#i was reminded of this scene the other day and i couldn't resist

[stsgooo]

Look at Him.

✩࿐ summary: your attempts at reentering the dating scene is foiled by your ex-husband.

warning(s): past relationship, clingy!gojo, ex-husband!gojo, co-parenting situation, crack fic. wc; 1.6k

pairing(s): gojo satoru x fem!reader

a/n: this is purely just a goof fic because i've put nothing but angst out there so far sooo have a laugh. hope yall enjoy :3

“So, what do you do for a living?”

"A teacher."

"Oh, wow! What grade, subject?"

"Uh, highschoolers and the subject kinda varies on the day."

"Like a substitute teacher?"

"Um....sure, yeah! Substitute teacher."

"That's awesome. Mad respect, kids can be demons."

You were quickly discovering that the dating field had changed in the five years that you had been married. An endless back and forth about what someone did, what's their favorite color, what's their hobbies. Boring questions that you would ask your students on the first day was used in over the table date conversation. Until, until, they got to that question they so desperately wanted to ask.

Would you want to take this back to my—

There was a vibration against your thigh as your date started to go onto a monologue about how much he disliked kids. In all honesty, you couldn't really remember his name. The introductions had been awkward and a little nerve wracking— you were almost sure he had no idea who you were either.

You tugged your phone out of your pocket and resisted the audible sigh that threatened to leave you when you saw the notification.

Satoru please tell me why my beautiful, radiant, amazing, intelligent daughter just said her mommy is on a date. feeling sick to my stomach, don't tell me this is true.

You rolled your eyes. Your ex-husband had always been so overdramatic. His main focus was always on the bit that could come from a situation. However, this was a quality you do used to admire about him. His ability to make any situation seem like it was a funny happenstance that you'd never encounter again.

Now, it was nothing more than a nuisance.

Satoru oh my god, you left me on read. it's true. it's true. i hope you know i just threw up. i threw up everywhere. i might die. at least, tell me he's ugly. please god let him to be ugly.

A sigh, you typed out the quickest message you could without your date asking what's wrong.

You I hope you're not ignoring said daughter to ask me about some date. I'll be home later, please refrain from texting me.

You were about to set your phone down when another text came through. This one appeared to more distraught than the last.

Satoru o h your tone. it's over. it's really over. i might just kill myself this is the worst night of my life. y/n, i'm genuinely feeling sick. please, is he ugly? he must be boring because you're texting back.

You were almost inclined to remind Satoru you both had been divorced for a year already. That this was bound to happen and you two had, in fact, spoken about it months into the divorce. You had played with some 'what if's and there was a mutual agreement that the other wouldn't get jealous and be dramatic about the other getting in a relationship whenever the time comes. It was a surprisingly adult conversation.

You should've known better when Satoru proudly proclaimed he didn't care who you got involved with.

You Satoru, we talked about this. We're adults and we're divorced. Please bother someone else, like Suguru.

Satoru i don't wanna talk to suguru. i wanna talk to youuu (;﹏;) i can't believe you've done this. ten years. ten years of loyalty. im sick to my stomach.

You You asked for the divorce.

"Is everything okay?"

You eyes snapped up from your phone and towards your date. He had the good grace to be wearing a relatively concerned expression, eyeing you wearily.

You quickly tucked your phone back into your pocket, ignoring the insistent vibrations it gave to smile apologetically. "I'm sorry, my daughter had an accident and I had to, you know, send a quick text to her babysitter." It was easier to explain away a daughter than it was a clingy ex-husband who was well in his dissent into insanity. Really, you were doing this guy a favor keeping him in the dark.

However, his face still paled and he straightened. "You have a kidI'm so, so sorry. I just went on a two minute rant about how much kids are equivalent to demons." He seemed to spiral as he pressed his hands against his face, uttering curses to himself. "I get so nervous with these dates. I truly meant nothing by it."

You smiled in amusement, "It's no problem, really. I'm not exactly disagreeing." He peeked from between his fingers and blinked at you dumbly. "Just because I'm a parent doesn't mean I don't agree. I mean, my kid can be a bit much sometimes. I love her, but she's a lot like her dad in that way."

