#LISTEN i would apologize but you're the ones that keep egging me on !!!

[fastcardotmp3]

okay omg that makes so much sense actually about Steve and i think in general he's been such a constant for the party that going into season 5 without him would be really destabilizing and would really open up some space for some really interesting dynamics especially with Dustin and Eddie and Dustin and robin and just robin in general who's tether to the party is gone now, even Nancy who imo always saw him as her safe choice almost? like someone who would always be there in case it didn't work out?? soo all of that said how would you do it?? like how would you kill him??

it WOULD be so destabilizing! and you're right about the dynamics-- the reason I don't like the idea of them saving their Big Loss for the final season is that it doesn't give us any time to see the aftermath of what losing someone that vital to the group looks like, you know?

like the absence of a character you love is, in its own way, a continued presence and I think it's so important to a story like this one that (even if it forgets about it on a frequent basis) is so linked to the varied effects of grief on people

it's also the difference between killing off a character because you as a writer are done with them/ don't need them anymore since the show is ending and letting them die in an impactful way because that's the story being told, which is I think where a lot of people who don't like the idea of steve dying misunderstand where I'm coming from with it, because death is not inherently the end of a story nor the end of a character's importance to it!

but none of that answers your actual question I'm so sorry fjsdklf

I talked a bit about how I would kill steve in a pure replacement of Eddie's death scene here, but if you're giving me the chance to write it from scratch 👀 oh you know I am not going to deny you OR myself that fjasldkfj

Because if we're really leaning into the fact that Steve is the "gets back up" guy, I think his death would sneak up on us slowly until it ultimately just happens.

let me explain

Steve gets torn apart by those bats when he's dragged through the gate at Lover's Lake.

I mean he is well and truly fucked up in ways that aren't fully acknowledged by the show in canon, but what if we made that make sense? What if Steve gets up and keeps going and doesn't complain because he doesn't know how else to go about it?

Even after his arc in season 2 and losing Nancy over his instinct to push forward through pain, we never really see him have to grapple with that again, it's not a character trait he loses and it's a big part of who he is even post-New Stevification.

He's the damn tank, he's got no point of reference for what it looks like to deal with his shit in a healthy or productive manner, he just keeps moving.

So Steve gets messed up. He's bleeding, he's got torn muscles, he's definitely in the process of developing an infection or hypothermia or something walking around the UD with no shoes or shirt, open wounds just in the air like that.

And he doesn't make it a priority. He keeps moving. He gets back up. He gets his friends through that gate and listens to the plans being made and drives the getaway car and he has still not received medical attention.

We don't see Steve hurting save a few winces and grimaces here and there, even though all evidence would point towards the reality that he definitely is, because he doesn't want us to, because he's used to getting hurt close enough to the end of the thing that he can always make it out of the fray before he needs to deal with his own injuries.

He's the guy who keeps going.

He goes all the way through their trek back into the UD, manages to shut off the trailer well enough to keep the bats out even without either him or Dustin getting hurt (a close call, a scary one, but they're both breathing at the end of it, both on their feet).

Steve keeps going. He's wearing a lot of layers, but he can feel the blood soaking through them in heavier spurts now that he's aggravated all the torn flesh on his body with the running and fighting and such.

We see him wince a bit more now, bigger. But he hugs Dustin tight while they wait for their friends.

He makes sure the others get back safe, helps them climb over the mountain of bat's corpses leading up to the trailer and gets everyone back through the gate.

Gets himself back through the gate.

Stands amidst the complicated relief that they're all there but they aren't sure what all has happened yet, aren't sure they've won.

But he keeps standing.

Stays on his feet.

"Hey, Stevie, you OD back there?" Robin speaks up, something suddenly urgent to her shaky teasing as she notices Steve isn't following her as closely anymore on their trek away from the open rift in the ground and back towards where they'd hidden the Winnebago.

He sways slightly, but it's when he tries to smile at her that she sees the crimson shine of blood in his mouth.

"Nah, I'm-- right here with you."

And he collapses.

Unceremonious and on the other side of battle, in this moment when they're so close to finding shelter and safety, Steve's strings get cut and he falls to the floor at their feet and it's chaos.

It's Robin hyperventilating over what she finds when she unzips his jacket-- so much blood, why didn't you say-- this is so much blood-- and it's Dustin reminding him of a promise made in an elevator-- you die, I die, asshole!

It's Eddie trying desperately to call upon any of the first aid Wayne taught him and Nancy sitting quiet and still and barely present with two fingers pressed to Steve's neck, just under his jawline, waiting to feel...

Waiting.

She hardly even needs to check though, Nancy Wheeler, who knows better than most what it feels like in your chest when someone you love is--

"He's gone."

She knows he is. She can feel it. The world is different now and Steve Harrington is dead.

The world is different now because Steve Harrington is dead.

And all there's left for any of them to do is keep going.

[sweetiewrites]

𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨…

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎: just some spicy headcanons for hobie !!

𝙒𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂: smut !!! gender neutral reader !!! random headcanons that have no literally no evidence !!!

𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙎 𝙉𝙊𝙏𝙀: as an apology for not having part two out yet. listen listen i want to make it good for y'all. also also if you want some content on your spidersona please consider checking out my commissions shop!

❥ here's one of my favourite things about hobie; he fucks. he's well experienced, and he knows exactly what he's doing so he's not satisfied just sticking his dick in and going to town.

❥ hobie is a true switch; he can do whatever you need and more, but most of his past partners have been subs so he's used to that role.

❥ he's a pleasure dom. i am not taking any notes. when hobie tops the only thing he wants to do is make you feel amazing. he won't even put his dick inside of you unless your legs are already shaking.

❥ he has an oral fixation. so he usually has something in his mouth, but that also means he loves giving oral in every since of the world. he worships your pussy/dick like it's a god in his own right.

❥ "oh aren't you the most perfect little thing, all of your parts are perfection." and he means it, because even though he has had his fair share of lovers; yours is his favourite.

❥ hobie is all about praise and worship. even when his cock is deep inside you he's calling you a god/goddess, telling you that you're taking him so well and he's encouraging you to go deeper.

❥ trust me though, he has the capacity to be so mean. in the mix of his praise he's commanding you, groaning out how you're a good little whore and pretty little slut.

❥ when hobie is subbing he's a bit less cocky and confident just because he truly is not used to being in this position

❥ don't get me wrong he's still a sassy, cocky motherfucker just to a lesser extent because he's still teasing you, egging you on, telling you that you could do more to him.

❥ hobie is already pretty vocal but he's more vocal when he's subbing. he's groaning, letting you know that he feels amazing and to keep going.

❥ if you tease hobie he can hardly handle being on bottom, because he just works himself up so much and he desperately wants to do whatever he wants. while he's a true switch he also doesn't believe in consistency so expect him to flip you over and fuck you.

❥ may i add that he loves being physically restrained. he's into bdsm as long as you are and you consent. he wants to be physically tied down and by god he would do anything to have you tied down underneath him squirming and begging him.

❥ like i said, hobie absolutely fucks and he will blow your mind in anyway you want him to just say the word

[mlmxreader]

mixed bag of prompts

rules & guidelines - please read BEFORE you request!

rules: prompts can be used multiple times & can be mixed and matched (eg putting song lyrics w situations), and several prompts can be used at a time.

this prompt list is also ONLY for requests to be sent to @mlmxreader; you can reblog but please do not use for your own writing or inspiration.

