on you, desperately trying to bite it back. You're wearing his coat.

He put his coat on you.

You think you could die of happiness right now. But, you'll save that for later. That whole fiasco that happened at the store still had your mood all sour. You really didn't want to go home yet. And as Toji began to pull out of the parking lot, you spoke up.

"Toji? I don't really feel like going home yet.."

"Yeah? Aight. We'll stop somewhere, I know a place."

Nodding your head, you mumbled a 'thanks', grateful that he took the hint and didn't try to argue with you or ask any questions. Toji can be empathetic when he wants to be sometimes.

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Apparently, when Toji said he 'knew a place', you didn't expect it to be…this.

"Cinnabon? Really?"

"What? You don't like their cinnamon buns? We can go someplace else if you don't want em.” 

You paused. Well, now that you were thinking about it…"Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I do like those."

“Besides,” Walking over to the counter to order, Toji got into line, “I remember ya telling me one time that you liked this place." 

He still remembers something like that? 

You didn’t answer. Instead you followed the nod of Toji’s head telling you to leave the ordering to him and to go find a table to sit at. Looking around, you saw that all the tables were already preoccupied. Damn. Walking back to Toji, you suggested ordering it to go and just finding some place else to sit at like that wooden bench you saw just outside the establishment, which he seemed to favor far more.

Leaving him to his vices, you exited the shop and went to sit outside on the storefront bench, patiently waiting for Toji to get back with your food. Looking around there was still a thin sheet of snow covering some areas of the pavement, most having melted throughout the day or driven over by now. Yet it seemed as though the temperature had no plans of rising as you breathed out a puff of steam, remaining at its crisp, nearly frosty condition. It felt peaceful.

The few minutes of alone time you had to yourself was the most silence your brain has allowed itself to be in within the 24 hours of Tojis reintroduction into your life. 

The oversized puffer jacket you still had on made those hours feel shorter by reminding you of just how much "excitement" had managed to happen—you bet you looked silly as hell with it engulfing your frame, but you couldn't find it in you to care about that at this moment. Especially since it was serving its purpose of protecting you against the cold that you found yourself surrounded by as you sat there waiting.

Leaning back against the wood, you felt something hindering you from going all the way. Your teddy bear backpack. You forgot you even had it on as it was hidden underneath the coat Toji had quickly put on you. Yeah, you must've looked really stupid. Fighting back a grimace and ignoring the fact for your own peace of mind, you went to remove the coat. Leaving it piled behind you on the bench as you took off your bag, placing it onto your lap. 

Reaching into your bag, you took out your trusty emergency makeup kit. Wouldn't hurt to do a quick touch up… Looking over in the direction of the sudden sound of a bell being rung, you peered over to your left to see that it was just someone stepping foot out the shop with a cup of what looked to be hot chocolate. 

'Hopefully Toji get's back soon.'

Focusing back on the task at hand, you clicked open a compact inspecting the state of the way you looked with the mirror. The sight that greeted you brought out a breath of relief. Not a single thing out of place. But just in case, you patted on a little bit of powder for good measure, and reapplied your clear lipgloss so the cold air could struggle to nip at your lips. 

After assessing what needed to be assessed, you put your pouch back into your bag and immediately piped up at the sound of the door chiming again. You couldn't help but do a small cheer as you saw that it was finally Toji approaching you, carrying a bag containing your icing drenched cinnamon bun, a hot drink of some sort, and a bottle of water. 

Handing you your food and drink, you thanked him and immediately dug in once it was within your grasp. Taking a bite, a bit of steam emitted from the warm and gooey bun melting on your tongue, flooding your taste buds with a mix of sweet and nutty spice. Damn, you were a lot hungrier than you thought. But you suppose that's due to having skipped breakfast in the morning. Stuffing more into your mouth, your eyes met Toji's to see him already sitting beside you and looking down at you, snickering.

"Hwat?" The question came out muffled from your cheeks being stuffed like a squirrel.

He looked off to the side for a second, still snickering before he answered, "Nothin." 

Swallowing your food down harshly, you pouted with your brows scrunched together and took notice that you were the only one eating. 

"How come you didn't get yourself one?"

He deadpanned. "I don't want diabetes." 

"Right…of course not…" Such a Toji answer, you thought.

It felt a little weird to be the only one eating, but he kept refusing everytime you asked if he was absolutely sure he didn’t at least want a bite. It was silent between you two except for the occasional slurp of your drink, and you think Toji noticed it too because suddenly he started conversing with you, catching up a little bit on how the both of you have been.

"So kid, how's the university life been treatin' ya?"

"Hm? Oh uhm, it's been alright I guess." You shrugged, fork still in hand.

"Just alright? Sounds pretty lackluster to me."

"It is." You sighed. 

"You tellin' me you don't, what- party? Or done those weird cultist initiations you kids do at sororities." 

"Yeah…no. I'm too busy actually studying most of the time. I've been to like 2-ish? parties, but that's about it. And sororities? You couldn't possibly pay me to join one of those.” You’ve heard one too many stories of premature deaths being caused by sororities. You didn’t particularly feel like gambling your chances. Plus, you weren’t really into the whole sisterhood-brotherhood thing, too weird.

As the conversation progressed between your frankly unexciting school life, Toji recalled some neighborhood fiasco that happened while you were away. 

"...Then this kid's boyfriend starts beating up the guy that tried to take her purse."

"No way! This really happened in our neighborhood? Where like.. nothing ever happens?" To think that a crime had actually happened in the most safest, suburban of neighborhoods that you lived in for your whole life and you weren't there to witness it.

"I'm tellin' ya it was set up to make himself look good. A robbery in broad daylight? In this neighborhood? Bullshit."

"Why does all the exciting shit always happen when I'm not around?" You whined, sighing out your disappointment.

Closing the box to your nearly finished cinnamon bun and placing it beside you on the bench, you suddenly remembered something. 

"By the way! My mom told me you have a son? How come you never mentioned him to me before?"

And just like that, Tojis brows immediately furrowed as if the question was one he hadn't expected to be asked, especially not coming from you. Leaning forward with a grunt, he rested an elbow on his knee, propping a palm under his chin as he proceeded to look at you with the most dramatically bored expression you’ve ever seen on someone's face- one that rivaled even yours.

It screamed, ‘let's get this shit over with.’

"You never asked. Besides, why you askin' about him now?" 

You noticed the way his mood instantly changed after mentioning him but...it was probably nothing right?

Regardless, he didn't seem to be exactly… excited at the mention of his son, so you treated lightly with your next words. “Well, my mom is telling me that I should start looking for a good boy to date and she mentioned your son.” 

He laughed out in disbelief. “Gumi? That boy? Ha, good luck with that. He wouldn’t know the first thing on how to treat a girl.” 

He couldn’t treat you the way I could. Is what he wanted to say. 

Awkwardly you answered, “Well… anyway, I don't think he even goes to my Uni…I think. So it wouldn't really be an option.” 

Toji stayed silent. 

The sudden uncomfortable silence that took over had you overthinking all over again. 

What's wrong? Does he have a bad relationship with his son? Is that why he looks irritated? Should I ask? No. He might get more irritated. Shit. Okay, subject change.

Slamming your hands onto your thighs a little too hard in an attempt to calm your nerves, the sound seemed to catch Tojis attention. Snapping him out of whatever trance he was in, and back to his usual demeanor.

You rubbed your arms out of awkwardness. “Sooo, yeah. Sucks, I wasn't there to witness a fraudulent act of chivalry right in my own neighborhood."

Toji was thankful you moved on from the topic of his son, he didn’t want to think of that little squirt right now. 

But then it got him wondering…

"You ever had a boyfriend before?" 

The question surprised you a little. Okay maybe a lot. You didn't think he'd be even remotely interested in your love life. 

"No… I've never had one." While there was no shame in not having had a significant other at your age, still you couldn't help but feel embarrassed admitting it to Toji.

Toji raised a brow in suspicion. "You sure you're staying clear of boys?" 

This behavior he was exhibiting was starting to confuse the hell out of you. First he scolds you on your attire this morning, and now he's interrogating you on your love life? He was being way overprotective, almost acting as a parent, and it was seriously beginning to make you feel hopeless. 

You nodded. "Yes, Toji. I'm not interested in college guys. They don't know what they're doing,"

That answer seemed to be good enough for Toji, but to both his and your utter surprise you continued, "But I've done other things."

Straightening his back up against the wooden bench in interest, Toji beckoned you to continue on. Truth be told, he didn't want to hear you talking about boys. Just the thought of you with some dumbass little boy made him irrationally bothered. But there was one thing itching at him to ask. 

One thing he simply had to know.

"Oh yeah?"

"Just casual stuff. Nothing serious.."

Toji hummed. It was cute how you were beating around the bush about whatever 'things' you've done. He'll humor you this time around.

"We talkin' the 'clothes on' type of stuff?"

"Well…not exactly.." 

Your lack of elaboration following your answer made Toji egg you on further.

"Don't start gettin' all shy on me now. Let me take a guess, this has somethin' to do with how you mentioned that college boy's don't know what they're doing, yeah?

And like clockwork, the words proceeded to flow past the tip of your tongue without a second thought.

"Remember how I also mentioned earlier that I've gone to only a few parties? Well at one of those parties, I got left alone by my friends in favor of hooking up with some guys they thought were hot." 

"Sounds like some shitty friends." 

You grunted. "Tell me about it. Anyways, here I am, sitting alone on this couch that's thankfully only mildly sticky from whatever wasted student had spilled their drink on top of it, and this guy sits right next to me. We talk, things happen, and we find an empty room."

Toji hums, signaling to you that he's still listening.

Immediately, irritation is apparent on your face by the way your eyes narrow as you recall the memory. "He puts his hands in my pants and this dumbass can't for the life of him find where my clit is and is just rubbing around. Then he has the nerve to ask if I came yet!? Bitch I'm not even moaning!"

Toji nods, intently listening to your rant. Biting back his amusement at your outburst.

"And the same fuckin thing happens again except with a different guy I had been seeing for less than a week. Except—get this, he asks me what a clit is. Like are you for real!?"

Taking a deep breath, you tried channeling your nerves. "So that's that. College boy's don't know where the clit is—hell, they don't even know of its existence." 

Slumping your shoulders, you kicked at the tiny stones on the cement with your shoe. 

"It's why I've never gone further than that." 

If you were being honest, even if those guys did know their way around a woman's body, you don't think you could find it within yourself to stick around for it. You already knew what your mind was banging against your skull to say. Deep down, somewhere in the backrooms of your brain, you know it's because of Toji. It's always been him; the man you're still holding out for. Hoping he'd be the one to take your virginity. 

Whatever. It was a pipe dream anyway. And you definitely weren't going to tell him that.

Speaking of telling him…

‘Why did you tell him all that!? Why did you have to run your mouth!!’

You stammered out an apology. The gravity of what you just up and confessed dawned on you, leaving you a cringing mess from within.

"I-I'm sorry…I don't even know why im telling you all this-"

Toji is quick to dismiss the apology. Truth be told, he was delighted to hear that you were still a virgin.

“Don't worry bout it’. It's nothing to be embarrassed of.

“I mean yeah…but still…”

Turning to face you, Toji placed his hand gingerly upon your thigh, giving it a light squeeze in what you assumed to be an attempt at reassurance or maybe it was comfort? You couldn't really tell, you just knew that the warmth of it felt nice.

“Listen, if I’m tellin’ you that being a virgin is nothin’ to be ashamed of, then its not. Look at it this way, you ain’t a teen mom, something not many can say nowadays.” He shrugged.

He kind of had a point. Though his comforting skills were kind of ass.

“Yeah..okay. Thanks for listening then.”

“No problem.” 

You thought after your little rant the atmosphere would return to its awkward state as it seems that's how it had been every time you spoke with Toji—yet oddly enough, it felt like you had somehow managed to get closer to him by opening up about your struggles. 

Suddenly feeling a spout of hunger befall you once more, you took the last remaining bite of your cinnamon bun, slowly licking off the icing that had gotten smeared onto your lips. 

Toji eyed the action intently, internally shaking a head at himself. 

‘This little minx..’  but before you could make eye contact he abruptly withdrew his hand, fishing a phone out his pocket and checking the time. Huh, you hadn't even noticed his hand had still been on you.

“It's already almost 4, think it's time to call it a day.”

With a sound of surprise, you rose up from your seat, closing the box once more as you watched Toji stand up from his own spot, already patting on his pockets for the car keys. 

You hadn't even noticed that much time had gone by.

“Thanks again for the cinnamon buns and of course, for listening.” 

Toji only hummed in acknowledgement.

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The ride home was spent surrounded by the sounds of muffled radio chatter, ever so slightly noticeable with the engine of the truck at a constant thrum. The sun surprisingly hadn't gone down yet as it typically would have on any other winter day and you made sure to thank your lucky stars for those few more minutes of sunlight.

On the other hand, you couldn't help but feel sad. You didn't want the day to end yet, especially not when progress had been made between the two of you. Then it hit you, progress had been made. While you didn't actually confront him about what had transpired on that faithless day, it was still worth celebrating. 

Baby steps are still steps after all. 

And the more you thought about it, it began to occur to you that today…today kinda felt like a date. In a messed up sense. To others this would've been a failure of a day, but to you? You were elated.

‘Maybe now's my chance to talk to him about what happened back then.’

Sitting up just a little bit straighter in your seat, you turned your head to face Toji, contemplating on the right words to say to him. Just when you were on the verge of starting your sentence, Toji’s phone suddenly began to ring, vibrating atop the center console. 

Without bothering to check who was calling him, Toji answered the phone, putting it on speaker. Nothing to be worried about anyway, probably some scammer giving Toji his routine call.

“Yo, what’s up?”

Without a second to waste, a feminine voice practically cried from the other end.

“Tojiiii, baby it’s been so long, when are you coming over?? You know I miss you-” 

Before this unknown lady could hope to finish her sentence, she was abruptly hung up on–courtesy of Tojis hand flying to take the call off speaker, fumbling for a good second only to ultimately end the call for good measure.

Clearing his throat, Toji continued to keep his eyes focused on the road ahead. Can't be having you both end up in a car crash right? 

“Sorry about that, that was… just one of my old close friends.”

“Uh huh. Ya’ll must've been real close.”

Toji ignored the snark.

“Anyways, go ahead, what were you saying?” 

“I…wasn’t saying anything.”

Thankfully the call was received just minutes short of arriving at your home. Pulling into the driveway, the truck on neutral, you waited a few seconds to see if Toji would say anything more. He didn’t.

Holding back a shaky sigh, you unbuckle your seatbelt and exited the vehicle, opening the passenger side to pick up the bags of decor that you went to buy in the first place.

“Wait, let me help ya out-” Toji last minutely interjected as he turned his body over in his seat to face you.

“No need. I already got it.” Picking up the last bag (thankfully they weren’t very heavy), you slammed the passenger door shut. You contemplated giving Toji a proper farewell bidding but with the way you were feeling right now? You didn’t want him to see the ache painted in your eyes. Instead, you continued walking down the shoveled path and up the steps to your house, fishing the keys out from your keychain and unlocking the door, closing it behind you.

Kicking your shoes off and slipping some slippers onto your feet, you laid the bags over the kitchen counter letting whoever discovered them first deal with the contents inside as you made your way up the stairs to your room, plopping onto your bed face first.

You nearly teared up at your own naivety.

Holy shit. ‘I’m so stupid.’ Was all you could think of as the booty call Toji had received replayed in your mind. This wasn’t any new information on Toji that you hadn’t already known about yet it hurt so bad. 

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On the other hand, Toji couldn’t help but feel the same way. When he saw you safely get back into your home, he shifted gears to reverse, pulling out the driveway and driving back to his own place. 

Closing his eyes for a moment, he pulled out his phone from the cup holder it fell into amidst his struggle to end the call earlier and proceeded to call them back.

One ring was all it took for them to answer, and one second was all it took for Toji to cut them off before they could say anything more.

“Don’t fuckin’ call me again, understand? Good. Now, fuck off.” Hanging up before she could respond or attempt to call back like an idiot, he blocked her.

Letting out a rather loud groan of irritation, he gripped the steering wheel with both hands in indignation, letting his head fall as he could feel a headache coming on.

“Fuck.”

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Laying on your bed disappointed, you curled up thinking about the events that transpired earlier. The whole trip felt like an actual date—up until that call anyway. It was probably the worst way the day could have ended. Your bad luck was unimaginable.

“I need to find myself a four leaf clover or something at this point…”

Honestly, you didn't want to get out of bed. You wanted to lay down and wilt like a flower that never gets any sunlight. Stuffing your face into your arm, it occured to you that you were still wearing Toji’s jacket. 

“Maybe I should stop trying to go after someone who’ll never like me back…” You mumbled to yourself, sitting up and throwing the coat towards the nearest chair it could land on.

Were you really this delusional? You saw the way he was looking at you—you shook your head, trying not to overthink it. 

‘I guess I had the wrong idea.’

Feeling defeated, you knew if you wanted to continue moping about this, you’d have to do it after a shower; lest you end up skipping your skincare routine leaving you with another thing to sulk about.

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You couldn’t sleep.

Restless, you tossed and turned trying to find that sweet spot that would have you suddenly waking up to the birds singing. Come the fuck on..! I just want to sleep, dammit!

Grunting, it seemed no matter where you tried to place yourself within the comfort of your sheets and plethora of pillows engulfing you, you just couldn’t seem to knock yourself out.

Only one option left.

Slipping a hand underneath the blanket, you let your fingers wander across your skin. Giving each of your tits a soft squeeze under your shirt as you slowly began to relax, sighing in content at a teasing roll of your bud, slowly hardening at your touch. 

Growing tired of the teasing and beginning to feel heavy with need, you ran a finger down your panties, keeping it firmly pressed against your slit as you slowly raised your hips up and down in tandem with your middle finger, rubbing yourself over the cotton material. You could feel yourself getting hotter, wetter. A small, sticky patch of your own arousal seeping through the garment as you finally had enough, moving your panties to the side and making contact with your sickened clit. You wasted no time in parting your lips with your pinky and index, and letting both your middle and ring finger draw tight circles over your bundle of nerves. Immediately settling into a steady rhythm that was sure to have you quickly coming undone. 

As your breathing picked up, so did the small whimpers escaping through your lips. You tried your best to stay as quiet as possible, but fuck was it hard when all you wanted to do was mewl out a certain someones name, imagining it was him playing with your pussy like this. 

Toji. 

Even just sounding his name out in your head had you bucking your hips against the friction you were creating. His large, warm hand stuffed down your panties, and cupping your pussy from behind while rubbing at the entire expanse of your puffy cunt messily. Fast. Drenching his palm in your juices. Wondering what it'd feel like to have his long, fat fingers plunge into you as your own currently probes at your clenching hole, dipping in slightly only to take it back out. It didn't feel—wouldn't feel nearly as good unless it were his. 

You felt so close. Your fingers were starting to ache as you exerted them, moving it against your swollen clit quicker than before. It started to hurt, but the feeling of adrenaline rushing through you to finish made your brain block it out, replacing it with the endorphins of white hot pleasure that you anticipated to burst at any minute now. 

You clamped your legs around your hand, curling into your side like a ball. You wanted to stop, it was too much. But you were so fucking close. Your shaky whines were no longer being held back, eyes squeezed shut and the side of your face pressed against your pillow muffling it as best you could to prevent it from being heard outside. 

Just a little more…

Come on come on come on..! Your hand wouldn't stop unless your body reached its peak, only increasing in its pace. Holding your breath, the sound of your palpating heart was deafening as you continued letting out harsh pants.

You felt the familiar feeling of your lower abdomen tightening, coiling up and finally bursting like a dam. Your toes curled up as you threw your head back further into the pillow, unable to stop the sudden cry of Toji’s name that accidentally slipped out from your parched mouth at the pressure of your orgasm rushing over you like a tidal wave.

Before you could bask in your post orgasmic bliss, Toji bursts through your door. The fucking man himself. In the flesh..?

In a panic, you pull your stiff hand away from between your legs as if it were scalding hot oil, grasping the blanket up towards your chin to cover what you’d just been essentially caught doing.

“Heard you screamin’ my name out, sweetheart.” 

You’d think any normal reaction to being intruded on by the person you were just fantasizing about would be to first ask some questions—yet there you laid calm as a cucumber, watching as he inched closer to you.

Toji smirked. “Don’t start gettin’ all shy on me now. Let me hear you scream my name again for me.”  

You don’t know how he got to you so quickly but Toji was already slipping his hand under the covers towards your pussy, finding it slick and sticky from your high, smearing it all over as he ran his fingers up and down your sensitive slit. 

Retracting his hand back from underneath, he relished in the way your arousal stuck to his fingers like a spider's web as he spread them out, glistening against the soft lighting of your suddenly oddly hazy looking room.

Fueled with newfound urgency, Toji threw the covers off of you, yanking your body up to stand on the floor as you both made your way towards your vanity, back hitting the edge of it as you steadied yourself against Toji's chest. It was all moving too quickly. Too fast. Before you could stop to process your surroundings properly, Toji’s large hand hastily groped your tits as his other fingers that were touching on your pussy earlier prodded at your mouth to open. Without a word, you wrapped your lips around them like a good girl, sucking—tasting yourself before he removed them in order to turn you around. 

Just then, you realized you both were naked as Toji lifted one of your legs up onto the vanity, dragging his wet fingers over his cock as he moved to align it with your dripping hole. You couldn't form a thought. As if on autopilot. Only the unbridled, desperate need to have Toji in you remained.  

No. Scratch that. You felt your own thoughts before you could form them, as if it weren’t your own. It definitely was though. You don’t think anyone could too how fucking badly you wanted this man. Now he was finally about to fuck you? You may as well have been the luckiest woman on planet earth.

And as you begin to feel the sensation of Toji's cock about to enter you—confirming that notion, the door to your room bursts open again.

Wait.

“Wake up.”

What?  

“Wake up!”

Is that my fucking cat talking!?

“WAKE UP!”

Groggily opening your eyes, you're met with early winter sun seeping through your thin curtains, casting a hazy glow into your room. You hear birds singing.

“What the hell was that…” Stretching the sleep out of your limbs, you noticed your hand was still situated inside your panties. 

You closed your eyes, trying to recall your dream. “So half of that was real?” Well, up until Toji bursted into your room, you suppose. And when your cat spoke up telling you to wake the fuck up. 

Ugh.

Sitting up, you rubbed your eyes, leaning over the bedside to pull your diary sitting on your nightstand towards your lap. You had to write this shit down. 