It always made your chest blossom. The way Saori was a carbon copy of Satoru. From the rambunctious personality, to the piercing blue eyes, and white hair. Your genes hadn't won in the battle, but you were almost grateful. Satoru tried to tell you that she had your smile and your wit, but you weren't entirely convinced. She was Satoru and Satoru was her.

You were extremely lucky that he was a good dad.

"Oh? Do you mind me asking if her dad's still around?" His tone was indication enough: a daughter and an ex of some kind was pushing it for him.

You tensed up, feeling deep regret already. "Uh, yeah." His eyes shifted away and you reached forward, taking his hand. "But, he's not, like, crazy or anything! He's just a good dad."

Your date chuckled nervously. "I-I just don't want to get involved in some, um, some family dynamic."

You thought it was a little presumptuous of him to think this would go that far, or he'd get in the way. But you were too focused on defusing the situation.

"Oh, no, it's not like that! We've got a healthy balance, y'know? He does his piece, I do mine— that's it!"

He scrunched his face. "So... an open relationship?"

"No!" You press your hands against your face with a huff. "No, we're not together anymore. We just co-parent."

He opened his mouth to further question you when your phone vibrated very audibly. His eyebrows raising. "Your daughter?"

You sighed. "Please give me one moment."

With jerky movements, you pull your phone from your pocket. The assortment of messages that came where spread over the ten minutes you decided to ignore him.

Satoru okay, you've got me there. but my big heart is breaking. i hope he's ugly and he smells. okay, i spoke with suguru and he said i'm an idiot who should apologize. in my defense, i'm a little itty bitty drunk. and no, saori is not awake. papa put her to bed before bringing out the whiskey. im so sorry my beautiful deity. that not ugly, not smelly man is so lucky to be in your presence and i hope you have a good date. also i hope he gets hit my a car. (＾▽＾)

You I'm going to kill you with my bare hands. Genuinely, count your days, Gojo Satoru.

Satoru hot, hot, hot!!! (●´□`)♡ did he actually get hit by a car?

You Is there something you want?

Satoru him dead. and you home :((((

You You don't want me home. I swear to god, if you're on my couch, drinking when I get home, I will ruin your life.

Satoru promise??? ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡ but, actually, i wanted to ask your opinion on something

You For real?

Satoru for realsies. [Image Attachment]

Completely blinded by your irritation, you don't even hesitate to open the picture as it loads. Although you regret it the moment it does.

It's a picture of Satoru. He's at what seems to be the beach (must've been the fun activity him and Saori were going to join Suguru for), his sunglasses were on the top of his head, and he was grinning at the picture. One hand was resting against his pectoral and the veins in his hand was prominent. An obvious attempt at being charming and flirtatious. It was working too.

If it weren't for the fact that you knew him and were his ex, you might've just swooned.

"Oh, my god, is that him?" Your date was staring at your phone with wide eyes. His face even more pale than before. He started to shake his head as he stood, snatching his jacket from the back of his chair. "No way. I am not getting involved! I'm sorry, you're a nice woman, but I know when I'm not winning. And I'm definitely not winning against that."

Your eyes widened considerably, "What? No! Please don't leave. He's an idiot, I swear there's nothing—"

"He is... a hunk. I am not. In no shape or form am I at all comparable to that. Look—" He reached forward, grabbing your phone and holding the picture up to be beside his face. "Look at the difference! Model who has won Japan's hottest man at least eight times before he's 30 to me— Look at him!"

"It's not even like that!" You snatched your phone back and stared at him in frustration. "He's my ex, I do not want him!"

He waved his hands in front of your face. "I know how this will go. You think you like me and then your super hot and super sexy ex-whatever makes you realize the familiarity is good. Then I get dumped." He straightened, latching his hands onto the lapels of his jacket. "I just realized I am a side character. In my own life. Goddammit."

He barely glanced at you as he paid for the dinner, then left as quickly as he could. Still, you didn't even know his name.

Satoru oooo taking you awhile to respondddd still in love with me? (人◕ω◕)

[watchtowerindistress]

for the love of ... bob? - jake seresin x reader (2/2)

Summary: Being Jake's (best) friend - sorry, Javy - proved to have its ups and downs but there was something about having him in your corner you couldn't resist. Jake and you just clicked on a deeper level. That's why you didn't get it when the Southern boy was acting so weird.

