#I played some gear today and had a very nice time :)

[arashi-no-saxlphone]

FUUUUCCKK I LOVE AXL LOW RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

[sanatomis]

⋆.ೃ࿔* ── 𝐃𝐈𝐘-𝐃𝐀𝐃!

it’s career day, and megumi has to bring his dad to school so he can tell the class about his job. the problem? he only has a 20-year-old sorcerer-guardian who has the brain capacity of a walnut.

content. canon divergence (suguru’s alive and studying to be a kindergarten teacher), possible ooc characters, female!reader.

notes. guys i’m a sucker for satoru who really, really tries and isn’t just a goofy man-child ໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ also ! thank you all for your patience, it took me a while to finish this piece bc of uni, so i'm vv happy it's finally done <3

taglist. | masterlist.

“I don’t have a dad.” 

As cruel as it may be, a part of Megumi hopes that the sentence makes his teacher greatly uncomfortable. Demanding for a father to attend a Career Day at school simply isn’t fair to children without one—or, well, to the child without one. It’s not his fault his father hauled ass and left, so why is she making this so difficult for him? 

“Oh,” she mumbles. It seems his arrow hit the target, as her eyebrows pull together in a frown and she shifts her weight between her feet. “Well, you, uh, have a male guardian, don’t you?”

Megumi grimaces. Instantly, he thinks back to last week. Satoru Gojo, self-proclaimed strongest, had hit his head on a kitchen cabinet. With a dramatic pout and an overexaggerated wobble to his lips, he clung to you for hours. Some affection will make it all better!

Of course, when Megumi criticised his skills surrounding his infinity technique—because, really, how couldn’t it block a simple cabinet—the sorcerer opted to ignore him. He suspects there was some foul play at hand. 

“Barely,” he mutters, as the memory resurfaces. 

His teacher lets out a startled hum. “I’m sorry?”

“Nothing,” Megumi says quickly. He watches as she starts typing on her computer, and the realisation that she’s probably currently taking a look at his file isn’t a particularly welcome one. “What about my other guardian? Can I bring her, instead?”

“This event is geared towards fathers,” she explains. It’s obvious she forgot her reading glasses today, Megumi thinks, as she needs to narrow her eyes to read the screen in front of her. “I have one Satoru Gojo noted down as your male guardian. Surely, he will be able to attend.” 

Megumi pauses. He blinks up at her expressionlessly, and fights off the urge to push his teacher down a well. You often preach about being kind to others, and that wouldn’t be very kind. 

“Can’t I take my oth—”

“I’m afraid not,” she interrupts him before he even gets the sentence out. It irks him. Megumi isn’t fond of speaking to begin with, so when he does, he’d prefer not to be cut off halfway through. “An exception will not be made. Please, make sure to bring Gojo-san to school.” 

Megumi briefly, and for the very first time ever, mourns the fact that you and Satoru weren’t married. A small part of him calls the man a coward for not asking you to. If he’d simply taken the step, then Megumi would be able to pass you off as Gojo-san. Unfortunately, he can’t, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s no way around this problem. 

“Fine,” he grumbles. It takes all of his remaining willpower to not stomp out of the classroom. Once again, he thinks of you. It’d be extremely bad manners. He can’t find it in himself to wish his teacher a nice day this time, though, and so she’ll have to make due with a slightly less polite Megumi for today. 

There’s nothing he can do about it. Satoru will have to come to the school. 

Megumi suddenly despises the idea of Career Day. 

“I need you to come to my school next week.” 

Immediately, all chatter around the dining table stops. For once, Megumi finds himself annoyed at the sudden appearance of silence. Before he said it, he knew his words would most likely have such an effect—he just didn’t expect it to be so instant. 

He tries his best to feign nonchalance, as if the topic that’s coming up didn’t make him feel stressed-out beyond belief. The confused, startled glances you and Satoru share don’t do much to help him, either. Perhaps it’s because Megumi is looking straight at him; him instead of you. Yeah, Satoru, he isn’t a fan of it, either. 

“Me?” The man asks then, and Megumi has to resist the urge to say, ‘no, I meant the snail in the backyard—yes, you,’ in the most sarcastic voice he can muster up. Satoru once again steals a look at you, ever so oblivious to Megumi's mental remarks. “Don’t you mean—” 

“I don’t,” Megumi cuts him off solemnly. His lips are pursed shut, and he pokes the slices of pork belly in his bowl with his chopsticks. One didn’t need to be of particularly high intelligence to notice the boy’s displeasure.  “I have to bring a male figure for Career Day.” 

It’s slow, the morphing of Satoru’s face, but it happens gradually and doesn’t stop until he’s positively beaming. Megumi doesn’t like it one bit. Nothing good happens when he looks like that, and he’s quite sure that all that will spew out of his mouth in a few seconds will be nothing except for pure nonsense. 

“Well, luckily, I will have the day off, then!” Satoru chimes, with a smile so wide it causes two dimples to appear on his cheeks. You copy his smile, and gently go to poke the little dent in his skin—Satoru lets you, as he always does. Megumi would think of it as cute if he weren’t so annoyed. “I will be there.” 

It seems he was right. Satoru’s words are pure nonsense.

“I didn’t tell you when,” he comments dryly. 

The sorcerer blinks. His smile is still on his face, but it’s fading, and the dimples do so with it. Your hand hovers halfway in the air, stuck with nothing to poke, and you slowly bring it back down to your side. It seems neither of you had taken time to think about that small fact—Megumi blames Satoru for dragging you down with him; him and those indentations in his cheek that you always seem to coo over. 

“Oh,” Satoru mumbles. A crease between his brows forms as his brain hurries to catch up with the newfound information. A few seconds pass, and then the previous bravado returns. “Well, it doesn’t matter! I can take the day off. When do you need me? Tell me, and I’ll be there.” 

Megumi very much doubts he can take days off all willy-nilly like that, especially after he pushed his workload onto someone else to attend his science fair last time, but then again, what does he know? If Satoru didn’t care about the consequences of his actions, then Megumi wasn’t about to break his own head doing so, either. 

“Next Friday,” he mumbles. From the tone of his voice, it’s quite clear that he’d rather be saying anything else. “We have to leave at eight a.m., please, be on time.”

“Sure thing!” Satoru chimes, and with that, Megumi thinks the dreaded conversation has finally come to an end. 

All in all—it could’ve gone worse. At least Satoru didn’t prolong it unnecessarily. Nor did he add a bunch of relentless teasing. He glances at the sorcerer. Satoru is happily munching on the dinner you’d prepared, both his cheeks stuffed full with entirely too much rice. It’s unbecoming, and a reflection of his poor manners, Megumi thinks, and he doesn’t understand how you look at the man with such hearts in your eyes. 

Though, your more than adequate cooking seems to have saved him from one of Satoru’s onslaughts. He’s grateful. Even if he doesn’t particularly enjoy the sight in front of him. 

“Hey, ‘toru?” You ask, breaking the silence with a slight hesitation to your voice. It nearly sounds nervous, and both Megumi and Tsumiki look up in alarm. Satoru hums, still chewing away. “What are you going to tell the class?”

Satoru stops eating. His chewing comes to a halt, and his chopsticks freeze in the air. A slice of pork drops from between them, and falls back into his bowl—It’s not hard to see the cogs turning in his head. “Uhm, I. . .” He swallows the food still in his mouth, and clears his throat. 

Right. It’s Career Day—but Satoru can’t tell a bunch of seven to eight-year-olds that he hunts and kills grimy, ugly, and freakishly scary curses for a living, now, can he? Megumi doesn’t think that would go over well with the other parents. The boy sighs. It’s just one thing after another. He grimly believes the world might just be out to get him. 

“I. . .Oh! I can tell them I’m a teacher,” his guardian scrambles for a solution, and Megumi can’t help but think it’s a little lack-lustre. Who would believe that guy is a teacher, anyway? Then again. . .Megumi doesn’t know a better fix for their current problem, either. He was so focused on the fact that it was Satoru that had to come to the school, he all but forgot about the fact that the dear thorn-in-his-side didn’t possess a normal job. “Suguru has told me a thing or two about his internship. I can take inspiration from there.”

Ah, yes. The famed Suguru Geto. Megumi has met him before. He hasn’t actually spoken to him, however. The man often visits, and has twin girls clinging to him when he does, and while Tsumiki seems to really like him—and them—Megumi doesn’t have an interest in seeking out some form of interaction, yet. Whenever he comes over, Megumi opts to hide in his room. Suguru never tries to disturb him, nor does he try to coax him into coming out. He’s very grateful for it. 

So, despite never speaking to him, Megumi knows about Suguru. Well, he knows enough. He knows Suguru went to school with the two of you, and he knows something really, very bad (nearly) happened that caused the man to take a step back from the world you all live in. What exactly happened (or what didn’t happen), Megumi doesn’t know for sure. You and Satoru almost never speak about it, and when you do, it’s in hushed voices—and you always stop immediately when he enters the room. 

But that’s okay. He doesn’t need to know. Suguru doesn’t force himself upon Megumi, and so he will extend him the same courtesy.  “I thought Geto-san wasn’t a teacher, yet?” Tsumiki speaks up from beside him, tilting her head to the side in confusion. “Mimi and Nana said he’s still learning. How can he be teaching, already?” 

“He’s not a teacher, yet, munchkin, well spotted,” Satoru answers with a proud grin. The nickname annoys Megumi—the feeling of irritation has been conditioned into his very being after Satoru chose it as the designated nickname for both of them. “An internship helps him build experience in the field. It means he is still learning, but he will do so while teaching.”

Tsumiki nods in understanding, her mouth opens and her lips curl into a small ‘ah’ as the information settles in. “So, you will pretend to be a teacher, then? At Megumi’s school?”

Satoru bites on his bottom lip, seemingly deep in thought. Seemingly—as Megumi is quite convinced he doesn’t ever think before he speaks. “I think so, yes,” he explains, and unknowingly retorates Megumi’s train of thoughts. How annoying. Satoru looks towards you for approval; it’s something he does very often. “It’s probably the safest route, no?”

“It’s our best option,” you say, and bring a thumb up to the corner of Satoru’s mouth. Gently, you wipe away a grain of rice stuck to his skin. It’s effortless, and nearly automated. Megumi wonders how many times you’ve had to do that. “Pretending to be a teacher shouldn’t be too difficult a task. Right, mochi?”

“Right,” Satoru echoes. His eyes track your every move, and the slight, pink colouring of his cheeks doesn’t seem to embarrass him even a little bit. Megumi thinks it should. Have some decorum. “I can do it, no problem.” 

“Alright then,” you say, and smile. First at Satoru, and then at Megumi. You look at the boy for a few seconds; you’re about to ask him if he’s okay with it. He knows you are, because you always do. “Is that okay for you, Megumi?” It’s like clockwork, almost. 

Megumi feels the need to answer with something snarky. Something akin to the sound of ‘What choice do I have?’ but he doesn’t—because you’re being kind, and you don’t deserve such a response. So, instead he turns towards Satoru.

“. . .Just don’t mess it up.” 

Satoru delivers a whole spiel about how ‘he’d never do that’ and that he’s ‘more than capable’ of telling a little white lie, but Megumi dilutes it to background noise rather quickly. He continues sputtering his nonsense when Megumi and Tsumiki stand up to clear the table, and still hasn’t stopped even when you and him start loading the dishwasher together—Megumi chooses to seek reprieve in his room while he’s distracted. 

It isn’t until many hours later, when Megumi leaves the sanctuary of his room to swipe a quick snack from the kitchen, that he first hears Satoru speak about something other than his great, and very much sufficient, ‘capabilities’. Your voices are muffled, and Megumi has to focus to make out your words. His soft, inaudible padding down the illuminated hallways comes to a halt. As if that would make his ears function better. 

“Are you sure you want to do this, Satoru?”

The boy frowns. With such gentleness in your voice, it’s hard to identify the worry lingering beneath the surface. Megumi moves a bit closer. He stops one step shy of bumping into the wooden surface, and peeks through the groove. The door is ajar—it’s something that allows him to watch how your eyes follow Satoru’s large frame as he paces around the room. It’s strange. Seeing him so. . .frazzled. 

Satoru nods. “I can do this, I know I can,” he says, and quits his pacing to look at you. Megumi can’t see his face, but he can see yours. He might as well not have, though, as he can’t make out the emotion that fills your eyes. It’s not one he himself has in his repertoire, that he knows for sure. “He never asks me for anything, princess. I have to do this right.” 

Ah, this isn’t a conversation Megumi is meant to hear. He should probably seize his eavesdropping, he thinks, and winces a little when he properly analyses Satoru’s words. They’re truthful. Megumi doesn’t go to him when he needs something. His first thought is to go to you—and his second, Tsumiki. And if he’s being honest anyway, his third thought very likely isn’t Satoru, either; He’d try to solve it on his own if it came down to it. Megumi frowns again. He doesn’t like how that realisation makes him feel. 

A careful shuffle of footsteps breaks him free from his thoughts. Megumi looks up, and catches how you place a hand on Satoru’s cheek. “I’m sure you’ll do great, baby,” you mumble. There’s a small, soft smile on your lips, one that quickly makes way for the peck Satoru places upon them. 

“Thank you,” Satoru whispers. One of his hands reaches for yours, and Megumi suddenly feels as if he’s intruding on something when the man brings them up to his lips to press a tender kiss to them. Okay, no, definitely intruding—ew. 

The boy scrunches his nose up in disgust, and hurriedly darts back towards his room. Suddenly, he has lost his appetite for a late-evening snack. Megumi lets out a deep sigh once he’s all tucked into his sheets again. Perhaps giving Satoru a shot wouldn’t be that big of a problem. Just one, though.

. . .Yeah, just one should be enough.

It’s the final, conclusive thought Megumi has before dozing off to sleep. Blissfully unaware of the conversation you and Satoru share—now behind a very closed door.

