#glad it's done and i can (hopefully) move on to other things

[aurosoulart]

Imposter Syndrome

something I've been working on overcoming lately...... maybe others can relate

[sordidmusings]

He and His Hat Will Be the Death of You

Summary: "He didn’t think that these close quarters would be an issue; hell, he was looking forward to it. He’s been fixated on you for awhile now. He’s deep in the yearning stage, actively seeking excuses for easily written off closeness. This hiding spot was sure not to be found and he gets to be crammed in there with you? ‘Best of both worlds!’ He had thought like the ignorant fool he was."

Y'all in a wall to spy and being trapped against you has Sabo at his wit's end.

A/N: Overthinking but a friend encouraged me to post❣️ Managed to get a very belated thing done for Sabo (almost forgot his bday tbh lol). Big shoutout to @hannahbarberra162 for beta-ing and suggesting to have this be a two parter and encouraging me to follow my instincts on Sabo being a Freak (affectionate) and reminding me I should utilize his dumb hat lol. Also a big shoutout to @schoute, who read through at the end and gave me encouragement as she always does 💚💚💚 Much love!!

Also thank you everyone for your patience with me as always 🤍🤍🤍

Word Count: ~3.5k

Warnings: NSFW, afab!reader, Sabo a freak freak in this one, cumming in pants, getting off to near death situations, dry humping, he's suffering of horny and you're accidentally making it Worse lol, accidental stimulation, very close quarters (you're both in a false wall because Reasons), some power imbalance (you’re his apprentice and obvs he’s a superior officer)

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

Sabo is so glad that he’s the one in front. If he was the one behind you, you’d find out things he’s not ready to talk to you about. He’s sure he’ll tell you soon. One day. Maybe. Hopefully.

But if when that day comes, he won’t be telling you like this. Not with a nervous flush pinking his skin. Not with a slight tremble in his fingers and a shiver in his spine. Not with stuttering breath nor a mind skittering from all but your touch.

Despite his advantageous position, you’re sure not making it easy on him. Your steady breaths keep tickling the baby hairs on the nape of his neck, kindling a heat that swirls under his skin, moving through his chest and down. The insides of your thighs gently tease his hips. They give him little shocks every time your muscles move to adjust your dangling legs, accidentally caressing him. He dreads each time you move to peak around him; it invariably involves your hands holding his shoulders for balance and your chest pressed to his back for the same reason. You have a habit of always needing your hands busy, and it works against him when you absentmindedly massage thumbs into his tense muscles or trail your nails over his shirt, gently picking at it. The reminder that the touch is barely in your mind while it’s all his mind can hold onto makes him want to slam his head into the wall in front of him.

Unfortunately, that would be bad for many reasons.

High among them is that you’d likely think he’s a weird fucking idiot for doing that out of nowhere, especially when you’re meant to be silent. Then there’s the fact that you’re meant to be silent because there are targets he’s supposed to be spying on on the other side of the wall. Ones who definitely wouldn’t let a suspicious thump in the wall stay free of bullets for long.

That all is why you are both hidden in this false wall in the first place. A mission listening in and gathering intel with his beloved protege is not out of the ordinary, but this method sure is. He didn’t think that these close quarters would be an issue; hell, he was looking forward to it. He’s been fixated on you for awhile now. He’s deep in the yearning stage, actively seeking excuses for easily written off closeness. This hiding spot was sure not to be found and he gets to be crammed in there with you? ‘Best of both worlds!’ He had thought like the ignorant fool he was.

The logistics were nightmarish in themselves - finding the intended location that these meetings were to be held, finding the schedules of everyone in the building, sneaking in during the blind spots, creating a hollow you could slide into and traverse from the roof just above, replacing the mirror in the room with a one way. So much of it was luck, really, especially that your targets were the type to meet in gaudy gold crusted rooms with walls crammed full of decorations and filigree. No one who covets wealth so much could stand to stay in a room without a mirror, lest they go too long seeing their own image caked in opulence. And unfortunately they also tended to be tall if the height of the mirror was anything to go by.

Sabo could see out of it standing, his lips at level with the bottom edge of it but that meant that you would need a boost to see out. The mirror wasn’t wide so one of you raised behind the other made more sense, thus a small ledge was made with just enough strength and size to hold you sitting. The walls they built here were thick for soundproofing and fireproofing and that old castle feel. It gave you enough room to hop up and let Sabo squeeze in front of you, but you were always just brushing against his back and your knees were gently touching the wall next to his thighs. It was insanely uncomfortable for you after hours of being in here. You kept fidgeting, the time enough to make you a bit restless but the harsh ledge trying to turn you numb and the awkward way it rested your weight made it impossible to hold completely still. You tried to find comfort in Sabo through leaning into him and focusing on his warmth instead of the needles starting to creep down the back of your thighs. Good training and deep breathing kept you centered enough to focus on the room through the mirror and you had recording snails to save anything you may miss.

Sabo can’t believe himself right now - you’re his apprentice not the other way around, yet he’s the one that couldn’t tell you what these men were talking about if his life depended on it and it might actually come to that. Luckily you would have the answers but unluckily you are why he did not. You were also why he was so hot in this damned wall crammed against your body heat and electric touches. You’re why he’s currently picking a hole through his gloves in an attempt to keep his hands from sinking into the thighs that cage him. You’re why his lower back aches from the tenseness of holding his body still when all it wants to do is roll and give him some Gods forsaken relief.

He gives his head a small shake to snap himself into focus. He feels you reel back in surprise, narrowly avoiding a faceful of his hat. Your hands slide down and you squeeze his biceps lightly in question.

Are you okay?

Sabo hates that you’re so kind right now. Well that’s a lie, he always loves it but did everything you do have to overwhelm him so much? He thought this would be fine, it’s not like he hasn’t been close to you before but fuck being around you has gotten harder and harder as it’s gotten sweeter and sweeter. With each piece of you he sees he’s come to respect you more then enjoy you more then adore you more and he can’t tell you. He’s your superior, your idol, and now your friend. If you knew the devotion - the hunger - swirling in him, surely you’d be upset, surely you- fuck why are your thighs squeezing him?

To Sabo’s delight and horror you let out a whimper so quiet it barely made it to your lips, but he heard it. His hips rock forward once before he even knew they were moving but he does know the flush of pleasure that washes over him when his aching erection grinds into the wall before him. He stills his body, leaving his hips pressed tight to the wall and away from you. It’s slightly painful and definitely not what he wants, but he’s so wound tight that any attention on his throbbing cock is almost too good to resist. Choking back his own whimper, Sabo slowly rests his forehead on the wall, careful his hat doesn’t fall off completely, and blows out a tight breath.

You continue your slow squirming. One hand leaves him but the other digs in firmly to his shoulder now, slightly pulling down as if to lift yourself up. He shuts his eyes tight to keep them from rolling, unable to stop the flood of fantasies of you gripping and pawing at him, panting and whining, drawing him closer with clenching thighs just like the ones twitching at his sides-

Sabo is unable to stop another rock of his hips forward. He slowly presses his hands hard into the wall to keep them from seeking you. He soon gives up stillness and busies one hand with keeping his hat steady while the other fists around the lapel of his jacket. His hips can’t keep from motion either; miniscule circles keep his cock rubbing against the wall. It’s too hard to feel good but feeling nothing is maddening and he couldn’t possibly do anything else with you all over him.

You pull down harder and this time his eyes do roll back. Precum leaks heavily out of his painfully sensitive tip. It starts to leak down over his head and down his shaft, well all the mess that isn’t soaked up by his pants. He worries for a second about hiding the growing stain when you both leave but then you sink your fingertips into him again and huff a breath on his tingling skin and there’s nothing in the world but you.

Your warm presence at his back, your desperate touch, your weight teasing at him, fuck he can even smell you on the air in here trapped so tight for so long. Wait does that mean you can smell him? Does he reek of sex - can you tell he’s leaking for you? Would you mind? Would it flatter you to know how much of a mess you make of him? Would you taunt him and make him make it up to you or would you want him to use the strength you admire to rip every bit of pleasure either of you can feel from your bodies-

Deep squabbling voices drum through the wall and remind him where he is.

Sabo’s hands finally flit to your thighs to stop your torturous squirming. Even with his gloves he can feel the plush of them by how his grip sinks into you. His fingers press deep and he can tell how good the grip is, how he could use it to press and pose you to his whims, drag you closer, open you up, fold you half. At the moment, all he allows it to do is hold you still and hold you close. Instead of a command to stop, however, you take it as an invitation.

That invitation leads you deeper against him, leaning your chest forward to put some of your weight on him instead of your sore bottom. It’s not much, but enough to dial encroaching agony back down to pain. Your head relaxes forward against him in relief, gently bumping under the brim of his hat from your spot buried against the back of his neck. One hand stays anchored to his shoulder while the other slides around his trim waist to anchor him to you. You feel his abs twitch and diaphragm stutter even through all his layers.

Sabo tries to shift himself up to help you and do something with all this energy. It relieves a speck more of the numbing pressure from your seat, and you can’t help but sigh from it. The sound is barely there, definitely kept safe from outside ears by the barrier of the wall but definitely close enough for Sabo to feel as well as he hears. He knows it was from something innocent but god was it just the same as some of the sighs he’d dream of pulling from you - sighs dripping with relief and need and even the pain of drawing you close again and again till all you can do writhe and gasp and beg and need him. He needs you to be as pathetic of a puddle of want as you’re making him and without even trying.

The fantasy melding with your touch takes him again and he just can’t help but cant forward again to grind himself on anything. He’s not sure if he’s ever ached half as much of this and is dangerously close to ruining the mission and risking your lives just to spin around, shred your clothes, and fuck you. But more than that he needs you to be as obsessed with him as he is with you or he shouldn’t get to sink into you, it wouldn’t feel right.

His hands give one massaging change of grip and then he’s pulling you forward with him on the next grind. This time, he’s holding a sizable portion of your weight and you squeeze him in relief and for more. Your second sigh stutters so prettily and he can feel your lungs and breasts jump with it against his back and the little hairs on his neck that it tickles. Who could blame him for tilting his head back to hear and feel more?

His hat is falling, the action bumping it right off of his head. Habit and instinct meet to jerk his hand towards it and the thump of knuckle meeting wall stops both of your hearts.

Before they could find their next beat, three shots tear through the air and the drywall. Your world lurches and liquid tingles run through every inch of your body, washing out all other feeling. Every muscle tightens, stopping squirm and grasp and blinking and breath and all but your newly sprinting heart. Sabo is stiff as stone in your hold, doing little to comfort you. Your only measure of time is the growing burn of your wide eyes and stalled lungs.

“Always breathe first”

The echo of Sabo’s steady voice in training breaks through the fuzz in your head and you can exhale. A spec of clarity eases in with the oxygen and you realize that you aren’t hurt. A tilt of your head and you realize the bullets ripped through the wall and planted themselves in the back layer safely to your side. And only because Sabo jerked you both just out of their aim.

More oxygen guides you out of the purgatory of fight or flight when the sounds of the meeting resume. The adrenaline begins to fall off of you, pulling you to lay slack against Sabo’s back. You feel him tremble and hold him as best you can, worried he’s stuck in the punishing fear that just swallowed you before spitting you back out.

Sabo is definitely stuck and there certainly is fear, but that’s not why he trembles. At first it was definitely for your safety; he doesn’t know what he’d do if you were truly hurt, especially because of his own blunder. He’s thankful that true danger kicked off his haki and let him act so quickly and competently where before he was too consumed to think of much of anything. He’s only dug back deeper into that hole now that “you’re safe” turned to a ringing of “we almost died” in his head. Each time the thought repeats, it pounds in his heart and shoots violently to his cock. The exhilaration, the danger, the relief, they all overwhelm him and make him feel so alive and so needy and so sensitive and so fucking close.

He trembles and gnaws at his lip to keep his throbbing cock from drooling out any more than the precum that’s been wetting his underwear for awhile now. He can feel it pounding between his legs so hard that it hurts. But shame keeps him fighting against the mouthwatering orgasm wringing in his gut.

What kind of freak cums from getting shot at? How could he lose himself with you so sweetly tucked to his back, no clue to how desperate and turned on and depraved he’s being? How lowly would you think of the man that’s your superior, your teacher and guardian, if you found out that being near you has them so close and a little fright pushes them over the edge? That they held you as they came in their pants like a pathetic loser?

The hyper awareness of his stoked haki and adrenaline make it all the easier to feel every little movement you make. He feels you settle boneless against him, relishing your weight pressing you so close. He feels your grip turn from a lifeline back into an embrace, making him hold back a sob at how soft it makes his heart and how painfully hard it makes his dick. He feels you use your thighs this time, gently squeezing his hips in something meant to be comforting but that ends up being agonizingly erotic. The muscle and fat of your thighs feels so warm and alive squeezing him and all he can think of is them holding him tight while his cock is instead throbbing in your wet heat, where each jerk of his hips shoots another gush of hot cum to the rhythm of your orgasm wringing down around him. He can hear your moans and cries and pleas ringing through his head now.

“It’s alright, darling, please cum in me, fill me up -nngh- I need all of you -hah!- Sabo! please cum for me, it’s okay, I need it”

Against his will, his hands grip down hard again and pull your thighs even tighter to him. You’re pressed so close he can feel the natural heat between your legs warming his lower back and it drives him insane.

Thinking he’s scared from the close call and possibly nervous about causing it, you give him a reassuring squeeze. A fresh shiver runs through his body from head to toe. Heart sinking even more at his sorry state, you move your hand from his shoulder so both arms are wrapping around him. This one changes trajectory, sliding to the middle of his chest, over his heart. You draw a few shapes over his sternum before applying firm pressure with a flat palm.

Sabo’s heart beats its ardor against your palm, but all it translates to you is anxiety. You don’t know that your sweetness only warms him through, drowns him deeper in the depths of love and desire he was already struggling to tread, sinks him into the world in his head where he’s already flooding you full like every cell in his body is begging for. A world colored by your gratitude for him saving you both from near death and your hidden love for him that had you throw yourself into him with the same desperation that’s burning him alive.

You nose forward until your lips are at his ear. Your lips and breath tickle the rim of it. He’s still tense and trembling and you’re so worried you forgo some of your fears and whisper, “‘s okay.”

Your thighs gripping him, your hand holding his heart, and your words - so close to his dream’s - smother him and he jolts. His breath is trapped in his throat, his jaw slack and mouth open as if to let it free, but his eyes and brow scrunch with delicious agony. He can’t think of any of that over the bliss beating through him as all the pressure finally turns to the crashing waves of his orgasm wringing him empty with spurt after spurt. His stomach and thighs burn at the tenseness turning to relief, taken by involuntary twitches and the power of each thump of his cock against the tight confines of his pants ricochets through them.

You hold and caress and, as quietly as possible, shush him through his orgasm. It makes it all the easier to imagine the sticky mess around his cock is a mix of your slick and the cum he’s pumping into you.

It’s a long while before Sabo settles. The crash of both the adrenaline leaving and an orgasm strong enough to keep him kicking past having anything to give make him fall almost completely slack in your grip. He leads it gently so the wall holds him and you up (at the cost of being able to watch the meeting, as if either of you were fulfilling the mission at this point) and focuses on aiming to be silent while he tries to catch his breath. All the while, you sweetly anchor him through their capricious tides.

It makes him ache again - a corrosive pool of shame eating at his chest. Reality trickles in with it and sets its scars in his flesh and bones. Not only did he cum in your arms while you’re none the wiser, he did it on a mission where you almost got shot and are trying to comfort him about it. The empathy and care he so loves in you are only serving to shove him into the grave he’s dug with his uncontrollable attraction to you. You offer him your affection and he perverts it into dry humping a wall and ruining his trousers. It’s wasted on him.

He doesn’t deserve your touch, your love - not like this.

But he can’t escape you. Even when he’s reigned in his lungs and heart, you’re right there with your tickling breath. Even when he’s forcing his mind to repeat every word he picks up from the other side of the wall, you’re right there with your resting cheek. Even when he’s managed to smoothly place you back on your ledge and his hands back on the wall, you’re there with your embracing arms.

It’s the best hell he’s ever known.

He was almost sad to see its gates open once the earth outside them was empty.

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

Thank you for reading!! There will be a part two Eventually where both are aware participants this time lol

Will update with taglist soon!

Masterlist

[knightyoomyoui]

Adore You

w/ Red Velvet's Bae Joohyun "Irene" x Male Reader

TYPE: Fluff, Light Angst

WORD COUNT: 6993

NOTE: First time writing a Red Velvet oneshot! Hope yall enjoyed it, especially you, Hijack! Thanks for ordering again! Also, giving a special credit as well to Hijack himself for providing some assistance on some of the dialogues here in Act 4 and 5. ORDERED BY: @hijack711

DONATE OR REQUEST FOR COMMISSION HERE: https://ko-fi.com/knightyoomyoui === START ===

In a small town of Gangwon Province, a car was seen crossing through the narrow road surrounded by green fields. It parked in front of a house, the driver stepped out to greet the surroundings of her new place to stay.

Draped in baggy gray sweatpants, simple white t-shirt and comfy matching rubber shoes, the driver which was revealed to be a woman with long straight hair and breathtaking beauty locked the door and stood in front of the said house. Observing her new personal space, a sigh of relief and contented smile formed in her lips.

The landlady, who previously owes the property, popped up from the other side to greet the young lady. “Good morning, maam! Welcome to Gangwon, glad that we finally met. I’m Jiwoo.”

“I’m Irene.”

“Shall i introduce you to your new house? It’s great that you came in time.”

“I guess I could say I’m excited to live here.” Irene formed a soft smile. “I’ve been longing for a fresh new start again, and today’s the day. Can’t let anything go to waste.”

“If that’s so then let’s proceed immediately and get the papers done. We both do have a lot more things to do after this.” Jiwoo searches from her keychain to pick the right key and inserted it on the gate to unlock.

She opened and initiated to welcome Irene. As she was brought to every area of the house to see it for herself along with its details, her mind is focused on what things she’s planning to do here now that she’s about to settle for good in this place that hopefully she could considered as the perfect destination for peace.

She wants to become comfortable and get used living here, that’s why she would do a lot of efforts just so it could help her get distracted and moved on from everything she left behind from where she came from. This is important for Irene, when she said that she’s going to live the life she always dreamt of, she meant that and now that she’s all alone away from everything she wants to avoid, nobody can stop her from finally build the bubble she wants to put herself in.

A slight amount of senses were spared to concentrate still on the landlady’s thoughtful assist to prevent disrespect on her part, she listened through everything she said. As of her mind was multitasking both regarding about her priorities currently.

“Doesn’t all you’ve seen makes you regret?” The landlady requested for assurance.

“Not at all. This is exactly what I wanted. All I ever care is to have myself a place to stay and be happy, you know what I mean.”

“That’s the spirit. I like your positive intuitions, Irene-ssi.” Jiwoo cheered on her. “About the papers, you can sign it here with your name to make ourselves a deal.”

Irene didn’t wasted no more time to sign the contract. She also handed a bag full of money to Jiwoo for payment. “Just being fair and true to my words.”

“Thank you much again, Irene-ssi. Hey, if you ever need anything to help you discover more about this place to make yourselves one of us, feel free to come onto me anytime.” Jiwoo said. “My house is just houses away from you!”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Jiwoo unnie.” Irene bowed along with her and they bid goodbyes from one another, leaving herself alone.

Giving another roaming sight around the interior, it motivates Irene more to visualize what she plans about any of these she wanted to happen here.

“Let’s do well in our new home, self. Fighting!” She raises her fist to support herself and boost her anticipation for upcoming success she wants to achieve in here.

The next few days, Irene had her house almost rearranged with the return of her belongings and furniture from her previous place thanks to the kind carriers who helped her set everything back up. She also started to greet some new neighbors and get introduced by Jiwoo.

The connection she had with the friendly landlady has what led her search for a vacant space to become easier. With just few discussions, she already claimed the space officially hers and when she was asked what business she has in mind that made her purchase this: “I always wanted to build my own flower shop.” Irene answered in which the respondents agreed to her decision as it does seem like a perfect fitting to their rural community that provides lots of plants.

Having new friends to speed up Irene’s establishing of her new flower shop, it didn’t became a bothersome to look for various flowers to choose and buy with the intention to sell it to others by her own. The deliveries would be out by no time, it’s up for Irene to give them the go signal of when it would be.

As for the empty space she already have, it would be unacceptable and plain if she won’t put decoration and other changes to transform a single room into a legit shop. To lessen the struggle of searching to the outer cities, thankfully Jiwoo and the other neighbors knew someone who can help Irene in her business’ concern.

While she was cleaning the house, she heard her doorbell rang and a few knocks on the door. Irene paused her task and went outside.

Opening the gate, she found a man standing in front of her wearing just simplest outfit in a cap on his head while carrying a tool box and extra pockets for other acessories. As she met his face, she found him smiling at her as brighter as the sun this morning and somehow it got her in awe just by looking at it.

“Hello, miss. May I ask if you are Bae Irene?” The man spoke.

“Yes, you’re talking to her right now. Perhaps you must be…”

“Ah yes, I learned that you were looking for a carpenter to help create your shop. Allow me to introduce myself, I’m YN LN, the carpenter who can help you with that.” He offered his hand to her and she accepted.

She felt his touch and the firmness of his grip as she stares at him with a welcoming grin. “Thanks for accepting my request, Mr. LN.”

“No worries, it’s my job anyway.” He shook it off sheepishly. “So uhm, I am ready to begin my service today, can you show me where your shop will be?”

“Yeah, sure. Just one moment.” She excused herself as she rest her house’s electricity to leave and guide YN on the way to their designated location.

ACT 2

They reached the area that Irene was mentioning. It’s scroll gate was closed and no more sign that says “FOR SALE” like the past few days.

“So uhm here’s where I want to open it.” Irene presented the soon-to-be flower shop to YN who looked at her before turning his attention to the sealed space. “Not too much, right?”

“Yeah but it won’t be a bothersome if I work on to larger ones. Handled some before.” YN said. “But hey, this is a nice spot to have it.”

“Really? That’s nice to know.” Irene calmly replied. “I was actually hoping that there’s people who will come by, I mean… selling plants not be that much entertaining to be a go-to place at when you go shopping but… I want to make it different, you know. Changing the ideology of that.” She added.

“Point taken, but you can leave it to me on that if that’s your goal. I’ll help you turn your shop become eye-capturing not just from your products but with its aesthetic as well.” You assured. “I suppose you have an idea on how to make this place look what it should be. Just say it and I can make it possible.”, he patted his toolbox to refer at.

“You do seem pretty convincing and confident with your skill, Mr. LN.” Irene said in her amazed tone. “Is that why you’re popular around here?”

“Ahh that, I don’t know, maybe?” his contagious chuckle affected Irene as well. “I would rather just say that I can rely on my 20+ years of my experience doing carpentry and from how my previous clients all through those times were satisfied at the outcome I provide them, not that I’m forcing you to expect too high on me but your trust would be enough.”

