#he constantly has a smug attitude

[spicypopsicleng]

I love making non expressive characters ✨expressive✨

[mononijikayu]

supersonic — gojo satoru.

Finally, Gojo breaks the silence, his tone surprisingly serious. “Was it really that bad?” You blink, confused. “What… what do you mean?” He leans back slightly, his gaze meeting yours with an intensity that catches you off guard. “That I like you. Was it really that bad to hear?” “......I’m sorry, what?”

Genre: Alternate Universe — Canon Convergence;

Warning/s: General Rating, SFW, Romance, Fluff, Humour, Comfort/No Hurt, Strangers to Friends, Friends to Lovers, Sorcerer! Reader, Tsundere! Reader, Feelings, Romantic Confession, Getting Together, Light-Hearted, Slice of Life, Happy Ending, Gojo Satoru Loves Reader But Reader Doesn't Know How to React;

Words: 8k words.

Note: the bubble words is gojo saying you shouldn't fall hard for him!!! i didn't think this would be longer than 5k but I just??? i swear someone has to tell me not to make stuff longer because i feel bad that its way too long and people just suffer my yapping </3 anyway, i love you all!!! thank you so much for reading once again <3

masterlist

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YOU LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU HAVE GOOD MEMORY. You often boasted to Atsuya about your memory, especially during exam season or when the two of you had to write detailed reports after every mission. It was a point of pride—being able to recall every detail with sharp accuracy, a skill that set you apart.

But lately, that once-reliable memory has been betraying you, twisting itself into something both frustrating and bittersweet. Because now, instead of recalling battle strategies or obscure curses, you find yourself remembering everything about him. Gojo Satoru.

No matter how much you try to push the memories away, they persist, etched into your mind like an indelible mark. It’s infuriating because he’s the last person you want to think about. Yet, there he is, popping into your thoughts when you least expect it, with that smug grin and irritatingly carefree attitude.

You can’t forget that day during the Sister School Goodwill Event in your first year. It’s impossible. That was the first time you met Gojo Satoru, and even now, the memory of it lingers like a stubborn shadow. He was everything you couldn’t stand—arrogant, always grinning like he knew something you didn’t, and constantly cracking jokes that got under your skin. The moment he opened his mouth, you knew he was in trouble.

He’d waltzed into the event with an air of confidence that bordered on cocky, his white hair catching the sunlight as if to announce his presence to the world. You remember the way his sunglasses glinted as he surveyed the arena, looking completely at ease, like he owned the place.

And maybe, in a way, he did—after all, his reputation had preceded him. The strongest sorcerer of his generation, a prodigy unlike any other. Everyone was talking about him, and you had been curious, but when you finally met him, that curiosity quickly morphed into annoyance.

It wasn’t just his arrogance; it was the way he seemed to have an almost supernatural ability to push your buttons, like he had a map of your every weakness. From the moment he opened his mouth, you knew he was trouble.

He didn’t even bother with formalities, didn’t extend his hand or offer a respectful bow like any normal person might when meeting someone new. No, Gojo Satoru made his grand entrance with all the subtlety of a peacock in full display.

“Hey there, I’m Gojo Satoru. Don't fall in love with me too much, okay?” he said, his tone so light and casual it was as if he was talking about the weather. 

And then came that wink—oh, that infuriating wink. It was the kind of wink that dripped with self-assurance, as if he’d already decided that the world, including you, was his playground. The kind that made your blood pressure spike and your temper flare in an instant.

You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks as you glared at him, eyes narrowing into a scowl that you hoped would convey just how unimpressed you were. But if you expected him to back down, to maybe realize that he’d crossed a line, you were sorely mistaken. Gojo didn’t just take your scowl in stride—he laughed, a sound that was as easy and carefree as everything else about him. 

The laughter caught you off guard. It wasn’t mocking, but it wasn’t exactly kind either. It was the kind of laugh that made it clear he was enjoying this, enjoying you. It was like he’d found a new toy to play with, and your irritation only made it more fun for him.

“Aw, come on, don’t look at me like that.” he’d said, still chuckling. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood. We’re supposed to be having fun with this, right? No need to be so serious.”

But you were serious—deadly so. This wasn’t some lighthearted game to you; it was a competition, a test of skills and strength, something you’d been training for relentlessly. The Sister School Goodwill Event was your chance to prove yourself, to show that you weren’t just some novice from Kyoto who could be easily brushed aside. And here was Gojo Satoru, with his casual grin and infuriatingly relaxed demeanor, treating the whole thing like a joke.

Yet no matter how much you glared, or how much you tried to put him in his place with your icy demeanor, it seemed to only amuse him more. He had this way of tilting his head just so, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, as if he were daring you to say something, to try and put him in his place. But what could you say? Anything that came to mind seemed to bounce off him like water off a duck’s back. He was untouchable, not just in skill but in personality.

And that’s what really got to you. The way he seemed to glide through life without a care, untouched by the things that would have sent anyone else into a spiral of self-doubt. He was arrogant, yes, but it was the kind of arrogance that was infuriatingly earned. He knew he was good—no, he knew he was the best—and he wasn’t afraid to show it.

As the day went on, you found yourself trying not to react to his constant quips and jabs, but it was like trying to ignore a particularly persistent mosquito. The more you tried to brush him off, the more determined he seemed to get a rise out of you. And the worst part was, he was succeeding. Every time you shot him a glare or bit back a retort, he’d just laugh that infuriating laugh, as if to say, “See? I knew I’d get to you.”

It was like he could see right through you, past the carefully constructed walls you’d built to keep people at a distance. He saw how much you cared, how much you wanted to succeed, and he poked at that vulnerability with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Not because he was cruel, but because he found it entertaining.

And that’s what made him so insufferable. He wasn’t just some cocky sorcerer throwing his weight around—he was someone who enjoyed getting under your skin, who relished in the challenge of breaking down your defenses. To him, it was all a game, and you were the unwitting participant. 

Looking back now, you can almost see the moment he decided you were worth his attention. It wasn’t when you scowled at him or tried to brush off his comments; it was when he realized that no matter how hard you tried to ignore him, you couldn’t hide the way he got to you. And from that moment on, it was as if he’d made it his personal mission to see just how far he could push you.

He was everything you couldn’t stand in a person—arrogant, overconfident, and far too comfortable with himself. But even then, there was a part of you that knew there was more to him than just that. A part of you that recognized that behind the jokes and the winks, there was someone who saw the world in a way you didn’t quite understand, someone who, for better or worse, was going to be a part of your life whether you liked it or not.

That was the beginning of your tumultuous relationship with Gojo. Every interaction since then had been a battle of wits, with him always managing to get the upper hand, no matter how hard you tried to stay one step ahead. He was insufferable, and yet… you can’t stop thinking about him.

You remember how Gojo had effortlessly dodged your attacks during that time. He was skilled and perceptive. It wasn’t just that he was fast—he moved with a fluidity that made it seem as though he was dancing rather than fighting.

Each time you lunged at him, he sidestepped or spun away with an ease that was almost maddening. His grin never faltered, never wavered. It was as if he were enjoying the entire spectacle, completely unfazed by your every attempt to land a hit.

“Come on, is that the best you’ve got?” he’d taunted, his voice carrying a casual amusement that only fueled your frustration.

The way he said it, so nonchalant and dismissive, made it clear he wasn’t just teasing—you were genuinely failing to impress him. It wasn’t just a challenge to him; it was a game. And for someone like Gojo, who seemed to have everything handed to him on a silver platter, the stakes felt almost trivial.

What made it even more infuriating was the way he seemed to almost predict your every move. No matter how you changed your strategy, how you tried to outthink him, he was always one step ahead. It was as if he had a sixth sense for reading your intentions, a talent that made him appear almost supernatural. Every dodge, every counter, was executed with a precision that left no room for error.

In that moment, it felt as though the fight wasn’t just about physical skill—it was a battle of wills. You were pouring everything you had into trying to best him, to prove that you were more than just a novice from Kyoto. But Gojo’s demeanor, his seemingly effortless ability to avoid and counter your attacks, made it feel as though you were trying to fight against an immovable force.

It wasn’t just that he was good; it was the way he made it look so easy. It was like watching someone play a video game on the easiest difficulty setting while you were struggling on the hardest. His ease in the face of your best efforts was both impressive and infuriating. It was clear he was toying with you, not out of malice but because he genuinely enjoyed the challenge, however mild it might have been for him.

Every time you threw a punch or unleashed a spell, his reaction was a mix of amusement and mild surprise. It wasn’t as if he underestimated you—he knew exactly what you were capable of, and he relished the chance to outmaneuver you. His grin was a constant reminder that he was having fun, that he wasn’t taking this seriously because he didn’t have to. For him, it was all just another day, another opportunity to show off his skills.

“You’re strong!” He tells you with a grin on his face. “Let’s be friends! Give me your phone number, quick!”

"Huh?"

"Hurry, bring out your flip phone already!"

"We're in the middle of a one on one, you idiot!"

"So? I wanna be your friend!"

And that was what made him so exasperating. The whole event felt like it was being played out on his terms, with him in control of every aspect. To him, it was less about proving himself and more about showing just how superior he was in a way that made it almost seem effortless. The arrogance wasn’t just in his words; it was in every action, every movement that demonstrated his dominance.

For you, the fight was a matter of pride, a chance to show that you were more than capable, that you could stand toe-to-toe with someone of his caliber. But every time you saw that grin, every time you heard that taunting voice, it drove home the fact that no matter what you did, you were always going to be playing catch-up. And the more you tried, the more it seemed like you were just feeding into his amusement.

The whole experience left you feeling both frustrated and oddly impressed. Frustrated because you couldn’t seem to catch him, no matter how hard you tried. Impressed because, despite your annoyance, you couldn’t help but admire his skill and confidence. It was a bittersweet combination of emotions, one that made you both present and respect him in equal measure. And as much as you wanted to forget that day, Gojo’s presence in your mind remained an ever-present reminder of the challenge he represented—and the way he seemed to effortlessly stay one step ahead.

But what bothers you the most is how, despite all of his flaws, there’s something about him that draws you in. No matter how hard you try to deny it, those memories of him, those moments where he’d flash you that grin or make a ridiculous joke, are seared into your mind.

You find yourself remembering the smallest details—the way his voice sounded when he teased you, the warmth of his hand when he’d casually patted your shoulder after a mission, the way his eyes, hidden behind those sunglasses, seemed to see right through you.

It’s maddening because you’ve spent so much time trying to forget, trying to focus on anything but him. But no matter what you do, the memories remain, vivid and persistent. And it leaves you wondering, despite everything, why you can’t just let go. Why, after all this time, you’re still thinking about Gojo Satoru.

Back then, when you first met Gojo Satoru during the Sister School Goodwill Event, you had quickly dismissed him as just another arrogant brat who seemed to have the world handed to him on a silver platter. His cocky attitude, the way he flaunted his abilities, and his effortless charm made it all too easy to write him off.

To you, he was nothing more than a figure of annoyance—a sorcerer who, with his overconfidence and privileged position, would never be someone you’d get along with. It seemed clear from the start that your paths would never truly align.

Fast forward to the summer break of that year, and you find yourself face-to-face with him again. The sun blazes overhead, turning every outdoor spot into a sweltering inferno.

You're trying to navigate the heat while staying cool, but Gojo Satoru appears as if the oppressive temperature doesn’t affect him at all. His white hair seems to shimmer in the sunlight, and he’s wearing his trademark sunglasses, the kind that makes him look perpetually unbothered.

You’re waiting in line at a smoothie stand, desperately trying to cool down with a cone in hand. You were fanning yourself, trying to evade the intensity of the strong Kyoto sun. That’s when he shows up, casually strolling towards you with that infuriating smirk plastered on his face.

“Hey there, struggling to beat the heat?” Gojo calls out, his tone light and teasing. 

You roll your eyes, not in the mood for his games. “It’s scorching out here, Gojo. Not exactly the time for you to be playing your little tricks.”

“Oh, come on,” he says, leaning against the counter with an exaggerated sigh. “I’m just here to offer some company. Can’t have you melting away all alone, can I?”

You try to ignore him, focusing on your drink as if it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. “I’m fine. Really.”

But Gojo isn’t deterred. He follows you as you leave the stand, his presence like an unwelcome shadow. “So, where are you headed next? I hear there’s a nice little café down the street. We could cool off there.”

“I’m not interested, Gojo.” you snap, quickening your pace.

“Are you sure?” he persists, easily matching your stride. “It’s not every day you get to hang out with the strongest sorcerer in town. I promise I won’t bite.”

You shoot him a skeptical glance. “You’re really not going to give up, are you?”

“Not a chance,” he grins. “You look like you could use a break, and I could use some company. Besides, I’m a great conversationalist. You might even enjoy it.”

Despite yourself, you find his persistence a bit endearing. You sigh, finally relenting. “Fine. One quick stop at the café, and then you leave me alone.”

“Deal!” Gojo exclaims, his grin widening. “You won’t regret it, I promise.”

At the café, as you sit across from him, the air conditioning feels like a blessing. Gojo Satoru is still as relaxed as ever, leaning back in his chair with that same self-assured smirk. “See? Much better, right?”

You can’t help but smile a little. “Yeah, this is definitely better. But don’t think this means I’m going to start liking you or anything.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, captain!” Gojo says, his tone playful. “I’m just here to make sure you’re not melting away into a puddle of frustration.”

As the conversation flows, his teasing starts to feel less like an annoyance and more like genuine fun. He talks about his latest adventures, exaggerates stories in his usual dramatic fashion, and even shares some surprisingly insightful observations about the work you both do. Somehow, he manages to not get on your nerves today.

“You know,” he says between bites of his own ice cream, “for someone who hates me so much, you sure seem to enjoy spending time with me right now.”

You snicker, shaking your head. “I don’t know about that. I think I’m just making the best of a bad situation.”

“Well, I’d like to think it’s more than that.” Gojo says with a wink. “Maybe you’re starting to see that I’m not just a cocky brat. Maybe I’m actually kind of fun.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Gojo.” you warn, though you’re smiling. “This doesn’t change anything. I still think you’re incredibly annoying.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” Gojo chuckles. “But I’ll take that as a win for now. Maybe one day, I’ll get you to admit that I’m not so bad after all.”

As you finish up your meal, you reflect on how different this encounter is from your first meeting. The arrogance is still there, but it’s mixed with a kind of charm that’s hard to ignore. Despite yourself, you find that you’re enjoying his company, and maybe, just maybe, there’s more to him than the cocky façade he puts on.

By the end of the day, as you part ways, you can’t shake the feeling that this summer break—this unexpected reunion—might just be the start of something different. Gojo’s persistence has managed to chip away at your defenses, and you’re left wondering if there’s more to this irritating sorcerer than meets the eye.

You tell yourself he’s still as annoying as ever, but your heart betrays you, pounding in your chest whenever he’s near. You don’t understand why, but you can't help but feel drawn to him. Every time you think of how he made you laugh when you least expected it, or how his confidence seemed to shield you from the world, your feelings get more confusing.

Is it possible that the guy who irritates you so much is the same one who’s now making your heart race? You can’t figure it out, but one thing’s for sure—something has changed, and you can’t ignore it anymore. You try to shake it off, convincing yourself it’s just the heat messing with your mind. After all, why would you like someone like Gojo Satoru? 

He’s arrogant, overconfident, and never takes anything seriously. But then, you remember how, during that first encounter, he didn’t just laugh at you—he noticed things. Little things. Like how you tried to stay strong even when you were clearly out of your comfort zone, or how you struggled to keep up with the fast pace of the event but never gave up.

You tell yourself it’s nothing, that he’s just good at reading people. Yet, the memory of his voice, the way he looked at you with those sharp eyes hidden behind his glasses, keeps replaying in your mind. The more you think about it, the harder it becomes to deny what you’re feeling.

It’s frustrating. You’re not supposed to like someone who drives you crazy, who makes you question everything about yourself. But here you are, your heart beating faster every time you think of him, and that infuriating smirk of his. Why did he have to be so… so irritatingly charming?

You find yourself wondering what it would be like to see him again, to have him tease you just so you can feel that strange flutter in your chest. But then, you immediately scold yourself for even thinking that way. There’s no way you could actually like him… right?

But deep down, you know the truth. No matter how much you try to deny it, the thought of Gojo Satoru won’t leave your mind. And with each passing day, the line between irritation and affection blurs just a little bit more. Yet you can’t do much about it. One way or another, somehow—you were just stuck with him being around. In Kyoto or Tokyo, or everywhere else. He’s just somehow always round. 

Months passed by, and it was summer again.

You’re sitting with Shoko Ieiri under the shade of a tree, fanning yourself with a hand to combat the relentless summer heat. It’s one of those rare, blissful afternoons where you’ve managed to carve out some free time. With Utahime-senpai occupied with a mission from Gakuganji and no assignments on your plate, you decided to take advantage of the break to catch up with Shoko. The two of you have become quite good friends over time, and her presence is a welcome relief from the sweltering heat. And you think that even under this hot summer this year, you’ll end up becoming better friends.

Shoko leans back against the tree, her posture relaxed as she takes a sip from her drink. She listens with a wry smile as you continue your tirade. You’ve been going on about Gojo Satoru for what feels like hours now, pouring out your frustrations about how annoying and insufferable he is.

“You wouldn’t believe it, Shoko. He just—ugh! He keeps showing up everywhere I go! It’s like he has a personal vendetta to make my life miserable.”

Shoko raises an eyebrow, her smile barely containing the amusement she’s clearly feeling. “And yet, you don’t seem to be able to stop talking about him.”

“That’s because he’s impossible to ignore!” you exclaim, waving your fan more vigorously. “He’s always so… so smug! Always grinning like he’s got some big secret. I can’t stand it!”

Shoko chuckles, taking another sip of her drink. “You know, the way you’re describing him, it almost sounds like you’ve got a bit of a crush.”

You nearly choke on your own breath. “A crush? Are you kidding me? I can’t stand him! He’s arrogant and insufferable. There’s no way I’d ever—”

Shoko cuts you off with a knowing look. “Oh, come on. It’s perfectly normal to be irritated by someone you’re secretly interested in. You’re practically obsessed with him.”

“I am not!” you insist, your face turning a shade redder as you realize how ridiculous you must sound. “I’m just... venting! He’s always there, poking at my patience, and it drives me insane!”

“Uh-huh.” Shoko says, clearly enjoying your flustered state. “And yet, you’ve been ranting about him for an hour now. You don’t do that with just anyone.”

You huff, crossing your arms defensively. “That’s because he’s a special kind of irritating. There’s nothing romantic about it, Shoko. It’s purely aggravation!”

Shoko leans in, her expression teasing. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say. But if you don’t want to talk about Gojo, maybe we should switch topics.”

Before you can respond, a familiar voice calls out from behind you. “Hey, I didn’t realize I’d find you here.”

You turn to see Gojo Satoru standing a few feet away, his sunglasses reflecting the sunlight in a way that makes him look even more infuriatingly cool. Beside him was Geto Suguru, who had a face that reflected yours. He was, you supposed, as done as you were with the man with bright cerulean eyes. You purse your lips. He’s grinning, that same smirk plastered across his face as he casually approaches.

“What are you doing here?” you demand, trying to keep your irritation in check. “This is a private conversation, Gojo. Leave us alone.”

“Yeah, Satoru.” Geto parrotted back, his hands in his pockets. “Leave them alone!”

Gojo just laughs, seemingly unfazed. “How cold! I was just passing by and thought I’d say hello. But it seems like I’m interrupting something. Were you talking about me?”

Shoko suppresses a grin behind her drink as you try to regain your composure. “No, we were just—”

As Gojo stands there, still grinning, Shoko decides to have a little fun. She leans in, looking as though she’s about to share a juicy secret. “Actually, I was just telling her how annoying you are,” she interjects with a playful nudge. “In detail too. Nothing was held back.”

Gojo’s smirk only widens, clearly amused by Shoko’s teasing. Before he can respond, Geto Suguru—who has been hovering just out of sight—steps into view. He’s carrying a large bag of sweets and looks somewhat frazzled, his usual cool demeanor slightly ruffled. He looked so worn out, you think. Much too much heat and Gojo, you feel for the guy.

“Honestly, you should have called me. Geto says with a grin, eyeing both you and Shoko. “I have a lot more to share about this freak.”

You turn to Geto, eyes wide in surprise. “What did you just call him?”

“HUH!? Suguboo, how dare you call me a freak?” Gojo’s voice rises in mock outrage, his face turning into an exaggerated scowl.

Geto rolls his eyes, clearly unbothered by Gojo’s antics. “You dragged me around Tokyo to buy sweets all day. I can’t feel my body anymore.” He crosses his arms over his chest, his expression one of mild exasperation. “You’re currently not on my good side.”

Gojo throws a hand up in dramatic defense. “Hey, I had to make sure you didn’t miss out on the best sweets Tokyo has to offer! It’s not my fault if you overindulge.”

Geto shakes his head, still grumbling. “I’m pretty sure it was more than just overindulgence. I was about ready to collapse by the end of it.”

Shoko laughs, thoroughly enjoying the banter. “See, you’re not the only one who has complaints about Gojo. Even Geto here has his grievances.”

You look from Shoko to Gojo and then to Geto, feeling a mix of amusement and relief. The dynamic between the three of them is light and playful, and it’s clear that there’s a strong sense of camaraderie, despite the occasional grumbling.

“Well, it’s nice to know I’m not alone in my irritation,” you say, letting out a small chuckle.

Gojo’s grin turns into a more genuine smile as he turns to you. “Hey, don’t be too hard on me. If I’m really that annoying, at least I’m entertaining.”

Geto snorts, clearly unimpressed. “Entertaining or not, you owe me for today. We’re going to need a serious dessert break after all that.”

You nod in agreement, feeling more at ease with the situation. “Agreed. And Gojo, don’t think you’re off the hook just because you showed up here. I’m still not happy about you popping up everywhere I go. You’re so annoying!”

