#a lot of the cooking fell on my shoulders back when we both lived w our parents lol

[yardsards]

going to other people's houses for dinner is wild because it's such a crapshoot on what kind of culinary experience you're about to have. some places it's just delightful and you feel like you're in that one scene in ratatouille where it's all colourful when he tastes the ingredients. other places it feels like whatever the fuck is on your plate is a close cousin of the pulp they use in paper manufacturing and you wish you had pulled a hillary clinton and smuggled some hot sauce in your bag

[tendouluvr]

not telling them you’re pregnant [2] - f!reader

- little angst, hurt/comfort??, fluff

- characters: iwaizumi, atsumu, kageyama

- warnings: pregnancy, cravings, morning sickness aka throwing up, some cursing, mentions of sex, “mad” iwa makes out with your neck, atsumu pretends to faint and reader jokes about him dying :0

- wc: 1.4k, 1.3k, 1.7k (jfc thats a lot)

a/n: thank u guys for all the love on the first part <333 ily all and ty to the nonnie that requested tsumu and kags

f!reader cuz pregnancy but no specific prns/gendered terms used

[1. suna, sakusa, semi]

IWAIZUMI

#! you were planning on telling iwaizumi the big news that night

#! you missed your cycle this month, thinking it was probably just late so you didn’t care and waited for one more week to pass before worrying

#! it was almost two weeks now, your period tracker repeatedly sending you notifications to remind you to log your monthly cycle

#! but you had no cycle to log

#! thinking that you should go buy some tests, you did just that and came home to see them all turn positive

#! you were in the kitchen cooking a quick dinner when iwaizumi came home

#! he entered your home mumbling under his breath about some kid while putting up his jacket and shoes

#! “welcome home, haji!” you greeted him from the kitchen

#! “hey.” he briefly said back making you turn around to look at him

#! “you alright? what happened?” you tried starting a conversation in hopes of getting his mind off of whatever it is that seems to be bothering him

#! “some fucking kids came into the gym today, acting all obnoxious, trying to taunt me and the team because they wanted to impress some girls who probably didn’t even know them. would’ve knocked them out if it wasn’t against the fucking law.” he harshly explained his day while looking through the fridge for his protein drink

#! you tried not to laugh, turning around so he couldn’t see your face and tightening your lips together to contain yourself, but it was so funny you couldn’t help but imagine it

#! iwaizumi heard the giggles coming from you causing him to roll his eyes, “what’s funny?”

#! “nothing, should’ve just knocked them out, babe.”

#! “yea? sounds like you want to start visiting me in jail,” he makes his way over to back hug you while you continued cooking at the stove, “well then, i’ll keep that in mind next time some dinky teenager get in my face, baby.” he mumbles against your neck before giving you a quick kiss there

#! “hajjj, i’m cooking. go be horny elsewhere!” your upper half shuddered when he continued making out with your neck

#! “whatever you say, your highness.” deep chuckles come from him while he lets go of you to walk to the bedroom

#! “don’t call me that!” his laugh getting louder at your exclamation

#! later that night, you both laid in bed on your sides staring out of the window in front of you

#! “hey haj,” your voice a gentle whisper as to not wake him up if he had already fell asleep

#! “hmm?” he hums from behind you, rough, warm hands under your shirt rubbing itself on your bare stomach

#! “do you ever want kids?”

#! he was silent as he thought about what to say to you

#! “i don’t if they’re just gonna turn out like those dicks from today.” his answer wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously, he just hoped you didn’t interpret that as him saying he doesn’t want kids at all

#! “so if they don’t?”

#! “.......sure.”

#! you noticed his hesitation before he gave you an answer, trying to ignore it so your brain didn’t start analyzing too much

#! “hm, ok. goodnight, haji.”

#! “goodnight, i love you.”

#! “love you too.”

#! you told yourself that you were gonna reveal the news to him that night, but seeing that he was worked up over those kids and his slight hesitation when he answered you made you change your mind at the last minute

#! you laid awake thinking about what to do while iwaizumi peacefully slept not knowing his hand was caressing his future child

#! a few days have passed and you were still thinking about when to tell him

#! should you just say it? how would you say it? “hey, i’m pregnant.” no, that’s too blunt. “what if i told you i’m pregnant?” eh. “i’m preggo!” maybe.

#! you both never brought up the topic about having kids again ever since that night

#! but what you didn’t know was how occupied iwaizumi’s mind has been ever since you popped that question

#! he’s been imagining what it would be like to have a little him running around the house, maybe he’s a crybaby and dramatic like his uncle oikawa — who definitely would like to be the godfather, and he promises daily facetime calls everyday despite iwaizumi’s obvious displeasure — or perhaps he also finds entertainment in the godzilla franchise like his father

#! iwa thinks it would be neat to sometimes watch godzilla with someone else besides you, preferably his own kid

#! the night you asked him that question, it took him a while to answer because he couldn’t believe what he just heard. getting lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize he forgot to answer you, giving you a quick, “sure.” once he came back to reality

#! you didn’t know this so you took his moment of silence as a sign of hesitation

#! the minor miscommunication causing you both to go into your own heads

#! you were currently looking in the full body mirror, observing the way your stomach looked and how much it’ll be changing soon to accommodate a living being inside you. your hands were moving around, curving itself against your stomach naturally when iwaizumi walked in on you

#! “babe, have you seen my hoodie? the black one, i think you were wearing it-,” his sentence cut off when he looked up from his phone

#! “what are you doing?” he asked seeing you pull your shirt back down

#! “looking at my stomach.”

#! “why? are you okay?” his voice softened at the second question wondering if you were feeling bad about yourself

#! “uh no, wait- yes, yea i’m okay. um, can i tell you something?”

#! before he could answer, you continued, “well, by tell i mean show. i have something to show you.”

#! “uh, yes? why are you so nervous?”

#! “ok, wait here.”

#! “babe-,” and you ran off leaving iwaizumi and the rest of his sentence in the room. a few seconds later, you came back holding something in your hand

#! “here.” grabbing his thick fingers to open his palm before stuffing the item into it. his eyebrows furrowed and he slowly unravels the piece of paper. you analyzed his face for any signs of anger or discontent while his eyes scanned the pictures from one corner to another

#! “w-what is..... you’re pregnant?” he whispered out, mind and body in shock as he stares at you wide-eyed

#! you nodded knowing that if you opened your mouth to talk you were probably going to cry. he falls onto the bed, sitting at the edge, then buries his head into his hands

#! “haji?” your voice lower than a whisper

#! he didn’t answer

#! but you saw it

#! you saw his shoulders starting to shake

#! “haj?” you tried again, this time lightly walking towards him

#! his cries became audible when he felt your smaller hands wrapping around his shoulders

#! “hey.. why are you crying?” you tried comforting him because it didn’t seem like his tears were going to stop any time soon

#! “shit, yn, fuck me.” he said through his cries

#! “oh?”

#! he rolled his eyes at your implying tone before grabbing you by the waist to lay his head on your chest. his breath staggered from crying, he was still crying just not as hard

#! one of your hand gently going through his hair while the other one rubs his back. the action soothing him enough to calm him down and eventually his tears stopped. “why didn’t you tell me?” his voice pouty and his sentence breaking between every other word

#! “i thought you didn’t want kids. i was scared.”

#! he raises his head so his chin is now resting on your chest, “why’d you think that?”

#! “you.. hesitated... when i asked you, remember?”

#! his eyes drifting to the side as he tries to think back on the last few days. you knew he remembered when his eyes slightly widened and his lips formed a small o, “i’m sorry, the question made me imagine things and i got lost in my train of thoughts that i forgot to answer you right away.”

#! “oh.”

#! “yea..”

#! “then, i’m sorry for assuming things and not telling you.”

#! “no, it’s not your fault.”

#! “it’s not yours either.”

#! “so.. truce?”

#! “idiot! why are we making a truce?!”

#! he giggles as he stuffs his face back into your chest but not before he bent down to give your stomach a loving kiss

ATSUMU

#! atsumu was huffing with his arms crossed across his chest, lip in a pout and eyes squinted as he focuses on the television in front of him

#! “stupid ‘samu and his stupid food. i don’t need it. if he doesn’t want to give me any, then i don’t need it. i can make my own food. stupid. stupid, stupid, stupid.” he childishly mumbled under his breath as his eyes squinted even more, shooting his glare directly at the television

#! “‘tsumu, can you come help me with this?” a voice called from the bedroom. your voice. his beautiful, lovely, awesome sweetheart

#! “c’ming.” he mumbles, slowly sliding off of the couch to trudge over to you

#! “hmm?” he hummed when he got to the entryway of your shared bedroom

#! “can you hold this up a bit, i need to get something in here.” you were in the walk-in closet organizing some things

#! he was happy to help, but you could tell from the way he was pouting and his eyebrows still furrowed that something was bothering him

#! you sighed, “what’s wrong?”

#! “nothin’.”

#! “‘tsumu....,” you gave him a knowing look

#! he was gonna have to tell you at some point, “‘samu, that food hogging pig!”

#! “oh, hey! don’t call him that! it’s mean.”

#! “dun care, his fault for not sharing. our mom taught us better than that.”

#! “you don’t share, get off his back.”

#! “i do!! why are ya siding with him?! i’m yer boyfriend! yer sweet, loving, ethereal boyfriend!”

#! you raised an eyebrow at the way he described himself, “y’sure ‘bout that?”

#! his mouth opens as if he was going to gasp but no sound came out, he just pretended to faint

#! “oh no, did you die?”

#! no answer

#! “about time, thought i was gonna have to endure it for a few more years.”

#! “hey!!” he bounced back up when he heard you say that ridiculously offensive comment

#! “fine, i’ll leave then. don’t come running back to me when ya miss yer oh so handsome future husband.”

#! you snorted before going back to organizing the closet, “hold this for me, please.”

#! he groaned from the back of his throat but went over to help you anyway

#! recently, the twins’ mom gave you guys some boxes of clothes she had put away for some time. not wanting to throw them away, she gave it to you guys and osamu to take whatever you could

#! while looking through the boxes, you dug up some baby clothes that belonged to atsumu

#! “oh my god.”

#! he swings his head over to look at you, “what? hey! that’s mine!”

#! “it’s so ugly.”

#! “i’m telling my mom you said that. she’s gonna hate you sooooo much.”

#! “‘tsum, she set you up.”

#! he faked a wail and then turned back around to ignore you

#! “y’think we can keep some?”

#! “what for?”

#! “i don’t know..what if we have kids later?”

#! “that sounds nice...but we might have twins. i don’t want that.”

#! “huh? you can’t control who and how many we get, ‘tsumu.”

#! “then, let’s not risk it!”

#! “so, you don’t want kids?”

#! “precisely, yah.”

#! you stared incredulously at him while he continued sorting through stuff like he didn’t just tell you he made up his mind on not wanting kids

#! you found out two days ago that you’re pregnant, not yet telling atsumu because you just couldn’t find the right time to sit him down and talk

#! you didn’t expect to find out now that he for sure didn’t want kids. you guys talked about it a few times throughout the years of being together, but he never gave a definite answer

#! it was usually just him teasing you, or he was running around the answer. you never pushed him to answer, you didn’t want to pressure him or anything of that sort

#! “good to know, i’ll keep that in mind.” you mumbled, distracting yourself with folding the clothes

#! atsumu gave you a hum to acknowledge your words. no one says anything after that

#! a few days passed and the topic wasn’t brought up again. you secretly stashed some of the baby clothes while cleaning, the baby was gonna come at some point whether atsumu wanted it or not

#! but what you didn’t know was that he kept a stash of the baby clothes as well. he cleared out a space in his sock drawers by stuffing everything to one side, placing a stack of clothes inside because deep down he knew that there was going to be a mini him one day

#! it was currently morning, you both having the day off so you slept in. your back was curved to mold against his well defined chest while you slept. atsumu was snoring but you learned to block it out over time (he claimed you snore as well, but was never successful on proving it)

#! your eyes shot open, feeling the familiar bile crawling up your throat threatening to come out without your permission

#! quickly throwing the arm that was wrapped around you off, you ran towards the connected bathroom

#! your disappearance making atsumu’s sleepy eyes blink open, “babe? it’s still early.” his rough morning voice whispering out because it wasn’t capable of being louder than that in the morning

#! he heard the gagging noises from the restroom, eyes shooting wide awake in concern. he trips over the comforter trying to get out of bed, hurriedly running to you

#! atsumu acted fast and was holding your hair back, warm palms rubbing circles on your back. he wasn’t sure what to say, choosing to stay silent until you were finished

#! you wiped your mouth with the back of your palm, gasping for air over the toilet seat, reaching out to hold the hand that was on your back, you whispered out an, “i’m pregnant.”

#! initially he didn’t hear you, but once he heard it in his head he gasped. “how long?”

#! “not sure, almost a month?” your voice rough from throwing up

#! atsumu was confused. eyes darting everywhere, not really sure where to exactly focus on. his mind was racing, trying to think of why he didn’t know anything for so long, “ya didn’t tell me?”

#! “how could i when you said you don’t want kids?”

#! “i’m...oh..sorry, i’m sorry, i didn’t mean for it to be taken too seriously. i only said that because of the thing with ‘samu so i thought ya could tell it was a joke.”

#! “no ‘tsumu, i couldn’t. i was already pregnant at that point and hearing you say that about having kids really affected me. i didn’t know how to tell you after you specifically said to not risk anything, how was i suppose to know it was meant to be a joke?” your voice still groggy and tears were building up in your eyes.

#! he lightly sighs then brings his hand up to cup your head, rubbing it to calm you down. “i’m so sorry, angel. i do want kids, specifically with ya. what i said was a bit dicky, but i was just being immature, i promise. i won’t joke about serious things like that again, i’m sorry.”

#! you sniffed and brought his hand up to kiss him on the palm, but he quickly yanked it away making you look up at him in shock. “ya just threw up.” he pointed to the toilet.

#! you laughed at that and quickly apologized, he carried you up so you both can stand up from the bathroom floor. atsumu gently washing your hands and around your mouth, then you swishing some water in your mouth to get rid of the throw up aftertaste

#! “wanna know a secret, babe?” he blurted out while helping you walk back to the bed

#! “what?”

#! “i kept some of the baby clothes.” a shy smile on his face as he winks at you from the side

KAGEYAMA

#! you’ve been feeling a bit sluggish lately, you weren’t sure why because it came out of nowhere

#! you decided to ignore it, but as time passes, you didn’t get any better and you even started to throw up

#! thinking back to the talk your mom gave you when you were 10, you went out to buy some pregnancy tests

#! the timeline made sense, the last time you both had sex was a few weeks ago

#! kageyama’s been caught up with practice, you were stressed, so naturally you both thought it was a good idea to let it out

#! but what you didn’t expect was having to buy pregnancy tests because there was a possibility you’re pregnant

#! granted there wasn’t any protection used and you stopped taking your pills a while ago because you guys just didn’t care anymore, so nevermind, you do see how you could be pregnant

#! but damn, one time. all it took was one time

#! shaking your head, you took your phone out to text kageyama

#! you’re not telling him over text, just letting him know you have something to tell him tonight so he can know to prepare for a talk

#! you: tobiii

#! you: i have something to tell you

#! you: tonight tho

#! you: after you come home

#! him: ok love

#! while waiting for him to come home, you lazed around and scrolled through social media for a bit. checking twitter, you were reading some tweets from kageyama’s fans, finding some funny, some adorable, and some just...weird

#! but one tweet you saw was from someone who had met kageyama at one of his previous games. the person was talking about their experience getting to meet him and they even wrote out a part of the conversation they had with kageyama

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: omfg i just met kageyama fucking tobiiosdfjdf

#! it was a thread so you clicked on it to continue reading

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: he’s so sighs dreamily

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: so fucking tall. i’m 5′3 and mans all the way up there 👆

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: OH OMH wait lemme type out one part of our convo omfg i think he has a partner?????? like an actual s/o guys not me

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: ok i asked him smtg along the lines of what he thought abt having so many fans who are children ykk bc i was thinking he knew i was implying that these kids look up to him and stuff

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: but this man.....is so...UNAWARE why is he like this but he said smtg like he doesnt understand how kids can be fans of him bc how can they understand professional volleyball like that and i was like ???mf didn’t u grow up playing vball

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: so i was like oh ok :D and then asked him abt his thoughts on his future kids following in his footsteps bc i was thinking his answer would be wholesome or some shit

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: he told me,,,,, i dont have kids and i dont want any... !!!! why does mr kagman not want kids w me :(( /j

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: ok so like all of this happened v quickly i was like in and out in 10 seconds lmao but WAIT after he said he doesnt want kids i saw him scrunching his face up

#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: im not mind reader nor body language reader but idk he looked .. hrm sad?? FUCK IDK DONT TAKE M E SERIOUSLY IM DELUSIONAL

#! being an adult, you knew you shouldn’t be taking twitter threads of his teenage fans too seriously but you couldn’t help but reread the part where he said he didn’t want kids

#! did he actually say that or is this person rewording what he said? you now realized how you guys never really talked about having kids

#! sure, it was brought up once or twice but it was just because you were having baby fever. kageyama himself never directly told you he wanted kids or he was fine with having kids of his own

#! you sighed to yourself as you lock your phone, closing your eyes to take a nap until kageyama comes home

#! you felt yourself being shaken awake lightly, a familiar presence hovering over you on the couch made you open an eye

#! “tobio?”

#! “who else would it be?”

#! “i don’t know, a murderer?”

#! he scoffs at the slim chance of a someone breaking in to hurt you, but quickly turned his attention back to you when he remembered you wanted to talk

#! “so what’d you wanted to tell me?”

#! “oh, can you sit down?”

#! “o..kay?” he stiffly walked to sit beside you on the couch

#! “i’m uh,” think of something, “honestly, i forgot. yea, i forgot what i was gonna tell you. sorry.”

#! he raises one eyebrow to gaze at you curiously

#! “are you sure? it sounded important when you texted me.”

#! “mhm! yup, i forgot. sorry if i worried you, heh, are you hungry? there’s leftovers we can heat up.” you quickly tried to change the subject, getting up to walk to the kitchen

#! luckily your boyfriend didn’t question it further and got up to trail right behind you

#! you figured giving yourself some time before telling him after what you read was a good idea

#! are you aware that you were overthinking some tweet by a stranger on the app that is twitter? yes, you were. but you’re also human and overthinking is in human’s nature

#! it’s been three weeks and you still haven’t told kageyama the news. a part of you was ready to tell him, just let him know and you guys talk it out, what’s the worst that could happen

#! but the other part of you was scared. scared he actually didn’t want kids. scared he was going to leave you because going through with the pregnancy would drag him down. scared he would get mad at you for not being more careful when he was equally at fault

#! you know how kageyama gets when his emotions get complicated, he can’t deal with it so his one outlet is anger

#! he has no filter and says whatever comes to mind, all logical thinking leaving his brain

#! and that part of you is the stronger one

#! obviously you were going to tell him at some point, it’s not like you can literally hide the growing baby inside you

#! just not yet, not until you’re ready

#! you’re currently a little over a month, bump not really showing, but it’s there and it’s growing

#! kageyama can be a bit dim when it comes to.. most things beside volleyball, and usually you tease him about it but for once you thank whatever god is out there that he hasn’t noticed any big changes on your body yet

#! that was until you were showering, and he made the decision to enter the shower with you without your knowledge

#! humming to yourself while scrubbing your arms, you scooted back away from the water so it wouldn’t wash off the body wash you were trying to use

#! the action causing you to lightly hit kageyama’s chest making you jump from where you were standing

#! “tobio!” you screamed, turning around to throw the foamed body wash at him

#! he chuckles at your surprised expression and didn’t mind the soap you threw onto him, which was now sticking to his defined chest

#! “why were you just standing there, creep?”

#! he was still giggling when he answered you, “did i scare you this time?”

#! “what do you think?” you lightheartedly roll your eyes before going back to scrubbing your body

#! he picked the loofah out of your hand to continue for you

#! you both enjoyed the relaxing sound of running water and quiet echoed hums as he takes his time washing you when he suddenly stopped

#! opening your eyes, you looked up at him, “what’s wrong?”

#! he was just staring at you, blinking very slowly

#! “why do you look- your stomach feels- you look very-,” he sighs, “you look pregnant.”

#! now it was your turn to blink at him

#! you totally forgot that you were naked at the moment and he could easily see every inch of your body

#! blinking once more, you took a deep breath before telling him, “that’s ‘cuz i am.”

#! “y-you are?!” he jumped from his spot

#! “yea.. do you have a problem with that?”

#! “i...why didn’t you tell me?”

#! “do you have a problem with that?” you repeated

#! “n-no..so why didn’t you tell me?”

#! “you’re not mad?”

#! “why would i...?” his voice slightly turning high pitched as he dragged the i out

#! “i thought you didn’t want kids.”

#! “who told you that? when did i say that?”

#! “twitter.” you murmured under your breath

#! “what?”

#! “twitter..” you said a bit louder, still murmuring and choosing to turn away from him

#! “twitter?! why didn’t you just tell me, your real life boyfriend?”

#! “because!.... i was scared.”

#! “s-scared? baby, why?”

#! “i was scared you were going to leave. i don’t want you to leave. that night i told you i had something to tell you, that was when i found out. i backed out when you came home and i’m sorry. i should’ve just told you, i’m sorry, tobio-,” you were crying at this point, both of you standing under the water

#! “shh, shh, it’s okay. i’m sorry for not noticing earlier. you’re alright, babe. it’s okay. it’s okay to not feel ready, you don’t have to feel pressured to tell me anything, alright? whenever you’re ready, you tell me,” you meekly nodded as he pulls you into a hug, “whenever you’re ready..”

#! you both stood hugging each other’s bare body for a few minutes under the warm water

#! “that was probably the smartest thing you’ve ever said, tobi.” your voice sounding congested from the crying

#! “hey. mean.”

[nashibirne]

Congrats on your milestone!! Love your writing and since you're doing the whole "milestone party" I would like to ask if you could write something about reader and first baby. It could be something like them being very happy in the beginning, anxious by the end of the pregnancy but in the first weeks after the baby is born everything being caotic, the reader is stressed and sometimes they fight for something silly and it could have a happy ending, maybe he preparing a special surprise for her, some smut and they kinda "reconnect"... I don't mind if it gets too big, I would appreciate if you like the idea, It can be sy or walter, their POV, the reader can have a name too if you'd like. Thank you so much and congratulations again 🎉🥳

Here comes the second fic for my milestone celebration 🥳

Dear nonie, thank you so much for your prompt 💜 I love it and it made me think of Walter and his bumblebee from my fic Closer immediately. So I hope you don't mind I made this a follow up.

I tried to include all your wishes and I hope you like the struggles, the fluff and the smut.

🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲

MAYBUG

Pairing: Walter Marshall x reader

Summary: Walt and his wife are stressed out and enjoy a little escape. Follow-up to Closer

Words: ~ 1.8 k

Warnings: Smut, NSFW, 18+, Sex (p in v), fingering, dirty talking, kinda light breeding kink, masturbation, mentioning of sex toys and voyeurism, mentioning of problematic birth

UNBETA'ED! English is not my mother tongue, so expect bad grammar, wrong spelling, chaotic punctuation and clumsy language. All mistakes are mine…

Credits: pics for the header from pinterest.

I don't own Walter Marshall (unfortunately)

If you like this story, check out my masterlist!

***********

I'm sure it wasn't so stressful with Faye when she was a baby. She was a whirlwind, challenging her mum and me 24/7 as soon as she was able to walk but I'm pretty sure in the first year she was a little angel, not doing much more than sleeping, eating and lulling us into a false sense of security, making us think the peace would last forever.

Maybe it's gonna be the other way round with our little maybug. A chaotic first year and all the peace afterwards.

We've been on an emotional rollercoaster ride for almost two years now. Y/n stopped taking the pill shortly after our engagement and a few months before our wedding. I couldn't wait to get her pregnant, our sex life was great at that time, we did it as often as possible, having the time of our lives, enjoying each other and our deep connection. When my little bumblebee finally surprised me with a positive pregnancy test after 8 months of very intense trying, we were both beyond happy and completely over the moon and besides the usual pregnancy-related worries and difficulties everything went well.

That was until y/n went into labor and suddenly everything turned out to be very different from what we both had wished for. There was no calm atmosphere, no peaceful water birth but a lot of stress and anxiety instead when unexpected complications occured. I wasn't solid as a rock for her, I was a nervous wreck and very disappointed in myself but my wonderful wife was incredibly tough, fighting to be strong for both of us with fierce determination. She was no bumblebee that night, she was a hornet. In the end she had an emergency c-section and our little boy was born after almost 24 hours of labour on a mild Saturday night in May. When we finally held this perfect, beautiful little bundle of life in our arms all pain and fear was forgotten and we cried together for joy and gratefulness.

Now, six months later, we're still very happy, enjoying our family life and our time together. I've stepped back from work a little, doing office work mostly, staying away from the time consuming major cases. It's hard sometimes to be condemned to just watch my colleagues working in the front-line but I know it's worth it. I don't want to make the same mistakes again, the mistakes that ruined my first marriage and jeopardized my relationship with Faye. Besides that y/n needs my support, although she would never admit it. Our little maybug suffers from colic and cries a lot so she's constantly sleep-deprived and on top of that she tortures herself with self-reproach because breastfeeding didn't work and our baby son only gets formula, which -in her eyes- is the reason for his regular pain. She's constantly stressed out, tense and oversensitive and we fight over the most silly things.

When she had a nervous breakdown the other day because she hadn't managed to cook dinner for me after another night without sleep and a whole day of trying to calm down a crying baby in pain, I decided it was enough, that she needed a break, I needed a break and maybe even our little muffin needed a break from his worn out parents. So after y/n had a good cry on my shoulder, listening to my comforting words that made her relax a little, I made her her favorite sandwich, sent her to bed after she'd enjoyed it and took our little boy on a ride. He likes it when we drive around in my truck, the sonorous sound of the engine has a soothing effect on him and eventually he stopped crying and fell asleep, just as exhausted as his mom. I got myself a burger from the drive-through, ate it in the parking lot and I came up with an idea for a little treat for me and my wife.