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After jotting down as much as you could recall from the dream without mixing it up with what you were actually getting up to in real life, you left the diary on the same vanity dream version Toji almost dicked you down on. 

Throughout the day, you couldn’t stop thinking about Toji. Hell, your feelings for him increased tenfold just from that measly dream alone. You don't know if it's solely your dreams doing that made you feel like you suddenly had a genuine chance with him but fuck it. 

You thought about the events of yesterday and recalled when he grasped your thigh. That couldn’t have just been nothing right? The way he eyed your lips too as you licked icing off them. He didn't think you noticed, but you did. Of course you did. It was on purpose after all. 

And the icing on the cake? When you brought up his son, Megumi. You didn't want to assume anything but you could've sworn you sensed jealousy swimming in those green eyes of his. How ironic.

Shit, maybe you do have a chance with Toji after all. All he needs is a little push.

With all the evidence stacked up in your favor, you knew you had to devise a plan.

A plan on how to seduce your neighbor.

You giggled to yourself. 

“Mama chose a thought daughter.”

© SUGUCIDAL 2024 — All rights reserved. Do not copy, modify, or redistribute my work without permission.

[classyrbf]

aaaaa plzzz do nanami getting a boner when y/n is speaking to him and they end up fucking? (Established relationship)

<33

YOU TURN ME ON! — NANAMI KENTO

SYNOPSIS...nanami is so easily turned on when it comes to you, he can’t help but get hard at the slightest things

INFO...nanami x fem!reader, established relationship, reverse cowgirl, praise, spanking, creampie, not proofread

OTHER...likes and reblogs are appreciated

thanks for the request anon!

“So how was your day?” You asked your husband as he loosened his tie, a long sigh leaving his lips as he slipped his jacket off.

“The usual. I don’t wanna bore you,” he chuckled. He sat at the edge of the bed, removing his shoes and tossing them to the side. He could feel the bed dip behind him as you wrapped your arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. His eyes closed shut, embracing your warmth. “How was your day, darling?” He asked.

You hopped off of the bed in front of him, grabbing his shoes from the floor and placing them on the rack. “Well, I went to the mall today!” You smiled.

“Yeah? You buy anything?” He grabbed your hand, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles while he stared at you in adoration. He couldn’t be more lucky to have you as his wife.

“Actually, I did. There was this cute dress that I wanted. You remember the one I showed you?” You asked. He nodded in response, a small smile creeping up on his face. “Well I found it in my size, and it was the last one. But, Ken, it’s so much prettier in person!” You said with excitement. Running over to the closet, you pulled the dress off the rack and held it up. “What do you think?”

“I think the color goes great with your skin. Makes it glow,” he explained. He could see the smile widen on your face. He loves when you get excited about the little things in life.

“Awe thank you, Ken,” you giggled, turning around to put the dress back on the rack. His eyes scanned over your figure, the shorts that exposed your legs, the tank top you wore making it obvious your nipples were hard. “Ken!” You shout.

“Huh?” He looks up at you, blinking away his confusion. He could feel his slacks slightly tighten as he shifted in his spot on the bed.

“I was talking about the new bed set I saw in the mall. Did you hear me?” You walked over to him, straddling his lap.

“I’m sorry, love, I didn’t. Please, tell me again.” His hands rest on your waist, gently caressing your skin as you began talking again. He stared at you as your mouth moved, going on and on about how you think it’ll match the room. “You should’ve gotten it,” he said.

“I know, but I wanted your opinion first!” You whine. “After all, you sleep here too.” You peck his lips. Nanami let out a small groan, pushing his hips back. “You okay?” You ask, looking at him with concern.

“Yeah, it’s just…um…” Nanami let out a breath, trying to hide the fact he got turned on just from you talking about your day and walking around the room. It was quite embarrassing. But with each passing second you were on his lap, he was getting harder. “Darling, I’m sorry, I’m hard.” He looked up at you.

“Oh…oh!” You laugh, hiding your face in his neck. “Ken, it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” you say.

“I know, but you didn’t even do anything sexual, I just don’t want to make it seem like I’m some kind of perv—”

“What’s wrong with a man being attracted to his wife?” You question, staring into his eyes.

“Sweetheart, please don’t look at me like that…fuck,” he whispers under his breath. Within seconds, you push Nanami onto the bed, catching him by surprise. Your hands are moving quick to undo his belt. “You don’t have to—”

“Shush, Ken,” you demand, pulling down his pants. His cock springs free, already dripping with precum. “How are you so hard already?” You giggle, feeling arousal pool in your panties.

“You turn me on, darling.” He props himself up on his elbows as you remove your clothing, kicking aside your shorts and panties. Your crawl onto the bed, faces inches apart before you plant your lips on his, tongues moving against one another, biting down on his bottom lip. “Fuck, I love you.”

“I love you too, Ken.” You peck his lips once more before turning your back towards him, angling yourself above his cock. You lift your hips just so enough so you can slowly sink down, feeling the stretch. A small gasp leaves your lips, a groan escaping from your husband.

“Fuck you’re so warm and tight,” he breathes, his hands coming up to squeeze your ass while you bounce on his cock. He’s entranced at the way his dick completely disappears into your cunt, sucking him in without hesitation.

You start to pick up the pace, growing more comfortable as your hips move faster, your juices dripping down his shaft. “Ah! Yes!” You hold onto his legs for support, while he watches the way your ass ripples against his dick. “Shit!” You wince, throwing your head back.

“Atta girl. There you go, sweetheart.” He lands a slap on your ass, guiding it up and down his cock. “Oh fuck, you always you always make me feel so good,” he moans. Your pussy clenches around him as you continue to slam your hips against his.

You reach your hand down to rub your clit in circles, adding to the stimulation as his cock hit your g-spot over and over. Pleasure coursed through your body, aching badly for an orgasm. Whimpers and moans from you and Nanami filled your bedroom, along with the sound of skin on skin. “Ohhh, Ken!” You whined. “Shit, baby!” You panted.

“You’re doing so good for me. Look back at me, darling, I wanna see my pretty girl.” His brows furrowed slightly as you milked his cock, he could tell you were getting desperate to cum. “There’s my girl. Keep looking at me while you ride me.”

You bit your bottom lip, muffling some of your moans and whimpers, trying your best to keep the exact rhythm you had going. Nanami cursed under his breath, eyes darting back and forth between your face and your ass. He couldn’t get enough of you. The way his tip kissed you cervix and bumped your sweet spot each time made your head spin. The curve of his dick making you arch even more.

Thick fingers squeeze the plump flesh of your ass, stuttering hips still set on riding him. “Fuck…s-slow down, sweetheart—ah! You’re gonna make me cum.” He grabs at your hips, a weak attempt to slow down your movements, but you’re so set on fucking him, feeling every last inch of your husband. You don’t care how much of a mess you make, how loud you get. It turns you on knowing your husband gets so worked up about the little things. A groan leaves his lips, head falling back in bliss as you practically ride him to cloud nine, his orgasm approaching just as quickly as yours.

Your little pants and whimpers fill his ears, eyes set on your husband glossy eyes, so fixated on the way your pussy is suck him in. His abs tense up, hand squeezing down on your ass and pulling you flush against his pelvis as he cums inside of you. The sheer feeling alone sends your orgasm raking through your body, quivering. “Oh my god!” You gasp, eyes fluttering shut. You slowly lift your hips before bringing them back down, fucking his cum into you.

“Yes, yes, just like that, baby,” he coos, watching his cum ooze out of your sweet cunt. “Goddamn,” he sighs when you finally stop riding him. His dick twitches at the missed sensation of your gummy walls.

“If I knew just how easily I turn you on, I would’ve done this more often,” you tease, placing a wet kiss on his neck.

“Should’ve known already, pretty girl.” He playfully smacks your ass, earning a small laugh from you. “We’ll clean up in second, just give me a few.”

[twisted-wonderland-but-gayer]

Idol!Yuu

I had a vision and had to write it. Yuu is a super secret idol 'YUURSONLY' that just debuted and now some of their close peers are their friends. Mainly Idia and Rook. A bit x reader?

Content: 3.6k words. Gn. First year squad supremecy. Yuu is very scatterbrained they are exausted. Idia and Rook friendship

***

"Seriously! The vocals are insane! They did not need to pop off so hard, but we love them for that!" A voice in the distance called out, so full of excitement it could be heard from where you stood.

“Oh but we did! It wouldn’t have been the same if they didn’t!” Another replies, just as uppity. The positivity is almost infectious with how angsty Night Raven college could be. Almost only because the aforementioned angst has gotten to you too currently. Seriously, when was the last time you got at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep?

Your fellow best friend and classmate next to you peered over to where the voice was coming from in the distance. "What are they chattering about?" Ace hummed as you and your group of first years passed by another. You could only hear bits and pieces of a very passionate conversation from ahead of you, their muddled voices slowly becoming more coherent with each step closer. One voice immediately stood out from the rest.

"Oh yes, their debut has been magnifique! I have never heard such a unique sound before! It's simply as the critics have said: out of this world! Beaute!"

Huh...?

You, Ace, and Deuce all look to each other then to Jack, Grim, Epel, Ortho, and Sebek in that order. Your shared goal of going to Ramshackle for a study session is now put on hold. Turning the corner you're faced with an interesting assortment of students gathered together. There was Rook, which you had already gathered by his unique way of speaking from earlier, next to Idia of all people who seemed to be elated to be talking to him oddly enough. Then there was Vil which you supposed makes sense if Idia just happened to stumble into those two and got stuck in a conversation, but that doesn't explain why Kalim was there, let alone Lilia. The latter two shared a club together you remember, but it still doesn't answer on why they're all gathered here.

In your experience, when assortments of personalities that clash are in casual proximity to each other like this, usually there's trouble to follow. And in your experience, that trouble will inevitably follow you. You really are not in the mood for more trouble today, so much so you rescheduled all of your usual antics for next week. This problem would have to wait in line. You have a full booking anyways.

"Huh, why are they all together out here?" Jack inquired, he scratched at the back of his head as you all quietly observed the situation unravel. Epel was especially quiet, pushing back his accent that always slipped out when he was free from Vil's eyes, and here he was walking right back into his den.

"Never in my days did I think I'd see Idia and Rook of all people chumming it up."

"Yeah... its weird seeing Idia so... uppity..."

"'Uppity?' More like weird. And creepy!"

"Thats mean, Grim."

You nudge the beast on your shoulder before Ortho lectures him and consider what Epel and Deuce just said. It wasn't too odd, you guessed. This entire trip here was odd. Dealing with all these overblots was odd. Being a legally recognized therapist to a school filled with repressed trigger-happy mages because Crowley didn't want to hire a real one was odd. This was fine, actually. You still need to harass Crowley for a legal ID you just realized—

"I admit, I was quite skeptical at first when I heard about a new idol that seemed to come out of nowhere. I was expecting plain nepotism or fast-fashion music but this," Vil swipes at something on his phone with everyone around him peering over to see what's on it, "this is not something someone untalented could make. It's clear a lot of hard work went into it."

There's faint music coming from Vil's phone now. Hard to hear from how far you are. You have a foreboding sense of trouble ahead.

"Tres bíen! A new star is shining and I am honored to be able to watch them soar!"

Oh shit. Are they talking about—

"Hey hey! What are we talking about over here?"

Dammit Grim that was your line!

The group in front of you all paused and turned at the interruption; it was a sight that gave you a moment of whiplash as that usually meant a fight was brewing. Instead Kalim just beamed and waved you over, reminding you that you yourself need a therapist.

"Oh hey Grim! Yuu! Oh, it's all of you! Welcome! Hi!"

Idia still seemed happy with the crowd as well, or maybe it was the sight of his little brother Ortho here to act as a social balm for him. He didn’t seem to need it currently. Everyone waved their hellos, you included as an odd sense of... fear? Intimidation? Hung at the back of your chest.

"Oh! Its that the new solo artist YUURSONLY that’s been trending? Big brother and I just got done binging them last night!"

"It is! Aren't they great? I showed them to Jamil earlier and he actually listened to it and broke down why some parts of the music are made the way they are– seriously, have you ever heard music like this? It's so... different!"

Oh god. It is as you thought. They know about it. Rook knows about it. Ortho knows about it. Lilia knows about it. You're so screwed...

"Um..." Deuce starts before stopping. All the other first years look to each other again before continuing, hoping someone else aside from Ortho knew what was going on. Well, another first year does know but there's no way you're gonna say anything yet. You need to keep your cool.

"What's... YUURSONLY?" Grim asked for the rest. At that Idia gasped.

"Ortho! You seriously haven't told them about YUURSONLY? How could you! It's your duty as my brother to indoctrinate others into the fandom!"

Lilia watched the ones in front of him, admiring the spirited youth. "Kfufufu. It does make sense. Though they are topping charts, the community is still in bloom."

"It is still in bloom," Rook repeats, face becoming serious for a moment before he continues, "oh but that is so exciting! Watching a community bloom under the stars in real time is beautiful! I wonder what they will call their fans? How will their music develop? Oh mon ami, my heart may explode!"

Theres practically sparkles around Rook as he speaks, there would be around Idia too if he wasn't doing his whole 'disappointed brother' bit. Scratch that actually, he's still has the sparkles too he’s just shocked that he has even more people to rant to. The opposite of gatekeeping, he is throwing the gate at you.

"It's not like I wasn't gonna tell them at all, Idy! I wanted to experience a study session between friends now that I'm a student and Yuu here offered their dorm to study in!"

Ortho's sweet declaration of friendship and connection was immediately interrupted by the first years being themselves, save for you, Deuce, and Epel who didn't bother with the theatrics.

"Hmph." Went Sebek as he crossed his arms and furrowed his brow in a poor attempt to hide his true feelings, earning an eye roll out of Epel who seemed to forget Vil was here.

"That's... we're not 'friends'. I'm just doing what any upperclassmen would do for their peers."

"Aww how cute, Jackie here is all flustered" Ace snorts, smirk rising to his face as if to try to be as bratty as he can.

"I am not flustered."

"Aren't you? Your ears went sploot and then your face got all—"

"Let's get back to the topic, Grim." You didn't actually want to get back to the topic. Not with a gaggle of detectives in front of you. You would be happy to eavesdrop on opinions of your music if it was any other situation. In this situation, the longer you stay, the more you risk Rook putting two and two together. If it had to be anyone, why him?

Jack nods at you slightly, ears twitching in a 'thank you' motion you don't think he realizes he does. Ace relaxes and Sebek uncrosses his arms to allow their first year friend to continue. Ortho immediately gets into explaining mode, lights flashing on his as he projects a holographic screen into the air.

"YUURSONLY or their stage name, Yuurs, is a brand new solo artist that just debuted late last month!" There Yuurs was on the front cover of every headline. It was surreal to see your stage persona projected right back to you. Face covered sure, but every moment you see yourself on the screen is one you spend overthinking.

A video plays, and there Yuurs was in their mask and stage outfit in front of the camera for one of their new music videos that just released. It's not obvious it's you, right? You even made sure you chose a super specific clothing style that no one has ever seen you wear before— mainly because you're broke and not allowed to be un-uniformed most of the time but still...

"They're in the news right now because all of their released songs have topped the charts and are even projected to be the most streamed this year! Everyone is scrambling to try and define what genre they are, some are claiming it is a new one entirely, especially with the way their lyrics are formatted. The most common trend is describing it as 'out of this world' because of how unique it is!"

"I think it should be called PopRock nu-metalcore in my opinion."

"Lul what? It's clearly Otapop nerdhop."

"I think it can best be described as no genre, all drama."

"A beautiful observation, Vil! So many are overlooking the haunting opera-eqsue vocals in combination with those lower tones! There is a reason why it hasn't been defined."

"I just think it sounds nice whatever it is!"

Everyone is watching the video and listening. You stare at everyone's faces and see everyone quietly agree with Ortho’s observations. The visuals are things that reminded you of home, mixed with the things you loved about this world. No one else can mimic that. In the cinematic video itself, it often looked like Yuurs was distant from the world all or pulled between two. The lyrics flowed unlike most music here. Probably because unlike most music here, artists don’t have to translate their drafts from their native language into another language from a different dimension.

"Even linguists are interested in the way they speak. There also appears to be a story happening within the debut album as well. There's no confirmed meaning however most of the fans agree it's about being lost or finding one's true self or home." To make things worse Ortho then beams up a bunch of different posts of netizens talking about YUURSONLY.

There's already fancams and edits. Videos of covers of the music and choreography. Music reviewers, opinion posts. For a brief moment you swear you see someone post a screenshot of a fic titled 'I was sold to YUURSONLY by my neglectful mom and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.' That was something you definitely needed to bookmark and read later when you weren’t as overwhelmed.

"We'll see if the story continues in the future. I hope it does! I want to see how Yuurs finds their way home!" The tension that just left your body returned with that statement, so unintentionally loaded.

"It's YUURSONLY!" The host calls out

Another video. Oh you remember this. It was a small concert. Practically private. Your— or rather— Yuurs' practice show. The crowd certainty doesn't look small with some clever camera work but you know the truth. You were a panicked mess in this video because all you could think about were the groceries you don't have and the exam due the day after. The crowd is raving, bouncing off the walls as they wave their lightsticks.

"And we're theirs!" The crowd replies.

It was perfect. Call it a powertrip all you want, it was hilarious in the moment to make it their fan chant and it was probably Yuurs' best idea as stupid as it was. One that hopefully won't be regretted in the future...

"Did I mention that they're local too! They're from Sage Island, all those locations in the video are from Port Street itself!"

Okay Yuu. You're Yuu right now. Not Yuurs. Play it cool.

"I did hear about them!" You beam. "They're pretty good, I listened to their music before." Yeah, you listened to it over and over again until you got annoyed with your own voice. Was it a good idea to admit you're a fan? Would that make you more suspicious? You then point to an area in another part of a different music video, trying to change the topic.

"Oooh look! I go to that coffee place all the time, it's amazing!" Which is exactly why it appeared in the video. You wanted to show this humble shop that has brought you nothing but joy off to the world to see and appreciate. They deserved it for all they have done, often giving you an extra drink on the house after a particularly stressful week.

"Lol? No way? Srsly? You're a YUURSONLY stan too?" Idia locked eyes with you, bright yellow irises shining as his hair fired up. He wanted to outdo the sun with how bright he was.

Lilia chuckled. "The coffee there is good. I ran into Rook and Idia on the way over to visit it. I was planning to try out what they ordered in the video and it seems they also had the same idea."

"That combination of drink and pastry together so... oof. Wonderful. I feel like I understand them better now since I had it. It was perfect timing too since they ran right out afterwards! There was quite a crowd. All so passionate to understand their idol better!" Rook was elated

Dammit. You're happy the place got more business, but that was also a special quiet spot for you to hang out in and relax. You and your friends. Hopefully the hype dies down a bit...

"Seriously? All of that over a simple cafe order? Coffee is hardly worth that much wait."

"Well maybe if you had something other than black coffee Sebek, you might enjoy it!"

"Hey Yuu, isn't that the place you showed us one time?" Grim nudges you as he points to the screen again

"It is! I remember the egg tarts there being the best." Deuce smiles at the others reminiscing of the times you all spent over there hunched around a table just to talk after a long day out.

"Ah, yes I remember the espresso being really strong..."

Ace looks to Epel next him then to the screen, then straight to you. "Hey, isn't that your order, Yuu?"

On the outside, you simply glance back over to the video Internally you have leaped and sprinted out of your own skin. "Hey, it is my usual order! They have good taste!" You knew you should have picked something else. Ace’s comment had to just be a coincidence. His and Deuce’s quirk of pointing out the obvious. He didn’t have to throw you under the bus like that, knowing or not.

"Yesss! Pop off legend! I need tour dates now!"

Idia's words make you chuckle. "... Yeah same..." Tour huh? It will bring in some much needed money and let you see more of this world but it was also a big responsibility. You have classes and you still have much to learn about the cultures of this world in order to be respectful. What if you're figured out as not being from this world itself? What happens when you mix up languages? What then?

"Since they are from the island..." Your words are careful, testing deep waters in front of the people that could expose you easiest. Ortho looks to you, waiting for your words. "Do you think they'd hold some concerts here early in their career?"

Everyone is quiet for a bit in contemplation, then Vil speaks up. "It’s possible. It is not uncommon for young stars to perform in their home countries. However, newcomers tend to perform in the Shaftlands. The Shaftlands are considered the Capitol of entertainment. Most shows I have starred in were filmed there." Vil's news seems to sour the others just a bit. Rook tuts a bit with his hand on his hip.

"Alas, such is life. No doubt having your first tour in the Shaftlands is a safer option but a tête-à-tête competition with the Shaftlands if they perform out here on the island is a bold move that may define them further! Either route they take is a magnifique choice!"

"It would be so nice if it was closer to us but thankfully a flight to The Shaftlands isn't too expensive! Me and my family would go all the time! I would love to see them in person, ahahaha!”

"A local concert would be epic. Performing in the very place that they came from and show the rest of the normies why they're on a different level lolol. It would be such bold thing to do. It's like saying 'I'm not a sell out!' to everyone else.... but The Shaftlands would guarantee more popularity though."

"Choices, choices. No point dwelling over it for them. It's best to keep carrying on and trying to score a ticket when they announce the date wherever it is!"

You were overwhelmed. You have certified fans in your close circle and several of them are very nosy. How long until they recognize your voice from a melody you hum? Or an outfit you wear looks just a bit too similar to Yuur’s?

"I mean their music is pretty good but this all seems to be a bit much, don't you think."

Seriously, Ace? That has to be on purpose now. First the order comment, now this? He has to know your secret identity and is holding it over your head. He cannot be this dense. You internally mope a bit. You weren't offended over his comment, it was the fact you couldn't banter with him over it without exposing yourself.

"Aw come on Ace! I'll play their instrumentals during our session, they're great. I'm sure you're gonna be a huge fan— I calculated that it's a 96.74% chance with all of you!"

A smile pulls at your lips as you join Orthos pleading. "Aw man, why do you guys always have to shut down things I like? After everything we've been through together? Really? I’ve done so much for everyone here…"

"Yeah exactly. Plus you're really gonna bully a little kid??" You and Ortho were absolutely evil smiling at the rest of your friends who all know they don’t have a choice in the matter

"'Little kid' my— let's just go study! Or at least try to. Let’s be honest you're gonna end up falling asleep again, Yuu!"

"It was one time!"

"Because all the other times I was here to WAKE you UP! You are the second human with sleeping issues I have to deal with!”

