#he is clearly frustrated that they didn't go unnoticed

[thatrandomsarahchick]

I but imagine if they accidentally become vigilantes? Or worse ... heroes!

They don't even realise at first, so used to vigilantes like Danny and Red Huntress harassing and stalking them, but they end up being so genuine in their love of this music shop that isn't a front for anything that they pass Batman's test and he let's them be.

The area around their shop becomes known as their territory, especially when they start stopping any villain attacks that happen within a five block radius - they can't risk their stuff getting damaged! Skulker finds out one of the neighbours was attacked on the way home and quickly makes her a small, non lethal, weapon to protect herself with. More people from the neighbourhood come forward telling him about attacks that have happened outside their radius and he starts a small section of personal protection devices for sale at reasonable prices.

Red Hood comes into the shop again because a few of the kids in his area have started carrying Ember's Emporium branded key chains that double as blunt knives if you spin them the right way. They're not enough to kill someone, but enough for the kids to hopefully surprise them and have a chance at getting free. Another thing that's been showing up are thick metal balls that expand into a baton if you press a button.

He somehow gets into a discussion with Skulker about Crime Alley, and how the Bats and cops won't even go there. He starts ranting about how he does everything he can, but it still never seems to be enough to protect the innocents from getting hurt. Skulker sees how this Revenant is striving to protect his haunt, and offers to help him out. He incorrectly assumes that the man felt so strongly about protecting his street that he came back to life.

Jason leaves with a signed contract to provide him with personal protection devices at a discount rate. In exchange, Jason will put in a good word to Ember's parole officer if he asks for it, and won't mention any of the fighting they've been doing.

Ember's Music Emporium

When he became King, Danny had not banned the ghosts from earth but asked them to be discreet, so instead of giving concerts that were extremely flashy, Ember decided to open a music store.

It was complicated to find a good location since she wanted to go far away from Amity, but she was aware that not all cities would accept strangers and it could be dangerous for her if they found out she was a ghost.

Money was not so difficult, Ember had collected several things during her unofficial concerts, among them: cash (besides, Danny was willing to sponsor her if that wasn't enough), and musical instruments were even easier to find as Skulker loved to build them and wanted to help her.

In the end, her little music store set up in Gotham (rusty laws, natural ecto, crazies everywhere and lots of people who looked extremely colorful, she assumed they would take her as one).

She and Skulker worked very hard at turning the dusty place they bought into something nice where everyone was welcome; they also made it a sort of temporary home, seeing as they couldn't go to the Infinite Realms every day.

And everything was a success until someone tried to attack their little business; naturally the ghosts protected it and very soon, a rare scarecrow was hit by one of Skulker's bombs.

It didn't cause much damage but it definitely drew attention. Many tried to attack after this and they kept responding (Skulker much more excited than she was about the whole thing).

But Ember was determined to not call Danny, she was sure they would get scolded about attacking people and not going unnoticed as they promised (although the rude people attacked them first and none of them were dead, or Danny would have come).

When some weird guys in bat costumes started trying to sneak into her humble music store (and they didn't even bother to pretend to be customers like the nice guy in the red helmet), she decided that maybe it was time to call the halfa. Things had gotten a little out of hand.

[applecaviar]

imagine xav x mc x caleb throuple sex …. them being jealous and frustrated when two guys tried to hit on their girl at the beach and they fuck it all out on her

I just noticed I didn't have Xavier in the "At the same damn time" fics 😯.

I hope you like it ☺️

The update for The land of no return series is next.

⭐Melting point🍎

Tw: smut

You flash the guys in front of you your most charming smile, laughing at their jokes as you subtly angle your body to keep Xavier and Caleb in your peripheral vision. Their stares don't go unnoticed, and you can practically feel the jealousy radiating off them from across the beach. But you act oblivious, continuing your flirtatious banter with the two men, enjoying the little thrill of making Xavier and Caleb a bit jealous.

After a few more minutes of friendly conversation, you excuse yourself and start walking towards Xavier and Caleb. As you approach, their expressions morph from jealousy to possessive.

Stopping in front of them, you tilt your head coyly, batting your lashes. "What are you two scowling about?" you ask innocently, acting as if you have no idea about the effect you just had on them. "Is everything okay?"

You can sense the tension crackling between the three of you. But you simply look at them waiting on their reaction to your little game. Little do they know, you live for moments like these, the thrill of pushing their buttons and the retaliation that's sure to follow.

You grab your tropical cocktail from Xavier's hand, the ice cubes clinking against the glass as you bring it to your lips. The sweet, fruity taste of pineapple and rum dances on your tongue as you take a long, slow sip.

With no answer from them you walk back to your beach chair, as soon as you are setting your glass down on the small side table you hear Xavier ask  "Did you have fun?"

Turning your body, you lie on your stomach deliberately arching your back to expose the skimpy backside of your bikini bottoms. The fabric stretches over the curve of your ass, the edges of your cheeks peeking out teasingly. You can feel the warm sun caressing your exposed skin, but it's nothing compared to the intensity of Xavier's gaze as he stares at your tempting display.

"Nope," you reply, voice dripping with false innocence. The single word hangs heavy in the air between you, a provocation and a challenge all in one.

"How about we go back to the hotel so you can wear something else."

You turn your head slowly to face Caleb, your long hair falling over your shoulder as you meet his eyes. A tiny smirk plays at the corners of your mouth as you respond to his suggestion.

"I really like this bikini," You emphasize each word, drawing out the syllables as if savoring the taste of them on your tongue. It's like you are daring him to do something about his obvious disapproval.

Turning back to face forward, you make a show of adjusting your bikini top. You can feel the weight of their stares, the hunger in their eyes as they watch your every move.

Xavier steps closer, invading your personal space as he leans down, his face mere inches from yours. "You and every other guy around here seems to like it too. Maybe a little too much."

Shrugging you let out a soft scoff. "So?" you ask.

You knew all too well about their love hate relationship with your bratty attitude and it only spurred you on.

Rolling on your side, you prop yourself up on one elbow, facing both men directly.

"What's the matter, boys? Can't handle a little friendly chat?" You taunt, lips curling into a teasing grin. Your eyes dance between their tense faces, reveling in the jealous frustration you see there.

Caleb leans down and presses a soft towel into your hands. "Here, wrap this around yourself"

You glance down at the towel, then back up at Caleb "But I don't feel cold," you reply, keeping your tone playful yet stubborn, and make no move to take the towel from him

Xavier sighs loudly, his patience clearly wearing thin. He leans in close again, so close you can feel his breath against your ear. "Either you wrap that towel around your body, or I'll bend you over this chair to spank that attitude out of you and give those guys a bigger show than you already have."

You let out a soft, tinkling laugh. "What makes you think I wouldn't like that? Maybe I want them to watch..."

As the words leave your lips, you suddenly realize that you may have taken things a step too far, pushing them closer to their breaking points.

So you sit up slowly and swing your legs over the side of the chair. Standing up, you fix your bikini bottoms and adjust the straps of your top.

'I think I'm going to enjoy the rest of our time here before we head back to the hotel," you say, grabbing your sunglasses and slipping them on your face.

With a flip of your hair over your shoulder, you turn and start walking towards the water's edge, putting an extra sway in your hips. You know they're watching you, their eyes glued to your every move. The sand is warm beneath your bare feet as you approach the shoreline, the waves lapping gently at the sand.

You glance back at them over your shoulder, eyes hidden behind your sunglasses, a teasing smile on your lips. "Aren't you two coming?"

⭐🍎⭐🍎⭐🍎⭐🍎⭐🍎⭐🍎⭐

"Caleeeeb..."Why are you doing it like that?

You are spread out luxuriously on the hotel bed, your bikini long since discarded and forgotten on the floor. Caleb's hands grip your thighs, holding them apart. His mouth moves over your folds, tongue swirling sooooo slowly on your clit, as if he has all the time in the world. He takes his time, savoring every inch of your skin, tracing the delicate contours of your femininity with a maddeningly slow thoroughness.

The minutes tick by and your frustration grows, back arching off the bed, fingers gripping the sheets beneath you. You can feel the pleasure building, but it's too slow, too teasing, and not nearly enough to satisfy the need within you.

You toss your head back against the pillows, hips squirming beneath him. "Stop making out with my pussy"

Caleb simply chuckles and lifts his head just enough to flash you a grin, then he parts your folds with his fingers and spits directly on your exposed clit. You gasp at the sudden stimulation and his saliva mingles with your arousal. The slick, warm fluid trickles down between your ass cheeks.

Suddenly Xavier whispers against the shell of your ear, the deep timbre of his voice making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end  "What did we say about sassing?"

Caleb's fingers dig into the soft flesh of your thighs, gripping you tighter as he holds you in place.

"You have two options y/n, you can be quiet and take what we give you..."

As Xavier speaks, you feel the flat of his tongue drag slowly over the peak of your nipple, the wet muscle teasing with gentleness. It draws a sharp gasp from your throat

"So soft" he whispers.

"Or?" you breathe out, your voice trembling slightly

"Or... I will find something to shove inside that bratty mouth and take what we want anyway. What will it be?"

You quickly clamp your mouth shut, a soft whimper escaping your lips.

"Good girl," Xavier praises, the words are barely out of his mouth before you feel the sharp sting of his teeth sinking into your nipple.

A gasp catches in your throat, threatening to spill over into a moan, but you bite your lip hard to stifle it.

Caleb seems to be rewarding your obedience choosing that moment to run the tip of his tongue from your entrance to your clit several times. Then he pushes a finger inside your core, curling and stroking a sensitive spot.

You can no longer hold back the needy sounds building in your throat. A moan escapes your lips, the pleasure overwhelming your previous resolve to stay quiet.

"Caleb, please..." you hear yourself beg "More, I need more..." Your hips buck against his hand, trying to take his finger deeper as your walls clench greedily around it.

"She sounds so sweet when she begs, doesn't she Caleb?"

You feel Xavier's fingers tightening around your breast, squeezing your flesh. Your nipples harden further under his touch, aching for more of his dominant caress.

"Do it again," Xavier commands, "Beg for it, and we'll make you feel good." He licks your nipple again and Caleb adds a second finger, pumping them in and out of your pussy with a steady rhythm.

You feel your orgasm building, that coil of pleasure winding tighter and tighter in your core. A breathless smile plays on your lips as you realize the power you hold, even as these two men have you pinned and at their mercy, the knowledge that you somehow have them wrapped around your finger only adds to your arousal.

"God, you are such a fucking brat," Xavier growls "All you had to do was behave yourself, and we would have fucked you the way you deserve" 

Caleb adds a third finger, stretching you further, Xavier fingers pinch and roll your other nipple in time with the thrusts of Caleb's hand.

Your hips buck wildly, rolls only making it halfway through completion "I'm gonna... Fuck, Xav..."

Just as you feel the sweet oblivion of your climax approaching, heaven within reach, and your soul poised to soar through those celestial doors...

You open the doors to heaven, but you don't get to walk in.

Because just as the first wave of your orgasm hits both men stop. Cold air hits your pussy as Caleb abruptly removes his mouth and fingers, leaving you empty and desperate.

Xavier grabs your arms, gripping them tightly as he pins them above your head, preventing you from moving, from seeking more of that glorious friction. Your orgasm, once promising to be earth shattering, fizzles out into a mere flicker, leaving you whimpering and squirming.

"Did you really think, after today, that you deserved to cum so fast?" Caleb mocks. "You haven't earned that pleasure, brat."

Tears of frustration prick at the corners of your eyes as you stare up at them, your chest heaving with ragged breaths. Your body is a live wire of sensation, every nerve ending screaming for more, for release, but they've stolen that from you.

"If you wanted to be touched, you just needed to ask," Xavier reminds you. His grip on your arms tightens briefly, a warning and a promise all in one. "We saw how those fuckers were looking at you, like a piece of meat, a prize to be won. But you don't belong to them, do you?"

Caleb leans in and whispers, "No, you belong to us. So next time, remember this is what happens when you don't ask nicely for what you want."

Trembling and sensitive you begin to move your hands to cover your naked body, but before you can Caleb sits up, effortlessly lifting you up placing you on his lap, your legs straddling his thick thighs as he holds you up.

You look up at him, confusion in your eyes as you mumble, "I thought... we were done?"

He shifts his hips slightly, and you feel the hard length of his cock slide through your folds, the head catching on your entrance. "Oh princess," he murmurs "That was just a warning. Now comes the lesson."

He squeezes your waist tightly, his fingers digging into your soft flesh as he starts to push you down on his cock. Your eyes widen and you let out a choked gasp as you feel his girth stretching you open, the thick head pushing past your entrance.

Your head spins and when he starts to sink you lower, you feel something that always makes your mind go completely blank, the cold metal of his piercings.

He starts counting as he pushes you down "One... Two... Three..." You're not sure if he's counting each inch of his large cock as it disappears inside you, or if he's marking the way your pussy swallows up each of his piercings.

Your walls flutter and clench, trying to adjust as Caleb continues. "Five... Six... Seven..."

Then he gives your waist one last firm push, sheathing that final inch of his pierced cock deep inside you. When your ass presses against his thighs and your hips align, he finishes counting "Eight."

His hands grip your hips, holding you in place as he starts to roll his hips slowly, working his cock in slow circles. "This is how it feels to be ours"

You let out a shaky moan when you feel Xavier's hands squeeze your breasts from behind. Driven by instinct and desperation, you find yourself rolling your hips, grinding your ass against the length of his cock .

Xavier's voice is a warning growl in your ear as he feels your teasing movements. "Don't be greedy, bunny, If you keep pressing your ass against my dick like that, I'm going to fuck it."

Caleb, still fucking you so very slowly whispers "Careful what you wish for Pip, Xavier's not as gentle as I am. He might just take what he wants"

But you're too far gone, lost in a haze of sensation and desperation, to heed the warning in their voices. The words spill from your lips before you can stop them, fast and breathless.

"And that would be a problem, why?" you ask, rolling your hips, deliberately grinding your ass against his erection one more time.

"Because, once he starts, he won't stop until he's emptied every last drop of his cum deep inside your ass" he gives a sharp thrust, grinding his pelvis against yours, making you cry out, "and right now, your little cunt is too busy milking my cock to take much more."

"Is that what you want?" Xavier asks, "To be fucked until you can't walk straight?"

Your breathless whisper of affirmation is all it takes to shatter the last of Xavier's restraint. He spits crudely into his palm, coating his fingers with saliva. Before you can process the lewd gesture, he's pressing the slick fingers against your back entrance.

His eyes are dark with lust as he watches Caleb's cock disappear between your wet folds, your walls clinging greedily to every inch of his length. "Tell me, Y/N, do you deserve it?"

You're too desperate with need to lie, so the truth tumbles from your lips in a plea. "I don't," you admit, your voice breaking on a moan as Caleb's buries his cock to the hilt again "But I need you right now, Xav, please!"

Xavier's pupils dilate and without warning, he presses the head of his cock against your back entrance. Your body instinctively clenches, your hole squeezing down on the intrusion.

But jealous Xavier is anything but gentle, so with a single thrust, he buries himself inside your ass, not stopping until his heavy balls press against the underside of your cheeks. The sudden, intense stretch has you crying out, your back arching as your fingers scrabble at Caleb's chest for support. 

"FUCK!" you scream, feeling split open, stuffed so full of hard, pulsing cock that you swear you can feel them in your throat.

Xavier swears under his breath, pressing his forehead against your shoulder "Fuck, Caleb"

"What?"

"I can feel your fucking piercings"

Caleb's hands squeeze your ass and spreads the cheeks apart as he starts to thrust again and says "Your welcome"

Desperation claws at your insides as you clench down on their cocks, feeling every ridge and vein, every piercing and throbbing pulse. You can't form a coherent thought beyond the need for them to move, to claim you, to use you.

"Xav," you whimper, your nails digging into Caleb's skin. "I need you to move, please!" Your hips move between them, seeking more of that intense fullness.

He's testing his control, ensuring he won't embarrass himself by cumming on the spot the second he starts to move. After a few tense heartbeats, he seems satisfied that he can hold back, if only just barely.

"Hold on to Caleb and remember I love you," he murmurs, his breath hot against your skin. "Because in about five seconds, it will feel like I don't."

With that ominous warning, he starts to move, pulling his hips back until just the tip of his cock remains inside. Then, with a hard snap of his hips, he slams back into you, burying his length deep inside your ass.

The sensation of being so impossibly stretched steals your breath away, leaving you gasping and panting. Your mouth falls open, desperate for air as each of their thrusts drives the oxygen from your lungs.

Caleb takes advantage of your open mouth, leaning in to catch your lower lip between his teeth. He tugs on it gently before releasing it and flicking his tongue out to lave over the sensitive skin, soothing the sting of his nip.

"You wanted to be fucked stupid, princess?"

You don't answer, you can't. Not when the two of them are fucking you like that

"We're getting there...she just lost her ability to talk"

Xavier throws his head back, the tendons in his neck stand out, his muscles coiled and flexing as he chases his pleasure, lost in the tight, silken heat of your ass.

You're sandwiched between them, a willing victim to their lust, your body a plaything for them to use for their satisfaction. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room, mixing with your desperate moans and their harsh pants and groans.

Your body is wracked with sensation, every nerve ending screaming with a dizzying mix of pleasure and pain. Tears stream down your face as you cry out, "I can't take it anymore!"

Xavier leans down, his lips brushing your ear "Yes, you can, stubborn thing. Look at how well you're doing right now."

Caleb reaches down, gripping your thighs tightly. With a sharp tug, he pulls your legs further apart, opening you wider to them. The new angle has Xavier's cock driving even deeper into your ass.

The pleasure is so intense that it blurs the line with pain, leaving you dizzy and disoriented. You can't distinguish one from the other anymore, only knowing that you're drowning in them.

 

"It's too good, it's too much... I'm about to...Xav"

"You don't need my permission, bunny. Don't hold back now."

"Caleb..."

Feeling your body shaking between them, he murmurs words of encouragement "Go ahead, Pip. Come for us, I'll be right there with you"

With a swipe of his finger against your swollen clit, Caleb sends you hurtling over the edge. Your scream tears through the room, your body convulsing violently as your orgasm crashes over you. Tears pour down your face, vision going white as pleasure detonates behind your eyes.

Your nails rake down Caleb's chest, leaving red lines in their wake as you ride out the aftershocks of your orgasm. You can feel Xavier's rhythm start to falter, his thrusts growing erratic as he chases his own release.

Caleb's hands grip your hips tightly, holding you in place as he slams up into your spasming cunt, his own orgasm building rapidly. You can feel his cock growing impossibly harder.

"Fuck!" Caleb moans, his eyes squeezing shut as the first hot, thick spurt of his release paints your cervix.

"Shit, I'm close too," Xavier pants harshly "Don't you dare fucking stop, Caleb!"

Xavier's balls draw up tight, his impending release coiling hot and heavy. With a scream of your name that echoes off the bedroom walls, he hilts inside your ass one last time, his cock pulsing as it begins to erupt. 

Completely spent, you collapse against Caleb's body. Limbs trembling and face nuzzled into the crook of his shoulder as you try to catch your breath.

After a long moment, you start to giggle, a breathless, incredulous sound that turns into a full blown laugh. Caleb looks down at you, his eyes crinkling with amusement as he takes in your expression.

Still giggling, you tilt your head to meet his gaze "You two need to get that jealousy under control."

His brows furrow as he cups your chin "We don't want you talking to guys like that anymore," he states firmly, his thumb brushing over your lower lip in a gesture that's almost tender, if not for the underlying demand in his tone.

"You can't just order me..."

"We can and we will, see that's where you are wrong bunny, it's our cum filling you up right now. Not theirs" Xavier hips roll lazily against your ass, stirring his release inside you.

"You are ours."

[pearlymel]

·˚ ༘ ·If bad, then why does it feel good?˚. ༉‧₊˚ ft. Sylus.

SUM. You happen to share genuine feelings with the supposedly man you hate.

WC. 2.5k

WARNINGS. not mc fem! reader, fluffy smut MDNI, emotional feelings, unprotected sēx, soft needy sēx, enemies to lovers type shit, not proofread.

NOTES. Just sylus. Nothing more.

It always comes down to this.

The constant hatred for him, you want to literally pierce a bullet to his head. Why does he have to smirk everytime you try to throw curses towards him? Why does he have to press those dangerous lips over yours to shut you up?

Why does it feel so good everytime?

Damn him.

Lately, something—someone has been bothering you. A certain hunter from Linkon city who seems to have earn herself some attention from the leader of Onychinus.

You squint your eyes at the memory of their interaction, it was pathetic. He didn't seem to have any hatred for her whatsoever, he even seemed to help her.

Is he really pretending to be the good guy in front of her? Or was it all a facade?

“you're zoning out,” Sylus drawls lazily while tapping a finger on your cheek to bring back your attention to him.

Right, you were trying to kill him, again.

You still had him down against the seat while you were above him, still careful not to perch yourself on his lap. Your index that brushed too closely to the trigger shook even more when his thumb played dangerously close to the trigger, resting right on top of your index finger, and you feel like the air is being taken away from your lungs.

“It seems like this isn't entertaining you anymore,” you shoot him a stare and he raises an eyebrow, “perhaps… miss hunter is being too soft on you.”

You watch at how his eyebrows raise in amusement, he knew he had the upper hand in this situation, and it was clear to him that you did as well.