Dialogue

"I can't think straight when you're around"

"Come here, let me do it"

"Do you have to make so much noise?"

"Careful!"

"Alright, that's enough!"

"Calm down"

"How can you say that?"

"It wasn't me, I swear!"

"My apologies, I didn't mean to wake you"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Just listen to my voice"

"We have to keep marching on"

"Oh how I missed you"

"Nothing is the same any more"

"It was just a nightmare"

"Does it ever end?"

"I can't be without you"

"We are a long way from home"

"We will not live to see the end of it"

"I have seen too much of that"

"You shouldn't encourage me"

"Who cares anymore?"

"I kept your picture in my pocket"

"Hear that? The cannons are silent"

"I was fucking miserable without you"

"I am not fucking wearing that"

"You hit him and I will knock your head from your shoulders"

"We were all friends"

"Can you stay a while?"

"What? I'm trying to get comfortable!"

"This is fucking ridiculous"

"You look great, trust me"

"How stupid of me to think you'd ever love me"

"Come on, you should eat"

"If it would be alright with you, can I kiss you?"

"I fucked it all up again"

"I promised to protect you"

"Fantastic"

"Don't you think we should tell them?"

"Now that's a sight I love to come home to"

"Just one day of rest won't kill you"

"Go! Run!"

"I adore you"

"Give me your hand"

"Please, just trust me"

"Relax would you?"

"Tell me you love me again"

"It really is entertaining to see you so jealous"

"Do not tell anyone"

"Now, would you look at that?"

Situations/AUs/etc

Major Character Death

Dancing in the kitchen

Attending a house party

Overnight stakeout in the car

Friends to lovers

Fake relationship

Bodyguard!AU

Secret relationship

First kiss

Marriage proposal

Museum dates

Staying up all night talking

Werewolf!AU

First date

Zombie!AU

First "I love you"

Getting into a fight to protect the other

Fearing the other is dead

Trapped somewhere together

Playing spin the bottle

Swapping clothes by accident

Insecurity about the relationship

(SFW!) sugar daddy!AU

Requited unrequited love

Jealousy over someone flirting with the other

Sleepless nights

Road trips

Falling asleep together

Making out on the sofa

Horror film marathons

Surprising the other with a gift

Stealing hoodies/shirts/etc from the other

Trying to cheer the other up

Not thinking they're good enough for the other

Morning kisses

WW1!AU

Realising how they feel

Camping trips

Hugs from behind

Lazy days at home

Being haunted by their ghost

Meeting their family/friends

Visiting late at night

Sneaking in through the window

Giggly kisses

Attending a concert together

Going to a music festival

Helping them out of a shitty relationship

Getting caught kissing and having to explain

Tending to their wounds

Song Lyrics

"And I marched and I fought and I bled"

"We were food for the gun"

"I heard my friend cry, and he sank to his knees, coughing blood, as he screamed for his mother"

"I wept as his body grew colder"

"Though it wasn't my fault and I wasn't to blame"

"There's nobody remembers our names"

"Yea it burns a fire that drives a man to win"

"Holding us together while other kingdoms fall"

"But all are not rightful"

"Wait and receive the weight of the fall"

"It’s a stalemate at the frontline"

"Where the soldiers rest in mud"

"All is gone"

"There is no glory to be won"

"Know that many men will suffer"

"Know that many men will die"

"Stuck in a trench with no way out"

"Young men are dying, they pay the price - oh how they suffer, so tell me: what’s the price of a mile?"

"Snipers are moving unseen"

"Fight for land, to lose it again"

"The trenches mean death, better keep your head down low"

"Break their will, as yours has been broken, they’re here alone, dream of home"

"By kings and queens young men are sent to die in war"

"Their propaganda speaks those words been heard before"

"There’s no sign of peace"

"When they face death they’re all alike, no right or wrong, rich or poor, no matter who they served before - good or bad, they’re all the same, rest side by side now"

"You will never survive"

"Show no fear"

"Round them up, look into their eyes, they beg for their lives"

"You'll be the hero of the neighbourhood, nobody knows that you've left for good"

"You've got your orders better shoot on sight, your finger's on the trigger but it don't seem right"

"How many wasted lives? How many dreams did fade away? Broken promises, they won’t be coming home"

"Found their peace at last as foe turned to friend and forgive, and they knew they’d die"

"Oh, Mr. Crowley did you talk to the dead?"

"Blood on your face you big disgrace"

"The boys just call me Camouflage"

"Well, we fought all night, side by side, we took our battle stance"

"So here, take his dog tag, son, I know he’d want you to have it now"

"Smokes and spits and drinks and fights, and his friends all look like trouble"

"Where's that boy I used to cuddle?"

"Says you're a good boy and that you must be goin' through some phase"

"You're the only hell your mama ever raised"

"I don't care what you say, I've got to go and fly away"

"I may be just an ordinary man, but at least I'm someone to lean on"

"I'm a little pissed off today and there ain't nothing you can do about it"

"I'm a little put off today and I could not tell you why"

"I told a little white lie today, I smiled and told someone I loved them"

"I had to say goodbye today to someone that I love"

"I couldn't even cry today, I think my heart is finally broken"

"You can all fuck off today"

"I want you so much. Darling, I want to hold you near"

"I can't stop running to you"

"I feel love coming through you"

"I always used to kiss and run, I never wanted love to catch me"

"You must understand though the touch of your hand makes my pulse react"

"What's love but a second-hand emotion?"

"Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?"

"You'd get along like a house on fire"

"I think about when times were hard, we'd sit and not say a word, share a drink or three, just keeping company and know the other one was there"

"Thank you for lifting me up when I thought the world had won"

"I can't believe it's been so many years"

"And while I wish that you were here"

"I hope you're feeling better"

"I found that perfect life we always talked about, they'll always know your name"

"But if we wanted the truth we wouldn't buy the lies"

"And follow the fools and the battle cry"

"For nothing we'll lose, and does it matter, matter if we live or die?"

"Gather my friends, I'll tell you my story"

"I fought with my steel, I believed in my sword"

"At long last they both would finally be left alone, the tired hero and the dragon. throughout the land they were known"

"We call to follow the wild"

"Don't he look fine and handsome?"

"Don't he look at his most?"

"And he died for his kin"

"I need to know where your loyalties lie"

"Tell me are you gonna bark or bite?"

"I'd sacrifice my life to find you"

"I'll fight for you until I die"

"I would suffer forever to absolve all your pain"

"All that I ask from you was to give me your love"

rules & guidelines - please read BEFORE you request!

[foxes-that-run]

2013 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

3 January hair pinned up at restaurant in Virgin Islands. Harry's "might as well.." Tattoo first seen. Covered with Ferns now.

4 January - Taylor's blue dress on a boat. Harry bite bruise on his hip

7 January -Harry back in London, date People reports that they broke up. Reports Scott swift told them to slow down.

9 January - photos of Harry in Richard Bransons hot hub on front page after the break up. (I often wonder what the less famous people think now that they treated him poorly as a kid and he is massive now). Gordon Smart (1:12, warning he follows it with a bad anecdote about 18 year old H), who worked on media for One Direction, said in 2020 that Harry had said:

"Simon Cowell actually paid me to do some media training with them back in the day so I met them before they were massive and they were again really lovely kids. [...] I wrote a front page story about him sharing a jacuzzi with a girl on holiday and he told me it was bollocks and we still ran it, because we had a picture of him in the jacuzzi. It was probably totally innocuous and I really I'd like to apologize unreservedly to Harry for that because it was an error of judgment on my part and it probably tarnished our friendship."