You nudge Ortho and waved your goodbyes as you all turn to leave, continuing the friendly banter all the while.

"Hey, I have insomnia. You know I struggle with sleep, what do you want me to do?"

"Geez you never sleep when you're supposed to henchhuman"

"You’re still having sleeping problems Yuu? Is it those weird dreams again?" Deuce clings to you as the rest of the group starts moving again.

"Vil made sure to drill potionology into all of us, reckon we try making a sleeping potion?"

"You guys may put them to sleep forever then."

"Oh please Jack, not everyone is lame enough to go to bed at 10 every night."

"There is nothing LAME about having a SCHEDULE. SOMETHING YOU CLEARLY NEED."

"What do you do when you can't sleep anyways, Yuu?"

Ortho looks up at you and follows your gaze to where you stare at the group behind you again who were wrapping up their conversation as well. Your gaze fixated on Rook and Idia, who still seemed to have much to talk about. Seems they unintentionally became closer though you. You swallow, then look to Ortho who you worry is already cranking the numbers in his head. You can hear it now: ‘Chance of Yuu being Yuurs: uh duh of course it is. The name is just two letters off.’

"Mmm nothing much, I just go out for a walk around campus..." And you also go for a walk off campus. There are weaknesses in the barrier around the school Crowley isn’t even aware of which you abuse frequently. Your secret double life become a triple life, became a quadruple life and it has gotten to a point where the things you have to confess will be a novels length.

Still you can't let them know the real reason you're always late to certain events due to filming or that you’re exhausted throughout the day because you spent all night trying to think of a chorus. Not yet. But maybe... just maybe... with the way so many of the people here are rooting for you… With the way you need to open up to someone about this…

You can make a special performance just for them​. They will be theirs and Yuu will be YUURSONLY .

[oceantornadoo]

ch5 something borrowed something blue (mafia!price x simon's sister!reader)

tw: more mild dubcon groping and fingering

masterlist | next

It’s been a while since John Price woke up with a woman in his arms. He can’t say he hasn’t missed it.

Your skin is soft, the addicting smell of lilac radiating off you in waves. You’re tucked into the nape of his neck like a cat, curling the rest of your body around him like you’ve been doing this for years, not days.

Gaz was right. He’s fucked.

The penthouse bed is a King, taking up half of the room. The two of you went to sleep on opposite sides, a chasm between you, but in the late hours, you’d somehow met in the middle. He wasn’t going to force you to consummate the marriage. John Price is many things, but not a rapist. He figured you’d get to know each other a little, at least respect one another, before doing the deed in a clinical matter. If he needed sex, which he didn’t really, he could go somewhere else. 

Except since the night at his club, he hadn’t been able to think about any other thighs but yours. Any other pair of tits, glistening with sweat and alcohol. That terrible tramp stamp, his mark on you like he was your owner. He didn’t know what to make of it, but your continued proximity worsened the issue with each passing day. It was worrying to think it would get worse every time you woke in his arms. He’d have to manage; it’s not like he’d let you sleep in separate beds.

John probably should get out of bed and do his morning workout before you wake up. Except the moment he tenses his muscles, preparing to slip out quietly, you whine. A pitiful sound. Such a needy kitty, he thinks absently. You hitch your thigh higher around his hip, nuzzling into his neck forcefully. He doesn’t think you’re awake unless he’s in some alternate reality where you stopped hating him overnight. The physical touch is…nice. Something he hasn’t had in a while. Can’t remember the last time he fucked something that wasn’t his hand, let alone cuddled in bed.

His arm rests possessively over your hip, the other one free at his side. Taking a chance, he reaches up to brush the soft skin under your eyes. No rhyme or reason to it, pure instinct to touch the sleeping face of his wife. His wife.

Maybe he should sleep in a little more. It’s something Gaz is always nagging him on. A man’s due some rest on his wedding morning. With that decided, he shuts his eyes, his thumb still on your face. A part of him memorizes the feel in case you never let him that near again.

-

You wake to a harder pillow than normal. Your body tenses on instinct. There’s no way. You slept on opposite sides of the bed. Right?

“Before ya scream, I hav’ a proposition.” It’s him. Under you, over you, his hand on your waist like a chain. The feral part of you whines at his raspy morning voice, the overwhelming warmth of his body, his bare chest, and the morning wood that’s poking your thigh. Maybe that’s why you only say, “Ok.”

He doesn’t comment on your newfound timidness. His other hand is on your face, stroking the skin of your cheek absentmindedly. It practically lulls you back to sleep, and you must still be drunk to let him continue without a reprimand. “Clean slate. For today, a honeymoon period, and after tha’, friends. Or friendly, if friends is too hard to manage. ‘Ve got too much on my plate t’ worry ‘bout my wife poisonin’ me at breakfast.” Friends. When was the last time you heard that word? Everyone you know is family or enemy, no in between. Price was firmly in the enemy category, but you’re not naive enough to think that hasn’t changed.

Conceding to your contract amendments. Rescuing you in the garden. An annoying argument at the club, but also guaranteeing you were safe. Taking you for a break at your wedding, making sure you were fed and not on the verge of collapse. Not forcing you to consummate your marriage. Not caring if you weren’t a virgin.

It’s all the bare minimum shit you’d expect from a regular man, a regular boyfriend. But nothing about this situation is regular. You know tens of mafia men worse than John Price. Your father, to name one. One’s that would take advantage of you without a second glance, wouldn’t give a damn about your bookstore or thoughts on children. Your childhood indiscretions aside, John Price seems to be a good man. It’s not like he’s asking you to love him or anything else out of the realm of possibility. Friends is good. Friends can be married, have sex, raise kids, and still be friends. There’s an example out there, it’s just not coming to mind.

-

“You sayin’ you only want to be friends because you’re too busy? What a glowing vote of confidence.” He sighs against you. He should have worded it better, but your proximity is throwing him off. It’s making him think of lazy Sundays and discovering what’s under your silk pajamas.

John went into this thinking you were a brat, another entitled mafia princess. It’s clear you’re much more. Having the gall to negotiate your marriage contract and sticking firm with your business. He’s seen the love you have for Ghost and Soap; a deep-seated dedication he knows must not be easy with your family history. And of course, he can’t forget your drunk confession at the wedding. How you blame him for some stupid thing he said as a teenager. Under all your bravado, there’s clearly a hurt little girl. Some part of him, the part he thought died when he shot his first kill, wants a real marriage. A real partner. 

John’s got no clue if you’re willing to give him a try romantically, but it’s worth a shot to at least be friends. He needs someone to rely on that’s not Gaz or Laswell. Someone he can let his guard down around and not get shot by.

-

“I worded it wrong. Friends ‘cause tha’s the only way this will work. Friends ‘cause we’re both now livin’ with a stranger, an’ we migh’ parent a kid together. Friends and partners.”

“Frenemies.” You respond automatically, thrown by his admission. He squeezes your waist, and it’s a sullen reminder that you’re wrapped around him like an octopus. You move to unwrap yourself, but he holds you tight with a scary show of strength. “Friends.” He repeats firmly. You’ve already agreed in your head, but he has to work for it.

“Do friends give honeymoon gifts? I’ve been expecting a gift for putting up with you and have yet to see one.” His hand stops swiping over your cheek, and you can’t control the frown that emerges. He dips lower to press his thumb against your lips, pushing hard until it meets your teeth. It’s strange and sends a shock down your spine. “Friends an’ you’ll stop whinin’.” His voice is harsh, but it’s countered with how his hand now travels the length of your jaw, back and forth hypnotically. “Friends and we order breakfast.” Finally, he nods. That’s it. Friends.

John lets you escape to the bathroom while he calls room service. Even after using the toilet, brushing your teeth and splashing water on your face, you still feel off-kilter. Your skin is hot, hands trembling. A honeymoon period? What the hell does that mean? You hate how your core clenches at the thought of having a real honeymoon with him. It’s a terrible fact, but you’re attracted to your husband. And by how touchy he is, he’s clearly attracted to you. Clean slate. It’s barely taxing to forget your prejudices against him, tucked away in a far corner of your mind. You square your shoulders, giving yourself a nod in the mirror. Friends that are attracted to each other. Nothing to it.

When you walk back into the bedroom, John sits up in bed, the room service tray on the side of the bed. The sheets have fallen to his waist, giving you a view of his delicious upper half. He clearly works out, but not to the point where he’s a bodybuilder. His pecs and torso are hairy but maintained, the perfect combination. As you approach the bed, he gets up with alarming speed and snatches you off your feet, propping you in his lap. It’s terrible and you try to squirm out of it but his grip is too strong, pulling you in further. “Honeymoon period.” He growls in your ear, to which you finally settle down. Guess this is what he meant. At least you’re sitting sideways and not straddling him. You’d never recover.

“This is not friendly, John. I can’t reach the food this way.” All he does is hum, bending over the side of the bed to look at the spread before you. Waffles, pancakes, fresh fruit, yogurt, eggs, and scones call your name. “Open.” When you blink, there’s a piece of egg on a fork in front of your face. “That’s not-,” he doesn’t let you finish, shoving the food into your mouth the moment it opens. You moan at the taste, ignoring how he stiffens beneath you. “Oh my god, that’s the best scrambled egg I’ve ever had.” John picks at another piece, securing it on the fork, before turning back to you. This time, you open your mouth obediently, rolling your eyes when he takes longer than a second to reach you. “Hurry up, I’m hungry.” He shakes his head, eyes glinting with mirth. “Magic word?” You huff, turning hangry. You grab the fork, but he’s got unmatched reflexes, holding it high over your head with a raised eyebrow. The motion pulls at the rest of his face, highlighting his beard and wrinkles. It’s terribly attractive. In a friendly way.

“Please, John, will you feed me like the incapable adult I am?” Your words are dripping with sarcasm but it’s enough for him. You moan around the fork again, and you both politely ignore his half-chubbed cock under your thighs. The cycle repeats, John switching from eggs to waffles to fruit. It’s taken you nearly a half hour to eat but he’s so insistent it’s hard to say no. Every time you swallow, he acts like you’ve solved world hunger. It’s doing terrible things to your ego.

“You’ve hardly eaten.” You murmur. He shrugs, finally settling the fork down. That fork deserves to be thrown into a fire and never seen again. It’s a torture machine.

“I’ll eat now. Go shower an’ get ready.” You pull yourself off his lap and he let you, hand dragging across your skin until you’re completely out of his reach. “Nah, think I’ll sleep a bit more. This awful man was snoring all night.” He snorts and it’s so unbecoming you snort as well. He doesn’t dignify it with a response.

“Goodnight- hey!” Instead, he’s stolen the covers from under you. You did marry a manchild.

“Shower an’ get ready. Ya wanted yer honeymoon gift, ain’t tha’ righ’?” A gift? You might be determined that he’s an asshole, but you are not strong enough to turn down a gift. With all the money he spent on the wedding, it better be something good. “Fine.” An hourlong shower ought to set him straight.

-

Two hours later, you’re finally ready.

Your mission to annoy your husband is successful. He’s been huffing under his breath the last half hour, checking his watch and texting on his phone. He threw on a spare suit from the closet, looking immaculate despite the gun you watch him tuck into his waistband. 

Meanwhile, you take the absolute most time to do your makeup. In fact, you switch out your jewelry three separate times. He told you to dress casually but you also cannot trust the words of a man, so you slip on a sundress and grab a cardigan in case it gets cold. At least Aunt Riley packed you plenty of options in the bags that were sent up. Against your better judgment, you slip on a pair of lace underwear. For confidence purposes only. You forgo any shorts under.

“I’m ready!” He grunts, picking up your purse before you even have the chance to. “Finally. Driver’s been waitin’ fer twenty minutes now.” Well, now you feel bad. “I would’ve hurried if I knew he was waiting. Your fault for not telling me.” He shrugs, hustling you out of the room with a hand on your back. He guides you into the elevator, and although it’s demeaning and infantilizing, a small part of you warms. 

“Can’t take off work fer the week so this’ll be y’r one-day honeymoon. Sorry about tha’, sweetheart.” You shrug, tilting your body slightly so he can’t see you smile at the endearment. At some point this week, it’s turned from venomous to heartwarming, chipping away at your campaign against him. “It’s ok.” He rests his hand on your waist and for a heartstopping moment, he leans in. He’s about to kiss your forehead. You both realize at the same time, pulling away to opposite sides of the elevator so his hand drops. Luckily, the elevator dings. You don’t know what would have happened without it.

He warns you it’s a long car ride. You both sit in the back seat, opposite sides, and you slip off your sandals to curl up against the car door. Using your cardigan as a pillow, you watch him through heavy-lidded eyes. He makes phone call after phone call, his accent getting thicker with irritation depending on the caller. John speaks English, but he says so many code names and unfamiliar locations that it sounds like a different language. The comforting sound of it lulls you to sleep, dreamless and peaceful. When you wake up, there’s a mansion outside your window.

“Is this…” You freeze, taking in the sight before you. Is this your new prison? You were hoping to postpone your new reality a little longer. He shakes his head as he opens your car door, shooing the driver away. “‘S a friend’s, not mine. He’s lendin’ us a building f’r tonight.” A building? His friend must be some kind of royal. The grounds are sprawling and well-kept, sparkling in the warmth of the sunset. John leads you down a path through the gardens, and you walk slowly to take it all in. They’re all native plants, at the end of their blooming season. Their scents make the air thick, a natural perfume, and you sniff each one individually. John doesn’t rush you, stopping every time you do. You swear he’s hiding a small smile under the beard, but he looks away whenever you squint at him. Half an hour later, you make it to the building he’s been guiding you to. It’s an observatory, a rounded glass ceiling visible from the outside. The sun is fully set, and as the clouds clear, stars start winking at you. A perfect night.

“Don’t get impressed yet.” He murmurs to your awed face. Instead of explaining why, he presses a silver key into your hand. Even though you were cuddling this morning, the shock of his touch sends a shiver down your spine. Mistaking it for cold, he nudges you towards the door. It unlocks smoothly, revealing a small entryway. It’s bracketed by dark wood on all sides, with old and uncomfortable furniture. He keeps pressing you forward until you stop at a large door, curved at the top like in a castle. “Open it.” He says when you don’t move. Hand shaking, you turn the knob, and almost faint at what’s revealed.

“‘S a remake of-” 

“The Admont Abbey Library in Austria.” The world’s most beautiful library. Instead of being made for public use, this one is for comfort. 

There are two, no, three stories of books on every wall. Instead of a fresco on the ceiling, its glass, giving you a direct view of the stars. Books line every nook and cranny, surrounded by a lighter and more appealing wood than the one in the entryway. There are chairs and sofas every few feet, worn but well-loved. A few steps further reveal a fireplace with a mountain of chairs surrounding it, a place to invite friends to discuss books over tea. A large clock hangs over it, chiming at every hour. There are staircases and ladders to reach the books on high shelves, and a closer look reveals they’re ordered by subject. Books from centuries ago and recently purchased ones mesh together in a wonderful rainbow of colors. 

“You like it?” He’s still standing by the first couch, almost awkwardly. A mafia man in a full suit with his gun tucked into his waistband, and yet it seems a library is what makes him look small.

“John, it’s- I don’t even know what to say. It’s perfect. And all mine for a night?” He shakes his head at that in a confusing manner. “Not jus’ a night…” No.

“John Price, did you buy me a library?” He has the nerve to look ashamed, cheeks pinking as he tucks his hands into his pockets. “My friend’s quite old, can’t go up an’ down the ladders anymore. He’s givin’ it to ya fer free, ‘s long as ya don’t sell anything. Can come ‘ere whenever you like.” A library, just for you.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” You attack him with a hug. A friendly one, with your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist. “Got it after th’ night in the garden. Figured I’d give ya a new home since I’m takin’ yer old.” A stray tear falls at his consideration. “Thank you.” You whisper this time, throat thick with more tears. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Go explore.” You nod, climbing out of his arms. His thumb reaches out to wipe away a tear and you let him, granting yourself a reprieve from the exhausting practice of hatred for one night. “Go’on.”

-

You explore for hours.

John makes calls from couches, occasionally walking around until he spots you. You’re like a kid in a candy store, running from shelf to shelf with a grin on your face. He was worried it was too much, but it seems to have finally cleared the air between you two. The phantom weight of your hug clings to his skin, a memory he can’t shake off.

He didn’t admit to you that this is his manor, the one he goes to when he needs to get away. The way you hesitated when getting out of the car with fear in your eyes was unbearable. He didn’t want this to feel like another gilded cage. There’s only staff around anyway, and they’re under strict instructions not to say anything. As far as he’s concerned, this whole building is solely yours.

When he’s finally done remotely managing a crisis at one of his clubs, he ventures off to find you. It’s near midnight now and the stars are shining bright under the glass ceiling. When he finds you on the second floor, you’re bent over a desk, reading while standing like you’re so enthralled you couldn’t be bothered to properly sit. It’s the most attractive thing he’s ever seen.

Bent over, your dress barely covers your ass. John takes a silent step back on the staircase and sure enough, he can see a black scrap of lace cupping your cunt. He thanks your aunt for not packing shorts.

“Givin’ a man ideas standin’ like tha’.” It escapes his mouth before getting permission from his brain. John blames the whiskey he found in between calls. You snap your book closed at the sound of his voice, turning around and standing ramrod straight. “I stand or sit in weird positions when I’m reading. You’ll have to get used to it.” Instead of answering, he approaches you until there’s only an inch of space between your chests. You don’t flinch, a show of trust. Ever the challenger, you tip your chin up until your eyes meet, defiance sending a rush of blood to his cock.

“Turn around.” You do. Slowly. The book you were reading is still clutched to your chest like a shield. “Show me how ya were standin’.” He steps back to give you room. To his disbelief, you comply, bending over until a bit of lace peaks out. “Read t’ me.” A rough finger reaches out, touching the edge of the lace separating him from your cunt. He traces the seam of it, the outline of your folds straining against fabric. John decides to push the limit as far as he can during this honeymoon day, to make you want him as much as he wants you.

“‘But strange and marvelous as she was, a wisp of silk in a forest of black wool, she was’- John!” His finger had slipped under your lace underwear. You were so wet, dripping over his hand, and he wondered if you got off on this more than he did. If this was one of your secret fantasies, fucking in a library. “Tell me t’ stop.” You’re silent, too proud to ask him to continue, but too desperate to ask him to stop. Unperturbed, he starts swiping up and down like he’s familiarizing himself with the feel of your cunt. “Go’on.” You take a deep breath and continue.

“‘Not the fragile creature one would have her seem. In many ways she was as cool and competent as Henry’- oh fuck.” He’d pressed his thumb against your clit, hard. “Feel good?” You nod, barely keeping your head above your shoulders. “If this was our real honeymoon,” he moved his thumb down to your fluttering hole, dipping it in lightly for emphasis. You drop your head down to the desk, exhaling harshly. “I’d-” Ding!

The clock struck twelve. The end of your honeymoon period.

John removes his thumb slowly, putting your underwear back in place with care. He kisses your back, over where your Sharpie marks are, before pulling back completely. “Driver’s ready whenever you are, sweetheart. No rush.” And he’s gone, walking down the staircase.

He’d only continue if you asked him to.

-

i hope this isn't moving too fast but i really wanted some fluff and smut. if yall couldnt tell, this was inspired by that scene from beauty and the beast.

also the semester is starting back this week so my posts will become less frequent, pls bear with me :)

fifty points to who can tell me what book she was reading!!!

-

@heretoreadanddrinktea

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@burrowedinnature77

@sharkerino

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@aikojwhpa

[yuyuyukiii]

Two Charms, One Promise ⛐

Parting Ways and Crossing Paths - Chapter 2

Part 1

Masterlist

Summary: Long before the podiums, the titles, and the fame, he was just a boy in a treehouse. She was the girl who promised to stay. She didn't break that promise. Someone else did it for her.

Content: Childhood heartbreak, missing letters, mistaken goodbyes, unresolved feelings, and one very symbolic bracelet.

Author's Note 🏎️:

This story is purely fictional and not based on real events. Some timelines, career paths, and personal details have been adjusted or reimagined to fit the narrative. It's all for the sake of the story, so please don't take anything here as factual. Just vibes, emotions, and a lot of imagination. Thank you for reading. I hope it makes you feel something

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

Y/N was with Yuki’s family in the AlphaTauri hospitality, wishing him luck before he headed to the garage. She was halfway through laughing at something his mom said when her phone buzzed.

“Hello? Who’s this?”

“Hi, this is the development program office. We were told by Yuki that we’d be able to meet you today. We wanted to explain everything about the program and, if you’re free, ask if you could drop by our office.”

Her brows furrowed. “Right now?”

“If possible,” the voice said.

She glanced at the time. If she went, she’d probably miss Yuki’s race.

Yuki noticed her hesitation immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“They want me to go to the office to explain the program. But… if I go, I’ll miss your first race.”

He smiled, shaking his head. “You being here for my first race is already enough for me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You were there from the start, helping me. Now it’s your turn to chase your dreams. Go for it. Besides, we’ll celebrate after.”

Her chest tightened. She smiled, stepped forward, and hugged him. “Good luck, Yuki.”

“Good luck to you too.”

The office wasn’t far, but her mind was racing the whole walk there. She was welcomed inside and led to a meeting room where they laid everything out for her.

She was told she’d be trained and mentored by some of the top engineers in the field. One of the coordinators explained, “You’ll be learning directly from the best, people who expect real dedication but will guide you every step of the way.”

The program was based in Finland, far from the chaos of busy cities. “It’s quiet there,” they added. “Perfect for focusing on your work without distractions.”

It was a paid internship lasting about three to four years if she was willing to commit. When she asked about the length, the coordinator smiled and said, “It’s a big commitment, but it could really shape your future.”

She nodded, already imagining herself embracing the challenge ahead.

Four years. The number sat heavy in her mind. But then she remembered Yuki’s words and their promise. He’d be racing. She’d be beside him, always. Her thoughts drifted further back to another promise, one with Max. She’d be his engineer one day, and together they’d win everything.

She blinked, snapping herself out of it.

“I wonder if he still loves racing,” she murmured under her breath.

———

Oh, he still loved racing. He loved everything about it, the smell of fuel in the air, the blur of colours on the track, the way the world seemed to quiet down when the lights went out. It was the only thing that made him feel alive, especially after Y/N left.

Engines roared across the circuit as the Bahrain heat shimmered in the afternoon sun. The final lap came to an end.

