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yanderes-galore · 2 months

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Fandom: Souls-Like Game

Character: Scrapped Watchman “Murphy” (Lies of P)

Pairing: Platonic

Type of Fic: Scenario

Plot Idea (or go off the rails if the idea isn't up to par ^^""): Human! Survivor! Darling was a teacher before the puppets of Krat went rogue and was a parental figure to many children before they were infected by the plague or murdered by rogue puppets. Darling was able to save one child and is fighting tooth and nail to not only escape but protect this one child.

Thank you for hearing me out. :)

I'm still incredibly new to Lies of P. However, Scrapped Watchman is like the third boss... so I don't need to know all the lore to write yet. I will continue watching cutscenes and lore videos though :) It looks so cool and the STORY is fantastic too!

Btw, if I got the whistle thing wrong my bad. The lore made it sound like kids used the whistle to summon him so that's what I was basing it on-

Cold Dark Streets

Yandere! Platonic! Scrapped Watchman "Murphy" Story

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Murder, Blood, Dark themes, Overprotective behavior, Kidnapping, Forced companionship.

You remember the days where things felt... simple. Before the city of Krat began to rot, before people died of plague or were torn by puppets in a frenzy... you were a teacher. A teacher who would teach the poor kids in the slums useful skills to survive.

You loved all the children who came to you for lessons. They were attached to you, you felt like a parent to them. Naturally... since they trusted you enough... you often heard childish rumors.

Such as nearly every kid in Krat obsessing over the mascot known affectionately as "Murphy".

You knew of such a puppet, the one condemned for being a hazard to kids due to its battery continuously discharging. There wasn't much you could do to stop the kids from seeing the mascot puppet. You simply told them to be careful... but were unfortunately not surprised when you hard of injuries involving the puppet....

Murphy... you forgot such a name ever since the city went downhill. All you ever focused on was surviving, avoiding malfunctioning puppets and preventing sickness the best you could. These streets... you remember them as being so lively...

Now they were just about as dead as many of the residents here.

When things began, many abandoned the children in the slums to fend for themselves. Many children had died as a result, the bloodbath staining the streets with many others. It was a cruel reminder that with one wrong move... you were as good as dead.

You were just happy to save one child.

The child you found was originally wounded on the street, a young boy, cowering before a malfunctioning puppet. You were quick to take a metal pipe from the ground and bash the head of the puppet in enough to take the boy with you. That was...

Do you even remember how long ago that was?

Ever since then you have become a surrogate parent for the young boy. Said boy only had the clothes on his back similar to you, far as you knew at least. You were quite protective of the boy when you took him in, said boy being around nine years old.

Protecting him made you remember your days as a teacher. The mere thought of him being attacked makes your grip around the metal pipe tighten. You may not have been able to save the rest...

But you'll save this one.

You are often on the move within Krat. It was a struggle to find sustainable food and survive frenzied puppets. So you often found yourself sneaking around areas.

City Hall was one such area. You had to cut through the area to look for supplies. Oddly enough... the boy by your side seemed oddly eager to be around here.

"We'll be safe here!" He chirps at you, causing you to look at him in confusion. Your hand was still tight around his smaller one as you quickly glance around.

"What makes you say that, my heart...?" You whisper, an uneasy feeling stirring in your gut.

"Murphy's here! He'd never hurt us!" He chimes, causing you to pause for a moment.

Murphy... you haven't heard such a name in forever. You vaguely recall the mascot the kids were so fixated on. Was... This kid also fond of the puppet?

That wasn't hard to believe....

You had no idea Murphy would even still be around. In fact, you were worried he would be. Murphy would never hurt children... but you...?

That... was another case entirely.

"... Were you close to Murphy?" You ask the boy beside you before he perks up, looking at you excitedly.

"Yeah! Me and my friends would blow whistles with Murphy all the time! It was so fun!" The young child rambles before going quiet, pulling a small item from his pocket. "We'd blow whistles... like this!"

You notice the young boy pull out and old police whistle. However, before you can stop him, he then put it to his mouth... blowing the small tool as it makes a shrill sound. You flinch a little at the sound, looking around.

You really should've stopped him... but the surrounding area was so quiet...

"Careful...!" You warn, looking around, "We can't alert any puppets... we need to go-"

Before you can make any attempt to leave, a whirring screech occurs along with the clicking of gears. You immediately look up, a large puppet sparking and crawling about the City Hall building. You don't waste time, grabbing the boy and running.

"Murphy...!" The boy cries, making your heart clench at his excitement. He didn't know how much danger you were really in... too young to understand.

You jump as suddenly the large bodied puppet smashes onto the ground as you run. The puppet looks like a hunchback police officer, peering red eyes scanning the area only to find you. A screech, one akin to a war cry, echoes as you try to flee from it.

The puppet is frenzied, running on all fours like a wild animal as it chases you. You try for the large door your entered through, yet the puppet quickly cuts you off. Warbled speech pierces through the air as the puppet stalks closer to you like a predator.

You then remember the whistle.

You quickly ask the boy for the whistle, the young kid giving you it quickly. He was beginning to feel scared at Murphy's frenzied state due to your panic. You waste no time blowing the whistle, the sound echoing through the area again.

The puppet... Murphy... pauses its hunt. The puppet closes his mouth, red eyes scanning you both over. Clicking gears go off as he tilts his head, sparking electricity occasionally spitting as it watches you.

The tension between you and the puppet is thick as the puppet studies you. He looks you over, noticing the child and the whistle. You hear Murphy's gears click and eyes blink as it takes in the information.

You jump when Murphy relents, crawling closer to greet you both with more warbled speech.

Your grip on the metal pipe is beyond tight now... yet you know a pipe won't do anything to Murphy. The whistle was certainly the best tool in this situation. In fact... Murphy now saw you as friend rather than foe.

While all other humans remain enemies to him.

"M-Murphy!" The young boy soon manages to say again once the puppet stops, Murphy's gaze quickly snapping back to him.

You watch hesitantly as the puppet appears to be friendly towards you and the young child you swore to protect. Perhaps he was right... with this whistle, Murphy saw you as friends. In fact...

Murphy himself was pleased to have friends again.

The old puppet originally had many friends. Many young children came to play with him near City Hall. Ever since the puppet frenzies began... Murphy was forced to watch his friends die.

But now, now that he's heard that whistle, Murphy was met with more friends. He was met with an old friend and you. Murphy couldn't help but listen as his old friend introduces you.

You had helped his friend...

Which meant you were also his friend.

The City Hall courtyard became a temporary spot for respite. While you were used to most puppets being hostile, Murphy just seemed affectionate if you were careful of his electrical arcs.

The puppet was quite aware of how dangerous he was with you.

You began to see Murphy as, well, a companion... but you couldn't stay forever. Staying in one place for too long could become problematic. Plus, you needed to find supplies to care for you and your... son.

Eventually you had to make it known to Murphy that you had to go...

But Murphy doesn't want his new friends to go.

When you try to make it known you need to provide for the child you took in, that you need to leave, Murphy screeches. The sound is once again that of a feral animal. You go to blow the whistle again, only for Murphy to ignore it.

He just found new friends...

You weren't going to leave him alone again, were you?

Before you know it, the puppet snatches you into his arms in a lightning fast grasp. You struggle in his hold, the boy tightly pressed to your body in a tight hold. Murphy ignores your scolding and the child's cries.

He was careful to not harm you with his battery as he begins to crawl the building of City Hall again. He doesn't understand why you'd want to leave. Did you really want to abandon him...?

Your reasoning does not matter to him... unlike other puppets, he can feel emotions.

His emotions tell him he doesn't wish to be alone again...

So he'll never be alone again... not if he keeps you both hidden away from everyone.

#yandere lies of p #yandere souls-like games #yandere scrapped watchman #yandere murphy #platonic yandere #yandere lop murphy

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eldritchreveries · 3 months

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Heya, Hilda community. i just want to say that my time in the fandom is coming to an end.

A post detailing my thoughts and time here in the fandom below.

A lot has happened in the past 4 years since i joined this fandom, its the first and only fandom i've ever become entwined with on this level. Making a 3-year long comic dedicated to my favorite character and all-

I met some cool people i'm now irl friends with while being here, being in this community helped me grow my art skills massively since 2020 and i'll forever be grateful for that. However- I think we can all admit this fandom has gone massively downhill in just this year alone.

I found out someone I was friends with was a predator (looking at you, ExJr), i found out some of the most known figures here are also predators. Its not a place i feel is safe anymore, & i don't want to be part of a community where predators feel welcome or forgiven bc "they deserve a 2nd chance". No, they don't.

As a mother, its scary what many of the people in this fandom are capable of- either doing/saying gross things to minors, or quickly forgiving these predators to "save the fandom from dying", when in reality they're chasing away the good fans in favor of hiding self-confessed predators.

Unfortunately, this means the cancellation of my other planned Hilda comic "Beyond the City Wall", as well. The characters from this series havent been scrapped however- they're being repurposed to have a new home in my upcoming original comic series.

I'm sorry to anyone who was looking forward to that Hilda comic, but I'm weary of it all. The drama, the continuous unveiling of dangerous people i thought were better than that, the toxicity of a fairly large chunk of the fandom i dealt with due to simple pride month art-

I will finish putting out all of the work i did on Abby- such as concept art, vectors, doodles, etc- maybe will still do some Abigail fanart now and then bc let's face it- i've basically claimed her as mine lol. But as for the rest-

This is the end of the line for my Hilda content. I really appreciate yall who supported me on my journey making Abby, and again- i really hope you stay for my original work. I put as much love into it as i did with Abby 💙

Also i'll be rebranding soon! Keep an eye out for that

#hilda the series #hilda netflix #hilda #announcement

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splitster · 1 year

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answering more asks!!

featuring pom wraith, pingo, ocs?!, and older art check it out (three's some art 💖)↓↓

THANK you!! ohhh i do have old pikmin ocs... i actually revamped my old captain a while back, i can share him:

i had a whole crew of pikmin ocs who were a part of the S.S. Harmony, they were gonna be SUCH a nuisance to everyone they ran into...

i thought about making a rescue corps oc for fun. hrmm! maybe...

AHHH thank you!! i've seen a shocking number tags and asks from people saying that I'm apparently the reason they like Dingo now? and i have to say that is so mind boggling to me, because when i first played Pikmin 4 I didn't care about him at all!! he was a nothing sandwich to me... but then i drew him a few times... and started thinking... and then things went downhill and now i REALLY like him...

(referring to this post) i think dingo is better when he's withered

(referring to this comic) I HEAR YOU... I HEAR YOU... but if any tear at all would cause oxygen poisoning, i wouldn't be able to draw them all battered and cool :(

i imagine that there's a seal around the neck in case there's a breach in the suit's lining. so as long as their backpack (life-support) works and is connected to their helmets, then they can breathe✨

(referring to this post) Olimar would be horrified because he knows Louie, and if he sees that note there's only one thing it could mean! his coworker tried to eat pom!! if pom hasn't been outed as wraith and Olimar is questioning her, she'd just say Louie bit her and then refuse to answer any follow up questions 💖

Shepherd would be... concerned. she might think they have a weird fling going on and louie's talking about a kiss? she probably wouldn't realize Louie quite literally means he ate something from pom. oops!

that's a really good question... I'll be honest, with a lot of the "when and how did x happen" questions, there's not an official timeline or anything; the pom wraith au is sort of an umbrella with a bunch of different stories and what-ifs underneath it. although there was one story where louie does find out her secret!

louie and pom end up bridging their differences (with the help of olimar), and become good friends while pom is continuing the rescue effort. then there's a very unfortunate incident where pom and louie are away from the base and they're attacked... pom has to reveal herself to defend them and she accidentally hurts louie :(

its fine though, louie doesn't care what pom is. they're both freaks in his mind and that's all that really matters. he does end up having to defend pom from olimar (who's been made vindictive through his trauma with the plasm wraith) sometime later!! here's some older art:

sure

me too! they do NOT get along... louie's kinda pissed at her for chasing him around on PNF404 and beating him in dandori battles when he just wants to stay there and vibe. pom meanwhile doesn't understand him, he pisses her off too! she likes olimar a lot, and as an outsider it looks like louie doesn't appreciate the friendship olimar offers him. to someone who's trying to understand and participate in this whole friendship business, she thinks he's ungrateful and weird. they do not get along!! at the beginning at least...

AHHHH!!! THANK YOU!!! WAHH...🥺💖💖 i'm very glad you enjoy my silly little art style!! i want to make things very squishy so i appreciate that 💖

i don't think that man is going to live!

wait actually if you eat enough maybe you just turn into a wraith. that'd be scary! hopefully olimar's there to stop him

that's a fun thought! he would probably be able to sense that something is off about her. but he'd also probably just think "she's weird like me." honestly, the whole wraith thing doesn't really matter much to him -- the only thing it changes is that pom can now offer her tendrils as a skewer for his cooking at any time and location!

i think i'm gonna call her rose wraith!! and ohh, i didn't know that... i was just gonna call her rose wraith since she has a rose head. i'm creative i promise

(referring to this post i think) AHHH hehe... honestly, when Pom first learns about Dingo's fear of blood, she only tries to keep him from it because it's really annoying dealing with your coworker when they faint. he's like a sack of potatoes when he's knocked out. but yes, as they become actual friends pom will (subtly) do her best to keep blood away from dingo. it's fortunate she doesn't have any!

she might not get phobias, but she understands what its like to have a crippling fear, so she's empathetic!

THANK you. he has sunglasses. he's pretty cool

AHH THANK YOU... i like them a lot... 👉👈

let the marching pikmin give you the energy you need to practice🫡

#modpost #modask #pom wraith au #pingo #thank you for all the asks!!#i have more to get to so i'll make another post...

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aria-ashryver · 2 months

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hi hi my loves, just checking in 🌻 I know i have been quiet on the tl lately, and im so very sorry i can't do more rn

-> unfortunately my health is deteriorating again

(cw for explanatory health rambles under the cut)

i've mentioned that the immune therapy i take (for the newer folks: the immune therapy stops me from getting cancer again -> my cancer metastasized and is incurable, so I have to have infusions every 3 weeks so my body doesn't make more cancer) has some pretty rough side effects, one of which is that I have developed heart failure again.

Unfortunately, things have gone downhill over the past week or so, and all the symptoms I reported to my oncologist are consistent with a pulmonary embolism (ie a blood clot in the lung).

(its like... this stuff ⬇⬇)

Yesterday I went in for a CT-PA (and my blood pressure dropped so abruptly that I actually passed out in the hospital lol, that was spooky).

I've also had various blood tests and checkups and ECGs and stuff this week; I don't know what the results of these various tests have been, but they let me go home from the hospital yesterday after a period of observation, so like... I'm not in any immediate danger, hopefully?? I just feel like shit lmao.