Richard Branson also has gross sounding comments about this 18 year old that day.

10 January - made fun of his accent at Grammy's

12 January when asked, Niall says he listens to WANGBT, Louis says and Harry’s. 22 MV filmed.

15 January - one direction trip to Ghana for Red Nose Day comic relief

21 January - Taylor in London reports she saw Harry

22 January - Harry got the Butterfly and handshake tattoos.

23 January - Taylor in Madrid before performing at the '40 Principales Awards'

26 January Both at NRG Awards, 25 January Taylor posts Cannes Sunset situation. They both stayed in the Intercontinental Carlton Cannes Hotel.

1 February - Harry's 19th birthday. £5k tab, messy, wild party. Rumour that Taylor had booked a week in Italy which was cancelled

6 February - Savan Kotecha (WMYB writer) gave interview where he said 1D want to be write but can’t. His last 1D credit is Happily and in 2017 praised (45 mins) Harry’s writing.

10 February - Taylor at Grammy's, night Ed says inspired Tenerife Sea

21 February - both attend Brit awards - Taylor performs I knew you were trouble with Harry in the audience. In march she told the Sunday Times "Well, it's not hard to access that emotion when the person the song is directed at is standing by the side of the stage watching." She goes to an afterparty with Tom Odell and out with him the next night. Tom writes Country Star about Taylor and Harry wrote Happily about wishing they were together. Ed is asked if he would trust Harry around his girlfriend and he said “well he trusts me around his girlfriend so yeah I do. We’re friends we don’t do that.” Harry went on Nick Grimshaw from 6am a hungover.

23 February - 3 November - 1D Up all Night tour, start in Europe

7 March - Taylor sells Hyannis Point House at $1m profit

15 March - Taylor vanity fair article. Says Harry pursued her for a year before KCA, better part of a year after and it fell apart one night in London when he went out and he’s texting her to ask to see her again at the time of the interview. Pointed mentioned she was born in 1989, Easter egged wonderland, talks about Connor being 2 months and insignificant. Implies Harry was a rebound from JG and Connor was a Harry rebound. Says she’s looking for someone who is interested in her not her wiki page.

29 March - Taylor played “You're Not Sorry” in Newark. “I truly believe that when dealing with anybody you meet, you should start by trusting them. Any new friend you meet. Any new person you meet. I think you should truly believe the beat in them. And the first time that they tell you they’re sorry I think you should believe them. But then if they keep doing the same exact thing that they say they’re sorry for, that means one thing guys. That they’re not. Sorry.”- here. Appeared in Wonderland cover April 7, 2013

11 April - Louis says 'Taylor Swift' after Harry sings "I'm in love with you" in Little Things

20 April - TS on B stage song before “I Almost Do” in Tampa, FL. “everybody’s got like one, maybe two, I don't know how many you have, but at least one person in your life that doesn’t belong in your life anymore because maybe they hurt you or maybe it’s just over but you kind of want to call them sometimes. And you think better of it. But, you almost do it.”- here. Then a Red tour break till the 25th; One Direction tour break starting in Manchester till Paris on 29th. Louis stays in Europe,

23 April - Harry arrives alone in LA without the Peace ring

24 April - Neither Harry or Taylor seen. The day Harry got the ring

25 April - First day Peace Ring is seen. Harry has dinner with Rod Stewart, Rod then plays the Troubadour and Harry stayed at Rod Stewarts house. Taylor in Cleveland

28 April - Harry posts photo of sunglasses on beach. Taylor photographed in a gym in Los Angles. Wears the ring to leave LAX and there is an absolutely insane mob because he is there alone with no security.

29 April - Arrives in Paris alone, still wearing ring, described as a riot. The ring is in This is Us in Paris

April 30 - Taylor buys Holiday House Rhode Island for $18m cash

1 May - Everything has changed released as single

7 May - Harry goes on a party bus in Norway, photos of him drunk, with blonde and talks about party bus in interviews

18 May - Taylor posted rose’s with a Great Gatsby quote: “Just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer...“

19 May - Taylor said to fans, pointly "You are the longest and best relationship I've ever had" at BBMAs and that she only writes about ex's she doesn't want to see again. In the press room she said

27 May - Taylor wrote Wish you Would

June - September Midnight Memories written with Happily

12 June Taylor on Grimmy, he says Trouble is the “best song ever” 4 times at 11 mins. Best song ever was released 22 July. :)

13 June - Never Gonna Dance Again tattoo seen when Harry got off a yacht in Miami, seemingly drunk, he was underage at the time lyrics from Wham song "Careless Whisper" about regret for being unfaithful. Grimmy had referred to it in September when Harry sung the song on radio

16 June 2013 - Louisville - Harry was feeling himself during “Last First Kiss” and at the end was flirting with someone in the crowd, he mimicked pole dancing then he kissed his heart tattoo

22 June - Taylor and Selena getting ice cream in Mystic Connecticut, near RI.

28 June - Harry seen with Paige

1 July - Harry cross tattoo NYC stayed at the Bowery Hotel NYC

6 July - both play in Pennsylvania, Taylor has a week off after, unseen. On the 8th Harry was sick on stage.

20 July - Harry on Ryan Seacrest in Niall’s place and says the rest of the band went back to uk on their break but he stayed in LA.

22 July - Best Song Ever released.

30 July - September GQ cover story where they badgered Harry about how many people he’d slept with (two)

August 14 - Lover Journal: August 14, 2013, Watch Hill RI. Says she feels like a tiger in an enclosure, feels hunted, talks about paparazzi and cell phones. Also calls herself a rabbit, a flower growing in a sidewalk that is picked and how photos ruin a moment, online photos/comments and 'level of possession'.

25 August - VMAs, texting each other and shade, together at afterparty. Sang purple rain together at after party.

3 September - Harry tweeted 1975, Matty Healy told an interviewer that went from 4K followers to 15k in 10 minutes and they exchanged numbers and texted, made plans to meet up and he stood Harry up.

5 September - the 1975 cover WMYB in the live lounge

8 September - Taylor “"People think they know who I've dated and they just don't," "They don't know everything."

11 September - Harry Rose tattoo.

27 September - 1D sign another contract with Syco for 3 albums, they are each paid £10m.

28 September: On the anniversary of the Begin Again weekend in Paris 28 September- 5 October 2012 Harry tweeted: "We don't need no piece of paper from the city hall". from Australia.

5 October - Harry pulled a blonde out of the crowd and hung out with her that night in Australia

8 October - Harry tweeted Shania Twain is so good. Shania thanks him and invites him to her show in Vegas.

16 October - Harry talked about Shania Twain 'Still the One' on stage, Tweet Q's - what song would you like to listen to now?

17 October Harry cried onstage, (0:55) during over again Taylor seen with Alexander Skarsgard 3 days later

18 October - throws up on stage reports touring taking toll

28 October - Harry talked about Shania Twain 'Still the One' on stage again, What's the most embarrassing song on your ipod.

1 November - 1D, Katy Perry and John Mayer take photos backstage at a Japanese radio station in Tokyo. New Romantics was written about Taylor being sad her ex had gone to Japan with his new GF.