Gojo raises an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Annoying, huh? Well, I guess that’s one way to describe me. But if I’m annoying, why do you keep bringing me up?”

You groan, feeling the heat on your face increase, whether from the sun or from embarrassment you can’t tell. You didn’t want to know.  “Oh, just go away. We were having a perfectly nice conversation before you showed up.”

Gojo chuckles and leans casually against the tree. ��Well, I was hoping you might invite me to join you. But if I’m that annoying, I guess I’ll just have to prove I’m not.”

Shoko looks between you and Gojo, clearly enjoying the scene. “You know, it’s kind of nice to see you two together. It’s like watching a rom–com soap opera, but with crazy strong superpowers.”

You shoot Shoko a mock glare, though it's clear you’re not truly upset. The corners of your mouth twitch into a smile despite your best efforts to look annoyed. “Thanks for your support, Shoko.”

Suguru Geto, still holding the bag of sweets, grins broadly. “Shoko, you and your talent for fueling fires. I swear, you live for this kind of chaos.”

Shoko, not missing a beat, gives an exaggerated bow. “Anytime, folks. I’m here for your entertainment. It’s my specialty, after all.”

Geto chuckles and shakes his head. “I’m starting to think you enjoy stirring up trouble more than actually helping out.”

“Maybe,” Shoko admits with a playful glint in her eye. “But where’s the fun in being boring?”

You can’t help but laugh at the exchange. It’s moments like these, filled with light-hearted teasing and genuine friendship, that make summer breaks so enjoyable. The heat of the day, the annoyances of the past, and even the unexpected encounters with Gojo seem to fade into the background as you relax with friends who make even the most mundane moments entertaining.

“Well…..” you say, still smiling, “if I have to deal with more of Gojo’s antics, I’m glad I have you two around. It definitely makes the experience more bearable.”

Shoko grins, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “We aim to please. Just remember, if Gojo starts getting on your nerves again, you know where to find us.”

“Absolutely.” Geto adds, lifting the bag of sweets in a mock salute. “And if you need more sweets to get through it, I’ll be your guy. Though, I can’t promise I won’t complain about it.”

“Oh, Suguru! There’s a Digimon-themed café nearby!” Gojo exclaims, excitement clear in his voice as he checks his flip phone. His eyes are practically sparkling with enthusiasm as he waves the phone in front of Suguru and you.

Suguru Geto, clearly exhausted from the earlier sweet spree and the relentless summer heat, groans. “Hehhhh, I don’t wanna go anymore, Satoru. I’m tired.”

Gojo, however, is undeterred by Suguru’s reluctance. He leans in, practically vibrating with eagerness. “Suguru, please! You can sit down throughout while I do my thing. They have card trades going on there right now! You know how rare those are.”

Suguru looks at Gojo with a mix of amusement and frustration. “Card trades? Really? Is that what’s got you so worked up?”

“Yes!” Gojo says, his voice rising with a mixture of pleading and excitement. “I’ve been looking for a specific card for ages. This is my chance!”

You watch the interaction with a smirk, enjoying the dynamic between the two. Suguru’s exhaustion is palpable, but Gojo’s enthusiasm is infectious. It’s clear that Gojo is determined to drag Suguru along, no matter how tired he is.

“Come on, Suguru!” Gojo continues, his tone softening as he tries to appeal to Suguru’s better nature. “Just a little while. You can rest while I geek out over the Digimon stuff. And there’s bound to be something good for you too, right? Maybe a nice, cool drink or something.”

Suguru sighs, clearly defeated but not entirely unmoved. “Alright, alright. But if this turns into another full day of Gojo dragging me around, I swear I’m going to collapse.”

“Deal!” Gojo says, beaming with satisfaction. “I promise we’ll keep it short. Just a quick visit, then we can head back. I owe you one, for real.”

Shoko could only sigh as though this is the hundredth time today. “Looks like we’re going to a cafe.”

“How do you deal with this everyday, Shoko?”

She shakes her head. “Believe me, you do not wanna know.”

As the four of you make your way to the café, you can’t help but chuckle at the contrast between Gojo’s boundless energy and Suguru’s weary resignation. It’s moments like these that highlight the unique blend of personalities and friendships that make summer days so memorable.

When you finally arrive at the Digimon-themed café, the atmosphere is lively, with colorful decorations and enthusiastic fans trading cards and chatting about their favorite characters. Gojo is immediately in his element, diving into the card trades with a fervor that makes you smile. 

Suguru, though still looking a bit tired, finds a comfortable spot to sit and relax, occasionally glancing over at Gojo with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Shojo sat beside you, sipping her cold peach iced tea. For a moment, the three of you look at Gojo and think he seems almost like a child.

“You’re a trooper, you know that?” you say, handing him a cool drink you picked up from the café. “I don’t know what I would do if Kusakabe dragged me half across town for a Digimon card.”

Suguru takes a sip and smirks. “Yeah, well, it’s not every day you get to see Gojo this excited. I guess it’s worth it. Plus, more excitement for him means he’ll be less active at the dorms tonight and not bother me.”

“That….” You paused. “So he runs out of energy too, huh?”

Suguru nodded. “Well, Satoru is a human being too. He gets tired too.”

“I think I like this version of him better.”

Shoko snickers. “You sure you don’t like him?”

“Now, now. Don’t scare them away, Sho.” Suguru smiles back at his friend. “If anything, they might be the last shot for Satoru to be a human being. After all, love makes one completely human.”

“B–but that’s not….. I don’t like him like that! He’s annoying and I just….”

“Denial that sounds like absolute lies is wasting Mother Earth’s air, you know?”

You shoot Shoko a playful glare, but your frustration is tempered by an internal chaos that’s increasingly difficult to ignore. Gojo, completely absorbed in his Digimon card quest, is a whirlwind of excitement and enthusiasm. His eyes are locked on the card he’s been wanting, and the moment he finally acquires it, his face lights up with an infectious joy that makes it hard for you to look away.

As Gojo gushes over the card and exchanges high-fives with fellow fans, you’re left sitting at the table with Shoko, trying to make sense of your own turbulent emotions. Your mind feels like a jumbled mess, caught between irritation and a confusing, unwelcome admiration. The way Gojo’s energy radiates around him, how his excitement seems to draw everyone in, including you—it’s all so bewildering.

Every time Gojo moves closer, whether he’s showing off his latest acquisition or simply passing by with that characteristic, carefree swagger, your heart races a little faster. It’s a reaction you can’t quite explain, and no matter how much you want to deny it, it’s becoming increasingly clear that you’re affected by him more than you’d like to admit.

You glance over at Shoko, who’s watching the scene with an amused expression. “How does he do it?” you ask, more to yourself than to her. “How does he make everything seem so... effortless?”

Shoko’s eyes sparkle with mischief as she leans back in her chair. “Oh, come on. You know exactly how he does it. It’s the same way he manages to get under your skin so easily.”

You try to ignore the heat rising to your cheeks, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the way he gets so wrapped up in things. It’s like nothing else matters to him.”

Shoko chuckles softly. “It’s his passion. It’s what makes him who he is. And it’s probably why you can’t seem to get him out of your mind, even when you try.”

You groan, running a hand through your hair in exasperation. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. I thought I had him all figured out, but every time he’s near, it’s like everything I thought I knew just... unravels.”

Shoko’s grin widens as she takes a sip from her drink. “Sounds like you’re having a hard time sticking to your own rules. Maybe you’re just more affected by him than you want to admit.”

You shoot her another glare, but this time it’s softer, tinged with resignation. “Yeah, well, thanks for pointing that out. I really needed the reminder.”

As Gojo returns to your table, holding up his prized card with a triumphant grin, your heart skips a beat. His enthusiasm is undeniable, and despite your internal struggle, you can’t help but be drawn to his infectious energy. He flashes a quick, radiant smile in your direction before turning his attention to Suguru, who’s still looking somewhat worn out but is clearly amused by Gojo’s excitement.

“Look what I got!” Gojo announces, waving the card in front of Suguru and you. “It’s the one I’ve been searching for!”

You try to muster up a response, but the sight of Gojo’s unabashed joy and the warmth of his smile make it difficult to focus on anything else. Your heart continues to beat faster, and despite your best efforts to keep your feelings in check, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Gojo’s presence has a profound effect on you.

Shoko leans in closer, her voice a soft tease. “Looks like you’re in for an interesting summer. Who knows? Maybe there’s more to this adventure than just the heat.”

You let out a soft sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and acceptance. As Gojo continues to share his excitement with Suguru and the other café patrons, you find yourself caught up in the moment, realizing that no matter how much you try to resist it, Gojo Satoru is undeniably a part of your world now—one you can’t seem to escape, no matter how hard you try.

“I’m craving some ice cream, it’s still too hot.” You muttered under your breath towards Shoko. “I’m going to go and buy some.”

“You want me to go with you?” Shoko asked, looking up towards you. 

You shake your head. “I’ll need some time to think for a bit. Besides, it's just around the corner.”

She nodded back at you. “Okay, then call us when you come back. Gojo might be here a while, the nerd he is.”

“Sure.” You managed to mutter as you walked off.

It didn’t take you long to get to the ice cream store. You settle into a corner booth, hoping the relative solitude will give you a chance to cool down both physically and mentally. The air conditioning provides a much-needed respite from the relentless summer heat, and the cold, creamy sweetness of your ice cream is a soothing balm for your frayed nerves.

Despite the comfort of the cool air and the calming effect of the ice cream, your mind refuses to be at peace. It keeps drifting back to Gojo Satoru—his teasing words, that infuriating grin, and the effortless way he seemed to handle everything while you were left feeling like a tangled mess of frustration and confusion. You replay the scene in your head over and over, each replay adding another layer to your mounting exasperation.

You stab your spoon into the ice cream with a little more force than necessary, your frustration spilling over into the simple act of eating. The satisfying crunch of the spoon hitting the ice cream echoes your internal struggle. You're so lost in your thoughts that you don't notice the door of the shop opening until a familiar voice breaks the silence.

“There you are.”

You freeze, spoon halfway to your mouth. Slowly, you look up to see Gojo Satoru standing in the doorway, his tall frame casting a shadow over your table. He’s got that same easygoing smile on his face, but there’s something different about his expression—something softer, almost hesitant.

“Where’s Suguru and Shoko?”

“They wanted to stay behind to rest up.”

“....Makes sense. You drained them up from energy.”

“Mind if I join you?” he asks, not waiting for an answer as he steps inside and takes a seat next to you at the small table.

You can’t help but feel a surge of panic mixed with irritation as you watch Gojo settle into the seat next to you. Of all the places in the city, why did he have to find you here, in this tiny ice cream store where you’d sought refuge from the chaos of the day? The familiar flutter in your chest is back, and despite your efforts to remain calm, your heart races as he sits down across from you.

Gojo’s presence feels overwhelming, and the proximity only amplifies your confusion. You can’t seem to reconcile the image of him as the carefree, teasing troublemaker with the more subdued, almost earnest expression he wore earlier. The combination of his unexpected arrival and the emotional turmoil from the day makes it hard to focus on anything else.

For a moment, neither of you speaks. The only sounds filling the space are the steady hum of the air conditioner and the occasional clink of your spoon against the bowl of melting ice cream. It’s a stark contrast to the earlier energy of the café and the animated conversations you’d been a part of. Now, the silence feels almost oppressive, adding weight to the tension hanging between you.

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, trying to focus on the ice cream, but the act of eating feels mechanical, a mere distraction from the growing unease. Each clink of your spoon against the bowl seems louder than it should be, amplifying the silence and making it harder to ignore the pounding of your heart.

Gojo, seemingly unfazed by the silence, takes a casual sip from his own ice cream. His relaxed demeanor is in sharp contrast to your internal turmoil, and it only serves to heighten your frustration. You want to break the silence, to say something that will diffuse the tension and make sense of the situation, but the words elude you.

Finally, Gojo breaks the silence, his tone surprisingly serious. “Was it really that bad?”

You blink, confused. “What… what do you mean?”

He leans back slightly, his gaze meeting yours with an intensity that catches you off guard. “That I like you. Was it really that bad to hear?”

“......I’m sorry, what?”

Your breath catches in your throat, and you suddenly feel the urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all. But the words won’t come out. Instead, you’re left staring at him, wide-eyed and completely at a loss for what to say.

Gojo’s expression softens, and he gives you a small, almost shy smile. “I’m not the best at being subtle, I know. But I meant it. I like you.”

Your heart skips a beat, and in your shock, you try to respond—but instead of words, all that comes out is a choked gasp as you accidentally inhale a spoonful of ice cream.You start coughing, the cold dessert lodged in your throat as you struggle to catch your breath. Gojo’s eyes widen in alarm, and he quickly reaches over to pat your back, trying to help you out. 

“Hey, hey, easy! Are you okay?”

You manage to swallow the ice cream, though your throat still feels cold and tight. Your face is burning with embarrassment, and you can barely bring yourself to look at him. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine… I just… you just…”

Gojo lets out a relieved laugh, though there’s a hint of concern in his eyes. “Sorry, didn’t mean to shock you that much. I guess I should’ve picked a better time to say it, huh?”

You don’t know how to respond. Your mind is a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, disbelief, and something else you can’t quite identify. The fact that he just confessed, out of nowhere, is overwhelming, to say the least. He waits for you to say something, his usual playful demeanor tempered with genuine concern. 

“I’m serious, though. I know I tease you a lot, but that’s just because I like being around you. You’re fun, and… well, I like you.”

You feel your heart pounding again, and you’re not sure if it’s because of his words or the way he’s looking at you. It’s different from his usual teasing gaze—there’s a sincerity in his eyes that you’ve never seen before.

“I…” You struggle to find the right words, but nothing comes out the way you want it to. “I don’t know what to say.”

He smiles, that playful edge returning just a bit. “You don’t have to say anything right now. I just wanted you to know how I feel. But… if it’s too much, I’ll back off.”

You shake your head, feeling a mix of emotions too tangled to sort out. “No, it’s just… I wasn’t expecting this. At all.”

Gojo’s smile softens, and he reaches out, gently taking your hand in his. “It’s okay. We don’t have to figure it all out right now, okay?”

You nod slowly, your mind still reeling from everything that’s happened. As he sits there beside you, holding your hand in his, you realize that despite all the teasing and frustration, there’s something undeniably real about the way he’s looking at you now. Maybe, just maybe, this summer heat isn’t the only thing making your heart race.

Gojo’s hand is warm against yours, and the feeling sends a flurry of butterflies through your stomach. He’s still looking at you with that playful grin, but there’s a tenderness in his gaze that makes your heart flutter.

“Sorry for springing this on you out of nowhere.” he says, his thumb gently brushing over your knuckles. “But I couldn’t help it. Seeing you all flustered and cute earlier… I just had to tell you how I feel.”

You glance down at your hands, trying to process everything, but all you can focus on is the way his fingers are interlaced with yours. It’s surprisingly comforting, and you find yourself feeling a little less overwhelmed by the situation.

Gojo leans in a bit closer, his voice dropping to a soft, teasing tone. “You know, you’re even cuter when you’re flustered. I might have to make it my mission to see that expression on your face more often.”

You feel your cheeks heat up again, and you instinctively try to pull your hand away, but Gojo holds on gently, his smile widening. “No escaping this time. You’ve caught my attention, okay?  I’m not letting go so easily.”

You huff, trying to sound annoyed, but it comes out more flustered than anything. “You’re such a pain, Gojo.”

“Ah, but I’m your pain, right?” he quips back, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

You roll your eyes, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. “I never said that.”

“Well, I’m saying it." he replies, leaning in even closer until you can feel his breath against your cheek. “And I think you secretly like having me around, even if you won’t admit it.”

You’re about to protest, but the words catch in your throat when you see how close he is. His face is only inches from yours, and the playful grin has softened into something more sincere.

“I like being around you, you know?” he murmurs, his voice gentle. “Even if I drive you crazy sometimes.”

You swallow hard, your heart thudding in your chest. There’s something incredibly endearing about seeing Gojo like this—still teasing, but with a softness that makes your heart melt.He pulls back just enough to give you a bit of space, his expression turning thoughtful.

 “You know, I’ve had a lot of people in my life, but no one’s ever made me feel the way you do. It’s different with you… in a good way.”

You blink, taken aback by the honesty in his words. “Really?”

“Really.” he says, his smile warm and genuine. “You’re special to me. And I don’t want to let go of something that feels this right.”

Your heart swells at his words, and for a moment, you forget all the teasing and frustration. All you can think about is how sincere he’s being, how much he actually cares.

Gojo must notice your softened expression because he chuckles lightly, his eyes twinkling. “Now, I know this is a lot to take in, but… would you mind if I tried something?”

You tilt your head, curious. “What?”

Instead of answering right away, he reaches out with his free hand, gently brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. His touch is featherlight, almost hesitant, as if he’s waiting for your reaction. When you don’t pull away, he smiles softly and leans in closer.

“Just wanted to see if you’d let me do this.” he whispers, and before you can respond, he presses a quick, gentle kiss to your forehead.

The contact is brief, but it’s enough to send a shiver down your spine. You stare at him, wide-eyed and speechless, while he pulls back, looking pleased with himself “There,” he says with a grin. “Now you can’t say I don’t have feelings for you.”

You finally find your voice, though it comes out more like a squeak. “Y-You… Gojo!”

He laughs, not at all fazed by your reaction. “What? Too much? I thought it was pretty sweet.”

You bury your face in your hands, trying to hide the furious blush spreading across your cheeks. “You’re impossible!”

Gojo just chuckles and gently pries your hands away from your face, forcing you to look at him again. “I might be impossible, but you’re stuck with me now. So… what do you say? Think you could handle having someone like me around a little more?”

You glance at him, and despite your embarrassment, you can’t help but smile. “You’re not going to give me much of a choice, are you?”

“Not really.” he admits, his grin turning playful again. “But I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

You sigh, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. Instead, there’s a warmth spreading through your chest that you can’t ignore. “Fine,” you say, pretending to be reluctant. “But if you keep teasing me like this, I’m going to get back at you.”

Gojo’s eyes light up, and he leans in with a smirk. “Oh, I’m looking forward to that. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

And just like that, the tension melts away, leaving you with a strange sense of contentment. You don’t have everything figured out yet, but with Gojo sitting beside you, still holding your hand, you think maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t mind figuring it out together.

[nilla03]

“𝐼 𝐶𝐴𝑀𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸 𝑇𝑂 𝐺𝐸𝑇 𝐴𝑊𝐴𝑌 𝐹𝑅𝑂𝑀 𝑌𝑂𝑈．“

𝐌𝐃𝐍𝐈🎀🪽

➾𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀,𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝘀𝗺𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲

You don't understand why you're so attracted to Logan. Maybe it was how closed off he was and you feel the need to crack through his shell but everything he did or said made you question your mental stability. You were both teachers at Mutant High, trying to help children with their gifts, but all you could think about was him. 

You needed time away from your classroom and him being around wherever you turned was exhausting. "Y/N?" Your best friend answered your call. "Are you okay? I haven't heard from you in forever." 

You sighed. "Yes I'm more than okay, I've been so caught up in all this teaching stuff that I haven't had time to answer the phone… I was wondering if we could go out tonight and maybe get some drinks?" 

You heard her shuffle around getting her stuff put together, "Of course I do!? Text me the place and I'll meet you there" You smiled "There's this bar by the school, I'll get ready and send you the address." You both say your goodbyes while you start to get ready for the night.

"Getting ready for a night out feels so much better when you don't have to follow a dress code," you said to yourself. 

You collected all your belongings and walked down to the entryway before you were stopped by a curious voice.  "Where are you going?" Storm asked with a smug tone. You giggled, "I'm going out, I just need a little break," you smiled at her. "Don't be out too late, you still have a job to do." You wave her goodbye and make your way to your outing of the night. 

You met your best friend in front of the bar, and her face changed into a big smile "Y/N!" She yelled out as she ran up to you, pulling you into a hug. You smile at her. "You act like I've been gone for a year," you laugh. "Darlin' it's felt like a year" 

You guys both walk into the bar. It's run down but in a rustic way. "It's kinda cute in here," your friend says, you both take a seat in the bar area. After being seated, you guys talk and order your drinks.  

"So, tell me about everything since you've been away." You tell her everything, from bad students to annoying acquaintances, and then you bring up Logan. 

"I'm so mesmerized by him that I can't even focus on my job F/N, it makes me so angry, he's like an egg that I cannot crack but at the same time, he's everything that I want." 

Your friend takes a sip out of her martini glass. "I completely get it. That man is 300 pounds of pure muscle and sexiness." You move your nail around the top of your glass ."It isn't even his looks, it's his attitude and his personality. Don't even get me started on his hair." Your friend gives you a look as you continue to rant. "He's so infuriating as well, he has to know how I look at him at least but no, he ignores me constantly." 

You could sense someone taking a seat by you but you ignore it. "Logan is just so sexy too, I don't even understand it" You could feel the liquor kicking in as you said it.

"Now I'm sexy? I thought I was infuriating." You gasp as you turn face-to-face with Logan himself. "I'm gonna give you guys a second." Your friend gets up and leaves the bar table. "Why do you have to be everywhere I go? I came here to get away from you."

You sigh at him. You couldn't help but look from his chest up to the cigar in his mouth. 

"Maybe you just can't help being around me," He said with a shit-eating grin on his face. You scoff at him and shake your head as you watch him put his drink down. "That attitude is going to get you into trouble so I suggest you put it away, doll." 

"I'm going to the bathroom." You quickly get up and make your way to the bathroom to get some space again...

You stand in front of the restroom mirror, hands against the counter, keeping yourself steady, when you hear someone walk in.