"And Lewis Hamilton wins the season opener in Bahrain. P2 for Max Verstappen, P3 for Valtteri Bottas, and what a debut for Yuki Tsunoda in P9. First race in Formula One and already his first points."

The AlphaTauri garage erupted in cheers as Yuki rolled in. High fives, handshakes, claps on the back. He laughed, soaking it all in, but his eyes were already scanning the room.

"Where’s Y/N?"

"Still at the office," someone told him.

As Yuki ducked out for a quick change, he came back to his family with a big grin. “Alright. You guys head to the restaurant,” he said, already moving toward the exit. “I’m going to pick up Y/N, and we’ll meet you there.”

They were just about to leave when voices started calling his name from across the paddock. He turned and saw almost the whole grid heading his way. His fellow rookies, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, were there, along with Pierre.

“Yuki! Let’s go celebrate!” Pierre called out. “It’s your first race! The rookies are all here too,” he added, pointing at Mick and Nikita.

Yuki rubbed the back of his neck, glancing between his family and the drivers waiting for an answer. “I’m gonna pass on this one.”

“What? Why? It’s your first race!” Daniel protested.

“Yeah, and I really want to celebrate with my family… especially my best friend, Y/N,” he said, smiling a little.

That got a round of teasing. “Right, ‘best friend’ over us,” George laughed, making air quotes.

In the middle of all the noise, Max froze. The second he heard her name, the paddock faded away.

The noise faded into the background for him. In its place, memories flooded in. Y/N laughing in the treehouse under the golden afternoon sun. Y/N handing him a water bottle after a race, eyes bright with pride. Y/N leaning over, grease streaking her cheek, telling him, "I’ll be your engineer."

“Max? Max?”

He blinked, the sound of engines and chatter snapping back into place.

“You okay, mate? You just kinda zoned out,” Lewis asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Max said quickly. “What’s the plan?”

“Well, Yuki just left while you were daydreaming. You’re coming, right? Not planning on ditching us too?”

“Yeah, yeah… I’m coming,” he replied, forcing a smile.

———

As Yuki turned onto the street, the sun was dipping low, the building spilling warm light into the fading evening. He spotted Y/N just in time, the front door swinging shut behind her as she tucked something under her arm and locked up.

She looked up and spotted him, her face breaking into a grin. “Oh my god, you’re here already? It’s finished?” she said in a rush, stepping toward him. “I swear, I lost track of time. That program was so good…” She suddenly stopped mid-ramble, blinking. “Wait. How was the race?”

Yuki’s lips curled into the widest smile. “I got the team points.”

For a second, she just froze. Then she blurted, “No way!” and practically launched herself at him, arms around his neck. “Oh my god, Yuki! I’m so happy for you! You did it!”

Yuki hugged her back, chuckling at her excitement. “I can’t believe I wasn’t there to see it,” she groaned into his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he laughed. “I mean… it was only P9.”

“Oh no, mister. That is huge. You scored your first points. In your first race.” She pulled back just to wag her finger at him. “Do you know what that means?”

“Movie night after eating?”

“You bet.”

She glanced around. “Where’s your family?”

“They went ahead to the restaurant,” Yuki said, as they statrted walking together. “We’re driving together.”

“Perfect,” she grinned, sliding in.

———

Some of the other drivers were still hanging around, making their way to their cars in loose, chatty clusters.

Carlos was mid-rant about how the dessert table at the hospitality suite ran out of churros. “It’s Bahrain, how do you run out of churros?!”

Lando snorted. “Mate, it’s not even a Spanish thing here.”

George interrupted, gesturing. “Wait. Isn’t that Yuki?”

They all turned. Two figures walked toward a car, arms linked and laughing like they were in their own little bubble.

“Oooh,” Pierre said, dragging out the syllable with a smirk. “That’s the best friend.” He made exaggerated air quotes.

The group hummed in fake understanding. “Best friend, right…” Lando muttered, grinning.

Max, however, wasn’t laughing. His gaze caught on the girl’s back and something in his chest twisted tight. He couldn’t explain it, just a gut-deep pull like a memory straining to break through.

Yuki opened the passenger door for her, still grinning. Just as he shut it, someone called out.

“Oi, Yuki!”

He jogged over. “Hey guys.”

“You sure you don’t want to join us?” Carlos teased. “Bring your best friend with you.”

“Nah,” Yuki said with a shrug. “Not really her thing. Besides, my family’s waiting at a restaurant.”

They exchanged goodbyes, and Yuki jogged back to his car.

Pierre’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s wait for them to pass. I wanna see this ‘best friend.’”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m in,” Lando said instantly.

Agreement rippled through the group, except Max, who just shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on Yuki’s car.

The engine started.

“They’re coming,” George whispered like they were birdwatching.

“Closer, closer,” Pierre grinned.

Then, VROOOOM, another car zoomed by in front of them, perfectly blocking their view.

“WHAT?!” Lando groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Pierre whined. Carlos threw his hands up. “I waited for this!”

Meanwhile, Max stayed silent, his eyes still on the disappearing car, an odd tightness in his chest he couldn’t shake.

———

Dinner had long been finished, the warm glow of Yuki’s apartment replaced by the soft shadows of a pillow fort in the living room. Fairy lights twinkled above the blankets, and the only other light came from the TV’s idle menu. Y/N sat cross-legged among the cushions, scrolling through the movie list while Yuki rummaged in the kitchen. There was the clatter of spoons, the soft thunk of ice cream tubs hitting the counter, and the rustle of chip bags.

When he finally emerged, his arms were full: two tubs of ice cream, a bowl of popcorn, and three kinds of chips balanced precariously on top. He stopped short when he saw the movie on screen.

“The Transporter?” His eyebrows shot up as he set everything down. “Wow. My favorite movie? Really? You don’t even like this one.”

Y/N grinned, passing him a spoon. “Yeah, but you scored points in your first F1 race today. If that doesn’t earn you Jason Statham, nothing will.”

Yuki let out a laugh, shaking his head as he ducked into the fort beside her. “You’re too nice to me.”

The movie started, the action and revving engines filling the room, but halfway through, Yuki glanced at her instead of the screen. “So,” he said casually, “what did you guys talk about today? With the program?”

Y/N was mid-bite of ice cream when her eyes suddenly lit up. She leaned in closer, as if sharing a secret. “You won’t believe this,” she said. “They explained everything. I’ll be a paid intern, Yuki-paid. Not just that, I’ll be working with their top engineers. I’ll get hands-on experience with real data and tech, maybe even travel with the team for testing.” Her excitement made her words spill out faster and faster.

Then she stopped. Her smile faltered.

Yuki’s own expression softened. “What? What’s wrong?”

“It’s… a long commitment,” she admitted quietly. “Two years for the internship, then another two working for them before I can even think about F1. That’s… three, maybe four years.”

For a moment, the TV’s flickering light danced over his face, showing the faintest drop in his expression. But he smiled again quickly, nudging her knee with his. “That’s alright. We’ll have our phones. Video calls, texts… time will fly, you’ll see.”

Her shoulders relaxed, but not all the way.

Yuki grinned wider, grabbing the popcorn and tossing a piece at her. “Now hush. Jason Statham is about to do the thing with the car doors. You’re gonna miss it.”

She laughed, ducking behind a pillow. And just like that, the heaviness eased, replaced by the simple comfort of junk food, bad jokes, and an action movie they both knew by heart.

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

The week before Y/N’s departure blurred into a string of moments they tried to stretch for as long as possible.

“Do you really think we need all these snacks?” Yuki asked, holding up a bag of chips in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other as they stood in the convenience store aisle.

Y/N laughed softly. “When have we ever been sensible about snacks? Come on, it’s a tradition now.”

They made late-night trips to the convenience store for snacks, their laughter echoing softly in the quiet aisles.

Later, they took long walks through quiet streets. Yuki glanced sideways. “Do you think it’ll feel different when you’re not here?”

Y/N kicked a pebble gently. “It already feels different. But maybe that’s okay. I just want to make sure we don’t forget any of this.”

On a park bench, Yuki handed her an ice cream cone. “Careful, it’s melting faster than you can eat.”

“Then I guess I better eat faster,” she said with a grin, licking the drips before they reached her fingers.

Sometimes they didn’t even talk much, just sat in comfortable silence.

Yuki finally broke the quiet, voice low. “You know, I’m going to miss this. Miss you.”

She looked at him, eyes soft. “Me too.”

Unbeknownst to her, Yuki snapped a quick photo when she wasn’t looking. “Hey! What was that?”

“Nothing,” he said, swearing with a smile, “Just… saving the memory.”

But deep down, he was already afraid of forgetting the way she smiled when she wasn’t aware of it.

By the time they were at the airport, the weight of it all pressed down hard. Y/N was the one who’d been bracing herself for Yuki’s tears, but when she caught the glassiness in his eyes, her own heart stumbled.

“Now look who’s crying,” she teased softly.

“I’m not crying. It’s just the weather,” he muttered, repeating the exact words she’d told him when he’d left.

She laughed. “Inside the airport?”

They both laughed at that, but the sound cracked at the edges. When they hugged, his arms were tighter than usual, like he was trying to memorize the shape of her in them.

“You won’t forget about me, right?” he asked, voice muffled against her shoulder.

She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. “How could I forget the future world champion?”

Something inside him faltered. He had believed they were finally at a place where they could simply be, where his best friend would be there to witness everything as it unfolded. Instead, it felt like fate was playing a cruel game, first pulling him away and now taking her too.

“This will be the last time we part,” she said firmly. “The next time we see each other, you’ll be driving for a big team, and I’ll officially be an engineer for my favorite sport.”

He held out his pinky. “Promise?”

“Promise,” she replied, linking hers with his.

Her flight was called, and they stood there for a second longer, suspended in the moment.

“No goodbye,” she said. “Only see you later.”

“See you later,” he echoed, his voice catching.

They hugged one last time before she turned away. He stayed where he was, watching as she disappeared into the crowd, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

Y/N was hurrying toward her gate when she accidentally bumped into someone. She barely turned around before blurting out an apology, breathless and flustered. “I’m so sorry, oh my god, I didn’t see you...sorry, sorry, I’m really late for my flight.” Without waiting for a response, she hurried off, too focused on making it on time to notice how the moment had already passed her by.

———

Ever since the race, Max couldn’t stop replaying flashes of her in his mind: Y/N’s smile, the way her voice softened when she explained something, and the fierce concentration she wore like armor.

Why now? he wondered silently. Why after all this time?

“Hey, you okay?” his sister's voice broke through his thoughts. Max shook his head slightly, forcing a smirk. “Yeah, just... thinking.”

He didn’t understand why those memories had come back after all this time. Maybe it was fate trying to tell him they were meant to cross paths again.

Then he scoffed under his breath. “Yeah, right. Like she’s just gonna walk back into my life.”

A passerby bumped into him. “Watch it, mate.”

Max muttered, “Sorry,” but kept his eyes on the phone.

Even if she did come back, would she even remember me? He bit his lip. She didn’t even remember her promise to be my engineer.

His phone buzzed. A message from his father appeared: Meet me by gate 14, near the big departure board.

He glanced up, scanning the crowd. “Where are you, Dad?” he muttered to himself.

People moved past in waves, their voices and footsteps blending into a steady hum. Max’s eyes flicked over faces, searching for that familiar presence.

That’s when someone bumped into him hard enough to knock the phone from his hand.

Max muttered under his breath, annoyed. “Unbelievable. Does no one watch where they’re going anymore?” He crouched to pick it up, brushing off the screen, but then...

“Sorry! I’m so, so sorry, my flight-”

The voice froze him in place.

His head snapped up, and for a moment, the noise of the airport faded away. At first he almost doubted what he was seeing, it had been years since they were kids. But then the familiar lines fell into place. It was her. Older now, of course, yet still carrying the same face, the same presence, the same quiet pull. The girl he had been trying and failing to forget since that cruel day.

She didn’t see him. Too focused on rushing through the crowd, she kept apologizing, words tumbling out between quick breaths. “I’m really late, sorry again!”

Max stood there, heart hammering, as she started running.

Not again.

The thought hit him like a punch. She was going to disappear just like before. She owed him time, owed him an explanation, and he wasn’t about to let her vanish twice.

“Y/N!” he shouted, but the noise of rolling suitcases and boarding calls swallowed his voice. He pushed forward, weaving through travelers, his pace quickening until he was just a few steps behind her. Years of being a high-performance athlete (Danny ric (╥‸╥)♡ ) kicked in with speed and precision, and for a moment he thought he had her. His hand was almost on her shoulder when—

“Son! I’m right here. Why are you running?”

A firm grip pulled him back. His father’s voice broke the spell, and Max spun around, caught between confusion and frustration.

By the time he looked past him, Y/N had reached the gate, the boarding door open just long enough for her to slip inside.

The sharp pang in his chest felt almost identical to the day he learned she’d left. But this time, it hurt more. Because this time, he could have stopped her.

His father’s voice cut in again, sharper now. “What’s wrong with you? You look like someone died. And don’t make a scene. How can a future World champion let their emotions show in public.”

Max clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to shout that it was his fault. That because of him, she was gone again. But the words stayed trapped behind his teeth as the crowd swallowed the last trace of her.

What Max didn’t know was that this wasn’t the first time his father had stepped in and shifted the course of his life. Years ago, long before Max could defend himself, Jos made decisions on his behalf, quiet, calculated choices that cost him far more than just opportunities on the track.

Y/N wasn’t someone he simply drifted away from. She was someone ripped out of his world before he could even understand why. One day she was there, laughing with him like nothing could pull them apart, and the next she was gone, no explanation, no goodbye. Somewhere in the cracks between those years,

Max stopped asking what happened, perhaps because a part of him already knew he wouldn’t like the answer.

END (C.2)

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

Note: This is a work of fiction. While inspired by real people and events in the world of Formula 1, certain details, timelines, and outcomes have been adjusted to fit the story. For example, championships, race results, and career milestones may differ from reality. Any resemblance to real-life events beyond general inspiration is purely coincidental.

Tag: @esw1012 @maxontopofme @f1enthusiastsstuff @mochimommy2002 @toasted-bookworm @coolpeanutchaos @leviathan0000 @jsprien213 @osenautumn @midnightbabylon @swiftie-4-lifes-stuff @ellen3101 @sukunassfinger @hannahmotors10 @mayax2o07 @melancholicandmessy @swiftlythejackson @samriddhisingh @inesbethari @chuusussss @oh-kurva @widow-cevans @solphin @cluvsya @kath-666

[thatonegrimm]

less angsty request now! Your marriage proposal writing had been living right free in my head and maybe we could get a wedding day one? - the donut wizard 🍩

Thank you for the request! I had way to many ideas about this, that it got very overwhelming fast lol. Here you go!💌

🌙Saja Boys x Reader — Wedding Day and First Dance

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

🧿 Jinu

The moment the processional began, Jinu’s entire body locked in place.

He stood straighter than you’d ever seen him—shoulders back, jaw tight, like he was bracing for impact. But then you turned the corner, stepped into view, and he broke.

His mouth dropped open just a little, like he’d been hit in the chest with a memory he never lived but always longed for.

His hand flew up instinctively—over his heart first, then briefly to his mouth, like he wasn’t sure if he should hold in a laugh or a cry.

The world dimmed around him. The guests, the flowers, the soft breeze against the trees—none of it mattered once he saw you.

He whispered something. You couldn’t hear it, but you read his lips: “How did I get this lucky?”

When you reached him, his hands were trembling. You steadied him without hesitation.

“I’m here,” you said softly.

Jinu blinked rapidly. “I can’t believe you actually came.”

First Dance: “Yours” – Russell Dickerson

Jinu held you close like he was worried someone might try to take you away.

You could feel his pulse at his throat, quick and thready. His fingers curled lightly against your back, keeping a respectful distance but also trembling slightly.

“You keep looking at me like I’m about to disappear,” you murmured.

“I just don’t trust reality anymore,” he whispered. “You stepped into frame and the rest of the world blurred out.”

You swayed together slowly to the rhythm of the song. The lyrics curled around you like a promise. Jinu’s head dipped down to brush against yours.

“Today was terrifying,” he admitted quietly.

“Why?”

“Because I want to remember everything. The second I woke up. The way you smiled at the officiant. The way your hand shook when you adjusted your veil.” He smiled. “And the way my name sounded when you said ‘I do.’”

You pulled him closer.

“Then don’t let go.”

“I won’t. Ever.”

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

💪 Abby 

Abby had told himself he wouldn’t cry until at least the vows.

He had plans. He was going to stand tall, flex slightly (discreetly), and beam like the proudest groom alive. And then he saw you—and the entire script in his brain went blank.

You turned the corner and time slowed to a crawl. You were radiant—glowing like the answer to every impossible question he’d ever asked the universe in silence.

He made a little gasp—like a squeaky hiccup. “That’s my wife,” he mumbled. “That’s my wife.”

He bounced once on the balls of his feet, then again, then tried to stop—but his grin only grew. His hands were shaking.

He glanced at Mystery, who nodded once in quiet approval. Romance gave him a wink.

But Abby? Abby was wrecked.

By the time you reached him, his smile looked painful.

“You made it,” he said softly, eyes misting. “You chose me.”

You squeezed his fingers. “Always.”

First Dance: “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Kina Grannis version

Abby didn’t stop grinning once during the entire dance.

He held you like he was still stunned you were real. His hands were warm and large against your waist, fingers twitching as if memorizing the shape of you in his arms. He hummed along to the music, tone-deaf but blissfully unaware.

“I want to do this every night,” he whispered.

“You want to slow dance every night?”

“No,” he said softly. “I want to look at you in white every night. I want to keep waking up next to you until I’m old and slow and we forget each other's middle names.”

You let out a small laugh.

“I’ll remind you,” you promised.

Abby twirled you gently, caught you mid-spin, and tucked you into his chest again.

“Best decision I’ve ever made,” he said into your hair. “Marrying you. Telling you how I feel. All of it.”

You tilted your head back. “You sure?”

He beamed. “Positive.”

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

📚 Mystery 

Mystery didn’t even blink when you stepped into view. He just… stared.

Still. Unmoving. So much so that for a second, Romance actually checked to make sure he hadn’t passed out standing up.

But no. He was fully present—just overwhelmed in a way only he could be. The intensity in his eyes burned through you with every step you took toward him.

You could see his chest rise and fall—too fast for someone so calm.

His lips parted slightly. You knew him well enough to read the flicker of thought in his expression. He wasn’t thinking wow, you look good.

He was thinking: I didn’t know I was allowed to have this. And now that I do… how do I hold it without breaking it?

As you approached, he tilted his head just barely. Taking you in like a painting. A vision. A secret too big for daylight.

“Am I real?” you whispered when you reached him.

Mystery’s voice was steady but reverent: “You’re the only thing that is.”

First Dance: “Poetic” – Seinabo Sey

Your first dance with Mystery was quiet—less a performance, more a shared breath in motion.

He guided you gently, fingertips barely pressing into your side. His movements were fluid, rhythmic, but almost too careful, like he was afraid you might disappear if he held you too tightly.

“Talk to me,” you whispered, teasing.

He hesitated. “I don’t want to waste words tonight.”

“You think it’d waste them?”

“I think every word would fall short.”

You leaned into his chest. “Try anyway.”

Mystery tilted his head slightly, breath grazing your temple.

“If anyone had asked me what I wanted from this world… I don’t think I would’ve known how to answer,” he said slowly. “Not until I saw you walk toward me in that dress.”

You closed your eyes, pressing your cheek to his.

“And now?”

He smiled faintly. “Now I’d say this. This moment. This life. You.”

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

💋 Romance

Romance had been a flirt all morning. Tossing compliments left and right. Cracking jokes. Blowing kisses to the mirror. He was calm, cool, in control.

Until he saw you.

And then everything—everything—collapsed into emotion.

You stepped into view and his mouth fell open in awe. He placed a hand over his heart like he was either about to pledge allegiance or faint.

The smirk he’d been wearing faded into something raw, unguarded. It wasn’t playful—it was pure.

He mouthed something: You’re going to ruin me.

And then louder, barely a whisper: “You’re gonna ruin me.”

As you walked, he visibly swallowed and took a half-step forward like he had to anchor himself to the moment.

When you finally reached him, he exhaled shakily. “You’re not a bride,” he said. “You’re a legend. A myth. Something they carve into marble.”

“And yet,” you murmured, “I’m marrying you.”

He grinned, eyes shimmering. “Plot twist of the century.”

First Dance: “Lover” – Taylor Swift

Romance definitely had the most dramatic dance planned. Lights dimmed, the room lit by fairy strands and candles, and he spun you into his arms with a fluid twirl.

You laughed into his shoulder. “How long did you rehearse this?”

“Long enough to look natural,” he whispered back.

You glided across the floor together, and everyone else faded. He tucked his chin over your shoulder and breathed you in like the scent would keep him alive.

“People always assume I fall in love easily,” he murmured. “That I flirt with everyone. That I’m too much.”

You smiled. “You are too much.”

“But you,” he said, pulling back enough to look you in the eye, “make too much feel like just right. You make me want to be as soft as I pretend to be bold.”

You pressed your forehead to his.

“Dance with me forever, then.”

Romance smiled. “Even in the afterlife.”

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

🔥 Baby 

Baby was already grinning before the music even changed.

But when you stepped into view—head held high, expression soft but radiant—he went still in a different way. Like something clicked into place. Like the world had just proven him right.

He didn't blink. Didn’t breathe. Just stared with that infuriatingly smug, tender look on his face, eyebrows lifted like see? Told you.

Then he said it again under his breath: “I win.”

You started walking, and he bit his lower lip to keep from yelling something ridiculous like “Look at her! Look at my girl!”

By the time you were halfway down the aisle, his usual bravado had melted into something quieter, more reverent. His fingers twitched at his sides, like he wasn’t sure what to do with the weight of all that joy.

“You okay?” you whispered once you reached him.

He nodded, voice low. “I’ve never been more okay in my life.”

First Dance: “Sweater Weather” – The Neighbourhood

Your dance started cheeky.

Baby was mouthing along to the lyrics like it was a music video, subtly dipping you, pretending to swing invisible shades off his face. Everyone laughed. But when the chorus dropped, he pulled you in with surprising gentleness.

His arms tightened. His expression softened into something less showy, more sincere.

“I thought weddings were cheesy,” he murmured. “But now I want to do this every year just to keep seeing you say ‘yes’ in a different outfit.”

“You planning on proposing again?” you teased.

“I’ll do it weekly. Bi-weekly if you smile like that.”

