#and i'm not actually sure i managed to pack my keys which. hope i did

[apassingbird]

coming back to the mainland after four days out at the cabin feeling like i forgot how to be a functional human being

[beasts-of-jadewood]

Super Lesbian Animal RPG Is The Best Video Game I've Played Since Minecraft

Now that I've finally regained my ability to make publicly visible posts, I'd like to take a moment to gush about the critically acclaimed indie game classic Super Lesbian Animal RPG by @ponett and associates.

Holy shit. Holy shit? This game is so fucking good you guys. Are you kidding me? I know the title sounds like a stupid joke and there is actually a lot of humor in this game but you know what? This is a video game that's worth taking seriously. I've never given a shit about romance as a genre before getting into @slarpg because all the romance stories I've seen as a kid are either dragged-out "Will They, Won't They?" types, painful divorce stories, or fucking Romeo and Juliet. There seems to be this overwhelming belief in the genre that the greatest obstacle faced by a truly happy couple that's meant for each other is the process of getting together, and once they've gotten together the story can end. Of course, anyone who's ever had parents knows that shit isn't true, which is why I'm so fucking happy that SLARPG is a romance story about a couple that's already together and it showcases how they can have disagreements and awkward moments but still overcome them and keep going. I love that shit.

In my opinion, the most important thing a turn-based RPG developer needs to do is make sure the plot of their game is solid. With a more action-oriented game like the Souls series or Armored Core, the story doesn't fucking matter and nobody cares about it. People are in it for the exciting, challenging gameplay. If you show them a crisp parry animation that feels better than sex when you time it perfectly or a sick-ass command grab from a boss or whatever, then they're already sold without even knowing who any of the characters are. But you can't have those things with a turn-based RPG so the story is the most important part, and holy shit did SLARPG have the story nailed down on a cross and ready for worship.

See, I've spent my entire life searching for more stories that are relatable to people who live in the real world but at the same time provide a better alternative to the bleak reality we all know and don't love. SLARPG is one of those stories. Melody and Allison will talk about shit like housing being too expensive and Claire will mention how she doesn't talk to her transphobic parents anymore but they're also able to find happiness and stability with the power of love. It gives the game a sort of hopeful undertone that it's meant to represent the real world if people had the courage to do something about all the awful shit we have. Basically, SLARPG shows that misery exists in its world without normalizing it. Every drop of tear shed by Melody is treated with the immense gravity it deserves. At no point did the game say "This suffering you feel is just what happens in the world, better get used to it kid." but it also simultaneously shows how it's possible to move forwards from that sadness one step at a time. I fucking love that shit.

Read more for spoilers.

Now, getting into spoiler territory. I really like how this game also managed to marry its personal, emotional conflict with its greater, physical conflict. At no point in the game are you made to feel like the action-packed excitement of "Fight enemies, save the world." is interrupted so the characters can work through their private emotional insecurities. No, the characters' emotional insecurities and the world-ending threat they face feed into each other and feel as though they're one in the same. Even the main villain was revealed to be someone suffering from similar insecurities in the end and it's the protagonists' ability to make a positive example of themselves that played a key role in defeating her.

Speaking of the villain, she actually made me briefly consider not liking this game since she initially said that she wanted to destroy all the world's evil and recreate the world in a better state, only for the heroes to immediately try and stop her. I had a huge issue with this plot development at first because I hate it when people who wish to change the world for the better are portrayed as the bad guys for some reason. That is, until SLARPG revealed that its main villain was just making up an excuse and simply wanted personal revenge for the perceived murder of her wife that didn't even actually happen, while the heroes wanted to stop her because they were understandably ignorant and afraid of what the fuck her plan actually meant and how many casualties it might cause. In other words, the villain never actually intended to make the world a better place and was thus not portrayed as a bad person for doing so. She wasn't portrayed as a bad person at all, in fact. Rather, she's more depicted as someone blinded by her own rage and victimized by enabling trolls who wanted to start shit for fun, which made her far more relatable and interesting in my opinion.

All in all, I think SLARPG was great. It's a thematically consistent and tonally hopeful story with a good message and relatable characters. The game itself also left quite a few unaddressed antagonists like the evil crypto-mining corporation that keeps the reanimated corpses of former employees as slaves, or the mysterious being from the astral plane that possessed the protagonist and was never truly defeated. These things make me hopeful that we'll get a sequel or DLC or something one day, and I'll be there to support this series every step of the way. Bobby, if you're reading this, thank you so much. I haven't seriously enjoyed a contemporary work of fiction for years now but this game reminded me of how it feels to actually love a video game for once instead of playing through it out of spite like I did with the Souls series. Keep up the good work, for real.

[iwadori]

So I'm reading your works and I love them !! I was thinking of requesting some kind of drabble or whatever you like, about a female reader who has thick thighs and is somewhat plump and is in love with Tsukishima but he makes a comment about the food and she feels bad and when she meets Bokuto in the boot camp Bokuto is too cute and attentive to her asking for her number and a date. If you don't feel comfortable with this, just ignore it and good luck with your blog. Sorry my english is bad<3

When they make you insecure PT 5 (tsukishima,bokuto)

Part One Part Two  Part Three Part Four  Part Five Part 6

Word Count: 2.6K

Genre: Angst to Fluff

masterlist

Tsukishima

You and Tsukishima have been dating in your first year (as you both went to the same middle school together.)

You were in love with Tsukishima, you always have been to be honest, but once you became officially boyfriend and girlfriend your feelings amplified.

But recently, Tsukishima hasn’t been so nice.  

“Y/N we’re going on another training camp at Nekoma” Hinata exclaimed running up to you, as you leaning against Tsukishima “and you get to come too this time!”

You recently became the new trainee manager as the third-year manager, Kikyoko, is going to graduate. Tsukishima acted as if you being around all the time in practice was the worst thing in the world, but Yamagucchi always assured you that ‘Tsukki’ was just joking.

“Oh well that’s fun...” you say entertaining Hinata’s excitement. You were kind of excited to go to the training camp too, as it was in Tokyo after all. You were always a big fan of volleyball as your dad used to play for the national team and you were planning to play on the girls team this year but you felt that you didn’t have the body for it (which was obviously not true.)

Hinata kept on rambling on before Tsukishima insulted him. “Gosh Kei, you don’t have to be so rude.” you complained, he slightly nudged you off of him and put on his headphones showing you that he was not in a good mood.

You let the rest of the practice continue, making notes of things and basically being Kiyoko’s shadow. As it ended, you waited outside for Tsukishima to walk home with you, but one of the guys told you he left 5 minutes ago. You knew there was no point of chasing after him so you just walked on your own, making you sigh in defeat.

Tsukishima was what you would describe as hot and cold. Some days he was fine a ‘perfect gentlemen’ but other days, days like this Tsukishima was just Tsukishima.  

When you got home, you decided to watch matches of all the other schools just to get some insight. You were watching a Fukarodani V Nekoma match from a few years ago and something caught your eye, well someone did to be more specific. A beefy, bicolour haired boy who was hooting like an owl was mesmerizing to watch.

You saw that his name was Bokuto Koutarou which triggered your next actions, which were to internet stalk him. You learned that he was the captain of the team and the team’s ace and the 5th ace in the country which piqued your interest in the boy even more.

‘This is going to be an exciting training camp’ you think to yourself before going to sleep.

`Kiyoko gave you an itinerary of all the things you should bring, since you weren’t going to be joining in any of the matches you were reminded to bring things that would keep entertained.  

You get to the bus at the crack of dawn, ready to be driven to Tokyo. Hinata and Kageyama were already arguing (let’s pretend that they didn’t have to do the retakes in the test) Tanaka and Nishinoya were being loud, and the rest of the members were already asleep. You wanted to sit next to Tsukishima but when you were about to sit down, he put his carryon bag in the seat next to him.

The bus ride was around 4-5 hours, and you spent your time reading and sleeping. Daichi got the loudmouths to calm down making the bus ride more tolerable. You suffered from slight motion sickness but you powered through.

When you arrived there, you saw all the other teams and their buses too. You felt a bit overwhelmed, seeing these tall boys just crowd around an entrance way. But too your surprise, noticing your slight anxiousness, Tsukishima grabbed your hand in a hand-hold.  

The Nekoma coach, explained how the day would pan out and where each team would be residing for the week. There was a lot of commotion getting everyone settled, Hinata and Nishinoya were basically bouncing off of the wall commenting on all the people and the place and how they’re going to ‘crush the competition.’  

You could tell that when the other teams were looking at Karasuno they were all staring at Kiyoko. Inquisitive about how there wasn’t only one girl manager but there was two. As you were walking your eyes locked with Bokuto Koutarou’s making yours widen, you blush and turn your head quickly.  

What you didn’t know was, after your small interaction, Bokuto elbowed Akaashi and said “Akaaashi AKKAAASHI, did ya see that? did ya?” he was flying with happiness “That girl from Karasuno smiled at me. She’s really pretty.”

“I think she’s from Karasuno” Akaashi said “So maybe you’ll see her around”

Bokuto stared off in the direction you were walking in “Yeah, hopefully.”

The first day, everyone got settled in and then the teams went straight into games. There were two different gyms and today, in gym 1, you were watching Karasuno V Nekoma. (By the way I literally don’t remember the teams at the training camp besides Nekoma, Karasuno and Fukarodani.) The game was very back a point each team making point after point, you already knew of Nekoma’s captain, Kuroo Testurou and the setter Kenma, you’ve actually played games with Kenma online before so you were fairly acquainted with him already.

The games ended and it was now dinner time, the canteen was packed with all the boys rushing to line up for the food. You waited at the back of the line, not really caring about when you got your food. Suddenly, you felt a tap on your shoulder and you looked over to see Boktuo,  

“Hi.” he said “I’m Bok-”

“Bokuto Koutarou!” You finished “I'm a big fan..” you cringed immediately at your excitement ‘pull it together Y/N’ you scold yourself.

“Oh well hi, I’m glad you know who I am” he said “and may I ask for your name?”  

“Oh I’m Y/N L/N” you say with a slight blush “I'm the trainee manager from Karasuno.”  

“Cool! Well I hope to see you aro-” he starts  

“Y/N, I’ve been looking all over for you, I already got your food for you.” Tsukishima said pulling at your arm a bit harshly, dragging you over to a table with the Karasuno team.

“Gosh Tsukki, no need to be so harsh” you say rubbing at your wrist, he didn’t apologize and just started eating his food.  

You look down at your plate and see the small portion that Tsukki got for you. The Karasuno bunch was being loud, as they usually are, so when you whisper “Tsukki what the fuck is this” whilst nudging him in the side, he didn’t hear you (or atleast he pretended he didn’t.) You tried again but a little louder saying, “Tsukishima what the fuck is this.” you realised you said it a bit too loud as the whole Karasuno table stopped their conversations to look over at the slight commontion you caused.

“What do you mean Y/N?” he said with a slight smirk on his face.

“I mean what’s with the portion size of a bird that you gave me?” you ask getting upset “Do you really think im that big?”

“Well, you could start eating less that’s for sure.” he said earning gasps from you and some of the people sitting at the table “Y/N let's face it, you eat like a pig and you look like an elephant, me making your food portion smaller is the least I could do.”  

By now you had tears in your eyes, Tsukishima was a dick. You knew this, everybody knew this to be honest, yet you still loved him. He wasn’t like this in middle school, yes he was a bit snarky and rude (but wasn’t every middle schooler?) High school Tsukishima was like a completely different person. As much as you wanted to run away and hide, you knew you couldn’t.  

So you stood up and said “Tsukishima, I’ve spent 3 years loving and pining after you, because I thought you were this great guy, but turns out you’re a huge asshole” you start making some of the people listening in smile in laughter “Tsukishima, I’ve hated this past year dating you, you’ve been such a huge dick and I’m finally stopping you. I can’t do this anymore. I won’t.” You start making your way to exit before finally saying “Oh and by the way I’m not the pig here, you are... oh and I’m breaking up with you.” You left, hearing a few laughs and some claps behind you.

You felt relieved, like the massive cloud that’s been over your head is finally gone. You went to the gym since you knew it was empty and picked up a ball to just throw it around a bit. After a while of ‘de-stressing,’ you hear someone else enter the gym.

“Oh I didn’t know you’d be here.” said Bokuto  

“Well here I am,” you say awkwardly “I can leave if you want me too, I know this is for actual volleyball players.”

“No no it’s fine you can definitely stay, in fact do you mind setting for me?” he asks  

“Sure, of course I don’t mind” you reply, excited you get to play with someone.  You haven’t played in ages, you always begged Tsukishima to just throw a ball around with you but he never did.  

You set to Boktuo a lot, with him always asking for ‘another one’ everytime he spiked the ball. Eventually, you were tired of setting and wanted to spike. You originally was a spiker to begin with taking after your dad. Thats why you took a liking to Bokuto in the first place cause he reminded you of the joys you had when watching your father play.

Bokuto set a ball to you and you spiked it with great strength and accuracy smiling at the burning feeling you felt in your palm.  

“Woahh” Bokuto shouted going towards you in amazement “Where did you learn how to spike like that?”

“From my dad, I don’t know if you heard of him before but my dad’s name is D/N L/N...?” you say

“D/N L/N, Y/N he is my idol!” he shouted again “I want to be just like him.”

“I think you can, I see a lot of similarites in the way you both play.” you say

“Really! And you’ve seen me play before..?” he asks

“Yeah, I watched some of your games before coming here... you’re really good” you shyly admit.

“Wow.”

You and Bokuto spend the rest of your time, talking about volleyball you’re interests, things you have in common, your likes and dislikes. Talking to Bokuto was refreshing, he didn’t randomly insult you or make snide comments about your weight or your looks. He just genuinely looked happy to be there talking to you, unlike Tsukishima.  

Seeing your change in mood, Bokuto stops talking and asks “are you alright? I forgot to ask earlier, but I saw what happened in the canteen and I hope you’re okay.”  

“Yeah I’m fine, it’s just things with me and Tsukishima reached a breaking point, I guess...” you say sniffling a bit talking about it “But it’s fine now I’ve broken up with him and I feel better already.”

“So you’re saying your single...?” he asked blushing a bit

“Yeah I guess I am...” you smile blushing also.  

“Okay great...well I hope this isn’t too forward after everything happened with Tsukki and all but...” he starts “but would you like to go on a date with me?”

“Who me?” you ask as if you weren’t the only other person in the room

“No the volleyball” he responds sarcastically “Of course you Y/N.”  

“Are you sure, cause to be honest Bokuto you’re a really good-looking guy” you say making him smile widely “so I think you need someone to match your level in attractiveness” you look down and his smile drops.

“What do you mean?” he asks before realising all the stuff Tsukishima said about you “Y/N you’re beautiful, your face, your body just you.” you blush at his words “when I first saw you when you were walking past us in the entrance way the first thing I thought and said about you was “Akaashi who is that girl she’s beautiful.””  

“Really?” you ask with disbelief

“Mhm” he nods excitedly “So will you go on a date with me?”  

“I guess so...” you say a bit unsure

“HEY HEY HEY!” he exclaims “I gotta go tell akaashi!” he runs out of the gym in a hurry making you laugh, but he comes back to give you a quick unexpected kiss on the cheek making you smile.

You checked your phone for the time realising that you’ve been with Bokuto for 3 hours and you knew that everyone would be going to sleep now. As you are the manager you slept seperately from the rest of the team but before you went to your sleeping quaters you went to Karasunos.  

“Y/N where have you been? We’ve been worried about you.” asked yammagucchi  

“It’s fine yams don’t worry about it, guys” you say catching everyones attention “I just wanted to apologise to you for my outburst at dinner, it wasn’t my intention to cause a scence.”

“It’s fine Y/N” said sugawara “He definitely deserved it.”

“Yeah as your marvellous senpai we gave him a good telling off” said Tanaka and Nishinoya  making you chuckle.  

“Okay well thanks guys, I’m going to sleep goodnight.”

“Wait Y/N can I speak with you.” asked Tsukishima gesturing to outside the room

“Umm sure” you respond following him into the corridor.

“I just want to say I’m sorry for the things I’ve said and done over the past year and how I’ve been a terrible boyfriend, you don’t deserve that. So, I’m sorry.”  

“I can’t say I can forgive you yet.” you say making Tsukishima look sad “but maybe with effort from you we can become friends possibly?”  

“Just friends?” he said with hope in voice thinking that you could be something more.

“Just friends.” you repeated and confirmed “Besides I have been asked on a date”  

“With who?”  

“None of your business stingyshima” you mock the nickname that Hinata calls him making him scowl and you smile “Goodnight.”

After Bokuto’s confession and Tsukishima’s apology, the rest of the training camp went off without a hitch. In your breaks and lunchtimes, you got to know more about Bokuto and with Kuroo’s help you even got to sneak out to actually go on your date. You sometimes even went to practice with them getting to show off your skills, with Bokuto cheering you on and complimenting you every single time.  

Tsukishima kept his distance for the most part, and kept the snarky comments about you and Bokuto to himself (even though he was dying to say them.) You eventually fully forgave Tsukishima in your 3rd year but you definitely weren’t as close as you used to be. Tsukishima’s comments and actions did affect you for a while however with the help of your loving boyfriend, you were reminded how beautiful you are no matter what weight, shape or height you were.

You and Bokuto stayed together, you made sure to come to every one of his games and when you introduced him to your dad he fainted on sight. Your dad and Bokuto got along, and became very close friends, Bokuto always came to him for advice (especially volleyball advice.) You loved Bokuto and he definitely loved you too.

AN: I hope you liked it, since I didn’t want to make it too similar too the Atsumu insecure one. And I feel like it dragged out a bit but got rushed in the endd....but oh well...

[peanutpinet]

Lucas (mafia leader) x Reader (female)

A/N: I had this thought for days now and was like, ya know, just let it out. This is my first NCT (?) WayV (?) fanfic? Scenario? Yea XD For those who have read my past fanfics/scenarios, you know how horrible I am in explaining XD but yea, essentially I just imagine that you, the reader are a uni student whilst Lucas is part of the NCT mafia, "leader" of the WayV unit (I know Kun is technically the leader, but just for the sake of the story), okie, leggo

Sighing in defeat, you gathered all your books, stationery and some clothing before sneakily going out of your dorm and to your boyfriend's apartment since he gave you the spare key, saying that it was for emergencies or whenever you wanted to come over.

After texting Lucas that you were heading to his apartment, you went to grab a cab and head there. Truth be told, you never really went there and only got the address from Lucas. Which is why upon arriving, your jaw nearly dropped when you saw his apartment; even making sure whether the address Lucas gave last time was the exact one and making a mental note to yourself to look up things beforehand.

Upon arriving, you felt like you just came from the countryside to the big city. You went to the front desk and inform them who were you looking for, handing in your ID card and was immediately directed to the elevator, one of the securities pressing the highest floor of the elevator and left you in the elevator on your own.

Just when you thought that it couldn't get any fancier, the minute you stepped out of the elevator, you were amazed at the decor and the fact that there was only one door made it even grander. Taking out the key Lucas gave you, you were actually hoping that it wasn't the correct one and Lucas just sent you the wrong address but as it turns out, the key fits and you took a deep breath, walking into the room.

But on Lucas' side, he actually didn't receive your text message. So, the second he heard someone coming into his suite, he was already reaching for his gun because he wasn't really expecting anyone to come. But as soon as he heard your signature nervous voice, he felt relieved but worried at the same time. Did something happen to you?

