#you don’t have to ask first i’m giving you permission in advance

[solbaby7]

I love the idea of the drink menu for the requests! It's brilliant ✨️

Could I please get an Old Fashioned, salt rim, neat? Take your time 💋

[ “no, no, leave your clothes on for me.” + smut + az ]

thank you so much for the request and being patient with me 💕💕the vibe of this one is giving situationship that yearns to be more, been watching too much scandal🫣

-> BLURB BAR <-

—

You’d learned pretty early on in life that asking for forgiveness was better than begging for permission.

It was just easier, usually made things less complicated which is why you significantly downplay the importance of the dress purchase that had half a dozen seamstresses prattling about your bedchambers. One of them promptly shoos Azriel away once they notice him eyeing the divider you strip behind, ushering him up and out of the doorway. He’s adjusting his pants when the door shuts behind him, vividly recalling the glimpse all that tight fabric and the way it cinches at your waist, accentuating the full curves concealed beneath. It leaves him hungry; wanting—salivating like starved wolves that scavenge through the Middle for mere scraps.

“Hot date?”

Azriel’s brows furrow, still a little dizzy from the sight of you and your lingering scent; his body annoyingly attuned to your own. “No, why?”

Rhys lazily points in the direction of your room, eyes trained on the array of chilled whiskeys at the bar cart before him. “The dress she’s wearing is designer—exclusive; one of a kind. Need to book an appointment a year in advance as well as having a good word with the owner type exclusive.”

“So?”

“So,” Polished crystal clacks heavily against metal, one, two, three ice cubes fall inside before a hefty pour of some smoky whiskey that’s been sitting around longer than you’d been alive. “They don’t sell a single dress without taking specific measurements for alterations, making multiple appointments for fittings.” The lack of response makes Rhys turn, fingers brushing at the crease in his dress shirt as he takes his brother in. Hazel eyes are clouded with curiosity, a million possibilities being pinned up on a board as the hunter within him collects pieces of a puzzle. “My point is, no male in his right mind lets the woman he wants go out in a dress like that without having some sort of claim on her first.”

Suddenly, it makes sense why people of power are urged to be of sound mind; to have a level head so that advice like that didn’t send one into a spiral.

Azriel quickly learns that he is not of sound mind. A harsh truth that he realizes seconds after Rhys leaves him alone to settle with those words. They echo in his brain, repeating in his mind like some curse that’s dead set on haunting him.

Sure, the two of you hadn’t exactly put a title on all the secret moments spent scuffling off to some dark corner for a few frenzied kisses. The times where group nights at Rita’s leaves two bodies disappearing out back for his hands to hike up some skimpy dress enough to get a good grip of your ass. But that alone had to count for something at least, didn’t it?

No way some other male would get the chance to see you how Azriel did, right? His hands twitch at the uncertainty—jealousy lighting a fire in his ass that has him bee-lining it to your room like he fucking owns the place.

It’s almost comical, the way your door bounces off the wall under the pressure of his palm once he’s finally reached it. Too bad he’s too honed in on his target to take in the true humor of six attentive ladies shooting daggers at the towering interruption that keeps making your arms fidget or hips shift while they try to work. “Az?”

“We need to talk.”

“Oh, can it wait? They’re nearly finished with the—“

“No, I’m sorry. It needs to be now, it’s urgent.” Shadows are already following their masters will, urging the ladies out of the room and into the hall, the door shutting before their disgruntled words could breech the barrier. He turns, a speech brewing at the tip of his tongue but it all goes blank when he looks at you—really looks at you. “Wow, you look….wow.”

You preen under the attention, one arm holding up the bodice as you give him a spin. “I just knew when I saw it, it had to be mine.” There’s a few loose threads, buttons waiting in a little dish to the side to be sewn on properly but he gets the gist. Fully understands the intent of such fabrics when he sees it holding onto the shape of your curves. “Fits like a glove.”

“I can see that.” Grace is granted when you fully return to face the mirror, too entranced in the little details to even notice the way Azriel eats up the picture you paint. All soft lines and pretty shadows casted by the flickery golden light emitting from the candles you favor. Warm notes of vanilla and honeysuckle fill his nose and he commits every bit to memory; latching on to whatever he can of you. “A little skimpy for Starfall, don’t you think? Or is there a matching coat I’m not seeing?”

The cutting look you throw his way is felt through the reflective glass. “I’d never waste a dress like this on a familial event.” A neat brow raises as you carry on with your hair, hands holding it in a pony. Twisting it into a neat bun. Letting it all free and tousling it messily, lips pouting at the sexy bed head texture it creates.

“Then, what’s it for?”

“To get laid.”

Raw jealousy is injected into Azriel’s veins faster than he can even comprehend the attack. It shoots through his bloodstream, gobbling up all sensiblities while simultaneously planting seeds of doubt. Every inch of him goes rigid, lids narrowing and pupils dilating. Acid pools on his tongue, singeing through the words he speaks, “What gave you the impression that anyone else could touch you while you’re fucking me?”

“Oh, I don’t know—maybe, it’s the lack of exclusivity?” Mascara is brushed through your lashes. Lipgloss smeared across supple lips. “Or maybe it’s because I’m just too fucking pretty to be always second guessing why you won’t make a move already.”

A muscle ticks along his jaw, “I thought it was obvious enough that you and I—you belong to be.”

“Says who?” He abhors the way you laugh around your words. “Because, that conversation doesn’t ring a bell.”

Azriel’s shoulders shift, frustration lingering in his stance and you find yourself annoyingly attracted to the entitled way he begins to fill up the space of your room. Outside shoes sink into the soft plush of your rugs until he’s standing behind you, one finger flicking at your dress as if it were personally offending him. “Says me.”

A scoff passes glossy lips, a hand waving absently in his direction as if shooing off an insect. “Save the brutish male bullshit for a female who favors it. This dancing around your feelings thing is growing tiresome and borderline pathetic.”

You’ve gone too far.

The absence of his reply makes you sure of that. Too many seconds pass in silence, long enough for the mood to grow awkward. Lips part and close, the heat in Azriel’s stare too ambiguous to go off of.

Fingers fiddle with dainty gold rings held snug against your knuckle. “Az, I’m—“

“—In need of some clarification, it seems.” Every syllable comes out alarmingly even, forcing the hairs on the back of your neck to stand at attention. “Go to the bed and bend over.”

“…is this a joke?” You question over a tense laugh.

Not a single thing about him indicates so. “Does it feel like one?” He leaves no room for a response, jaw jutting out towards the bed. “Bend over.”

You swallow thickly, moving to comply while shimmying the dress down your torso.

“No.” Azriel’s voice cuts through like an arrow through the night, shadows curling around the curve of your shoulder, teasing through your hair. Goosebumps kiss your flesh, neck craning as your body melts to mush under his attention. “Leave your clothes on for me. You spent so much money,” Every step he takes is as silent as a whisper; the only way you can tell he’s directly behind you is because of the foot that nudges between your ankles, widening your stance. “Let me appreciate it how it deserves, yeah?”

He’s not really asking for a response but you nod along either way.

Anticipation burns beneath your skin, warms your belly, makes toes curl in expensive shoes when you hear the shift of his clothes as he crouches down to his knees. Shadows hold up the hem of your dress, preventing you from seeing exactly what Az is doing, but your imagination fills in the blanks when you feel his breath against the back of your thighs. "Pretty," The muscles in your legs jump at his touch, cool fingertips trailing up your calves, squeezing at the thickness of upper thighs while running his thumb under the fat of your ass.

You get the feeling he isn't referring to the intricate lace detailing or near invisible line along the side that concealed the zipper running from hip to rib. Not when he spreads you open, a deep hum rumbling in his chest at the wet sound of your cunt separating beneath thin cotton.

“Now there’s a warm welcome,” A hooked finger peels it away, revealing bare sex and dripping arousal. Calloused skin dragging against a sensitive clit has your hips jumping at the sudden attention.

Teeth bite at supple lips, a moan crooning free as pleasure licks up your spine—it’s not enough. You shift from foot to foot, heels forcing a strain in your hamstrings while bent over in this position but Azriel doesn’t seem to care in the slightest. “Beating around the bush, as usual.” He’s perfectly content exploring around with your sex, circling around your clit and teasing his fingers into a warm hole that all but weeps in rejoice at the attention.

“Don’t rush me.” Your throat rolls with a thick swallow at the authority in his tone, brows pinched with pleasure as he works you open. “A male can spend all day tinkering away with his toys if that’s what he pleases. Don’t you agree?”

It should bother you more that Azriel plays fucking dirty.

He’s just daring you to deny him while he’s got you so exposed—so vulnerable. Fingers abusing at a sensitive spot that has your legs shaking and pelvis bulging a little at the intrusion. Arousal pools in his palm, fingers coaxing your mind to mush; pulverizing all the fight you have as he works you to your high.

“Yes!” You all but shout, back arching into the orgasm that washes over you. Incoherent little babbles follow, choppy encouragements and whispered pleas for reprieve but all Azriel can hear is ‘yesyesyes’ ‘yoursyoursyours’.

Someone of his own to covet. To kiss and love and fuck and ruin.

Something like satisfaction coats his cadence. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

[lol a lil bonus part i couldn’t make fit but refused to delete]

“Pathetic, hm?”

A satisfied grin spreads along flushed cheeks, hair messy and lipgloss smudged. “You do your best work when provoked.” Something like realization bleeds back into your eyes and in seconds you’re flailing from his arms, slipping off the mattress and using the discarded dress as coverage when you rush to the door.

There’s a few seams loose, string hanging out haphazardly and wrinkles all over but your smile is bright—damn near dopey when you drop a thick velvet bag in their palm. “Final payment plus tip—the dress is perfect.”

“It’s ruined!”

“Trust me,” Fabric whispers as it moves, legs shuffling to tuck your frame better behind the door. “It served its purpose.”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

What a Mess 6

Warnings: non/dubcon and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: thick!Bucky Barnes

Summary: Your new job isn’t all that you expect. (maid AU – short!reader)

Note: hate me, baby.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

You pack away your kit and drag the vacuum to the elevator. You give one last look to the condo then tap the button and wait. You jitter as you stare at the doors, urging on your escape. From this place, from him. 

He didn’t hurt you, did he? He wasn’t cruel but he also didn’t stop. He didn’t ask. He just... did that. But you’re the one who touched him first. But he said yes. That’s the difference, isn’t it? Or did you give him permission by initiating the whole breach of behaviour. 

“Doll,” his hands clamp down on your shoulders and jar you from your anguished trance. You gasp and look over at the metal fingers curling around you. “What’sa matter?” 

You quiver as the elevator doors open. You grip the vacuum tight and try to walk out of his grasp. That’s a foolish thought. He keeps you as you are. 

“You’re in a hurry?” He wonders. 

You gulp and drop your head, the hose quiver in your hand. You wet your dry lips and shudder. You can’t hear over the thumping pulse behind your ears. 

“Hey,” he spins you and the vacuum hose falls from your grasp. You blink up at him, staring at his face if only to avoid another glimpse of his naked form. He cups your head. “Your heart’s about to explode. Why don’t you sit down? You been working hard.” 

You touch the back of his hands as your eyes glaze over, “please...” 

He searches your face, his expression lining with confusion, “what?” 

Your lip trembles and you drop your arms. You can’t fight him. You can feel that same oppression as before. His body over yours, smothering you, suffocating you. This isn’t just a man, this is a super soldier. 

“Are you scared?” He asks. 

You nod without thinking. He retracts his touch and turns away. “I was... nice.” 

You hug yourself as the elevator shuts and descends. Your way out weighs heavily on the wires as it disappears. You dig your nails into your arms. 

“I’m scared too, doll,” he turns back again. You wince and avert your gaze to the wall. “It’s been a long time... long time since anyone... since I let anyone...” He marches toward you and you back up until you hit the doors. 

You watch him in horror as he gets down on his knees. He grabs your wrists and unfolds your arms, clasping them in his and kissing your knuckles. You whimper as he opens your palms to him and brushes them over his thick beard. 

“I need you, doll. You can’t leave me like this,” he begs. 

You don’t know what he wants. You can’t figure why he’s doing this. Why he’s clinging to you like a scared puppy. You didn’t do anything but your job. No, you touched him first. 

“I only wanted to help,” you whisper. 

He kisses your palms and hums, “you did, baby. You did.” 

“Bucky, I have to go,” you quaver. “Home.” 

He hisses and goes silent. He continues to toy with your hands. He guides them to his hair as he shuffles closer on his knees. He grips your hips and pulls you forward. He nuzzles your pelvis with a growl and you squeak. 

“Bucky!” You squeal. 

He purrs and rolls his face against you, his thumbs pushing into your soft flesh. He continues to nuzzle you firmly, rocking his head as he inhales your scent through your jeans. You babble helplessly and push on his shoulders. 

“I can make you feel good, doll,” he looks up at you with beaming blue eyes. “I wanna. So bad.” 

You wriggle but don’t offer much resistance. You feel his strength and your lack of. The doors are shut, in all ways. 

He snakes his hands around to your bottom and suddenly, he stands, lifting you off your feet. You cry out again and latch onto him in fright. He hooks your knees around him and gives a sultry growl over your hair. He carries you away from the elevator. 

You quake against him as you resign yourself to his whims. He takes you around to the front room and sits you on the sofa. You lean back and brace the cushions as he traces along your waist band. He pinches the front and pushes the button of your fly free. 

Paralysed, you watch him, a hollow shell as he pulls down the tab of your zipper. He exhales deeply as he once more feels along the denim and hooks his fingers beneath. He tugs, jerking you, peeling your pants down to your thighs. 

You plant your heads firmly to keep from slipping down as he rolls your jeans past your knees. You shiver as he exposes you to the airy space. His eyes crawl up your legs and frames your waist as he bends over your lap. 

His hand creep down to your shaking thighs and push them apart as he bows further. He breathes into the front of your cotton panties and nips the fabric. He snarls and presses his nose against you, dipping into your slit.  

You squirm as his trails a fingertip along the crease of your leg and tugs aside the cotton. You quiver as he purrs and slides his tongue along your folds. You arch your back, pushing your head into the cushions as you whine. The coolness of his mouth mingles cloyingly with your warmth. 

He flicks up and down as you squeak and twitch, slapping the cushions as your insides writhe uncontrollably at his tending. His finger grazes along your skin and he prods at your entrance, teasing it as his tongue swirls around your clit. You hiss and hum, trying to hold back the moans trapped in your chest. 

You bite your lips as your head lolls and your eyes roll back. Your fear gives way to something more vulnerable, something undeniable. You latch onto his head and arch your feet as the tension winds in your core. 

He’s right. He hasn’t hurt you. If you’re good, then he won’t. If you’re good, it will feel good. Right? 

[oldwritingm]

hii- love ur writing btw- I was wondering if you could do a Ninjago headcanon, but the reader is touch-starved or something like that? Thanks <3

Aaa thank you for your kind words!! And here you go :D

Ninjago - Ninjas with a Touch-Starved Partner

Kai

He’s pretty comfortable with physical affection, so he’s more than happy to give you some

He might not initiate it as often as you do, but he’ll never push you away

If anything he’ll take the hint and take the lead

Like, if you’re watching a movie together and you reach for his hand sheepishly, he yanks you by the arm onto his chest so you guys can cuddle

He’s very warm, both figuratively and literally

Sometimes he does tease you about it though

“What? Why are you grabbing at me?”

“You know why.”

“Aww, are you feeling clingy? My clingy little love?”

“Shut up before I change my mind-”

He will indeed shut up quite promptly if you pull that last line out on him

(He’s secretly a little touch-starved too)

Cole

Honestly he barely even notices you being touch-starved

He just naturally gives you a lot of affection, and complies mindlessly when you seek it

He’s happy you guys are close; he doesn’t really think about it beyond that

He’s cool with whatever affection you need, all you have to do is give him a hint

Touch his pinky, he’ll hold your hand. Scoot closer on the couch, he’ll put his arm around your shoulder. It’s just natural for him

So this is great if you’re trying to be discreet about being touch-starved

But if you tell him (and you will have to verbalize it if you want him to know), he’ll be more conscious about his efforts to give you love :)

He’ll just be more deliberate about holding your hand or sitting thigh-to-thigh on benches

He loves you a lot, and he needs to let you know!

But he’s also conscious about boundaries; he’ll send you permission-seeking glances before he gets cozied up with you

Or he’ll just ask

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah. This is great.”

“Good. Love you.”

Jay

You’re touch starved? Great! He’s clingier than velcro

Honestly I don’t even think he’d clue in to the fact that you’re touched starved

He’s just glad that you take well to his incessant advances

Most of the time, anyway

He’s literally always touching you: holding hands, a head on your shoulder, your feet in his lap, his feet in yours—he’ll do anything to keep contact with you

Cuddling is his favorite though

He might not even be aware of how clingy he’s being; you do kind of enable him

Not that that’s a bad thing! Both your needs are being met :]

But you ever get uncomfy or awkward, he might not notice, so you’ll have to tell him if you want to stop

He’ll be sad, but he’ll respect your boundaries

“Hey Jay, can we, uh, not cuddle for a minute?”

“Hm? Why? I mean—yes, yeah, of course. …. I love you..?”

“Yeah. Same here. Thank you.”

Zane

He’s not really one for physical affection

But if he knows you’re touch starved, of course he’s going to enrich you!

It’ll be an experiment for both of you: just finding out what feels right

Cuddling, holding hands, just sitting thigh-to-thigh…

When you do find something you both like, Zane makes an effort to do it more often

Though physical affection isn’t his main love language, when it’s with you, it does actually warm his heart a little

Maybe it’s the fact that he’s helping you out, maybe it’s the warm feeling of your skin… whatever it is, he slowly finds himself liking it more and more

So he’ll initiate more often, much to your benefit

Communication is key with you guys

He asks often to make sure you’re not uncomfortable, and you always make sure to return the favor:

“Is this still alright?”

“Yeah. Are you still okay?”

“Yes, I’m still very much enjoying this.”

Lloyd

What do you get when you cross two touch starved people?

Koala bears. That’s what you guys are

Lloyd had a rough “childhood,” so of course he craves affection

At first, it took a minute for you guys to realize the other’s needs

But once you figured out that you craved affection equally, you plunged into the depths of fluff

Cuddles. So many cuddles.

You guys always sit with your shoulders touching and fingers entwined

Even when you’re trying to be serious, you’re close (like, if Lloyd is looking over a map, you’re behind him, looking at the map with your chin on his shoulder)

It’s quite deliberate; you do it as much for each other as for yourselves

Sometimes you have to restrain yourselves for the sake of others, though

“Okay, time to get serious.”

“Right.”

“…That means you should probably let go of my hand.”

“…Right.”

Nya

Though she’s always happy to help you, sometimes physical affection can get a bit much for her

She doesn’t mind holding hands, or having your head on her shoulder, or even cuddling

But sometimes she just needs some space

I suppose this is fortunate if you’re a little awkward about affection, but otherwise you’ll have to consider her as well when you seek attention

She tries to be polite about it, at least giving you a pinky to hold or something

But sometimes she’s just not in the mood at all, and you’re gonna have to respect that

But when she is in the mood (which is most of the time), she’s rather aggressive with her affection

(I think it’s called affectionate aggression?)

Like, she’ll nuzzle you so hard you say “ow” or squeeze your hand like she’s trying to break your fingers

She reasons that, the harder she shows affection, the more it’s worth

So expect to get some marks when you go seeking affection…

“Oh, want me to hold your hand?”

“Yes, but—ow!”

“Teehee! Do you feel the love?”

Thank you for this request, I hope this turned out okay! And thanks for reading, take care cutie pies!! <33

(divider by saradika)

[munariplans]

the arrangement, part 2 | natasha romanoff

synopsis: part 2 to the arrangement // the happy ending for those who love natasha as much as i do :)

natasha romanoff x reader

word count: 4.1k words

a/n: let me know your thoughts, and i hope this warms your heart that there are happy endings in this world too!

masterlist

a month after yelena’s wedding, natasha approached you for a talk that turned your life upside down. she explained that when you left after the slow dance and bucky found someone new to play with, a woman had approached her, and asked her to dance. one thing led to another, and she was now asking for your permission to stop whatever arrangement the both of you were having, because she had wanted to make the woman her girlfriend. 

you scoffed internally, almost. asking for permission, natasha had always been too considerate for your feelings. even when she was pursuing someone else, she had wanted to make sure that you were fine with it. 

and how could you not be? you were the one who rejected her advances, kept a safe distance, respected her rules, after all. you were the one who let her go, first. 

so you swallowed the rising bile and resentment in your throat then, gripping the rails of the emergency staircase she had chosen to speak to you in harder, until your knuckles turned white, and nodded convincingly. 

“of course,” you had said, as nonchalantly as you could. don’t make this weird. don’t make this harder for yourself than it should be. “of course, we should stop.”

“oh, thank you,” natasha said in relief, before instinctively pulling you close to kiss your cheek. it was only when her lips landed against your skin that she froze, and immediately pulled away, “i…should probably stop that now, too.” 

you smiled sadly. “yeah, you should.”

she cleared her throat. you hugged her goodbye to save her the awkwardness. then, just before she shut the door to the emergency exit, you called, “natasha?”

she left the door open, head turning back to you, almost as if giving you a second chance. almost as if letting you say what you truly wanted to say, to fight for her instead of letting her go just like that. but you could only say, “i hope she treats you well, and i hope you’re happy.” 

“i hope so too.”

– 

you first met natasha’s girlfriend at a cafe, two weeks after the staircase incident. you had returned from a run with a friend, the very same friend that you had told about your not settling down, the very same friend that you then told how much you regretted those words, a day after yelena’s wedding. 

both of you waited for your coffees by the counter, but when a voice called out your name, you could instantly recognise it even from a mile away. 

your friend tried to hide his snicker as you made eye contact with natasha, who was just leaving, with a woman behind holding her hand. then you saw the reason why he did. she looked just like you. 

you tried to hide your shock as natasha came in for a side hug, you awkwardly patting her back. “hi.”

your eyes drifted to the woman behind, and you offered her your hand, “you must be…”

“...emily,” she told you. you realised natasha hadn’t even told you her name, “and you must be natasha’s best friend.”

“oh, i wouldn’t–”

“–she speaks very highly of you, so, i know.”

you snuck a look to natasha, who shrugged unconvincingly. she looked rather uncomfortable, even though she had been the one to approach you first. she must have known you would notice, and you were sparing her the embarrassment of asking why her girlfriend looked just like you. 

instead, you muttered a thanks to the redhead, and turned your attention back to her girlfriend, “well, i’m just glad she hasn’t chosen to speak about all the embarrassing things i do, as well.”

she chuckled, and natasha smiled back at her. you tried to hide your hurt from the gesture, turning back to the barista who had prepared your drinks. it was your cue to leave first. 

“it was nice meeting you, emily,” you said, then looking at natasha again, “and i’ll see you around, natasha.”

she noticed you stopped calling her natty.

–

yelena invited the both of you over for lunch at her new place one day, and when you asked if natasha would be bringing her new girlfriend, yelena was kind enough to tell you she was, allowing you to mentally prepare yourself. 

“please never forget that this is all your fault,” the blonde said, shutting the oven door as she peeked over your shoulder. you were helping her prepare said lunch, arriving an hour earlier to cook the pasta that she and natasha both loved. “you fumbled my sister. i tried to help you.”

you stopped stirring the sauce for a minute, before admitting, “i am happy for her.”

“no, you’re not,” yelena quipped, and you almost threw your spatula at her, “but you try to be. because that’s the kind of person you are. and while natasha may find that terribly endearing, i find it incredibly stupid and frustrating.”

“...not anymore.” you said under your breath, but yelena caught it. 

“what was that?”

“not anymore,” you clarified, “she doesn’t find it endearing anymore.”

“like i said, your faulttt!” she trailed off, walking to retrieve more ingredients from her garden.  

but then, natasha arrived without her girlfriend, almost two hours late. you knew natasha couldn’t stand being late. 

yelena asked her about it before you did. you thanked your lucky stars the woman had such a busybody for a sister. 

the tension in her shoulders, and the slight furrow in her eyebrows gave away the lies she was saying, when all she could come up with was, “she was busy. had a last-minute thing.”

you chose to look away when she made eye contact with you, returning your attention to the other guests. 

–

but when the lunch stretched into the evening and the other guests had begun to leave, you noticed natasha’s sadness hadn’t dissipated, and it was only left with you, her, and yelena in the house. 

you wanted to make sure she was fine, as you accompanied her outside on the porch when she promptly got up to get “fresh air”. 

“what’s bothering you?” you kept a safe distance, leaning against the side of the front door as natasha sat on the wooden bench.

she let out a soft smile. “there’s no hiding from you, huh?”

“i’m your best friend,” you replied. she nodded, defeated.

“i was just…a little annoyed that i waited for her to pick me up for nearly two hours, but she never came. i mean, it was fine if she couldn’t give me the lift, but i would’ve appreciated her telling me earlier, rather than cancelling and leaving me stranded at the last minute. and i wanted her to meet you, and yelena, properly, too. too bad she had a work commitment.”

you unfolded your arms, moving to sit beside her then. she looked like she needed the company. but natasha was strong, and she wasn’t so ready to show herself so vulnerable so soon. “but it’s stupid, it’s just a small thing. i’m okay now, and i really liked your pasta earlier.”

“i cooked extra and packed them into leftover containers for you. there should be enough to last a few more meals.” you replied. natasha’s smile looked genuine for the first time that day, upon hearing your words. 

you brought her in to rest her head on your shoulder. she sighed at the comfort of your perfume. it was one she missed inhaling dearly. rubbing her back then, you told her, “next time, if you need a lift, anytime, anywhere, just call me. i’ll come pick you up, no matter what.”

she never had to doubt or second-guess your words. you kept your promises. 

– 

natasha’s girlfriend showed up during the friendly bowling night that steve organised, you noticed, as the pair arrived an hour later than even tony, which was a feat.

“sorry,” emily was the one who apologised, although she looked anything but apologetic, face hiding a proud grin, “we got busy in the car.”

you were the only one in the group who didn't participate in the raucous boo’s and eww’s, instead turning your attention to counting the number of balls the team needed for the game. natasha looked almost embarrassed at the confession. she never was one to enjoy making her affairs public with others. 

–

halfway through the night, in the lane next to yours, natasha hit a strike for the first time in her life. you knew, as you caught her jumping excitedly mid-air and pointing towards the knocked down pins to her girlfriend. however, in response, the woman only gave her a half-hearted thumbs-up and returned to scrolling on her phone. she didn’t seem to acknowledge her girlfriend’s achievement at all. 

you turned an annoyed look at her, before your eyes found natasha, and she smiled at you, shrugging sadly. you immediately went over and congratulated her. 

“that was incredible,” you said excitedly, giving natasha high five. 

she didn’t look convinced. “yeah, i think i got lucky.”

“even so, you looked so cool,” you reassured her, “i definitely was jealous.”

she let out a small chuckle at your words. 

later on in the game, where the rounds had all bled into one long match and people were growing restless, natasha’s girlfriend got up to buy them drinks upon her request. maria elbowed you to talk to natasha alone for the first time that night, but you didn’t want to start anything you weren’t sure her girlfriend was comfortable with, even though natasha was left sitting alone in her own lane, eyes trained on you to walk up to her as well. you only gave a small wave.

you watched as her girlfriend returned after a while, handing natasha a blueberry soda, and cringing at the fact that you knew natasha didn’t like blueberry. 

“can we exchange it?” you heard natasha whisper, but her girlfriend wasn’t so kind. 

“it all tastes the same anyway, why can’t you just drink it? i paid an overpriced amount for that, you know?” 

you suddenly felt the urge to punch the living lights out of the woman, hearing what she said. you wondered why, when you were never a violent person before. perhaps the resigned look on natasha’s face played a vital part in your own feelings, as she nodded numbly and sipped the soda that she oh-so-didn’t enjoy. 

when her girlfriend had returned to hitting the pins again later on, you took the opportunity to leave your own team for a moment, ordering an extra cherry coke under the guise of buying your own snacks. 

you handed it to natasha as you came back, sneakily taking her blueberry soda away from her and throwing it in the trash nearby. you gave her a small wink, but the woman looked like she was ready to risk it all for you then. 

– 

it was emily who reached out to you first, regarding a six-month anniversary gift for natasha. you hardly believed it had been six months since natasha had broken your heart with another; it felt like time hadn’t moved at all. 

you agreed to it, accompanying her to the mall to look for things to get the love of your life and “just a girlfriend” to emily.

“anything in particular you’re looking for?” you asked. emily didn’t know. it was clear she had never gotten a gift for natasha in the duration that they’ve been together. you swallowed the annoyance down; different people had different ways of showing their love, you guessed. 

she stopped outside a jewellery shop, and said, “she has this necklace she’s been wearing since before i even met her. small one, with a flower pendant on it. it looks cheap, don’t you think? i should get her a new one.”

you struggled to hide the hurt and offence you took from her comment. “well, if she likes it enough to keep wearing it, i don’t think it should be an issue.” 

“you’re right. and a necklace is too expensive, anyway. i don’t think i’m ready for that kind of commitment yet,” she joked. you wondered why she would say that, when natasha had told you she was a successful banker. 

“six months is a pretty big commitment, no?” you stayed outside the shop, when she had clearly walked a bit of a distance away. she turned, chuckling at you. 

“i don’t know. i just don’t…feel it yet, that connection. i’m pretty sure natasha hasn’t either. oh well.”

you caught up to her, sighing. “come on, emily. you need to start treating her better, because if you don’t, someone else will.”

she stopped, turning to look at you, still the amused smirk on her face. “didn’t realise you were so protective over her. if you wanted her so bad, just take her off my hands then, jeez.”

it had been a joke, but the way emily had regarded natasha as something more of a possession, an object, than an entire person who was perhaps the best thing that can happen to a person like her, had you seething in rage as you went home later that day. 

–

“your girlfriend’s an absent asshole.”

“come on, she’s not that bad.”

“but she is.” you sat up then, readjusting natasha’s head position on your lap, looking over her. she had been crying, mascara lines down her cheeks and dried tear stains on her face. 

emily had stood her up for the third consecutive date after their six-month anniversary, on top of the shitty grocery store box of chocolates she had given to the woman. 

you had picked her up from the restaurant she was supposed to be at for her date earlier, when natasha called you in the middle of a work meeting, crying that she was afraid she had been stood up stupidly, yet again. your hands had been shaking with fury as you drove to where she was. 

natasha rolled halfway to wrap her arms around your waist. “maybe i’m just expecting too much. maybe i was expecting from her…what i received from you, when we had that arrangement back then.”

there was a lump in your throat, as you answered, “you are not too much, and you shouldn’t be too much, for the people who love you, natty. and you know i want to so badly respect your relationship, you know i have been the most patient, out of all our friends, in giving emily a chance, but i cannot sit here in good conscience and tell you it is okay for her to keep treating you like she has been treating you.”

there were tears in the material of your shirt then. natasha had hidden her face in your comfort. “...i miss us. what we had, what we were, back then. can’t i just go back to that time, the last time i was happy?”

you continued running your fingers through her hair, staying silent. it was best to stay silent.

natasha then looked up at you. “don’t you miss it too?”

she saw you look away. you didn’t want to face her then, and it broke her heart. “...i do. but i don’t wish to go back there.”

“why?”

the fingers in her hair stopped their ministrations. your body stiffened. it was right at the tip of your tongue, what you wanted to say. natasha deserved to hear it from you first, at least. 

“because i broke our arrangement first.”

natasha had her hand holding your face now. you sighed into it, wondering if this was what friends did. “what do you mean?”

“i caught feelings for you, i’m sorry.”

the hand on your face was still there when you shut your eyes, choking down the sobs that had wanted to overflow. it was still there when natasha got up from her position in your lap, sitting on you then, it was still there when she brought her other hand onto your face, and pressed her lips against yours.

when you dared open your eyes again, she was still there. she hadn’t been a figment of your own imagination. and she was smiling at you, soft, unsure. 

“oh i had feelings for you too.” 

your first thought had been oh god, what a relief, which morphed into really? and then, we wasted so much time. 

“why didn’t you tell me?” she frowned. 

“i didn’t want to ruin what we have. i didn’t want to ruin the friendship.”

“i wish you hadn’t been so considerate.”

“i wish i hadn’t been either,” your gaze cast downwards, you were cruelly reminded that natasha wasn’t yours. not then, not now. she still had a girlfriend to return home to. “if i hadn’t…i probably would have the opportunity of loving you right now.”

natasha nodded in agreement. “you would have.”

then, you confessed, “is it bad to wish for you to not be with emily? you don’t know just how much it hurts me, seeing her treat you the way she does; not when i know i could treat you, and love you, so much better.”

you let out an uneasy smile as natasha laughed through her happy tears, “oh, i was planning to break up with her anyway! an absent lover, an even worse girlfriend.”

the shared smiles and laughter between the both of you awakened the butterflies that had long been dormant in your stomach again. “and after which, i’ll ask you, officially ask you, to be my girlfriend.”

“you better.” natasha said, nuzzling her face to your neck as she hugged you tightly.

–

you waited for natasha as she met up with emily one last time, and after a few tearful exchanges and goodbye hugs, the redhead was already jumping back into your car, gazing lovingly as you reached out for her hand, thumb grazing over hers while you drove away. 

it was movie night at yelena’s, and the two of you took up the last two empty seats at the far-end of her sectional sofa. you asked natasha briefly if she was feeling a little sad at the breakup, and what six months of her life with emily had been reduced to, but all she could tell you was that she felt guilty, that she had spent the past six months trying to picture someone else as you, but also thankful, that those months had been put to an end. she then draped the two of you with a blanket she stole from yelena, holding your hand underneath it. 

thor took the seat beside yours, steve took the floor, and when everyone was settled in, the movie played. 

natasha rested her head on your shoulder halfway through the movie. you guessed she didn’t really care if anyone saw it by then, perhaps everyone knew. and when her breathing slowed and the climax of the movie dwindled, you noticed she had fallen asleep, her arms now around your waist once more, cuddling into you. you readjusted the blanket to keep her warmer.

when the credits began to roll and everyone had gotten up, however, you were still frozen in place, refusing to move. at tony’s questioning look, you could only mouth “i don’t want to wake her” before you were met with eye rolls from the rest and yelena taking a photo of natasha’s drooling face. 

an hour passed and natasha still hadn’t awakened, so yelena gave in and told you the two of you could use the guest room in the house to crash for the night. you felt the need to explain to her that natasha had broken up with her girlfriend, and that you weren’t trying to take advantage of her sister, and that– 

“–i know, i know,” she cut you off, holding up a hand, “i trust you, you know my sister better than anyone else. just…take care of her, okay?”

you thanked her, and began carrying natasha up the stairs, still asleep in your arms. “and don’t let her drool on my new silk sheets, please!”

– 

you once again helped natasha remove her makeup and washed her face before bed, and when she felt the coolness of the wet washcloth on her skin, her eyes slowly opened, revealing the emerald green orbs underneath. you didn’t need to deny that the green in them always left you a little breathless any longer.

sleepily, she let out a smile, and pulled you in closer to her. “i love it when you take care of me.”

“and i would happily do it for the rest of my life.”

you snuggled in next to her when you were done, pressing a kiss to her hairline. but before you could drift off to sleep, natasha poked you in the ribs and asked, “when are you going to ask me to be your girlfriend?” 

you faked contemplating for a moment, and the poke to your ribs this time came harder. “so impatient, my love.”

“i think i’ve been very patient. i waited for you during our arrangement, waited even longer when i was with emily, i want to be with you now. i can’t stand a second longer not being yours.”

your heart could burst with just the love you had for this woman. so you held her hand, pressed it to your heart, and earnestly asked, “fine, then. natasha romanoff, would you make me the happiest woman alive, and be my girlfriend?”

she transferred your intertwined hands to her own heart. “yes, yes, yes, please.” 

the bed erupted into a fit of giggles and soft kisses as the both of you embraced each other then.

– 

natasha announced your relationship officially to the rest of the team a few days later. she claimed she hadn’t wanted to hide anymore, and that she was very lucky to have the privilege of being by your side. you supported her during her confession, holding her close and peppering her in kisses after, as the team congratulated the both of you. 

the both of you showed up together to the wedding of another friend. and this time, you slow danced with her to all the songs there were. you didn’t leave early, your body was in sync with hers the whole night, and you carried on the celebrations to the hotel room you both shared. you absolutely loved natasha romanoff, and you didn’t have to hide it anymore. you proudly told everyone you knew, you showed it to everyone who didn’t know. 

you brought natasha out on dates weekly, no matter how busy either of you were, no matter what the occasion was. some dates even included just you and her cooking in her apartment, relaxing into the night with a bottle of wine and dreamy conversations until either one of your hands travelled too far and began the initiation for making love. and when natasha suggested moving in together precisely because of those dates, you weren’t afraid, or reluctant at all. you welcomed the idea with open arms. 

the domesticity of sharing a life with natasha wasn’t boring, and the repetitiveness gave you a sense of comfort and a safe haven to come back to after long days. you would cook for her, she would clean the house, and when the both of you were tired, you would give her massages and she would wash your hair in the bath together. it was a life the both of you had dreamed of when you thought of a lovely, ideal one. 

and when there were fights, there were fights. but you were too soft-hearted for the woman you loved, and after each fight, you would crawl back into her arms and beg for her forgiveness if you were in the wrong. when she was in the wrong, you would do so regardless, with her then apologising as well for her mistakes. it was natural, and normal between the two of you. you refused to let fights simmer or last overnight, and natasha was thankful that you were so kind to her even when you were so angry. 

– 

more than a year later, the very same friend had asked you again if you had any thoughts about marriage, since you were with natasha now. 

the both of you had been looking around for an anniversary gift for natasha, and you had passed by the shop where you first bought her the necklace with the flower pendant. the very same necklace that she had never taken off ever since. 

there, lay a brand new line of engagement rings. and when you were just about to walk away and shrug and avoid his question, a particular one caught your eye. it had a jade as green as natasha’s eyes. it would fit on her finger so well. 

you looked back at him, and he was already grinning at you. he laughed, patting your back, and told you he knew you would be taking back the words you said to him that day. 

“fine, i am ready to marry her now.” 

[kaoriartss-blog]

Starburst

Chapters 3: "First Steps"

Previous Chapter Masterlist Next Chapter

Pairing: Poly Skz OT8 x Reader idol

Genre: Romance, angst, female Oc

Warning: Use of Oc, romance, angst, swearing, Idol x Idol, 18+ progressive, use of swear words, use of translator.

Series: Starbursts

Summary: The story centers on Lia, a newly debuted solo idol struggling to find her place in the K-pop industry. Despite her talent, she feels like she's missing something, a special connection that helps her shine. The members of Stray Kids, who are at the height of their careers, are drawn to Lia's unique energy when she's invited to collaborate with them on a new album. As they work together, the connection between Lia and the boys intensifies. With pressure from the media and fan expectations, they must find a balance between their careers and personal lives.

Comment: First of all, I want to clarify that English is not my first language. I speak Spanish, but I didn't want to deprive you of this story. I'll be using a translator, so it's possible that some phrases might get lost or be incomprehensible. Second, I thank you in advance for taking the time to read. I'll also be uploading the chapters to Wattpad in Spanish and to Ao3 in both Spanish and English

Updates on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. I also remind you that English is not my first language.

Her new house was located on the outskirts of the city center, in a less populated area where traces of countryside could already be seen. It was pretty, although it was an hour and a half drive from the company.

She drove slowly, paying attention to the shops and businesses in the area, trying to orient herself for when she needed to buy groceries or get something later on.

On the way, she played her travel playlist with all her favorite songs, but it didn’t help calm her nerves. Every time the GPS announced she was nearing her destination, she felt them spike.

Finally, after a while, she arrived. From outside, she could see a beautiful two-story house with a modern look that slightly clashed with the local aesthetic. Although she had seen many nice houses on the way, this one stood out.

She parked her car behind the company van and immediately noticed a medium-sized moving truck already stationed there. She could also see the eight boys and some other people helping unload lots of boxes, bags, and other items.

Now she didn’t feel so bad for having brought all her belongings.

As soon as she stepped out of the car, Hyunjin and Han were the first to notice her. They nudged each other and seemed to say something before approaching with smiles on their faces.

“Hey, nice car,” Han greeted, eyeing the vehicle.

“Is that an MG?” Hyunjin asked, impressed, walking around it. Lia found this amusing; most people she knew reacted the same way when they saw her car.

“Hi to you too. Yes, it’s an MG4,” she replied.

Hyunjin gave her a slightly sheepish look, realizing he hadn’t greeted her, and went straight to the car.

“Sorry, I got excited. I’ve never seen an MG up close before.”

Lia laughed and waved it off.

“Don’t worry, it happens. Honestly, I don’t know much about cars. This was a gift from my dad, and I’m still getting used to how it works.”

Hyunjin stared at her for a moment, as if debating whether to say something. Lia noticed and, with a smile, handed him the keys. He looked at her in surprise but didn’t seem inclined to say no.

“Really? You don’t mind?”

“Go ahead, take it for a spin if you want. You have a license, right?”

“Of course! Thank you. I’ll bring it back in a bit. Let’s go, Jisung-ah!”

Han looked at Hyunjin, then at Lia, astonished, and pointed to himself. Lia laughed and nodded, giving him permission too.

Lia walked over to the driver’s side and, after explaining some basic things to Hyunjin—like how the car started automatically when you sat down, which thrilled him—and warning them that there were things in the trunk, the two boys took off.

She watched them drive away with a big smile until she felt a presence beside her.

“Why did Hyunjinnie and Jisung-ah just leave in your car?”

Lia turned to see Changbin carrying two boxes as if they weighed nothing.

“Oh, they seemed excited, so I gave them the keys to take a spin.”

“You know they just wanted to escape the work, right?”

“I figured, but I don’t mind. As long as they bring it back in one piece and charge it after, anyone can use it if they want.”

“Where are Jisung-ah and Hyunnie?” Chan asked, approaching and looking around, confused.

“Narim-ah let them take her car,” Changbin replied.

Lia looked at him, surprised. No one called her by her Korean name, except during official matters. He noticed her reaction.

“Oh, sorry. Does it bother you if I call you that? Your Korean name is really pretty.”

“No problem,” she said, shaking her hands, a bit embarrassed. “It just caught me off guard.”

“In that case, feel free to call me Binnie oppa, if you’d like.”

Lia’s cheeks were even redder by that point. She knew living with these guys wouldn’t be easy, but she hadn’t expected nicknames to start so soon… let alone that two of them would be out joyriding in her car.

“Alright, Binnie oppa.”

Chan, who had watched the nickname exchange silently with a smile, chimed in.

“Well, I came to ask if you want us to bring your stuff inside, Lia-ya. We’re about to draw lots to assign the rooms.”

Lia nodded, and the three of them approached where Felix held a bowl with numbered slips of paper.

Felix and Seungmin explained—since they had already explored the house upon arrival—that the residence had three bedrooms on the ground floor, four on the second floor, and two spaces in the basement that could be converted into rooms. Each room had a private bathroom, except those in the basement.

After drawing lots, the room assignments were as follows:

On the ground floor: Minho, Changbin, and Han. On the second floor: IN, Lia, Felix, and Hyunjin. In the basement: Chan and Seungmin. Chan was grateful, as there was a small office he could use, and Seungmin was glad for the quiet.

They began bringing in their belongings. The movers helped unload the boxes and left them in the assigned rooms. Only the stuff in the car remained, which arrived shortly after with Hyunjin and Han laughing, blasting music, and holding ice cream and snacks.

They helped her unload her suitcases amid jokes.

When she entered the house for the first time, she was amazed. Everything was decorated in white and brown tones—elegant but not overdone. The lighting was excellent, thanks to many windows.

The entryway was small, perfect for shoes and coats. Then came a large living room with a gray L-shaped sofa, two small armchairs to the side, a round coffee table, and a big TV mounted on the wall.

Ahead was the kitchen-dining area, separated from the living room by a wide archway. The kitchen, to the left, had an island with three chairs; the dining area, to the right, had a table for six.

Between the living room and kitchen was the staircase to the second floor, and to its left, a hallway with three rooms and a guest bathroom. The basement stairs were next to the main staircase.

Downstairs was a long hallway. On the right: the dance studio and laundry room. On the left: two bedrooms and at the end, Chan’s office.

As expected, there was already a cameraman inside filming everything, and each of them was handed a small camera to film from their perspective. Even on moving day, they had to create content.

Lia climbed the spiral stairs, dragging her suitcase, while Felix carried her backpack and a box of fragile items. Hyunjin followed right behind, offering to help several times, but she insisted she was fine. She didn’t want to seem like a helpless princess on day one.

“You sure you don’t want help?” he asked, smiling and pointing the camera at her.

“Sure,” she replied, though she was already sweating. Carrying winter suitcases up stairs wasn’t as easy as she imagined.

On the second floor, IN was already inspecting his room. He had chosen the one facing the backyard, with a big window and white curtains. Lia checked out hers: it wasn’t very big, but it was bright and had enough space for a built-in closet, which she appreciated. It was across from IN’s; to her left was Felix, and opposite him, Hyunjin.

“Hey, this room’s pretty nice,” Felix commented, setting down the backpack and box. “Want help unpacking?”

“No need, thanks. You should start on your stuff too,” she replied, turning on her camera and placing it on the nightstand to capture the whole room.

Hyunjin peeked in a few minutes later.

“Can I come in? I want to see if I got the best or worst room.”

“Come in,” Lia said, laughing.

He entered and pointed to a coat rack by the window.

“You could hang your hats there. I saw in your profile that you love them.”

“You checked my profile?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not the only one,” he replied cheekily with a shrug.

Felix laughed.

“Don’t start, Hyunjin.”

The atmosphere was light, comfortable, with that excitement that comes with new beginnings.

It was the first day of many, and though they didn’t know it yet, that second floor would witness confidences, late-night talks… and more.

The boys left after chatting and comparing rooms, Felix complaining that his bathroom was smaller than IN’s, and IN laughing, saying he had the best room on the floor, sparking a debate with Hyunjin, who claimed his was better because it faced the street.

Lia decided not to get involved in the argument, even though her windows looked straight out at the sunset.

She played her playlist and started organizing just the essentials—she’d deal with the rest little by little.

After arranging her most urgent things, everyone gathered in the living room for a small, impromptu meeting. Chan, notebook in hand, began jotting down ideas to organize their co-living situation.

“We could take turns cooking and cleaning,” he said, flipping pages. “Nothing strict, just to avoid total chaos.”

“Agreed,” Minho replied, arms crossed. “But let it be clear—I’m not washing anyone else’s dishes if it’s not my turn.”

“Then don’t cook meals with a ton of pots,” Han joked, lying face down on the rug.

Lia listened intently from the couch, a warm cup of tea in hand that IN had made for her. Seungmin, who had just come up from the basement, looked at her curiously.

“Are you a little scared of all this?” he asked quietly, sitting beside her.

She hesitated for a second before answering.

“A little, yeah. I’ve never lived with so many people… let alone guys who aren’t my brothers. But I guess it’s part of the challenge.”

“You’re handling it well. Not everyone shows up to move-in day wearing heels,” he said with a small smile.

Lia chuckled softly, relaxing a bit.

Suddenly, Hyunjin appeared with his camera in hand.

“I propose a welcome challenge! Something simple to break the ice.”

“What kind of challenge?” Changbin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Everyone has to share an embarrassing or fun fact about themselves. And no lying.”

Everyone laughed, protested a little, but agreed. One by one, they began to share small stories: Felix confessed he once fell on stage, Chan admitted he slept with a nightlight, Han still had a stuffed animal he couldn’t part with, and so on…

When it was Lia’s turn, everyone turned to her expectantly.

“Let’s see…” she said thoughtfully, taking a sip of tea to buy time. “Well, when I was younger, I accidentally dyed my hair green… right before a major performance.”

“Accidentally?” IN asked, laughing.

“I bought the wrong dye, thinking it was ash. I ended up looking like a giant mint on stage.”

“Oh, I remember that performance,” Felix said like the fan he was. “So it wasn’t intentional? It looked good, the outfit helped complement it.”

Lia looked at him, half surprised, forgetting that the blonde was her fan and had probably seen most of her performances.

“Honestly, the stylists nearly fainted when they saw my hair. They had to change the outfit last-minute so I wouldn’t look like a clown.”

Laughter filled the room, and for the first time since arriving, Lia felt she was really stepping into something special.

The afternoon began to fade, dyeing the sky a warm orange. While most were resting or still unpacking, Changbin stepped into the backyard with a water bottle in hand. His feet led him straight to the small recording room behind the pool. He had heard it was well-equipped but didn’t expect this much.

He pushed open the glass door and found a perfect mix of cozy and professional: acoustic panels, a laptop with an audio interface, a pair of monitors, and a peaceful vibe that instantly inspired him.

“Knew I’d find you here,” said a voice behind him.

It was Minho, holding a notebook and headphones around his neck. He looked tired, but with that focused expression that only showed up when something creative was on his mind.

“Also escaping the chaos?” Changbin asked, making room for him on the small couch by the desk.

“More like taking advantage of the silence. A melody came to me earlier, but inside, Hannie won’t stop yelling at the microwave.”

They both laughed.

Minho sat beside him and handed over the open notebook. It held tightly written lines, chords, and scattered phrases.

“Want to work on it together?” he asked.

Changbin didn’t need to answer. He had already opened the project on the laptop and started looking for a simple base—something with piano and a soft rhythm. As they tried out sounds, words began to flow between them, mixing the melodic with something raw, almost confessional.

“Do you think Lia would want to sing this?” Minho asked, almost without thinking.

“Lia?” Changbin glanced at him. “Maybe… she has that sweet tone that would fit. Why, were you thinking of her?”

Minho took a second too long to respond.

“I don’t know. Her voice came to mind while I was writing.”

“Aha,” Changbin said, smiling as he lowered the track volume. “I see where this is going.”

“Don’t start,” Minho replied, nudging him lightly.

The song progressed for over an hour. Outside, the sun had already set, and the pool lights softly illuminated the water. Through the window, they could see their reflection, working together—surrounded by cables, ideas, and that silent chemistry only years of friendship can build.

The sun was already low when Lia stepped into the backyard. She wore a light jacket over her dress, arms crossed from the evening chill. From the sliding door, she noticed the pool glowing with soft lights, and beyond that, a small wooden and glass structure: the famous recording room.

The cameramen and staff had left a while ago, leaving them with only mini-cams to document these first days of cohabitation.

She approached, drawn by the voices and a soft melody drifting out.

“Can I come in?” she asked from the doorway, peeking her head in.

Minho looked up from the laptop and gave her that half-mocking expression she was starting to recognize.

“If you bring ideas or snacks, you’re always welcome.”

“I bring curiosity, does that count?” she said, walking in slowly.

Changbin was on the floor, surrounded by cables and an open notebook. He patted an empty chair for her to sit.

“We’re working on something… it’s not official, but we wanted to see if your voice fits the chorus. We might include it in the new album.”

Lia blinked, surprised.

“My voice?”

"Yeah," Minho replied, not looking directly at her as he played the track. "It’s a soft song, kind of intimate. It has your color. Want to try?"

Lia set her jacket aside, put on the headphones Changbin offered her, and looked at the handwritten lines in the notebook. The rhythm was slow, with a melancholic piano at the start, and a barely growing beat.

She took a breath. And sang.

Her voice, still not fully warmed up, slid over the track with a natural ease that left them silent. Lia closed her eyes as she sang the chorus, as if she were diving completely into the intimate atmosphere they had created.

When she finished, she slowly opened her eyes. The two boys were looking at her, but said nothing.

"Was I that bad?" she joked nervously.

Changbin let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"The opposite. You gave me chills."

Minho didn’t say anything right away. He just played the recording they’d just made, and they listened together in silence. Something in the room changed with that recording. It wasn’t just another song. It felt like they had touched a part of Lia no one had heard before.

"We need to finish this," Minho said at last, his voice firm.

"Today?" Lia asked.

"Today. Tomorrow. Whenever you want. But this song is yours now too," he replied.

Changbin nodded. And Lia, without thinking too much, smiled. For the first time since arriving, she felt like she wasn’t just part of the project… but part of the group.

[bellaireland1981]

Summer Days

Summary: You're a Pediatric Nurse and fill in on an as needed basis for Penny at The Hard Deck, which is how you met and became friends with Phoenix. Fast forward several years, the Daggers are now permanently assigned to North Island. Upon their return will a blooming friendship turn into something more?

Pairings: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female! Reader

Warnings: None, pure fluff... kissing, two idiots falling in love. Loosely edited... sorry in advance for mistakes.

Word count: 6002

Written as part of the #1kPoolPartyPlaylist (link HERE ) There are still TONS of songs available and time to write if you wanna join the party!

A/N: I don’t own the characters or storyline for Top Gun Maverick. All OC’s are mine. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANYONE TO COPY OR REPOST MY WORK TO ANY OTHER PLATFORM! I do NOT give permission to copy and feed my work into AI generators!! DON’T STEAL! Reblogs, likes and comments ALWAYS welcomed.

Taglist is open! If I missed anyone who asked to be tagged, please fill out this GOOGLE FORMto be added. It’s getting to hard to keep track of asks. 

Masterlist

You’d moved to San Diego out of college, moving across the country looking for a fresh start. Luckily, your clinical supervisor for nursing had given you a glowing recommendation and helped to get you an interview with a pediatrician friend of hers who had her own practice. It was a smaller clinic and unlike in a hospital setting you had regular hours. When you’d first moved to the area, you realized that meeting people was harder than you thought it would be. You were paid well by the clinic, so you didn’t necessarily need to pick up a second job for money, but when you had wandered into a lively bar on the beach that seemed to be popular among the Naval officers and personnel from nearby bases, you’d met the owner Penny, who’d taken a liking to you immediately. 

One night, the bar was particularly busy, which was not unusual for a Friday, but Penny was down a bartender. You’d jumped up and offered to help, assuring her you knew your way around a bar, having had bartended and waitressed to get your through college. From that night on, you became Penny’s backup. Turns out, it ended up being a great way to make friends. 

Not long after you’d started helping Penny, a new group of Top Gun recruits had started, and The Hard Deck became their favorite spot to blow off steam after a tough day of class or flying. In this group of recruits you met Natasha Trace, who quickly became your best friend. The two of you kept in touch and made plans to meet up either in San Diego or occasionally you’d fly to wherever she got stationed if you had vacation time on the books. 

You were just finishing charting for a new infant patient when your phone buzzed in your scrubs pocket, letting you know you had a message. 

Tasha: So… your girl has been recalled to TG PERMANENTLY. What are the odds you’d save me from having to bunk in officers quarters until I can arrange permanent housing?

You: OMG!!! 🎉You are absolutely NOT staying in military housing. I have a room with your name on it. Swing by the clinic for a key if you get in before I’m off.

Tasha: I owe you my first born. 💗 Hard Deck tomorrow night?

You: I’ll be there…. But behind the bar. Penny needed an extra hand. Beach day your first free day?

Tasha: Absolutely. But also raincheck on actual Hard Deck night with you NOT behind the bar.

You: Deal. See you tomorrow!!!!

After finishing up getting the clinic rooms reset for the next day and responding to incoming messages from the online chart portal, you were able to head out for the day. You decided to make a quick stop off at The Hard Deck, needing a drink. It had definitely been an exhausting day. Normally, you opted to change out of your scrubs before leaving if you were heading anywhere other than home, but that took too much effort today. You didn’t plan on staying anyway, just a quick drink, say ‘hi’ to Penny and the home to shower, change and watch some mindless movie before calling it a night. Maybe your co-workers, Penny and your family back home were right… you needed a life. 

“Rough day?” Penny asked when you came in and plopped down in a seat at the bar. 

“Not rough… just long.” You sighed, smiling, “I think there’s been another baby boom…I swear the majority of our patients today were newborns in for their first visits  or babies needing vaccines. My ears are still ringing.”

“Ouch.” Penny winced, “I don’t miss those days with Amelia. Those were the worst visits. This one’s on me.” She handed you a bottle of your favorite beer. “I can find someone to cover the shift here tomorrow night if you need it, Sweet Girl.” 

“No, I’m good!” You assured her, “I’d be here anyway, Tasha got permanently assigned, I’m guessing the others did too? She’s planning on being here tomorrow night I guess to celebrate.”

“They have.” Penny confirmed, smiling at you knowingly. “I suspect some will be trickling in tonight already if you plan to stick around.”

“You know, I’m good with just one tonight, Pen.” You replied, rolling your eyes. “I have a hot date with a shower, some dinner and a movie to end this day.”

“Sounds like a good concept for ‘Nurses Gone Wild’.” A familiar voice drawled behind you, “Penny, my dear, can I get a couple of beers please?”

“Sure thing, Hangman.” She replied, winking at him. “No harassing my favorite bartender.”

“Cross my heart.” He replied, giving her a wide grin, “Grab your beer and come join us, Dove. Nix will be here tomorrow, but we don’t bite, you can hang with us tonight.”

You turned to face him, offering a smile, “Thanks, Jake.” You replied, “It’s good to see you again. I’ll take a raincheck on hanging out with the group though. It’s been a long day and I have to work at the clinic all day tomorrow then bartend here tomorrow night.”

“A certain birdy aviator will be sad you’re not here.” He winked, “It’s good to see you too though. We’re all back here permanently so I imagine we’ll get to spend a lot of time together.”

“Especially if you ever get your head outta your butt and decide to do something about that torch you’re carrying for Tasha.” You replied, smirking.

“I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about, Dove.” He hedged, “Nix and I are just friends… and until a few months ago… pretty sure she hated me.”

“Jakey, I’ll let you in on a little secret.” You said, taking pity on the man, “Tasha has felt many things for you over the many years of knowing you, but hate has never been one of those feelings.“

“I think I’ll just enjoy the fact that she’s tolerating me and not openly despising me for now.” Jake replied, “It’s nice to know I’ve got you in my corner though, Dove. It means a lot. I’ll let you in on a secret… Bradshaw isn’t known for getting off his perch. He’ll overthink things. He likes you. So you’re gonna need to be a little more obvious with him. Give him direct signals.”

“You’re sweet, Jake.” You replied, “But Bradley is just nice because we’re both friends with Tasha. He’s not interested. Trust me.” 

“You should listen to him, Sweet Girl.” Penny said, making her way back to your side of the bar with the beers for Jake to take back over to the group. “This round is on the house, Jake. Happy to have you back at North Island…permanently, Kid.” 

“Thank you, Pen.” He smiled, brightly, “It’s good to be back. Dove, invitation still stands… come and join us if you decide to stay. And at least promise to think about what I said.”

“Thanks, Jake.” You replied, smiling warmly, “I really do need to get home, but I’ll promise to think about it if you think about what I said.”

“Deal.” He replied, chuckling, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dove.” 

“See you tomorrow.” You said. 

After getting home and making dinner you sent a text to Tasha, deciding to poke the bear a bit. 

You: Stopped for a drink on the way home… ran into your favorite Texan. Had a nice chat. Promised him we could all hang out more. 🤠

Tasha: I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND?! Why are you subjecting me to forced time with Bagman OUTSIDE of work? 😣

You: He’s a sweetheart…and harmless. I thought you were friends now?

Tasha: Sweetheart is a stretch… and I’d say it’s more of a tentative friendship.

You: Sure… Anyway, just wanted to let you know I’d see him. 

Tasha: You’re a peach.  🤨 I’ll see you tomorrow… 

You: Drive safe. I’ll see you when you get here. 🤟

By the time you got to The Hard Deck the following night you were already running on empty. The day consisted of injuries, pulling small objects from ears and noses, and more infant vaccines. You’d barely had time for lunch so you’d inhaled a burger and fries on your way home from the clinic. Tasha had called and left a message letting you know she was in town and would be heading to the apartment to unload, shower and change before heading to the bar. 

When you walked in just past eight, it was already getting busy which didn’t bode well for you having an easy night. You headed straight to the back to drop off your bag and keys before you made your way behind the bar. 

“Hey, Sweet Girl.” Penny greeted you, mixing a drink, “Today any better than yesterday?”

“Same.” You replied, “But it’s Friday so I guess that makes it better.”

“There’s the spirit.” She laughed, nodding to the far side of the bar “Incoming, you’re up!”

You turned, to see Tasha and Bradley making their way to the bar. 

“It’s about time!” Tasha exclaimed, “I was about to send the search party.”

“I couldn’t exactly come straight from the clinic rocking scrubs, Tash.” You laughed, “I needed to eat and then run home to shower and change.”

“Alright, you’re forgiven.” She said, “I can’t wait to catch up. I’ve missed you!” 

“I’ve missed you too.” You replied, then smiled, turning your attention to the other aviator, “Hey Bradley.” 

“Hi, Dove,” He replied, returning the smile,his warm gaze meeting your own, “Good to see you again.”

“Good to see you too.” You replied, “What can I get you two?”

“We need a round for the group.” Tasha said, “Bradhsaw’s buying.”

“How’d you get so lucky?” You asked, playfully, “And the usuals?”

“Lost a bet to Hangman.” Bradley chuckled, “You remember all your customer’s drink orders?”

“Nope.” You replied, smiling, “Just the customer’s I like.” 

“And it’s not like our orders are hard, Bradshaw.” Tasha laughed, “With the exception of Bob, who gets a Coke, and Hangman who orders that piss water he calls beer, we all get the same thing.”

“Bradley occasionally throws me a curveball.” You defended, grabbing the beers first from the cooler below the bar, “I’ve had to pour a few glasses of the hard stuff for him.”

“See?” He said, turning to Tasha, “I’m not always predictable.”

“A real daredevil.” She drawled, rolling her eyes. “Hey, Y/N, before I forget, we’re doing a beach day tomorrow. Your attendance is mandatory.” 

“What if I already had super amazing high priority plans?” You asked, setting Bob’s Coke on the bar, glaring playfully at Tasha. 

“Well do you?” She asked, calling your bluff. 

“No, but I could have.” You replied. 

“But you don’t so…beach day.” She beamed, grabbing Bob’s Coke and a couple bottles of beer, leaving the rest for Bradley before sauntering off back to the group. 

“And you choose to be best friends with her.” Bradley teased,  handing you his card. 

“You do too, so what does that say about both of us?” You tossed back, taking his card, trying not to visibly react when his hand brushes yours in the process. “Do you want me to start a tab for you?”

“I guess it means we’ve both got great taste in best friends.” He replied, smiling “Yeah, start a tab. Thanks, Dove.”

“No problem, Bradley.” You replied, “Try not to lose any more bets to Jake. Might get expensive.”

“Would be worth it.” He replied, winking at you. With a final smile that threatened to stop your heart, he grabbed the remaining beers and headed off in the same direction Tasha had gone. 

The bar got busier as the night wore on, sadly, there weren’t many opportunities to talk to the squad as they came up to get drinks. Several drinks in, Bradley had made his way to the piano and entertained the bar. You’d missed that when he’d left North Island after the mission. You enjoyed watching him play and sing, as did all of the other women in the bar. 

“You’re drooling, Sweet Girl.” Penny teased, reaching over you to grab the container of limes for a drink she was mixing. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You denied, refocusing on your job. Your face felt like it was on fire at being caught staring at Bradley. 

“Uh huh.” She smirked, “Literal heart eyes as well.”

“Just appreciating good music.” You lied, “Oh look! Customers.”

You made a hasty retreat to the other side of the bar, Penny’s laughter following as you went. 

By the end of the night you were ready to drop. Penny made the announcement for the last call so you were now busy cashing out people’s tabs. It was a nice reprieve from rushing around grabbing drink orders. 

“Dovey, I need to cash out, Darlin’” Jake said, offering a dimpled smile. “You coming to beach day tomorrow?”

“I gotcha, Jakey.” You replied, grabbing his card from the back counter and ringing him out, “Yes, I’ll be there… Tasha decreed it.”

“That tracks.” He laughed, “I saw you and Bradshaw talkin’ earlier… he came back grinning like an idiot. I think there may have actually been hearts in his eyes.”

“Oh my GOD” You groaned, “Have you been talking to Penny?”

“No?” He replied, sounding confused. 

“Both of you are ridiculous.” You sighed, shaking your head, handing him back his card, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe take your own advice.”

“I’m sorry, Dove.” He said, concern in his eyes, “I didn’t mean to make you mad. I was just teasing. I’ll stop if it bothers you.” 

You instantly felt bad at the kicked puppy look in his eyes. “No, I’m sorry.” You sighed, “I’m just really tired and getting crabby. I shouldn’t have snapped on you.”

“It’s my fault.” He insisted, “No worries. I really don’t want to upset you, Dove. I love being your friend.”

“I love being your friend too, Jake.” You said, giving him a small smile, “We’re good. I promise.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Dovey.” He said, his smile not quite as bright and his eyes still sad. Now you felt like a complete ass. You made a mental note to make it up to him tomorrow. 

“Night, Jakey.” You replied. 

You started wiping down the bar, maybe with a little more force than was really needed. 

“Do I need to go kick his ass?” Bradley asked, stepping up to the bar, “We just to a point of friendship, but I’ll lay him out if he said or did something to cause you to take the finish off of Penny’s bartop.”

Pausing your overzealous cleaning of the bar, you glanced up seeing gleam in Bradley’s eyes and soft smile on his face. You almost believed he would indeed go lay Jake out on your behalf  if there was just cause. 

“Actually, I’m the asshole in that interaction.” You admitted, sheepishly, dropping the rag down into the sink behind the bar and wiping your hands off, “No need to hurt Jake or ruin your new friendship.”

“Dove, even on your worst day, you wouldn’t be able to convince me you could be an asshole.” Bradley replied, “I’d bet that whatever you said to him, he had coming.”

“And that is how you end up buying rounds, Sweetheart.” You teased, feeling a little better, “Ready to close out?”

“Yeah,” He chuckled, shaking his head, “Close me out… unless you wanna let me buy you a drink first.”

“Bar’s already closed, Handsome.” You smirked, deciding to test out Jake’s theory. Least you could do after snapping at the poor man. 

“Maybe another time then.” He suggested, flashing a smile, but not giving much away as to if he was just being friendly or if he was interested in something beyond that. 

“Sure. Word on the street is y'all are sticking around for a while.” You smiled, turning to ring him out and give yourself time to school your features and calm your racing heart. 

“That’s what we’re being told.” He replied, “Nice change of pace. Definitely looking forward to being in San Diego.”

“As a former East Coaster, I can attest to it being much better out here.” You said, turning to hand him his card and slip to sign. “Beaches are better too.” 

“Good thing you like them with Tash ordering mandatory beach days.” He smirked, signing the slip and handing it back, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Beautiful.” 

Before you were able to reboot your brain and find your words, he’d slipped from the barstool and was making his way out of the bar. 

“Beach day suddenly sounds a lot better now, doesn’t it?” Tasha teased, coming over to the bar. She was the last person left in the place. She started stacking the stools up on the bar for you while you gathered all of the slips and cashed out tips. As always the squad had tipped you over the top, despite you constantly telling them not to the last time they were all here. Bradley had left a note on his slip for a raincheck on the drink, along with a winky face. You laughed softly when you saw it, snapping a picture of it with your phone before putting all of the receipts into the register. 

“I’ve got the rest.” Penny said, carrying in a crate of clean glasses to restock the bar, “Head on out. You’ve had a long day, Sweet Girl.”

“Are you sure?” You asked, “I don’t mind.” 

“I’m sure.” She smiled, “I’ll be here doing inventory tomorrow if you all need drinks during your beach day. I think Pete will be around too.”

“Perfect!” Tasha said, “Thanks, Pen!” 

The next morning you were making an iced coffee when Tasha came out to the kitchen. She made her way to the Keurig and made herself a cup of coffee, sitting at the island with you. 

“What time do we need to be at the beach?” You asked her, adding the cold foam to your glass.

“Everyone is meeting around 10:30 on the beach behind The Hard Deck.” She replied, “We need to go to the store first though for drinks and food.”

“Is it a free for all?” You asked, “Everyone bringing whatever they want?”

“Pretty much.” Tasha laughed, “I think Payback is bringing a beach grill so we can grab stuff to throw on that.”

“Ok then.” You replied, “Well, I’m gonna go get ready then and pack a beach bag. I’ve got plenty of sunscreen and towels and all that stuff so don’t worry about that.”

“Sounds good!” She said, “I’ll text the group to make sure everyone is up and put some sort of plan in place for who brings what.”

By the time you both finished getting ready and went to the grocery store, you were pulling into the parking lot to The Hard Deck at 10:45. Only fifteen minutes behind the time Tasha had told everyone to be there. 

Jake and Javy pulled in behind you and parked, so at least you weren’t the last ones there. 

“Hey, y’all need help carrying stuff down to the beach?” Javy offered, hopping out of the passenger seat of Jake’s truck. “Hi Dove!”

“Hi, Javy.” You replied, smiling, “We could probably use a hand with the food and drinks.”

“Morning, Dovey.” Jake said, coming around and grabbing a bag from the trunk of your car, “Need me to carry anything else?”

“Morning, Jakey.” You smiled, “We’re good. I found that guacamole dip and the chips you like at the store so I grabbed them for you. I remembered you said they don’t have them up in Lemoore. Thought you  might be missing them.”

He looked up at you, with surprise written on his face, then a smile spread across his face and lit up his green eyes, “Wow… that was a throwaway comment months ago, Dovey.” He said, “You remembered that? Thank you… that’s… you didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I remembered,” You shrugged, starting to walk towards the beach,“We’re friends. I remember what snacks my friends like. And I was an asshole last night, so this is me saying ‘I’m sorry.’”

“You weren’t an asshole, Dove.” He assured you, “No apologies needed at all.”

“Still friends?” You asked, as you reached the sand. 

“Dovey, of course we are.” He replied, setting the stuff down and engulfing you into an exaggerated bear hug, spinning you around.

“Oh my god, Jakey! “ You squealed, “Put me down!”

“Thank you again for the snacks, Dovey.” He replied, setting you down. 

“You’re welcome.” You laughed, picking up your stuff again and heading to where Tasha was setting up. 

“Gonna fill me in on what I clearly missed?” She asked as you spread your blanket out on the sand. 

“It’s nothing.” You said, “Jake was trying to be helpful and was teasing me last night and I snapped at him like a jerk so that was just me making it up to him.”

“Ok… but helpful how?” She pushed, “What was he teasing you about?” 

“Playing matchmaker.” You sighed, “And was teasing me about Bradley having heart eyes after he came back from getting drinks… after Penny had accused me earlier of the same thing watching him play the piano. I just… wasn’t in the mood I guess.”

“Wow, for once, Jake is spot on.” Tasha said, pulling off her shirt and dropping it on the blanket before grabbing the sunscreen and applying it. “It was sweet that you got him his favorite chips and dip. I’m starting to realize that there might be a squishy interior to the cocky obnoxious exterior.”

“You should pay closer attention.” You smiled, “His squishy interior is quite endearing. He’s got a big heart…and I don’t think he’s used to people really giving a damn. He tries hard to hide it but he absolutely loves this squadron…”

“I’ll take it under advisement.” She said, stubbornly. “I’m gonna grab a drink from the cooler, do you want one?”

“Just a bottle of water for now.” You said, pulling your own shirt off, “Too early to start day drinking.”

You sat down on the blanket and started putting on sunscreen. Everyone was getting teamed up to play a round of dogfight football. You smiled, shaking your head at the heated debates on who should be on which team. 

“Morning, Beautiful.” Bradley said, crouching down by you. He’d already shed his shirt and was shockingly wearing an actual pair of swim shorts rather than the cut off jean shorts he’d sported the last time you’d witnessed him on the beach. They were a bright Hawaiian print…which also was not shocking. The man still looked better than he had any right to look with chiseled abs, his big muscles, paired with the irresistible smile and eyes you can get lost in. It was a lethal combination. It also didn’t help that he was an absolute sweetheart on top of it all. 

“Morning, Bradley.” You replied, smiling at him, before teasing “No jorts this time, huh?”

“Wow.” He laughed, “In my defense, last time I was recalled from the middle of a deployment… on a carrier. Didn’t think to grab swimwear. Beach day was a last minute change of training plans… had to improvise.”

“Wasn’t knockin’ them.” You smirked, “They were kinda hot.”

“I’ll make sure to keep that in mind for the next beach day then.” He replied, chuckling. “Need me to get your back?”

“Sure.” You said, handing him the bottle of sunscreen. You turned around so you were facing away from him.

He gently brushed your hair to the side before warming up the lotion in his palms then starting to rub it into your shoulders and back. You felt shockwaves of electricity shoot through you at his touch, butterflies erupting in your belly, making you have to focus to sit still. 

Glancing up, you made eye contact with Jake from where he was settling teams with Javy. He smirked, knowingly and continued his debate. You knew you would not hear the end of that from him. 

“There you go, Dove.” Bradley said, his hand lingering for a moment before pulling away, “Safe from the sun…for now.”

“Thank you.” You said, turning back around. You picked up the bottle and tipped it towards him, “You should make sure you’re covered too. I can’t imagine those flightsuits will feel very good on sunburns.”

“You’re probably right.” He agreed, accepting the bottle.

 He started to slather the lotion on his chest, abs and shoulders. You forced yourself to dig through your bag under the guise of looking for a hair tie. 

“Sorry that took so long.” Tasha said returning with the drinks, handing you a bottle of water, “Was hashing out teams for the game. Unfortunately, Bagman stole you before I could snag you, Dove.”

“How did I get roped into this?” You asked, your eyes growing wide, “I am just here for a nice relaxing beach day.”

“And you’ll get that…” Tasha promised, “After Bradley and I wipe the sand with Jake and Javy’s team.”

“That  I am apparently on.” You reminded her, glaring at her. 

“Don’t worry, Dove.” Bradley said, winking,  “I’ll guard you. We’ll let Tasha take on Jake.”

“He also managed to steal my backseater in the negotiations, so I might just guard him.” Tasha said, “Hurry up though, game’s about to start.”

“Need me to get your back for you?” You offered, keeping eye contact as you took a sip of your water. 

“If you don’t mind.” He replied, smiling, handing the bottle of lotion back to you. 

“Turn around, Handsome.” You told him, causing him to chuckle before turning towards the water and resting on his knees on the blanket. 

You made sure to warm the lotion in your hands as he had done, although the temptation was there to tease him and just pour the lotion straight on to his skin. You started at his shoulders and worked the lotion into his skin, moving over the expanse of his back, until you reached his lower back. You could feel his muscles rippling along his back as your hands moved over him, making you have to bite back a groan. 

“All set” You told him, once you were satisfied that you’d gotten the lotion evenly on his back, “You’ll have to reapply later, especially if you end up going into the water.”

“Thanks, Dove.” He replied, his voice a little raspy. 

Tasha and Jake  yelled over for you both to get a move on, making you laugh. 

“Guess there’s no way outta this.” You sighed, “So much for relaxing on my day off and soaking up the vitamin D.”

“It won’t take too long.” He promised, standing up then reaching his hand down, offering to pull you up. You slipped your hand into his and he pulled you to your feet. 

You had to admit the game, as chaotic as it was, was actually a lot of fun. The squad was a very competitive bunch, which you expected, having observed them plenty at The Hard Deck. Having Bradley blocking or guarding you was highly enjoyable as well…it was also distracting. 

“Alright, Dove,” Jake said, “We’re using our secret weapon on this next play…you.”

“ME?” You squeaked, “You remember that before today, I have zero experience with this game, correct?”

“You don’t need experience with the game, Dove,” Javy laughed, “We’re using you against Bradshaw.”

“Gonna need you to be all cute and flirty with him and distract him while we run the ball right on past him.” Jake explained.

“What makes you think that will even work?” You asked.

In response you just got 4 sets of eyes staring at you like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“So once Bradshaw is distracted we’ll get the ball to Bob.” Jake said, “Nobody’ll be expecting it.”

Deciding to lean into it and go for broke, took your spot opposite of Bradley again waiting for the start. 

“Having fun, Beautiful?” He asked, smiling, wiping sweat from his face. 

“Of course,” You replied, smiling and biting your lip as you obviously checked him out, “I can definitely see the appeal of the game… watching would be fun and all, but playing… you get all up close and personal.” You reached your hand out, running your fingers over his shoulder and down over his biceps before letting them drop away. 

You could see him visibly swallow, his pupils dilating. He licked his lips, his eyes now wandering over you, a smirk starting to form on his lips. 

He was about to respond when Bob went flying past with the ball, heading to the designated endzone, his eyes snapped back to yours, and you could see instantly that you were in trouble. 

“Oops.” You said feigning, innocence. “Guess we missed that play?”

“Oh, you’re in trouble now, Beautiful.” He replied, the gleam in his eyes making them sparkle. Without warning, he lunged forward and scooped you up, all but tossing you over his shoulder as he rushed with you in the direction of the water. 

“Wait! NO! Bradley! I’m sorry!” You pleaded, before yelling, “Don’t you dare drop me in that water!” 

“Sorry, Dovey.” He laughed, “Sounded like you need to cool off a bit… getting a little overheated.”

You could hear everyone still on shore cheering and laughing as they watched the scene unfold. Once Bradley got waist deep, he dropped you into the cold water. 

You came up outta the water once you got your footing, wiping the salt water from your eyes and glaring at Bradley who was laughing, practically doubled over. Seeing your opportunity for revenge you grabbed him, tugging, catching him off guard and pulling him forwards off balance into the water. In the process, you were also dunked again, but worth it. 

You both came up laughing, regaining your footing on the floor of the ocean to stand up. Bradley settled his arm around you, steadying you so you wouldn’t get knocked over by the waves. 

“Truce?” He asked, gazing down into your eyes smiling. With his hair wet, the once controlled waves were now more pronounced, hanging down over his forehead. You had to force the urge down to run your fingers through them. 

“Truce.” You agreed, with what felt like a permanent smile plastered to your face. 

“I have a confession to make.” He said, stepping closer and moving his other hand up to rest on your hip. 

“What’s the confession?” You asked, bringing your hands up to rest on his biceps.

“I’ve been absolutely crazy about you since I met you.” He replied, his voice dropping, “I didn’t want to start anything just to have to leave again…and I wasn’t sure how you felt…didn’t want to make things weird.”

“You’re here to stay now…” You said, smiling, excitement fluttering in your belly. You slid your hands up to his shoulders around his neck. He inched closer, pulling you into him. “And if you haven’t figured it out… I’m kinda crazy about you too.”

“Can I cash in the rain check?” He asked, his voice dipping lower, raspier than usual, “Let me take you out on a date?”

“The rain check was for a drink.” You teased, smiling up at him. 

“How about we start with a drink and then I take you on a date.” He compromised, chuckling. 

“You got yourself a deal, Handsome.” You replied. 

“Are you free tonight?” He asked, “I think we’ve waited long enough.”

“I am.” You said, giggling. “I’m going to have to listen to a lot of ‘I told you so’s.’”

“What do you mean?” He asked, smiling. 

“Jake, Penny and Tasha have all been trying to convince me that you liked me.” You admitted, ducking your head, feeling heat creep up your neck and into your cheeks…that had nothing to do with the sun beating down on you. “I may or may not have thought they were crazy.”

“Oh, Beautiful.” He replied, “I need to do a better job then of making it much more obvious then.”

He moved one of his hands, up to your chin, tipping your head up so you were looking at him before lowering his head down to gently kiss you, tentatively at first, allowing you the chance to pull away if you want. When you lean into him,arms tightening around him, the hand that had been by your face, moves to your back, pulling you closer. His tongue snakes out, seeking entry, you open immediately, allowing his tongue to lick over yours, the kiss quickly deepening and heating up. 

As the two of you continued to kiss, he ran his hands over your back before resting on your hips, your own fingers threading through his hair. Finally, the need for oxygen caused you to have to part. He rested his head against yours again, both of you sucking in oxygen. 

“I think it’s pretty clear now.” You whispered, not trusting your voice yet. “Message received.” 

“Good.” He answered, his voice deepened from arousal, “But just in case, I plan on doing a whole lot more of that… fair warning.”

“I think I can be ok with that.” You said, smiling. 

“Come on,” He said, “Let’s head back to the beach, I promised you a nice relaxing beach day after you played dogfight football.”

“Feel like joining me to soak up some sun on the blanket?” You asked. 

“That sounds perfect.” He replied, taking your hand, the two of you walked back towards the shore. 

As predicted, you were subjected to knowing looks and some ‘I told you so’s’ once you got back to the shore. Once they got it out of their systems though, they left the two of you alone. Around lunch time when Payback fired up his grill to start cooking you ran into the Hard Deck to use the bathroom and cool off for a moment, and decided to grab a cold drink from behind the bar too. Penny was in the back doing inventory and as promised had left the back unlocked for you all to come in as needed. 

Bradley came in as you were grabbing a drink from behind the bar, taking his aviators off as he made his way over. 

“Hey, Handsome.” You said, smiling, “Want a drink?”

“I’m supposed to be getting you a drink, Beautiful.” He replied, chuckling, “But sure.”

You grabbed his favorite beer from the cooler and popped the top before walking around the bar and handing it to him. After taking a swig from the bottle he took your hand and led you to the jukebox. He set his drink down on the table next to it.  He punched in a number and the machine came to life, the beginning notes of a song starting to play. 

“Dance with me?” He asked, smiling as he held out his hand to you. You set your own drink down on the table and slipped your hand into his. He pulled you into him, keeping your fingers laced together, he moved his other arm to hold you, his palm on your lower back. You laid your head against his chest, your other arm around his neck. The two of you danced as “Summer Days” by Martin Garrix played, lost in your own world. 

Neither of you saw Penny peek her head out from the back to see who was in the bar, or the knowing smile that graced her lips at the sight of the two of you dancing. Nor did you see Jake and Tasha in the window peering in then turning to high five one another. 

The only people in the world that existed in that moment for you and Bradley were each other, and the realization that you’d both finally found in each other, “the one”. 

A/N: Hope you enjoyed!

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[cmdrfupa]

II. Kuromaku (黒幕・くろまく)

black curtain. A fixer who works behind the scenes; A secret decision-maker.

All content warnings and chapters can be found here

I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading!

5.1k words

The boutique was quiet except for the soft rustling of fabric as you sifted through an array of delicate lace and silk and the neighboring bridal party that laughed at another awful joke the bride made.

The glow from the chandelier light reflected off the pearl beading of the hanging embellishments, giving the room a dreamlike quality—one that felt entirely disconnected from reality.

Across from you, Nanami sat with his arms and legs crossed, in that composed yet commanding way of his. His gaze, sharp and stiff, flicked between the dresses and your face as though he were assessing both for their worth. You had long since learned that his silence spoke volumes.

"You don't have to do this," he finally spoke matter of factly, his voice calm.

You sighed, turning back to the dress in front of you. "We've been over this, Kento."

"And I’m still not convinced."

His bluntness was nothing new. Nanami had always been straightforward, never one to dance around a subject, especially when it came to you.

Since your arrival in Japan back in high school all those years ago, Kento was the guard dog you never asked for. No bark, just bite. A very strong one at that.

You let out a short laugh, though there was no real humor in it. "It’s not about being convinced. It’s already happening."

Nanami exhaled through his nose, clearly displeased. He leaned back, his expression unreadable but heavy with something unspoken. "Does he deserve you?"

You hesitated, fingers grazing over the intricate embroidery of a gown before you dropped your hand. "I don't know if that matters."

"It matters to me."

You turned to face him then, meeting his gaze head-on. "Why?"

He stared at you for a long moment, unreadable as ever. Then, he shifted, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. "Because your mother should want someone who looks out for you. Because I don't trust men who are willing to take what isn't freely given. And because if he ever gives me a reason, I’d like to know in advance whether I have your permission to put a bullet between his eyes."

The bluntness of his words stole the breath from your lungs.

A small, almost amused smile tugged at the corner of your lips. "That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?"

"No," Nanami said flatly. "Not extreme enough."

The weight of his words settled between you. He wasn’t posturing, wasn’t saying it to be dramatic. If the time ever came, you knew without a doubt that Nanami Kento would act. And that realization brought a strange warmth to your chest—comforting in a way you hadn’t expected.

You turned back to the row of dresses, running your fingers along the smooth fabric. "You won't have to."

Nanami didn’t respond right away. Then, in a voice lower than before, he asked, "Are you sure?"

You weren’t. Not really. But it wasn’t something you could admit—not here, not now.

So instead, you reached for a gown and held it up against you, tilting your head as if assessing the fit. "Tell me, Kento," you said, forcing a lightness into your tone. "Do I look like a bride?"

Nanami’s jaw tensed. His eyes swept over you, and for the briefest moment, something unreadable flickered across his face. Then, just as quickly, it was gone.

"You look like someone playing a role," he said finally.

You smiled, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. "Then I guess I'm doing it right."

Nanami said nothing more, but as you turned back to the mirror, you could feel his gaze lingering—watching, waiting, as though searching for something.

“His name is Hiromi Higuruma.”

“I know what his name is.”

You turned back to Kento, pursing your lips. What else do you know?”

Kento stood up, fixing the pips of his collar as he moseyed to the center of the room.

“He is the legally adopted son of Hideyoshi, his first lieutenant and law advisor. Started as a little miscreant when taken in by the Todo clan was but was deemed as too much trouble and handed over to Hideyoshi at 12 in an attempt to keep him out of trouble with the law.”

No response from you. He watched you out of the corner of his eyes as you decided to pretend that the bright orange fabric was more important than his words.

“You know I keep my hands clean. I prefer the life of being under the radar while I watch over you-”

“I’m not asking you to watch over me.” you snapped your neck, raising your voice while you marched towards him. “You and my parents seem to forget that I’m a grown ass woman who has done far more for myself than any of you combined.”

Kento didn’t react. He looked at you almost challenging you, unamused and unshaken by your attempt of being aggressive before sliding his phone out of his pocket and pressing it to his ear.

“Nanami.”

The person of the other end of the call spoke for all of a full minute before Kento hung up.

“Your soon to be husband is asking for you to come to the reception hall today at two thirty, You need to finalize the floral selections and have your lesson on the Sakazuki.”

“He has your number?”

“No.” he replied, “Itadori from your soon to be father in laws family. He has my number.”

You were even more confused now. “Why does he have your number? Isn’t that like, disloyal or something?”

“He is what keeps 3 of the confederated groups in contact with me.”

“The Higuruma’s aren’t a confederated family so why is he calling you.”

The left corner of Kento’s mouth lifted, “I believe people who don’t want anything to do with the ‘filthy work’ I do should worry about these things.” he booped your nose knowing you hated it and took a step back.

“Let me finish making my selections and I’ll be ready to head out.”

He fished out his keys and sighed. “No need to rush. He is sending a driver. Will be here in 20 minutes which means I need to be heading out now.”

While he didn’t necessarily need to be around, you wanted him to be. In the last few months since being told you were to marry and meeting your soon to be husband, you hadn’t had a chance to see Kento for longer than 10 minutes outside of a quick drop off or video call. Him being there while you finally got to make an actual decision in this whole arrangement felt like old times.

You missed the friendly banter.

“I suppose. Will I see you at the rehearsal dinner next week?”

“Your mother would have my head if I didn’t show up. I’ll be there.”

You leaned in and hugged him around his neck. “See you then. Drive carefully.”

He patted your back, “Of course.” He pulled back, gently pulling a coil of your hair before pulling away. “One last thing.”

Raising your brow you took a step back. “What?”

“Since you’re feeling bold today, the floral asymmetric boat neck dress or the floral jacquard ball gown by Talbot Runhof that you’ve picked out will really make you stand out as the don’t need anyone ‘grown ass woman’ who does it all for herself. Will be a classic look with a platform.”

The death stare you gave him finally made Kento crack a smile.

“Enjoy your floral picking.”

He bowed his head and made his way out of the boutique.

The car ride from the boutique was silent. The luxury vehicle hummed softly as the cityscape passed by, and though the plush seats were comfortable, you felt anything but at ease.

The destination was already known—Hiromi had arranged for you to visit the reception venue and finalize details. You weren’t thrilled, but compliance was the easiest route.

Upon arrival, the air was thick with the scent of fresh cut grass and flowers. You moved through the venue quickly, finding Hiromi in what you assumed to be the reception hall.

He stood in front of long table filled with a variation of bouquets lining every inch of the table, turning to smile as he heard you approach. His short sleeve polo perfectly cut off where his tattoos did, accentuating the leanness of his arms. “How was your dress shopping? Did you find anything you liked?”

The way he could smile and act as if this was natural made your stomach turn. But that inkling of understanding trickled in, this could very well be a show.

“It was fine. Found a few options. I had them take a few pictures of me trying some on so you could choose which one would be best on me for our reception.”

‘Be agreeable. Go against him and it will turn every conversation into a fight.’ the words rang in your mind as you reached for your phone.

Hiromi look bemused, like you spoke ill of his loved ones with what you said. “That won’t be necessary. You choose what you wear to the reception. I’m sure you’ve selected some great pieces. You’ll look stunning, I know it.”

Hiromi crossed his arms, rubbing his elbow as he looked back to the table. “I’ll admit I am a very basic person when it comes to the flowers I like. Sunflowers and lavender. So please, choose freely.”

Each of the premade arrangements had something in the you’d mentioned to him or something he learned from your mother about you. You began to rearrange them, plucking out the decorative filler flowers and creating what you wanted. It didn’t take long, you were in autopilot from his perspective. Ever observant, Hiromi noted your disinterest and lack of conversation but said nothing.

A shrine priest arrived soon after, stepping into the room with a reverence that made you stand a little straighter. Hiromi led the conversation, his voice even and respectful as he outlined the elements of the Shinto wedding ceremony to you when the priest gave him the floor—the purification rites, the exchange of vows, the three sips of sake symbolizing unity.

His explanation was detailed, precise, yet it washed over you like distant waves.

You listened, not because you cared, but because failure to do so would only cause more problems.

At some point, Hiromi’s voice cut through your quiet detachment as the priest flipped through his book. "Do you hate me?"

The priest hesitated, looking between you and Hiromi before quietly excusing himself, leaving you alone with Hiromi in the dimly lit hall.

You took a breath, turning to him, finally allowing the weight of your frustration, resentment, and exhaustion to surface. "Now isn’t the time for this.”

“When is the best time? After we’re living together? Do you hate me?” He asked again.

“What do you think?"

Hiromi did not flinch, nor did he seem particularly affected by the venom in your voice. Instead, he merely smiled, a small, knowing thing that only irritated you further.

"Go ahead," he spoke softly, folding his hands behind his back. "I’m not one to assume, say what you need to say."

You exhaled slowly, meeting his gaze. "Don’t know you well enough to hate. You’re just another name I was told to accept, another man deciding things for me. But if you want the truth, then no—I don’t hate you. I hate what you stand for. I hate what you do. I hate the ease with which you speak about all this, like it’s just another transaction, another deal to be struck between men who will never be the ones to suffer for it.”

You pressed your palms into the cold edge the table in front of you, your heart pacing faster than lightning as you tried to keep yourself in check.

“I hate that my father sleeps soundly while I am being handed off like some final desperate bid to secure his position and save his ass. I hate that my mother tells me to find peace in tradition when I have never had a say in it. I hate that I am expected to smile, to bow, to thank you for making this all seem so reasonable when none of it is. And more than anything, I hate that you can stand there, perfectly composed, while I’m the only one who seems to care that my life is no longer my own."

Silence settled between you like a drawn blade, sharp and heavy. Hiromi studied you, his expression unreadable.

Then, instead of anger or irritation, his lips curved into the faintest smile. "Go on," he said, voice as even as ever. "Say what else is on your mind."

And you did. You let the words spill out, no longer caring about composure or restraint. Every ounce of frustration, bitterness, and exhaustion laid bare between you. Through it all, Hiromi remained steady, neither defensive nor dismissive. He absorbed it, like a wall taking in the force of a storm.

When you finally fell silent, breath short and heart pounding, Hiromi only nodded. "Feel better?"

You hated that the answer was yes.

“If there is nothing else, we can wrap up for the day. I have our driver on standby and he can take you where you’d like to go next or take you home. You can finish familiarizing yourself with the ceremony without me. That may be best.”

It’s like your words fell on deaf ears. “That’s it? Nothing to add? No response to literally anything I’ve just told you?”

The faint grin that grew at the corners of his mouth made you want to punch him in his throat. He slipped a cigarette out of his breast pocket and began to walk towards the exit.

You followed close behind, angry all over again. “Fucking say something, Higuruma!”

Lighting the end, he inhaled deeply before turning to face you, making you jump as the door closing right behind you.

“No matter what I say, you are going to believe it is pure bullshit and go with your own narrative.” His dark gaze made the heat in your chest rise. “I am not one for trying to prove myself or anything to a person who believes they have me all figured out. But I am sincerely sorry.” He said contritely,

“I am sorry that I am what you have to deal with. If I had your father, I too would be miffed at the idea of being sent off to my own metaphorical slaughter for his own gain. It is not ideal.”

Nostrils flaring and eyes filling with ire, you immediately spat back. “I am not alone in being sent to slaughter. You were adopted into a life of this and face the butcher every fucking day of your life. What you think is love from the man you call Otousan is just a barbed shock collar that he has control of.”

Not a single emotion as he stared down at you. Not a single threatening signification as he turned his face to blow the smoke away from you. Just that neutral smile.

Sounds of a car coming to a stop crept up and your breath became shallow as Hiromi didn’t try to fill the silence with anything until the faint clacking of a shoe came into your hearing.

“Your driver is here. Hopefully you can stomach seeing me this evening at dinner.” Hiromi took a few paces back, giving you your personal space back and turned his attention to Yuji who smiled as he approached.

“Good afternoon, ma’am! Hiromi-san!”

“Afternoon Itadori-kun. How has the day been treating you? Enjoy your weekend off?”

The young man nodded, popping a piece of candy in his mouth as he stood in the center of you and Hiromi. “A day at the hot springs and hanging with a few friends is just what I needed. Thank you! You ready ma’am?”

“Yes. Thank you. Let me have just a quick moment with Mr. Higuruma then I’ll meet you at the car.”

Yuji nodded, slightly bowing before he turned, heading back to the car.

You waited until he was no longer in earshot range to speak.

“Whatever this charade is that you’ve got goin, you can cut it.” The space between you became smaller as you took a few paces forward. “Get real with me before we have an actual problem. If you’re going to try and make me feel comfortable just to pull the rug from under me, do it now.”

Hiromi nodded, nothing to verbalize. Instead, he extended his tongue and put his cigarette out on it. The searing filled the void of words, making your eyes go wide.

He threw the cigarette butt in the correct receptacle. “If there is nothing else, I will see you this evening for dinner. If you need to stop somewhere along the way, Itadori will be happy to stop for you.”

Without another word, he walked away, whistling a tune, blood boiling.

“This is becoming too much.”

Hiromi lied comfortably on his back on the tattoo table. He booked an appointment for a last minute “stress relief session” to finish his chest piece as he finalized wedding plans and you prepared to move into your new shared home.

“The girl? Higuruma, you’re stressing over something that can be easily remedied.” Hajime gruffed as he watched the tattooist meticulously moving the needles to work the ink into Hiromi’s skin.

"She doesn't listen, not really," Hiromi murmured, his voice steady despite the ongoing assault of the needle-riddened rod puncturing his skin. "She hears me, but she’s already decided what kind of man I am. What I’ll say. What I’ll do."

He was pissed. Pissed that he couldn’t grab you and make you listen to him. Irate that his lips couldn’t meet yours and take you right where you were to begin his apologies for being so unemotional and prudent around you. Pissed that your father didn’t allow you to meet him in a more organic way, the way he wanted.

That blurry picture was the second time he’d seen you.

The first was when you graduated from college. His father mentioned 3 families with daughters who were happy to marry within the year prior to your arrangement becoming a thing.

Too eager to flaunt the ring and the name. Too extroverted and willing to put him in positions to where he’d be fighting. Too hot headed like her father who loved to spill blood over minor inconveniences. Three options that would have him dead before he turned 40.

Then you. Detached from the life, cultured, called anyone out on their bullshit and didn’t go without having the last word if you could help it.

He knew he needed to meet you. Unfortunately, your father made it happen far sooner than Hiromi wanted.

The tattoo artist wiped his pec and Hiromi grunted. “She can’t even be in the same room as me without looking like she’s dreaming about being elsewhere.“

His tattooer worked carefully, etching new colors with a stroke while Hajime sat nearby, sipping from a glass of whiskey.

“She has to marry you because her father is bad at business and bad at keeping his cock tucked under his band like the rest of us. Can’t exactly blame the girl for wishing to be anywhere else.”

“I just want her to at least find me bearable. To be able to look me in my face and tell me that she wants me to go eat shit.”

Hiromi looked down at his chest to look over the progress. Streaks of blue were spread to his neck as the artist proceeded to fill in the waves and water drops. He closed his eyes, envisioning the look on your face when he couldn’t even muster up a response to just tell you how he felt. Not just about you, but about the life he was sorry you were about to be put into.

Hiromi exhaled through his nose, his jaw tightening for a moment before relaxing. "I don’t want her fear or her silence. I just want her to let me explain myself. Even if she hates what I say, I want her to actually listen."

Hajime raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. "Then make her listen."

Hiromi lifted his head, squinting one eye open as he looked at Hajime.”I’m going to let you finish your statement before I throw my glass at your head.”

“Just let it be what it is: arranged. Play it like you should and just get through the wedding. Get her home, set those rules then go find a girlfriend like the rest of us.”

Hajime bit into the piece of hard candy he had sitting in his jaw, crunching the bits before he finished. “You’ll be happier that way and she’s gonna find some unfortunate loser of a man to give her the attention she wants. The end.”

Hiromi loved his friends but Hajime was the scum of the earth when it came to women. 2 marriages and 3 illegitimate children who weren’t even with the wives. He started young and hadn’t changed.

Before Hiromi could respond, the front door creaked open.

Hajime stood up standing near the door frame and peaked around the corner before turning back to Hiromi with a cheshire grin on his face. “You’ve got business coming in.”

Hiromi signaled the artist to stop and he sat up on his elbows, seeing you round the corner.

You stepped inside the tatami room, oblivious to what you were walking into. Your eyes landed on Hiromi first—his bare skin, the expanse of ink that held a narrative you had never been privy to. The detailed dragon that wrapped around his abdomen, a blue Oni centered on his chest surrounded by waves. The flowing kanji dancing over snake scales, the symbols of loyalty and burden etched into him like a living testament to the life he led.

For the first time, your breath caught in your throat.

Hiromi turned his head slightly, catching the shift in your expression. His usual calm demeanor flickered with something unreadable before his lips quirked ever so slightly. "My apologies for not being decent.” He sat up on the side of the table. “Didn’t expect you to come by this house until the weekend.”

Y ou swallowed, forcing your gaze away from the mesmerizing display of ink. "I… didn’t know you’ d be here… I was dropping off some housewares I bought while out ."

Hajime chuckled, watching the silent exchange with amusement. "Looks like she’s finally seeing you properly, little brother."

Ignoring his friend's comment, Hiromi gestured toward an empty seat. "Sit. Stay. I won’t be much longer."

Your heart still unsteady from the image burned into your mind. The tattoos weren’t just art—they were a declaration, a history written into his skin. It’s almost as if it didn’t fit him. Now is not the time to try and humanize the man whose going to be deciding your every choice in two weeks.

You sat in the chair, hating to call yourself being in a daze, holding your bag in your lap, fidgeting as he laid back and continued on with his session.

His conversation on how he planned on having the foyer floors replaced with heated ones faded into the background for as you watched him practically melt and relax under the feeling of the needles depositing the color into his skin.

Watching his chest rise and fall had you breathing in sync with him. Only his arms free of the littered art works, veins thick and moving every-time he reached for his glass of gin.

“Do you think that will work for you? I’ll make sure you’re out of the house or at least up before the contractors gets started.”

He called your name and your gaze trailed back to his dark eyes.

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

He studied you for a moment the nodded. “Alright then. I’ll be finished in fifteen minutes then we can head out to dinner.”

For the first time since your engagement was decided, you felt curious about Hiromi. Curious enough that you needed to no more about him.

The restaurant was busy with quiet chatter as you settled into the large dining area near the back of the establishment. Your soon to be father-in-law asked you to choose a restaurant you’d like to have dinner as it would be the beginning of celebrating your “new life.”

The clinking of silverware against fine china seemed to underscore the tension that lingered at the table.

This was the first dinner since the explosive confrontation at the Higuruma family estate, and though the setting had changed, the undercurrents of unease remained the same.

Hiromi sat next to you at the head of the table, his expression composed as always, while your parents and his father exchanged polite conversation about the final details of the wedding. The rehearsal dinner menu had been chosen, the guest list confirmed, and yet, every word spoken felt like another step toward an inevitable future you wished to get away from.

You sighed, sipping your water before looking over to Hiromi. Finding his eyes on you.

“Uh.. you alright?” you asked softly.

He softened his jaw. “I will be once my father stops with the rounds of sake.”

Immediately understanding, you muffled a laugh and shook your head. “You and I both.”

Hiromi’s father waved to grab his attention and there he was being drawn into the ever flowing conversation.

You listened, nodding when expected, offering short responses when prompted. Hiromi’s father, ever the strategist, subtly dominated the conversation, ensuring everything proceeded as planned.

“I think we have successfully completed planning. I will stop by the venue tonight to make sure it will be unavailable in the days leading up to the ceremony and everything should be squared away.”

Your father followed suit, acting the part of a dutiful and mindful partner in this arrangement, while your mother carefully curated her expressions, ensuring they reflected only approval and grace.

Hiromi, however, remained focused—not just on the conversation, but on you. His gaze wavering toward you often, noting the stiffness in your posture, the way your fingers curled against your lap under the table when they weren’t lightly tapping at the stem of the crystal glass in front of you.

Then, just as the evening seemed to settle into a predictable rhythm, another presence shifted the atmosphere.

His entrance was unhurried, his steps measured as he approached the table. His presence alone commanded attention, but it was the moment his eyes found yours that the air seemed to shift.

You smiled and fought to stand while Kento went to shake your fathers hand then Hideyoshi’s before bowing his head ever so lightly to Hiromi.

Hiromi leaned back slightly, his gaze sharpening as he took in the man now standing beside your mother. There was no history between them, no past grievances or shared memories, but Hiromi had done his research. He knew who Kento was—knew his connection to you, knew why he was here.

The moment was brief, but potent. A silent assessment passed between the two men, unreadable to the rest of the table yet palpable to you.

Kento’s expression remained neutral as he inclined his head. "I hope I’m not interrupting. I was sent with gifts and a message to the Higuruma’s from Todo and his companions."

Your father, eager to maintain control of the situation, gestured toward the empty seat beside you. But not before Hideyoshi spoke up.

“Mr. Nanami! A welcoming surprise. Haven’t seen you since you took second lieutenant from Kusakabe. Join us."

Hiromi’s lips curved slightly—not quite a smile, but something knowing. Kento sat next to you and ruffled your hair.

“I hope there’s enough wine. I need a pick me up after that highway congestion I sat in.”

In Hiromi’s eyes, the night had just become far more interesting. He reached over, sticking his right hand out for Kento to shake. Intentional.

Kento accepted it with a weak, limp shake. Holding eye contact as he introduced himself. Also intentional.

“Nanami Kento. Your fiances’ friend and security when she isn’t in the know.”

“Higuruma Hiromi. Seems we’ll have to get you on payroll then.” An almost cheerful grin plastered itself on Hiromi’s face as he took his hand back.

Kento pulled a handkerchief from his internal breast pocket and wiped his hand. ‘Not necessary. Too many payrolls and people begin to think they own you.”

“Noted.”

_________

The incessant buzzing from your phone vibrating against the nightstand broke the silence of your moonlit bedroom. You hesitated for a moment before picking it up, the name 'Hiromi' glowing on the screen.

"Hello?"

His voice was calm, steady. "Did you make it home alright?"

You exhaled softly, shifting under the covers. "Yeah, I did."

There was a pause, not awkward but contemplative. "Good. Just wanted to make sure. Things were smoother than I expected. Tonight felt... manageable."

You let out a small chuckle, a breath of something close to relief. "That's one way to put it."

"I meant it," he continued, his voice softer now. "I’ll see you in the morning. Breakfast and the final ring fitting."

You wanted to bring up Kento but even you couldn’t figure out just why he couldn’t wait to bring these gifts to Hideyoshi.

Instead, you nodded, even though he couldn't see you. "Alright."

Another pause, longer this time, before he finally said, "Rest well and pleasant dreams."

"You too."

The call ended with a quiet click, and as you placed your phone back down, you couldn't shake the lingering warmth in his simple gesture.

Meanwhile, across the city, Hiromi sat at his desk, eyes scanning his laptop screen. The glow from the screen defined his face as he scrolled through the files he had gathered.

Information on Kento Nanami flashed before him—his current associates, his family ties, and most importantly, his connections beyond what was publicly known.

He hovered over a particular name, the cursor blinking as if waiting for a decision to be made before he clicked and a face he hadn’t seen in years popped up.

Hiromi leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.

"Interesting."

Hiromi picked up his cigarette and exhaled. “Seems our honeymoon will be to the states. How fun, Usami.”

[criticallyacclaimedstranger]

Sprout [Pero Tovar x f!reader]

Read on AO3

Sequel to Seed.

Fandom: The Great Wall

Ships: Pero Tovar x f!reader

Tags/warnings: Pregnancy, pregnancy kink, pregnant sex, dirty talk, some angst and fighting but also making up with more sex, labor, you get it. Soft Pero!

Words: 5,999

Summary: After trying long and hard, you are finally pregnant. Pero is delighted, but now begins a time of waiting and fussing and, well, lots of sex. That's the plot.

When you finally become pregnant, you know it immediately.

It is eerie, almost magical, the way you just feel something take root in your womb. Not the presence of a person, but just something new, something growing. It is early morning, you awake before Pero, last night’s coupling still a warm, sticky memory on your skin along with his breath, his limbs so tightly wound around yours. You mean to rouse him with kisses and caresses, but then you feel it, and you just know. A blissful smile spreading on your face, you decide to relish this feeling for as long as you can, and so you just stay still and quiet, one hand on your lower abdomen. When Pero eventually stirs, hands and lips starting to claim you, you gently peel them off of you.

“I’m sore,” you whisper to him, accepting a chaste kiss on your lips.

“I’m sorry, my love.”

“Don’t be. I just need a rest.”

He pecks your lips again before releasing you to start the day. You hear him use the chamber pot, and when he comes back into the bedroom, he stops and looks at you, brows drawn together.

"What?" you ask.

"You look different."

"Do I?" You can feel heat rise to your cheeks, but in the same moment you decide not to tell him, not just yet. You want to be sure, live with this new presence by yourself for a couple of days.

"Yes."

He grabs his shirt and trousers, pulling them on while regarding you. You shrug innocently.

"Don't know what it would be."

That was all for that morning.

You tell him about a week later. The feeling of attachment deep within you had not diminished, and you have become more confident that it is real. During the entire week, you have gently turned down Pero's advances, citing tiredness and aches. Pero may be a loving husband, but he does not keep track of your monthly bleeding, and so he seems to have accepted that it's your time of the month, and been content with sweet caresses and kisses.

It's evening when you tell him. You're sitting together outside the house, facing the back garden. Surrounded by fragrance in the dying light, listening the first cicadas of the night starting the concertos, you feel that it is the right time to tell him.

"Husband," you start, lifting your head from his shoulder and facing him. "There is something I need to tell you."

His features are immediately painted with a wariness, like he is expecting bad news. Your sweet warrior husband, always ready for life to be full of hardships. You give him a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing bad, I promise."

"Then what is it?" he barks, hand squeezing yours like he's afraid you are going to get up and leave.

"I'm with child."

His eyebrows shoot up, leaving his eyes round and wide open, just like his mouth.

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," you giggle now, his reaction too amusing not to cause you mirth. "I am certain, Pero, that you are going to be a father."

His face is as raw as it was on your wedding day, the joy shaving years off his scarred features. He raises your hand to his lips and kisses your knuckles before pressing your hand to his heart, and then his lips are on yours. You feel him tremble a little, from nerves, happiness, or excitement you don't know, but you pull him in for the kiss, and he relaxes in your arms.

He carries you inside and lays you on the bed, never stopping to kiss you until he has to, in order to pose a question.

"Can we...?"

"I think we can," you answer breathlessly before pulling him in for more kisses. Pero needs no further permission: he lays down over you, stealing your breath away with him kisses before sitting up to get you undressed. When you're naked before him, he leans down to trail soft kisses over your belly.

"My child," he murmurs, looking up at you, eyes shining. "You will take care of my child, won't you?"

"You know I will," you promise, shivering from the goosebumps of pleasure induced by Pero's bristly skin.

"And I will take care of you, wife," he vows, trailing light kisses down between your legs, which fall open to accommodate him.

He’s more gentle than usual, more perceptive of your mewls, the way your legs twitch, your grip on the sheets. It may not be his intention, but he ends up tormenting you even more with his slowness. It is a stark contrast to the frantic fucking of the past few weeks. His seed, shot inside you on a daily basis, has finally taken root, and he seems determined to nourish that little sapling as best he can. Even if that means teasing you at the brink of release until you’re sobbing.

“Pero…!” You’re writhing, trying to push yourself against his mouth for the relief you need, but his arms tighten around your thighs, rendering your lower body immovable.

“Hush,” he admonishes you in a thick whisper. “You have to relax, my darling, you can’t get overexcited.”

You press the back of your head into the pillow and run your fingers through your hair.

“Please,” you whisper desperately, “please, Pero, I can’t bear it any longer.”

You know he’s smiling from the curve of his lips against your sensitive inner thighs, and then he finally takes mercy on you. The orgasm feels stronger than usual, maybe due to the prolonged, sweet torture, or because of your condition. When Pero presses a kiss to your inner thigh, you almost kick him, your legs coming together to seal in the pulses in your pussy, and you turn over onto your side to get away. He lets you be for a moment, hearing from your breathy moans that you are unharmed, but he soon takes a gentle grip of your arm, and makes you roll onto your back again.

“My love,” he hums, dipping down to brush his lips over yours. “Are you well?”

“Yes,” you manage, and that works as enough of a reassurance for him to press his lips to yours. The kiss is sweet enough, but you sense the urgency in him, and his cock is hard and leaking against your thigh.

“Come to me, husband,” you mumble, opening your legs anew. Pero is instantly between them, guiding his cock into you. He slides in easily enough as he lays down over you, and you brace yourself for his usual brand of frenzy. He does, however, stay still, sheathed deeply inside you, as he cradles your face and kisses you. You are full of him, so full, and yet you want more, so you raise your hips to urge him to move.

“Patience, my love,” he reprimands you gently, kissing your forehead before moving his hips only enough to be able to push them into your again. “We have time.”

“I need you,” you pout, happy with how it makes him swallow hard.

“I know, wife, and you shall have me every single day, but we need to be careful. “ Another thrust, slow but so deep, makes you whimper. “We will make sure that the baby grows big and strong.” He thrusts again and your nails press into his back. “I will make sure that you are satisfied, my love, and that our baby is happy as it grows inside you.” One more thrust has you running your nails down his back. Hissing, he punishes you with a stab of his cock right up against your womb, and when you bare your throat to him, he dives down to suck his love marks into your skin. His hips move with more insistence now as he fucks you bruising deep, and when he releases his seed into you, he whimpers in a way you have never heard before. Your arms wrapped around him, you pull him down over you, forcing him to stay inside of you for as long as he’s hard. When he finally rolls off of you, he whispers his I love you first into your ear, then to your belly.

A couple of weeks later, you have your first morning of being sick. Pero had taken to a morning routine of greeting both you and your belly with kisses and caresses, but he barely touched you before you fly out of bed, barely making it to the slop bucket in the kitchen before your stomach turns inside out.

Pero hovers behind you, unsure how to help you as you retch into the bucket, but when you rise and wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, he’s there to embrace you, combing your hair away from your face.

“Are you done?”

“I think so,” you tell him weakly, and he carries you back to bed and tucks you in before bringing you water. He then proceeds to building a fire, and making breakfast that he brings in to you.

“You don’t have to fuss,” you tell him, a little embarrassed at his extreme measures. “I’m perfectly capable of making us breakfast.”

“You need rest,” he tells you with a finality that you have never heard from him before. “Take it easy. You work so hard already.”

“No harder than you.”

“When I’m not escorting caravans, I don’t do much. Now eat, if you can stomach it.”

You can, and you’re suddenly ravenous.

After breakfast, you take your basket and go down to the marketplace to do your daily shopping, and when you return to find Pero outside the house, brushing down the horse, you sigh deeply as you put down the basket.

“Well, everybody knows now.”

“Knows what?” Pero asks, resting one hand on the horse’s strong neck. The warm sun has already turned his hairline damp, and he’s squinting against the light. You give him a what do you think? look, and he nods.

“I threw up the second I smelled fish,” you tell him, the sour taste still fresh in your mouth. “We’re having meat for the time being, husband.”

He shrugs, not having a preference one way or the other.

“Suits me fine. Are you well?”

“I’m fine.” You pick up the basket again and kiss his cheek, careful not to exhale what with your breath being so foul. “I’ll go in, put all this away.

“Leave the basket, I’ll carry it inside when I’m done with the horse.”

“I can do it, it’s not heavy.”

He glares at you then, clearly unhappy, but you kiss his cheek again.

“Don’t worry, Pero.”

But he does worry. And his worry grows with each day that starts with you throwing up. You are not showing, and the only sign of your condition, to him, is you being sick. He can’t feel what you feel, the presence inside you, although he tries every night, digging deep and slow into you until you’re begging him to cum because you can’t take it anymore.

That worry culminates one afternoon when he catches you carrying water from the well in your garden.

“Just what the hell do you think you are doing?” he glowers at you as you step in, burdened with one bucket in each hand. You stare at him, not even understanding what he’s talking about.

“What do you mean?”

“You shouldn’t be carrying something so heavy!”

“Pero – “

“You need to be more careful.” He makes it sound like you have been living irresponsibly, and it makes you furious because he has never spoken to you like this before. That scowl of his would scare anyone else in the village, but not you. You simply put down the buckets, your hands coming to your hips as you scowl right back.

“Now you listen to me, Pero Tovar! I am not frail, I am not ill, I am able to perform my chores! I may be pregnant, I may not be able to keep my breakfast, but there is nothing about my state that is abnormal!”

He seems a little taken back with your response but collects himself quickly.

“You should be resting more,” he insists, “and you getting this upset isn’t good for you, either.”

“I am not getting upset, you are making me upset!” you snap, heat rising to your cheeks. “I am doing fine and I would be doing even better if you weren’t so hell-bent on making me feel like I was dying!”

“It is precisely to stop you from dying that I am being so protective!” he bites back. You clearly hit a nerve there, and you’re angry enough to keep pinching it.

“So I cannot carry water during the day, but you can nail me to our bed every night?” you spit. “That’s a very strange way of protecting me, is it not?”

His jaws move, like he’s screaming something new at you, but then he casts down his eyes, his frown still prominent and neck muscles bulging. You cross your arms in front of your chest, waiting for his next move, but he just mutters something before storming out. You stare at the closed door, not expecting his departure. Pero has not survived by backing away from a fight.

You go on doing your chores, your blood coming down from its boil, and by the time supper is on the table, Pero returns. He stands by the door, leaning against it like he’s unsure that he’s welcome, but you gesture silently at his customary seat at the table, so he comes and sits down. You serve the food, you both eat it, and not until your plates are empty does Pero clear his throat.

“I’m sorry for earlier.”

You meet his soft gaze, seeing the regret – but also fear.

“Husband,” you whisper, but he shakes his head.

“I’m so afraid of losing you, my love.”

“I know.”

“I have never had anything as… good, and beautiful, as you, and the thought of losing you…”

“I know, my love,” you nod. You know this fear, but you have not known the same hard life as Pero has, and that helps you in not being ruled by that fear.

“Losing both you and our baby…”

“But you won’t,” you cut him off, softly but with conviction.

“You don’t know that. There is so much that can go wrong.”

“I don’t know that, no. I just believe it. I believe we will be okay in the end.” You reach your hand across the table, and Pero takes it. “Can’t you believe with me?”

A small, hopeful smile lights up his face. “I’ll try.”

Leaving everything on the table, you take him to bed. As you undo his belt, the belt pouch falls to the floor, and you hear the clinking of glass.

“Fuck,” Pero grunts. “I forgot.”

He bends down to pick up the pouch, pulling two bottles from it. He exhales in relief when discovering that they’re not broken.

“What are those?” you want to know, eyeing the two bottles, one larger, the other no bigger than Pero’s thumb.

“I went to the midwife,” he tells you, rolling the small bottle between his fingers. “She says that a couple of drops of this on your tongue every morning will help with your vomiting.”

You pick up the bottle and pull out the cork. The sunny, sweet smell of oranges wafts out. You quirk a brow and look at Pero, who shrugs.

“It’s worth trying, don’t you think?”

“It is.” You put the cork back and close your fingers over the bottle. “Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“It’s been hard for me to see you be so sick,” he confesses, hand coming to a soft rest on your waist. “It doesn’t seem fair.”

“It’s not so bad, husband,” you assure him. “It’s just in the mornings, and it’s not going to last.”

“I hope the tincture will help.”

“If not, you have another bottle?”

“Oh.” Pero holds up the bigger bottle, as if he had forgotten about it. “This is not medicine.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s oil for your belly,” he explains, and now his gaze turns soft. “The midwife said that as your belly begins to grow, the skin often turns dry. This is to help with that.”

You smile, your hand coming up to his bristly cheek.

“That’s so sweet of you, Pero.”

“I promise I’ll rub it onto you every night, starting now,” he vows with a mischievous little smile, and you giggle.

“I’m not showing yet!”

“The midwife said it’s important to start before the skin begins to stretch, so would you please take your clothes off, wife, and lie down on the bed.”

You laugh, but it’s not you who ends up lying on the bed, it’s Pero.

“You’ve been so good to me,” you purr, sitting astride him and teasing his cock hard by rubbing your cunt against it. “Let me take care of you now, husband.”

“Yes,” he swallows hard, “my love, please.”

You kiss the wet tip of his cock, nip at the head, trail the veins down his length with your tongue, make him whine and writhe and come apart for you. You give him only a moment to catch his breath before you take his cock in your hand and stroke it to keep it hard. Pero inhales with a hiss.

“Oh, fuck, careful…!”

“I am being careful,” you promise as you keep your touch light. “I just need to make sure that you are able to service me, husband.”

“Always,” he chokes as you sit astride him.

“My cunt is hungry for your big cock, my love.”

“Oh, please… please… ahhh!” You sink down on him, your wet cunt splitting open but taking all of him, your lower lip caught between your teeth as you exhale in a loud moan. Your eyes have closed involuntarily, and when you open them, you see Pero looking up at you with awe in his eyes.

“I love you,” he whispers, and you bend down to kiss him.

“I love you, too.”

His hands splay over your lower abdomen. “And I love you.”

You kiss him again and start to move your hips. Your love life has been less frantic since you became pregnant, but it is not lacking in passion. Your slow, meticulous grind reflects that, and when Pero reaches for the oil bottle next to him on the bed, you sit up straight and let him rub the oil onto your skin.

“You are so beautiful,” he sighs as he circles his rough hand over your soft stomach. “And you will be even more beautiful when you start to show.”

“Will I”? you coax him, and he nods.

“I want you to ride me like this when you’re big and round, wife.” His voice drops, and the way it drips hot honey down your spine makes you clench. “I want you to take your pleasure from me likes this when you’re so big that you can hardly move, and your tits are leaking milk.”

“And if I can’t?” you breathe. His eyes are molten coal when he stares at you.

“Then I will help you.”

With that, he slides hand to where your bodies come together. His oiled fingers dance easily on your nub, and with his help, you ride him home, taking his load deep into your slick, warm cunt.

Your nausea does not bother you as much the following morning. Pero credits it to the tincture but you know that something has shifted in your relationship, become easier and more earnest.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go.”

You squeeze Pero’s arm against your side. “It’s a little too late for that now.”

“I can still tell them – “

“They need you,” you remind him. “So many people depend on you.”

“You are the most important one of all of them,” he points out, stopping in the middle of the street and turning to you. His free hand, the one that’s not holding the reigns of the horse, comes to rest on your slightly rounded belly. “You, and the little one.”

“It’s only a week.” You cup his cheek, stroke your thumb over his lips. “It’s not a long time. You’ll make good money, and I promise that I’ll rest.”

He raises his brows, and you laugh at his skepticism.

“I promise!” you hold up your hand to your chest. “I promise, Pero, you know you can trust my word, right?”

“I know,” he nods, now smiling, before dipping down to kiss you softly. The horse snorts, and Pero ends the kiss with a quick peck on your lips, before you once again take his arm, and walk to the town square where the caravan is getting ready to leave. Pero was early on asked to provide security for it, and even though he was loathe to leave you for an entire week, both of you knew he would. Winter is on its way, trading will come to a stop, and he will be free to spend the rest of your time at home.

You nod at familiar faces when you reach the square, but soon have only eyes for Pero as he takes you in his arms. You expect admonition and reprobation, but only receive whispered assurances of his love for you.

“You will take care of yourself, won’t you?” he finally asks, when the caravan leader is announcing departure. You give him a naughty smile.

“Take care of myself how…?”

He grins back. “You know how. I left you the oil, and the memory of me.”

“My own fingers are nothing compared to you, my love.”

“As my hand is a meagre substitute for your warm, wet cunt,” he breathes against your ear. There is time for a hot yet subdued kiss, and a quick caress of your belly, before Pero has to mount his horse. He blows you a kiss and is off.

The week passes slowly and uneventfully. It rains a lot, which means you keep mostly indoors, and it makes you a little restless. The baby is restless as well; you feel it twitching and floundering almost every hour that you are awake. It is a comfort, knowing that you are not alone, but you still miss Pero.

It is late night when he returns. You are already in bed but the sounds of the wagons returning to the village draws you out of bed. You pull a shawl around your shoulders, but don’t get dressed, loath to leave the warmth of the house to go out into the late autumn chill. It does not take long before Pero rides into the yard, dismounting midstride when you come out onto the doorstep. He rushes to you, lips on yours before he’s even wrapped his arms around you. His lips are cold but his breath is warm, and his body fits to yours perfectly, shielding you from the cold.

“Are you well?” are his first words to you.

“We are both well, husband. How about you? How was the journey?”

“Uneventful. I am unharmed.”

He falls to his knees, hands tracing the roundness of your stomach through the nightgown before pressing a kiss to it.

“Hello, little one.”

You feel the baby move, and then a powerful jerk. Pero flinches, then looks up at you, mouth open.

“Was that…?”

“Yes,” you smile, hand coming to cup the top of his head. “That was our baby, my love, saying welcome home.”

“Was it really?”

You nod, your smile growing wider as you watch Pero stare at your clothed belly, hand circling it in search of another kick. A light breeze sweeps across the yard, and you shudder.

“Let’s go inside, husband.”

He has to put away the horse first, so you prepare a small supper while you wait for him to come in. When he finally does, he forgoes any food, instead taking you to bed. Balls deep in you and kissing your breath away, he tells you over and over again how much he loves you.

Winter slows down the entire village, although you feel slower than ever before with each passing week. Your belly grows, and with it your tiredness. Your feet hurt, your hips hurt, you back hurts, you feel clumsy, and you're hungry all the time. Pero takes all your griping in stride, helping you with your heavier chores that you finally relinquish to him. He rubs your belly and breasts with oil every night, and pleasures you with his mouth, fingers, and cock every time you ask for it – which varies from day to day. Some days you cannot have enough of him, others you can barely stand the thought of sleeping with him. Your patient husband takes no offense at your ever-changing mood.

You realize very soon that you have been incredibly lucky in your choice of husband – not that you didn’t know that before, of course. When going to the marketplace and meeting the village women, your growing belly gives you a new role in the group. The younger women titter, the older give advice or tell crude jokes that make you blush.

“Glowing skin, hazy eyes,” one comments one morning by the vegetable stand, “and him looking like the king of the world. Neither one of you goes wanting, that’s for sure.”

Your cheeks heat up. The comment is spoken without malice, and in a pleased tone, but it feels like the speaker had direct access to your bedroom that morning, seen you come apart on Pero’s cock, witnessed him fuck his cum deep inside you.

You mumble something, and the older woman chuckles.

“I’ve had five, and my husband serviced me with all five of them. A father’s seed will make the baby grow strong. Your child will be born big and healthy, I can see that.”

The baby moves in your belly, bringing a smile to your face. You look up at the woman, see her friendly face, and thank her, before slinking away and finding Pero at another stand. He takes the basket from you, offers you his arm, and you walk home together. As you put away your purchases in the kitchen, Pero breathes life back into the fire, and you sink down onto a chair with a sigh. He runs his gaze over you, a frown on his face.

“Are you okay, my love?”

“Just a little tired,” you promise as you rub your belly. The baby kicks against your hand before settling down, maybe to sleep. You look at your husband, crouching by he fire, and clear your throat.

“Pero?”

“Yes?”

“Do the men in the village talk about… pregnancy?”

He looks up at you again. “What do you mean?”

“The women – “

“Women talk a lot of rubbish,” he scoffs, and you grimace at his dismissal of your sex.

“Sorry,” he immediately apologizes, and you glare at him to let him know that he is only barely being let off the hook. “Tell me, my love, what do they say?”

“They talk about pregnancy, how the baby is carried, what sex it probably is, cravings, pains, aches… and intimacy. And I was wondering if men do the same.”

Pero directs his attention to the fire for a moment.

“They do speak of the pregnancy, but more of the children once they are born,” he tells you softly. “They speak of what it is to watch a child grow, how to provide for it, the way you worry about it all the time.”

“But nothing of the pregnancy?” you press, and he shoots you a teasing smile.

“A little, but only things I will not repeat to you.”

“Pero, I am no dainty little thing that you have to protect!” you roll your eyes, and Pero laughs before putting another log on the growing fire, then closing the hatch.

“I do know that, wife,” he acknowledges. Coming to his feet, he walks over to you, and sinks to his knees before you.

“I will tell you what they say,” he rumbles, his deep voice making your heart skip a beat. “Many of them speak of wives who become voracious when heavy with child.”

His hands, warm and large, rest softly on your knees, and start to carefully separate your thighs. You lick your lips quickly, leaving your mouth open as your breath turns heavier.

“They speak of wives who crave cock every single day.” Pero lifts your skirt up, leaning in to kiss the inside of your thigh. “They say that fucking a pregnant wife is the best feeling in the world.” He presses another bristly kiss to your sensitive skin. “To fill her already full womb even more…” Another kiss. “To have her sensitive cunt wrapped around your cock… how she mewls underneath you as you fuck your seed into her… it is heaven.”

He looks up at you, eyes dark, a smug smirk on his lips. “And they are right.”

“Pero,” you beg breathlessly, your cunt dripping from his words, your body ablaze for his touch.

“Come here, my love.”

He pulls you down on the floor, and you help him undo his trousers to get his cock out. Crouching astride him, feet firmly planted on the floor, you sink down his length, Pero supporting you with strong arms, even he can no longer reach around you. You ride him with impatience, one hand on his shoulder, the other gripping his leg behind you, your lips on his lips, his neck, his shoulder.

“My love,” he gasps, “take what you need from me, use me, just like that, use my cock…”

You whine before baring your throat and hanging your head back, chest out, Pero dipping down to suck a leaking nipple into his mouth. You moan as your body is in spasms from the sweet release, and Pero plants a hand on the floor behind him, and thrusts up into you, grunting with effort as he seeks his own climax. You encourage him with moaned filthy words of your own, choked out as he slams into you, again and again, until he grips your buttock hard to keep you still on his cock, and you feel him fill up your core.

He lays down on the floor after, pulling you down next to him to give you a sweet kiss.

“My darling wife,” he sighs before kissing you again.

“My darling husband,” you smile, a satisfied shudder running through you as his seed oozes out between your swollen lips. “I am utterly disheveled. I won’t be able to show myself at the sewing circle later today.”

“Good,” he yawns, pulling you closer. “It is a husband’s duty to keep his wife disheveled with his love.”

“I cannot argue with that,” you giggle, and he kisses you yet again.

It starts in the early hours of the darkest winter morning. You wake up from a sharp pain, and before you’re properly awake, you realize that your nightgown is soaking wet. As you sit up to light a candle, another stab of pain makes you whimper, and you drop the fire striker. Pero stirs and reaches for you, only to be awake and sitting straight almost immediately.

“It has started,” you whisper. “I’m all wet. Pero, light a candle.”

He does as he’s told, and you throw the covers to the side, finding that your water has broken. No blood, as you secretly feared, but only water.

“I’ll get the midwife,” Pero tells you resolutely, but you can hear the worry in his voice. “My love, are you in very much pain?”

“Not too much,” you reassure him, getting out of the bed as he springs up to get dressed. You pull your shawl over your shoulders and start walking around, as the women of the village have told you to do. The pains come in sharp stabs, but they’re manageable.

Pero looks desolate to leave you, but you wave him off with a smile and a kiss.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, just go get her.”

When the midwife arrives, she gives you a quick examination before shaking her head.

“Go back to bed,” she tells both of you. “It’s going to be another day or even two before it starts, so get all the rest you can.”

“Are you sure?” Pero demands in his most imposing voice. The midwife does not even blink as she collects her things.

“Make her as comfortable as you can.” She turns to you. “Rest but walk around every chance you get. And if something seems amiss, come get me again.”

She takes her leave, and Pero grumbles about the lack of sympathy. You, however, have heard a lot more about labor, so you just shake your head at him.

“Help me change the sheets, husband, and come to bed. You heard what she said.”

“You are in pain!”

“It’s not so bad anymore,” you tell him truthfully, and start to strip the wet sheets from the bed. Loath to have you do it by yourself, Pero comes to help you, giving him something else to think about. When you’re back in bed, embraced and sleepy yet too nervous to rest, he caresses the roundness of your belly.

“I can’t wait to meet our baby,” he whispers to you.

“I feel the same.”

“What are you hoping for? A boy or a girl?”

“I don’t care,” you yawn, “as long as it’s healthy. Any child that is half you is going to be perfect.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you.”

Late in the following night, the contractions change, become more intense and frequent. You send Pero to the midwife again, and this time she stays. You have prepared during the day so there are linens and boiled water to be had. Pero is dismissed from the bedchamber, and you see that he wants to fight the midwife on that decision, but you just shake your head at him, and he heeds your wish. But when the midwife tells you that you are crowning, that the baby is coming, and the contractions are sucking all the strength from your muscles, you scream for your husband. He nearly takes the door off its hinges as he barges in, all but brandishing the sword he has not touched since his last caravan. He takes your hand between his and kisses it.

“My love,” he breathes, “my strong, beautiful wife. You can do it, I know you can.”

Your baby is born with a few pushes, and the first scream that cuts through the night makes your tears fall.

“You have a son,” the midwife announces as she wraps up the baby and puts it on your chest.

“A son,” you repeat, not really understanding the words.

“I have a son,” Pero mumbles, his voice thick. You glance up at him, but he is only looking at the baby.

“Pero…”

“I have a son.”

Suddenly, he spurts out of the room, leaving you to stare after him, mouth agape. You hear the front door slam open, and then Pero bellowing into the night:

“I have a son!”

You chuckle, tears streaming down your cheeks, and when Pero returns, his eyes are shining as well.

“My love,” he whispers. “My love. My life. I love you so much.”

You can’t speak, this is all too much, you are exhausted and hurting and happy and sweaty and bursting with joy. As the midwife retires to the kitchen, Pero lays down next to you, cradling the baby in your arms.

“My son,” he whispers, his voice thick. “We have a son, my love.”

“We do.”

“I will always take care of him, and of you, this I promise you.”

“You already do, my love,” you smile, and Pero kisses first your forehead, then the baby’s.

[otomehonyaku]

Diabolik Lovers More,More Blood Vol. 12 Ruki ☽ 7Net/Stellaworth Tokuten CD ☽ Monopolising Her

Original title: 彼が貴女を独り占めするCD Voiced by Sakurai Takahiro English translation by @otomehonyaku Click here for the audio (kindly provided by @karleksmumskladdkaka!)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Please do not reuse or post my translations elsewhere or translate my work into other languages without my permission.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I took a little break from translating this past week but I'm back at it again ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡ Thank you to @otomeheroines for suggesting this tokuten to me! It was pretty cute and now I know the Japanese words for stuff like 'chlorine' and 'limescale' lol

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

00:00 Hey. I’m coming in. You still aren’t ready? If we don’t start soon, we won't be done in time. Hurry up.

[You’re surprised.]

I’m shocked. Don’t you know what day it is today? I told you well in advance. It’s our once-in-a-month big cleaning day. Though I assume you could tell by the mop and dust cloth I’m holding. You sure are thickheaded. Anyway, I bought a new mop. Our previous one was getting pretty old, and I got this one on sale for quite the bargain.

[Ruki shows you the mop.]

It’s pretty suitable, don’t you think?

[You mope a little.]

What’s that? I can’t hear you. Alright, well, you know the plan now. Hurry up with your preparations and follow me. I left Yuma and the others in charge of the groceries. The two of us will do the cleaning.

[You feel that it’s a daunting task.]

It’s not that big of a deal, is it? It’ll be alright if we do it together. Well then, let’s start with the kitchen.

01:22 [Ruki is scrubbing something.]

Great, the grease is coming off quite nicely.  I’ll take care of the ventilation fan, you do the sink.

[The two of you clean side by side.]

You’re a dimwit most of the time, but you do come in handy with simple tasks like this. I don’t even have to order you around. I see no harm in you lending me a hand, I’ll give you that.

[You ask him whether you still have enough cleaning supplies.]

Yeah, I restocked the citric acid and baking soda.  They’re on the bottom shelf, so use whatever you need. Just make sure to ventilate the room when you use chlorine detergent. And don’t forget to use latex gloves, too.

[You make a face.]

What’s that face for? You look like you have something to say.

[You tell him he’s a professional.]

That’s all?  Those are the absolute basics when it comes to cleaning. I’m not asking for your praise. But… you could say I’ve got the fundamentals down. Citric acid works well against limescale. Baking soda is good against grease stains. And neutral detergent is good for a lot of things, too. Chlorine, however, could react with other products and release toxic gases.  So you should avoid it coming in contact with acidic liquids at all costs. You would think this is just common sense.

[You’re getting frustrated.]

02:50 Stop complaining so much. I don’t remember the first time I heard these things, but I learned a lot about cleaning from a women’s magazine.  It had an article on year-end cleaning.

[You ask him why he would read a women’s magazine.]

Don’t misunderstand. I ran out of books to read, so I ended up getting it for the sake of it. I was desperate for just about any printed text. But come to think of now, it was pretty informative. It’s not so bad to learn things you can apply directly in your daily life. Besides, the magazine was a worthwhile read.  The articles it had on making dishes out of leftover vegetables were interesting as well.

[You tell him he reminds you of a housewife.]

03:30 Watch your mouth when you speak to your master. What about me makes you think of a housewife?

[You tell him you meant it as a compliment.]

Heh. And that would be a compliment how, exactly? Explain it in a way that satisfies me.

[You tell him his future wife must be happy that Ruki is so good at housework.]

Oh… you are so naive. Where did you get that idea from? That if I got married, my wife would be the happiest on the planet? You’re thinking in extremes. Let’s say that I would become someone’s husband.  If I did all the housework, that would certainly make my wife’s life much easier. But then again, that’s not all there is to happiness, is there? If my wife simply left all of the housework to me, she would spiral into depravity herself. She wouldn’t be able to live without me. Then again, there’s a certain charm in keeping a pet beyond its useful life (1), but unfortunately, I refuse to take someone like that as my wife.

[You wonder whether that statement includes you.]

Well, no, that’s out of the question. I don’t think you’re that dependent on me. We divide the housework equally and we both benefit from it. That’s not bad, is it?

04:55 Why are we even talking about this? Leave the talk about our futures for now. Come on, let’s put those hands to work again.

[You continue cleaning.]

[To himself] Good grief, that was uncalled for. But a future with her… If I’d be permitted to share my life with her, and the two of us could support one another, that would not be so bad either.

[You ask him what he was saying.]

No, it’s nothing–don’t mention it (2). After I finish the ventilation fan, I’ll get to work cleaning the bathroom. You do the living room. Let’s get this done before the others come home.

05:42 The bathroom is all done. How’s it going here?

[You tell him it’s going well, but…]

Hey, what are you doing on that ladder?

[You tell him you’re cleaning the shelves.]

Right, I can see that you’re wiping off the shelves, but that’s not what I mean.  I’m asking you what on Earth you think you’re doing. Knowing you, it’s no question that you’ll slip and fall from such a height. I’ve told you before to refrain from these kinds of things. Hurry up and get down from there.

[You quickly climb down.]

Wait, slowly! Haste will only–

[Lo and behold, you fall off the ladder. Ruki swoops in and catches you.]

Gosh, I didn’t think you would be that predictable. You actually fell. Or was this just a ploy for me to come save you?

[You apologise.]

Don’t just apologise. Learn from your mistakes, at least. Leave it. I’ll do it.

[Your face falls.]

If you’re going to pout, you should have just behaved in the first place. It would be a terrible misunderstanding if you thought I was angry. I know full well what a dimwit you are. You can’t anger me so easily. If you got hurt and I would have to take care of you, though, I would have even more on my plate. For example, if you broke a bone, that would make it difficult to move when I feed on you. Just keep that in mind. Next time, I’ll let you know if I need your help.

07:20 Why are you smiling like that? It’s creeping me out.

[You tell Ruki that he’s kind.]

Huh. You must be completely infatuated if you take those words for kindness. Though I was aware of that already, of course. If you can still move, go and sweep the hallway.  I’ll make tea when we’re done. I made an apple pie this morning, so we can have some of that, too.

[You’re excited.]

You shameful creature. To let yourself be lured in by food like that... You have to put in the work first, got it?

08:07 Looks like we finished right on time. Azusa contacted me and said they've just finished grocery shopping, too. The three of them must be pretty exhausted right about now. There were quite a lot of items on the shopping list I gave them. It had a month’s worth of daily necessities on it. Body soap, kitchen paper, laundry detergent, things like that. You can save quite a lot of money if you shop during the sales at the end of the month. Did you think I’d miss out on that? Well, it seems we’ve taken care of most of our chores now. We’ve restocked our daily necessities and the mansion is squeaky-clean. Feels good when everything goes according to plan.

[Ruki takes a sip of his tea.]

09:04 Besides, it’s nice to see the living room spotless. It’s as if the tea even tastes better because of it.

[Ruki puts down his cup, motioning towards the apple pie.]

Hurry up and take a bite.  Ah, but if you don’t want any, I won’t force you to eat it.   I’m sure Kou would appreciate the extra serving.

[You quickly start eating.]

Heh. Don’t choke on it. You know what’ll happen if you ruin my good mood. Or do you? You look like a hamster in a pet shop window with your mouth stuffed like that. (3)

[Ruki stands up and comes closer to you.]

Maybe I should start calling you that from now on instead of Livestock. Your mouth is covered in crumbs. No manners, huh?

[Ruki runs his fingers over your mouth. You’re surprised and drop your fork.]

10:02 Why are you so surprised? I only brushed away the crumbs. It makes me want to discipline you, really, but I’ll let you off easy this time. You worked hard today. I appreciate it. However, it would be a shame if the floor got dirty when we’ve only just cleaned it. I’ll feed you.

[Ruki breaks off a piece with the fork and holds it out to you. You try to refuse.]

You have no right to refuse. As your master, I want to reward you for your efforts. Be thankful and accept it.

[You take the bite.]

[To himself] If I could marry her (4) in the future, I wonder if our days together will be just as peaceful as this one. Livestock is quite the handful, but if we could live together quietly, just the two of us… that does not seem so bad.

飼（か）い殺（ごろ）し : Lit. ‘to keep and kill (a pet),’ meaning to keep a domestic animal beyond its useful life or keeping a person on the payroll without utilising their skills

Not a translation note but the way he talks in this drama CD fucking kills me, this man is secretly such a tsundere (and a clean freak. I love)

In Japanese these past few lines sounded really suggestive so I hope that vibe carried across…

 契（ちぎ）りを交（か）わす: Lit. ‘to exchange (wedding) vows.’ I just briefly want to mention that 契り is also a euphemism for having sexual relations even though he… obviously doesn’t mean it that way in this context but do with that knowledge as you will hehe

[myveryownfanfiction]

rickmas day 11: out of reach 18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen, @deepperplexity, @smilingformoney

warnings: swearing, fans being gross (DO NOT DO THIS IT WILL NOT END WELL FOR YOU SECURITY WILL BE CALLED), mention of rape (a threat against a security guard for touching a fan)

I sat next to Alexander, watching the line slowly fill up. I waved the first person up and marked off what they bought. Sliding the picture over to Alexander, I tapped it to let him know to behave. I half listened to what they were talking about as I got the next person in line ready. For the most part, it was men dressed up as Dr. Lazarus. Occasionally, they’d bring their partners or family members with them. Alexander was more interested in them than the ones who were trying to get him to say that line.

“Tell me when you’re ready for lunch.” I said as the line dwindled. “Or just need a break.” Alexander nodded as he put his hand on my thigh.

“You know I was ready for a break the second that line opened.” He chuckled. I rolled my eyes and squeezed his hand. “At least it hasn’t been too bad today.” I nodded.

“first day Alex.” I reminded him. “First day. Now behave. We got more fans.” He sighed as he pulled his hand away. “Hi. What can I get you?”

“an autograph. And a date?” The girl asked, pulling down her skirt as she handed me her money. I chuckled and shook my head.

“autograph I can do. You’re on your own for the date. But there’s plenty of available guys, girls and others walking around. Im sure you’ll have no trouble finding one.” I said as I got her change.

“no I mean with Dr. Lazarus.” She said. Alexander pulled back from the table and I raised an eyebrow. “Can you get me a date with him?”

“uh no. He’s taken.” I said. Alexander leaned over to whisper to me.

“I’m gonna…” he jerked his head and I nodded. “Security is there if you need it. Want me to send them over?” I nodded again before turning back to the girl. She was pouting watching Alexander walk away.

“look, I’m gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this is your first con. You don’t do that.” I said, making sure to keep smiling. “There’s a reason for the tables. To keep the celebrities out of reach. You don’t touch them without permission or inappropriately. You don’t make advances towards them. That is a surefire way to get thrown out of the con.”

“but I want to go out with him.” She twirled a piece of hair. “He’s hot.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

“look. Sure he’s handsome. Sure he plays a genius. But he isn’t a genius in real life. And honestly you should see him in the mornings. But it ain’t gonna happen. So I suggest you take your money and move along. If you stay here, security is going to escort you out of the hall.” I said, putting her money back on the table.

“so you’re telling me he won’t fuck me?” She asked. I sighed and turned my head at the sound of footsteps behind me.

“please tell me you heard that?” I asked the security guard who had stopped behind me.

“yep. Not taking no for an answer?” Bob asked. I nodded. "Alright. Come with me." I watched as the girl struggled when Bob put his hand on her back to guide her away.

"I'll call rape." She threatened. Bob sighed and moved to the side, making sure he wasn't touching her.

"I need backup." He said into his walkie talkie and looked back at me with a sigh. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my phone.

"I can call the police if you need them Bob." I said, holding up my phone. The girl looked between us before huffing and stalking off. Bob trailed after her, shoulders shaking with laughter as they disappeared into the crowd. I waved down someone and sent them off to grab Alexander. "All taken care of." I said once he had sat down next to me again. Leaning over, he kissed my cheek.

"Good." He sighed as he cupped my cheek. "They should know by now that I'm off limits."

"Yeah well." I said as he pecked my cheek. "Takes a few a bit longer I guess."

[coquitokisses]

Trusting Again | chapter 026: Infinity War

Word count: 5.8k

A/n: this chapter’s a little longer than what I usually write im so sorry lmaooo. I’m not gonna put the whole fight and all that stuff, it just isn’t my thing and tbh I don’t really like writing stuff like that lol I’ll kinda skip that. Also, I wanted to clarify, the dates I put in the chapters I took them from this fandom wiki page, there’s the whole mcu timeline with everything that happened so yeah

A/n #2: also, remember that I added an extra year between Civil War and Infinity War, so therefore, it’s 2019 in the story

previous chapter • series masterlist • main masterlist

— May 30-31, 2019 —

“I thought we had a deal.” Nat started saying “Stay close, check in, don’t take any chances.”

Cat clicked her tongue. “Give her a break.” She said sitting next to Wanda

“If we hadn’t show up, Vision could’ve been dead.” She looked at Cat “Or worse, both of them could’ve been.”

“I’m sorry, we just wanted time.” Wanda said

“You’re okay now, it’s fine.” Cat replied as she opened the first aid kit to clean up the wound on Wanda’s eyebrow

“Where to, Cap?” Sam asked

“Home.” Steve replied

“How have you been?” Wanda asked Cat

“I’ve been okay, red.” She replied with a small smile

“Have you heard from him?”

She took a deep breath before speaking again. “Um.. no, not yet.”

“You’re worried.”

“I just miss him.” She shrugged “And well.. I think I’m actually a little worried about the whole thing, you know?” She looked at her “Like, what if they can’t help him?”

“But they can.” Wanda said reassuring her “And he will be okay.”

“Yeah, I have faith.” Cat nodded with a small smile “They are pretty advanced over there so if anyone can help him, it’s them.”

“He’s gonna be just fine, you’ll see.” She grabbed her hand

Cat smiled. “Vision will be too.”

“I want to think that.” Wanda sighed “Truth is I’m scared. Scared they’ll come and finish what they started.”

“Yeah, I know.” She nodded “I’m a little bit scared too, not gonna lie.”

Wanda lifted one eyebrow. “No positive mindset today?” She said jokingly

Cat let out a soft chuckle. “Well I’m trying.”

(…)

A few hours later, they were in the compound. As they were walking towards the workshop, they heard Rhodey talking to secretary Ross.

“Mr. Secretary.” Steve spoke once they were there

“You got some nerve, I’ll give you that.” Ross said walking towards him

“You could use some of that right now.” Nat said

“The world’s on fire and you think all is forgiven?” He looked at Steve

“I’m not looking for forgiveness and I’m way past asking permission.” Steve replied “Earth just lost her best defender, so we’re here to fight and if you wanna stand in our way, we’ll fight you too.”

Ross stared at Steve before turning around to Rhodey. “Arrest them.”

Rhodey nodded lightly. “All over it.” He said before dismissing the call and then looked at us “That’s the court-martial.” He said with a small smile “It’s great to see you, Cap.”

“You too, Rhodey.” Steve smiled walking towards him to shake his hand and then Nat walked over too to hug him

He let out a sigh. “Wow, you guys.. really look like crap.” He said looking at them “Must’ve been a rough couple of years.”

“Yeah, well the hotels weren’t exactly five stars.” Sam replied

“Uh, I think you look great.” Bruce said from behind and all of them looked his way, he let out a soft chuckle “Uh.. yeah, I’m back.”

“Hi, Bruce.” Natasha said to him

“Nat.” He replied

“Well this is awkward.” Sam whispered, Wanda, Cat and Vision looked at him

“It’s cute.” Cat whispered back making Wanda giggle

(…)

“So we gotta assume they’re coming back, right?” Rhodey said

“And they can clearly find us.” Wanda added

“We need all hands on deck. Where’s Clint?” Bruce asked

“After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families, they’re on house arrest.” Natasha explained to him

“Who’s Scott?” He asked

“Ant-Man.” Steve replied

“There’s an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?” Bruce said in shock

“Yeah, uh.. we gotta update you on quite a few things, huh.” Cat told him

“Okay look, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he is not gonna stop until he gets… Vision’s stone.” Bruce explained

“Then we have to protect it.” Natasha said

“That sounds kinda.. insane.” Cat looked at her

“We have to at least try, we can’t let him get it, for the sake of the whole universe.” She said “We have to protect the stone.”

“No, we have to destroy it.” Vision spoke and they all looked at him “I’ve been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head.” He touched the stone “About its nature. But also its composition.” He turned to look at Wanda “I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to its own signature, perhaps.. its molecular integrity could fail.”

“Yeah, and you with it.” Wanda responded “We’re not having this conversation.”

“Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can’t get it.”

“That’s too high a price.” She said with shaky voice and tears in her eyes

Vision cupped her face. “Only you have the power to pay it.” He says, Wanda just walks away from him “Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him.”

“But it should.” Steve spoke “We don’t trade lives, Vision.”

“Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, why is this any different?” Vision says

“Because you might have a choice.” Banner said “Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, me, the stone. All of them mixed together, all of them learning from on another.”

“You’re saying Vision isn’t just the stone?” Wanda asked

“I’m saying that if we take out the stone, there’s still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts.” He explained

“Can we do that?” Cat asked

“Not me, not here.” Bruce replied

“Well you better find someone and somewhere fast.” Rhodey said “Ross isn’t just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back.”

“I know somewhere.” Steve said

(…)

Some hours later, the team arrived in Wakanda so they could help separate the stone from Vision.

“So how big of an assault should we expect?” King T’Challa asked

“Uh, sir, sir, I think you should expect quite a big assault.” Bruce says

“How we looking?”

“You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Millaje and..”

“A semi-stable hundred year old man.” Bucky walked towards them

Steve smiled and went to hug him. “How you been, Buck?”

“Uh, not bad.. for the end of the world.” Bucky replied with a little smile

Cat was helping Wanda with Vision since he was still injured and when they went with the people that were gonna help him, she then turned to look at Bucky.

“Hiya, handsome.” She smiled walking towards him

“Oh my god.” He said in a whisper before pulling her into a hug “I missed you so much.” His arms hugged her tighter

“I missed you too, baby.”

He pulled away and his eyes scanned her whole body, taking a good look at her. “You dyed your hair!” He muttered

“I did.” She smiled “Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding? I fucking love it.” He replied “You look so hot.”

“Speaking of hairs.. yours is longer.” She said noticing his hair was longer than the last time she saw him “And this..” She lifted her hands up to his beard “This is longer too.”

He chuckled. “It is.”

“I like it.” She smiled “You look pretty hot.” She whispered

“You do too, blonde suits you so well.”

She giggled. “Do you prefer red, blonde or brown?”

“I don’t fucking care, I love you with whatever hair color you have.” His lips found hers “You always look beautiful.” He whispered on her lips

She smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you even more.” He left a soft kiss on her lips “Just between us.. I really like the blonde.”

“Yeah, I kinda had a feeling you’d say that.” She laughed “But enough about my hair, I wanna see this.” She said grabbing his new vibranium arm

“It’s cool huh.”

“It definitely is.” She smiled “I like it.”

Not long after, Steve announced them that something just entered the atmosphere and to be alert of anything. And just seconds after, Rhodey, Bucky, Sam and Cat were looking up when they saw something coming from the sky.

“What the fuck?” Cat said looking up

“Hey, Cap, we got a situation here.” Sam said through the earpiece

All of them were looking up when that thing hits the force field that surrounded Wakanda.

“God, I love this place.” Bucky muttered looking up

“Yeah, don’t start celebrating yet, guys.” Rhodey said “We got more incoming outside the dome.”

The air grew heavier by the second. Once the first hit struck the dome, the real chaos began. Explosions lit up the horizon, and the ground trembled beneath them as wave after wave of those monstrous creatures tried to claw their way through the barrier. The force field held, but only for so long.

From that point on, everything became a blur. It all happened so fast. Cat fought through blood and dust, steel and screams. She didn’t stop moving, didn’t stop hitting, didn’t stop trying to keep her people alive. There was no time to think, only to survive. At some point, she lost track of the others. At some point, she got hurt. At some point, she saw him.

Thanos. The moment their eyes met, something in her body froze. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her heart didn’t budge. She stood her ground, and for a second, it felt like time itself stopped. She went at him anyway. She didn’t stand a chance. She didn’t remember the exact hit that took her down. Only the feeling of her back slamming into the dirt, the sharp ringing in her ears, and the blinding pain that followed. Then, blackness.

Suddenly, when Cat woke up again, she had a really strange feeling. She got up, even though she was really injured and was bleeding a lot, she walked through the woods and she saw Wanda on the floor so she immediately ran over to her.

“Wanda! Oh my god.” She kneeled down next to her

She put her fingers on her neck and when she felt her pulse, she let out a relieved sigh. Wanda was starting to slowly open her eyes.

“Hey.” Cat said

“You’re.. you’re bleeding.” She managed to say

“I’m okay, don’t worry.” She responded, obviously lying, she was already feeling kinda dizzy “Come on.”

She helped Wanda get up and just when she was about to grab her hand, she saw what looked like ash.

“What the..”

She looked up and it was coming from Wanda.

“He did it..” Wanda said in a whisper

Cat was just there, unable to do anything, forced to just watch her best friend disappear.

“Oh my god..” she covered her mouth feeling her eyes get watery “No..”

Before any of them could say anything else, Wanda was just gone. Cat quickly made her way back to the rest, but she was feeling so dizzy that she had to slow down and take a deep breath. She was bleeding a lot. Once she started walking again, she heard Rhodey calling Sam and immediately went towards his voice until she saw him.

“Rhodey.”

He turned to look at her. “Cat, oh my god.” He quickly walked towards her

“What the hell is happening?” She muttered

“Nothing good I suppose, come on.” He said and then his eyes landed on her wound “Cat, you’re bleeding.”

“I know..” She nodded as she continued walking

He helped her and then they both got to where the rest of the guys were. There was Steve kneeling in front of Vision’s body, Natasha standing next to him, Thor, Okoye, even Rocket.. but no sign of Bucky. Her heart started beating faster and a wave of worry came over her.

“Where is he?” She asked in almost a whisper, her legs gave out and she nearly fell, but Rhodey quickly caught her “Oh god, no.. please, no..”

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and her heart pounded in her chest, her mind jumping to the worst possible conclusion. But just as panic started to take over, she spotted Bucky walking toward them, one hand pressed against his torso.

“Oh thank god.” She breathed out in relief

“Lina.” His eyes widened the moment he saw her and the look of sheer relief on his face was undeniable.

He quickly walked toward her, but before she could take a step in his direction, her vision blurred and her knees buckled. She clung to Rhodey, her breathing becoming more erratic, her body growing weaker with each passing second.

“Cat.” Rhodey’s grip tightened around her as he noticed her strength fading. “A little help here, guys!”

“Hey, Lina.” Bucky said helping Rhodey “Look at me, baby.” He gently, cupping her cheeks with both hands “Honey?

She tried to say something, answer him, but her eyes closed and she collapsed on Bucky’s arms.

“No, no, no.. hey, baby.” He grabbed her by the chin “Shit..” he muttered

“She’s lost a lot of blood.” Rhodey said, and that’s when Bucky noticed the wound “We need to get her medical attention asap or she’s going to die. Her pulse is very weak.” He added checking the side of her neck

“Come, hurry.” Okoye spoke “There must be people at the infirmary.”

“I’ll fly her up there.” Rhodey offered without hesitation.

“Please, be careful.” Bucky told him, his voice low but firm “I’ll meet you all there.”

Rhodey nodded, then carefully scooped Cat into his arms before taking off into the sky. Bucky turned back to Steve, whose expression said everything, defeat written in every line of his face.

“We’re gonna find him.” Thor said breaking the silence

“Yeah? And how do you suppose we do that?” Natasha snapped her voice raw

“We will find him.” Thor repeated, this time, looking at her “And we’re going to bring everyone back and after that, I’ll kill him myself.” He picked up his axe and walked off, Rocket trailing silently behind him

“I’ll, uh…” Natasha began saying, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands “I’ll go check on Cat.. I’ll see you guys there.”

She turned around and left. Bucky walked over to Steve, who was still sitting numbly on the ground.

“Come on, pal.” Bucky said gently leaning down to grab his friend’s arm and helping him to his feet “There we go.”

“We lost, Buck.” Steve murmured, his voice heavy with grief

“Don’t say that.” Bucky sighed “For once, I kinda agree with Thor, we will find Thanos.”

“I sure hope so.” Steve nodded slowly. “You go ahead, make sure Cat’s okay. I’ll catch up.”

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah.” He said with another nod.

The walk back to the infirmary wasn’t easy, physically or emotionally, and it felt longer than it really was. When Bucky finally arrived, he spotted Okoye and headed straight for her.

“How is she?” He asked

“She lost a lot of blood, but she’s stable now.” Okoye replied

“When can she leave?”

“Maybe in a few hours.” She said “She’s a strong one.”

“That she is.” Bucky nodded with a faint smile.

“She’s very weak right now, but she’s in good hands. She’ll be fine.”

“I know.” He nodded again “Thank you.”

(…)

After a few minutes , Bucky finally could go see Cat. He was sitting on a chair that was close to the bed when he heard a soft groan coming from her, he turned his head to see Cat stirring. She shifted slightly beneath the covers, prompting him to walk over to her. As her eyes slowly fluttered open, he gently took her hand.

“Hey.” He murmured, brushing her hair out of her face

“Hi.” She said in a whisper with a faint smile, squeezing his hand weakly

He smiled. “Hi, angel.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Very tired.” She groaned, wincing as she tried to move without disturbing the wound on her side.

“You gave me quite the scare back there.” He said quietly

“I’m sorry.”

“How did it happen?” He asked, concern etched across his face.

“I was already injured. One of those… aliens hit me earlier, and then Thanos threw me against a tree. I think that’s when it got worse.” She explained “I didn’t even noticed I was that hurt, to be honest. He knocked me out for a few minutes.”

“You’re okay now. That’s what matters.” He ran his fingers gently through her hair.

“Wanda, she, uh…” Her voice faltered as her eyes welled up with tears. She bit her lip, trying to keep them from falling.

“I know, honey.” He said with a soft nod. “Sam too.”

“God…” She closed her eyes, and a tear slipped down her cheek, he wiped it away with his thumb before placing another kiss on her forehead

“Everything will be fine.”

“Nothing is or will be fine.” She said, her voice breaking. Her tear-filled eyes locked onto his “We lost.”

“Thanos isn’t dead. He vanished. We’re planning on finding him.”

“I’m coming too.”

“No, you’re not.” He shook his head firmly

“What do you mean, no?” She asked, frowning.

“I mean no, Giselle. You’re not going.” His voice was gentle, but unwavering “You physically can’t. You need to heal and rest first. That’s what matters right now.”

“Great.” She scoffed “And what if something happens?”

“Relax. We still have no clue where he is, I’m not leaving you.”

“You better not, or I swear I’ll kill you myself.” She muttered and he chuckled quietly

“You need to rest.” He said, holding her hand tighter “I’ll go back to the others, let them know you’re doing okay.”

“Okay.” She whispered with a small nod

“I love you.” He leaned in to kiss her lips. “So much.”

“I love you even more, baby.” She smiled

He kissed her one last time before stepping out of the room and heading over to where Steve and the others were waiting.

“How is she doing?” Natasha asked with worry

“She’s okay. Stable.” He said as he sat beside Steve “She lost a lot of blood, but she’s doing fine. She just needs to rest.”

“That’s some good news at least.” Steve replied “Any idea when she can leave?”

“In a few hours.. or maybe less.” He said “Okoye said she’s doing better than expected, so we’ll probably be out of here soon.”

They didn’t have to wait long hours. Two hours later, Cat was already walking again thanks to whatever they gave her that helped her feel a lot better. And in no time, the team was on the quinjet heading back to the compound.

“This doesn’t even feel real.” Cat said in a whisper

“Tell me about it.” Natasha let out a sigh “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, don’t worry.” She replied holding her hand and Natasha turned her head to look at her “How are you doing?”

“Well.. my whole body hurts.” She let out a soft chuckle “But I’m managing. Nothing a couple of acetaminophens won’t solve.”

Cat smiled softly. “Right.”

(…)

It was already the next day when the team arrived at the compound, although, they weren’t feeling great. They felt defeated. It was almost 3 in the morning so it was dark outside.

“Welcome to the Avengers Compound.” Cat said to Bucky as they walked out of the jet “Aka, my home sweet home.”

“It’s bigger than I thought.” He said

“And you haven’t seen the inside.” She grabbed his hands and locked fingers with him

As soon as they went inside, it felt so empty, which was rare. There were always people, whether it’d be people from SHIELD or the Avengers, the compound was never empty.

“It’s so quiet.” Cat let out a shaky sigh

“Yeah.” Steve said

Each of them scattered to do their own things. Cat didn’t even move. She still couldn’t believe everything that happened just a few hours ago.

“You okay?” Bucky asked

“Yeah.” She nodded “I’m kinda still processing this day, that’s all.”

Bucky ran his hand over her back gently, caressing her and also in a compassionate way. He wanted to help her feel better, he knew that she just lost two of her best friends and that, even though she was hiding it well, she was hurting.

“Well.” She exhaled and then turned her head to look at him “Wanna go see your new room?”

“I’ll have my own room?” He asked with an expression that was a mix of confusion and disappointment

She laughed. “No, idiot, you’ll sleep with me, of course.” She said “But the room it’s new for you cuz you’ve never seen it.”

“Right.” He rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle “Okay, let’s go see the room.”

They took the elevator up to where Cat’s room was and when they got there, they walked through a hall until they finally arrived.

“Welcome to my room.” She says opening the door

She looked inside and a wave of nostalgia hit her. She hasn’t been here in almost four years. It was exactly the way she left it last time she was there.

“Fuck..” she muttered walking inside “Oh I missed this.” She said leaving her bags on the floor

“It’s very.. you.” Bucky said following her inside “That’s a compliment, by the way.”

“It really is.” She nodded looking around the room

She had some lights hanging up the wall right where her bed was and there was a lamp on each nightstand. One wall had a few polaroid photos stuck to it, some were of her and some with the guys. She had a desk where there were also a few photos there, but those were from she was younger. The few photos Nick could find after rescuing her, she remembers that it wasn’t easy but he made everything he could to get those photos for her.

“You look exactly like your mom.” Bucky said picking up the photo where Cat was with her mom and her sister at the beach when they were still living in Puerto Rico

“Yeah, I used to get that a lot.” She smiled “My sister, on the other hand, she looks adopted.” She joked

He chuckled. “You and her also look very alike, is insane.”

“Yeah, we do.” She nodded

“There you go.” He looked at her, she frowned confused “Talking about her in present tense, that’s hope.”

“Well.. you’re the one who told me to not lose it.”

“Don’t lose it now.”

She let out a soft sigh, feeling her chest get tight. “I’m trying.”

“And by the way.” He left the photo back on the desk “I love the room.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “I’m glad you do.” She smiled a little “Um, I’m one of the lucky ones that got a bathroom.” She pointed at the bathroom door “But there’s a bathroom on this floor and also upstairs where the rest of the rooms are.”

“And who else has a bathroom in their room?”

“Only the pretty ones.” She shrugged “Like me and Steve.”

He chuckled. “Of course.”

“Tony said the rooms weren’t supposed to have bathrooms, but he made sure that at least one room on each floor had a bathroom, just in case.”

“Well it’s great that you got one of those rooms.”

“It is.” She nodded

Just a few minutes later, Cat and Bucky decided to shower and then get ready to go to bed. Cat fell asleep almost instantly. A few hours has passed since then. The sun was starting to rise and the sunlight was starting to come into the room through the corners of the curtains. Bucky was just lying there with Cat, looking at her, running a hand through her hair. He was glad that she finally got some sleep after yesterday. He, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. He just wasn’t that tired. The clock that was hanging on the wall marked 6:21 in the morning. He decided to get up, very carefully and slowly trying not to wake up Cat, and then headed to the bathroom. He took a shower, brushed his teeth and when he got out, he got dressed and then walked out of the room, closing the door slowly behind him.

Right after they showered before going to sleep, Cat gave him a little tour of the compound, like the important rooms since it was dark and they were tired. Like the kitchen, living room, conference room and the gym. She said that she would give him a full tour today. So he went to the kitchen and there was Steve and Natasha.

“Morning.” He spoke

“Morning.” Steve replied “How’d you sleep?”

Bucky let out a sigh as he sat on the high chair next to him. “I didn’t.”

“Yeah, I think none of us did.” Natasha said from the other side of the counter while taking a sip of her coffee “How’s Cat?”

“She’s sleeping.” He replied “Although I don’t think she’ll be for long. Even tho she hasn’t really said anything, I know she’s anxious and she’s not feeling well.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she doesn’t.” Steve sighed

“Where are the rest?” Bucky asked

“Thor went out for a run, as for the rest, I think they’re still in their rooms.” Natasha said “I’d love to stay here with you too, but I gotta go and tire myself so I think I’m going to the gym for a few minutes.”

Steve gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry, go.”

“I’ll see you guys later.” She said before exiting the kitchen

Bucky turned his head to look at Steve. “How are you feeling, buddy?”

“If I say like a failure, would that be bad?”

Bucky nodded. “Well, Cat would think so, so yeah.”

“Yeah, she would.” A small smile appeared on his lips

“You’re not a failure, Steve.” He said “You did everything you could.”

“It wasn’t enough apparently.” He shrugged

“Don’t say that.” Bucky replied “We still don’t know where Thanos is.”

Steve let out a sigh. “Yeah, I know.”

“Don’t be speaking all this negativity when Cat’s here. She’ll give you one hell of a speech.”

Steve chuckled. “I think I need her to give me one of those positivity speeches right now.” He said “She better not change now because of this.”

“She’s having a hard time, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, I figured..” he nodded “How’s her wound tho?”

“A lot better, actually.” Bucky said “They gave her something that really helped her heal a lot faster.”

“Well that’s something good at least.”

“Still no sign of Stark?” He asked

Steve shook his head. “No, nothing.”

“Hey, guys.” Natasha came back to the kitchen and both men turned to look at her “We kinda have a problem.”

“What is it?” Steve asked worried

“Rhodey just came back.” She said

“From where?” Bucky asked

“He went to DC, we couldn’t get a hold of Nick so he went to see if he could find him.”

“And?”

“And he’s not there.” She replied “Rhodey couldn’t find him.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, he can’t be anywhere else.”

“Unless..” Bucky spoke

“Exactly.” Natasha nodded “Rhodey found something of Nick’s and he brought it back. Looks like some kind of pager? I’m not sure, Bruce is gonna examine it and then..

Natasha stopped talking when she saw Cat walking into the kitchen.

“What?” She asked when she saw that all three of them were staring at her

“Hey, you’re awake.” Bucky said

“Well yeah, I couldn’t sleep.” She says walking towards them “What were you saying about Nick?” She looked at Nat who opened her mouth to talk, but Cat talked first “And don’t try to lie, I’ll definitely know it.”

“We were just saying that we were trying to contact Nick about this whole thing.” Natasha explained

“And? Did you talk to him?”

“Well that’s the thing.” Steve said, Cat looked at him “We couldn’t get a hold of him so Rhodey went to DC.”

“Okay? And?”

“Come here.” Bucky wrapped one of his arms around her “Sit down.”

“Stop.” She pushed him away “Just fucking say it, guys, come on.” She looked at Steve and Nat

“We think he was one of the victims of Thanos’ snap.” Natasha said “We can’t find him anywhere.”

She shook her head. “No..” she said in a whisper “Are you sure?”

“There’s no trace of him, we can’t find him.” Steve said

“Rhodey said that he found the SUV he was in. It was in some sort of car crash, there was a lot of commotion and he’s sure that it was the suv that Nick was in with Maria.”

“She’s gone too?”

Nat hesitated for just a second but then confirmed it with a nod. “She is.”

“Oh my god.” She said in almost a whisper, feeling a lump in her throat

“Come here.” Bucky’s hand held her by the waist and he pulled her closer so she could sit on the chair next to him

“Are there, um..” she cleared her throat and tried her best to hold back the tears “Do we know anything about where Thanos is?”

“No, not yet.” Steve replied

“What about Tony?”

“Nothing either.”

She took a deep breath and then got back up again. “I’m.. I think I’m going for a run.” She said and before any of them could say something, she was already out of the kitchen

Bucky didn’t waste a second and he got up immediately, following her.

“Hey.” He said and she stopped walking “Hey, look at me.” He softly grabbed her arm and made her turn around to face him

She had teary eyes and he knew that she would break down at any moment.

“Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her hugging her

And she didn’t waste a second to hug him back and just like that, the tears came flowing down. “I’m losing everyone.” She sobbed

“That’s not true.” He said and she pulled away only a little to look at him “I’m still here.” He wiped away her tears with her thumbs “And I’m not leaving you. Ever.”

She gave him a small smile. “I know..”

“I love you, you know that?”

She nodded. “I love you even more.”

These were gonna be some rough times and Bucky knew that it definitely wasn’t gonna be easy for her.

series masterlist • next chapter

[timbit-robin-art]

good sir and master of goobers can we get the official top ten timbit robin comic book headcanons (not clickbait) (gone wrong) (shocking)

Baha, I sure hope this isn’t a “gone wrong” ask. That would be terrible. I’m also not sure how I would rank these, so they’re in no particular order. Sorry if I misunderstood the ask.

Some of these might not make sense to you guys, and that’s okay. You can probably tell I’m heavily projecting with a lot of these. If I have a problem, so do my favorite characters. It’s our problem now, fellas.

Tim Drake has the flavor of autism that makes him like rhythm games. When it’s a slow night at the cave, he’ll sometimes play a couple of songs with the sound off (and all Bruce can hear is the aggressive tapping of Tim’s thumbs; he is very confused).

Gambit isn’t a huge fan of dogs. I can see him being chased or bit by one or when he was younger, making him wary of them ever since. He also just doesn’t like how high energy they are. Or the oils their coats have (hint of autistic Gambit?).

Dick Grayson is very good at spotting neurodivergent people. I love headcanons like autistic Bruce and Wally with ADHD, so Dick hanging around them gifted him the Neurodivergent Radar(TM). He definitely knew Tim was autistic the moment they met. I’d also like to think Kori has some autistic and ADHD characteristics (as in if she was an earthling, she would 100% be diagnosed with autism/ADHD), so it’s funny to think that Dick is surrounded by autism and ADHD on all sides.

Bucky Barnes has SM (selective mutism). People used to give him grief for it when he was younger, but now that he’s the Winter Soldier, he gets away with it easier. Many people think it’s just a quirk he has post-conditioning.

Louis Lane is dyslexic (this is actually inspired by every time she’s misspelt something in her articles). I don’t think she would be diagnosed, but everyone around her 100% knows. Clark and Jimmy have been trying to find nice ways to bring it up to her.

You’ve heard of autistic Scott Summers, now get ready for ADHD Jean Grey. I’d like to think being a telepath is already a very ADHD thing to be, but Jean definitely had it before her mutation began to show. This made her telekinesis a nightmare to train, and even to this day, she’ll accidentally pick up random objects and have them float behind her while she’s trying to complete tasks around the Institute.

Jaime Reyes fidgets with everything. He has a habit of accidentally touching things without asking permission, and everyone around him has learned to watch Jaime very carefully when they’re dealing with things that shouldn’t be touched. Tim has been startled on many occasions by Jaime fiddling with his cape. But Tim has learned to adjust to it, as long as Jaime doesn’t tug or anything. Edward gave him his very first fidget cube.

Storm’s major hyper-fixation is plants. She knows everything about botany and has to keep her excitement contained whenever someone asks a plant-related question. I think people like Jean and Gambit have picked up on this, so they decide to prompt some botany discussions with her because they like how happy she looks when she subconsciously unmasks to talk about plants.

Hal Jordan can’t sit through meetings at all. Everyone initially thought he was trying to be difficult on purpose (it especially annoyed Bruce), but when Barry (someone who also has trouble with meetings) admits he has ADHD, they all kind of connected the dots with Hal. I don’t see him having it nearly as bad as Barry or Kyle, but it’s definitely there.

Peter Parker likes film cameras with the film advance lever. He likes the clicks and how the tension feels when he cranks it back. And then the click of the shutter button is a nice bonus. It’s like a fidget toy to him. He’s kind of worried he’ll one day break a camera from how often he does it, but he still catches himself doing it a lot.

So… yeah. 10 Timbit Robin headcanons for you. I’m sorry these all turned out with some sort of autism or ADHD thing, that’s just how I connect with characters. My headcanons are always either “this character listens to (band)” or “this character has (insert problem here).” I hope someone out there can see my vision.

[crescent-blades]

✦•┈ᯓ Rules For making Requests.ᐟ

ʚɞ┆ First off, I would like to clarify that I won't be writing any explicit content; hence, I would appreciate it if such requests are not made. Other than that, you are free to request anything.

ʚɞ┆I also want to mention that I don’t have any triggers, and it’s pretty hard to offend me. So don’t hesitate to share anything—any content that might be sensitive will be labeled accordingly. [Please feel free to reach out if I may have missed anything!]

ʚɞ┆While it may seem obvious, I’ll say it again—please, DO NOT repost, copy, rewrite, or translate any of my work. If you’d like to reference it anywhere (especially regarding theories), please ask for my permission first.

ʚɞ┆Please note that it might take me a while to respond to inboxes. Don’t be discouraged if I haven’t replied to your requests yet; I may have seen them and could be working on a response. My busy schedule makes it challenging to reply quickly. Your patience is deeply appreciated!

ʚɞ┆Finally, this blog is all about keeping things positive and drama-free. Anyone that aims to stir up unnecessary negativity or controversy will be promptly blocked. I genuinely welcome any constructive feedback you may have about me. However, any form of hate will not be accepted.

✦•┈ᯓ Rules For Roleplaying.ᐟ

Firstly, I want to clarify that this isn't solely a roleplay blog. I often receive various requests because I enjoy writing beyond just roleplaying [drabbles, imagines, theories etc etc]. If you have any issues with some ooc content here and there, then you are free to unfollow. Moving on:

ʚɞ┆OCs, crossovers, ships, crack fics, etc.,are all welcome. Feel free to introduce any character you wish to see the samurai interact with, including the possibility of Kokushibō and/or Michikatsu being your chosen muse!

ʚɞ┆The portrayal of my muses will be as canon to the manga as possible. I will make every effort to keep my personal headcanons to a minimum, and I would really appreciate it if my writing partner could do the same.

ʚɞ┆Regarding NSFW; you won’t find any on my blog, nor am I comfortable writing anything explicit. Light shipping, flirting, romance, fluff, or similar interactions are totally fine, but let’s keep it on the softer side.

ʚɞ┆Regarding shipping and relationships; I believe it’s important for the characters to build chemistry and have meaningful interactions first, rather than jumping straight into shipping. I would prefer if we had already written together beforehand and perhaps discussed it in advance.

ʚɞ┆When it comes to violence, blood etc, I'm fine with anything. As I mentioned, I’m open to various themes, but only if the plot calls for it. I won’t tolerate any unnecessary graphic content or spiteful comments directed at my muses.

ʚɞ┆Regarding the length of my writing; I am flexible with pretty much everything, however, I generally enjoy multi-paragraph roleplays. I can adapt to different lengths if needed.

ʚɞ┆Regarding plotting I’m comfortable with either approach. Whether you want to plan out the next steps or prefer the thrill of surprises, I’m totally on board with whatever you choose.

ʚɞ┆You will get what you give. If I find that the you aren't putting in any effort with the replies, I will not be putting any effort either. I find it hard to stay motivated, especially knowing that the other person likely isn't even interested.

ʚɞ┆So, if you ever feel like your interest is waning or you need a break, then please feel free to tell me. The main goal of roleplaying is to have fun. If you decide you want to stop engaging altogether, you’re welcome to soft-block or hard-block.

ʚɞ┆Most importantly, have fun! <3

๋࣭⭑⚝Thank you!๋࣭⭑⚝

[roseychains]

sorry for being a little shit and asking so much (I asked twice 🏳️🏳️) but do u PERHAPS write like, idk maybe sorta fluff?? but not hardcore fluff. something in me just wants to see brother!sukuna x sister!reader but not smut or anything. ^_^

also, I’m not anonymous so I don’t rlly need a sign off but it’ll still be 🫧🕊️ bc I’m greedy. please and ty in advance! Ik writing can be tiring and so can getting tons of requests :’)

Brother Sukuna

A/n: so it’s obi gonna be out of character cuz sukuna but more so it’s gonna probably be atleast a little unrealistic bc I have a twin brother, who is anything but sukuna-like.(for reference, he’s a big shot in our schools band, the only one who made state and lowkey a nerd) I’ll try my best tho lol

C/w: NOT A SHIP. PURELY PLATONIC. mentions of bullying, as well as assault. (Neither done by Sukuna).

First and foremost, protective but not in the way you’d expect. If you ever come to him complaining about people bullying you he’d probably brush it off and tell you to not concern yourself with others opinions, but then the next day those same bully’s were beaten into a pulp

An actual menace. A prankster if you will. Bluring the line between playful and hands down annoying. Take for example, drinking your drinks you put in the fridge to get cold, eating snacks you bought for yourself(he’s a fatass), NEVER PUTS THE TOILET SEAT DOWN, blasts music when your trying to sleep, takes controllers from you when he needs them, at anytime without asking permission, the list goes on.

But he does have equal amount good quality’s as he does bad ones. Despite his annoying habits, he makes up for it in other things. He drives you to places, anytime he’s bring home food he will get you something too(50/50 chance if he asked you or picks for you), and 11 out of 10 times sides with you in arguments you have with people. Additionally, he will also show up to any events you want him too, even if sometimes begrudgingly so. I can also imagine him getting pissed off if you try to compensate him for anything like gas or food, offended you think he’s poor

He gives me stoner vibes. So, as a sibling, he wouldn’t let you do anything till ur an adult and once u are he would only give u his stuff when your together and safe

At any point if you ever text him that your in trouble and need him to pick you up, he’s immediately on his way without a second thought. He might be a dick sometimes but he doesn’t play when it comes to your safety

Speaking of safety, if anyone victimizes you, more than just regular bullying I’m talking physical or sexual assault, he will do a whole lot more than just beat them up. Let’s just say he’s not afraid of being potentially jailed. Knowing the justice system, even if he did end up in jail he’d probably have a not terrible time, seeing as people who killed/severely ingured an assaulter are often respected

As children, when you would roughhouse he would find himself holding back and letting you win. As much as he likes to antagonize you he won’t ever hurt you

In summary, he’s genuinely very caring but never shows it. It kills his tough guy personality but deep down he does care for you deeply

[gilded-sunrays]

✦•┈ᯓ. Rules for making requests.ᐟ

ʚɞ┆First off, I would like to clarify that I won't be writing any explicit content; hence, I would appreciate it if such requests are not made. Other than that, you are free to request anything.

ʚɞ┆I also want to mention that I don’t have any triggers, and it’s pretty hard to offend me. So don’t hesitate to share anything—any content that might be sensitive will be labeled accordingly. [Please feel free to reach out if I may have missed anything!]

ʚɞ┆While it may seem obvious, I’ll say it again—please, DO NOT repost, copy, rewrite, or translate any of my work. If you’d like to reference it anywhere (especially regarding theories), please ask for my permission first. 

ʚɞ┆Please note that it might take me a while to respond to inboxes. Don’t be discouraged if I haven’t replied to your requests yet; I may have seen them and could be working on a response. My busy schedule makes it challenging to reply quickly. Your patience is deeply appreciated!

ʚɞ┆Finally, this blog is all about keeping things positive and drama-free. Anyone that aims to stir up unnecessary negativity or controversy will be promptly blocked. I genuinely welcome any constructive feedback you may have about me. However, any form of hate will not be accepted.

✦•┈ᯓ. Rules for Roleplaying.ᐟ

Firstly, I want to clarify that this isn't solely a roleplay blog. I often receive various requests because I enjoy writing beyond just roleplaying [drabbles, imagines, theories etc etc]. If you have any issues with some ooc content here and there, then you are free to unfollow. Moving on:

ʚɞ┆OCs, crossovers, ships, crack fics, etc., are all welcome. Feel free to introduce any character you wish to see Yoriichi interact with, including the possibility of Yoriichi being your chosen muse!

ʚɞ┆The portrayal of my muses will be as canon to the manga as possible. I will make every effort to keep my personal headcanons to a minimum, and I would really appreciate it if my writing partner could do the same.

ʚɞ┆Regarding NSFW content; you won’t find any on my blog, nor am I comfortable writing anything explicit. Light shipping, flirting, romance, fluff, or similar interactions are totally fine, but let’s keep it on the softer side.

ʚɞ┆ Regarding shipping and relationships; I believe it’s important for the characters to build chemistry and have meaningful interactions first, rather than jumping straight into shipping. I would prefer if we had already written together beforehand and perhaps discussed it in advance. Besides, being fiercely loyal towards Uta, Yoriichi is very unlikely to engage in a relationship that easily. 

ʚɞ┆When it comes to violence, blood etc, I'm fine with anything. As I mentioned, I’m open to various themes, but only if the plot calls for it. I won’t tolerate any unnecessary graphic content or spiteful comments directed at my muses.

ʚɞ┆Regarding the length of my writing; I am flexible with pretty much everything, however, I generally enjoy multi-paragraph roleplays. I can adapt to different lengths if needed.

ʚɞ┆Regarding plotting; I’m comfortable with either approach. Whether you want to plan out the next steps or prefer the thrill of surprises, I’m totally on board with whatever you choose.

ʚɞ┆You will get what you give. If I find that you aren't putting in any effort with the replies, I will not be putting any effort either. I find it hard to stay motivated, especially knowing that the other person likely isn't even interested.

ʚɞ┆So, if you ever feel like your interest is waning or you need a break, then please feel free to tell me. The main goal of roleplaying is to have fun. If you decide you want to stop engaging altogether, you’re welcome to soft-block or hard-block.

ʚɞ┆Most importantly, have fun! <3

๋࣭⭑⚝Thank you!๋࣭~⚝๋࣭⭑

[wolfylady]

Salvation 2

Summary: It started with a look and then a smile. She was just another name on a continuous list of rotating faces. But then she smiled, and it wrecked his world. He would lie, cheat, and kill, just to keep her in his orbit.

Trigger Warning ⚠️: Obsession and Manipulation

Word Count: 496

Chapter 2: A Month Later

Enjoy!

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Series Poll!

A month later.

It wasn't an obsession. Not yet.

It was interest. Professional, he told himself. Necessary. Strategic.

Price watched her in training.

Veronica Crowley—Crow, as the call sign etched into her vest read—moved with precision. But not instinct. Not yet.

She was sharp, disciplined, adaptive. But she held back. Like someone who had always been told to be careful with her strength. To temper her brilliance. To wait for permission. She moved like a weapon trained to be useful, not lethal. Like someone who had to earn every inch of space she took up.

And that made something twist in him.

Made him want to give her room to become dangerous.

Worse, it made him angry.

Not at her.

At the people who’d taught her to dull her own edge.

He’d seen it before—in rookies trained by men who feared women with sharp minds and harder fists. Men who mistook control for authority. Men who looked at a soldier like her and said, “Not quite yet.”

But Price didn’t believe in hesitation. Not when it could get you killed.

So he threw her in.

Deep end.

No warning.

Harder drills. More brutal sim rounds. Advanced tactics she hadn’t run before. And when she faltered, he was there—calling her out sharp and cold in front of the others.

But when she rose?

When she took the hits and didn’t flinch?

He gave her everything.

Assignments most didn’t see for years. Real field work.

The kind of shit that left blood on your boots and truth in your throat.

She never complained.

She took it with squared shoulders, blistered knuckles, and a jaw that only locked tighter with each push. She didn't ask for recognition. Didn’t wait for it.

But he gave it anyway.

In the way that mattered.

Not with words.

With trust.

With choice.

He picked her. Over and over again. When it counted.

He didn’t smile often.

But that Friday, when Crow handed off the recon report—still streaked in desert dust, her hair damp with sweat, blood drying on the cuff of her sleeve and fire still flickering behind her eyes—

He almost did.

Something clenched in his throat when she looked at him.

Like maybe she knew what it meant to be seen. Truly seen.

He took the file. Kept his voice even.

“Don’t think I’m going soft on you.”

She arched her brow. The corner of her mouth curved.

“You’re not.” Her voice was low, a little breathless. Her lips twitched. “You’re just fair.”

Fair.

He hadn’t heard that word in a long time.

Not since before the war.

Before blood stained everything.

Before reputation mattered more than truth.

It landed somewhere deep in his chest. Heavy.

That night, he stayed late.

Two hours past lights-out, sitting alone in his office, eyes fixed on the mission board. On her name.

Just staring.

Not moving.

Because something inside him had started shifting.

And for the first time in a long time—he didn’t want to stop it.

wolfYLady: Chapter 2! I have been writing non-stop after not writing for months. Thank you for the support!

I will be turning this into a series of Twisted Sin, and dark obsessive romance. So far I have a storyline for Ghost, Soap, König and Keegan. Anyone else I should see about adding?

🔙Chapter 1 •●• Chapter 3🔜

Link: Ao3

Master List of Twisted Sin Series🔜