“Let’s see if the rumors are true then.” Irene bounced her eyelids with an anticipating smirk. “Hold on, let me show you inside. It’ll be empty obviously but yeah…”

“To visualize what I can do with it, I get it.” YN understood the point. They both looked at each other and Irene nodded with a smile before she hesitantly went away.

She rolled out the gate and opened the glass door, which allowed YN to roam his eyes around on the inside. Irene was doing the talking as she was given permission to speak about the plan she has in mind on how to transform such boring, small, lifeless room into a vibrant, captivating, and cozy atmosphere that compliments the flowers she will stock in here for selling soon.

YN was directed by Irene around and through his head he compliments how creative her imagination was to turn this place around, something he hasn’t encountered to a person for quite a long time. Most of the works he did was done mostly through his own idea just to construct something beautiful, but with Irene, it’s beginning to make him feel that he’s going to have fun and won’t dire out himself on finishing this new task in production.

“That’s all I can give for my dream shop. About your materials by the way, as part of my token of appreciation, you can tell me what materials you will need for designing this room and I’ll cover all of those.”

“Wait, seriously?” YN was dumbfounded. “A-ahh, you don;t n-need to if it’ll cost your money to be spent more, I don’t like that my service should demand much costly price in return. You can just focus on your stocks to fill up your shop, I’m good.”

“Are you sure, Mr. LN? I have no problem with it, like I said it’s a way of saying thank you for your help.” Irene tries to contemplate him.

“It’s fine, actually you helped me already. This is another income for me and I have something to do again with myself being a carpenter.” YN confirmed. “I already have my own source to grab some materials I’ll need to build every detail you’ve told me.”

“If that’s the case then, I don’t want to force myself too much.” Irene embarrassingly laughs. “Thank you again for this, Mr. LN.”

“You’re welcome.” He bowed after in respect.

They exit the shop and Irene closes its doors and gate again. Before they separate ways, YN announces that he’ll start going to that source he’s mentioning and most likely will begin the construction tomorrow. Irene took note of that and both were now looking forward to the progress of the ongoing project they’re both invested in.

The following days, each changes that were being applied to the walls through every corner was evident to both YN and Irene, and it makes them amused to notice how everything is going smooth. What makes these even more interesting for Irene is that she could only watch YN do these all by himself, remembering the first day of his visit to the shop with the materials he need that she thought there’s more men incoming to assist YN in the construction but to her surprise, YN said there’s no one and it’ll be him who will do all the work.

Sensing that it had the lady speechless due to concern, YN ease down Irene by trying to persuade her that he’s been doing this for a long time and not once he complained about it because he prefers to work alone. He knows what he’s doing and as much as he is willing to teach and instruct other men to help him, atleast he won’t be going around to multitask of observing their task when he could just completely finish it all off by his own.

The impressive skills and talent of YN has gotten into Irene slowly by slowly. Not only that, during his busy days of renovating her store, she also discovered more of YN’s down to earth personality. A positive, humble, and sociable person was all she can describe while having a conversation with him through the breaks, which probably what makes it more enjoyable other than how much she provides him snacks to recharge his energy.

In some of the topics they’ve had, love talk was part of those that slipped in to their curiosities. It wasn’t suspicious for them at first, that’s why they’re able to answer it straightforwardly, although YN’s has richer information. Both of them admitted they are currently single but what caught Irene’s interest more is his reason.

It wasn’t because he doesn’t want to be involved in relationship these days, it’s rather due to the feeling of having personal incapability to win a woman’s heart because of things that what makes about him. Despite his proudness of doing this occupation for decades, YN reinstates that at the same it makes him insecure that being like this may not be that attractive to women to consider a guy like him, as he is aware of the stereotypical truth that they include carpentry as one of the less-demand jobs and it makes him afraid that once the girls learned it about him, they’ll reject him with the possibility that he might not be able to support them financially. Sadly, he couldn’t deny that idea.

YN also mentioned that as of now he currently lives along with the mastermind that pushes him to accept that flower shop construction offer because of her love with flowers: his sister who is now married and have two kids at home.

Those along with his job are what gives him responsibility and purpose still in his personal life aside from being unsuccessful in love. As Irene listened through all of that, she couldn’t help but to feel sorry for YN and she hopes it didn’t destroyed his self-esteem about his appearance because it’s a shame that even through all he said, his looks were undeniable enough to attract someone else.

Furthermore, it frustrates Irene that there are women who thinks lowly immediately of his background which proves that they only care about the looks. She could only hope that he finds someone who will value him in everything, and if its her who can do that then she’ll do what must be done for a good guy like him.

Irene’s eyes widened, confusion formed in her forehead. She was weirded out how her thoughts ended up in that way. Imagining herself volunteering to be the perfect one for YN was out of nowhere, but unsure if she can call it unexpected. After all, she already find him cute in the first place the first time her eyes landed at YN.

Disregarding how random it was, she just focused on comforting YN with kind words that speaks out on behalf of her reactions and hearing all of that had YN boost his confidence within himself. He thanked Irene for being honest to him and added that he was touched.

Both of them weren’t aware with each other that the silence and the glances they stole from each other after that heartwarming moment was the emergence of something deeper between the bond they’ve shared everyday. Their respective emotions that they keep within themselves after listening to their sides is what perturbedly urges them to do the right thing with use of their heart and minds functioning solely for one another.

ACT 3

Irene kept on enjoying YN’s presence looming around her shops while proceedingly applying more furnitures that would aid her to organize the plants neatly for the visitors to see. It grew a relief on her tah both of them had the courage and the ability to interact well with one another because if the opportunity is wasted, Irene could only hope that the construction goes slow to keep him near.

That alone is what Irene begun to distinguish her expanding interest about him, that she could be willing to set aside her priority just to have more time with him. The more they talk together, Irene’s satisfaction goes to the top, although a bit challenging that she had to contain herself from bliss of sharing these types of simple moments with you.

She was now indeed falling in love with him, she confirmed silently while she gets on to watch him focusedly hammering a wood for another level on the shelf. Her eyes shimmers at the sight of his attractive looks, having her in amazement and confusion of how could you just do a simplest thing and effortlessly show your handsome features.

But then, her smile faltered when the thought of a chance to confess had her recalling some specific choice of words that he told a week ago. Something she has now been wondering to herself if she can be the one that he actually sees from her.

She could be honest about her true feelings for him, but what about everything about her once a miracle happened? Yes, she claim that YN receiving and returning her confession would feel surreal for her because that one darkest secret she has been hiding from is still a what-if to her on how he would react once he finds out the truth.

As much as she wanted to be loved back, she has suffered enough from her bitter past that manipulated her to only be concerned with the negative consequences of her personal decision. Now that she’s attracted to this one guy in the new town she moved in, it became a hindrance for her if she would truly tell someday about her admiration to him.

“Irene?” His voice snapped her out of trance, rapidly blinking then gets to contact with YN’s puzzled appearance. “You okay? You seem to be thinking deeply about something.”

“Ahh yeah, I’m fine don’t worry. Sorry, was I out of my senses that much?”

“Mmhmm, you were staring on the floor for like almost half a minute.” He nodded. “Care to share what’s disturbing you?”

Irene looked at his face and again, the mix of embarrassment, fear, and sadness crept up in her heart. She shook her head in denial, “It’s just nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, but if you need any help, I can offer some assistance if you want. Just come by and pour out everything you’ve been storing inside.” He reminded her.

“Nah, YN you’ve already helped too much. I don’t want you to include you as well to fix my life.”

“But I want to, and I think you need it.” YN replied. Irene stared at him as she felt the seriousness to his words. “To be honest, I don’t know but… you haven’t told me anything yet I just feel like there’s something wrong that you’ve been keeping to yourself, and that’s not good at all Irene.” She kept on listening.

“We can’t heal if we don’t speak it out loud. Don’t be afraid to share it to me, I’m willing to lessen the burden that you feel if I had to because I want to keep this friendship of us going and, you know… better.” He declared.

“I can see through people if they’ve gone through a lot. It’s either in their eyes, their smiles, and how they act.”

“Wow, when did you learn to become very observative?”

“It’s already in my nature.” He shrugged. “Maybe because I care too much.” A grin formed in his face which made Irene’s heart palpitate. His closer profile and the way of his words just made her forgot all her concerns and focus only to that one necessary thing that matters to her right now.

It was day off for YN which paused the ongoing progress of the shops reconstruction. Irene decided to treat him after she cooked her favorite meal.

She followed the address that YN gave him. Through every turns and straight driving across the roads of this small town, the direction led her to stop and reach this particular two storey pleasantly looking house that had a yard inside.

She knocked on the gate while holding the aluminum tray of food. The metal clang as the door opens, YN wasn’t the one who greeted but rather, a woman who looks almost identical to him but with feminine features.

“Hello, is YN there?”

“You must be what my brother is telling about, a girlfriend.” She teased.

“E-eh?”

“HAHAHAHA just kidding, she didn’t said that. But I won’t mind if you end up to be.” She winked and clicked her tongue. “Anyway, hello! What brought you here? Do you wanna see my brother that much huh?”

“A-ahh… n-no, I just… want to give him something.” She handed the tray. “It’s a food that I cooked, please be careful, it’s hot.”

“Ooohhh this smells delicious! But sadly, he wasn’t here yet, he went out for some errands to do.” She explained which made Irene shocked. “Would you want to wait for him? You can come inside if you wan!”

“It’s okay?”

“Yeah, we accept visitors always. And now that you’re our new neighbor and my brother’s… ahihihi” She giggled in fluster which had Irene heating up with her blushes. “You’re very welcome to come here often.”

YN’s sister gave a way to her, and she accepted the invitation. She stepped inside and viewed the appearance of their cozy home. “Come on, have your way!”

As she entered their house, two kids that are sitting in the living room greeted her eyes. These must be the children of his sister that YN referred to her.

“Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness of my brother. I’m sure he will love this food from you.”

“You can try it if you want, I made it more than one servings anyway.”

“Wait, you serious?”

“Yes. Please, have a taste if you want.” Irene kindly smiled.

“Who am I reject? Oh I’m going for a bit already.” She joked before grabbing a plate. “How about we go there in the couch and talk shortly while we wait for my brother to arrive?”

“Sure, I appreciate it.”

“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet, I’m Joy.” She offered her hand. Her name does compliment her bright personality.

“I’m Irene.”

They went to the couch and sat. Her kids instantly went beside her and begged to taste her food on the plate. “Can I just say something real quick, I’m so stunned at how pretty you are. I didn’t even know that my brother befriended such an original visual.”

Irene is getting fluttered with Joy’s sweet comments. “Thank you, I don’t mean to brag but I do hear it often from others.”

“Keep on bragging, come on! You are pretty, and it wasn’t a lie. If I have a face like yours, I would be a K-Pop idol right now or what, be popular and attack every ones hearts with my gorgeous visuals. Do you have any talent?”

“I can sing.”

“See! Perfect for you!” Joy was amused.

“I don’t see that you’ll be needing mine, unnie. You’re beautiful as well.”

“Aish, you! Oh. I haven’t heard anyone saying that other than my husband. You understand the assignment, babe!” She gestured a blowing kiss. “Thank God you and my brother are different, I can’t stand that idiot’s arrogance. Always making me a target of his antics, do you know he rather calls me a retard?”

“Uhh… I really don’t expect that he does that.”

“Hah! He got you fooled as well, isn’t he? My brother is a moron, that’s what he is. Now you know, and you’ll be thanking me much once you get to be closer with him a lot more and you started to notice how goofy he is.”

Both of them laughed with the repeated roasts about YN behind his back, until it lowered and Joy sighed in delight before looking back at Irene. “No, but seriously speaking. I love my brother so much. Was he the first person you get to be close with after you moved here?”

“Yes.”

“Great, you got to come across with a great person like YN. Believe me, with every help and sacrifice he gave for me, I wouldn’t be here right now living peacefully with my two kids here. He’s the reason why I’m so grateful to have this life right now despite of the problems I’ve been into, he’s always right there by my side.

And I know it’ll be the same for his friends like you. Do you know that out of all the people he meet around here, you were the only one that became successful to have him repeatedly mention you everytime he comes at home after working at your shop, that’s when I knew that you are a wonderful person and looking at you up close, I never doubted him.

I don’t want to be too emotional with this but… please know that you have to trust my brother. He has it all, I swear. Consider yourself lucky already that you meet a man like him, because he won’t hesitate to cheer you up, assist you when you need it, and most importantly… to accept you with open arms.”

Joy’s speech made Irene froze as every words struck into her, relatable and convincing it sounded. Her times with YN had her revisiting and not a single information that Joy used to describe her beloved brother was a lie. She saw it all and it seems that it wasn’t the entirety of it yet.

The desire to discover more of him is pushing her again to do it. Her thought were interrupted when they heard the gate close.

As she turned her head around and stood up, YN appeared on the door frame. Both of them saw each other, their mouth gaped slightly at the surprise of seeing themselves in a new place, before their reactions displayed an uplifted grin.

“I-Irene? What brings you here?”

“Just wanted to see you.” She answered shortly which made his chest heavy in overwhelm.

ACT 4

YN stayed up until night at Irene’s shop, eager to replenish the remaining sections of the shop in his last day of helping for the construction. It was bittersweet for Irene, she knew the outcome of what her shop is finally going to be would be exciting but the realization that it would be his final day of his daily stay in her property had her put into a gloomy mood as well.

She didn’t want to disrespect YN’s dedication in his work, she could only show and project his bright demeanor as he is just as thrilled as she is for the finishing touch of the flower shop’s design. Her mixed emotions would then return when he turns his back around and return on his work.

The words that came from this two siblings were now helping her to contemplate about the decision she’s going to make. How she received the message of their advice were battling for dominance to see what’s going to motivate Irene to conclude the heaviness of thoughts and feelings she’s carrying for this man.

She closed her eyes as she stepped out of the room to get some air, seething the calmness and serene environment to help her focus what is it going to be. There, she slow understood that to ensure that she’s going to pick the right thing, she had to be fully committed to it without any regrets, not even a sign of negativity.

Then she reflected back on her past, she had a lot of worst scenarios to encounter and endure because of the truth that she is gay and now transitioned into a transgender woman from her parents, neighbors, old friends, etc. It was hard for her to make them explain this new version of her and to rebuild that connection they once had, but to no avail, and it eats her up until now that it’s making her feel and think that her decision ruined her life when she thought it was for her sake of becoming free and better.

She felt selfish of what others may feel, inconsiderate of how they would take this information, and a traitor for betraying the perspective they had on her. If she has to make a decision that will never haunt her for its consequences, then her mind is now made up.

She won’t let history repeat itself again. This is about forgetting the past and focusing on her present situation. She’s going to confess at YN tonight.

“And it’s done!” YN exclaimed as he attached one last screw to wrap up his duty for Irene’s shop. “You can start your business anytime soon. How was it?”

“Just like what I wanted it to be.” Irene roamed her eyes around in awe, she couldn’t believe it that another dream of hers has came to life, thanks to YN. “Well done, YN. This is awesome.”

“You’re welcome.” YN nodded. “So uhm, I guess you’re going now for deliveries next.”

“Yeah.”

“Just tell me when are you gonna open, alright? I could help you set things up. It doesn’t mean that my job around here is done I’ll let things in control just by yourself. If… that’s okay for you.”

“Oh o-okay, I’ll remember that.” Irene smiled.

After she closed the shop and hide her newly polished place from the eyes of the public, YN and Irene looked at each other. Time is shrinking as Irene waits for the perfect opportunity to do it.

“So uhh, I’ll see you again if I can.” YN said. “Good night, Irene!”

“Wait, I want to say something to you also.” Irene stopped him from walking. “It’s not about the shop, it’s… another that has been filling up inside of me since then,”

“Well, look at you. There you go, finally opening up to me.” YN was exhilarated, stepping closer at her which made her flinch a bit in shyness. “I’m all ears.”

“Yeah, I thought about what you’ve told me last time about… sharing what’s bothering me and not letting it just bottled up within me.” Irene stated. “But it’s more of about you telling me that I was honest to you.” YN kept on listening.

“I did say that, why? Is there anything wrong to it?”

“Yeah but it’s more of me to be blamed with because… I felt like I was being honest enough to you yet.” Irene said. “I thought that if you could share your past struggles in your personal life, that means you trust me and… now that we’re friends, that’s what it’s all about right? Giving back the kind treatment that others were doing to make us feel.

:YN… I hope you won’t distance yourself from me when I tell you this.”

“About what?” YN asked. “This is getting suspense ain’t gonna lie, seems like you’re about to drop some biggest secret that you were hiding. I mean, it’s okay though it’s not actually that I;m forcing you-”

“No wait please, quiet for a second and let me be.” YN zips his mouth, feeling like he got scolded. “Sorry.” “No, I trust you, YN. Believe me, that’s why I’m ready to do this. It’s just that there’s something that makes me afraid when I finally say it to you… that I’m a transgender.”

YN’s hand covering his mouth dropped first before his jaw slowly slipped downwards after what he just heard. His eyes slightly largened in surprise.

“What I fear is that now you know, you’ll avoid me just like everybody else. I only got to tell you this because I was motivated by what you said to me and what your sister told me about you too, that I’m lucky to have a friend like you. That’s why I don’t want to secure myself from these walls I built around me through these years now that I find a person that is wholeheartedly nice to me and someone that I… am interested with.”

“Irene… you do?”

Irene lowered her head and lured her gaze away in embarrassment. “It’s been weeks now that I’ve begun to feel different whenever you’re near. Your presence, I feel so alive when you’re around me.”

“I didn’t want to be what I think I’ve became when everyone that is close to me rejected me because of my identity. I don’t want to betray, to be selfish, and doubtful of you. I’ve been through enough.” A tear flowed in her cheek brought by the overwhelming emotions urging her burden to affect her. “I just wanted to be seen as a good and a normal person.”

Not long after, shadow on the ground merged around his, and suddenly she felt his embrace wrap around her fragile self. “Come on, I thought it would be threatening or something for me to be aware. Irene, you don’t have to be scared either because you are transgender or you’re feeling more of me. I accept you for whatever makes this entirety of you. That’s what it matters, being real and true to yourself. Even me, I would rather be hated for something that I am than be loved for something that I’m not. I get you, it’s tiring to keep on fooling yourself just to please people.

And you don’t have to do that to me. For me, whatever I see through you and now what I’ve learned of you. It didn’t changed a single thing. You’re still attractive to my eyes.”

YN felt his hand shiver when Irene began sobbing on his gentle grasp. “I’m sorry for what they’ve done to you. They don’t deserve you. I’m glad that our fate led to us meeting, because now you got to meet someone who will accept you. And I will be here always to stay as long you’re still the one I like.”

They stayed there for a few more minutes before Irene thought his care is enough. She leaned away and YN helped her wipe off her tears. “Feels good doesn’t it? To pour everything that causes you pain and torment.”

“It does. Thank you so much, YN.”

“Can I ask a very random question, I just became curious. What’s your original name when you were… you know, like me.”

“Bae Joosung.”

“Oh, and now… I suppose it’s Bae Irene?”

“Irene is actually my English name. I did surgery back in Sweden and stayed there for a couple of years. My current name now is Bae Joohyun.”

“Oh, interesting. Well they both sounded cute.” They both laughed. “So, Bae Joosung or should I call you Irene. Let me repeat this again, I can clearly say that I was not gay, but I am willing to be now and I’m not scared anymore to discover what is love again. You maybe a trans but I am not ashamed telling you that for the past months I’ve loved you, now even more for learning who you really are. I’m not ashamed by that so why should you, haven’t you already decided who you are now then why are you having that negative feeling, aren’t you wanna be loved?”

“I… I want you to.” She whispered.

“Then let me adore you. I’ll do it like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do.”

“But I can’t give you … you know, kids.” Irene concerningly mentioned.

“I can work on that … my noona and her husband … which unfortunately have passed away from an airplane crash leaving their kids behind…” YN cautiously explained

“Sooyoung-ah? O oh my god, I-I’m so sorry for that, YN.” Irene was flabbergasted at the revelation of YN’s sister’s tragic backstory.

“You two were already close for a short span, it was lovely watching those two messing around back then but now they’re just remnants of the past. Their kids, my two nephews and a niece are under our care. Well, it’s just me who currently acts as their father-figure being an uncle. Sooyoung would definitely appreciate if… an auntie like you can somehow join me to take care of them.”

“Say no more, YN. You got me on that.” Irene could only nod in agreement as both of them grinned widely at each other. They hugged again, their newfound relationship has helped them to settle their inner conflicts manifested by their challenges and heartbreaking experiences as they bravely departed into their desired future being together.

ACT 5

Months later, the gossips about YN and Irene’s relationship spread across the neighborhood including the truth of her being a transgender. To add the happiness that she’s receiving, everybody welcomed her still, and YN proudly watched her girlfriend get along with new acquaintances.

Irene also lived up to her promise of standing as the aunt and guardians for Sooyoung or Joy’s children with YN. Sooyoung was very thankful that the weight of her responsibility became even lighter because of her kindness of assistance. The kids already had a great impression to the two, and it was not a day where all of them go play around their houses.

What had them both in complete shock was the moment when Irene requested YN that they go to her childhood home to visit her family, both for the aim to ask for their blessing on their relationship and to seek acceptance as well. After couple of asks from YN is Irene is sure about this, she replied that she is and she wanted to do this.

They arrived at her house in the city. The maids allowed them in and for the first time in years, Irene got to meet her family again. She admittedly was scared and nervous to face them again, but with YN’s support beside her she has the courage now to confront them. To her surprise though, her parents immediately rushed to hug her and emotions broke from the longing and a proper closure of their longtime conflict. They finally greeted and claimed her as their ‘daughter’ and even allowed YN on their relationship.

A year afterwards, YN and Irene got married outside of South Korea and also decided that they want to have their own children to raise. They adopted two a young boy named Jinwoo into their family.

“Hahaha, what is it, Jinwoo-ah?” Irene asked her son tugging her dress while she waters the plants.

“Eomma, go help YN appa make kimchi stew, please! I’m hungry!” Jinwoo pleaded. She sighed and chuckled, she knew that her husband must be struggling again on cooking this dish.

Meanwhile inside their house, YN was about to prepare in the kitchen when she heard the door bell rang. He opened the door and there, his sister Joy and her friends who visited their humble abode.

“Oh hey YN, how is it being a dad?” Wendy asked as she saw his apron and some of the toys scattered on the food. “HAHAHA, no hard feelings, just joking, shit I went too far with that, am I? Sorry about it.” Wendy noticed her mistake as she saw his deadpanned reaction.

“Hey, it’s okay and yes I’m fine raising kids unlike you with your single, no boyfriend since birth ass.” YN hissed and lets out a smug smile before turning around as he lets the girls in.

“Aish this brat, that hurts you know!” Wendy grumpily complained.

“Hahaha!” Joy laughed at how defeated Wendy looked after getting teased back.

“Good one, oppa! … ehh, is that your wife?” Yeri turned to the woman who is being pulled inside by their son from the yard.

