#A Wild Last Boss Appeared

[mangarecap]

Yasei no Last Boss ga Arawareta!: Kokuyoku no Haou Tsubasa Hazuki, (Arte), Fire Head (Historia)

[miramiravictories]

//Extra manga I'm currently reading.

[bobfloydsbabe]

LAST LINE TAG GAME

Rules: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfiction/original works/anything) and tag as many people you want there are words in the sentence.

Thank you @darknightfrombeyond for tagging me! I'm feeling generous, so I'm sharing a much longer snippet and changing the rules a bit. Hope that's okay!

from my style inspired fic for @laracrofted's 1989 writing challenge ft. mob boss bob🖤

He takes slow, measured steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Bradley. “What happened?” He doesn’t recognize his own voice, can’t even hear it over the sound of his pulse racing. “She wouldn’t say.” Bradley looks like he wants to stick his tail between his legs and run out the door, away from the unbridled rage rolling off his boss in tidal waves. “Text me the address,” Bob tells him, leaving no room for discussion. “Then get back to your post.” He turns back to his desk, grabbing his keys and phone off it. “But–“ “Now, Bradshaw!” “Yes, boss.”

NO PRESSURE TAGS: @laracrofted, @wkndwlff, @sylviebell, @blue-aconite, @mothdruid, @bradshawsbitch, @lewmagoo, @sebsxphia, @ereardon, @joaquinwhorres, @withahappyrefrain, @seresinsweetie, @petcr3, and whoever else wants to do it!

[machine-saint]

thinking about her

[ljaesch]

J-Novel Club Announces Six Light Novel and Seven Manga Licenses

J-Novel Club has announced the following licenses: Title: I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic novels Author: Nazuna Miki (story), Kabotya (art) Release Date: Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1 available now Summary: What’s a guy to do when his life suddenly changes while innocently enjoying a nice, cold drink after work? And I mean really changes. This middle-aged…

[utilitycaster]

Wizard Breakdown Tracker: Echoes of the Solstice

You know it, you love it, it may return on an as-needed basis for Campaign 3 now that Allura has entered the narrative and we know the fate of Caleb, but no promises: it's the Wizard Breakdown Tracker! As a reminder, I now include PCs because I make the rules; wizard NPCs are included on the very scientific basis of "do I have something I think is kind of funny or meaningful to say" so as always, if I left someone off, it was on purpose specifically to annoy you.

Astrid Becke: well her boss is missing, Caleb has expressed concerns in private to Beau about all of the Assembly, apparently the king is bedridden and has been for some time, and I suspect news of unsealed things being unsealed gets to her quickly; even if she isn't aware of the events in Blumenthal yet, she's about to be. Also, it's the apogee solstice. 8/10; ever the opportunist, it is a good time for her to try to become head of the Assembly, but also shit's gone real sideways.

Eadwulf Grieve: lost his title of hottest mage (men's division) to one Fjord Stone during the last Nicodranas County Fair and has been sulking ever since but more importantly the temple of the Raven Queen is doing Not Great Bob as of like an hour ago so a rare Eadwulf stress moment. 7/10.

Planerider Ryn: just lost her arm...but is unaware of it, so that's probably helping. technically cannot be calculated because she is a rock but spiritually like an 8/10 and that's only because she is remarkably unflappable; she just witnessed the Malleus Key and that should drive anyone up to a 10.

Allura Vysoren: has absolutely sensed a disturbance in the force weave and I'm sure Kima's feeling some bad vibes from Bahamut right now, but rather like Ryn she actually has some degree of sangfroid, a concept unheard of in the entire continent of Wildemount. 6/10.

Yussa Errenis: have you ever dealt with like, an ER Nurse, and unless something is actually exploding or someone is actually bleeding out they're like "yeah it be like that sometimes"? After you've been sucked into the Cognouza Hivemind while trying to do your silly little arcane investigations nothing short of the Calamity will ruffle you. He's an elf; he knows this solstice is wonky but also he knows this is Someone Else's Problem. Also Jester's left him alone for a whole 24 hours? Incredible. 2/10 and that's really just because he's still a little cranky about the disappearance of his blast scepter. As always: never change, king.

Prism Grimpoppy: by my calculations she's discovering that she's actually fucking incredible in combat right now. 0/10, she's doing GREAT.

Pumat Sol and sure, fuck it, Oremid Hass: I suspect the Zadash Wizard Contingent is dealing with some wild unsealed shit from the time of the Julous Dominion and they can't get in touch with anyone in the capital, but it's probably manageable. 4/10. On edge but not too bad.

Ludinus Da'leth: oh did your little plan to unleash the god-eater go a touch sideways? were you unprepared for the possibility of fucking all of magic? did you think it was going to be easy? did level 9 "Fuck Up Airship" and level 8 "Shield Against Werewolf" fail to save your bitch ass? As we've seen, he'll scramble and recover, unfortunately, but it's a well-deserved 9/10 right now. I love to see a plan fall apart.

Trent Ikithon: OH this motherfucker has LOST IT in prison. Like...he was able to put together a pretty elaborate situation, to be clear, but also he's gone bugfuck nuts and does not really improve. I think he's already broken down from the start having clearly been planning this exact scenario from the moment of his imprisonment honestly given that he appears to be going off of the frissons he picked up from Caleb and Essek shortly before he was captured, but regardless: he definitely ends it at a 10/10. Stuck in an egg for eternity, if he's even still a separate entity from Omentis. A well-deserved fate if ever there was one. Get fucked lol.

Veth Brenatto: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha 10/10 you know she watched Luc leap through the teleportation circle as it closed and has been shrieking loud enough to be heard at the Chateau.

Luc Brenatto: the arrogance and naivete of youth insulate him initially, but Aggy's demise probably spikes it to a solid 6 minimum and it's definitely 9 during the battle. It goes back down pretty quickly though; see Caleb's entry.

Caleb Widogast: he keeps it together pretty well, honestly! Still I have to imagine he's kind of at a 7 or so this entire time with occasional spikes to 9 (NEIN) throughout, and I wouldn't fault him for finishing up the Blumenthal Brunch and then quietly locking himself in a soundproof tower room to scream, cry, and throw up for a while. Indeed, I would encourage it; Caleb should go have a good cry and hug a magic cat for a couple hours until he feels better, and then come back down to find that everyone except the clerics but DEFINITELY including Luc has implemented Spontaneous Apogee Solstice Oktoberfest to celebrate the demise of Trent, the engagement of Fjord and Jester, and the general experience of being alive, and is varying degrees of extremely wasted. This will of course bring him back up to like 7 as he realizes he has to return a hungover teenager to Veth and then goes down to a 4 or so when he realizes the clerics can fix that and Veth will probably be so glad that Luc is alive she'll ignore the rest of it.

Essek Thelyss: Our international drow of mystery looms large in the narrative, but does not make an appearance, which makes this premise extremely funny. I assume he's feeling kind of rough given that the Dynasty wizards are well-attuned to leylines and I would imagine he picks up that Sending isn't working and was broadly aware Caleb was going into danger, so he's certainly stressed, but Trent doesn't actually seem to know Where in Exandria is Essek Thelyss and is merely threatening blackmail. Honestly while we're at it, we don't know where Essek is because I wouldn't put it past Mr. Geometer Owner to have been at a solstice nexus and to have possibly experienced his own Solstice Shunting. In fact I assume Essek is blissfully unaware of these specific goings on re: Trent and is just experiencing The Anxiety for all of the previous reasons. (1d6+3)/10.

Known Gem Wizard Hotsauce Lutefisk: Hmmm. Things becoming unsealed, you say? The uninvited guest list (The Real Gelidon, Isharnai) for The TusktoothStone-Lavorre wedding may have gained an extra entry.

[circeyoru]

Love love love unwanted soul soo much. I really wonder, does the rest of the residents NEVER ask anything about reader and alastor's relationship?? Like even if they're scared of him and that he always insisted that they just have a normal boss-employee relationship, they're way too close. Mostly because reader has passed all of Al's personal space.

I think Husk would be the most suspicious about it, since he is one of the souls Al owns. And the way reader casually orders and asks Al to do lots of things. But Vaggie would be braver to confront Alastor. Maybe Charlie would probably also ask more, because she wants reader to participate more and Al to not give them too much work load even though they don't look tired at all. And more suspicion would arise because how does reader have connection to Lucifer as well??

Thank you for your love!!

Haha~ Curious about others' reaction huh? They asked. But I only did minor parts about their involvement because the focus was on the Reader/you and Alastor.

An ask similar to this one has been answered, but this is them knowing your relationship.

Everyone notice you being extremely close to Alastor, even when it's strictly labelled as boss and worker. They know it's not normal because you were too chill with Alastor and Alastor was too lenient to you as well.

They questioned and got suspicious of your sudden appearance. Even more when you had a connection with Lucifer. The King of Hell's former informant is working for Alastor? What's going on???

The only one to see you before your introduction was Husk. He saw you in the room Alastor claimed as extra, that room was already decorated like you lived there for a while. It was way too cozy. He is also the only one to see you directly ordering (asking) Alastor to do something and he went as told. He would have labeled you to be the one holding Alastor's leash, but you said Alastor was the one to bring you here. (technically it's not a lie) Then there was your weak aura and power levels. No way someone like you can bring down Alastor. When you had a former business relationship with Lucifer, he was pointing you to be the owner of Alastor's soul, even when it was unlikely.

Husk can read people like an open book, right? He can do the same to you and he knew you were a wild card, perhaps another worse case like Niffty's. But, he doesn't question it. Because if you were to feel threatened by Husk, Alastor would do something to him. It wasn't worth it.

Niffty doesn't question it at all. More demons in the hotel! That's it. A friend of Alastor's a friend of hers.

Angel also doesn't question it. Though he does mimick what you do to get Alastor to react the same. When it's different, he whines about it and makes a scene. Only for Alastor to say you have more leniency because you were his employee and he had his duty as employer to keep. That mostly shuts Angel up.

Vaggie is the one to voice out her concerns for your lack of presence to Alastor without fear. Demanding that you work out in the open and not behind closed doors. Mostly, you weren't there to hear this and heard it from Alastor. On the rare moments that you were, you'd say it's up to Alastor to assign you where you work and not her or Charlie. Alastor handles from there on out. He puts the employer and employee card on the table and always got Vaggie to back down. She can't do much when you didn't object to Alastor's words and nodded along. When Vaggie questions what Alastor does, you step in to tell Vaggie it wasn't her business, as long as it wasn't to harm or threaten the hotel and Charlie's dream. Last resort, Alastor (through your approval) threatens to leave the project and bringing along Husk and Niffty too.

Charlie is another one that's questioning too much. You were the newest member but you were barely around. Even though Alastor doesn't join and he's under no obligation to. You can join. I mean, Husk and Niffty joins too. One loophole though, you weren't like those two, you were to work under Alastor as his assistant of sorts. You weren't under Charlie's command. So she had no power over where you were stationed. You and Alastor used this little detail to your advantage. Charlie always bring up new ideas and excuses to get you to join them, but you were rare present and Alastor was a wall she can't overcome. Too perfect for the two of you.

The fact that you were that close with Alastor raises a lot of questions, and Alastor doing things for you? Even more questions and suspicion as well. But Alastor is capable of protecting you from prying eyes and nosy demons like this group. You staying in the hotel wasn't a must, but an interest. Anymore annoyance and you'll be gone. So will Alastor.

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

Not How His Monday Was Supposed to Go

Bruce Wayne x plus size reader

The new Wayne Enterprises board member has had enough of Bruce’s shit.

Warnings: Bruce is a bit of an asshole and a pig, mention of a family member needing surgery, swearing, reader is a girlboss, Bruce is low-key a sub, implied smut

WC: 1.1k

Minors DNI

When you agreed to act as your father’s representative for Wayne Enterprises as he recovered from surgery, you certainly weren’t expecting the CEO of the company to stroll in three hours late, dark purple bruises littering his muscular neck, dark shades perched on the end of his nose, suit and hair ruffled. 

You huffed as he crumpled into the stupidly expensive chair at the head of the table, only four seats down from you. You had to admit he was a very handsome man, with broad shoulders and dark hair that seemed to curl perfectly around his sculpted face. He gave an air of intimidation but his bright blue eyes made him seem approachable. “So what’d I miss?”

And suddenly your attraction to the man was gone.

Every meeting that followed, Bruce would strut into the room several hours late, one time he was already there when everyone arrived but he was asleep and still wearing the same clothes as the day before. Most times, he wouldn’t even show up, but when he did, he wouldn’t contribute anything meaningful to the conversation, simply giving generic anecdotes that related to the women he had seduced.

The most aggravating thing was, you knew how intelligent he could be. Sometimes it would just slip out. He would say something profound and incredibly smart but he would quickly catch himself and wave it off with some half-hearted comment like “or whatever the senator told me last night. Though I could have heard her wrong, her mouth was quite full”. It irked you to no end, especially being the only woman serving on the board.

As the weeks dragged on and your father’s health was improving, your own mental health was going completely downhill and by the time your last day arrived, you were done with this alpha male bullshit that Bruce loved to instigate. So, as your final meeting ended, which Bruce conveniently didn’t attend, you stormed off, ready to give the man a piece of your mind.

Your heels clacked on the polished floor leading to the massive corner office he had claimed for himself. As you neared the huge dark gray doors, you paused for a moment, pulling down your pencil skinny so it sat lower down your plump thighs instead of bunching up, and making sure you didn’t have any of those dreaded button gaps around your considerable bust. 