He noticed your voice change, and how your fingers still trembled against the gun still pointed at his chest. Even in your feigned bravado, you couldn't mask your unease. Too easy.

"My," Sylus' eyes darkened as he looked up at you with the slightest curl of his lips lifting upwards, "Are you.. jealous?”

This is ridiculous, and you feel offended even. “Why the hell would i be jealous of stray cats?” you argue back, and he seems almost pleased by your answer, “atta girl.”

Not being able to handle him anymore, you make the decision to press on the trigger without thinking, that the loud bangcaused you to gasp in fear as you drop the gun from your hand.

So close.

Sylus remained still for a few moments as he glanced to his side at the bullet hole on the seat beside his head.

“You missed.” He stated, like he was disappointed.

“Did you not want me to miss?!”

He smiles, "And spoil the fun? Never." Clearly he was playing with your feelings at this point.

He brought a hand up, his fingers tangling into the messy strands of your hair, pulling firmly enough to tilt your head to the side. His eyes studied your own, his gaze roaming over every part of your expression, trying to figure out what you would do next.

"You should try again." He said lowly, his voice almost a whisper. "Maybe you'll hit me this time.”

You press your lips into a thin line at the proximity between you, and your hands find his shoulders, “you can't die.. yet.”

"Oh, don't you worry, sweetie. I'm not gonna die so easily." He let out a dry laugh as if it was obvious.

"That is, unless you end up killing me.”

The change in your expression didn’t go unnoticed by him, the worry, the concern, the frustration, the anger. It's all so interesting.

His hand left your hair to snake around your waist to finally pull you down on his lap, and that's when he felt your hands come to hold his face so dearly, your eyelashes fluttering between his eyes and lips.

You held him close to you as if he was the only thing that mattered—and he was, really.

You embraced him like you were lovers, like you were holding someone dear in your arms. With your arms looped around his shoulders, to pour all your love into his lips, you always did that whenever you kisses. Always soft, sweet, and slow.

Yet Sylus wanted to return the kiss deeply, his tongue trying to seek yours in a desperate, hungry manner. Like he's never kissed you before.

You part your lips for his tongue to delve further in, exploring every inch of your mouth as if he were trying to memorize the taste, the one he's already used to, but it only seems to be sweeter with each exchanged kiss.

He let out a low moan, feeling completely consumed by you. His hands continued to roam your body, exploring every contour and curve, every dip and valley, as if he was trying to commit you to memory.

You pant softly when his lips leave yours to graze the skin of your jawline and neck, but you tug ay his hair before he could do anything.

“no marks.”

“and why?”

“I can't walk around looking like that—”

Then it hits you, what the hell were you even doing?

You push yourself off him, stumbling slightly back when you stood up abruptly, but you don't reach for the hand that's out for you to balance on.

“This is messed up.” You say your thoughts out loud before you could stop yourself, and your fists clench to your sides.

He leaned forward to follow after you, leaving the warmth of the seat behind him, he then speaks with a tilt of his head, "I'd say what we've been doing is pretty normal for our relationship, wouldn't you?"

You sigh, “normal? What even are we?”

Ah, that question.

"Oh, you know. We’re just enemies with a mutual hatred for each other, who just happen to kiss each other on the regular. Nothing out of the ordinary here, sweetie." His tone dripped with sarcasm, “totally nothing odd here.” you try matching his sarcasm with a glare.

He met your glare with his own gaze, his expression suddenly turning serious.

"Why are you acting like doing this," he gestured between the two of you, "is something completely new? Has it ever occurred to you that doing this may actually feel good?" He paused for a moment, watching your expression twist into confusion, “you say you hate me, but let me ask you this: what do you feel when you're around me? Hate, or something else entirely?”

"I—” you press your lips shut when you realise you don't even know the answer to that. How did he feel about this?

"it feels like a drug yet I can't let go off." You settle with your answer quietly.

He takes a slow step forward, “you make it sound like an addiction, sweetie.”

“it is an addiction.” you confirm bluntly, and his smirk widens further.

“Mm, a drug you can't let go of.”

“A drug i need to let go of.”

He stops at his tracks, "You,” Sylus stares down at you, “think you can just let go of me that easily?" He asked, before moving closer, his body practically looming over yours now, trapping you against the wall. His hand came up to rest on the wall beside your head, his arm caging you in.

You're trapped, with nowhere to go, “i made a mistake, I'll leave—”

“No.” he captured your wrist in a tight grip when you tried making your way out.

Sylus’ grip on your wrist loosened when you winced the first time he grabbed it, his hand shifting down instead to intertwine his fingers with yours.

"You really think I'd just let you walk out that door and never see you again? You must be joking," he scoffs, his tone taking a lower route, and you're surprised.

"You're... you're mine, damnit.”

You blink twice, “since.. when?”

He lets out a sharp exhale, his patience and self-control slowly fading. "Since our first shared kiss," he practically growls out, "you may be a difficult, infuriating, little brat, but goddamnit if you're not mine.”

Sylus can see the range of emotions flickering across your face as you digest his words, those same expressions he always sees, this time, it's all anger and frustration.

"You look like you're about to explode, darling," he says, his voice coming out in a mocking drawl. "Want to shout at me? Let it out. Tell me how much you hate me again, because we both know that's bullshit.”

“it's no—”

“don't even try to lie to me,”

“i hate y—”

“lying, again.”

“Sylus.” You let out sharply, you were getting tired or him cutting you off.

He listens, it doesn't feel too shocking now. You're just.. overwhelmed.

Do you feel like crying? Yes. Do you want to really cry in front of him? No, of course not. But the tears threatening around your eyes is too hard to wipe off now.

And Sylus tenses when he realized the gravity of the situation, he doesn't waste time to lift your chin up. And the sight makes his heart ache abnormally.

“don't,” he whispers softly before taking you in a warm embrace, where your face us pressed against his chest.

You exhale, the hug is genuine, it feels like he's hugging your heart. You wrap you arms back around him, no wonder you always feel your little heart beating around him.

"we're both stubborn, hot-headed, and too proud to back down," He whispers against your hair, “But beloved, i… am sorry if i failed to see your genuine feelings.”

You tighten your arms around him, beloved, you like the sound of that.

You tip your head back up, and you can notice the way his eyes seem to soften… like that one snowy time.

And you lean to peck his lips, it makes him smile before he returns the kiss with a gentle press of his lips onto yours.

…

You mentally agreed with yourself that you would stop at kissing. Only a few kisses here and there… It felt too easy and natural to listen to his whispers

Your eyes rolled back almost every time he nudged against your sweet spot, making your jaw slack, and you don't let go off the hem of his blouse for not even a second with how of a tight hold you had on the fabric.

You would both get like this everytime your emotions were heightened. You crave this, it's a need at this point.

But this time it's different, it doesn't feel like two beasts ravishing eachother, this feels… slow, and romantic.

You both were not even fully undressed.

"Sylus," you whispered breathlessly, followed by a soft whine with how full you felt with the inches buried deep inside you.

spreading your legs even wider, Sylus pushed himself deeper until you took all of him. His hands caressing your trembling thighs, "Feel me, what you do to me." His hips snapped forward in a slow rhythm, grinding against your sensitive clit with each thrust.

Sweat glistened on his skin as he worked you over, oh how tortuous it felt with you clenching around him, your slick walls fluttering and massaging his aching cock. The wet sounds of your skins filled the room, obscene and erotic.

Sylus reveled in it, in the knowledge that he was the one making you break so beautifully.

Leaning in, he captured your lips in a searing kiss, swallowing your desperate moans. His tongue delved into your mouth, claiming you thoroughly as his hips continued their slow rhythm—threatening to just thrust in fast and hard.

Yet he knew better than to ruin the moment.

Breaking the kiss, he buried his face in the crook of your neck, breathing in your intoxicating scent. "Do you want to cum?" he murmured huskily, his words vibrating against your skin. "I want to feel you come all over my cock." His fingers found your clit, rubbing firm circles over the sensitive nub but your hand tries to pry his fingers away, you didn't want this to end just yet.

“Please no, i-i want to feel more of you.. harder.” a plea, and he swears you're going to be the death of him.

"Greedy princess, aren't you? Wanting more of me even when you're already stuffed full." He punctuated his words with a particularly deep thrust, grinding his pelvis against yours. You could feel every thick, hard inch of him buried inside you, stretching you deliciously.

His hands now gripped your hips bruisingly tight as he started to move faster, harder. Just like you wanted, he was only following along.

"I'll give you more, sweetie. I'll fuck you so deep, so hard, you'll feel me for days," Sylus promised with a chuckle, and you arch your back while pulling at the fabric of his blouse, "gonna ruin this pussy until it's molded perfectly to my cock."

True to his word, he picked up the pace, pounding into you relentlessly. And you wanted to scream.

“h-hah, right there—” your head rolled back and your lips stayed parted, your eyes half-lidded and you could barely feel your legs.

Sylus could feel his own release fast approaching, his balls drawing up tight, but he gritted his teeth, holding himself back. He wanted to make you come first, wanted to feel your slick walls spasming around him.

"That's it, sweetie" he panted, “Mmh—ah—!” and you cry out when you came, it felt different, you feel wetter than before, you just squirted without even realising from how fucked out your head was.

Sylus groaned as he felt you gushing all over his crotch, your body quivering and quaking in the throes of your intense orgasm. "Fuuuck, that's it my love, let it all out," he rasped, continuing to thrust into your fluttering heat as you rode out the waves of pleasure.

As your climax subsided, leaving you boneless and panting, Sylus slowed his thrusts but didn't stop. He rolled his hips in deep, languid strokes, savoring the feeling of your slick walls clenching around his throbbing length.

Sylus drank in your needy whimpers and moans with messy kisses this time, “I love you," he babbled, and you barely comprehend what he had just said.

And with a final thrust, Sylus buried himself to the hilt, his cock pulsing as he emptied himself deep inside you. He groaned long and low, his hips twitching with each spurt of his release into you.

You both gaze into eachother's eyes after calming down, your eyes trying to search for the love in them.

“what are you starting at?” You mumble first, breaking the silence. He caresses your cheek at first, “etching your face in my head.” His answer was simple, yet it meant too much to you.

“Did you mean it?” You can't help but ask, “when you said you.. love me?”

Sylus’ lips spread before pressing a kiss to your forehead, “i love you.” He whispered his declaration of love to you quietly for the second time.

[kruegerspillow]

Another hollow apology (is it?) ; bruce wayne

Creators note: um I think I have a new favorite here... Haha... It's okay anyway I love my man unstable and a bit ill in the head. Here's another fic with this lovely emo bruce! I made this while I was half awake so sorry for any mistakes lmao

Warnings: cunnilungus, OBSESSIVE BRUCE, angst with little to no comfort (?), bruce doesn't know how emotions work, afab! reader, argument, bruce doesn't know how to take care of himself, NOT PROOFREAD and reader knows who batman really is.

Word count: 1k

"This is just straight up silly."

You spat your words at him with such venom, causing him to take a cautious step back. His eyes followed your figure, clearly taken aback by your outburst. And even for you, his sudden movement did not go unnoticed.

"You expect me to just sit back, relax and watch you limp back into my apartment, again and again, Bruce?" You practically growled.

The muscles beneath his armor tensed, your frustration becoming even clearer to him. The hand that once pressed against the wound on his leg had stopped applying the pressure. Your eyes burnt through his body, and he swore there was much more pain from the glare that you'd given him compared to any physical injury that he'd ever gotten.

And oh, he'd never felt so guilty in his life. For ruining someone even by his mere presence. He wished that he could mend all the pieces of you back together and act as if nothing had happened. As if he was never here, even.

God, he wanted to punch himself.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts, focusing on you and your wellbeing now. Guilt was now present in his eyes, but he knew that it couldn't fix everything. It can't fix him and get rid of his responsibilities, can it?

Meanwhile, your eyes searched for anything—any signs of him that could hint to a need to walk away, again. But you wouldn't let him walk away from you. Not anymore, and especially not now. You needed him to tell you the truth, to speak to you about his feelings and needs. To ask you for help with actual words—like how a normal human being would converse. You needed him to understand your frustration.

He suddenly struggled to find the right words—or the right thoughts. His mind was occupied by the sight of your tears that were threatening to run down your cheek, though it was gone as soon as you blinked them away.

And then, it was silent. But you couldn't bear silence, not when a man dressed up as a bat was bleeding out right in your living room, at least.

"Forget it." You dismissed quickly, the frustration still evident from your voice. "You don't listen anyway, do you?"

His free hand clenched as he watched you approach him hastily, feeling smoke coming out of your ears at his distance—both emotionally and physically. Your hands reached up to tug at his armor, and before you knew it, he was bare right in front of you.

You did not know how you got here.

"Fuck," a string of broken curses left your lips.

The gloves that were once on his hand were thrown away somewhere—though he didn't seem to care. His control had slipped, and you knew that he'd fallen into his desires. His want and his need for you, it was too much for him to bear.

His hands worked on your pants, tugging them down swiftly as he let out a huff from under his cowl. The sight of you—so vulnerable and sweet—he felt like he was in cloud nine already. His eyes shifted away from your dripping cunt to your face, watching the way you furrow your brows as he laid in front of his dessert. His arms locked around either of your legs, making sure to spread them wide enough.

"Bruce," you mewled, despising the sound of your own weak voice.

He took that as permission, leaning in as his tongue flattened against you. His pupils immediately dilated, the taste of your juices sending shivers down his spine. Your hand, though reluctantly, went to tug on his cowl—pressing him further into your cunt. You murmured his name under your breath once again, earning a pleased hum from him.

"I'm sorry." He grunted in the middle of devouring you.

Your head was too cloudy to give him a proper reply—but you caught his words. A small groan left his lips as you bucked your hips up at him.

"For leaving you," a desperate lick.

"For not being there for you," another lick.

"For not being the perfect one for you."

His thumb pressed against your bud, rubbing smooth circles to soothe you through the overwhelming feeling from his tongue. A pathetic whimper left his lips as he bucked his hips into the sofa, his cock struggling against his tight pants.

"What—" he cut you off with a suck.

You threw your head back, feeling yourself nearly tipping over the edge. His free hand caressed your thigh comfortingly, a stark contrast to his appearance.

"I'm gonna—" you choked on your own words. "Cum—need'ta cum..."

His own breath hitched at your words, feeling himself chase his own orgasm from all the times his hip snapped against the seat. He didn't care anymore—the burning sensation in his muscles from the late night patrol to the sting on his wound—all he could focus on was you.

You and your noises. You and your pleasure. You and your needs.

His mind was unhealthy, and he knew it. It was full of you. Memories of you and your voice—along with the occasional glances the both of you share during a patch up session. God, even his heart was filled with you, did you know that? You belong there with him. It's just you and him against the whole damn world. And nothing would change that—nothing's going to stand between him and you.

Before he knew it, your orgasm crashed onto you like a wave���at the sight of this, Bruce immediately cummed in his pants. Pathetically, almost.

He panted, shaking his head to get rid of the blur in his visions. His thoughts snapped back to reality. You were passed out before him, one of your arms hanging over the edge of the sofa while your head rested against the armrest. Fuck, you're perfect.

How long has he been staring at you? He's doesn't know.

But what he does knows is that he belongs to you. Every part of his body belongs to you.

And the same goes to you, right?

kruegerspillow © 2025 ➵ do not feed my work into ai, repost or translate my work to post it around. Reblogs are much appreciated ୨ৎ

[slytherin-princess-x]

Don’t get caught

Theodore nott x y/n riddle

An/ hi guys I’m back with a new short story, enjoy

The air in my dorm room was thick, charged with the illicit thrill of stolen moments. Theodore’s hands were tangled in my hair, his lips hot and demanding against mine. My back was pressed against the cool wood of the door, my legs locked around his waist for balance. The world outside the confines of our clandestine bubble ceased to exist.

We’d been doing this for weeks now, navigating the treacherous waters of Hogwarts’ social scene while attempting to keep our relationship a secret. It was a dangerous game, one made all the more exhilarating by the lurking threat of discovery. Tonight, the risk felt palpable as his fingers grazed my bare skin beneath my school shirt, sending shivers that had nothing to do with the cold castle air.

Then, the world crashed back in with a jarring knock. My heart leaped into my throat, and I knew, before I even heard their voices, that our recklessness was about to catch up with us.

“Hey y/n, open the door!” Mattheo’s voice boomed from the other side, followed by Tom's, more measured but just as insistent, "Open up y/n."

Panic, cold and sharp, shot through me. I pulled away from Theo, my cheeks burning. The kiss was broken, the spell shattered. Theo, his grey eyes flashing with annoyance, released me, clearly frustrated at the interruption. I scrambled to unwrap my legs from his waist, my movements jerky and hurried. He was about to protest, his mouth opening to say something, but I slapped a hand over his lips, my eyes wide with warning.

“Shhh!” I hissed, pointing to the narrow gap between the door and the wall. He glared, but understood the gravity of the situation.

I pushed him behind the door where he wouldn’t be seen when I opened it. My shirt was disheveled, my breathing heavy, the only thing I had was my school shirt and my underwear. I tried to appear as calm as possible under the circumstances. Taking a deep breath, I edged the door open just enough to create a narrow opening, my back pressed against the frame.

“Hey Mattheo,” I said, my voice a little breathy. I focused my gaze on my brother's face, careful not to let my eyes wander past the threshold. “I’m kinda busy, sorry.”

Mattheo tilted his head, a flicker of suspicion in his dark eyes. "Busy? At this hour? What could be so important that you can't open the door?" he questioned, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Tom, ever the observer, stood behind Mattheo, his expression unreadable. I knew what they were both thinking.

My mind raced, trying to come up with a believable explanation. "Oh you know… study, cleaning… loads of things" I rambled, wincing at the patheticness of my alibi. It was clear I was flustered and it didn't go unnoticed by my brothers.

Meanwhile, Theo decided to be a menace. I felt his tongue dart out to lick my palm. He was testing me, pushing the boundaries of our precarious game. It was a dumb move, but a wave of something almost like amusement washed over me. I knew what he was doing. He wanted to see what I would do when put under pressure. Wrapping my hand around his neck, I squeezed gently, my nails grazing his skin. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't resist, the amused smirk still playing on his lips. I knew what he wanted. If he wanted to play, I would play.

"You sound a little out of breath" Tom stated, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the small gap through the door.

"I um.. was just doing some yoga to wind down" I stammered, trying to maintain a straight face. I could feel Theo fidgeting behind the door, I hoped he would stay put.

Mattheo chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent another wave of panic through me. "Yoga? Really?" He was obviously not convinced either.

"Yeah, it helps me relax, you know?" I continued to lie, wishing I had an invisibility cloak handy.

I could feel their eyes piercing me, trying to see through the narrow gap. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. This was it, I thought, they were going to figure it out. I could almost hear Theo's exasperated sigh behind me.

"Well, if you're not going to open the door, I guess we'll just go" Mattheo said. He backed away slightly, Tom following him.

"Whatever" I huffed, trying to act like it didn't bother me that they didn't believe me with a small roll of my eyes.

The brothers gave me one last look before finally turning away. As soon as I heard their footsteps fade down the hall, I slammed the door shut, letting out a shaky breath of relief.

I immediately turned to Theo, my gaze full of equal parts panic and anger. "That was too close!' I hissed, my voice trembling. He peeled my hand off his mouth, his expression still annoyed despite the close call.

"Tell me about it, now where were we?" he said grabbing my face and pulling me in for another kiss, my panic immediately forgotten as I was swept into our secret world once more.

Taglist: @yootvi @redeemingvillains @littlemadamred @smut-anarchy

[anonimusunnoaniswriting]

Tall!Reader x Orc!Nanami

Fluff, no smut, domestic, established relationship.

Nanami was getting frustrated. He knew you were restless. He knew you needed to be constantly moving around – doing something – or you would feel uneasy. Yet, here you were with an injured back, advised complete bed rest, expected to be lazing on a cloud of pillows, but instead, hobbling your way to the kitchen with ill-disguised pain to make a cup of coffee. 

Nanami grunted. He couldn’t help it. His people may have been one of the toughest races in the world, but even the strongest orc would know when to lie down and rest for their good. “Kento, I’m fine!” You said, “You’re being paranoid, I have to move around, I have to work.” You heard the orc huff behind you. “Kento…” 

Truth be told, asking for help for yourself was never something you had been comfortable with. From a young age, you had been forced to be independent, a fact that crippled you today when it came to requesting assistance. You would be loathe to ask Nanami for a cup of coffee when you knew you could make it just as easily – or so you thought. 

And so, you plodded to the kitchen, with your injured back, ignoring the dull ache that slowly increased as you walked. The grimace that you quickly turned into a smile didn't go unnoticed by Nanami who followed closely behind. 

“My flower,” he called out using the name he had specially assigned for you. “Let me make it. Please. You need to be resting.” 

“I am resting, baby…”

Nanami huffed, there really was no arguing with you…but his presence did not fade from behind, barely bumping into you as he moved around.

All of a sudden as you reached out to one of the top cupboards for a mug, something pulled and a sharp pain like a crack of lightning went down your lower back to your waist. You cried out crumpling onto the cold countertop where you had just laid out the jar of coffee powder. Your arm hit it, knocking it over, and the contents spilt out. 

Immediately Nanami was beside you. One thick arm wrapped around your shoulders, and the other lifted your legs up into a princess carry. Your large frame was rendered tiny by his broad shoulders. With one arm wrapped around you, he held you up easily – as if you were nothing more than a kitten to him. 