All this to say: I wish I could be doing more, but I physically can't rn (T_T) I hope I'll be over this hurdle soon! Sending you all love 💛

#aria pincushion tally:#complete #cw cancer #cw hospitals #health update

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voltronisanobsession · 1 year

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Being Keith’s Older Sibling

The urges were too strong to not write this💆‍♀️💆‍♀️

Sorry if there’s some typos, my eyes are in a LOT of pain rn

Being Keith’s older sibling is definitely a hard feat in itself

After the death of your guys’ dad, things kinda went downhill for both of y’all

Your general mistrust and attitude towards people brushed off on little Keith, which comes to play later in his life as we’ve seen he was a more troubled kid

So while you tried your best to be a good role model for Keith growing up, it was hard to do so when all he ever saw from you was your aggression towards adults who tried separating you both

Eventually, social services do separate you guys, claiming that it would be best to allow Keith to grow without your negative influences but the damage had been done

Keith would grow up to not trust many people in his life because of your separation, always finding ways to sneak off and see you at the school they sent you to

It was times like those where you would promise to take him away from this place, from Earth, and live a life where you won't lose each other again

Because of this, Keith also developed a habit of lying to his guardians about his whereabouts because of your own attachment to him, encouraging him to continue this behavior 😭😭😭

Man none of yall knew better😭💔💔

But as you grew older, you, unfortunately, were sent away to the city to continue your studies there, cutting all contact with your little brother

Keith would then take an interest in flying and would go on to attend the Garrison to learn to become a pilot while you made plans every day to once again be reunited with him

I feel like it would take some time to leave the city and go back to your hometown because of the lack of resources available to you

So by the time you reach the Garrison after finding out he's been attending the school, it would be around the time he flunked out and disappeared

Fate is not fair to yall (crying)

So you get a job at the garrison while trying to find Keith and some time passes (YAY TIME SKIP)

After following Lance and Hunk while also finding Pidge on the rooftops, readying to reprimand and write them up, you all see the space shuttle crash and explosions go off, shooting off immediately to investigate

All while you're yelling at them to get back to the building cuz you don't want to lose the only job you have that's near where you think Keith is lurking💀

After seeing it was Keith who caused the explosions, he doesn't recognize you until you all get to the cabin

It's kinda emotional on your end cuz bro

This is your little brother... He's all grown up now, but in a way, he still looks the same. He's so much taller now, his hair is longer, and he would look at you with a familiar distrust you recognized

It was the same look he would give others when you guys were younger

The worst part is that he doesn't even recognize you because its been YEARS since he's last seen you

So it's a bit of a shock for him when you reveal that hey! I'm your sibling! And I've been trying so hard to get back to you for YEARS!

Very emotional as you both hug it out

Like really hug it out, tears and everything

"I thought I would never see you again."

"I never stopped looking for you Keith."

URGH MY HEART💔💔💔💔

After that everything is HISTORY

The dynamic between you both is kind of a weird thing tbh

While you're still holding onto the past and the younger version of Keith you remember, Keith has since let go of what the past held, ready to start a new future with his older sibling in his life

Because you're still holding onto this past, you treat him as if he's still a child and appear somewhat coddling in a way

You're just so excited and happy to be reunited with Keith again that you forget he's since then grown up. He's learned to be independent from years spent alone

And while Keith does miss you as well, he isn't used to having this new 'guardian figure' in his life, only used to the freedom and advice given to him from others, especially Shiro

Speaking of Shiro, I think you would go to him for advice on the blockage between you both since he basically raised Keith after you had left.

He knows Keith better, as much as it hurts you to admit it

Shiro would definitely tell you to give Keith space, to give him time to adjust to the new changes in his life. He's still a teen and is still learning to deal with his emotions, so just give him space to fully digest the situation at hand

You take this advice to heart and tread carefully, which Keith appreciates A LOT

Like imagine you grow up with unrestricted freedom, being able to do whatever you want and just learning to take care of yourself, and then one day, an authoritative figure appears in your life and begins setting up these restrictions. Telling you to be careful, making small rules that break your routine entirely

That's what Keith felt when you began making your presence more known in his life since you believed that you had to keep protecting him from the world

But he's grown up

He shows you that he doesn't need you protecting him anymore

It's bittersweet for you to see him not need you and makes you sad that you missed out on basically his childhood

BUT HE'S SO SWEET IN LETTING YOU KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE THERE FOR HIM NOW AND HIS FUTURE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

AND THAT HE'LL BE THERE FOR YOURS TOO😭😭😭

There's just TOO MUCH I can say about being Keith's older sibling, like it's such a complex relationship I would love to develop more on!!!!

This is literally just the tip of the iceberg but imma cut it short for now

To keep it sweet, both of you know that now you're together again, nothing is ever separating yall again

Space wars and all, you guys know you're stronger together and your bond just grows into a beautiful relationship as time goes on😭😭

#Keith x reader #keith kogane x reader #platonic Keith x reader #voltron x reader #vld x reader #voltron legendary defender #x reader #voltron #vld #keith kogane #Keith vld #vld keith #platonic Keith kogane #voltron legendary defender x reader #platonic voltron

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googleitlol · 11 months

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I wrote half of this after pulling an unintentional all-nighter so I refuse the right to acknowledge any grammar or spelling errors on the basis that I'm tired as fuck

Dove Masterlist:

King's Crown

Just a few metres ahead lay a stream, its water running quickly downhill. It most likely broke off from the larger river that runs down the mountain your group would be approaching soon. Crouching down, you begin filling one of the many water skins that was starting to run low. Monkey King watches with a narrowed gaze, and you try your best to hide your smirk.

After some tense silence, you look back at the Sage. "Any reason why you're staring?"

"Why?" Sun Wukong frowns. "Master told me to gather food and water, why volunteer to come with me? I know you dislike me, so what's your play in this?"

You sigh at the question, looking away to mentally ready yourself. "I was worried you'd be snatched by some demon, or maybe even eaten." You laugh dryly as you repeat his own words back to him, though he seems less than amused.

This is it, time to put on a show. "To be honest, I came to apologise." That gets his attention. The Monkey King perks up, his ear twitches as his tail slightly begins to move from side to side. "I realise how harsh I've been towards you, and I'd like to apologise for it."

"You? Feel apologetic… towards me?" He speaks slowly, as though he doesn't believe your words.

All you can do is nod with a sigh, standing to your feet when the water skins finally fill. "I thought that once you left, you would not find the strength to return. You've proved me wrong, Pilgrim Sun." You nod towards him, even using the nickname Tripitaka had given him.

Sun Wukong scoffs at your words, proudly laughing as he boasts. "Of course I have, you already know of my many tales. There's not any challenge Old Monkey can't face. Even when my Master can't appreciate my efforts to keep him safe."

Sure, you pompous ass. You're just so great.

"I feel embarrassed to have even doubted you." You look down at the ground, feeding into his ego while he carelessly takes in everything you say without batting an eye. He really was egotistical, you'll give him that.

But it's time to put this Pilgrim in his place. Carefully handling the water skins, you attach them to the bag you brought along, its opening cracked just wide enough that something shining from inside catches the Monkey King's eye. He frowns, and you spare him a side glance to take in how his eyes narrow. It's easy to tell when he's thinking, a careful look now falling on his face. "What’s that in the bag? Did you and Master find something while I was gone?"

Your eyes are wide and innocent as they turn to look up at the Great Sage. "In my bag? Here, let me see." You open the bag wider, pretending to have to fish around before pulling out a golden band. The two ends of it meet in the centre of the piece, each curling away from the other. It almost glitters in the sun, immediately catching the monkey's eyes. "Ah, this is a mere trinket left to me by my own master, Guan Yin. She gave it to me so I may think of her while I travel so far from our home. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit my head, so I’ve been holding it in my bag to keep." You look away, your performance casual enough to make the monkey all the more curious.

"Tell me, why does it glow like that?" He gestures to the circlet, pupils almost dilated. It reminds you of how a bird pins objects of interest with their eyes. He's falling for it, exactly as planned.

You shrug absentmindedly, twirling the object around your finger. "I'm not sure." You pause, feigning thoughtful silence before holding it out to him. "If you're so interested, why don't you take it for yourself?"

The offer makes his eyes widen considerably, his gaze flicking between you and the band. There's an obvious want in his eyes, the prize just so tempting, it was too good to be true. "Are you sure? You say it's from your master."

You look down in faux disappointment at his words. "It doesn't fit me, so perhaps it will better suit you. You can consider this my formal apology." Glancing back to meet his eyes, you add in jest, "Besides, what's a king without his crown?"

Your words cause him to pause in thought, his tail slowly swaying from one side to the other as he watches the golden gift. You laugh softly at his indecision. "It's alright if you don't want it, I'll just—"

"No." Got you. "I could try it on. If it doesn't fit, I'll just return it." He crosses his arms, gaze wandering out to his side. "It would be rude of me not to accept such an apology." With a smile, you hand the monkey's crown to the Sage, who quickly sets it onto his head. A perfect fit.

He smiles proudly as it rests on his head. "Ha! What do you know? It fits!"

You nod in agreement, a fool's crown for a foolish demon. "I'm glad. Now, let us return to our task so we do not leave your master on his own for too long."

It did not take long for the two of you to forage what you could from the forest before returning to Tripitaka. You roll your eyes as you approach the young monk atop the horse, your patience truly waning after spending an hour or so with the monkey. But it was worth it to help the monk and ensure Wukong would listen to him from now on.

You glance at Monkey King as he takes the reins of the horse. "You read the paper I gave you?"

"Yes. This will help me discipline him?" Tripitaka looked back, his voice low.

You nod in reassurance. In all honesty, you don't exactly know what it will do, just that it will keep the Monkey King in line. "You only need to recite it quietly."

Tripitaka watches Sun Wukong, looking down at the paper with the sutra written out before looking back up to his disciple. The air grows tense, the monk's uncertain frown hardening. You look out at Sun Wukong, his new band glinting in the sunlight. It takes a moment for you to force down any pity for tricking him. After killing those men, this has to happen. Guan Yin knew it too, it's why she gave you the circlet in the first place.

With a small sigh, the monk begins to recite the spell. With an almost immediate reaction, Sun Wukong trips over his own feet, his hands swiftly reaching up towards his head, even startling the horse. The monkey yells out in pain as the circlet gives a low hum, shining with an unnatural glow. You step back when he begins to outright scream, his voice bloodcurdling and raw. Your eyes grow wide as you watch him writhe on the ground, practically gasping for air as his voice fills the sky.

Almost as soon as he starts, Tripitaka stops, the results surprising him as much as everyone else. With the absence of the spell, Monkey King lays back in exhaustion, his breath sounding laboured from the stress of the confinement the circlet created. His fists open and close, scraping the ground he lays against as his wide eyes stare up at the sky in bewilderment. “My head… what’s wrong with my head?”

His hands move slowly, almost like they’re unsure, up to his head where the circlet sits. No longer did the bands circle the demon’s temples in embrace. Instead, their hold is tight, golden claws pressed against skin. Wasting no time, the Sage pulls his staff from his ear and presses it against his head. He starts to pry at the cursed crown, gritting his teeth and grunting as he does.

“Pilgrim, stop!” Tripitaka panics, reciting the sutra once more and sending his disciple into another wave of agony. The demon drops his staff as he falls back yet again and you quickly grab at the monk’s arm.

“Hey, once was enough!” You warn the monk, who’s quick to stop his reciting. Wukong lays against the ground panting heavily as you let go of Tripitaka. “He can’t take it off, you don’t need to stop him.”

The recovering demon huffs loudly, taking his time to regain his senses. “What?” He looks to you, his master, then back to you. It takes a moment before you can see it click in his eyes. “You… you did this?” His brows furrow, and you stand tall as something sinks in your stomach.

It takes him a moment to pick his staff back up and rise onto his feet. “You sly– you manipulative, lying little snake!” He shouts, making you subconsciously step back from the raw anger laced in his voice.

“Sun Wukong.” The disciple’s head snaps back to his master. “From now on, you must swear not to lash out as you’ve already done. I told you before that a murderer cannot call himself my disciple and I meant it. You will listen to my words from now on.” The monk does well to keep a stoic face as he lays down the rules for his student.

Wukong looks between the two of you, his glare has never sent such shivers down your spine. It takes him some time before he can finally answer. “I swear… Master.” His words are sharp, brimming with hostility. Gone was the uncaring and obnoxious stone monkey from a moment ago, replaced by a rageful demon.

The confirmation is all he needs. Now holding the reins himself, Tripitaka continues forward on the path. Your eyes don’t leave Wukong for a moment, unable to shake away his growing anger as he glares into the back of his master.

The moment his back turns from his pupil is the moment he strikes, pouncing at the monk. You barely jump into action on time to tackle the stone monkey away from Tripitaka.

The two of you roll off the path, only stopping when Wukong is able to slam you into the ground. His teeth bared, the demon could destroy a weaker being with just his glare. “You! You did this!” He snarls, just before shouting in pain once more.

The circlet glows as Tripitaka recites the sutra once again. Wukong falls on his side hard, clutching his crown in useless attempts to remove it. “Aagh– stop it! STOP!”

“You try to attack me?! After giving your word to stop your violent actions?!” Tripitaka fumes, the Great Sage at his feet has never looked so pathetic.

“I… That was a mistake…” Wukong pleads, too exhausted to try another attack. “I wasn’t thinking straight, just stop using that cursed thing!”

The monk huffs, looking down to his disciple almost sadly. “From now on, you follow my orders. Understand?”

The demon’s head hangs low, his face obscured from view. “Yes.”

Seemingly now satisfied, Tripitaka steps back and looks to you. “We should continue on our way.” His voice is softer now, almost like the shock of the crown has yet to pass.

Once Tripitaka is back on the horse, you continue towards the west. Though, it’s difficult to now ignore the tension that persists for the following hours of the trek. You try your best not to glance at Wukong, the fire in his eyes burning with intense heat that threatens to burn you even when you keep your distance.

You knew the circlet was meant to keep him in line, but… you had no clue it would do that. Watching it felt so wrong, to see the Great Sage reduced to a mess on the ground. But… it needed to be done, right? Now Tripitaka can stop him from killing any more men, you’re preventing potential murders by restraining him like this. It needed to happen, it’s not your fault he needs to be kept from giving in to such homicidal tendencies.

Still, you hope you don’t have to see that sutra used again.

#girlie doesn't know what she's done #jttw #journey to the west #little dove #jttw sun wukong #sun wukong #jttw tripitaka #tripitaka #jttw sun wukong x reader #sun wukong x reader #they're so far from loving each other #but they gotta start somewhere #even if that's starting at rock bottom

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forlorn-crows · 2 years

Note

Rain Going into Heat, no one's around the abbey can't find anyone, he tries to shower but ends up masturbating using his tail, it's not enough, his heat is too strong, and by a miracle mountain comes in and see's how a mess rain is? Mounty being sweet to rain, Some gentle sex and praise ensues? plz ^^

butterssss. why is it always you that gets me in the sappy mountain mood.

also, an anon requested transmasc rain squirting. so. who am i to resist weaving that into this one?

hope you enjoy! a little hot, wet, sappy one to end the week with ♡

Rain’s in agony. Hot, wet, horny agony. The ghoul quarters have been deserted all day, unfortunate for a water ghoul whose heat decided to hit full force in the middle of an unassuming spring afternoon. With no one to quench his thirst, he’d retreated to the shower in an effort to calm that insatiable desire deep in his core.

Not even the coldest, iciest water he could get from the tap was enough. His hands felt too good against his scalp as he tipped back against the stream, fingers catching on the knots in his hair and making him gasp at the tension against his follicles.

It was all downhill from there, really; he can’t stop his hands from roaming over his face, down his neck, his chest. A twinge of pleasure shoots down his spine as his palms slide over his nipples, already stiff and sensitive. He’s tingling all the way to the tip of his tail, which is currently winding its way around his calf, squeezing the muscle lightly.

Rain’s chest heaves as his hands trail lower. He rests his forehead against the tile and palms his cunt, already slick and hot. His clit throbs against his fingers, and he nearly cries out as he presses down on its length. It’s quickly not enough; his tail snakes its way higher, the spade tip slotting itself in the apex of his inner thigh.

“F-fuck,” he hisses through clenched teeth, just as the leathery appendage teases his entrance. He drags it upwards, through the wetness coating his slit, and replaces his fingers with it, gasping at the rough texture against his clit. His hips buck into it of their own accord, knees almost buckling when he presses his palm over the spade.

It only takes a few half-hearted strokes before he’s cumming, fast and insistent. Rain braces himself against the tile, choking out a moan—the relief is instant, but fleeting. Slick drips from his folds onto the shower floor, the spray of cool water washing it away. He needs more than this, he needs to be filled, he needs, he needs.

Rain turns off the shower and retreats to his bed, collapsing on the sheets that still smell faintly of balsam and cedar.

Mountain.

Rain’s brain fogs as the scent envelops him, hands already roaming back down his body. Mountain. Mountain. Mountain. It’s like a chant in his mind as he touches himself, more frantic this time. The tip of his tail prods at his entrance, lithe fingers flying over his clit. He whines—high, desperate, frustrated. It’s not enough, not enough—

“Rainy? Finally finished up, thought we could—oh.” Mountain stops dead in his tracks in the doorway.

Rain jerks his head over at the intrusion. Mountain’s disheveled, physically worn out and dirty from working, presumably, in the greenhouse all day. His hair hangs in loose, damp tendrils around his face, the rest gathered into a low bun. There’s soil and sweat on his clothes; Rain can smell it across the room, the aroma mixed with notes that are uniquely Mountain, stronger than the ones left on his sheets.

He could scream at how beautiful the earth ghoul is just existing in the doorway.

“Mount, please,” Rain breathes, still working his fingers over his cunt. “It’s so strong, please, need it, please.” His eyes slip closed as another strong wave hits him, giving him a full-body shiver. He hears Mountain shuck his boots and jacket, hears the door click shut and the lock turn.

“Oh tadpole, you don’t know how much I need you right now.”

Rain gasps, forcing his eyes open to watch Mountain slink over to him, continuing to shed layers of clothing on the way.

“What a pretty sight; all for me, hm?”

Rain blushes and nods, worrying his bottom lip between his fangs. Mountain crawls onto the end of the bed, watching Rain with rapt attention. The setting sun outlines his nearly naked body, golden hues surrounding him like a halo. If Rain weren’t so desperate, he’d savor the sight for longer.

“Please, Mount, I’ve been waiting all day, I—”

The earth ghoul hushes him, smoothing his hands over his thighs and settling between his legs. “I’m here, tadpole. Let me make it better.” Mountain guides Rain’s hand and tail away from his cunt, kissing the cool, wet smoothness of Rain’s inner thighs. It makes the water ghoul groan with relief, back bowing off the bed and claws digging into the sheets.

“Beautiful,” Mountain mutters before flattening his tongue against Rain’s cunt, dragging it from his taint to the top of his clit. The earth ghoul practically sinks into him, groaning at Rain under his tongue. “Fuck, Rainy, you taste so good,” he rumbles, mouthing over the length of his clit with fervor.

“Oh fuck, don’t stop, don’t stop oh,” Rain cries, tossing his head back and forth and grasping the hair between Mountain’s horns, pulling him further in. Mountain moans at the touch, eyes fluttering as he presses his nose into Rain’s little curls. His tongue curls around the underside of his clit just so and Rain’s gone, cumming again with a sob, thighs and stomach spasming.

Mountain keeps his mouth on Rain’s cunt long enough to work him through it, but as soon as Rain stops shaking he’s crawling over him, pulling off his boxers and pressing close. The water ghoul licks at the spots of sweat behind his ears and the junction of his neck, salty, sweet, and Mountain.

The earth ghoul ruts against him, hot and hard against the hollow of his hip. Rain groans and rolls up to meet the slide of his cock.

“Unholy hell, need you inside me,” Rain gasps. Mountain moans into his neck, slipping his arms under Rain’s to curl along his shoulder blades. Rain tightens his arms around Mountain’s neck. “Just like this,” he says.

“Fuck, yeah, just like this,” Mountain echoes. It takes very little adjustment to align their hips, to get the tip of Mountain’s cock wet with Rain’s slick, to push inside him inch by inch until they’re both panting with it. Drunk on each other.

“Shit, raincloud.”

“Yes, yes, oh yes.”

Mountain slides their mouths together, licking into Rain’s mouth with a groan. His thrusts start slow and lazy, earning little gasps from Rain with each movement of his hips. But it’s quickly not enough for either of them. Rain wraps his legs around Mountain’s waist, heels digging lightly into his back. His clit throbs with each slide of the earth ghoul’s cock, and the press of his stomach against it has Rain keening. He’s so full and so loved.

Mountain’s thrusts speed up in no time—he can’t help it, he’s been looking forward to seeing Rain all day, and to walk in on him in full-blown heat . . . well, it completely derailed his original plan of snuggling up in front of a movie with lots of junk food. But, this? This is infinitely better. The way Rain clenches around him, wet and writhing, has Mountain panting against the shell of his ear, chasing that blinding desire.

Rain’s shaking, chanting Mountain’s name like an unholy prayer. The earth ghoul repeatedly hits that spot just inside him, pressing as close as he can with each thrust, putting dizzying pressure on his clit. And all at once Mountain’s slipping his arms lower to wrap around his waist, forcing his back to arch as he goes as deep as he can, staying there and grinding in quick little motions.

“Oh, Mount, that’s it, that’s—I’m—” Rain can’t finish his sentence, because he’s choking on his words as he cums with a shout, thighs squeezing Mountain’s sides as he squirts onto his stomach. He feels like he’s never going to stop, warm slick drooling down the side of Mountain’s cock and coating both of their thighs.

“Fuck, Rain, oh Satanas,” Mountain whines, his own orgasm ripping through his core as Rain clenches around him. It’s endless bliss for them both, bodies shaking and twitching against one another as they hold each other close.

They come down panting into fevered flesh, hands roaming anywhere they can touch—soothing, caressing. Rain heaves a shaky breath beneath Mountain, little tears escaping the corners of his eyes.

“I’m here, tadpole, I’m here,” Mountain soothes, wiping away the droplets. Rain smiles into it, laughing a little at himself.

“Thank you. Oh, fucking thank you, Mount.” The sentence makes Mountain’s heart swell, and he presses close, nosing into Rain’s still-damp hair.

“I love you. Endlessly.” Rain mumbles an I love you, too, pulling him as close as inhumanly possible.

Mountain trills, rubbing his face into the water ghoul’s neck affectionately. “Come on, let’s take a bath. Relax for a while, hm?”

Rain sighs, content. “Okay.”

#ask #butters #and #anon #transmasc rain #rain ghoul #mountain ghoul #mountain my love #the band ghost #ficlet #fanfic #rain x mountain

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polyhexian · 3 months

Note

Collected thoughts on the Grimwalker Ghost Zone:

Poor Caleb's experience as a dead person is just. Not normal.

Most dead people are gonna keep an eye on their friends, their kids, their grandkids, and MAYBE their great-grandkids. And then there's no direct ties left to worry so much about the living anymore and you can get on with your afterlife.

And then we have Caleb.

So it's like. The average dead person keeps an eye on the living for 100 years after their death, at most. Caleb Wittebane, who's been cloned 200 times in the last four centuries and feels personally responsible for his still-living brother trying to enact a genocide--

In undefined characters-watching-from-the-afterlife scenarios I usually default the watching happening via TV unless stated otherwise. But it's TOH so I'm imagining Caleb slouched on the couch in front of a big crystal ball. He's not alone of course, Evelyn is there, she checks on him often like, uh. hey sweetie. you doing okay?

Caleb: Evie, meet Virtue! HE ONLY LASTED 11 MONTHS

Evelyn: …you know you COULD stop paying attention to--

Caleb: NO I CAN'T

Evelyn: *sigh* No, you can't.

And of course all the Grimwalkers are there, cuz, like. Where else are they gonna go? They barely had lives, wtf are they gonna do with their afterlives? Might as well wait for Belos to croak, they'll figure out what to do next AFTER they've gotten some closure.

So they're all just in this house together. It's the afterlife, stuff just gets provided, and the afterlife saw fit to provide them with a big stupid house. There's plenty of space and the crystal ball somehow gets repaired every time it suffers an anger-induced shattering and the liquor cabinet is always well-stocked.

Caleb's watching the living with the same energy as someone who's been watching a show since its premiere, but then the writing started going downhill and the plot jumped the shark and now they can't STOP watching because they intend to see this through to the bitter and disappointing end. When he first died he was so upset he refused to even THINK about Philip for a decade and just paid attention to his wife and kid. At some point he checked on Philip out of morbid curiosity, which led to morbid realization, which led to him thinking he should check on Philip more. And then there's clones and this Collector kid and Philip is obviously planning SOMETHING and then Evelyn dies of old age but Philip apparently has no intentions of dying anytime soon and then Caleb's KID is dead and Philip is still alive and Caleb's GRANDKIDS are dead but Philip isn't and there's been 20 Grimwalkers so far and Philip shows no signs of stopping either living OR making and killing Grimwalkers and OH MY GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING??

When Evelyn dies she's so ready for her reunion with Caleb. "I'm so glad I can finally rest in peace with my beloved--Caleb what are you doing?"

He's standing in front of a conspiracy board like "Philip's spent the last few decades cloning me and killing the clones and I don't like where it's going."

Evelyn: What. WHAT? Philip's ALIVE? I haven't seen him since he killed you, how the fuck has nothing eaten him??

Caleb: Btw meet Caleb 2, Hunter, Hunter 2, Hunter 3, and Nameless Vivisection Experiment (he's working on a name).

Assorted Grimwalkers: *awkward wave?*

Evelyn: CALEB WHAT?

Caleb's just like, Evie, you have no idea how glad I am you fell off Philip's radar, we're lucky all he did was steal my corpse. I'm being completely serious, unfortunately.

And then the Grimwalkers start coming and they don't stop coming, and they're just stuck in this together because what ELSE are they gonna do? Caleb staring at the crystal ball like "This is Hell. The Puritans were right. Hell exists, and this is it." Evelyn's like "Hell isn't a place, dear. It's just a situation. Our neighbors are resting in so much peace, they'd probably think they're in your Heaven if they knew what that was!"

Everyone isn't watching at all times, cuz that'd be ridiculous. It's kinda like when you're having a party for a sports game, not everyone's paying attention to the TV. You'll have people hanging out chatting and eating and chilling and then there are the people who are intensely paying attention to the game.

Caleb's the one intensely paying attention. Everyone else kinda pops up like "so is he dead yet? is he close to being dead yet? no? bummer. who's this? nice to meet you Virtue. 11 months? yikes"

And it's not like it's just them! It's the afterlife, everyone else who's ever died is perfectly capable of dropping by for a visit. Not that many people do, because the Grimwalker Ghost Zone has a bit of a…reputation. Like. Those people are NOT having a normal afterlife. Let's just. Leave them be.

Sometimes the Witteclaw kid comes to visit. Hi Mom! Hi various tragic brother/uncles (brouncles?) who are literally and figuratively younger than me! Oh, hey new guy, welcome! 11 months? Yikes. Hope you're settling in alright! Mom, what state should I expect Dad to be in when I go say hi? Last time he was manically planning which part of his brother he was going to punch first upon arrival. Ah, depressive episode? Got it, I'll be gentle.

Evelyn's family come to visit like yeesh you and Caleb are still paying attention to the living? It's been like. 400 years. No one stays this invested this long.

Caleb, gesturing at the CB: MY BROTHER IS STILL ALIVE AND IS LITERALLY BEATING A CLONE OF ME AT THIS VERY MOMENT

Relatives: Okay but have you considered, like. getting over it.

They're not even wrong. Continuing to watch the living for this long is, like, the same energy as keeping tabs on your high school friends that you haven't spoken to in 30 years. This isn't healthy. You need better hobbies. Okay it's KIND OF understandable since Caleb's brother and clones are involved, but like. You realize this is entirely optional, right?

Evelyn: Caleb, honey, please, you PROMISED we could have dinner with my parents tonight.

Caleb: ENOCH JUST KILLED A BIRD WITH HER BARE HANDS

Evelyn: We've all killed birds with our bare hands, darling. Come put your shoes on.

When Tell pops up he turns out to be just as invested as Caleb is, on account of the wife and kid situation. So Caleb actually has consistent company for 15 years while they both basically live through the same hell.

Tell walks into the kitchen for a beer and finds Caleb face-down on the floor and Tell's like "what's up man" and Caleb's like "Virtue died" and Tell is like "isn't he like eleven months" and Caleb just nods and Tell's like "cool I'm gonna go meet him" and just leaves Caleb on the floor. Caleb's like "wait didn't you hate him" and Tell's like "yeah but I mean. he doesn't know that."

At some point someone tells Virtue "Y'know Tell literally hated you" (Miles? my money's on Miles) and it starts a whole sibling fight that Evelyn has to break up.

"MILES SAID TELL HATED ME!"

"I didn't hate you I just hated the idea of you! It wasn't personal!"

"Yeah he was always really smug when another Grimwalker would rot in the ground."

"MILES DON'T TELL HIM THAT!"

Caitlyn and Dust die and Dust is like "what is WRONG with your daughter?" and Tell is like "ouch, but fair" and Virtue's like "she probably gets her penchant for not caring about Grimwalkers FROM HER DAD" and Tell is like "HEY." At this rate Caleb's gonna be the first dead person to have an aneurysm.

Evelyn's just glad to have Caitlyn around. Sure, she's dealing with the shock of her death after over a decade of dissociating, but Evelyn's just like FINALLY, someone who isn't a Grimwalker, and she's family to boot!

Caitlyn: Wait, family? I guess you look like a Clawthorne but I've never heard of you. How are we related?

Evelyn: Haha well I'm your many-great-grandma who Belos had very personal beef with 400 years ago and I may or may not be the reason why he decided to enact his sick game of house with you. I would say I'm sorry but literally none of this is my fault.

Caitlyn: Oh my god.

Evelyn: Haha yeah watching you and Enoch over the last 12 years has been extremely horrifying on a deeply personal level. What's your favorite alcohol? I promise we have it.

When Enoch dies Tell's like "well it was nice hanging out Caleb, thanks for all the screaming sessions, I'm gonna go get some quality time with my dead family now, peace" and Caleb's just like haha cool. fine. GLAD YOU CAN FINALLY REST IN PEACE, TELL. how many of my bones are left? there's no way this can continue after they're all used up, right? They're down to a ribcage and he's counting down the ribs.

Jasper dies and gets greeted by Tell who's like "howdy, normally our ortet would greet you but he's a little busy dealing with emotions right now"--*muffled screaming down the hall*--"so it was decided I'd be the best one to explain things since we've got some things in common." Jasper's kinda dazed like "uh…I didn't really think anyone was gonna greet me" and Tell's like "HAHA YEAH none of us ever do."

Jasper becomes just as invested as Caleb is and Tell used to be, because Hunter. So Caleb has a new bingewatching buddy! Yay?

Belos: *about to punish Hunter*

Caleb: *dragging Jasper away* Y'know what, you don't need to see this, let's go outside and get some air or something--

Evelyn: WHAT'S THAT, CALEB? YOU THINK IT'S GOOD TO TAKE A BREAK FROM WATCHING THINGS THAT UNNECESSARILY TRAUMATIZE YOU??

At some point Manny Noceda shows up, all cheerful and polite on the doorstep like "Hi! I heard there might be some people here who're watching someone who's involved in my daughter's life? She kinda stumbled into your world, see, and I was thinking--"

Evelyn's just blocking the doorway staring at him like "Listen. Before I let you in here. I NEED to make sure you understand the centuries of bullshit you're about to step into."

"Haha yeah I get it, family drama sure is--"

"SIR NO YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS."

Manny thinks he understands what he's getting into. Manny does NOT understand what he's getting into. Manny takes it in stride and enjoys these people's company anyway. Evelyn is happy to have another person around who she can count on to not be a constant mess. Manny/Evelyn BFFs 4afterlyfe.

Of course Manny also now has a VERY in-depth understanding of the 4-century clusterfuck Luz has gotten tangled up in and that is. Kinda anxiety-inducing. But like, he's pretty sure she's got this! That's his daughter! She's genre savvy, she'll be alright! Even if this situation is…way more horrifying than he realized at first.

His own dead relatives call him up like "Hey Manny! How's the watch party going? Luz still in that weird fantasy world she discovered? She having fun living out her own personal adventure story?"

Manny thinks about that time last week when Caleb and several Grimwalkers got drunk and tried to make a definitive list of the Top 5 Worst Things Belos Has Done and half of the entries were 3-way ties and there were WAY too many Honorary Mentions, and he just forces a grin and goes "Yep! Luz is doing great! She's having a blast! My new friends are super cool!"

"Oh, that's great! Could we meet th--"

"NO."

Manny tries to find things to do with his weird new friends but like. He's a 21st century sci-fi nerd. He has no idea how to relate to 400-year-old witches. But he thinks, well, I lived in New England, and Caleb lived in New England. So he's like "hey do you guys wanna do Thanksgiving together?"

Thanksgiving wasn't an official holiday until the 1800s, but Caleb knows what a feast of thanksgiving is, it's even a Puritan-approved party (ie the Pilgrims) that they'd do when they wanted to show God their gratitude! So he's just like, Manny. WTF. This is NOT the time.

Manny: Well, I mean, we're halfway through October so now's the time to start planning--

Caleb, gesturing to Belos gooping on various woodland critters: YOU THINK THIS IS WORTHY OF GIVING THANKS FOR???

By the time Luz becomes relevant, EVERYONE has started watching religiously. This is like. The final minutes of the big sports game. The series finale of their lives. But after Belos is dead (and summarily punched by everyone) most of the Grimwalkers stop paying any attention to the CB at all. Like. There's nothing else tying them to the living now. Whew. Cool. Vengeance is had! No need to pay attention to the living world ever again!

Except Jasper, of course, who figures he's just gonna watch Hunter by himself.

And then Caleb collapses next to him on the couch with snacks like "sup" and Jasper's like "oh, you uh, you wanna keep watching with me?" and Caleb's like "I suffered through four centuries of this, what's one more? and after watching every season of my brother's bullshit Grimwalker Trauma And Murder Show, I deserve to watch one of you live a decent life in the infinitely happier sequel series"

Manny's like "Yeah I'll stick around too, it looks like Luz is gonna be spending a LOT of time in your world and I'm really gonna need people to explain things to me. Anyway, I know this is a little late, but things have calmed down now and we have time since it's still just the START of November, so…Thanksgiving?"

And Caleb looks at Hunter, alive and free on the CB, and then glances out the window where Enoch is kicking the shit out of Belos in the backyard, and says, "Alright, yes, a celebration is in order. This is indeed worthy of thanksgiving."

"Oh, awesome! Uh…important question, what kind of cranberry sauce do you like?"

"What the fuck is cranberry sauce?"

JFJEJAJJFJRJWIFF ABSOLUTELY LOSING IT OVER ALL OF THIS

I feel like miles is back there too if only because he and Enoch are nasty little rude children and friends because of it.

Also don't forget flapjack AND hawk hunter are there. Flapjack sitting on Caleb's head and pulling his hair until he passes him a piece of popcorn or a peanut. All of them going completely apeshit for hunters first kiss. Camila appreciation club. Jasper and Manny both delighted by the fact Camila being mother to their child makes them like. Fathers in law? Mutuals? Proxy???? Something. there's a kinship there and it's funny. Hunter carves waffles and flapjack gets so excited he flies into the TV and knocks himself out

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joonslfttiddie · 1 year

Text

The Underclassman

💜Fic Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Reader

💜AU/Genre: College AU | Smut | Potential Relationship

💜Warnings: Smut, femdom, male sub, climax denial, unprotected sex, ejaculation, virgin's first time

💜Rating: MA

💜Word Count: 4781

Senior year of undergrad has had its challenges but you know it's downhill from here. Having gotten a jump on your assignments, you're pretty much skating through until graduation. Your only obligations are your teaching assistant tasks for Dr. Yun's psychology class, your job at the bookstore, and a few organizations on campus.

While things have been chill regarding course work, this year has also shown you who has your best interest at heart and who is just a waste of space in your life. Depending on how you look at things, fortunately or unfortunately, that meant that your ex-boyfriend was one of the people to exit your world. The two of you had been together since freshman year, and it has not been easy adjusting to the single life.

You haven't been on a date since, and just looking at other men still feels wrong. Your ex was always the jealous, controlling type who made it hard to breathe, as you walked on eggshells around him, which made you feel powerless.

"Honestly, I never liked your ex. It felt like all of your time was owed to him... like he owned you. You deserve so much better than him."

Your friend, René, opens up to you during a night of chilling at your apartment, sitting in a circle, cross legged in the middle of your living room floor. Your other friends, Michelle and Ticole, just shake their heads in agreement before taking a sip of their beers.

"I know, I know. You're right. I can see now how devoted I was to him. I was willing to give him everything I had. Of course, we now know he was giving his time, amongst other things, to someone else...but it's whatever."

Michelle chimes in, "It is whatever. This is our senior year. I just want you to take your time to find yourself again. Get out! Date! Enjoy your hoe phase. Plus, my boyfriend's mentee asks me about you every time I see him. That boy is in love."

"Girl, who? Seokjin?! I catch him eyeing me every other day in Dr. Yun's class but he has yet to say anything to me sooooo....."

"Don't do him like that...He is so sweet but so shy. He's one of those guys that's hot but doesn't know he's hot."

You all erupt into laughter and as the excitement subsides you agree.

"You're right, he is so cute but I never really looked at him like that. He has been such a sweetheart every time I've interacted with him but I dunno if he's my type, you know? Hell, he still refers to me as 'ma'am', like, I literally only have a couple of years on him, if that."

"He mentioned to Chance that he was not the best looking guy in high school. He was bullied because he was so skinny, had bad acne, braces, and glasses.. the usual "nerd" package. I, legit, don't think he realizes that puberty has come and gone. I wonder if he just doesn't have the confidence to approach you."

"Hmm... that would make sense. I hate that he went through all that. He seems so sweet despite being mistreated. I'll think about it, ok? But as far as 'enjoying my hoe phase' goes, guys fuck around all the time and no one bats an eye. I hate the double standard. I'm going to have the time of my life for the rest of the year. I deserve it, plus I've been horny as fuck, lately."

"Girl, go for it! I support this. Live your best life, friend. You've missed out on a lot being tied down like a married woman. Go get you some. And you never know, having that underclassman screaming 'yes, ma'am' may be just what you need!" Ticole says, co-signing with Michelle.

You all erupt into a fit of laughter at that and you take notice of the way your body feels from just imagining it. As heat burns up your spine and your pussy tingles, you swallow spit as you're basically salivating with excitement. Knowing what will make for some good material when you're alone later, you reply with a nervous chuckle, "Maybe, huh?"

Your girls were right! You're going to start putting yourself out there and try to be more open minded. After a restful night and having used mental images of Seokjin to gain a little post nut clarity, you begin to think that you may even explore people outside of your typical type. Internalizing all the encouragement your girls provided last night, you walk to Dr. Yun's class feeling like the baddest bitch on campus.

After taking attendance, you make a mental note that Seokjin isn't here yet. He never misses class but you shrug it off for the moment to continue your duties. You remind the students of upcoming assignments, schedule a few tutoring sessions, and answer any questions to the best of your knowledge until the professor arrives moments later. He hands you a stack of handouts and asks you to make copies since he hadn't gotten a chance to while the class takes a quiz. You grab your phone from the desk and slide it in the pocket of your cardigan before swiftly proceeding down the hall to the printer.

You turn the corner, finding yourself colliding with a student who is frantically rushing to class, landing you on your ass surrounded by the papers you were carrying, you quickly adjust your clothes as your skirt has flipped up, putting your lace undies on full display.

"Fuck! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I woke up late and can't be late for class. I have a quiz today."

You recognize that voice immediately and look up to see Seokjin. He quickly tries to collect the paperwork as he chatters, taking a moment to push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

'He couldn't have seen that, right?'

"Hey! No worries, Seokjin, I can get this. Go ahead... they're just about to begin."

After hearing his name cross your lips, he finally looks up to see your face. With a gasp, you notice his ears flush red before he responds.

"Miss y/n! I'm so sorry! Are you sure you're okay?" He pulls you up to your feet with one hand, allowing you to further adjust your clothing before handing you the papers he'd collected.

"Yes, I'm fine. Hurry up and go. Good luck!"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, thank you. I'm so sorry."

Seokjin smiles nervously before he rushes past you towards the classroom.

You make the copies and begin heading back to class, unable to stop replaying the incident with Seokjin. Has he always been so cute? So tall? Shoulders that broad? Biting your bottom lip, you recall the way his hair hung just above his eyes and his full pink lips slightly parted when he gasped from the shock of your accident. He looked so nerdy behind those glasses, but his brown eyes were breathtaking.

'Why am I just seeing him now... like really SEEING him?!'

You're thinking about all of this as you make the copies, sure that you hadn't noticed Seokjin's beauty for being so committed to you ex. You were blind for so long but now your eyes are wide open.

Back in the classroom, you quietly place the stack of papers on the desk, glancing up to see the student's working busily. Once you take your designated spot next to Dr. Yun's desk, you cross your legs and begin looking through the rows of seats until you spot him. Hunching over his desk and bouncing his foot restlessly, the poor guy looks so anxious. The sight leaves him looking so small and helpless, though he is definitely a deliciously full grown adult.

You glance away for a second but can't help the smirk that creeps across your face when you catch him suddenly still, sitting erect in his seat as his eyes trace your up legs all the way up to your thighs peeking from under your skirt. After making sure everyone else was focused on their work, you put your leg down and part your knees, now purposely exposing yourself to him. He licks his lips, then his eyes meet yours. Snapping your legs shut, you look down, covering your smile as you snicker to yourself. His nervous behavior commences as his gaze quickly snaps back down to his quiz, but not before you notice his face and ears turn a pretty shade of pink. What is this new feeling? You are not certain but you are 100% sure that you love it. You want more.

A couple of days have passed since literally running into Seokjin when you find yourself at work refolding the campus tees on one of the display tables, you glance at your watch to see it's almost time for you to clock out. It's been beautiful weather all day, despite what the weather channel said, but you can see the sky getting darker and you can hear thunder in the distance.

"It looks like the rain has finally made it," you warn your coworker. "Get home safely!"

Thankfully you check the weather every morning before leaving your campus apartment and was wise enough to bring your umbrella.

You grab your things from your locker in the employee lounge after clocking out. Once outside, you make it halfway across the yard to the fountain in the middle of the quad before you feel the first few sprinkles of rainfall. You stop to arm yourself with your umbrella before continuing your trek across campus as the bottom falls out of the sky. It is pouring now as you cross the street nearing your place, and you notice a familiar figure walking ahead of you.

He's soaking! He doesn't have an umbrella or even a jacket to keep him warm. You can tell that he's cold by the way he burrows into himself. The ripples of his back muscles are accentuated through his wet, white tee shirt as he hugs himself.

"SEOKJIN!"

He stops and turns towards you after hearing his name.

"Miss y/n? What are you doing out in this storm?"

You hold up the umbrella to cover you both.

"I'm just leaving work and on my way home. What are you doing out? And why don't you have a jacket on or an umbrella?"

He smiles shyly.

"Ummm...I didn't know it was going to rain today so I'm unprepared. I was going to the cafe to grab a bite before studying but it started to storm so I turned back."

"You poor thing. Why don't you come up to my place until the rain stops? I haven't eaten yet, either, so I can whip something up for us to eat."

"Uhhh...are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude. Plus, I only live a ways down from here."

Linking your arm in his, you continue to shield you both from getting wet while pulling him alongside you.

"It's no intrusion, I promise. Since it's Friday, my roommate has gone to her boyfriend's place, so I could use the company."

You smile at each other as he takes the umbrella to hold above you and continue to chat as you make your way up the stairs leading to your door. When you step inside, you ask that he stay at the door where there's tile as he's still dripping wet.

"Just stay there for a second. You're soaked. I know there's a towel in here somewhere."

After a moment of searching through the hamper of fresh laundry you hadn't gotten a chance to put away before work, you finally find a towel and hand it to him after he's secured the umbrella strap and placed it in the corner.

"Thanks, Miss y/n. I really appreciate your kindness."

"Of course! We've known each other for years now. You're not exactly a stranger at this point, so it's no problem at all. While you're drying your hair, I'll go see if my roommate's boyfriend may have left some clothes here. You guys are about the same size. Go ahead and get out of those clothes before you catch a cold."

This wouldn't be the first time you've seen a man undress so you're not thinking much about what you just said and rush off to your roommates bedroom to find a large tee shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. You stay frozen for a second as the situation suddenly catches up to you. You and Seokjin are alone in your apartment and he's undressing in the other room. Ticole's words echo in your mind. 'Get you some!' Michelle's voice lingers closely behind. 'Enjoy your hoe phase!'

'Am I really thinking about this now?! Does he even think of me in THAT way? He seems so innocent, I don't want to be a bad influence or take advantage of him.

You continue to stand there, contemplating your next move. Sure, he is extra dorky at first glance, but when you really look at him, you see now that he is fine as fuck. He, also, doesn't talk to a lot of people so you know he's not sleeping around and he will be discreet about what happens. This could be a good thing, if he's willing, of course. You take a deep breath before you leave the room, only to walk out and see Seokjin wearing nothing but his jeans and sneakers. You gasp at the sight, hoping he didn't hear you. Sure, you knew he would be undressing but you didn't expect that body to be under those clothes. God definitely took his time sculpting him to perfection.

When he looks up to see you've returned, he shyly covers himself with the wet shirt and towel leaving his free hand grasping his spectacles across his chest. There's that feeling again...the one you experienced during class the other day. You clear your throat and walk over to him to give him the clothes, trying your best not to stare.

"M-miss y/n. I-"

"Oh... sorry! I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. Here are the clothes. I can step out for a second."

Reluctantly, he drops the shirt and towel to the floor by his side but his other hand holding on to his glasses remains across his chest as he reaches for the outfit.

Just above a whisper, he asks, "I've been meaning to talk to you. Are you ok? You know from the other day? I was hoping you weren't hurt and I wanted to apologize again. And no, I'm not uncomfortable, you know? I just...I."

"No, I'm completely fine, I promise. And it's no problem at all. I'll step out to give you some privacy."

"Miss y/n."

"Hmm?" You pause to look up to him, awaiting his response.

"You don't have to leave. I don't want you to leave, I just..."

The look on his face teeters on the cusp of pain and embarrassment.

"What's up? You look like there's something else you want to tell me."

"Miss y/n."

"Stop calling me that, though. I'm only a couple years older than you."

"Y-y/n?" He pauses for a moment to see if he's overstepped. When you continue to look into his chocolate colored pupils, he continues speaking. "I've never done this before."

"Done what?"

He leans over to place the clothes on the end table putting his glasses on top. He stands back to face you, taking your wrist in his hand. His eyes bounce from your eyes to your lips, then back. You can see he's nervous as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"What do you want to do, Sweet Boy? Do you want to kiss me?"

The nickname and the question causes his eyes to widen, the reddish hue of his ears and cheeks deepen.

"Y-yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, ma'am. I want to kiss you so bad."

"Good boy. Go ahead, kiss me."

He hesitates, standing straight and still, your small wrist still gripped in his hand. He's looking into your eyes as if searching to see if you're serious. After what feels like forever, he tilts his head to the side and leans in, only to pull back. Shifting his head in the opposite direction, he leans in again only to pull away. He continues this for a moment, unsure of how to approach you. This would usually be a huge turn off for you but with him it's different. His uncertainty and timidness seems to just stir you on.

"Kiss me."

Your sudden command startles him slightly and he quickly leans in, placing his mouth against yours, bumping your lip with his teeth. He pulls back quickly as if he were burned. Patiently, you take his hands, placing one on the small of your back and the other at your nape. Taking a step forward, your body now flush to his, you can hear his breath shuttering. His very prominent bulge presses against your stomach as you place one hand on his exposed chest and snake your arm around his neck.

"Don't rush. I'm not going anywhere. Take your time and try again."

Slowly this time, he moves in to softly press his lips to yours before he pulls away, the smooch audible. You gently pull him back, slowly beginning to move your mouth against his, licking and sucking at his lips. When your tongue brushes against his, he whimpers aloud, grasping your shirt into his fist. Pulling back, you look up to check in on him. The dorky Seokjin is barely visible under the haze of lust now surrounding him. He bends down, taking your lips again. Mimicking your actions from before, he licks and sucks at your bottom lip before grazing your tongue with his own. Slightly taken aback by the feeling, you pull back to regain control of this situation. When he releases you, you step back and can feel the coldness of your shirt against your skin, now wet from being pressed against him.

"That was so good, Baby. You did good. Would you like to take the rest of those wet clothes off?"

"Yes, ma'am."

You smile at how quickly he's catching on. Still standing at the entrance of your place, Seokjin begins to toe off his shoes which squish with every movement. Sliding them to the side with his foot, he begins to unbutton his jeans, hands noticeably trembling. You're unsure if he's still cold or if he's nervous so you decide to check in again.

"Are you ok? Do you want to stop?"

"Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am... I'm ok. I don't want to stop, I'm just c-cold."

"Take those off and follow me...let's get you warmed up."

Removing your now moist shirt, you begin walking down the hallway to your bedroom. Seokjin watches as your hips sashay and your ass jiggles with every step you take. He continues to peel the wet jeans from his body. Now, wearing only his boxer briefs, he follows the route he just watched you take. Inside of your bedroom, he finds you already in bed, clothes tossed haphazardly on the floor. He bashfully makes his way to the edge of the bed, awaiting further instruction.

"Aren't those wet, too? Don't you think you should take them off?"

"Are you sure you're ok with this? With me?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be? Take them off, Sweet Boy, and come here."

When he pulls them down, you have to hide the shock that overcomes you. His dick looks so thick and heavy. Your heart begins to race in anticipation. Once he's completely naked, you pull the covers back as an invitation for him to climb in. He seems reluctant, trying and failing to cover his manhood behind his hands.

"Seokjin, baby...we don't have to do anything you aren't ready for. I won't be upset and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"NO! It's not that. I want this, I want this with you. But, like I mentioned, I've never done this before...I'm a virgin. Shit, you just gave me my first kiss. I'm sorry...I should have told you sooner. I'll just leave. I don't want to embarrass myself and waste your time."

"Awww, Baby. It's ok! I don't care that you're a virgin. I want you to stay but only if you want to stay."

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"I promise to be patient. I'm not here to judge you. I won't rush you so just take your time. Would you like for me to teach you?"

He nods his head in agreement.

"Have you ever heard of a 'safeword'?"

"Is it a word we would use to indicate that we are uncomfortable with something?"

"That's exactly what it is. If either of us say or do anything that the other doesn't like, we'll use that word. The other has to stop immediately."

"Ok...what should it be? Could we use Adler?"

You laugh out loud at his cuteness. "Ok... that's fine with me, but why did you choose that?"

"I don't know. His theory was the last thing I looked at when I was studying for Professor Yun's test earlier. It's the first thing that popped into my head," he laughs bashfully while still trying to cover his manhood.

"Adler it is. You can lay with me whenever you feel ready."

With that reassurance, he places his trust in you, removes his hands, and climbs into the sheets. Covering your bodies under the plush blanket, you pull him closer to share your body heat. Resting your head on one hand, you caress his smooth skin with the other. His body continues to tremble but not from the cold this time. Your touch is sending electricity through his core leaving his skin slightly clammy and his breathing shallow and quick.

"I've seen the way you stare at me in class. Do you like me, baby?"

His expression looks as if he'd been caught red handed.

"Y-yes, ma'am. Yes, I do."

"Have you thought about being close with me like this? In bed with me? Touching my naked body?"

His breath hitches in his throat before he answers the same as before.

"Y-y...Yes, ma'am."

"Do you ever touch yourself when you think of me? Does the thought of me make you cum, baby?"

You're practically whispering at this point, inches from his ear. Your hand travels down his abs then along his thigh, skipping the tented area where he needs and wants your touch the most. His erection jerks from the excitement, his body spasms, and his shallow breaths now deepen as he whimpers and moans under your touch. You know he's fighting for his life at this moment but you decide to press him for an answer.

"Did you hear my question? Answer me, Seokjin."

Still inaudible minus his tiny whimpers, he nods his head frantically in agreement.

"I can't hear you. Are you not going to answer me? Do you know what happens to bad boys who don't follow directions? They get punished."

He squeezes his eyes shut tightly in anticipation of what you'll do next. As he clenches his teeth, you can see the muscles along his jawline flex.

"Bad boy," you say softly, pulling the blanket off of him to reveal his hardness. His dick is so firm making his skin look extra smooth but painfully red. The precum leaking from his slit indicates he's enjoying this torture. "Show me. Show me how you jerk yourself off when you're in your room thinking about me."

You sit up briefly to grab the almond oil you'd left on your nightstand this morning after moisturizing your legs. Opening the cap, you pour a bit on the head of his dick and watch as it drizzles down his shaft along the contours of his veins.

"Show me, bad boy. Let me see."

His hand tremors as he brings it up to fist himself. Using his thumb, he distributes the oil and precum over his tip before slowly gliding down his rod. He grunts and gasps as his abs contract, lifting his head from the pillow slightly. He moves his fist back up to the top, barely touching himself.

"Look at me, Seokjin."

He opens his eyes, though they are hooded and lazy. Your heart flutters at the sight. He holds eye contact and his plush lips part as his pants, ready to receive his punishment.

"Squeeze tighter. Imagine my tight pussy slowly sliding down your dick. I'm so wet and juicy."

Following your instruction, he applies more pressure. Still looking into your eyes, his brows furrow as if begging for more. He begins to pick up speed as he's almost there.

"Slowly. Rub your thumb over the tip."

And he does, slowly smearing more precum over the head of his penis. You can tell that he's close to the edge. You allow him to stroke himself a few more times before you grab his wrist, stopping him.

"I want you inside of me. I want you begging me to let you cum."

You grab your phone before moving back towards him. Straddling his hips as he looks at you with a dumbfounded expression. You lift up onto your knees and guide him into you.

"Oh, oh, oh, y/n! Oh! OH!"

He is a mess as you slowly lower your soaking wet pussy to sit flush onto his lap.

"What a nice seat. I think I'll sit here for a while. Don't move."

You unlock your device and start to scroll through your Instagram feed as you're perched motionless with his dick buried deep inside of you. He feels so good and it's a challenge for you to remain still, sitting in this dominant role. You look up to see him looking up to you. The slight chuckle that leaves your lips causes your walls to tighten briefly around him. His whimpers cause you clench even more. He hisses and grabs your hips, sinking his nails into your skin. Simultaneously, he pulls you down as he grinds up to burrow deeper into you. You swallow your moan, unwilling to relinquish your newfound power. You lean forward to firmly grab his chin, bringing his eyes up to yours.

"I said...Be. Still," you whisper. You leave him heaving as you continue to scroll on your phone, putting on as if you're not ready to ride him off the cliff of ecstasy. His little pleas making it harder to act.

"Hmmm...Pleeeease! I c-can't. Y-y/n, please. I can't... can't hold it anymore."

"You can't hold it? Do you need to use the word, baby."

His brows are winkling tighter, sweat pecking at his forehead and chest. You adjust yourself, purposely lifting your body only to follow the trail of moisture you've left smeared on his dick to sit back down.

"N-no... I can't. I can't hold it, y/n! A-ADLER!"

"Go ahead, baby. Let it go."

With your permission, he grips you tighter and pounds into you. Seokjin bares and grinds his teeth, his grunts becoming louder with every stroke. He controls himself for as long as he can, lasting for approximately ten seconds before he explodes, painting your walls with his cum. He feels so amazing, you to want to continue to move. His whining grows louder as his sensitivity increases. Stopping for a moment to allow him to catch his breath, you push the hairs stuck to his forehead away and caress his cheek.

"Are you ok, babe?" Your voice sounds so loving, laced with tenderness.

Seokjin opens his eyes to look at you before he replies, "Yes, ma'am. I'm ok...more than ok. That was better than any of my daydreams, better than I could have ever imagined. You feel so good, so warm, so wet. You look so beautiful sitting on me like this. Thank you so much for this experience."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. You're doing so well."

"But you are too sexy, I couldn't restrain myself. The nickname you called me... the way you spoke to me... your dominance. Whew! But, I came way too fast, I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to pleasure you."

Looking at him, you can see that he's oozing with confidence. Confidence you're sure he's unaware that he carries. You both continue conversing as he softly traces tiny circles on your calves with his fingertips.

"Stop that...you're being too hard on yourself. You did great and this was your first time! You'll get better the more you do it. And you feel amazing, by the way. You just have to learn what to do and gain more experience."

"Ummm... could you help me with that, y/n?"

"Of course, Sweet Boy, I would love to help you with that."

He blushes and chuckles a little with a voice that sounds deeper than you remember. "Really?! Thank you so much, y/n. I never would have imagined I'd be able to be here with you, like this. I'm, literally, the luckiest man alive. Also... I am still inside of you but the way you're looking at me, well, I'm getting hard again. What should I do?"

You can't contain your laugher at his innocence.

"Well, baby, you just came. Now it's my turn."

"Yes ma'am... just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it. Anything you want. I want to learn how to please you."

#ambw #bts fanfction #bts fanfic #bts #bts smut #kim seokjin #bangtanwhq #joonslfttiddie #bts jin #bts seokjin #college #undergrad #university #jin sub #non idol au #smut #kim seokjin smut

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noirsfantasy · 9 months

Text

On the seventh day of Christmas...

𝔄 𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔬 ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔭𝔱. 𝟑

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Actor!Michael B Jordan x OC!Naomi Samuels

𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Fluff, angst

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛ 5.8K

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛ Naomi and Ashanti get into it and things go downhill. Thankfully, Michael is there to save the day and cheer Naomi up. They end up getting a bit closer than expected. Later on, Naomi learns why Ashanti is the way she is.

𝔞/𝔫 ➛ Listen, I know y'all have your opinions about Ashanti, but all I'm gonna say is, never judge a book by its cover. Also I literally had to stop myself from melting while writing this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas Masterlist

Part 2 Here

"Wow! Okay, I think it's obvious that's the winner right there." James says in surprise.

"What can I say? We've just got that creative touch." I say, putting my elbow on the snowman. Unfortunately, it wasn't packed together sturdy enough and my added weight caused it to crumble and me to fall on top of it.

"Naomi!" Ashanti shouts, annoyed that I ruined the snowman. Michael rushes over to help me up as Dan, Teresa, and James all laugh at the sight. Michael is laughing a bit too, but he makes sure I'm okay and pulls me to my feet. I brush snow off my bottom and chuckle at my clumsiness.

"Oh shit, I didn't mean for that to happen." I rub my neck sheepishly and look over at Ashanti, who looks livid. "You okay, Ashanti?"

"No! I'm not okay! You always ruin everything!" She shouts angrily. We all look at her in confusion, wondering where this all came from.

"What do you mean? I thought we were having fun." I respond, attempting to diffuse the tension.

"No, you're always stealing the spotlight!" She retorts, her voice sharp.

"Whoa, calm down, Ashanti. She didn't mean to ruin the snowman." Michael intervenes, trying to ease the escalating situation. But Ashanti, fueled by jealousy and frustration, continues her tirade.

"No, Michael! She's always stealing the spotlight! Trying to be the center of attention with her stupid ideas," Ashanti crosses her arms as I stare at her, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"Stupid ideas? This was supposed to be a fun activity. Why are you so upset?" I question, trying to understand.

"Because you always have to be the special one, don't you? You can't stand anyone else getting attention," She accuses, her eyes narrowing. "Always pretending to be all cute and clumsy, always trying to be the one everyone likes. It's pathetic, really." Her words cut deeper than expected. The atmosphere grows tense, and I feel a mixture of hurt and anger welling up inside me. Michael and Dan exchange uneasy glances, unsure what to do. Teresa tries to calm the situation.

"Come on, guys, let's not do this here. Let's just go back to having fun." She says, trying to hype us up again, but to no avail.

"No, she needs to hear this, Teresa. You can act innocent all you want, Naomi, but you're not fooling me. Everyone falls for your act, but I see right through it. You're manipulative, Naomi. Always trying to make people sorry for you." I glance at Daniel, hoping for support, but he seems caught in the middle, unsure of how to navigate this awkward conversation.

"Enough, both of you." James interjects, trying to diffuse. "You're ruining this for all of us with this unnecessary drama."

"It's not unnecessary, James. She needs to hear the truth," Ashanti retorts, her anger only growing.

"The truth? You're making baseless accusations and I'm just supposed to sit back and take it? Hell no." I fire back, my frustration boiling over.

"Baseless? Look at you, falling around like a toddler, trying to make Michael feel sorry for you. You're always playing the victim. And he's been falling for it all day," She sneers, gesturing towards Michael.

"That's not fair, Ashanti. Naomi hasn't done anything wrong," Michael finally speaks up, unable to stand her bashing me. Ashanti looks offended.

"Of course, you'd defend her. You always seem to prefer her over me," She accuses, her jealousy showing.

"I'm not choosing anyone. But I won't stand here while you attack her for things that obviously make you insecure."

"Michael, can't you see she doesn't care about anyone but herself? She's only pretending to be this interesting, edgy girl because that's the only way people can notice her. Quite frankly, it's disappointing you can't see how she's trying to manipulate you to not like me."

"That's enough!" I snap, unable to contain my anger any longer. "If I make you so miserable and you can't stand to be around me so much, why don't you just leave?" The silence is loud as she glares at me, before huffing.

"Fine! Maybe I will!" She turns and stomps off angrily, leaving the group in an awkward silence. I grunt in frustration as I watch her leave.

"Naomi, maybe you should go after her." James suggests, trying to be a voice of reason.

"No, I'm done playing her games. She wants to walk away? Fine," I reply, my tone strong. "Maybe she'll finally realize everything isn't about her."

"I'll go after her." Teresa says, leaving to follow her cousin. Dan puts a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"You didn't deserve that, Naomi. She's just... I don't know what her deal is." He says with a sigh.

"I don't know, maybe there's something else going on that we don't know about." James suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

"The audacity she has to accuse me of all that stuff, when I've had to put up with that from her since we were kids!" I frown angrily, my hands clenching again.

"Let's just take our minds off that for now. We can't let it ruin our whole day. How about we explore the market a bit more?" Dan suggests and James and Michael nod in agreement. Reluctantly, I agree, realizing that dwelling on negativity won't do me any good.

As we start to walk through the market, the vibrant lights and festive atmosphere fail to fully lift my spirits. The encounter with Ashanti keeps replaying in my mind, leaving me feeling a mix of frustration and hurt. I trail behind the boys and Michael slows down until he's walking beside me.

"Don't believe any of what she said, Naomi. She's just projecting onto you and that's not fair." He speaks softly. I sigh and glance up at him.

"I know, but it's still frustrating," I admit. His presence offers me some comfort, a reminder that not everyone interprets situations like how Ashanti did.

Meanwhile, Teresa catches up with Ashanti, finding a quieter section of the market where the snowfall adds a serene touch to the surroundings.

"What do you want, T?" Ashanti snaps, her frustration still evident.

"Just checking on you. What happened back there?" Teresa inquires, genuinely concerned.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Ashanti mutters, avoiding eye contact.

"Look, I get that something upset you, but taking it out on Naomi like that wasn't fair. She's our cousin, and she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment," She asserts, her protective instincts kicking in.

"You always take her side!" Ashanti shouts, turning away.

"I'm not on anyone's side, but I won't stand by when you're treating people unfairly. Sort out whatever's bothering you, Ashanti, before it ruins more than just today," Teresa advises before leaving Ashanti to her thoughts.

Back at the market, I'm walking with Michael as we've split up from Daniel and James. The sun has begun to set and it starts to get a bit colder. Michael smiles at me and places his arm around my shoulder as we walk, providing me a sense of warmth. He tries to get my mind off of the earlier confrontation and cheer me up.

"You know something else that's irritating?" He starts, his tone suggesting he has something to say.

"What's that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as we walk. He takes a moment to reply.

"I haven't gotten to buy you a drink yet. A real one," He gestures to the market ahead. "We've been walking all day, so this is my chance." He grins and my eyes light up at the suggestion. I think for a moment, before cracking a small smile.

"I guess one drink can't hurt." I give in and Michael squeezes my shoulder, gently.

"Glad to see I haven't lost my charm." He says playfully, causing me to chuckle softly. "Just, this time, it's not gonna be hot chocolate. Let's change it up." I grin and nod in response. "I've got the perfect idea." Michael takes his arm from around my shoulder and grabs my hand, leading me into the market. His hand is warm against mine and he links our fingers, causing me to smile.

"It's just over here." He tugs my hand as he leads me through the crowd.

"What kind of drink did you have in mind?" I ask him. "Nothing too strong, please." I joke.

"Relax, I don't want to see you passed out on the floor." He answers before laughing. I roll my eyes and playfully slap the back of his hand in response.

"Okay, so what's this perfect idea?" I inquire with a smirk. Michael grins as we reach a small stand selling Christmas treats, hot cocoa, and other seasonal beverages before stopping and pointing towards the menu.

"Mulled apple cider." He says and I raise my eyebrows.

"I actually love that idea. They're nice and warm, but with a little bit of a kick. Love it." I nod in approval and we order two hot mulled ciders from the vendor.

"Here you go." The vendor smiles as he hands us our drinks. We all take them and move to find a spot to sit. After a few seconds of searching, we settle on a park bench away from the crowds. I take a seat and cradle the drink in my hands.

The mulled cider has a strong cinnamon smell, the heat warming the air around us. Michael sits down beside me, his own cider in one hand and the other placed on the back of the bench. We smile at each other as we take the first sips of our drinks.

"Mmmm, it's so good." I say, enjoying the warmth of the winter beverage. Our eyes meet but we go on drinking in silence. It's not awkward. We both know that we could talk if we wanted to but the peace is nice. Finally, after about a minute, Michael breaks the silence.

"Naomi..." He starts and I tilt my head in his direction.

"Yeah?"

"About what happened earlier. I just want you to know that I don't think those things about you. Not at all." He pauses for a moment as I listen intently. "And honestly, I don't think Ashanti does either. She just feels insecure about her image, and my arrival didn't make things any easier for her. But, whether she meant it or not, she's wrong about you." I didn't even realize how much I needed to hear that tonight, but his words seem to bring me some peace.

"Thank you, Michael. Really. I really appreciate it." I respond with a smile of my own. Our gaze lingers for a few more seconds, but I realize there's still something bothering me. Suddenly I turn to face him on the bench so we're sitting face to face.

"Can I admit something?" I hesitate. He nods and looks at me intently. I take a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm just as insecure as Ashanti," I confess, looking down into my mug. "I'm always trying to be cool and impressive, but I'm scared of looking dumb. It's like I'm not truly special to anyone." I glance over at Michael and I know he's listening carefully.

"My family is the most judgmental. Nothing seems to please them. I became a real estate agent, but it wasn't as good as Teresa's nursing job. I quit to be a full-time artist, and they say I'm throwing away all their hard work. Broke up with my cheating ex, and they say I should've paid more attention to him. Now that I'm almost thirty, they're nagging me about marriage and kids. What about what makes me happy?" I take a deep breath, feeling my eyes well up with tears.

Michael nods and I spill more, feeling vulnerable. "Their expectations are exhausting. I second guess every choice I make. Even if they're right, I don't want to live worrying about what people think. I want to live for me." I look up at Michael, his eyes still trained on me. I blush, realizing I've dumped a lot on him. He places a reassuring hand on my thigh.

"You know, I get it, Naomi. There's a lot of pressure on you to be perfect. But you don't have to be that. I see you for you. You're not perfect, but you're real. Don't be so hard on yourself." He smiles and takes my hand. I give him a small smile in return, grateful for his encouragement. His words resonate deep within me, creating a sense of warmth that goes beyond the heat radiating from the mulled cider. For a moment, I forget the chaos that unfolded earlier, and it's just Michael and me, sharing a connection.

"Thanks, Michael," I say, my voice a mix of gratitude and relief. "I really needed to hear that." He squeezes my hand gently.

"Anytime, Nao." He winks as he uses the nickname he gave me. "I'm happy to help." We share a cuddle on the bench, finishing our ciders. Michael breaks the silence again with a mischievous grin.

"You know," he starts, his eyes sparkling with playful intent, "as much as the scavenger hunt was a bust, there's still one thing I really wanted to check off our list."

"What is it?" I ask, my curiosity piqued. Michael smirks.

"Close your eyes and trust me." Raising an eyebrow, I decide to play along. Closing my eyes, I feel Michael taking my hand, lacing his fingers with mine once more and guiding me through the bustling market. He takes care to keep me from bumping into anyone or stumbling. As we walk, with my eyes closed, all I can focus on is the warmth and softness of his hands, making me feel at ease.

"Almost there." He whispers, excitement in his voice. A flutter of anticipation builds. The market sounds far and I realize we've steered away from it. Snow crunches under our feet as we come to a stop. "Now, open." Gasping, I find a beautifully adorned horse-drawn carriage before us, illuminated by twinkling Christmas lights in the trees. The festive carriage driver welcomes us with a warm smile.

"Surprise," Michael says, grinning that gorgeous smile as he gestures toward the carriage. Speechless, I take a moment to react.

"Michael, this is amazing. How did you...?" He chuckles, pulling me into his side.

"I saw them doing rides earlier today and I figured, if anything, this might somewhat salvage the evening." He glances over at me. "I hope you like it."

"Of course, I love it." I respond, still in shock at the gesture as I take in the magic of the moment.

"So, you wanna hop in? Or just stand out in the cold?" He asks teasingly, offering me his hand. I roll my eyes and grab his hand as he helps me into the carriage. As we get settled into the seats, the carriage lurches forward and the ride starts. As we're pulled down the snowy road, I look up and see the beautiful Christmas lights above us.

"Wow," I whisper in awe and smile brightly. "It's so beautiful." Michael smiles back and looks up as well.

"Yeah, it really is." He agrees. As the gentle rocking of the carriage and the peaceful night setting work in harmony, I feel my body relax more and more with each second.

I look over at Michael and his eyes are trained on me. I gaze back at him, noticing, once again, how striking his features are. He's handsome in such a unique way, with his deep, chocolate-brown eyes, his strong jawline, and his playful, almost cheeky dimpled grin that makes me want to melt every time I see it. He doesn't look away from me and I can't make myself look away either.

It seems like he's about to say something, but the sound of the horse whinnying as it trots on the snowy gravel draws our attention back to the moment. When we glance at each other again and I'm surprised by the intense way he's looking at me. His eyes study me carefully, as if he's trying to memorize every single detail about me; my skin, my expression, the way my lips move when I speak.

Out of nowhere, I begin to feel a bit shy, a warmth rising within me as I realize how close we are. I look back up at the lights, my cheeks turning red and out of the corner of my eye, I see Michael do the same. We sit there for a few moments, silently looking up at the lights, our bodies inching ever so slightly closer. Suddenly, I feel Michael's lips peck my cheek. I look over at him, pressing my hand to my cheek in surprise. He looks back at me, his gaze still focused intently on mine. He watches me, studying my reaction before bringing his fingers to rest underneath my chin.

"Come here..." His words send electricity through my body as he pulls me forward a few inches and presses his plump lips against my own in a gentle kiss. My eyes flutter shut as my breath grows shallow. His lips feel soft on mine and I can taste the sweetness of the mulled cider from before. Every nerve in my body sparks with heat as the world around us becomes muffled. He's tender and gentle, kissing me in a way that says he truly cares about me.

Michael pulls away for a moment, his thumb caressing my skin softly as it grazes across my bottom lip. He wets his lips slightly before pulling me back in for another kiss. This time, his touch is firmer, his tongue slipping its way into my mouth. I find my hands resting on either side of his neck, pulling him in deeper. He sets his hands on my hips, pulling me closer so that our bodies fit neatly together.

The kiss continues for a few more seconds before he finally breaks it, breathing heavily. He pulls his head back slightly as he looks at me. I'm completely speechless. I've never felt anything like this before. My heart is fluttering, my arms are weak, and my body feels like it's on fire.

Our moment is interrupted by the sound of the driver clearing his throat awkwardly. Michael turns to him and smiles apologetically.

"Sorry, my lovebirds. We're almost there, don't worry." I look up at the driver and give him a sheepish smile, my expression growing even redder if that's even possible. Before I can say anything, Michael cuts in.

"Heh. Lovebirds." He mocks the driver's words jokingly, his tone light and playful. He turns back to me and kisses my hand. "He knows what's up." I smile, feeling like I'm in a dream. We pull back to the place where we started and the carriage comes to a halt. The driver climbs down from his seat and opens the gate so we can leave. Michael gets out first and puts his hands on my waist, helping me down from the carriage. He tips the driver before pulling me by the hand to his side, wrapping his arm back around me.

"Did you enjoy the ride?" He asks, smiling down at me.

"The physical one or the emotional one?" I reply teasingly, causing Michael to laugh. "I did enjoy the ride," I admit, giving a bit of a shy grin.

"Good," he replies, his tone shifting to something more sincere.

"It's getting late." I sigh as I look at the time. Michael glances at his watch and nods in agreement.

"Yeah, we should probably get back before they start to worry." He replies, giving me a warm smile. I return the smile, turning to face him.

"Today was a lot... but you really turned it around for me. Thank you for that." Michael pulls me into a hug, his body engulfing me.

"Don't mention it. I didn't like seeing a frown on your face." He says as he lets go of me. "You look way prettier when you smile." I blush at his compliment, looking down at my feet as he takes my hand in his. He looks ahead as we make our way back to the family house, the festive lights and decorations still illuminating the winter night.

As we near the house, I can't help but to feel a mix of emotions. Today had unexpected turns, but it all worked out in the end. Mostly. As we step inside, we're met with the warmth of the home and all of the lights are off. It seems like everyone's gone to sleep. Michael and I slip off our shoes before quietly making our way up the stairs.

"Looks like everyone's down for the night," He says, peering into the hallway and seeing no lights.

"Hopefully we didn't keep them up." I whisper, trying not to make too much noise on the creaky floor. Michael turns to me, leaning against the wall as he gazes at me through the darkness.

"Hey, Nao," He starts and I look at him in curiosity.

"Yeah?" He looks off to the side for a moment, as if contemplating his next words.

"I know today wasn't perfect, but I really enjoyed spending time with you." He takes my hand in his again. "I know I've only been here for a day, but I already feel so close to you. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but I know exactly how I feel when I'm with you." He leans in and speaks softly, causing me to shiver. His smile grows brighter as I look up at him with affection. "And I gotta say, I'm pretty excited for tomorrow."

"I really can't tell you how much this means to me. I feel like I don't have to try with you. Everything just flows so naturally. I can't wait to spend more time with you." I reply, biting my lip slightly.

"You sleep well, Nao. Goodnight." He tells me, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Goodnight to you too, Michael." I say back and he gives me that small, flirty nod he gave me when we first met as he turns and begins walking down the hall towards his room. I watch Michael leave, his warmth lingering as he disappears into the guest room. I stand there for a moment, absorbing the sincerity in his voice and the unexpected connection we've formed. As I enter my room, the quiet of the night surrounds me, and the events of the day play like a movie in my mind.

I take a deep breath and decide to capture the essence of the day on paper. I grab the cheap sketchbook Ashanti gave me yesterday, along with a few coloring pencils. The room is dimly lit by the soft glow of the streetlamps outside, casting a gentle ambiance.

I begin sketching, letting my hand move freely across the paper. The pencil captures the laughter, the awkwardness, the joy, and the unexpected intimacy that all came with today. The lines on the paper become a visual narrative, each stroke expressing the emotions that I experienced throughout the day. I feel a sense of regret as I recall how Ashanti and I acted towards each other. I feel grateful for the comfort I was given today.

As I continue to sketch, I am reminded just how much art has a way of helping me process my feelings. The notepad becomes a canvas for both the highs and lows of the day, a tangible representation of the emotional rollercoaster I've been on.

On another page, I capture the moment I had with Michael. The mulled ciders, the carriage ride, even our time by the fireplace this morning. I smile as I reminisce on this eventful day, feeling lucky to be where I am. I glance at the clock and realize how much later it has gotten. The exhaustion of the day catches up with me and I decide it's time to put the pencil down. I change into my pajamas and slide under the cozy covers of the bed.

With a contented sigh, I close my eyes, waiting for sleep to take me. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, who knows what surprises it might hold. The room is filled with a quiet peace, and as I drift off to sleep, the events of the day soften into dreams, leaving behind the anticipation of what tomorrow might bring.

When I wake up the next morning, I feel sense of anticipation, eager to make the most of today. As I get ready, I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the day ahead. There's still a lingering tension in the air, especially with Ashanti, but I'm determined to make Christmas Eve memorable for everyone.

I head downstairs to find the family gathering in the living room, watching a movie. I say good morning to everyone and head into the kitchen to see if I can help. I get there to find just my aunts Tina and Pat preparing the Christmas Eve feast. I find a place to help out and smile to myself, chopping up some vegetables.

As I move around the kitchen, Ashanti enters, her eyes meeting mine briefly. There's a flicker of guilt in Ashanti's expression, a silent tension between us that, at some point, needs to be addressed. Although, I am not planning on being the one to start that conversation. She goes and sits at the kitchen table, scrolling on her phone. My aunt Tina looks over her shoulder and smiles.

"Oh, I loved that photoshoot you did, sweetie. You looked so fierce and powerful!" She compliments, putting her hand on Ashanti's shoulder.

"Yeah..." She replies, not looking up from her phone. Aunt Tina smirks and glances over at me.

"You know, Naomi, I want to apologize for the other day." She starts and I look up from my task with a raised eyebrow.

"You do?" I question and she nods.

"Maybe you're onto something with your art. At least it's better than jumping from job to job." She says, causing Aunt Pat to snicker a bit. I look over at Ashanti, who doesn't look up from her cellphone. "Ugh, the things I would do to be able to get paid to just doodle all day. Must be a dream." I sigh deeply, looking over at her.

"Aunt Tina, do you really think that art is just about sitting around and drawing whatever I want?" I ask her calmly.

"Well, honey-"

"No." I cut her off. "My job isn't that simple. It takes years to learn the skills I have. Art is a form of expression. It's like telling a story and it isn't always your own. It has a way of connecting people and cementing memories for years to come. I'm not some toddler with a crayon. To me, art is everything. Why can't any of you respect that?" I ask, gesturing to everyone in the room. My aunt Pat looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Mimi," She starts with a sigh, "you know we want nothing but the best for you." I clench my fist as I stare at her.

"See, that's another thing. If I'm being honest, a lot of my insecurities come from others telling me what they think I should be. I think it's time I start listening to what I want for a change."

"We're just trying to look out for you, sweetie. You're a bit reckless is all." Aunt Tina says, rolling her eyes.

"No, the problem is that you guys don't respect my choices or ambitions," I reply. "Thank you for the concern, but at the end of the day, it's my life." I say with a bit of sass.

"Whatever." Aunt Tina says, throwing her hands up. "Just do what you want. You always do anyway." Ashanti slams her hand down on the table and stands up.

"Will you stop, Mom?" She raises her voice, shocking us all. Ashanti takes a deep breath and points a finger at Aunt Tina. "It's one thing if you want to judge me and treat me like a child because I'm your daughter," She continues firmly. "But keep Naomi out of it! What she's doing is amazing and, I've got to admit, I'm jealous that she actually has the courage to do what she wants."

"Ashanti-"

"I'm not finished!" She cuts her mom off. "All my life, you've had a plan for who I was gonna be and what I was gonna do, but did you once ask me what I wanted to do? I just went along with it because I figured mother knows best. But I hate my life and I'm starting to hate the person I've become." I start seeing Ashanti in a new light, having heard this new bit of information. I'd always thought that she just didn't like me and that we were always at odds, but now I know why.

"Naomi and I used to be best friends, but because of how you raised me, I grew to despise her, when really I should've despised you. I've stood by my whole life and let you dictate my decisions, but I won't let you do that to my cousin. You have no right!" I stare at Ashanti, stunned by her outburst. I'm also a little relieved that someone finally stood up for me. Aunt Tina and Pat don't know what to say.

"If you guys are my real family, then you won't just want me to be a carbon copy of you." She says, a bit calmer. "And if you care about us and what's good for us, you'll respect our choices."

My aunts are silent, their smug expressions completely washed away. Aunt Tina sighs again, not wanting to admit that we're correct. Before she can say a word, my mom comes downstairs, wearing her best Christmas sweater. She immediately senses the tension in the room and steps in. "What's going on down here?" She asks, her tone firm and direct.

"Nothing, Mom. Ashanti and I were just leaving." I say, before heading out of the kitchen. Ashanti follows behind me and we make our way to the study.

The room is dark and quiet, Ashanti flipping on a light to see the room. The two of us share a look, the mood of the moment taking a sharp turn. Ashanti sits down on the couch, burying her face in her hands. I hesitate for a second before sitting down beside her.

"Ashanti, I'm so sorry." I offer, reaching my hand out to her. She doesn't respond right away, but she finally takes my hand in hers.

"No, I should be the one apologizing. I have been so unfair to you and I'm sorry for all I've put you through." The look she gives is one of guilt and regret. I give her a soft smile and she continues. "I've just been so angry for so long and I took it out on you. My mother would always pressure me to do exactly what she wanted me to do and I was jealous that you could do anything you wanted when we were growing up."

"Ashanti..." I say softly, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I never knew you felt this way. I always thought your life was perfect and I felt like I would never amount to all the things you've accomplished." I admit.

"No ones life is perfect, Naomi. All those accomplishments, they weren't mine. They were my mother's. I just went along with everything, in hopes that I would make them proud. But nothing is ever enough." She takes a deep breath and looks me in the eye. "And I want to apologize for yesterday. I didn't mean any of those things I said. Honestly, I'm not doing as well as everyone says."

"What do you mean?" I question. There's a long pause as Ashanti considers her words, trying to get them right.

"You know how everyone's been talking about how successful I am?" She begins, seeming unsure of herself. I nod, listening intently. "Well, I'm struggling. A lot. My mother doesn't know this, but I lost my modeling job. My boyfriend and I broke up a few months and I'm about to be evicted!" She confesses, a tear running down her face. "That's why I've been so mean lately. I've been trying to keep up appearances but it's stressful as hell and it's even worse because Michael's here." My eyes widen as she tells me this, the words catching me off guard.

"You don't like that Michael's here?"

"I like Michael," She says, shaking her head. "I mean hello! He's Michael B Jordan, who wouldn't like him? But ever since he arrived, Mom has been pressuring me to seduce him. I hate it, I feel like some shallow bitch who annoys everyone. I just wanted to make my mother happy, but at what cost? I'm just making a fool out of myself and it's obvious that he likes you. I'm so tired of being fake. I can tell that no one likes me." She looks down at her lap, avoiding my eyes.

"That's not true," I defend. "Yeah, you get on our nerves sometimes and sometimes you make Michael a bit uncomfortable..." She gives a wry laugh as I speak. "But we all love to have you around. You may see yourself as fake, but we all know the real you. And we love being around you. Ashanti, even when you started being mean to me when we were kids, I still was excited to see you. And I'm glad to have you as my cousin. If I'm honest, your teasing made me want to do better. And your mom may have pushed you to be perfect, but every accomplishment is yours. You earned each of them. And I'm so proud of you, Ashanti." She looks up at me in disbelief.

"Really?" She asks, a shocked expression on her face. Her eyes are filled with tears and her shoulders are slumped. "But how can you say that when I've made things so difficult for you? I've been nothing but nasty to you."

"Because you're still my cousin." I reply with a gentle smile on my face. "It's true that you can sometimes be a bit much, but I still love you. Like you said, we both got on each others nerves when we were kids, but no one's perfect, especially when it comes to our family."

Ashanti wipes away her tears. "I appreciate that, Naomi. Honestly, I really think that you're such an amazing person. I'm just really bad at saying it." She says with a faint smile. "I'm really sorry for everything I put you through before and after Michael got here. I really do love you. Please forgive me?"

"Of course, I forgive you, Ashanti." I pull her into a hug, a real one. She hesitates for a second, before hugging me back. I give her a little squeeze as I missed this feeling with my cousin. She doesn't let go for a moment, before finally speaking again.

"Hey... can I ask you a favor?" She asks, her voice soft.

"Yeah, what is it?" I reply, prepared for whatever she might ask of me.

To be continued...

#fluff #christmas #noirsfantasy #12 days of christmas #black reader #black oc #black reader fluff #black actors #michael b jordan x reader #michael b jordan #angst #angst with a happy ending #black fem reader #michael b jordan x black fem reader

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wafflebloggies · 6 days

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Interlude

People said, music came from the soul. A melody in the right hands could disclose the secrets of a musician’s heart.

The Captain’s keytar wailed, the sound at once melancholy, petulant, and honestly kind of annoying. In the red room, in the usual corner, he sat keeled over to the side like an abandoned couch cushion, extemporizing a piece that might have been titled Variations on a Snit in B Minor.

It was unfortunate that the keytar, although naturally the super-epic stadium rockstar of the chordophone family, couldn’t exactly pull off the gravitas of its more sensible, more grounded brother, the piano keyboard. It lacked solemnity, even when it wasn’t blazing firetruck red with Atarashii Gakko! stickers all over the back. It was an instrument for big audiences, raucous crowds, slamming out blistering solos and sliding across the stage on your knees. You really didn’t get many aching ballads of loss and regret arranged for keytar, but the Captain was making do with what he had.

Beyond the noodling dirge of electronic lament, the ship was very quiet. Flare was probably shrieking at children in PvP lobbies from a temporary streaming nook somewhere on board, but he was nowhere within earshot. Although he was, in general, profoundly deaf to everything beyond his own scattershot interests, even he had picked up on the Tragic Vibes.

The Captain, clear-headed, eloquent, so skilled at expressing himself when it came to the concepts and stories surrounding the one thing he was supposed to be for, had run out of words. Years, and he was no better at being a person, keeping all the straggling and fragile little threads of a real life together and guarded from the estranging chaos that surrounded the tight-controlled core of his work. Careless, still, because if you cared you had to either understand, or admit you didn't.

Try harder, do more, do better. He kept this mantra close to his chest, significantly less shiny and generally acceptable than love with your heart, etcetera. He had shown his hand once, to everyone, in the really cool and fun way he had of displaying something horribly personal to the world as if it was just a weightless joke.

(I’m sorry! I can do better!)

Nobody had really noticed, because of course they weren’t going to notice when you snuck things that really pained you into a funny monologue about keeping healthy deadlines. Nobody had thought twice about it. Or… nearly nobody. Reading through that part of the script, Alan had looked at him in an odd way; uncertain, wondering, caught between concern and reluctance. That was before, of course, back when Alan still looked at him sometimes, looked at him properly as if he was a person and not some kind of optical trip-mine that would explode if viewed directly.

Everything was doing fine. The channel was doing fine. Disillusion Industries was doing- fine. And all the time, all the time, he felt as if he was doing worse. He felt as if he was slipping, as if he lived balanced on a tilting floor, watching everything roll away, keeping his place with more and more difficulty as his position became more and more impossible. And the things that fell, dragged away downhill by time and gravity, they weren’t meaningless ballast but the parts of a life, the things that mattered, the people around him- everything, that wasn’t just him, sitting in this red corner, talking to nobody.

The keytar yowled.

Now, Ami had stuff to do. Now, Blair was distant and uninterested- the Dreamfinder, not interested, not even curious no matter what. Now, Ellie wasn’t showing up every Monday morning, wasn’t even picking up her phone. Now-

Now, Alan was at lunch. Funny thing. Alan had been at lunch for two and a half days at this point. The Captain was dealing with it very well, very sensibly and realistically, by pretending it wasn’t happening and not allowing it to register emotionally at all.

Staring with wide glazed eyes right through the ceiling, the Captain played a complex, mournful chord, thumb wavering on the pitch wheel until the notes sobbed and trembled into nothing.

Ellie had been his first friend, the first real friend he’d made on his own. This was true, in a way that hurt, but not exactly true at the same time. His keen sense of accuracy, of objective truth, refused to let him forget for even a moment that before Ellie- before everyone and everything- he’d found Alan, and Alan had found him.

Alan had always been there. Except for right now, because right now Alan was, well...

At lunch.

#my writing #captain disillusion #honestly at this point i hope these aren't annoying anybody

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harringtonswriting · 2 years

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the one with the green-eyed spider | s.h.

summary: steve knows you're an absolute catch, and unfortunately, so do others; unfortunately, when that happens this time he's in costume and can't quite sweep you off your feet to show the world that he's lucky enough to be yours (modern!au; spidey!steve universe) pairing: steve harrington x gn!reader warning(s): some jealousy, the use of the name joshua for a throwaway jerk (sorry to any nice joshuas out there) word count: 4k notes: this guy kind of got away from me and ended up being waaaaay longer than intended, but i hope you enjoy! thank you to the lovely anon for requesting this, i hope you enjoy it. i've got some more spidey!steve in the works, including another request, and thank you to everyone who filled out the poll so far! it's still open, so if you'd like to fill it out you're more than welcome. i'm so sorry for how long it took me to get this out; i recently lost a close family member and there's been a lot going on with that. i'll try to post when i can, but it make take some time. i appreciate your patience very much!

...

It seems like whenever you ask the universe for a nice, calm day, some signals must get crossed somewhere because that is never what you end up getting.

Like this morning. After you’d woken up and gotten started for the day, all you’d wanted was to go to your favourite nearby cafe with a book and your laptop and maybe get some reading or some work done. And that would be made better by your favourite drink and maybe a couple yummy pastries or snacks. You weren’t meeting up with Steve until later in the afternoon, so you had some time to kill and this seemed like a good way to do it.

So you pack up your things, bid your apartment goodbye for the time being, and head down to your favourite cafe. There’s a miraculously short line when you get there, and not only do you manage to get your favourite cold weather drink and something to eat, you also get very lucky and manage to snag a very nice corner seat that not only has a great view out the window, but an outlet in case you need to charge anything. That should have been your sign that things were going to go downhill. Which they absolutely do.

You manage to get a full twenty minutes of peaceful reading in before someone hunkers down at the table beside you. You’re feeling a little curious as to who’s choosing to sit there, so you look out of the corner of your eye to see a young man who looks about your age, dressed like he just walked out of an American Eagle ad and dropped down into the seat next to you. Pretty, yes, but he’s just another guy. He must catch you looking at him because you see a grin break out over his face, one full of teeth that are so small, so straight, and so shiny that you wonder what American Girl doll sacrificed her teeth for him before he’s leaning in closer to you.

“Hey, I’ve never seen you around here before,” he says; you’ve never seen him in this cafe before either, though with the amount of time you spend there you’re sure you’d have noticed if he was another regular. You look up from your book completely to smile politely at him and acknowledge what he said before you go back to what you’re reading. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to understand that you’re just being polite because before you know it, he’s leaning over even further to get your attention. “I’d definitely remember a stunning face like yours.”

Oh, he’s flirting with you. That’s what he’s doing over here, sitting next to you. He’s definitely coming on a little strong, and while you’re flattered, you have a boyfriend that you love very much. And you wouldn’t trade Steve and his spandex wearing, pun making, chronically late ways for anything (not that you’ll tell him that, though). So, you try to be nice. You place your bookmark on the page you’re currently reading and hold your book in your hands. Your thumb rubs over its spine.

“Oh, no, I’m–” You start speaking, but this guy waves his hand towards you to get you to be quiet. You drop the polite smile because is this guy really waving at you like you’re a child to get you to shut up? He is, and your grip on your book tightens. If this is his technique for hitting on people, no wonder he’s still single (or you hope he’s single, and that his relationship status doesn’t change any time soon).

“I’m Joshua,” he tells you. One of his hands comes to rest on your table, and you raise your eyebrows. “And I need to know your name so I can know what to whisper in your ear when I take you home tonight.” You almost want to laugh because you really didn’t think people still used lines like that outside of cheesy movies or romance novels. You really needed to remember to tell Robin and Nancy about this, they’d find it both infuriating and hilarious. When you open your mouth to respond, that’s when you hear the bells above the door jingle.

And that’s when your day goes from bad to worse.

You hear a very loud voice shout, “Everybody freeze! This is a robbery!” and when you look up, you can see a group of men wearing ski masks near the bar. Of course this group of wannabe thugs would pick today of all days to come into the cafe you’re sitting in to try and rob the register. You wonder if maybe it’s their first time trying something like this, or maybe Kingpin is hiring any group of idiots who can supply their own guns–it wouldn’t surprise you if he drummed up his protection and extortion rackets by using guys like this to cause problems so he can swoop in and solve them. God, you need to stop listening to Eddie when he goes on about mob politics and conspiracy podcasts late at night.

You can see the guns the thugs are carrying, and how they start to spread out to keep an eye on everyone inside the cafe while one of them gets the barista at the cash register to empty it for them. You completely ignore the guy beside you to try and reach into your bag for your phone without being seen–if Steve’s on patrol, he might be able to get here more quickly than the police.

Unfortunately, Joshua doesn’t seem to realize what you’re trying to do and decides to ask, much too loudly, what you’re doing. Which catches the attention of one of the masked thugs. He moves closer to the two of you, brandishing his gun in your direction. You bite your lip, hoping that the safety is on and immediately stopping your movements.

“Hands where we can see them!” he shouts, and you grudgingly withdraw your hands from your bag to place them on the table where they can be seen. The thug points at you, and then turns his attention back towards the bar where his cohorts are. Well, there goes that plan. You see the poor barista finish emptying the register, and the thug closest to her grabs the cliche duffel bag from her hands when she’s done.

That’s when you hear someone clear their throat from near the entrance to the cafe. You look over and feel a sense of relief flood through your chest at seeing a familiar red and blue figure leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You guys are here for double star day too, huh?” Steve asks the thugs, his voice as light and casual as his posture as if he was asking about the weather. His casual demeanour is hiding how he’s sizing up the threat in front of him; you know that he’s already got at least three different strategies planned out as to how he’s going to get this taken care of with as little damage as he can get away with.

“Shit, boss, it’s Spider-Man!” one of the thugs yells, and then all of them are turning their attention to Steve and where he’s standing. He gives them a small bow, gesturing with his arms as he does so.

“Now, that has got to be the weirdest looking reusable cup I’ve ever seen,” Steve says, gesturing towards the gun that the thug closest to him is holding. “You won’t mind if I borrow that, right? I was in such a rush that I forgot mine at home today!”

That’s when Steve starts having his fun. Almost before you can blink, he’s starting to use his webs to either snatch the guns right out of their hands and stick them to either the walls or the ceiling, or just completely web it up in their hands to stop them from using it. It’s always impressive, seeing how quick Steve’s reflexes are when he’s really trying, the way his body just moves and flows, able to shift and change and adapt to any opponent he fights. It’s really a sight to see, even against some low-level thugs like these guys; you can tell he’s toying with them, though, once the guns are out of the picture. He’s flipping in the air up over their heads, letting them run around and nearly crash into each other as he takes turns webbing each of them up to each other, to the walls, and even hanging some from the ceiling.

When he's finished, Steve grabs the duffel bag of cash that the thug leader dropped and walks it back over to the barista behind the cash register.

“I believe this belongs to you. Don’t spend it all in one place,” he tells her, and you hear her thank him profusely. You see one of Steve’s hands come up to scratch the back of his neck, his shoulders shrugging as he accepts her praise before turning back to face the rest of the people gathered in the cafe. “The police will be here soon, and if anyone is injured please let them know so the first responders can help you as soon as possible. It’s bean great!”

As everyone is cheering for Spider-Man (and some people, including yourself, cringe as you understand the pun he was trying to make), your eyes catch the whites of the eyes on Steve’s suit looking in your direction. His head tilts to the side, and you raise a hand as discreetly as you can to wave at him now that he knows you’re here. You’re going to hear about this later, you’re absolutely sure of it. Steve has made it very clear he’s not a fan of you being in any kind of danger, and you’ve made it clear that you can take care of yourself and have been doing so for longer than you’ve known him, but given that you’ve caught him glaring at sheets of paper that have accidentally given you paper cuts, and smacking the kettle in your apartment when you’d once burned your hand on it, you know he’s not going to give up on protecting you any time soon.

He starts walking through the crowd, talking to everyone and making sure they’re okay on his way over to you. But he’s stopped, though, when Joshua suddenly appears in front of you with a coffee cup in hand. Honestly, you’d kind of forgotten about him once you’d seen Steve, but apparently he hasn’t forgotten about you. He’s standing very close to you, almost uncomfortably so–he seems intent on getting between you and Steve, and one of his hands comes up to touch your shoulder.

“I totally knew everything would be okay. So glad that we can get back to over conversation now,” Joshua says. You furrow your eyebrows, shrugging his hand off your shoulder as you look behind him to see where Steve has gotten to.

He’s not that far away now; close enough to hear what’s going on, but not close enough to step in right now. He’s Spider-Man right now, after all, and you’re not publicly dating Spider-Man. He can’t step in, not without potentially revealing too much about himself because while you don’t like Joshua flirting with you, it’s not technically a crime. You see one of Steve’s feet start tapping on the linoleum floor, which is one of his tells–he’s not happy right now. After knowing him, and then dating him, for as long as you have, you’ve picked up on how he behaves in the suit, his body language and how he moves, because his very pretty, very expressive face is hidden behind wide white and black eyes on a webbed red mask. You can practically see the pout and the frown lines you know are present on his face right now; while that’s normally adorable, you also know Steve has his own insecurities and you don’t want to give him any reason to doubt himself or your relationship.

“I have a boyfriend.” Your voice is polite but firm, and you stand from your seat with your book in hand. You grab your bag and hook the strap over your shoulder (with what’s left of your snack carefully packed up inside).

“Really? Is he here with you?” Joshua asks, raising an eyebrow. He really does not know when to give up, and you shake your head. You’re not in the mood for this right now.

“He’s, uh… at work right now.” Which he is, less than twenty feet away, though this guy doesn’t need to know that work involves semi-legal vigilantism in red and blue spandex.

“Yeah? What does he do? I’m interning at Carver and Cunningham, which is the biggest financial firm in the city.” Oh, of course he’s a finance guy. That explains so much of the entitlement and attitude you’re seeing right now. You chew on the inside of your cheek, trying to think of the best way to describe what Steve does. Sure, you could tell this guy the way that Steve actually pays his bills, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, the idea that pops into your head is one you think your boyfriend will appreciate.

“Uh… web design. Freelance stuff. You’ve probably seen his work, it’s pretty amazing.” You can see Steve’s posture perk up over this guy’s shoulder, his chest puffing up just a bit while you grin. He is more than just pretty amazing, and you’re going to make sure you tell him that later.

“Well, I don’t see him here with you,” Joshua says, and his hand comes up towards your shoulder again. And that is when Steve decides to jump in.

“Hey folks, just coming over to make sure everything is all good before I swing out of here. Are you okay?” he asks, dialling up his overly cheery Spider-Man voice more than normal. You can see his fingers twitching towards his webshooters, and you have to bite your bottom lip to keep from smiling. Oh, he’s really not happy. But Joshua doesn’t seem to notice, turning from looking at you to fully face Spider-Man.

“Spider-Man! That was totally wicked, you are amazing, bro,” Joshua tells him, “Totally had it under control until you got here, though.” Behind him, you raise your eyebrows and your jaw drops just a bit because this guy had it under control? The one who successfully prevented you from contacting Steve earlier than he showed up? Yeah, that’s not true at all.

Steve’s foot starts tapping again as he nods. “I’m sure you did, bro.” One of Steve’s hands settles on his hip as he looks Joshua up and down. “You sure do have a lot of confidence for a guy wearing boat shoes in the city. I will definitely remember that the next time I need help with a mugging, or if something happens on a boat, Skipper.”

You have to cough to hide your laughter at that, and you can practically see the satisfied smirk that Steve will be wearing under his mask. Thankfully, though, Joshua doesn’t seem to pick up on what Steve is really saying. “Thanks man!” He actually seems enthusiastic about it. “You know, I’m kind of an up and coming big deal at Carver and Cunningham. I’d be more than happy to give you some tips, maybe help you set up your portfolio. Being Spider-Man’s financial advisor would look so sick on my resume!”

You kind of want to hear what Steve’s retort to that would be, but he’s saved from continuing the conversation when the distant sound of sirens starts echoing through the cafe. “Oops, that’s my cue! Gotta head out, but you guys stay safe!” Steve waves at the two of you before he shoots a web towards the ceiling with a thwip! He swings off, ghosting by Joshua closely, almost too closely, and then he’s gone and there’s coffee staining the front of Joshua’s outfit.

“Oh man, my shirt!” he exclaims. You take that opportunity to slip past Joshua and thread your way through the small crowd to leave the cafe before he can say anything else to you.

However, by the time you make it outside, Steve is nowhere to be seen no matter where you look. You check your phone and there are no new messages from him either past his usual good morning text letting you know he loves you and your morning breath is terrible with his signature big smiley face emojis. You sigh, hoping that if he’s off dealing with giant lizard men (that you’d need to see to believe, no matter what Steve says and Eddie sends you articles about) or more dumbass thugs somewhere else in the city that he stays safe, and you head for home to spend the rest of your day there.

…

Steve doesn’t get home until much later—it’s almost dinner time when you hear him swing in through the bedroom window, a muffled thump as he no doubt catches his foot on the window sill or maybe knocks into your dresser. You’ve stopped keeping anything breakable on top of it just in case, partially because you know it’ll make Steve more upset than you would be if he accidentally broke something. Which had happened before.

You’re finishing up dinner when you hear the door to your bedroom opening and Steve comes padding out and into the kitchen. You finish plating the pasta and pull the garlic bread out of the oven, putting it down and closing the oven door before you put a few pieces on each plate. You turn to look at him, a smile on your face. He’s wearing his glasses, which he does more out of habit than anything else these days, and a comfy looking pair of joggers and a sweater. He’s also got his backpack in one of his hands, which is a little unusual, but you don’t question it. You smile at him instead, opening your arms for a hug as he stops closer. He lets you wrap your arms around him, squeezing him, and he returns the embrace with his free arm and hand not holding his backpack.

“Welcome home, Steve,” you say, and he echoes the sentiment before the hug ends. You move to grab two glasses and start filling them with water before you move to put them down on the small table you have in the corner of your kitchen. “How was your day? Anything exciting happen?”

“Oh, y’know, the usual. Got some cats out of trees, stopped a jolly green elf from blowing up a bridge, and managed to get in my daily cup of coffee,” he tells you. “Sorry I couldn’t stick around, babe.”

When Steve is Spider-Man, when he’s wearing the suit, you know he’s extra careful about anyone being linked back to him; not just to protect himself and his identity, but to protect the people he loves. You’ve had enough late night talks and comforted him after enough fights and enough nightmares to know that he’s terrified of anything ever happening to you, or Robin, Eddie, Dustin, or anyone else he loves because of him. So you know that in the suit, there’s really nothing he can do in public when he sees you (though in private, you do enjoy showering your personal hero in as much love and affection as you can in and out of the suit), much to Steve’s frustration. Which was extremely apparent today, and brings a small smile to your face.

“I did get you something to make up for it, though,” he tells you, which is when he starts digging through his bag. It takes him a minute, but he finds what he’s looking for and holds it out for you. “Ta da!” It’s one of those square plastic containers you see at the grocery store, ones that have a single serving of cake inside them. You’ve bought them before as treats, or when you and Steve can’t agree on what kind of dessert you want so you each get something different. This cake, however, has obviously gone through a bit of turbulence in Steve’s backpack; he’d probably been swinging around with it, which unfortunately usually causes things to bounce around. A bunch of icing is smushed up against the side of the container, and Steve visibly deflates, with his shoulders lowering and forehead furrowing, when he notices.

“Aw, no,” he says quietly, holding the cake up to inspect through the non-squished side of the container. He squints, one eye closing, before he sighs and drops his bag on the floor. “Okay, well, it was a nice piece of cake when I bought it.”

“No, Steve, it’s still a nice piece of cake,” you try to reassure him, coming back over to stand in front of him and inspect the cake yourself. It looks a little banged up, sure, but it’s still in mostly one piece. It’s your favourite flavour, too, one that Steve isn’t a huge fan of himself. But he still went out of his way to get that for you, and it brings a wonderful warmth to your chest.

“Man, I bet Skipper would have bought you a whole bakery with no smushed cakes.” He’s still a bit sour, though, with a line appearing between his pinched brows. You wrap one arm around his waist, and use the other to cup his cheek. He leans into your touch before his warm, shining brown eyes meet yours.

“Stevie, he could use his trust fund to buy every bakery in the city and I’d still choose you and this wonderful smushed cake every single time.” And, for good measure, you add in that, “His jokes weren’t even funny.”

He presses a kiss to your forehead, mumbling something about boat shoes and comedic timing before he looks between you and the plastic container that’s still in his hand. “You sure you’re happy settling for smushed cake?” He’s not asking about the cake this time, though, and you know he needs a little more reassurance than normal right now so you nod and press your own kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Steve, baby, I will always love your cake the most. And it’ll taste exactly the same, I promise. I appreciate that you got it for me.” Because you do. You’ll always choose Steve, you know you will, and you want him to know it too. The smile that blooms across his face tells you as much, and he stands just a little bit taller beside you. “C’mon, I think we’ve got some leftover icing in the fridge from when Robin wanted cupcakes. We can put that on the cake when we finish dinner.”

“Or, hear me out, we could have dessert first?” He looks so happy that you can’t say no to him. You really can’t, and so you let go of him to cover your dinners while he cheers. You grab a knife and two forks, and then you grab the tub of icing from the fridge, and sit down at the table to start eating the cake.

You were right; it does still taste good, even though it’s been through a lot on its journey home, and you scoop up a bit on your fork before you hold it out towards Steve’s mouth. His cheeks flush a bright pink and the corners of his eyes crinkle with crow’s feet as he opens his mouth and allows you to feed him. He then does the same for you, moving his fork around before you open your mouth and allow him to put the small piece of cake in there. “One day we’ll do this at our wedding. But the cake won’t be smushed then, I promise,” he says, and god, do you believe him. It’d be just your luck that the cake would be smushed, even at your wedding, but as long as Steve is still sitting across from you and making airplane noises as he feeds you, you know it’ll be just as perfect then as it is now.

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