“Woah, she’s gorgeous, why should I be surprised?” Seulgi

“Well, girls, I had Joy call you all here ‘cause I know my lady here will be more comfortable with that rather than a bunch of dudes to invite in the house.”

“How about you?” Irene asked him.

“Me? I got my boys here.” He said as he patted his son and his two nephews. “Who’s up for basketball?” They all shouted “Me!”

As they left the scene, they all laughed. “Aish, I was supposed to just help him cook kimbap and now he’s gone.” Irene shook her head. “Hi everyone, I’m Bae Joohyun or Irene and it’s nice to meet you girls.” she greeted at her lovely visitors.

“Hello! Wait, have we met before?” Wendy asked.

“I don’t know, maybe? You all seem familiar as well.” Irene chuckled sheepishly.

“Who knows? Maybe we know each other from our past lives.” Yeri winked.

“Yah, like what are we? Some sort of a girl group?” Joy humorously commented.

“That would be cool.” Seulgi shrugged. Irene could only laugh at them, they don’t know yet that they were actually her batchmates except Joy that she knew back when they were in college. Such coincidence had her both astonished and ecstatic to meet some few people who have been kind for her even just for a short time of knowing them before.

“Oh yeah, please take a seat. I’ll prepare us all a lunch.” Irene excused her guests and before she went to the kitchen, she stopped by to watch her beloved husband play with the kids. Seeing him made her feel very thankful of this new life that she chose… in which YN changed for the better. === END ===

[oldermenfucker]

Holding you, Holding me / M. Robinavitch

masterlist / next

ONE: I can see you

Summary: your parents’ wedding anniversary brings you and your mom’s friend closer to each other, closer than it should be, but there is no harm if no one finds out, right?

Warnings: fluff, Mom’s best friend trope, kissing, tension, alcohol consumption, age gap (Robby’s 50, Reader is 26)<3

Word count: 6.5k+

an: i SUCK at writing first chapters so excuse me if this isn’t my usual style lol but hopefully i can get you excited enough to read the rest of this fic cause WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED TEHEEEE

if you’d like to be added to the taglist, fill this form please<3

Post layout is inspired by the lovely @robbyology ‘s posts<3

Idk who this dividers belongs to if you know please tell me<:

Then we kiss, and you know I won't ever tell, yeah And I could see you being my addiction You can see me as a secret mission Hide away and I will start behaving myself

“Honey,” Dana knocks on the door, slowly pushing it open when you reply with a quick ‘come in’ and pin your hair up, “The guests are here, would you mind helping me for a bit?”

“‘Course, Mom!” You nod, fixing the end of your dress before you walk up to her, hugging her tightly, feeling her arms wrapping around you as well, “Happy wedding anniversary.”

“Thanks, baby,” she kisses the side of your head pulling back to look at you again, beaming as she tells you to give her a twirl, “You look so beautiful, especially in this room. It’s like you’ve never moved out.”

“I moved out five years ago,” you raise your eyebrows at her, chuckling when she groans and rubs her palms up and down on your arms. 

“I know, I know!” She squeezes your shoulders, her hands gliding down to grab yours, “I’m so grateful for this marriage cause you were born from it— I swear if you say that word!”

“I didn’t say anything!” You laugh, threading your fingers through hers, leading her out of the room slowly, “But you know, I wasn’t exactly born from it, kind of bought into—“

“Thank god you moved out,” Dana pinches your arm playfully, pulling you to her side as she walks towards the staircase, “Cause I can’t deal with your constant reminder, as if you aren’t my first child.”

“Hey, Mom, look at me,” you turn her to face you, snaking your arms around her waist and resting your head on her shoulders, “I’m just teasing you, you are the best mother ever and I’m so fucking glad that I’m a part of this family.”

“Don’t make me cry,” she whines and hugs you back, pressing you close as she holds you in her embrace, “I love you so much, honey. You made me a mother, I’m forever grateful for you.”

“I love you too,” you kiss her cheek, slowly moving away from her before looping your arm through hers, “C’mon, we’ve got some guests to talk to! Who is here already?”

“Heather came in early to help despite telling her specifically not to do such a thing. Mel and Frank just arrived, a few of your father’s friends and their wives,” she explains, her hand moving as she talks, “There are still a few people left, but we gotta start early.”

“Let’s get some alcohol in their system,” you say, moving toward the kitchen with Dana on the toe, finding Heather sipping on a glass of water while she leans back on the counter before she spots you, “Hey!”

“Hey, sweetie!” She pulls you in for a hug, rubbing her hand on your back as she asks how you have been doing, leaning back to her previous position as you mimic her and rest your elbows on the counter.

“How you managed to come here with a baby at home is beyond me,” you lean into her side when she chuckles and wraps her arm around your shoulders, “Especially with how attached your little boy is. I’d call in sick and snuggle all day.”

“Believe me I’ve done that lots of times,” Heather chuckles, “But this time I couldn’t resist. I had to be here to watch your mom handle everyone like she is in the ER.”

“Fuck off, you two,” Dana rolls her eyes, handing you a tray of cocktails to take to the table she has set up in the backyard, “I’m not the charge nurse here, I’m just a happy wife—“

“Right, that’s why you’ve cooked ten thousand meals,” Heather snorts when you say that, “A happy wife in charge of her circus.”

“Stop it— go get the door,” Dana laughs, grabbing the tray from your hands before she and Heather start talking and moving the drinks and plates outside.

“Yes, Ma’am!” You walk to the front door, reaching for the doorknob to open it as the ring goes off again, “Coming!”

“Hi!” Samira greets you, throwing herself into your arms as soon as you pull the door open, wrapping her arms around you, hugging you tightly, “I missed you! Where have you been?”

“I missed you too, ‘Mira,” you hug her back, grinning when she squeezes you in her embrace, “Work’s been so busy lately but— oh, Jack?” 

“Hello,” he gives you an awkward smile, raising his hand to give a little wave while holding a large bouquet of roses with his other arm, “How are you?”

“Did you two—“

“No! No, no—“

“Samira—“

You pull away from her, looking at her with wide eyes, a devilish smile threatening to take over your face as you stare at her, waiting for an explanation.

“We arrived here together by accident! I swear—“She shakes her head frantically, but you can notice the subtle hint of a smile on her face, she knows she is caught, but that is a discussion for later.

“Alright, alright,” you squeeze her arms, stepping to the side so Jack can come in as well, “Welcome, Jack.”

“Thank you,” he nods, giving you a pat on the shoulder as he passes you to put the flowers down next to the other gifts, “Where’s your mom, Slugger?”

“Giving me my mom’s nickname now?” You laugh, pointing at the hallway leading to the backyard, “Outside with Dad and his friends, probably talking about some boring stuff.”

“Stop acting like a teenage girl,” he raises his eyebrow at you before he walks past you, putting his hand on Samira’s waist to lead her to where the group is drinking and he catches the way your jaw hits the floor, “Not a word—“

“Accident my ass, you guys are dating—“

“Not. A. Word.” 

You chuckle in disbelief as you watch Jack wait for Samira to walk out first, waiting a few minutes before he also joins everyone outside. You linger back, sighing softly as you go back to the kitchen, picking up a piece of cheese from the plate you are sure your mom has put for the wine she wants to open later. 

The doorbell rings again, this time catching you off guard. You are sure everyone is already here given how loud the group is, even your little sister is there with your parents, enjoying her time with all the attention she must be receiving.

You walk to open the door again, turning the doorknob before you are met with the sight of Robby; he looks just as handsome as you remember, with his signature blue shirt that he has rolled up his sleeves and his quite worn-out jeans. 

He looks casual, like he has done this ten times already, and knows nothing serious is going on. And he has; you remember how exactly last year he showed up on time to chat with your mom, or the year before that with a box of pastries that you and him sat down to devour on the stairs leading to the backyard.

You didn’t think he would show up, it had slipped your mind completely. But now, seeing him here with another box of pastries that he has cherry-picked himself for the two of you, you are glad he has decided to come.

“Hi,” you smile at him, leaning on the door as you wait for him to say something instead of just beaming at you, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I can never miss Dana’s parties,” he shrugs, stepping inside when you open the door further, and he easily towers over you, his smile widening when he sees you beaming up at him, “Besides, I had to bring my yearly payment. Napoleon and Paris Brest for you, sweetheart.”

“You didn’t have to!” You take the box from him, giving him a sheepish smile before leading him to the kitchen to put the pastries in the fridge, “Thanks, Mom’s gonna be happy that you are here.”

“Only Dana?” He teases you, leaning on the countertop with his hands in his pockets, watching as you reach for two glasses from the cabinet with a flustered smile, pulling out your father’s Kentucky Bourbon to pour for him, “Does he know you drink from his secret stash?”

“Of course, he does,” you hand him his glass, clinking them together before you take a sip from your drink, face twisting at the burning feeling down your throat, “How can you drink this shit? I can barely handle it.”

“Years of practice with Abbot on the rooftop.”

“You drink bourbon on the hospital’s roof? You’re insane, I’d rather get my hand chopped off than be your patient,” you turn around, resting your back on the edge of the counter, your arm brushing against his as you look up at him.

“You were my patient a few times, be grateful I wasn’t drunk when I was treating you,” he smiles sarcastically, the lines on his face deepening so beautifully it almost makes you stutter.

“Thank you for not killing me and getting a lawsuit, doc,” you roll eyes, looking down at the amber liquid in your glass when you hear his warm chuckle, followed by a clicking of his tongue, “You’re not gonna go out there?”

“I will, eventually,” he explains with mild indifference, “I see half of these people every day, I just need a break from Langdon jumping around me even if it’s for ten seconds.”

“Understandable,” you nod, watching through the glass door how your sister engages with Heather and Mel, “Wish I could be as comfortable as she is around people. Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong there, you know? Not because I’m adopted, but…”

“I get it,” he nudges your arm by his elbow, looking at you softly, “I feel the same sometimes. You are not alone in this, not at all, sweetheart.”

“I love them but I feel outcasted because I can’t join their conversations easily,” you say, nudging him back before you rest your head on his arm, “Good thing we have each other in these parties, huh?”

“Yeah, cheers to that,” you raise your glass but look at it with a frown, really not wanting to drink the horribly warm and bitter liquor. He sees how you hesitate, shoulders moving as he chuckles and shakes his head, drowning the last of his glass before he grabs yours, rough fingers brushing over your soft ones briefly.

“I’ll have that, go get yourself something else,” he smiles, “Dana’s Gin and Tonic is always the best, maybe you can have her make one for you.”

“Not when Dad’s got all her attention, and I’m supposed to be the host tonight and let her enjoy her anniversary. Though a beer sounds very tempting right now, you can get me a Gin Tonic later,” you push yourself away from the counter, walking to the fridge and opening the door, finding the cans already on the coolest shelves.

“You’ve already planned our next meeting, have you?” Robby asks, crossing his arms over his belly, making his biceps bulge under his sleeves, “Gonna give me a run for my money?”

“My mom’s friends are doctors, you bet I’d make you spend money on me,” you watch as he puts the glass down next to his hand on the counter, reaching for the can in your hand silently, opening it up without you asking him for it, “You have a lot to making up to do.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he smiles, wrinkles deepening around his eyes when you snort, thanking him softly when he hands you your drink, “I’ve been doing doubles lately, can’t even remember the last time I had a night off.”

“You’re doing double shifts? With Abbot? C’mon, Robby, you are much better than that,” you stand in front of him, giving him a teasing look when he leans down with a surprised smile on his face, “You should take a break.”

“Abbot is much nicer at night, trust me. But you’re right, I need a break, and I definitely should make it up to you. I’ve been… busy.”

“Nope, I know you,” you point at him, pressing your finger on his chest, “You’ve been thinking, which isn’t a good thing at all, means you’re worried or depressed.”

“‘M not depressed, I’m going to therapy,” he grabs your wrist, pulling you closer gently when he brings your hand to his face, brushing his lips on your pulse point, his beard rubbing against the smooth skin and leaving a delicious burn.

“Both can coexist,” you grin, feeling your cheeks heating up when he doesn’t let go of your hand, “You should take it easy on yourself, I don’t want my uncle to end up in his department.”

“Jesus Christ,” he groans, rolling his eyes at you playfully, “How many times do I have to tell you to not use that word? I’m not your uncle, I’m anything but your uncle.”

“I know! But it’s worth the reaction every fucking time,” you laugh but it soon dies out when you hear the sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen. You pull away from Robby, walking to a cabinet to make it look like you are busy with your back to him.

“Finally, here’s our sad boy!” Dana waltzes in, pulling Robby for a hug with a gentle pat on his arm, “Where’ve you been? You didn’t even answer my call.” 

“Really? Must have missed it then,” he shrugs, hugging her back, his eyes meeting yours across the kitchen, “Something came up and I had to stop on my way here.”

“What could possibly be more important than my party, Robby?” your mother pulls away, smirking knowingly, thinking she has got him all figured out, “It doesn’t matter cause Heather and everyone is already here.”

You tense slightly at the mention of Heather’s name; you have been there, you saw it all. How they fell in love, how they were so happy, and how it all crashed after Covid. And during all those times, you had to battle the silly childhood crush you had on Robby.

Robby notices the very tiny shift in your attitude, watching as you take a large sip from your beer, smiling when your mom turns around and winks at you with her hand still on Robby’s arm, looking between the two of you before she raises her eyebrows at him.

“Are you keeping my daughter hostage here because you hate socializing?” 

“If anything she is keeping me hostage—“

“What the fuck, Robby! Don’t blame me for your lack of friendly communication skills.” You gasp, hiding your face between your hands when he chuckles and your mom follows his lead, walking towards the fridge to pull out the champagne she put there to cool for the night.

“It’s his trick, honey,” Dana looks at you, pointing at the ice bucket with her head, “When he doesn’t wanna take accountability, he’ll shove it on someone else.”

“That doesn’t sound like him at all!” you glance at Robby, finding him shaking his head and hiding his smile behind the whiskey glass he is bringing to his lips, “You choose when to take accountability or not? That’s so weird.”

“No, Dana’s being mean again,” he grabs the ice bucket from your hands, going to where your mother has opened the freezer to fill the bucket with ice cubes, “After living half a century, you learn a lot and knowing when you are wrong is one of the lessons. And right now, your mother is teasing me for coming late. I am not in the wrong.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I should be so grateful that my best friend is here and didn’t ditch me for some boring book he borrowed from my other boring friend,” Dana puts the champagne between the cubes, grinning sarcastically at Robby who only shrugs, “Now get out there, both of you before my dear husband thinks you hate him.”

“I’ll take that,” you grab the cold bucket from Robby’s hands, leading him out of the kitchen, giggling when you see how the heat crawls up his neck to his face, “Don’t be embarrassed, she roasts everyone, dad included.”

“She is like a ghost who’s been haunting me from the first day we’ve known each other,” he pushes his hands into the pockets of his jeans, following you through the hallway until you stop and turn to look at him.

“How much will you pay me if I pull you away from the party as soon as possible and put you out of your misery?”

“All you can think about is money, get out of here,” he laughs and opens the door for you, “I’ve already done enough for you today. You ought to pay me back this time.”

“Oh, wow,” you snort, lips parting in surprise, “Just because you bought me some pastries doesn’t mean you get free will under my mom’s roof, uncle.”

“Fuck you,” he groans, urging you to go outside, and when you don’t and only smirk at him, he puts his palm on your waist and pushes you gently out of the door, making sure you carefully step on the stairs.

“Look who’s finally here!” Frank says, making all the heads turn towards you and Robby, “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hello,” Robby waves awkwardly, leaning down to whisper in your ear, “Is it too late to turn around and disappear?”

“Yup,” you glance at him, grinning without hesitation, knowing he is already regretting stepping out, especially now that he has to greet everyone he sees every day, “Smile and be pleasant enough so they can tolerate you.”

“I’m always pleasant to be around,” he rolls his eyes at you briefly, scoffing when Langdon walks closer, Mel in tow, “Ah, here he is.”

“Where have you been, man? You’re late to the party.”

“The party doesn’t start without a glass of champagne,” you jump in, giving Mel a side hug before putting the ice bucket on the table with all the food your mother has placed, “And the champagne is not opened yet, so technically he is on time.”

“You always have his back,” your father chimes into the conversation, patting Robby’s back when they greet each other, “Glad to see you, Robby.”

“Yeah you, too, congratulations by the way,” Robby smiles at your father, watching how Jack comes forward as well, ready to help Robby if he wants to escape your father’s poor attempt at humor.

“If I don’t have his back, no one else will,” you shrug, looking at Robby over your shoulder who only smiles at you in return, deeply grateful for your presence.

“Well, are you going to open that bottle or not?” Dana strides over to you, grabbing the champagne before handing it to your father, “Let’s get this fucking party started.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

You roll your eyes when your father winks at Dana, reaching for the knife to do some dramatic cork popping, breaking the tip of the glass as your mom holds the glasses under the flowing champagne, laughing when everyone cheers.

You stand next to Langdon, clapping with others when your parents kiss and congratulating them. Everyone grabs their glasses and waits for your father to say something, and you catch a glimpse of Robby moving to stand behind you.

“Fifty bucks he’ll thank you too for existing,” Robby leans down to a whisper, grinning when you glare at him playfully.

“That’s not fair! You’ve heard his speech for at least ten years,” you say, taking a sip of your champagne, “I’ll bet he’ll thank you and Jack too, my wife’s best friends. I’d pay a hundred bucks to him just to say that and embarrass you.”

“You’re evil,” he groans quietly, giving Langdon an awkward smile when he glances at the two of you in confusion, only to get distracted by your father again.

“I learned from the best,” you reply, nudging his elbow with yours, pointing at Frank with your head, “What’s his deal?”

“Dunno,” he whispers back, shrugging as he waits for your father to start his yearly speech, “It’s probably because I kinda ignored him when I got here.”

“Oh, poor baby is upset,” you fake a pout, smirking when he coughs to hide his amusement, “Pay attention, Doctor Robby. The show’s about to begin.”

“My offer still stands, fifty bucks, you in?”

“You owe me a drink, remember? Keep the money, you’ll need it with your three hundred kay yearly check,” you snort when you see him shake his head at your words, drowning his entire glass in one move, “Easy, don’t want you to make a mess and ruin his award-winning performance.”

“Definitely Dana’s daughter, how can I ever forget,” he whispers, lips twitching when he catches you grinning shyly.

There is something so charming about him, the way he effortlessly manages to make you smile and get you all hot and bothered. You do not try to hide it anymore — you do when your mother is around — but it is out in the open, and you try to mask it up with the sort of friendship you have created with him so you don’t make him uncomfortable. 

Maybe he knows or doesn’t, it’s not like anything is going to happen between you, not when he is the textbook definition of a gentleman. Touchy yet respectful, like he does it to anchor you to reality when he is around. 

It’s your dirty secret, the silly crush of yours that makes your heart beat faster when he so much as glances at you. But you have never allowed yourself to dream more, to fantasize about hypothetical scenarios that you might have a chance with him, and you are sure he would shut you down immediately if you say anything.

“Hello, everyone!” your father starts, “I’ve said this speech for… at least ten years give and take and every year I try to come up with something new, but… nothing comes to mind. So, I’ll go ahead and give you whatever is in my head right now.”

“We’re screwed,” one of your father’s friends jokes, earning a playful glare from Dana and your father, and you snort before you see Robby shakes his head, giving you a nudge.

“Yup,” you whisper, pressing your lips to each other so you don’t giggle, “He’s gonna say it.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“What?” You glance at him then look down at your fingers tapping over the rim of your champagne glass, “You were going to bet on it.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to make this harder than it already is for me,” he hisses, straightening his back with his palm on your waist and the way his long fingers spread on your back makes goosebumps rise on your arms.

“I live to make your life harder,” you make the mistake of turning your head to look at him because the grin he gives you meets the corner of his eyes, the lines on his face deepening. With a shake of your head, you look away, “It seems you do the same.”

“You’re cute if you think I’d let Dana’s daughter get away with something.” Cute, right, that’s all he sees you as.

“I’m my own person, not just her daughter—“

“It’d be appreciated if you two paid attention,” Your mother glares at the two of you with her eyebrows raised, “You’re lucky I’m feeling kind tonight or you’d be kicked out of this house by now.”

“Sorry, Mom,” you duck your head, giving her an apologetic smile, looking down at your feet with your lip between your teeth. Robby nods as well, raising his hand in apology so your father can keep going with his speech.

“That was close.”

“She caught us, Robby, it was more than close,” you hiss at him, turning your attention back to your parents, “Don’t talk anymore.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” You can practically hear his smirk, but you know if you turn around the said smirk will turn you into a melting puddle on the grass.

“As I was saying before I got rudely interrupted,” you roll your eyes at your father, “Being with Dana is something only one person is lucky enough to experience, and boy is it an experience!”

“You should see how much of an experience he is,” She runs her fingers through your father’s hair, “Not that I’m complaining, I love a good challenge.”

“I’ve been her challenge for twenty-something years,” he turns his head to look at her, “And I’ve loved every moment of it,” he dips his head to capture Dana’s lips in a soft kiss before he breaks it and looks around, finding you and your sister with ease, “And our daughters, thank you for being the fruit of our love.”

You catch your sister winking at you just in time, and you raise your glass in reply, watching how everyone else mimics you and claps for your parents — so does Robby, nudging you slightly to get your attention, giving you a look that screams ‘Told ya’ before he diverts his attention back to the couple kissing.

“I hate you,” you whisper and drown the rest of your drink, shooting him a small glance, shaking your head when he shrugs as innocently as he can.

“I doubt that,” you snort when he says that —not a lie, you feel so many things when he is around and none of them are hate — and take his empty glass from his hand. 

“Time to socialize, Robby. Your bestie is coming here.”

“You gonna pay for this later, sweetheart,” he walks away toward Jack and Samira after he gives your shoulder a squeeze, meeting them halfway before they start talking

You slowly walk away from the crowd, the noises enveloping your senses in the wrong way. You are not the biggest fan of these gatherings; they are lovely, yes, you get to meet everyone and have a drink and take a break from work, but by the end of it, there is no energy left in you because of how fidgety you were all throughout the night, how you overthink about everything you said and were going to say.

You linger around, popping chips in your mouth a few times so you don’t have to worry about eating dinner with all these people around — you can just skip it and go for the pastries in the fridge. 

Your gaze moves from your parents to your sister and at last falls on Robby. Fuck, he looks good under the bright moonlight and the yellow lights of the backyard, and it makes your heart race. Get it together! You want to scream, shout, and bang your head to the wall when you catch sight of him laughing at something Jack says.

As if he can feel your eyes on him, he turns around slightly just so he can catch sight of you, giving you one of his famous heartwarming grins that never fails to make your fingers twitch in excitement. You smile back, giving him a little wave before you see him moving towards Heather, instantly beginning to talk with a broad smile on his face.

You sigh, not a lie if he has told you himself that he still has feelings for her, and run a hand through your hair, humming softly before you sneak back inside the house. You can feel your surroundings fading away as the warmth of the house hugs your body instantly.