You stifle a giggle. The disappearance of Megumi’s presence outside your bedroom was quick and rampant as soon as Satoru started to kiss your hands. Something the sorcerer did very deliberately. It’s as if the boy suddenly forgot about the very special, very effective pair of eyes his guardian possesses. And with a cursed energy output such as Megumi’s, it would be hard not to recognise his presence.

“You did that on purpose,” you comment. “How cruel of you, mochi.”

Satoru hums, and kisses the inside of your wrist. “Maybe, the little brat shouldn’t eavesdrop, then,” he defends himself. There isn’t an inkling of guilt to be seen on his pretty face.

. . .Though, both of you still take some extra care to shut the door next time.

Megumi faithfully believes that, as of today, he has used-up all of his luck for the next five, no, ten years. It can only go downhill from here. For some inexplicable, mind-boggling reason—Satoru is actually pulling this off. That’s not all; he’s not merely winging it, he’s genuinely doing well. The boy can’t quite believe his eyes.

When he’d walked to the front with such an overexaggerated pep in his step, and an overabundance of bravado rolling off of him in waves—Megumi couldn’t help but watch on with a grim look, and a healthy dose of negative thoughts. It only amplified the nerves he’d collected so far during the walk to school. Somehow, watching Satoru give your flashcards a frantic do-over did very little to ease his bubbling anxiety.

There were many of them, flashcards that is. All possible questions his peers or his teacher could ever think of are written on those little pieces of cardboard. Courtesy of you, and your boyfriend. Megumi’s able to recall all those nights the two of you spend at the kitchen table—practising. He thought it was silly at the time.

But, as it turns out, it works.

Satoru is fun. To other people; Megumi doesn’t share the sentiment. Against all odds, he’s dynamic, and speaks with conviction. His flamboyant hand gestures have others think of them as amusing—captivating, even. Satoru is talking, and they’re all hanging onto his every word. No matter the fact that they’re all cleverly disguised lies.

Megumi can’t wrap his head around it. He doesn’t need to, however. If anything, he’s relieved that his peers think of his guardian as cool. While he certainly does not share the opinion, he isn’t too dense to admit that such a belief will save him a lot of embarrassment in the future. So, for this one, single day, he will let Satoru Gojo be cool. His snarky comments can resume tomorrow.

“Ah, it seems you have a deep love for your profession, Gojo-san,” his teacher says. She interrupts Satoru’s rant, and catches his attention as well as Megumi’s. Her voice is light and airy, and carries nothing that should cause him to fear the worst. Still, the boy feels on edge. “Though, I don’t remember the grade you are teaching. Could you tell us, again?”

Ah, and there it goes. The very first card in the elaborately built castle of lies.

Satoru pauses. A second passes, and then two, and three, and so on. He doesn’t speak for a good thirty, and Megumi can nearly see his mind leaf through his beloved flashcards—flashcards that are now neatly tucked into his pockets and entirely out of reach. That’s good. Because the absolute last thing Satoru should do now, is resort back to the flashcards.

Megumi shakes his head no as a signal.

“Ah,” Satoru says. “I teach kindergarten.”

Satoru didn’t catch the hint. Megumi wishes the ground would swallow him up. It would have been the correct answer—it is the answer that’s written on the flashcards—if Satoru hadn’t decided to go off route. Getting too caught up in the story he’d been free-writing, and allowing himself to get carried away by the looks of awe is resulting in his downfall, which, consecutively, will end with Megumi’s downfall, as well.

“Huh? But! What about the science experiment that exploded?” One of the children in his class whines. “I didn’t get to do that in kindergarten!”

“And the backflip you taught your students!”

“What about the first prize in the talent show? I thought your students were famous!”

The little bit of colour that normally resides in Satoru’s face steadily disappears, and he clenches his fist at his side. Ah, it’s great to know he’s at least aware of his mistake. That won’t help either of them at the moment, though. Megumi’s eyebrows furrow, and a feeling of distress overtakes him. It shows on his face. He doesn’t exactly go through the trouble of trying to hide it—there are bigger problems right now.

How utterly humiliating to be caught lying.

Satoru’s eyes find him. They’re just as troubled as his own. It worsens his anxiety.

“Oh, uhm, you see. . .” Satoru stammers, and Megumi’s stomach churns when the children around them continue to ask more and more questions. The wince his guardian lets out does little to soothe him. Megumi sighs, and looks at the ground. “Ah, I see. It seems you guys saw right through me.”

Megumi slides down in his seat. Maybe, if he tried hard enough, the ground would absorb him. It’s currently looking like a preferable fate.

“. . .I’m actually a detective.”

Oh, Jesus Christ.

“And. . .And for a detective, it’s very important to listen to what people say, because they could be lying!”

It’s a sad, pathetic excuse for a save. Megumi briefly ponders the distance between his seat and the door. Perhaps he could make a run for it. The subway station is very close by—getting on and travelling to an entirely new city to start a new life doesn’t seem like such a bad option. He sighs. No, that’s not possible. You and Tsumiki would be very worried. What else is there to do, though?

“You all picked up on my lie, which tells me every single one of you could make a great detective in the future.”

Megumi thinks Satoru might have some underlying mental problems. Though, they can’t possibly be as severe as the problems his classmates have—for they all believe the nonsense he’s giving them. Bright eyes, filled with hope and admiration, stare up at the man at the front of the class; impressed hums and entertained smiles get passed between the parents standing at the edge of the room. And Satoru, well, he seems entirely too proud of the fact that he made a bunch of children think they’re destined for a career in law enforcement. But, be that as it may, it works.

The children stir up unrest—the good kind this time, the kind that vocalises their excitement—and all rush to ask the detective a question. But, before they can even open their mouths, Satoru claps his hands together. It seems he has decided enough is enough, and it’s one of those very rare moments where Megumi agrees with him. The boy needs this to be over already.

“Alright, that’s it for today,” Satoru says, and feigns disappointment. He pretends to be affected by the sad groans of the children—keyword being pretend, as to the trained eye it’s quite clear that he wishes to leave. “I’m not allowed to tell you more.”

Ah, see, now that’s a good card.

“Wait, but, what about. . .”

“Ah, sorry, that’s confidential. Detective stuff, y’know?”

Confidential. Megumi thinks that might just be his new favourite word. The lingering feeling of anxiety slowly starts to subside with every step Satoru takes towards the back of the room—to the back, and away from the spotlight. His eyes follow the man’s large frame, but Satoru never chooses to look at him in return. His line of sight is firmly focused on the floor. It confuses Megumi, but he chalks it up to a mere whim.

All things considered (and minus the near cardiac arrest he went through), today went pretty well, after all. Much to his surprise.

Perhaps Megumi doesn’t hate Career Day. A strong dislike is more like it.

Megumi can’t count the times he wished for Satoru to be quiet. The exact number is much like the digits of Pi—huge, and absolutely never-ending. He can, however, count the times he didn’t wish for him to be quiet. As of today, that stands at a very solid one.

The birds around them chirp, and the bustle of other people is heard all around them—but they’re the only sounds gracing his ears. There is none of Satoru’s incessant chatter, nor is there even a glimmer of gloating about a job well-done. It’s eerily silent, and Megumi isn’t sure what to make of it. This isn’t quite how he imagined the walk home to go. Far from it, if he’s being honest.

“What’s up with you?”

It’s possibly the first time Megumi decides to break the silence, ever. The boy frowns, and fiddles with the straps of his backpack. There isn’t a middle-ground with Satoru, he has found out. Either he speaks entirely too much, or unnervingly little. There’s a tiny pebble in his path, and Megumi feels the need to kick it forward—so he does.

“I kind of messed up there, huh?”

The kick doesn’t have nearly enough force to it. Megumi watches as the little rock skips forward. Once, twice, and then it comes to a standstill again. “Yeah, kind of,” he agrees.

“I’m sorry,” Satoru rushes out. It’s said so fast, as if it physically pains him to say it. Perhaps it does. It’s sincere, however. There isn’t even a hint of a joke to be found. Something must be bothering him. “It didn’t go how I wanted it to go, and I don’t know why I went astray, and forgot about the cards. It—well, it was pretty stupid.”

Megumi doesn’t exactly feel the need to deny it.

“So, I get it, okay?” He continues, seeing the boy’s silence as an empty space for more conversation—more rambling. Since that’s what it is; rambles, plain and simple. Megumi doesn’t see the need for such a fuss. “I shouldn’t have strayed from the plan, and. . .”

“It’s fine.”

Satoru blinks at him. “What?”

“I said it’s fine,” Megumi repeats. Because it really is fine. Admittedly, it wasn’t smart of Satoru to all but discard your carefully planned presentation, but it ended well enough regardless. No harm, no foul. “Thank you for coming.”

That small, short sentence is enough to stop Satoru in his tracks. Megumi doesn’t, however. The man is very tall, he’s sure to catch up in a jiffy; he doesn’t need him to wait. There’s another small silence, though this one feels a lot more comfortable than the last. Satoru takes his time to process, and Megumi lets him.

“W—What?” The sorcerer stammers in shock. There is no need for Megumi to turn around and see—he can hear the smile curling onto his lips. “Did you just. . .”

“I won’t say it again,” Megumi grumbles definitively, and picks up his pace. The very tips of his ears heat up, and the apples of his cheeks turn red. The feeling of embarrassment. This wasn’t exactly how he’d envisioned it to appear when the day started.

Satoru attempts to run after him, to catch up. “Megumi!” He calls out, the very prominent, very familiar whiney lilt now back in his voice. Megumi didn’t miss it. “Wait for me, I didn’t hear you! Could you repeat that?”

“Yes, you did!” Megumi says, and throws him an annoyed glance from over his shoulder. He tightens his hold on the straps of his backpack. “Stop lying.”

“Nuh uh!”

“What are you? Six?”

Satoru’s toothy grin is infuriating. But—it’s familiar. And Megumi discovers he’s much more at ease when that grin is on display, than when the man in question is moping around. It’s a lot less alarming.

“And a half,” Satoru adds.

The scowl that’s on Megumi’s face appears almost instantly when he goes to ruffle his hair. For a man whose technique largely surrounds being untouchable, he has a surprising lack of awareness concerning this thing called personal space.

“Ugh,” Megumi groans, and pushes him off. It doesn’t work. Satoru gravitates towards him again—almost as if he’s a magnet. He doesn’t attempt to move a second time. In moments like these, it’s best to let Satoru get it all out of his system. “You’re so stupid.”

It’s true. He does think Satoru is stupid, but he can’t deny it—Satoru tried his very best today, and in the days prior. Which makes him one of the very small, barely existent group of people who have done so for him.

It seems one shot was enough, after all.

© MADE BY SANATOMIS — please, refrain from stealing, copying, or reposting any of my works.

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[wosoamazing]

Qualifiers

Warnings: Knee Injury, IDK

A/N: Just a bit of a fluffy fic I guess, hope you like it, also I'm currently on mid semester break, so I hopefully will be getting more fics out.

“Steph, have you noticed they’re behaving? Like it’s so quiet” Caitlin remarked as she sat opposite Steph on the bus.

“No, they’re not behaving, they are just asleep.” She replied pointing to the seats where you, Kyra and Charli were all fast asleep, your head leaning on Charli’s shoulder. Everyone shifted their bodies so they could get a view of the three of you, all taking photos, finding the scene in front of them very cute.

“They’re so cute,” “Yeah when they aren't being menaces, Y/N is a really sweet kid though, she just has a lot of energy, I think that stems from….” “Yeah she is great, and such an amazing talent too,” Caitlin rescued Steph as she drifted off, hoping to cover the unfinished sentence, Steph was about to mention your ADHD to the team, all the girls at Arsenal knew about it but Steph hasn't asked you if you were okay with the Matildas knowing.

“How old is Y/N though?” Raso asked

“She turns 17 in June,” “Oh so she is like a baby” “Yeah,” Steph nodded, smiling at you.

“She lives with you and Dean right?” Alanna asked.

“Yeah. Her parents approached us when they found out she was singing for the club and asked if we could take her in, in a way, and we said of course. The club signed off on it and so she moved in with us”

“Wait, how do her parents know you? Or was it random?” “No, we knew them, well more specifically her Dad from our time at Melbourne City, most of you would know him too, he is like on the board or part of the leadership team or something for City as a whole, she explains it much better than I do, but basically he is between all the city clubs and so she couldn’t live with them because they didn’t want her to be alone for long period of time.” They all nodded

“How is she going at Arsenal? She’s been getting a decent amount of minutes hasn't she?”

“Yeah she has. I think she really enjoys it”

“But wait, why does she play for Arsenal if her Dad works for City. Like are they not City fans?”

“Well I don't actually think she is allowed to play for city, but she grew up supporting both Arsenal and City, so I don’t think it really mattered. But I think the main reason is she can't actually play for city.”

“I think she’ll be good for the team, and she is a diverse player, I think Jonas being indecisive has helped that but I mean, it wouldn't hurt to have an all rounder, she is good at everything. I’m just glad she has settled in well, like I know you are all nice and wouldn’t be mean but she is just so much younger, even compared to Kyra. But to be fair she did already know Kyra so that helped. But if anything I’m seeing her more with Charli than Kyra so that is interesting” Caitlin added some food for thought.

“Yeah and something we need to keep an eye on.” Steph said referring to you and Charli spending time together, worried Kyra was getting left out.

_____

You were doing mini drills in teams, so you had a brief break. You walked up to Steph and gave her a hug, 

“Hey little one,” she said as she wrapped her arms around you to hug you back “you okay?”

You looked up to her “Yeah, am I not allowed a hug from my Stephy?”

“No, you are, of course you are. I just wanted to check if you were okay. You just seem a little off today that's all. But you know you can always talk to me about anything right?” Tony called both your names out as Steph was finishing what she said, so you let go of the hug rolling your eyes at her, before she put her arm around your shoulders and you walked off to Tony.

