#I could be throwing up in front of her and she'll come in my room every 5 minutes asking me when I'm ready to get her dinner | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pynkgothicka · 5 months

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ＫｎｅｅＳｏｃｋｓＫＮＪ

Pairing - Tutor! Dark! Kim Namjoon x AFAB! Reader

Synopsis-Based off Parasite, your korean teacher leaves to go on a work study trip, and leaves you with his best friend to be a replacement teacher. Part 2 of the movies series.

Featuring - Brandon Perea (Angel From Nope)

Word Count - Around 3k

Tags and Warnings - age-gap, manipulation, murder, fingering, tutor/student relationship

Authors Note - As you can probably tell, the stories are majority very loosely based on the stories with me throwing my own twists into it all. Also Joon is a conglomerate of all the Parks (the poor family) into one character! Enjoy:3

A friendly reminder that all my works are dark fanfiction! Please if you do not like that do not read them! These depictions don't pertain to reality. This is your final warning before hitting the keep reading button!!

“So you want me to basically be your substitute?”

Namjoon eyed his friend as he ate from the bowl of ramen in front of him. One of his old high school friends, Brandon, stopped by his apartment out of the blue. And of course, Namjoon was embarrassed, the place looked like a dump.

Which is exactly what it was.

A dump.

“Yeah, listen I know you're smart. And I know you need the pay.” Brandon said taking a bite out of his ramen. He used his chopstick to point at Namjoon. “Also I trust you man.”

Namjoon groaned out leaning back into his couch. “Trust me? With what? Don't tell me you got roped into something fucked up.”Namjoon complained. Brandon had that look in his eyes, Namjoon could tell when he was being shifty.

“So maybe I've kind of got something going with the girl, she's sweet, super sheltered, like the perfect girl,” Brandon says leaning back long with Namjoon. “I plan on asking her out when I'm back okay? I just need you to be so you man. All scholarly and shit.”

Namjoon thought about it for a minute. “How's the pay?”

“Around 500 a session. Trust me her family has the money to blow. They want the best and they trust me to have good recommendations. Also, the mom is a bit of an airhead anyway.”

“Fine, you're lucky I need to make rent.”

📖

You sat in your room bored out of your mind. Your mother told you that Brandon had found someone to continue your studies while he was away. You knew your mom was probably annoying the poor man downstairs. She had a habit of talking too much.

Curiosity got the better of you as you found yourself heading downstairs to your lavish mansion kitchen. You sat on the stairs, peering through the railing.

Your new tutor was handsome, slightly built with a buzz cut. He reminded you of men you see in movies, rich CEOs who would fall for their secretaries. Or even a dangerous boxer who has a soft spot for the ballerina.

Lost in your trance, your mom spotted you. “Oh! Sweetheart come down, Mr. Kim here would like to meet you.” You curse under your breath as you stand up and walk the rest of the way downstairs. Almost tripping as your socks slipped on the hardwood floor. You catch yourself walking over to the side of the island.

Mr. Kim looked at you for a moment before smiling. “Please call me Namjoon, Mr. Kim makes me sound old.” He said extending a hand. You take it and give him a slightly firm handshake.

“She'll call you Mr.Kim, respect always remember sweetheart?” Your mom cooed passing you a bowl of pomegranate seeds. You nod towards her as she smiles. “Okay now go study, Mr. Kim is a very smart man by the sound of it. If you need anything call me upstairs.”

You were already walking upstairs with Namjoon following close behind. You led him into your bedroom and sat down at your desk. You pull out the notebook that you and Brandon used. “Sorry if my mom was annoying you, she's ditzy like that.” You mumbled going to the practice test you were doing before Brandon left last session.

Snap!

You jump at Namjoons snapping right in front of your face. “I want you to focus. From what you're mother is telling me she wants you to pass with Korean as a foreign Language for college next semester correct?” You nod at Namjoon. You focus back in on the practice test.

It was a particular problem you stared at, and it was something you couldn't figure out. You were about to circle A but you were stopped by Namjoon grabbing your wrist. “Are you certain that's the answer?” He asks leaning next to you. You shake your head, no, your breathing rising in speed as his hand holds your own in place. “Then why are you answering it?”

“Because it's the next question?” You say your voice peeking as you finish the statement. It comes out like a question and more so it comes out as you being rude to him. You shake your head looking up at him. “Sorry… I mean… it's true I just didn't want you to take it as me being rude to you.”

“Focus.” He reprimands. “Look at the question and think again.” Namjoon let's go of your wrist and you reconsider the answer. It's D. The answer is D. You circle it and look back at Namjoon expecting a response. You're welcomed with a warm smile. “Very good.”

His hand digs into the bowl of pomegranate seeds and he pops one into your mouth. You blush as you feel the tips of his fingers touch your lips and the action in general. Not even Brandon did something that bold. “T-Thank you Namjoon.”

He gives you a warm smile, showing his dimples, something you just caught. “Good, now continue answering the rest of the questions, you don't want to do bad you're first day with me do you?”

📖

Once Namjoon got his pay and started his trek home he realized something. Brandon was right, you pretty much were the perfect girl. Just from one lesson, he realized he enjoyed teaching you something he's become so familiar with.

While he was lost in thought Brandon called him and Namjoon picked it up. “Hey, how was your first class?” Namjoon didn't want to tell him that he was secretly fond of the girl that Brandon liked and that he felt something for her as well so he chose to be as bland as possible.

“It was good. We just kind of reviewed what you guys already went over before.” Namjoon said crossing the street and walking into his apartment complex. He checked the mail seeing that he had nothing.

No one usually contacted him unless it was some bill.

“That's good, is she ok? I know I kind of left on short notice.” Brandon said into the phone. Namjoon hated that he felt indifferent towards Brandon's concerns. It wasn't really like him to see his friends whining about nothing in particular. “God I must've hurt her so bad.”

“I mean if she's hurt she didn't say anything about it, I mean I guess she was nervous,” Namjoon said entering his apartment. “I mean it's nothing bad for her to not be upset. Maybe she'll ask about you later?” God, he hated giving Brandon hope.

But Brandon took it as is. “Thanks, man, I really appreciate you doing this for me. Call you later.” And before Namjoon could even wish him goodbye the phone hung up in his face.

He let out a sigh before pouring a bowl of cereal. He wished you were there for him. You wouldn't have him eating this, you'd probably want him to eat better. Namjoon caught himself thinking in that way and he caught himself. He knew this would end badly. There is no other way it could go.

📖

Namjoon had taught you for about a month now, and you couldn't stop thinking about him. Even now as he sits next to you while you study what he taught you today, you couldn't help but fantasize about him.

You sat with your head down reading over the pages in your notebook. You poked your lip out, hoping he would notice you. It was fruitless of an attempt but you at least had to try.

“Namjoon, have you ever been in love?”

He looks up at you cocking a brow. “What does this have to do with Korean?” You look away at his question, keeping your eyes glued to the notebook. Namjoon takes his thumb and tilts your eyes to look into his own. “Look up here, Answer the question.”

Your eyes look away. “It was a dumb question, I shouldn't have asked it.”

“But you did. Why?”

You let out a sigh before responding. “Well, I was just wondering if you had, you don't have to answer it, I know it's off-topic.” You blabber on, Namjoon letting your head drop.

“Well, yeah of course. I'm 29, and I of course have had a few relationships. But they always just don't get it you know?” Namjoon rests his head in his hand, elbow resting on your desk. “They didn't want to change for the sake of our relationship. I guess I just have a bad taste in women huh?” He ended with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I mean what do you like in women…? I can probably be a good judge of character for you.” You add playing it off as being nice towards him. Maybe if he told you what he liked, you could change to fit his standards. Namjoon seemed to be a perfect man, and maybe you being almost 20 could be perfect in his eyes if you did.

He turned to look at you. “Well, I like my women of course pretty. Smart, shy, well… I mean that's too much already.” He said throwing his hand up to brush it off coyly. You put a hand on his thigh, looking into his eyes as to encourage him.

“Tell me, I want to know.”

“Well, I don't think it matters really. Unless you think that you're right for me.” Namjoon said leaning down to get closer to you. “Are you baby? Are you the right person for me?”

You nodded getting closer, your lips ghosting over his own. Namjoon does the final push, connecting your lips together. His hand goes to your hair, tangling his hand into it. His tongue brushed over your teeth, pushing into your mouth. You were messy, clunky, and unsure of what you were doing. As he pulled away, his chest rose and fell. “Do you think you love me?” He finally asks. “Is that why you asked me if I had ever been in love?”

“Mhmm, you're just so… amazing and wise… I've looked at you since you showed up in the kitchen…”

“Good, I think that you're amazing, and I want to see where this goes, I think you're the right person… the one I've been looking for,” Namjoon said before connecting your lips again.

📖

From that day on, every time you had a class with Namjoon, it was really spent cuddling and enjoying your time with the older man. Laying in bed, you two would usually talk about life, normally letting Namjoon talk and praise you. Maybe it was due to the fact you usually went along with whatever he wanted to do.

Like now.

You dug your nails into his arm, his hand dug into your panties, fingering you. He quieted your moans with his lips, you sitting in front of him, toes curling as they hang off your bed. “Joon…” You whine into his mouth, trying to be as quiet as possible. “It f-feels so good…”

His fingers curled, blunt nails hitting at your walls. “Yeah? Doesn't it feel good to be loved?” He said placing kisses down your neck, sucking a hickey to join new and faded ones. He usually couldn't keep his hands off of you, no matter what, usually liking for his hands to dig into your thighs, thumbs brushing over the top of your knee-high socks. But now he wanted to give you pleasure, something he called a gift since you two were together.

You nodded as you feel your cunt gush around his thick fingers. “Please let me cum… I need it, sir.” You moan quietly into his mouth. Namjoon only liked to be called sir when messing around. He told you that it made him feel empowered and that you being there made him feel so much better than usual. You saw nothing wrong with that of course, isn't that the role of a lover?

“Do it for me, baby, all over my fingers.” And you do, as soon as he says that, you throw your head back on his shoulder. You collapse onto him, Namjoon adjusting it to where you laid on him in bed. He stuck his fingers into his mouth, sucking off your juices. You couldn't help but blush. “You taste amazing, like always.”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Are you still going to be able to make it to my party? I know my parents invited you and stuff.” You ask, hand playing with your boyfriend's cheek. Of course, coming from a rich family meant you'd have large parties for your birthday. It's not like you wanted them but, they also told you they invited your tutor who just so happened to be your boyfriend.

Namjoon swatted at your fingers, chuckling a bit. “Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world. We just won't pretend to be a thing.” He says. You nod in agreement, knowing your parent's reaction would most likely ruin the party in general.

“Yeah… okay! We should have around 30 minutes left, and I really just want to nap.” You say closing your eyes and laying down your head. Namjoons hand stroked at your head soothing you to fall asleep.

📖

The day had come for your party, and Namjoon couldn't have been more excited. He put on a brand new suit, one he brought with the money he made from his newfound job. As he arrives at the home, he spots that people have already shown up and that it's an outside party at that. Namjoon walked towards the backyard patio, your father setting up a backdrop for pictures.

“Mr, Kim, just the man I wanted to see,” Your father behind raising up to hug the man. “I'm glad you made it, hey can you head inside to grab the champagne buckets? They should be in the cellar in the basement.”

Namjoon nodded. “Yes, of course, I'll be back.” Namjoon makes his way to the back door seeing a table of women who blew kisses at them. He smiled before going inside, taking his phone out to send you a quick text.

Namjoon: Just arrived! Ur dad is already putting me to work lol

Baby🤍: Oh goddd I'll get on him about it.

Baby🤍 Still getting ready though, so just work for him a bit until I finish. Luv uuuu!!!

Namjoon chuckled at your texts as he made his way into the kitchen.

“So when were you going to tell me you started fucking her?” Namjoon put his phone down to look up, seeing no one other than Brandon. He stood at the kitchen island leaning on it, a drink in hand.

“Oh, your back? I thought you'd be gone longer.” Namjoon commented before turning to head to the basement. He wasn't going to deal with Brandon and ruin his girlfriend's day.

That thought was before Brandon shoved Namjoon into a wall. Brandon held Namjoons shirt. “Don't play dumb with me, I went to see her. I was gonna gift her a letter and she said she already had a boyfriend. And I know the only dude she would see constantly was you. How could you? I asked you to do one thing and you couldn't even do that?!” Brandon said, getting in Namjoons face. He whinced, Brandon's forearm resting on Namjoons neck pushing down. There was no way he was going to die this way, not from Brandon's rage.

Namjoon pushed him off, then shoved him down the basement stairs. Namjoon stood there as he watched Brandon fall, head hitting the wood. He waited until the last thud, Namjoon slowly walking downstairs to see what he had just done. Once he reaches the bottom, Namjoon smiles, the sick sight of Brandon writhing on the ground groaning. A puddle of blood formed around him, the impact from hitting the concrete probably giving him a concussion.

The bottom of Namjoons shoes clicked as he made his way to the cellar. He took the metal branding tool used to mark the barrels. The sound of metal shrieked as he dragged it towards Brandon's beat-up corpse. “I'm sorry I have to do this, but you're in my way now. And we can't have that now can we?” Namjoon taunted raising the iron. Brandon's eyes opened slightly as he saw the iron come down on him.

Namjoon felt tears pour down his cheeks as he began to beat Brandon in.He coughed up blood, and Namjoon didn't stop beating Brandon until he was certain he was dead. Once he came to that conclusion he dropped the iron. "Why did you make me do that huh?!" Namjoon yelled at no one. "You ruin everything, god, im happy you're fucking gone."

Namjoon claimed himself wiping his eyes of tears. He got up and grabbed the champagne buckets. He looked back before heading out of the basement, locking the door. He lets out a sigh before leaving, not looking back. He had bigger plans now, and Brandon wasn't in them.

He couldn't be in them.

Namjoons eyes trailed over your form, stopping at your socks as you laughed with your family. Outside the patio, you see Namjoon carrying the ice buckets and wave him over. He smiles at you before signing and returning to his girlfriend who he plans to keep forever.

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roosterforme · 1 year

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The Younger Kind Part 15 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: You start to regret showing up for Noah's birthday party once you feel exactly how awkward things are between you and Bradley. But when you witness his jealousy and learn that his hurtful words were more lies than truth, you agree to at least hear him out.

Warnings: Angst, swearing, and age gap (18+)

Length: 5000 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more!

When Bradley managed to pull his head out of his ass long enough to invite you to Noah's birthday party, he hadn't anticipated what it would be like if you actually came. You texted him back on Friday, letting him know you would try to stop by. But now that he and Nat were setting everything up, Bradley was feeling anxious.

Every time a guest arrived, he poked his head outside to see if your car was there, only to be disappointed. He wanted to see you. That much was plainly evident now. But he wanted to do way more than that. He missed you so much.

"She'll be here," Nat told him as she held Noah. "There's no way she's going to be able to live with herself if she disappoints this little guy. Isn't that right, Noah? Now pout at your dad."

Bradley laughed as Noah and Nat both made sad, pouty faces at him. "You're right. Nobody could say no to that," Bradley said, blowing a raspberry on his son's neck until they were both laughing.

Jake strolled in with two six packs of beer and looked around. "Happy birthday, Noah. Where's your babysitter, little dude?"

Bradley rolled his eyes in response, and just as he was about to say he wasn't sure if you were even coming, you opened the front door and met Bradley's eyes right away.

"Hi," you said softly, your arms filled with gift bags and treats as you shifted everything around nervously.

"Princess," Bradley said before he could catch himself. His heart was pounding as you bit your glossy lip anxiously and turned your attention to Noah.

"Happy birthday!" As soon as you said those two words, you had Noah's full attention, and he squirmed to get out of Nat's arms and run to you. Bradley watched you kneel and set everything on the floor so Noah could hug you.

"See? He needs her here. And I don't think he's the only one," Nat whispered as she shoved Bradley toward you. But Jake was right there as well, and Bradley knew for a fact that Hangman was interested in you. He'd been not so subtly asking about you since he saw the photo of you on Bradley's phone at the Hard Deck. The photo of you wearing your purple crown.

"You must be the babysitter," Jake drawled with a grin as he approached you on the floor with Noah. He was looking down the front of your little dress, Bradley just knew it. And when you looked up at him with innocent eyes, nodding and introducing yourself, Bradley was on the verge of kicking Jake out of his house. Because it looked indecent, the way you were positioned and the way Jake was easing himself a little closer still.

Bradley cleared his throat loudly. "I'll just take these into the kitchen," he said, scooping up the gifts. And that's when he noticed you'd made a whole container of ants on logs wearing party hats made out of lettuce. Bradley wanted to throw you over his shoulder and take you to his room, make love to you, and never hurt you again. He met your eyes, kneeling just a foot away from you while Noah pawed at you.

"Okay," you whispered. You looked far less pleased when you were looking at Bradley than you did when you were looking at Noah or Jake. He deserved that. He knew he did. He was lucky you even decided to come today to make Noah happy.

Oh god, Bradley wanted to take back every horrible word he said to you, but he couldn't. The damage was done now, just as he had originally intended. And he had to watch as Jake helped you stand and run his fingers up your uninjured arm.

"Hi!" called two of the moms of Noah's daycare friends as they walked in with their own kids, taking Bradley's attention away from you. He greeted them and their children, and ended up adding even more gift bags to his arms.

Then Mav and Penny arrived. Bradley let Penny take his face in her hands and pat his cheeks, something he probably wouldn't let anyone else do to him. And then she kissed him and asked, "How's the dating thing working out for you?"

Bradley laughed sardonically. "I've pushed that to the back burner, Pen."

"Yeah. Mav told me that Meredith is giving you a hard time. If there's anything we can do...?"

"I appreciate it. I'll let you know."

When Bradley finally went into the kitchen to put Noah's snacks in the refrigerator and set down the gifts, he froze. You had already made your way in here. Your back was to him, and you were talking to Jake. Bradley could hear your laughter in response to something Jake said, and he had never been so jealous before. He was so used to coaxing that gorgeous sound from your lips himself. Those glossy lips that Jake was eyeing up, no doubt thinking about doing something dirty to them.

Bradley's breath caught in his throat as you turned to glance at him over your shoulder with a bland look. He was so used to your flirtatious smile and bright, wide eyes being focused on him. God, he had taken it all for granted, and now you couldn't stand him.

And if Bradley thought he had been jealous a moment ago when Jake made you laugh, it was nothing compared to the outrage he felt as he watched Jake touch your waist. He squeezed you gently, letting his fingers dig into the fabric of your floral dress. All of the gifts tumbled out of Bradley's hands and onto the table, and you sidestepped Jake's grubby little hand to turn and look at him.

"One of my gifts is fragile," you said with annoyance, rooting through the pile to make sure it was okay. But Bradley was looking at Jake, and Jake was looking right back at him before his eyes dipped down to your ass.

"Seresin. Let's go outside. Now," Bradley growled, pointing at the sliding glass door off the kitchen.

Jake's little smirk grew as he said, "Sure thing, Bradshaw," and headed out.

Bradley slid the door closed with a thud and rounded on Jake. "Don't touch her."

Jake laughed heartily. "You fucking her, Rooster? Damn, you must be. Or you were." He paused, and Bradley could feel his cheeks heating up. "Maybe it wasn't any good for her? Because right now, she's not looking at you at all, man."

Bradley ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and clenched his fists. "Don't touch her, and don't talk about her. Don't even fucking look at her."

But Jake just cocked his head. "Hey, that's some great advice. And here's some for you. If you have access to a hot little piece of ass like that, you don't keep her tucked away in your house. You show that off. Let everyone know about it. That's what I'd do."

"Jake. Just stop." Bradley was fuming now, and also annoyed that he was letting Hangman get under his skin. But Jake was right; Bradley should have been showing you off when he had the chance instead of going on dates with the women from the app. Maybe then you and he would be in a place where he could be bold enough to ask you to stay with him in spite of Meredith.

"Why should I? Are you dating her?"

Bradley closed his eyes for a beat and let out a puff of air. "No."

"If you don't want her, why can't I have her?"

Bradley shook his head. "I never said that."

You opened the sliding glass door and poked your head outside, and both men stood at attention for you. "The pizzas are here," you told Bradley. "Want me to pay the guy with the money behind the TV?"

Bradley cleared his throat and glared at Jake for a second. "I'll take care of it, Princess," he said, pausing in the doorway with you. He had missed being this close to you, close enough to smell wildflowers. Your expression was softer now, almost that of an injured animal. He wanted to apologize for hurting you, but he settled for letting his fingers trace your knuckles before he pulled out his wallet for the pizzas.

You didn't flinch. You didn't back away. But that look in your eye grew a little sadder, and Bradley knew he had put it there. "Princess," he whispered, softer this time, and your lips parted before you turned and walked away from him and outside to Jake.

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

You were a mess. You shouldn't have come to the birthday party. All you wanted was to see Noah and bring him some treats, but it was killing you to be around Bradley, pretending like you weren't crushed.

And the second you had let your guard down, Jake started flirting with you. Which was fine. It didn't really matter. He seemed sweet enough even though he kept cornering you in conversation every time you tried to talk to Penny. You did manage to sneak away as Nat waved you over. But you could tell by the sympathetic look in her eyes that she knew Bradley had basically dumped you.

"Hey, Natasha. It's nice to see you," you managed with a small smile.

"I'm really happy you came," she replied as Noah ran up to hug your leg before returning to his friends. He had been hanging out with you more than anyone else, really. "And clearly so is the birthday boy."

"Yeah, well... I'm kind of attached to him, sadly," you said with a forced laugh. Then you asked the question that had been on your mind since you arrived. The one you were afraid to hear the answer to. "Hey, is Meredith coming?"

Nat's eyes went wide and she almost dropped her slice of pizza. "Hell no. Why would Meredith be here? In fact, I would go so far as to say that if she decides to show up, I will drag her outside myself and make her leave."

You were gaping at her. "She and Bradley aren't... talking? About getting back together? For Noah?"

Now she really did drop her pizza right onto the hardwood floor. "Who told you that?!"

"Nobody."

Bradley had lied to you about Meredith. But why? What would be the point in that? And if he wanted to hurt you, then why did he invite you here today? Why was he looking at you like he missed you and calling you Princess instead of ignoring you?

You bent and used your napkin to wipe up the cheese and sauce, and when you stood, Nat looked like she was about to rage. Without another word, she took off in Bradley's direction leaving you with so many questions swirling around in your mind.

When you made your way back into the kitchen to throw the napkin away, you decided it would be a good idea for you to just sneak out the back door and head home. You once again felt drained and undesirable and disrespected. It didn't really matter how badly you wanted to be here for Noah if Bradley wasn't going to be honest with you about what was going on. You reached for the container of snacks for Noah and set it in the refrigerator, and then you turned to find Jake right behind you.

"Oh!" you gasped, jumping awkwardly. "I didn't know you were in here."

His smile was so charming, you could do nothing but smile back as he said, "Just came in for more pizza, but found something so much nicer instead." He touched your arm again, and you rolled your eyes.

"You're a shameless flirt," you informed him, as if he didn't know that already.

"What? You don't like that?" he asked, taking a step closer.

You matched his smirk with your own. "Maybe I like a guy who can be subtle sometimes."

"Hey, that sounds like my good friend Bradshaw," he said, running his thumb slowly up to your shoulder. "But maybe he's a little too subtle? A little too reserved? You deserve to be set right on a pedestal. All out in the open."

You laughed. You couldn't help it. This was absolutely ridiculous. "No, I think I would prefer a throne. Like a Princess. In a castle," you told him, thinking about all the castles you and Noah had built out of blocks while wearing your paper crowns. Thinking about the times you and Bradley had been so comfortable together, talking on his couch.

"Okay," Jake drawled. "I like where this is headed. And if Bradshaw doesn't want you, I definitely do, Princess."

You opened your mouth to tell him not to call you that, but he was already leaning in and kissing you.

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

Bradley saw red. He never really understood that expression before. It never made sense. Until right now. It felt and looked like all of the blood in his body was obscuring his vision. And all he wanted to do was make Jake Seresin hurt.

Jake's hands were on your face and neck, and his lips were pressed to yours. Right in the middle of Bradley's kitchen.

Bradley just got finished being reamed out by Nat for being the world's biggest dickhead, so he was already on edge. Already looking to apologize to you and hoping you'd listen to him. But the sight of Jake kissing you was just one step too far, and he wasn't going to let this fly.

With three swift steps, Bradley was right there, grabbing Jake by the shoulder and pulling him away from you. The startled look in your eyes, and the way you were still holding your arms tight to your sides had Bradley shoving Jake against the refrigerator.

"I warned you, Hangman," he growled, but Jake just smirked and licked his lips like he was savoring the way you tasted. The fact that he now also knew how nice your lipgloss was had Bradley seeing double.

"Bradley, it's okay. Stop." Your voice was soft, and then he could feel your hand on his back through his shirt. He turned away from Jake and focused his attention on you instead, unclenching his fists.

"Come with me, Princess." His voice was deep and raspy, and when he wrapped his arm around your waist, you spun away from him.

"Bradley!" you demanded, a little louder this time.

"Please?" he asked, and when he leaned down and kissed your forehead in front of anyone who might be looking, you let him take your hand and lead you into the bathroom. When he closed the door, you leaned back against it and bit your lip in silence.

