#extraordinary forces seemed to be watching over me tonight

[fadeintolight]

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[vilentia]

Canvas of Love

Thor x reader

Summary: a fleeting shadow of jealousy tests the unyielding bond of two intertwined souls.

****

The storm outside mirrored the tempest in your heart as you sat on the edge of your bed, staring blankly at the rain streaking down your window. It had been a rough day, one that felt heavier because Thor wasn’t there to share the burden. He was away on a mission with the Avengers, something about a rogue Asgardian artifact that needed retrieving.

You missed him, more than you cared to admit. His absence left a gaping void in your life, a void you tried filling with work and friends, but nothing seemed to work.

It was on one of these lonely evenings that you met Alex. He was charming, funny, and most importantly, he was there. You two had hit it off instantly, and soon enough, he became a regular part of your life. A good friend, you reminded yourself. Just a friend.

Thor knew about Alex, of course. You'd mentioned him casually in your conversations. But what you hadn’t mentioned was how much time you were spending with him. It wasn’t intentional; it just never came up. Or maybe you were afraid of how Thor would react.

Your phone buzzed, snapping you out of your reverie. It was a message from Thor: “My love, I will be home tomorrow. I have missed you dearly.”

You smiled, a warm flutter in your heart. You typed a quick reply and set the phone aside, your thoughts drifting back to Alex. He had invited you to his art exhibition tomorrow. You were looking forward to it, but now Thor was coming home...

The conflict in your mind was like a knot, tightening with every passing moment.

Thor arrived the next day, his presence filling the apartment instantly. He was like a force of nature—strong, vibrant, and utterly captivating. You ran into his arms, the familiar scent of him enveloping you, bringing an instant sense of peace.

“I missed you,” you murmured against his chest.

“And I, you,” Thor replied, his voice a deep rumble. He pulled back, looking at you with those intense blue eyes. “Tell me about your week. Did anything interesting happen?”

You hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering. “It was the usual. Work, home... Oh, and I’m going to Alex’s art exhibition tonight. He’s really excited about it.”

Thor’s expression changed subtly, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes before he masked it with a smile. “That sounds delightful. Would you mind if I join you?”

The question caught you off guard. “Of course not! I’d love for you to come.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Thor was his usual self, loving and attentive, but you couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss.

The exhibition was lively, the gallery buzzing with the chatter of the city's art enthusiasts. Alex’s work was the center of attention—vibrant, abstract pieces that spoke of passion and chaos.

“Your friend is very talented,” Thor commented as you both stood before a particularly striking canvas.

“He is,” you agreed, watching Alex interact with the guests. He hadn’t seen you yet.

Just then, Alex spotted you and made his way over, his face lighting up. “You made it!” He hugged you, a little too long, a little too close.

Thor’s jaw tightened ever so slightly, but he extended his hand. “I am Thor. It is a pleasure to meet the man behind these extraordinary works.”

Alex shook his hand, a hint of challenge in his eyes. “Thanks, man. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

The evening progressed, but the tension between Thor and Alex was palpable. You tried to ease the atmosphere, laughing a little too loudly at jokes, and engaging in conversations a bit too enthusiastically.

As the night wound down, Thor’s mood seemed to darken. You couldn’t take it anymore. “Do you want to go home?” you asked.

Thor nodded, and you both excused yourselves.

The walk home was quiet, the silence a stark contrast to the noisy streets around you. You could feel Thor’s turmoil, his usually calm demeanor now a stormy sea.

Once inside, Thor finally spoke. “Do you have feelings for him?”

His question was direct, his voice steady but laced with an emotion you couldn’t quite place. Was it...jealousy?

“No, Thor, of course not. He’s just a friend,” you replied, your voice earnest.

Thor looked at you, his gaze searching. “I trust you, but tonight, seeing you with him... it stirred something within me. A feeling I have not known before.”

You moved closer, taking his hand in yours. “Thor, you have nothing to worry about. I love you. Only you.”

There was a vulnerability in Thor’s eyes that you had never seen before. He was a god, a warrior, but in that moment, he was just a man, in love and afraid of losing you.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close. “I know, my love. It is I who must apologize. My reaction was unwarranted. You have given me no reason to doubt your love.”

You looked up at him, your heart swelling with love for this extraordinary man who had become your world. “It’s okay, Thor. I understand. But know this, no matter who comes into my life, you will always be the one I choose. Every time.”

Thor kissed you then, a kiss that spoke of love, trust, and a promise of forever. In his arms, you felt safe, loved, and home.

The next few days were blissful, as if the incident at the gallery had never happened. Thor was more attentive, more present, and you felt your bond strengthen.

You decided to talk to Alex, to set boundaries, to make sure he understood that your relationship was strictly platonic. Alex took it well, understanding and apologetic.

As you lay in bed that night, Thor’s arms wrapped around you, you realized how lucky you were. Love, true love, was hard to find, and you had found it with Thor. He was more than a partner; he was your best friend, your confidant, your home.

“You are everything to me,” Thor whispered, as if reading your thoughts.

“And you are my everything,” you whispered back, snuggling closer.

In that moment, everything felt perfect. The past was behind you, and the future was a canvas waiting to be painted, bright and full of love.

And as you drifted off to sleep, you knew that no matter what life threw at you, as long as you had each other, everything would be alright.

[shinehyuk]

Stray Kids reaction to their crush being flirted on

‣ Genre : fluff, angst, requested

Chan :

— Although feeling a bit hurt, he'll force himself to bottle his feelings up and not say or do anything

— He definitely does not like the idea of someone flirting with you, his crush, but it wasn't like it was his place to say anything; in the end, it's all your choice who you like and no one else has a say in it

— But after that, he'll try just a bit harder to get your attention, scared that someone else might swiftly charm you away from him

— “Hey, uh, do you know who that was? N-Not that I'm all up in your business or anything! I'm just curious.”

Minho :

— Feeling uneasy and a little scared. He'll be watching you and the stranger from a safe distance, biting the inside of his cheek as his anxiety built up

— Before, it was only him that seemed interested in you. What if this new person will steal you away from him? Minho really, really likes you, but what if you don't feel the same way?

— He'll try to be more confident in his approach, showing off that he's interested in you and hoping that you'll notice his efforts

— “Hey, would you like to go out with me this weekend? There's a movie that I'd like to see, but you can choose a different one if you want. So, how about it?~”

Changbin :

— He won't be very pleased, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the person to leave so he could finally talk to you alone

— Doesn't really care that much about the fact that someone could steal you away, since he believes that at the end of the day, you're your own person that is perfectly capable of making decisions yourself and he's pretty confident in his charm and extraordinary jokes

— Once the person leaves, he'll simply strike a conversation with you, shooting his shoot himself. It's not like he can gatekeep you from other people, so he simply won't think much about the flirting that happened before

— “My jokes can't be that bad, right? Look, you laughed just now! I saw it!”

Hyunjin :

— He'll be anxious, nervously watching from across the room as your cheeks turned a dark shade of pink while you smiled at the bold flirting

— Won't even be mad or upset at the person flirting with you at all, more worried about himself and his actions; what if he's not doing enough? Maybe he should be more confident in his actions? Put more effort?

— He'll be doing everything he possibly can to try and get closer to you at least by a little, sharing his snacks with you, helping you with your problems or giving advice; in fact, he even started bringing double lunch just in case you forgot yours

— “Need some help? I can carry that for you– No, it's not a bother at all! It's my pleasure, really~”

Han :

— He'll invite himself to join your conversation, striking a friendly chat with you, therefore making it too awkward for the person to continue flirting with you

— To admit the truth, he is secretly a little scared of people "stealing you away", but even if you and him don't end up together in the end, he'd still like to be someone close to you

— And who knows what can happen in the future? He can only try his best to get closer to you and win your heart as for now, and if others will try to join in, he'll treat it more as a playful competition

— “Wow, you look nice today, Y/N!~ Ah, wait, you have something on your cheek. There, I took it off~”

Felix :

— He'll feel quite distressed, silently watching you and the person flirting with you from afar; trying to read your feelings about them

— Feeling like he can't do anything about other people liking you, he'll just be trying to do his best to get closer to you and hope for the best

— But if anyone openly admits that they really, really like you, he'll try to get over his crush to not seem selfish, giving them room

— “It's chilly tonight, you could catch a cold. Here, put on my coat. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine~”

Seungmin :

— Not impressed, glaring at the "deliquent" trying to charm his way into getting on your good side

— Like a knight in a shining armor, he'll attempt to save you by joining in to the conversation, trying to divert your attention to him

— And if the flirter won't be showing any signs of giving up, he'll come up with a random excuse to get you to walk away with him

— “Hm? Where are we going? Nowhere in particular, I just wanted to get you for myself. Oops, busted~”

I.N :

— Very unhappy, walking up to you and listening in to the conversation you were having

— If the flirting will seem to be going on and on, he'll start whining, tugging on your clothes or poking you, playfully glaring at your "new admirer" from time to time

— Once he'll get bored, similarly to Seungmin, he'll make up an emergency which will make you go with him, the male giggling as you left the poor, confused sweet talker behind

— “Oh, was my lie that obvious? Yet, you still went with me despite knowing the truth? Lucky me~”

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ a/n ✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

thank you for requesting! i hope you liked it <3

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

‣ Taglist :

@atiny-chocolate-chip @lmaoskz @sunoo-bby  @heemingyu @nikipedia07 @effulgentfireflies

[reuinx]

Home (Yelena Belova x Reader)

Summary: You reunite with your girlfriend, Yelena Belova, as she’s been missing months after discovering Natashas death after the Blip.

Word Count: 2,171

Paring: Yelena Belova x Reader

Translations:  Malishka (Baby),  Prekrasnaya Devochka (Lovely Girl)

Masterlist

Every morning, you got up beside the beautiful blonde who always looked at you with her piercing green eyes, observing every move as if you were so delicate that you could break. It was as if she blinked; you would vanish, just like that. Yelena always kept a formidable front to protect herself, but with you, she was like a flower in the morning sun. Nothing ever beats waking up with the one you love. Until they are gone, that is. Nothing extraordinary had taken place that day to make her leave, or at least nothing you could imagine. You had been counting the days since she left. 

You thought about her all the time in your spare time. That was until one day, they merged into one, and everything was beginning to become a blur. Once you stopped counting, you stopped counting forever. Friends and family stopped asking about her, so that helped. It was easier to pretend Yelena didn't exist than to miss her. Despite everything you do, though, reality eventually sets in, and you feel hollow again. Where was she? Was she okay? Who was she with? Did she ever think of you? The same questions would remain unanswered.

To avoid staying in the shared apartment, you filled your day with anything and everything you could think of. The moment night fell, you had no choice but to return home. After so long, the apartment no longer smelled like her. It was like she was a ghost. You began forcing yourself to sleep at night and continued the same process every day. You were running late tonight; you should have been grateful for that, but the rain had soaked you on the way home. Your umbrella decided that it was no match for the wind and miserably gave up with little to no effort. That is what you get for buying a cheap one. 

After reaching the apartment complex, you checked to see if you had any mail. You didn't. With your last bit of energy, you climbed the stairs to your apartment. The neighbors weren't fighting for once, which was a pleasant surprise. When you got to the door, you unlocked it and stepped into the vacant apartment, closing the door behind you. Something was wrong. Somebody was here. You could feel it in your gut. The darkness held a watchful eye over you. It was too late to turn around and unlock the door again. The light was flicked on to reveal the unwelcome guest. Yelena.

Your first thought was that it was someone else until you met her green eyes. You knew her eyes from anywhere. My Yelena. Although you had been thinking about this moment for months, seeing her in person left you speechless. She was drenched from the rain but still utterly gorgeous. In the past, she always stood tall radiating confidence, but not now. Her posture was slumped and tense. The t-shirt she was wearing had tiny flecks of red on it. You weren't sure if it was blood, but then you noticed that her nails were chipped. She had been picking at the varnish again. The only time she ever did that was when something bothered her.

"And here's me thinking you'd be happy to see me. Do you want me to leave and come back? She finally broke the lingering silence between you both. There is a growing distance between you two. The instinct to approach her struck you suddenly; she wasn't moving. Standing motionless, her eyes were fixed on what you were doing.

"I was expecting this," She added.

"Expecting this? Expecting what? Huh? You vanish for..? I don't know, four months? Five months-"

"It was seven," Yelena clarified.

"You aren't helping!"

"I can explain, I promise. Just give me a chance-" She pleaded with you, but you quickly cut her off from giving you an explanation.

"You just left. I didn't know if you were okay or worse, dead. You did that to me without a second thought, Yelena. You expect me to be okay with you? If it was the other way around, would you be okay with that?" You expressed with your hands, animating every word that passed your lips—waving in front of you as you grew passionate.

"I love when you do that. Talk with your hands" Yelena mimicked your gestures with her own hands before studying your expression. Despite her best intentions, she wasn't succeeding in making light of the situation. When she couldn't make you laugh, she knew something was seriously wrong.

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Trying to avoid the conversation, Yelena."

"God, don't call me that. It makes you sound like my mother."

"What's the point of talking to you? You attempted to walk past her in the hallway as you snapped out, "It was easier talking to you when you weren't here." Although you wanted to step out of the situation for a moment, you couldn't.

"Malishka, don't be like that," Yelena commanded rather than asked. Despite your best efforts, you couldn't get away from the situation. Yelena stood before you now.

"I could slap you right now."

"Slap me then," She protested as she leaned in inches from your face, her eyebrows raised at you in a taunt. She wanted a reaction from you. Finally, you broke. As tears filled your eyes, you felt the need to blink. Despite your best efforts, you couldn't stop yourself from crying. Sobbing was a common sight for you. It is the ones you love the most that always hurt the worst.

"I hate you," You managed to spit out. Yelena leaned in with her warm breath lingering against your lips as she spoke.

"You don't hate me; you hate that I left." It felt like she wasn't saying that to you but rather to herself. As you leaned closer to her, you could still see the raindrops clinging to the loose strands of her hair. Despite Yelena's best efforts to keep the argument from escalating, something was wrong. It was apparent to you. While she argued, she often had a playful glint in her eyes and a half-smile that followed shortly after that. Her eyes appeared expressionless and empty.

The feeling was like looking into the mirror to see how you were when she left. What had happened to her? She moved away from you towards the coach as she plopped down. She was utterly defeated. Yelena's eyes had been fixed on her nails, and she refused to look at you. You knew when to continue arguing and now was not that time. It wasn't your desire to fight anymore but to get answers. Your only priority was to make sure the girl you loved was okay. Yelena needed you, and you needed her.

Approaching her cautiously, your voice was beginning to adopt a soft tone in hopes of easing her. "Hey, hey you." You called out as you squatted down in front of her and brought yourself as close as possible.

"Look at me" You reached over to carefully begin to skim your fingers among her rings that decorated her hands. After finally allowing the words to escape your lips, you carefully started to skim your fingers over the rings that adorned her hands. It was finally her turn to lift her eyes from her nails. The sadness filling her eyes caused her eyes to droop.

"What's happened, Yelena? You know you can tell me anything. All you have to do is talk, baby. Was it something I did? Why did you even come back?" You managed to say past your quivering lips finally. You had reached the point of anger where it boiled over, and now you feel defeated. Breaking down in front of Yelena is something you hate, but it's too late since crying was something you could not avoid tonight.

"I hate when you cry, my prekrasnaya devochka.” Yelena whispered in response with her hands carefully tapping on your shoulder blades. Her body language indicated that you should get up, and you did so without question. Her hands grasped your hips as she pulled you down onto her lap without ease. Her palms rested perfectly on either cheek was a pleasure to feel. She traced her thumbs carefully over the tears marks you left behind. Gentleness was evident in her touch. Her eyes carefully examined your lips. Yelena's presence had always been missed, but you hadn't realized how much you missed her touch. Within her touch, you had finally calmed down with ease. You knew she was in complete control over you, so it was unbelievable to admit that. She assured your safety.

"Why did I even come back?" Her response was as sharp and vicious as if she was shooting a dagger at you. Suddenly, her eyes bolted up from your lips and held your eyes in a burning gaze. Slowly, her lips twitched into a smile that almost seemed bitter. She smiled for the first time since you lost her. The butterflies you used to feel weren't there; they were replaced with something else... Worry.

"I- Well," Yelena stuttered out with her hands slowly dropping from your cheeks. It was unlike Yelena to fall over her words. Even with her witty comments, she was always so calculated. The time had come for her to explain herself finally. Would she? Would she give you an honest answer or avoid confrontation? What was she hiding from you?

"Hey, hey. It's okay, I've got you" You tried to reassure her, but your attempts were unsuccessful. Suddenly, her eyes appeared to be made of glass. The reflection of her tears being evident from her green eyes. It was unlike her to cry. She leaned back into the couch with her face beginning to scrunch up like a little kid. Her cheeks were starting to flush a crimson as she tried to hold herself together. Her body tensed underneath you before you felt it release after fighting so hard to contain the sadness.

Your arms were open to her as you took her in. If Yelena Belova didn't want you to do something, she would make sure you knew it. She cried bitterly into your shoulder. Instead of saying or doing anything, you held her for the first time.

"It's my sister." Yelena was broken to the core. In front of you, crumbling away. It took you a while to realize that the name was familiar to you.

"Natalia? Your sister? The um- The part-time Science teacher, right?" Yelena released a weak laugh at the story she had you believe. She wasn't doing it despite you but to protect you. You were kept in the dark about a lot of things by her. There were some things better left untouched. Yelena's past makes this more complicated.