"Someone is in here!?" You yelled out but then you heard a rough voice respond, "I'm aware." The smell of pinewood and cigar smoke fills your sense of smell as he walks up close to you, caging you in, his arms on each side of you. "Why couldn't you just tell me how you felt, I don't bite, doll." You looked up at him "Because it would never work, we don't work Logan." He pushes the hair out of your face and looks down at your lips.

"How do you know if we don't try." He says while pulling you by the nape of your neck into a rushed kiss. You both are breathing heavily, he pulls himself out of the kiss eyeing your plump lips, and looking back at you, his eyes were so intimidating. He grabs your hips and spins you around, your ass is pressed up against him letting you feel his god-given gift. His hands slip under your dress and eagerly slip off your panties. You watch him take off his belt in awe.

He's so big.. he bites his lip while he strokes himself before he slides into you. You gasp at how it feels, it feels so good. His dick is heavy as he rocks into you, the rough pace letting you feel how bad he wants you, letting you feel his every need. The deep, irregular pumping of his dick leaves your mouth agape, moaning out his name like it's the only thing you can remember. He watches both of you in the mirror, watching himself go in and out of you. "God you're so fucking tight."

Your hand pulls at his hair as you feel his teeth graze your neck, you gasp and push your face into the crook of his neck. The choked-out groans he let out had you so close you could feel the pleasure on the tip of your toes.

"Logan, I'm getting close" you sigh. "Hold on baby, I'm almost there." He growls out into your ear, his hips snapping into yours.  His thrusts get sloppy as you feel him getting so desperate for a release "Look at the mirror while I make you finish all over me, doll,” he says, pulling your hair in the direction of the mirror. You both cum with each other, he chuckles as he places kisses against your neck. "Give us a chance Y/N, because even if you didn't know it, I needed you for so long that it hurts." 

You went to reply as you heard a knock at the door "Y/N are you good!? I have to go!" You scramble to find your panties you catch Logan putting them in his pocket while putting his cigar back into his mouth. “Keeping these”

[jjks1ut]

Need Help?

pairing: nanami x reader

summary:with the upcoming test you have for biology your boyfriend has quite the sly way to help you study.

cw:explicit content, edging, cockwarming, pet names, sexual tension, fingering, spanking, overstimulation, praise, teasing

a/n:here I am with some more jjk content since I've been lacking in my posting for the past few months with school and all, hope this is a read you can all enjoy as always ;)

You still can’t believe how you ended up here, but there you were nestled on Nanami’s lap at his place with his cock right there at the walls of your clenching wet pussy. There you sat with all your clothes strewn into some pile on the floor while he sat there practically half clothed giving you that ever so smug look while you mercilessly begged for his pleasure barely able to move with the tight grip he held at your waist. 

ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

You had just left your last class for the evening on a regular Friday night, it was the perfect time to be hanging out with friends and probably even get wasted at a club or two. But, with your most recent grade in biology dropping down to a 50% you grew a little concerned with the possibility of failing the next assessment that would be just the following Monday.

‘I advise you get yourself situated with a tutor.’,was your biology teacher's last words to you as she handed out the papers on your way to leave the lecture hall.

“What an asshole”, you thought to yourself as you made your way from the train station as you texted your boyfriend furiously about your frustration with the professor’s attitude.

 ‘Omg Kento I can’t believe my professor and her damn attitude, I know I need a tutor with my grade and all but she doesn’t have to be in my ass about it :(‘.  You texted him and like always you could already see he had read the message and was ready to respond in a matter of seconds.

‘Your grade? Are you failing a class?’, he had texted you, and you could already feel the overbearing concern from his side.

It had been known from the start of your relationship but your boyfriend Kento Nanami was a nerd, almost like the ones in movies. Constantly studying, always in the library, and you could never catch this man with a late assignment. Even if he was practically on his deathbed he would make sure he turned in that one history essay. 

And funny enough the way you two first met had been through him as your tutor in the first place when through enough sessions together you found yourselves in a heated make our session somewhere buried in the back shelves of the college’s library.

‘It’s nothing, it's just a simple 50%. The semester only started so by my next exam I should be able to fix it’, you texted back trying to make excuses for your poor scores, but you knew Kento wasn’t there for that bull where you would constantly procrastinate. 

As a new message flew into your inbox.

‘Cancel any plans you have, you're coming over to my place later to study’, he had texted back. 

‘Take a nap or whatever you need to do, I want you over before 7’, Nanami added as well. It was a strange request that even made you a little frustrated at how he was trying to order you around. 

Even so, you always enjoyed a good time at your boyfriend’s place. And, who knows, probably you’ll get something out of it by the end of the night ;).

So there you were just having woken up from a nap an hour prior as you began to get yourself ready. Luckily, you didn’t mind coming over either as you two lived just a block or two away as in just a matter of minutes you were already in front of his door ringing his bell.

“Hey”, he gave you a soft smile before wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you in for a soft kiss on the cheek. 

He may have been strict when it came to work and how he felt about grades but he wasn’t an asshole. He cared about you to the fullest extent he could at the end of the day

So As Kento was helping you with your jacket, put it in some closet nearby you could see he was clearly serious about studying. There across his coffee table in his living room was filled with worksheets, and even some books on the subject of biology. “Oh you meant actual studying?”, you whispered under your breath not even realizing he heard you. 

“What did you think we were doing?”. He questioned taking a quick look over his shoulder as he was bringing you two drinks back over to the coffee table as he made himself comfortable next to you.

“No nothing Nanami”, you laughed softly which coaxed a small smile as well from his previously stern expression. “Well, have some liquids in your system I know we’re gonna be doing a lot of talking”, he jokes back as he hands you your drink. 

“Oh shut up”, you teased back but taking the beverage even so.

ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

“Nanamiii, can we go on break.”, you whined to him as you dropped your pencil on the coffee table sitting back to give Nanami your best puppy dog eyes. You were sitting beside him on the couch only an hour and a few minutes into the study sesh yet already on your 10th break. But come on it wasn’t your fault when your hot ass boyfriend was right beside you watching you keenly as you worked. Like how the fuck were you supposed to focus when all that fogged your mind was thoughts of him.

From the way his well manicured yet veiny hands ran over your workbook reading over your work. The way he would constantly reassure you as his fingers ran long and languid movements along your spine bringing an ache to your core.

All these actions left you with nothing but scenarios of him fucking you from behind right there on that couch, kissing down your neck as his hands ran along your thighs, anything would make you calmer if it wasn’t for how handsome Nanami was even minding his own business.

“Are you listening?”, he called out as his palm was over your thigh, pinching it softly to catch your attention. You could see on his face he was slightly worried but a bit of annoyance lied in his face as well.  “It’s only been an hour since we started and at least 80% was spent on these breaks”, he frowned.

It killed you to see Nanami this way  when the last thing you wanted to do was piss him off. “I'm sorry it’s just I can’t focus alright? From the worksheets to the flashcards, do you have any other methods?” You spoke up as you watched a small grin form on his face and even a suspicious bulge peeking from the zipper at his pants.

ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

So there it finally was as Nanami’s cock was buried deep within the brim of your walls. “So remind me what the calvin cycle is, hm?”Nanami whispered low as his finger took a casual flick at your aching clit that was begging for his touch as he continued to edge you even so.

“N- Namai?, please you know I-,” you whimper. This had been going on for a third of an hour or so. Nanami would ask you a question from your study sheet he had set up for you  and you would answer. simple, right?

And without you even being able to finish your sentence another firm slap landed on your bare ass as he had slipped off your pants from earlier. 

“Wrong”, he spoke cockily. You knew your boyfriend was more experienced then he put on, as even during your first time together you never expected all that he had done that night. But what was happening here was nothing compared to the original Nanami you saw in this bedroom. Usually he was such a caring lover as he catered to all your possible needs during your passionate nights. 

Now a contrast was brought as Nanami was showing pure dominance not taking any of your whiny pleads as he brought another snap that you had mewling his name like a bitch in heat.

“Don’t act like you don’t like this, either way you better prepare yourself because until you can remember this entire sheet we’re gonna keep at this” he continued on forcing you to look right at him as if tears weren’t rolling right off your pretty little eyes. With his words you nodded as he gladly wiped your tears with a small comforting smile, “Good girl”.

“So tell me what's binary fission?”, he now asked as you tried your best even in your fuzzy thoughts brimmed with the feeling of Nanami’s member throbbing from inside you. “Um, does it have to do with things with a single cell”, you huffed out as you could already feel the way your legs shaked and quivered as you tried to hold yourself up with the firm grip he held at your waist, and you could already feel your eyelids grow heavy just the same.

Yet Nanami notices quickly moves his hands to your hips and pushes you up, so that you're around halfway down on his cock. you let out a small shudder, and you can tell your almost there just is not correct yet. “And, what else”, he spoke as he pulled your face in close with a firm grip on your scalp.

“Reproducing”, you answer immediately and almost just as fast you're rewarded. Nanami allows you to ride him again. you move up and down a little quickly, scared that your boyfriend will rob you of the feeling before it's even begun. And the entire time you watch as he eyes your eager appearance as he pulls you in from that pull he had on the back of your head for a sloppy and heeded kiss.

“Nanami~, I want more-”, you whimpered as you grinded up against him eagerly but the moment was quickly stopped as he grabbed at your hips again and brought a slap down on your ass once more. “Fuck-, just answer the next question and we can finish for tonight”, he groaned close to letting you keep up with your grind on his cock. 

Nanami knew this was supposed to be a sort of punishment for your lack of focus but your pretty face ever so ruined by the smear of your runny makeup, your perfect bare body out in the open for him to use as he pleased, at this point fuck the work he wanted you right over this coffee table fuckong your brains out. 

“Tell me what a cell is.”, he asked, simply giving you a confused look. “But, Nanami, that's not on the-”. Quietly your words are shut down with another smack as you whimper at the slam against your rear.

“Just answer the fuckin question”, he practically begged you, so once you dumbly stutter, genuinely unsure of the answer Nanami can’t even care if its right.

From there you’re bent over the coffee table as your eyes are drooping, body aching and face hot as you stutter out your dumbfounded words of pleasure.

:)

“We should study like this more often”, he chuckles as you curled up against his chest as you were watching some stupid movie on the tv in front of you two. 

“I bet you remember way more now.” 

[ghostytoad]

* Fun n' Games *

ROTTMNT Boys x GN! Leo-esque reader who enjoys drama, making jokes, and being overall awesome

Summary: The Hamato brothers unexpectedly fall for the smug, but genuine, fun-loving reader despite their egocentric habits

Headcanons for: Leo

GN! Reader; Romantic; Fluff, Mild Angst || Words: 2.3k

Raph | Donnie | Mikey | Bonus!!

Leo:

oho, hello good lookin'~ it's nonstop flirting and banter from the minute they met and it's not going to stop anytime soon

finally! someone who has a sense of humor and can appreciate a good one-liner or two! and they can dish it out as well as they can take it? be still, my beating heart!

leo genuinely finds it to be a gift from the gods that y/n shares his brand of comedy and will not let up on it when he's around them

the romantic tension between y/n and leo is so thick that he could probably slice through it with his odachi - it makes his brothers sick to have to listen to all the schmoozing but leo ADORES the flirting praise

the boy would bend over backwards for y/n; he'd sell his prized jupiter jim collectibles for them if they asked him to (maybe… he'd probably still keep one or two tho)

there's an unspoken and ongoing (very friendly) rivalry between them; leo and y/n are constantly looking to one up each other and it's getting to ridiculous levels of competitive; they won't stop until things hit "deadly" levels and one of them almost ends up getting hurt

even little everyday tasks become a competition for the two of them, there's just no end to their games

grocery shopping? betcha i can save more money than you! pizza night? i can stuff twice as many pizza slices in my mouth than you can. hanging out in donnie's lab? hoo boy, i guarantee i can make him snap first.

it's the bane of donnie's existence, considering he's the target of most of their shenanigans; if he has to endure another one of their "who can ruin donnie's day" games, he swears it'll be the start of his villain arc

mikey's the unofficial score-keeper and peacemaker when things get too heated between the two of them; although he's more likely to stoke the flames than intervene… he just happens to enjoy watching them get carried away (not that he'd say it to their face). definitely enables the chaos to a terrible degree

"no way, you know i totally had that game last night before you went on to blow up my spot with your little tackle! next time we portal our way onto the superbowl field mid-game, i'm leaving YOU on the sidelines and scoring that touchdown solo!" (concerned raph sounds in the background)

they've absolutely plotted to portal their way into "hard to access" places like the white house or splinter's secret lounge room, but raph and donnie made them promise not to do it for very different reasons (donnie doesn't want to have to bail them out if they get stuck and raph is just being raph)

leo and y/n's carefree attitudes combined has landed them into trouble with the law a few times, both in new york and the hidden city

together, they're banned from like 10 different places and they're legally not allowed within 100 feet of any magicians; leo's only explanation for that is "we couldn't tell if it was part of the costume or if the guy actually had a barber-stache and how were we supposed to know he was blind?!". to this day, no one knows what he's talking about.

leo would absolutely hide the evidence of a crime for y/n; he ain't no snitch either and he's not going to let his bestie take the fall for something that TOTALLY wasn't their fault! more than likely, he'd blame their antics on hypno or if it's something not so bad, splinter.

senor hueso has an entire wall dedicated to leo and y/n: The Wall of Failures and Stupid Mistakes That You Will Surely Learn Nothing From

it has photos of all the times leo and y/n went on a fun little adventure and ended up being taken hostage by a villain, thrown in jail, or overall just beat up (they're mostly selfies and yes, leo is smiling and posing in all of them)

he would never let y/n get into any major trouble and he has the common sense to remember that y/n is only human, so at the very least he knows not to do anything too dangerous when they're around; he's reckless but he doesn't have a death wish

"i'm all for a good espionage mission and all, but this is big mama we're talking about! i say we sit this one out and wait for another chance to come along so we can try on these rad bellhop uniforms."

the two of them have made it a point to announce their arrival anywhere by doing the team rocket motto; occasionally mikey or april will join in as meowth. they have the costumes to match and will inexplicably be wearing them every time they do it.

they truly enable the worst in each other; raph insists on tagging along as the unofficial babysitter to every little hangout because of their chaotic nature, meanwhile donnie has protocols for every possible "doomsday" scenario they could initiate with their little stunts. zombies or accidentally reviving the shredder is at the top of that list.

matching outfits are a big must for leo; someone as UH-MAZING as y/n is absolutely worthy of leo's impeccable fashion sense and there's no way he's gonna pass up a chance to twin with y/n. if they refuse to match with him for whatever reason, he will pout about it for days.

whenever leo is sad or feeling a little down, y/n is the first person he goes to for a little cheering up. they somehow know just what to say to make the boy feel like a champion. and no, he didn't give them a script to read off of! (he totally did)

even with all the flirting and pick-up lines, leo still dreads the thought of ever admitting his feelings to y/n; he's a confident turtle, sure, but that's just the face part of being the face man. he's secretly an insecure mess when it comes to them

will become a flustered mess if y/n genuinely compliments or praises him; he'll stutter for a good minute or two before finally snapping back to his suave cool guy persona (which doesn't fool anyone, he's OBVIOUSLY crushing hard)

after an unfortunate night of misadventure, leo's forced to confess to his feelings AND his crimes

Well, some adventure this was turning out to be.

"Get in there! Y'all got the right to keep yer traps shut!"

Yep. What a real swell time.

Being hauled away in a prison ball, headed to the Hidden City Police Headquaters, all the while Big Mama's men chasing close behind.

"So much for the adventure of a lifetime." Y/N hissed bitterly as they tugged and pulled from the tangle of limbs they found themselves in, trapped inside the small bubble with Leo tightly packed alongside them.

"Well, maybe if SOMEONE weren't such a slowpoke, we'd have made it back! And I'd like to say for the record, you are the WORST lookout. Maybe next time try to keep up, will ya?" the turtle spat back with a scathing glare.

Y/N could only muster a hearty scoff as they balled their fists, unable to throw a punch from how they were positioned. Their heel found a suitable landing in the direct center of Leonardo's plastron and dug in with a stomp, eliciting a pained groan from him and a satisfied smirk from Y/N.

"If you weren't so cocky, we might've ACTUALLY pulled off your little stunt! But nooo, Leo just HAS to get in the last word!"

"OHO, pot calling the kettle black now, eh?" Leo wore his signature smug expression and attempted to jab a digit into Y/N's forehead. Given the way his arm was caught between his bent thighs, he only managed a slight graze before opting for a flick instead.

The two bickered and took shots at each other throughout the trip, much to the chagrin of the arresting officials steering nearby. It was gonna be a long night for everyone.

At the station, Leonardo and Y/N were placed into holding together, both of them choosing to sulk in silence on opposite sides of the confined room. It wasn't until Y/N was being processed that the question of what to do with the human came up for the arresting officers. With Leo's odachi confiscated, it wasn't like they could just send Y/N home on their own, but they couldn't leave Y/N in the same cell as powerful, human-loathing yokai. Leaving the pair to stew in their anger, the officers left to deliberate on Y/N's fate.

Silence followed. Neither one wanting to give in to this bitter game of chicken, Leo instead let out a loud, exaggerated sigh.

Silence.

Irked by the lack of response, he threw his head back and gave a loud, guttural groan of frustration.

"Right. So you aren't talking to me." he rolled his eyes and forced his gaze back onto Y/N, who sat indignantly across from him on a cold cement bench, their knees held close to their chest.

Not even a glance back.

"Oh, come on! You can't actually believe this is my fault! If anything, you should be mad at the guard that threw us out and called the cops! He's the one who got us in this little mess!"

Nothing.

The silence tore at Leo's chest, his heart thumping heavily against his plastron as he dejectedly sat back against the cold wall. It was unlike Y/N to ignore him like this. With every second, the stillness became unbearable. This little adventure was truly a disaster, not just for the predicament the two found themselves in but also for the lengths Leonardo had gone to ensure Y/N would have a good time. So that HE would have a good time with them. It didn't matter to him that they could be facing time in prison. That whole deal was practically child's play to the mischeivious mutant. It didn't even matter that they faced a total ban from the mystic city itself. It was the fact that he might've dashed any chance he had of winning over Y/N's affections.

'You just HAD to fuck it up, didn't you? You had to go out and be an asshole!' a booming inner voice fed into his insecurity and the crushing weight was enough to curl the red-eared slider into a fetal position, his lower lip quivering as he fought back tears.

"I…" a sniffle broke Leo from the spiraling despair he'd been wallowing in, unsure if the sound came from him.

"Am I… holding you back, Leo?"

Another sniffle and this time, he was sure the sound came from across the room. Peering over at the source of the sound, he found Y/N curled in on themselves, little hiccups causing their small form to quake and shudder. They were crying.

"Y/N?" Shifting from the bench, Leo took a few hesitant steps towards them as his hand ghosted across their shoulder before pulling away. His face wrought with guilt and worry, he debated scooping them up in his arms and holding them tightly to him right then and there. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The thought of rejection stopped him in his tracks.

"I don't know why I do it. Why I try so hard to prove that I deserve to be around you." Y/N continued, their voice muffled as they buried their face in their knees. "I'm- I'm just a human. I'm not as strong. I'm not as quick. I can't compete with you and your mystic skills. I can't even keep lookout for you!"

"What? Y/N, no, you got it all wrong! Yeah, you're a human but I-"

"Just stop it! Stop!" Forcing back a loud hiccup, their head shot up to meet Leo's concerned gaze with a fierce, stubborn glare.

"You DON'T have to feel sorry for me and you DON'T have to keep me around! So why? Why keep me around when all I do is drag you behind?"

Their narrow eyes locked themselves with his, desperately searching his expression for any hint of pity. All Leo could do was chuckle, his concern melting into fondness.

"I don't feel sorry for you. Sure, you've looked better but I was so afraid I was the one holding YOU back."

"H-Huh? Me?"

"Y/N." The turtle sighed as he plopped himself down beside them, allowing their back to rest against his side as they unfurled from their little ball of sadness. "You ARE a human, yeah. But do you get how cool that makes you? You can do so much more than I ever could! Look, I might have my good looks, my mad skills, and my amazing charm, but you have that and more in… whew, in spades and for you, it's practically effortless."

As Leo moved to wipe a tear from Y/N's eye, he cupped his other hand on their damp cheek and with a tender tap of his thumb, he parted their lips slightly and moved in to plant his lips softly against theirs. The ghosting of his lips left enough room for Y/N to pull away if they felt uncomfortable. Instead he was nearly knocked back with the full force of Y/N's lips crashing against his, their body leaning over him and practically trapping him underneath their warmth. Leo's hands held firmly onto Y/N's sides and he eased himself back against the cold of the bench, breaking the kiss to let out a soft chuckle.

"I love y-"

"Well, well, well~ Looks like someone owes me 3 months of chores." a familiar, taunting voice hummed not too far from the two.

A jingling of keys had them both whipping their heads towards the now-open cell door, spotting the unmistakable, cocky face of Donatello leaning against the bars with crossed arms.

"D-Donnie?!"

"Yeah, yeah, you two can get back to your little makeout session. But I thought you'd like to know I paid your bail, you're welcome." He waved them off as he began down the hall. Some adventure this turned out to be.

Bonus comic: Leo definitely used his one phone call to call Señor Hueso

[enviedear]

i've been going solo now ⟶ ben solo

description ⌙ when you get a distress signal from your dad and his life-long goon you're quick to try and come to their rescue. only problem? so is ben solo.

pairing ⌙ smuggler!ben solo x f!reader

warnings ⌙ childhood crush/frenemies turned adults with horrible communication skills, reader is the daughter of lando (biologically or not you decide), ben is a jerk, reader is a brat, petty arguments, forced proximity trope, inner conflict all the time, han and lando are just two pals getting into serious issues that their kids have to fix don't mind them (they're just mentioned), most likely incorrect knowledge of the falcon & starship parts, smuggler!ben solo au because that's canon to me, ben calls reader kid (affectionate, kinda), typos probabaly

word count ⌙ 4.1k

— request | masterlist

i just think ben solo is very much solo by future coded and i wanted to write about smuggler!ben and his smug attitude. special thanks to @crucifiedfaerie for letting me gush over this idea constantly in our dms <3

you never had the stomach for killing— the thought of it or the act itself. the notion of ending someone's life has always been abhorrent to you, leaving a sour sensation in your mouth that lingers long after the deed is done. but right now, you sit, filled with a growing and seemingly unstoppable rage that practically demands blood.