You nuzzled into his chest, the steady thrum of heat and heartbeat grounding you.

“Seriously, though,” he said softly, swaying.

“Yes?”

“I just want to be your forever.”

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

M-List

[tokkisluv]

— STUDY SESH ``

`` its so hard to focus when you’re right infront of me ``

jake x reader

mdni !! college au , awkward nerd virgin!jake , dry humping , almost head? (m. rec) , a little overstim?

wc ; 1.9k

a/n : hi guys.. so basically i wanted to write more and post more so i made this lil thang! my first time writing smut so beware and pls give feedback!!

reblogs and likes are appreciated 🤍

mdni !! smut ahead

jake usually keeps to himself and only ever focuses on academics. he basically has no life outside of the classroom, library and his dorm, where he plays nerdy video games all day when he’s not studying. since his entire life is just academics and games, jake has never had time for romance.

he thinks ‘love at first sight’ and even the general idea of love is a hoax. he thinks since its never happened to him, it doesn’t exist.

until you.

jake’s jaw drops when you enter the lecture hall with graceful steps for the first time. he watches as you sit down right infront of him, his face still contorted in utter disbelief that a girl as beautiful as you was in his calculus class.

his eyes bore into the back of your head every single lesson. jake is so focused on just the back of your head that remembering whatever knowledge he was supposed to be retaining was difficult. all he could recall was your delicate hand being raised to ask a question, your silky smooth voice that he could listen to for hours and— most memorable— when you asked him to borrow a pencil.

he was so head over heels for you since the first gaze that you simply asking for a pencil made his entire week better. in fact, he would daydream about that single moment every day.

after weeks of plotting on how to talk to you, jake would finally get the courage to ask you the big question.. he nervously approached you as you were gathering your things after the professors lecture and tapped your shoulder.

“h-hey y/n? uh im having trouble on this unit.. and i was w-wondering if we could study together since you seem so.. uh- educated o-on calculator-CALCULUS. i meant calculus.”

soo not THE big question- but it was definitely progress! (good job jake we’re so proud of you) he honestly didn’t even need help on the material. infact, jake was basically an expert on the topic, he just wanted an excuse to talk to you.

“oh sure! let me know when you’re free! we can at my dorm- i have a single so it’ll be quiet”

when you said yes, fireworks went off in his heart. you smiled at him with your perfect teeth and your perfect face that just made him melt.

“5! tomorrow!” jake was just a bit excited.. “i mean uh- no yeah that’s so chill”

you giggled at his excitement. he melted.

he watched as you waved at him elegantly before turning and walking away. the way your hips swayed and the way your shoes clicked on the hard floor made him swoon. this loser was absolutely struck by love.

-

the first “study date” (as he would call it) was awkward to say the least. the entire time, jake was stiff as hell, trying not to blush too hard or explode from just being in your dorm.

ofcourse, you notice this and smile at his reactions. you gotta admit, he was pretty cute. the way he perked up at every question you threw at him and quickly scrambled to find the answer in the text book infront of him was adorable.

after more and more sessions, he warmed up to it all. jake still made sure he looked his best before coming over and tried not to turn tomato red everytime you accidentally brushed your hand or leg against his.

but today felt different.

the thing is, you totally fell for him too. since the first day you walked into the lecture hall, you knew you were gonna make jake yours. you would ask him for pencils all the time when you knew damn well you had your own. you made sure your room was drenched in your vanilla and brown sugar scented perfume everytime he came over so he would know your smell. you did all these things and more to make him fall for you, knowing he already fell.

but he still wouldnt make a move.

so today, you finally snapped. you were done with him being so oblivious.

“jake?” you asked innocently while moving your legs to sit criss-crossed on the floor infront of him sitting down as well.

“yeah?” jake looked up and adjusted his glasses.

“have you had your first kiss yet?” you tilted your head and smiled. jake was surprised by the question and immediately started blushing like crazy. he stuttered over his words too which you found adorable.

“n-no- i mean yeah! not really.. no i havent.” he finally settled on an answer. jake was embarrassed to admit it, since basically everybody had lost their virginity’s in college but he was here without a first kiss.

“would you want yours? like now?” first, you slid the books seperating the two of you elsewhere in the room. then, you started crawling closer to him, eventually ending up between his legs and arms wrapped around his neck.

it was a bold move indeed. something you’d never expect yourself to be doing but here you were. jake was beet red and avoided eye contact at all costs. “w-well uh.. i-if you want..”

“oh i really want to.”

and with that, you placed a small peck upon his slightly open lips. when you pulled apart, he looked at you like you were heavens gates. he was in shock that a beautiful girl like you just gave him his first kiss- and was sitting in between his slightly bent legs doing so.

“can we do that again?” jake said with a completely red face and messy hair. how could you resist that sight?

so, you pulled him into another kiss. this time it wasn’t a peck, but a slow and sweet kiss. he hummed at the prolonged contact between his and your lips.

when you broke the kiss again, jake chased after your lips again. he wanted to feel the warmth of your lips pressed against his again. with a frown on his face, he tilted his head and spoke.

“hey why’d you stop? i liked that.” he complained before he began to overthink. “wait- did you stop cause you didn’t like it? i’m sorry- did i do it wrong?”

you just laughed fondly and cupped his cheek. “you didn’t do anything wrong, jake.” as you spoke, you rose from between his legs and straddled him with your legs on either side of his. this new position made him gasp and somehow even redder than he already was. jake leaned his back against the side of your bed, still on the floor.

his hands hesitated before resting on your waist while he shut his eyes tightly. “is this real? or am i dreaming?” jake said, his words breathy and his face leaning into yours.

“this is real, jakey.” you whispered as you leaned in closer to complete the kiss. it was passionate, slow- the kind of kiss that makes you unknowingly grind your hips down. and that’s exactly what you did.

he moaned at the friction into your now open mouth. your tongues fought for dominance in each others mouths while his hands roamed up and down your sides beneath your shirt.

you continued to grind against his clothed and growing boner, straining against his grey sweatpants. jake was letting out soft moans through your shared kiss and slightly bucking his hips into yours as you pressed against him.

without any words, you separated your lips from his and quickly took off your shirt, discarding it somewhere you didn’t care to look.

jake ogled at your bare chest before he took one hand up to your left breast and sucked on the flesh near your nipple. this elicited a lewd moan from you that made jake rutt into your inner thigh. “shit.. i-i don’t know if you can tell but you’re making me really hard.”

you giggled in response to his obvious statement. “i know, i can feel you.” with your last word, you grinded and moved your hips forward slowly. you were dry humping him to prove that you could feel him.

“shhiiit- you could make me cum just by doing this baby” jake’s hands flew to your sides and helped your hips move to a slow rhythm, rocking back and forth.

“yeah? you gonna cum in your pants cuz of me?” you asked, beginning to grind faster and harder which made him throw his head back. jake let out needy, broken moans that were probably heard by the entire dormitory floor.

“mmhm mhm! please— shit slow down!” jake managed to get out between quick moans and whines. his hands gripped onto your thighs hard enough to leave bruises where his fingers laid.

jake asking you to slow down did nothing, you just went faster, grinding down on his hard cock while chasing your own pleasure as well. you could tell he was about to reach his high, his hips stuttering up against yours and his pleas.

“please- baby i’m gonna.. f-fuck i’m gonna cum, shit! fuck—“ he rushed out his words before soiling in his sweatpants in white ropes that created a wet spot near the waistband. he panted heavily at the feeling while coming down from his high.

“aww you came so much for me. let me clean you up, okay?” you asked with a smirk on your face. you got off his lap and instead positioned yourself between his legs again. he was still recovering from his orgasm, not noticing you starting to pull the waist band of his sweats and boxers down in one go.

he winced at the cold hair hitting his sensitive tip before looking down at you. you looked up at him with these eyes that were irresistible. and the way you stuck your ass up and arched your back sent the blood flow right back to his cock.

“wh-what are you doing- mmph fffuck..” jake cursed at the feeling of your tongue against his tip, licking up all the white liquid he had just spilled out. “no! ‘m so sensitive there-“

“im just cleaning you up baby.” you grinned and licked one final stripe from the base and right over the tip. jake said your name like a prayer through all of it. once you were done, jake closed his eyes and breathed heavily.

“you..” he said, panting “god you’re amazing”. jake chuckled. “can we do this again? sometime?”

you responded with a giggle. “only if you do me a big favor.”

he tilted his head slightly, adjusting his glasses. “anything for you”

“do me the favor of asking me out already.”

“oh! yes uh- will you like.. go on a date with me after this?” jake said with a stupid grin. his hair was messy, his cheeks pink and his hard dick still standing tall upon his abs, visible under his slightly lifted shirt.

“jake.. instead of just one date, how ‘bout we START dating.” you laughed at his obliviousness. i mean, why wouldn’t you want to date him after that?

after you both agreed that dating was the perfect decision, you fell asleep in his arms on your dorm floor, not caring to get up from it.

when you woke up, jake had realized something.

“wait.. y/n.. I DIDNT EVEN MAKE YOU CUM IM SO SORRY- i was just so happy and- it felt so good.. IM SO SORRYYY” he cried out, pacing around your room with his hands in his hair.

“jake its fine” you chucked, still trying to wake up. “you can make it up to me later!”

hi again! hope you enjoyed it at least a little bit! feedback is encouraged, reblogs and likes are appreciated!!

taglist ; @oopshee

[lives-in-midgard]

You Are In Love

Pairing: Evan Buckley x reader

Summary: When you're out with your friends you meet a handsome firefighter. After a while you go on a date and decide to keep your relationship a secret until something happens.

Word Count: 1200

A/N: Hey. This is part of the Buddie-August challenge. This also includes some characters from the Rookie. I hope you like it!

Divider made by @firefly-graphics

Buddie-August hosted by me and @buckys-wintersoldier

Prompt: Kisses

911 Masterlist | Main Masterlist

After a long shift at work one of your colleagues had the idea to go to a bar. You don’t often go to bars with all of them, but today you all finally had time. A lot has changed for you since you started working as a police officer at the Mid-Wilshire Station. You found a lot of friends there and you love your job.

“I’m gonna get a drink, would any of you like one too?” You asked the others.

“Could you get me another one of these.” Lucy said, pointing at her drink and you nodded.

“What about you Tim?”

“I’m good, thanks.” He said, smiling at you. When the others said they didn’t need anything, you made your way over to the bar. While you were waiting in line for drinks, a cute guy stood next to you and waited as well. Somehow he looked familiar to you, but you weren’t sure where you had seen him before. He smiled at you and then you suddenly remembered him. You could never forget that smile.

“You’re firefighter Buckley, right?” You asked and he chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s me. Wait and you are officer L/n.”

“You can call me y/n.” You said with a smile.

“Only if you call me Buck because that’s what everyone calls me.”

“Okay, deal.” You said and he had that sweet smile again. You talked for a few more minutes until your drinks were ready.

“See you around, Buck.”

“See you and be safe.” He said and watched as you walked back to your table. You handed Lucy her drink and sat down next to Tim again.

“Who was this guy?” Tim asked curious.

“Oh, just a friend.” You answered and Tim nodded. You and Tim have been friends and partners for a long time and over time he has become very protective over you. He always knows when something is wrong and is there for you as best as he can.

The next day you kept thinking about your meeting with Buck. He was so sweet and you hope to see him again. You didn’t think you’d see him again soon because just when you had an emergency call and had to call the ambulance, it was the 118 that showed up. You couldn’t really talk to him, but it was great to see each other again.

When you were grocery shopping and walking through the halls someone said your name and when you turned around you saw that it was Buck.

“Hey Buck.” You greeted him with a smile.

“Hey, good to see you.”

“I was wondering if you would like to have a coffee with me sometime?” He suddenly asked.

“Yeah, sure. How about I give you my phone number.” He nodded and pulled out his phone. You tipped in your number and he called you, so you had his number too.

Two days passed until you got a message from Buck. He asked if you were free tomorrow and you agreed to meet after work. At work Tim noticed that you were different, happier and more excited. He didn’t ask you about it, but it made him happy to see you happy.

The coffee date with Buck went very well. You talked about everything that came to your mind. You both really enjoyed it and had a great time. He asked you out on a date and that date turned into another date and suddenly you were in a happy relationship.

You had been dating for about three months now. Usually you were at his house or yours or sometimes you were going out. Favorite things to do together include cooking, watching movies, going to the beach and you enjoying it when he tells you a story from work and then you tell him some stories too. You’re very happy together and try to spend as much time together as possible, even if it can be a bit difficult due to your work shifts. Some people don’t think a relationship between a police officer and a firefighter is a good idea, so you decided to keep the relationship a secret for a while, which wasn’t always easy especially if you would see him on a call.

Today you have been called into a very difficult situation. You called for backup, but things quickly escalated, and you injured your left arm. Luckily, Officer Harper, Officer Nolan and Officer Bradford arrived at the right time to arrest the person. While Harper and Nolan arrested the person, Tim ran over to you and called an ambulance.

“Tim, I’m aright, it’s just a small scratch.”

“Let’s wait and see what the medics say, okay?” Tim said and put some pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. A few minutes later you could already hear the ambulance driving near you. When the doors opened you could see that it was Buck. As soon as he saw you, he ran towards you.

“Babe, are you okay? What happened?” He asked, looking at your arm. When you looked over, you saw that Tim had a confused look on his face.

“I’m okay, it’s just a small scratch.” You said again.

“Let’s go to the truck and I’ll take a look at it.” Buck said, placed his hand on your back and guided you to the truck. Then he removed the cloth from your wound and gently tried to stop the bleeding. You took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, babe.” He looked into your eyes and tried to smile at you. Then he looked back at the wound.

“The cut isn’t too deep, so it’s okay if I just bandage it.” He said and you nodded. Buck gently put the bandage over your wound and then gave you a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, honey.”

“Anytime.” He said, then Buck tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and gently pulled you into a passionate kiss. When you broke the kiss, you reached for his hand and smiled at each other.

“I have to go back to work.” You said after a few seconds, even though you didn’t want to say goodbye.

“Me too.” He said, looking over his shoulder to see his friends looking at you both with smiles.

“I guess they all know now.”

“They definitely do.” You said with chuckle. You noticed how happy they all were and then looked over at Tim who was as happy as they were.

“I think I have to go now. See you later.” Buck said and gave you a quick hug.

“See you.” You said, waving at him as you walked away. As you walked to your car, Tim was still standing next to yours and looked at you with a grin.

“Now I know why you’ve been so happy lately.”

“Yeah, Buck makes me really happy.” You confirmed and opened the car door.

You were glad that Tim and Buck’s colleagues now found out about your relationship, but you definitely want to meet them soon on a better occasion. Buck has told you a lot about them, so you’re very excited to meet them.

Taglist:

@cevansbaby-dove | @buckys-wintersoldier

@beaubbdoll

[blaysreid]

WRONG NAME, RIGHT REACTION

pairing = chaoticbf!spencer + prankstergf!reader

summary = You prank call Spencer “Jensen” while asking for a blanket and accidentally unleash his petty, genius side. Now he’s plotting hilarious revenge with confused waiters. Welcome to the ultimate prank war, where Spencer always wins with his silly ideas.

The apartment was quiet.

Late afternoon sun poured through the windows, casting everything in gold. The scent of tea hung in the air, and Spencer sat cross legged on the couch, utterly absorbed in whatever dense academic article had taken his soul hostage.

You were beside him, curled up with your phone.

Minding your business. Mostly.

And then, as fate would have it, you saw the trend again. "Call your boyfriend by your ex’s name and see how he reacts."

You smirked slowly. You weren’t impulsive, normally. But today… today felt right.

You stretched casually, then leaned forward to grab the remote off the coffee table. “Hey Jensen, can you pass me that blanket?”

Stillness.

Absolute, soul shaking stillness.

Spencer didn’t look up. Didn’t even blink.

But his fingers stopped moving on the page.

Paused mid sentence.

“…What did you just say?” His tone was calm. Too calm.

You tilted your head, blinking innocently. “Hmm?”

“You called me Jensen.”

“Oh,” you said airily, like you hadn’t just dropped a nuclear bomb. “Right. Sorry.”

He finally looked at you. Very slowly. “Sorry?”

“Yeah, force of habit.”

Silence. The kind of silence that made you want to laugh and run and also maybe leave the country.

Spencer’s mouth opened, then closed. Like his brain short circuited. “Force of habit?”

You nodded. Bit the inside of your cheek. Fought a smirk. “I mean… Jensen used to pass me stuff. It’s just muscle memory, y’know?”

His jaw twitched.

You went on.

“Blankets, mugs, remotes. Jensen was very helpful.”

Spencer stared at you. “So helpful that you forgot I existed?”

You shrugged. “I’m working on it.”

He exhaled slowly through his nose. “I see.”

Then he picked up the blanket and tossed it into your lap.

You blinked. “Thanks, Jen-Spencer.”

Now his eyebrows rose. “Unbelievable.”

You kept going, like the gremlin you are. “Actually… you kinda remind me of him sometimes.”

That broke him. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah,” you said, all dreamy now, looking off into the distance. “He used to read like that. Cross-legged. Glasses on. All mysterious and… emotionally unavailable.”

Spencer scoffed. “I’m not emotionally unavailable.”

You raised a brow. “A year ago you flinched when I tried to hold your hand.”

“I was overwhelmed-”

“And you locked yourself in the bathroom for twenty minutes when I told you I liked you.”

“I WAS PROCESSING-”

You burst into laughter.

His eyes narrowed. “Wait.”

You curled in on yourself. “Oh my god-”

He sat up straighter. “Wait. Are you-"

You covered your face. “Spencer I'm sorry-" trying to hold your laugh in.

“You’re pranking me.”

“I AM!”

He looked offended. “You LIED?!”

You cackled. “You were about to start filing a psychological profile on me!”

“I was about to CALL GARCIA and ask for Jensen’s address!”

“THERE IS NO JENSEN-”

“ARE YOU SURE?! Because I was seconds away from looking up any male you’ve had contact with in the last ten years-”

You were sobbing from laughter now. “oh my god-you're actually insane-"

Spencer crossed his arms. “You’ve chosen violence. I will remember this.”

“Oh, you’re mad now?”

“No,” he said calmly. “I’m planning revenge.”

You froze. “Wait-what kind of revenge?”

Spencer leaned in, close, his voice low.

“I’m going to wait. Bide my time. And one day… I’ll introduce myself as Jensen to a waiter.”

Your eyes went wide.

He smiled, devilishly. “Then we’ll see who’s laughing.”

A/N = I lowkey have no idea what this is.. random. But please check out my other better works if u enjoyed:) I'm starting to work on requests now, feel free to request more!! And please be specific about them 😭

[obsessedhoneycomb]

Daddy Verstappen

Max Verstappen x fem!reader

Summary: Max would never do something you didn’t give him your consent for. …are you that sure?

Warnings: mentions of sex, slight manipulation (I guess?), obsession, slight possessive behaviour, pregnancy

Word count: 0.9k

A/N: I should be working but all I can do is scroll through the socials. Hormones are hormoning, PMS is coming down on me like a train. (I’m obsessed with pregnancy things now because my new man is up to have babies one day so that makes me feral.)

———

Max stood in the garage with the headset on, watching the screen with ongoing free practise. He insisted that this weekend he’s gonna be just watching, letting rookies have his car and get some experience on the track.

You were in the VIP lounge, chatting with some people, your buddy for the day was Max’s sister Victoria. Seeing all those people chugging their champagne made you thirsty, you were stuck on water or some lemonade, because of your very pregnant state.

Once you went out with the pregnancy, everybody nearly lost their mind, the internet shut down for a while.

MAX VERSTAPPEN IS GONNA BE A DAD!

NEXT GENERATION OF MAD VERSTAPPEN!

And etc.

You were happy with Max, he was your soulmate, providing you with a lots of love and support, and when he found out you’re pregnant (you didn’t want to tell him at first), he became even more possessive of you.

“What is this?” He asked holding a pregnancy test in his hand while looking at you.

You instinctively wrapped your arms around your belly and he understood. “It’s-“

“I know.” He took a few steps closer to you, eyeing your belly when he smiled smugly. “I got you pregnant.”

You shuddered at the way he said it. You two were just messing around with each other, not really caring about the way it goes. But Max cared more than you knew. He actually had plans with you. And you carrying his child was one of them. Because one night when you were celebrating his win in Brasil, you were so drunk that he took his chance and didn’t put on the condom and filled you with his very fertile seed to the brim.

And you were clueless.

Victoria noticed how you’re zoned out and she nudged your shoulder. “Hey, what’s up? Everything okay?”

You smiled. “Yeah, I’m perfectly fine. Just baby is kicking.”

Glancing at the diamond ring on your left hand, you bit into your lip remembering how Max insisted on marrying you for not birthing a child outside of the wedlock.

“I can’t believe my brother will be a father soon. Its so surreal but he’s the one who’s perfect for this role. And he couldn’t find a more perfect woman.” Victoria had tendencies to be emotional with you at how much she was happy for her brother.

You chuckled, caressing your baby belly with your hands, feeling the warmth and intense maternal energy flowing through your body. “He’s gonna be a little menace.”

Victoria gave you a confused look and then she glanced at your stomach. “Wait a- is it gonna be a boy?”

You just nodded, looking around the other people who were minding their own business. “Yeah, but don’t tell Max. It’s a surprise.”

———

“Oh, here’s my love and the mother of my child.” His voice made you shiver, his hand squeezing your shoulder a little as he gave you a gentle kiss on your temple.

“Here watching and waiting for you.” You smiled with warmth, your hand reaching for his waist. Through the time your connection grew stronger and you really loved him deeply.

“How’s the little one?” His hand wandered down to your belly, brushing over it with a soft hum.

“Giving me a little hard time today, but overall good. He’s-“ you immediately stooped when you realised that you said it.

Max shot you a look, he caught the information very clearly.

“He?”

You stared into his icy blue eyes, the intensity of them making you weak in your knees.

“It’s gonna be a boy.” You whispered.

Max smirked widely, cupping your cheeks, kissing your forehead. “You wanted to keep that information from me, don’t you? Tsk, tsk.”

When he was tsking at you, you knew you were in big trouble pregnant or not.

His fingertips grazed your jaw, making their way to the back of your neck. “You’re gonna give me a boy. That’s the sexiest thing I ever thought of. But still… you need to be punished for not telling me the exact moment you found out. I thought you learned your lesson the last time you kept something from me.”

You gulped and clutched on his shirt, while looking up with a desperate look. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean to. I wanted to surprise you. Really.”