And now here we are, sitting in the huge tub in the bathroom of a luxurious hotel suite in our hometown, just 20 minutes away from our little boy who's staying with y/n's sister for the weekend. It wasn't easy to convince my wife that he's going to survive one night without us and that we really need some time for us but now, after a romantic candle light dinner and a special treatment afterwards she really seems to enjoy our little escape.

"God, Walt...you were right, I needed this. The food was delicious and your massage worked wonders. Thank you so much, papa bear."

She's sitting in front of me in the steaming hot water that smells like tropical flowers, her body covered with lush foam, her back resting against my chest, her butt between my spread legs, pressing against my cock.

"Well, it wasn't a Tantra massage but I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway." I press a kiss on her hair and hug her from behind. "I enjoyed it too, by the way. My hands all over your wonderful backside, that was very sexy," I whisper in her ear before I start to caress her breasts while kissing her neck. Damn, I love her tits, even more now after the pregnancy. They are so soft, so welcoming and warm, plus they are bigger than before, perfect for burying my face in them or for a filthy boob fuck.

Y/n moans softly under my touch and I go on, determined to make this date night unforgettable. After a while I let one of my hands glide over her belly, that wonderful part of her body that has carried our child and that is so smooth beneath my rough palm. I feel the stretch marks she hates so much but I kinda love them. They're like a map that shows what she's been through and what the female body is capable of. For her it's a flaw, when I look at it I see nothing but strength. With that thought I slip my hand between her legs, stroking her pussy, my fingers gliding through her swollen folds, provoking one of these drawn, hoarse moans that always escape her mouth when she likes what I'm doing and that turn me on so much. She cranes her neck to look at me and I bent my head to kiss her. The kiss is slow and sensual, tasting sweet and promising. I moan into her mouth, one hand on her tit, kneading it intensely, giving her erect nipple some extra attention with my thumb, one hand on her pussy. I keep on stroking her clit while we make out and she moves her hips, rolling them slowly against my rock-hard cock.

"You like that, baby?" I want to know, panting into her ear.

"I like it a lot…", y/n sighs, bucking her hips. I know exactly what she wants.

"How about that?" I stretch my arm, shifting my position a little to penetrate her slowly with two fingers, brushing them against her g-spot with light pressure.

"Fuck...Walt…"

Her moans are getting louder with each thrust into her cunt, her hips moving rhythmically. I stimulate her clit with my thumb and I can tell she's close, putty in my hands, a whimpering, panting mess and I love it.

"Mommy's still my little whore, right?" I ask, my voice rough and thick with arousal and desire, my dick throbbing, pressed against her ass. "Look at you, riding my fingers like the good girl you are. I love how that feels…"

I fingerfuck her harder and it doesn't take her long to cum with a loud moan, my name on her lips on top of her orgasm. She rides it out slowly, breathing heavily and I give her some time to recover before I grab her by her waist, lift her up and make her sit down on my cock. I can't wait another second, I need to feel her from the inside, her tight pussy stretching around my thick dick. She sighs when she easily sinks down on it, starting to ride me immediately, eagerly, greedy. She's still hungry, ready for more, giving me a hard time to pull myself together. I'd love to just rail her, to thrust into her cunt mercilessly to reach my own high but what I want even more is to see her come undone again, to make her fall apart on my dick, milking it when she cums again. So I hold her hips in a vice-like grip, pressing her down and she stops moving, waiting for me to take over. I let go of her hips and fuck her slowly, thrusting into her from underneath, caressing her tits, showering her shoulders with sloppy kisses.

She follows the rhythm and the pace I set and we both moan in unison. She reaches between her legs and starts touching herself which turns me on even further. I love watching her when she pleasures herself. She was a little hesitant about in the beginning of our relationship but when I even bought her some toys, she believed me that it was okay to masturbate in my presence, that it drove me absolutely wild to watch her, that I would fuck her like a predator after seeing her cum just by the touch of her own hands, using the toys I had chosen and allowed her to use. Today is no exception. Her soft moans and appreciative sighs are music to my ears and as soon as I fix my eyes on her fingers that circle her clit, while she strokes the shaft of my pounding cock with her other hand, I lose my shit.

I press her against my body and fuck her so hard and fast that the water spills all over the edge of the tub. She comes again shortly after I orgasm with a noise that's half grunt and half growl, arising deep from within my chest. My balls tighten and when I feel my cum shooting through my dick her pussy clenches around me and her body is trembling on top of mine. She cries out loud when I fill her up with my seed and I'm sure she knows that I imagine breeding her, when I keep on thrusting lightly, not pulling out even after we've both come down from our highs and my hard-on softens.

I know we still have to wait a few months till she gets pregnant again because her body needs time to heal but I guess it doesn't hurt to practice as often as we feel like it and to dream of adding another little bug to our family.

🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲

Taglist (let me know if you want to be added or removed)

@lunedelorient @inlovewithhisblueeyes @willkatfanfromasia @hell1129-blog @mis-lil-red @agniavateira @kebabgirl67 @omgkatinka @legendarywizarddetective @summersong69 @taebfada @xxxkatxo @artandotherdelights @notabronte @littlefreya @luclittlepond @eldarwen333 @meowpurrbooks @marantha @liliumdream @enchantedbytomandhenry @greensleeves888 @witcherfan @margauxmargaux07 @radaofrivia @m07belzen @a-little-counter-esperanto @starstruckkittyangel @mary-ann84 @sillyrabbit81 @emelinelovesjc @wheretheriversrunintothesea @lam0ureuxq @kingliam2019 @pandaxnienke @littleone65 @coloraturadiva

[angelsdevils]

Murasakibara x Reader

Title: Man Child Fluff No Warning

 You had a bag of snacks, when you were walking out of the grocery store. You had long ran out because of the excessive studying and late night snacks. So you obviously had to buy more not only for midnight snacks but for lunches as well. You had no idea though, that carrying a bag of snacks would have made you a target for a certain purple haired giant. You didn’t think anything of it at first, but then started to walk beside you. You could feel his stare on you, or maybe your snacks. You couldn’t tell but it scared you.

“Can I help you?” 

“Can I have a snack?”

“Excuse me?” 

“I am hungry,” You blinked slightly as he tried to reach for a snack, and you quickly jerked the bags away from him.

“No, I don’t know you. Quit following me, it’s weird.” 

“But~”

“No, quit following me,” He began to pout like he was a child and kept following you. You were getting slightly creeped out, on a normal day you would have thought he was cute. Not today, considering he was literally following you.You did the only thing you could think of and called your best friend.

“Hello?”

“Uh, Kagami. Where are you?”

“At the park playing basketball…” 

“Which park?”

“The one near my house, why? Is everything okay?”

“No, a giant guy is following me. I am getting really scared.” 

“Is he by you now?” 

“Yes, and he won’t stop staring at me!” 

“Giant guy?”

“Yes…” Suddenly the phone was taken away and you recognized the voice.

“Does he have purple hair?” 

“Oh hey Tatsuya… yes”

“Are you by chance carrying snacks?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“It’s Murasakibara, he is harmless. He is part of my team, just give him one snack, I will pay you back.” 

“O….kay….” You dug in your back and handed him a bag of chips and he perked up taking them.

“Thank you!” You stared at him weirdly.

“Am I safe?” You asked into the phone.

“Yeah, come to the court and drag him with you if you can.”

“I don’t think I have to worry, he is still following me.” 

“Thanks.” He hung up and you looked up at the tall giant. 

“You know Muro-chin?” 

“Uh, yes. He is a close friend of mine, from back in LA.” 

“Oh… I am Murasakibara Atsushi… What is your name?”

“(L/N) (Y/N)...” 

“(L/N)-chin...thank you for the snacks…”

“Sure…” It fell quiet and he continued to follow you, you did feel a bit more comfortable around the giant. 

“(L/N)-chin, let’s hang out today.” 

“Eh? Why?” You looked up at him but he wasn’t even looking at you. You were confused but he didn’t say anything else.

“Anyway, I can’t. Tatsuya told me to bring you to the basketball court, he is going to pay me for the snacks I gave yo~hey,” he had stolen more snacks from your bag after he finished his chips causing you to groan.

“Spend time with me.” He munched on the pocky he stole.

“I just told you I can’t.” 

“But, I want to spend time with you.”

“Why? You don’t know me.” 

“We can get to know each other.” He was pouting again,and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“What are you a child?’

“No…” He said and you groaned.

“Anyway, here we are… Tatsuya! Taiga!” Taiga came up to you and picked you up and spun you around causing you to laugh.

“Hey there…”

“It’s been awhile,” he set you down and smiled. You didn’t notice but Murasakibara had his cheeks puffed out as you were now focused on your friend.

“It has, I missed you and Tatsuya.” 

“Missed you too (Y/N), how much do I owe you?” He asked and you looked at him before waving it off.

“I will let it accumulate so you don’t have to pay me right now.” He cracked a smile and shook his head.

“Well here is your man child, I am going home. I have to clean and study.” 

“Can we come over later?” Taiga asked and you thought for a moment. 

“I can’t, maybe next time.” Tatsuya said.

“Alright, well you can Taiga…” 

“What about me?” You ignored the giant’s question and waved.

“See ya later Taiga…” You left and Murasakibara watched you leave with a small pout. He began to follow you and Tatsuya and Taiga sweat dropped.

“Where are you going?” 

“I am going with her…”

“What no you aren’t, stay.” You narrowed your eyes at him shaking your head sighing before leaving. He stayed pouting more, before following you from afar. Taiga and Tatsuya stared blankly at him as he continued to follow you which you didn’t notice.

“He likes her.” Tatsuya said and Taiga shook his head.

“She has no idea…” 

“She never does.” Murasakibara stayed far behind so you wouldn’t notice him. He felt like a lost puppy, just wanting attention from his human best friend. When you arrived at your house, you unlocked the door and went in closing the door behind you. You sighed softly and set the bags on the table.

“He is seriously like a puppy, cute but ugh…” You mumbled as you put everything away. Not even ten minutes later you heard the doorbell.

“Taiga is early… wait… don’t tell me…” You walked to the door and looked out the peek whole, to see none other than the purple hair giant.You groaned and opened the door, and stared at him.

“I told you to stay.”

“But, I wanted to be with you…” 

“What the heck? You barely know me, why are you following me around like a puppy or a child?” He shrugged slightly looking down, he wanted your attention to become closer to you. 

“Can I come in?”

“No…” 

“Please?” 

“Go back to Taiga and Tatsuya, or go home.”

“I live too far away, and I want to stay.”

“Why are you so stubborn?” He shrugged and you crossed your arms.

“Go. Away.” You closed the door in his face, and locked it. You went back to the kitchen, but suddenly the power went out and it began to storm. You squealed out when the power went out, then you heard knocking on your door.

“(L/N)-chin? Can I come in? It’s storming and cold out…” You saw lightning and jumped slightly.

You quickly opened the door to see him with wet hair and his cheeks puffed out. You quickly pulled him in, and locked the door. You jumped again at the sound of the thunder. You crouched in front of the door holding your ears.

You really hated storms, they scared you. Murasakibara blinked and stared down at you before picking you up and carrying you to the living room. 

“P-Put me down,” You stumbled but he sat on the couch and wrapped his arms around your waist securing you to his chest. You blushed slightly and he placed his chin on your head.Despite getting off the wrong foot, you had to admit you felt safe around the giant.

“(L/N)-chin, it’s good I followed you…” 

“I guess, still weird.” Your phone began to ring and he grabbed it easily with his long arms before handing it to you.

“H-Hello.”

“Do you need me to come over?”

“I can’t ask you that, this storm is terrible.”

“I don’t mind…”

“I will be fine Taiga, I have a giant here with me.”

“His name is Murasakibara… is he willing to stay the entire time?”

“Uh…” You glanced at him and he took the phone.

“Yes…”

“Oh Murasakibara, hmm okay… thanks.” He handed you your phone back and Murasakibara wrapped his arms tightly around your waist holding you close.

“I will call you later…” Taiga said and you smiled.

“Alright bye.” You hung up and placed the phone on the couch. You leaned into Murasakibara, and slowly began to fall asleep. Typically you wouldn’t have since you didn’t know him, but Taiga and Tatsuya both knew him, and you trusted them both. 

“I am hungry…” Okay you did not trust him around your food.

“Sorry, I can’t cook, the power is out. Everything is electric, including my stove…” 

“Snacks?”

“....” You sighed before getting up but he didn’t let you go, instead he picked you up and walked to the kitchen.

“I can walk.”

“I like carrying you.”

“Why?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“You eat a lot.” 

“Fair point… I like (L/N)-chin, so I want to make sure you are okay.” 

“How can you like me when we barely know each other?” He shrugged slightly, since you both were in the dark your eyes had adjusted. You could tell he was staring at you then the snacks contemplating if he can carry you and the snacks.

“Put me down doofus.” 

“But…”

“Put me down.” He set you down and grabbed the snacks and you grabbed a bag of (favorite chips). You grabbed your phone and made your way to your room, with Murasakibara following behind you. You laid on your bed, and he did the same, placing his head on your lap. You looked at him confused but he ignored it and continued munching on his chips. 

“(Y/N)-chin, you are really pretty,” he said, staring at your face. Heat radiated off of your face, and for once you were glad it was dark. 

“Uh, thanks…” You heard him set his snacks down and adjusted himself. He then buried his face into your stomach. Your hand began to run through his purple hair and he sighed softly. You set the chips down and stared at the wall, when he wasn’t being weird he was actually pretty sweet. He was actually really cute as well. You felt him stir and you glanced at him, he got in front of your face and placed a small kiss to your lips. You gasped and froze and he placed his hand behind your head so you wouldn’t move away. After a few minutes he pulled away and nuzzled his face into your shoulder.

“W-What was that for?” 

“I like you.”

“You can’t like me, we literally just met…” 

“Mm so I should wait to date (Y/N)-chin then?”  “Yes, wait I didn’t agree to date you.”

“(Y/N)-chin just said yes though.” 

“I-” He went back to eating and you sighed softly. 

“Fine, but we have to actually get to know each other first.”

“Okay…” 

[meloswifeyyy]

Relationship Alphabet

A - Attitude

Who often has the worst Attitude ?

Well, you obviously. Most of the time because you are hungry or you and Melo just got out of an argument. Melo usually fucks the attitude out of you anywhere, anytime tho.

B - Baby

Who wants Babies the most - first ?

Melo. He often jokes about having kids or when you are having sex he would whisper in your ear  “You trynna have my babies?” or  “You boutta have my babies ” when he nuts in you. He says that he wants 3 or more. You only want 2. You arent rushing into it.

C - Crying 

Who Cries the most in the relationship ?

You. You often cry alone when you miss Melo when he is at away games for so long. Or when your BP triggers, Melo would comfort you. When watching sad movies, or when someone you love dies. Tears of joys appear here and there. Or when you get into arguments and Melo says something wrong or disrespectful out of madness.

D - Dates 

Who has the best Date spots ?

Melo. He would often take you to fancy restaurants in L.A or Miami, or wherever you guys went. Or take you shopping at an expensive place. He would do dates at home like watching movies, have you cook dinner because he cant cook for shit, or he would have a bath waiting on you. 

E - Eat 

Who Eats the most ?   

You. You know damn well you cant survive without food. Its the 2nd best thing that has ever happened to you besides life and Melo. Cant even survive a night. If you would wake up in the middle of the night and get hungry and go to kitchen and try to sneak some food without waking Melo up, he would hear it and go to the kitchen and scare you, picking you up over his shoulder with one arm, and with the other putting the food away carrying you back to the bed because its a little to early in the morning to be eating. 

F - Freak 

Who is the Freakiest ?  

Both of you. You being the only girl that can fuck Melo like you do, and being the only girl Melo is sexually, physically, and mentally attracted to no other girl can do it like you.10/10 in bed. Now Melo on the other hand is a demon in bed. His strokes, hitting your G - Spot constantly with you feeling it in your guts. His 9 inch is almost  always on hard when he is around you. And his tongue is crazy, going in and out and on the pearl AT THE SAME TIME. Crazy right. Spelling his name out on you. He loves when you scratch his back up or give him hickeys everywhere. 10000/10. Makeup sex is the best. 

G - Games 

Who wins the most games ?  

Melo. He would always dare you to a game of Call of Duty or Fortnite to see who would win first. And he would always win. When you would play a game of Uno you would often win and he would be mad the rest of the day due to his competitiveness. But any other game he would win.

H - Happy

Who is the Happiest in the relationship ?  

Both of you. You are always happy when you guys are around each other. Even when you guys just got done arguing you are still happy that he is in your presence. Melo on the other hand is always happy with you around him, he loves to cuddle with you. Its one of his favorite thing to do. He just loves that you are in his presence. You are his other half.

I - Irreplaceable

Who is the most Irreplaceable ?  

You would say Melo but Melo would say you. Melo knows how to deal with you more than anyone else does. He knows all your spots and what you like and dont like. He notices all of your flaws and sees the good and beautiful in them. He knows your body, mind, and soul. No man has a better or brighter or bigger smile than him. He always brightens the mood. You on the other hand are different. A big beautiful smile. You know how to deal with Melo when he is sad, looses a game. You can tell when he is lying or telling the truth just by looking through his eyes. You know how to make him happy. You are the best he has ever had.

J - Jaded 

Who gets the most Jaded after doing something ?

Melo. He usually gets really bored after sitting in the house all day. He really wants to leave the house and do something fun but usually its night time and you would be taking a nap or would be sleep. 

K - Kisses

Who gives the most kisses?

Melo. He is always so clingy and that comes with all the kisses in the world. He kisses you all over your face in your sleep, even when you are sleep he gives you kisses. He loves to kiss all over your body.

L - Love

Who fell in love the fastest?

Melo. He had always had a crush on you and everyone knew you were the one for him. You just didn’t know it until you two started dating. He’s always making sure you are good. He loves your hugs. He was the first one to say “I love you”. He want kids you to have all 10 of his kids.

M - Motivation

Who gives the most motivation?

You. When melo is going to a game and is not having a good feeling about it you motivate him to push through it and win for you. 9/10 he will win or get a lot of points for you.

N - Night Owl

Who is more of a Night Owl?

Both of you. Sometimes when his ADHD is on 10 you guys stay up and listen to music, play games, go on ig live, or just fuck for 7 hours straight. Sometimes you have to tell him to got to sleep or put him to sleep (😏) because he has a game tomorrow and needs all the rest and energy he can get. It also the same for you.

O - Oral Sex

Who gives Oral Sex the most?

Melo. Trust me, you give him head a lot and it’s amazing, 10/10. But melo loves giving you head. He loves to spell his name out on you. Loves to see the faces to make you scream and shout. Loves sharing your cream with you (🥲). He loves to climb under the blanket while you are sleep for some breakfast in bed. Maybe even dinner. His lips make it even better. So glad he don’t got them white genes in his lips (😋😭).

P - Perfect

Whos perfect?

Obviously, no ones perfect but God (🙏🏾). But in your eyes no one else is better for you except melo. You couldnt imagine living life without him. Cant imagine what anyones elses kids would look like with you but. No relationship is perfect. Melo sees you as perfect. Your body. Your style. Your personality. He absolutely loves your touch. He loves touch but for you loving your touch is an understatement. He couldnt imagine his kids with anyone else but you. Cant imagine getting married with anyone else. When you guys get into arguments and sleep in seperate rooms. You barely get sleep because all you can think about is each other. How perfect you guys are for one another.

Q - Q? (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it.)

R - Relate

What traits do you guys have a like each other?

A lot. Both of your favorite food is Chicken tacos. You both love a good game of Uno. You both love sex. Duhh. Both of you guy’s love language is touch. Love playing fortnite together. Love listening to music and taking drives together. Both love lil uzi (we pretending yall💀). Just in general you guys are very alike.

S - Sex

(No question for this one lol. Y’all already know how we is round hea nahhmeannn😭)

The sex. Omgggg. The first time you and melo had sex was. So amazing. Can’t ever forget that moment. Melo is always so horny. Morning sex is the best. Sometimes a little top at the red light can turn into a few rounds in back of the McDonalds parking lot. Lucky enough all his windows tinted as hell. Or in the Victoria’s Secret fitting rooms. You guys could be listening to Chris Brown and he would really take you down, fuck you back to sleep, switch up the tempo, or make you wet the bed (i’m laughing hard ash). The hickeys. The high sex. Drunk sex (drunnnnkkk in lovvveee). Car sex. Balcony sex. All over the house sex ( i got bars.) Mad sex and Make up sex. I could go on. Sex with me so amazinggggg. (i was listening to this song while writing this one💀😫😫😫)

T - Trips

Who likes taking trips internationally?

Melo. He love to take you and a yearly or even monthly vacay. Just you and him. Turks and Caicos. Bora Bora. Jamaica. Iceland. Japan. Africa. Anywhere where you can get away from the world. The different places. The hotels. Being able to fuck anywhere and everywhere. The pools. The different air. (united states ait is so boring). The new food. The animals. You guys love the new places. He loves to see you happy and with a smile on your face.

U - U (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it.)

V - V (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it again.)

W - Right the Wrongs

Who rights their wrongs after an argument?

Usually it would be you first. If you said something that was out of pocket or melo didnt like you woukd quickly apologize. He would forgive you and still cuddle and kiss you and stuff because thats what he does. Tease you. But he would ignore you until he actually forgave you in his head. Melo would apologize and give you some bomb ass d for and apology. Or make that cute face that you can’t resist.

X - (Can’t find a word for X. Give me a suggestion and i will edit it)

Y - Young

Who acts like a Young ass child?

Both of you actually. That’s what makes you love each other the most. The laughs and jokes, the tv shows, everything you could think of. It’s nothing wrong with it at all. Y’all are always gonna bust a joke out at the right time. Maybe sometimes even the wrong time. (damn, double homicide). You guys love laughing with each other.

Z - ZZZ

Who has the worst sleeping habits?

Probably Melo. If you scooted over him even a little bit, he would probably scoot back closer to you or pull you back over to him. And the only con of that is he snores a lot. (Why this nigga snore with his mouth open?🤨💀). Sometimes if he was awake and you werent he would kiss all over you. He loves to lay on your 🍒.

Y’all welcome. I haven’t pose the one of these in a minute. This took me a whole month and a half. I’m tired as hell. 💀

[itrytowrite-things]

Murder podcasts

Spencer Reid x reader 

Summary: Y/N has a tendency to listen to murder podcasts while doing chores, one day Spencer comes in unannounced scaring Y/N into action. (This summary sucks but it’s fluffy) 

A/N: shout out to @with-paint, she helped me form some of this fic so check them out. 

The eerie background music and narrator filled the kitchen as I scrubbed diligently at a plate. I blinked down at it, trying in vain to remember what the hell I used it for that would cause such a stubborn stain of food. Sighing, I squeezed the soap bottle some more and ran hot water over it. Maybe soaking it would help? 

Grabbing a few of the cups I had washed, I spun around from the sink to a towel I had laid out earlier. I scrunched my nose as cold soap suds ran down my arm, hit my elbow and fell to the floor in a sticky mess I didn’t want to deal with right now. 

I was so engrossed in the podcast playing over the Alexa that I barely even processed the grueling chore that was longer than normal. I was lost in the words, that an hour longer scrubbing at dishes seemed almost fun. The dishwasher had completely died a couple of weeks ago. 

Normally Spencer would speed read the manual to figure out what was wrong with the stupid machine. But unfortunately, his case in Michigan was taking longer than he anticipated. So, he hadn’t been home to look into it, leaving me to hand wash the dishes. I didn’t mind, it was a mindless task and allowed me to catch up on my favorite podcast. 

“They found her body a week later, twenty minutes from their house,” I shook my head at that, case freaking solved. Her husband obviously killed her. I mean there’s no way the police didn’t solve this case, come on.

I moved from the towel back to the sink, sticking my hands back into the soapy water. I always believed that I should be a detective. I could solve these cases easily, Spencer claims that suspicion can only take me so far and the reason that they don’t catch the guy is not because they don’t suspect it, but because they don’t have hard evidence. I normally just scoff and give him a kiss knowing that I would get the bad guy in the end, “hard evidence” my ass. 

“Two months later the police came in and found Jeff’s disembodied head laying on their kitchen counter.” My jaw dropped and I turned around furiously, bringing a wet butter knife with me, on instinct I pointed the knife at the device. 

“Oh shit.” I said to the speaker, as if it were relaying the case itself. Well turns out I was wrong. I cleared my throat and lowered the stupid knife. I placed it down and tried my best to look less scandalized. We all make mistakes. So I might have been a little off in my husband theory, but I mean I had only heard half the case at that point so it doesn’t speak anything of my amazing detective skills. I nodded at that and tossed the knife into a little stack of silverware. The metallic sound echoing around the kitchen. I smirked at my good throw and turned back to the sink. 

I quickly got into the true grove of washing the dishes, listening to the more gruesome details of the case. Turns out the killer did quite a number on old Jeff. I was halfway done with the remaining dishes when I felt a tap on my shoulder sending my heart into a frenzy. 

I whirled around quickly bringing the closest item with me as a weapon. The plastic spatula slapped the asalint straight in the face creating an awfully loud twack sound that bounced off the kitchen walls. I blinked in horror at realizing who exactly was standing in front of me. 

Spencer's cheek turned red immediately. 

“Oh my god! Spence! I am so sorry!” I dropped the spatula and brought my other hand to his face trying to soothe his skin. My hand was covered in water and soap suds, and it dripped down his face onto the already wet floor.

“I am so so sorry. You scared me.” I rubbed my thumb over the spot, feeling his heated skin. Jesus, I felt awful. I didn’t hold anything back when I hit him. I figured I was fending for my life, not greeting my boyfriend. 

“It’s okay.” His much larger hand cupped mine removing it from his face. The redness had died down a little, making his skin a rosy pink instead of the previous bright red. He looked adorable which only made me feel worse. Who looks that cute after getting slapped in the face with a spatula? 

Spencer startled me yet again when a chuckle came bubbling out of him. His laugh was like someone bottled the sound of happiness. It made my own laughter arise every time without a doubt even if I didn’t understand what was funny.

“I guess I don’t have to worry about you protecting yourself.” A loud squeak sound emitted from my body unexpectedly followed by more laughter. I slapped him very lightly across the chest, kissing his unharmed cheek. 