“Go have showers and get changed into clean training gear, the media team wants you both. Good work today though, love the effort.”

_____

“Yes Y/N” Tony said as you had your hand up, “Dad is calling me, I’m really sorry but could I answer?”

“Yeah sure, go ahead that is all good, let him know I said hi,” you nodded and walked out, normally Tony wouldn't let such a thing happen, but as you were younger he agreed.

You had just gotten off the phone with your parents, unfortunately they couldn't come to the game tomorrow, City needed your Dad for something, he was very apologetic and he had tried everything he could but City wasn't budging. Steph was right when she said you had seemed off today, because you were, you were just a little overwhelmed by everything that was happening, it was just lots of little things building to form one larger thing. You headed back towards the room feeling nervous for some reason, maybe you just weren't sure, you didn't really know, you hesitated slightly before opening the door, as you took a step in Steph immediately caught your eyes, she nodded to you and you made your way over to her rather than returning to your seat with Mini, Haper, Charlie and Kyra. A few tears left your eyes and Steph sat you down on her lap instead of you sitting down on the empty chair, you dropped your head into your hands and your body shook slightly as you silently cried. Steph rubbed your back as she looked up to Tony, who nodded at her and mouthed ‘go’.

“Hey, I’m going to take you up to my room, do you want me to carry you or do you want to walk?” You didn’t say anything but started walking, she followed behind, once you were out of the room you stopped and turned around to her, she picked you up and started heading for her room again. You weren't actually rooming with Steph but she knew you would want to be with her tonight, for some familiarity, so she placed you down on her bed before quickly going to get what you needed.

“Oh sorry,” Hayley said as she walked into the room, seeing you and Steph, you were still crying, you were just overwhelmed. 

“It’s all good, we’ve both had showers so if you want you can have one.” “Thanks.” 

By the time Hayley had finished her shower you were no longer crying however you still let out a shaky breath every now and then and from how you were playing with Steph’s rings she could tell you were still nervous. “Hey, you know you’re going to do amazing tomorrow, and if you make a mistake that's okay we all make them, and if you miss, that's okay as well, it happens, we’re humans we can't be perfect. But no matter what we are all going to be proud of you and the way you perform isn't going to affect how we all view you. You know they asked me how I would classify our relationship today, and I told them you were like my little sister. You know I love you right?” you didn't reply but nodded your head, she was a big sister to you, really everyone at Arsenal was like your big sister too you. A yawn escaped your mouth, “Lets get some sleep hey,” you shuffled around to be in a more comfortable position before you softly spoke “I love you too Steph”.

“Is she okay?” Hayley asked now that you were asleep. “Yeah, her parents just can’t make it to the game tomorrow and I think she is kind of scared, but she will be okay,” “Yeah, she is a great player, like really, I might head off to sleep now if that is okay with you,” “Yeah, see you in the morning.”

___

In the 22nd minute you scored your first national team goal, you were ecstatic however 5 minutes later that feeling disappeared when you were pushed, causing your knee to lock before twisting, you heard a pop in your knee, as a pain of wave rolled over it, the world around you went fuzzy, this couldn’t be happening, it couldn’t be your ACL, you couldn’t handle that, this was your first cap and now you might be out for 9+ months. You were quickly pulled back to reality by Tony calling all the girls over, who were surrounding you,  they all dispersed except for one, who was wiping your tears away, as the medics assessed you. They gave you a green whistle before they stabilised your knee and moved you onto the stretcher, Steph wiped away the last few tears that appeared on your face, before placing a kiss on your forehead, you were then quickly taken down the tunnel, left in your own thoughts, you were so badly hoping it wasn’t your ACL.

There were about 25 minutes of the game left when there was a knock at the door, “come in” the door opened slightly to reveal Steph, whose eyes immediately melted when she saw you, your knee was heavily strapped and in a hinged brace, a pair of crutches leant against the bed.

“Oh, Y/N/N,” she said as she approached you, wrapping her arms around you.

The physio explained to her that you had dislocated your knee slightly, but they were able to put it back in place, she also explained that you had to keep the tape and brace on at all times, until you saw the specialist back in London, she explained they had booked in an appointment for you as well as an MRI.

“Is there any idea of when she can play again?” Steph said, now holding your hand in hers.

“We aren't able to say anything yet, there is no way of knowing what other damage was done, until she gets the MRI, the specialist will be able to tell you everything though when you see them.”

“Okay, thank you, are we able to head out to the pitch, or does she need to stay in here?”

“No, you’re all good to go out. I’ll give you two some space, just let me know if you need anything.” Steph nodded, you looked up to her, her gaze meeting yours.

“Do you want to go back out?” You nodded, “Okay, let's go.” Steph helped you get off the bed and she walked beside you as you slowly made your way back out.

The full time whistle was blown and the stadium erupted, the Matildas had just qualified for the olympics, Steph picked you up and spun you around, “We’re going to the olympics baby!”, you couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t we it was her, their last number 20 did her ACL, maybe the jersey just came with bad luck.

[alotofpockets]

My jersey | Katie McCabe

Pairing: Katie McCabe x Reader

Prompt: "You're wearing my jersey."

Masterlist | Woso masterlist | words: 1k

When Katie asked you to come back to Ireland with her to visit her family, you were very excited as it was a big step in your relationship. However, now that you had landed in Ireland, you were only feeling nervous. “They are going to love you.” Katie reassured you one more time before entering her childhood home. Your girlfriend had a big family but the following week it would be mostly her parents and her younger sister Lauryn at the house. 

As Katie predicted, her parents loved you, and you got along great. They made Katie’s favorite meal for her coming home dinner, which according to Sharon was a tradition they created years ago. You thought it was a very sweet tradition and were happy to participate with the amazing food that was served. The first day of your stay was short, since you landed pretty late, so after dinner you played some games with her family before calling it a night.

The next morning you wake up before Katie, you get up and look around her childhood bedroom, something you didn’t get to last night. Her shelves are full of trophies and medals, and the wall above her dresser is filled with pictures of her with her family and friends. Your eyes land on one with her and Lauryn, both decked out in muddy soccer gear, paired with big smiles. “Good morning, baby.” Katie says from behind you. “Good morning, darling.” You quickly make your way back to the bed for some morning cuddles, placing soft kisses on her lips once you’re under the covers again. 

Katie has a meeting with her national team coaches today, which she was currently getting ready for. “Are you sure you’ll be fine here? I would take you with me if I could, I promise.” Katie asks for the fifth time this morning. “Yes, darling, I will be fine. Now go, you’re going to be late.” You say while practically dragging her out of her bedroom. 

Once Katie was out the door you realized that her sister was looking a bit sad, you sat down on the couch with her. “Hey, Lauryn, is everything alright?” You ask her. “It’s fine.” She quickly shoots back but you could read on her face that it wasn’t. “Okay, I won’t push but know that you can talk to me if you want to.” You were about to stand up to give the girl some space, when she started to confide in you. “Katie promised to help me practice but now she’s here but is in meetings, and you’re here. No offense of course, I’m very glad that Katie has found someone, and you’re really nice, I just meant that I know she will want to spend time with you.” You nod along to what she shares. “Well, two things. First of all, Katie has been talking about you the whole week. How far you’ve come with soccer already, how proud she is of you, and how excited she is to play with you.” You give Lauryn a moment to let the first part sink in before you continue. “Second of all, I know family is very important to Katie, and I would never stand in between that. I want you to know that my relationship with your sister does not change anything for your relationship with her. You need her, and she will be there, that will never change. Not that she would in the first place, but I would never let her break any promise that she made to you.” You managed to get a smile back on Lauryn’s face. “Thank you, y/n. I needed that.” You share a quick hug. 

“Hey, I know I’m no Katie McCabe, captain of the Ireland national team, but I’ve got some experience being on the England national team and all.” You joke, “Would you like to go to the field and kick the ball around?” You both head to your rooms to change, meeting back downstairs. 

When Katie gets back she only finds her mom there. “Hi mum, have you seen y/n?” Her mom smiles, knowing her daughter had found a good one, having overheard your earlier conversation with Lauryn. “Yeah, y/n and Lauryn went to the field a little over an hour ago.” Katie thanks her mother before heading to the field.

She realizes that neither one of you had noticed her yet, so she took that time to admire the scene in front of her. You were running drills with her sister. Showing Lauryn a technique and then helping her perfect it. The interaction with her sister wasn't the only thing she was admiring. She was also admiring you in the jersey you were wearing. An Ireland jersey with her name and number on the back. 

She snaps a quick picture before she shoots the ball that had come rolling her way back your way, successfully hitting the back of the net. Both you and Lauryn turn around to see who took the shot, you smile when you see Katie. “Show off!” You yell her way.

You meet her half way, while Lauryn continues working on the technique you just showed her. “Hi darling. How was your meeting?” You say before placing a kiss to her cheek. “It was good, they wanted my opinion on some potential new recruits.” While Katie talks about the meeting, you notice she keeps looking at your outfit with a doped grin. “What's got you smiling like that, darling?” You ask pretending you don't know the reason. 

"You're wearing my jersey." She states, still checking you out. “I like it.” She quickly pecks your lips, before running off to join her sister on the field. Seeing you wearing her national team jersey felt so special to her, especially since you play for a different country. 

You spend the rest of the afternoon on the field with Katie and Lauryn, only heading back when it was time for dinner. The food was amazing, once again. All the nerves about meeting Katie's family had dissolved after meeting them, they made you feel right at home.

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[waxingrunes]

I understand if you’re too busy to answer this or don’t want to, but i was wondering if you wouldn’t mind telling us some of your non-explicit headcanons or just some traits you think wolfstar have in general? Your explicit ones are sososo hot but today I'm feeling low and need some comforting. Yiur blog is just a safe space for me but I totally understand if not! I love your work <3 all my love x

There are so many nondescript hc’s I have that this has the potential to turn into a formal essay with cited sources, so I’ll go for more of a generalised dump of info I have for each in a hope that it lifts some of your fog Anon. Maybe bullet pointed because it’ll be easier to read than my usual untidy form of communication. Hope you feel lighter soon.

Sirius

• will lick a yoghurt pot if there’s no clean spoons. There’s the option to go for fruit instead, but he wants the yoghurt and by god he will get his yoghurt

• is a fucking terrible driver, gives Remus and any passenger white knuckles due to speed issues and not using a lower gear when taking corners

• is however, in complete control when on a motorcycle; very hot, very controlled and will take his passenger’s safety very seriously

• professionally trained in ballroom and ballet, the latter which he is sometimes mocked in jest for, even by Remus, until he one time caught him stretching elegantly on the floor one morning with his upper body laid flat between long, toned, wide spread legs, ‘morning moony’, a healthy blush on his cheeks

• private crier, doesn’t cry easily

• goes quiet when angry as an initial defence but it doesn’t take long for him to start dropping breadcrumbs of sarcastic comments; can also be snobby and bratty, perhaps sometimes will get nasty and direct (bringing up things he shouldn’t to score points in the heat of the moment)

• suffers immeasurable guilt (helped by the point above) but is always masking a weighted feeling of guilt no matter what he’s doing, so much so it’s manifested into quite a serious anxiety problem in the wrong crowds

• he fidgets a lot, not in a chaotic way, just always has to have his fingers busy with something

• likes the smell of gasoline

• once had to talk himself down from throwing a child in a dustbin

• loves the colour red; blood red and cherry red to be precise but secretly loves dark blue even more because it’s what looks most handsome on Remus despite him not wearing it often

• sighs a lot

• pretended he couldn’t speak English to get away with jumping a queue

• hates the smell and taste of liquorice (unless heavily strawberry/cherry/raspberry flavoured)

• on one particular messy night out he got so impatient waiting at the bar, he reached over and grabbed a discarded bottle of alcohol the server had left open and swigged it

• digs his nails into his skin when anxious and is often reminded to relax the tension in his joints

• stargazes often

• once linked his pinky finger with Remus and asked him to pinky promise not to tell anyone what he was about to tell him, since which a tradition of trust was born where Remus will offer his pinky or the last two fingers for Sirius to hold or squeeze when he’s feeling unsure in public, or in any situation where verbal reassurance isn’t appropriate

• gets a weird thrill at the sound of cork popping from a bottle

Remus

• collects beer mats and keeps them in a drawer, thinks about making them into a display

• got tired of kids playing ball against the wall of his place (after repeat offences and him asking very nicely for them to stop) one day so went out, retrieved the ball and threw it so hard against of the cars it set the alarm off

• owner of said car came running out the house and Remus blamed it on the children. Never had the same issue again

• has a wildly sweet tooth and will always drop one or two packets of sugar into any warm beverage

• stares into space and gets involuntarily caught on someone’s face one too many times which makes them uncomfortable from the ‘Death Stare’ phenomenon when in reality, he’s lost in lala land

• can cook, is actually a proficient cook, but will not cook for anyone but Sirius, James or Lily

• will crack his knuckles, wrists and neck absentmindedly, all of which makes his company squirm because it’s often very loud and ‘pop-py’ but Sirius fucking loves it

• stays very calm during an argument but can shout louder than most and when he does, ears ring from the silence that follows

• prefers tea over coffee

• will eat liquorice any time he wants to piss Sirius off

• cries more than Sirius, but still a private crier

• always has to be the old boot in Monopoly

• loves words that are vowel heavy or double voweled because those are the ones where the scraps of Sirius’ lost French accent surface the most

• has a gentle touch, is aware of his size and nature of his lycanthropy, therefore always somewhat reserved

• loves socks, has a collection of ‘dad socks’

• has the messiest writing out of all the Marauders but loves handwritten things, owns three very different fountain pens for very different purposes

• is polite, but as he’s aged doesn’t tend to ‘fake smile’ a lot, feeling no need to fill uncomfortable silences for the sake of others

• has a chair he favours and often dozes off in it. Most of the time waking up to Sirius on top of him

[togrowoldinv]

Landing A Sponsorship

Kate Bishop x Female Reader

Kate gets a sponsorship for her archery and you get caught up looking at the photos

Warnings: Smut! 18+ please! Kissing, cursing, strap riding, oral, etc.