You make a beeline for the fridge, pulling out the box Robby brought earlier, smiling at the cold sensation of the plastic against your fingers before you walk out of the kitchen and upstairs to the balcony on the other side of the house — the little corner reserved for you and your sister. Luckily, she is too busy making everyone laugh to join you up here.

There is a bench with a coffee table in front of it and a visible view of the neighborhood to top it off. The bustle of the party is in the background now, the noises have grown quiet and the cold pastries in the box are tempting you to take them out and eat them alone — might as well do that. 

You put the box on the table and take a seat on the bench, taking off the lid before you bring one of the cream-filled pastries up to your mouth, taking a large bite and closing your eyes at the taste; it feels as if sparks fly on your tongue with how delicious it tastes. 

Robby knows you too well and it’s both maddening and lovely.

You are about to take another bite when you hear the familiar footsteps coming outside, finding Robby there in the doorframe just looking at you.

“Eating those all by yourself? Rude.”

“You were busy, didn’t wanna interrupt your fun time,” you shrug, taking another bite just to tease him, making a loud humming sound as the cold cream fills your mouth cavity, “Y’know? They taste better when I’m the one enjoying it and have no reason to share it with anyone.”

“You’re being mean just like—“

“Just like your mother,” you finish his sentence, giving him a cold look before turning your face back to the view of the balcony — he looks gorgeous and it’s making you sick — and taking another smaller bite, “Will you ever see me as a person and not just an extension of my mother?”

“What do you mean?” He chuckles and rounds the table to sit next to you — wait, was this bench always this small that now his thigh is pressed to yours? — and turns his head to look at you.

“I mean… It’s always ‘You do this just like your mother does’ and ‘You are Dana’s daughter’ and ‘You’re mean just like her’ and it feels like you don’t even see me as a person just my mom’s sidekick. Or, you might have been in love with my mom which then we’d have a bigger problem.”

“I’m not in love with your mom!” His voice grows thin as he laughs at your words, running a hand through his hair, “I don’t know, sweetheart. I’ve got no idea why I do this, maybe because I wanna make sure we have clear boundaries…”

“Boundaries? It feels like you wanna avoid something much more complicated than that,” you explain, taking another large bite out of the pastry in your hand, smearing the cream over your nose and lips, “Like you wanna do something but hold yourself back.”

“You are Dana’s daughter—“

“Jesus, Robby,” You groan, turning around in your seat as best as possible, your thigh nearly thrown over his as you try to give him an intense look, “I just told you—“

“I know, I know,” he nods, his hand that was resting on the back of the bench comes up to your head, stroking your hair before tucking a few strands behind your ear, careful not to ruin your hairstyle, “I don’t want to do something that we’ll both regret later. It’s safer to stay as Dana’s daughter than anything else when you’re around me.”

“Is it because of Heather?”

“Fucking hell, of course not!” He gives you a disapproving smile, “‘m not gonna deny that there is an attraction on my end, but we’re done, have been for a while.”

“Then you’re being ridiculous…” you don’t shy away from his touch, not now that you know and trust his words, “How are you so sure that we’ll regret it?”

“Because…” his thumb wipes the cream over the edge of your lips before bringing it to his mouth, holding your gaze as he swipes his tongue over his finger, flushing slightly when he notices how your eyes darken and dart down to his lips, “I can’t do it, if anyone finds out—“

“No one will find out—“

“They might,” he whispers, leaning closer, crowding your space, “and I can’t lose you for something so silly. I don’t do casual—“

“Neither do I but I’m not a pussy like you—“ he shuts you up with his — now wet — thumb over your lips, his face inches away from yours, and the sheer weight of his eyes making you squirm a bit.

“Careful, I’m not your dad. I don’t tolerate mouthy girls.”

“Good thing I don’t want you to be like him,” you say softly, leaning in as well, nudging his nose with yours, feeling the warmth of his breath on your face, “Don’t call me Dana’s daughter anymore.”

“Wasn’t planning on it, sweetheart.”

It sure as hell feels like fireworks exploding in the sky when his lips meet yours in a chaste kiss, his hand threading in your hair as best as possible as he devours the sweetness of the pastry from your teeth and tongue.

You kiss back just as feverish as he does, not backing down at all. It’s not like you, because you have never been bold enough to say something up until tonight or take actions as risky as this, but it’s Robby, and he brings out a version of you that doesn’t shake with nerves.

He is gentle, not with his tongue but with his hands as they wander down to your jaw, tilting your head in a way he likes and kissing you at a pace that has your head spinning. 

You know you have crossed the line, but it doesn’t matter anymore, not that at least you know the feelings aren’t as unrequited as you thought they were. He kisses you like he has been holding back — perhaps he has — and it makes your body warm all over, face heating up and fingers twitching.

You mean to reach for his face as well, but you have forgotten the pastry you were holding in your hand, dropping it on his shirt and jeans when you try to cup his cheek.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m so sorry—“

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he replies breathlessly, picking up and dropping the remaining pastry in the box as he looks down at his now cream-covered shirt, glancing over at you as you reach over to try and take off some of the cream with your fingers, “Don’t worry about it—“

“Fuck, Robby, I’m so fucking sorry! Look what I’ve done, your shirt is ruined—“

“It’s not ruined–hey, sweetheart, look at me,” he cups your face in his hands, leaning down to peck your lips, hoping he can stop the overdrive your brain is probably taking with all the negative thoughts, “It’s okay, I’m gonna go wash it off, yeah? It’s a silly shirt, I have ten other pairs exactly like this.”

“At least let me get you one of my dad’s,” you stand up before he has the chance to say no, “And you take that off and drop it here so I can wash it tomorrow and bring it to you.”

“You don’t have to—“

“I insist,” you give him the best pleading eyes you can muster, grinning when he nods and stands up as well, following you into the house, “You can wash up in my ensuite bathroom while I grab you a shirt.”

“Alright,” he nods and walks through the room toward your bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt and peeling it off, turning on the facet before he starts wiping off the cream.

He hears you knock on the door, waiting for him to let you in and when he does, you step inside slowly, looking down as soon as you get a peek of his nude broad shoulders.

“Don’t get shy now,” he chuckles, handing you the wet shirt before he grabs the clean one from you, glancing at your flustered face as he begins to dress up, “It’s nothing you haven’t already seen.”

“Right, but that was in a pool and you didn’t have your tongue down my throat before getting in the water,” you drop his shirt next to the rest of your laundry, crossing your arms over your chest as you shyly look at how his muscles flex as he tugs on his collar.

“A minor detail, sweetheart,” he turns around, and you smile when you see how red he is, handing him a rag to clean up his jeans as well, “A minor detail that should never see the light of day.” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t snitch to my mom about how her best friend was kissing me,” you roll your eyes and look down, fuck him and the effect he has on you. It was one kiss and yet, you already feel like you are about to melt into a puddle.

“Even the thought of it sends me to cardiac arrest,” he hands you his wallet as he wipes the cream off the front pocket of his pants, groaning as he sees the dark wet spot growing, “This all your fault.”

“Shouldn’t have kissed me if you didn’t want me to get you dirty.”

“You looked far too beautiful to resist,” he says so casually like it has been on his mind for a long time, “I’d do it again even if I knew you’d make a mess outta me.”

“Cheesy—“

“Honey, where are you? Have you seen Robby?”

“Fuck—“

“That’s Dana—“

You run out of the bathroom, throwing Robby’s wallet somewhere carelessly before making your way into the hallway, meeting your mom with an uneasy smile.

“Hey! What are you doing up here?”

“I was looking for you and Robby! Where did you two go?” She asks, pinning you down with a curious look, “Has something happened? Are you okay?”

“We were sharing the pastries I brought her. Clumsy me, I dropped the entire thing on myself,” Robby comes out, chuckling awkwardly as he stands in a shirt that doesn’t belong to him — it’s your father’s and Dana notices it immediately.

“At least she found you a clean shirt, you’re lucky it’s not his favorite,” she laughs, and you follow with a chuckle, trying to mask the bubbling anxiety inside you, “Alright, almost everyone’s left. I have no idea why since the night is just starting!”

“I should go too,” Robby says, walking to hug Dana and leave this very uncomfortable moment, “Happy anniversary again, I had a great time.”

“You’re no fun,” your mom hugs him back after she groans out the words, “But yeah, you have a shift tomorrow, get some sleep.”

“I’ll walk you out,” you offer, waiting for him to say his goodbye one last time before you follow him downstairs, making sure your mom is out of sight before you open the door and wait for Robby to step outside.

He grabs the back of your neck, pulling you in for a quick breathtaking kiss, his lips slotting into yours passionately. You brace yourself with your hands on his chest, kissing him back before you have to part as soon as you hear some noises in the house.

“Goodnight,” you say breathlessly, licking your lips in hopes of getting a taste of him again, smiling as he strokes your head and steps away, giving you a quick wave.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

[ryzheling]

⟡ ݁₊ . of hardened steel and devotion.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ character: knight!endo yamato (wbk) x princess!reader ⊹ ࣪ ˖ contents: sfw, slight blood mention, banters? nothing much is happening rly they're just chatting :l ⊹ ࣪ ˖ a/n: didn't mean for it to get this long but royal au is fun :o ⊹ ࣪ ˖ wc ~ 1k (not proofread) | pt.2

The final fleeting light of the hour shines through the thick velvet curtains when the last of the kingdom begins to retire for the night, the east hall now devoid of life as the doors shut behind tattling tales of the noblemen. The looming backrest sits plush along your spine, muscles tense and taut as the woes of the day lie heavy on your shoulders.

You would’ve thought to return to your chambers and hit the hay instead of dallying your rest, but the comfort of such silence in the hall is too precious for you to pass up. You stare at the rolled parchment on the side table just to your right, the frayed edges and blotted ink reminding– more like taunting you with the unfinished record of the event prior.

You have half the mind to tear it in two, the notion so appealing it almost had you reaching out for the scroll when the huge oak doors swing open, heavy and creaking loud. Your breath almost stops at the figure entering the hall.

Metal clunk against metal, and the particular sound sends a shiver down your spine when the man in steel and iron steps further into the hall, eventually reaching the dais where your seat, along with your parents’ – the kingdom’s rulers – line side by side.

The knight then descends to one knee, deliberate and methodical, the act a reverence in and of itself. His head is bowed low, one arm on his raised thigh while the other perches on the hilt of his sword.

Your sweeping eyes do not miss the crimson streaks splattered across one too many surfaces of his armor, though you pay them no mind as you drag your gaze to where his eyes are supposed to be through the helmet.

“I prayed for your safe return,” you mutter. “Glad to know the gods haven’t abandoned me yet from how often I have been cursing those petty old folks.”

“No god could ever wish upon my death if milady herself had graced me with her well wishes,” comes a muffled voice, and you know he’s holding back from shrugging a nonchalant shoulder.

You scoff bitterly, planting an elbow on the armrest before resting a fist underneath your jaw, “There is no such thing as that. You lot die so easily I almost think you were genuinely seeking it in the first place.”

His head rises just a tad bit, as if he’s peering up at you through the little slits on his visor, “Is that worry I sense?” You halt at his response.

Worry? For him? This man has got a knack for being so full of himself it seems.

You turn your head to the side to hide your eye roll. “What nonsense. The only time I’d ever worry about you is when this kingdom falls.” Which is never.

Hopefully… you think.

A quiet, breathless laughter fills your ears, sparing him a glance from you. “You wound me, princess.” He quips. You can see him shifting on his shin, though you make no move to gesture for him to stand.

You could, but there’s really no need, because he would’ve done it himself if he wanted to, that pompous man. And knowing him, he would stay down by your feet until he breathes his last, if only that was possible.

Another blanket of silence settles, profound yet pleasant in a way–

“You haven’t been sleeping, milady.” Nevermind.

You mentally include him among the denizens residing in your cursed list.

“Are you insinuating that I look unkempt and–” your face contorts then, clicking your tongue in irritation. “Actually, do not answer that. I rest just as soundly as anybody living in this castle, thank you very much…”

You falter, the words hanging in the still air and trailing themselves off. You stare quietly as he reaches out a gloved hand to tug his helmet off, slow and practiced with an ease that only he could muster. Gently, he places the headpiece onto the ground beside him with a faint tink.

The sight before you draws in all your remaining focus. Like it always has. Like it always will. Thick and messy lock of obsidian spills out, a pair of bright cerulean eyes catching yours in a swift trance as he runs a tantalizing hand through his hair.

“With all due respect, princess, even with my vision partly shielded, I could clearly see your unease from across the hall.” Endo’s voice is clearer now, so smooth and lilted with slight jest that your toes nearly curl at the baritone.

You finally grace him with a look, a proper one this time which he responds in kind. Too kind, in fact. A soft exhale, a heartbeat passing in sync with another, and he watches as you rise from your seat – your throne – to stand right before his kneeling form.

Delicate hands come to brush over the infinity mark displayed on his throat, his breath catching before you move to cradle his face. There’s a squint in your eyes when you lowly chide, “One more word from you saying I appear to be hideous, Yamato, I will have you scrubbing the bathhouse like some common peasant.”

He grins up at you, all teeth and canines, dirt and grime and everything you’ve grown to be fond of.

One thing about him, Endo’s ever so shameless in putting down his task in regards to providing you his undivided attention. He should be reporting to you about his recent expedition in lieu of… whatever line it is that you two are crossing right now.

But alas, you decide perhaps a forbidden apple is much sweeter than the ones served to you on a silver platter.

The shades of his blues swirl, you realize. Wild as the tattoos running down his arms, clear as the skies and burning like the sun as if they could scorch you alive in a flame of his devotion should you ever peer into them.

For the eyes that are signs of the soul within, his is one bound to duty and honor, and a prey to sin and temptation.

His armor chinks as he moves to splay his hands on the side of your waist, the fabric of your clothes heating up underneath his touch. Endo rests his head against your stomach, down facing the earth as if surrendering himself to the ground you stand on.

Such a strong, capable warrior, and yet just a man in the presence of his beloved.

He takes in a deep breath, inhaling your scent until all his senses are drowning in it before he chuckles deep. “Put me in the worst of hell, and it is still you I seek both retribution and redemption from, milady.”

so locked in i have dents on my nose now from my glasses lol (will be resting my eyes now ..)

©ryzheling. do not steal, translate or repost my work anywhere else!

[cultven]

Hi!

I was wondering if you can do a Deadpool x reader x Wolverine fic where reader is like very shy. They find her in the void with the other hero’s from the resistance. They both are immediately smitten but since they both are pretty loud and bickering a lot, it makes the reader nervous. Maybe once they win the fight against Cassandra Nova, the two of them confess to her at Wade’s apartment.

Hope you having a wonderful day/night

No pressure or rush

-W.P 💚

Founded Love

Deadpool X Reader X Wolverine

Content: Some cursing, Deadpool’s humor, Wolverine being so done with Wade lol, Self-conscious Deadpool

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: Spoilers for Deadpool 3

a/n: First request done! Hopefully, you like it, I tried following the best I could. The reader may seem a little more timid than shy, however.

You were walking around the ruins of The Void, kicking away the dirt and small rocks that lay in your path. Despite always being on edge, you’ve found yourself at peace with your life in The Void. As long as you stayed away from Cassandra Nova and kept to yourself things were just fine. You had even found a family of your own in The Void, superheroes like yourself who were forgotten with time. It wasn’t the life you had imagined for yourself as a child, but you were happy all things considered. As you stumbled around the woods not looking for anything in particular when your eyes spot a blue minivan in the distance. 

You hum to yourself in confusion, taking in the state of the vehicle. It was battered and bloody, the liquid still visibly fresh. It looked a hell of a lot like Nicepool’s car, another trashed variant that lived in The Void. You hoped it wasn’t his car, he always seemed kind enough, hence his not-so-creative name, and you didn’t want any trouble finding the man. Besides, Nicepool was one of the only other people in The Void besides your family you could comfortably talk to. You have always been the shy type, even back in your everyday life in the real world. Casual conversation didn’t come naturally to you, leading you to feel incredibly awkward most times. You were never fond of most other people anyway, so your reserved nature didn’t bother you. 

As you shuffled closer to Betsy, you remember Nicepool always insisting you call the car by her name, you catch a glimpse of two people. The first was notably tied up in various seatbelts, seemingly asleep. He was another Deadpool variant, thankfully not your befriended one, and was bloodied similar to the car. The second man was a Wolverine variant, something that isn’t usually seen in The Void and was also quite beaten. By the looks of it, they had a pretty hefty fight and weren’t going to join consciousness anytime soon. Making a swift decision on what to do with the newfound characters you sigh and try to start up the car, planning on taking them back to your crew.

Much to your surprise, the car runs quite well considering the damage it’s withheld. The drive back to your hideout was quiet with some soft snoring from the back seat. Some music would have been nice but you didn’t want the pair waking up before you got them to the rest of your family. You could handle the transportation, but the questioning was something better fitted for Elektra or Eric. Eventually, you turn the car and park it next to the house you have been calling home for almost a year now. You debated bringing the two men inside by yourself before quickly realizing there was no way in hell you’d be able to move their large figures. 

“Guys, I’m back.” You quietly announced walking through the door. You saw Remy and Laura sitting at a table playing cards while Elektra was making some sort of food in the kitchen. 

“Hey, glad to see you made it back ok.” Elektra smiled, plating five portions of her cooking. “Did you see Johnny while you were out there?” 

“Nah, unfortunately not. But, I did find some new guys. A Deadpool and a Wolverine.” That caught everyone’s attention, especially Laura’s. You and her were quite close which led her to entrust you with her past, most importantly the bits of Logan. You felt uneasy with all the attention now suddenly on you, but continue your thoughts with fiddling fingers. “They’re, um, in a car unconscious just outside the house. I drove them here. I probably can’t move them inside so…” You let your stream of thoughts trail off, noticing Remy stand up from his space at the table. 

“I’ll go get them, eh?” His accent never failed to amuse you, causing you to smile and nod at the man as he went out the door. Blade soon entered the room and began talking with the others, speculating what the hell was going on with the two men outside. You took this as an opportunity to hide away in your room, allowing yourself to decompress after everything. 

After some rustling outside your room, it eventually quieted, likely meaning the two men were still asleep and the others wanted to give them space. You took this as an opportunity to sneak around to the kitchen, the starvation of not eating all day finally catching up to you. As you tiptoe down the hallway and past the living room you hear an inaudible grumble. Turning your head slightly you see the Wolverine stir. Not realizing you had completely stopped to stare at the man, his narrow eyes met yours with a questioning glance. 

“What the hell are you looking at? Where are we?” His accusatory tone and spew of questions caused you to become flustered. You begin to tap your foot on the floor, a nervous tick you’ve developed over time. 

Realizing you have yet to answer his questions you spoke up, “I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were awake. Or I guess you just kinda woke up, huh?” You get out an awkward laugh, avoiding eye contact. You hated this with everything in your body. “I, uh, found you guys in that old banged-up car so I called for backup to take you here just to make sure you guys were alright.” When you didn’t get a response you turned back to the Wolverine who was previously throwing questions at you to find him much calmer now. Maybe he finally gauged that you weren’t a threat to him, and even if you were he could easily take you down. You find his eyes scanning your body and finally meet your eyes, causing you to shrink. His frown lines were less prominent than before, adorning a more relaxed expression. 

“Mhm, well thanks for that then.” It wasn’t the kindest thank you in the world, but it was nice he was at least a little grateful for your efforts. As you watched him examine the room you took in his appearance. He adorned the iconic Wolverine suit, the one that Laura insisted her Logan never wore, so it’s likely that this isn’t her Logan, but you figured that much considering ghosts didn’t make it to The Void. He seemed to have a permanent frown on his face, which oddly suited him. There were small tufts of hair on the top of his head, ones that resembled ears. It was cute. Little did you know, when you finally turned away from admiring the man he took his own turn to take you in. You could tell there wasn’t a version of you in his world, but he still felt comforted by your presence in an odd way. Perhaps it was because you saved him and his stupid sidekick. No matter the reason, the gentle look on your face when you hadn’t realized he was awake yet was enough to draw him towards you. 

“What’s your name?” He wanted the conversation to continue and was becoming increasingly interested in you. 

“Y/N. I already know yours, you’re the notorious Wolverine. Also known as Logan.” He seemed shocked you knew his real name, especially by the disregard of how you said it. Noticing his reaction you hastily begin explaining yourself. “Well uh, it’s just Laura told me, if you even know who that is, um I’m not sure if you have her in your universe.” Your speech comes out in an anxious jumble, before deciding just to shut your mouth altogether, wanting to hide away. Wolverine chuckled to himself slightly, finding your skittish behavior quite endearing.  

You felt yourself blushing, wanting to hide from the strong eyes following your figure. Just as you were about to mumble out an excuse to leave the room Logan responded to your earlier ramble, “I’m not sure what all that means bub, but thanks for letting us crash here.” You watched him take in the room, mostly staring at Remy’s impressive stash of alcohol. He stood up from his place and chose a bottle of booze to open and take a swig. You knew Remy wouldn’t appreciate this action, but you were too shy to speak up about it. 

“Yeah, of course.” You rocked back and forth on your feet, something Wolverine took notice of. The whole time you spoke to him he picked up on your small fidgets and mannerisms. Despite finding them precious he didn’t want you to feel so nervous while talking to him, he wasn’t all that scary. Besides, he doesn’t hurt people without reason. “Was that Nicepool’s car you were in?” Before Wolverine had the chance to open his mouth a loud gasp followed by “Thor!” is heard from the bed. Upon seeing the Deadpool variant spring up from his sleeping position you hide yourself half behind the wall. Other than Nicepool all of the other Deadpools you have encountered were aggressive to say the least. But if this one was traveling with the nice Wolverine then maybe he couldn’t be so bad? 

Noticing your caution Wolverine decided to speak up, “Morning, jackass.” 

“Well, good morning to you too, honey bear.” Deadpool took in their surroundings before settling his gaze on you. “I see a beautiful woman has kidnapped us. Not how I was planning for this trip to go, but this could be a pretty hot porn set-up.” You could practically hear the smirk oozing from his speech. Maybe not an aggressive Deadpool, but it didn’t make him any less intimidating. 

You didn’t know what to say, so Wolverine said what you were practically thinking. “Shut the fuck up, asshole. She helped us here and now you’re creeping her out.” He took a swig before slightly positioning himself between you and the Deadpool. 

“I’m not the one with a permanent scowl! You look like the stereotypical villain of every cartoon.” Deadpool stands up before sauntering his way over to you. “What’s your name, pretty little thing.” 

“Y/N.” You managed to squeak out, ready to go lock yourself in your room forever. All of the sudden attention made you increasingly nervous. Deadpool just patted your head and looked over at Wolverine. 

“Dibs on this lovely lady.” He began smushing your cheeks like you were a child. He was quite the character, oddly charming in his weird ways, although you were getting overwhelmed with the physical touch. “I would be okay with sharing with you though Wolvie. Maybe divorced parents' style, I get weekdays and you every other weekend, hm?”