"She..um.. she- she's just gone. I didn't know until that morning. The Blip happened, and we were gone; she was still here all this time. Probably on her own. Where was I? She was dead before I even came fucking back. Just rotting in the ground. She was just left there. I couldn't just leave her there on her own, but-“Yelena’s voice was trembling as she spoke every single word. The moment you had the chance to look at her, she revealed that she was completely vulnerable. This was not what you expected to be the reason for her absence, not even close. Leaning in, you placed a soft kiss on her forehead to comfort her, mumbling against her.

“I didn’t believe it at first, but then it became real and well… Here I am. Crying like a child Infront of you, it’s pathetic.”

“It’s not pathetic. Your sister died, Yelena. Why would you even think that’s pathetic?”

“It just is.”

“It’s not.”

"Mhm. I thought going out there to see it for myself was the only thing that was going to help. Give me that feeling of home again.”

“Well… Did it?”

“No. No matter where I went, nowhere felt like home to me. I..I have never felt more at home than here, with you. I hope I haven't fucked this up, have I? I can't fuck up anything else. I wasn’t taking this for granted, I swear. It wasn't until you came in with that stupid.. stupid umbrella that I felt at home again. I felt like everything is going to be okay for the first time in months. I just- I want you.. I needed you. The thought of you never left my mind, I swear. The only thing I wanted was to come home. My home has always been with you. Being away from you killed me, it kills me. I love you, I always have. I just-"While she struggled to get her words out, you sat silently. Rather than interrupting her, you wished to give her a chance.

"I’m so sorry, baby. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. You're home now, I'm here. I've got you. You’re safe."

[holykillercake]

One Year

pairing: Zoro x Reader

word count: 2k

summary: No summary this time. I´ll just say this ¨Bartholomew Kuma and Sabaody¨. Read at your own risk. Seriously, ¨KUMA AND SABAODY¨, do you understand?

highlight: ¨Everyone did their best, but no one could have done better.¨

warnings: angst with happy ending; Sabaody Archipelago spoilers (?)

notes: Hey guys! This was a request from @roronoatrash​ in which ¨Zoro who has 0 sense of direction seemed to always find his way back to is s/o, and his s/o only.¨. I really hope you like it!💚 This is also the first time I write a Devil Fruit user, so I'm considering a sequel to develop the character and add more humor.

𝕷𝖊𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘, 𝖗𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊!

It was a cloudy and melancholic day in the New World. The men on board were leisurely enjoying their afternoon; some drinking, some napping, some eating. The air was humid and cold, and the tides were strangely calm. No one seemed to care. After all, that was the New World. 

¨Boss!¨ the lookout shouted from the crow's nest ¨Something is falling from the sky! It´s going to land on deck!¨

All men tilted their heads to look at the sky, watching a tiny black spot become bigger and more recognizable.

¨Is that what I think it is?¨ the captain asked himself, not believing his eyes.

¨Boss, is that a girl?¨

¨Yep, I think so.¨

They stood still watching what they suspected was a girl fall from the skies. The red-haired took a quick glimpse at his first-mate and officers, and since no one moved, he felt safe to assume that that was not a threat. Mainly because whatever was falling towards the ship looked dead already. 

The body fell through the main deck and went straight to the lower level of the ship. The captain and his officers stood around the hole on the wooden floor, observing the unconscious and injured body of a girl. 

¨I´ve seen some crazy things rain around here... but this is new.¨ he spoke.

They were ready to have someone dispose of the dead body when the girl opened her eyes, putting herself on her shaky legs. Blood dripped from her eyebrows and nose, and she had bruises all over. Her eyes wandered around as if she was looking for something.

¨Z-Zoro...¨ she spoke when her teary eyes met the captain´s ¨I-I need to find Zoro.¨ 

That was all she said before falling on her knees and collapsing. 

                                                             </>

Almost a year has passed since the tragedy in Sabaody Archipelago. A year passed since you were defeated in the fight against the marine force. Your gashes closed, and your bruises healed, but there was a wound that would not go away, even after one year. 

So much had happened since that day. Luffy had broken into Impel Down, fought in the Paramount War, and lost his brother, Ace. A few days later you received the hidden message he had left you, saying that you were no longer going to meet in Sabaody in three days but in two years.

It took you a while to understand the situation you and the rest of the Strawhats were in, and it took you even more to let go of your selfishness and trust them. The guilt for not being strong enough to protect yourself and your comrades ate you alive during the first weeks, but then you considered how they must be feeling too. No one could have done better. 

Everyone did their best, but no one could have done better. 

For one year, whenever a News Coo flew by to deliver a newspaper, you would run and grab it before anyone did, hoping to see another message from your friends. But the status of your captain was the only one you knew so far. You knew he was training with Rayleigh-san, and this whole two years thing should have been his idea. 

When Bartholomeu Kuma used his Devil Fruit powers on you, you ended up landing on the ship of the Red Hair Pirates. They would always tell you how you rained on their Red Force and broke the deck floor. They said you were looking for someone, and during your stay in the infirmary, you would always call for the same person. 

For months nightmares had you waking up in the middle of the night panting and crying. The same one, torturing you in an infinite and merciless loop. 

Every detail, color, and noise. Everything was so precise and clear in your head. 

When he fought still injured from the last encounter with the Shichibukai; when he stood up and faced the Warlord fearlessly. Even with the damages caused by Kizaru and the Pacifistas, he stood up. 

And maybe your eyes fooled you, maybe your exhausted body played a sick trick on you because he was there until he wasn´t.

 Right in front of your eyes.

 His cropped green hair and tanned skin, the vibrant red and white striped shirt, the scar across his chest, the haramaki, and the swords. Gone, simple as that. 

But after all the training that you had with the Red Hair Pirates, you seemed more in peace with yourself. After one year, the nightmares would bother you only every once in a while. You were not prepared for the New World before, maybe still aren´t, but you will get there. 

And they made everything easier. It was no mystery why Luffy liked them so much. Whenever you were not engaged in a fight or some other Emperor crap, those guys were incredibly light-spirited. And the moment they realized you were part of Luffy´s crew they treated your wounds and welcomed you onboard. 

Shanks agreed to have his men training you, but he made very clear that no one would babysit you, so it was ¨keep up or keep out.¨. You spent most of your time with Yassop, Benn, or Roux, for they were the best in the abilities you exercised. 

Inside the Strawhats you were a stealth agent, mostly because of your Devil Fruit, the Nagi Nagi no Mi, once possessed by a Marine Commander. Another Supernova, the Surgeon of Death Trafalgar Law had told you that before shit broke in Sabaody. 

You used that combined with your fighting skills to breach the enemy´s first line of defense before they saw you coming. Usually, Usopp would assist you with the sniper training, trade he ¨learned from a friend¨, Sogeking. 

His father was an extraordinary sniper, and he used the same kind of firearms as you, differently than Usopp´s slingshot. Benn´s combat skills were remarkable, and Roux was exceptionally fast for a man his size. You haven´t had a lot of opportunities to fight the Red Hair himself, though you had a strong will, his Haki was something you have never seen before. 

¨We´re going to a bar, kid. You´re coming?¨ Benn asked you with his cigarette on his lips. 

You pondered a little over his invitation but decided to decline it. ¨Thanks, Benn, but I´m keeping a low profile tonight.¨ He nodded and smiled, turning to follow his crewmates ¨Don´t drink too much, we have training tomorrow!¨ 

The first mate laughed shortly and spoke without looking at you ¨Roger that, kid.¨ 

You walked the opposite way, wandering between the vegetables and gimmicks tents, feeling the kind sunset kiss your skin. There was some music playing, kids running around with ice cream in their hands, laughing loudly and happily. Marketers were announcing their prices, housewives were thinking about delicious recipes to prepare for their families, and couples would sit together around the font, swearing love to each other.

Every day was like that. The citizens would wish their neighbors ¨good morning¨ from their windows; bakers would open the doors early, letting the delightful smell of fresh bread wake up those who slept in.  

How could you, in the middle of all that happiness, feel so sad and lost?

You sighed and made a route change. Maybe you needed a little bit of booze. 

The island where Shanks had decided to dock was in the Grand Line, a place where they were known and welcomed. So you knew where they were, and it would be a short walk to get there.

¨Y/N?¨ 

You turned automatically, thinking that a crew member had gotten lost and was looking for his captain - or boss, how he likes to be called.

 But when you saw the man standing in front of you, everything stopped. The music, the kids, and the love promises. 

At some point, you started to cry and hyperventilate, believing you were in another nightmare, and you would have to go through that day all over again. Your lover carried pain in his eyes as well, like his fears were the same as yours. 

Those minutes you stared at each other felt like hours while you kept every detail of him in your memory. His hair was slightly longer, and his complexion was paler, even with the sunset painting his skin. 

¨Z-Zoro...¨ you whispered shakily.

He gave a step forward ¨Y/N... it´s you...¨ 

You ran in his direction as soon as your name fell out of his mouth. Your arms embraced his neck, and your legs gave up when he held you tight against his body, whispering comforting words as you broke into tears. 

¨I...¨ nothing but sobs came out.

¨I know... me too.¨ he fondled your hair and hid his face in the curve of your neck. And there stood the both of you, not wanting to let the other go. 

                                                          </>

¨How did you know I was here?¨ you asked and he blushed a little.

¨I didn´t... I had to buy stuff for the castle, and I got lost.¨ a loud laugh came out of your mouth. It was so obvious, how didn´t you guess that?

¨They didn´t give you a log pose?¨

¨They did, but I took a nap and when I woke up, I was here.¨

You spent the rest of the day cuddling on the beach sand. Zoro was laying on his back, and you were resting on his chest. You had one year worth of conversation to catch up on, and neither of you rushed to do so. He told you about Mihawk, the creepy island in which the only native habitants were copycat human drills, the boat he destroyed, and even how he begged the Warlord to train him.

The sun had started to hide behind the sea, and the warm sand was cooling down. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore together with the salty breeze made you question if you had died at some point, and that was heaven.

¨You´re paler.¨ he chuckled.

¨It´s not very sunny where I´m living.¨ 

¨Hm...¨ you hummed ¨And how long did you take to figure out Luffy´s message?¨ 

¨Oh...¨ he thought for a second ¨ I knew right away.¨ you giggled and doodled on his chest with your finger. 

You felt his chest go up and down as he let out a sigh. 

¨I missed you, Y/N.¨ he hugged you tighter. 

¨I missed you too.¨ you stayed in silence for a few minutes ¨Anyway, when are you setting sail again?¨ You asked him softly, and he tensed up. ¨I know... ¨ your lips began to tremble ¨ I don´t want to go either, but what happened in Sabaody... I don´t want that to happen ever again.¨ you bit your lip as tears started to roll on your cheeks. 

He wiped the tears with his fingers and pulled you closer. None of you wanted to part ways again, but not only those were your captain´s order that was your future. If something like that happens again in the New World, a two-year separation would be the best scenario possible. 

¨It won´t. I promise.¨

When the night came, you decided to stay on the beach and talked until you fell asleep under the stars. The best sleep you´ve had in a long time. No nightmares, no agony, and no pain. Just the warmth and peace you missed so much.

On the following morning, you helped him get the provisions for Mihawk´s castle. You toured around the city holding hands and joking, kinda like the couples sitting by the font, enjoying every second you had before he left. 

If he didn´t get lost trying to go back to Kuraigana Island, it would be a quick trip. You assisted him with the bags and walked him to his boat. Your heart ached to say goodbye to him, but you had to. The circumstances were bigger than the two of you.

¨I love you, Zoro.¨ you hugged him and tried not to cry again.

¨I love you more, Y/N.¨

¨Careful with the naps, ok?¨ he chuckled and nodded ¨One year. We´ll meet again in one year.¨ 

¨Wait for me. I´ll go get you, and we´ll return to Sabaody together.¨ 

¨But how will you know where I will be?¨

¨It doesn´t matter where you´ll be. I´ll always find you.¨

[nevertheless-moving]

Suicidal Misunderstanding IX

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

Part I - - - - - Part II - - - - - Part III - - - - - Part IV  - - - Part V - - - - - Part VI - - - - - Part VII - - - - - Part VIII

Content Warning: This chapter contains potentially triggering material, particularly aftermath of attempted suicide as well as discussions of bodily injury.

Cody woke up the morning after the...drunken keldabe still feeling uneasy. He spent half an hour attempting to read over reports in preparation for the Umbaran campaign before giving it up as a lost cause. He distracted himself for a little while by pouring over last night’s cantina surveillance, before giving up on that as well and sending a message to General Skywalker.

‘Any updates on General Kenobi’s status?’

He watched the comms as communications from everyone besides the General trickled in. He answered a few requests for requisitions, forwarded some medical reports, and ignored an irritating handful of overly-personal questions. 

Agonizing over it the whole time, he opened a comm-text link to Obi-Wan. It took nearly an hour, but he managed to send two sentences. ‘Hope you’re recovering well. Look forward to upcoming mission discussion.’

He immediately wanted to retroactively delete the message, mortified by every word and deeply concerned at every second that passed without a reply.

He spent the next 30 minutes hunched over, quickly closing every incoming CT and CC communication, justifying the time to himself as ‘technically on leave.’

He lurched forward when he finally received a General’s comm code, but slumped in disappointment when it was Skywalker, not Kenobi.

‘Not as drunk but still seems a little high. He says he wasn’t drugged. He’s taking the rest of the day off. I’m monitoring.’

Taking the rest of the day off. Did that mean he wasn’t carrying around his comm? Kriff. Should he more or less concerned that the general was actually taking a day off?

He decided to be more concerned.

‘Thank you for the update. Respectfully request information on any changes.’

Hopefully that would encourage Skywalker to keep him informed even if he stopped freaking out over his vod’s behavior.

Stowing the remote comm, he stood up and exited the temporary planet-side office, throwing himself into cleaning up the mess that was nearly 20,000 clone troopers simultaneously attempting to get the most out of a very brief R&R. 

Shortly before mid-day, he received another update from Skywalker.

‘Just managed to get him to medical. Healer cleared him of drug interactions but Obi-Wan’s still acting strange (not crying, but a lot of hugging).’

Cody stared at that for a long while.

‘Any other verbal indications of upcoming danger?’ he finally asked. Skywalker didn’t reply. 

Shortly after nightfall, his incident reports were interrupted by a call from an unknown temple number. He quickly opened it, and a holo of an unfamiliar Mon Calamari female healer appeared in miniature on the desk.

“Commander Cody. Thank you for answering so quickly. Are you somewhere private?” she asked, voice deliberately neutral.

The Commander tensed up. “Yes, sir. I’m in CC office space, alone. The room and the channel are both secure. Is this regarding General Kenobi?”

“Yes.” She replied. “My name is Master Bant Eerin; I’m a temple healer as well as a personal friend of Obi-Wan’s. He’s...he’s in the healing halls right now. We’re still trying to understand exactly what happened- I’ll tell you what I can but first we need to rule out any possible drugs he may have contact with. I need you to describe in detail anything he may have been exposed to that could have possibly had mind-altering effects.”

The Commander was a professional. He swallowed back his fear, his questions, and his demands to know what was going on.

“Of course. Everything on the Negotiator was GAR Standard, and I was with him when we left the ship. We went directly to the lower levels. The first time he was exposed to anyone outside the 212th was when we left our transport on level 3915. I...actually have footage of him the whole time night after that point. I’m sending it over right now, sir.”

“That would be extremely helpful, thank you.” He watched as she pulled it up on a second comm, sound barely audible. 

He continued with his report: “One of the boys took it without permission. He didn’t mean anything by it, he’s just an idiot; I’ve already issued a severe reprimand. In any case, he brought it to me after I issued surveillance on the cantina, it tracks everything the General did- as far as I can tell, he had a glass of house grub wine, two shots of rancor blood, and an unnamed mixed cocktail ‘on the house.’ You can see everything the bartender added- as far as I can tell nothing was slipped in. He just... blacked out suddenly after the fourth drink, and quickly startled awake, confused by his surroundings.”

“I see.” Her tone was still carefully neutral and Cody didn’t know how to read her expression. He waited, wishing he was wearing his bucket so he didn’t have to keep schooling his face into professional patience.

“You brought him back to the temple...correct?” 

“Yes, sir.”

She let out a deep breath, gills fluttering slightly. “We’ll probably have more questions later, but please understand our inquires are entirely based around determining how we can best help Obi-Wan. This call and any future ones are not intended, and should absolutely not be interpreted, as indications of blame. He’s actually spoken to me about you before, I know he has the deepest respect for you, personally and professionally. Someone will likely be assigned to talk to everyone whose spent time with him recently, including myself.”

The sick feeling in his gut from last night returned full force. “I...believe I understand sir. His condition is serious, then?”

Her gills fluttered again.

“Even now, I think we can safely anticipate a full physical recovery. He...there’s no easy way to say this...it appears he attempted to end his own life. Knight Skywalker got to him just in time, and he received bacta within minutes of the initial burn. I...like I said...we’ll began work to figure out why-”

Her voice broke and she stared up, large tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She hastily wiped them away.

“Rest assured commander, he’s getting the best treatment possible. Thank you for your assistance. I’ll do my best to answer any questions you might have right now. This is my personal comm link- please feel free to reach out to me at any point for updates.”

“I-” Cody cleared his throat. “Can I come to the temple? To...” he trailed off, not sure how to finish.

“Not tonight, I’m sorry. The healers need to focus; he’s not allowed any visitors until he’s out of Bacta, I’m afraid.”

“Skywalker must be throwing a fit at that” Cody remarked numbly.