Note: This is based on Hailee’s new photoshoot. I just think she’s so neat. Enjoy!

Kate Bishop Masterlist, Main Masterlist

Kate Bishop: The University’s Greatest Archer Gets Sponsored

You’re scrolling through Twitter when you see the tweet from the archery team Kate is a part of. You blink twice to make sure you read that correctly.

Clicking on the link, you read about how Kate got a sponsorship from a water company and you keep scrolling to see photos. But before you can really look at the first one, Kate comes waltzing into the apartment.

“Katherine Bishop, what is this?” You ask her, showing her your phone.

“Oh,” Kate shrugs.

“Kate,” you say, and a smile breaks through her face.

“I got a sponsorship!” She cheers and you give her a giant hug.

“I’m so proud of you, baby!”

“Thank you!” Kate replies. “I didn’t know they were announcing it today.”

You hand her your phone so she can read the article. Sitting on the couch together, she grins to herself at every word.

“Oh yes, the photos,” she says.

“I didn’t get a chance to see those,” you reply, taking your phone back.

The first one is pretty tame. She is in nice clothes as she stands with her archery gear. But things get heated up pretty quickly. The next image is Kate wearing leggings and a sports bra as she does pushups.

“Oh wow, look at my arms,” Kate says.

“I can assure you that I am looking,” you say. It goes over Kate’s head she scrolls to the next photo.

She is doing some light yoga in once again very little clothes. Your eyes are drawn to her arms once again and to her neck. She moves on to the video of her sliding into an ice bath and you have to press your legs together to relieve some pressure.

Kate finally starts to notice that you’re flushed, and she grins knowing that the last photo will definitely get to you.

And your eyes go wide as you lay eyes on the photo. You’re not sure where to look. Her face looks perfect as always. One of her hands is resting next to her and you imagine all of the things she can do with that. Her abs are so defined that you lose any train of thought you had.

“Do you like them?” Kate asks.

“Hm?” You ask, completely distracted by how she’s holding that water bottle. Kate chuckles and kisses your cheek.

“You know, I do have some behind the scenes pictures from that day,” Kate says. “If you might want to see.”

“Yes please,” you say.

Kate grabs her phone out of her pocket and goes to her camera roll. She takes a second before showing you a mirror selfie.

Her hand is holding something in her pants that is definitely not a water bottle.

“Kate, were you-”

“Yeah, baby. I hid my cock pretty well in those photos, didn’t I?”

“Fuck,” you mumble.

Kate doesn’t even have time to show you another photo before you crash your lips into hers. She drops her phone and pulls you onto her lap. Her tongue wastes no time entering your mouth and you are putty in her hands.

You move your hips to feel the hardness in her shorts. You gasp against her lips, and she takes the opportunity to slip her hands under your shirt. She takes it off with ease and moves her efforts to your pants.

“Stand up, baby,” Kate says, practically pushing you up.

She pulls down your pants and underwear before pulling her own shorts down just enough for her strap to come out.

“Be a good girl and ride me,” Kate says as she pulls you down onto her lap on the couch.

“Anything for you,” you say.

You kiss her and her hands play with your breasts as her strap brushes up against you. It’s enough to get you ready for her to slide in with ease.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Kate says, pushing her strap further into you.

“I can take it, Kate. Give it all to me,” you say.

“Yeah? You’re going to be my good girl?”

“Yes. Fuck, yes.”

Kate moves her hips faster as you meet her with yours. She can tell when you’re getting close.

“Are you going to come for me, baby?” She asks.

“Please, yes.”

“You look so pretty like this. Taking my cock like the good girl you are,” Kate says.

Her words tip you over the edge and you come hard against her. Kate grins and kisses you until your head is spinning. You rest your head on her shoulder for a minute before you slide off her strap.

Kate moves to help you off her lap, but you stop her.

“No, no, I want to take care of you,” you tell her.

“Oh? Go right ahead.”

You take her shirt off to finally reveal her perfect abs. There’s no stopping yourself from kissing from her hips up her abs and to her breasts.

Her head leans back as you take her nipple in your mouth, swirling your tongue around it in the way that you know makes her crazy. Her own hand reaches down to try and relieve some pressure, but you stop her.

“Let me,” you say.

“Good girl,” Kate says as you take her strap off of her hips and lick through her glistening folds.

Her hand comes to push your head further between her thighs. It’s your favorite place to be.

“Fuck, y/n. I need to come,” Kate says.

“Yeah?” you ask. Your voice vibrates off her and she moans. “Come for me, Kate. Show me that you’re mine.”

Kate comes hard against your tongue, and you work her through her high. You stand back up and she pulls you onto her lap again.

“Fuck, I love you,” Kate says once she can catch her breath.

“I love you too, Kate. And I really am so proud of you,” you tell her.

She kisses you softly this time.

“I think I need to get more sponsorships so we can do this more often,” she says.

“Me too, babe,” you agree.

[greynatomy]

Right Person, Wrong Time

Trinity Rodman x Reader

This was so fun to write honestly. Thank you to @deynacastellonaswife for the request and prompt. I hope I wrote to your expectations.

Also haven’t wrote a fic with over 1,000 words in a long time so that felt nice.

If you like this, please let me know!

-grey

———

You were standing in the middle of your apartment, figuring out what you should take with you to London, and what you can get rid of. You didn’t realize how much stuff you had until it was all laid out in front of you.

You’ve received many offers from plenty NWSL teams and many abroad, but when Arsenal put in an offer, it was one you couldn’t refuse. You decided to not finish college and go straight into playing what you love. You’ve always been a fan of Arsenal, watching the likes of Leah Williamson, Caitlin Foord, Alex Scott and so much more.

You know you wouldn’t stay in London permanently because you’d be homesick and missing your family. You’d also be missing your girlfriend of two years, not being ready for long distance at all.

You were so far into your own head that you barely heard someone ringing your doorbell and knocking on your door. Opening it, you smile at the sight of your girlfriend, but it quickly disappearing after seeing tears running down her face.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” You try pulling her into your arms, but she pushes past you into your apartment. You close the door behind you and follow after her.

“I-I-I need to talk to you.”

“Okay. About what.”

“I don’t-I don’t really know how to say this, but I-I can’t do this.”

“Do what?” You try to reach out for her, only for her to pull away, hurt showing on your face.

“You’re going all the way to England and I’m staying here and I-I don’t want you to go.”

“I thought we talked about this Trin?”

“We did, but thinking about it more, I don’t want to hold you back, tie you down. You’ve always wanted to play for Arsenal.”

“You’re not tying me down babe.”

“My decision is final. Focus on your career, I’ll get drafted here and maybe we’ll still see each other sometime.”

“You won’t even talk to me while I’m there? I could be there for years. I can’t just not talk to you.”

“You’re an amazing player. You’ll do amazing there, so focus on that, don’t worry about me. Maybe we’ll come back together in the future, but now is not our time.”

“You’re sure about this?” Your bottom lip trembles, trapping it between your teeth to make it stop.

“I am.”

“You’re younger than me but so much wiser, I swear.” You can’t help but let out a small laugh, Trinity letting one out too.

“I love you and I can’t wait to see how you play with them.”

“Can I have one last kiss?”

She doesn’t reposed but grabs both sides of your head, smashing her lips to yours. You wrap your arms around her waist, holding tight, not wanting to let go.

‘Right person, wrong time’, you thought.

———

Here you are now, January 2023, in a similar situation three years before. Having packed all the essentials and must haves into boxes and suitcases and sent some off to be shipped to your new apartment.

After three years in London, playing for Arsenal, truly making a name for yourself, it was time to go back home. You’ve requested a transfer and your managers and teammates were very supportive of you.

You’ve already said your goodbyes to everyone, especially to Leah and Caitlin who’ve taken you under their wing, with lots of tears shed, you’re off to the airport for a long journey home.

———

Trinity Rodman, a star player for the Washington Spirit and the US Women’s National Team, got ready for practice like normal. But today was a little more exciting. Newly drafted and signed players are arriving for their first practice with the Spirit.

Arriving at the stadium, she went straight into the locker room to get her gear on, many of her teammates joining her. Gathering everything she needs, she heads to the field with everybody else. Their head coach, Mark, asks them all to gather around, to welcome all the new players.

“Now, we do have one more person, but she seems to be a lit—”

“—I’m here! I’m here! Sorry for being late!” You come running towards them, gear in your hands, shirt only halfway on.

Trinity froze. She hasn’t heard your voice in such a long time. She didn’t know if she should go up to you, but her body decided for her, not being able to move from her place, looking at the ground.

“Right. This is Y/n Y/ln. Wanna introduce yourself?” He gestures to you.

“Right. Uh, again, my names Y/n and I played in Arsenal and now I play here. I’m twenty-three and I’m a CM.”

“Well, good to have you here. Now let’s start practice.”

The whole practice, Trinity was distracted. She couldn’t get her foot on the ball properly, even missing some open shots. Her friends/teammates notice her distracted, but decided to talk to her after practice.

She found herself staring at you. Some times you would catch her eye, her turning away just as quickly. It was weird seeing you after all this time. It was extremely awkward too because she wanted to just be wrapped up in your arms like you did years ago.

Practice ended, Trinity rushes to the locker room grabbing her stuff and leaving, not bothering to use the showers there like she always does.

You, on the other hand, try to look for Trinity, rushing into the locker room to see if she’s still here. Unfortunately, you just missed her.

“What’s got you looking stressed?” Ashley asks you.

“Nothing. Nothing. Just probably still jet lagged or something.”

“Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”

Needing to cool down, you hop into the showers, taking a cold shower. You didn’t know what kind of reaction you could’ve gotten from Trinity after not seeing you for a long time, but it definitely wasn’t her ignoring you and practically running away from you. Quickly getting dressed, you look for Ashley.

“Hey, do you happen to know where Trinity lives?”

———

Trinity was not chilling on the couch, watching her favorite show when there was a knock on her door. She looks through the peephole, not expecting to see you standing outside. She didn’t know if she should open the door for you or not, opting to stay silent.

“Trin, come on, I know you’re there looking through the hole. Let me in, please.” You sounded so desperate for her to answer.

Giving in she opens the door, moving aside to let you in.

“What do you wanna talk about?” “Why are you ignoring me?” You both asked at the same time.

“You first.”

“Why are you ignoring me?”

“I wasn’t.”

“You practically ran away after practice. Couldn’t even catch up with you!”

“I-I didn’t know if I could still talk to you. You’ve been gone for years and it’s not the same anymore!”

“‘Cause you told me not to talk to you when I left. Said to focus on me when all I wanted was to tell you whenever some good, something great happened in my life, but you blocked me!”

“Because if I didn’t I would be calling you.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You we’re with me. If I hear your voice and you’re not near me I’m gonna cry and I’ve cried for so long already.” Her voice breaks, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

You close the space between you and wrapped your arms around her. She tries punching and punching you away, but you hold on tighter, not wanting to let go.

“I’m not leaving you ever again, you hear me?” You voice muffled into her hair.

She finally wraps her arms around your waist, holding tight as if you’d disappear.

“Don’t leave me again.”

You gently grab her face with both of your hands, looking into her eyes. “I’m with you. I’m staying. Wherever you go, I go. You’re it for me.”

She leans her face up to yours and kisses you passionately, missing the feeling of your lips on hers.

She pulls away, mumbling into your lips, “You’re it for me too.”

Now is our time

[nyanashima]

Bestie. I am GRABBING YOU BY THE SHOULDERS AND BEGGING FOR SMOOTH AND SWAUVE MC HCS WITH THE BROTHERS!!!

Thinking about how Mammon or Levi could be on their phone and walking, not paying attention to their surroundings and almost ram their head into a sign or something until MC COMES IN AND JUST. ARM AROUND THEIR WAIST PULLING THEM CLOSE WITH A CASUAL "You alright there, sweet boy?"

Sometimes MC is smooth on purpose, but sometimes... It is absolutely not intentional and they get ALLL the boys flustered. (That is including Luci, he is not immune to the MC's charms 💙)

How do react to the smoothness of MC? Do they totally 100% freak out? Or are they more of a subtle flustered with a small blush? 👀

STOP THIS IS SO CUTE!! i had so much fun thinking about this concept, they're all such dorks ❤️ sorry for the wait!! this is a little different from my usual stuff but i hope you enjoy ✨

The Brothers w/ a Smooth MC

Content warnings: none!

Lucifer

You didn’t do anything extravagant. Really, it was unsurprising, considering the nature of your relationship.

You simply texted him to ask if he had plans this evening.

Upon receiving “no” as a reply, you told him to be ready for 8:00— and that you’ll be taking him to dinner at Le Pluvier.

Lucifer stares down at his DDD, gloved hand over his mouth to hide his raging blush. You casually asserted yourself and left no room for argument. He’s done the same many, many times. So why is he so worked up?

Diavolo’s booming laugh snaps Lucifer out of his stupor. Beside him, Barbatos giggles behind his hand.

“This is the first I’ve seen you blush in quite some time, Lucifer. What did they say?”

Mammon

It’s an average day in the House of Lamentation— meaning Asmo’s screeching can be heard from down the hall.

Poking your head out your door, you can see Mammon making a mad dash towards you. Asmo appears from around the corner, slipper in hand. Even from a distance, it’s clear as day that he’s ready to kill.

He throws the slipper, but it narrowly misses Mammon’s head.

You tug Mammon into your room, and swiftly lock the door behind him.

“You alright there, pretty boy?”

He takes a moment to register what you said, then feels his face become engulfed by flame.

Internally, he’s caught between “Who ya callin’ pretty boy?” and “Whaddaya think yer doin’, sayin’ stuff like that?”

Instead, he stammers for a solid ten seconds.

“Ya better not go callin’ anyone else that, y’hear?”

Leviathan

You’re bored. You’re lonely. You’re tired.

The cure to these ailments lies in Levi’s room. More specifically, in watching him play his new puzzle game.

At this point, you don’t even knock; he wouldn’t hear you with his headphones on, so why bother?

You seem to step into the room just as he gets killed in-game, because he throws his head back in exasperation. He hasn’t noticed you yet.

You walk up behind him, and he jumps when your hand meets his back.

“This time for sure, sweetheart. You’ve got this.”

Levi freezes. Baby pink blooms to the tips of his ears. He buries his face in his hands and tries to stutter out something, anything. Congratulations, you’ve killed him.

“You-you can’t just s-say things like that…”

Satan

Your day has been, in a word, hectic. Between student council meetings, class, putting out fires and settling arguments, you haven’t been in one place for more than a few minutes.

You finally settle in the HOL library, hoping to get a few minutes to yourself. Or at the very least, a nice moment with Satan.

You receive the latter.

“MC, I haven’t seen you yet today. How’s the most beautiful person in the three realms doing?”

“I don’t know, how are you?”

Satan thinks he’s slick. He’s not.

He bluescreens.

You watch the gears turn as he mentally fumbles for words. It’s cute, really.

He chokes, and doesn’t even think to hide his blush. Tugging at his collar, he mumbles something resembling “I’m fine, thank you.”

From here on, he takes it upon himself to fluster you just as much.

Asmodeus

You and Asmo are sat on his bed for his weekly spa day. He’s chatting away, recounting gossip from all ends of the Devildom. While it is interesting, his eyes are what really grab your attention.

You find yourself lost in them. They remind you of something, but you can’t quite place what… It’s on the tip of your tongue, when-

“MC, are you even—”

Asmo realizes what’s happening, and can’t suppress a giggle.

“Like what you see, MC?”

Then it hits you.

“Topaz.” At this, Asmo quirks an eyebrow.

“...Hm?”

“That’s what your eyes remind me of. Topaz.”

Asmo’s breath hitches, and he beams. He throws his arms around you, peppering your face with kisses.

“Oh, you scoundrel~! Who taught you to say sweet things like that? You better be careful, or I’ll fall for you all over again~! ❤️”

Beelzebub

It’s been a long night, and you had too much caffeine, much too late. So naturally, you find yourself wandering to the kitchen.

The dim fridge light peeks around the corner, giving away Beel’s presence.

The ginger must have heard your footsteps, because he smiles brightly as soon as you poke your head through the doorway. It’s a gesture you gladly return.

“Hiya, handsome. Can’t sleep?”

His expression falters, mouth forming a small “o” as his cheeks flush. After a moment, he smiles again, albeit more sheepishly than before. His hand moves to scratch at his jaw, and his eyes dart from the floor back up to you. His voice is small when he replies.

“You think I’m handsome?”

Belphegor

The Devildom sky is truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

The view from this mountain is breathtaking. After an agonizing hike, you and Belphie settle in the grass at the highest point you can reach.

The stars glitter above you, and for once, all is peaceful. No screeching brothers, or smashing vases, or running down the hall to flee from a punishment. It’s just you, Belphegor, and the sky.

In the quiet tranquility, minutes turn to hours. All talk slows and eventually ceases as the both of you grow drowsy. And, after an impressively long period of time, Belphie inevitably falls asleep.

Checking your phone, you realize it’s time to head back. You shake your companion awake and laugh softly when he glares at you.

“C’mon, sleeping beauty. It’s time to go home.”

Belphegor stands up and wordlessly cracks his joints, pretending he didn’t hear your little nickname.

He’s silently grateful there’s no light to betray his blush.

[ashwritesmonsters]

The Thru-Hiker (part 2)

Female Reader x Male Mothperson (Desmond)

Prev: [Interlude] Next: [Part 3] Words: 2.9k Note: Yes, this story is alive! Don't mind me just editing things like 80 times 😭

As you wake gently to the sun shining through old lace curtains, you enjoy a delicious moment of not quite knowing where you are. Your body feels rested properly for the first time in ages, and the bed underneath you feels impossible to get up from. This all changes when you remember you're in Willow Grove, on the second floor of Evangeline's Bed & Breakfast, and running into Desmond again is a very real possibility. The town was a tiny one, after all, and Moths like Desmond literally stood head and shoulders above the humans, Selkies, and Lupines in town.

With the possibility of seeing him again giving you much needed motivation to get out of bed—you literally imagine yourself hugging him and nuzzling into his soft neck fuzz—you quickly freshen up with an indulgent hot shower and throw on some fresh clothes. You never realized how much you missed wearing things like leggings and sweaters until you wore nothing but purpose-made hiking gear for months. 

The moment you step out of your cozy room, you're dragged by the nose downstairs towards the aroma of fresh croissants. As you step into the kitchen, Evangeline pulls a baking sheet with half a dozen of them out of the oven, her tail wagging with satisfaction.

"Good morning, dear," she greets you, moving with impressive speed to set out a plate and silverware for you in the breakfast nook. "How did you sleep?"

"Perfectly," you reply, playing hot potato with a fresh croissant as you sit at your plate. 

"I've forgotten how nice it is to sleep in a real bed. I seriously considered never getting up."

"Well that just wouldn't do!" She smiles warmly, baring her sharp canines. "Otherwise, who would I share breakfast with?" She turns her back on you for a moment to reach for jugs on the counter. "Coffee, orange juice, water?" She offers.

"Coffee, please," you ask. You heft your camera off your shoulder strap and onto the table, where it's joined by a mug of steaming coffee. You don't have to be a coffee snob to tell by smell alone that this is better than the freeze-dried stuff you had with you on the trail.

"You're a photographer, I take it?" Evangeline asks, eyeing your toaster-sized camera.

"I am," you say between bites of warm croissant. She smiles as you enjoy her delicious handiwork.

"Is that what brings you to Willow Grove?"

You think while you chew. Yes, you could tell her that you're here because you hiked five months to find a Moth you hooked up with in the woods, whose full name and contact info you don't even know, and you're sorta hoping to just bump into him in town and...

"Pretty much," you lie. "I took lots of photos on the trail, and I guess I didn't want to go straight back to the big city. Willow Grove is a very pretty town." That last part is honest.

"Well you are in for a treat." Evangeline leans in, elbows on the counter. She's proud of her town and her tail wagging is proof. "If you're looking for something to do today, I'd love to help you with some recommendations of mine."

"That would be lovely." Just like that, your croissant is nothing but crumbs, so you sip your coffee.

"Well, I think you should start at our library." Evangeline reads your mind and grabs you another warm croissant. "I'm sure you would find the archival photos there interesting. There are some from nearly a hundred years ago on the microfiche."

"Wow. That's pretty good archiving." You start working on the second croissant. You're drawn in by the chance to see this town in photos a century old. The town already feels so steeped in history; you'd love being able to see it for real.

"For a town this size it's unheard of. The library really is the centerpiece of the town. It's the only building with three stories and it's a beauty, too. It's all red brick and stained glass on the outside, with stained wood and brass fittings on the inside. It's pretty enough to photograph on its own, now that I think of it."

"I'll have to do that, then," you chew. "Thank you for the recommendation, Evangeline. I'd be lost without your help."

"Of course, dear. Don't hesitate come by and chat with me again."

You nod eagerly and thank her again. Between Evangeline's generosity and the small town charm, Willow Grove was growing on you. Once you finish your coffee and croissant, your camera finds itself slung on your shoulder once again and you set off, stepping out into the crisp Autumn air.

The walk to the library is a pleasant one, with the scent of fallen leaves and woodsmoke in the air. As you approach the building, you see what Evangeline meant when she said it was the town's centerpiece. The red brick exterior is adorned with intricate stained-glass windows depicting scenes of nature and the townspeople. Where the morning light shines on the exterior just right, you frame a shot and snap a photo.

Stepping inside, you're greeted by the rich, dark wood interior that oozes warmth and history. If you weren't drawn here by the lure of the archival photos (and didn't have a Mothman to find), you'd want nothing more than to curl up in a warm corner and finish a book in one sitting. Your eyes are drawn to the towering bookshelves that seem to reach for the heavens, each equipped with rolling ladders to access the highest volumes.

Following Evangeline's advice, you make your way to the microfiche room, eager to delve into the historical photographs she had mentioned. Upon entering, you find yourself alone under the dim lighting with only the sound of analogue machinery as various machines hum and click around you.

You take a seat at one of the microfiche machines, both eager and intimidated. You're no stranger to old tech, but you've never used one of these, and the machine's knobs and scroll wheels seem don't match anything you've used before. With determination, you begin to attempt operation, threading a nearby spool of delicate film through the machine and squinting at the projected images on the screen.

Despite your best efforts, the machine proves stubborn and uncooperative. The images refuse to focus properly, and the scroll wheel seems to have a mind of its own as it either moves too fast or not at all. Growing increasingly frustrated, you ball your hands into fists and fight the urge to smack the machine. You'd probably end up more damaged than the machine if you did.

"Ugh," you mutter under your breath, trying to channel your patience and remind yourself that it's just an old machine. "Why won't you cooperate?"

Taking a deep breath, you look around the dimly lit room, seeking solace in the quiet space. As your eyes adjust to the low light, you notice the intricate details of the machinery and the countless reels of microfiche waiting to be explored. Thinking about the long history of this town and the fact you're only one of many people determined to photograph it and record its charm calms you down a bit.

You refocus your attention on the stubborn machine, steeling yourself for another attempt at coaxing it into cooperation.

Just as you're about to touch the scroll wheel again, a gentle tap on your shoulder startles you. Your heart leaps into your throat as you spin around, only to find Desmond standing behind you with a warm smile on his face. 

"Hey there," he says softly, his big red eyes sparkling with amusement. "Need a hand?"

"Desmond!" you exclaim, unable to contain your joy at seeing him again. With a mix of delight and relief, you sweep him into a tight hug, lifting his featherlight frame off the ground for a moment. His fluffy wings flutter against your back, and you can't help but smile even wider.

"Wow, someone got pretty swole on the trail," Desmond jokes awkwardly as you set him back down, his chitinous features accentuating his shy grin. "I'm glad to see you too."

"Sorry, I just got carried away," you apologize, cheeks burning a little. "It's been so long since we last saw each other."

"Yeah, it really has," he agrees, rubbing the back of his neck. "How have things been for you since we... parted ways?"

"Tiring, but good," you reply, trying to focus on the positive aspects of hiking and living like a caveman. "I actually finished the trail just a few days ago. You weren't kidding when you said the town was right near the trail's end."

"Well, welcome back to civilization. I don't need to reintegrate you to society do I?" He teases.

"Shut up," you land a playful shove against his shoulder. "What are you doing in the library, anyway? You haven't been stalking me since I got into town, have you?" You tease back.

"Actually, I work here. It's what I did before I hiked the trail and it's good to be back."

Desmond the Librarian just seems too fitting for him. "How's life as a librarian?" You ask.

"Quiet, mostly," Desmond admits with a chuckle. "But I like it. It gives me time to read and watch old movies, which is nice. Plus, I get to help people find what they're looking for, whether it's a book or a piece of microfiche."

"Speaking of which," you say, gesturing toward the stubborn machine, "any tips on how to make this damn thing work?"

"Of course," Desmond says, stepping closer to the microfiche machine. With a few deft movements of his slender fingers, he adjusts the knobs and scroll wheels, and the image on the screen comes into focus.

"Thanks," you say with relief. "I was about to give up on this thing."

"Anytime," he replies with a warm smile. Then, he glances around for a moment before leaning in slightly, voice hushed as if by instinct in the quiet library. "Hey, do you want to see something really cool?"

"Sure, what is it?" you ask, your curiosity piqued.

"Come with me," Desmond says, leading you out of the dimly lit microfiche room and toward a staircase tucked away in the back corner of the library. "There's a private office upstairs with an amazing view of the town. I think you'll like it."

As you ascend the stairs, you notice the atmosphere shifting from the cozy bustle of the library to a serene, quieter space. The dark wood paneling continues upwards, and the scent of old books melds with the faintest hint of dust.

Desmond opens the door to the private office, revealing a room filled with antique furniture and more floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A large, arched window dominates one wall, offering a stunning view of Willow Grove below.

"Wow, this place is incredible," you breathe, taking in the beauty of the room and the town beyond. Townspeople below mill about, getting ready for a lazy morning. You can see the cafes on the main street starting to fill up and people driving their cars on the winding roads to the neighboring towns.

"I thought you might like it," Desmond says, a hint of pride in his voice. "It's one of my favorite spots in the library."

You both step closer to the window, absorbing the breathtaking view and enjoying each other's company in the peaceful atmosphere of the office.

"You know, um..." Desmond starts, fidgeting with his neck fluff, "I'm happy to see you again. I'm glad decided to find me again."

"Me too." You sidle up to him, enjoying the warmth of one of his wings. "I worried you'd think I was crazy, or you'd have gotten over me, or..."

Desmond stops you. "No, not at all. "I'll admit, this would have been much easier if I just gave you my number," he chuckles, "but it just didn't feel right back then, you know? But now that some time has passed and I've gotten to be on my own for a bit... this feels right, having you with me."

"Thank you," you reply, touched by his words. Your heart swells, and the knowledge that Desmond is just as happy as you are to be here has your face filling with warmth. If Evangeline's croissants were a feeling, they'd be closest to the sensation of Desmond wrapping a soft, warm, fuzzy wing around you as you both watch Willow Grove come to life.

Just as you're about to stand on your tiptoes to plant a kiss on him somewhere, the door behind you swings open.

"Desmond, I need to talk to you about..." The voice, strong and low like dark chocolate, trails off as the Mothwoman enters the room and spots you. Immediately, an aura of coldness and intimidation emanates from her, making the air heavy with tension. She's taller even than Desmond, and her black wings, spiderwebbed with streaks of white, wrap around her like a cloak.