Taking in one last deep breath, trying to will yourself not to straggle the man right as you saw him, you gave a firm knock to the door and walked in. 

Your boss was hunched over his desk, intently staring at what appeared to be blueprints. His dark Armani suit jacket was off and hanging over the back of his chair, leaving him in only a white button-up that stretched across the bulk of his muscles. 

“Mr Wayne.” He glanced up from his work and a brief look of shock flashed across his face before he steeled his expression once more.

He muttered your name as he pushed his work to the side. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” The words were polite but his tone was anything but. He sounded like a typical frat boy who felt entitled to your attentions and affections. Your face fell into a scowl.

The door shut behind you with a slam, but you did not flinch. “Mr Wayne, this visit will be anything except a pleasure.” You strode forward with all the confidence in the world, anger swirling around you. “I have sat in that boardroom for weeks watching as you indulged men far below your moral and social standing. You have let them run wild, making a fool out of not only themselves but of you and your business.”

Bruce sat back in his chair, eyes wide as he watched you get closer and closer. “And I have had enough. I can see right through you Mr Wayne. You’re a smart man, you’re compassionate and generous, and yet you still act like these worms, pretend to be like them for some dumbass reason.”

You planted your hands onto his desk and loomed over the CEO. “So no matter what you do outside of this office that might redeem your flimsy character, you still let shit like this happen here and that makes you just as bad as those little boys. Fuck you Mr Wayne. Next time I see you, I will kick you in the nuts so hard your kids will feel it.”

And with that you turned and strode out like a conquering hero before realising you forgot something. You stuck your head back into his office. “Oh and go to all your meetings like a goddamn adult.” The door slammed shut on a bewildered looking Bruce who’s pants suddenly seemed a couple sizes too small.

“Wait wait wait. So the first time mom talked to you she cussed you out and threatened to assault you!” Tim exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. Dick and Jason seemed both amused and disgusted while Damian just looked at his father with immeasurable disappointment. Bruce smirked as he watched his boys have a simultaneous meltdown. The question had been a simple one, how did their parents meet, but it seems like they weren’t ready for the answer

“Yep.” He said proudly. “And let me tell you, it was the sexiest thing she’s ever done.”

“Ugh!”

“Gross!”

“Y’all are nasty!”

“Don’t talk about our mother like that!” They all screamed at once and, like usual, came to protect your honour. But Bruce just chuckled.

“She was a powerful woman, what can I say?” 

“Was?” You cooed suddenly over his shoulder. “Who’s the one running Wayne Enterprises now?” Your sharp nails dragged along the skin top of his chest where his tight shirt didn’t cover. He shivered under your touch, his entire body going to mush.

You looked up from your now boneless husband to your sons. “Your father was a real piece of work when I first met him but I fixed him up real good.” You purred and pressed the tips of your nails into his skin.

Jason was the first to break, surprisingly. “Jesus Christ!” He cried out, slapping his hands over his ears. Then, they toppled like dominos.

Dick was positively green, Tim had a vein in his neck that looked like it was about to burst and Damian was glaring at the floor. “Go on boys, get out of here before I teach your father another lesson.” In a collective pile, they tumbled from the room, scrambling to get as far away as possible.

Bruce turned swiftly as soon as the boys were out of earshot and grabbed your hips to tug you down onto the chair with him. “Come on, Mrs Wayne, tell me how bad I’ve been.”

Request: Meets her at Wayne Co, she’s a new board member and have a few words for playboy Bruce who misses many meetings

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[mangarecap]

Yasei no Last Boss ga Arawareta!: Kokuyoku no Haou Tsubasa Hazuki, (Arte), Fire Head (Historia)

[rae-writes]

nothing like you-

Dazai x little sibling!reader

wc : 1.k

warnings : angst, very minor implication of sexual trauma in the beginning, light description of injuries, major character death [reader]

synopsis : “The one thing I like about me is that I’m nothing like you and I never will be.”

a/n : the reader might be dead but I'm not! surprise!

“Samu, please!” Your eyes were wild as you gripped onto the sleeve of his coat tightly— something happened during your last visit to Mori’s office- the meeting that, for some reason, Mori refused to let him join in on- because you weren’t so adamant about this before. “Please, let’s leave. Let’s leave and never look back and start a new life- anywhere but here. I can’t. I don’t wanna do it anymore.” 

Dazai felt his heart tugging in two different directions. On one hand, you were his little sibling; only by a year, sure, but he promised himself he’d do anything to protect you and stay with you always, and you did the same in return. 

On the other hand, he’d finally met someone who gave him a different outlook on life- who made even the slightest shine appear back in his eyes. How could he just…leave after finding that? 

“…you’re strong, n/n. You can do it- we’ll make it. You’ve got me and the slug.” 

You stared at him in disbelief, unable to really grasp the fact that your big brother was just brushing you aside. He didn’t even ask what happened. Didn’t show any concern for you. 

You couldn’t grasp the sight of your brother being so cold to you, so you grasped at straws instead. “We…we can take Chuuya with us! And..and Oda, and all the kids, and even Ango if he wants- we can all go together and start new lives, together!” 

The idea sounded amazing. Just the thought of it made Dazai’s heart warm, but he knew…Mori would never allow that. Even if each of you managed to escape, the boss doesn’t forgive and forget easily. It was safer to just stay. 

“Enough, Y/n. We’re staying. There’s no need to get everyone wrapped up in your selfish desires when we’re all already here.”

Any hope you had left of your big brother still being inside there- the one that made you laugh with dumb jokes, the one that held you when you cried, the one that never forgot your birthday and gave you hand drawn pictures because he couldn’t afford anything else, the one that promised to love you even after death- shattered. 

Dazai expected you to scream at him. To curse at him, to start throwing punches and kicks, to start crying about how he was the worst brother in the entire world. He wouldn’t blame you. It was true- just look at him. He didn’t even blink as he brushed you aside. 

You didn’t do any of that. You just stared at him, slowly blinking as tears cascaded down your cheeks. You’d gotten paler, as if the mere interaction was killing you. “I wanted to be like you so bad, Osamu…you protected me and took care of me even in the worst of situations and I wanted to be exactly like you so that I could return the care and love you’d given to me…”

His throat began closing up, fingers itching to reach out and grab you, apologize for turning out like this and take your hand to run away and be the big brother he used to be. He didn’t do any of that. 

Osamu just stood there silently and let you break his heart like he broke yours. 

“I’m glad I didn’t get that far.” 

He watched you leave his office, mouth dry and unable to speak, hands too numb to try and reach out— he was 17 then and Dazai never saw you again after that. 

Not until he was 20 years old, three years after finally leaving the mafia (it took a year after you left and Oda dying for him to finally break free) and one year of being in the Armed Detective Agency. 

It was a sunny spring day. There was a cool breeze blowing cherry blossoms around, butterflies were around every corner, flocking the blooming flowers. He remembers wondering if you were even still in Yokohama- if you were seeing what he saw whenever he walked outside. He hoped so; you'd always liked the spring. 

Beautiful day as it was, he and the rest of the Ada were holed up in their meeting room, discussing recent incidents around the city and watching the news for any potential jobs. Everything was pretty bland until…

“Hey, turn the volume up!” 

“Just this morning, a 19 year old was discovered dead in an abandoned shipyard port. Authorities say they were found with their throat slit and shirt ripped open with the words ‘you should have stayed’ written in blood. Due to their face being bruised and cut beyond recognition, we don’t yet have a positive ID, however this picture was found on the scene a few feet away from the body.”

Dazai already felt an uneasy sense of dread crawling up his throat before they showed the picture. 

And then it flashed on screen, showing you and Osamu- no more than 13-14 years old- with your cheeks pressed together and peace signs thrown up; you were smiling widely while he had his tongue sticking out. Blood was splattered across the photo, directly over your face; it was much too neat to be an accident. 

The walls felt like they were closing in. 

You should have stayed. 

Everyone turned to look at Dazai with expressions ranging from surprised, sympathetic, or horrified. 

You should have stayed. 

He didn’t see any of them, though, as he’d stumbled out of his chair and dropped down beside the trash can, dry heaving and retching and half sobbing. 

You

Should 

Have 

Stayed

Various pairs of hands were grabbing at him, pulling him off the floor and stabilizing his body so his legs didn’t give out. They were all talking- he could see their mouths moving and hear the muffled sounds of their voices, but he wasn’t listening. 

For a few moments, Osamu Dazai was concerningly quiet. 

And then he screamed, loud and shrill and broken and horrified.

It had been three years since he let you walk out of his life. Two years since he begged President Fukuzawa to help search for you. One year since becoming a better man than he was before. 

…It had been four years since he told you that your big brother loved you more than anything. 

He’d never get the chance to tell you again.

[cutielando]

let's go to the beach ~ jj maybank

my masterlist

The beach.

Yours and JJ's favorite place in the whole Outer Banks. The sand underneath your feet, the breeze, the fresh smell of the ocean, the birds singing, peace.

Heaven on Earth.

"You wanna go to the beach?" you asked JJ once he came come from work.

He had been working like crazy the past couple of weeks and you decided it was time for a little relaxation.

"Now? It's almost night out" he said, pointing towards the window.

You closed the gap between you and wrapped your arms around his neck, immediately latching your hands in his hair.

"You've barely been at home the last couple of weeks. You deserve some peace and quiet, even for just a couple of minutes" you rested your forehead against his and rubbed your noses together, making JJ smile.

"Okay, let's go"

You squealed and jumped up, wrapping your arms around his neck. He laughed and leaned down to kiss your nose.

"You're too good to me" he mumbled, making you blush.

"Come on already" you grabbed his hand and dragged him outside.

You ran all the way to the beach, laughing and not having a care in the world.

JJ was trailing behind you, trying to keep up while laughing as well. He had been so stressed with having to work so much, he forgot what it felt like to be relaxed for a change.

"What do you wanna do?" you asked once you both stopped in front of the water, panting and smiling.

"Go for a swim?" he asked, letting go of your hand and already starting to take off his shirt.

You agreed and stepped out of your summer dress, leaving it neatly on the same next to his shirt.

He took your hand against and you ran into the ocean, water splashing all over. You dived in and swam for a little bit while JJ just sat and watched you, smiling to himself.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have you. You always knew just what to do to make him feel better, just like now. All he needed was a moment of peace with you in your favorite place. The beach.

"Earth to JJ" he snapped out of it when he heard you calling your name and saw you waving your hand in front of his face.

"What?" he pulled you closer to him, wrapping his arms around your waist and helping you wrap your legs around his abdomen.

"I asked if you were okay" you giggled slightly, pushing back his wild hair.

"I'm more than okay, I'm perfect. Thank you for taking me out of the house" his hands were rubbing circles on the small of your back, making goosebumps appear on your skin.

"You don't have to thank me. I hate seeing you so stressed out" you whispered, analyzing the bags under his eyes a little better.

His face gave away how tired he is, how much the job was taking a toll on him. The long hours, sometimes working on weekends, getting little to no sleep.

"I'm okay" he whispered back as he closes his eyes and soaked in the last rays of sunshine of the day.

"You're not, baby. You're so tired, I hate seeing you overwork yourself. You used to be so full of life and excited about the smallest things, and now you're barely eating or getting any sleep" you complained, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling yourself even closer to him.

"I still have you, though. You make sure I eat, even though it's a little amount, you make sure I get some sleep, you make sure I'm still kicking it. I'll be fine as long as I have you by my side" his words made your heart flutter.

You leaned in and pecked his lips, resting your forehead against his when you pulled away.

"At least promise me you're going to take it easy from now on. Don't make me go to your boss and rip him a new one. You know I run my mouth and I run it bad" you said, making him chuckle and nod.

"Okay. We wouldn't want my boss to fell your wrath, now, would we?"

You smiled and shook your head, taking in the sight of your smiling boyfriend. It had been weeks since he had genuinely been relaxed or even smiled, and seeing him now made you love him even more.

"We're gonna be okay, right?" he asked after a moment of silence, looking at you deeply with his beautiful blue eyes.

"Of course we are. We're getting out of this dump as soon as we can, we're gonna go somewhere and make a lot of money and then come back and own all of Figure Eight" you listed out your plans, knowing how much he likes to hear them.

"Don't forget about the gold statues" he intervened. making you roll your eyes.

"Of course, how could I forget about the gold statues. They're going to be the island attraction"

You both smiled and leaned on to kiss each other again, soaking in the feeling of being in each other's arms.

Even though life tended to get in the way, you would always be there to pull JJ back to the surface. Always.

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[kp0ptributera]

A new start

A/N: Somehow a follow up to my first smut, somehow the start of something new, hope you’ll enjoy it and get ready for a wild ride Word count:2,6k Contains: Some angst, Boss Lisa, squirting, more angst (for the plot, but don’t worry it will be fine)

You woke up, knowing it would not be a day like any other, since Somi’s arrival at your work and the day you started watching over her, there were no more boring days. Everyday was filled with fun and work seemed to become easier, because you finally had someone you could trust and who would be by your side in rough moments. But even if everything seemed to be amazing, you often thought deep in you that you were missing something, that you could do better or even that this work could bring you nothing more, so you started looking for a new one, in secret, telling no one you were wanting to run away and take a new start. Someday, you stumbled across a job offer, totally fitting your skills, so you applied, just for fun, you didn’t thought you would be called back. The offer said they were looking for a new manager in a young company, all you needed was to accept that shifts could be pretty long and get along well with others. But then, the phone call that would change a lot of things came, it was a woman’s voice, asking you question about your resume and telling you the company was interested in you, giving you a meeting at their office later that week, you didn’t knew how to react, should you tell it to Somi? “Nah” you thought, “It’s nothing more than a meeting, I’m sure they have better candidates anyway….” . ————————————————————————

The day of the meeting came faster than you imagined, but to be honest, you spent most of the week daydreaming and working mechanically. “-Are you okay?” you heard the voice of Somi getting you out of your thoughts “-Hmmm?” you answered “-I asked if you were okay, you look somewhere else for the last few days, is the boss asking too much of you?” “-No, no, it’s not that….I..I have a meeting later today for a new job, I feel like I’ve done all I could here, each day looks the same, except when I’m with you” you smiled at her “-And when were you thinking about telling this to me?” she looks upset, and you understand that “-After leaving me here alone with that old perv ? Or would you have just disappeared without telling me?” her eyes were getting redder before she starts moving toward the door “-Somi, wait-“ But it was too late she already fled the room, leaving you alone ————————————————————————

The rest of the day went like this, Somi avoiding you and you looking like an idiot, trying to find the words that would make her feel better. You finally headed to the meeting, the building was recent, and only a few offices were actually being used so when you stepped in the elevator, you were surprised to meet someone, the surprise was even greater due to the fact she was just stunning, the kind of girl that could make any guy bend the knee with just a look. You took a moment to gain your composure back and shyly talk to her. “-H-Hi” you stumbled on your words “Damn, I must look like an idiot” you thought but anyone would become stupid with a goddess like her next to them “-Hello, are you looking for something?” her voice sounded like a melody to your ears “-Well, yes…I’m coming for a meeting and I’m kinda lost, is there any chance you knew the floor of this company?” you showed her the mail with all the information you had “-It must be your lucky day, because I’m also heading there” She flashed a smile, and you felt like time stopped, this image would stay engraved in your head forever, but Somi’s smile appeared in your head and you suddenly felt sad “Hey, are you okay?” her voice bringing you back inside that elevator “-Y-yeah, it’s just I was….I was thinking about something I should take care of after” You tried to flash a smile, but she knew it was just a mask

The ting marking the fact you reached the desired floor filled the elevator, and you followed the woman through the office, everything seemed really recent so you wondered what kind of job the company would give you. You both reached a locked room so the woman reached for her bad and opened it with a key, inviting you to enter. It was bigger than your previous office, which was already kinda impressive, but what shocked you is when she took place behind the desk and invited you to sit.

“-Welcome to my office, my name’s Lisa, nice to meet you” She smiled again, leaving you a moment to assemble the pieces of the puzzle in your head. “-S-so it was you I had on the phone, I’m sorry ma’am, I must look like an idiot now” You giggled, a bit stressed by the situation. “-Don’t be sorry, I shouldn’t have played this little trick to you, in fact I wanted to meet you before telling you I could be your future boss, just to see how you were” She started laughing and suddenly, you felt better “-I hope I haven’t done something wrong then” you laughed a bit with her, the atmosphere becoming friendly in a matter of seconds. “-No, don’t worry, in fact, you did pretty well, you didn’t tried to be a playboy and it’s something I like” “-If I can be honest, I was too stunned to even think about it” “-Really? Why?” she stared at you with an amused look “-Well, first, everything looks so new and expensive here that I don’t even know if I’m qualified to work here, then I saw you and I thought that I was really looking out of place next to you” You flashed a smile “-Sweet talker, aren’t you?” She smiled and you started laughing. “-Nah, just honest ma’am” “-Please, call me Lisa, if we are going to work together, the first rule here is that everyone should get along, so no “boss” or “ma’am”, we’re in this together” Her tone was a bit more serious than before “-Understood, but I have a question, what do you wait from me exactly, I mean if I was hired” “-You would be my assistant in a way. I can’t always be around so you would second me in all that matters, and make sure all the employees feel good and can work without stress.” “-And how many employees are they?” “-Right now, we are less than 10, but I plan on expanding a lot, so there will always be something to do for you” “-Then I have a question” You said those words without thinking “-Yes, tell me, is it about the pay, or the schedule?” “-N-no, it’s just that…..I have an assistant where I work actually…would it be possible for her to join too?” The thought of Somi joining this place with you gave you confidence “-I’ll think about it, but wouldn’t she distract you? It’s the one you were thinking about in the elevator, right?” She smiled again, reading you like a book “-I don’t want to leave her behind, she is qualified for any work, I just don’t want to make her think I abandoned her” “-I see…. that might be possible, but I have a few more questions first, you don’t mind?” You saw a little light appear in her eyes, but you were so happy that Somi could come too to notice “-Ask me anything, I’ll answer as honestly as possible” You flashed her your best smile “-Did you fucked her?” She said that with a really serious look “-E-Excuse me Lisa?” You were struggling to breath “-I asked you if you fucked her, yes or no” “-I…. yes, I did, but before you tell me you can’t hire me for that…“ You started to justify yourself, but she stopped you “-Oh don’t worry, it’s not something that would eliminate you… It’s something that makes you win some points” her smile became a bit more lustful, her eyes scanning you behind her glasses “-Uh? What do you mean?” An alarm started to ring in your mind, but you didn’t knew why “-I mean it’s a plus if you don’t mind fucking your coworkers to get them rid of stress” She got up and come sit on her desk just in front of you, her skirt going up little by little while you tried to look somewhere else “And to make sure you can, it’s time for the test handsome” her voice became so charming she could have been a mermaid “-What should I do?” you gulped, feeling your mouth becoming dry “-If you can make me cum, you are hired right now, and I’ll do my best to find a way to bring your assistant too, if she accept of course, but If you can’t, well we would had fun but it would be all” she whispered it in a sexy tone that made you lose all common sense “So, should we get started?” What brings you back to the reality was the sound of her skirt coming off and your body moving on his own to her command

You kneeled in front of her, kissing her toned thighs through her panty hose while your hands started to wander from her legs to her shirt, unbuttoning it slowly and enjoying each little part of her skin you uncovered with your fingertips. Your mouth went upper and upper till it reached her soaked panties, your tongue making a bigger mess by licking it, her delicious monas making you more daring, you slipped your hands under her bra, to discover her tits were bigger than you first thought, just the right size to fill your hands and pinch her nipples, making Lisa’s moan a bit louder. “-Keep going handsome” Her hands were going through your hair as you slide her panties aside and start lick her pussy directly, she was as sweet as honey and burning hot, your tongue dancing from her holes to her clit in a choreography led by her moans and compliments, happily doing a good job. Suddenly you felt her getting wetter, so you focused on her clit, sucking and licking it with all till a juice explosion happened, you couldn’t hear it because of her thighs, but you were sure Lisa’s screams echoed through the whole building, her pussy drenching your face spasm after spasm before her legs released your head. You took a deep breath, glad of your work when she pushed you back on your seat.

“-Well you are hired, fuck it’s been a while since someone could eat me like that” she smiled at you “Now consider this as a bonus” She started kissing your neck while rubbing herself against you, her body moving in a hypnotizing way, her ass getting on your lap over and over making you harder than ever. “-If you do your work as nicely as you made me cum, I’m sure I could reward you with more than that” Her whispers made you start to see stars, how could you even take more than that without getting crazy? You swore to yourself that you would do your best to make the job. “-I’ll do my best Lisa” those words left your mouth between two moans “-Good boy” Her smile was even more mesmerizing from there, just before she kissed you “Maybe we should stop there, your phone is getting crazy” You were so hypnotized that you didn’t notice, and when you looked at it, it was just filled with notifications of missed call and message from Somi. “-Fuck….You’re right, but our deal is still up, you’ll do your best so she can join too?” you were worried that she said that without thinking it suddenly “-Of course I was serious, but she must accept” Her smile became much smoother, like someone looking at a love story and finding it really cute ————————————————————————

You excused yourself, Lisa telling you she will send your contract through mail, as well as your schedule and a list of the employees she was worried about. As soon as you reached the building entrance, you were wondering how you would tell it to Somi, not only about the new job, but also how you got it…. Maybe it was better to keep quiet about that part, but this secret could blow to your face anytime if you both work there. You choose to send her a message “Meet me at the coffee shop when you can, I’ll wait you there” and headed there, ordering her fav drink and waiting for her. “-Hey, sorry that I kept you waiting” Somi arrived, still looking a bit sad, but at least she isn’t screaming at you “-Hey, don’t worry, take a seat” You smiled at her “-So, how your meeting went?” She looked genuinely worried for that “I mean, you are good at what you do, there is no reason it went wrong…” her eyes glowed a bit “-I did well and I’m hired, but I have another news…Well two in fact, a good one, and one that I don’t know how to tell” You looked embarrassed and suddenly, you thought that maybe you should have tell her this at home, so there would be no scandal “-Hm tell me both of them” She raised her eyebrow “And don’t worry, I won’t scream here, I’ll wait till we get outside” She smiled, but it was looking like a threat “-Well, the good one is that if you want, you can also come…” “-OH REALLY, that’s amazing!” She looked so happy suddenly “-BUT this job will require me to do some…. Special things, like taking care of any employee who needs to release some stress…. And that’s also the test I had to pass to be hired…” Your heartbeat went crazy “-You…you mean you had to …. I see” her gaze became cold “And you want to tell me you can’t keep going with me because of that?” “-NO, that’s not that, it’s just that I don’t want you to find out someday…. I’m happy when I’m with you Somi, like a ray of sun after the storm, but if we want to have a better life, this job will be perfect…” “-And what if I don’t want to watch you be… be a whore for your company?” The words hurted more than you thought “-Then we will have to keep working for that moron till the end of time” You tried to joke, but her eyes told you it wasn’t the time “-I…I don’t know, I don’t think I could watch you doing that every day with other girls” her eyes were getting filled with tears “-Somi…” “-No, I think I’ll stay in this shitty company, someday I’m sure we could talk about this while laughing, but right now, I don’t want to hear you” She got up and started to go away, leaving you alone, seeing you abandoning you broke something in you.

You tried to send her messages, but she ignored them all, so you stopped trying, and asked Lisa when you could start working. Her answer was the following week, accompanied by the schedule and a list of 4 employees who would be under your direct orders. She also asked you about your assistant, or if you would need one, your only answer was “I wish I could fast forward time, but for now, she won’t be part of this.” You sent the mail, and wondered how you could fix this while keeping this job, but you knew it would take time, and at the moment, you were too exhausted by everything that happened to find the solution.

[makaias-trashheap]

Introducing his gf to his stream

(So I’ve read a few different posts that involve Kenma introducing his s/o on a stream for various reasons...so this is by no means an original idea 😅 I just figured I’d try my hand at it. So kudos to whoever came up with this beautiful concept)

Kenma leaned back in his gaming chair finally relaxing after spending a little over an hour on the last boss he was fighting. He decided for the last hour of his stream to let his viewers ask questions, since they were always curious when it comes to his personal life. Unsurprisingly the question about his relationship with his girlfriend came up again, mostly asking if he was ever going to introduce her to them.

“I mean that’s not entirely up to me, but I can ask if she would maybe be ok with it.”

The chat exploded with excited comments asking him to ask so they could meet you. They’ve heard your voice and seen when you’ve brought Kenma a snack or something to drink while streaming, never more than your hand or forearm, but enough to know that you exist. He read over the chat again before sighing and smiles slightly, “You guys really want to meet her that badly?”

He chuckles at the confirmation that once again blows up his chat, “Alright, give me a couple minutes to go and talk to her and I’ll see what I can do.”

He mutes his mic and slides off his headset, setting them on the desk before getting up and making his way back to your shared room to see if you were still awake. Peeking his head in the partially open door he smiles seeing you sitting up in bed working on your latest crochet project, your switch laying abandoned in your lap. Sensing someone watching you, you stop working and look up at the door smiling when you see your boyfriend standing in the doorway, “Hey,” you quickly glance down at your switch to check the time, “finishing up early tonight?”

He shakes his head, “They’re bugging me about wanting to meet you again.”

You chuckle and shake your head going back to working the yarn in your hands, “They certainly can be lively huh? So did you come in here because you’re thinking about giving in?”

“Would you be ok with that? I want to make sure I respect your privacy and I don’t want to push anything. If you aren’t comfortable with it I can tell them no.” 

You look back up at him finishing off the current row of your project you were working on. You guys had talked about the possibility of him introducing you on one of his streams but he wanted to see if the excitement would die down first. You trusted Kenma when it came to making sure that you would be able to safely appear on one of his streams considering how long he had been doing it at this point. You tie off your project and set it aside climbing out of bed, “Alright let’s go do this.”

“You sure?”

You smile and nod holding his hand, “So long as you don’t mind that I mostly look like I just rolled out of bed.”

He smiles and squeezes your hand heading back to his gaming room. He settles into his chair keeping ahold of your hand and pulls you in to sit in his lap wrapping his arms around you. He reaches out to unmute his mic as the chat starts to go wild, “You guys wanted to meet her, here she is.”

You smile slightly and wave, “Hi, I’m Kodzuken’s girlfriend. Nice to meet you.”

You manage to catch a couple messages here and there but can barely keep track of the chat with how rapidly people are commenting.

‘OMG SHES SO PRETTY!’

‘Wait so Kodzuken plays videogames all day and still manages to pull girls.’

‘Teach me your ways!’

Kenma chuckles as your eyes fly across the screen trying to reach the chat before blinking hard. He leans back in his chair pulling you to fully relax against his chest, “I know it’s a lot, I can read off a few questions I’m catching.”

You nod reaching to fidget with one of his hands as Kenma scans over the chat.

“They wanna know how long we’ve been together and how long we’ve known each other.”

“Oh jeez…we’ve been together since we started college so…7 years. But we’ve known each other since high school.” 

Kenma traps your fingers with his and turns his head to kiss your cheek keeping his chin on your shoulder, “No she isn’t much of a gamer.”

You glance at Kenma as he answers and then smile and shake your head turning back to face the monitor, “I don’t have the patience or honestly the skill for it. I play games with him occasionally like Minecraft or Animal Crossing, but crafts are more my thing. Like this,” You gesture to Kenmas beanie he was currently wearing, “I made this for him a while back.” 

You two sat there like that answering questions for a while, Kenma occasionally blocking the user of a hateful comment that managed to slip it’s way in.

“Alright guys we’ve gone over a bit and I’m sure she’d like me to come to bed with her for once, so I’ll see you guys later.”

He closed the stream and sighs burying his face in your neck, “Maybe now they’ll be happy for a while.”

You chuckle and squeeze his arm, “Come on let’s go to bed, I had to fight to keep myself awake while we were doing this.”

He lets go of you and you stand up turning to grab his hand and pull him to his feet. You two make your way back to your room Kenma taking off his beanie and his hoodie before climbing into bed and pulling you to against him, “Thanks for doing that.”

You lean up and kiss him, “Of course, now get some sleep, you sound exhausted.”

He grunts and buries his face in your hair falling asleep fairly quickly.

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 3 - A wild Mama Dynamight appears!

Summary: Y/N gets the shove-talk.

Warnings: Bakugou drinks an alcoholic beverage, swear words, the chapter ends with a teeny-tiny cliffhanger (sorry)

First chapter Master List

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

It’s an hour after opening and Red Riot is nowhere in sight. You lay on the freshly cleaned counter with a sigh.

You got a little bit too used to have that ray of sunshine in your shop every morning. His pure existence makes your day better. Sometimes, you come in all grumpy, your mood heavily influenced by the lack of sleep, but one glance at the hero’s smile and the world is full of rainbows and unicorns.

Fuck, you miss him already. It’s really fucking concerning how quickly you developed feelings for this random guy. Okay, calling him a random a guy is quite rude as you literally grew up watching him in the TV, but he’s just a human, a human you’ve met only a month ago yet here you are, pining like a stupid school girl because the guy finally managed to get a day off.

“Waiting for someone?” Your boss mutters with a knowing smile which you answer with a big, loud and needy whine. She only snickers at that and then the door opens; you look up with hopeful eyes, searching for a blotch of red but you only find a blond dude in a cap and a face mask, looking sus as fuck.

Is he about to rob this place? - you wonder for a second; haha, he can fucking try, no one except your closest family members know this, but you went to Shiketsu High School and managed to get a hero license as well, so you are absolutely more than capable to annihilate a single fucker even with the lack of training in the last few years.

“Good fucking morning to you too.” The guy looks straight into your eyes with nothing but pure murderous intent.

You shudder under his intense gaze and your face pales in a matter of seconds. You have no idea what you have done personally to deserve such a stare but the guy doesn’t budge. He does look familiar to you though…

Uhm… haha… you definitely can’t annihilate this guy, because this guy is the Number Two pro hero, Dynamight. Oopsie daisy.

Knowing how much you’ve bullied Red Riot in the last few weeks, you have a feeling you are about to get “the shove-talk”.

“Good fucking morning to you too indeed, sir Dynamight!” You mumble under your nose, still a little bit shaken up by being almost murdered by his eyes. The guy keeps an eye contact as he puts his elbow on the counter; his whole posture screams “don’t fuck with me” so you… you don’t fuck with him.

Why?

Because this guy is Red Riot’s best friend. Otherwise he would be out of the door for acting inappropriately.

It’s quite amusing to you how much you care about his opinion; it’s not like you are dating his best friend or anything, you are literally just a barista who likes to banter with his favorite customer. Or at least that’s what you try to tell yourself when you feel the urge to ask a guy out and that’s like… every five seconds, really.

“Give me your best coffee.” Dynamight speaks up and it sounds like a challenge; and maybe it is, maybe this is the only way you can earn the guys approval.

Okay, you need to think.

This is Dynamight. He likes his stuff with a kick. A chili hot chocolate would definitely be something he would enjoy but he specifically said “coffee”, so that not an option.

A coffee with a kick… ahh!

“You doin’ hero work today, sir?” You ask nonchalantly while you poor some cold brew into a cup - Dynamight doesn’t look like a person who drinks his coffee sweet, but he also looks like someone who likes to be extra just because he fucking can.

“It’s our inventory and paperwork day, so we are the last agency on the call list so probably no.” He answers with a confused face but doesn’t ask any further questions about your silly question.

It’s time for you to make your favorite beverage… baileys coffee.

Yep, you heard it right. It’s alcohol time.

You give the drink a really light stir, just enough for the two colors to swirl together, then you top it up with some whip cream and finish the masterpiece with a hand-drawn explosion on the top (you don’t want to boast or anything but you can do a lot of stuff with chocolate syrup.)

You hand out the beverage with a massive smirk on your face and Dynamight takes it with a doubtful glare. He takes one sip and by the look of it, the drink kicks him right in the face; he stares at you with an incredulous look.

“It’s 8 in the morning, you absolute madman!” Dynamight fucking laughs, and that’s how you know you won this round. “Are you even allowed to sell alcohol in this place?”

“I’m not selling alcohol. I’m sharing my own secret stash with a friend of a friend. Don’t sue us, please.”

“Only if you make me another one for my fiancé, she will loose her mind from this shit.”

Dynamight gets excited for a second but then he schools his face into his usual scowl.

You can’t believe how cute he is in real life; the fact that his first thought was to share the drink with his loved one makes your heart melt. Now it makes sense why those two are besties. “So… Eijirou likes you.” The blond mutters like he’s talking about the weather. You have a sudden urge to drink some of that Bailey’s yourself, straight out of the bottle. “Red, shitty hair, sunshine reincarnation, rainbows coming out if his ass…” Katsuki tries to help like the only reason you are rendered speechless is the fact that you have no idea what the guy’s first name is.

“Red likes everyone.” You retort, faking nonchalance.

“I’ve been his best fucking friend for 10 years and trust me when I say, he doesn’t. Not like this, at least. I don’t know what kind of sorcery did you do to him, but…”

“I did nothing!” You retort loudly. “He’s my favorite customer, I like to banter with him and tease him. I try my best to make sure he leaves with a smile on his face. That’s all.”

“So you can see through his facade already. Impressive.”

“Facade?”

“Eijirou isn’t a ray of sunshine all the time. Not a lot of people can see through all the positivity he fakes daily to be liked. He’s sensitive and depressed. He’s my best fucking friend and if you break his fucking heart I swear to god I’ll chop you up and hide your body parts all over the country so no one can ever find you.”

“What if he breaks my heart?” You mumble with pout, absolutely not affected by the meaningless threats.

“Hm. You ain’t scared of me.” He mutters under his nose with a small smile on his face.

“Should I be? You might act like an asshole but it feels like it comes from a good place. Dunno, I might be weird. I’m glad Red has such a supportive friend by his side. He’s such a himbo sometimes, I’m a little bit worried for him.” You admit with a slight blush on your face.

There are a few seconds of silence between you two before the blond speaks up again:

“If he ever breaks your heart I’ll chop his dick off for letting such a good woman down.”

Needless to say your blush comes back with a full force at his words.

“Deal.” You mumble just as the door open up with full force.

“Katsuki, let her live! … oh. Uhm. I thought he’s… Nevermind. Hi!” Red Riot pants, out of breath. He also forgot to put on a shirt before he ran here. Oh damn, what a day to be alive.

“Did you just run straight here from your apartment, you idiot?!”

“Uhm, I felt like running today?” Red Riot pants with a massive grin on his face. You really want to know how does it feel like to kiss a guy with shark teeth… Y/N, calm the fuck down. Stop staring at his teeth. And his chest… those sweat-slicked abs… oh damn, call the popo, there’s something illegal going on in this coffee shop.

“Eijirou, you live 15 kilometers away and you aren’t even supposed to be in today!” Dynamight yells, and you can’t stop yourself from teasing the guy.

“Yeah, EIJIROU, give yourself a break!”

Kirishima… chokes on his saliva in the most unattractive way, but he looks so fucking adorable while doing it, and you kinda want to kiss him.

Wait? What?! You did not just think that, did you?!

“What if I wanted to see my favorite barista on my break? Am I not allowed to be in the area?” Kirishima gets a little bit cocky, probably trying to look badass and miserably failing at it.

“Look into my eyes and tell me that you didn’t get a message from my woman about me coming to check out the coffee shop.” Dynamight speaks up with a blank face, eyes staring holes into Kirishima’s skull. Damn. You see? That’s badass. The calmness, the way you can see Dynamight knows Red Riot is lying right now but he gives him a last chance to save himself. Kirishima cowers under his gaze, his body goes numb as his facade crumbles and he sighs, clearly giving up on fighting his best friend.

“The menace* messaged me…” Red Riot sits down on the nearest chair, completely defeated.

Honestly, if you thought Kirishima himself is a better entertainment than a sitcom, there two together are downright unbeatable when it comes to comedy.

* The Menace is the hero name of Katsuki’s fiancé. She started as a secretary at Katsuki’s agency after she got into an accident and couldn’t work as a hero for a long time but after she got better she joined Katsuki’s agency as a hero. The Menace was Katsuki’s nickname for her when they “hated” each other. If you want to read their story, read Bakugou Katsuki’s daily shenanigans!

“While I certainly enjoy your shenanigans and you two made my day, can you please leave now? Dynamight, your woman’s coffee will get cold. Red, no one will come to my coffee shop if there is a half naked guy sitting in the window, even though I must admit, it is a beautiful sight.”

“I’m… not even getting… a coffee?” Kirishima gives you the biggest puppy eyes the world has even seen while Dynamight snickers in the background like a cheeky child.

“Come here.” You motion towards the redhead with your fingers. “Come on, I ain’t got all day!” You reprimand and Kirishima moves closer, clearly terrified. You can barely conceal your smile as he finally makes it to the counter, ready to get smacked in the head, his eyes closed, ready for the impact. Instead of smacking him you jump on top of the counter and rake your fingers through his soft, gel-free strands as you leave a tiny kiss on the top of his forehead, an act full of affection and love. “Now get the fuck out of my coffee shop, you smelly himbo.” Everyone who hears your lovesick giggle is able to tell how much you adore this man… except the man himself. It’s kinda funny how oblivious the guy is.

“Yes, sir.” Is all you get as an answer; Red Riot is out of of the door before you can say bye; you stare at the door for a few second, already the missing the warmth Kirishima has brought with him.

“Wow, you’ve got it bad. I was worried for no reason.” Katsuki grins at you, sipping on his girlfriend drink, using the cute reusable pink straw you put in it for another brownie point.

“You look like a slut, Dynamight, get out and get laid.” You giggle while you roll your eyes, absolutely gobsmacked by the fact that Bakugou is… well… a completely different person than the loud and aggressive pro hero Dynamight you see in the news almost every day.

“Behave yourself.” Katsuki grins and after a lazy wave, he leaves; Suddenly, it’s way too lonely in the empty coffee shop.

“They are an interesting bunch.” Your boss snickers, her head poking out of the staff room door.

“Shut up.” You whine, only just realizing that she’s heard the whole conversation. “And don’t tell my uncle. Don’t want him to die an early death.”

“Yes, sir.” Your boss parrots; you really want to to go home and yell into a pillow out of embarrassment.

~•🪨•~

A few days later:

Kirishima is a happy child; he just got his favorite coffee from his favorite barista and if that’s not enough, he even got another kiss on his cheek. His heart has a hard time with the whole situation, it beats out of his chest every time Y/N comes close to him and he certainly needs to work on that bit to preserve this blooming friendship without ruining it with his stupid, unrequited romantic feelings but that’s a problem for another day; today, Kirishima is the one in charge at the agency, he’s the big boss, the one with all the responsibility and not even Y/N’s cheeky kisses can ruin his concentration as he stares at the CCTV, looking for troublesome individuals. It’s not like he doesn’t have specific people in the room to do this for him but Kirishima is a nosy little bitch and absolute likes the random funny interactions that sometimes happen on the screen; there is a guy who always dances on his way home from work, another one likes to pet the neighbors dog as he walks past, even if he gets bitten every time then there is that girl with two heads that likes to have a fight with herself in the middle of the street then walk into a lamp post by accident.

Today, he’s not looking at the random bystanders though; he’s looking at the camera right by this street, he’s looking at a smiling Y/N, staring out of the massive window, clearly daydreaming; Kirishima wonders what she’s thinking about and if he’s able to make those dreams come true.

Kirishima is aware that he is… uhm… a little bit creepy for doing this so he usually only does it for a few minutes then moves to the next frame.

They got a special security camera set up for that coffee shop after it opened; villains aren’t stupid to try and rob a shop right next to the big Dynamight-Red Riot Agency but even if Katsuki denies it, they both care about their neighbors and they want them to feel safe, hence why every single shop in the area has a special camera set up so they can help out in a case of emergency; fire, water damage, robbery, hell, they even send their interns to help out with rude, aggressive customers from time to time, just to keep the young, inexperienced hero students entertained on a boring day.

Kirishima is just about to look somewhere else, mesmerized by the sight of his… well, let’s be honest, crush; when he feels his heart drop down into his belly; three, masked individuals enter the shop, clearly up to no good and Kirishima doesn’t wait a single second before he jumps out of his office window and lands right in front of the (hopefully) unlocked coffee shop back door.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He mutters to himself as he sneaks into the backroom, his whole body charged with the urge to protect the sunshine of his life.

… next chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Potato ramble:

- I know, ending the chapter with that shit wasn’t nice but don’t worry, it’s gonna be fine. The angst will be resolved in the next chapter! And something good will come out of it!

- Bro I miss writing with Katsuki so much. 😭

- I hope you still enjoy this story! 💜 Send me your thoughts!

- If you enjoy my silly little stories, you can support me with some “coffee” here!

TL: @porusuniverse @sixxze @unofficialmuilover @cheesenmax @readingfan @sammmm29 @pwinglez1 @happydragonfrog @magicalhandsherringclam @lovingnightharmony @theequeenofcurses @kirishima-eijirock @nerinefy @selfindulgenthoe @fierysplash213 @woofwoofwolf @touyasprettydoll @confused-smol-fan

[imineffible]

Blitzo had probably stayed outside of Stolas' palace for about a couple hours. He screamed, begging to be let back in, and tried every window and door, but they were all locked.

He didn't mean it. He never thought lowly of Stolas - it's Stolas for fuck's sake! He's a Goetia, he's powerful, he's gorgeous, he's charming - Blitzo just never thought that Stolas could ever actually care about him like that, nobody ever has.

Once it was clear Stolas wasn't going to let him back inside, Blitzo yelled, "You know what? I don't even need you!"

He stormed off with no destination in mind. Eventually, he found himself at a bar.

He spent the rest of the night numbing himself with alcohol, sex, and he might've been slipped some drugs too.

Only when morning came did he think about going back to the I.M.P. office. Blitzo managed to stumble his way back unharmed.

Everyone else wouldn't even know anything was wrong. Loona was used to him not coming home on full moons and all of them were used to him coming in late the next day.

Blitzo opened the door and trudged in.

"Good morning, sir," Moxxie said with too much enthusiasm. "How did it go? Do we still have the grimmoire?"

Blitzo gritted his teeth. He ripped the Asmodian crystal off his glove and slammed it on the table. "We don't need the stupid book anymore."

"Is that-"

"Yeah. Sto-" Blitzo's voice cracked. "He gave it to me."

Moxxie and Millie exchanged confused looks.

"Why did he do that?" Millie asked.

Blitzo ignored her question and went into his office, letting the door slam behind him. He sat with his head on his desk and tried not to think about anything.

The first one to try finding out what happened was Moxxie, slowly opening the door as if Blitzo was some wild animal that would run if spooked.

"Sir?" he said softly after closing the door. "What happened last night?"

Moxxie looked surprised to see the tears in Blitzo's eyes when he lifted his head.

"Nothing," Blitzo said. "Go choose a client for us today or something."

"Blitzo... If you're this upset, I don't think that will help."

Blitzo groaned. "I don't care. If you won't pick a client, then go find something else to do that isn't in THIS FUCKING ROOM!"

Moxxie had never been one for confrontation, so it was no surprise that he left after that. Not long after, Millie was the next one to come in.

"Heya, boss," she tried to be casual. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm fine," Blitzo growled. "But if we're not killing anybody, then get out."

"Blitzo..."

"GO!"

She appeared annoyingly sympathetic and said, "I just think you'd feel better if you talked about it instead of sittin' around and mopin'."

Blitzo slammed both fists on the desk. "What do you want me to say, huh? You think I'm just gonna pour my soul out to you?"

Millie gave him a look of pity - which didn't make him feel any better - and left. He grumbled and hid his face in his hands.

It wasn't until a few hours after Millie tried that Loona finally gave it shot.

"Hey so... You've seemed a little... off today," Loona stated the obvious. "I didn't really believe it, but was I right when I said he was getting bored of you?"

Blitzo glanced up at his daughter. She looked uncomfortable and worried at the same time. He guessed he owed it to her as her father to tell her a little bit.

"No. No, it was... the opposite, basically, and I fucked it up, like I do with everything," he explained.

"Well, not everything. You didn't fuck up with me, right? ...Dad?" she added after a moment.

"Oh, Loony," he said, ready to start crying again. She let him give her a big hug.

After awkwardly patting him on the back a few times, Loona slowly extracted herself from the hug.

"Umm. So..." Loona said. "Are you feeling any better?"

Blitzo nodded and Loona smiled at him before leaving.

It was nice to know that he had people who cared about him, who will stay even when he pushes them away.

Maybe even Stolas wasn't fully out of his life yet. Maybe he could try talking to him again later.

It was unlikely, but maybe, just maybe, it could happen.

[fieldofdaisiies]

Modern AU based on Blue Neighbour by Troye Sivan. Eris and Azriel used to be childhood best friends and in their teens they discovered they have feelings for each other. Beron found out about them and punished Eris and forced him to break the contact with Azriel. But when Beron dies years after, Azriel… songs used for this story: Wild, Fools, Talk Me Down, Youth, Rush, One of Your Girls (all from Troye Sivan) for @azrisweek | azrisweek masterlist | read on ao3 | includes explicit content

A loud, buzzing sound rings out in the otherwise silent meeting room. Azriel's hand immediately slams down on his thigh, trying to press the silent button of his phone through his suit pants — without success. He needs to pull it out, which is something Rhysand, his boss, doesn't like to see at all.

The phone is in Azriel's hand for a mere second when Rhys's voice echoes through the meeting room, his gaze stern when it lands on Azriel, "No phones in the meeting room!"  

I guess that rule doesn't apply to everyone here because when the baby daddy gets sent a photo from little Nyx, he is rather quick to check his phone, completely ignorant to the no-phone rule, Azriel thinks, but doesn't dare voice. 

He only tips his chin at his best friend and slides his phone back into the pocket of his pants, only for it to resume its vibration against his leg.

Rhys' gaze is still on him, still stern and slightly reprimanding. Azriel decides not to risk it and wait until the end of the meeting. The call can't be that important, can it?

Later, Azriel learns that he was wrong. The call was important, and the news he learns from the accompanying text messages pulls the rug out from beneath his feet. 

Two missed calls and a message appear on his screen alongside some Instagram notifications that now seem very irrelevant. Azriel enters the break room, his phone already unlocked, and opens the messages from his mother. His heart slams to a halt.

Mum: Beron Vanserra passed away in the early morning hours. We are all invited to the funeral on Sunday, 11 am. Greg and I are leaving this evening. Join us, please! Love, mum!

Azriel's hands start to tremble, turning a little clammy. He never considered going home again, not after everything that happened, not since New York had become his new home. 

He opens the chat, his thumb hovering above the letters, unsure how to respond. He doesn't want to leave his mother on read, especially not after a message like this, but he has no idea what to say… or do. 

Azriel: Thank you for the information. I'll consider it.

He shoves his phone back into his pocket and helps himself to a cup of coffee before returning to the meeting room. 

Maybe going home after more than ten years isn't that bad of an idea, Azriel thinks, but he knows it will re-open wounds that have finally almost healed.

And Azriel would see him again. Beron Vanserra's son. Eris Vanserra. And Azriel doesn't quite know if he likes the thought of that. 

How will it go? How will he feel seeing him after such a long time? The last time he saw him, he was seventeen, a boy; now, he is almost 28, a grown-up man. 

A lump the size of a peach starts to form in his throat, and he has difficulty swallowing even the smallest sip of coffee. His hands are still shaky, and breathing seems a little harder now. Azriel's gaze moves to stare at the tiny droplets of rain cascading down the floor-to-ceiling window.

They haven't spoken since he moved away, though the first few years in New York were filled with missed calls from Eris that went unanswered and were eventually blocked. He couldn't do that to him, give him hope, string him along, not when there was so much at risk.

Azriel tips his head to the side to think, to recall a moment in the past, a few strands of hair shifting with the movement. A few years ago, when Nesta, his best friend's girlfriend, downloaded Instagram for him, he found Eris and tried to follow him. The man never accepted his request and left Azriel with no idea what had happened in Eris' life. It makes him feel uneasy. Sad.

Did Eris move away? Did he stay in the village they grew up in? Did he fall in love? Did he marry? Has he fallen in love again?

Somehow, the thought of this makes a large crack appear in Azriel's heart, and he shakes his head a little. He will have his answers soon and then have to live with them, no matter the outcome. He wouldn't be staying long, only for the funeral. He doesn't have to worry or care about Eris for longer than the weekend. It should all be alright–

"Break's over!" Rhysand claps his hands. "Let's continue, shall we?"

Reluctantly, Azriel follows him back into the meeting room, his mind racing with questions he tries to push away. He doesn't want to think about Eris or seeing each other again,- but he can't avoid the directions his mind wanders.

Will they talk? How will they act around each other after so many years? How will Eris speak to him? Treat him?

His string of thoughts –thank God– is cut short when Rhysand directly addresses several questions that Azriel is too distracted and unfocused to answer. Usually, he is perfect at his work, but right now, his thoughts have strayed all over the place. He fidgets with a pencil, constantly flipping it over or tabbing a melody against the tabletop.

In the past, he had no real reason to consider returning home. He didn't have anyone to return home to. His mother moved away with him, and his abusive father left with his new family to settle in the West many years before he'd left that village with his mother. Azriel hasn't heard from his father since their move, which he isn't unhappy about. He is relieved to no longer have such a person in his family.

"The documents are on my desk by Monday, got that, Az?"

Azriel clears his throat and nods. He has no idea which documents Rhysand is talking about, but he’ll figure it out. Now, other things matter more- namely, making up his mind. Should he attend the funeral with his mother and her new husband, or should he stay and leave his past entirely behind?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mum: We're leaving at seven. Have you made up your mind? Love, mum.

Azriel has only stared at the text since returning to his loft. It is long past seven now, and he hopes that they have already left. It would buy him more time. More time to consider his decision and think about all the possibilities that could come up when he returns home. When he sees him.

Eris Vanserra. His first friend. His best friend. His first love. His first kiss. His first time. His first heartbreak. 

Returning back to the village he grew up in, to the place he once loved so much and that later hurt him so much, isn't an easy decision. He was a young man then and hoped never to spend a day without Eris. They had made plans for their future that he tried to push as far away as possible in the years after he left but plans that he now remembers.

They often talked about it, relaxing in the meadow below the bright afternoon sun, limbs entangled, lips mere inches apart. 

What if, what if we run away?

What if, what if we left today?

What if we let them fall behind and they're never found?

Everything was good in those moments. Together, they had dreams, hopes of a promising and bright future shared with each other. They wanted to move to New York together, study at the same university, get married, adopt children - but it was all wishful thinking. None of it came true. Azriel went to New York alone because he had to. But nothing was keeping him in his hometown either. No one was holding him there…

Azriel folds a scarred hand over his eyes. The marred skin of his hands still serves as a reminder of his twisted and messed up childhood, a reminder that his step-brothers never faced anything more than reprimanding for whatever they did to him. 

He doesn't allow himself to go down that traumatic path, and he reminds himself that their torture is wholly and entirely over and will remain in his past. He will never see his father, step-brothers, or step-mother again. That won't happen. He wouldn't allow it.

Instead, Azriel thinks back to the day he left and the tears he shed. He cried from the village to the airport, wetting the fabric of his mother's shirt as she held him in her arms and let him sob into her shoulder. The questions that plagued him on that ride to the airport plague him now, and he mulls them over once more:

What if Beron had never caught them? What if they had never fallen in love? What if he stayed and—?

Azriel sits up and wipes a cold hand over his face, brushing back a few strands of hair. A deep sigh parts his lips, and he turns on his phone. The picture of him, Nesta, Gwyn, Emerie, and Cassian staring back at him from the glowing screen

He recalls vomiting the moment he opened the door at the airport, and later, on the plane, he opened up to his mother, telling her everything about his sexuality and Eris. His mother had long suspected that Azriel and Eris had been more than just best friends, but she never said anything, wanting to give him time to open up. While holding his hand on the plane, she told him she didn't care if he liked boys or girls and would love him nonetheless. He will always be her little boy whom she is immensely proud of and loves wholeheartedly. 

Azriel inhales a breath that feels too heavy and too large for his lungs, which have somehow constricted. He starts to type.

Azriel: You don't have to wait for me. I'll take a cab tomorrow morning. 

Instantly, almost as if waiting for his reply, his mother sends a thumbs-up, and then three dots appear. It will take her a moment to answer. Azriel knows this, and he closes his message. In the meantime, he goes on Instagram, flicking through pictures of his best friends and their girlfriends, and with a loud sigh, he closes the app again. All those happy couples…

Azriel lets himself fall back into the bed, groaning when his sore back slams into the pillows. He drops his phone onto the mattress beside him, waiting for the ping of response.

Mum: Alright, Azriel. But let me know when you arrive so we can let you in. We'll be staying at Uncle Devlon's place. Love, mum.

Azriel is now the one to send a thumbs up.

Mum: It will be fine, my dear, don't worry about seeing Eris. I'm sure he missed you just as much as you missed him. Don't be afraid. 

He leaves the message unanswered, trying to figure out how to respond. He isn't particularly afraid or worried. He doesn't know what he feels—too much at once, too little, or maybe nothing. 

Azriel flips his phone away and folds a hand over his eyes, shielding them from the city lights filtering through the window. New York is falling asleep, but he is wide awake, far away from sleeping. 

Deafening silence fills the room, surrounded by darkness; he suddenly realises that he is worried that Eris will ignore him. Concerned that there will only be small talk between them. Worried that Eris has moved on without him and no longer thinks about him like Azriel does. Worried that–

There will never be a future for them. And maybe this is good. Maybe Eris has moved on—of course he has, Azriel thinks. He has probably found a wife or a husband, and perhaps he even has children now. Ten years is a long time; a lot can happen in ten years. 

Azriel's head starts spinning from all the thoughts and questions, so he decides to get up, shower, and start packing for his weekend trip. 

His hair is still damp when, half an hour later, he returns to his bedroom. He dons some sleeping pants and falls into the bed, curling up on his side. His alarm is set, his phone is in flight mode, and his vague but adequate messages to Cassian and Rhysand are sent (he's going on a little trip for the weekend, and his destination and purpose are unrevealed).

A silent tear slips out of his eye, accompanied by a soft sob. One thing becomes apparent: yes, he is going home, but he is not going home to him. He will return to the village he grew up in, but not to Eris. 

The lie he's told himself these past years, that he stopped caring about Eris, that he has stopped thinking about him, suddenly falls apart. Azriel has thought about him. A lot. And he still does. And sometimes, many times, he finds himself yearning for how it once used to be. 

He wants to sleep next to him. And that's all he wants to do right now. And he wants to come home to him. And that's all he wants right now.

He doesn't just want to return to the place he once called home; he wants to return to where he fell in love with his best friend. He wants to return to Eris Vanserra, but not as a man whose heart was broken but as someone who can dare to hope for a future together.

He still wants Eris, and he hates that even after ten years, his wanting has never changed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Azriel's heart presses down on him like a rock heavy with emotion as he closes the cab door. He waves off the driver with his weekend bag in hand and sunglasses pushed back into his hair. He sets off down the dry path leading into the centre of the village and to his uncle's house. The town is small now, and at 28, Azriel notes how close everything else is- his father's house and, a little further down the path, Eris' family home.

Almost like in a movie, pictures flash in front of his vision—of a childhood that seemed unburdened for everyone on the outside. A childhood that maybe wasn't too warm and loving, but one he shared with Eris. They grew up almost in the same exact way, with loving mothers, brutal fathers who didn't shy back from using violence, and brothers who supported that kind of action.

Azriel's jaw tenses, and he stops, only staring ahead at the houses, the facades weathered and dulled over time, at the village stretching out in front of him. Most things have stayed the same. He can make out the same swimming pools, houses, and living rooms he and his friends used to play in. Unchanged little houses with trees on the hills in the far distance where he and Eris used to spend quiet nights together. 

As he walks a little further, he nears an old garden fence. The colour of it is already crumbling, but Azriel still remembers that it was here, right by this fence, next to the big apple tree, where they almost kissed for the first time.

"Are you finally going to tell me what happened?" Eris raises a questioning brow at Azriel, who scrunches his nose in response, his eyes half-closed due to the bright sun. He holds tightly onto his worn school bag and then says, "There is nothing to tell."

"Azriel, I can see your blue eye; it is quite obvious." He reaches out, his fingers curling around Azriel's upper arm, stopping him from walking. "I thought we would share everything with one another."

Azriel shrugs a shoulder. "It was nothing. I ran into–"

"His fist, right. He hit you again, didn't he?"

Azriel shrugs again. 

"I am going to punch him."

"After I punch your father," Azriel chuckles, but the sound lacks warmth or humour. 

"This is messed up," Eris mumbles and steps closer to his best friend, tipping his chin up with his thumb. "But you need to be honest with me. Tell me when he hurts you so I can be there for you."

Slowly, Azriel starts to nod, but then his eyes drop to Eris' lips. Suddenly, He is so much closer, only mere inches away. Eris' eyes are locked with his but also momentarily slide to Azriel's lips, his Adam's apple bobbing. "We can't do this," Eris whispers, but instead of moving away, he leans closer. Azriel does, too, holding his breath. "I know," he answers, his tone equally breathy. "But–"

Eris's baby brother Lucien interrupted them, calling Eris' name from the porch and then running towards the two best friends. Lucien was only seven years old then, and Eris picked him up easily when he reached them—he must be a teenager now.

Azriel remembers that they were both relieved that their moment ended that way, but only two weeks later, they really kissed, and from then on, there was no more holding back. They kissed a lot back then, but always in secret. 

It was two months later that everything they had and loved ended. It was when Beron's cruelty reached its peak, and he—

"Azriel!" The squeaking of door hinges disrupts his daydreaming. "Didn't I tell you to let us know when you arrive?!"

"Mother." Azriel dips his chin after having turned around. "It's good to see you." He cracks a small smile when his mother throws up her hands in despair. 

"You never listen to me, Azriel Marino!"

"I always listen to you, Mama." After closing the distance between them, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. "Always." 

Eleni Marino harrumphs loudly but hugs her son tightly. "Come in. Your uncle is looking forward to seeing you."

Azriel doubts that. His uncle probably only wants to see if he is still the small weakling he always used to call him. But the joke's on Uncle Devlon because Azriel is no longer small or weak. He has grown a lot, including his muscles, which Devlon probably never thought possible. He has changed a lot, and he can't wait to see the look on his uncle’s face. 

"Uncle," Azriel greets upon entering the living and dining room, his chin dipping to his chest, his voice low. His gaze runs over the old man sitting in his armchair - ten years can do a lot to a man – who once used to be a strong and fit army general, is now an old man with white hair and sunken cheekbones. 

"Azriel," he croaks and rises from his chair. "Let me look at you. You have grown up." He assesses him through half-closed eyes, shuffling towards him. "You've grown a lot, boy. How has college been treating you?"

Azriel wants to open his mouth to say that he dropped out of college after the first semester and decided to work instead, but when he meets his mother's gaze, she shakes her head, and it tells him everything he needs to know. 

"College is good. Got good grades and made friends," Azriel says instead, knowing that to keep the peace here, it is wiser to lie a little. Devlon would only ask why he dropped out and then blame them for not having enough money to afford it. Consequently, he would blame Azriel's mother for not working hard enough to make studying at a uni possible for her son. And then blame her for not staying with his father. Abusive or not, it had never mattered to his uncle. So, this small white lie has to do. 

"How's life been treating you, Uncle?"

Devlon shuffles away, wiping his mouth with his hand, and plops down on the armchair again. "Good, good," he mumbles, pulling a blanket over his lap and leaning back. Azriel is sure he dozes off a moment later so he turns back to his mother with a chuckle. 

But there is no amusement on her face. Looking worried, she reaches out her arm to clasp Azriel's hand. "Lunch will be ready in around an hour. Go see him now."

Azriel's throat bobs, his fingers naturally curling tighter around his mother's hand. "What if he doesn't want to see me?"

"You'll only find out if he wants to see you if you go to him. Otherwise, you will be plagued with what-if questions and doubts for the whole weekend. Go see him and talk to him. I'm sure he has missed you just as much." Eleni inhales deeply, "After all, you also used to be best friends at one point."

Best friends and so much more, Azriel thinks. Slowly, he begins to nod, his hands having turned cold, his heart feeling a little heavier, and his feet are somehow rooted to the ground, making it impossible for him to move immediately. He needs just a moment longer, holding onto his mother's hand like he is once again the young man who was sobbing into her shoulder when they left ten years ago. 

"Go now, Azriel. I'm sure he's still at the chapel, preparing everything for the funeral tomorrow."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

With his heart rapidly pounding, Azriel walks down the familiar path to the chapel he used to take many times when he still lived here, his mind swirling with memories. Every step he takes feels heavier as he nears the old house of prayer, wondering if Eris will truly be there. 

He has mindlessly followed his mother's suggestions and now doubt gnaws at him about whether he should have come. Uncertainty clouds his thoughts, and nervousness tightens his chest. What if Eris doesn’t want to see him? What if he ignores him? What if he is mad at him? 

Will he even recognise him after all these years?

Of course he will, Azriel thinks. He hasn't changed much. He has only grown and built up some muscles. His face is still the same.

His heart nearly breaks through his ribcage when he reaches the door, the crisp air burning down his throat with every inhale. For a moment, he feels like fainting or throwing up, but then his hand reaches for the door handle and pulls it down. The door opens slowly, too slowly, and silently. So silently that Eris doesn't notice him. 

He is standing at the altar, arranging some flowers, and for a moment, Azriel forgets how to breathe. 

Eris Vanserra is more beautiful than ever, breathtaking, to say the least. Azriel can't tear his eyes away, slowly letting his eyes run over the man in front of him, and his knees wobble. Eris has cut his hair, but not too short. He also gained some muscles and now wears a beautiful beard that perfectly complements his look.

Azriel stops on the threshold, unable to move further, hand still on the door. 

"Stop that!" Azriel playfully smacks Eris' hand away, lying on the grass, laughing.

"A flower in your hair would look cute."

"I am not cute," Azriel grumbles, sliding his hand into Eris '. The red-haired boy lies down atop his chest and tips his head back to look up at Azriel. 

"You are cute." Eris grins.

"Stop being cheesy."

"Never!" Eris smoothies his freckled hand up Azriel's chest, humming contentedly.

In the middle of this meadow, in the middle of nowhere, far from their village, they are safe. They have taken their bikes to get as far away from prying eyes as possible. Only here can they be true to themselves and love each other more deeply than friends love each other.

"Eris," Azriel hums, lifting the hand that isn't in Eris's hold to brush it through his boyfriend's auburn locks. "You make my heart shake, bend and break. But I can't turn away. And it's driving me wild. You're driving me wild."

Eris hums softly. "I love you, but why do I only find out now that you are one to spout poetry?"

Azriel's laughter rings out over the meadow…

It was probably the last time he had laughed so happily and freely. This moment was beautiful, as was the whole day. Azriel remembers that this day was also when they first slept together.

When he finally catches himself, his hand lets go of the door and he takes one step into the chapel. The inside is cold, and the scent of polished wood, aged hymnals, and candles lies in the air, mingling with the aroma of incense that adds a touch of spice.

Azriel inhales deeply, bracing himself for what he is about to say. A simple greeting, nothing spectacular, but he has no idea if he is ready for it. For whatever is about to follow the greeting. 

But he doesn't have to speculate. Not when Eris has already noticed his arrival.

"I didn't think you would come." He places a candle next to the flowers, then steps back from the altar and turns to Azriel. His eyes run over Azriel slowly, and small flames flicker in Eris' eye. "But here you are. After ten years."

Azriel nearly chokes on his saliva, but in a croaky voice, he manages to say, "My mother—" only for Eris to interrupt him.

"Of course, your mother told you to come here," the red-haired male cuts in. "Of course, she is the reason you are here. She has always checked in. For the past ten years. Has always sent messages for Christmas and my birthday." A small, nostalgic smile appears on Eris' lips, and he wipes his hands down his thighs, clearing the soil and petals from the flower arrangement. 

Azriel didn't know that, and it infuriated him that his mother had never told him—how dare she! How dare she keep contact with Eris and never tell him?

"Don't make it sound like a reprimand," Azriel grumbles. "I wasn't the one to break up–"

"You know why I broke up with you!" Eris counters.

"Because you were a coward."

A snarl parts Eris' lips, hurt flashing in his eyes, and at the exact moment, a pang of hurt pierces right into Azriel's heart. Is this truly how their first meeting after ten years goes?

"Says the one who didn't reach out a single time in all those years." A look of disgust spreads over Eris' face. He shakes his head and then approaches Azriel, stopping right before him. "Not one time."

"I tried to reach out, but you wouldn't accept my request on Instagram!" Azriel snarls,

"I don't even use this app," Eris retorts, "My little brother's girlfriend downloaded it for me, thinking it would be a good way to socialise and maybe meet a partner."

Azriel doesn't really know what to answer. He hoped their first meeting would be different after such a long time, but he had false hopes. Of course, it would go exactly like this. He should have reached out. He should have called, texted, come here, something. 

But he didn't and now must pay the price for it. 

"I didn't forget about you. Is that what you want to hear?"

A cold huff parts Eris' lips, followed by a cynical chuckle. "Hm, too bad that I did. And now I've got things to do. As you might know, my father died." He brushes past Azriel without saying another word, shoving the brown-haired male by his shoulder, and heads for the chapel door. 

He doesn't give Azriel a chance to say something. A moment later, he is gone, and the door falls shut, a tremor coursing through Azriel at the loud pang. 

He is taken right back in time. To the fateful day when his whole life fell apart. The day when Beron–

"I bet you're already hard for me." Azriel chuckles softly, his hand placed on Eris' bare chest, slowly travelling lower until it rests right above Eris' crotch, only the blanket and Eris' boxers separating between them. His lips find the spot right beneath Eris' ear that makes his boyfriend elicit the most sensual noises. Azriel loves those noises and could listen to them forever, so he lets his teeth run over Eris's sensitive skin, then pokes out his tongue and licks it. 

"Always," Eris hums, hips jerking in response to his boyfriend's touch. 

When Azriel's lips ascend, placing a trail of kisses up his boyfriend's throat, he slides his hand beneath the blanket, palming Eris through the fabric of his boxers. 

Their lips meet in a frantic kiss, tongues fighting for dominance when he lets his hand slide beneath the fabric, but—

But the door slams open only a blink of an eye later, rattling the whole room. Beron barrels inside, seething with anger. 

He most definitely drank a lot at the bar beforehand. He should have been longer, a few more hours.

Azriel only remembers a little of what Beron said to them, but a few words stuck. 

"This is disgusting," he spits. "You disgust me!"

He hurdles for the bed, but both boys are unable to move. He is too shocked about Beron catching them and worried about what will happen now that he knows.

"What do you think you are doing, Eris Vanserra?" Beron shouts, pulling Eris up by his arm, and it doesn't take long for the first slap to land upon his face. "Rolling around in bed with a boy! You disgust me." He slaps him again, this time harder.

By now, Azriel is out of bed as well, screaming at the man to let go of his boyfriend and tugging at Beron's arm, but the man is more muscular. He shoves Azriel away; the young man knocks his head against the bedframe, and his vision goes black. Pitch black. Just like his heart, nothing but void filling the place that once used to beat happily for his boyfriend.

The moments after are a blur of consciousness and unconsciousness, and the next thing Azriel remembers is Eris breaking up with him, his face bruised and marred by markings of Beron's anger.

His throat is dry when he leaves the chapel, the back of his mouth aching. He couldn't help him back then because Eris didn't let him. He broke up with him and pushed him away — Beron prohibited them from ever meeting again. He claimed that Azriel had ruined his son, called him all kinds of homophobic nicknames, and threatened to destroy his mother's life should he ever try to get close to Eris again. 

It was the most devastating moment of his life, surpassing even the time when his brothers burned his hands. Beron’s cruelty inflicted wounds on his heart that would never heal.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Azriel's sleep is restless, constantly rolling from one side to the other, the sheets tangled between his legs, his bare chest coated in cold sweat.

Moonlight filters through the curtain-framed window, casting the room in a gentle, blueish glow. It's still night and nowhere close to morning. 

He raises his hand, letting his fingers coast over his lower lip. 

"You need to smile, Az." A grin, reaching from one ear to the other, spreads over Eris' face while he is staring into the camera. "You are always so broody."

"I'm not!" Azriel snaps and playfully shoves his elbow into Eris' ribs who yelps.

"Idiot!" 

"Say that again!" Eris turns to his best friend, and his breath catches. He reaches out, but stops himself.

"Idiot," Azriel chuckles and moves closer.

"Again." Eris leans in, eyes fluttering shut for a second, then dropping to Eris' lips. 

"Id—" Eris' lips close over Azriel, but instead of pulling back, he kisses him right back, his hand falling to his neck, bringing him in a little closer. All hesitance is erased within seconds; there is only Eris on his mind—and his lips.

At first, their mouths meet clumsily, but soon they find their rhythm, lips parting, tongues exploring, tangling, and dancing. Eris places his hands on Azriel's hips, formally having kept them at his side, and that a little awkwardly. He draws Azriel closer, deepening the kiss and eliciting a soft moan from him.

"Not just best friends, huh?" Eris mumbles when pulling back from the kiss. A string of saliva still connects their lips, which he wipes away with the back of his hand.

Tears build up in Azriel's eyes. "I'm in love with you."

"I know," Eris answers, his thumb wiping over Azriel's cheek, catching some stray tears. "And I'm in love with—"

"Fuck!" Azriel rips away the sheets and sits in bed, his whole body feeling clammy from the cold sweat that had built up due to his vivid dreams. He knows he can't stay here, and he knows exactly where he needs to go. He just needs to see Eris and talk to him. He can't let the conversation from earlier hang in the air like this. He needs to fix what he ruined. 

Grabbing the sweater he had earlier discarded in the room and donning it, he is out of the door before he can question his decision to go see Eris. He slips into his shoes as silently as a gazelle and then out the door, hoping his mother won't wake and question him about his whereabouts the following day. 

Azriel straightens up when he walks down the path leading to the gate at the end of the garden. It creaks a little when he opens it, but he ignores it, only one target in mind: Eris. He still knows the way to Eris' place like the inside of pockets. (Maybe a little suspiciously, he queried his mother in the afternoon about whether Eris still lives there, and she confirmed it, so he knows exactly where he needs to go).

Azriel feels a sudden surge of energy – he wants to talk and fix what has been ruined this afternoon. And in the ten years he was absent. 

He walks faster through the large, looming trees, their branches bending in the wind and leaves rustling and swirling. 

Azriel remembers that Eris's favourite season always used to be autumn, and maybe this is a good sign. It is autumn now, visible everywhere outside.  

But his blood runs cold, and his heart slams to a halt when his eyes land on a scene that also twists his gut. Hot and thick, jealousy bubbles up inside him, making the back of his mouth taste bitter.

"Well," Eris laughs, his features bright and joyful, his arm wrapped around the blond male's shoulders. "Thank god I have you."

Tamlin, if Azriel remembers correctly, flashes Eris a big grin. It makes the content of Azriel's stomach sour, and bile creeps up his throat. He can't believe that he truly lost his first love to him. This spoiled, rich prick!

"You are so lucky, Vanserra, to have me. What would you do without me?"

"I guess I would be hopeless," Eris laughs, pulling back his arm and letting it fall to his sides. "Thank you so much, really. For the arrangements, I couldn't have done them all alone, and with you being the best–"

Azriel can't make out the rest or hear what comes after best, but he can only guess that the word that belongs at the end of the sentence is boyfriend. Or worse, husband.

He can't believe it, and in his fury, and by trying to get closer, Azriel doesn't see a more prominent branch on the ground. His foot catches on it, causing him to trip and twist his ankle as he falls. "Fuck!" Azriel groans when his hands come in contact with the damp soil, and then pine needles pierce his skin. "Fucking bastard!"

He sits back on his heels and knows the moment he does, it was a big mistake. His ankle hurts like hell, and he has to bite down on the insides of his cheeks to keep from loudly alerting Eris to the fact that Azriel's sneaking around.

This is all so fucked up, Azriel thinks, and only wants to cry. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>

"There you go," Eleni hands Azriel a new cold pack, then lets her hand rest atop his head. "You should have woken me, I didn't even hear you fall."

"I tried to fall silently," Azriel answers sarcastically and groans when he shifts on the couch. His ankle has swollen significantly overnight; stepping on his foot hurts insanely, but he wouldn't let it show. And he would most definitely never reveal what exactly happened. Another small lie – he tripped at the staircase when he got himself something to drink during the night. 

He doesn't know if his mother truly believed him, but she didn't ask any further questions, and Azriel is more than grateful for that. 

"I've been meaning to take a little boat ride with you, Azriel, but I guess we can forget that now."

As if good old Devlon could still ride a boat, Azriel thinks. "What a shame," he says instead, glancing at his uncle but then back at his ankle and the cool pack. The outer ice layer already starts to melt, and small droplets of cold water run down the sides of his foot. 

Devlon doesn't say anything; a few minutes later, he asks Azriel's mother to follow him outside. They leave, and after checking if Azriel is alright with being alone, Eleni goes back into the kitchen to continue with lunch. 

For a moment, Azriel wonders what his stepfather eats when his mother isn't there. Who cooks for him? Or does he order food or eat at his neighbours?

Honestly, Azriel doesn't care, so he rests his head on the pillow again, gets comfy, picks up his phone, and finds a few unread notifications. Most are from Cassian, who sent him photos and videos or tagged him somewhere. He decides to ignore them for now and clicks on the message from his good friend Gwyn. 

Gwyn: Karaoke at 7, my place?

Azriel: Sorry, I can't.

Gwyn: ☹️

Gwyn: Are you brooding? 

Gwyn: Should I get the romance movies out and come over to your place with some ice cream?

Azriel: You‘re not funny, Berdara…I'm busy.

Gwyn: Busy? Busy how? Are you on a date? 😏

Gwyn: 😏😏😏😏

Gwyn: Is he hot? Send a pic if he is!

Azriel places his phone screen down on the couch table and blows out a long breath. He lifts his gaze to the window, where he sees his uncle and stepfather standing outside in the garden, discussing something about the old cherry tree. He hears his mother in the kitchen, still cooking, and knows he has a bit of privacy.

He picks up his phone and clicks on Gwyn's name. Her lovely smile pops up on his screen when it rings, and then her voice sounds through the speaker, and Azriel lifts his phone to his ear.

"Hey!" Gwyn says, her voice tinged with a hint of worry. "You're alright?"

"I went home."

"Home to your apartment? Or home like…Massachusetts home?"

"The latter."

"Oh god!" Gwyn's voice is loud and tinged with surprise. "I'll ask again, are you alright?"

"I guess I am, I–"

"Eris?"

Just like his other best friends, Gwyn knows about his past with Eris. It wasn't too easy to open up, but on an emotional night together on his rooftop terrace with quite a bit of alcohol in their blood, he poured his heart out to his friend. 

"I thought our first time seeing each other after such a long time would go differently."

"I'm sorry, Az," Gwyn mumbles sadly. "But I think you just need time. Maybe you can ask Rhys if you can stay a little longer?"

"I don't think it will help much." Azriel inhales a deep breath and sighs loudly. "Ten years is a long time, Gwyn. And not checking in with him once…it hurt him more than I could ever imagine." He lets his head fall back into the pillows.

"I understand, and I know that it is a damn long time, but if you still love him, it doesn't matter," Gwyn answers.

"It isn't weird that I still love him after such a long time?" Azriel asks, heart aching so much he folds a hand over his chest.

"Nope," his friend says, popping the p. "The heart wants what it wants, and if two souls belong together, they will eventually find their way back to each other. It isn't weird that you still love him; your first love will always play a big role in your life."

"Thank you."

"There's Nothing to thank me for, Az. Go get your man now." Her laughter is radiant even over the phone, and it gives Azriel the energy he needs to take the next step and do as she said: get his man.

"You think you can make it to the funeral tomorrow or– oh, I am so sorry, I didn't know you were on the phone." 

Azriel places his phone down and shakes his head. "The call just ended, and yes, Mama, I can."

He has to. He didn't come all this way to stay in his uncle's home.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Another sleepless night follows the previous one, and as silly as it might seem to anyone who finds out about it, Azriel leaves Devlon's house once again in the middle of the night. This time limping, though. He drags himself down the staircase, which seems so much longer when you have a torn ankle. He manages to open the front door as silently as possible and slips through it. 

It is the only chance he gets. The funeral is the following day, and then he will leave again. He has to talk to Eris, having been a coward all afternoon.

Once again, he is met by the crisp night air, only the sound of the wind dancing on the lake nearby and rustling the leaves of the large, looming trees in his ears surrounding him. 

Picking up a few pebbles, he heads to Eris' family home. He walks down the small concrete path he has walked probably over two thousand times in his life. It still looks almost the same; a few trees have been cut down during his absence, but other than that, the buildings, the pavement, and the fences are still the same. 

Azriel allows his gaze to stray, looking into some front yards. Even in the dark, he can make out the small swimming pools and swings. He remembers how he and Eris often met up at night, sitting on the swings in his uncle's garden, talking for hours about anything and everything. 

They mostly only returned to their homes when the sun started to rise and slept until midday (of course, that was only possible during their breaks). 

Azriel smoothes his hand through his hair, his heart having and picking up speed the closer he gets to Eris' place. Yesterday he was stopped, but tonight they will speak. His ankle still hurts, but he barely pays any attention to it, so focused on all the thoughts and questions in his mind. 

What if he never moved away? Would they have found a way to be together and maybe already be married now? 

He knows this is a silly fantasy, but one that is so beautiful it almost draws tears to his eyes. He can imagine them being married. He can imagine it so perfectly and loves the thought of it—and that even after ten years. 

He and Eris fell asleep within each other's arms every night, waking together, having breakfast together, going to work, and then spending the evening together. And that on repeat for as long as they live. 

It is what they always dreamt about back then. And it is what Azriel still thinks about now. It felt like that with no one he dated in the past ten years. He never felt like that. He never felt like he would love to spend the next 50 years with them, but with Eris?

With Eris, he can imagine everything.

His heart is racing like a wild horse when he enters the front yard of the large house, half of it swallowed by the large, looming forest behind it. They playfully used to call Eris' home Forest House when they were children, but when Azriel considers it now, he has to admit it really applies to it – it is a forest house.

He circles the house until he reaches his destination, still knowing exactly which window belongs to Eris' room. He climbed through it many times in their teen years, sneaking in in the middle of the night to–

Azriel cuts off his thoughts and turns his attention back to the pebbles in his sweaty palms. His gaze lifts to the window, and before he can stop himself, the first pebble slides out of his hand and strikes. Silence follows. He throws another. Then another. And another. 

He is about to give up, his heart crushing in his chest, pressing down on his stomach, when a light flickers on in Eris' room. Eris appears in front of his window and glances outside, his long red hair tousled, and he is only dressed in thin sleeping pants. 

Azriel lifts his arm, waving, and it takes Eris a moment to adapt to the dark and then spot him. He opens his window, shakes his head, and grumbles in an annoyed voice, "Go home and sleep!"

But Azriel won't give up that easily. "We need to talk." He is too stubborn to give up this time.

"So you can call me a coward again?" Eris huffs loudly.

"We need to talk about us," Azriel presses.

"At three in the morning?" Eris braces his hands on the windowsill, leaning closer. "My father is getting buried tomorrow, I need to sleep."

Azriel swallows his nervousness and worry, and his hands ball into fists, crushing the pebbles. "Please, Eris. Please, listen to me."

Eris steps away from the window, and Azriel's heart drops, just like his shoulders. The light in Eris' room goes off. 

Then there is nothing but silence and darkness. The darkness creeps in around him. The wind howls, and a shudder courses through Azriel. He is shaking when he bends down to pick up some pebbles again, his ankle aching fiercely, but it is nothing compared to the pain inside his heart. It hurts so much.

But he won't give up like that. Not so easily. He messed up the previous day and in the years prior. This is his last chance, and he is going to take it. 

The moment he lifts his hand, ready to throw another small stone, the house's back door suddenly opens. 

Azriel's breath catches, and he feels like his knees will give in at any moment. 

There he is. Having donned a thin tank top, Eris stands in the doorframe, his eyebrow raised. "Talk."

Azriel takes a step forward, trying to act as if everything is fine. "I am sorry for calling you a coward." He limps another step forward, grinding his teeth hard to bite back on the pain. 

"Okay," Eris answers tightly, then his gaze dips, and he looks at Azriel's very obviously swollen ankle. "I assume that happened when you tried to spy on me Friday night? Did you see what you wanted to see?" Eris raises a brow, crossing his arms over his chest, the muscles in his upper arms rippling with the movement. 

"I wasn't spying on you."

"Of course, Spymaster." The corner of Eris' mouth kicks up when he uses the nickname some kids gave Azriel in their childhood. He always used to spy on the adults and steal cookies and cakes when they didn't look, earning him this title. Azriel has completely forgotten about it, and his lips part in silent surprise. 

"I went for a walk."

"At three in the morning?" Eris closes the back door behind him. "That's a normal time for people to take a walk."

"You were also taking a walk with your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!" Eris almost shouts, then starts to laugh so hard he has to bend over. It infuriates Azriel, and he braces himself for hearing Eris say something like: "He is my husband, you dumbass."

"Tamlin is not my boyfriend." Eris has calmed a little and now approaches Azriel, his bare feet padding softly over the cool, dewy grass. "He is my best friend, and this guy is as straight as a pole and married to Briar. I'm not sure if you remember her."

Azriel can barely swallow around the lump of shame in his throat. "You are not–"

"No, Azriel. But why do you care?"

"Why do you think I care?"

"Yes, this is what I am asking, Azriel. Why would you care? When you didn't care enough to call a single time?"

"You'll never let me forget that, huh?" Azriel spits.

Eris closes the distance between them faster than Azriel can breathe and is in his face the next moment, forehead pressing against his. "Because it broke my fucking heart. It tore me apart and left my soul in shards on the ground. Because I loved you, and you just left me when everything fell apart."

Azriel's heart breaks anew. "Mum was moving away with me; I couldn't have stayed here alone."

"But you could have called."

"You broke up with me." Azriel flattens his palms against Eris' chest, feeling his warm skin despite the cold night air against his palms. But he doesn't push Eris away; he only rests his hands on his ex-boyfriend's chest. "I couldn't reach out again."

"Why?" Eris growls. "What hindered you? I thought you used to love me."

"I did love you," Azriel answers honestly. "That's why I couldn't reach out again. Beron hurt you so much because of me. He forced you to break up with me. He punched you bloody that night, Eris, I haven't forgotten about that. He broke your collarbone." Azriel swallows thickly, tears filling his eyes. "When I think back to this moment, I still hear your cries, I still see the blood–I couldn't let this happen again. You needed to get rid of me, and that for good." 

"Azriel…" Eris breathes, and it seems as if he doesn't know how to continue. 

Azriel's head starts to spin suddenly, having finally revealed the secret he kept to himself for the past ten years. He has finally given Eris the reason for his ignorance, and it feels like a heavy weight is lifted from his chest. 

"You were too good to be good for me." Azriel's breath tingles Eris' skin, his gaze dropping to his lips. "You deserved so much better. You deserved someone else, someone better. You deserve someone better." Azriel looses a long breath that cascades down Eris' throat and his chest. "But that doesn't mean that I have stopped thinking about you." 

"I haven't stopped thinking about you either," Eris admits, voice equally breathy, his hand sliding around Azriel's waist, bringing him closer. "Night and day, you have been on my mind. No matter what I tried, no matter who I was with, it was always you on my mind."

"It was always you, Eris." Azriel's Adam's apple bobs. They breathe the same air, their bodies almost flush against one another. And yet, it feels as if there are millennia between them. The time they have missed.

"Why haven't you told me before?"

"Because I was worried about you. I knew you would find a way to get to me and reach out, and if Beron found out–" Azriel inhales a long breath, his eyes close. "I never knew loving could hurt this good. And it drives me wild, 'cause when you look like that, I've never ever wanted to be so bad; oh god, you are still driving wild, Eris."

"You are driving me wild, Azriel," Eris huffs. "Showing up here like that, looking like that, and–fuck, I still want you the same way. Is that even possible after such a long time?"

Their lips meet in a hasty kiss, and their feet, even Azriel's injured one, move fully on their own accord until Azriel's back is pressed against the wall of the garden shed. Eris' hands vigorously roam his body, tongues tangling when their mouths open to one another. 

Eris' hands and lips still know their way around, and it truly drives Azriel wild and insane. He feels like he is once again getting drunk on the taste of Eris, on the feel of his body against his own, and it seems like a fever dream that this is truly happening. 

"You still want me, Eris?" Azriel breathes, their lips only parting for a slight second.

"Yes." Eris pushes against him, making him feel exactly how hard he already is, only from a few kisses. "I've never stopped wanting you. No one felt like you. Nothing felt like being with you. It was only ever you. And still is. I've wanted to hate you so much for leaving me alone, but I failed."

"I'm glad you did, because I did too. I failed at trying to forget you, at stopping to love you."

Eris' lips kiss a trail down the side of Azriel's throat, teeth grazing his skin softly and eliciting soft sighs from his former best friend. "You want me now?"

"I always want you, Eris," Azriel pants. "I have always wanted you."

Their bodies move fully on their own accord, guided and driven by sheer desire and need, the longing that has grown so much and so stark over the time they were apart. And after asking for Azriel's consent, there is no more holding back for Eris. For either of them. 

Eris lowers himself to the ground, kneeling, and starts to toy with the button and the zipper on Azriel's jeans. They ignore the fact that they are outside, in the garden where people could see them. Their need for each other right here and now drowns out every little part of rationality. 

After freeing Azriel's already half-hard length, Eris strokes him a few times, loving the soft, breathy gasps that leave Azriel in reaction to his doing. He smooths his hand down the hard length of his shaft, the skin yet soft beneath his palm, and then parts his lips. 

"Ten fucking years," Eris rasps, tongue swirling to collect the bead of liquid already gathered at the tip before fully sucking him into his mouth.

He works him softly at first, and Azriel finds himself moaning at the feeling of his cock engulfed in the wet heat of Eris' mouth, his hand falling into his long red locks, tugging softly at first. Eris begins to suck harder and move his mouth a little faster; his hand grips the back of his mouth, holding on tightly. 

Using his mouth and hand together, Eris hollows his cheeks and holds eye contact with Azriel, which is everything he needs to tip him over the edge. He bucks his hips into Eris' face until he comes with a shout, and Eris greedily swallows around him, drinking him down like he has been a starved male for centuries. 

"Fuck yes!" Eris expresses when he sits back on his heels. He locks his hooded gaze on Azriel, his hand wiping over the drool and Azriel's come running down his cheek. "I've missed this."

"I missed you," Azriel answers and bends down, reaching for Eris to bring him in for a kiss, but cries out when his ankle twitches again. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"You regret what we did?"

"No," Eris answers tightly, carefully tending Azriel's ankle and applying the last bit of cream still on his fingertips. He wipes them clean on a cloth hanging from the table and picks up a bandage. Before he continues, he adjusts Azriel's leg on his lap. "No, I don't."

The moment Azriel cries out in pain, Eris immediately knows he needs to take care of Azriel's leg. He drags him inside the house to examine the injury despite Azriel's protests. Only a minute later, they ended up in the kitchen of Eris' home, now sitting at the dining table that is still familiar to Azriel, with only a small oil lamp lit on the kitchen counter.

"But why are you so calm then?" Azriel asks, hoping to catch his eyes, but Eris keeps looking at his ankle.

"I am just thinking…"

"About?"

"About us."

Us. It still sounds so beautiful, and when Eris says it, it gives Azriel hope.

"What did it feel like…going away, I mean." Eris lifts his eyes for a brief moment, hoping to catch his gaze.

Azriel sighs loudly. "It was awful. The first days, weeks, months. I only cried. I made new friends in New York that helped me out of my misery, but that doesn't mean I didn't miss you daily. I always thought about you and knew you were feeling the same." He wipes a hand over his eyes. "I knew that if I called you, I would only make it worse. For both of us. There was no way we could see each other again any time soon…"

Eris nods slowly. "I gave up at some point. I called a few times, but you never answered. Then, Beron forced me to delete your number and all the pictures I had with you. I could save a few on my computer, but the rest was all gone."

"All of our silly videos and photos?" Azriel asks and places his hand on Eris'. The man nods in answer.

"I'll try to find them on my old phone. I'm sure I still have it somewhere." A small smile appears on his lips and a little light returns to his eyes. "Also, those with your little brother." Azriel chuckles softly. "How is Lucien?"

"A menace," Eris breathes. "He was a sweet boy until puberty hit him with full force. He was all about girls and his appearance, but he still did well in school. He has been dating the same girl for a few years now. They got together when they were fourteen and are still going strong. She might be his soulmate. Elain, she's a sweet girl."

Azriel smiles at that. "I'm glad he's doing well."

"Yeah," Eris sighs. He deserves a good life. "He will be here for the funeral. He said it is a kind of closure."

Azriel nods slowly. "Did he move away?"

"No," Eris answers, "but he spends every other weekend with his biological dad." 

Azriel remembers the little affair, the unspoken story of how Lucien and Eris only share a mother. Eris found out about it very early on and obviously told Azriel. Back then, they shared everything with each other.

"I'm glad to hear he has contact with him now." Azriel inhales deeply. At least someone has luck with their father, he thinks. 

Eris smiles, at least a little, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "I've always hoped you would just show up here again someday. I even thought about going to New York, but I thought I would make a fool out of myself – suddenly showing up in the big city with hopes and dreams for us while it was possible that you were already married or at least had a partner."

A breathy chuckle leaves Azriel. "I was dating a few people in the ten years, but it never felt right. It never felt as right as it did with you."

"I know what you mean, Azriel. I know this feeling." Eris inhales a long, deep breath. "I've always thought it was because you will never forget your first love, and somehow they will always be important to you, but I now know that it is because there is no one in this world like you. I fell in love with you because you are my counterpart and everything I could and would ever hope for in a partner. I fell in love with everything about you, and no one would ever compare to you."

Azriel's fingers curl tighter around Eris, and he leans in, kissing his lips softly. "No one compares to you. I fell in love with your charm and wonderful character and soon realized that no one is like you. You are one in a million, and finding someone like you…I was the luckiest idiot on this planet until I ruined everything."

"Beron ruined it."

"I did, too." Azriel shakes his head. "I shouldn't have given up that easily. I should have fought for us. I should have fought Beron for you. I should have fought for our future."

Eris swallows thickly, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I broke up with you; maybe I shouldn't have given up that easily, either. Let's agree that we both made mistakes and didn't do everything right, but this was in the past. Let it be in the past and focus on the future."

"Can you forgive me so easily?" Azriel asks, his heart heavy, his stomach churning. He bites down on the inside of his cheeks.

Eris' shoulders lift with a deep breath. "I can, if you can forgive me for everything I've said."

"I can." Eris nips at Azriel's lips, then lets his forehead rest against Azriel's. "You will go back to New York tomorrow, right?"

"I'll ask my boss to allow me to stay a little longer," Azriel whispers. "He is one of my closest mates. He won't say no." He kisses the corner of Eris' lips. "But yes, I will have to return in a few days. I have my work there and…I can't give everything up there so easily."

"I know. I wouldn't want you to give up everything there." Eris' eyes close, and his heart sinks into his gut. He wants to leave with Azriel and move to the big city with him, but can he leave everything here behind so easily? 

He has no job at the moment, as he has been taking care of his ill father in the past months and had to take leave and then quit. It wasn't easy, but working as a doctor before earned him a bit of money that he had on the side, which tided him over the months. So technically, he could start anew in the big city. But that would mean leaving everything here behind: his mother, his brothers.

"My apartment in New York is definitely made for two people, so…" A hopeful smile appears on Azriel's lips. 

Eris smiles in return; this time, it reaches his eyes, where hope and anticipation spark to life. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Are you ready?" Azriel looks at him, holding eye contact, although Eris seems to find reciprocating difficult. 

Beron has never been a good father, but the funeral day isn't easy. Beron was still his father, and from time to time, they had good moments, moments where they could laugh and smile together. But those days were sparse. 

He inhales a deep breath and exhales loudly. "I am."

Everyone is already inside; he and Azriel are the only people still left outside. The funeral will only begin when he enters, so he allows himself this time to breathe and collect himself, knowing he is not missing anything inside. 

"I really am." He nods slowly. "You will sit with me?" Eris swallows thickly. "Stay with me?"

"Always," Azriel answers. I will never, ever leave you again." He pulls down the door handle, and they enter together. They stroll down the aisle leading to the altar together, their steps synchronised until they reach their bench, where Eris' mother and two of his brothers are already sitting. 

Azriel's hand naturally slides into Eris when he sits down beside him. The pastor steps onto the dais, and piano music starts to sound from the back of the chapel. 

"I'm here for you, Eris," Azriel whispers, not turning to look at Eris but staring straight ahead at the coffin. "Forever."

"Forever?"

"Forever. Move to New York with me." 

Eris doesn't give him a verbal answer, only squeezes his hand in response, yet a slight smile that feels so out of place for a funeral appears on his lips. Always sounds just too good. Especially when it means forever with Azriel.

general Azris tag list (please let me know if you want to be added/removed): @azrielsbabyg @lady-riel @moonlightazriel @aayo-whatt @brekkershadowsinger @ladyelain @banasheefan56 @a-frog-with-a-laptop @ofduskanddreams @acourtofladydeath @secret-third-thing @born-to-riot @chunkypossum @talibunny30 @berryzxx

thank you so much for beta reading @pippsmcgee and @moonlightazriel 💛