Max’s face softened a little, he leaned down to peck your lips and he pinched your cheek.

“I know you had the best intentions. But… it doesn’t mean that I can’t have my fun with my pregnant wife. I know you love it. I bet you’re soaking wet just from the way we’re talking here.”

You shook your head no, but that was a lie. You felt it.

“Tsk. Don’t be a liar, sweetheart.” He slipped his fingers under your dress to the direction of your panties, just to dip them into the wet fabric, making you whimper a little.

“Hm… you’re making me crazy. All pregnant and craving me. I’m so fucking lucky.”

And with that he got down on his knees, his head disappearing under your dress, making you see stars with his tongue dancing through your wet folds.

———

Please don’t use my writings without a permission! Pictures found on Pinterest.

-

Tags: @chilling-seavey

[a-casxandra]

❝𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗧 𝗠𝗘.❞

Caleb x you [non-mc] | Caleb x mc

𝑺𝒚𝒑𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔 : After the war ends and the world is declared wanderer-free, you wait for the man who promised to return—Caleb, your over and a colonel with gravity powers. But he never comes back. Years later, you finally met again.. but things were different. He's Alive. Older. With no memory of you. Now, watching him smile at another, living the life you once dreamed of, you're left with only one question: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀?

"Do you really have to go?"

Your voice barely carries through the heavy silence of your shared quarters. You sit on the edge of the bed, hands trembling, knuckles white as you clutch his glove. Caleb turns at the door—tall, imposing in his colonel’s uniform—yet softened by the tenderness in his eyes as he looks at you.

You already talked about this. Pleaded. Asked him to resign. But he wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

“This is my duty,” he’d said. “My dream. I want to protect you—so you could live without having to worry about wanderers. to everyone else too."

You remember how his arms wrapped around you that night. How he whispered promises against your skin. "I’ll come back to you. I always do."

So you let him go.

And you waited.

The world descended into chaos. Wanderers roamed freely, grotesque echoes of corrupted Evol energy. Evolvers fought back—Caleb among them. The government ordered a lockdown. Civilians were instructed not to interfere. Rations were delivered. Streets emptied. Skies darkened.

But you waited.

Weeks became months. Months turned into years.

You blamed yourself more often than not.

You were powerless—just a civilian. No Evol, no strength, no use.

All you could do was survive.

All you could do was wait.

Then, the world declared itself Wanderer-Free.

The war was won. The streets opened again.

And Caleb...

Didn’t come back.

You went to the Farspace Fleet. Demanded answers.

They told you he was missing. Then, days later—presumed dead.

Just another name on a long list of the lost.

You didn’t believe it. You refused to believe it.

You waited still.

Two Decades Later – Winter, Linkon City

You’re 42 now. You look it too—lines softening your once-youthful face, silver threads starting to braid into your long, uncut hair. Hair he once trimmed for you. You never let anyone else touch it.

People asked you to move on. Some even tried to love you. You turned them away.

How could you let go of a love that never said goodbye?

Then you met her—MC.

A kind woman who recently moved to Linkon City. Around your age. Warm-hearted. Glowed when she spoke of her son, and her husband.

You liked her. You liked the boy, too. Ten years old. Bright eyes.

But the first time you saw him, your heart stuttered.

He looked familiar. Too familiar.

You told yourself it was just your imagination.

Today – Outside the Library

“Mom! Dad is here!” the boy calls out as he runs toward the man waiting by the curb.

MC laughs. “Ah, my dear’s here.”

She turns to you. “Come! Let me introduce you—this is my husband—”

Your world stops.

“Caleb...?”

You don’t mean to say it aloud. But it spills from your lips before you can catch it.

The man—taller, older, refined with age but unmistakably him—blinks, puzzled. “Do we… know each other?”

MC tilts her head. “Oh? You two know each other?”

You force a shaky smile, swallowing the sob clawing at your throat. “...Childhood friends,” you lie. “We were childhood friends.”

Caleb’s brows knit slightly, and then he offers a small, apologetic smile. “I’m sorry… I had amnesia. During the war. Some memories never came back. If we were close… I’m sorry I can’t remember.”

MC gasps softly. “That’s unexpected… but what a small world.” She beams at you. “I’m so glad you found someone from your past!”

Caleb smiles, warmer now. “It’s good to know I still have connections here. Even if I don’t remember them.”

“Maa! Let’s go home! It’s cold!”

The child tugs at his sleeve. Caleb chuckles and bends to lift him into his arms.

He turns to you one last time.

“Nice to meet you… again, I guess.”

And just like that, he walks away. Hand in hand with his wife. With their son.

With your dreams.

You stand frozen in place, the ghost of his smile seared into your memory.

“Yeah… it’s nice to see you again,”

you whisper, but your voice trembles. Cracks.

You don’t move, even as their silhouettes blur into the snowfall.

He’s alive. Caleb is alive.

And he doesn’t remember you.

He built a new life. New love. New child.

You should’ve been in her place. It should’ve been your family.

But you can’t hate her.

She didn’t steal him—she simply loved him in your absence.

And he…

He loved her the same way he once loved you.

And so, beneath the heavy silence of winter: “Maybe it’s time I accept the changes…” you whispered, as snow began to fall. But the wind carried no answer.

Just silence.

And still—you waited.

Not for him.

But for the day it would stop hurting.

You were once his future.

Now you’re just a whisper from a forgotten past.

And fate, cruel as ever, let you live to remember it.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 : i just lost caleb to zayne, and i'm legit crying. because i already didn't got sylus's "where the heart lives" (i started playing during sylus's bday) and now i also didn't get caleb's birthday "no return night" so yeah, i'm gonna be petty and write caleb angst because i didn't get him.

[yuansie]

(1) even when there was rain, sunshine came

pairing. caleb x fem! childhood friend! non mc! reader (x childhood bsf! zayne)

synopsis. caleb planted a seed in your heart when you were both young, nurturing it without meaning to until it sprouted and blossomed. it shouldn't have grown this much, not when you knew you could never have him.

genres/aus. angst, fluff, f2l, unrequited love, childhood f2l

warnings. slight ooc caleb (i have not read homecoming or wtv that chapter is called BC BLUESTACKS DOES NOT WANT ME TO FINISH LONG AWAITED REVELRY OR WTV THAT CHAPTER IS CALLED IM STUCK ON CH12...), NOT canon compliant oops (no higher being placing a curse on zayne, no experimentation done on mc and caleb bc josephine is a good person this time BYEEEE), reader has neglectful parent(s) in the beginning kind of, mentions/descriptions of crying, mc is female (she doesn't have a name in here either). if there's anything i'm missing, please let me know!

rating. sfw but make it lowk very angsty but fluffy ish at the same time.

wc. 8.2 k

a/n. live love laugh angst (but with a happy ending) and live love laugh not proof reading and SORRY FOR NOT UPLOADING THIS EARLIERRR uni sucks booty fr !! also, i've come to the decision that i will just make this into a mini series, having about 5-10 chapters maximum !! the ideas keep coming, and i'd like to take a different approach to this prompt/world i've build for this nonmc! reader in an actual caleb series much like my rafayel one! also decided to make it into a mini series bc i cant keep writing and expanding on this and leave yall hanging for longer IOEOIFJAWEOI

YOU’RE EIGHT YEARS OLD WHEN YOU MEET CALEB. it was in the last days of summer, right before the leaves began turning red and yellow and orange. you remember your dad telling you that an older lady moved into the house across from yours, that there two kids living with her: a girl younger than you and a boy your age though a couple months older. he said something about the girl having a special condition but the words went through your ear and out the other because you didn’t care about them; you knew you wouldn’t talk to them anyways.

then, your dad left to go to work and you were all alone.

you were always alone, and you felt that loneliness every second, acutely aware at how it bleeds into your soul and makes you so, so sad. it’s what makes you head to the park two houses down the street and sit at the big, oak tree there. your favorite thing to do is climb it and sit on one of the bigger branches around its middle, feeling as if you could reach the sky and escape these heavy feelings. you blame your dad for making you like this: for making you think that the heavens can help you escape your heavy feelings. he told you once, on a night where he was in charge of tucking you in while your mom worked late at the hospital, that he loves the sky and how it makes him feel like all of his worries are nothing but a speck of dust. he made you think that one day, you could reach the sky and feel what he felt. if you reached out enough, you would be free.

but today you had no energy to do that.

as soon as you reached the oak tree, you sat down and rested your back against the trunk. your eyes watered instantaneously, cold tears dripping down your cheek and to the tip of your chin as you tucked your knees into your chest, your arms holding them in place so they could keep your weeping heart warm. you were so lost in your overflowing sorrow that you didn’t notice a boy running to the tree, not even when he stood three steps away from you.

“why are you crying?”

you snapped your head upwards.

the boy looked surprised, his purple eyes as large as the moon as he stared at you. his back was to the sun, covering him in a golden glow. he didn't say anything as he knelt down, his brows furrowed.

you hiccuped and looked away, angrily staring at your house from where you sat. “go away, stranger.” you see the older boy that lives next door when you avert your gaze from your home. it’s zayne—you recall your mom telling you that you used to have playdates together when you were younger. obviously, you don’t anymore. you don't even speak to one another—perhaps, he thinks being friends with a girl two years younger than him is not worth his time.

you don’t blame him for thinking that; after all, your own parents probably think the same.

before your mind spirals into the inky void that tells you bad things, the boy speaks up. “my name is caleb! now i’m not a stranger, right?” you glance at him from the corner of your eye. caleb grins at you, his smile as bright as the sun. it’s too blinding, you decide, and drop your gaze to the ground. “i guess not…” you mumble.

“so that means we’re friends!” caleb laughs when you quickly look at him again, surprise evident in your features. “now you can tell me why you’re sad!”

you wrack through your brain to come up with an excuse and end up stuttering out, “b-but you don’t know my name!”

“you’re y/n, right?” he laughs again when your jaw drops in comical way, gasping for air in between his next words. “ha! g-gran… talked t-to your… parents!” caleb wheezes, tears in his eyes. “y-your parents told us about you!” once he calms down, caleb lets out a sigh as he sits next to you, nudging your shoulder. “c’mon, you can tell me why you’re so sad now.”

you look back at your house, frowning at how lonely it looked. “i… i don’t think my parents love me.”

“what?”

“i mean,” you rest your head on your knees, your voice now muffled. “they’re never home and they never spend time with me.”

your dad is often away, being the colonel and all, which means he’s gone for months at a time. it wasn’t always like that, but things changed when that forsaken tunnel appeared above the city. your dad was one of the first to answer the call, to fly in the sky to protect the world from wanderers. so it isn’t his fault and neither is it your mom’s that they’re never there. she’s a doctor, a colleague of your next door neighbor's parents.

it is not your fault they are both needed by more people and by more important matters.

caleb’s about to say something when a girl calls out his name, running until she stands in front of you two. you don’t pay attention to her, and instead keep your eyes focused on your house. you wish your parents were home more, that they’d spend more time with you. the girl ends up leaving after she speaks to caleb, who watches her go with a careful eye.

“sorry about that,” he says, scratching his cheek. “gran sent her to tell me it’s time for lunch, but don’t worry! i’ll stay here with you until your parents are back!”

you blink at him, feeling your eyes start to burn. “you’ll stay?”

“mhm!” he smiles, and this time you actually don’t turn away. caleb laughs softly, leaning forwards to wipe away at the tears that fall from your wide eyes. “why are you crying again?”

you didn’t even notice that you had stopped in the first place. “i-i don’t know.” you do know.

it's the first time someone ever stayed with you in a long time.

caleb, surprisingly, calmed you down in a matter of seconds. he stayed with you until the sun began to set, when the blue sky became tinted by orange and pink. he made time go by fast, making you smile and laugh until your cheeks and stomach hurt. and he was surprisingly attentive, noticing immediately the way you perked up when you saw your mom’s car drive down the road and stop in front of your home.

“you ready to go now?” caleb stood up and stuck his hand out, waiting for you to grab it.

“your hand is warm,” you mumble, gripping tightly onto his hand as you lead the way back to your house.

he giggles and nudges your shoulder. “my hand is warm?”

“mhm.” it’s very warm, akin to the blankets you wrap yourself with during the cold days of winter.

and just like that you were at your front door, shyly waving goodbye before going inside. the doorbell rang shortly afterwards, yet before you could open the door, your mom had already done so. you left and headed up the stairs and into your room, telling yourself you’ll eat something after your mom retires for the night.

but that never happens.

because the strangest thing happened afterwards: your mom came up to your room and talked to you, apologizing for making you feel lonely and abandoned.

you know it was caleb’s doing: why else would your mom be like this?

without meaning to, caleb planted a seed in your heart that day.

when you’re ten, you realize that you’ve changed the slightest bit. you’re a little more outspoken, a little more confident in yourself; and your world that was once monochrome is now full of color, full of warmth and life.

you have memories where you’re laughing until your stomach hurts, where you’re learning to love apple and bake apple pies to perfection, where you’re learning to do cartwheels with the little girl while his laughter echoes in the air. it’s all thanks to caleb—he reached out to you, deciding to integrate you into his world. you’re forever thankful that he decided to talk to you two years ago, thankful that he spoke to your parents about your feelings because otherwise you would be stuck in the dark.

caleb has brought light and warmth into your life, and now you are never cold and lonely. he even sticks to you like glue at school, never leaving you alone for a second in the classroom because somehow you always manage to be in the same class as him. sometimes you grow tired of having to keep up with the energetic boy, sometimes the fatigue wearing your bones down and rendering you useless. caleb seems to know when that happens, or maybe he doesn’t. what matters is that he seems to time his golden smile; it is a smile so radiant that it melts away what weighs you down.

and always being with him has made you adopt some of his habits, his attentiveness being the one that shines through the most. it’s what makes you notice your next door neighbor. days of careful glances makes you learn that he’s always reading on the porch of his house or he’ll do the same inside by the window, that he’s never with any other kids his age and that he’s never at the park.

maybe you should talk to him and—

“y/n~” caleb nudges your shoulder. you jerk in surprise and wobble on the tree branch you both sit on, gripping tightly onto the wood while you lean forwards from your lack of balance. the boy yelps and takes a firm hold of your arm, stabilizing you. “you scared me!”

you huff, glaring at him. “you scared me! i could've fallen just now, dimwit.”

he pouts, “but that's your fault! you weren't listening to me.”

“yes i was!”

“oh yeah?” caleb raises an eyebrow. “then what was i saying?” he snickers when you don't reply, gently nudging your shoulders this time because he learns from his mistakes, you know! “see? i was right. you keep staring over there.” he gestures in the general direction of where you keep staring. his finger touches the green leaves of the tree, the tips fading into a yellow color.

autumn is coming. not yet, but it will be there in due time.

you decide to tease him a little. “pft, you’re pointing at the leaves.”

his lips curl into a frown. “you know what i—”

“caleb!”

the eight year old girl comes running up to the tree, huffing as she points up at your best friend. “i-it’s time for dinner!” she tilts her head over at you, beaming. “gran said you can come, sis!”

caleb looks at you, “you coming?”

you smile at the girl before shaking your head, moving towards the tree trunk. “i need to do something,” you grunt, shimmying down whereas he just jumps off the branch and lands with a thud. the girls gasps and you gape at him with wide eyes once your feet hit the ground, “are you okay?”

“a-okay!” he grins, standing up proudly as if he didn’t just scare the living daylight out of you. caleb flexes a boney arm, “i’m strong, after all!”

“yeah, okay hercules.” you chortle, rolling your eyes. “i’ll see you around.”

you watch as he and she wave goodbye at you, caleb hooking their arms together as they disappear into their house afterwards. you notice that there's a tightness in your chest when you see them hold hands or hook their arms together—it happens sometimes, not always. like right now: your chest tightens a little, feeling heavy. you chalk it up to wanting to do that with caleb one day and go your merry way.

your mom is startled when she opens the front door just as you reach out for the doorknob. she holds a container with cake inside. “goodness,” she chuckles, leaning down to press a kiss against your cheek. “you scared me.”

“are you going next door again?” you move to the side so your mom can walk out.

she hums, “i am! i left some—”

“can i come this time?” you usually don't go to the dinners your mom has with zayne’s family every friday, always heading to hers and caleb’s house instead despite your mom’s best efforts in convincing you to join her. you always had an inkling that she wanted you to spend time with the older boy next door.

your mom beams at you so wide that you’re taken aback as she drags you to the li’s front door. did it really mean that much to her that you want to join this time? well, you’re on a mission to get close to zayne so that he can have friends too.

speaking of the devil, the door opens immediately after your mom presses the doorbell, revealing the older boy. his eyes widen the slightest bit when he sees you, though he quickly regains composure, his features relaxing. with a small smile, he greets your mom. “hello, mrs l/n.” he directs his gaze at you next, “hi y/n.”

you blink in surprise. “…hi zayne.” you didn’t expect him to remember you because you don't particularly remember much about him.

he steps aside just as his mom appears from behind, momentary shock melting into a warm smile. “y/n! i’m so happy to see you! will she be joining us?” her eyes flit up to your mom, who nods excitedly.

you’re ushered inside and into a seat not even a second after being welcomed in. “we always have a plate and cutlery out in case you stop by,” mrs li says. a lump forms in your throat and it’s hard to swallow. you feel awful, knowing that every time you chose to stay with caleb, the li family had hope that you’d stop by and eat with them.

still, you somehow manage to smile at the older lady. “i’ll make sure to come with my mom from now on.”

“really?”

you nod. “of course,” holding out your pinkie, mrs li laughs and hooks her own with yours. “i promise.”

mrs li heads into the kitchen with your mom, leaving you and zayne alone at the dining table. he sits in the chair next to you and you fidget in your seat, not sure how to break the stifling silence. what would caleb do in this moment? he’d probably say something stupid or just go ahead and ask to be friends… that’s something only he could do easily, but for you? that’s a challenge.

“you look worried.” zayne says, looking at you from the corner of his eye.

you frown and play with your fingers, “was it that noticeable?”

zayne hums as the two moms come back with pots of food while chatting about your dad. “you aren't doing a good job at being subtle.”

his comment makes you huff through your nose, the corners of your lips curling upwards. caleb says that to you all the time, claiming that you make it is easy for him to read you.

“smiling suits you.”

you stop breathing and stare at the boy with raven hair, slowly blinking while the moms plate the food and continue talking. zayne glances at you again and then looks at his plate, eyebrows furrowed as he picks up a fork and pokes at the carrots, nudging them into a corner. “did i say something wrong?” he mumbles.

he didn't say anything wrong… it’s just that no one has said that to you. not even after your change, even if it was a small one.

not even caleb.

you shake your head, “no.” coughing, your eyes shift to his hands, seeing how he stabs the last carrot on his plate and places it in the corner along with the rest. “you… you still don’t like carrots?” you vaguely recall a memory from when you were about five: you and zayne were eating a plate of oranges when he suddenly spat it out and a chewed piece of carrot was then laying on the table. his mom had cut small pieces of carrot inside his bowl alone with the oranges, trying to trick him into eating them.

zayne’s hazel eyes widen. “you remember?”

with a snort, you answer, “you spit out the carrots every time your mom tried tricking you into eating them. that’s pretty hard to forget, if you’re asking me.”

his ears flush the lightest shade of pink, making you giggle as your fingers wrap around his plate, rotating it. with your other hand, you grab your fork and take his carrots.

“…thank you.”

“i should be thanking you,” you hum, “i love carrots.”

whereas you and caleb are polar opposites and only have a thing in common, you and zayne are not. you’re so alike: reserved and quiet, both sticking to what you deem is the vicinity of your personal bubble. it was easy to befriend him again; by the end of what remained of summer, you had introduced him to caleb and her. it did take a month and a half of convincing, of relentless pleading that convinced zayne to follow you to the park where she and caleb were playing as usual.

caleb and zayne didn't get along well right off the bat, and they always argued. it took you aback in the beginning, not used to seeing caleb argue so… pettishly with someone. much less with zayne. zayne baffles you every time he mutters under his breath about how caleb is ‘so annoying’ because all he does is talk about dinosaurs or is ‘a child’ during friday dinners at his house. well, he is a child, so he’s not wrong there. but with that logic, he should also be calling you a child and yet he doesn’t.

zayne does, however, get along well with her.

you see it in zayne’s attentiveness to the young girl, you see it in the way his voice softens when he speaks to her, and you see it in the way he hangs onto her every word as if it were something sacred.

you also see it in the way his ears sometimes turn the lightest shade of pink when he speaks to her.

when you think about it, they’re both alike in that way.

the sun is in the sky, bright and warm like the boy next to you.

“he’s trying to steal her from me,” grumbles caleb. he swings his legs back and forth while the two of you sit on a tree branch, zayne and the girl sitting underneath on the other side of the tree. she’s teaching him how to braid a crown of flowers, and you can see the small curl of his lips. he’s smiling a shy sort of smile only reserved for her.

“he can’t steal her from you because she isn’t an object.” you tear your eyes away from them and focus on the brooding boy beside you, taking note of how he pinches his brows together and pouts, mumbling something under his breath. while the branches and its leaves provide good shade from the sweltering heat, there is still sunlight that peeks through gaps, and golden specks manage to coat caleb’s figure. “that means you can’t have her either, cal.”

your words have him turning to you quickly, his eyes wide. “i can’t have her?”

“of course not!” your silent admiration of seconds ago dissipates as you scoff, flicking his forehead. he yelps as you continue, “she’s a person! you can’t have people; that’s weird.”

“but that monster is stealing my best friend!”

you frown, blinking once. “zayne isn’t a monster.” but caleb sure seems like one at the moment, you think. a monster of green envy.

“yes he is!”

“zayne is not a monster.” you repeat, irritation beginning to bubble in your chest because caleb wouldn't be saying such things if he didn't have this weird rivalry going on with zayne. “don’t say that about him.”