"Lucas? Ar-are you in here? The people at the front desk just directed me here. I uh sent you a text" you called out

"I'm here sweetheart. Now, what brings you here at this late hour? Is there anyone I should be concern with?" Lucas stated, coming out of his bedroom

"Huh? Wow. I mean, no. Sorry, it's my first time here. I uh, I was just wondering if I could stay for the night. The dorm was so loud that I couldn't study nor sleep" you admitted, trying to avoid eye contact with Lucas, thinking that it was a lame excuse to come over

"Of course you can. I gave you the spare key for a reason, didn't I? Uh, sorry about the mess and all. I didn't expect you to come. I didn't receive any messages. C'mere sweetheart" Lucas mentioned, giving a hand motion for you to go to him

"Really?! I could've sworn I...(looks at your phone) I forgot to click the send button" you sighed, hitting your head as you went over to Lucas

"Hey, hey. Don't do that. You'll hurt your brain even more. No harm sweetheart. My place is yours. Come. I'll order some McDonalds as well if you'd like" Lucas cooed, bringing you into his office

"Damn. Two desktops?! Bro and this processor is the latest one?!" you commented, placing your bag down and immediately inspecting his desk

"Sometimes I play some games with the guys. Feel free to use it if you'd like. Lemon tea or coke?" Lucas asked, scrolling through his phone

"Lemon tea, no ice. It's worth the money better. Are you sure I can study here? Am I not disturbing you?" you questioned, sitting on the chair

"Not at all, sweetheart. It's almost 10pm. I'm done with work. You're free to use my computer. I've ordered your favourites already. I'm going to go for a shower for a bit. Feel free to turn on some music as well, alright? And please don't study for too long. I worry you'll hurt that gorgeous head of yours" Lucas chuckled, kissing your forehead before leaving you in his study room

After settling, putting on some music with your account (which was already in Lucas' Spotify), you grabbed your books and stationery then started to study for your finals. In the midst of it, you heard Lucas coming in with McDonalds; wearing a plain T-shirt and sweats.

Because there was only one chair in his office, with your consent, Lucas placed you on his lap as he was feeding you McDonalds whilst scrolling through his phone, occasionally leaning his head on your back as he does so.

After finishing the food, Lucas was about to get up and cleaned up so you could study a bit better since he knew you didn't like a messy space but when he felt your head slightly leaning backwards, he questioned whether you were already sleepy or not.

"What's wrong love? Tired?" Lucas murmured as he placed his chin on your neck, wrapping his long arms around your waist

"Huh? Oh? Sorry. I didn't realise I was leaning back" you yawned, scrubbing your eyes but Lucas stopped the motion

"Don't. Your eyes will get irritated. I think it's about time you sleep, hmm?" Lucas commented, tucking a hair behind your ear as he kissed the side of your cheek

"Hmm. I guess so" you sighed, leaning onto Lucas's chest

"Alright princess, let me just shut everything off. Kay, let's go to bed" Lucas chuckled, carrying your small figure in his arms and tucking you into his bed before going to the other side of the bed

The next morning, you were woken up by the sound of your phone's alarm but just stayed in bed whilst scrolling through your phone until you realised that you had exams that starts in 45 minutes. Immediately, you got up and went back to the study room to grab your clothes, without even calling out to Lucas and head to the bathroom to get ready.

After getting ready, you were so ready to rush out the door and call a cab until Lucas finally called out to you. Once you told him that your exam was starting in literally 15 minutes, he just chuckled and told you that he'll drive you there; which was a first since all this time, you guys just have dates near your campus since your dorm had strict rules and Lucas would just walk you there (A/N: how you guys met is a story for next time, lol).

After packing some food for you, Lucas grabbed his car keys in one hand and your hand in the other, making your way down to the parking lot where your jaw also almost dropped again since the car Lucas owned is probably enough to pay your whole entire undergraduate life.

Whilst in the car, Lucas told you to eat so you wouldn't be hungry during the exam. He also mentioned that he'll come to pick you up to celebrate finishing your finals since he knew that you've been stressing over this last final for weeks; saying that he'll treat you out.

Once you've arrived, Lucas pulled you to give a slight peck on your forehead, encouraging you to do well in your finals and that he'll see you right after you're done. You smiled and thank him. Getting out of the car, you saw nearly the whole campus that was by the front gate staring at you; even your friends were stunned before rushing to you, managing to get a glimpse at Lucas who just smiled before leaving.

"Gurl!! I knew your boyfriend was hot, but well off? You definitely hit the jackpot!!" one of your friends blurted

"Sis!! Can we save the conversation for later? I need to get this exam over with first" you bargained

"Okay, okay, good luck with your exams!! I'll see you later!!" your friend exclaimed as you went to your exam hall

Thankfully, the exam wasn't as hard as you'd thought. You didn't know if it's because Lucas actually helped you study since he actually knew the subject or something else but you were glad to finally be done with it. After the exam, you got a text from Lucas, saying that he'll be running a bit late which you didn't mind. Your friend, who was also done with her exam, came to your exam hall and didn't spare a second before plastering with all sorts of questions.

Asking you where you've been the night before since you weren't at your dorm; and when you told her you were at Lucas' place, she squealed, asking if you guys did anything spicy which you immediately cut her off, saying that you just went there to study because the rooms near yours were getting too loud and rowdy.

You also explained how kind and caring Lucas was; despite the amount of work he had to deal with, he was still soft when it came to you. Ordering your favourites from McDonalds, letting you just barged into his apartment whenever and even using whatever he had; hearing this, all your friend can do was just squeal, saying that Lucas was the perfect boyfriend.

And right on cue, Lucas texted you saying that he's almost at the front gate. Your friend saw your smile and teased the heck out of you before letting you off just because she supported your relationship; knowing that you had a rough past and it was nice to finally see you happy with someone; someone that genuinely cares about you.

But of course, life ain't that easy. Because just as you were skidding along the halls to the front gate, you accidentally bumped into someone and dropped your phone. You immediately apologised about to get your phone when the person you bumped into stepped on your phone. Looking up, you met with the campus' miss popular with her boyfriend.

"Can you please let go. I really have to go now" you sighed, looking up

"Can't your boyfriend get you another one? Oh wait, is he the one that you're meeting? Honestly, I dunno what he sees in you. Oh wait, I think I do. He's probably just in it to play around or probably did it because of a bet" the girl scoffed but you were just not having it and shoved her feet off, nearly falling if it weren't for her boyfriend being there

After getting your phone, you were about to make a run for it before she grabbed your hair, pulling you back and making you fall; calling you names and all. When you got back to your feet again, she nearly slapped you when you got ahold of her hand about to push her back when her boyfriend came and took your hand, twisting it behind your back, allowing an opening for her to get a good punch out of you.

It felt like forever since you were trapped between the two "bullies" of your campus and for Lucas, it meant something was wrong. It's been almost 30 minutes since he arrived and called you but there was no answer at all. Frustrated, he called Winwin to track your phone as he went in to find you; thinking that you were held captive by one of NCT's enemy.

When he did see you, he felt a slight relief that it wasn't one of NCT's enemy but he was still very much pissed at the sight. When the girl was about to hit you for like the 15th time, Lucas grabbed ahold of her arm, throwing her to the floor before looking at her boyfriend who turns out to be one of the bartenders in one of NCT's bars.

"B-boss..." the man stammered, letting go of your hand as you almost dropped if it weren't for Lucas catching you

"You better come to work tonight. We'll have a lil discussion about respect? Hmm? Make sure everyone comes. Or I'll just have to report Taeyong about this" Lucas growled, making the man cowered in fear

"N-no sir. Everyone will come tonight" the man stuttered as Lucas stood up, holding your figure firmly in his arms

"Good. Wouldn't want to make a big deal out of this hmm? Oh, and do bring your girlfriend while I take mine to treat the wounds you both caused" Lucas scoffed, bringing you out of the campus

Once you've reached his car, he gently placed you and put your seatbelt on before going to the driver's seat. Once he was in, he called Kun, telling him what happened and that he's planning to have a meeting later tonight in the bar. After the call, Lucas took your hand in his, stroking your knuckles as he drove back to his apartment.

Upon arriving, he helped you get out of the car and into his apartment. Inside, he brought you to his room before going to the bathroom and grabbing some medicine for your bruised face and cut on the lips. Lucas treated all your wounds as gently as possible, worrying that he might accidentally hurt you, treating you as if you're as fragile as an egg.

After he was done, he threw all the cotton buds and ordered some food for the both of you; knowing that you will tell him whenever you're ready. He put his hoodie onto you before bringing you to the living room to cuddle and just watch the whole day. Occasionally, food will come and it was all from your favourite restaurants.

After the next 5th Disney movie ended, you told Lucas that you wanted to take a shower and he told you that you can borrow any of his clothes. He even said that he'll run you a bath but you told him that you were just going to take a light shower which Lucas didn't mind. Whilst you were showering, Lucas prepared a T-shirt and shorts along with the hoodie you were just wearing.

After your shower and putting on the clothes Lucas prepared, Lucas came and redid the medicine on your wounds before going back to watching some heart-warming movies on the bed. Feeling better, you decided to tell Lucas what happened and whilst it seemed that he was calm, his mind was off wondering the endless possibilities of teaching the two that harm you; whether it'd be physically or mentally.

Either way, Lucas listened to all your rambles, wrapping his arm around your shoulder, leaning you onto his chest, giving kisses on your forehead, cheeks and occasionally your neck, chuckling when he saw you flustered; basically making you 10x better, treating you like a queen up until you fell asleep.

When you did fall asleep, he gently tucked you into bed, kissing your forehead, smiling at your sleeping figure before leaving the room to the bar where he was more than ready to make the two-person harmed you suffer; not forgetting to ask Hendery and Yangyang to come over to watch over you.

"Sleep tight sweetheart. I'll be back before you know it, alright? No one treats my queen like trash and gets away with it" Lucas mumbled, kissing your forehead as he left as quietly as possible

and let's just say that everyone in the bar that night experienced a side of Lucas that no one would like to see or hear ever again.

"Try and lay a finger on her again, I won't be so nice next time" Lucas scoffed, seeing all the staff looked down, especially the two-person who hurt you

A/N: I hope that this was alright but yea, this fanfic has been stuck in my head for days

[aetheternity]

Hard pass 2 (Levi x Reader)

I'm a little concerned about how little time I took on the ending for the last part so I'm gonna put a little more time into this one. Hope you guys enjoy. :)

Synopsis: Levi is forced out of his comfy dorm room and in a strange twist of events right into your arms at a college party.

Levi was transfixed to say the least. He'd spent the past hour that he'd been back in his dorm room staring into a freshly made cup of black tea. The small jingling of keys in the door shaking him from his daze.

"Hello, Hello Leviathan." Mike greeted, tossing his bag to the side haphazardly.

Any other time Levi would've rolled his eyes but he just let out an agitated huff.

"Uh oh.. I know that look." Mike announced plopping down onto his unmade bed. "Who's the lucky girl?" He asked his smirk bright.

Levi's hair whipped against his cheek as he turned to Mike. "What are you on about? Who told you?" Probably Hange. Damn four eyes could never keep her mouth shut.

"No one had to." Mike laughed "You've just told me basically everything I need to know. Your distracted gaze when I came in the room, having very little reaction to me calling you Leviathan, your tea cup is still full and my side of the room is still messy." He seemed a little too pleased about that last bit.

"I know you went out tonight." He continued

"And what about it?"

"Who is she?!" Mike stood coming closer to sit on the edge of Levi's desk.

Levi rolled his eyes setting his cup down.

"Come on, I'm curious about some mysterious girl that has Levi Ackerman wrapped around her finger."

"Just shut up already." Levi replied turning his gaze to the window with a small pout.

"Fine, fine I'll shut up." Mike stood heading back towards his side of the room. An idea suddenly popped into his mind and he turned on his heel. "But.. I think I'll give Hange a call. You know.. cause I haven't talked to her in a bit-"

"When did you become so annoying?" Levi grumbled

"You're more aggressive tonight I like it. Is it because of her?"

As much as Levi wanted to fight it, Mike was one of those people that always got information about literally anything if he genuinely wanted it. Even if he didn't find out from Hange or Levi he was definitely going to find out from even the weirdest sources.

"Hange's friend.. she's not ugly I guess.." Levi could feel his face growing warm and he pulled his feet up onto his desk chair to hide it.

Mike laughed obnoxiously, "It's like watching a little kid finding out what a crush is." He chuckled "Super cute. So when are you going to ask her out?"

"Never."

Mike crossed the room again, seating himself on his bed. "You can't be serious! This is the first time I've ever seen you interested in girls and you're just gonna let her get away?"

"Stay out of my business, Michelangelo."

Mike just huffed reaching into his pocket to pry his phone out of his pocket. The room quickly grew quiet as Levi turned to his laptop though he was quickly distracted again by Mike's little chuckles. He turned his head in Mike's direction quickly catching the other male's gaze.

"By the way, Hange agrees with me." He said pointing to his phone.

Levi groaned, tugging at his hair. "Eat shit."

~ ~ ~ ~

Levi stared down at his watch with a soft tch.

It was 4pm and Hange was late again. He turned to Erwin who's face was currently pressed into a book. Thumb sliding along the sentences as he read.

"Where the hell is she?" He grumbled, shaking his mouse back and forth as the screen began to dim.

"She said she had to do something after class so she'd be a little late." Erwin replied, without looking up from his book.

"That's her excuse every time." Levi replied with a roll of his eyes.

Erwin just shrugged. Hange was always late. Sometimes she just showed up 30 minutes late with no real explanation and sometimes she showed up an hour late saying she had, had something to do after class. But every time the three of them got together to study she was late.

"Yo! Levi!" Hange greeted as she walked into the library ignoring the chorus of shushing that followed her.

Levi's scowl deepened, "Were you stuck on the toilet waiting for someone to fuck off?" He asked

"I have a great surprise follow me." She clapped in delight.

Erwin looked to Levi and then in the direction Hange had left in. He slowly pushed his chair out looking at Levi's irritated scowl.

"Are you coming."

"Whatever it is, is definitely stupid knowing Hange." Levi retorted, packing his belongings up in an orderly fashion.

The two of them quickly left before Hange could come back to ruin the peace again. They pushed through the library doors and standing against the wall with a somewhat bashful expression was Y/N with Hange who smiled brightly as if she wasn't currently disturbing Levi's peace.

"Oh hello Y/N." Erwin greeted, he looked over at Levi before asking. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh well Hange invited-"

"Ah ha ha! Y/N has homework to do so I figured she could come study with us. Though today me and Erwin have a thing." She quickly grabbed Erwin's arm yanking him over to her.

"But I was-" Erwin tried but was instantly silenced by Hange's hand over his mouth.

"You and Levi can study. Levi's great with everything! Right Levi? Ok me and Erwin will go now, by you two!"

"Hange!" Levi tried, his face already flushed with heat over the whole situation. Hange was surprisingly fast though, managing to drag Erwin away so quick they were a couple of dots within seconds.

Levi and Y/N stood in silence for a couple seconds before Y/N let out a deep exhale. "I feel as though we've been set up." She says, toying with the zippers on her back.

Levi can only manage a grunt in reply. Not daring to look into her eyes. "Well I mean.." she starts turning to Levi. "I actually do.. have to study so.. I wouldn't mind if you don't." She shrugged

"Mm.." Levi pulled open the library door for Y/N and lead her over the seats that him and Erwin had been sitting in only moments before.

He made a mental note as he opened his laptop again to keep the door locked next time Hange said she was coming over. Around 10 minutes went by of complete silence and Levi was incredibly happy for it.

Not because he was focusing, no his attention had been completely taken away from any possible work he could've gotten done here. There was no way he was actually going to be able to do anything when your scent was trapped in his nose and his eyes kept staring over his screen at your fingers.

Knuckles that Levi honestly wanted to kiss and fingernails completely devoid of dirt which Levi was instantly captivated by.

"Hey-"

He sat up straight, his own hands slightly curling around the aged wood of the table. Your book came sliding toward him and he looked down at it before looking back at you.

"I don't really get this? Could you help me a bit?"

Levi nodded before his brain could properly process what you'd asked. He almost thought he imagined the way your lip tucked itself under your teeth. And he felt dazed as your scent washed over him all at once as you slid into the seat next to him.

You pointed to your book and Levi tried to pay attention to your question but your notes threw him a bit. All the words were written in different colors and there were squiggly lines around definitions and texts. Small doodles between paragraphs as a way to properly space them and stars next to the most important words.

You scratched at your scalp and he took notice. "I paid attention when my professor was going over this I swear. But I don't really get it?? It can't be as difficult as I'm making it in my head." Your giggle of nervousness took Levi back a little.

The warm pit in his chest deepened and he sighed, trying to accurately assess the situation.

"Y-you made a small.. mathematical error." He explained, his fingers pointed to the equation as he tried to push away the ball in his throat. "You don't need these numbers."

Her smile hit Levi like a truck as it was instantly directed towards him. "Ah, you're so smart." Y/N said "What about this? I checked with the calculator but my answer was way off."

It was hard for Levi to ignore the way your shoulder rubbed up against his sending sparks all through his body like a tidal wave. It was honestly a little overwhelming.

"Oh sorry, am I too close?" You moved away and Levi gulped. He stared at your fingers, he didn't want you to move away.

He was surprised when he looked up and instantly made eye contact with you. "Stay." It probably didn't come out the way he'd wanted but he'd managed it and on some level he was proud of himself.

You smiled, "Sure."

After a while Levi felt himself loosen up a bit but the knot in his stomach was still very much there and alive. He found himself chuckling at your little jokes and he was mostly able to look you in the eyes. (As long as you didn't smile directly at him).

The first hour had been studying with small quips from your end that Levi found he enjoyed. Though around the third hour it turned into horror stories about present and past roommates.

Your laugh was so bright as you tapped your pen cap against the table. "And then Sasha just cracks the window open though it's definitely too late cause Connie had already created a war zone in our room." You were shaking so much from laughter that Levi was honestly a little worried you'd fall out of your chair.

He shook his head where he was resting it in his palm. "I still think Mike forgetting the do not disturb sign was worse." He shrugged

"Mm well maybe someday I'll have a story that bad. Considering Connie and Sasha have been playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse for two years now."

Levi shook his head. "You don't want to walk in on your roommate having sex. No one does.."

He felt his cheeks flush over again. Whether it was from the story or the way you'd playfully pushed his shoulder though he couldn't tell. He watched as you positioned yourself back in the seat next to him.

"Ok, ok. You told me about your roommates relationships. Now tell me about yours."

"What?"

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes. "You know the in and out of Levi. I'm curious."

Levi's gaze fell to the table. "There's nothing to tell."

Y/N's voice immediately softened. "Sorry, didn't mean to try and pull it out of you."

Levi picked up his head closing his laptop. "I-I just.. never felt that way.." he tried

"Not everyone goes to college and high school and stuff for the parties, drugs and sex." You said, laying your elbows against the desk. "I commend you for having a goal and sticking with it."

Levi's heart stuttered at your words. "Did you come.. or well.. umm? What did you-"

He was interrupted by your hand on his shoulder again. "To answer your question." You leaned in closer your breath tickling Levi's earlobe. "Yes I did come specifically for the drugs."