"don't even think about jumping into hyperspace, solo!" your voice is loud but erratic.

the black-haired man piloting the ship gives you a side eye, "and waste hours getting there? sure thing, kid."

you grip the co-pilot seat as hard as possible as he sends the absolutely geriatric ship into lightspeed. the force of it sends your head back onto the headrest, and you screw your eyes shut until the motion of the ship stills.

you've been flying with ben solo on the millennium falcon for a day and a half now, and this isn't even the first time you've wanted to kill him.

no, you'd harbored a hatred for ben solo for as long as you could remember. when you were little your father frequently left you in the care of the organa-solo's. any trip too risky for you to follow him on had you spending time on chandrila han and leia— and ben.

he was a few years older than you and so insufferable - spoiled rotten and full of mischief. the two of you would inevitably end up in scuffles over something, whether it be who got to shower first or which holovid show to watch. you often wondered how your father, han, or leia had managed to handle both of you. a hardheaded pair of troublemakers that needed little excuse to start bickering with one another.

but beneath it all, there had been another layer to your complex relationship with ben solo. even though you feigned anger whenever near him, deep down there had been an admiration growing since those early days spent together. your naive heart fluttered when he would absentmindedly flash his ever-present smirk in your direction. but you'd never admit or act upon any such feelings.

naviagting your crush had been difficult at first. especially having lando calrissian as a parent. you were forced to spend weeks around the source of your teen angst because of your father.

what use is a dad that can sweet-talk a jablogian if he can't fix your unwanted crush on his best friend's son.

you've cursed at his image in your mind every time you look at your ridiculous companion. if not for him, you wouldn't be with ben right now— you'd have never had the displeasure of his company.

you got away from the young solo, and most everyone else, for a good five years, hopping from planet to planet, picking up any honest work. which usually meant boring work— factory jobs, service stuff, a few instances of babysitting.

your life without ben solo is predictable and a little boring.

but you'd rather be bored than deal with the recklessness that becomes your life every time you see the smuggler.

but here you sit beside him, forced to spend an unknown amount of days with him until the both of you find your idiotic fathers.

you had gotten a rouge comm-link message from your dad just days ago. he sounded fine, voice still leisurely and warm, but it was his words that were worrisome, "han's got us in a bit of trouble, little star. would you mind coming to help your old man out? we're somewhere in the trilon sector— i'd try batuu first!"

when you got the message, your mind had gone into autopilot. you had rushed to comm leia, which had been a fatal mistake, as she had ordered her son to pick you up and accompany you. so now you're here, stuck with ben solo and his frightening flying.

"you know, dad should have warned me i'd be flying with a coward." ben's lips are curved into a grin, as usual with his teasing.

you whip your head in his direction, eyes ablaze, "well my father should have warned me that you've gotten even more annoying, somehow."

ben narrows his eyes, a stupid smirk still plastered to his face, "whatever you say, kid."

you feel your blood go hot, why he decided to start calling you kid, you didn't know, but you do know you hate it.

ben's barely your senior, only twenty-three years of age in comparison to your twenty. besides he behaves like an out-of-hand teen away.

"stop calling me that." you groan.

ben chuckles, "aw, what's the matter, kid? tired of following orders already?"

you grit your teeth, the way he talks down to you will forever get under your skin, "i don't take orders from you, solo."

"sure you do. you're on my ship, remember?" ben retorts, his eyes focused on the coordinates displayed to his left.

you cross your arms over your chest, "we're supposed to be working together to find han and my father and get them out of trouble, not bickering like children."

ben rolls his eyes, "it's not my fault you're so uptight."

you take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. you can't afford to lose your temper and start a fight, not when you're relying on him to get you to your destination safely. so, you force a smile, "look, can we just be civil? we're both here because we care about our dads and want to help them."

ben's expression softens a little, "fine. but if you start nagging at me again, i can't promise i won't call you kid."

you roll your eyes, "deal. now, can you tell me more about what's going on? my dad was pretty vague in his message."

ben hums, "same with mine. all i know is that lando got mixed up in some kind of shady deal, and now he's in trouble with a gang of criminals called the ninth sun. my mom's been trying to negotiate with them, but they're not ones to bend the knee."

you groan, "of course not. what's the plan?"

he shakes a stray black strand of hair from his eye, "no plan, just find them and go from there."

"lovely, that's totally going to work," you bite your lip, "oh and, it was han who made the sketch deal, not my dad."

ben shrugs, "and who told you that?" he rests his elbow on the armrest and brings his hand to his chin, "lando?"

you clench your fists, "let's just focus on finding them. no need to dwell on the semantics."

ben glances at you and for a moment, you swear there's a flicker of something in his eyes. something other than his usual teasing, mischievous demeanor, but it's gone as quickly as it came and he turns back to the console.

the ship hums steadily beneath you, and the silence between you two stretches on, broken only by the occasional beep from the controls. you fidget in your seat, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar hush. you've never been around ben so long without saying anything, and you're about to speak up before he interrupts you.

"we'll have to make a pit stop, i need to refuel." his voice sounds tired.

you nod, "alright. any nearby planets we can stop at?"

ben checks the navicomputer, "yeah, there's one a couple of light years away. i've been there before, it's not too bad."

"okay solo, lead the way." you say, leaning back in your seat.

as he pilots the ship toward the destination, you can't help but study him from the corner of your eye. he's changed since the last time you saw him. the boy who used to pull your hair and steal your toys has grown into a man. he's lean and toned with longer hair, still as sable black as ever. it falls into his eyes, despite how much he wills it not to, giving him a slightly disheveled look that you can't help but find attractive.

you rue the thoughts plaguing your own mind.

the embarrassment you used to feel over your crush has come back ten-fold. the feeling shocks you. he's trying to act all suave and mature, but you know deep down that he's still the same old ben who annoyed the life out of you. you can feel the familiar tug in your heart every time he speaks, and you know he can't have changed much over the years. not when he's making you feel just like you're fourteen again.

but there is something different about him now. maybe it's the way he pilots the ship with ease– no longer the boy who'd cover his ears ar take off, or maybe it's just the way his muscles flex under his tight-fitting shirt. he's almost mesmerizing.

it's clear that he's been doing this for a long time, navigating the stars all alone with nothing but his shitty attitude and perfect hair. you find yourself marveling over him, sure and smooth, his hands deftly moving over the controls.

ever the realist, you try to shake off the feeling, but it's proving difficult. you feel a strange urge to preserve your current addiction.

as you watch him fly, you feel a fixation building within you. it's a sentiment you haven't felt in years, not felt since the last time you saw him.

you try to push the feeling down, knowing that it's not the time to have those kinds of thoughts. you're supposed to be focused on finding your fathers and not getting killed by some lethal syndicate, not lusting after your childhood nemesis.

you feel wrong stealing glances at him, trying to understand what's changed and why you're feeling this way. you're towing a dangerous, line. especially if those feelings are inspired by ben organa-solo.

finally, after what feels like hours, you arrive at the refueling station. as soon as ben lands the ship, you stretch your legs inside the falcon, looking out at the new scenery. the planet is bathed in the evening light, and the scene around you is wide awake. the station itself is a bustling hub of activity, with all kinds of alien species milling about.

ben leads the way to the fueling station, where he begins filling up the ship's tanks. you stand by the ship's entrance, people-watching. your eyes find ben's figure again, and you let them stall. when he looks your way, you advert your gaze and step out of the falcon, swiftly approaching him.

the evening air is cool as it hits your skin. this planet is a strange one, with vibrant purple plants and thick, white fog swirling around. but you don't pay too much attention to it, your eyes are locked on ben.

he's leaning against the ship, checking over the fuel meter with a frown on his face. you walk over to him and clear your throat, expecting to get his attention.

he looks up at you, eyes meeting your own. you feel your heart skip a beat, and you curse yourself for being soft for him.

"you know, you didn't have to follow me out here." he mumbles, hand coming to brush the hair from his eyes.

you hum, "i didn't have anything better to do."

he ignores you and looks back at the fuel gauge, his eyebrows furrow, "i found something for you to do." his voice is monotone, but you're all too familiar with the subtle cut of annoyance within.

"what does that mean?" you own voice comes out a bit too anxious.

ben groans before looking at you, "one of the damn tanks has a leak— i told chewie to fix that weeks ago." he follows up his words with a few curses before kicking the faulty gas tank.

you roll your eyes, "can't we just get another one? i'm sure if we go inside someone would know where we could get another one."

"the problem isn't finding one," he tsks at you, "the problem is that this tank has been leaking fuel into the beacon finder. without that, we're never finding our dear old dads."

your heart sinks. you had been so sure that you would find your dad quickly, but now it looks like that might not be the case. "so, what do you suggest we do?" you ask, crossing your arms over your chest.

"i'll have to fix the beacon," he sighs, "luckily i have the tools for it, but i need to find one more part, and with the sun setting soon…" he trails off, letting his silence complete the sentence for him.

you take in a deep breath at his implication. you can tell what he is suggesting without explicitly stating it.

you will be stuck on this planet with him tonight and forced to share the same cramped room. you thank god for separate cots, at least.

you try to ignore the warmth creeping up your ears, but you know that it's a losing battle. you haven't shared a room with ben solo since you were kids, endless unwilling sleepovers at each other's houses. but those instances were filled with innocent pranks and arguments, not the tension and longing glances you've found yourself giving him.

"alright," you say, trying to keep your voice even, "we'll just get the part and fix the beacon. the faster we fix this, the faster we can find our fathers and get back to our lives." you move towards the entrance of the fueling station, wanting to put space between you and ben.

"you mean so you can get back to your life." he calls out to you, and you look back at him only to be met with contempt in his brown eyes, "the one where you avoid me."

you give him a sharp eye roll before making your way toward a small gaggle of vendors, much more interested in finding this part. ben follows closely behind you, and you can feel the weight of his stare on the back of your head.

you're at a loss as to why ben solo would ever care that you've been avoiding him for the last five years. the ben you remember would've never batted an eye. when did that change?

you find a vendor selling the part that ben needs, and you both split the payment before heading back to the falcon. ben sets to work on the beacon, and you sit nearby, supposedly looking over the coordinates but mostly watching him work.

there's an abnormal sense of calm that fills you as you watch him. concentration is etched on his face, lips bitten bright red. you can't help but admire him, not for the sake of not trying.

you're brought back to reality when he starts cursing under his breath, "what's wrong?" you ask, moving closer to him.

"this damn thing won't budge," he grunts, trying to pry apart two pieces of the beacon.

you move to his side, peering down at the device. his breath is hot on your cheek, and you feel an urge to shiver. trying to focus on the task at hand you take a few breaths.

your eyes keep drifting to his lips, the way they move when he curses. you shake your head, trying to clear the inappropriate thoughts from your mind. "let me help," you offer, reaching for one of the tools he's using.

he hands it to you, and you lean in closer, your sides pressed together as you work the tool. you can feel his heat exuding into you, a warmth that isn't just from the planet's humid air. you try to focus, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. every time he moves, you catch a whiff of his scent, musky and rich, and your mind starts to wander to places it shouldn't.

finally, after what feels like an eternity, the piece pops free, and ben lets out a sigh of relief. he turns to you, a small smile on his face, and you can't help but smile back. his eyes lock onto yours, and suddenly, the air between you is charged with something foreign.

you let your tone come out sardonic, "looks like i saved the day. you're welcome, solo."

ben tilts his head, eyes narrowing, "you're a brat, kid."

"i thought i told you to stop calling me that." you want to hit him.

"i said i had a condition," he pauses, arms coming to either side of you, palms pressing into the falcon's floor, effectively trapping you against him, "a condition you just broke. so you're back to kid, kid."

you feel your resolve slipping, "you're the worst. you always have been, and i can see now that will never change."

he has the audacity to let out an amused breath, "if you're going to say shit like that, at least mean it."

your brows furrow, "pardon me? as if i don't mean that."

his hands creep from the ground and to your hips, you gasp as he pulls you in closer. if he were anyone else, you'd expect him to kiss you next, but he's not anyone else. so instead, he cranes down and whispers in your ear, his breath hot against your skin. "i know you want me," he growls, his fingers digging into your clothed flesh. "don't act like you don't,"

you're completely caught off guard, and before you can respond, he's pulling away from you and grabbing the beacon. you watch in silent horror as he makes for the falcon's exit, leaving you confused on the floor.

you sit there, rooted to the spot, your mind and body in turmoil. you know if you follow him you'd just be throwing yourself into a petty or embarrassing altercation.

what did he mean by that anyway? how could he possibly know?

taking a steadying breath, you turn away from your seat and make for the other side of the ship. you need to keep yourself busy until nighttime, and you know that there's some maintenance to do on one of the storage bays. when you get there, however, it's already been taken care of. your fists clench in frustration as you realize ben must have done it earlier.

you start searching around the ship for any other tasks that might help keep your mind off things and pass the time more quickly- checking cords, tidying up shelves or going through supplies lists so nothing gets low.

the hours seem to stretch on endlessly despite how much work you manage to do, and all too soon darkness begins to fill the sky outside of the cockpit windows. with a heavy sigh, you head back towards where you and ben had been working earlier. he's back now, tinkering away with the beacon as if nothing had ever happened between the two of you earlier— as if his words hadn't sent a tremble down your spine and confused the emotions tumbling through your mind.

you catch an expectant glance from him when he finally notices your presence. you're sure he's expecting you to say something to him. maybe he wants you to yell.

you don't say anything though, instead offering only a terse nod before checking the endless cords around you.

your fingers move quickly and expertly over the tangled cords, your mind too preoccupied to focus on anything else. but you can feel his gaze on you, burning through the back of your skull like a branding iron. his presence is suffocating and you know that if you don't get a handle on your emotions soon, you'll combust.

eventually, you're so lost in thought that you almost miss the soft footfalls approaching you. you turn to see ben standing beside you, his eyes locked onto yours. the air between you is thick with strain, unspoken words, and feelings. there are so many things you want to say to him, but you don't know where to begin.

"so," his voice breaks through the silence like a blaster shot. "when are we going to talk about it?"

you hear the depth in his baritone voice and it's all you can do to keep your face neutral, your thoughts collected, "talk about what?" you ask, even though you know perfectly well what he's referring to.

"about me and you," he says, voice low but insistent, "or we can just keep ignoring it. the tension seems to be getting us pretty far."

your expression shifts as you take in his words, the longing that had been coiled in so tightly before now coming to the surface. you can feel yourself flustering under the intensity of his watch but you refuse to look away, instead lifting your chin higher and narrowing your eyes.

"there is no us, solo," you say firmly, though your voice is riddled with a hint of something else entirely, "there never has been, and never will be."

ben seems unfazed by your words, his eyes steady and intense. "you say that," he says, his voice softening. "but i know you better than anyone else. and i know there's some part of you that actually likes me. i bet it pisses you off, doesn't it?"

he's right— it does piss you off that your heart can't seem to let him go. no matter how annoying you find him, he's beautiful and confident. and he does know you better than anyone. he knows what buttons to press and how hard. with ben, there's always the thrill of how perceptive he is— that he can see through the walls of anger and indifference you try so hard to build up around yourself.

you can feel your will crumbling under his words, your heart throbbing in your chest, but still, you push back, "even if there is something there, solo," you say, your voice shaking slightly, "it doesn't change anything. we're two different people living two very different lives."

ben smirks, "you don't know anything about my life."

you let your eyes roll, "as if the life you lead is some kind of mystery," you take a deep breath, "i mean, what's to know? you fly alone, smuggle, and rack up credits. that's your life, solo."

he hums, right hand finding a home beside your head on the wall, "you know me so well, kid. you should write a book."

you feel inexplicably hot, "maybe i will. a long book of all the reasons you piss me off."

he doesn't respond, just looks down at you for an uncomfortable amount of time. he pushes himself from the wall and you, twisting and letting his back hit the durasteel wall. his face is turned to you, eyes downcast.

"you know," he says finally, breaking the silence, "i remember when we were kids, it was always you who used to be the one to instigate. you probably don't remember it that way, but i do, and i loved it. you never hesitated. you were fearless."

you look at him incredulously, wondering what this has to do with anything. but he continues, "you were the only girl that would play with me, and not just that, the only one that could beat me. but then one day you just stopped. you ignored me completely."

you stiffen, unwilling to admit even through body language that he might be right. a pre-teen you found avoiding your ben sized crush the most viable option. you just never thought he'd care.

he continues, eyes unwavering from yours, "you used to look at me like i was the only person that mattered. and then, you just stopped. it's was like… like you had something to hide."

it's like he can read your mind because he reaches out and grasps your wrist in his hand. his touch is nice against your skin, sending a comfortable feel through your veins.

"i miss you, the girl who wasn't afraid of liking me," he whispers, his voice low and husky. "and i want you to admit that you miss me too."

you struggle to find words, to make sense of everything inside of you, but before you can speak, his lips are on yours. his kiss is hot and demanding, and instinctively lean into him, body melting against his in perfect harmony. his hands slide around your waist and hold you close as the kiss deepens, and you can feel all of the frustrations of the past slipping away. when he finally pulls back, his eyes are bright with emotion and a hint of a smile graces his lips.

he looks down at you for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "you want me to do that again?" he steps closer to you and cups your face in his hands, his eyes twinkling with amusement. you can feel the warmth radiating from his body and if it weren't for his strong arms around you, you would have melted into a puddle.

you nod slowly in agreement, too lost in the moment to say anything else. he leans down and brushes his lips against your cheek before pulling away completely, "then be honest. right here, right now. you like me."

you screw your eyes shut, basking in the shame of being found out, "i like you, solo. i like you a lot, but if you don't get off your pedestal and kiss me again i'll withdraw the opportunity."

he gazes down at you with an expression that's tender yet mischievous all at once. "i like you too," he whispers before chuckling lightly, you open your eyes to see.

his dimples are on full display, and for a second, he's the spirit of the little brat you fell in love with all those years ago. "c'mere, kid." his voice is soft as he pulls you back into him, lips meeting yours.

[picturejasper20]

"But adult Peri definitely seems more bitter/vindictive towards that sort of behavior (from both Dev and Irep) than he was when he was a kid. "

that just got me thinking- irep's main issue has always been his jealousy of peri. everyone loves/praises peri and he's super popular but they all hate irep and mock him constantly. and while peri was consistently the only person to treat irep fairly, he still lashes out at peri anyway. even in anw, he says that being told he's better than peri is "all he's ever wanted". but peri's attitude for irep in the new show is smug and gloating and unapologetic, and when dev behaves similarly peri is always quick to snap back at him. did peri just get sick of going in circles with irep at some point and his resentment from that failed friendship is carrying over into how he deals with dev.

It is likely

I think Peri is trying his best to deal with what would be a bomb full of anger and chaos in a 10 year old. He doesn't have much experience dealing with kids, that's why he doesn't know how to approach Dev.

Because, in spite of how much of jerk Dev can be, Peri keeps coming back. So far he hasn't give up his position as fairy godparent.

I think he learned from his experience dealing with Irep. That's why he often snaps back at Dev and gets into arguments with him. But Dev can be pretty difficult. He isn't easy to deal with and he is constanly trying to break the rules. Peri is just trying to do his best to guide him because he knows that Dev only wants friends and his father's affection deep down.

I wonder if he is going to find a way to make things work with Dev later on. It could be interesting if Wanda and Cosmo helped him with that. He needs someone to teach him how to get Dev better.

[munsonson]

Love Triangle ( Fem!Henderson!Reader Edition )

Henderson!Reader who is basically sunshine on a pair of legs, raised by a doting Claudia who constantly builds up her confidence and builds her into this teddy bear personified

Steve used to be kind of a dick to Reader in his King Steve phase. But for some reason Reader never held it against him; she was always kind to him, tried to see the good in him even if he didn’t deserve it. Most of the time it just made him feel like a dick.

Eddie befriended her during his second senior year when she was just a junior. He thought she was sweet, if not a little annoying with her do-good attitude. As a nonconformist, it’s severely hard to be friends with someone who still thinks it’s rude not to address the teacher with sir or ma’am.

When they both start liking Reader it was kind of like a telepathic note that they just KNEW the other liked them, too. And instantly it became some kind of dick swinging contest that only Reader was unaware of.

They both start ATTEMPTING to hang out with Reader more, but this usually just ends up with the three of them following her around like lost puppy dogs, carrying her bag for her or buying her sodas. Reader is just so happy b/c she gets to spend this time with her closest friends 🥰

Steve takes more after the chivalry role. He constantly opens doors for Reader and proceeds to slam it in Eddie’s face when he walks in after her. He also buys milkshakes with two straws for them to share but Eddie looks him dead in the eye and slurps that motherfucker, brain freeze be damned.

Eddie, on the other hand, is more like the playful role? He constantly tries to make Reader laugh by doing silly things and cracking jokes. Sometimes Steve trips him up and Eddie will fall on purpose just to see Reader giggle and help him up.

They go to the movies and do the yawn arm stretch thing at the same time and accidentally interlock their arms behind Reader’s head. She laughs and just grabs both of their hands, interlocking them with hers.

Steve always gets so excited when she visits him at work until she starts arriving with Eddie who’s just standing there all smugly beside her because he can dote and hug on her but Steve can’t because \\work//

Eddie’s so happy b/c Reader agreed to go to his Corroded Coffin gig and waves at her so happy from the stage until he sees her there with Steve who is giving Eddie this shit eating grin and waving at him, too. Eddie nearly contemplates breaking his precious baby guitar over Steve’s head.

