#I had angsty ideas that would incorporate both

[loxli]

Soriku Week 2023: Day 7

Dreaming | Waking

[vettelsdarling]

Hi El!! I hope I can call you that haha

could you do an angst-smut where Verstappen!reader and Lando used to be friends but they weren’t anymore (you can decide why). But then he tells her he likes her. She acts and tries to make herself think that she doesn’t want him back, but it gets too much in the end and they end up doing it. Then she realizes she made a mistake and they both go through stuff and she tells him it isn’t right to be together. But a month later, Lando gets action anywhere he can get it and reader is jealous. They hook up again and he tries hard to win reader over.

I don’t know if it’s too long… but I would appreciate if you could do it!!!!! If it’s too long, maybe a series?

𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑻𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓

➪Hey there :) It’s totally fine to call me El!

➪I really like this prompt<3

➪This will most likely be a 2-part fic just because of the length and more plot that I incorporated into it, but here’s the first part.

Things to note:

❥You are the younger sister of Max and Victoria

❥You’re a law student

Pairing: Lando Norris x Verstappen!Fem!Reader (x Carlos but not rly)

Warnings: (18+ content) smut, really smutty, oral (both receiving), praise k!nk, swearing, toxicity, kind of angsty, unprotected

Word count: 6.5k+

Lando Norris. The famous McLaren driver. Being the sister of Max, you’d always had to endure being around the guy whenever you decided to visit Max.

You got used to seeing him at your brother's place, which blossomed into a friendship that mainly consisted of endless teasing. Lando would make fun of your single lifestyle, whilst you threw harmless jokes around about his girlfriend.

The two of you had a great relationship, and you’d even started to develop slight feelings for Lando until he started being distant. He never texted and only ever acknowledged your existence whenever he came over to your brother’s place. Admittedly, you were hurt. Your heart clenched every time you saw him. You couldn’t help but wonder if you’d done something to set him off. There was nothing left for you to do but take a hint. Even if that meant you’d carve out your heart even more than it had already been by him. You didn’t bother telling Max. He always seemed to be in an elevated mood whenever Lando came around. The two were best friends, and even if he wasn’t your friend anymore— you couldn’t risk what he had with your brother.

Around the same time Lando had announced the split from his girlfriend, you’d gotten cosy with Carlos. He was there for you. Always. You could call him crying at ungodly hours and he’d do whatever he could to help you out. He was there for you when Lando wasn’t. Carlos asked you out on several dates before finally asking you to make it official. The two of you took things slow and kept your relationship a secret from the public. You were pretty much set though. You’d even gotten your brother’s approval.

Your boyfriend would often come to visit you whenever he had the chance. Max didn’t seem to mind, but someone else did.

One fateful evening, Max had invited Lando over for dinner. You, on the other hand, had invited Carlos. He’d arrived a few minutes early and helped you with the cooking. When the doorbell rang, you asked Max to open it whilst you peeled some potatoes.

“Hey mate, my sister and Carlos are just finishing off some potatoes, you can wait in the living room. Lando raised an eyebrow. He had no idea why Carlos would be there.

“Okay, sure.” He took a seat in the living room, trying to come up with different scenarios as to why Carlos was there too. Surely, he thought, it had nothing to do with you? You weren’t dating anyone. He’d know if you were, right?

It didn’t take long before he got his answer. It wasn’t tasteful in the slightest. Max had called him in for dinner and upon entering the dining room, he saw Carlos’ arms wrapped around your waist. The sight confirmed that all his scenarios were just that; scenarios. Pointless delusions that he’d hoped were real. It made his stomach churn with melancholy. His heart felt tight in his chest.

“Oh yeah, Lando, they’re dating but it’s sort of secret. You can keep it that way, right?” Your brother asked him. He couldn’t say no. He wasn’t in any position to.

“Oh… yeah I won’t say anything.” He felt awkward being there. He felt the need to come between you and Carlos, but he knew you’d never even look at him again if he did. You were in an untouchable position. Carlos was his friend and so was Max. They’d both resent him if he ever did anything to hurt you.

After eating, your brother took him to the living room to watch a movie. You sat in your room with Carlos beside you in your bed. He’d fallen asleep, as he’d been busy all day. Recently, the media was all over anything they could get from him. His schedule was filled to the brim. It was a miracle he was able to come over.

Just as you were about to cuddle into him, your phone buzzed. For the first time in a year— there was a new message from Lando.

‘Can we talk? Max fell asleep on the couch.’ You didn’t want to reply, but he could see that you’d seen his message.

‘What do you want, Lando? We don’t have anything to talk about.’ You’d gotten over him with time, but a part of you wanted the closure you never got. The fact that he’d never even given you that, only made you want it that much more.

‘Please? Meet me in the kitchen.’ You didn’t bother replying and got out of bed. You took one last look at your sleeping boyfriend before you left for the kitchen. It almost felt as if you were betraying Carlos.

“Hey… thanks for meeting me here,” said Lando with a fake smile. Everything about him was fake to you. There was nothing authentic about him.

“Just hurry up and tell me what you want.” The truth was, you just wanted him to give you closure as fast as possible, so you could properly get over him. Once and for all. You knew you’d still hold him in a special place, but it wouldn’t be as evident.

“I miss you…” You kind of just stood there in shock for a moment.

“I don’t know what you mean by that, Lando. We haven’t talked in more than a year. You’re the one who refused to speak to me, and now you suddenly want to? Why are you being so bipolar with me?” You didn’t expect to go off like that as soon as you realized what he said, but you just couldn’t help it. You wanted him to fight back, you wanted him to tell you why he did it. You deserved to know, you deserved the peace.

“I don’t know where to start—“

“Maybe from the top? I want to know why you left me like that. You know I didn’t have anyone else but you. Why would you do something like that to me? Just tell me everything.” You saw him moving closer to you, which subconsciously made you back away from him.

“I know it was an asshole move. Especially with my friendship with Max, but there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.” He was stalling. You figured he wanted to get his story right before telling you.

“So then tell me. Explain.”

“I’m in love with you. Madly. I have been for the past year. It’s the reason why I broke up with Luisa. I tried, really I tried to repress my feelings in the beginning. But seeing you laugh and make jokes and smile the way you do… I knew I had to cut you out to get over you. I didn’t want to cheat on Luisa, and I didn’t know if you even felt the same. Look, I feel horrible about it. I should’ve said something, I know, but I was a coward,” he admitted. He took you for a rollercoaster of emotions. You didn’t know what to say. You were speechless. It didn’t seem real.

“All this time… I blamed myself. I spent nights crying myself to sleep. You’re so fucking pathetic, Lando. How could you do this to me? Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve told you how I felt. I actually felt the same way, you stupid piece of—” You were cut off with a kiss and the back of your neck being pushed forward. You slowly melted into it, intertwining your fingers with his hair. When you finally pulled away from him, you saw a small tug on his lip.

“I can’t deal with this right now. Please leave me alone,” you whispered and left him in a daze. Luckily, Carlos was still asleep when you got back. You got in bed with him and curled up close to him. You were rattled with guilt. The lips your lips last touched weren’t his, but Lando’s. How could you ever kiss your sweet boyfriend again?

You woke up the next morning, feeling the aftermath of your kiss with Lando. Your stomach clenched with guilt. Carlos was already awake. You could tell by the empty space beside you, and the noises coming from the kitchen.

Going in, you saw everyone helping out with breakfast. Including Lando. He tried to make eye contact with you, but you were able to turn away the second he did. There was no way you could ever look him in the eyes again.

“Morning, want some French toast? We made plenty so far, but Carlos is still going at it,” said your brother and handed you a plate of toast. You had no other choice, but to sit next to Lando. The kitchen island only offered three stools by it, and your brother had taken up one already.

When you sat down, you could feel the uncomfortable air growing much heavier. You swallowed thickly and tried to ease your heartbeat. The toast was wonderful. You already knew Carlos made a mean French toast, but biting into the bread, your tongue was met with all of the wonderful cinnamon and sugary flavours. It tasted different from his usual toast though. He usually included other ingredients and he didn’t add cinnamon either.

“Lando, your recipe is really great. I should’ve asked you to cook earlier,” your brother clapped his back. You felt sick. It was delicious, but the fact that you almost put it above Carlos’ was insanity. Were you going insane? Did it stem from the kiss?

“How do you like it?” Lando asked, with somewhat of a devious smirk.

“Excuse me?” You nearly choked on your food.

“The toast, is it any good?” You hated yourself and your mind. How could you think he meant something else? With the context too. Being absolutely embarrassed, you just gave him a thumbs up.

You finished your plate and placed it to be washed. Carlos had finished cooking and as you were about to leave the kitchen, you were pulled into a bear hug by him. However, when he tried to kiss you— you pulled away. This, of course, left the Spaniard more than just puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ummm… morning breath. I’d rather brush my teeth first,” you rushed and left. It felt gutting to leave him there, but you had no other choice, really. Besides, you were running late for your court case. Your internship had just started, and you were in your first year of law school, dubbed the hardest year of them all.

“Do you need a lift?” You saw Lando in the doorway to your room. It was easy to tell just how desperate he was to talk to you. About anything at all.

“No thanks, I’ll have Carlos drive me.” You didn’t even bother looking at him, as you gathered your things.

“Carlos didn’t get here by car, you know?” You forgot he always biked whenever he came to see you. Lando looked you up and down with yet another smirk smeared across his smug face.

“I’ll call a cab. You don’t need to drive me,” you scoffed and pushed him out of the doorway.

“Hey Max, see you later!” You yelled out to your brother, who was in the living room. When Carlos heard you, he rushed to go see you off. You managed to get it together and kiss him goodbye.

Your own apartment was closer to the firm where you interned, but it wasn’t anything fancy. It was a two-room apartment with little to no sunlight coming through the windows. That’s why you mainly lived with Max. Carlos offered to have you come stay with him instead of your apartment, but you refused. For the same reason, you didn’t live with Max full-time. You didn’t want to leech off of them. It would feel wrong to you.

When you got out, you tried calling a cab, but the company made it clear that it would take a while before it could get to you. You had to admit defeat, but when you turned around; Lando was already in his car, waiting for you to join him. With a sigh and a roll of your eyes, you got in.

“You’re so full of shit, Lando.” You fastened your seatbelt and put your bag between your legs. He didn’t reply. He merely chuckled and pulled out of Max’s driveway. You hated the effect he had on you. Just those small chuckles and smirks sent you orbiting.

“Why can’t we be together? Tell me.” Lando sounded absolutely deluded. As if he was expecting you to come running into his arms whenever you needed to. It was as if he didn’t even know who Carlos was.

“Well, for starters, I’m dating Carlos.”

“Break up with him. It’s easy,” he replied with a happy-go-lucky and innocent voice. It drove you up and down the walls.

“Apparently it isn’t easy, since you couldn’t break up with Luisa.” It was a low blow but he deserved it.

“Well—”

“Besides, you can’t expect me to suddenly like you back after you ruined me. Do you even know what you sound like?” You were getting heated, more aggressive, and you didn’t know what your limit was.

“I apologized, okay? I still do. I can tell you so many times that I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you I love—”

“Shut up, Lando! Shut up…” The pressure you felt from him was too much for you. The harsh reality of your feelings was starting to hit you. Carlos was special to you, sure he was, but Lando was something else entirely. Even though he’d been so horrible to you, a part of you was desperate to come back for a second kiss. One that didn’t have to be so rushed like the one in the kitchen.

“Why can’t you just accept that I’m in love with someone else?” Your heart was beating faster than it had ever done before.

“You can’t be serious. You and Carlos? You might be fooling yourself, but you can’t fool me. You’re not in love with him. Open your eyes, Verstappen. Can’t you see? You’re just trying to push me away.” You hated hearing the truth from none other than Lando. But was it really the truth? Did you not love Carlos? Thinking about it, it was hard to imagine getting married to the guy. As much as it pained you to acknowledge it, maybe Lando was right.

“Either way, we can’t. You know the media. You know what they’d do to me,” you sighed.

“So you do feel the same way?” The burning question. Did you? Your heart was telling you one thing, but your brain was telling you another. Being a student of law, you were more on the rational side. You were used to listening to your brain.

“No. I didn’t mean it like that, Lando. What I’m saying is that even if I did, the media would scrutinize me for all I’m worth.” You saw Lando’s face turn bitter, but luckily you didn’t have to deal with that at the moment; because he pulled into the parking lot of the courthouse.

“The media doesn’t even know you and Carlos are together.” You stayed silent. You had nothing to say.

“Kiss me.” You heard as you got out of the car. Lando had a desperate look on his face. Your brain was fighting your heart. It only escalated when he also got out and made his way to your side.

“Lando, you know I can’t…”

“Please?” He grabbed both your arms, caressing them gently.

“I’ll see you later, Lando…” You pulled away from him and got into the courthouse to meet your coworkers. But during the entire hearing, you could only think of the Brit. The way he spoke as softly as he possibly could with you, to the way he’d look at you as if he worshipped you.

When you got home, you realized Kelly and Penelope had come home from their trip to Paris. You didn't mind Kelly at all, she was supportive of Max and kept him happy. She would occasionally bring you with her to go shopping and whatnot. Penelope was a sweet angel. You loved babysitting her whenever you had the time to do so.

“There's the law student! How've you been, darling?” Kelly came up to you and hugged you tightly. Penelope followed suit but hugged your leg instead.

“Umm, we’ll you know, I’ve been okay. Carlos and I are actually dating now,” you admitted. Kelly’s eyes flew open in excitement,

“Really?! I would’ve thought Lando stepped up! That’s so great, I’m happy for the two of you.” Even when Lando wasn’t present, he was still an active subject in your life. You couldn’t hear the end of it.

Dinner was great. Kelly decided to cook some pasta and gave you a hearty portion. Even she, who’d been away for some time, could tell that you were going through something. You didn’t have the heart to dump everything onto her, as she looked so happy with your brother. To forget about your troubles, you decided to investigate your ongoing case. Your room was more or less an organized mess. There were pages upon pages of testimonies scattered on your bed. It wasn’t until you got a phone call, that you slipped out of your trance.

“Hi corazón, you know how the Monaco Grand Prix is starting tomorrow, right? I just wanted to ask if you want to come with me…” You’d been busy trying to run away from your problems, but this truly made you spiral. Not only did that mean you’d go public with Carlos, it meant that the media would sink its hooks into you even more than it already did.

“Carlos… are you sure you want to go public? I mean… we started dating only a few months ago. What if the media makes up some outrageous story about me?” Was it a selfish question? Maybe, but it was definitely something to take into consideration. Tabloids and blogs had every reason to make it a big deal. It’s what they thrived off of.

“I’ll make sure they don’t. I just feel like we’re ready for this, no?” You could hear the thumping of your own heart. His voice was soft and sweet. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t bring yourself to give in. You hated the effect Lando had on you. You hated that he came in the way of a perfectly happy relationship.

“I… I don’t know, Carlos. Can I sleep on it and tell you tomorrow?” Procrastination had always been a bad habit of yours. It meant that you were able to hold off your problems. Even for just a few minutes longer.

“Okay, mi amor, I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep, okay?”

“I will. Good night, babe.” After hanging up, you came to the disturbing realization that he’d never told you he loved you. Neither had you. Lando had. He told you multiple times earlier.

That night you didn’t get the sleep you were hoping to get. Your thoughts and scenarios kept you up for longer than you would’ve liked.

The sun had risen. You’d caved and told Carlos you’d go with him. He and Charles picked you up from your less-than-par apartment and headed straight to the track. You felt a pit in your stomach grow larger and larger the closer you got. The paparazzi made things worse. As soon as your boyfriend opened the door for you, they started asking questions. They were everywhere. The flashing lights blinded you and made your head hurt. You’d gone with your brother before, but it had never been that intense. Luckily, you were able to get through to the Ferrari motorhome. The two drivers had to go prepare for the practice race, so you waited there.

It took a while, but practice finally ended and you were met with Carlos again. You saw the practice itself and nearly jumped into his arms, congratulating him. He finished pole, third, and fourth.

“It was all for you, corazón.” You felt the guilt you had earlier creep up on you again. It was insatiable and eating you alive. Your heart was hitting your head hard.

“You’re amazing, babe,” Despite the right time and place to say it, you couldn’t bring yourself to say the three words Lando had no problem telling you.

Lando looked more or less depressed. You saw him talk to some interviewers, as they asked him a bunch of questions about the upgrades on his car. He’d tried his best to impress you, but the realization hit him. You were going to go running into Carlos’ arms and not his. He missed the domestic feeling of being with you. The times you’d joke around with his finishes and comfort him if he placed poorly or didn’t finish his race.

The way he looked at you whilst you were smiling for cameras with Carlos was noticeable. The tabloids had picked up on it, and before anyone knew of it; a new story broke out.

“Formula One Love Triangle: Lando looks bitter. This Friday, heartthrob and Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz, held his new girlfriend, the sister of the one and only: Max Verstappen, by the waist to pose for paparazzi and media outlets. Rising mid-field McLaren driver, Lando Norris, was spotted sending frustrated looks the couple’s way. Could something be going on between the three of them behind the scenes?” Your brother read out loud at the dinner table. You just wanted to sit and soak in your misery at that point. Once again, Lando was the source of your problems.

“Are you kidding me right now? You can’t actually be serious. Darling, don’t worry. It’s just baseless slander.” As much as Kelly tried to comfort you, it was to no avail. You’d already lost your appetite. The motivation to work on your case was gone too.

“It’s fine Kelly, I just think I’ll take some time for myself. Thanks for the dinner though,” you sulked and got up from your chair. Penelope was the only one still eating heartily. As soon as you got to your room, your body felt heavy and you immediately collapsed into the soft duvet that covered your bed. You just wanted to sleep it off.

The next morning was the day of qualifying. You decided to go with Max and Kelly instead of with Carlos, as you needed a bit of time to process things. You didn’t even know what you’d tell him regarding the article. He’d probably seen it around the same time as Max. What made matters worse was that he hadn’t called or texted, meaning there was a possibility he hadn’t seen it. That meant you’d either have to act as if it was never written or tell him about it. Carlos already knew that you used to have feelings for Lando. You’d never known him to be the jealous type, but with a scandal like that… anyone would be. Even someone as mellow as Carlos.

“Kelly, sis, you guys can just stay and wait for qualifying to start. I have to go, see you girls!” Your brother left the two of you in the motor home. This gave Kelly the perfect opportunity to interrogate you about the whole love triangle article. She had prior knowledge of your relationship with Lando, which only made her even more curious.

“So, tell me. I’m here for you. You know that,” she said with a gentle voice. She didn’t want to pressure you into telling her anything, but you always told her most of your problems and vice versa.

“I guess… I just don’t know anymore, Kelly. What should I do? I don’t even know if I still have feelings for Carlos,” you sighed and buried your face in your hands. You felt Kelly rub your back with soft strokes.

“Maybe… you should talk to him? Tell him that you’re not feeling it anymore?” She was right, but you didn’t have the heart to tell him. You so desperately wanted to hang onto him. He was supposed to be your salvation. Lando wasn’t good for you, and you knew that.

“But Kelly, you know how Lando is…”

“I do, I know how much it broke you… but doesn’t that make it even clearer? You were so heartbroken because you actually loved him.” The possibility that she was right was near 100%, but you didn’t want to accept that fact. Lando made you feel like a second choice after Luisa.

“Okay, look. I have an idea. You should go talk to Carlos after qualifying. I think he needs to hear it.” Kelly was a voice of reason you hated accepting, but she wanted nothing but the best for you. Especially if you were on the path to cheating. You’d never forgive yourself if you ever actually cheated on Carlos. The kiss in the kitchen with Lando was a slip. You didn’t expect it and it was all Lando… right?

“Thanks, Kelly… I really owe you.” She pulled you in for a warm hug. Even if the media blew up about your brother dating Kelly, you didn’t really mind her all that much. She made him happy and she was so supportive of the both of you.

It was only a matter of time before qualifying came to an end. Carlos managed to place 5th on the grid for the race. He wasn’t able to find you near Ferrari, so he decided to go see if you were in Red Bull’s motorhome. When he entered, Kelly immediately took the hint and made up an excuse to leave. Your heart was beating out of your chest. You were really about to break things off with the nicest partner you’d ever had before.

“Hey… are you okay? You don’t look well, corazón.” Your heart only sank deeper when you heard the nickname, but you didn’t want to lie to him anymore. You didn’t want to lie to yourself anymore.

“Actually, I’m not okay. Carlos… I think we should talk.” Those words are the most dreaded in any relationship, and you were springing it on the sweetest guy you’d ever known.

“What is it?” He asked and took a seat next to you. It was hard for you to say anything without having to hold tears back.

“I don’t think we should be together anymore…” The look on his face was that of pure shock. After all, just the day before, you were in the tabloids with him. People knew you as his girlfriend.

“I-I don’t understand. Why?” You heard the obvious pain in his voice. It broke your heart to know that you were breaking his.

“I’m sorry, Carlos. I’m so sorry. I just don’t think I’m fully over Lando… I don’t want to be fake to you, so I think it’s best if we call it quits before anything happens.” Carlos glided his hands through his hair in frustration, trying not to get too upset.

“We can’t resolve this somehow?” He asked.

“I don’t think so, Carlos… I don’t see how we can be together when I have feelings for someone else. I’m so sorry… I really am.” You started shedding a few tears, but quickly wiped them away as they ran down your cheeks.

“I don’t know what to say right now. I really don’t. I mean, I respect your decision… I’m glad you told me before anything happened. I just don’t know what to feel right now. I think I’m going to go home.” He didn’t even let you get a final word in before heading off. Judging by his heavy breathing, you were afraid he wasn’t in any state to drive home safely… but there was nothing you could do about it.

A few minutes later, Kelly came back with Max. Immediately upon seeing your red eyes and puffy cheeks, he embraced you. Nothing beat the feeling of your brother reassuring you everything would be okay.

Max took you home that day, to your apartment. You’d asked him to, as you wanted some time to yourself. Your misery was something you wanted to deal with alone.

The bed in your own apartment wasn’t as luxurious as the one you had at Max’s place, but it was enough for you. There was a pit in your stomach that you tried hard to forget about. You’d blown off your case and asked to be reassigned to an upcoming one since you barely had any energy to do research of any kind.

Your silence and wallowing in self-pity were disturbed by the sound of your doorbell. You clicked the screen and saw Lando standing in the doorway.

“Lando? What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” You hissed into the intercom.

“I tried going to Max’s place, but he said you were here. Let me in, please?” You knew opening the door would lead to instant regret. It was Lando after all.

“I don’t know, you shouldn’t be here right now.” Your eyes were still red from crying, although your face wasn’t puffy anymore.

“Please, I really need to talk to you.” You sighed and opened the door for him. You opened your front door and could hear him climbing the marble stairs leading up to it.

“Hey…” he said as he approached you. The door closed behind him and you invited him to your small living room with a single couch and tv in it.

“Why are you here, Lando?”

“Carlos came to me. You know how we’re friends and all? Yeah, I think you can guess what he told me.” You stayed silent.

“So is it true?” He asked with a serious but pleasing look on his face.

“I’m not sure what you’re—“

“You have feelings for me? Tell me honestly, do you have feelings for me?” He pushed you against the exposed brick wall behind you.

“Lando…” You whispered. He wrapped both his hands around your ears gently and forced you to look him in the eyes,

“Tell me.”

“It’s just… ever since you suddenly came back into my life and with the kiss; I couldn’t help it—“ his lips feverishly met yours. It was as if his thirst for you simply couldn’t be sated. He grabbed your back and pulled you closer to him, feeling your tits mash against his chest. You tried to reciprocate as much as you could, but the way he was moving so fast gave you no time to think. In a matter of seconds, he was buried in the crook of your neck. He was sucking all the right spots and it sent chills down your spine.

