#back home doodle :((( missed drawing my boy

[kenjo-arts]

Quick c!Dream doodle

[gyuwoncheol]

Sir, Please.

Pair: Wonwoo x f.reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut. 18+ only (MDNI).

Summary: Wonwoo doesn’t mind keeping you at the edge if it means watching you fall apart.

Warnings: Dom!Wonwoo, Sir! kink, edging, cockwarming, unprotected sex (stay safe, children), squirting, clitoral stimulation, lots of making out, creampie, pussy slapping (like once), overstimulation, dacryphilia, breast play, wrist pinning, dirty talk, use of pet names (Sir, good girl, darling, love, baby, sweetie), glorious aftercare (Wonu is the best), fluff. Please let me know if i missed something. Not proofread, might come back to fix up errors.

WC: 3k

Author’s note: First smut piece for Wonwoo my love. This was only supposed to be post-sex cuddles fluff but thought it was the right time to finally write smut for my favorite boy. As is the plot of this piece, good things come to those who wait 😏 Enjoy!

Tagging fellow Wonu lovers @multi-kpop-fanfics @playmetheclassics for the chaos.

“What’re you doing?” Your boyfriend quizzed, your bare body still on top of his, a cheek resting against his bare chest.

“Doodling,” you mumbled casually as your finger continued to draw lazy patterns on his side.

“Darling, it tickles.”

“I don’t see you flinching.”

“You’re on top of me. If I flinch, you might fall.” He stated matter-of-factly.

You craned your neck to look up at him, flashing a wide grin momentarily, “then suffer.”

You shook along with Wonwoo as he laughed at your reply, a strong arm secured tightly around your torso, while his free hand cradled the back of your head.

A large smile was permanently etched on Wonwoo’s face as you both laid in comfortable silence. When he had collapsed onto you just minutes ago after reaching his climax, he had asked so nicely if he could stay inside a little longer and who were you to complain? You’ve craved for this kind of intimacy with him for awhile now after being both so busy with work.

“You’re lucky i love you,” Wonwoo declared as he kissed the top of your head.

You hummed in response, trailing your fingers again on his side, nails lightly scratching on his skin, “did you just write ‘i love you too’ on my ribs?” He laughs, and you nod an affirmative.

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes and snuggling more into your boyfriend’s chest. Now would be a good time for time to stand still. The setting sun casted warm hues of light inside your bedroom and while the airconditioning was cold, Wonwoo was radiating just the right amount of heat to keep you from shivering.

“I’ve missed you,” you blurted out.

“I know, sweetheart. I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed this,” another kiss was placed on top of your head, “i’m sorry i’ve been so busy.”

“I’m sorry too,” you sighed, resting your chin on his pecs to face him. “I wish i had more time to visit you in practice, or even just see you for lunch.”

“That’s okay, darling. We’re both just in our busy season. It will be over soon, yeah?” This time, Wonwoo’s palm was rubbing circular motions on the small of your back. “I was thinking we should go on a vacation when this all boils over.”

Your eyes grew wide, excited at your boyfriend’s suggestion, “really?”

“Yeah, maybe the countryside? Or out of the country? Where do you want?”

A blush crept up your cheeks at Wonwoo’s gesture of letting you choose, but honestly, you could’ve just stayed at your home and it would be okay. The last time you had a vacation, he made you choose the place too but this time, you didn’t really have a shortlist of destinations. You craned your neck to kiss his lips shortly, “surprise me?” You smiled shyly, “maybe somewhere peaceful and with fresh air? Anywhere as long as it’s with you is all I want, darling.”

“Okay, i’ll plan it out.” He confirmed before rolling you both over so his body hovered above yours

“Where are you going?” You pouted when he made a move to slip out of you.

“I need to clean you up, sweetie.”

You hooked a leg around his waist in retaliation, not at all ready to feel empty just yet. You attempted the most doe eyes you could muster, looking up at your boyfriend through your lashes and clenching your pussy as you did so, “Don’t you wanna fuck me one more time?”

Wonwoo scoffed at your question, the corner of his lips pulling into a devious smile at your sweet tone, “can’t get enough, darling?” His voice was lower by a few octaves, enough to send a shiver through your spine and a gush of wetness in your cunt.

“N-no, sir.”

Wonwoo smirked at the nickname before doing an experimental thrust. When your eyes rolled to the back of your head, he simply chuckled before dragging his cock out slowly and then swiftly burying himself to the hilt, rendering you even more speechless than you were. He could feel the rhythmic spasming of your walls, causing him to grow harder and harder.

You cupped his face to bring it closer to yours, kissing him and sucking at his lower lip. Wonwoo smiles in the kiss, amused at your neediness especially when he feels you lift your hips and roll them on his.

“Eager are we?”

“Wonuuu,” you whined pathetically, clawing at his back.

“Wonu?” he questioned with a glare, pinning you to the mattress agressively, “that’s not what you called me minutes ago, darlin’”

“Well, I don’t know where he went. Maybe if you give me what I want then I’ll start calling you it again,” you smirked, dragging your nails a little more harshly on his skin making him hiss.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, only to dive into your right breast and suck harshly at the bud, eliciting a loud moan from you. He snakes his hand in between you both, thumb finding your clit and rubbing it in circles, immediately feeling you clench around his dick again.He mutters something about you being responsive but it flies over your head as he picks up his pace. The slide is much easier given your mixed cum and your new arousal so it takes him record time to hit your sweet spot. Every ridge and vein on his cock drags against your walls in a way that’s more delicious than awhile ago.

“S-sir, pl-pleaasee,” you shake, the pit of your stomach tightening as you arch your back.

“Does my darling want to cum?” The nickname sounds sickly sweet as it rolls off his tongue and it only helps you get closer to the edge.

You nod your head repetitively, chants of ‘yes’s’ and ‘oh’s’ spilling from your lips, but then Wonwoo withdraws his hand from your sensitive bud and stills inside of you, a vice grip around your body as he licks the shell of your ear, “you don’t get to cum until I say so.” The words were loud, clear and firm, in a tone you knew all too well.

“But Won—“ you cry out loud, tears forming in your eyes as you feel your climax painfully float away.

“Nuh uh,” two harsh thrusts are delivered straight to your gspot as your boyfriend hooks one of your legs on his shoulder, “Call me wrong again and I will not let you cum at all.”

“Fuuuuck,” you mewl from the way his cock rams into you with the new angle, following it up with whines at the thought of getting no release, “S-sorry, sir! ‘M sorry!”

“There it is. Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Wonwoo mocks, “now be my good girl and hold it out for me, yeah?”

You’re a incoherent mess as you try to obey him, but it isn’t so easy when his large cock is abusing your sore, sloppy cunt. Words of filth pair each one of his powerful thrusts.

“My dirty little whore”

“So fuckin’ needy for my cock.”

“Can’t get enough of this pussy.”

“Your pussy is mine.”

“All made for me.”

You were letting out moans of pleasure as Wonwoo pounded into you mercilessly, the knot in your stomach making itself felt again.

“Fu– ah! Fuck, s-sir! Please!” You asked, but it only fell on deaf ears. Both your wrists were tightly pinned with just one of your boyfriend’s large hand above your head and his blown out pupils were looking right at you.

“Make me cum, make me cum, make me cum, please!!!” you begged shamelessly, voice shaking and legs closing in as you teetered on the edge of your orgasm.

“Not. Yet.” Wonwoo withdrew fully from your hole and you shrieked at the loss, your hips lifting to chase after his dick only to have it slammed down by his free hand.

“Sir!!!” You scowled, eyebrows scrunching and eyes wide, anger and pain washing away yet another failed orgasm.

A proud, lopsided smirk appeared on your boyfriend’s face. He licked his bottom lip, enjoying the torture he beset on you despite his painfully hard cock.

“What?”

It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t asking, you knew that much.

“Nothing,” you cowered and blinked back your tears, erasing the anger in your face much to your dismay.

“Good girl.”

You swallowed thickly, squirming once more when Wonwoo tapped his heavy length on your pussy, coating himself with your slippery wetness— not that he needed any more of it— before purposely slapping your swollen clit with his angry red tip. The stimulation from that alone already had your toes curling and it took every fibre of your being to not just unravel right there.

You should’ve known calling him ‘sir’ would lead to this, but behind the tearful denials, you knew immense pleasure awaits.

“Siirrr, p-please! I n-need it.”

“Shhh. Patience, darling. We’ve got lots of time.” The demonic chuckle Wonwoo let out had you whimpering pitifully, your hands fighting to break free from his hold.

It seemed your boyfriend was hell bent on prolonging your agony when he simply continues to endlessly tap his shaft on your clit as he pumps himself.

Wonwoo was not usually loud in bed, save for his occasional grunts and broken groans when he falls into bliss. However, he’s decided now would be the perfect time to make matters all the more worse for you. He was being loud about it all, no holds barred. The squelching noises of his dick against your wet lips is now easily drowned out by the guttural moans Wonwoo has let slip past his mouth. You thought his dirty talk is music? Well, this was a symphony.

You had thought you wouldn’t get close this time around since he wasn’t inside you but the relentless knocks on your clit and the obnoxiously loud moans of your boyfriend have proved you wrong. Your hands balled into fists and you squeezed your eyes shut, mentally fighting off the ball of pleasure in your lower abdomen.

“Look at you, fighting so hard,” Wonwoo snickers, pressing down the tip of his cock to your clit in slow circular motions, “show me how good you are yeah?”

“Yes yes yes! ‘M good! Your good girl, promise!” You were so far gone, pliant to each one of your boyfriend’s requests.

“So wet, you’re soiling the bed,” he points out the obvious, “what a fuckin’ mess.” Wonwoo saw another shiver run through you, indicating you were seconds away from release. So for the third time that day, he denies you of the very thing you crave for, letting go of your wrists and then landing a sharp smack to your pussy before completely backing away to watch you spasm and curl up into a ball of needy tears and pathetic whines.

Your head was spinning and your senses were more than heightened. The slippery feeling of your arousal between your thighs were making it harder for you to squeeze them shut and stay still. Wonwoo simply loomed over you, giving you enough time to stabilize your breathing and let your failed orgasm ebb away. He knew that if he’d put so much just as one finger on your skin, you’d cum right away. Contrary to his actions, he wanted you to cum, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see you cry for it first.

“S-sirr,” you sobbed.

A gentle touch carefully landed on your calf and when you didn’t flinch away, Wonwoo let out a sigh of relief, “Yes, baby?”

“Please,” your voice barely above a whisper, “n-need you…”

Whatever other words you had planned were swallowed by Wonwoo in a searing kiss. It was sloppy and messy, his skillful tongue darting to yours, teeth biting at your lips. You both moaned in unison when he impaled you on his cock once more.

“So big,” you groaned, initially amused at the delicious stretch until you realised, he’s had to hold off his own orgasm too.

Wonwoo gives it his all, jackhammering into you like it would be the last time. The sound of moans and skin slapping skin reverberate around the room. And then, there it is again, a coil so tight on your stomach, you fear you’re going delirious to the point of no return.

“Wo— Sir!” You quickly correct yourself, losing the least bit of dignity you had, tears drenching your cheeks, “i’m b-begging, p-please…”

The gentle kiss on your nose set a stark contrast from how his cock abused your sopping cunt, but relief finally took over you at the words whispered in your ear, “so good for me. Let go, baby. I got you.”

A strangled cry ripped out of your throat, your orgasm gloriously hitting you like a tidal wave. Wonwoo continued to talk you through it while holding down your convulsing body and slamming his hips into you, the sight of your pussy creaming his cock eventually producing broken moans from him.

“B-babe, too– ah! Too m-much!” More tears fell on your face as Wonwoo did deep snaps, his pelvic bone grinding on your clit.

“C’mon baby, m’ close. S-so close!”

Incomprehensible noises tumbled out of you when your boyfriend buried himself deep, pushing onto your sweetest spot and stilling there. Between his guttural groans, the perfect ‘O’ shape of his mouth and the thick loads of hot white cum that flooded your velvety walls, another coil snapped within you, a new round of arousal seeping out of your spent hole, except this time, much wetter and hitting you like a ton of bricks.

“Fuuuck, darling,” Wonwoo trembled as the last of his nectar oozed out, “did I just make you squirt?”

“Fuck off,” you scowled, wishing you had more energy to wipe the smug look plastered on your boyfriend’s face.

“So I did?” Wonwoo pursed his lips and scrunched his nose, a look you very much love but absolutely hate right now.

You let your bottom lip jut out in a pout, your brows drawing to the center of your face, “how could I not when you edged me like that!”

“You’re cute,” was his only response, very slowly slipping his softening cock out of you. Your sweet boyfriend peppered kisses all over your face, replacing your frown with a smile. “Did I make you feel good, darling?” He asked genuinely, not wanting to ever subject you to something which you didn’t enjoy doing.

You gave him a shy nod, pulling him closer by his neck to close the gap between your mouths and share a loving kiss, much like how it was way earlier. It didn’t take long for you to part, your lungs still recharging to full capacity after having all the air knocked out of you.

Wonwoo gave you more time to recover, resting his head on the crook of your neck to leave soft kisses on your skin, especially on the blooming bruises he left in his wake.

“Darling, you can’t sleep yet,” he shook you gently when he noticed your prolonged stillness.

A small whine escaped your lips, “but Woo… i’m tired.”

“I know, i know,” he hushed softly, “but we need to get you cleaned up and also, change the sheets. I’ll make it quick.”

You had no time nor energy to protest. You were simply being carried bridal style into the bathroom, your boyfriend making sure you peed before he went on to wash up yours and his sweaty body with warm water. He was so so tender with his touch, especially in all parts between your legs. He’d keep an observant eye to every reaction your face made, careful not to cause any pain.

“Can… can you be mine?” you squeaked, and Wonwoo giggled at the drunken look of love on your face. Every time you think nothing can top sex with your boyfriend in your own little list of World’s Most Wonderful Things, you’re reminded that aftercare by him exists.

“Darling, i’m already yours,” Wonwoo chuckles.

You noded with a grin, brain really starting to drift off into slumber, “I like that.”

He fixes his glasses by the bridge of his nose after giving you a once-over, now dressed in cotton panties and one of his large navy blue shirts which hung mid-thigh on you.

Wonwoo lifts you up to sit on the bathroom counter before cupping your cheeks to meet your eyes, “baby, can you sit here and wait for me for about 10 to 15 minutes, please? I need to change our sheets.”

He had expected you to whine and retaliate, knowing you were always extra clingy after sex, but you simply nodded and smiled. You think you felt his lips on your forehead but you aren’t too sure.

The moment Wonwoo slips out of the bathroom, you’re fighting not to fall asleep, but 15 minutes is long, and maybe you can just lean your head a bit on the cold marble tile—

“Let’s get you to bed, love,” the tall man chuckles as he lifts you in his arms. You swore it hadn’t been fifteen minutes, not even ten! But then he walks past your bed and out of your shared bedroom. The light of the hallway enough to stir your brain awake.

“Where are we going?” You ask, nuzzling your face on the crook of his neck as he cradles you into another room.

Wonwoo laughs at your question, “We have to take the guest bedroom for the night, darling. You’ve soaked through our mattress.”

[hwaightme]

GUY.exe

(masterlist) (perma-taglist)

✏️ pairing: yunho x gn!reader ✏️ genre: fluff, crack, friends? to lovers, drawing? to lover ✏️ summary: you never expected for the character you designed for the newest dating simulator to be quite as realistic as this ✏️ wordcount: 5.0k ✏️ warnings/tags: questionable editing, unhinged crack galore, fever dream, digital artist / designer reader, shy boy best friend yunho, lowkey referencing the song the fic is named after (GUY.exe by SUP3RFRUIT) ✏️ taglist: at the bottom of the fic~ ✏️ a/n: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE MY NADIA @justhere4kpop !!! you are the kindest, funniest, sweetest person ever, i love you so so much and i am so grateful for every day because it means i can spend it with you <3 wishing you the best day, all the most amazing things, experiences, achievements and more!!

Another hour more, and you were going to scream. Hunched over your drawing tablet with bloodshot eyes and a cramping hand, you had been drawing and redrawing what seemed to be the same thing over and over again. But nothing gave you that magical feeling of completion and rightness when the abstract lines and shapes and shadows and doodles all came together on a page to form one whole. What you were experiencing was, in fact, very much the opposite. All because of these damn dumb brown doe eyes that you had decided to give to the character. Of course. What other eyes could the golden retriever type have, right? What other kinds of eyes would your boss approve of for the established archetype, the persona that you had ideated, storyboarded and proposed not only in front of your immediate team but also to senior management? That was right. None. No other. Only these doe eyes that you had been staring at and cursing profusely for the last four hours after having promised yourself that you would try to get to bed at ten in the evening instead of the less-than encouraging past midnight madness. But who were you kidding? 

Setting down the pen, you leaned back to stretch, hearing random joints crack and echo around your body, making you wonder if you have even been moving at all for the past few weeks. Having the opportunity to work from home during fast-paced sprints was, of course, a big benefit, but all too often for you, it also meant only ever walking from your home office to your kitchen and back, with the occasional bathroom break and a flop onto the armchair you had dragged into your office for designated social media scrolling time. Gone from the world, with your friends having nicknamed you an e-hermit in not one, but two separate chats. Zoned out and barely hanging onto the words spewed by your superiors, much like the rest of your fellow designers working on this same project, be it other characters, setting, clothing customisation options, accessories, or special items… as the main project lead, boss of the bosses had said: ‘whatever the user wishes for, should be there’. Who knew that a dating simulator could be that intense and demanding? 