Eddie and Steve pester Dustin constantly asking him who Reader’s favorite is and he’s just so mentally exhausted like ‘WHO. CARES.’

Steve hosts like a movie night and ‘conveniently’ Nancy and Robin both cancelled. Reader and Eddie shows up and Steve is APPALLED b/c Reader’s dressed in a Hellfire shirt, EDDIE’S Hellfire shirt to be exact. Eddie’s smug asf ofc. Plus he drove her here which makes it worse

Buuuuut Steve manages to convince her to cuddle up next to him b/c he’s a personal heater and has the fluffiest blanket. So she’s laying across his chest and Steve just smirks over at Eddie who’s pouting.

Steve likes to baby Reader a lot. Part of being the ‘babysitter’ makes him very…for lack of a better word, devoted? He just likes to take care of Reader, make her feel like she doesn’t have to lift a finger. He likes to buy her things and cook for her.

Eddie, on the other hand, likes to have fun with Reader. Go out and do stuff just the two of them whether it’s something stupid like just sitting together above the quarry or reading to each other in his bed. Eddie just likes those quiet moments with them b/c they’re so sweet and personal. He gets to talk about stuff he doesn’t normally

Eventually, after a long time of fighting over her the two of them finally ask her who she’d rather go out with. They won’t be hurt they just want her to be happy

Reader is confused b/c she thought all three of them were dating this whole time together?

[silverthehedgehogharacteristics]

Silver the hedgehog traits

Strong Sense of Justice (Driven to right wrongs in the world, spends most of Sonic Forces wanting to “settle the score”)

Hopeful Optimist. Believes “there’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces) and has a “positive way of life that inspires people and makes them want to cheer him on”(Sonic Channel Silver Introduction Story)

Kindhearted (Altruist with a strong desire to help others. Empathetic to the state of the world around him for both the environment and people. Wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world where everyone lived in despair(Silver Intro Story))

Has an “honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(SC Staff Column Wallpaper) and an enchanting smile(His smile fills Elise with trust and joy during their performance in Otherworld Comedy Act 4 and someone he serves apple slices to can’t say no to his smile even though they're full already)

Relentless Determination. Doesn’t give up easily (got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries)

Naive (Has a somewhat black and white perspective. Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future)

Forthright. Straightforward and Honest to a fault (He can’t lie) Wears his heart on his sleeve

Blunt and Rude (the rough side of being straightforward and honest) Quick to Insult people. He has no filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot. In Japanese he uses casual/informal impressions “Ore”(I) and “Anta”(You)(instead of the polite “Anata”), also points at people he talks to(rude gesture) and crosses his legs while sitting which is roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table. Silver is informal overall in contrast to his polite mannered inspiration Future Trunks. Silver’s rudeness is opposed to Eggman Nega’s over politeness

Focused. Goal Focused. (even during things like competitions. He says the Jade Ghost Wisp is the only item he likes because it let’s him disappear and focus on racing in the Team Vector interview) Straight-To-The-Point Mindset (seen throughout Sonic Forces)

Proactive

Not trusting. (Hounded Dodon Pa throughout TSR, was questioning Mephiles’ mission even as he and Blaze reaffirmed killing Sonic being the only option, took time to work with others in the Rivals series)

Hot-blooded, High-Spirited/Passionate (can get loud and carried away when riled up), Puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!), feels things strongly

Emotionally Immature (unregulated/unfiltered unlike the repressed Blaze). Hot Temper/Easily Angered  (like Blaze) fumes at Jet’s provocations in the 2012 Olympic Games

Rash and Reckless (Can deal with things too head-on or take on everything himself because of the strength of his feelings(Silver intro story) which can make him impulsive) Can be slowed down by doubt and indecision however

Brash, Abrasive and Juvenile (How he’s young and immature)

High Aggression (He can be feral). Determined Expressions and Aggressive Body Language even during competitions or tasks he's focused on. Needs to be held back at times (2012 Olympics, how his stoic partners help him). Often makes fists, punches things when he’s frustrated and gets up with his fists in Sonic Forces

Headstrong. Confrontational (Doesn’t take kindly to being treated like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy Act 8)

Competitive (Almost fights Blaze over who could deal with Orbot and Cubot on their own in Colors DS)

Confident in himself. Has a smug attitude about his abilities and trains regularly (said to make steady efforts in apple cutting wallpaper story, Talks about training a lot in Olympic Games)

Fierce Warrior (fought and struggled for most of his life in dangerous disaster/monster filled environments, almost as strong as Shadow, enjoys brawling, has no regard for pain, immediate fight response when surprised in Generations) Silver’s backstory is about him constantly fighting against Iblis, Iblis monsters and disasters like Flame Tornadoes for most of his life to bring peace to the world, due to this he is deeply committed to and appreciative of peace and prosperity but also has a pretty violent personality because of it

Can be ruthless towards his goals (has robbed, sneaked and killed before), Can “sometimes calls forth great power without mercy”(Silver Intro story). Silver inherits the pragmatic and somewhat ruthless “get-it-done” mentality from Future Trunks

Extremely Brave (No regard for his own safety. Fight response to danger) Undeterred by being kicked in the head by Shadow or smashed across the street by Sonic in Generations. Endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in the Silver intro story

Values bravery/directness and dislikes cowardice/cowardly tactics (Sonic Rivals 1+2, Team Vector Nintendo Dream interview)

Very Perceptive and Intuitive (possibly psychic intuition) has been a successful detective and solved problems by thinking in all his major game roles. Sees through Nega’s disguises by noticing small details

Blaze’s equal partner. Skilled competent person that can perform multiple different jobs including being a delivery boy, a butler and a celebrity genius skating coach. Other skills shown in 06 Town Missions include expert flying, sharpshooting (among the best in Soleanna’s 1500 year history), solving mysteries and being able to beat large hordes of enemies (His life in the 06 future+Town Missions 5,9,10,13,16 and 18)

A reliable friend that's protective of the people he cares about, stands up for others(Mario & Sonic 2020) and enjoys the peace he protects by engaging in cheerful activities (Silver Intro story)

Lives in Good Future Soleanna post 06(He was always intended to live there as that was the original reason he was going to be named Venice. Also inferred in his Sonic Channel intro story and Otherworld Comedy Act 4). Thinks things in Sonic’s time are dated (sometimes, in Colors DS and Rivals)

Introspective and Sentimental (Says his favorite moment in racing is seeing everyone come together and giving their all to a single objective)

Enjoys sightseeing, competitions and going on journeys(Olympic Games, Sonic Pict). Enjoys all the cheerful activities Soleanna has to offer

Has a mischievous side (Commemorative Illustration Series)

Might have a weakness for small cute things. (He plays with the Chao in Sonic Rivals 2 and a Nintendo magazine comic)

Often shown to like apples/apple flavored foods (Ate apple flavored calorie bars in the 06 Future according to Sonic Pict art)

Breathlessly enjoys seeing Smiles and Beautiful Scenery (World Peace, the reason there’s a maple leaf on his head) Because of his empathy he is sad to see these things destroyed but is also vicious to anything that threatens them. His feeling reflect the state of the world around him

Blue Skies and people living in prosperity make him feel at peace (in contrast to the apocalyptic devastation and suffering he’s experienced)

Taurus(Nintendo Magazine JP Interview) Enhancer-Emitter type. Enhancer being someone that is determined and simple, never lies, hides almost nothing, is straightforward in actions and thinking, whose words and actions are often dominated by their feelings and is very focused on their goals, and Emitter being someone that is impatient, not detail-oriented and quick to react in a volatile manner but can also calm down and forget easier

Polar opposite of Eggman Nega (Blaze’s best friend, Pure, Young, Honest, Rude, Empathetic, Impulsive/Reckless, Naive, Practical/Focused, Altruistic, desiring Peace and Happiness and being willing to die to protect the world in contrast to Eggman Nega being Blaze’s arch enemy, Twisted, Old, Deceitful, Polite, Psychopathic, Calculating, Sophisticated, Petty, Egoistic, desiring Chaos and Destruction and being willing to die to destroy the world)

Sources: English AND Japanese versions Sonic 06, Sonic Rivals 1 & 2, Sonic Colors DS, Sonic Generations, Sonic Forces, Team Sonic Racing, Mario & Sonic at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, Sonic Channel Stories, Sonic Pict art, Nintendo Dream Magazine articles with Sonic Team input, Sonic Team developer interviews and the Japanese cultural context behind Silver’s character

[dreamlandcreations]

Imagine being constantly worried...

Imagine being constantly worried that something goes wrong.

You were always the kind of person who expected the worst but ever since you joined the crew and got closer and closer with the red-haired captain, your anxiety has gotten exponentially worse.

Even though you trust Shanks and the crew and you understand that they know what they are doing, the risky situations and their carefree attitude still drive you half-mad.

Shanks values your opinion, expecting the worst is not always a bad thing, it can help you be prepared for when something bad actually happens and you have proven to be right plenty of times so he learned to listen. That doesn't change his reaction towards your nervous moments.

He always did his best to make you feel better. Turning the argument a bit ridiculous or joking about the danger and sometimes only smiling at you fondly was enough to melt the tension away and make you sigh and reluctantly smile back.

After you got together, he developed a new habit. First pecking your lips at every other sentence to interrupt you, then pressing in for longer and longer kisses until he feels you melt against him. He always smiles into your last kiss before he parts away. But you can't be mad at him for a second even as he radiates a smug, triumphant aura because you know that despite all his efforts at distracting you, he actually listened and he will try to be more careful because he doesn't want to you to worry.

[sunshine-zenith]

You opened up a can of worms with that post detailing Peri's apparent horrible taste in men and now I'm gonna subject you to my ramblings about it.

Like with peridale I see it as completely one-sided from Dale's end and he knows that Peri hates his guts but it doesn't matter to him.

With perirep it's more of an on-and-off thing (situationship?). And when things truly did end for good, Irep wouldn't really be over it and tries to get his attention.

The point I'm making is that I then thought about Irep x Dale and how that would just be a really terrible rebound. I think I saw one post about Irep being Dale's crooked lawyer to contrast with Peri being Dev's babysitter and how they interacted in the Battle of the Big Wand that inspired this.

But poor Dev man, everyone wants to get with his godparent.

Yesssss, I love all this — Dale and Irep rebounding with each other screams disaster, and a human AU where Irep is the corrupt lawyer totally works

Between baby Peri spending months trying to befriend the guy who was actively trying to kill him in the original show and Cosmo specifically wording Peri quitting on Dev as “he said you two were on a break, he was waiting for you to call!” I 100% see Peri as the type of person who, upon seeing a red flag, goes “I can change him”

In all scenarios involving him and Dale, I imagine it starts with Peri trying to get custody of Dev while not breaking any human or fairy laws — he just needs to be Dale’s spouse long enough to legally adopt Dev, becoming his legal parent and not just a godparent or stepparent. Dale almost certainly would be as bad a significant other as he is a parent lol, but he’d still be blindsided by a breakup/divorce. At some point, Peri realizes that underneath Dale’s layers of negligence, greed, and corruption, there’s more layers of trauma and daddy issues, and he can’t help but get invested

It isn’t worth it, but at least he gets Dev and (if he plays his cards right) some hefty alimony out of it

As for Irep… calling them a situation ship is perfect tbh. There’s so much history there, so much genuine positive and negative feelings on both sides. I deffo headcanon that they at least dated in the past (again, Cosmo’s wording about Peri waiting for a phone call felt very specific — possibly unintentional projecting, like that’s how Peri and Irep’s last attempt at dating ended). If you think about it, there were probably times where Irep was the most consisted person in Peri’s life (he ended up low/no contact with his parent after they retired and he basically lost his big brother. I can’t see Irep necessarily being his rock throughout this, but he was probably at least a steady figure).

I really love all the fanart of Peri and Irep co-godparenting Dev and I lowkey hope that if we do get a season 2, we get at least one episode with them doing that — it’s both incredibly funny and incredibly wholesome to think about

That said, I agree lmao, if they’re officially done done, Irep would be significantly less willing to accept it that Peri. Shoot, I’m pretty sure that’s a little bit the point they’re at in the episode Irep is reintroduced in — Peri barely gives Irep the time of day and acts smug when he brings Jorgen onto the scene, and attitude that probably comes from years of having your emotional investment in someone tossed back in your face

As for your last point, yes yes yes I am rotating Dev’s face when he realizes his godparent has such trash taste around in my head. He absolutely openly judges Peri and is constantly mortified. If you’ll tolerate me being wholesome for a moment, though… we see that between Dev stealing Hazel’s hat to protect her and him going back to save her from Vicky that Dev is actually very protective of the people he loves (a character trait I do plan on taking advantage of in my fanfics). I love the idea of him getting to the point of being protective of Peri. He’d see the type of people Peri dates and decides to sabotage those dates, possibly with Hazel’s reluctant help. It drives Peri up a wall, but let’s be real, it’s almost always justified lmao

(Cupid, whose known Peri since he was a baby and was likely an uncle figure to him, probably sees his pseudo-nephew as a disaster, but at least it keeps him busy)

[strayheartless]

Au where, instead of Degrading and deserting, Genesis goes poking around the Labs after his injections and finds three silver haired toddlers.

At first he is disgusted by their existence, because it’s clear they made from Sephiroth’s DNA. But then he pokes his nose in even further, reading file after file. He feels sick as he reads how Loz was a the first born from Hojo and Hollander grudgingly working with both Sephiroth and Angeals DNA. He positively throws up when he Reads Kadaj’s file and finds himself staring into the little boys face only to see himself at that age staring back.

Yazoo is a mix of sephiroth and someone labeled as “specimen I”. That one Genesis doesn’t know, but as he looks over the youngest -barely a toddler, still a baby really - he sees that old traumatised look that Seph used to carry around with him.

… so Genesis does what any insane and irrational Soldier who’s just found out he’s a dad would.

He kidnaps the kids.

The way he deserts is instead by spiriting three little kids out to the middle of nowhere Wutai and sending covert word to Sephiroth and Angeal -only when he’s sure they are away from the shinra building. He spends weeks simply having a mini breakdown over parenting, while also doing the best that he can. It’s hard and at times he’s pretty sure he’s gone insane from the fact that Kadaj has a capital A attitude.

Loz cries constantly. It’s a never ending stream of abandonment issues and cuddles with that kid. Yazoo stares at things that aren’t there, and when he’s not doing that he rejects most formula and screaming in hunger. It’s hell.

When Angeal and Sephiroth turn up they do so with the second class puppy Zack Fair, the bucket head know it all Kunsel Zelda, and a tiny little infantryman named Cloud who is surprisingly good with kids.

Sephiroth takes the news of the children’s existence hard but better than Genesis thought he would. He only walks out for about 20 minutes before he comes back in and sits in the corner with the files. He doesn’t really engage with his three children yet but Genesis expected actual bloodshed, so… he’ll take it.

Angeal -for his part- immediately picks up Loz, who is more then happy to be cuddled and just sits down with his son, getting to know his little face and how hard his little hands can grip. He talks to him quietly and after a while, with Loz still parked on his hip he goes to say a soft hello to Yazoo who’s fussing in his cot.

Kadaj -ever Genesis’ son (someone remind him to send a flower basket to his childhood nanny’s) - is not pleased with being ignored. He is getting grouchy and throwing his teething toys around, and Genesis is about to go over and intervene when the young infantryman kneels down in front of the child.

He hands the toy back to Kadaj who seems to be captured by the man’s big blue eyes. Thus begins Kadaj’s life long obsession with his uncle Cloud, who must give him (and only him) attention at all times…

Honestly Genesis should have known. It’s HIS son.

Eventually Sephiroth looks up when Yazoo starts to cry properly. Genesis is immediately at the crib with the latest formula in a long list of attempts. He rocks Yazoo and tries to get him to settle. The milk stays down this time but Yazoo still can’t be consoled. Everyone is very shocked by how Calm Genesis seems to be about it. He’s only muttering the occasional “please baby this is irrational!” And a “if I go insane I’m taking the thereby bill out of your collage fund kiddo.”

That’s when Sephiroth comes up behind him and pets the babies hair over Gens shoulder. Yazoo quiets almost immediately and Gens too relieved to be irritated or jealous (though it’s Genesis so expect it in the future.). He simply hands Yazoo over gently and goes to collapse on the sofa next to Zack the puppy who’s helping Cloud and Kunsel entertain a very smug looking Kadaj.

“Your a little attention whore…” Gen mutters to him, gently pinching the babies cheek.

“Pot meet kettle,” Angeal laughs shakily and Gen tsks.

For the next few months they fall into a silent routine. While the Babies like being fussed over by these new dads and uncles, they still cling to Genesis as their main caregiver. A few times Genesis has to legitimately barricade himself into the bathroom just to get some peace in this suddenly very busy house.

Angeal seems to recognise this and often takes over, while Sephiroth is still too unsure to do much more than feed Yazoo and lay with him. It makes a difference though. Truly.

Zack is the entertainment guy. He can make them all giggle themselves stupid with a funny look. Kunsel seems to be taking their education very seriously. And Cloud seems to think it’s important that they know about the outside world; showing them plants and animals and helping Angeal teach them about growing food and lifecycles.

Genesis never wanted to be a dad. He never had the desire. But being those three tiny tyrants father is possibly the best thing he could have asked for. He may not ever know that he is the worlds saviour, but he is certainly okay being his children’s hero.

[bvidzsoo]

Love Me Like A Rockstar (2)

ー☆ Chapter 2: RunRunRun

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: Song Mingi x female reader

ー☆ Warning: cussing really ー☆ Word count: 6.6k ー☆ Genre: university!au, enemies to lovers!au, rockstar!au ー☆ Rating: sfw ー☆ Summary: Love. You wanted none of it. You had already been heartbroken very badly once, you didn't wish to go through that ever again. But the Universe works in intricate ways and, somehow, you found yourself webbed up in a local rockstar's life, Song Mingi. He was everything you expected him to be, yet nothing like you imagined him he would be. What happens when you find mutual understanding and have heartful conversations? Will he be able to break down your walls? Will you be able to chase away his darkness?

A/N: Hihi, second chapter is out!! I hope you all enjoy it and leave feedback, I really really appreciate that!! Taglist is still open for those interested. Do not forget to check out the playlist and listen to the song before or while reading (RunRunRun)!! Thank you. Now, enjoy!

Taglist: @orshii @lovely-red2 @juicy-red @scarfac3 @sunaswifes-blog

⟨Series M.list ↭ Previous Chapter⟩

♫Playlist♫

『I always thought it would be easy (easy)

To get you out my mind (mind)』

            Certainly my sleep could’ve been more peaceful, but after the shit I pulled—drew Mingi’s eyes, for fuck’s sake—I knew I was in for a long night of overthinking and overanalyzing everything. Just for a second I allowed myself to place aside all judgement and foulness I felt towards the smug prick and, yes, admitted, that perhaps he wasn’t too bad to look at. Not a little bit, not even at all. However, this thought unsettled me and quickly made me remember how my blood boiled and nerves rose caused by his stuck-up attitude and irritating smirk. He was an asshole full of himself, and there was no way in hell I would allow his mild handsomeness overshadow his good for nothing personality. Guys like him were only by your side for a short while, while the relationship would feel new and exciting, and after that they dip like you have never even existed on the surface of Earth. That thought alone made me groan last night and punch a pillow before I finally willed my mind to calm down and erase the knowledge of his existence—or of the very obvious drawing of his eyes in my sketchbook, which I started considering my journal at some point.

If the lack of sleep wasn’t enough to put me in a sour mood, then the chilly air of the morning certainly made me grit my teeth as I stormed back inside the house to grab my beige and maroon plaid flannel shirt before running off to catch the bus to university. Currently, Seulgi and I were sat in the cafeteria enjoying our lunches—well, she was, my appetite never found me today—as I chewed the last bits of my quite simple sandwich I have packed in a haste this morning, Seulgi’s mouth, despite being full, was constantly moving and spouting information after information. I was only half-heartedly listening to her at this point—I swear to God, Wooyoung has been the center of our conversation for the past half an hour—as I held my pencil between my fingers and mindlessly doodled in my sketchbook. I wasn’t drawing anything particular, just random shapes which my brain felt necessary to draw as Seulgi suddenly hiccupped, face turning red. I cast her a glance as she quickly opened her bottle of water and chugged down at least half of its contents.

“Are you good?” I asked amused as she fanned her face.

“I think I almost just died.” Her answer made me snort as I grabbed the apple off my tray and bit into it, almost instantly regretting it as I was never a fan of apples.

“No wonder, you keep talking with your mouth full.” I muttered and Seulgi rolled her eyes as she went back to eating her lunch, smiling to herself like an idiot. I rolled my eyes but basked in the silence, finally able to have a little bit of peace of mind. I loved Seulgi and her random rambles, but not when they were about Wooyoung. And lately he seemed to be the only thing she talked about.

“Did you get to rest last night?” She asked as she gulped down her soup, eyebrows furrowed as she took in my appearance, seemingly finally aware that I looked tired. I shook my head with a sigh and turned the page of my sketchbook as I have filled the other one with shapes. Seulgi glanced down at the clean page and grimaced, leaning in closer towards me, “Just how stressed are you right now? That’ll be your third page in the past fifteen minutes.”

“I’m not really stressed,” I corrected her, taking another bite of the apple and regretting it again, “I’m just bored and probably restless.”

“Why?” Seulgi inquired and I shrugged, pressing the pencil against the white sheet of paper and carefully starting to draw sharp and precise lines.

“Don’t know,” I muttered, eyebrows furrowing when suddenly the cafeteria was filled with noise as if a whole crowd entered it, “Mom says it’s the full moon.”