“Fuck, Lando,” you sighed and pulled at his hair, earning a groan from him. Your body grew hotter and your lower region wetter. With newfound confidence, you started grinding against him, eventually pushing him down on your couch. You felt him grow harder and harder the more you moved your hips against his. He didn’t even have to say the word, your top was already gone. He admired the lingerie you were wearing. You usually didn’t wear anything fancy under your clothes, but you thanked the past version of yourself for going bold. Lando took the liberty of unclasping your bra and throwing it into a corner. His hands immediately found your breasts, and his thumbs played sensually with your nipples. They hardened much like his dick. Your head was thrown back due to your sensitivity. You’d only ever had a one-night stand and it was a quickie. Foreplay was completely new to you, but you followed Lando’s flow.

He moved his hands to your hips and started sucking your nipples whilst he undid your pants. You discarded them along with your panties and went on to get his clothes off. His black t-shirt was off in seconds, but when you pulled down his grey sweatpants you saw that he’d gone commando.

“Something tells me you didn’t come here to talk.” You smirked into a kiss with him. It was sloppy and when he pulled away to speak, a string of saliva was connecting your mouths,

“Maybe I didn’t. What are you going to do about it? Cry?” He smirked. For once, you were actually able to enjoy the smug look on his face, as his dick was brushing against your pussy.

“You think I’ll cry?” You chuckled.

“Think? No, I know. I know you’ll be crying my name out loud when we really get started, baby.” You never thought you’d fold over something so vulgar, but you couldn’t wait for him to prove his words.

“Now be a good girl and kneel.” You obliged, getting on your knees. He stroked himself a couple of times before placing his tip on your lips. The man was big. Much bigger than average, and he wasn’t even fully hard. You weren’t sure if you’d be able to take all of him without choking. Perhaps that was the point?

You let your tongue dance around his pink tip, letting it slide further down. You could feel a particularly prominent vein. He twitched in anticipation, and finally, he was rock hard. You’d even managed to get him to drip precum. It was salty, but you relished in the flavour. It was Michelin.

When you finally started to suck, his hands gathered all your hair in a ponytail. You were just over halfway when you felt his tip hit the back of your throat. Lando, however, didn’t care. He kept pushing, giving you soft praises here and there. When your nose was able to touch his abdomen, you had to keep yourself from choking, but it was hard. Making it harder yet, he encouraged you to take the last bit of him; which you did. For a price. You choked with tears prickling the corners of your eyes. Lando wasn’t one to cum early, but the look on your face was enough to send him over the edge. You felt him blow his load into your mouth and you sucked him for all he was worth.

Once you’d finished, he pulled you off him and threw you on the couch. You were too dazed to register his next move, but when you felt his breath by your entrance, you knew what he was planning on doing. He shoved his tongue inside of you, whilst simultaneously rubbing your clit with his thumb. You instantly squeezed your thighs around his head in pleasure, which he didn’t seem to mind. You'd never been eaten out before. It was a completely new feeling, but you couldn't get enough. Your moans bounced off the walls and you were sure your neighbours were able to hear you. The walls weren't very thick.

“Fuck, you taste like heaven.” Lando pulled away and replaced his tongue with his finger. The foreign feeling made your walls clench down on him.

“You're so tight, love,” he breathed out. You could barely take it anymore. The constant rubbing of your clit, the praise, and the shoving of his finger was the ultimate trifecta that brought you closer and closer to the edge. When he added another finger, your knot came undone and you came all over his fingers.

The scene in front of you was beyond erotic. You watched as the Brit cleaned his fingers with his tongue, savouring every last bit of your essence. Upon scanning his built body, you realized he was hard again. He’d been turned on by the pleasure he gave you.

“Are you ready? I'll take it slow if you want me to.” You simply nodded, bucking your hips in response. That wasn't the way he wanted to go though.

“Get on all fours.” You'd never done anything but missionary, but you welcome the idea. With one hand, he held your hip whilst the other guided his dick to your entrance. He teased you by gliding it up and down your folds, most likely also to be completely sure that you were ready to take all of him. You were just about to tell him to hurry when— without warning, he thrust into you with no remorse. You coughed out at the sudden intrusion.

“You… Said… You'd take it… Slow!” You gasped. Your face felt hot and your eyes felt like they were about to pop out of your skull.

“Shhh, baby, I know it hurts. Tell me when you want me to move, yeah?” His sweet and mellow voice was a stark contrast to his actions. The way his dick was stretching your walls was unreal. He wasn't even fully inside and you still felt like he'd filled you to the brim. The pain luckily subsided and melted into pleasure, which alluded to you giving him the green light.

He almost pulled all the way out, leaving just the tip inside, before shoving himself into you with incredible force. You felt like your body was going to be split in half. With each thrust came a moan followed by an exasperated sigh. It was music to his ears. He was truly in love.

He craved more and pulled your hair back, whilst still holding onto your hip. The pace was starting to become brutal, but being slutted out by him was all you could think of at that moment. You wanted nothing else.

“Scream my name. Let all of Monaco know who you really belong to. Let the tabloids know you're screaming my name, baby girl,” grunted Lando. You did exactly as you were told. His name spilt out of your mouth like a holy mantra. Your eyes were blurry and you were seeing stars. There was no way you could go on for much longer.

It seemed like Lando was at his edge too, as his thrusts grew sloppy but harder. Your insides were being all mixed up by his dick. Eventually, you clamped down on him, cumming with yet another moan of his name. This time, you screamed it louder and for longer. Your walls became too tight for him to move, and it pushed him over the edge as well. Even without having pulled out, his cum was leaking down your legs and dripping onto the couch. You heard Lando seething through his teeth and sighing, as he somehow was able to blow multiple loads into you, before finally finishing.

After he pulled out, you passed out from exhaustion. Lando was no uncivilized person. He carried you to your shower and placed you on the floor, rubbing a loofah full of soap all over your body. The water was just the right temperature to keep you asleep. He then dried you off and gave you his t-shirt to sleep in, as he got his sweatpants and helped you get into bed.

As the two of you got in, he pulled you into his chest, which you subconsciously snuggled into. This was what he’d been missing out on for so long because of his cowardice. He didn't regret anything. Only that he hadn't asked you out sooner.

(To be continued…)

𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻...

𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

©vettelsdarling

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺— 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

[munsonsreputation]

ok, ok, envision it, #4 taylor prompt:

steve harrington; i wish you would

congrats on reaching that milestone love! 🫶🏻💖

elizabeth!!!!

my apologies that it took me so long to get to your request 😭😭 i hope i was still able to do it justice and i hope you love it!!

"i wish you would" is one of my fave tracks off 1989 and im so ready for the rerecord of it!! it's also sooo steve harrington encoded -- i hope you like my twist of angsty fluffiness!!!

It was 2AM — too late of a time for either of you to be awake right now.

But Steve was on the other side of the door.

And you were also on the other side of the door.

Just an old wooden door separating the two of you but no one daring to make the first move and open it all because it came down to one thing—pride.

You and Steve had a hell of a lot of pride, which often led to stupid arguments over the dumbest things. Usually, the fight would resolve in a matter of minutes, if not maybe hours. Arguments never exceeded days or weeks—that was until now.

It was safe to say that outside your relationship, you each had lives consisting of managing a VHS store and yours filled with busy days at college completing a very stressful internship. The only time the two of you would get to kick back and relax is when you came home to each other. Spending the winding days in bed or lazily making dinner before falling asleep in each other arms on the couch.

Either way, it was both your and Steve’s preferred way of living.

That is until life got a bit too real and hectic, leading the two of you to spend less time together and more time on different schedules.

Family Video had incorporated a new tracking system which caused Steve to need to stay back later, trying to work through the stupid software so that the opening shift didn’t call him the next morning complaining about it not working.

Your internship was taking a toll on you mentally, requiring you to get up earlier than usual and head to campus in order to get work done before the day ended. Your colleague in the program had totally ghosted you, leaving you to pick up the slack when you weren’t quite sure how much of it you could carry alone.

By the time Steve got home, you were already asleep.

And by the time he woke up you were already gone.

The place you two shared didn’t even feel like a home anymore. Just simply a place where you two were in passing of each other before going off to live completely closed off lives. Suddenly, the energy just shifted, as if the two of you were now a crooked love with no idea where this was headed.

It was brutal for both of you, but of course it was always easier to blame each other instead of figuring out how to work past it. It didn’t help that the both of you were quick with your words, always biting back at one another with insults that neither of you really meant, just being used in the moment to deflect.

It blew up last week when you and Steve had both woken up late. The home phone blaring with calls from Family Video and Robin paging Steve every second. The alarm clock in your bedroom ringing sharply jolting the two of you awake.

Maybe it was the morning grumpiness combined with the exhaustion you two were facing, but either way it resulted in an early morning argument that was like a train running off the tracks.

“When’s the last time we even had dinner together?” You asked sharply as you combed your hair in the bathroom mirror.

Steve lifted his head after he spat out the toothpaste, glaring at you in the reflection. “It’s not my fault that by the time I get home you’re already passed out on the couch. What do you want me to do? Haul your half asleep body into the kitchen and force you to make spaghetti with me?”

You rolled your eyes, throwing your comb back into the drawers, slamming it shut as you walked away from him, though he was hot on your heels, still going on.

“Or wait do you want me to take you to Enzo’s so you can sleep in a booth while I eat never ending breadsticks?”

He watched you fling open the closet doors, grabbing a jacket and throwing it over your outfit, before you stared pointedly at him, “You’re such a fucking dick, Steven!”

“Oh, so I’m the dick now? How about the last time we had an actual conversation with each other that wasn’t just hi, hello, and bye?”

You brushed past him, bending to pick up your backpack and sling it over your shoulder. He reached into the closet, grabbing his vest and throwing it on before following you down the hallway and into the living room.

“Seems like we’re having one right now.” You muttered, grabbing your keys on the coffee table.

“Sure does,” He sighed, reaching for his own car keys.

That morning the two of you went your separate ways, starting off the day on a bad foot with nothing but hatred. But the two of you could never ever hate each other.

That wasn’t what your love was.

It was never formed from hate or thrived off of it.

It was supposed to be the kind that was always understanding and working together, but that was a standard that you knew you and Steve just weren’t capable of all the time.

The two of you were bringing less than a hundred percent to the table combined. There had to be some kind of compromise, a way for it to be settled, but of course, this was just something that was going to get dragged on until you both felt like putting your pride aside and taking the first step.

That fight was the catalyst that led the two of you here. Still standing on the other side of the door—your shared bedroom door that is.

For the past week, Steve was out on the couch while you occupied the bedroom. Not that you kicked him out or banned him from sleeping in bed with you, but you had gotten home the night after the fight and he was already home, knocked out asleep on the couch.

So you left him there, and since then that’s where he slept.

You couldn’t say you felt good about it because you didn’t. His back was probably all sorts of fucked up from cramming himself to sleep somewhat comfortably on that couch. And you had certainly missed his presence beside you in the middle of the night.

Steve didn’t know why he kicked himself out, probably just so you could both get some space and cool off, but he hadn’t meant for it to go on for this long. He missed kissing your forehead goodnight when he finally got home, and he certainly missed the way you’d do the same when you had to leave in the morning.

Right now, it just felt like a lot of yearning for one another because neither of you could remember what you were fighting for in the first place.

For pride?

For ego?

For what?

All you both wanted to do was just give each other the tightest hug and longest kiss because you missed each other that much.

You wanted to cry to him, to tell him that your stupid internship was driving you insane and all you really wanted was for him to hold you and tell you everything was going to be ok.

Steve wanted to vent to you over how stupid that damn tracking system was and how it was driving him up the walls and all he really needed right now was your encouragement to keep going.

He was probably asleep.

You were probably asleep.

Maybe it could wait until morning?

If either of you opened the door to see the other sleeping, it would just make you both want to turn back around and run from actually waking the other to apologize. It was best to just run back under the blankets and wait until you were both awake.

But honestly, the both of were just too exhausted and missing each other to even be mad anymore.

Fuck it…this couldn’t wait and neither of you was going to let it drag on.

“Baby,”

“Babe,”

The two of you stared at each other dumbfounded as if you were ghosts, but it didn’t last long as Steve quickly wrapped his arms around your back, pulling your body into his as you draped your arms around his neck, gluing yourself to him.

“I missed you.” You murmured into the juncture of his jaw and neck.

He could feel the heat of your breath fanning against his skin, a trickle of tears following suit only making him hold you tighter.

“I missed you more…and I’m sorry for being a dick.” He said, breathing in the smell of your hair and he whispered into it.

You sniffled, shaking your head the best you could in his hold, before he loosened, allowing you to look up at him through your watery eyes.

“I’m sorry too…I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I was just so stressed and I missed you too much to tell you how I was really feeling and I—”

He smiled softly at you, letting his thumb brush your tears away as he shook his head, “I did the same, baby. I just wished we didn’t solve it that morning…it would’ve prevented whatever the fuck happened last week.”

You laughed quietly, nodding your head in agreement. “I know. I wished we would have.”

“We can now.” Steve suggested, holding your face in your hands.

You smiled, sniffling once more before letting one of your hands rest on his cheek, “Yeah we can.”

Your lips finally connected after what seemed like a lifetime away. A reminder that while the love you and Steve shared wasn’t always picture perfect, it was certainly something that you both were always going to come back to.

You were each other’s person.

The other half you wanted to go to with all of life’s joys and upsets.

Together.

Sure, maybe you both pushed each other’s buttons way too easily, but it was the love that made the two of you come rushing back to each other.

Because when it mattered and came down to it, you and Steve could never live without each other — no matter the distance or even the stupid internship or job you each had.

Right here and right now, it was all good.

let me know what you think: reblogs, tags, comments, and likes are greatly appreciated!!!

leave a comment and let me know if want to be added to my taglist!!

taglist: @translatemunson @kennedy-brooke @manda-panda-monium @tvserie-s-world @givemeth @steveharringtonswife @astolenkiss @loving-and-dreaming @awkotaco24 @engenelxver @elfiaaaa @pbs-theundeadmaggot

[hwaightme]

Your fan, Mingi (part 2)

(part 1) (your fan ml)

🎤 pairing: mingi x rapper!reader 🎤 genre: slice of life, mix of fluff and angst, music and the industry, slow burn 🎤 summary: a bulletpoint-style wordstream of what it would be like if mingi was stanning you 🎤 wordcount: 3.3k 🎤 warnings/tags: language, reader is a rapper, reader is a tattooed queen, mingi and reader collaboration, album of the year, big concert, toxic fandom (but it is overcome:)), mingi support, reader is a shining star, comfort, celebrity, hongjoong is proud dad, studio energy, write angsty rap, power couple, new future, new home 🎤 a/n: Hi <3 this is part 2 for Your fan, Mingi!! Part 1 can be found here. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much for your support and care, and as always, I greatly appreciate any asks, reblogs and likes!

You trusted Hongjoong. He was one of the only idol artists who you clicked with and remained connected to, and you had no regrets. He never pushed any subject you were not comfortable with, nor did he really mention idol life outside of music, composition, production and lyric writing.

Through him you had gotten to know more about the idol life, and just what it took for such a talented and prominent fourth generation group to do world tours, to do fansign events, to always be there for fans and create fantastic music.

There had been a couple of times previously that Hongjoong had implied that it would be interesting to collaborate with you, but you had brushed it off.

You had no idea whether you, having the standing that you did in the music industry, would benefit or suffer from such a collaboration. For you the thought of potentially having to have official big-scale promotions and delving into the political side of the industry was more than unpleasant.

It was clear that had you signed any contract for officially making a track with Hongjoong, you likely would have had to play by his company's rules, maybe even have had to fit a particular concept.

This time, however, Hongjoong had unknowingly hit you in your weak spot. He mentioned Song Mingi.

When Hongjoong and you had a listening session together, with him and yourself sharing some tracks, both released and in the works, you had fixated on the other rapper's voice and flow.

He had a unique tone, and a way of incorporating off-beats and delays that made you inadvertently shake your head and make the classic 'damn this shit is good' face. The highest level of approval.

You had not hesitated in informing your friend that Mingi was a gem in his team, and that you were grateful to have had the chance to listen to him.

And of course Hongjoong was going to remember that until the end of time and employ that information against you.

The text was simple, but did not leave much room for negotiation. Not that you would have refused anyways.

<MC MINION> hey Mingi loves you and wants to record a cover of your track Dum Spiro Spero. You cool with that + got instrumental?

You had to admit, you had been hopeful that a day would come when you could meet Mingi, especially after you had spotted him in the audience at your recent concert.

You were too cool to let your glee show, instead launching into one of your more challenging openers. Did you want to impress him? Yes. Did you want to spell out that you liked him? No.

It was lucky that your fans did not recognise him, or were polite and respectful enough to pay no mind, nor alert anyone on social media. So, in peace you could enjoy giving him the occasional glance throughout the show and let your inner fangirl perform a victory dance as you noticed he was completely enchanted.

So without any further thought, you sit send on an offer for them to come over to your studio and to make something completely new together. Bureaucratic shit could wait for a second, you had some self-wingwoman-ing to do.

They had arrived at record speed, much to your delight. And to say that your heart skipped a beat when you locked eyes with Mingi would be an understatement. You were envious of the unbelievable boom-bap that it had produced, barely being able to contain yourself.

Mingi was the same. Shining like a thousand suns, he stretched his hand out to you and once you did the same, could not help but admire the tattoos that were peeking out from under the sleeve of your oversized hoodie.

In a spur of emotion he blurted out a series of compliments, his hand still holding onto yours, him melting as you chuckled and sent warm words right back.

While deciding what the track was going to be, Hongjoong had suddenly decided to volunteer himself into an exclusively producer role, saying something along the lines of "the track will just sound better that way trust me"... which could be taken two ways.

Mingi swooned a little at the thought that Hongjoong was literally waving a green flag for him to make a RAP DUET with you.

While you, interpreting it as a subtle jab at your productions skills, clasped your hands together, uttering a low, "1v1 me dude I dare you"

Never before did Mingi see Hongjoong so unsettled, his hands flittering over your equipment as he laughed nervously. But in a matter of seconds a sweet smile returned to your face as you leaned back in the chair and said "you know that we are both control freaks right? Wait- Mingi? You a control freak or just freaky?"

His face slowly started turning beet red as he looked to his captain for reassurance. It did not help that you addressed him informally, catching him off-guard completely. But he did not mind. In fact, he liked it. A lot.

And with that buzz motivating you, you Hongjoong and Mingi began to write lines, lay down beats, nearly crash Ableton a couple of times, hold a mini-concert on some Launchpads, and made sure to include a catchy hook, credit to Hongthoven being in the house.

It was totally different seeing you work. Just as you were sweet and mellow when chatting away to him or Hongjoong, you were the world's energy personified both in the booth and while guiding Hongjoong if there was something he could not find, since the set up was slightly different.

Mingi could not take his eyes off you as you were recording your parts. The way in which you were fully immersed in the story spoke volumes about your professionalism, and how well you added vocals to his parts made his heart flutter. He could not help but imagine how this could sound live.

He wanted to take this out of the booth and into the world. To be that rap duo that everyone wanted to hear. So once it was his turn, he gave it all.

You were in awe. He was even better than before, and matched you impressively well. He had even used some of your beloved techniques, and took a rhythmic pattern from your part to emphasise its importance. You could not help but lean over to Hongjoong, who was looking awfully similar to a Cheshire cat, and whisper:

"I need an album with this guy."

"He's all yours. Trust me, he'll break KQ down if you tell him."

Now it was your turn to blush. Who were you? A school girl? Maybe. Maybe on the inside there was a little school girl. You didn't mind though. Not one bit. You liked it. And though you were still one to want to keep that tough girl persona, you admitted you had a soft spot for the gentle giant.

After the first day of working on the track had gone incredibly well, Hongjoong and Mingi had taken straight to management to convince them that this was going to be a hit. Later that same night, on an hour-long zoom call with you, your agent, Hongjoong, Mingi and their management present, you had all agreed on terms and were ready to make the track official for future release.

You knew that this was likely going to involve a lot more publicity, and was going to be something new, but Mingi had highlighted, when the topic of promotions came up, that he did not want to follow a hardcore route, instead opting more for the few but highly sought after appearances. Hongjoong simply agreed.

It was obvious to you that Mingi was doing this out of consideration for you, and it did make you think that maybe he saw you as weak, but that evaporated once the call was done and he messaged you privately.

<MC Mango> Hey Y/N! Just wanted to say that I am so excited to be able to actually make this track with you! Feels like a dream haha

<you> Hi Mingi, likewise :) super cool stuff, you coming to the studio @ 10am tomorrow right?

<MC Mango> You know it! Also, what's your favourite food?

Well that was random, but you decided to answer anyways

<you> Nachos are life.

<MC Mango> RESPECT! Okay thank you :D

<you> You mysterious man... O_O

<MC Mango> See you tomorrow Y/N :) <3

<you> haha see you :) <3

His addition of the heart made your heart do flip flops. You really were getting too soft. So you put on your noise cancelling headphones, and in your best nature, turned up an aggressive hiphop and trap playlist.

And yet, thoughts of him did not want to leave, so instead, you returned to tweaking what you had recorded today, listening to his wonderful voice many times over.

After a few more days of the two ATEEZ members basically living in your studio (and Mingi bringing nachos for you because of that one text you sent), you were officially finished with the preparation of the track, having mastered it to the highest quality attainable, and after that, it was a big time rush to tie up all the loose ends for the set release.

The way that this one song scaled in terms of production was unprecedented, and compared to your lonely nights in the studio or at most, five people working on an album, you could not help but feel like you did not deserve this.

You felt like everything was being taken out of your control, and there were moments when you, quite literally, had no idea what was happening, neither with your song nor with what the bureaucrats had lined up for you. It was all simply too much. Too loud, too much like a hive.

So walked right into your studio, and got to writing.

The words came naturally to you, and it was your fingers that were struggling to keep up as you let loose on the pages in front of you. The message was simple enough, but it resonated. The feeling of realising that you will never really quite know a person, or the wide network of people who are connected to you.

Just as you were finishing up, you noticed that the second verse seemed to have a slightly different voice. One that was too similar to a certain tall rapper. Oh you were in deep.

You were alerted by a soft knock on the door, and looked up to see none other than Mingi, poking his head in, evidently worried. You could not be happier to see him.

"Hey, you weren't at KQ so I figured I could find you here. What's up? Can I come in?"

He asked, ever so gentle. As he ambled across the room upon shutting the door behind him, you noticed he had a plastic bag in his hands. After seeing your line of vision stop at the object, he raised it a little, explaining:

"I brought some fuel. There were these cool new fusion kimbap rolls launched, and I wanted to try them with you."

With you. The words repeated in your head. You thanked him, and patted the seat beside you. There was no need for you to explain why you were taking some time out, Mingi understood in a heartbeat.

The only thing that mattered to him was that you were still here, smiling, and more than happy to see him. Be with him.

You slid over the lyrics you had written for a still untitled rough idea, asking him for his opinion. Brows furrowed, he leaned over, closer to you.

"Oh this flows... nice... oh I really like that line. Wait why did you write 'Fix On'?"

"Guess."

"Wait, no way. Is this us?"

"Well... it could be?" you left the question hanging in the air. Silence fell upon the room as he looked deep into your eyes.

"This... is going to be THE BEST ALBUM EVER LET'S DO THIS!" he almost deafened you with his scream for joy as he jumped up from the chair, taking you with him and wrapping you up in a tight hug.

At first you were frozen, unsure of what in the world you were supposed to be doing, but as seconds passed and he was not planning on letting go, you chuckled and returned the embrace, rocking just a little.

Another spark passed between you as both of you felt that this was definitely going to be much more than just an album.

As days turned into weeks, and one song turned into a mini album, your interactions with Mingi also changed. Instead of just staying in the studio to work, you now spent hours on end in the space just staying together to chat. Initially sat opposite one another, but recently, intertwined in a cuddle on the couch, both of you looking at either your phone or his.

When Hongjoong was in the studio too, he was constantly eyeing both of you with a cheeky smirk.

