#found this and my drafts so!! time to post

[cbeargyu]

跡継ぎの妻 – the heir’s wife – SECOND PART

summary: you marry a stranger in silk—his lips stained with blood and tradition. what starts as a marriage of convenience between a yakuza heir and a public figure spirals into something neither of you were prepared for: protection that tastes like devotion, duty twisted with longing, and kisses that come too late to be innocent. in a world where bullets speak louder than hearts, love might be the most dangerous vow of all.

pairing: yakuza heir!yuta x model fem!reader

genre: mafia/yakuza au, arranged marriage, slow burn, angst, romance, family legacy, redemption arc, emotional healing, found family, power couple dynamic, smut-heavy, character-driven

warnings: explicit smut (multiple scenes), dom/sub dynamics, power play, breeding kink, degradation praise, spanking, explicit dirty talk, oral (f receiving), creampie, possessiveness, choking (consensual), worship kink, rough sex, emotionally charged sex, soft aftercare, virginity loss (detailed), fingering, public display of dominance, mature themes, violence, blood, weapons, death of a sibling (mentioned), grief, guilt, trauma processing, complex power dynamics, yakuza activity (organized crime themes), arranged marriage (turned consensual), emotional manipulation, emotional dependency, toxic loyalty, gender roles (challenged), tattoos/irezumi (traditional), canon-typical violence, knife imagery, psychological tension.

wc: 12,6k

notes: hi! here’s the second part of yuta’s story 🫶 i noticed a lot of people were interested in it and the response was really sweet, which made me super happy! someone asked me how i write so fast 🤣 the thing is, with this story (and most of them tbh), i usually write and prepare everything in advance when i have free time. i don’t publish them right away though, because i usually plan them in parts. so i keep them in my drafts, then i write the next parts, revise everything, adjust the flow, and once i feel like the timing is right, i post them lol. it’s kind of like "scheduling" my fics for delivery hahaha. alsooo i was kinda waiting for the anon to reply so i could tag them, but they never did 😭 if they’re reading this, please reach out to me 😭 jsjsjjs

part i. epilogue

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the steam clung to your skin like silk as you stepped out of the ofuro, towel wrapped loosely around your body, the faint scent of hinoki wood still clinging to your damp hair. the house was quiet—too quiet. you had grown used to the soft murmur of voices, the distant shuffling of feet as the men moved throughout the property, but tonight, silence held the hallways in a tight, heavy grip.

you dried yourself slowly, slipping into a soft ivory nightgown that barely brushed your thighs. it wasn’t intentional—just the first thing your hands grabbed in the dimness of your closet. you weren’t trying to look a certain way. you weren’t trying to think of him.

you tied your hair up in a loose bun and padded barefoot to your room. the warmth of the ofuro had relaxed you, almost lulled you into sleep already… until you heard it.

a sound—wet, harsh. a sharp exhale. a broken word.

you froze.

then came the strangled gasp. a thud. and finally, a shout.

“no—!”

you bolted down the hallway before your mind could process it, your feet silent on the wooden floor. you didn’t knock. you slid the door open sharply and found him tangled in his futon, drenched in sweat, breathing like he’d run miles barefoot through a battlefield. the moonlight spilling through the shoji window cut pale angles across his face, highlighting the way his brows furrowed in panic, lips parted in a grimace, chest heaving.

"yuta," you whispered, dropping to your knees beside him. “yuta—wake up, it’s just a dream—”

his hand shot out, blindly reaching. you caught it, squeezed it tight.

“hey. you’re okay. i’m here.” your other hand cupped his cheek, brushing away the sheen of sweat with your thumb.

his eyes finally opened, unfocused and wild, then slowly zeroed in on your face. his lips parted but no words came out. just another heavy breath, a tremor, and then—without a word—he leaned forward and collapsed against you.

you sucked in a quiet breath as the full weight of his upper body rested against your chest. your nightgown stuck to your damp skin, thin cotton against bare muscle. he was burning hot, trembling, but you didn’t pull away. your hands found their way into his hair, gently combing through the messy strands as his breaths began to slow.

“it’s okay,” you whispered again. “you’re safe.”

his arms didn’t wrap around you, but his head tilted just enough that his cheek pressed against the curve of your breast, and you felt his lashes flutter with each exhale.

after several long minutes, he finally spoke. voice hoarse, barely a breath. “i saw you bleeding.”

your hands froze in his hair. he continued, still not looking at you. “in the dream… you were lying on the floor. screaming my name. i couldn’t get to you. there was blood. so much fucking blood.”

you swallowed the knot rising in your throat.

“but it wasn’t real,” you said softly. “i’m here. see?” you took his hand and pressed it flat against your ribs, just under the swell of your breast. “no blood.”

he let out a shaky breath. “i thought i was going to lose you.”

you didn’t answer. couldn’t.

then, after a beat—

“stay,” he said.

your heart kicked up a notch. “here?”

he lifted his head slightly to meet your eyes. “just tonight.”

your mouth opened to answer, but nothing came out. your cheeks were already burning. the word hung between you like a secret.

you nodded.

he eased back onto the futon with a quiet wince, making space. you slipped under the blanket beside him, heart pounding, unsure where to place your arms, unsure of everything. it felt like you were intruding.

you turned your back to him at first, unsure if it would make things less tense. but before long, you felt the warmth of his body draw closer. not touching—just near.

"you’re tense," he murmured behind you.

you tensed more. “no i’m not.”

he chuckled, voice low, still slightly raspy. “i won’t do anything you don’t want.”

you spun to face him, cheeks aflame. “i wasn’t thinking that!”

his brows rose, amused. “sure you weren’t.”

you smacked his arm gently, earning another soft laugh from him—warm this time. honest. he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from your cheek.

“you look pretty when you’re mad.”

you scowled, even as your heart twisted into a knot.

you stared at each other for a long second, breaths mingling in the dark.

"does it still hurt?" you asked finally, nodding at the faded bandages on his side.

"only when i breathe," he joked, then sighed. "i’ll be fine."

you hesitated, then reached out and placed your hand gently over his abdomen. he tensed—but didn’t stop you. the heat of his skin under your palm made your fingers tremble.

"you're warm," you whispered.

"so are you." his eyes dropped to your lips.

you should’ve pulled away. should’ve turned back and faced the wall again. but you didn’t. neither of you did.

"this is weird, isn’t it?" you said softly. "we’re married and this is the first night we share a bed."

"we should’ve done it earlier," he said.

you looked up at him sharply, but his expression was unreadable. somewhere between a smile and a storm.

"why didn’t we?" you asked, more to yourself than him.

he tilted your chin up slightly, his thumb brushing your jaw. “because maybe now it means something.”

you felt your breath catch.

you didn’t kiss. not yet. but your faces stayed close, breath to breath, until sleep finally claimed you both—your fingers still tangled in his shirt, his hand resting protectively over your hip.

you didn’t dream that night.

but if you had, it would’ve been about him.

meanwhile, the world outside moved on without you.

the studio lights were too bright. the camera flashes too cold. you smiled on cue, tilted your head just so, changed outfits and pretended to care when the makeup artist fixed your lip gloss for the fifth time.

hitoshi didn’t speak much anymore. not unless it was absolutely necessary. not unless someone was watching.

you wanted to ask him if it was because of yuta.

you didn’t.

outside, everything felt disconnected. like you were walking through someone else’s life. fake laughter. fake perfume. fake nails. fake smiles.

but inside the walls of yuta’s house, something real was happening.

something warm. dangerous. inevitable.

that night, as you returned home past sunset, the hallway lights dimmed low and the scent of jasmine still lingering from the garden, you saw him standing at the end of the corridor—shoulders relaxed, arms crossed loosely, watching you with that look again.

not hungry.

not gentle.

just... aware.

you stopped walking.

he didn’t say anything.

neither did you.

but the glance lasted longer than it should have. held heavier than it ought to. like both of you were waiting for something to snap.

and you looked at each other.

not in the way married people are supposed to look at each other. not with comfort. not with affection.

with need.

the kind that simmers in silence. the kind that thickens the air between two people until it’s unbearable.

he took one slow step toward you.

you didn’t move back. you couldn’t. your knees felt like they were made of glass and breath was suddenly a conscious effort. his gaze flicked down your body once—just once—but it was enough to make your pulse trip over itself.

“come here,” he said.

not commanding. not tender. just… hoarse. low. like the words had scraped their way out of his throat.

you didn’t answer.

you stepped forward.

one step. then another.

you could see the strain in his posture. the tightness in his jaw. he was trying to control it, whatever it was burning under his skin. trying not to ruin this moment. but his fingers flexed at his sides, and you knew he was one breath away from snapping.

you stopped right in front of him.

your eyes met, closer now—so close you could see the way his lashes cast shadows over his cheeks, the way his mouth parted like he was going to speak and then thought better of it.

“this…” he began, but didn’t finish.

you shook your head slowly, voice barely above a whisper. “don’t ruin it with words.”

he didn’t.

instead, he reached.

a hand at your waist first—careful, grounding, his thumb pressing into the silk of your robe. your breath hitched. he exhaled shakily. then the other hand lifted, slow and deliberate, fingers threading through the hair at the nape of your neck. he didn’t pull—he just held. like anchoring you there, like making sure this wasn’t a dream he’d wake from.

“i don’t know what this is,” you murmured. “but i feel it.”

his brow furrowed like the words hurt. like they exposed something he wasn’t ready to admit.

“i do too,” he said, voice barely audible. “i’ve been trying not to.”

“me too.”

and then, as if your bodies had grown tired of waiting for permission, you leaned in at the same time.

the kiss wasn’t soft.

it wasn’t rushed either. it lingered, pressed, took. there was no awkward pause, no hesitation—just the raw electricity of mouths meeting after too long, of breath mixing, of hands finally allowed to hold.

his fingers slid deeper into your hair, tilting your head just enough to deepen the kiss, to taste more of you, to pull a sound from your throat you hadn’t meant to make. you clung to him—hands gripping the collar of his shirt, sliding up the back of his neck, curling into the short strands of his hair as if anchoring yourself to him.

his other hand tightened on your waist, pulling you flush against him. you could feel the way his chest rose and fell rapidly, how he was still fighting the instinct to take too much too soon. but the tremble in his breath gave him away. this was unraveling him. you were unraveling him.

you kissed like you were trying to understand it. to confirm it. to make sense of this pull between you, the way nothing outside these walls felt real anymore. how everything out there felt empty, cold, meaningless—except this. except him.

his mouth left yours just barely, brushing the corner of your lips, then your jaw. “this wasn’t supposed to happen,” he whispered, but he didn’t sound regretful. he sounded undone.

you swallowed hard, lips brushing his again. “i don’t care.”

he kissed you again—this time slower. not because he was hesitant, but because he wanted to memorize. the shape of your mouth. the sighs you gave when he sucked your lower lip just enough. the way your nails pressed into his shoulders through the fabric of his shirt. it was indulgent, shameless, intentional.

and it wasn’t like your wedding kiss.

that one had been staged, timed, performed.

this one was the truth.

when he finally pulled back, both of you breathless, your eyes stayed closed a moment longer, your forehead pressed to his.

his voice was rough. “if i kiss you again, i won’t stop.”

your pulse pounded in your ears. “you say that like it’s a bad thing.”

he laughed once—short, bitter, sweet. “because it is.”

your hands slid down his chest, slowing at the center where his heart beat fast beneath your palm. “then don’t.”

for a moment, he didn’t respond.

but his hand at your waist tightened again.

and his lips ghosted your cheek.

and he whispered, “stay with me tonight. just like this. just… stay.”

you nodded.

you didn’t go back to your room. you didn’t need to.

you had crossed a line now. one neither of you would be able to step back from. and even if the world burned down around the two of you, you knew this was real. raw. dangerous.

you didn’t turn the lights on. he didn’t ask why.

something about the dark made it easier to admit this was real.

yuta pulled you toward the futon slowly, not by the wrist or hand—but by placing a gentle touch on your lower back, guiding you like the space beside him was meant for you and had always been. his bed smelled faintly like cedar and something warmer, something him. the sheets were cool, but his body wasn’t.

he laid back first, propped against the pillows.

you hesitated—only for a second—then climbed in beside him, curling on your side. facing him.

he was already watching you. soft. open. like his edges had finally stopped cutting, like this was the only moment he didn’t have to be the heir, the boss, the legend. he was just a man. and for the first time, he looked free.

he reached for you. slowly. deliberately. a hand on your cheek, thumb brushing lightly beneath your eye as if checking you were really there. you leaned into it. eyes fluttering shut.

and then the kiss came again.

it was different this time.

slower. deeper.

not needy—but full.

the kind of kiss that asked questions instead of demanded answers. lips moving with intent, his hand sliding into your hair again as you leaned closer until your chest brushed his, until your breaths tangled and the space between you no longer existed.

he kissed you like this could heal something in him. and maybe, somehow, it did.

your fingers curled lightly at his nape, then trailed down the curve of his shoulder. you rested your forehead against his between kisses. he pressed one to your temple. then your jaw. then your collarbone. nothing rushed. nothing expected. just the hum of electricity, of presence, of him holding you like the world outside could go to hell.

at some point, you settled with your head on his chest.

his arm wrapped around you without hesitation. his thumb moved slowly along your upper arm, a rhythm so tender it made your throat ache. you could feel his heartbeat under your ear—steady, loud, real.

"i forgot what this felt like," he murmured into your hair.

you didn’t ask what he meant.

you just whispered back, “me too.”

he kissed the top of your head. and you kissed the skin at his collarbone.

you didn’t speak again for a while.

not because there was nothing to say—but because silence was finally safe.

and when sleep came for you both, it didn’t feel like surrender.

it felt like belonging.

the steady hum of the car wheels against the gravel-covered road filled the silence as the black sedan made its way through the outskirts of osaka. moonlight filtered through the dense tree line, shadows flickering like ghosts against the windows. yuta sat beside you, calm and composed in his midnight blue kimono embroidered with black cranes that symbolized protection and vigilance. your kimono was a delicate shade of plum, tied tightly at the waist, accentuating the soft curves of your form. your hands rested on your lap, fingers curled in, hiding the tension that had nested in your chest since you left the house.

"are you nervous?" yuta asked without looking at you, eyes scanning the road ahead like a man who had lived too many lives in one.

"should i be?" you replied, your voice even, but not cold.