November -j14 article where Harry says ok to get back together with ex. Also reports Taylor is house hunting in London.

13 November - Taylors first Victoria Secret show where she wears a union jack dress in NY and performed IKYWT. On 14th Harry in UK for Gemma's graduation, TS in NY for billboard awards.

18 November - Courtney Cox said she hung out with each of them at her house in Malibu

20 November - Harry has dinner with Kendall Taylor tweets ""I've listened to "Hold On" by @ColbieCaillat 45 times today. So on repeat. So important." on the 21st when dinner reported.

22 November - midnights memories release party in la with Ryan Seacrest

23 November, both at AMAs, gold dress. Kendall PDA reported but no record of it

25 November - Midnight Memories released with Something Great written with Jacknife Lee who also worked on Red.

3 December - Lover Journal - December 3, 2013, Sydney.

6 December - Harry leaves Kendalls hotel and they have breakfast. Lunch the next day.

11 December- Taylor ATW speech talks about songwriting like a message in a bottle, she mentions still love you and I’m really heartbroken

12 December - One Direction in Milan, record the Xfactor final interview with cushions on the floor.

13 December - Taylor posts a series of photos to IG about a rose garden party in Melbourne, Australia while on tour for her birthday. Many think 1989 will be called Roses. The captions made a sort of poem "Roses. Red Balloons. Pretty.... Sparklers. The best birthday I've ever had." Which could be a dig at Harry, Roses being common Haylor imagery, his tattoo and she famously said her 2012 birthday was her best ever when he took her to the Lakes. Harry's "better still be my winding wheel" tweet. Harry posts his Cannes photo December 14.

15 December - One Direction performs Midnight Memories on Xfactor UK Final and Harry arrives at Kendalls London hotel at 2am.

17 December - Harry got injunction banning paparazzi from outside his home. Harry likely had moved into his current house. First confirmed at Ben Winston's with Morgan Spurlock in April 2012, Harry later told Rolling Stone he stayed there 20 months. He was seen house hunting in July and reports of his house were September 2012.

21 December - midnight memories MV filmed

Continue to 2014

[hexpea]

Ch. 24 - Just a Heartbreak

You thought it was all a cruel joke. How dare he call you and say such bullshit when he's already moved on?! You wondered if Gojo had egged him on as some sort of ploy to get you to come back to Tokyo.

You knew one thing for sure: you were tired of tears staining your pillow. You had finally stopped crying after another hour, it now being one in the morning. You figured you wouldn't be getting any sleep anyhow, but remained in bed nonetheless.  Your phone scrolling was interrupted by a perfectly timed phone call from none other than the man himself. 

"What?" You answered with hostility, barely want to answer the phone in the first place. But, hell, you'd always pick up the phone for him...who were you kidding?

"Hey..." his voice was soft and he sounded much more sober at this point. "Gojo deleted your number out of my phone but forgot to delete my call history." He lightly chuckled as if now was an appropriate time to do so.  You stayed silent, unamused by his attempts to keep things friendly. "I wanted to...apologize." The lump in your throat had now returned as you continued listening. "I'm sorry for...being so harsh."

"Uh huh," you hardly believed him. 

"How are you feeling?" Geto asked cautiously. You wanted to scoff loudly into the receiver, but opted not to. 

"Give me a break," you sighed, "what kind of a question is that?" 

Geto sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what to say to you. "Here's a better...a different question," he rephrased, "what can I do to fix this?"

"Tell me again," your voice began to lightly shake. You sat up in bed at this point as well, phone pressed heavily against your ear. "Tell me again how you feel about me now that you're sober. Tell me that you need me, that you fucked this up. Tell me...that you're-"

"I'm in love with you," he had interrupted you before you could finish.  "I'm in love with you, Y/N. But I know how important Gojo is to you. I needed to distance myself, and being an asshole was the only way I knew how. And then that 'asshole' became the real me, and has been the real me ever since.

"What about your girlfriend?" You muttered despite your racing heart. 

"Her?" Geto scoffed, smiling to himself, "I don't want her, Y/N. You make me happy. And I regret everything that I said." He waited for your response after that, only receiving your shaky breaths. "What do you say, Y/N? Am I redeemable? Will you come home?"

"I don't...want to," you mumbled, the tears you were holding back now completely overflowing. "I hate that...I want you, too... I hate...that I love you, too."

"Don't then...don't hate it," Geto sounded desperate, "I want you here...please."

"It's...personal, Suguru..." you said abruptly and hung up. 

Geto then proceeded to call you another eight or so times before giving up for the night, assuming that you needed rest and that you'd hopefully call him later. 

"I'm disappointed in you, Y/N," your mother grumbled as the two of you shared lunch together. Her lectures weren't exactly what you wanted to hear after what happened the night before. "Moving all the way to Tokyo only to come back two months later? All because of some boy?!" 

You stayed silent and refused eye contact, arms folded across your chest. You were both seated at an outdoor table in front of a café. You had a tight frown on your face as you sat by to get publicly berated for doing what you thought was the right thing.

"It's...complicated," you finally muttered.

"Complicated?" She continued with her hostility. "You sound just like your father," her voice lowered as she mimicked your position. 

"Please don't talk about him," you continued with your low voice. As usual, your mother brought up her issues with your father. She always said something nasty or mentioned the ways in which he fucked up. 

"But what about Gojo? I thought you had a thing with him?" Her voice was a bit whiny. "You left him stranded just because of something his best friend said? Why on earth would you let someone so irrelevant cause such an impact?" 

"That thing...didn't work," you added, voice even smaller than before - waiting for your mother to say something else negative. Instead, she chose silence. "It's not like love ever lasts anyways..."

"Well..." she sighed, "I guess it makes more sense then..." She looked up at you with a serious expression. "I just don't want to see you give everything up just because some boy made you upset. If you want to live in Tokyo, you should live in Tokyo."

"I didn't want to live in Tokyo," you corrected. "So I was better off coming home. No one else stuck around. They're all off and doing their own thing." 

In order to keep the afternoon from getting any more painful, you quickly requested the check from the server. 

When you managed to escape the unfortunate lunch with your mother, you came back to your apartment to find a familiar looking figure hesitantly knocking - your father.

"Dad?" You chuckled upon seeing the sight for sore eyes. "What's up?" You completed your approach and began unlocking your front door. 

"Hey, kiddo," he stood up a bit straighter and with more confidence knowing he was caught awkwardly knocking on his daughter's front door. "I wanted to stop by...it's...been a while."

"I'll say," you laughed again with a little less enthusiasm. "Wanna' come in for some tea?" You motioned inside with your head.

He agreed and followed you inside. "I'm sorry I haven't been around," he began, the same way he began every time. "You know...your mother would have a bird if she saw me."

"I know, I know," you nodded as you prepared the kettle, "don't worry about it."

Your father sighed loudly as he sat at the island counter, resting his head in his hand. "How is she? Your mother..."

"She's...fine," you smiled back at him as if you hadn't just returned from a horrible lunch with the woman. 

"That's good..." he nodded to himself, "I'm happy for her."

"Happy for her?" You repeated with a certain, laughable tone. "She's single as ever and as salty as she ever was."

"Well...she has a right," he laughed, "I caused a lot of trouble, losing jobs and not making ends meet."