Wolverine growled, “She’s not an object, dipshit.” He pulled Deadpool off of you, clutching the fabric of his suit in his hand. As they begin to argue over you, you feel yourself shrink. Their booming voices and increasingly violent demeanors made you nervous, wanting to flee from the scene as soon as possible. Noticing their attentions were solely on each other you took the chance to sneak out of the room and back into the oasis that is your bedroom. You enjoyed the conversation you had with Logan, but once Deadpool woke up it was clear the two characters didn’t seem to mix well. Once they were caught in each other’s warpath it was like you weren’t even there anymore. 

You heard them eventually quiet, likely realizing you had left the scene a while ago. The arguing also caught the attention of the rest of your roommates, who were all very curious to see what the deal of the two new arrivals was. You opted to stay in your bedroom and listen to some music to help calm you down. As much as you loved your found family, large crowds were still unnerving. As it got later in the night you quickly realized that you couldn’t hide out forever, needing to eat as humans do, so you snuck out of your room. Luckily it seemed everyone had retired for the night early. It was odd considering the new arrivals but maybe they all wore each other out. 

Walking into the kitchen you notice another figure already standing at the toaster, patiently waiting for his food to pop up. “Hey, cutie.” The man in red purred, wiggling his fingers in your direction. 

“Is your whole personality just being a creep?” You half-joked, grabbing a box of cereal. You typically wouldn’t say things like this is strangers, but you could tell that this was certainly Deadpool’s type of humor. He seemed to appreciate the joke as he only giggled at the comment. 

“Maybe.” He said, playfully dragging out the E at the end. You just roll your eyes in return before fixing yourself a bowl of cereal and sitting at the counter, back turned towards him. Realizing that the conversation was over you heard an uncharacteristic sigh from the mercenary. “Sorry for kind of ambushing you there earlier. It’s just fun to watch Wolverine get his panties in a twist. He was sooo flirting with you back there.” It seemed he genuinely felt bad for making you uncomfortable back there, which was sweet. However, his one comment stuck about flirting. There was no way, right?

“I don’t know, it seemed like a normal conversation to me.” You shrugged despite feeling your entire body heat up at the suggestion. 

“Maybe he wasn’t flirting with his words, but he was definitely flirting with his eyes.” Deadpool moved back into your line of vision, waving his hand in front of your eyes. “Just know I’m batting my eyelashes under the mask right now.” You must say, despite the sheer amount of annoyance this man can bring, he is quite funny. 

Giving in to the stupidity you don’t hold back your small laugh, which plainly pleased Deadpool across from you. “Where is Wolverine now anyway?” It was strange to see the two apart seeing as you found them together. 

“He’s talking to your feisty friend out there.” You could tell right away he was referring to Laura. It made sense why they would be talking. You wonder if he had a Laura in his timeline. Suddenly you heard the pop of a toaster and Deadpool’s demeanor pop up. “Oh, fuck yes!” He clapped vigorously before reaching into the toaster and pulling out a freshly made Pop-Tart. 

“Hey! Is that my last Pop-tart?” You question, eyeing the familiar-looking treat. 

“How mad would you be if I said yes?” Deadpool looked at you with fake innocence. 

“Very.”

“Then, no.” He patted your head once more before situating himself across from you, Pop-tart on a plate. You rolled your eyes, feigning annoyance. It was strange to find yourself so comfortable with the man in such a short amount of time. Admittedly, you felt this way about both of the new arrivals. They were quite friendly, to you at least, and were easy to talk to. You were grateful you stumbled upon them in those woods, and they seemed to feel the same way. 

“Did you hear about the plan for tomorrow?” Deadpool questioned. Your downcasted eyes looked up in confusion. 

“Plan?”

“Yup, we’re gonna rock Cassandra’s shit tomorrow,” Deadpool said with a grin. “Can’t wait to see the look on that egghead’s face when she realizes she got fucked by a Looney Toons squad.” You just shook your head, smiling a bit before noticing the plate still soundly sat in front of the man. 

“Hey, your Poptart is getting cold.”

“Shit! Cold Pop-tarts are the worst.” He groaned, throwing his head back. “I guess I was just too distracted by your beauty to notice, among other things.” He makes motions with his hands around his chest. He’s talking about your boobs, classy. 

“Yeah, yeah.” You just giggled. “Eat you idiot.” Deadpool grinned under his mask before looking down at the plate. He seemed hesitant about something, but you didn’t know what. It was only a Pop-tart, all he had to do was lift his mask and eat it. Speaking of which, you actually can’t recall ever seeing him without his mask. 

“I might actually take this one to go, baby girl. Don’t wanna ruin your appetite.” He motions to his mask before nodding his head and turning to skip out of the room. 

“Hey, wait!” You’ve seen some pretty nasty stuff in The Void, surely it couldn’t be that bad. “Eat here, with me. I’d appreciate the company.” Seeing you want him to stay Deadpool couldn’t just dent you, so he conceded and sat himself back down. Tentative fingers made their way to his mask, pulling it up only slightly. Under you get a glimpse of scar tissue, textured and wrinkled. After taking notice of your lack of reaction he continues slowly, his prominent cheekbones revealed, and then his dark brown eyes. Finally, his mask is completely off, revealing a bald head underneath. You admit it wasn’t what you were expecting, but it wasn’t horrible in the slightest. 

“You grossed out yet?” He asked with a forced-sounding laugh. His appearance was clearly a sore subject for him. 

“Not at all.” You smiled at him. “You made it seem like your face was going to be melting off or something.”

“Eh, it kinda is.” By the tone of his voice, you assumed you put the man in much better spirits.

“Well, I still think you look quite charming.” Surprise painted Deadpool’s face, and then a face of appreciation. Not many people thought he was good-looking with his deformation, he constantly got berated for it, joking and not. He ended up using his humor to seal the pain, it was a nice break to have someone see him other than his skin. “Besides, I know it’s not the same but I had like major acne as a teen, so my skin was basically as bad as yours.” 

“Probably worse if I had to guess, them hormones be crazy girl.” Deadpool had a wide smile before biting into the, now freezing cold, Pop-tart. Gross. You two sat and talked, picking away at your respective meals before Deadpool, who you learned was named Wade, suggested you both head to bed. Claiming you need your energy for tomorrow because he’d hate to see you skinned and popped like a bloody zit, his words, not yours. 

He already ran off somewhere when you were taking the trash out. As you hauled the giant trash bag behind you, a person grazed your shoulder. “You know tomorrow is a suicide mission, right?” The gruff voice from earlier, Wolverine. He sounded concerned. 

“We’ve been her prisoners for so long, it’s about time we did something for ourselves.” Wolverine seemed to accept your answer with a curt nod, turning away so you couldn’t see the worry etched in his face. 

“Just be careful, bub.” That was all he said before walking inside, leaving the door slightly open for you once you’re done. 

To put it bluntly, the mission was a success. Logan did end up assisting you and your family in effectively taking down Cassandra. This was not surprising to you, despite his rough demeanor you could tell he’s a caring person on the inside, he just doesn’t know how to verbalize it well. What you didn’t expect, however, was to be pulled into the portal with Logan and Wade, transporting you back to Wade’s dimension. This was where you took down Cassandra for good this time, watching Wade and Logan heroically sacrifice themselves for Wade’s loved ones. It was heartwarmingly sweet and incredibly anxiety-inducing. But you all made it, not without a few scratches but regeneration came in clutch. What you were most grateful for was learning the rest of your family got to return to their timelines, something you had all longed for for so long. 

After the chaos, you and Logan figured you had nothing in your old worlds and decided to stay in Wade’s timeline. He graciously offered you a place in his apartment and, after sleeping on a not-so-comfortable couch for months, you finally saved enough money to rent your own apartment which was conveniently next door. This meant the three of you hung out all the time, whether it was an ambush hang-out or a planned movie night. Wade’s family became yours and you were happy.   

“Wade! Don’t burn the popcorn this time!” You yelled from across the room, feeling entirely comfortable in the company of your peers. 

“Please. I can’t handle the burnt smell any longer. It’s a miracle you haven’t burned this place to the ground yet.” Logan grumbled, resting his arm around you. 

“I’m wounded, you guys think I’m that horrible at making such a simple dish.” As if on cue, smoke begins to ooze out of the microwave. “No! Not towards the smoke alarm not again!” He rushed over, hastily fishing the bag out, and dropped it as it burnt his hand. Quickly putting it in a bowl he hops over the back of the couch you settle on your other side, offering the bowl to Logan. 

“I’m not eating your fucking popcorn ash.” Logan mumbles, still looking for a suitable movie. 

“More for me and cutie over here then.” Wade smiles, popping a piece of popcorn in his mouth and instantly regretting it, resisting the urge to spit out the popcorn. “Mhm, delicious.” 

“You’re an idiot.” Logan berates as you just giggle. After much bickering, mostly between Logan and Wade, you finally settle on a movie, The Proposal. Halfway through Wade unexpectedly turns in your direction. 

“You know, I’m really happy you found us gutted in that shitty excuse for a car.” It was sweet, in Wade’s own way. 

“Me too, bub,” Logan says, squeezing your shoulder where his arm still rests around you. You look between the both of them and smile brightly. 

“I’m the happiest, I got to meet you guys. You really broke me out of my shell, you know that?” You squeezed Wade’s hand while patting Logan’s thigh. You truly were grateful for them, the other group may have been your family but these two felt different, even closer in a way. “I don’t think I ever want to leave.” 

“We’re glad,” Wade says sweetly before frantically shushing both you and Logan as his favorite part of the movie begins your play. The rest of the night is spent in comfortable silence, much to your surprise with Wade, as the three of you cuddle closely on the couch, thanking the universe for connecting you. 

[anemhoez]

Love Struck…

Blade/AFAB!Reader

WARNINGS: language and unprotected sex

A/N: whyyy did i think of him as i was writing for Mydei….glad it happened though cause ive been meaning to write for him for a while now 🥴 *hiccup* please enjoy, thanks 😀

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

You gently removed the dirty bandages from his arms, doing your best to not agitate his skin any further. “Do you feel any kind of relief at all?” you asked, inspecting the deep wounds that seeped with mara. Blade scoffed, “Never.” His voice was calm, as if this was all too normal for him. And unfortunately, it was.

“Kafka can help once she gets back.” He said with a wince as you applied the cool herbal remedy. Hearing the woman’s name alone was enough to make you sigh audibly. Blade chucked, “You must be thrilled knowing she’s only a few days out.”

“Ecstatic.” You deadpanned as his hands reached out to you. You moved from his needy grasp, standing up from where you knelt before him to grab the fresh clean bandages. His intense crimson stare fixed on your hands swiftly rolling the white cloth up his forearms once you turned your attention back to him.

You finished without a word and stood up quickly, once again avoiding his hands that reached out to you. He was so used to thanking you with a kiss, that not receiving it this time made whatever he considered the heart in his chest to twinge with pain.

“The herbs I applied only help with the pain so, hopefully you don’t completely lose your mind before she gets back.” you explained pretending to be worried to no one, for Blade already knew that you kind of liked it when the mara took over. Sometimes.

You hurried to collect your items as he came up behind you, his arms wrapping around you from behind. “Thought you liked it when I got a little, crazy.” he spoke in his usual calm way, but he made his voice even deeper, the vocal fry sending a shiver up your body.

You watched in the mirror before you as his large hands moved up your body, cupping your breasts through your shirt. “Don’t tell me you’re still worried about Kafka?” His voice was gentle in your ear as he trailed his hand down your front, his thick fingers rubbing against your clothed core. You inhaled deeply and let out a small moan as he turned you to look at him with his free hand.

His gaze threatened to melt you. His inviting lips tempting you through your current hateful thought about her to kiss him passionately and forget about everything. “She’s gorgeous of course I’m-.” Your sentence came to an abrupt halt as he crashed his lips onto yours, the rhythm of his hand between your legs more intense and rough.

In all your years of intimacy with people, you had never encountered a lover like Blade. He was rough but gentle at the same time, and oh so tenaciously deliberate with every move. The man has even made you come just from his stare alone, he was that good.

“If i have done anything right in our time together, I think its been showing you, quite intimately might i add, about how much you mean to me.” He finally slipped his hand into your pants deftly. A deep moan emanated from his throat as he felt how wet you were, the moan soon swallowed by your kiss. You turned to face him, your teeth pulling at his bottom lip roughly as you pulled away. “I hate the way she calls you, Bladie.” you said with a cringing face. “With that annoying, grating voice of hers.” you spat and he only chuckled softly.

His fingers curved inside of you as he moved closer, your eyes rolling back as he pushed you to sit on the counter. “I’ll tell her to stop then, will that help?” his voice was so much softer suddenly, your eyes coming to look at his, despite the downright debauchery that was currently going on between your legs.

You put your arms around his neck, opening your legs for him to slot in comfortably. You whined against his lips as his thumb rubbed against your clit, “Okay, but there’s one other thing.” you sighed before kissing him hard.

He hummed as he pulled his hand from you, stuffing his slicked fingers into your mouth, “Why do I have a sneaking suspicion about what you’re about to say?”

Your heart sank as you sucked your slick off of him, your saliva making a mess on your chin. His free hand was busy undoing his pants, his erect cock finally free from its prison as he pulled it out.

He took his fingers out of your mouth and used their wetness to coat himself. You pulled your pants down, letting them pool at your feet as you watched him pump himself lazily. “I don’t see how you would, we’ve never even talked about our relationship seriously before.” you said as you turned your rear to him, waiting for his thick cock to enter you, but he just stood behind you without moving.

“That’s exactly how I know darling.” his voice sounding a bit too cold for your liking. After all, how could someone like him, merciless and evil, ever say the words to you? Was he even capable of that feeling? Did all the years of mara running through his veins make him a complete emotionless shell?

You were always too scared to ask him, not that he’d hurt you in any way, but that you might just send him into some kind of mara-spiral that he’d never get out of. You knew that he’d rather hurt himself than hurt you, and that’s exactly what scared you the most.

Blade’s hands took you by the waist, pushing up the long shirt you wore to expose your waiting backside to him. He squeezed on the flesh hard, pulling you closer to him. He hissed as his dick rested hotly against the middle of your ass and rolled his body against you.

You looked at him through the mirror, the smirk on his face spreading, giving you a hint as to how he would move next. He let his dick slip from your ass to your folds, warm and inviting. “Do you see that bitch in the mirror?” he growled as you looked at yourself, the name he gave you hitting your core and making you seep around him even more.

“Y-Yes.” you whispered as his tip prodded against your entrance. Blade smiled as he began pushing into you, your walls accepting him immediately, “They’re the only one I need.” He slammed into you hard, the loud smack that echoed in the bathroom making him laugh. He picked up his pace, the need between the two of you growing in seconds. The need for him to make you come undone taking over any horrible thoughts he had of himself in his mind as the mara constantly threatened to take over.

Your mouth opened wide, gasping for air as Blade’s thick cock filled you so perfectly, the sensations igniting every nerve in your body. He shoved his fingers into your mouth again, “What more do I need to say to you? Do you simply need to hear those three words?”

You weren’t even sure anymore, about anything. You only felt him and your pleasure in that moment, almost not caring about the feelings that grew to their limit over the past year. He growled in your ear, biting down on your neck as he sought his release. He bent over you completely, your face on the smooth porcelain of the counter as he thrusted into you over and over again roughly. Your thighs shook as you started baring down on him in pulses, begging him to bring you over the edge.

Blade groaned and pulled you up by your hair, making you face him as he spoke, his dick buried so deep inside of you that you felt it wrecking your guts. “If you must hear it at least once, then fine. I love you.”

“Fuck, Blade,” you huffed as his words threatened to make you crumble in his very arms. “I love you too!” you yelped as he pulled your arms behind your back, using them to buck into you harder and faster. Your orgasm washed over you like a wave crashing on the shore, your body limp and writhing under him as he continued. You cursed out loudly, spewing lewd phrases to him as he used you like a sloppy sleeve. “Mmh, another thing I love, making you go absolutely berserk on me.”

The man behind you fixed his gaze on the reflection of the two of you in the mirror, the tears falling from your eyes and the way you begged for more sent him into his own intense release.

His moan was like music to your ears as his dick released its load into you, his fingers quickly coming to rub at your clit desperately needing to make you come again while he was still inside. “Yes, mmh-fuuck!” you screamed out and you soon climaxed again. This time however, with how he was nestled in you and the stimulation to your bundle of nerves, you squirted viciously on his hand.

“Messy little bitch.” he sighed in your ear before kissing it and moving your face by your chin to kiss you roughly. “Shut the fuck up.” you said in response against his lips, feeling his hand slow down against you even though you didn’t want him to stop.

Just then his phone rang from its position on the counter and he groaned before kissing you again. “What?” he said as he answered, his dick slipping out of you unceremoniously. “Understood, Kafka.” he said as he turned to look at you with a smile. You just rolled your eyes and put your pants back on, finally taking your things and leaving the bathroom.

He quickly came up behind you once he finished his call and the two of you walked down the hall and to your shared common area with the rest of the team. Silverwolf turned to the two of you from her position on the couch as you entered, “What took the two of you so long? I’ve been waiting in the game lobby for-oh.” her last word sounding more like a sigh of annoyance than anything. “You could have just said you needed some time alone, I’ve got shit to do you know.”

Blade came up behind you and pulled you into a hug. “What are you-? We didn’t-? We were just-!” you tried to feign ignorance but the clever hacker before you just shook her head. “Save it, your hair’s all messed up and Blade’s got that look in his eyes.” she sighed and started the game without the two of you, quickly getting immersed and ignoring you for keeping her waiting.

“What look?” you asked as you turned to him, but he quickly closed his eyes. “I sincerely don’t know what she’s referring to.” He gave you a quick kiss and moved from you, walking towards the couch and not once looking back. “Kafka called, said her departure is delayed for another two days.” Blade’s voice indifferent as he spoke to his comrade. “Oh no! What ever will we do?” Silverwolf responded just as indifferent, but adding her own tones of sarcasm to her statement.

He turned to you, his dark red eyes void of any emotion as he waved you over. You came over and sat next to him, the two of you enjoying being comfortably silent while Silverwolf played her game loudly. You know you loved him and you believed he loved you too, truly. You decided on having to be ok with not hearing it as much as you would like as long as he showed it in other ways. But just then he pulled you closer, kissing you on the cheek before his attention turned back to the screen. “I love you.” And you practically melted against him, his words making your heart flutier to the point of bursting. “I love you too.”

A/N: i honestly don’t have words cause i wrote this and posted it in one day?? does that mean i like him like him?!?! 😳 send help…

[bwobgames]

It’s 5 am

At last, she sleeps soundly.

But as draining as that emotionally filled talk was, it was necessary.

Sadly, the night is still young.

Out she goes in her new adventure, retrieving Vivi’s photo.

Hopefully the kids won’t be too disappointed if she ends up sleeping all of tomorrow in the hotel…

She enters and looks through the different little places a small piece of paper could’ve slipped into.

At some point she hears some steps behind her.

But is too tired and busy to care, moving on.

She gets in the dinner wagon and looks around. Things look clean.

Seems like the detective messed with the evidence, how ironic.

She finds a flashlight on the floor, must be Vivi’s

It’s not broken thankfully, seems like whatever happened with her made it fall and open the battery case.

She puts them back in a tries it. It works fine. Way too fine, in fact. It’s almost blinding. Must be her getting too used to the dark train. Maybe it’s better to leave it turned off.

She looks at the wall of the small kitchen area.

Two knives are missing.

Which could mean nothing, really. If it wasn’t because she knows her friends.

If it was Oliver in his attempt to fix up his cat’s mess, he would never leave a gap like that. He loves categorizing and organizing, this simply would not be done by his hand.

But it could remain unorganized if he wanted to leave evidence untouched.

And of course, there’s also Vivi’s cryptic claims about this train.

She realizes she doesn’t know where the emergency brake is.

After a quick look around for the missing picture, Marigold decides to go as far as the train goes, in the direction she hasn’t explored. The division of classes.

Ironic, really.

She’s about to reach the last wagon available to cross when she hears something.

It’s Ángel. He’s talking… to himself?

Did he somehow find signal? Is he on the phone? Maybe recording something for that internet content of his?

Before she can go on and ask, she sees something on the window to the other wagon.

She recognizes that blue-hair shadow.

Ignoring whatever Tiktok Ángel is probably making, she goes back to the dinner saloon.

There’re still two knives missing.

And now three.

Marigold knows about ghosts; she’s been haunted by one for so long.

The ghost of herself.

A strange apparition at first, slowly taking form before her, taking strength. Until it finally took over the husk that was her body.

She knows ghosts are real, she knows hauntings are real.

And she knows that people are far more dangerous than any of that.

There are times when she wishes to buy flowers and cry for days at the grave of her lost youth. Sometimes she does.

But if there’s something she’s glad her parents taught her, albeit not consciously, is to be resilient.

A spirit can easily dissipate in the wind of responsibilities and masked faces, but it never stopped haunting.

Marigold refuses to let time go pass her anymore.

She is going to cherish what she has; she will keep her eyes wide open, and live.

No paranormal activity is going to stop that.

She has a mission.

Something that she hasn't let go of is her ability to see other people's potential. For good purposes this time.

She knows exatly who she needs.

She goes back to her bedroom and wakes up Nina.

“Wh…What? Is it 7 already…?”

 “No, but I need you now.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Wanna go on an adventure?”

“What…?”

“I’ll be right back, put on something warmer”

“I…. Okay?”

As she leaves the room, she sees the figure of none other than Mr. Beebo walking across the wagons.

Seems like he’s heading there as well.

She enters Vivi’s room.

Softly, as to not wake up Nadia, she shakes Vivi around.

“Whaa noo I’m not a wobbly sheet of metal ehehe...”

“Wake up”

“Awhuwe… Mari! Did you find the picture?”

“No, sorry, but I got you this”

“Oh! it’s not broken, is it? I actually paid a lot for it…”

“No, no, it works perfectly, but I need you to take it and come with me and Nina.”

“…For girls’ night?”

“You could call it that”

“I need something from you, actually. Your strange breaking and entering skills.”

“No one ever wants me for my ballon animal’s skills but go on?”

“How can you get to the normal seats wagon?”

It’s 6 am

------------------------------------

Something feels…

<PREV START NEXT>

[anonymousewrites]

A Not-So-Disastrous Romance (Book 3) Chapter Eleven

Saiki Kusuo x Reader

Chapter Eleven: Saiki versus Volcano

Summary: It's time for Saiki to face the thing stopping him from growing with (Y/N).

            “Morning, guys,” said (Y/N), already sitting with Saiki. The night was long gone, and their plan with the psychics was well on its way to fruition. Everyone was in place; they just needed to be, as well.

            “You’re up early,” said Kuboyasu.

            “Well, Saiki and I were planning on going out for a snack together.” (Y/N) smiled. “A date.”

            “That’s so romantic.” Yumehara sighed wistfully.