"always," he said. and that was it.

the meeting with the clan elders was held in a countryside estate hidden among the pines. flickering lanterns lit the stone path leading to the large wooden structure. the air was thick with incense, and the heavy scent of sandalwood made your head feel light. as you entered the main hall, dozens of eyes turned your way. you held your chin high.

yuta introduced you with the calm pride of a man who owned everything in the room. you stood beside him as if born to be there, even if your heartbeat betrayed you. the meeting began as expected, with slow exchanges, nods of agreement, and passing cups of sake.

but it changed in seconds. the loud crack of wood splitting came from behind. yuta’s body tensed before the masked attackers even burst in. everything blurred—yuta grabbing your arm, shielding you behind his body, the clang of steel, the echo of gunfire.

you reached for the small pistol hidden beneath the folds of your obi. you never thought you'd use it. but tonight, you did. your hands shook at first, but when one of them lunged at yuta, instinct won. you pulled the trigger.

the assailants dropped one by one. yuta moved like wind and water—silent, fatal. but one shot grazed him. your scream was lost in the chaos.

once it ended, silence fell heavy. bodies lay sprawled on the polished wooden floor, blood pooling like ink.

in the car, as you both escaped back into the cover of night, you turned to him. "take off the top half of your kimono."

"it’s nothing," he muttered, though his breathing betrayed the sting.

"take it off, yuta."

he obeyed. his chest, usually smooth and unmarred, had a long, thin scratch from a bullet that had barely missed its target. you pulled cloth from the glove compartment, soaked it with the small bottle of water you had, and began to clean him. your fingers worked gently, but your eyes held fire.

yuta didn’t speak. he just watched you. eyes wide, confused, as if no one had ever treated him with such... tenderness.

when you finished, you pressed your palm against the uninjured part of his chest. his hand came up to cover yours.

"thank you," he said, voice low.

"you’d do the same for me."

he didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to.

the days after, something shifted. without a word, he started sleeping in your room. not in your bed. just in the same space. but at some point, the futons ended up closer. and at some point, your nightly kisses, born of adrenaline and intimacy, became ritual. nothing more happened—but the heat that bloomed beneath your skin every time his mouth met yours grew.

each night, his hands lingered a little longer on your waist. yours tangled into his hair. his breath warmed your collarbone. it was a slow burn that neither of you seemed ready to extinguish.

then came the whispers.

inside the tatami-lined war room, takuya stood before the clan’s council, arms crossed. yuta was beside him, silent.

"this arrangement is a distraction," takuya said sharply. "she was supposed to serve a purpose, nothing more. you’re losing focus."

yuta's jaw clenched. "say what you really mean."

"i mean," takuya snapped, "that you were supposed to be leading us into negotiations with the osaka-hyogo factions this week. instead, you're sitting at her bedside cleaning wounds and playing husband."

"i am her husband."

the room fell quiet.

takuya laughed. it was hollow. "a husband for six months. that was the deal. we marry her, used her image of being the perfect, respectable woman and move on. this... this is becoming a problem."

"she’s not the problem," yuta said slowly. "you are."

outside the room, you stood hidden behind the shoji screen. the words cut into you like glass. you hadn’t known the full extent of the deal before. six months. and now, takuya wanted to end it early.

you clutched your sleeves tighter. your chest burned—not with anger, but something deeper. pain. disappointment. a foolish part of you had started to hope.

to believe.

yuta had risked everything for you that night—stood in front of you when the bullets flew. defended your presence when his oldest ally called it a mistake. you couldn’t repay him by making him choose.

the clan or you.

so you didn’t say anything. you didn't confront him that night. instead, you kissed him like nothing had changed. like your world wasn’t slowly crumbling beneath your feet.

because if he had to choose, you'd rather he never knew there was a choice to make.

and that was the cruelest love of all.

one you couldn’t name. one you couldn’t keep. but one that lived in every stolen breath, every bruising kiss, every silent night shared under the paper lantern glow.

the garden was quiet.

too quiet.

even the wind seemed to hesitate, brushing past the trees like it didn’t want to disturb what was unraveling beneath the summer sky. soft lanterns flickered along the stone path, their warm light casting long shadows across the grass, but none of it reached you. not really. you were already somewhere else — deep in your own thoughts, drowning in the things you couldn’t say.

yuta stood a few steps away, his jaw tight, his shoulders stiff beneath the expensive black jacket he always wore when things felt heavy. he had one hand tucked in his pocket, the other hanging loosely by his side, fingers twitching like he wanted to grab something but didn’t know what.

maybe your hand.

maybe your throat.

you had just told him the truth — or part of it. that you weren’t going to stop modeling. that your work mattered to you in ways he could never understand. and he had laughed. not cruelly, not loudly, but with that sharp edge that always cut you when he didn’t know how else to feel.

“if it’s not about money,” he said, his voice low, “then what is it? huh? tell me.”

you blinked. “it’s about my dream, yuta. it always has been. the reason i left my village, the reason i stayed here. i need to feel like i’m building something for myself. like this... this isn’t all there is.”

his eyes narrowed. “and hitoshi? he’s part of that dream too?”

you didn’t answer.

your silence was like a gunshot.

his jaw clenched tighter. “so that’s it, then.”

“that’s not what i said,” you muttered.

but he was already shaking his head. not fast, not dramatic — just slow, like someone accepting the kind of truth they never wanted to hear.

“you didn’t have to say it,” he said. “i see it every time you come home smelling like him.”

you flinched. “i don’t—”

“don’t lie to me,” he snapped.

his voice cracked, and that scared you more than the accusation. because yuta didn’t break. not in front of you. not ever.

he took a step closer, and even in the fading light, you could see the tiredness in his eyes. not just from the long nights or the weight of his title — but from you. from this. from the fact that every time he reached for you lately, you felt a little further away.

“do you ever look at him the way you looked at me?” he asked quietly. “do you think about him when i’m not home?”

“no,” you whispered, barely audible. “never.”

but he didn’t believe you.

and honestly, maybe you didn’t believe yourself either — not because you wanted hitoshi, but because the distance between you and yuta had become a chasm neither of you knew how to cross anymore. it had started slow — missed dinners, hushed calls, unspoken things. then it became routine. avoidance. resentment.

and now here you were, standing in the garden of a man who once held you like you were fragile and holy, now looking at you like you were a betrayal wrapped in lace.

“when this is over,” he said, his voice colder now, controlled, “when the contract ends… will you run to him? will he be your safe place?”

you stared at him.

and said nothing.

because you didn’t know what to say. because even if the answer was no — even if hitoshi was the furthest thing from your heart — you couldn’t find the words fast enough. couldn’t reach him in time.

his eyes dropped for a second. then he turned.

the movement was simple, quiet, deliberate. he was walking away.

and for yuta, that was your answer.

you didn’t chase him.

you stood there, trembling, breath stuck in your chest. you watched his back retreat across the stepping stones, his figure melting into the shadows of the engawa, swallowed by the darkness of the house that had once felt like safety. and something inside you cracked open.

you wanted to run after him. wanted to scream that he was wrong, that he was the only man you had ever truly wanted. that hitoshi could disappear tomorrow and you wouldn’t blink, but if yuta left... if he really left...

you would never recover from it.

but your feet didn’t move. because what was the point?

you both knew how this story ended.

you were a contract bride, a girl wrapped in white silk and political lies. and he was the king of a blood empire, trying to build something clean on top of a foundation soaked in violence. there had never been a version of this where you got to stay.

you pressed a hand to your chest, felt the weight of your own heartbeat, heavy and uneven.

he doesn’t know.

he didn’t know that the thought of hitoshi touching you made your skin crawl.

he didn’t know that the only time you felt beautiful was when yuta looked at you like you were something rare and breakable.

he didn’t know that every time you came home, you searched for his scent first. that your pillow still smelled like his cologne. that you hadn’t thrown out the blood-stained robe from the night he almost died, because it reminded you that you’d saved him.

he didn’t know that you were still in love with him.

you collapsed onto the wooden bench at the edge of the garden, the soft fabric of your skirt folding under you, your hands trembling in your lap. somewhere in the distance, a wind chime rattled. your eyes burned, but you didn’t cry.

not yet.

the moon had started to rise, silver and low, bathing the garden in cold light. the flowers yuta planted last spring were starting to wilt — their petals curled, fragile from the heat. and it hit you then: maybe you were wilting too.

you whispered to the night. not a prayer, not a plea. just his name.

“yuta...”

but he didn’t come back.

he didn’t hear you.

or maybe... maybe he did. and chose not to answer.

you hadn’t spoken in two days.

not really. not more than clipped sentences passed during breakfast or muttered greetings when your paths crossed in the hallway. the silence between you and yuta had settled like fog — dense, stubborn, refusing to lift.

but that night, something cracked.

you couldn’t sleep. not in your room. not with the weight of his absence pulling at your ribs. so you bathed — slow, methodical — letting the heat of the ofuro melt the tension in your limbs. you scrubbed your skin until it felt new. until the scent of steam, jasmine oil, and longing clung to your every pore. then, without thinking, you slipped on a silk robe. pale cream, nearly translucent, tied loose at the waist. nothing underneath.

you didn’t wear perfume. you didn’t need to.

your hair was still damp, falling in soft waves down your back, glistening under the dim lantern light as you padded barefoot across the wooden hallway toward his room.

you had never knocked before.

but tonight, you did.

a soft, uncertain sound — two knuckles against paper and wood.

inside, you heard movement. fabric shifting. then a pause.

“come in,” he said.

your fingers tightened around the knot at your waist.

you slid the door open slowly.

he was sitting on the futon, shirtless, the blanket draped low over his hips. moonlight spilled through the paper panels behind him, cutting his body in shadows — the ink of his tattoos shifting over his arms, his chest, the sharp lines of his abdomen rising with every breath.

his eyes met yours instantly.

he didn’t say anything.

but his gaze moved — slow, deliberate — taking in the new robe, the way it clung to your damp skin. the light shimmer of moisture on your collarbones. the bare soles of your feet. your hair, dripping soft against your shoulder.

you stepped inside. silent. calm. and then you turned, sliding the door shut behind you.

when you faced him again, he hadn’t moved.

he was waiting.

you met his gaze. held it.

then, slowly — with fingers that didn’t tremble — you reached for the tie of your robe.

you pulled.

the silk slipped apart. loose. effortless.

and then it fell.

your robe hit the tatami floor in a whisper.

you stood still — completely nude, your arms resting gently at your sides, your legs pressed close together, breath quiet but deep.

“there’s only one way to show you that i want no one else,” you said, your voice soft, unwavering. “and it’s this.”

yuta didn’t speak.

he didn’t blink.

his eyes dropped — slowly, reverently — trailing down your body like a prayer he didn’t know how to say out loud.

he took in everything.

your breasts, soft and full, nipples already taut under his gaze.

the curve of your waist.

the line of your hips, the small patch of skin between your thighs where heat gathered.

your thighs. your knees. the delicate arch of your feet.

you stood there for him. only for him.

and for a long, still second — he said nothing.

then he moved.

fast.

the blanket was gone, flung aside. his body was on you in an instant — heat, hands, hunger. his mouth crashed into yours, open and gasping, desperate like he’d been holding his breath for days. you moaned against him, your arms wrapping around his shoulders, fingers diving into his hair.

he lifted you.

you wrapped your legs around his waist, felt the hard press of him already thick and ready between your thighs.

he carried you to the futon like you weighed nothing.

and then he laid you down.

“say it again,” he growled, mouth at your throat, his hand sliding up your side, rough and trembling.

“i want you,” you whispered. “only you.”

he groaned — low, guttural — and kissed you again, his lips bruising yours, his teeth dragging gently over your jaw. one hand cupped your breast, thumb teasing your nipple until you arched beneath him. his other hand slid down — over your stomach, between your thighs — and when he found you wet, bare, aching...

he hissed.

“fuck,” he muttered, pressing his forehead against yours. “you’re already this wet for me?”

you nodded, your voice breaking. “been like this since the garden... since you left.”

his fingers teased you, slow circles that made your thighs twitch.

“you should’ve told me,” he murmured, kissing the corner of your mouth. “should’ve told me you were still mine.”

you spread your legs wider for him.

“i’m telling you now.”

he slid two fingers inside you — thick, slow — and you gasped, hips rising to meet him.

“yuta,” you whimpered. “please...”

he growled softly, pulling his fingers out, licking them clean.

his breath caught, chest rising and falling as he hovered above you, his body flushed with heat, with want, with restraint. your legs trembled beneath him, thighs soft and parted, glistening with your arousal — and yet, your eyes betrayed something else.

uncertainty.

fear.

innocence.

and he remembered.

you were his wife, yes. you had given yourself to him in every way but this. and he had known — from the beginning — that when the moment came, it would have to mean something.

it couldn’t just be hunger.

it had to be reverence.

his hand slid up the side of your face, thumb brushing your cheek with the gentlest touch.

“look at me,” he said softly.

you did. your lips trembled. your eyes shone with unshed tears.

“this is your first time,” he whispered. not a question. a truth. a weight he would carry with care.

you nodded, your voice caught in your throat.

“i know,” he breathed. “i know, baby.”

he kissed your forehead first. then your cheek. then your mouth — tender, slow, lips moving over yours like he was memorizing the shape of your fear, your surrender. his hands explored your body without pressure — just warmth, just presence — sliding over your waist, your hips, your thighs.

“you tell me to stop,” he murmured, lips ghosting along your jaw, “and i will. i mean it.”

“don’t stop,” you whispered. “i want you.”

his heart nearly broke in his chest.

he reached between your bodies, guiding himself to your entrance — thick, hot, hard — and brushed the head of his cock slowly through your folds, spreading your slick over himself, teasing your clit just enough to make your hips twitch.

then he paused.

his gaze dropped to where your bodies met.

you were so tight. untouched. the soft pink of your folds glistened with heat and nervous want, trembling slightly under his fingers.

he lined himself up with careful precision, the thick head of his cock nudging against your entrance, and when he began to push — just barely — he felt your whole body tense.

“breathe,” he whispered. “just breathe for me.”

you nodded, clutching his shoulders, fingernails digging into his skin.

he eased forward — slow, excruciatingly slow — parting your body inch by inch.

you gasped.

pain bloomed, sharp and full, stretching you in ways you’d never known. your thighs shook, your hands flew to his chest, and your eyes widened, glassy with sudden tears.

“yuta—” you whimpered, voice fragile. “it hurts.”

his heart clenched.

“i know, i know, baby,” he soothed, kissing your jaw, your temple, your trembling lips. “you’re doing so well. so fucking perfect.”

he stopped moving, giving you time. his thumb stroked your cheek, catching one of the tears that had slipped free.

“you’re taking me so good,” he whispered. “you’re the tightest thing i’ve ever felt, sweetheart. you feel like heaven.”

you whimpered again, your legs instinctively tightening around his hips.