“You're lucky I wasn’t cutting vegetables.” I said,  rustling my way into his arms pulling his body against my tightly, loving the way his laughter shook my entire body. I felt the short press of his lips against the crown of my head before tucking my head into the nook of his neck. I inhaled deeply, taking the scent of him with me. The apartment had started to lose its scent with him being gone for so long. I was beyond eager for the apartment to smell like us again.

“I think those podcasts are giving you wild ideas.” 

“They would never find your body Dr.Reid.” I teased, poking gently at his side making him squirm in my grip. Another round of laughter filled the small space, it was only when it died down that I realized my podcast was still running in the background. 

“Alexa, stop,” I shouted into the air stopping the podcast. “The neighbor did it.” I said with coincidence knowing that my answer was correct this time. Spencer let out a belt of laughter, nodding his head, a big grin on his face. 

I pulled back from Spencer taking in his features for the first time. He looked tired, his eye bags had doubled creating a skunk in effect. I could see the trouble in his eyes, the case was hard. It killed me to see him after a hard case, he looked more and more defeated after each one. However, it was what he loved doing and my job wasn’t to erase the trauma of his job, but to ease him back into daily life. I thumbed his eye bags lazily, a pout taking over my face. 

“You wanna take a shower and I’ll start us some dinner.” I asked gently. Not wanting to completely destroy the quiet we created. He nodded slightly looking younger than ever. I quickly pulled him back into me taking all of his weight. “I love you bub.” His hair felt silky against my fingertips as I disentangled the curls. 

“Love you too.” He mumbled, his heated breath warming my skin. I waited a few comfortable minutes rocking our conjoined bodies in the cozy silence of our kitchen, I took a deep breath and said what was on my mind. 

“You wanna talk about it?”

I don’t ever ask Spencer for the details of his cases. He either goes into a tangent without prompting or doesn’t feel like talking about it. I used to think that talking to Spencer about his job would be like listening to my murder podcasts. It honestly was one of the things I was excited for, but I soon found out it’s nothing like that.

When Spencer spoke of cases it was personal. He felt every death that was caused and saw every killing through the eyes of monsters. He held so much emotion in his voice when he spoke of the victims, that I often can’t help but cry. How a person can hold that much pain and still continue to do it everyday, is beside me. 

He shook his head, squeezing my torso before finally pulling back and placing a soft kiss to my lips. 

I continued the dishes, washing the last few. I left the podcast off, listening instead to the shower from down the hall. I scrubbed off the last of the grime before starting the oven. A simple dinner was always best in these situations. I pulled out a pre-made chicken pot pie from the freezer and placed it in the oven. 

As I moved to dry and put away the dishes while waiting for pie to finish. Spencer emerged from the bathroom freshly bathed. He wore a thin gray shirt paired with some soft looking sweatpants. My upper lip jutted out automatically. God I love him. 

“Feel better?” I kept my voice low, not wanting to startle any peace that the shower might have brought him. He nodded slowly. 

“What did you cook?”

“A chicken pot pie, I hope that’s okay.” 

“It’s perfect.” He smiled and returned to my arms, kissing my neck once before tucking his head into my neck. The edge of his wet hair scraped against my skin in an uncomfortable way, yet I only moved enough to rub circles into his back. 

A loud beep emitted from the oven caused me to jump in Spencer's arms. He let out a small chuckle. 

“Pick us something to watch and I’ll plate us some food.” I hummed turning my back to him. I heard him walking towards the living room as I bent to retrieve the hot food. 

Spencer sat criss cross on the couch, Les Enfants du Paradis was displayed on the TV. I handed him the steaming bowl and sat down, sitting close enough for our knees to knock together. I have no idea what Les Enfants du Paradis was, but I would watch literally anything he wanted as long as he was here. 

“It’s in French, but I figured I could whisper the translations to you while we watch. Or I could pick something else?” 

“No! This is perfect Spence. I love it when you translate, you tell the story better.” He let out a little blush highlighting his previous slap mark. I bit my lip and winced slightly, “How’s your face?” 

He touched the spot faintly, he didn’t wince when his fingers made contact which was a good sign. However, I have an inkling that a small bruise would form in the center of the slap which was going to be a fun story to tell his colleagues Monday. 

“I’ve had worse, but you wield a lot of power with a cheap piece of plastic.”

“I am professionally trained in the art of spatula wielding Spence, don’t try that at home.” I stared at him, my face blank before a blast of laughter came out of both of us. One can only be so serious when you are talking about slapping people in the face with kitchen utensils. 

Spencer started up the movie, and we remained there for the rest of the evening. Laughter and dramatic sighs followed by even more dramatic translations from Spencer. At some point he went so off script that even I could tell his story was bullshit. I didn’t call him out though just allowed him to spit nonsense, I would let him create fake French stories until he was blue in the face if that meant we got to stay in this happy bubble forever. 

[malebodysuittf]

Thankful

I sniffed the air with a drool, smelling that delicious roast turkey that my dad was cooking up. It was a family recipe that we had used every Thanksgiving. Dad had never even tried to deviate from it since my mom passed when I was not even a year old. My dad told me it was hers, and cooking the turkey her way made it feel like she was back home for the Holidays. 

Thanksgiving has been a big family occasion ever since, though the “family” was just the two of us. My dad valued that family time more than anything. After what happened with mom, he was absolutely devastated for the longest time. But he worked hard to make his way up through the ranks, and told me every single day to be grateful for what I had so I could have a good future myself.

“Ritchie! The turkey is ready! Come eat dinner with your old man.”

I opened my drawer and pulled out a jar filled with a translucent, red liquid along with a syringe. “Coming, dad!” I pondered if this was really the right thing to do. With a sigh, I put the serum back. No, he had done a wonderful job of being a role model parent. I had bought this serum from the shady kid at school before we graduated, and he told me it could turn the victim into a suit by emptying them out. A wearable suit. My dad didn’t deserve that. He had worked hard and chose not to abandon me when he could have. 

I ran downstairs and saw the delicious Thanksgiving feast before me. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, a homemade pumpkin pie, and a beautiful salad. I immediately sat down and started eating as my dad watched with a grin. ”Oh come on, no thank you?  On Thanksgiving?” He said jokingly. 

“Thanks, dad. And...I want you to know I’m thankful for everything. I know I’m going off to college soon, so...I mean, you’ve worked so hard to....to provide everything for me and get me where I am, I wanna be thankful.” 

Dad smiled, almost looking like he was on the brink of tears. “Let’s just eat, alright?” He started to dig in with me as we had a delicious Thanksgiving feast together.

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

A few hours after dinner, and I rested in my, eyeing the drawer with the bodysuit serum. Perhaps I could use it on someone else, someone who might deserve it. 

Knock knock

Startled by the unusual late night disturbance, I opened the door to see Dad standing there, shirtless. Looked like he was getting ready to go to bed.

“Hey, Ritchie, you mind if I come in?’ He gave me the most wholesome smile, a reminder of the close bond we had. 

“Yeah, sure, what’s up?”

He walked in and plopped himself onto my bed, hunched over with his legs spread out as he rubbed his hands together. 

“Hey buddy, you’re going to college soon, and...I know, I know, maybe it’s not a big deal for you or whatever. I mean, you took this gap year, and you’re probably tired of your old man by now.” His body tensed up as he chuckled before giving a long sigh. ‘I just wanna say I’m really proud of you, and I’m thankful for you. I know sometimes...I know you told me that sometimes you feel guilty, because I had to raise you as a single parent...but I don’t regret it at all.”

 My eyes teared up as I head his words. It was true, it felt awful. He never gave me up for adoption, he was never selfish, he had been the role model parent for me. Accepted me the way I was. Even with my homophobic grandparents, my father had told me he didn’t care, because I was his son. He had supported me every step of the way. He never went out looking for another woman, truly in love with my mother, and wanting to give me 100% of his attention. 

“Dad...I have to be honest. I don’t want to go to college. It just...it doesn’t seem right to me. But-”

“You’re an adult, Ritchie. You get to make your own decisions. If that’s how you feel, go that route. Don’t let your old man try to live your life for you. I worked hard so you could have the life you want, not for you to be unhappy. I’ll support you, no matter what choice you make.”

At a loss for words, I jumped out of bed and hugged Dad and felt his arms wrap around me.

“Dad, I really meant what I said earlier. I couldn’t have asked for a better father.” 

“I love you, son. No matter what, don’t ever forget that.” 

As I hugged him, the option tugged at my conscience. in his compassion and fatherly affection, the guilt ripped me apart. I wanted it more than ever. 

I got up from him and turned to the drawer. As he got up to leave the room, I said, “Wait, uh...I’ve um...got something for you.” 

“Yeah? What is it, champ?”

I opened the drawer and slipped the syringe through the top of the jar, watching the liquid seep into the it. 

“Just...uh...hold on a sec, alright?”

He gave a deep chuckle. “Yep, I’m waitin’.”

“I’m really sorry, Dad.”

I looked behind me and saw his concerned face. He was loving and supporting, and wanted to comfort me. “I already told you Ritchie, I’m proud of you. I don’t want you to feel gui-”

I swiftly turned around and jabbed Dad in the neck with the syringe, injecting him as he was startled. He pulled my hand away and pushed me back.

“Ritchie, w-what the hell was that?” His large, meaty hand patted his neck as he gave me a confused look. 

“A...a bodysuit serum. I’m really sorry, Dad.”

“What the hell is that? What did you do? Is this some kind of prank?”

“N-no...I don’t....I don’t know...” I felt great guilt as Dad suddenly started groan and cup his face in his hands.

“Oh...fuck...i-it burns! WHAT DID YOU DO?” He tried to leave the room, but I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him back in, covering his mouth as he yelped. He was, of course, much stronger and bigger than me, but even in this moment of peril, he wasn’t willing to hurt his son. He pushed me back slightly as he fell back and hit the wall, slumping as his head hung down, struggling to keep it up. 

“Fuck...Ritchie, please, call an ambulance! W-what are you doing?”

“It’s gonna turn you into a suit. I’m gonna wear your skin, Dad.” 

His face was a mixture of confusion and horror. “THIS ISN’T FUNNY, RITCHIE!” 

“I already told you, I’m really sorry Dad...but I’m gonna have your body. I’m gonna wear that skin of yours!” I menacingly approached him, still unsure if this was what I wanted to do. 

“W-What do you mean? Did you...drug me?” The pain appeared to be ramping up as Dad’s face contorted and he wiggled against the wall, yelping every now and then while he clutched his stomach. 

“I told you I didn’t want to go to college. I’m really sorry to say this...but I’m going to go straight to work, Dad. I want to wear your skin. I want to live your life, talk to your friends, do your job...please don’t make this harder than it has to be. It’s just because you’re the man I want to be.”

Dad started to cough as he looked slightly paler than before, wrestling out what words he could. “W-what are you going to do?” He clenched his jaws as he built up the courage the ask. “You’re creeping me out Ritchie! W-what do you mean wear my skin? You’re not a monster!” He stumbled over his words in terror, in denial of his fate.

“Nothing like that! I just know that I can’t wait to slide into you, slipping into your empty, lifeless skin, stretching every wrinkle of yours, and to talk to everyone...and not a single person will know. I really am sorry.”

Looking disturbed by his own son’s words, Dad tried again for the door. This time, I managed to grab him and put him in a chokehold.  I could feel him getting softer as he was turned into a suit, and he was a lot weaker because of it. He started to panic with shallow breaths as I watched his bare feet scrape against my bedroom carpet, desperately trying to get out of my grasp. I could feel him almost ready. 

I stood up with him still in a chokehold and moved to drag him over to the bathroom. I kicked open the door and turned on the light, I threw Dad forward as he hit the bathtub.

“I told you, I’m thankful for you, Dad. You’ve given me so much, and you’re about to give me everything.”

I grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed his head into the tub as the goo started to eject from his mouth. My very unfortunate father flailed and attempted to back up from the tub, gaining momentary freedom. “R-RITCHIE! STO-MMMMPH!!!” 

I quickly slammed his face back towards the tub when I noticed him desperately clenching his mouth to keep the goo inside, trying to retain what little was left of him. I reached my left arm over his face and the right under his chin. I used both of my hands to clip onto his lips; I knew Dad wouldn’t bite me, he was too good of a father. With my left arm and held his upper face steady as I pulled his mouth open with my right hand. He whimpered as he looked at me, as if one final plea to talk. Slowly, but surely, his mouth started to open with a cry as he weakened. Prying his mouth open, Dad shuddered and yelped as the goo plopped out of his mouth. Clearly unable to fight for any longer, I released the pressure and grabbed him by the hair with my left hand. I could feel his head almost...folding in on itself, as it emptied. I tugged his head back into the tub until Dad was mostly deflated and empty. His hands let go of the tub and fell to the ground in a folded pile, while his legs had completely folded at the knees, while his face drooped into the bathtub. I felt a severe guilt. Dad, the man who had given me everything, who had been supportive of me, who had been the best father he possibly could’ve been, was gone. All that was left was this bodysuit of him. 

I grabbed his hand, and noticed there was some goo left in him. I picked the arm of the suit up from the fingers and squeezed out the remaining goo as it fell right out from his mouth, until he was completely empty. Turning on the bathtub, the goo sunk into the drain.

I grabbed the bodysuit by the scalp and held it up, and his shorts and underwear slipped off. I could just barely hold the suit so Dad’s feet wouldn’t touch the ground; he was a man of incredible stature. Every crevice of his folded over itself, while the mouth and eye sockets dragged downwards, creating an O-face with bags. Even though I knew it was me who did it, the macabre visual of my own father’s lifeless skin could only seek to unsettle me. I intended to remedy that. 

Dropping the bodysuit to the floor, it fell as a haphazard pile of skin and hair with a slap. I took off my own clothes and tossed them onto the floor. I hooked my fingers onto Dad’s lips and started to stretch his mouth as wide as I could. I dipped my toes in, forcing one foot through Dad’s body, then the other, until both fit snugly into his feet. I wiggled my new toes, significantly thicker and with little tufts of hair on each one. I tugged harder at his mouth as I slipped Dad’s skin on, feeling his powerful legs overtake my own. I flexed my trunk thighs in awe, enjoying seeing his beautiful daddy legs move to my command. I had to stretch the suit to it’s limit to slip my hard cock into Dad’s fuckstick skin. Christ, the thing was massive. I shimmied into his ass, feeling it perk up. Dad was always such a humble guy, and of course, I hadn’t got to see him naked until now. He truly had an amazing body, it almost made me sad to imagine all that he missed out on in his loyalty to Mom. I gazed at myself in the mirror, satiated by the thought of my supportive and caring father, being turned into a sexual object by his son. The empty arms swung from my hip as I checked myself out, while the skin of his torso and head clumped around my waist. I continued to pull at Dad’s mouth, slipping my arms into each arm of the suit. His hands were strong and his fingers thing, veins running down the arm. A sign of masculinity and impressive musculature. Finally, I grabbed the upper lip from behind my head and, using my newfound strength, pulled the upper lip over my head as Dad’s face stretched to ludicrous proportions while I tried to stuff my own head into his, almost threatening to tear. 

I blinked a few times, and looked in the mirror. I was the spitting image of Dad, quite literally. Humble, supportive, friendly, caring Dad. Perhaps I need to start referring to myself by name. Alan. I was Alan, single father of Ritchie. I could only give myself a devious smirk in the mirror. As I started to jerk off this new fuckstick of mine. It was insanely sensitive, from nearly two decades of loyalty and family dedication. I rubbed it intensely as I recalled the events of the night. I did feel awful about what I had done, but there was such a dark appeal to it. I had decided on not turning  Dad into a skinsuit...but when he came in, and sat there on that bed, the impulse was too much. Recalling the nights events of pulling on Dad’s skin, and getting to see myself in control of his body...I ejaculated onto the mirror with a loud moan, rolling my neck as I felt the wave of pleasure overtake my body momentarily. The seed was thick, and I was able to roll it off the mirror and eat it up. I stretched a bit to fully situate myself in my new skin and picked up the underwear that I had been wearing, ready to slip it on and go to bed. A thought passed my mind as I stared in the mirror, ready to be just as good of a man that Alan had always been. 

Once again, Dad endured so many trials, to give me everything. Quite literally  this time. 

And I was finally, truly, thankful. 

[princessmisery666]

Don't Pull This Thread - Part 2 of 8

Series Summary: Sam receives a call to tell him that his best friend from Stanford is in hospital. He rushes to her side and discovers she has secrets similar to his. Sam and Dean help her seek revenge until they discover her life is bound to the very thing they are helping her hunt.

Part 2

Summary: Sam and Dean take care of Lexie while she heals; Sam learns more about her habits than he likes.

Warnings: angst, fluff, slow burn, infidelity mentioned, Dean flirting.

W/C: 4k.

Notes: switches between Sam and OC POV. Canon divergent.

Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, OFC, other needed OC’s..

Pairing: they are getting closer buuuuut….

Beta: @deanwinchesterswitch // all mistakes belong to me, before I knew better.

Dividers: @firefly-graphics

Master Lists: Series (inc. Prologue) // Main

Lexie POV

A week later.

I had been going stir crazy. I spent three days in the hospital before being allowed home, with a promise to the doctor from Sam that he would take care of me. Sam has kept his promise and has had me on house arrest.

I’m not complaining; having the undivided attention of the youngest Winchester isn’t exactly a hardship. He cooked, cocooned me in blankets on the couch when I fell asleep, and carried me to my bed when I was too sleepy and worn out to walk the short distance. But staring at the same four walls and barely being able to walk from the living room to the bathroom without Sam hovering over me was wearing thin.

I have broken ribs; I’m not an invalid. I stopped taking my prescribed painkillers yesterday and convinced Sam to go to Mike’s Bar after a lot of pouting and fluttering eyelashes.

I work at Mike’s, and I haven’t seen him or the other two waitresses I had become fast friends with since I had left the hospital. I wanted to catch up with friends and have a drink with Sam and Dean outside the stifling confines of my apartment.

Mike enveloped me in a tight hug before I even made it three steps into the bar and kissed both my cheeks. I choked down the whimper that Mike’s crushing embrace caused, not wanting Sam to see I was in pain and insisting on taking me home to rest.

I introduced Mike to Sam and Dean as we walked to sit at a table near the bar. “Drinks are on me tonight, boys,” I tell them with a broad smile, “it’s the least I can do for taking care of me.”

“In that case.” Dean grins, rubbing his hands together looking at Mike, who’s waiting to take our order. “I’ll have a bottle of Johnny Walker, and Sam here will take a glass of milk.”

Sam sneers at his brother while ordering a beer, and I ask for my usual vodka and coke.

Mike returns with our drinks and joins us. “So when are you coming back, Lex?” Mike asks with an exaggerated sad face. “I miss you.”

“Hopefully at the end of next week.”

Sam adds, “Doc said light duties only. No heavy lifting.”

“Don’t worry; I’ll look after her. But in the meantime, Lex,” Mike’s eyes sparkle mischievously, “if you want to make a little extra cash. The guy at the pool table with the expensive Rolex has been here for almost three hours and is up by about eight hundred bucks. But I think you can take him.”

“You hustle people at pool?” Dean asks, his voice full of surprise.

Mike scoffs loudly, “it’s how I met her.”

I point a warning finger at Mike, “do not tell that story!”

“Oh no, you gotta tell us now,” Sam says, shuffling forward in his chair to be closer to the conversation.

Mike looks at me with pleading eyes, “come on; it’s my favorite story to tell.”

Mike turns to Sam and opens his mouth to speak, but I jump at him, clasping a hand over his mouth. “Mike,” I warn, “remember I saved your life; you owe me.”

Mike mumbles against my hand and rolls his eyes, “fine.”

Sam POV

Dean, Mike, and I sit talking while Lexie plays pool with Mr. Rolex. I have a perfect view of her over Mike’s shoulder, and I’m trying my hardest not to keep staring at her. I know I’ve been overprotective and overbearing the past few days, but I haven’t been able to stop. Having Lexie back in my life on what is shaping up to be a permanent basis and knowing her secret has changed something between us.

Maybe it’s the relief she is okay, the close quarters of living together, or that nothing is holding us back anymore. No secrets we have to keep from one another.

I feel the shift, the difference in her eyes when she looks at me when she thinks I’m not looking. The way she lingers when she kisses my cheek in greeting or the way her body relaxes when I kiss her goodnight. The way she fits herself into my body every night we share a bed. There’s definitely been a change in our relationship, and I like it.

Lexie is flirting with Mr. Rolex, touching his arm when she talks to him, allowing him to bend over her to help her with her shot. I know it’s all part of the hustle, but it doesn’t help stifle my jealousy.

They finish their second game, and Lexie comes back to the table to pour herself a glass of Dean’s Johnny Walker. “How’s it going over there?” Dean asks.

“Best of three, we’re one apiece so far.”

“What are the stakes?”

Lexie shoots back the burning alcohol, “I win, I get a thousand bucks. He wins, he gets me for the night.”

Dean laughs through his nose and sits back in his chair so he can get a better view of her, “just when you think you know a person,” he grins stupidly at her.

Lexie chuckles, shrugging her shoulders unfazed. “He’s a man, give him the promise of sex, and he stops using his brain and starts thinking with other parts of his body. I’m playing the man,” she winks at Dean.

Mike looks over his shoulder at Lexie’s opponent. He’s six feet, athletically built, with large hands. Mike turns his attention back to Lexie, high-fiving her as he croons, “though if you lose, it’s still a win, honey.”

“How about you play me after?” Dean asks, wetting his lips, “same stakes?”

Lexie rolls her eyes enough for both of us as she pours herself another drink from the half-empty bottle. “Sorry, Winchester, you’re not my type.”

“Please, I’m everyone’s type!”

Lexie shakes her head. She’s not into his cock-sure attitude. She’s always hated cocky, egotistical, over-confident men. She’s told me she finds it to be a total turn-off. She shrugs again, “I prefer my men less...”

“Manly,” Dean interrupts.

“Promiscuous.”

“Ouch,” Dean feigns offense, clutching his heart dramatically. “Low blow, sweetheart.”

Lexie pinches his cheek like an over-zealous Aunt at thanksgiving. “Truth hurts, sweetie.” She skips away back toward her handsome adversary before Dean can respond.

I slap Dean’s arm to get his attention from Lexie’s ass. “Dude, stop hitting on her.”

It’s not the first time Dean has hit on her, and I’ve had enough. Partly because I’m tired of Lexie having to politely reject him and partly because maybe I am a little worried Lexie would cave and fall for my brother’s charm.

“Sorry, Sammy.” Dean grins, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “Didn’t know I was stepping on your toes.”

I roll my eyes hoping it's enough to convince him that’s not the reason. “It’s not even like that,” I deny. “It’s getting a little embarrassing seeing her reject you over and over again.”

“Okay, baby brother,” Dean agrees, a telling smirk on his mouth while taking a sip of his drink.

“I wouldn’t worry too much, sweetie,” Mike interrupts us, “you’re both a little too available for her anyway.”

My brow creases at Mike’s vague comment, and Dean’s expression asks for further explanation.

“She prefers her men attached,” Mike says, nodding over his shoulder at Mr. Rolex.

We both understand as soon as we each clock Mr. Rolex’s shiny wedding band. Mike elaborates anyway, “I don’t know what happened to that girl, but whatever it is, she only goes with guys who are attached or unavailable somehow. I guess it’s her way of ensuring it’s just about the sex.”

Mike closes the bar at midnight, chucking out the last of the drunk customers, leaving me, Dean, Lexie, Rachel, and himself to drink and catch up.

Lexie counts two hundred dollars from her earlier winnings and hands it off to Mike, who accepts it with a thankful smile.

Rachel, a new team member at Mike’s, watches the transaction with young, innocent eyes. “You let her hustle people in your bar for a cut of the winnings?”

It’s not an accusation, just a simple observation.

Mike smirks, shrugging, “It pays for damages.”

Lexie protests loudly, “Hey, I still stand by my story that that guy broke his own arm!”

“You broke his arm because he was a sore loser,” Mike concludes, earning a laugh from the crowd.

I smirk, thinking about that poor guy. I’ve seen Lexie lose her temper; our road trip was pretty much a tour of America’s bars. I know she can handle herself against the unwanted affections of a drunk, and I would never like to be on that side of her.

Dean wonders aloud, “where did you learn to hustle anyway?”

Lexie pats me on the back, winking, “Sam taught me everything I know.”

I shrug my shoulders at Dean taking a swig of my beer. He huffs out a breath smiling wickedly at me, and I know he’s going to embarrass me before he speaks. Dean gives me his shit-eating grin. “So you’ll let my brother bend you over a table but not me?”

“If you’re giving me the choice of Winchesters,” Lexie says, looking at Dean with a raise of her eyebrows, and runs her hands over my shoulders as she leans against me, “I’d pick Sam, every time.”

I mask my happy chuckle with a swig of my beer but can’t fight off the small, proud, smug tug on my lips as they curl into a grin. Dean pouts and sneers comically at us both.

“Ah, don’t worry, baby, I’d pick you.” Mike retorts, leaning closer to Dean.

Lexie POV

Dean’s awkward throat-clearing makes us all crack into fits of laughter. This is just what I needed.

Rachel seems to be a bit in awe of me like I’m some kind of a role model. If only she knew. “Have you ever lost and had to go home with someone?” Rachel asks, young and a little naive; she seems excited and yet fearful at the prospect.

I feel the blush heat my cheeks and sip my drink, so Mike answers for me, sighing dreamily, “ah, Wyatt.”

“Who’s Wyatt?” Sam asks.

I swallow my drink and can't keep the satisfied grin from my mouth at the memory. “He hustled me the third or fourth night I started working here. He’d watched me play other people and played me at my own game.”

Rachel’s excitement lights her eyes. “So you went home with him?”

“I may have lost the bet, but I won multiple times that night,” I quip, clinking my glass against Mike’s in an appreciative toast.

Rachel’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she wants to know more. She asks me questions about Wyatt. Where had he taken me? Had I seen him again?

I answer all the eager girl’s questions. Wyatt had rolled into Mike’s bar two days after I arrived in town. It was my first night waitressing there, and I had fended off a lot of unwanted attention. Wyatt hadn’t tried groping me the first time he spoke to me, and we exchanged a few friendly words, then I went off to hustle some college kids.