“That was like…almost two weeks ago.” Seulgi gave me a deadpanned look and I chuckled, shrugging again. I most certainly wasn’t going to tell her that I haven’t slept well last night because I drew Mingi’s eyes and then freaked out over it, and was still pretty much freaking out about it, because I didn’t know what this meant and why it happened. And I really didn’t want to find out as I mindlessly pressed a small but firm dot underneath the lines I drew on the left side of the paper.

“I don’t know then, Seulgi, you know I have periods when I can’t sleep.” Seulgi hummed at my response and then a coy smile made its way onto her lips and I raised my eyebrows, pressing her to go on and tell me what was on her mind.

“What did you think of Noir Zenith?” I didn’t want to talk about this.

“They were fine.” I answered boredly, drawing a small semi-circle underneath the sharp lines, “Nothing too impressive. I’m now convinced you only like them because of Wooyoung.”

“Stop!” Seulgi shushed me with a blush and pointed her fork at me threateningly, “I actually enjoy their music, alright?! I liked the band before I started liking Wooyoung, so stop being mean.”

“Whatever,” I stuck my tongue out at her as I added a bit of shading to the drawing, “I expected their music to be worse, that I’ll admit, however, I only vibed with Seonghwa and Wooyoung—”

“Yeah, you made that very clear, Y/N.” Seulgi cut me off with a sharp tone and it brought a sheepish smile onto my lips as I was about to take another bite of my apple just as I narrowed my eyes at the drawing, staring at it for a second longer. And then it clicked. Fuck. I quickly shut my sketchbook closed as I threw my pencil on the table, groaning loudly. I couldn’t believe it. Why was I doing this? Why was I drawing Mingi’s eyes again?

『I think I found a new addiction

It feels so right』

“What?” Seulgi asked confused as she gazed at my closed sketchbook.

“Nothing.” I muttered lowly, banging my head against the table once before taking another bite of my apple, trying to ignore the way my heart started to race. There must be something about his eyes if my brain decided to burn it into its memory and recall it at any given time my pencil touched a piece of paper as I let loose to draw mindlessly.

“You’ve been acting weird all day long, Y/N.” Seulgi raised an eyebrow and I sighed, slouching down in my seat as suddenly there was a roar of cheers. I wasn’t interested at all to know what was happening behind me; therefore I found no desire in myself to turn around and look. It was probably the football team or some noisy first year’s having a little bit too much fun in the cafeteria while they totally disregard that, perhaps, some people would like to hear their own thoughts while given a longer break from their studies. My lips pulled into a sneer and I almost turned around to find the culprits I could glower at, but Seulgi found her voice again now that she was done with her lunch, “Wooyoung complimented my outfit twice last night, Y/N, twice! I was seriously freaking out!”

“Oh, wow,” I muttered unimpressed, not having it in me to tell her that she’s told me that information three times now, “and yet you kept stressing about it.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Seulgi pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, “I was so nervous. It was the first time he invited me to their performance—”

“Haven’t you seen them countless of times before last night?” I asked with narrowed eyes and Seulgi rolled her eyes with a tsk.

“But this was different, Y/N, you’re so impossible I don’t even know why I’m telling you all of this—”

“Yeah, me neither.” I gaped at her fakely, making Seulgi roll her eyes, “This is the third time I’m hearing everything, Seulgi.”

“Well, sorry for being excited about my crush finally showing interest in me.” Seulgi’s voice hardened as she snapped and I pouted, knowing that I have upset her. She threw me a glare as she grabbed her phone, acting uninterested as I reached over the table and softly gripped her wrist. I knew she couldn’t resist when I acted cute.

“Sorry, you know I’m cranky when I don’t sleep, don’t get mad.” I coerced her with a sweet voice and she just spared me a glance before going back to her phone. I sighed dramatically and retreated my hand, falling back into my chair and groaning as I closed my eyes briefly. My muscles were sore from sitting almost all day long, and my eyes hurt from too much light and staring at my sketchbook even when it wasn’t necessary. I opened my eyes and allowed them to roam over the cafeteria as I decided to quickly finish the little apple I have left over and took in the students around us. All groups were enjoying their free time quietly, speaking amongst themselves in a moderate tone, not loud enough to disturb anyone, yet there was one fucking table which just wouldn’t shut up, and fed up with it, I whirled around in my chair and searched for them, nose flaring in irritation. However, when my eyes landed on the culprits, my heart fell into my ass and my jaw clenched as I allowed the vicious glare to overtake my features as I sent daggers towards them. There he sat. At the table closest to the entrance, clad in a much more casual outfit compared to last night with sunglasses obscuring his view—who the fuck wears sunglasses inside—as he was surrounded by at least five girls. Mingi was leaning back in his chair, body falling against it awkwardly as his limbs were too long for it, legs spread out wide as he currently had his hands behind his head, smirking up at the blonde girl from the pub. Huh, so she goes to our university, should’ve expected that.

“Disgusting.” I sneered quietly, enticed by the view as my body wallowed in irritation, hatred and disgust, wishing for nothing more than to slam my sketchbook against Mingi’s head and scream the most creative profanities in his face. He was just asking for it with his smug face and shit eating grin, acting like he was a God, above everyone else, making girls swoon for his ass when he wasn’t even all that great.

“What’s—oh.” Seulgi cut herself off once her eyes followed my gaze and she chuckled. I could see her raise an eyebrow from the corner of my eyes as she watched me before looking back at Mingi, leaning back in her chair as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, “You never explained why you hate him so much.”

“Ugh, just look at him!” That was all Seulgi had to say to set me off, “He’s self-centered and conceited! He’s a jerk and he treats everyone else like they are less than him, and oh, my God, don’t even get me started about his stupid smirk which screams, ‘oh, look! I’m better than you ever will be, and by the way, you’re dumb as fuck!’, God, I hate the guy.”

Seulgi’s eyebrows went up to her hairline that’s how high they were raised as I turned around to look at her, having seen enough of Mingi’s stupid side profile as he smirked and laughed at every stupid thing those girls were probably saying to him, “Okay, Miss I hate his pants so much I can’t stop staring at him; that was intense, what the fuck. Poor Mingi, he didn’t even do anything to you and here you are—dragging his ass like he killed your cat or something, Y/N.”

“That would be the last straw—”

“You don’t even have a cat.” Seulgi deadpanned and I sighed exasperated, throwing an irritated smile her way. She was supposed to be on my side, not defending an asshole when she could clearly see how much distaste I had towards him.

“Whatever, I just can’t stand him, alright?” I muttered at last with a huff and Seulgi cocked an eyebrow as her phone pinged, quickly looking down at it. Her mouth instantly stretched into a huge smile and she started bouncing her legs up and down as she slapped the table once very loudly.

“I’m about to die—” She took a deep breath as she squealed quietly, looking at me like she has won the lottery or something, “Wooyoung finally asked me to hang out!”

I smiled at my best friend, happy that things were going well for her, “So, it’s a date then?”

“Not yet.” She smiled as she was texting back, biting her lower lip with a huge smile on her face, “But perhaps soon.”

“Oh, he better ask you out soon,” I muttered just as another roar of squealing disturbed my pace of mind and I have reached my limit for today, that was it, “Or I’ll make him regret being born.”

Seulgi cackled at that as I grabbed my sketchbook and pencil and showed them inside my backpack, “Y/N! That’s too much, don’t you think—Where are you going?”

“Class.” I answered curtly, throwing my flannel shirt around my exposed shoulders as I wore a dark blue off-shoulder long sleeved blouse, paired with black ripped jeans and fishnets underneath.

“We’ve got like ten more minutes until then—”

“Yeah, but if I hear Mingi’s bitches squealing again in the next three seconds I might go ahead and jump out the fucking window.” I deadpanned and Seulgi bit her lower lip as it quivered, threatening to burst out into laughter. It wasn’t funny, and so, I gave her a harmless glare.

“Oh, God, you’re impossible. I can’t believe you’re this cranky.” She said as she finally started laughing.

“This isn’t me being cranky, this is me being irritated by someone’s whole ass existence, anyways, see you!” I called as I took off before Seulgi could say anything else, I knew she’d be following me soon after as we had to walk to the other side of campus to reach the Art’s building.

『Run, baby, run

Run for your life

I'ma tear out your heart

It'll always be mine』

I steeled my expression and pushed my shoulders back as I took off towards the exit, gripping the straps of my backpack tightly. The closer I got to it—which meant I was also getting closer and closer to the table Mingi sat at—the louder those girls voices got. Anyone close enough could hear what they were screaming about—okay, they weren’t screaming, but they were loud—and it made me bite my lower lip as I started tapping my finger against the strap of the backpack, trying to calm my nerves. But Mingi was just sitting there, basking in the attention, grinning and laughing loudly at the very shitty and poor attempts of flirting of the girls, and I really didn’t mean to, but my eyes landed on them and my jaw fell a little bit open when I noticed him signing some stupid looking banner with his face plastered all over it as a black-haired girl was gushing about his looks and deep voice. Where the hell were we? Highschool?! I knew Seulgi was praying right now to all the existing Gods and asking them to let me pass by their table without no disturbances, but that just wasn’t possible as my cheeks flushed in disgust and anger, shooting a sharp glare at the side of Mingi’s face.

“Even your autograph is pretty.” One of the girl’s sighed dreamily, “Can you get any more perfect?”

“Oh, angel, you haven’t even seen everything and you’re already head over heels for me?” Mingi’s voice dropped a few octaves as he blinked up at the girl seductively and I might have as well thrown up in my mouth. I scoffed as I passed behind him, stomping my feet perhaps a little bit too hard as I noticed two girls glance my way.

���Assuming things once again, aren’t you?” My tone was snappy and ice cold as I threw in the comment in passing. I didn’t intend on stopping, but Mingi’s instant reply made me halt.

“Insulting others once again, aren’t you?” I huffed quietly as I bit my lower lip, whirling around. For a second I was taken aback by the unimpressed looks thrown my way by the girls, but I didn’t let it show on my face.

“Only those worthy of getting put in their places, Mingi.” I allowed a cheeky smile slip onto my lips as I stared him down, his eyebrows slightly furrowing. I was surprised to see the dark eyeshadow give more depth at the outer corner of his eyes, the makeup being absent last night. His lips were shiny and you could see the blemishes clearly on his jawline now, his black hair still covering his forehead messily. His grey jumper was oversized and reached mid-thigh over his denim jeans; matching jacket draped around his chair.

“Isn’t it a delight seeing you today as well, Y/N.” Mingi’s tone was mocking as he raised one eyebrow, making me roll my eyes, “Good morning.”

“My morning was good until I heard your puppets and you giggling as if we were in highschool—and it’s noon, Mingi, thought you were smart enough to know lunch time was during noon.”

“What’s your problem?” The blonde snapped and placed a possessive hand on Mingi’s shoulder, which made him cast her a side glance. His lips twitched, and for a second—just a little second—I was able to see the irritation in his eyes at the unwanted touch; it almost made me furrow my eyebrows and throw a questioning glance at Mingi, but I stopped myself. I was certainly misreading his expressions. He loved this, the attention and praises. He was pathetic.

“You and the dude you’re worshiping as if he were a Greek God—” I sighed dramatically, leaning down a little as I made eye contact with Mingi, “Get over yourself.”

It made him chuckle and his nose scrunched up, eyes slightly becoming smaller, but there was no humor in the sound he made, “At least they don’t show up to a performance without knowing the artists and start shitting on them unwarranted, insulting them as if they were superior to them. I say you’ve got something to learn from these girls, Y/N.”

I scoffed and crossed my arms in front of my chest, “Yeah, like what? How to pucker my lips and bat my eyelashes at you to gain your attention? Or throw in cringey flirting and nonconsensual touches?” 

The girls seemed shocked as I threw them all a glare before my gaze landed on the embarrassing banner as I felt Mingi’s heated gaze on my face. He didn’t say anything as his jaw clenched, palms balling up into fists. My eyes fell back on him and our gazes locked, both of us annoyed at this point, as we stared each other down, glares molding into one sharp look as we both refused to look away first. If he thought I was going to back down, he was wrong. His sharp eyes were narrow as a fierce look glazed over them, and for a split second, my eyes fell on the mole underneath his right eye. The drawing I was doodling not even half an hour ago flashed in my mind and I clicked my tongue, suddenly irritated with myself and with Mingi for getting to me so easily.

『Oh, there she go

Losing my head』

“Your silence says everything I needed to know—”

“Don’t get too cocky, smarty pants, silence speaks louder at times and you’re down right embarrassing yourself right now.” My jaw hung open at Mingi’s next words, which were harsh and hissed out as his raspy voice reached my ears, and I sneered at him.

“The only embarrassing one here,” I looked around, “are your puppets, bro. And that fucking shit ass banner.”

Before anyone could say anything I whirled around and stormed off, aware that Seulgi had seen the exchange from afar and was up on her feet, basically scurrying around to gather her things and come to the rescue of Mingi. I just knew she’d have his back and I really didn’t have the energy to sit around and listen to her chastise me in front of him and his baboons. However, I did hear the girls throwing insults after me, Mingi remaining an awful lot silent. It’s not like he could’ve said anything. And I knew he wished to say them to my face, to see the rise he got out of me. I scoffed as I stormed out the building, wanting to let out a frustrated cry in the meantime.

『Please don't waste any time

The sirens are turning red

I found a whole another vice』

            It had gotten dark outside by the time Seulgi and I headed to our curricular art class, fog slowly settling upon our little town as the lampposts illuminated the dark streets, casting an aery yet comforting feeling. I would have to walk home later tonight, but I found the thought relaxing and much needed after the tumultuous day I have had. I couldn’t stand still all day after the encounter with Mingi and his baboons, I couldn’t help but mull over his words over and over again, so much so, that I got called out in one of the classes by the professor. It was embarrassing, but what was even more embarrassing was that one of the girl’s from the table shared three classes with me and kept sending me unwanted glares, pissing me off to no end. If Seulgi wouldn’t have been by my side the whole day, I probably would’ve confronted the girl and cussed her out, ruining my image more in her eyes, if that was even possible.

I was slouched forward, chin resting on my palm and elbow pressing into my thigh as I listened to Seulgi ramble on about how her hangout with Wooyoung went. Her cheeks had a constant flush on them and I grinned as she sucked in a deep breath as she desperately needed it after talking for a few good minutes without stopping.

“And he bought me coffee too even though I never asked,” She bit her lip, trying to contain herself, “He was waiting for me with it in his hands.”

“That’s sweet of him.” I mumbled and looked behind Seulgi, looking out towards the class. Today not many could make, there was a total of five students sitting around the room, working diligently on their sketches. Today’s theme was the human body, a shape or an outline of your choice. It could be a face, a body, or a shadow like figure. Everyone had free reign of choosing the style as long as it was a human shape.

“I know, and his hands were freezing cold,” Seulgi gushed, “So, I gave him my gloves.”

“The Hello Kitty ones?” I asked with a quiet chuckle, turning the pencil over in my hands. I was itching to get started on our assignment, but Seulgi was on her rant once again and I didn’t want to interrupt her again. I have felt bad all day long for upsetting her in the cafeteria; I shouldn’t ruin her mood just because I’m cranky myself.

“Yes!” Seulgi laughed while covering her mouth, “And he looked so cute wearing them, Y/N! We couldn’t stop giggling about it. Pink might be his color.”

“You should’ve dared him to wear something pink at their next performance.” I added with a chuckle, making Seulgi giggle as her cheeks flushed even a darker shade of red. If she kept up with this, her whole face would turn red and she’d look like a tomato.

“I don’t think that would fit the whole rocker concept they have going on.” She muttered with a chuckle and I just shrugged, glancing at my bare paper. I hoped Seulgi would get the hint that I really wanted to start drawing now, but she opened her mouth again.

“He suggested we take a selfie—” Seulgi let out a dreamy sigh, “I don’t think I have enough self-control to not set it as my lock screen.”

“Wouldn’t that be too fast?” I wondered, raising an eyebrow at her. Seulgi nodded, looking slightly defeated.

“It would, I just hope the day will come when I’ll be able to do so.” Her voice got quieter as she looked down at the ground and I didn’t like the sudden drop of confidence. So, I grabbed her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, smiling at her encouragingly.

“It will come, stop doubting everything and just go with the flow.” I offered her a big smile, “I know Wooyoung is a generally nice guy, but his kindness feels different with you. It’s sweet.”

“Stop.” Seulgi hushed me, lightly slapping my arm, “You’re feeding into my delusions, I don’t want to get hurt if things really don’t end well.”

“Have some faith in him, yeah?” I slapped my hands together as I straightened in my seat, glancing at Seulgi’s usual spot, “Shouldn’t you start drawing, though? We’ve got an hour only today.”

“Shit!” Seulgi exclaimed loudly as if she just remembered where we were and what we were doing, “I totally forgot what I’m supposed to be doing right now, this is embarrassing.”

“Off you go!” I shooed her off with a laugh and Seulgi scrambled to her place, face red as she quickly tied her long hair in a low ponytail, eyebrows furrowing as she opened her sketchbook. Despite Wooyoung being the only thing on her mind, I knew she wouldn’t be drawing him. Seulgi was spontaneous and very creative. She found it easy to draw whatever was on her mind, whether it was human shaped, abstract, or a landscape. She had a natural talent when it came to human figures and she absolutely loved drawing anyone whom she had in mind. Which was the opposite of me. I couldn’t draw just anyone. It took me lots of hours of studying and tracing ones features with imaginary lines, mapping out their faces and bodies in my mind carefully before putting them on paper. I needed a muse when it came to drawing humans, and before dating Yunho, I never even had one. Before dating Yunho, I could barely draw an eye. During our relationship I learned many things about myself, and one of them was that I needed to hyper fixate on something—or someone—if I wanted to place them on a paper. It wasn’t obsession, I wouldn’t call it that, it simply was something I found beautiful and inspiring enough to put on paper. I usually did it mindlessly too, used to always drawing Yunho when it came to this subject, so I didn’t bat an eyelash as I relaxed my muscles and allowed my mind to rest as my hand took over, bravely creating lines on the blank paper.

『I always thought it would be easy (easy)

To get you out my mind (mind)』

However, to my utter shock, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the man in my drawing, even by its simple outlines, wasn’t Yunho. It looked nothing like him. My quiet thoughts started to get louder and louder the longer I allowed my hand to trace new lines, go over the older ones and bolden them. Shadows casted over the sharp eyes as I traced the outline of their tall nose, eyebrows scrunching when it seemed like the man was glaring back at me. I couldn’t help but glare back, repulsed by the nagging name ringing through my mind the second I placed the mole underneath his right eye. Mingi. Song Mingi. I didn’t want to admit it. This wasn’t him. The man in my drawing wasn’t Song Mingi. It looked nothing like him. It was pure coincidence that his nose and eyes and moles were in the same spot as Mingi’s. My hand faltered and grip tightened around the pencil once I got to draw the lips, wondering whether I wanted to finish this sketch today—or any other day at all. Deep down I knew I didn’t, but I also hated leaving my works unfinished and there was something deep inside me telling me to suck it up, to stop being childish. It was just a damn drawing. It meant nothing. It really didn’t. Especially since I couldn’t stand him. His annoying stupid smirk. My jaw clenched when Mingi’s smug face stared back at me, almost as if my brain took a picture of his face during lunch break and decided to taunt me by recalling every single detail as I worked diligently.

『I think I found a new addiction

It feels so right』

I have long finished the drawing, giving up to finishing it thoroughly as I felt my muscles spasm just at the thought of perfecting Mingi’s face in my own sketchbook. Anyone could see this. Hell, the other students in this class could ask me to show them my drawing for some inspiration and then I’d be fucked. There’s no way others didn’t know about Mingi and his band. Perhaps I had been the only one living under a rock this whole time, oblivious to the music department and their endeavors at our university. And if word got out that I started drawing Song Mingi, I’d rather die than face him ever again. That simply just wasn’t possible. I refused to even entertain such thought. I’d rather draw my ex of five years and have others think I still wasn’t over him—I seriously am—and bash me for living in the past than start talking about my—inexistent—crush on Song Mingi. The shuffling of papers and sudden movement of others in the room brought me out of my glaring contest with the fake Mingi on my paper and I turned around when I heard my name being called out.

“Could you check this out for me?” Jake, a second-year student, asked shyly. I nodded with a smile and got off my stool, stretching, before I headed his way. He wasn’t an art major, but he apparently had always enjoyed drawing, so he joined our little club. His skills were pretty good, but he still had a lot to learn. As I stopped by his desk, I was met with the face of a girl. She was smiling brightly and the drawing was really good, the shading lacked, but that wasn’t such a big problem.

“Oh, this one is really good, Jake. You’ve gotten a lot better lately.” I offered him an encouraging smile as I patted his back, “Maybe adding a bit more shading next time will do the trick better, hm?”

“Thanks!” Jake beamed as he started gathering his stuff, making me nod as Krystal, a classmate of Seulgi and I, beckoned me over.

“I suck at human shapes, you know that.” She said with a sharp chuckle, lips pulled into a grimace as she slowly turned her sketch around. Yeah, Krystal was really bad at human shapes but it wasn’t something to get judged for. Drawing humans was very difficult and I couldn’t blame her for struggling with it, when, I, myself struggled most of times. However, this drawing presented itself as her best so far.

“This is amazing, Krystal, what are you talking about?!” I exclaimed as I gaped at the outline of two girls leaning onto each other, hugging around the shoulders. One of them was taller and the other one had longer and lighter hair. It must’ve been her older sister and her in the drawing. Their faces weren’t detailed or defined, but their shapes were very beautiful and precise.

“Good, God, I never struggled this hard in my life before.” She said with a sigh and got off her stool as Jake and Yunjin waved goodbye and left. Seulgi bounced over, curious to see Krystal’s drawing, and squealed when she saw it.

“You have to show this to Professor Yoon!” Seulgi exclaimed, “He’ll pass you in a second straight to next year’s class.”