            “Have fun,” said Teruhashi.

            “Will we see you later?” said Kaidou.

            “Hopefully for lunch,” said (Y/N). If the world hasn’t ended.

            “Okay!” said Nendou.

            “Bye,” said Saiki.

            “Have fun!” said Hairo.

            (Y/N) smiled and waved before they headed out with Saiki. “And now we have our cover.”

            “We do.” Saiki was so glad to have them by his side.

            “And Toritsuka will meet up with the group ‘by chance’ to distract them a bit,” said (Y/N).

            “He’s an idiot, but he can get the job done,” said Saiki.

            (Y/N) chuckled.

l

            “I still don’t get all of this.” Miko waved a hand at all the clones of Saiki. “They’re weird looking. Can’t you, like, make them better looking?”

            “Their appearance changes slightly each time,” said Saiki. “I don’t control it.”

            “Plus, they’re here so that Kusuo doesn’t have to do all the work on his own.” (Y/N) frowned. “Or are the clones still him so it is on his own? These things are complicated.”

            “We need them all to prevent the eruption,” said Saiki. “Aiura, you’re here tell me where the eruptions will appear.”

            “Duh, I can do that,” said Miko.

            “And (Y/N) shouldn’t be here,” said Saiki.

            “No,” said (Y/N). “But I wasn’t going to let you do this alone.” They smiled.

            “And no one can say no to that smile,” said Miko.

            No one, thought Saiki. “Everyone, places. Ten minutes until eruption.”

            Saiki floated into the air towards an eruption site. Another clone stood by him. Others spread out through the mountains and to the ocean.

            “Saiki, problem!” said Miko as the tremors began. “I can only see as far as eruption seven.”

            “It’s fine,” responded Saiki telepathically. “Here it comes.”

            The tremors began, and (Y/N) watched Saiki anxiously as clones began to contain the eruptions with all of their power. Saiki kept a close on the clones.

            “Keep it up,” said Saiki.

            “Don’t say it like it’s easy, you try keeping the magma under control,” said the clone. Every single clone was working as hard as they could while the eruptions and tremors continued to grow stronger. “This may not hold!”

            “We’re out of clones, they’re all in position!” said (Y/N), eyes widening.

            “I’ll do it.” Saiki stepped forward.

            “Kusuo!” Worry was apparent in (Y/N)’s voice.

            “I’m ending this here.” Saiki slammed his hands down on the ground. “This eruption and this time loop. It’s to move forward!”

            With a final, tremendous shake, the mountain froze. (Y/N) held their breath. Saiki heaved in a few breaths.

            “It stopped,” said Miko in awe.

            (Y/N) darted forward instantly. “Kusuo!” They knelt beside him. “Kusuo, are you alright?”

            Kusuo collapsed the moment they were beside them. (Y/N) caught him, supporting him close as they gazed at him worriedly.

            “The eruption stopped,” he said, gazing at their face. It was worth all the strain. “Time is moving forward again.” He smiled slightly. He was going to have his future with (Y/N).

            They smiled and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you. Seriously, Kusuo. I’m so proud.” They kissed him softly before leaning back.

            “Yare yare.” Saiki smiled and pulled them back in for another kiss.

            “Huh?”

            Miko, Saiki, and (Y/N) froze. They turned to see their entire friend group, including Toritsuka—complete with a guilty expression—staring at them. However, Saiki and the clone were the main focus.

            “What’s going on?” said Kaidou. “What’re you doing, Saiki, (L/N)?”

            Why are they here? thought Saiki, eyes wide.

            “What’s going on here?” repeated Kaidou.

            “Toritsuka wasn’t supposed to bring them here,” whispered (Y/N) in alarm.

            “Oopsy,” said Toritsuka.

            “…It’s a spirit,” sighed Miko, and (Y/N) and Saiki groaned.

            “Is that another Saiki?!” cried the group, staring at the clones.

            Oh, it’s not the volcano. It could be worse. Not by much, but still.

            “There’re so many!” said Kaidou.

            “Yare yare.” There didn’t seem to be a way out of this. Saiki gripped (Y/N)’s hand tighter. “Why are they here, Toritsuka?” he spoke directly into Toritsuka’s mind.

            Saiko, thought Toritsuka.

            Saiki sighed.

            “What is it?” whispered (Y/N).

            “Saiko’s fault,” said Saiki.

            “Of course.”

            “Why are there two of you?” said Saiko, appearing out of nowhere (not really, though, since a helicopter was behind them).

            “Yare yare. I didn’t notice because of the eruption,” groaned Saiki quietly, leaning on (Y/N). “We were seen from above.”

            “And Saiko brought everyone in the helicopter to impress them.” (Y/N) knew the people they cared about.

            “Hey, Saiki!” said Kuboyasu. “Explain how there are two of you!”

            “What were you doing holding the ground?” asked Yumehara.

            “What’s going on?” asked Teruhashi.

            Saiki paused and looked at (Y/N). They grimaced and squeezed his hand.

            “Okay, I’ll come clean. We’re twins,” said Saiki.

            “…” We already did the sibling lie.

            “Twins, really?!” exclaimed Kuboyasu.

            “How come you never told us?” said Kaidou.

            “Yare yare.”

            “We’re going to head off now.” The other clones waved goodbye at Saiki.

            Everyone’s eyes bulged out in shock. A second Saiki was something they could handle. Nine others? Nope.

            “Call us if you need us again,” said the clones.

            “I will—”

            “(Y/N), not you,” said the clones before walking away.

            I hate clones, decided Saiki.

            “Um. Uh…” (Y/N) and Saiki’s friends stared.

            “They’re all siblings!” said Toritsuka.

            “That’s a stretch,” said Miko, rolling her eyes.

            “I’m serious!” said Toritsuka.

            “I’m leaving.” Saiki was too tired to deal with this. He’d just erase their memories letter.

            “Just tell us the truth!” Kaidou spoke up, and everyone looked at him in surprise. “We’re friends, aren’t we? At least, you are to me, and I want you to trust me! Don’t keep secrets from us.”

            “Yes, tell us everything,” said Mera.

            “Nothing you say could make us hate you,” said Teruhashi.

            “Come on, Saiki!” said Yumehara.

            “Tell us!” said Kuboyasu.

            (Y/N) squeezed Saiki’s hand. “Whatever you decide to do is alright. This is up to you. Your boundaries are your own.”

            Saiki nodded shortly and squeezed their hand in return. “I’m sorry.” He looked at everyone. “But I can’t tell you. Not yet, anyway.”

            “What?” said Kaidou. “But—”

            “That’s totally fine.” Nendou, the only person who hadn’t spoken yet, smiled. “You don’t have to say if you don’t wanna.”

            (Y/N) smiled.

            “Nendou…” said Kaidou in surprise.

            “I’m stupid, so I don’t really get it,” said Nendou. “But if whatever he says isn’t gonna change our friendship, then there’s no need.”

            “Even with a few secrets, a pal’s still a pal,” said Nendou. “Is it friendship to force him to reveal his secret? I’ll wait until you’re ready. Isn’t that what a real friend would do?”

            …Nendou said something that made sense?! thought everyone in shock.

            It sounded like what (Y/N) said…That my powers don’t change who I am.

            “I agree with you,” said Hairo, smiling at Nendou. “Secrets don’t necessarily mean there’s no trust. Some secrets stem out of care and consideration for others. Until he’s ready—”

            “I don’t get that,” said Kaidou.

            “There are some things you just aren’t ready to tell people yet,” said Yumehara, smiling.

            “You have to wait until you are,” said Teruhashi. She smiled at (Y/N), who smiled in return. That was, of course, what she had done. She had told Saiki about her old feelings when she was ready.

            “I’ll wait until you’re ready, too, Saiki,” said Kuboyasu.

            “Me too,” said Mera.

            “It doesn’t matter to me anyways,” said Saiko.

            “Then this topic is over,” said Yumehara.

            “Our friends are pretty great, aren’t they?” said (Y/N) softly, smiling at Saiki.

            “They are,” said Saiki. They would accept him no matter what. It was…nice to know that. In fact, it warmed his heart. He smiled. “Yare yare.” He looked at his friends. “You guys are such a handful.”

            (Y/N) covered their mouth and laughed. He wasn’t going to tell him, but, in his own way, he was saying something much more important—that he loved his friends. Saik smiled again as he held (Y/N) close.

            Oh, well. I can go back in time and disable the helicopter later.

            Saiki was going to enjoy this moment for as long as he could. It was, after all, the moment when time started to move forward again.

l

            “So, the volcano is handled. Our future is ahead of us,” said (Y/N), smiling as they sat on Saiki’s bed. He sat at his desk chair, staring at the drawer with the power suppressor within. “What is your plan?”

            “Kusuke will be disappointed that he can’t compete against me. Dad will complain about doing things on his own. Mom will be worried about me,” said Saiki.

            “But they all want you to make your own decisions,” said (Y/N).

            “Right.” Saiki stared at the suppressor, the difference between his current life and a normal one.

            “This is your life, Kusuo.” (Y/N) stepped towards him and took his face into their hands. “You get to live it how you want.”

            Saiki gazed at them, and he touched their hand with his own. Gently, he let go and picked up the suppressed. (Y/N) lowered their hands and watched him hold it.

            “I’m ready.” He lifted the suppressor. “Bye to my annoying powers. Well, maybe it did help a few times.” Saiki pushed the suppressor in. He waited, then he pulled off his old limiters.

            (Y/N) gazed at him. “How do you feel?”

            No different.

            (Y/N) frowned. “Kusuo, how do you feel?”

            Saiki paused. Could they not…hear him? “Can you take off your earrings?”

            (Y/N) started at hearing his voice, but they nodded and took off their earrings, pocketing them.

            Nothing. Saiki couldn’t hear a single thought from them. Hesitantly, he took off his glasses. He gazed at (Y/N). Again, nothing.

            They smiled. Saiki smiled back.

            No powers. He had no psychic powers.

            Saiki stood, pulled them closed, and kissed them with joy. (Y/N) laughed and kissed him back, pulling him by his shirt collar.

            “I love you,” said Saiki, aloud.

            “I love you, too,” said (Y/N). They loved him no matter what powers he had. They loved Saiki for who he was.

l

            “Those are cute earrings,” said Teruhashi. “Are they new?”

            (Y/N) smiled as they headed into school. “Kind of. I haven’t had the chance to wear them yet.” The dangly earrings of pink and white beads were cute and (Y/N) had been looking forward to wearing them, but without germanium, they hadn’t wanted Saiki to hear their thoughts. Now it wasn’t a problem. “And I wanted to start year 3 with a change of style, just have some fun, you know?”

            “Of course,” said Teruhashi, smiling. She touched her own ears, now pierced as well. “I decided to get my ears done finally, too. I’ve never worn much jewelry, but I think I like them.”

            “I like them. Simple and gold. Very nice for you,” said (Y/N).

            “Thanks,” said Teruhashi. She sighed. “My brother tried to get me diamond earrings and pearls and a lot of jewels, but I like these ones. Imu bought them for me when she saw I’d gone to the piercer.”

            Aw. (Y/N) smiled. “That’s sweet of her.”

            “Yeah,” said Teruhashi, smiling. She cleared her throat nervously and waved her hands. “A-Anyways, I wonder who’s in our class this year!”

            “I hope everyone we were friends with.” said (Y/N).

            “Me too,” said Teruhashi.

            “Minus Saiko,” said (Y/N) brightly.

            Teruhashi giggled as they walked into class.

            “Kusuo!” said (Y/N), immediately spotting him. “We’re in the same class again!”

            Saiki nodded. He hadn’t been able to influence it without his powers, but it seemed the world was on his side for once.

            “This is amazing,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “It’s nice,” said Saiki. He was still growing used to really speaking, but he liked talking to (Y/N). “I like your earrings.”

            (Y/N) grinned. “Thanks. I’m so excited to wear all of my new ones.”

            Saiki smiled slightly.

            (Y/N) gasped. “We should celebrate! Go out to the movies or for coffee jelly. It’ll just be the two of us.” No one else’s thoughts would even be an issue.

            Saiki nodded. “I would like that.” He always would.

            “Great.” (Y/N) smiled. “Meet after school, then?”

            Saiki nodded.

l

            “Alright, ready to go?” asked (Y/N), hoisting their bag over their shoulder.

            Saiki nodded. Let’s— “Let’s go.”

            They walked towards the door. Saiki froze as he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. It was a cockroach. Saiki’s eyes widened, and he jumped back.

            Crash!

            (Y/N) and Saiki stopped and looked at each other, eyes wide. Slowly, they turned towards the school window. The entire thing lay in shattered pieces on the floor.

            “…No way,” said (Y/N) and Saiki.

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[you-call-it-a-dude]

Call It What You Want Pt. 4

Pt.1 Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt.5 Pt.6

Summary: You accidentally tell Regina that you love her

Pairings: Regina George x Gender Neutral/Fem Reader

Warnings: swearing, emotions, underage drinking, very slight smut warning

Notes: Hi! Okay, so about this chapter. I think it's best described as a filler chapter than anything. It's cute, it's playful, a little sexy, also has some like arguing and what not BUT I needed this chapter to happen so I can like get this story to where I want it. Hopefully you still enjoy the chapter.

Also, potentially thinking of writing for Leighton Murray and also have been toying with the notion of taking requests? I've never done the requests thing and I kinda want to? So idk if you have any Regina or Leighton requests send them my way and I'll give it a go??? And hopefully it like works out lol

Sorry for the long A/N. Thank you all for reading the story and for any feedback that's been given. I'm just really glad folks are enjoying it

///

"What time do you need to start getting ready?" You traced your fingertips up and down the side of her body. She hummed at the feeling of your fingers dancing across her naked skin, pushing her butt into your pelvis. "What?" You laughed quietly through your nose, your hand resting on her bare hip now to pull her into you.

"You know what." She grabbed your hand and pulled it lower, your fingers finding her wetness that had been building up over the last hour.

"I thought you said you were done?" You pushed yourself closer to her, pulling one of her legs over yours. You pressed soft kisses to her shoulder while your fingertip teased her clit.

She moaned, her head leaning back and her hair falling into your face. Her hips were moving, doing their best to seek out more contact.

"I was, but now I'm not." She reached back and her hand tangled in your hair, giving it a slight tug. It was the only thing she can mange right now to pull you closer. She turned her head and her lips found yours.

This kiss was messy and sloppy, but everything about the way Regina was pulling your hair and moaning your name into your mouth was absolutely doing it for you. She moved her hips in frantic circles, doing her best attempt to chase her orgasm. You sped your movements up, rubbing tight circles against her clit and when her thighs started to shake you knew she was close again.

You kissed her sweat soaked skin and talked her through it. Telling her how beautiful she looked like this, how much you enjoyed hearing her moan, how good she was for you. Your wrist was starting to hurt and she was about to rip a clump of hair out of your head, but you could not give a single fuck.

Her legs snapped shut within two seconds of finishing her orgasm and when her hand came flying down to pull you away, you knew she was officially done done this time.

You removed your hand and rested it on her hip. She was breathing heavily, doing her best to catch her breath. Her hand in your hair was rubbing your scalp softly now.

You kissed her shoulder, the hand on her hip drawing soothing patterns with your fingertips.

It was a mixture of things, honestly, that made you say it. How peaceful this moment was, the smell of her sweat and natural scent, the way her body fit with yours so perfectly and how she wanted to just be as close to you as you wanted to be to her.

This wasn't your first time sleeping together by any means, but something about this time just felt overwhelming. The words flew out of your mouth before you could stop it. It was mixed in with a slew of other compliments you were giving her while you pressed kisses against her. That she was so perfect, so beautiful, and so mesmerizing.

"I love you." You whispered against her skin and she froze. She fucking froze. You all but slammed your forehead into her shoulder blade. You gave her a time to say something, anything really, but it never came. Your breathing quickened with every silent second that went by. "Did I fuck up?" You asked her with your head still pressed against her shoulder blade.

"I don't know." She said in slight disbelief. "I don't fucking know." She mumbled quietly under her breath. She sat up, holding her blanket to her chest. "I-um, I need to clean up and get ready for my game." She was staring straight ahead. You couldn't read her tone of voice or the look on her face. You couldn't tell if you fucked up and how badly you did it.

"Right, yeah, of course." You slid out of bed and put your clothes back on, picking your phone and keys up off the floor where they fell earlier. You made your way to her door and opened it, lingering in her doorway for a second before turning to face her. "We can just forget I said it. I didn't mean it." You said on the verge of sounding desperate.

She nodded, still not making direct eye contact with you. You closed the door behind you and rushed into your room, praying that Ren was home.

"Heyyyy, roomie." They said from their bed where they were watching TV from. "I would ask you if you had fun, but it sounded like you did." They teased, then turned serious when they saw your face. "What happened, Y/N?" They sat up straight in their bed.

"I, uh, I told Regina I loved her." You nodded, sounding a little dazed.

"That's great! I've seen how she looks at you. I think you two are cute together an-"

"She didn't say it back." You interrupted. "But I don't know, I know she like struggles with being out and stuff. I should've just kept my fucking mouth shut! Three months was not enough time for me to be saying that shit. I was just in the moment. I told her to forget it, but she didn't say anything. Fuck! So fucking stupid!" You were rambling at this point and Ren was gracious enough to just let you.

"Do you feel better? Now that that's out of your system?"

"A little, yeah."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Maybe just give her space for now? She has a game in a little bit and I don't really want to fuck that up for her. Then she has some team bonding event after. So I probably won't hear from her until tomorrow. If she even talks to me again."

"Oof, okay. That's rough."

You just shrugged, emptying your pockets. You changed into sweatpants and into the grey long sleeve Regina had lent you the night you slept over at her house that she so kindly let you keep in exchange for one of your tattoo convention t-shirts.

"I'm gonna do what any logical person would do in this situation and hopefully sleep through it." You washed your hands at your sink and grabbed a snack from your snack cabinet. You took your phone from your desk and crawled into your bed, facing the wall.

"Is the volume okay?" They asked, pressing play on the TV.

"All good." You held a thumbs up for them and shut your eyes.

---

"Ren," You called out when you opened your eyes. "how long has it been?" You were too scared to check your phone. You didn't know if seeing something or seeing nothing would be worse.

"Just two hours."

"Damnit." You mumbled into your pillow. Her game probably just started about twenty minutes ago.

You bit the bullet and checked your phone. No text messages, but you did have a Snapchat notification from her from an hour ago. She also posted on her story though so you weren't holding your breath. You checked her story first and it was just a photo of the field.

You clicked on her thread next, seeing what she sent you. The first photo was the same photo of the field. You clicked past it in annoyance only to find out she sent you another photo.

It was just a selfie of her. You could tell she was on the field, either waiting for the game to start or to be put in because you could see the collar of her jersey in her photo. Her hair was still down so that definitely made you think the game hadn't started yet when she sent the photo. She had the sun in her eyes and judging by the attitude on her face she was unhappy about something.

Most likely unhappy with you, but that didn't stop you from taking a screenshot of the photo. You took a photo of whatever your front camera opened to, which was just your wall, part of your bed, and a little bit of your arm. You wished her luck on her game today and sent it.

She opened it within seconds and she started typing. You waited for the notification to come through and as soon as it did you clicked it open.

'Cute shirt.'

You shook your head and smiled. She would comment on that little sliver of her shirt that was showing. You were in the middle of typing a flirty message when another message from her came through.

'Kinda miss it tbh.'

You bit your top lip and nodded. Because now she was being an asshole and she was doing it on purpose. You deleted your cute, flirty text immediately and typed out a new one.

'Got it. I'll fucking mail it to you.'

You sent it without overthinking it. You knew if you let it linger too long you would regret it.

She opened it, going back and forth between typing and not. After a few minutes, it was very apparent you've been left on read.

Did you cry a little? Possibly, yeah. The thought of having ruined things with Regina was sitting at the forefront of your brain right now and you couldn't think of anything else.

She was also being petty with that stupid shirt comment and it pissed you the fuck off. Like pissed you off enough to the point where you got up and changed out of the fucking thing.

It's very possible you are just as dramatic and petty as she is.

Ren was very sweet and made you Ramen noodles for dinner. They always add extra stuff to it to somehow make it taste even better and those noodles were probably the only good thing to happen to you today.

You ate your dinner and monitored the twitter account of the girls' soccer team. They were winning and Regina had even scored them a point. So you were glad to see the events from earlier in the day hadn't affected her too much.

You finished your dinner and went to the bathroom before crawling back into your bed. It was pretty early, only like 9pm now, but you debated heavily on taking your meds early and just going to sleep.

That almost seemed too easy so why the fuck would you want that??

Instead, you stayed awake to see Regina be very much active on her instagram while she was out with her team after the game. Sharing photos and videos of the shenanigans they were all getting up to at the arcade place they went to that had a bar, bowling alley, karaoke rooms, and a bunch of other shit that seemed like a drunk person's paradise.

The progression of her vibe change throughout the night was becoming very visible as it got closer to midnight. She started off strong, smiling and flipping off the camera. Then came a string of photos of her posing with different alcohols, wearing different silly hats, holding a karaoke mic, posing with her teammates and laughing. Then there was a cluster of photos that were mirror selfies taken in the bathroom. She had someone's sunglasses on and her smile was just absolutely gone, middle fingers very much still making an appearance. The last photo she posted about fifteen minutes ago was her holding a quesadilla and she had tears in her eyes and it looked like if she wasn't already crying, then she was about to start.

So clearly, the night was starting to wind down.

---

There was a loud knock at your door around 3am that startled both you and Ren awake.

"Y/N, open the fucking door!"

"Sounds like she's had enough space." Ren remarked, throwing themself back into their sleeping position.

You got out of bed and stumbled your way to the door in the dark. You opened the door to see Regina standing there in her pajamas. Her eyes were blood shot and her cheeks were red and raw, both most likely from crying.

"You took off my shirt." Her bottom lip started to quiver and whatever attitude she was attempting to come in here with was dissipating quickly. You just shrugged, not really sure how to acknowledge that. "Can we talk?"

"Fine. I'll be right over." You turned around and grabbed your things. You locked your door and slipped into Regina's room and closed her door behind you. "What?"

"You didn't fuck up. You didn't fuck anything up." She sat at the edge of her bed and started swiping away her tears. "I'm just fucked up."

You kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands in yours.

"I promise you you're not." You kissed her hands. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm so sorry."

"No, shut up." She shoved your head away lightly and both of you laughed. "I just freaked out." She sniffled and then rubbed her nose.

"I didn't mean to freak you out. I won't say it again. It's also totally okay if you don't feel the same way." You reassured.

"I think I freaked out because I do."

"Oh?"

"Mhmm." She nodded. Her index finger hooked under your chin and she tilted your head up so you were looking at her. "Say it again." She whispered, her eyes bouncing between your eyes and your lips.

"Well, now I'm put on the spot." You teased, leaning in slightly. If you were being honest, you were just hesitant to say it first again because what if it still made her freak out?