“Flower…?” there was a tremble in his hushed voice. “Are you alright?”

You nodded weakly. “I’m—”

“Don’t say you’re fine!” You looked up at his face. His lips were drawn into a thin line and his brows furrowed into a frown.  “You keep saying you’re fine when you’re clearly not. You have been told by the doctor to stay put and rest your body, but you refuse to listen. Do you not feel like you can rely on me, flower? Is that what it is? Do you believe I will deny you a simple cup of coffee when asked to make it?” 

“That’s not it… Kento…” You tried. “I just don’t want to be a burden.”

“Woman,” Nanami roared. “I would slay a dragon for you if you desired its hoard. I would part the waves if you wished to see the ocean floor.  I would move the heavens if you wanted to see the moon in the daytime!” He pulled you closer into his broad chest and you felt a fat wet droplet plop onto your cheek.

“Nanamin…” it was your voice that was now hushed. “I’m sorry I didn't mean to make you get so worried…” 

“How can I not, flower? I love you. 

You raised your hand and cupped his cheek gently, pulling his face down. His soft hair, usually combed up into his professional style now hung free over his forehead. Blonde strands that you now ran your fingers through. 

Your lips touched his in a reverent prayer and you mumbled against them, “Thank you, and I’m sorry.” 

Nanami shook his head, his nose brushing against yours. His long lashes tickled your skin. “Will you rely on me from now on?” 

You nodded. “I’m not used to it, but I’ll try, I promise.” 

He kissed you chastely first your lips, then your nose, and then your forehead. “That's all I need,” he hummed, placing his chin on top of yours. “Now, let's see about that coffee shall we...” 

You want more orc!Nanami? Here you go

A/N: dedicating this to @pseudowho you poor bean let me hold you.

Also shout out to wwx for that line. Iykyk.

[yoshikoooo]

WIND BREAKER | KAJI REN X Fem!READER

synopsis: in which you are working in a confectionary and you notice your regular customers. Warning: F!reader, harassment (Obviously not by our baby kaji), kinda ooc, swearing. wc: 1.1k

You were wrapping up the freshly made candies, your delicate fingers deftly maneuvering the shiny wrappers around each sweet treat. Miss Miko's cheerful voice broke through your concentration.

"Oh Y/n! It's only been a month since you started working, yet you're doing so well!" Her clapping hands expressed genuine delight at your progress.

"You praise me too much, Miko-san," you replied modestly, continuing to wrap candies. Working at the confectionery store in Makochi Town felt like a blissful escape, despite occasional disruptions from unruly gangs.

"Oh no, you deserve it! Since it's already late, why don't you take some candies with you?" Miss Miko suggested warmly, interrupting your thoughts about the time that had slipped away unnoticed.

"Ah, it's already this late?" You realized, momentarily taken aback. Your shift had ended hours ago, lost in your focused work. Before you could decline, Miss Miko stuffed your pockets with candies and handed you a bag of assorted confections.

"E-Eh?" You stuttered, surprised by her generosity.

"Now, now, go take off your apron. It's time for you to go home and rest. You've done so much today that I have nothing left to do!" Miss Miko sighed playfully, as if lamenting the lack of tasks to occupy her.

You chuckled softly, conceding defeat, and removed your apron before heading towards the exit. As you prepared to leave, you noticed a trio of customers at the counter.

'Ah, it's them again,' you thought, recognizing the group. Holding your bag of sweets tightly, you caught the gaze of dark grey eyes. You offered a small smile before quickly looking away and continuing towards the door.

'They look intimidating, but seeing them buy sweets every time is surprisingly cute'

When you stepped outside, the sight of the setting sun greeted you, with the full bloom sakura tree swaying gently in the soft, melodic breeze. You paused briefly at the bridge, captivated by the serene beauty before you, too awestruck to notice your surroundings.

Suddenly, you felt a rough hand shove you, pulling you out of your reverie.

"ey! You hear me?!" a thug-like voice pierced through your deaf ears. You turned your head to see a man with a harsh grip on your shoulder, his group lingering menacingly behind him.

'Who?'

Despite your delicate appearance, which might suggest you were unworldly and naive, you fixed the man with a cold, unwavering stare. "Yes, do you need something?" you asked, your voice calm and composed. The man's irritation was evident, his grip tightening as he seemed frustrated by your unruffled demeanor.

"You got some nerve, acting all high and mighty," he growled, his voice dripping with annoyance. His posture and the sneers of his companions were clearly intended to intimidate.

You maintained your composure, your eyes unwavering. "If you have something to say, say it," you blankly said, refusing to be rattled by his attempts to scare you.

He scoffed, clearly taken aback by your calmness. "You're new around here, aren't you? You better learn to show some respect!" he snarled, raising his fist in the air. You didn't flinch or close your eyes.

Suddenly, like a scene from an action movie, a hand grabbed the thug's wrist, stopping his punch mid-air. "Huh?! Who the heck—"

'It's him'

It was one of the trio from the store. You recognized them immediately.

"Nice timing, RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRen!" shouted one of them, a second-year with distinctive eyebrows, from afar. Your eyes shifted to the platinum blonde in front of you. He twisted the thug's wrist with ease, forcing him to release you.

'Ren...?'

You heard the cracking of candies, as you watched the blonde move swiftly, taking down the gang members with impressive efficiency.

The boy with the unusual eyebrows quickly joined the brawl, while the third member, who had a mushroom-style haircut, stood beside you, offering a hand as if to protect you as another hand is grabbing onto some headphones.

"Are you hurt?" he asked simply through a text....?

You shook your head. "No."

He smiled reassuringly as the two furin boys dispatched the thugs with practiced ease.

Within minutes, the thugs were lying flat on the ground, defeated. The second-year boy with the odd eyebrows dusted off his hands, glancing over at you. "You okay young miss?"

You nodded, still a bit stunned by the sudden turn of events. "Yes, thank you."

"Still can't believe they're ganging up on a young miss like you" you heard him mumble as he looked at the guys pathetically. A disgrace indeed.

You noticed the blonde approaching you, which caused his two companions to look at him with puzzled expressions. You tilted your head, silently questioning his approach.

He pointed at your shoulder. "You're hurt,". You instinctively grabbed your shoulder, only then noticing the pain.

'Fuck'

"It must be bruised," you mumbled, meeting his grey eyes. "It's not that bad of an injury—"

"How will you make candies when you're injured?" he asked, his eyes still fixed on yours. is he mad? is he worried? is he—

'Ah— He knows me'

"Hmm, you're right..." you said thoughtfully, pondering your next move. "It is what it is. Nevertheless I'll still be able to do something," you added confidently, maintaining eye contact.

He seemed to have no intention of breaking the gaze, which reminded you of something.

"Can you bring both of your hands out?"

you asked, your request causing the trio to exchange confused glances.

His eyes didn't falter as he obeyed. You took a handful of candies and placed them in his hands.

"This is a secret. These candies are a new batch, it's supposed to come out tomorrow, but I'll make an exception," you said, smiling softly. The boy in front of you appeared stunned by your gesture.

"Thank you for saving me. Please share them with the others as well."

Ren blinked, clearly surprised. "thanks," he managed, his tone soft and a bit not audible but you heard it clearly. His companions, still confused, looked at the candies in his hands with interest.

The boy with the odd eyebrows grinned widely. "Wowww, we get the first taste! Thanks young miss!"

You gave a small nod in return, "I'm glad you guys were there. I don't know what would have happened otherwise."

"Anytime, just call us if you need help," the mushroom-haired boy said through a text again, and you nodded in response.

You pulled out your phone to check the time, but before you could, the blonde snatched it from your hand. You hummed in confusion as he typed quickly, then handed it back to you.

A new contact had been added,

"Kaji... Ren?" you said out loud, causing him to turn around.

"Call if you need help, Y/n"

He gave you one last look before walking away. His two companions followed, trying to question him as they went.

You chuckled softly as you watched them fade into the distance.

"How cute,"

____________

[genericpuff]

Wait, if Hera hated nymphs, does that mean she had beef with Poseidon's wife???

Who knows, but it does shed a whole new light on this scene from Episode 1:

Like, in the context of the scene, it's clear the point of this interaction is to highlight how "lonely" Hades is that he's the only one at the party without a date. Though I do think it's funny that Hades is frustrated / shocked at the revelation that Poseidon brought his wife to a party that she would presumably be invited to attend, like... of course Poseidon is here with his wife, that makes Amphitrite royalty by extension and so at the very least she'd likely be obligated to attend even if she, for some reason, didn't want to go.

So Hades being like "GOD you mean I'm the ONLY UNMARRIED GUY without a DATE???" like yeah man that's what it means to not be married LOL

But in hindsight, knowing what we know now about Hera being cruel to satyrs and nymphs who are canonically lower class (making it a double whammy of racism AND classism) that interaction of Hades asking Hera if Poseidon brought Amphitrite right after Hera called Minthe "nymph trash" almost feels like Hades calling her out, to which she responds sheepishly, "... Yes."

Again, I know that's not the intention of this scene, but it does come with deeper implications now that the series is over and we know that Hera has a history of racism and classism which largely goes unaddressed.

And those implications kind of read like this:

Hera: "I, for one, am grateful! I don't have to spend the evening with that nymph trash :)"

Hades: "Did Poseidon bring his (oceanid) wife?"

Hera: "(・_・;)... yes, okay, Poseidon brought his wife, Amphritite, but she's not nymph trash or anything, she's one of the good ones!"

Again though, just food for thought that's kinda messed up and kinda funny to think about on re-reads. There's so much classism and racism baked into LO even from the very beginning and it's wild that it wound up going unnoticed for years. Even I didn't really notice it as much as I ought to have when I first started reading. To anyone who's new to the series, LO does a good job at bombarding you with colors, characters, Greek myth references, and feel good fluff moments between H x P to distract you from the often biased and outdated viewpoints in its narrative.

TBH, none of that is to say that Rachel herself is some massive racist for writing a story like this, but I do think she didn't really spend enough time analyzing the works that clearly inspired her and/or challenging her own inspirations to ensure she wasn't continuing the cycle of casual racism. It's really easy to be blissfully aware of your own biases if you never learn to address them, especially when it comes to writing fantasy stories which we tend to "disconnect" from real life, never once realizing that the messages and undertones we might accidentally be sending are often still realities for many people in real life today. Fiction isn't real life, sure, but it can still perpetuate some really dog shit thought patterns and subconscious beliefs if left unchecked, which LO is frankly full of especially upon re-reads with a more critical eye when you're not as likely to get distracted or swept away by the pretty colors and whirlwind romance.

[heesngirl]

Synopsis : Battling against what could be considered his competition... Your celebrity crush.

— Heeseung x MC reader : established relationship, a little jealousy, possessive Heeseung ( light), soft content, needy Heeseung.

Note : "This scenario has a continuation, it is smut, but for better context, first this".

Hee gripped the van door handle in frustration, watching through the glass as the crowd of fans noisily gathered in front of the building where you work. His knuckles turned white from the intensity with which he gripped the cold metal, wishing he could just get out and run to you. Despite having arrived over an hour ago, he hadn't been able to get out and go see you, knowing that if he did, he wouldn't go unnoticed among the sea of people cheering excitedly, waving banners and shouting incessantly.

His gaze scanned the surroundings impatiently, looking for any opportunity to slip away unnoticed. But the entrance to the building remained completely blocked by that euphoric tumult that seemed to give no respite, chanting names that Heeseung couldn't clearly make out. He couldn't even understand the reason for all the commotion; it's not as if you were in plain sight; if you were, even he'd be shouting from the vehicle.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed another elegant black van parked a little closer to the building. He spotted two men, whom he recognized as your manager and a burly bodyguard, quickly getting out to push their way through the excited crowd.

And then, his heart leaped as he saw you step out of the vehicle. Heeseung stood transfixed, watching you devotedly as you were escorted into the building. Your eyes shone with a mixture of excitement and concentration, and your freshly cut and carefully combed hair delicately framed your face. The outfit you were wearing—tailored dress pants, a white shirt, and a short black vest—gave you a sense of "elegant mafia" that captivated him. Even the black leather glove covering your left hand seemed extremely seductive.

In that moment, he felt himself falling even more in love with you, despite the distance between you. He couldn't tear his gaze away from your radiant and confident figure, captivated by your commanding presence.

The frustration that had previously gripped him vanished completely, replaced by a deep longing to be by your side. In that instant, all he wanted was to be able to get out of the van and run to kiss you, regardless of the crowd of fans still surrounding the place. But he held back, knowing he'd have to wait a little longer before he could be with you.

After drooling for a while as he watched your elegant figure leave his sight and disappear into the building, Heeseung had an idea.

He quickly put a hand to his forehead, slapping himself for not having thought of that obvious alternative sooner. "How come I didn't think of private parking!" he scolded himself, feeling a bit foolish for not having remembered it in the first place.

With a soft, apologetic smile, he turned to the driver who was accompanying him. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder, catching his attention.

— Please take me to the building's parking lot — Heeseung requested, his voice filled with suppressed emotion. — I wish I could get in through there and avoid all this commotion.

The driver nodded silently and started the vehicle, moving away from the crush of people. The same one who had suddenly started shouting, but he was so overcome with emotion at seeing you that he didn't even turn around to see what was happening.

He watched the road ahead with anticipation, his gaze fixed ahead as he gently tapped his fingers on his thigh. The warm excitement of knowing you would soon be within reach filled his chest.

When the van entered the spacious private compound, Heeseung didn't waste another second. He quickly opened the door and hurried to the elevator, his footsteps echoing in the room. He took a deep breath, trying to control his racing heartbeat as he pressed the button. His gaze shone with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, knowing they would soon be together.

He felt anxiety bubbling inside him as he waited with obvious impatience for the elevator doors to open. His gaze was fixed on the panel, watching in anticipation as the numbers scrolled up floor after floor. He was dying to see you and have the chance to be by your side. He nervously fiddled with his hands, mentally reviewing what he would say to you when he could finally see you in person.

Finally, when the doors slid open with a soft "ding," Heeseung walked briskly out and crossed the hallways with determination, heading toward the filming set where he guessed you would be. His eyes scanned the surroundings in anticipation, searching for any sign of activity that would indicate you were nearby.

Suddenly, he heard your voice, which sounded very animated as you seemed to be talking to someone. Just as he was about to turn the last hallway, he abruptly stopped and turned back.

He returned, hiding behind the wall. Peeking his head slightly, he could see that you were definitely not accompanied by anyone, but he didn't expect you to be talking to none other than Min Yoongi, the BTS member.

Heeseung stood still, observing the scene cautiously. His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze scanned the interaction between the two of you. His heart was pounding, and a mixture of surprise and some disgust was evident in his expression. He had expected to find you alone, but now he found himself in the unexpected presence of the renowned artist. He also noticed that you seemed very cheerful and animated as you went over the recording instructions with SUGA, the senior.

Suddenly, he pulled out his cell phone. His fingers moved hurriedly, dialing your number. He managed to hear the familiar ringtone, and a small smile of pride appeared on his lips, for that was a verse he had sung. However, the smile faded as he carefully peeked around the wall and saw you hanging up the call and continuing to talk to Yoongi as if nothing had happened.

Indignation overcame him, but he didn't give up. He kept dialing the phone again and again, until you finally deigned to excuse yourself to Yoongi and headed in the direction where he was supposed to be hiding and Yoongi was on the opposite side.

As you walked, you stared at your phone screen, absorbed. Suddenly, Heeseung emerged from his hiding place and grabbed your arm, causing you to get excited and reflexively punch him in the chest, while you reproached him:

— Lee Heeseung! What are you doing? Don't scare me like that! — you exclaimed, your eyes slightly wide in surprise, one hand on your chest as you checked your heart rate.

Heeseung laughed at the sight of you like this, holding your hips, preventing you from leaving.

— That way you'll have the conscience to be scared by something so minor. — he murmured, a sardonic smile on his face, as he scanned your figure from head to toe.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Heeseung wrapped his arms around you, urgently pulling you towards his body. Gently, he raised a hand and delicately caressed your face, admiring the beauty radiating from each of your features.

— You're... So fucking gorgeous, baby. — he declared, his voice filled with deep longing, his eyes shining with an almost reverential devotion. — That new haircut suits you so well."

His fingers delicately traced the contours of your face, as if he wanted to memorize every delicate detail that made it up. His eyes scanned your figure with fascination, contemplating how mature and beautiful your body looked clad in that elegant outfit.

— And that outfit? Please give your stylist a raise — he continued, his voice filled with admiration and desire as he literally devoured you with his gaze. — Seeing you like this sends my imagination soaring. You look so radiant, so irresistible.

Heeseung could feel the urge to kiss you taking over him, the need to taste those lips he'd longed for so long during the time you'd been apart.

You looked at him with a mixture of love and surprise, sincerely grateful for his sweet words, and also amazed by the effect you were having on him.

However, when he tried to bring his lips closer to yours, you gently placed two fingers over his mouth, stopping him.

— I can't allow myself a kiss now, baby boy — you said in a calm but firm voice. — Today more than ever, I must take great care of my appearance, and I'm not going to risk ruining my lipstick.

Heeseung looked at you with a mixture of indignation and longing when you broke away from his embrace. His eyes reflected the obvious dissatisfaction of not being able to satisfy his need to taste your lips. But instead of impulsively insisting, he breathed deeply, trying to control himself.

— You have nothing to worry about, your lips will be swollen and shiny, you'll look even more beautiful. — he replied, in a calmer and more flirtatious tone, making you blush, as he approached again and firmly took you by the hips, pressing you against his body once more. He could feel the warmth of your figure so close to his, awakening his longing even more. — Or at least, the stylist can repaint your lipstick later. — he continued, his eyes fixed on yours with a determined gaze. He fervently longed to taste your mouth.

When he tried to lean in for a kiss again, you gently placed your fingers on his lips again, preventing him from doing so. Heeseung watched you with an intense gaze, frustration clearly reflected on his features.

— Please, baby girl ~ — he begged, his husky voice conveying how much he longed for that intimate contact. — I really need to taste your lips right now.

His hands gripped your hips more firmly, pulling you even closer to his body, if that were possible. You could see the desire and desperation reflected in his eyes, the need to kiss you consuming him from within.

He slowly leaned his face, moving closer and closer to yours, his lips eager to meet yours. But just as he was about to kiss you, you placed your fingers over his mouth again, interrupting his attempt once more.

Heeseung looked at you with obvious bewilderment when you once again blocked his attempt to kiss you. Seeing him like this, you let out a soft chuckle and gently pulled away from his grasp, a smile shining on your lips.

— Don't be so insistent, please, baby — you replied calmly, in sharp contrast to the urgency on Heeseung's face. — After the show, you can kiss me as much as you want. But for now, you'll have to wait. — you tell him, taking his hand and starting to walk with him through the hallway. Your filming that day would take place on the roof of the building, and you had to go up there.

Heeseung let out a heavy sigh, but reluctantly accepted your request and walked with you. Still, he couldn't help but look at you strangely and ask : — Why so reluctant? You've never worried so much about details like that before.

You stopped walking when you heard his question and turned to look at him, a wide smile spreading across your face, lighting up your features. You nervously fiddled with the leather glove you were wearing before answering.

— It's just that today is a special day — you explained, raw enthusiasm shining in your eyes. — Yoongi sunbae-nim agreed to be interviewed by me! I'm so excited, so I want to look good and make a good impression.

Excited, you walked around a few times, showing off the elegant outfit they made you wear for the occasion in more detail, your hands delicately caressing the fine fabric of the pants and the details of the vest.

— Look, my stylists even chose an outfit that matched the concept of his new album. Do you think he'd like it? — you asked with a smile brimming with emotion.

Heeseung listened to your words, a feeling of pride growing within him at your achievement. He knew how difficult it was to get an interview with that man, or with any member of BTS for that matter. Besides, he knew how much you'd been longing for this event, with Min Yoongi being your idol and role model for so long, and he knew this was the best thing in the world for you. So much so that you'd previously ignored his calls because you were so devoted to the man.

However, despite sharing your enthusiasm, his face remained impassive, even somewhat disinterested, as he watched you cross your arms in the process. His gaze remained expressionless, in stark contrast to the excitement radiating from your face.

— I'm sure Suga sunbae-nim already loves your look. — he said in a tone devoid of emotion, his eyes scanning your figure without showing the slightest hint of interest compared to a few minutes ago.

You were surprised by his lackluster reaction, after all the support and affection he'd always shown toward your professional goals and achievements. And also by the way he'd been ogling you a few seconds ago, but now you seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

You tilted your head slightly, looking at him curiously.

— Wait, did you see me talking to him? — you asked gently, concerned by his unusual attitude and the drastic change in mood that had crossed his face. And also feeling a little nervous for no reason.

Heeseung looked at you silently and nodded, his eyes not shining in the beautiful way they always did when you were in front of him. You could see his jaw tense slightly, betraying how hard he was trying not to express out loud how hurt he felt.

He wanted to express the feeling of disgust and jealousy that had suddenly invaded him, but he didn't want to ruin your mood with something he knew was an irrational reaction, considering the fact that the man in question wasn't even remotely accessible to you for various reasons, the main one being that you were already his and claimed to only love him.

Perhaps he just felt a pang of envy for all the care and dedication you had put into welcoming Yoongi and making yourself so conspicuous and striking in the eyes of another male figure. And don't even mention ignoring his calls to keep talking to Yoongi—that was definitely the biggest trigger.