It had already been five times that the rest of the members, led by Yunho, crashed the studio 'to see how things were going' and to 'see Mingi because they have not seen him in so long'. Soon enough that had also changed to 'you know what just take him forever he doesn't stop talking about you anyways'.

Though you had not made it official yet, everything was progressing in that direction. Both him and you were evolving thanks to your collaboration, and had only one wish: for this to never end.

Mingi had helped you familiarise yourself with official photoshoots, and you had given him freestyling tricks for 'the future'.

Once the mini album dropped, it seemed that everything you knew combusted.

Initially, your fans, those fans who you held so dear and worked tirelessly for, were pouring in with nothing but disappointment and hatred. You were appalled. It was also obvious that they had not listened to any of the tracks, and they were just displeased that now you were 'searching for the mainstream, sucking up to popular culture and losing yourself'.

It would be a lie to say you did not spend nights after the release in tears, instead of celebrating. Hiding in your beloved studio, you could not stop yourself from composing sad track after sad track, trying to find an outlet for your anguish. You knew you should not have done this. You knew you should not have loved.

You did not answer Mingi's calls, nor his messages, but when he bust through the door, misty-eyed and crying out your name, you collapsed into his arms as he comforted you, promising you that he would always be there. No matter how hard things seemed.

Once you had calmed down, he took out his phone and started showing you some screenshots. Then went on Twitter, and then even searched up articles related to your collaboration. He wanted to show you that there was a different side to the story.

And oh how bright it was.

ATINY were overwhelmingly positive about this surprise release, praising both Mingi's and your talents, and diving into searching for more of your content.

You read the critics raving about each track, especially the first one, which you had made into the title track.

The public was calling for this to be in concert. On a show. Anywhere where they could feel this live. You took Mingi's hand and slipped your fingers through his, and he responded by bringing you closer, kissing your cheek.

"And finally, take a look," and he showed you one more page. Your social media page. With the follower count unlike anything you have ever seen before, even though you had experienced a crash just a few days ago. And a flood of comments of appreciation and gratitude. In that moment, you returned to Mingi, and pulled him into a hope-filled kiss.

It was interesting doing promotions as a new couple. Though you had not revealed the relationship, multiple public figures had commented on your 'unique chemistry' and 'what seemed to be musical telepathy'.

On a couple of shows onto which you had agreed to go, (given the condition that Mingi would be there too) you shined. Initially you were irked by their requests that you covered up your tattoos, but as it turned out, long-sleeved, form fitting turtlenecks and modern cyber and industrial wear quickly became your signature.

Your agent was ecstatic at your rise in popularity, and was now almost always on new phone calls, even negotiating with some brands who wished to do advertising with you.

And Mingi, well, he was falling in love with you more and more, as you shined brighter and brighter. During a small break in your promotions to accommodate ATEEZ's pre-filming, he continuously messaged you and even invited you onto the film set, where you had the chance to mingle more with the staff.

You had gotten to know a lot of them closely, even recognising some from the time of initial preparations for your album with Mingi, and took no time to present them with small thank you gifts, and helping them out when you could.

Their attitude towards you also softened, with one of the younger interns admitting that initially, she had perceived you as a much scarier and stricter figure, and after hearing some rumours. To this, you responded with a light-hearted laugh, and thanked her for the honestly.

How glad you were that Mingi had snuck out to see you that day, and that serendipity had brought you a friend in the form of Hongjoong.

Fast-forward a couple of months, and you were having the largest-scale concert of your career. Before, it used to be within the hundreds at most, the highest profile one having approached one thousand.

But now, there were a few thousand voices, all chanting your name. The venue was sold out in record time, and the first batch of merch that you had designed, with Mingi cheering you on in the background, was nearly sold out. The concert merch too, had been swept off the stalls.

It was exhilarating. You were alive. Before, it was you breathing life into the audience, sharing your energy with them, connecting to them and lighting up the room. But now, the exchange was mutual, and in some moments, you were flabbergasted at the pulsating force of the crowd. They were there for you. They were cheering for you. They knew your words by heart and were overjoyed to be in this time and space with you.

You were on the extended platform connected to the main stage that went further into the audience. A peninsula, surrounded by a sea of shimmering glow and the wonderful people attending. It was time for you to perform the title track of your and Mingi's album. You were seated on one of the two stools that were right in the centre of the 'peninsula'. One single spotlight on you.

The crowd roared, signaling Mingi's approach in the darkness. You felt his back press against yours, his heartbeat steady, giving you rhythm, giving you reassurance. While your microphones were still off, but he moved his away just in case, you heard him whisper to you quick words of adoration, and a cheerful 'let's do this'.

In this wide world, you had always thought that keeping your circle small, your fanbase small, and your music inaccessible was the only way to preserve identity. But you had grown. You had now understood that you had been selfish, denying those who wanted to dream the opportunity to do so.

Now on the stage, together with the love of your life and with the universe surrounding you, you were truly alive, and truly an artist.

[yardsards]

amity with alador's nose means So Much to me

a bit because representation of girls with big/hooked/bumpy noses is important to me

but also a lot from a writing and character design perspective with Metaphors

like, her canon design is the spitting image of odalia, aside from hair and eye colour, and being a bit slimmer than young odalia

and that does have its interesting symbolism. something about sharing traits with her but becoming a good person anyway. and the angsty but relatable feeling of looking in the mirror and seeing your abuser's physical features and having to live with that.

and of course the hair symbolism. she has alador's natural hair colour. but odalia tries to cover that up, replace it with her own hair colour. tries to make amity more like herself and less like alador, both physically and personality-wise. but no matter how hard she tries, amity's natural self pushes through, even in early s1 when she's most under odalia's influence.

and then amity, when she sheds her mother's influence, gets rid of the green. and she replaces it with purple. it's neither of her parents' hair colour. it's her own. it's the colour of her magic (sidenote: how tf is a witch's magic colour determined? it usually matches with their track/coven but there are plenty of exceptions, like how raine's is yellow rather than red). it's also a colour we associate with luz, the character who helped her be her real self. and, of course, it's abomination coloured. it's her power and interest and her hard work.

abominations are also something she shares with alador. but the way she uses abomination magic is often different than how alador uses it. first off, she doesn't incorporate any of the mechanical elements that he does (elements that are connected to the specific way odalia abuses him that he tried to protect the kids from, but also the way he neglected his children). but also, iirc, he almost always uses abomination matter in its normal sludge form or as standard abomination constructs/creatures. but amity, as the series goes on, starts showing her own style of abomination magic, where she forms abomination matter into different objects. we see alador do this once, and it's to give *amity* a pair of mittens.

she keeps a tiny bit of brown, though. it's her natural hair, and it's something she gets from alador.

OKAY NOW IMAGINE if amity had alador's nose instead of odalia's

we keep all of the above hair symbolism, of course. that doesn't change at all.

and we keep a lot of the ways that she looks like odalia. we keep the reminder that she chooses to be a good person despite having similarities to her mother.

but we get a reminder of her connection to her dad right smack-dab in the middle of her face. it's something odalia couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard she tries. it's a reminder to her that she can't force amity to be a copy of herself, something odalia probably resents. sure, we get that a bit with the kids' golden eyes, and it ties in with amity's brown hair. but having more features from her father would further drive the point home

not to mention, it ties in with the reason i want more representation of big/hooked noses in the first place. in real life they're often considered flaws. i should hope this idea does not exist in the boiling isles, especially with its roots in eurocentrism. but us, as viewers, know about that prejudice. and it would feel important to me, to have a character, who represents everything wrong with wealth and privilege, be implied to dislike that feature AND THEN have every part of her mindset be repeatedly shown as wrong and harmful and evil

[altrie]

my gjhm hcs/prompts/scenario/drabbles 5️⃣🎶💘

more personal hcs i have! also in continuation/addition to my utahime hcs post 👍 this is just a mix of gjhm, utahime and some sprinkle of utashoko, sugushoko hcs if you stare hard enough..

i stand by the idea that these two started out as hot and cold frenemies during their time as students. so not exactly fluffy/shippy material here but i digress, it's fun to speculate what gjhm were like as annoying students getting on everyone's nerves.. i think those two would have been adorable, funny, and annoying 😂

also, i wrote this in mind that gojo is the one that fell first and fell hard for utahime. so almost everything here is just a perspective of someone crushing on their senpai LMAO. in my head, utahime doesn't start noticing gojo until they're both in their twenties. i feel those two would be a slow burn like a very angsty slow burn 🫠🫠🫠

note: i had to research more of the tokyo tech school, calculate the years, ages to try and be accurate as possible to the canon timeline. this long list starts at around 2005/2006 pre-HI arc. if gege doesn't state something explicitly, i feel it's free real estate to interpret and develop headcanons 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

young gojo and utahime formally met around late spring to early summer of 2005 and immediately had a rocky start. they met through shoko one afternoon after class. however, gojo has already known about utahime prior to this. while not paying attention to yaga's lecture. he noticed the senior singing to herself as she tended the campus community garden with the other upperclassmens/sorcerers. her soothing voice is what he notices first

gojo was awe struck by utahime at first glance and it's been bad for him since then. his senior who is 2-almost 3 years older, short, calm and too easy of a target to pick on is very much adorable when angy

bc of the nature of shoko and utahime's CT, they're often at the main campus ground together. they'll hang out in the infirmary or chilling somewhere nearby. post missions, the boys tend to visit the infirmary just to annoy them and get treatments/checkups even if they don't have a visible scratch

the gang made it a tradition to have dinner every sunday, every week as possible. it started with utashoko going to a potluck/bbq restaurant frequently until the boys learned about it and crashed it >_>. since then, they have dinner at campus where they all cook together. everyone has to pitch in. utahime likes to incorporate in-season crops to the cooking. gojo doesn't usually eat veggies but somehow can have seconds of songstress's hotpot

when on missions, utahime keeps a journal and a camera to document memories. gojo makes fun of her for it, but ends up enjoying it and helping her with the camera work, finding spots to take pics. he sometimes helps take pics too bc of his tall stature

the tokyo tech high campus is LOUD when gjhm are bickering. and they're always bickering! it doesn't matter who started it (it's gojo always), so those two end up getting scolded by yaga often

on days when utahime is paired with another sorcerer for support, the campus is quiet and gojo is sad :(. when he gets sent to missions, he doesn't get the same support. he's aware he's a special grade and don't need it but it's so boring to do it alone!

when utahime comes back from missions, she always brings back treats and souvenirs for everyone. yes, that includes her annoying junior who in return starts doing the same thing at his missions. she ends up bringing him sweets, like tons of sweets she thinks he'll like (he does). gojo started doing the same gesture but he tends to lie that he didn't bring anything for utahime--which she'll say she doesn't care. but by the time she returns to her room, she'll find a gift bag and a note placed on her desk from the same junior who likes to be dramatic about everything

since utahime is the top student at their campus and aces every exam they have. it's become a thing for her to lead their study sessions. she does her best to tutor and simplify things for them. gojo tends to be a distraction at first but tends to help her out on these sessions. they end up pass out next to each other with his uniform jacket placed on her as a blanket. the others often wake up early before those two and notes how peaceful they are

sugushoko definitely picks up on gojo's crush on utahime before gojo is even aware himself. they been quiet about it the whole time, just watching the disaster unfold. shoko brings up the idea of mentioning it to one of them at one point but geto wants to see how much longer until one of them realizes it or something funny happens

geto one day asks gojo who's his type. gojo's answer makes it so obvious he's describing utahime but he doesn't even know. geto teases him that he just described their senior. gojo just gives him an annoyed look and changes the subject

shoko just drops the information about gojo's crush to utahime out of the blue and utahime just gives her a disgusted look. "gojo just likes to be a brat." utahime goes into a long tangent about gojo. shoko notes the songstress definitely does not look at gojo like that except as an annoying junior and laughs to herself about it. poor gojo 🤭

utahime gets asked out a lot by upperclassmen and non-sorcerers. it definitely doesn't bother gojo! nope, not at all! but he makes it a goal to disturb whoever he sees talking to his senior when utahime should be studying or tutoring. their courtship is distracting the flow of education! utahime ends up apologizing for her junior's bratty actions

december 2005: gojo turns 16 and the new years are near. the trio decides to celebrate over break. everyone except utahime are present during this month. due to the songstress graduating in a few months, she's been occupied in missions back to back. it doesn't bother gojo that she's not present during his bday or the gang's winter break or for new years celebration. but he is annoyed he doesn't even get a simple text or email from her! what kind of senior is she not to acknowledge her junior's bday or greet a simple new years? he definitely does not miss her or wait for her message on his phone 💢🙄

what he doesn't expect is to find himself walking to campus in the crisp january weather after new years. he sees utahime sitting on one the benches. she stands up after noticing him and waves at him. gojo quickens his steps towards her, already planned out what snarky comment to say. what he doesn't expect is for her to suddenly reach out a big giftbag to him. gojo pauses and looks at her. "happy belated birthday and a happy new year, gojo"

utahime's gifts to him were handful of sweets, varying from different prefectures. there are mochi, chocolate, pastries, etc. one that stood out to him was a stuffed white cat keychain wearing some dark glasses. she states she saw it and thought it resembled him. she got matching ones for sugushoko as well and can't wait to give it give to them. gojo doesn't have a joke or anything in return to say and thanked her for the gifts. he doesn't end up using the keychain but places it in his desk inside his campus room. displaying it neatly next to his lamp and a picture of their friend group

gjhm rarely fights. sure, they get into arguments, bickering contests, loud banter--but fights are very rare. when they do fight, it's usually something that started from stubbornness, pettiness, even miscommunication. but they're both willing to apologize soon right after the heat of the moment ends. they don't like giving each other the cold shoulder

since gjhm are pretty young and are still inexperienced, i think them apologizing won't be so direct. they're both equally stubborn when it comes to each other and stumble with getting their thoughts across but they'll make it up halfway towards other means (likes small gifts, tea, nonchalant convos about it, etc)

[esmealux]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @mulderscully ❤️

How many works do you have on ao3?

My profile says 56, but considering 32 of those are one-shots that have been gathered in Feels Like Home, I feel like the real answer is 24.

What's your total ao3 word count? 457K - but again, 32 of my works count twice, some of them three times (those that are both in LWTD and FLH), so the actual number is less. Feels Like Home is 223K words though, so more than that 💀

What fandoms do you write for?

Just Lucifer (but I have been toying with the idea of writing something for RWRB, if inspiration should spark at some point)

Top five fics by kudos:

Living with the Devil (isn't always Hell on Earth)

Feels Like Home

Mummy's Workplace: The Guided Tour

Take Me With You

Spouses Without Benefits

Do you respond to comments?

Yes! The nice ones, at least. I don't respond to Chloe or Eve hate 😇

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmm, I don't know, maybe Going Through Hell? I think it ends on a hopeful note though. I generally end angst on a hopeful note. Or write plain fluff. I do have a drabble in my drafts that is very angsty and does not end with hope though (Sox can confirm that).

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I don't feel like I've written a fic with an ending yet 💀 I mean, there was Living with the Devil but it technically isn't finished because it continues in Feels Like Home. But Feels Like Home will definitely end happily.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not really, no. I felt rather unpopular when I introduced Eve in Feels Like Home though. And people aren't shy of hating on Eve and Chloe as characters, meanwhile Lucifer is always just a "poor baby" or a "silly man." I've had people comment that they like me and Sox' version of Chloe in Feels Like Home more than they like her on the show, which I guess is supposed to be a compliment? But I don't think I want that kind of compliment from people who think Chloe is a bitch on the show tbh...

Do you write smut?

Yes. Very much so.

Craziest crossover:

I've never written a cross-over.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not in this fandom, no. At least not as far as I know.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I have, actually. Someone translated Rejected at the Pearly Gates to Russian, but I lost the link ☹️

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Hahaha yeah. I have (:

Like 90% of what I've written since I met Sox has been co-written.

All time favorite ship?

Deckerstar, my one and only.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I've got a Copenhagen AU sketched out that I reeaaallyyy want to write, but I have to finish Feels Like Home before I fully throw myself into that project. Also, I'm not sure many people but me would want to read it lol

What are your writing strengths?

Hmm, I think I'm good at writing dialogue? And understanding the psychology of the characters and their relationships.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Having English as my foreign language 🙃 No, but seriously Not Knowing Words is the most frustrating part of writing for me. And not just not knowing the words, but also not knowing how to string them together.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Depends on the language. Naturally, I could write as much Danish dialogue in as I'd like, but very, very few would understand it. I could do German too, with a bit of help from a dictionary. And I've watched enough Norwegian and Swedish TV to be able to write dialogue in those as well. I have written Lucifer dirty-talking in French, but I barely wrote any of that myself; a kind soul translated it for me. Generally, I think it's fun to incorporate other languages!

First fandom you wrote in?

Twilight. When I was 10 😅

Favorite fic you've written?

Feels Like Home, my beloved.

tagging @my-crazy-awesome-sox, @superlc529, @moonatoms, @mightbeawriter, @wendeckerstart and anyone else who wants to do it!

[desafinado]

Hi! If you take requests, can you do something with Zhongli who start to have feeling for hydro who is likely reminds him of Guizhong (like a reincarnation of her but not that)

｡ﾟ🌨｡ rainbow

°｡⋆ zhongli x reader

°｡⋆ kinda yandere zhongli omg, reader is from inazuma, selfish motivations, angst, bittersweet ending (wc. 1.1k)

note: i thought this would suit a ficlet rather than a hc, so i hope you don’t mind! also, i don’t rlly love the idea of zhongli liking someone purely bc they remind him of guizhong (or just in gen, yk love someone for who they are not bc of what they remind you of, bring to you, or whatever else), so i hope its fine that its a bit more angsty ^^ (also wasn’t quite sure how to incorporate the hydro part in a big way, so all in all its more used as a metaphor.)

the way the breeze hit your face, the way your expression softened under his touch, you reminded him so fondly of her. that’s precisely why he has to hold back tears as you sit him down in a more secluded area of the cafe.

“i’m happy for you, dear. when do you leave?”

“tomorrow! can you believe it? i finally get to visit all my friends after a tough few years…”

unaware of the sound of his heartbeat faltering, you happily take a sip of the tea you’ve ordered. you were happy in liyue, of course; you had made many friends and memories here, but it wasn’t truly “home”. you had planned on visiting liyue for a week or two when the sakoku decree was enforced, and that “week or two” quickly became a year.

initially, it was certainly terrifying; not knowing whether your loved ones were safe, and not having a home to come back to. this uncertainty, however, was gently soothed away by a man by the name of zhongli. he had found you crying outside the wangsheng funeral parlor; at the time you had just be informed of the decree. drawn by the cloud of rain that seemed to form above your head, he didn’t mind getting a bit drenched.

“you don’t seem to be from around here… and you’re crying all alone in a rain of your own doing nonetheless. would you like some company, dear traveller?”

you only let out a weak chuckle and nod, fearing that your words would betray you. you both settled into a comfortable silence as he simply sat beside you, giving you nothing but his company. you didn’t realise how alone you felt until that moment; you wanted to cry more, shout louder, your body started trembling over the realisation.

he quickly noticed this and enveloped you in a hug; he knew it was crossing your boundaries, but he couldn’t bear to see you carry the pain all alone. you did nothing to resist, accepting his touch.

“i’m… i’m sorry, i just…”

“it’s fine.” you gasped in between tears, your breathing only getting more uneven.

“perhaps you would like to talk about it over some tea?” he was still only restrained to hugging you gently, feeling as though the slightest touch would shatter you. you nod once again, letting him help you up.

and that was how you got here.

zhongli instantly became someone you could rely on; he guided you through liyue in more ways than one, culture, history and even making new friends! in that time, he also picked up on how much you reminded him of his… old friend. he’d try to shake it off or push you away, but he always felt the need to protect and guide you; the way he couldn’t for his dear friend. alas, his fantasy was soon coming to and end.

after hearing your sentiments, he too took a sip of his tea; his throat feeling increasingly dry.

“i understand, i mean you told me all about it on that fateful day we met.” he pauses and closes his eyes. it takes every muscle in his face to force a smile, and it eventually does come out, barely. “yes, dear, this is great. i’m so happy for you.” he opens his eyes to see you smiling right back at him; that smile killing him in more ways than one.

“yup! i couldn’t have gotten through it all without you, zhongli. i’m so thankful to have had you as a friend.”

the way your eyes curve into crescents, he can’t hold back anymore. he wasn’t ready to just stop seeing you, not without admitting his own secrets; at the same time, he wasn’t completely to reveal them either.

“i– wait. will you be back any time soon?”

“probably not for a while, i missed a lot while i’ve been here.”

“but you will eventually?”

“i’m not yet sure, i haven’t even–”

“it’s a yes or no question.”

you’ve never seen nor heard him this way; his face deadpanned and his voice stern. you didn’t know where all of this was coming from, he was happy just moments ago.

“zhongli, what’s with the sudden change in mood?”

he realises his palms are face down on the table, and his voice is almost shaking. meanwhile, you were just there, staring up at him innocently, waiting for him to respond. just like her, you were the calm to his storm, giving him way more understanding than he though he deserved.

“i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to…”

“i understand, but where is this coming from, zhongli? what is this about?”

he lets out a shaky breath, his walls surely crumbling down. the facade of his feelings had finally come to light.

“guizhong, i… you just remind me too much of her, i can’t let you go, not yet. i love you…”

he sits back down, defeated by this own emotions. he hasn’t a clue what your reaction might be, but if you’re anything like her, he knows it won’t be the most positive.

“zhongli… i’m not her.” you stutter out, a lump stuck in your throat. you very much knew who she was; he had told you who he actually was, he had told you the history of liyue, his friends, the yakshas, everything. you thought he had told you everything, but the present says otherwise.

“i know that you know i’m not her. you’re wise, you’re smart, you just… you’re overtaken by your emotions, zhongli…” you pause for another moment feeling a tear finally roll down your cheek. “i-i’ve loved you too, but… please love me for me, not for her.” you gather any strength you have left to stand up and leave him there to face himself.

after you’re long gone, zhongli finds a wave of tears rushing down his cheeks, not unlike the rain clouds you create when you cry. perhaps he deserved it.

a new day’s sun rises, and you’re gone just like that. your boat had left in the early hours of the dawn, and you didn’t bother to look back; that’s what you tell yourself at least, because zhongli finds a bouquet of camellias with a note on his doorstep.

“to answer your question, i will be back one day when we’ve both grown a bit older and our minds a bit clearer. i love you dearly, zhongli. i hope you’ll love me too, one day.”

he stares at the note a bit longer, noticing the way the sun slowly covers it in its light; oh how he wishes it would just rain.

requests are open!! please do not reposts on other sites.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Me & the questions aren’t going anywhere lol

1: if they can design their hair what type of haircut would they create? Buzz cut, Mohawk, half shave like prime earth lor-zod, bald XD etc..

2: is the whole Superman getting his identity revealed canon to your universe? ( not the one where he openly reveals it but where he got blackmailed) & for angst & sadness, this takes places after the invasion of zod, imagine sitting in a classroom next to the introvert boy who open up a portal & got your love ones killed.

3: would Jon feel angsty with the super twins if aged normally? Maybe feeling the same way Chris felt when he was growing up: abandoned & replaceable.

4: would they use farts as a weapon? I can see Jake squatting over that victor zassz guys face & letting out a high rip XD

5: speaking of that, a villain for Jake: similar to smoke from mortal kombat, but uses farts instead of :p

6: any Christmas themed outfits? Maybe just add a blue & green Santa hat for Chris & Jake

1) As kids and preteens, their respective hairstyles remain as they’re usually depicted but as they reach into their later teens, that’s when their hairstyles deviate even if it’s slightly, more or less based on their canonical appearances in their respective stories. As such, upon reaching his mid teens, Chris sets to smooth and shorten his hair on it’s sides and back, leaving mainly his bangs intact. Then there’s Jake whom also trims off the top but most of all, combs his bangs upward having a noticeable streak present. Only instead of white akin to both in New Order or more commonly Jason Todd’s, Jake’s streak would be red like his Mother’s hair

2) Ideally no not really, I don’t really intend to have that plot angle be incorporated personally into my universe since the optics and wider scale consequences would have to be be addressed and past canonical times that’s happened have proven the concept is precarious in execution.