“relax for me,” he murmured, voice barely more than a breath. “just a little more.”

you tried.

you breathed in deeply, exhaled slowly.

he kissed you again.

and then, with a long, gentle press, he sank the rest of the way in — sheathing himself fully inside you.

you cried out softly, overwhelmed. your walls stretched around him, pulsing, resisting, your body struggling to accommodate his size. the pain was there — raw and real — but so was something else.

fullness.

intensity.

connection.

yuta stilled inside you, arms shaking from holding himself back.

“fuck,” he rasped. “you’re mine. all mine.”

his forehead rested against yours as your bodies trembled together.

he didn’t move yet. not until your breathing slowed. not until your nails relaxed against his chest. not until your legs loosened their grip.

“you’re okay?” he asked gently.

you nodded. “still hurts... but not as much.”

he kissed your lips — soft, slow, sacred.

“i’ll make it better,” he promised.

and he did.

he began to move in slow, careful thrusts, pulling out just an inch before sinking back in, watching every flicker of sensation cross your face. his hands cradled your jaw, his mouth praising every breath that left your lips.

“so beautiful,” he whispered. “you’re so beautiful like this.”

you whimpered, your body adjusting, the burn easing into a dull throb — and then something more. something electric.

pleasure.

he moved a little deeper, a little fuller, the stretch still sharp but starting to pulse with warmth, with friction, with heat.

“i can feel you opening up for me,” he murmured, voice husky. “you’re letting me in.”

your mouth fell open in a gasp as his hips rolled against yours, his cock brushing something deeper inside you.

“y-yuta...”

he groaned, forehead pressed to your collarbone. “say it again.”

“yuta... please... don’t stop.”

he lifted himself onto his elbows, looking down at you.

your hair spread like silk across the futon, your cheeks flushed, breasts rising with every breath. the sheen of sweat on your skin made you glow in the moonlight.

“fuck,” he whispered. “you’re a fucking goddess.”

he kissed down your body — your throat, your chest, your breasts — taking one nipple into his mouth and sucking gently, rolling his hips into you with a rhythm that made your toes curl.

you moaned loudly, the pain all but forgotten now.

he worshiped you.

his hands never stopped moving — stroking your hips, your thighs, your stomach. his lips pressed reverent kisses across every inch of skin. and when he fucked you, it was with slow, deliberate strokes that grew deeper, firmer, more intense as you moaned louder beneath him.

“so tight,” he groaned. “so wet for me. you were made for me, weren’t you?”

“yes,” you gasped. “yes, yuta — i’m yours.”

his thrusts quickened, your slick coating him now, your pussy fluttering around his cock as he hit that spot again and again, each thrust pulling a louder cry from your lips.

your legs wrapped around his waist, urging him deeper.

“don’t hold back,” you whispered, eyes locked with his. “i can take it.”

and he did.

he fucked you harder, faster, driving into you with a hunger barely leashed, the sound of skin slapping against skin echoing in the quiet room.

“come for me,” he growled. “come on my cock.”

your body tensed.

the pressure snapped.

your orgasm hit you like a wave — deep and intense, your pussy clenching around him, your cry sharp and breathless. he groaned loudly, thrusting harder as you came, chasing his own high.

“i’m gonna fill you up,” he moaned. “gonna come inside you, baby. is that what you want?”

“yes,” you whimpered. “fill me, yuta — please.”

he grunted, hips stuttering as he buried himself deep, his cock twitching inside you.

he spilled into you in hot, thick pulses, his breath ragged, his body trembling over yours.

for a long moment, neither of you moved.

his body collapsed slowly over yours, his weight grounding you, comforting you.

his arms wrapped around you tightly, his lips brushing the top of your damp hair.

“you’re mine,” he whispered again. “no one else. only me.”

you nodded, your voice soft. “only you.”

and for the first time in weeks, your heart felt full again.

you woke to warmth.

not just the kind that lingered on your skin from shared heat, but the kind that lived deep — quiet and golden and whole. for the first time since you’d entered that house, you didn’t wake alone. no empty sheets. no cold side of the bed. just him.

yuta was still asleep beside you, one arm draped across your waist, his face turned toward yours. soft strands of his red hair fell across his brow, tousled and wild from the night before. he looked younger like this. not the man who ruled osaka in silence and steel — but the boy who whispered your name into your mouth like it meant something sacred.

his breath was slow. deep. steady.

his hand flexed slightly against your skin.

you didn’t move.

you just watched him.

you let yourself memorize every detail in the pale light of morning — the faint scar near his left brow, the small freckle on the side of his neck, the way his lips parted just enough to make your chest ache.

he was beautiful.

but more than that — he was real.

and last night, he had made you feel more than wanted. he had made you feel chosen.

your fingers moved before you could stop them, brushing the edge of his jaw, feather-light.

he stirred.

a low hum escaped his throat. his brow furrowed for a moment, then his lashes fluttered open. dark, still a little hazy, but focused on you within seconds.

he blinked once.

then again.

and then he exhaled like he’d been holding that breath all night.

“you’re still here,” he murmured, voice raspy, rough with sleep.

you smiled faintly. “where else would i be?”

his hand on your waist tightened. not possessively — just sure.

“wasn’t sure,” he whispered, eyes studying your face like he didn’t want to miss a single second. “after what i said… in the garden. i thought maybe you…”

you shook your head before he could finish.

“i meant what i said last night. i wanted you to know. really know — that it’s only ever been you.”

he was quiet.

his gaze dropped for a second. then returned to yours.

“i didn’t deserve that,” he said. “your honesty. your body. you. not after doubting you.”

your throat tightened.

“you were hurt,” you said gently. “and i didn’t make it easy. i let the silence grow between us.”

he turned onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow, looking down at you now — the blanket slipping lower on his hips, his chest bare, skin still warm against yours.

“i don’t want silence anymore,” he said. “not with you.”

you reached up, fingers brushing against his chest. “so talk to me, then.”

he hesitated.

his brows drew together slightly — not from anger, but from fear. it was strange, seeing that expression on a man like him.

“i never planned to fall for you,” he admitted. “this started as protection. strategy. and then... you walked into my world like you were born to burn in it. and i couldn’t stop watching. couldn’t stop wanting.”

you bit your lip.

“i wanted to hate you,” you confessed. “wanted to resent this marriage, the way it forced me to pretend. but it never felt like pretending. not with you.”

his hand slid up to cup your cheek, thumb tracing your bottom lip.

“tell me what this is,” he whispered. “for you.”

you didn’t hesitate.

“it’s home,” you breathed. “it’s terrifying and messy and too much sometimes — but it’s home.”

he closed his eyes briefly, as if your words were too heavy to hold in open air.

then he leaned in and kissed you.

soft. slow. reverent.

not hungry like the night before. not claiming. just... grateful.

his forehead pressed to yours when he pulled away.

“if i lose you,” he murmured, “i’ll burn this entire fucking city down.”

you smiled. sad, soft.

“then don’t give me a reason to leave.”

he nodded, just once, but it felt like a vow.

“from now on,” he said, “you’ll never doubt your place here. in this bed. in my life. in my heart.”

“good,” you whispered, eyes stinging. “because i already gave you everything.”

his mouth found yours again, a little more urgent this time — and just like that, the morning turned into something golden, something sweet.

you stayed wrapped in each other until the sunlight painted your bodies in warmth, until the silence between you was no longer heavy — just peaceful.

and for the first time in weeks, the war was over.

takuya stood by the window, arms crossed, watching the compound like it could offer answers he didn’t already have. yuta was behind him, still barefoot from the room upstairs, wearing only loose black pants, a cigarette burning between his fingers.

the tension was thick. too quiet.

he didn’t greet yuta.

just stood with his arms crossed, eyes unreadable, spine stiff as stone.

“we need to talk,” he said.

yuta didn’t flinch.

“then talk.”

he watched him for a long, long second. then gestured toward the sliding door. “not here.”

yuta followed him into the garden, silent steps on the stone path, the air still carrying the lingering scent of summer rain and night-blooming jasmine. the same place where him had once walked away from you. now you were walking into something else — not heartbreak, but confrontation.

he turned to face him once the path ended.

his jaw was clenched.

“you’ve changed.”

yuta’s gaze didn’t flinch. “good.”

“no. not good. you’re softer. distracted. emotional. you think with your chest now. not your head.”

yuta crushed the cigarette in the tray. stepped forward.

“you think i’m weak because i love her?” he asked, voice deadly calm.

“i think you’re human. and in this world, that’s a liability.”

yuta tilted his head. “she’s not a liability. she’s the only reason i’m still standing.”

takuya didn’t speak. the silence stretched.

yuta took another step, closing the space between them.

“this marriage? it was supposed to be for appearances. a shield. a tool.” his jaw tightened. “but it’s not ending.”

takuya raised an eyebrow. “you sound certain.”

“i am.” yuta’s voice didn’t shake. “she’s loyal. she’s stronger than half the men we command. and she’s mine. i’m not letting her go.”

“she’s not from this world.”

“and yet she’s survived it better than most.”

takuya’s expression hardened. “i’m telling you to think with a cold head.”

yuta stepped close. too close.

“and i’m telling you — this isn’t about control anymore. this is about truth. about grounding. she’s good for me, takuya. not because she makes me soft — but because she makes me still.”

takuya studied him for a moment, something unreadable in his eyes.

then, finally — a nod.

slow. reluctant.

but real.

“then stand by it,” he said. “and make damn sure no one doubts it.”

despite yuta’s firm confrontation with takuya, life didn’t shift all at once. there were no grand gestures, no dramatic changes in tone. just subtle things. quiet things.

a few days later, you returned to his —or maybe now, your room—, room and found it gutted. the futon replaced by a wide, luxurious queen-sized bed, draped in black sheets and lined with down pillows. the floor had been redone, dark polished wood. new lighting. warm, soft. a space not just made for sleeping — but for sharing.

your old room, however, hadn’t been discarded.

instead, it had been transformed into a closet.

an absurdly large, obscenely modern closet — velvet benches, full-length mirrors, recessed lighting, and drawers that slid open at the touch of a finger. racks of high-end clothing lined the walls: silk, cashmere, leather, tailored and imported. you’d lost count of how many designer tags you saw before the nausea hit.

“you used clan money for this?” you asked one night, mouth still agape.

yuta had only shrugged from the bed, shirtless, flipping through a magazine. “technically it’s our money.”

“that’s not how money works, yuta.”

“that’s how my money works.”

you weren’t supposed to find it.

the drawer in yuta’s private study was always locked. it wasn’t forbidden — just quietly off-limits. you never questioned it. never tried. but that night, he’d left in a rush, forgetting to grab his keys. and when you went in to bring him a new set, the drawer was already cracked open.

you told yourself not to look.

but you did.

inside: a black lacquered box, unmarked. inside the box: a bundle of old photos, yellowed with time. beneath those, a sheathed tantō blade — older than the one used in your wedding, its hilt worn, stained. and finally, a letter, folded so many times the edges had nearly fallen apart.

you opened it with trembling fingers.

the handwriting was messy. a mix of japanese and english, written like it had been scrawled during a storm.

“he died because of me. i told him not to take the other road. i said i’d handle it. i was wrong.”

beneath the words: a name. shotaro.

you sat there for a long time. silent. still.

when yuta returned home hours later, his jacket still damp from the rain outside, you were waiting in the study. the letter on your lap. your eyes unreadable.

he stopped in the doorway.

for the first time since you’d known him, he looked afraid.

“where did you find that?” he asked, voice hoarse.

“you left the drawer open,” you said quietly. “i wasn’t searching.”

he closed the door behind him.

slowly.

“shotaro was your brother,” you said. not a question.

his silence was answer enough.

you stood, walking toward him. you placed the letter gently in his hand.

“you’ve never told anyone?”

he shook his head once. “takuya knows some. but not everything.”

“why hide it?”

he exhaled, fingers tightening around the paper. “because i failed him. i told him i’d protect him. and he died for me instead.”

you stepped into his space, palms pressed to his chest, voice steady.

“you carry so much. alone. but you don’t have to anymore.”

he looked down at you — eyes shadowed, face unreadable. but something in him cracked. not loudly. not visibly.

just enough.

his hands came to your hips. gripped tight.

“say it again,” he whispered.

“you don’t have to carry it alone.”

his lips crushed into yours before the words fully left your mouth.

and everything exploded.

he pushed you back against the nearest wall, mouth devouring yours, hands sliding under your clothes, yanking your kimono open like it offended him. his body was hard, heavy, desperate against yours, and when you whimpered, he growled — deep, low.

“strip.”

you obeyed immediately, eyes wide, breath shallow.

he watched you undress, step by step, until you stood naked in the soft light of the study, the shadows of your tattoos dancing across your bare skin. his eyes raked over every inch, jaw clenched, cock already hard and straining against his pants.

“on the desk,” he ordered. “face down. hands flat.”

your heart pounded as you obeyed, the cool wood chilling your skin, your thighs trembling in anticipation. you heard the sound of his belt coming undone, the low hiss of his zipper.

then silence.

“do you even realize what you do to me?” he asked, voice rough.

you opened your mouth to speak, but he grabbed your hips, yanking you back so your ass arched up perfectly.

“don’t answer,” he growled. “just listen.”

his cock slid between your folds — thick, hot, teasing — rubbing through your slick without entering.

“you walk around this house like you don’t know you own me,” he murmured against your spine. “you sit in my meetings like a queen, and you think i don’t see the way they look at you? the way they fear you?”

he pushed the tip in — just barely — and you gasped, fingers curling against the wood.

“but you know who owns you, don’t you?”

“y-yes—”

he slammed into you in one brutal thrust.

your cry echoed through the room.

he didn’t wait. didn’t ease you in. he took you — hard, deep, merciless — one hand fisted in your hair, the other gripping your hip so tight it burned.

“who fucks you like this?” he growled. “who makes you scream like you’re mine?”

“you, yuta — fuck — only you.”

his pace was relentless, hips snapping into yours, the sound of skin on skin loud and obscene.

“that’s right. and you’ll take every drop of my cum like a good little wife. won’t you?”

“yes—please—fill me—”

he bent over you, teeth scraping your shoulder.

“you want me to breed you, don’t you?”

you moaned so loud it broke into a sob.

“say it.”

“i want it. want your cum—inside me—wanna be full, yuta, please—”

he bit down softly on your neck, thrusts growing erratic.