"Who is this?" she demands, her gaze fixed on you. The warmth in the room dissipates like a snuffed out candle.

"Mom, this is my friend," Desmond says, trying to defuse the situation. "We met on the Appalachian Trail a while back."

"Friend?" Samara narrows her eyes, suspicious of your presence. Her overprotectiveness of Desmond is palpable, making you feel like an intruder in their world.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs... um..." You stammer, offering your hand in a polite gesture.

"Samara," she replies icily, ignoring your extended hand. She turns her attention back to Desmond. "You never mentioned any new friends from your trip."

"Ah, well, we just recently got back in touch," Desmond explains, his voice wavering slightly under his mother's scrutiny.

"Is that so?" Samara regards you with a steely gaze, her tone accusatory. She begins asking terse, probing questions, attempting to assess you as if you were a threat. "How did you meet? Why are you here in Willow Grove?"

"Um, we met by chance on the trail," you respond, feeling uneasy under her intense stare. "As for the rest, I'm just here to take some photographs. It's a hobby of mine." You try to remain polite, but can't help being taken aback by her coldness.

"Photographs," she repeats skeptically, looking you up and down. There's something unspoken in her expression, a hint of distrust that you can't quite decipher.

"Mom, please," Desmond interjects, coming to your defense. "It's really not a big deal. We're just catching up."

"Fine," Samara relents, her tone still chilly. "But don't plan on spending all day with her. You're needed at the circulation desk soon." With that, she gives you one last lingering glare before turning and leaving the room as abruptly as she had entered.

You stand there in the wake of her departure, heart pounding, as the atmosphere slowly begins to return to near-normal.

"Sorry about that," Desmond says with an apologetic grimace. "My mom can be a bit... overprotective."

"Is she always like this?" you ask, still reeling from the encounter.

"Unfortunately, yes," he admits. "Especially lately, with the town's Founding Festival coming up. She's been under a lot of stress." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly before continuing, "I guess I should let you know she's the mayor of Willow Grove, so the responsibility of overseeing the whole event falls on her."

"Your mom is the mayor?" Your jaw goes a bit slack. Having his mom dislike you is one thing, but when she runs the whole town? You try to shake off the lingering unease, focusing instead on the warmth of Desmond's wing as he returns to your side and rests his hand on your shoulder.

"Yeah," he chuckles nervously. "She's a bit of a local celebrity around here. I'm really sorry for how she acted towards you. I promise, it's not personal."

"Thanks," you say, managing a small smile. "I appreciate you sticking up for me."

"Of course," Desmond replies, his gentle eyes meeting yours. "You're important to me, and I don't want my mom's behavior to drive you away."

The sincerity in his voice makes your heart flutter, but there's also a pang of disappointment. When he had introduced you as "just a friend" earlier, it had stung a little, even though you understood why he did it. You wonder if that's all you can be to him when Samara is around – just a friend.

Desmond seems to sense your uncertainty, and hesitantly reaches out to take your hand. "Hey," he says softly, "if you're up for it, I'd love to take you on a real date soon. Somewhere outside of this dusty old library."

"Really?" The hopefulness in your chest flares up at his words.

"Absolutely," he confirms, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. "I want to show you the town and get to know you even better."

"Then I'd love that," you reply, feeling a mix of emotions, but still hopeful. Willow Grove seems like a town just magical enough to make this work, no matter how much warming up Desmond's mom needs before she gives up the cold shoulder.

[bladiebabie]

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐤𝐢

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨: Aki Hayakawa

𝙁𝙡𝙪𝙛𝙛 

𝘼/𝙉: Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock has revived me from the dead. Anyways, here’s some personal secretary aki headcanons. Please request more because the brainrot runs deep :’)

– 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝘼𝙠𝙞 who’s tall and intimidating but, at the same time, very handsome. He has all the girls and guys in the office swooning and pining for just one second of his attention. The moment he steps into the company, taking long strides to your office, all anyone can hear is a chorus of “Hello, Secretary Hayakawa~.” Aki is also diligent in how he works and dresses; there is never a day when his shirt is wrinkled or documents are misplaced. That’s just one of the reasons why you chose him to be your assistant.

– You’re CEO of a multimillion-dollar company at just 25. You were cold and calculated but fair and kind. After all, you didn’t get to where you were by playing nice and keeping your mouth shut. All noises would cease once your heels clicked throughout the office. You were just as intimidating to the public eye as the secretary you hired. That’s just one of the reasons why Aki chose to work with you in the first place.

– However, as similar as you and Aki were, you guys butted heads ALL. THE. TIME. It was to the point where it drove some of the other employees crazy with how much the two of you would argue over such trivial matters. Of course, it didn’t help that none of you were willing to ever lose an argument because of your stubbornness.

– Whatever idea you had, Aki seemed to have the opposite, and whatever opinion he had, you disagreed. So there would just be constant bickering from your private office because not a day goes by that you weren’t at each other’s throats. There were moments when the fights would get so bad that none of you would talk to each other for days, only passive-aggressively passing notes when you needed something.

– When asked why Aki still worked for you even though all you guys seemingly do is argue, he’d nonchalantly shrug and reply, “It pays well enough, I guess.” And when someone would ask why you still haven’t fired him, you’d sigh and say, “He gets the job done.”

– The employees at your company shipped you guys together despite the yelling and words thrown around the office because they saw how you guys would make it up to each other in the days that followed.

– Aki would go out of his way to buy your favorite coffee and pastry first thing in the morning, having it ready and piping hot on your desk when you came in because he knew that you had stayed up the previous night to finish a business deal. He’d replace the withering flowers in your office with your favorite ones that you’d always buy in the floral shop around the corner. Aki would wordlessly place a homemade lunch on your desk when the afternoon came because he knew that you wouldn’t have time to eat today. He’d wait for you when everyone else had gone home because Aki didn’t want you riding the train when it was so late. These were only a few ways he’d apologize to you.

–  You would buy Aki’s coffee mid-day because you knew the fatigue of running errands weighed down on him, and he needed a quick energizer. Then, at lunchtime, when he’s out with Denji and Himeno, you’d stop by the dry cleaners with his suit jacket in hand that was left on his chair, wanting the clothing to be crisp when he returned. Finally, once Aki has dropped you off at your apartment late in the night, you’d reach over to where his hand rests on the gear shift, offering a slight squeeze and a soft smile; you told him to drive safe and text you when he gets home. These were only a few ways you’d apologize to him.

– However, there were days when the two of you would bring each other coffee simultaneously. You’d both stare at the piping hot cup in the other’s hand before reaching out and wordlessly exchanging it. The tip of your fingers would brush together, sending an electrifying tingle down your spine that made you quickly turn away to hide the heat rising in your cheeks. You appreciated how calloused and rough Aki’s hands felt, hardened by years of hard work to get to where he is now. Aki gently smiled because an indescribable feeling bloomed inside his chest when you brushed his hands. He didn’t know what it was; he just knew he liked it. Aki appreciated how soft and supple your hands felt, despite the blood, sweat, and tears you had put into building this company.

– As you and Aki made your way to your respective desks, you couldn’t help but push this feeling into the back of your mind because it was supposed to be nothing… right?

© all work on this blog belong to mitsuyahh. do not steal, copy, or plagiarize. reblogs are appreciated!! ♡

[christopherisfoive]

Echoes

A/N: This is something that I would imagine to be a part of a bigger series but then again I struggle to write long term stories lol. Maybe at some point. Really just a snippet to get the gears going lol.

(Bang Chan x reader)

I never thought something I looked forward to would become so bitter. No room left for a sweet feeling any longer. Standing here off to the side with my group on stage waiting for final announcements to be made so that we can escape this awkward tension. I look toward Lea one of my favorite people in the world and her eyes meet mine. She reaches down and grabs my hand in hers. Both of us taking in big deep breaths.

"Well, I'm glad that we showed up late to avoid the mingling before the show." I sighed as she spoke. Usually we would be the first ones here jumping at all opportunities to catch up with everyone. Especially them. "Even if we were here before, we would still be completely ignored," Kat mumbled next to us. She looked over giving me a small smile, letting me know she was on my side.

All of this was my fault. Every hard stare. Every throat cleared in passing. Although was it? I was involved sure, with the rumors, that are undeniably false, in my eyes at least. It ruined my chances at a lot of opportunities and relationships. Staring to my left across the stage he stands there with the boys. Bang Chan, leader of Stray Kids. I make it sound a little silly but he is a very important person. To everyone and to me.

My mind goes back to the beginning of all of this. I had met this trainee over at SM named Donghae. He was very sweet and polite while making conversation, introducing himself to me. I would speak to him every now and then at events in passing.

I always saw him as a great acquaintance that I got to know. I would have never said we were anything more than friends and not even very close. "Donghae how are you doing today?" He smiled at me and clasped his hands together. "Much better now that we've gotten to speak." A nice warm and innocent smile that I had grown to really appreciate. Things did change after that.

At one of the award events Donghae came up to me and pulled me aside away from the girls. "Where did Y/N go? We have to go find our seats."

I followed him to the back of the room, not expecting a change of events that would affect my career for time to come. I remember the loud speakers and the chatter of people surrounding us. The nerves on his face and some sweat beading from the top of his forehead. I had a small smile on my face as he spoke.

Then I felt it slowly falter.

"Donghae, I-" I didn't know what to say. More like I knew what it was but I just didn't want to. Only because I knew that it would be what he didn't want to hear. I also heard something that I did not want to, so would it make it even? That is surely a silly way to think right? Thinking. I feel like I have been thinking for an eternity and he is standing right in front of me.

I played with my fingers, trying to not meet his eyes. I looked around for an escape but I didn't have one.

I coughed a bit hoping to get the words out. "That is very sweet of you Donghae but I just..." I closed my eyes and bit my lip. His eyes sparkled a bit and then they became dim in seconds. He knew. "I am sorry but I am not interested, I am really trying to focus on the group. I really want to put my all into this you know?" He looked down kicking his feet a bit. "It's fine Y/N, I understand. Sorry about that.

"Oh no you don't have to-" He walked away not waiting for another response.

I felt a small nudge to my back. I blinked a couple times remembering that I was standing on stage with a tons of our peers. I followed behind Lea walking towards the front of the stage to descend the steps as everyone began to leave.

As I was about to step down I made a sudden stop and almost tripped over myself. Bang Chan next to me and the rest of stray kids behind him. "Be careful guys we wouldn't want to get on her bad side." He smirked and proceeded to walk on off the stage. His lost boys following behind him. The last of them, Felix, gave me a sincere look of concern.

I sighed and walked down to the girls. "What an ass."

"Yeah its a good thing you never got involved with him." I force a laugh looking around again. He still thinks ill of me because of what I did. They all do. Lea noticed me becoming more aloof and linked her arm with mine. "You know he doesn't know the whole story right? It would take a village to get all of these people to understand. Why try?"

I would try in hopes of clearing my name. These people's opinions were important to me for some reason. Was it so wrong that I wanted their attention? I wanted his attention?

[everlasting-elegy]

Swapped! AU (Luke, Simeon, Solomon)

It's the long awaited finale, lads! The final characters for the Swapped AU. Thanks for all the support and love for the headcanons, I didn't expect everyone to enjoy it so much!! I hope you guys enjoy this post as well~

What would the characters in Obey Me be like in a world where they are players of the game and you’re their favourite character? Genre: Fluff Word Count: 2.8k

Luke

Luke tells everyone he downloaded Obey Me out of sheer curiosity. No, he did not download it to try and bond with the brothers, stop saying that. He just thought it looked nice, he swears on it-

With the bright colours and cool aesthetics, Luke quickly got deeper into the rabbit hole of Obey Me. You became his favourite character in a heartbeat. Even if you don't look tough, you definitely seem like that and super cool at least to him. He wants to be just like you!

As such, he spent a couple of weeks trying to emulate you. Wearing your style of clothes and trying to talk like you. He wanted everyone to think he was cool and he thought you were the prime example of it

Luke has cried from the main plot multiple times. Although the story is often funny and not much is shown explicitly on screen, the thought of curses and monsters sometimes gives him nightmares if he plays the game too late in the night. Those times he has to go to Simeon’s room for comfort

Wants to give you all the hugs! He may not be the tallest person around but whenever something bad happens to you in game he wants to swoop in and protect you. He hates seeing your sad face

Unfortunately, you’ve made Luke become a master procrastinator. If unattended, he will be grinding the game instead of doing whatever homework assigned to him. It got so bad that Simeon or Solomon always have to be present as he studies

His favourite card of yours has a pastel, tea party aesthetic. Pastries laid on a table, large plushies and side characters accompanying you, wearing light coloured formal gear. You’re inviting the camera to take a seat beside you and he really wants to join!

Luke also loves scrolling through fan art with a similar aesthetic. He just loves seeing you smiling, laughing and having a great time with other characters, away from the actual darkness of the main plot

Has cooked your favourite food and baked various cookies with themes to you. As much as he loves sharing his cooking at times he can get a little possessive with the foods he’s made for you, wanting to keep it all to himself

Luke is a responsible spender and he has Simeon supervising him, so anything he buys related to you is few and far between but very meaningful to him. He likes the pastel themed merchandise of you, including a set of baking utensils in your favourite colour

“I’m so sorry to hear you had a bad day, Luke,” Simeon offered a sympathetic smile as he kept the front door open for Luke to stomp in petulantly. “I can organise Solomon to come over and we can spend the night watching movies to take your mind off of things. How’s that?”

Luke took a moment to think before nodding slowly. “Okay. But I want some time alone in my room. And don’t come in!”