That being said though, had Chris’ identity alone though had gone public (Lois can come up with a generally accepted cover story of Superman letting the kid be cared for by his longtime Daily Planet friend Clark after the Bizarro incident just in case), then that Angsty route of him overhearing and bears the brunt of his classmates who blame him for the tragic consequences of Zod’s invasion should be excellent to explore for his character. It makes his doubts about whether Earth being his true home or not still linger as a constant source of internal turmoil and anxiety all the more palatable as he can feel all of that loss was his doing at the end of it. This is further complicated by also though of people like other classmates who still believe in his heroism and being a positive spot in their world. He did them is still their hero in spite of everything and it’s not just Jake and Jon that are telling him that.

All of that is delicious stuff to tackle for stories and I’m quite surprised that frankly I hadn’t tho if they too deep about it till basically now lol

3) I have a feeling that can be somewhat the case but I don’t foresee even an aged-up-too-fast Jon merely holding it all in just because of his sake. I can fully see him even talk with the twins about those emotions out of honesty but also reassurance that they belong in the family as much as Chris and him do. The twins are likely being accepting and understanding of those thoughts their adoptive big brother shares in the best way they know how. I don’t think I can call immediate reconciliation but it has a start and it can grow as their bonds grow over time.

4) …..mmmm…Nah. Funny as the idea sounds at least in their heads, maybe at for most for like panels where they have thought balloons showing that visual, the Duo are not exactly gross humor based when doing superhero work. Maybe some slapstick and definitely snark but not gross out

5) I can see a villain who utilizes gassy smells and other flatulence related gimmicks being akin to a joke villain for Skybird, akin to one of Spider-Man’s lesser known and often derided foes, Big Wheel. Maybe like some dude bro in his late teens who never really grew out of his early high school life, having been expelled from so many schools for his crude humor that at most he can get a GED. So he turns to small scale crimes and mischief to fulfill his habits, like a prankster type of villain that regularly gives the Bludhaven PD massive headaches to deal with. He dubs his villain moniker The Gas Master.

6) Maybe Jake can have a Skybird suit with the yellow parts if the torso being a light red while the main parts are instead differing shades of green. The cape can also be a solid white like the snow itself. Finally, Skybird can wear a hoodie with similar colors of green and light red with a white band to reflect the Holiday spirit in the air.

Then there’s Chris which the only real change to his suit in fitting for the Holiday season can be small Santa pins on the right side of his shirt.

Apologies for the long wait but here are your answers my friend. @gothicghost2000 thank you very much for your patience

[lightlycareless]

happy belated halloween!! for another fluffy ask to fill the void- what would naoya, naoaki, and y/n would have dressed up as for halloween as kids?? (pretending as if the zenins wouldn't have been awful spoil-sports and actually LET either of them celebrate,,)

Hello!!!! And happy Halloween to you too!!!

First of all, thank you so much for your patience! This one-shot certainly took more than what I expected to finish it, but in my defense, allot of things happened hahahaha Also, I received it just when I was going through a very hard personal time, so reading your fluff request arrived just in the right time. Thank you 🥺❤

But now that I'm on a small holiday from work, I'll be able to do a lil bit more of writing :> Starting with this request that I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED writing. Let's say that I filled some very needed fluffy needs that the main fic deprived me of 😳

Now, without further ado, here are the warnings of this chapter:

Overprotective!Eiichi (a.k.a Y/N's dad) Delusional!Naoya, Oblivious!Naoaki, and Protective!Ren and Hinata lol. Minako and Tomoko want a normal day out. Y/N is just living her life, happy as it always should. Also, I took this oneshot as the perfect excuse to develop a bit more of Eiichi (although it's more about him lol), Minako (Y/N's mom) and... well, have what we probably wont have on the angsty shitshow I created on the other story haha.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!! Super long oneshot under the cut.

When Minako, your mother, told Eiichi, your father, that she intended to celebrate Halloween with Tomoko and her family, he… was hesitant to agree.

No, scratch that. He wasn’t hesitant, he was in absolute defiance. 

And it’s not because of personal animosity towards Tomoko—far from that. He’d actually met the woman on a previous occasion and they got along quite well. She was generous and funny, the kind of person that made you feel welcomed, seen. 

And all of this is without taking into account Minako's undying admiration for her: Because when it came to incorporating new people into their social circle—or, more specifically, his family—his spouse's opinion was highly regarded.

Both knew that if Tomoko came along, their kids would be in good hands.

In other words, he did not hold any negative remarks about her.

It was her husband that he disliked very much.

Eiichi had no idea how a much older man like Naobito could have gotten together with a much younger woman like Tomoko, much less marry her and subsequently have six children together!

«Oh, that poor woman» he muses, reminiscing back on the many times where Eiichi would find himself silently conmenming Naobito’s actions. 

Starting from Minako dropping everything on the spot and rushing to her friend's side as soon as she learned that her pregnancy was one of high risk—the one that introduced Naofumi into the world. Tomoko’s world was slowly turning into one of chaos and concern, and Naobito was seemingly nowhere to be found, limiting himself to subsidizing her with any medical attention she and their son would need, as if emotional support didn’t matter.

Or when he did the exact opposite when their youngest child was born. From the stoic, distant father he was with their previous 5 children, he was now all over her when it came to their 6th. All because he was to be the heir. And although that was an agreement that was struck many years later… Eiichi suspected Naobito already had a hunch.

Nonetheless, your father knew very well that prying in their business would do more harm than good, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t harbor a certain degree of distaste towards Tomoko’s husband, the consistent reason of why he’s always so averse towards Minako and their children visiting the Zen’in estate—why did they even need to maintain amicable relationships with their competitors?! Aren’t the Gojo’s and the Kamo’s sufficient enough??— or subsequently inviting him to these gatherings.

To make matters worse, Naobito wasn’t just careless towards his wife, he was also inconsiderate of his children’s fun. Once he starts feeling bored, he’d hurry them to leave every few seconds until one of them budges, like the aggravating buzz of a mosquito he just couldn’t wait to get rid of.

Well, there’s no use to dwell on things he can’t change, more so when Tomoko insisted that Naobito was a rather good husband and father when no one was around to see, he was just too busy as the head of one of the biggest companies in Japan, and too shy to demonstrate otherwise on the public (he has an image to uphold, after all, one that suits well with old money)

«Shy» Eiichi scoffed at the label Tomoko would use one day. An adjective that he never thought could be used to describe Naobito, an obnoxious, crude man.

But if she’s content with their relationship… they’ll support it.

However, once he was informed that only Tomoko and her children would be the ones assisting, none of these things continued to matter.

An announcement that cleanses him with relief as he could finally focus on what really matters. On the actual significance of this occasion!

And what made it so special, you ask?

Well… it's nothing short of his baby's first Halloween spent trick-or-treating!!

Oh, it was a moment both he and his wife had looked forward to for a long time now!��

… To much of their unexpected surprise.

Halloween is generally regarded as an appropriate activity for children thanks to all the activities that take place: such as dressing up, going out to get candy, and even pumpkin carving! It goes without saying that a fun night was certainly guaranteed if any of these were involved.

So, one could only imagine the shock your parents were received with when you, who had just become old enough to participate in such a celebration, stood heavily against it.

But that didn’t deter them. In fact, they tried to convince you by going into heavy detail of the previously listed activities, sweetening the deal by how fun it would be if you’d participated with your siblings and friends!

… To no avail.

Thus, a different approach was to be taken.

Eiichi, knowing your sweet tooth, attempted to bribe you with candies that were exclusive to the season, flavors that would not appear again, that is, until next year. 

And it seemed to work judging by the way your chubby hands snatched the offering out of his grasp as soon as you locked eyes on it. 

You’d then hum along to his words, giving them the impression you were actually considering their invitation…

Only to go behind their backs and grant them a dose of reality by rejecting them once you ate all of the candies.

Minako, startled by your enigmatic answer, began to search for the reason behind your rejection. Was it because you’ve unwittingly stumbled onto the scary side of Halloween?

If that were the case, then she couldn’t blame you.

There were certain participants that leaned into the dark aspect of this time. Defined from gruesome to frightening, classifications that were solely made with the intention of provoking unsettlement, something hardly appropriate or desirable for children your age.

And that didn’t limit to imagery, of course… There were also people who breathed life into these depictions through costumes, transforming themselves into a walking nightmare.

If somehow these turned out to be the factors that pushed you away from enjoying Halloween, then Minako feared no reasoning could help you see differently. Not when you’ve rejected them so many times already.

That was not the case, however— At least not entirely.

Turns out that the biggest reason behind your lack of participation was because of large crowds.

Up until now, the only instances you've ever seen of Halloween being celebrated was via the unruly, overcrowded parties that took place in the sleepless streets of Ikebukuro through broadcasted segments you’ve stumbled upon when watching T.V. alongside your older brother, Ren. 

And you, prone to growing anxious before large groups of strangers, needed no other justification to stay as far away from it as possible. You’ve seen enough of it, in full color and in high quality (as good as it can be with a television dating from ‘97) to not believe in your parents' contrasting words.

So that’s the whole truth of what you believed Halloween to be in the early years of your life: heavily crowded parties with ugly costumes.

But now that the problem was out in broad daylight, your parents could decisively assess an efficient solution. Thus, they came up with a secure and tranquil version of a halloween festivity: Trick-or-treating in a nearby familiar village, owned by none other than your clan.

For the influential leaders of the L/N clan, creating a safe space with the support of the inhabitants of said village (after providing the enough financing to do so) was an easy task, as well as the bare minimum when it came to their children's comfort and happiness. Nothing was out of their reach if it pertained to Ren, Hinata, and you.

Besides, Minako wanted to indulge in something private for once, especially after she began to feel the mental fatigue of having to roam through large crowds. So she wasn’t very disappointed when this change of plans occurred.

This could also be beneficial for the village’s kids, to motivate a sense of closeness inside the community as well as provide distraction from mundane everyday tasks to remember what life is all about. 

And while at it, this also worked as a good excuse to see Tomoko again. They've been wanting to catch up for the longest time, and now that their schedules finally match… it's the perfect opportunity! 

So, after arranging a meeting with the representative of the village, Minako and Eiichi managed to form an agreement with the inhabitants to organize a small version of a festival with all expenses accounted for, in exchange of borrowing their facilities to create an area where everyone is invited to have fun.

Fast forward to Halloween night, children and parents alike partake in a hurried frenzy to oversee the last details of their perfect trick-or-treating outing before departure.

“I still wish Y/N would’ve dressed up as something scary… like Sadako from the ring!” Eiichi laments, for he’d always been an avid fan of horror and there’s nothing he would’ve liked more than to share this with his family.

He genuinely believes it would’ve been hilarious to see his adorable young daughter dressed up as a popular horror icon, more so if he taught you how to deliver a convincing portrayal of the well-dwelling ghost in hopes of scaring at least an unsuspecting passerby.

“That’s too scary for a kid her age, dear” Minako’s soft voice interrupts his thoughts and grounds him back to reality by reminding him as to why that was a bad idea. “Besides, this is her first time dressing up. It’s only fair that she chooses what she wants to wear"

Maybe once you’re a few years older, she would support his suggestion. 

After all, she held the same opinion when it came to dressing you, the youngest of their kids, as something that frightened many, and continued to do so years after the novel and movie were released. 

It would certainly be amusing to see how an adorable girl like you could pull off something as scary as Sadako. But just as they discussed before, you were too young to be consuming any horror material, and adding that this night was your first time going out for candy (after much insisting, that is) they had to be careful to not do anything that might push you to reject them again. 

So, doing what any good parent would do, they kept off limits any media that was unsuitable for your age whilst supporting your decision when it came to your costume.

However, being married for over a decade, and known each other for far longer, Eiichi had grown to distinguish each of your mother's tones, mannerisms, and even subtle facial expressions to understand that sometimes what she says, doesn’t actually reflect what she intends.

And that’s exactly what’s happening: Minako hid an underlying aim behind her words, and once he was sure of this, a grin parted his lips before proceeding to retaliate with this newfound fulfillment.

“But that's not what you really think, do you?"

Minako shoots him a quick glance, an expression so stern that makes Eiichi feel he might’ve misjudged her circumstances, to which he’s more than ready to apologize for… that is, until his wife sighs dramatically, the facade falling off her face and revealing the true nature of her emotions.

“Oh, of course not!” She cries, placing her hands over Eiichi’s shoulders and rattling him gently to emphasize her frustration “We finally got the 3 of them to go out on Halloween! It was the perfect time to dress them up in matching costumes!!"

To say that your mother had been dreaming of this moment since she started a family with your father, would be an understatement. 

She always loved the idea of forming a family of her own, having kids, raising them, watching them grow and become successful on their own… overall, she yearned for a domestic life.

There was one thing that she looked forward to particularly the most, however, and that was partaking in celebrations together, such as Halloween.

It wouldn’t be the first time she'd seen either of her children in costumes, of course. She’d dressed Ren, Hinata, and you before on each 31’st of October for as long as she can remember.

But this was the first time her 3 kids would be actively going out together, so it was only natural that she wanted to show them off! Thus, she prepared herself accordingly for their costumes, taking inspiration from none other than one of her favorite artists.

For your older brother Ren, she'd gotten a custom made black tuxedo with a white undershirt, black bowtie, black dress shoes, and of course, the iconic baggy crystal socks that would pull the whole look together— although your mother knew that Ren's charming smile would be the one to do the job.

Moving onto Hinata, Minako would go a bit bold and get the head-to-toe leather outfit, decorated with a wide array of belts and buckles that would jingle whenever she moved, all while making sure it remained both stylish and comfortable enough for her courageous daughter to keep on adventuring— but even if the seamstress didn't manage to mix these two factors, Minako knew that this wouldn’t stop Hinata from doing what she wanted.

And finally, you. Your mother had gone for another two piece suit, but contrary to Ren's, yours was to be white. You'd also wear a black shirt for contrast, but matching a black belt. A golden handkerchief tucked in the coat's pocket to accessorize, and lastly, but not least, a plushie tiger that would serve as the figurative cherry on top to complete the reference she intended to portray.

Everything was perfectly set in her mind. With clothes and styling ready to go, all that she needed to do was organize a photography session to immortalize this precious moment, which she was already a few steps ahead due to ongoing talks with a photographer she’d found through a friend’s recommendation.

But even with all this preparation, it was never meant to be, for her children had other plans. And always the supportive parent, she decided to put her wishes to the side and make the three happy. 

"I can always do so another day" she reassures to herself "And we could also do something just for the 5 of us. On a day you don’t have to work"

"Ah, don't even remind me." Eiichi groans, forehead furrowed as he reflects on his unlucky night that’s yet to start. 

He’d already set in stone that he was going to accompany his family for trick-or-treating, more than ready to put everything on the line to be there, but an unexpected emergency at work would put a screeching halt to his plans. 

Your father tried getting out of this predicament by appointing someone else to take care of this problem, but since the corporate world doesn’t really care about western celebrations, as well as him being the main head of the company, he had to set an example and oversee the issue personally.

Sometimes, he just can’t help but feel that life is playing a twisted game with him—but all things considered, that’s only your father being dramatic as usual.

"You don't know how awful it feels to be away from my family on this important night” he deplored, looking down to the ground.

"I can imagine… but don't fret, dear. I’ve already prepared myself with the best available camera to take pictures!” Miano exults, eyes sparkling with unparalleled enthusiasm. “Leave it all to me!...”

She then takes his hand, giving him a coy smile.

“And who knows, maybe I’ll give you a consolation prize”

Eiichi blushes. Even after all these years together, she still manages to fluster him.

“I—I’d like that” he sheepishly admits, and Minako can’t hold herself from pecking his lips, a gesture that she would’ve prolonged had they not started to run late by now. 

“But for now we have to check if the kids are ready! I told Tomoko-san that we would be meeting up at the village and I don’t want to make her wait!” Minako points out.

“Ah, yes, of course” Eiichi nods as he lifts his wrist to look over to his watch, relief washing over him upon realizing they’re still over an hour and a half away before their meeting time. But if he considered ETA to the village, which was around 20 minutes, and if the kids weren’t ready… “Looks like we still have time, but we gotta hurry the kids if we wanna be there before her at least”

“Let’s go then”

Minako and Eiichi rush through the familiar path leading to the living quarters as they greet the many servants that saluted them back, without relenting their speed.

After a few minutes, the couple finds themselves only a few yards away from the area where they know their children are getting ready. They slow down to regain their breath, and Eiichi takes this moment to voice one of his many, many concerns for tonight.

"I'm glad Naobito isn’t coming" Eiichi begins “Can’t imagine the way he’d ruin this night for us”

“I know, I know” Minako attempts to soothe his unjustified anxiety, for he already knew it would only be Tomoko and her boys. 

However, just as he’s capable of uncovering her hidden intentions through her words, she’s competent enough to do the same. And by the way he decided to bring up this topic seemingly out of nowhere while unwittingly tensing his shoulders, she knows he’s been holding back something possibly out of fear, and it’s in her duties to ease him by reminding him that he can trust her, and everything will be fine.

“Just think about the kids and their fun. Besides, you know Tomoko-san would never put our children in harm's way”

“...I know. I'd trust her with my life, but you know Tomoko has never been my concern… I… I just don’t like the fact that a bunch of boys are going to be around my baby girls! And when I'm not there!!”

And there it is. The other reason as to why he'd been so on edge about this whole ordeal once it was revealed the Zen'in kids would attend. 

Sure, he disliked Naobito and worried non-stop when the prospect of his presence was up to debate, but now that that matter was settled, his mind couldn't wait to jump onto another topic to torture himself with—it was just his nature.

Or was it always the main factor behind his initial reluctance…?

Eiichi never held back when it came to voicing just how overprotective he was when it came to his children, a sentiment that he'd carried ever since Minako revealed to be pregnant for the first time.

A feeling that grew when Ren was born.

Worsening when Satoru began to lurk around the estate whenever he apparently didn’t have anything better to do—unwanted attempts from the elders to cultivate better relationships with other influential clans.

Reaching an all time high when you, the youngest of the family and the last one to leave the nest, started going to school.

Growing in a society where men were not expected to contribute in the domestic part of marriage, Minako was glad that Eiichi was very involved and protective of his family, even going as far as to perceive it as cute. 

But having gone through this ordeal many times without anything major happening, she’s starting to believe that perhaps his concerns are leaning more into the irrational side of things.

Eitherway, your mother assumes she can’t be too harsh on him, considering that the Zen’in kids were boys in their totality, a fact that led Eiichi to hyperfocus on you and your sister. 

Had they been girls, Ren would be the recipient of his attention—same story, different protagonists.

“I only agreed to this because you wanted and… well, Ren is also going and I trust him to keep them away from our daughters!” he goes on.

“They’re not going to do anything, Eiichi" Minako reiterates, feeling guilty that her husband was unfairly dumping a non-corresponding responsibility on his oldest son on a night that was supposed to be fun. One that he should take to relax as well! "They’re going to be fine, besides, they’re too young to be thinking about girls or boys! Look at our babies, the only thing they’re looking forward to is getting candy!”

Finding no point to debate, Eiichi concedes with a soft “I guess so…” 

Because if there was one thing that always helped him calm down when stress was eating him alive, was his wife’s candid nature.

Minako was never one to lie… At least of important matters, because he's caught her one too many times engaging in late night snacking when she was supposed to be sleeping, or binging through the tapes of recorded episodes from the shows they were supposed to watch together, but that's a topic for another time.

So, without anything else to bring to the table, the conversation arrives at a swift end. And just as they arrived at the room their children were in, quickly identified as Hinata’s room thanks to the sunflower stickers placed around the frame

Eiichi steps forward and steadily grasps the shoji door open, revealing the following sight:

Just by the vanity table on the far right of the room, a readied Hinata was looming over you with the intention of helping you into your clothes, asking you to place your hands on her shoulders as she extended the bottom part of your attire for you to slide your feet in. 

You tried to fight her off, reminding her that you were more than capable of dressing up yourself, but Hinata heard no reasoning, not when she wanted you to look as perfect as possible. Demonstrating just how excited she was for going out with you on halloween for the first time ever.

Across from the girls, on the other side of the room, sat Ren by the edge of the futon, already in costume, patiently waiting for his sisters to finish.

He actually tried to help you too, but Hinata, being the type of person who liked to do everything herself, ended up pushing him aside.

Not wanting to waste his energy on something he knows he won’t be able to change, Ren decides to let this go and instead focus on distracting himself by playing with the edges of his sleeves until it was time for their parents to pick them up—all while keeping an attentive eye on his sisters if anything rises to the occasion.

Too engrossed in their respective activities, neither of the kids failed to acknowledge the presence of their parents, who were already inside the room. That is, until Minako closes the door a bit too loud which causes them to snap their heads in their direction.

“Mom! Dad!” With a toothy grin adorning her lips, Hinata is the first one to greet “We’re almost done!! I just need to get Y/N-chan ready, get my hat, and we’re ready!”

“And a jacket" Minako says upon noticing her daughter to be wearing a basic light blue colored dress t-shirt underneath a navy blue vest; to make matters more surprising, the shirt is not even the one she got custom made for her, the one with long sleeves and thermal fabric to provide warmth during a cold autumn evening. 

Where did Hinata even get this?

«I'm 100% sure it was Sumire's mom» Minako rightfully assumes. «And I can already see how it happened. Hina-chan probably used her puppy eyes to get her this shirt instead… I really have to tell them to stop pampering my kids!»

"But mom… nobody is going to get what I'm dressed as if I’m wearing the other one" Hinata whines, but Minako is stronger than Sumire's mother when it comes to resisting her adorable pouts and thus, does not relent.

"No. You're going to get sick, besides, the jacket is also in the official uniform so I assure you everyone is going to know what you’re dressed as" 

“Justice will keep me warm!” Hinata retaliates, and Minako just laughs.

“Alright, officer” Eiichi chuckles, going ahead to retrieve the jacket hanging from the nearby closet and handing it over to her  “You still have to wear it”

“...Fine” Hinata sighs, taking the jacket from her dad’s hands and wearing it once and for all. Once ready, your sister immediately springs back to aiding you, but before she’s able to grasp the slider from your zipper, your father steps in.

“I’ll take it from here, Hinata. Go help mom get the rest of the things instead” he gestures over to Minako and Hinata nods.

“...Ok dad!” Ren concludes that the only people capable of swaying Hinata away from her determination are their parents, wondering if that’s a skill that could be harbored one day as he’s being pulled towards their mom by her younger sister.

Once by their side, Minako places her hands behind their backs and gently guides them out of the room, giving one last glance back to her husband before stepping out.

“See you at the entrance, dear” She says, and with that, she closes the door.

No longer hearing their distant footsteps, Eiichi glimpses back at you to immediately notice something… peculiar.

“Why are you making that face?” he asks, proceeding to kneel down to your eye-level. At this height, he’s able to take a better look at your curious face and he can’t stop a chuckle from bubbling past his lips: brows pressed together, eyes shut tight and lips pressed into a thin line, all whilst standing perfectly still, you were the epitome of concentration that undeniably contrived from Hinata’s influence.

“Hina-chan told me to not move or I would ruin my costume” You disclose “Don’t talk to me papa, I don’t want to mess my costume!”

“That’s not really necessary” He corrects, moving a strand of hair away from your forehead and threading it behind your right ear “Breathe, Y/N. You’re turning blue”

And as if by command, you deflate before him with a deep exhale, a reaction that earns you a warm smile and a pat on the head from him.

Now that you’re comfortable, he goes ahead and performs the last adjustment on your costume by pulling your zipper all the way to the top.