Heeseung huffed in surrender and approached you again, this time without insisting on a kiss. Instead, he firmly grasped your waist with one hand and pulled you against his body, his eyes darkened by a mixture of emotions that seemed ready to overflow.

— I hope you have a great shoot today, babe. — he encouraged you with a flirtatious smile, his voice soft as he gently stroked your hair. He brought his face close to your neck and placed a fiery kiss, sending shivers down your spine. — I'll wait for you at home, I plan to invade your apartment tonight. Come back as soon as you're done. — he whispered suggestively in your ear.

Then, he let go of you and prepared to leave, letting you get back to your work. Compared to other times, this time he wasn't planning on staying to watch you. He knew himself better and preferred to avoid getting upset over something he'd just accepted was nothing more than an irrational reaction.

Although, just as he walked away and was about to leave your line of sight, he turned around and looked at you boastfully, a wicked smile plastered across his features.

— Oh, and please keep that nice outfit on. I want to be the one to take it off for you later. — He demanded, his voice laced with barely concealed possessiveness.

Without another word, he left, leaving you standing there, heart racing and face flushed from his unexpected change in aura and countenance.

Yes, the interview with Min Yoongi had you anxious, but what awaited you after work excited you even more. The prospect of spending the night alone with Heeseung, in that outfit that had so captivated him, sent waves of anticipation through your body.

You bit your lower lip, trying to contain the smile that threatened to take over your face. You adjusted the leather glove once more, knowing that tonight you would be the center of Heeseung's attention, and, in a way, the latter would have Yoongi the senior citizen to thank after today.

[ivoryrebellionmess]

Spooky Remorses III

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Summary: You dated Jax for a year and a half, it was great. You fought sure, but that's a given if you´re both stubborn (and he's constantly in danger). Gemma didn't like the relationship, and she made sure that it ended. Now, months after the breakup, your friend takes you to a Halloween party that just happens to be SAMCRO´s.

warnings: 18+, mdni

A/N: hiii so sorry for taking this long. hope you like it <3

tw: foul language, kinda hooking up with your ex, jealous jax, smoking,a little bit of spice, alcohol, gemma being mean af

Word count: 5.4k

Jax cursed the moment it happened, light and noise snapping him into reality. Anger and frustration bubbled up inside him again as he took a step back, missing your touch immediately. It was too late to hide what had been happening. Just in case you thought otherwise, Tigs face as he studied the both of you made it clear. His demeanor went from shock to amusement in a matter of seconds. He knew he had interrupted something.

A sly grin spread around his mouth as he teased. ¨Well, well…what do we have here?¨. He was slurring, clearly drunk, which meant the little common sense he usually had would be nowhere to be found.

You could not have though of a worse moment for him to be running his mouth. Not that you tried, your mind was working on finding an explanation for what you´d been doing out there. None would be beliavable.

Even if he was tense, Jax managed to sound casual, ¨It ain't what you think, man¨. You studied him, he really did seem calm. You could only pray you looked half as composed as the blonde.

It probably didn't matter, since Tig´s motivation seemed to be pushing Jax´s buttons. He eyed you, taking in your divelished state, and nodded towards Jax, ¨Looked like were about to rip each other's clothes off in public, brother¨. 

The bluntness (and accuracy) ripped a surprised chuckle from your throat. Jax shot you a warning glare, he didn't need you egging Tig on. His brother took a step closer, ¨Come ooon, what were you really up to?¨. He was teasing, the answer was obvious. About as obvious as Jax´s anger. 

Only then you noticed the cigarette, carefully placed on the picnic table. Needing something to do, you took a drag.

Jax´s voice turned your attention back to them. ¨I said it wasn't what you think. We were just talking¨ . You could tell he was trying to control his irritation, and you wondered how much more he could take before doing something stupid. Something else, the voice in your head reminded you, everything that had unfolded against that picnic table had been stupid. 

Once again, the door opening shed light and noise on the parking of the clubhouse; a very different scene unfolding this time. Chibs came out laughing and screaming, ¨Is the screaming match over or do I still get to watch some?¨. He had clearly been ready to get a jab at your fighting with Jax. Wich only made Tig smirk, shooting back, ¨Oh, I bet they were about to scream¨. 

Even if you had stayed away for months, their mannerisms didn't surprise you, and they sure as hell didn't scare you. Your reply was punctuated by the drag you inhaled, ¨We were just having a smoke¨.

The small time out you had awarded yourself had actually calmed you down, your voice coming out almost normal. As if your biggest desire wasn´t hearing Jax moan your name. 

The tension between you did not go unnoticed by the scott, it seemed to amuse him. ¨Just a smoke, aye? Looks like a lot more than that¨.

To that, you only shrugged, not daring to let your eyes wander to Jax. ¨So maybe it was a smoke and a talk, so what¨. Jax was silent, trying to keep his expression neutral. It was hard to do when all he could think about were your thighs around his head. The little capacity for logical thinking he had knew his brothers would not buy your lies. Nobody would. Even if they didn't, he needed them away, he needed you alone again. Maybe you'd still be caught up in the heat of the moment and he could get you into bed. Or anywhere really, as long as no one could interrupt. The longer they stayed there, the longer your brain had to racionalize how bad of an idea having sex with him was.  So he breathed deeply before speaking, ¨Yeah, a talk and a smoke¨. 

Chibs clearly read the situation and nodded, never losing the grin on his face. As he started walking back to the party, Tig decided he had not had enough fun yet, poking again. ¨Whatever you say brother¨. He patted Jax on the back after mocking him. That successfully riled Jax up, his warning was low. Grunted. ¨Watch it¨.

You could see the anger in his shoulders, the way his jaw was clenched, his knuckles white. You looked over at Chibs for help, there was no need for the situation to escalate. But nice as he was, he was still a Son, and he would not get between his brothers. You were starting to get anxious, the shift in the atmosphere was noticeable. Not playful anymore, no one was grinning, no one was laughing. 

¨What's the matter Jax, cant handle some friendly banter?¨. It made you cringe, you took a step towards them before you could think about it. 

Blue eyes went to you for a second, his muscles tensing. He knew why you'd done it, if Tig kept it up it could very easily lead to a fight. As much as he didnt want that to happen, his brother was pushing his buttons, all of them.

¨You know I can handle it¨, his teeth clenching, ¨We´re not here to have a pissing contest¨. He was trying to avoid the fight, he really was, you could tell. 

So you looked at Tig, who seemed to be having the time of his life. He raised an eyebrow at you, wondering if that was an easier route to bothering Jax. As soon as his blue eyes landed on you, you regretted ever moving. Jax´s patience was probably running short after your little ¨talk¨. It always was, to be fair. But someone coming for the people he cared about, that was his weak spot, even on his best day. ¨Just having some fun, brother¨. 

You looked at the blonde man, his smoldering gaze already on you. He could see the worry in your eyes, and it somehow helped him keep it together.

A fear set in your stomach that it was only the calm before the storm.

He took a deep breath, and with his exhale came a low growl, ¨You´re playing with fire¨.

You couldn't help but bite your lip, his growl going right to where you needed him most. Even if it was subtle, Jax noticed, even now he had an effect on you. His eyes darkened, his anger growing. Angry that you also had an effect on him, angry that his brother had interrupted, angry that he let you go. 

The short interaction had not gone unnoticed by Tig, who had apparently decided what his winning statement would be. ¨I´d like to play with that fire, if you're not gonna finish what you started¨. He hadn´t meant it, not really, hadn't even looked at you.

That didn't matter.

Not to you.

Not to Jax. 

Before you could speak up for yourself, Jax stepped forward, ready to start an actual fight. You caught his arm, trying to stop him. He turned to look at you, ¨He needs a lesson¨, he grumbled. Worry was dripping from all of you: your eyes, the hand on his arm, the fingers gripping his skin. There was a plea in your eyes.  A plea to prove to you that he was different from what he used to be. A plea to give you a reason to stay. You came even closer, your chest touching his back, and whispered against his shoulder. ¨Baby, it's not worth it¨.

He could feel your body pressing up against him, your breath on his neck, the way ¨baby¨ had fallen from your lips,...

He wanted to prove to you that he could be different. So he let out a deep breath, slowly. Frustration and desire burning within him. You were right. It wasn't worth it. 

You felt like you could finally breathe, you let your head rest against Jax´s back, your hand absimentally running up and down his forearm. 

It didn't last, Tig couldn't help himself, letting out a last jab as he turned around. ¨Guess you two lovebirds going to make up now, you're welcome¨. You dropped your arms yo your sides, muttering under your breath, ¨For fucks sake Tig¨. And you truly couldn't blame him when Jax finally grabbed him by the collar and punched him. 

His anger brought out the worst of him, slamming his brother against the wall. Tig had pushed and pushed, and was now getting the fruits of his hard labour. Watching the fight unfold, you mentally prepared yourself to clean up Jax after. This was what you´d been dreading since Tig came out. It was scary how quick you seemed to be able to fall back into the violent routine. Instead of freaking out, you were making a list of the injuries Jax would have, and how to patch him up. You were freaking out too, of course, in the background.

You could take the sight of a few punches and minor injuries. But then the fight started to escalate, you turned to Chibs. He was worried, and yet he hadn't moved and he wouldn't. This was a matter between Jax and Tig. But at least he seemed worried, right?

They were both covered in sweat, their faces bloody and their breathing ragged. Still didn't look like they were willing to give in. Well, they would stop, one way or another. Against your better judgment, you stepped closer. Close enough that they could accidentally hit you. 

¨Aye, stop that!¨, you just pretended not to hear Chib´s warning. You heard him get closer as well. And you were not the only one. 

The bloody men looked up at you when they heard Chibs yell, surprised at your closeness. They had been so focused on each other they hadn't noticed your approach. Tig´s eyes showed disbelief and something close to pride, Jax´s darkened. He was bothered, what a surprise. 

Your eyes were sternly going from one set of blue eyes to the other, ¨You two done now?¨. Tig chuckled at your bravery, treating them like misbehaving children. Jax´s eyes softened, as he wiped blood from his lip. ¨Yeah, we´re done¨. 

They got up and hugged it out. Unbelievable. 

¨Great¨, you held your hand to Jax, ¨C´mon, let's get you cleaned up¨. You knew the gesture meant something to the guys who were a part of the club. It meant something to you too, it just happened to be something different. You did not give a flying fuck if they took this a sign of a great old lady or whatever. You hoped neither did Jax. He looked at your hand, at you, at his brothers. He knew the other bikers were sizing up the situation, he didn't care right now. All that he cared about was the way you were looking at him, the way you cared for him. So he took your hand, allowing you to lead him. 

As you walked you looked at Tig, ¨You good?¨. He nodded, smiling. ¨Nothing I can't handle, doll¨.

You didn't smile back, instead giving him a piece of your mind. ¨Don't ever speak about me that way again¨. It wasn't a warning. It wasn't a threat. It was a statement.

You then turned to keep walking, straight to Jax´s room, knowing the route by heart. His hand was still on yours, neither of you cared about the outrageous amount of looks you were getting as you entered the clubhouse. He only cared about the way your fingers were intertwined. You only cared about repeating to yourself: this was the last time you did this. You didn't believe it. His hand in yours didn't let you believe it. It was such a small gesture. And yet it felt like so much more. 

As you entered the room, he shut the door, enjoying the darkness and silence. His eyes were roaming your body in front of him. Your soft voice stopped a string of ungentlemanly thoughts. ¨Wheres the first aid kit?¨.

He started to walk to the bathroom when you scoffed. ¨Sit, where is it?¨.

He wanted to get it himself, to not let you win, but his body craved something else. Jax made his way to the bed as he answered with a sigh, ¨You know¨. You did, you knew a lot, maybe too much. So, with that, you made your way to the bathroom and opened the cabinet where you knew you´d find what you were looking for. 

Taking a deep breath, you made your way to stand between his legs, leaving the first aid kit on the bed. You brushed the hair out of his face to examine the damage. He let you, simply looking up at you. 

Jax could feel the heat from your body, the tingle of your fingers against his forehead, a familiar feeling started to settle in his stomach. 

¨You won't need stitches so that's good¨, you seemed unaffected by the closeness. But the way your fingers were tracing his face certainly affected Jax. He had seen this before, you switching into nurse mode as a way to cope with the anger his injuries caused you. 

¨How´s the rest of your body feeling? Any cut I need to clean up urgently?¨. Even if he understood what was happening, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that you weren't closer, caressing him…treating him as a lover instead of a patient.

But you were not his lover, not any more. He wasn't fooling himself either, this was how you´d acted most of the times you had had to patch him up. 

No matter how you looked, your head was swirling with a million thoughts and feelings: this is a mistake, you shouldn't be here, leave now, you promised to yourself you wouldn't do this again, look at him, he is so pretty, he needs you now, no he doesn't, he's an adult, he did this to himself, it's not your responsibility to fix him. 

It was his smooth voice that stopped your brain, ¨Uh, rest of me is fine. Nothing serious, just some scrapes and cuts¨. He was trying to calm you, seeing right through your facade. It did not work, riling you up even more. 

Your voice came out sharper than you mean to, ¨I'll say if it's serious or not¨. Not giving him time to reply, you grabbed a gauze and disinfectant. ¨This is gonna sting¨.

Jax swallowed nervously,  whether that was because of the pain to come or your cold attitude you didn't know. When he looked up at you his heart skipped a beat. ¨Go ahead. I can take it¨. Something about his bravado bothered you, it seemed like he was proud he could take a few punches. ¨Yeah well, you don't have to¨ you started cleaning a cut in forehead ¨That was stupid¨.

He didn't answer right away, or at all for that matter. He did, however, wince when the disinfectant touched the wound. Not a sound came from his mouth. That did not mean he was still, at all. It wasn't only the pain, it was your closeness. Jax wanted nothing more than to grab your hips and pull you into him. Even if you were acting cold, you used to straddle him when you were dating, letting his hands roam your body.

Not this time. This time was aseptic on your end. It was a defense mechanism, you couldn't let yourself fall into this routine again. You still remembered the anxiety, the sleepless nights knowing he was in danger, the fights, the jealousy. And worst of all, his mother, a constant presence in his life, undermining your every move.

Maybe you could´ve taken it if it had just been the memories from months ago. Maybe. But now? After what had just happened? All of those got mixed up with his rough breaths, his lips on yours, the taste of his kisses. And you couldn't help but yearn for it to happen again. That bothered you the most, the good parts of relationships usually weighed more on you than the bad ones. 

And the good parts with Jax were great, he was caring, attentive, you could have named a million qualities. But nothing mattered more than the way the world didn't seem to matter as long as you were together, the way your stress dissipated as soon as you saw him, as soon as your hands were on his body. With Jax living such a dangerous life, that had been especially addictive. The absolute relief after he came back from every run. 

The bad had been there too, of course, now more present than it had ever been since the breakup. You´d been in this position way too many times, patching him up after a fight that could've been easily avoided. Yes, you agreed that Tig had it coming, but only because you knew Jax, he had little to no control. The only way he knew to defend himself was violence. At first, you thought you could fix him, teach him another way,...

But there was no other way if you were a Son. 

How you managed to make your voice sound emotionless despite your internal turmoil, you didn't know. ¨Was it worth it?¨. It was an unfair question, you knew, but you didn't care. After realizing the harshness of your jab, your hand instinctively went to his cheek, then following a route of its own to tangle in the hair at the back of his neck. 

Jax tried to speak, but the words kept getting stuck on his throat. Or in his head. What was he supposed to answer? He knew what you wanted to hear, but he wasn't sure he could give that to you, not without lying. So he was honest, ¨I don´t know¨.

Using the leverage of your hand tangled on his neck, you tilted his head to look at a cut on his chin. ¨Typical¨, you scoffed at his answer. Clearly you weren't happy with it. 

This time, when the gauze grazed his skin, the blonde hissed. Focusing on the feeling of your hand touching him made the pain slightly less…well, painful. He could see the frustration in your eyes, and it made him feel guilty. Guilt was not what his tone showed when he retorted, ¨It´s not that simple¨.

When your eyes locked on his, your cold mask was gone, something much deeper replacing it. ¨Yes it fucking is¨, your voice trembled as you wiped the blood under his nose and checked that it wasnt broken. Even through the pounding in his ears, he could tell the tremble of your voice had nothing to do with weakness or sadness. Maybe in a second level. But the surface was plain anger. Maybe mixed with something else? That much he could not decipher, the pain in his head more present with every passing second. 

Your brows furrowed as your eyes zoned in the cut you were dreading the most, the one on his lower lip. You tilted his head and held him steady as you cleaned him up. His breath hitched. He looked up at you. You were beautiful, concentration evident on your face. He had no doubts now, he knew he still loved you. He knew he would never stop. You could have, should have left. But you were there, taking care of him. Did you still have feelings for him? Had he completely messed up, or could you work things out?

The second the gauze made contact with his skin, those thoughts stopped. All of his energy focused on not flinching, not making a sound. You caught onto that, you always did. And you rolled your eyes, you could not believe he was still playing tough. 

Jax eventually winced, his eyes finally leaving yours. It did soften you, it shouldn't but it did. So you blew a little on his lips, hoping it would alleviate his pain. Your voice was barely above a whisper when you said ¨Sorry¨. 

Jax closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the feeling of your breath on him. He missed you, having you close, your touch,... When he opened his eyes, he saw the conflict in yours clear as day. There was anger, frustration, and something else.

You took a step back. You saw his hand run down his leg, on its way to get a hold of you, to stop you. A sigh left your lips as you sat next to him and extended your palm, ¨Gimme your hand¨.

His knuckles were bloody and already starting to bruise. For some reason, you wanted to cut him some slack, so you teased him. 

¨We also had not done this in a long time¨. Placing his hand on your thigh might not have been the greatest idea. Without even thinking about it his fingers wrapped around your knee. The squeezee brought back so many memories, memories a part of you wanted to repeat. 

He answered lowly, ¨No, we haven't¨. You could hear the smile on his voice. 

Maybe it was the familiarity of the scene, but your mouth moved before you could think. ¨Sure didn't miss this¨.

It took Jax a few seconds to process your words, eyes burning into your thigh. He noticed your flush, the way you seemed to be having a hard time keeping it together. He chuckled softly at your jab, moving his hand up. ¨You never complained about it before¨.

A smile crept into your lips, no matter how much you tried to stop it. ¨I was too busy complaining about the fighting to also complain about patching you up¨.

You were both smiling now, his hand higher and higher, closing in the hem of your dress. The tension, a mix of anger and desire, thickened the air. Most importantly, it made it hard to focus on anything else. The sting of the disinfectant was still there, nothing compared to the pain in his chest. He knew his teasing tone would get to you, ¨And here I thought you enjoyed nursing me back to health¨. 

It bothered you, mostly because it was partly true, you did enjoy it. ¨I wish I didn't need to¨. A pang of hurt crossed your eyes at the sight of the cuts in his face. That was also true, you wished he´d stop getting himself in situations like that. 

The ache in your eyes made Jax want to pull you into his arms and take care of you. Instead of doing that, he squeezed your thigh harder. ¨I know¨, he fought the urge to lean into you, ¨I´m sorry¨. 

You took a deep breath, Jax though you seemed to be trying to be composing yourself. ¨So, who's been cleaning you up these last few months?¨. You´d finished cleaning his knuckles but made no move to let go of his hand.

¨No one¨. Jax looked over at you. ¨I´ve been doing it myself¨.

You shook your head, stifling a laugh. A bitter one. ¨So fucking stubborn¨.

As you examined his hand, the other flew to your thigh. His fingers gently caressed your skin, eyes looked on yours. The next time he spoke, his voice was laced with playful defensiveness, ¨I prefer the term independent¨.

You enjoyed the banter, the playful jabs. You were still trying not to smile when you looked at his blue eyes, ¨Bite me-¨.

His hand started tracing patterns on your upper thigh, the hem of your dress didn't seem to be a barrier anymore. The other one caressed the back of your neck, making sure your stare didn't leave his. But it did, you were looking at his lips, they were now wearing a smirk. 

¨Is that a dare or a request, darlin´?¨.

Shaking your head as you untangled yourself from him, you laughed. ¨Okay¨, you got up and stood in front of him, ¨Take off your shirt¨.

Jax let his eyes explore your figure, letting out a low whistle. He got up and obeyed. You told yourself you were studying his bruises. It was a lie, your eyes had immediately gone to his v line, then slowly made their way up, studying every inch of his exposed skin. 

You still managed to scoff when you saw his grin. ¨Drop the cockyness, I have to check the cuts¨. Your eyes betrayed you once again. His neck. His arms. His hands. His hips. Thankfully his voice stopped your train of thought, which would lead nowhere good. He shouldn't have sex in his condition, you had to get your shit together. ¨Sorry, sweetheart. Can't help it with you looking at me like that¨. You smiled, shaking your head. 

For the second time that night, a door opening interrupted an intimate moment between you. Gemma stood on the doorway, hands on her hips. Everything about her screaming I´m not happy about this. 

¨Hey baby, need help cleaning up? I heard what happened¨. The vibe was as tense as it could, she did not acknowledge you, and you did not acknowledge her. She had been the reason you two had broken up, so you clearly were not happy about her presence. 