Levi's eyes practically bulged out of his head. This time when you laughed you were met with shushing and stares. "Sorry." You whispered, popping a hand over your mouth. "I'm completely joking." You then said to Levi who's shoulders relaxed with the information.

Levi's signature deadpanned expression was starting to make an appearance now. "That's not funny."

"Hmm.. well I'm laughing so." Y/N laid her head on the table.

"Your humor is shit." He said

"Funny you say that." She laughed back a smirk was playing at Levi's lips. "Hey." Y/N broke the lingering silence.

"What?"

"Give me your number."

"Tch, nice way to ask."

Y/N pretended to be shocked. "Oh, would you prefer I beg?"

Levi already knew how red his entire face had become. No need to check a mirror. "H-hand me your p-phone."

Unsurprisingly even her phone wa as cute. And Levi honestly wanted to admire the case and how warm it felt after being in your pockets. Oh.. you'd touched it with your warm hands. Levi couldn't help but think about how warm your hands must feel. How the spaces between your fingers looked so perfect. Like they-

"Hey." A voice shook Y/N and Levi.

"Jean, what're you doing here?" Y/N asked as she stood moving closer to him.

"You've been gone all day. I had to ask Sasha where you were."

"No, you didn't because you didn't need to come here." Y/N crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her hands into the sleeves of her hoodie. Her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Who's this?" Jean asked gesturing to Levi with his head. Levi felt his chest flare a little.

"Ugh, it doesn't matter because it has nothing to do with you!" She quickly grabbed her bag stuffing her notebook inside. "I'll talk to you later Levi." She explained her face still completely unamused. And with that she was pushing Jean out the door following him right out.

Levi's fingers dug into his palm. Who was that? It couldn't have been her boyfriend right? No, no that didn't make sense.

He started to pack up himself when he noticed your pretty phone sat next to his ordinary black one.

~ ~ ~ ~

Levi practically slammed into his dorm room scaring Mike who had his music blasting. Levi set his bag down on his chair, placing his phone on the desk.

"Hey man." Mike greeted as Levi quickly unpacked his other stuff. "I heard Hange forced you to go on a study date."

"I'm going to murder her." Levi turned, practically slamming his notebook into the desk. So hard that he could've sworn Mike jumped.

"Yeah what else is new?" He laughed trying to clear the air. "But did you at least get in close?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "She's.. there's this guy.."

Mike grew quiet for a few seconds. "You think she's with him?"

Levi normally wouldn't indulge Mike like this but his chest felt so tight that he was pretty sure he was going to burst. "She didn't seem happy to see him. She was like rolling her eyes when he came."

"Maybe he's just some guy then?"

"What if he isn't?"

"By the way you're describing it they'll break up soon anyway." Mike said "But that's great my plan worked."

Levi narrowed his eyes, "The library thing was you?"

Mike shrugged, "Hey, It could've been worse! Hange wanted to lock you guys in a supply closet for the night."

"Sleep with one eye open." Levi huffed, placing your phone down on his desk.

Mike immediately noticed, sitting up and placing his own phone to the side. "Don't tell me you murdered her and stole her phone for having a boyfriend that wasn't you." He chuckled

"Tch, she accidentally left it."

"How are you gonna return it?"

"I'll ask Hange for her dorm number tomorrow and I'll hand it over then."

"Ooo, well I would tell you not to go looking through her phone while you have it. But you're not like me so.." Mike shrugged, laying down with both hands holding his phone above his head.

Levi looked at Mike and then at your phone sitting on his desk. He silently looked away, putting away the rest of his stuff with a huff.

[blubberingmess]

Magnet fishing (Bucky x reader)

Summary: you have a hobby and that is magnet fishing, always expecting a few metal scraps and weird, random thingies but one thing you didn't expect at all is a man with a metal arm.

Word count: 1787

Note: I don't doubt a person with a single neodymium magnet disk could lift someone like Bucky out of a lake... possible but tough.(just an opinion)

*check out my masterlist for more shits :)*

You finally have a place you could call yours, a bit far out from the nearest village but it's fine, you like the serene atmosphere this small secluded place gives.

The said place you are talking about is just a small cabin, old but still livable. Plus, it's warm and still sturdy after years of abandonment. You got the cabin for less than what you've expected which is quite a steal.

When you decided to buy the place, the seller's eyes almost roll out from their sockets at how wide his eyes went. It got you confused and asked why, and the answer is kinda weird and also downright ridiculous.

An organization called "Hydra" once scouted the area for years a few decades ago, looking for something rather important. Up until now, rumors spreads around that what this Hydra organization were looking for is still out there.

No one dared to go anywhere near the location, not even the bravest of souls. it's a ghost story the adults tells the children whenever they got curious about the said place, that a monster is resting beneath the waters of the frozen lake-- exactly where the cabin is just a few meters away--, ready to attack the person who is stupid enough to trespass it's sanctuary.

"--Who is stupid enough to trespass it's sanctuary," the old man finished, eyes narrowing at you as he emphasized the word 'stupid'. You just nodded your head and thanked the man, grabbed the keys to the cabin and walked away.

It's not just the solitude from civilization that got you interested in this so called 'sanctuary of the unknown', it's becasue of the frozen lake - You're a magnet fisherman--woman--, a hobby of yours. It's illegal on some places so you don't do it quite often despite having a permit, also, you have your own business back in your hometown - winery.

Magnet fishing is a dirty work and most of the time leaves you with just metal scraps, nails, and a few rocks. But the satisfaction you felt is oh so great when you got something more valuable; some lost things and some antiques that values a hefty amount of cash.

So when you heard about the lake, the cabin; both a mile and a half away from the nearest village, you immediately packed all your things and bid your family and friends goodbye back in your hometown.

"Let's check this baby out!" You grinned, pulling out your newly bought neodymium magnet disk from your bag and a long nylon rope. Thankfully, some part of the lake is already melted so you don't have to break the ice yourself.

(Fun fact: neodymium magnet is the most widely used type of rare-earth magnets, also used as jewelry clasps. But they do not significantly attract gold, aluminium, and silver. Which I didn't know until I made this fic. *shrugs*)

It's been a good ten minutes and your magnet still haven't caught anything. Huffing in slight frustration, you hauled your magnet back from the water and changed your position to the other side of the lake.

Once again, throwing the magnet as far as you can and mentally pat yourself in back when it submerged quite far off from where you are standing.

It didn't took you long before you felt something stick to your magnet, a slight pull of the rope indicates it. As you tried to haul the magnet back up, you were shocked at the weight. It's almost unrelenting that you feared it'll slip off from the magnet and with a lake like this, there's a little chance your magnet will find it again.

"Easy, easy," you whispered to yourself, calming your nerves before giving a firm yet strong tug. It works as you felt the mystery metal goes unstuck to wherever it was. Carefully pulling the disk back to the surface with much more effort than you would've though, you finally caught a glimpse of metal - a bit rusty but still shiny looking.

Slowly, you took a step forward all while still gathering the rope and almost stumble down on the thick snow when you noticed what the metal is; a hand. It didn't stop you as you kept on pulling, to the point where the hand finally hits the snow and realized that it's not just a hand.

It's okay, you thought to yourself. It's just an arm shaped metal, must be from a statue.

But you are wrong. As you cautiously walked towards it, you catch sight of something that makes your heart jumps out from your chest and it's definitely not in a good way.

The metal arm that you thought was just from a statue is actually connected to a person; a man - a dead, frozen man

"Holy shit!"

You gulped, staring down at the frozen corpse in front of you. From his chest down still submerged in the cold, icy water. The cold air seeping through your thick clothes yet your palms are sweating as you stand there not knowing what to do, hands tightly wrapped on the nylon rope, just staring at a dead man with a metal for an arm.

This is terrifying, you need to call the police. You mentally groaned remembering that there's no signal around here, but you have your snowmobile so you could use that instead.

Contemplating if you should make a run for it and call the cops from the village or just kick the corpse back in the lake and walk away like nothing happened; maybe even book the next flight back home.

Sadly, you can't do the latter... corpse float.

The magnet is still attached to the metal arm so you gave a strong tug hoping it would separate from the corpse, but sadly, it wouldn't budge.

A small curse and another pull.

A loud curse and another stronger pull.

Frustrated, you were about to scream-- maybe even cry-- when you suddenly saw movements coming from the metal arm, precisely, the fingers. It twitched and so does his body, you grew terrified when his head slightly turned to the side, his back slowly rising and falling, breathing weakly.

"Holy... shit."

.

.

.

"Hi officer, yes, he's alive. I saw- I mean, caught the man from the lake with a magnet disk..." You groaned and shake your head, downing the rest of you wine.

You can't just mention a magnet disk, you don't know if magnet fishing is legal in this part of country - or should you say area.

Fuck me. Forgot to ask permission.

It's been four days since you hauled the man from frozen lake, changed him from his wet, heavy looking of what seems to be his tactical gear to something comfortable; an oversize shirt(on you, it is) and a baggy pair of sweatpants. Not an easy task but you managed to do it.

The man, he isn't some normal fellow you'd see anywhere. There's something more, maybe he's the "something" Hydra is looking for? Is he the ghost? Impossible, it's been decades since that happened. The organization stopped looking for him decades ago.

Who is he? Why does he have a metal arm?

Questions began running around inside your head, different kinds of possibilities that mostly lead you if not in jail; six feet under. Just the thought of it makes you want to vomit and choke on it until you pass out - maybe you could receive some kind of pity and let you off the hook.

You felt yourself slightly gag at the thought of choking on your own vomit.

"The only things I'll ever be choking on is pizza and my future husband's dick," you grumbled to yourself, glaring down at the empty glass in your hand before sighing and turning around.

You suddenly come face to face the man you called 'corspe' multiple times in your head four days ago for twenty minutes, standing strong and tall, an aura that practically screams "touch me and I'll break your neck."

He watch you watch him in fear and curiosity, body rigid and alert for what's about to happen.

What's about to happen?

.

Ten years later...

.

"And that's how I met your father," you finished the story, grinning down at the little girl in front of you.

She 'oh'ed, staring up at you with her big sea blue eyes, full of curiosity and amazement. "So he's the ghost?" She asked with her squeaky voice, grabbing the last cookie from the paper plate between the two of you and began munching on it.

You chuckled. "I would say 'a really clumsy man who fell from a flying helicopter while running away from the bad guys' but yeah, sure."

"Awesome," she whispered-yelled making you laugh at her cuteness, scooting closer towards your daughter to wipe off the crumbs from her cheek.

"So this is where my girls are hiding." A familiar voice sounded from the small entrance of the tree house. Looking over, you saw your husband climbing up the ladder.

"We're not hiding, daddy!"

"Of course you're not, princess." He sat himself beside your daughter and raised a brow at you, a smile on his face. "But your mother here is."

"I'm not hiding, daddy," you repeated your daughter's words, fluttering your eyelashes at him with a grin on your face, biting your lips to prevent yourself from laughing.

His eyes darkens but he kept the smile on his face, pretending he didn't caught the look on your face he know all too well. "Yes you are, honey. Anyways, what are you two talking about?"

"The day you first met!" Your daughter beamed.

"Really?" Buck's eyes flickered at you for a moment as he spoke.

The little girl nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yup! It's so romantic," she sighed dreamily but she frowned when she pat the paper plate and found it clear from those delicious cookies Wanda baked for her.

"Oh, the cookies are gone, can I get some more, mommy?"

"Okay, sweetie. Be careful on your way down."

The two of you watched your daughter climbs down the ladder with ease, already familiar of the steps and the safe places to put her feet on.

After a moment of silence, Bucky speaks up. "You didn't told her about me frozen under the lake for three decades, did you?"

"Nah. Told her I saved you from drowning while I'm fishing at a random lake; miraculously woken you up with a kiss."

"That sounds ridiculous."

"Also, don't worry, I didn't tell her I jumped your bones on the fifth day of knowing you."

@jasondean1972 I saw you reblogging and liking my posts while I'm editing this, and I love it 💛 don't worry, I think I'll be making my android!Bucky one-shot a series.

[cristalknife]

Kadam Week 2021 Day 3 ~ I did not plan for this, but I'm glad you found a solution

This is me trying to not start something on a platform only to post solely somewhere else aka AO3 and ff.net  you can find the complete list of Kadam Week 2021 prompts and you might find more stories on the Kadam Week 2021 AO3 collection

That said, the third prompt is Love Letters

During most of the story Kurt and Adam are either away from each other or working at a summer camp around kids there's not much on the side of the description of them being all coupley but I think you could tell anyway they are more than just friends...

I still hope you'll give this a chance and have a good time reading it, so here we go, I present to you I did not plan for this, but I'm glad you found a solution (or read on ao3)

When Kurt signed up for a theatre summer camp for kids as a summer work project, he had honestly thought it was going to be in New York, for he was absolutely sure there was no mention of the camp being strongly discouraging taking electronics especially phones due to lack of data and mobile coverage.

He did recheck once he got home, nowhere it was written that they would have the camp in the middle of nowhere, where the no electronics rule was happily enforced by Mother Nature.

And to make things even worse Adam was flying back to the UK for two of the six weeks Kurt was going to be at the camp…

So even if Kurt managed to go into the town on his free day, and somehow the quaint small town, that was not yet willing to join the XXI century, still had a serviceable land phone, trying an international call was out of his wallet’s options.

Not if he was to take into account just how much he would miss his boyfriend.

It was even worse when Adam just patted his back when both of them met to go together at the airport before flying to their respective destinations.

To his immense surprise, once he reached the camp and his bungalow the camp’s director had a grin on her face and offered him a letter.

Upon taking a closer look a surprised smile appeared on his face.

It seemed his boyfriend had taken notice of how down he was about the whole situation and sent him a letter.

Knowing he had something to look forward to, Kurt managed to concentrate on getting familiar with the place and the other camp counsellors and instructors…

The lighter heart had been a blessing, and while he hadn’t suddenly acquired new bffs, he did manage to learn that the camp had every year an influx of three to five new counsellors.

Mostly all freshmen or second semester students, who had been fibbed into accepting the position, usually those were the ones who had something of value to share, at least in the opinion of their school's teachers.

It wasn’t until late in the evening when Kurt was in his room that he took the time to unpack properly that he found a box he was completely sure he never saw before.

Upon opening it Kurt found it was a stationary box, with adorable doodles on the letters’ paper and exactly six envelopes already with stamps and already addressed to Adam at his parent's place in the UK.

The amount sheets for the letters though was way higher and there were just as many remaining white envelopes to last Kurt the remaining of the month that was not covered by the first two weeks in which Adam was still on the other side of the ocean.

After placing the stationary box on his bedside table Kurt went for the letter that Adam had sent for him to receive upon arrival.

"Dearest Kurt,

I know you weren't expecting a lot of things about this experience, I hope you'll find it fun and enlighten. If I know you as well as I believe I do, by now you've already discovered that this specific camping program had the peculiarity of attracting every year few freshmen or second semester students recommended for the job. All of them usually arriving in here not knowing at all about the lack of modern commodities like data and mobile coverage.

All those students are one that the professors of their schools believe could learn something from the experience, and would be able to not only cope but excel in the challenge posed to them.

Some of the older counsellors have been in the same position you are in right now and then decided to return year after year.

I'm also pretty sure you've already found my parting gift in your suitcase, I know we were thinking of spending more time together and that the news of six weeks with no way of staying in contact with each other had been hard on you.

Don't worry my love, it has worked for thousands of lovers before, and if you’re amenable and desires to, then we can make do with writing letters while we are not able to talk with more modern means.

Usually it takes about a couple of days for a letter to cross the ocean and arrive at its destination. The first couple of letters you'll receive from me were sent before we left, so they could reach you and allow me to be able to put a smile on your face even without being present.

If you don't feel like writing then still please make pictures and send me proof that you're having a good time?

The camp’s director has a printer so don't try to wiggle your way out of this, because my darling I will write to you even if you'll leave me all alone to be a starstruck pining lover.

Know that I love you, and that I believe you will find the experience worthwhile in the end.

With all my love,

Adam"

Kurt was almost in tears by the time he reached the end of the letter and he shook his head grinning, Adam was absolutely wrong if he thought for a single moment that Kurt wouldn't return the sweet gesture choosing to send pictures instead.

Still as they hadn't been together that much yet there had not been a chance yet for Adam to actually see Kurt's own calligraphy set.

It was a pity he hadn't thought of taking it with him, in his misery upon the news of no electronics and no connectivity he had not thought of alternative slower ways to obtain the same result.

In his defence though, he had been under the false impression that there would be at least data coverage until right before leaving, at which point he had already packed and taken everything that he needed already and it was too late to return home and pick alternatives.

Reassigning himself to make do with a normal pen he started jetting down what was going to be the first of quite a few letters. Would they still be considered love letters since they did express the sentiment and were sent between lovers? Kurt wasn't completely sure, but the thought made him grin and blush at the same time.

"My dearest, Adam,

you wonderful man have no idea how much it means to me that you went through all the trouble of arranging this wonderful surprise for me. A way to stay in touch with you while we're apart, I confess by the time I realised how things were going to be, I was too frantic despairing to think that quickly such a simple and elegant solution.

My love, I do hope you were simply offering me an alternative to making sure I would not leave you completely alone and in the dark about how things were going for me when you mentioned eventually sending you prints of pictures.

There is no way I’d leave you pining on your lonesome, especially not while you take such attentive care to my own needs and you made sure to prevent me from suffering such fate.

There will be time to show you all the pictures I'll take, once we're together again and we can spend time in each other's arms.

You might not know yet, but by now you might have noticed that I do have an appreciation for calligraphy, and despite having to do with the poor mean of a roll pen there is no way I could waste this brilliant opportunity to write you a proper love letter.

As you rightly guessed I managed to talk with some of the other counsellors and figured out that there were few returning seniors, and the other first timers were just as blindsided as I was.

The camp’s director had a knowing smile when she handed me your letter. I suspect the others you mentioned were already in her possession but that she would pace releasing them into my hands.

Despite the brief panic you witnessed before leaving, I'm not really that averse to a nice break and being unavailable, but I usually prefer the chance to prepare and be ready for that.

I was very worried for my dad, I sent him a message while I was still in town and talked to the camp’s director about my worries and that I had left a message down at the town’s post office. I'll let you in on a secret, there is a working line in her office, under key of course.

But she allowed me to make a call to my dad when no one was looking, so that if something was to happen I would be reachable, even if I'm officially off the grid until my return to the big city life.

It was a big relief and it lifted another big weight from my shoulders.

I am so happy you thought of this, and I can't wait to hear more of your adventures from back home, as I'll share the adventures from into the woods...

With all my sincere love and admiration

Yours truly

Kurt"

To Kurt's surprise one of the breakfast rituals was the collection and distribution of the mail. With the announcement that even when the kids would arrive, this was going to be a daily ritual. As counsellors they were to encourage the kids to write back home, especially the ones feeling homesick.

As Kurt had suspected, there was a new letter for him on that day as well, and like the previous one, he kept it for the evening to cheer himself up before going to bed.

As Adam has said in his second letter, indeed once the kids arrived it all became at the same time easier and harder.

Easier because the feeling of loneliness and missing Adam had to be put on the back burner during the day. And the letters kept Kurt happy and cherished during the evenings after he socialised with his peers sharing stories of the day with the others.