“then take it.”

you felt the heat building in your core, body shaking, his cock pounding your g-spot over and over. your orgasm hit you like lightning — thighs trembling, vision white, a scream ripping from your throat as you clenched around him.

he cursed loud.

and then came.

deep inside you.

hot, thick ropes of cum spilling into your pussy, his grip tightening as he rode out every wave, buried to the hilt, panting against your skin.

you stayed like that — bodies locked, his cum dripping from you slowly, warm down your thighs — until your heart slowed.

he pulled out gently, and you turned, breathless, sweat-slicked, aching in the best ways.

he cupped your face.

kissed your lips.

then rested his forehead to yours.

“you know everything now,” he whispered. “there’s nothing left to hide.”

you smiled faintly.

“good. because i already gave you all of me.”

his lips brushed your ear, voice low and full of reverence.

“and now i’ll never give you back.”

you found riku by the back steps of the house, his phone in hand, legs pulled up to his chest, eyes scanning something you couldn’t quite see. he didn’t hear you approach. or maybe he did and was just pretending not to.

the late afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting a warm haze over the garden stones. it smelled faintly of earth and chamomile, and for a moment, you let yourself breathe before breaking the silence.

“we need to talk,” you said gently.

he looked up, startled for a second, then shrugged. “if it’s about the shoes i ordered on your card—”

you gave him a look. “riku.”

he sat up straighter. serious now. “okay. what’s up?”

you sat beside him, folding your hands in your lap, your yukata sleeves pooling at your wrists. you took a breath, choosing your words carefully.

“you need to go back to school.”

he blinked. “what?”

“you heard me. i already spoke to the headmaster. they’re willing to let you re-enroll next term. and you need to talk to your mom. properly. you’ve been avoiding her.”

riku looked away. jaw clenched. “she wouldn’t understand.”

“she doesn’t need to understand all of this,” you said softly. “but she deserves to know you’re alive. and trying. you think you’re protecting her, but disappearing from her life like this… it’s not fair.”

he didn’t respond at first. his gaze drifted out to the garden wall, and you could almost hear the gears turning behind his silence.

“this life,” you continued, “this world we’re in now — it’s not safe. you know that. and i can’t help worrying that something might happen to you, and she’ll never even know why. i’ve accepted the risks of being here. but i never wanted them for you.”

his shoulders tensed. he stayed quiet, but his eyes looked glossy, like he’d blinked just a second too late.

“you still have a chance to choose,” you whispered. “and i want you to choose something that won’t kill you.”

he finally looked back at you, a long exhale dragging out of his chest.

“i’ll call her,” he said quietly. “and i’ll apologize. properly.”

you smiled, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

but as you did, your eyes caught the edge of something just beneath the sleeve of his jacket — a strip of white gauze wrapped tightly around his forearm. when your fingers brushed it lightly, he flinched.

you pulled the sleeve up.

the bandage had been carelessly wrapped. fresh ink peeked through the gaps — intricate black lines, a dragon’s claw, maybe, or waves, the skin still slightly raised and tender.

your stomach twisted.

“riku…”

he winced. “it’s nothing. i mean… it’s just a little piece. it’s not even done yet.”

you stared at it for a long moment.

“do you have any idea what she’s going to do when she sees this?”

he rubbed the back of his neck. “probably cry. or throw a pan at me.”

“or both.”

“...at the same time.”

you sighed, but your lips twitched into a small smile. still, your chest felt heavy. not angry — just afraid. he was walking deeper into the world you were only now beginning to understand, and it made your role in it feel even more complicated.

you didn’t say anything more. you just wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a sideways hug, holding him there for a few seconds longer than either of you wanted to admit.

that night, after too many glasses of sake and a long evening spent in each other’s arms, the bed was a mess of sweat and tangled sheets.

you were lying on your stomach, your hair stuck to your back, body exhausted and humming. yuta was sprawled on top of you, chest pressed to your spine, his arm tucked under your ribs, his face buried in your neck.

you groaned, voice muffled into the pillow. “you’re heavy.”

“you love it.”

he was right.

he kissed the back of your shoulder, a lazy drag of lips against damp skin.

“you’ve ruined me,” he murmured.

you laughed breathlessly. “you say that like you weren’t already unfixable.”

“i mean it,” he said, shifting slightly so he could look at you. “i didn’t expect this. any of it. you… being here. being mine. and still choosing to stay.”

your eyes softened.

“you’re not an easy man to love, nakamoto.”

he smirked. “but worth it?”

“every headache.”

he leaned over the side of the bed, rummaged through the drawer, and returned with a small velvet box — navy, square, simple.

you blinked. “what’s that?”

he sat up slightly, straddling your thighs, hair messy, chest still flushed. the box opened with a click.

inside was a ring — gold, sleek and bold, with a marquise-cut diamond set sideways, surrounded by a halo of tiny black sapphires. the band was engraved with delicate detailing, traditional japanese patterns etched into the metal like hidden promises.

it gleamed even in the low light. expensive. beautiful. utterly yuta.

you sat up, stunned.

“you’re asking me to marry you right after we’ve had sex?” you asked, laughing.

he shrugged. “i was inspired.”

“you’re unbelievable.”

“you’re naked and gorgeous and mine. i panicked.”

your laughter caught in your throat, replaced with a tightness that swelled in your chest as you stared at the ring. your eyes watered, lips parting, voice shaky.

“is this real?”

he nodded, his voice quiet now. “i don’t want the kind of marriage we started with. i want one that means something. to both of us. no contracts. no politics. just us. in front of the clan. in front of the gods.”

your fingers reached out, barely brushing the edge of the ring.

“i want to do this right,” he whispered. “let me show you.”

you swallowed hard.

and smiled.

“then yes,” you said, voice thick with emotion. “ask me a hundred times and the answer’s always going to be yes.”

his grin broke wide.

and this time, when he kissed you, it wasn’t about hunger.

it was about forever.

the second wedding was nothing like the first.

the first had been arranged in cold hallways, behind doors that clicked shut like iron, signed with blood and pressure and the unspoken rules of the underworld. the first had been necessary — a move on a chessboard.

but this one?

this one was chosen.

held in the shrine courtyard of the nakamoto estate, under the quiet watch of ancestors and gods alike, it began with the low beat of taiko drums and the scent of incense curling through the crisp morning air.

you stood at the center of it all.

dressed in a white shiromuku, the traditional bridal kimono of purity and rebirth. its silk trailed the floor, heavy and immaculate, embroidered with phoenixes and cranes in shimmering thread. your tsunokakushi — the white head covering meant to conceal ego — crowned your head, soft and still.

beside you stood yuta.

his posture was straight, proud, the black crested montsuki haori and hakama hanging from his frame like armor. he looked every bit the oyabun — the head of a family — and yet his gaze never left you, like nothing else in the world demanded his attention.

behind you, rows of men and women knelt on tatami mats — the inner circle of the nakamoto clan. some bore tattoos beneath their sleeves, others scarred hands, others cold eyes trained by violence and loyalty. but in this moment, they were still. silent.

they were bearing witness.

the priest began the shinzen kekkon — the wedding before the gods — by purifying the space with shide and sake, then guiding you and yuta to the front of the altar. a sacred tree branch, tamagushi, was placed in your joined hands. together, you offered it to the kami, bowing low.

this was no contract.

this was devotion.

your palms touched. warm. sure.

and then came the san-san-kudo — the sharing of three cups of sake, each one drunk in three sips: first you, then him, then together. nine sips in total. three-three-nine. an old number. a sacred one.

you drank slowly, your lips brushing the rim, the liquid sharp and ancient on your tongue.

when he drank, he didn’t look at the cup.

he looked at you.

as the final sip passed between you, the priest intoned words of binding.

not legally.

spiritually.

eternally.

and then yuta turned to you, voice low but clear.

“i married you once for duty,” he said. “now i marry you for truth.”

your throat tightened.

you bowed your head and replied, voice steady:

“and i vow to walk beside you, not behind.”

there were no claps.

no applause.

just silence.

respectful.

reverent.

a world watching its king choose something sacred.

when you stepped away from the altar, hand in hand, a man approached from the side.

takuya.

he bowed.

deeply.

then, with solemn hands, presented the ceremonial dagger — tantō — wrapped in white silk. a symbol of acceptance into the family. not as a pawn.

but as one of them.

yuta took it, unwrapped it, and turned to you.

“kneel,” he said softly.

you did.

without fear.

he placed the blade across your palms.

“you carry the weight of my name,” he said. “from now on, no one questions your place.”

you bowed low, touching your forehead to the hilt.

when you stood again, your eyes met his — and something ancient passed between you. a vow older than paper. stronger than ink.

hours later, after the feast, after the toasts, after the smoke and laughter and low bows from men who once called you nothing but ‘the girl from the village’...

you were lying on your stomach in the private room upstairs, your white kimono loosened and draped to your waist, exposing the pale skin of your back and arm.

the tattoo artist sat beside you, focused and quiet.

the hum of the needle filled the room.

yuta was there too.

he sat behind you, shirtless, cross-legged on the floor, watching the design bloom across your skin — a dragon and peony motif interlaced with fine black wind bars, each line tying you deeper into their world. the colors were subtle, but fierce.

the design stretched from your shoulder down to the start of your wrist.

a mirror to his.

not identical. not copied.

complementary.

his hand rested on your calf, thumb drawing lazy circles as the artist worked. you winced once, and he leaned forward, kissing your spine.

“almost done,” he murmured.

you nodded, breath steady.

when the final line was inked and the cloth wiped away the last trace of blood, the artist stepped back.

yuta stood.

he offered his hand.

you took it.

the photograph was more than a picture.

it was a statement. a declaration. an immortal moment suspended in monochrome — raw and reverent. in it, you sat with your back to the camera, your legs drawn close, arms resting lightly over your chest, the cropped sarashi wrapping your torso like a ribbon of quiet power. the light caught the shine of your new tattoo: a sweeping sleeve of mythical creatures and chrysanthemum blooms, still fresh, still red at the edges, but already a part of you. you wore it like a second skin, regal and unbothered, your chin slightly lifted, your hair pulled into a loose knot at the nape of your neck, strands framing your face. behind you sat yuta, shirtless, composed, his own tattoos a war map of history carved into muscle and bone. he sat in seiza, arms resting on his knees, head turned just slightly toward your shoulder, not in possession — but in respect.

the image held no smiles. no forced emotion. it was calm. deliberate. powerful. and when it was printed, framed, and placed in the tokonoma alcove of the clan’s primary meeting room, no one questioned it. it hung higher than the weapons displayed on the walls, higher than the scrolls of bloodlines and signed treaties — at the very center of the room, commanding the eye.

to those who entered from the outside, it was a symbol of unity between worlds: tradition and transformation. loyalty and love. ink and intention.

but to those who belonged to the nakamoto clan, it meant something more.

it was the moment they stopped seeing you as “the outsider.” the girl in the white dress from a village none of them could name. the contract bride. the quiet one who used to bow too deeply and speak too little.

now, you sat beside yuta during meetings — not in silence, but in observation. not hidden behind him, but at his side. when younger wives or girlfriends were brought into the compound — nervous, uncertain, too afraid to speak — you were the first to greet them. you created rules to protect them. gave them space to breathe. and over time, it wasn’t uncommon for high-ranking members of the clan to glance your way during decisions, silently asking for your read. your word.

sometimes, you gave it. calmly. decisively.

and when you did, yuta never interrupted.

he listened. he agreed. he trusted.

your presence became part of the structure — not ornamental, but foundational. the quiet balance to yuta’s fire. the logic behind his instinct. you were his shadow when it was needed, and his shield when he left himself exposed. and though some still whispered in the dark corners of old ways, they never challenged you. not after the photograph. not after the wedding. not after the way yuta looked at you when he thought no one was watching.

he looked at you like you had saved him.

because you had.

that night, long after the meeting room had emptied and the halls had quieted, you found yourselves in the sanctuary of your shared space — warm lamplight casting soft amber shadows across the tatami mats, the scent of cedar and sandalwood lingering in the air. your yukata was folded neatly on the bench, your body bare beneath the sheets, still warm from the bath, hair damp against your shoulders. you sat cross-legged on the futon, eyes closed, your fingers absentmindedly tracing the new lines of your tattooed arm. it ached — not painfully, but as a reminder. of everything you now carried. of everything you had chosen.

yuta entered quietly, still in his black hakama, his haori open at the chest. he watched you for a long moment, leaning against the doorframe. no words. just breath. reverence.

then, slowly, he crossed the room.

he knelt in front of you, hands resting on his thighs, gaze fixed on your face. when you opened your eyes, he was there — so close, so still, as if moving too fast might shatter something fragile between you.

“i see you,” he said quietly, voice low and full. “not just as my wife. not just as my lover. i see the whole of you. and i want you to know… i trust you with everything. with this clan. with my life. with myself.”

your throat tightened, your chest blooming with something deep and unspeakable. you reached for him, cupping his face with your inked hand. his fingers curled around your wrist, not to stop you, but to hold you there.

he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the inside of your palm.

then another to your wrist.

and then, slowly, he laid you down.

his body followed, not with urgency, but with worship — every kiss placed like an offering, every touch a vow. he undressed with no rush, peeling away the layers of cloth until only skin remained between you, until he could feel the curve of your thighs against his hips, your breath against his throat.

he kissed the dragon on your shoulder, then the soft underside of your arm, the delicate line of your ribs. when he reached the curve of your waist, he paused, resting his cheek against your stomach.

“i’ve never bowed to anything but blood and blade,” he whispered. “but for you… i kneel willingly.”

you ran your fingers through his hair, the pads of your thumbs brushing over the scars on his back.