Your drawing tablet was glaring at you, and so were the eyes on its screen, doubled onto your monitor watching your every movement like a painting at a museum would. They were meant to be kind and loving, crafted to complete the sunshine that this character was supposed to be, but the slightest misses in the lines were throwing the image off-kilter, and you could not pinpoint what was wrong. Reaching out for the now lukewarm cup of coffee off to the side of your desk, narrowly avoiding the clutter of sketches and notes you had made, you heaved a sigh, pondering if it would be the wisest to simply resign yourself to abandoning the task for today, and pick it up at work tomorrow. It was not like you would be punished for having the eyes be slightly off during an update meeting, after all, this was an ongoing process. But the perfectionist part of you was not letting go. You had managed to ideally depict everything else - the toned, tall physique with the stunning waist, torso and broad shoulders, the cheeks that made you feel a strong cute aggression, the tousled locks that could then be customised by a player’s colour preference, every other feature of the face that screamed ‘handsome’ and ‘appealing’... you did it all, and you would not be yourself if you could not overcome this little blip.

“One more try…” you whispered to yourself and searched for the file on your computer that contained a user story and profile of the character you had been agonising over. 

One click, another, and the document was up on the screen, revealing an initial concept sketch that you had made when you first proposed the man as a possible love interest for the main character in the simulator, as well as any facts about him, now being even further developed by the story-writers. Page after page, update after update the character in some ways felt more real than you, especially in your current deflated state. A gentleman, a sentimental soul, with what your colleague had called ‘four-dimensional’ traits and overall a funny, adorable sweetheart who at the click of a finger can turn into the sexiest man alive. There was nothing you did not like - aside from some details here and there that you were not sure who added but they had been approved so you had to deal with it, and that was problematic for your work since it meant that you were in the permanent state of wanting to do the character justice. You scrolled back up, starting at the brief, staring at the name as if it wasn’t already imprinted in your mind. Jeong Yunho. 

The dance instructor and choreographer. The talented and hardworking man who the main character would meet third, on her eighth day in Seoul. Born on the twenty-third of March nineteen ninety-nine in the city of Gwangju, moving to Seoul to chase his dreams and fight for them. Special talents… skills… favourite phrases… preferences… key memories… you read on, re-absorbing the details and rearranging them on imaginary shelves, trying to make sense of the information in the context of character design. How were you going to depict all of this in a pair of eyes? A part of you was confident that you were overthinking - actually, you definitely were. Not a single other designer was on Yunho's creation, and developers were going to look at him not as a persona, as a representation of a being that had become real in your mind, but as a task to execute, lines of code to make him move in predetermined ways, make him talks in predetermined ways, smile… yes, you were excited to see him be just that bit more alive, but at the same time, you were afraid of that moment - it would be right then that the world you had subconsciously built for you and him alone would be shattered, and your daydreams dispelled, maybe even crushed. So, getting the eyes perfect right now was the least you could do. At least your Yunho would be perfect.

Swearing under your breath, you picked up the pen once more and twirled it once around your fingers. His personality was fresh on your mind, heart racing, you could almost imagine him in front of you. With a final nod of encouragement, you dived back in, with more vigour and motivation than before, determined to get Yunho right, and to depict him how he truly was, how you knew he should be. The time ticked past, and so did the layers of doubt. Erasing themselves along with strokes of the digital brushes that dissatisfied you, you were unveiling the true character, and with a light heart, a smile on your face and a saved file, leaned onto your desk and rested your head on your crossed arms, just for a quick break to relish in the fact that you finally achieved the look that you had been searching for…

“Hey, good morning you worker bee, what did I tell you about sleeping at your desk?”

You never thought you could yell, right after waking up, as loud as you did at that moment. Jolting up from your seat, forgetting all the papers, equipment and stationery that was strewn about on the table on which you had been dozing, you bolted away from the source of the voice. It had resounded far too close to you for comfort, belonged to no one whom you knew, and was dangerously sweet and slightly lower-set. Pleasant. But who the hell was in your apartment and how did they break in when you almost always double-locked your door? After building up a bit of distance, you finally looked up and rubbed the last bits of sleep from your eyes. The figure was lean, toned, considerably tall, perhaps even very tall, definitely a man, with dark hair and a face that was a bit too similar to-

Jeong Yunho. Jaw-dropping, you darted back to your tablet and computer, practically shaking the mouse, forcing the entire digital system to begrudgingly awaken at your command. You searched everywhere. The open file, others, older versions… nothing. No luck in finding what you had been working on. It was as if the Yunho you had been spending weeks developing had never existed, and all that you were left with and were staring at was a blank page, and the character, no, a whole man, right in front of you, supposedly living, breathing and in your room. You stood up straight, giving the not-quite-a-stranger but still a stranger a once over, while he, confused, had an eyebrow raised and a sheepish smile on his face. He looked adorable that way. Abashed to the point of cuteness - you recalled a game developer on your team describing the planned emotional response functionality in that way; it had been a hit, and now you were seeing, in person, why. 

“Y-Yunho?” you whispered in disbelief, a hand hovering over your mouth while you were wondering whether you should officially report yourself to your boss for having succumbed to the delusions. Relief flashed over the beautiful man’s features when you mentioned his name, timidly, yes, but still, it was his name that you uttered.

“Yes, Y/N, that’s me, hey, don’t worry.”

“Y/N?” He knew your name. This was too real - a shriek erupted from what felt like the depths of your soul, and you shut your eyes, only to open them again and to see the same picture, but a little more zoomed in. He was approaching you. Code red, alert, alert, hot man of your dreams who you had been drawing all the time and were effectively being paid to thirst over was approaching you.

“Do you not remember me or something, are you okay? See I keep telling you to not sleep so late, it’s bad for you-”

“Look who’s talking, mister ‘time to text at two in the morning’,” It was a shot in the dark, a random recollection of facts that had been noted about Yunho, but that was true, since he stopped immediately, a dazzling smile on his face.

“Alright, alright, you got me. But hey, you answer me so we are in this together, right?” he countered, and winked. 

“Yeah… and I should stop drinking coffee that late, it gives me some cursed… abilities…” you concluded cryptically, though Yunho did not seem to care much about the wording, taking it as your account of how easily you had been spooked by him.

After the initial wave of ‘stranger danger’ had subsided, instead being replaced by the odd conviction that the man before you truly was just the representation of the character for the simulator, you crossed your arms and regarded him more slowly, calmly while he approached the book cabinet that was filled to the brim with manga, manhwa, figurines, dolls, action figures… effectively the best representation of what had inspired you and continued to drive you to do what you were doing in your life now. He was dressed casually, in a zip-up grey hoodie and dark grey jeans. He had taken off his shoes and was in black socks that he stuffed into a pair of slippers - so in this reality, Yunho clearly was a regular guest. Scratching the back of your head, you wondered if this was a storyline that had been updated and you were unknowingly hallucinating.

“Well, uh, if you… if you want me to come by another time I don’t mind. Whatever works best for you…”

Oh. It finally clicked in your head, and your heart fluttered. The moment was stark and aching in your mind, and you were barely able to contain yourself, the subconscious fangirl in you fully awakening. The light flush of pink on his cheeks, those damn doe eyes that were so perfect, and were now looking right at you as if you were Yunho’s entire world, it was all a telltale sign for what was to happen later, and the past disappointment at having been woken up and having no more documents to present evaporated. This was another life, it had to be. One where you did not have to worry about the endless story points, bi-weekly sprints and one deliverable after another. Only a very precious Yunho who, while toying with the sleeve of his hoodie was pondering if he was even welcome.

“Hey! No, we were planning to hang out and we are going to. Sorry, you know how work is and it got to me this time. What shall we do then? Go out, stay in?” you amplified your sociability, putting the fantastical aspect of the circumstances on the back burner for future pondering.

Laying down the pen that you had absent-mindedly grabbed for self-defence, you stepped around the desk and towards Yunho, never once breaking the visual exchange, except when his gaze darted to the floor under your intensity. You had the advantage after all, of knowledge. You could sense, and could confirm by your universe, what exactly was going to happen. He was pretending to not be affected by your closeness, looking at the cabinet again, though the tone in which he spoke was vulnerable, every bit the dream guy you were imagining all this time. You could barely resist the urge to pinch his cheek - in fact, you made a mental note to yourself to check if that was a playable option in the game or not.

“Can we… stay in?”

“Take out?” if there was something you would not quite let him do, it would be to give him full power over the kitchen. Perhaps another time, but not when the dream was so magnificent.

“You bet! I’m buying this time-”

“Yun, c’mon.”

“Technically I am still the guest.”

“You are much more than a guest-” a pause, a blur within which Yunho was attempting to pick out the meaning behind the words which you had purposefully left to be ambiguous, just to mess with him a little bit. It was too sweet, “I mean, you practically live here at this point,” he groaned and playfully rolled his eyes while continuing to tap in the order to what was for sure meant to be your favourite restaurant in the neighbourhood.

You followed him into your living room. Everything was just as you had left it. Even Yunho’s presence was beginning to feel natural, probably because it had already been pretty much just as constant as him now physically falling onto the couch and leaning back to stretch an arm out over the back of it. Hell, you had even spent some evenings sketching him in this same room. As you settled beside him, while still keeping a little bit of distance - just as friends who were feeling not quite platonic would do, you realised that indeed, you were that close. You did know him ‘since forever’, and whatever this fever dream was, you had every right to enjoy it. So upon pulling your legs onto the couch and under you, you settled in and with a soft sigh began to set up the movie you were going to watch. Just like you and Yunho would do had he been an actual interest of yours.

As the food arrived and was promptly devoured, and you were midway through the film, you found Yunho slowly but surely gravitating towards you. First, it was with an outstretched hand when he was trying to imitate a character on the screen, then with him sitting ever so slightly closer when there was supposedly a ‘spooky moment’ even though you knew full well that out of the two of you, you were the one who would not dare enter a haunted house again, and finally, under the pretence of ‘wanting to show you a funny meme on his phone’ he sat right next to you, thighs flush against each other, arm resting on the sofa right behind your head. You could not help but lean into the warmth, attracted to it, comforted. You knew Yunho inside and out, and if there was anyone who you would trust like this, it would be him. He had seen you at your worst - crying in the office bathrooms when during your early days at the company you had been humiliated by your old boss (who, thankfully, had been promptly fired), and had seen you at your best - your award-winning presentation and proof of concept for an innovative life simulation game, selected as a showpiece for the company at a major global conference. He was always there. Be it on your phone, in a sketchbook, or on your laptop - he was always there, cheering you on. There was no difference between then and now, except that now you could allow your head to rest against his broad chest, hearing the soothing beating of his heart behind the cotton fabrics, feeling how his hand dropped to trace random, intricate shapes on your shoulder while his eyes stayed glued to the television screen. 

You could sense that he was afraid to look at you, or at least of what he would think or do if he were to do so. He was warm. Very warm. Maybe too warm. You looked up, noting the adorable redness of his ears that appeared only in particular instances: either he just woke up from deep sleep which was not the case, or he had violently shaken his head and rubbed his ears - another no, or he was embarrassed and shy. Bingo. There it was. You nuzzled against him and swore you could feel his entire body stiffen. Just like when a cat makes a person ‘ the chosen one’ by lying on their lap and said person almost forgets to breathe, you nearly knocked consciousness out of Yunho, it seemed.

“What’s up?” you mumbled, noting that Yunho straightened his back, sitting in an unnatural position.

“I, uh, nothing, it’s nothing,” he responded, clearing his throat, still not daring to look to the side to face you. 

A pause. That was his character - you nodded to yourself. He had always been like this. Sympathy through the roof but when it came to his openness - he far from often strayed into that field. It would take quite a bit of coaxing, or, somehow easier, waiting for the right moment. So wait you did, comfortably resting against Yunho, insistent that he return to his previously unwinded state. Before you could snake your hand around him to pull his hood up, your friend suddenly shot up, mumbling something about it being too stuffy, or too hot, and tugged the article of clothing off.

All would be fine and dandy if he was not built how he was - and you knew it better than anyone, however strange it was to admit. After all, you had been the one to pick and sketch out his physique, knowing every muscle, curve and edge. As he fumbled with the sleeves, you took in his form, mouth agape as you saw what you had only perceived two-dimensionally, now in live action, and somehow being the one case of where the transition was impeccable if not better. If he were to turn at any moment, he would bear witness to your disturbingly dedicated scrutiny. But at the same time, what could a digital artist and designer do when a handsome man was right before them? Exactly. It was practically a duty to perceive; if not for personal interests (which you would be a liar if you were to say you did not have them), then at least for science. He looked too good in the dark grey graphic t-shirt, which, despite it being slightly oversize, did its beautiful work by revealing his perfectly toned arms. When you noticed him being in the process of turning back, you peeled your gaze away and back to the movie, not sure where in the storyline you even were, nor what the actors were saying. Patting the space next to you, you beckoned Yunho back. This time, he was calmer in his demeanour, falling back and letting you fall into him, with him, for him - and he was right there to catch you. 

Action scene after action scene turned into a blur, dialogue was static that you were not bothered to discern while you focused on Yunho’s breathing. Shallower than before, but still comforting. Who would have thought that you would be cuddling with your dream man when a mere few hours ago you were holed up behind your desk, with a cramped and stiff neck, an exhausted hand and equally tired eyes? Eyelids grew heavier, and you wondered if it would be long before you would fall asleep again, and wake up alone, as usual; a bitter smile settled on your lips when the realisation hit you, earning you a perplexed glance from Yunho and a poke in your side.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Definitely something, he turned to you, studying your every movement. The action led him to detangle himself from you, leading you to shiver a little from the lack of his body heat, “ah wait are you cold now? I- wait, here, hoodie?”

“Thanks.”

Him. In every thread. The scent of clean laundry, cotton, and fabric softener. There was something so magical in it, soothing. You wanted to float in the aroma and this moment forever. Pulling the hoodie tighter around you, you pretended to not notice the adoration that was blatantly obvious in Yunho’s expression. He watched as you pushed up the sleeves a little bit, crossed your legs and looked back at him.  Your friend, your muse and subject was nervous, and it did not need a trained professional to figure it out. The tale was climbing to a peak, and the main characters had to face it together. You waited for him, mellowness across your features as you played with one of the hoodie’s drawstrings.

Yunho looked at you, and something about the purity, and hopefulness within him made you think of the very first drawings you had made on post-its in the middle of a conference. Bored out of your mind, your mind wandered back to pondering the new project you had been assigned - the dating simulator. Idea after idea had been proposed for the characters, but not a single one stuck. Everyone was at a standstill until he came along. A breathtaking blessing, just like he was now. Silence settled like snow, only to be broken by a short hum, and Yunho taking the risk you had been wishing for.

“I… I know it has only been a few months but… I really don’t think I can be friends with you anymore, Y/N,” you tilted your head as he put his hands on his lap, fingers repeatedly messing with the material of his sweatpants - his attempt to soothe himself. You, on the other hand, were oddly calm. Simply waiting for the events to unfold and for you to embrace them with the fullest heart. While he was searching for the right words to say, you placed a hand over his, waking him from rumination. A weak smile was replaced by determination, truth spilling from his soul.

“I like you too much. Really. I would not be able to keep my distance even if I tried.”

“Well I think you are a bit too far away right now, Yun,” with a wave of boldness having washed over you, you acted on instinct, leaning towards the beautiful, infinitely precious man until he could not look away, captivated by your proximity, your glimmering eyes, your acceptance.

“Huh?” the sound was barely audible, an echo lost to the tension. You ran a finger over his jawline, instantly seeing his expression darken with another reverberating, deep sensation.

“We should seal the deal, shouldn’t we?” remaining cryptic, you inched closer and closer until you could pick apart the flicks of lighter mahogany in those stunning irises - you wanted to shake your hand for having persevered to finish them in the drawing. Truly, one of a kind.

“What-”

“Oh just kiss me already-”

That phrase you did not need to tell Yunho twice. Finally catching on, he was the first to destroy the distance between you, capturing your lips with his and letting his hand find purchase in your hair, digits running through it, caressing you, guiding you into a shared rhythm. He was as sweet as vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. An intoxicating, ecstatically overwhelming daze that consumed you whole. You saw the sketches flash before you, burning one by one to fuel the desire building for Yunho, for you, for the two of you together. It felt right, it felt real. Arms over his shoulders, you allowed him to pull you into his lap, embrace you and pepper the softest kisses on your cheeks, and your neck, finding the path back to your lips. You felt more alive than ever with the electricity coursing through your newfound intimacy. Nothing existed. This universe was Yunho, and you could not be happier. Better than in any story that you or your co-workers could develop, better than in any fairytale, the oddity transformed into eternity. This was a dream you wanted to remain in for as long as you-

Saying it was hard to wake up was an understatement. Your entire body had been aching from having fallen asleep in an awkward position over your drawing tablet, you had slept past your alarms and as such had only fifteen minutes to cram getting ready and leaving for the office, and upon checking your schedule you had the ‘pleasure’ of having three more meetings being crammed into it, reducing your lunch break to what was a near null. With a sigh, you moved away from your space, dragging your tired body to your first official interaction of the day after having sat at your desk for a couple of hours, already dreading it. The new CEO - whoever they were, was the ‘I want to know all the details and be one with the teams’ type, how joyful, you wondered how long that would last. 