"Not like any of that was your fault," you shrugged while preparing the tea. "We got by."

"My gambling didn't help either," he added with a crooked grin. "Got the help a little too late, I'm afraid."

"But now you're happier than ever, right? Mom mentioned your new family." You tried to sound positive despite your dad's obvious gloom.

"My new family?" He sounded shocked. "So that's the kind of stuff she's spreading around."

"Spreading? You don't have a new family?" You asked, completely baffled after being expectant of having mysterious step-siblings for the past four years. 

He incessantly shook his head, even as you slid the hot cup toward him. "Not at all. I could never. She was my one and only."

"Pfft...and I'm supposed to believe that?" You scoffed. "If that were the case, you'd still be together."

"Not always," he took his first sip with a sad expression. You took yours with a bit of interest. "Love is...complicated. I still love your mother very much. She's right to be upset with me."

"Then...why did you give up?" You put your cup down in complete disbelief. "You...could've stayed with us, made it work."

He shook his head again, "I tried. I broke your mother's trust. There came a point where I had to let her go. But I never stopped loving her, not even for a minute." It looked as if there were stars in his eyes as he spoke, that sparkle bright enough to stir something within you.

[ageofstardust]

Beyond The Lens, Pt 2

Josh Kiszka x Reader

A week. It had only been a week, and you were already going insane. As much fun as being around the other guys was, you and Josh had been at each other's throats. While you did your best to stay cordial and professional, he got under your skin in ways nobody else had before. Jake had said it was like living with an old married couple, to which you both were thoroughly disgusted.

"I would never date someone like him!" You had defended, earning an eye roll and scoff from Josh.

"Please, little miss perfect over here thinks she's too good for me!" Josh egged on. Your jaw clenched and you stormed off the bus and into the venue.

A while later, as you were aimlessly wandering to clear your head, you heard footsteps. Turning, you saw Jake catching up to you. You sighed as he ran up next to you, catching his breath for a second.

"Hey. I'm really sorry about the comment I made, I didn't mean to start anything." He said, looking over at you. You shook your head.

"It's fine, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at your idiot brother." You said, toying with the camera around your neck. He eyed it for a second and spoke.

"You know...since you're stuck with us for a while, maybe it would be nice to find some common ground with Josh?" He suggested. You were about to protest, but you knew he was right.

"Fine. What do you have in mind? You know him better than me." You griped. Sure, it wouldn't be ideal to try and fake nice with Josh, but at least it would keep the peace a bit more.

"Well, he's super into film. Used to make short little videos. He stopped pursuing it to be in the band." He said.

"That's actually a perfect place to start. Now that I think of it, he did seem to care more about my portfolio than the rest of you. No offense." You said, the gears in your head already turning. "I have the best idea. Thanks, Jake!" You exclaimed, giving him a quick hug and sprinting back to the bus. You slowed when you got closer, catching your breath and walking in. Looking around you see Josh but nobody else.

"They went to get food." He grumbled out, scrolling on his phone. This may be harder than you thought.

"Actually, I was looking for you." You said quietly. His head snapped up, brows furrowed in confusion.

"For what, gonna lecture me again?" He asked condescendingly.

"No, I just wanted to show you some of the shots I have from last night's show." You said, holding your camera up. Like a light switch, his face changed into the happy, carefree Josh he was with his brothers.

"Oh, yes please!" He exclaimed, moving so that you could sit next to him. You did and turned the camera on, flipping through the shots and showing him the ones you liked the most. You hadn't been this close to Josh before, and you could smell his cologne he had freshly applied. It smelled of patchouli and dragon's blood with a hint of vanilla. The best out of all of the guys in your opinion. The rays of sun coming through the little bus window shone perfectly on him, highlighting his strong features and wild hair. You slapped yourself mentally. You couldn't think of him like that, any of them for that matter. This was business, and mixing business with pleasure should not happen. You got to the last photo and turned off your camera after he got a good look.

"Wow mama, you're super talented. I see why you were hired. We should do this after every shoot, I love seeing the creativity in your shots." He said sincerely. You just smiled slightly and fiddled with the strap of your camera. The tension was high between the two of you. You wanted to apologize, but didn't want to make him think anything was up.

"Listen, Josh.." you started.

"Don't worry, it's okay. I was a bit harsh toward you too and I'm sorry for that." He said. He opened his arms to you with a smile. "Friends?" He offered. You hesitated for a second and hugged him tightly. His curls tickled your face and he was warm due to the sun hitting him. You lingered a second but pulled back. You quickly got up to hide the blush on your cheeks and mumbled something about getting your camera on the charger, rushing to the back of the bus and into your bunk. You took a deep breath and calmed yourself down. What had gotten into you? First you hated Josh and now you were flushed just hugging him. You knew not to go down that road, though. He would only hurt you in the end. The amount of girls that hung off of him every night made your stomach churn and you remembered why you didn't like him in the first place. Even if he was attractive, he wasn't attractive enough to risk your morals and beliefs for.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when the others bounded back onto the bus, engaged in an argument about which fast food joint had the best fries. Laughing to yourself, you grabbed your phone and headed back to the living room area. Josh had enthusiastically joined in on the debate and had a container of fries in his hand, as did Sam. Josh being who he is, he threw a few at Sam, and it became an all out food fight between the band. You stayed back, taking pictures and a short video to throw up on your Instagram story later. Once you had your fill of pictures, you decided to break up the disaster.

"Guys! Can we not just eat like normal people?" You said, catching their attention. Sam burst out laughing as did the rest of you once you noticed all the fries on the ground. "Now we have a mess to clean."

"Oh it's fine we will pick everything up once we eat." Danny said, grabbing his stuff from the bags.

"We didn't know what you wanted so we just got you a burger, I hope that's okay." Said Sam, handing it off to you. Your stomach growled and you blushed slightly.

"Yes, that's perfect thank you." You said, grabbing it from him and eating with the rest of the guys. While you ate, you posted the video you took to your story on Instagram, tagging them all. Danny was the first to check it, laughing and resharing it to his story. All the boys followed you back and Josh also reshared the video, earning a slew of new Greta fans bombarding your messages and comments. Some were nice, others not so much. You finished eating and read through some of them. So many people were calling you a whore and a slut, just for being with the boys. Tears started to form in your eyes, and you didn't want to cry in front of the guys, so you quickly made your way back to your bunk. You continued to scroll, sniffling slightly and wiping your eyes. Eventually you threw your phone to the foot of your bed, resting your head on your knees and crying as quietly as you could. You heard a lull in conversation and hoped nobody heard you, but you heard footsteps coming back to your bunk. A little knock on the frame startled you, and you quickly wiped your face and hoped you were even slightly presentable.

"Yeah?" You said quietly.

"It's me. Can I uh..come in I guess if that's what you'd call it?" Asked Josh. You furrowed your brows. What could he want?

"I guess so." You said, scooting up to the top of your bed so there was room for him. He opened the curtain enough to climb in and sat across from you cross legged, a sympathetic look on his face.

"I saw the comments on your page. Darling, you know none of it's true right? We know you. We know you aren't a whore. We know that you aren't trying to sleep with any of us. It's refreshing, really." He reassured you. You scoffed.

"Really, Josh? Don't play that with me. I know how you are. You'd jump at the chance to sleep with anything that walks." You fired back. You didn't mean for it to come out, you didn't want to be mad at him, but you were hurting and lashing out.