“you don’t have to kneel,” you whispered. “just stay.”

he did.

that night, he didn’t take you roughly. he didn’t claim. he shared. his lips traced every new line on your body as if learning them for the first time. he kissed the places where you winced, and moaned softly when you melted beneath him. he held your hands above your head, not to restrain — but to ground. to feel your pulse against his palms, the heartbeat he’d promised to protect.

when he finally pushed into you, the stretch was deep, familiar, perfect. no pain now. no hesitation. only breath. only movement. you gasped his name against his mouth and he shuddered, whispering yours back like a confession.

he moved slow.

steady.

deliberate.

your bodies rocked in time with the sound of distant wind through the paper doors, with the beating of your own hearts. he watched your face the whole time — every arch of your spine, every flutter of your lashes, every whisper that spilled from your lips.

and when you came — trembling, wet, full of him — he followed, murmuring words into your neck, words you couldn’t remember later but felt deep in your bones.

afterward, you lay tangled in silk and sweat, your inked bodies glowing under the flicker of dying lamplight.

he pulled you close.

kissed your forehead.

and whispered into your ear with a voice only meant for you:

“you’re not just the woman i love. you’re the one who made me real.”

and in the silence that followed, you smiled.

because you believed him.

completely.

the journey was quiet.

no guards. no entourage. just you and yuta in the back of a black car, the windows fogged slightly from the spring rain outside. he hadn’t said much since you left the house — just held your hand loosely in his lap, his thumb tracing slow, endless circles against your skin. the route took you far from the city, past rice fields and roadside shrines, into the kind of silence that belonged to memory and ghosts.

when the car finally stopped, you stepped out into a small mountain cemetery — tucked into the hills, moss-covered, serene. the rain had eased into a mist, the scent of wet earth and cedar wrapping around you like incense.

the cemetery was quiet in the way only mountain cemeteries could be — the silence not empty, but full, brimming with memory, with weight, with things that still hovered in the air long after breath and body had left the world. above the hills, the late spring sun filtered through a haze of low clouds, casting a soft, muted light over the moss-covered stones and uneven steps. you walked beside yuta, your fingers lightly wrapped around his, your pace steady and deliberate, each step more a ritual than a motion. the path curved slightly as it climbed, the gravel crunching underfoot, and the scent of pine and damp earth rose in slow, solemn waves around you, the kind of scent that felt ancient, like it had always belonged to places like this.

he didn’t speak as you walked. he hadn’t spoken much all morning, and you hadn’t asked him to. you knew what this day meant. what it carried. what it demanded of him. when he finally stopped, it was without warning, his body going still as if something inside him had met resistance — not fear, not hesitation, but reverence. you followed the direction of his gaze and saw it: the gravestone set slightly apart from the others, modest in size, but so immaculately kept that the stone still gleamed beneath the faded sky. the characters were carved deep into the black granite, bold but elegant:

nakamoto shotaro 1972 — 1989

you stared at the dates for a long time, feeling the years settle into your bones. he had been seventeen when he died. seventeen and full of the kind of impossible plans that only younger brothers had — plans to run, to rebel, to protect someone taller than him with his own small body if it meant taking some of the weight off his shoulders. you didn’t know him, not really, not in voice or laughter or presence. but you felt him now — in the way yuta’s hand tightened around yours, in the way the breeze shifted at your ankles, in the way something unspoken hovered just above the earth.

yuta knelt slowly, his knees pressing into the gravel, the sleeves of his haori brushing the edges of the stone as he reached forward with both hands and gently set down a bundle of fresh white chrysanthemums. he didn’t rush. he adjusted each stem until they sat perfectly balanced, then bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the stone. you stayed behind him, giving him the space to let the moment breathe, your heart tightening in your chest with each passing second.

when he finally lifted his head, he exhaled slowly — a sound that wasn’t just breath, but release, something old and painful and buried long enough that it had become part of his spine. his voice, when it came, was low and quiet, spoken more to the grave than to you.

“i couldn’t come before,” he said. “i didn’t know how.”

the wind stirred slightly, catching the edge of his hair.

“i ran. i thought if i built something powerful enough, loud enough, cold enough… maybe it would drown the guilt. maybe i wouldn’t see your face every time i closed my eyes.”

he glanced back at you then, and you met his gaze, offering him nothing but presence.

“but i never stopped seeing you,” he continued, turning back to the stone. “and i never stopped thinking — what would you say if you could see me now? if you knew what i’ve become?”

he reached into the inner fold of his robe and pulled out a photograph, carefully wrapped in a cloth. he unfolded it slowly and set it down beside the flowers, weighing it with a smooth black stone.

you recognized the image before you saw it fully.

it was the photo.

the one of you and him — back to back, inked and bare, solemn and unbreakable.

“this is her,” he whispered. “the one who brought me home. my precious wife.”

you stepped forward then, kneeling beside him. you didn’t speak. instead, you pressed your palm to the stone, fingers splayed. it was cool beneath your skin, rough at the edges, and yet it vibrated faintly, as if warmed by something deeper than sunlight. in that moment, you felt him — not just yuta, but shotaro too — and it struck you how alike they must have been. same blood. same defiance. same loyalty.

yuta turned his head toward you, his voice steadier now, softer. “i told you once that i had a sister,” he said. “but i never told you why i stopped speaking to her. it wasn’t just grief. it was shame. she raised us both after our parents passed away, and i failed her. failed him.”

you looked at him, your expression unreadable, your voice gentle.

“but you didn’t fail him, yuta. you survived. and now you’re honoring him in the only way that matters — by living differently. by loving differently.”

his eyes closed for a moment, and when they opened again, they were wet.

not broken.

not defeated.

just full.

he took your hand and kissed the back of it slowly, then stood. you rose with him, brushing gravel from your knees. together, you bowed one last time to the stone, deeper than before, not as farewell but as acceptance — of loss, of memory, of love that had changed its shape but never its place.

as you turned to leave, the wind passed again through the trees, rustling the leaves above like a whisper, and you could’ve sworn — just for a second — that the air felt warmer. lighter. forgiven.

[societyfolklore]

Found this in drafts... I don't know if this I posted this already another time or if it's just there... so.. enjoy! I'm sick so if this was already up somewhere that I forgot about so be it... BUCKY DRABBLE

You knew he'd be edgey when he got back. But when the door slammed open and he filled the threshold, all tactical black and seething heat, nothing prepared you for this. The raw, unhinged violence of him. Broad-shouldered, breathing heavy, beard thicker, eyes darker, like war hadn't ended, it had just come home with him.

He looked like a goddamn problem.

Your back hit the wall before you could speak. Metal fingers curled in your hair, tilting your head, and he didn’t kiss you, he took your mouth like it was something to devour.

“Missed you,” Bucky growled, voice shredded. “Missed your fuckin’ taste.”

His other hand was already on your thigh, hauling it up around his hip. His body pressed hot and brutal between your legs, that thick, aching cock grinding right against your soaked panties, making you whimper into his mouth.

“Need you. Now.”

And then it was chaos. Tactical belt clattering. Your shirt torn like paper. Pants yanked halfway down your thighs before he spun you to the wall and shoved your hands up. His chest crushed against your back, his breath burning in your ear.

“Been thinkin’ about this pussy since the second I left. Gonna fuck you so full, you forget your own name.”

When he pushed inside, it was a claim. No teasing, no mercy. Just a feral, breathless thrust that forced a chocked gasp from your lips. He was already panting, grunting, hips slamming into you like it was instinct, like it was necessary.

“Mine,” he growled. “This pussy’s mine. Say it.”

“Yours,” you gasped, your forehead pressed hard to the wall, legs already shaking.

“Say it louder.”

“Yours, Bucky, it’s yours!”

He bit down on your shoulder, fucked you harder, metal fingers wrapped tight in your hair, pulling you back so he could hear every whimper, every desperate cry.

“You’re gonna come for me,” he snarled. “Gonna soak my cock like a good fuckin’ girl. Then I’m gonna fill you. Not stoppin’ ‘til I see it dripping out.”

You shattered. Your orgasm tore through you, white-hot, legs giving out as he held you up and rutted through it, chasing his own end with brutal, slamming thrusts. His hips stuttered, and with a loud, filthy groan, he buried himself as deep as he could go, cock twitching as he filled you.

The silence after was filled with your breathing. His weight pressed against your back. His lips dragging up your neck.

“Don’t think I’m done,” Bucky whispered, voice rough. “I’ve been gone too long.”

And you?

You weren’t walking tomorrow.

[fleurliz]

𝒟rop top

anton x f!r    (  ≧ᗜ≦)    fluff   ──────✿  ❕ kissing , reader wear a skirt,pure fluff

The sky cracked open sometime after sunset — you felt the first drops as you and Anton stumbled out of the old café, hands brushing but not quite holding yet.

When he looked up and saw the black clouds and the first fat raindrops, he laughed. “Uh-oh.”

Neither of you had an umbrella. Neither of you even thought about running for shelter.

You were in that little skirt he always said he liked, the one that made his ears turn pink when you spun around in it. Now it was sticking to your thighs, rain dripping from your hair, but all you could see was him.

“God, you’re gonna catch a cold,” he murmured, but his hands were already cradling your face, thumbs swiping at the wet strands stuck to your cheeks.

“And you’re gonna ruin your pretty hair,” you shot back, breathless. It made him laugh, that quiet little laugh only you ever heard.

You squealed when a cold drop splashed on your forehead. He caught your hand — warm, so warm even as the rain fell colder — and tugged you down the street.

“Run!” he yelled, laughing so hard he nearly tripped.

You ran with him, both of you dodging puddles, laughing too loud, the rain soaking through your clothes in seconds. You clutched his hand like your life depended on it — like if you let go, the sky itself would swallow you whole.

At the corner, he slowed down, breathless, hair plastered to his forehead. You were both panting, chests heaving, raindrops running down your eyelashes.

You were about to say something stupid — a giggly “We’re so wet!” — when he caught your wrist and yanked you flush against him. The laughter died in your throat.

His eyes darted over your face, wide and dark, searching. His thumb brushed your bottom lip, and the rain kept drumming on his shoulders, yours, the street around you.

Then he kissed you.

Not gentle. Not shy.

He kissed you like he’d been drowning for years and only just found air again. His mouth moved against yours with an aching hunger — tasting the rain on your tongue, stealing every breath you tried to take. His fingers slid into your wet hair, tugging just enough to make your knees weak.

You gasped into him, hands fisting his shirt so hard you knew you’d stretch it out. He didn’t care. His other hand splayed wide over your back, holding you there, chest to chest, heartbeat to heartbeat.

It was messy. It was wet. It was everything.

When he finally pulled back, your lips were swollen, your eyes half-closed, and your laugh came out shaky. He pressed his forehead to yours, still breathing hard, a grin splitting his face.

“God, I’ve wanted to do that since you ordered that stupid iced latte,” he panted.

You giggled, pushing your nose against his. “You’re insane, Anton.”

“Only for you.” And just like that — he kissed you again, harder this time, in the middle of the street while the rain kept falling like it would never stop.

guyss i had this in my draft for so long so i dont rlly know if thats great ?😭 i just wanted to post something and it sas there soo… u can send req if u want about any of the riize’s member !!

[my-my-my]

This is for Day 1 of @bleachsmutfest! A modern Aizen x Reader.

This is different from my usual writing style, as it is completely in 3rd person (I was trying to write this from Aizen's perspective), so heavy use of "she/her" pronouns, but no specific physical features of reader are mentioned.

Summary:

In reality and In dreams both, ‘tis her I meet at night, so Until the twilight comes I have no joy, at all.

Teiji-in uta’awase 29

CW: Fingering, modern AU (Aizen is a researcher), third-person perspective.

Word count: 2351 words

Read on AO3 here.

Since he was a small child, Aizen Sosuke had been plagued by vivid dreams. It bothered him like no other. Intense dreams, dreams that felt real once he awakened. It resonated something deep within him, fueling his motivation to go beyond the confines of family medicine, general surgery, and into the deep trenches and undiscovered mysteries between neuroscience, physiology and psychology.

Sleep was a fundamental part of humans. A fundamental function for all living creatures.

But dreams? What purpose did they have? It was something he would struggle to answer as he delved deeper in the field.

Sosuke’s pursuit of knowledge, his insatiable thirst for answers, had a secondary effect on him – it made him well-renowned in the field of sleep medicine. He was invited to talks, to presentations, a president of the Sleep Society in Japan. He became one of the lead academics and doctors internationally in the field.

But yet, he still was left with questions.

Particularly, why someone such as him, was plagued with a specific person entering his dreams. The person, who eluded him like no other. They remained consistently the same since he was a child.

As Sosuke leaned into his office chair, once again consumed by his thoughts about his dreams, he wondered why this specific person continuously remained persistent. It was something he still never understood – the science just couldn’t answer for it.

He knew of various cultural meanings, but… he didn’t care for them. Anthropological data had some interest to him, but he was not interested in the realm of psychics and the obscure.  

The first dream he recalled with his mystery person, he vaguely remembered he dreamt he was an adult. The details were lost to time, but he was getting married – that much he remembered. And the elusive person was his partner, his bride-to-be.

As he grew older, the woman became more solid to him. She was an acquaintance in some dreams, the mother of his children in others. He dreamt of him dying while she wept next to him.

To Sosuke, it felt like he spent a lifetime with this person. He could hear her laughter so clearly on some days. Other days, the swaying of flowers reminded him of her smile.

And it infuriated him, to be consumed by such thoughts. Thoughts he could never answer for. The dream of her haunting his waking life as he struggled to date real humans.

The men and women he dated, mostly brief dates, left him feeling more alone. There were things that they would say, things that they would do, that left him feeling lonely. Sosuke wondered briefly, if he was subconsciously comparing them to this imaginary woman, but he would immediately deny it after. Dr. Aizen Sosuke was a man of science and curiosity, but he had no need to entertain such ideas.

He pushed back his brown hair, closing his eyes briefly. It was getting late, and he knew better than anyone else, that sleep was necessary to answer the questions of tomorrow.

“Dr. Aizen, I’ve attached the draft of my manuscript based on the REM dream clinical trial. Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.” His post-doctoral student, Hinamori Momo said in her email.

It was a standard manuscript, no earth-shattering results, as they found some association with REM sleep and brain plasticity. He left comments and suggestions for edits on her manuscript, inserting relevant papers to include in the discussion.

But he frowned. It had been a few years now since he last dreamt of the mystery woman. The last dream he could recall with her was incredibly brief in his mind. Her voice echoing, “you’re so cute, Sosuke!”

And now… he was left with no more traces of her except for his memories. Nothing tangible, nothing real. Sosuke thought he was haunted by her presence, but…

He hated to admit it, especially to himself.

But he missed her.

Which led him to a bigger, existential and philosophical question, how could he miss someone who wasn’t real to begin with?

He studied the nature of anima, the complexities of dreams picking apart people in his waking life and inserting them into mind as he dreamt, but this woman, he knew he had never met her before.

Sosuke closed his laptop, deciding fresh air and some time to observe people, was what he needed. While he would say he was a relative creature of habit, today he decided to go to another part of the city he didn’t frequent, a café he had never gone to, on the sheer whim and curiosity to find something to stimulate his mind.

A pair of sunglasses adorned his face as he strolled into the café. It was busy, loud with various people going to and fro. With the warmer weather, the café opened up a patio, one he accepted to sit at. He quietly sipped his drink, his eyes watching people with intensity masked by the dark lenses of his glasses.

Children crying for ice cream, parents trying to console their weeping children. Groups of youth laughing and playing music loudly as they walked along the sidewalk. Sosuke took in the shops surrounding the café, there was a franchise bookstore nearby, with a few restaurants dotting the street. A stationery shop he had heard in passing was next door but it seemed empty.