"God fucking forbid I put you on the spot." She joked, grabbing your face with her hands. "I love you, Y/N. I really fucking do."

She looked and sounded very serious. You still searched her face for any sign of deception though, but there wasn't a single trace of it. You pulled her hands from your face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"I love you, too." You nudged your nose against hers and kissed her lips one more time.

"Fuck you though with that 'I'll fucking mail it to you' bullshit." She crossed her arms, leaning away from you slightly. You laughed, standing up and cracking your back.

"I didn't even get a response, I left you so speechless with it." You teased, nudging her shoulders teasingly and egging her on.

"It pissed me the fuck off." She caught your hands, lacing her your fingers together.

"Well, don't say shit you don't mean and piss me off first. Then I won't have to say anything back." You got out of her grip, giving her the middle finger and sticking your tongue out. You yelped, swatting away her playful slaps that now had you both laughing.

"Ugh, you get on my nerves." She rolled her eyes, but you could see her biting the inside of cheek so she wouldn't smile.

"Yeah, but apparently you loooooove me."

[amuseintime]

Shattering Realization (Pt 2)

Star Souls AU

After Siffrin is rendered comatose, well, they have to keep his apparently not human form somewhere… So why not their tent? Isabeau can be normal about this, surely… (he cannot)

<< PREV || NEXT >>

Isabeau tried to settle into his and Siffrin’s tent once night came, he really did! But it was easier said than done, especially with so much to think about.

Funny how something that had become as mundane as a Sadness attack could throw everything into chaos! Bonnie was taking it the worst of all of them, not at all helped that no one had answers. What was Siffrin? Would he be okay? When was he going to start moving again? Was he going to start moving again? Why didn’t he have a pulse? Did that mean he was dead? Had he ever been alive? All great questions that no one had answers for. The best anyone could think to do was try to keep them from looking at…

The body? The doll? Siffrin? No one could quite decide how to refer to the still and silent form that usually housed their friend.

Odile wanted to inspect it, but she conceded to waiting until Siffrin could consent. Whether he ended up having anything to look at or was literally built like a child’s doll, whether he was aware and unable to respond or completely unconscious, it was still messed up to strip someone and look at their body when they couldn’t say no—at least outside of medical emergencies, but even if this counted as one, they had no idea what they were doing so that was senseless.

Mirabelle seemed to be taking it the best, shockingly? Apparently she loved books like this! Which was great! At least one of them should be able to help, and he’s glad that someone actually held Siffrin’s hand as… whatever happened to him happened.

Isabeau still didn’t really understand. The best he could do was stop Bonnie and Odile from staring and obsessing over Siffrin’s form…

And now, as he rolled over to look at the little body tucked into a sleeping bag, he couldn’t help but feel like a hypocrite. Why did he ever think this was a good idea? Was this even okay? Sure, they did it every night, and it wasn’t like he was doing anything—they weren’t even sharing a sleeping bag! But it still felt weirdly violating. His hands still felt cold from tucking Siffrin in, from having to be ever-so-careful with joints that suddenly seemed so fragile and arms make of something more brittle than flesh. The idea of accidentally breaking him was terrifying—what if that pushed him over some unseen edge and he couldn’t fix it this time? Could Siffrin spill out of himself like pouring water from a glass?—but what was worse was just…

Doing it.

Moving Siffrin’s body for him. Forcing it to bend and pose, even if it was just to keep him safe and, hopefully, comfortable.

Even worse, he could imagine an appeal to it, in another context. What little bits he saw of Siffrin’s body were inhumanly pretty. Pearly, smooth not-skin, slender proportions, an impressive amount of articulation with joints that Isabeau, at least, found strangely appealing, and even without the subtle glow his hair usually had, it was so soft. He understood why Siffrin would feel a need to hide it, but it seemed a shame…

His stomach curled and he turned away. There was something wrong with him, admiring the craftsmanship while Siffrin was unconscious because he got his head shattered.

Any growing heat in him was quashed. That was for the best.

…

What was he even doing? Should he be in here? Or would it be weirder to leave him? How many times had they shared a tent or been back to back on a bed with no more than a pillow or some sheets between them—Siffrin didn’t like being touched, another thing to make this situation worse. He was basically just sleeping, right? Hopefully? This shouldn’t have been any weirder than every other time they shared a tent, but…

“… hey. Sif. Siffrin. Sifarooni? Um… I don’t know if you can hear me at all, or if you’re awake or asleep. Do you sleep? Or have you just been pretending this whole time? I, uh… hope not. That’d get really boring…”

What was he even doing?

“But, uh… I hope you didn’t mind me tucking you in. I just want you to be comfortable, and we couldn’t just leave you kneeling in the field! So I hope? This is? Okay?”

…

“Sorry. I’m being weird. And, uh, I know you can’t really talk back right now. If you can hear me. At all???”

He shifted back over to look at them, to stare at the back of their head. Even in the dark of night, he could make out the darkless shades, though not half as well as usual.

“… Sorry. I’m being weird. Don’t worry about it. Just know that I still care, okay?” He paused, then sighed. There’d be no answers tonight. “Sleep well, Siffrin. See you in the morning, hopefully.”

———

I prefer tea, but buy me a Kofi?

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

i love reading your fic thoughts!!

are there any fics you'd recommend or read where you like the way they are characterized? i'm a writer and hope i accurately represent them but i'm never sure, but it's fun to see you doing similar things (going over voice lines and scenes to get their voice down and stuff)

and i think inspiration can help!

hiya! ahh thank you so much, i'm glad you found them interesting! and i perfectly understand your struggle :( it's a ritual at this point to watch their interactions so i can get a feel of them for ongoing fics, i'm considering rewatching a parade of providence at some point as a treat <3

and !! i agree! the fanfiction community is a circle of never ending ideas, so it's amazing how we all inspire each other! for characterisation here are some that stand out to me in my mind <3

Patron of the Arts - nevergreengale, volansvultar - ongoing and (hopefully not) discontinued, but a really interesting take in alhaitham asking kaveh to be his architect for him to move in! kaveh's inner monologue is just him, i especially love his musings about altruism, and the rift between him and alhaitham. a nice mystery going on with whatever is occupying alhaitham as well!

Strawberry High - etherealnara - this IS the drunk alhaitham fic for me, i love seeing him interact with inazuma characters, as well as being competitive. the dynamic between alhaitham and kaveh here is sighworthy, you can really feel the strain towards the end!

The City of Gold and Dust - Amayax - ongoing. pov switch with each chapter, mishaps with time and a really intriguing mystery! both voices truly shine here, i particularly love the prose of alhaitham dealing with grief, and how you can feel how much kaveh means to him, whereas kaveh can feel the burden of missing something obvious, but not knowing what. the contrast is lovely!

(self-recommendation) Change is Imp(ur)rative - completed. mentioning this because this is my fav piece of work i've done for them so far! really hoping the characterisation works, this is a slowbuild into the progression of their relationship, i'm a sucker for them actually talking and what them airing their grievances could look like <3

Old Habits, New Beginnings - thvndaga - completed. amnesiac alhaitham. this is such a lovely lovely fic with alhaitham entirely forgetting himself, but knowing that he's in love with kaveh, but kaveh refusing to believe it? very addictive to read and an incredible journey!

in the market for forgiveness - chaoticloutral - this is so cute, the rising tension over the mundane, the major misunderstanding based around (1) interaction. kaveh's perspective is perfectly rationalised, and alhaitham dogging after him to explain himself! also the atmosphere here! lovely!

best of r/relationship_advice - farozaan - completed. reddit style fic, this is HILARIOUS! kaveh coming to terms with his feelings about alhaitham (but really knowing all along) and alhaitham's quiet patinece is just so ahhh it's them <3

When Sun and Moon Align - Undercover_Owl - ongoing. a time travel fic with kaveh being flung back into his days as a student, attempting to fix his vision with his inquisitive best friend/junior alhaitham, all the while alhaitham is struggling to adjust to kaveh's disappearance in present day. LOVELY! the mystery and prose are enticing, and kaveh's shifting understanding of current alhaitham is so scrummy!

To Dream in Shades of Green - Intensely_Reading - completed. this is such an addictive fic, with kaveh being involved in an experiment (courtesy of yae miko) where his dreams become light novels, only for his dream to take the form of an otome game! so fun and the development between dream alhaitham and kaveh, with him comparing this relationship to real alhaitham is so well done! and real alhaitham going about to locate the cause of kaveh's anxiety is so real <3

six ways to friday - mousiekosmos - completed. this fic is INSANE. the prose is so lovely and alhaitham's perspective makes me want to eat my hand. so rational and logical and yet completely overthinking when it comes to matters concerning kaveh. the hesitance and misunderstanding in their initial relationship is so gutwrenching, and kaveh being the one to chase it !!! i thoroughly recommend

bad days, good days - emigmatic - a wonderful oneshot, kaveh's voice really shines through here, the uncertainties and his anxieties and tiptoeing around alhaitham, while alhaitham is so patient, just MWAH.

flower of my flower - bringingglory - completed. hanahaki alhaitham time. the mounting struggle of alhaitham's rationale in not telling kaveh and seeing kaveh worry from the side culminates perfectly! a very addictive read!

Briars and Roses 'Round Your Heart - sonotfine - completed. hanahaki kaveh time. one of my fav hanahaki aus! i love love the tension building from alhaitham's side as kaveh tries to downplay the progression of his sickness. the confrontation scene lives in my head, the suspense culminates perfectly!

[hannsluvely]

after hours

after hours : a live action buggy x fem!reader fanfiction

for some odd reason, you have no idea who he is. and he fucking loved that.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

chapter one chapter two chapter three

chapter four | suede. stalking. silly.

his pov;

"Your wanted poster."

Those three words settled in my mind as I stared at the distraught girl in front of me, watching as she fumbled with her hands, a nervous exterior brushing over her. She seemed to be so horrified with the fact that I was once a pirate sought after by thousands- wanted dead or alive, though much preferred dead. Many still wanted me dead but due to my brilliant idea of hiding out here, the chance of anyone getting my bounty was thin. I, however, didn't see it being as much of a big deal as she deemed it so. The real issue I found was tucked away in one of the books within the nightstand which I was so fucking thankful she didn't find. I'd rather her not have been looking around but if she were to find one of the two? I was glad she found the poster.

I tossed another slice of apple into my mouth then set the knife down on the cutting board. I approached Y/N but instantly halted when I noticed how nervous and uneasy she was. "What's wrong?"

"H-How many people did you kill?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Does that really matter?" I asked, waving my hands up in the air to hopefully exaggerate my point. "It was almost a year ago."

"That doesn't change the fact that it happened!"

"I know, I know." Despite her discomfort, I took a seat next to her anyway. She tightened her arms around herself, almost to make sure there was as much distance between us without her actually moving. Clenching my jaw, I patted my hands upon my thighs. "I know it's a terrible thing, and there's nothing I can do to change that. It's in the past and if I could go back and alter things, I would. Being a pirate was all I knew. My old friend was one, too. Then we separated onto different things and-"

"Did he kill people?"

"Lots of pirates kill people. It's part of the hype, ya know? It's very unlikely to raid another ship without there being any casualties. But I stopped because I got tired of it. I wanted something more."

"It's a pretty big bounty. I mean- come on, fifteen million berries?"

"Don't think about turning me in now," I chuckled, wanting to add a bit of lightheartedness to this unfortunate predicament.

"I'm not like that. I know I'm in need of money but-"

"I didn't mean it like that, Y/N, come on. Give me some slack."

"Well, why exactly did you stop? Did you lose the thrill of stealing from others? O-Or did you get bored of killing innocent people?"

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "We've all done some shit we're ashamed of. We're humans. I did a lot of fucked up shit," I said as I pointed at myself. "But I changed that. I moved and let all that go. I left my crew, made someone else the captain, and abandoned ship. I left all of that shit behind and came here."

"But why?"

"If I say this, I'll probably make things worse but I don't want to lie anymore," I said as I laid back, folding my hands over my chest. I stared up at the ceiling. "You've obviously heard of the One Piece, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, I was one of those pirates absolutely obsessed with finding it. Fuck, I even dreamt about it. It was the only thing I truly desired in life. It was the only thing I thought about. Not riches, women, alcohol- just the One Piece. I was making somewhat decent progress but then I heard that a group of Straw Hats-" I grimaced at the thought. "-made off with the map which they stole from one of the Marine bases. I happened to track them down and I managed to steal the map from some kid named Monkey D. Luffy. But all good things must come to an end and I lost it. I was back to square one. And then I discovered his bounty was thirty million berries." I frowned then sat up, turning to face Y/N. "Can you believe that? Some newby pirate-wannabe received a bounty double my own! Seeing that brought me back to reality. So I dropped everything then came here."

"All because of him?"

I nodded my head. Just the thought of that kid irked me. There was no one, other than Shanks, who I despised more than my own self.

"So, yeah, I know what I did was fucked up. But there's a reason I'm here now. There's a reason I've given you so much. It's because I want to be a better person, maybe redeem myself for what I've done. And I can do that by helping you, by making your life a little less miserable."

"Do you pity me?" The girl asked, finally meeting my gaze.

"What?" I laughed, almost obnoxiously. "Of course not. If anything, I envy you."

"Me?" Y/N pointed at herself. "You envy me?"

"You have no bad conscience. You've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to make up for. You have a clean slate."

She shrugged, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "Thank you."

"So, uh, do you hate me now?" I asked, forcing a frown to mimic a pouting child. She giggled at this and shook her head. I sighed in relief, wiping 'sweat' from my forehead. "Thank god. I don't know what I'd do with myself if you hated me."

"I knew you were a pirate but it's still shocking to learn about your past. It'll take me a bit to get used to it but I don't hate you."

"So, we're good?" I extended my hand.

"We're good." She shook it.

I felt as if a huge relief was lifted off my shoulders. And as long as she stayed out of the nightstand, there would be no more issues. But if I hid the book, then I would be even more safe. I pondered the possibilities before I watched as she rose from the confines of the bed and approached the counter. My eyes trailed down. The backs of her thighs were exposed and the shorts clung to her ass so divinely. I bit my lip and crossed my leg over my lap.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me," She mumbled as she started to chew on an apple, then began to cut into an orange. "I do have a question for you, though."

"Go ahead, shoot." As soon as she turned around, my eyes met hers and I smiled.

"Are devil fruits real? Or is that just an old tale? I've never seen one up close and I heard they cost a fortune, even for just one alone."

"They're real," I said with a small laugh. "I would know, I've eaten one."

Y/N nearly jumped before she darted over toward me, her hands grabbing at my shoulders. She still had a slice of half-chewed apple in her mouth which made her struggle to properly speak. "WHAT? You- NO! You didn't?!" She let go of my arms and instead planted her hands on my chest, shoving me back. I collapsed back against the bed, laughing. "You ate one?!"

"Years ago, when I was fifteen."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not. It was a mistake actually."

"What happened?"

I chuckled and pushed myself back up. "Give me an orange and I'll tell you."

If my reflexes weren't so quick, the fruit would've hit me in the face with how quick she threw it. But I caught it and began to pick apart the peel. "Easy, next time," I smirked and took a bite from it. "Well, when I was younger and was a pirate-in-training, the crew I was in raided this ginormous ship and hit the motherload. Not only gold and jewels and anything you could think of, but there was also a devil fruit. I found out how much they were worth and tried to steal it but I was caught in a predicament and I tried to hide it in my mouth."

"And?"

"I swallowed it whole."

She gasped, "And you're alive?"

"It doesn't kill you. It just takes your ability to swim when you're in the ocean, in salt water. It's like the sea turned its back on you."

"Did you get a power from it?"

I shrugged and winked at her, taking another bite. I licked the juices from my hand. "Guess."

"You can fly?"

"Ha! Nope."

"Read minds?"

"It's body-altering."

"Wait," The lovely maiden smirked, taking a seat on the bed. "Did it give you that red nose?" She snickered.

"Guess again," I said flatly, my expression turning cold as I stared at her. She gulped, clenching her jaw. I laughed and looked down at my lap, now using one hand to hold the orange. I continued to chew on it. But while she was distracted with her numerous attempts to guess what kind of body-altering power I had, I detached my left hand at the wrist. It floated behind the both of us and tapped on her right shoulder. Y/N jumped up, her head shooting to look at her side. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed together before she spotted my floating hand waving at her. She gasped and slapped it away. I broke out into a fit of laughter, my hand reconnecting to my wrist. "Impressive, huh?"

"You- what?" She was still flabbergasted.

"I ate the chop-chop fruit. It allows me to pretty much chop any part of my body. Like I can-" To avoid grossing her out, I chopped my left leg from my thigh instead of my head from my neck. She watched in amazement. I smiled at this. "I can disconnect anything from my body from my toes to my ears to my-"

"Even... ya know?"

I winked. "Oh, yeah. That, too."

"That's so cool. How come you haven't done it before around me?"

"I don't know. I just never found a reason to." Shrugging my shoulders, I allowed my leg to snap back. I continued to chew on the orange before finishing it and tossing the peel into a small bin to the left of the bedside table. Y/N finished hers as well. She wiped her hands down on her shirt.

"So, uh," I chewed on my bottom lip. "Do you think you and your mother will be okay?"

"Yeah. We fight all the time. Her drinking doesn't help."

I cringed. "Really?"

"Yeah, she's one of the reasons I hate it so much."

I pursed my lips and nodded my head. I knew I needed to cut back on it but it was something I've done for well over more than half my life. Though, I was destined to do it. Not only for myself, but for her, too. I'd do anything for Y/N. "So," I began, "what do you want to do today?"

"I need to go make up with my mother. That's a big to-do. I can't stand her ever being upset with me." The girl said as she stood up, slipping her shoes back onto her feet. "We can have dinner tonight if you want. Maybe you could meet her."

"Meet your mom?"

"Yeah, why not? She was wondering where all that money came from. She thought I stole it."

"Hell, I don't know. I'm not good with meeting new people."

"Will you, at least, consider it?"

"Sure," I smirked.

"Thank you." Y/N reached for the doorknob, giving it a strong and firm tug before it yanked open. A gush of cold wind washed over her, almost knocking her back. I tossed her my coat to which she whispered another 'thank you' then slipped it on. "I'll see you, Buggy."

"Bye," I murmured with a smile.

As soon as the door shut, I jumped down from the bed and pulled the drawer out from the nightstand, dropping it on the stone floor. I sorted through the numerous books and grabbed the novel I was so fucking thankful she didn't look through. As I opened the cover, the hollowed book had contents that almost spilled out. Papers among papers, among sketches fell out, wafting along the floor. Several notes about Y/N puddled on the floor. One, which was my favorite, was a letter I wrote to her- well, I refused to send it. If I sent it, any last fiber of my confidence would be crushed like a scrambled egg. My fingers lined the rigid edges as I unfolded it.

Messy paragraphs lined both the front and back of the page.

I smiled. How long ago did I write this? I haven't looked at it in so long. I usually added a sentence to it each time I saw Y/N, which is why it was so long. But I stopped pouring my thoughts and desires into it when I actually had the pleasure of speaking to her.

If she saw this, I would kill myself.

I'd purposely jump into the ocean with two anchors attached to my feet.

I looked over the first paragraph,

'I've never wanted something so badly in my life. To say I yearned for her would be a complete understatement. I longed for her, I yearned, I desired- In simple terms, I wanted her. I mean, how could I not? She was an angel. She was a siren. I would purposely listen to her enchanting song, allowing my boat to crash, just if it meant I could be graced by her presence, by her beauty. I was obsessed with her. If she found out my thoughts, my desires, she would never let herself be seen with me. I wouldn't blame her, though. I was obsessive. It was unhealthy, I knew that. But I didn't care. I wouldn't say I loved her because I didn't know what that felt like. I've never experienced it. But perhaps I did love her. I didn't know, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that she was the only treasure I wanted. Not the One Piece, no. Not even that could match up to her alluring person. If I had to travel every sea in order to find her, battle every sea snake in order to touch her, I would. I would in a heartbeat.'

I grimaced, cringing at what I was reading. Thank god, she didn't see this. I didn't even want to see this.

I tucked the papers back into the hollowed-out book, closing it. I slipped the other novels into the drawer then slid it into the nightstand. With the book of secrets, I needed to hide it somewhere she could never find it- where even I struggled to find it. I didn't want to throw it out for I would be completely discarding all of those moments we had together, although she couldn't reconcile them with me because at that time, I was nonexistent to her.

Maybe I could follow my own idea and form my own message in a bottle. I never mentioned her name, nor my own. To an outsider's perspective, it was anonymous.

I shook my head and slipped the book back into the bedside table. She wouldn't be back anytime soon so I had enough time to properly execute a fool-proof plan.

But right now?

I needed to go get another coat.

-=-

her pov;

My mother and I resolved things, just like always. And when she caught wind of a pirate suddenly becoming very fond of me, she begged me to invite him over for dinner. I didn’t think that was the best of ideas. Going out to dinner? Sure! But to have him over? At our house? I cringed at the idea.

She fell ill months ago. Nothing too major, but ever since she’s gotten better, she despises leaving the house and even made me bring her bed downstairs so she could sleep next to the kitchen just in case she had a hankering for something to eat. It was ridiculous, I knew that. But I couldn’t just tell her no. She was my own mother. While I was old enough, I definitely wasn't going to willingly disobey her.

She persisted that I go and grab Buggy so we could have him over for dinner, while I insisted we all go out to eat. She hated the idea and told me that it was her house, her rules.

I grimaced at the thought.

Now, I was just outside Buggy's home, knocking on the stone door. I hoped he was home, though there was no possibility of me being able to ask him prior to my arrival. I knew he was busy. He was a very busy man. I was surprised he made time for me.

With another knock, another silence fell. I groaned and backed up.

My eyes trailing down, I stared at the doorknob and chewed on my bottom lip. He wouldn't care if I waited inside, right? We trusted each other. He knew where I lived and I knew where he lived. As far as I knew, he never crossed any of my boundaries and I definitely didn't cross any of his- well, except for maybe 'snooping' through his nightstand.

Without thinking too much more about it, I grabbed the rusted doorknob, gave it a firm twist, then shoved it open. I almost fell through the doorway.

I caught my balance and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Without the lantern being lit, it was rather dark, but the bright blue sky helped to illuminate the small room. He must've not been home since I left.

I looked around, admiring everything.

As I took a seat on the edge of the bed, I noticed a piece of paper laying on the floor. It wasn't there before.

I raised an eyebrow and reached to grab it but before I could, the door flung open, a certain blue-haired pirate standing in the entrance. When he noticed me, he smirked. I gulped.

"So, we're breaking and entering, are we?" The man grinned as he took a few paces forward.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, scratching the back of my neck. "I came over to ask you about dinner but you weren't here so I figured I would wait."

"No worries, I'm only teasing."

"So?" I folded my arms, leaning forwards.

"So what?" Buggy questioned as he slipped his coat off. Since when did he get a new coat? And why? I was only borrowing the one he lent me. I didn't plan on keeping it. But I guess now it was okay if I did.

"Dinner? Are you available?"