“There, it’s done” Eiichi informs, standing up in hopes of getting a better look at you and catch any details he might’ve missed. “How do you feel? Comfortable? Cold? Itchy? Or do you maybe want to wear something else? Mama has another—”

“No!” Your cry, shaking your head and putting an abrupt halt to his redundant barrage of questions. Because just as your parents and siblings were excited to have this night out with you, you too wanted it to be as perfect as possible, under your own terms!  “I want to wear this one!” 

“Alright, alright” he concedes, raising his hands as a sign of surrender “I just want to make sure you’re not cold on your first night trick-or-treating”

“I’m not cold” You confess, in fact, you don’t even think it possible considering you were wearing the two long-sleeved shirts mom had given you to wear underneath your onesie, as if the latter wasn’t made of polar fleece already.

A preemptive strategy Minako was astute to take, for she was all too familiar with your tendency of running cold throughout the night. And she couldn’t call herself a good mother if she let you go out underdressed, could she?

But how about overdressing? 

Eiichi didn’t need to pry further beyond your red cheeks to understand he’d asked the wrong question.

“Are you running hot?”

You press your lips together once more and hum, permission enough for him to ease from you cotton constraints.

“Is that better?”

“Yes” you nod, and now that you’re free of the shackles of warmth, you’re finally able to focus on what’s keeping you filled with emotion “I want candy!! Candy! Candy! Candy!”

“Someone’s excited to go trick-or-treating” He smiled, holding you carefully before lifting you up to his chest “If there’s nothing more I need to do, let’s go meet mama and your siblings”

“Trick-or-teething!” you cheered again, wiggling your arms in the air.

“Treating” He corrected.

“Teething”

“Treating”

“Teething”

You frown out of confusion, failing to understand why your father was correcting you for saying the world correctly—or so you perceived.

He’d continue to insist a few more times, stopping only at the sight of his wife and children by the car. 

It’s only then that he realized this was a fruitless endeavor, for even after all his attempts, you’d continue to pronounce treating as you could.

However, he didn’t let this fact place much weight in his mind, for he knew that this was an issue that would resolve itself with time. Nothing more than a pet peeve of the moment that he wouldn’t allow to distract him from his beloved family any longer.

So once everything is accounted for and the group is safely secured inside the car, Eiichi turns on the engine and drives onto their next destination.

“We’re here!” Minako sang once the bright lights of the village became clear on the horizon. It’s a tune that efficiently snaps the children’s attention to her, prompting the same energy she presented once their eyes fell on the same view.

“Are you excited Y/N-chan?!” Hinata turns over to you, securely seated between your siblings. Any big family would understand the unspoken agreement of the youngest sitting in the middle, and while it never usually lingered in your attention, there were times you’d want to switch sides with your siblings just so you could see what’s outside—like today.

“Yes!!” You say, wiggling your short legs in the air as you stretch your neck to see past Hinata and outside the window, only to be disappointed when all that received you was the astounding darkness of the countryside. “Mama, how much longer until we get there?”

“Just a few minutes” Eiichi answers instead, occasionally glancing into the rearview mirror to awe at the excitement of his children, only to frown upon sensing  a growing commotion behind him thanks to the thumping on the back of his seat, courtesy of a cheeky Ren.  “Hold on to your seats until we park, kids. Or I won’t let you get off the car”

The warning he issues is enough to calm them down into the manageable level of stifled giggles and hushed whispers. He wanted them to be enthusiastic, of course, but not at the expense of his driving.

And just as he forecasted, it wouldn’t take long before the paved road transformed into one of dirt, noticeable by the change in sound coming from the tires, signaling their arrival to the village.

Eiichi drove deeper and deeper into the village, wanting to get them as close as possible to the meeting point, a small grocery store located on the main street, just between a pharmacy and a coffee shop. 

Eventually finding a parking spot, your father parks and turns off the engine.

The noise of the motor quieting down is the only cue the children needed to unfasten their seatbelts, with Hinata helping you to unbuckle yours and subsequently getting out of the car, before sprinting towards the trunk. All this with such an impressionable speed that didn’t even allow their parents to formally announce their arrival.

“Daaaaad, open the trunk!!” Hinata says while perilously pressing the button placed on the trunk’s handle, further denoting her desperation, much to Eiichi’s agony “daaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!”

“Hold on, sunflower. You know papa doesn’t like it when you do that to his car” Minako reminds as she walks towards them, to which Hinata immediately retracts her hand, shame on her face as she pouts a muted “I’m sorry”

“Just be careful” Eiichi echoed as he unlocked the trunk and pulled the hatch open “I know how excited you are to go out with your sister and brother, but just remember to be a bit more… calm, when Tomoko-san is here with her kids, alright?”

He knows it’s a running joke between him and his wife to announce how much he dislikes Naobito and what not… but he’s still competent enough to understand that his children are a separate identity from him. They were also Tomoko's children, and he wouldn’t like it if his children added more to her already full plate by being rude.

That doesn’t mean he’s not going to encourage her to raise hell if any of them decides to do something funny towards them, he’s just asking her to be a bit more… considerate when they’re around.

“Ok…?” Hinata and Ren confusedly look at each other, finding his warning to be a bit unnecessary… for they had no issues with Tomoko, whom they’d grown to admire due to her amazing storytelling, cooking, and kindness, so they wouldn’t even dream of insulting her!!

Her children, however, they’re something else. In fact, there’s one kid in particular your siblings are desperately hoping he wouldn’t be able to attend… but that’s an answer that will only reveal itself once they’re here.

For now, they’ll focus on getting their baskets out of the trunk.

“Thank you, Ren-nii” You smile as you take the basket from his grasp. Being too short to reach into the compartment, less when most of the items were located on the far side of the same, left you in an unwanted predicament of needing help. Thankfully, your older brother being the taller of the 3, was able to jump into your aid, just like he always did when things were out of reach for either.

“You’re welcome, sis” he says, giving you a smile of his own, making your grin grow even wider.

“Where did you tell Tomoko to meet up again?” Eiichi asks as he looks at their surroundings, realizing there’s nobody there yet. A fear of having mistaken her directions begins to creep in the back of his mind.

“Just outside this store” Minako gestures to the convenience store as she takes out her phone. She didn't want to voice it out loud, but seeing her husband’s worried reaction has caused her to feel the same, forcing herself to alleviate this uncertainty by reviewing their past messages, or checking if she’d received any new ones.

Her shoulders relax upon realizing there are no new unread messages on her notification center that might imply they’re in the wrong location, however, the clock did inform that Tomoko was running late, and these two factors often led the sender to imagine the worst possible scenarios.

“I’ll just text her we’re here then” Minako informs, unlocking her cell phone and typing a quick, straightforward we're here, before sending it.  “Done. Let’s wait over here in the meanwhile”

“Alright” Eiichi gathers the children and leads them away from the store’s entrance, so as to avoid blocking the path of oncoming traffic, which really didn’t complain much about, too focused on greeted the people they quickly recognized as the leaders of the L/N clan, as well as complimenting their children’s costumes.

“I wonder what kind of candy we’re getting this year” Hinata ponders, looking back to last year's successful harvest, which she’d naturally shared with you. “I wouldn’t mind getting more lemon gum so I can give them to Satoru and see his ugly face twist” she darkly chuckles.

“That’s weird, Hinata” Ren twists his mouth in disapproval, why did Hinata have to be so weird with Satoru? “Anyways, what about you, sis? What kind of candy do you want to get on your first Halloween out?”

And so, you begin to think: first remembering the pumpkin lollipop your father gave you, before moving onto your mother’s pumpkin and chocolate candy, back when they were trying to bribe you into going out tonight.

But as much as the seasonal flavors were delectable to your tongue and wouldn’t mind getting more… none stood a chance against your all time favorite.

“I want mo—”

“Oh, look who it is!” Minako’s shrills as a familiar black car passes before them, the noise pausing your and your siblings' conversation in favor of seeking their mother “It’s Tomoko-san, she’s finally here!”

“Wait a…” Eiichi whispers upon catching two peculiar observations: first, the size of the car which he considers to be unsuitable for a family of 8. Second, the person sitting on the driver’s seat, a foreign face that would later have him boiling with anger once recognized.  «Seriously? Naobito couldn’t even bother dropping them off himself?»

His worries would eventually switch recipients when the luxurious car comes to a full stop just a few feet away from them, with the door swinging open to reveal the first attendant of the night, the eldest of her children— 14 year old Naoaki.

“Naoaki-kun! Over here!” your mother sang as she waved at the teenager, who grinned in turn before turning back and helping his mom and his youngest brother, a 7 year old Naoya, out of the car. 

The small boy wasn’t too keen on this action though, evident by the way he sulked past his brother’s offering hand and darted straight to his mother’s side.

“Come on, let’s receive them!” Minako urges towards her family.

“Uh, honey… are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Eiichi says, taking the lead and guiding the children right behind her.

“Eiichi, don’t start now”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I hope I didn’t make you wait that long…” Tomoko breathes as she rushes towards your group while pulling the hand of her youngest. “I had to make a few stops, but we’re finally here!”

“It’s nice to see you again, Tomoko-san. But… aren’t you missing half of your entourage?” Eiichi acknowledges the elephant in the room, glancing over to her two out six children, and while it’s nothing more than an innocent, genuine question from his part, it’s his wording that has Minako swiftly elbowing him as a form of reprimanding. “Ow!”

“Oh, that’s fine” Tomoko chuckles, dismissing her friend’s worry by following up Eiichi’s statement “I wasn’t counting on you two to not notice I’m missing 4 boys for tonight”

“You were thinking it too, Minako” Eiichi jests back, and she rolls her eyes while smirking.

“Yeah, but I would’ve said it differently” Minako says  “Anyways, is everything ok?”

“I wish” Tomoko sighs “Naofumi wasn’t feeling that well for the past few days, so it’s only right that I didn’t bring him along. As for the rest… well, you know how siblings are, if one of them says no, it’s more than likely that the others will mirror them”

“Tell me about it” Your mother agrees with a chuckle “But that’s awful, what does he have? Is he ok?”

“Do you need medicine? We can help you with that” Eiichi offers. Your parents could only imagine what poor Naofumi is going through, always the feeble one… it’s terrible that of  nights, he had to get sick on this one.

“Oh, thank you, but it’s fine. Naobito already covered everything. Still, I wish I could’ve stayed behind to take care of him… but I don’t think it would be fair for those that wanted to come” Tomoko responds, nudging towards the small boy beside her, whom she smiles warmly at once he glances up at her “Junko-san insisted on helping me out, to which I rejected profusely since she’s pregnant and I didn’t want her to get any more stress than necessary… but that’s stubborn Junko-san to you…”

“How could I forget that!” Your mother gasps, clasping her hands together “That’s wonderful! And after all that she had to struggle… She deserves this happiness. Tomoko-san, you need to tell me everything!”

“Umm…as much as I would’ve liked the two of you to keep talking… I think there’s some small matters to tend to” He says, referring to the pairs of eyes that were tensely looking at them, as if telling them to hurry up so they can get candy.

He hated playing devil’s advocate and having to rush the two good friends who were only catching up after not seeing each other for a while, but if they wanted to participate in all the activities planned for that evening, they would have to adhere to the schedule.

Besides, he too had to leave in a matter of moments if he was to get to work on time as well.

“I also have to leave in a bit” Eiichi eventually reveals, much to Tomoko’s surprise.

“What? You’re not staying?” She gasps, a noise that pushes the already settled seeds of guilt deeper into his chest.

A statement he was genuinely afraid to communicate, for it meant finally informing his children that he would be absent. Eiichi wanted to keep this fact a secret for as long as he could, in hopes of avoiding a sourful reaction from appearing on his kid’s faces, but that was nothing more than wishful thinking.

However, he didn’t count on the shattering of his heart, that is, until he heard your soft voice speaking up in the representation of your and your sibling's thoughts.

It’s time to face the lights.

“You’re not staying… papa?”

“No, little one, I gotta go to work” he says crouching down to your level “Something came up and I gotta go fix it”

“…Can’t someone else go?” you debate. “I don’t want you to leave”

“No, it’s something that I have to do personally” He apologizes, but his words do nothing to alleviate the overwhelming feeling both are feeling for his departure. And upon noticing this, Minako steps in.

“Papa is very important in his job, so there are things that only he can do” Your mother explained. “That’s why he has to be there”

You give her words a few seconds of thought, doing your best to process what it meant to be the only person who would do a certain job; or your father’s importance at his company. But it still didn’t make sense to you. Couldn’t someone else’s dad go instead of yours?

“…I guess” you eventually relent, feeling the hopelessness of nothing changing even if you tried. You would come to understand this situation with time, but it wouldn’t make it any less upsetting. “But don’t take too long! Or you won’t get candy!” 

“I certainly won’t give you candy” Hinata says as she crosses her arms. She’s acting indifferently, but Eiichi knows that deep inside, it’s only a facade to hide how hurt she truly felt.

“I’ll think about it” Ren shrugs, and just like his daughter, it’s an act to hide the fact that they’re going to miss him.

“Well, how about you save some for me, hmm?” He asks, gently tapping your nose with his index finger, a gesture that has you scrunching your face, but immediately folding to his request.

“Ok, but I’ll only give you the ones I don’t like” You compromise, extending your little finger “Pinky promise!!”

“Fair trade” he agrees, intertwining his finger with yours, an adequate exchange for having to miss out on spending time with his kids, or so he assumes. “But promise me something, that you’ll have fun even if I’m not here—and that you’ll let your mother take pictures!” Eiichi says, now referring to all of his children.

You, Hinata and Ren nod in agreement. Eiichi was about to stand up to get ready for his departure, but your tackle of a hug stops him from doing so. A sight that causes Tomoko and Minako to awe in adoration.

Eiichi melts into your hug as long as he can before having to regretfully pull himself away from your short arms and onto the rest of his kids, who were seemingly hesitant to accept his hugs, but didn’t move away until he did.

He’d then approach his wife to give her a kiss on the lips and a hug as well. A gesture to show his overwhelming love for her, of course… but accompanied by ulterior motives.

“Pleasepleaseplease take lots of pictures, until you run out of film if necessary!—but don’t take any of the boys! I don’t want them in the family album with our babies” He whispers against her ear, low enough to avoid Tomoko’s ears, but clear enough for Minako to roll her eyes in incredulity—Eiichi being dramatic, yet again “Please”

“Eiichi, relax. Just go do your work and let me worry about the photos” she kisses again, placing her hand over his cheek and caress him in reassurement “Good luck, dear”

“Goodbye Tomoko-san. Please be sure to let Minako know if you need anything” Eiichi offers, before looking to her kids “...Naoya, Naoaki”

“Goodbye, L/N-san” Naoaki responds with a nod “And please don’t stress. I’ll be here to help okaa-san and Minako-san with the kids” 

Eiichi blinks.

He knows it’s not right to have opinions of… kids in general. They’re just children after all, they have yet to grow and mature into capable adults… but he just can’t help it! More so when he’s taken aback by Naoaki’s seemingly reassuring words… 

Which unsurprisingly leads him to misinterpret his intentions to be nothing more than a mockery of his unwanted predicament. And could anyone blame him? He went into this situation already holding preconceived notions about their intentions.

Eiichi was secretly glad that only two of them were able to assist, for it meant that his adorable daughters were out of danger from any unwanted prospects (delusions of a worrisome father), one less burden to carry… at least partially.

Oh, but Naoaki was on another level of concern, far from the realm of his daughters, and onto one of the horrors fellow parents have warned him about: his teens!

Naoaki… well, from a distance, he’s a kid that Eiichi has been able to observe as somewhat calm, even helpful when it comes to supporting his mother… but then, he remembers the quarrels he often has with his brothers, and this overruled whatever was previously stated.

More so because his oldest son is already 10 years old! Meaning that he could start looking up to Naoaki for inspiration!! And if that happened… Oh no… he wouldn’t like for Ren to start having issues with his sisters! Not when they got along so well with one another!! It would literally break his heart to see his family breaking apart…

With that in mind, could anyone blame him for not liking Naoaki either? (Does Eiichi like any of the Zen’in kids?)

Oh, but at this moment in time, all that he can do is hope that his dear Ren is strong enough to look away from the enticing defiance that comes with their teens… and stay on the path of righteousness he and his wife have set before him.

And with nothing else to worry about, and no pending farewells to carry out, Eiich gets into the car and leaves.

With his car out of sight, and the chauffeur retiring for the night, the mother’s are able to move on with their itinerary… but not without doing proper introductions between the groups, 3 of which have already started to attack each other with silly faces to kill time and show their disdain for one another, discreetly enough to avoid getting the attention of the adults, but still holding the same damaging intent.

“Good evening everyone!” Tomoko says, completely unaware of the battle going on between one of her kids and your siblings, for her voice served as a warning for them to put on their best demeanor—an act  that still doesn’t stop Naoya from silently cursing them.

Her beautiful golden eyes—the same ones as Naoya’s and Naoaki’s— proceed to scan each and every face before her, admiring their cute chubby cheeks to the point where she wants to go ahead and pinch them, but stops herself as to not make them uncomfortable, besides, she already has an lovable 7 year old to dote on, so she isn’t sacrificing much.

So instead, she moves on to admire similarities to their parents, to which Minako is king.

“Aren’t you all adorable? It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you, you’re all so grown up…” she notes, moving closer to the children.

“Thank you, Tomoko-san! It’s nice to see you again, I’ve actually grown 3 inches since we last saw each other!” Hinata boasts, standing up proudly as to show off her height.

“I think I’ve remained the same, officer” Tomoko chuckles, a playful jab to Hinata’s costume “I definitely feel safer with you around”

“At your service” She bows. Naoaki holds back a stifled chuckle, amused by your sister's commitment to her role.

Fortunately, his gesture remains overtly neglected in preference to Naoya's eye-rolling response, which she managed to catch just at the last second through the corner of her eye. It’s only when Tomoko moves onto Ren that your sister retaliates by sticking her tongue out, much to Naoya’s offense.

“Now, you’re definitely taller than what I remember” She says, placing her hand above his head and shuffling his hair. Ren remains quiet. “And you’re… a skeleton, right? It’s pretty cool… and surprisingly accurate! Your makeup is amazing as well!”

“Thank you, Tomoko-san.” he nods, feeling appreciative of her compliment of his handiwork in the makeup department “And yes, I’m a skeleton that glows in the dark, but you can’t see it right now because of the light” 

“No way!” She gasps, inching closer to admire the fluorescent paint “And you had all this custom made, Minako-chan?!”

“I told you, the seamstress I found is impressive” she grins proudly “Maybe we can get something fitted for ourselves in the future”

“I’ll hold you to that!”

Naoaki can’t help but cringe at his mother’s implication of wanting to participate in Halloween—was she really considering dressing up? Wasn’t that like… a kids thing? Oh, but knowing her… she just might.

Anyways, wanting to maintain his sanity, he doesn’t pry any further.

And finally, it’s Tomoko’s time to move on to you.

“And you, little Y/N. You’re growing too fast!” she exclaims “You were like what… 4 years old when I last saw you? Stop growing already!”

You don’t respond outside of a whine when Tomoko decides to finally indulge in her desire and pinch your cheeks.

“Now, what are you dressed up as?” she asks, raising an eyebrow as she fails to recognize the pair of red eyes and shining white grin printed on the hood of your onesie.

“Gengar!” you exclaim, but Tomoko remains clueless as ever, causing you to frown and press your lips together in disappointment. 

She’d be the nth person that night that doesn’t get what you’re dressing up as… but not to her oldest son, who steps in prompted by familiarity.

“Oh, from Pokemon, right?” Naoaki observes, and the disappointment you were reeling in flies out the window when you realize there’s actually someone out there who finally understands what you’re dressed up as!

“Yes!” you say with the biggest grin your lips permits you to do, a picture worthy smile that makes Minako regret not having her camera out and ready “You like pokemon too??”

“A little” he responds “Cool costume by the way, all of you really”

Hinata and Ren silently thank him for his unforeseen compliment, wanting to limit their interaction with him as much as possible due to his relation to Naoya, contrasting your decision of sticking to his side for the rest of the night to partake in more conversations of your favorite videogame.

“I don’t know who Gengar is, but you sure look scary!” Tomoko says, giving one last pinch to your cheeks before walking back to her children’s side “Good work, everyone. You all have really good costumes, and I’m sure you’ll get lots of candy!”

“I’m sure your boys will get lots of candy too, more so if we tell them that it’s Naoya’s first trick-or-treating as well” Minako recalls and Tomoko gasps.

“Oh, right! It’s Y/N’s first trick-or-treating as well!” Tomoko excitedly responds “And in that note… I don’t think either of you have met yet”

It’s time for Hinata and Ren to object… at least in their minds.

They want to step in and clarify that their introduction won’t be necessary for Y/N is never to meet him again, but knowing they held no power over your mother’s decisions, they resentfully limit themselves to stand on the sidelines as they observed their mother guiding you by the hand towards their mortal enemy, the youngest of the Zen’in brothers.

You, on the other side… well, haven’t really given any attention to either of the boys in front of you, outside of Naoaki of course, who you’ve solely become interested in thanks to his apparent knowledge in Pokemon—since both your siblings had other interests, and Satoru, your other friend, was fan of another franchise. A bit too fond perhaps, to the point he’d criticize your preference whenever he could, pushing you to avoid the subject with him all together.

Either way, Naoya had remained under the radar for you, meaning that you were more than fine with greeting him, even open to establishing a friendship, contrary to your fuming siblings who wanted nothing more than to keep him away from you.

But in Naoya’s eyes… you were far from under the radar.

In fact, you two have yet to meet (formally at least, since the first time they met you were nothing more than a toddler, and him being a year older didn’t mean much) but he already knows that he’s going to dislike you.

He hated the reality of becoming acquainted with another L/N kid who was only going to torment him, an assumption he founded due to his broken relation with the insufferable Hinata and mundane Ren.

It wasn’t always like that, of course, they actually got quite well at the beginning.

But when he started to feel comfortable with them, that’s when things got complicated: out of nowhere, Naoya started to show off by belittling them for having better toys than them, nicer shoes, sharper pencils, or even a cooler face. Whatever that might be…

From there, it was a constant battle between the three of who’s better—a fight that Naoya believed to be winning, had he not forgotten that he was going against 2 children, meaning that Ren and Hinata could simply pluck him out of their social circle and keep having fun.

An unexpected change that had him suddenly feeling ignored, much to his surprise, something that he already endured in a household of 6 children, and wasn’t to accept so easily, so he retaliated even harder.

Well, it’s not his fault that your family is too poor to give them the latest toy on the store shelves, or that they have to earn things instead of just asking for them. In his eyes, it was obvious that your siblings were calling him nasty nicknames because they were jealous of him and his status.

And he expects you to be the same.

Thus, when you approach him in a seemingly shy manner, he can’t help but remain unaffected towards you. 

He believes your reaction to be nothing more than an act to appease the adults around them, to fool them with your innocent demeanor and get them to lower their guards, so that when they turn around you’d begin to insult him, just like how Hinata and Ren did as soon as he got out of the car, they even went as far as to mouth how ugly his costume was as soon as they laid eyes on him! 

So what’s taking you so long to do the same?!

He continues to stare at you, hoping to pry the answer out of your face. 

Even when you finally glance up to see him, with those big round mesmerizing stupid eyes of yours, he doesn’t relent in attempting to be intimidating.

The silence between the two kids urges one of the mothers to step in and rush introductions.

“Say hi, Naoya” Tomoko says, nudging her kid closer to you before hissing “don’t be rude”

Naoya frowns.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Naoya Zen’in” He bows, enunciating his last name in a particular way as if to show off the prestige that his family carries.

He briefly glances over to your sister and brother upon seeing the disgust on their faces, which only serves to irk him even further, leading you to be the victim of his reprieve.

Oblivious of the fight between him and your siblings, you blink, remaining silent as you analyze his costume from head to toe. There’s something familiar about his costume but you can’t put your finger on it quite yet… so you just continue to stare at him, unknowingly rubbing Naoya the wrong way.