It was hard to find the motivation, especially after a dream such as yours. It kept on revolving in your head, pressing down on you, making you reminisce the gentle caresses, the sweet words and actions, the delightful kiss that you had managed to just have the time to experience with Yunho. You were seeing your character in an entirely new light, already having reworked some ideas for the possible special event outfits and spammed your close colleagues who were working on the storyline with some ideas about how Yunho could have even better depth and as such, engagement from prospective users. Perhaps for this meeting with authority you just needed to tap into your delusions and it would be good enough - at least they were productive for once. 

While you were setting up the presentation, the rest of your immediate team began to file in, giving you excited waves that you returned with an unprecedented warmth. Pleasant chatter, discussion of possibility, mention of just how special it was that this dating simulator game project was the one the CEO had chosen to see today… you were feeling confident. Whoever this person was going to be, you were going to give your best and-

The door opened. Heads turned. Greetings, bows - all forms of politeness that could be expressed being delivered. People standing up, while you stood up taller by the board, the title slide behind you. You raised your head, only for time to slow down and freeze entirely. Your hold on the clicker tightened, and the only person aside from you who existed at that moment was the newcomer. The CEO. Greeting others with a smile and with equally as elegant bows. Every bit the gentleman in his tailored suit, hair swept back and impeccably styled. Jeong Yunho.

This had to be some kind of joke, right? Was this a dream? The stinging remaining after you pinched your arm slapped you back into reality. No. This Yunho was definitely real. But who was the one you-... the one you started dating? The one who you were way more than colleagues or friends with? Before your mind could accelerate into panicked rumination, his gaze stopped at you, and you could sense everyone else’s attention drift to you too. You were under his spotlight. Melting under what was nothing but kindness in his eyes.

“L/N Y/N, right? I heard a lot about you,” his grin was making you dizzy, memories of his taste resurfacing and sending heat to your cheeks, giving them a light dusting of pink.

“Good things, I hope?” you managed, he chuckled, and sent you a wink before sitting down on his chair.

“The best. I am really looking forward to this,” a playful tease.

“Glad to know this.”

“I heard you made quite a few new developments, how did that happen?” you knew what he was getting at, and that made you feel secure. So it was the same Yunho. That precious Yunho who had confessed to you, the one who had come to life and was now part of yours, by some odd twist of fate had appeared in your company, and was now right in front of you, eager and in love. You smirked while twisting to check the slide one last time, well aware that his only focus ever would be you.

“Came to me in a dream.”

✏️ perma-taglist: @acciocriativity @/justhere4kpop @byuntrash101 @shakalakaboomboo @starillusion13 @hongthoven @cqndiedcherries @uwuheeseungie @cheollipop @frankenstein852 @charreddonuts @miriamxsworld @mingigoo @michel-angelhoe @innsomniacshinestar @foxinnie8 @preciouswoozi @wooyoungjpg @nebulousbookshelf @wowie-hockey @hongjoongs-patience @ssaboala @jaehunnyy @kitten4sannie @maddkitt @cromerteez @lightinyreads @ren-junwrld @burnmepls @pyeonghongrie-main @archivesummer @little-angel-k @marsstarxhwa

thank you for reading! if you enjoyed, please leave a kind reblog, much love!

[eminsunnytoons123]

The whatnot Show gang doodles:

Part 1, part 2 And part 3

Since I have promised yesterday that I'll post the whole whatnot Show gang, here it is =^_^=

And this is for all my loved ones in my tumblr family: @0lemonadefox0 @kxllboii @cheezekennith @aquamarine-dream-queen @dayzsac224 @oscarandgrinchfan @moshywoosh @ilovescaredysquirrel2 @nuggetaubrey @sharkyy599 @nightkit92 @familyoffood @animatronicdoozer @thelazzyblogzz @sugar-miss1 @shrimpathizer @shypeachrunaway @iggyguyy @sayuri-does-skits @typical-sophie @peaceforpeople @ben5569 @oxxjustfrankieandmikuloverxxo @ducktopia90264 @artismeyou-12 @blackstar044 @acen402 @diego-r-the-artist-2009 @nia1sworld @rumplestiltsbear @s4gefr0g @beeware-of-lulu @leafith @bluebird-in-a-cagedrawing @muppet-fan-frr @thegroovyskull @blo0st4r @vickymcsworld @fancytigercupcake @classywinnerpeace @dackychansworldofhoshino @itzbluecl0udd @alegriasweetblossom that always love me And support my work And always give me some much Joy And happiness in my heart, I'll always love And support them no matter what, And I'll always wish them all happiness And Joy =^///////^= 🩷💖❤️

Also, I know that I made these doodles on february this year And that I could've redraw them in my new improved artstyle after these couple months, I'm kinda lazy to do so ^///^; but! When I often draw them along with kermoot And the moopets, timrek And the teppums, And Lucille And the parodies, they WILL look more better =^_^=

And also! Before I start sharing their new updated infos, I wont go by the parts I was doing, because I wanna make every character be together in these new parts ^///^;

Now their NEW infos/bios:

Dermot the dog - dermot the dog is Kermit the frog's whatnot counterpart, he is the dog leader of the whatnot Show gang and he plays the bucket bass and likes to talk about cloudy Days. His headcanon voice actor is Phil LaMarr, And his voice claim is Wilt from Fosters home for Imaginary friends.

Miss Tiggy - Miss Tiggy is Miss piggy's whatnot counterpart, she is the primadonna Tiger lady but she is also very hot tempered, so beware of her! She is even Dermot's love interest. Her headcanon voice actor is Pendleton Ward, And her voice claim is lumpy space princess from adventure time.

Ozzy Woodchuck - Ozzy Woodchuck is fozzie bear's whatnot counterpart, he is the comedic Woodchuck of the Show And his jokes often suck and he often uses honks for entertainment of other whatnots. His headcanon voice actor is Doug Giorgis, And his voice claim is Bobby zilch from psychonauts.

Bonzo the amazing monkey - Bonzo the amazing monkey is gonzo's whatnot counterpart, he is the Daredevil Monkey that isnt afraid to do some dangerous acrobatics And stuff, And he has a thing for fairies that are taller than him. His headcanon voice actor is Gregory Micheal "Greg" Cipes, And his voice claim is Beast boy from teen titans go!

Paisley the persian cat - paisley the persian cat is rowlf the dog's whatnot counterpart, he is wise and laid-back just like rowlf And he plays the Mandolin. His headcanon voice actor is Keith David, And his voice claim is Husk from hazbin hotel.

Sid the British bulldog - Sid the British bulldog is sam the eagle's whatnot counterpart, he is a British bulldog that always has something to say about Britain or that the Show should he more cultural, And! He calls the other whatnots "freakos". His headcanon voice actor is Phil LaMarr, And his voice claim is Spike the bulldog from various tom And Jerry DTV movies.

Gustavo the King ladybug - Gustavo the King ladybug is Pepe the King prawn's whatnot counterpart, he is a sassy mexican KING ladybug of the Show, And! Dont call him a "fly"! His headcanon voice actor is Carlos Jaime Alazraqui, And his voice claim is juandissimo magnifico from fairly oddparents.

Pierce the chinchilla - Pierce the chinchilla is Rizzo the rat's whatnot counterpart, he is a cute looking yet sassy chinchilla on the Show with many mischiefs. His headcanon voice actor is Blake Roman, And his voice claim is Angel dust from hazbin hotel.

Victor - Victor is Walter's whatnot counterpart, he is a enthusiastic boy who is a big fan of the whatnots And he is even the part of them, he is even Snooper's best friend And he has a crush on him. his headcanon voice actor is Liam Ross-Mills, And his voice claim is Tractor tom from Tractor tom.

Snooper - Snooper is Scooter's whatnot counterpart, he helps Dermot for the show and he is even Victor's best friend And he has a crush on him too, And his sister Sneeker often teases him. His headcanon voice actor is Tom Kenny, And his voice claim is Preston from class of 3000.

Dr Aristotle un wonders - Dr Aristotle un wonders is dr bunsen honeydew's whatnot counterpart, he is the Scientist of the Show And Kiyoshi is his assistant but maybe even a crush. His headcanon voice actor is Jeff Bergman, And his voice claim is yogi bear from jellystone!

Kiyoshi - Kiyoshi is Beaker's whatnot counterpart, he is just as nervous and shy as beaker And he speaks like "breep!" And "ohh?". His headcanon voice actor is Richard Steven Horvitz, And his voice claim is Raz Aquatin from psychonauts.

And I wanna know who are y'all's favorite characters here in the whatnot Show, ya can tell me either in the replies or reblogs =^.^=

And I'll post the rest later or tommorow along with The moopets gang, And! I gotta draw class of 4000 characters now =^//////^=

I hope y'all will like these =^////^= 🩷❤️💖💛🧡

[gohaejoon]

I should take my ass back to twitter idk how to use this app😭😭

doodles with my best friend forever my poopsie baby boy miss pirinmiku (i force all my friends to draw me no home for the past 2 years) (it's art is the whiteboard ones:3)

[beelsnack]

Back in the Saddle - Obey Me! Boys and an MC Who is Overcoming a Depressive Episode

Hyper-specific coping mechanisms? On my blog? It's more likely than you think.

(Just kidding that's like the whole reason I started the blog in the first place lol)

I'll be honest, I'm not caught up on the games at all. I got like 2 chapters into Nightbringer before the rhythm games gave me sensory overload. But they're still my emotional support demons and I'm still going to write about them on my silly little blog. Enjoy!

May make a part 2 with the other characters, this one was getting kind of long.

-----

Lucifer: The music room had always been one of the few places that Lucifer could seek solace from the chaos that seemed to follow him. Most of his brothers had no desire to practice an instrument, and those who did tended to want to do it on their own, so if he was there, they tended to avoid the area. He had come to expect the room to be empty when he arrived there.

So seeing the human hunched over the grand piano threw him off a bit.

He knew they played the piano - it had been in their paperwork when they first came to the Devildom. They played quite frequently before, taking comfort in the familiar feeling of the ivory keys when the strangeness of their new home got to be too much. But something in recent months stopped them, and he didn’t have the faintest idea what. They hadn’t been very forthcoming about their mental state, and Lucifer didn’t want to pry. 

Well, actually, he did want to pry, but each time he asked, they got more and more irritated and withdrawn from him, and that stung just as much as not being able to help.

They were making considerably more mistakes than they had before, likely due to a lack of practice, but Lucifer could see a bit of their old spark returning to their eyes as muscle memory took over. They were playing an ost from a human world show, something slow and soothing that they played often. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Lucifer thought he could see the beginnings of a smile on their face.

Before he quite knew what he was doing, he had silently made his way over to them. His shadow fell over the keys, and they jumped in shock. They whipped around so fast he was worried that they would twist something. “Lucifer?!”

“Don’t stop on my account, my dear,” he smiled gently at them, perching himself on the bench next to them. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard you play, won’t you indulge me a little?”

Mammon: It was just a little doodle.

Borrowing the human's notes was a pretty common occurrence for Mammon. If he even remembered to take notes, they were sparse at best and incomprehensible at worst. He had just wanted to take a picture of them at first but the human insisted he write them himself. 

"We don't need to make it too easy for Lucifer to tell you don't pay attention," had been there reasoning, but Mammon wasn't going to turn down some alone time with them. Even if it was in the library.

When the human had presented their notebook to him, his eyes had immediately gone to the little drawing in the corner. It wasn't very detailed, more like random scribbles that eventually morphed into a flower and some stars. When they had first come to the Devildom, their notebooks had been absolutely filled with doodles and drawings, ranging from rudimentary shapes and shading to full-on sketches in the margins. They claimed it helped them focus, so Mammon had been a little concerned when the drawings had dwindled to nothing.

"What are you smiling at?"

Mammon jumped, heat creeping up his neck as he realized he had been caught. "Nothin'!"

He glanced back at the drawings, wishing he had his shades to hide behind. "...I missed the doodles, is all."

Leviathan: Right.

Left.

…Alright, the coast was clear. Sighing softly in relief, Levi emerged fully from his room and made his way downstairs. Most of the residents went their separate ways after dinner, and he knew for a fact Beel had his Fangol game so the kitchen should be free.

Levi stuck his hand in his pants pocket to make sure the folded square of paper was still there. One of his favorite Deviltubers are done a video recreating various dishes from different anime, but Levi just had to try them as well. But any sort of attempt at baking was doomed to fail if Beelzebub was in the house, so as much as Levi had wanted to jump right in as soon as he had seen the video, this excursion needed careful planning.

He was feeling rather hopeful until he got to the kitchen and saw the light on.

Defeated, he was about to turn around and head back into his inner sanctum to await his next opportunity before he realized that the shadow moving along the wall was far too small to be Beel.

Quietly, carefully, he poked his head around the corner and peered into the kitchen. There, in an old t-shirt with an apron tied around their waist, was the human scooping flour out of a bag.

Either he made some sort of noise or they just felt his presence. They turned around, looking startled for a moment before regaining their composure and grinning sheepishly at him. “Hey, Levi, what’s up?”

Levi blinked owlishly at them for a second. “Uh, well…”

The human’s baked goods had quickly become treasure in the House of Lamentation when they first arrived for the exchange program. It had been their passion, but something happened somewhere to tamp out the gleeful little spark they had whenever they were trying out a new recipe. But, like a storm passing, that light was beginning to peek through the dark clouds.

“Levi?” they asked, cocking their head at him like a confused puppy. “You alright?”

“I-I’m fine!” Levi had to physically shake himself out of his train of thought. “You-you’re baking something?”

“Mm-hm,” they hummed, turning back to the counter to glance at the recipe on their phone. “I was really in the mood for some chocolate cake.”

Chocolate cake wasn’t one of the recipes on his list, but seeing them passionate about something again made him forget about his whole mission. “Do you…want some help?”

Satan: Someone was humming.

Satan had thought he was alone in RAD’s library. Very rarely did students venture here at this hour, and his brothers were causing suck a ruckus back at the house that he hadn’t been able to focus on his book even shut within his room. And now someone was being annoying here.

His already short fuse was slowly but surely reaching the end, and he slammed his book shut with a bit more force than necessary. He would get his quiet time or there would be blood.

The perpetrator was somewhere in the fiction section, it sounded like, and Satan rounded the corner of the shelves like a predator sniffing out its prey. Finally, after a few moments of following the sound, he caught sight of another person. He stopped at the beginning of the aisle, mouth already open in a snarl to scold whoever had the balls to - 

“Oh, Satan, hi!”

He deflated like someone had poked a hole in him. Of all of the people he thought he would encounter, the human had been very low on the list. Recently, they barely left their room except to go to class or eat. Usually if he wanted to spend time with them he had to gently coax them out into the open like one would entice a cat with treats.

Satan cleared his throat. “Well, this is unexpected.”

The human had their arms full of books. Quite the assortment, too. A thriller, a book about previous kings on the Devildom, what appeared to be some sort of romance manga and an autobiography of a well-known witch.

“I ran out of things to read,” they shrugged, looking away. “Went through everything I had at least twice.”

“You know,” Satan walked over and took two of the books out of their arms - they always got irritated when he took everything, like a stubborn kitten, so letting them hold on to something would preserve their dignity. “You can always come to me if you want recommendations.”

Asmodeus: “Hey, Asmo?”

There were only a few people who were brave and/or stupid enough to go into Asmo’s room without knocking. Not because he would be angry or anything, but one never knew what kind of salacious activities would be going on in there and it was better for all involved if there was some warning before opening the door to Asmo’s den of debauchery.

“Hello, darling!” Asmo chirped, beckoning the human inside. They were lucky, he had just gotten out of the bath and was in the middle of his skin care routine. “What’s up?”

“Do you have anything for eye bags?” they asked, poking idly at the puffy skin beneath their eyes. It was clear that their mental health hadn’t been in top condition lately, their stress written in the dullness of their skin and drawn across the acne that dotted their face. But Asmo knew better than anyone that pointing out someone’s physical flaws did nothing for self-esteem, so he hadn’t said anything.

“Of course!” he grinned, scooting over a bit to give them some room on his vanity stool. “Skin care is self-care, darling, glad to see you treating yourself.”

The human sat down next to him, and now that they were closer Asmo could tell just how drained they were. They sat with their shoulders slumped, and they had an air of exhaustion about them.

“Oh, dear, haven’t you been sleeping well?” he asked, reaching over to pick up a small tub of cream. “Sleep is extremely important, you know. I’m a hot mess without my beauty sleep.”

“Really?” they quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Emphasis on hot,” he giggled, dabbing his fingertip into the cream. “Now, hold still for me, darling, wouldn’t want to poke your eyes out~”

Beelzebub: Beel had grown to like the quietness of the gym in the morning.

He was one of the few demons who had the diligence to work out every morning, and the ones who did make it a daily habit tended to leave each other alone to work on their own things. Everyone knew each other there, to the point where they each had their own spot where they left their stuff and there was an unspoken rule that nobody touched anyone else’s belongings.

It was also an unspoken rule that anyone who tried would get eaten by Beelzebub but he tried not to think too hard about that one. He still felt kind of guilty about it.

Muscle memory took him over to the bench by the weights where he usually set his things down, and he was in the process of sliding his gym bag off of his shoulder when he realized that there was another bag there that he didn’t immediately recognize. He stared at it for a moment, trying to see if he could figure out who the owner was until he got close enough to smell it.

Usually gym-bag-smell wasn’t something he would actively seek out, let alone find enticing, but he would recognize that scent anywhere. It was the human’s.

Sure enough, when he turned around, there they were, stretching in front of the weight bench. It had been…Beel didn’t even know how long it had been since he had seen them in the gym. They used to go quite frequently. Not enough to call themself a gym rat, but they kept up with their fitness pretty well. Until they didn’t.

Beel hadn’t wanted to pry, but he had been worried about them when they stopped working out. He could tell they were suffering physically from it as well - whatever had stopped them from exercising had also stopped them from taking care of their body in general, and he could tell by the weakness in their arms and the dragging of their feet that they weren’t at the top of their game.

He called out their name as he approached them. “You’re here.”

They jumped, eyes wild before they realized who was talking to them, and they shot him a sheepish grin. “Oh, hey, Beel.”

“You haven’t worked out in a while,” Beel stated matter-of-factly before smiling warmly at them. “It’s good to see you here again.”

“Ah, yeah,” they mumbled, looking away. “Kind of…lost my momentum for a bit, I guess. But!” they perked up. “I’m back at it!”

“Good. That’s good.” Beel dropped his bag next to theirs on the bench. “Want me to spot you?”

Belphegor: He was trying to stay awake this time, honest.

Belphie didn’t exactly have the best track record for showing up to class, much less managing to remain conscious for it. Lucifer had been nagging him lately about his attendance, but he was always nagging him about something. No, the real winner of the annoying yet effective big brother olympics was Mammon, who had looked Belphie dead in the eye and said “I bet you couldn’t show up to class for a whole week if you tried.”

And Belphegor was nothing if not a stubborn asshole.

Although, the dare was about going to class, not staying awake, so technically he could snag a nap and Mammon couldn’t say any - 

Belphie’s eyelids snapped open - he hadn’t even realized he had closed them - when something small and bright blue landed on the desk in front of him. It took a moment for him to refocus, but when he did he noticed that a small folded paper star had bounced in front of him.

He raised an eyebrow before turning to look at the human, who was sitting a few seats away from him looking too innocent for them not to be the culprit.

“Can I help you?” he muttered.

“Wakey-wakey, Belphie,” they grinned back at him. They had surrounded themself with a myriad of different-colored paper stars, something Belphie hadn’t seen them do in quite a long time. They had claimed that keeping their hands busy helped them focus during class, and even outside of class they were usually doing some sort of origami project. But at some point, they had stopped. Maybe someone had pointed it out to them, maybe something happened to make them depressed, he didn’t know. But he had kind of missed seeing their little army of paper animals.

“Can you make a fox?”

[miss-writes-a-lot]

Doodle Pants// Dabihawks childhood au featuring. Mama Rei

Every day, Touya came home with his uniform an absolute mess. Shirt untucked and wrinkled, pant legs dirty up to the knees and ripped, and the sweater missing for the third time in a row that month. Touya’s disheveled appearance was usually followed by a phone call from his teacher about another fight he got into with one of his classmates, which earned him a scolding from his father.

Every day, Rei would remind her oldest son that if he wanted to avoid his father’s anger, he should stop getting into fights and be more careful when playing outside, but every day was more or less the same and the calls started to come even before Touya did, and despite every parent-teacher conference, every trip to apologize to the parents of the child that got the shit kicked out of them, every parenting book, bribery – Touya still came home a mess and with another pink slip in his hand to give to his parents.

That was until one day.

Rei had already felt that something was missing from her daily routine until she heard the front door pop open and Touya announced his arrival.

“I’m home!”

Rei took a breath, bracing herself for whatever state her son had come home in and the inevitable demerit that came with it. She floated from the kitchen to the front room, a gentle smile playing across her face.

“Welcome home, Touya–”

She stopped, brows arching in surprise.

Touya had an ear-to-ear grin stretched across his face. The only thing in his hands were the straps of his book bag, but that wasn’t what caught Rei off guard. Touya’s uniform was covered from collar to cuff with multi-colored pen doodles. They were shaky and ranged from flowers to what she could only assume were clouds and stars.

She stifled a giggle. “Well, you sure are colorful today!”

“Yup,” Touya replied, already starting to head for the kitchen.

“Can I ask what the occasion is?”

Touya stopped. He turned his head to glance at his mom and he shrugged. “Was just bored.”

He turned his head back around and walked right into the kitchen, the conversation clearly being over on Touya’s end.

Rei didn’t receive a phone call that day.

From that day on, Touya came home covered in doodles. Enji still wasn’t happy about the overall state of most of his clothes, but Rei reminded him that it was better to power wash them every few days rather than buy him an entire new wardrobe like they used to do. The calls became few and far between, the pink slips disappeared into thin air, and Touya had an overall happier demeanor when he came back from school in the afternoon.

Rei was glad that her son – and by extension, his father – was seemingly in better spirits, though she couldn’t help but wonder who was really drawing Touya every day. Her son was no contortionist. His arms could not reach behind his back far enough for the doodles around his shoulder blades and the center of his back.

The doodles were also quite shaky– shakier than Touya's own handwriting. But Touya remained tight-lipped on the true culprit for the longest time. Rei thought it best to just leave it alone. He was improving and happier and that’s all that mattered. 

｡･ﾟﾟ･　　･ﾟﾟ･｡

Touya brought Keigo home on a Friday afternoon. He was a small boy for his age - especially with those big red wings of his. He seemed quiet too, letting Touya do most of the talking when he introduced him.

“He’s my friend,” Touya said, clipped and matter-of-factly, “From school.”

“N-Nice to meet you,” Keigo mumbled, looking down at his hole-covered shoes.

He definitely was not a friend from school. Not his school, at least. Rei knew all the kids in Touya’s class given the numerous altercations he had with them.

Keigo was nowhere in that catalog.

Rei simply offered him a warm smile, “It’s nice to meet you too, Keigo.”

“We can play in my room,” Touya grabbed his little hand and tried pulling him down the opposite hallway, “C’mon-”

“Touya!” Rei called, “Don’t you have homework to do?”

Touya pouted, rolling his eyes. “Mooooomm…”

“You and Keigo can play after you finish. If you want, I can make you snacks.”

Keigo’s golden eyes brightened, leaving Touya no choice but to relent.

They all headed into the kitchen. The boys sat at the kitchen table while Rei fixed a fruit platter for them. She listened as Touya explained everything he was doing to Keigo, who looked on in curiosity. It was about a minute or two into his explanation of his book report that she saw it:

Keigo reached into Touya’s pencil bag, pulled out a blue ballpoint pen, and began drawing small flowers along Touya’s shirt collar. He still listened - the shine of interest remained - but he started to draw along the hem of his shirt sleeves while Touya seemed completely unbothered, if a bit pink in the cheeks. He picked out more pens and drew more little doodles on any free space he could find on Touya’s shirt.

Rei felt her heart swell. She wanted to just leave them be and enjoy their moment together, but Keigo needed to eat and given how small he was, he hadn’t been doing a lot of it. She walked over and carefully set down the plate of fruit in front of them. Keigo immediately pulled away, looking down at his hands.

“Eat as much as you want,” she said, though it was more directed at the red winged boy than Touya.

“Thanks mom!”

She tilted her head to the side, “Is Keigo going to be staying for dinner?”

Touya looked up from his work and turned to Keigo, “I dunno, can you?”

Keigo’s face fell into a frown and he slowly shook his head.

“That’s alright,” Rei said, “I’ll be sure to send you home with something. As a gift.”

Keigo nodded, still not meeting her eyes. “Thank you…”

Rei left shortly after, hearing Touya trying to start up a conversation with his feathered friend with an excitement Rei had never heard from her son that didn’t involve trying to train with his father. It was new and untethered, almost like a breath of fresh air after being suffocated by smog.

Touya was happy - really happy.

Rei started down the hallway to Enji’s home office. She gathered an armful of highlighters, pens, and the few markers in his drawers.

She sent Keigo home with them and a sizable tupperware of food that night.

(This was a lot more Rei centered than I initially thougt it would be. Still a little wonky but I'm still trying to get back into the grove of things. Thanks to everyone who voted on the poll! Will probably make another one soon).

[missuswalker]

Welcome!!! Could I please request a soulmate au with Kyle and a fem!reader? Maybe one of the ones where they share emotions / sometimes items from their rooms randomly spawn in the other’s / first words said to each other tattooed somewhere or literally anything that would be fun for you to write??? I literally love soulmate aus so I’m gonna gobble up anything u write no matter what. + I loved your Craig fic so much!!!! Thank you <33

thank you so much!! i love this so much, soulmate aus are so silly and giggly 🤭 (using the item spawning one 🤭)

is that mine? || kyle broflovski x fem reader (soulmate au)

My actually useful shit had been disappearing for weeks. I was constantly loosing pens and pencils as well as the book I was reading for school. What had I gotten from my soulmate? Socks. At least I knew my soulmate had big ass feet.

Coming home from school, I didn't expect to have anything new in my room, but I was wrong. A green notebook sat on my desk, the front covered in random brand stickers. I pick it up, sitting on the edge of my bed, deciding to flip through it. It's not like my soulmate would know that I was snooping.

The pages were filled with neat notes. Scanning over them, I realized they were just about the same as my history notes, just with a little more detail. So we have the same history teacher?

I had found out we went to the same school weeks ago, a South Park Cows sweatshirt winding up on top of my dresser, but I had no clue if we were in any of the same classes. As I continued to flip through the pages, I noticed a page with different handwriting accompanying my soulmate's.

It seemed to be a conversation between two people that went from messy to neat writing, drawings of dicks all over the top of the paper. I look more towards the bottom seeing my soulmate's writing with the words, "stop drawing dicks on my paper, kenny"

Kenny? Kenny McCormick? Well, damn. That crosses Kenny off of the list of possible people my soulmate could be. I was only slightly disappointed. Never once did I see my soulmates name anywhere in the stupid notebook. Tossing it to the side, I go to start on my homework that was due yesterday.

"Really?" I groan, noticing my favorite pen missing from its spot on my desk. I don't know why I liked it so much, it was just funny. It had a stupidly big pompom at the end, frilly ribbon around the rest of it. I end up just using a random pencil I found in the bottom of my bookbag, completing about half of my homework, before deciding I deserved a break.

After, like, three hours of going down a conspiracy theory video rabbit hole on youtube, I end up falling asleep, only to be woken up the next morning by my alarm. After snoozing my alarm multiple times, I finally pull myself out of bed, looking through my clothes.

Would I be insane for wearing my soulmate's hoodie? No, I like living in delusion. Pulling the hoodie over my head, I was quick to notice how clean it smelled. It smelled so much like laundry detergent, I was almost convinced it had never been worn.

Noticing I was already running behind, I finish getting dressed, grabbing my bag and rushing out of my house so I could get to school on time. I pull into the parking lot, deciding to just chill for a minute since I was already late.

Eventually, I ended up dragging myself into my math class, sitting down near the back. Pulling out my notebook and a pencil, I begin to doodle, not too invested in the lesson

"Dude, where the fuck did you get that pen," I hear someone whisper, a snicker coming from the same direction. Looking up, I notice a curly redhead holding a pen. My pen. What the hell?

"Is that mine?" I whisper, gaining the boy's attention. "What? No, it's my soulmate's." He replies, glancing at the hoodie I was wearing, his eyes widening. "That's my pen." I say, before looking down at the hoodie myself. "Is this...?" I begin, the boy nodding. "Mine. Yeah, that's mine."

I found myself just staring at him for a moment, before my lips tug upwards. He was cute. He gives me a bashful grin, handing me my pen.

"I would give you the hoodie, but I'm not wearing anything under it." I say, butterflies erupting in my stomach as I hear him laugh. "That's okay. You can keep it. Did you ever realize my name was on the tag?" He asks, causing my face to drop. "No. Damn, I would've found you a lot faster if I'd seen that," I mumble.

There was a silence, until he sighs, brushing his curly bangs out of his eyes. "Are you free after school?" My smile widens at his question, looking down to my shoes. "Yeah, you gonna ask me out?" I joke. "Maybe. You gonna say yes?" "Maybe."

a/n: GUYS I'VE NEVER WRITTEN A SOULMATE AU I'M SO SORRY, HOPING IT'S CUTE 🤞😍

[missusk]

have you eaten yet? (ArvenxReader)

Summary: You’re everywhere, always, helping everyone all the time because you’re as kind as you are strong. You saved the academy and you saved Paldea and helped him out too, what with those Herba Mystica, so Arven wants to show you how much he loves you give back in the way he does best! Everyone loves homecooked meals, right? So why can’t he spit it out so that’s why the words so often falling from his lips are

“Hey, little buddy! Have you eaten yet?”

Word Count: 6173 Warnings: Game spoilers Author’s Note: this was sprouted from shower thoughts!!! Oughgh I love arven!!!! Just thinking about what your little journey could be like from his perspective AND IF HE WAS FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU .but also has inner conflict bc this guy really needs a hug. please enjoy!! :) - missusk

Read here on Ao3

~~

“Have you eaten yet, Arven?” came a call from the lighthouse.

“No!” the child said enthusiastically, bounding up the dirt hill to his dear father. A Maschiff was hot on his heels, panting alongside the boy after their rigorous game of fetch-and-chase. The sun was beginning to set, with rays of gold glimmering on their toothy smiles.

“Well come on,” Dad chuckled. “Let’s cook together before I have to get back to work.”

“Okay!” Arven replied, giddy with anticipation in what he’d get to cook with his favorite person in the whole wide world. What would it be today? Pasta? Curry? It’s been so long since they last ate together, and now they can cook together too?!

“You didn’t peek at that new book, did you?” Dad asked from the lighthouse. Arven faltered in his run home. Whoops, he didn’t put the storybook away correctly, did he…?

“Uh-“

There came a chuckle, then a tousle of his hair as Arven finally reached the threshold of their small home. Arven clung with sticky fingers to his father’s dress pants in a quick apology.

“Well, that might’ve spoiled it, but let’s read from it together after dinner, shall we?”

“Okay!” Arven said through a now-guiltless grin, kicking off his boots as they walked together into the lab. “Can we have sandwiches?” He hoped that sounded like an innocent, totally random request, and certainly not inspired by a storybook he didn’t steal a glimpse of earlier that day when Dad was busy.

“Of course, my son.”

Those words were so seemingly inconsequential at the time, but as Arven sits drumming his fingers on the doodle-smudged desk, watching the second hand of the clock tick-tick-tick by, he only wished he remembered more of those seemingly inconsequential times. He heaves out a sigh – whatever, those thoughts haven’t gotten him anywhere before, and it’s not like anything would change by thinking about it more today.

“Phones away, please,” came Mr. Saguaro’s voice, interrupting Arven’s hazy sepia-toned memory like a shock of bright blue. “Before we begin class, I’d like to introduce our new transfer student.”

Oh? A new student in this part of the term? That was interesting enough to draw his attention away from missing his dad the hangnail he kept picking at.

Arven glances up, teal gaze meeting that of the new student. He immediately recognizes you as the very same student who took responsibility for that brute back at the lighthouse few days ago. So, you were a student here after all. Perhaps he should be keeping better track of you and Miraidon… but then again, what would that matter? Not like dad would care anything would be traced back to him if a weird looking robot lizard thing was suddenly crawling around Paldea. Lots of weird things happen in Paldea. If anything got back to him, he’d just say, that, like, 80 percent of the ocean was still unexplored, so that’s where it was from. Or something.

Your introduction is normal enough. You like Pokémon, are excited to be here, blah blah blah. Minus the innate talent you had for battling, you seem as average as the next person. Arven did notice your sweet smile, but brushed it off as easily as he would crumbs off his apron.

Well, whatever.

While a new student was seemingly inconsequential to the esteemed Uva Academy, you’d think the hallways had a mass outbreak of Combees with how the students buzzed with rumors about you the next few days.

“I heard she fell off a cliff before coming to the academy.”

“Well I heard she already beat student council president Nemona in a Pokémon battle.”

“I heard she took on Team Star on her first day!”

Even some of the academy’s teachers seemed to be whispering among themselves. While many of the rumors were stupid and mostly untrue from what Arven could tell (as he himself was well acquainted with being the butt of weird rumors) one thing seemed certain – this new student was quite skilled with Pokémon battles. Perhaps his defeat at the lighthouse wasn’t explanatory of his lack of skills, but rather a signifier of yours.

As the days passed and the academy settled into the term, Arven became less aware of the latest gossip and more focused on slowly connecting the numerous sticky notes and push pins scattered on the Paldean map on his dorm room wall. It had taken countless nights of coffee and research and more coffee, all until he was able to identify five locations mentioned in the Violet Book. The only real obstacle would be what the book called ‘Titan Pokémon,’ and with his ace being unable to even open his eyes at this point, he needed some help, fast. Thankfully, while cleaning up in the home ec classroom, another bout of whispers made it to his ears.

“I hear she claimed war against Team Star!”

“What, seriously?!”

Geez, this new girl couldn’t catch a break. He knew the annoyance of having a million rumors about him, so his heart went out to the poor transfer student.

“She transferred in at a weird time, I bet she’s just trying to get people to like her.”

“Oh, that’d make sense. Why else would you do something like that, if not for attention?”