Harder because his kids were all super excited and easily excitable. In all honesty they reminded Kurt a lot of how he remembered feeling when he was a little younger than them and he still qualified for the Lima theatre summer camp...

By the end of the first week, once every one of his kids had sent at least one letter home, Kurt finally figured out why he had been assigned them. All of them came from small Ohio towns that, like Lima, wouldn't have catered for their artistic inclinations. Kurt made a mental note to check with the head if it had been a coincidence or not.

On the weekend of the second week, once the first period ended and the first turnover happened, the camp’s director announced that more counsellors were going to join them to help out with the new influx of kids since they would be at full capacity from there on until the end of the program.

On sunday’s morning Kurt had run late for breakfast because one of his kids who was going to stay for longer than two weeks, was not finding one of their shoes, and they had to find it before they could join the others.

With things being that way, when he entered the dining hall, all the new counsellors had already been introduced and the mail was being delivered.

Kurt guided his kid to their table and in less than three minutes all his kids still present were giggling and looking ready to burst, while attempting to appear normal. Before Kurt could turn and check what was so funny Adam's letter was being held in front of him by a very familiar hand, with an equally familiar bracelet hugging the wrist.

Kurt automatically grabbed the letter and he turned to find himself face to face with Adam.

Both their eyes shining with happiness, "Hellu Kurt. Surprise"

Kurt grinned and bit his lower lip, the giggling kids at his back reminding him that there was still work to do "Hellu Adam, I should have known you'd be one of the returning seniors, I look forward working together."

Adam nodded still smiling "As I do, I'll let you go back to your day now. I’ll see you later."

Kurt smiled brilliantly and nodded back "I'll see you later, have a good day"

The kids, as Kurt suspected had been super curious and with it being the last day for some, he indulged them in revealing that indeed that was the same friend Adam who had written to Kurt keeping him from feeling homesick in the previous weeks.

That evening once the new kids had been safely tucked in bed Kurt finally had a moment to properly greet his boyfriend "I am so happy to see you in here, though you could have told me you were going to join me in here once you got back to the states."

Adam smiled softly kissing Kurt's temple "But then you would have lived waiting for this day instead of making the most of those past couple of weeks. And maybe you wouldn’t have cherished as much the letters we were exchanging. While we’re on that note. Thank you for yours, they were wonderful and I was so happy to receive them."

Kurt smiled with his eyes closed and his arms wrapped tightly around Adam's waist "They were a balm and the one thing I kept for myself as an evening ritual. Sitting on my bed and reading your letter. I didn't have any day so bad that I had to read them before evening, which is what I had reasoned could be a good coping mechanism. Keep your letter for the night when it was private time, or as comfort if things went south and I couldn't handle them before night fell."

Adam hummed softly murmuring "I'm glad for that."

The next monday’s morning set up the pattern for the rest of their stay. They would both take their kids to breakfast and find a letter in a white envelope with their name and the camp’s address waiting for them to be delivered, just like it had happened for the past two weeks for Kurt.

The remaining month passed in no time at all, the day passed quickly and the evenings were filled with laughters and making new friends while sharing stories with the other counsellors.

Once it was Kurt’s turn for the final interview to wrap up the whole experience, the camp’s director before parting asked curious “So was Adam right? Were you able to see just how many families were touched and gained from your father’s work?”

Kurt looked taken aback so he asked confused “What do you mean?”

She smiled kindly and proceeded to explain “All the kids you took care of, they were all able to be here this summer because your father campaigned and set up a fund for supporting the arts in small towns. He had to prove that there was the request for such support, and he had been challenged to demonstrate it could work starting from the state he was representing.”

Kurt bit his lips “A state notoriously not that art oriented”

She nodded grinning, “And I can tell you we had to limit the acceptance because there are ratios we need to respect for security reasons. But all those kids you took care of came from just as many families who benefited from your dad’s work. Adam was the one who suggested you be their mentor during their stay. And I think he was right, the families and the kids themselves think that too, as every single one of your kids was ecstatic that someone like them had made it and reached his dream school.”

Kurt felt tears forming in his eyes, so he started to try blinking them away. Emotions made it a little difficult but he still managed to say a grateful “Thank you” before leaving and searching for Adam.

Once Kurt found him he hugged his boyfriend tightly and said in a low voice “Thank you for all you’ve done for me this summer, I never thought I’d see first hand the results of my dad’s work. I knew what it meant for me and how I wished those were opportunities I had, but I never suspected it was going to reaching so far and so many.”

Adam held Kurt just as tightly and said back softly “I know you were so worried for your dad earlier on during the semester. So I wanted you to realise that your dad is important for a whole lot more people than you even realise. That no matter how difficult things might get, you’re not alone in wishing the best for your dad.”

Kurt then raised his face from Adam’s chest and said grinning “And you also wanted to make sure I’d fell in love with this camp as much as you are so next year we’d come here together…”

Adam chuckled but didn’t deny the playful accusation.

By the time autumn came around and leases were up, they moved in together, and during moving day it was discovered how each kept their letters into a special boxes safe and easily accessible.

When christmas came around the couple took part into a papermaking and bookbinding crafting course.

By the following valentine’s day each set of letters had been lovingly built into a ecoleather bound diary containing all the letters the couple exchanged since their first ones the previous summer. ~The End~ AN: One last thing that's more a game, if you found the small easter egg in the story, feel free to reach back to me, I can bake you your fave virtual cookie, or make a story out of a prompt you have in mind/wish to see. (hint it's from Hamilton...)

[tiniestyo]

HELLO

I'm not sure I've achieved anything since we last spoke. I was invited to write for Metro magazine more than once which I SQUANDERED, and Stone Soup also let me know that I am free to write for them whenever the fancy takes me. Being a food writer might be my dream because I love to type and I hate to abide by the rules of a commercial kitchen (I want to get my nails done and wear my hair down. I did get my nails done, as a birthday gift from my friend who is a nail artist, which is why I'm thinking about this. Beauty is not a thing in food and I wish it was--although, saving on nails and makeup and hair means I could spend on piercings and tattoos. Hmm...).

I almost took a full time job at a friend's vegan and gluten-free bakery, but one key thing made it seem like that wasn't the best choice for me long-term. HOWEVER it did make me reconsider my life and I ended up resigning from the cafe and going to the cake bakery full-time. All of this happened in a weekend. I got a raise in the first week, and the potential for a promotion was there when our head baker/kitchen manager is off on maternity leave (very soon). I don't know if that is still on the table, not sure if I hope it is or not--the absence of real responsibility is nice for my brain, which is constantly overloaded. If 2020 was the year I tried therapy, and 2021 was the year I tried to take my mental health into my own hands (neither good nor bad), perhaps 2022 is the year I will actually find out if I am on the autism spectrum? If I have OCD (long shot maybe but I do have some issue with compulsions) or ADHD (almost definitely) or anything else? Because I think to live the life I want to, I might need to be medicated, or at least learn some management strategies. I want so much from myself and my life and I think a lot of the time my brain is the only thing holding myself back.

***CW weight and body image in this next part, but it's not negative.***

Baking and decorating cakes for work is beautiful and delicious every day. I do enjoy it. However because of a stressful lockdown followed by the constant access to cake I have put on a whole lot of weight over the past four months in a way that is potentially unhealthy (not because of my size--I almost couldn't care less--but because my muscles can't hold it up comfortably anymore, so I need to do some work strengthening my core so I don't have back pain 24/7). I need to pick up pilates again or try yoga or something. I would go to a gym and do weight training type stuff but going to a gym alone, speaking to a trainer, being seen by other people, makes me anxious as hell.

Today is New Year's Day. January 1st, 2022. We stayed up until about 4am watching the new season of Queer Eye and eating shortbread biscuits on final sale (the pack was 77 cents! I will tell anyone who will listen). Today is the day I get my life sorted before the work year begins and everything else gets put on the backburner.

Much love to you all.

x

eating: leftovers from two Christmas dinners, Tony's Chocolonely (hazelnut), shortbread biscuits (77c!). Sesame seed bagels because there were no everything ones, with cream cheese and pickles. Filter coffee and lots of it (Kokako's 'Mahana' blend. There should be a macron on the first o but I don't know how to achieve it without copy-pasting from Google).

cooking: not much! I have plans to make portolakopita as I have a lot of filo and yoghurt. Bought some oranges for it (I think. They look a bit like grapefruits and were unidentified in the supermarket. I hope they're oranges). I also have plans to finally try making Dyan Ng's pan-roasted honey butter brioche, which I ate at Auburn in Los Angeles before they had to close due to COVID. One of the best things I've ever eaten--I hope I can pull it off. Other things I'm keen to try are croissants--I missed the class at university so it'll be my first time!--and bagels. Paris Starn just shared a recipe which looks pretty incredible.

listening to: nothing new. Bit burnt out on the music I've been listening to all year because I am often the music-player at work. I need some new stuff! The end of the year saw a lot of '90s throwbacks (a whole lot of Eurodance). No podcasts for me lately but I might try to start listening again on my way to and from work (I miss my solo mornings where I could listen at the cafe while making scrolls).

watching: Emily in Paris season 2 because it is absolutely mindless but I kind of hate her fashion sense and there are so many moments that make me CRINGE. I had to take a break. Queer Eye season 6, which we watched 6 episodes of last night before passing out. Fantastic Mr. Fox because Alex has never seen it before. We wanted to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall but I guess it is on no streaming services for some reason. Always Rust Youtubers--we've got into this guy Shots this year even though he is entirely out of touch with life itself he is a great player and an entertaining watch.

reading: nowt. Posts from the people I follow/support on Patreon as soon as they come up but not much else. Feels like I don't have the capacity. I hate reading on a laptop/phone screen and really miss books proper (that said I am keen for an e-reader for the ease and reduction in a need for storage space/waste). My Mum got me Ottolenghi's latest (with Noor Murad) OTK: Shelf Love for Christmas and it's beautiful so I'll take a look through that, as well as Camilla Wynne's Jam Bake which I got myself and barely looked at. Those two are not really reading books though.

[shadow-scenarios]

Omggg how you wrote out my request certainly surprised me but I totally enjoyed what you did with it!! And you said that you'd love to write a second part? Well, may I perhaps request that? 👀👀 (P.S.: I'm really relieved that you liked the idea haha, I've been sitting on it for awhile)

Hey again, simulationone!! I’m happy you like the direction I look it in. I was going to have the Reader become Akechi’s Navigator but I think that was a better direction to take it. Also, I tried a different style with this one, so I hope you like it!!

I loved the idea, it was so unique! If you have anything else that you want to request, you’re more than welcome to. By the way, this is suuuper angsty. If you don’t like that kind of thing, skip this post!!

Link to Part 1 here!!

- Nexus.

Trigger Warning: Major Character Death ;; Blood ;; Violence ;; Injuries ;; Swearing

Dance With Justice [2] | Goro Akechi

Perhaps there was a reality where she never had to hurt anyone. A world in which the Phantom Thieves never existed & justice was never an issue. Everyone could simply be happy without any concerns. However, thus was not her current fate.

This was never supposed to happen. She was going to die here, stuck in Mementos until she bled out.

{ Sat, 23 / 10 / 20XX }

Akechi had laid the plan out to her on this day: He had been given an opportunity to meet with the Phantom Thieves at the Shujin Academy. In particular, there was a panel in which a Q&A style show was being held. All they had to do was attend & imply they knew the identities of the Phantom Thieves before he ‘ inconveniently received a phone call ’. Afterwards, the group would be forcibly assembled in the Faculty Room & there they would unfurl the evidence. The photos the both of them had gathered & the video of them disappearing into the Metaverse.

As a result, they would be forced to stop committing their crimes after they took down the Palace of one individual in particular: Sae Niijima. He did admit that he was afraid for the life of his colleague because she was investigating the Phantom Thieves. If they were the perpetrators behind the metal shutdowns, she might be targeted next because she was seen as a threat.

However, there was one thing they were not to be informed about. The additional plan to arrest their leader as a warning of sorts. Additional police forces were to be sent out into the Metaverse & they would corner him when he was alone. It was quite simple but effective. All they had to do was cooperate with them.

This was all communicated to her over lunch in the school rooftop & she nodded, steeling her resolve.

{ Wed, 26 / 10 / 20XX }

Alas, the school festival came too quickly. The first day was ‘ unimportant ’, according to Akechi { although he did look rather embarrassed when she asked what happened with the Phantom Thieves... }.

It was about 20 minutes before the panel was due to start & she had already taken a seat somewhere near the centre. People were already gathered at this point because the Famous Ace Detective: Goro Akechi was going to be answering questions. Frankly, she found it quite creepy the levels most fans went to in order to see him.

Eventually the debate began. Makoto Niijima, student Council President, was hosting & essentially demanded answers related to his detective work reguarding the Phantom Theives. It was immensely impressive how he managed to dance around the answers, giving something vague yet satisfying. Was this is the life of a celebrity?

The question about the identity of the mysterious group soon came up. As her cue came, she texted him & there was the sound of Akechi’s ringtone going off. Silence spread through the auditorium in a strange mix of disappointment & comedic timing. After making a remark along the lines of not wanting to be trolled online, he quickly requested that a break be tacked on.

Quietly, she moved her way across the row & slipped out before the crowd could congest any corridors. The PE Faculty Office was easy enough to find, with many students easily offering directions. Slipping in before anyone else, there he stood.

“ Akechi. Are you ready for this? There’s no going back after we present the evidence. ”

“ Of course. The Phantom Thieves are a menace to society & by getting rid of them, people will finally feel safe in Japan. That’s what you want as well, right? ”

“ Yeah. Murderers aren’t welcome. ”

Once they had all entered, she presented the photographic evidence & introduced herself. Ryuji was in shock. Makoto seemed to be struggling to process the information. Explaining how both herself & Akechi had met, she pressed onto the point: Sae Niijima. She had to be saved from the mental shutdown culprits. An agreement of sorts was made by their rather stoic leader Akira. They would all work together to solve the cases.

{ Wed, 16 / 10 / 20XX & Thurs 17 / 11 / 20XX }

After the initial investigation into Sae’s Palace, keywords & location, these were the days of infiltration, so to speak. The Casino of Jealousy was vibrant & full of money. Coins were messily spread around on every single surface, posters containing snappy tag lines about how winning was key to survival. It was all so decadent. Cognitive shadows lined up for a chance to participate in the game known as the legal system. What a sick way to look at justice.

Despite the crimes they had committed, the Phantom Theives were very casual. They showed no symptoms of guilt nor doubt & insisted on these strangely flashy moves such as the All-Out Attack or the Showtime, in which they would defeat a bundle of enemies all at once. Although they were powerful, did they really feel the need to show off that much?

The other problem was their leader, Joker. He was tenaciously gripping onto both herself & Akechi { or Crow, was it? She never understood the need for the ridiculous code names... } to remain on the front lines to see what they could both do. Despite having bounds of energy at the beginning & regular breaks, it was quite tiring to keep having to constantly battle. Perhaps that was why she ended up being held captive by a Shadow.

It demanded Yen & safety. It was not a substantial amount of money & the Palace’s supposed ‘ Security Level ’ was not particularly high. She had seen how Akira had been picking through remains of the corpses of these beings, as they contained Yen. For some unknown reason during the negotiation, he simply refused to part. Apparently Joker, the supposed leader of the just Phantom Thieves believed some money more important than an ally.

Even as the shadow tore through skin & left almost fatal wounds, it hurt more to reaffirm her belief that the Phantom Theives were merciless.

Waking up was a surprise to be sure. To be greeted by Akechi in the nearest Safe Room asking if she was okay? It was very much a shock. He offered to patch up the wounds that were unreadable by her own hands & scolded her for being so reckless on that battlefield. It was good that both Queen & Mona were on hand, otherwise she would have died. Despite the presence of the other members of the group, this felt like a rather intimate moment.

The two of them kept having these strange moments: Delicately & intimate but as though something was missing.

A touch that lingered for longer than it needed to; Comforting words on a cool evening when she felt upset; Sitting within close proximity despite there being more space for the two of them than needed. Small signs that seemed to be hesitantly trying to convey something.

Even now as she paused to take in his appearance, it was startling. Dressed up in his princely regalia that was his Metaverse outfit, he looked rather charming. With golden tassels & a red cape, something about him seemed to just ooze noble. Though at times he could be slightly extra with the poses he pulled, Akechi was kind.

That was why she never saw it coming.

{ Thurs, 18 / 10 / 20XX }

Signaling for a meeting, Akira explained that they were going to write & send the Calling Card today. The debate about where to send it was long, strenuous & boring. After they eventually decided to be direct by mailing it to the Niijima residence, everyone disbanded for the day.

Aside for Akechi, who invited her to play Darts in Kichijoji. What a strange request.

The atmosphere was actually rather calming. At night, there were few around to disturb them. Handing over 800 Yen to play, the game began. It was nice to simply be able to talk about something unrelated to the Phantom Thieves for the both of them & although Akechi’s aim was unerring, she found it rather difficult to hit the tiny target, let alone land it in a specific place to score as many points as possible. After a while & with some expert advice, there was definitely some improvement.

By the time night struck, she had barely noticed until he had pointed it out. Everything was moving so swiftly. Offering to walk her to the train station, he was ever so polite. Until it rained.

It absolutely poured down with rain as the two of them descended the stairs of Penguin Sniper. Luckily, she had packed an umbrella into a crevice in her bag. The detective next to her? Not quite as fortunate as he sighed. Feeling bad, she offered to share & he accepted with reluctance after realising that it was better than the alternative of running home in the rain.

Being this close was both enthralling & embarrassing. Something about being forced this close to him was killing her. Akechi seemed to be doing alright, staying underneath to avoid both his hair & briefcase from becoming drenched by the cascading water. After a while that was in some respects a long time but in others not long at all, they reached the train station, parting ways when they had a difference in train line.

She knew exactly what she was feeling: There was no use in denial. Repressing such feelings would be more painful in the end. However, now was not the time to tell him. Catching the Phantom Thieves & saving Japan was more important than a high school romance. Filing the secret away for later, it was kept close to her heart.

{ Fri, 19 / 10 / 20XX }

It was almost too easy how quick everything was to fall into place. Putting on her best acting face was difficult but it was a believable lie, especially when most of the stress was based around getting Joker out alive. All their valiant efforts were for nothing. Similar to a spider spinning a web to catch prey, they had fallen victim.

After facing down the shadow of Sae Niijima herself on this strange roulette like battlefield, her desperate desire to achieve victory at all costs was her downfall & as she fell to her knees, clearly defeated, Queen went over to comfort her. Skull took Fox with him to steal the Treasure & once they discovered the numerous police forces that had made their way into the Metaverse, everything was taken up a notch.

Whilst Joker agreed to take the Treasure, thus becoming a distraction, everyone else would take the time to escape back to reality. A makeshift plan but one that would work in both her own & Akechi’s favour. Dashing along the protruding walls of the casino was thrilling as the group moved in sync, grappling along & weaving through like a natural born instinct.

Inevitably, he was captured. The leader of the Phantom Thieves, put behind bars. People would be safe from the mental shutdowns, they would no longer have to worry about having a psychotic breakdown. Without the branch that held them all together, there were no roots. As to not arouse suspicions, everyone parted ways until Akechi stopped her.

“ I... Know it’s rather late & we’ve just been to the Palace but there’s something I need to warn you about in the Metaverse. Will you join me in Mementos tomorrow morning? Preferably before school, if that’s okay with you, ” was all he requested with a ghost of a smile.