Jax seemed to deflate at his mothers presence. He swallowed, realizing how the scene looked. The intimacy was palpable…until four seconds before. After a few moments of Jax not answering, you took initiative on the conversation. ¨Everything's under control here¨. 

At the sound of your voice he seemed to wake up, ¨Yeah, she was helping me¨.  Gemma's eyes slowly made their way to you, icy and sharp. ¨Was she now?¨. You squared up, ready for a fight. 

Jax took a step towards you, knowing how ugly things could get between you and his mother. It did nothing but rile you up, ¨I guess I was faster¨, the than you was left unsaid. But understood by all. 

Gemma narrowed her eyes, taking a step into the room. ¨And what's that supposed to mean¨.

If anyone who knew you had to say what your biggest flaw was, the answer would be unanimous. You were mouthy. So, as expected, you snapped, your voice higher. ¨Just saying, I was here cleaning him up first¨.

The other woman puffed, ¨Been taking care of him longer than you have, sweetheart¨. She looked about ready to throw a punch. You were scared she might. So was Jax apparently, since he stepped in front of his mother. 

¨Stop, both of you. This is not the time or place¨. You looked at him, wondering if this was him stepping up for you. For the first time. So you stepped back and tried not to make it  worse. You could see his shoulders relax slightly, then turning to Gemma. His voice was dripping with authority, ¨Mom, I appreciate your concern, but she's right. She was here first and she´s the one taking care of me. I want her here¨.

The authoritative voice was hot, but the fact that he was defending you? You could've died on the spot. So many thoughts started filling your head, ways to thank him. Jax saw the look in your eyes, slightly darkened and full of hunger. 

He looked back at his mother, ¨Maybe you should go, let us finish here¨. Your gaze went to Gemma, genuinely curious as to how she'd react. Her jaw was clenching, she knew she'd lost this fight. That did not mean she had to concede graciously. She turned, leaving the room and slamming the door. 

Jax sat back on his bed, running his hands through his hair. ¨I swear, she´s gonna give me a heart attack one day¨.

Your voice was calm as you sat next to him, rubbing his back, ¨I hope not¨. A low moan left his lips when your hand landed on his back. 

¨Ain't no one I'd rather have give me a heart attack than you, baby¨. His laugh was a low rumble. A rumble left unheard by you, his sentence awakening something in your stomach. He could see the effect of his words on you, a lazy grin appearing on his lips. Jax leaned into your touch, ¨What´s going on in that pretty little head of yours?¨, his voice was soft. 

¨Nothing¨, your hand came across something wet. Blood. ¨You have a cut there?¨. You were already reaching for the gauzes. 

¨Must´ve gotten it in the fight, I´m all banged up¨. He smiled at you, eyes sparkling. ¨But I´ve had worse, darlin´¨.

The gauze already going over the wound, you didnt loose a beat. ¨Yeah, well, you´re about to¨. You loved the comfortable place you were at right now. Jax did too, a laugh making his chest rumble. 

¨You´re full of sass tonight, aint´ya?¨.

That took you by surprise, you´d always been sassy. Especially around Jax. ¨Wasn´t I always?¨. The hand on his back went up to his neck, and there you felt his shoulders go up and down as he laughed. 

¨Nah, not like this. You´ve always had a tongue but tonight, sweetheart? You´re just going out of your way to give me a hard time¨. You scoffed at that, shaking your head. ¨Maybe you deserve it¨.

Jax´s eyes sparkled with mischief, ¨Oh yeah? And what do you think I deserve?¨. His voice got lower, and you felt it on every part of your body. Some more than others. You got up and threw the gauze in the trash, then kneeling in front of him. ¨You´re going out of your way to piss me off lately¨.

He loved this vision of you, fiery, feisty and ready to snap at him. He lowered his face closer to yours, and purred ¨And how am I doing that exactly, baby?¨.

¨You´re trying to get me all riled up¨, as you looked at his naked torso you saw bruises forming, ¨Fuck Jax-¨.

He chuckled, trying to dismiss your worry. ¨Come on, darlin´. Not the first time I´ve been all banged up…also not gonna be the last¨. He pulled you up, hoisting you onto his lap, his body warm against yours. 

You caressed his face, ¨That's the problem, I can't handle you getting hurt over and over again¨. His expression softened, his heart aching. Jax knew you were worried about him, he knew you cared. You knew that too, that was the problem.

¨I know¨, his voice was soft, ¨But this is my life¨. He was tired, you could tell. And if you were being honest, you did not want to have this conversation. So you didn't. You got up and looked at him, he was a mess.

¨You should take a shower, you look like shit¨. His laugh warmed your heart, his eyes were sparkling.

¨Ain't you a sweetheart, telling me I look like crap¨. But as he looked down, he realized he did. ¨Guess you´re right, not the prettiest sight huh?¨.

¨Not right now¨, you were still laughing when you signaled the bathroom door, ¨Go on, I'll bring you something for the pain¨. 

Jax shook his head, but got up and started walking to the bathroom. He appreciated your honesty, any other woman taking care of him would´ve lied. Not you, you straight up told him he looked like shit. He loved that. He loved you. ¨I´ll go shower, but you better bring some good painkillers¨. His tone was lighthearted.

¨Oh yeah, you´re gonna need them¨, you couldn't help but tease him as you made your way to the door. 

Jax rolled his eyes, pretending to be bothered. ¨You´re enjoying this way too much¨. With that, he stepped closer. You smiled, not stepping back. He kept going until he was towering over you. He was wearing a smug smirk, that could be very good or very bad news. ¨You just love seeing me like this, don't ya? All banged up, needing your help, ...¨

Bad news it was then. Your demeanor changed radically, playfulness long gone. ¨No, I don´t¨.

His smile faded, knowing he had ruined the moment. ¨Sorry, darlin´. I was trying to lighten the mood¨. One of his hand traveled up your arm, caressing you. 

¨I know, I´m just messing with you¨. You laughed lightly.

He mirrored your smile, ¨I swear, you´re gonna be the death of me¨.

As he started walking to the bathroom, he looked at you over his shoulder, ¨Gonna stick around while I shower? Make sure I don't faint?¨. The domesticity of it all was drowning, not necessarily in a bad way, but it was a lot. You winked, ¨Sure¨.

¨No peeping¨, he gave you a stern look before closing the door. 

[ghaasy]

So last night me and my girlfriend went to see Les Mis in London and we were talking about how differently every production presents Enjolras and Grantaire's dynamic — whether it is one-sided longing, reciprocated, a bit overlooked or very much back and forth, etc etc.

Let me just being to say that last night's Grantaire was absolutely perfect. I could clearly tell there was a whole characterisetion that had been established and that came out in the little details. He was a skeptical Grantaire, yes, but there was more to it— almost a frustration in the awareness of his inability to avoid what is inevitably going to come. This Grantaire — ad this was a detail I loved— was truluy part of this group, lots of students had many interactions with him in a very familiar/comfortable way, and even the scolding that happened from time to time was light, not as repetitive and insistent as I've seen it before. Grantaire was very much part of that group, he had his own established role.

With Enjolras, let me just say that there were a lot of very interesting decisions that were made in terms his and Grantaire's positions on stage. There were multiple moments when the two would stand in a diagonal way— with Enjolras always being in the highest corner of the frame (either on top of the barricade or on the stairs of the Musain) and Grantaire being on the bottom corners, always diagonal to Enjolras, always a few steps away from the other students who were naturally drawn to their leader. This was truly a beautiful composition, it really helped to oppose them but also draw a connection between them.

Then, to go back to the E and R dynamic I was talking about before, at one point, my girlfriend said to me, "They are already dating in this". And let me tell you it made so much sense.

Grantaire's bits during Red and Black were acknowledge by Enjolras, but he didn't stand there glaring at him or trying to get him to sit down/put his wine away the whole time. It almost felt like Enjolras was used to this— not to him being, well, Grantaire, because that is obvious in every single production, but to him having his opinion on the Revolution, on their ideals, on Enjolras, on their friends— in this, it felt as if Enjolras had already acknowledged Grantaire's voice, had already understood it and kept it in the back of his mind, as a "i know you, I don't agree with you, but I know where you stand, because we've talked about this". That is why the scolding didn't feel as severe, why it almost felt as Enjolras didn't acknowledge him much during Red and Black, when in reality, he was always aware of what Grantaire was doing or saying, despite him being busy discussing things with the other students. There was a familiarity, I think, with the presence of the other.

(Of course Grantaire's staring at Enjolras when Marius was raving about Cosette and about a love so strong that comes without a warning and completely takes over you didn't go unnoticed, I feel like it deserves an honourable mention.)

And then. Then, when they were on stage at one point, right after Do You Hear The People Sing, there was a brief moment where Enjolras was the one being playful with Grantaire, gently shoving the flag towards him, and then at one point he leaned in, both of them face to face, Enjolras' mouth already open because he was singing— let me tell you I would suspect I was gaslighting myself, but since my girlfriend had the same reaction as me (our mouths dropped open) I feel better about affirming that it looked like Enjolras was going in for a kiss, then pulled away last second. Now, whether that was intentional or not, it doesn't really matter, does it? And regardless, I wouldn't exclude the intention behind it because we have seen several instances of Enjolras kisses on stage. I'm just saying.

Finally, the barricade. Drink With Me? The way Grantaire sang the line "is your life just one more lie?" Altered my brain chemistry, because I've never heard it delivered in such an intimate, betrayed way, the sorrow was there, the awareness that Grantaire was going to lose Enjolras and everyone else, the way he whispered the word "lie", in such a resigned, tired, hurt way. Like the two of them have had that conversation before. The way Enjolras grabbed his arm, and there was no surprise from Grantaire, no pause to think "oh he's finally acknowledged me", he only shook Enjolras' hand off him and walked away, he looked broken. And this is why we said this didn't feel like an unrequited sort of longing, or like Enjolras had not acknowledged him until that point, or like Enjolras was being stern and only focused on the Revolution, on the other students' morale. No, this felt like Grantaire finally giving up to the idea that this is going to happen, it's a "I wish you could change your mind" knowing that it won't happen, not because Enjolras doesn't care, but because they have had this conversation before and they've never agreed on it and this is now inevitable. The care was there, you could see it so clearly.

When the National Guard began shooting, Grantaire didn't even flinch. When all his friends died on the barricade, he slowly made his way to the same spot where Enjolras had been shot, looked over at the National Guard, yelled to catch their attention and let them shoot him— no attempt at fighting back, no "vive la république", because that is not the reason he will be killed— only a yell to catch their attention and the awareness that this is what it was going to be all along, the moment he'd lose Enjolras, his friends, he'd lose himself too.

Rant is over now, but I just want to say one more time how perfect this whole cast was, how perfectly put together the whole show felt— every scene made sense, everything flew, every actor clearly knew their character inside out. If you do have a chance to watch it, then do so, you won't be sorry.

[pascalislove]

THE CALL: Han Jeong-Won x Fem!Reader~12

Summary: Your arrival would change everything, even if Jeong-Won didn't know it yet.

It was a cold day, and the winter breeze cut through the air as Jeong-Won walked through the streets of downtown Seoul, seeking inspiration for his music. City lights illuminated the sidewalks, and people hurried by in thick coats and scarves.

He didn't expect to meet Seo Yeon, but there he was, crossing the street with his impeccable beige coat and a serene expression. When their eyes met, she smiled lightly, that smile that always had a sharp undertone.

—Jeong-Won,—he said as he approached with determined steps. What a surprise to see you here. —Seo Yeon,— he replied, his tone reserved. What are you doing here? —Just walking around,—he lied elegantly. —You know, me and Yun Ji Woo thought it would be a good idea.— You know, to break the ice.

Jeong-Won thought about saying it wasn't necessary, but something inside prompted him to respond differently. —We could have dinner at my house tonight,—he said in a calm voice.

Seo Yeon looked at him, clearly surprised by the unexpected invitation, but quickly regained her composure.—¿Your house? Well, why not? —When Jeong-Won returned to the mansion, Y/N was already in the living room going through some papers.

Hearing the door, he looked up. —All good? he asked, noticing the thoughtful expression on her face. —Seo Yeon is coming to dinner tonight,— he announced bluntly. Y/N looked at him, surprised. —Seo Yeon? Your ex-wife? -Yeah. —And why...? —I don't know,—he admitted, running a hand through his hair. It just happened.

Y/N did not ask more, but decided to stay to support him. He knew that Seo Yeon's presence always unsettled him, and someone had to be there to balance things out. When it was time for dinner, Seo Yeon showed up on time, accompanied by Yun Ji Woo.

She carried the same sophisticated and arrogant air that always characterized her. —I hope you cooked something decent, Jeong-Won,— Seo Yeon said as she entered, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. —This house always seemed too cold to me.—Y/N, trying to keep the peace, smiled politely as she led them towards the table.

Dinner began in an awkward silence, broken only by Seo Yeon's seemingly innocent comments. —How is your music going?— Seo Yeon suddenly asked, interrupting Y/N's train of thought. Jeong-Won looked up briefly before answering. -Good. I've been busy—The cold tone of his response was like a door closing in their faces. Seo Yeon, however, did not stop.

—Always so serious, Jeong-Won. I can't help but think that if you had been a little more... approachable, maybe things wouldn't have ended the way they did.—Y/N felt Jeong-Won lower his head, avoiding answering. The comment had hit a sensitive spot, but he refused to get into the game. Without thinking, Y/N slid her hand under the table and grabbed Jeong-Won's.

The touch was gentle, but firm, as if silently telling him that he was not alone. He briefly looked up at her, surprised, but grateful.The conversation continued, although Y/N noticed that Seo Yeon kept watching them with a mix of frustration and curiosity. Then a curious thing happened: Jeong-Won had a small sauce stain on the corner of his mouth. Without thinking too much, Y/N took a napkin and leaned towards him. —You have sauce here,— he said softly as he carefully wiped away the trail of food.

The gesture was natural, but full of tenderness that did not go unnoticed by anyone at the table. Jeong-Won looked at her, surprised, while Y/N smiled satisfied. Seo Yeon, for her part, pursed her lips. She used to make those little gestures for Jeong-Won, and seeing Y/N take that place irritated her deeply. —Well, it was an interesting… dinner,— Seo Yeon finally said as she got up from the table. Thanks for the invitation. Yun Ji Woo politely said goodbye before leaving after his wife.

When the door closed, silence settled in the house. Y/N began to clear the dishes while Jeong-Won watched her from the kitchen.—You don't have to do that,— he said finally. -I don't mind. Washing dishes together was a silent but intimate act. The tension of the night seemed to dissolve in the sound of running water and the soft clash of porcelain. Suddenly, Jeong-Won walked over to the music player and selected a slow song.

The first notes filled the room with a warm and calm atmosphere. —Do you want to dance? —he asked, his voice softer than usual. Y/N blinked, surprised. -Dance? -Yeah. She smiled, amused.—¿Do you know how to do it? —Not really,— he admitted. But I think you could teach me. Y/N put down the plate she was washing and walked over to him. —It's simple,— she said, taking her hand. —Just follow the rhythm...slowly.— Their bodies moved slowly to the music. At first, the steps were clumsy, but little by little they found a natural rhythm.

The closeness between them erased any awkwardness, leaving only a silent but powerful connection. Then, Jeong-Won did something unexpected. He stopped the movement and, without warning, took Y/N's face in his hands. She looked at him, surprised, but didn't move away. There was something in his eyes, a mix of vulnerability and desire, that took her breath away. And then, their lips met in a slow, deep kiss, loaded with emotions held back for too long. It was gentle at first, like a test, but it soon turned into something more intense.

When they separated, Y/N looked at him breathlessly, but they didn't pull away completely. —Thank you for teaching me,— Jeong-Won murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

She smiled softly, knowing that in that moment something had changed forever between them.

This story does not follow the plot of the series, tell me if you like it and if you want me to tag you in the chapters🫶

Tag list:

@anamiad00msday , @czarinera , @beebeechaos, @muchwita

THE CALL MASTERLIST

[lllunaverde]

𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 | 𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐝

𝐈𝐈 - Chapter 4, Chapter 5 ๋࣭ ࿐࿔ 10, 116k wc. main masterlist

๋࣭ ࿐࿔ 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 ��𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭'𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐝

Warmth blossoming in her. Y/N laid a hand on her chest, creasing her shirt as she gripped it. Tugging in her heart that she feels.

"Alfred..." She said in such a quiet voice. The said man didn't reply but tipped his head, waiting for her to continue. "I...I'm happy...thank you." Her voice now a bit louder but still soft. Saying those words, it seemed so easy and how simple the meaning was normally, but it felt so heavy for her.

"As I am, my dear," Alfred spoke, finishing his work in the sink. He laid his hands on the edge of the counter, letting out a deep breath, "As I am."

Doubt, was what both they're feeling under the growing stems of happiness they feel. And he knew to never be guilty of it, at least with time and time of loss, he learned that. Her, however....

He walked to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. "She'd be glad that you are." Y/N's breathing started to shake as she feels her jaw hurt as well. With weakness in her arms, she clung to his side, Alfred leans onto her and kissed her hair. "Never forget that." He whispered.

She promised she'll try.

.

.

Jason found himself back in the manor just after the little work he did with his brother. In the kitchen that is. Opening the fridge and looked for the pastries of Y/N, at least no one was in the said place to tease him about it. Because heavens forbid, he liked it so much and he wanted to eat it again and maybe steal a little bit more so he could eat it in his apartment-

"Didn't think you'd be back this soon, Master Jason." He was so thankful he only thought about stealing those and hadn't been caught in doing it. Jason closed the container as he took a scone from it.

"Neither did I." He replied simply, placing the container back in the fridge. Alfred did have a knack for appearing in situations at a certain time. Jason leaned on the counter, thinking of what to say.

Alfred sits himself on a chair, thinking as well. "What is bothering you?" Alfred asks. Though, Jason's....fret wasn't clear as day, his lingering silence towards their beloved valet did not go unnoticed, and there Alfred felt it.

Jason shakes his head, laughing, "You always know." Not that he was bothered by it, it was always rather agreeing to him; reassuring.

He looked down, chewing slowly on his food. Guilt rising in him once again. He was against of Y/N staying with them and he was sure from his hesitancy, it was shown. From Alfred's sullen looks, moments of him and her that he seen, her genuine smiles and laughs; guilt gnawed in him each time.

"I'm sorry..." Jason spoke, swallowing hardly. He sighed and laid his weight heavier against the counter.

Ah, Alfred figured, "There is no reason to be." Jason could have scoffed but he didn't, instead he released a sharp breath. The old man would say that, of course. "I did say those words, didn't I? What hesitations and frustrations you've felt is understandable. I know you mean well, my boy."

"I know... I just wanted to say it." Jason muttered, finishing the food in his hand. Maybe now that he said it, now that Alfred heard him clearly—maybe a little of that guilt went away. He finally looks at him, "...How are you?"

Alfred smiles, there his boy was. "It gets heavier each day, but that has always been grief, hasn't it?" No matter how many times they've been hit, it still always come new to them. More painful than it already is. "But the more heavy it gets even so...I've learned that grief always has been love with nowhere to go...yet, somehow you'll find out as well you can put that love somewhere special still."

Jason remained quiet for a few seconds, nodding as he listened. From his own and some, he had learn something like that between those lines before...

"Seeing you with her, Y/N...I'm glad she's with you." Jason acknowledged. Now that he's think about it again, if he had been more blatantly against the decision, what has unfolded the last days wouldn't have happened. Okay, maybe the little bit of guilt that went away earlier came back creeping in.

His lips curved again, feeling more than glad to hear those words from him. "I am too," Alfred answered as he stood up from his sit. He walks to the kitchen cabinets, pulling out a brown paper bag from a box of it. He walks to the fridge and pulled out the containers of the pastries they ate earlier.

Jason laughed as he turned himself in front of the counter, "Guess I've been caught." As he watch Alfred place more than enough of pieces in the bag.

"It would appear so." Alfred puts the bag in front of him, dismissing the boy's remarks, more than incline to provide. "How was your work with Master Richard?" He asks.

Now Jason scoffed, "Annoying," the words of his brother ringing in his ears. He turns his head, shaking off the thought.

Alfred hums, not expecting the less from both of them. "It went well then," knowing it did as to why he seems rather not his distressed aura. "Well, I best be getting somewhere" He walks out of the kitchen and Jason nods. Then he stopped when he was at the door, looking back to the said man, "Jason," he called.

If it were a different time, he would have been worried if he heard his name out from Alfred's mouth. "Thank you." Alfred spoke, gentle gaze to the boy.

Jason gripped the edge of the counter, his heart faltering all of a sudden. The pride swelling in him still manages to be bested by the guilt that lies. He said nothing but smiled and nodded. Left alone now, he sighed loudly as he threw his head back.

"Goddamn...." he dragged as he walk. He supposed he could have a little bit of time out in the garden, he needed it much.

He should have just headed out the manor and drove off. He stopped as he saw Y/N sitting on one of the few chairs made of stone.

Without making a sound, he turned around and started to walk away. Looking up at the sky, silently cursing to it.

He just had to be there.

"Fuck," he whispered as he stopped walking. He shook his head, jaw clenching, "Fuck it." Well, at least Grayson didn't went back to the manor, he didn't need to worry about his brother then.

Before he made himself known to Y/N, she already had felt a presence behind her and turned around—making her flinch and winced a little loud. "Oh my god," Y/N laughed, clutching her chest. "Shit, this is the third time this morning." She rasped out, her smile wide.