Arven raised an eyebrow. A new, fresh face, wanting attention and affection in a scary new school? In a new country? With no friends and barely any family? Perhaps someone so moldable could help with his own little treasure hunt…

It barely took a day before catching you in the cafeteria. Arven didn’t mean to be so selfish when requesting help, but he also didn’t try to not be selfish when requesting help. He sprinkled in a little flattery, a big smile, and played into your desire to ensure your classmates like you. He spouted some nonsense about loving that picnic life, and more compliments about how you’re such a natural with Pokémon – you’d be perfect to help, so please please please?!

And just as he was hoping, he was able to rope you into helping with those pesky Titan Pokémon.

 ***

 It didn’t take long before you were both in the South Province fighting a Klawf that had no business being that size. You made quick enough work of it, and gloriously enough, the first Herba Mystica was in Arven’s grasp – and soon to be in a delicious sandwich. Step one, done, and it barely took any time! Despite all the prep work he had to do with those news articles and dusty library books to locate it, the actual Titan-beating wasn’t all too bad.

Arven splays out his purple gingham tablecloth, flicks on his lantern, sets out the ingredients, then notices you’re still standing there.

Oh, right, new student girl. You ran all the way out here to find the Titan, and he probably wouldn’t have beaten that giant Klawf with just his Shellder and Squovet, so perhaps some form of payment was due.

“Have you eaten yet?” Arven asks casually, and when you shake your head, he sets his hands on his hips. Alright, easy enough. One five-star sandwich seemed a fair enough trade for your work. “Well, then it’s your lucky day! You’re about to get a taste of my delicious, nutritious, herb-mysticious cooking.”

You smile at that, which for some reason, seems to catch Arven’s gaze for an extra second. Once that second is up, he turns back to his tablecloth filled with sandwich ingredients and gets to work. He slices, he dices, then he hands you a sandwich.

He wonders if you’ll like it.

Then he strikes the thought from his head. Of course you’ll like it! He’s a good cook. Despite that self-reassurance, Arven glances to you a few times, waiting for your reaction to the first bite. Just to see what the Herba Mystica does! Yes, that’s the only reason he’s scanning your features like that. But, despite that herb being the only reason he’s watching you, his brow furrows when that brute of a Pokémon blasts out of its Poké Ball, sniffing away at the sandwich he made for you. His jaw drops when you don’t even hesitate to give it to Miraidon! What the heck?!

“Hey!” Arven bursts out. “I went through all the trouble of making that for you, and you just give it away?! That thing didn’t even taste it, just inhaled it whole!”

You then have the gall to simply shrug. Arven scoffs.

“I hope you realize that’s all there was, so now there’s none left for you.”

“That’s fine,” you say with a smile. There’s that smile again.

“Aw, come on,” Arven sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. It’s fine, he shouldn’t get mad at you. You don’t realize the importance of the ingredients that were in that meal, nor do you know what else Miraidon has stolen from him. “Now you’re making me feel like I’m the selfish jerk here.”

You blink a few times, but when your mouth fumbles for something to say, Arven rips his sandwich in half and holds it out to you.

“Here,” he sighs again. “You can have half of mine. But you’d better savor every last bite.”

You smile again and nod, accepting the sandwich half. He doesn’t bother watching to see if you like it – hmph.

Soon you’re both done with your respective sandwich halves, and he really needs you to get moving so he can do what he really came here for. Maybe if he started to pack up, you’d get the hint. When you motion to help fold the tablecloth, Arven shoos you away. Geez, can’t you be bothered to be selfish for one second? You find the Titan Pokémon, defeat the Titan Pokémon, give away your dinner, and are going to help with the dishes too?!

“Oh, don’t worry about cleaning up, I’ll take care of it,” Arven says. “But I suppose if you want to help, I’d be much obliged if you started looking for the next Herba Mystica.”

And you actually agree.

Arven blinks a few times, returning your wave as you bound off into the night.

Huh.

You’re pretty nice, aren’t you…?

He bites his lip. Maybe you really did just help him out because you’re a good person. He lets out a sigh.

“I really owe you one,” he mutters to himself, as he pulls the Poké Ball out of his bag. Though he knows you’ve already left, he glances around just in case. His thoughts fully turn to what he really came here for. “Okay, the coast is clear. You can come out now.”

 ***

 “Did you get a good look at its face, though? I didn’t expect a Titan to be such a li’l cutie!” Arven says. He wants to call you a li’l cutie, what with how sweet and shiny your little smile was, but he settles for calling you his little buddy instead. He prepares four sandwiches, and when you raise an eyebrow at him, Arven feels a hint of red seep into his cheeks.

“O-one is to-go,” he lies. “And the other one, uh…”

You add a smirk to your raised eyebrow, and his blush deepens despite himself.

“I definitely, absolutely, did not make extra so that brute could have a sandwich, okay?” he huffs. You respond with a sarcastic ‘mmhmm’, which for some reason makes his insides twist.

Miraidon inhales the stupid sandwich whole, again, but at least he got to catch your expression after your first bite this time. You seem to like it. That’s a relief.

“Wow, this is really good Arven!” you enthuse with your shiny little smile and crumbs on your cheeks, and that makes his insides twist even tighter. Usually he’d simply agree and move on with his life, so he’s not sure why time seems to snag when he’s around you.

While he’s searching for something to say, suddenly Arven’s composure cracks when Miraidon goes for the last sandwich.

He can’t have that.

He CANNOT HAVE THAT.

“That’s not for you!” he bursts out, causing you and Miraidon to jump as his shout fades from the cave walls. Miraidon shirks back as Arven quickly snatches the sandwich from the plate. Your eyes are wide, and there’s a small pang of guilt tugging at his gut for being the reason for that fear on your face.

“I, sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled,” Arven says meekly. When you don’t say anything, just nod after a moment, he bites the inside of his cheek.

As the last echo of ‘he can’t have that’ finally fades from his mind, Arven lets out a sigh. He calculates and derives and estimates, but finally thinks that maybe… maybe it would be fine. If you knew.

Arven didn’t have any intention of sharing his deep dark backstory, but he supposes he could share with you. He kind of wants you to know, maybe it would be more bearable to not be the only one holding onto this pain. You deserve to know, now that you’ve helped him out thus far.

So, he lets Mabosstiff out of his Poké Ball. He shares what happened, and you listen intently. He can’t seem to meet your gaze, for some reason. Would you call him stupid? Unimportant? Would you leave him too?

“He’s the only thing that I really care about.”

The words slip so quietly from his lips, as gently and inconsequentially as water melts from a frozen branch when the backdrop is the sun. He isn’t sure what else to say, or why he said so much. He nearly jumps out of his skin when you suddenly pat his arm – a little awkwardly – and say,

“I’ll help.”

He meets your gaze. The intensity in your eyes is as fiery and as bright as cloudless dawn. Now it makes more sense why everyone talks about you, why everyone wants to be around you.

“I’ll help you,” you repeat. “I’ll help you find the rest of the Herba Mystica.”

It’s not that Arven ever bothers to hide who he really is (he’s been called weird and strange many times), and yet that hardened something within him seems to crack when you look at him like that, when you say something like that.

“Thank you,” is all he can manage to reply.

You nod, removing your hand from his sleeve.

Thank you… he repeats in his mind. Thank you. How can he thank you? What does gratitude look like? What does care look like? What does importance look like?

“H-have you eaten?” Arven asks suddenly, eyes flicking between yours.

You smile, eyebrow raised again. Did he say something stupid? Have you ever stood this close before?

“Um, yeah,” you say. Oh. “I just ate your sandwich.”

Oh yeah.

“Oh yeah.”

You blink. Arven blinks. Have you always had those little freckles on your nose?

“R-right!” he finally spits out. “W-well let’s get on it then, yeah? Only three more to go!”

He flashes a shiny smile at you, unsure of why his heart is pounding so fast, nor why his skin seems to tingle where you touched.

 ***

 “Ever since I teamed up with you, good things keep happening!” Arven exclaims, jumping up and down. That makes you laugh – the first time he’s heard it – and now he kind of wants to do everything he can to make you laugh again.

So he jokes and he’s a little more weird than normal and it works. It works, and he smiles because it works, and he smiles because you smile. He smiles and you smile and Mabosstiff is smiling too. It’s weak, and it’s small, but it’s the most uplifting thing he’s seen in a long time. This is the most he’s smiled in such a long time, and a lot of it is thanks to you.

“Thank you,” Arven says, suddenly gripping your hands in his. He can’t help it, he can’t help the joy that’s spilling out of every pore. “So much, thank you!”

“Y-you’re welcome,” you reply bashfully, a bit of red staining your cheeks. He wonders why you’re blushing, and it isn’t until your hands fidget in his that he realizes how close you are. Your hands are so small in his, he wonders how long you’ll let you hold them.

“Oh, sorry,” he says, quickly releasing your hands, yet still reveling in the deep blush in your cheeks.

“That’s okay,” you stutter. “I-I’m glad Mabosstiff is feeling better.”

“Me too,” Arven says. “Only two more to go.”

 ***

 It was just meant to be a brief glance your way to make a silly joke about the Stony Cliff Titan and the Klawf sticks he was putting in this sandwich, but Arven’s breath catches when he sees you in a quiet moment.

You seem so… tired, the way your head so delicately leans against that beast, the way your eyelashes flutter closed in what you think is a private moment of reprieve. Your shoulders slump, and Arven wonders how heavy that backpack is that you’ve been carrying.

His brow furrows when he wonders how heavy your shoulders feel with everything you’re carrying. Tackling the gyms, always battling that psycho student council girl, whatever it was you’re doing with Team Star, then keeping up with your actual studies, all on top of having just moved here…

His hands pause.

And here you are, donating your time and talents to a guy you barely knew.

He chews on his cheek, trying to figure out what to say. How could he help someone like you? Someone so kind and capable and kind of beautiful, he’s just now noticing? You really are just helping him because you’re a good person – what’s in it for you? He shoved off a practically useless Pokémon onto you, and you just took it in stride. At least it can glide now, apparently. Arven drums his fingers on the tablecloth, watching your chest rise and fall with each slow breath. The lamplight catches the color in your eyes, and Arven wonders again if you’ve always been this beautiful.

He's not sure why his cheeks feel warmer, now that you’ve caught him staring.

“Hey, uh,” Arven coughs out, eyes flicking back to his hands. “Have you eaten yet?”

You shake your head, eyes flitting towards the sandwiches on the table.

“Here, this one’s on the house then,” Arven says, smiling and handing you a sandwich.

You take it, smile shining as you chirp out a ‘Thanks!’ like a little bird. It makes him smile too.

“Just don’t give it to that brute,” he added with a grunt.

“No promises,” you say, and that earns you a roll of the eyes.

He’s not sure what else to say, he just knows he wants to keep talking to you. He’s not one to often get tongue-tied, so he’s not sure why it so often happens around you. You barely take a bite of the sandwich before your Rotom phone suddenly rings.

“Hey, Cassiopeia here,” came a tinny voice. “How’s Operation Starfall going?”

“Um,” you reply. Your shoulders are stiff.

“Not that there’s a time limit, but the sooner we can finish off the last three, the better… Since you’ve only gotten through two so far…”

There’s a tense silence for a moment.

“I-I was just on my way to the next base,” you spit out.

“Great to hear, I’ll be in contact when you’re close.”

“Okay,” you say simply, and start gathering your things. “I’ll be there soon.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Arven’s not sure why his heart drops. Maybe it’s how guiltily you set the sandwich back onto its plate. Maybe it’s how rigidly you sling your backpack onto your shoulders. Maybe it’s how stiffly your hands brush off the lackadaisical crumbs from your shirt.

“I should get going,” you say.

And maybe his heart was on his sleeve more than he intended, because his expression makes you pause.

“O-or I could stay?” you say suddenly.

“What?”

“Do you, um,” you stammer. “I could stay? For a little bit longer? You just, um. You seemed sad.”

“No! No, that’s okay, you should get going,” he says. “Well, unless you want to?”

He wished he hadn’t asked, because he doesn’t like the thick pause that comes afterwards.

“O-or, you shou-“

“I should go-“ you say in unison.

Your eyes meet for another moment. Arven clears his throat.

“Just don’t forget about that last Titan!” he says, forcing a smile on his face. “I’m counting on you, little buddy!”

You pause, and something in your expression shifts. You don’t say another word when you hoist your backpack higher on your shoulders, then head out into the desert sand. As soon as you leave, Arven practically deflates, slumping onto the boulder beside Mabosstiff.

He’s heard you mention this operation before, but suddenly his skin prickles in frustration, especially when picturing your expression upon leaving. Why are you the one who has to do everything? Why are you the one that has to take down what’s basically an entire student rebellion? What are the academy’s faculty even bothering to do about Team Star?! Why do you have to leave him because of it?

…But then again, why are you the one that has to tackle the Titans for him? Arven rubs his hands over his face.

“I wonder how often she hears that,” Arven wonders aloud, patting Mabosstiff on the head, who lets out a curious grunt. “’I’m counting on you,’ I mean. People always need her for stuff. She shouldn’t have all of that pressure on her.”

Mabosstiff just grunts again.

He’s so close to the last Herba Mystica, and the herbs really are helping Mabosstiff, so he still needs your help… but…

Arven lets out another thoughtful sigh.

But maybe after that… he could… do something for you? Or something. Just… something to make you smile again. Or smile more. Or just something to help ease that slump in your shoulders.

You are his little buddy, after all.

 ***

 You’re both soaking wet and shivering from the False Dragon Titan, then the other False Dragon Titan, then from the storm outside the cave, but you’re both smiling. It was maybe a little too early to play some hardcore fetch, but Mabosstiff had been romping around the cave for a while. Arven said it was just the rain, but he knew you didn’t believe him when the tears kept pouring.

His tear tracks have since dried, and Mabosstiff and Miraidon are snoozing beside the makeshift fire he started. The storm doesn’t seem like it’ll be letting up anytime soon, but Arven doesn’t really mind since you look really pretty in the light of the fire you both could use a rest after felling the final Titan. You’ll get to the lighthouse lab soon enough, as Dad requested, but right now it was nice to just… sit. Alone with you.

“Are you cold?” he asks, and just as you knew when he was lying about him crying, he knows you’re lying when you shake your head. He rolls his eyes and pulls his winter jacket out of his backpack, draping it over your shoulders. “At least this is dry.”

You mutter out a sheepish ‘thank you’, and Arven nods, smiling lightly at how his coat practically swallows you whole.

“I should be the one thanking you,” he says as you adjust the coat around you. “For your help.”

Maybe it’s the euphoria of his best friend feeling healthy again, or maybe it’s the subdued atmosphere of the cave’s thick air, or maybe it’s some third thing, that Arven lets slip something he would usually keep hidden.

“You mean a lot to me,” he says suddenly. He’s not quite sure what he’s saying, or why he’s saying it. “Thank you, really.”

“You’re welcome,” you say, smile forming on your lips. You’re so cute in his coat. He wonders if you’re any warmer.

You sit in a peaceful silence, save the rain outside and the crackling of the fire. You rustle when you pull his coat tighter around your shoulders.

“If you’re still cold, I-I could, uh,” he stammers, words still spilling from his mouth like melting snow. He could what? His voice catches. “I could…”

I could hold you

I could hold you close to me

I could help keep you warm

“M-make you something else to eat? Something warm?” he finally spits out.

“That spicy Herba Mystica was more than warm enough,” you chuckle. “But thank you, Arven.”

His name sounds so sweet when it slips from your lips like that.

He isn’t able to revel in it long before your Rotom phone sounds its familiar ring.

“Hey! Where are you at now?” came the tinny voice.

“Lake Casseroya,” you say. ‘With Arven’ is what he wants you to add.

“How’s your gym circuit going? You’re so close! You should head to Montenevera next, I’m actually headed that way myself!”

“Okay, I’ll meet you there,” you say, and Arven’s brow furrows.

“Great! I’m counting on you!”

The click of the phone is a click of closure as you shake off Arven’s jacket with a quiet sigh.

You both stand, and you turn, just for Arven to catch your hand.

“Are you okay?” he asks, and your eyes widen at the question. “How have you been faring?”

Your eyes immediately well with tears – an expression that tightens Arven’s chest, that swirls guilt in his gut. The glassiness in your eyes formed their sheen as quickly as the rain hits the lake outside. How long have your tears been barely at bay?

Oh, little buddy… how could he have not even bothered to ask this until now? His brow furrows when you tear your gaze from his to look at a new text on your phone.

“N-Nemona is waiting for me,” you say suddenly. “She wants to be champions together s-so I have to… I want her to be happy. She needs my help. I’ll meet you at the lab afterwards.”

And with that you push his coat into his chest and run out of the cave, and Arven can only watch your retreating silhouette until its melds with the pouring rain.

His fists clench, heat welling within him.

That stupid student council girl, what was her name? It didn’t matter, but what mattered is how his chest tightened when someone’s stolen you away from him yet again. Didn’t she realize the world doesn’t revolve around Pokémon battles?! Did you even want to be a champion, or are you just doing the gym circuit because Nemona said you should? Had she ever even asked?

His heart dropped.

Had he ever even asked…?

Had he ever even asked about what the treasure was that you were looking for? Had he ever asked what was important to you? You’re running errands for everyone in Paldea, and his dad too, apparently, but was any of it anything you even wanted?