“ Sure, I don’t mind. Is there something else dangerous I should be worrying about? ”

“ It’s nothing too urgent but I thought I’d bring it to your attention since we are working on this case with the Phantom Thieves together. After all, we still need to hold the others accountable for their actions. ”

With that, she left. Akechi had always been a reliable source of information, so why would he lie?

{ Sat, 20 / 10 / 20XX }

It was the early morning. Despite the cold, she was in warm spirits as she approached the Shibuya line. Waiting there for her was the Detective Prince himself. Overnight, there was a decision made that once Akechi broke this bad news to her that she would change the mood by confessing. After all, it would be difficult to keep under lock & key.

Fading into the background as other students filtered in, they talked for a short period of time before getting down to business. Typing in ‘ Mementos ’ to the MetaNav was easy enough & there they were, standing at the dusty entrance.

Together, they fought their way down into a few floors below the surface. Although it took longer for them to traverse these levels due to not having a method of transportation such as the Mona Car, the Shadows were easy pickings for the two of them. At least, that is what she thought until two laser blasts from a ray gun burnt into her back.

Standing over her was a very different Goro Akechi to the person she had preciously known. What was once a charismatic smile that could charm anyone become a psychotic grin that looks unnaturally wide. Though she had once thought of his eyes as a storm of emotions, worries about the future & the safety of Japan, they were most definitely a typhoon, pulling victims in to tear them apart without a trace of mercy. Even as he called her a blind fool for trusting him & berated her sense of justice, the burning pain of the wounds that burnt through the Metaverse outfit were clouding her vision. She could have sworn there was the sound of someone walking away but there was too many sensations for her to clearly tell.

No one was going to find a dead body in the depths of Mementos. She found it morbidly ironic that her last thought was that she would never be able to tell Akechi how she truly felt.

Word Count: 2.3k

Publish Date: 06.10.20

[levinneheart]

I'm the tanaka request! o.o I didnt see the other prompt lists! it's from prompt 1 and I'd love a fluffy scenario?? but if you add a little angst to make me suffer i wouldn't be opposed to it thank you bbyyy

❝ heeeey!! i looove your writing!!! it makes me go fnfjkdksnaj idk if you're taking requests but if you are can i ask for 13 + 28 with Tanaka? my boy needs some loveeee thank youuuu ❞ — requested by anon

ASDFGHJKL! Thank you for my first request and for requesting this bby, anon! I’m so sorry this took so long! This was supposed to be a headcanon but it ended up getting super long so I decided it’ll be a scenario. Glad you enjoy my writing, hope I did him justice here 👉👈 Also, I left the ending up to you! Tehehe. N e wayz... Happy reading!~ (Fun fact: I was this 🤏 close to turning this into a fully angst story but I held back hahahaha). Love from Levinne

Uno

requested on: 26-27th of July 2020

finished on: 31st of July 2020 (around 9pm)

➳ Pairing: Tanaka Ryuunosuke x F!Reader (ft. Shimizu Kiyoko)

➳ Synopsis: u·no(adj.) — one in spanish

➳ Genre: Fluff, Angst, First Kiss, Pinning, Scenario

➳ Prompt: 13 ‘Wait! Please don’t pull away... not yet’ + 28 ‘You were my first kiss’ from prompt 1

➳ Word count: 1k+

➳ Warnings: Slight angst, slight manga spoiler if you squint

➳ Playlist: Both Of Us by B.oB. (ft. Taylor Swift), Just A Dream by Nelly (Sam Tsui Cover), Just Give Me A Reason by P!nk (ft. Nate Ruess), Sad Song by We The Kings (ft. Elena Coats) that inspired this scenario!

They first met and became childhood friends because both of their representative parents were close to each other since college but unlike their older siblings, Saeko and (r/n)... (y/n) and Ryuunosuke weren’t exactly friends.

They were more like... acquaintances who went to each other’s houses to celebrate a relatives’ bday or some special occasion that their parents dragged them to.

(Y/n) always meet Ryuunosuke with your mother and vice versa, but when they do encounter each other... she’ll politely nod her head to greet him whilst he awkwardly waves a hand in response.

Until one day on Saeko’s birthday, (y/n) and Ryuunosuke were partnered up by the game host on a game called: newspaper dance. Wherein players are grouped into pairs and given a page of a newspaper. The players dance around the paper until the music stops wherein they have to stand on the paper and remain so until the music starts again. As the game progresses, the paper is folded in half for each round and each pair must make ways to pass each round. A pair which steps out of the paper is eliminated and the last team standing wins.

The competition was steep since there’s only two pairs left: them and a pair of their siblings’ friends – they were surprisingly winning by a hair, it was also unexpectedly easy to adjust and cooperate with Ryuunosuke.

On the next turn, the newspaper was folded to a one-fourth sized intermediate paper, causing them to struggle with putting both of their feet on the paper and keeping their balance — the adrenaline was now high and the pressure was on as the game host and everybody else started counting down.

In her panicked self, (y/n) boldly asked Ryuunosuke if she could carry him and when he nodded — she immediately put one leg on her hip and wrapped her arms under his butt before carrying him as she tipped over the small folded newspaper.

She couldn’t see the other pair in her position but she focused on the task at hand, quite literally. After what felt like eternity to her was actually just five minutes. “You can put me down now.” He said, tapping her shoulder as (y/n) slowly crouched down and settled him on the ground.

They were obviously announced as winners!

After that incident, they started talking more. Ryuu began changing to a loud extrovert before shaving his beautiful blond hair off, although (y/n) liked his hair - if he preferred it shaved then she’ll respect his decision.

It wasn’t until middle school that they became tight knit like surrogate siblings! These days are when Ryuu became hot-headed and prone to fights while (y/n) was the one who kept him in line and helped him study, especially when he needed a high score to continue playing in the volleyball club.

They were now on the middle school graduation, (y/n) actually managed to help Ryuu pass and graduate with her help. He knows she know that he’s indebted to her so after the ceremony, Ryuu approached her and asked if he could do anything to make it up to her since she was always so patient with him.

“Ice cream and a hug.” She answered.

His eyes widen in disbelief. “That’s all?”

“Mhm.”

“I’ll give you a hug after the ceremony on the after party.”

“There’s an after party?”

“Yeah, at our house with our families.”

“Of course.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Ryuu chuckled. “But we’re not attending.”

(Y/n) looked at his smirking face with a smirk of her own, thus forming a plan that only them could think of. It would surely bring chaos to the after party and to their families because they won’t know what hit them.

In the graduation ceremony, they went up to their friends and made small talk before taking a bunch of pictures with them and their families. It was a heartwarming and fun experience to everybody who graduated and attended. However, on the way to Ryuu’s house, they started chatting with each other on their phones and internally snickering to themselves in the backseat of their parents’ cars as they went through their plan once again.

Once they arrive at their destination, the plan commences. (Y/n) approach her parents and asked if she could have a sleepover with Ryuu after the after party as she removed her graduation gown and handed it to her mother before informing them, she’ll ask Saeko if she could borrow some of her old clothes so that they won’t have to worry about that. (Yer mother’s name) told her if she behaves then she could, to which (y/n) eagerly agrees on.

Stage one of the plan was a success! Now, stage two is to borrow clothes which was the easiest of the plan since when Saeko heard little (y/n) was staying the night, she immediately gave her old clothes that didn’t fit her anymore. Next is the tricky part... stage three. They worked fast and diligently as they started by taking pieces of food, one by one so no one would noticed and that was also a success. Stage four is to escape unnoticed from the after party which went without any hitch. And lastly, stage five: locking themselves in Ryuu’s room and having their own little party.

Ryuu went out of his room to buy you ice cream and got seen by his sister as everyone was looking everywhere for you guys. He went back out of breath, locking the door behind him and giving her the vanilla flavored ice cream before joining her on his bed. His door banged multiple times as they sat inside hysterically laughing before it got unlocked with its own keys.

(Y/n) would look back on those good memories as they now looked at each other, knowing that they soon had to parted ways in high school.

“I never had that hug back then, Uno.” She stated with a wry smile as she sadly watched her parents pack their belongings and place it on the trunk of their car.

Ryuu rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh yeah... I forgot.” He awkwardly admitted.

“(Y/n), say your goodbyes to Ryuu-kun. We’ll be waiting in the car.” Her parents informed her before leaving the two alone.

“Last hug before I never see you again?”

His heart broke when he saw tears flowing down from her eyes and he couldn’t help but cry himself. He opened his arms, widely as she immediately tackled him into a hug. “Shh. We can still talk to each other and maybe someday.. we’ll be reunited. You never know, (nickname)...”

“Really..?” She pulled away slightly to look up at him before hearing her parents called out to her. “I have to go—”

“Wait! Please don’t pull away... not yet.” Ryuu glanced at her eyes then her mouth before looking at her with red tinted cheeks.

(Y/n) leaned closer to him while he closed their distance as their lips met for a quick yet soft kiss before parting shortly. “This is my promise to you, (n/n)... we will see each other again.”

“It’s a deal, Uno.” She replies before getting inside of her parents’ car, feeling giddy and shocked from her first kiss.

They continued to text one another, sometimes he would send pictures of his volleyball team, although Ryuu went to Karasuno while she went to Inarizaki.

She would take on the role of being their manager as she thought it would bring them together someday and it did... in the worst way possible.

(Y/n)’s heart shattered as she saw Ryuu talking to a pretty girl with black shoulder length hair and glasses before letting him carry her bag for her. She took a picture and texted him.

[mochikeiji]

Take a Hint.

↠ Pairing: Bokuto Koutarou x Akaashi Keiji

↠ Warning: College AU! Fukurodani Volleybal Team!(with managers) Shy Akaashi! Popular Bokuto! Slight NSFW, Fluffy

↬ Word Count: 3,912

Summary: First year college student, Akaashi Keiji begins his new life away from the comfort of his home solitude. Growing up to be an introvert, Akaashi had a hard time gaining friends and fitting in. But what happens to someone when they've met a rowdy senior who somehow slithers their way into their lives and becomes their only friend? Or maybe more.

⇢ Day 2: Obliviousness/Pinning, Roomates, College AU @bokuakaweek2020

✎﹏

It really is terrifying for some to move out of the comfort of their house and their personal room to move into a dorm for their first year in college. For some it seemed fun and adventurous, only because they were an extrovert.

Unlike Akaashi, a man with few words, was an introvert. Sure he used to play volleyball back in his highschool days— even got himself the spotlight as their schools top tier setter, but he believes he could never match the other monsters such as Atsumu Miya, Kageyama Tobio and former captain of an opposing school, Oikawa Tooru. To him, he was nothing but an average person trying to get a good grade and a college degree and good job and die just like that.

His mother did try to tell him to atleast make some friends during his days in highschool so he wouldn't be so lonely. He couldn't say he can't do it due to his facial expression and blunt words. He couldn't help it, it was already part of his charisma. Now, he wished he wasn't so alone as he carries a box of his belongings in a crowded hallway to the dorms. Seeing other freshmen and seniors helping out each other was one thing he secretly envied. He wanted a friend too, but he was just clueless on how to even make one.

Keeping his head lowered and muttering small, soft excuses on his way to his dorm, he manages to make his way smoothly away from the crowd, thinking they might've been whispering stuff about him being odd when clearly no one even saw him pass through.

Rummaging in his pocket for the key, he pulls out the small metallic object. But before he could thrust the key up into the doorknob, it flung open.

"Oh? Are you my roommate!?"

The chattering hallway was immediately silenced as the mega phone like tone of voice dominated the entire atmosphere. He was a loud person, Akaashi thought.

"Y-yes, but you may want to keep it do—"

"Ah? What are you nervous about! These guys," he points behind Akaashi with a grin, "They're all my buds! Right? Hey!" he starts as the students behind Akaashi laughed and followed his lead, "Hey, hey, hey!!"

It surprised the black haired male to see them, even the mean looking ones just go along with this mans quirks. He must be popular then.

"Anyways, come in! I'll show ya around." Bringing his hand on Akaashi's smaller frame from behind, he flinches from the contact and squeaks silently with the door clicking behind him closed. Sighing, he takes a long look at each corner of the dorm. It only held two beds from each side and two study tables. Typical.

He then reviews over his roommate's side of the dorm, it wasn't as neat as he expected from him. His bag was wode open with papers bulging out, his sheets were torn off the mattress, and what caught his eye was a volleyball jersey displayed on his pillow.

So that's why he was so popular, he thought.

"Sorry about the mess there, didn't expect my roommate to come until tomorrow." Bokuto follows Akaashi's eyes, giving him a sheepishly smile while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "But enough about that, I forgot to introduce myself." he swung his right arm toward Akaashi, "My name's Bokuto, Bokuto Koutarou, second year college student."

Fumbling with the box, Akaashi quickly places it down on his side and bows in respect, "Sorry, I didn't know you were a senior....Senpai." he can feel his skin crawl with goosebumps from the honorific rolling out of his tongue like a female character in a shonen manga, "I'm Akaashi Keiji, first year college student. Thank you for having me here."

After that small introduction Akaasgi managed to pull off, he was giving himself a pat on the back for actually interacting with someone normally with out bluntly saying anything out of the blue.

Or so, he thought.

"A-ah, no, it's fine. You can just lay off the honorifics, Kaashi. Bokuto is fine."

He was caught off guard by the sudden nickname he was given. I guess they were in that bases now. Akaashi gets up from his position and gives him a small nod, "Very well, Bokuto."

The room fell into a deep silence, other than the sound of Akaashi's stuff being carefully put away properly. His other stuff were still downstairs in his mother's car, he'd have to hurry un packing. But his movements were not only slow, nor careful, it was as if he was trying not to mess up or do something embarrassing as he felt golden eyes just grazing at the back of his head.

"Say, Kaashi," flinching again from Bokuto's sudden call, "Do you play volleyball? You have pretty big hands for a small boy like you."

"Have you been watching me?" that's what he wanted to say, instead he was flustered and pushed up his glasses to hide his already sweaty self.

"I used to be a setter."

Putting his leg down, Bokuto's eyes lightens up with a sparkle, "Really!? Then join the volleyball club here!" jumping off of his bed while looking at Akaashi with hope glittering his golden eyes.

"There's a volleyball club here?" to Akaashi, all he thought of college was just study, libraries, and cafeteria. He didn't stop to think if there were clubs like the ones during his highschool days.

"Of course! It would've been boring to study if we didn't atleast have a sports club. So, will ya join?" egging him, Bokuto was on his feet awaiting for the males answer.

"No."

Ah, that was too blunt.

"EHH?! Why not? You must be a pretty good setter!" His eyes trail at the tips of his seniors hair. They were dropping down as if they too were also feeling his emotions. Afraid that he might've hurt the males feelings, he quickly apologized and explained.

"Sorry, it's just, I think there will be mroe better setters for your team, Bokuto."

"Hm? But we don't even have a setter."

Akaashi's mouth closes, not knowing how to tell Bokuto that he was just not the type to be outgoing and indulging himself into prying eyes. Sure, he was able to sought out his passion in volleyball back in middle school and highschool, but that was only because he was never noticed by some people. During official games, he'd only have his hair slightly grown a bit to hide his eyes whenever he plays to avoid feeling thw pressure by the crowd. Sometimes, he'd allow himself to be seated during an entire game and watch his other setter take his on his role.

Yet somehow on his third year, he manages to catch the title of being captain.

"I'm just not cut out for it, Bokuto." he twiddled with his fingers from both habit and to ease his sweaty palms, "I'm not a pretty good setter."

"Show me first, and I'll be the one to comment." Bokuto huffs and crosses his arms with a childlike pout forming on his mouth, "And for the record, I think you're pretty."

And that was the beginning of Akaashi's heart always beating harder whenever he was with Bokuto.

After four months of adjusting into the new world, Akaashi had gone through the months according to his neatly made schedule. But even so, the past four months was also filled with Bokuto's never ending pleads for him to join the volleyball club and be their setter.

Which leads to him now panting in his sweaty attire with Bokuto still high on stamina and determination.

"One more, Kaashi. Give me a good toss!" with that being said, the setter runs into his position after one of their teammate's had flung the ball up. With long fingers easily grazing the ball and fitting his hands perfectly, Akaashi delivers it to his right to where Bokuto had already sprung up with his feet.

Like a big bang, the ball sounded as it looked squished by the floor after having the ace smash it down. Pants were heard from all players, but Akaashi paid no attention to the sweat dripping on his forehead nor was feeling exhausted. His eyes were more focused on the way Bokuto had spike the ball and landed perfectly on his feet.

And it was oddly satisfying for Akaashi to keep seeing his only friend send him straight into an awe.

That being said, it wasn't the only thing that was seen by just him, but the fact that he has done it ever since he has gotten in the team, it was so obvious to everyone that he was staring at their ace.

No one bothered to say a word about it, but being with an airheaded captain, at some point without Akaashi by the distance, they would run forward to him and say, "Looks like you've caught a really rare attention there, Bokuto."

And it always ends with, "How do you catch someone's attention though?"

Blowing a whistle far from the team had broken his stare from the captain. Before any of them could gather up, there were cheering from both above and below the sidelines of the gym.

"Bokuto senpai! You did so good!"

"What an amazing spike!"

"You really are an unstoppable ace!"

Most of them were consist of females. From senior to freshmen, they seemed to be oogling more on his physical appearance more than his passion according to Akaashi. It had been like this ever since he joined, every end of their practice, his senior would always be crowded in a herd of praises and swooning ladies. It was said by his teammates that Bokuto was a sucker for praises, and since he was well known to this university everyone of his adoring fans knew that about him.

And it made his insides churn into an unpleasant twist to see him casually talking to them, more so letting them touch him so freely.

"Akaashi, you seem troubled." another one of his senior who was at the same class as Bokuto, Yukie had spoken as she passes him his water bottle. Looking at to where his eyes were seconds ago, she could see Bokuto and couple of males but more on females gather around him with another round of praising and some gifts given.

"Bokuto has always been gaining a lot of attention ever since he entered the campus," Yukie sighs, "It's getting really annoying, we can't even finish a simple meeting after games." looking back at Akaashi, she let's out a small flinch when she saw him looking almost depressed by staring at Bokuto.

"I wish they'd leave him for his peace." no, that wasn't what he meant. Feelings were not a stranger to Akaashi, he wasn't oblivious of his own emotions. He knows what he has between him and the ace, and knowing that and seeing something like this happen all the time crushed him. The only thing the setter didn't know was how obvious he was pinning after the ace to his teammates and managers.

"Hey, hey, Bokuto senpai," calls out by a random girl, "Who's that guy over there, the one wearing number 5." she points at Akaashi, who now averted his eyes immediately away from Bokuto and started talking to Yukie.

"Yeah, I don't think we've seen him before."

"Isn't he that nerd from Class 1?"

"I think sensei offered me a tutor from him."

"Wasn't he wearing glasses? He looks kinda hot without them."

Each comment passes to Bokuto's ears made him bite the insides of his cheeks. There was no way they were going after Akaashi.

"Ah, well, that over there ladies is our setter, Akaashi Keiji. He just joined in a month ago so he's still kinda shy." Konoha, another close friend of Bokuto and his teammate steps in the conversation, "He's single but I don't think it's easy to catch a fella like him." he jabs the ace's chest with his arm, hinting him about something with his eyebrows moving up and down.