Word count: 6.9k

Warnings: Jealous! + Soft!Jake, fluff, language, kinda angsty, kinda mean!Jake

Author’s note: I haven't seen Anyone but You (I just get the icky when I see two blondes on screen), so I took Glen's sentiment that he's not the best singer 🤷🏻‍♀️ Is it obvious yet that I really like Lewis/Bob? 😏 Who knew that I would write a Jake story and have Bob's name mentioned soooooo many times to get Jake to freak out? This chapter made me realize ... maybe I'm not good with painting a scene when I feel more comfortable just writing the banter/dialogue because at times I'm just more "clinical" when it comes to narration and I just want to get to the point. 😅

No words can describe how much everyone's reactions moved me. Especially how so many people reblogged this fic. Keep on doing what you're doing, guys! 😘

Chapter Summary: Y/N is an absolute mastermind, but Natasha is one too. Bob is an absolute sweetheart (nothing new to see here).

Tagging: @mellowstatesmanhandsempath @ravenmoore14 @blackmagicwoman @silenthappyplace @mrsevans90 @dempy @arcxnxm @hookslove1592 @djs8891

Read me on AO3

~Jake POV~

“Special delivery for Floyd.”

Maverick showed up in the break room. And, without further ado, dropped a Tupperware container on the table where Bob was sitting. Bob looked up curiously. “Huh, okay…”

Jake was sitting with the rest of the Dagger Squad on base, when his mouth hovered over his sandwich, about to take a bite.

“Y/N dropped it off at Penny’s,” Captain Mitchell explained.

At the mention of your name, Jake frowned before turning his head to inspect what Maverick just delivered.

“Oh, Bob is climbing the racks of popular guys around here,” Natasha teased. “Let me see.” She reached for the piece of paper taped on the cover.

Despite Bob’s efforts to stop her, Natasha’s actions were too swift. He observed Jake with uncertainty.

Natasha narrated the post-it, “Just a small piece of Montana so you can feel more at home, Bob. Only meant for sharing when the others have done something nice for you,” she paused. “Woah, this can be tough for some people. P.S. I’ll be your Huckleberry. Y/N. That’s cute. And then there’s some sort of smiley face.”

Bob snorted before revealing the insides of the Tupperware. The smell of dessert reached their nostrils. It left a speechless Bob behind. He smiled fondly. “Oh, … it’s Huckleberry Buckle.”

The rest of the crew groaned in delight.

“Bob, my friend,” Bradley leaned down, to drape his arm over his shoulder, “you do know that I held the door open for you this morning.”

Bob chuckled. “Just dig in, y’all. If you want some, just grab a plate and a fork.”

This was the signal for most of the Dagger Squad to spring into action.

“Don’t be animals. One for plates and one for forks,” Javy reminded them.

With sentimental eyes, Jake took another glance at the freshly baked dessert. He cleared his throat. “That’s Y/N for you. Baking stuff is Y/N’s love language,” he explained before watching Bob out of the corner of his eye while everyone dug in.

Bob took his ringing phone from out of his pocket. “Hey, yes, I—we just got it. You just made everyone’s day, I think.”

The Dagger Squad echoed with their mouths full, “We love you, Y/N! Love—love you!”

Jake intensely watched Bob while he munched on the pastry, desperately wanting to know what you two were talking about.

“You want me to—really? Did you mention that to-” Bob’s gaze met Jake’s. Once he already found him already staring at him, Bob meekly averted his eyes. “Um, yeah, sure. Hangman, it’s for you,” he said, giving him the phone.

Jake put a smile on his face when he spoke with a gravelly voice. “Hello, stranger.”

He heard you on the other end exhale. “Has anyone ever told you that you got a really sultry voice?”

Jake inhaled deeply and instantly regretted it. Choking on a crumb, Jake coughed to clear his throat. He felt his skin heat up, either your words or the chocking hazard was getting to him. “Uhm, okay?” He phrased as a question. “Not under these circumstances, no.” For good measure, he took a huge gulp of water.

“Have you asked them yet? You know, the karaoke thing?”

“No?”

Jake could basically feel you vibrating through the phone.