"Hmm, it depends. What time?"

"I don't know, sometime tonight? Only for two hours or so. My mother wanted to meet you. I told her about you."

"What did you tell her?"

"That you've been a friend of mine for a few weeks now and you've been fortunate enough to treat me and help me out," I said with a smile. "She thought you were my boyfriend." I chuckled.

"Heh, that's rich," Buggy said as he turned around to close the door.

"So? Can you?"

"I guess so. Just don't leave me alone with her. I really don't want to be bombarded with questions." The man said as he folded the jacket over his arm then slung it on the countertop. "Did you tell her about my nose?"

I laughed, confused. "No? Why would I?"

"It's my defining feature. It's hard not to notice it when you see me."

"I didn't tell her. I didn't think it was important. I even forget it's there."

The clown burst out in laughter, his eyes closing as he clutched his stomach and nearly fell back with his fit of giggles. I pursed my lips. "What's so funny?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"It's cute how you're trying to be nice to me. With a nose like mine, how can you forget it's there?" He replied while wiping a tear from his eye.

I felt flustered with the first part of his monologue but I ignored it and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know, I just do. It's not all I see whenever I look at you, ya know. It's not my main focus point when we speak. I look at your eyes, not your nose."

"And yet again, you prove to me that you're different than others."

I smiled. "Hope that's a good thing."

Buggy smirked, winking his left eye. "Of course it is."

The pirated approached me before he knelt down and picked up the piece of paper. He examined it for a moment then laughed to himself. "Grocery list," He explained as he shoved the paper into his pocket.

I paid no attention to the paper. It wasn't any of my business. "Speaking of groceries, want to go help me get food for dinner?"

"What's on the menu?"

"No idea, but let's just grab something so she won't be bitching later."

"Guess I'll be needing this again," The blue-haired man said as he reached to grab his jacket. He slipped his arms through and adjusted the collar. "We match now."

"Mine's more vintage than yours." I winked.

"Oh, so it's yours now?"

"No?" I gulped.

Buggy giggled. "It is. I got my own now so no worries about giving it back. Unless you'd like to trade from time to time."

"No, I like this one."

The man looked at me, an eyebrow cocked upward.

I paid his look no attention and instead looked down at the tattered suede coat I wore. I inhaled softly. It smelled like him.

A soft odor mixed with whiskey, coconut, and cinnamon. And while I hated the stench of alcohol, it worked for him.

I couldn't imagine him without it.

[milkywaydrabbles]

omggg your kinktober’s have my feet in the air 😣!! can i please request a #8 with Rindou Haitani ?

A/N: EEEEE i'm so glad you're liking the drabbles coming out!! Sorry for the delay in getting yours done but I have a lot of fun writing it! I hope you enjoy it!! MWUAH

Virginity x Haitani Rindou

“You’re kidding.”

“...”

“No, this has to be a joke.”

“..Rindou.”

“There’s no way!”

“Okay, Jesus Rin. Don’t make me feel weird about it!” You grumbled, crossing your arms with a glare. 

He put his hands up in defense, “sorry, sorry. Just like...never?” With a roll of your eyes you huffed. “No, Rin. I wasn’t ready when I was younger. I wanted it to be this beautiful magical thing. And then I grew up and realized men are fucking gross and wanted none of them to be that close to being on or in me. I don’t care about it, not now anyways, but you’re the first guy I’ve really dated since like..I don’t know. A long time.”

You’ve been dating Haitani Rin for a few months, and honestly you’re still surprised about it. Meeting him was a frenzy, at some club (that you now learned he owned) and drinking the night away. The two of you made out, and you gave him a blowjob in the back of his car, and somehow he actually texted after you drunkenly gave him your number when you were safely back home. You figured he’d just want to try to hook up, but he actually took you out on a couple dates. And you realized, oh, Haitani Rindou is actually really sweet. And caring. And he wants to be your boyfriend. After that it’s been honestly smooth sailing (outside of the fact he’s part of the most notorious gang in the country--but you digress). Any intimacy from there has been mostly you going down on him (you asked!) and him returning the favor with something always getting in the middle of the next step. But now the time was here and you two were heavily making out, touching and humping each other over your clothes on the couch, when you realized you forgot to tell him one teensy tinsy little part: You’re a virgin

You shrugged, hoping Rindou didn’t look at you any different. You were telling the truth after all: You didn’t really care about losing your virginity. Being as old as you were now you thought it silly to care. You only really told him to make sure he didn’t plow into you recklessly, you didn’t want it to hurt either. “It’s not a big deal, Rin.” You mumbled, somehow feeling shy about it. But what you didn’t know was that Rindou was going through a flurry of emotions. Sure he never really thought about taking someone’s virginity, he never wanted to be the person to do it anyways. There were too many emotions attached to that, he couldn’t be assed to get tied down that way. But now? Now he’s looking at you, the one he cares most about (besides his brother) and the one he’ll (hopefully) spend the rest of his life with and realizes just how fucking lucky he is. And now he gets to be the one to take your virginity. His horny brain can only take so much when the small bit of his mind screaming because he gets to pop your cherry is taking over the rest of him. He’s realized he’s kept too quiet when you stop looking at him and start staring at the wall. 

“Baby~” He coos, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you back into his lap. “‘M gonna take real good care of you then, yeah?” The way he’s whispering in your ear, rubbing your waist with one hand and your thigh with the other, has your skin on fire. “Gonna be my baby girl’s first and last if I have a say.” Rindou starts kissing down your neck, taking small nibbles on your skin here and there: silently staking claim on you. Your shirt is off in an instant, hands flying to take the remainder of your clothes off and keep you bare underneath him. You gasp, feeling your head spin when you realize you’re now underneath him. “Rin!” You squeal, his mouth and hands all over your tits, squeezing and biting whatever he can get his hands on. His tongue is flicking over your nipple, suckling lightly before moving on to the other to give it the same attention, hands constantly on the other. “Fuck, baby, can’t believe you’re a virgin.” You were going to tell him that again, it’s not a big deal, but when he looks up at you with messy hair and wild eyes, you bite your tongue and let him have this one. He gets to claim you as his in every way. 

Rindou starts kissing down your chest, around your stomach and leaving love bites as he goes, kissing and biting each hip before kissing right above your clit. Your breathing is shaky, bucking your hips in hopes that he touches you exactly where you want it. But of course he has to tease first. “Tell me what you want, pretty girl.” He whispers, kisses planted around your mons. You whimper, a hand carding through his untamed hair. “Rin, please, touch me.” He clicks his tongue, two fingers sliding up and down your slit with ease--you’re already a mess. “You can do better than that can’t you, baby?” You’re feeling desperate, not even having any frictions and still feeling like you’re about to cum. “Rindou please! Please eat me out, please, I need your mouth--ah fuck!” His mouth is on you in an instant, two fingers spreading your lips and tongue slipping in and out of your pussy. He kisses at your clit, licking around in circles before closing his lips on you and sucking--feeling you convulse above him. You’re crying out in pleasure as he continues to make out with your cunt, tasting your delicious juices on his tongue. “Fuck, beautiful, you taste so good.” He moans, fucking his tongue back into you. It’s not the first time he’s gone down on you, but now you taste even sweeter than before. Like he’s really tasting you for the first time--and he can’t get enough. He slips in two fingers with ease, tongue back on your clit as he suckles and licks around, fingers curling and scissoring to stretch you out, hitting that wonderful spot deep inside you that makes you squelch and clench. “Fuck! Fuck, feels so good Rinnie, a-ah, right there right there right--!” You’re crying, making a mess on his face and hands before you can even finish your string of sentences. “There we go beautiful, drench my fucking face” He smirks, eyes wide, lapping up everything you have to give him. 

He finger fucks you through your wave of pleasure, slowing down with each pulse he feels on his tongue and fingers. As tired as you are, you still try to paw at him, trying to get him to come back up. He complies, happily kissing back up your body until he reaches your lips, tongues melding together and drooling in each other’s mouths. He felt you humping his leg, hands reaching down to get to the buttons of his pants. Rindou chuckled, lightly smacking your hands away and pulling back, “you don’t think i’m gonna fuck you on your couch do you?” he picked you up with ease, having you wrap your legs around his waist and hands on your ass. “Come on, baby, I’m not a monster. Gonna fuck my princess on the bed.” You kiss at his neck as he walks you to the room, you can’t help but rub your sloppy pussy on his pants, wetting the crotch before he can even put you down. 

He grins like a mad man, taking his time to get undressed--he loved seeing you desperate for him like this. “Rin, please, hurry up” You whined, spreading your legs for him. “So fucking impatient.” Rindou slid his cock between your folds, gathering your slick as lube. You held your breath, now realizing that his size might be a tight fit. You’ve seen his dick plenty of times before, but it never occurred to you that one day he’d actually be inside you like this. Rindou could sense your nerves, his hands soothing your thighs. “Hey, look at me...I’ll go slow, okay? Just relax baby.” Hearing his gentle voice grounded you, letting out a shaky breath and nodding, ready for him. 

Rindou pushed in, taking in a sharp breath when he felt how tight you were. “Fuck, baby” He groaned, stopping halfway to let you adjust to him. Your lips were slightly parted, looking down at his cock splitting you open, feeling so full already. “You can keep going, Rinnie..” You whimpered, relaxing more to his touch as he steadily pushed in to the hilt, hips joined with yours. You both moaned, like ecstasy flowing through your veins. Nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of your virgin cunt, swallowing him whole and drooling your juices down his shaft. And nothing could have prepared you for the pure bliss of his cock rubbing at your walls, hitting every spot that sent electricity coursing through your veins. 

Rindou pulled back, hearing a whine coming from you before blurring with a moan when he shoved himself back into your pussy, steadily finding his rhythm impaling you on his cock. “Gonna make this pussy mine baby, gonna mold it just to take my big dick.” He mumbled, looking down at the juncture of your hips, pussy leaking all on him. “Yours, Rinnie, all yours,” you chanted his name like a prayer, Rindou leaning down to lean on his forearms and be infinitely closer to you--clawing at his back as he peppered kisses on your face and neck. “Cum for me, pretty girl. Cum on my cock, let me feel you around me.” You whimpered, grabbing onto his hand and holding it as he leaned back and licked at his thumb (for the first and only time of you two fucking--it’ll be your job next) and flicked at your clit. His cock rubbing at your walls, and the way he was sending lava through your veins rubbing at your clit has you gushing around him in no time. Your wanton moans filled the air as your legs trembled around him, body twitching while you rode out your high. “Need you Rin, need your cum.” You babbled, cockdrunk and still clenching around him. “Fuck,” He thought he’d be able to last longer than this, but your (not so) virgin hole and the way you were talking to him had his shooting his load in you after a few more pumps. 

He pulled away, scooping you into his arms and laying there in silence, the two of you sharing tender kisses and smiles--before he opened his stupid mouth.“So, was that good for you?” He snickered as you shoved his face away. “Ew, shut up!”

[komfort-kollection-by-kassiopeia]

Can you do a Syzoth/Reptile x reader, about him telling the reader about things they should know about him & his reptilian form before they date each other? Thank you!!!

Are You Sure?

Picture lightly edited by me.

Description: It takes all the courage in the world to tell Syzoth how you really feel about him. But Syzoth isn't so sure that you can handle a Zaterran as a lover. So he decides to tell you everything you need to know, before taking your relationship to the next level... Warnings: Fluff, Pining, A Small Bit Of NSFW. (For brief mention of breeding.) Word Count: 1.4k A/N: I am sooooo sorry this took so long for me to finish! I've been dealing with some health issues and other personal struggles recently so I've been having a hard time getting things done quickly. But I'm getting better so hopefully that will change soon. I want any other anons to know that I still fully intend on finishing your requests and to other readers, please don't let this discourage you from sending any requests. I love hearing all of your ideas! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this fic. 🖤 MasterList: 🖤 Kassie's Angels: @lorebite, @mornandil, @bihansthot, @katiralovely. (If you want to be added to the taglist, let me know in the comments! 🖤)

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I slumped down under a shady tree after practicing fighting for a solid two hours. Lord Liu Kang told me the monks would be harsh, but I never expected training to be just as hard as it was. So I sat — the back of my head hitting the bark of the tree as it fell back onto my shoulders — and I let out a tired sigh. My eyes began to fall shut but then the wrestling of tree branches jerked me right awake as I let out a startled gasp. I looked up to find the source of this sudden commotion only to see Syzoth — in his human form — staring down at me from a high branch with a cheeky smile stretching his lips.

"You scared me!" I laughed as I reached an arm up to swat at his feet, which hung down from the branch he sat on.

After responding with a huff of laughter, Syzoth jumped down beside me. He sat down on the ground so close to where I was that I subconsciously held my breath, now very weary of moving in his presence. But not from fear — because it was the closest I had ever been to Syzoth before. The soft touch of his skin touching mine when our elbows brushed together, being engulfed in a cloud of his natural scent, even being able to hear his breath was enough to get my heart beat racing. To say I liked the man was quite an understatement. In my eyes, he was beautiful; I just wish I knew how to tell him that.

"It's so nice out here," he breathed before letting out a relaxed sigh. "I could sit out here for hours."

"Yeah, me too." I agreed, looking in every direction but his. Of course, I wasn't subtle about it — despite trying to be — and he noticed instantly.

"Are you ok?" He asked as his tone dipped softer with more concern.

I simply nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

I finally mustered up the strength to look back at him and make eye contact. But as soon as my eyes met those pale green ones, I could feel my cheeks burn with a sudden heat of desire. The expression that grew on his face was much like his tone moments ago: concerned and worried.

'Shit! He notices!'

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" He asked while placing a hand gently on my own. The sudden contact did not help my rosy completion and I felt my skin burn even more.

I quickly pulled away and nodded my head, "Yes, yes — I'm fine." I assured him. "I just got too much sun today."

It was a good lie and I just prayed that Syzoth was as gullible as I had hoped. He did not answer me after that and for a good moment, peaceful silence had fallen over us and I was glad.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and finally felt myself relax again. Looking up at the sky, I noticed that not a single cloud covered it, allowing the sun to beam down upon us. The birds chirped happily and the butterflies fluttered in the air — watching them helped all of my stresses melt away and bring me to peace. It truly was a perfect day. I let my eyes flutter shut as a cool breeze blew passed us, and then I felt completely comfortable in my surroundings.

That was until Syzoth's voice broke the long-lasting silence...

"(Y/N)," His voice came out serious as he spoke. His sudden change in tone instantly caught my attention and I turned to face the man. "I have a question that I must ask—"

"Ok — what is it?"

"Do... Do you have feelings for me?" He asked hesitantly and almost... Shyly?

I froze as soon as the words came out of his mouth and I instantly felt my cheeks burn with intense embarrassment. The shock I felt was overwhelming and I had absolutely no idea how to respond. I just sat there, thinking deeply about a million things at once.

'Does he know? Am I really that obvious? There's no way! I mean, I've done so well to hide it!... Haven't I?

As humiliating as it was, I knew I couldn't keep the truth from him for any longer. So after heaving a deep sigh to gain just a little more confidence, I spoke my confession: "Yes, Syzoth — I do have feelings for you."

He stared at me with a blank and not so surprised expression for a moment. I felt as if I was under a burning spotlight while under his gaze. Finally — after a moment that felt like a lifetime — he let out a soft sigh. It didn't seem necessarily stressed or disappointed in anyway — it was just a normal huff of air.

"Are you sure? Because — as you know — I'm no ordinary individual. I'm not human like yo—"

"I don't care, Syzoth!" I cut him off as I raised my voice slightly. I didn't mean to come off aggressive in any way — I was just eager to tell him how I felt. I exhaled slowly and lowered my voice to a more calm pitch. "I like you for you; that stuff doesn't matter."

He looked at me for a moment, almost like he was reading over my words in his mind. Something told me by his expression that he did not believe me and would need further convincing. And unfortunately, I was right.

"No, (Y/N). You do not understand." He heaved a deep breath and shifted so he was facing me more before continuing, "There is still a lot about me that you do not know. Things you are not prepared for—"

"Well... Prepare me!" I basically demanded with an enthusiastic smile and he raised a brow at me for a moment. He seemed almost hesitant to let me into his world but eventually he did nod in agreement.

"Ok... For instance, our diet mainly consists of raw flesh of animals and humans. We can eat cooked foods but we don't prefer it." He paused for a moment to check my facial expression before continuing, "We shed our skin once a year. It's a very long and uncomfortable process and I will become very irritable at that time. I like warmth and do not do well in the cold — I can't handle it, in fact. I also have to keep my skin hydrated and... There's also mating season... Um..."

His eyes averted away from mine as he shifted uncomfortably on the ground while letting out a cough. I blushed at the thought of this "mating season" he mentioned, but tried my hardest to keep my composure for his and my sake.

"I may appear human sometimes, but do know that my reptilian nature still lingers within. Are you sure you want to engage in a romantic relationship with someone like myself?"

I smiled warmly at the man sitting before me and took his big hands in my own, massaging the backs of them with my thumbs to sooth him. It was obvious he was nervous and I didn't want him to be — he deserved to be comfortable with someone for once in his life and I was going to make sure that I was that person.

"Like I said before: I like you for you. And I would be more than happy to engage in a romantic relationship with you — that is, of course, if you want to engage in one with me?"

I gazed up at him through my lashes with hope blossoming in my heart for the first time that day. I felt his hands grow sweaty in my own and the look of concern on his face remained, causing a little bit of that hope to die off.

But then his worried expression melted away with a fond smile as his cheeks turned a faint tint of pink. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against mine — not necessarily molding them into a kiss, but just holding them there. So I decided to take charge of the situation and pressed mine into his in the way a kiss would be formed. And happily, he kissed back.

I knew that loving a Zaterran would be a challenge, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My heart longed for him and now that I had him, that's all that mattered to me. I had finally found the one for me and I knew I'd be happy as long as he was at my side — this I was sure of.

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[changingplumbob]

Day twelve - Luther group part 2/2

@bakersimmer, @berrysims-lp, @daedriyth, @hashimasims, @invisiblequeen, @lostinsixam

Abigail: Yes!!

Kay: Next stop, GeekCon, right?

Abigail: *laughs* I knew those late night game marathons would come in handy one day!

Kay: I can't believe I won. I'm so excited to spend extra time with Deanna!

Abigail: I agree. I can't wait for the solo date, it's going to be fun! If I can shake off my gloom

Kay: Do you want me to go first? So you can take some time to shake off the blues?

Abigail: Please

Solo dates were two hours long. Deanna arranged for a beach trip and made some ice cream as a snack. She then did one friendly and one romantic interaction. The rest of the date was whatever happened autonomously.

Kay is ambivalent about being at the beach but is happy they have good weather. She chose to play some summer strut music which her and Deanna both enjoyed.

Deanna: When you were a kid did you enjoy school?

Kay: Yes, but mostly because I got to spend time with my best friend Willow. She and I were inseparable. I also really enjoyed the library. It was so amazing to read about astronauts and new planets, animals, and all the adventure books!!

Deanna: I loved my school library!

Deanna: Did you have a dream job as a kid?

Kay: I wanted to be a veterinarian. I love animals, especially dogs, and I hate to see them hurt or sick. I always try to help them in any way I can. After this show I'm thinking of adopting a few animals to liven up my home

Deanna: That's such a great coincidence!

Kay: What do you mean?

Deanna: Nothing, spoilers. I wanted to be a pirate

Kay: That's awesome!! What kind of pirate though? One that seeks treasure on their own, or ones that steal it from others?

Deanna: Ohhhh, good deep question! Let me think

A while later Deanna and Kay move on to memories.

Kay: I remember being in the kitchen with my mom and helping her bake. I got to stir the ingredients, and help pour them into the bowl, while she dealt with measuring and dropping the right amount of batter onto the pans, and the oven. We were making chocolate chip cookies! The smell was intoxicating. My mom didn't have a high skill in baking, so this wasn't something we did very often. But when those cookies came out all gooey and yummy, I remember wishing that she had more time to do that kinda stuff with me. Its a very happy memory, with a hint of sadness to I guess

Deanna: I'm sorry to hear that. I often forget how lucky I was that ma didn't start working until after Emi was born

Abigail is ambivalent about the beach. Nevertheless the sun, sand and ice cream help keep her blues at bay. She chooses to play alternative music, a style both she and Deanna enjoy.

Deanna: When you were a kid did you enjoy school?

Abigail: Not really. I mean, I liked learning new things, but the social part was rough. I was more the kid in the corner with a book than the one on the playground

Deanna: I'm sorry it was rough. I'm glad you've found your friends now

Abigail: Yeah. I miss those rascals

Deanna: Did you have a dream job as a kid?

Abigail: Oh, definitely. I wanted to be a superhero, which is ironic, because I'm not the most athletic Sim. But the idea of all the adventure and action that I could have enticed me.

Deanna: I can definitely understand the thrill of adventure. I kind of wanted to be a pirate

Abigail: Honestly? I think it's great. And, also, very cute. I guess we shared a wish for adventure as kids, huh?

Deanna: *smiling* Yeah we did. And hopefully more adventure to come

Abigail: Since you mentioned wanting to be a pirate… One time, my sister, who was around 7 or 8, had a friend sleep over, and I told them this scary story about a ghost pirate that haunts Sims at night. Later, I started playing fake footsteps outside her room to freak them out

Deanna: *laughing* That's totally something Emi would have done

Abigail: When I went to open the door, though, she screamed and punched me in the face! It hurt, but looking back, I guess I deserved it *chuckles*

When everyone was back at the villa contestants had three hours of skill gaining time. Room doors were locked and autonomy turned off to give everyone a fair go.

Both Kristina and Nathalie decided to sharpen their video game skills after the mornings loss. Alaina looked in to increasing her mischief skill. Abby went online to research and practice writing jokes while Nephinae opted to learn by book. Kay focused on fitness.

Devin: Two more solo dates! How are you feeling?

Deanna: Pretty good. I enjoyed myself

Devin: How did you find the ladies?

Deanna: Kay was great, I think I might be a bit smitten. Abby was such fun and I know we gained friendship and romance

Devin (voiceover): How did you find the date?

Kay (voiceover): I had such a lovely time! I am adoring Deanna. Yeah, smitten for sure

When skill time was over room doors were unlocked, autonomy was put back to full, and contestants were instructed to eat dinner. Needs decay had been on the whole day. Deanna was not instructed to talk to anyone so interactions happened autonomously, she was also locked out of rooms so she would be available for contestants to interact with.

Dinner was rather quiet, most ate their salads without talking. Afterwards though, once the dishes had been cleared away, chatter picked up again. Deanna chose to start talking to Kay and Nephinae took time to bond with Abby. Alaina disappeared somewhere by herself, Nathalie wanted to check her room for bugs and Kristina- well she decided to nap... even though the bedrooms were all unlocked... meaning the beds were available.

Chatter continued between the four left at the table, Nephinae helping Abby see some of the positive. The pair then brought up that age old question: what should you drink at 9:30pm? Abby went with coffee while Nephinae was content with juice.