Wincing at the slight pain, he glares at Konoha, "I don't think it's a good idea to pin for Kaashi, ladies." he finally spoke, this time his tone somehow getting lower only to be noticed by Konoha who was quietly snickering behind his fist, walking away to go talk to the red haired manager.

"Why not, Bokuto?"

"Does he already have his eye on someone?"

Contemplating whether or not he should admit it, Bokuto blurts out, "Yes! Well no! Soon, someone's already have their eye on him and well," glancing slightly at Akaashi with a hint of longing and impatience, he holds himself together and lets out a sigh, "That someone is trying really hard to get him to like them."

"So, did he got mad at you?" Yukie places her hands on his hips as Konoha approaches her with a sly grin on his face.

"No but he did somehow indirectly admit his love." winking at Yukie, who sighed at his little antics.

"You really are an idiot."

"So are those two."

An hour passes, Bokuto managed to get all of his fans out for them to resume packing up and cleaning the gym. Akaashi was silent after the entire fiasco and placed each ball on the basket carefully, still deep in thought about his friend.

Bokuto notices how quiet he has grown. It wasn't the normal kind of quiet he's known to Akaashi, but rather this one seemed to be sad, "Hey, Yukie. What's up with Kaashi? He hasn't spoken to anyone, let alone, me." finally done lowering the net, Yukie sighs once more and lightly smacks his head with her clipboard, earning a small whine from Bokuto.

"Honestly, can't you take a hint Bokuto?"

For the past four months, since Akaashi's first day in the University. When Bokuto had decided to introduce him to his group of friends, despite them being older than him, they could already see how fond the owl haired male was with the smaller male.

Even before Akaashi was introduced, he was all he talks about with them during dismissal or anytime they'd get together. Everytime they'd go ahead to the cafeteria, they can see his eyes caught in his direction all the time. The kind of eyes that showed so much emotion to volleyball.

And once they got to know Akaashi, they thiught to themselves they were going to be fine knowing Akaashi wasn't as dense as their baby like captain was.

Oh how wrong they were.

Akaashi had gotten close to Yukie for the oast two months since she was mostly on her own. Kaori was always with Konoha and Washio since she was in the same class they were, but different schedules. When Yukie found out that Akaashi did too, have emotions for Bokuto, she was giddy. But when she heard him utter out, "I don't think he likes me." that's when the frustration built up. Doesn't he notice the way he was being stared at or even the lingering hand on his shoulder whenever Bokuto pats him?

"What hint?" his tone was troubled, Bokuto was truly lost at this moment, not knowing what had caused his beloved friend to feel this way.

"Try talking to him later, Bokuto," patting his shoulder, "And please, tell him already." letting go of him, Yukie walks away with the rest of the team, leaving Bokuto behind to think.

"Tell him what though?"

Back to their dorms, Akaashi rubs his eyes using his fingers to ease the tension that had been laid upon his shoulders for the past few hours. Admittedly, he has this kind of bitterness flowing in his blood remembering the events earlier, but after a few seconds, those bitterness occurred to his insecurities. He was used to over thinking a lot when he was alone, but never about another person. It was always about him.

Groaning loudly he lands his face on the plush of his pillow, releasing a shaky breath as he looks at the bedside Bokuto owns, "Why did it had to be you?"

"Who are you talking about Kaashi?"

Jolting up at the sound of the door clicking behind him, Akaashi could only stare into his face with the orange light of their room illuminating his features in the dark night. Being roommates was harder when you were living with someone that literally shakes your entire world.

"Nothing." plopping back down on his pillow, Akaashi exhales deeply. To Bokuto, it seemed Akaashi was more frustrated to see him here, but to the timid male, he was just calming his heart from beating erratically inside of him. Hearing his footsteps closing in, he thoughts to himself he was finally going to sleep. What surprised him and made his face flush against the pillow was when he felt his bed dip down from his feet as Bokuto sat down.

"Are you mad at me Kaashi?" Bokuto looks at his back side in worry, "You haven't talked to me after practice. You even left without me today." There was a tinge of guilt inside Akaashi. He didn't realize he left Bokuto alone after he left since they always walk together back in the dorms.

When Bokuto heard no reply, he continues, "Yukie told me something about not taking a hint on something? I don't really get it," golden eyes averting up on their dim light of the room, "But the more I thought about it on the way back, all I could think of was you, Kaashi."

Holy shit, he wasn't going to do it now.

"I know it sounds lame, but I really did thought of what she said and all that pops out was you, you get where I'm getting at, right?" Bokuto had his arms on his legs by now from moving into motion as he spoke. Meanwhile if Akaashi were to sit up, his heartbeat might've been already heard.

Gulping quietly, feeling Bokuto's eyes watching him intently, all he could do was shake his head slowly. He wanted him to go on. He needed to hear where he was going with this. He can feel the vibrations of his light chuckling from his body as Bokuto sighs.

"Usually I'm not afraid of doing something out of the blue, y'know? You've seen me do some weird crap all the time." Akaashi's light laugh muffles against his pillow as he continues, "But when it comes to these, it really gets into me. Telling someone how you feel about them."

The last line made Akaashi almost ascend to heaven. Was he dreaming? Was he expecting too much to know what was going to happen next? The numerous scenarios running through his head all mixing up, causing his cheeks to flare up. They got worse when Bokuto landed a soft palm on the small of his back, jolting a bit from the sudden contact.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that," Bokuto pauses, shifting his position closer to Akaashi, leaning his head next to his ear, "I like you."

Shivering at his warm breath against his ear, Akaashi bit his lower lip at the small rush of arousal from his lower regions, clenching his thighs together to ease himself.

"I like you. I don't know why it connects to Yukie's words, but somehow telling you this at this moment felt kinda right." he gave his back a small stroke for comfort, noticing him tensing after uttering out his sudden confession, "You probably don't like me, Kaashi. It's not everyday you see someone the same gender as you say that nonchalantly." chuckling out sadly, he smiles, "Still, I'm still here for you. So please, whatever is bothering you, tell me. We can dismiss what just happened now."

Not liking the end of his sentence, Akaashi grabs his hand from behind and sits up quick, "No! That's not what I meant, Bokuto." both were in shock and daze. Their faces held a tinge of redness in them, for Bokuto, Akaashi looked way more tempting than he already was with his added messy appearance.

"I-I'm sorry I left you unintentionally." he glances down at his smaller hands being held by himself, fighting away the butterflies as his feet were getting colder, "I was just really troubled by those people," he explains, "It had been a bother to me that you were always crowded by so many people...That I began to look down at myself." he grips his hand as he thought about how painful it was to endure the same scene as earlier everyday.

"What's worse is that I have feelings for you.." Finally admitting with quivering lips, "I like you, but there were so many people better than a squanny nerd like me." sighing, he lowers his forehead on Bokuto's hand that he held, avoiding eye contact. Despite having to hear his confession first, he was in fear of the future he had no idea what held the possibilities that might hurt him.

"Kaashi, why do you think I came here, sitting down on your bed, and telling you that I like you," each line he said, his voice was going lower, huskier, followed by moving his hand away from his forehead and cupping his cheek, "And just you."

Akaashi was shaking on his spot. He didn't know what to do consisting this was his first time to be experiencing this. And his first instinct?

Was kissing him.

It caught Bokuto off guard and balance, luckily he stabilizes himself by carrying his weight with one hand leaned on the mattress, and the other pulling Akaashi closer in the kiss. Both males were stuck being oblivious to each other, now getting addicted into something that they've wanted for so long ever since they've encountered each other.

Akaashi whimpers a bit feeling Bokuto's tongue swipe his lower lips for entrance, in obligating, he allows himself to be dominated by the muscled male, letting himself gently fall back into bed with him hovering over him. Hands making their way on his sides to squeeze them, making him squeak and melt into the kiss.

Pulling away panting from the loss of oxygen, they both stared at each other in daze and with so much love.

"I guess you made your own point there, Kaashi." Bokuto teases, lacing his hands together from the side of Akaashi's head.

"Shut up, please." he scoffs, pushing his head to his side to feel less embarrassed of his vulnerable state. Bokuto chuckles, peppering the side of his cheek with kisses and affection.

"I'm kidding, Keiji. I've been wanting to kiss you too."

He sees the way Akaashi's cheeks reddened from calling him by his first name. It felt so right coming from his mouth. And he loved every second of it.

"So why don't you do it again..."

"Do what again?"

"Koutarou..."

"I'M KIDDING— KAASHI WAIT NO, DON'T GET UP."

He laughs, and it was music to Bokuto's ears. Making him flustered above him. Akaashi pulls him by the neck, an inch aay from his face, "Does this mean I'm your boyfriend now?" he asks, his voice lacing with worry.

"Well you are my boyfriend, but you can ve the girlfriend if you want." Bokuto teases once more, before giving his pouting lips a short kiss of confirmation,

"But yes, I'm all yours now, Keiji."

[fleckcmscott]

To Have and To Hold

Summary: Y/N makes an oversight at work. The resulting extra hours with Arthur delight them both.

Warnings: Swearing, Smut

Words: 4,272

A/N: This story had been kicking around in my head for about two months, but I hadn’t been sure if I was going to write it. Then I read @sweet-nothings04‘s amazing Hand-in-Hand (which you all need to check out, if you haven’t), and knew I had to put it on paper. Thanks to her for the inspiration to finally develop this, and for the title, too!

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open! 

Perhaps it was the sunshine that stirred her. Or the horns of traffic on congested streets. The hammering of a distant construction site. The chatter and occasional yelling of passersby.  The hum of Gotham awakening.

Y/N blinked in confusion - how could it be so bright this early? - and squinted at the clock at Arthur's side of the bed. No numbers greeted her, just its blank, plastic display. Stretching, she reached to her left for her watch, in its spot by the beige rotary phone on the nightstand.

"Shit!"

Nearly knocking over her glass of water, she clambered off the mattress. Arthur had warned her the lights could go off in his apartment. Not often and not for long. But enough to annoy. Naturally, his building's shoddy electricity had to mess with the alarm today. When she'd stayed up too late. When he'd had to leave ahead of her to commute to the other end of the city for a rare winter gig. When her body had chosen to oversleep in the coziness of his blankets.

Her nylons had never been yanked on with such haste. Arthur had made coffee but she skipped it in favor of brushing her teeth. Pausing on her way out, she took a calcium supplement and grabbed a note from the counter. She read it while riding the wood-paneled, graffiti covered elevator: "Your presentashin will be great. You snored a lot. Good thing your cute. - Arthur." He always signed his name. As though she wouldn't recognize his scrawl. As if anyone else wrote her sweet, sassy missives. She grinned until she hopped on the for-once punctual subway.

The presentation he'd referred to was set for that afternoon. She was expected to discuss the evidence and court file for this week's contested hearing. Last night, she'd sat at Arthur's breakfast bar to compile the case's final details and finish prep sheets. Gently, she'd rebuffed his subtle advances. His attempts to draw her attention from work to him.

Excitement had been palpable as he'd hovered near her. She was fairly certain she knew the cause because it enthused her as well. In three and a half short weeks, he'd be moving in with her. They'd officially begin traversing whatever the future held for them together. Hesitation had been clear in his posture, his drawn shoulders when (after plenty of convincing on her part that yes, she really, really, wanted him) he'd finally accepted the key to her place. But since he'd added it to his own keyring, he'd brightened. Strode a little taller. Walked a little prouder. Touched a little bolder. As though the weight he carried had lessened, at least by a couple cinder blocks' worth.

At his slight pout, she'd decided to find a way to involve him. He'd perched on the stool next to her, rested his cigarette in the pink ashtray to the left, and taken the proffered exhibit stickers with a quirked brow. Y/N had handed him papers, which he'd added labels to for her to write on. Then she'd stacked them in four different piles according to type. It had taken longer than usual - she was faster alone. But the intimacy of sharing the professional elements of her life with Arthur (besides the office wear he liked, claiming it showed how "smart" and "pretty" she was) had tightened her chest. And the curved-up corner of his thin lips had reflected how pleased he was, too.

They hadn't been able to collaborate on everything, however. It was past midnight by the time she'd joined Arthur, who had retreated to the bedroom an hour or so earlier. He'd been sitting against the headboard, half under the cover. The harsh blue light emanating from the old black and white TV at the foot of the bed had sharpened his features. Deepened the set of his eyes. He'd stubbed out his smoke as she closed the door. "I taped The Honeymoon Game. We can watch it when you're here again." A beat. "If you're not busy."

"This is supposed to be my last big project for a month or so." Sighing, she'd gotten her nightgown from her overnight bag. "I didn't mean for it to take all evening." She climbed in next to him and threw her arm across his lap. "I'm sorry."

He'd been stiff. Unyielding. The telltale signs he was miffed or upset. But he'd twined her hair around his finger, let his touch fall to her brow bone. "It's okay," he'd said lowly, adjusting to lie alongside her. "I don't want to be... I'm not being fair."

"You don't have to pretend with me, Arthur. It's all right to be annoyed." Tiredness had pulled at her as she'd fought to watch the rest of Gotham Tomorrow Tonight. The contact of his socked toes to her bare ones had made her smile, though, and she'd nuzzled his bicep. "I missed you," she'd mumbled, then promptly passed out.

The squeal of wheels on metal tracks prompted her to sling her canvas tote onto her shoulder. Shaw & Associates was a short sprint from the nearest station. She was certain she looked ridiculous, running down the street in her high heels. But she managed to slip into the office with two minutes to spare. Once she poured herself a cup of joe and straightened her blazer, she settled in her cushioned chair to get started.

It was only when Matt told her he wanted to meet before lunch that she'd rummaged in her bag. And realized she'd neglected to bring the file. Recalled it was sitting on Arthur's kitchen counter.

Fuck.

Her nails tapped the wood surface of her desk. Excusing herself to the bathroom so she could go retrieve it wouldn't fly. Matt would send a search party. She could try to discuss everything from memory, tell him documents were still being gathered. But he wasn't that oblivious. She settled on owning her error. "It's at home." Her delivery was nonchalant.

He waited until she'd loaded her typewriter with paper, then responded wryly. "You're not supposed to take files home anymore. Remember what happened last time?"

She leaned back as he stepped in front of her. "There was the slew of family cases that came in. With Patricia on leave, I'm handling all our calls and mail. Not to mention paperwork on her filings. It wouldn't have gotten finished if I hadn't taken it." Snorting, she shook her head at herself. Heat bloomed in her neck. "Not that it matters when I don't have it."

Expression softening, Matt stuck his hands in his pockets and jutted his chin at her. "How long did you work on it?"

It was hard to discern if he actually cared about the hours she put in. Or if he merely wanted to gauge the possibility of her doing investigations off the books again, something he'd explicitly prohibited. "I don't know." She waved dismissively. "Three or four hours?"

He let out a huff. "You put in enough time already. Go home at noon. We'll get to it first thing tomorrow."

"I have a lot to do." Her eyes widened at the myriad piles of folders laying around. "And I can't imagine you playing operator."

"I've managed when you've both been in court or at appointments. Besides," he continued as he headed back to his office. "You never take days off."

Straightening, she wheeled her chair to watch him plop down on his leather seat. "I'm taking three days next month," she countered.

His glare contained an unequal mix of mirth and consternation. "Y/N?"

The phone started ringing. She succeeded in making one ear ignore it. "Yes?"