Wyatt came to Mike’s three consecutive nights, and on the third, he challenged me to a game of pool, claiming to be rusty from his time overseas. Wyatt was a soldier; I assumed special operations though he had never specifically told me that. He was home visiting his family until his next deployment.

He was nice, charming, and gorgeous. Short brown hair, trimmed and sculpted beard, broad shoulders, and an ass that marble sculptures could never replicate. I had not been bothered about losing to him one bit.

“We spent a week and a half together, six dates and forty-eight consecutive hours in bed.” I finish with a dreamy exhale. “We text each other and talk on the phone sometimes, but I haven’t seen him since.”

I’m smiling broadly; Wyatt is a good memory in an ever-expanding ocean of bad ones. I catch Sam smiling at me, and I ask what he’s looking at.

“Nothing,” he says, shaking his head without breaking eye contact, “it’s just nice to see you smiling.”

I’m lying in my bed with my head on Sam’s chest. He’s shared my bed every night since he heroically charged into my room to save me from my nightmare. Sam’s flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, and I know from his breathing he’s not asleep. His hand strokes up and down my shoulder blade a few times, and I draw myself closer to him.

I’ve known him long enough to know he has something on his mind, and he’s not going to sleep until he gets it out. I say his name, and even though I whisper, he jumps a little in surprise. “I can practically hear you thinking. What’s on your mind?”

His mouth is resting against my forehead and curls into a smile; he knows I know him too well. But then maybe I don’t know him all that well as his question surprises me. “Would you really have left with that guy tonight if you had lost?”

I sound robotic and devoid of emotion when I reply. “Yes. A bet is a bet.” I don’t make bets I can’t cash.

“But he was married.” He sounds almost disgusted; he’s disappointed in me. My body stiffens, and he must know he’s struck a nerve because he quickly adds his reasoning. “You could have your pick of guys, so why?”

I roll onto my back, and the cold absence of my body against his goes deeper than my skin. “It’s easier. No risk of emotions, no complications.”

Sam corrects my answer. “You mean no risk of them sticking around.”

“I’m not exactly the safest person to be around,” I whisper sadly. “Zak makes a point of hurting anyone I get close to.”

I have never felt guilt or remorse for sleeping with any of the men I have slept with, married or otherwise. But Sam’s disappointment in me is palpable, and I despise the thought of him thinking less of me, judging me if only for a fleeting second.

Sam finds my hand on the bed and interlocks our fingers. “What if you met someone who wanted to stick around?”

He phrases it like a question, but it isn’t. He’s telling me he wants to be the one to stick around. So now I know he feels the change in us too. We both want to be more than friends; we want to share a bed and lose the clothes we wear every night. We both want the kisses that have been exchanged a thousand times between our eyes but never reached our lips.

I won’t put Sam in harm's way because of how I feel about him. I gently take my hand back, it’s a rejection, but I solidify it by saying, “I’d run as far and as fast as I could.”

“Lex,” tries Sam.

I present my back to him, effectively ending the conversation. “I think you should go sleep in your bed.”

“Lexie, I’m…”

I raise my voice, “please, Sam!”

I feel the bed spring back up after his weight leaves it, and I manage to hold off the tears until he closes the door with a soft click after exiting.

I sleepily shuffle my feet from the bathroom down the small corridor and into the kitchen. The clock on the wall reads two fifteen a.m. I’d like to believe it was just my aching ribs that woke me, but it’s more than that. The vacant Sam-shaped spot in my bed, missing his warmth, the deafening silence without the sound of Sam’s light snoring had woken me too.

I took some aspirin in the bathroom, which are nowhere near as strong as the prescribed painkillers I was on, so they will be slow to take effect. I won’t be able to find sleep again until the pain ebbs.

I take an ice pack from the freezer and gently hold it against my ribs under the loose-fitting t-shirt, trying not to wince or jolt as the cold touches my skin. I lean against the countertop savoring the almost immediate relief the cold provides.

I hear the boy’s bedroom door open and listen to ascertain if they are going to the bathroom or if I’ve woken them even though I made every effort to be as silent as possible. Bare feet pad across the tiled floor, and know from the sound of the footsteps it’s Dean. It’s funny how quickly I've become accustomed to having the boys living with me.

A shirtless Dean enters the kitchen rubbing the remnants of sleep from his pretty hazel eyes. “Hey,” he greets in a sleepy voice squinting at the attack of light after walking through the darkened apartment. “You okay?”

I clear my throat and wet my lips subconsciously, taking in his chiseled physique, running my eyes over his scars and the tattoo on his chest, before meeting his eyes. I smile widely. “I’m fine, just needed some aspirin,” I explain, hoping he missed my ogling. “Did I wake you?”

Dean smiles cockily, leaning against the doorframe, telling me, “Sam’s snoring woke me.”

Sam has slept in my bed every night since he woke me from my nightmare. Dean has got used to sleeping in the room alone. I tell myself to focus on his face and not his shirtless body or let my eyes roam further down to assess his package in the thin sweatpants he wears as pajamas.

Dean isn’t my type, but it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate him.

His eyes roam my body, and I’m suddenly acutely aware I’m wearing a pair of black cotton shorts and a loose-fitting light grey t-shirt. I know the t-shirt shows the shape of my braless breasts, and I’m a little self-conscious that the way I’m holding the ice pack to my ribs means my shirt had ridden up to reveal my stomach.

I cough to get Dean’s attention, fighting off the urge to readjust my shirt to cover up as his eyes travel from my toes up. We both laugh somewhat awkwardly, knowing each other’s thoughts and seeing the appreciation of each other’s bodies.

“Well, I’m not going to sleep again anytime soon. You’re welcome to take my snoring-free bed,” I tell him to break the moment.

Dean raises his eyebrows enticingly, walking to stand in front of me. “That an invitation?”

I giggle, putting a hand on his chest to stop his advance. “Keep it in your pants, Winchester.”

He holds his hands in the air, surrendering. “Understood, Walker.”

I offer to make coffee, and he accepts but tells me to sit while he makes it because I should be resting. I stop my roll eye and sit down. He makes us both coffee and then sits across the table from me, and I scan his scars.

“How’d you get this one?” I ask curiously, running a finger down the three-centimeter scar just below his collar bone.

“Knife wound, courtesy of a poltergeist.”

“And this one?” I feel a rounded scar that is obviously a bite mark from something with an excess number of sharp teeth.

“Wendigo took a chunk out of me before I put it down.”

“Wendigo?”

Dean smiles, amused. “I keep forgetting you’re new to all this.”

I nod my head laughing. “I can handle a suck-head and a vengeful spirit or two, but anything other than that, I’m out of my league.”

“If there were only vampires and vengeful spirits out there, I could have a day job.”

I chuckle, “what would Dean Winchester do as a day job?”

Dean smirks cheekily. “Oh, I’d totally be a model.” He sits up straight and puffs out his chest. “With these rugged good looks, I’d be rich and famous.”

We share a whole-hearted laugh.

“The tattoo, does it mean something?”

“Anti-possession symbol.”

I contemplate Dean’s scars and wonder how many Sam has. I’ve never seen Sam’s body long enough to examine it closely. I try to imagine all the things they have faced, the sheer amount of times their lives have been in peril, the occasions they have put themselves in harm's way to help other people, strangers they don't know.

They are in harm's way now. I put them on Zak’s radar by simply being in their presence. I pick at a chip on my coffee mug, thinking about how they have been lucky so far. Zak hasn’t made his feelings on the Winchester’s known yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Zak will send a message soon enough. I’m sure of it.

Dean touches my hand, and it brings me out of my head. I smile up at him, but it’s not convincing enough, and he asks, “where’d you go just now?”

“I was just thinking I’m kind of in awe of you and Sam,” I admit, a genuine proud smile on my lips. “All the things you must have seen, all the people you have saved. You're kind of amazing; you know that.”

Dean grins bashfully. “Just kind of amazing?” he questions with a wink.

“Well, if you were humble as well, then you’d be totally amazing,” I joke, laughing with him. “Seriously, it scares me to think of all the things out there that I don’t know about. You and Sam fight them all the time while I’m hellbent on revenge, selfishly focusing on my own mission.”

“It’s not selfish to want revenge,” Dean assures me. “Hell, me and Sam have done the same thing.”

“Only you’re not,” I point out. Here’s my chance, maybe I can convince Dean to leave me, get Sam to go before anything serious happens. “You’re here with me; you’ve stopped.”

“Don’t do that!” Dean warns.

I feel like my big brother is telling me off, but I don’t stop. “Don’t what?” I ask, frustration seeping from my voice. “You know as well as I do you’re going to have to leave me alone at some point. Sam won’t listen to me, but he might listen to you. You could convince him to go.”

He raises his voice, pissed that I’m trying to talk him out of helping me. “Don’t bat your eyelashes and try to manipulate me.”

“I’m not trying to manipulate you unless it's working,” I test with a quick grin. “But I’m not some quick fix case, Dean. This isn’t something that’s going to be resolved in a few days so that you can move on to the next one.”

“It takes as long as it takes,” he tells me calmly.

“Oh, come on,” I groan, “when was the last time you spent this long in any one place? You’ve both put your life on hold for me, and it isn’t fair to either of you.”

Dean stands, taking his half-empty coffee cup to the sink, and pours the remaining liquid down the drain. I’m right, and he can’t deny it.

“You ever consider we like being here?” he asks without turning. “That it’s nice to know we can go do a job and we have somewhere to come back to? That it’s nice to see Sam smile, genuinely smile, not fake it for my benefit?”

My breath catches in my throat. I had never thought that being around me was good for them too. Take Zak out of the equation, and we could be a small hunting family.

Dean likes to have the option of having somewhere to come home to, a reason to return to a town he normally would have put in his rear-view mirror and forgotten about. He likes that Sam is happy, and he is when he’s around me.

I cross the kitchen and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging myself to his back. I can let it go for now. The prospect of having the Winchester’s around to help me while I heal, and maybe after, isn’t so terrible.

“You wanna try and get some sleep?” I offer, unwrapping myself from him.

Dean huffs a laugh turning to face me. “With Sam’s snoring, not likely.”

“The offer of my bed is still valid.”

“With you in it?”

I roll my eyes. Sensitive, vulnerable Dean’s appearance had been sweet but short. “Go to bed, Winchester,” I grin, tiptoeing to kiss his cheek.

“Worth a shot,” he smirks with a wink walking out of the kitchen.

Part 3

[karasunology]

⸙ ˚₊ ➷ BOKUTO KOUTARO BEING A DAD HEADCANONS! ❞

✎ . . . will you please write about oikawa, bokuto, and sugawara as dads?? :>

❝ ― submitted by @ nonnie <3 ❞

-ˏˋ ➶ character(s) ━ bokuto koutaro <3

[ trigger warnings ━ slight manga spoilers !! ]

✎ . . . DAD HEADCANONS.

[ SUGAWARA KOUSHI & OIKAWA VERSION. ] [ MIYA ATUSMU VERSION. ] [ KUROO TETSURO & KOZUKE KENMA VERSION. ] [ IWAIZUMI HAJIME VERSION. ]

-ˏˋ playing soleil's tape ˊˎ-

[ 📼 ] . . . no thoughts, head and heart full of bokuto koutaro

BOKUTO KOUTARO.

➜ bokuto wanted to have a baby with you

➜ that's it that's the tweet thank you for reading😌💅

➜ i'm kidding don't leave, i have abandonment issues

➜ just like oikawa, kou ─ your husband, has gotten baby fever and it wasn't going down any minute until bb boy gets his way

➜ phew, i'd let him get his way with me✋😳

➜ bokuto was great with kids, always playing around with them in a park as if he was one of them, and both of you knew that

➜ and when bokuto sees that you're also good with kids, mans knew he wanted to build a family with you

➜ he wanted not just one, because seeing what both of you created taking in different forms and pieces of their parents would leave him so proud

➜ would very much take it as a sign from the universe saying to him that the both of you were meant to be patents

➜ the day he lets you awknowledge his little daydream, was when the both of you were sitting down on the coach re-watching his match last week after babysitting one of your guys' friend's kid

➜ mans couldn't TAKE IT ANYMORE

➜ the way you coo at the child, you cooked with the child and just the way you tenderly supported the kid with your arms as you helped him reach a toy from the shelf

➜ and of course, you accepted it; there wasn't any other man other than kou that you wanted to start a family with

➜ let's just say mans wanted to make one right then and there after you confessed to him that you wanted to start a family with him as well

➜ and y'all did just that💀

➜ after receiving the news of your pregnancy, bokuto has never been more happy, aside from those times he won a match on nationals and, well ─ marrying you

➜ but in the white noise of excitement and joyfulness, there was a lingering thought and it was terrifying; what if he doesn't make enough time for both you and his child because of volleyball? will he have to take a break from it? would your child love him?

➜ bokuto was now down to emo mode just with the thought of your guys' children hating him

➜ and when the thoughts became to unbearable, he contacts akaashi.

“ bokuto-san, ” koutaro could tell akaashi was thinking about it before saying something,

“ you're one of the best men i know that's good with children; don't waste your time sulking about nonsensical what if's, when the present is right there in front of you ”

➜ akaashi was, to say the least, your one of your children's godfather.

➜ but the day your babies was going to arrive, it was as if your husband had a switch and unlike the usual ─ he was the one supporting you

➜ he held your hand, squeezing them to let you be aware that he's right there by your side, knowing that you needed all the support right now and he gave it to you

➜ tenfolds the support you gave him

➜ and when be first saw the first triplet being born, he knew right there that he fell in love once again, but with the child he has co-produced with the love of his life !!

➜ i just wanted to say that y'all's kids are NIGHT OWLS, literally, gets the biggest bursts of energy at ungodly hours

➜ koutaro would still get anxious and terrified, but there was something about your triplets that puts him at ease ─ like, one thing he'd be doubting himself and then the next thing, he'd be all fuzzy inside when his three triplets just looked like a litter of puppies asking for his attention on his lap

➜ and he'd just, revert back to reality seeing how blessed he was and stopped doubting himself and just live in the present

➜ EYE ─ I'M SO SOFT I CAN'T😭✋

“ now say dada ” he encouraged the little sunshines on his lamp as a youthful giggle serenated from his son's lips

“ dawa ─ ” the baby tried to copy his words, before shreiking of laughter when kosuke saw the defeated look on his father's face, somehow bringing him joy

➜ while his baby girl, kouzumi, was peacefully attached to him as the most interesting in her golden eyes were his hair ─ attempting to reach her arms to his hair, making grabby arms

➜ after a few months, you've noticed how much your triplets were in sync with their father ─ all together, being balls of sunshine

“ you've been trying for hours kou, take a break. ” you laugh, as you looked up from the book you were holding seeing your husband housing an offended look, and of course ─ a weird sound, a scoff? you didn't know, until, your other son imitated him

➜ almost perfecting the one he made

➜ and bokuto was ECSTATIC

“ hONEY, HONEY, OH MY GOD DID YOU HEAR THAT? ” he squealed, as his son imitated his sound again

“ he's responding to me !! ”

“ dO IT AGAIN KOSUKE ” he says as he takes out his phone

➜ the type of father to do the peek-a-boo game with his triplets and doing it perfectly as they're just enamured by his father as if he was doing some avada kedevra shit 😭🗿

➜ hey queen!! 🙆👑 GIRL, YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN, CONSTANTLY RAISING📈📉 THE BAR🔝 FOR US AND DOING IT F L A W L E S S  L Y

➜ the type of father that would never miss any important moments with his children, even though he's a busy with volleyball especially since it's his profession

➜ the type of father that has too many videos of his children on his phone saying papa in different ways, trying to imitate him, first steps, first laugh & JUST EVERYTHING

➜ has a whole usb of his children, three folders for each of them

➜ has a whole ass frame of his daughter's drawing from five years old of him and her and he would NOT let anyone touch it other than him and maybe you when you when you need to dust off the frames because it's getting too dusty

➜ you guys would always be there to support him no matter what, either in the stands of at home

➜ but when you guys do visit his games and cheer him on, MANS WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE

“ mommy !! look, daddy's coming ” kaoru, the youngest of your triplets, tugged softly on your coat

➜ you smiled as you saw your husband running up to you and your kids after his matches as a few reporters, in respect, stood a few meters away from you guys, taking kosuke on his right arm, the other with kaoru and on top of his shoulders was kouzumi tugging on her father's spiked hair she could never seem to get over with

“ ahH ─ my hair baby girl, you're kinda hurting daddy ” koutaru laughed as your daughter tried processing his words before wrapping her arms around his head softly to not fall off a small gasp escaping her lips

“ i'm sowry for hurting you daddy! ” she exclaimed as her brothers tried telling her off while the reporters just watched in awe at her

“ don't hurt daddy just because he lets you on top of there ─ ” kosuke scolded her, slightly jealous that she had the highest view

“ ─ yeah! ” your youngest vigorously nodded his head as he agreed to his brother, both obviously pouting that she had the chance to be ontop of their father's shoulders

“ uh kou, i can take them now since there's a few people wanting to interview you. ” you offered as you jerked your head onto the reporters directions smiling at them

“ oh no ma'am !! it's alright, we also kinda wanted to interview your children as well, since a lot of netizens are curious about them, seeing them everywhere on his socials. ”

➜ you guys agreed as they start asking you guys questions, but more to the triplets as they responded cutely, their identical amber eyes looking at them like an owl in curiousity

➜ JUST IMAGINE THREE ADORABLE OWL LOOKING KIDS HANGING ON TO THEIR MOTHER OWL AND BOKUTO JUST LOOKS LIKES A MONKEY BAR LMAO

➜ like these kids just attached to him lmao

➜ but there are times where he has to go on tournaments, training camps, olympics & probably photoshoots/commercials ngl and these three owls he left in your care are in EMO MODE LMAOO😭✋

➜ they got it from their dad, and you were now stuck with three emo bokutos but times three

➜ wow multiplication

➜ when she's a mathematician😍

➜ but bokuto would honestly also miss his children clinging to him for dear life

➜ like they would never be separated without having facetime calls every five hours

➜ but your kids understood that he has other things to do and theg try not to complain that much for your sake

➜ your kids are actually sweethearts okay 🥺

➜ when they grew up, his sons were still attached to him but they weren't as clingey as when they were in their childhood days ─ but your daughter phew, your daughter used to be the clingiest of them all and now it's just none, nonexistent, vanished, obliviated, avada kedevra LMAO

➜ like you know how teenagers be

➜ and your husband was DEPRESSED ABOUT IT

➜ his bb girl won't touch his hair anymore :(

➜ his bb girl won't be a little girl no more :(

➜ especially when kouzumi starts having boyfriends😭 MANS WAS SAD THAT THERE ARE ALREADY BOYS OTHER HIM IN HER LIFE

➜ it felt as if it wasn't even yesterday that kouzumi said that she don't need no prince, she'll be both a fucking princess and knight in shinning armor

➜ ugh periodt💅

➜ and koutaro's nows just like

“ WHERE DID ALL THAT TALK GO ?? ”💀💀💀

➜ ALSO BOKUTO GIVES THE BEST ADIVCES NO CAP

➜ gives volleyball advices, relationship advices better than u could ever

➜ this is getting too long but, even if some of his kids may not show it anymore, they still love their father so much and won't let anyone replace him because he's basically the ace of their hearts.

[theultimatefanficwriter]

A Perfect Dish-Teruteru Hanamura x Reader

Requested by _i_am_kork_ on Wattpad!

Trigger warning: Angst, suicidal reader, attempted suicide

Slight NSFW language. It is a Teruteru fic, after all.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here. Sweets do tend to be in the kitchen."

"Ah!" You jumped at the voice, flinging the frosting you had been piping onto the cake you were working on up. You turned to the doorway and saw it was Teruteru. You relaxed and gave him a soft smile. "Oh, hi Teruteru." You greeted. "You surprised me."

"I do apologize, mon cherie." The chef apologized with a chuckle as he entered the kitchen of the old building. He looked at your face and smirked. "You have something...all over your face."

You blinked before reaching your hand up and touching your face. When you brought it back down, white frosting was on your hand. Your eyes widened and you rushed to grab a towel.

Teruteru laughed behind you. "If I had known you were into such things, I would have offered for you to be covered in my homemade white frosting, if you know what I mean~."

You felt your face heat up as you wiped the frosting off your face. "T-Teruteru!" You exclaimed, looking over to your friend as you made your way back to where your baked goods were.

Unlike most of the others, you were pretty close to Teruteru. Sure, his perverted attitude was a bit off putting, but it didn't really bother you as much as it did the others. Plus, with you being the Ultimate Baker, the two of you were able to talk about your similar talents and get on a relatively similar wavelength.

"Ooo, what luck that I get to be placed in such a cramped and steamy place with a sweet little thing such as yourself~" The short boy flirted, winking at you as he walked over to the stove.

You felt your blush darken. "Teru, if you don't stop that, I won't get these cakes done in time for the party." You told him.

The Ultimate raised a brow. "Oh? And why would that be? Perhaps because you and I would be busy making something sweet of our own?"

You let out a surprised squeak and dropped the spatula you were holding. "W-what?! No! T-that's not what I was implying at all!" You hurriedly said. You picked up the spatula with a sigh. "Just, please stop with the flirting and pervy comments at least until we're done in here, Teruteru? You know I fluster easy, and you wouldn't want to serve lackluster dishes, right?"

The boy gave you a smile and a soft chuckle. "Oh, alright, since you asked so nicely. And you do have a point. If we got distracted our dishes wouldn't be on par with our titles, and that would be the greatest shame of our lives."

You giggled. "I dunno if it would be the greatest shame." You replied as you piped stars onto the rather large cake you had just finished frosting. "This is just a party on some random island we were somehow taken to."

"It doesn't matter the occasion!" Teruteru rebutted as he began placing ingredients in a pot. "If anything I serve is ever anything other than exquisite, I would be ashamed to call myself the Ultimate Chef!"  

You smiled to yourself, as you began working on making some fruit tarts. You wouldn't admit it out loud, but you may have had a small crush on the plump chef. He really was a nice guy when you got to know him.

As you both did your separate work, you glanced over to him. "Hey, Teruteru?"

He looked over his shoulder at you, a flirty grin on his face. "Yes, sugar?~"

You giggled softly and rolled your eyes. Your smile fell as you asked him you continued. "I...I know you keep saying you don't believe it, but..." You noticed Teruteru's smile dropped as well, already knowing what you were talking about before you even finished speaking. "...this whole situation we're in...it's not normal. We don't even know how we got here, and we're being told by a....a walking talking teddy bear that to leave we need to...to murder?!" You stopped what you were doing, placing all of your baking supplies down as you stared down at the counter. "I...I wish I were as brave as you, Teruteru."

You didn't see it, but Teruteru's eyes widened at that. He turned completely around to look at you. "Brave?" He repeated. "You think I'm brave?"

"Well, yeah." You replied, placing your right arm on your left and glancing over at him. "You're keeping such a positive and carefree attitude despite what's going on. You're able to deny it completely like it's nothing. Only someone with a lot of bravery can do that."

The chef was quiet for a while, looking down at the floor. He wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I can't do that." You continued quietly. "I'm not brave. I don't have that kind of confidence. I don't even know if I could pretend to be happy like you."

Teruteru narrowed his eyes. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Your eyes widened as you realized what you had said. "Uh, n-nothing! D-don't worry about it!" You replied, hastily returning to your baked goods.

The short man watched you for a little while longer, before finally returning to his own tasks.

The two of you continued your respective work in and uncomfortable silence for a while. That silence was broken by faint laughter. You both stopped working and turned your heads to the door.

"What the heck is that?" You asked, furrowing your brow and glancing over at Teruteru.

"I haven't a clue." He responded, putting the utensils in his hands down. "Stay here. I'll go see." You nodded as he left the kitchen, and you soon went back to baking, albeit worrying for Teruteru.

~~~

Your friend was gone for a long time. You had just finished your second batch of chocolate cream puffs and a tiramisu when the kitchen doors open. You looked over and let out a relieved breath when you saw Terteru. "Oh thank goodness!" You breathed out, rushing over to him. "I was getting really worr-" You cut yourself off when you saw his face. He was sweating, and he kept fidgeting with his hands. "...Teruteru?"

"Hmm? O-oh, were you worried about me? Aw, t-that's so sweet of you, angel cake." Even his flirtations seemed off, even when he brushed his hair back with his comb like he usually did.

You furrowed your brow. "Teru, what happened?" You asked him. "What was the laughing?"

"Hmm? Oh, t-that? Oh, it was nothing. Nothing at all!" He rushed past you back to his station, and you watch him. Something was definitely wrong with him, but you couldn't tell what. With a sigh you walked to your side of the kitchen and continued to make your baked goods.

~~~

Hours later, it was time for the party. After being frisked by Byakuya, you made your way back to the kitchen. As you opened the kitchen door you noticed Teruteru by the meat on the bone. You tilted your head. "Teru?" You called.

Your friend jumped and whirled around to face you. "Y/N!" He exclaimed. "W-what are you doing here?!"

"I need to deliver my sweets periodically to the main room." You reminded him, walking towards him. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" The boy rushed out, pushing you away from him and towards the other side of the kitchen. "Everything's perfectly fine! As fine as a perfectly cooked beef wellington!"

You let out a surprised yelp at that. As Teruteru hurried back over to his station, you frowned. You didn't know what was wrong with him, and you were concerned. Teruteru was usually so calm. Nothing ever seemed to bother him, like you had told him earlier. You let out a sigh and walked over to where Teruteru was to grab a plate of sweets you had placed there.

Suddenly the lights went out.

You let out a surprised scream, and without thinking, you leapt at the closest thing to you.

"H-huh? Y-Y/N?!" You heard Teruteru's voice from right next to you. "I-I mean, of course I don't mind having you in my arms, but shouldn't we try to find out what happened with the lights?"

You bit your lip. "U-um, yes, b-but..." You swallowed. God, you were being such a bother. And now you were about to bug your friend with something as stupid as this.

"But, what?" Teruteru prompted, having not moved from your arms.

You didn't answer for a moment. "...I'm...really scared of the dark." You murmured. Great, now you were being a giant inconvenience.

Teruteru didn't answer for a moment, and that just justified your thoughts. Suddenly he began shuffling the two of you over. He let go of you and you heard him fumbling for something. Suddenly a faint light appeared. The chef's face was illuminated by the flame from the portable stove, and you could see him smiling softly at you. "There. Is that better?" He asked you.

You felt your heart do a small flip. He really did that for you? You nodded. "Y-yes. Thank you, Teruteru. I'm sorry to be such a bother."

"No no no! It's not a bother at all, cutie pie!" He assured you. "I don't want you being scared." You noticed his flirtatious smirk flickering in the flame. "Though you can still press your body against mine for comfort if you want~"

You giggled, already feeling a bit better. It was uncanny how Teruteru could do that to you when others would get grossed or creeped out from him.

Just as sudden as they turned off, the lights turned back on.

When they did, you noticed Teruteru's smirk turned into a horrified expression.

You didn't have time to ask him about it before you were interrupted.

Ding dong bing bong! A body has been discovered!

You and Teruteru glanced at each other before dashing over to the dining hall. When you arrived, you stopped dead. There, under the table, laid Byakuya Togami, the leader who had promised to keep you all safe. Dead.

You turned to look at Teruteru to see if he could offer some comfort, but he was staring at...Nagito? Your friend's gaze at the boy was a mix of horror and anger. "T...Teruteru?" You called out quietly, hesitantly reaching out your hand.

The chef continued to look at Nagito for a few more moments before turning to you. "S-sorry, sugar cube. I'm just...shocked is all."

You nodded, looking down at the ground. "I-I am too. I was afraid this would happen but...I was hoping it never would." You glanced over at Byakuya for a moment before flinching your gaze away. "And...and for it to be Byakuya..." You felt tears in your eyes.

Teruteru frowned at that. "Y/N-"

"Hey, Teruteru, do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?" You both turned at the voice, and you saw Nagito approaching.

You noticed Teruteru stiffened slightly. "U-uh, right now? Shouldn't we focus on the investigation?"

"This won't take long." The lucky student assured him.

Teruteru bit his lip, before sighing. "Fine." Nagito nodded and led your friend out of the dining hall.

You furrowed your brow. You didn't know what was going on, but you were getting really suspicious. You walked out of the hall, trying to be quiet. As you looked around, trying to find where they could've gone, you heard muffled voices coming from the office area. As you followed them, you could hear what they were saying. You stopped outside the office door.

"...disappointing, Teruteru. I expected you to use your hope to try to overcome this despair." That was Nagito's voice. What...what is he talking about?

"What does that even mean?! You keep saying that!" Teruteru's voice let out an exasperated sigh. "I was going to stop you, but then Y/N got scared of the dark! I couldn't leave her there!"

"Ah, I see. So Y/N is your hope."

"My...hope? What?"

"She's the one that brings you hope! The one you care for and would do anything to protect!" You heard that same laugh you had earlier that day. "Ah, it's so beautiful. You'd even throw away the chance to go home for her!"

"..." You didn't hear Teruteru for a while. "...I would've gone home if I had killed you, wouldn't I have?" He finally said. "If I had left her there and continued with the plan, you'd be dead, and I'd be home with Momma."

Your eyes widened. He...he had been planning on killing Nagito?! And you were the only thing that kept him from doing that? ...Did he resent you for that? Tears began slowly falling from your eyes. Of course he does. You can't do anything right. You stopped him from killing but that's not what he wanted. You fucked up. Just like you always do. You turned around and ran away, sprinting out of the old building.

"You would have." Nagito answered Teruteru, a deranged grin on his face. "But you would never throw away Y/N, your true hope, would you?"

The chef looked down at the floor. "...No. I wouldn't." He responded. "She...means a lot to me. Of course I want to know what happened to Momma and the diner, but Y/N is...she's important. I'm...really glad she was there to stop me." He glared up at Nagito. "I'm also glad you're the blackened. We're going to be rid of you soon. Especially since I know about it and can just tell everyone."

Nagito sighed and frowned. "I was hoping you wouldn't do something like that. It wouldn't be two hopes clashing at that point. It would just be you telling the answer." The hope obsessed student suddenly brightened. "Unless...you do this to ensure Y/N goes unharmed, thus protecting your hope! Ah, then that's fine!"

Teruteru scoffed and turned to the exit. "You're completely crazy. Just leave me and Y/N alone." Without giving Nagito the chance to respond, he left the office. He returned to the dining hall expecting to find you there and frowned when he didn't see you. He began asking around, but nobody knew where you had gone. Starting to become worried, Teruteru made his way out of the building and began to search the island.

~~~

You stood at the beach, the waves lapping at your feet. You looked out onto the ocean, your tears falling slowly and adding to the endless water below. You knew this might be a bit drastic of an action to take after what you heard, but honestly that had just been the final straw. You hadn't been very stable even before coming to this island, and after being told you were in a killing game, the thought of taking the easy way out repeatedly returned to your mind. And now that you were sure Teruteru, the only person on this island you had any semblance of trust in despised you, you no longer had any reason to continue. You would just be in the way of everyone. Like you always were.

You took one final deep breath before you closed your eyes and began to walk into the dark waters before you. You shivered slightly as the cold water hit your skin, but you paid no mind, simply continuing your journey further into the depths. Eventually the ocean covered your mouth, and then your nose. Soon after, you felt your ears be filled as well. You continued to walk along the bottom of the sea as you waited for your breath to finally run out, and for you to join Byakuya in death.

Suddenly you heard splashing behind you. You paid it no mind, assuming it to be a wave hitting the shore. But as you felt yourself begin to grow dizzy, you felt two arms hook underneath your own and begin to frantically pull you backwards. You barely had any time to react before your head breached the surface, and you inhaled a large gulp of air. You felt your side make contact with the soft sand of the beach as you continued to gasp frantically, your eyes now wide open and searching the air in front of you to see who it was that had torn your escape from you.

"W-what in the hell do ya think ya were doin'?!" A voice with an accent you weren't familiar with graced your ears. Whoever it was, they spoke quickly, and seemed to have a kind of country drawl that made it almost impossible to interpret what was being said.

You turned your head towards the voice, and there standing worriedly above you, was Teruteru. His face was filled with distress as he pulled at his usually perfectly combed hair. "T...Teruteru?" You murmured, squinting at the boy.

"O-of course is' me! Who e-else wouldidbe?" The plump boy responded, the strange accent leaving his mouth. "More importantly, wha were ya doin'?!" He repeated himself, his voice going up an octave and squeaking.

You didn't want to answer that question. You looked away from the chef and picked at your arm. "...I didn't want to get in the way anymore." You whispered.

Teruteru's eye furrowed. "Huh? Get in tha way? Whadda you talking about?" He asked, his accent slowly going away as he forced himself to calm down.  

"All I ever do is get in the way." You murmured, your voice so soft Teruteru had to lean in closer in order to hear you. "I...I'm just a burden." Tears appeared in the corners of your eyes, so you shut them in a futile attempt to stop them from falling. "I-I have no friends because I just always get in the way..."

The short boy's eyes widened. "Wh-what are you talking about, Y/N?! Everyone on this island is your friend!" He exclaimed and slowly reached his hand out before placing it on your shoulder hesitantly. "I...I'm your friend."

You shook your head at him. "You deserve better friends then me, Teruteru." You finally looked up at him. "...I overheard your conversation with Nagito. I...I ruined your plans..."

The chef stared at you in shock for a while. "You...you heard that?"

You nodded. "Yeah...You were planning on killing Nagito, but because of my stupid fear of the dark, I ruined it." You gripped your arms and looked down at the sand. "...Nagito killed Byakuya, didn't he? And you were going to stop him." The tears you had tried so desperately to prevent began to fall. "Byakuya would still be alive if I wasn't so...so useless."

Teruteru didn't respond for a while, surprise written all over his face. He finally snapped out of it and shook his head. "No no no no! Y-Y/N, you aren't useless! A-and I'm not mad at you for stopping me! The exact opposite, actually!" He placed both hands on your shoulders, smiling softly at you. "You stopped me from doing something stupid. Even if I was trying to protect everyone, I would've been a murderer myself. I'm grateful you were there. I...I'm grateful of you in general."

You slowly looked up to him, your eyes wide in confusion. "Wh...huh? You aren't....upset? But...you could've gone home to your mom...you could've escaped."

"Yes, I'm worried about my momma." Your friend confirmed. "But I would never want to sacrifice you to do that." The shorter boy's face flushed lightly, and he used one of his hands to rub the back of his neck. "You...you're the first person to treat me with any respect, to give me a chance. You...mean a lot to me, Y/N."

You stared at Teruteru in disbelief. Your mind couldn't seem to process this information. He...didn't hate you or think you were annoying? "You...do you mean that?"

The plump boy nodded, his face tinted a bright pink. "Yeah...You're an incredible person, Y/N. You're even better then a five star filet!" You giggled softly at that as Teruteru continued, a small smile on his face as you seemed to relax. "You're completely out of my league, like if a home chef tried to cook a perfect lobster." He frowned and looked to you, worry in his eyes. "I...had no idea you didn't realize how perfect you were."

You felt your heart do a flip. "You...think I'm...perfect?" You asked softly, your voice a whisper as you looked up at the boy. When he nodded sheepishly, you smiled and began to stand. Teruteru rushed to your side to assist you. Once you were standing, you looked down at your friend for only a moment before pulling him into a tight hug.

"Ah! Y-Y/N?!" The plump chef exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Thank you..." You whispered, your head buried in his shoulder. "That...means more than you know, Teruteru. I care about you a lot...I didn't mean to worry you. I didn't think you even cared about me...I'm sorry..."

As you spoke, Teruteru softened in your embrace. As you murmured your apology, the shorter boy was returning the hug, holding onto you tightly and comfortingly. "No, no. You don't have to apologize, Y/N. It's alright." He pulled away from the hug in order to look into your eyes, a loving smile on his face. "Just...don't ever do something like this again, alright? I can't bare to lose you."

You wiped at your face and nodded, returning the smile. "I-I promise. I won't worry you ever again."

Teruteru looked pleased at that, and he took your hands gently in his. "Good. Thank you." As the two of you stood, the cook's face turned a light red. "Um...Y-Y/N?" You tilted your head, waiting for him to continue. He bit his lip. "Uh...I-I was wondering...Could I...can I maybe...Is it alright if..." He sighed before rushing out the rest of his sentence. "Can I please kiss you?!"

You looked surprised at the request, but it didn't take long for you to smile wide and nod. "Of course. I...I'd like that a lot, Teru~"

Your friend beamed at that and reached a hand up to your face in order to bring it down to his level. After a moment of gazing into your eyes, he finally leaned forward and connected his lips to yours in a soft and sweet kiss.

Your eyes fluttered closed as you hummed happily into the embrace. After not nearly long enough for your liking, he pulled away, his face now as red as his scarf. "That...was amazing, Teruteru." You murmured.

"Y-you really think so?" The chef stammered, fidgeting with his hands. "That...was actually my first kiss."

That information surprised you slightly. You had expected Teruteru to be more experienced. But it didn't deter you from planting a kiss on his forehead. "Well I thought it was perfect." You assured him.

The small man smiled so wide you were worried his jaw would break. The smile soon turned into a smirk as he looked up at you. "Well, of course it was! And ya know...we could go and do another first if you wanted~" He purred.

You felt yourself blush slightly, and you laughed knowing Teruteru's normally confident self had returned. You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could, you were interrupted.

Ding dong bing bong! It's time for the class trial! Everyone meet at Monokuma Rock!

You both frowned at this. "Oh, right...The trial." Teruteru murmured. "We should...probably get going."

You nodded and turned to leave the beach. You paused for a moment and looked to Teruteru before extending your hand.

The chef grinned and happily accepted it, placing his hand in your own. Content, the two of you made your way to put a quick end to Byakuya's murder trial.

You had...plans for later, after all.

[eunoiaflow3r]

Actions Speak Louder

A/N: the beginning hurt my heart to write lol, but I promise it gets better.

Warning: mistakes, angst, fluff... fem!reader.

Word Count: 2.41k

Request: Can you do a story where the reader x Spencer are in a heated argument and out of anger she slaps him?

Summary: Spencer becomes addicted to Dilaudid, and Y/N does what she can to help him - even if it takes him longer to realize how good she’s been to him.

~~~~~

Things with Spencer have been...rough lately.

It was the little - subtle - changes you noticed in him everyday that just made everything worse for the both of you.

First, it was him coming home later than usual. The usual was already pretty late considering what he did for a living, but lately when he came home, he was at least two hours late. He told you whenever you asked that he was just working later, and you believed him. Why wouldn’t you?

Next came the distance. Even when he was home, he barely spoke to you. Barely even acknowledged your presence. At first you just thought he needed space as one does, but the more it happened, the more you felt like something was wrong. When you asked him, he’d get freaked out, and say something like, “Nothing! Leave me alone.”

And you did.

It was when he started coming home with headaches, nausea, and dizziness that you really began to worry.

“Spencer are you okay? Let me help you.”

“I said I’m fine Y/N! Just give me some space?”

After this, you gave him his space. So much so that you didn’t talk to him unless you spoke to you first - which he barely did. You didn’t cook him dinner, you didn’t check and make sure he had everything ready for work like you usually do, and you didn’t even kiss him goodnight. When he got into bed with you, he didn’t even come close to you which hurt so much that you started sleeping on the couch.

Living like this was tiring, and you didn’t want to live like that anymore. Spencer barely acknowledged your existence, and when he did, he'd say something rude, or just roll his eyes at you.

When and if he was ever home, you spent most of your time in the bedroom because he’d be in the living room or bathroom, doing God-knows-what.

Since you did spend most of your time in the bedroom apart from sleeping, you decided to do a deep clean. You brought in the trash can and recycling ben and recycled all the excess paper and water bottles laying around. You threw away all his candy wrappers, and made sure the bed was made so that he could sleep well whenever he did sleep.

You went to check if anything was under the bed, and as you were reaching your hand wrapped around what felt like a medication bottle.

You brought it out, but there was no label.

Didn’t matter anyway, you recognized it - it was Dilaudid. Thing was, you were sure that Spencer had not been injured recently therefore it had meant that he had gotten them from somewhere, and had been taking them just to take them.

You shook your head painfully. You should have known. You should have realized sooner that he was addicted. How had you not noticed?

His behavior, the sickness...why didn’t it add up?

“What are you doing?” You nearly jumped, and turned around to a scowling Spencer with his arms crossed.

“What are you doing?” You held up the bottle, and his eyes went wide. “You’re a profiler Reid, if you were going to be a pill-popper you should have known to hide it better.”

“Yeah, well, what are you doing going through my stuff anyway? You don’t even sleep in here.”

“Yeah, well, sorry it’s just not comfortable to sleep next to you at the moment.”

He shakes his head, and looks at the bottle in your hands. “Whatever, can I have it back?”

“No Spencer. I think it’s time you stopped.”

“I don’t have time for these games Y/N, give me the bottle back.” He tried to take the bottle from your hands, but you pushed him away. 

“Son of a bitch, just give me the damn bottle Y/N, I need them!”

“You don’t need them Spence -”

“I need them a hell of a lot more than I need you.” He spat spitefully. This made your heart hurt, and you were fighting to hold back tears.

He tried to reach for them again, but you slapped him. Straight across the face. It was so hard and fast, for a second you both had hardly realized what you had done. He held his cheek with one of his hands and stepped away from you.

You didn’t say anything and instead grabbed a backpack from the closet. You put the bottle in, and then as many clothes of yours that could fit. “You may not need me Spencer,” you began, willing your voice not to shake, “but you need help.”

You grabbed a couple of things from your nightstand and shoved it inside the bag.

“W-what are you doing?” he asks, watching you gather some more of your things. 

He followed you into the living room, and watched as you grabbed your jacket from the closet by the door.

“Where are you going?” He asks clearly hurt.

“I’m staying with a friend, you obviously -”

“Oh, so you’re leaving me? Like everyone else in my life, you’re leaving me too?’

You sighed. “I’m not leaving you Spencer. You just need -”

“Stop telling me what I need, you obviously don’t know what the hell I need.” He was upset now.

“That’s right Spencer, I don’t know what you need. But you keep telling me to give you space, so that’s what I’m going to do.” You closed your eyes for a second. “There’s dinner in the fridge. I love you.”

And with that, you left.

_

Spencer was cold. His stomach hurt, and he was tired. How had he let this happen to him? How had he let himself get this way? He promised he would never hurt you, and now he’s scared that that’s exactly what he’s been doing. Hurting you.

Hell, he’s been hurting himself. He knew he shouldn’t have started taking them again but with all the things going on, he was tempted. The only thing going good in his life was you, and now he had fucked that up too.

_

The next day, you paid a little visit to the BAU. You didn’t see Spencer right away, which was a good thing since if you saw him, you’d probably end up crying. When JJ saw you, she got excited and wrapped her arms around you.

“Y/N, where have you been?” 

“Busy.” You smiled. You and her made small talk until you saw Morgan. You promised JJ you would be right back, and went straight to Morgan. 

Morgan was your best friend, and the entire reason you had even met Spencer in the first place.

“Y/N! Hey!” His smile gets wide but dims once he really takes a look at you. “Woah woah woah, what’s the matter?”

You saw Spencer walk by with his head down, and you tried to avoid his eyes, but he had already seen you, and was walking over.

“Y/N?” he said quietly. “What are you doing here?”

You smiled at him but turned to Morgan and asked if you could speak with him privately. Spencer was confused, and wasn’t sure what to do. You were here to see Derek and not him? What were you going to talk to him about?

Morgan pulled you into Garcia’s office and she was beyond ecstatic to see you. After the hugs and catching up, Morgan asked what brought you here, “lookin’ all sad.”

You went into your purse and brought out the bottle of Dilaudid, and handed it to Morgan.

“Is this?” 

You nodded.

“I don’t know if you guys noticed, but he’s been acting -”

“Oh we know.” Penelope exclaimed. “He’s been kind of an asshole lately.”

“I’m not sure what to do. He’s not listening to me, and I don’t - I don’t know how to help him when he’s like this.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Morgan told you. “We’ll get pretty boy back.”

_

Spencer has been going crazy. There were broken glasses on the kitchen floor, dirty clothes strewn everywhere, and couch cushions flipped and thrown across the room. His hair was messy from pulling at his curls, and his eyes were red from crying.

He couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’t eat, and he was shaking. He didn’t know what to do. All he wanted to do was call you, but he wasn’t even sure if you were going to answer him. 

He had a headache, and all he’s been doing these past few days is going to work, and coming home to a dark, dirty, and depressing apartment.

He had had countless panic attacks, and he was driving himself mad.

His team members have all tried to help him, and they've spent time with him, but all he really wanted to see was you.

He found his address book and tried to think about who you might be staying with. He knew it probably wasn’t Morgan because you hated where he lived. He knew it wasn’t any of your sister because she would have called him and told him he was a dick. He thought really hard and finally figured out you were probably with your friend from grade school that you always talked about missing.

He grabbed his car keys not caring how he looked, and drove to Y/F/N’s house.

When he got there he swore for a second that his heart stopped beating. He took a few breaths and knocked on the front door.

You answered.

He noticed that you looked just as bad as he was. This made him feel worse. How could he do this to you?

“Spencer?” You were almost happy to see him. “I thought - well - I thought you needed space?”

He shook his head and tears fell down his face. You wanted to wipe them away, but you weren’t quite sure where the boundaries were at the moment.

“I don’t need space Y/N, that’s never what I needed.” He’s almost sobbing now, and you allow him to walk closer towards you. “I need you. I need you Y/N. That’s all I ever needed.”

This was your Spencer. 

The Spencer yelling at you and ignoring you...that wasn’t him.

The Spencer in front of you now? This is him.

You wrap your arms around his neck and he rests his head on your shoulders, wrapping his arms around your waist - squeezing tightly almost like he was afraid you’d leave.

He cries into your shoulder, and you run your fingers through his tangled hair. “I’m so so sorry Y/N. That wasn’t me Y/N.” he cried, “That wasn’t me. I was a dick, I’m- I’m so so sorry.”

“Shhhh, I know it wasn’t Spence. I know it wasn’t. Let’s go home okay?” He brings his head up and you wipe away his tears, unaware that you had shed a few of your own. “Let’s go home.”

_

The next few days Spencer spent right by your side. He wasn’t letting you go anywhere. You helped him clean the apartment back up, and you made sure he ate and took showers. You made sure he slept, and slowly Spencer went back to how he was before the Dilaudid.

Adorable, dorky, and fun.

You made sure to take him to meetings too. Sometimes Morgan went with you guys too, but you just wanted to remind Spencer that he wasn’t the only one out there dealing with what he was dealing with. You wanted to show him that he wasn’t alone, and that he should be proud of himself for what he has overcome and accomplished.

Still the way he treated you that month tore apart his soul and he made sure that with every breathing, waking moment he was making it up to you. You didn’t deserve that. You’ve always been right there, always by his side, always there for him, and the way he treated you was unacceptable.

_

“I love you Y/N.” He told you one night after he got home from work. You had both had busy days, but he had made sure to always, always make sure he had time for you. “I love you with everything I’ve got.” he kissed your temple. “And everything more.”

~~~~~

feedback appreciated, thanks for reading!!

~~~~~~

[itsboketto]

output - gojou x f!reader

genre: angsty 

warnings: cussing , mentions of sex , death , Utahime mentions

disclaimer: please excuse my terrible writing state, i haven’t written in awhile so I’m just getting back into writing :) also this is in no way to shit on gojou, we all love him 🏹 and yes, i’m aware i used a different anime AMV but the song & arrangement was too good to pass off. thanks for understanding!

WC: 3231

proofreaders/editors: Amanda , Aldu , Zero , & Flora | Thank you so much for fixing my dumb mistakes 👉👈 appreciate you 4 very much!

This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to stay with you forever, he was supposed to go down on one knee and wrap your finger with a diamond ring, he was supposed to have a family with you and have the happiest lifetime with you. 

He was too late

A week ago

“Y/n-channn“ Gojou whined while throwing a fit on the bed you both shared. You gave a soft hum, rubbing your eyes with your hand, the flat side of your elbow slightly brushing against his soft fluffy white hair. “I want to eat breakfasttt!” he huffed, wrapping his muscular arms around your waist and pulled you into his chest kissing you on the top your head. “If you hold me like this I won’t be able to cook for you. Make up your mind babe,” you yawned, digging your face into his warm embrace. “What if I want both?” “You don’t get both.” “I’ll get both anyways!” “No you won’t.”. That’s how your everyday went.

He’d wrapped his arms around your waist as you cooked breakfast for him, propping his chin on your shoulder and humming a familiar tune. The way he always ends up making your heart skip a beat every time he looked at you with his breath-taking eyes. How he always was your first priority and always will be. He was your one and only, and you both knew that.

Nothing really concerned you when it came to Gojou. You knew he was always out trying to save others or train his municipals so you never worried about what he was doing.

Today however, he seemed a bit off. He woke up on his own, cooked his own breakfast (and yours), didn’t even try giving you the slightest attention, and just went out to work after he finished getting dressed. The only thing you got was a quick head pat and a “Have a nice day”. You knew things were getting troublesome at work and he was working really hard to train your younger brother, Itadori-kun, but it still hurt that he was giving you the cold shoulder. You ate the sandwich he left on the kitchen counter, thinking about what could've happened that made him so stressed out . You decided to wait until he got home so you can talk it out with him.

He didn’t come back home. 

It started getting pitch black as you watched as the clouds flowed with the silent night. You already tried text him, call him, you even called your younger brother Itadori-kun but he seemed to be busy. You were worried sick, not because he wasn’t home, no, but about him acting strange this morning. The last person you called was someone whom you’ve been close to since childhood, Utahime. 

“Hello?” she answered, picking up faster than you thought

“Utahime, I know it’s quite late to be calling but I need some comforting” you sighed, hoping she’ll agree to listen

“It’s okay, tell me what’s wrong” 

You ended up staying on the call until the sun rose. You apologized to her for taking up her time and suggested to buy her a cup of coffee the next time they meet and she agreed happily. You fell asleep as soon as you hung up, exhausted from the overwhelming emotion you spilled onto your best friend.

The afternoon

The sun ray peaked through the window blinds, flushing into your living room, landing right straight onto your face. You rolled over to the side to avoid the sun light but in the process you nearly fell off the couch side. “Ah!! That scared me..” you grumbled while raising yourself up, yawning and extending your arms up to stretch out the sore bones. “What time is it?” you asked, twisting your head to check the clock; 12:09pm “SHIT I’M LATE” you cussed in a panic and zoomed to your room to get your prepacked bag and went to the kitchen to grab a slice of bread. You slipped out of your slippers and grabbed the keys hanging on the right side of the door. Assuming Gojou was back, you yelled back “Okay babe, I’m leav-” the front door unlocked. It pushed wide open revealing an image you’d like to be forgotten.

Another woman was clinging onto Gojou’s arm

Not only that, but he also reeked of alcohol as well. His face was terribly red and he couldn’t stay put. “Gojou~ I thought you said no one was going to be home” the woman hummed, looking at you with a smile. “Ah? I was sureee Y/n would beee at workkk nowww~” your boyfriend whined while using the girl as support for his heavy head. What the fuck was happening? Who is this woman? Why is he bringing her to our house? Is he serious right now? Too many questions flooded your head but there was one thing clear to you: get him away from that woman. “Um Miss, would you mind letting go of him? I can handle him from here” you gave the woman a genuine smile and stood in-between them, trying your best to drive her away. “Why should I let go when he brought me here, hm?” she didn’t try letting go, her grip tightened. “I appreciate your help, Miss. But he is seeing someone right now so it’d be best to leave” you tried to emphasize your lack of patience, not waiting for her to respond you yanked his arm away from her grip and immediately shut the door after the action. You could hear the woman cuss under her breath while dragging herself away from your unit. 