Jason cursed at himself again, he didn't want to scare her but did anyway. Though, he couldn't stop the curving of his lips as he stares at her laughing. "Very frightful, huh?" he mused, repeating her words from earlier. He sits himself making sure there were distance to them.

"I wasn't kidding," she shakes her head, her laugh dying down but still her face was bright. Jason chuckled, "No shit," Y/N looked at him with one eyebrow raised but rolled her eyes and turned her gaze again to the wide garden—Jason smiled.

Silence sat between them.

Might as well go with it. "How are you?" Jason went straight to it, he really was proud of that one, he'd snort if it weren't for the serious atmosphere that came suddenly.

She hums, pulling up her knees to her chest and fixed her skirt as she put her chin on top of her knees, sighing, "Far better than what one usually should be feeling when they lost their mother." Y/N closed her eyes, regretting she said that and laid her face down to her knees.

Jason blinked, not expecting the answer but before he could speak, "Sorry...it just came out like that...but that's the truth, I suppose." Y/N spoke, looking ahead again. She didn't exactly want to dodge the question or the ones that she guesses will come. She did felt genuineness. in his concern anyway.

"And it bothers you," Jason concluded, understanding the tone from her own words. Y/N nodded but stayed silent after—he waited for her. He might have to agree with her on that one; again, he had never seen someone smile and laugh so much after losing someone they love, the thought intrigues him yet again.

"What I said on the jet is all true...I have been crying, night by night ever since but that's just it, when the day comes it's as if I'm almost fine. I don't know...it just comes naturally to me," Y/N trailed off, she hugged her knees tighter. "Guess I got that from my mother," she huffed out, her lips curving. She sighed again, now looking up at the sky with eyes closed, trying to sort out her mind.

"I'm angry, hurt...I miss her but at the same time I don't feel empty as much...I'm moved by my people, I'm happy Alfred is with me, I'm happy about the breakfast we just shared earlier...I feel full more than empty—overflowing, honestly...It's just...I feel as though I'm not grieving enough." She finished, now putting her knees down again and hunched her arms down on the stone. "And what I said again last time, I've never felt grief before...I suppose it tells much of my dilemma over this." Added her.

Jason took in her words. After the whole of his little brother conversing with Y/N about her state, he wasn't surprised she opened up again—she gave quite the impression to be that kind of person. In fact, he was rather pleased she was so easy about it, for a stranger to share as much to them...to him, he..... appreciates that.

Kind....that's what he'd say about her. She's kind, that's what he would have said to his brother now—although he'll surely no doubt might punch Grayson if he teases him of it again...he doesn't regret what he answered the first time.

"Death hits us never the same," words she said before uttered by him this time as he looks up at the sky. He knows well of that statement, among others and him we're the living example. Jason breathed out a chuckle.

Y/N turns her stare to him, smiling a little, the same warmth crawling in her again. She let out a deep breath, untensing her body as she tore off her gaze to him.

"....Your mother...she'd be glad that you're doing well, don't let your guilt prevent you from being so." He honestly feels like a hypocrite but at least those were genuine words. Seriously, him and his family needs to take their own advices more better.

Y/N laughed a little, brushing her hands through her hair, "Alfred told me the same earlier,"

He did as well, "Not surprising..." A smile found its way to him, remembering what the said beloved man told him just earlier too. "...Grief has always been love with nowhere to go...but at some point, you'll find a special place for it even," He spoke, taking a beat of silence before shaking his head, grinning and looked to her. "Those were from him...he always has the wisest thing to say."

"Yes, he does," uttered her, she leaned her elbows on her knees, and caressed her face. "That's very beautiful...thank you." She murmured, feeling the tugging in her heart again from the words.

Jason's breath hitched, caught off guard from the sudden mellow of her aura. "It..it was from Alfred, anyway," he stammered as he looked away and rubbed his neck. He rolled his eyes as he closed them, annoyed at himself.

"Thank you still," regaining her composure, feeling herself become more at ease again. "Your sincere presence and bearing with my....misery had done much." Y/N declared, nothing but the want to be true to her feelings and thoughts.

His one hand clenching and unclenching, well at least she wasn't looking at him...he was not sure if he'd be able to handle the situation anymore. "I'd bear it again anytime." Words flew from his damn mouth before he could think again.

Y/N giggled, a hand on her mouth, eyeing him. Jason pursed his lips, quite slouching. "Well, I'd be very honored then," she smiled.

Jason felt his heart tighten, this is what he almost had prevented.

Throwing away the thought, he returned the smile, "You should be," with one eyebrow raised as he looked down on her, getting back his usual slick tone.

She released a disbelief scoff, "Aren't you the most humble gentleman ever," returning his tone, a playful grin tipping from the end of it.

"Don't you know it," he spoke, smirking. He really was proud of that one again.

Y/N laughed, shaking her head as she stood up from their place—Jason did the same. Her eyes found the paper bag he was now holding, a look of question from her face.

Jason saw it and huffed, "Uh..it's your pastries, just came back for them, honestly," he admitted and he can swear that he saw light in her eyes.

She had to purse her lips to prevent herself from smiling widely. "Well...I'm lucky that I made them good enough to make you do that, if it wasn't for that, I don't think we'd have this conversation." Y/N concluded, her hands pressed together as she pieced what she was saying. Ever so happy that someone was enamored by her creations again—let alone by the man who had caught her eyes since yesterday.

"Something like that, huh?" And he was glad that he did.

"I should leave you now then," she started as they walk nearer to the exit of the garden. "It was very lovely to meet you, Jason." Y/N says as she starts to part to the other away from him.

"Anytime," he nodded, watching her walk her way back to the manor. Breathing from his mouth, he was aware of the warmth spreading through him, and he allows it freely.

A smile on Y/N's face as she makes her way back in, feeling the pieces of her strained self heal even if it's a little bit; it was something and it was a lot already.

.

.

Alfred laid down the tray on the table, making himself comfortable in the library as the quiet hours of Saturday afternoon passed by. With a teacup in his hand, he was sat beside the big windows of the room, with the view of the garden upfront, sun beaming down.

Sighing after he drank from his cup, "I miss you," murmured him and leaned back on the chair, easing his maintained composure. Heavy and light at the same time in him as his mind paints the memories of his dear friend. He feels his heart pound deeply despite his drinking of the calming tea he made.

"You don't mind me interrupting your quiet time, do you?" The voice of Bruce and a knock on the door was heard. His frame leaning on the entrance of the room, fond gaze to Alfred.

Alfred turned to him and huffed, "Have I ever minded, Master Bruce?"

Bruce laughed as he walked to his place, "Nothing comes to my mind," said he while shaking his head, agreeing with Alfred. He sat in front of Alfred, loosening his tie and the cuffs of his shirt, sighing. Relieved he was able to free himself of his duties for a few hours. Wanting to be there at the moment they were in, wanting to fulfill his duties as not only as a father but as a friend, and as a son.

Alfred was looking out the window, stare and mind far ahead, melancholia bleeding out from him, Bruce feels it too clearly. "How are you?"

"Disheartened still but I'm never too near from the edge," Alfred starts after taking a good moment to reply, closing his eyes, still seeing light behind it from the shine of the sun—he imagines Amelia to be there at the end of it. "I miss her."

Bruce didn't say anything but looked to the window as well, words failing him at the moment. Leaning back to his chair, minutes of silence passed by until he broke it, "Tell me about her."

Alfred smiled, finding joy at the request. He opened his mouth, thinking of what to say, unsure of where to start, "...When I showed her a picture of when you were in your adolescent years, she said that you were a very handsome boy and will grow into a finer man, no doubt because I'm by your side, she says." He spoke, trying to hear her gushing voice of excitement again—he grips the cup tight suddenly as he did, not entirely sure whether he regrets doing so.

"Then...I hope I'm not a disappointment to that," Bruce chuckled, flattered.

"No, you excelled rather." Alfred declares.

Even in trying times among himself, he never had fail to still lend assurance to his people, truly, Alfred was that kind of person. "And as she said, only because you're there for me." Bruce hopes to pay that back wholeheartedly.

Alfred laid his teacup back on the tray, his gaze staying on it for a few seconds, sighing, "Amelia longed for a simple life...she made sure to give that to Y/N beautifully and that she did, despite it was only her and her friends, she still pulled through well." Alfred tells, pride and admiration in his voice for his friend. Always and always pride for his people.

Bruce remembered Y/N's words about her mother, life fulfilled. What a way to have lived....a hope in him to someday wish for something like that.

"A good mother, huh," Bruce replied. Much was seen enough already for that to be said. Bruce was in awe, that he feels in him.

"A great one." Alfred muttered .

Alfred leaned back on the chair, regaining his composure then, "I'll be okay, Bruce," said him as he was met with the sad eyes of his boy, smiling a little. "I will be."

Bruce stared at Alfred who was now looking outside the windows again, ".....We'll be okay." That he declared as fatal.

.

.

With a loud sigh, Jason stepped down on a rooftop. Both hands on his waist with eyes closed and his head down. Frustrated and terribly annoyed, he was sure it was obvious to them.

If he wasn't so tired already, he would have sighed again or groaned, knowing he wasn't alone anymore.

"You've been too quiet tonight," Bruce spoke behind his son. Although, Bruce was much far away from him on their patrol, he had felt something was off with the said child. His usual remarks, tones of sarcasm, acts of defiance was not to be seen present; he, of course, had to be sure.

"Shouldn't you be grateful?" Jason retorted, rolling his eyes.   

Bruce said nothing but waited for him to speak. Jason sighed; persistence did run in them anyway, or stubbornness, perhaps. The two of it go quite well with each other.

Jason walked until he was at the edge, awhile taking off his gears from his head, he stepped his right foot on it and leaned his body down on it. The view of the dark city, filled with fogs and lights.

"I apologized to Alfred earlier....for a moment it helped ease my guilt," he started. Shaking his head and with a click of his tongue, "For a moment anyway..."  

"After that. I saw Y/N....she told me about her being glad she's with Alfred...being here but that she can't help but feel guilty about it...I guess I consoled her," he trailed off but the he scoffed after, "Fucking ironic, I know." Though, he was glad he spoke something that maybe helped at least.

Bruce squint his eyes at him from his curse but set it aside. 

"I can't help but think if I had objected to it more, she wouldn't be here.... Alfred would have probably been lonely and who knows what Y/N would have felt...or do." Jason lets out.

"But she's here now anyway," Bruce replied, not finding any reason why they should dwell on that, though he gets why Jason does. "And from what I can tell, if she knew the reason why, she'd understand too.... and I know enough that you've been kind to her." He assures.

Jason remained quiet, he didn't find the need to say anything otherwise to his father's words.

Besides the guilt, Bruce understood what his son was feeling, it was no wonder what and why he was feeling it. He was going through almost the same thing after all; Death and mothers, much of it. Memories and memories resurfacing.

Grateful would be the word, that he was. Bruce's heart swells with relief and thankfulness for Jason. It had always been foreseen that Jason wasn't entirely blessed to have parents that can qualify even enough for a child. Sure the lot of them had done "enough" but it was undeniable that Jason had been in more pain than comfort to which a mother and father should give to a child. Bruce was grateful because despite of it all, he still tries, he's still kind. He was given a chance again to be his father.

Bruce walks towards beside him, eyes on the view of their city. Taking off his cowl, he breathes, "I am grateful, Jason. I always am."

Jason prepared himself for what's to come again....he honestly doesn't know anymore if he can take much more of this today, the past few days for that matter; emotions and emotions...

"We've been reconciling still over all these years and the fact that you let me in the first place after what we've been through, what you've been through...the fact that you try...is so much more than I deserve," Jason stares at his father, though Bruce doesn't—he was aware of it. Even though Bruce hadn't been too vocal about his whole thoughts about it, only from rare moments he did, Jason had always felt it was there, like an unspoken agreement...but hearing it clearly from him again like anew, it's a breathe of relief. "I don't think I can ever be grateful enough." He now looks at Jason and there the view of his son that he always longed to gaze upon; tenderness.

Jason turned his gaze on the view again but closing his eyes for a second, "Wouldn't have it any other way." Jason unveiled.

Bruce smiled. "I know we've talked about it before we went to London but I want to know...how are you doing?" Bruce asked, knowing it hasn't been easy for him, or for everyone of them, honestly.

"Still here, I guess...haven't had any attacks so far." Jason huffed out. Bruce nodded but didn't reply after that, unsure if he should continue to ask what's on his mind.

"All this whole deal...makes us thinks of the same thing, huh? Dead parents and all that." Jason spoke, chuckling a little. A bit dark, but then again they've been in so much worse situations.

"I suppose it does." Bruce agrees, there was no lie in that. Taking a beat, "Do you think of them?" He finally asked.

Jason breathes, trying to wear off the tiredness he feels from all the day and night has given him, he stands properly and raked his hair. "Sometimes... sometimes I...miss....Catherine, sometimes I think of.... Sheila-" Jason can feel the weight of their names from his whole body, "Sometimes I think of all what could have been, sometimes I mourn for that...sometimes...I mourn for them still." He spoke of his truth. He hadn't expect for him to be pouring out something, let alone to his father, but he supposed to hell with it. "Again, I wouldn't have what we had and have any other way. I wouldn't trade one second of time with you. Not a single one."

Bruce felt his heart drown in joy.

"Do you think of them?" Jason asked.

Bruce smiled a little, "I always do and I miss them everyday."

Jason smiled for the first time in the night. How could he not when he heard the bliss in his father's voice.  There they stood watching the distant lights of the city.

"You know...Alfred told me that Amelia said I'd grow into a finer man because Alfred is with me," Bruce started and Jason made a sound—Bruce prevented a laugh. "I said I hope I'm not a disappointment to that and he only replied that I excelled rather," Bruce shakes his head, his hand grazing his face, "I doubt that." He admits.

Fatherhood, he had always felt it was like a race, it didn't matter what; an engine, or even a damn horse, or just his own feet running—he always saw himself to be at the last with no finish line. It burns him out, trying and trying to meet those expectations but always feeling so sure he only meets half of it.

Jason looks at Bruce, he can feel his uncertainty, his gaze softened and laughed mentally. Ah, some complexities just runs deep.

Jason breathes out a chuckle, "We should really learn how to take our own words seriously better,"

Bruce didn't stop his laugh this time.

Jason stops for a moment before speaking again. "You try, Bruce…you always do…wholeheartedly. That's what makes you excel...That's what makes our....reconciling..worthwhile." He declared in a calm but firm voice. He found himself sitting on the ground, back leaned against the edge; tired. Surprisingly, Bruce does the same.

"I'm relieved you think that," spoke Bruce, staring at the sky. Jason thinks the same.

Silence made itself known once again.

"Bruce." Jason said, finding the right words, he closed his eyes for a second. "Nothing bad can happen to her, nothing." Tone heavy. Bruce stayed silent. Just like that, the air turned thick. Both aware of their duties, of what's right.

"She cannot be tied to this...to us." Jason states again. Regret almost in his voice...almost. A plead rather, that's what was in his voice. Be it a warning, a reminder—Jason not only hinted that to Bruce but to himself as well.

"That I promise you." Bruce swore.

The hope in him through his father that he continues to hold, ever so wavering once in a while, now felt new once again. 

"Come home tonight, Jason." Bruce stands up from the ground and offered his hand to him.

With no hesitations, Jason held his father's hand and stood in front of him. "I will." So together they went home.

.

.

Y/N found herself walking through the hallways of the manor in the quiet night. Dim lights through it all, she shakes her head, irritated at herself for not being able to sleep.

Turning on the lights in the kitchen as she went in, she started to prepare herself a tea. In the middle of it, at least she thought; felt a presence and didn't expect for her to be right, with Bruce just going in the room, just as she turned around—she jumped. "Oh my god." She yelled in a whisper with both of her hands on her chest, heart pounding loudly and with a look of wide eyes to him.

Bruce looked worried for her and felt too sorry but the curling of his lips couldn't be prevented as Y/N started to laugh, her head falling on the counter and shoulders shaking from her fit. "I apologize....are you alright?" He walked in front of her across from the counter.

"Please..." Y/N with a strained voice as her laugh still continues, she supposed she could have a little bit of shame in front of someone like him but it was too funny for her. "This is the fourth time today, Alfred, Damian, Jason, and now you. Either this problem of mine is really bad, or something must run in your family." She spoke, finding the need to breathe in the middle of it as she continued to laugh.

Bruce huffed with a grinned at her, "I think it runs in the family,"  It really does, that he was very sure of.

"Clearly." Y/N retorted as her laughs finally started to die down. Collecting herself, "Would you like some tea?"

Bruce nodded and sat on the stool, "Couldn't sleep?"

"I guess so," she replied as she prepared another cup for him, "You?"

"Couldn't either but I suppose that's normal," said Bruce. Y/N looks at the clock in the room, 1:10 AM, she raised her eyebrows at him, "Normal, huh?"

Bruce chuckled, "Unfortunately," he actually didn't want to sleep yet rather, after he and Jason went back, he busied himself in the batcave and in his study and rarely he does; take a moment to step out of his usual zone. That's when he saw the kitchen lights and silent noises coming from it. 

"How are you?" He asked. Bruce feels glad he didn't sense uneasiness from her anymore.

Y/N took the hot water from the fire and poured it in to their cups, smiling as she recalled her morning, "Thankfully...I'm doing good." Nodding while making their tea. Her time with Jason that morning helped her clear her mind, it helped her comfort herself better. "I have no doubt once in a while, I'll be in pain, that's to be expected anyway....but I don't know....I just...I just feel.....okay." She trailed off, finally done and slid the teacup to Bruce.

He muttered a small thank you and listened to her words. "That's good to know," he said before drinking his tea. "You're strong, Y/N...only a few people can be how you are after something like that happened." Bruce says truthfully. He credits her resolves that much.

Y/N sighed, nodding slowly and played with the rim of her cup. "Only because I think I have it easier," shaking her head, almost to herself in a quiet voice, "I'm very lucky." Y/N bit her lip as she feels her jaw start to hurt, tears gathering in her eyes. Gratitude, the thought of it all; the comfort of her people, the welcoming hands of Alfred's people. The love of her mother, overwhelms her again. It finally comes crashing down to her. She blinked and her tears fell, she looked down and chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry-"

Bruce shook his head and gave her an assuring gaze. Breathing gently, her chest flinching as she tries to calm her sobs down. "It's just that...I...I feel so lucky...thankful that I do feel okay. I've been given nothing but kindness these past few days, it just dawned on me." Y/N vented out, a hand on the side of her head awhile she still feels the tears forming again. She did her best to look at Bruce in the eyes, ignoring that she probably looks like a mess right now. "You have done nothing but been kind to me and I just want to say thank you again."

Bruce smiled softly and squinted his eyes at her, "It's nothing. I'm just glad to know you're doing well." He cannot deny the satisfaction he feels in him from hearing her words, his family provided a part of comfort to her.

"Your mother would be glad that you're doing well." He assured her.

Y/N sighed, wiping her tears away and smiled. "Mhmm...Alfred and Jason said the same." The both of them figures the day went in a circle for them, filled with reassurance.

"Only the truth." Yes, she supposed she realizes that now.

"You have a beautiful family." Y/N proclaimed. Bruce leaned his elbows on the counter, in a murmur, "Yes...I do." Thinking of them, he huffs, "I feel lucky as much as you do."

He hopes they know he feels that.

"Well, I hope for you that they know." To agree with him wouldn't be right, for her at least or probably anyone, she didn't know enough after all. But to hope that sentiment was right was what she could do, much like him, she saw the caring of a father. "Nothing I want more." He voiced out.

Y/N nods before yawning suddenly, covering her mouth—she chuckled, feeling her eyes tire. "I should be going then," as she stepped off the stool.

"I should too. I wouldn't want Alfred to find me and see his disappointed face again." Bruce stepped off the stool as well and chugged down his remaining drink, while Y/N's remain untouched, still holding on to it to bring it to her room. 

"Yes, yes, I wouldn't  be surprised if that happens too may times." Y/N laughed as they walked out of the kitchen before turning off the lights.

Bruce chuckled, "It does."

They were met with silence as they went on to walk through the long hallways; hearts rather full and not exhausted. As they reached the middle of the staircase, near from parting. Y/N huffed, her lips curling, "I...Jason is very kind..." she spoke. Y/N had felt the need to say it. 

Bruce stares at nothing with his gaze melting at the soft words and he stares at her, he sees the same look. "He's lovely," though she was looking down, Bruce caught that look as she smiled to herself.

A realization. Bruce bids sorry for he felt the need to break his promise to Jason. In his millions of hopes, within the short second of time; he paints the future for his son: a life fulfilled, the love he deserves. 

๋࣭ ࿐࿔ 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐭

"I honestly feel like I've stepped into a movie." Y/N said as she walks in the library, along with Stephanie and Cassandra.

"Eh, I'm sure it's nothing too different from the places back there in your home." Stephanie shrugs, sitting herself on a couch.

After their lunch was done, though it was only her, Stephanie, Cassndra, Damian and Alfred, as the others were off to their own—Stephanie asked Y/N for them to explore the manor and of course, Y/N agreed. 

Y/N laughs. "Well honey, I've never been in a manor before, so it's still impressive." Her eyes roams the spacious room, entranced by the beauty of it; tall shelves filled with books that she sure knows she could only hope to have. Wide, tall windows that shows the garden, sunlight illuminating the room, the golden lights that are always on no matter what time, making the brown colors shine out more. "Wow," she huffs, grinning, "I could never be bored here." Y/N said as she walks to the shelves, her hand trailing the books.