"Woah, what? Honey, I haven't slept with anyone in..two years? Maybe three now." He admitted. You looked up at him, confused.

"But what about all those girls that are always hanging off you?" You questioned. He chuckled.

"The groupies? I wouldn't ever sleep with them. They do try, I'll give them credit for that, but I'm not the type to fool around with someone unless I really feel a connection between us." He said softly. Now you really felt bad.

"Josh...I'm so sorry for assuming. Oh my god I feel so shitty. I just kind of took you as the fuckboy type." You admitted, embarrassed. He shook his head.

"I could see where that may come across but I can assure you I am not. Now, how about we go see what we can get into before the show, hm?" He said, holding out his hand. You smiled and took it, hopping off the bunk with him and following him out of the bus.

Okay guys, Part two is here!!! I'm sorry it took so long I got covid and then was dealing with some personal stuff. I hope you guys enjoy!

Taglist:

@stardustingold

@eeeloraaa

@if-you-know-me-no-you-dont-lol

@groggyvanfleet

@theweightofstardust

@gvfvanfleet

@downbad4thewlis

@maud-gone

@doodle417

@gretavanfleas

[quillify-tries-to-talk]

Signs of Abuse in Friendships!

Coming back here to talk about abusive friendships and how they're equally bad as romantic relationships k thnx.

Some of the things in this list might be pretty obvious, but I'm still putting it out there, because a lot of times as teenagers, it escapes us that the people we grew up with can be toxic too. Emotional abuse can be pretty hard to spot and it took me more than 7 years to realize that it was never my fault for being the way I am.

I'm currently with a group of great friends, and here's what I've learnt about friendships that you should expect, and you absolutely deserve:

1. Communication. Being listened to, instead of being the listener all the time. It's fine to be kind and understanding and keep secrets, but everyone has limits. I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that my supposed best friend only reached out to me whenever *she* needed help or *she* had troubles, turning a blind eye to the fact that I was slipping through the cracks too.

With my new friends, it feels freeing and refreshing to discuss problems. Cathartic, because they value my input and sympathize and offer their own experiences and support and affirmations

2. Your alone time being valued. Pretty obvious. I've seen posts about normalizing that sometimes people are busy with their own lives and cannot be at be at their friend's beck and call all the damn time. I learnt this in a surprising way: whenever I had a tendency to drop off the face of the earth to recharge, or didn't want to talk, my friends would take it in a stride. It's a little thing, but it was shocking becaude I was made to believe previously that I had to be available all the time or else I wasn't a good friend. Which leads me to my next point.

3. Opinions and disagreements are healthy. Resolving arguments through debate and negotiation is absolutely fine in friendships. It's an equal partnership. Once again, it hit me in the face with my new friend group when they asked why I kept apologizing for stating my thoughts or if I disagreed for anything we planned. If, even in normal conversations, you feel as if you have to walk on eggshells in the presence of that friend, you have to mind *their* feelings and *their* tragic story, then it's a huge red flag.

For me, it used to be low-level anxiety in the presence of that friend, a feeling that I wasn't really in control of myself, absurd as it sounds.

4. I'm sure you've heard of love-bombing. Happens in romantic relationships a lot, and in platonic ones too. Signs include an influx of attention from the bestie, all happy, cheerful conversation and you finally feeling that "perhaps, this time things will be okay and our friendship will survive." You're happy, and they seem pleased too. And they request your presence over everyone and share their secrets and call you their most trustworthy person. For me, it came in the form of long texts and cheesy memes and a quirky nickname.

It's a trap.

It's really hard to let go of the validation and the feeling of being chosen, being preferred. As humans, we value intimate connections. And as teens struggling to find ourselves in the middle of puberty and hormones, it gets even more difficult to find comfort when everyone is trying to drag you down.

And that's what the toxic friend will take advantage of. Their secrets, their texts, their conversation and constant reaching and burdening you with what has happened to them is draining asf. And it'll hit you the moment they withdraw affection. Eg. No replies to your texts or passive-aggressive, one-word answer that leave you shaken and wondering where you suddenly went wrong. Alternatively, long ass essays on how and why you're absolutely useless to them as a person and hoe others are better and more understanding, or how they don't want your help cause they're strong asf etc.. Please know that it wasn't you. It was them.

For me, this entire ordeal is.... hollowing, ig. It's left me untrusting. Horrified at myself. Angry. Grieving.

5. Lack of trust and isolation + rumour-mongering. There will be times when your supposed bestie will instead side with another person. Believe their testimony for a drama over yours. Shut you out of the conversation when you try to explain yourself. It'll be harrowing and horrifying and it will feel like you failed somewhere. I have a tendency to withdraw during conflict and that's exactly what my abuser wanted. There were rumours about me in 12th grade, under back-breaking pressure for Boards with the added bonus of my supposed bestie's bullshit drama. I needed help so desperately and instead she kicked me back down with little jibes and 'jokes' and feigning ignorance towards my bad mental state, and prioritizing everything in the world except for me.

Oh yeah that's another thing in the allonormative world. Romantic relationships absolutely deprive you of braincells or basic empathy for friends because friendship is apparently lesser.

6. They do not stand up for you. Like I said before, friendships are founded on equal love and trust and communication. It's a two-way thing. I do not mean that you gotta cloister your friend even from their own flaws; I mean that if and when you're being wronged, at the receiving end of something you do not deserve, in a shitty situation, toxic friends usually turn the other way because it does not benefit them.

Case in point, I had to stand alone when the headmistress of my school slut-shamed me in public for the length of my skirt, my apparent uselessness in the Student Council of the school, and my bestie, as Head Girl, didn't say a word in my defense. She said it was for my own good, that I had needed the threatening and shaming to "become better." And guess what, I found a way to rationalize that too :)

7. Your achievements make them extremely jealous.

Look I get it. At some point, we've all felt jealous of our friend even though we love them. Contrary to what some say, jealous is not bad or toxic. It's usually an indicator for an underlying cause, usually a fear or insecurity. It's important to take a step back and work it out properly so it doesn't hinder your judgement.

However, abusers like having the spotlight on themselves. And anything that can topple them off the stage is to be pushed back and out of the way. Either they can offer running commentary on why your achievement isn't a big deal, switch topics to *their* problems to make you feel guilty for being happy about yourself or completely cut you off while being normal to everyone around you.

Case in point, I had another toxic best friend (oof💀) who legit stopped talking to me at some points whenever I scored full marks or a grade higher than her. No prep, no warning. Just lights out. It left me dizzy and reeling and trying to understand what had happened. Now it's left me feeling that I have to fit myself into smaller spaces, dumb down my intellect so I do not hurt another person's feelings.

8. You find yourself making excuses for their appalling behaviour, or not saying anything about your own troubles because you're afraid they'll cut you off or blow up on you. Big red flag. I excused my best friend's behaviour for 3 or 4 years before finding the nerve to completely cut off all communication with her. It's never easy, I assure you.

I forgot the name of the debate tactic, but it's this thing where you state a fact and the person twists the argument slightly to rebuttal and sow chaos. I'll give an irl example.

Me: XYZ character's portrayal was not done well. The author blatantly perpetuated Orientalist stereotypes about South Asia, erased our colonial history in a book critiquing colonization and exoticized the entire thing just like white historians. The character was sexualized as a woc, her history and past erased and she existed solely for the toxic romance with the main lead.