"I know you haven't forgiven me for that whole Renew Corp. thing." She flinched at the casual mention of the company she loathed. Of her failure. But she forced herself to listen. Matt picked up a pen and started writing. “Rather than being stubborn, try saying, 'You're right.'"

~~~~~

Y/N stood in front of the narrow, white stove, stirring the soup she'd thrown together using bouillon, carrots, onions, and pasta. Ingredients she'd found in Arthur's kitchen. Music poured, at a respectable volume, from the radio on the windowsill. Swaying out-of-time, she added a sprinkling of black pepper, one of the only three spices he had (along with powdered garlic and salt). Wearing a content smirk, she sampled the steaming broth.

When she'd left the office, she'd been frustrated at herself. Yes, she was human. Everyone made mistakes. But she wasn't the forgetful type. Particularly if someone was depending on her. However, as she'd stopped in Burnley for another change of clothes, hopped on the train to Otisburg, and pictured Arthur's reaction to finding her in his home instead of having to call to wish her sweet dreams, her disposition had improved. Not only would he have her for an extra night. He'd get a late lunch, too.

The click of the deadbolt and clank of his keys on the entrance table came the second she turned off the stove. She listened to his heavy exhale as his bag dropped to the floor and shut the door. In her peripheral vision he froze, then approached tentatively. She reveled in his delicate hold on the dip of her waist, the peck he planted on her cheek. The smell of greasepaint wafted to her nose. "I hoped I hadn't made this up," he sighed with what sounded like relief. "But your meeting."

She angled herself towards him, gaze roving over his red and blue plaid blazer. The painted-on smile. His irresistible brown curls, mostly flattened by the wig he'd worn. Fidgeting with the petals of the squirting flower on his lapel, she scrunched up her face. "This morning went to shit." She explained the power outage, the clock, her own stupidity at leaving the file in his apartment. "I've packed it. Don't worry."

His posture grew pensive. "Sorry. Maybe- Maybe we should have stayed at your place. Your building's better."

Him thinking her error was somehow his fault had to be nipped in the bud. "No," she said. "You asked to make more memories here before we move in together. I'm happy to do that."

He paused, long enough she could have sworn she'd heard the gears in his head grinding. "Are you in trouble?"

Not unexpectedly, he had put together her mistake and her early dismissal from work and assumed the worst. "If I wasn't fired for trying to stop the Waynes, it's going to take more than an oversight to get me thrown out on my ass." Her brow furrowed. She sneaked a hand under his jacket and placed her palm on his chest. "I just hate that I wasted last night for nothing."

Soft lips, slightly sticky with red paint, grazed her temple. "It's okay," he said. "You're here now. And I got to help you."

The balm of his kindness loosened her rigid stance. His zeal to assist her, to ask questions, to learn about every aspect of her branded her heart completely. She leaned into him, kissed the squishy fold of skin under his chin, and nudged his ribs. "Food's ready. Go change. I want to hear all about your day."

Arthur emerged from the bathroom within minutes, clad in his worn, blue house pants and toweling his hair. Dimples were on constant display while they ate. The glint in his eyes was the one he usually had if his act or a job had gone particularly well, if he was pleased with himself. Was the one starting to be an almost weekly occurrence. Was the one that made his green eyes sparkle and caused her stomach to flip. He inched closer to her with every sentence.

The kids at the new children’s medical center had liked Carnival, he said. They hadn’t minded that he’d "filled in" for Gary. The magic tricks had all gone without a hitch, and the clinic had provided the balloons, which was a savings. The nurses and doctors had been nice; they’d even asked for his card. He’d had to provide a slip of paper with his address and telephone number instead. But he was sure he’d be invited to perform again. And he asked Y/N for help writing Gary a thank you note for the referral, claiming, “You’re better at that than me.”

“You’re the one who journals every day.” Her bowl and spoon clattered in the sink. “And your letter to me was beautiful. Just let me proofread it.”

Soon they were reclined on the sofa, sharing the flat pillow he’d used when he’d had no choice but to sleep there. The tape he’d recorded yesterday was playing. The Honeymoon Game had been a casual watch before, he’d explained. Not a nightly ritual like Murray. Given that he had a girlfriend and was a boyfriend himself, it had become fun to view.

She was only half-focused on the TV’s talking heads. Her mind was drifting to moving day, which filled her with gladness. She examined the plaid walls, the white cream color ceiling, the knick-knacks strewn about in the glow of the setting sun. The lantern with an owl hanging in the corner; the green, plastic drawers by the television; the curio cabinet... They were all a part of 8J, but assuredly not a part of him. How much would he be bringing with him, she wondered. And what would he be leaving behind?

“With one sugar and a shot of milk.” Arthur’s lively voice broke through her contemplation. Ah. He was reacting to the questions posed to the contestants, and making the answers about her, as he was wont to do.

She nestled back into the pleasant warmth of his firm frame. “Three sugars,” she replied, confirming she knew how he took his coffee. They continued to play along, with him showing off everything he’d memorized about her, and her replying with what she’d gathered about him.

Eventually, he shifted behind her. Raised himself on his elbow. “How did you know you loved me?”

Her hum was soft. Short. Possible responses were multitude. She’d suspected she could fall for him early on. When he’d wanted to repay her for doing what anyone should have done on the subway. And the first time he’d had the courage to call her after they’d split a slice of pie, his slight stammer revealing his nervousness. Maybe she’d say it was how slowly he’d drunken his wine during dinner, initially squinting as he sipped, his inexperience with alcohol obvious.

But she chose to go with what she believed was truest. What she assumed he’d hear most keenly. “Before we slept together, I hadn’t been with anyone for four years. And even then, it was different.” His hand splayed on her abdomen, thumb dragging along the waistband of her green leggings. A delightful ache flared in her center. “When I woke up, I felt perfect.”

“You felt like you were perfect?”

“No, silly,” she laughed, batting his forearm. “I knew I hadn't made a mistake. I reached out to your side, first thing - I’d thought of it that way, even then.” At the sensation of his hardening shaft against her rear, she giggled. “You’d made me so happy. You always do. I wanted to you to bed me again.”

The round tip of his nose skimmed her cheek, and she shivered at the dip of his fingers into her panties. “I want to again,” he rasped, paraphrasing her. The grind of his length was making her light-headed, and she twisted her torso to look at him. “I’ve been thinking about it.” Cheekbones glowing, he averted his eyes. “Ever since I woke up.”

“My monthly started,” she said regretfully. His descent halted, and a groan of frustration left him as he lowered his forehead to her shoulder. She mused. While he was becoming more apt to say what he desired, it happened rarely. But she loved it and didn’t want to discourage him from letting himself be assertive. Would he be offended by her suggestion? “I freshened up before we laid down. I have a tampon in. There are other things we can do.” She pressed her lips together, hoping she didn’t sound presumptuous. “If you’re comforta-“

“I’m comfortable.” His mouth quickly claimed hers, opening on a sigh. The tip of his tongue laved at the seam of her lips, and his messy enthusiasm made her whimper. Leaving a scorching trail in its wake, his hand traversed to her upper leg, gliding over the crease where her thigh and vulva met.

Shallow breaths caressed the nape of her neck, stoking the heat threatening to consume her. But the studio audience blaring from the television’s mono-speaker kept wresting her out of her haze. She snatched the VCR remote from the coffee table and hit the pause button.

The tease of his fingertips at her dark curls caused the peaks of her breasts to stiffen. She gasped as the rough fabric of her sweater dragged along them. His fore- and ring fingers spread her outer lips and she shuddered. The leisureliness of his fondling didn’t detract from its intoxicating effect.

Though it was a tad rough. “You’re kinda dry. Hold on.” Swiftly, he brought his hand to his mouth and wet his fingertips. Y/N blinked at him. It was clear he thought nothing of it, which shouldn’t have been a surprise, considering he’d confided he liked going down on her. Still. Seeing this normally reserved man improvise so he could pleasure her made her center throb with need.

Y/N was doing her damnedest to get her leggings and underwear down. Arthur snorted at her spirited, failed attempt at kicking them away. “It’s okay,” he chuckled, pushing them off her ankles with his foot. Then his touch fluttered at her swollen folds. She arched into him, already feeling as though she would burst. Bent at the knee, her leg lifted until her foot was flat on the couch cushion, allowing him easier access. He took advantage, sweeping forward and back along the rigid line of her engorged clitoral hood. She rolled towards him subtly, her moans getting louder with each tap to her sensitive nub.

Still holding himself up, he cradled her head. "Your sounds make me crazy," he said lowly. Once his hips started following hers, faintly rutting against the flesh of her backside, she closed her eyes. Hurriedly, she reached behind her to yank at his pajamas. "What?" he asked.

"I want to feel you," she whispered. There was a huff and some fumbling. And moments later his cock was settled at the cleft of her bottom. She bit her lip, savoring the weight of him. God, he felt wonderful.

His fingertips whispered over her clit, daring to follow the edge of her inner labia. She heard him gulp. "How does it feel when we're together? When- When I'm in you?"

"Warm. Full. Like you belong there," she replied with a smile. That last part of her response must have been unexpected, given that his grazes ceased and he trembled. "Don't stop," she whined, placing her hand on his. "Please, Arthur. You know just how to touch me."

Groaning, he started anew, deftly swiping quicker and quicker. The undulations of her pelvis hastened unevenly, begging both for release and for their coupling to last forever. She ran her palm up her torso, kneading her breast and plucking at her nipple. He nuzzled at her ear, grunting low in the back of his throat. Winding her fingers into his loose waves, she tugged lightly. Her belly twitched. Her whole frame tingled.

His skillful touch. The love they had for one another. The noises he was making in the crook of her shoulder. They all combined to throw her over the edge, and a wave of pleasure crashed through her. She cried his name brokenly, feeling empty without him inside her. But he kept holding her, guiding her through the crests of her climax. She was gasping, struggling to suck in air. Surely, she thought, he could detect the thundering of her heart against her ribs.

Gradually, the quivering grip she had on his locks eased. The kisses he planted on her neck were open-mouthed, desperate. And he hadn't halted the ardent movements of his hips. Y/N turned onto her other side. Gazing at him, she raked his curls out of his face, caressed his cheekbone with her knuckles. His look was hungry, darkened with need. The creases between his brows deepened as her hand trailed through the sparse dusting of hair on his chest.

There was a youthful charm to this situation, she considered. To them craving each other but not completely joining. It reminded her of being a teenager. When she'd been curious and horny, but nervous and not quite ready to go "all the way" with her ex. Being with Arthur allowed her to do all that again. To relive those experiences, to explore and make discoveries with him. To fall further in love with him daily.

She tenderly pecked the freckles at the top of his sternum, nestled against the notch above his clavicle. "I'm lucky to have you."

He didn't miss a beat, even as she trailed past the ticklish spots on his flank. "I'm luckier."

"I disagree." She outlined the slender muscles of his stomach, the v-lines leading to his cock. Played with the springy, brown curls at the base of him. "Without you, I'd only have my work. Which was enough before. But not now." After a moment, she concluded she was being sappy. She had to change it up. "And I wouldn't be having the best sex of my life."

Clearly flustered, he muffled his laugh. "Really?" His blush was prominent, his grin ecstatic.

"Really." Groans short and sudden, he rocked into her touch when she encircled his ample girth. Her fingers danced along his shaft, marveling at the contrast of his velvety skin with how hard he was. Pumping up and down, she tugged at him, trying to match the speed of his thrusts. He nudged his nose to hers, gazing at her before his hooded eyes flitted to watch what she was doing. Then she looked, too.

The sight of him fucking into her hand made her dizzy with want, even though he'd just gotten her off. The crimson, swollen head glistened, slick beading generously at the tip. Y/N licked her lips and spread it around him with the pad of her thumb. Moaning sharply, he bucked harder. Her motions quickened, flicking repeatedly at the notch on the underside.

Demand was implicit in the grasp he had on her upper arm. And it strengthened as his hips' stuttered, becoming unpredictable. Ragged pants hit her face. "I'm- I'm gonna make a mess.”

"It's all right," she soothed. Keeping ahold of him, she lay on her back. He followed and settled on top of her. Whimpering her name, he rubbed himself against her labia. But she gently pushed him onto his knees and continued palming him, her fingers teasing the ridge on his erection. It wouldn't take long to make him come. She could see it in the clench of his jaw, the tightening cords in his neck, his abrupt, needy cries...

Plunging forward, he held himself in place, grunting, clutching her urgently. His release hit her abdomen, warm and wet, and she gasped, her body curving up towards him. The feel of him spilling onto her couldn't completely distract her, though. Not from the beauty of his parted lips. Not from the relief that gradually spread across his features. Not from the slackening of his muscles as tension ebbed.

Sweat had gathered on his forehead. A droplet ran from the end of a dark brow to his jawline. Then he kissed her, his mouth groping at hers. "I love you," he said. He gave her one last peck and sat up on his knees. Holding onto the arm of the sofa, he retrieved her underwear from the floor and wiped her belly off. "That was fun." He tucked his chin bashfully.

"I concur." She entwined their hands and sat, then stretched as she pushed herself to stand and walk to the bathroom. The washcloth he'd designated as hers hung on the hook by the towels. She cleaned herself, listening as Arthur started the show again.

A new round of questions was just beginning. "When you and your spouse first met," the host started, "what was your first impression?"

Arthur's answer was instant. "Nice."

Y/N said the first thing that came to mind. "Handsome."

She popped her head out of the room to find him leaning on the entrance of the short corridor, beaming at her with hitched giggles. He was probably waiting for his turn to clean up. Like he normally did. But she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. Loving eyes met hers and his brows lifted expectantly. "Yes?"

Smiling, she wrung out the washcloth and put it back in its place. She stepped to him with a smile and smoothed his hair back. The rush of happiness in her soul, one she wasn't even sure she had, enamored her. Not only at what they'd shared on his old, scratchy sofa. But at Arthur being Arthur. At knowing soon she'd get to sleep next to him every night. Build a life with him, one she hadn't dreamed of even six months ago. Nothing she could say seemed adequate. So she went with a kind gesture, one she knew he'd appreciate. "I'll make us some decaf. And I love you, too."

~~~~~

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​ @howdylilflower​ @sweet-nothings04​ @stephieraptorr​ @rommies​ @fallenstarsabyss​ @gruffle1​ @octopus-plasma​ @tsukiakarinobara​ @arthur-flecks-lovely-smile​ @another-day-in-chuckletown​ @hhandley80​ @jokerownsmysoul​ @mrscarnival

[snarkwriteswrasslin]

FFT: I'm Erasing Myself From the Narrative

Okay, so.. Here’s the deal. I’m... trying things here. This idea just came out of nowhere and it was good. And I never feel like writing angst, but today it just felt right, so.. I went with it. The only problem?

I don’t /exactly/ know who this is even going to be about or where the hell I’m going with it. I do know that this is the first part and the next ask you sent that kind of flips this, that’s going to be the second part. Let’s all pray I figure out who tf I’m writing about by then. Because right now? I got no clue.

SO... bearing that in mind, if anyone has any input, feel free. It’ll be considered as I’m writing the second part. I already know I wanna go 1 of two ways with it. Which way, idk.. But.. yeah. This was.. me trying something.

Warnings: Angst. So much angst. Or my /attempt/ at angst. Maybe the next part will be happier, who knows.

Tag Squad:

@kyleoreillysknee

@rampagewriting

@writertoo18

@thatnerdwriter

@wrestlingismyguiltypleasure

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@unabashedwrestlefics

@adampage

@cabotcoves

@dietwrestling

@heelsamizayn

@missjenniferb

@cowboyshit

[ tag list ] [ masterlist ] [ about ]

“ Look, this isn’t working.” his quiet statement shattered the heavy silence in the room. At first, I was only half listening, to intent on getting ready to dash out the door to work, trying to find everything I needed. But when it hit me, what he said… It hit me hard.

The words stopped me in my tracks and it felt like someone reaching into my chest and ripping out my heart. I turned back to look at him, biting my lip. I was too afraid to say anything because deep down, I knew he was right.

I can’t live with being his second choice like I know I was. But every part of me wants to love him and wants this to work out. Every part of me wants to defy the fact that the deck’s stacked against us and it has been from the beginning.

“It’s not you, okay? It’s me.” His voice dropped on the last two words and his gaze dropped. I almost tried to reassure him. But the truth of the matter is maybe I know he’s right. Maybe I blame him for not being able to love me like I wanted.

Like I deserved.

Maybe I secretly loathe the way he’s always watching her, even though she dumped him and she’s beyond moved on. It hurts. It hurts and lately, I’ve come to the realization that I’m not happy living like this. I’m not happy pretending everything’s okay between us when I know there wouldn’t be an us if he were better at being alone. But hell, I’m no better at being alone than he is. Because look at me, hanging on.

The sigh left my mouth and I swallowed hard, shrugging.

“You’re not wrong.” I muttered, mostly to myself. I winced at the harsh words when I saw him tense up slightly.  “Shit. I shouldn’t have said that.” I’ve never liked hurting someone.

,, to be fair, he’s always hurting you without even trying because he can’t just let go of the past.”  the thought came crawling to the front of my brain and this time, I didn’t ignore it. Ignoring things and refusing to feel them or acknowledge they hurt is the whole reason I’ve been able to stay this long and well… Maybe I don’t want to anymore.

“I deserved that.” he shook his head, almost in a sad way. I swallowed hard, willing myself not to cry. I didn’t dare meet his gaze right now, so in order to keep from doing so, I pretended to dig through my purse. Then I reapplied my favorite red lipstick, even though I didn’t need to.

My hands were all shaky and I managed to smear the edge, swearing quietly to myself and going for one of the makeup wipes I keep on me. 

“Are you going to say anything?” he asked, tilting his head as he looked down at me, almost like he was waiting, hoping I would say anything, do anything to stop him. But I couldn’t. I tried, believe me. My mouth opened only to close again and no matter how bad this is killing me I couldn’t make myself say anything or do anything.

I turned to look at him finally. “There’s nothing more to say. Were you expecting me to fight for something that’s not working? Did you want me to force you to stay? What good will that do either of us?” I bent slightly as I asked, slipping the heel onto my foot. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists at his sides, staring at the floor like he was trying to think of something to say.

“Hey, if you leave tonight, will you leave the key? Mine hasn’t been working properly as of late.” I turned back to look at him and raised a hand, dragging it through my hair. The shock was still settled in.

Either that or I was more relieved than anything. I honestly couldn’t be sure. 

“This is really over.” he said it quietly, his tone full of disbelief. I bit my lip and found myself staring at him, thinking on it. Did I really want to just let go?

“Yeah. It’s over. You’re right. It wasn’t working. I.. I have to go now, I’ll be late if I don’t.” And with that, I took a deep breath, gathered my purse and jacket and I walked out of the door to my apartment. 

I don’t think what happened actually hit me until I got back home from work that night and found all his things gone. I let myself have the hurt and the tears; the empty feeling I felt at having the apartment all to myself again. And then I got up and started taking down the photos on the wall and sitting around my apartment, packing them away somewhere. If I left them out and I stumbled across one in a moment of pain, I knew myself well enough to know I’d be going back to him. I’d be fighting for something not meant to be.

And I’ve always known that I couldn’t just settle. I don’t want to be someone’s silver. I want to be someone’s gold. So if I wind up lonely the rest of my life, so be it. I’ve ignored what I want long enough.

I’m not going to ignore it anymore. Tonight, I’m erasing myself from the narrative of our story. Because if I don’t, I’ll never get the courage to write my own chapter.

[shawnpetermuffins]

Convenient Girlfriend

Summary: You're not sure if you are still important to Shawn, and you've been putting off this fight for long enough.

A/n: this is probably my favorite thing I've written thus far, honestly.

Requested: no

Warning: angst, so much angst

Word count: 1,535

***

Neither of us have said a word since dinner with Matt and Brian. Actually, neither of us have said a word to each other since before dinner. He talked to his friends the whole time and I interjected only when spoken to. I wasn't in the mood for a long night out, and knowing them, they'd want to go get drinks after, and I was in the unfortunate situation of coming with Shawn - meaning I had no way to leave without him. Calling an uber would, for one, be rude. And two, prove to the guys that something wasn't right with me and Shawn. Not that they needed to know that. Not that Shawn even knew that, so it seems.

"So, are you gonna tell me what I did or are we just gonna ignore it until you get over it?" He asked after setting his keys on the table by the door.

I scoffed, no longer in the mood to hide my obvious irritation.

"Not talking? Okay, I'll talk. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. It'd be nice to know what it was, though, seeing as I've barely said a word all day."

"That," I said facing him. "That is the problem. You haven't said fucking anything to me all day - Sorry, all week."

He shrugged, "there hasn't been much to say. Nothing's happened."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, "everything's happened," I mumbled. "You've just chosen not to see it."

"See what, y/n? What am I not seeing?" He threw his hands up in frustration.

“I’m only your girlfriend when it’s convenient for you, Shawn!"

"What that supposed to mean?" He crossed his arms defensively.

"A fan’s getting a little too close to you, ‘hey, you know I have a girlfriend, right?’ The boys want to go out, but you don’t? ‘Can’t tonight, the girlfriend wants me home.’ Do you know how that makes me look to your friends when you say that shit? Not to mention, you say it and you don’t even spend time with me. You lock yourself in your studio and don’t come out for hours on end.”

“That’s not-”

“True? Fair? No, of course it’s not. But frankly, neither is our relationship.”

He flinched like I’d just hit him. “What are you saying?”

“That I’m done being your excuse.”

“My excuse? Is that really what you think you are to me?”

“We don’t spend any time together! None! I’m literally just living in your condo hoping that I might get to see you at least once a week while you’re here.”

“Y/n, you’re not my excuse.” He tried reaching for my hands.

“My name only comes up when you’re trying to get out of something. And don’t think that I’m the only one who’s noticed.”

“What are you talking about?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I had lunch with Aaliyah and your mom today.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried. I even tried inviting you. But apparently you become deaf the second I open my mouth.”  I arched an eyebrow at him. “Your sister asked me if we were still together. Said she hasn’t seen many pictures of us in a while.”

“That’s a stupid thing to ask.”

“I didn’t think so,” I shrugged. “Actually I thought it was pretty reasonable. And then I realized that I didn’t really have an answer for her.”

“You didn’t answer? You’re supposed to say ‘yes.’”

“Was I?”

“Yes!”

I scoffed, “Okay.”

He groaned and rubbed the side of his neck, “What did mum say?”

“That she misses seeing me around. Apparently she wanted to ask me to lunch directly because every time she invites you first, I’m busy.”

“You’re always busy,” he defended.

“I’m never busy! I’m especially not too busy to hang out with your family, who I love! Who have literally taken me in as their own!”

“Well I’m sorry! Next time I’ll make sure to bring you along. Get you and my parents off my back,” he mumbled the second part.

“See? That right there! You’re bringing me because you’ll get something out of it! I’m supposed to be your girlfriend, Shawn! Not someone that you hit up every once in a while because you’re lonely. We’ve been together four years! But… I don’t think I want to be your girlfriend anymore if this is what our relationship is going to look like.”

“Fine! You don't want to be my girlfriend? Then marry me!”

I stood there, just staring at him in complete shock. “What did you just say to me?”

“You're tired of being my girlfriend. So be my wife instead.”

I don't know entirely why I did it, but I shook my head. “No.”