You heaped Gojou onto the living room couch and removed his mask. “Gojou, what happened?” you asked, trying to sound as calm as you could. “Y-y/n? Why are you hereeee?” he asked, adverting his gaze as if he were hiding something. “Who was that woman?” you asked again but firmly this time. “W-who are you talkinggg abouttt?”. He wasn’t in the right state to answer any questions no matter how much you push him. You let out a heavy sigh and walked towards the kettle where the already boiled water was sitting. Pouring the water into his mug, you walked back to him and handed it to him. “Get some rest, we’ll talk tomorrow.” 

Gojou left.

You woke up to a cold atmosphere. The sun was up and you’re alone on the couch. It took you a few seconds to remember what happened last time. “Gojou!” you said in an instant. You panicked, hoping he didn’t leave already. The bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, closet. He was gone. You groaned in frustration as you kneaded your fingers with your hair. Why does he keep leaving? What’s going on? Is he avoiding me? The questions just won’t stop coming and it began to impact you and your mood. You knew this wasn’t good since you had shift that night. “Fuck you Gojou...” letting out one last sigh before getting dressed.

“Itadori-kun, could you do me a favour?“

After the call with your brother, you grabbed your house keys and slipped into your sneakers. If he’s going to avoid you, then you’ll just have to go find him. Itadori sent you the address of the club he was at. You weren’t the least concerned about why he was there, all you wanted to know was what was happening. You stepped on the petal and drove to the destination.

At the club

You parked your car in the parking lot at the club. The sign read Sight Eight in bright neon lights. You were unfamiliar with the place, nonetheless the surroundings. Everyone seemed to be drunk off of whatever it is they are on, your heart paced faster the more you walked into the hell hole. It was crowded, too many people made you claustrophobic and stuffy, uncomfortable to the point you wanted to throw up. That didn’t stop you though, your mission was to find Gojou and leave immediately. 

“Hey sexy, would you mind dancing with me?” “Damn, your body looks beautiful!” “Come sit beside me, you little slut.”

You couldn’t help but to feel terribly uncomfortable, the way the men stared at you, the way you were out in the open for any of them to prance on you. It was horrible. You didn’t understand why the fuck Gojou would even come close to this place, he never mentioned liking clubs at all and he knew too well that you hated clubs.

You looked everywhere, yet you didn’t spot him anywhere. He would’ve been easily seen because of his tall figure and white hair but he was no where to be seen. You cursed multiple times under your breath, why did you even come here in the first place? To suffocate yourself? You lost thought of your motive, knowing you’d need some fresh air, you walked to the back door and stepped outside.

And there he was.

There he was, devouring another woman. Not just any woman though. He was passionately kissing your best friend, Utahime.

“W-what the fuck are you doing Gojou..”

He snapped out of his actions, whipping his head to the side to see the person he hoped he wouldn’t get caught by. He saw as you also looked at Utahime with an expression he couldn’t figure out. You were tearing apart, the two most important people in your life decided to go behind your back even after all the lies they’ve told you.

“I-it’s not what you think, Y/n!” he panicked, Utahime sparing him regretful looks. You couldn’t understand what was happening. Was this a nightmare? Are you hallucinating? No. No you weren’t, in fact this is at real as it gets and that took your a few moments to take it in.

Gojou told Utahime to leave and apologize next time as he wanted to talk to you privately. “Y/n, I can explain-” he started once again. He tried to approach you, but you flinched at his step, you took a cautious step back, terrified of him as he would somehow hurt you just by walking closer to you. “I don’t want to hear your bullshit anymore, Gojou” you said quietly and ran for it. You pushed the back doors open, heart pumping from the adrenaline. You couldn’t care less about the judging eyes and nasty remarks, all you wanted to do was to get as far away from the man you used to call your one and only. 

Your eyes burned from the tears, your sight got blurry to the point you couldn’t see properly, the sounds outside were practically silent. You looked down to your phone when it gave a notification sound. It was Gojou. Your blood boiled from the sight of his name on your phone screen that you stepped on the pedal forgetting you were on a red light.

The driver in front of you tried to stop you with the sound of his car horn. Beep beep beep! You couldn’t hear anymore. Ha! You were practically hysterical at this point. You didn’t even think twice as you slammed on the pedal, your hands moved on it’s own on the hand wheel and your head not thinking straight. You drove right into the traffic pole, almost barely missing the opposite car. The last moments you remembered were hearing an annoying ringing sound in your ear and blurry figures yelling at your motionless body.

GOJOU (song link : loop it!)

He didn’t have any particular reason for doing what he did. He was terribly exhausted from work and he needed an output to excite him before going back to the draining place. He’s already slept with many different women behind your back, always feeling disgusted towards himself before and after the many times he’s had sex with others. However, he easily loses his mind once he starts. This distraction was effective for him, which made him feel that the idea wasn’t so bad after all.

All he had to do was keep it a secret from you and hope that he never gets caught, right?

That was a horrible bet. Even more, he made himself defenseless to many others. He’s been used too many times to count yet he didn’t mind it because he knew it was going to make him feel better.

That one day he drank, he didn’t intend to get drunk. Someone must’ve put a drug in his drink when he wasn’t watching. He passed out on the 3rd shot. The person whom took him to a spare room at the party most likely fucked him while he was asleep. The next morning, he knew he fucked up. Walking up to a person that isn’t you. He wanted to go back to you as soon as possible but the woman was too hard to resist as she seduced him. He ended up drinking before going back home, the woman apparently found him drinking by her door.

He knew he was indeed suspicious at that point. Trust was something very important to you yet he broke it so easily. He didn’t end there, even though he already at the questioning stage, he didn’t stop. He continued to hook up with random women, sleeping with them, and then not going home back to you.

He knew this would hurt you. He knew his actions were more than unacceptable. But his addiction was too hard to handle.

“W-what the fuck are you doing Gojou..”

That voice, that setting, and that person were all enough to make Gojou’s world go upside down. He hoped it wasn’t the person he was thinking of as he whipped his head towards the voice’s direction.

It was you.

On instinct, he tried to cover the woman he was kissing right there an then. The person you were the closest to, the person you trusted the most, the person you called a best friend was the person that was pushed behind his back in attempt to hide her from you. 

He was caught. And caught by the last person he’d like to be caught by.

He couldn’t think of any words, the only sentence that came out was  “I-it’s not what you think, Y/n!” and “Y/n I can explain-”. Really Gojou? Was that the only thing you could mutter out? That sentence obviously did no better than what she just witnessed. He tried to approach you but of course you dashed the opposite direction. He ran behind you, trying to catch up to you but you were already in your car by the time he reached the cashier counter. He exited the club and yelled your name as if it would do anything to stop you. “Y/N!”

He reached into his pocket and called you, texted you, tried anything to contact you but you didn’t answer them. He groaned in frustration, sliding his back on the glass door then sitting himself down on the ground. Look at what he’s done. What was he supposed to do now? You probably won’t even let him in the house even if he begged. It was all over now. He made the biggest mistake of his life.

He dragged himself to the street and called for a taxi home. He stared out the window, wondering what will happen now. His eyes blurred from the burning tears. Just thinking of every outcome made him realize that you were never going to forgive him.

Bringg! Bringg!

His ringtone ringed! He excitedly flipped his phone on, only to face an unknown number. His expression immediately changed, was he too hopeful? Either way, he needed to pick up that call incase it was inportant.

“Hello? Is this Mr.Satoru?“

What? “Yes, that is indeed me”

“Hello Mister, this is the JLK hospital. Miss L/n had you saved as an emergency contact, I am here to inform you that she’s in our hospital.”

What? “What do you mean in the hospital-”

“She got into a car accident, Mist-”

He hung up the phone. He couldn’t believe his ears. Y/n? In a car accident? He yelled at the driver “JLK HOSPITAL. NOW!”. He was worried enough to the point he wanted to break the land under him.

At JLK

He threw the cab whatever he had in his wallet, not caring about the amount. All he was focused on was you. He pushed the front doors open, patients looking at him as if he were a mad man. He ran straight to the reception counter, panting in every word he spoke.

“Y-y/n! W-where is s-she!?”

The receptionist, frightened, tried to calm him down as he breathed in and out deeply.

“She’s in the emergency room-“

He didn’t blink for a minute, he dashed towards the emergency arrows, running through the quiet halls, only reaching the locked door at the end of the hall. He banged the doors, praying that you were fine. 

“LET ME IN! LET ME SEE Y/N!” was what he yelled continuously.

Nurses had to hold him back from disturbing the doctors and nurses trying to save your cold and still body.

He sat on the chairs right by the doors, waiting for some kind of reassurance, some kind of comfort to tell him you were still with him.

The large metal doors open from the emergency room. He beamed up, looking for a relieved or happy expression from the doctor but there was...

Nothing.

“I’m very sorry Mr.Satoru” the doctor said, pained to even look at you straight. “She was found with a glass barely missing her right lung, she also suffered from a major head injury caused from the accident..” they said but judging by his expression they decided to stop talking.

“C-can I go s-see her?“ he stuttered

There you were. Lifelessly lying on the hospital bed, covered up with a white cold sheet. He took a few steps into the room, only then stopping mid-way. He had no right to go near you, he had no right to mourn for you, he had no right to associate with you. He knew that, but he needed to see you one last time. Approaching you, seeing how your face paler than snow and your body just as cold as ice. 

He squeezed your hand, crying his lungs out. Screaming at you to come back to him as if that would help. He prayed for a miracle, somehow thinking you would open your eyes and wrap your arms around his broad back. Your head resting on his chest and how you nuzzled into his embrace. How you had small arguments with him and letting him win because you just loved him that much.

But that wasn’t going to happen anymore.

He didn’t even get the chance to say sorry. To tell you how much you meant to him, how much he loved you, and how much he wished he had spent more time with you. He kept regretting every decision he made, hoping you could somehow hear him begging for you to come back.

It took him hours to take in the reality. The doctors told him he had 5 more minutes before they had to take you away to the morgue. He shook your hand one last time, finally accepting the news. You were gone and he couldn’t bring you back.

“I love you, Y/n..”

[what-big-teeth]

Soothe (Male Naga ; Fic Raffle)

A quick re-upload of this fic requested by @gothglamonenightstand​ featuring a Black female reader and a male naga. A slight misunderstanding leads to more and a happy ending. Hope you enjoy!

tw: animal attack, animal death

Female Reader (POV) x Male Naga The cottage is everything you dreamed of. 

It’s cozy with two floors, but not overly spacious with a welcoming guest room. Its clean hearth is large enough to warm the whole house during the heavy winters. But for now, during these mid-summer months, you’ll be drawn to the window of the master bedroom, which showcases a spectacular view of the forest just beyond the property’s edge. 

Your new home is a wonder, one that was purchased with little coin per the last owner’s request. This, and the kindness of the elderly Mr. Adley, is why you’re more than happy to accommodate him until his son returns from the village to shepherd the older man to his new home. 

“I’m glad everything’s to your liking, my dear. I was somewhat worried when you first arrived to see what this old shell had to offer.” 

You tuck a thick lock of curly, black hair behind your brown ear with a smile and pour him another cup of soothing chamomile tea, finishing it with a dollop of honey. 

“You had nothing to worry about, sir. This place is lovely and has a charm all its own. It carries the feeling of home all throughout.” 

Mr. Adley chuckles, his wizened, light brown hand lifting his handcrafted cup with a slight tremble. 

“Then may I also suggest the pathway from the back garden into the forest? I used the walk to clear my head and relax when life became overwhelming. I hope it can offer you the same if you need a reprieve from your apprenticeship.” 

You respond with a brief smile then hide your growing frown behind your teacup.

The fact you were chosen as Madam Irene Bastien’s apprentice was a miracle all its own. Known for her reticence as much as her natural genius, people from far and wide sought her out for the chance to glean any knowledge from her. But every time, she rejected all potential students. Word of her refusals spread far and wide to the point that the number of hopeful potentials gathering at her manor dwindled to nothing. 

You had heard the stories about the elusive apothecary and hearing was more than enough.You were comfortable in your little hometown, aiding your mother with selling her wares at the market. But a chance encounter in late spring with a carefully disguised Madam changed your life forever.  

You had merely suggested to her a list of ingredients for a healing tonic and accompanied her around the market, helping her find the items. All without realizing that you helping out a supposed ‘visitor’ was a secret test of sorts. That very night, Madam Bastien revealed her true identity after finding your home and offered you an apprenticeship.  

You’re still not yet sure what she sees in you, a mere beginner apothecary. But your family refused to let such a wonderful opportunity pass by. With their blessing, you gathered your belongings and made the three day move to the outskirts of the country’s capital, promising to never let doubt make you look back. 

“Miss?” 

You startle, your forearm bumping into the half-filled metal kettle beside you. Thankfully, the water inside has cooled to a lukewarm temperature.  

“Sorry,” you say, “I got lost in my thoughts.” 

“That’s alright, dear. A lot has happened today.” 

Thankful for Mr. Adley’s kindness, you actively listen to his stories about how he built the cottage as a gift to his late wife. How his son grew up here as a rambunctious child. How so many friends and visitors from the capital would stop by during the yearly equinox festivals.  

When his son arrives, you happily help him gather Mr. Adley’s belongings and place them beside the wagon to be packed. A few hours later, as you bid the men goodbye with a wave, a sense of warm contentment settles over you. You hope to run into Mr. Adley again one day, to share another cup of tea and to hear more of his stories.  

But for now, there’s unpacking to be done.  

First your clothing, which was packed by your mother in a sturdy trunk. Then, the wooden statuettes carved by your father. The bed linens, pillows, blankets, and your other personal belongings. Once everything is secured in its proper place, you light the hearth and reheat the stew cooked for you by Mr. Adley’s son.  

Your stomach full, you think about the path Mr. Adley mentioned, wanting to at least see it before night fell. But no such luck.  

“Ah well,” you murmur to yourself. “There’s always tomorrow.” 

Your stomach full, you heat up some water drawn from the backyard well and scrub the day’s accumulated dirt from your body. Dressed in a long gown and with a silent yawn, you climb the stairs to retire to your bedroom.  

Tomorrow will be a busy day and you can’t afford any lethargy. Safely tucked in bed, you close your eyes and drift to sleep. 

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

The horse-drawn coach hits a slight bump on the gravel road, rocking you and your filled satchel. You had asked to sit up front beside the driver when he first arrived in the early morning. Mainly to talk and to calm your addled nerves. 

Unfortunately, he declined, stating that he had strict orders from Madam Bastien to keep his distance. His words saddened you somewhat, but you complied, not wanting to threaten his standing with the Madam. 

One drive past the capital’s city gates on the cobblestoned road and into the business district, the coach arrives at the Madam’s workshop. It’s small but sturdy, a much more humble place than the manor she’s known to live in. Once the coach slows to a stop, you gather your satchel and climb out.  

A woman with deep skin the color of a starless, night sky stands before the workshop’s door. Her gaze is stalwart as she watches your approach, her hands tucked behind her back. Once you’re close enough, she gives you a warm smile that stretches the crow’s feet gathered at the corner of her eyes.

“Welcome,” she says. “Have you already had breakfast?” 

The cheerful manner in which she greets you is nothing like how she first met you. You swiftly remember your manners and reply before she can attribute your silence to rudeness. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Then the bread and pastries inside will serve as a later brunch.”  

Madam Bastien turns around, her long, gray beaded braids shifting against her back. She opens the door with a wrinkled hand and glances at you with a sharp, deep brown gaze.  

“Let’s get started,” she says. “We have much to cover.” 

And cover much you did. The pages of your new journal were soon stained with notes detailing a variety of topics. Types of animal fats, herbs, plants. Which salves, tinctures, and ointments work best. Potions for pain, conception, and contraceptive measures. The apothecaries’ system for measurement.  

She then has you mix together a common tincture after you memorize the ingredient list. The first time, the mix isn’t properly done. Not enough potency. How she can tell just by the scent alone is astounding. So you try again. And again. And again, until finally, you get it right.  

By the time brunch rolls around, a number of failed tinctures sit on the table before you and your journal is halfway filled. You’ll have to purchase another before the next lesson.  

“I think a break is needed,” Madam Bastien says. “You must be getting hungry.” 

You’re about to politely refute her claim, but your empty stomach answers in reply, refusing to be ignored. With a chuckle, Madam Bastien stokes a fire in her hearth and uses the heat to warm up the chilled bread and pastries. They go wonderfully well with some tea and herbed butter, as you soon learn. You happily eat your fill, humming at the mesh of flavors coating your tongue. Madam Bastien, however, sits across from you and takes the time to flip through your journal. She nods as she reads along, smiling. 

“I was right,” she says. “You’ll be a wonderful choice for the position of Royal Apothecary once I retire.” 

Your fork clatters against your plate.  

“W-what?” Madam Bastien simply picks up a pastry and spreads a little butter onto the flakey crust.  

“Word got out about my imminent retirement, no doubt thanks to those damned gossips at Court. That’s why so many would-be apprentices swarmed my estate. Of course, I wasn’t going to simply choose some hopeful unknown to take my place as the Royal Family’s apothecary.” 

She sips at her cooling tea before continuing.  

“I decided to find my apprentice after the throngs died down. So the King allowed me to travel to the smaller pockets of the country while keeping the reason behind my absence a secret.” 

“...Which is how you met me.”

She nods.  

“A choice, I must say, I’m glad to have made. You show immense potential with your gift yet remain grounded. Both skills will be needed to survive the Royal Court and everything it entails. But that will be years from now.”  She taps a loose fist against her opposite shoulder with a chuckle. 

“I won’t be going anywhere any time soon. After all, there is still much to teach you. But for now, sate your hunger. Once you’re finished, you can leave for the market then get settled at home. We’ll reconvene tomorrow at the same time.” 

You finish your portion, drain your cup of tea, and bid Madam Bastien a good day. The food weighs heavily in your belly and your temples pound as you gather foodstuffs from the large market. You honestly don’t know if you could’ve handled the task without the help of the coach driver. You’re thankful, but know he’s only aiding you due to the Madam’s order. And as before, he keeps to himself on the trip to your cottage. 

Your nerves tense and heighten to a peak once you arrive home. The sensation only grows stronger as you place your items in their proper places. Soon enough, you drop down into a chair at the dining table, your fingers tangling and pulling at your hair almost to the point of pain. 

You can deal with and adapt to a sudden apprenticeship. But the assured role of Royal Apothecary? That is something you nor your family foresaw. What would they say if they could see you now? 

With so many hypotheticals running through your mind, you honestly want to forget Madam Bastien’s words for a short time. Forget that tomorrow is coming and with it, a greater sense of responsibility you never expected. 

Your downcast gaze lifts towards the back door as Mr. Adley’s words resound in your mind. With the sun still visible in the sky, you won’t have to worry about nightfall and what it will bring. Now is a good time as any to see what his handmade path has to offer.  

You press to your feet and slip outside, closing the door softly with a tight grip. Taking a deep breath, you force your fingers to relax and glance down. Flat, gray stones form a simple trail before your feet, leading towards the forest. Blades of grass stick up in the gaps between each rock, a reminder that nature can easily overtake this area if it so chooses. It’s a charming sight, one that makes taking the first step easy.  

Your steady gait slows to a more eased pace as a gathering of clouds blocks the sun’s light. A gentle breeze carrying the raw, earthy scent of the forest brushes against your heated skin. You welcome the sensation with a pleased, quiet sigh and press onward.  

There’s nothing but a sea of rolling grass between your cottage and the outskirts of the forest. It’s easy to see why Mr. Adley suggested this, and you’re highly thankful. It’ll be another thing you’ll talk to him about when you see him again.  As you near the edge of the forest, your heart starts to sink. Turning around means having to face the reality of your apprenticeship; something you’d rather not do until absolutely necessary.  

In a way, your wish is granted. But not through normal means.  

Just a stone’s throw, in a sunlit clearing, a large, dark burly shape presses itself further onto the ground. You hear an odd, splashing sound that is soon followed with violent crunching. As the shape shifts, you’re able to see the scene before you with clarity. A massive, black bear tears its maw into the fresh remains of a stag. One that it, without a doubt, took down itself.  

You take a silent breath and begin to slowly back away. Something brittle snaps underneath your foot. You freeze. So does the bear up ahead.  

Your heart pounds in your chest as it lifts its head, searching for the source of the sound. Its dark eyes bore into yours, grunts emanating from its mouth. With a shrill roar, it barrels towards you, sharp teeth bared. You can’t move, no matter how much you beg your body to act.  

All you can do is shut your eyes and hope for a swift end. But there’s no impact. 

No sound of a beast eager to tear into you; only the soft whisper of a passing breeze. Carefully and slowly, as you mentally take stock of your intact self, your eyes open.  

The bear lies on the ground, nothing more than a motionless heap. The green grass underneath its form is slowly dyed a dark color, a deep red that the sun’s rays catch. But the shade is nothing compared to the ink-black braid belonging to the being calmly extracting their long claws from the carcass. Piercing gold eyes meet yours, framed by rich, brown skin and a full nose bearing a long scar. In fact, the majority of the stranger’s bare torso is littered with old injuries, both small and large. The only part of his body that remains untouched is his black, serpentine tail. 

Your legs decide then and there to lose their remaining strength. Your body sinks to the ground, the thick grass taking the brunt of your fall as your lungs cry out for air. You fill them, holding your hands over your throbbing chest.  

“Are you alright?” 

Your gaze darts up. The naga extends a bloodless, clawed hand towards you; the other he keeps behind his back. Pushing aside your nervousness, you take it and he effortlessly pulls you to your feet. But his grip on your hand remains; perhaps to keep steadying you.  

“T-thank you.” Your eyes flit from his claws, which barely touch your skin, to the fallen bear behind him. “I owe you my life.” 

He releases his grip on your hand after a few minutes of silence. No doubt after assuring you can stand on your own two feet without aid. 

“You must be the new owner of the cottage, then?”  

You startle at his words. 

“Yes, but how did…” 

“The Adleys told me about the upcoming changes weeks ago. I just didn’t expect to meet you so soon...maybe not at all.” 

You let out a soft chuckle, not quite aware of where the urge came from. But it acts as a crack in the dam holding back your feelings all the same.  

Without warning, everything spills out from your lips. Meeting Madam Bastien, your apprenticeship, the move to the capital from your only home. Your eyes burn and your chest heaves while you speak, but you can’t stop the release. Not until everything is out in the open, including your near-death experience.  As your sobs quiet, a cool sensation brushes against your wet cheeks. Your rescuer gives you a soft, understanding smile as he gently wipes away your tears with the back of his claw.  

“I-I’m sorry,” you mumble. “I must be taking up your time. And I don’t even know your name.” 

“It’s Anil,” he says. “And honestly? I was debating whether to take a nap in my favorite tree or grab a snack from the river. But I have to say this change in routine is more than welcome.” 

His relaxed tone pulls a true laugh from you, which by the look of his own fanged smile, was his goal. 

“Much better,” he murmurs.  

Somehow, that one comment and your emotional release has you feeling much lighter than before. You’re able to take a deep, calming breath and give him your name. All while returning Anil’s smile. He repeats it, as if committing it to memory. But a part of you wonders why he looks so thrilled to know such a simple thing. 

“Thank you again,” you say. “I should head back. I’m expected to meet with Madam Bastien tomorrow morning.” 

Anil nods then clears his throat.  

“If you’re in need of a willing ear, please feel free to return,” he says. “That is, if you’d like to.” 

Your eyes take him in: the way he deftly skims a claw over one of his cheeks while attempting to meet your gaze, but failing to hold it. The sight is endearing and rather sweet.  

“I would, as long as I don’t disturb you.” You purse your lips together and decide to take a chance. “In fact, if you’re available tomorrow…” 

“I am,” he says, in what you think is an excited tone. But you don’t want to assume.  

So you simply smile and bid him a good day, telling him “until tomorrow.” 

Anil repeats your words and you two go your separate ways. 

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

The following day, Madam Bastien proves to be quite the taskmaster. Your new journal is nearly filled like its predecessor, prompting another visit to the market. And another venture to the forest’s edge.  

But this time, you plan to go bearing gifts.  At first, you expect to wait at the previous meeting spot until Anil arrives. Instead, you find a guide of sorts without any signs of yesterday’s bear. Makeshift stakes stick up from the tall grass, the tops marked with a vivid red dye. It doesn’t take long for your curiosity to get the better of you.  

You follow the marked path to a larger clearing where a massive tree towers overhead. Dappled sunlight shines through the gaps of the leaves and on a familiar, dozing naga. Anil is cradled among the thick yet lower branches of the tree. His dark tail is coiled underneath his upper body, providing a makeshift bed of sorts. His features are soft, the serene sight bringing a smile to your face. So you seat yourself at the tree’s base and turn to your attention to your wickered basket.  

You push back the lid and remove the linen keeping the food warm. The delicious, mingling scents make your mouth water. And cause a groan from up above.  Anil shifts, blinking down at you with bleary eyes, a few stray leaves clinging to his mussed hair. You giggle. 

“Good afternoon, Anil. Did you sleep well?” Anil yawns widely, his fangs unsheathing themselves from the action.  

“Very, thank you. By chance, is that venison I smell?” You nod.  

“It’s for you. I purchased it from the market as a surprise. Come have some.” 

You think you see Anil’s body tense for a few moments. 

“Are...are you sure?” he asks with a hesitant tone. 

You huff out a light laugh and smile.  

“Of course I am!” 

Seconds later, he takes you up on your offer and slithers his way down. Soon he’s beside you, happily partaking of the meat, bread, cheese, and fruit you’ve brought along. He finishes his portion with a satisfied sigh, licking his claws with a forked tongue while you tuck your leftovers back into the basket for dinner. 

“I wasn’t sure what to get originally, but I figured venison would be a safe bet. Was I right?”

 Anil glances your way then down to his hands. 

“You were, and then some. It’s actually my favorite.”

 He fidgets, the motion traveling down to his curled tail. It reminds you of how a ripple affects an entire pond.  

You reach out with a tentative hand and touch his shoulder. His deep inhale doesn’t escape your notice. “Is everything alright?” 

“Y-yes! I’m just thinking, that’s all. But that can wait. How was your time at Madam Bastien’s?” 

You tell him how your first foray with creating a decoction from memory went. Better than expected, but with some bumps along the way. You also mention the need for another journal and how you expect to have a miniature library soon.  

Anil listens intently to you, smiling all the while. But it’s the light in his golden eyes that give you pause. They’re warm, almost molten, and full of...fondness? You’re quick to dismiss the thought and prompt him to tell you about his day, which he readily does.  

When Anil asks to see you again, you both agree to the following day. It’s from that point onward that you notice some odd things.  

One day, as you accompany Anil to the river, he stays close by your side. During one instance, he places his clawed hand against the small of your back. You don’t think much of it, especially when you both come across some gnarled roots jutting from the ground. He carefully and gently guides you over the obstacles, but his touch lingers before he pulls away. 

Then, at the river, he catches a large haul of fish. But instead of placing them all into his own personal satchel, he reveals a second bag. He fills it with the majority of his catch and presents it to you with a shy smile on his lips. You accept it with genuine thanks and he looks away, grinning with pleasure.  

After that, Anil keeps close to you in various ways. But more so as he tells you about his family, him leaving the den before his other siblings, and meeting the Adleys. Still, whether it’s to guide you by holding your hand, to show you some of his favorite areas in the forest, or to present you with more food, he’s always near. In fact, your personal stock of meat is nearly overflowing and you’d hate for it to go to waste. 

Early that morning, you smoke the meat (with the wood Anil happily volunteered to chop for you) and bring the bundle to your next meeting with the Madam. She hums with pleasure as she tucks into the food and calls her coachman to receive a portion. 

“This fish is considered a rare delicacy here in the capital,” she says, dabbing at her lips with a thick napkin. “Last I checked, the fishmonger was unsure if he would have any this season. How did you come across it?” 

You sip at your water, unable to hide your smile.  

“A friend of mine gave me a part of his catch.” 

Madam Bastien gives you a look. It reminds you of the knowing way your mother would look at you when a young boy caught your attention.  

“Just a friend? Are you sure of that?” 

You’re about to refute her claim but pause. Your mind recalls just how close Anil has grown towards you over the last few weeks. You’ve also learned more about him and have come to greatly enjoy his company. But there’s...something more.  

“It seems,” Madam Bastien begins, pulling you from your thoughts, “that your friend wishes to impress you. If I may ask, what has he done for you so far?” 

You explain everything. And when she asks how it all began, you mention the picnic you prepared as thanks for saving your life from a raging bear. Confusion colors her face, but when you mention Anil being a naga… 

The Madam nearly chokes on her wine. She swiftly places her napkin against her mouth as she coughs, clearing her throat.  

“I-I’m so sorry,” you say standing up, hands raised and ready to help.  

But she holds up her own hand in reply, making you pause. She gestures for you to sit and you do. 

“Since that is the case,” she says after a deep swallow, “I should explain a bit about the naga and their courting habits…” 

She starts at the beginning, aligning what you and he have done so far with the start of naga courtship behavior. The interested party provides food without prompting, letting the other know their interest in them as a possible mate. As she provides more detail into what may happen—including copulation—a burning heat floods your cheeks. But you find that it isn’t unwelcomed.  

“So then,” she concludes, “That is what you should expect. I just hope that your new paramour won’t distract you from your studies, yes?” 

“Of course not.” You’re stunned to find that you mean every word and that you agree with Anil being more than a friend. “But, if it’s alright with you, may I be excused early today? There are some things I need to take care of.” 

The Madam calls for her coachman, gives you a knowing smile and winks.  

“Good luck, dearest.”

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

You can barely contain yourself as the coach coasts to a stop before your cottage. In fact, you take the initiative and leap out before the coachman is able to open the door for you.  

You quickly circle around back and follow the stone pathway towards the edge of the forest. Your heart swells at the sight nearing closer with each stride.  

Anil holds a bundle of makeshift markers, the tips dyed that familiar shade of red. Before he’s able to spear the next stick into the ground, you shout his name. He pauses, straightening his body and saying your name as you dash towards him.  

He manages to catch you as you leap towards him, your arms winding around his neck and your cheek nestling against his own. He shudders, him own grip tightens around your body, secure and warm. 

“I’m guessing something good happened today?” 

You hum in reply, pulling back so you can see him face to face. Then, you gently press your lips against his. 

Anil tenses, and for a moment, doubt begins to seep in. But it’s quickly swept away as he kisses you back, his fangs pressing against your mouth and the tips of his claws gently teasing the nape of your neck. All while as his other arm holds you close. Your hand taps his back, a reminder of your need to breathe. He tapers off the kiss, taking in a few deep breaths of his own. His golden eyes glitter as they take in your breathless expression. 

“I didn’t...I wasn’t sure...so you are interested in me as I am in you?” 

“I am,” you say, cupping his cheek in your palm. “It just took me some time to realize it.”  

He nuzzles against your warmth, with a large grin.  

“How so?”

“It’s a bit of a long story,” you say. “One that may take up most of the day.”

“I want to know,” Anil says. “As long as I can be right next to you.” 

You can’t help but silently agree.  “The cottage is large enough for the both of us, if that’s alright with you?” 

Anil presses his forehead against yours, his eyes drinking you in. 

“More than,” he says. “Let’s go home.”

[ikeromantic]

Kitsune Haunting

A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfic, approx 2500 words, silliness and sort of scares? 

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous:  A Fun Lesson

This fic is a little longer than most of my posts. This one was inspired by one little line in the game . . .When Mitsuhide and MC reach the Chugoku province, the chatelaine reflects on their trip (which we didn’t get to see!) - she mentions that one night, Mitsuhide ‘haunted’ her. If you like it, I might post a part 2 with additional shenanigans.

Mitsuhide listened to the whispers of the bamboo forest. He found it soothing. The music of wind and branch was so different from the hum of Azuchi. There were no human voices to interrupt his thoughts. No politics here, or plots. Only the endless sea of green, and the long shadows cast by the setting sun. 

His little mouse did not look to be enjoying the ride as much as he. She kept turning her head at each clack and clatter. Her shoulders were tense too. Perhaps she feared bandits, he thought. Or something worse? His lips curled into a small, wicked smile. 

“We’ll camp here,” he called to her when they reached a small clearing. The bamboo grew far enough apart to place their bedrolls, and to dig a small fire pit for cooking. But the leaves covered the red and gold of the sunset with their greenery, sliding slowly to black as the light left. 

“Can’t we keep going? I thought we would be out of the forest before dark.” She hunched her shoulders and squinted at the dim-lit path ahead. “It’s probably not much further, right?”

Mitsuhide kept a straight face. “Perhaps, but I do not want to risk the horses. They could trip on a dark path, and we would be delayed.” 

She sighed and nodded. “I didn’t think about that.” Then she dismounted stiffly. The chatelaine was unused to long rides, or riding in general. Though she didn’t complain, her discomfort showed in every stilted movement as she unbuckled her pack and began to unload the horse.

“I can do that,” Mitsuhide told her after a moment of watching this awkward dance. “You go stretch, try to get comfortable.”

His little one gave a grateful smile. “If you insist.” She stepped away from her horse and stretched her arms over her head. “I feel like my spine is half fire. If fire was steel. Bending it hurts.”

“Riding all day is hard at first,” he agreed as he removed the packs and saddles, and began to rub down the mounts. “You do get used to it eventually.”

“You must do this a lot.” She sounded a little jealous. “How long does it take to - to not feel like you were beaten with hammers at the end of the day?”

Mitsuhide shrugged. “I don’t remember when I stopped being bothered.” He glanced at her over his shoulder and grinned. “Maybe you can tell me the exact moment riding becomes comfortable?”

She frowned at him. 

After the gear was unpacked and the horses cared for and fed, Mitsuhide dug a small fire pit and got out their rations. Onigiri tightly wrapped in a bamboo sheath. The rice was flecked with black sesame and filled with pickled plum. He handed her the travel food, knowing she would eat it even if she wished for something sweet. 

“Thanks,” she said, resting back on the bedroll Mitsuhide laid out for her. “These aren’t bad. Did Masamune make them?”

“Yes.” He did not tell her Masamune tried to send them off with all sorts of experimental recipes for traveling. He’d turned them all down, opting for something quick and easy to eat, simple to pack. Besides, more elaborate food might break their cover if they were searched. 

“His food is always so good,” she sighed. Her eyes were focused up, on the little glimpses of starry night sky. 

Mitsuhide felt a stab of jealousy. He did his best to ignore it. His little mouse could taste things, so of course she preferred Masamune’s cooking. It meant nothing. 

A loud crack interrupted the quiet. It sounded close. The chatelaine squeaked and reached for her pack, where she kept a small knife. 

“Frightened?” It was normal to hear snapping branches at night, as animals prowled the forest. Sometimes it was just a stalk too old to stand against the wind. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t a human sound and so he was not worried.

His little mouse shook her head, chin jutting out defiantly. “No. But it could be a monkey or - or a bandit.”

He laughed softly, which did nothing to calm her down. “What if I told you I was sure it is neither of those things?”

“Why should I believe you?” Her temper was still hot.

“Mmm, because I have traveled this forest several times. And I can tell you for certain that no bandit would prowl here at night. Even the monkeys are wise enough to stay away.” An idea took form right then, a little piece of fun.

The red in her cheeks drained away as he spoke, leaving her pale. “W-what do you mean?”

Mitsuhide gave his crescent moon grin, all wickedness and sharp edges. “Because, little one, this place is haunted.”

“Heh, y-yeah. Now you’re trying to scare me on purpose! Stop teasing.”

“Oh? Then I won’t tell you why travelers avoid this place.” He finished his meal and stood.

The chatelaine watched him, her whole body tense despite her defiant attitude. “Where are you going?”

“I will check around the camp, and the path ahead. I want to keep you safe, even if you don’t believe there is danger.” He stepped silently outside the small circle of firelight. She watched him go without saying anything else. But she did pull the knife from her pack, setting it, still sheathed, beside her.

Her determination to be brave was adorable, but it made him want to tease her more. As he walked the perimeter of their tiny camp, he picked up bits of dead, dry bamboo stalks. He put a few holes in them, and with a bit of thread, hung them high in the branches. They began to catch the breeze almost immediately, adding a soft, low warble to the rustling leaves.

Then he went a bit further afield to a nearby pond - it was easy to find by the night sounds of the forest toads. He scooped up a large male and laughed softly as it wriggled in his hand. “Don’t worry. I am not going to eat you, gama. We are going to help each other tonight. I just need you to sing.” 

The toad let out a long, rasping cry in response. Perfect. He loosed it a few feet from the chatelaine’s bedroll, where she sat staring at the fire, oblivious to his presence. 

When he came back to camp, announcing his arrival with a purposefully loud step, she stood to greet him. “Oh! You- you were gone awhile. Everything ok?”

“I found nothing . . . unexpected.” He looked at her solemnly. “But I think we should both stay here, near the fire, until dawn.”

“You - you’re just taunting me. Is there anything out there or not?”

Mitsuhide sat down on his bedroll and stretched out his legs. From the darkness on her side of the camp, came a harsh croaking. It was loud and held for several heartbeats. 

“Ah! What is that?” She spun to stare at the bamboo thicket.

“I was going to tell you but . . . you said to stop.” Mitsuhide shrugged. “Do you want to know or not?”

“I - yes. Please tell me.”

He regarded her with narrowed eyes. He could tell her heartbeat was fast, her eyes were wide. She pulled her mat closer to the fire pit. 

“You must promise not to interrupt.”

His little mouse nodded.

“Good. Then I will tell you why wise travelers avoid this forest, especially at night. It was before I was born, when my parents were young. There was a Chugoku princess known through the nearby provinces for her extraordinary beauty and her cunning. Her father refused to marry her off to the many suitors that came to their castle, because he cherished her. His youngest child and only daughter. And he relied on her wise advice.”

The chatelaine opened her mouth to ask a question, but caught herself. He could tell she was trying very hard to abide by his request. She was so cute, holding her curiosity in, that he almost gave her a chance to speak.

“Eventually, of course, a young warrior came to court her. He was very handsome, and wealthy. The princess was quite taken with him, as were most of the women in the castle. From the princess’ maid, to her elder mother.”

“This sounds like a fairy tale,” his little mouse said.

Mitsuhide raised an eyebrow in disapproval.   

She clamped a hand over her mouth.

“I will pretend you said nothing. As to the truth of this story, you may ask some of the older servants at the castle - they will tell you the truth of it. Some still live that knew the princess, her maid, and the young warrior.”

The chatelaine’s eyes grew wider, and as if planned, a gust of wind made the improvised bamboo pipes give a fluting wail. 

“Now, as I said. All the women in the castle were taken with the young warrior, but none so much as the princess and her maid.” Mitsuhide looked out into the dark forest and gave a heavy sigh. 

“The maid was as ugly as the princess was beautiful. A girl disfigured by a terrible burn. Her face was twisted into a grimace that marked her out from even the plain women of Chugoku. The princess was the only one to look past her scarring and see the intelligent, kind woman behind it. The two were inseparable, until that charming warrior came.” 

His little mouse nodded, her hand still covering her mouth as if she was afraid she would speak again. 

“Though no one knew it then, it was the maid that gave the wise advice everyone sought from the princess. She spent her time reading and watching, listening to people. She knew the town’s most closely held secrets. The princess relied on her knowledge and her spying. And so, when the maid fell in love with the warrior, she begged the princess to let her try and win his affection. She thought she was owed at least the chance to find love. The princess only laughed.”

Mitsuhide did his best to imitate a woman’s voice. “No one would love a girl as ugly as you. Now get to your room and stop asking me for the impossible! I will marry that warrior, and you will always be just an ugly, unwanted maid.” 

His little mouse looked appropriately horrified by that cruelty.

“The maid told her, ‘If you don’t at least let me try to win his heart, I will tell everyone the true source of your wisdom. They will know you are nothing but an empty-headed doll. Pretty but stupid.’ Enraged, the princess beat her, and drove the maid from the castle.”

“And she came to this forest to live?” The chatelaine asked, unable to help herself.

Mitsuhide shook his head. “If only she had. No. After the maid left, the princess began to worry that the maid would tell everyone the truth. She devised a plan to stop her. The princess called the warrior to her room and began to weep. She claimed that the maid threatened to curse her. She said the burned girl was a witch, and that she was afraid for her life. The warrior was uncertain, but he wanted to win the heart of the beautiful princess. After drying her tears, he agreed to find the maid and take her to the forest, where he would slay her and bury her bones far from the castle. Then the princess could be safe. And in return, she would marry him.”

The forest toad rasped another desperate cry. His little mouse jumped at the sound, her head whipping around to look back at the bamboo grove. “C-can I come sit with you? While you finish the story?”

Mitsuhide nodded. He made a space for her beside him where she sat, her leg brushing against his.

“Now, the maid was no fool. She feared the princess would lie about her, but she could not believe the warrior would harm her. Especially when he came to her hovel and asked if she would walk with him, and talk. He seemed so sincere. She wanted to believe he came because he worried for her. The maid told him that it was her wisdom on the princess’ lips that made the beautiful girl famous.” 

He slipped an arm around his little mouse, and remarkably, she only settled against him without a single word of protest.

“The warrior believed her. After all, witches have great wisdom. Knowing this did not change his plan. He brought the maid here, to this forest. The whole way, he listened to her talk about her life. Her dreams. She opened up her heart to him, believing he cared. It was only when the warrior told her to kneel before him that the maid realized what he intended to do. She begged for her life. She promised him anything he wanted, if only he would let her live. The maid told him that she loved him. Her words fell on deaf ears. The warrior saw only the princess’ beauty and wanted nothing to do with the wise but ugly maid.”

“Men are so stupid,” the chatelaine murmured.

“Sometimes,” Mitsuhide agreed, thinking of how he had been so easily ensnared by a pretty girl. “Stupid or not, the warrior cut off her head. Then he carried her body away from the well traveled path, and buried her in an unmarked grave. The princess waited for him, but when she felt it was taking too long, she slipped away from the castle and walked the forest path, looking for her love.”

“Oh no.” His little mouse breathed the words into his chest, her eyes half-closed.

The warlord smiled down at her. “You are right to worry. The princess met her warrior on his way back from burying the poor maid. He swept her into his arms, smearing her with blood and grave dirt. He told her it was done, and she was so excited that he had done her bidding, that she kissed him. And then the warrior laid her on the forest floor and made love to her.”

Mitsuhide shifted, definitely not thinking about taking his little one here, in this clearing. Not thinking about that at all. 

“The maid’s spirit could not rest, not with such a violent death at the hands of the man she loved. And not after witnessing this final betrayal. She appeared before them, holding her head in her hands. She threw it at the princess, gnashing her teeth and wailing. The princess caught it, and died right there from fright. The warrior should have died then too, but the maid could not kill him. She still loved him. Instead, she cursed the warrior to a life of loneliness.”

“That is . . . so sad,” the chatelaine murmured. Her eyes were closed now, almost asleep.

“It is. The warrior returned to the castle, and found that all had turned against him. They say he died some years later, a lonely and bitter man whose heart was stone. The princess’ body was retrieved from the forest, but the servants that brought it back swore they heard weeping and gnashing teeth. And after that, many beautiful maidens disappeared in this place. The men that travel these roads say they hear the maid, still crying. Her teeth clacking together.”

Another gust of wind rattled the branches and sent low tones skirling into the night air. 

His little mouse shivered. “N-none of that is true. It’s just a - a story.” Her sleepy voice sent a happy chill through Mitsuhide. He imagined she would sound like that early in the morning, waking before dawn to make love and then fall asleep again.

“Ah, it was told to me as a true story. But I have never feared these woods. Even if they are haunted by a maid that curses men to loneliness. I am already cursed.” 

“Mmm, yeah,” the chatelaine agreed, “but I’m not. Can I . . . sleep next to you?” Her eyes opened a fraction.

“Of course. I would not want to lose you to a vengeful spirit.” Or anything else. He laid her down on his mat, and watched as she drifted off to sleep. Such folktales had their uses, he thought. Like frightening silly, sweet girls.

Next: Kitsune Dawn

[mothwingwritings]

Treasured Friend

F!Reader X (Yandere) Joseph and mentioned F!readerX Caeser

Warnings: Yandere, drugging, cheating, noncon heavy petting, Joseph being a horny jerk

This is my very self-indulgent first shot as a yandere X reader fic (because I am a horrible goblin who loves me some yanderes) which I am a bit nervous about finally posting!!!! AHHHH! I feel like I made Joseph a little OOC, so I apologize for that. I also jumped back and forth from Joseph’s POV to readers so sorry if it gets a bit confusing. ^^;; And why did I have to do this to my girl Suzie Q? Hasn’t she been through enough??? Smh.  Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!!! Thank you!!!

'I shouldn't be here.'

His brain nagged him as he stood before your door, fist posed inches from the wood, primed for knocking. He stood still, frozen in... What, fear? Confusion? This wasn't like Joseph Joestar at all. He was, after all, the proud, boisterous man who's fought off countless foes, succeeded in being a skilled Hamon user, and ultimately defeated a perfect being that threatened the entire world.

So with all that bravado why the hell was he held up in front of a door?

Were these just nerves trying to block him from seeing a cherished old friend? Ridiculous, there was absolutely no reason at all for this horrible feeling of guilt to be weighing so heavily on his chest. Because that's all you were to him, right? Just his dear old friend?

He snorted at his own cruel joke

He heard you moving inside, as well as sounds of what appeared to be metal clanking together and water running. Perhaps you were cooking dinner? It was around that time of day.

'Maybe I should come back later,' He mused to himself, 'if she's busy with something I probably shouldn't bother her. Besides, I’d rather have her full attention than half of it when we are catching up, right?'

He lowered his hand for a moment at this thought, before quickly shaking his head, an urge of conviction flowing through his body.

'No,' he thought, finally connecting his fist to the door sharply, 'I came all this way. I need to see her now.'

"Coming," He heard muffled through the door. It was hard to make out, but it was undeniably your voice. Joseph couldn't contain the smile that that voice brought him.

After several moments, the door lurched open with a whiny screech. He's sure you spoke something, probably along the lines of 'who is it?' But with his heart beating so fast, the only sound he could manage to focus on was the loud thump echoing in his ears. He felt his breath catch as the door flew all the way open, his gaze falling upon the girl he hadn't seen in years, but hadn't left his mind for even a second in that time.

Your eyes widened a bit from the initial shock, followed by your signature smile that could light up the whole room, instantly igniting a fire in his heart. God, how he missed that smile, how he loved that smile.

"Joseph?" you laughed. An airy, joyful noise, "Joseph Joestar, is that really you?"

Her good mood was contagious, and Joseph's smile spread even wider. He was elated at how you responded to his presence.

'So she is happy to see me. She missed me, possibly even as much as I missed her.'

His heart thumped louder.

"(Name)," the towering man beamed, throwing his arms open dramatically as he shot you a playful grin, "Of course, the one and only! Now, the next thing you are going to say is 'come here so I can give you a hug!'"

Your laugh grew as you tried in vain to hide it behind your small hand. Joseph didn't like that habit of yours; he thrived on seeing you happy and loved it even more when he was the one to bring you that joy.

"I wasn't going to say it I was just going to do it," you teased, "But I guess I can indulge you just this once... Come here so I can give you a hug!"

And with those words, you passed by the door, making your way to Joseph. When you were directly in front of him, you softly launched off the ground, expecting him to meet you half way. He reciprocated, pulling you in to him, your feet dangling several inches from the ground. Just like how it used to be when the two of you were still living in Lisa Lisa's mansion. Also just like old times, he was more than happy to oblige, eagerly scooping you up as he pressed his face firmly into the crook of your neck.

Joseph mused over how good you felt pressed against him. Warm and soft, your hugs were always so inviting and enveloping, even with how much smaller than him you were. As your arms wrapped more snugly around his neck, he buried his face deeper into your neck and started to get lost in you. He breathed deeply, getting a whiff of the perfume you always used to wear. He was glad you still wore it. It always was one of his favorites. He squeezed you tightly, relishing the feeling of your affections. It was unfair how your body fit so perfectly against his.

"God how long has it been," your voice was soft, emotive, and so close. A shiver shot down his spine, "6 years? 7?"

"Too long," he responded immediately, his strong arms constricting you just a bit tighter, "I missed you, (name)."

Another playful laugh, "I missed you too, Jojo," you began to break contact, giving his arm a soft slap on your way down, "and I can't even imagine what owes me this surprise visit, but I am excited to find out."

You swung your door open, scooting out of the way a bit as you lifted your arm in a sweeping motion, "Please, come in! You came just in time, dinner is almost ready!"

~

It was shocking, to say the least.

The last time you had seen the man before you seemed like a lifetime ago. As soon as your eyes fell upon him, the memories flooded violently into your brain, the bittersweet nostalgia sweeping you away...

Two of your best friends had recently been wed and there was nothing but love in your heart for the both of them. Suzie Q, your best friend since you were small, had finally found her other half. You had joked with her a lot when you were younger that she was too easily wooed by a pretty face and too quick to give her heart away to men that were unworthy of her. She would laugh at you in response, shoot you a wink, and make some comment about having a lot of love to give so she'll eventually find the right guy, even if she does have to kiss a few frogs along the way.

That didn’t stop your worry for her, though. You always let her do her own thing and gave her space, but you were certainly not shy about letting her know you were not fond of most of the men she dated. On average they were arrogant, cocky, and loud womanizers who were also (unfortunately) extremely handsome.

So when you met Joseph Joestar, your protective nature instantly kicked in.

Both you and Suzie had been employed by Lisa Lisa, though in your case, maybe "saved" was a more appropriate term. You had come from a broken home and had a difficult upbringing, and you had spent many nights running to Suzie's house to get escape from your situation. When you grew a bit older and Suzie had been working for a while with Lisa Lisa, she was quick to recommend you as well. You were deeply intimidated and worried she may take one look at your past and skill set and cast you aside, but Suzie had talked you up so much that Lisa Lisa essentially hired you on the spot. You spent the next several years working your ass off to prove yourself to be all your friend had talked you up to be, and in the process gained a rather charmed existence surrounded by people you loved. You had a nice, safe home you shared with your treasured friend. The employer and teacher you greatly respected had taught you how to be strong, self-sufficient, and overcome any challenge life might through your way. In the hustle and bustle of it all, you had even met a charming man (one of Lisa Lisa’s pupils) that you had begun to develop feelings for...

And then Joseph showed up.

With the introduction of this cocky and loud brit, everything changed. From the get go, his frisky and flirty nature irked you. Throughout your years you had grown to a woman who respected manners and you took pride in the fact that not much in life could truly irritate you. As if honing in on this, you became a favorite target of Joseph’s endless teasing.

As much as you tried, he quickly had become unavoidable (Lisa Lisa had assigned you to watch over him, after all). You would cringe at the way he would ogle you, your teacher, and your best friend. He was a show off, always trying to one up Caesar (the man who had become the focus of your affections) to impress you, something you imagined Joseph had hoped would gain your approval. Needless to say, it did not work. Nearly everything the man did seem to grate deeply on your nerves, from the 'cute' nicknames he would make up for you, to the way he treated your blossoming skills dismissively, to how he'd casually find SOME way to touch you at every encounter. In the span on of a few days you had nearly reached your limit. You would purposely find something, ANYTHING, to do around the mansion to avoid him. But even then, you knew eventually you'd hear his booming voice break your small window of peace as it had become a habit of his to hunt you down each day after his daily trainings.

"Hey, (Name), there you are!!! You are looking a little bored, what say you come with me and we liven up the day a bit, eh?"

"(Name)! My favorite girl! Looks like you could use a break, and I know just the person you should take it with~"

"(Nick name) you were with Caesar AGAIN!? Come on, wouldn't you rather spend your time with someone who reeally~ knows how to treat a lady?"

It was all so obnoxious, but your blood didn't begin to truly boil until you had found him one day with Suzie Q.

You had warned her, or at least tried, of all he had put you through. The flirting, the disregard of your personal space, the shots fired at Caesar. At first she seemed to be listening, giving him the cold shoulder and dishing back whatever he handed to her, rolling her eyes jokingly at you whenever mention of him was made.

But as the weeks wore on her unamused glare changed to a fond twinkle. Her indignant frown when he would cast his attentions her way morphing into a coquettish smile. Much to your dismay, you knew you were rapidly watching your best friend fall in love.

"Caesar we can't let this happen," you grumbled one day to your lover, your head resting snugly in the crook of his neck as you curled against him during a break in his training.