Nothing really stood out to him, but it was a needed distraction, nonetheless. Sosuke watched people as he drank his coffee in silence. He was dressed inconspicuously, an average man at an average café, blending in with the surrounding crowd.

But he heard quiet, hushed whispers and some giggling. He grimaced slightly.

“You should go talk to him. He’s kind of cute!” Someone remarked.

“Oh I don’t know, he’s just minding his own business.”

“If you’re not, I will.” Someone else laughed.

Sosuke took a glance and saw a few women quickly turn their heads away from him. They must have been a few years younger than him, but he wasn’t amused. He counted in his head as he looked out the patio again, trying to find someone to fixate on.

Thankfully for Sosuke, his coffee was finished, as he continued to hear the women debating on whether or not to approach him. He thanked the barista for his drink and for some reason, he decided to enter the stationery shop.

He enjoyed calligraphy, one of the few hobbies he shared when people tried to get to know him. A man of many talents, calligraphy seemed to be a crowd pleaser when he shared some of his work. He had particular shops he preferred to visit in the city, but this one was new.

There was another customer inside, but once Aizen took off his sunglasses, his eyes widened.

The woman of his dreams, being helped by the clerk in the shop. Sosuke’s heart raced as he began to feel light-headed.

“Welcome! Sir wait!!” was the last thing Sosuke remembered as he collapsed in the store.

Sosuke awoke to the sound of monitors beeping, his body feeling exhausted, and confusion filling his mind. He looked down his body and saw an IV drip hooked into him.

“You’re awake, thank god!” He turned his head to the sound of the woman’s voice. A familiar voice.

His eyes widened again.

“You gave us all a scare. I wasn’t sure if you were with anyone, but I couldn’t leave you alone at the hospital.” She spoke softly.

Sosuke was in disbelief, the voice, the eyes, the physical presence…

“Have we met before?” Sosuke asked, confusion evident in his voice.

He watched the woman shake her head, “I mean technically yes, in the store.” She let out an awkward laugh, a laugh he had heard countless of times, “but we haven’t met before.”

“This is kinda weird,” she laughed again, a sound he couldn’t believe he was happy to hear again, “you’re Dr. Aizen Sosuke, right?”

He nodded his head, “I assume emergency services checked my wallet.”

She nodded her head introducing herself, “it feels kind of unfair, so call us even now” she replied softly.

He murmured her name under his breath, a strange weight creeping on his chest.

“Aizen-san, emergency services tried to contact your next of kin, but there wasn’t anyone.” She spoke again, “do you have anyone I can call to let them know you’re here?”

The familiar feeling of loneliness panged inside him. A man with countless of contributions to the field of sleep medicine, academia and the world alike, yet… no one he comfortably felt he could rely on.

His mind raced, he supposed his post-doctoral student Hinamori Momo, but he didn’t want to feed her crush on him.

In the distant past, possibly Ichimaru Gin, the forensic investigator he worked with briefly.

Or Tosen Kaname, if he were still alive.

Kurosaki Ichigo had a family of his own now, not having spoken to his bright pupil in many years.

But it would be a cold day in hell if he spoke to Urahara Kisuke again. Hirako Shinji would laugh and hang up.

“No one.”

She frowned so deeply… sadness etching her features, a sadness he wanted to remove from her.

“If I have your permission, I’ll take you home.” She spoke gently, concern evident in her voice.

He held up his hand, “please. It’s not an issue. You must go home yourself.”

But she vigorously shook her head, an action that felt nostalgic to him.

“I can’t, in good conscious, leave you like this.”

Sosuke frowned, his heart feeling heavier and heavier as strange emotions filled him.

But before the two of them could argue, the emergency doctor came in and took Sosuke’s vitals once again. What caused his collapse couldn’t be determined (but Sosuke had a hunch), but his vitals were normal, and he was healthy in body and mind, thus fit to go home.

“If anything, let me get you a lift home.” She said, pulling out her phone. “I’ll call and pay for it, please.” She pleaded with him. A flash of a memory, no a dream filled Sosuke’s mind.

“Alright,” he responded, not in the mood to argue.

As they waited in the lobby for Sosuke’s taxi, he watched her scribble something on a piece of paper.

“This is my number.” She said cheerfully, a smile, a familiar smile, bright on her face. “Please text or call me once you get home.” Her voice slightly dropped, her words laced with worry.

He nodded his head, inputting her number into his phone. Anxiety ran through him, an unfamiliar feeling.

“Are you sure we haven’t met before?”

Being a sleep doctor and researcher, Sosuke had heard countless quips and puns about dreaming and sleep. But the one that felt fitting as of late was “pinching” someone who was unsure if they were still dreaming.

“Sosuke…” he heard her say, a sing-song tone in her voice, “I’m home!” She giggled, entering his office.

“Welcome home.” He smiled, getting up from his office chair, embracing her in his arms.

She was evidently very real, no amount of imagination from his forever-curious mind could create someone like her. Her body felt solid in his hands, her voice clear in his ears, her touch leaving his skin warm and hot.

She was real and she was his.

“How was your day?” She asked, pulling him out of his office into their shared living room.

He proceeded to tell her about the annoyances he faced, the small discoveries his team had made, as he smiled fondly at her laugh, her questions, her curiosity as she prepared a snack for both of them.

“You know, you still haven’t told me why you went into sleep science…” she asked, sitting next to him.

“I have told you, countless of times.” Sosuke said, his voice deep as he picked her up and sitting her on his lap.

She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around his neck, “that’s what you tell everyone though. I have a hunch that it’s not quite the truth.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.” He murmured, chuckling at her inquisitiveness. “Do you think I’m lying to you?”

She shook her head softly, “not that you’re lying, but,” she bit her lip, “more like hiding something.”

Sosuke sighed, readjusting her in his lap, “you really are perceptive.”

He kissed her softly on the lips as his arms tightened around her. “I’ve dreamt of you.” He whispered. “Or someone, like you.”

She stilled in his arms, as Sosuke continued on, “but I could never make sense of them. They were intense, and were never the same.”

“So you’re in love with the dream me?” She murmured, a hint of fear in her voice.

“No, I could never imagine someone like you –“ he began to trail kisses down her body. “You are real. A woman filled complexity –“ he nipped at her skin, removing her shirt and unhooking her bra. He squeezed her breasts in his hand, taking care to pinch the nipple.

“A woman who is beyond dreams” he whispered, before sucking on her breasts. “Someone I want to wake up to.” His hand slid down to the waistband of her pants, pushing them down. “A woman whose curiosity astonishes me,” Sosuke’s hand wandered to her panties, his hand cupping her wet pussy.

“Someone who reacts to my touch in such a way,” he circled his thumb around her clit, earning a startled cry.

“That I could only want more.” Pushing a finger inside her.

She moaned and panted above him, her arms tight around his neck, her fingernails scratching his back. He kissed her forehead as he continued to finger her, the slick sound of her pussy filling their ears.

“Sosuke, I’m about to – !” he pressed his lips against her, muffling her scream. Her juices covering his hand.

She sobbed in his lap as she reeled from her orgasm, watching Sosuke lick his fingers clean of her essence.  

“You’re more than a dream.” Sosuke said, kissing her deeply on the lips again. “You’re someone I yearn for, endlessly."

I felt bad about not participating, so I whipped this up! The summary is from a waka poem :).

The following songs were used for inspo:

Floating Points - Fast Forward

Ian Pooley feat. Esthero - Balmes (A Better Life)

Desire - Under Your Spell

Asaka Yu - Katamaritaino

TBH I do feel a bit out of touch with writing for Aizen as of late, so I apologize if he comes across as out-of-character 😭. I miss writing consistently, but rl demands are kicking my ass!

But regardless, thanks for reading! I appreciate all of you who like, reblog and share my stuff. It means so much.

[sevarchive]

hey everyone :)

this is honestly really hard for me to write, but i want to be real with you all—maybe for the first time, maybe for the last time.

i made this account during a time when i was struggling more than i knew. before i even started posting, i was already burned out and sinking into a kind of sadness i didn’t fully understand. when school ended, instead of feeling better, things just got heavier. the loneliness crept in so quietly that i barely noticed it at first—like a shadow following me everywhere, but invisible to everyone else. most of my closest friends disappeared after school ended. i told myself they had their own lives and problems, and maybe they did. but that didn’t make the silence any less painful. it just made me feel like i was fading away, like i was slowly turning into a ghost that nobody could see or hear anymore.

for a whole month, i woke up and went through the motions without really living. i’d stare at the ceiling for what felt like forever, trying to find a reason to move. i felt like i was just existing, trapped in a cycle of monotony and quiet pain. i was wearing a mask, a mask so good even i forgot what was beneath it. then, by some small miracle, i logged back into this old tumblr account. and with it came a spark—blue lock, a fandom, a place i loved. slowly, i found myself laughing at posts again, writing little jokes, sharing stories, and connecting with all of you. this space became a sanctuary when everything else felt like it was crumbling. and you—yes, you reading this—became my light in the darkness.

i can’t put into words how much you all mean to me. you’ve been the reason i’ve found the strength to keep going. to wake up wanting to write. to feel joy again, even in small moments. your support, your kindness, your love, support and words carried me through days when i thought i couldn’t carry myself. please know that you’re not just followers or fans to me—you’re my saplings, my family in this little corner of the world. and i love you with everything i have. but lately, the loneliness has been creeping back, even beneath the smiles and posts. and the pressure of real life hasn’t eased up—student council duties, school starting again soon, anxiety that hits harder each night, and panic attacks i can’t ignore. i’ve realized that no matter how much i love being here with you, i have to take care of myself too. i can’t keep pretending i’m okay when i’m not.

so, with a heavy heart, i want to let you know that i will need to take a break from writing for awhile. i need to rest—not just my body, but my mind and my heart too. before my last year as a senior starts again in less than three weeks, i want to try to find myself again and heal the parts of me that have been hurting quietly for a long time.

this isn’t goodbye. this account isn’t going anywhere. and if i have the strength, i’ll still post or write something from time to time. my drafts and plans will have to wait for now, but they’re not gone forever. but i will still reply to any inbox messages y'all will send me and interact from time to time :)

once again, thank you sm everyone. from the bottom of my heart, thank you for staying with me, for your kind words, your messages, your support, and your love. every single one means so much to me. if you want to reach out, i’ll be reading your messages with so much gratitude. btw, please take care of yourselves too. hold on to the people and things that bring you even a little light when things get hard. i’ll be trying my best to do the same.

remember, this isn’t a goodbye. rather, it’s just a see you later.

with all the love i have left,

nat <3

[just-b-yourself]

What Happened to The Handmaid’s Tale? A Eulogy for Nick Blaine, and My Faith in TV Writing

I wasn’t going to write again.

But then, one quiet afternoon, I remembered Nick Blaine.

And the rage came back.

I’ve written about this show so many times, you’d think I’d have found closure by now.

But here I am. Still grieving. Still bitter. Still trying to figure out how one of my favorite shows of all time managed to destroy its own legacy — not with a bang, but with bad writing, broken characters, and one very disrespectful airplane explosion.

It’s honestly impressive how the writers of Season 6 managed to take a show once praised for its layered character arcs, emotional realism, and slow-burning tension — and reduce it to a mess of incoherent choices, character assassinations, and empty symbolism. It’s like they held a bonfire in the writers’ room and tossed in all the previous seasons’ scripts, just to make sure no one accidentally referenced anything consistent. The show used to be about trauma, survival, resistance. In Season 6, it became about… who knows? Betraying long-standing character arcs? Gaslighting your audience? Maybe the writing team got stuck in Gilead themselves and started drafting episodes from inside a Commander’s basement. Or maybe they tried to escape to Canada but got caught mid-draft. Either way, it’s clear someone was sleep-deprived, emotionally unavailable, and possibly writing on a dare. What happened to subtlety? Continuity? Depth? Oh right — they exploded in that same plane as Nick.

How to Lose a Loyal Audience in 10 Episodes ?

Want to lose your fanbase? Step 1: Ignore years of thoughtful character building. Step 2: Undermine the most emotionally resonant relationships. Step 3: Kill one of the most beloved characters offscreen and call it closure. Step 4: Promote your spin-off like nothing happened. Congrats, you’ve just alienated half your viewers and turned what could’ve been a legacy into a cautionary tale for future writers.

Let’s talk about Nick Blaine. Again.

A character so layered, so quietly devastating, so beautifully restrained, that he somehow managed to express a full novel’s worth of emotion with a single conflicted glance. A man who risked everything in silence. Who rebelled not with fireworks, but with quiet, impossible choices. A man who loved June with a kind of quiet devotion that never asked for recognition — and rarely got it from the writers either, apparently.

Because whatever the hell Season 6 was… it wasn’t written by anyone who had watched the previous five.

This is a man who:

Was always part of the resistance (yes, even when no one else knew it).

Played the long game, while everyone else played checkers with a blindfold.

Loved June with a kind of brutal, sacrificial tenderness — and proved it over and over again.

Carried guilt, grief, and agency in every scene, even when he said nothing.

Was literally canonically confirmed to be part of The Testaments, which takes place years after the events of this show.

Did the writers:

Decide subtle male characters are just "too much effort"?

Confuse "minimalist" with "nonexistent"?

They didn't just underwrite him — they actively un-wrote him. All the nuance, the inner conflict, the impossible choices? Gone. Swept under the narrative rug like inconvenient canon

Because no matter how much you try to fade him out, Nick Blaine’s story matters. His choices mattered. His love mattered. His presence in the rebellion — quiet, strategic, constant — mattered.

He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t flashy.

He was the man in the shadows, protecting what he could, loving who he shouldn’t, and carrying the weight of every compromise he ever made.

And for six seasons, we watched him try. And try. And try again.

And this is the thanks he gets?

I knew they wouldn’t give him a happy ending.

I knew, deep down, that he wouldn’t ride off into the sunset with June, holding Holly’s hand and planting tomatoes in some post-Gilead garden. That was never his path.

But I thought — I hoped — they would at least honor him.

Instead, they reduced him to a name on a report.

A body in an exploded plane.

A casualty of a mission where he gave everything, only to be erased with a single line of dialogue and a flicker of guilt in June’s eyes.

He didn’t even get a scene.

He died offscreen. Like a narrative inconvenience.

Because Nick was never just a love interest.

He was never just “the other guy.”

He was the one who saw June when no one else did.

He carried her in silence when she had nothing left.

He protected her when it cost him everything.