People: so what you're saying 🙄 is that 🙄 she shouldn't be sexy and own her skin 🙄 you know female sexuality is a taboo 🙄 why would you attempt to slut shame the sexy woc 🙄 let her own it 🙄 and stop holding authors in diaspora to a higher standard 🙄 they give us rep 🙄 you're being ungrateful 🙄

Funny thing: it works. The abuser will twists your own issues and make it seem like you're the cause of it. Low mood? Just be happy. Upset at teachers? You must've done something. Low marks? Lol sucks to be you, ig. You're saying *I* did something to hurt you? Actually, I am going through abcdefghi thing right now, and I was always in a bad place and now you're also turning around and hurting me? You're just like them.

they have you trapped. You feel obligated to see their broken, weary soul and help them with it. They've said time and again about how people have hurt them and how you're the only understanding one and that they'll never hurt you again and will always listen to you. It feels special and compelling and it feeds into your self-esteem.

"I am loved."

"I am wanted."

There's big difference between the two statements. Please remember.

Remember that having trauma does not mean you have a free pass to hurt other people. Remember that their trauma absolutely does not give them the right to run hot and cold with you instead of being straightforward about the whole thing.

And as always, if anyone wants to talk, my asks and DMs are open💖

[hinatastinygiant]

Chapter Twenty Six

Pairing: Bokuto x Fem!Reader

Road Trip Masterlist

"Ahh, this road trip suckssss," you hear Kenma's voice groan as you begin to wake up from your nap.

"Yeah, no shit," Kuroo scoffs and smacks Kenma on the back of the head.

"Ouch!"

You roll from your side to flat on your back as begin to remember the events that led to your little slumber. You had snuck up to Bokuto's top bunk after seeing him call you over only to fall asleep right on his lap. To be more precise, you practically bawled your eyes out and then passed out.

When you open your eyes you smile softly up at him. He looks down and smiles back worriedly when he sees that you're awake.

"How're you feeling?" he asks softly.

"Alright, I guess," you shrug.

It's the first thing he says once you wake up, asking if you're alright. He's always so kind, comforting you even though he really doesn't have to and even promising that he'll keep you safe.

So how can you blame yourself for so foolishly believing that he had feelings for you? Sure you were kinda egged on by Hotaru and Kuroo's relentless teasing, but come on, you're laying on his lap for god's sake. It breaks your heart thinking that you're the only one who thinks there was actually something between you two.

But nonetheless, if the other night at the pool meant anything then it's definitely all in your head. You had blatantly attempted to kiss him only for him to pull away the second he caught on.

An unintentional scowl grows on your face but you try to ease it away with a grin. However, you just end up with an awkward, tense expression. It's not something Bokuto misses as he stares at you quite confused. You groan to yourself and look away. The idiot's probably going to ask if you're okay again if you don't explain yourself first.

"Can I ask you something that might be a bit personal?" you mumble, half hoping that he doesn't even hear you.

"Yeah, of course," he shrugs.

Dammit. Your body tenses up as you feel his hand lift to your face, his large fingers delicately rubbing your skin where tears had previously stained your face. Though he may only be trying to help, his touch makes you hot and nervous for what you're about to say.

"This might be a bit out of nowhere but does it ever bother you when Kuroo and Hotaru try to, uh, set us up?"

You can feel him shrug his shoulders once more after giving it only a second of thought. "No," he answers, "only when you're not around for it I guess."

You then turn your body around to face him, eager to hear his answer to the next question you ask.

"So then why did you reject me the other night? I tried to kiss you but you turned away..."

Bokuto's body freezes up so tightly as his brain interprets what you've just said. It's almost as though he was wishing you would never ask him that. But as he looks down at the worried expression on your face, he gives in.

"Well 'cause, uh," he mumbles awkwardly, "I do have feelings for you so I didn't want the first time I kissed you to be because I was drugged up..."

Your cheeks burn hot as his words hit your ears. Your whole body then seems to explode upon the sudden realization about the way you're laying in his lap with the back of your head right against his-

"Ow!" you both shout in harmony as you bounce right up from where you lay only to hit the top of your head against his.

"Sorry," you apologize as you rub your forehead, thinking that you're a completely lost cause.

"Hey, can the two of you come down here if you're not busy!" Akaashi suddenly calls, saving you from further embarrassment.

However, the kissing noises that come from Kuroo aren't much help. And Hotaru giggles to herself for a second before whispering to him to stop because "that's just rude!"

You and Bokuto ignore the two of them again, like always, and climb down the latter. Akaashi begins by explaining he's got some sort of plan that he wants to run past you. So you take a seat beside Hotaru on her bed and give him a listen.

"Now that we're 'working for' Jun, I've been thinking that they must mean they're going to use us for something," Akaashi begins. "Therefore, we're going to be let out of this room for some reason."

"Yeah, but I doubt they'll let us go far or anywhere we aren't supervised," Hotaru adds.

"That's alright," he assures her, "because if they bring us to that party on Saturday they don't be able to watch all of us the entire time."

"You really think they'll let us all go?" Bokuto asks worriedly.

"They'll definitely take Hotaru and Y/N at the very least," Kenma chimes in.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Akaashi nods. "And it's very possible they'll use the girls as decoys or something to that effect."

"I can see where you're going with this but how the hell are we gonna get those assholes back for stealing our shit and beating the girls up?" Kuroo huffs.

You look over at Bokuto whose eyes are staring directly at the new scar on your face. You look away ashamed of the constant reminder of what you did. You don't blame Bokuto for looking, you know he feels horrible about it, but it's still your fault for being so utterly careless.

Your thoughts are only disrupted when Kuroo speaks up again. "We could steal all their shit! I bet their wallets are fucking loaded!"

"When I went into the lobby I found a locked door behind reception," Hotaru admits in a hushed tone.

Kenma looks surprised as he thinks back to what she was talking about. "I don't-"

"It was behind a bookshelf," Hotaru explains. "I moved it because it was in an odd position from the wall but when I pulled it away I saw a skinny door. I bet they stash all their money in there!"

"Great, let's get it and get the fuck outta here!" Kuroo whispers firmly before looking for Akaashi for backup.

Akaashi shrugs and looks towards you and Hotaru. "If you two think you can get your way into that locked room and back here without getting caught, it's a plan worth a try."

You look at Hotaru nervously. You know if you're caught, Jun won't hesitate to kill you. She gives you the same look back with her poor, bruised face from the fight she had with Akane.

"We'll be fine," you finally answer to appease the tension in the room. You then take your best friend by the hand and pull her into the tiny bathroom, locking the door quickly behind you.

"Are you okay with this?" you whisper.

Akane sighs as she sits down on the toilet, having nowhere else to be. You squat down begin rifling through the cabinet under the sink as you look for a small face towel.

"Kenma was right," she whispers. "They'll probably only let you and I out. They have no reasons to trust the guys and if they're looking for decoys, girls are probably more useful. Plus, the way we are, they know we'll put up less of a fight."

As you think about what she's saying, you run the face towel under freezing cold water.

"By the way what the hell are you doing with that?"

"Your face is absolutely swollen and still covered with dried blood. Those pricks might not let you out if you look suspicious to their guests and I really can't do this without you."

"You're such a baby," she sighs as she holds out her hand to take the towel.