“No?”

“No,” I confirmed, and now I know why. “You don't want to marry me, Shawn. You just want to find a solution to an unsolvable problem.”

“What? You think we can't fix this? It's one fight, y/n!”

“Today! We've fought more in the last three months that you've been home than in the four years we've been together! You're not asking me to marry you because you want me to. You're asking because you think it'll shut me up. You think this is what I want and it's not.”

“Then what the fuck do you want?! What can I do to make you happy?!” He threw his hands around like a madman, and there was no easy way for me to say this to him.

But I've been hurting here in this house for years. I'm not even second best for him. I never have been. But I’m always here when he needs someone. I've dealt with his fame and the media trying to twist our relationship every which way. I've dealt with his fans - most of them sweet and caring, never intrusive, but others that hated the idea of someone that wasn't them dating their idol. I've been to every award show he's asked me to go to because he needed someone next to him, to help show him off. I was there for his concerts when I was able to take off work. I've been there for him through everything.

And he's missed everything. He wasn't there when I graduated college because of a last minute studio session. He wasn't there to wish me luck when I started working at my dream job. Or when my anxiety got so bad that I couldn't get out of bed for two whole days. He's always been my number one priority, and it just sucks that it's taken me four years to realize that I was never his. “I want to break up.”

"No," he said definitively. "No, you don't. You can't."

"Shawn, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"I Will! I will make this hard! You're throwing four years of our lives away like it's nothing."

"You think that's what I'm doing? You think I wanted this to happen?” I ran my hands through my hair. “Of course I didn't! But you're not making this easy, bub! You're always gone! You never talk to me, whether you're here or not. I can't remember the last time we had a meal together, or the last time I woke up with you still beside me, or went to bed wrapped in your arms. I'm not the one throwing us away, Shawn. You are. You did the second you stopped telling me not to wait up for you."

He's crying - sobbing - And I want to take him in my arms and cuddle him and tell him that it'll all be okay. But he's not mine anymore, so I turn to our bedroom and start packing my things.

He came in twenty minutes later and practically growled at the sight in front of him. "No," he mumbled and shook his head.

"What?" I asked, forcefully throwing another two pairs of jeans into my suitcase.

"No," he exclaimed, causing me to flinch and then he was next to me, pulling my clothes out of my bag, throwing it aimlessly across the room.

"Shawn! Stop it!" I tried to take my stuff and put it back, but he caught my wrists.

"You're not leaving," he told me, eyes red and filled with fire, but so so tired. "We're going to fix this. Make it all better. I'm going to pay more attention and I'm gonna take you out. I will make this better. Because I am in love with you, y/n. I love you. I love you. I love you."

I hung my head, not wanting to stare at his hurt eyes any longer.

"Say it back," he begged, but I stayed silent. "Baby…" his voice cracked. "Tell me you still love me."

I took in a shuddery breath, my shoulders shaking with my unsettling, choked sobs.

"Please…" he's on his knees now, trying to catch my gaze, but I shut my eyes tight, my tears still streaming steadily.

"Of course I do," I managed to whisper and open my eyes. They met his, and I catch the tiniest amount of hope in them. "But I can't do this anymore."

And just like that, it's gone.

***

Tags: @curlyshawny @shawns-badreputation @anamariel2301

It tore me apart writing this, but I love how it turned out. I hope you guys enjoyed! 💙

Like, reblog, and leave feedback!!

[imaginesandideas]

Too much love will kill you

(part 3 of LOVE OF MY LIFE series; check out my masterlist for previous parts)

this one’s longer because I made all of you wait way too long

I'm just the pieces of the man I used to be

Too many bitter tears are raining down on me

I'm far away from home

And I've been facing this alone

For much too long

Last week was by far the most irritated with everything he remembered being. Every rehearsal has ended up with him either smashing his drums or starting a fight over whatever bullshit that could likely piss him off.

It could be anything. From Deaky’s sassy comments, through not enough cigarettes in the pack, Freddie being late, or a broken drumstick in the middle of recording.

Everything seemed to get on his nerves, and though others wouldn’t admit it, they were slowly losing their patience too.

“Roger darling, maybe you should just go, have a shag and relax. Cooling down won’t kill you.” Freddie exclaimed from the piano as Roger kept kicking his bass drum, in an attempt to focus.

“Oh fuck cooling down! I can’t play when I’m calm!”

“I’d like to point out that we haven’t recorded anything decent in a month, so clearly your rule doesn’t apply.” Deaky spoke coming up with 2 cups of coffee, one for himself, one for Freddie, at which Roger flipped him off with a huff. He knew they were right, but was far too proud to give in.

Nothing helped him to brush away the painful feeling in his chest. Seeing you has awakened some sort of bittersweet feeling that he’s been keeping hidden for the sake of carefree life. And there you were, glowing, shining even. So unaware of the pain you’ve caused him, so sweetly naive. Though he couldn’t blame you, after all he never said he got over it, maybe he just assumed you’d notice that he’s trying to be better. Better for you.

After hours of pointless sitting without achieving neither consensus, nor a single well recorded minute, Miami; with Brian’s help, dismissed Roger home. He wasn’t so happy about it, feeling as if he’d been betrayed, but decided it’s a chance for him to possibly get some sleep without those nagging thoughts he was getting at night.

Throwing his jacket and keys onto the sofa he gazed around the living room. If you could have seen that mess, you’d probably break up with him again, he thought.

Empty glasses and bottles were covering almost every piece of furniture, some of them were even scattered on the floor. Not to mention cigarettes. Horrendous amounts of them. He didn’t even think about opening the windows to let some fresh air in until that moment.

You would do that. You would force him to leave that smoky room every once in a while. You would care about getting things cleaned up. So maybe, just maybe he could do that for himself too.

Thinking about you again made that bitterness in his stomach sink even deeper, to the point of making him feel sick. Opening the balcony, he slowly stepped outside, dusty city breeze hitting him immediately and providing some sort of severe relief.

The sky was pretty grey, clouds covered the entirety of the skyline. Some kids were shouting from afar, sounds of water splashing from the neighbours’s pool.

Not looking away from the sky, his right hand wandered to the back pocket of his corduroy burgundy trousers. You hated them. You hated when he was smoking too, but since you two weren’t together anymore, he stopped trying to quit. And stopped caring so much about his appearance too.

He lit the cigarette and placed lighter he had bought on tour in America on the parapet.

Yeah, maybe he could get better. But it seemed so impossible when you weren’t the reason to.

Torn between the lover

And the love you leave behind

You're headed for disaster

'Cause you never read the signs

Too much love will kill you - every time.

He’s given you every proof that he still loved you, that he still couldn’t stop thinking about you when all you did was try to forget.

And it felt like shit. You were feeling like a traitor for making such a selfish decision, for leaving him, for giving him back your engagement ring. For putting him in your past, when in reality all he ever wanted was to be present in yours.

It was during the nights, when your mind wandered to the day of your breakup two years ago, when you had decided to end it all. The wind was blowing outside your window, not letting your thoughts drift away with sleep.

It was almost funny, how despite having a new partner, the one you planned to marry, all you could see was the look of sorrow on Roger’s face. The glistening of his disappointed eyes, the restlessness written in his brows and clenched jaw, his hollow cheeks and plucked lips, slightly open and almost trembling from the amount of emotions he’s been dealing with.

All because of you.

The more you were recalling, the more details you noticed. The more self doubts you were having.

“Brian? Umm, it’s _____.”

“_____! Long time no hear, huh?” It was past 4pm when you decided to call the person you knew and trusted enough with your concerns. You fiddled with flowers in the flacon as you thought of words to say. Brian was Roger’s long time friend, one of the best friends even, so without a doubt your whole plan was risky. Especially with the aftermaths of yours and Roger’s last meeting.

At the same time, who else could help you if not his best mate.

“Yeah, sorry if I’m interrupting! And... for not giving a sign of life for so long.” Your nervousness was clear, Brian didn’t need to see you to realize how difficult it was for you to call him. And it kind of broke him.

“No no! I actually just got back home, so you chose the right time.” Brian’s voice was so soothingly reassuring. Unbelievable how you two haven’t seen each other in a year or so, but he still managed to keep that friendly manner of his. Almost if nothing has changed. “It’s great to hear you.” A genuine smile appeared on your face and you could only wish he was able to see that.

“You too Bri. Still building guitars and destroying schemes?”

“Trying to.” He laughed. “Umm...What about you? I heard you’re, uh, stabilising soon?”

“He told you, right?”

“Well. It was hard not to hear when he forced everyone to listen to his drunk rambling one day.”

“Oh god.” You sat heavily on the sofa and exhaled over the phone. On the other side Brian leaned himself against the counter. Some time ago he’s promised himself not to get too engaged in Roger’s life choices and decisions. But even if he acted the opposite, he was more than devastated once he had found out about your broken engagement with Roger. “What did he say?”

Brian rubbed the tip of his nose with index finger as he struggled to choose the right words.

“That, uh... apparently you’re getting married and he didn’t realize it was for real until now.” Even if Roger never said that out loud, he kept his faith that one day you’ll change your mind. That it’s just a phase of yours, and that you need time. In a way, he was right. You did need time. But you no longer needed him. Or so you thought. “And that he, uh, he still loves you, which frankly speaking actually explains a lot of his recent behaviour.”

You took a deep breath. Back then, when you had decided to pack your bags and move on, you had thought that the hardest part is already behind you. What you did not expect, was Roger’s inability to let go. And that was leading you back to something you hoped to remove from your perfect breakup scenario. Doubts.

“Brian... I’m so sorry, I-I don’t even know what to say.”

“Oh! No need to apologize me _____. I shouldn’t even get involved in all this. This is your life after all.”

The phone line went silent for a while, none of you really keen on adding anything, mainly cause there was nothing more to add.

It was inevitable - no matter how much you wanted to avoid it, you had to talk to Roger.

“Um, I mean, you’ll do whatever you decide, and I’m sure you won’t regret it, but could I give you advice?” Brian’s voice was filled with both concern and care, something so brother-like.

“Of course Bri! God knows I need it...”

Brian chuckled at your words, but continued with serious voice. It sounded almost sad.

“Let your heart decide. I know how hard it is, I know you’ve been hurting, but remember those lessons and learn from them. I’m not going to convince you to anything, just know that sometimes rationality is not the best advisor. You’re strong _____. But don’t give up your vulnerability in order to keep it.”

You quickly wiped a tear that ran down your face with the back of your hand.

“Thank you Bri. I think I needed that.”

“Take care _____. And call more often! We all miss you.”

„You too Brian. Miss you all.”

That night you didn’t sleep. Your mind wandered elsewhere, through time you’ve lost, the one you saved, the time that was gone forever and the one that was ahead of you.

Like a twist of fate, your fiance was away so you’ve spent the night alone. Figuring out what to do with your indecisive heart.

~~~~~

next chapter in the works, so hopefully I won’t make you all wait as much next time!

(Comments, ideas and words of notice are always appreciated 💜)

SERIES taglist: taglist: @laubluered @ceruleanrainblues @rogersfalsettos @shae-is-not-ok @i-am-sarah @magicwithaknife @isabella-bby

Roger Taylor taglist: @rogersdrumkit @rogersfalsettos @erinhardytaylor @cyborgfromthesupermarket @sabbrriiinnaa @wolverinesbeer @simplyvictoria-93 @imamazzellhoe @shishterfackisback @rogerstambourinee @rockyroadthepastryarchy

(lmk if you want to be on/off the taglist!)

[bisexualklausmikaelson]

Break up with your girlfriend I'm bored plus klayley

a/n: au college fic/ or Hayley Marshall follows the events of Ariana Grande’s latest music video -  threesomes et al. klaus/hayley, with a dash of klaus/hayley/caroline 1. because that video was p gay so I gotta include the gay in this fic and 2. because i’m sucker for threesome fics, sorry if it’s not exactly what you wanted.

―

He has a girlfriend, Hayley reminds herself as she watches him at his desk.

She is fixated by the color of his eyes - not quite like the sky, but a bit like the ocean when the light hits it just right. A bright blue with a bit of green in them, just like a painting.

“Miss Marshall,” her professor addresses her, snapping his fingers in front of her face. “You seem to be done with your quiz, since you’re day dreaming about― “

“When you’re going to shut the hell up and let me leave class?” She cuts him off, just at the moment where he’s about to embarrass her for spying on her crush.

The professor raises a brow at her and the whole class stares in awe.

Klaus releases a soft chuckle as he watches Hayley walk out of the room.

―

She walks in on them making out in  an empty science class during lunchtime.

Caroline Forbes is all kinds of beautiful - golden locks sparkling like the sun - almost blinding her. And lips that looked as soft as clouds. Her skirt is hiked up to her waist, revealing a string of a bright red thong and long pale legs accompanied by smooth, creamy skin.

Hayley unexpectedly licks her lips at the sight of the other girl tangled in Klaus’ arms.

“Seriously?” Caroline releases, noticing Hayley’s lingering stare.

The brunette then blinks twice before picking up the books she had left behind. “Sorry,” she stammers, cheeks turning bright red. “I just forgot these here,” she says, before bolting out of the classroom.

She hears Klaus laugh at her antics again and realizes that he must think she’s a total dork.

For this was the second time in the same day that she had made a fool of herself, right in front of him.

―

(That night, Hayley makes it home before Rebekah has the chance to make fun of her for today’s antics. Surely, her brother had told her all about both awkward incidents - and god knows that Rebekah loves to tease. 

Hayley crawls into bed, hands covering her face.

She’s so glad that the day was over).

―

Later that week, he makes an appearance at Kol’s Birthday Bash.

In retrospect, Hayley knew he’d be there, it’s his brother’s birthday for god’s sake. She blames Freya for dragging her out. She blames the free booze and pizza. She blames the fact that she craves attention and Elijah will be there to shower her with his affection.

She blames the new dress she bought - the short black one that Klaus saw her eyeing that one day he went shopping with her and Rebekah.

“You look nice,” She hears someone whispers, as she turns around to face him

“Klaus,” She stammers. “Thanks,” she mumbles, looking him up and down.  “So do you,” she admits noticing how the periwinkle of his tie against the darkness of his jet black suit complimented his eyes.

“This old thing?” he smirks, shrugging.

She’s quiet for a moment, looking around him to notice that he is alone. “So,” Hayley nervously starts again. “Just you, tonight?” she asks.

He shoves a hand in his pocket and frowns. “I’m afraid Caroline’s at home, sick with the flu,” he offers. “She’s been in bed all day,” he goes to say, with a sad tone in his voice.

Hayler bites her lip. She wasn’t used to being this close to him. “Sounds pretty bad,” she tells him instead, realizing that she could practically smell him.

“It is,” he nods. “I’m just making a short appearance here, giving my brother his present, then making my way back home to look after my lovely girl,” he smiles again, when he thinks of Caroline.

And then, Hayley notices that she can smell her scent on him as well. 

Honeysuckle drops with a hint of dark chai.

“How sweet,” she mumbles. “I hope she gets better soon,” she offers, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“As do I, sweetheart,” he agrees, eyes scanning the room to spy his younger brother. “I’ll see you around, pleasure chatting with you,” he then says, as he’s off to find Kol.

“Same here,” Hayley whispers, but he’s already left her side by then.

―

That same evening, she notices that he’s making a late night trip to the convenience store nearby. Hayley’s on her way back from the party as she notices how Klaus buys a few packs of chocolates, some painkillers, and a box of tampons.

She feels a smidgen of jealousy as she notices how completely whipped this guy is for another woman.

Although, Hayley does a damn good job of hiding how she feels - so she forces herself to look away, and continued her walk back home.

―

Final exams and graduation pass by almost too quickly.

The next significant time she bumps into him isn’t until the end of the year actually. Which was good in a way, because it meant that she had done a fantastic job of avoiding him.

Despite the fact that she lived with his sister and that they went to the same school.

“Are you coming to our celebration party tonight?” He always shows up though, somehow, at the most unexpected of times. And this time, he was standing in front of her car as she was making her way to it.

Almost as if he had been waiting for her. 

“I didn’t really plan on it, to be honest,” Hayley told him, while shoving her keys into her door.

“I’m surprised,” he releases softly, leaning a hand against her vehicle. “I thought my sisters dragged you along to all the Mikaelson events,” Klaus said, as her gaze finally met his.

He really had no idea what ‘personal space’ meant, she thought. “Yeah well,” Hayley shrugs. “I managed to convince them to give me a night off,” she offers him, trying to open her car door.

“It’s a shame,” Klaus sings, stepping out of the way so she can enter her SUV. “I was looking forward to seeing you,” he quips, in that charming little tone of his.

It makes her want to melt.

“Why is that?” Hayley asks.

“I just enjoy your company,” He answers her quickly, almost too-quickly.

After all, they had only spent a handful of moments together. She wonders how such little time with her was enough to intrigue him. Maybe, she really was clueless one around here.

“Klaus,” Caroline calls him, as she makes her way out of class to meet him at his car.

“Coming, darling,” he shouts at her. He turns to face Hayley one last time, wondering is his offer still stands. “Hayley, I hope you change your mind about tonight,” he says, before turning on his heel.

“Not likely,” she whispers, after he leaves,

―

(Her new set of expensive red lacy lingerie haunts her.

She had bought it as a graduation gift to herself - sick and tired of finding excuses to put off her purchase, she did this on a whim. Hayley curses herself for it. It’s not like she had anyone to wear it for anyway.

Or maybe she did - if she accepts the offer.

The brunette bites her bottom lip, stalling for time.

“Well,” she tells herself, slipping into it slowly, “might as well put this stuff to good use.” She sang, squeezing a tight dress over the set before heading out the door).

―

The Mikaelson graduation party is just as wild as any other event of theirs.

It must be damn nice to be part of a family of elites, Hayley thinks, as she ventures inside. 

She does everything she’s supposed to do: drink a bit from the champagne fountain, play a few rounds of beer pong, get tangled up in a game of twister, smoke a joint with the girls hanging out in the balcony. She even makes her way to the pool, where Klaus and Caroline are making out like animals.

She feels like a pervert - but she can’t help but watch them.

They’re all tangled limbs and tongues sliding and licking trails up each other’s bodies - Caroline’s perfectly manicured nails tracing pale red lines down Klaus’ porcelain back, his teeth nibbling at her ear, her eyes…eyeing her?

“Hayley,” she says, mid-make-out. “Come,” she curls a finger at the other girl, and beckons her to join them.

(Hayley Marshall, in all her life, had experienced very few ‘wild sex things’ - as she liked to call them anyway. There was that time Tyler Lockwood spanked and choked her a bit during sex, back in high school. That time Stefan Salvatore had sex with her on a public beach, at night. And that time she gave Elijah a blowjob while he was driving her home from a late night out drinking with Rebekah (with the other girl passed out in the back seat, of course).

Still, a three some had never been part of the equation.

Until tonight).

She slowly steps into the pool, making her way towards the hot couple in front of her.

“I knew you’d make it, love,” Klaus whispers, smiling.

Hayley nods, shyly.

And just before they kiss, Caroline swoops in, stealing Hayley’s lips away from her boyfriend.

“We’re going to have so much fun with you,” the blonde sings, before moving aside so Klaus can finally have his turn with the girl.

Hayley feels his lips right after Caroline’s and they both taste sweet.

She lets herself be devoured - wishing that this night would never end.

―