The healer winced. “Knight Skywalker is currently sedated. He was...injured in the struggle to keep Obi-Wan from further harm. Master Windu witnessed part of it, but we’ll have to wait until its safe to wake him to get the full story. I’ll be notifying Captain Rex of the situation after we finish speaking.”

“I’ll do it.” Cody offered immediately. “Tell me what happened.”

Eerin hesitated. 

“Please, Sir. It will be better coming from me and...if he’s the only other trooper who’s being informed at the moment...”

“Of course,” she said quietly. “We don’t know the full circumstances, but at some point in performing emergency care for Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker was stabbed in the lower abdomen with a vibroblade. It pierced his large intestine. The blade was pulled out shortly before healers arrived, causing some further damage and blood loss. He’s already finished surgery, and should only need a few hours of Bacta at most. Considering his extraordinary past recovery rates, he’ll likely be out of bed tomorrow and fully healed by the end of the week.”

“General Kenobi wouldn’t...” Cody trailed off again. He was having a hard time putting coherent sentences together.

Bant looked at the ceiling for a moment, seeming to collect her thoughts.

“Psychosis can have many manifestations. Even with- with conventional injuries, people can mistake help for harm. There’s just too much we don’t understand, and only so much we can learn before they wake up. Are you certain you wish to be the one to inform Captain Rex?”

“Yes.” That was about the only thing the Commander was certain of right now. “Is there anyone else in the GAR I should inform of...anything?”

“The military aspect of this isn’t my area of expertise. If there’s someone you trust who can be a support for you, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to tell them in confidence. Some form of what happened is going to get out eventually.” she replied. “Please use your discretion, I suppose. It’s...not really my speciality but I imagine you’ll receive further orders on how much to release to the GAR once Obi-Wan’s stable.”

Right. Discretion. Because Obi-Wan wasn’t just Obi-Wan- he was a high general in charge of nearly 1/3 of the republic’s forces. If word of this got out to the wrong ears it would cause mass panic, maybe even an emboldened separatist advance. It was an insane amount of responsibility for one person, no wonder - he deliberately didn’t finish the thought.

“I’ll comm the Captain immediately. Thank you for the information, General.” he said out loud.

“Feel free to contact me for further updates, and tell Captain Rex he’s welcome to do the same. I’ll message you when its clear to visit the halls.”

“Yes, Sir.” Cody responded, saluting automatically. 

“Take care of yourself, Commander Cody”

The hologram blinked out. Cody sat motionless for several long moment before sweeping his desk off, sending the assorted flimsies and redundant comm-units of various designations to the ground.

He stared at the empty desk, then tapped a button on his wrist comm, opening a private audio channel. “CT-7567, please come in” he said calmly.

“Cody?” came the alarmed reply. “I’m here, what’s going on?” Why did he sound so panicked? He had deliberately used his calmest voice. Oh well.

“Please report immediately to CC Office 12 in Guard Headquarters”

“I’ll be there in 10″

Cody hung up. He stared at the blank wall. He knew something was wrong with how the General said goodbye.

He opened the single desk drawer and dumped the odd wires and coins inside to the floor. Eerin had said burn. That could mean a lot of things, but lightsaber was the most likely. 

Cody puked profusely into the empty drawer. He stared at the vomit for a moment before carefully closing the drawer. He still felt a little sick. He hadn’t even said anything back to the General, he just stood there, frozen. 

He stared vaguely at the wall across, wondering if he was going to puke again.

Rex burst into the room. “Cody! What’s going on?! You- kark, what is that smell?”

“I puked in the desk drawer” Cody explained.

Rex shut the door behind him and slowly walked over. He knelt down next to the desk, gently taking Cody’s hands in this own. “Cody. Vod. Talk to to me.” 

“Obi-Wan tried to kill himself.”

Rex’s hands tightened over Cody’s compulsively and Cody squeezed back harder. He closed his eyes so he wouldn’t have to look at Rex’s expression.

“Some of ghost company went out for drinks last night. Obi-Wan started acted oddly. We flew towards the temple. He started crying. We got to the temple. He Keldabe kissed me. He told me goodbye. I didn’t say anything back.”

“Oh, vod” Rex whispered. He gently pulled the slack Cody off the chair and onto his lap on the floor. Cody continued mechanically. “I did reports today. Skywalker said he was with him. I left Obi-Wan a message. I don’t think he saw it. He tried to kill himself. Skywalker must have left him alone. He saved him. Obi-Wan stabbed Skywalker.”

Rex froze, still holding on to Cody. 

“The healer called. Asked about drugs. They don’t think its drugs but they had to ask. She said they’re both going to heal completely fine. I have a link if you want to call the healer directly. That’s...it. I have reports to do now.”

Rex held Cody tighter. “Not right now”

“It’s war. People get hurt. People die. I have work to do”

“Not right now,” Rex repeated. “You have the right to be upset. You have the right to grieve. You’re a person, of course you have feelings.”

“Obi-Wan said that.” Cody whispered. Then he started crying. He continued to quietly sob for some time, hurt and bewildered and scared. They sat on the floor together; Rex barely moved, simply held on to his older brother as he fell apart.

Inevitably, Cody’s tears dried up and he pulled away. 

“I don’t know how to clean this,” he said gesturing at that closed drawer. 

“I’ll take care of it. Let’s just get you to bed. There’s CC bunks here, right? 

“Yes but...”

Cody didn’t really like sleeping so isolated, but he also couldn’t imagine facing the 212th right now. 

“I’ll stay here with you. We’ll go to the temple together in the morning.”

Rex shepherded Cody to the fresher. He stared at the mirror with a vague sense of recognition before automatically moving through a standard sanitation routine. By the time he finished, Rex had joined him in his room.

“What did you do with the vomit?” Cody asked, suddenly exhausted. They slipped into bed together.

“Swapped the whole desk with Pond’s. That bastard knows what he did.”

Cody let out a snort. Then, much to his surprise, he sank heavily into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Part X

[knockknockchicagopd]

❛ BLACK JACKET WITH WHITE LETTERS ❜

❚❙ REQUEST BY ANON: Would I be able to request prompt 16 “You're mine. I don't share”. With Hank voight where they go to one of those police events and she works in his unit and they are a couple with her being younger and they dont have to be in police uniform so she wears a really nice dress and as he introduces her and talks to other people he knows, some of the men check her out and try flirt with her and he notices. Could there be a bit of smut if not that's cool to ❤❤

❚❙ HANK VOIGHT MASTERLIST.

❚❙ WORDS: about 3k.

❚❙ Warnings: swearing, unprotected sex.

❚❙ A/N: this writing hasn’t been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I’m sorry about that. If you find a description about body or a word out of place, or something that makes you feel uncomfortable / unrepresented, let me know by a private message and I will change it delighted.

❚❙ GIF credits: to my amazing @sonsofeorl.

❚❙ General tag list: @melblacc @rebelwrites @skyofficialxx @sesamepancakes @scarletsoldierrr @mondefantastique @that-chick212 @enbyamaro @inlovewith3 @ocetevasgirl @destynelseclipsa @miahelen @jadakiss13 @mcgreads @graniairish @teller258316 @i-love-scott-mccall @tclaerh. Hank Voight tag list: @sophie-writes. If you wanna be added to my tag list, send my a message! ⚡

Fortunately, it's been a quiet day, otherwise, you couldn't deal with a Districts event like the Commanders call them. A meeting that reunites every officer, inspector, detective, and whoever who wears ‘the blue uniform’; including special agents from the FBI. These last ones are the kind of man who pushes you out of your good mood with all that quackery about serving the whole country, the unlimited resources, the missions. Every time you hear a fed talking about how passionate and exciting their jobs are, you just want to punch their faces. Mostly, they're behind a desk while cops like you are protecting the streets of Chicago in the firing line. But, as Burgess and Upton said, it's time to have some fun. And anything else.

Since you don't have to wear that horrible uniform you use at official events, you have chosen a breathtaking black silk dress that fits your anatomy to perfection, falling from your chest, with a spaghetti strap neckline, to your ankles. And a pair of skyscraper highlights on the same color, with the small difference that the heels are tremendously golden. Your back is almost bare, being crossed by four fine strips, knowing it's going to give Hank some trouble. Oh, you're going to have so much fun tonight. You are very sure.

The soft make-up delights your cute, but lethal, outfit on point ready to leave Kim's house accompanied by your friends. You've arranged to meet at the party with the rest of the Unit since your future husband and Antonio needed to be from the start of the event, which means the three of you are going to earn more than some gazes by assisting alone, with no male figures by your sides. As if you need some kind of protection. Men (...).

Stepping out from your car and giving the keys to the parking attendant, who seems he's having a heart attack after watching you walk with so much cockiness and sensuality, you come into the party. The look you exchange with Kim and Hailey as soon as you check the reaction of the assistants, makes you draw a triumphant smile while raising your chin in some kind of greeting. You aren't going to stop now, leading your steps straight to your partners. Ruzek chokes on champagne with his eyes over Burgess, while Hank looks at you over the edge of his glass of bourbon taking a sip.

“You should work like that every day”. Antonio opines welcoming the three of you in his arms.

“I second that, brother”. Jay quickly adds making a toast with his cup of red wine.

“Bet you'd be the one who wouldn't work”. Hailey replies palming his chest, making you giggle.

In the meantime they continue arguing about the dress code, a strong arm gets placed around your lower back to push you somewhat closer, letting his hand fall over your hipbone. You know exactly what it means. Hank isn't the kind of jealous man, who needs to mark his territory like a dog. But you know that sometimes he feels insecure because of the age gap. He trusts you blindly, that's a fact, but he's human; he has fears and you understand it. Putting your left hand on the back of his neck, you caress his scalp almost unnoticeably, tilting your head to leave a gentle kiss on his cheek earning a satisfied grin from him.

“You look really beautiful tonight”. He whispers, watching you sideways as if it's a secret between you two.

“Thank you, Sergeant. I always try to do my best”.

Hank chuckles against his glass about to have a last sip till emptying it. Taking it from his hand, you pull yourself away to go to the bar and ask for two more drinks. You're thirsty and too sober to be a Friday night. Checking some emails on your phone while the bartender serves your order, you can't help but listen to some backtalk about your career. A couple of suited men combed as politicians and wrapped on a strong scent that throws your stomach. You try to ignore them until they're close enough from your position to offer you a hand in a formal greeting.

“Johnson and Derrick. FBI”.

The blonde one looks like a senior official, while the other looks like a newbie. Turning towards both, you come into the forced polite mood to stretch his hand firmly.

“(Y/L/N), Intelligence Unit, gentlemen. A pleasure”.

“The pleasure is ours, detective”.

“Special agent”. You correct him inevitably, even if it sounds arrogant.

“Special agent, of course”. Johnson replies with a nod of his chin. “I've read your file lately. I have no words to describe it. Graduated with excellent grades in Yale, two years in the Army, another undercover in a Cartel… And you also know how to fly a helicopter”.

“If you weren't from the FBI, I could think you've been stalking me like one of your serial killers, sir”. The sarcasm in your tone of voice earns your Unit's attention, very focused on the conversation between the feds and you.

“Who catches a monster without becoming one, right?”

The man introduces a hand under his jacket to offer you his business card. But you don't take it, just looking at it for a second before raising your eyes towards his.

“In your academy shows you to have the big balls to disrespect a Sergeant or a Chief, by trying to steal their officers in front of their faces? Because mine shows us to serve and protect the citizens”.

His gesture changes suddenly in a sight, hearing some chuckles behind you coming from Hailey and Kim. Raising both eyebrows as you don't get any reply back, you just nod before grabbing the two drinks you have asked for when they interrupted you. Coming back to your friends, you can't help but wrinkle your nose in a gesture of disgust earning more giggles from your partners. But it doesn't seem funny for Hank, who you know he's killing them in thousands of ways inside his head.

As the night passes, you notice Agent Johnson's eyes on you with no shame, starting to make you feel uncomfortable. Although you would be delighted to embarrass him in front of everyone, he has had enough from you. But this doesn't end there. Excusing yourself, you step to the terrace almost emptied to have some fresh air, knowing he's going to follow you. Maybe, to insist a little more. He was so interested in recruiting you to miss the chance.

And as you thought, he's that predictable. You don't turn because of his steps coming closer, but because he pretends to clear his throat to claim your attention. Crossing your arms over your chest, you tilt your head to a side feigning curiosity with a forced smile showing up on your lips.

“I would like to apologize for my behavior. In my profession isn't habitual to find agents of your characteristics”.

“For sure, sir. It doesn't matter”.

“You could have an extraordinary career in the FBI”.

“I already have it where I am. I don't need schedules, cheap suits, and an earpiece to succeed”.

“I understand your relationship interferes in your decision, but you do—”.

“I'm sorry, you said what? Did you…? Oh, god, I can't fucking believe it”. You can't help but laugh shaking your head. “I don't have any relationship as soon as I wear my badge, sir. And you are starting to cross a line you don't want to cross. Believe me”.

“Ma'am, don't misunderstand my words, nor my intentions. I just think ma—”.

“Nobody asked you to think, Johnson”.

Raising your eyes over his shoulders, you can see your boyfriend sipping his glass of whisky, joining the talk as he tries to keep calm. You know Hank to perfection. If he wasn't your boss, he would have punched him already.

“If you continue pissing off my agent, we're gonna have a problem”.

The man just nods, alternating his gaze between the two of you. Seems that he has admitted his defeat.

“Beautiful and lethal. You're a son of a bitch with so much luck, Voight. Take care of this diamond. Or she will end up wearing a blue jacket with yellow letters”.

“Uh-huh”. He replies as you continue remaining silent.

Passing your boss away back to the party, leaving you alone, you can't hide the proud smile that turns your gesture into a funnier one. Taking short steps towards him, you steal the glass from his hand to drink from it under his attentive brown eyes.

“Blue isn't my color. Not at all. I'm more into black”. You whisper referring to the jackets you are used to wearing in the Chicago department.

“Hm…”

“Imagine having your badge hanging from your neck all day like a collar. Do I look like a dog? I prefer to have it on my belt. And I'm already used to the disgusting watered coffee we make in the twenty-one”. As you continue giving him more reasons, your forefinger traces a path up from his chest to his nape. “And I have so much fun driving my Dodge all around Chicago”.

“Anything else you wanna add?”

“Hm… no. Actually, not. That's all, sir”. You reply puckering your lips, pulling yourself away some inches with a playful aura wrapping you both.

“Now lemme tell you something here”. Hank says then, leaning over your ear. “You're mine, I don't share”.

His voice and his characteristic raspy voice gives you some chills down your spine bone. Biting your bottom lip unconsciously while he stands up, you know the party is over for you and it's time to go home. Holding your hand and taking back his glass of whisky, you walk inside to say your goodbyes before leaving the fancy place straight to the underground parking. You are not going to lie saying you don't love his dominant mood when the occasion demands it.

As soon as you reach your car, you can notice sideways Hank making sure you're totally alone. He doesn't usually take risks of being seen in public too lovey-dovey, but it's not about it this time and you can't wait for him to go ahead with his intentions. Of course, he doesn't make you wait for too long to push your back to the copilot door, attacking your neck in the meantime his hands grab your hips stealing you a low gasp. Hank makes himself between your legs, urging you to surround his waist with one of them to close the distance that separates you, feeling the need he has to mark his territory, as rarely he shows.

“Take me home”. You almost beg closing your eyes as his teeth are nailed on your most sensitive spot, earning a soft grunt that vibrates your body.

“I'm gonna take you here, sweetheart. Any problem?”

“Hell, no, sergeant”.

“Get in the car. Now”.

You don't complain, taking it as an order when he takes two steps back releasing your body and opening the back door for you. And the next minute passes too fast, rolling up your dress as Hank undoes his belt and unzips his pants. In just a sigh he's deep-buried between your legs. It's the first time you take this kind of risk, almost in public, and the horniness it produces is driving you crazy. With your lips almost touching the others, you moan uninhibited every time his hands on your lower back urge you to keep swinging your hips, sitting on his lap.

The way his eyes memorize every gesture drawn on your face has you breathless. It's a sensation you can't describe. Hank has some kind of power over you that you haven't experienced before, even if you think you're indomitable he always manages to make whatever he wants with you. And you know it. You let him do it. Just like right now, marking his territory with desirous bites and wet kisses all around your exposed throat. The most visible part of your body. He doesn't need to prove anything. He isn't the kind of man who needs to call out any other man who dares to lay his eyes on you. Everybody in this damn city knows you're more than his pupil and they're too scared to say hi, although there's always an exception to the rule. In this case, the FBI agents acting like carrion birds.

The mist clouds the windows, as the heat concentrated on your bodies makes you sweat slightly. Hank takes the control turning you under his body against the seat in a position that puts you to see the stars. Every move of his pelvis is accurate, hitting your g-spot, satisfied with how good his name sounds getting drowned between pleased moans once and again. With every push to your body, his dick is dug deeper through your tight wetness making him grunt into your ear, feeling more delighted than never before. And everything is because of the way you had to reply to that FBI agent in front of everyone, showing him how clear you have your preferences; not only because of your relationship, as Johnson pointed out. But because everybody in Chicago is aware that there's no better boss in law enforcement. There's no better Unit than the Intelligence one from the police department of your hometown.

As your legs get wrapped around his waist to pull him closer, one of his arms surrounds your middle back while his free hand flies straight to your throat. Keeping your eyes closed, the suffocating sensation within your lower belly continues growing with every thrust that steals the air from your lungs and races your heart over its possibilities. You're close. So close that your mind is a total blank, just focused on the way only he can make you feel. So good, so desired, so full of life. He knows it, he takes it in advantage. And he enjoys it more than anything.