Simeon blinked in surprise as Luke hurried off to his room. Simeon was always one to respect the wishes of his loved ones, but Luke’s outburst piqued his interest. Just because he couldn’t come in doesn’t mean he could try and hear what’s happening from the outside…

After packing items away and suitably Solomon-proofing the kitchen for his arrival later today, Simeon tiptoed his way to Luke’s room to try and overhear what was happening. Through the door, the muffled tune of Obey Me’s home screen was playing.

“Oh, I didn’t realise you’re back. Did you have a good day?”

“I didn’t (Y/N), it was such a bad day! The first bad thing was with Mammon calling me a chihuahua. First of all, I’m not a chihuahua-”

Simeon stifled a giggle as the boy ranted on about his day, his screen supposedly listening in. He knew Luke had grown attached to the pixels on the screen that made up the character (Y/N) but he didn’t realise just how much solace Luke found in them.

Eventually there were a few sound effects from tapping on the screen.

“You know, sometimes I don’t understand my friends.”

“Me too! I mean, wait- I don’t think they’re my friends, they’re just my classmates. But they’re kind of cool… in their own way. I want to be like them. And I want them to stop calling me a chihuahua.”

A few more taps yet again.

“Don’t worry, if anything’s troubling you, I’ll take care of it. I’ve got your back, always.”

“You’re the best, (Y/N)! Thanks for listening to my rant… Solomon’s going to be coming over today. I wish you could join us too…”

Before Luke could get more moody, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. The boy audibly yelped before hurriedly turning off his phone as Simeon opened the door.

“Did you have a nice conversation with your friend?” Simeon asked teasingly.

“H-huh?! How much did you hear?”

“Oh, not much. Only all of it.”

“Simeon!” Luke whined as he grabbed his pillow, wrapping his arms around it and stuffing his face into the fabric to hide his growing blush.

Simeon

Downloaded the game when Lucifer was complaining about his brothers’ growing addiction to it. What better way than to understand how they feel than by downloading the game himself? Is what he tells himself but he can’t help but be a little cheeky to Lucifer

Even if you weren’t a character in the game, Simeon likely would keep playing because it was just such an interesting premise. He’s initially oblivious about how he appreciates you more than just an integral character to the plot, but once it hits it hits hard

Once he realises just how much he loves you, any line you say that offers even the slightest flirty tone has Simeon turning the phone screen away from him as he tries to hide his flustered face

Thought you were a real person at first due to the text feature, or there was at least someone real portraying you. Of course him only having set responses was weird but he didn’t know any better. When he realised you were just lines of code, his disappointment was immeasurable and his day was ruined

He fails your surprise guest event, repeatedly. No matter how many times you pay him a visit he still fails the event more than he succeeds and it breaks his heart. Solomon took pity and bought a whole bunch of your favourite items on Simeon’s account (even then Simeon’s success rate is depressingly low)

Simeon is enthralled with all your cards that portray you as suspicious and morally grey. With bright lighting in some areas casting dark, contrasting shadows over your face, wearing a knowing smirk as you look to the camera, finger pressed to your lips to make Simeon swear his silence

Likely has discussions with Satan, theory crafting and dissecting your character further. The two together are an unstoppable force when it comes to understanding you and Simeon will gladly contact the developers to help aid the plot under his pen name

Regardless, Simeon contributes to the fandom with fanfiction. He’s made a few AUs and just loves writing intense pieces of fiction about you and tensions with other characters. Still, he can’t help but be a little self-indulgent and write some self inserts and xReader fics

Simeon isn’t really one for official merchandise, but he has bought some fan creations that feel more personalised. In particular a fountain pen designed to your theme, that’s only kept on display remains unused

“Oh, good day Solomon,” Simeon chirped, wearing his gentle smile. “I was wondering if you were going to drop by, Luke’s been missing you.”

“Sorry, I’ve been caught up in learning a new spell,” Solomon responded in kind with a smile of his own. In the living room, he took a seat by a coffee table, opposite Simeon. The two were engulfed in silence for a few moments as Simeon waited for his guest to start a conversation, but Solomon couldn’t bring himself to speak. His instincts were caught up in something else. The uncanny feeling of being watched that sent electricity down his spine. Simeon may be in front of him, but there was another presence here… he turned his head to survey the area.

Solomon stared in disbelief as his eyes settled on the hunched over figure in the corner of the room.

“Don’t mind him,” Simeon waved his hand dismissively, smile widening as he tried to hide his embarrassment. “He’s been like that for an hour now. I think he’s trying to get the confidence to walk closer but when I approach him he scuttles away.”

“First… you tell me you’re Christopher Peugot… the author behind The Seven Lords,” Leviathan started, voice distant as he rambled. In fetal position in the dark corner of the living room, he rocked back and forth with his head in his hands. “And now you’re telling me you’re Ultimate(Y/N)Theoriser on Devilblr?! Creator of all the best angst fanfics with the cast and the fluffiest one shots with (Y/N) and who wrote the legendary slow burn series in a royalty AU where the reader is in an arranged marriage with emperor (Y/N)?!”

“I must admit, that second pen name sounds far less admirable but it gets the job done,” Simeon chuckled awkwardly, only making Levi scream into his hands. Solomon watched in amusement as Levi started to rush forward.

“Your autograph! NOW!!”

Levi almost tackled Simeon save for him narrowly dodging with a laugh.

“Of course, let me get some paper-”

“No wait, I’ve got a (Y/N) poster, let me get it from the home!”

Levi dashed out of the room and Solomon turned to Simeon with raised eyebrows.

“Ultimate(Y/N)Theoriser?” Solomon mused, smirk widening as Simeon rubbed the back of his head, looking away as heat climbed to his face. “My, you live many double lives, don’t you Simeon?”

“Don’t mention it, I forgot to turn my device off when Leviathan came here and he saw one of my drafts,” Simeon sighed. “I hope he keeps it a secret.”

“He’ll try, that’s the most I can guarantee.”

Solomon started to laugh but stopped when the door creaked open again. The motion was slow and hesitant as a blue tuft of hair timidly peeked through the crack.

“Uh… I haven’t gotten the poster yet… but Simeon… are you down for commissions? I have some (Y/N) fic ideas…”

“For you, my friend? You don’t have to pay me.”

Levi burst into tears of joy.

Solomon

Solomon is a busy man but he likely stumbled across the game on his own due to his natural curiosity and loneliness unless he overheard Asmo going on and on about how fun and pretty the game was and how he simply must download it

His emotions with you felt like a true slow burn. Of course his eyes couldn’t help gravitating towards you when you appeared on screen but it took a good chunk of the main plot until he realised he was genuinely down bad for you. Now no matter how much you’re in the game he’s starving for (Y/N) content

It’s his favourite pastime when he wants to do something mindless instead of studying and if everyone else is busy with their own things. Much like when he’s chasing his other passions, he can completely lose track of time and spend hours progressing through the story and grinding until someone knocks on his door

Your biggest fan, he’s always rooting for you. He loves how you navigate each complication and how you interact with other characters. He’d love to be able to join in with some of the antics

He likes to cook your favourite dish on the regular when he has the time. He tries to encourage others to try it so he can spread appreciation for your character but no one accepts… oh well, that simply means more for him!

His favourite card of you is one where you’re portrayed as a magician of your own. Adorned in a typical sorcerer’s garb, you stand in a darkened room lit up by your various spells as you smile in wonder and awe. Oh, how he’d love to join you and waste the night away lighting up the sky with magic

He tends to keep to himself but he’s a little more open on social media. Under a pseudonym he will go off about how you’re an amazing character and his brainrot. On days where he’s bored and feeling mischievous he may go around and spam content of you throughout the fandom

Might have bought a figure or two of you but overall isn’t big on the whole merch concept. He prefers to make his own little trinkets in dedication to you but if his friends ever gift him anything he’s not complaining

Similarly he doesn’t spend too much money on the game. He feels there are other ways he can appreciate you and get his daily (Y/N) fix. That being said, he’s got some spare change that he’ll glady throw at the game to get his favourite cards or exclusive outfits for you

Solomon is oddly soothed by the "permanence" of your character. Even if something bad happens to you in the main plot, or even in the worst case scenario if you die to further the story, you'll still be there to always greet him on the home screen

Notebooks were strewn across the desk. Messy scrawls barely visible over the dim candlelight. In the centre of it all sat Solomon, eyes flickering between each book as he contemplated in silence. He was so close but so far. It was passable but that wasn’t enough for him. Somewhere in his hastily written notes should be the answer, just a little tweak to make it perfect.

He jolted at the sound of a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

“Dinner’s ready, you should really get something to eat,” Simeon called from the other side. “May I enter?”

“Of course.”

Hearing the door creak open, Solomon returned to his musings, finger to chin as he tapped absentmindedly.

“My, a new spell? You’ve been at it for hours,” Simeon stated as he tiptoed towards the sorcerer, trying to make sense of the seemingly nonsensical ramblings on the paper.

“Days, actually,” Solomon muttered.

“Care to tell me what it’s meant to do? Perhaps another perspective could help-”

Solomon clicked his fingers, a simple ‘ah’ escaping his lips as he scrambled to one of his notebooks. Pen manifested in hand, he crossed out a small part of the script, hurriedly correcting himself as he rewrote the passage. Simeon watched with bated breath as Solomon leaned back, double, triple checking the writing before he turned to Simeon with a cheeky smile.

“Would you like to see the magic in action?”

Simeon swept his arms wide, inviting Solomon to take the stage. The sorcerer straightened his posture, gaze on the book as he started to chant a passage never heard before. This spell was an original, created only by Solomon for his own enjoyment.

As the incantation continued, a low light started to emanate from his hands. The light started to spread, growing at an exponential speed and brightness until it became a blinding white. Simeon stifled a grunt as he screwed his eyes shut, hiding his face behind an arm as the light became too overwhelming. This magic, it was sophisticated, it was strong. He shouldn’t have expected any less from the strongest sorcerer of all time.

He could sense the light dying down. Eventually, Simeon pulled his arm away but his eyes remained closed.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Simeon needed to take a moment. Just what could be the result of such powerful magic? Even opening his eyes seemed to take too long, the anticipation was killing him. He furiously willed his eyes to adjust to the darkness quicker.

In Solomon’s hands…

… was a (Y/N) figurine.

Simeon smiled politely, but his chuckle was confused. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“This is a perfect replication of the exclusive (Y/N) figurine that was on sale last week but already sold out. In all honesty it was far too expensive for me to buy, so I figured it would be a lot cheaper if I just created a spell for me to get my hands on it. In fact, I might try to do this with future forms of merchandise. It’s good practice for spells and- Simeon, what’s with that look of disappointment?”

Swapped AU General Headcanons: (Leviathan, Mammon) (Beelzebub, Lucifer, Satan) (Asmodeus, Belphegor) (Barbatos, Diavolo)

Obey Me! Masterlist

[joycrispy]

-I have ordered BINDERS and I am EXCITED for my BINDERS.

What do I want binders for? I dunno. I just know that all my creative impulses at the moment involve making living documents, and there's nothing better for that than a good ~aesthetic~ a5 binder.

At least one of them will probably end up being a DnD character journal. But I have other ideas, too. Too many; there's no way I'll get around to even half of them. We'll see what filters out.

-Also have my eye on a pyrography kit but the binders were marginally more practical. For now. I am itching to incorporate pyrography into the bookbinding. I already know EXACTLY what I'm going to make.

-I've been shoulder deep in the Tarot Hyperfixation again today. Had a slight epiphany with regards to what sort of project I want to eventually gear the Hyperfixation towards. So that's exciting! All these years, it's been a rather aimless hobby of mine. Nice to have a Goal.

-I am probably due another Good Omens rewatch. My main engagement with GO this last week or so has been reading fic in the evenings --and that rules. Please recommend fics to me. But I'd like to touch base with canon again and make some contributions of my own, again --meta or fic or otherwise.

-OFMD!!!!!

You get it.

-No 1000 Year Old Vampire these last few days. I should probably correct that. Speaking of living documents... (BINDER? WILL IT GO IN A BINDER???).

(I saw one --didn't buy it, but I have it saved-- that would be perfect for this particular world state. I've been playing with a word processor, but if I convert the games into analog, that's probably what I'll use...) (BINDER BINDER YES BINDER)

-I'm having a very good time. I should probably switch things up a bit soon, but if I've stuck in this particular groove a little too long, I had fun doing it, so it's not really a problem. I'm learning a lot of stuff very quickly, and making bad art about it, and that's when I'm happiest, honestly.

[itwasthisorthemilitary]

April 7th, 2024

Yesterday I went into the city. First to get my packages from Chorrera and lemme tell you, it was like Christmas. I successfully got both packages and now i have a phone case and enough caffeine supplements are least for the next month. It was so successful that i could’ve been happy just going home to Los Mortales right then. But i didn’t. Instead I went to Casco Viejo with Sophie. Casio Viejo is the most touristy part of Panama City and although beautiful, kinda a waste of time. It’s so expensive and there are American tour groups everywhere, and i know I’m American…but I’m not that kind of American. But altogether, pretty successful Saturday.

Today we did a limpieza in town. A limpieza is just a town wide clean up. The idea was to organize it and hopefully community members would join to help. No one wanted to listen to me when i said that no one in their right mind would go to a limpieza at 7 am on a Sunday 🙃 but WHATEVER.

Organizing these things are hard! Where do we get trash bags? Where do we get gloves? What the fuck do we do with all the trash once it’s been collected? On top of that, Momma Bielca telling us that we need to feed the people who do show up. So now we also need to find/buy food with no budget and secure somewhere to cook it. We put very little energy into this limpieza.

All things considered, I’m stunned it turned out as well as it did. Granted it was mostly trainees, but at least 10 community members showed up to help. We filled 24 bags with trash, and another couple wheelbarrows full of glass. Absolutely gnarly, it rained so hard last night so everything was wet and muddy, starting early was good because there was less heat but “less heat” is still like 90° with 100% humidity. It was great to see the difference we made, even if only for the next 24 hours.