He wanted to think of you, of how to help you, but the thought of his father welled an overwhelming wave of anxiety in his chest. He had to be selfish for a little longer, at your expense. He pinches the bridge of his nose, patting Mabosstiff when he rests his head on Arven’s lap. This was supposed to be everything he wanted – his Pokémon was the only thing he cared about. But now with you and with Dad and with Area Zero…

Arven heaves out a deep sigh, as heavy as Lake Casseroya itself.

 ***

 It’s time. He’s collected Nemona and Penny, and now he just needs you before heading to Area Zero. Mabosstiff is barking away, jumping at his phone at the sound of your voice, but it just makes Arven’s chest tight.

 ***

 The student council president and the pipsqueak are snoozing soundly inside while you and Arven forage for snacks. Nemona was trying to secretly nurse an injury, but her suspicious lack of stamina didn’t go unnoticed by him. Penny wasn’t used to the treacherous landscape either, so spending the night in the third base of Area Zero seemed like a wise move. They had an incredibly strong team between the four of them, so there were plenty of Pokémon to keep watch while they slept and while you foraged close by.

“Do you need a break?” you ask.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Arven replies, sighing as he stands straight. His back cracks as he leans backwards far enough to see the sky – or rather, the layer of fog that separated this world from the rest of Paldea.

The air between you has been tense since the final Titan, and Arven knows it’s mostly his fault. Maybe he feels guilty. Maybe he’s scared. Maybe he's had every emotion coursing through his veins and beating through his heart for the past few days. There’s you and his dad and… well, mainly that was it. But there were so many combinations of those two things, of those two people, that made his head feel like radio static the entire time he’s been in this forsaken place.

“Do you want to go back in?” you ask, stepping over to him. Your skin and eyes seem to glow as glitter floats around you. He wishes you weren’t so beautiful.

“No, it smells like mildew in there,” Arven says, snacking on a Sitrus berry he found.

There’s another tense pause between you.

“Arven,” you say suddenly. He feels like when Mabosstiff eats off the counter when he shouldn’t – he can barely look at you, but he does.

He wishes he hadn’t. While you don’t have the bags under your eyes like you used to, the sorrow in your gaze cracks his heart even further.

“Arven are you mad at me?” you ask, so brokenly.

“What?” he breathes out. “No, of course not, why would you think that?”

“You just… you’ve been distant. And distracted, I don’t know,” you say.

“I just have a lot on my mind, it’s not you,” he says. Only one of those things was a lie.

“You’re right, you’re right,” you say quickly, shaking your head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be selfish.”

“You’re not!” Arven blurts out. “You’re not selfish, don’t say that. You’re the least selfish person I know, honest.”

You shrug, and before he can stop himself, Arven is stepping towards you, gripping your shoulders in his hands.

“I mean it,” Arven says. “This has just been…”

The worst few days of my life

My dad loves you more than me

My dad loves Miraidon more than me

I’m scared of seeing my dad.

“I’m scared of seeing my dad,” he says.

He didn’t realize he had said it.

What is it about you that loosens his tongue like this? You’re confusion and clarity all in one.

“Arven,” you say again, and the determination in your voice draws him closer to you like a magnet. “Whatever happens,” you say, emotion catching in your throat. “Whatever happens I’ll be here for you, okay? I won’t leave you. I hope you can make amends with your dad but… but whatever happens I’m here for you.”

His heart can barely beat, as shattered as it is, and yet you try to mold it back together as you wrap your arms around him.

 ***

 “H-hey,” you say, gently closing the door behind you. Mabosstiff bolts off the bed to greet you, which is just enough distraction for Arven to wipe the tears from his face. In his defense, Mabosstiff hasn’t seen you since the events of Area Zero. When you finally manage to push the Pokémon off of you, you make your way to Arven, then gently sit beside him on the bed.

“Hi,” Arven replies thickly, trying to discreetly shove the bundles of tissues beneath his bed.

“How are you doing?” you ask. He wishes you wouldn’t look at him like that, with such genuine care in your eyes. When you so delicately set your hand on his arm, immediately everything comes flooding back – the memories and the feelings and the tears, so overwhelming that all he can do is turn to you, to fall into your arms, to sob into your shoulder as you wrap your arms around him.

Everything. The loneliness, the pain, the betrayal, the abandonment. What was he to his father? What was he to anyone? Was there anyone who cared? If his own mother left when he was born and his father left years ago too, who was he but a lump of rotting meat, just taking up space in a world so hastily moving towards the future?

He isn’t sure how long he’s crying into your shirt, nor how long you’ve been rubbing his back as you sit on his bed. Mabosstiff’s head is resting beside him, and Arven sniffles when he pushes his cold nose under Arven’s hand.

“I’m here for you,” you mumble into his hair, and Arven can barely manage a nod. You don’t seem to mind.

More time has passed, where now you’re cradling him in your arms, leaned against the wall beside his bed. The window is cracked, letting in the cool breeze of dusk. He pushes himself off of you, surprised to see your eyes are red too. You stare at one another, unsure of what to say. He rests his head on top of yours, since now your shoulder is soaked with tears. You sit there, beside one another, until dusk pulls into the night. Arven eye’s flutter open when you clear your throat.

What will you say? ‘Get over it’? ‘You should be proud to have a father like him’? ‘It’s no big deal’? How will you frame your sentence to hide the fact that the world lost his father, rather than the fact that he lost his father?

“Um, h-have you eaten yet?” you ask.

Has.

Has he

Has he eaten yet?

Arven blinks.

Has he…

He shakes his head.

“I brought some sandwiches,” you say. He nods, and you wiggle out from your spot on his bed and over to your bag. “They’re not as good as yours, of course, but I thought I’d try my hand at a new recipe.”

He meets you at the edge of the bed, where you hand off a sandwich. You got one for Mabosstiff, because of course you did, and when you look at him with such kind, hopeful eyes, Arven isn’t quite sure what to say.

“I know you’ve been through so much,” you say. “But you’ve got people who care about you and want to be there for you!”

You smile at him – that small, shiny smile, and Arven’s breath catches in his throat.

Thank you

This means so much to me

I feel so seen

So cared about

You’re so thoughtful

“I love you,” he says.

And something finally clicks.

That’s what this is – love.

You’re attentive and kind and you’re there for him. You’re here. You’re here, right now, holding him, and you have been for hours at this point. For days, for weeks.

You’re here.

You’re here, and, and, and and you help him and you think about him and he doesn’t have to beg for your attention and and… and.

“And you’re everything I’ve needed,” Arven says through a wet sniffle. His words are pouring out like a snowy peak’s river – building strength the further it travels, the further it warms. “I’ve been through a lot and you’ve been through a lot but you’re there for me and you help me and I want to help you and when I’m around you I feel supported and I think you’re so beautiful and-“

Arven keeps listing, and listing, and revealing every thought he’s crossed out in his mind until Mabosstiff lets out a whine, reminding him to breathe. Arven sucks in a breath, closes his mouth, eyes wide, now realizing that while he’s finally realized it to himself, he’s now realized it out loud to you.

“I love you,” he says again. “Sorry – was that? Was that a lot?” he sniffles.

And your smile isn’t like the sunset of a sepia-toned memory, but like the bright clear dawn of home and of comfort and of knowing that you’ll always be there. You lean in and press a gentle kiss to his cheek – it’s a little sloppy, and a little wet, but neither of you seem to mind.

“I love you too,” you say simply. “Now lets eat before the sandwich bread gets any soggier… or before you get any soggier.”

“Gross,” Arven says, smiling a free, warm, genuine smile for the first time in days. In years. As you head towards your bag, he risks another question. “Maybe after dinner, we could read something together? Or watch a movie or something? Just…just be together?”

“I’d love nothing more,” you say with that shiny smile as bright as the dawn. “Than to always be here, together with you.”

[ickmick]

INKTOBER DAYS 30 AND 31!!

getting immediately into this- the acronyms key, past weeks posts, and rambling afterwords are under the cut!! drawings on full display today!!

Day 30

gore: undead

we have a miss cleo!! look at them!! so very cool, I'm actually very happy with my first real attempt to draw her! the hair was fun too, ehehe...

Day 31

wh: so below

hc: halloween

GRIANS COSPLAY OF CROWLEY!! WHO CHEERED?? 🎉

he looks oh so smug and cool, I really love this drasing of him! that face! and I took a worth while risk on the pose!!

(I have moved the next 2 paragraphs to under the cut, to make sure this isn't too long to scroll through if you only want to see the art!!)

as for the second sketch (which has two photos so you don't have hold you device upside down LOL) I had the idea of secret life grian and (SL)watcher grian! a reverse, mwahaha... I really only meant to draw the crowly one, and didnt think I had the energy for more... but brain rot!! it is so strong!!

so of course after that I finally rectified my lack of clothes design for watcher grian lol... now i have to draw a SL design too!! eventually... eventually... I didnt make a note of it, but I think he just... wouldn't wear shoes LOL... watcher grian, I mean. let those lil talon feeties free, or whatever pffft...

week one, two, three, four and 5.1s posts!!

I'll only list the prompts I used that day, but here's the key for acronyms n such;

wh = welcome home

hc = hermitcraft (I have 2!)

ink = official inktober

gore = goretober

(actual gore will be triggerwarned! so far none has any blood or violence!)

Oh boy- okay! so I swear I didn't forget, its just that art block came and smacked me in the face for a short period. Thankfully I came out of it with two drawings I really love!! And some pretty good doodles too, haha...

I do think I still want to do a weekly novelember drabble... and of course a related drawing. we'll see! check in on sunday! i wont just disappear now that inktober is over!!

but also, maybe come back tomorrow if you're interested in a certain very tall persons birthday. yknow, the one with a new vtuber model! yeah! them! /silly

(Im talking about Ranboo, haha!! Im hoping to finish a drawing for their birthday tomorrow!!)

Thanks again for all the support!! 💜

[colorful-bees]

Ahhhh, my doodles for my N in Hisui AU are finally done! (More info about the AU and the individual drawings under the cut)

I've been thinking about this AU for such a long time, I'm glad I finally got something about it put down visually.

So, this is my N as the P:LA protag AU. Don't have a solid title for it yet. The basis of it is that he's yoinked from Unova in the middle of B&W, so he's still King of Team Plasma and still wholly believes in their cause.

Why he was called there is much of the same as the original protag; Arceus just chose him this time instead. And, oh boy. Does he have some thoughts about being forced to complete a Pokedex of all things. And these Pokeballs? Not a fan of them.

He also greatly dislikes the Galaxy Team and their goal of documenting all the Pokemon in Hisui but he begrudgingly works with them, as it's the only way to complete the Pokedex. That's the only way to get back home, back to Team Plasma and liberating the Pokemon of Unova, after all. And when the creator of all calls you to do something, you can't really not listen.

But what he does like? He loves how little humans have touched the past. Besides Jubilife Village and the Diamon and Pearl settlements, it's all wilderness, Pokemon living free. (He also greatly approves of the Clans' decision to not use Pokeballs and really thinks the Galaxy Team could learn from them.) Hisui is definitely giving him some ideas for what he wants his ideal world to look like.

Across the way, N meets a Hisuian Zorua that he quickly befriends. He's very saddened at the state of them and how bitter they've become towards the world. And the fact that they're ghosts doesn't help...

Past or present, no matter what, N's dislike of Pokeballs remains the same. He is however intrigued at the idea of handcrafting them. At least then, it feels a little more personal when you catch a Pokemon. He's a bit confused about the latches though.

Hisui is still dangerous and no amount of being able to talk to Pokemon is going to save you from the harsh world beyond Jubilife's walls. N quickly learns that not all of his friends are too keen about him.

N still wears his goofy little necklace tucked safely under his Galaxy Team uniform (that he hates wearing but he can't deny its comfort). A little piece of home carried with him. (Not pictured: His puzzle cube that he made extra space in his bag specifically for. Too dangerous to let that thing being hanging out of his pocket in the environment he's constantly in.)

Unfortunately, having hair as long as N's is a bit of a liability when you're doing survey work and he reluctantly gets it chopped off when Arezu comes around. He very much misses it and vows that he'll never cut it again, even if it's inconvenient. He feels a lot lighter now though. It's a weird feeling.

(Also. If anyone is interested in this AU, please, please send me an ask about it. I love answering questions, especially about the stuff I create and I really like this AU so don't be shy. I would love to talk :)c

(Masterpost for this AU)

[punk-in-docs]

Okay I'm coming in hot for director's cut - so sorry if you've already answered this, but I'm curious how "Pencils" came to be in your mind / I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about this series.

- @superblysubpar 💛

Thank you for the ask @superblysubpar I’m coming in slow AF with my answer. Sorry about that babes. Been a helluva week. This ask made me smile though-

As far as Pencil’s nickname is concerned, I can tell you that it comes from a very innocent and a very sweet place; I simply believe that they first met/ knew of each other/ were in each others orbit/ in one class back in middle school.

Eddie being the scrungly non conformist metal baby that he was back then, probably didn’t care to come equipped for class, and then he gets sat behind this cool girl in scruffy jeans and too big plaid and sneakers, always humming cool songs and sending a withering glare at the empty headed preppy kids en route to high school stardom, when they picked on anyone (him mostly)

He doesn’t know why he does it. Maybe he’s looking for an olive branch, but either way he asks this cool girl in front of him, on the first day of class if he can borrow or steal a Pencil.

And she smiles, and says sure and hands him one. No problem.

Every class she smiles when he lopes in late and slips behind her. Every time he asks for one despite having several in his bag he plays dumb, just because of the rush of talking to her. Better than any sugar rush or sabbath riff.

He wants to approach her outside class, but he constantly sees her with this popular girl glued to her side as she rambles on about boys. He scuffs his converse and lets his courage shrink. Maybe pulls clownish stunts to see her laugh. And it all goes into distant orbit of being aware of each other by the time high school comes around. Aware but distanced.

Then, one fateful night, years and years and many grades later, he’s just done a deal with an asshole jock in the woods at Kyle whatshisnames party, and when he steps back onto the green green lawn, to scurry along home, imagine his shock when he finds that same girl, primped and partied up in a poppy outfit-

Pretty as ever too. So so pretty.

He’s never forgotten Pencil girl. Pencils. the nickname snapped out his mouth then with fervour and a toothy grin. Pencils. Always holding one in class. Doodling away. Drawing the shape and shading on hands or pill bugs or flowers and weird dogs and buildings and streets on the margins of her books or legal pads. The artist through and through.

Wants to study it one day, she said. Draw and draw til her fingers drop off. Draw comics and stage sets and paintings-

He’s never forgotten her small acts of kindness where everyone else had slung venom. Passed him answers on little torn scraps of paper for the pop quiz. Lend him pencils when he needed them. Or an eraser. Or stifled a laugh when he said something funny to frustrate the teacher.

She’s sat there, on this lawn chair, drunk probably, and there’s evidence of tears under her eyes and she’s just small and all alone, and he just, he can’t have that. He can’t leave it like that.

This time Eddie puffs his chest up and grins, eyes dancing bright, this time, the chance seems way too good to let slip through his fingers.

He can’t look away now he’s seen her. This is fate. It’s destiny even. If this shit show called life could ever hand him something kind and good, then here it is baby. Lit up in flashing gold tulip bulb lights like a goddamned broadway theatre.

Don’t miss this one again, kid. Hope don’t come knocking twice.

He cracks his knuckles. He boldly goes to see if she remembers him.

Here goes nothin, Munson-

[james-is-here]

I made myself sad thinking about it so I’m bringing you along for the ride. Also, where I live, is storm like crazy, thunder was so loud it set off a car alarm.

[This was my 100th post, wooo!! 🥳]

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Seeing all the boys with they’re counterparts made Kai happy, seeing them smile and play with them and laugh, It was sweet, really.

It also stung a little…

He had joined before the Five Star trailer was released, having been a mystery face throughout the trailer and sparking a lot of curiosity amongst the fans and tons of support was given to the mystery member, who was Choi KaiSeok.

Fans loved him in the comeback, they thought it was cool to have another deep voice join Felix’s and people love his visuals as well.

Kai loved being with the others, having got to know them and be around them way before Five Star started. It just stung a bit watching them have fun with the counterpart mascots.

He smiled weakly at all of them before walking backwards and off stage. The staff in the back were going to question him when he held up a hand and shook his head as he walked away to find a chair.

A few minutes later, Chan noticed that he was down one kid. Looking around, as they pass by, he asks the others if they’ve seen Kai which all have said no, not since the characters came out.

Chan sighs when he realizes why the male wasn’t on stage and feels bad. He continues on stage, not wanting to confuse the fans by suddenly leaving but he was tempted a few times, wanting to check on him.

When the characters leave, Kai walks back out shyly, his head hanging as he composed himself before looking up, making immediate eye contact with Chan who stood in front of him.

“You okay?” He asks gently, Kai can see it in his eyes that he knew why he left and gave a small smile. “I am, I promise.”

Chan pat his shoulder and the two walked over to the others, enjoying the rest of the night with fans.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

On the ride home, Kai curled into himself in the vehicle, a small sketch pad on his lap with a dim book light clipped to it.

He started with sketching random things. Graffiti of his members names, different styles of stars, small doodles, then he started sketching the skzoo characters in his cartoon-like style with sharp edges and cute eyes before starting to sketch them in a chibi style.

Flipping the page, he starts drawing them as they are made, zoning out to his music and just doodling before he’s brought back to reality by a bump in the road and his gripping his pad while collecting himself at the sudden jump then looking back down to see he drew nine animals.

He doodled them all huddled together with smiles on their faces, Quokka on WolfChan’s back and Bbokari sitting in front of Jiniret who has his paws resting on the chicks head are drawn in the center with the others on either side of them. Drawn standing slightly off to the side was another character, a duck, it’s head tilted in a cute manner as he waves with his legs together and other paw behind his back.

Kai stared at the other character for a moment before his hand moved and he wrote “DucKai” under it with a star and a heart. He stared at the drawing for a moment, it’s WolfChan like eyes, BbokAri face and a small Jiniret like smile on his beak suddenly have tears build up in Kai’s eyes before he blinks them away with a deep breath while putting his sketchbook away after ripping the page out, missing how a tear fell onto the page.

Exiting the car, he slowly followed behind the others, stopping when the members he’s staying with stopped to open the door before they walked in. He was like Hyunjin, the both of them having to deal with gym-racha, but at least Hyunjin wasn’t alone with gym-racha anymore.

Kai slept on a small air mattress in Hyunjin’s room but he always ends up in Hyunjin’s bed by morning. They made art together, at one point Hyunjin painted a small picture then came back to see it was inked with cute doodles following the paint strokes.

Kai walked into the room, throwing the balled up doodle near the trash can before deciding which bed to flop onto, choosing the dancers bed anyway.

Hyunjin had kicked the ball of paper when he returned, picking it up and un-crumpling it, it wasn’t the paper he used so he was curious, soon turning to shock when he looks over the drawing. He glances at the male dozing on his bed before walking out to find Chan, who was in the kitchen.

“Look what I found.” He says quietly as Chan turned to him and took the paper. “Aw…this is cute but…why is it all crumpled?” “I found it balled up, I think this is Kai’s.”

“DucKai…It looks so cute….” He whispers. “I wonder why he balled it up…” He questioned before giving it back to Hyunjin. “Did you know he left stage today?” “No, why?” The younger asked in concern. “Our skzoo were on stage…he doesn’t have one…” “W-We could get him one. He has a sketch of what he wants.”

After much conversation the next day, they agreed that they should help Kai have his own Skzoo character. They decided to take it up with their manager, the designer of the other skzoo’s and the people who created the plushies to create a new character based on Kai's sketch. The boys knew it wouldn't be an easy task, but they were determined.

In the meantime, they had to keep this a secret from Kai. They didn't want to get his hopes up in case things didn't work out. Kai was oblivious to all this, he just assumed that the others were busier than usual.

Finally, after several weeks of effort, they had the first prototype of the DucKai Skzoo character in their hands. It was perfect, exactly like Kai's sketch. The boys were overjoyed. They couldn't wait to show it to Kai.

They decided to surprise him during a group live. They all sat on a couch, reading comments and having fun. Kai fiddles with the Quokka in his hands, softly flicking his paws back and forth, his stupor being broken when someone read a comment. “Oh my gosh, they’re all holding a plushie!! Where did the other one come from?” Kai looked up at Felix who read the comment then looked around.

All of them were holding different plushies, one person should be left out but he was surprised to see that all of them actually had a plush. He looked at all of them, He had Quokka, Han had Leebit, Minho had Bbokari, Felix had Jiniret, Hyunjin had PuppyM, Seungmin had FoxI.Ny, I.N had Dweakki, and Changbin had WolfChan.

Looking to Chan he saw a new plushie, a duck, the same as his sketch. Kai’s mouth fell open as he moved his eyes to Chan’s, the older male smiling at Kai and handing it to him, taking the Quokka from him.

Kai was stunned. He couldn't believe his eyes. His own Skzoo character that he had doodled was now a reality. He looked at the other boys, their faces beaming with happiness and pride. They had done this for him. He was overwhelmed. He didn't know what to say. He just smiled at the boys, his eyes welling up with tears as he hid his face from the camera that was still live.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you so much."

The boys smiled at each other. They had done it. They had made Kai's dream come true. And seeing the happiness on Kai's face, they knew that all their hard work had been worth it.

And thus, DucKai joined the Skzoo family, a testament to the boys' friendship and their love for Kai. From then on, Kai was never alone with the Skzoo family. And every time he looked at his Skzoo character, he was reminded of the boys' gesture and how much they cared for him and how much they loved him in the family. It was a moment that Kai would cherish forever.

Fans also fell in love with DucKai, happy to finally get merch for Kai and excited that the boys added Kai to the Skzoo family. Fans are more then excited to see what DucKai and the other Skzoo’s have for the future along with their human counterparts.

[metallix-mixin]

Letters

Amy had been getting a lot of mail, recently.

But- more surprisingly- was who it was addressed from...

The blue blur had been away on an adventure for quite some time now- leaving her behind as he raced off to go save the world again with tails- and she'd been pretty lonely as a result. Not even the metal menace she'd occasionally found solace in was anywhere around, and her normal, everyday life just wasn't exciting anymore...

But then- she had gotten a letter- from the blue blur himself. It was written in heroically neat handwriting- something she honestly hadn't expected out of the boy who couldn't give her the time of day- and contained tales of the adventures they'd been on!

It was worded a little oddly, though she assumes that was because it was thrown together- and had a drawing attached of her. It was scribbly, but detailed- and seemingly required a decent amount of effort... She had smiled giddily, and quickly pinned the letter to her board- and she wouldn't have to wait very long for another...

Each day after that, she would receive a new delivery in the mail. First, it was simply letters and doodles- stories and tales from beyond the reaches of civilized Mobius- of the doctor, of bickering with the enemy-

Then, it turned to packages and gifts- souvenirs from the far away lands they had visited- even a plushie, which she cherished by her side each night.

By the time Sonic was due to return the next day, she couldn't be more excited- even moreso when she had received a final letter in the mail.

...But when Sonic finally did return...

He pretended to not know what she meant, when she mentioned the letters. He acted as if she were crazy- and while he claimed to have missed her, he said he... wasn't the type to write back home. His home was on the run, after all.

...She was devastated. Had he really spent all that time, leading her on? Had he really kept her hopes up for months, just to crush them when he finally returned?

She had no way to react but to turn and run- leaving a confused Sonic behind her.

The forest. Its comforting isolation now felt like a stifling loneliness, as she cried against a tall oak. Her internal solemnity however was interrupted, by the soft clinking of metal joints...

"...Not now, Metal. I'm not in the mood to get c-captured."

...Oddly, this protest worked, and Metal paused- dropping down into a seat next to Amy. She felt the urge to, and so she leaned her head against his- causing the bot to jolt slightly...

"...What is wrong, Miss Rose?"

She sniffles a little- using Metal for support...

"I-I... S-Sonic- he..."

Metal seemed to stiffen with anger-

"What did that pincushion do."

"...He led me on."

...Confusion. "Elaborate."

"H-He was sending me... letters while he was away... and h-he came back acting like he didn't- acting like he hadn't... missed me like he said he had..."

She feels Metal shift in confusion, before freezing.

"Letters...?"

"...Amy Rose."

"...yeah...?"

"Those letters were not sent by the organic Sonic the Hedgehog."

"W-What?"

"Those were sent by... me."

“…Y-You what?”

”I wrote those letters. I was observing your compatriots as they travelled, and I wrote back what they accomplished.”

…That explains the odd wording…

“…B-But then- the bits about… m-missing me- and the doodles-“

”Also, me. I would like to believe my artistic capabilities have improved, ever since the Doctor installed those new processo-“

“What a-about the first part.”

”…”

Metal goes quiet, his head turning to the side.

”…I did… ‘miss you’. I simply could not return until I was ordered to.”

Amy’s cheeks feel warm, and her eyes glisten. She turns her head away- the two sitting together in an awkward silence for a moment… before she feels something pressing against her arm. She sniffles, and turns back to Metal- who’s pressing a letter softly into her shoulder.

”I must depart. But here. I was not able to send this one to you before my return.”

Once she takes the neat envelope into her hands, Metal stands- his turbine revving as he flies off into the night.

The paper crinkles as she opens it, unfolding the message inside- now with the full context of who this was really from- and her eyes widen, hand faltering slightly. It’s written in that same, neat handwriting-

TO MY DEAREST AMY ROSE, WHOM WHICH I WILL SHORTLY BE SEEING. I HOPE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TOO LONELY IN MY ABSENCE. I KNOW IT HAS LIKELY BEEN DIFFICULT, BEING ON YOUR OWN FOR SO LONG. BUT WORRY NOT- I WILL BE RETURNING POSTHASTE- AND WHEN I DO RETURN, I HOPE TO SEE A SMILE UPON YOUR FACE. BUT, IF THERE IS NOT ONE, I WILL BE GLAD TO HELP PUT IT BACK. LOVE, S.

A pressed yellow and red flower is taped to the paper.

Amy lay awake on the soft covers, staring at the ceiling- a swirling mix of giddiness and confusion dousing her mind and forcing her awake- as if she could sleep, after that…

On one hand… the confirmation that Sonic hadn’t been the one to care so deeply as to keep her company from afar, was saddening slightly- especially after all the times she had chased after him, and aided him on his adventures- but…

On the other hand, the one who had truly sent them… was Metal. Metal, a cold, ‘unfeeling’ robot- had been more attentive to her need for socialization than the hero himself.

And her mind wandered to the letter again- calling her ‘dearest’, the formal yet cute promise at the end, and… marked as ‘love.’ Not Salutations, or some other closing word- love.

Was that what the robot intended? Could he even feel love? She had seen him stare upon the stars with fascination even as he afterward proclaimed otherwise- she had watched him from a distance as he nurtured a wounded forest creature back to health- watched the guilt in his cold, projected eyes as he watched the trees turn to cinder and ash around him…

Did he really… and did she… love him back?

…Her internal solemnity is interrupted by a soft rumble outside her window- and the click of it opening. Her tired yet sparkling eyes drift to the side- to see her forbidden friend of steel balancing on the windowsill.

”I see you are awake.”

He speaks softer than usual, his mechanical voice a lower tone. She nods- and he takes that as reason to continue- ”…I have something to show you, Miss Rose.”

Her curiosity piqued, even at this time of night- she gracefully slides off the bed, and, carefully as not to wake the sleeping heroes in the other room, paces over to Metal- who gingerly takes her hand in his, before promptly swinging her into his arms-

Her face raises up a soft heat, and the robot stares down at her- had it a mouth, it would be smug.

”Allow me.”

The robot then hops off the windowsill- soaring into the night- leaving behind Amy’s room…

And a tired fox boy, who had just peeked unnoticed through the door- unaware of the context of the moment.

Soaring gently into the quiet night, Amy tucks herself close to the latent warmth of Metal’s engine- any chill in the air negated by the heat he radiates around him as he cuts through the air- his sturdy steel arms wrapped gently against her, just enough to keep her secure, but not too tight as to wound her. They’d been in this situation enough times to be used to the positions and sensations, but tonight somehow felt… different. There was an erratic electricity in the air, though not like that of the surging life that coursed through Metal’s wired veins. Rather, it was a soft static- like the frizzing buzz left remainder after a walk on a woolen carpet, one that could stick a balloon to the wall or make your heart race just the ever bit faster.

The two were caught in the moment- the rest of the world could not detract from it. Not the stars hanging in the ever vast skies, not the moon glimmering in full with its pale illumination- not the rustling of creatures of the night or leaves in the gentle breeze… and not the quiet whizzing of a natural propellor far distant behind them.

After quite the journey, where no words were spoken yet infinite were shared- Metal lands, in a beautiful, crystalline cove off the side of one of the towering mountains of Mobius’s natural topography- multicolored stones shimmering in the moonlight and illuminating the cavern floor to look like pastels on a canvas.

He gently lets Amy go- and, as if desperate to remain close- she simply shifts to cling to his side, as the two coordinately plop down upon the stony floor- the shimmering lights glistening not near as much as the starstruck expression on Amy’s face.

”This is… the place I come to think. Signals cannot be transmitted properly here- the crystals contain a frequency that disrupts them…”

”A place where I can be truly alone. I have not told another soul nor robot of its existence.”

And yet, here she was with him- in his place of solemnity, clutched to his side like her life would end should she let go. His steeled arm wraps gently around her in turn, and the two sit, staring up at the skies.

“…Why…? Why bring me here, then…?”

Metal pauses, as if choosing his words- but then seems to relax- deciding that careful wordage is no longer a requirement.

”This place has never failed to offset my worries. Seeing as you were not… joyous, before- I sought to uphold my written promise to fix that.”

…She turns to him, and he turns to her. His eyes avoid meeting hers, and he whispers uncharacteristically.

”…and… I wish to share all the momentary happinesses I experience with you, to repay you for causing the most of mine.”

“…”

No further words are said, as their eyes meet, and the two gently shift to lean against eachother- ever content in the brightened night.

…From afar, Tails watches the display- a guilt in his chest from overhearing such a personal conversation- but unlimited confusion overtaking his everywhere else….

The contentedness of the two still bubbling within them, there they sit- resting quietly in each other's silent company.

As the night begins to draw to a close- and dashes of vibrant sunshine threaten the horizon- Metal would stir Amy from her sleep against him.

"...Amy Rose. It is almost daylight. I should return you home..."

Amy, admittedly, didn't want this to end- especially so quickly- but she supposes she can't exactly stay here forever... so she sighs, and stands- stretching as Metal whirrs to his feet next to her. He promptly lifts her up once more- and begins flying back through the closing night.

By the time he had returned to her windowsill- she was once again fast asleep in his arms. He took a short moment to watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and to brush some quills out of her face which had fallen aside in the flight- his steelen claws ever gentle in doing so. He carefully laid her down upon her bed- pulling the covers over her, and turning to leave.

However... as he steps out from the window- he's met with another, standing across from him on the roof.

"You've got five seconds to explain yourself, or I've got an EMP in the basement waiting to go off."

...Metal stares coldly at Tails- taking his threat with complete levity.

"...What do I need to explain."

Tails gestures wildly with his arms-

"What was THAT? What were you two even doing? Where did you go?"

"...None of your business."

"It is my business. She's my friend, and you aren't."

"You know not of my relationship with Miss Rose."

"Really now? Then what do you share with her? Mutual hatred? A penchant for kidnapping?"

"..."

Metal turns away from Tails, slowly taking off-

"I love her."

And in a flash- he's gone, into the night.

[runfast-runfar]

Daily things ~holiday edition~

12/29/22

✨ dog sat for a quick night for my favorite boy Finn!! So so happy I got to see him!

✨ I ended up getting the new switch OLED and it’s amazinggg!!! The differences are minor but they make the biggest difference!!

✨ haven’t been running in a month now which makes me so so sad and frustrated but I try to go out and walk in the neighborhood to get the light exercise still. I am doing the peloton daily now which is amazingggg!! But missing my runs and the fresh air with working out so so much. Hopefully my back will get figured out soon and can be resolved easily!! 🤞

✨ I am obsessed with platforms shoes now lol!!! I have platform converse, and then I also got my first pair of Nike airforce 1s 😭

In love with both!!

And then I just bought myself a pair of Oxford platform Doc Marten’s 😅 This year I spent SO much money…. So I need to go back to saving!! Lots to save for this year! My brother and I are moving early next year (YAY!!!) and that needs lots of saving, I have a Disneyland trip over the summer with a friend, going to NYC next year during the winter, spending money for Taylor swift concert next year, etc! Plus just saving in general! :)

✨ the biggest thing I bought myself for a holiday treat was a quest 2 VR system!!!!! That is getting delivered today!!!!! I am SO freaking excited!!!!! I have really gotten into gaming since being essentially on bed rest and it helps pass the time… but it’s also become a genuine hobby! I am loving Pokémon violet and then I got Pokémon shield and have been playing the two. And then I wanted the virtual reality system bc getting to be fully immersed in the games is amazing and escaping entirely to a new world… I need that right now lol

✨ I bought thea a new hammock since her old one broke way earlier this year. She got upgraded to a double decker lol

✨ on an iced coffee kick and not complaining about it!! I am trying to make coffee at home versus buying Starbucks to save money, and one of my New Year’s resolutions is to only get Starbucks twice a week! And then make coffee every other day! And these iced coffee nespresso pods are making that easy to happen lol!

✨ spending some time doodling my own little cute anime-esque characters; meet Kipper haha

✨ the day after Christmas I came down with the flu and so I’ve been in bed most of the day for the past two days now. But tbh I’ve needed the rest, I’m just bummed I feel shitty during it. But at least today I’m feeling better than yesterday!

✨ I’m going to a friends beach house tomorrow for the weekend in celebration of New Years. I’m chugging DayQuil like it’s water (haha jk.. sorta) and hopefully I only feel better as each day comes! 🤞

✨ ordered myself some sushi for lunch since my throat isn’t on fire like it was yesterday, thank god!! And then all I’ve done today is play the switch, draw, have the show Wednesday on in the background (last episode is playing now… sooo that’s seven hours later lol 😅) and began reading my new book “Remarkably Bright Creatures” which is so good so far but I can tell it’s going to be a sad one 💔

✨ Well, I hope you’re all doing good, that you had a nice holiday and the new year is good to you!!!

[just-call-me-angel]

Little Miss Loser

Chapter 1 - The Family Next door

Warnings: none

Author's Note: I won't even pretend this isn't a self-indulgent piece for me to express my love for Paul Dano's role as Dwayne Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine. I do hope that anyone who comes across this enjoys it though!