He stayed loyal — not to Gilead, not to any side, but to her.

To love, in a world where love was weaponized, forbidden, devoured.

He lived in the grey, and he died in the dark.

And the writers didn’t even give us a light.

No real goodbye. No reckoning. No moment of honesty between him and June.

No justice for a man who spent six seasons playing chess while everyone else smashed pieces on the floor.

Nick Blaine didn’t need a happy ending.

But he deserved a real one. One that acknowledged who he was. What he did. What he carried. The love he held and never demanded. The quiet war he fought until the very end.

Nick was never loud. Never dramatic. Never the obvious hero.

He was quiet resistance. A man who lived in grey zones, made impossible choices, and never once stopped fighting — even when it cost him everything.

He saved Luke. He saved Moira. He got June out — twice. He handed over intel. He infiltrated Command. He put himself on the line every single season for the people he loved.

He didn’t have big speeches or dramatic gestures. He was quiet resistance. The man in the background.

The one who sacrificed his safety, his freedom, and eventually his life — not for recognition, not for power, but for love.

For June.

For his family.

For the rebellion.

For a world better than the one that had broken him.

He was the most selfless character in the entire series.

He showed up — always.

When June called, he came.

When others hesitated, he acted.

He got people out. He gave everything — and asked for nothing.

And the irony?

He’s canonically alive in The Testaments.

He’s meant to continue. To matter. To exist in the world after all this.

But not here. Not in the show they gave us.

They killed him off like a side character in someone else's story.

No goodbye. No final scene. No dignity.

Just: boom. Plane gone. Problem solved

But the writers clearly didn’t rewatch their own show before writing Season 6.

Because they destroyed Nick’s arc in two or three lazy scenes, like all that nuance was just a narrative inconvenience.

They needed someone expendable. So they made it him.

And June?

She betrayed him. For the “greater good.”

And we’re supposed to buy that?

That she’d let him die so quietly after everything he did for her, for her family, for the entire resistance?

This isn’t the June I knew. Not the woman who carried trauma and fury and compassion in equal measure.

In Season 6, she’s… different. Detached. Not just hardened — hollowed.

I understand what they were trying to do — “the greater good,” sacrifice, etc. — but it felt false. Like she’d lost her humanity, and the show didn’t notice.

Her fire turned to static. Her decisions made no emotional sense.

The writing didn’t just drop the ball — it launched it into orbit and called it a finale.

There were so many ways to honor these characters.

So many chances to bring their arcs to a meaningful close.

But the final season was a mess of plot holes, character inconsistencies, and writing that felt like a stranger finishing someone else’s story.

They didn’t just forget Nick — they forgot everything that made the show worth watching in the first place.

Let’s talk about the unholy trinity of Gilead’s architects: Joseph Lawrence, Serena Joy, and Aunt Lydia — three characters who, despite their haunting résumés of systemic cruelty, have somehow been offered redemption arcs as if trauma had an expiration date. Joseph Lawrence isn’t just a “complicated man” with a tragic wife — he’s the very engineer of the Colonies: the mass grave of Gilead, where infertile women and “undesirables” were sent to suffer and die in radioactive agony. Then there’s Serena Joy — the woman who wrote the book on Gilead’s theocratic oppression. Literally. A mouthpiece of rape culture wrapped in pearls and condescension, Serena held June down — while pregnant — to be raped by her husband and stole a child from her biological mother. And finally, Aunt Lydia — the evangelical war criminal disguised as a devout caregiver. She tased, beat, and psychologically broke handmaids with gleeful fervor. She abducted children from their mothers, broke their spirits in “Red Center” indoctrination camps, and justified every scar with a Bible verse. And the fact that they were offered forgiveness, understanding, and even sympathy — while a character like Nick Blaine, who resisted from within and bled silently for the cause, was thrown away — isn’t just insulting. It’s revisionist fiction disguised as nuance. Their crimes didn’t fade with time. The show just chose to forget.

Let’s not even talk about the show promo.

Because wow — the disrespect.

The gaslighting.

The interviews where they teased fans like we were children.

The smugness. The vague answers. The flat-out contradictions.

You could feel the disdain.

It was clear they didn’t know what story they were telling anymore.

Or worse — they didn’t care

I’ve written so many posts about this. I’ve tried to make peace with it.

But every time I revisit the show, every time I think about what it could have been, I feel that sting again. That betrayal.

Because this wasn’t just about a character dying.

It was about a show giving up on itself.

Nick Blaine deserved better.

June deserved to be written with care.

We, the viewers who stayed loyal through the darkest moments, deserved better.

We didn’t love The Handmaid’s Tale just for the plot.

We loved it because of the people. The characters. The layered, flawed, beautiful writing that made us feel something real.

And no character represented that better than Nick.

He’s not a villain.

He’s not a traitor.

He's not a nazi.

He’s a man who lived in darkness so others could find the light.

A man who died alone, unloved, uncelebrated.

So here I am, again.

Writing another eulogy.

Not just for Nick — but for a story that forgot how to tell itself.

And I wish I could say I’m done now. That I’ve moved on.

But the truth is… when a show breaks your heart like this, the ache lingers.

RIP Nick Blaine.

And RIP to the version of The Handmaid’s Tale that once meant the world to me

So this is my final post.

My final grief.

Nick Blaine deserved better.

Not just a longer scene. Not just a different ending.

He deserved to be seen, understood, remembered — for the choices he made, the burdens he carried, the love he gave without ever asking for it in return.

But I remember him.

We remember him.

And we will carry that with us — in the silence, in the spaces the show forgot to fill, in the stories that were never told.

Goodbye, Nick.

You mattered.

[everwhovian]

WIP update post

It came to my attention that I should start updating you guys on my WIPs and all the asks laying dormant in my inbox... I feel like my inbox is a bottomless pit 😭

So I decided to update you guys regularly!

That way you guys can check if I already got to your request or if I'm still working on!

In my drafts (and ready to post):

Junho feels uncomfortable at a family gathering

In-ho winning Jun-ho a price at the arcade

Teen!Jun-ho tells In-ho that he hates him

In-ho's thoughts after finding Jun-ho's police ID in s1

Jun-ho dying in In-ho's arms

Jun-ho runs away from home and In-ho finds him

What if In-ho found Jun-ho in the archive room in s1

In-ho teaching Jun-ho about stranger-danger

The Hwang brothers make a mother's day card

In-ho getting cuteness aggression from little Jun-ho

Jun-ho seeks comfort after a nightmare

In-ho being nice to the guards

In-ho and Jun-ho's relationship when they both work at the precinct. Some co-workers accuse them of nepotism even though Jun-ho builds a name on his own

teen Junho introducing Inho to his first gf/bf and Inho’s overprotective nature just shows as he tries to scare the poor kid away from his brother

when did In-ho start seeing Gi-hun as Gi-hun and not player 456 (rambling thoughts)

In my inbox:

what of Jun-ho infiltrates the 2015 games instead of the 2020 games

Jun-ho gets hurt in the explosion continuation: Captain Park has to answer to In-ho

after the cliff scene In-ho continues to hallucinate Jun-ho to the point that In-ho self-harms to calm the hallucination down and hallucination Jun-ho digs his hands into the wound

Junho finds and kills inho while hugging him

Teen Jun-ho brings home his boyfriend (Recruiter) to meet his brother – who is totally against their relationship! We need some drama in the style of "You're not worthy of my brother's heart!"

Front Man Jun-ho continuation: In-ho's pov

Anesthesia awareness

What if Jun-ho was taken hostage by the dalgona player

Jun-ho's mum died at the end of s2

In-ho being forced to become the Front Man

What if In-ho needed a kidney instead of Jun-ho and Yuna

Part two of In-ho dying in Jun-ho's arms at the boat

Park Mal-soon died when Jun-ho was 8, In-ho is taking care of Jun-ho

In-ho notices that Jun-ho's friends are taking drugs so now he suspects that Jun-ho is also taking drugs (because Jun-ho is moody and not eating will but in reality it is because of Jun-ho’s kidney)

Jun-ho FNAF AU

AU: Inho dies during his games, Yuna and the baby survive, Young-il (what remains) tells them what happened, Jun-ho feels guilty that he is filling the father role for his nephew

Jun-ho sacrificing himself for In-ho and dying (are we manifesting something?!)

Almost done:

Jun-ho misbehaves and In-ho tickles him

In-ho lecturing Jun-ho about taking his meds

cute scene between Yuna and the Hwang brothers: "where is my cute Hwang?!" (she means Jun-ho, but In-ho blushes)

Jun-ho infiltrating s3 half of games, players find out and hurt him; In-ho saves him and In-ho cradles him

In-ho gets 'eliminated' after mingle and is taken for organ harvesting; Jun-ho infiltrates the island and hold the Officer to gunpoint before he saves In-ho with the help of Gi-hun. They patch In-ho up and rescue the remaining players as the island explodes

Other WIPs

next part of what remains.

Juncruiter continuation: Seok-woo stays with Jun-ho and helps him destroy the games, In-ho finds out about them

5+1: five times In-ho gets mistaken for Jun-ho's father, and one time he actually is

What if Jun-ho calls In-ho "dad" while begging for him to come home

Neko!Hwang Brothers: In-ho and Jun-ho are shapeshifters and Gi-hun finds them in an alley and takes them home

Jun-ho died cause In-ho wasnt a match and In-ho got so lost in grief that he spend the organ trafficking ring to give children a change and he anonymously donates kidneys to hospitals

cliff scene: In-ho shoots the guards, runs away with Jun-ho and gets a fake identity etc

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ○△□ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

I think that’s all of them! I’m currently super stressed because of upcoming exams (and Season 3 is dropping soon, but I won’t be able to watch it on June 27, so that’s stressing me out too... honestly, my whole life feels like a mess right now 💀)

I think I’ll close my inbox on Friday and stay offline for the weekend.. just until I’ve managed to watch Season 3 (hopefully by Sunday 😭)

[televisionenjoyer]

not true. drafts are for collecting trinkets. amv I found but can't watch right now so idk if it's good. vagueposts I'm too scared to make. testing html formatting that I don't know if it's gonna work. Awful take I need to dissect but I don't have time atm.

likes are for when my mutual posts about that middle aged man I don't care about. or old man even. like you posting William Shatner.

wdym post in progress how much do you have to think about a post. maybe I am a twitterina deep on my essence but only 1% of what I post is pondered on albeit briefly. I think everyone can tell.

ppl who use the like function to save posts puzzle me. ever heard of making a draft????

[lazarus-harp]

an old ‘ the record producer ’ moodboard

[third-king-of-salmonids]

THE L IN SALMON IS SILENT BC I NEVER FUCKIN LOSE

[yourstrulynobody]

(Draft from all the way back in March)

[" OCEAN TERROR " DCA MERMAY CONTENT, PART 1 ~ PART 2 ]

(NOT TSAMS!!!)

(Note: I am a writer but not exactly good at it, so expect some bad and cringe writing incoming👍)

Moon thrashed and clawed at the thick net that hugged he and Sun's bodies close, but it was useless. If only he could use half of his potential then he would have broken out, but with Sun around so close to him, he knew this risk would be fatal for his brother who was a different species from him.

The deeper they sunk, the more desperate Moon became.

His fins and stingers tensed and straightened, trying to penetrate the net at least a little bit just for a small spark of hope—just so he could have a false sense that Sun would be alive by the end of this.

Awanis like Sun aren't made for deep water. Just the 1,000 feet of the Twilight Zone made Sun hurt and swim back up frantically.

So now that they were so close to entering the midnight zone, how could Sun live?

He couldn't. That was the answer.

Bawsins like Moon have the ability to store fat and use it as soon as they hit the deeper levels, so he was fine; he had no reason to worry.

Yet he yelled and fought.

He yelled and fought for his brother who had passed out by then, his body unable to take the pressure that kept building.

He couldn't lose Sun like this.

He couldn't lose Sun to some stupid sailors.

No.

For the Leviathan's sake—he couldn't lose his brother to some sailors!

Moon writhe in the net a bit harder, his claws digging into the trap as best he could. He even chewed on the net just to try break it, but it didn't work. Still, he had to keep trying.

When he raised his hand to claw on the net again, he caught the glimpse of Sun's transparent rays. Looking over, he saw how much in pain Sun looked even now that his body shut down.

It hurt to see him like this.

Moon dedicated his life into protecting his brother who had been traumatized by another group of sailors years ago; he tried everyday to cheer him up and it thankfully worked as Sun was the happiest fish he knew.

That trip to the surface was suppose to be healing—Sun was suppose to heal, but he got hurt more.

What kind of brother was Moon to have let this happen?

A bad one as it was made clear.

"I'm sorry." Moon sobbed, choking on his words. "I'm so sorry, Sunny."

He let go of the net and did his best to wrap his arms around his brother for an embrace he wished Sun returned. "Please wake up..." He begged, his stingers lowering. "Please—please, Sunny, just wake up."

No answer.

Moon whimpered and let out a pulse, one he used to often communicate with Sun from far distances. He let it out directly on Sun's rays, causing them to sway a bit at the action.

He continued to sob and let out pulses he wished Sun would give back in an attempt to savor the last moments he'd have with his brother.

Just a few more moments, just a 1,000 feet more and they'll be entering the Twilight Zone with a pressure Sun could not handle.

He let out another desperate pulse, one louder than the ones before, just to try wake his—

The pulse was returned.

But it wasn't Sun.

That pulse was too big and loud for it to be Sun. If it was Sun, Moon would've felt him vibrate, but Sun continued to be motionless in his arms.

"Awanis aren't suppose to be here, especially one as lanky as he." Grumbled an irritated voice from below them. "And you, Buwsin, are far too ambitious to enter so deep."

[electrozeistyking]

Happy Birthday, Beanie! :D

I designed her on this day one year ago :3

Fun fact: this is technically how Beanie’s fourth bootday went down. She finally got to try whatever awful concoction drones whip up to make cake that day!

Additional fact: originally had this one scheduled to post since my own birthday... which was apparently 230 days ago, but i meant in months. which in that case would be seven.

[starry-bi-sky]

fast food is the best course of action after causing a scene. ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀɴʏᴀʟ ᴀʟ ɢʜᴜʟ ᴀᴜ

(First Post Here and Second Post Here

--------

Danny finds Sam easily.

She's right where she said she was over the phone: standing outside on a balcony, in Gotham, at Father's many charity functions. 

("Would you still be willing to fly over to Gotham, Danny?" She asks, her voice ringing clear through the speakers. Danny is already climbing out his window before she even finishes her sentence. He was just about to settle down for the night, his ghosts would know better by now than to disturb him at this time. The Box Ghost not included.)