“why are you defending him anyways?” caleb narrows his eyes at you. “you’re supposed to be my friend—”

friend. best friend. you realize he hasn't ever really called you his best friend because she’s his best friend while you think he's yours. if he doesn't think that of you, then you can’t think that of him… right?

you both whip your heads to the ground, clambering down the tree as zayne calls out both yours and caleb’s name. if his voice hadn’t betrayed the frantic feeling swirling in it, maybe you wouldn’t have this overwhelming sense of dread. when you both round the tree trunk, you see that his face is pale, and he’s holding onto her. she’s trembling, her face paler than zayne’s as if all the color had been drained from her features, and she’s heaving and trembling uncontrollably. the sight makes your stomach drop to the ground as caleb dashes forwards, dropping to his knees while yelling about getting granny josephine to them. you honestly don't remember running to their house, asking josephine to help the little girl—it’s all a blur. all you can remember is how the two boys finally had something in common other than their care for the younger girl: their expression.

they were both horrified.

and you wonder if you looked like them.

your eleventh autumn was just like any other, but this time it was different because of him.

you decided to stay the night after having dinner at zayne’s so he could help you study for your science test on monday. caleb would have been the one helping you, being in the same classes and all, but he was helping her study. while you do love and care about her, you care more about your grades because surely the tests in middle school are harder than the ones in elementary, right?

you’ve been inside zayne’s room before. more often than not, after dinner, you’d end up in there with him while talking about everything and nothing. sometimes you’d both be quiet, content with just being next to each other while reading a book on his bed, and sometimes you both would talk about current hobbies and interests.

“where will you sleep?” zayne’s voice comes from near his bed while you head towards his desk.

“in your bed, duh.” your eyes skim over the surface, chuckling at how tidy it is… until your eyes fall on a haphazardly hidden pieces of paper underneath zayne’s stack of notebooks. weird, you think. zayne likes keeping notebooks, books, and papers separate from each other.

“why would you sleep in bed with me?” he asks.

“we used to sleep in the same bed when we were children.” which is true: your moms have a photo book with evidence in it from your younger days together. “i don’t see why we can’t if we’re still children.”

you hear him huff through his nose. he’s probably pinching it right now. “you’re eleven and i’m thirteen. you’re a child and i’m a teenager.”

“didn’t you say that teenagers are fourteen-year-olds and up the other day?” your fingers wrap around one of the notebook’s spine, carefully lifting it and whatver notebooks are on top and pull the pieces of papers out.

your eyes scan the contents of one of the pages, highlighted words aiding in your understanding of what it is that you’re reading. medical school… majors… he’s looking at colleges.

“well, yes.”

you turn around and hide the papers behind you. “so that means we can share the same bed, right?”

zayne sighs, shaking his head while his lips curl upwards just the slightest bit. “you win this round, miss know-it-all.”

you grin at him and bring the papers out. “you sure i’m a know-it-all?”

the older boy stares at the papers you wave in the air, staying silent as if trying to find the words to explain something to you. you raise your eyebrows. “staying silent makes you look like you were hiding something from me.”

“well… i am. was, i was.” zayne corrects himself and sits down at the edge of his bed, patting the space next to him. you take a seat and eye him. “i’ve been trying to tell you this past summer that… well…” he sighs. “i skipped grades.”

“oh—” you gasp, eyes widening to the size of saucers. “so this means…”

majors.

medical school.

he’s grad—

he exhales slowly. “i’m graduating from high school this year.”

you feel the world go still. you hear your breathing. you feel cold. suddenly, you feel deep and heavy dread wash over you.

after this year, zayne will leave.

your best friend is leaving you.

“why are you crying?” zayne panics, clumsily wiping the tears you didn’t know were falling down your cheeks. the pad of his thumb is a little rough against your skin, but his touch is soft. he’s trying to be gentle, and it makes you feel more gloomy.

“i don’t know,” you mumble, hiccupping as you look down at your hands, watching the tears he doesn’t manage to wipe away fall onto them. “it’s just…” do you tell him? that you don’t want him to leave you alone? sure, caleb is a great friend but you’ve come to realize, since the incident last summer, that she will always be his top priority and—

majors. medical school… her.

“you’re doing this for her, aren’t you?” your voice is quiet.

you love her, you do. she’s like a little sister, and you obviously care for her like they do. but they care more, they love her more. you don’t quite understand the intensity of their love for her. and despite their burning ardor in wanting to be there for her and how it always ends up making you invisible, you can’t bring yourself to ever hate her. she’s innocent, just living her life while the two boys flock to her. she didn’t ask for their attention or love, it’s just that she’s so easy to love.

“…don’t tell her.” zayne’s hands fall from your cheeks and grab onto your hands. his touch is cold, unlike caleb, but it doesn’t make you flinch away from him. you let him take your hands into his, holding them carefully. “please.”

you huff through your nose. “if that’s what you want,” you answer. “it isn’t my place to tell them, anyways.”

it’s quiet, peaceful almost if you weren’t so caught up in the sinking feeling your chest. your heart just sinks and continues to sink in black ink, growing heavy. zayne’s voice timidly calls out your name. “you’re still crying. there’s more to it, isn’t there?”

“i don’t want you to leave.” because if he leaves, you’re afraid that you’ll have to admit the ugly truth you know, deep down, about caleb. it’s a truth that is so clear to everyone, a truth that you see every single time they��re in their own world. a world that pushes you and zayne out like the waves when they leave shore and retreat back into the ocean.

the older buy chuckles, and you look at him through your wet lashes, noting how his hazel eyes flicker with quiet care in them. “i’m not leaving yet.”

“keyword being yet,” you mumble, gripping onto his hands now. “…i’m being dramatic, aren’t i?”

zayne opens his mouth to say something, but you cut him off. “i should be happy that you’re doing something so cool. i mean, skipping basically all of high school and graduating super early? that’s so cool… and i’m here crying like a baby over it.”

“but your reaction is reasonable,” zayne says. “i’d be upset, too, if my best friend told me all of sudden they’d be leaving at the end of the school year.”

best friend. not just friend.

“i’m your best friend?”

“naturally.” zayne responds quickly. “you know me better than anyone, just as i know you better than anyone.”

just like that, your tears stop falling and the sun peeks out from the cloudy sky inside you.

the rest of the night goes smoothly: zayne helped you study for your science test, which you both found boring after an hour because all of the questions were easy, and you spent the rest of your time talking with him. you wanted to know of his plans, what he’s thinking, about what he wants to do after graduating. you both fell asleep in the midst of your conversation, though you wake up at three in the morning because you felt weird. your own body was telling you that you forgot to do your night routine. so when you wake up, all blurry-eyed and dazed, the first thing you can see is your sleeping best friend. after a couple of blinks, your vision clears up and you’re aware that you’re close to him. in fact, you’re close enough to see and count his dark eyelashes. you pout, no way he has prettier eyelashes than i do. the thought goes away as quickly as it had formed in your mind, replaced by the icky realization that you fell asleep without brushing your teeth. so you sit up, gently waking zayne so he could do the same. when he stirs awake and stares at you with squinting eyes, he knows what you mean when all you do is wordlessly point at your mouth despite the sleepy haze of his mind. and just like that, you both silently head to the bathroom and brush your teeth next to each other, quickly going back to his bed and falling asleep once more.

when morning came, you both find yourselves staring at his mom with confusion as she giggles and repeatedly asks how you both slept during breakfast. you think she must have seen something while you both slept, though you decide to let your suspicions go when you bid the li family goodbye and head next door to your house.

mom will probably tell me about it later tonight, you think just as you shove your house keys into the lock. you push the door open and kick your shoes off your feet, sliding them to the side and slipping into your slippers when you step inside. you hear someone running down the street, and right when you’re about to close the door, you hear your name being called out.

“i didn’t see you at all yesterday!” caleb runs up to you, a bright grin plastered on his lips. with his back to the sun, he looks as if he's bathed in gold. “pips missed you, you know? what were you up to that—what’s that?”

you blink once and suddenly he’s in your bubble, burning fingers gingerly touching your eye. you close it on instinct, and he runs his thumb over your eyelid. you can see yourself reflected in his eyes from this close. his warmth seeps into your skin, and you have the urge to lean into his touch. your heart lurches and skips a beat, feeling excited and calm at the same time.

“what’s what?” you cough, taking a step back.

he frowns, his thumb now under your bottom lashes. “your eyes are red and puffy. are you sick or something? you feel oddly hot.”

oh, that’s right. you cried yesterday, and you feel as if your heart is ready to jump out of your chest and into his arms where it wishes it could be.

“i’m fine. it’s just that i watched a sad movie after dinner with zayne,” you sigh, gently pushing his fingers away from your eyes. zayne’s words echo in your head, a quiet reminder that you can't tell caleb because he’d tell her right afterwards.

caleb huffs through his nose, his lips curling into an amused smile. he shakes his head once, his purple irises reflecting the warmth he radiates. “you do cry a lot while watching movies, don’t you?” he leans back and tilts his head at you. “alright.”

you furrow your eyebrows. “alright… what?”

“even though you’re clearly hiding something from me, i believe you.” caleb pinches your cheek, the amusement in his lips softening. “i’ll see you later?”

“yeah…” you say, dazed, but shake your head quickly. “wait, what are we doing?”

caleb laughs, the hand pinching your cheek now covering his mouth, “don’t tell me you forgot that we’re supposed to study for the science test on monday?”

“about that…” you look away from him. “zayne helped me study for it last night.”

his silence has you taking a quick glance at him. caleb seems shocked and his eyebrow twitches, though it disappears and is replaced by something you can’t quite describe. a forced smile of sorts? “he helped you study?” he asks. “then what’s your verdict? will the test be easy or hard?”

you scratch your cheek, thinking. “well… even though he helped me study for a bit, i say the test is going to be very easy.”

“guess that means i won’t study.” caleb shrugs and ruffles your hair, a real smile on his lips now. “talk to you later, short stuff.”

“i am not that short, cal!” ever since he’s grown an exact inch taller than you, he acts like you're a midget now.

you watch as he waves goodbye, walking backwards for a couple steps with a laugh before twisting around and heading down the street. he’s probably heading to the small dessert shop nearby to pick up some of her favorite doughnuts—it’s what he does every saturday morning.

your twelfth autumn marks your first one without zayne.

he left at the end of summer, right as the tips of the green-yellow leaves on your favorite tree began turning a slight orange, barely noticeable. his disappearance had gone unnoticed until yesterday, half way into the fall quarter and midway into october. you’re in the middle of reading a book, one of your dad’s that he let you borrow, on his bed laying on your stomach while caleb helps her do her homework at his desk. he has a singular picture on it that he puts down whenever you're over, but you never ask why he does that.

“where is zayne?” she wondered aloud, tapping her pencil against her chin. “i haven’t seen him around lately.”

“huh,” caleb clicks his tongue in thought. “now that you mention it, neither have i.”

both their eyes land on you, though you don’t bother looking up. with practiced ease, you reply. “i haven’t seen him around.”

“but you go to his house every friday? and he’s your best friend? surely you know something.” she leans forwards in her chair, trying to get a better look at you.

“i go every friday because i made a promise to his mom,” you retort, finally looking up. with a shrug, you continue, “his mom hasn’t said anything about his whereabouts, so i’m just as clueless as you bunch.”

the girl drops it, a smile now on her lips. “your dad is coming home soon, right?”

you blink in surprise. “you remember?” you mentioned it in passing, it was when she and you were watching caleb during basketball tryouts. you told her that your dad would be coming back soon from the fleet, how you were excited to finally see him after so long.

caleb huffs a laugh through his nose, “of course she remembers, short stuff.”

you grimace, rolling onto your side and reach out to grab something in your vicinity, which happens to be a pen on his bedside, and fling it towards him. “you are literally just a couple inches taller than me, cal.” he’s actually a whole head taller than you now, and caleb's growing into his features. his cheeks have started losing their softness, his eyes a little sharper now. he has a natural, boyish charm, something that makes everyone notice him at school.

he loudly laughs, the pen stopping right in front of him before he swats it away. it lands with a clatter against the floor, somewhere in his room. with a huff, you lay on your back. “better work on that aim, short stuff~” he sings, getting up from his desk and heading over to his bed. you look up at him, your lips pursed as he pinches your cheek, purple eyes warm with mirth. his hair falls over his eyes, making its color look deeper. “how else are you going to get into the aerospace academy with me?”

you raise your brows, “you're acting as if you're already in.”

“well—”

the girl hums. “so you both want to leave me.”

just like that, caleb is back at her side and you’re all alone. “i would never leave you, pips.”

“pinkie promise?”

you watch from the corner of your eye how he wears a soft smile as they wrap their pinkies, his touch lingering.

you aren't stupid; in fact, you pride yourself in being so smart and attentive. so, you know that the tightness in your chest is because of caleb, because of the feelings you harbor for him. you aren't stupid, so you already know that caleb can never be yours, that he can never feel that way for you.

because he is hers.

with a sigh, you close your eyes and will yourself to calm your aching heart. you should be used to the ache that settles in your chest when this happens, but here you are.

later that day, right as the sun begins to set, you bid her and granny josephine goodbye. the taste of her apple pie from dinner lingers in your mouth.

“you don’t have to walk me home, cal.” you say, chuckling as you bump shoulders with him. instead of walking across the street, you walk down the sidewalk.

he hums, following you, “just let me be a good friend, short stuff.”

“you just love rubbing it in, don’t you?” you grumble, stepping into the park. your feet take you to the tree until you’re in front of it. you look behind you, raising an eyebrow at caleb. “i’ll stay here for a few minutes, so you can leave if you want.”

“i’ll stay.” at his confirmation, he moves past you, a faint scent of apples lingering in the air along with the sweet, woody smell from the oak tree as he scales up the trunk with ease. “your turn!”

“yeah, yeah.” you huff, rolling your eyes as you climb the tree and make it to the branch caleb chose to sit at. you breathe in and out slowly.

“the tunnel makes the sky look ugly.”

you snort, slightly baffled at the sudden proclamation from the boy. “where did that come from?”

“what?” caleb shrugs with a laugh, shoulders shaking slightly. “it does make it look ugly. like, really ugly.”

your quiet giggles get louder, and you throw your head back. “that is the first time i have ever heard anyone say that.” you wheeze, your laughter so strong you wobble on the branch. caleb wraps an arm around you to keep you from falling, his touch making you still instantly.

“you need to be careful,” he says. “one of these days you’re going to end up falling and i’ll fall with you.”

“if i ever fall, it’ll be because of you.” you cough and attempt to shimmy away from him, though his grip slightly tightens, preventing you from getting away.

the brunette absentmindedly taps on your arm with a finger. “i’d never let you fall… you know that.”

he’s saying that because you're his friend, and he is fiercely protective of those he cares about: the people in his inner circle. you are a part of it, you know that, and yet your heart cannot help but to stupidly flutter at the illusion of a hidden meaning behind his words.

“…it’s getting late.” which is true—the oranges and pinks of the sunset are now bleeding into a purple hue. “i should get going now.” you don't wait for him to say anything; you just climb down the trees as quickly and possible and book it to your home.

caleb is not far behind you.

stepping on the first step of your house’s porch, you stop and turn around. you’re eye to eye with caleb.

caleb wears a boyish grin on his lips, something that makes your stomach flip. “i have something for you.”

“oh? and what would that be?” the corners of your lips turn upwards.

“how about you close your eyes?” you shut your eyes, hearing intently to the boy shuffling. you feel a warmth brush against your cheek, trailing over to the back your neck. “give me a second.”

you hold your breath. caleb’s fingers work nimbly, and something cold hangs around your neck. there’s silence for a beat; he’s still close enough for you to hear his breathing until he leans away. “open your eyes.”

they flutter open at his command, and flitter down to see a necklace. there is a cloud with a wispy appearance right at the bottom, and small translucent beads hang from it in white and blue. the chain around your neck is decorated with solid white and blue beads.

“do you like it?” caleb scratches his neck, eyes carefully watching your reaction.

your voice comes out quiet, shy. “i do.”

you hear the smile in his voice. “i’ve been trying to give it to you since your birthday.”

“what?” looking up from the necklace, you blink at him repeatedly. “but my birthday—”

“i know.” he laughs softly, shaking his head. “i’ve had it since last year, and… i just didn’t know how to give it to you. i thought now would be a good time.”

i thought now would be a good time.

his words echo in your mind, and you take a deep breath. you also have something you want to give him: it’s sitting in the drawer of your desk, in a small box. “do you… do you want to come inside?”

you’ve never invited anyone inside your house, inside the walls that is your safe space. zayne is the only one who has stepped foot inside, who has made it up the stairs and into your room on more than one occasion. caleb used to bug you about that when you two first met, into the early months of your friendship. he thought it was weird that you were always over at his home while he had never gone inside yours. his complaints stopped when you introduced zayne to them—probably because he didn’t want to be around him despite the desire he had to discover what lays hidden in your home. you like to think that he finally decided to wait until you were ready to show him what’s inside.

caleb’s eyes are wide with surprise. “you want me to go inside?”

“i also have something for you.”

despite the poor lighting of the porch lamp, caleb is still akin to gold. he smiles and you turn around to unlock the front door, your heart thumping loudly in your chest. when you open the door and hold it open for him, caleb is all too quick to walk inside, following you up the stairs into your room after you shut the door. his eyes scan the inside of your room as soon as you turn on the lights, shuffling over to your desk as he stands by the doorframe. the color of your walls are a light blue, strings attached to the ceiling with paper clouds hanging at the end. he realizes there’s glow-in-the-dark stickers on the ceiling after squinting. there’s a book shelf in the corner of your room, right besides your desk. the top shelf has a few trinkets: a small airplane, a blimp, a cap.

he assumes it's your dad’s cap, the one that goes with his uniform.

the second shelf has a couple of books, a stuffed animal in the form of a snowman, and a picture: the last one you took with your parents. last summer, you and your family took a trip to verona. in the picture, your dad has you hoisted onto his shoulders, an arm on your legs to keep you steady while the other is wrapped around your mom. everyone wears a smile, yet yours is the brightest one out of the three. caleb’s chest swells with pride, knowing he did the right thing all those years ago when he found you crying at the big oak tree.

the third shelf has a picture, one where it’s you and him. he remembers when, where and who took the picture. it was on your last day of school, your fifth grade promotion ceremony, and your mom took it. again, your smile is the brightest one. though, upon further inspection, he realizes your picture is different from the one he has on his desk. you’ve decorated it with small stickers, ones of golden and purple swirls that sit on the frame.

then there’s more books. another picture frame—is that zayne? you and zayne as children… oh, well you look at that? another picture frame of you and zayne. a recent picture, it seems, decorated in the same manner as his. he’s not sure when or where or who took this picture—

“think fast!”

caleb blinks and the flying box stills in front of him, floating in the air before it can hit his chest. “uh… why?”

“gotta be on your toes if you want to be in the aerospace academy with me.”

he laughs. “look at you, already acting as if you’re in.”

you shrug. “you do the same.”

“touché.” his eyes look down at the box. with a hum, he grabs and opens it, blinking once. inside sits a necklace, one with a small, silver sun on it with a purple gem in the middle. “…a sun?”

“you remind me of the sun.” you mumble. “you’re warm like it, too.”

caleb beams so wide his cheeks start to hurt, and there's faint blush on his cheeks that spreads to the tips of his ears. “i’m like the sun?”

“mhm.”

“funny… because i got you a cloud because sometimes you’re calm and happy, sometimes you’re gray and gloomy, and there are times when you’re like a storm.”

you stare at him, wide-eyed, and he continues. “tell me when you feel like there’s a storm in you.” he gets closer to you so that he can tap on the necklace that hangs around your neck. “so i can shine the sun on you... i will never hurt you with my warmth.”

it’s a silent promise that he’ll be there for you.

“and if you do?”

“then you can hit me!”

his fingers twitch, his foot taking a step forwards. but there’s a knock on your door before it’s pushed open. both you and caleb watch, confused.

your mom has a night shift and wouldn’t be back until morning.

caleb doesn't see a thing before you’re already leaping forwards into the arms of a man in a black uniform, his cap falling onto the ground. he recognizes the man as the one that holds you on his shoulders in the picture on your bookshelf.

your dad, the colonel of the farspace fleet.

caleb smiles to himself, his hold on the tiny box in his hands slightly tightening. he will be there for you, whenever you're sad or happy or mad.

he will be there.

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taglist. @ellieevu @ryusjwks @llamabois @kazbrkker @1ncpst @babythotbox @angelwhizpers @miffysoo

[uncuredturkeybacon]

𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝 || 𝚗𝚒𝚔𝚊 𝚖ü𝚑𝚕 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

in which nika grows fond of two people that become more

the seattle sky was it’s usual cloudy gray when you zipped up ellie’s jacket and handed her the basketball game ticket she’s been clutching since last night.

“this is gonna be the best day ever,” she said, vibrating with excitement. “d’you think i’m gonna get to meet anyone?”

you smiled, brushing a loose curl on her head, “i don’t know, baby. guess we just gotta wait and see.”

but she was already ten steps ahead of you, babbling about the players she idolized. especially one. “and nika mühl is, like, so cool. i watched her highlights when she was in uconn and she was insane. mama did you know they call her the secretary of defense? i wanna be just like her!”

you didn’t know much about basketball, but ellie’s passion pulled you in. you were more of a coffee-and-books type than a court side-screaming type, but today wasn’t about you. it was about showing up for Ellie.

and maybe… giving yourself a break from everything else around you.

the stadium buzzed with energy. ellie’s tiny hand was clutched in yours, her eyes were everywhere, scanning the court, the crowd, the big screens. you were just trying to figure out where your seats were when she tugged on your arm hard enough to make you stumble.

“mama! that’s her! that’s her!”

she pointed. there she was. nika was warming up, hair pulled into the perfect ponytail, swaying as she crossed the court with practiced rhythm, laughing at something one of her teammates said.

you looked—and okay, yes. she was striking. intense but playful. focused but free.

you couldn’t explain the flutter in your chest, so you ignored it.

“pretty cool, huh?” you said to ellie.

“i’m gonna meet her,” she declared, as if it was already a fact.

you laughed, brushing her bangs away. “dream big, baby.”

the seattle storm won. ellie was over the moon and you were proud of yourself for surviving a game without even checking your phone once.

afterward, you lingered by the barriers near the tunnel, ellie hopeful. you weren’t expecting much—there were dozens of fans doing the same—but sometimes luck is on your side.

or fate.

nika walked up last. a towel slung around her neck, sneakers squeaking a bit as she jogged toward the crowd. she took a few selfies, signed a couple of basketballs then as she stated to walk passed all the fans, she saw a little girl clutching the bars that separated the two of them.

“hey there,” she crouched to where ellie stood, voice warm and lightly accented. “did you enjoy the game?”

ellie froze. “i—yes—i mean—it was the best. you’re my favorite player ever.”

you watched your daughter as she beamed like the sun and something soft unraveled in your chest.

“she’s been watching all your college highlights since i told her about taking her to a game,” you said, offering a smile. 

nika looked up at you. really looked. like the kind of look you didn’t realize you’d miss until it was happening. “that’s some serious dedication.”