"And you have all the time in the world but let's go!" Stephanie jumped off the couch, dragging Cassandra with her and Y/N only laughed, seeing Cassandra was disappointed from being ruined of her comfort in her chair.

And so there they were, here and there. From the game room, Y/N didn't expect less when she saw the place, as grand as the library in her eye. They, of course, played. With Y/N attempting to try the billiard and failed miserably, which resulted to a lot of laughing fit, though Cassandra and Stephanie wasn't so good at it, they managed. At least the hockey was much more bearable for them, their loud voices echoing around the room. 

To Y/N's demise, she lost to the both of them, the two ended up high fiving each other with wide smiles on their faces then proceeded to beat each other. Let's just say it took more time than they were supposed to. Much later on they finished their game and headed off again. 

"I shall challenge you both to a rematch sometime," Y/N announced in their playfulness still as the three of them walked through the hallway. Stephanie laughed and Cassandra smiled.

"Yeah, so we could beat you again," Stephanie smugly said.

"Do not be so smug now, my dear." Y/N laughed.

"She did put up a fair fight." Cassandra spoke. Y/N turned to Stephanie and made a gesture, saying 'see?' Stephanie only chuckled and let her be.

They arrived outside where the pool was, the place surrounded by a few tables with umbrellas under it. The water reflecting a bright blue color as the sun was still in its prime. "This is one hell of a place to live in." Y/N said.

Y/N walked to the edge of the pool and crouched down, dipping her hand in the water. Her mind aimlessly flying off to some place. It still felt surreal to her, everything for that matter. Her mother and now her staying with these people. Y/N scoffed though in a laughing manner, "...I've only read about your family once a few times, and that's always unintentionally....I never expected to see you people, much less stay in your home." 

"We never expect some things to be the way they are, anyway." Stephanie said softly, not wanting to hit off any string that can hurt. 

"I suppose you're right," uttered Y/N, her hand still swaying in the water. Only the sound of trees dancing with the wind and the water waving gently was heard, it was like that for a minute or two; Stephanie and Cassandra stood behind her, hesitating, until Cassandra looked to Stephanie and the blonde nodded to her. 

Cassandra crouched down beside her and patted her other hand that laid on the ground. She said nothing but smiled reassuringly when Y/N looked at her. Y/N's look of uncertainty was replaced with awe and smiled back—squeezing her hand gently. 

"If it's okay.... could you bake your pastries again?" Cassandra asked, her soft tone melting Y/N. 

"Yes! and we could help!" Stephanie spoke a bit loudly, clapping her hands once. Y/N almost cringed, remembering Alfred's words and pursed her lips to not laugh. Stephanie didn't miss this as the two stood up. "Hey, we'll really just help and swear we won't burn down the kitchen." She assured.

"Alright, if you say so," Y/N teased her. As they were headed to the kitchen, Damian was just walking down the stairs and they stopped once they saw each other.

"Hi there, we didn't interrupt you, I hope? I think we may have gone too loud in the game room earlier." Y/N spoke.

Damian shook his head, "You didn't, and it wouldn't be the first time if it did happen," Stephanie snickered, already walking off to the kitchen, "We'll help Y/N bake, join if you want." She trailed.

"That wouldn't be the best idea." Damian said clearly, looking at Y/N and she laughed. "Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing will happen that can kill Alfred." She waited for him and he followed despite his objections.

"I can assure you nothing can't surprise Alfred anymore." He said as they went in the kitchen.

"Oh, I can assure you, Master Damian, that a lot of things can still surprise me." Alfred made himself known by walking in the other door of the room. Damian looked down sheepishly as well Cassandra and Stephanie who smiled, feeling caught. 

"Do not let them get too comfortable here or else we'll regret it." Alfred warned and Y/N laughed loudly, before covering her mouth. "I won't, Al," she assured as he went out. 

Y/N sighed, shaking her head, "What could have possibly went too south for him to be so against of some of you being here?" 

"....Everything?" Stephanie retorted.

"I see, well it's never too late to learn a few things." Y/N starts to get a few equipments out of the cabinets, "So, what do you want to have?" she asked.

"I love Alfred's scones and yours, by the way and his cookies, but should we have something new?" Stephanie asked Damian and Cassandra.

"Madeleines?" said Cassandra.

Damian only shrugged reluctantly, "Victoria cake?.... Or so I've heard."

They started to work, with them helping Y/N prepare the tools and ingredients together in one place. With Y/N making them familiar with each equipment or tools and the ingredients, so as to prevent them from repeating the happenings they done in the past that continues to scare Alfred to this day. 

"Yes, fold it like that, keep it up—no! Not that fast, Damian," Y/N's worried voice made Damian halt with his movement, now aware that the batter could have possibly made a mess if he continued it. 

"Oh," uttered Damian, frowning. "Becareful with those knives, you two," Y/N said to Cassandra and Stephanie, who were cutting strawberries, they might have been much too into it as they were almost like playing with the knives they held. Y/N walks to Damian and asked to have the spatula and the bowl he held. "You just fold it gently and not over do it," she said, with him watching intently, "Here, you try." She gave it to him and nodded for him to go on. 

He took it hesitantly and did what he just saw, "There, you're getting it." Y/N smiled at him. Damian looked down and let his lips curved. 

"See, we're not so bad at this." Stephanie remarked. 

"Darling, the way you're both holding the knife is scaring me." Their skills from their hidden identities showing, Stephanie chuckled a small 'hehe', "Sorry." Y/N only shook her head.

Bickering here and there, Y/N's worried voice and her instructions, they managed or she rather, managed to manage the three to help them learn and actually do some work. 

"Thirty minutes for the madeleines and twenty for victoria." Y/N announced as they put in the batters in the oven, she dusted her hands off before laying it on her waist, eyeing the counter and sink with their used tools and everything. 

"Now, let's clean this while it bakes," she added. Y/N began to wash the dishes, while Stephanie helped her, Cassandra drying it off and Damian putting them back in their places. 

"I...." Stephanie hesitated, Y/N looks at her and she sees the said girl with unsure eyes, she smiled softly and waited for her. "You're....doing good, I hope..or at least all of us."

"I am," Y/N uttered, nodding, "It's not easy, it's never easy anyway and never will, no? But it helps when you're never alone, too." Said her. 

From being together, with the storms they've gone through the years, with everything...they have learned that; no one has through go something alone, they never need to be alone. Alfred just reminded them of that sentiment and now here they were again. 

"I… me staying here is a lot, honestly, for you guys, I mean...and with my situation... it's easy for me because of you, your…genuineness. I can't be more thankful enough..." Y/N turned off the faucet and laid her hands on the sink, releasing a shaky breath. "But I apologize as well...if this whole thing makes you uneasy, it's only understandable after all." 

Stephanie dried off her hands as they were done, "We're just glad to help." 

"It's...it's not easy for anyone here...and that's okay." Cassandra says. 

"And it has been said, no one needs to be alone." Damian voiced as well.

Y/N had to prevent herself from crying at their act of kindness again, pursing her lips to stop her mouth from quivering as she can feel it all again. "Yes, yes...thank you, again," she mumbled quietly, drying her hands. 

It's so easy to feel so small when you feel those big emotions, how they know too much of the feeling. Familiarity is what they could agree on. 

.

.

Not much later on, the baking was done and they proceeded to finish making their desserts. As Cassandra and Y/N were making the filling for the victoria cake, with Y/N still teaching them step by step. 

"Stephanie, please get the powdered sugar," asked Y/N as she continued to assist Cassandra. 

When Stephanie held the bag of it, she raised her eyebrows and smirked. But Y/N saw this, "Stephanie...no!" She yelled but it was late as the troublemaker already threw a fistful of it to Damian. 

"You dare!" shouted Damian and slammed the spatula he was holding—his upper body covered with white powder. Rationality left his body as he saw the flour still on the counter and went for it. 

"No-" Suddenly, Stephanie's face was covered with flour, she blew out a breath and it puffed out like smoke. "Oh, it's on." She threatened. 

"Guys," Y/N started again but she noticed Cassandra gathering whipped cream for the filling in the spatula she was holding and she halted as she saw Y/N looking at her. Y/N narrowed her eyes, "Don't even." She gritted her voice. 

Cassandra only smiled and flicked the spatula to Damian without any effort to make her target perfect, still it hit him. To his relief, just on his chest. "Ha!" Stephanie yelled and ran over to Cassandra and high fived together. 

"I will end you both." Damian managed to sound menacing despite looking silly, Y/N couldn't help but blurt out a laugh.

They turned to her and her smile fell as did her heart.  "You wouldn't." She dared tightly, and she knew she was dead while they all gathered something in their hand. They all had the same sinister smirk and gazes changed. "Alfred will kill you." 

"Not if we force to make you join, he won't." Damian taunted. 

"Don't-"

She was cut off with her own scream as Stephanie took the first hit with her powdered sugar, Damian with flour and Cassandra with the whipped cream. "Oh, now you've done it." She wiped off the powder that was on her face and dared for something more as she took an egg—their smug faces fell. 

"That's not fair," Damian complained.

"Darling, three against one is not fair." Y/N stated while making her stance. 

Before she could throw it, "Is everything okay—woah!" Dick walked in the kitchen with Duke and Tim following. Y/N suddenly collected herself but threw a sharp gaze to the three. 

"Oh, Alfred is gonna love this." Duke said as they see the state of the room and the four as well. 

"You guys are so dead." Tim laughed. 

"Shut it." Damian eyed his brother as he took a towel to clean himself, the three doing the same. 

"If Alfred sees this then, yes, we're dead. " Y/N said, hurriedly fixing herself and went to fix a few things they've made mess of. "Cassandra, come now and let's finish this. You two start as well with the glaze." Y/N demanded with a demeaning tone but still gentle. They followed with no complaints despite them still sticky and a mess from their doings.

The three watched with amusement, surprised as well to see them working rather well. "What can we help with?" Dick asked and Y/N smiled, "You're a saint-" they all snickered, Y/N ignored it, "Well, there's still some of the mess they made, so that. Thank you" 

They began to clean the remaining mess but Y/N sees the same look again as Tim held the bag of flour. "Don't you dare." Tim's mischievous gaze vanished immediately when he sees the warning stare of her, almost similar to Alfred's. "I wasn't going to," replied Tim, while Duke only raised his eyebrows at him. 

Y/N sighed, "Now I see why Alfred is so keen on keeping you away from the kitchen." 

"Yeah and now that you've taught them a few, it looks like they won't be staying away from it too soon." Dick chuckled, pertaining to Damian and Stephanie specifically who were focused on glazing the madeleines. 

Y/N hummed, "I don't know if I should be glad or get more worried." 

"I think we should all be worried." Duke says, laughing warily.

.

.

To Alfred's relief, the kitchen was how it was supposed to be, though he had no doubt they did what they thought he didn't know. 

"I expect better from you children if you think I don't know what you did." Alfred says as he walks in the kitchen, while they were devouring their foods. 

"I warned them," said Y/N, not denying any claim to what ever Alfred may be referring to. The three rascals from earlier all narrowed their eyes at her, the other three just laughed. 

"She was gonna join, too, if you must know." Damian 

"But I didn't, thanks to your brothers by the way." Y/N smiled teasingly at Damian and nodded to the three men. Damian scoffed and crossed his arms on his chest. 

Alfred only sighed, his dire aura changing to his normal state, "Well, at least nothing is damaged this time, I suppose." He said and all except Y/N muttered an agreement and with her confused face. 

"I finally know how to bake, Al." Stephanie said enthusiastically as she held up a plate of the madeleines. "Well, at least I know a few," continued her. 

Cassandra did the same, pointing to her plate. "Yes, it would appear so. That's something to be watch closely so as for us to not regret it." Alfred retorted and Y/N laughed loudly, throwing her head back. Stephanie eyed the both of them while Damian rolled his eyes and Cassandra just shrugged. 

"How I've missed your wits, Alfred." Y/N expressed as she slapped her hand on his shoulder.

Alfred smiled and nodded. "Well, you should clean yourselves up properly now," he started. "And if you make a mess of my kitchen again, I will never let you step foot here ever again." He warned, emitting authority well that even the other innocent three men agreed to his order. Y/N snorted, amused. 

They parted ways then. Y/N took her time in the shower and decided to explore outside of the manor. As she went a bit further, her eyes furrowed when she sees a barn. 

"...Huh?" she said out loud, confused and started to smile, "A barn...I shouldn't be surprised." 

She walked towards to it, hearing noises the closer she got, knocking on the small door, "Hello?" she asked as she opened it. And there she sees Damian, out of his dirty clothes as well, feeding their cow. 

"Y/N, hello." Damian greets her casually and Y/N huffed, chuckling. 

"And a cow, of course," she says, at least to herself. She goes to him, cooing when Damian held another batch grains to give it to the cow. "She's adorable, what do you call her?" She approached them, gently patting its head.

"...Bat-cow," Y/N grinned, confused. "Bat, huh? Like Batman?" 

Damian blinked, "Yes, I...uh, I like Batman, I guess," he muttered. 

"Cute," she said. "Are there anymore animals here I could still meet?" joked her, having met his two dogs earlier in the day.

"I do have a cat, his name is Alfred." Damian said, a smile cracking, knowing there's lots for her to see should it comes down to it one day. "Bat-cow and Alfred......hmm, not bad." Y/N giggled. Damian walked off from their place, intending to look for his cat and he found him. "Here he is," he says, cradling Alfred in his arms.

"He's pretty," said Y/N, though didn't pet it as she was scared to.

"Alfred gave him to me." Smiling when he laid the cat back down on the ground. 

"Ah, make sense." She nodded. Damian walked back to the cow, with Y/N following, he pets her again, "I'll be back later for your dinner." They walked together out of the barn, Alfred the cat following beside them. 

"Thank you for teaching us a few in baking, I had a good time." Damian said. 

"I had fun, too and I'm glad you did. I could teach you again sometime," 

Damian stopped walking, she turns to him and stopped as well—they were in the middle of the grass plains. She looks at the child concerned, "Is something wrong?" 

"I..." he hesitates, his gaze down, "I still don't get how when someone you love dies, you're like....that...and the people at the reception." He lets out the thoughts that's been going on in his head once a few times the past days.

Y/N smiled gently at the child before sitting down on the grass and patted the spot beside her, Damian followed and took Alfred in his arms. "I honestly have thought the same thing once, even thought that I wasn't grieving enough," she began, then she chuckled lightly, how little she knew then. Her fingers grazing the grass, she spoke again, "But it's as I said, death never hits anyone the same......nor we grieve in the same way....I think what matters most when we grieve is that we try to be....kind still, or at least that's what I've been holding onto anyway."

"I see..." Damian said mindlessly, looking far ahead, "I wouldn't know what to do if I lose someone I care about." In him, at least part of him, knows what he'd do but he wasn't always so sure about it, because of the promise to his father and to himself. 

"Well...whatever happens then, at least it has been said we're never supposed to go through things alone." He looks at her quite surprised and she just smiled. "That's true," whispered him.

Then Y/N props up a thought after a bit, "Your mother..." she says questioningly, she hopes to not regret she spoke that.

"She is well," he confirmed, nodding and Y/N uttered in relief. "We see each other from time to time." He was smiling while petting his cat.

"Do you miss her?"

He took a beat before replying, "Everyday."

"Do you?" He asked.

She smiled, "Everyday."

He lied down on the grass, the sky was bright. "Are you happy?"

She did the same, "I am, are you?"

"I am."

.

.

Y/N heads back to the kitchen just after she and Damian finished their short time together. There at last, she saw Jason inside—though she yelped, still getting surprised. She grips the side of the door, laughing. "Again, huh?" She says. 

"Again," Jason repeated, huffing out a smirk before taking a bite off his madeleine. He couldn't help but feel glad that she found him this time. That feeling lingered but he again, tried to cut it off. 

Y/N shakes her head, walking to the fridge to get a glass of water. She sighed before speaking, "Thank you for yesterday again." 

"All I said were a few words," he replied, creasing his eyebrows. He should have worded it better, he thinks. 

Chuckling once she finished her drink, "That would be true....but we should never underestimate how heavy a sincere words can be, even if it's only a few." Says her as she leaned her waist on the counter with him across from her. 

Jason nodded slowly, agreeing. "I'll be keeping that in mind, " his mind flowing back to the times his people spoke words to him, confrontations, reassurances, everything in between those—that much he knows true. 

He breathes out a chuckle, "Now, I heard you caused a ruckus earlier," he says. 

"It was them," she corrected 

"And you taught them as well?" He laughed, though lightly. It was a sound she could get used to. 

"Well, I said it's never too late to learn." 

"I'm sure you did." Y/N laughed at this. 

"Give them a little credit, Damian and Stephanie did the most of those madeleines you're eating and it's very good, is it not?" She raises her eyebrows at him, a smile threatening to curve. 

"Only because you taught them." 

"Darling, that's the point of teaching." Jason's lips quirked, amused. She didn't expect the little fluttering in her when she said the pet name that she usually says often. 

"You taught that little brat to bake, I'll give you credit," he says as he finished eating. 

"I shall be honored then." Y/N bowed her head, giggling. 

"You're not welcome." He bluntly said.

Y/N laughed in mock disbelief, laying a hand on her chest. "You wound me," she gasped. He smiles this time as he was obliged by the glint of delight in her eyes which he caught earlier. She pursed her lips, though her face was covered in amusement as much as him—she faltered as she felt her heart flutter again, seeing his smile as he looks at her. Pretty. She could have bit her tongue. 

"My pleasure." Jason tipped his head, smile still etched to his face. 

She rolled her eyes at him, before she stands up straight, crossing her arms on her chest, ignoring the sudden heavy beats of her heart. "I suppose you'll take another of those on the way?" She asked, gesturing to the plates of the pastries they made. 

"I won't be hearing the end of it if they see me, so no."

"Ah, of course," Y/N chuckles, "Too bad for you then," she continued teasingly as she began to walk to the door. Certainty and the opposite of it was brewing in her, what she was sure of was that she needed air, and away from him. Jason only laughed freely, she got a glimpse of his smile again, the sound of his laugh ringing clear to her ears even when she's now a bit far away from the room. 

She closed her eyes, shaking her head as she continues to feel the thumping of her heart, "It's nothing," she mumbled to herself and gripped her chest.

You can't possibly be serious right now. In end of the stairs she finds herself, with hands now on her waist, she released the tension she didn't realized she was holding, "Nothing," she said clearly this time. 

.

.

Family dinner in the Wayne manor sometimes mean, the family, and tonight is one of those. The dining room bright as it can be, with the candles on the table, the foods, and their lively voices.

Though Y/N was uneasy when Alfred told her about it while they were preparing for dinner, she was rather enthralled still to meet more of their members. Now being in the middle of it, she was with them. 

But of course, they knew to be careful so as to not let any hidden truths be known to someone different from them. Or Bruce just told them. 

"They're not being a pain to you, aren't they?" Kate asked Y/N, referring to the kids, at least in her eyes. To which a few of them responded with protests. Bruce and Alfred only smiled. 

Y/N laughs, shaking her head, "They've been treating me in a way more than I could ever be thankful for." Then says her softly that caught them off guard. 

"Sounds unlike them." Luke retorted, breaking off their gazes that was laced with serenity to glaring at the said man, at least the kids again. 

"You'll boost their ego." Harper followed. 

"I don't see how much more of their ego can be boosted." Y/N replied, proudly grinning. 

"I don't know, she's saying the truth." Barbara smirked, shrugging. 

Amidst the laughter and complains that roared, Y/N finds her eyes to be at Jason's, with a smile almost showing—and then he caught her gaze that made her breath hitched. 

He smiled at her while raising his eyebrows to which Y/N just brushed off with a small laugh, now looking down. "Ah, shit," whispered her. 

So much for nothing.