("Of course." He says, sounding more confident than he feels. Sam was one of his best— closest friends, he would do anything she or Tucker asked. Even if it means stepping foot into his Father's city. He drops down silently, and walks through the house's ghost shield. "Would you like me to bring you anything?")

(Sam sighs through the phone, relief leaking through. "One of the veggie burgers from Nasty Burgers would be great, with their new ecto-fries. Extra salt. I'm sick of all this rich people food.")

(A small smile pulls across Danny's face, tilting at the corner as his living form falls away to his ghost self. "Alright," he says, and kicks himself off the ground, "I'll be there in a few minutes.")

("Thanks, Danny.")

He had the bag of food with him, stored in a container he had to run back to the house to get that would prevent the food from cooling during his flight over. Clutching it in hand, he floats down behind Sam and sheds his invisibility.

Being visible and being invisible always felt different, but in a way Danny can never describe, no matter how many times he tries to think about it. It's like a gut-feeling, a sixth sense, he always knows when he's visible and when he is not.

His ghost form burns away like steel wool being lit, and Danny drops the last foot to the ground silently. In his other hand lies his thermos, but filled with plain ectoplasm — lazarus water. "I have your food." 

(He brought the thermos for himself — his side was still healing from his last fight with Technus. The ghost impaled him with a broken pipe, and Danny returned the favor by wedging his sword into his chest. Technus had been quite offended by him ruining his favorite coat.)

Sam jumps a foot into the air, and her hand slams across her mouth to muffle the shriek she lets out as she whirls around. "Danny!" She hisses, her voice rising in pitch, and her eyes narrow at him into a glare. "Freaking-- Tucker's right, we seriously need to put a bell on you."

"You have been saying that for years," Danny grins, sharp-toothed and jack-knifed, and passes the container over to her. "And yet I've yet to see any kind of bell." He was going to start getting disappointed at this rate.

As Sam takes the container, Danny hops up onto the railing and looks around. He hadn't seen any of Father's other children lurking around the building before he revealed himself, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. He wasn't going to fool himself into thinking that their stealth skills were poor.

He wasn't that arrogant.

...Anymore.

"Oh you will." Sam threatens, unzipping the container and grabbing the takeout bag. "I'll get you a collar and everything, we can start calling you Catwoman." When she pulls out her fries, Danny snaps forward and steals one from the box, ignoring her indignant yell as he pops it into his mouth.

"I spent my own money on these fries, Sam." He sniffs, leaning away from her with a stifled huff of laughter as she swats at him. "So they are technically my fries. And also, Catwoman would be a poor thief if she wore a bell."

Sam grumbles at him, and takes a bite out of a handful of fries. "I'll venmo you money." She says past a mouthful of food, Danny would have been disgusted in the past, when he was still new. But he's gotten used to this... normality. So he makes no reaction to it. "How does three hundred bucks sound?"

Danny immediately frowns.

"Did you have a fight with your parents?" He asks, eyes glancing to the doors. Doors that are covered heavily by curtains and blurred heavily, decadent music passing through in muffled sounds. He shifts himself away from the light. "You only spend that much money when they've pissed you off."

Sam's chewing stops, and her annoyed expression falters into one Danny knows well -- hurt, furrowed brows, a small frown, disappointment -- and she turns her head away from him. She swallows. "Yeah." she says, quiet.

Oh.

Danny knows that tone too.

Guilt settles like a rock in his chest. He leans forward, "Was it about me again?" He wasn't blind to the disdain Sam's parents had for him, far from it. This wasn't the first time Sam had gotten into a fight with them over her friendship with him and Tucker. But especially him. He unsettled people, even after years of observing his age-mates and trying to mimic their behavior, and anyone who knew him in middle school knew it was an act.  

Sam's silence gives him all the confirmation he needs, and the guilt heavies itself with the weight of the sky. Danny's never much cared about others' opinions of him -- he is (was?) an Al Ghul, they never heed to mind what the weight of a simpleton's thoughts.

But.. he cares a little a lot when it hurts his friends like this. He presses his lips together into a thin line, and forces the words out through his teeth. It sounds robotic. Al Ghul's do not apologize. "I... am sorry." But this one does. It doesn’t come easy. 

Sam sighs through her nose, and turns to roll her eyes at him. "Don't apologize on their behalf when you won't even apologize for your own; their assholes." She says, and goes reaching for more fries.

It's a sign, a signal. A silent word for the conversation to move on, to change. A distraction. Danny grasps it with both hands, and makes an offended noise in the back of his throat. And like he has learned, puts a hand to his chest like a scandalized American southern lady. "I apologize! I apologize plenty."

She snorts. "Only when you think it matters." And pokes him in the ribs sharply with her fry. He withholds a wince and snatches it out of her hands. "You're about as unapologetic as they come, Danny J. Fenton. I've seen you look more sincere when you're trying to drive your sword between Vlad's ribs."

"Stabbing Masters is a very important task for me, Sam." Danny says in only partially faux-seriousness. Masters has yet to realize that Danny had no interest in becoming his son, but he had to (reluctantly) admire his persistence. "Of course I will apply myself to it as best as I can."

He grins triumphantly when Sam laughs, and she reaches over to shove him square in the chest. He barks out a laugh of his own as he grips onto the balcony railing and catches himself at an angle.

"Quit with your method actor talk," Sam retorts, grinning sharply while Danny twists himself back up elegantly. "I know you can talk like a normal person, I've literally seen you do it."

Danny sniffs, and snatches more fries from the carton as revenge. "I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Miss Sam." He says, grin-twisting when Sam rolls her eyes. "My speech has always been this way. This 'normal' you speak of, I do not know it."

She waves her hand dismissively at him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. But if you keep talking like that, I'm pushing you off the balcony."

"Such violence, Sam."

He gets a laugh again, full of disbelief without any of the annoyance. "I'm gonna be the one that stabs you, oh my god. Pot meet kettle." She looks at him again, smiling.

Danny smiles back, and with a flick of his wrist pulls out a kunai from his sleeve. It was one of the few weapons Mother was able to pass on to him whenever she made her scarce visits. He cherishes it well, along with anything else she was capable of giving him. 

He holds the handle out to her, and watches her face shift from disbelief to shock, then back to disbelief. "Then you're gonna need a weapon to do that." 

"Of course you have a pointy object on you." She mutters, and takes the kunai and puts it in her purse. Danny makes a pleased hum, it resonates low in his core, and drops his hand. "When do you not have a pointy object on you?"

As if to make her point, Danny's hands twist near his side, and he holds his palms up to her, revealing the shobo he had also hidden on him. He gives her a shit-eating grin. "Never." He lowers his hand, and pockets the small weapon once again. 

Sam huffs, "Of course," she repeats, "thanks. I was gonna bring a knife but..."

Danny finishes the sentence for her, kicking his feet idly and knowingly. "The security at the door?" He'd seen them on his flight over the building. It wouldn't do much in the face of the Rogues, but at least they were good at keeping appearances and keeping out the smaller threats.

He rolls his eyes and turns his head away, looking up to the ugly, smog-covered skies. There was no bat signal in the air, and while that was a good thing, Danny almost wished there was. He wanted to see it. "I saw, and I would’ve called Father foolish if he hadn’t hired help. He attracts trouble almost as badly as I do."

"Maybe it's hereditary," Sam jokes, laughing under her breath. With her fries finished, she started on her veggie burger. "At least your dad isn't a vigilante like you are."

Danny smiles wryly. It felt nice to be able to talk more freely about this. That he didn't have to hide the fact that his father was Bruce Wayne, now that Sam knew it from her own accord. Maybe he could have conversations like these more often. Even if it was limited to Bruce Wayne only.

(Even if it felt a little terrifying to know that his father was so close by, close enough that Danny could reach out and touch him. To speak to him. But how would he explain that? And with an audience?)

(He’s wanted to see him since he was a kid, and he still does. It clings onto him like a cough that doesn’t go away after the cold already has, and while it has faded over the years, it clings. His mother’s words still ring in his ears however; it’s not safe. It’s not safe.)

(And isn’t that why he faked his death in the first place? So that his little brother would be safe? Why he gave up the heirship, his home, his Mother, Damian, and his chance to meet his Father? Going to see Father, even now, would be throwing that all away. He has to stay away.)

(Why is Damian with Father if staying with Father was unsafe?) 

He just needed to tell Tucker. Danny wouldn’t keep him out of the loop, he was just as much as his friend as Sam was. His eyes draw towards the door, where the golden glow of lights was still pouring through, where music was playing loudly. "Yeah, fortunately." 

They fall into a comfortable silence after that, and Danny finally cracks open his thermos. The pipe Technus impaled him with was covered in a goo that Danny didn’t recognize, but whatever it was, his injury was taking its time healing. The ectoplasm was speeding it up. 

He isn’t sure what the difference between the ectoplasm that Drs. Fenton collected and Grandfather’s Lazarus pools is, but there’s a difference. He swirls the thermos slowly, watching as the ectoplasm inside twists into a small whirlpool sluggishly. 

When left alone, it thickens into a consistency similar to egg whites, or perhaps a thick smoothie, but reverts back into a water-like substance when moved and swirled. It was strange; unexplainable. He can understand, to an extent, why the Drs. Fenton are so obsessed with studying it and the dimension it comes from. 

Sam watches him idly as he brings the thermos to his lips and drinks from it. The effect is instantaneous, a sense of relief washing over Danny as if someone had put a soothing balm onto an injury. It buzzes down to his fingertips, and when he lowers the thermos, he licks his lips and watches the tips of his fingers burn green like frostbite. 

“Your hair turned white again.” Sam comments, her hand reaching out and touching the hair on the nape of his neck. While it’s not the first time Sam’s touched his hair, it still makes him tense up with her hand so close to his throat. Instinct. dan

He ignores the urge to bat her hand away, humming thoughtfully. “I’ve noticed it does that.” He says, pulling down his bangs to see if they’ve also turned white. No, still black. He lets go. “Let me guess; my eyes are green too?” He lifts the thermos again and peers into the chrome casing. 

Sam nods, “Yep, but it’s only the, uh.” She makes a circle around her eyes with her finger. “The iris part. Everything else is fine.” 

Danny can see that. The faint reflection on the chrome casts back an intense green. He takes another sip. It chills the back of his teeth, and he can feel his canines warp and sharpen. He runs his tongue over them, and swallows. 

Sam is still watching him, her fingers drumming against the balcony railing. “What’s it taste like?” 

“Carbonated.” He says dryly, before taking a large swig. He couldn’t name a specific flavor if he tried, it changed every time he took a sip. The only thing that stayed consistent was that it tasted carbonated. And slightly sweet. When he pulls the thermos away, Danny twists his body towards her and offers it out, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Want to try?” 

Her reaction is immediate. Sam’s nose scrunches up and her mouth twists into a smile, and she makes a huffing-laugh sound. “No, thank you.” She pushes it away lightly with her fingers, “I don’t know how to explain to my parents why my hair is white.” 

Right. Danny pulls the thermos away and puts it down beside him, straining his eyes to see if the rest of his hair has changed colors. Even just his first sip would take half an hour to fade back to its normal black, and he was a halfa. He had no idea how long it’d take to fade on Sam, who was human. 

There’s movement from the corner of his eye, and Danny snaps his head towards the source. There’s a figure, small, a boy, trying to hide behind one of the curtains at the door. His form just barely peeking out from the angle Danny was sitting at. He wouldn’t have seen him if the boy hadn’t moved. 

His fingers curl tightly into the railing, and he breathes in sharp. Sam’s smile crumbles away and she turns to see what he’s looking at. “I should go.” He says, and reaches for his thermos. “There’s someone spying on us. Don’t say anything, just look at me.” 

Sam’s expression warps, twists. Her eyes widen, her jaw starts to drop before fixing itself into place, and her shoulders curl up and tense. She forces it all to smooth over, and she leans casually against the railing. There’s a tick in her jaw. “I see.” Her voice comes through teeth. “Do you think they saw you?”

“I am not sure.” Danny says. He keeps an eye on the figure as he twists himself over and grabs the Nasty Burger bag and the container. He tries not to look like he’s rushing. He is. How long has that boy been there? How much did he see? Did he hear anything? 

“Father, fortunately, has privacy films on the glass. Nobody should have seen me unless they’re specifically trying to peep through the door.” He says. The boy seems to realize that Danny was starting to leave. And, his heart beginning to sink, instead of leaving, moves to grab the door handle instead.

No. No, no, no, no, no.

Danny’s breath catches in his throat, he’s hoping that isn’t who he think it is. But how else would he have not noticed an eavesdropper on their conversation unless it was someone who was capable of bypassing those skills? He told himself that he wouldn’t fool himself into thinking that his siblings’ had poor stealth. He got distracted. 

Five years, five years. He refuses to let that go down the drain. He zips up the container and throws his legs over the other side of the railing, his back facing the door. He hears the doorknob click, and without a word to Sam, slips off down the side and down to the ground below.

Just in time. The once muffled music now sounds blaring as the door presumably is thrown open and the pull of invisibility washes over him like a second skin. He doesn't stay to see who it is.

[lotus-pear]

do you ever think about how in the day i picked up dazai side b dazai had to lie emotionless and soulless—like a corpse, almost—beside the man that gently brought him in, nursed his injuries, held him while he was in pain? he had to keep those suffocating bandages around his entire face, lest this man gain some sort of recognition for the little boy he saved. he had to lay there curled in the fetal position, bleeding and in pain, perhaps thinking about how, in another life, this man cooked for him, tried to build up his strength. read to him to pass the time while he curled up against him like a child listening to a bedtime story. played cards with him. saw through the heartless mafioso. the ruthless killer. and instead saw a boy.

imagine knowing this man, the man who saved you in more ways than one, was going to die one day all because he knew you. because he reached his hand into the darkness and plaintively, like a small child wanting a parent's touch, you grasped back desperately. imagine thinking all of that while that man is just a stone's throw away, making coffee in the next room just like he used to for you in another life. the scent, although you've never been here before, is reminiscent of home. and the tune he's humming? it's the silent melody that plays through your mind seven years later, for the last time as you fall backward off the building with your arms out like an embrace. but, hey. that man is alive. he's happy, although he never knew you. you can die with no regrets.

[hipsternumbertwo]

Favorite Angela Moments 76/∞: Angela on TV

[untitled-tmnt-blog]

I absolutely HAD to draw something for @phoebepheebsphibs's DTIYS (based on this pose)! I decided to mix things up a bit by experimenting with a more limited color palette, which was a pretty fun challenge.