With your hood partially covering your face, he’s wide open for you to give him one of those typical nasty scowls from Hinata, or uninterested pouts from Ren. So, why are you taking so long?! Finding a way to insult him differently from your siblings maybe?! 

And he’s not the only one to notice your silence, prompting Minako to give you a gentle nudge to speak up, but just as she’s leaning closer to you, something finally dawns on you to talk, giving Naoya an unexpected answer, doubling down with your wide grin and chirping words.

“Wow!! Cool costume!!”

And the world seemed to stop, or that’s how Naoya felt when this happened.

To say that he fumbled his subsequent actions would be an understatement. 

He was straight up speechless when you finally granted him a response—and not any response, a compliment—one outside of his carefully procured script of nasty remarks, leaving him to drench in the feeling he could only describe as the main villain from an anime revealing to the protagonist that he’s only been using a small percentage of his power!—with you being the villain and he the protagonist, of course.

“That’s not your name, Y/N” Minako giggles and you blush out of embarrassment.

“Oh—yeah. I’m Y/N, nice to meet you!” you add nonchalantly before turning back to your mom “Mama, can we get candy now?!” you jump excitedly, a sight that only adds to your unexpected intentions, which Naoya cannot find himself to accept so easily.

He tries to find any deceit behind your words, behind your actions, a follow up to the deceitful play you were putting before the adults to lower their guards.

But by the way you’re so…. Unaware of him, focused entirely on something else, he fails to do so.

But—but how could this be?! You’re related to that arrogant Hinata and gullible Ren, how could you be so different to them if you have the same blood?!

…

…

…

Oh.

Oh.

Like clouds dispersing after a rainy day, he suddenly understands why.

It’s because they’re so insufferable that you’re so different from them! 

There’s no way someone who genuinely appreciated his attire would actually get along with your ignorant siblings. 

Yes, that had to be it. It was only a matter of time before someone from their own family noted how aggravating they were, which means that you and Naoya are more similar than he initially perceived.

This was your way of seeking help, wasn’t it? That’s why you approached him! You resonated with him, ever before getting to know each other. Different from your siblings, you managed to avoid their brainwashing because you just knew he wasn’t as bad as they might’ve hinted!

It’s like that manga… the one that said that powerful users are naturally drawn to each other…? Or however it went. All that Naoya knew was that this was a fated reunion, meant to happen tonight of all nights!! Now that he thinks about it… there was something that was pushing him to go with his mom, and oh, how glad he was to have come!

It doesn’t take much longer for him to declare that he wants to stick by your side for the rest of the night with the intentions of getting to know more of your mysterious nature, completely ignoring any other possibilities, more so the one that had you reacting that way simply because you eventually recognized his costume from one of the shows you watched alongside Ren on Saturday mornings before breakfast, what was it called… Super Sentai?

Naoya was dressed up as the black one, the one that was often considered cooler amongst viewers, just behind the red one. He even had the helmet! And it wasn’t just any kind of costume that a parent might find at a retail store, the amount of detail dictated that it must’ve been a replica of the original. 

Certainly, his commitment (as well as his parent’s willingness to spend that much money on a one-day attire) to the show was to be appreciated.

And that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. 

A compliment brought from genuine fondness, as well as recognition, for the show and what it represented for your brother and you.

But how would 7 year old Naoya come to understand this? Not even Minako’s compliments of her own were enough to make him realize that it was just… that, a compliment. 

Or when you repeated the same phrase onto Naoaki, who kindly informed you that he wasn’t dressed up, he was simply wearing a civilian attire—an black and white tartan shirt, underneath an oversized varsity jacket, and some denim pants to go alongside his white sneakers—much to Minako’s disappointed, who still remembered that curious boy who dressed up as a mummy many, many years ago…

No, not even that would help. 

He’d remain as oblivious as ever as the world went on without him, leaving him behind to be stuck in his mind the echoing sound of your appreciation, believing it to be something else than what it really was.

Maybe after the kids—who started to replicate your sentiment to pressure them forward—were sated, would Naoya come to this conclusion on his own. One could only hope.

“Oh, before we start, let’s take a picture!” Minako suggests, quickly taking out her camera and gesturing to the group to come together so as to fit into the frame “The youngest on the front, please!”

Naoya is quick to glance over to you, the perfect opportunity to stand by your side is enough to fill him with motivation, but just as he was to scurry to your side, your sister is faster, bumping into him and completely blocking you away from him.

Had she been any harsher, she would’ve sent him stumbling down, labeled an accident from an eager sister who wants to be with her youngest sibling.

But Hinata was too cautious to do anything by accident, as evidenced by the devilish grin appearing on her lips as she looked back at Naoya.

“Better luck next time, chump”

Naoya, offended beyond belief, resentfully accepts defeat as he stands besides Hinata instead. He wanted to go over to your other side, but your brother was there instead.

It seems that your siblings had caught wind of Naoya’s new intentions as soon as they became clear in his eyes, and wanting to keep his grubby hands away from you as long as possible, have also set a new mission for them to perform through the rest of the night.

The youngest of the Zen’in children eventually focuses to the front and onto the camera lens, with the straightest, most serious face Tomoko has ever seen that causes her to gesture at him to smile by doing so herself.

He tries his hardest to obey by pulling the edges of his lips up, but his defeat only allows him to give a side smirk—opting to place all his efforts on plotting his revenge instead.

“1… 2… Cheese!” Minako declared, and within seconds, the camera flash beams onto the party.

She has yet to reveal the picture, but she knows that it’ll be one that she’ll look back with fondness, even though Eiichi will probably be more than not upset with her for going against their agreement, but she really couldn’t care! She’s just happy to see her friend again and to be spending time with her family as well as her’s. A fun, exciting night, just as the parents always intended it to be—he had nothing to worry.

Completely ignorant to the fact that Eiichi’s fear of one of the Zen’in kids catching interest on one of their daughters is slowly becoming a reality.

Up to that point, Halloween had been the greatest night of your life—and that wasn’t an exaggeration.

Let’s start by breaking down why.

First, and perhaps the most obvious reason why, the candy. 

Although a bit apprehensive in the very beginning when realizing you actually needed to go up to different doors and request the candy, which only made your timidity skyrocket to the heavens, soon became an inconsequential obstacle once you saw the sweets deposited on your basket.

From there, it was all smooth sailing, to the point you became comfortable enough to be the one to sing the customary trick-or-treat chant— the magical words that summoned the candy guardians to the front gates of their impressively decorated fortress and granting your party a hefty amount of their treasure— which up to that point, had been Naoya’s responsibility, but solely because he wanted to impress you with his “confidence and maturity”, not because he wanted to do so.

The second reason was your company. Naoaki, to be precise. Sure, you enjoyed being with your siblings, even meeting a new friend! But while this could be considered a separate occurrence from Halloween itself, in your mind it made no difference. 

The teenager unwillingly tagged along thanks to his mother's insistence. He attempted to skip this all together by reminding her that he was too old to indulge in these activities and that he also didn’t even bring a costume, so what was the point? 

But Tomoko, having raised 6 rowdy boys, wasn't one to be swayed so easily, so she firmly put her foot down and demanded him to have fun by shoving an extra basket onto his chest.

So, he’s here, much to your conversational delight, and Naoya’s jealous demise.

To your delight, because it meant you could spend more time talking to him about Pokemon! 

Or more like interrogating, for he was the only other person you knew that liked the same thing as you did, and he was much older, so it meant that he must’ve done much more, right? No one in their right mind would pass an opportunity like this!

It gave you the perfect justification to gravitate more towards him, bombarding him with thousands of questions regarding his favorite pokemon, his favorite moment on the T.V. show, or if he’d managed to get one of those evolutions that can only happen via trade.

“I haven’t” you confess “Because I have no one else to play with”

Naoaki didn’t know whether to feel bad for you, or chuckle for how blunt you were being. Well, guilt ended up overwhelming him at the end, prompting him to engage deeper into conversation with you—as well as forcing Naoya to make a mental note to demand his father to buy him a gameboy as soon as he came back home.

This is where Naoya’s demise would step into the picture. 

While you were overtly happy for being able to go out, get candy and meet someone who liked your favorite videogame, Naoya was suffering a hell of his own.

One that pushed him to see your interaction with his brother as some kind of competition: to steal your attention from his idiot older brother, who was completely oblivious of Naoya’s internal conflict, and get it all for himself!

He’s already on a losing streak against Hinata and Ren, so he’s not about to go and lose to his brother as well, the one who had only played pokemon once in his life and immediately dropped it after he got past Misty because it was “too repetitive”!!

He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and yet, you can’t keep away from him! Can’t you see he’s lying through his teeth?!

… And your siblings don’t make it any better.

Naoya might’ve hinted at having bigger tolerance towards them—perhaps because he sees them way less compared to his family, but in reality, they were just as detestable as Naoaki. 

It all started from Hinata and Ren being unhappy at the adults for placing you as Naoya’s partner for the night, the youngest paired together, they justified when confronted by your sister, only for tonight.

An explanation that went over their heads and propelled them to follow on their insurgent mission.

The first to act was Hinata, by cutting off Naoya each time they were done with a house.

You had the tendency of running to your mom to show off what you’ve gotten. Nothing alarming on it’s on, that is, until your sister caught sight of Naoya trailing you like a shadow.

This is where Hinata would step in, imposing herself between your path and his, with a smug smirk on her face that only served to taunt him, forcing the young Zen’in heir to glance over her side, trembling with desperation as he acknowledged her.

“Move, ugly!” Naoya commands, tightening his knuckles while knitting his brows.

“Make me” she dared, and Naoya groaned. It’s surprising how nasty kids can get when determined.

Ren, on the other hand, would pull you by the hand to his and Hinata’s side whenever it was time to move onto the next house. 

His towering height covered you from the mother’s sight to the point that neither suspected you’d gone out of formation. Actions that lead for this endeavor to be successful for the first couple of houses, that is, until Minako eventually noticed Naoya alongside his solitude.

“Ren, let Y/N walk with Naoya-kun” Ren held back a grunt as he freed you from his grasp.

It’s from that point forward that Naoya decided that your mother was to be a trusted ally he could use for future plans. But as much as she’d proved herself to be a powerful piece in this conflict, her actions only granted him a temporary advantage, he had yet to win the war.

In fact, he’s yet to do so much more, for he also realized that he’s barely managed to get in a word with you—and that’s without counting the insistent actions of your siblings and his own brother.

And he doesn’t know why. He’s never struggled before. In fact, he rarely struggles in anything—his family has said so, he’s some kind of genius! 

Well, maybe with his cousin Toji, who he considered the epitome of coolness, has he stammered with his own words. But even then, he’d only done so once or twice. Toji-kun was out of everyone’s league, so it was natural many would be intimidated in his presence. Even his stupid older brother knows not to mess with him!

«Would he approve of you?» Naoya briefly wonders as he glances back at you.

You weren’t like any other of the girls he’d spoken with, or attempted to, before, that’s for sure. 

There’s something about you that constricts his throat to the point where he can only whisper and stare at you, who in turn, greet him back with a cheerful hello whenever grazes cross, only worsening his already strained condition.

Was it because you liked things different from what other girls did? You don’t strike him as the kind of kid that would bother with girly stuff, not when you recognized his Super Sentai costume and you were dressed up as a videogame character. 

You’re already way above them—his equal. Eeh, well, maybe not that far. He still thinks of himself as above everyone else, but you’re up there, just a step below him, but very close to him.

Either way, none of his previous disadvantages managed to discourage him from stopping from doing what he needed to do. 

So when Tomoko and Minako announced it was time for a short break, he knew this would be his moment to seize!

The mothers guided them through a dimly lit path and onto a nearby park which they’d previously agreed on to use to rest in, take a breather, check everyone was ok, get something to drink and/or eat, before continuing.

It’s at this moment that Tomoko would reveal why she was late in the first place: she had to pick up the bottles of water and snacks she’d promised Minako she would bring (as sign of gratitude for preparing all of this for their children) for them to consume if any got thirsty or hungry—it was tempting to just reach into their respective baskets and eat the candy they collected, but until they were safely searched through and cleared of any unwanted objects, none of the kids were permitted to eat them. 

Besides, sprinkling a bit of fruits and vegetables here and there could do no wrong if they were already going to indulge in sugar.

“Is anyone hungry? Thirsty?” Tomoko asks, unzipping her backpack and taking out various small bottles of water which she placed on the nearby table. “Or does anyone want to go to the restroom instead?” 

“I’ll take one” Naoaki says and his mother hands him the one in her grasp ‘Thanks”

Minako moves closer to her friend, intending to grab one for herself and her children, when suddenly, a current of cold air lands on his back, traveling through every centimeter of her spine, resulting in a shiver that has her freezing on the spot.

“Ugh, that was… awful” Minako complains through gritted teeth while rubbing her hands against her arms. Her desperation to warm up takes her to look back to the nearby coffee shop she’d eyed moments earlier, her face brightening up when a new suggestion crosses her mind “I know, do you guys want to get something warm?” 

“No, thank you” you shake your head, still buried in the warm layers your mother and father buried you underneath. Hinata and Ren mirror your answer with a nod of their own. Naoaki gestures as his bottle before politely rejecting her offer, and Naoya keeps quiet.

“What about you, Tomoko?” Minako now looks at her, who is currently opening a bottle of water and handing it over to Naoya.

“I think I’ll have a coffee” She responds “I’m already getting a bit sleepy and we still have the rest of the night to go through”

“Rough night, hm?” Minako jests and Tomoko blushes.

“Stop it, I’m just worried for Naofumi, that’s all”

“He’ll get back on his feet before you know it, don’t worry. Worry instead about how you want your coffee so I can go get it”

“Oh, there’s no way I’m going to let you pay for it!” Tomoko yelps, hand reaching inside her backpack and taking out her wallet “Tell me what you want and I’ll get it”

“Haha, that’s funny” Minako teased, jolting away from Tomoko’s hand, which she frequently presented to offer her card “But no, stay here with the kids, I’ll pay it”

“Minako” Tomoko warns.

“Tomoko” the other replicates.

“I swear if you don’t—”

“Mom, L/N-san, why don’t you both go? I mean, I have no issue looking after the kids for a while” Naoaki interrupts, hoping that his serene solution will bring peace to the bickering he was never fond of. 

“Are you sure, Naoaki-kun?” Minako asks with hesitation, for she doesn’t want to dump him with 4 children as much as she finds accompanying Tomoko very endearing. “I don’t want to overwhelm you”

“Don’t worry about it, I have 5 siblings, there’s nothing they can do to scare me” 

«We’ll see about that» Naoya thinks as he crumples his now empty bottle of water.

“Besides, mom hasn’t seen you in a while” Naoaki sheepishly adds, scratching the back of his head “and I… like seeing her happy”

Tomoko’s lips part into a heart warming smile at her son’s gentleness. Always the attentive one, she’s proud to have raised a good natured kid like him.

So, after the women and Naoaki go through all the things they’ve brought in case of an emergency—which they doubt will happen, since they’re only going a few yards away, but a mother can never be too sure!—and asking for a second time if any of them want something (to which they reject once more) they depart.

Tomoko was still somewhat hesitant of leaving them behind, worried that someone might attempt to do something against’ them, a natural concern to have in a village she’s yet to become acquainted with, but Minako squashes her burdens by reassuring her there was nothing to worry about, for she’d chosen this neighborhood specifically for how safe and calm it was known to be.

“Maybe we should worry about our kids disobeying Naoaki” the two joked instead as they kept walking towards the store.

And once out of sight, Naoaki makes haste to turn around and start tending the group.

“So… how’s the night treating all of you?” he asks awkwardly, unsure how to start to distract them.  “Do you want something to eat? Drink…?”

Sure, he’s had plenty of experience dealing with children… who coincidentally were his siblings… 

He doesn’t presume he can treat Minako’s children the same as he’d done with his siblings, but … well, it must count for some kind of experience, right? And he did make a promise he intended to keep.

However, it's safe to say that he’s never been this intimidated before. Certainly not by a child whos unimpressed face made him question why he even agreed to this: Hinata being the subject in question

It’s almost as if she’s sensing his fear by the way she’s intently staring at him with a piercing gaze that tells him he’s performing a terrible job and that he should let a professional handle this, like her, unless he wants to make a fool out of himself.

So, after a few seconds of intense critiquing and intimidation, Hinata steps in.

“Alright, baskets on the table” Hinata asserts, acting as the first example before starting to dig through her mountain of sweets “This is our moment to switch candies if there’s something we don’t like before our mother’s come back, so we have to be quick about”

Taking this as an opportunity to finally socialize with you, Naoya makes haste to move onto your side, but just as he’s stepping closer to you, Ren abruptly cuts him off, again, by placing his own basket on the spot next to yours.

The young Zen’in shoots him a dangerous glare, but the oldest of the L/N family pays him no mind as he digs through his own candy, as if this had been nothing more than an innocent coincidence, which makes Naoya scoff as he now moves onto his side.

“Someone gave me a sweet potato” Ren confides, pulling the culprit out of his basket and placing it on the middle of the table, subsequently causing all of the group to quizzically stare at it.

“Hahaha, what the hell??” Naoaki is the first to react to the bizarre sight. It’s so comical, he can’t believe someone actually gave kids a goddamn vegetable instead of candy! “That’s worse than raisins—might as well given you nothing”

Unfortunately none of the kids respond to his comment, and the silence between the group and him only pushes him deeper into the ocean solitude he’d been drowning in since he was left in charge of them.

Well, it’s expected. The only one of the group that seemed to like him was you and that was solely for your shared interest in pokemon, which if he had to be completely honest… he didn’t like that much. But he wasn’t to go and break your heart like that. So he’d just remain quiet and let you enjoy your sweets.

“Anyways” Ren circles back everyone's attention to him “You seem to have gotten a lot of the candies you wanted, Hinata”

“Yesssss” She cheered, grabbing a handful of the lemon candies beginning to envision herself torturing Satoru “But I also got a lot of these” She says, now referring to the different colored bunches of hi-chew’s she placed alongside her weapon “Didn’t you like them, Y/N-chan?”

“Nope” you shake your head, hand still stuck in your basket as you search for a candy wrapper that caught your attention just moments ago “I like chocolate more, and mochi too!” you inform, finally pulling out the candy you were looking for with a grin… only to realize it wasn’t what you believed. “But I didn’t get any mochi at all” 

Maybe mochi isn’t traditionally given during these seasons?

And like clockwork, a Naoya that has been desperate for an opportunity to portray himself a charming prince of sorts and charm you with his generosity, takes this moment to finally, once and for all!! To step in and get the spotlight on him.

“What kind of chocolate do you like, Y/N?” Naoya asks confidently (or so he believes his voice to have sounded), looking straight at you. You blink, diving into deep thought as you pouted, debating which out of all the chocolates you tasted were the best. There’s too many that you like, but if there’s one that you like the most, it would have to be—

“Well! If there’s something you don’t like, you can give them to me” Hinata yelps, pulling out a bag of the colorful candy and placing it in the middle, just beside Ren’s tragic sweet potato. “I trade you these hello kitty strawberry marshmallows for those lemon candies”

Naoya groans at another interrupted attempt, loud enough for Naoaki to glance at him and ask him if there was anything wrong, to which the youngest simply scoffed as a response. 

And you, too focused on the exchange before you, didn’t notice anything at all.

“Deal!” You grin. They might not be chocolate, but they’re still pretty good, so you don’t hesitate to switch them from the middle of the table with help of your older brother, and place them into your basket.

The conversation between your siblings seems to go on for a while, from exchanging sweets to rumors of the streets that are hinted to give bigger and better candies. Undeniably, the people that were often considered to be on the rich side of socioeconomic standards, and subsequently, able to afford the good brands.

All this pushes Naoya further and further away from you whenever he tries to chime in, that at one point, he just stops trying.

“Maybe we can convince mom to go there, get a king sized kit kat bar!” Hinata hypes, gently nudging you by the shoulder. A revelation that Naoya takes note to remember well, for if it wasn’t of any relevance, why bring it up? “It’s like the size of 3 bars! Can you imagine that, Y/N-chan??”

…

…

…

Silence.

“Y/N?” Hinata tries again, and once more, you don’t respond to her enthusiasm, at least not the way she expects. Instead, she’s received by a pout and a frown on your chubby face, portraying distress.

“Are… you ok?” She cautioned. Words that are quick to set off  alarms in everyone’s mind.

You lean into Hinata’s ear to whisper.

“Where is mama?”

“She’s still at the coffee shop” Naoaki, who had kept an attentive ear after this upsetting question, finds it appropriate to step in and responds in her stead. “I don’t think she’ll take longer though, is there something you need?”

“No…” you look away, cheeks burning out of embarrassment for having him respond to the question you intended only to be heard by your sister. A gesture that Naoya takes unkindly, for his mind believes Naoaki did so with the intention to shame you, and after all you gave him…

This might’ve just been his desperation trying to fill the blanks though, for he’s the only one that thinks that. 

Ren and Hinata are on the same page as Naoaki when it comes to worrying for you. They fear that you’re too embarrassed to tell them what you need in the presence of strangers, leaving them stranded in a position of uselessness—something that the teenager was not going to let happen.

“It’s ok, you can tell me” Naoaki reassures you, and it’s only after you see his genuine concern as well as your siblings' comfort, that you finally confess.

“I need to go to the restroom”

“Oh” Naoaki blinks, taken aback by this unexpected revelation. “Uh… I—”

“Why didn’t you tell mom you wanted to go before??” Hinata huffs.

“Don’t talk to her like that, Hinata” Ren disputed.

“Because I didn’t want to go!” your whine back “Where is mama??”

“She’s not going to be here for a while…” Hinata mutters as the frustration to solve this matter plunges her into urgency. Sure, you knew how to handle these types of situations on your own, and when you needed help, mom was always there to step how.

However, she wasn’t there, and to make matters worse, all of them were in a relatively unknown public location, details that only made you feel more uneasy.

But after considering all of this, there’s no way Hinata was going to let you overcome this on your own, or wait for someone else to do so instead… If your older sister allowed it, she would not be living up to the role of the one she’s dressed up as. Or her role in the family!

“I’ll take you” she asserts, glancing over to Ren for approval, which he grants with a nod.

And after getting all the help she needed, retrieving the paper and soap Tomoko had brought along to use just in case, granted by Naoaki, Hinata intertwines her fingers with yours and begins to head over towards the building she guesses to be the nearest public restroom. 

Naoaki offered to take them as close as possible, but your sister, not wanting you to feel any more embarrassed than you already were, asked him to keep a lookout from the table and inform their mom of their location if she was to return first.

The oldest Zen’in never imagined someone so authoritarian could exist in the small body of an 8 year old, but here he was, dumbfounded once more by reality. 

But that observation falls to irrelevancy when it comes to keeping a close eye on the walking girls.

As much as unexpected your little trip to the bathroom had appeared to be, it didn’t really affect much of your enjoyment of Halloween. Sure, it's somewhat inconvenient, more so because you didn’t have your mom by your side in a strange place like this, but you had your courageous sister, and your brave brother looking out for you, instead. 

So you know that once this is dealt with you’ll be on your way to more fun, and more candy too.

Unfortunately, your trip to the restroom was not destined to be as smooth as both would’ve wanted.

Because just as Halloween is a special occasion for children to go out and have fun, there was also another demographic group that intended to do the same. The kind of people that often went above the limits to get a good laugh for themselves through the expense of others.

But that was something that you didn’t register, less when you were having a good time yourself with your family and new friends, which eased you deeper into lowering your guard as you’d continued to walk besides her, hand in hand, towards the nearest public restroom.

In your mind, There was nothing to worry about, nothing to observe, nothing to beware..

Not even the rustling bushes or the reticent whispers coming from the shadows behind it swayed you otherwise. 

A compromise that you were not aware that you needed to take, but would regret ignoring when the concealed figures established their outrageous appearance as soon as you and your sister were within grasp.

“AAAAH!!”

It all happened in a blur, too fast to recount with detail. Where the girls once enjoyed their peaceful yet essential stroll, now stood petrified at the ghastly presence of the different horror figures appearing just from the darkness and out of the bushes:

A pale ambiguous creature with long dark hair and bloodied lips, a red skinned demon with black horns and long fangs ending just beneath it’s chin, and lastly but not least, another pale skinned woman with a gory smile that stretched from ear-to-ear—arms stretched to the sky to enlarge their presence onto their victims whilst releasing a deafening growl that pushed the girls to wail even more.

It’s only then that the teenage perpetrators realized the immeasurable mistake they committed.

“Oh no, nononononono” One of them would lament, quickly retracting their arms back to their side as they frantically look to one another “This wasn’t supposed to happen! We weren’t supposed to scare them!”

But it was too late, for both your sister’s and your cheeks were drenched in tears, evident by the light reflecting against their skin.

“Why didn’t you say something?!” The horned devil snapped back, giving the one in charge of lookouts a sharp smack on the arm “I thought you said it was safe!”

“I—I thought” the wide-smile woman, popularly known as kuchisake-onna, stammered. “I thought I heard footsteps! Like adult footsteps, you know?! How would I know they would be different?!”

“You idiot!!” The first one chastises one last time before glancing back at the sobbing young girls who were now hugging each other as tightly as they could, and softening their voice “H—Hey, kiddo, I’m—I’m sorry we didn’t—”

“Get away from her!” Hinata interrupts with a shrill as she jumps between you and the regretful group, who have now removed their masks to increase the veracity of their apology, show they were just another bunch of stupid teenagers doing a stupid innocent prank, revealing their identities to be of two men and one woman—but it was all for naught for Hinata was never interested in their intentions, she just wanted to protect you, even if she was scared beyond belief herself.

Hoping to appeal to their sorority, the female wrongdoer moves closer to the girls, but the intimidating gaze of a protective older sister squashes their intention before it can even come to full fruition.

Or so that’s what Hinata believes—a wave of confidence engulfing her spirit as she moves you further behind her back and away from their danger, utterly oblivious to the real reason behind their cowering figures, an angered teenager briskly closing the distance between the two.

“You need to leave, now” The infuriated male demanded. Hinata turns to face the voice behind her, and soon realizes who was the one that intimidated them all along: Naoaki, holding the most angered face she’d ever seen a man carry before, accompanied with a  resentful Ren and a slightly startled Naoya. 

The group had seen everything from afar with utter disbelief at the audacity of these unruly teenagers for doing such a prank on young children. Had they really been that insensitive?!

But where the kids remained somewhat uneasy to voice their disapproval, Naoaki did not hesitate to bring out his confrontational nature.

“We didn’t know, we didn’t mean to—”

“I’m not fond of repeating myself twice. Less to people as shameless as you” Naoaki raged “Leave, now!”

The teenagers need no other reminder to understand their presence to be unwanted, hence they expeditiously begin to gather their belongings: objects that ranged from toilet paper, cans of string foam, and even eggs, presenting unbelievably sight to Naoaki which only deepened his exasperation for them before ultimately leaving.

He keeps a hardened gaze on their backs, as if to prevent them from doing another stupidity, and once he considers them no longer a hazard, he flickers his attention back to the sniffing children.

The sight is enough to squeeze his heart with guilt, gaze softening as he kneels down to their level.

Hinata, although she still cried, had actually started to calm down once realizing the monsters that scared them were nothing more than idiots inside costumes, whose possibilities of returning now that Naoaki confronted them were slim to none, giving her a sense of confidence that allowed her beating heart to begin slowing down.

This gives her time to reflect on what happened, and she can’t stop herself from feeling so naive for having fallen for something so silly, something that Satoru had done in previous occasions… but before she could go on resenting her lack of action, she settled for worrying over your unresolved emotions.

You unfortunately continued to be affected by this whole incident. As the youngest of the group, you still have yet to earn enough discernment to understand that this was nothing more than a prank, a seemingly victimless act… but even if it was nothing more than a joke, it felt real to you, enough to keep you wailing, heart painfully beating against your chest as you attempted to wrap your head around this whole incident, but failing to do so.

So, the only thing you could do was rub your tears away with the fabric of your sleeves as you wailed for your mother, a sight that caused your companions to murmur soothing words of encouragement in hope to make up for her absence and calm you down, at least until she’s back.

"It's ok, Y/N-chan. They're gone now" Hinata would attempt to comfort you by taking you into her arms and pushing you close to her before patting your back. Ren joined his sisters by wrapping his arms around them.

“You don’t have to cry anymore” Naoaki joined, but you’re barely able to respond with anything else outside a whimper or a sniff, muffled by your sister’s chest.

There are no words to describe just how frustrated he feels for allowing this to happen, and subsequently, failing to provide you a remedy. 

In fact, he feels regretful for permitting the teenagers to leave, but there really wasn’t much he could’ve done at that point that wasn’t to shout reprimands at them, which half of them would’ve been obscenities. 

Very tempting indeed, but that would just be to alleviate his frustration, no help to you or your sister.

His mind progresses to other realms of solutions, going through countless alternatives until he reaches one one that makes his eyes widen with fulfillment and determination, as well as hope for it to work.

Naoaki jumps back on his feet and rushes back to the table where their things have remained behind, intending to reach for his basket, earnestly digging through the candy whilst isolating a particular confection.

Once done, he makes way back to the group, but not without bringing your basket as well as his carefully selected lineup.

“These are your favorite, right?” he asks, kneeling down to your level once more and extending his hands for you to see what he’s referring to.

You slowly raise your gaze from your sister’s hug and over to Naoaki’s hands, blurry eyes widening in surprise once he begins to pour the countless chocolates onto your basket.

“You can have them all, Y/N. Just don’t cry anymore, ok?” Naoaki smiles softly, proceeding to pet your head  “Your sister and brother are very worried for you, Naoya and me as well”

You first glance over to Hinata and her concerned puffy face with glossy, reddened eyes, the visible aftermath of the panic she was put through alongside you.

You then look at Ren, who although managed to avoid being directly affected by this incident, was just as distressed as Hinata, evident by his creased forehead and the frown on his lips—further proving the truth behind Naoaki’s words.

Naoaki is giving you a warm smile, as if to assure you that everything is truly indeed, even if you felt your heart telling you the opposite. He even went as far to attempt to comfort you by giving you all of his chocolates…

And Naoya… even if he barely speaks to you, to see him so concerned for you, you can’t help but feel thankful. As well as guilty, for you don’t think he wanted to see anyone crying tonight.

Overwhelmed by the much needed presence of your mother, as well as your companions unshakable support, you can't help but break into tears once more.

"Y/N!" Minako’s unexpected voice snaps you out of trance, causing you to swirl your head over to her direction and squint your warm eyes to make out the appearance of the approaching figure. 

Once recognizing your mother, you immediately peel away from your sister’s and brother’s arms and run towards her, arms stretched to allow yourself to be pulled up by her as you break out in tears once more.

“It’s ok, little one, it’s ok. I’m here now” she croones, kissing the top of your head as you push your face deeper into her neck, inevitably wetting her skin, but it doesn’t bother her at all. 

She then moves closer to Hinata, pulling her closer to her figure and hugging her with her free arm. She might’ve stopped crying, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t in need for her mother as well.

It’s only after a while of basking in the comforting presence of your mother that your sniffles begin to quiet down, which Minako takes as a cue to finally ask.

“What happened? I just saw a group of kids running away and Y/N’s cries”

“Somebody scared Y/N-chan” Hinata says through a runny nose and a strained throat, which causes Minako to hold her even closer to her.

“Naoaki scared them away” Ren adds, gluing to his mother’s free side and hugging her leg.

"Oh no, that's terrible" Tomoko frets, worriedly looking over to her own children as if to check they weren’t equally affected as Minako’s children have been.

Naoaki seemed to be rather… unaffected by the incident, outside of being concerned for you and your sister. He was evidently pissed that this had even occurred in the first place, not bothering to ask the culprits the reason behind their actions—he was not interested in justifying them, not when he had bigger things to do like step in and protect the young girls. But she could also find underlying guilt behind his eyes… misplaced guilt, for how could he know there was someone planning something as unfortunate as this?

From there, she glances at Naoya. While he hadn’t been in the actual crossfire, he was still present. Present enough to be affected by this sour turn of events, made evident by the heavy shift on the atmosphere caused by the upsetting sight of the horrifying teenagers and the two crying girls. 

What transpired was also enough to perturb him to the point where he’d actually stuck to Naoaki’s side in efforts to seek comfort, eventually turning into the form of Tomoko’s hand, which he grasped almost immediately after she was within arms reach.

A gesture that has Tomoko looking down to her youngest out of concern, and through a silent understanding, she declares.

“I… think it’s better if we call it a night”

"Yeah. I think that's too much excitement for today" Minako kisses your forehead once more upon feeling you relax against her embrace, finally, calm and quiet after venting all the anguish from your heart. "I’m so sorry Tomoko-san, truly. I assured you that this was a safe place where our kids would have fun, but they did not. I don’t know how I can make it up to you”

Your mother attempts to bow with you in her arms, but Tomoko rushes to stop her.

“No, Minako-san, don’t worry about it. It was just an accident” She says “Besides, you’re not responsible for their actions. You have nothing to be held accountable for, please don’t torment yourself for this”

Minako mouths a small, but earnest, thank you, before moving on with their next trajectory of the night.

Both mother’s ended up calling their respective partners to inform them that they would be returning home much sooner than expected.

Your mother intended the call to be of the informative nature, notify Eiichi that they’d be grabbing a cab back to the estate so he wouldn’t have to drive down to the village, but considering the overprotectiveness nature of her husband, she anticipated him freaking out as soon as he knew of the scary incident that led to this change of plans—and he did.

There was no way Eiichi would sit at his desk, arms crossed, miles away from his family, while they needed his solace. So he miraculously pulled a few strings to temporarily get out of work and go pick them up personally.

Meanwhile, Tomoko’s husband… Well, he didn’t say much. Outside of being glad that the night had ended earlier than anticipated for he wasn’t fond of his family staying out late. She intentionally avoided reaching the subject of the “prank” for she disliked having to entertain a husband who had the habit of questioning the integrity of others whenever something goes differently to the accorded, when it was a simple unrelated accident. Not everyone had a ridiculous amount of money to spend in perfection, more so when this was a “casual” night for the kids.

As expected, Naobito was unavailable to pick them up but still reassured her that a chauffeur would be there in his presence as soon as possible. Neither her or her children were surprised by this decision, but there’s no denying that at least one of them hoped he would have done differently. Isn’t it alarming enough that they had to leave early?

Outside of this, it was safe that all the kids were disappointed that they had to leave early. 

They had yet to go to the rest of the neighborhoods, visit the ones where the rich people lived and get the good candy, as well as partake in the activities the community had set up for them, such as carving pumpkins, trying out masks, or going through a pumpkin patch.

Well, Hinata and Ren weren’t too bothered by that. Not when it comes to placing your safety first. And they were also tired from butting heads with Naoya.

But if there was one kid in particular that didn't like the whole leaving the party too soon thing more than the others, it was Naoya.

And not because he wanted more candy, he could always get that at home just by asking for it.

It's because he didn't want to leave you just yet.

Now that he’d managed to get through the mental turmoil the past succession had placed him in, he realized that he would be able to see you… god knows when. He counted with the rest of the night to make his move, but his plans were cut short because of those stupid teenagers.

But the thing that he hated the most was how they made you cry.

He never knew he could feel so sad from watching someone's teary face, that is, until he saw yours.

Naoya resented the fact that he just stood there, petrified by the horrifying noise of their screams and your frets, unable to do anything to help you because he was too startled himself, which inevitably left the road wide open for his brother to become the hero of the story, yet again.

Naoya was supposed to help you. He was supposed to be close to you and protect you. He feels confused, guilty, sad, for not being able to do anything at all throughout the night, when Naoaki did the exact opposite.

Sure, he was glad that his brother stepped in to put a stop to all this, but… he just… Well, first of all, he wasn’t expecting him to actually go above and beyond by giving you all his chocolates when that should’ve been him! Secondly, the fact that he hasn’t done anything to get to know you better is enough to have him reek with dissatisfaction.

But far from him trying to make himself the hero of the story, which don’t get me wrong, he still wanted to be…

He wanted to see you happy again. He didn’t want this night to end on a sad note for you.

So, determined to make things right, if only for one time during this night, he makes haste to take advantage of the last moment he’d have with you before leaving to make the biggest sacrifice a kid can make during Halloween night.

"Y/N" he calls, and you, now standing to your mother’s side once you begged and pleaded towards her to let you down once you began to feel a bit better, turn around.

"Hi…" you say, a yawn appearing mid way just to reflect how tired you’d ended up after all the emotional and physical exhaustion of your first trick-or-treating session, much to your dissatisfaction. “Sorry… Hi” you try again with an apology and a smile.

Naoya blinks for a moment before falling back in place by pressing his lips together as his gaze falls to the floor. This wasn’t supposed to be as nerve wracking as it was, but even then, that wouldn’t stop him, not when he already committed to the idea.

He takes a deep breath, gathering all the courage he can get to do what he wants next.

With his heart beating on his ears, ruby cheeks and brows pressed together, he stretches his arm and finally looks up to you.

"Here" he says, nudging his basket full of candy closer to you.

Now it’s your time to falter while eyeing his offering with much caution and wonder, unable to interpret the true intention behind his gesture outside of… well, what?

"Take it" Naoya feels obliged to clarify upon seeing your confused pout, carefully dangling the basket before you once more.

"Why?" you eventually ask, tilting your head to the side.

"I don't like it" Naoya lies, but he really doesn’t know what else to say to convince you. "I want you to have it"

You don’t seem to be convinced by his answer, which only makes Naoya feel more and more anxious by the second. First, because he suddenly felt the sharp gazes of your siblings stuck to his back, so he wanted you to make up your mind before they started to close in.

Secondly, because he felt like you were rejecting him—and that meant that his brother had managed to make more of a… lasting impression on you. And he dreaded to think that even when he finally gathered the courage to talk to you, it wasn’t enough.

Had he miscalculated your initial reaction towards him?

However, all of his worries were for naught, for after a few seconds of consideration, your small arms stretched to his and grabbed onto the handle of the basket, carefully taking the object away from him. 

It’s only for the briefest of moments that he’s able to brush against your fingers, but he already knows there’s nothing softer in this world that he’d rather hold.

Naoya’s anxiety has an unwanted return when he sees you silently stare at his offering, his worry lingering back to Naoaki, fearing that you might see his actions as a poor plagiarism of his… 

But his worries were for naught once again, for you’d eventually look up to him to give him another one of your loving smiles, one that cemented his first victory of the night, for it’s a reaction Naoaki hadn’t received in his moment, as well as ensuring your happiness before tonight ended.

“Thank you!” You grin, pulling the candies closer to you, seemingly overjoyed to receive an addition for your harvest.

“You’re welcome” Naoya sheepishly responds, face even redder when he catches you staring at him with that big toothy smile of yours longer than he anticipated, before turning around with the intention to return by your mom’s side.

It’s at this moment that he feels an itch on his throat, one that he has the extreme need to alleviate.

“Y/N?” he calls, and you turn around.

Curious e/c eyes falling on his face as you fathom the redness forming on his cheeks through the dimness of the street light, making you wonder if he was feeling sick.

“...Don’t cry” he murmurs, and you blink for a few moments before a frown settles on your face.

“I’m not crying” you explain and he scoffs.

“I mean” Naoya looks away, feeling more embarrassed by the second as a pout forms on his lips “Don’t cry again. I don’t like it when you’re sad”

It’s his way to say that he wants to make you happy, but you, not having the same perception as he did, limit yourself to take his words as those of comfort.

“I don’t like being sad either!” You respond, giving him another smile “But thank you, Noya-kun! And sorry for worrying you”

Naoya can’t help his heart from soaring upon hearing the adorable butchering of his name, which far from interpreting it as a mispronunciation, he takes it as a nickname. Another privilege he holds over Naoaki and possibly even your siblings.

He did it.

He won. He made you happy. And his older brother has no clue!

And he never would, because Naoaki… well, he was just in another entirely different realm when it comes to the antics of his youngest brother. 

Serves to show what the usual dynamic between the youngest and the eldest was like back in the estate—it’s no wonder the rest of the siblings had no issue sitting this one out once they heard Naoaki and Naoya would be attending, cloaking behind poor Naofumi as an excuse.

Nonetheless, Naoya would enjoy the victory his sacrifice brought him, a step closer to winning your heart. 

He knew that you’d enjoy this candy, and whenever you unwrapped one of them, you’d think of him! Now, isn’t that a bigger accomplishment than what Naoaki ever achieved in his life? (Outside of saving you, but that’s something that he’ll get to do another time)

Oh, how naive of him. If only I knew you were happy for some other reason....

It wouldn’t take long before your father arrived, and when he did, he jumped out of the car as soon as the engine shut down, not bothering to check if he’d closed the door appropriately or if he even parked correctly inside the delimited space. Traffic tickets had no weight in his mind, not when his sole focus was zeroing on his family and embracing his poor daughters followed by endlessly peppering their chubby faces with kisses as he frantically inquired.

“Are you ok Y/N?! Hinata?! Is either hurt?? Where are those damned—”

“They’re fine now, Eiichi” Minako reassures him “But that doesn’t mean you should be all over our babies”

“I’m not a baby” Hinata retorted.

“Minako! How could you say that?!” Eiichi gasps theatrically “Not after they got scared!—by the way, Hinata, you’re still my baby— I won’t stop till they get what they deserve!” 

Your mother can only shrug and sigh as a response. She knows there’s no way to talk sense into him when he’s like this, so instead, she decides to move and bid farewells to Tomoko and her family.

“And that’s our cue to leave” Minako regrets with a nervous smile.

“Outside of what happened, I had a good time” Tomoko smiles back, moving in to hug her best friend.

“Likewise. I’m glad you were able to come”

“I hope to see you at Junko’s baby shower? I’ll be sending the invitations soon!” Naoya’s eyes sparkle with anticipation at the prospect of seeing you again. This time, he’ll be equipped with all the knowledge he can get of pokemon after his father buys him all the games!

“I’ll be there” Your mother promises. She then waves goodbye to Tomoko’s kids, Naoaki being as gracious as ever by expressing how happy he was to see her again, and Naoya… well, as reserved as he always was, except for a curt nod and a wave, dignified for his only ally of the night.

The family of 5 eventually make their way back into the car, each kid waving the Zen’in’s one last time through the window as the engine started up once more, and then, disappeared, giving closure to the celebration.

Once the car was out of sight, Tomoko sighed, slumping her shoulders as she reflected back to her present children.

To say that she was glad that Naoya and Naoaki had remained somewhat… amicable throughout the whole night was an understatement. She was overjoyed as well as she was anxious.

They were known for being rowdy towards one another for the simplest of reasons, and although she guessed that could extend to the rest of her kids, these two had seemed to have a personal vendetta against each other.

Tomoko tried her best to control that aspect of their personality, but she eventually gave up after realizing that no matter what she did, no matter what incentives she gave to promote a healthy relationship, it was never enough.

So she just resigned with the assumption that they’d eventually grow out of this, mainly when Naoya is a bit older, for he was usually the prime instigator of their arguments.

Their good behavior had given her a dose of much needed tranquility, and after all that occurred, she assumes they’ll remain like that during their trip back to the estate, and for the rest of the night.

«A moment of peace and quiet» She says, giving them a small smile.

“I’m proud of how you two stepped up to help Y/N-chan and Hinata-chan. Thank you” She praised “I’ll prepare something for the two of you tomorrow, but for now, let’s just wait for the chauffeur”

Naoya smirks, feeling a shudder urge of righteousness sprouting from deep inside him as he recounts his honoring moment before you, while Naoaki mouths a simple thank you, his mind already set somewhere else. Anywhere else to kill time so he can go back home and retake his plans.

There was a horror movie that he wanted to see scheduled for broadcast at midnight, and he wasn’t about to miss it for anything in the world, mentally preparing a list of snacks he’d want to indulge whilst watching the movie, that is, until the absence of a certain… particularity catches his attention from the corner of his eye, interesting enough to prompt his inquiry.

“Naoya, where is your candy?” he asks, and as if he’d spoken the biggest offense in the world, his youngest brother retaliates.

“Wouldn’t you like to know!” Naoya snaps back, blowing a raspberry at him followed by a punch on his arm “Stupid Naoaki!”

Tomoko sighs.

«And that’s all it was, just a moment»

The first thing that Eiichi did as soon as his shift ended was head straight back home to his awaiting family, who had agreed to wait for him to compensate for their abrupt change of plans, as well as his absence.

The excitement of spending time with his children before the 31st ended, as well as the pictures his wife took for the family album, was enough to encourage him to power through the rest of his tasks, and in record time no less

Back at the L/N estate, Eiichi wasted no time to head over to the living room, where the servants had informed him his wife and children were to be.

The kids were out of their costumes and dressed up comfortably in their pajamas, surrounded by popcorn and candy baskets, as they sat before the T.V., a Halloween movie on the screen.

The first one to notice his presence was you, to which you reacted by jumping up from the pillow you were sitting on and rushing to him, hugging his leg.

“Welcome home!!”

“It’s good to be back, little one!” He says, lifting you up and kissing your right cheek “Did you miss me?”

“...A bit” you admit through giggling “we’re watching a movie!”

“I can see that” Eiichi looks at the screen, but he’s unable to identify which movie they’re watching by the frozen frame on screen—Ren would later inform him it was The nightmare before Christmas “Care to make space for me?”

“Actually, I think there’s something you’d rather do instead” Minako says with a proud grin , taking out the album covertly hidden behind her and offers it to her husband “All pictures from tonight, printed and organized by child”

Eiichi carefully places you back down to the ground and rushes his way towards his wife, adoration filling his eyes as he cheers “You’re the best!” it’s not her time to be covered with kisses “I can’t believe you already had them printed!”

“Well, we did buy the printer so we wouldn’t have to go out and wait for them to be revealed” Minako explains “It’s one of the many pros of having our own computer at—”

“Mom, can we watch the movie?” Hinata says. She’d been patient enough to let their parents talk and catch up once dad was back, but after hearing them gush about their shared interest in pictures, she grew restless. They didn’t need to be present to talk about that, right? Or pause the movie for that matter!

“Alright, alright” Minako chuckles, pulling herself up from the floor with the help of her husband and handing Ren the controller “We’ll be in the other room if you need anything, ok?”

The kids don’t respond, their attention already stuck on the glowing screen before them as soon as Ren hits the play button. 

With all the calm of the world, Eiichi can finally enjoy the recollections of his family's first trick-or-treating together through the glossy imprint of the stills before him.

He opens the album. The first section is dedicated to group photos in general, his family standing alongside Tomoko’s.

Eiichi remembers exactly what he told Minako before he left, but it didn’t mean he’d blow up if she did. After all, Tomoko is someone he considers a dear friend and was glad that his wife went ahead and took pictures for them to have as well, she always had a good eye for photography after all.

He just wouldn’t hang their pictures on the wall, though.

He’d eventually move onto the next parts, his favorite ones. The pictures exclusively  portray his family. The way their enjoyment appeared to be portrayed in each photo was enough to fill him with happiness—even considering making a postcard for his distant relatives. ..Should he do such a thing?

Nah, these are precious memories to be shared with others, he’d rather keep them for themselves. 

Now, the parts he was looking forward to the most. Starting with Ren's section.

He was rather quiet and collected, so it was natural that the camera would catch this as well. Most of his pictures portrayed him rather… serious, with the occasional smile or peace sign appearing every 3 or 4 pictures. «I guess he wanted to play into the obscure aura of the undead with his skeleton costume. Eitherway, they’re good pictures!» Eiichi would move on to the next part, Hinata’s.

The one that always followed her mother’s lead: if there was a pose that Minako wanted her to make, she’d strike immediately after and with such fluidity that had her parents thinking she’d be a good model if given the opportunity. A natural before the camera! And she really played the role of a police officer, going ahead to show off her badge and whatnot, which only made her photos even better.

And finally, you. He didn’t want to admit it out loud, for a parent isn’t supposed to show preference over any of their children, but he was secretly looking forward to your photos the most. And could anyone blame him? It was your first halloween going out trick-or-treating, it was only natural that his attention would gravitate more towards you! 

You were still shy, as expected of your age, but Minako managed to get some good pictures of you showing off your purple onesie of a character he still can’t put his finger on quite well. There were moments where you’d appeared introverted before the camera, hiding underneath the hood of your attire, and others where you seemed to dive into character, baring your teeth before the lens, intending to look intimidating.

Well, whatever the outcome, he was glad that you and your siblings had fun, and adoringly so!

Oh, he wishes he could’ve been there to see his family in person. But he could always look back to these pictures whenever he’s feeling particularly nostalgic.

Certainly, there’s nothing that could possibly ruin—

Wait.

Wait a minute.

There's …

What is that? A blemish?

Is… is he seeing things?

No. That can’t be, it’s right there before him. A detail that… Did Minako not see this?

Did she accidentally skip this picture, perhaps? 

A small detail that he doesn’t like… at all.

Whenever you appear, there's something, or more likely someone lingering close to you.  A black uniformed kid just… standing there, either a few feet away from you, if not beside you.

He analyzes the picture for a few moments before moving onto another one, and the other, and another. It's not long before he comes to the crashing realization that most of your pictures were alongside this boy!  Not even in Ren’s, or Hinata’s. Just yours.

Eiichi is at a blank state of mind when it comes to remembering who is the one behind the mask, that is, until he stumbles into a picture where the face of the uniformed kid is fully revealed. An answer that has him losing all of his breath as swirls his head over to his wife, who jolts as his sudden reaction.

"Why– why is— Is this Naoya?!" He says, taking out one of the many incriminating pictures from the album and handing them over to Minako, who could only frown in confusion.

“Yeah…? What about it?” She asks, still confused.

“What do you… Why is he next to our baby??”

“I didn't see anything wrong with it, it's a good picture, wouldn't you agree?” Minako persuades, and Eiichi groans.

"No! It has Naoya in it! I thought I told you I only wanted pictures of our kids!"

"I know, I know. But I wasn't about to ask Naoya-kun to step away from the picture! What would Tomoko-san think of that after all the ones I’ve taken of Y/N alone, hmm?"

"But is there really not a single picture without him there!

"Pfft, you’re exaggerating, dear! Minako says, glancing over his shoulder and onto the album "See? There's some of Y/N alone, I even asked her to pose so she could show off her costume"

"And I greatly appreciate you for it, but still… Why are there so many of her with him…? Not even Naoaki is here…" he murmurs, eyes glancing back down to the pictures. He scans through them quickly, counting just how many pictures Naoya photobombed.

Only to abruptly stop when a familiar sight catches his attention.

A basket. More precisely, a white colored basket.

Naoya's basket. 

The one in the picture…  there’s something intriguing about it, enough to make him stop passing through the pages. Almost as if he’d seen it before, and rather recently at that, but he doesn’t remember where…

Just where exactly did he see it? Not as his job, none of his employees brought any candy… maybe at the—

He freezes.

Oh.

Oh no.

He knows now, he saw it in his house.

In the living room

Just besides the couch.

A shiver travels through his spine as countless scenarios traverse his mind, all leaning into the worst possible outcomes.

He needs an answer, and he needs it now.

Eiichi wastes no second to barge through the door as he rushes through the living room, an alarmed Minako trailing behind him as she repeatedly asks him what’s wrong.

She eventually catches up to him to the even more confusing sight of her husband standing near you. Poor Minako has yet to understand the excruciating pain Eiichi is going through as he murmurs the following.

"Y/N… my pumpkin, my sugar cookie, my precious honey bear…” he asks, voice trembling as he leaned closer to you, his words although low, are loud enough for Hinata and Ren which reprimanded him with a sharp shh! But even then, that doesn’t stop him from moving forward. “Where did you get those candies…?" His fingers reflect the shivering state of his voice as he now points to the still full (although a bit less than when it was given to you, thanks to your efforts) incriminating bucket in front of you.

And just as if you'd remembered a misplaced secret, you mouthed a quiet "oh!" before jolting out from your cushioned seat and grabbing the container, a chocolatey grin on your lips as you proudly exclaimed.

"Noya-kun gave them to me!" You shove the basket towards him, finally revealing the reason why you were so happy to get them in the first place "They're for you, that way we won't share!"

"Oh… so that's where they came fr–" Minako murmurs from the door frame, but the rest of her words don't go past her lips thanks to the interrupting shrill of an overprotective father who just realized that his worst fear had become a reality.

"NOYA?!" he cries, flickering back to Minako, as if asking if she was aware of this "HE ALREADY HAS A NICKNAME?!!"

"Dear, quiet down, some are already asleep" Minako, now by his side, cautions him as she places her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down before any of the sleeping staff or family members come check if everything is alright… or complain. 

“Dad! Shut up!!” Hinata groans. Having lived and grown with their father, they're no longer moved by his melodramatic antics, nurturing some kind of resistance that limits them to give him a scowl as well as a warning glance whenever he goes off on his delusions, such as the one Ren is giving him right now.

You, having yet to reach their level of expertise, all you can do is give him a confused pout in return, which still works very well with what’s happening around you.

"But–but she–" Eiichi says as he's pushed out of the room by his irked wife, who wasn’t willing to discuss in front of the children who just wanted to make the best of the only night they could stay up without worrying about school the next day "I won't allow it! It'll be the last time they're ever invited to trick or treat with us!" 

"Huh?!" She exclaimed "Tomoko-san won't like that, you know!"

"I can't allow that boy to be near our precious daughter! She's too good for him! Or anyone for that matter!!"

"You couldn't possibly be serious, Eiichi" Minako rolls her eyes. "Besides, they're just kids! Y/N doesn't really care for anything else other than her cartoons and Naoya just gave her the candy because she was sad. And apparently Naoaki did the same too."

"HE WHAT?!"

"Dear, you need to calm down" Minako suggests "Hear yourself. They were concerned because she was sad, that’s all. Also, you can't be over protective about her for all her life"

"But she… she won't stay small for too long, and before we know it, she'll get married!! Look at Ren, he's already 10!" Eiichi shrieks “And from there, a teenager, he’s going to college, he’s moving out, and then—”

"Worry about that when it happens" She comforts "You’re worrying too much about the future, that you’re missing the present! Our kids couldn’t really care less about those things. Ren just wants to listen to music all day, Hinata wants to be with the horses, and Y/N wants to play videogames. Do you really think they have time to think about girlfriends and boyfriends?”

“... I mean, if you put it that way…”

“It’s the only way, Eiichi”

"... I guess" he sighs, looking away, feeling embarrassed for his over the top reaction. "...I just got worried, I guess."

"There's nothing to fear, just… be there. To love them, to cherish them, to protect them. Y/N is too young to notice it, but if you keep on like this then she won’t trust you to tell you things. Besides, I think the real issue here is Naoya not having candy for Halloween, we can't let Y/N think that's right… I can’t believe I didn’t notice, and she didn’t tell me either!"

"I know… I know…" Eiichi grabs her hand and kisses her knuckles as an apology "I’m sorry. Thank you, Minako. You’ve always been the better half of this marriage”

“Oh, stop it Eiichi” She laughs “We compliment each other, I’ve always believed that”

“I guess I really do have to take it one day at a time. I just can't believe she's already 6"

“She is growing pretty fast…” she giggles, kissing his hand in return "How about you continue looking  through the album and select the better pictures? Or better yet, change into your pajamas and join us to see a movie. Who knows? Maybe Y/N will let you have some of her own candy instead—just promise me you’ll keep quiet, I can already see Hinata losing more and more of her patience by the second"

"Oh, I better behave then" he laughs back "Y/N can be very protective of her sweets and I wouldn’t risk angering Hinata… or Ren, did you see his face? If looks could kill!"

Minako laughs.

Thus, your mother goes back to the living room while Eiichi heads to their bedroom to change into something more comfortable and join his family.

Your mother would like to say that this conversation wasn't really brought up ever again, or that it didn't take much of space in her mind, that would be a lie however, for the mention of Naoya liking you was one that she never considered in the past, more so when Hinata and Ren already avoided him like the plague.

But now that she thinks about it… it all became obvious to her.

Naoya sure seemed comfortable whenever around you, as well as his lingering gazes he placed on you whenever she was lucky enough to catch them at the moment, or how he’d respond attentively to you whenever you referred to him, when he kept his interactions limited with your siblings or even Naoaki…

She thought of it as just socializing, getting to know each other with the hopes of becoming friends, but now that Eiichi pointed it out… she can’t wonder, had Tomoko noticed this as well?

Nonetheless, that’s something she’d keep locked behind her lips, buried deep inside her mind. 

Maybe she’ll bring it up next time she sees Tomoko, probably at Junko’s baby shower…

But if she had to give her opinion about this whole ordeal, a label for a lack of better words, then she has to admit that…

"Y/N and Naoya look cute together" 

[technodromes]

———  BASICS! ♡

(PEN)NAME:  Saby

PRONOUNS: she/her

ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn

TAKEN OR SINGLE:  single

———  THREE  FACTS! ♡

I tend to overshare or overexplain. I like to think that I got better about filtering myself all in all, but when I feel very cozy talking to someone, I still start talking too much lol. It's always okay to tell me 'Saby, that's too much information', because there are still moments I don't catch myself right away.

Iced Coffees from the store fridges are my guilty pleasure. I said a million times now that I want to reduce my consumption of them but I still pick them up every now and then to treat myself lol.

I made an apprenticeship as a gardener and worked in an arboretum for 5 years. I had to learn 420 botanic & german plant names during that bloody apprenticeship, but I think I forgot 90% of these names since lmao. They reduced the amount of plants to 418 (lol), but if you're just curious and want to take a peek: Here's the site with the lists (EFZ Zierpflanzen alle Lehrjahre (2018))

———  EXPERIENCE! ♡

PLATFORMS USED: tumblr (main), animexx (inactive), various forum sites (don't rp there anymore), discord (only very briefly and I didn't like it)

PLOTTING / WINGING IT / MEMES: I always used to be someone who's very much winging things on the go. But I like to plot partially now and look into possible directions with my partner to not get lost in the plot. The latter has happened to me way too often in the past. However, I say it here right away, I absolutely don't like to plot something from start to end. Sometimes I or my partner get a better idea while writing a reply and I'm sure we all know how a sudden change in plot can turn things awkward when everything was plotted through beforehand. So I rather just don't. As far as memes to threads go, sure! If I or my partner come up with a great pitch to a random prompt, there can be great threads out of that. But I also admit that, while I like random prompts, they can be difficult sometimes to reply to and incorporate into a scenario that would work for both of the muses. I have done so many prompt memes in the past, that I feel like I'm a little burnt out of them at the moment.

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE! ♡

GENDER: I have no preferences as far as gender goes. Everyone's welcome here.

MULTI OR SINGLE: I rp with both likewise. Listen, I had single muse blogs only in the past and can see the pro and contras in both. I understand why someone prefers single muse blogs, but I also understand why someone prefers multis. But if someone changes their interests almost daily, they will hop blogs and muses all the time, regardless of whether they run a multi or single muse. So for me it's not about 'multi or single-muse' but whether someone found a balance in how they deal with their old and new fixations on their blog/s.

LEAST FAVOURITE FACECLAIM(S):  After a million edits later all I have to say here is that I think that's a stupid-ass point. And I have no 'least favorite faceclaim'. NEXT.

———  FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡    

FLUFF: I love fluff. I'm legit a sucker for it and I'm guilty of wanting fluff threads when I don't feel very well. They're like my comfort food? Unfortunately, my muses here are all assholes by default unless they know someone well enough to adopt them into their asshole family. Except Bishop. Please send Bishop all the hugs. Yeah I love fluff but prefer writing it with people and muses I know.

ANGST:  I think angst can be entertaining and useful for muse development. It helps characters to understand each other better and either get them closer or have them drift apart. But tbh, I don't like writing with muses that are all ANGST ANGST ANGST in every.single.thread. It gets tiring fast. For example, I don't want Grum to be defined by their trauma only, even tho it is a great deal of who they are now. I rather wanna focus on them trying to get away from it. But I certainly DO love to delve into angsty themes when they come up.

SMUT: I've been thinking about that lately and I tried talking myself into 'I can write it once every while' before. But tbh, I'm no smut writer at all. I'm not opposed to letting the muses have some fun, but I generally prefer fading to black when the details kick in. I will remove my smut blog too, because I don't see myself using it. Things might get suggestive here once every while but yeah... my muses only get to have actual sex off-screen here for my own comfort.

Tagged by @countlessrealities Tagging: whoever wants to do this? Idk who's been already tagged and who not x"D

[thisreadswhatever]

Personally I would suggest just making a list that corresponds with both canon Jax but also niche and unexplored possible character development he could’ve had if the show had gone differently but still incorporating the main traits the character was known to have. For example we all know Jax most definitely has unresolved anger issues so for that I’d say prompts where he gets angry and takes it out on you or when you’re arguing and you unintentionally say something that triggers an unspoken trauma of his, I could see that working with both steamy good time but also angsty breakup. Another thing we all know about that man is he cannot keep it in his pants so either prompts where he cheats (so angst) or my fav is him being horny literally every second of everyday, definitely lots of steamy good time and quickies in like the most inconvenient places. And my favorite thing to read is Alternate Universe, so Jax would still be Jax but you take out aspects of his life and exchange it for a different one you feel would still fit his character and go from there. I would love to see you write him in high school and how it would be like to be his first love. I am not a writer 😭 but I hope that helps? 🩷

thank you for taking the time to explain all of this!!

I really think this is a interesting idea! I think it would really help expand my writing and tap into more explorative fics!

I think my plan is to finish The Chase series first and then create a prompt list based on your suggestions! I'll include everything that's been requested and then see what you guys want! I'm going to try and make them short fics/drabbles.. but we will see where it goes!

thank you again!!

[winterlovesong1]

For the Character Ask Game: Shawn Hunter

thank you so much for the ask friend <3

Give me a character and I will give you my thoughts on

one aspect about them i love

There are so many aspects I love when I think about one of my favorite characters, but to just name one I’ll go with his unwavering loyalty to his friends - and maybe not in the typical traditional way we think or define “friend loyalty” - I think for Shawn it stems from how his friends and the adults outside of his home have demonstrated the notion of “I’ll always be there for you no matter what” - how both parties, but I think Shawn really had to learn this idea, that no matter if our opinions differ or there comes a rift or distance in our relationship caused by circumstance or fault of an individual within the friendship - it’s a steadfast connection that supersedes likes and dislikes and is grounded in “I admire you and care about you and will never fully abandon you.” Even if the relationship isn’t in a strong point, even if the friendship is in a valley, he will always be there for them.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I feel like most individuals understand this but here it goes: there’s of course the great shift in the character from humorous jokester to angsty teenage attractor of heartbreak - but even within that tonal shift, Shawn was always smart - he was always intelligent – even when the show would display him otherwise, I choose to believe it was all a ruse, a cover to those emotions we got to see come to the surface in later seasons.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

I’ll list two since one is slightly canon already –

He can sleep anywhere, anytime. This is demonstrated on most occasions when he’s sleeping in class, but I’m building upon that – he can sleep leaning up against a column, he can find the perfect niche on a bus seat to get a decent rest – he doesn’t require amble space, dim lighting, the perfect pillow or any of the luxuries one might think of for a good night sleep – he’s learned to adapt to what he’s given and if he’s tired, he’ll find a way.

He loves store bought breakfast foods – you know the kind that come in boxes that taste like cardboard with artificial fruit filling? Whether it’s something posing as a strudel or a granola bar, they are quick easy, and give him the sugar boost he requires in the morning (or mid afternoon).

(when he goes to Europe for the first time to meet Angela there over a break from school and tastes his first authentic pastry from a corner café with no signage except the stone siding is a slightly different hue from the rest of the buildings along the sidewalk, he swears he’ll never return to what he once thought was delicious)

one character i love seeing them interact with

Angela of course – any scene they are in together is just magic on screen

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Topanga 1000% - I’ve delved into this pairing in fanfic, but it’s such an underutilized friendship – and even though they did have some very memorable, poignant, dare I say, some of the greatest moments on the show together, I could have used more.

Also, Amy Matthews - I feel like she could have imparted a lot of wisdom (different wisdom) than he received from sooo many of his male role models on the show. Especially in the times when his own mother was not in his life.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Poetry is incorporated into both his and Angela’s wedding vows. For their first anniversary, he gifts her the verses he spoke in his vows within a silver heart shaped locket.

[beckface]

Here is a fun idea. An amazing cheese/becky boxleitner au but it incorporates djsadbean's headcanon where Amazo left Steven before he met Wordgirl, but in this context Amazo leaves before Steven adopts Becky. More angsty if it incorporates you boxleitner's-return au. What do you think?

I'm gonna tangent for a second based on this ask

I've had this idea bugging in the back of my head for a while of a morally grey Steven grieving Adam and then kindof emotionally replacing him with Becky without realizing it, putting a lot of pressure on her that she can't handle and having Steven basically base his own emotional state on her success as a kid superhero.

I think, if i'm gonna be pretentious (of course I am) then that could apply really well here! A lot of kids deal with having to be their parent's therapist, and Becky in with her gigantic savior complex could easily get that in the dadbrains au from having a grieving father/mentor try and train her to be like an adult superhero who is now long gone.

If both of these things are part of my BR au then it would absolutely fuck with Becky to see the guy who she was repeatedly told to be like before DTB became evil, BE evil. She would probably feel way more betrayed by both of them then in any of the other scenarios, and DTB over time would realize what he put on her

[namistrella]

how can i resist? 🛒  👀 🤗 

Thanks for the ask! Sorry, this is so long!! I got a bit carried away. What can I say? They’re good questions :)

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

Oooh I love this question. One of my favorite things to include, particularly in longer fics, are scenes doused in liminality. I'm a little bit obsessed with the idea of it. I keep coming back to liminal spaces, scenes at the threshold of the past and the future, at points in the story where characters have to make a critical choice. For example, in Love Laid Bare (which I swear I haven’t abandoned!) that scene happens in chapter 2 in the empty parking lot outside the diner, at dusk. Simon paces back and forth, having a grand moment of introspection, and he’s waiting for Baz to show up, but isn’t sure if he’s going to go with him or not. (Tiny unimportant spoiler here) He ultimately makes the choice to get in the car with Baz, which kickstarts his arc and the rest of the story. It's a scene that takes place in a classic liminal space (empty parking lot), at the threshold between day and night, and marks a turning point in Simon's life.

Another favorite theme of mine is the idea of second chances. Second chances at love with the right person, second chances at life, second chances at learning and growing and becoming a better person and doing things right the next time around. People, in reality, make a lot of mistakes. So do my characters—and I love to let them make good on the opportunities to fix them!

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

Oh god I have so many wips, but none of them (with the exception of LLB that is published, but incomplete) are snowbaz. The two biggest projects I’m working on right now are:

1. An angsty Yuri on Ice fic:

Yuuri quit skating at 18 after he was partially responsible for an on-ice accident that brutally injured Victor’s knee, which never healed enough and eventually forced Victor to quit, too. They find each other ten years later in Michigan, where Yuuri is now a medical resident and Victor manages an ice rink. Victor convinces Yuuri to get back into skating, and they compete against each other in the Adult Figure Skating Championships. They’re well matched against each other, even though Yuuri’s out of practice and Victor’s got his bad knee and hardly anyone even watches the adult competitions and they’re both getting a little old to be jumping around like they used to :) Throughout the fic, Yuuri struggles to let himself fall in love again, both with the sport and with Victor, but he figures it out in the end.

2. A series of three long (20k+ each), interconnected one-shots for Haikyuu:

They’re all in a similar style as All The Things We Don’t Mean, with a nonlinear narrative and short, punchy scenes. Lots and lots of angst across the board, of all different kinds. One is published already here. The second installment, which I’m working on now, follows a different pairing from the first. They were high school sweethearts, but after about ten years, when neither of them is happy, they realize that maybe the reason things are so hard is because neither of them had time to grow on their own. They got together so young and have hardly spent any time apart. So they break up, and the fic starts there, and works through the way they grow apart and change and find themselves and then find their way back together, all of it interspersed with flashback glimpses into the way they fell in love in the first place.

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

I would say, just go for it! Start writing! Post that first fic, even though it's not perfect. Write what you like and want to see more of, even if it's not everyone's cup of tea.

When I first started, I spent way too much time reading and re-reading my own fics, trying to see them the way everyone else might see them, and trying to make them palatable to everyone. I was SO scared of getting my first negative comment, and worrying about that took a lot of the fun out of writing. Spoiler alert: it's not possible to please everyone, and everyone gets negative comments sometimes, and the level of engagement with your fics (comments, kudos, shares, etc) will go up and down no matter what you do, so you might as well just do what brings you joy!

On a more practical note, I would also recommend finding people you can swap writing with—either as a formal “you both beta each other’s fics” kind of a thing, or as an informal “hey let’s sprint together and share some snippets as we go” or “hey look at this scene I wrote that I think was really good/that I think needs some work”. External feedback is extremely valuable for improving as a writer, but I’ve found it to be way more fun (and less scary, and often more helpfully targeted to what you want and need) when that feedback comes from people you already trust and who know your writing style and likes and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses.

Asks here

[batter-sempai]

Just saw your responses to my asks! :D No worries about however long it takes to answer them, I'm honestly just happy to ramble about my thoughts to someone interested in the same character as me!

Update on that Charon fic: I actually finished that one up! I'm really happy with the outcome and am glad you find my theories interesting.

The songs can indeed for angsty Papyrus situations, but a good few of them just are for a general Vibe of papyrus that doesn't fit what the majority of the fandom perceive him as. Please do listen to the new songs! :D I love inflicting my song obsessions on other people and tried to include as much variety as my preferences allowed.

I'd love to read your Papyrus Gaster Blaster fic! Is it on Ao3 or anything (no worries it not! I usually don't post my WIPs because of just how many I end up dropping midway.)

Ps: little tibit of a Papyrus idea I've been rolling around in my head (gosh this guy. I can see why Flowey took so long to get bored of him.) What if he's a lich? Would explain why both he and Sans have human traits, having his soul artifact hidden in his own skull could explain the different dusting patterns of his body and head, he has reason to do it (if Sans was sick as a human, I don't doubt Papyrus would go to that level to save him. The two act unhealthily codependent at times.)

See ya when I see ya!

Hello! Thank you so much. ;w; I’m always happy to see your asks in my inbox and would love to read more stuff from you.

Ooh, got a link to then fic?

Also no problem! It’s been a while since I got Papyrus asks so these are nice to receive.

I’m saving the asks with all the songs up and try to listen to the songs. ^^; I’ve heard of some of them before and I do feel they’re pretty fitting.

I haven’t finished the fic, and have left it on hiatus for a very long time. But still, here it is: X

I do feel guilt for leaving the fic on such a long hiatus, it’s been difficult trying to get back into writing it, but I really do want to finish it someday. Could be because I lost interest in reading fanfics a few years ago, so it’s been a struggle to write them too.

Oooh, I like the idea of Papyrus and Sans being liches. They seem to have monster souls too, but maybe liches are considered monsters in this universe? Though then again this is just a theory so I won’t think too much into that. I love that this incorporates Papyrus’ unique dusting scene where his entire body dusts rather than his body. Also, both of them do act like they had hair once (Sans combing his skull, Papyrus wanting to feel the wind in his hair and sun on his skin), though these could just be running gags. (And yeah, they do seem unhealthily codependent, but still, it could just be the situation both of them are in).

Thanks again for the ask. ^^