“don’t get her started,” you said with a light laugh. “shell challenge you to a on-on-one.”

nika looked back at ellie, giving her a wink. “name a time and place.”

you exchanged names and a quick photo. you figured that was it. but as you turned to leave, nika’s voice called after you.

“hey.”

you turned.

“theres something about you,” she started. “if you ever come to another game, i hope i get to see you again.”

you nodded, caught off guard. “we’ll see.”

you did go to another game. and more after that. it became a routine. you and ellie cheering from the stands and then a brief chat with nika afterward. small things at first—compliments, playful teasing, casual warmth.

she started remembering things. asking how ellie’s science fair went. mentioning the book you said you were reading.

you started to notice things too. how she really listened. the way she made ellie feel important, not just as another fan, but as a person. and how, when she looked at you, it felt… different.

not rushed. not transactional. just present.

still, you told yourself that it was nothing. she was a rising star. you were a single mom with a million things on your plate. what could this even lead to?

but your heart had already started to wonder.

after night and another win, you were both waiting by the tunnel as usual. she signed autographs and took pictures like usual. coming up to where you stood, she gave you both a hug, surprising you with her statement.

“i’m grabbing food after this. you two hungry?”

you blinked. “are you asking us out?”

nika raised an eyebrow, one side of her mouth twitching up. “technically, i asked if you’re hungry.”

ellie whispered loudly, “say yes, mama.”

that’s all it took for you to give in.

the three of you squeeze into a booth at a little diner near the arena. nika let ellie ramble about anything and everything. from dinosaurs to basketball. you watched her from across the table—her laugh, the way she corrected ellie’s pronunciation, how she glanced at you when she thought you weren’t looking. 

it was late by the time you left finished your meal. ellie managed to fall asleep in your arms during dinner as you wait for the waiter to come back with nika’s card. you stood up with ellie still asleep in your arms, having some trouble carrying her comfortably. little things like this keep reminding you how fast ellie is growing, but she will always be your little baby.

“i can carry her,” nika offered, already holding her arms out.

“no, no. it’s okay. you already paid for dinner.”

“i don’t mind,” she says, taking ellie out of your arms. 

she stirs, but still asleep, tucking her face into nika’s neck.

“thank you,” you give her a small smile. “you didn’t have to.”

“i wanted to.”

the walk to the car was filled with comfortable silence. reaching your car, you open the back passenger door. nika tries to place ellie in her car seat, but she had a tight grip to the front of nika’s hoodie. you help out, carefully prying her hoodie out of ellie’s hand. buckling her in, you close the door, walking around to get into the driver’s seat. you give her a smile, putting the car in reverse, bout to drive off when you heard a knock.

putting the car back in park, you roll down your window. nika’s leans in, resting her arms against the door.

before you could say a word, nika starts. “you know,” she said, “ you’re kind of incredible.”

you swallowed hard. “i’m just trying my best.”

“you are. but you make it look like art.”

over the months, your connection simmered. texts here and there. more post-game meals. a rain soaked walk around the city. she asked you questions people are afraid to ask.she makes you feel seen.

still, you hesitated. you had ellie. you had your guard. you’ve been done wrong before. and you couldn’t risk that.

but nika never pushed.

instead, she waited. she showed up.

until one night, after ellie had fallen asleep and nika was sitting on your couch with her knees brushing against yours, you finally said it.

“i’m scared.”

“i know,” she replied. “me too.”

and that was enough—for now.

it had been a week since that conversation with nika. you were afraid that it would change your relationship, but fortunately it hasn’t.

you were both still talking. still texting. still the same.

the strange part was how natural it felt now to expect her. to make enough food for three instead of two. to glance at your phone and smile when her name popped up. ellie had fully adopted her, calling her ‘coach nika’ half of the time and ‘niki’ the other.

but your heart was still cautious.

that night, while ellie was at a sleep over, your were launching in your living room, watching a cheesy rom-com while eating ice cream when your doorbell rang. opening the door, you’re met with a tired looking nika, takeout in her hand.

“i figured we could take advantage of the kid-free window,” she said. “unless you were planning on, i don’t know, reorganizing your spice cabinet.”

you laughed. “wild night over here.”

she flopped onto your couch, you following. “you’re lucky you’ve got a home.”

you raised an eyebrow, “you have one too.”

“no,” she started taking a bite of her food. “i’ve got an apartment, but here, it’s calm. safe.”

you shuffled closer to her, heat creeping into your throat. “you don’t feel safe in other paces?”

she didn’t answer immediately. just leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “sometimes, i feel like i’m always playing a part. cool, confident, always serious nika. but here… with you, it’s different.”

you didn’t say anything. just let the quiet fill the cracks between you.

two days later, nika stood in her apartment, pacing in her living room, phone pressed to her ear.

“i don’t know what i’m doing,” she said into the phone.

her best friend, paige, laughed on the other end. “spire spiraling. again.”

“don’t mock me. this is serious.”

“i am being serious. nika, it sound like you actually really like this girl.”

“i do. i really do. and her kid? god, i’m completely gone for that little storm trooper.”

“okay, that’s adorable.”

nika flopped onto the couch. “but what if i’m not cut out for this? i’m 23. a rookie.i can’t cook. i still lose my keys twice a week. and she’s got this whole life—this real life—with responsibilities and a mortgage and bedtime stories.”

“and she still let’s you in,” paige said gently. “that should tell you something.”

“yeah?”

“yeah. look—love doesn’t always show up wrapped in perfect timing. sometimes it’s messy. but if you feel safe with her and she feels seen with you… that’s the good stuff.”

nika closed her eyes. “so what do i do?”

“start by telling her how you feel. no plays. no cool moves. just… say it.”

nika exhaled, “you’re really wise for someone who still can’t do her own laundry.”

“shut up and go get your milf.”

“paige madison bueckers!”

later that week, nika offered to pick up ellie from school. you hesitated for a moment—was it too much? too soon? was it crossing a line?

but ellie was thrilled. and you…you realized watching your daughter run into nika’s arms  was a feeling you couldn’t describe. not fully.

they came home—wait, what?

nika dropped her off at your apartment, her coming inside as well. they were laughing. covered in chalk dust and slurping on slushies.

that night, you tucked ellie into bed and lingered in the doorway, watching her breathe, thinking about the life you’d built—carefully, painfully, quietly. and how nika had slipped into it like she belonged.

when you went back to the living room, nika was sitting with a mug of tea and that same nervous energy you’d seen a few times before the game.

“what’s up?” you asked, curling up on the other side of the couch.

she set the mug down. “okay. i’m just going to say it.”

you blinked, “okay…”

“i like you,” she said, eyes locked on yours. “not in a flirty, ‘this is fun’ way. i like you in a scary, i-think-about-you-during-practice, want-to-cook-you-breakfast, carry-your-kid’s-backpack kind of way.”

your throat tightened.

she went on. “i know you’re careful. i get it. i do. but i’m not going anywhere. and i don’t want to be just the fun storm player your daughter likes. i want to be yours. if you’ll have me.”

you stared at her for a long second.

and then—finally—you crossed the space between you.

not rushed. not loud.

just a kiss, soft and slow, like turning the first page of a long, beautifully written story.

the days didn’t change overnight. life was less busy. ellie still lost her shoes on school mornings. you still had laundry to do and nika still had road games and aching muscles and pressure on her shoulders.

but now, there was this.

a toothbrush in your bathroom.

text messages with three names in the group.

a couch with two cups of tea and one long-limbed basketball player who called your apartment her favorite place on earth.

ellie made nika a friendship bracelet that spelled out ‘family.’

and nika wore it under her wrist tape every game.

some time has passed and your routine never changed. nika was in the kitchen, cooking up some breakfast—nothing difficult, just some eggs, bacon and toast, she was still learning—when her phone chimed. it was a text from her best friend.

“ya’ll need to come out to connecticut. bring your girls. geno wants to meet the fam.”

nika read it out loud with a little grin, then turned to you and ellie.

“wanna go to connecticut?”

ellie gasps, eyes widened like saucers. “like…uconn connecticut?!”

you laughed, sipping your coffee. “is there another connecticut i should know about?”

nika leaned back against the counter. “paige is serious. i haven’t been back in a while. it could be fun—catch a game, meet the team. ellie would love it.”

“i already love it,” ellie exclaimed, practically vibrating.

you glanced at nika, your stomach fluttering in that way it still did every time she looked at you like this was real. like it wasn’t temporary. like you were already her future.

“let’s do it.”

the campus was colder than you expected, all bare trees and wind-chilled paths, but in was beautiful in that northeastern kind of way—like history lived in the bricks.

nika was grinning like a kid the whole way from the airport. ellie had on a mini huskies hoodie, gifted by paige when she first heard about you and ellie from her best friend.

“this place made me,” nika said quietly as she drove to a parking spot. “it broke me too, a little. but i wouldn’t be who i am without it.”

you reacher for her hand that was resting on the center console, a silent reply. ellie was in the back, face glued to the window, already practicing her future commitment speech in her head, probably.

when paige opened the door to the players' lounge, it was like watching two halves of one should reconnect. she and nika hugged like sisters who hadn’t been in the same room in too long. 

next was azzi. she squeezed the girl tight, making up for the time they lost being away from one another. teammate after teammate went to greet nika while you and ellie stood off to the side, letting nika reconnect with her family, a smile on both your faces.

“and this must be the ellie,” paige said, crouching to ellie’s level with a mock-serious tone. “you ready to coach from the stands?”

ellie nodded hard. “i already drew up plays on the plane.”

“she’s not lying,” you added. “she used the barf bag as a whiteboard.”

paige turned to you next, offering her hand, but then pulling you into a hug instead. “any girl who gets nika this soft? they got my respect.

before you could answer, a familiar gruff voice filled the room.

“well, well. the prodigal daughter returns.”

geno auriemma walked in, arms folded, a knowing smile under his salt-and-pepper beard. “and she brought reinforcements.”

nika smiled, a little sheepish. “hey, coach.”

he pulled her into a hug. “you look good, kid.”

then he turned to you. “and you must be the one who’s keeping her grounded.”

you nodded. “trying my best.”

his eyes softened a little. “good. she always needed someone who saw through all the noise.”

that night, the three of you sat court side at gampel. ellie wore a huskies cap so big it drooped over her ears, and you had nika’s storm jacket draped across your lap.

tt was electric.

ellie cheered for every three-pointer like it was the finals. paige dropped 20 points and blew kisses at you all in the stands. nika watched like a proud big sister, shouting encouragement, coaching under her breath.

at halftime, they brought nika out to wave to the crowd, and the ovation was thunderous. she looked back at you and ellie as she walked onto the court, her eyes shining in a way you hadn’t seen before.

she was home. but now, her home included you.

after the game, the locker room buzzed with energy. ellie sat on nika’s lap, surrounded by laughing players asking about seattle, about her school, her “scouting report.”

“y’all better watch out,” nika said, smoothing ellie’s curls. “she’s got a wicked step-back. she’s basically six years away from being your competition.”

you leaned against the doorway, watching the scene unfold like something from a dream.

paige came over, nudging you with her elbow. “she’s different with you.”

“she’s still nika,” you said.

“she’s more nika,” paige corrected. “like she finally took a breath.”

you smiled. “that makes two of us.”

later that night, ellie passed out in the hotel bed, still clutching a signed ball. you stepped onto the balcony with nika, wrapped in a hoodie and a blanket she’d pulled from the end of the bed.

the air was cold, but she was warm next to you.

“i didn’t know how much i needed this,” she said softly. “to come back. to have you here for it.”

you looked out at the quiet campus lights.

“i didn’t know i could have this,” you replied. “a life where i’m not just surviving. where someone sees me too.”

nika took your hand.

“paige was right,” she said.

“about what?”

“this is the good stuff.”

you looked at her, eyes soft. “yeah. it really is.”

[noneofyoubeewax]

Lady Marvel, No Captain  Marvel

Genderbent Captain  Marvel

Billy Batson -> Lilly Batson

Still a homeless baby

Lilly first debut as a hero. After defeating Doctor Sivana

Male Civilian: “Thank you so much Miss?”

Cap: “o-oh Captain Marvel!”

(M) Civilian: “thank you so much, Miss Captain  Marvel”

Cap: “you can just call me Captain”

(M) Civilian: “Miss Captain”

Cap: “Just Captain”

Lilly was a bit annoyed but she thought it would be a one time thing (it would not be)

———————————————————————

Reporter: “ Lady Marvel! Lady Marvel! Lady Marvel!” (Waving hands frantically)

Cap: (confuse, looking around) “me?”

Reporter: “um yes”

Cap: (flys down to the reporter) “hello I’m Captain Marvel, how can I help you?

Reporter: (holds mic up) “Lady Captain Marvel can yo-”

Cap: “No…..Captain Marvel”

Reporter: “ok, um so this miss, (faces the camera) “today we have our new local hero, Miss Captain Marvel”

Cap: “um-if-I-excuse me, it’s Captain Marvel you can drop the Miss, please”

.

.

.

Reporter: “o-ok”

~~~~~~*A~w~k~w~a~r~d*~~~~~~

———————————————————————

Cap chilling on a roof, licking a ice cream feeling upset since everyone keeps on calling her wrong even after a whole year from her debut and her popping the time bubble.

Cap: “stupid stupid stupid stupid”

Solomon: “calm down Champion”

Achilles: “the next time someone says the wrong name punch them”

Solomon: “n-

Hercules: “ throw a building at them”

Solomon: “NO!”

Zeus: “YES, and tell them that you’re going to sleep with their father or male Parent figure and give a worthy respectable Child”

Cap: ”umm”

Atlas: “let’s ignore Zeus”

Mercury: “just don’t save them if they get your name wrong”

Solomon: “No! It’s not the champion job to get annoyed when people get your name wrong”

Achilles: “you got mad at that kid at the history museum Lilly went to (because it was free entry day) when a kid called you, “Solo-mom”

Solomon: “she completely butchered my name”

Zeus: “OH YEAH THAT WAS HILARIOUS”

Cap: “I remember the headache. But I have a right to be upset! It’s been a year and I’m starting to feel unappreciated, I saved so many lives and I popped the time bubble, is it so wrong for wanting people to save my name right!”

Solomon: “Lillian, I kno-“

Mercury: “just walk away-

Achilles: “I SAY-

Zeus: “I know a thing or two about getting-

Atlas: “LETS remember Lilly is a child and has a right to her own feelings-

Hercules:”CRUSH THEIR BONES”

Gods: “ overlapping argument”

Cap: “urgh guys please”

Gods: arguing continues and gets louder

Cap: (head pounding)

???: “excuse me Miss

Gods: “!?#**?!!”

Cap: (Rubbing head)

???: “miss? I’m fr-m j—ti-e le—ue”

Gods: “!/!#~\**?!!”

Cap: “please you’re being to loud”

???: “lo-d? Mi-s Miss M-ss”

Cap: “please”

???: “Mis -iss, MISS CAPTAIN MARVEL”

You could hear the snap

Cap: That’s. Not. My. NAME!! ( turns around and throws her ice cream with Mercury speed)

It’s was when the ice cream was only few inches from hitting the person face, when she realized that the man she see saw in front of her was a new face that she learned of when the time bubble popped.

Superman, a founding leader of the justice league, who didn’t have a fast enough reaction time to match Mercury speed to avoid the ice cream.

Cap: !

Gods: !

Hercules: “that guy’s important right?”

Solomon: “yes”

Cap: “oh no”

Solomon: “indeed”

[p4lepixie]

𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

Dumb!Ditzy!Reader x Rafe Cameron <3

౨ৎ

The big house was so quiet it felt like it echoed every time you sighed and today you’d sighed like a hundred times. Maybe more. You were laying on your stomach across the big fluffy pink rug in the living room your legs swaying in the air behind you as you stared at the little baby onesie on your iPad screen. It had frilly little lace sleeves and soft pastel flowers and you could already see it on a little baby with soft cheeks and a big gummy smile and probably the cutest laugh in the world

Your finger hovered over the screen as you whispered to yourself in your syrupy sweet voice

“If I just buy one onesie that doesn’t mean I’m like actually having a baby right it’s just like manifesting or whatever”

You giggled to yourself and tapped the screen and added it to your cart right next to the baby booties and the tiny pacifier with a rhinestone bow. You’d also pinned seventeen nursery ideas earlier and half of them were pink clouds and teddy bears and one had a tiny chandelier and you had bookmarked it twice on accident

That’s how your days usually went lately. You floated around the house in your frilly slippers with your lip gloss always a little too shiny and your brain bouncing between baby names and outfit ideas and what kind of diaper bag you’d get. You’d even practiced holding a pillow like a baby sometimes and talked to it like it was real. You got lonely. Like really lonely. Rafe was always out working or yelling at someone on the phone and even though you had this big beautiful mansion with a walk-in closet bigger than your old apartment it still felt so empty

So of course you wanted a baby. A tiny little person who would need you and love you and cuddle you all day long. You were made to be a mommy you just knew it

But Rafe didn’t think so

It started again that night at dinner. You’d made spaghetti because it was the only thing you didn’t burn too often but you forgot to make garlic bread and also forgot to tell Rafe the noodles were gluten free because they were cute and pink and you liked the box

And Rafe had one bite and set his fork down with that tight-jawed look he always gave you when he was trying not to lose his temper

“Baby we’ve talked about this. You can’t just buy things because they’re cute and not check the label”

You blinked at him fork halfway to your mouth and your lip started to wobble

“But it’s not like it’s poisoned Rafe it’s just little pink noodles and they’re so aesthetic and like I was thinking it’d be so cute if our baby had pink food too like matching lunches”

Rafe’s eyes narrowed

“There’s no baby”

You gasped a little like he slapped you and set your fork down too now suddenly not hungry

“Well not yet but like maybe soon if you weren’t so mean about it all the time” you pouted folding your arms under your chest and looking away dramatically “I’d be such a good mommy Rafe you don’t even KNOW how good I’d be”

He pushed his chair back and stood up running a hand through his hair already pacing and that meant he was really mad

“Babe last week you lost your phone for two hours and it was in the fridge. The fridge”

You gasped again more offended this time

“Well I was putting the soda away and then I had to check if the strawberries were still fresh and I needed to see if my lipstick melted and I just forgot for a little bit!”

“And two days ago you left the bath running and flooded the guest bathroom. Again”

“I was gonna come back but then Legally Blonde was on and I got distracted and also I thought the bubbles would like know when to stop!”

He looked at you like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or scream

“I’m not saying you’ll never be a mom I’m saying you’re not ready right now. I can’t just leave a baby with you and hope you remember not to feed it glitter cereal”

You gasped even louder and slapped a hand to your chest

“Okay first of all glitter cereal is literally edible I saw it on TikTok and second of all I would NEVER forget the baby I’d put it in one of those cute little slings and we’d match outfits every single day and I’d love it SO much and—”

“You’re not listening” he snapped and now he was mad really mad and you flinched just a little “Being a mom isn’t just about buying cute stuff and cuddling something all day. It’s hard work. Real work. And you don’t exactly have the best track record with responsibility”

That stung. And you hated when he talked like that like you were some dumb little girl who couldn’t do anything right and your eyes started to fill with tears even though you were trying really really hard to be strong

“I’m not dumb” you whispered voice shaky “I just get distracted sometimes and I love pretty things and I forget stuff but that doesn’t mean I’d be a bad mommy. I just get lonely. And I want someone who’ll love me and need me back”

Rafe’s face softened a little but then hardened again and he looked away shaking his head

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea. Not now. Maybe not ever if you can’t prove you’re serious about it”

That hurt more than anything and you stared at him your heart in your throat

“So you don’t wanna have a baby with me. Ever”

“I didn’t say that”

“You basically did”

You stormed off before he could say anything else and cried under your favorite pink blanket until your mascara smudged all over the pillow and you fell asleep clutching your baby Pinterest board like it was your last hope

The next day was even worse. Rafe left early without kissing you goodbye and you barely got out of bed until it was almost four and you had a bowl of marshmallows for lunch and watched baby animal videos on your phone until your eyes hurt

But then around six you heard the front door click open

And then you heard soft little noises

And then you saw Rafe standing in the entryway holding the softest fluffiest tiniest bunny you’d ever seen in your whole life

You blinked slowly in your oversized hoodie

“Am I dreaming or did you actually bring a lil cotton ball into this house”

Rafe chuckled under his breath and walked over holding it out to you

“She’s real. And she’s yours. You want a baby so bad I figured this might be a start. Bunnies are a lot of work. You gotta feed her and clean up after her and learn her moods and take care of her every single day. If you can do that then maybe we can talk about a real baby later. Like eventually. One day”

Your jaw dropped and you squealed grabbing the bunny like she was made of diamonds and immediately snuggled her to your chest

“She’s perfect ohmygod Rafe look at her little ears she’s got spots and her nose wiggles and I’m gonna name her Bemo and she’s our baby now I’m gonna be the best bunny mommy ever I swear on my lip gloss”

Rafe raised an eyebrow

“You sure? This isn’t just about dressing her up and calling her cute names”

“I already picked out six outfits in my head and a bow for every day of the week and she’s gonna have a tea party on Tuesdays and I’m gonna brush her fur every morning like a real princess bunny and she’s gonna sleep in our bed right in the middle and you better not roll over on her Rafe or I’ll cry so hard”

He laughed again and kissed your temple then led you down the hall to a room you hadn’t seen in a while

It was a full-on bunny palace

The floor was covered in soft pink rugs and there were little castle towers and heart-shaped food bowls and a playpen filled with little plush strawberries and everything was the exact shade of pastel pink you loved most

The walls even had bunny decals and Rafe had set up a little sign that said “BEMO’S ROOM” in glittery cursive lights

You burst into happy tears and fell to your knees hugging Bemo close and sniffling

“She’s so lucky I’m her mommy. I’m gonna love her so much and brush her and feed her and talk to her every single day and we’re gonna have matching outfits and ohmygod I wonder if she likes lullabies”

Rafe knelt beside you and wiped your cheeks gently

“Just take care of her baby. That’s all I’m asking. Show me you can do it. And then maybe one day… we’ll talk about adding another little someone to the family. For real”

You sniffled again and nodded so fast your hair bounced

“I promise I’ll be the best. Just you wait Rafe. Mommy’s gonna make you proud”

And that night Bemo slept right in the middle of the bed with you and Rafe and even did a little angry thump when Rafe turned over too fast and you giggled and kissed her tiny ears and whispered

“You’re the beginning of everything Bemo”