"Let what happen, Bambina?" Caesar responded to your sudden remark, his fingers lazily weaving through your (color) tresses.

"Suzie and Joseph," you sighed heavily, "I've seen the way that she has been looking at him recently, and I know that look all too well. I have to get her away from him somehow..."

The blonde Italian hummed, "Hmm, a look huh? And just what look has our dear Suzie been giving Jojo?"

"It's the look she gives men before they break her heart."'

Caesar laughed, a pleasant rumble jolting your body. You pulled yourself up, steadying your arm across Caesar's broad chest so you could look directly into his eyes.

"What's so funny," you pouted, trying not to be swayed by the beautiful shimmer of his sea green eyes, “I’m serious! Joseph is bad news for her! I don't want my best friend to be used up by some pretty playboy and then tossed aside once he's done with her."

"I apologize, I didn’t mean to laugh. But carina did you and I not start similarly? Did people not also warn you to stay away from the great womanizer Zeppeli, a man who would always be nothing more than someone who would break beautiful girl’s hearts?"

You averted your gaze slightly, a light blush rising to your cheeks, "This is different! You understood my boundaries and never once acted high and mighty around me. I definitely had my reservations with you but," the blush on your cheeks grew a bit darker before you continued, “In the end you proved yourself to be a safe and worthy person to give my heart to."

A doting smile overtook Caesar's face as he leaned up, planting a firm kiss on top of your head.

"And I am forever grateful you took that gamble with me carina, as you have become the most treasured part of my life. Since you have come into my life, I have been a better, stronger man. But...."

"…But?"

Caesar sighed, gently shaking his head, "But you have to understand bambina that Joseph and I are different people with different personalities and different backgrounds," Caesar gently took your chin in his fingers, turning your gaze back his way, "I definitely don't approve of the hounding he gives Master, Suzie, and especially YOU, but Jojo is not a bad person. There's more going on inside him than you realize, and as I have been training by his side daily I can't help but admire how far he's come in this short span of time. He may come off as clownish, but after you've been through some things with him you see just how strong his ambition is. He’s a man fueled by a strong drive and tender heart. Carina mia, if Suzie Q is the woman he has chosen to bestow his true affections upon, I dare say that woman will live a very passionate life and never be left wanting."

As Caesar spoke, your eyes softened. You mulled over his words in your head, considering the possibility that maybe they would make a good pair. Perhaps Joseph wasn't just an annoying brute, maybe that was all a screen he hid his true feelings and intentions behind. Though it didn't entirely excuse him of all the things he had done, hearing Caesar explain it certainly did give you a new perspective on the man.

You sighed dejectedly, "OK, maybe you are right. He may get on my last nerve, but at the same time I haven't really given him much of a chance to get to know me, and I him. Maybe... Maybe he would be a good match for Suzie? Besides, we are both adults now, even if I still have qualms over him I need to have faith that my best friend is doing what's right for her."

Caesar playfully winked at you, "Exactly. Suzie is a big girl, and Joseph a big boy. If they desire to be together, I hope you can come to a point where you give them your blessing," Caesar sighed deeply, slowly running his hand through his hair, "Besides, with his attentions focused on Suzie that means he will leave you alone now."

"Oh, I see. Ulterior motives," You teased, flippantly waving your hand.

He smirked, "Is it so wrong for a man to want his woman to himself? Cuore mio, don't break my heart by telling me you actually secretly enjoy Jojo's affections?"

You snickered, giving the blonde a playful smack, "Please, you know I only fall for incredibly dashing Italian men. But I must say, I am surprised with all the trash-talking he gives you that you are standing up for him and speaking so highly of him right now."

Caesar shrugged, his eyes falling closed as he pulled you snugly back down against him, "What can I say? I guess he's growing on me."

Over time, he would grow on you as well.

After all you had gone through, it was impossible not to. Not long after that conversation, your life was wrought with tragedy and terror. The insurmountable threat of the pillar men coupled with the incredible loss of losing Caesar nearly destroyed you. You felt helpless and terrified, every good thing in life you had worked so hard to achieve being ripped from you in the blink of an eye.

You ached for your lost love, and agonized over the fate of your friends. What could you do? What would become of the world if you weren't victorious right here, right now? It was too much weight to bear.

And yet Joseph took it head on, becoming your rock when everything else in the world seemed so unsteady. With his signature smirk and twinkling green eyes he held you in his strong grasp before the final encounter. You’ll never forget the feel of one of his hands gently jostling your hair as he told you it would all be OK, that he would protect you and come out victorious.

And even with all the odds against him, his enemy quite literally transforming into the perfect being with no weaknesses, he came out the winner. At that time, you could neither laugh nor cry. You just stared on in awe and relief when you saw Joseph triumphant and alive, on a day that was supposed to be his funeral, no less. Your body went numb, collapsing on itself with the gravity of all that you had been through. Jojo didn't just save you and your friends, he saved the entire world.

It was hard not to give Suzie your blessing after that.

But that was all around 7 years ago, and in that time span you had unfortunately grown apart from the Joestar family. In the beginning of their marriage you and Suzie talked all the time. Visits to and from where both of you ended up settling were common. You always felt welcomed and loved in their home, and you counted it a blessing that you were able to stay so close to the ones you treasured, even with how hectic adult life had become.

However, the months kept passing, and in time, Suzie called less frequently. At first she would brush off your concern, saying she was just tired, or things were busy, her schedule had become so hectic. You would give her space in these moments, but couldn't help but feel a gnawing discomfort when the she went from being a bit unresponsive, to just out right avoiding your calls all together.

Sometimes when you would call you would get Jojo, and hearing his peppy voice sound so genuinely excited to hear from you instantly took a load off your shoulders. He would always reiterate the things Suzie told you to help put your heart at ease. She wasn’t lying or avoiding you, she truly was just held up with something.

That is until Jojo stopped answering the calls as well.

It wouldn’t be until a year later when you got a curt letter in the mail that changed everything. In Suzie’s handwriting, it asked you to please cease all communication with her and Joseph, explaining they were to be moving and starting completely anew in a faraway town and that they wished you not to be a part of that new life.

You felt hollow. You reached out through letter, phone, even trying to get Lisa Lisa to relay messages from you, but no efforts bore any fruit. Your emotions went from confused and heart broken, to bitter and upset. What had you done? Was it something you said or did? Why were they treating you like this, without even explaining themselves? You drove yourself to the point of madness scouring every inch of your brain for something that would want to make them abandon you, but in the end, could think of nothing.

For your own sanity, you tried your best to forget them and move on. Unfortunately for you, you were a horribly sentimental person, and dropping them the same way they had dropped you was something you could not do.

But more years passed, and as they say, time heals all wounds. Losing your friends got less painful and you were able to forge new relationships and start new endeavors. You had made a comfortable life for yourself in that time, even with Suzie and Joseph hanging on in the back of your thoughts, like phantoms you couldn’t exorcise.

So to see a phantom before you in the flesh, sitting merrily at your two person table with that all too familiar mischievous grin spread wide across his handsome face, his spirited eyes peering into your very soul. It was jarring, but you couldn’t help but be overcome with joy.

“Smells delicious,” Jojo exaggeratedly sighed, a look of bliss passing over his face, “I’ve been on the road so long, and it’s been forever since I’ve had a beautiful woman’s home cooked meal.”

You giggled, hand wrapped snugly around your mug of cooled tea as you brought it to your lips, “Well I’m not master chef, but I hope it lives up to your expectations.”

“Please, your cooking was always superior to nearly everyone in the mansion, I am sure it has only gotten better with time (name),”

Small talk carried on for several minutes, before a dense silence hung over the two of you. Your eyes darted to him, taking him in as his gaze swept over the content of your dining room, taking in all of the new and the old. You inhaled deeply.

“Joseph.”

The serious tone of your voice garnered the man’s attention, his bright eyes focusing fully back on you.

You looked held his gaze, the confusion and pain from the past emanating from your unwavering stare.

“Why are you here?”

~

“Because I missed you, (Name),” The words passed his lips before he could stop them, but the small blush that lit your cheeks more than made up for his brief loss of control over his feelings.

Honestly, he could think of no other way to respond when you were looking at him like that.

He watched intently as you shook your head a bit and closed your eyes, a quivering smile on your lips. He could tell you were fighting valiantly to suppress long held back emotions that may spill out at any second. He was in the same boat, just a little better at it than you were.

“I missed you too,” he noted the slight shake in your voice, “but Joseph… What happened? You and Suzie just left, and I…”

Your voice trailed off, another strong wave of emotions washing over your features. It was something he noticed about you after Caesar had passed, that you were no less stunning in heart break. Joseph stared at you, mesmerized. He hated seeing you in pain, but he couldn’t help the allure of seeing those tears dance just at the edge of your eyes. You were crying for him… crying because you missed him. His heart rate began to quicken. This surely wasn’t the first time tears had been spilled on his behalf. Had he being gone kept you up at night? Did you dream of him and his return?

“How is Suzie?”

The question ripped him forcibly from his previous thoughts. It was asked so earnestly, with such barely concealed desperation, it felt wrong to lie in response. Nerves began to take over, his hands sweating as he absent mindedly fidgeted with the mug in front of him. How could he possibly answer this? Should he really tell you the truth? Could he honestly tell you the reason Suzie began to distance herself from you was because of him? Should he confess and say he couldn’t get you out of his mind, even with his new wife at his side, and after sometime his wife caught on? Should he explain to you that Suzie had always been a replacement in his heart for you, a replacement he thought he could grow to love as fervently as he loved you, but never quite stuck? Should he confess that it was always you he thought of in the place of Suzie when he kissed, hugged, or even spoke with her? Should he tell you that while he made love to your dearest friend, it was you he was imagining beneath him? Should he divulge that on more than one occasion, it was your name he would scream while he came?

Joseph had single handedly ruined the lifelong friendship you had with Suzie. She had done everything she could to make him hers, giving him the entirety of her love. But in the end she realized she could never win over what he felt for you. This caused Suzie’s resentment and animosity towards you to grow, but she also knew in her heart these feelings were misplaced and unfair. So instead of lashing out on her closest friend and airing all the couple’s dirty laundry, she tried to distance herself and her husband from you. Her thought process being that if you were not around in any capacity to distract him, his fondness for you would lessen. In reality, the opposite had occurred.

When Suzie had found he had still been taking your calls without her knowledge, it drove her to the edge. Even after all he had done, all he continued to do, Suzie still loved Joseph, and adamantly believed she could make their marriage work. So she demanded they move, cutting ties with you completely so they could focus on being a family again.

He agreed, but he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he truly felt bad for the woman he conned into marrying him when his heart clearly belonged to you. Maybe he did it because somewhere inside of himself he truly believed he could learn to love Suzie the way he loved you. Maybe it was because even though Caesar had long been gone, he felt dirty for longing for the woman whose heart and soul belonged to his best friend. Regardless, he agreed, and they left you behind with nothing more than a short letter that he knew would lead you to anguish.

“Joseph you are scaring me, how is Suzie?”

Joseph was snapped back to reality by your concerned voice. He chuckled nervously, forcing a smile on his face before he spoke.

“Suzie is OK,” he began softly, considering his words, “We… We had some issues earlier on in our marriage.”

“…Issues,” you questioned, “What kind of issues?”

Joseph averted his gaze, his grip tightening on the mug. This lie had to be convincing. It was too soon to share his true intentions now.

“Mostly things brought on by the stress of being a young couple out on our own,” he began slowly, trying to keeps his nerves in check, “Well, that and the whole battle with the Pillar Men and its after math. It was a lot to take in. It was a mess that she didn’t want to burden you with, especially when she knew you were still reeling from Caesar and in the process of starting your own life.”

He was happy his lie seemed to relieve you a bit, but a deep frown was still engraved on your lips.

“As our marriage went on, those issues became bigger issues,” he continued, his own frown deepening, “I think we both had a lot of expectations and feelings about what we thought was going to happen once we became husband and wife, and we didn’t necessarily share those expectations or feelings with each other. We were young, on our own for the first time, still figuring ourselves out. Things were bound to get messy at points… It just ended up getting messier than we bargained for,” he sighed, his eyes returning to yours, holding within them an ounce of misery, “Suzie is fine, (name). She’s still her healthy, lively self. She just didn’t want to drag you down in our ongoing bullshit.” He finished with a melancholy grin.

Another silence settled in the air as you collected yourself, taking a deep inhale before speaking.

"Suzie is healthy… That's so good to hear," your voice trembled, "I was so worried all these years," you shook your head, focusing back to Joseph, "But I can't believe it... Things seemed to be going so well, I had no idea you two were going through it- ARE going through it. I feel dumb realizing it now. We did go through so much in such a short amount of time. The wedding was such a whirlwind, it makes sense…"

Joseph watched as your hand clenched at what he was sure was a steadily blooming ache in your chest. What was going through your mind at this moment? How were you processing the lies that fell from his lips? He was sure you were beating yourself up right now, your brain chastising you for not realizing the marital and life issues your dear friends were going through sooner. His eyes widened as he noticed your whole body softly quivering, tears beginning to fall slowly down your rosy cheeks. You looked so small, so hurt. He was a piece of shit for being the cause of this, but he also couldn’t deny the twisted feeling of excitement seeing you this way caused.

As far as he was concerned, those tear filled eyes were proof of your strong feelings for him.

"(Name)..." He whispered, enchanted as you fought back waves of emotion. It took all of his will power to not give in, to not push the table over and take you again in his arms. While you would melt into him he’d kiss away those anguished tears, promising to you the only time you’d ever cry again would be when he’d make you feel his love so fully, so strongly, that your over stimulated body wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore.

"Joseph," Your cracking voice struggled to say, drawing the man from his rampant fantasy.

“I never want you or Suzie to feel that way ever again. I know you were trying to protect me, but I never want you to ever feel like you have to hide anything from me ever again.”

Your conviction grew as you continued, “You two keeping things from me, going away and cutting all contact, that hurts me much more than any issues you have been fighting through ever could. I am never too hurt, busy, or tried to be there for either of you. I love you both so much, you are my family… So please, please don’t worry for me when you are going through so much on your own.”

You smiled warmly at him, blinking the tears from your eyes.

His heart was about to burst.

~

"(Name)... For now... Can we just forget about Suzie?"

The question that followed the next brief gap in conversation threw you for a total loop. Your conversation to this point had been going amicably, even if you were focusing your questions on your MIA friend and getting rather emotional.

"... Forget about Suzie? Joseph, what do you-"

"I don't want to talk about her right now." He cut you off roughly, a bite in his voice that alarmed you.

He took note of the dismayed look on your face his comment caused, and his expression instantly became lighter.

"I'm sorry. It's just a bit painful to talk about her right now,” he spoke, an uncharacteristic nervous tinge to his voice.

“The whole reason I am here now is because we are going through it again and I happened to be traveling in the area I knew you used to live. I took a gamble hoping it would still be you residing in this little house,” he flourished his hand, small smirk ghosting his lips as he took in the scenery once more, “and I’m glad it was.”

A moment of silence hung heavily in the air before he continued, his voice lower than before, “I really needed to talk to you, (Name). I needed to hear your voice. No one else…”

His voice drifted off a bit, his eyes softening as he seemed to get lost in his thoughts. Before you could comment, he snapped out of it, continuing on in a voice that was pleasant, but forced “What am I doing talking about this stuff? I came to share a few laughs and have a good time, not bog you down with my issues! It’s been such a long time since I have seen you (name), I am sure so much has happened in your life. I want to hear it all!"

While he spoke you noticed the quick change in posture from lax and inviting to rigid. His fingers tapping the wood of your table erratically, the set of his jaw had become stern. Everything about him was suddenly on edge. Your heart sank witnessing him like this, even now trying to hide things from you in order to not weigh down the joy of your meeting after so long.

However, you had already decided something. Joseph had come all this way to find some refuge with you, and that’s just what you were going to offer.

"Joseph," your voice dropped low, your hands sliding across the table to catch his own in a gentle hold. You felt his body jolt a bit, surprised by the sudden contact. You squeezed slightly, hoping to get across your feelings of reassurance. You smiled tenderly up at him, and after a moment, his hands shakily returned your hold.

“I’m so sorry… How could I have not noticed that you were in a rough patch? Suzie has been my rock through every trial life has ever thrown my way, and you have become equally as important,” you sighed in frustration, “You both can read me like a book yet I couldn't even tell how much you have been struggling. All of your laughs and smiles, they were masking your true pain, and through it all you both still put me first, not wanting to burden me with anything that was happening because you knew all I had gone through in my own life.”

Tears stung your eyes once more with the realization, “Joseph please, I don’t want you to struggle alone. I want to be your rock, too.”

You heard the man release a breathy sigh, the rough pad of his thumb gingerly starting to caress your firmly gripped hand.

"God, have your hands always been this soft?”

“W-what,” The out of place question took you by surprise, a tiny yelp of shock escaping your lips as Joseph repositioned himself, leaning his torso heavily over the table, threatening your personal space.

His grip on your hands tightened, lifting the digits slowly up to his mouth. A lucid smile graced his plush lips as they ghosted the tips of your fingers. His warm breath on your hand would be almost soothing if not for the obsessive gleam he held in his eyes as they bore into you. A shudder ran through your body, which had become stiff with discomfort. This small gesture between good friends quickly morphed into something much more intimate, the way he was looking at you feeling oddly menacing.

“Your hands,” he laughed a bit, his voice nostalgic, “I remember even during the most rigorous of the training that we were put through, your hands were strong, but also always so gentle,” his lips pressed harder into your flesh, his eyes narrowing as he continued to speak, “but I forgot just how soft they were… How good they feel when you touch me-“

As if breaking a horrible spell, the timer on your stove began to blare, causing you both to jump. You took the opportunity to quickly pull away, pushing yourself up and away from the table and Joseph as you hurried to address the now finished meal.

“Give me just a moment and I’ll have dinner out,” you tried to speak as calmly as you could, clenching your own hands together as your brain scrambled to make sense of what had just occurred, “wait right there.”

~

Perhaps the move was too soon, but he could think of no other way to respond to you suddenly grabbing him like that, being so earnest and vulnerable with your feelings. Sitting across from you as he indulged in the dinner you had prepared, it would have been easy to get lost in the domestic feel of it all. However he could tell you were growing increasingly uncomfortable despite his best efforts to bring everything back to normal, and he mentally scolded himself for that. Your once welcoming gestures had now become guarded, suspicious. Your bright eyes now looked at him with confusion, even a bit of distrust. He was doing his best to make the conversation jovial again. He was complimenting your cooking, bringing up past humorous exploits, asking you about your new job, your new life, everything and anything he could get about what you had been doing, who you were now.

Yet you kept succeeding in bringing the conversation back to Suzie.

At first it filled him with guilt, hearing his wife’s name fall from your lips with so much concern, now more amplified by his slip up. But the guilt was quickly becoming aggravation as even his best attempts to redirect the conversation kept sneakily coming back to Suzie.

As the tense dinner was winding down, he could tell you were trying to hurry things along. Your eyes darted to the clock more often, and you kept mentioning how late it was becoming, how you had something you had to wake up early for( regardless of it being the weekend). It wasn’t until you began to collect the plates that Joseph began to slightly panic. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go… You both were supposed to be so lost in catching up with each other that time seemed to no longer exist; enjoying each other’s company so thoroughly you’d keep the conversation going into the wee hours of the morning.

Joseph sighed a bit after you turned down his offer to help.

‘I was hoping to avoid having to do this,’ Joseph scowled, slipping the small vial from his pocket, ‘but I guess I have no choice.’

After the situation involving the Pillar Men nearly poisoning him to death, the Speedwagon Foundation really stepped up their game in the drug department. An entire new branch was created as a security measure to protect against threats of that nature, and as such, a lot of experimentation and creation was going on in their labs. Joseph couldn’t help but be intrigued when Robert had offhandedly mentioned one day they had successfully created a new kind of drug, one that was nearly impossible to detect or trace, but knocked someone out quickly for several hours. Robert had been initially confused by Joseph’s questions regarding the drug, as he usually didn’t take much interest in the more science-y aspects of their organization at all, but eventually gave him a small sample of the drug, warning him to not let it fall into the wrong hands.

Watching himself quickly pour a bit into your half-finished wine glass, he mused if his own hands could possibly be considered the wrong ones.

You came back in the room shortly after the deed was done, taking your seat across from him tentatively.

“I know you mentioned it, but I suppose it is getting quite late, huh?” Joseph questioned, doing his best to hide the frown that formed when he saw how relieved that comment seemed to make you.

“Yeah,” you responded, twirling a strand of your hair around your finger absentmindedly, “I hate to rush us after it’s been so long.”

Joseph smiled warmly, batting his hand playfully, “No need to apologize, I did just barge in here unannounced after all. I was lucky you treated an uninvited guest to a meal and a drink.”

You exhaled, your voice coming out softly “You are hardly an ‘uninvited guest’, but next time… I would really love to see Suzie as well. I know you told me not to bring her up and you seem to be avoiding talking about her altogether… But I really miss my best friend.”

You looked away as if you were ashamed to mention her around him. It was another stab to his heart.

“Hey (name),” he began, continuing once your eyes had locked back on his, “I want to apologize. For dumping this all on you, and for earlier when I was holding your hands. My mind has been such a mess, and I realize running to you to escape wasn’t the most mature or well thought out plan.”

He watched your body begin to grow more lax, causing relief to wash over him.

“It’s just you have always had a way of making me feel better (feel whole, he wanted to add, but thought better of it), and I knew this time wouldn’t be any different. It was selfish.”

Before he could say more, you chimed in with a small laugh, taking him off guard. Glancing your way, his eyes widened as he drank you in. You were smiling again, a true smile. Relaxed and happy, your eyes crinkled as they held his. Seeing you this way again felt as if all his troubles had been lifted away. You were infectious, alluring, hypnotizing.

Intoxicating.

“I’m sorry,” you spoke in between small laughs, “It’s just… the Joseph Joestar from years ago would never own up to being selfish, nor would he so sincerely apologize without throwing in some kind of quip,”

Joseph’s heart began to race as he watched you recline, check resting on one hand, the other now bringing the wine glass to your lips, lips that were still so tauntingly smiling at him.

“It’s nice to hear, and you are forgiven. I apologize as well if I seemed a bit put off. It just took me off guard,” you took a sip, Joseph’s breath hitched, “I guess I should have just chocked it up to your old ways, but don’t think I won’t tell Suzie about it someday, you flirt.”

You winked at him playfully, but he was so lost in bliss, it didn’t even register.

~

“Jojo, are you OK,” you questioned your now suspiciously quiet friend as you took another swig of wine, this one nearly emptying the glass, “I didn’t offend you, did I? I was just joking around.”

You pouted at him. His face had once again gone hard, his intense eyes not once straying from your face.

You chuckle lightly; trying to conceal the nerves his looks gave you, “Jojo please, you are kind of freaking me out again…”

His lips curled into a smile, his eyes keeping their strict hold on you, “It’s alright (name), no offense taken. In fact, I feel very good right now… how about you?”

As if on cue, a sharp pain pulsed through your brain. You winced, your hand flying up to grab at your pounding head. A moan escaped your lips as your eyes snapped shut, everything in the world was suddenly too bright and too loud.

“(Name)?”

“S-sorry,” you stuttered, the pain growing by the moment, “I just suddenly got hit with a horrible headache. Maybe I drank too much wine,” your voice trailed off as you noticed your vision beginning to blur.

Joseph laughed merrily, his seeming lack of care for your condition adding confusion to the already puzzling scenario.

“You barely had any! Such a lightweight,” He pushed himself away from the table, towering over you as his sharp eyes continuously bore down upon your form. Were you imagining that devious gleam they were holding?

“You need to be more careful, (name). People could take advantage of you this way.”

Your eyes widened, blood running cold. Something was off, terribly off. You weren’t just imagining things. The look he held in his eyes and the way he began to stalk slowly closer to you, like a predator approaching its prey, was all horribly wrong. Your breath hitched as he reached your side, his aura overwhelming you entirely in your sickly state. You felt his fingertips ghost the skin of your shoulder, traveling slowly up your neck to gently tuck a rouge stand of hair behind your ear, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake. His touch was so delicate, but his eyes… His eyes had now completely glazed over, his breathing becoming heavier as he glared down at you in crazed admiration.

“(Name),” his breathy voice quivered, “Let me take care of you.”

The full extent of the danger you were in crashed down upon you. You pushed off the table, trying to put as much distance between him and yourself as you possibly could. You sprang to your feet, the sudden movement causing another rush of debilitating pain to pulse through your brain. Your vision had become so hazy that you could barely make out the man in front of you, and the tears that were pooling in your eyes weren’t helping any. You backed away slowly, your legs straining as you felt your body become impossibly heavy. At this point the only thing keeping you alert and upright was the threat that loomed before you.

“You need to leave Joseph,” You commanded, hoping your voice sounded much braver than you felt, “Right now.”

“Leave, with you barely able to stand on your feet? What kind of man would I be if I left you like this right now?” Though you had a hard time seeing his expression, you could definitely hear anticipation dripping from his voice, the implications causing you to shudder.

You grimaced, a cold sweat starting to coat your skin, “Get out of my house Joseph or I’ll-“

Before you could say another word, his lips crashed hard into your own, causing a short circuit in your brain. You let out a small gasp, granting him further access as he began feverishly conquering your mouth with his own. You tried to twist away, but that only caused him to pull you taut against him, locking you in place. His large hands snaked down your back, cupping and groping your curves as he traveled lower and lower.

His lips eventually released your own, instantly shifting focus to the exposed skin of your neck. As he sucked and nibbled, marking you in ways he had no right to, your resistance was growing less and less. In a short time, you couldn’t hold yourself up at all any longer, relying solely on Joseph’s constricting grip to keep you vertical. A whimper escaped your lips as he latched onto your neck particularly hard, his hands at the same time gripping your ass with a possessive squeeze.

“I can make you feel so good, (Name),” he whispered in your ear gruffly, lust dripping from his words, “You deserve the love I can give you.

“Joseph,” you choked, tears streaming steadily down your cheeks as the last of your consciousness was fading away, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because you belong with me baby, you always have.”

Those were the last words you heard as your body succumbed to the darkness.