"What the fuck are you doing to me, Princess?" Bradley asked, his tone pleading. "I can't even look at you, baby. I can't even smell you without hating myself even more."

"Good," you whispered as your gaze settled on his lips. "Where's Meredith?" you asked maliciously. "I haven't seen her all day."

He knew now that you and Nat had spoken. You knew he lied to you last weekend. "She's not coming, and you know it."

"Why did you lie to me about her?"

He swallowed hard. "Princess, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Why? I don't understand! And why do you suddenly care about me today? You told me I'm not right for you. You told me you needed someone better. You said you didn't want this." You gestured to yourself and looked away from him like you were ashamed.

Bradley gently guided your chin with his fingers until you were looking at him again. "I fucking lied about that, too. You're the only thing I want." He eased himself closer to you, desperate to feel your body against his.

You narrowed your eyes at him and pushed on his chest. "You can't keep doing this to me. Leave me alone, Bradley. I don't have time to mess around with you. I know how much you hated doing that with me."

"We weren't just messing around, Princess," he said softly as he backed away from you. He was silently begging you not to open the door and leave him as he swallowed hard. "It meant something to me."

Your eyes fluttered closed as you tilted your head back against the door. He watched your fingers grab at the hem of your dress as you looked at him reluctantly. "Bradley," you whispered. "It meant something to me, too." The anger was gone from your eyes now as you asked him, "Why did you try to hurt me like that on purpose? If you want me, why would you do that?"

"I'm just trying to protect you." He knew he was pleading, and he knew you deserved to hear everything. You also deserved a hell of a lot more than he could give you, and he didn't want to have an hour-long conversation with you in his bathroom during Noah's birthday party.

"Protect me?" you asked softly.

"Yeah. I just want to protect you," he whispered, running his fingers along your bandaged arm. "Will you let me touch you, Princess?"

You reached for his hand, and Bradley let you take the lead. When you linked your fingers through his and gave a little tug, he went willingly. You pulled him close until you and he were breathing the same air, and he could feel your body heat.

"Protect me from what?" you asked softly, and Bradley had to brace his other hand on the door next to your head as you kissed the edge of his lips softly. "I don't need you to protect me. I need you to appreciate me. Show me some respect. I'm not stupid."

His heart was pounding at the feel of your lips on his skin. "I know you're not stupid, baby. I'm the one who can't get his shit straight. Not you. I'll tell you everything," he promised, panting slightly. "I swear. Just stay. After everyone else leaves, please stay. Let me explain? Let me be good to you?"

Your eyes were alert, examining his face, trying to make sense of everything. When your tongue darted out to wet your lips, you said, "Okay. I'll stay. But you only get one chance, Bradley."

"I won't fuck it up. I promise. I've missed you so much."

This time you kissed him square on the lips, pulling him closer still by your linked fingers. The soft fabric of your dress was rubbing along his hand, and he knew he would give you anything you wanted. But he had to know, so he released your lips.

"Baby, what the hell were you doing with Jake?"

You paused before saying, "Just talking."

Bradley shook his head at you. "No. Your lips don't need to be touching his if you're just talking."

You sucked in a breath as he brought your hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to each finger. "He kissed me," you whispered. "He called me Princess."

"No," Bradley grunted. "I call you Princess. And he doesn't get to kiss you. Especially not in my house. Tell me I'm better."

Your eyes flashed with sudden need. "You're jealous."

He nodded and kissed your pinky. "You're goddamn right I'm fucking jealous." The softest smirk touched your lips before Bradley leaned in and kissed you. "Am I better than Jake?"

You were smiling now, your eyes wide. "I can't believe you're jealous over me."

Bradley growled. "Am I better?"

"You're better, Bradley."

He covered your lips with his while you rubbed your hand gently along his abs.

"You're such a good girl. Too good for Jake."

"Bradley!" you moaned as he kissed you again. He couldn't keep his lips off you now. This was all he wanted to do. Just kiss you. But he needed to get out of the bathroom before he did something stupid again.

"I know, baby," he whispered against your cheek. "We're gonna talk later. Let's go back out there. And you can tell Jake that you're not interested in him."

You laughed softly. "You want me to go tell him that I'm not interested in him? Because you're jealous?"

Bradley just nodded again. "You go tell him, Princess. Now. And then later on we can talk more."

"Okay, fine," you whispered smugly, and Bradley opened the bathroom door. He watched you walk on slightly unsteady legs as you made your way toward Jake in the living room. Every couple seconds, you smirked back over your shoulder, and Bradley silently urged you on.

Jake eyed you up and down and then met Bradley's eyes as you spoke to him. He looked annoyed now. Bradley felt elated.

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

Bradley was jealous! He had lied to you about everything, and now he was jealous that you were giving Jake attention. This day was turning out so much better than you thought it was going to.

You took a deep breath, looked at Jake and said, "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression earlier, but I'm not interested in you. Not like that."

"Huh," Jake grunted. "Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed, Princess."

It sounded so wrong, hearing that nickname from anyone other than Bradley and Noah. "Please, don't call me that."

Jake's smirk, which was kind of cute an hour ago, was grating on your nerves now. You wanted Bradley to haul you back to the bathroom again, or better yet, his bed. His handsome face was all you could think about as you caught sight of him out of the corner of your eye.

"You know, Bradshaw's alright," Jake drawled, and you turned back to him. "Just the slowest one to make his move on a girl. Don't wait around on him if you want more. He has more baggage weighing him down than anyone I've ever-"

You immediately cut him off. "Don't talk about Noah like that."

"Whoa," he said, chuckling and holding his hands up in surrender. "That's not what I meant. I mean the emotional kind. He's been through a lot. It slows him down, makes him hesitate. That's all I'm saying."

"Well thank you for your concern," you replied sarcastically. "But I think they are both worth the wait." You turned toward Bradley where he was talking to one of the daycare moms, and when you walked past him, you let your fingers trail along his lower back. He turned, and the look he gave you almost made your steps falter as you made your way into the kitchen.

If Bradley and Meredith weren't trying to work things out, if there was another reason why he tried to break things off with you, then you'd figure things out with him. And you wouldn't rush him. Because he couldn't stay away from you, and you couldn't stay away from him either. And you didn't want to have to try to fight it.

"Help me get the cake ready?" Nat asked when she saw you.

"Sure," you replied, opening up disposable plates and getting four candles ready for Noah. You had to keep biting your lip at the memory of kissing Bradley in the bathroom. You were distracted, and Nat must have asked you something.

"I'm sorry, what?"

She just shook her head. "I know Bradley is an idiot, but please, give him another chance. And you should stay away from Jake."

Had everyone seen him kiss you before? "I wasn't trying to-"

"When Bradley settles down, it will be for life. Meredith definitely stunted his ability to commit, but that fact still remains. Jake's got a different method, if you know what I'm saying. Not one to commit to a hairstyle, let alone a woman. So don't listen to him. Now, can you carry the birthday cake out to the living room?"

You just nodded slowly at her words and took the cake to Noah while Nat lit the candles. The room was full of people, and there were so many voices singing to Noah while Bradley stood next to you with his son in his arms. But it felt like just the three of you. Just like all the other times in Bradley's living room and kitchen. His deep voice warmed you everywhere as his fingers stroked up your spine when Noah blew out the candles.

"Did you make a wish?" you asked, and Noah's exaggerated nodding made you laugh. "I'm sure it will come true."

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

Bradley kept glancing your way as you and Noah opened up one of his new toys to play with on the living room couch. You liked his eyes on you. You liked his attention. You liked knowing he was jealous earlier.

"You want me to make you some coffee, Princess?" he asked, popping back into the living room as you and Noah raced cars across the floor.

"No, we're busy," you told him with a smirk, looking up at him. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning up with Nat and Penny?"

He took a step closer and said, "I just want to make sure you're not leaving yet?"

You shook your head. "You asked me to stay. I told you I'll stay."

Bradley grunted and went back into the kitchen, and a few minutes later, Penny and Pete came out. "You ready to go, kiddo?" Penny asked Noah. "You're coming with us for a sleepover." Noah looked up at her from his spot on your lap before he turned around to wrap his arms around your neck.

"That sounds like fun, Noah!" you told him, giving him a squeeze back. You were going to miss him so much. You'd already been missing him like crazy after just a week without him. Hopefully Bradley would help you make sense of things, because you didn't want to have to keep missing him or his son.

Noah gave you a kiss, and then Bradley handed Penny an overnight bag and scooped Noah up in a hug. "I love you. Be good for Penny and Mav." And then they were gone, and Bradley was looking at you on the floor in front of him.

Nat poked her head out of the kitchen as Bradley reached down to help you up with hopeful eyes. "How do you want me to wrap up the rest of this cake?" she asked, holding up a roll of aluminum foil. Then she looked between the two of you, and you stepped away from Bradley as she asked, "Wait, it's just the three of us left? Wrap up the cake yourself," she said, tossing the roll to Bradley and grabbing her bag. "Bye."

You watched Nat breeze out the front door without a backward glance. "What was that all about?" you asked, suddenly very aware that you were now alone with him.

He laughed softly. "She wants me to finish talking to you. Now, apparently."

"Well then, talk," you said, taking another step away from him toward the kitchen. "And don't make me cry again. If you do, I'm leaving."

He looked a little panicked, which made you feel like you were completely in control of things for once. He followed you cautiously as you went to investigate how much of the cake was left. Just when you turned toward him to reach for the roll of foil, Bradley set it on the counter and shook his head.

"I can take care of that later, Princess," he mumbled, caging you in against the counter and kissing you softly.

You moaned and reached for him immediately, kissing him back, he was still so sweet, and even less demanding than he had been in the bathroom. But then you jerked back, bracing your hands on his forearms.

"What's going on, Bradley? You're still all over the place. Tell me everything," you demanded, your volume rising with each sentence as he looked abashed. "Nat spilled the beans about Meredith. Then you told me you lied to me. You got jealous about Jake. But you sent me away in tears a week ago. Just...what the fuck?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have never said those things to you last weekend. I didn't mean a single word of it. I was just trying to protect you."

"You keep saying that!" you complained, pushing on his forearms until he let you move away from him. "But you're not saying anything at all." You ran your fingers along your bandaged arm. "And I already got hurt."

"Princess." Bradley followed you across the kitchen to the table, but you pushed on his chest and shook your head.

"Do not make me regret staying here right now," you whispered, and he took a deep breath. "Don't make me regret kissing you in the bathroom."

He stood up straight and ran his hands through his hair. His lips looked pouty and kissable. His cheeks were flushed like they had been earlier. But you were going to stand your ground with him.

When he didn't say anything, you pressed harder. "Talk to me." You watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed and looked at you intently, but he still said nothing. "I'm leaving."

"No!" gasped, reaching for you again, pulling you closer. You were going to protest again, but then he whispered, "I need you."

"For what, Bradley?"

His voice sounded soft, almost defeated as he told you, "Meredith wants custody of Noah."

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

Come on, jealous Daddy! Tell Princess everything! Hope you enjoy your fic, @beyondthesefourwalls And thank you @mak-32 !

PART 16

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astyrial · 9 months

Text

ogling over onigiri osamu miya x fem!reader (fluff) synopsis: osamu is short staffed and luckily for him, atsumu knows someone who can cook word count: 1.4k warnings: mentions of food and cooking masterlist | requests are open

"this is my kitchen, and i don't know her. so unless you have some magical thing that'll convince me to let her work in my kitchen, then no," osamu throws a hand towel over his shoulder, hands moving to rest on his hips.

atsumu leans against the entrance of onigiri miya's kitchen, arms crossed. the kitchen is practically empty due to half of the people calling out sick. people are lining up outside due to a tweet that atsumu regrettably sent out advertising a new dish and his appearance. however, none of that happens to be the magic thing that'll convince osamu to let someone into his kitchen on an early saturday morning.

atsumu looks back at the curtained windows, all of the legs behind it. despite his squabbles with his brother, he doesn't want to be the one who helps tank his business. "well, i know someone who used to be a sous chef. she cooked for the team some meal plans sometimes. i think she could have the day off-"

"you're going to call some woman on her day off and ask her to cook for my business? you can't just do that!"

"she loves to cook, really, she'll be here in no time. trust me, she's the best chef out there right now. plus you need another cook, and i don't think you want me helping," atsumu stands up straight, reaching for his phone in his back jean pocket.

osamu purses his lips while rolling his eyes. of course he needs the help, he has the past few days. but to request someone to come work on such a busy day feels wrong, inappropriate. "just tell her that she absolutely doesn't need to, and we're okay if she doesn't want to. i don't want you pressuring anyone," osamu was always stubborn, but even more so when he's affecting someone he hardly knows.

before a sudden realization that this is completely wrong and he shouldn't be doing this, his brother is already in the other room on the phone with you. osamu certainly can't hear your end of the phone call. however, he can hear the 'thank you's' leaving atsumu's lips. meaning that some random chef that he has never met likely took atsumu up on his offer.

"she's getting ready now, you have twenty more minutes til you open. so, i'll let her through the back door while you work," atsumu stuffs his phone back into his pocket, looking over at his brother.

it's hard for the two to get along, usually they'd be fighting tooth and nail right now. however, there's something in the air causing a civil conversation. the two immediately start getting the kitchen prepped (which means atsumu cracking jokes while osamu has one of the cashier workers help).

osamu starts up some rice on a zojirushi machine, washing and cutting up some vegetables. time was ticking down as atsumu gave you the address, telling you that the shop would open in five minutes. he looks back at atsumu, not knowing what he would do if you couldn't make it. a part of him feels bad for taking you away from your day off, but the rest of him is just happy to have a helping hand.

luckily for him, this helping hand knocked on the back door, the sound feeling like music to osamu's ears. "i got it!" atsumu announces over the noise of people entering the front of the shop.

the sound of someone opening the back door and saying hello to atsumu brings his head up. he sets his knife down, hands on the prepping station. you come walking into the kitchen, atsumu quickly following behind. his eyes meet yours and for a second the world stops. every ounce of anxiety from the day washes away as you give him a soft smile.

"you must be osamu? well miya, if you're more comfortable with that. my name is l/n y/n, if atsumu hasn't told you already," you reach out your hand to shake his, only to move it back quickly once you realize that you need to wash your hands.

osamu's mouth hangs slightly open, just so that you could see the bottom of his top row of teeth. he's mesmerized, even if he won't admit it himself, "he hasn't- and osamu's fine. it's nice to meet you l/n, i'm sorry for pulling you out here on your day off. it's completely unacceptable and if i could repay somehow with dinner or something-"

you shake your head, looking around the room for a second before finding the sink. as you're turned around, making sure that you're ready to make food, atsumu is slapping his brother's shoulder. he raises his eyebrows a couple times, giving him a quick wink. before you could turn around, atsumu whispers something about dinner.

"did you say something?" you ponder, turning your attention to the brothers as you dry your hands.

"he was just asking if you knew how to make certain types of onigiri, because of your experience," osamu gives his brother a glare, trying to hide it as he looks back at you.

you grab an apron off of his wall and begin tying it around yourself. "yes, known since i was ten. i used to make them for the team with brown rice and miso beef, because of the digestive health benefits. however, white or jasmine are always preferable," an even warming smile spreads across your lips, making your way over to the workstation beside osamu.

before either of you could say anything else, the first order has come through. it's oyakodon, a rice meal with chicken and egg. you've made it hundreds of times as a sous chef and it's a fairly easy process once you get the hang of it. a screen displays the food choice in front of you, leaving you to look over at osamu, a little nervous.

"i assume you store your chicken in the fridge?"

"yeah- sorry, usually people are stationed in different areas to work on certain things but with everyone out-"

"it's fine, i've worked in stickier situations before," you take a look around the room and start off towards the fridge, eyes peering for the stovetop next.

osamu looks off at you, heart beating quickly. he takes in a deep breath and watches as the next order comes through. it's an onigiri, salmon in the middle, a rather simple recipe. despite his wandering eyes to where you're prepping your food, he attempts to keep his mind set on the food in front of him.

the first few orders were rather simple for osamu, mostly onigiri and sushi. your oyakodon being the most complicated thing of that morning. it's clear your good at what you do, even if your working in a completely different environment.

he peaks over at you as you let out a slight hum in your voice to the music playing over the speakers. you're swaying a little as you add part of the egg mixture to the pan. if it weren't for the circumstances, a part of osamu knows that he'd ask about dinner again. he'd lean against some counter and cross his arms in front of his chest, give you a soft smile that you can't say no to.

"osamu, you almost done with that?"

he looks up from you, over to one of the cashiers staring him down, "yeah, finishing up now!"

after that, he begins to focus more on his work. only looking over at you as he waits for another order to come in. sometimes you'll inquire about something, where something may be or what spices to add. you're a harder worker than he could've expected from someone he's never met (especially someone that atsumu is so close with). the way you get things accomplished making him even more attracted.

"l/n, you're doing great, thanks for helping today," osamu mentions as the lunch rush dies down to just a few people, atsumu's influence having ended.

you look over at him, wiping your hands against the apron, a soft smile lining your lips. even after working hours in a hot, stuffy kitchen, there's a beauty to you that osamu's never seen. "well, if i'm calling you osamu, then it's only fair you call me y/n. plus, i'd love dinner if your request was genuine," you place on hand on your hip, eyebrows raised.

osamu nods, "well- y/n, it most definitely was genuine. what do you feel like eating?"

"i think onigiri would be delicious for dinner."

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fanfic #osamu miya x reader #miya osamu x reader #osamu miya #miya osamu #chef au

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marsplastic13 · 3 months

Text

'Complicated' (Part 1) - Kaz Brekker x reader

Idea - Kaz Brekker hires a prostitute to overcome his touch aversion, and be a better man for Inej, but things take an unxepected turn.

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Prostitute!Reader, (had to use y/n because I'm bad at names) Genre: modern AU, slow burn word count: 9.3k notes: please let me know what you think <3

Kaz Brekker studied the girl sitting uncomfortably in front of him. She kept shifting in her seat, her eyes darting around the room. Kaz tried to gather his thoughts, cursing himself for the drunk texts he had sent the previous night. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he was as uncomfortable as she was. He sighed, repeating to himself, "For Inej." He didn't care about this girl, didn't know her, didn't want to know her—he was doing this for Inej.

The girl's phone buzzed again. "Sorry, my friends are scared that you're going to kill me and asked me to send texts every three minutes or they'll call the police," she murmured, typing quickly.

Kaz raised an eyebrow, wondering what he had gotten himself into. He knew he had to say something. "For Inej," he reminded himself once more. "You are a prostitute," he blurted out. Who starts a conversation like that?

"Yep," the girl nodded, a tight smile on her lips.

"Who do you work for?"

"No one, it's, uh, really a selected clientele, let's say. I work with my roommates."

Kaz nodded, avoiding her gaze. He shouldn't be ashamed; she was no one. "I have a girlfriend—"

"Oh, the Wraith? I watch all of her videos. She's gorgeous. Sorry, I'll let you speak," she added quickly, noticing the annoyance on his face.

His last encounter with Inej played in his mind—how she had kissed him and he had run away, throwing up in the street. He shook his head. He could do this. He had to. "I have an issue. I can't touch people. It makes me physically sick, and I have to overcome it. For her," he said, all in one breath.

The girl frowned, her gaze shifting to his gloved hands. "So what do you want from me?"

"I want to get used to skin," he said, looking up at the ceiling, silently asking Ghezen to take him out of his misery. "She'll be back in a few months, and I would like to show her some progress."

"I'm sure you don't want her to know about this arrangement," the girl said slowly.

"No, exactly."

The girl looked around, weighing his words. "Sure, it's fine. I can do it. Prices are the same, though, sex or not," she said, getting up.

Kaz stood as well, nodding. "What do I owe you for this... chat?" he asked, blushing slightly.

The girl smirked. "First meeting is on the house. I'm y/n, by the way." She made her way out, and Kaz collapsed back into his chair, exhausted by the encounter.

***

Kaz Brekker found himself in the entry of her apartment, sitting uncomfortably on a couch, waiting. The girl who let him in had remarked that he was early and that she was still busy. He could hear soft moans coming from behind a closed door and did his best to ignore them, maintaining a straight face.

After a while, the noises stopped, replaced by muted conversation. A man left the room in a hurry, and a few minutes later, she appeared. The girl was wearing a see-through robe and dark green lingerie. She gestured for him to enter. Kaz hesitated, reminding himself, "For Inej."

The room was tidy, with no unnecessary items around. Kaz stood in the middle of it, unsure of what to do.

"You can sit, Kaz. Can I call you Kaz, or should I call you Mr. Brekker?"

"Kaz is fine," he said, neatly folding his coat and placing it on a chair, resting his cane against it. He took a seat on the bed, keeping some distance from her.

"You know, I actually did more research," she stated, getting a bit closer. The girl hugged her legs, her feet inches from his thigh. Kaz could already feel the anxiety rising.

"Your girlfriend was kidnapped and enslaved. That's awful. She's doing a great job sharing her story around the world."

He nodded without looking at her. Her body was on full display, and he never felt worse.

"What would she think if she knew you were with a whore?"

Kaz's head shot up, surprised by the question. "I... That's... you do it by choice," he stammered.

"So she wouldn't have a problem?" she inquired, curious, leaning in.

Kaz shifted a bit away. "That's none of your business," he snapped, then turned to look at her. "Why do you do this?"

The girl smiled. "Because sex is great, and my grandma always told me never to do something for free if you're good at it."

Kaz tilted his head, frowning.

"I mean," she continued, shifting closer, "what's the difference between going out on a Friday night hoping for some guy to buy me a drink and then take me home? I'll tell you," she added, not letting him think, "First, I'm getting paid, a lot. I can work with who I want, when I want, and I still have Friday nights free."

"That's... a way to see things," he admitted, surprised.

"Kaz?"

"Yes?"

"You're about to fall off the bed," she whispered playfully. Kaz had shifted so far away that he was dangerously close to the edge of the mattress.

"You are too close," he said, avoiding her gaze.

"Wasn't that the goal?" she leaned in a bit more.

"I need more time and space," Kaz said, getting up and pacing a bit.

"Do you have suggestions? Because I'm not really used to whatever it is you want me to do."

Kaz's mind raced. Part of him screamed to leave, to bury himself somewhere, to tell Inej it was over and disappear from the world. But another part remembered how good it had felt to hold Inej's hand, even if just for a few minutes. He sighed, sitting back on the bed.

"I need to have control over this, over you," he said, determined.

"I'm yours for the next 50 minutes," she shrugged, eyeing him curiously.

Kaz got lost in thought for a moment. "Can I see your hands?"

The girl rested them on the bed, and he slowly brought his covered fingers to brush against hers. "Do you like my nails?" she asked. Was she unable to stay quiet? he wondered.

"No, they're too long. Also, I don't like the color or the shape." These weren't Inej's hands, tanned and small, with bitten nails.

The girl laughed. "You have strong opinions about nails."

He actually chuckled, studying them more closely. "You should change your nail technician."

"I'll ring you up next time I have to do them."

Kaz kept turning her hand in his. They were pale and trembled slightly. Or maybe his hands were trembling; he didn't know. His thoughts wandered to the moans he had heard earlier. He wondered if they were real or if she was acting.

His fingers brushed hers again, and she shivered slightly. Kaz couldn't help but wonder about her life. Was she always this confident? Was she always in control? Did she ever feel as lost as he did right now?

After a long time, he felt confident enough to remove his gloves. "You have pianist's hands," she observed, tilting her head.

"I have thief's hands," he whispered. Kaz rested his hands next to hers on the bed. He raised a finger and slowly traced it along her hand. Shivers went down his spine; the anxiety was at his ankles, but he wasn't going to drown.

Kaz exhaled. "Your hands are cold," said the girl.

"Yours too," he replied.

"You know, I think you're forcing yourself too much. You're too focused on your hands," she observed.

"What should I do?" Kaz raised his gaze to meet hers.

"I don't know. Do something that involves touching, but not just that. Keep talking," she encouraged.

"About what?"

"Talk about your girlfriend."

Hesitantly, Kaz started talking, sharing facts here and there. He tried to keep his eyes on her, distancing his thoughts from her cold hands in his trembling ones.

Kaz felt her hands continuously slipping away. Every time he reached for them, she pulled away.

"For Ghezen's sake, stay still," he said, annoyed, grabbing her wrist to keep her hand where he wanted it.

She raised her brows, surprised.

Kaz looked at their hands. His lungs felt like they were filling with water.

"Kaz, you're not breathing."

No, he wasn't. He let go of her wrist, getting to his feet again. He leaned on the desk, taking slow breaths and cursing himself, his past, Inej, and the poor girl who was watching him with wide eyes.

"Do you want to try again?" she offered.

Kaz took a shaky breath, then nodded.

Later, he stayed in his car under the girl's flat for a while, listening to Inej's audio messages and wondering what she would think of him if she knew. He wondered if this would work and if she would ask what had happened to him when she returned and he could hug her, feel her, kiss her.

***

For weeks, Kaz made his way to her house. It took him a lot to be comfortable enough to hold her hand. Even if he didn't like to admit it, he didn't dislike talking to her. Sometimes he would vent about his work, and she would listen attentively, her hands held tight in his. Other times, they would talk about the Netflix show he convinced her to watch, sharing moments of laughter and distraction from the weight of their respective lives.

One time, they even got into a spirited debate because she was a vegan and he thought it was a ridiculous concept. She argued passionately about animal rights and the environment, while he countered with pragmatic concerns about nutrition and societal norms. Despite their differences, they found a strange sort of fun in their debates, both stubbornly refusing to concede their positions.

As the weeks passed, Kaz found himself looking forward to their sessions, not just because of the progress he was making with his aversion to touch but also because of the unexpected connection he was forming with this unconventional woman. She was sharp-witted, unapologetically herself, and surprisingly perceptive about his inner struggles. Though their arrangement was based on a transactional premise, Kaz couldn't deny that there was a genuine bond developing between them.

He often wondered about her life outside of these walls, the clients she saw, the challenges she faced, and the reasons that led her to this unconventional career. Yet, despite his curiosity, he refrained from prying too deeply. Their interactions were framed within a delicate balance of intimacy and distance, a line he was careful not to cross.

Each visit brought a new revelation or a small triumph. Sometimes it was a touch held a moment longer than before, a conversation that flowed effortlessly, or a shared laughter that eased the tension in the room. Through it all, Kaz kept Inej in his thoughts, reminding himself that every step he took here was for her.

***

He still had about three weeks before Inej would come back. Kaz was waiting on the couch, getting used to the noises he heard from the various rooms in the house. That day, they were louder than he had ever heard, and he recognized her voice clearly. The girl at the desk snorted, looking at his embarrassed face.

"Stop, please, stop, let me go," he heard, and he got on his feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" the girl at the desk raised an eyebrow.

"She said—" her screams grew louder, more pleading, more desperate cries for help.

Kaz took a few more steps, but the girl stopped him. "She's not using her safe word. You can't go in. Are you crazy?" she asked angrily.

Kaz stopped, embarrassed. "I'll go back to—"

"Yeah, sit back," the girl shook her head.

Kaz reluctantly sat back down, his mind racing. He felt a mixture of anger, confusion, and helplessness. The sounds from the room continued, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he should be doing something. Every instinct screamed at him to intervene, but he forced himself to stay put, gripping the edge of the couch with white knuckles.

The girl at the desk glanced at him, then sighed. "Look, I get it. It sounds bad, but she knows what she's doing. If she needed help, she'd use her safe word."

Kaz nodded, trying to calm his racing heart. "I know. It's just... weird to listen to."

The girl softened a bit. "It's part of the job, both hers and mine. You learn to block it out. You'll get used to it too, if you keep coming here."

He wasn't sure he wanted to get used to it. Kaz's thoughts drifted back to Inej, to the reason he was putting himself through this. He needed to be stronger for her, to be able to touch her without flinching. But moments like this made him question if he was doing the right thing.

Eventually, the noises from the room subsided. The door opened, and the man from earlier left, looking smug. Kaz glared at him, but the man didn't notice, or didn't care.

A few minutes later, she emerged, looking tired but composed. She saw Kaz and gave him a small smile. "Ready?" she asked.

Kaz nodded, standing up. He followed her into the familiar room, feeling more on edge than usual. As they settled in, he tried to push the recent events out of his mind, focusing on the task at hand.

"You okay?" she asked, noticing his tension.

"Yeah," Kaz lied. "Just... a bit distracted."

She nodded, understanding. "We can take it slow today."

Kaz took a deep breath, reaching for her hand. He held it gently, trying to steady himself. "For Inej," he reminded himself again.

She still looked a bit disheveled when he got on her bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, no one fucked me that good in ages, I'm still a bit shocked, sorry."

Kaz looked at the ceiling, sighing. She always had to overshare.

"What's your safe word?" he asked as she got closer.

"Why? Are you into weird shit?" she grinned, and he felt himself blush because of his total lack of experience.

"Don't make that panicked face. I was joking," her hand slid comfortably into his, "my safe word is 'safe word.'"

Kaz laughed, a good, sincere laugh. "I am not surprised."

She laughed too. "I really hope that one day you'll be able to do shit so nasty it'll become too much, and the only thing you have in mind is, 'I have to use my safe word,' and you'll think that just saying 'safe word' is a great idea."

Kaz studied her, feeling a bit curious about what she was doing with the man before him, and he was sure she would go into detail if he asked. Instead, he decided to go straight for what he wanted to do. "I want to hold you."

"Sure, how?"

He thought about Inej, how he saw her with their friends, carefree, resting her head on Nina's lap.

"Rest your head on me," his heart started racing as she executed the request.

"How does it feel?" she asked, getting comfortable.

Kaz looked at her, slowly scanning her features. She was undeniably beautiful, but still not as much as Inej. There was a stark difference between the two women, and it wasn't just physical. This girl's beauty was polished and practiced, a tool she wielded with confidence and control. Inej's beauty was more profound, a quiet strength that resonated from deep within her, marked by the resilience in her eyes and the grace in her movements.

As Kaz held her, he found himself comparing every detail. Her hair was soft under his fingers, but it lacked the wild, untamed quality of Inej's. Her skin was smooth and flawless, but it didn't have the history and stories that Inej's scars told. He felt a pang of guilt for comparing them, but he couldn't help it. Inej was the reason he was here, the reason he was pushing himself to the brink of his comfort zone.

His mind wandered to the times he had watched Inej from afar, wishing he could reach out and touch her, to reassure her of his presence and his support. He remembered the way she moved through the shadows, a silent guardian, and how he had admired her from a distance. She was more than just a companion; she was his anchor, his reason for fighting.

But now, as he sat here, trying to overcome his deepest fears, he wondered if he would ever be able to truly be there for her. Would this training make a difference? Would he be able to touch her without flinching, without feeling the icy grip of panic?

He thought about the last time he had seen Inej, how she had kissed him and how he had run away, throwing up in the street. The memory filled him with shame, but also a renewed determination. He couldn't let that be the end of their story. He had to be stronger, for her.

"It's... fine," he admitted, feeling more in control that day.

"You know," she said with a smirk, "I'm sure your girlfriend would absolutely love it if you played with her hair, scratched her head..." she let her voice trail off.

Kaz chuckled. "My girlfriend or you?"

"Oh no, it's all for her. I would hate it," she laughed softly.

He removed his gloves and started touching her hair from the lengths. He slowly made his way to her head, wondering if Inej would really enjoy it as much as this girl seemed to. The girl closed her eyes, humming with satisfaction. "I can't believe you pay me to cuddle me," she whispered.

"I'm not cuddling you," he said, offended.

"I know you're not an expert, but trust me, love, you totally are," the girl smiled, keeping her eyes closed.

Kaz rolled his eyes. "I want to try and hug you, but, uhm, can you put some more clothes on?"

The girl looked at her exposed body, then nodded. "Sure thing, baby. I'll be right back." She stood up and walked to her dresser, pulling out a comfortable-looking sweater and leggings. After slipping them on, she returned to the bed and sat next to him.

"Can you stop using pet names for me? It's weird," Kaz requested.

The girl sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Kaz." She moved to sit on his lap, waiting for his instructions. Kaz kept his hands firmly on the bed, his breaths quickening. The girl stood still, looking around, until he rested one of his hands on her thigh. She started chatting about the latest gossip she had on one of her friends, and Kaz found himself becoming more and more invested. That girl was really unlucky with relationships.

Kaz put his other hand on her arm, and while she kept talking, he guided her to rest against his chest, silently battling a war inside of him.

"Kaz, you're not breathing," she reminded him gently.

He knew he wasn't, and tried to distract himself by focusing on her hair. Sometimes he wondered if he had it all wrong. Maybe Inej would have enjoyed making this long journey with him, but he felt too embarrassed. With y/n, he didn't have to be ashamed; he was paying for her time, and he was the one setting the pace and the rules.

Kaz let her press her head against his chest, staring firmly out of the window. "Can I?" the girl rested a hand on his chest to shift more comfortably. They remained in that position for a while. He gathered the courage to hug her more tightly, but as he did, her forehead pressed against his neck, and he felt like drowning.

Kaz abruptly got to his feet, shoving her away, trying to ground himself. "What the fuck?" the girl was on the floor, massaging her shoulder, and Kaz managed to feel even worse.

"I'm sorry, I can't-" he started, his voice faltering with frustration and self-disappointment. He turned away, struggling to regain his composure, he failed miserably to steady his breaths.

The girl remained on the floor, watching him quietly.

He didn't look at her as he hurriedly gathered his things and made his way to the door. Before leaving, he glanced back at her once more. "Wait Kaz don't-" he heard her calling for him, but he ran away from the building. His heart stopped racing only after he drove for a while.

After a shower, Kaz was feeling slightly better. He threw himself on his bed, exhausted both physically and emotionally from the day's events. Checking his phone, he found a few audio messages from Inej, likely filled with her warm voice and reassuring words, a couple of pictures from Jesper, probably teasing snapshots or updates from their latest escapade, and nothing from y/n.

Kaz sighed heavily; he had even forgotten to pay her. He tapped on the bank application: 'Press Confirm to send 700 kruge to y/n y/l/n.' It was way more than what he usually gave her, but he confirmed the transaction without hesitation, feeling it was a small price for the scene he caused. Tossing his phone aside, he turned on the TV and aimlessly flipped through channels until he settled on the new episode of Masterchef.

As he immersed himself in the cooking competition, his phone signaled a new message.

'Did someone steal your card?'

Kaz shook his head at the text, amused by her directness. He decided not to respond, but another message followed immediately.

'Are you watching Masterchef?'

'No,' he replied without thinking.

'I bet you could do a better tiramisu than this even blind and with just one hand.'

He chuckled softly, his lips curving into a rare smile. 'Absolutely.'

'My friends asked me to go to the Crow Club tomorrow night, hope it's not a problem.'

'It's fine,' Kaz replied, relieved at the normalcy of their conversation despite the recent awkwardness.

The girl left him on read, and he returned his attention to the episode, stealing occasional glances at his phone. In the comfort of his room, surrounded by the familiar banter of the cooking show and the gentle glow of the television, Kaz allowed himself a moment of respite from the complexities of his life.

***

The next night, Kaz observed the bustling crowd from his elevated private zone in the club. It was well past 2 am, and the party was in full swing. Amidst the sea of dancing bodies and flashing lights, he spotted y/n with four other girls, one of whom he recognized as the 'secretary' he had seen at her house.

Almost immediately, a group of guys approached them, offering drinks and inviting them to dance. Kaz felt a pang of discomfort at the thought of immersing himself in the midst of the sweaty, pulsating crowd, but he couldn't deny that y/n and her friends seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Throughout the night, Kaz stole glances at her, careful not to lock eyes. He observed as she laughed, danced, and interacted with her friends and the group of guys around them. Despite the chaotic environment of the club, there was a sense of carefree energy emanating from y/n that Kaz found both intriguing and somewhat unsettling.

As the hours ticked by and the club approached closing time around 4 am, Kaz couldn't help but notice y/n leaving with a guy, her arm casually draped around his. Guess she found someone to take her home on a Friday night, he thought wryly.

Observing from his secluded vantage point, Kaz's mind began to wander, consumed by curiosity about y/n's motivations. It puzzled him why someone who engaged in intimate encounters every day for work would actively seek out another person at a club. Was it a matter of preference—perhaps finding someone who could provide a different kind of connection or intimacy that her clients couldn't? Did she crave genuine affection or cuddles after days of superficial interactions?

The image of her relaxed face as he played with her hair during their sessions floated into his mind. There had been a moment of vulnerability there, a glimpse behind the professional facade she maintained. Kaz found himself reflecting on the complexities of human desires and needs, realizing that intimacy—whether physical or emotional—could manifest in myriad forms, even for someone whose profession seemed to blur those boundaries.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, torn between curiosity and a sense of guilt for prying into her personal life.

***

"Kaz!" He had just stepped out of his car when he heard her voice calling from somewhere behind him.

Kaz turned and saw y/n approaching with a smile. It was the first time she had been free before their usual session.

"That's really your car?" she asked in shock.

"Yep," he replied, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

"My brother in Ghezen, you have money," she observed, still eyeing the car. "Are you sure you want to stay faithful to your girlfriend?" she smirked.

"Pretty sure," he answered without hesitation.

"Why are you always this early?" she asked, opening the building's door and gesturing for him to enter first.

Kaz shrugged, "I don't like being late."

"Well, I'm not booked for another 20 minutes. Do you want something to drink? I think I have beer."

"You drink before going to work?" he joked.

"Oh, wait until I tell you I have sex at my workplace sometimes," she winked.

They sat in her room, chatting about Masterchef and sipping their drinks. "I'll change and then I'm all yours," she said, heading to her drawer.

Kaz glanced at her outfit—jeans and a t-shirt, perfectly ordinary. "Can you stay like this?" he blurted before he could stop himself. "You have less skin exposed."

She seemed uncomfortable with his request. "Undressing helps me separate things," she explained, shifting her weight. "I wouldn't feel comfortable using my everyday clothes while working. I'll find a compromise like the other day."

After she changed into something less revealing, they both sat on the bed. Kaz felt calmer than before; he had survived her touching his neck, and despite the panic attack, the world hadn't stopped turning. He hadn't drowned. He could do this. 'For Inej,' he repeated in his mind like a mantra.

"Come here," he said softly, and she moved onto his lap.

Again, he started touching her hair and noticed she must have changed her shampoo. Slowly, he pulled her closer until her head rested on his chest, both careful not to let bare skin touch. They continued chatting, and Kaz felt comfortable enough to hold her hand too.

The girl slowly shifted in his arms to look at him while talking, and he didn't even notice.

"Fix my hair," she said at a certain point.

He looked puzzled. "I have hair in my face, put it behind my ear," she encouraged, "girls love it, trust me."

Kaz sighed. He had never touched her face. He took the small strand of hair and did what she asked, brushing as little as possible against her ear.

"Not bad," she commented with a smile, making him snort at the absurdity of the situation.

The whole scenario felt surreal. Here he was, grappling with the simple act of brushing hair from her face, while she was someone who had sex for money, casually and without the emotional turmoil that plagued him. Kaz's mind raced with the juxtaposition of their worlds—her ease and expertise contrasted sharply with his profound discomfort and hesitation.

Kaz's gaze fell from her eyes to her lips, and she didn't miss it. "Yes, it would be a great moment to kiss her."

He nodded, feeling bad about how slow his progress was. It frustrated him to no end. He had always been the master of his own fate, the one in control, but this was different. This was a battle against his own mind and body, and he was losing. He felt like he was stuck in quicksand, every attempt to move forward met with resistance.

His mind wandered back to Inej, her soft voice and the warmth of her presence. How would she react if she knew what he was doing? Would she understand, or would she feel betrayed? He pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the girl in front of him.

"I saw you at the club the other day. Saw you left with a guy."

"Yeah, nothing special. Bit boring, not a great shag. I'll see him later for dinner," she commented.

"Why are you seeing him again if he's not good in bed?" he frowned.

"Maybe because I have sex almost every day, so it's not exactly my first concern," she snorted.

"Yeah, right. I always forget," he shook his head.

"Forget what? That not everyone who comes in here wants to do sweet things like you?" she teased.

Kaz felt a flush of frustration rising. "The fact that I can't do much doesn't mean I wouldn't like to do much more," he said before registering what he was revealing.

She looked at him with wide eyes. "That's new," she commented.

Kaz immediately felt a wave of embarrassment crash over him. He wasn't used to exposing such raw vulnerability, especially not to someone he was paying to help him. It made him feel weak, pathetic even, to admit his shortcomings so openly.

He glanced away, his face heating up. "Forget I said anything," he mumbled, wishing he could take the words back.

But she didn't let it go. "No, really. What do you mean?"

Kaz struggled to find the right words, feeling cornered. "It's just... I want to be able to touch her, to hold her without feeling like I'm drowning. I want to be able to kiss her, to feel her against me without panicking."

She nodded, listening intently. "It's natural to want those things with someone you care about."

Kaz's frustration bubbled over. "It's more than that. I want to be able to... to make her feel good, to be with her the way she deserves. I think about it all the time, but I can't even get close without... without freezing up."

Her eyes widened slightly, her expression sympathetic.

He glanced away, again. "Forget it," he mumbled, wishing he could take the words back.

But she didn't let it go. "No, really. What do you mean?"

Kaz sighed, his frustration mixing with a deep sense of inadequacy. "I mean, I want to be able to do things, normal things. But I can't. Every step feels like I'm trying to climb a mountain."

She tilted her head, her expression softening. "You're doing more than you realize, Kaz. The fact that you're here, trying, it says a lot about you."

He shook his head, still unable to meet her gaze. "But it's not enough. Inej deserves more than what I can give her right now."

She placed a hand on his, her touch gentle. "I imagine Inej loves you for who you are, not for what you can do. She's seen you at your worst, and she's still with you, right?"

Kaz nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, but for how long? What if she gets tired of waiting for me to be... normal?"

"Normal is overrated," she said with a small smile. "And besides, you're making progress. It might feel slow, but every step forward is a victory."

He sighed, feeling a bit of the weight lift off his shoulders. "I just... I don't want to disappoint her."

"And you won't," she assured him. "You're trying, and that's what matters. The rest will come with time."

Kaz felt a mix of relief and frustration. He was trying, but it never felt like enough. He didn't want to just keep trying; he wanted to succeed. He wanted to be the man Inej deserved, not just someone who was always working on getting better.

"So you want to have sex with her?" she asked with a grin, her tone teasing and eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Of course I want to," he let himself say, sighing heavily. "But it's not just about sex. It's about everything that comes with it. The intimacy, the closeness, the trust. I want to be able to give her that without feeling like I'm about to fall apart."

She laughed softly. "That's a lot of pressure for one guy, even one as stubborn as you, Kaz. But it's cute, you know? Watching you struggle with this whole intimacy thing."

"Great," he muttered, his frustration mounting. "I'm glad my issues are entertaining for you."

She rolled her eyes, still grinning. "Oh, come on. Lighten up a little. You're taking this way too seriously."

"Seriously?" Kaz's voice had a sharp edge. "Of course I take it seriously. This is about more than just me. It's about Inej. She deserves better."

“But what about you Kaz? You always talk about her, what she might need, what she might expect from you,” she observed, “You’re allowed to do things for you too. You need to loosen up. Enjoy the process a bit."

Kaz felt the heat of embarrassment and anger rise in his cheeks. "It's not that simple," he snapped. "I can't just 'loosen up' and pretend everything's fine."

She smirked, leaning in closer. "Maybe you need to stop overthinking and start feeling. Like right now. What do you want to do? What do you really want?"

Kaz's mind raced, his usual calm shattered. "I want to be able to touch her, hold her, without feeling like I'm going to drown."

She raised an eyebrow, her smile turning mischievous. "What do you want to do with me?"

Kaz hesitated, feeling the weight of her question. His thoughts were jumbled, a mix of frustration and desire. He knew she was teasing him, but the question still struck a chord. He wanted to push his boundaries, but it was hard to admit it, even to himself.

"I want to..." he began, his voice trailing off as he struggled to find the right words. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "I want to be able to hold you closer. To not feel like I'm constantly on the edge."

She tilted her head, still grinning. "Is that all? I thought you'd have something more interesting in mind, apart from holding hands and playing with hair."

Kaz felt a surge of irritation. "It's not a game," he snapped. "This is hard for me." His mind began to wander, thinking about all the things he wanted to try but was too shy to say out loud. He imagined holding her hand without gloves, feeling her skin against his. He thought about tracing the curves of her body, learning every inch of her by touch alone. He wanted to kiss her, to feel her lips against his and lose himself in the sensation.

He yearned to learn how to make her come undone in the same way he knew how to crack a safe, so good that it left her distracted all day, like he had witnessed for other men. He imagined exploring her body, discovering what made her gasp, what made her moan. In his mind, images of Inej blurred with images of y/n, and he shook his head to make them go away.

"You don't have to be afraid to say what you want," she whispered, her voice suddenly soft.

Kaz took another deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. "I just... I want to feel normal," he confessed. "I want to touch and be touched without fear."

"Do you think you can touch my cheek?"

Kaz tilted his head. "Maybe with the gloves first." He covered his hands and then stopped, unsure of how to proceed.

The girl felt his hesitation, "Can I?" she gestured to his hand, and he nodded.

She guided his hand to her face, and he felt the familiar rush of anxiety. He had to fight the urge to pull away, to retreat back into the safety of distance. His breathing quickened as he made contact, his gloved hand resting on her cheek.

"You're doing fine," she whispered encouragingly, but her words did little to soothe him. He felt like he was failing, like he was letting Inej down.

"It's just...so slow," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "I should be past this by now."

She shook her head slightly, careful not to disrupt his hand. "Everyone has their own pace, Kaz. You're making progress, and that's what matters."

Kaz sighed, his eyes fixated on his gloved hand against her skin. "But what if it's not enough? What if I can't ever get past this?"

She gently cupped his hand with her own, her touch light and reassuring. "You will. It's not about how fast you go, but about continuing to move forward, even if it's just a little bit at a time."

He looked at her, searching her eyes for some form of validation. "Do you really think so?"

She smiled softly. "I do. And I think Inej would understand. She knows what you've been through, and she wouldn't expect you to change overnight."

Kaz swallowed hard, feeling a lump in his throat. He wanted so badly to believe her, but the fear of failure loomed large. "I just... I want to be better for her."

"And you will be," she assured him. "You're already trying, and that means a lot. Now, do you want to try taking off the glove?"

Kaz hesitated, but then nodded. "Yeah. Let's try."

He carefully removed his glove, exposing his hand to the cool air. The anxiety surged again, but he kept his focus on her face, her calm demeanor helping to steady him.

"Okay," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm ready."

She guided his bare hand back to her cheek, and this time, the contact felt more intimate, more real. Kaz took a deep breath, feeling a mix of fear and determination.

"See? You're doing it," she said softly. "One step at a time."

Kaz nodded, feeling a small spark of hope ignite within him. Maybe he could do this, after all. Maybe he could become the person he wanted to be for Inej, one slow step at a time.

He let himself brush his fingers against her nose, tracing the line of her brows. He couldn't bring himself to cup her face completely, but still, it was a lot. When he left, he felt good. He didn't have much time before Inej's arrival, but he was making progress.

***

All of his confidence disappeared the night before her arrival. In Kaz's mind, the only scene he could see was when she tried to kiss him, and he ran away.

‘Can you come to my place?’ Kaz attached the screenshot of a payment of 1000 kruge he only had to confirm.

After two minutes, he got a response. ‘Are you okay?’

He thought about what he could answer, but luckily another message saved him. ‘I don't work outside home, sorry. You can come here if you want.’

Kaz confirmed the payment and stormed outside his house.

He found y/n at her door with a worried look. It was quite late; she was probably doing other things when he had written to her. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she wore a loose-fitting T-shirt and pajama shorts, hinting that she might have been getting ready for bed before his unexpected message.

"Kaz, what is going on?" she whispered, concern evident in her eyes as she glanced at the time on her phone.

"I have to kiss you. I want to... I want to kiss her," Kaz blurted out, his voice strained with anxiety.

She nodded slowly, processing his words. "Okay," she said softly, her tone soothing. "Come in."

She stepped aside, allowing him to enter her apartment. Kaz followed her, feeling a mix of nerves and determination swirling inside him. He noticed the cozy atmosphere of her living room, dimly lit with a few lamps casting warm light across the space.

As they walked towards her bedroom, Kaz stole glances at her, trying to read her expression. She seemed uncertain yet patient, as if she understood the weight of his intentions but wasn't entirely sure how to respond.

Inside her bedroom, she turned to face him, her gaze searching. "Let's take it slow," she suggested gently, her voice a contrast to the nervous energy crackling between them.

Kaz nodded, his heart racing in his chest. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil of emotions churning inside him. This moment felt surreal, both daunting and exhilarating.

They stood facing each other, a palpable tension hanging in the air. Kaz noticed the way her eyes softened as she studied him, as if she could see past his walls and into the vulnerability he kept hidden.

"Okay," he murmured, his voice barely audible in the quiet room.

She took a step closer, closing the distance between them. Kaz felt his breath catch in his throat as she reached out, her hand resting gently on his arm.

"You're trying," she said softly, her gaze unwavering. "That's what matters."

He nodded, grateful for her understanding even as he struggled with his own expectations. Kaz knew he had to push past his fears, but the fear of failing Inej loomed large in his mind.

"I just..." Kaz started, his voice wavering with uncertainty. "I don't want to mess this up."

Her expression softened further, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Have you ever kissed someone?"

"Not exactly," he muttered.

"You don't have to force yourself."

"Maybe I do," Kaz replied, releasing a few shaky breaths. With all the patience in the world, he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She tasted like cherries.

He took a few steps back, unsure. The world didn’t stop turning; he didn’t drown. He took a bit more courage, resting his gloved hands on her waist. Kaz tried to lean into the contact, to let their lips move against each other for more than a brief instant. She was cold, why was she always so cold? Inej burned under his touch; y/n felt like ice. Inej, he should be kissing Inej. Kaz pulled away from the brief contact again, with heavy breaths.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

He nodded, and her gaze softened. “You’re trembling, Kaz. Do you want to sit?”

They moved to the bed, where he noticed her tablet on with a paused show open. She was really about to go to sleep when he arrived. Their noses were inches apart, and it already felt too much.

“Talk to me,” she said gently.

“You taste like cherries,” escaped from his mouth.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“What does Inej taste like?” she leaned closer, brushing her nose against his.

“Like the sea,” he murmured, gazing one last time at her lips before pressing them into a kiss. Kaz tried to stay present, focused. His body wanted to react, to ask for more, but his mind kept him on a short leash. He managed to tangle one hand in her hair, to have more control. The girl slightly opened her lips, inviting him in, and he didn’t know what to do. He knew that people kissed with tongues, but he never grasped the mechanics of it.

Sensing his hesitation, y/n opened her mouth more, waiting for him to go further. Kaz’s heart was racing; he was sure he was about to have a stroke. All of her body was ice cold, but the hotness radiating from inside her mouth seemed to come directly from hell. y/n brushed her tongue on his lips, and he forced himself to respond. But as their tongues touched, he was back in the harbor, and water was filling his lungs.

Panic surged through him, and he pulled back, gasping for air. His chest heaved as if he were drowning, the sensation all too familiar and terrifying. He felt the sting of tears behind his eyes and cursed himself for his weakness.

A wave of nausea made his body tremble. “Shit, are you going to throw up?” asked the girl, panic evident in her voice.

He nodded frantically, trying to stop his body from convulsing. She quickly passed him a bucket just in time for him to empty his stomach into it. The acrid smell and the sound of his retching filled the room, amplifying his embarrassment and frustration.

She went to open the window, letting the fresh air in. The cool breeze helped ground him a bit. “You don’t have to rush, Kaz,” she said, passing him a few tissues to wipe his mouth.

“I just wanted to... I have been doing better these past days,” he muttered, wiping away the remnants of his failure.

“Yeah, you are, don’t worry,” she assured him, her voice gentle. Without thinking, she rested her hand on his back, making small circles. He didn’t even notice it, from how natural it felt, and for a moment, he allowed himself to be comforted.

“So she’s coming tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yes, she’s staying for a few weeks,” he replied, his voice tinged with anticipation and anxiety.

“You must be happy.”

“I am. I haven’t seen her in three months.”

“Special plans? Oh, you know where you should take her? I saw this place where they do this wine and chocolate tasting thing, must be super romantic.”

Kaz chuckled, imagining Inej in such a fancy place. The thought of her delicate features scrutinizing overpriced chocolate made him smile. “Are you going?” he asked, trying to steer the conversation away from his own nervousness.

The girl snorted, a sharp contrast to the soft concern she had shown moments before. “Yeah, sure, with who exactly?” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t know, that guy from the club?” Kaz suggested, feeling the awkwardness of the question. He didn’t know why he was prying into her personal life. Maybe it was an attempt to normalize their interaction, or maybe he just wanted to understand her better.

“We’re not seeing each other anymore. We weren’t very compatible,” she said, her tone dismissive.

Kaz wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. Was he supposed to apologize? Or assure her that she would find someone else? The awkwardness of the moment hung in the air, thick and uncomfortable.

“It’s a bit late, Kaz. What do you want to do?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“Better go home,” he said, gathering his things. He stole a last glance at her, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and discomfort. He was about to thank her, but then remembered the substantial amount of money he gave her to come over so late. It felt odd to focus on the transactional nature of their relationship when she had seen the most vulnerable parts of him. Embarrassment flushed his cheeks as he muttered a simple, “Goodnight,” and headed straight for his car.

As he drove home, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling of failure, the constant fear that he would never be able to be the man Inej deserved. The taste of her, the way she felt under his touch, was supposed to give him hope, but all it left was a hollow ache in his chest. He was trying, but it never felt like enough. As he pulled into his driveway, he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Tomorrow, he would see Inej. And he had to be better for her. He had to be stronger.

***

Kaz got off the phone and threw it at the wall. The device clattered to the floor, its screen now cracked—a physical manifestation of his frustration. Inej wasn’t coming back. She had just called to talk about a new opportunity someone had proposed to her, and she had to be there. He was proud of the work she was doing, truly, but he couldn't help but feel left in the corner, an afterthought.

Inej had assured him it would only take a few days, that he wouldn’t even notice her absence. He chuckled bitterly at that. Easy for her to say—she wasn’t the one left behind to wait. She was always off on some new adventure, while he remained stuck, paralyzed by his own demons.

His phone buzzed, dragging him back from his spiraling thoughts. Reluctantly, he picked it up. It was a message from Jesper: 'Just talked to Inej. I’m sorry. Want to get drunk?' Kaz stared at the screen for a moment before replying with a simple thumbs-up. It was a weak attempt to push his emotions aside, but it was all he could manage.

With a heavy sigh, Kaz checked Instagram. As he scrolled through the endless stories of people he didn’t care about, one caught his eye—y/n pre-gaming with her friends before heading out. It was a boomerang of her getting on her knees and throwing her head back while another girl poured liquor directly into her mouth from a bottle.

He felt a strange pang of jealousy mixed with irritation. Here he was, struggling with his emotions, and there she was, seemingly carefree and reckless. Guess he wasn’t the only one getting drunk that night, but at least she seemed to be having fun.

Kaz tossed his phone onto the couch and sank into his armchair, his thoughts a tangled mess. He thought about Inej, about how much he missed her. He thought about y/n, about the absurdity of their last encounter. His mind was a whirlwind of frustration, loneliness, and longing.

A knock at the door broke through his reverie. Jesper stood on the other side, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a mischievous grin on his face. “Ready to forget your troubles for a night?”

Kaz managed a weak smile. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

They settled into the living room, and Jesper poured two generous glasses. They drank in silence at first, the alcohol burning a path down Kaz’s throat and dulling the edge of his thoughts. It was a temporary reprieve, but he welcomed it.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jesper asked after a while, breaking the silence.

Kaz shrugged. “There is no plan. Just get through the night.”

Jesper nodded, raising his glass in a silent toast. “To getting through.”

As they drank, Kaz’s thoughts kept drifting back to y/n. He wondered what she was doing now, if she was thinking about him at all. He knew it was ridiculous—she had her own life, her own problems. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of connection he had felt during their last meeting, despite everything.

He took another sip, trying to drown out the confusion in his mind. Tonight, he would let go, just for a little while. Tomorrow, he would pick up the pieces and try again.

Kaz and Jesper made their way to the Crow Club. He was already leaning heavily on his cane, the weight of the evening and the alcohol slowing him down. The queue outside was longer than ever, but being the owner had its perks. As they passed the waiting patrons, Kaz spotted y/n out of the corner of his eye. She was with her friends, laughing and swaying slightly, clearly already enjoying their night.

He knew he shouldn’t acknowledge her, but he was already a bit drunk and still simmering with anger and frustration over Inej. Impulsively, he gestured towards the girls. “You four,” he called out, his voice cutting through the noise. y/n’s intoxicated eyes widened in surprise. “Come with me.”

The girls followed, giggling and chattering amongst themselves. Kaz led them through the club, bypassing the main floor and heading straight to the VIP area. He offered them a prime table, ensuring they had a good view and plenty of attention from the waitstaff.

Kaz and y/n locked eyes for a brief moment before he turned to leave, making his way to the even more secluded private area with Jesper.

“Kaz, what was that?” Jesper asked, his eyes wide with curiosity and amusement.

Kaz shrugged, trying to play it off. “Don’t know, they looked cold waiting outside,” he mumbled.

“Sure, try to invent something better for next time,” Jesper laughed. “Or should I tell Inej?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

Kaz bristled at the mention of Inej. “Tell her what? That I made four hot girls skip the queue so that some guys will offer them drinks and spend their money in my club? Sure, tell her.”

“There’s no need to get so defensive,” Jesper said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just messing with you.”

Kaz sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s been a long day, Jesper.”

Jesper nodded, his expression softening. “I get it, man. You miss her. But you’ve got to trust that she’ll come back. And in the meantime, you’ve got to take care of yourself.”

Kaz stared into his drink, the amber liquid swirling in the glass. “It’s just hard,” he admitted. “Inej is out there, doing amazing things, and I’m stuck here, trying to keep everything together. I don’t even know what I’m doing.”

Jesper clapped him on the back. “You’re doing your best, Kaz. That’s all anyone can ask for. Now, let’s get drunk and forget about our problems for a while.”

Kaz managed a small smile, raising his glass in a toast. “To forgetting our problems.”

They clinked glasses and drank deeply, each sip a temporary reprieve from the turmoil of their lives. Tonight, Kaz allowed himself to drift away from the weight of responsibilities and emotions that usually anchored him.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a message from y/n.

‘Thanks for the table, where’s your hot girlfriend?’ she teased.

‘Had to delay,’ Kaz responded quickly, a touch of guilt creeping into his mind.

‘:(‘ came her disappointed reply.

‘Found someone to take you home?’ Kaz debated whether to send the message or not. Finally, he shrugged and decided to go for it. 'Fuck it,' he thought, 'it's just a text.'

Her response came swiftly, two messages popping up on his screen. ‘Still looking’ followed by ‘Want to step in? :)’

Kaz shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. ‘You wish,’ he typed back before tucking the broken phone back into his pocket.

Jesper, observing Kaz's exchange, couldn't resist teasing. “Who were you texting all smiling?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No one,” Kaz replied casually, attempting to maintain his usual composed facade. But Jesper's knowing look told him he wasn't fooling anyone.

“You're hiding something,” Jesper prodded, his voice filled with curiosity.

“Don't I always?” Kaz quipped, offering a crooked smile as he got up from the table.

Jesper chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as Kaz walked away. They both understood that tonight's laughter and camaraderie were brief respites from their respective troubles. Tomorrow, Kaz would face the reality of Inej's absence once more, and y/n would continue navigating her own tumultuous world. But for now, amidst the clinking of glasses and the dim lights of the Crow Club, they found solace in each other's company and the fleeting escape that alcohol provided.

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker fanfic #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x fem!reader #six of crows #six of crows fanfic #soc #kaz brekker fluff #kaz brekker imagine

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peachhcs · 6 months

Note

will bringing sam to something to bc for like a hockey thing and she’s his date and he’s proudly walking around with her on his arm

hockey formal

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

samy's in boston for will's hockey formal which means she finally meets all of his teammates that hear so much about her!

2.8k words

i kind of strayed off the path of what you requested, but i hope you like it!! this was so cutie to write, so pls send more in if y'all have any more requests :) (btw i finally used the actual names of the other hockey players on the team LMAO. everyone but connor is a guy on the bc hockey team) (so, the pics are gonna look big if ur on a computer but on mobile it’s fine LOL) (p.s.s my plan is to hopefully post every like 2 days! :) depending on my schoolwork load)

au masterlist

will's hands were around his phone as soon as he was done in the shower. the blonde didn't even take the time to change into clothes as he tapped away and stalked where samy's plane currently was. a grin curled onto his lips seeing her exactly thirty minutes away from the airport.

"what's got you so smiley?" eamon whacked his own towel against will's shoulder as he passed by the stall.

"girlfriend's coming to town," gabe answered with a smirk on his lips before will could even say a word.

"ooh, the girlfriend, huh? has she been to boston yet?" eamon wondered with his own smile.

"is that the same girl who gave you those wicked hickeys a few weeks back?" mike poked his head into the conversation. his words had will blushing to the tips of his ears.

"yup, that's the one," ryan filled in as he leaned back into his stall.

"you mean to tell me hughes is coming here?" now connor joined the group and half the team in the locker room listened in while gaining knowledge of the star freshman's plans this weekend.

"she'll be at the formal tomorrow," will informed, finally throwing a t-shirt over his head. some of the guys let out oohs and ahhs at that information.

"we finally get to meet little hughesy??" colby exclaimed making the other boys chuckle.

"just don't be too weird, okay? do not bring up anything we talk about in here to her, promise?" will eyed his teammates seriously knowing how they got around the girlfriends. they were always sharing unwanted and lousy information that definitely did not need to get shared aloud.

"what? don't want her knowing we know how many times you guys have done it?" aidan teased earning hoots and hollers from the other juniors and seniors.

will's poor blush got even worse under the commotion. he saw ryan and gabe snickering to one another while sending the boy knowing looks. some teammates they were.

"alright, shut up. just be normal if that's even possible for some of you," the freshman rolled his eyes, quickly disappearing from everyone to finish dressing himself.

"can't promise anything, smitty! get a few drinks in us and we're saying anything," jack called.

all will did was roll his eyes. he knew samy was used to hockey players and their antics, but he still didn't want his entire team making a fool of themselves in front of her. he wanted her to like them and them to like her. will was very big on gaining people's approval—especially samy.

—

gabe and ryan happily tagged along to the airport with will. if the blonde didn't know any better, they were probably just as excited—maybe more—to see samy. something in will's heart warmed though knowing his linemates were so close with one of the people he cared the most about. he knew how much the two missed being in michigan and all of ellen's delicious homemade meals when they visited on the weekends. all of them were counting down the days they were all together again at the lake house.

the three were bouncing on their heels waiting by the gate while watching everyone unload from the plane. with them being so tall, they were able to see over most people's heads as they searched for samy's familiar mop of brown curls.

"i see her!" ryan exclaimed and the other spotted her also searching for them through the sea of people.

will began pushing his way forward to meet her in the middle. he felt like a little kid on christmas with how big his smile was and how tightly he embraced the girl when they finally met in the middle. his hug was so tight samy's feet lifted off the ground a little in a small spin.

"hey willie," samy beamed into his shoulder.

"hi pretty girl, missed you," the boy mumbled back, reluctantly letting her go for a moment. the girl's eyes spotted gabe and ryan hanging back, so she quickly jumped towards them.

"aw, my two favorites came to get me too," samy giggled as they both wrapped their arms around her shorter frame.

"good to see you too, hughesy. been a while," ryan chuckled.

"two favorites?" will cleared his throat, raising his eyebrow.

"obviously you're the first," the girl chuckled, tugging her arm back around her boyfriend after hugging ryan and gabe. the boy grinned as he basically smushed samy into his side.

"someone's jealous,," gabe teased which only earned him a harsh glare from his friend.

"you hungry at all? thinking about grabbing lunch with aram and drew back on campus," ryan wondered as the four made their way back down to baggage claim.

"is that even a question? of course i'm hungry," samy beamed making the guys laugh.

ryan and gabe helped grab samy's suitcase while catching up about soccer and school. will hung back, gladly letting his linemates talk since he's heard it all already from their nightly facetime calls. the smiles on ryan and gabe's faces were enough to tell will how much they enjoyed being around samy. it was something the blonde worried about when he first introduced them two years ago, but he should've known there was nothing to worry about.

obviously samy got shotgun in will's car, so the guys stuffed themselves into the backseats. samy excitedly told them about her spring season while they chimed in with small tidbits from hockey.

"did smitty tell you all the guys on the team are excited to meet you tomorrow?" ryan wondered.

"they are?" samy giggled to herself while both boys nodded.

"you should've heard them in the locker room earlier," gabe grinned while will eyed him through the rearview mirror.

"you're kind of a big deal to them i guess," will mumbled a bit shyly. his ears turned a slight pink thinking back to their teasing remarks.

"so i've heard. i can't wait to meet them," the brunette chuckled.

lunch with the six of them felt like old times back in michigan. somethimg about being all together and laughing like they hadn't been apart the last few months brought a sense of comfort and nostalgia knowing that in a few years they really weren't going to be together like that.

samy and will retreated back to his dorm afterwards to spend some much needed alone time together before tomorrow. the girl grinned when her eyes caught sight of will's new wall decorations as soon as she stepped into the room.

"aw, you two took my suggestions," she beamed and glanced over at gabe's side too.

samy's heart warmed seeing so many pictures of her on will's side. he had three framed photos and probably 10-15 mixed into the photo collage on his wall. a smile crept onto the blonde's lips watching his girlfriend inspect every aspect of his side since she last visited.

"this one's my favorite," he pointed to one of the many photos in the collage.

samy ws laughing at something whoever took the photo said, but will's eyes had never left her. the gaze in his eyes said a lot more than words could.

"wait, i didn't even know this picture existed. when was that?" the girl wondered, jumping onto will's bed to get a better look.

"like last summer?" the boy shrugged some.

"i didn't even realize you were looking at me," samy giggled.

"i know. that's why i like it," her eyes flicked to will's and that same stare from the photo was in his eyes. a small blush painted her cheeks as she quickly looked away before he noticed.

"it was nice seeing the guys. i missed them," samy changed the subject as she sunk further into will's bed.

"they were really excited to see you. they really miss michigan. i do too," the boy kicked his shoes off to join her. his words softened out samy's expression.

"best two years ever having you guys so close by. i can't wait for summer," her voice dropped a little knowing how far off summer was still.

will's arm curled around her waist to bringing her into him. "me neither. this long distance sucks, but i'm glad you're here. tomorrow's gonna be fun," his fingers carefully brushed some of her hair away from her face.

a teasing smile grew on samy's lips, "how bad are they gonna chirp at you?" she knew all too well about his teammates constant teasing.

"hopefully not too bad. i told them to cool it," will mumbled with an embarrassing blush that samy adored nonetheless.

the two spent the rest of the afternoon in each other's arms after two long months apart. gabe came back later that night to the sight of them sound asleep and some random movie playing off of will's computer. the dark-haired boy quickly snapped a photo before shutting will's laptop and placing it somewhere safe. he quickly sent the photo to the freshman group chat, a smirk on his lips as he got himself ready for bed.

—

will stood in front of the full length mirror getting his tie ready while samy got herself ready in the bathroom. he'd be lying if he said he wasn't just a little nervous for tonight. the hockey player knew his teammates would like her—they literally fangirl over her—he was just afraid they'd become too much or something.

gabe threw his suit jacket over his shoulders while trying to look over will in the mirror. "dude, you're hogging the mirror," the dark-haired boy complained.

"i'm almost done," will mumbled, fidgeting with his collar now.

"go look at yourself next to your girlfriend in the bathroom," gabe shoved will out of the way. the blonde stumbled sideways, catching himself on the door.

"dude," the blonde glared at him.

"what? there's a bathroom for a reason," gabe shrugged, seemingly unbothered by pushing his friend out of the way.

will rolled his eyes before gently knocking on the bathroom door. "yeah?" samy asked.

"can i come in? gabe's kicking me away from our mirror," will wondered. he heard samy laugh and then a yes, so he carefully pushed the door open.

the sight in front of him made the boy stop in his tracks. samy leaned over the counter trying to apply mascara and her dress was one will hadn't seen before. the material was satin or something because it shined in the light and hugged all of the right places. blue was most definitely samy's color.

"like what you see?" the brunette smirked. she caught will's wandering eyes through the mirror, finally turning to him once she had her mascara on.

pink colored will's skin from his neck to his ears. "you look beautiful," he mumbled, slowly stepping further into the bathroom and letting the door close a bit.

"you don't look bad yourself," samy smiled at his all black suit and tie look.

will stepped forward even more so his one arm could snake around samy's waist. he pulled her into his chest while his eyes shamelessly dropped down to her chest area and back up. "i can't believe you're mine," he nearly whispered making the girl chuckle.

"you're sweet. i think i'm almost ready," samy's hands brushed back some of will's unruly curls. he flushed under her touch and brought her to his lips before he let her go.

their kiss was filled with a lot of love. will's grasp on her waist kept her in place, kissing her deeper which allowed him to push his tongue into her mouth. samy's hands toyed with the hair on the nape of his neck, indulging in her boyfriend's slight neediness before she needed to finish getting ready. his boyish instincts started taking over as his other hand began sliding down past her waist.

before he could reach her butt, samy pulled herself away. "i gotta finish getting ready. don't wanna be late," she giggled.

will let out a small groan in protest, "you're annoying."

"maybe."

samy turned back to the sink, eyeing her makeup scattered across the counter. will's eyes did one last once-over of his girlfriend before tearing his eyes away and doing his finishing touches. another five minutes went by and the couple was finally ready. gabe looked up from his bed, smiling at the two.

"finally. scared i'd have to walk in there myself," he joked.

will rolled his eyes while samy just chuckled. the three headed out of the dorm where they met ryan, drew, aram, and will vote downstairs to drive over together. the seven exchanged their hello's before dividing everyone up between will, drew, and ryan's cars. gabe stuck himself with will and samy, so the three continued out to the parking lot.

samy smiled when will opened her door for her.

"so charming," gabe mumbled as he climbed into the back.

"wish he did that for me," ryan laughed as he walked by.

poor will knew he wasn't going to escape the chirping all weekend, especially tonight. the drive into downtown stayed uneventful with minimal comments from gabe. they pulled into what looked like a very fancy bar in the heart of the city. samy hooked her arm around will's as the three walked in. a lot of the upperclassmen were already there mingling and their attention was caught when samy and will walked in.

"yo, smitty!" aidan exclaimed, running around the bar to the couple.

"what's up, hreschuck," will grinned.

"you must be samy. we've heard a lot about you," aidan turned to the girl beside his teammate.

"it's good to meet you," the two exchanged a friendly hug before the older player went to greet gabe.

"it's her! it's little hughesy!" connor jumped up, running to hug samy.

"connor miller! it's been forever since i saw you," the brunette laughed. she remembered connor playing with luke in the ntdp before they headed off to separate schools.

"i know! when i heard you were smitty's girl i just couldn't believe it. how's your brothers?" the older boy wondered.

"they're good. quinn's in van. jack and luke are in jersey. i'm the only one left in michigan," samy chuckled a little.

"god, i can't believe moosey's in jersey. i can't believe you're old enough to be in college. you play soccer right?"

will lingered beside samy while the smile on his lips grew. he never put two and two together that samy would know some of these guys through her brothers. he loved seeing her eyes so bright talking to connor about her brothers and soccer knowing she'd talk nonstop about them at any chance she got. maybe he wouldn't get chirped at as much as he thought.

just as will thought that, colby and mike bounced over to where the couple was. "aw, she really does exist," colby cut into the conversation causing will's face to flush.

"i'm colby. that's mike. we've heard a lot about you being smitty's girl," colby continued as he held his hand out.

"it's nice to finally meet you guys," samy laughed, shaking their hands.

"don't pay much mind to them. colby's going a little crazy tonight since he's graduating in a few months," connor laughed.

"can do whatever i want and they won't kick me off the team," the older guy shrugged.

"sometimes we thought smitty was lying about dating you," mike chimed in.

"yeah, sometimes i don't believe it either," samy joined into their teasing. her gaze slid towards her boyfriend still beside her who blushed hard.

"i mean he definitely picked a good one," colby nodded.

"why don't you guys get some drinks and food before the other guys eat it all," connor laughed, pushing samy and will further into the bar and pretty much saving them from more of mike and colby's annoying remarks.

"jesus, sorry about them," will mumbled when they were out of ear shot.

"don't apologize. i thought it was funny," samy shook her head with a smile.

"they don't know how to shut up ever," the blonde rolled his eyes.

"you forget i'm used to it after growing up with three brothers who have hockey friends of their own," the girl giggled making will flush.

"i know. i know. thanks for coming again," will placed a chaste kiss to her lips.

samt stuck to will's side for most of the night, but she enjoyed seeing him in his comfort zone. all of the guys on the team were so close with one another. the upperclassmen treated the underclassmen like brothers despite the slight chirping. she could tell how much will loved it and how much he fit in with them.

even though her boyfriend did most of the talking, she was glad to be at his side in a pretty dress for the night supporting him in what he loved the most.

#hughes!sister x will smith au #will smith hockey #samy x will #boston college #boston college hockey #samy hughes #umich hockey #will smith imagine #will smith x oc #uofmichigan #will smith fluff #will smith hockey fluff

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nataliasquote · 8 months

Text

For her | y belova

Summary: Yelena tries to find the balance between spending christmas with her girl and tracking down Clint Barton…

Warnings: none

Pairings: yelena belova x reader

wc: 1.7k

note: I know it’s not christmas but I love this fic and couldn’t really wait an entire year :)

-⧗-

A classic Christmas movie played quietly on the tv in the living room, as the two women sat on the couch, snacking on pretzels and chips. The sun had set, so the room was lit up in a multitude of colour coming from the festive lights strung up outside.

Y/n had her feet tucked underneath her as she curled up on the couch, leaning into the arm rest. Yelena was stretched out across the seat, her toes occasionally jabbing into Y/n's thigh if she wanted to annoy her. It was a chilled out kind of evening, one they both needed.

They both reached for the m&m's, their hands bumping, making them both blush. "This is nice" Y/n hummed, before throwing a handful of candy into her mouth. Yelena nodded in agreement.

"We should make Christmas cookies tomorrow. Or gingerbread?" Y/n asked, hoping to get a reaction from her girlfriend. But Yelena just shrugged, her eyes not moving from the tv screen.

Y/n furrowed her brow in concern. "Lena?" She asked, turning her body to face the blonde.

"Hm?" Yelena hummed in response.

"You ok baby?" Yelena still didn't turn around, but Y/n knew not to push. She looked deep in thought. "What's going on inside that gorgeous head of yours?"

"It's the first Christmas" Yelena whispered.

"Babe, we've been dating for 3 years. This is our 3rd Christmas together." Y/n laughed, trying to cover up the confusion she had over her girlfriends comment.

"It's the first Christmas without her" Yelena's voice wobbled dangerously and Y/n watched her jaw tense as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

A silence hung over the room, only broken by the quiet mumbling of voices coming from the tv. Y/n could see Yelena's throat bobbing up and down as she swallowed thickly, and she tried to figure out what to say next.

But she didn't say anything. Instead, Y/n climbed off the couch and knelt in front of her girlfriend, gently placing a hand on her knee.

"Hey, Lena, look at me."

Yelena turned her head to look at her, her eyes refusing to let the tears spill over.

"I know you miss her. It's ok to. But she's not fully gone." Yelena tilted her head in confusion. "She's in here. Always." Y/n placed her hand over Lena's heart, and the blonde placed her hand on top, giving it a light squeeze. "Why don't we go visit her on Christmas, yeah? You can put that gift, yeah I know you've got one in your closet, you can put it next to her. I'm sure she'll love it."

Yelena smiled a bit at Y/n's words, before pulling the smaller girl off the floor and into her lap for a hug. The pair sat in each other's arms, wrapped in the tightest hug.

"Why don't we finish this movie and then go snuggle in bed. And then we can paint each other's nails all festive!" Y/n suggested, and Yelena nodded.

Y/n stood up off her girlfriend's lap and made her way over to the fridge, pulling out 2 glass coke bottles. She placed them on the coffee table and Yelena instantly brought hers up to her mouth, shuddering at the cold bubbles. The pair clinked their bottles together, Yelena smiling at the sight.

"You 'cheers' your bottle how Nat used to. She always held the top and clinked the bottom. Though one time she was so rough she broke the top off my vodka. I made her buy me a new one though." Yelena's eyes lit up as she told the story and Y/n smiled, proud to see her girlfriend talking about happy memories of her sister.

Loud christmas music started up on the tv, making both girls jump. They pulled their focus back to the movie for a while, before Yelena spoke up again.

"Y/n/n?” Yelena whined.

"Yessssss??" Y/n mimicked the tone her girlfriend used.

"Stop it!" She giggled. "Can you braid my hair?"

"What's the magic word?" Y/n smirked.

"Cyka" Yelena joked, seeing Y/n raise an eyebrow.

"I think you'll find it's 'please'"

"Fine! Please... cyka"

"Oh you are this close" Y/n made a tiny gap with her fingers "to sleeping on the couch tonight." She huffed.

"Ok ok. Please baby. Please can you braid my hair?"

Y/n just rolled her eyes. "You know how to braid! Do it yourself."

Yelena crawled closer to her girlfriend. "Yeah but you do it better. Plus, I want you to do it how you did Nat's."

Y/n softly smiled at how vulnerable her love was being. Yelena was very rarely like this. "Ok. Come on. You can sit here." She patted the floor between her legs, on which Yelena instantly plopped herself down on.

Y/n grabbed the hair tie from the table and began sectioning Yelena's hair into 3 parts, intricately weaving them to create a dutch braid. Yelena kept stuffing her mouth with m&ms whilst Y/n moaned at her to keep still so the braid would be straight.

Y/n braided all the way down her head until she got to the top of Yelena's neck. "I'll braid a little bit more and then tie it off, because your hair is still wavy from today's braids and I think it looks cute."

As Y/n tied off the braid, Yelena reached her hand up to feel her new hairstyle, only to have her hand slapped away.

"Don't touch it! I'm not done yet." Y/n ordered, meaning Yelena just stuck her hand back into the bowl of candy, chewing loudly. Y/n rolled her eyes and started pulling the braid out to give it some volume. She also pulled at the hair on top of Yelena's head, to add volume to the front.

"Now you can touch it." She said, sinking back into the couch cushion.

Yelena jumped up and walked over to the mirror, turning her head to check out her hair. "I love it!" She turned back to Y/n, who was watching her with adoration in her eyes. "And I love you!" She ran over and tackled Y/n into a hug, planting kisses all over her face and neck. The pair connected their lips and Y/n rolled over to straddle Yelena, swiping her tongue across the girl's lower lip. Yelena moaned and opened her mouth, but they were interrupted by Yelena's phone buzzing.

She groaned, pushing Y/n off her lap and walking over to the table where it was on charge. Y/n watched her girlfriend's expression change from happiness to stone cold.

"Who is it?" Y/n asked.

Yelena continued to stare at her phone, before muttering "I need to go."

She stormed over to the cupboard and pulled out a black bag, emptying its contents onto the floor. Y/n's eyes never once left Yelena, confused as to what was happening.

The blonde assassin stripped out of her plaid pyjama pants and oversized sweatshirt, before slipping into her black suit, zipping it up all the way. Y/n eyes went widened in realisation.

"Lena.." Her voice was dangerously low.

"Don't, Y/n" Yelena warned as she strapped her widow bite cuffs onto her wrists.

"You found him, didn't you." She asked, afraid of the answer. She knew Nat would be heartbroken if she knew what her sister was doing, but Yelena wouldn't listen. She always stormed out whenever Y/n brought it up.

"Don't wait up for me." Yelena strapped her gun to her thigh and checked her grappling hook was secure in her belt, her back now completely towards Y/n. She knew if she looked towards her girlfriend, all she'd see is disappointment, so she chose not to.

"Lena please. It's Christmas..." No response. "You know Nat wouldn-"

"Don't say her name!" Yelena growled.

Y/n didn't say anything, only swallowing as she saw how tense Yelena was. She carefully got up off the couch and walked over to Yelena, who had picked up her head cover and goggles. She wrapped her arms around the assassin's waist, leaning her chin on her shoulder.

"Stay safe. Please. I cant lose you too." She whispered, her voice dangerously close to breaking. Yelena turned around and pressed a kiss on Y/n forehead, wrapped her muscular arms around her shoulders.

"I'll be ok. I'll be back before you know it. Go to sleep baby and I'll be there when you wake up." Y/n sighed, inhaling her girlfriend's scent one more time before they both broke away from the hug.

Y/n helped her put her head cover on, adjusting the goggles so they sat right on her face. She kissed Yelena once more on the cheek, before letting her walk out the door of the apartment.

After Yelena left, Y/n walked to the window on the opposite side of the room and watched the pavement as she saw Yelena walk out of the main door and onto the street. She followed her girl's figure until she turned a corner and disappeared from view.

Y/n took a shaky breath in as worry started to take over. Her hands shook slightly as she clasped them together, taking one last look out of the window before walking back into the living room.

She sunk onto the couch and placed her head in her hands, tears flowing down her cheeks. One hand made it's way to the necklace that hung around her neck, her fingers clutching onto the silver arrow charm.

"I'm sorry Nat" She whispered, before her voice broke into sobs.

The once festive apartment now had a darkness hanging over it, one that should not be associated with Christmas.

#marvel #fanfic #yelena belova #yelena belova x reader #natasha romanoff #florence pugh #florence pugh x reader #yelena belova x female reader

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queenbeeofbees · 8 months

Text

I don't want her - Drew Starkey

Summary - Drew gets back from filming obx season 4, but he isn’t alone when he shows up.

Warnings - Cussing, being ignored, yelling, jealousy

Pairings - Drew Starkey & Reader

A/n: this is my first time writing on here so if I make any mistakes I’m sorry. Also if there is anything that needs changed in my writing please let me know!!

You have been texting Drew all day, telling him how you can't wait to see him. He texted you about 20 minutes ago that he was getting on the plane. Now you are cleaning up around the house, making sure everything is nice and tidy just for him. You've set candles up all around the house so it smells good when he gets home. You spent the rest of your time setting up a fruit bowl for Drew to snack on.

Once finished you sit down on one of the barstools, popping a few grapes in your mouth while scrolling through your twitter feed. You sit there for a hour, jumping up from your seat when you hear the door knob turning. However, when you open the door impatiently instead of Drew being in front of you it's Odessa.

“Hey girl!” She exclaims, her arms reaching out towards you. You quickly wipe the confused and disappointed expression off of your face, masking the disappointment with a big fake smile. You hold your arms out and wrap your arms around her. “How have you been?” She asks like she gives a shit.

“Lonely. It feels like Drew has been gone for years!” You force a laugh out, pulling yourself out of her embrace. Your eyes shift to Drew, giving him a glare out of annoyance. You turn around, grabbing a grape and popping in your mouth. “I made this today so feel free to eat it.” You offer nicely, turning your head to look at both of them. “I’m going to take a shower!” You excuse yourself, walking up the stairs to you and Drew’s room.

Once the shower was warm enough you stepped in, releasing a long sigh at the warm water. You hear the bathroom door open, along with Drews sighs. You finish up in the shower and step out with your hand holding the towel wrapped around your body tightly. Not to your surprise Drew is leaving against the counter.

“Baby-” Drew starts but you cut him off quickly with a raise of your hand.

“What the actual fuck were you thinking?” You ask, your voice getting louder with every word. He stands there with his hands in his pockets and his head down. You scoff when he doesn't answer you. “Cat got your tongue Drew?” You say, hands now resting on your hips. Finally he raises his head, running his hands over his face.

“She doesn't have a place to stay at right now so I offered her to stay here.” He explains, coming over to you.

“You didn't even ask me if it was okay! You know how I feel about her.” You yell at him, walking past him into the closet. “Plus who knows what she’ll try to pull while you're here and I'm somewhere else!” You exclaim, throwing your hands up when he turns you around to face him.

“Baby I only want you. I don't want her and nothing or anyone could ever make me want her more than I want you. Just let her stay tonight, then tomorrow when you wake up she'll be gone.” He says softly, stroking your cheek with his thumb. You sigh, slowly nodding your head. He smiles sweetly, bringing his lips down to yours and kissing you gently.

#drew starkey #fluff #angst #i want him #drew starkey fanfiction #he’s so pretty #drew starkey x reader #obx #rafe obx #rafe outer banks #drew starkey fic #drew x reader

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mandy-asimp · 1 year

Text

Forever home

Melissa Schemmenti x reader

Warning: hurt, lots of crying, yelling, throwing things, miscommunication, insecurities, a few swear words, fluff at like the veeeerrrrry end

A/n: I'm sorry if I forgot any warnings, I didn't proof read, I literally had this idea off of like a spurr and just started going

"You tanked Janine! Took the whole school with you! It was impressive." Melissa poked at the younger teacher. Not knowing you were walking out the building.

"Leave the poor girl alone, she tried to help." You stood behind the red head. "Janine I think you made a choice and it didn't give you what you wanted, but it's nice that you care so much." You didn't look at the two, focusing on your class before you threw a water balloon at one kid.

Your class lit up and you took the to the open park across the street. Missing the rest of the conversation held between the two.

Today you wore a white top, not really planning to be playing in water today. So while your class left, you were in your classroom. Soaked to the bone.

The knock on your door made you head snap up. "Oh! Hey Janine?" You flashed a smile. "What can I do for ya?"

"I just wanted to say thank you. For the words you said earlier. You really had my back. And you know how Melissa is." She stood cautiously by your door.

You furrowed your brows, "Janine why are you just standing by the door? You're free to come in more. Hey did you eat today?"

"Im fine I was just stopping by. And I was gonna wait...but I should eat now since I'm hungry." She nodded like it was some new discovery.

"Well it's me and Melissa, but I also know Gregory is going out if you wanna go with him. You wont get bullied by Melissa." You joked. Still drying out your shirt.

Janine watched for a second. "You and Melissa? What's that all about?" Her curiosity peaked. "Also I have an extra shirt if you wanna change?"

"No I'm good, I have to go home to change anyways. And me and Melissa? We're just friends I guess." You played it down. "She was the teacher I began with. She made me like it here a lot and then during the pandemic, she let me come stay with her and her husband. I usually had headphones playing loud music so they had time together. She got mad at me for it a lot cause I never came up for dinner."

"You lived with her?! How did you manage?" Janine was baffled by the new found information. "Does that make you like the second person who knows so much about her? After Barb?"

You shrugged and didn't see harm in talking about the past a bit. "She gives you a hard time cause your new."

"Ok but that doesn't explain how you went from her student teacher to living with her?" Janine pushed. She needed to know what was the reason for the favoritism.

"Are you ready?" Melissa's voice came from the door way. Ending the conversation entirely. The 2nd grade teacher in front of you frowned at the nasty look the older gave. "Still can't believe you tanked. Like the whole school Janine. The. Whole. School."

"Melissa," You warned lowly. Getting into a short staring match with her. Which you won with a smile. "I have to run home and change, but then I'll be there for dinner."

"Whatever." She scoffed and walked away.

You had to take a deep breath before having to deal with her. "Janine, just don't listen to her. She's clearly just upset you took whatever fish she had in the fridge. She'll find something new Monday. Have a good weekend." You led her out the room.

Once you got home, you could find no sight of Melissa. No car in the driveway, no opened wine, nothing. You tried to call her, but got the voicemail. Five times. You looked for her location, but got her at the school.

With one last call, you changed and just went to the restaurant. Sitting at the table while dressed in your best. But after waiting for half an hour, you decided to just go home. Tipping the waiter for putting up with you and holding up a table.

You felt embarrassed. There was also anger and fury in you. You called Melissa while on your way home, leaving a voicemail. Going on about how when she's ready to pull her head out her ass and talk to you, you'd be ready.

What you didn't expect was that to lead into tomorrow.

Staurday.

You woke up in a bed alone. It had been years since this feeling. You groaned in frustration and went looking through the house. Not any trace. No note. No car. Nothing.

You let it play out, maybe she just went out early and would be back before noon. Constantly checking your phone to see if anything would come from her.

By five you were at Barbs in tears. You explained you hadn't seen her for twenty-four hours now. How you got nothing from her but she left Friday with a scoff.

That night you stayed at the kindergarten teachers house. Her and Gerald being the nicest people to you while in such a state.

Barbra had watched you two fall in love. The first year you two worked together, she knew you were the one. So seeing you crying over such a thing hurt her. It enraged her that her friend could do such a thing.

That night, before dinner, Barb tried calling Melissa. Getting the voicemail, and she wasn't going to call back. She explained calmly but with so much venom about the harm she's caused. How you can sobbing to her.

"Why don't you come eat with us? Get something in you?" She offered to your lifeless body. You were so numb you couldn't. You just shook your head. "Y/n, sweetheart, please. I know it hurts but you have to get something in you."

"What if she never comes back?" You whispered out. "I don't know what I did. I...I don't know how to control this. I was angry. So so angry at her for standing me up. But now I just I want her home. But what if she doesn't come home?"

Barbra hugged you. She held you on to you tight. Feeling you tremble in her embrace. She held you until your cries subsided. Holding you even through uneven breathing and the soft sniffling. Scared that if she let go, you'd think you had no one.

"Come on, we can make plates and eat on the couch tonight. Watch your favorite?" She offered. Seeing the smallest sparkle in your eyes. "I'll make you a small plate, and if you want more, you can grab more."

You nodded and mumbled a thank you. Slowly trying to find The Devil wears Prada.

Sunday.

You woke up on the couch. Frowning that you still had no sign of Melissa. You cleaned up your stay and wrote Barbra a note thanking her for everything and saying you'll see her Monday.

On your drive back you stopped at the store. Desperate to find something to distract you for another day.

You picked up a Lego set, one that you didn't need but knew it would take your entire day.

Driving home, you had a large pool of hope to see her car. It hurt you to know that you were getting hopeful for the worst. And then it hurt when you didn't see the red truck. That red truck that you had star gazing dates in. That red truck that you've made out in. That red truck. Tears streamed down your face when you got inside.

They kept falling as you showered and changed. You wore one of her sweatshirts and a pair of shorts. Crew socks protecting you from the cold floors. They felt colder than normal. The whole house did.

It was empty.

Your Sunday was filled with movies, legos, and multiple water bottles. Your phone next to you as you desperately awaited a call or a text.

Monday.

You woke up to rustling. "Mel?" You quietly called. Voice being dry and hoarse from sobbing yourself to sleep. You sat up and rubbed your eyes. "Melissa?" There was no one, it was still dark in the room. The tv being the only light.

"I'm sorry, but it's just me. You weren't answering my text about if you were awake." Barbra's voice came through the dark.

You stayed silent as your lip trembled. Tears rolled down your face. "I...Barb." Was all you could say. She nodded and walked over. Pulling you from the bed and hugging you.

"Why don't you get ready and I'll drive you to work today?" She held your face, her thumbs wiping your tears away. "We can even stop for breakfast."

You nodded and got ready. Not putting much effort in, and everyone knew when you walked in the morning.

Your hair was freely down and you were in jeans. But you hardly wore jeans unless it was Wednesday or Friday. And the button up that belonged to Melissa was untucked. Your socks didn't match. You had your glasses on and hardly any makeup.

You moved in silence while in the lounge. Head held down and picking at your nails until the coffee was done. You took it straight and walked silently to your class. Not coming out until you had to print your papers for the day.

Ten minutes before she's counted late. You counted those second that made up the time. Once the kids came in and she didn't, you rushed back with your papers holding in your tears.

You sent her one simple text. Turning off your phone for the morning and masking everything for your kids.

Thankful that gym and lunch was back to back. Giving you an hour and a half or so to cry. It was only three minutes into that time before Barbra was comforting you again.

You had cried so hard that you had to throw up. You were surprised by yourself today. You've never cried this hard. Never. And now you were dry heaving.

Barbra was leading you down with your head buried in her side. You could hear her say something, but you couldn't bear look at who she said it to.

You knew who it was, especially went you felt your heart get pulled back. You wanted to run to her. To cry into her knowing she was safe and she was here. Yet, you couldn't. You just let Barbra walk you to Ava. Leaving you with her.

Ava, when she cares, she get serious. And seeing you, one of her more valued workers, made her serious.

She held you for the rest of the time you had. Letting you cry into her shirt. She didn't care you were soaking it with sadness, she just wanted you ok.

Once your time was up, you wiped your face. Giving a final hug to your boss before trudging to the lunch room.

When you opened the door, your heart wanted to burst. The overwhelming emotions seeing her talking to your class. You mustered it all up, ignoring her entirely as you collected your class.

On the verge of tears when your hand brushes against hers. A shaky breath left your body when it happened.

The rest of the day you stayed in your class. Feeling relieved when your kids left and it was just you.

A few tears fell out your eyes as you packed up. Taking in your silence as you left the building. You didn't stop and talk to anyone. Just walked out to your...Barbra.

You instantly spun in your feet, ready to head back but there she was. Not Barb, no Melissa. You wiped away the tears that started falling faster. "Shit," You whispered in annoyance. Making a beeline to the eldest teacher

Barb was expecting you. But not with this many tears. "You know you can't avoid her forever. She's hurting just as much as you are."

You nodded, knowing she was right. "It just hurts to see her after being completely ignored. I just...I couldn't even figure it out."

"Well, I'll drive you home." She knew you didn't want to get into it. She knew most of it already anyways.

When you got home, there was no truck again. Barbra asked if you were going to be ok and you had to be. You couldn't keep her forever so you just nodded.

When you got in, you poured a glass of wine and changed. Balling up on the couch and watching another movie.

Waiting for that door to open again. Needing her walk through the door tonight. If she doesn't you might died.

Tuesday.

You sat in the teachers lounge this morning. Not letting tears get you today.

"Oh! Y/n! Its good to see you! Where were you yesterday?" Janine came in, a bright smile on her face.

You hummed, "busy morning. I got nothing done over the weekend." The lie fell from you with ease. "And its good to see you as well Janine."

Everyone else began to fill in. And you could sense when Mel came in. You could sense her any day.

The morning was quiet with you. You didn't sit next to Melissa, instead you sat next to Janine. Listening to her watch videos for the wish list.

"Janine, I swear if I hear one more preppy video," Melissa turned in her chair. "You should put a pair of headphones on that list."

You gave a quiet scoff. "Janine, I wouldn't stress it. I think it's adorable how you're making a video for your classroom needs."

Melissa looked at you next, right before turning while shaking her head. "Well maybe you should just date Janine." She whispered so quiet only Barb heard it, and you could tell it.

"Melissa!" Barbra scolded, never seeing such a side of her friend. Her brown eyes quickly jumped to you. "Y/n..."

"No. If she wants to be immature and childish, the so fucking be it." You collected everything and rushed out. Tears burning in your eyes.

The rest of the day you avoided everyone. Not wanting to give into the tears that begged to spill. You were tired of crying. Tired of being tired.

The woman you've been with for the past five years is suddenly someone you've never met. You've met jealous Melissa, and this was not that green monster.

That night you stayed up. You expected her to come home tonight. After what happened you expected her to. But she didn't.

It hurt. It burned. It shattered. You couldn't understand what the hell was happening. So you called her. Not getting any answer, but you laid it out in the voicemail. The emotions ripping at you.

Wednesday.

You didn't go to school. You stayed home and sulked. Crying the entire morning. Only stopping for an hour or so to drink water. Just to cry it all out again.

It was a repeating pattern with it. That was all your day was. You couldn't believe you were crying this hard for someone.

Yet, it'd be terrible if you weren't crying over her. You spent the past five years with her. Even though it wasn't official till last year though.

You were with her through everything, and now she's just throwing you away.

That night you stared at yourself in the mirror. First silently, then after an hour, you screamed. You screamed so loud you heard dogs start barking from streets down.

Thursday.

Tomorrow would mark a week of whatever is happening. Not...that anyone was keeping track or anything.

You went to school and just kept to yourself. It was a you day where you talked to nobody. You hardly talked to your students.

You gave them papers of what they knew to just do extra practice and did your own thing.

And at night you did what you did for what seems like a month, sat with a glass of wine waiting.

Friday.

A week. A week if not talking to her. A week without a text. A week without a call. A week of constant tears. A week of hurting.

You walked into your classroom and see a box. A familiar box that you adore so much. There was a blue sticky note on top.

Your heart thumped loudly. Each step was a louder thump.

You read the note and a small smile tugged at your lips. But then you let the pain she cause catch up to you today.

You went through your day, a bit more on edge. A bit meaning you were shaking the entire day since reading the note.

By the time you were home, you were downing water. Trying to calm the nerves that we're eating you alive. They took over your body and you felt cold and clammy.

The door opened. You wanted to throw up everything. You wanted to be eaten alive by the floor. To be abducted by aliens. Ran over by a train. Honestly anything to not be here.

"Hun?" A soft voice called in. She walked further into the house. And when you laid eyes on her, you couldn't.

The mixture of rage and sadness forcing tears out. You began yelling. It didn't stop, you just kept yelling. Screaming things you didn't know you wanted to say. You stepped closer and closer and once you were close and she stared at you, she looked shocked to think you could say such, and it made you even more mad.

You threw your hands up and kept screaming. You began throwing objects, being conscious of what you had. Nothing was breaking to satisfy you.

You grabbed your wine glass, note it still had a bit of wine, and threw it at her. Instantly shutting up when it fell to the ground where she used to be standing. You were thankful she moved, but the feeling that glass had made you pant.

"I know you're upset," she began. But it didn't go long because you kept going. You laid it on to her heavy. You've never yelled at someone like this before.

You plopped down when you were for sure done. Watching her with puffy eyes.

She began to talk. And as she went on, you still didn't hear her reasoning. It was just a long apology of how she knew she was wrong.

"Please, I'm sorry." She looked at you longingly.

You shook your head. "You don't get you just apologize and not give me a reason. You left me for a week without saying a word. You stood me up at dinner Mel. What did I do?" You croaked.

Melissa's eyes went wide and she rushed to crouch in front of you. Holding your face and wiping away tears.

"Honey none of this. And I absolutely mean none of this, was your fault. I...I let my insecurities get me. On Friday when you were defending Janine and then talking to her alone," she got out quietly. The fear of you looking at her differently feasting on her.

You could only begin crying. You slipped off the couch into her arms. Sobbing so heavily. Melissa wrapped her arms and held you tightly. Even when you tried hitting her chest and pull away. She could only apologize at you.

Tears of her own showering your head. Neither one of you able to part. You not wanting her to disappear ever again, and her not wanting to see you pained the way you are.

It was well past midnight when you came through again. Stirring around trying to determine where you were.

In your bed with a bonding like grip on you. You couldn't move but you moved enough to wake up Melissa.

"Mel..." you softly spoke. Grabbing at her hands to loosen them. Only making them tighten around you.

"No..." she grumbled. "I can't let go of you."

"Melly? I'm not asking you to let go of me, I'm asking you to just let go of me." You pulled at her hands again, getting the to let go. You rolled over to prop yourself up. Looking down at your woman as her face was so relaxed.

Her eyes fluttered open. Instantly filling with tears. "Please don't leave me..." her tears began falling. "I know I was wrong but please. I cant go through it."

"Melly, I'm not leaving you. You did a terrible terrible thing and I still hardly know why, except that it had something to do with Janine?" You pushed hair out of her face and getting comfortable in her arms again. "What went through that head?"

Melissa moved to rest lower and bury her head into your chest. You knew she needed to be held, so that's what you did. She explained it all to you while you played with her hair.

"And I just....it kept eating at me that you were tired and wanted someone young. I know not Janine but I wanted to get it over with so you couldn't break my heart." She finished. The sun peaking up and through your blinds. "And when you yelled and said what you said, I had a reality check."

You pulled her head back slightly to see her face. Leaning down and kissing her so passionately.

"I will never, and I mean never, mean what I say when I'm mad. It will never mean anything until I have time to calm down and talk sensibly. I was so so hurt that you did that to me though. And it hurt even worst because I knew I still would love you after it all. Because I love you Melissa." You kissed her forehead.

You took in this moment. You had the woman you swore to marriage within your own head. She was your forever. Since the first day with her she was your everything.

"I love you too, y/n." She smiled. It was the most genuine smile you've ever seen this woman give you.

The look in that woman's eyes before you both fell back asleep was all you needed to know she was your forever home.

#abbot #abbot elementary #melissa x reader #melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti #barbra howard #janine teagues #ava coleman #lisa ann walter #hurt/comfort

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missvelvetsstuff · 4 months

Text

No Benefits

Bucky Barnes x Reader, Bucky x Sharon

Summary: Reader and Bucky are best friends until a drunken hook up. Bucky wants a friends with benefits situation because he doesn't feel ready for a relationship but reader knows that will lead to a broken heart.

Then Sharon Carter comes to work with them.

Notes: Steve and Tony are around but retired, everything else is mostly canon

**Previous chapter**

Cookie looked at the cold face of her friend, the man she had loved for 2 years and rasped out "Bucky. Please." She looked into his emotionless eyes and she realized this was it, she closed her eyes and tried to say "I forgive you" as she lost consciousness.

Chapter 6

Note: sorry this chapter took so long, hope it's worth the wait.

Warnings: Swearing, angst

The Soldat was distracted by a door slamming open, the sunlight that shone through it and the shield that hit him in the chest, knocking him back. He dropped an unconscious Cookie and turned in the direction of the distractions before stalking over towards them. He approached the man who threw the shield and a man in a red and gold metal suit but before he could throw a punch the guy in the metal suit put his hand up and some red mist came out. The Soldat covered his mouth and tried not to inhale it but failed.

Bucky coughed and shook his head before looking up to see Steve and Tony in front of him, holding defensive positions as they waited to see if it worked.

Bucky rubbed his eyes "Steve? What the Hell is going on?"

Bucky looked around as his head cleared and saw Cookie, crumpled on the floor and rushed over to her, falling to his knees.

"Cookie! Nonononono. Fuck! What did I do? Please doll, you have to be ok"

He started to reach out to her but pulled back when he saw the bruises starting to form on her neck. He turned to look at Steve and begged "Help her, please."

As soon as he sprayed Bucky, Tony aimed the mist at Nat, Sharon, Yelena and Antonia. All but Antonia shook themselves out of the trance they were in while Antonia tried to escape up the stairs. Unfortunately for her, Nat and Yelena were faster and tackled her to the floor.

Steve carefully picked Cookie up and hurried towards the quinjet.

Bucky stood, looked around and saw Sharon. He glared and started towards her when Tony stopped him. "We'll take care of them, you go back to the jet with Rogers and Cookie.

Bucky flinched when he heard her name "I don't think-"

Tony cut him off "Don't think, just go, everything here is handled."

Bucky just nodded and turned in the direction Steve had gone. When he arrived at the jet he saw Steve standing next to the medical bed where he had laid Cookie.

He turned to face Bucky "Friday is monitoring her but there doesn't seem to be any serious damage just some bruising. She'll be alright, Buck."

Bucky scoffed "Yeah, no thanks to me. I'll just keep my distance." and sat as far away from her as he could.

Steve tried to comfort him "C'mon Buck, it's not your fault. They were controlling you."

Bucky just turned his back to him without a word and Steve knew he would need some time.

Tony and Sam walked up the ramp with Antonia, Nat, Sharon and Yelena all in front while Clint and Sam were last so they could keep an eye on everyone.

Antonia was restrained and belted into one of the seats with Sam and Clint on either side. Tony took the pilots seat and they raced home as quickly as possible.

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

Cookie felt herself being pulled awake by an annoying beeping in her room. She tried to tell Friday to turn her alarm off but quickly realized that no sounds were coming out. She tried to clear her throat but it was painful like a sore throat when you're sick but much worse.

She tried to open her eyes but the room was too bright and as she sniffled detected a strong antiseptic smell.

Once she put it all together she realized she must be in the med bay.

Cookie opened her eyes again and was able to keep them open this time. She felt a hand holding hers and looked around the room to see dark hair. She squeezed the hand gently and tried to speak, which made her cough and woke him up.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

Cookie tried to speak but on squeaked and coughed. She shrugged and pointed at her throat.

"I know, I'm sorry Cookie. We tried to get there before it went that far but I'm glad we found you in time. Here, have some water." He sat her bed up and held the cup of water so she could drink from the straw. As she drank he explained that Bucky, Sharon, Nat and Yelena had all been controlled by Antonia with a serum that the Red Room had been using on the Widows, to keep them in line.

The cool water soothed Cookie's throat but when she tried to speak it still came out as a croak "Sammy" and made her cough again.

Sam set the water down "Dr Cho said your throat will be sore for awhile so no talking for a few days. If you can manage that, Imma be seriously impressed. Here, this will help." he handed her a tablet so she could type out what she wanted to say.

Cookie slapped his shoulder before taking the tablet and trying quickly into it. *How's Barnes?*

Sam shook his head "After everything that's happened, that's the first thing you wanna say?" he sighed "Bucky is fine. He's been in the waiting area all night but won't come in here. Blames himself, which he should, if you ask me."

Cookie scowled at him and started typing again

*I didn't ask. According to what you just told me, wasn't his fault. Tell his dumb ass to come in here!*

Sam looked at her, frustrated "I also just told you he won't come in here. Did he mess up your hearing too?"

Cookie sighed *Tell him I said so*

Sam shook his head as he left the room to talk to Bucky. It didn't go well.

Bucky refused "Goddammit Sam, I already told you I wasn't going in there. What if I see her and he decides to come back and finish the job? That was his last order and I don't know if it'll still be there when I see her. She deserves better than me. I'm stupidly damaged and can't promise she won't end up hurt, whether it's by someone I've hurt, Hydra wanting me back or just me and my unstable mind. I can't risk hurting her again. Just tell her I'm sorry."

Sam tried to reply but when he looked where the super soldier had just been standing, the entire waiting room was empty.

When Sam returned to Cookies room she frowned and he shrugged "I told you he wouldn't. He bailed before I could convince him. You're gonna have to wait till he's ready."

A few hours later Cookie was released by Dr Cho with the conditions that she take it easy and not try to talk for a few days. On the way back to her room she saw Nat and Yelena. Both women looked at the floor and mumbled apologies as she walked past.

Cookie was happy that she made it to her room without seeing Sharon. Even if she was being controlled, Cookie couldn't wipe the images of Sharon and Bucky all over each other or the nasty comments she had made. Maybe after some rest and time to put it all into perspective she would feel more rational about it.

Cookie wasn't sure what her next move should be since her being here seemed to be traumatic for everyone involved in her adventure. DC and Boston were always options. She could transfer to either one and still do her job without much trouble, thanks to Stark tech and wouldn't be too far away by plane or Dr Strange in a real emergency.

She knew that seeing Bucky every day, especially if he stays with Sharon or finds another "friend", would be challenging for her. Distance would help her heart heal, or so she thought.

She figured being out of his sight would help Bucky deal with his own trauma and guilt without her reminding him that the Soldat was still lurking.

After a couple of days Cookie was getting her voice back and had been released to go back to work. She noticed that Bucky always seemed to be lurking around but bolted everytime their eyes met. He wouldn't stay in the same room as Cookie unless there were briefings where he wasn't given much choice.

When Maria came to her office a week later, to see how she was feeling, Cookie told her what she was thinking and Maria tried to talk her out of it.

By the time Maria left her office, Cookie was sure of her next step and sent the papers to Nick Fury, already begrudgingly signed off on by Maria.

When her work day ended, Cookie headed to her room to start organizing and packing. She would miss her view of the lake and her friends here but she felt like she just couldn't stay with the way things were. Maybe in a few years she could get her head together and figure out how to convince her heart to let go of Bucky but it wasn't happening here.

Cookie told Sam that she was moving but made him promise not to tell anyone, especially not Bucky. She wasn't up to a teary goodbye with the whole team and didn't want Bucky to feel like it was his fault.

At her last team dinner two weeks later, everyone was there even Steve and Tony but only Sam knew it was her last day at the compound. Everyone else thought they were celebrating her clean bill of health the day before. As always, Bucky was nowhere to be seen while Sharon, Nat and Yelena were there but none of them had even tried to speak to her since they all returned to the compound.

Cookie figured they were dealing with their own guilt even if it wasn't really any of their fault but she knew Dr Raynor would help them work through it all. She convinced herself that her move was best for them as well, so they don't have to see her and feel bad about what happened.

The next morning she woke early, left her room packed for the movers to pick up and Sam flew her to her new home for the foreseeable future.

@erelierraceala @capswife @ozwriterchick @cjand10 @wintrsoldrluvr @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @browneyedgrli @greatenthusiasttidalwave @hhiggs @dontworryboutitsweetheart-blog @behindmygreyeyes @pattiemac1 @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @calwitch @mrs-bucky-barnes-73 @ordelixx @blackhawkfanatic @casey1-2007 @scott-loki-barnes @selella

Chapter 7

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #james bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #angst with a happy ending #james bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x female reader #no benefits

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owlwithanapple · 8 months

Text

The Light and The Dark

Chapter 01. Encounter

Two years ago

The story begins two years ago when you were playing alone near your home late at night, suddenly you were attacked and kidnapped by human traffickers. At that time you desperately screamed for help late at night, but no one was willing to lend a helping hand because they were outnumbered. In the end you were forcibly taken away by them.

Your hands were handcuffed and were taken to their pirate ship. In addition to those bastard accomplices on the boat, you saw several girls about the same age as you and even little girls younger than you.

When the ship left the island sailing on the sea, they took you with other girls to a room for evaluation to ensure that the girls could be sold at a good price. It is simply humiliating us. You are treated as commodities even though are priceless.

When follow the queue, it's your turn go into the room to be evaluated. You didn't pay attention to what they were saying because you were still frustrated, and someone pushed you forward from behind and accidentally fell to the floor.

You got up from the floor and stood still to look at the asshole in front of you. You want to beat them up. But you don’t have that ability, you are just a weak girl now. If they go crazy, they will kill instantly or throw into the sea to feed the fish.

"Name, age, expertise?" The bastard looked you up and down.

"Y/N, 17 years old, can read and write." You said, holding back tears.

"Hey hey hey! Look! There is really high-quality goods! She can read and write! Mark her with a high price!" That bastard took your hand and stamped it with a red seal to mark it as high-quality goods.

You were born and raised on a small island, albeit in a poor family. But both parents are great, you learn some rare things from them. Mother was an explorer and father was a researcher of ancient literature, but both parents passed away a few years ago.

Their evaluation of you as top quality means that your value is high. They put you and other girls in separate rooms and locked the door. You curled up in the corner and cried secretly, you felt helpless and powerless.

You may have been sleeping in a dark room for a long time because of exhaustion and anxiety. Suddenly someone unlocked the door and called you but didn't wake up. The bastard slapped you and woke you up immediately.

The ship has already stopped at the dock, now they want to take you off to the trading location. He tied your hands with a rope and pulled you hard. You couldn't break free and had to follow them.

When you arrive at the trading location you see a bar. There is a woman at the door. She is the owner of this bar and the buyer who wants to buy you. She is sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette and waiting for you.

"Slow..." The woman looked at the person with contempt.

"Who told this girl to fall asleep? She's so slow!" That bastard slapped you.

"Hey, just because I bought her doesn't mean she'll be beaten by you." The woman blew out smoke in the bastard's face.

"Damn bitch!" The bastard choked and scolded the owner.

"Give me the girl and get back to your stinking ship." The woman said.

"Tch! If I don't have enough money, I won't sell you such high-end goods!" The bastard spit on the ground and left.

"Trash….Oh ya.Let me introduce myself first. My name is Ria. You are Y/N, right? I heard that you were evaluated as a high-end product." She put out the cigarette in her hand and looked at you.

"Well..." You looked down at the ground, not looking directly at her.

"It's such a shame that a beautiful face was beaten like this." She lifted your chin and looked at your face.

"Please let me go home." You begged her helplessly with tears in your eyes.

"I bought you with money. If you give me money, I will let you go." She let you go and said.

"I..." You couldn't help but shed tears.

"You have a pretty face, come work here. I will pay you on time, but you must listen to me. You can refuse, and I will sell you back to those garbage. Make your own choice, little girl. ” She lit a second cigarette.

"If I raise all the money, will you really let me go?" You hesitate.

"That's right. I buy you with money, and you pay me back. It's only natural and logical." She took a puff of cigarette and blew out the smoke.

You have no money or ability now, you just know how to read and write. Although it is a good talent, it has no value here at all. You have no choice but to accept her terms and work here.

Your job is as simple as taking orders and serving drinks to guests. Of course, you will still encounter some customers who are lewd and lustful towards you and suddenly harass you. Ria will step in for you and yell at them, but you still feel scared.

Two years later

You have been living under the same roof with Ria for the past two years. In her free time, she takes you shopping for beautiful clothes and teaches you some things you don’t understand. Although the first impression was not very good now you feel like she is like a sister.

The store temporarily closed today because there was a sudden heavy rain outside and couldn't go out. You and Ria had no choice to pass the time at home. You sat on the bed reading the newspaper while Ria sat next to you sewing handkerchiefs.

"Ria, why did you buy me in the first place?" You asked her curiously when you thought of this question while reading the newspaper.

"I originally just wanted to find a beautiful girl to work in the bar, then I found out that those rubbish were actually human traffickers. I had no choice but to buy you, it's better than letting you be with those rubbish." Ria said calmly.

"You can choose not to keep me, at least you will have less of a burden." You closed the newspaper.

"I never thought you were a burden. I just felt annoyed that those rubbish deceived me in this way. By the way, what are you reading?" Ria stopped what she was doing.

"Some pirate incidents and their bounties." You pointed to the report.

"Pirates...there is a very famous Roger pirate group recently." Ria mentioned.

"They are the headlines today. Look how high their bounty is!" You moved the newspaper to show Ria their headlines.

"One of their heads is worth two houses." Ria calculated their bounty carefully.

"It's so cool. You can go on adventures in all kinds of places." You smiled slightly.

"You said your dream is to have adventures everywhere, right?" Ria asked you.

"When I leave here one day, I will go on an adventure. Do you want to come with me?" You invited her with a smile.

"Let's see. I have a bar to run. If I leave, I need to find someone to replace me or close it permanently." Ria said her thoughts calmly.

"Well...it's your business after all." You whispered regretfully.

"You won't need me anymore by then, just go out and explore the world by yourself. Maybe I will see your bounty." Ria said with a smile.

"It's impossible. I'm not as strong as them to shake the world." You explained nervously.

"You have a very smart mind. You may be able to reach unknown realms with your mind." Although Ria is very calm, she is praising you.

"It's basically all written content. I'm still ignorant of the outside world." You said.

Ria got out of bed, took out a cigarette and lit it, while you continued reading the newspaper. Looking out the window, the heavy rain has not stopped. It should continue to rain for a long time. It seems that will not be able to open today.

You went to the kitchen to get the ingredients for dinner, while Ria went to do the laundry. Since you've been living together, your chores have been divided in turns. She didn't ask you, but you were willing to help her share the burden.

Tomorrow morning

The rainstorm has stopped, the weather has turned sunny, and the sun shines into your room. You are woken up by the dazzling sunlight. You forgot to close the curtains before going to bed last night. You got out of bed and saw Ria leaving a note on your desk saying that you should go to the market to buy some ingredients.

You change your clothes and go to the kitchen to check what ingredients are currently missing at home. You take out a piece of paper and record it before leaving the house. Ria's home is not far from the market, so you walk slowly and leisurely.

Island shore

Yesterday's heavy rain caused the waves to become unstable, and many ships sailing on the sea were swept to the shore, including the ship of the Roger Pirates. Some parts of the ship were damaged and could not continue moving forward. The crew temporarily bought supplies and materials on this island to repair the ship.

"It's a good thing that the weather is sunny. So glad didn't get swept into the sea yesterday." Rayleigh said while standing on the shore.

"Hahahaha, we are lucky, the ship was damaged only after it washed ashore." Roger burst out laughing after saying this.

"It's so dizzy." Buggy felt uncomfortable and said, covering his mouth.

"Luckily you didn't fall to the bottom of the sea. The heavy rain came, I really didn't dare go in the sea to save you." Shanks said with a smile.

"What are you talking about! You heartless guy!" Buggy grabbed Shanks and began to fight.

"If you dare!" Shanks started fighting with Buggy.

"You two, stop fighting and help deal with the ship's problems first." Rayleigh stopped the two of them.

"Scopper and Crocus went to the city to buy parts for repairing the ship. Let the four of us just buy supplies!" Roger suggested excitedly.

"Yes! Captain!" Buggy and Shanks shouted excitedly.

"Haha, kid." Rayleigh followed the three of them.

Market near the pier

There is a lively market near the pier where many people buy things. You go to the market to choose some fresh ingredients for your home. You organize the ingredients and put them into bags to leave the market. Suddenly you are hit by an oncoming child and the ingredients are scattered on the ground.

"Ouch!" The blue-haired kid yelled after hitting you and falling to the ground.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you. Are you okay?" You helped him up in a panic.

"Hahaha! You bumped into someone, I told you not to run so fast." Another red-haired kid laughed at him.

"Damn it Shanks!" The blue-haired kid stood up and shouted.

You showed warm concern to the blue-haired child in front of you, and he immediately stiffened when he noticed you. Two tall men next to you squat down to help you pick up the ingredients scattered on the ground.

"Are you okay?" You are concerned about the blue-haired child in front of you.

"I, I, I'm fine! Thank you for your concern!" The blue-haired child shivered nervously.

"Sorry, little girl, my friend bumped into you." A man in a red coat apologized to you.

"Come, miss. Your things." A man in black returns your things to you.

"Thank you. I feel relieved that your friend is fine. I'll leave first, bye." You said goodbye to them with a pure smile before leaving.

Rayleigh was attracted by your pure smile and gentle actions. He thought you were charming. He looked at your back and flowing long hair. Buggy froze in place and watched you leave with a shy look on his face.

"A beautiful little girl, right?" Roger smiled.

"It was so beautiful that Buggy was stunned in place." Shanks said with a smile.

"Shut up!" Buggy yelled to cover up his shyness.

"Stop arguing, hurry up and buy something now." After Rayleigh finished speaking, he looked at your back as you walked away.

"So beautiful." Rayleigh thought.

When you get home, you sort out the ingredients one by one and put them in the cabinet in order. Ria's absence at home means that she has gone to work in the bar. You pack your things and leave the house to help in the bar.

The people you just met in the market seem a bit familiar to you, as if you've seen them somewhere. You thought about it but couldn't think of it. You didn't think about it anymore and ran to the bar to help.

You arrived outside and saw Ria carrying wine boxes into the store. You step forward to help her move. You two usually move the goods before opening. You put the wine on the shelf, wipe down the tables and dishes and get ready for business.

"Y/N, clean outside the door. Yesterday's storm brought sand and garbage." Ria said while stacking wine bottles.

"Okay." You put on your apron and take the broom to sweep the floor outside the door.

You tie up your hair, roll up your sleeves, pick up the broom and clean everything outside. You take a bucket of water, put the cloth into the bucket, take it out, wring it out, and wipe all the windows of the store.

When guests greet you at the door, you put down the rag in your hand and open the door for them. Ria is responsible for preparing food in the store, and you are responsible for taking orders and serving food to customers.

Since you were sold here, your daily routine from morning to night has been working here. You were resistant at first, but Ria's care for you made you feel very at ease.

Near Ria bar

"I'm so hungry~ Can we find a place to rest and eat for a while?" Shanks asked while touching his stomach.

"I'm hungry too..." Buggy's stomach growled.

"Hahaha! Okay! Let's find a place first." Roger said excitedly.

"Why are there so many people in front of that?" Rayleigh saw many people surrounding the door of Ria Bar.

The four of them walked to the crowd to see what was going on, and heard someone in the crowd talking about a girl. Rayleigh was curious and looked through the window and see you serving food to the guests.

"What are these people doing? Can't see inside!" Buggy wondered why there were so many people.

"Don't you know? The most famous thing here is not only the good wine, but also the beauty of the girl in it!" Said a middle-aged uncle.

"What do they mean?" Shanks asked Roger curiously.

"To put it simply, there is a beautiful girl inside who will attract customers." Roger simply explained to Shanks.

"Excuse me, how many are there?" You walked out of the store and asked the people waiting in line.

"Girl! Do you want to have a drink with me? I'll buy you a few glasses of good wine." A young man raised his hand and shouted.

"It's the sister from just now!" Buggy waved wildly to you while riding on Roger's shoulders.

As you were being troubled by a young man you saw a blue-haired child riding on the shoulders of a man in a red coat. It was the kid who just bumped into you, and you waved enthusiastically to him.

Everyone except the four of them and you looked back. They were immediately recognized as members of the Roger Pirates. It was actually Captain Roger and Dark King Rayleigh standing together.

Everyone present was frightened by their oppression and stepped back to make way for them to go ahead. A man wearing a red coat and carrying a blue child walks up to you and gives you a big smile.

"Four?" You smiled politely.

"Yes, is there a seat?" The blue-haired child asked happily.

"Of course, come in." You lead them inside to sit down.

The patrons inside the bar were surprised to see you taking them to their seats. It's the legendary pirate group here. Everyone looked at them nervously as they took their seats, you handed them the menu first.

When they take the menu and look at the dishes, you serve the food to other customers first while they are looking at the menu. Buggy is paying attention to the way you work seriously, he looks at you intoxicated.

"Buggy, your mouth is watering when you see it." Shanks laughed.

"Nonsense!" Buggy quickly wiped his mouth.

"I understand Buggy. That sister is very beautiful, and every man wants to covet her." Shanks kept poking Buggy with his arm.

"Don't talk like I'm a pervert!" Buggy started to make trouble with Shanks.

"Hey hey hey, haven't you beaten enough?" Rayleigh smiled.

"Hahahaha! I really can't get enough of you two!" Roger laughed loudly.

"So lively. Do you want to order some food?" You asked, standing next to Roger with a smile.

"Two beers and two glasses of juice. Can you order the food for me?" Rayleigh closed the menu handed it back to you and asked.

"No problem, leave it to me." You walked to the bar and put the menu down.

"Y/N, do you know who they are?" Ria was mixing drinks.

"I don't know, do you know?" You asked back to Ria.

"You saw the newspaper yesterday. The two major figures of the Roger Pirates!" Ria put down the wine glass and told you.

"No wonder it looks familiar to me." You said calmly.

"What did they order?" Ria asked you a little curiously.

"Two glasses of beer, two glasses of juice. They said I would order the food, so I'll order a few signature dishes for them." You told Ria.

"I hope it's to their liking..." Ria became nervous.

Then you realize they were the legendary pirate group. You didn't realize right away that people like them were coming to dine in the restaurant. In fact, you noticed that everyone's expressions became very nervous since they arrived.

Ria made the drinks they ordered and handed them to you. You put them on the tray and walked to their seat. Suddenly someone came over and bumped into you on purpose, and Roger's drink accidentally fell to the ground.

"Hey! Come over and play with me for a while!" The man who bumped into you grabbed your wrist.

"Hey!" Ria shouted.

"I..." You were too scared to speak.

"Are you happy bullying a little girl?" Rayleigh grabbed his shoulder and glared at him.

"Dark King!" The man quickly let go of your hand and stepped back.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Rayleigh cares about you gently.

"It's okay, thank you." You bowed to express your gratitude to him.

You clean up the spilled water first, and then give them a new drink. Rayleigh returned to seat and continued see you working diligently and conscientiously, feeling so charming.

"You are so awesome! Rayleigh!" Shanks said excitedly.

"Hahaha! I wanted to beat that guy, but you got there first!" Roger laughed.

"That guy is waiting for the opportunity to tease her." Rayleigh said calmly.

"Tch! Pervert! Scumbag!" Buggy stuck out his tongue.

"Sorry for the long wait, your drinks are here." You put the drinks in front of them.

"Thank you! Sister!" Shanks and Buggy said happily.

"You're welcome, I wanted to thank you for helping me out." You said to Rayleigh.

"Don't worry about small things." Rayleigh said modestly.

"Hahaha! Just hope you're okay, little girl! Otherwise, that guy would be doomed." Roger took the drink and drank.

"Sister! What's your name!" Shanks raised his hand and asked your name.

"Me? My name is Y/N." You simply introduced yourself.

"My name is Shanks! This blue-haired clown is Buggy! The one who just saved you is Rayleigh! This one who is drinking is Roger!" Shanks introduces you to the other people sitting together.

"Hehehe, hello there. Nice to meet you." You laughed out loud because Shanks' introduction felt so cute.

"Wow..." Buggy was stunned when he saw your smile.

"Your food will be ready soon, please wait patiently." You waved and left their seats.

"Sister with a sweet smile." Shanks praised you.

"That's right. She must have gone through a lot still smile so calmly when she encountered that kind of thing just now." Rayleigh took a swig of beer.

"What a gentle sister." Buggy said with a smile.

"I wonder if she is willing to go on an adventure with us?" Roger suddenly said.

"Huh?! Do you want to invite her!?" Buggy was surprised by Roger's question.

"It depends on her heart whether she wants it or not. Our ship will be repaired and leave the island. I don't know when we will meet again in the future." Rayleigh expressed his opinion calmly.

"I hope she will join. We are a little tired of all our members being men." Shanks laughed after saying this.

"Hahaha! I hope so too!" Roger laughed.

"It would be really troublesome if she joins. She has to take care of you kids and the troubled captain." Rayleigh said with a smile.

You hear their laughter is lively, they must be talking about interesting topics. Rayleigh saw you looking at their seats, he raised his glass smiled at you and you waved back.

You pick up their food and walk to their seat place the food in front of them. Shanks and Buggy showed salivating expressions, Roger and Rayleigh laughed out loud at their expressions.

"These are our store's signature dishes, I hope you like them." You said with a smile.

"It smells so good, sister!" Shanks praised the taste of the food.

"My mouth is watering just looking at it!" Buggy stared at the food.

"Hey little devils, let's eat." Rayleigh smiled.

"Eat quickly! I'm so hungry!" Roger said with a smile.

They picked up the tableware and started eating. The two children ate quickly and looked like they were enjoying it. You couldn't help but laugh, and they laughed too when they saw you laughing. Maybe they are not as scary as you think.

Rayleigh and Roger ate heartily and raised glasses to drink. You refill their glasses and let them continue drinking happily. Although their laughter is loud, you are very happy to hear it.

"They are so happy." Ria was wiping the wine glass.

"Yeah, those two kids are so cute." You told Ria what you thought about Shanks and Buggy.

"The legendary pirate with two children is really cute." Ria laughed softly.

Suddenly someone kicked in the door, you looked in panic to see that it was the human trafficker from two years ago. They swagger in, sit down at random, light cigarettes, then point at you motion you to come over and entertain them.

All the guests present looked at their behavior strangely. A group of human traffickers gathered here, loud and slovenly. Because there are so many people, everyone is still afraid to keep quiet.

You took the menu started to walk away, Ria stopped you refused to let you go. You comforted Ria, calmed down and walked to their seats to entertain them. You hand them the menu and stand around waiting for their order.

"Wow, top quality is really different! You have become even more beautiful as you grow up." The bastard looked at your face and said.

"Thank you for the compliment." You replied calmly.

"Hey, how much does it cost to come with me?" That bastard asked, holding your hand.

"Hey! They are bullying sister!" Buggy was very unhappy.

"Calm down, Buggy." Rayleigh stopped him.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Ria came to Roger's table and asked.

"What's the matter, miss?" Roger looked at Ria and asked.

"Actually, Y/N was sold to me by those bastards. They keep harassing her. They are so numerous that I am worried about Y/N's safety. If there is anything, can you please help protect her?" Ria bowed and begged Roger.

"Keep your head up, miss." Roger took a swig of wine.

"I have that plan." Rayleigh held his sword and waited for the opportunity.

"Sorry, you can only order what's on the menu." You told him patiently, pointing to the menu.

"I'm asking you something, so you'd better listen to me honestly. How much is it?" The bastard grabbed your hand hard.

"Sorry, I'm not on the menu." You said to him with a smile.

"You bitch!" He stood up angrily.

That bastard is holding on to your hand and can't break free because of his strength. He stood up raised his hand about to hit you, but you didn't flinch just stood there waiting for him to take action.

Suddenly there was a strong murderous aura, and everyone turned to look at Roger and his group. Rayleigh slowly stood up and walked towards you, holding his sword in his hand.

"Rayleigh you..." You looked worriedly at Rayleigh walking over.

"Go away, it's none of your business here. Don't mess with it!" The bastard pointed at Rayleigh and said.

"If you bully her, I will be very troubled." Rayleigh looked at him and said.

"This is not bullying! She is a commodity, I just want to buy her!" That bastard grabbed your hand harder.

"It hurts!" His grip hurt you.

Rayleigh drew his sword and put it at the bastard's neck. The bastard was frightened by his murderous intent and the edge of his sword and pushed you away hard. Rayleigh stretched out his other arm to hug you to keep you steady.

"Tch! I remember you!" The bastard pointed at Rayleigh and warned him.

"I'll accompany you." Rayleigh said while protecting you.

After the group of human traffickers left, Rayleigh put the sword back into its scabbard. You felt a little relieved, thanks to him coming to rescue and helping you. Otherwise, they must be rude to you now.

"Are you okay?" Rayleigh asked, still holding you in his arms.

"I'm fine. Thank you for helping me a second time." You smiled in thanks.

"I'm happy to." Rayleigh was relieved to see that you were not hurt.

"That...your hand..." You looked at his hand holding you awkwardly.

"Oh! Sorry." Rayleigh took back his hand.

"It's okay." You simply replied and went back to work.

Rayleigh touched you for the first time. He could feel your body temperature when he hugged you just now. The first intimate contact made him a little overwhelmed, so he didn't let you go directly for a while.

He returned to seat, put his sword next to him and took a sip of wine. Shanks and Buggy kept admiring and praising Rayleigh's strength and dominance. Roger also continued drinking with Rayleigh.

"Those pieces of trash just came to destroy the place even though they were still alive." Ria said angrily.

"Ria... to be honest, I'm a little scared. Thanks to Rayleigh being here today, what if they come again tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or even after that..." you said frustratedly.

Rayleigh occasionally glanced at you at work, but when he saw the scene, he became a little worried. Because you look sad, he doesn't know why he cares about you so much but wants to know what's wrong with you.

Night

You were cleaning up before closing, while Ria was sorting out the goods and accounting books. After you went outside to clean, you felt like someone was watching you. You turned around to look at the fellow bastards.

"Ria!" Yoh shouted and they knocked you unconscious and took you away.

"Y/N, what's wrong? Eh?" Ria stood outside the store and wandered.

Ria stepped on something. She squatted on the ground and picked it up. It was a bracelet with your name engraved on it. Ria tightened her grip on the bracelet, knowing something bad had happened. Ria closed the shop and looked around for you.

Ria ran down the street and shouted your name but there was no response and no sign of you. She asked passers-by if they had seen you anywhere, and they all said no. It happened a little girl said that someone was carrying you and ran into a hut in an abandoned area.

Roger Pirates on the Shore

Scopper and Crocus prepared the materials for ship and started repairing. Rayleigh and Shanks packed the purchased supplies into boxes. Buggy and Roger sneak out to walk around the streets.

Ria saw Roger and Buggy on the street and immediately stopped them. Buggy remembered that Ria was your friend and he said hello. Roger noticed that Ria's expression was panicked.

"What's wrong?" Roger asked after comforting Ria.

"Y/N! Y/N has been kidnapped!" Ria told Roger nervously.

"Sister has been kidnapped?!" Buggy was surprised when he heard it.

"That little girl?! When did it happen?" Roger asked hurriedly.

"A girl saw her being taken to a hut in a deserted area!" Ria said to Roger in panic.

Roger took Ria and Buggy to the shore of the island where they parked the ship. Roger ordered Rayleigh to stop what he doing and immediately follow him to rescue you.

Rayleigh heard that you were kidnapped, he became angry and murderous, scaring Buggy and Shanks to hide behind Roger. He couldn't sit still and directly picked up his sword prepared to go to the hut for rescue.

Basement

The boss of the group of traffickers tied you to a chair and poured a bucket of cold water on to wake you up from your coma. A bucket of cold water is poured over you and you feel so cold that your body is shivering.

Although your vision was a little blurry, but sure the bastard who kidnapped you was also present. You hear their laughter and noise and it makes you feel sick.

"You're living a good life, top quality." Their boss grabbed your face and said.

"It's you again..." You said helplessly.

"Did you miss us?" He pulled your hair.

"No need." You said expressionlessly.

"That face is so beautiful! She still has personality now!" He slapped you hard twice.

"Trash..." You spat on the ground.

"Have the guts to say it again!" He choked your neck and said angrily.

"Are you deaf?" You raised the corner of your mouth to look down upon him.

"Fuck!" He kicked you in the stomach.

His kick just now was so hard you fell to the ground coughing wildly. He stomped on your stomach hard that you whimpered loudly because the pain was unbearable. You wanted to cry and die, but you didn't want to give in to them.

You endured being beaten by them, knowing that there was nothing you could do but it was better than not resisting at all. You grit your teeth and endure the pain and let them abuse you. If you obey them, you might as well die.

Outside the hut in the abandoned area

"Rescue the little girl!" Roger raised his fist and shouted.

"Of course." Rayleigh held the scabbard.

When the Roger Pirates arrived, they saw no one guarding the outer door, not even a human figure. Roger drew his sword and broke through to the hut. Rayleigh also drew his sword and followed Roger.

Basement

The oil lamp hanging in the basement room flickered, there was a noise from upstairs. The group left you and the boss alone, the rest ran upstairs to find out what was going on but never came back.

The bastard in front of you has noticed something is wrong. Before he leaves, he kicks you again, picks up the weapon and walks upstairs. You were tied to the chair, unable to break free and allowed him to beat you. Now you fell to the ground, vomiting blood and lost consciousness.

Upstairs

The bastard went upstairs investigate and saw a terrible scene. All his subordinates fell to the ground. He saw two men, Roger and Rayleigh knocking down the rest of his men.

They turned around to see a man glaring at them with a weapon. Roger was sure that the man in front of him was the boss of these people. When Rayleigh was about to take action, Roger stopped him.

"Are you their boss?" Roger asked with a smile.

"You are...!" That bastard has already realized who Roger is.

"Rayleigh, go find her. I'll do this guy." Roger happily ran towards the enemy to fight.

"Okay." Rayleigh retracted his sword moved separately with Roger.

"Little girl a, maybe she's dead. It's such a shame to have a pretty face." The bastard said with a smile.

Roger rushed up and punched him in the stomach, causing the bastard fall to the ground and vomit blood. Roger grabbed him by the collar pulled him up and asked where you were being held.

When Rayleigh found out, he snatched the key and rushed to find you. He unlocked the basement door went down the stairs to see you tied to a chair and lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

"Y/N!" Rayleigh drew his sword and cut the rope that bound you.

"Hold on! I'll get you out right away!" Rayleigh let you lean into his arms.

"Ray….leigh…" you whispered.

"It's me! I'll get you out now!" Rayleigh picked you up.

"The third time..." You whispered leaning into his arms.

"I'm late." Rayleigh hugged you and left the basement.

"...I've been waiting for you..." After saying that, you fell into a coma.

Ria's house

Rayleigh took you and followed Ria back to her home, while Roger went to the ship find Crocus to treat you. After Rayleigh arrived at Ria's house, he put you on the bed and stayed with you while waiting for Crocus to arrive.

After Roger and Crocus arrived at Ria's house, they began to examine and treat you. Shanks and Buggy were worried about you, so they secretly followed you to find out what was going on, but they were caught by Roger.

A few hours later, Crocus came out of the room and explained to everyone how serious your injuries were. You still in a coma and waiting for you to wake up. Ria felt guilty for not noticing you right away.

"Thank you, I don't know how to repay this kindness." Ria bowed to Roger to express her gratitude.

"You're welcome! Thanks to her, I have a delicious meal today!" Roger laughed.

"Crocus, will sister be okay?" Shanks and Buggy were both worried.

"I've treated everything that needs to be treated, now she has to rely on herself." Crocus said.

"She will be fine! When she wakes up, I will invite her to adventure in the world together!" Roger said loudly.

"Adventure? Really!" Ria asked what Roger just said.

"Of course I'm serious!" Roger laughed.

"Then please take her away!" Ria said seriously.

"Why?" Rayleigh was very confused about what Ria said.

"Actually, she was a girl who grew up on a small island. Unfortunately, she was kidnapped by those traffickers. At first, I wanted to find someone to work for me, but I didn't expect that the people who traded her were those traffickers. I thought about if I didn't buy her she must been mistreated by them, in the end I couldn't bear it so I bought her." Ria tells about your encounter with her.

"So that's what happened." Rayleigh understood what Ria meant.

"She has a very smart mind! She always reads books and texts that are difficult to understand." Ria mentioned these key points.

"But we still have to ask her what she wants." Crocus said calmly.

"She has never been anywhere else except here and the island she used to live on. Her dream is to have adventure." Ria said.

"It's a good dream." Rayleigh said softly.

After the Roger Pirates left, Ria went to your room sat by your bed to take care of you. She knew you would leave her and now she knew it was a good time. It's time for you to go on an adventure with the Roger Pirates.

The next day afternoon

You wake up and see parts of your body covered in bandages. You slowly got out of bed, Ria left a note asking you to rest today. You guessed that Ria was already at work by this time.

Yesterday you had the impression that Rayleigh saved you from that place. You haven't thanked him in person yet, but don't know where he will be. You leave your house with your crutches and walk slowly down the street looking for them.

You walked to the market near the pier and saw Shanks and Buggy jumping over with two bags of fruit. You call their names and they run straight to you.

"Sister! Why did you get out of bed!" Shanks said in a panic.

"You have to rest!" Buggy yelled in panic.

"I want to thank Rayleigh and Roger in person. Can you take me to see them?" You asked them politely.

Shanks and Buggy hesitated but decided to accompany you to find them. You walked a little slowly with crutches, Buggy and Shanks matched your speed walked beside you to keep you company.

When arrived at the shore, you saw a pirate ship and several crew members. You see Rayleigh moving boxes and Roger helping to organize things. Shanks and Buggy quickly ran to call them both.

Shanks pulled Rayleigh to look in your direction. He quickly walked over to you with a wooden box and put it down. After patting the wooden box clean, he supported you with his hands and asked you to sit down slowly.

"You ran out like this?" Rayleigh asked standing in front of you.

"I want to say thank you." You said politely.

"You don't have to force yourself to move when you're still hurt." Rayleigh cares about you.

"I volunteer. You are pirates and will leave the island any time. I want to finish talking before you leave." You confess to Rayleigh.

"I know, I can't defeat you." Rayleigh smiled warmly.

"Little girl! You came just in time!" Roger ran over and stood in front of you.

"Hi Roger." You waved hello.

"Would you like to join me! Let's go on an adventure together!" Roger enthusiastically extended his hand to invite you.

"Huh?! I don't have any expertise! I don't even know how to fight!" You waved your hands in panic.

"Your friend told me that your dream is adventure. Why don't you give it a try?" Roger asked doubtfully.

"I..." You were excited when you heard Roger's invitation, but you were hesitant about what to do.

"The ship is almost repaired can set sail tonight. If you want to come, just come. We welcome you to join." Rayleigh pushed Roger aside and stood in front of you and said.

"Hey! Rayleigh!" Roger wanted to interrupt.

"Of course we will respect your decision and won't force you." Rayleigh said calmly.

"Thank you. I'm leaving first." Rayleigh helped you up and you picked up the crutches and left.

Rayleigh felt sorry for you when he saw your hesitant expression. He wants you to join him in adventuring the world. But he knows that some things cannot be forced on you.

"You obviously want her to join, why don't you keep her?" Roger poked Rayleigh curiously.

"She has her own ideas, I can't force her." Rayleigh continued to work on his things.

You walked slowly on the street, thinking about Roger's invitation just now. He was right, why didn't you give it a try? Your dreams are adventures, life goals worth challenging.

Ria was sitting on a chair when you opened the door. When she saw you, she stood up and came over to help you. When you see Ria, you are thinking about how much money you still owe her and how you want to tell her what Roger just said.

"Ria, actually Roger and the others..." You said sitting on the chair.

"They invited you to go on an adventure, right?" Ria said calmly.

"You knew?" You were surprised that Ria knew about this.

"I know. If you want to go, go. I support you." Ria said.

"But, but I haven't paid back the money yet..." You were surprised to hear that Ria supported you.

"No need. You are free and will no longer be bound." Ria said sitting next to you.

"But Ria..." You hugged her with tears in your eyes.

"Don't be like this, I will be even more reluctant if you hold me like this. But will be lonely. Without your three meals a day, no one will accompany me to buy beautiful clothes. But I am very glad that you stay with me like a sister." Ria hugged you with tears in her eyes.

"Me too. Thank you, sister." You shed tears and hugged her.

"Remember to write a letter! Come back and see me occasionally! Your bounty should be high! I want those who bully you to know how scary you are!" Ria said loudly.

"Hahaha, okay. I'll try my best." What she said made you laugh.

Night

The Roger Pirates confirmed that the ship had been repaired, that all supplies and cargo boxes had been loaded, that it was ready to set sail at any time. Rayleigh looked at the repaired boat and felt happy but a little regretful.

He’s looking forward to adventures with you, seeing you for the first time is like an incredible being. He wanted to convince you to go like Roger, but he chose to respect your decision.

In the future, if there is a chance he will come back to this island to see you someday in the future. Now he just hopes that your injury will heal quickly and you will smile as usual tomorrow.

"Want to see her?" Crocus asked sitting next to her.

"No. If I see her, I won't want to leave." Rayleigh said with a smile.

"Soft spot for you." Crocus complained about Rayleigh.

"Sister won't come with us..." Buggy was a little sad.

"She also has friends living here, we can't force her." Shanks comforted the sad Buggy.

"She is an adventurous person. It's a pity that she didn't come with her." Roger said calmly.

"Roger, the wind direction is good, it's almost done." Scopper came to find Roger.

"Okay! Get ready to leave!" Roger stood up and shouted.

"Please wait!" a female voice yelled.

All members of the Roger Pirates followed the direction of the sound and saw it was you waving to them. Ria carried your luggage and helped you walk slowly. Shanks and Buggy rush directly in front of you.

"Sister! Why are you here?" Shanks and Buggy looked at you happily.

"I'm not late, am I?" You asked with a smile.

"Is it?!" Buggy and Shanks shouted excitedly.

"Roger, I'll join you." You said to Roger.

"Hahahahahaha! I knew it! Welcome!" Roger laughed loudly.

"Keep an eye on her, she can be very confused sometimes." Ria said from behind you.

"Ria! You!" You looked at Ria shyly.

"Yahooo! Sister is here!" Buggy and Shanks hugged each other and jumped up and down.

"Let me get your luggage." Rayleigh took your luggage.

Rayleigh carried your luggage and stretched out his other hand to help you walk slowly. Shanks and Buggy were happily walking and playing, while Ria was watching your back as you boarded the ship.

You turned to Ria, smiled and waved goodbye, she watched you leave with tears in her eyes. Seeing that innocent smile on your face, she knows you are happy. You are about to leave. She is a little lonely but she believes that will see you someday.

Rayleigh helped you to the ship, you looked at Ria who was watching you off on the shore. You waved goodbye to her repeatedly, and she waved goodbye to you with tears in her eyes.

You left this place, left Ria. You have now joined the Roger Pirates and going to see the world and adventure with them. Your tears couldn't help falling, you wiped the fallen tears with your hands.

"Set sail!" Scopper commanded.

The ship leaves the place where you once lived and sails on the sea at night. The smell of the wind and the sea, you are no longer locked in a room. You can see the waves rolling outside and the vast sky.

"Rayleigh..." You looked at Rayleigh who was helping you.

"What's wrong?" Rayleigh looked at you blankly.

"This is what you see every day." You said softly.

"Yes, we will see it every day." Rayleigh looked at the sky.

"Very beautiful." You said with a smile.

"You will see the same scenery with us in the future." Rayleigh chuckled.

Shanks and Buggy ran over to the two of you after cleaning the room Roger prepared for you. Rayleigh helped you to the room, and Buggy took your luggage and followed.

Open the door to see a bed, desk, bookshelf, wardrobe and small window. The room is neither big nor small, just like your previous room. Buggy put luggage on the floor while you looked around the room.

Shanks explain to you simply. Everyone takes turns using the bathroom. You are the only girl so remember to lock the door. The boat will be guarded in turns at night, the dining area is shared by everyone. Everyone takes turns doing the cleaning.

It's late, Rayleigh takes Buggy and Shanks out of your room to let you have a good rest. After closing the door, you unpacked your luggage and packed everything inside neatly.

"My new life..." You take a diary from the desk and write down your story.

The first thing you do after boarding the ship is write down your stories and adventures in a journal. After you were sold to Ria, you didn't have the chance to go on any adventures. Now that you've started sailing with the Roger Pirates, it's something worth recording.

After you finish writing the diary, you close it and put it on the desk. It's already night time, you take off all your clothes and put them on the bed, then go to the closet to get a fresh set of clothes to change into.

"Y/N, can I help you with anything?" Suddenly someone opened your room door and walked in.

You haven't changed your clothes yet and completely naked. The person who opened and entered your room was Rayleigh. You two looked at each other and felt awkward. Rayleigh covered his eyes with hands.

"Sorry! I forgot to knock the door!" Rayleigh explained in a panic.

"Get out!" You slapped him and pushed him out of your room, closing the door hard.

You put your clothes on quickly. It was so embarrassing that he saw your naked body. Blame yourself for not locking the door, which makes you an idiot.

Rayleigh was flattered when he saw your naked body and graceful figure. In his understanding, you are a pure and gentle girl, but after seeing your body just now, he immediately felt something bad.

"Rayleigh! What happened to your face! Were you attacked by the enemy?" Scopper was startled when he saw the slap mark on Rayleigh's face.

"No, I brought it upon myself." Rayleigh followed Scopper to find Roger.

"Hahaha! What happened to the slap mark on your face! Who hit you!" Roger sprayed wine and laughed when he saw it.

"I was beaten by Y/N. But it was my fault first." Rayleigh didn't say what happened.

"Sister can actually beat the Dark King." Shanks was surprised when he heard it.

"A ruthless character." Buggy said knowingly.

"You all listen carefully, Y/N is the only female on our ship. Remember to be polite and don't bully her. The most important thing is to knock on the door before entering her room." Rayleigh explained seriously to everyone present.

After Rayleigh told everyone about you, he sat next to Roger and drank. He touched his cheek, unexpectedly you were so strong. One of your slaps was so hard that red marks appeared.

"Sister!" Shanks yelled running towards you.

"Damn it! You're one step ahead of me!" Buggy chased Shanks.

"Y/N is loved by those two brats." Scopper said with a smile.

"Hahahaha! Y/N will exude a kind of affinity." Roger toasted.

"Hi everyone." You approached them and said hello.

"Hey, little girl!" Roger greets you.

"How are your injuries?" Scopper is concerned about your injuries.

"I'm fine , can move more easily." You sit down and talk to them.

"Sister! How about we have breakfast together tomorrow morning!" Buggy held your hand.

"Hehehe, okay." You gently touched Buggy's head.

"Y/N feels like a sister taking care of them both." Scopper took a sip of wine.

"Rayleigh, what happened just now...did I hit you too hard? Does your face still hurt?" You blame yourself a little but want to care about Rayleigh. You know it was just an accident.

"I just want to say I'm sorry. Before you came, I would call them and break into their room directly. It was my negligence." Rayleigh comforted you.

"But what did Rayleigh see?" Shanks asked curiously.

"Umm..." You blushed slightly as you recalled the scene where Rayleigh saw your body just now.

"I was beaten because I accidentally saw her diary." Rayleigh defended you making up excuses.

"Rayleigh, girls' diaries are taboo." Scopper laughed.

Rayleigh made up a reason to avoid this topic to protect your privacy. When you first met him, he gave off a very mature, stable and gentlemanly masculinity.

You were a little amused by the excuse he made up, you wanted a drink to hide your smile. But Rayleigh had already seen you snickering, he pointed the wine glass at you to signal you a toast.

Roger was so excited ans he pulled Scopper to start a drinking competition. You and Shanks stood beside them to heat up the atmosphere, while Rayleigh and Buggy applauded next to them.

Buggy and Shanks hold your hand and pull you to dance together. Rayleigh and Crocus also drank and had fun together. Roger and Scopper also started to get excited.

Late at night

Roger and Scopper got so drunk that they collapsed. Crocus and Rayleigh pulled them both back into the room. Shanks and Buggy also went to the room to watch the joke.

You had so much fun with them , after they left you sat alone in a place drinking and watching the stars. Listening the sound of the waves and the cold sea breeze blowing by, this is what you will see on the sea.

When your parents were alive, they were always away from home, venturing around the world. You were still child you only play at home or in nearby open spaces. You didn't have many friends at the time.

This is your second time going to sea. The first time was kidnapped is already a bad memory. The second time is now sailing and adventuring with the Roger Pirates.

"You'll catch a cold." Someone covered you with a coat from behind.

"Huh?" You turned around and saw it was Rayleigh.

"Did you have fun just now?" Rayleigh asked sitting next to you.

"I'm very happy. Thank you for inviting me to adventure together." You held Rayleigh's coat.

"It was Roger's idea to invite you. When that guy meets interesting people, he takes them on adventures," Rayleigh said.

"Am I?" You looked at Rayleigh in confusion.

"It was your charm that attracted the Roger Pirates. Perhaps Roger invited you because of this in you. That guy was happier when he heard that your dream was adventure." Rayleigh smiled at you after finishing speaking.

"Hahaha, that's amazing." You laughed.

"The scenery in the sky changes every time the ship sails. The clouds, stars and colors change every day. Sometimes the night is dark but the sky is full of stars. Every scene is incredible." Rayleigh looked at the sky.

"Well, it's really incredible." You also look to the sky to watch every scene.

Rayleigh glanced at you while you were looking at the sky, and his heart melted when he saw your bright smile. Compared to the first time I met you, this is your smile full of curiosity about unknown things. He's excited for you to follow them on their adventures and looks forward to spending every moment with you.

"Hachoo!" you sneezed.

"You're catching a cold. Let me take you back to your room." Rayleigh stood up.

"Hahaha, I'm not used to the weather yet." You stood up and walked beside him.

"You'll get used to it after a while. Give yourself some time to adapt to the environment here." Rayleigh said softly.

Before you get to the room, Rayleigh tells you some of their daily routine. Although he may have a heavy aura to you, but he is gentle and talkative to you. Arriving at the door of the room you returned his coat to him.

"Thanks for the coat. Good night Rayleigh." You said with a smile.

"Well, good night. Have a sweet dream." Rayleigh said with a chuckle.

You closed the door and locked it, lying on your bed looking at the ceiling. It’s hard to believe you’ve already had an adventure with them, your future has endless possibilities, and you’re ready to explore the unknown.

Rayleigh returned to the room and put his coat on the chair. He felt so comfortable when you had just put on his coat. He be attracted by your temperament, he sure you are special.

The End.

123 notes · View notes

takingchences · 13 days

Text

𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐩𝐭. 𝟏𝟔

A descendant of a legendary quirk longs to separate herself from her family name, but first she'll have to confront villains, ghosts from the past, and her growing attraction for Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x fem!oc

Warnings: mature language

series masterlist + my masterlist

Sana stood next to Tokoyami on the third place pedestal, staring blankly ahead of her. The bird-headed boy had his arms crossed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You've proven yourself to be a formidable opponent, Sakano. I'm grateful we didn't cross paths during the battles."

"Oh," Sana blinked. "Thank you." She tried to smile. "That means a lot coming from you, Tokoyami. I've always thought you were one of the strongest in class." The boy hummed, nodding.

She glanced to her right, where Shoto stood on the second place pedestal. Their battle had lasted about fifteen minutes. Endeavor's fire had helped protect her against the cold, but Shoto had repeatedly encased her in ice, cooling her down little by little until there was nothing left. By that point, she'd been so drained that the boy simply threw her out of bounds.

At the moment, Shoto looked distracted and pensive. However, Bakugou was the most expressive of them all. Despite coming in first place, the ash blonde was far from satisfied. He fought against the gag and restraints the faculty had placed on him, throwing his entire body towards the Todoroki boy. All Might appeared in his usual dramatic fashion to present them with their medals. Tokoyami was first, then Sana.

"Young Sakano," the top hero greeted her with his bright smile. He placed the medal around her neck and pat her head. "You did well today, and showed your strength to the world. I hope you're as proud of yourself as I am to be your teacher."

"Thank you, All Might," she voice shook with so many emotions. He gently ruffled her hair before moving on to congratulate Shoto.

After the awards ceremony, they were free to change their clothes and leave. As Sana walked towards the changing rooms, she spotted a familiar head of green hair alone ahead of her. "Midoriya," she called after him. The shy boy turned around.

"Oh, Sakano," he smiled nervously. "Hi-" Sana silently bowed at a 90 degree angle. The greenette squeaked, his entire face turning red in embarrassment. "AH, SAKANO! W-what?"

"I would like to thank you... as well as apologize." The boy in question calmed down.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I misjudged you, Midoriya." Sana straightened, her usually bright eyes hardened and dull. "I couldn't understand why Shoto chose you of all people, but I see it now." She laughed emptily. "You really are special." Her voice broke on the last word.

The freckled boy shook his hands frantically. "No-"

"I underestimated you. I thought you were replacing me... but I realize now that he hasn't needed me for some time." Her smile was one of bittersweet acceptance, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her fingernails dug into her skin as she clasped her hands in front of her. "I'm grateful for all you did for Shoto today. You did something that I could never hope to accomplish."

What she didn't know—could not possibly have guessed—was that Midoriya thought the same of her.

He was immensely grateful towards the girl standing before him. He'd noticed the subtle changes in his childhood friend over the last few months. How Kacchan had opened up more after enrolling in U.A and slowly started accepting people into his life, starting with Sana. From the first day of school, he'd seen how the two interacted, challenging and provoking one another. Kacchan needed someone to balance him out like that, someone he could view as an equal. The Sakano girl had proven on multiple occasions that she could keep up with the explosive blonde. She was capable of fighting his fire with her own, but she also had a softer side that Izuku hoped would help soothe the blonde's rougher edges.

Izuku was thankful for Sana and Kirishima, who would help his old friend grow and mature into the hero the greenette always knew he could be. He could see the impact their presence had on Kacchan, even if the boy in question was too proud to admit it. They made him better, happier... which is all Izuku had every wanted for his friend.

The curly-haired boy wished to express his own gratitude to the strawberry blonde, but wasn't given the chance.

"Maybe I was too close to the situation," she continued. "Sometimes it takes someone like you, on the outside looking in, to help see things from a different perspective." She shook her head. "You've done more for him today than I could in a decade. So, thank you." She bowed again, then hurried past his shocked figure.

"Sakano..." he trailed off, watching her shoulders shake as she took off towards the locker rooms. He remembered the painful past Todoroki revealed to him during the Festival. Not just his own, but Sana's as well. Right then, the greenette swore to protect his friends from any more suffering.

¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*

The students were given the next two days off to rest and recover their strength. Most of the first 24 hours were spent moping around the house, much to Umi's dismay. The gray-haired woman didn't know what to do to cheer the girl up. Mina had been blowing up her notifications, wanting to hang out and probe her for more details regarding her so-called "date." Sana politely declined.

Umi answered the door on the morning of the second day to find Shoto awkwardly standing on the porch.

"Young master!" She greeted cheerfully, ushering him inside. "It's been too long! Come in, come in." The dual-haired boy stepped inside, the interior of the house as familiar to him as his own. "The young miss is upstairs in her room. She's been feeling a little down," the woman frowned, her face pinched in worry.

"I won't be long," Shoto moved to climb the staircase.

"Young master?" Something about Umi's voice in that moment made him pause. It was the voice of a mother: full of love, affection, and worry. "Please don't upset her any further. She's been so lost these past few months." Umi knew the solar girl had been keeping secrets from her, but she also knew that girl wouldn't do so without good reason. Whatever had kept the Todoroki boy away for so long had obviously brought Sana a great deal of pain. With his arrival today, the woman hoped that the two teens could work through whatever problems they had.

They were like family, after all.

Shoto nodded, climbing up the stairs. Down the hall and on the right was a door like every other in the house, though he knew what awaited him inside. Sage green wallpaper and a matching bedspread, with splashes of white and gold throughout the room. A large canopy bed. Rare photographs of the two as children scattered atop her desk, along with cute stickers littering the dark wooden surface. A faded poster of Mirko hung on the wall in clear view, the start of her rebellion against her father. White curtains drawn and dancing in the breeze slipping through the open window.

And Sana in the center of it all, curled in a ball on her side with her back to the door, hugging a worn out plushie. She didn't lift her head or acknowledge that anyone had come in, despite hearing the door open and close. Shoto watched her prone figure for a moment, sighed, then gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey."

Sana stayed silent, holding the aged lamb closer to her chest. He recognized the old toy, having only seen glimpses of it in old pictures. It was one of Touya's from when he was a toddler.

Shoto sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "I came to apologize," he began. The dual-haired boy grit his teeth, angry with himself more than anything. "I overheard our fathers arguing after the Festival. My father was in one of his moods. Yoichi turned him down again that day. Told my old man what a terrible match we would make. He wasn't happy about that," he shook his head. "Or my performance."

She recalled the awe in which Yoichi had spoken of Bakugou's quirk. "It's not your quirk he's after." Her father always craved more power. Mixing Bakugou's volatile quirk with her own would be the equivalent of a supernova. Any child that came of their union would be nothing but a weapon in her father's eyes.

The half and half boy looked at her curiously, but continued. "I should've talked to you about my suspicions, or at least asked to hear your side of the story before jumping to conclusions. I guess I felt betrayed."

"So did I."

Shoto nodded solemnly. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Why did you assume the worst of me?" Sana whispered, her sad eyes refusing to meet his. "I promised you that we would control our own destiny and I meant that. Why didn't you believe me?"

Shoto scratched his cheek, his expression that of a scolded child. "I stopped holding onto hope a long time ago. That man has taken so much..." The strawberry blonde lowered her head. She knew exactly how he felt. "I wanted to believe you, but it all seemed too good to be true. I was so afraid to hope for something better for myself—for us—that I let the fear control me. I let my emotions blind me... just like him." Sana ran a comforting hand down his back, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb.

"You're nothing like Enji." She whispered, pulling him into a side hug. "The fact that you're here, with me, proves it. You'll never be like him, Shoto."

The youngest Todoroki opened and closed his mouth, hesitant to speak. "I... I visited my mother yesterday. With Fuyumi."

Sana sat up to look at him properly. "What?"

He nodded, staring down at his open palms. "It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, but I didn't think she'd want to see me. I thought me being there would remind her of all the bad things that happened in that house." Rei was a kind, gentle soul. Sana had always been fond of the woman, especially after her own mother's disappearance. But a person can only handle so much, and unfortunately, Shoto had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when poor Rei inevitably hit her breaking point.

"How was she?"

"She cried at first," his brows pinched. "She said she was surprised to see me, and that she understood why I never came to visit." His hand absently touched his scar. "But nothing that happened that day was her fault."

"Did you tell her that?" Sana asked carefully. The boy nodded, releasing a breath when the solar girl ran a hand down his arm in comfort. Guilt had been gnawing away at the woman, Fuyumi told her once. Not just for accidentally hurting Shoto, but also for leaving her children alone at the mercy of her husband. Maybe now Rei can forgive herself, knowing that for Shoto, there was nothing to forgive in the first place.

"She asked about you." His mouth curved into a gentle smile. "Said you'd grown into a beautiful young woman. She was proud of you at the Festival." Sana hummed thoughtfully. Shoto turned to face her. "I was proud of you, Sana."

And just as he'd expected, she immediately deflected his words of praise. "I was proud of you, too."

Shoto frowned. "I didn't do anything that great."

"That's not true. You used your left side," Sana reminded him. "You showed Endeavor that he can't control you anymore."

"I couldn't have done it without Midoriya."

"Maybe," the strawberry blonde smiled, squeezing his hand. "Maybe not. I'm glad you're making friends, though. Midoriya is a good one to have."

"So are you." The two teens stared at each other for a moment. "You're my best friend, Sana," he squeezed her hand stronger this time. "And I want to fix this. Can you forgive me?"

Could she? Sana wasn't sure if things could be fixed so easily. He'd broken her trust under the assumption that she had done so first. But despite the pain he'd put her through, she still missed his company. Sana loved Shoto, and she always would. But it would take a lot of time and effort to get back to where they were before all this started.

"I can try," she promised, delicately tracing her fingers across the toy's button nose.

Shoto looked at it as well, a strange feeling blooming in his chest. He wasn't able to interact with any of his siblings until recent years, but he was always curious about the eldest son. Touya was a complete mystery to him. He remembers catching glimpses of him in the garden playing with a ball as their father dragged him to the training room. Fuyumi and Natsuo didn't mention Touya often, and Sana was much the same. The two had been close, he remembered. Shoto wished he'd been given the same opportunity.

He wanted to ask, to learn more about the brother he'd never known. He wanted to apologize again for using Touya's memory to hurt her during their matchup. But the two friends were finally on the path to healing, and the youngest Todoroki didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had. So Shoto stayed quiet, silently longing to touch one of his brother's few possessions, but afraid that the fragile-looking relic would shatter beneath his hand.

"Those are nice flowers," he pointed at the vase of flowers sitting on her desk. Each one was a varying shade of pink and orange, reminding him of Sana's hair. She blushed at the sight of them.

Another thing he would hold off on asking about for now.

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Sana said hello to Tsu, Jirou, and Ochaco, who were already at the shoe lockers when she arrived. As Sana opened her own locker, a small piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

"Oh? What's this?" She mumbled, grabbing the folded note.

Opening it up, she saw a brief message about a rendezvous during break time. The note was left unsigned, which only fueled her curiosity. Upon entering the classroom, Sana made a beeline for her desk. She awkwardly greeted Midoriya and nodded at Shouto, all while completely ignoring the spiky blonde seated in front of her. She whipped out her phone and shot a text to Mina, the resident gossip queen. If anyone knew about this, it'd be her.

It wasn't long before the pinkette plowed through a group of 1-B kids, shaking her phone. "I got your text!" She gasped out excitedly.

Mr. Aizawa's arrival prevented Mina from launching a full investigation into the mysterious note, much to her chagrin. Their homeroom teacher was finally free of his bandages. He looked mostly the same, except for a curved scar running beneath his right eye.

"Mr. Aizawa, your bandages are gone!"

"The old lady went overboard with her treatment." The raven-haired man replied dismissively. "More importantly, we're having a special hero informatics class today." The class immediately went into panic mode, assuming the worst. Denki and Mina were on the verge of tears, thinking a pop quiz was coming. "... you'll be coming up with hero names."

"YES!" The somber atmosphere did a complete turnaround.

"This is related to the pro hero draft picks I mentioned the other day. The drafts begin in earnest in the second and third years, after students have gained experience and can become immediate assets to the pros. In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you shows that they are interested in your future potential. These offers are often cancelled if that interest dies down by graduation." He pulled a remote control out of his pocket and pointed it at the projector. "Here are the totals for those with offers."

Shoto was in first with 4,123 offers, followed by Bakugou with 3,556. Sana was a close third with 3,203, but the numbers dropped drastically after that. Her versatile quirk must've won them over, seeing as her family name would've put off most heroes. "In other years, it's been more spread out, but all eyes were on these three this year," Aizawa used the remote as a pointer.

"Todoroki's first, and Bakugo's second? It's the opposite of their placement in the sports festival."

Denki snorted. "Some people are too scared to ask for a guy who had to be restrained on the podium."

"What're the pros scared of?" Bakugou slammed a hand down on the desk.

"Keeping these results in mind, whether or not anyone asked for you, you will all be participating in internships with pros. At USJ, you already got to experience combat with real villains, but it will still be meaningful training for you to see pros at work firsthand."

"Things are getting a lot more fun!" Sero and Denki high fived.

"Well, those hero names are still temporary, but if you're not serious about it-" Aizawa yawned.

The classroom door burst open, making them jump in surprise. "You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight slinked through the door with a smirk. "Because a lot of hero names used by students become recognized by society, and they end up becoming professional hero names!"

"Midnight will be making sure your names are okay." Mr. Aizawa was already climbing into his sleeping bag.

"When you give yourself a name, you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you can get closer to it." Midnight explained. "This is what it means when they say, 'names and natures do often agree.' Like "All Might," for example." The R-rated hero began passing out dry erase boards and markers. Some students were already writing, while others looked to be in deep thought.

Sana tapped her chin with her marker. There a couple of names that jumped out at her, but she wasn't sure which one to put on the board. After a few minutes, Midnight clapped her hands.

"Okay, let's start presenting names starting with those who are ready."

"We're presenting these?" She could feel Midoriya worrying behind her. A few groans around the room echoed his sentiment.

Aoyama volunteered to go first. "The Shining Hero: I can not stop twinkling! Which means, you can't stop my sparkles!" He flipped his hair over his shoulder and winked. Sana held a fist against her mouth to muffle her scoff. It's a freaking sentence!

"It'll be easier to use if you take out the 'I' and shorten the 'can not' to 'can't.'" Midnight suggested. She accepted it?! However, Mina's normal option, Alien Queen, was rejected, making the kids sweatdrop. Tsu then presented her name Froppy, which completely won over the Pro Hero.

Kirishima chose Red Riot in honor of his idol, Crimson Riot. Jirou went with Earphone Jack. More and more students went up and got their code name's approved. Sana stepped up to the podium next and flipped her board around.

"The Solar Hero: Flare," She announced. "I want to be a beacon of hope and show people that no matter how dark things get, there will always be a light to guide them forward." Ms. Midnight clasped her hand over her heart.

"Ah, you've really got my blood pumping now!" Umm, okay?

Shoto just wrote his name down, which is pretty on brand for him. Surprisingly, Iida did the exact same thing. After the news of his brother's attack, she figured he would continue his brother's legacy. All of Bakugou's outrageous picks were turned down, so only he and Midoriya were left. The greenette eventually presented his hero name.

"Are you sure?" Ochaco worried her lip.

"You could be called that forever," Iida agreed.

"I'm sure. I didn't like this name until now. But someone changed the meaning of it, and that had a huge impact on me. It made me really happy." The word Deku was written on his board. "My Deku means 'you can do it!' This is my hero name!"

Sana clapped for the boy. She knew a thing or two about taking a part of your identity with a negative connotation and trying to put a positive spin on it. For him, it was the name Deku. For Sana, it was Sakano.

"Now that everyone's decided on their hero names-" not everyone, Sana thought, remembering the ridiculous suggestions Bakugou came up with. "We'll go back to talking about the internships." A sleepy Aizawa lectured them after the heroine left. "They will last for a week. As for where you'll have them, those who had offers from pros will be given your own lists, so you can choose from those yourself. Those who didn't have offers will choose from among forty agencies around the country that will be accepting our interns. They all work in different places and have different specialties. For example, Thirteen would be focused on rescues from accidents and disasters more than fighting villains. Think carefully before you choose."

"Yes, sir!" Denki saluted. Bless him.

"Oh, and be sure to turn in your choices before the weekend."

"We've only got two days?!" The students shrieked.

"Make your decision efficiently," Aizawa was already halfway out of the door, either on the hunt for a good nap spot or a cup of coffee. "Dismissed."

Sana gathered her things and quickly headed out of the classroom, ignoring the catcalls following her out.

¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*

The lunch bell rang and many of the students got up from their seats. However, only half of them actually left the classroom. For some reason, the girls of Class 1-A (minus Sana) were huddled around Mina's desk, giggling and whispering.

"What do you think that's about?" Sero came to a halt near the door, nudging Denki and Kirishima.

"Who knows?" the lightning boy shrugged. "They've been acting weird all morning." The raven haired boy approached the group, with his two friends trailing behind as backup.

"What's going on over here, ladies?" He leaned an arm on Hagakure's shoulder. "Care to share?"

Ochaco and Momo blushed, while Hagakure squealed loud enough for everyone to hear, "Sana has a secret admirer!"

Bakugou's head turned from where he'd been leaning by the door and glaring out into the hallway. "Why do you say that?" Kirishima asked.

"Because, Ei!" Mina stated as though the answer was obvious. "There was a note in her locker this morning asking to meet at the rooftop during break."

"That could mean anything," Eijirou tried to wave it off. He'd noticed how close his friends had become lately and how tense they'd been around each other towards the end of the Festival. Sana and Bakugou were endgame for him and he wouldn't allow anyone to ruin his ship. I mean, who wouldn't want their best friends to end up together? "She's really smart. Maybe someone needs her to tutor them."

"I guess we'll see when she gets back!" Mina chirped back in a sing-song voice.

Bakugou kicked off the wall with an agitated expression. "Gotta take a leak," was all he said when Kirishima tried to follow him out.

¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*

On the rooftop was none other than Monoma, the pretentious 1-B student who had relentlessly provoked her and her team during the cavalry battle. They stood across from each other with a great deal of space between them. Sana had a look of apprehension, while Monoma, who had invited her here, looked like a petulant child being forced to make amends.

"My mother recognized you from the Sports Festival and wanted me to invite you to our house for a meal this weekend."

The strawberry blonde frowned. "I'm... touched?" The statement came out as more of a question because what the actual fuck. Why did Monoma's mother want to meet her? "But I'll have to decline. Maybe some other time." She quickly turned to leave.

The pale blonde scoffed. "Of course, the great Sakano heir couldn't possibly dine with us commoners, is that it?" His flare for the dramatic was truly a sight to behold. Forget heroics. This guy needs to be on a stage somewhere... or locked away in an insane asylum. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I could ask you the same, buddy!" She snapped. Something about this man-child always put her on defense. Maybe it was the way he constantly tried to verbally attack and belittle others. "What the hell is your problem with me, anyway?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You've been acting like a jackass since the Festival. Why?"

"Because I'm tired of people like you looking down on me!"

Sana was sure her expression was flabbergasted. She felt a laugh of disbelief bubbling in her throat. "I'm not looking down on you! I don't even know you!"

Monoma opened his mouth to continue arguing, but snapped it shut with a haughty sniff. He straightened out his blazer and walked towards the exit, making sure to knock shoulders with her. "Here," he pulled his hand out of his pocket and waved a white envelope over his shoulder. He carelessly tossed the letter to the ground with a casual smile. "This should help clear things up."

Sana glared after him, her hands balled into fists at the sheer audacity. Taking a deep, calming breath, she bent down to retrieve the letter. Written in elegant penmanship was her full name. As eager as she was to open the letter, break was already halfway over and she still needed to eat lunch. All she'd had to eat was an orange she'd snacked on during her brief walk to school. Sana placed the letter in her bag and made her way back down to the freshman floor.

But leaning against the wall opposite the steps leading to the rooftop was Bakugou. "The hell did that freak want with you?" He kicked off of the wall.

"No clue," she sighed deeply. "What are you doing here?" She paused on the third to last step. She liked making him look up at her, which he picked up on if the small tch sound he made was anything to go by.

"Seems like everybody's trying to get your attention lately," he shrugged, his hands buried in his pockets. "Thought I'd add my name to the list."

Sana shook her head with a sound of annoyance/amusement. "Well, you didn't make an appointment and I don't accept walk-ins, so-" she made to move past him but he held out an arm to block her. His mouth was set in a firm line, but his eyes said what he couldn't voice. Wait. Stay.

She sighed. "What do you want, Bakugou?" She crossed her arms again. Unlike Monoma, Katsuki made her feel safe. She was free to do and say whatever she wanted in his presence without having to hold back. It was nice to be so open with someone like that, and she knew that he enjoyed that part of their friendship as well.

"Collecting my prize. I won the Sports Festival, didn't I?"

"Well, I figured the deal was off since you claimed it wasn't a 'real win.'" She mocked.

His vermilion eyes narrowed into slits. "That Icy Hot bastard refused to fight me at full power!" He seethed. "Doesn't matter. I would've kicked his sorry ass anyway, so I want my prize!"

"Fine." Sana rolled her eyes in exasperation. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into her. His lips were surprisingly soft against her's, his entire body stiffening under her touch. If she was willing to bet, she'd say she'd just stolen Katsuki Bakugou's first kiss. The thought made her feel all tingly inside. He tasted sweet, like caramel, and his woodsy, campfire scent made her want to burrow into his chest and press her nose into his warm, tanned skin. She pulled away from the kiss after a full minute, taking in his reddening face and wide-eyed gaze. "There. Happy?"

Her dry sarcasm snapped him out of whatever stupor he'd been in. He gnashed his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists. "What the fuck?" His voice cracked. "You-" The tips of his ears were beet red and his lips shimmered with traces of her lipgloss in the midday sun. "You just..."

Sana casually shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"So?" He repeated in disbelief. "Fucking 'so?"' He screeched, finally regaining control over his body. Bakugou's chest heaved with sharp inhales and exhales as he spun in a circle. "So, you just fuckin' kissed me, dumbass!" He exhaled sharply through his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to calm his breathing. "Give me a fucking warning if you're gonna pull shit like that!" He ruffled his already wild hair in frustration.

"I'll try to remember that next time." He stopped to gape at her, his arm dropping to his side in surprise. She stepped forward and pressed a hand against his warm, solid chest, gently pushing him backwards until his back was against the wall. He allowed himself to be moved, his heated gaze eyeing her warily. "Or," She slid her hand further down his chest with an innocent expression. She cocked her head to the side, her teasing, sultry voice combined with her touch making him blush furiously. "Should I go 'play with someone else?"'

She just threw his words from the Festival back at him. This girl...

Bakugou invaded what little space was left between them until their noses brushed. "No more games," he swore softly. Sana nodded once, feeling his rough, calloused palm move to cup the back of her head before guiding her mouth back to his. Sana tasted of sunshine, oranges, and raspberry lip balm, and Katsuki was hopelessly addicted to the feeling of her body pressed against his. Bakugou would never do drugs. Are you kidding? His body is a fucking temple. But this? This was a high he might never come down from.

He groaned low in his throat, deepening the kiss

The remainder of the break was spent in a tight, passionate embrace; small gasps of air and curious hands passing between them as they molded against one another effortlessly. "Katsuki," Sana gasped, trying to pull away from his iron hold. "We have to head back soon."

The ash blonde hissed in annoyance, but loosened his grip enough for her to slip away.

The strawberry blonde had kissed her fair share of boys back in junior high, but it never meant anything. Katsuki Bakugou wasn't like those boys she'd used for a little fun and discarded. No, he was proving to be much more important than that, and Sana felt equal parts exhilarated and terrified by that fact. Because the last time she'd felt this strongly about anyone, it had nearly destroyed her. She couldn't go through that kind of loss again.

They straightened their uniforms and fixed their hair before leaving the privacy of the rooftop. The two didn't speak on the way back to the freshman floor, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Their arms brushed with every movement, yet neither moved away.

By the time Sana arrived home later that day, dropping her backpack to the ground with a dreamy sigh, she'd completely forgotten about the letter burning a whole in the bottom of her bag. She was also oblivious to her pink-skinned friend spamming her phone impatiently. Meanwhile, Katsuki reclined on his bed with his hands behind his head, a rare, genuine smile on his face as he stared up at his ceiling dazedly. "Best. Prize. Ever."

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero acedamia #bnha x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugo my hero academia #bakugo katsuki #bakugou fluff #bnha x fem!reader #fanfic #kirishima eijirou #kaminari denki #mina ashido

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