“Oh, fuck…” Hank got you almost in tears because of the pleasure, traveling your hands to the back of his neck, nailing your nails there. “God… I'm gonna… Fuck, Hank, don't stop, please… Don't stop”.

“I won't, my love… Not till you give me what I want”.

His voice always plays dirty with your mind. The way he has to drag every syllable on his tongue with that husky voice that puts you to tremble, as he continues burying his hard dick inside you with no mercy, speeding up as soon as he feels your legs clung to his body slightly shaking. Because of the fewer insecurities he has about your relationship, he feels proud whenever he makes you reach that sweet sensation of the orgasm taking control of your anatomy. He doesn't care if he has to use his hands, his tongue… whatever. It's not only about sex between the two of you, of course not. But making you cum screaming out his name is an every-day-goal.

And you don't make him wait for too long, arching your back when a lash of heat hits your spine and the grenade inside your lower belly explodes. Your gasps fill up your car, while he continues fucking you harder than seconds before not showing any compassion to your exhausted body, looking for your lips to devours them desperately. His tongue starts a fight for dominance, winning over yours like every single time, in the meantime his fingers grips tightly your throat. Instinctively, you swing your hips in sync, provoking every move to go deeper among your shaky legs.

Hank can't hold it anymore, digging his cock to the limits of your guts, almost hitting your soul with a last strong lung. His warm seed fills you up completely, keeping pushing his body against yours, pressing both to the seat with his hands now placed on the headrest. It feels like a whole set of fireworks. Your moans complement his delighted growls to perfection.

“Don't move, please”. You beg with a thin voice thread, at the same time he rests his forehead on yours.

The two of you can barely breathe, trying to recover after an intense session of your favorite cardio workout. From nowhere, you can't help but giggle in unison. You can't believe you just fucked inside your car and with the risk of being caught in the act. A sergeant and one of his special agents. Even if it's your free night and you're in an established relationship, he's still your boss.

“I would miss working with you”.

“Huh?”

“If I get the FBI's offer”. You mumble, leaving clumsy kisses all around his face. “You're the best cop Chicago has”.

“You don't have to butter me up for a second round”.

Shaking your head briefly and laughing, you caress his scalp so gently as he sinks his face into your sweaty neck.

“Now you said so… maybe I have the fantasy of being bent over your desk”.

“Maybe?”

“Yeah, just… maybe”.

“Then maybe I could bring you to my office, before going home. There's some paperwork to attend to”.

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Extra 7

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Extra: Bai Ming and Zhang Yiqing

After Bai Ming and Zhang Yiqing met, Zhang Yiqing once asked Bai Ming a question. He asked him: "What are your dreams?"

When he heard this question Bai Ming immediately beamed. He met Zhang Yiqing’s eyes and answered earnestly and solemnly, "my dream is you."

At this, Zhang Yiqing was momentarily taken aback.

"I'm seriously asking."

Bai Ming, "and I'm seriously answering."

Bai Ming indeed was serious. Before encountering the doors, he'd already been a fan of Zhang Yiqing, obsessively devoted to that handsome man onscreen.

Bai Ming collected Zhang Yiqing's every movie, every drama, and every commercial. And when he found out that Zhang Yiqing was quitting the silver screen to direct behind-the-scenes instead, Bai Ming went crazy for a good long while.

During that while, nobody in their organization dared to go through doors with him. They all knew Bai Ming was the sort of person capable of doing anything on a bad mood.

Back then, Bai Ming had not yet been the boss of their organization. He had just been a plain and simple door-crosser, though the potential he emanated often gave his fellow door-crossers the sense that he was no small-pond creature.

Bai Ming's family situation was more complicated. He'd lived at an orphanage since youth, and had only been found and brought back home after he turned twelve. Only then did he learn that his father was actually a rich man, and the reason his father brought him back had nothing to do with paternal devotion, but rather because his brother needed a healthy liver.

This sort of bloody melodrama was what befell Bai Ming.

The truth was, prior to actually meeting Zhang Yiqing, the two of them had seen each other once before.

It was at a cocktail party hosted by the Bai family. Bai Ming had stood in a corner, small and thin, and watched as a smiling Zhang Yiqing chatted with his father. Zhang Yiqing had been young back then, and had just recently snagged Best Actor—there was still a touch of youth in his appearance, but the unparalleled splendor of his later years could already be seen.

Bai Ming had stared at him for a long time, many thoughts flashing through his mind. At this point he was already a fan of Zhang Yiqing's movies, but was too nervous to just walk up and start talking to him. He could only gaze from afar.

And later, Bai Ming met the doors, so he'd thought that there was only ever to be the one encounter between he and Zhang Yiqing.

But fate was always an extraordinary thing. After many years of hard work, Bai Ming had staked out quite a position for himself in the world of the doors. One day, a good friend suddenly asked him: "Bai Ming, you like Zhang Yiqing, right?"

Lit cigarette hanging between his lips, Bai Ming vocalized a lazy, "mh."

"He's started entering doors too," his friend told him. "Want to consider taking him on?"

Bai Ming's head twisted to stare at his friend.

"What did you say?"

Looking innocently back at him, his friend repeated himself.

Bai Ming extinguished the cigarette and laughed, "this isn't a joke, is it?"

Of course it wasn't a joke. The moment he saw Zhang Yiqing again, Bai Ming knew that his dream was about to come true.

Zhang Yiqing, who had retreated behind the scenes, was no longer as tender as he'd been in his youth. He was no less handsome, however. Like an aged bottle of wine, he and his charms had not faded with time, in fact had begun to emanate a unique fragrance of maturity.

All competent people have arrogance, and Zhang Yiqing was a proud standout in his industry. He'd taken the laurels for Best Actor four times, not to mention countless other awards, both large and small. The year he turned to directing, the country had even nominated him for Best Director.

The only shame was that after encountering the doors, his fate was forced to take a sharp turn.

"Hello, I'm Bai Ming." The two sat face-to-face, and Bai Ming held a hand out to Zhang Yiqing with a smile. His smile was sincere, and paired with that harmless-looking face, there really was no visible aura of an apex predator about him. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Naturally, Zhang Yiqing was fooled by Bai Ming. He took Bai Ming's hand and said, "it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Zhang Yiqing."

"Oh," Bai Ming nodded. "I've seen your movies."

Zhang Yiqing smiled politely. He likely thought Bai Ming was just a normal fan, or perhaps not even that—Bai Ming may just be an audience who had seen his movies in passing. But much later, when Zhang Yiqing saw that room stacked full of his own works, he would finally realize that Bai Ming was nowhere as harmless as he made himself look.

Of course, at this point, Zhang Yiqing was not aware of anything. He saw the headful of natural curls, the unsophisticated grin, and really took Bai Ming for a gentle-natured young man…

At this point Zhang Yiqing even failed to understand why everybody in Bai Ming's organization was so scared of him, to the point where Zhang Yiqing thought there really must be a misunderstanding…

Inside and outside the doors, Bai Ming did not change much. His personality stayed genial. When confronted with malicious words or even malicious people, he was never even vicious in return.

Sometimes, Zhang Yiqing even thought Bai Ming was being too nice, and would step up to protect Bai Ming.

"You're too well-tempered," was something Zhang Yiqing once said. "Nice people get taken advantage of. Harbor no intent to hurt, but preserve all instinct to caution!"[1]

Bai Ming listened to Zhang Yiqing's reprimand and said, beaming, "Zhang-ge's right to scold me."

Zhang Yiqing didn’t know what went through his head then, but seeing Bai Ming's well-behaved smile, he reached out and gave that head a pat. Only after touching Bai Ming did he realize the gesture didn't seem quite right, and so he coughed once, before explaining, "it just looks good to touch."

Bai Ming just blinked his eyes noncommittally.

Bai Ming's hair was extremely fluffy and truly peak touch quality. Just seeing it made people want to pet it. But there really weren't that many people who’d dare to pet a tiger—Zhang Yiqing was one of few, though at that time, he had yet to discover the fact that Bai Ming was a ferocious beast, and not some adorable kitten.

But fake was fake in the end—Zhang Yiqing was no idiot either. By the time he became aware of the incongruities about Bai Ming's person, the two of them had already grown closer.

Zhang Yiqing had noticed the oddity and even joked about it, saying, "Bai Ming, how come I've discovered that anyone who crosses you gets struck with misfortune?"

Bai Ming batted his eyes at this.

"Don't they deserve it?"

At his smile, Zhang Yiqing froze. Zhang Yiqing had only been joking, but after careful thought, a layer of cold sweat began to dot his back. Because as far as he could remember, ever since he and Bai Ming started entering doors together, those who had wronged Bai Ming were not simply "unfortunate," they were all…dead.

That's right, dead. Dead via various odd accidents. Some things may seem accidental on the surface, but—upon multiple occurrences—could no longer be mere coincidence.

Incidental became inescapable after a certain point.

Having realized something, Zhang Yiqing looked once more to Bai Ming, and found that the young man who was once so easy to read now seemed something of a stranger.

The good thing was, that feeling only lasted for a moment, because Bai Ming grinned and scooted closer again.

"Zhang-ge, come get hotpot with me tonight?"

"Sure," Zhang Yiqing agreed.

The relationship between the two of them was still ambiguous at this moment, but one could die at any time inside the doors. Zhang Yiqing saw clearly Bai Ming's devotion to protecting him, and so the two got closer and closer—until one day, when Zhang Yiqing went to a party.

As a heavy hitter in the entertainment industry, there were naturally many people lined up to take a ride on his coattails. That was why that day, a coworker introduced him to a beautiful young woman.

Though Zhang Yiqing rejected her immediately, Bai Ming, who'd come along for fun, still saw everything.

Oddly enough, against Bai Ming's gaze, Zhang Yiqing felt a sense of guilt. The party hadn’t even been over when Bai Ming pulled Zhang Yiqing alone into a break room. Zhang Yiqing wanted to resist at first, but discovered that he wasn't at all Bai Ming's opponent—he was picked up and brought along as if he were a sack of rice.

"Does Zhang-ge have someone he likes?" was what Bai Ming asked him.

Zhang Yiqing said, "no."

"No?" Bai Ming said. "Then what's the deal with her?"

Watching Bai Ming's expression, Zhang Yiqing had the thought that the person before him seemed a bit drunk. He licked his lips, and spoke hoarsely: "I don't like her."

"You don't like her, but you'll still have her?" Bai Ming asked.

Zhang Yiqing opened his mouth, wanting to explain. But when the words got to his lips, the pride in his bones was for some reason set off by Bai Ming's accusatory tone. He lifted his chin and, with a cool expression, forced down the anxiety deep in his chest.

"So what if I will?"

Bai Ming pressed a hand to his lips, got closer, and hummed, "but I'll get angry."

Zhang Yiqing's brow furrowed.

Bai Ming, "I'll get very…very…angry."

Zhang Yiqing was just about to ask and so what if you get angry when Bai Ming shoved him onto the break room sofa. Bai Ming's fingers picked apart the first button on his shirt, and the man looked down at Zhang Yiqing from high above. His voice when he spoke was colder than anything Zhang Yiqing had heard from him.

"I don't want to wait anymore."

Zhang Yiqing's eyes went wide. This was the first time he became aware that Bai Ming and that harmless youth he thought he knew were two completely different people.

"Zhang-ge," Bai Ming said. "I like you. Do you like me?"

Zhang Yiqing swallowed, and he didn't answer Bai Ming's question. He only said, "calm down a second…"

Bai Ming watched him. "You also like me, right? You just don't want to admit it…But even if you don't admit it, that’s alright." He smiled, as handsome as an incubus. "It's fine as long as I like you."

Everything that happened after that was unspeakable.

By the time Zhang Yiqing once again regained consciousness, he was limp all over. Bai Ming had him wrapped up in blanket and was placing him into the car. Seeing him wake, Zhang Yiqing beamed.

"Zhang-ge, you're up? We're headed home now."

Zhang Yiqing wanted to speak, but found his voice nearly gone. He recalled something, and a smudge of red appeared over his cheeks as he grated out: "Animal."

Bai Ming batted his eyes. "Zhang-ge, are you calling me big?"

Zhang Yiqing, "…" He surrendered.

Bai Ming, "no worries, it's only 3AM. There's still plenty of time when we get back."

Zhang Yiqing wanted to retort, so Bai Ming caught him by the lips. Bai Ming's kiss was rough enough to turn his mouth an evocative red.

Zhang Yiqing went dizzy with the kiss. It was only then that he had the faint realization that he…seemed to have caught the attention of someone incredible.

Translator’s Notes:

害人之心不可有，防人之心不可無; idiom that literally means, “you can’t have intent to hurt people, but you can’t not be guarded against people.” The two phrases have parallel rhythms Chinese (note the four middle characters are identical), so coming up with a translation that mirrors that to some degree is both fun and difficult.

[Extra: Twin Lives, Twin Deaths(3)] | [Extra: Tan Zaozao]

[honyakuninakunaru]

Moonlit Night's Greeting // Mithra SSR Card Story

CHAPTER 1

(Sunny Forest)

Akira: "Hello, Lennox. Are you training in the forest today?"

Lennox: "Yes, and I was just taking a break. Cain and Shino were here a moment ago, but they said they were hungry and went back to the manor to bring something to eat. What about you, Master Sage? Are you on a walk?"

Akira: "Yep. The weather's very nice, so I decided to come for a stroll. Also, there's something I'm curious about, but before that... Don't you think it smells a bit weird around here?"

Lennox: "Thought so..."

Akira: "Do you know anything about it? Like if someone's doing some sort of practice, for example..."

Lennox: "No, it's probably... Would you come with me for a moment, Master Sage?"

Lennox guides us into the depths of the forest, and what awaited us there was...

(Leaves rustling)

Mithra: "Hello there."

Akira: "Mithra!"

(Bubbling)

We saw Mithra dispersing a suspicious smoke. In front of him hung a large kettle on an open fire, a poisonous-looking vapour rising from it.

Akira: ("What in the world is that ominously coloured liquid...")

Lennox: "So it was you. I thought so since I happened to see you go into the forest a while back."

Akira: "Umm, Mithra, what are you doing so deep in the forest...?"

Mithra: "I was cooking."

Akira and Lennox: "Cooking...?"

(Cracking and bubbling)

Mithra tosses a single scorched bone into the pot, completely ignoring our shock.

Mithra: "Yes. I'm running low on magic sauce, you see."

Akira: ("Ah, he means the yakiniku-like sauce he let me taste that one time.")

Mithra: "I made it in the kitchen the first time, but the twins were annoying about it."

Akira: "Yeah, if this smoke spread across the manor, it could cause a bit of a commotion..."

Lennox: "Still, is it alright to cook things that aren't proper ingredients altogether like this?"

Mithra: "How rude. These are all high-class ingredients I'll have you know. A rainbow lizard's tail in a dried monkey's paw, and that deteriorating thing is the intestines of a monster. As well as this blue bat which is quite rare."

Akira: "I-Is that so... Are these bones an ingredient as well?"

Mithra: "I'm roasting them for stock. They'll taste good if you boil them after being seared."

(Snap)

Akira: "Ah, cracks appeared on them..."

Mithra: "How interesting... Master Sage, I suggest you watch your step today."

Akira: "What?"

CHAPTER 2

Mithra: "Bone fortune-telling. I can read the future by roasting bones of beasts and examining the shapes of the fractures. When it cracks this way, it means that your fortune has gone down. <Arthim>"

(Crumbling)

Akira: "Wha?!"

The moment Mithra chanted his spell, a hole that seemed to lead into the abyss opened near my feet.

Akira: "WAAAAA!?"

Lennox: "Master Sage!"

Lennox instantly reached out for me. Cradled in his strong arms, I somehow avoided falling into the pit.

Akira: "T-Thank you..."

Lennox: "Don't mention it. I'm glad you're safe."

Mithra: "See, my prediction was correct."

Akira: "More like you forced it to be..."

(Crack)

Mithra: "Another one appeared. It seems like Lennox will have extraordinary revenue. Here, have this dried frog."

Lennox: "Thanks... Saying that sure sounds nice, but can you really call it fortune-telling?"

Mithra: "But of course, as there's no way my predictions would ever miss."

(Snap)

Mithra: "Ah, this one is for you, Master Sage. ..... Oh my..."

Akira: "A-Are the results that bad?!"

Mithra: "No, they're not. Something good will happen shall you go out at night. An unexpected person will... .....Goodness gracious, how troublesome."

Akira: "Eh?"

(Rustling)

Cain: "Ah, there you are! We were looking for you, Lennox. Ah, are Mithra and Master Sage with you as well?"

Lennox: "You two are back."

Shino: "Yeah. What do you have here? It smells good."

Upon saying that, I looked over to the kettle; its suspicious-looking contents from a while ago had completely changed into a normal sauce.

Mithra: "It's done."

Shino: "Did you make this?"

Cain: "That's pretty awesome! Not only are you strong, but you can also cook! You can really do anything huh, Mithra?"

Mithra: "Well, I suppose you're right. Unlike a certain absent-minded man who only has his long hair to him."

Akira: ("Does he mean Oz...")

Shino: "That looks tasty. Let us have some too."

Akira and Lennox: "Eh!?"

Shino: "What?"

Cain: " 's there a problem?"

Lennox: "Not exactly..."

Akira: ("After seeing those poisonous-looking ingredients and the cooking process...")

Mithra: "I guess, but only a little bit."

Shino: "Hell yeah!"

Cain: "Then I'll dig right in!"

Akira and Lennox: "....."

CHAPTER 3

That night, after returning to my room, I was writing down what had happened in the Sage's manual.