After the limpieza i went home and did absolutely nothing for the next 4 hours. It was phenomenal. I started a new book today and im 300 pages in already.

At 4:30, Audrey and Caitlin came over to my house while the moms played bingo. We had told them that this Sunday we would be making all of them dinner to say thank you. Initially it was going to be lasagna but when i saw that 12 oz if ricotta was going to run me $11, we changed gears and made baked ziti, salad, and chocolate chip cookies. I was so nervous because Audrey and Caitlin both told me that they would help however they could, but the ziti was my domain. Also, cooking for 17 people??? Really hard to do in an oven that I’ve never seen used. I’ve been really stressed about not knowing if i got the right quantities, or if they would all hate it. It was hard! Everything just takes so much longer to get organized. But once it was all said and done, we had plenty of ziti, enough to give everyone seconds. And more importantly, they WANTED seconds. Xavier told me i need to teach Audrey how to cook lol. We even had enough to invite some of the neighbors over (I may have overestimated). It was really exciting because other trainees have made their families dinner and

1. 1 Person found their meal hidden in a cupboard the next day

2. Olivia’s family called her dinner “sopa de gringo”

3. Sav saw her family feeding it to the dogs.

Felt really nice to cook with Audrey and Caitlin and the family was so happy.

This week I’ve noticed a very distinct change in the weather. It’s raining more, almost always cloudy, not any cooler, and somewhere more humid than before. But the wind is a lot stronger and feels amazing.

One more week in Los Mortales.

[anawrites3]

Rose (or any of Slade's kids/Dick's siblings) getting a message about urgent matter and them needing help and when she arrives they just hand her over their baby (omegaverse or adopted) and leave for a date

Oh my, this is amazing 🤣🤣💕 I can imagine that they do this quite a lot (most of the time it's Dick's idea haha) and it works everytime! Their families aren't very happy with them because of it but in the end they get to spend more time with the kiddo so it's okay 😂💕 Thank you for the ask!! Now for the story 😚 (Quick warning; it is omegaverse!)

/ / / / /

Rose rushed up the stairs, cursing under her breath at the broken elevator. Out of all days, it had to break exactly today when she got a mysterious message from her dad (who literally never texted her first!). Well, the message wasn't exactly mysterious – it was very simple actually, only four words, but the lack of information had her stressing over it much more than it would otherwise.

Need help. Come quickly.

Rose read it over a dozen times already, looking for something more, for some hidden clues, anything. But that was... it. Nothing less, nothing more. Which actually made sense too, because Slade wasn't exactly a man of many words and his textings usually limited to short, specific information just like the one she got. Still, it would've been nice to know what exactly he got himself into this time and what was expected of her in this situation.

In the end, it didn't really matter. Slade had to be in some real deep shit to ask for her help like that and there was no way Rose would refuse to help him out of it. No matter what happened in the past between them – they were a family now, a pack. It took her only a few minutes to gear up and be on her way to Slade's apartment.

The stairs were a bit of a pain in the ass – why did Slade have to live so high up anyway? - but it was nothing compared to the training her dad used to put her through so she dealt with them quickly as well. At first she considered climbing the side of the building but it was still bright outside and she didn't want to risk anyone seeing her. She still had no idea what exactly Slade needed help with so she had to play it safe for now.

The whole floor was quiet when she got there, no sounds of fight or struggle, not even a faintest smell of an angry or hurt alpha. Rose silently stepped over to the right door and pressed herself close to it. Still no sound, no smell, nothing at all. She frowned, that wasn't a good sign. Slade wouldn't just give up without a fight so whoever it was that attacked him, probably had him already knocked out, patches on his glands to neutralize his scent.

Or... or worse yet, he could already not even be here. Rose could be too late and Slade had been taken away and that's why she couldn't hear or smell anything. Either way, no good. Rose unholstered her gun and made sure the silencer was attached properly. They really didn't need all the neighbors screaming and panicking at the mere sounds of the gunshot.

Slowly, she tested the door's handle and... the door was open. Yeah, alright, that made the whole thing a lot easier. Rose knew exactly how secure Slade's safehouses were – she got her fingers burned a few times in the past when she was trying to get inside – but she could bypass them with enough time. Time she didn't have now. Especially with the way she could hear the quiet sound of footsteps and rustling now that the door was actually open. Someone was still inside.

With a steady hand on the handle, Rose took a deep breath and prepared herself to pound.

And then kicked the door open and aimed, only to stand face to face with Dick fucking Grayson, holding his sleeping son on his hip. Dick looked up at her slowly, entirely at ease despite the loud entry and the gun literally aimed at his face and beamed when he saw her.

”Rosie!” he called out happily, as loud as he could with a sleeping pup in his arms and rushed over to her to scent her thoroughly. Rose let him do it, still too busy trying to understand the situation to pull away from him in time. ”You're finally here, thank God. Here, careful.”

Dick passed the pup over to her and Rose quickly holstered the gun to be able to hold him with her two hands. She held him a few times already but she was still afraid that she'll hurt the pup by not holding him properly and so she always made sure to be extra gentle and careful.

”Dick? Wait, what are you-”

”Jaden won't say hi right now because he had a very exciting day of playing and needs to rest but I'm sure he'll greet you properly as soon as he wakes up.” Dick smiled at her before pressing a kiss to the pup's little head. ”He'll be very happy to see you, I bet, since it's been so long since you last visited! But it's okay, I'm not mad, I know how busy you're now, Rosie. Oh, maybe we can schedule dinner next week! That'll be great, you need to text me when you're free-”

Dick babbled on while moving back to the mirror to fix his hair a little. Only then Rose noticed how nice he looked, dressed in the silky shirt with a pretty low neckline that showed off his collarbones and black pants that hugged his ass just right. But... what was he doing here? Did he get a similar text from Slade and they were meant to work together? Maybe he knew more than she did and that's why he's acting so confident and at ease.

”Wha- what's going on here?” Rose asked.

A quick look around the apartment told her that there were no signs of a fight here as well. Everything was in its place beside the mess of the blankets that were pooled on one of the couches (that was probably Dick's doing). Nothing smelled like any kind of aggression or distress there either – the only scents reaching her nose were those of a content omega, pleased alpha and the milky mix of these both that was the pup. ”Where's dad?”

”I'm here.” Slade called, walking into the room. The tension slipped off of Rose's shoulders immediately at his sight. So it wasn't any immediate danger.

”Dad.” she breathed out in relief before she was able to stop herself. Not wanting to show how worried she really was, she twisted her face in a scowl. If she wasn't holding Jaden, she would cross her arms too. ”Next time I'd prefer some more information than just 'need help'.”

Slade chuckled, not even looking up at her from the cuffs of his shirt he was busy adjusting. ”Thanks for coming so quickly, Rose.”

”Yeah, but-” Rose looked him over too. Slade was wearing a black three piece suit that laid on him like a second skin would. His hair was styled into a classy bun, instead of the messy ponytail Rose was so used to seeing him in lately. It made her feel pretty out of place – she was only dressed in a black gear meant for stealth missions that was nowhere near classy to what they had on. ”Why are you both dressed like that? Are we going on some undercover mission? Why didn't you tell me?”

”Because there's no mission at all, Rosie.” Dick told her calmly and walked over to Slade to tighten his tie with a fond smile on his lips. The alpha placed his hands on Dick's waist, leaning down like he wanted to kiss him but stopped himself. Good. Despite accepting their relationship some time ago already, Rose really didn't want to see that. ”It's a night off.”

”...Night off.” Rose echoed in disbelief. The slightly angry scent she unconsciously let out made Jaden move a bit and she did her best to hold it in to not upset him. ”A night off? Dad texted me, which he never does, and I rushed here because I thought that he's in danger! And you're telling me that there's no mission at all?!”

”Stop screaming.” Slade scolded her, gaze narrowing.

Rose listened to him, lips pressed into a thin line, only because she was still holding Jaden and didn't want to wake him up. But she was still angry and a bit of her scent seeped out, making the pup whimper in his sleep.

Dick was by her side in the blink of an eye and scenting both of them to calm them. Rose really hated the fact that it worked.

”There's no need to get upset.” he murmured with a smile that seemed to never leave his face. ”It's good that Slade isn't in any danger, right?”

”...right.”

”Well, if you really think about it, there's a mission for you alright, Rose.” Slade hummed. He made sure he had his keys and wallet, before crossing over the room to press a kiss to Jaden's cheek. Dick was already in the hallway, putting his coat on. ”The milk's in the kitchen, you can feed Jaden in an hour but if he's still sleeping by then do not wake him up. Diapers are in the nursery – we put them on the table so you won't be able to miss them. Most of his toys are in the nursery as well, shouldn't be a problem but if he'd somehow grow tired of all of them just give him the elephant plushie.”

”But-”

Slade stopped in the middle of putting on his jacket to look her dead in the eye, ”Anything else you might need is written on the list on the fridge. Do not call me.”

”Have fun you two!” Dick hugged her briefly and looked at Jaden with a loving look, scenting him for the last time. ”Bye, my little robin. Try not to be too fussy for your older sister, hmm?”

”Wait!” Rose panicked. Everything was happening so quickly - they were already halfway out of the door. ”Where are you going?!"

”On a date!” Dick beamed again. ”We haven't been on one in forever so you're a real lifesaver. See you later!”

Slade grunted something as a goodbye and wrapped his arm around Dick's waist to hold him closer before walking out of the apartment. And Rose? Rose could do nothing more than just stare after them in shock, even minutes after they already disappeared behind the door.

She got tricked into being a babysitter.

[gatheringfiki]

The following ficlet was written by @i-am-still-bb​ based on this photoset.

Fili/Kili, Gen

You might also be able to read this story on AO3.

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a comment either in replies or on AO3. :)

Sick Days & Ice Queens

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Kili patted another fistful of snow into a snowball. He rolled it over in his hands making sure that it was solid and that it fit nicely into his hand. He set the completed snowball onto the pile and promptly scooped up another handful of snow. He was so focused on his task that he failed to notice that the school down the street had let out. This was always accompanied by yelling and laughter, and on today, the final day before Christmas break, it was no different. 

When his mother had taken his temperature that morning and told him that he was going to be staying home—school rules—he had pouted and hurled himself into his bed. The final day of school before the break never consisted of much work. It was usually just a Christmas party and some “housekeeping” as his teacher called it.

But Kili had a fever of 100.3. So he had to miss all the fun. He didn’t even feel sick. His mother had not listened to his protestations; he had already received his first dose of cold medicine.

Fili had pushed open the door to their bedroom before leaving for school. He was already dressed in his coat and hat and his gloves dangled from the cuffs of his coat. “I’ll bring you some cookies?” he offered.

“It won’t be the same,” Kili huffed, face buried in his pillow. 

“I know,” Fili agreed.

Kili rolled over to look at the bottom of the top bunk. Glow in the dark stars  were dull against the wooden boards. Some paper snowflakes hung near the foot of the bed. He sighed. “Why aren’t you sick?”

Fili shrugged. “I don’t eat food off the floor,” he teased.

“That was one time!” Kili protested loudly. 

Their conversation was interrupted by their mother calling for Fili, saying that he was going to be late.

“I’ll see you after school?” Fili offered before turning the corner.

“Yeah… I guess…” 

Kili spent the morning mopping around the house and driving his mother crazy with questions and being a general nuisance. There was nothing on the television worth watching after 9am unless he wanted to watch toddler shows, soap operas, or the news. His GameBoy batteries were dead and he couldn’t find new ones. And he did not want to read a book, thank you very much. When noon rolled around Dis fed him a lunch of vegetable soup with alphabet noodles and grilled cheese. And then she took his temperature again. 

99.8

And with that she declared him better and shooed him out the door before his coat was even fully zipped.

Kili stayed outside and that was where Fili found him a couple hours later when the knees of Kili’s snowsuit were soaked through and his cheeks were red from warmth and exertion rather than cold. He had constructed a wall of snow using an old ice cream tub and had dragged the plastic play furniture from the shed into his snow fort. 

Fili stopped next to the snow wall. “What’re you doing?”

Kili’s head snapped up. “You’re home!” he exclaimed. “You can help defeat the ice queen!”

Fili dropped his backpack on the snow. “How do we do that?”

“Well we have to be older,” Kili said matter-of-factly. “Like old enough that you have a beard. And then we have to go to the faeries to get their help.”

“Faeries?”

Kili nodded vehemently. “They’re the only ones that know how to defeat the ice queen,” he said, then added as inspiration struck, “Maybe they have a magic potion! Or a sword! Or—”

“A magic spell!” Fili interrupted, already getting sucked into his brother’s imaginative play.

“Yes!” Kili nodded.

“I’m going to get my boots and then I’ll be back,” Fili said. “My toes are already wet.” He lifted a wet sneaker as proof. 

“Can you bring Oscar when you come back out?” Kili shouted at Fili’s back before he disappeared inside.

“Yes,” Fili shouted back. 

Fili returned a few minutes later with different shoes and his own snow gear and a wooden reindeer clutched in one fist. He set Oscar down on the table. 

“So how do we find the faeries?”

Kili spelled out his plan and the two of them traveled through “Mirkwood” to the “Long Lake” their imaginations turning the bushes that were icy and had a few leaves still clinging to their mostly bare branches and the koi pond in their neighbors yard turning into a dense and magical forest that bewitched its visitors and a lake that was visited by a dragon. The air was cold and tasted of snow, but the two boys stayed out until the street lights were coming on. 

“Fili! Kili! Dinner time!” Their mother called them away from their play and everything drifted back to reality. Oscar was a wooden toy, not a warm companion that made sure they didn’t fall into the lake or the river. The plastic play furniture was no longer a wooden table laden with rich foods to tempt them away from their quest. But the invisible Ice Queen was still out there, undefeated, as the dense covering of snow was proof.

The boys rushed inside knowing that tomorrow they could build a different world with their imaginations.