Her comment got Krystal laughing and I shook my head as I walked away once I noticed Yiren struggled packing her stuff away. She was the youngest in our club and a little clumsy, always bumping into things and dropping paint on the floor whenever we were painting. She thanked me quietly as she scrambled around to pack her things and then rushed away shyly, quietly thanking me as she ran out the door. I stopped for a second and wondered why she always looked so intimidated by me. Seulgi walked up to her desk and started putting her things away as well as I walked back to my place, grabbing my backpack to put my pencils away. Krystal and Wheein greeted us in unison before walking out the door, leaving Seulgi and I alone. She approached me with a huge grin on her face, dangling her drawing carelessly between her fingers. I chuckled as I watched her, raising an eyebrow, “Who did you draw?”

“Oh, Joohyun!” Seulgi grinned and showed me her drawing eagerly, her cousin’s face staring back at me as she was laughing hard. I could hear Joohyun’s cackling laughter echo in my head and I smiled at the drawing, missing the girl. She was a few years older than us and had moved away to a different country in order to pursue her modelling career. Seulgi and Joohyun were like sisters, and being Seulgi’s best friend, I had the pleasure of meeting the phenomenal woman her cousin was.

“This is so gorgeous, Seulgi.” I said with a pout and a sigh, “You made me miss Joohyun now.”

“She’s visiting in two months!” Seulgi exclaimed, the news sweeping excitement into my veins as my eyes widened.

“Really?!”

“Yes!” Seulgi grinned, closing her sketchbook, “I can’t wait for us to hang out, it’s been too long since we’ve seen Joohyun.”

“Indeed.” I sighed and picked up the rubber I have dropped like an hour ago, “I also wish I had your skills when it comes to drawing human shapes.”

“Why? So that you can draw Yunho better?” Seulgi’s cackle wasn’t malicious but there was slight judgement in her eyes as I rolled mine.

“You’re so funny today, have I already told you?” I mocked her and Seulgi huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“What? Tell me I’m wrong.” But before I could tell her she was wrong, she was speaking again, “I know you drew him again, Y/N.”

“I didn’t!” My response was too fast and defensive and I regretted speaking up the second I saw Seulgi’s eyes flash with interest.

“You didn’t draw Yunho?” She asked shocked, not even bothering to hide it. I sighed lowly, awaiting the questions tumbling off her lips for the next thirty minutes, “Who is it then?”

“No one important.” I muttered, eyes falling on the drawing, making me realize that I had to put it away before Seulgi got the chance of seeing it. I wouldn’t live another day if she got even a glimpse of it, “Let’s go.”

But as I reached for the sketchbook, Seulgi slapped my hand away hard—it started stinging instantly—and ripped my sketchbook off the drafting board. Her eyebrows furrowed for a second as her eyes took in the drawing, and then, a loud gasp left her lips as her eyes shot up, staring at me wide eyed, confusion written all over her face.

『Run, baby, run

Run for your life

Gonna tear out your heart

It'll always be mine』

“This isn’t Yunho—”

“I told you—”

“Bitch, this is Song fucking Mingi?!” Seulgi’s voice raised and I gulped, mentally preparing myself for the screaming and nagging to follow. But Seulgi sounded an awful lot composed despite the various emotions written all over her face, “What is Song Mingi doing in your drawing?”

“That’s not Song Mingi.” Was the best I could do as I scoffed, gripping the sketchbook as I tried to yank it out of her hands, but Seulgi was gripping it firmly.

“Yeah, sure, and I’m fucking blind then—” Seulgi rolled her eyes before giving me a deadpan look, “This is Mingi, Y/N, you’re not bullshitting your way out of this. Now, explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain.” I didn’t mean to snap, but it happened, “It’s not Mingi. Why the hell would I even draw that fucker? It’s just a random face which popped into my head and I drew it mindlessly, alright? Maybe it looks like Mingi, but it’s not him.”

“Yeah, sure, and I’m the fucking Pope in Vatican—”

“Seulgi!” I snapped and tugged on the sketchbook again, finally getting her to release it. She didn’t seem too impressed as I quickly shut the sketchbook and grabbed my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder, “Shut up and let’s just go.”

“The hell am I shutting up, bitch.” Seulgi scoffed as she got her backpack too, “That’s Mingi and you can’t gaslight me with this one. Are you into him—”

“Oh, my God!” I exclaimed with disgust ridden all over my face, “Do you even hear yourself right now?! How could I be into him? I hate his guts!”

“That’s why you fucking drew him—”

“I didn’t draw him!” I finally exclaimed just as we got out the room, Seulgi shutting the door loudly behind us after she turned the lights off.

“You’ve been acting hella weird ever since we’ve been to Outlaw, Y/N, what are you not telling me?” Seulgi leaned against the wall as I locked up the room.

“I am not acting weird and there’s nothing I’m not telling you, so, will you just drop this whole thing?” I snapped, raising my eyebrows at her in irritation. Seulgi bit her lower lip and crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked like she was contemplating. But one another glance at my face and she knew she wouldn’t get anything out of me, so she just sighed and shook her head as she pushed off the wall.

“Fine, let it be your way,” She muttered, falling in step with me by my side, “At least it’s not Yunho anymore. You’re finally getting over him—”

“Bitch, I’ve been over him for ages.” I threw my best friend a sharp glare and she just chuckled, shaking her head at me. I held back the urge to slap the back of her head hard in hopes that her delusional thoughts would get slapped out of her head with the effort.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” She mocked and before I could go off on her again, she faced me and smiled brightly, “Want to get McDonald’s before we head home?”

All thoughts of Mingi and wanting to hold a whole ass speech to Seulgi about him flew out of my mind at the mention of said junk food and I nodded eagerly, linking my arm with Seulgi’s as she started talking about a girl in her history class and how she managed to embarrass herself and her professor at the same time today.

『Run, baby, run

Run, baby, run』

❱❱ Next chapter

[blushblushbear]

DID A THING--

It's based on one of those scenario's I typed up the other day. Detective PC and secret killer Cole!

I don't know if I'm gonna write more of this (I'll probably do a second installment at some point) and though I'm gonna try and keep the writing vague, this is mostly based on my own player oc so specifications around them may come up whenever I continue (mostly them being female)

but for now enjoy the drabble! god I love detective shows

uhhhh, trigger warning murder mentions????

You watch tensely as another body is wheeled away under a white sheet, letting out a sigh as you look back at the crime scene-- the coroner's report and on scene forensics will be able to tell you time of death and circumstances of death, but you know you're still not going to find a lead.

This was the fifth one this month, and twelfth over all-- and you still haven't managed to find a lead. You finish up with the head officer on scene and tell him to call you if he finds anything. Knowing he won't, you pull away in your car, a headache already beginning to set in.

You march through the precinct like a rolling storm, file in hand. Out of the corner of your eye you see a familiar smug gleaming at you over the cup of coffee he's sipping, and you pick up the pace as your eyes roll.

"Well now, don't you look like you had a rough morning." Cole purrs as he leans forward in his desk chair, "Another photo for your collage I presume?"

"Not now, Cole." you snap back as you stride past him, holding up a hand.

You shut the door to your office, plopping the file down on your desk and slamming your hands down on the surface a frustrated groan.

You glanced up at the white board that was turned around for the comfort of anyone passing by, then back down at the file on your desk.

With a sigh you opened the folder, glancing over the on sight report as you walk over to the board and flip it.

On the opposite side, there's a spread of crime scene photos, reports and your own notes scattered across surface. You add the newest photos and report to the mix, using a sharpie hanging by a string from the side of the board to mark the date on the bottom of the photo.

Twelve cases in the last month and a half. All in within the same city. The killer always leaves a mess of a scene, but never any clues. No finger prints, no dna, no note-- Nothing.

You step back to look at the bigger picture, hoping maybe this time some kind of truth would reveal itself.

Maybe they're not all linked. Maybe there's more than one killer. Maybe--

A knock breaks your chain of thought.

"Come in." you absent mindedly call over your shoulder as your gaze stays fixed on the board.

The door creaks open and a smooth voice sends your eyes rolling again,

"Has anyone ever told you you look ravishing when you're lost in thought like that?"

You sigh.

"What do you want, Cole?" you say not looking his way. He likes to try his best to get under everyone's skin, but he always seems especially interested in getting under yours. It's not hard honestly-- he's a smug asshole with a know it all attitude and a handsome face that seems to be set exclusively to petty sneers. He forever seems disinterested in everyone and everything around him, but is also apparently constantly watching and paying the closet attention possible so he can know exactly what buttons to push when he needs something, or if he's just bored-- usually the second one.

"Just admiring this tasteful collection you've amassed." Him and his coffee of cup stride on in as he glances over your white board, "Very gruesome. You should submit it to a gallery."

"Cole," you rub your finger to your temple before finally looking his way, "Did you actually need something or are you just here to be a nuisance?"

"Oh no, I didn't need anything." he chuckles taking a sip of coffee. Before you can begin the yelling he says, "but the chief did want to see you."

Your expression melts from anger to worry, and Cole's smirk widens a little more as he watches,

"Wait-- what does the chief wanna see me for?"

[galahadwilder]

Pulling Pigtails

@frostedpuffs discord Secret Santa for @schsas! He requested Chlogami, so Chlogami he shall have!

Now that Kagami has joined the class, Chloé has a new target. But none of her bullying seems to be able to get a rise out of the new girl. Kagami, meanwhile, insists that Chloé is just flirting, much to the disbelief of her friends. Is she right? Is Chloé a bully, or just a flirt?

There are a lot of things that Chloé Bourgeois hates about Kagami Tsurugi. Her smug face. Her slowly devolving sense of fashion. Her utter contempt for anything one would consider propriety. The way everyone in their class is constantly falling all over her. The way she has the attention that should be—that rightfully is—Chloé's. But the worst thing—the thing that drives Chloé up the wall, the thing that she cannot let go of—is that Chloé cannot figure out how to get a rise out of her.

She's tried everything. Her old mainstays first. Food on the chair—gravy, this time. She'd had to do that herself, since Sabrina hasn't been... talking to her, for a while. A few months. Kagami's face hadn't even twitched—she'd simply nodded, disappeared, and reappeared fifteen minutes later in those infuriatingly skintight fencing pants instead of her usual skirt-and-tights.

The box full of fake bugs had needed some tweaking, since Kagami isn't in love with anyone (that Chloé knows of) and even if she were, that's not something she can trick Kim into a fourth time. So she'd tried to fill Kagami's locker, but the girl had booby-trapped it somehow and Chloé had ended up buried in fencing equipment (and fake bugs) once she managed to jimmy the lock.

Tripping her is a non-starter—the girl is entirely too athletic. She moves around Chloé's legs as if she doesn't even notice her, and the one time Chloé had actually managed to connect her calves were... the most solid thing Chloé's ever felt. It had, in fact, been Chloé who went ass-over-teakettle and bruised her tailbone.

Stealing (and breaking) her things had been... successful, actually. She'd managed to snatch some of Kagami's charcoals while the girl was using the other ones and had snapped them in half, and Kagami had responded by meeting her eyes, raising an eyebrow, and pulling an entirely new set out of her bag.

All of it should've worked. Kagami's a new classmate, a new target: she hasn't seen any of it. It's all a surprise to her. Or at least... it should be.

Chloé's used to a certain level of reaction from her targets. Marinette's frantic flailing and shrieks, Rose's tears, Myléne's terrified whimpers, Max's twitching and counting, Nino's dissociation, Alix's... fists. But Kagami—no matter what Chloé does to her, she never seems to break. She's... unflappable. No matter what Chloé tries, she can't even seem to get her to blink.

It's infuriating. If Chloé weren't so protective of her hair, she'd be tearing it out.

*

Why Kagami? Of all people, why the ice queen?

It started in the new school year. Or rather, new school.

Graduating Collège François DuPont had been a breath of fresh air. The old school had gotten... stifling. The class had gotten too chummy, too uppity. The teachers even enabled all their little rebellions, did nothing while Adrien and Dupain-Cheng got closer and closer, even started punishing her for trying to assert her status. Ridiculous!

Lycée Anaïs Nin... now that was a whole new world to conquer. Multiple Collèges fed into the Lycée, meaning there were all-new classmates, all-new peons, all-new toys. People who hadn't been corrupted by Marinette and her oh-so-chummy attitude that led the whole class to start getting more and more insular, more and more exclusionary, more and more out-of-control.

Chloé knew, as soon as everyone else got to meet them, the new arrivals would be put off by her class's unnatural attitudes. How they pushed out anyone who didn't fit in their perfect little social club. Her old class would get pushed off to the side to do their own little thing, and Chloé would be back on top where she belonged.

Except that wasn't what happened.

No, what happened was that Kagami swanned into the group, easy as you please, as if she'd always been there. As if she'd never been Marinette's enemy, as if she weren't Adrien's ex. And the rest of her class, the class from Collège Simone de Beauvoir, followed suit. And Chloé was left on the outside. Again. And all the attention that should have been hers... just went to Marinette again.

Why Kagami? Of all people, why the ice queen?

She wasn't even one of them. Why did she get to be loved?

*

And so the pranks. The stealing. The tripping. The... everything. Because Kagami is taking what does not belong to her.

Chloé can't let that go.

Chloé needs to teach her a lesson.

*

Kagami Tsurugi is having a great first year of Lycée. Her old school was... difficult, for her. Osaka had been one thing—while she'd never felt comfortable around her peers, her behavior had fit in enough with expectations that the other children at her first school had treated her with at least some wary respect. But at Collège, she hadn't just been "that overly-formal girl"—she'd been "that overly-formal foreign girl." Her difficulties with the language, with the social rules, with relaxing, led her classmates to label her an "ice queen" and avoid her like she was covered in dung.

She'd tried to tell herself it hadn't hurt. She'd even succeeded, for a while.

Then... That contest with Marinette. Her failed attempt to date Adrien, and their amicable breakup. The two of them had come into her life in a whirlwind, and then they'd carried the rest of their friends in with them, friends who'd never judged her for being uncomfortable or unsociable or stiff. Friends who forgave her whenever she missed a social cue or spoke too bluntly, friends who...

They weren't in her school. Collège was still difficult, lonely, but she knew she only had one year to wait. And then... First day of Lycée, she'd joined them at the lunch table and slotted into their friend group like she'd always been meant to be there, and she felt like she'd come home.

And then Marinette and Alya had started aggressively befriending all of the people who'd shunned Kagami and suddenly all the people who would've never given her the time of day were suddenly talking to her, gossiping with her, sharing notes and food, and her friend group exploded.

It's a bit too much, at times. Like right now, with so many people sitting at the same long lunch table in the cafeteria, it's so loud that Kagami feels like she's going to explode.

"Was she like this at your old school?" Thérèse says, passing an apple to Juleka, who quietly passes her her own extra muffin.

Max pushes his glasses up, glancing down at the tablet with Markov's statistical readouts. "Her behavior is about 90% consistent with her old patterns," he says. "The only thing different is her primary target."

"Nerd," Gérard mutters, only to be immediately dope-slapped by Alix.

"I'm just saying," Thérèse continues, before taking a bite of her apple. " This is, like, Disney-channel villainy." Her voice is garbled through the mouthful of fruit, but Kagami can pick up on most of it.

Alya snorts. "Chloé's a Disney channel villainy kind of girl," she says. She leans forward, lacing her fingers together and propping her elbows on the wooden tabletop. "There's a reason she's caused, like, 60% of the Akumas." A wry twist appears on her mouth. "Honestly, I wonder if she's getting worse."

"She hasn't tried to get anyone expelled yet," Marinette mutters, stabbing at her mashed potatoes with a fork.

Adrien rubs the back of her hand with one of those shy smiles that Kagami knows makes Marinette weak at the knees.

The girl sighs. "I know," she mumbles, leaning onto her boyfriend's shoulder.

"She is escalating, though," Max says. He does something that Kagami can't quite see on his screen, then looks up. "By my estimates, there will likely be only 2 weeks until she does attempt to have Kagami expelled."

"So it's settled," Alya says, leaning back. "We need to do something about her before she gets that far."

"Why?"

For a moment, Kagami isn't certain why everyone is looking at her—before she realizes that she is the one who spoke. Her mouth suddenly feels somewhat dry as she realizes how many eyes are on her. Her hands feel a little shaky, which is silly. These are her friends.

"It is... not a trouble," she manages. "I doubt she will be able to."

"Oh, yeah," Alix says, spinning her pocketwatch around her finger (which Kagami is pretty sure is her Miraculous? That can't be safe). "Isn't your mom, like, way richer than both of her parents combined?"

"That doesn't mean we should just... let her get away with it!" Marinette says. "Chloé is being awful to you. We need to find a way to make her stop!"

"Why?" Kagami says. "She's just flirting."

Everyone falls silent.

"She's what?" Rose says.

"Bullshit," Alix snaps, slamming her hands on the table. "Chloé is not—"

"What in God's name makes you think—" Alya interrupts.

"She's a bully!" Adrien adds, squeezing Marinette's hand.

"Wow, tough crowd," Gérard says, glacing around at the rest of the people at the table. He shrugs. "Is it so hard to believe that maybe this is just how she flirts?"

Everyone at the table—or at least, everyone who attended François DuPont—looks over at Marinette, who sighs. "No, Chloé is just... like this," she says. "She tormented me for years in a lot of the same ways."

"Because she was in love with you?" Kagami interjects.

Marinette boggles.

Alya laughs. "Girl, Marinette told me you loved Manga, but this is a bit much." She presses her palm against her face. "Enemies-to-lovers does not happen in real life."

"Were Marinette and I not enemies at first?" Kagami retorts. "And yet I had feelings for her."

Alya snorts. "Marinette's an exception." She waves a hand noncomittally. "Everyone's in love with her."

Marinette practically swallows her tongue as Thérèse reddens and stares down at her own feet.

"Chloé is part of everybody," Kagami snaps.

Alya raises a finger to retort, but then stops. "She... huh." She rubs her chin. "Marinette... you did just say you were her favorite target, even before Adrien was in the picture."

Marinette's eyes widen. "Alya, you can't honestly be considering this."

"What if she's right, though?" Alya says. "What if Chloé was in love with you?"

Alix snorts. "If she is, she's really shit at showing it."

"That's not a surprise," Adrien says. "She's never been... emotionally open."

Marinette pulls away from him with a horrified expression on her face. "Adrien!"

He meets her eyes and shrugs. "What, I'm just saying!"

The conversation devolves into poking fun at Adrien for having the same "taste in women" as Chloé, at least until the lunch bell rings.

*

"So," Alya says, after class, "you think Chloé is flirting with you?"

The two of them are the only ones in the locker room at the time—each of their friends are either still in class, at extracurriculars (or in Adrien and Marinette's case occupying a janitor's closet somewhere), and fencing doesn't start for another half hour.

"She is," Kagami says. She opens her locker, pulling out fencing gear and rifling though piles of fake bugs.

"Do you want her to stop?"

Kagami freezes, her hand full of rubber cockroach. "I..." she begins, before trailing off. Does she?

What Chloé is doing is... well, judging by the reactions of her friends, it's meant to be hurtful. And yet Kagami isn't hurt by it. Should she be?

"Let's put it this way," Alya says, closing her locker and leaning against it, crossing her arms. "If she stopped tomorrow, would you be disappointed?"

Chloé—stopping? Not paying attention to her. Not messing with her. Not...

Kagami's stomach flops. "I... yes," she murmurs. "I would."

Alya raises an eyebrow, then steps forward and claps her on the back. "Then flirt back, girl!"

Immediately, Kagami's nerves catch fire. Unable to meet Alya's eyes, she looks away twists her fingers. "I don't know how." Flirt? She's—she knows enough by now to know she's terrible at that. Adrien always found her flirting uncomfortable, Marinette had thought she was mad at her, and she hasn't really attempted to do anything since. 

Alya steps forward and slings her arm around Kagami's shoulders. "As long as you don't set anything on fire, you can't be as bad as Marinette," she says.

Kagami blinks. "Did she actually do that?"

Alya nods sagely. "Four. Separate. Times."

*

Back to basics. Chewed gum on the seat is a classic, simple, easy, doesn't require a lot of setup. She's just placing it on Kagami's seat when—

"What are you doing, Bourgeois?"

Chloé's heart seizes in her chest at the sound of Kagami's voice. She turns, crossing her arms, her face starting to burn. "What's it to you?" she sneers.

Kagami's expression doesn't budge from unreadable. She's standing straight, mirroring Chloé's arms-crossed pose. "That is my seat," she says. "Were you putting food on it again?"

Chloé's feels the burn spread from her face to the rest of her body. "You—you—maybe I am!" she snaps. "So what? Do you even care?"

Kagami only raises an eyebrow.

Chloé steps forward, grabbing Kagami by the lapel. "Blink, damn you!" she shrieks. "Why won't you just react—!"

She's cut off by a palm pressed against her cheek.

"Like this?" Kagami murmurs.

Chloé is suddenly deadly aware of how close Kagami's lips are to hers. The warmth of her hand on her face. The heat of her breath. "What are you...?"

"You are hesitating," Kagami says. "What do you want, Chloé?"

What does she want?

She wants... she wants... she wants her power back. She wants people to treat her with the respect she deserves. She wants... she wants...

Lips. Why can't she stop thinking about Kagami's lips?

*

When the Akuma alert sounds, Adrien and Marinette are ready. Gone are the days of stammered excuses and half-baked lies: thanks to help from Alya and Nino, the two of them have coordinated a believable, repeatable reason to leave class whenever Monarch attacks. PTSD is highly common among Parisians these days, and with Marinette's already-existing anxiety disorder on school record, it's not hard for her to get special accommodations. Including her boyfriend helping her find a place to hide.

"What do you think it is this time?" Adrien says, yanking her down the hallway toward the nearest utility closet.