Akira: "Mithra's yakiniku sauce was very popular... (Shino and Cain were praising it so much that Lennox got caught up and gave it a taste as well. He was quite surprised at how delicious it was... We also shared the food Shino and Cain had brought, and we ended up having something like a picnic. It was tons of fun!)"

As my lips softened upon recalling this day, there was a knock on the window.

(Knock)

Akira: "Ah, who could that be?"

The one outside must be a wizard of the manor. Despite knowing that, I gasped as I opened the curtain.

(Curtain pulling)

Mithra: "Master Sage."

It was Mithra in his anniversary outfit, sitting on a broom and holding out his hand to me.

(Window opening)

Akira: "M-Mithra? What's with the get-up?"

Mithra: "Excuse me? Surely, you don't mean to tell me you've forgotten about the divination I gave you?"

Akira: "Divination? Ah. Do you perhaps mean...the good thing that will happen to me if I went out at night?"

Mithra: "Yes. It foretold that an unexpected person would escort you."

Akira: "You didn't mention that last bit..."

Mithra: "Since I had no idea what this 'escort' thing was, I asked Lennox, and he told me that first, I should get dressed for the occasion."

Akira: "He did?"

(Rustle)

Nodding, he presented to me the thing he was holding under his arm. It was a soft pillow that seemed very comfortable to sleep on.

Mithra: "It's a token of gratitude for the extra revenue and the sauce. It appears to be made using his sheeps' wool. I might get somnolent while with you, so I brought it along."

Akira: "Ahaha, thoroughly prepared, aren't you."

Mithra: "Come on, let's get going."

(Tug)

Mithra grabbed me roughly, seating me behind on the broom, and immediately began to rise us up.

(Whoosh)

Akira: "Wah! That was q-quite dangerous... Where exactly are we going, Mithra?"

Mithra: "I haven't decided on a particular destination, but I could Arthim us as is and crash into Oz's castle. It's currently nighttime, and if I were to take you as a hostage, it wouldn't be that easy for that man to fight back."

Akira: "I-If possible, I'd prefer somewhere peaceful and close-by..."

There was a light chuckle. Mithra was facing forward, so I couldn't tell if it was a sneer or he had let it out unintentionally, but it didn't feel like anything malicious.

Akira: "..... By the way, what's the good thing that's supposed to happen tonight?"

Mithra: "Well, wouldn't that be the fact that you went out with me?"

The All-Purpose Sauce's Match // Card Episode Story

(Dining room)

Akira: "Ah, it's the yakiniku sauce."

Mithra: "Pardon?"

Akira: "S-Sorry, my mistake. The thing you're carrying in that jar is the magic sauce, isn't it?"

Mithra: "Yes. I got myself some meat, so I thought I'd pour it on and eat it since this makes anything taste delicious."

Akira: "Yep, and it goes best with meat! Are there any ingredients that you often marinate in it, Mithra?"

Mithra: "More or less. It's good with snakes, bats, and frogs."

Akira: ("Even with the taste of the yakiniku sauce, those are pretty bold ingredients...")

Mithra: "Right. Why don't I give you some of the meat? Since you said my magic sauce is best served with it."

Akira: "..... Speaking of, where did you get that meat?"

Mithra: "I captured it in the North. Though as you can see, it's still quite bloody..."

Akira: "Ah, I just remembered I have a very urgent task I have to attend to! I'm very sorry, Mithra, we'll eat another time!"

[volleyball-dontknowher]

Wiping your tears away HCs

Warnings: Fluffy cute shit 

Characters: Suga and Oikawa

Words: 1653 

A/N GUYS I HAD TIME TO WRITE TONIGHT AND THIS IS SO BIG AND CALMING FOR ME LIKE I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I CAN EXPRESS THIS TO ANYONE BECAUSE I HAD BEEN WORKING ON 5 you read that right 5 whole essays for a midterm in one class that I only had a week to write and they were due yesterday so that was hard and took all of my energy but now midterms are over and I don’t have tests this week, I do have a couple appointments though (I’m thrilled to have a dermatologist appointment Tuesday) but sorry for the rant i am just happy and feeling like I am having a good start to my week 

Suga:

“Why am I such a baby” You kept asking yourself over and over as you found yourself sitting in the kitchen crying over...well you aren’t exactly sure what made you cry

It had been a day of tiny inconveniences and burning your food just ended up just causing you to break because it should not be possible to burn food from a bag but somehow you did

You were hungry and tired and now you couldn’t make anything happen right and the easiest thing to do was sit down and cry for a couple of minutes

What you didn’t realize was that in your couple minutes of crying Suga had come home

You heard the door open and immediately started to panic, he did not need to see you on the floor crying next to a pan of burnt food so you toss it in the trash and try to wipe your eyes and smile before he gets in the kitchen but you were too late he already saw you

“Babe??” You hear him practically make this face 🥺 at you and you turn to see him and can’t help but start tearing up again

“Babe” this time Suga whispers at you as he wraps his arms around your shoulders, “what’s wrong baby?” Asks quietly

His voice was so calm and caring that you couldn’t help but let the waterworks begin once again

You tried your hardest to look away from him so that he didn’t see you becoming a complete mess but Suga stopped you before you could turn your head

“Heyyy look at me” he cooed at you, his hands cupping your face as his thumbs came up to wipe your tears away, “tell me what’s wrong lovey and we can work through this together” you let out a big sigh as you try to choke down a little sob

Suga keeps one of his thumbs under your eye, wiping every tear before it falls and lets his other hand go to his cheek and start rubbing your cheek lightly as he calms your racing heart

Taking a deep breathe in he suddenly realizes the cause of your tears, burnt dinner, smiling to himself he pulls you to his chest and gives you a gentle hug as he rubs up and down your back gently as you try and get yourself together

“Didn’t I say it was my night to make dinner?” He smiled into your hair

You look up at him worried he is going to yell at you for wasting food (he would never but when you’re sad you never think through things logically)

“Go put your pajamas on and I’ll start dinner,” he smiles at you

You just stare up at him, unable to process what he has just said as one stray tear slips down your face which Suga promptly wipes off and gives you a little smile, “go on lovey, we can watch Halloweentown once I get this in the oven, okay?’

You give him a tiny smile that reflects right back at you on Suga’s face, he presses a quick kiss to your forehead before grabbing an apron and starting on something else for dinner

Oikawa:

It was one of the biggest of games of Oikawa’s career and you were on the edge of your seat for every play, it was now the third set and the score was 22-20 with Oikawa’s team down

You had been watching him prepare for this match for weeks, overworking himself and pushing as hard as he can in hopes that his team will make it to world championships this year

The amount of times you were accidentally awoken by Oikawa last night made it clear that he didn’t sleep, especially because you caught him watching past matches at approximately 3 am

He was up and out the door by 6 am, in a hurry to get to the court for extra practice because this game got them a straight shot to championships

You got to the arena before the game and as you watched the teams warm up you could feel the tension radiating from everyone, especially Oikawa, he was tense and his attitude sharp with everyone, not because he wanted to be mean but because he was worried and putting a lot of pressure on himself

In the past few weeks Oikawa had worked extraordinary hard on perfecting his jump serve but also adding curves to it and direction changes, you were impressed every time you saw it and never stopped complimenting him but it never seemed impressive enough to make him happy

Sitting there you couldn’t help but squeeze your eyes closed and pray to any god that would listen that this game would turn out in Oikawa’s favor, you needed them to catch up and quick

The ball was flying across the court in minute long volley’s each and you could feel everyone getting tired as the game dragged on

For the most part Oikawa had been absolutely crushing it, only letting up a couple of points but halfway through the second set the coach pulled him out and replaced him with a rookie so he could take a break and that was when things started to go poorly, you could see him on the side losing his mind as the rookie practically handed the second set to the other team and then continued to play until they were down 15-10 in the first set where finally Oikawa was put back in and he was fighting for every point with everything he had, clearly frustrated that he had been taken out for so long just to test someone else in one of the most important games of the season

Your eyes were fixed on Oikawa as he kept trying to take deep breaths as he maneuvered his way across the court, shit, the other team got the ball, and again, it was now 24-21 and you knew that this was about to end poorly

You collected your stuff and turned back to watch as the other team scored the game winning point, your eyes welling up as you saw the look of defeat on Oikawa’s face

You quickly wiped away your tears and tried to look brave as you went to go meet him outside of the locker room

No matter how strong you were trying to be you couldn’t help but start to cry because you felt so bad for him and you knew how hard he had been working

You stayed a little bit further back from the others who were waiting for the team so that no one had to see you crying which would have been fine until Oikawa walked out of the locker room and couldn’t see you over the crowd

Internally he panicked and walked straight past two men who were hounding him for an interview to come find you, you were always there and that was the one thing that was keeping him from crying himself but the moment he pushed past the reporter his heart sank, there you stood, clutching his jacket tightly around you as tears streamed down your face while you tried to force a smile when you made eye contact

Oikawa practically ran over to you and scooped you into his arms, “I’m sorry” you sob into his chest, he had absolutely no idea what you were sorry for and froze up as his mind began to think about the worst

You pulled back from him and sniffled as he looked down at you with genuine concern, “I know how much this meant to you, and how hard you worked and I just, I’m so sorry Tooru, I shouldn’t have kept you-“

His hands cupped your face suddenly as he planted a gentle kiss on the top of your head and wiped the tears from your cheeks, “stop it love” he whispered, “we lost this game but there are more, we will fight harder next time,” he pulled back and let out a little chuckle, “You’re absolutely adorable, you know that?” He teased, “I thought that you were crying because something was wrong, but no, you were crying because of me. Don’t do that lovey, I promise I’ll win the next one for you,” he smiles, but you can see the sadness behind his eyes which causes you to let out a little sob which he quickly soothes away with little words of affection and reassurance that you were loved but also mixed in his teasing that never failed to put a smile back on your face, especially when he told you that you were “only half as cute when you’re crying”

He got called to do an interview about the game so he kissed the top of your head once more as he followed the coach as you watched from the sidelines, he kept smiling over at you on breaks and when you got back to the car you didn’t go straight home, instead you went to the little diner where you met Oikawa for the first time

“Tooru, what’s this?” You asked, finding yourself tearing up again

“I wanted a chicken bacon avocado melt with my girl after a big day,” he said, not looking at you

You found yourself tearing up again, you and Tooru had met a year and a half ago at this exact cafe when you were given his sandwich and he was given yours, you both laughed about it and ended up sitting next to each other and talking for hours, the night you met him he lost another monumental game and said he needed some “comfort food” and tonight you were right back there beside him

“Hey hey hey” he sighed, wiping your tears away and forcing you to look at him, “we’re going to get cheesecake, you can’t cry” he smiles at you

[anigerrrr]

Girl’s Talk

Natasha Romanoff x Carol Danvers

Word count: 1.5k

Summary: Kamala is introduced to Yelena, and she’s also the biggest fan of her sister’s ship- CarolNat.

Warning: Fluff, Protective Yelena, Kamala ships CarolNat, Slight Thor/Loki(mentioned)

a/n: Just random pieces written after having my covid vaccine yesterday lol I’m not sure how will Marvel deal with Kamala’s superpower in the upcoming series so I only mention a bit of it. Enjoy!

/

“Ok, can anyone tell me why we always have a new kid in the compound?”

Yelena puffed as she entered the compound a bit later than usual, and she saw her sister, Carol and an unfamiliar teenager already standing there.

She came over to join them, gazing at the new girl with distrust.

“Yelena, did you just call yourself in the third person?” Carol teased, and she shrugged suggestively to the redhead who actually couldn’t hold her laugh back for this moment.

“Ha, is it some kind of 90’s joke?” Yelena retaliated. Apparently the younger blonde didn’t get enough sleep hours last night, it always resulted in her grumpy reactions to anybody. “If so, Captain, you really need to update your comedy list on Netflix.”

“Hey,” Natasha chuckled amusedly between the two blonde women as Carol protested, “just because I aged slowly, it didn’t mean I’m out of date.”

“In case you wanna know,” Natasha raised one brow and showed her support to the blonde Captain- “She actually likes to watch The Tonight Show during our dinner time.”

-by telling their sort-of secret aloud. It’s not gonna harm the redhead spy herself, though.

“What?” Kamala finally had a chance to let out her voice, “you can’t tell me the mighty Captain Marvel, my idol, watches late-night talk shows when having some spaghetti. It’s simply out of character.”

Carol frowned, “excuse me?”

“Ugh, ok.” Yelena opened her mouth with hesitation. “No, not ok, I don’t get it. Did you just call her- ” her head was pointing to the other blonde woman, “- your idol ?”

“Am I supposed to feel offended?” Carol mumbled nearby Natasha’s ear, lowering her voice to avoid any foreseeable conflict for now.

“Um, yeah.” Kamala rolled her eyes to the much taller woman standing right in front of her, and her voice sounded genuinely fearless. “Can’t you see that? She’s Carol Danvers!”

Natasha grinned back at the blonde woman, and only teased quietly, “see, someone really has a crush on you.”

Carol blushed in the tiniest way, opening her mouth slightly but had no idea what to argue. Our Captain couldn’t even tell if the redhead was seriously jealous. Fantastic.

“So you like the name or the glowing part?” Yelena hummed, and tried to hide the little noises from her stomach out of hunger.

“All of them, I guess?”

“Oh, I got it now.” The younger widow turned to her sister, and was not surprised that Natasha had been checking on her already. “We’re having a superhero fan tour here.”

Yelena wanted to get her breakfast as soon as possible, so she tried to be nice and not to get involved in this duty. “Enjoy your day then, just don’t touch any fluffy things around here. The cat can literally swallow people, and the raccoon will shoot you in the head.”

“What? No!” The brown haired girl shouted, “I’m not here for a tour.”

“Yelena, she’s a new member in the team- ” Agent Romanoff finally introduced, and took a quick glance at Carol with a playful smile. “- another one with super power, yes.”

“…wait, what?”

“Not that kind of power to control thunder like Thor or to trick like Loki- by the way, aren’t they a lovely couple?” Kamala explained a little bit, and suddenly changed the subject triggered by her interest.

“Ugh, it’s not officially announced.” Natasha was surprised to hear the little girl’s words, a status that not many people had learned about- even in the avengers’ team.

Impressed. Yelena stared at the kid and thought, still needed her breakfast, though.

“New kids.” Carol shrugged, “we’re actually talking about tomorrow’s mission.”

The redhead immediately started glaring at the blonde Captain.

“You’re leaving for days? Tomorrow?” And Yelena tiled her head to her older sister. She’d better not be the last person to know this.

Clearly someone had forgotten their domestic plan for tomorrow.

“Well, not ‘for days’,  I’ll be back before you know it. At least that was the plan.” Natasha looked a bit…nervous, but not speechless. By her side, the Captain who’s in charge of the mission seemed to be awkward for a minute, and they shared a look of silent communication.

“Yelena, you’re welcomed to- ”

“Uh- uh, no. I’m not interested in being the third wheel in your mission date. Besides, I’ve got my own thing to deal with as well. Just remember to pick me up at 8, and feed Fanny before you leave the house, it’s your turn.” Yelena shook her head quickly like nothing’s gonna convince her, and the other young superhero goggled upon hearing some keywords.

“Wait, you two are dating? ” Kamala asked in excitement, “oh my god, CarolNat is real.”

“Well, it’s- we’re…” the blonde Captain suddenly stuttered, “we’re close, yes. That’s true.”

Natasha rolled her eyes back to show her feedback towards Carol’s explanation, and refused to make any eye contact with her sister who just accidentally sold their privacy to the newest avenger.

“Oh, I thought that was your superpower.” Yelena shrugged to the two older women, kind of feeling sorry for the coming out declaration she made for them. “Like, telling the lovebirds in a group of people.”

Kamala gave her a ‘seriously?’ look, “nobody owns a superpower like that.”

“You never can tell.”

“Ok, things got a little tense here.” Carol tried to calm them both down before they made a wrong impression on each other. “It’s time for breakfast, how about I make you guys some really nice omelette?”

“Oh God.” Natasha sighed exaggeratedly, but she didn’t deny the purpose. When Carol turned, she just pushed her sister’s shoulder and forced the younger blonde to follow. “C’mon Yelena, you love eggs.”

“I never said that.”

“Wow, Captain Marvel is making me an omelette…am I dreaming?”

“Never had a nightmare before?”

“Yelena!”

*

“So…”

A half hour later, Yelena was staring at her plate and trying to figure out why it’s not like a normal ‘omelette’ she had seen on television. “In what universe an omelette looks like this?”

“Well, it’s not that bad.” Natasha took a bite of hers, perfectly ignoring the fact that it resembled more scrambled eggs rather than an omelette.

“Stop being rude- ”As they both saw Carol and Kamala on their way to the table, Natasha squeezed her sister’s hand and ordered softly, “and tomorrow I promise to buy you the expensive tweed coat you always stare at in the display window.”

“Huh, it’s exactly why I really can’t stand to undergo a mission with you two. Deal.” Yelena sounded mockingly but she didn’t mean to embarrass her anyway. “You turned weak, Natasha. You knew it, right?”

Natasha only hummed in russian as a response (something like ‘you’d know that when we spar’ ), and grinned when Carol sat next to her as usual. The blonde Captain was finally done with cooking everyone’s breakfast and Kamala had surprisingly finished hers, only sipping a glass of apple juice.

“So, how did you meet?” Said Kamala, aka the newest avenger with extraordinary attention to the secret pairs around the base, “how long have you been dating- I wanna know the whole story.”

“Here we go.” This was the best reaction for Yelena to ‘stop being rude’.

“Well, first of all, I won’t deny or admit any statement of it…” Natasha cleaned her throat and started, her sweet butter sandwich was left on the plate.

“We’re apparently colleagues.” Carol promptly interrupted with a shrug, which made the redhead widen her green eyes in disbelief.

“I met her after the snap, and during the five years, the feelings just kinda grew on us.” The blonde smiled gently as she took Natasha’s hand, “after the end of the war, we started hanging out once a month like normal people, later on it began to be once a week as my main works in space were separated to the new-trained protectors and the Guardians. That’s it.”

Kamala was literally speechless, looking like she just got the best Christmas gift for this year.

“If you kiss her like those cliched soap operas now, I’m gonna kill you both.” Yelena did like the eggs, but obviously she wouldn’t say it. Instead, she ate it up and mumbled her statement after hearing the shorter version of their romance.

“Yelena.” Natasha raised one of her brows, reminding her who’s in charge on this table. And their deals .

“Alright, just kidding.”

“Can I take a picture when you do that?” Kamala immediately stood up and asked Carol, it seemed no one actually cared about the debriefing of tomorrow’s mission anymore. “-when you kiss Black Widow.”

Her Captain was flushed, “w-what?”

To save her partner from the short circus situation, Natasha rolled her eyes and pulled Carol’s arm all in a sudden. All Kamala could do was open her mouth widely in amazement, and tried hard not to scream like a fan who was completely out of control.

Natasha left a rough kiss on the corner of Carol’s lips, her blood red lipstick stained slightly on it.

“Satisfied?” She said with an impeccable grin, leaving the flummoxed blonde behind her.

“This place is harmful for my heart.” - the newest superhero from Jersey City claimed.

“You’re gonna get used to it, kid.” - and the former widow from the red room finally agreed with her.

“I should have stopped leaking the key information.” - the blonde Captain knew it deeply that Natasha’s not gonna take it easy on her tonight.

[anon-rebel-writes]

Late Night Talks

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful day!

So this is a new story (yay!), and I wrote this for my girlfriend! She asked me not to tag her for privacy reasons, but I hope she loves this because this is actually based on a real event!

A quick background, we confessed through the phone and this story is heavily based on that. A lot of the feelings Luka feels are things that I actually felt! The dialogue is pretty similar too (obviously some things are cut out or edited to fit Luka and Mari lol)

My “just-a-friend” got me into MLB and we both love Lukanette, so I thought it’d be fitting to write her a story about Lukanette, based on us, for one of her gifts! Happy birthday, my love! I hope you (and everyone else reading this XD) enjoy it!

The story begins under the cut! <3 Ao3 Link

Soft light from his phone covered his face, forcing his eyes to squint in order to see clearly. His thumb unconsciously moved across the screen, opening up random apps before quickly closing them just to open them again.

The boat was fairly quiet. During the day, he could hear the different movements and various noises from his mother and sister, but this late at night merely left the sounds of waves from the Seine below him. The natural creaking of the boat usually left him relaxed and helped him fall asleep.

Although lately his nights had been occupied by other things, especially one girl.

Luka shifted in his bed, trying to engulf himself in more warmth from his blankets. Did his mattress always feel this stiff and uncomfortable? He never paid it much attention before, it never mattered before. Maybe it was just his mind trying to find something to think about.

He glanced at the time near the top of his screen and saw it was ten after midnight. Well at least it’s not too late yet, or maybe it wasn’t too early yet? She never texted him extremely late (or extremely early). Was it late? When did he care about time so much?

The only reason he thought about the time lately was because of her.

Luka shifted again, pulling up the blanket to cover the blush creeping up his cheeks. He continued to open apps just to close them again. He sighed and turned off the phone, letting the room dim and his eyes rest. Why did this feel so desperate? He used to see himself as a ‘go with the flow’ guy, but she had found a way into his heart and made him question his entire life.

When had he ever checked his phone this much? If she decided to text him tonight (as she had been doing for the past couple of nights), would immediately replying make him seem obsessed? He didn’t want to come off as overbearing. Didn't girls like when guys text fast? She hasn’t seemed to mind it so far. Then again, his only source of reference was his sister, and getting her to reply to him took years off his life.

His phone beeped and the screen lit up, showing a new text message. Luka quickly sat up and hurried to read the message.

‘SOS Can’t sleep again :( Think I might need a ~Luka~ to help (^-^)’

He covered his mouth with his palm, trying to hide the smile consuming his face. When did his nights become like this? Maybe it was desperate to wait for a text, but when the text came from Marinette, he couldn’t find a reason to be upset.

This girl seemed to bring him a whole new type of happiness, even if he was too nervous to text her first. He wanted to give her space and be comfortable around him, so waiting until midnight for a text never bothered him.

While seeing her throughout the day was always amazing, there was a different feeling that came with their late night talks. The fact that she needed to sleep and came to him for help gave him a warmth in his chest he never knew before. Although sometimes it made him feel selfish, seeing as she tended to talk to him when she was tired.

‘Luckily this Luka is always able to help :)’

And he really was always able to help, at least he tried to be. Luka helped everyone. Whether it was his family, friends, strangers, co-workers, he always lended a hand. But when it came to Marinette, he’d drop everything to run to her.

‘Yesss! Call me! Mama needs some Luka time!’

He tried to stifle a laugh and rolled his eyes at his phone. His body was hunched over the edge of the bed, watching his phone with intense eyes, as if the messages would disappear if he looked away.

In the mornings, he always found himself worried about that, as if the night before only existed in his mind. He’d hurry back to his phone to re-read the messages, making sure that Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl who chased off his nightmares and reinvented his dreams, really spent her night with him. Even if it was through a screen, even if it was for an hour, the messages were there to remind him that for a moment, she was his and he was hers. He was always hers, if she wanted him to be.

Luka slowly leaned back onto his bed, trying to get into a comfortable position. He put one hand behind his head and took a deep breath. His calm personality wasn’t an act, Luka was definitely a level-headed person, but he was still human. And as a human, a pretty girl talking to him late at night gave him lots of nerves.

He quickly shook off any tension he felt and pressed the call button. The phone only rang once before the sweetest voice he’d ever heard took over. “Hi Luka! Sorry, I know it’s late and everything, but I couldn’t sleep and… Oh wait, you told me I shouldn’t apologize, sorry! Or- wait, I just said sorry. Wow, I’m sorry- Shoot! I said it again-”

She was rambling, rotating between apologizing to him and trying to explain why she called him. As much as he loved (was that too serious of a word?) her, he also knew that if he didn’t reel her in, she’d spiral out of control.

“Don’t worry, Mari, you’re fine. But I gotta be honest, I didn’t expect this. I mean, calling a boy so late at night… not once, but multiple times in a row? How scandalous of you, Mel’.”

He heard a scoff through the phone and a lot of rustling. “Oh Luka, you should know I am the most scandalous of girls. In case you haven’t heard, I call lots of boys and girls at night.” Her voice took on a fake sounding ‘tough guy’ accent. He rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle. “Wow boys andgirls? I didn’t know I was talking to a criminal.”

Honestly at this point he wouldn’t put it past her to be a criminal, she seemed to have a habit of stealing people’s hearts. He’d never tell her that though. One, she seemed to have a strange distaste for bad jokes, two, that meant he’d have to admit that he liked her (but the word ‘like’ didn’t seem strong enough).

“What?! I wouldn’t take it that far! I’m a total supporter of the law!”

Luka moved the phone from his ear to his chest. His face pinched tightly, trying to hold back any laughter that formed. His body tensed up from holding it in, as much as Juleka definitely deserved some payback for the loud laughing she tended to do so late at night, he really didn’t want to deal with a cranky sister. He quickly moved the phone back to his ear and took a deep breath.

“Yeah, that’s true. It’s kinda funny how different we are, not that I don’t support the law. It’s just when you have a mom like mine, it’s kinda hard to keep it in mind.” Marinette laughed through the phone and his chest felt like it was on fire.

Everything about her was so sweet, her laugh, her personality, she was amazing. Even when the mornings came and his head throbbed from the lack of sleep, he would never change these moments with her for anything in the world.

Sounds of fabric and movement came through the speaker along with a small hum of agreement. “Yeah I am pretty amazing at following the law. It’s kinda like a job at this point… Not that I have a job with the law! I don’t do that. That would be weird. Uh- anyways! Your job! Wait, that's not exciting. Oh man I’m so nervous tonight, I’m sorry.”

“Melody, it’s fine. My job isn’t very exciting, but I’m sure your day was, right? Mind telling me about it? You know I love listening to you.”

A gasp came through the other end of the phone and then a very thorough retelling of the events from the day. He slowly closed his eyes and imagined everything she told him. She left the bakery this morning to hang out with Alya, she probably wore that new beret she made, along with some cute, pink shoes to match.

He imagined her sitting under a tree at the park to draw, it was sunny and hot today, so she probably took her jacket off to get comfortable. She told him how she went out to get orange juice with Kagami, he could practically hear her smile through the phone as she told him about it.

Everything with Marinette was simple, by no means easy, but simple. He knew her well enough to understand how she felt, and she was the same way with him. They just got each other. She didn’t need to tell him the details because she knew he would already know. When he tried to explain a decision he made in a new song, she didn’t have to know what he was saying to understand him. Luka found it easy to just ignore the details, because Marinette was talented enough to fill them in herself.

Luka stayed quiet as he processed her words, filling in the details himself. He loved spending his nights like this, he didn’t mind messing with his sleeping schedule (or lack thereof). He loved to replay every moment of sincerity and kindness she showed throughout her day. He loved to hear about new projects she worked on, because her talent went beyond anything he’d ever seen.

She was miraculous.

“-But yeah, I guess that was my day! Not super exciting, but I think it was okay? I hope it was, at least.” Exciting? That was just one of the many adjectives he could use to describe her. Talented, exciting, clumsy, but so intelligent. Even on her dull days, he got excited just hearing her about random thoughts she had throughout the day. “Marinette… you’re extraordinary, honestly. Your day sounds wonderful. You’re wonderful. I don't know- You make me feel wonderful.”

Was he oversharing? Probably. He was definitely bad with words, but he wasn’t lying. His hands fisted his shirt as he waited for a response. The other end of the phone call went strangely silent. He could faintly hear the hum of the phone and the waves of the water outside his window. Why did the phone get quiet?

The last thing he’d ever want to do was make her uncomfortable, maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. What if he told her too much? A soft squeal pulled him out of his thoughts and he focused back on the phone. “Um-! That’s...really sweet, Luka! You’re wonderful too… Or- Extraordinary I mean! You make me feel extraordinary, all the time. So- I don’t know, thank you?” His chest tightened. How much longer could he keep up with this act?

Pretending to be ‘just a friend’ might be easier for some people, but it was torture for him. Did she have these late night talks with other people? Did she ever hold anyone else’s hands when hers feels cold? Did she ever kiss them on the cheek to say goodbye? Luka was never one to push his luck, despite protests from his sister and mom, but nights like tonight made it hard.

“Don’t thank me, it’s just the truth, Mari. I should be thanking you, for making my nights a lot better, y’know?”

It was the truth. But there was so much more he could say. All of her quirks and amazing qualities always left his head feeling dizzy. He could write symphonies merely based on the person she was, let alone his feelings for her.

Yet he always kept those melodies to himself, even if he wanted to share them with the world, or share them with her. Nights like these make him feel like he could take on anything life throws at him. For Marinette, he probably could.

Another squeal came through the phone and a loud thud. He quickly sat up in a panic and pressed the phone even closer to his ear. “Marinette? Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” Loud thumping came through the receiver and more panicked sounds.

“S-sorry! That was just- I just- Ugh… I dropped my phone, sorry. You just- you should know that… This is gonna sound lame, but you make my nights better too… Heck, I even listen to your cover songs throughout the day, so I guess you make my days better too? Wait, that sounds weird, sorry! I don’t mean to say it in a weird way...”

Luka’s eyes widened and his heart felt as if it was trying to beat out of his chest. His hand unconsciously moved to his chest and grabbed tightly onto his shirt. The breath leaving him was shaky and weak. It felt like the world stopped spinning for a moment.

All at once, the feelings he tried to hide came boiling over and any sensible thought that told him to conceal his affections raced out of his mind. Before he could stop himself, Luka’s mouth moved on its own.

“Can we facetime? Or anything similar to that, please?”

Without getting an answer, his phone started ringing. He turned the phone to his face and saw himself staring back. As soon as Luka answered the call his eyes wandered across his screen, taking in Marinette’s face.

Her hair was still in pigtails, but different strands stuck out in an adorable way. The camera showed her snuggled into her bed as she laid on her side, with her pink comforter pulled over her lower face, covering her cheeks and nose. A large cat pillow rested just behind her head, unnervingly staring at him. Because most of her face was hidden, Luka noticed her eyes, and suddenly he felt very self aware of his position.

Quickly laying back down on his bed, Luka awkwardly raised one arm to lay behind his head, trying to feign an relaxed appearance. He tried to give her the closest thing to an easygoing smile as he could manage at the moment, which definitely felt a little forced seeing as how he was now (sort of) face to face with Marinette. Trying to hide any tension he was feeling, he cleared his throat, inwardly hoping she couldn’t read how nervous he was.

“Uh- Hey, Mar- Melody. Love the cat pillow. Totally don’t feel like it’s about to jump into your phone and attack me.”

She raised a hand to her mouth, attempting to cover her laughter. Her eyes scrunched, smile widened, and Luka’s heart soared. Marinette managed to roll onto her back letting the beautiful sound ring throughout the room. The blanket dropped and uncovered the entirety of her face.

After a moment of joy, she tried to quickly recollect herself. She turned her head back to the phone and stuck out her tongue. “Silly. Just so you know I’m banning you from making me laugh this late again. You’re gonna make my stomach hurt!”

Luka started laughing too, loosely covering his mouth, not caring about waking anyone up anymore. “That’s gonna be a problem, you should know that I’m kinda hilarious, so you should fully expect me to break that rule. Very quickly.”

They both joined in quiet giggling before Marinette covered her mouth with her hand again and gasped. “I just told you that you’re banned from making me laugh!”

“Hey, I warned you! You can’t be mad when I literally just warned you!”

The two teens burst into laughter once more. Luka calmed down quicker than Marinette did, so he saw her laughing face a second time. She was beautiful. Every time he saw her, he swore she wasn’t real. No real person could be as stunning as she was.

Whenever she worked on a new project and her hair flopped over her face, she was gorgeous. The times when she helps their friends out, her eyes are always so gentle, she’s divine. Even when she’s stressed out, the moments when she feels at her lowest, Luka can’t help but notice how angelic she looks.

She’s breathtaking without even trying.

Once Marinette collected herself, her eyes turned soft and precious as she looked back at the phone. Even through a screen, her stare set his soul on fire. His mind went blank for a second before he lost all sense of reason.

“Did you really mean it when you said I make your days and nights better?”

Her eyes widened slightly at his question, and he finally realized what just came out of his mouth. ‘Great job, Couffaine. You just made it weird!’Luka shook his head and moved the camera slightly away from his face, moving his gaze from the phone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up again-”

“I mean it.”

His eyes shot back to her and saw how she snuggled back into her bed again. Her eyes were looking away, but the redness in her face showed him exactly where her mind was. “I meant what I said… Did- Well, did you mean it too? When you said I made your nights better?”

There it was again. The shaky breath, the longing look in his eyes, the fuzziness in his chest. With a simple answer, she turned him into putty and without even realizing it.

Luka moved his arm to rest on his eyes, attempting to hide any sign that would show how he felt, just in case she didn’t mean her words the way he wanted her to mean them. He’d never blame her for not being too clear, even if it hurt him. Any affection, whether friendly or romantic, should’ve been fine with him.

“This is gonna sound bad, but my phone is full of screenshots from our FaceTime calls.” Luka lifted his arm up slightly to gauge a reaction from her. But her eyes were glued on him, he couldn’t pick up on a clear response, so he covered his eyes again and continued.

“I… this is so creepy- sometimes I look at pictures of you and… it makes my day better too? That sounds so weird. It sounded a lot cuter in my head-” A loud cackle interrupted him and his arm shot away from his eyes. He saw Marinette digging herself even deeper into her massive blanket (and creepy cat pillow), trying to hide her laughter.

She must’ve noticed his silence because her eyes popped out of the blanket to look back at her screen. “Sorry, that’s just… that’s so cute! You take screenshots from our facetime calls?”

Her lopsided smile made his cheeks burn. He tried to gain back his level-headedness by rolling his eyes at her. He brought the phone closer to stick his tongue out at her. “I wouldn’t call me ‘cute’ if you don’t want me to call you ‘adorable’ for listening to those covers.”

Marinette stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation and hid her face back into the blanket. He took a quick, deep breath, silently thanking himself for being able to play his awkwardness off.

“I can’t believe I actually admitted that to you- That’s cold-blooded, Luka! Teasing a girl’s love is mean!”

They both paused for a second, taking in her words. The cabin suddenly felt a lot smaller than it was. His blood felt boiling hot yet icy cold all at once. His face slacked and yet tensed in different places. Looking at her and seeing her eyes expand let him know she was probably feeling the same way.

“Love?”

It sounded so easy. When she said it, it felt right. Full of affection without being overbearing. But then Marinette’s gaze moved off screen. She sunk into herself, yet not playfully like before. The energy of the call changed into something else, something new. “I… shouldn’t say anymore. I’m… sorry, Luka. I’m so sorry; I feel so selfish. I call you so late just to ruin your night by making things weird, and I’m so sorry.”

He watched as she shifted in her bed; he saw the edge of her thumb on the screen, hovering over it, as if she was about to end the call. “That’s not-! Marinette, that’s not true. If you’re selfish… If you’re selfish, then I must be the most greedy guy in the world.”

Marinette swiftly stared at the screen, her mouth opened as if she was going to rebuttal his statement. Before she could, he spoke first.

“I’ve been staying up every night, hoping and begging that you’d text me, or call me, or give me any attention at all. And I do it, knowing that you message me when you’re tired and need to rest. I know that spending time with me only takes away time you need to sleep. So yes, I’m selfish, and I’m greedy,”

Luka slowly sat up as he stared into the screen, clutching it as if it was the most important thing in the world, and at this moment, it was. Marinette moved the blanket off her face slightly and he saw her face flush with color. His voice felt raw as his throat tightened and his face burned. He couldn’t even register the tear that raced down his cheek. When did he get so emotional?

“But Melody, Mari, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I want your attention so bad. I want your affection and anything else you give me. I’ve been trying so hard to bite my tongue around you, to pretend like I think of you as my friend. But I love…”

He shut his mouth fast. What was he doing? He was destroying everything for these feelings. Why would she like him? She gives everyone affection. Marinette loved everyone, it was just who she was. What was he doing? He looked around his room and realized the situation he put himself in. He quickly put his phone on the bed next to him and pulled his knees to his chest.

Did he ruin their relationship? Would she stop having these late night talks with him? Would she still hold his hands when hers felt cold? Would she ever kiss his cheek to say goodbye again? What was he doing?

This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go. It all happened so fast. He reached for his phone to apologize and to hopefully scavenge whatever was left of their friendship.

“I love you too, Luka.”

His hand stopped just above his phone and he waited. He listened to the small buzzing sound from his phone, the waves moving against the boat, gentle breathing coming from Marinette.

“I love you… and I wanna be selfish. I wanna be greedy and I wanna be with you.”

Luka found the courage to lift the phone to his face and stare back at her. Marinette now sat up, her face was bright red with tear stains down her cheeks. Her eyes were slightly puffy and he was sure his were too. The only light on her face was her phone and even with everything, she looked beautiful.

“I wanna be with you too, Marinette. Always, for as long as you’ll have me. Wake me up at three A.M. everynight for the rest of my life, I don’t care. I just wanna be with you too. I love you.”

It felt so right. It wasn’t too much when he said it. He meant it to be heavy and weighted. But it didn’t feel forced or extreme. It was just right. They stared at each other for a moment more. His eyes raced across every centimeter of the screen, taking in every aspect of her, her eyes doing the same. Smiles spread across her face as they both chuckled, their laughter laced with happy tears.

Luka wiped his eyes, trying to calm himself down (despite his teenage hormones telling him that he should continue to cry and sob from the utter euphoria he was feeling). Marinette tugged at her pigtails with one hand, seeking to find comfort.

“This wasn’t the way I thought we’d confess, y’know. I always thought you’d write me a song, or I’d make you a new jacket. Some big gesture instead of us sobbing,” she chuckled.

He stopped wiping his eyes to laugh again. His smile grew, even as he tasted his tears. “Yeah, sorry about that. I promise I have plenty of songs for you, and about you and everything. I can grab my guitar if you want, but you might hear Juleka complaining in the background.”

They shared one final laugh before the exhaustion of crying kicked in and they both laid back down. Marinette wrapped herself in blankets one final time, holding the dubious cat pillow tight against her. Luka found himself in a similar position, he laid on his side, his face squished against his pillow and the blanket pulled under his chin.

They stared at each other, making small conversation about their feelings. Luka could hardly remember all that happened after that, he felt such relief and happiness from everything that the rest of the night felt fuzzy.

He glanced at the time at the top of his screen and noticed it was now closer to three-thirty. Luka took a deep breath before sighing. He saw Marinette’s eyes getting smaller and smaller with each second.

He knew that they should hang up soon, but he really wanted to be selfish and keep her on the phone. “Luka…”

Marinette slowly opened an eye to look back at him. Their smiles grew once again. “Are you gonna take another screenshot of me?” Her smile turned sly and he rolled his eyes.

“That’s cold-blooded, Mel’. Teasing a guy’s love is mean,” he stuck out his tongue, just for good measure. But then he sneakily took one screenshot, to remind himself that tonight was real and not just a dream. Tonight, Marinette was his and he was hers, and hopefully it’ll stay like that for a long time.

Her eyes drifted back closed, but her smile never left. “...Love you… Luka….”

Warmth engulfed his chest, leaving him feeling light and airy. The mattress underneath him felt soft and perfect. The dryness on his cheeks from earlier tears didn’t bother him at all. He was content and full of love.

While the confession was unexpected, he wouldn’t change it for the world. As much as he loved her clothing and as many songs as he had for her, he knew nothing would’ve compared to tonight. As he looked back at her sleeping face, he had a feeling she felt the same.

“I love you too, Marinette.”

[samiwok]

Heyyyaaa! I super love ur haikyuu hcs nd scenarios! Can I request fem s/o making mug brownies at 3am with bokuto, oikawa, kuroo, and tsukki. I'm doing it alone rn nd it was just an activity that could turn cute nd adorable hehe thanks!

-> making mug brownies with their s/o [ Bokuto, Oikawa, Kuroo and Tsukishima ]

— Bokuto

3am. You were both in bed, laying without talking in the dark, in the night

« You sleep? »

« You do? »

You laughed to his unexpected answer « Bokuto baby if I’m asking you then I’m not » and he hummed of approval

You stayed silent a few minutes and suddenly both of you just suggested you could go down in the kitchen and cook somethin

You went downstairs together, looking like two children, doing something bad and you were feeling so excited about it. Cooking. At night. WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND.

« So what do we do yn ? » Bokuto whispered

« Why do you whisper Bokuto there is only the two of us here » you answered whispering

« Why are you whispering too then? » he added and you both laughed softly before talking normally finally

You found a brownies recipe and suggested it to him, he just looked at you with a huge smile who looked sincerely happy « whatever you want, I’ll follow you »

You finally chose you would do these so you started to prepare the ingredients and Bokuto looked at you smiling

« I think it is kinda silent don’t you think? » he said before putting some music

He took your hand and pulled you close to him and yeah you were there at 3 fucking am. Dancing with Bokuto, and cooking and so many other things

You had this impression that the night was never going to end and it felt so good to be here, with him. Doing simple things, that he was making extraordinary

The hours passed and while the brownies were on the microwave you were watching a movie with Bokuto and both of you forgot about it

« Okay so... sorry it must be cold now » you said feeling so guilty of ruining the brownies with your idea of watching a movie

« It’s okay » he said before eating some of the obviously cold brownies. His face turned to you « it’s sooo good » he told you and you laughed so much seeing him that way. His teeth were full of chocolate and he was not as sexy as usual but he was so damn cute

« I love you Bokuto Kōtarō, first man in my heart »

He smiled and you laughed again « why do you laugh at me » he pouted and you kissed him to make it up to him

« Yn. Let’s do this every night »

« We can’t do this every night we have to sleep » you laughed

« Oh right. But I want to do it again »

« We will babe »

— Oikawa

« Well well well who do I see in the Kitchen at almost 3 am ? » you heard your boyfriend’s voice coming from the door of the kitchen and when you turned back, he was standing there, staring at you

You felt guilty as if you were doing something bad when all you did was preparing things to make mug brownies

To occupy your lonely night where sleep does not seem to happen and also because well.. you just love mug brownies

« What are you doing babe ? Eating at night ? That’s not good for you and that’s certainly not good for me »

« Well go back to sleep if you need it, I’ll stay here alone without problems Tōru » you answered, thinking it would reassure him but it absolutely dit not

He pouted probably because he was trying to flirt and you ruined his thing so he joked « I can’t leave you alone in here you’re gonna burn the food and the house with it »

You sighed « well.. thank you for your trust, you won’t have the right to eat my brownies then »

« Oh so you’re making brownies ? Interesting, I’m going to stay here and watch you prepare it knowing I will eat everything later » he winked and smirked, asshole

For like 3 minutes only, Tooru was looking at you preparing the brownies and he was not saying anything, not doing anything and you felt in peace, thinking you were ALONE

But he stood up and came next to you, he wrapped his arms around you and leaned his head on yours

« Have I already told you how sexy, beautiful, cute, adorable and lovely you look when you’re cooking ? » he asked and you blushed, obviously not prepared for so much love and confession all of a sudden

You turned the microwave on to put the brownies on it but Tooru gripped your hands and kissed your cheeks « it’ll be okay, you’ve done enough let me do the rest I see it when you’re tired, just go to sleep princess I’ll finish it for you »

You opened your mouth to say something and he pressed his soft lips against yours « At least sit down and let me do this »

He was finishing the thing and you were on the table falling asleep. Tooru took a photo because damn you looked so cute at this very moment and he was like [ oh god I am so in love with her ]

Then he sat next to you and spent the rest of how night cuddling you, kissing you and keeping an eye over the brownies while you were sleeping

— Kuroo

You were in the kitchen, preparing some brownies alone because you wanted to surprise Kuroo waking him up on the morning with these to eat

You were concentrated, reading the list of ingredients needed to do the recipe and Kuroo entered the room

« Look how beautiful you are » he said, leaning on the wall and looking at you with such loving eyes

« What are you doing hidden here alone in the middle of the night baby ? » he added, walking towards you

You kissed his lips briefly, quickly going back to your preparation and he crossed his arms

You were not even looking at him and I swear he was about to pout like a lil baby

« You’re not going to let me touch anything ? » he said

« No! I am cooking this for you so I will do it from the beginning till the end alone » you insisted and he laughed

« Okay I give up on helping you doing this, you’re way too stubborn when you want something ugh » he was mocking you and he stole your recipe book

You tried to take it back but this huge kid just pulled his arm up with it to make sure you can’t take it

You were fighting but when Kuroo wants to annoy you he always succeeds to make you upset

« Are you going to let me help you or not ? »

« No ! »

« Then I keep this! » he laughed while opening the book above your both heads and he was reading the recipe

In the end you gave up and let him help you with it and even if your surprise was ruined, the night you spent cooking with him, laughing, talking and experimenting things was amazing

You ended eating the brownies together, feeding each other, kissing each other and the moment was just so soft

« Thanks for letting me join you yn. Even if every moment with you is great, tonight it was even more amazing and amusing » he said kissing your forehead

« Now that we ate it all, let’s go to bed I want to cuddle you » he added taking your hand

— Tsukishima

It was so late and you could not find sleep. Tsukishima was next to you in your bed, and baby had manage to fall asleep

You were so bored but did not want to wake him up because.. well.. it’s Tsukishima he’d probably does not appreciate that you wake him up because you can’t sleep

Si you went downstairs the most discreetly you could and you finally got to the kitchen [ hungry ] that is what you thought, probably because you saw a friend of yours posting a cake on her snapchat story

You opened the fridge and the lockers to see what you could find and as you were thinking about what you could do you heard his voice from behind you

« What the fuck are you doing yn it’s 3 am? » Tsukishima said softly, yet you jumped. Probably because you absolutely did not hear him coming

« I’m.. hungry » you said before laughing to his face going from 😐 to 😑

The boy was clearly annoyed by you and you expected him to turn off the lights and force you to go back to sleep with him but curiously he leaned on the table in the middle of the kitchen

His eyes were staring at you as if he was waiting for something from you

« What? » you asked, not knowing what to say other

« Well I’m waiting »

« Waiting for ? »

« You to give me the instructions » he answered a soft smile on his lips

You spent the rest of the hour cooking with him and you never knew you needed a moment like this with him but obviously he knew

You ate the preparation together and you went to sleep together. After this you found sleep, Tsukki’s loving arms wrapped around you

[saltwatersweetner]

My Strange Addiction

Eren x Reader

You and Eren are never on the same page but what you both can agree on isn’t for the faint of heart

CW: Threats/acts of violence, verbal abuse, mild degradation, praise kink, mild voyarism

You were shaking.

You weren’t exactly sure what it was from. Was it anger? Shock? It didn’t matter because either way it was quickly leading to irritation and something...darker.

You didn’t mean to be like this. So short tempered and volatile. To your credit you weren’t always like this either but when it came to him it was like a switch was flipped.

He was everything.

The sun the moon the air in your lungs the pavement under your shoes. He was every extraordinary and devastating thing the universe had to offer. He leant so much to you—And he knew this—so who was she?

He knew you were here—had seen you enter the party. You knew the weight of his eyes on you like you knew the curves and edges of your own palms.

It wasn’t Mikasa, or anyone you knew he was friends with. Her intentions were clearly less than friendly, her hands playing in his hair and a dopey smile on her mouth. You watch them for a bit—undecided if you were gonna interrupt or not when green clashes with (e/c). It all clicked in your mind at that moment.

You stop shaking.

He wanted you to make a scene.

Straightening your body you lean against the wall behind you with a smirk. You weren’t moving an inch until he came to you. You thought he learned to stop trying to test you at this point but apparently he needed more training.

When your eyes clash again you let your carefully crafted public mask slip down—only slightly—giving him a much needed view of the madness swimming inside you. He was on thin ice and that seemed to give him a much needed reality check because he walks towards you immediately.

It was almost funny to watch a 6 foot tall man almost shrink in on himself as he kept his eyes locked fiercely to the ground. Sipping the rest of the cheap alcohol down you raise your brows at him “What?”

“Im ready to go home please.” The voice he was using was soft, unlike his natural loud speaking voice, he was trying to bide his time by appealing to your more forgiving nature.

Too bad he already crossed the line.

You hum “Oh you’re ready to go home?”

Erens nod is just as soft as his voice. He was playing the role of a good boy rather well and you almost wanted to give him mercy—but, he wouldn’t learn if you did that.

Reaching out you force his chin up so you’d make eye contact. A shiver runs down his spine once he realized the hidden promises of violence dancing in them “Thats not how you ask.”

You watch his adams apple bob up and down as he forces himself to not shake “Can I go home please?”

You don’t answer verbally simply grabbing his wrist and pulling him through the sea of people. You don’t say a word to him until you’re in your car speeding down the desolate roads

“Are you fucking stupid?” Your voice is like a bullet.

The silence had slowly been killing him if the way he’d been fidgeting in his seat were anything to go by.

“And you were being so fucking good lately, only to fuck it up like you always do.”

“Im still good.” He sounds almost offended with the implications of him no longer being good.

Eren liked being good it got him things but being bad—pissing you off to the point of no return? Got him more.

“You’re a useless fucking brat.”

You glance over to see him pouting, a conflicted look on his face. He wasn’t sure what he wanted you to say exactly. You would prefer his need to seek praise and affection would win out on his need to be a brat but of course Eren never took the painless route ever.

“I don’t see the big deal we didn’t even do anything you’re just overreacting.”

Overreacting?

The thin cord that was holding the darkness back snaps.

Slamming your foot on the break you move the car into park and turn to face Eren very slowly. His hands we’re braced on the dash having not expected you to hit the breaks in such a manner. Before he could react you had the front of his shirt clutched tight in your hand pulling him inches from your face.

You weren’t sure what look you had on your face but it had him squirming in your grasp “I will slaughter her and make you watch do you want to test me tonight Eren?”

His pupils were blown wide and he was breathing like he just ran a marathon. And still that stupid smile was on his lips.

“Do it.”

You almost can’t help but backhand him. The gasp he lets out is almost erotic and the blissed out look he gives you in turn is truly rewarding.

“Touch me—please?”

You watch blood drip down his mouth, your hit having split his lip. Rubbing the area with your thumb you suddenly press down on it with your nail making him gasp in pain “Hm I don’t think so.”

“M’good I’ll be so good I promise please please.” He was stuck between a state of panic and arousal.

He wanted to be punished so bad he yearned for it but considering his recent behavior that would only fuel him so the best punishment was no punishment at all really. He’d drive himself mad with all the things he thought you’d do and you’d give him nothing in return.

Letting go of his lip you turn back in your seat and push the car back into drive, ignoring the whines of the boy next to you. You needed a moment to think about what you were gonna do about that girl. You couldn’t hurt her—yet. All fingers would immediately point to you and—

Your hand shoots out stopping him from pulling his zipper down. Pressing a finger against his bulge you raise your eyebrows in amusement.

“Oh impatient? Thats not very good Eren I though you said you’re gonna be good?” Sliding your fingers down you gently palm him through his pants.

Eren was shaking his whole body alive from a single touch in the place he wanted it most. Breathing labored he stare at you from beneath his lashes “I am—I promise I can be so good.”

Humming you move your middle and ring fingers in gentle circles barely putting down the pressure he craved “oh really? Show me.”

Eren eagerly ruts against your palm, eager to please, eager to show you just how good he could be and you loved it. You loved when he behaved and did as he was told—he was so pretty and perfect that way. It meant you didn’t have to hurt his pretty little body but you knew him and you knew that when you damaged him—when you bruised his pretty skin, was when he liked you the most.

Eren tips over the edge without ceremony.

He pants like a bitch in heat obviously expecting praise but you offer him none. There was no reward for bad behavior and so you remove your hand.

“I—I was good right?”

Shrugging you turn the radio on letting whatever tired radio host’s voice fill the heavy silence “I dont know Eren, were you?”

“You...you have to tell me I was good.”

Raising your eyebrows you laugh, you know its a cruel sound with the way he sinks in his seat upon not receiving praise “I dont have to do anything...we’ll be home in 10 minutes.”

[literaryfic]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: 빈센조 | Vincenzo (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Vincenzo Cassano | Park Joo Hyeong/Hong Cha Young Characters: Hong Cha Young, Vincenzo Cassano | Park Joo Hyeong Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, vincenzo leaves, set five years after he left sk, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, vincenzo and cha-young are exes, they were in a relationship before, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jealousy, Exes, Getting Back Together, Not Canon Compliant, i wrote this before ep 20

Summary: Sipping on his third — or fourth, he’d stopped counting a while back  — whiskey of the night, Vincenzo fantasised about snapping the neck Cha-young’s fingers were delicately wrapped around. 

To Vincenzo, regret was like an old friend. He’d become accustomed to its familiar weight over the years, learnt its intricate shapes and colours. More than that, he’d learned to welcome the intimate ways in which regret accompanied his every step. 

The blood on his hands, his mother, her… Yes, it seemed regret was the recurring theme of his life. Alas, in spite of all the years he’d spent acquainted with it, he could not silence the wails of anguish of his heart. 

“Mmh.” A simple sound had sufficed to sink his soul to slumber.*

He’d always known this was a possibility. He’d thought about it endlessly, convincing himself that he wouldn’t care, that being in her life was enough. But Vincenzo was a greedy man, and he’d never desired anything more than he desired her.

Her. Cha-young. His Tesoro. 

Rarely did Vincenzo say or even think of her name when his mind wandered back to her. He treated it like a jewel, a precious gem meant to be tucked away in the corner of his soul, only to be let out under extraordinary circumstances. 

Her name on his lips would not be said in vain, for he was a pious man and her, a Goddess. He’d converted to her cult the moment she’d kissed him, her lips initiating him to her worship. 

And so, he prayed to her. When he’d reached the edge of the cliff, the troubled waters calling out to him, whispering in his ear that drowning would put out the fire that consumed his being, he prayed. 

He’d go to a small Catholic church in Milan, high ceilings and stained-glass windows glimmering in the evening sun, and he’d sit in the last row, his hands clapped together. He’d recite his prayers, confess his sins and plead. I love you. Forgive me. Wait for me.

The Goddess, however, was a capricious being, and it seemed she had not heard his pleas. Or maybe she had, but had deemed him unworthy. 

Vincenzo had wondered if she had found someone else, if she had been happy without him. Wasn’t human nature so contradictory? He had been sure that leaving her was the most selfless act of love he’d be capable of, yet that ‘Mmh’ had set his soul on fire. 

He had promised himself that if it were to happen — if Cha-young had forgotten about him, if leaving really had been the gift he’d first thought it was — , he would be content with just seeing her again. Even if all he’d get was a furtive look, that alone would be enough to satisfy the thirst he’d been dying of for the past five years. What a naïve thought. He knew the moment he’d seen her again, that night on the beach. He needed her. 

Now, watching her slow dance in someone else’s arms, Vincenzo thought about torture. He’d inflicted it on many of his enemies before and knew the myriad of ways in which the human body contorted itself when in agony. 

Vincenzo reaches for the gold lighter in his pocket, the reassuring clicking sound helping him organise his thoughts. 

He would start by pulling out his teeth one by one. Then, he’d move on to his fingers. It’d make a mess, but he wouldn’t die right away. Vincenzo would be able to enjoy the fun for quite a while, actually. Would the man scream until his vocal cords bled? Would he convulse, his body distorted by tremors, eyes rolling back?

Sadly, the only one getting tortured is him; the only cries of pain, his heart’s. 

Sipping on his third — or fourth, he’d stopped counting a while back  — whiskey of the night, Vincenzo fantasised about snapping the neck Cha-young’s fingers were delicately wrapped around. 

 Like moths to a flame, Vincenzo’s eyes were inevitably drawn to the pearly white of her thigh, revealed by the split of her long, form-fitting dress. She looked otherworldly tonight, her hips swaying to the slow beat of the love song playing in the background. Here she was, with her straight, shiny hair reflecting the dim lights of the ballroom, her red lips complimenting her flushed cheeks  — a fallen angel gracing them with her presence. 

The man holding her in his arms was in his late thirties, and while he was the same height as Cha-young with her heels on, he had broad shoulders and large hands. He looked down at his feet whenever he laughed, which made his glasses slide off his nose ever so slightly. After a while, he’d readjust them and run his hand through his short hair, the start of an endless loop.

He wondered what she saw in him, if it was something in his eyes or in his voice. Did she kiss his knuckles whenever he was working on some paperwork, lost in thoughts yet reluctant to let go of her hand? Did she kiss his neck and whispered ‘I'm here, it’s okay’ whenever he had a nightmare? Did her fingers trace ‘I love you’s’ on his shoulder blades while they were laying in bed? 

And if she did, was it because he looked at her like she was the most precious thing on this earth? Was it because he had secretly learned her favourite recipe, the one her mom used to make when she was sick? Was it because he held her tight when she cried, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting words against her skin? 

He looks harmless, Vincenzo thinks. The alcohol is getting to him.

‘Is he a good person?’

‘Mmh. He is.’

He shakes his head, banishing memories of yesterday’s conversation from his mind. That’s a relief. Cha-young deserves to be with an ordinary man who lives a righteous life, away from all the murders and the evils of this world. Yet, his heart aches every time she smiles at him. 

Him, who is everything he’s not. Him, who’s making her laugh, and smile, and blush. 

The man leans in to whisper in her ear, and Vincenzo can’t take it anymore. He pays for his drinks and leaves, the sound of his lighter not enough to ground him anymore. He needs to get away, far from the sway of her hips and that man’s hand on her lower back. Before he knows it, he’s out of the hotel, on the beach. 

Stuck in his own personal hell, Vincenzo considers atoning for his sins. Surely, the fire blazing inside his body, boiling his blood and heating up his skin is worse than the Inferno he’d ineluctably be condemned to. 

Without thinking, he takes off his shoes, his trousers and his shirt, and dives into the ocean. He needed to put out the fire before he got burned alive. It’s a warm evening but the dark waters feel ice-cold on his heated skin. He swims until the cacophony of the waves crashing against the shore lulls him. He swims until he’s about to drown, limbs too heavy to float. How he manages to get back on the beach, he doesn’t know. He collapses in the sand, exhausted. The distant moon looks down on him, her inquisitive eyes strangely offensive. Tonight, the heavenly body is mocking him. Look at this fool, she laughed. Did you really think she’d wait for you?

Vincenzo wants to scream at her, or maybe at himself, but instead he cries. He doesn’t have the energy to fight it, or to feel ashamed. He is guilty of leaving her and he has no one else to blame. Regret might be an old friend, but guilt is his greatest foe. 

He forces himself to get up, knowing he’d get buried under the weight of his conscience if he stayed any longer. Putting back on his trousers only, Vincenzo carries his shoes and his top until he sees the hotel lights. Were they still dancing together? 

He stops before going inside, lighting a cigarette. He’d taken it up again after going back to Italy, another one of the nasty habits he indulged in. He stood near a huge palm tree, just at the entrance of the main building, probably why he didn’t see him. Cha-young’s… someone was standing there, smoking on the other side of the palm tree. Vincenzo holds his breath, not sure how to react. The man is on the phone, and although it isn’t his business, he can’t help but overhear his conversation. 

“No, no… I told you, nothing’s going on with her...Yes, I promise. I told you, she paid for all her employees, it’s a group thing. Mmh. Don’t worry. I’ll see you soon. Me too.”

Forget torture, Vincenzo is killing this man with his bare hands tonight. 

*‘Sink Not Yet My Soul To Slumber’ is a Christian Hymn SINK not yet, my soul, to slumber, Wake, my heart, go forth and tell, All the mercies without number That this by-gone day befell: Tell how God hath kept afar, All things that against me war, Hath upheld me and defended, And His grace my soul befriended.

[obae-me]

The Demons Inside- Part 3

Part 1 (Lucifer)     Part 2 (Mammon) 

Word Count: 2185

Description: Levi’s Part of the request “The brothers reacting to an MC crying suddenly in front of them and then trying to act as if nothing happened”

Levi had been waiting for tonight. He’d been antsy about it for days, anticipating it so immensely, he was jittery. Although, it’s entirely possible his twitches and little shakes were thanks to the many energy drinks he had downed today. No matter. He needed to be fully awake and aware in the present. Today he would be spending every hour with the resident human. His Henry, MC. 

Envy had nearly driven him mad these past few weeks. MC had done nothing but spend seemingly every precious moment with one of his brothers. Everyone but him. And he knew why, it wasn’t hard to guess. Lucifer was perfect in every way. Mammon--despite his general scumminess--was fun to be around. Satan was vastly intelligent. Asmo was gorgeous and friendly. Beel was strong and supportive. Belphie was relatively calm and clever. And him? Well, he was an eccentric shut in. But despite all that, MC had made sure to hang out with him today, on a day where they both knew no one would be around to bother them. 

He jolted out of his frantic thoughts as soon as a knock could be heard from the door. Usually, he’d have his visitor answer, but he was aware of who it was, and he was so excited to get on with their activities he had no patience for his many passwords. Swinging the door open with quite a wild look in his eyes, MC appeared a bit startled. Levi, feeling embarrassment seep into his bones over his eagerness, had his face flush a bright red. Adjusting to his normal sheepish behavior let MC smile, holding up some grocery bags he could see were filled with a plethora of snacks and drinks. 

“Sorry I’m a bit late,” MC apologized as Levi held the door open for them to enter his room. “Not only did I buy some snacks, but I had to shoo away my chauffeur.” 

Levi shook his head, his long bangs threatening to cover his vision. His core sin threatened to burn at the thought of, again, any sibling other than himself hanging out with MC. Maybe he had wanted to go to the store to buy snacks, so why did MC not ask him? You hate the grocery store, you know that, he reprimanded himself. “No worries, it gave me time to clean my room a bit!” Levi pushed his intrusive thoughts to the back of his mind as he gestured proudly at his now immaculate room. Trash was devoid from the floor, old clothes were put in the laundry bin-- “And I even dusted off all my figures!” To prove his claim, he snatched a frilly figure off one of his many shelves, holding it out to MC as they observed it. 

They beamed at him, forcing a persistent flutter in Levi’s chest. “It looks great!” Levi noticed something lacking from their expression, like they seemed a bit drained. This urged him to take the items from them and shut his door before the human could think of leaving. Was that faded smile due to him? Had they not been looking forward to this as much as he had? Did they not want to be here? Panic made it hard for him to breathe, but he handled it as best as he could as he pulled up a second chair to his desk for the human to sit in. MC’s eyes flickered over his fancy monitors and equipment, slightly transfixed by all the pretty lights. 

“I’ve got lots of things planned, if that’s okay,” Levi told them, the confidence in his voice wavering. The last thing Levi wanted was for himself to blow this fun day with something stupid. 

They nodded to assure him, and while their smile might’ve still shown hints of something more, Levi’s panic melted away. “Of course! What’re we doing first?” 

Too giddy for words, he opened a game on his desktop, doing his best to explain the rules to MC as he handed them a controller. It was some kind of online fighting fantasy game, and while there were many like it, Levi promised that this was the best of the bunch. They both settled in, picking their characters. Without a second thought, Levi picked his; a bright colored female character with a glowing staff and too many bows on their clothes to be considered natural. 

“This is Luma, she’s my main! Who’re you choosing?” Levi squirmed in his seat, ready to get started. 

“I don’t know...there’s so many to select from...I’ll just pick someone random for now,” MC shrugged, clicking on the first character that caught their eye. Not wanting to waste any more time, Levi set up a lobby for their matches. 

Everything had gone fine...at first. Of course, MC kept dying, but Levi assured them it was their first time playing the game, and the character they had picked was set at a larger difficulty than others. The human nodded and pushed forward. The first match ended with MC getting no kills, stacking up the most deaths, and looking at Levi’s score in shame as the demon had racked up more K.O.s than any other player combined. 

MC laughed sheepishly, letting the controller settle languidly in their hands. “Guess I’m no good at this game.” 

A pang of something familiar flashed through their eyes, and Levi felt the pain. “Not true! Here, try this character, they’re ranged and a little op, so you’ll be just fine!” They started again, Levi bursting forward from the starting point, already landing a triple kill. Meanwhile, all MC got ten seconds away from base was a magical explosion to the face, killing them rather instantaneously. The further they went forward, the more MC’s shoulders slumped. The more they died, the more the fun light they had started with drained in their eyes. At one point, after MC had gotten nuked right after they respawned, their character stopped moving. Levi glanced to the side, watching as MC placed the controller away from them on his desk as they used their hands to cover tears starting to drift down their face. 

Panic flared in his chest again, his skin prickling. He practically threw his own controller away from him, turning in his fancy gaming chair as he placed his hands on their knees. “What?! What happened? What did I do? Oh no, you hate me now, right?” As they sniffled and sobbed, his lungs felt themselves shrink smaller and smaller, air struggling to get in. The match ended, and before it could automatically have them play again, he turned to the screen to leave the lobby. Fumbling with the cursor, he ended up closing the game altogether instead of trying to remember where the Leave Match button was. Swiveling back to look at the human, he blinked in confusion when their eyes were dry and their grin was fully repainted on their lips. 

“MC? But you were--” 

“--Oh, it was nothing, I had an eyelash in my eye. Want more snacks?” They interrupted him as well as quickly changing the subject. They lied to him, right to his face. Something was up, and yet they would rather do anything else than tell him. Despair overtook his thoughts as MC refused to look at him, opting instead to reach for a bag of puffy chips. 

Speaking low, the demon of envy clutched the fabric over his heart as he felt it breaking. “You can’t stand me now, is that it?” Levi brought his arm up to cover his eyes as his mind swirled in dark reasoning, coming to the wrong conclusions out of self-depreciation. “You didn’t even want to hang out with me in the first place?! You came to my room out of pity?! You’re so ashamed to be with me you had to cry?!” His demon form slid into view, his tail slinking against the cold tiles of his floor. Hot salty drops of tears streamed down his own cheeks, his fingers moving up to wrap themselves in his hair as his Envy began to spiral out of control. “Of course you’d rather be with my brothers, of course. Why would you want to hang out with someone like me when...when…” 

“When you’re a demon? When you’re a powerful ruler of hell? When you have extraordinary powers?!” Levi lowered his hands and opened his eyes at MC’s escalating volume. Their lip quivered, the bag of snacks fell from their grasp, now abandoned on the floor. “These past few weeks since I’ve been hanging out with your brothers really just drove home how...useless I am. I’ll never be as put-together as Lucifer. I’ll never be as cool as Mammon. I’ll never be as smart as Satan, as pretty as Asmo, as strong as Beel, as witty as Belphie. And I--and I thought maybe hanging out with you would make me feel better but--” Their voice cracked, resulting in the demon nearly flinching as the pain in their voice almost physically hurt him. He expected them to list the many reasons they couldn’t stand to be around him, how he had done everything wrong. Expecting the worst, he curled up in his seat. “But I can’t even play a game correctly...I can’t do anything...I just wanted to be fun like you…” 

He had seen so many shows and anime, read so many perfect fantasy romance novels, played so many dating games, he knew exactly what to do. He’d wrap them into his arms and say some gushy poetic speech that would make sparks fly and every bit of doubt in each of them flow away. And yet...all he could bring himself to say was, “H--huh??” A few lingering tear droplets let themselves drift down his face as he attempted to process the words he had just heard. They both sat in a painful silence for a moment, both blubbering messes, both ashamed to be looked at by the other. But as Levi finally comprehended what MC had told him, he began to laugh. “You were envious of me?!” Falling into a giggle fit, MC stared at him, jaw agape. “I was worried that--that you thought I wasn’t good enough for you!” 

MC briefly wondered if they had broken him. “But you’re a powerful demon!” 

“You’re an amazing human! You watched me dance in cosplay for four hours the other day!” The mental image of the situation bubbled in MC’s brain, causing their tears to transform into laughter alongside Levi. The two of them chuckled uncontrollably, drying their cheeks, thankful they were alone in the room, far from judging eyes. 

“You made a cute magical girl,” MC grinned, no malice or intent to harm behind the teasing words. “But...I still don’t see how you can possibly think I’m amazing. I have little talent, no grand prospects for my future, no powers to speak off, a plain personality, and I have the obvious penchant for crying over silly things.” 

Biting his lip, Levi slid his own chair closer to theirs, the armrests brushing side by side. “Umm...well...the--the way I see it, you have things that are almost impossible for demons to have. Compassion, empathy, an open mind, it takes a lot of effort for demons to feel those things. It’s something that is rare to find in any living being nowadays, except for maybe angels, but even then you’ve heard Luke’s opinions on demons. Angels do like to condemn. I don’t know what’s typical in the human world but you seem rather extraordinary to me.” Taking a deep breath, he gently used his thumb to wipe away the last stray tear on the human’s face. With a single finger, he rubbed absentminded circles into MC’s knee. “Anyone different would’ve taken one look at my brothers and I and ran away as fast as they could...and yet you stayed. We’ve done everything we can to push you away, and yet you never gave up on us...on me...You’re wonderful, more than I could ask for, I--” He cut himself off, cheeks burning red as he bit his tongue to stop himself from speaking. He’d almost let something embarrassing slip. Racking his brain for something else to say, he felt the tips of his ears start to burn as MC grabbed his hand and let it settle in their palm. “I don’t think,” Levi blurted, recalling and nearly quoting a line from a Ruri-Chan anime, “that worth is defined by power and popularity. I like you just the way you are, isn’t that enough?” 

MC initiated it first, almost fully sliding into his lap as they moved from their chair into his to hug him. To prevent them from falling since his seat was only made for one person, he wrapped his arms tightly around their waist.  Both of them felt the heat and warmth from one another. It made Levi want to melt and yet explode at the same time. MC pulled him close, his face pressed against their shoulder. “Thank you, Levi.”