"Thank you so much!" you beam as you pass her the frozen towel. "Just keep it on there for a little while so your blood vessels constrict and the swelling goes down."

"Ever the nerd, I see," she then chuckles. "It's no wonder Bokuto likes you."

Your entire body heats up despite the frozen temperature you had just grown accustomed to. "You heard that?" you whisper nervously even though you already know the answer.

"Yeah," she giggles as she whispers back to you, "Everyone did."

Road Trip Masterlist

Taglist: @omiigad @antaraxy @hyp-oh-critical @anime-meme-sanctuary

[bluerosewritings]

Gamer Hugs | Idia x Reader

How Ignihyde had managed to have so many students who were good with technology and machinery yet were all seemingly incapable of creating some decent A/C, you'd never known. Shrugging off your school blazer and unbuttoning the first few buttons on your shirt seemed to do nothing. You were pulled out of your lament at the sound of an enraged yell. Idia had already entered rage gamer mode, unfortunately. Souls of Dark must really be living up to its 'hardest game ever' reputation.

Laying out on the dorm head's bed, you mostly tuned out Idia's rants on the absurd difficulty level of the first boss. Idia had invited you over to his room to test out games with him again - since the newest one was a solo game, the two of you decided to alternate every half an hour or so. You'd mainly spent up your first lot of time designing the avatar. You pursed your lips in regret, doubting you'd get the controller any time soon, if at all for the rest of the night.

That was only the first half of the downfall of Idia's gamer rage (the upside being the amusement of watching your usually awkward friend turning into someone who could rival an Overblotted person in anger). The second half was how his flame hair would unfortunately quickly shift from a calm blue to an enraged red the angrier he got, heating up the room the two of you were in. You hadn't minded during the autumn/winter season - if anything, you egged him on for more warmth - but now it was rolling into summer. Add that to the already ridiculous heat of Ignihyde and the lack of windows the dorm room had to open and you were in one of the most painful situations of your life.

It wasn't like you could just ask Idia to chill either. Last time he'd gotten annoyed over a game - weirdly enough being over Cooking Papa - and you'd told him to calm down, he'd given you a minute long high-speed lecture about how he couldn't do that because of this [beep] of a [beep] cooking instructor that couldn't [beep] even [beep] do his [beep] of a job right, like a [beeeeeep]. You'd had to concede defeat to make him stop - and if that was his reaction from Cooking Papa, how bad would it be from Souls of Dark?

At least when he was his awkward self Idia would somewhat listen (even if he usually misinterpreted what you said). Not that there was any way to make him switch back...

...or was there?

It was a bit of a gamble, but hey, you'd try anything at this point. Swinging your legs round, you looked at Idia's hair. Weirdly enough, even when it was slowly heating up like right now, it never seemed to be able to actually burn anything (learnt from a somewhat traumatic experience that Idia still gives you apology candy over). Still, you didn't want to take any chances.

"Idia?" You called.

The dorm head whipped round, eyes glowing in annoyance. "What- EH!?"

The squeal of surprise that came from the dorm head was, you thought happily, entirely your fault. Once he was facing you, you'd pushed yourself off of the bed and wrapped both your arms around his neck, your sleeves now rolled up so it was skin touching skin. Your knees were either side of Idia's, looking somewhat like you were straddling him.

"(y-(y-(y-(y-(y-(y/n)!?" Idia stuttered, somehow both frozen and shaking in surprise. "W-W-What are y-y-y-you...!?"

"Have you calmed down now?" You asked, keeping your chin on his shoulder to hide your growing smirk.

"C-Calmed down...?"

"Last time you went rage gamer mode, you chewed my ear off when I tried to calm you down." You told him. "I figured this would be more effective."

"O-Oh..." Idia's shocked expression turned into a sad one. "Of course... not like you'd want to hug me normally..."

Your smile instantly turned into a frown. You pulled your head back to look at him properly. Well, as properly as you could - the second the two of you made eye contact, he looked away in either shame or embarrassment. You moved you head again, straining your neck so you were at least somewhat looking him in the eye. He closed his eyes instead.

"Why wouldn't I want to hug you?" You asked him.

"Eh?" Idia finally looked you in the eye out of surprise. "Well, because no one really does... except from Ortho, but..."

"I wouldn't mind hugging you, Idia. I don't - I wouldn't be hugging you right now if I didn't want to."

"But you were just doing it to get my attention... it's fine, you don't have to spare my feelings... 2D hugs are all I need, after all..."

Guessing that words wouldn't convince him, you took your arms away from around Idia's neck. Idia breathed a momentary sigh of relief - momentary being the keyword, as his heart rate immediately began spiking again once you started unzipping his jacket.

Red spread across the pale boy’s face, reaching all the way up to his ears. "Wait, wait, wait! (y/n), this is too fast! Please, if you continue, my heart might...!"

Idia desperately tried to figure out a way convince you not to do what he was expecting. Apologise for raging? That was what got you angry in the first place, right? But then what if they were angry because Idia had sounded rude about the hug? He'd appreciated it! Really! Hugging someone 3D instead of clicking the option to hug his favourite character in an otome game or even hugging his body pillows had somehow felt amazing for a change! He'd even say he loved it! But, if (y/n) moved things on this fast, his heart might - no, it would definitely explode! So...!

"Idia?"

Idia didn't even notice you'd moved closer to him. Looking down, he saw you looking up innocently at him, sitting on his lap inside of his jacket and laying your head against his chest.

"I was gonna take your jacket off, but your arms were too stiff to take the sleeves off." You said, poking the top of his arm.

"O-Oh..." So you weren't going to do what he thought... wait, why was he disappointed!?

"You're really comfy, by the way," you continued, "What's your shirt made of?"

"Uh, I don't know..."

Then again, taking another glance down at you... this situation was kinda similar to one from an otome game, wasn't it? Where the love interest would accidentally trip into the MC's chest and stay there for a time longer than what normies usually would, or the love interest would snuggle into the MC for a hug for one of the standout cheesy moments accompanied with a CG... the more Idia thought about, the more his disappointment evaporated. Now the idea was in his head, though, he really wanted to hug you back...

"Oh, you dropped this." Your words snapped him out of his second trance.

You handed him his controller, then turned your attention towards the modified screen he'd built for his gaming sessions. Idia took the controller with a mumbled thank you. He turned his attention to the screen too, then blinked and looked down at you.

"Um... (y/n)...?"

"Oh, sorry, am I blocking your vision?" You shuffled down in his lap, resting the top of your head just below Idia's chin.

"Er, no, that's not what I... a-aren't you going to move?"

You shook your head, hair tickling Idia’s neck. "Nope."

"N-Nope!?"

You looked up at him with determination in your eyes. "You said I wouldn't want to hug you, so the rest of the time we're hanging out together, I'm gonna hug you. Okay?"

"O-Okay... wait, no, that's-!"

"C'mon," you pouted, "I promise not to backseat game too much!"

You let out a little laugh. Though Idia’s cheeks had somewhat cooled down, the happy noise escaping your lips was enough to dust them pink again. Well, it wasn't like he got to experience such otome-like scenarios frequently... letting just one scenario play out wasn't going to hurt him, was it?

"Fine..." Idia mumbled.

You let out a hum of approval and made yourself comfortable as Idia reloaded the checkpoint.

...

"YOU MOTHER-"

"Idia, you're going to give me heatstroke."

"S-Sorry...!"