She tries to match pace, but he's gotten so much taller than her in the last year, and while that can be nice sometimes, his longer legs mean that she has trouble keeping up even in costume. (It's undignified. And she's lost too many patrol races at this point.) "You know... I hate to... speculate, Minou," she gasps, stumbling along behind him.

He flashes her a cheeky grin. "Hope it's a kissing one," he says as they round a corner. "I know how much you love those."

Marinette's stomach swan-dives as her face catches fire. "A-Adrien!" she yelps, slapping his hand.

They come to a stop in front of the utility closet, and Adrien reaches out to grab the knob. "Bet you ten Euros it's... Chloé's..." He yanks open the door, only to trail off in apparent shock.

Marinette, confused, steps forward, and then immediately understands why he stopped speaking. And fails to understand just about anything else.

Kagami and Chloé both look up at them from their position on the floor, tangled up in each other. Their clothes are rumpled, their hair is mussed, and both of them are panting and thoroughly, thoroughly red in the face.

"I told you she was flirting," Kagami says.

[toast-tales]

Cursed Cravings, Chapter 12: The Beast

In which Danny sees what Christopher has been trying to hide from her. Contains: 4.4k words | Chapter 1 | Read this story on A03!

There was something odd about Christopher’s behavior the week after the ball he’d put on, but Danny couldn’t put her finger on what it was, exactly. He’d taken to isolating himself in his room more often, and every time she saw him—because he still served her meals, at least—she swore there was something more gaunt about his face, dark circles weighing beneath his eyes and a grim sort of fatigue about him. He’d started leaving his horns uncovered, and after a few days it almost seemed like they were slightly longer than before, extending past the back of his head so that his bun couldn’t have hidden them if he tried. Or so it seemed—when she asked, Christopher quickly denied it, and the subject was never brought up again. 

He kept saying he felt sick, that he just needed to rest. She couldn’t figure him out—he seemed to actively avoid any company with her, yet when he did grace her with his presence for those brief moments, it almost seemed like he clung to those seconds, as if it hurt for him to leave. His sentences were short and to the point, but his eyes betrayed a strange, inscrutable sadness.

She asked about the reason for his morose attitude, constantly. He simply denied it.

It went on this way for almost a week. Each day, Danny saw less and less of him until he disappeared completely a few days ago, with Sam being the one to deliver her food to her room instead. Sam always dodged the question when Danny asked what Christopher was up to. 

That day, a week after the ball and three days since Danny had seen the giant last, Danny gave a pointed look towards the door that opened of its own accord as the familiar wheeled cart made its way into her room with a tray of food atop it. “Where is he, Sam? Is he still feeling sick?” 

An increasingly small part of her was annoyed at the fact that she cared. If anything, shouldn’t she prefer to have less contact with her captor? 

In truth, she hadn’t felt much like a prisoner at all in the past few weeks, which was surely the first sign that she was beginning to lose her grip on reality. The second sign was that she had genuinely started to feel concern for the giant with the way he’d been carrying himself—such a stark difference from his usual, smug, confident facade. She was worried that there was something genuinely very wrong. 

The cart that rolled up to her bed sagged, its legs curving downward in something that seemed to convey a familiar weariness. Sam hadn’t been in the highest of spirits either lately. “Yeah. Chris is, uh…he’s not feeling much like his usual self lately. He’s…resting.” 

“Is he sick? What’s wrong with him?” Danny’s brow furrowed. Could giants even get sick? What would they do if he was? Surely they couldn’t just call for a doctor.

Sam hesitated, the cart bending forward so that Danny could grab her food. It was a motion one could almost describe as sheepish. “He’s…he’s fine, this happens every so often. Don’t worry about it.” 

Danny took the plate of food, but barely gave it a sideways glance as she set it next to her on the bed. “Can I…see him?”

The cart snapped back up to its normal height very, very quickly. “No. That’s, uh…not a great idea right now.” 

Danny stood up to her full height—which, all things considering, wasn’t very intimidating, especially since she was struggling to keep her balance on a giant mattress. But she was at least taller than the cart that served as Sam’s temporary body, and that was good enough for now.

“Oh? And why not?” She crossed her arms defiantly, hoping Sam had a weak enough will to give in to her interrogation. She was tired of the lame excuses and the vague responses. She wanted answers. 

The cart rolled away slowly before it stopped in its tracks, and Sam’s voice came from the curtains above her on the bedpost—quiet and, if she had to guess, purposefully stalling for time. “Listen, I, uh…I can’t talk about it.” 

She redirected her gaze to the general location of Sam’s voice, casting a withering glare towards the green gossamer that seemed to be curling even tighter around the bedpost. “What, did he forbid you or something? Why can’t you just tell me what’s wrong with him?” 

Is he hiding something? If it was just a regular illness, something that happened a lot, surely he wouldn’t be acting so weird about it, right? Is it more serious than that? 

Or is he just…avoiding me for some reason?

The curtains deflated with what sounded like a heavy sigh, and she saw the flame in the lamp on her nightstand diminish to almost nothing all of a sudden. Sam’s voice came from the lamp, as soft and sad as the tiny flame they’d nearly snuffed out. “Trust me. It’s probably better if you stay here, and don’t worry about it.”

Danny had never been one to relent, and she wasn’t about to start now. Every passing moment strengthened her resolve, but she knew she wasn’t getting anywhere if she couldn’t convince Sam to help. “Hell no. I want to see him. And you’re gonna take me to him.” 

“Why do you want to see him so badly?” Sam asked, plainly.

“Well Jesus, it almost sounds like he’s dying or something,” she grumbled, before she nearly bit her tongue as she thought of how insensitive that could be, given she still didn’t know if that was the case or not. She redirected her gaze elsewhere, although with Sam, she never really knew if she was making eye contact in the first place. “I’ve just…been worried about him. I want to see him, if something’s really wrong.” 

The flame of the lamp flickered nervously before it regained itself, beginning to burn a little brighter than before. “You…care that much about him?”

What a weird question. “I mean, I at least care enough to make sure he’s not dying.” She gave the lamp a look that bordered on pleading, though she tried to convince herself she was still remaining firm and resolute. “Please, Sam.”

The room was silent, with only the whistling of the wind in the trees outside to fill the air. For a moment, she thought that Sam had left—but somehow, she could still feel the manservant’s presence in the room, tremulous and uncertain as they seemed to consider her request.

“He’s going to kill me,” she heard Sam mumble to themself.

She nearly fell over as the blanket beneath her lifted up slowly, before floating off of the bed and landing gently on the floor. 

“I’ll…I’ll let you into his room.” 

Danny scrambled off of the blanket, giving it a warm grin as she righted herself again. “Thanks, Sam. You’re the best.” 

The blanket folded itself neatly back onto the bed, its edges giving a neat little flick of pride as it did so. Sam chuckled lightly. “I know.” 

The cart that had rolled in with Danny’s now-forgotten food bent down so that the bottom shelf of it was low enough for Danny to climb onto it. She scrambled on, and it began to make its way towards the open door, moving slowly and soundlessly down the hall.

The cart slowed down even further as it rounded a corner to be met with the grand entrance hall, rolling to a stop at the foot of the huge wooden staircase in its center. From Danny’s extremely low vantage point, it curved up further than she could see. She got off the cart as it bent down again, and a corner of the fabric runner on the stairs beckoned her over with a tiny wave. 

As she approached it, the deep red fabric scooped her up and began to smoothly lift her up the enormous stairs, one by one.

“Hey, Danny?” 

She stared blankly ahead as she traveled upwards, knowing it was better than looking behind her as they rose higher than she’d ever been in the house before. She’d never been taken to the second floor of the mansion. “Yeah?”

Sam’s voice came from directly beneath her, closer than she’d ever heard them. “I know it wasn’t under the…best of circumstances, but I’m really glad to have met you. And Christopher is too, even if he doesn’t admit it.” 

A weight sank into her stomach like a ship with lead sails, slow and heavy. She figured out what it was that had been bugging her about Christopher and Sam’s behavior lately—besides the fact that they both continuously dodged her questions. Their actions, the way they spoke, everything was colored with a sort of…finality, as if they were preparing for some inevitable end.

Was Christopher…going to die? 

At the moment, it was the only thing that seemed to make sense to Danny. She felt her hands going clammy all of a sudden as an icy chill prickled across her skin. No. No, surely that couldn’t be the case. Could it?

I mean, if he dies, I go free, don’t I?

The thought came and went without leaving a mark behind, like a leaf blown away by the wind. Her freedom wasn’t even close to the forefront of her mind anymore—not to mention she only had a week left, anyways.

And what good was freedom if her friend had to die for it? 

That word stuck and wedged itself into her brain—friend. Was Christopher her friend? Had she really just called the giant who’d imprisoned her for weeks her friend? 

She brushed that mess of confusing thoughts aside. Friend or no, she didn’t want to see Christopher die. She doubted there was anything she could even do if that was the case—but at the very least, she wanted to be there for him. As little sense as it made, she needed to be there for him now.

“I…I’m glad to have met you too, Sam. You’ve been really kind to me so far.” She laughed, though the sound was prickled with nervousness. “But I think you’re being a bit dramatic. I’ve still got a week—you’re talking like this is the last time you’ll see me.” 

The runner reached the top of the stairs and gently helped Danny onto the wooden floor before setting back onto the stairs with a sad resignation about it. “Well, you know…I’ve been around for a while. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Mostly go.” 

It felt a bit strange to do so, but Danny bent down to give the corner of the runner nearest to her a gentle pat, hoping Sam was still possessing it. She gave a short, strained laugh as she tried to swallow her nerves. “I’m not going anywhere for now, Sam. Just…take me to Christopher.”

There was another long rug that ran all the way down the hallway, and its edges fluttered weakly in an invitation for her. She stepped onto it and the red carpet moved her along the hallway, cradling her entirely as it did so. She had to admit—it was an efficient, if slightly weird way to travel.

The closer they seemed to get to their destination, the slower Sam moved, until the rug crawled to a stop just outside a huge, intricately designed wooden door at the end of the hallway. It was, by far, the fanciest door she’d seen so far in the mansion, and it loomed overhead like the face of an enormous cliff.

Danny stepped off the rug and turned to face Sam one last time. “Thank you again, Sam. I really appreciate it.”

The rug settled almost uncomfortably back onto the floor. “Just…remember what I said earlier, okay? He’s not his normal self right now. Try not to…judge him too harshly.” 

Danny smirked. “How bad could he be? It’ll be fine, I got it.” 

The door opened just a crack, enough for Danny to make her way through it to the room on the other side.

It shut behind her with a soft click.

The first thing she could hear was Christopher’s labored breathing from the bed on the other side of the room, leagues away from her. And then, suddenly, it stopped. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room—it was absent of Sam’s familiar presence, and dead silent. A pin drop could have cut through the tension.

“Christopher?” she called out tentatively, raising her voice even knowing that the giant should be able to hear her anyways. “Are you okay?”

“Danny?” Christopher’s voice was weak and trembling—he sounded almost shocked. “You…you shouldn’t be here. Sam shouldn’t have let you in. You need to leave. Now.” 

This did not dissuade Danny from proceeding further—it only made her approach the bed at a faster pace than before. “Leave? You sound awful. I came to check up on you, bastard. And I am not leaving until I figure out what the hell’s wrong with you.”

She saw the giant sit bolt upright in bed as she got closer, staring at her down on the floor with an expression she couldn’t make out clearly, with the shadows from the lamplight casting half his face into darkness. His hair was a frenzied mess, not neatly put up like it normally was—it hung limp and tangled over his shoulders, revealing the horns on his head clearly. They wound around his scalp before curving up into thin, sharp tips that reached well above the top of his head.

Are they…bigger than before? He didn’t say anything about them growing like that. 

He gripped the blankets with a worrying intensity, like they were at risk of flying away from him. He didn’t even seem to be breathing as he sat there, still as stone. 

She boldly stared back at him, his behavior only making her more confused—and concerned. “What’s up with you?” 

His grip on the bed linens tightened further, as if his muscles had begun to seize. “I…don’t…” His chest heaved with a single, heavy breath as he inhaled deeply, and his whole body trembled. “Please. I don’t want to…I don’t want to do this. You…you need to leave.” 

She decided that she was close enough to the bed now—still able to see Christopher’s face over its edge—so she planted her feet apart in the most confident stance she could muster and crossed her arms as she’d done earlier with Sam, ignoring every warning from the anxiety that was starting to creep into her body. “No. Put aside your fucking pride for one damn minute. I’m here because I care about you, okay?”

“Danny, Danny listen to me. I can’t…” He gripped his stomach, a painful growl escaping through his clenched teeth.

“Look at yourself!” She waved at him frantically. “You’re in pain. I’m not gonna just leave you when you’re hurting like this.” She spoke more gently, her voice laden with compassion. “I told you, you don’t have to hide things from me. I’m…your friend, Christopher. I want to help.” 

She realized it didn’t even feel strange to refer to him as a friend, though it had been the first admission from her own mouth out loud. She couldn’t deny that she cared about the person in front of her, and that she hated to see him hurting like this. She just wished she knew what to do.

“It’s because you’re my friend that you need to—AAAGH!” Christopher doubled over and cried out suddenly, a sound that wrenched Danny’s heart with a deep, piercing ache. It was a cry of frustration and despair as well as pain, loud enough to make her ears hurt from the volume. 

She winced, but did not budge.

She felt so incredibly powerless on the floor. She couldn’t get closer to Christopher, she couldn’t do anything to reassure him…she couldn’t really do anything at all.

“Sam,” she called out, knowing the house’s spirit could hear her from wherever they were in the house, praying that they would help her again. “Bring me up to him.”

“Don’t,” Christopher growled, still doubled over atop the bed.

At first, there was no response—and then she watched as one of the bedposts twisted and curled in on itself, its wood silently forming into a tiny, human-sized spiral staircase that wound all the way to the top of the giant bed. Danny wasted no time in rushing over to it, leaping up the stairs almost two at a time.

“God damn it, Sam,” Christopher seethed.

“Chris, she’s right. You’re just going to hurt yourself at this rate. You can’t—”

Christopher made a sound somewhere between a growl and a moan to cut off the voice that floated hesitantly from somewhere nearby. “Shut up.” It wasn’t an authoritative command by any means—more of a quiet whimper, but Sam complied nonetheless. 

When Danny finally reached the top of the stairs, she was nearly out of breath, but she still yelled despite her lungs gasping for air. “You are so fucking stubborn, bastard. Just tell me what’s wrong!”

Though he was still bent over, kneeling on the bed with his arms wrapped tightly around his middle, Christopher’s head snapped to face her in an instant, his wide and bloodshot eyes fixed on her with a newfound intensity.

It was hard to tell in the dim light, but they almost seemed…darker.

“Leave,” he gasped, desperation clawing at every edge of his voice. She could see now that there was a slight tremor in his fingers that clenched the fabric of his shirt. “...please. You don't…you don't deserve this.”

Danny took a few more steps toward the giant, slowly, like she was approaching a spooked horse. “Christopher,” she began, a much quieter authority in her voice.

She could hear every breath he took in the aching silence as she approached him, but as she reached his body and put her hand against the wide expanse of his knee, his breathing stopped. His eyes never left her—he didn’t even seem to blink.

He’s been alone here for a long time.

“You’re not alone right now. I don’t know what’s wrong, but whether you like it or not, I’m gonna be here for you. Got it?” 

She heard the giant swallow, his lips trembling. Finally, he managed a single, quivering word.

“Why?”

She huffed a quiet laugh. “For such a smart guy, you sure ask a lot of stupid questions. ‘Why?’ Because believe it or not, I give half a damn about you. That’s what friends do. They help each other.”

Christopher shook his head as if to refute her notion, but he didn’t say anything else in reply. He squeezed his eyes shut, muttering something under his breath she couldn’t make out.

A tear fell from his eyes to the sheets below.

“Now, can you just tell me what’s wrong?” Her voice was gentler, as if she was talking to a troubled Nathan instead of a miserable giant.

His lips barely parted as he mumbled out a single word.

“S…starving…”

Danny cocked her head, confused. “How can you be hungry? You said giants didn’t need to eat—”

Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze traveled to his palm that still clung to his shirt tightly. She saw a dark, crimson color stain his fingers and the white shirt in the dim light—not from an underlying wound, but from his palms themselves. He was somehow pressing his nails into his palms so hard that they had begun to bleed.

“Hey! Don’t do that, you’re hurting yourself, dammit!” She’d been ready to climb up his knee to get closer when she stopped suddenly, her breath catching in her throat. 

Christopher slowly unfurled his fist and let go of his shirt, revealing the fresh, bloody wounds in his palm—and fingers that had somehow grown long, sharp nails, just as black as his horns. It looked almost like a dark malaise had begun to travel down his skin, coloring his newly-grown claws and the tips of his fingers as black as pitch.

Christopher’s eyes snapped open to view her with a sudden, intense urgency. 

The giant’s eyes were black—completely, like an inkwell had spilled behind his eyelids and drained them of light. 

A sharp spike of fear slithered down her spine in an instant, but she still didn’t move until she heard the next word from Christopher’s mouth—broken, raspy, and sounding not entirely…human or giant. 

“Run.” 

The fear inside of her snapped like a wire and she threw herself away from the giant, obeying his instruction without a second thought. Putting herself so close to Christopher meant that she had more ground to cover to get to the staircase Sam had made for her, but she bolted for it all the same. She only narrowly avoided Christopher’s first attempt at grabbing her, his hand shooting out towards her with a wild ferocity like he’d become possessed by some feral animal.

What the fuck. WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

“CHRISTOPHER!” she cried out, not slowing down in the least or daring to look behind her before she finally reached the stairs, leaping down them as quickly as she could. “Christopher, snap the fuck out of it!”

That can’t be him. He wouldn’t attack me like this. What the FUCK is going on?

Christopher seemed to be beyond the point of engaging in conversation. She heard him growl in frustration as he scrambled off the bed, frantically swiping around the bedpost to grab her again while she was part of the way down the staircase. She decided to leap down to the floor and ignore the rest of the stairs entirely, feeling his fingers just barely graze her as she did. The impact wasn’t exactly soft, but she tried to keep her knees bent and let the adrenaline propel her forward.

She couldn’t outrun him. She had to be smart. Under the bed. It was her only chance—she sprinted under the bed frame, aiming for the middle that would hopefully be far enough out of his reach. It was dark, and dusty, and she thought she could see the shadow of what looked like a spider carcass somewhere ahead, but it was easy not to think about it when she was gripped with the terror of her life being on the line. 

She’d only been able to buy herself a few seconds of rest to catch her breath. A horrible, deafening SCREECH made her throw her hands over her ears, and in a split second the dark safety she'd managed to claim gave way to open air as the entire bed—the huge, ornate, four-poster bed—was shoved out of the way, scraping against the hardwood floor and leaving her standing completely out in the open. Christopher towered over her, breathing heavily. The light from the window behind him cast him in shadow, making his horned silhouette all the more terrifying.

Danny was frozen in place. There was nowhere for her to go. Snarky retorts would do next to nothing here, and it was clear to her that no matter how much she tried to fight, she was supremely outmatched in every way. 

The air was stripped from her lungs in an instant as she was snatched up and lifted high into the air, level with the giant’s face—there was none of the usual care for her comfort, no grace and poise about his movements now. She could feel the sharp point of his claw press against her chest, but not hard enough to cause any pain—yet.

A bit of Christopher's blood stained her shirt.

She stared at the giant’s face with wide, frantic eyes, still not quite able to put together what was happening. There wasn’t a hint of humanity left in Christopher’s face—his pitch-black eyes bore into her like a wolf about to pounce, ready to tear her flesh apart. It wasn’t the giant she knew. It wasn’t Christopher at all. 

It was a monster.

“I know you’re still in there, bastard,” she gasped, her voice wavering despite her desire to be brave. “I know this isn’t you. Please, Christopher.” 

It could have been her imagination—but she swore the grip on her loosened slightly, a slight tremor running through the hand that held her. 

The giant swallowed again, and this close to his mouth, the innocuous action sent another chill up her spine. What is he going to do to me? Is he going to kill me? 

Is he going to…eat me?

The hand that might have possibly considered letting her go had no such plans anymore—his fingers tightened around her again and she felt the sharp tip of his claw against the base of her throat, preventing her from moving or looking anywhere besides straight into the unfeeling void that had taken over Christopher’s eyes. 

He moved her so close to his face that his lips brushed against her, and she fought to contain her body’s sudden shaking. 

“Please,” she whimpered, “don’t hurt me, Christopher.” 

She felt his lips tremble, as if there truly was something inside this monster holding him back. She held her breath as she waited, praying silently that it was her friend and that he would regain control of his senses.

It was her only hope left.

A few ragged, hoarse words escaped his lips, as if it was a struggle for him to simply force them out—as if he was trying to speak while having the air choked out of him, like an invisible noose was tied tightly around his neck. It still didn't sound like Christopher’s normal voice.

“You’ll…be…safe…”

His lips parted against her.

She couldn’t understand why she had lost the will to fight—it went against every fiber of her being. She never gave up, even when things seemed hopeless. Normally, she would scratch and bite and claw her way out, scream and yell and curse until her throat was sore. 

But she didn’t. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, her heart pounding so fast she thought it would burst, but she could not summon the anger she needed to fight back and escape. 

Her world changed in an instant as the giant pushed her into his mouth, and everything became dark and wet and cramped. Whether from fear or shock, her body went limp as she submitted weakly to the horror that surrounded her. 

She believed him. 

A giant beast had snatched her up in its claws, growling like a wild animal and shoving her into its mouth to consume her whole.

But when her friend told her she would be safe, she believed him.

And it was yet to be seen whether or not that was the last stupid decision she’d ever make. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Next chapter ->

I'm sure you were all wondering when some of the tags on this story would actually come into play, weren't you?

Tune in next week for Chapter 13: Matters of the Flesh. And thank you for reading!

FANART of this chapter by the wonderful @safe-from-sharp-teeth !