Summary: What could possibly go wrong when Dwayne's best friend and next-door neighbor gets invited on a road trip with the Hoover family for the weekend?

Ao3

Chapters: ||1||2||3||4||5||6||7||

Summer in Albuquerque, New Mexico was always blazing hot and boring as hell. It helped at least that you weren’t spending your summer vacation alone. You had been lucky enough to befriend the dark-haired quiet boy next door after you had first moved in and after that you wound up spending most of your time at his house. You had quickly discovered that the Hoover family was odd, but you couldn’t really say your family was a good example of normality so it didn’t really bother you. In fact you thrived off the energy in the Hoover household. You loved the constant noise buzzing throughout the home and the way the family welcomed you in with open arms. Most of all you loved the quiet duality that Dwayne Hoover provided in the chaos of his family. Many had been shocked to see how you wormed your way into Dwayne's life and became his best (and only) friend. Dwayne was the silent loner type who preferred the company of his books and his music above all else. While you were chatty and wild and constantly making jokes to fill the noise. Often people would tell you how you were simply too loud and too wild when really you knew they meant to say you were too much. But despite his prickly nature Dwayne never seemed to grow tired of you and you were grateful for that.

So it really wasn’t all that odd for you to be spending yet another day sprawled out across Dwayne’s twin mattress, mindlessly doodling in one of Dwayne’s spiral notebooks while he sat across the room doing sit ups on the floor. Occasionally you would glance down at him, making faces to get him to lose focus and giggling when he would huff in frustration and resituate himself so he couldn’t see you. Most kids your age were running around going on adventures while you were perfectly content  lazing about fulfilling your role as Dwayne’s most annoying distraction (It was your number one job as his best friend and only friend)

You looked up from your doodles and watched as Dwayne shuffled across the room towards the homemade calendar he had hung up a few months ago. Reading the messy handwriting at the top of the calendar that read ‘ENLISTMENT’ you smiled as he moved his finger down the rows of boxes, about a third of which are filled in already, and carefully took a permanent marker to fill in another box in a row that was half finished. He stares for a moment at the calendar and then at his own reflection in the mirror to his right. You toss a crumpled up piece of paper at him to gain his attention, grinning when he turns to face you. Shuffling to sit up on the bed you turn the notebook you had been doodling in so he can see your work. He moves closer, squinting for a moment at the paper before looking back up at your face clearly a bit confused. You huff and point at the paper with the pen you had been using.

“It's you, you dumbass.” you tell him, grinning when he gives you an unamused look, “Can’t you tell?” you tease as you look down at the paper once more to look at the terribly drawn stick figure version of Dwayne sitting atop an equally as terrible depiction of an airplane that you had worked very hard on. He rolls his eyes and shoves you slightly to make room for him to sit next to you before swiping the notebook out of your hands and flipping the page to write out his response to your drawing.

“Thats fucking terrible.” the note reads when he finally shows it to you. You snort, playfully slapping his arm and stealing the notebook from him again.

“Don’t be a dick.” you tell him, hugging the notebook to your chest, “You’re just jealous of my artistic ability.” He rolls his eyes again but you can see the faintest smile hidden behind his usual flat expression. He shuffles around on the bed, laying back against his pillows and swinging his legs out to rest on your knees. You don’t even bother to shove his legs off of you as he makes himself comfortable and pulls a book off of his night stand.

“Are you rereading that Neitczhe book again?” you ask him as you turn to an empty page in the notebook. He nods, opening the book to read quietly while you continue doodling mindlessly and you hum in approval. He had read that book so many times you had lost count and you found it endearing how much he seemed to still enjoy it even now.

After a while you hear the front door opening and his mom shouting in the front hall but neither of you move to get up or even really acknowledge her arrival until she pushes his bedroom door open.

“Dwayne sweetie, Uncle Frank is here.” Mrs. Hoover says softly, before glancing over at you momentarily shocked by your presence. Standing next to her is a dark haired man with an unshaven face and wearing all white. The man, who you assume is Dwayne’s Uncle Frank, looks decidedly unhappy to be here. Dwayne had told you a few days before that his Uncle Frank who he hadn’t seen in several years would be coming to stay with them. You didn’t know the details and you didn’t pry any further assuming it was one of those things the family didn’t want people knowing about.

“Oh shoot! (y/n) I completely forgot you were coming over for dinner.” she frowns clearly a bit annoyed with herself and you shake your head smiling softly.

“Its alright Mrs. Hoover, I can always go home if it's too much trouble.” You offer, noticing the way Dwayne visibly looks dejected at the thought of you going home early

Sheryl shakes her head, “No no, sweetie you know I love having you over!” she pauses to look at her brother for a moment, offering him a small smile, “(y/n) this is my brother Frank, Frank this is Dwayne’s friend and our neighbor (y/n)” You give him a polite smile and wave which he awkwardly returns, shoving his hand back down to his side when your eyes fall to the bandages around his wrists. You don't say a word about it, you just offer him another smile before shuffling to shove Dwayne’s legs off your lap.

“Come on Dwayne lets go set up Dinner.” you say, earning a smile from Sheryl as you carefully shuffle past the two adults, tugging Dwayne along behind you. After a few moments Sheryl comes into the dining room, instructing Dwayne to run out and grab the dinner she had picked up from the car before she gives you a pat on the shoulder and thanks you for being so helpful. Frank shuffles into the main area of the house and under Sheryl’s instruction sits at the dinner table, next to Dwayne’s usual spot at the table. Once you and Dwayne have finished setting the table you both take a seat along with him. Richard, Dwayne’s step dad enters the room briefly sitting down next to Frank before awkwardly getting up after asking Frank how he had been doing. You have to stifle a laugh at the uncomfortable silence that fills the room with Richard's awkward attempt at small talk with his brother in law. Surprisingly its Frank who fills the silence before you can even think of something dumb to say.

“So Dwayne, who do you hang out with?” Frank asked, clearly trying to fill the awkward silence. You looked up across the table with a little grin tugging on your lips as you watched Dwayne look at his uncle with a bored expression.

“What, you don’t have any friends? No girlfriend?” Frank pressed further, only receiving a sigh from Dwayne as he continued to stare at his uncle. You watched as Dwayne shuffled to grab his little notepad and pen, quickly scrawling an answer out to his uncle.

“Everyone? Even your family?” Frank asked and Dwayne only answered by underlining something on his paper. Leaning over the table quickly to see the paper you rolled your eyes reading the words ‘I hate Everyone’ in Dwayne’s quick handwriting. You snorted, kicking Dwayne under the table, earning you a disgruntled huff and a quick glare from your best friend. Frank looked up at you, smiling when you stuck your tongue out at Dwayne.

“I take it your friend here is the exception?” Frank laughed and you grinned cheekily as Dwayne rolled his eyes and shrugged trying to remain as nonchalant as possible.

“If i’m not the exception I’ll be needing that best friend bracelet I made you back.” you teased earning a snort from Frank and a glare from Dwayne who quickly moved to cover the yellow bracelet tied carefully around his left wrist. Looking around for a moment to check his mom wasn’t looking he flipped you the middle finger which only made you cackle and grin at him.

Frank laughed with you, much to Dwayne’s annoyance, “I take it you two have been friends for a while?” he asked and you nodded with a wide grin when Dwayne tried to kick you back under the table.

It was Sheryl that answered his question finally, “These two have been inseparable since she moved in next door a few years ago.” she grinned, moving behind you to wrap an arm around your shoulder to give you a quick hug, “I imagine you’ll see a lot of her while you’re staying with us Frank.” You laughed and hugged her back, watching out of the corner of your eye as Dwayne gave you a teasing smile and you stuck your tongue out at him.

Frank nods, “So I couldn’t help but notice, Dwayne has stopped talking.”  Dwayne barely reacts to his own name being said and instead glances over at you as his mom takes her seat at the head of the table with Richard seated once again on the other end.

Sheryl laughs softly, “Oh! He’s taken a vow of silence.” she explains, reaching over to put salad onto her plate.

Frank looks both confused and a bit amused at her answer and looks at Dwayne for a moment, “You’ve taken a vow of silence?”

Dwayne nods and Sheryl reaches over to pat him on the shoulder with a smile, “He’s going to join the Naval Academy to become a fighter pilot. He’s taken a vow of silence until he reaches that goal.” You can see the slightest impression of small smile on Dwayne’s face hearing his mom talk about his goal with such pride.

Frank’s eyes widen as he speaks, “You’re kidding?” Sheryl shakes her head and smiles while you laugh, bringing Frank’s attention towards you momentarily.

“He's gonna be a kickass pilot.” You say as you glance at Dwayne, a grin plastered to your face as his cheeks go a bit red. Sheryl rolls her eyes at your use of curse words but doesn’t scold you.It takes another few moments for the rest of the family slowly joins you all at the table, Olive excitedly squealing when she notices you and Frank at the table already. Dinner with the Hoovers  was always something of a spectacle and you absolutely adored it. You sat across from Dwayne, next to Olive, who excitedly chattered next to you. You weren’t really sure what she was even talking about at this point but you did your best to nod along. You could see Dwayne watching you from across the table, a little smile playing at his lips. As much as he pretended to hate his entire family it was clear he loved his sister. You had never had any siblings, you were an only child and neither your aunt nor your uncles had children, you were quite literally the only hell your family had ever raised. So you were thrilled to have Olive clinging to you everytime you came over, giggling when Dwayne would get all huffy and pull Olive off of you to send her off to keep practicing her dance routine in the basement. You would tease him endlessly about being jealous of a 7 year old and he would shove you off of his bed and toss a book at you to get you to shut up but you could always see the slight flush to his cheeks and the nervous smile on his lips and it would make your heart flutter.

Talk of Frank’s attempted suicide made you feel a little bit like an intruder but it was clear Frank seemed almost entertained by the way Richard tried desperately to avoid the subject. You had always loved mocking Richard behind his back, often making it very difficult for Dwayne to keep from laughing aloud and it seemed that with Frank’s arrival in the home you would have another partner in crimes against Richard.

“Is he always like this?” Frank muttered to Dwayne, who only nodded and rolled his eyes.

“How do you stand it?” Frank asked again and Dwayne shrugged, turning back to his food and casting a quick glance towards you.

“I usually just make fun of him when he’s not looking. Its honestly kind of therapeutic”you joke quietly when the rest of the table is seemingly distracted by Richard’s usual ‘how to be a winner’ speech. Frank looked up at you now and smiled almost immediately. You tossed a  glance at Richard to endure; he was still busy talking before you began your usual routine of silently mimicking until both Dwayne and Frank were visibly trying not to laugh. Out of the corner of your eye you could even see Sheryl fighting a smile when she noticed what you were doing. The scratch of Dwayne’s pen against his notepad makes you look over at him for a moment, watching as he slowly points the notepad at you to read. There are no words on the paper, just a very messily drawn smiley face and it makes you laugh when he gives you a thumbs up and a very small smile of his own.

Dinner proceeds as usual after that, up until Sheryl receives the news that Olive has a place in the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant in California as you find yourself rather entertained by Olive frantically running around the house gathering her things.

“I WON! I WON! I WON!” she squealed, tapping your shoulder frantically.

You nod and ruffle her hair, “I know kiddo I heard.” With a grin she resumes her excited rambling, bounding back and forth around the house. Frank seems almost as amused as you do, though it's clear he isn’t as used to the craziness of the Hoover Household as you are and Dwayne looks positively bored, shrugging his shoulders at you when you glance over at him.

You felt a bit like you were watching a family comedy show watching as the Hoover family talked amongst themselves trying to figure out how they could possibly get Olive to her Little Miss Sunshine competition in California. You had known the family long enough to be rather used to their dysfunctional nature and it felt like home to you at this point. It was especially entertaining to watch Dwayne get roped into family activities, though you knew if he did end up going on a weekend trip you would be incredibly bored with him. It didn’t stop you from finding the helpless look he sent you to be incredibly hilarious. You shrugged and offered a pathetic attempt at an apologetic smile as you pulled a popsicle from the box Sheryl had placed on the table for dessert. Dwayne crosses his arms and shakes his head stubbornly and looking defeated and annoyed as Frank gives an exasperated agreement to go on the trip

He huffs and you can hear the familiar sound of his pen against paper. You watch as Frank leans over his shoulder slightly, reading aloud as Dwayne writes “This…is… unfair… all…i…ask…is…that…you…leave…me…alone…” Dwayne lets his pen fall back down on his notebook and leans back into his chair, arms crossed and face screwed up into a scowl. Sheryl sighs and turns around with her back facing the rest of the family, one hand massaging the bridge of her nose as she tries to come up with a way to convince Dwayne. You knew Dwayne would honestly crumble in seconds if his sister begged him to go on the trip but you kept that to yourself as you watched the scene unfold. Dwayne was stubborn until the end and you loved that about him. When you had first met upon moving to Albuquerque some four to five years ago it had taken you months to get him to say one word to you. Even before he took his vow of silence Dwayne had been a loner and he seemed content to continue living that way. But you were nearly as stubborn as he was and refused to give up on the quiet dark haired boy who lived next door. In the end you had wormed your way into his life before he even realized it was happening and as much as he teased you about being annoying and loud, you knew he was glad to have at least one friend and you were more than happy to fill that role.

“Dwayne,”  Sheryl said finally, “I will give you permission for flight school if you do this.” you watched as Dwayne shifted slightly and seemed to weigh his options, “And…. we can invite (y/n) with us.” This seemed to catch Dwayne's interest almost as quickly as it caught yours. At first you had been happily watching this entire scenario from the sidelines but now you were being pulled into the fold. You shot Mrs. Hoover a confused glance and she waved you off as if to tell you not to worry about it. It shouldn’t have been shocking really, you spent most days with the Hoover family anyways and your parents were usually all too pleased to pass you along to the family next door so it wasn’t hard to imagine them giving you permission to go on the trip.

Richard seemed just as confused as you did as he stared at his wife with a look of disapproval, “Sheryl–” You could already hear his usual argument about how dangerous it was to encourage a young man like Dwayne to spend so much time alone with a girl and it had you rolling your eyes instantly.

Mrs. Hoover was well practiced in shutting Richard’s nonsense down and shot him a glare, “Richard.” she said firmly, hands already resting on her hips to show she was in no mood to hear his argument. You couldn’t stop from smiling a little at the way Richard hung his head in defeat, crossing his arms like a child who had just been told no. There was something so entertaining about watching Sheryl put Richard in his place. You turn your attention back to Dwayne who is already looking at you as if to ask you what he should do. You shrug and smile, which seems to be enough for him as he sighs and moves to shake his mom's hand to solidify the deal. Everyone rejoices and you give Dwayne a grin as his mom gives him a tight hug making him roll his eyes.

He picks his pen up again and begins to write, while Frank leans over to read it aloud, “But… Im… Not… Going… To… Have…. Any…Fun…” You laugh and Dwayne gives you a dirty look as if telling you to shut up but you can see the little smile hidden carefully behind his bored expression.

The rest of the night went by quickly, you helped Dwayne clean up dinner while Sheryl called your parents to make sure it was alright that you joined them on their trip (it didn’t take much for your parents to agree to the idea much to Sheryl’s relief), and afterwards you spent another hour or two with Dwayne helping him pack until finally you figured it was time to head on home so you could pack as well. Dwayne walked you home as he usually did despite your attempts to remind him that your house was barely a few feet away from his. Nonetheless you thanked him as the two of you stood at your front door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” you said, only receiving a quiet nod from him in response. You smiled and pulled him into a hug which he didn’t even try to escape. You had been friends for long enough for him to know better than to stop you from hugging him and as much as he pretended to hate it he always seemed to lean into your touch, nose brushing against your neck as his arms curled around your waist. You smiled into his shirt, pulling him a little closer before finally letting him go.

You watch him through the window as he crosses your yard into his own and rounds the side of his house to his front door and disappears from sight. You can hear your mother in the kitchen and you move as quietly as you can towards your room hoping to avoid her so you can just pack for the trip and go to bed. Blessedly she seems to be distracted on the phone and you are left to your own devices for at least an hour before she comes knocking on your door. The conversation is short and you can tell she’s in a shitty mood but you can’t bring yourself to really care as you continue packing your little brown duffel bag, only half listening to her remind you to thank the Hoovers for their generosity.

“And I don’t want you alone with that Dwayne boy the whole time.” she tells you firmly, “You hear me?” she huffs when you don't respond immediately. You sigh and look over at her as she leans against your door frame waiting for your reply.

“Yea mom I heard you.” you say quietly, rolling your eyes when she looks away from you for a moment.

“I’m serious (Y/N)” she says a bit louder as if you would magically feel inclined to give a shit about what she thought about Dwayne. You zip your duffel bag with a huff and toss it to the ground next to your bed before you look back at her.

“I know mom.” you tell her, “I’ll be trapped in a car with the whole family most of the time anyways.” you remind her as if to give her the impression that you are actually going to listen to her warnings. She nods, seemingly appeased by your reply.

“I gotta go to bed, I’m supposed to be ready to go early tomorrow.” you say, shuffling off of your bed to grab the shorts and tshirt you usually slept in. She nods wordlessly and moves to give you a side hug. It offers no warmth or comfort. It's a formality. You shuffle back and move to shut your door before she can say another word, “Night mom.”