[piftamere]

eight - girlfriendy (wc : 2k)

she settles into a seat in the stands, scanning the players as they warm up on the court below. her gaze lands on atsumu, who’s stretching on the sidelines, completely unaware of her presence. she’s here for entertainment purposes only. and she’s not sure if he’d like that she’s hoping his team will lose today. she doesn’t know much about volleyball, having never made the effort of learning the rules, so she mainly pays attention to how the crowd and players react. even while dating shion, she rarely came to his games. soon into the relationship, she realized she didn’t care for it.

but she can't help herself now, when she spots shion stumble and miss a save, she has to fight back a laugh, savoring the sour look on his face. she’s debating taking a picture to cherish this moment forever when suddenly her gaze catches atsumu’s across the court. he looks taken aback at first, his eyebrows raising and eyes widening, but his surprise is replaced by a grin as he gives her a quick wave. she waves back, though a little less excitedly. it doesn’t go unnoticed by the libero, whose face turns a bitter and angry shade of red.

soon, it’s atsumu’s turn to serve. she’s caught off guard by the shift in his demeanor. how intense and focused he looks, completely different from how she’s used to seeing him. she finds herself unable to look away, completely drawn in by this unfamiliar side of him. he takes a few steps back and raises his hand to silence the crowd. without meaning to, she’s on the edge of her seat. then, he jumps, swinging his arm to hit the ball with a deafening sound… only for it to lend out of bounds.

she tenses, expecting his teammates or coach to start yelling, but instead, laughter echoes through the team. they’re clearly teasing him, if she were closer, she could hear them make fun of him for missing with his “little girlfriend” watching. atsumu, however, lets out a frustrated groan, flushing deep red as he tries to brush it off.

shion is burning holes in the back of atsumu’s head the entire match, she doesn’t miss a second of it. she might paint his expression to put on her christmas cards, who knows.

when atsumu’s turn to serve rolls around again, she shrinks back into her seat, worried about the outcome. atsumu tosses the ball, eyes locked onto his target and smashes it over the net. it lends perfectly in the far corner on the other side of the court. she releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding, her nerves melting into a small proud smile.

one ace turns into another, and another… after his fourth ace in a row, the energy in the stands is electric. as he walks back for his fifth serve, she sees shion move deliberately across his path. he bumps into atsumu’s shoulder, muttering something under his breath atsumu only scoffs in response, choosing to ignore shion’s petty attempt at provocation.

the other team manages to receive the serve this time, but msby take the point anyway. as the game goes on, she finds herself engrossed more and more. each serve, each spike, each receive pulls her in deeper into the match, hanging onto every point. by the time the match point approaches, her eyes are locked on atsumu, fingers gripping the seat as her heart pounds in her chest almost as loud as the cheering around her.

when the number 12 scores on a ball atsumu passed him, she jumps out of her seat. her eyes meet atsumu’s, both grinning, and her breath catches in her throat. soon his teammates surround him in celebration.

she hurries down the stands and when she reaches the bottom she sees shion inches from atsumu’s face, a taunting look on his features. a familiar, mocking sneer, the same that had caused so many of their arguments in the past. from where she’s standing, she can’t make out shion’s exact words but she can read them in atsumu’s expression, by the way he’s tightening his jaw

his fists are clenched by his sides, knuckles white, but instead of reacting, he turns to leave, a move that only seems to anger shion more. he grabs the blond by the shoulder, forcing him to turn around.

“look at me when i’m talking to you!” shion screams, his voice sharp and accusing. it echoes through the gym, catching the attention of everyone around, who are now staring with wide eyes.

atsumu stands his ground, his expression shifting from anger to an infuriatingly calm, condescending smirk. “stop embarrassing yourself shion,” his voice laced with defiance, challenge.

things escalate in a matter of seconds. shion raises his fist, aiming for atsumu’s jaw. their coach and captain rush in just in time to grab his arm, holding him back as atsumu chuckles and walks away as if nothing had happened.

she joins atsumu, not sparing shion a glance as she walks past him.

“congrats!” she says, her smile warm.

“thank you!” he grins, opening his arms as if to hug her but then pausing, looking down at his sweat-soaked shirt with a sheepish chuckle. he grabs a towel, wiping his face in a towel before continuing, “didn’t know you were coming today.”

“i wanted to keep it a surprise,” she replies with a soft laugh.

“did you like the game?”

“it’s just guys running around,” she shrugs with a smirk, “it’s not as bad as i remembered it.”

“’m glad.” he chuckles.

he takes a long sip from his water bottle, glancing over his shoulder as if checking that shion was gone before turning back to her with a grin.

“come, i’ll introduce you to my roommates,” he says, a playful glint in his eyes. “fair warning though, they’re kind of… a lot.”

“more than you?” she teases, quirking an eyebrow.

he laughs, rolling his eyes, as he swings his towel over his shoulder. “shut up” he mutters, with a grin as they head towards a group of three chatting by the stands.

“you know,” she starts, “i’ve actually met them before.”

“yea?” he looks at her curiously, “when?”

“a few months ago.” she pauses, looking ahead, “i went with shion to a party, after a win. didn’t really talk to them, though.”

he notices she’s evasive, as usual.

“wait- did we meet at this party?” he asks, his playful smirk faltering slightly, “I think id remember talking to ya.” he adds with a wink, but it doesn’t quite mask the worry in his eyes.

“briefly. but you were really drunk. it makes sense that you don’t remember.” she replies, her tone slightly colder than before.

“oh, god.” he groans, hiding his face in his hands. after a beat, he peaks out from between his fingers, “please tell me I didn’t make a fool of myself.”

“no more than usual, don’t worry.” she chuckles, her voice light and playful, but the warmth in her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.

oblivious, he lets out a relieved sigh, “…good.”, after a beat he leans in closer and whispers “if sakusa’s a dick, don’t take it to heart. he’s just like that.”

“um, noted.”

atsumu (re)introduces her to the group, and like he said, they are a lot.

hinata, whom she already knew of thanks to kageyama, and bokuto surround her almost immediately. bombarding her with questions about her life, her interests, and their own stories faster than she can keep up. sakusa, on the other hand, is quieter, watching the scene with an amused expression. he occasionally joins in to add quick jokes at atsumu’s expense, earning a laugh from her every time.

hinata is cut off by a high pitch squeal of atsumu’s name, and she sees an older woman waving in their direction. her brows furrow as she looks at atsumu, confused.

he grimaces, “forgot about that…” he runs a hand through his hair and sighs as the woman, followed by an even older woman and a dark haired man around their age walk their way. “that’s my family, it’s not too late to run away you know.” he whispers as they approach with out stretched arms.

she barely has the time to think about it that they’re standing in front of her, smiling warmly.

“hey mom, gran, ’samu,” he takes them in his arms one by one, then turns to her with a sheepish smile, “um, meet yn… a friend.”

his mother and grandmother’s faces light up, as they share a knowing look, not believing she’s ‘just a friend’ for even a second. he continues, “yn, meet my mom, grandma and my brother.”

before either of them can process it, his grandma clutches her hand warmly, “honey, you gotta join us! we’re celebratin’ the win, and we made way too much food.” his grandma says, her voice soft and warm, her accent even more noticeable than atsumu’s.

he leans in to whisper in her ear again, “y’don’t have to go if you don’t wanna,” but his smile betrays him. she finds herself agreeing without a second thought.

atsumu takes the time to shower and get changed, giving her time to rethink her life choices, and they head back to his family’s house. it’s small, but charming. the floorboards creak under their feet, the walls are covered in pictures, memories. she can easily picture atsumu growing up here.

over lunch, the subject quickly shifts from the win to embarrassing childhood stories. each one making atsumu sink further into his seat. unsurprisingly, osamu is the one who starts the topic, with the tale of the time his twin abandoned him at the playground and tried to convince everyone he had always been an only child.

as the afternoon passes by, she relaxes, feeling more at ease with his family. atsumu offers to give her a tour of the house, thinking she most likely needs a break from his sweet but overwhelming family.

they walk the hallway to atsumu’s childhood bedroom. the walls covered in family pictures. she can see the twins in matching outfits over the years and makes a mental note to never let atsumu live that down. she stops in front of the picture of a man who is the spitting image of atsumu. there aren’t a lot of him on the wall.

“is that your father?” she asks, her tone hesitant.

“yea,” he takes a deep breath, “he died when i was a kid. if you’re wondering why he’s not, um… here.”

“f- i’m sorry.”

“’s okay. there was no way for you to know.”

she stands in place for a moment, staring at the portrait. then she turns to him with the softest expression he has ever seen on her face. “it must have been really hard for you.”

he nods, lips thinning into a tight smile, “yea…”

she doesn’t know what to say, the air is thick. this is too much, too serious, too real. this isn’t supposed to happen, she needs to get out of here.

before she can, atsumu’s hand brushes against hers and, instinctively, she intertwines her fingers with his.

he squeezes her hand tightly, and she thinks that, maybe, she doesn’t need to say anything.

when it’s time to leave, his mom pulls her into a hug, wrapping her arms around her firmly, like she’s already part of the family. it catches her off guard, a warmth she’s never quite felt before, not even from her own mother. she melts into her arms.

“it was a pleasure to meet you sweetheart, come back anytime.”

it stirs something in her, a sense of comfort she’s afraid to lean into.

but the scariest part of all is the quiet realization creeping up on her, maybe, just maybe, she’s getting a little too attached herself.

fun facts

atsumu missed his first ace, but not because he was nervous (totally because he was nervous)

his mom and grandma interpreted 'friend' as ‘gf who's not official yet’.

atsumu knew yn was watching so he acted all cool and calm, but he really didn't want to get punched... he was so scared

after the game hinata called kageyama to tell him everything that happened (the win, shion and atsumu almost fighting...)

and kageyama immediately told yachi, kiyoko and noya

yn left atsumu on delivered :/

author's note

fatherless miya twins is canon to me

more lore on atsumu and yn :0 (even more in the next part)

play dumb! - next

taglist : open!

@alpha-mommy69 @bakugouswh0r3 @giocriedpower @itsdragonius @haechansbbg @wondipity @iaminyourfloors @na0koz @from-mae @eusaevi @kr1nqu @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @thechaosoflonging @littlemiyastars @seikamuzu @nymphsdomain @r4veeen

if you're name is crossed out i couldn't tag you, if it's not fixed in a week i'll remove you sorry :(

[paperlifted]

For Want of a Leo: Raph, Don, and family hierarchies in the Scion of the Shredder / Prodigal Son

A comment by @nightwatcherraph got me thinking about the two-part window we get into how the turtle brothers operate without Leo. Unfortunately the show doesn't give us a lot to go on, but under the circumstances there are still some interesting pieces to pick over, especially in how the 'middle children' make the new hierarchy work.

The first episode opens over two months into Leo's absence, showing us the rest of the family is getting by and keeping up their usual indoor routines. He's never too far from their thoughts, of course; they miss him, they're worried about him, and they still don't really know how to work around the empty space he's left.

It's not clear whether they've still been keeping up with patrols or their side business of hassling the Purple Dragons and other criminals. Personally, I don't get the impression they've just been sitting in the Lair for the entire two months - they're well accustomed to being able to come and go topside by this point, and I'd expect to see more cabin fever and frustration if they were back to being stuck underground. They've also had adventures in solos and pairs before, so it's not as though they can't operate as a trio, and it's unlikely Splinter would have put training on hold for the rest of his students just because things grew rocky with Leo.

It's probably fair to say they haven't been quite as active as usual, though. It could even be part of what leaves them open to the Foot's assault: heads down, distracted by this disruption to their normal state of affairs, and so missing the most crucial window to notice that Karai's forces are gearing up for... something.

When the something finally comes, Don's the first one to flag it, of course. The security system's his baby: "That shouldn't happen - the perimeter alarm should keep ringing until I turn it off."

It's probably to Don's credit that the alarm goes off at all; the Foot have clearly worked hard to worm their way through Don's defences to find the Lair and arrive unnoticed at their front door, only to lose the element of total surprise at the very last. It doesn't give the family enough time to prepare meaningfully, but it means when the door comes down they're alert, armed, and standing together to confront it.

(Less to Don's credit - why are there no built-in defences in your home, boy? Did Shredder's skyscraper of death traps inspire nothing? One has to either accept this as written - perhaps with justifications like "maybe he didn't trust his family not to continually set them off" or "the resource drain wasn't worth it" or "the Foot disabled them on their way in" - or assume there were defences, but they were cut from the episode for animation budget reasons. Take your pick!)

The ambush is still a total shock to them all. Mikey's bewildered and alarmed to see the Foot, squeaky-voiced in real fear. Don leaps straight to wondering how on earth they could have found the Lair at all; his dismay carries extra weight considering just seven episodes ago he was forced to live through a mental simulation in which his tech lead their enemies to them.

It's Raph who cuts through all the emotional noise and makes the call to action: "Don't matter how they found us - they found us. Now let's kick the shell out of them!"

On the one hand, this is predictably Raph, and it would likely be his response whether Leo was here or not. The only question would be whether Leo wanted to hold off on the counter-offense to demand answers from the Foot... and I doubt he would play it that safe when it's so obvious the Foot have not come in peace. This is supported by the fact that the rest of the family falls in behind Raph without hesitation, moving to defend their home. It's the natural reaction.

Unfortunately, it becomes clear very quickly that this is not their usual tussle with the Foot; banter is thin on the ground, with even Mikey quickly giving up on the jokes in recognition of how serious the situation is: "Everybody, watch your backs!"

Don similarly comes to the conclusion that this fight is not going to go in their favour - and here we get an interesting glimpse into the hierarchy. His summation is quick: "Raph! There are too many of them. We have to back off."

But Raph immediately shuts it down: "Back off?? This is our home."

Don's always been Leo's right hand turtle when it comes to strategy and tactics, with a keen eye for finding solutions in the field. He's the cooler head compared to Raph, and less inclined to think of combat as the right fix for every problem.

He's also, noticeably, not phrasing this as a request. It's not 'Raph, should we retreat?' or 'Raph, I don't like this, I think we might have to get out of here'. It's firm, factual, and demanding. There are too many of them. We have to back off.

Yet it's not an order! He's not making an authoritative call and expecting it to be followed, and he doesn't immediately force the point past Raph's disagreement. He's not The Leader, and he's not doing this without at least some consensus.

Raph's not Leo either, and I think it's fair to say he's not really wearing the leader hat when he makes his retort. He's never been in favour of pulling back from a fight, and that instinct is only riding higher when retreating means surrendering their entire home. Whether or not that might be a necessary sacrifice - whether or not they can actually logistically win against these odds - isn't figuring into his calculations yet. This is their territory. They have to fight for it.

Where's Splinter's voice in all this? Good question! It's interesting that he doesn't seek to take charge of the situation, nor do the brothers act like they think he should, which is in stark contrast to how he gives directives when Leo is incapacitated during 'The Shredder Strikes Back'. He's still very much their father and master - but it's been a couple of years now, and they've been busy ones. The brothers have grown into a strong team, rivalling his own skills and experience after all they've been through. He arguably has nothing to say that they haven't already.

When Karai makes herself known, the whole family shares in talking with her, and when the fight re-commences, their desperation only grows as their home begins to crumble around them. Here, Leo's absence has another consequence: Karai targets Splinter first as the one she holds next most responsible for what happened to her father, and she manages to wound him.

This instantly changes things for the rest of the family. Raph and Don effect a tidy one-two strike to drive Karai back, and Don pushes again, insisting: "We have to get out of here!"

This time, Raph doesn't disagree. The odds have worsened too much for even his particular brand of denial; home is now the least they stand to lose. With that acceptance, Raph sobers up and once again takes charge: "Donnie, you take Master Splinter with you. We split up, get out, and hook back up again topside. Got it?" No words are needed: they get it. "Now let's go. And guys - be careful."

Obviously at least some of the reason why Raph makes this call is because the writers wanted to set things up for Leo's hide-and-seek family reunion, but it's nonetheless a call he canonically makes! Perhaps appropriately for Raph, it's high risk and high reward - it forces Karai to split her number three ways to chase them, but also leaves each of them alone without any easy means of reconnecting*. Don's a fair choice to take Splinter on, since he's seemingly the turtle with the most medical knowledge, and also someone whose decisions Raph obviously respects; but leaving Mikey to make his way out alone is a big show of trust. Which isn't unfounded - he's a talented ninja! - but I have to wonder if Raph briefly forgot that Mikey would prioritise bringing his cat, given Mikey has the narrowest escape out of the Lair as a result.

(*Admittedly this is another one of those things that makes me want to go, really? After losing one home, being ambushed in a supposed safe place by the Shredder, and recently going through the simulated destruction of their home, they don't have an established evacuation plan or agreed place to meet if they get separated? The only excuse I can think of is that they did, but Karai discovering their location so thoroughly that she has every exit covered means they consider this plan to be compromised as well. There also isn't that much time between their separation and Leo's arrival on the scene, so one hopes they would have figured it out eventually if they had to.)

Would Leo have made the same choice? Hard to say. Splitting up like this isn't something they do often, the preference usually being to go in pairs or at least be partnered up with an ally, but it's certainly not the only time they've headed in different directions to divide an enemy's numbers (see: 'Space Invaders'). It's very possible Leo would have agreed with Don's assessment much faster than Raph, though. Possible he would have ordered them to start retreating before someone was seriously hurt, and so given them more time and options. Possible he would have defaulted to coordinating his brothers' actions to draw from their strengths instead of falling into a lone wolf, break the lines pattern of retreat.

It's also possible he wouldn't have. Sometimes there just aren't good decisions to be made.

One has to imagine these are questions Raph ends up asking himself, however. When Leo finds Don, there's only exhausted relief in the reunion; when he finds Mikey, his brother seems to take it as a given that Leo has shown up when most needed to make things okay again.

When he finds Raph, he finds self-recrimination.

"Leo, they found the Lair! They got to us! The others... I don't know what happened to them. I..."

Fortunately, newly self-actualised Leo is all over it, and shows no signs of thinking Raph did anything but his best in a crap situation. Raph, for his part, is unhesitating in handing the mantle of leadership back, any sense of thinking being tough and loud make him the best choice burned off by his own journey to maturity long ago. To have Leo back - and Leo at his best, not the tangled-up mess he'd been when he left, refusing to trust them or himself - settles Raph enormously. This is where he belongs; this is where Raph is free to be his own best self too.

So what are the conclusions here? Well, besides the obvious fact that nobody is expecting Mikey to be the one to take charge, Mikey included, the hierarchy is overall weaker without Leo at its head but still somewhat present. Nobody's openly declaring themselves Acting Leader, but while Raph and Don both look to each other in making crisis decisions, Raph's the one who bites the bullet in actually giving orders. It's as much as a flaw as it is a strength in some ways - Raph's always been decisive, but he has a tendency to let impulse guide those decisions when often it's his second or third thought that's the smarter way to go. Meanwhile, Donnie's a quick thinker, and he's certainly demonstrated over the course of the series that he's capable of taking the lead when he has a clear idea in mind, but there's a passivity to him that makes him automatically look to others in an uncertain situation. At the end of the day, I just don't think Don wants to be in charge.

This of course isn't to position Leo as the best and most natural leader of all time either; he has his own ups and down, his own strengths and weaknesses. As much as they can, they do make decisions as a team and a family, with Leo counting on Don to come up with options, and Raph and Mikey to make those options doable.

Leo's accepted the role and its responsibilities, however, and in time they've all accepted him. He's worked on his flaws as they relate specifically to leadership, and done his best to shape himself to fit that need, and it shows. For want of a Leo, they'll make do, and they won't even do it too badly - but it's definitely not the same.

[luneariaa]

hehe nanami brainrot. just a lil imagine. not proofread.

The sound of glass breaking from the distance filled your senses. Nanami stood there, looking deadly serious; his whole demeanor in general radiates frustration and anger, especially when his gaze landed on Haruta.

You could've sworn that this is the side of him that you rarely ever seen. It's like a completely whole new side to him, compared to his usually composed and calm self. It's almost scary, yet it still managed to make you wanting to see more. In a way, that is.

You feel quite helpless at the moment, remaining in your seated position somewhere a bit safer since you got injured during a fight not too far earlier. Left no choice but to witness the whole fight for now. Nanami would've disapprove of you joining the fight against Haruta because of your current condition.

He didn't even give any proper chance for Haruta to speak-- obviously ticked off by what just happened and kept hitting him without mercy.

How strong is he, actually? He managed to not even get a single scratch from the whole fight. The massive gap in experience and sheer skill is clearly apparent, and your train of thoughts are cut off when Nanami sent Haruta flying through the walls.

Damn..

He then begins to approach you steadily, which causes your eyes to widen slightly; though not out of fear.

Once the distance is close enough, he kneels in front of you; inspecting the injury that you've gotten on your side area.

"That looks pretty bad," Nanami commented, before applying some pressure to the wound slowly with some sort of cloth, which made you wince a bit at the rather painful sensation.

"Sorry, but I need to stop the bleeding first. Please hold still."

This time, his tone is much more calmer and gentler than the previous one he used. His actions matches the tone of his voice.

You obeyed, keeping silent for the time being and just watching him bandaging your wound and stuff even if it's just for temporary.

It's quite hard to look away from him, especially right now. How can this man switches his personality so quick? An odd question, yet it does leave you in wonders.

Scary in battle, yet gentle with his actions, along with his way of speaking.

You didn't even realize that you'd been staring at him during the whole process. The bleeding did stop, but the pressure still has to be made at least a bit.

"Try not to move much for now, okay?"

He spoke carefully, and seemed to try his best to hide the worry in his expression.

And instead of responding back with your own words, you instantly reached out and grabbed ahold of his hand in a somewhat tight grip, but it didn't faze him at all.

He froze on his spot at your sudden actions, yet his expression remained the same. Couldn't even tell what he was thinking at the moment.

"Are you alright?" Nanami questioned, sensing the quiet stare from you.

"I.. I am." Though you didn't let go of his hand just yet for some reason. That's when his expression grew softer. It was subtle, but it was there.

"Sorry, but I need my hand back." His voice remained gentle as he tried to slowly pull his hand from your grip.

You still didn't let go; much to his confusion. Even you are confused yourself as well. Nanami was unsure how to react at this point, so he simply gazed at your face for a while there.

You looked like you even wanted something from him, but even you can't tell what it is.

"Ah, sorry." You finally let abruptly go of his hand, turning your face away in embarrassment.

And as if from the mere actions alone have left a huge impact on his heart. Even just for a moment, he actually gets to feel your touch. A tint of pink coated his cheeks, though it went unnoticed by you.

He leans his head closer while whispering, "Don't apologize."

A short moment of silence followed, before he stands up straight back again-- extending his hand to you.

"We should leave." You nodded in reply, slowly getting back up on your feet as well.

Perhaps it's better to leave things as they were for now. He shouldn't really be distracted during times like this.

© 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚜.