#+ arranged marriage was The Thing in japan back in the day

[pamgkrthwrites]

Captive Consort Chapter 1 - Blood of War and Rings

Warning, the following content is for an 18+ audience. If you are under the age of 18 do not read the content below. Warning, the following content has disturbing/triggering themes such as; Yandere, Arrange(Political) Marriage, Religious/Cultural Differences, Imperial Harems, Self Harm for Religious Practices. I do not support or encourage these themes or actions, they are merely written fictional events for entertainment. The character(s) depicted within this post are over the age of 19. (This list may get updated with each new Chapter Update)

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Taglist: @yazminetrahan @emmab3mma @dreamcastgirl99 @optimisticprime3

Fandom: BNHA

Pairing: Bakugou x Female Reader

Additional Pairings: Iida x Ochako, Kirishima x Mina, Mitsuki x Masaru, Mitsuki x Inko

Themes: Fantasy AU, Arrange Marriage, Political Marriage, Cultural/Religious Differences, Yandere, Greek Inspired Reader, Imperialism

Summary: Your country has been at war with the Barbarians for almost a year, and the Barbarian Prince, Katsuki Bakugou, has requested a peace treaty. Problem is, he is demanding either a large sum of money that your country can not provide, or you as his bride. You're from a culture inspired from Ancient Greece, while Bakugou is from a culture inspired by Imperial Japan, Imperial Russia, and Vikings, so there are are going to be a more than a few issues that arise from this and how people treat you differently.

A/N: I literally have an assignment due to tomorrow but no I spent MY ENTIRE WEEK writing this. I might be mentally unwell......... ANYWAY Hello hello. This is probably the LONGEST thing I have ever written for one chapter. Be prepared for Melissa Slander.

Word count: 10k+

"Father, you can’t seriously be considering marrying me off to that barbarian prince?!” You stood before your father in disbelief.

He couldn’t actually be considering this proposal, right?

Your father sat at his desk, the treaty paper in his hands. “He says he’ll stop the war if our nation gives him money that we do not have, or marry off one of The Nine Shachou Member’s daughters of marrying age. Unfortunately, you’re the only one who is of marrying age and has yet to be married.”

“But father-!”

Your father slammed his hand on the table as he stood up before shouting at you. “You will do as I say, child! We cannot afford to continue this war with the barbarians! Let alone with the rest of their savage continent! At least this way, we have a way of controlling them!”

You bit your lower lip, trying not to cry. You should’ve known this wouldn’t have worked.

You are merely an object to be traded for these monsters.

“You’ll be shipped over on one of our boats. I’ve been told it’ll take thirty days for you to reach their continent if everything goes smoothly.” Your father said as he sat back down. “You’re just going to have to deal with this, child.”

You gripped the side of your dress. “When do I leave?”

“We will be sending our response to those barbarians at first light tomorrow. It is already written up.”

That wasn’t an answer to your question. “Am I taking anyone with me?”

“That depends on the prince’s response. He may not allow you to go with any maids or guards.”

You were silent as you looked down at the floor. 

“I recommend you pray to the gods while you still can, child.” Your father told you. “Also bring miniature statues of them as well. That continent of savages worship different gods to us. I will pray to Soteria to protect you.”

You clutched the beads around your neck, each of them symbolising one of your many gods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a week had passed, you were instead shipped by carriage with your father to meet with the prince and his men at their camp.

Your mouth smeared up when you noticed the wet mud before your feet.

“Fourth Shachou,” You heard a gruff voice with a thick accent say. “We hope your journey was safe.”

You turned to see a green haired man with freckles on his cheeks. He stood at one hundred and eighty-three centimetres tall and had green eyes. He didn’t wear typical clothing you saw of the barbarians, but you could still see it was from their continent, but with the skin that was showing you saw a large amount of scars. All differing in lengths and widths.

Your father gruffed as he left the carriage and walked over to the young man. “I see you know our tongue.”

The green-haired man kept a smile on his face. “We speak the same language, Fourth Shachou.”

You got down from the carriage, holding the skirt of your dress up to avoid it being dirtied from the mud. The green-haired boy looked towards you and scanned your face. 

“This is my daughter.” Your father put his hand on your back as he said your name, pushing you forward.

“I am Midoriya Izuku.” The green-haired man introduced himself. “I am childhood friends of the Barbarian Dragon Tribe Prince, Bakugou Katsuki.”

“Dragon Tribe?” Your father repeated. “I thought there was only one group of those barbarians.”

“Be careful of your tone, Fourth Shachou.” Midoriya warned before answering your father’s question. “Back in times of old, there were many Barbarian tribes. With the rise of the Demon Lord a hundred years ago, the tribes were either wiped out or forced to merge together to be stronger in numbers. The Dragon Tribe is a result of Humans Barbarians and Dragon Shifters Barbarians merging into one Tribe. They are currently considered to be the largest Barbarian Tribe throughout all of known history of Nihon. They continue to use the name of The Barbarian Dragon Tribe to remember their fallen brothers and sisters.”

Yourself and your father watched as Midoriya went on a ramble of Barbarian history. Once Midoriya was done, he looked at you two and noticed how you had both reacted to him. He blushed lightly.

“Sorry- Didn’t mean to ramble.” He quickly pushed out of his mouth. 

“And what is your relationship with the Tribe, boy?” Your father asked. “To our understanding, they don’t let outsiders into their tribes easily.”

Midoriya seemed taken aback by your father’s statement. “They don’t typically like those from outside of Nihon to join the tribe. You might be mistaking the actions of the tribe to Kacchan. Kacchan is very standoffish to even meeting those outside of the tribe.”

“And who is this Kacchan?”

“Oh- Sorry, I mean Prince Bakugou.” Midoriya said offhandedly. “Kacchan was the nickname I gave him when we were children.”

Your father scoffed.

Midoriya looked at you. “If you are ready, I can take you to go meet him-”

“Women of Girisha are not permitted to speak to men without permission of their father or husbands, let alone walk off somewhere private with a man who is a stranger to her or her family.” Your father glared at Midoriya. 

Midoriya paused, looking up at your father with a look in his eye. His lips were in a line and his eyebrows were knitted.

A smile quickly painted his face, but it was no longer the smile from before. “Yes, my apologies. I had forgotten that was a custom for your people. I simply wanted to ask if she was ready to meet with the Prince.”

Your father replied. “I will be needing to discuss the travel arrangements with him.” As if that was an answer to the question.

You saw the strain on Midoriya’s face. “Of course. Follow me then.”

Midoriya turned and started to lead you two to a large tent, the tarp fabric being a red copper colour. On the ‘door’ to the tent had a symbol on it. The centre of it had a symbol of the first number. To the sides of the character were simplified wings, which met at a base before the numbered character. The symbol was painted on the tarp with a black ink.

Midoriya raised a hand as he got to the door. “Please wait here for a moment.” He said to the two of you before heading instead to the tent himself.

Leaving your father and you standing in the mud.

Your father sneered. “This place is a pigsty. It’s muddy, it smells, and none of the people here smell as if they have bathed.”

You looked down at your shoes, grimacing how they were dirty now. You wondered if your own nation’s army camps looked like this too. It’s not like you would ever know, women weren’t allowed near the army camps.

The tarp opened, seeing Midoriya’s smile. “You can come in now, Fourth Shachou.”

You followed in after your father. You bowed your head as you curtsied while your father merely bowed his head.

“Greetings, Prince Bakugou Katsuki. I am the Fourth of Nine Shachou Member,” Your father introduced himself, stating his name and family name. “As we agreed to in the peace treaty agreement, my daughter.”

You stood back up straight, introducing yourself by name to a man with wheat ash blonde hair and crimson red eyes. He was slouching in a chair, but if he stood up he would easily be one hundred and ninety-six centimetres tall. He had broad shoulders, with a tattoo that matched the symbol on the tent door. He wore a teal crop top that was laced up at the front, an orange sleeve with black patterning starting at his wrist to his mid upper arm, navy denim pants, a red coat with fur coating the neck line, high-low fur skirt that was held up by a dark brown belt, knee high grey boots, and leather armour on his knees and shoulders.

The man was staring at you, his eyes glued to your face and refusing to look away from your face. His finger tapped on his face, as if calculating something.

“I wanted to discuss-” 

“When did I allow you to speak?!” The blonde’s voice was loud, his attention now brought to your father. His glare would throw knives if they could. When your father wasn’t responsive, the prince let out a grunt, pushing his hand down his face. “Make it short.”

Your father hesitated before he spoke. “We have yet to discuss how my daughter will be transported and when the wedding will happen.”

“It’s happening tomorrow.”

“Excuse me?”

A cough came from a man who stood at one hundred and ninety centimetres tall with red hair and ruby red eyes. “His Majesty means the two will be flying there by dragon’s back today, which will allow the wedding to happen tomorrow evening. Traditionally, Barbarian weddings happen at sunset.”

Your father let out a nervous chuckle. “I see you are eager to end this war.”

“I’m eager for my old hag of a mother, the Empress, to stop sending me letters about her almost twenty-one year old son not coming back home.” The blonde corrected.

Your father suppressed a smile by gripping his own hand tightly that his nails dug into his palms. 

The beast of the East is easily controlled by the dominant woman in his life.

“Unless you want to transfer ownership of your daughter now and we get flying this second and have a late evening wedding?” The prince asked with a smug smirk.

Your father paused. “Ownership?”

“That’s how your people treat their women, right? They need permission to speak, which implies ownership over them.”

“I… Guess that is one way of interpreting our customs.” Your father grimenced. “I will permit her to travel to your continent for tomorrow's services. I expect that she will be housed within a separate room.”

“Of course.” The princes said with a smug expression. “I will get one of our axe-maidens to look after her.”

“I’m sorry, an axe-maiden?” Your father questioned. 

“Yes, a woman trained in wielding a battle axe.” The red head explained with a smile. “They start training when they are virgins sure, but they don’t have to stay forever to be an axe maiden.”

The prince looked over his shoulder, giving the red head a look. The red head looked away quickly.

Your father scoffed. “Of course. That will be permitted. Where should we place my daughter’s luggage?”

The prince paused for a moment before making a hand movement to Midoriya. “Tell them to put the luggage with Raccoon eyes’ luggage. We’ll fly separately.”

“Of course, Kacchan.” Midoriya smiled at the prince before walking out of the tent.

Once Midoriya had left the tent, the prince looked back at your father. “Better, Forth Shachou?”

“Will my daughter be permitted to send and receive letters?” Your father asked.

The prince’s lower eyelid twitches. “Yes, she will be able to send and receive. How long it will take will depend on the ocean.”

Silence grew between the two men as they glared at each other. You turned to look at your father’s face, seeing a frustrated expression.

You wanted to ask what it meant, but the expression on your father’s face gave you the answer already.

No.

“Kirishima,” The blonde looked at the red head. “Get your wife, and tell her she’ll be taking care of my betrothed.”

The red head nodded before walking past to leave the tent.

“We use the word intended.” Your father told the prince.

“Fortunately for me then that your daughter will be married to me. Therefore, she will be married in my culture and its beliefs.”

“Does that include your nation’s gods?”

The prince was silent. “I will not be forcing a belief system onto your daughter. She will be free to believe and practise her own beliefs as she wishes. At most, she will be asked to watch one of our rituals.”

“Very well.” Your father looked down at you then the prince. “Should I leave you two betrotheds alone?”

The prince lifted his head off his hand by about 2 inches. He stared at your father, searching to see for any ill intent before his eyes landed back on you. His eyes almost dug holes deep into your skin.

The prince breathed in through his nose. “...That is acceptable.”

Your father smirked to himself.

Weak men can easily be controlled by a woman’s influence.

Your father bowed his head before turning his back to the prince. He leaned close to you and spoke. “Behave.” Your father walked past you, leaning you alone with the prince.

The prince kept his eyes on you as he stood up. His steps towards you were slow, stopping when he was thirty centimetres between you two. His eyes were glued to you, soaking in your inner being. He took a breath in through his nose.

Was he smelling you?

“On Nihon, we address each other by our family names or titles unless we are close.” He told you. “Because we soon will be having the same last name, would it be alright if I called you by your given name?”

You slowly nodded your head, hesitating to speak. “That’s fine.”

“Would it also be alright if you called me Katsuki?”

“I can do that.”

He nodded, non-verbally communicating to you that he understood.

His eyes fell from your face and to the bead around your neck. He slowly pulled his hand to the beads and gently held onto them, tilted them to get a better look.

“What are these for?”

“Each bead represents one of our gods.” You told him as your hands went to one the beads. “This one is for our Goddess Soteria, a Spirit Goddess of Safety, Salvation, and Protection from harm.”

Katsuki was quiet as he let go of the beads. “Do you pray to her often?”

“Yes, she is my family's patron god.” You let go of the bead, your eyes landing on his necklaces around his neck. “Do yours also represent your gods?”

Katsuki looked down at his beads. “No, nothing religious. These are traditional cultural practices my family does. Each loop represents an event in our lives. The orange ones represent my birth, the red ones represent when I first used my magic, and the claw looking one represents my warrior spirit at the first religious hunt that we do.”

You gently held onto the necklace that was longer than the rest but had very little beads. “And what does this one represent?”

He watched you carefully, looking down at the three beads on that chain. 

“... An event that happened during the summer after my sixteenth birthday.”

He’s being vague for a reason. Best to drop the subject.

You dropped the beads and the subject.

“Bakugou I heard you wanted to-!” A feminine voice boomed into the tent.

Katsuki’s head lifted from looking at you, now glaring at whoever walked into the tent. You saw how his mouth went into a scroll and how his cheek twitched.

You turned your head, seeing a woman with light pink skin, messy pink hair, yellow horns, black sclera, yellow iris and stood at one hundred and seventy-five centimetres tall. Her mouth was shut and small as she sweat bullets upon seeing Katsuki’s face.

“Sorry, was this a bad time?” She asked.

Katsuki snarls his upper canines at the woman. He shuts his eyes and takes in a deep breath through his nose. Katsuki addresses you by your first name. “This is Kirishima Mina. She’ll be escorting and protecting you and who you will be travelling with to Nihon.”

Mina looked up at the prince, having a silent conversation before turning to you. She suddenly rushed towards you and held your hands in her own. “It’s nice to finally meet you! I’m Kirishima Mina! You can just call me Mina so you don’t get me confused with my husband.”

You were a bit startled by her forwardedness, trying to take a step back. Your back bumped into the prince’s chest, making you step forward towards Mina.

Mina leaned to the side and looked up at the Prince. “What’s first on the agenda today, boss?”

“You’re flying her to meet the Empress.” The prince replied. “The old hag will take care of everything until the wedding tomorrow.”

“Sorry- The wedding is tomorrow?!” Mina stared at the prince before looking at you. “Oh goodness! We don’t have the time!” She looked back at the Prince. “Wait until your mother hears about this!”

“Yeah yeah.” The prince gruffed. “Just make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.”

“Right on it!” Mina smiled as she held onto your arm and started to guide you out of the tent. You noticed a few of the barbarians’ eyes on you once you left the tent, noticing your father’s eyes were not one of them.

The girl that was all pink guided you to an area that had bags of luggage, some of yours was mixed into that. There you saw Midoriya and the red haired man who you were pretty sure was called Kirishima.

Kirishima saw Mina, a side smile quickly forming on his face. “Mina! You came back quickly!”

“You could’ve told me the wedding was tomorrow!” Mina whined to her husband. 

Midoriya chuckled. “I’ve never seen Kacchan this eager to hurry something up.”

“He often complains that a rushed job isn’t a good one.” Kirishima sighed. “Yet all he has wanted to do regarding this is get it rushed.”

Mina turned to you with a smile. “I’m going to shift and these two are going to load our luggage onto me. This might take some time so try to find a comfortable place to sit.”

You were a bit confused in what Mina meant by that until smoke started to emit from her skin. A sudden cloud of smoke was around her body up to four times of her normal height. Once the smoke cleared, a pink Wyvern Dragon that had a yellow shine to its scales stood at  four times her normal height. She now stood at over seven metres tall, and that's when you didn’t count her yellow horns.

Kirishima sniffled, having a large smile on his face. “My wife's dragon form is so pretty, doesn’t she?” He asked you.

Kirishima stared at you, his smile going slightly flat when he noticed you weren’t responding.

“Oh, right.” Midoriya tapped Kirishima’s shoulder. “The custom for Girisha Women are that they have to have permission from their father or husband to speak to other men.”

Kirishima seemed shocked by this news. “But, didn’t-?”

A whine came from the big dragon, making Kirishima bring his attention back to her. He chuckled and started to move. 

“Sorry my love.” He told her. “I’ll start loading stuff on.”

You watched as the Dragon form Mina laid on her stomach as Kirishima put on a harness on her. It allowed one to sit in the centre of a circle but also allowed luggage to be strapped to the sides.

Midoirya tapped your shoulder, giving you a smile. “I know you can’t respond, but I do need to warn you that the flight from here to the capital will be over seventeen hours long. Mina should be able to push herself to fly the enter time, but you should sleep when night falls. Kacchan will be a couple of hours behind you.”

You simply nodded your head before turning back to watch Mina and Kirishima communicate somehow as they loaded everything up. You could only understand Kirishima’s end of the conversation, and it just sounded like banter.

You heard your name being called, and when you turned you saw your father. “Come here child, I wish to speak with you.”

As you walked away from Mina, Midoriya and Kirishima, Midoriya watched as you obeyed your father. They exchanged a look between each other. Mina’s dragon form let out a found, and in response Kirishima rubbed his hand along her body.

Once you were close to your father, he spoke to you in a hushed voice. “What did the prince talk to you about?”

“He asked if we could call each other by our given names, and then about our necklaces.” You answered your father, your hand going to the beads around your neck and starting to fiddle with them.

Your father had a smug expression on his face. “Really? Seems like the barbarian prince is weak to the woman around him.”

You pressed your lips together, thinking about how Katsuki reacted to Mina rushing into the tent. Though it was always possible he was just angry that the conversation was interrupted. 

Best to remember to not accidentally cut him off or interrupt him in the future.

“What do they plan to do with you now?” Your father’s voice cut through your line of thought.

“The Prince wants to send me over to Nihon as soon as possible. I’ll be leaving as soon as they finish packing my belongings onto the dragon shifter.”

Your father raised an eyebrow at you before looking at the pink dragon behind you. “I can’t believe they refused to ship you via boat because of possible sea monsters, and yet will happily throw you into the sky.”

You really doubted they made that decision because of safety concerns. They probably made that call because the war would only be considered postponed until the wedding happened. 

Maybe they were worried you would withdraw your consent to get married to The Prince?

Maybe that explained why he seemed kind with you alone in the tent.

Once the wedding happens though, I doubt he’ll keep up that act for long.

“Try to become close with The Prince.” Your father told you with a hushed voice. “Make him loyal to you and only you.”

You hesitated before nodding your head to your father. “I’ll write to you once I’ve settled in.”

Your father nodded his head. “Do try to be safe, child. We don’t have much information on their way of life, so we have no idea of the world you're about to be thrusted into.”

“Fourth Shachou,” A voice spoke. “I do hope you aren’t being rude about the people who will be taking care of your daughter.”

You both turned to see Katsuki there, his eyebrows knitted as he glared at your father. You noticed how he was slightly slouching. His eyes only darted to you for a moment though quickly went back onto your father to glare at him.

“Of course not, Prince Bakugou Katsuki.” Your father told him. “I am merely telling my daughter to be safe is all.”

“Oh really?” Katsuki raised an eyebrow at your father. “And how would you recommend your daughter to stay safe in a foreign land, Fourth Shachou? By staying in her room all day?” Katsuki turned his head slightly to Midoriya. “Is that not what we saw happening in some of the estates? They had locked their daughters and wives in a room?”

As Midoriya stuttered out of agreement, you remembered a lesson you were taught while growing up.

If a city is under siege, it is best to lock women in a hidden room for their protection.

You bit the inside of your mouth, one of your hands gripping your arm. If you did end up having to be locked in a room, wouldn’t that just mean you weren’t safe? 

“I simply don’t want my daughter to be victimised while under your care.”

“She won’t be.” Katsuki glared at your father. “No one who has ever been under my care has gotten hurt, and considering your daughter is to become my wife, I’ll be putting extra effort into it.”

“We’ll have to see how successful that is.” Your father snarked back.

Your father and Katsuki glared at each other. Midoirya came from the side, soft smiling at you. “It’s time to leave now, miss. I’ll help you-”

“No you won’t, Deku.” Katsuki turned, glaring at Midoriya. 

Katsuki stomped over to where Mina was. You tried to follow closely. Whatever this atmosphere was, you did not want to find out.

Once Katsuki got close to Mina, he gently grabbed hold of your waist and lifted you up. He let you lean on him as you climbed up onto Mina’s back and into the saddle. You heard your father start to complain to Katsuki about how to handle you properly. You elected to ignore it for now, trying to sit comfortable on the cushions that seemed to be strapped down to the saddle.

“How about you say your goodbyes to your daughter instead of correcting me!” You heard Katsuki’s voice boom aggressively as he addressed your father. “Considering this may be the last time you see her, I suggest you make it a kind goodbye.”

Last time?

Was Katsuki planning to get rid of you as soon as he could?

You looked over the edge of the saddle, seeing your father carefully approach.

You also noticed the glaring looks Katsuki, Midoriya, and Kirishima were giving you.

Of course, it all makes sense now. They are waiting for you to be alone and kill you. Of course they don’t like you and your father. Why did you think they would like you?

Your father called your name. “Just try to stay safe. Write to me about your progress there.”

You nodded your head, waving down at your father.

Mina stretched out her wings and jumped into the air, her wings starting to flap to keep her in the air. She started to ascend higher into the air before starting to fly through the sky, away from the war camp. She moved much faster than any boat or carriage you had been on.

You secured yourself as you felt your legs shake and shut your eyes.

Breathe, everything is going to be alright.

Just breathe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were woken up by a sudden landing, jolting you awake..

You were no longer in the air.

You sat up and rubbed your head, hearing people yell around you. You looked off the side of the saddle, seeing a woman who looked just like Katsuki yet shorter and wearing a crown on her head yell at staff around her. To her side was a man with brown hair and glasses, speaking very softly.

The woman looked up at you before smiling. “Good morning, young one. Would you like assistance getting down?”

You weakly nodded your head, rubbing your eyes and yawning.

She gave a laugh before yelling at someone to help you. Suddenly, a woman who appeared to be a witch of some kind floated up.

She had brown auburn hair that stopped at her shoulders except two side tufts that were a bit longer, brown hazel eyes, and hair skin that made her cheeks a soft pink colour. She was wearing a dark pink witches hat that had fake beige dragon horns, a vertically striped dress that ended at her mid thighs, black stockings, pink boots, and a green cape that was warmly wrapped around her neck and flowed down past her knees.

She smiled softly at you as she extended a hand out to you. “Grabbed hold of my hand and I’ll help you down.”

You looked down at the floor, wondering how the hell did Katsuki helped you up in the first place. You gently took her hand, and soon you felt your body become lighter. She was tugged down by someone in silver metal armour with a green cape coming from their armour. Once your feet touched the floor, she said ‘release’, which was followed by that light feeling going away.

The blonde woman walked towards you. You guessed this was Katsuki mother - and therefore The Empress - you bowed your head and curtsied before introducing yourself.

“Oh no need to do that, young one.” She chuckled, helping you up. “We will be family by day’s end. I am The Barbarian Empress of The Dragon Tribe, Bakugou Mitsuki, and this is my husband. Consort of The Barbarian Empress of The Dragon Tribe, Bakugou Masaru.”

As you bowed your head to Masaru, you noticed the witch float up again and started to float down the luggage. “It is nice to meet you, Empress’ Consort Masaru.”

He smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too, young lady. If I may ask, how old are you?”

“Nineteen, sir.”

“Hmm… And when is your birthday?”

You answered his question.

“So you were eighteen when the war started I see. Regardless, it seems like we will have to change the wine out for some grape juice.”

You blinked out of confusion. “Sorry?”

The Empress spoke. “At Barbarian Weddings, we have a cup the couple drinks out of. The couple must cut their hands and spill some blood into the cup before they drink from it. We see this as a form of physically connecting the two bodies together. The wine we use simply covers up the taste of the blood.”

“Why does the wine need to be switched to grape juice though?” You asked.

“The drinking age is twenty.” The Empress answered.

“I understand. Back home, our drinking age is eighteen for women, sixteen for men..”

“... Really? That’s interesting.” The Empress had forced a smile when she replied to you.

Masaru quickly spoke to try and heal any offence his wife might’ve offered you. “What do your people traditionally do during their weddings?”

“We drink wine to connect with the gods before cutting our hands and spill blood on the Goddess of Marriage, Hera’s statue so she can tie our fates together.” You informed them. “If a divorce were to happen, the statue would be broken.”

The two were silent, their mouths closed as they looked at you.

“It’s alright,” You told them. “I won’t expect The Prince to participate in my religious’ practices. I am marrying into his culture, not the other way round.”

The two seemed shocked by either your wording or what you had said, but before they could say anything, the witch had said the words ‘release’ once more.

You turned and saw all the luggage had been neatly placed on the ground. The witch started to float up again and take off the saddle that was around Mina. 

The Empress turned her attention back to you before speaking. “We don’t believe in divorce. The only way to separate from one’s spouse for us is through death.”

The knight - that had been standing off to the side for a short while - took off his helmet as you saw a man with dark blue hair and rose red petal eyes.

“Sorry to interrupt,  Barbarian Empress of The Dragon Tribe Bakugou Mitsuki.” He bowed his head to The Empress. “Shall I start to transport the Barbarian Prince Bakugou Katsuki’s betrothed’s luggage to her room?”

Does that mean you and Katsuki won’t be sharing a room?

“That would be lovely, thank you, Iida.” She smiled at him. “If you run into Miss Yaoyorozu or Miss Jiro, could you ask them to come see me please?”

“Of course,  Barbarian Empress of The Dragon Tribe Bakugou Mitsuki!” He bowed his head before picking up a few bags of your luggage before running off so far there was a strong gust of wind and a dust trail behind him.”

You watched as the dust trail faded away.

Did he really just address her by her full title? Twice? Were you expected to do that?

You heard a thump sound, and upon turning your head you saw the saddle had come clean off of Mina’s back. Smoke appeared around the Dragon form of Mina, and soon the more human looking form of her appeared.

Mina stretched her back, followed by some popping or cracking sounds coming from her back. She let out a sigh as she relaxed her shoulders, yawning.

The witch softly laughed. “Long night, Mina?”

“I want to have a nap so bad, girl.” She whined.

The Empressed called you by your name before gesturing to the witch. “This is Iida’s wife, Ochaco. She’ll be looking after you while you get ready for today and while Mina is resting.”

“No it’s fine, I can deal with it.” Mina yawned.

“Mina, you should rest.” Ochaco rubbed Mina’s back. “Once Eijiro gets here, I’ll send him your way.”

Iida returned back, grabbing more bags then running off again.

He was gone for maybe twenty-five seconds and he came back for more bags already? How fast is he?

And why was no one else reacting to what was happening?

There were rumours of the Island of Nihon having a high percentage of magical powers, but you weren’t expecting to see two - three if you counted Mina - people using their magical powers so openly.

Mina yawned, nodding her head and bowing her head to the Empress. “I hope everything goes well before The Prince gets here, Your Majesty.”

The Empress smiled. “Thank you for your kind words, Mina. Now go rest. I’m sure Katsuki would be thrilled to see you at the wedding.”

Mina sighed before picking up her bags, putting two on her bag and carrying two under her arms. She smiled at you kindly, her gaze upon you being soft. “Try not to stress out before the wedding, okay?” She told you as she started to walk away.

“Now, let's get you inside.” The Empress smiled at you. She turned and started to walk towards the large palace. The columns on the building were a light grey, almost matching the mountains behind the palace. The outside wall itself was a soft green with painted gold on. “This is the Winter Palace, and those mountains behind it are what we call the Dragon Range. It’s believed to be the original birthplace of our Dragon God. The Dragon Range takes up roughly sixty percent of our land. There is a massive tunnel system within the mountains where our dragon shifter brothers and sisters keep their hoards.”

Iida returned, stopping before the Empress. He bowed his head. “Barbarian Empress of The Dragon Tribe Bakugou Mitsuki, I have put the Barbarian Prince Bakugou Katsuki’s betrothed belongings in their room. I have also found Miss Yaoyorozu and have informed her of your request to meet you. She said she will be meeting you along the way in escorting the Barbarian Prince Bakugou Katsuki’s betrothed.”

“Thank you, Iida.” She smiled at him. “Make sure the Todoroki Family is playing nice today, please?”

“Of course, Barbarian Empress of The Dragon Tribe Bakugou Mitsuki.” Iida bowed before running off again, this time in a different direction.

Once the dust settled, the Empress turned to you. “He may be the most responsible and reliable out of the original group that went to go fight the Demon lord a few years ago, but he is too formal at times I fear there is a stick up his arse.” She softly laughed before turning to Ochaco. “No offence, Mrs Iida.”

Ochaco smiled at the Empress. “It’s alright, your Majesty. Tenya has his own charm on how to do things.”

Once you four had climbed up the steps, the Empress and her consort looked out to the view. You turned, and saw a beautiful view of the land below the mountains being a wide open green land before meeting the ocean. You saw in the distance on both sides, land curving inward on itself, revealing the landmass continent of Nihon was an earthy atoll. In the distance, you saw the headlands of the atoll - which were often referred to as the Heaven’s Gates within the rare texts your nation had on Nihon.

“Those green pastures down there are the rest of our Empire.” The Empress told you. “It’s where all the human barbarians used to live before the rise of the Demon Lord. And the water mass from our coast to the headlands is known as the Ocean's Heart. We believe the landmass that houses the god’s came from that section of Nihon.”

“It’s rather beautiful.” You said softly. 

“Yes, it is.” The Empress hummed. She suddenly slapped her hands together, startling you. “We must start getting you ready. We have a big day ahead of us!”

The Empress started to walk inside, expecting the rest of you to follow.

“There are five sections of the palace. Front, Back, Courtyard, Left Wing and Right Wing. This is the Front of the Palace, the entryway. Everything staff related is located to the Left Wing and therefore, the corner connecting the Front and Left Wing is the ball room. Everything the Imperial Family does is on the Right Wing, therefore the corner connecting the Front and Right Wing is the Library. The Back is where all the apartments are. The Back Right Wing Corner is the Emperor or Empress’ apartment and the Back Left Wing Corner is the Heir’s apartment. The rest of the apartments are often used as Guest rooms if the Imperial Couple does only have one child.  The courtyard is at the centre of the enter Palace. Following?”

You nodded your head. You were a little lost but you understood enough to somewhat follow along.

The Empress’ Consort seemed to read what was on your face before gently patting your shoulder and smiling. “We’ll offer you a map so you don’t get lost.”

The Empress continued. “There is a guest garden which is accessible on the Left Wing and a private garden which is accessible on the Back. Overall, there are over one thousand and five hundred rooms.” The Empress continued as the group entered into the courtyard. “There are three levels. Ground level is the only level guests have access to, even if they are in a guest room it’s on the ground floor. Servants and Guards have access to all floors, but their main walkways are on the top floor. The middle floor is where the Imperial Family operates.”

… You were so lost.

“The Prince will help you if you need any help.” Ochaco smiled at you. 

“One can only pray.” The Empress groaned, rubbing between her eyebrows. She then switched to muttering in a language you were not familiar with. It was harsh on the throat.

Masaru responded in the same language, but how the pronunciation sounded was different. His words sounded softer, still rich consonants but his vowels were softer.

She groaned. She turned to you. “If my son gives you any trouble, please do let me know. I don’t want him to be a burden on his first wife.”

First wife?

Ochaco then spoke to you to answer your unspoken question. “Barbarian Law states those of the direct line of the imperial family are allowed to have up to nine spouses. First spouse is Consort, second to ninth spouses are concubines. This is to make sure the Imperial Line can continue via blood.”

“Though filling all eight concubines spots hasn’t been done in four generations, and even then that Emperor used his eight concubines as secret guards.” The Empress spoke. “And on top of that, the Imperial crown can be passed down by mentorship or by battle. I was passed the Crown via winning a battle to the death against the previous Emperor who got the crown via mentorship. We believe only the strongest can rule the Barbarians.”

So your safety isn’t secure, is it?

“I doubt the Prince would take in a second spouse.” Ochaco tried to reassure you. “I don’t think he’s the type to deal with the politics that come with having multiple spouses.”

You looked at the plant life you were walking past, getting closer to the other end of the palace. You hesitated before speaking. “If I may ask, Empress, how did you meet your consort?”

“He was my dress maker.” The Empress answered truthfully.

Oh.

“How many concubines do you have?” You asked carefully.

The Empress continued to smile. “Only one.”

The rest of the walk was rather silent, The Empress and Consort leading you to the apartment section of the Palace. Surprising to you though, they guided you into your apartment section through the ground floor.

Once inside the apartment, you noticed how there were stairs leading up to the middle floor. The ground floor seemed more of a hosting room more than anything. There was a study that looked dusty, a weapons room with many weapons missing, a dining room, and two more additional hosting rooms. One that looked like it was already claimed by the Prince, and a second that had nothing in it for now.

It looked rather dusty, uncared for.

“I’ll make sure Katsuki takes you to the storage room tomorrow so you can pick out some furniture you’d like to decorate this space with.” Masaru said to you. “If you don’t like anything there, we can get it custom made for you. You can make yourself feel right at home here.”

“Shall I guide you upstairs?” Ochaco asked you.

“That is where our influence of this day ends for now.” The Empress spoke. “I’ll let the Priestess know you have arrived. The wedding will be starting at six in the afternoon when the sun sets. After your bath I suggest you have a nap. It’s going to be a long day.”

You watched as the Empress and her husband left before being led up the stairs. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and two dressing rooms. All of your belongings were put into the empty dressing room.

“We can unpack your things after we serve you breakfast.” Ochaco told you. “The Prince should be arriving around the time breakfast starts to be served. I’ll quickly summon a maid to give you a bath, though I’m not sure if there would be hot water active right now. Most barbarian families have baths after dark.”

“It’s alright, I can bathe myself.” You told her. “How my people bathe is by having bath houses, or we simply were ourselves in a stream or a lake close by. I preferred bathing myself in the stream by my family home, so cold water isn’t an issue for me.”

Ochaco was taken back by what you said, looking at you with a concerned and shocked expression. “Weren’t you worried someone would see you bathing?”

“Our Goddess of the Wild Hunt wouldn’t allow such a thing.” You told her. “And even if a fool were too, the punishment would be death.”

She stared at you, a shocked smile was on her lips. She turned away for a moment and mumbled something under her breath. You raised an eyebrow at her before dropping it. You really shouldn’t be surprised if the people here looked or talked about you because of the customs you were used to compared to their own.

“I need to get my soaps from my belongings, so we may as well start to unpack.” You told her as you moved to the empty dressing room and knelt down to pull out your belongings.

One of your bags had no clothes in it whatsoever, mostly carrying all of your religious items such as your miniature statues of the gods. For now, you put those items on a shelf and put your bathroom supplies off to the side.

Pulling out your clothing from your other bags took some effort. Half of your clothing was for warmer weather, which meant the fabrics were thin and breathable, sometimes even see through. While your window clothing was a thick cotton and would cover up your entire body. Only when you pulled out what was planned to be your wedding dress did Ochaco make any sort of noise about your clothing.

“That’s so beautiful.” She smiled at it widely and brightly. The dress was a maxi dress, having ve neck, bishop sleeves, an empire waist, and a handkerchief hem. The fabric was an almost white cream colour, being a lightweight fabric. “Did you pick that out yourself?”

“No,” You told her truthfully. “One of the other Shachou’s daughters who is married gave it to me.”

“Shachou?” She tilted her head. “What's a Shachou?”

You thought for a moment, thinking about how to describe it. “Back home, we have nine elected politicians. Those nine are called The Shachous, and they are ranked with the length they have held their power for. They govern Girisha, debating and voting amongst themselves policies and laws. They are voted in by the voting base, which are men who own land and pay taxes, and men can only pay taxes once they earn a certain amount of wealth.”

“Oh, so similar to the Shiketsu Kingdom?”

You stared at her. “Sorry, I am not familiar with that.”

“They are one of the Kingdoms of Nihon, located on the western headlands. They have a Royal Family, but they vote in a President every ten years. The President works closely with the King and Queen while the Vice-President works closely with the heir to the throne. Though only people who own a home in their capital can pay taxes and are able to be voted into office.”

“... That's similar I guess.” You answered her. “Though, we don’t have a royal family. We overthrew them almost two hundred years ago.”

“So does that mean the people of your home nation disapprove of this marriage?” 

“... I think they would only be angry about it if The Prince imposed himself as our next ruler.”

“But do they disapprove?”

“... They approve on the principle that the war is over. That is all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You didn’t see the Prince, even after you had finished unpacking, bathed, had breakfast, had a nap on his bed, and had lunch. The only evidence you saw that he had returned was that his belongings had been making their return to the apartment the entire day.

The maids had practically locked you up in your dressing room, and they had given you bowls of strawberries and watermelon to snack on. They did your hair and did your makeup all while looking at some notes on a piece of paper.

You were disassociating for most of it, only being brought back to reality with a soft knock at the door. A feminine voice spoke from the other side of the door, saying your name with care. “I’m Yaoyorozu Momo, the Empress asked me to see how things were going. May I enter?”

You looked at how the maids reacted before answering. They continued to work around you, not giving the voice any mind.

So far no biases showing.

“You may enter.” 

Then in came a half naked lady, making your cheeks warm up.

She stood at one hundred and ninety-three centimetres tall, had black hair and eyes, while was wearing a metal armoured bra of some kind and metal armour on her hips that held up what would be mistaken for underwear, a fabric flowed from the bra and wrapped from behind her, a armour neck brace which held up a green cape, thigh-high stockings, oranges elbow gloves, and armours boots that reached her knees.

You were shocked by her attire, though no one else in the room seemed to be.

She smiled warmly and sweetly at you that you felt guilty for questioning her attire.

“I hope everything is going well.” Her smile beamed. “I made sure the maids had all my notes on what your culture’s hair and makeup typically looks like for weddings. I was so honoured that the Empress even knew of my love for your culture’s aesthetics. 

You were silent for a moment before turning to a maid. “Could I see myself in a mirror please?”

“Yes ma’am.” Said one of them before giving you a mirror. You were surprised to see your hair was done perfectly in the style your people did during weddings and they did it in such a way it suited you. The make up as well made you feel beautiful.

“I’m glad you seem to enjoy it!” She beamed before blushing from nervousness. “I should reintroduce myself- I’m Yaoyorozu Momo, I’m a Mage Commander for the Barbarian troops. My magic allows me to create things from my body, though it uses the fat on my body. It’s why I dress in such a way.”

“I see.” You looked down at her cape. This is now the fourth person you’ve seen wearing a green cape. 

“Usually for Barbarian Weddings,” Yaoyorozu broke you from staring at her cape. “Both the bride and groom wear matching earrings. Prince Bakugou will be wearing his on his left ear for the wedding and we were just wondering if it would be alright if we asked you to wear some on your right ear?”

“I don’t have my ears pierced.” You told her, you were about to explain why but she began talking.

“I am aware your people only allow oracles to wear earrings, but these ones wouldn’t need you to piercing your ears.” She walked over to you and a section of her skin started to glow. She cupped the area that was glowing right before the light stopped, crocheting down before you. She presented to you what was in her hand, which were four gold earrings that had a clip maniche for the back of the earring. “These are clip-on earrings. They won’t require any form of piercing onto your ear. They might be a little painful considering the size of the earrings, but I think they could still work.”

You gently picked it up from her hand and took a closer look. The earring itself was two centimetres in length less than a centimetre in width. Where the gold would be connecting to your ear was a very tiny bulge on both sides.

“... This is acceptable.” You told her. Her face lit up and you heard a maid somewhere sigh in relief. 

“May I put them on you?” She asked. Once you gave a nod, she carefully reached to your right ear and started to put them on your ear. Surprisingly to you they were painful, though they were slightly heavier than what you expected. She pull away and gave you the mirror so you could look at them.

“They look very well on you, ma’am.” One of the maids told you.

“Do you like them?” Yaoyorozu  asked.

“... They will go well with my dress.” You told her, not wanting to admit you liked them there.

Yaoyorozu  stayed crouching before you. “I need to tell you something before the wedding begins.”

Your heart sank, fearing the worst. 

Were they going to sacrifice you or kill you right after the wedding?

“I know for your traditional weddings, the night after the wedding is usually the couple’s first time.” Yaoyorozu spoke gently. “For us, we wait until the woman’s first period after the wedding just so we know the first child is of the married couple. Though the Empress and the Prince have been informed of your culture and traditions regarding the first night, it is unclear what the Prince wants. Which is very unlike him.”

You tilted your head at her comment at the end. 

Unlike him? 

“So I just want to warn you that if you two don’t do it for the first time tonight, then please don’t take it personally. He probably doesn’t want to overwhelm you. Or on the other hand if he does ask if you two could do it tonight, don’t feel pressured to say yes. I know Prince Bakugou seems rough around the edges but he is sometimes surprisingly respectful.”

Why was she doing this? Why is she trying to warn you about this?

It didn’t matter what happened tonight. You were now property of the Prince because of the Peace Treaty. It didn’t matter if you were or weren’t in Girisha, you were still a man’s property. 

“Can I ask you something?”

She gently gripped your hands with hers. “Anything.”

“Why do you, the Iidas and Midoriya wear the same matching green cape?”

The maids froze, looking over their shoulders to watch the interaction. Yaoyorozu was taken aback by your question, not expecting the question to be about a cape.

“Well, the cape shows which Prince I am loyal to.”

“I thought there was only one Prince of the Barbarians.”

“... Officially. Honorary Prince Midoriya Izuku by the status of his mother being the second spouse and first concubine of the Empress. Midoriya was born three years before the two had met and was fourteen when the Empress killed his biological father. It’s the only way to legally transfer spouses for us barbarians, to beat them in a battle to the death.”

You remembered what the Empress told you earlier, that the imperial crown could be passed down via a fight to the death. 

Does that mean if someone challenged Katsuki to one of these battles while being emperor and he lost, you would be handed over to the next Emperor or Empress?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once the sun started to set, you were brought out of your dressing room wearing your wedding dress by a woman who had blonde hair, aqua eyes, and stood at one hundred and seventy-one centimetres tall. She wore oval framed glasses, a white with pink accents priestess dress, and a small green cape.

Seems like Midoriya has many who support him.

She smiled politely and bowed her head to you, calling you by your name. “It’s an honour to meet you. I am Priestess Shield Melissa. Since you have no father figure with you here today, I will be walking you down the aisle before you exchange vows.”

You bowed your head slightly. “Thank you, Priestess.”

She paused. “Why are you bowing your head?”

“Back in Girisha, we see Priestesses as higher status since they have a higher connection to our gods than most of us do.” You informed her.

She made a face. “Well we don’t do that here.”

“I understand, it’s simply my customs-”

“Then I recommend you keep your Girisha customs to yourself.” She butted in. “Our Prince has already decided to go against our traditions by marrying you before he is supposed to. He is supposed to only marry after his twenty-first birthday, which is in forty-one days anyway but he was adamant this ‘wedding’ should be done right away.”

You stared at her, though not surprised someone was rude to you, simply shocked it was a priestess and so openly.

You were expecting someone to be rude to eventshully.

“I recommend you start learning our ways sooner rather than later. Prince Bakugou is not known for being nice to outsiders.” She glared at you before turning her back to you. “Let’s get going now. I don’t want to be blamed for you being late to your own wedding.”

She turned on her heel and started to walk out, expecting you to follow. Gripping onto the beads around your neck, you put your hands together and brought them to your face as you started to pray to your gods.

“Goddess Soteria, please gift me with your protection and safety.” You mumbled under your breath. “Goddess Hera, please bless me with a good husband who will not hurt me.”

Melissa rolled her eyes as you continued to walk. You were so consumed with praying, you didn’t realise you had reached your destination until you bumped into the back of Melissa.

She looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry-”

“Members of the Imperial Family do not apologise. Now, place your hand on my forearm so we walk down the aisle.”

You turned your head to look, seeing a long wedding aisle that was over one hundred metres in length. 

The longest aisle back in Girisha was barely forty metres long and you were expected to walk down one that was more than double?

“Are you ready?” Melissa asked with an annoyed tone.

You gently put your hand on top of her forearm then started to walk with her for almost two minutes. You tried to ignore the stares you knew you were receiving, keeping your eyes on the red carpet before you.

When Melissa moved her arm away, it was because you had reached the end of the aisle. You saw Katsuki’s grey boots before tilting your head up to look at him. It appeared that the left side of his hair was gelled back, showing his piercing on said ear to the crowd. 

His red crimson eyes were glued to you. He looked at you up and down, looking at the dress you were wearing.

He didn’t give anything that showed he approved or disapproved of the dress, though his eyes seemed to focus on where the beads around your neck were sitting.

Melissa forced a cough to force Katsuki to look at her. 

“Today we are gathered here at sunset to bare witness a man and woman be forever tied together in matrimony, taught to us via the gods.” Melissa started. You heard soft mumblings in the audience but decided to give it no mind for now. “Barbarian Prince of the Dragon Tribe, Bakugou Katsuki, do you take this woman as your wife, to live together, to hunt for her, to love her, to honour her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for long as you both live?”

Katsuki looked back down at you, his eyes unreadable. “I do.”

Melissa turned to you and said your name. “Do you take this man as your husband, to live together, to bear children for him, to love him, to honour him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both live?”

To hunt for her and bear children for him? 

You didn’t know where those lines came from or why it was in the wedding, maybe it was just a barbarian thing?

“I do.”

Two children walked up to you. A fourteen year old girl and a twelve year old boy. Both had hair that was either blonde or a very light brown, brown eyes, and freckles on their noses. Both held red pillows, the girl’s sat a short blade and a miniature statue of your Goddess Hera - how she had it you had no idea - on it and the boy’s having two rings.

Katsuki picked up a ring that housed a crimson ruby. He gently grabbed your hand and slid the ring on your ring finger as he spoke. “I, Prince of the Dragon Tribe, Bakugou Katsuki, take this woman as my wife from this day forward, for better or for worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

You picked up the golden ring and grabbed Katsuki's hand. Sliding on his ring on his ring finger, you stated your name. “-take this man as my husband from this day forward, for better and for worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do us part.”

As you spoke, Katsuki picked up the blade and cut into his left hand. Once you had finished the ring exchange he picked up the statues, smearing his blood on it. You cut into your left hand, tracing the scar from previous religious rituals. He passed the statue to you so you could smear your blood on it.

Melissa passed Katsuki a chalice filled with grape juice. He squeezed his hand so his blood would pour into the cup before passing it to you and taking the statue from you. As you did the same to pour your blood into the chalice, you noticed how rough Katsuki passed the statue to Melissa.

Katsuki took the cup from you, keeping eye contact as you took a sip from it. He passed it back to you, putting his hand securely under the cup as you took a sip. Melissa took the cup, raising it into the air.

“By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Gods, I pronounced these two husband and wife!” Melissa announced to the audience. “You now may kiss the bride.”

Suddenly, Katsuki grabbed your face and pulled you close. His lips met yours with passion, leaving you confused. You closed your eyes as the crowds started to cheer and clapped.

As the crowd continued to cheer and clap, Katsuki pulled away with a smirk.“You're mine now, and you won’t be going anywhere.”

[takkamek]

quite a few fanfics about mada/t0bi that deal with them getting married have the senju clan’s marriage traditions be quite formal and idk ‘cold’? like in so many of those fanfics the senjus only ever really do arranged marriages (which fits for the time) and it’s always painted as an agreement, a political one, and on the uch1ha side it’s all about love (which fits with the clan) but idk considering what we know of the senju, despite butsuma’s parenting style, i’ve always viewed them as seeing marriage as something sacred, just in a different style than the uch1has

[gojorgeous]

"business or pleasure?"

pairing: gojo x fem!reader summary: the gojo clan decides it’s time to secure an heir… and you’re the lucky woman selected for the job… content: HEAVY breeding, arranged marriage, language, praise, dacryphilia, p->v, fingering, mating press, a lil’ blood (if you squint), pet names, implied multiple rounds, gojo just generally being a menace, no established relationship, reader and gojo literally just met, reader is literally there for the purpose of getting pregnant, positive pregnancy test at the end, ideas of women as baby incubators :x, consent king gojo. wc: 3.7k a/n: I HAVE RETURNED!!! Hey!!!!!! Long time no see, babes. I was looking at my account and I haven’t posted a fic in *cough* TWO YEARS. There is simply no way that’s real 😭 Anyway, I’ve returned with something slightly different: A Gojo fic. You’re welcome. Mwah. Also, please send messages I miss y'all. happy new year bbs. and remember, AGELESS BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED!

It’s only your third time in Japan. The first had been to visit family friends when you were eight, the second for a girls’ trip after you graduated college. You liked it. Tokyo was bright and busy and full of shops and things to do. The countryside always offered beauty and peace. But this third time was different. No shopping, no temples, no amusement parks. You were here for business, not pleasure. 

You run a finger along the edge of a mahogany bookshelf. Your feet are killing you, a flick of your ankles tossing your heels across the room. Your nose wrinkles when you land on a particular title. The Art of War? Interesting choice… You scan the other books, and your brows rise when you find a strange combination of academics, young adult, manga, and high fantasy? A multi-genre reader, then…

You absentmindedly rub at the arch of your foot, pushing out the ache as best you can. A day so full of stress has left you weary. Your mother hadn’t stopped hovering until the moment you’d escaped into your car, a new husband on your arm. 

You sigh. You could still hear the shower running along with said husband humming loudly to a tune you didn’t recognize. At least your groom wasn’t shy. 

A glance toward the bed has your brows raising. Were those… squishmallows? One looked like a shark, the other like a… sushi? You press your lips together, avoiding a laugh he would surely hear. You make your way to the mattress, sighing when you finally get to sit. You pull the sushi into your arms, hugging the pillow to your chest, but it no longer seemed so funny anymore. You had bigger things to think about. Your legs press together in a mix of anticipation and anxiety. All the way from America you’d come to marry the Gojo heir. It had been a rushed arrangement. Apparently, the Gojo clan had finally put their foot down and decided their heir should finally get to the business of making another heir. There’d been a search far and wide for the best match and somehow, they’d settled on you. An accomplished sorcerer yourself and abilities in your blood that only strengthened those of the Gojo line, you’d been an suitable pick. It didn’t hurt that you were young, healthy, and (upon a trip to a renowned fertility clinic) proven to be very fertile. 

Your parents had been oh-so eager to accept the Gojo clan’s proposition. The Gojo heir’s power hadn’t been matched in nearly 400 years. Any and every family would jump at the opportunity to be tied to them, especially through marriage and heirs. You were surprised you’d been chosen considering all of the options there must have been. 

Satoru seemed… fine, you thought. You hadn’t had much time to talk with him privately. The first time you’d met had been on a phone call with both of your sets of parents present and the next had been at the altar. At one point in the night he’d asked a waiter to refill your wine glass and he’d been a rather good dancer. Other than that, you’d been pulled apart at all odds and ends until you’d come back here: his apartment. 

You’d expected something a little more lavish for your wedding night, especially considering the spectacle that your wedding had been. Ice sculptures, thousand dollar bouquets, and diamond encrusted wedding rings had turned to an elegantly decorated bachelor pad. A glance around revealed a space that was obviously lived in, with odd mixes of $10,000 dollar chairs and… squishmallows.

You sink onto the edge of the bed, eyes peeling over the half-moons of your nails and the heavy gems that now sit on the fourth finger of your left hand. They are a weight you feel the pressure of. A pressure to live up to expectations, to produce a much-desired product. 

A door opens down the hall and you realize the pounding of water and the lilting of a hum has ceased. Your husband is done with his shower. 

A few seconds later he reveals himself, prancing down the hallway and into his bedroom like it’s just another Tuesday and not his wedding night. A plush blue towel is slung low around his waist and from the rivulets of water running all over his body you judge that he hadn’t even taken the time to properly dry off. Not that you mind.

You’d known your new husband was beautiful but you’d never imagined he’d be so… so goddamn seductive. 

Washboard abs, toned arms, sculpted back, wet hair and icy eyes… he was the image of a god. 

“Sorry for making you wait. I really needed that.” 

Gojo prods at his temples, eyes squished shut in what looked like a moment of pain. You’d heard of this problem from the clan. He hadn’t worn his blindfold all day for the sake of the wedding. It was no wonder the effects were catching up with him. 

“No problem.” 

A small smile reveals just a few blinding teeth and you could swear your vision went out for just a moment. 

“You hungry?” 

You arch a brow. The man had eaten two full plates and practically half the cake not yet an hour ago. 

“Can’t say that I am.” 

“Hm.” 

He nods and you watch as he plucks a stray candy off his bedside table, tossing the wrapper to the floor. 

“So, uh-” You watch the butterscotch bulge in his cheek. “You really wanna do this?” 

You glance at your half-naked husband who is practically a walking temptation. You take a breath. He’s standing so casually, as if this is a normal conversation to be having and not something life-altering.

“You don’t?” you ask.

All that gets you is a shit-eating grin. 

“Never said that.” 

You can’t help the smirk that crawls across your lips. 

“Well, we might as well get it over with, no?” 

Another flash of pearly whites. 

“Get it over with, hm?” 

You miss his meaning, pulling at a loose thread on the bedspread. 

“It shouldn’t take much effort. I’m on so many fertility meds you could probably spit on me and I’d get pregnant.” 

You pick at the thread a little more, biting your lip when you realize it’s one of those strands that’s infinite. 

“That so?” 

You jolt when a speck of wetness lands on your cheek. A quick glance reveals a fuzzy blue towel far too close for comfort. A half-naked Gojo is a whole lot closer than he’d been just seconds ago. How is he so quiet? 

Blue eyes bore into yours, water dripping down white strands and onto your skin. He’s so damn tall. He has your neck craned all the way back just to meet his gaze. 

“Yes.” You swallow. “It was part of our prenup.”

Dazed. You’re absolutely dazed. 

“Well, we probably shouldn’t risk breaking a legally binding contract, hm?” 

Closer. He’s coming closer. Too close. 

You lean back, scooting yourself up the bed in a feeble attempt to get a little more space, your emotional support sushi tumbling to the floor. He follows right after you. 

Something primal thrusts through your veins at the sight of a man, sopping wet and smirking, crawling after you, some mix of teasing and pure drive hidden in his eyes. Gojo doesn’t stop, not until you’re nearly pressed against the headboard and his arms cage your waist. Close. Too close. 

You’d thought he would have dried a bit by now, but water still slicks off his skin and hair, showering you lightly. You shiver and your husband notices. His tongue darts out to lick his lips and you get a breath of the sweetness of butterscotch and mint toothpaste. 

“You say stop,” he breathes, “and we stop.”

He leans closer, so close you can smell the eucalyptus and myrrh of his shampoo, the musk of his body wash, the candied sweetness of his breath. Those piercing blue eyes flit to your lips and back up again. 

A breath, a pause. 

“Stop?” he asks. His eyes are piercing.

You shake your head. 

“Go.” 

Lips, teeth, tongue. All of it hits you at once. For a moment you’re too shocked to respond, but then his weight is leaning on you and his hand is on your waist and his mouth tastes like candy and- and then you’re kissing him back. 

A heavy hand digs into the flesh of your waist and your hands find a patch of damp white hair to tangle in. 

He tastes good- too good and when a deft hand guides you down to the mattress you start to think that this whole baby-making business might not be so bad after all. 

Teeth knock, tongues touch, and you are on the edge of what would have been a particularly throaty moan when he pulls away. 

His attention shifts elsewhere, kisses trailing down your neck and hands straying to your hips.

“Have you-” a kiss to your collarbone. “Done this before?”

You freeze.

“What?” 

Gojo raises his head a bit and the most irritating kind of smirk plays on his lips. 

“Don’t know- thought maybe this was a virgin for your super rich husband kinda thing?” 

You shove his head back down.

“Shut up.”

He chuckles and the sound vibrates against your skin. 

“Okay, sp no need to go slow then…” 

His lips continue their assault, brushing and grazing over your skin until it lifts with goosebumps. Your breaths come a little faster, a little heavier and you gasp when his hand curls beneath the hem of your skirt.

“Oh? What’s this?” His fingers brush against the garter that rests at the top of your thighs. Your cheeks heat. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why had you agreed to wear the damn thing? You reach down, hoping to quickly rid yourself of the scrap of fabric before you can become oven more mortified. You’re just about to clamp down on it when Gojo catches your wrist. “Ah, ah. No need to be so hasty.” Your hand is easily pinned down to the mattress and, for some reason, you don’t fight it. 

Your breath catches when your skirt lifts only for Gojo to dive beneath it without a second thought. You feel his teeth grazing across the skin of your thigh. 

“Gojo-” you breathe, squirming. 

His head reappears suddenly, another one of those mischievous grins gracing his lips. “Satoru when I’m about to be inside you, baby.” 

He disappears again and you gasp and wiggle when you feel his tongue laving across the inside of your thigh. 

His teeth graze you again, but this time they clamp down on the garter and you feel it slowly sliding across your skin, down, down, past your knee and eventually to your ankle where Satoru finally yanks it past your foot with a final tug. 

You stare at him, wide eyed and lustful. That had to have been one of the hottest things you’ve ever seen. 

Satoru plucks the garter from his teeth and dangles it in front of his eyes. It’s a white, lacy little thing that matches the shade of his hair. He’s grinning again when he slides it onto his wrist like a bracelet– no, like a trophy.

“Thanks for the present.” He’s still grinning, still staring, his fingers still fiddling with the hem of your skirt. “How attached are you to this dress?” he asks. 

You blink, swallowing nervously, unable to break away from his gaze. It’s too strong, too mesmerizing. “Not… attached at all,” you manage. It’s true. Somebody else picked it out, and you’ve only been wearing it for about an hour– and it’s not like you can’t just buy a new one now with access to the Gojo bank accounts. 

His grin somehow grows even wider. “Good girl. Just what I wanted to hear.” 

There’s a splitting sound and suddenly your dress is tearing straight down the middle. It’s slow and controlled and you wonder if he’s practiced at this or if his strength is just that regulated. You find yourself hoping it’s the latter. 

The dress is ripped from your skin and you see it land somewhere across the room. You hear something shatter along with a thud, but Satoru seems anything but worried, so you ignore it. 

You’re bare in just your undergarments, a lacy white set that you’re now half proud of and half embarrassed by. 

Satoru whistles and his hands settle on your waist. “Damn, baby. Why’d you keep all this hidden for so long?” 

You scoff, your confidence surging. You reach for him, grabbing a scruff of hair at the back of his neck and pulling him close. “You’re the one taking your sweet time, Toru.” 

The sound of the nickname on your lips makes him shiver and you smirk triumphantly.

“Hmm…” is all he says as his fingers trail lower, lower, lower, until they’re dipping beneath the band of your panties. It’s somewhere between tortuous and ticklish and you squirm. “Ah, ah. Hold still for me, now.” He presses one hand to the valley between your breasts, holding you down as his other hand continues lower. When his thumb finds the wet spot on your panties and presses down your back arches and your breath escapes. 

He chuckles. “Little needy, aren’t you?” His thumb moves a little higher, grazing your clit, and you whimper. 

With one deft movement he unclasps your bra, tossing it aside. You register for just a moment that your chest is now completely bare, but soon enough his mouth is closing around your nipple and all else is forgotten. 

“S-Satoru!” you whisper. Your voice feels hoarse, even if it has no reason to be. 

His thumb continues its assault between your thighs. “So wet already, baby…” He sounds ecstatic. The grin on his lips makes you whine. “Let’s get these out of the way…” Before you know it, you hear more tearing and then cold air hits your cunt. You cry out when Satoru’s thumb returns to its ministrations, but this time there’s no cloth barrier to dull the sensation. Your hands push out and your nails curl into his bare shoulders. You need him closer.

“Satoru…” you breathe. “Kiss me…” 

That shit-eating grin returns, but he follows your command. “As my wife wishes.” 

When lips meet yours it’s hot and messy. Your nails claw down his back and you’re sure you’re leaving marks. If he minds, he certainly doesn’t show it.

His thumb continues at your clit as a finger prods at your entrance. When he slides in slowly, you gasp. He murmurs something about you being so sensitive, and proceeds to quickly find that gummy spot inside you that makes you see stars. Before you know it he’s adding a second finger and soon your hips are rocking against his thrusts, meeting his pace as you chase your high. 

“God, you’re so wet.” he whispers against your lips. True to his word, he’s been kissing you, never letting up in his attack on your mouth. “Bet you taste like fucking heaven.”

You whine, your hips stuttering against his hand. “G-Gonna… I’m–” 

He grins again, and pulls away just enough to meet your gaze. “Go ahead, baby. Cum for me.” Your eyes flutter shut, your head rolling back– “Nuh, uh. Keep those eyes open. Wanna see every second.” 

Your breaths flutter and you whimper loudly, the sound bouncing on the walls. You’re not sure why you listen, why you fight to keep your eyes open, locked on him, but you do. Maybe you’re afraid he’ll pull away and leave you wanting… or maybe you just want to please him.

You feel your muscles clenching in your stomach, hear the sloppy sounds of Satoru’s fingers thrusting in and out of you, see the gleeful anticipation in his eyes. His thumb rubs a particularly delicious circle around your clit and you feel yourself thrown over the edge. 

You can’t help but be loud. You hold his gaze the whole time, whimpering and whining his name as you gush all over his sheets. Your cunt spasms around his fingers, clenching, holding him inside, desperate to be filled. You hear him panting above you, like watching has somehow taken his breath away. 

“Good girl,” he whispers and you feel a second wave of pleasure ripple through you. 

You feel weak by the time your orgasm leaves you. Your muscles are limp and your cunt is so sensitive that you flinch when Satoru removes his fingers. He brushes a tear from the corner of your eye and you watch as he brings his sopping fingers to his mouth, sucking your juices clean. He moans, a deep throaty sound, like it’s the most delicious thing he’s ever tasted. You watch his eyes roll back in his skull, watch his throat bob as he swallows. Your lips part at the sight. 

His fingers fall from his mouth with a pop and his grin returns.

“Just like I thought,” he says. “Heaven.” 

He’s back on you in a second, licking a stripe from your collarbone to just beneath your ear. His hips slot between your own and a strong hands hook around the backs of your thighs, pressing your knees to your chest. You whimper. You don’t think you’ve ever felt so completely and utterly exposed. 

“On to the main event, yeah?” The twinkle in his eye has your heart racing even faster. His fingers catch the towel that is somehow still wrapped snugly around his waist. With one tug, it’s gone and your mouth is watering in anticipation. 

Your jaw drops lower, if it’s even possible. He’s… huge. Long and pretty with veins that you know are going to rub just right. His tip is pink and leaking, ready. 

“Satoru, it won’t–” 

His lips connect to your pulse, licking and sucking when you feel him prodding at your entrance. “It’ll fit, baby.” 

He slides himself through your folds, gathering your juices and torturing you every time his tip bumps your clit. By the time he’s finally lining himself up, you’re practically begging. 

The first push is heaven. You’re both moaning when he prods past that first tight ring of muscle and you’re gasping, crying out his name and clawing at his back. He keeps pushing, filling you inch by inch until he’s pressed snugly against your cervix. You thank him aloud when he pauses, giving you a moment to adjust to his size, to the feeling of being filled to the absolute brim. He only kisses the tears from your cheeks. 

The first thrust has you seeing stars, little white spots clouding your vision. The second has your nails embedding in his skin hard enough to draw blood. He doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, it has him moving faster, grunting in your ear and whimpering your name.

“Sooo… f-ahh-ucking t-tight…” he whispers. 

A hand slides between your sweaty bodies, a thumb rubbing familiar circles against your swollen clit. You cry out, clenching down like a vice. 

“F-Fuck, princess.” 

His thrusts rock your body and the sound of skin slapping skin echoes in the air. You feel that familiar coil begin to form, to heat at your core. Your muscles tighten and your legs begin to shake. 

“Atta girl. Cum on my cock, baby.” 

You whimper at the praise, at the incessant rubbing of your clit, at the relentless pounding of your cervix. It’s all too much, too good. 

“Satoru…” you cry. Your legs burn and ache. Satoru has your knees pressed so tightly to your chest you’re afraid something might snap. It only adds to the tension beginning to unravel at your center. You feel as if you’re burning, as if you’re going to snap– and then you do. Heat unravels beneath your skin and your mouth falls open in a silent cry. Your legs tremble and your toes curl and you vaguely hear your husband whispering a mix of curses and praises in your ear. You’re still lost in the sensation when he starts groaning and you feel him flooding your insides with shallow thrusts close to your cervix, filling you with rope after rope of his hot cum. You’re still panting when you finally regain your mind. Satoru’s still on top of you, completely limp with his head buried in your neck. You curl a hand into his hair, silently holding him close. That was some of the most mind-blowing sex you’ve ever had. You smirk. Yeah, maybe this baby-making business wasn’t going to be so bad. 

You shiver when you feel Satoru licking and sucking at your skin. There’s a tenderness in the action that makes you pull him closer. He hasn’t even pulled out yet, but you can already feel him hardening inside you, ready for another round. 

“Think it stuck?” he asks. You smirk and answer with a breathy laugh. 

“Don’t know.” Silently, you think that there’s no way it didn’t. You can feel his cum dripping down your thighs and there’s just so much of it.

He lifts his head, eyes bright and sparkling even in the dim light. He grins. “Guess we’d better make sure.” 

~

With the rate at which Satoru fucks you it’s no surprise when you get two positive little pink lines a few week later. You tell Satoru by unceremoniously dropping the test in front of him while he’s drinking his morning coffee. He only grins and kisses you before he bends you over the counter, whispering something about needing to show you how appreciative he is when he slides inside you. The next morning you wake to Satoru’s lips on yours, a brand new credit card, and a new car in the driveway, fitted with all of the newest safety features (only the best for his wife and baby, he says). You sigh and smile when you see it. Yeah, this whole baby-making business definitely wasn’t so bad.

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[bungalowbear]

good wife

naoya zen’in x reader, wc: 2,750

cw: nudity, p in v sex, arranged marriage, mentions of reader being pregnant, children, death, manga spoilers, MDNI

a/n: this was a concept i’ve had on my mind for a while. title from good wife by kacey musgraves. dividers by @anlian-aishang

Ever since you were young you knew you were destined to become a wife. Your family was well connected and sought after within the jujutsu community, so it was no surprise that when you came of age, and as your father’s only daughter, talks of your future marital status began.

Your father wasn’t completely insensitive to your position though. In fact, he agreed to a binding vow that relinquished any say you had of who you would marry, giving him absolute control of the decision, but only if he guaranteed your employment as an auxiliary manager for five years.

After you graduated from Tokyo Jujutsu High you stayed on as arranged by your father and worked alongside the other managers to support the active sorcerers in the area. Your cursed energy output wasn’t sufficient enough for any higher position, but you didn’t mind. While there were many factors, mainly a white haired sorcerer, that made some days more tiring than others, you were grateful for the fact that you could do the work in the first place. Not many in your position could say the same.

But all good things must come to an end.

Entering the final year of your contract, your father informed you that your husband had been chosen. A car was sent to take you to the train station, you were handed a ticket, and a few hours later you were at the Zen’in residence.

There were only two good things you heard about Naoya Zen’in. The first was that he was a strong sorcerer. The second was that he was quite handsome. But no amount of good looks could distract from his personality. Even with both your fathers present in the room, Naoya’s pride and arrogance were on full display as he made several demeaning comments at your expense. And he made his displeasure of the terms of your binding vow very clear, but nevertheless agreed, quite reluctantly, to allow you to complete the time remaining of the vow with the condition that after your marriage ceremony in the spring you must come to see him so that you could start trying for an heir.

You had no choice but to accept.

Spring came and went faster than you had hoped. Gone were the days of verdant greenery and perfect temperatures, now replaced with summer rains and blistering heat. You’ve spent many summers of your life in Japan, but that didn’t make this time of year any more bearable.

On a particularly humid day, after you completed your duties at the school, you took a train out of Tokyo to visit your husband. When you arrived at the Zen’in estate you were led to your shared room where your attendants bathed you and helped dress you in the kimono you were expected to wear while at the estate.

You were told that tonight Naoya was coming back from a week long mission and would have dinner with his father before coming to see you. Your own food was brought to the room. You ate in silence as your attendant watched and waited for you to finish before she took your dishes and left you alone to prepare to receive your husband.

When Naoya finally arrived, you greeted him formally and led him into the bathroom. You helped him shed each layer of clothing before he wordlessly stepped into the tub. He settled into the warm water then you began the work of scrubbing his body clean, lathering the special shampoo that preserves the dye in his hair, and rinsing it all away with the small hinoki wood bath bowl.

After you blow dried his hair and helped him redress into his nightwear, a black striped jinbei set, you both made your way to the bed where you lay on your sides facing each other. He looked at you with an expression you’ve never seen on his face before. There was a weariness in his eyes that you weren’t sure he was aware you could see, and his bottom lip stuck out in the tiniest of pouts.

“Zen’in-sama?” You brought your hand to rest on his cheek. “Is everything alright?”

“I…” he started, bringing his hand to cover yours, but then sighed and his expression returned to the guarded one you’ve come to know. “Be a good wife. Make me feel good.”

Naoya clutched your hand and guided it down his body. Pushing down his trousers with his other hand, he wrapped your hand around his half hard length. You stroked him to full staff then shuffled down the bed to kneel between his legs. When you took him into your mouth he released a deep sigh, and his breathing only became heavier as you bobbed your head up and down. You came to know the intricacies of your husband’s pleasure quite well these past few months that your hands and lips worked on instinct to bring him to release.

Even after he shot his spend down your throat he was still hard. He was the only man you’d ever been with, so you had no way to gauge if his stamina was more or less than the average man. It didn’t matter really. As long as he was ready and wanting, you were also expected to be.

You opened the panels of your kimono and exposed the bare flesh of your chest, torso, and womanhood to your husband. The fingers that brought him pleasure now traveled between your slick folds that only grew wetter as Naoya’s lust filled gaze followed your every movement. He watched you carefully, studiously, as you played with yourself.

You tilted your head back as you moaned softly, hiding the smirk tugging at the corner of your lips. Ever since you told Naoya, in the most demure fashion you could muster, that female orgasms increased the chances of conception he’d been resolved in learning how to make you feel good.

Once sufficiently lubricated, you slowly sunk down onto him. You began to move above him and Naoya’s hands gripped your hips tightly to guide you into a steady pace, reminding you that your positions didn’t change who was in charge.

The moans and grunts that passed through both your lips filled the room. Your breath hitched when a warm calloused thumb pressed against your small bundle of nerves. You looked down at where your husband dutifully swirled circles against your clit, but his eyes were focused on your stomach. On the way your muscles contracted from the sensation of his touch.

Naoya’s grip loosened before he suddenly flipped you onto your back. You didn’t have time to react, other than a surprised gasp, when he began to piston his hips into you. He pinned your hands above your head as he reached that spongey spot inside you, the one that made you clench tightly around his cock. And he kept hitting it. You whimpered in ecstasy as Naoya buried his face into your neck to muffle his own sounds, but the symphony of your joint pleasure continued to swell around the room until it reached the crescendo of your mutually achieved peaks.

Panting and without saying a word, Naoya pulled out of you with a quiet squelch of your combined juices, grabbed you by your thighs, and turned your body so that your legs and hips were angled upward against the headboard. After tucking a pillow underneath your bottom for support, Naoya settled on his side again with his head propped up in his hand.

“I won’t deny you anything.” He stared at your stomach again, gaze piercing, as if just by sheer will this time his seed would take. ”As long as you give me what I want in return.”

You didn’t sense that ponytail nuisance until it was almost too late. He tried to pierce his sword straight through your back but you dodged it at the last second, leaving a long bloody gash across your ribs.

With a frown, you reach into the pockets of your coat and produce your pair of sai.

Naoya had made a comment on how embarrassing it was to have to rely on a blade in battle. But when you reminded him of your minimal cursed energy output he’d simply scowled and walked away, most likely put off by the reminder of your inferiority.

But it was precisely the reason you worked to become proficient in Okinawan Kobudo. So that in situations like this you wouldn’t be completely helpless.

Your opponent’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, not expecting a mere auxiliary manager like you to put up a fight. But he quickly recovered and charged toward you.

The sharp clang of metal against metal rang out in the deserted street. Your movements were sharp and came in quick succession, while his were powerful but sloppy. You land a strike against the exposed skin of his torso and he jumps back with a shriek.

You kept your defensive stance as he pointed his sword at you.

“Not fair,” he whined. The end of his ponytail fell in front of his shoulder as he hunched forward. “You’re supposed to be easy to kill.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” you said bitingly.

The man looked like he was on the edge of throwing a tantrum. His eyes darted from side to side before he abruptly turned and ran off, literally hand in hand with his weapon.

You watched him until he disappeared around the corner of a building several blocks away, but your relief was short lived. A sudden wave of dizziness overcame you before collapsing onto the hard surface of the street.

When you came to you realized you were being carried.

“You’re safe.” The deep timbre of Nanami’s voice soothed you instantly. “I’m taking you to Ieiri.”

When you arrived at Shoko’s location, Nanami set you down carefully before leaving once more. She kneeled down in front of you and placed a hand over your ribs. You hissed as you felt the thrumming of her reverse cursed technique against your bones as she healed your wound. When her treatment was completed her usually dull eyes widened as she placed both hands over your torso.

“Shoko?”

She didn’t respond right away. Another sensation warmed you this time, something less repairing and more probing.

“I can feel two heartbeats.”

You didn’t need her to elaborate.

When the sun finally rose, you were permitted to leave. As you neared the edge of the perimeter you took out your phone and sighed at the several missed calls and texts from Naoya. News must have spread throughout the jujutsu community about the events that transpired, and your husband no doubt would be beyond pissed you had to be here in the first place.

Before you could contemplate whether to call him back or not, your name was called out. You raised your head and felt your body freeze at the sight of Naoya standing only a few yards away, along with one of your attendants from the estate.

You lowered your chin to your chest as he came forward. His eyes sat heavy on the tear in your shirt from where you’d been cut. You raised your eyes slightly and weren’t surprised to see his gaze now on your hand that rested over your stomach.

Suddenly, you were thankful for Shoko’s diagnosis.

“I am with child,” you confessed, hoping to lessen his wrath.

“Take her home.” Naoya raised his head. He looked past you as he spoke, addressing the attendant. “Clean her. Feed her. She is not allowed to leave our quarters until my return.”

He said nothing more before walking past you and deeper into the devastation that was Shibuya.

The Zen’in estate was admittedly quite lovely in the early autumn. The mixture of green and orange of nature’s transitional stage was always a sight you liked to take in. If only you were allowed to actually see it.

The door to your quarters opened and Naoya entered, followed by an older man who you assumed was the physician. He examined you and confirmed you were pregnant. About six weeks along.

“I haven’t experienced any morning sickness,” you said.

“That’s normal. About one third of pregnant women don’t experience it at all.” The physician spoke to you kindly, unlike most people you encountered in the estate. You were somewhat relieved by this. “Have you experienced any fatigue? Or tenderness in your breasts?”

“Both, actually.” You felt Naoya’s stare and wrapped your hands around your torso. “I thought it was just work-related stress.”

“There’s no need to worry. Plenty of rest, moderate exercise, and balanced meals will help you feel better and keep yourself and the growing child healthy.” The older man rose from his spot beside you. “I’ll return in a few weeks for another examination.”

Naoya and the physician spoke briefly at the door, mainly about the necessary changes to be made to your diet, before he departed. Your husband returned to your side and stood above you, looking down with a triumphant grin.

“In case it wasn’t clear, now that you’re carrying my child you won’t be returning to Tokyo.”

“But the binding vow—”

“Do you actually think after that incident I’d allow you to go back?” Naoya frowned. His tone was scolding. “You barely made it out alive.”

You knew that being his wife meant deferring to him, but that still didn’t stop you from advocating for yourself, spoken in a whisper, “I still have two more months.”

“I know.” Naoya rolled his eyes. “Which is why I’ve already arranged for your transfer to Kyoto.”

“But—”

“You never specified where you’d work. Did you?”

“No.”

“Exactly.” He crossed his arms, turning his back to you. “So just be grateful that you have such a benevolent husband to make these exceptions for you.”

“Whatever,” you mumbled.

Naoya turned his head to the side. “What was that?”

“Thank you, Zen’in-sama,” you said, louder this time.

“Don’t look so glum. Once your time as a manager is over you’ll be able to focus solely on your duties as my wife. And everything will finally be as it should.”

During Maki’s storming of the Zen’in estate, Naoya had been killed. He then reincarnated as a cursed spirit and was defeated once more. The stubborn bastard was truly gone.

You spent the rest of your pregnancy in a house in the countryside owned by the Zen’in family. A cook, two attendants, and a midwife were assigned to accompany you.

Nearly every night of your pregnancy you had a recurring dream, more like a memory really, of the day you and Naoya were married. In your dream you watched from afar as your two figures clad in the traditional uchikake and montsuki marched side by side dutifully beneath the large red parasol. Sometimes you were in the procession heading into the shrine, and other times you were standing on the small bridge built over the nearby creek waiting for your photographs to be taken. You remembered the current of anxiety that flowed through you, only soothed by the delicate pink petals that floated down from the trees.

After your daughter was born the dreams stopped.

You held no doubts that if your husband were still alive he wouldn’t hide his disappointment of his firstborn not being a boy. Although Naoya was traditional is almost every sense, your actual marriage to him was not conventional in the slightest. You’d only spent a couple of weeks truly living together before his death, but most of that time was spent fussing over your condition. You realized too late that Naoya had his own way of showing affection. Perhaps if you had more time together you could have understood it better and harnessed its potential. You were very experienced at managing delicate situations after all.

You could’t say for certain whether you were, or could become, a good wife. The only goal you’d spend the rest of your life trying to achieve was to be a good mother. In this new age of jujutsu, you’d guide and protect your daughter as she came of age and her cursed technique was revealed. You’d treasure her despite being the spitting image of her father.

But in the deepest part of your heart you knew that without Naoya you wouldn’t have been able to create the miracle of life that was your Sakura, named after the cherry blossoms that surrounded her parents on the day of their union.

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[colourstreakgryffin]

so glad you're back doing requests!! ilysm hope you're all good now!! 🥺🥺

on that note, there's been a serious lack of haganezuka content in general and I'm appalled by this man's underratedness

can I request for haganezuka and an arranged marriage s/o? like the chief set them up and haganezuka is like dammit why tf do I gotta marry a rando but then slowly falls for his partner

tsundere to simp haganezuka is the best i will die on this hill

Aaah! I have only done one for Haganezuka so I’ll do it again. He is big Tsundere and he’ll keep being a Tsundere! Thank you dearly for such a creative and original concept! Have a wonderful day, darling!

Hotaru Haganezuka- Nothing or Everything

In the moment, Hotaru was so annoyed and so uninterested that he could barely look at his Chief in the eyes as he announced the arranged marriage to be official. Married off to some stranger for further finance and protection to the Swordsmith Village. This village is the most closed-off, hidden thing in Japan, why does it need more security?!

Hotaru just grimed and bared through the painful vows that meant nothing to him and had to deal with the fact his supposed spouse is now coming home with him

Hotaru, right off the bat, established to you that you’re not sleeping in the same bedroom as him, you’re not touching any of his belongings and you mean little to him. That this marriage means nothing to him but it’s more of a requirement he is forced to follow. He is the most prickly, unapproachable swordsmith in this entire population, there is no way to get him to like you… so, he suspected this would be the end of it. He’d ignore his legally-assigned spouse and continue on with his beloved work

But… clearly. Fate has decided that Hotaru isn’t going to be alone anymore

Throughout the months after the wedding and you moving into his home, Hotaru had been quiet, harsh, uncaring, uninterested and ignoring you in favour of doting his time, energy and passion into the one thing he loves; swordmaking. However, he has begin to notice you more. The way you make him lunch, the way you patch up his wound after fighting stubbornly with him, the way you clean his home, respect his privacy, give him space… maybe you’re not that bad

Hotaru is a man of pure, raw pride so he simply refused to admit the fact he was slowly but surely falling in love with you, his arranged spouse. He couldn’t admit the fact you made his heart jump up and down, and his head spin. The fact everything you do for him is no longer thought as annoying or sucking up to him but is appreciated internally and acknowledged

Of course, Hotaru will just keep up his now fake disliking and tsundere nature since he’s too closed off and of his own ego to let you know you’ve won him over and now, he likes to admire you from behind his mask. You’re so pretty, so considerate, so ambitious and determined. He loves those type of traits in people, the good ones with an iron will and sly sharp senses. He likes the way you run and he does appreciate it when you actually take time out of your day to deal with him

Hotaru, over more and more time spent with you. Almost a year now, can’t help but soften up. Go from ignoring and snarling to looking right at you and nodding. Acknowledging and listening. Everybody in the village thought it was completely impossible to ring out anything kind and positive from Haganezuka himself but here he is, actually simping for you behind your back

Writing your name in his swordsmithing tools, seeing your reflection through the water cooled shiny silver-like metal of a freshly formed Nichirin Katana, hearing your voice when he is walking back from his swordsmithing hut to his cottage. You corrupt his head 24/7 and he is inbetween being annoyed over it and loving it. To think, he couldn’t stand the fact you were even breathing in the air of his home, now, he wants you around him all the time but he is too protective to let you be around dangerous equipment like his own

Hotaru is getting there over time. He is coming to you and even offering you little gifts whilst looking away and gruffing up. Immediately proclaiming, with image-saving formed anger, that what he has done for you has nothing to do with his own feelings and is just a requirement to make you happy for the Village’s sake. He’s right… gift-giving and love-giving is a requirement, but a requirement his own heart is pushing him to do. Because he’s in love and enamoured with you as a whole

Now. Hotaru wants you to come to his bedroom, act more like your husband and he’s trying to fulfil all those duties he should have when he was wedded to you, how could he be so foolish and blind to the fact you’re perfect? He is quite emotionless, harsh and work-obsessed but he is much more doting and caring than he looks and behaves as

“H-Hey… dummy, can you read that novel outloud? I haven’t read it before and since you’re reading it, why not just read it outloud for both of us so— O-oh, shut up! I don’t like you!”

[hwaseonghwasworld]

Arranged marriage chapter 5: “Honeymoon”

Summary: being a popular model isn't enough for Y/n’s parents so they decided to get her married with a 6’1”, protective male who is also a mafia, all the secrets and lies everyone kept from her will soon come into the light, what happens once the truth comes out?

Yunho x Reader

Word Count: 850

Genre: series Mafia au!, Smut, Fluff, Angst, Media au!

Warnings: murder, graphic violence, kidnapping, cursing

Updates: Probably Thursday at 7pm BST

I asked Yunho sarcastically, "I thought married couples go somewhere alone for honeymoons," and he responded, "It's just for today doll, our honeymoon is tomorrow." I rolled my eyes at him for calling me doll, but since he's now my husband, I nodded. I didn't want to go on a honeymoon with this man, I barely know him. He helped while we were driving to my house to get my clothes for the honeymoon.

"Your dad told your manager about our honeymoon, so you don’t need to model today" Yunho stated, "but I have to model." "Wait, my dad spoke to Harin, and he didn't call me?" I ask him, perplexed. I glanced at him and realised he was lying about my dad talking to Harin. "Harin. Do you mean the person who witnessed me swap with his wife?” His glance at me confirmed my concerns that it was a lie.

"Ok let me call him right now" Yunho grabbed my arm in which I was holding my phone, our gazes locked, and he snatched my phone and performed something with it, asking, "What are you doing?" "Call me whenever you feel unsafe or if you need anything" "why would I feel unsafe?" I looked at him, still holding my phone, as he said, "It's just to keep you safe." I nodded, and as soon as we arrived at Yunho's house, Yunho's guys placed my things in a room.

"Where are you gonna sleep?" "And where am I going to sleep?" he asked, pointing to this bed. He pointed to the bed and said, "right here" I laughed a little, believing he was joking, but I could see the sincerity in his face "were married doll, we're not gonna sleep in separate rooms"

“Yunho I barely know you” “come on go get your pajamas on” Yunho took his shirt off making me cover my face and turned around “what are you doing!!” “I’m getting changed” “yeah, in front of me” “you’re my wife” he grabbed my shoulders and turned me around he took my hand away from my eyes so I could see him “keep your eyes on me doll” he kissed me and I look at him in complete shock. “WHY DID YOU KISS ME!!” He looks at me smiling “can’t I kiss my wife?” I push him off me and went into the bathroom and got changed.

As soon as I walked back out Yunho was sat on the bed looking at me “Y/n what happened on your birthday” my mood changed “did Hyunjin tell you” he nodded telling me how he just said that I forgot stuff. “Can you tell me what happened?” He beckoned me to come sit with him so I did hut I kept a distance, “when I was 19 I got hit by a car and hit my head on the concrete, they thought I was gonna die since I lost a lot of blood but I just lost my memory and tried to get as much of it back.” I didn’t want to talk about it anymore so I decided to just fall asleep, Yunho sighed and lied down aswell.

The next day we woke up and we were on our way to Japan, it was just gonna be me and him, we went to Osaka and it was beautiful, I knew some Japanese so I was the one who told the register about the booking. We got into the hotel room and i look at the scenery since it’s so pretty.

“Are you ok?” I nodded, walking towards the door and looking back at Yunho “are you coming or no” Yunho walked out with me and we went on a date, we went to a restaurant and I felt uncomfortable because right behind me and Yunho was 3 buff body guards, “what’s up doll, are you ready to order?” “Yunho why are there body guards here!?” “It’s just for protection doll, there’s no need to worry.”

I nodded knowing that he could protect me anyway, I just didn’t want my first date to look like this “Y/n I’m a huge fan can, I get your signature?” The body guards pulled him away “yeah sure” I put my arms out to get the photocard from him we were speaking Japanese so Yunho couldn’t understand what I was saying, I sign the photo card and smiled at the fan as he said thank you “is he your husband?” “Yes” I smile and nodded as Yunho looked jealous and ignored the fan, the fan walked away after thanking me one last time.

“You didn’t have to be so rude to my fan” “I didn’t even do anything” “exactly” I pointed out as he was just ignoring the nice fan. “Be nice next time” Yunho just kept a straight face and looked at the menu “what do you what to get doll?” “Can you even speak Japanese?” Yunho fries and I nodded knowing the answer. “How do you know to speak Japanese?” “Setsuna” “she taught us all Japanese” we ordered our food and we were just talking.

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[doberbutts]

I also think- having recently seen a post that said Blue Eye Samurai isn't a queer story, it just has queer elements- that sometimes it feels like fans cannot make up their minds.

Do we or do we not want stories that treat being gay as a perfectly normal, perfectly common experience the same way straight people are depicted in every story to ever exist?

In BES, no one is outright stated to be queer. That's partially because in Japan, until Japan felt the need to sanitize itself to appeal to foreigners, it wasn't unheard of at all for men to be gay. Multiple famous samurai and swordsmen and nobles were either outspokenly gay or are commonly theorized to have been gay in modern historical readings. Abijah making multiple references to swinging both ways, Kaji's offer of a male prostitute, the various scenes we have of men being together in sexual positions, they're not met with surprise because homosexuality was an acknowledged thing that happened.

Taigen's erection while he's wrestling Mizu, even though he doesn't yet know her secret, is treated awkwardly because they're supposed to dislike each other and also he's supposed to be in love with Akemi, not because "whoa bro no homo".

(This is also why I keep saying that it's difficult for me to put into English words what I think Mizu's gender is, because gender and sexuality quite frankly did not work the way my 2020s American brain wants to contextualize it, and I think it's important to consider the cultural aspects here esp in a show so heavily leaning on a racial story)

However, compared to many other shows out there even regarding the same area and country, BES is significantly more queer than the majority of them produced in the last 30 years. Is Mizu herself queer? Well... maybe, depending how you define it. Back in the day, otherwise cisgender crossdressers and male-impersonators were still grouped in with those we'd call transgender nowadays. She seems to be exclusively interested in men, but also seems to be equally receptive to considering herself sexually as both a man and a woman pairing with men, than as a man or woman pairing with women which she has adamantly refused with zero interest on multiple occasions.

Is Taigen bi? I mean, maybe! He seemed more mortified that he had an unwanted erection in front of someone he wanted to impress and play with, than that he had it over someone he considers a man, using the excuse that he misses his would-be fiance.

Abijah certainly seems to be bisexual, considering we see him having sex with both women and men, and his various sexual references talk about both men and women as well. This is ignoring whatever weird sexual tension thing he's got going with Heiji, who seems both receptive and repulsed by it.

And, not to be remiss, but there is a reason I specified that homosexuality among men was pretty known. Due to the more rigid policing of women's sexuality in this era, homosexuality among women was less commonly reported (though I have heard stories of noble women and their handmaids, or the working poor women, or among prostitutes living together in the brothels, so also not unheard of but perhaps less accepted as women were largely bought and sold in marriage and sex trafficking) - but even with all of that, Kaji and Kinuyo have something together. Whether that is a mother-daughter thing, or if they were lovers, is up to interpretation. The implication that out of everyone at the brothel that Kaji genuinely cares for, Kinuyo was special, and that wasn't a particularly uncommon arrangement historically if I'm hearing about it 400 years later in a completely different country.

So this "well it's not a queer show" and "if I was told this was a queer story I'd be disappointed" is honestly just ridiculous hooey to me. Do you want characters who are able to explore their sexualities without looking over their shoulder out of fear of homophobia, or not?

[mysafehaneul]

VI. AQUAMARINE

CHAPTER 6: MIDNIGHT RAIN

JEON WONWOO X READER

WORDS: 5k+

GENRE: ARRANGE CONTRACT MARRIAGE AU! ENEMIES TO LOVERS!

Angst, Fluff, Smut

(Wonwoo listening his cousin bullshit his way through with his adopted son)

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

Humans are often regarded as one of God's most remarkable creations. Their gift lies in their capacity to feel and, perhaps most importantly, their ability to choose. This choice extends to the depth at which they allow emotions to permeate their existence and whether they will permit these emotions to wield control. Among the plethora of emotions humans grapple with, two stand out as the most transformative: Love and Fear.

Fear can, at times, feel like the venomous bite of a serpent. Its poison infiltrates the body slowly, much like a creeping shadow merging with the blood coursing through the veins. Gradually, your body turns an eerie shade of blue, the coldness seeping into your very core, and then comes the numbing sensation. At this point, it seems as though your soul has departed, leaving behind nothing but an empty vessel.

Jeon Wonwoo, a man of logic and strategy, had experienced this paralyzing fear on just four distinct occasions throughout his life. In his family of Jeon cousins, he had always been seen as the rational and reliable one. Born to Jeon Wooshik and Sunmi, he was their cherished child and the apple of his grandmother's eye. When he was seven years old, his parents had contemplated expanding their business to Japan. However, his grandparents opposed the idea, so he continued his education in his homeland until middle school. At the age of 16, he relocated to London. This was where he first encountered Eleanor, his initial love.

Wonwoo had led a simple, disciplined life. He had a profound understanding of who he was and the influence he held. Yet, he was also acutely aware of the fragility of the intricate game known as life. He understood that the moment one took something for granted, life was apt to roll the dice and reveal its unpredictable hand. Thus, one must continually prove their worthiness. It was his grandfather who had once imparted the wisdom that good things come to those who work diligently for them.

The first of those four chilling episodes transpired when he was 16 years old. At that age, he was the epitome of youthful exuberance, with all the confidence and recklessness that adolescence often entails. He and his middle-school friend, Mingyu, both avid astronomy enthusiasts, set out for a night of stargazing. Mingyu, having recently acquired his driver's license, often drove to a place he discovered in one of his adventures. Mingyu had a dream to build an observatory near the pond in the newly developed section of the jungle, known as Bourbon Street. In one of their ambitious plans, Wonwoo intended to construct a home for himself and Eleanor on the same property. Yet the thing about plans is humor in itself for God.

They were behind the wheel, cruising along the rain-slicked roads. Boys at the age of 16, reckless and unbridled, invincible in their own minds. The night was tranquil, and the promise of adventure hung in the air. Suddenly, as they rounded a corner, a small raccoon darted across the road. Wonwoo's instincts took over; he slammed the brakes. However, the combination of the wet road and the vehicle's speed sent the car skidding out of control. It flipped, the world spinning in disarray.

The experience was an instant awakening. Fear gripped Wonwoo in its cold embrace as he struggled to make sense of the world turned upside down. When he gazed upon his friend, Mingyu, his eyes were lifeless, staring back at him. It was the first time in his young life that he felt the icy fingers of that overpowering fear.

In the days and weeks following the accident, Wonwoo wrestled with a profound sense of survivor's guilt. The memories of the ill-fated night haunted him relentlessly.

He couldn't shake the idea that he should have been the one to die that evening, not Mingyu. Why had the universe chosen to spare him? Why had he survived when his best friend had not? These thoughts tormented him, and he often found himself lost in a whirlpool of sorrow, asking questions that had no answers.

Attending Mingyu's funeral deepened his guilt. As he stood by the gravesite, holding a portion of Mingyu's ashes in his trembling hands, he made a silent promise to his departed friend: he would build that observatory and dedicate it to him, as a way of carrying a piece of Mingyu's dreams and ambitions into the future.

The accident not only left a deep emotional scar but also brought to Wonwoo's attention the stark realities of life. It dawned on him that wealth and privilege could serve as a protective shield against the harshness of the world. The news of the accident had been suppressed, and Wonwoo's influential family had made certain that Mingyu's family was well compensated. Their wealth ensured that they could keep the incident out of the public eye.

Wonwoo's mother, upon hearing the news that her son was safe, clung to him tightly, weeping with gratitude that her precious child had been spared. It was a poignant moment that emphasized how fortunes could dramatically shape the course of life. Wonwoo's grandmother, who had a strong hand in the family, took immediate action. She issued a stern decree that her grandson was not to drive anywhere without a driver, instilling in him a sense of dependency that he had never felt before.

As time passed, The pain soothed and people moved on. After the accident, the municipal held an auction for the land where the accident had happened, and the price had significantly dropped. Wonwoo', well aware of the land's importance, acted quickly to successfully bid for the plot in his name. But he was outbid by someone else named 28. When he turned to look, he saw a lady in uniform and noticed a young girl, not much older than 12, with two neatly braided pigtails and a white frock. She sat prim and proper, yet her gaze seemed fixed on something beyond the scene. The first thought that occurred was 'Isn't she a bit young to be here?'

During the auction's lunch break, Wonwoo strolled near the pond and spotted the same girl. She was assisting a mother duck whose legs had become entangled in plastic and a branch. The duck had pecked at her, but the girl's steady and skilled hands worked swiftly to free the distressed bird. The brood of ducklings stood nearby, watching nervously as the rescue unfolded.

Wonwoo was intrigued and wanted to approach but hesitated, not wanting to disturb the scene. The girl expertly untangled the duck's legs and let her rejoin her ducklings in the pond. Returned with a handkerchief filled with breadcrumbs, and started feeding them.

Wonwoo slowly approached them when her voice cut through,

"You shouldn't walk so loudly; you'll scare them away," she told him gently.

"Sorry," he offered, realizing he had been inattentive. "But didn't they hurt you? Why are you feeding them?"

The girl shrugged and replied, "My mother says that sometimes people who are hurt say harsh things because they don't know how to ask for help."

This response left Wonwoo pondering how a young girl like her displayed more wisdom and sensitivity than most of his friends, peers, and even many adults in his life. As a token of their interaction, she offered him a piece of bread to feed the ducks. Their conversation was interrupted when someone called her

"Miss, Let's go".

She handed Wonwoo the handkerchief, instructing him to feed the ducks well, and then left, heading toward a waiting car where a woman in uniform awaited her. Animatedly, she recounted her rescue mission to the uniformed lady, who listened with a smile.

As the car pulled away, leaving Wonwoo behind, he watched the girl's lively chatter and thought to himself, "Cute kid." He then proceeded to distribute all the bread from the handkerchief to the ducks, tucking the now empty cloth into his pant pockets. It was the first time he had been outbid twice in one day, and it left him pondering how he might acquire the land from the mysterious bidder number 28.

The second time Wonwoo felt that profound fear was during his grandmother's final moments. The room was bathed in a gentle, fading light, and the air was heavy with a sense of solemnity. Wonwoo, his mother, and other family members stood around her bedside, their faces etched with sadness.

His grandmother, a wise and gentle presence throughout his life, lay frail. Her breathing was shallow and labored as she approached the end of her journey. Wonwoo's mother, Sunmi, gently held her mother-in-law's hand. The old woman's eyes, once filled with a lifetime of stories, met Wonwoo's, and in those fading orbs, he saw a mixture of love, wisdom, and sorrow.

With the last of her strength, she whispered words that etched themselves deep into Wonwoo's soul. "Wooshik's father must have been lonely for a long time," she said softly, her voice trembling like a fragile leaf about to fall. Then, with those poignant words, she closed her eyes for the final time.

The third time that chilling fear gripped Wonwoo's heart was on a quiet evening, a month after his grandmother's funeral. He sat alone in his London flat, the room illuminated only by the soft glow of streetlights filtering through the curtains.

His phone lit up with notifications. As he picked it up and swiped through the messages, his world shattered. There, on the screen, were photographs of Eleanor's wedding, a vision of her radiant in her bridal gown, sharing smiles and vows with someone who wasn't him. The images were a bitter testament to the future they would never share.

But it was the text message that accompanied the photos that sent a dagger of fear through him. Eleanor's words were cold and final as if she had made a calculated decision. "I didn't want you to know this from anyone else," the message began, and with those words, a sense of dread intensified. "It is what it is. I gave this a lot of thought, and I don't think the future I envision for myself can be fulfilled with you. The skeletons in your family's closets can easily be discovered if anyone digs enough, and I can't have anyone or anything holding me back. I am sorry, goodbye."

It was the realization that someone he had loved, someone he had envisioned his future with, could cast him aside so easily that brought forth this crippling fear. It wasn't just the loss of love but the revelation that people could be ruthless in the pursuit of their own ambitions, leaving behind a trail of broken promises and broken hearts. It was a fear of vulnerability and the harsh realities of the world, one that came crashing down like a tidal wave on that fateful evening.

The fourth time that fear gripped Wonwoo was on the night before the custody case. He had settled into a fitful slumber on the room couch when the sound of whimpering sliced through the silence of the night.

Groggily, he rose from the couch and followed the plaintive sounds to find you. You were in your bed, yet you were not at peace. The covers were tangled around you, and your body was contorted as if caught in the clutches of a terrible dream.

Tears streamed down your face, and you muttered in your sleep, "Sorry, please, no."

Your forehead glistened with sweat, the beads gathering into small, glistening droplets. It was as if you were caught in a nightmare, a place of torment that he couldn't reach.

Without thinking, he reached out and gently took your hand. He couldn't explain the rush of emotions he felt at that moment—the desire to protect, to comfort, to chase away whatever demons haunted his dreams.

For the first time, he realized that this had become more than just a business deal. In that darkened room, Wonwoo's heart clenched with the understanding that he was now deeply invested in this struggle.

....

For Wonwoo, his pursuit of that particular land had festered for a long time, a clandestine ambition kept secret from even his parents. So, when his father mentioned the L/N family, it felt like the stars were aligning in his favor. It no longer mattered what it took; he wanted it, and he was willing to do whatever it required. Even if that meant getting married. He knew your father was a stubborn man, and how do you tempt someone who seemingly has everything? The answer was simple—by getting to the one for whom he had built that empire.

On a Wednesday morning, Chan presented him with your file. Wonwoo hadn't expected you to be so different from what he had imagined, influenced by popular beliefs and presumptions.

"This is interesting," he murmured, his lips curving into a smirk.

Chan, who stood there holding the file, raised an inquisitive brow. "What is?"

The object of Wonwoo's interest was a photograph. In it, You were sitting in a children's park. Your hair shimmered under the sun; a smile played on your lips as you looked down at your phone. He recalled when you stood, barely reaching his chest in height, feeding ducks in that park.

"She's mostly settled in Switzerland," Chan informed him. "She opened and is running a branch of their family's diamond and stones business there."

"Please turn to the next page," He instructed, Wonwoo's gaze locked on the photograph. He glanced up at Chan as the information continued. "We've gathered that the land was initially solely under her name, but a year ago, an unidentified benefactor was also added."

Wonwoo flipped to the next page and saw a photograph of you pushing a blonde child on a swing. "Her child?"

"Secret child. No one is aware of its existence, not even her parents."

"Secret child, huh?" Wonwoo leaned back in his chair, a sinister smile playing on his lips. The little girl is all grown up now. His fingers traced his jawline.

"What about the father?" He inquired.

"Well, it seems like he's not in the picture," Chan mused, "No pun intended."

Chan caught the fed-up look in Wonwoo's eyes.

"Well, then," Wonwoo said, focusing on the bigger picture, "Burbone doesn't seem that far now, does it, Chan?"

A knowing look passed between them.

....

Late at night, the soft amber glow of a desk lamp illuminated the spacious office of Jeon Wonwoo. A crystal tumbler filled with whiskey stood beside a scattered array of paperwork. The gentle clinking of ice cubes accompanied his contemplative thoughts as he swirled the golden liquid in the glass.

His mind drifted back to the series of events that had led him to this point. Meeting you had been a surprise, to say the least. The sweet and easily chatty girl he remembered from his teenage years had transformed into a rose with thorns, sharp-tongued and unapologetically independent.

When you proposed the marriage, he had seen it as an opportunity to create the conditions and situations that would inevitably lead you to give up the coveted land. There was nothing else about you that interested him, and if he could assist you in gaining custody of a child, there was nothing to lose.

Wonwoo had never been particularly interested in having children, despite his parents' persistent pressure. But as he watched you with Noel for the first time when you both slept in the same bed, cuddled due to the fatigue of the wedding and the flight, something shifted within him. The knots in his heart began to unravel, and gradually, he found himself looking forward to coming home.

Whether you were in your home office or the living area, watching Noel play games or having dinner together, there was an inexplicable warmth in these moments. He had started to make sure that he completed his work by 7 in the evening, eager to be part of these family moments.

He had even stopped smoking at home, convinced by his newfound understanding of the health risks it posed to children. Only two months had passed, but he didn't even realize how much he enjoyed talking to you. It was as if, with each passing day, there was something new and enchanting about your routine, and you were becoming more beautiful by the day.

...

It is widely believed that there's nothing scarier than a man who has nothing to lose. Jeon Wonwoo was widely regarded as someone who had very few things he held dear, making it difficult to get under his skin. Profit always took precedence. So why, when Noel's uncle casually claimed that you both had slept together, did it bother him so much?

The feeling was foreign, something he couldn't quite comprehend. It was none of his business, but still, it gnawed at him. The mere thought of it made him uneasy.

He couldn't explain why your laughter in the field upon his loss resonated within him, why it made his heart pound. He couldn't fathom why he felt pride swell in his chest when he saw you getting along with his family and cousins, especially his parents who hold you in such high regard. Nor he could understand why his heart felt like it was being torn into pieces when you looked at him, your eyes filled with what seemed like a betrayal.

He watched you talking to Eleanor on the balcony, contemplating whether to join you. But before he could decide, you stepped out, looking a little tired. Concerned, he thought about calling you,

As Wonwoo cautiously approached you, he observed your hesitation and stopped in confusion. Just as he was about to reach out and touch your shoulder, he overheard the reason you had paused.

"I mean, what else can I expect? I heard Master Wonwoo’s grandfather used to be a constructor and a loan shark. Poor L/Ns, where they've got themselves, trapped into," one of the maids had said.

"But didn't they build the company?" the other maid asked.

"Well, yes, after getting married, Master Wooshik's grandfather gave his father a handsome dowry on the condition if he leaves—"

Their voices were interrupted by a commanding voice, "What are you two busy chatting about? Come here; dinner time is approaching."

"Yes, ma'am."

Wonwoo's gaze was now fixed upon you, concern etched into his features and lips drawn into a line as he sought to understand how these revelations were affecting you.

The words, "They changed their minds the moment they heard the child's worth," echoed in your mind, like a relentless refrain. The weight of it pressed upon you, causing your heart to ache as your anger grew.

As you contemplated confronting the man who had spoken these words, you realized the futility of such an act. The last thing you wanted was to give them more to gossip about, to become the topic of their shallow conversations. Instead, you decided to remove yourself and Noel from the party, away from these people.

With determined steps, you began walking toward the room where Noel was. He observed your actions, his eyes focused intently on you.

However, as you were about to step into the room, Wonwoo suddenly grabbed your wrist, halting you with a yank. His grip was firm, and his voice carried a sense of urgency.

"Let go of me," you gritted your teeth, your eyes sending a clear warning.

"Where are you going?" Wonwoo asked his tone a mix of concern and curiosity.

"None of your business. Let go of me," you insisted, tugging at your wrist in an attempt to free yourself.

But Wonwoo wouldn't release his hold, and you noticed a waiter emerging from the storeroom under the stairs, looking embarrassed as if caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Wonwoo -" you started, but he didn't let go. Instead, he pulled you closer, his voice a harsh whisper in your ear.

"Y/n, stop giving them something more to talk about."

Feeling your resistance wane, you allowed him to lead you into the room. Once inside, you forcefully yanked your wrist away from his grasp.

"Don't you ever dare to drag me like this," you warned, your eyes blazing with anger.

Wonwoo sighed, clicking the lock on the door. He turned to face you, his hands tucked into his pockets. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a single lamp casting a warm aura. The moonlight seeped through the curtains.

"Sorry," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

You glared at him, your frustration and disappointment evident.

"I get it that you're angry," he acknowledged.

"I am not angry at you, Wonwoo," you replied, your voice dripping with exasperation. "I am angry at myself for believing that someone like you could be any different from the others."

Wonwoo furrowed his brow, genuinely puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," you retorted, stepping closer to him. "You're just as shallow as Nikolai."

The mention of Nikolai's name sparked irritation in Wonwoo. He took a step towards you. "Two billion is all it took for you and your family to accept Noel? I mean, what else can I expect from a man who said that I always weigh my gains before making any deal."

Wonwoo stared at you, aghast. "You'll take the words of gossip over the two months that you've known me, Y/n? Is that your opinion of me?"

"Don't you dare turn this on me, Wonwoo!" you shot back. "This has nothing to do with gossip. This is coming from what I have observed. Just a few weeks ago, your parents, who were so set against the very idea of Noel's name being attached to you, which, mind you, I didn't even ask for, are now treating him as if he's their own."

Wonwoo looked at you, bewildered. "People can have a change of heart, Y/n."

"Of course, they can, Wonwoo," you replied, closing the gap between you. "That's the whole point. The moment they realize this is not just some poor orphan but the heir to a two-billion-dollar company, of course, anyone can have a change of heart."

Unknowingly, you walked even closer, until you were face to face.

"Don't you think you're speaking a little out of turn here, baby girl?" Wonwoo gave a mocking chuckle.

You didn't back down when he stepped into your space. "Do you think my family and I even give a flying fuck about two billion?"

"Did you even bother asking me what I talked about with my father? What I say to him for them to accept Noel?" Wonwoo's irritation was palpable. "No, you just assumed and deluded yourself into thinking that your version of things is the truth, and the rest are just out here to fool you."

Wonwoo took a step forward making you take a step back, his frustration evident. "I mean, what can I expect from a woman who was in love with her best friend's husband and raising his child as if it's her own? Now tell me, who is the shallow one? Who is the one who's feeding into her own imagination?"

The room was filled with tension, as both of you locked gazes.

They say that no one knows a person better than themselves, but sometimes, when our fears and doubts about ourselves are voiced by someone else, it feels like a crushing weight on our chest. It's as though they've laid bare our pride in a fragile glass jar and carelessly shattered it, the shards cutting into our very being.

As you stared at the man in front of you, your legs felt weak, unable to bear the emotional weight of his words. The defiance that had initially burned within you had been replaced by a sense of powerlessness. A lump rose in your throat, choking your ability to respond.

"I knew I should've walked out of your office that day," you whispered, your voice trembling with sadness. The room seemed to close in around you, and you found it difficult to maintain eye contact.

Wonwoo, however, realized his mistake a beat too late. He had seen the pain in your eyes, and at that moment, his breath hitched as he comprehended the depth of his error. It was clear to him that he had screwed up.

You moved away from him, your head cast down as you walked toward the door. But before leaving, you turned to face him and said, "I think we're done here, Wonwoo. My lawyer will be contacting you soon."

"Don't be stupid, Y/N. You know you'll be losing Oasis and Burbone Road as a whole if you divorce me, right?" Wonwoo's voice held a trace of warning.

You met his words with a sardonic smile. "Consider it a gift for everything you've done till now. Either way, you were going to work your way to earn full ownership, of your side projects under confidentiality. Isn't that right, Mr. Jeon?"

"Don't call me that," he grumbled.

"I'll take the blame so you don't have to worry—"

But before you could finish, he cut in. "The court will withdraw your adoption application. We're in a 6-month trial period, and the first visit is in 2 weeks from now."

You closed your eyes briefly, collecting your thoughts. "That's for me to think about. As I told you in the office, I know there is always another way, another door."

He turned his body toward you, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What would that be? Another husband, or this time you'll go to that bastard, Nikolai?"

Your patience wavered as his audacity pushed you. You felt the fire that had almost extinguished rekindling. He had the nerve to say this when his flimsy NDA paraded around as if after his mother, she held the first claim over him. "Maybe. Maybe this time I'll just go to Nikolai. What's it to you? Maybe I'll consider his proposal." You stepped into his space, poking your finger into his chest.

Wonwoo could feel a growl rising in his throat, and your next words shattered his control. "I mean, he'll be more than happy to oblige. Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do-"

Before you could finish your sentence, Wonwoo grabbed the back of your head and crashed his lips onto yours.

Wonwoo's breath was heavy as he pulled back slightly, his dark eyes locked onto yours. "Repeat that," he demanded, his voice laced with force and a hint of jealousy.

You, equally breathless, didn't back down. "I said, who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do—"

Before you could finish, he crushed his lips onto yours, his kiss passionate and demanding. You broke for a moment, staring at him with heavy breaths, your gaze shifting to his lips. Without hesitation, you both leaned in, kissing again.

He swiftly picked you up, and you wrapped your arms around his neck. His teeth grazed your lower lip, eliciting a moan from you. Your lips disconnected, and the back of his knees hit the mattress. He sat down with your knees on either side of his thighs. His lips found your neck, and his hand creased your backside, giving it a playful squeeze.

"Wonwoo," you breathed out, your voice filled with desire.

He raised his head from the crook of your neck, his eyes dark with passion. "Yes, Babygirl."

Your chest heaved, your lips swollen from the heated kiss. Wonwoo felt two contradictory emotions coursing through him: anger at the thought of others getting to see you like this, and pity that they weren't able to call you theirs.

Your nails scraped gently across his scalp as you both leaned in for another kiss when a sudden knock at the door interrupted the passionate moment. The voice on the other side called your name, and you stumbled out of Wonwoo's grip, your heart racing.

"Ms. Y/N, are you in there?" The voice persisted.

"Yes," you squeaked, clearing your throat, your cheeks flustered.

"Uhm, Ms. Y/N, Master Jeon is looking for you and Young Master, to join him for dinner. Do you—perhaps know where Young Master is?"

"We'll be right there, Cecilia," Wonwoo answered. You looked at him in shock and mouthed, "Unbelievable."

Wonwoo ran a hand through his hair and threw himself back onto the bed. Your heart was still pounding, as if you were a teenager caught doing something you shouldn't be doing.

"Y/N," he began, but you cut him off.

"I'll go first," you said with a hasty glance and fixed your appearance. With rushed steps, you exited the room and made your way to the dining hall, leaving him behind.

Noel was seated next to your father-in-law, and they were engrossed in a discussion about their upcoming fishing trip. You wanted to move him away from that table, but you refrained from creating any scene. Jungkook sat opposite Noel, and you took the seat next to him. Han Joon-hee joined the conversation, Jungkook was telling a tale of the time he had caught a swordfish with his bare hands, and Noel's eyes sparkled with fascination when he heard it. "The swordfish shoved his sword up his ass," Joon-hee added, and everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Eleanor and her husband were conspicuously absent from the dinner table. You and Joon-hee engaged in casual conversation, discussing topics of no particular significance, but your heart felt heavy with the weight of what Wonwoo had said earlier. Throughout the dinner, you intentionally avoided making eye contact with him. The atmosphere remained lively, but there was an underlying tension beneath the laughter.

....

That night, you lay beside Noel in his room, gently running your fingers through his hair as tears welled up in your eyes. As you struggled to hold back the tears, soon sleep engulfed you and a dream began to take shape.

You found yourself sitting in the bedroom of the apartment you used to share with Noella during your college days. Noella appeared, looking just as she did at the age of 22. You bit your tongue to suppress the tears that threatened to fall. She spoke, "The heart is a heavy burden, my love. It's okay to let your eyes shed some of its weight."

Seeing her, you immediately wrapped your arms around her. "I don't know what to do, Ella. I feel like I'm failing. I wish you were here. How could you be so selfish and leave me? How could you leave your son? I'm constantly worried that I'm not doing enough. Whatever I do will never be good enough. How could you be so selfish, Ella? How could you leave your son like this? How could you leave me like this?"

Noella offered an apology with a touch of humor, "I'm sorry, baby. In the next life, I'll send out the memo the night before."

You looked at her, initially offended, but then the two of you broke into laughter.

"You know, Y/n," Noella began, "sometimes the hardest part of letting someone go isn't about filling the voids that formed in their absence. Sometimes, it's about finding the purpose of every piece they've left behind. So let go, Y/n. Let go of the things that are beyond your control. Holding onto the broken shreds will only make you bleed. Your friendship is the best thing that ever happened to me. You were the light that helped me out of the dark, and I am forever grateful that you're here with Noel."

Tears trickled down from both of your eyes.

"I'm sorry that I was too late to realize what Joshua truly meant to you," she confessed.

You shook your head and said, "I'm glad it didn't turn out that way, or else I would've never been able to meet Noel."

"He's a good kid, isn't he?" Noella asked.

"The best," you replied with a fond smile. Then you added, "Good job."

She shook her head, denying the compliment, and said, "No, good job to you. And I'm sorry for looping you into it."

You teased, "You should've thought of that when you were doing it without a condom."

"Touché," she conceded.

You don't remember how long has it been, you rested your head on her shoulder as she caressed your head. She began In a more serious tone, "I've been thinking…"

you raised your head, she continued, "You should name your daughter Iris."

You turned your head toward her, a look of confusion on your face. "Pardon my who?"

You woke up abruptly before you could get your answer as Noel gently shook you, his concerned young eyes filled with worry., you blinked away the remnants of your dream. His small, concerned face hovered over you as he gently said, "You've been crying and calling out Mama's name. Are you having a nightmare, Tante?"

You managed a weak smile and replied, "No, sweetie. It was just a bad dream. I'm okay now."

Still not entirely convinced, Noel added, "Okay, but wake up, Uncle Wonwoo and I have to go fishing with Grandpa and JK."

'Grandpa huh?'

With that, he scampered off to get ready for his little fishing trip with the boys, leaving you to reflect on the bittersweet dream that had given you a chance to converse with the memory of your Ella.

TBC.

A/N: Wonwoo that was a messed up thing to say bruv! But atleast they kissed so welp! When I was writing that scene I just could help but think of that scene from alchemy of soul s2. I think this is the shortest chapter I’ve written of this series. These days I’m feeling as if this work not of people’s liking due to the lack of engagement. Maybe I should put it in a hiatus idk. Let’s see how this chapter does ig.

xx

MSH

[laufeysflower]

in honor of my husband coming back 😙

this is reposted- the first time I posted it, some things got messed up

—

be careful what you wish for.

you’ve heard that many times in your life, yet that’s never made you hesitate to voice out what exactly you wanted.

only now did you realize how detrimental the effects of a “wish” going wrong can go.

you didn’t consider yourself a ‘brat’ growing up, but you definitely had it more luxurious than most. that didn’t mean easier though.

growing up in a prestigious clan that based your worth on whether or not you received the family’s technique is not a good environment for a kid to grow up.

Zenin. Oh how you hated that name.

hours and days and weeks and months and years of having to remain the perfect little sorcerer, receiving songs and poems of praises from the elders while having to ignore the scorns and whispers of curses directed towards your name from you very own family members who weren’t lucky enough to inherit the a technique.

that’s when you made your first wish- well, more of when you voiced out your actual want.

“I hope this clan ends up crumbling to the weight of its victims.”

maybe it was karma for wishing on the downfall of your clan, for a day later you get called in for the confirmation of yet another part of your freedom disintegrating.

the white haired man next to you yawned as you walked through the halls of your clans home. not yours. the clans.

the man previously walking side by side with you suddenly stopped causing you to turn back to him.

“what’s wrong?”

he stuffed his hands into his pockets before turning around, ignoring your question.

your eye twitches as you force yourself to keep your composure at his rudeness.

gojo satoru. inheritor of the six eyes technique, and the ‘perfect’ husband for the beloved heir of the zenin clan. you knew that he wasn’t happy about this arranged marriage, you weren’t happy either. you felt like a doll to the elders, just something they can control in a story, and now you had to talk with them about the details of your marriage with gojo satoru.

you understood his anger, better than anyone you could imagine, but you never blamed him for your situation. his rudeness was unacceptable.

you begin to follow him down the corridor, “gojo,” you scoff out, “we have a meeting with-“

“I have to use the bathroom.” he says quickly, cutting you off with a passive aggressive glare. gojo may have thought that he was able to intimidate you, but the truth is that the certain shine of his eyes managed to somehow knock all the air out of your lungs. not that you’d ever admit that to him.

his bruteness was only at the beginning though, somewhere within the few months of your engagement, gojo satoru began to see you in a new light.

not that you noticed.

you took his teasing comments and way too affectionate touches as him simply trying to get to you, to make you surrender and ask the elders to give up on this arranged marriage.

that thought only made you not want to do so even more, pride is both a wonderful and terrible thing.

thus, with your emotions getting the better of you- you voice out your wants once again.

you forgot about what you said, it’s been ten years. somewhere within these ten years you grew to love gojo satoru, regretting every negative thought you’ve had about him. you thought that it wouldn’t effect anything, just as how you thought the phrase “be careful what you wish for” didn’t really mean anything.

but it’s been 15 days. 15 days since you went to malaysia for a mission and 15 days from since you last heard from him. you booked a flight straight to japan when you finished your mission to figure out what happened.

and oh, how you regret ever wishing that he went away.

[goddess-mixmi]

Hidden inventory oc’s

Got inspired to draw Marisa and Apollo during their high school days but also my newest oc as well named Kamari. Read below for more info.

Marisa

During this arc Marisa is a grade one sorcerer who exceeds the grade already but refuses to apply herself for promotion to special grade. She claims being special grade receives “too much pressure” and claims to be fine as is but Sensei Yaga said she’s being “ stubborn and lazy” and decides to put her on the star plasma mission with Satoru and Suguru. During said mission her technique {Blood Sucker} is shown more actively, more importantly her relationship with Suguru is shown more clearly here since they are high school sweethearts turned fiancés when he proposed to her one night in Okinawa during the mission. But things take a turn as she loses her memories the day the star plasma vessel is killed right in front of her. She feels bad for not remembering everyone and tried her best to get Suguru to open up but it’s no use. When she leaves the country for a funeral she only comes back to find Suguru gone and how he’s a criminal now. Even worse is she got her memories back that day and set out to find him at any cost.

Kamari

Here’s my newest male oc Kamari Adebayo born April 19th 1989, bisexual. When he was a jujutsu tech student he is a very chill guy who loves to skateboard, spray paint and own his own motorcycle. He’s of Nigerian royalty but when he became eligible to be a sorcerer his dad tells him that he had a choice of an arranged marriage or going to japan to hone his skills, it’s clear what he chose and he doesn’t regret it. But most importantly he is the best friend of Marisa Nakamura. He is a grade one sorcerer with a cursed technique called {Thunder God} which is the manipulation of lighting at his own will and not get affected by it unless he gives over his limit. He rarely goes on missions because he doesn’t wanna get recommended for promotion.

He usually gets in trouble with the teachers for spray painting on school grounds like when Yaga tells him he will not be apart of the star plasma mission as support. It definitely hurt him when Marisa lost most of her memories but he stuck by her all the time, nor did he blame Suguru for his actions that year but wishes he went about it differently cause he finds the world of jujutsu sorcery to be flawed. He became god father to Marisa’s kids and helped out the best he could.

Apollo

Teen Apollo aka Xavier Carter the grade one sorcerer with the technique of {Soul Puppets} which is pretty much self explanatory of soul manipulation with strings attached. Like Marisa he was supposed to be a special grade sorcerer but he rather stick with being grade one to avoid all the pressure. During this time him and Shoko are in a romantic relationship on the down low. During the arc he disappears off with Shoko when Yaga assigns the star plasma vessel mission to his bros Satoru and Suguru. He is deeply distraught by his cousin losing her memories after that mission and tries to be supportive the best he can for everyone involved with that tragedy, especially Suguru. Him and Marisa got news that their grandmother passed away in 2007 and rushed back home to Jamaica practically missing when Suguru killed those villagers. When receiving his note he called Suguru a coward not just for not opening up but for leaving without facing everyone.

[animeniacss]

So Close Yet SO Far - Mingyu x Reader - Chapter 4 - A Bitter Pill, A Bittersweet Reunion

Synopsis: Your college friend, Kim Mingyu, has had a grip on your heart since the first day you met. Over the past few years, as you acquired more friendships and memories, those feelings only grew. However, recently, Mingyu has seemed a bit more distant, at least when it comes to any ideas of romance. It only gets worse when rumors fly that he's off to Japan to receive a marriage proposal! Unsure what to do, you wonder how you can keep Mingyu by your side without jeopardizing your friendship or your growing feelings. You never expected that waking up one drunken morning next to two hot angels would be your ticket into Mingyu's heart.

Genre: Romance, College!AU, Modern Fantasy, Comedy, Angsty

Length: approx. 5.8k words

Feat. Mina of TWICE

Chapter 4 -A Bitter Pill, A Bittersweet Reunion

Sunday came and went without anything eventful occurring. You had spent the day watching TV, allowing your hands to finish healing so you could have the bandages off by Monday. The last thing you wanted was for your hands to be practically useless for taking notes. Finals were mere weeks away, which meant the semester was coming to a close. It also meant that if the weekend was coming to a close, then Mingyu would be heading home soon! The idea made you a bit excited, but you had to calm yourself. You had to remind yourself that you were not his girlfriend, and had no reason to be this excited. However, the more you thought about knowing he was here and putting the rumors to rest once and for all, the more your heart was pounding in your chest.

            As the TV played and you sprawled out on your couch, you heard a knock at the door. Looking over, you waited to see if the person on the other end would speak. They didn’t. They just knocked again. Sighing, you stood up and made your way over.

            “Who is it?” you asked. When there was no reply again, you blinked. Mingyu? You thought to yourself. Quickly, you opened the door and flung it open, smiling for whoever it was on the other end.   

            When you saw Joshua and Jeonghan standing there, your smile dropped.

            “Oh jeez.” Jeonghan blinked. “You look horrifically disappointed.”

            With no intention of saying it out loud, you had honestly forgotten these two had miraculously entered your life less than 24 hours ago. With them gone, you spent the rest of yesterday and half of today in blissful normalcy. However, as the duo stepped past you and into the house, you sighed. “Disappointed? No.” you clarified.

            “Well, you looked it.” Jeonghan smiled. “Don’t worry. I can wipe that frown right off your face. We have good news.” Your ears perked up as you closed the door behind you. Resting your hands again them, you felt them still tingle a bit as they continued to fully heal.

            “What?” you asked. You watched as the two men shared a glance. Joshua was the one who spoke.

            “We saw Mingyu, and it didn’t look like he was there to set up an arranged marriage with anyone.” Hearing that made your heart soar in your chest. “We followed him the entire day. He did some shopping, met up with some friends, and it looks like was on the phone with someone when he was back in the hotel.”

            “Which he stayed the rest of the night. No visitors.” Jeonghan made sure to add. Both of them were smiling almost as wide as you were. Knowing that Mingyu really was in Japan for a business trip in his father’s stead just made you feel so much relief.

            “Shopping?” you asked. Joshua nodded. Your mind couldn’t help but race as to what exactly he got while he was out, if anything at all. However, as your eyes fell over to the Statue of Liberty snow globe on your TV stand and the wind chime hanging up by the window to your balcony, you could only imagine what you would get this time. The phone call that was mention replayed in your head as he spoke about the plans he had for the following day. You felt butterflies in your stomach and a part of you was a bit embarrassed at just how giddy you felt.

Just then, when you looked at the men once again, you immediately remembered why they were even telling you that in the first place. You looked down at your hands, a soft cherry red as the palms and fingers still worked on healing the slightly burnt skin. “What does that mean for you guys?”        

            “Well-.” Joshua hummed. “We actually might be able to do all of this sooner than we thought. If he’s not in a relationship, and he already has the intention of coming home, it’ll be easy to help make you happy~.”

            “You already look it.” Jeonghan smirked, pointing to his own cheeks. When you looked over into your mirror, you saw how red and flustered you looked. You covered your cheeks, unable to hide a shy giggle.

            “I worried for nothing.” You admitted. “Jeez. I feel kind of silly.”

            “Now, we can all relax today until school starts tomorrow.” Jeonghan said. You blinked as the duo took a seat on your couch, satisfied with a hard day’s work as they began watching whatever you had on. You blinked, walking over to them and looking down at them from behind the couch.

            “You’re not…you’re not really enrolling, are you?” The men tilted their heads up to look at you.

            “Of course, we are.” Jeonghan said, very matter-of-factly.

            “Yeah. We actually enrolled right before we all first met, just in case. They said everything should be in order by tomorrow.” Joshua added. You blinked, recalling their presence at the school the night you had met.

            “Wha-.”

            “Will you show us to the registrar’s office tomorrow?” Jeonghan turned to you, playfully batting his eyelashes. You heard Joshua snicker a bit in amusement, also turning to look at you.

            “I might actually be in hell.” You said, sinking down to the floor. The men peered over to look at you, sprawled out on the floor of your apartment. “Do you know what kind of chaos this will cause in school?”           

            “Chaos?” Jeonghan asked. “What chaos?”

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

            Your worst fear had come true, much as you predicted. Joshua and Jeonghan had woken you up earlier than you would have liked; two eager children waking their mother up as soon as possible in order to open Christmas gifts. You groaned, sitting up in bed as the duo stood before you, dressed their most casual white fits with backpacks slung over their shoulders.

            “Ready.” They said.

            The second you walked onto campus with the two of them, you heard it. The sound of whispers. The sound of swooning. The sound of every girl in a ten-foot radius being stopped dead in their tracks by the gorgeous men at your sides. How desperately you tried to tune them out, quietly walking with Joshua and Jeonghan to the registrar’s office so both of them could grab a hard copy of their schedules. When you looked over your shoulder, curious as to how the men were handling the attention, you were somehow not surprised at the response.

            Jeonghan and Joshua were walking straight ahead, poised and elegant in their movements. Joshua ran a hand through his hair to make sure none was in his face, and Jeonghan fixed the strap on his bag. You could have sworn there was an almost angelic glow behind the both of them, but you tried to remind yourself that these were the same two morons who had Joshua crawl into your bed the first morning you two had met. It must have been the lack of coffee making your brain think such ridiculous things.

            “You two are such humble angels, aren’t you?” You asked curiously.

            “Hm?” They cocked an eyebrow in confusion. You shook your head as you led them inside the office.

            With schedules in hand and a list of textbooks – which normally students don’t get ahead of time, but Jeonghan once again batted his eyelashes and you watched in stunned silence as the woman at the counter practically offered to order their books right then and there – you all headed out of the building.

            “What’s your first class?” you asked, hoping and praying it was on the opposite side of the campus. Not because of them, but because of the absolute distraction they would cause in any class they were in. So yeah, maybe just a little bit them.

            “Mmmm…Literature.” Joshua said.

            Nope. “Great. That’s my class.” You said. You could basically hear the gasping and sighing girls staring you down as you began walking. “Follow me.” The duo quickly joined up either side of you, and you sighed. “Please don’t entertain the girls the entire class period. I don’t want them staring at us.”

            “Don’t worry. We won’t.” Joshua said simply.

            They fucking lied.

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

            Despite their pleading, you prompted them to sit in the far front of the classroom. At least if they were there, all the students would face forward. As everyone shuffled in and waited for their professor, you were quietly skimming a book a few seats away from Joshua and Jeonghan. It was the book you had taken from the library on Thursday when you had gone with Mingyu, and you had barely gotten the time to read it this weekend. Now was no different, however, as you felt a tap on your shoulder. When you turned around, a swarm of four girls leaned down from the next row up. You felt like you were in a prison interrogation with how harshly they were staring.

            “Hey.” You said hesitantly. One of the girls, wearing brunette braids and sharp bangs, spoke up. Jiyoon was always known to be nosey.

            “You need to spill the beans.” She said simply. When you raised a confused eyebrow, she motioned to the two men sitting a few seats down. They were also talking to a group that had swarmed them, a mixture of curious, swooning girls and jealous men. You sighed. “How did you end up being friends with those two hotties?”

            “I’m just helping them adjust to their transfer.”

            “What are their names?” another girl asked.

            “Joshua and Jeonghan.” You said simply.

“Joshua? Is he a foreigner?”

“There’s no way, he totally looks Korean.” Another girl, Jiwoo, said. When she tapped your shoulder, you felt your eyebrow twitch as you looked back over. “Where is he from? America?”

I’m not playing matchmaker if that’s what you’re thinking.” Hoping to end the conversation, you turned back to your seat, opening up your book. “If you want to know so bad, ask them.”

            “I cannot believe you’re gatekeeping all the hot men on this campus to yourself!” Jiyoon said. She was also known to be sassy. You huffed.

            “That is not what I’m doing here, Jiyoon.” You said simply. “They are literally right in front of us, talking to other people.” You pointed to the duo. “Don’t blame me because you’re to shy or whatever.”

            “What? Shy? No.” Jiwoo’s cheeks tinted red. Then, she leaned forward again. “Do you think they’re totally taken, though?”

            “Doubt it.” you groaned. I don’t even think angels can date. You thought to yourself.

            Jiyoon and Jiwoo looked back up at the duo, just as they had turned in your direction. You caught them both smile, waving over in your direction. You sighed, giving a small wave in their direction again. You never thought you would be so happy to hear your professor enter the room, the entire class going silent as her footsteps clacked along the floor.

            It was the same in every other class you shared with the duo. It was the same in all of the hallways, down all of the paths, and even at all of the study spots you and your friends usually attended. You were making your way to one now, knowing Minnie, Hoshi and Seungkwan were most likely already there waiting for you.

            “We’re going to be late.” Joshua pointed out.

            “We would have been on time if your newly formed fanbase let us walk out of the history building in peace.” You pointed out, tugging your hair up into a ponytail to give the back of your neck some much needed cool air. You could still feel to suffocating pressure of girls pressing their way to the three of you just minutes ago, each trying to talk to the men and learn more about them. “What are your names?” What are you majoring in?” “What made you transfer?” “You’re so handsome!” It was like a ping pong match of compliments in your head.

            “Human girls are so…impure.” Jeonghan said. Joshua nodded in agreement. You immediately looked at him.

            “Huh?” he laughed a bit. “You’ve been chatting them up all day, and now you want to act all angelic?”         

            “Excuse me, I’m always angelic. Thank you.” He said simply, playfully nudging you. You rolled your eyes, shaking your head as the three of you continued to walk. In the distance, you saw your friends at a nearby table. The idea of having more people to help balance out your morning felt like a blessing.

            Then, you saw Hoshi stand up, and immediately flash his tiger paw greeting as he shouted out “AAAAAAAAAAAAH! HELLO!!!!!!!” Jeonghan and Joshua’s eyes widened in surprise at how loud the small guy’s voice was. However, they were unable to controlled their amused laughter.

            “Here we go.” You laughed to yourself. As the three of you sat down, once again, nearby people began gawking at Joshua and Jeonghan. However, they remained focused on you and your friends as they gathered together. Minnie was already studying in a book, Seungkwan was typing away on a computer, and Hoshi was eating a snack, wiping crumbs off his face as he caught his breath from his incredibly loud greeting.

            “Finally, you made it. How’s your first day been?” Seungkwan asked, mainly towards the men sitting across from them.

            “Fine.” Joshua said.

            “Busy.” Jeonhan added.

            You saw your friends looking at you, most likely waiting for your answer as well. “Great.” You said. I did not take long after for the group of you to quietly start studying. Joshua and Jeonghan had taken out their book from literature, and you – reluctantly- offered to help them catch up. You had no idea why they were taking the role of college students so seriously. However, as you glanced up at them, watching the duo follow along with the current chapter of the book, you simply shrugged it off as a way to keep the boredom away. What else are they supposed to do while I’m at school all day?

            As you let the men go off on their own allowing you to get your own studying done, you looked down at your phone. It had been pretty silent all day today, apart from texts from the group making plans to meet here after class. No word from Mingyu. You sighed, turning your phone over and hoping to get a few minutes of studying done before time was up. However, it became very hard when your ears wondered to the conversations of others around you.

            “I can’t believe she’s been with them all day.”         

            “What about Kim Mingyu?”

            “Right? I could have sworn those two were dating.”

            “No way. You think?”

            “I heard he moved away to get married.”      

            “What? No way. I don’t believe that.”

            “I do. He hasn’t been back yet. It was so sudden.”

            “Even so. He leaves for one weekend and she shows up immediately with two hot men on her arm? If I were Mingyu, I would be so upset.”

            You immediately closed your book, alerting the attention of the rest of your friends. You stuck it into your backpack, and zipped it up.        Without a word from anyone, you rose from your seat and looked at Joshua and Jeonghan. Both looked up at you with confused expressions on.           

            “I told you it would be chaos.” You said simply. Before you allowed them time to respond, you immediately headed off down the path, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

            “Hey wait-.” Jeonghan tried to call to you, but Minnie was already up and chasing after you.

            “Let Minnie handle it.” Seungkwan said to the obviously confused men. “She’ll be okay.”

            “I think she’s upset because Mingyu isn’t back yet.” Hoshi added. “Don’t take it personally. She’ll come back like nothing happened.” Hoping what the duo said was true, the angels decided it was best to stay put, and not aggravate you any longer. If they followed with a trail of fan girls in their midst, it would only allow things to get worse.

            Jeonghan decided to take this time to ask the male duo a very important question: “So.” He leaned forward, alerting the duos attention. “As new friends and assumingly your very admired Hyungs, we have a question for you.” Joshua, despite being a bit confused, leaned forward with Jeonghan, elbows resting on the table.

            “What?” Hoshi asked, setting his snack down.

            “What is the relationship between the two of them? Mingyu and-.” He motioned in your direction. Seungkwan looked over at Hoshi.

            “They’re totally in love.” Seungkwan said simply when he looked back at the older duo.

            “So, they’re dating?” Joshua asked.

            “No, but when you see them together for the first time, you could totally believe they were. The way they look at each other is kind of…” Hoshi trailed off as he tried to think of the right word.

            “Disgusting.” Seungkwan said quickly. Hoshi nodded.

            “Disgusting.” He repeated. Joshua and Jeonghan glanced at each other. “But recently, Mingyu’s been acting kind of weird.”

            “How?” Jeonghan asked.

            “He gets kind of weird when people tease him about dating. He used to brush it off and laugh or something. But he’s not like that anymore.”

            “People think he’s being forced into blind dates by his father, to find a future wife.” Seungkwan added.

            “Has he ever said so?” Jeonghan asked.

            “No.” Seungkwan said.

            “Why so interested, Hyung?” Hoshi eyed the duo, eyes landing on Joshua before asking: “You guys think she’s cute or something?”

            Joshua laughed quickly. “No, not at all. It’s just that she speaks so highly about him all the time. And it seems whatever was said just now upset her, so…”

            “That’s fair.” Seungkwan said as he turned back to his computer. “Don’t worry. When Mingyu-Hyung comes back, it’ll all be sorted out.” Joshua and Jeonghan spared one more glance behind them, but you were long gone, most likely for the best.

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

            By the end of the day, you were more exhausted than usual. Even when the duo weren’t in any of your classes, people kept asking about them, wanting to know all they could. You tried to avoid it, but how could you when you were surrounded by curious minds.

            “Did Mingyu tell you when he’s coming home?” One guy asked, known for playing casual games of basketball with Mingyu in the gym from time to time. You sighed, closing your book and looking over at the guy.

            “No.” you sighed, desperately hoping not to have to ask the same question again.

            He almost looked offended at your sassy remark, but you were so numb to the answer you could care less. “Oh. I figured if anyone on campus did, it might be you.” He turned back to his friends. You heard him mutter: “Yeah, she has no fucking idea.”

            “Shocker.”

            “Maybe he really did go then. I wouldn’t tell my girlfriend back home if I was leaving the country to get hitched.”

            Opening your book, you tried to distract yourself from the chatter right beside you. The classes were almost over for the day, the sun starting to set. Yet, still there was no message from Mingyu. No update on his arrival home. I thought Jeonghan and Joshua got the idea that he was coming back home. You thought to yourself. There’s no way they were wrong. Right? You flipped the page of the book, resting your cheek in your hand as you did so. They’re angels. I’m sure their divine powers or whatever make it so

            I’m sure he’ll call back when he’s able. You said. There was no way that Mingyu of all people would simply blow you off, especially when he made an effort to call you each night that he was away thus far. Also, you had to remind yourself of one thing.

            You were simply his friend. What did you have to get upset for?

            Just as the sun was being pulled down beyond the skyline, you made your way out of the building of your last class. You were exhausted, looking forward to returning home for some dinner and a nice, hot shower. Immediately, you saw Joshua waiting for you. You sighed, walking over to Joshua. It looked like he had something in his hand.

            “Are you okay?” He asked curiously. “You left so fast this afternoon and we haven’t heard from you.”

            “I’m fine…” you said softly. You looked around. “Where’s your posse?”

            “Oh, I think we managed to get them to leave us alone for today.” Joshua said.

            “I meant Jeonghan.” You smiled a bit. Joshua chuckled.

            “He said he was going to head back to the apartment and start dinner so you didn’t have to.” He said simply. You felt your heart beat just a bit faster at the idea of a meal waiting at home, and you smiled. Joshua seemed to realize something, because he handed you the thing in his hands. Upon closer inspection, you realized it was a strawberry milk from one of the vending machines. “Seungkwan said you liked these. I thought it would be a nice pick me up after today.”

            You didn’t hesitate taking the milk, looking up at the brunette angel. “Thank you.” You poked the straw through the top, and took a long sip. The sigh of relief that left your lips made Joshua smile.           

            “I apologize about today.” He said.

            “No worries. Nobody can resist a pretty face. I’m sure everyone will calm down eventually.”

            “Hah. Yeah. I meant more so that Mingyu wasn’t here like you had hoped.” He saw you look down at the milk, clutching it tightly in your hands. A bit of it bubbled out of the top, splattering against your finger. Joshua stepped closer to you. “He’ll come back. He has to. No person worth his salt would just up and leave to another country without giving some kind of a warning eventually.”

            “I guess so.” you had to admit that Joshua made sense with that statement. Joshua smiled when he saw you went back for another sip, sighing in relief at the cool sensation it left on your throat. “This is so good.” Joshua smiled, motioning to your lip.

            “You uh-.” Following his movement, you felt a bit of milk left behind on your upper lip. You couldn’t help but laugh.

            “What a way to end the day, hm?” you asked between giggles. Joshua smiled, nodding as he motioned for the two of you to head back home, changing the topic by discussing what Jeonghan could possibly be making for the two of you.

            As you looked up at the stars dangling overhead, you hoped that somewhere, a plane was flying beyond the clouds, making its way back to Korea.

            You didn’t realize how right you would be in that thought process.

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

            “Jeonghan, you absolutely need to cook more often.” You said, finishing up a bite of your breakfast. The three of you were heading back to campus the next morning. Not as early as Monday, but early enough that the idea of getting out of bed made you want to turn to dust instead. Jeonghan seemed to yawn just at the thought.

            “No way. Cooking makes me sleepy.”          

            “But you’re good at it!”

            “That’s why I get sleepy. All the effort tires me out and I have to sleep.”   

            “You’re so dramatic.” Joshua sighed behind a giggle. You chuckled as well, wiping your hand on a napkin you had brought with you. As you made your way onto campus, you heard people start whispering and muttered to their friends in small groups once again. You shook your head, ready to brace another long day of answering student’s hopeless questions about the new students. How long would they keep this up?

            It wasn’t long before your worst fear came true, and a handful of girls pulled your attention. They began bombarding you with new information about the duo, hoping you would have the answers. “Guys, I’m not their mother.” You clarified, shocked it even needed to be said. “I know just as much as you.”

While you were warding off the fangirls, right by the gates of the school, a man was resting his back against the wall. He was looking down at his phone, typing away at something as his bag draped loosely off his shoulder. He was wearing a light blue tee shirt with a graphic design on it, and a pair of jeans with tennis shoes. Joshua and Jeonghan took a look at his features, seeing familiar soft black hair and dark eyes that they saw eyeing up keychains only a few days prior. Both of their minds immediately trying to decide the best course of action possible on how to handle this. When they turned to you, they saw you preoccupied by a few nearby students. They could hear your voice drowning as you tried shooing away as many girls as you could. Just then, Jeonghan’s eyes sparkled with a plan. He turned to Joshua, a slightly mischievous grin on his face.

“Follow my lead.” He said softly. Before Joshua could register his friends request, he was shoved back a few paces. He stumbled back. “Back off. I said I would walk her to class.”         

Joshua had to refocus himself for a second as he eyed up Jeonghan, who stood with his chest puffed. Even his attempts to look tough came across as delicate. He hoped for a quick nonverbal cue of what was going on. When Jeonghan eyed you, who had not yet noticed what was about to happen, Joshua nodded. He stepped closer to Jeonghan, shoving him back.

“I asked her first.” He said simply.

“Well, tough. She doesn’t want to walk with you.”

“And she wants to go with you?” Now, the raising of their voices alerted your attention, especially when the girls you were talking to practically spun you around to see what was going on. You watched as Joshua shoved an angry Jeonghan back, only to be shoved back in response.

“What the-?”

“I think they’re fighting over you.” One girl gasped.

“Lucky~!.” Another swooned. You rolled your eyes, walking over to them. “What’s going on?”

The duo pretended they couldn’t hear her. “Why do you have to get your way? You’re not that special.”          

“Tch.” Jeonghan snickered. “What, do you love her or something?”

“Do you?”

Mingyu looked up just then to see the scene going down just a few feet away. He stepped closer, quietly observing the situation before deciding what to do. He had seen many a squabble over a girl before, and knew usually they fizzled out quickly. However, when they duo stepped back from one another, his eyes widened in shock to see you standing between them.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?” you asked. You stuck your hands in between them to prevent anymore childish shoving. “You’re causing a scene.”

“Hear that, you’re causing a scene Joshua Hong.” Jeonghan sneered. Joshua dramatically flared his nostrils and Jeonghan had to chew the inside of his lip to hold back a choked laugh.

“I think it might be you causing the scene.” He said. As you stepped between the both of them, pushing them apart, Joshua looked down at you.

“You both are! What’s with the fighting all of a sudden?!”

“I want to walk you to class but Joshua is being selfish, yet again.” Jeonghan said. He immediately put his arm around your shoulder and pulled you close to him. Joshua frowned, and Jeonghan only grinned. “Have fun walking alone, Joshua.”

“Hey-.” Before Joshua could step any closer, another, much larger hand was stuck in front of all of you. All three of you had to look up at the face of the person interrupting this impromptu fight. When your eyes locked on his face, you felt a shaky breath escape your lips.

“Mingyu…” you breathed. Mingyu looked over at you.

“Who are these guys?” he asked. Immediately, Jeonghan dropped his arm from your shoulder and stepped back. Joshua did the same. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” You assured. Mingyu looked at the two men.

“You two should know better than to worry a girl like that in public. That’s shameful.” He said simply, frowning at both of them.

“Uh, it’s fine. They’re friends.” You said frantically. Mingyu looked shocked by the sentence, so you had to explain further. Motioning to them like a prize on a game show, Joshua and Jeonghan smiled a bit. “New students. They just transferred here and I’m getting them adjusted. I’ll apologize for them, just let it go.” When you bowed to Mingyu, the men saw a lopsided smile form on his face.

“As long as you’re okay…” he said gently. He shot one more unamused glare at the two men. They had to admit, seeing the daggers Mingyu’s gaze shot at them was enough to make their hair stand on ends.

            The crowds began clearing away when it was clear no real fight would be breaking out any time soon. The whispers still lingered as the crowds dispersed, however. Joshua and Jeonghan slid beside one another, one hand behind their backs as they secretly gave one another a high-five. You didn’t notice with your eyes practically glued to Mingyu. “You didn’t tell me you’d be back today. I thought it was yesterday.”

            “It was. My dad’s jet broke down and I ended up taking a super last-minute flight back. I was so tired I crashed the rest of yesterday when I got home.” He sighed. “I meant to text you in the group chat. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

            A smile formed on your face. “I’m just glad you’re back. Everyone on campus has been wondering where you were.”

            “Oh?” He asked. “Come on. You’re being dramatic.” You laughed a bit at his nervous reaction.

            “You have to tell me all about your trip over dinner.” You said. “You promised.”

            “I didn’t forget.” He said simply. “Pick the place and the time. I’ll make it happen.” You nodded your head.

            “I totally see why Seungkwan said we might think they were dating.” Jeonghan whispered to Joshua. He immediately nodded.

            “This really is going to be easy.” The duo grinned at the thought, already picturing the green symbols popping up over your contracted hands.

It was then that you heard the sound of your friends approaching, Hoshi eagerly shouting out to Mingyu, glee exploding from his entire being at the sight of his friend. Mingyu turned his head, immediately matching his friend excited energy as the duo hurried to one another, gripping their hands together and cheering in excitement to be together again. You turned to Joshua and Jeonghan, who were simply acting as bystanders as they watched your friend group reunite.

            “How was your trip?” Seungkwan asked.

            “Good, but I’m glad to be back.” Mingyu assured.

            “You have to update us.” Minnie said, and you smiled at her repetition of your request. The group of you began walking. Joshua and Jeonghan watched you turned your head, motioning for the pair to quickly hurry up before they got left behind. They did just that, falling right behind you. Mingyu seemed to notice, and despite being unamused, distracted himself with Minnie’s request.

            “I caught up with some friends, saw some of my father’s business partners for him. I haven’t been to Japan since Christmas so it was nice to go in the warmer weather.” You felt Hoshi nudge you, and when you looked over, he gave you a thumbs up. You nodded, returning the thumb up and smiling. “I got a ton of really cool clothes and some new books.” He pulled up his phone. “And I took some great photos at the cherry blossom festival. Here.” As he scrolled, you felt your heart beat speed up just a bit. Mingyu showed some photos of himself in a clothing store, taking mirror selfies of himself in lots of different name brand suits and casual wear.

            “Oooo, how handsome.” Seungkwan teased as he peered closer. “Definitely a good choice.”

            Jeonghan and Joshua shared a glance with one another. They had no idea how or when Mingyu usually approached his tradition of giving you a gift from his travels. When they looked over at you, it seemed you were waiting for the same thing. Jeonghan had no problem asking.

            “Did you get souvenirs?” he asked Mingyu stopped walking, looking over his shoulder.

            “Hm?” he asked.

            “You know, souvenirs.” He asked. “Whenever someone goes on vacation, they get souvenirs.” Mingyu seemed to think for a second, rubbing his chin.

            “Hmmm. No, actually. I didn’t.” he said simply. “I was way too busy, I guess I forgot.” Without missing a beat, he turned back around and continued showing his friends the photos.

            Joshua and Jeonghan looked at one another, eyes now wide. You looked over at Mingyu’s photos, then up to him.

            “You didn’t get any souvenirs?” You asked. Mingyu looked at you.

            “No, I didn’t. I only have the ticket from the festival that they made.” He said. Without missing a beat, he pulled out the ticket. It was a beautiful pink color with cherry blossoms floating all throughout it. You smiled up at him.

            “That’s so cute.” You said.

            Meanwhile, as you and your friends continued walking, Joshua and Jeonghan kept back. They waited until you were close to the building that housed your first class of the day, then turned to one another.

            “Where’s the keychain?” Joshua asked, still keeping it in a low voice.

            “I have no idea!” Jeonghan gasped. “He did buy the key chain, right?”      

            “We watched him do it!” Joshua agreed.

            “I thought she said that he always bought her gifts.”

            “I thought so too! But he said he bought nothing.” Joshua and Jeonghan looked back over at the group, all of whom had stopped walking so Mingyu could finish showing off his photos with his friends. They immediately locked eyes on your face. Despite having a small smile, you looked just as confused and upset as they did.

            I think she’ll love it.

            Mingyu’s words send dread down the spines of the heavenly beings as they realized that somewhere, they fumbled the very heavy and very important bag needed to get themselves back into the gates of heaven. Looking at one another, they realized their expression was riddled with the same emotion.

Panic.

“...Who on earth did he give that key chain to?” The angels asked in unison.

            Their simultaneous panic attack was interrupted by a low – sounding airplane that was flying overhead. It seemed to grab all of their attention, as the group also looked up at it as it flew overhead and out of sight shortly thereafter. Jeonghan and Joshua simply looked at one another, then up to the plane as it flew through the sky, getting smaller and smaller as it did so.

            This might actually not be as easy as they thought.

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[ahundredtimesover]

The Light of Dead Stars (Epilogue) | KSJ

Pairing: Seokjin x (f.) Reader; side Seokjin x (f.) OC; side Reader x Namjoon

Genre/Tags: arranged marriage, fake romance, boss/workmate aus; angst, drama, fluff, smut; slow burn

Chapter Warnings: Foul language; talks of pregnancy; explicit sexual content (breast play, fingering, unprotected penetrative sex) (18+)

Chapter Word count: 10.5k

A/N: We have reached the end! I wished this story got a bit more love, but regardless, it was wonderful being able to write about Jin and falling in love with him even more. To those who read with me and to those who are just about to dive in, thank you. The messages have been so lovely to read. I hope you enjoy this, too.💕

Series Masterlist | Muse Moodboard | Setting Moodboard

Status: Complete

Series summary:  Your unconventional arranged marriage with your company’s President, Kim Seokjin, is necessary, practical, and simple - both your families benefit, and he minds his own business and so do you. But when a slip-up causes his parents to believe that you and he are in love, you have no choice but to pretend you are, especially with the trip to France for his brother’s wedding coming up. When you get back to Seoul, things start to change, and Seokjin is faced with the most difficult decision he has to make.  

Jin takes the carry-on bag from your hand and puts it over his shoulder, then holds your now-free hand and smirks before he kisses it.

“Smooth, huh?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“You’re so cheesy, stop it,” you chuckle, nudging him to the side.

You’ve both just checked in the airport and are wandering around before heading to the lounge for lunch. You and Jin decided to leave on a Thursday afternoon, while the rest of your family and friends opted to leave the next day. You don’t want to be too harassed when you arrive in Spain, and you also want to make sure that everything is settled for your guests when they get there.

You’re buzzing with excitement. You’ve been reading up on all the Michelin-star restaurants in San Sebastián and all the other markets and famous dishes in the city, and you can’t wait to try them all. You’re finally able to fully enjoy another country with your husband without the stress of work, and no, France doesn’t really count. There are food tours, cooking classes, and a ton of nearby cities to explore and get lost in. And the fact that you’ll be enjoying some of them with your family and friends adds to the exciting feeling.

You’re about to make a turn for the first-class lounge when a familiar face startles you, and you immediately call her name.

“Seri!” 

She looks up from her phone, her face contorting in surprise before she gives you her genuine, sweet smile.

“___!” 

She scurries to where you are and excitedly bows to you. She’s a lot more shy and conscious towards Jin, though, and you don’t blame her. The last time they met, he was angry and walked out on her, and you’d been the one to defend her to him during the time when things had gotten too much. 

“Hi! It’s nice to see you again,” you greet her, then you tug your husband’s hand.

“Hey, Seri,” he greets. “How have you been?”

Her face relaxes and you’re glad she’s found her joyful spirit again. 

“I’ve been great! I laid low for a while since, uh, yeah… and there haven't been any unfortunate instances since I spoke with Sejeong,” she responds. “She’s been checking up on me and that’s been incredibly helpful. How about both of you?”

“We’re doing fine, too. Things have looked up for us and we’re going on a vacation, actually,” you smile. “What about you? Where are you headed to?”

“Oh, that’s great! You two do deserve a break,” she says quite shyly. “And I’m heading to Japan. I actually got the courage to apply for a position in our Tokyo office and I fortunately got accepted. What you said stuck with me, you know? About not letting that whole experience ruin me for anyone else, especially for myself, and, well… I also kept thinking that I’ve just been settling for all these years.”

She glances at Jin as she says the last bit, and he catches it, too. It’s not out of spite, you could tell, as somehow she still says it with a glimmer of fondness in her eyes. 

“I realized that maybe if I take a step out of my comfort zone, things can surprise me, and moving to Japan felt like the first step - still a little bit familiar but still new. And I’m really excited.”

“That sounds great, Seri! I’m glad that the thought stuck with you. It was all I could offer at that time,” you reply.

“It helped a lot, so thank you. And thanks to Jin, too. I’m really happy for the both of you, and I truly mean it.”

Jin offers her a smile; he thinks it’s all he could give her, other than an apology.

“I just want to say sorry for how I acted the last time,” he says, looking into her eyes to let her know he means every word. “I was completely out of line and acted like we didn’t share anything in the past. ___ had to knock some sense into me but she shouldn’t have had to. I shouldn’t have been an asshole and put the blame on you, so I apologize. I hope you can forgive me.”

“It’s okay, Jin,” Seri responds. “We do things we don’t mean when we’re hurt and angry, and I understand. I’ve forgiven you a long time ago, so I hope you’re not hard on yourself. You copped yourself an incredible woman; I’m kinda jealous,” she giggles. 

The twinkle in her eyes and the sweetness of her laughter is back, and there’s that feeling of acceptance and joy that overtakes him. So much has happened between them in the past few years and more seems to have happened to them individually in the few months since they’ve last seen each other, but he feels that sense of relief that this is how they officially go in their separate ways. 

Seri was that sweet and charming young woman who was just trying to figure out her place in the world when they first met. And Jin was that seemingly confident man who had to keep going despite the pressure and expectations put on him. It was in each other that they found that little space of comfort, of pleasure, of fleeting happiness that would eventually end. 

And now here they are. Seri is off to start a new phase of her life in another country, and Jin will be starting his with you, the woman with whom he’s found his permanence - of joy and love and excitement and comfort. 

“Well, we’re really happy for you, too,” you say this time. “And I’d tell you to say hi to my brother, Jung Hoseok, for me, but I’ll be enjoying our vacation with him, so maybe next time?”

“Oh my goodness! You’re siblings?!” She gasps. “I should’ve put the pieces together! I can’t believe this. I admire him so, so much! And he’s also so handsome.”

“He’s quite the Casanova there, I heard,” you chuckle, even more when she looks visibly embarrassed at outing herself to you. “But I’m really excited for you, Seri. I hope this new start is all you imagined it to be.”

“Likewise,” she smiles. “I’ll go ahead. Have a safe trip, you two! Bye!”

Jin waves her goodbye and glances one last time as she heads the opposite direction.

And just like that, the light, the star, has been extinguished. 

Loading your luggages in the trunk of the car, Jin speaks to the chauffeur before guiding you inside.

“Oh come on, you speak Spanish, too?!” You exclaim.

Jin laughs at your shocked face. “My closest friend during grad school was Spanish, and we would teach each other our native languages and cook each other food. He was a good teacher and I learned the basics from him. He was just a pretty bad cook so I didn’t get to appreciate Spanish cuisine from him.”

“That sounded more than basic, though.”

“Maybe advanced basic?” He chuckles. “I try to practice. Father always says that learning another language is good for business. But I’m not all that good. I can assure you, however, that we’re never gonna get lost here.”

“Hmm, nice. Adds to the list of reasons why my husband is pretty hot and amazing,” you hum. 

“Ah, so that exists. So tell me, did you think it was hot when you first heard me speak French?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Not really, I just thought it was cool. I didn’t really give a shit about you in that way during that time,” you tease. 

“Ugh, brat.”

It's an over-an-hour car ride to your hotel, and Jin switches languages to speak with the chauffeur who is helpful in suggesting places and nearby cities to visit. You and Jin plan to set your schedule during this whole trip later, and perhaps surprise your guests with little luxuries, too.

The hotel that Jin chose sits at the heart of the city. It’s grand and breathtakingly beautiful, and your suite has stunning views of the sea; you’re excited to know how your family will react to this, and you’re glad you’re able to spoil them like this as well.

Once the butler leaves, you drown yourself in the comfort of the couch and true to form, Jin comes over and rests his head on your lap. He asks for a kiss, claiming he didn’t get to do much of it given the full-day of traveling, and you indulge him, complete with the head massage that he loves so much.

You take a shower and rest for a bit before you head to a nearby restaurant for dinner while going over all the things you plan to do for the week. You then decide to enjoy your hotel’s offerings of pintxos and wine in your balcony while overlooking the beach to end the night, and of course, some lovemaking because somehow, the air in this region is making your husband much more irresistible.

You spend the next morning finalizing all the wedding details - from visiting the venue, doing a tasting of the dishes to be served, and then trying on your outfits for the big day. It feels so intimate going through your wedding preparations like this. You didn’t plan the first one, and you were frankly too preoccupied with work to be even remotely sentimental or emotional about that.

But it’s different this time, as Jin wants it to be perfect. He’s gotten your taste in food and design to a tee so you don’t have much to comment on. You’re just amazed that he’s able to plan all of it on his own, and he credits it to being decisive and having connections in the industry. He was able to book everything without a hitch, after all. 

After having lunch at a seafood restaurant, you welcome his siblings and your friends, who all took the same flight, and then some time after, your family arrives. Jin’s parents make it in time for dinner at a restaurant that overlooks the sea, and the sunset is spectacular as you all enjoy amazing food amidst the conversations going on.

“We’re really thankful that you all could make it on such short notice,” Jin says as the chatters die down. “It means a lot to us that you could join us on this special occasion.”

“Yeah well, you offered to pay for it,” Jungkook pipes in. “We wouldn’t have made it otherwise, so thanks, Mr. Rich Handsome Man Jin. I’m glad we could be here for you and my best friend, too.”

“Thanks, Kook, how sweet,” you playfully roll your eyes. “And Jin, you’re too formal. This is a special occasion for us, yes, but also for our loved ones here. We’ve come a long way, I could say. And we’re just really happy that you’re all here. I mean, my sister is here! It rarely ever happens that she gets days off.”

“Don’t be surprised if my brother paid off her employer to let her go for a week,” Taehyung laughs, prompting you and your whole family to look at Jin in shock, who merely shrugs and tries to act innocently, and you know you won’t get a straight answer from him if you asked.

“Please, enjoy dinner. The tab is open in the bar under our name,” Jin says, to the delight of your friends. “And if you could keep your afternoon and evening free tomorrow, that would be great. We booked a spa day for everyone and then we’ll have dinner at the hotel.”

“What is spa day, Uncle Jjan?” Geonhoo asks. “Do we get one, too?”

Everyone chuckles at the little one’s question, but you tell them that they get to spend the day at the children's center while their parents get pampered, and that seems to be good enough for them. 

Jin’s parents seem to be just taking everything in and not speaking much, perhaps trying to get used to being around both of you again. But they send you soft smiles when you look their way, and that’s really all you could ask for. They’re here and they seem happy, and they were really the missing piece that you and Jin needed for this trip to be all that you want it to be.

You and Jin spend the next morning with your family, as you rarely get to be with them. You see Miyeon twice a year at most, so you want to spoil her as much as you can. You join them as you explore the city, past churches and quaint alleys, past street side food halls and boutique stores. 

Your family is in awe of everything, and you made sure that you got to pay for their trip and give them something memorable in return for all that they’ve done for you. Of course, that includes feeding them amazing food as well. You promise them only the most delicious things to eat during their stay here. 

There’s a bit of time to rest before your schedule at the spa, and it’s one you’re quite excited about. The last time you had something similar to this was during your “honeymoon” in Saint-Tropez, and it was an interesting experience, as you and Jin reminisce while you stay in the hot tub of your assigned suite. 

“It was so awkward trying not to be awkward while we were getting our massages,” he laughs. “I couldn’t look at you and the therapist was looking curiously at me for being so conscious.”

“You could’ve just acted sleepy the whole time, you know, or at least, acted interested without being creepy,” you say, sipping your lemonade. 

“Ah, well, there were lots of times during that trip wherein I wasn’t sure how to act,” he replies. “Things were changing for me and I was confused and that spa day was a challenge. I wanted it to end so badly.”

“I just tried not to mind you,” you chuckle. “I’ve never been pampered that way and I had to savor it so sucks for you.”

“Now, though, I want to take our time here.” 

“And do what?” You arch your eyebrow.

“Hmm, you know…” he hums, asking for your hand and pulling you to sit on his lap. His mouth immediately going to your chest to suck on your pert nipples and kiss your chest. “This and more.”

You moan in pleasure, your hips reflexively grinding against him as your head lolls back. “Ah, this is what you plan to do, huh?” You say, whimpering as he makes it to your neck and licks a spot he nibbles on. “We might not make it to dinner on time.”

“We will, that’s why I scheduled it for 8,” he responds, reaching your lips now and kissing you deeply. 

His tongue slides in, entangling with yours passionately that you feel yourself get lost in his taste, in his movements, in his hand that’s kneading your breast. With you tugging the ends of his hair, he moans into you, and you pull away before you get tempted to sink into his hardened cock that's poking your belly; the tub isn’t the safest place to have sex, after all, and you don’t want to risk it.

“I’ll be tempted to do more if we keep going, love,” you giggle, nibbling his lower lip before you completely let him go. 

“That’s why we’re on a honeymoon,” he whines, making you sit in between his legs after you remove yourself from him.

“We get married tomorrow, so the honeymoon starts after,” you correct him. “We still have to behave, especially since our family and friends are here. Just a few days, and you’ll have me to yourself again. You planned that.”

While you and Jin will be staying in the city during your entire stay, his family will be heading to Portugal, your family will travel to Madrid, while your friends - including Yoongi, whom Jin instructed to take a break, too - will be staying in Barcelona. You’ll at least have some time with them before they leave, and you want to make the most of that, too.

“I know. I also planned to have you the entire afternoon with me here,” he says, kissing your cheek now.

“Hmm, the San Sebastián air really got you crazy for me, huh?” You tease. 

“You underestimate me, ___. I’m crazy about you all the time!”

“Shush, I’m not used to you being cheesy.”

You tease each other until you both make it out of the hot tub, then you call the therapists for your 1-hour body scrub, which you spend giggling like teenagers because you wanted to know if the scrub tasted like coffee, too. But you do feel much cleaner and even lighter, and you’re both left alone, knowing you have time before the next session begins.

Jin’s hands have a life on their own once you enter the shower to rinse, as he just can’t take them off of you - they’re all over you, feeling and caressing you in places as if you won’t be having a massage later on. He helps you clean yourself and you motion for him to switch places with you so you could do the same. It’s really just an excuse to feel him up. 

Your husband is built in an intimidatingly handsome way. It’s deceiving, really, as his long limbs make you think that’s all he is, but underneath the clothes are his delicate-looking yet wide shoulders, his toned arms, and his smooth and honey-skinned chest that flows down to his gorgeous abs and tiny waist. He feels so good under your touch, especially when it causes certain parts to harden even when you just graze them. Somehow, he looks even more breathtaking all wet from the shower, and you have to will your heartbeat to slow down.

Or not. You control your time here, as Jin reminded the therapists that you’ll buzz them whenever you’re ready for the next service. And so you don’t mind, as your hand travels to where he needs it most, and he responds with a grunt and his deep, dark brown eyes boring into you. 

He kisses you desperately, cupping your cheek with one hand while the other cups your cunt, massaging it, sliding his fingers inside it, and playing with your swollen nub.

“Fuck,” he moans. “Want you so bad.”

“Need you,” you groan, as you feel yourself start to shake.

He turns you around, his arms caging you against the wall. He shuts the shower off and there’s nothing but the squelch of his fingers as they go in and out of you, and your joint moans of desire and pure lust as you continue feeling each other. 

Wanting more, he lifts your leg at an angle that allows him perfect access, and that’s what he does - his hardened cock enters you slowly until he’s snug inside you, feeling your warm walls take all of him in, and your sounds of pleasure urging him on.

“So good for me,” you keen. “Always so good for me.”

He kisses you again, slower this time, as he tries to match the pace of his body against yours. It’s intimate, loving, and really just the start of it because pretty soon, he’s securing your head in his hand and he’s quickening his thrusts. You feel the assault on your pussy and it feels so good, especially when he tells you to touch yourself, and the pleasure is so overwhelming that you come easily, without a warning, and even he moans at the feel of your slick on his cock.

“Can you go another round?” He asks, heaving and kissing your forehead, and you know he’s still got more left in him. 

You pant your yes, and immediately after, he removes himself from you and leads you to the bench in the shower, urging you to sit on his lap. You align your entrance with his dick, sinking down; feeling him in this angle is different but just as good, especially with his eyes following your every movement, with him sultrily biting his lips as he revels in the way you like when you’re positioned like this. 

He starts with his tongue doing wonders on your hardened buds, teasingly licking the tips to let you feel just enough of the sensation. 

His hands guide you up and down after, and everything is so euphoric that all you could do is hold onto his shoulders to keep you steady, even if the rest of your body is hurting so good with the pleasure and the physical effort it needs to feel all this.

“It’s okay, just relax,” he says, feeling your muscles tense now. “Let me do the work. I’ll take care of you, just hold on tightly.”

So you do, and he grips your thighs, secures his hold, and starts hammering into you from underneath. He pushes himself up and you clench around him so you could hear that sweet sound of his moans. You take control of the kiss this time, wanting him to reach his high, too, and it’s your tightening walls once he hits your end that does it for him. 

“Shit,” he heaves, slowing down now. “I could do this everyday. Screw work, let’s just fuck all the time.”

“Hmm, you’re funny,” you say, moaning as you continue to grind against him. Jin looking and sounding sinful has caused that coil in your belly once more.

You start feeling it again, and he stops your attempt at touching yourself so he could do it himself, liking your fucked out look as he pleasures you while he softens inside you, but he swears he’s starting to get hard again. You moan his name, feeling it build up once more, so he pulls you close and sucks that sensitive part near your ear while he continues pleasuring your clit, and add to his growls, you start to completely lose it, shaking on his lap now as your thighs start to tire. But the pain feels so good and that’s what sex is like with him - it’s absolutely heavenly. You come again, and you lean on his shoulder as you come down from the high.

“Did I make you pregnant?“ He asks once you’ve recovered, but you recognize the playful tone of his voice. 

“Oh, is that what you wanted?” You arch an eyebrow.

“I’m teasing. I know you’re not ovulating yet.”

“How’d you know?”

“You shared your tracking app with me, remember? But I know we still have to meet the doctor and all,” he says. “Gotta make sure everything is safe and ready for the little Kim that’s gonna grow inside this sexy belly of yours.”

“How is it that you make everything sound ridiculous,” you chuckle, accepting his help to get off his lap. 

“Seriously though, I can’t wait for us to become parents. Maybe I should plan a baby-making trip, too. What do you think? What’s the sexiest city in the world?”

“Oh goodness, I can’t believe I’m married to you sometimes.”

Jin thankfully behaves for the rest of the session. After your massage, you have your facial treatment, then you get your nails done, then your hair. You feel like a new person, but more importantly, you feel ready for tomorrow’s big day. 

Your friends and family say as much when you meet them for dinner, and later that night, as you fall asleep in the safety of your husband’s arms, he whispers just how much he loves you, and that he hopes he gets to say everything he wants to in front of all the people you love, so they could feel, too, all that he feels for you.

The perfect weather greets you the next day, as you and Jin enjoy your breakfast on your balcony. You plan to stay in in the morning before you get fixed up and head to the venue before your guests do. Something about doing things differently the second time around makes you want to surprise them, perhaps to show how you and Jin are together. They haven’t seen the venue nor your outfits, and you can’t wait to see them be surprised at how everything has been set up, including you.

Jin helps you zip up your dress and puts on your accessories. It’s not typical for both bride and groom to be dressing each other up but you think it’s part of the fun this time, including ogling each other as you both look at yourselves in the mirror.

You have on a simple strapped, sweetheart dress. It’s tea-length and flowy, and you twirl around to show your husband the freedom of movement you have, unlike your long-trained, lace gown from your first wedding. Jin, like you, is in a gold polo and white suit and trousers, and as you expected, he’s stunning with his side-swept hair and brown sunglasses. 

“Shall we, Mrs. Kim?” He turns to you.

“We shall, Mr. Kim.”

He takes your hand and you are driven to a nearby quaint town where the winery, which sits between picture-perfect mountains and streams, is located. The venue for the ceremony overlooks a stunning view, and you could already imagine enjoying a good meal as the sun sets. 

You stay in the holding room while your guests arrive, and not long after they’ve settled in do you and Jin walk down the aisle hand-in-hand, looking like the 100-100 good-looking power couple that you are. 

Everyone gushes, and true to form, Dara yells how, for the first time, she’s crushing on you more than she’s crushing on your husband, but that he’s “pretty close.” Geonhoo squeals your name and how pretty you are, while Ji-hoo screams how handsome her Uncle Jjan is. It’s such a chaotic yet intimate moment, and it’s really what you expected. You don’t expect Jin’s parents to look as emotional as they do, though; it’s the surprise you’re happiest about.

The event is more symbolic than anything, as the minister states. He shares a passage about love and friendship and family, and it’s the perfect lead up to your respective vows. 

“I’ll do the honors. May I?” Jin takes the mic, and you nod your approval.

He begins with thanking everyone present and why he was adamant on having this wedding here, and this soon, and with only the most important people in your lives present. 

“We’re making our promise to love each other to you, too,” he says, turning to them, “and we hope you promise to help us keep that promise to each other as well.”

Your friends and Taehyung, as expected, are the most vocal, and you glance at your parents and Jin’s, and there’s really nothing like their soft smiles and approving nods. 

Then, on a more serious note, Jin takes your hand and kisses it. 

“Hi again to my 100,” he cheekily smiles. “So we’re here in this gorgeous place, yet I still think you’re more beautiful than any view in this world.”

Everyone laughs as he immediately cringes, and you playfully smack his arm because that was “incredibly cheesy.” 

“I tried to practice it with a straight face but I laughed every time,” he explains. “But anyway, ___, we’re here, and I didn’t really think that in this lifetime, I’d be marrying the same woman twice. But if the first time was out of obligation, this time it’s out of choice. And it’s an unbelievable feeling to be doing this now, to be as in love as we are with each other, and to be excited for all that’s to come.”

You give him a smile. His voice sounds so sweet but you do spot a hint of nervousness in it, and it’s also quite adorable. 

“But as we and all those present know, it wasn’t always easy,” he huffs. “We held onto our own stars for years because they shone so brightly at one point, and we kept thinking that they will continue to, because for a long time, they were all we knew.”

The stars. Of course. You suppose that conversation with him at the Han River stuck with him like it did with you.

“But the universe finds ways to surprise us, I guess, because just as we were both learning to let go of those stars, we found each other and learned that, well, there’s something much better, brighter, closer, and that they’d been there the whole time; we just never really bothered to look. Or maybe you did, once, but you said I wasn’t your type so you didn’t really take a second glance, and imagine missing all this,” he adds, causing everyone to laugh again. But you nod vigorously because you insist that it’s true. 

“You took my hand and leaped with me, and we found ourselves in the most bizarre arrangement that, in hindsight, actually allowed us to be comfortable and real and vulnerable with each other. And that’s what did it for me - I’ve known one path my whole life and you… you keep me there, while also taking me to side streets and alleys, to paved and unpaved roads, to scenic routes and dark tunnels, all the while joining me in struggles and joy, laughing with me, joking with me, loving me. 

And like I said, it wasn’t easy; I almost lost you. More than once. But we chose to love even when we didn’t think we could again, even when it felt like the whole world was against us, even when it was the most difficult thing to do. I don’t think I could’ve done all that for just anyone, ___. It had to be you; it would only be you. Because you taught me that. That’s why I’ll be loving you for the rest of my life. I’ll be loving us and our future family for every day of my life.”

He ends with a wink, and the tears slide down your cheeks the same time that you laugh, because his ass just had to conclude it with a flirty yet silly gesture, but you also know it’s his trick to not cry. He seems to only prefer doing that with just you. 

You take his hand now and look him in the eyes; you know this unnerves him and he wiggles his eyebrows as his defense mechanism.

“Kim Seokjin,” you start. “You are probably one of the last people I ever thought I’d marry, let alone fall in love with, because you’re right, you’re not really my type.”

He scowls at you and you can’t help but laugh with everyone else. 

“You’re incredibly handsome, you’re brilliant and hardworking, you make me laugh, you cook me the best dishes after my mom, you listen to me, you take care of me, you protect me, keep me safe… you keep your promises, and you never leave my side. That’s why, because before you, I’d known no man who’d done all of that to me.”

His eyes soften, and he knows of all the pain that you had to bury, that you had to get past, just so you could open yourself again to someone else. 

“You showed me that we could be vulnerable and bare to another person while still being their strength. And like you, I think that’s what did it for me. We got to be ourselves while learning, laughing, eating, bickering, and holding each other when things were tough and scary and unfamiliar. And I know that every day we spend giving each other headaches and the best laughs and the warmest hugs, is a day I’ll want to have for the rest of my life - together, and hopefully with a little 100 in the future, too.”

He gives you a smile this time, and it melts your heart just how easy it is for both of you to get lost in each other like this. You could hear people sniffing and you already know it’s Jimin and Dara. 

The minister finally instructs you to seal the deal once again and Jin, being the dramatic man that he is, half-dips you into a deep and passionate kiss, the exact opposite of the very first one you shared. 

You pinch his ear because of that surprise and he yelps then laughs before finally hugging you. 

“I love you so much, ___. You make me so happy. My ear also hurts now.”

“You deserve that,” you hug him back. “But I love you, too.”

Your guests cheer and it’s a pretty long moment of hugging and greeting all of them while the servers prepare your early dinner. With amazing food that you and Jin chose, against the darkening sky over mountains and little villages - it’s all so perfect, even more when you and your husband finally have your slow dance that he insisted on, because he’d only ever do it in front of your families and friends. 🎵

“Do you remember our dance during our first wedding?” He asks, as you lean on his chest and listen to the beating of his heart in tune with the ballad playing.

“No. We didn’t have one.”

“Exactly. We said it would be weird.”

“It was awkward enough that we had to look in love; dancing would be over the top,” you chuckle. 

“I agree. All we did was laugh during our wedding because we were so amused at how we were able to make them believe that we were secretly dating,” he adds. 

You hum. “We could be actors, Jin. If this whole food thing doesn’t work out; we always have another option.”

“Nah, it only worked because I was comfortable. Like I said, that’s why,” he says, turning to you. “I didn’t feel like I had to impress you or anything, or act like some perfect, flawless being who was so sure of himself. I always felt like I could just be me when I’m with you.”

“Yup. When I tell my teammates you’re actually annoying and you have a weird laugh and you’re like a child sometimes, they don’t believe me.”

“Wow, way to maintain my image, ___,” he pinches your nose. 

“I’m showing them you’re human, okay?” You argue. 

You both go back and forth in bickering again, until your father asks for your hand, and Jin happily lets you go. 

“No more surprises this time?” Your father asks as he secures his hold on you. 

“Maybe the only surprise is that I’ve attracted a good man this time,” you joke. “And that I’ve learned to love one, too.”

“What’s important is that you didn’t give up on it. And I’m so happy that you didn’t,” he smiles, kissing your forehead. “And that he didn’t give up on you, too.”

There’s warmth in your heart at his statement, at the thought that even without talking much about your past, your father knows how hard it was, and just how much being with Jin now means to you. 

“Come to think of it, it’s like I took that bullet for you, too.”

He, as always, makes light of that incident, but he speaks the truth; it’s what got you here, after all.

You smile in agreement and look at Jin with his own moment with his mother, who cups his cheeks and looks at him like his eldest son again.

“I’ve missed you so much, you know that?” She says lovingly.

“Yeah? I almost thought you and Father were going to disown me,” Jin chuckles. 

“Never, my Son,” she pouts. “We may have overreacted a little bit, and we’re truly sorry; it was all so new, being disappointed in you. But you know us, we’d never be able to resist you. You’re our firstborn, Seokjin. We’ll always love you, and we’ll always want the best for you.”

“I love you, too,” he embraces her. “I guess I’ll learn more about this whole love thing when I become a father, huh?”

“You will. And guiding you in that role is something your Father is truly excited about. He talks about it a lot, he’s just a little shy to tell you directly.” 

Jin and his mother both laugh as they glance at the man in question, being forced by his grandchildren to dance to the song that’s playing. True to form, he can’t resist the little ones, too, so he takes their hands and twirls them around. 

Jin softens, thinking of his old man and his moments with your future kids, too. 

Then he finds you, laughing as you referee Jimin and Jungkook who are fighting over who gets to dance with you first. Jimin wins rock-paper-scissors, so you waltz with him first and trip on your second step. Next to you, Dara rejects Jungkook’s offer for a dance and asks you if she can dance with your husband instead.

“Sure, just don’t scare him,” you tease.

Dara scurries to Jin, who takes him from his sister, and she gasps as she takes her position.

“Holy shit, my best friend really hit the jackpot with you. And I can truly say that you, Mr. President, do not have any pores.” 

“I, uh, I’m human, Dara. I have those,” he laughs. “Is… that why you wanted to dance with me?”

“Partly. But also,” she glances around, “I just want to know if it’ll be weird if I ask your secretary out on a date. I have been waiting! I’m the one who always pursues my man and I wanted Yoongi to chase me this time but he’s sooooooo slow, I am losing patience! And I don’t know if it’s because he might think it’s weird so I want to know if it is because if it isn’t, then I’m now going to profess my love for him and—”

“Wait, I thought you just wanted to ask him out on a date…”

“Yeah, after I profess my love for him. I’ve made up my mind already, okay? I want him to know that I’m serious about him,” she pouts.

“Hey, of course it’s not weird. Yoongi just gets shy sometimes; he just needs a little nudge. So go there and tell him how you feel,” Jin says. “And do it now because he’s glaring at me and I’m afraid he’ll hate me forever.”

“Uh, okay! If this fails, I will take back what I said about my best friend hitting the jackpot with you.”

Dara leaves Jin hanging and walks to the bar where Yoongi is, and being free now, the little kids take their chance to dance with their other cool uncle.

On your end, you’re now dancing with your brother, and Hoseok’s smile is, and will always be, a ray of light to you. 

“You know, I told Miyeon everything that happened the past months, and she couldn’t help but cry,” he says. “She hates that she was too far away to comfort you, or to even know what was going on. She wishes she got to be with her big sister when things were hard.”

“Did you remind her that she was?” You smile. “During those dark days, she was always going to my dorm to make sure I was eating. You know I didn’t want her to worry about me this time; I didn’t want any of you to.”

“We can’t help it. We’ll always be protective of you, you know that.”

“I know,” you hum. “But you don’t have a reason to be anymore. Not as much, at least. Someone else is sharing that role with you. He’s a pretty cool guy, I’d say.”

“You really love each other,” Hoseok grins. “There’s that sparkle in your eyes I’ve never seen before. And that man bows down to you, ___. He literally worships the ground you walk on. It’s great to see.”

You nod in agreement and you both continue to talk about their Barcelona trip, until Dara’s voice echoes through the open space.

“He likes me, too,” she wails as she holds Yoongi’s hand while his other one covers his face in embarrassment. 

She pulls him closer to where you are, now joined by your husband in amusement. 

“I can’t wait for our fancy double dates!” Dara chirps.

“Hey, we’re part of that, too!” Jungkook chimes in.

“Couples only, Kook,” Dara shakes her head.

“Jimin and I can fake being a couple! We’ll just ask these two experts here and we’ll be fine!”

You smack Jungkook repeatedly and he yelps in fake pain because it’s him and he’s too built to feel that. 

“I’m kidding!” He laughs. “Even if it’s true.”

You scowl at him as you all fawn over the new couple, and you and Dara giggle as she tells you just how Yoongi shyly admitted that he’s liked her for a while but didn’t know if she was ready for a relationship. You take her up on the fancy double dates suggestion and tell her you’re glad that your own love story led her to the man of her dreams.

The party continues until later in the evening, and once the little ones have started to doze off, Taehyung suggests going to a club for the after-party.

“Tab’s on me,” he says. “No alcohol for me and my wife so we’ll be your babysitters. Let’s enjoy; the night is still young!”

Everyone cheers, and Jin’s parents offer to care for the kids so that Sejeong and Hyo-seop can join, too.

It’s a half-hour ride back to the city and you take the time to take a breather in the car, snuggling next to your husband who caresses and gazes at your ring-bearing hand.

“I never really took the time to appreciate this before,” he says. “I wish I got us new rings.”

“Well, it’s a good reminder of how we started,” you say, kissing his cheek. “We made something good out of it and now we’re here.”

He hums in agreement and kisses your forehead. Seeing you wiggle your feet, he asks for them as you say they’re starting to hurt. His adept hands massage them, and you moan internally at how he’s hitting the spots that hurt the most.

You make it to the club shortly after your friends do, and they’re already at the bar with Taehyung getting their orders, reiterating that he and Hyun-a will just enjoy the show tonight.

It’s a relatively chill place with good music and great booze. You already had some drinks during your reception but given your high tolerance for alcohol, you and Jin are still fine. 

Jungkook and Jimin are already partying it up with other tourists, dragging Miyeon and Hoseok with them; Sejeong and Hyo-seop are being all giggly college sweethearts in their own world; and Dara is already grinding on Yoongi who seems to be enjoying it all. You could swear the man is blushing, but he eventually takes control and just pulls her flushed against his chest, hugging her affectionately and now you swear that Dara is probably crying tears of joy. 

You’re seated on a stool, resting your feet a little bit and watching your group to make sure they’re still  alive, while Jin stays next to you, bopping his head to the beat. Neither of you do much of this back home unless Tae drags you, at which point you give in because your friends want to go, and you both end up babysitting everyone. But it’s your wedding night and there are other people who will be the responsible ones for the evening, so you nudge Jin and ask him if he wants to dance.

“Okay, but can we make out on the dance floor?”

You’d choke on your drink if you had one because he’s being so adorably sexy right now. “Is making out in public one of your fantasies, too?” You giggle.

“Sort of? I know it’s so tame but it’s not like we can do it back at home. This just seems like the place to do it. Am I too boring?” He pouts. 

“Love, of course not. I’m not that… spontaneous or exciting, either. But sure, let’s go for it.”

He helps you off the stool and you turn to your table where everyone has returned.

“Hey, so I'm gonna make out with my husband on the dance floor. Please don’t look, but also make sure that no one’s filming or something.”

They look at you puzzled before they start laughing.

“Do you want us to barricade you while facing the other way?” Jungkook jokes, and he yelps when you smack him again. 

“Go on, lovebirds. We’ll pretend we don’t see anything,” Jimin smirks.

So you and Jin head to an area a little farther from them, but it’s not a large space so you know they can still see you. You turn to Jin, whose hands are already on your waist, and you smile as you catch him admiring you. 

“You are so in love with me, there’s no denying it at all,” you tease. “I’m telling my team that you’re a closet hopeless romantic, Kim Seokjin.”

“Hey!”

“I’m kidding, I won’t,” you say, kissing his nose as you both sway to your own beat, which is slower than the music currently playing. “That’s a thing between us. I get to hold that secret of just how loving and affectionate you are, Mr. Kim.”

“That, I am. And only for you,” he replies, kissing you deeply. “It’s probably the San Sebastián air and the post-wedding bliss.” He kisses you again. “And the thought that when we get back home, we’ll start seeing the doctors and maybe have a little one on the way, too.”

He cradles your belly, and the thought of you being pregnant with his child, the child you'll both create out of love, makes his heart swell with joy. That’s another kind of love he can’t wait to feel for another person, something he only gets to feel because of you.

“Hmm, that sounds nice. I mean, babymaking always weirded me out but it’s so sexy when you talk about having babies with me,” you moan, diving into his mouth now with your tongue seeking entrance. 

He meets your hungry kiss, moaning as well. His hand tightens its hold on your waist while yours grips his collar. He tastes so sweet, so good, and you feel that dampness in your sex that makes you want to go back to the hotel now and have him under you. 

Jin pulls away and kisses your pouty lips. 

“My body’s reacting,” he says. 

“Hmm, same here,” you smile, melting into his hug and pecking his cheek. 

You both sway off beat again to the music, and not far away, you spot a foreign couple smirking at you, motioning for your husband and somehow you just know what they want.

“Jin, I think that couple wants a foursome,” you tell him, and he follows your gaze and sees the couple. “Is that a fantasy of yours, too?”

“Nope,” he answers right away. “I’m perfectly satisfied with just you. Plus, I can’t let anybody else fall in love with you. Why… do you want to try?” He asks nervously.

“Hmm, nope. You’re overwhelming enough for me,” you turn to him. “And I can’t have anybody falling in love with you, too.”

“Alright, good. Now that’s settled, should we call it a night?” 

“Sure,” you giggle. “Let’s ditch them.”

You both head to your table and announce that you’re leaving, with Dara, unsurprisingly, stating that “the newlyweds are gonna do their thing now.”

You roll your eyes and instruct all of them to message you or Jin once you’ve gone back to the hotel, if they even will. They wave their goodbyes and you leave. 

When you get to your suite, there’s less of the lust from earlier and more of the need to just be in each other’s arms, so you both decide to just enjoy a warm, relaxing bath and watch the sky slowly turn orange. It’s early in the morning and you hadn’t even realized you’ve been out the whole day, but oddly enough, you don’t feel as tired as you expected.

Sitting in the tub with your back against Jin’s chest, you take his arms and wrap it around you. 

“You feel like home, ___,” he mumbles. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you that.��

“Yeah, I’ve had your dick poking my back before but you never said that though,” you tease, and he tickles your sides before he tells you to take him seriously.

“I’m sorry,” you laugh. “You know we’re not always good with sweet stuff and we’ve reached our quota today since your vow melted my insides but I feel the same way with you,” you turn your head to face him. “You’re that large home with so much space because I feel free but you’re also quaint and cozy and you smell like my favorite home cooked meals and my favorite coffee. It’s the kind of place I want to grow old in.”

“I am, huh?“ he blushes. 

“You’re a lot of things, Kim Seokjin. Home is definitely one of them.”

The rest of your trip is as amazing as you expected. 

You sleep in the day after your wedding but spend the afternoon lounging at the beach and then the pool. 

Jin’s grandparents call and say that something will be waiting for both of you when you get back in Seoul, and there’s less of the guilty feeling this time. Because of the short notice trip, they couldn’t make it, as they’re currently in some pilgrimage. They did eventually get wind of the whole fiasco, but Taehyung and Sejeong were so good at making it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. You’re glad that whole thing is over, and while you and Jin gave up on ever truly getting justice on your and even Seri’s behalf, you at least know you’re stronger than anything that comes your way. 

You take a day trip after that, to the northern Basque Country and visit a few coastal towns. They’re all quaint but beautiful and less crowded, so full of history and lively sceneries that your parents appreciate greatly. It’s also everyone else’s last day, so Jin’s parents treat all of you to a lovely dinner overlooking the sea, and it’s one of those moments that make you feel so thankful that you get to live this life.

The days after they all leave, you and Jin take cooking classes and do food tours, then you visit Bilbao and go to the Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art.

“It’s a must-see,” Jin says on the day you visit. “It looks too stunning not to explore. Is that okay?”

Somehow his question means more but you don’t say much. You’ve come to know art because of Namjoon, but you appreciate it for its existence as art - it’s beautiful by nature, even if you don’t always understand it. 

You don’t think you’ve been to an art museum without Namjoon since, well, since he went away. It was that bitter and immature part of you that was jealous because he left you for it, and somehow being here reminds you of all those emotions that you kept in for years because they didn’t seem fair, nor rational; they just hurt. 

Jin lets you take the lead, and you really just go around and towards things that catch your eye. You soak in what you see, and if before you wanted so badly to understand them so you could see it in Namjoon’s eyes, now you’re just… seeing, and appreciating it for what you see. Perhaps that’s how it is when you’ve truly let go of something, you think. A part of them stays with you, but not big or deep enough to taint your vision.

“This was nice,” you say on the ride back to San Sebastián. “I appreciate you taking me there. Did anything catch your eye?”

You. Always you.

“The colored cherries,” he replies, cracking you up because it’s the same thing you thought.

“I believe they were tulips, Jin,” you say, taking his hand. “But they were pretty. There’s more of the pretty things I’m only really appreciating now.”

He hums and pulls you close. He knows nothing else needs to be said.

On your last day, you go crazy with shopping that you have to buy a separate luggage just for all the wine, cheese, cider, anchovies, and other local ingredients that you’re able to pack and bring home. Everyday since you’ve been here, you find a new restaurant or eatery to fall in love with and you wish you have more time to just soak up the city and enjoy the cuisine a little bit more, but you guess that’s what all the shopping was for - to bring San Sebastián home with you. 

Still, your time here feels enough. You were able to spend time with your friends and family, and be with your husband without the demands of work keeping you both busy - he made sure of that. You’re reminded of how much you love food, and that it’s a privilege that you’re able to share that love with the man you love.

And as you watch the pretty views of the Basque Country disappear as you ascend in the air, you think to yourself this time that you’ll always have Spain. All the memories and words and emotions shared will be kept with you as you continue to live this life with the person who makes you laugh and gush and happy the most, the one who lets you finally see things and their beauty for what they are. 

You pick up from where you left off when you get back to Seoul. Your officer-in-charge managed while you were away, and you’re glad you have less paperwork to deal with, given your jet lag that you’re somehow still suffering from despite being back a week. 

But it’s okay, you think, as Jin continues to spoil you by massaging your body and making you broth every night just because. He’s still quite the romantic, but less in words now since he’s back to bickering with you as his default, and you really won’t have it any other way. 

Still, you know something has changed. Other than the repaired relationship with his parents, there’s this joy in your husband’s eyes that shows itself as a glimmer, and it’s the kind that you know he can only pull out from himself. You’d know; it’s the same glimmer in yours. 

You didn’t think that marrying him again could give you closure - with your past self, with the stars you held onto, and even with the marriage you have with the same man. 

Perhaps there’s something different with starting again, and it’s not just the redesigned wedding rings that Jin’s grandparents arranged for you to have because “those second vows are the ones that matter, even if you’d both kept the promises you made the first time.” It’s knowing that this is your life now, the life “after” you married him, the life that’s made up of side streets and alleys, paved and unpaved roads, scenic routes and dark tunnels, and you’re here, navigating it all while holding his hand. 

You hold his hand, too, months later, on the day you see your stars on a bright Saturday morning.

You’d just capped off a tiring week of product evaluations and Jin has been taking day trips outside of Seoul and the country for meetings. 

There’s a newly opened cafe in the nearby neighborhood, which serves coffee from beans taken from different parts of the world. It’s got an artsy vibe to it, too, and you want to try out their pastries and see if it’s going on your long list of favorite places with your husband. 

Walking next to his side, you check out the menu some feet away from the counter, and your indecisive asses decide to order 2 sandwiches and 2 slices of cake. It’s in the middle of paying when you hear a familiar voice, prompting you to turn to the side.

He calls your name, and your smile is immediate.

“Joon.”

You walk towards him and his embrace is immediate, too, one that you instantly fall into. 

You haven’t seen him since that trip to France, and you’ve only spoken a few times since you canceled that Hong Kong trip to see him. You’d told him briefly about the scandal, the fallout with Jin’s family, and the second wedding you both had. Seeing him again after so long feels new, refreshing; somehow you think it’s meant to be, too.

Namjoon still has that pine scent you liked so much. He still has that deep, low sound of his voice that used to calm you down whenever you were missing him, and that almost child-like laughter that reminds you that he’s also still a kid at heart. There’s that smile that launched a thousand love letters from you, with the dip in his cheeks and the crinkle in his eyes that used to make your heart flutter.

Namjoon still feels and smells like comfort, just a different kind.

“Hey,” your husband approaches him. “I don’t think we’ve ever met. I’m Jin.”

Namjoon takes the hand that’s reached out for him, mirroring the smile of the man he’s heard so much about; the man he lost you to because he’d been too comfortable living in his own world to give it up for you. 

“And I’m Namjoon. It’s nice to finally meet you,” he says. “It’s nice to see you both here. I hope we don’t disappoint.”

“This is yours?!” You ask excitedly.

“Well, I’m looking after it for a friend while he’s on business trips and I’m staying in Incheon. This is a good space to work and it’s nice to see familiar faces,” he replies.

“So, you took the offer, I see?”

“Just recently. I took a job in Austria before this but something just pulled me back,” he says longingly. “I think I’ve been away from home too long. I’ve forgotten what it felt like.”

“Well, you were never meant for just one place, Joon. I think I realized that some time ago,” you reply. 

I realized it too late, you internally correct yourself. 

“Maybe, but it’s good to have a base. Even if I still have to travel every month, there’s at least somewhere that’s familiar.”

“That’s good,” you smile. “I’m glad it worked out for you.”

“And for both of you, too,” Namjoon hums, softly eyeing Jin’s hand that mindlessly envelopes yours. 

There’s something different. More than one thing, Namjoon thinks. It’s more than your smile and the glimmer in your eyes, and the cheeriness in your voice. It’s your stance, your aura; it’s your other hand and where it affectionately stays.

“Is it, uh, is it rude to ask?” He chuckles.

“Not if it’s you,” you giggle. “So yes, you may.”

“How far along are you?”

Perhaps it’s the different curve of your body; you remind yourself he knew you at one point, too. Maybe it’s also your outfit that doesn’t hide the bump; you and Jin are out for a walk, after all, as prescribed by your doctor. But somehow you also think it’s your smile, or that glow, or for a man who, at one point, knew everything about you, it’s just natural that he’d know. 

“Four months,” you smile. “We’re really excited about it.”

“That’s wonderful,” he chirps. “Congratulations to both of you. I’m sure that baby is going to feel so loved growing up.”

“Yeah. They're obviously going to be well-fed. And spoiled. They have a bunch of chaotic aunts and uncles who can’t wait to meet them,” Jin laughs. 

He turns to look at you and that smile you have on as you look at him, and somehow, he knows this meeting was meant to happen, too.

“But, uh, I think our child would do well to grow up learning about art, don’t you think?” Jin smiles shyly at Namjoon. “Would you know anyone who’d like that role?”

“Ah, I may know someone,” Namjoon grins. “And he’d really, really like that.”

You look at both men - one whom you loved for years, and another whom you’ll love for all the years ahead. This child is the luckiest to have Jin as their father, and having Namjoon in their life is something you didn’t think would make you this emotional, this thankful. 

You grip your husband’s hand - in thanks, more than anything. Namjoon made sure you didn't break beyond repair; he made sure you felt enough love that you’d still believe in it despite everything, even if it wasn’t enough for him. And that’s why he’ll always mean this much to you - you can’t forget the love that kept you whole; you can’t forget the love that made you hope. 

“Our child would really, really like that, too, Joon.”

The barista calls Jin’s name and gives him the tray. You both look around and see the full-house cafe, so Namjoon offers his table. He’s got to check inventory, after all, so he steps aside and lets you and Jin sit next to each other on the wooden bench against the wall.

“Duty calls,” he says, then heads to the counter to pick up the phone. 

“Thank you,” you tell your husband, and you know he just knows all the reasons why you’re saying this. 

“He’s always meant a lot to you,” Jin responds. “I get to love you because he loved you; you get to love me because you let him.”

You hum, basking in his sweet words that still surprise you to this day. You look up and catch Namjoon’s eyes - deep and dark and beautiful, and they glimmer back at you with that speck of acceptance, of clarity, of care. Of love that may have changed in nature, but hasn’t diminished one bit. 

He’s still the stars in the sky, but he isn’t something you look at unknowingly as a thing of the past. He’s here to still shine brightly above you, maybe to guide you, but more than anything, he’s a beauty to still admire. You just know there are more years for this star; it won’t be extinguished any time soon.

The rest of your night sky, your moon, your sun, your trees and flowers and everything else - he’s right next to you, and you’ve both created something so wonderful with the love you both choose everyday. 

Through side streets and alleys, paved and unpaved roads, scenic routes and dark tunnels, you will both love this little 100 with your whole, twinkling hearts.

Series Masterlist

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[purpleajisai]

"Promise"

Chapter 2: Hatachi

> Chapter 1

Madara Monday!

Notes: This chapter is centred in the brotherhood dynamic of Madara (20 years old) and Izuna (17 years old). You may notice several references to being 20 years old (hatachi / 二十歳), which had been considered the age of maturity for centuries, both culturally and legally in Japan. Here you have two links on the subject if you’re interested: link 1 link 2

Hatachi

A cold breeze entered from the half-shut windows of a simple room, furnished by a desk and many shelves stacked to the top with documents. Two men were working together, opening the fancy seals of delicately crafted scrolls. Madara, who had just become an adult according to his clan’s custom, was scowling at the workload. Even more than usual. His eye bags were nearly the colour of his navy blue robe as it was clear he hadn’t been sleeping well for several days. As the sound of another seal being opened by his brother snapped him out of his choleric state of mind, he turned his head and read the message.

“If I get another damn marriage arrangement proposal from that daimyo once again, I will burn his lands to a crisp!”, he exclaimed as soon as he saw the title of the message. This particular daimyo had already sent him five requests. One for each daughter he had, trying to blindly guess what sort of woman Madara would like.

“Well, this guy is determined to get one of his daughters into this clan one way or another. Goodness, let’s hope I don’t have to deal with him once I’m 20!”, Izuna replied. The younger Uchiha shook his head and handed his brother a blank scroll for him to write a rejection letter once again.

“I will be blatant with him this time. I’ll make it clear that if I get another proposal from him, we will never provide services to his lands ever again.”

Madara submerged his brush on the suzuri, letting the black ink be soaked into the bristles and then he started writing with a frown. Izuna peeked at the contents of the reply and was quick to interrupt, slamming his palm onto the table.

“No, elder brother! Not like that! You can’t be so rude, he pays well for our services! Just say something like… um, you’re not looking for a wife? That you don’t want to rush it?”

“I’m done with this crap. You write the rejection letter and I’ll drink some of the tea before it gets cold.”

Izuna simply rolled his eyes and smiled a little. He knew that his brother was stressed and that it was best to let him relax before he got back to the many duties of a clan leader. After redacting a polite rejection letter explaining that Madara had too much on his plate to go and tie the knot, Izuna closed the scroll and closed it with a ribbon. Madara was finishing his mug of tea while gazing into the horizon through the window, so Izuna decided to snap him off of his trance by patting his shoulder.

“You should cheer up a bit, elder brother. Take the constant requests from many daimyo as a flattery or something. You think any sane, rich man would want his daughter to marry a bad catch? We’re a powerful clan, we have lands and prestige! I would safely bet a nice barrel of umeshu that the daimyo were counting the days until you turned 20 to start sending these.” 

Madara, now more present in the moment, put down his mug and sighed as soon as he glanced at the mountain of similar messages on the desk. Sure, he had a big ego but this wasn’t the way in which he wanted to be appreciated. He lowered his head and ran a hand through his pitch black hair before speaking in a rather quiet voice.

“If Father was here, I wouldn’t have to deal with all of this nonsense. Instead of writing the same rejection letter over and over again, I could actually have time to find a partner for life and read my books. I don’t think I’m doing a good job at this clan leader thing, Izuna.”

“Oh come on, you’re doing amazing! You’ve been the youngest leader this clan has ever seen and we’re seeing an improvement in many areas. When was the last time we had more than ten  trained doctors, hm? Or the last time we got over 30 customers?”, the younger man replied with a comforting voice to cheer the worn down leader while quickly skimming through another message. The mention of their father was a sensitive topic, as both men missed him dearly. 

“Being the youngest clan leader ever comes with a downside. I don’t remember the end of my teens and the start of my adulthood. It suddenly came to an end as soon as I swore in that ceremony and renounced part of my independence. Would Father be proud of the way I’m handling things? Maybe I’m too immature and selfish for this.”

“Of course he would be proud. Don’t you remember what he used to say every single time he took us to battle with him?”

“You’d have to narrow it down. He was always saying that you tied your sash the wrong way, hah!”, he joked. Izuna grinned slightly as his attempt to lighten the mood was working. Then, the younger brother cleared his throat and made his best imitation of their late father’s voice.

“This clan crest entails the great honour of a caste of mighty warriors. It is a symbol of strength and duty”. Madara laughed as Izuna made a small parody of their father. When they were boys, they’d dislike having their father constantly saying such things. But now it was a fond memory.

Madara didn’t reply to that, he simply pondered silently about what it meant to be… himself. The prodigy, the wielder of a mangekyou sharingan, the clan leader, the son, the older brother. That was until he spotted something from the corner of his peripheral vision just seconds later. What caught his eye was the sight of his beloved younger brother piling up all of the leftover messages from daimyo who were in a haste to get their daughters married. 

“Hey, what are you doing? Leaving those for later?”

“Um, technically I am. Or I am not.”

Izuna then held all the scrolls in both hands and channelled his chakra through his fingers, causing the paper to burst into flames and burn down into mere seconds. Madara was impressed, that was a dangerous move! 

“No! We have to reply or we could lose the good relationships with those lands! You were the one suggesting that we reply politely!”, he cried out, using his hands and another piece of paper to try and make the fire die down.

“We can’t keep wasting time! These people know that you’re not interested and yet keep sending requests! I am indeed an advocate for harmonious diplomacy but this is getting repetitive and useless! I’ve read through them all and it’s the exact same daimyo as always!”

Izuna exclaimed with a hint of anger while throwing the remains of the burnt paper to a bucket that served as a trash can and shaking the ash off his fingers. While Izuna was the one who always helped Madara avoid unnecessary problems caused by the shinobi’s sharp tongue and disdain for weaker ninja, he drew the line at wasting his time with menial tasks. That was the only case in which Izuna would allow himself to have a more aggressive approach.

Madara simply sighed and looked at the pile of ash in the trash can. That must have been at least 50 scrolls, all of which were marriage arrangement proposals. He couldn’t understand why so many adult men, most of which were well educated, would be so eager to have their daughters marry a complete stranger only because of his power and status. It made the idea of marriage become shallow, as if it were only a tool. There were a series of important doubts clouding his mind: would he ever find someone that saw beyond the outside? Someone who saw his heart below the many layers of duty? What people would call a “soulmate”?

After two long hours of working side by side, the brothers called it a day and began to classify the scrolls into the many shelves of the room. One shelf contained the scrolls to be sent with a messenger hawk in the morning, another one served as an archive for the clan’s accounting, a third one was a record of the daimyo who had requested their service as mercenaries and so on. Madara arched his eyebrows at the many service requests that Izuna had handled, then looking at the much smaller amount of accounting and negotiating he had done that was now piled in the shelves.

“You’re quite the productive man, eh?”

“Oh please elder brother, taking care of the requests is simply saying yes or no. You have to do maths, economics and those things. You’re the clan leader, you deal with the main stuff.”

“I wouldn’t have the time to do this if you didn’t help me with those boring service requests. Don’t put yourself down, Izuna.”

“Hm. May I ask something, elder brother?”

“Shoot.”

“Was any of those proposals from… Fuyumi~?”, he said in a mocking tone to his brother. Izuna knew that Madara was slowly catching feelings for that young woman. And in fact, he would be glad if the two ended up together. They were a good duo in the battlefield and knew each other even before they learned how to speak. But Izuna was still in his late teens, so he would never treat the subject seriously at this point. What kind of younger brother misses the chance to annoy his older brother?

Madara had somehow sensed that Izuna would find a way to involve his crush on Fuyumi. So instead of saying a comeback, he jokingly slapped his brother’s nape and laughed.

“Shut up, you little rascal! Finish that so we can go greet Father!”

“Haha! Fine, fine, I’m almost done. But you can’t deny that you wish one of those proposals was from Fuyumi~”

“Hmph! I said shut up!”

Izuna continued to make jabs at his brother until they finally finished stacking the scrolls in their respective places. When the two men in charge of running the Uchiha clan stepped out of the office towards the little graveyard beside the house, the position of the moon indicated it was midnight. Both of them sat down before a long tombstone and placed incense in front of it, perhaps even praying for the soul whose name was engraved in the rock. Izuna broke the silence and nudged Madara with his elbow.

“Elder brother…”

“What is it?”

“Don’t put yourself down. I’m proud of you. And I’m sure Father’s proud of you, wherever he may be now.”

Madara smiled softly at his brother and put an arm over his shoulder. Izuna had been much too young when they lost their father, so the least an older brother could do was comfort a hurt and grieving young man. A single tear rolled down the clan leader’s cheek as many thoughts filled his mind. He remembered his father, all of his advice and what he should do once he grew up. One particular piece of advice resonated within his memories.

“Find yourself a good woman just like I found your mother. Someone whom you will love, protect and cherish. And help your brother find one as well when the time comes, after you both turn 20. You two are meant to stick together and watch each other’s backs.”

Being 20 years old and a clan leader surely did entail a lot of responsibilities, but at least his little brother was proud of him.

[nutzgunray-lvt]

Best Jeanist Headcanon (Part 1)

In response to my post about Quirk marriages and how underutilized the idea was in the story, @doodlegirl1998 brought up a personal headcanon of theirs that Best Jeanist is the product of such a union. I wound up loving it so much that I decided to conduct my own elaboration on this theory.

Given from what we've seen so far (the ONLY time we've seen this 🙄), Quirk marriages seemed to be prevalent in wealthy families that had possession of powerful Quirks. Quirk marriages came into being during the 2nd-3rd generation of Quirks, back when the world was still reeling from societal collapse/AFO's reign of terror. Maybe they came into place to have their child be the one to rebuild Japan, bring Japan under their control, or just to make sure their Quirk lived on through the collapse. My point is, I don't think it's a coincidence that Quirk marriages came into place not long after the Dawn of Quirks.

Now, back to Best Jeanist, I'd even go as far as saying that Best Jeanist is a second-generation Quirk marriage child (admittedly because it's a cool idea). One of his grandparents saw the potential in either their Fiber Master Quirk or their Quirk that would one day form the Fiber Master Quirk (a fabric related Quirk), and arranged their own marriage to someone with a similar Quirk. This grandparent had managed to secure their wealth in Okayama during and after the collapse, or they were middle-upper class social climbers.

Either way, this would result in the conception of Best Jeanist's father (to respect @doodlegirl1998's theory).

Given how there's no official timeline set in stone, we're not told when exactly heroics schools were founded and became held to the high standard that they are today. But given how Quirk marriages appear to be exclusive to heroes (again, we're never told otherwise 🙃), I'd say that Best Jeanist's paternal grandparent was perhaps a vigilante who saw potential in their Quirk, and upon seeing how their son inherited the fabric controlling Quirk, they had him train to be a future hero - whether this made him among the first students at UA or Shiketsu, or he had him undergo brutal training at their hands.

Given how I brought up the family's possible wealth, I'd also headcanon Best Jeanist having at least one or two siblings - one being Quirkless and the other having a lessar form of Fiber Master. With this being back when Quirklessness was much more common of a thing, I'd make Best Jeanist's grandparent force their Quirkless child to succeed them in managing the family wealth (essentially a public face for the family) and also force their other Quirked child to become a hero. As the two grew up, Best Jeanist's future father accepted the role pushed onto him while their sibling didn't, leading to estrangement between the two.

With his father being an adult, he was arranged to marry a wealthy woman with a telekinetic mastery over carbon fibers. This would result in the conception of Best Jeanist, who happened to have the Fiber Master Quirk.

Given both his family's weath and the type of family he was born into, Jeanist's life was not up to him to decide. As soon as his Quirk awakened, he was immediately put under the tutelage of both his father and grandparent to hone his Quirk. They'd also only let him socialize with those deemed "acceptable" enough in order to both widen and secure their network of high ranked society people. In reality, he'd wanted to potentially use his Quirk to operate his own fashion line. It wouldn't be the first time someone did that, but it was still uncommon enough for it to potentially get his name out in the open. Also, it was just a cool idea that was perfect, given the Quirk he had. While they would be blatantly unrelenting that he one day become a hero, his mother would be a different kind of manipulator. She would guilt trip him into conforming to this training with the classic, "other children aren't lucky to have such an involved family as you!" and "how could we not nurture such amazing potential? You'd be a third generation hero that's keeping up the family tradition!"

I'm assuming that at this point and time, UA was becoming an incredibly reputable school, so I'd also think that they'd have him undergo numerous tutoring sessions to one day take and pass the written exam. They'd hire Quirk counselors to iron out the kinks of Fiber Master, give him mock interviews (of course he was getting in as a recommendation student!), and make him undergo mock run after mock run of the practical exam.

Eventually, it all paid off in the eyes of his family. Best Jeanist not only secured an invitation to take the recommendation students' exam, but he scored second overall, guaranteeing his spot at UA.

[lovedrunkheadcanons]

Chapter Contents

(Arranged Marriage Fic) Read on AO3

Rated M

Satoru was the one who suggested they attend a baseball game together. “Things have gotten pretty shitty around here,” were his exact words. “And I want a reason to make Utahime jealous.” Hannah was in no position to refuse. It was indeed a dark time for Japan. The theater had left a terrible gloom over the country. Sixteen days since the “terrorist bombing” and the public still did not know the truth behind the attack, believing Aum Shinrikyo responsible. Unreal, they thought. The mysterious disappearances of children, gas leaks blowing up schools, and now this? A terrorist attack leaving more than 600 dead. Holy crap, what was this world coming to?

So then. How did Tokyo remedy this depressing gloom, you might ask? Well, they sat down to enjoy a baseball game. That’s what. Yeah, show those terrorist devils that their doomsday plan was a failure. That they couldn’t upend this country’s way of life no matter how hard they tried. Sports offered a way back to normalcy, to heal. And what better way to heal other than baseball?

No, that was not hyperbole.

Other than the matsuri festivals celebrated at the end of the year, seldom was it socially acceptable for people to let their hair down and unwind from the eighty hour workweek and strict school system. So for many Japanese diehards, baseball was its own religion, its own art form, a means of escape where the impossible became possible and dreams of the most remarkable kind came true. Hard work. Perseverance. Athletic excellence. The team sport affectionately dubbed “America’s national pastime” could just as easily be “Japan’s national pastime.” There was no modern sport Japan loved and revered more than baseball. They practically lived and breathed it. Even football, the most popular sport on earth, couldn’t vie for Japan’s heart. This was bēsubōru country, baby, take your checkered soccer balls and kick them somewhere else.

Satoru had opted they go to a day game. The Yomiuri Giants were playing against the Hanshin Tigers, their arch rivals, and as expected the Dome was seated to the brim. Shaped like a humongous egg, Tokyo Dome could house well over 45,000, but the attendance that afternoon felt innumerous, as if the entire city, baseball and non-baseball fans alike, had taken off work to witness the spectacle.

Rival fans uniformed in either Yomiuri orange or Hanshin black and yellow waited behind concession stands, peddling headbands (hachimaki), baseball caps, colorful frying pans, drumsticks, and various other noisemakers. Cheerleaders and mascots danced their routines, waving to the crowd from the field as young “beer girls” in highlighter-yellow uniforms walked up and down the stadium aisles, carrying pony kegs on their backs to serve cold beer to the masses.

Hannah noticed then that she wasn’t wearing Tigers or Giants gear like the rest. Instead, Satoru had lent her one of his jerseys. Emblazoned in all caps on the front was the bold word “SEATTLE” with the eye of a compass centered in front of the “S,” which felt odd because Seattle was an American city. Was there a Japanese Seattle she didn’t know about? The player on the back read “ICHIRO 51,” and the fit was five sizes too big. She had to button it up to keep it from sliding off her shoulders.

Looking out at the field, Satoru had bought them good seats; not too high up, but not too close so Hannah could capture everything. They were sitting on the Tigers’ side. She took a bite out of her enormous hotdog that could easily feed two people and glanced at her husband sitting adjacent, sipping his soda through a straw, dark glasses hiding his eyes as he observed the buzzing atmosphere below. He had his baseball cap on backwards, monickering the Japanese flag.

Evidently, they were both pacifists at this game. Like her, Satoru had chosen not to wear Giants or Tigers gear, nor a Seattle jersey. Rather, his uniform showed two red birds perched on a baseball bat. “St. Louis Cardinals” stitched in retro cursive on the front with a patch on the sleeve cap stamped “2006 World Series Champions.” Her eyes landed on the name lettered on the back in cardinalate red. “TAGUCHI 99.”

“I watched Taguchi Sō play during the 2006 World Series as a teen,” Satoru said, catching her snooping as he slurped his soda. “Not many Japanese players make it to the MLB. Much less, the World Series. But the man did it twice. He’s the first Japanese to have won two World Series rings during his time in the States. An absolute legend.”

Hannah swallowed her mouthful of hotdog, listening intently. “Does that make him your favorite player?”

Satoru grinned and shook his head. “Nah, I don’t have a favorite player,” he chuckled. “Keeps things interesting that way.”

The game was already in full swing by that point and had transitioned to the top of the third. The two teams remained scoreless. Hannah watched as the Giants pitcher stood on the mound, got in his stance, and fully rotate his arm in spectacular motion to deliver his throw, a nasty two-seam fastball clocked at 92 mph, but the Tigers hitter standing in the “batter’s box” had a good eye and swung his wooden bat — CRACK!! — thus making solid contact. And like a shooting star the baseball ricocheted off the slender wooden stick and took flight, soaring higher and higher, beyond the left outfielder’s bandwidth. Now positively electric, half the stadium rose from their seats, thinking it would stay fair, but alas. The buffering wind veered the baseball away from the foul pole and sent it plummeting to the stands. A very distinct groan could be heard throughout the stadium as the Tigers hitter jogged from first base back to home, shaking his head in frustration. It’s not a home run, but a foul ball.

Hannah blinked, not having a clue what just happened and swallowed another biteful of hotdog.

“Honestly, I thought it would be more like cricket.”

Drinking his soda, Satoru froze mid-slurp to give her a blank stare. “You do realize you’ve just insulted both cricket and baseball fans with that sentence, right?”

Ah yes, that was another fundamental Hannah quickly learned. Baseball was not cricket, and cricket was not baseball. They were totally different sports and no fan dared commit sacrilege by conflating the two. However they were both admittedly complex, yet Satoru had done a good job giving her play-by-play as the game went on, making sure he covered all the basics. If she understood him correctly, the rules of baseball were as follows:

Baseball is a game played between two teams, whose goal it is to score more “runs” (points) than the other. After nine “innings” where each team has gotten nine chances to score runs, the team with the most points wins. If the score is tied, the game goes into extra innings. Now, in order to score a run, an offensive player must put the baseball in play by hitting it with a wooden bat; either with a full body swing, or holding the bat horizontally over “home plate” to tap the baseball gently which is called a bunt. If the hitter is successful and manages to hit the baseball and it stays fair, then he must run around and step on the three “bases” (cushions/also called the “bags”) that are evenly spaced like a diamond as fast as he can before running across home to score one run. If the hitter misses the oncoming “pitch” (throw), or he does not swing and the baseball is caught within the “strike zone” then it is labeled a strike against him. Alternatively, if he does not swing and the baseball is caught outside the strike zone, then it is labeled a ball. If a hitter gets three strikes, he is out. But if the hitter gets four balls before he gets three strikes, he is automatically awarded first base. If the batter hits the baseball, but it is caught midair by an opposing player on the field, then the batter is also out. Additionally, if the hitter is running around the bases and an opposing player “tags” him with the baseball in his glove (there are nine opposing players on a field), or steps on the base with the baseball in his glove…

You get the point.

As one might imagine, baseball could be very confusing. There were a lot of rules involved. That’s why it was advised to watch the sport in person. And while she was intimidated by it then, Hannah would eventually fall head over heels in love with baseball that season. In fact, nine times out of ten, the Gojo’s future date nights would be spent eating fried foods at baseball games and cheering on Hannah’s beloved Seibu Lions down at Belluna Stadium. And for their third wedding anniversary Satoru would fly them out to Los Angeles to watch Team Japan take on Team USA in the 2017 Baseball World Classic semifinals. Japan would not advance, sadly, nor retake the championship title for another six years, but Hannah would be cheering passionately throughout the entire game, start to finish; Scoffing when the umpires made the wrong call and leaping for joy when Kikuchi Ryosuke homered in the bottom of the sixth. But as of now, Hannah was a beginner, trying to learn the nuances between a “splitter” and a “cutter.” So far, the pitches looked identical.

For the rest of the game the foreign wife continued observing and listening. She had memorized the chants the fans were clapping to and liked the taiko drums and brass trumpets blaring from somewhere out in the stands. However, she still struggled to know when the baseball was fair and when it was foul. Satoru would lean along his armrest to explain. She could tell he was enjoying himself. His breath tickled her skin.

“See the white lines on either side of the baseball diamond, leading up to the foul poles?” Hannah saw the chalked white lines he was referring to and nodded. “The baseball is fair if it stays within those two lines. Anywhere else, it’s foul.”

“Except when it passes over third or first base?”

“Alright, now you’re getting it,” he nudged her affectionately with his elbow, “You’re catchin’ on quick, Princess. Soon you’ll be calling balls and strikes.”

Hannah smiled proudly at his praise and broke into jubilant applause as the Tigers hitter from earlier successfully hit the oncoming pitch yet again. This time the baseball was a line drive out to right field, staying fair. Her eyes followed the Tigers player as he raced around the diamond, stopping at third base before the Giants' baseman could tag him out. He’s safe, it’s a triple. The crowd yelled and cheered. Then the second hitter in the Tigers’ lineup stepped inside the batter’s box, looking to bring his teammate home from third. Their momentum would carry on for the remainder of the game.

By the end of nine innings, the Hanshin Tigers would defeat the fan favorite Yomiuri Giants: 6 - 2

After their baseball extravaganza, there was still quite a bit of daylight left and most venues were open. Satoru and Hannah decided to explore the area, and of course this meant visiting a garden. Koishikawa Kōraku-en (Garden for Taking Pleasure Later) was conveniently situated right next to the Dome. It would’ve been a cryin’ shame not to go.

Hannah was practically bouncing with excitement. Kōraku-en was one of the three most treasured gardens of Japan. What made it unique to the other two, however, was the blended harmony of Japanese and Chinese elements, which was inspired by a famous poem where the emperor could only rest easy once his people were taken care of; hence the garden for “taking pleasure later.” In the early weeks of spring it was a popular destination to photograph the pink sakura blossoms, and then the vibrant red maple and golden ginkgo leaves come autumn. Like the Gojo’s garden back home, Kōraku-en was centered around a resplendent lake with ducks and koi fish. Satoru and Hannah walked along the large moss-covered rocks and stepping stones, listening to the gentle waterfalls scattered here and there. The fiery azaleas bushes and hanging wisteria were still in bloom. With no June rain to sabotage the mood, walking the pathways made for a lovely summer stroll, and since it was a weekday, the crowds weren’t as heavy. They could hear the birds chirping way up in the trees, blocking out the car horns and sirens of Tokyo. The city felt as though it were miles away.

An hour later, Satoru and Hannah left the garden and stopped near a fancy looking vending machine to grab a quick treat, which was yet another quirk about Japan: The various kinds of vending machines. Want a healthy banana to snack on? There’s a vending machine for that. Need an umbrella on a rainy day? There’s a vending machine for that. Forgot to bring tampons with you to work? Yup, there’s a vending machine for that too. The Japanese were nothing if not resourceful.

Satoru’s vending unit of choice was the much beloved Okashi Gaku’s “Cake in a Can.”

The plastic canisters were see-through, but Hannah couldn't make up her mind on what flavor she wanted, so she allowed her husband to pick for her. She watched him swiftly dial the keypad, numbers 1 and 4, and pay for the cakes with his IC card he used for boarding the metro. Like a soda dispenser, two cans dropped to the bottom. Her husband bent down to retrieve them and handed her the pink one. “Almond Cherry Blossom” it read, while Satoru selected “Chocolate Sponge with Strawberries” for himself.

“Cheers,” he sang, holding up his plastic can. Hannah let out a small giggle and clanged her cake can to his.

“Cheers,” she responded back, and not forgetting her manners added a small, “Itadakimasu.”

They peeled back the aluminum lids simultaneously. Satoru didn’t waste time unwrapping his plastic spoon and dug in, but Hannah paused for a moment to examine the novelty confection. She gently poked the strawberry chips at the top and spooned out a dollop of white cream. She then brought it to her lips, taking her first bite.

“So?” she heard Satoru say. He had already finished half his can. “What do you think?”

Hannah chewed the melted strawberry chips. The first layer of cream was actually mochi mixed with red bean paste, giving it a truly Japanese flavor and on the sides were jellied sakura blossoms made of kanten. The almond cake wasn’t too sweet, nor too rich either. Just how she liked it. Delicious! Hannah gave a hum of approval, which enticed Satoru to coast over her.

“Here, I wanna taste.”

And that’s when things took a dramatic turn.

Every ligament in Hannah’s body came to a screeching halt as her husband leaned over and took a huge, relishing bite of the pre-scooped cake on her spoon. The very same spoon she had also used. He closed his mouth and withdrew the plastic between his lips slowly. Too slowly. Her heart seemed to skitter. No hesitation, he had eaten off her spoon. Gojo Satoru had just eaten off her spoon. Her. Plastic. Spoon. Did that imply, oh God, have they quite possibly shared…

…an indirect kiss?

“Meh, it’s alright I guess,” Satoru said, licking the cream off his lips, as though everything was normal. “Could use more mochi.”

She couldn’t believe it. The Japanese were known for being absurdly polite. They were soft spoken. Reserved. Perhaps a bit shy like herself and conscientious of how their peers perceived them when not inebriated or cheering at a baseball game. Individuality was often frowned upon. They even had a saying for it: The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. But Satoru? Satoru was a huge stubborn nail that refused to yield. He carried none of those polite mannerisms, tending to voice the quiet parts out loud. If he didn’t like you, he said so. If you were looking for his honest opinion, he gave it to you. Brash. Chatty. Arrogant. He was also teasingly sarcastic and coquettish, making it hard for Hannah to know when he was flirting and when he was being his generic obtuse self. Wait, is that what was happening? she thought. Was he flirting with her?

She couldn't help but notice how people, especially women, young and old, blushed when they passed them by on the street, whispering to their friends and giggling. Hannah knew what had them talking. How did a foreigner like her end up with a guy like that? Yes, even with the dark frames covering his eyes, Satoru was strikingly handsome in every breadth of the word. Snow white hair, turquoise blue eyes, and sculpted tall body, he was a magnet for attention.

Earlier when they were leaving the stadium, Hannah watched him stretch out, and as he raised his arms, his baseball jersey rolled up and her eyes focused on the deep grooves chiseled along his hip bones, the muscled abdominals, a happy trail of white hair lining down his naval, before he lowered his arms and the jersey fell back into place. Good lord. Her heart ratcheted in her ears and there was no avoiding the tingling sensation that ran along her scalp, down her neck, and around to the front. A strange warmth she couldn’t adequately describe pooled between her thighs, thrumming. She clenched her legs together and tried suppressing the horrendous flush from creeping up her cheeks, praying he didn’t notice. Merely thinking about it had her blushing again.

Much about their argument whilst inside the Domain had gone unsaid. Her virginity rang out like a distress signal. It still had her reeling, knowing he knew what she looked like without her clothes on. But if he had done it more than once, it meant he liked what he saw, no? Isn’t that what she wanted? They were bound to talk about it sooner or later. You're not a little girl anymore, Hannah. You’re married. Yet the bride felt there had been a glitch. Like some sort of hidden communication was going on between them that her grasp of the Japanese language, or any language, couldn’t translate.

“Yum, that really hit the spot,” Satoru said, eating the last of his chocolate strawberry cake. “Want me to finish yours?”

Hannah, suddenly not making eye contact, shoved the sakura cake can in his lap. He swiped it gleefully, but noted her odd behavior.

“You okay, Princess? Is something the matter?”

“N-No, nothing is the matter.”

“You sure? Your face is all splotchy. Could you be having an allergic reaction?”

“I promise you, I’m fine.”

Unconvinced, Satoru grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, her cheeks like cherry tomatoes. Hannah forced herself not to squirm as he brought the back of his hand up to her forehead.

“Hmm. It doesn’t feel like you have a fever,” he said, moving his back hand from her forehead down to her burning cheek. “Maybe you need to drink more fluids.”

More fluids. Right. Not the hormonal fluids swimming through her bloodstream. Nope. Definitely not those.

Hannah coughed and turned aside, encouraging him to let go, and quickly got to her feet, relieving the queasiness building in her stomach. “Really, I’m fine,” she wiped the sweat off her palms, “So, where to next?”

Satoru threw their empty cake cans away in the nearest recycling bin. He checked the time on his phone, 4:47 PM, nodded, and started walking towards an unknown destination. Hannah followed his lead and after a few short blocks realized he was guiding her towards the gate entrance of an amusement park. But right as they crossed the gates he turned himself around, slipped her a devilish wink that said “I’m up to no good,” and suavely, effortlessly, wove his calloused fingers with hers and clasped them together.

He brought her inside the park, holding her hand.

It was easy for the average person to forget how big Tokyo was. How big exactly? Well, big enough to fit a grand total of 23 amusement parks. That’s how big.

Satoru waited with Hannah as they stood in line for the Ferris wheel. Phase 1 and 2 of Operation: “Make Sure Wife Had Fun" had been a smashing success. He had taken the day off for it: No missions. No annoying higher-ups to play stupid politics with. No official documents to fill out. He had enjoyed a long overdue break. Finally! Now on to Phase 3.

They hadn’t changed out of their baseball attire. Hannah rarely wore her hair down, but today it was half-tied in a lavender ribbon. He had been enamored all day watching the glossy auburn locks swish around her waistline, brown, gold, and red. His Suzuki Ichiro jersey was way too large for her, but something inside him liked that. Looked a million times better on her than it ever did on him. Best of all, Hannah had smiled more in the last seven hours than she had in the three months they had known each other. And boy, did she have a beautiful smile. Absolutely radiant. The kind that could light up a whole room and make a grown man’s heart jolt into a full-on sprint. Verdant brown eyes. Petal soft lips. Those cute freckles dotting her nose. That ass in those jeans. Ugh, it just wasn’t fair.

This is my…friend I was talking to you about

Friend. A ripple of embarrassment shot through him at the memory, his pride feeling as though it were torn to shreds. He hadn’t forgotten the fact he’d been flatly friendzoned, and knowing he had made her cry because he chose to think with his dick and not his brain made the feeling worse. It was his fault. That’s really what this day was for. Satoru was going to make it up to her. Properly. He only hoped she wouldn’t reject his advances.

The Six Eyes wielder had been more, how would he put it, handsy than normal. (No, not that kind of handsy. Get your mind out of the gutter). More straightforward. Bolder. Testing to see how far she'd let him push the envelope before growing uncomfortable; touching her, giving sidelong glances, feigning ignorance, etc. He thought eating off her spoon made it blatantly obvious. Best piece of cake he’d ever had by the way, and her reaction had been adorable. Baby steps, Satoru. You can do this. Let her set the tone.

Hannah had made a hard pass on the roller coaster, but Satoru was able to persuade her into riding the log flume with him - she enjoyed that part - and more than once she let him snap a pic of her as they explored the park, choosing which attraction to ride next. They rested for a quick dinner and decided on a shooting gallery ride called “Gan Gun BATTLERS” where they wore 3D glasses while sitting on animatronic chairs, shooting various targets with ray guns. Satoru was especially proficient on that ride. The couple rode other stuff, but Hannah did not enjoy the haunted house one bit, and as Satoru expected she gripped the back of his jersey and kept her eyes closed the entire trek. He thought the special effects were rather lame, but liked her clinging to him, wanting his protection, so that was a win, right?

Their final ride for the evening was the huge Ferris wheel named “The Big-O” due to its centerless frame, an engineering feat at the time it was built. However, Satoru had other things on his mind than gigantic rotating wheels. For much of the day, he had been brushing his fingertips against hers in an effort to hook a finger and hold her hand. In theory they had already held hands before inside the Domain, but she had been too scared for it to hold any meaning. He had succeeded when they arrived. He kept trying to push his luck again as they waited in line. Everytime their fingers touched, his eyes would flick back to check her reaction. She refused to look at him, blushing, her cheeks tinted a pretty pink. So cute.

By the time they stood at the front of the line, his hand was prying apart her hina doll fingers to slide them through the openings. Her palm was soft. He worried he would scratch her with his calluses.

She hadn’t pulled away.

So neither did he.

Phase 3 was lookin’ good. Gojo-1, you’re clear for takeoff.

The attendant waved them inside the glass caged gondola and they cozied up next to each other, still holding hands. A couple seconds later, the attendant gave the thumbs up, and the ride cranked and whirred, slowly lifting the gondola forward away from the ground. Too cramped to fit his 6’2 height, Satoru crossed his legs along the empty seats. Hannah admonished him for it. “That’s not safe,” but he wasn’t concerned. The Ferris wheel could break down and collapse on top of them and he could walk out of there, carefree, with his hands behind his head.

The sun dipped below the horizon, transforming day into night. The gondola kept rising higher and higher till they reached the very top. They could see inside the Tokyo Dome and the roof of LaQua spa. Screams and laughter could be heard as people riding the roller coaster roared past them. The inside of the gondola was equipped with a karaoke machine. Anxious by their proximity and the fact they were too high up to go anywhere, Hannah scrolled through the digitalized playlist, pretending to be busy while averting eye contact, which greatly amused Satoru. Note that she had not let go of his hand. He peered out the glass window at the city, mouth curving into a frown. Damn. Thought it would be higher. Then his eyes caught the peak of Tokyo Tower blinking miles away in the distance. Aha, now that’s more like it.

Barely a second ticked by for the Six Eyes wielder to unclasp Hannah’s hand and pull her close, the momentum bringing her flush against his chest.

“Oof. Satoru, what in — ”

“Fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gents. We’re going places.”

“Places? L-Like where?”

“You’ll see,” he said, circling his arms around her. “Hope you're not afraid of heights.”

That was all the warning she got. The Jujutsu sorcerer kicked open the gondola's door, setting off the safety alarm, and in a heartbeat the Ferris wheel and amusement park became a blurring rush. Time and space sped rabidly, but it wasn’t nauseating like a carnival ride. Hannah instead felt weightless as though she were floating in a vacuum, until the cold, biting wind assailed her. They weren’t moving anymore. Satoru had warped them outside someplace, but where? Hannah blinked her eyes.

The married couple stared at each other for a fleeting moment, turquoise blue colliding with moss brown, before both of them diverted their gazes, and that’s when Hannah looked down and saw there wasn’t a floor. Or even the ground.

They were high up. Waayy high up.

Like three hundred meters high up.

With nothing underneath to catch them.

The panic was immediate. Satoru had his forearm wrapped around her lower back, keeping her aloft so that she could stand on his toes, but Hannah grabbed onto his torso as though she were a koala bear hugging a tree, afraid they would fall.

“Where the blazes are we?!” she cried.

She could hear the shrug in his voice. “Tokyo Tower.”

“What?!!”

“I took us to the top of Tokyo Tower.”

Hannah’s eyes saw the red and white latticed steel, illuminated in lights like the Eiffel, the same tower that was once the tallest structure in the world. Satoru wasn’t kidding. They really were at the top. The tippy top. He could’ve chosen to warp them inside the observation deck, but no. The more she looked down, the more Hannah thought her stomach would cave in on itself and forfeit her dinner. Her vision swayed.

“Satoru, I-I want down!” she whimpered.

“You’re perfectly safe, Hannah. I’m not gonna drop ya.”

“Get me DOWN!!!” she cried harder, tears ready to fall. Hannah rarely raised her voice, but her tone was obstinate. She didn’t care that he was the strongest. She wanted down that very instant.

Meanwhile Satoru was at a loss. He had meant the acrophobia comment as a joke. She had no issues riding the Ferris wheel, so he figured why not take his chances; Go big, or go home as they say. He hadn’t expected this to be her reaction (though looking back on it he probably should have). If he wanted to pull off Phase 3, he was going to have to redirect her fear.

Knowing she couldn’t escape or risk falling to her death, Hannah buried her face into her husband’s chest. It was getting cold, the breeze whipping all around them, her hair flying everywhere. She shivered and huddled closer to him for warmth.

Now on any given day Satoru would be over the moon for receiving a hug from Hannah, but there were two issues: One, she was terrified (and maybe a little angry with him). And two, her nipples had hardened from the night chill and were pressing into his chest through the baseball jersey, which had him visualizing other…things. Like those same pretty pink buds rubbing between his fingers and melting in his — Anyway, why did he bring her up here again? Oh, yeah. That’s right.

“Hannah.” He cradled her buried cheek and gingerly turned it to one side. “Look.”

Hanging onto him like her life depended on it, Hannah drew the courage to pull away from his shirt and open her eyes.

Her mouth parted.

More than three hundred meters below, the city had become a glittering firework. They could see everything, every street corner and alleyway; The trains, the humongous JumboTrons, the white and yellow taxis, skyscrapers looking like Lego pieces, the Sumida-gawa river slicing the capitol in half. They could see Tokyo Dome and the amusement park; The bright red Buddhist temple Sensō-ji in honor of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, next to the Shinto shrine Asakusa-jinja, and Niju Bridge meant for leading guests towards the Imperial Palace with Mount Fuji’s grandeur overseeing all. So much music and noise and color. This was what he wanted to show her.

“Wow,” she whispered, no longer worried about the height. “It's beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Satoru answered, but he wasn’t looking at the view. “It is.”

The ribbon that had tied back Hannah’s hair had unraveled, leaving the auburn tresses to blow where they may. The wind brought her scent to him. Lilies after a spring rain. He could see the green in her hazel eyes, transfixed by all the noise and color, the soft pillows of her lips filling him with unexplained longing. More beautiful than any person had permission to be.

Man, he had it bad.

Satoru had always prided himself on not taking anything, or anyone, too seriously. Then life threw him a wicked curveball he couldn’t avoid. Not that he’d want to avoid Hannah. She was like warm sunshine in this dark, twisted world. She cared about him in ways no one else had since high school and she didn't treat him like an alien from a different planet. She was kind and courageous and beautiful, and so, so smart. For heaven’s sake, she knew how to milk a cow and spoke multiple languages. Three whole months he’d been holding back on her. This woman who he purchased for four and a half billion yen, yet whose value was beyond price. He couldn’t recall the partners who came before. They were nothing more than bodies and faces and hands. The stars, the moon, the sky; they had nothing on this sweetheart in his arms.

He could already hear his subconscious mind warning him to take heed: “She is to be your companion in happiness and enjoyment, but not your companion in the next world.” “She is to be your companion in eating and drinking, but not your companion in experiencing the ripening of actions.” “She is to be your companion in pleasure, but not your companion in suffering.” Imperfect. Unreliable. Temporary. That is how a husband on the Path should view his wife. He’d have to let her go one day, whether it be eighty years, twenty years, or tomorrow. Getting attached would make things worse, but fuck it. That ship had already sailed. It was too late to turn back now.

Cause I don’t want to be your friend.

When Gojo Satoru was born, it was said that the balance of the world shifted, birthing the dawn of a new shining era, the likes of which no one could’ve imagined.

When Gojo Satoru fused Red and Blue to make Hollow Purple, there was nothing in existence strong enough to defeat him. He was invincible. The greatest. History in the making.

But when Gojo Satoru fell in love for the first time, both body and soul, that new shining universe, that invincibility, changed. You couldn’t hear it. It didn’t make a sound: The sky didn’t fall. The ocean didn’t dry up. The earth didn’t quake. A world record wasn’t broken. All it took was one glance, one touch, and suddenly life would never be the same. He had found a weakness, forever woven into the fabric of his heart. Resistance was futile.

Not wanting to fight the inevitable any longer, Gojo Satoru tilted his wife’s chin. Brushed back her long auburn hair. Closed his eyes.

And pressed his lips to hers.

Chapter Contents

[mci-writing]

Mamma Mia!Au Ramblings For My Sanity (TodoBakuDeku x MILF!Reader):

With assistance from @savnofilter who let me ramble in her dms

There will be a lot of similarities to the original plot of Mamma Mia and it’s sequel/prequel, but it will also have a whole lot of differences 😭

Fem!reader bc the projection is very strong in this one

Right off the bat, quirkless!au and reader’s daughter is the spitting image of a younger reader (bc if she looked anything like her sire, there would be no plot-)

Reader (like Donna) was an aspiring singer in a girl group with two of her closest friends, but had to leave the life behind in favor of raising her daughter. She settles on Nabu Island and raises her daughter while also trying to run an old hotel left to her by an older woman that took her in during the early days of her pregnancy.

She still thinks back on her old singing days, but she pushes all that away in favor of running the hotel and raising her daughter (plausibly named after the nice older woman that took her in during her pregnancy)

(Y/n)’s daughter, having grown up with just her mother, her “aunts”, and the small number of villagers on the island, really really wants her father to walk her down the aisle, but she has no idea who he could be and her mother never mentioned him ever. After doing some snooping in her mom’s old diary, and remember a few cheeky conversations from when her mother and her aunts would talk, she’s able to decipher the 3 plausible suspects and reaches out to all of them through letters to invite them to her wedding. In her mom’s name. And she doesn’t tell them about her plausibly being their daughter.

(Y/n) meets all 3 while touring through Japan and their names are: Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki, and Todoroki Shouto.

Midoriya Izuku: For most of his life, he was raised by his single mom, but she would later go on to marry an actor who commonly portrayed his favorite character, Yagi Toshinori. After the marriage, their life would remain relatively peaceful (outside of the occasional invasion of privacy from very determined paparazzi). At the time of them meeting, he was an intern at an analytics office that aspired to be a mangaka. Later on, he would get picked up by an agency and become an idol with a side hobby of making a small manga series. (Y/n) takes his virginity and steals his heart, ruining him for literally any other partner he has after her. It’s a bit of a whirlwind romance for both, a small thing intended to be a simple summer fling getting a lot more serious before they part ways. While he’s a relatively popular idol, he’s slowly been easing out of the spotlight with age and focusing more on his popular series about a very familiar hero named Deku (with obviously no affiliation to the idol of the same name)

Bakugou Katsuki: Son of famous fashion designers that found the Bakugou Brand. Prior to inheriting the brand, he was a model for his parents (against his will) and happened to meet (Y/n) while they were both traveling around for their respective jobs. They also, technically meet through Midoriya, but neither mention their on and off FWB relationship to him ((Y/n)’s a little heartbroken after a misunderstanding, but Bakugou doesn’t know that-). The two lose touch a little while after they part ways due to him becoming extremely busy. Currently, he’s a famous fashion engineer that’s relatively hard to get in touch with but is always in the mags for his brutal criticisms and borderline perfect designs. He is THE designer everyone’s watching out for during fashion week.

Todoroki Shouto: The heir to the Todoroki company and the result of their merging with their biggest competitor through an arranged marriage. After being raised to take the mantle, he grew to resent the title, the company, and his father. After running away from home, he meets (Y/n) in a bar during one of her performances and the two end up talking before inevitably sleeping together. This continues on for a little while before he gets word of his mom’s critical condition and decides to head home. Currently, he’s a secluded business mogul of a well-known brand and he’s taking even better care of the business than his father ever could of, with the help of his 3 older siblings.

The 3 plausible sires all already know one another, separately. Izuku and Katsuki were childhood friends, somewhat estranged after a falling out but in touch due to their parents being close. Izuku and Shouto met during Izuku’s intern days, specifically because Enji was seeking to recruit him for his superior prowess in analysis, but he turns it down. They stay in touch to discuss analytics when Shouto really needs it. Katsuki and Shouto know one another through various brand collabs and keep in touch anytime they decide they want to shake up Japan a little bit. They all totally ended up riding the same boat together and definitely caught up, eventually realizing they were all headed to Nabu Island for the same reason: to “catch up” with an old friend and attend her daughter’s wedding.

The scene where Sophie meets all 3 of them and shoves them in the goat house to hide them? It’s still a thing here, but (Y/n) finding them is even worse bc she knows they all know each other and their excuses (that aren’t aligning a little too much) of being there for separate reasons is almost scary

*Insert (Y/n) belting Mamma Mia to herself after confronting the three men she knows could be her daughter’s father*