“Well, are you gonna? Time is of the essence.”

“Why are you so adamant to get it done this quickly?” He asked, taking another bite.

You stammered, “I need to—I just do. Aren’t we best friends?”

Jake laughed at your faltering attempt to get your way. “Of course, we are.”

“Then it’s your responsibility to make me get to know your colleagues, no questions asked. Maybe I could make you look good, huh?” Now your insistence for this event kinda made more sense.

He exhaled, “Guys, want to do karaoke night with Y/N?”

The Dagger Squad made whoops of agreement.

“You heard that? You really know how to work the crowd, don’t you?”

“What can I say? I have to make use of my strengths.”

Jake shook his head. “I can tell.”

“Now I know why we never did karaoke together,” Natasha mused before knocking back a drink of tequila.

“What?” Jake was still smiling widely when he stepped off stage.

“That was horrendous to watch. And I’m not even talking about what we were just forced to listen to.”

He rolled his eyes at her dig. “Come on, you’re just being mean. Y/N, hey, tell them.” Jake widened his arms, expecting you to snuggle up to his chest.

As if reading his mind, you stepped into his arms. Almost like you were keeping him in suspense, you licked your lips and patted his chest consolingly. “You looked really handsome up there on stage.”

“See?” Jake looked around to challenge his witnesses before realization hit him. He followed you as you stepped away from him. “Wait, what?”

Any disappointed feelings evaporated within him when Jake sat next to you on the couch which oversaw the karaoke stage and spoke softly, “You having fun?”

You leaned against his side, feeling content with just doing your familiar tradition. “You know I do. Thanks for being such a good sport about this.”

“You mean for me being such a horrible singer?”

“You’re tolerable,” you said soothingly and stroked the back of his neck.

“Gee, thanks.”

You nudged your head against his shoulder. “Kidding. You have a great shower voice.”

With a frowning face, Jake stared at you.

You paused in thought. “That sounded weird, didn’t it?”

“Already forgotten.”

“You’re such a sweetheart.” You briefly leaned your head back into the crook of his neck.

The expression which bordered between mischief and intimacy on Jake’s face was only meant for you to see. “Careful, darlin’. With words like that, you’re starting to make all the girls here jealous.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Natasha interjected, jolting you from your thoughts. “Don’t know if you guys are disgusting or just too adorable together.”

You chuckled, hiding your face behind your hair.

Jake leaned his arm against the back of the couch you were sitting on and said with a teasing voice, “Oh, Phoenix, is there something you want to tell?”

A mysterious smile lingered on Natasha’s lips. “I don’t know. Is there something you want to tell?”

Jake remained silent when he narrowed his eyes. “Nope.”

“Pity,” Natasha retorted.

“This tension is getting way too thick for me.” You decided and braced yourself to stand up. “Bob’s song choice is calling my name.”

At the mention of his name, Jake turned his head in an almost comical way. “Wait, Bob?”

You turned halfway around. “Definitely. I think I’m feeling ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’, you know?”

Natasha gave her vote of confidence. “Don’t let Bob fool you. He’s great. As long as you don’t get into a duet with Rooster.” Her eyes widened at that specific scenario. “I’m serious. I can’t take one more ‘Great Balls of Fire’ today.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

Jake stood up, hiding his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “We’re singing together, right?”

“Of course we are, buddy. It’s tradition,” you said, patting his cheek before leaving again.

Jake sat back down with a sigh, mouthing, “Buddy?” to himself.

“You must have really scared her off with your karaoke performance, … buddy,” Natasha teased next to him.

“You know what?” Jake brooded over his next retort. “Why don’t you have fun with your next Britney song, huh?”

“Thanks. If I play my cards right, I could convince Y/N to join me. I bet she likes Toxic, huh?”

“Everyone does.” Knowing that you wouldn’t mind that one bit.

~ Jake POV ~

“Another plane, another train. Another bottle in the brain. Another girl, another fight. Another drive all night,” You rapped without having care in the world while you mimicked guitar sounds. With your arm slung over his shoulder, Jake carried your body inside.

“You know, I got neighbors, right? I don’t know if they’d appreciate you hollering to the Beastie Boys.”

As if the thought just hit you, you rasped, “I could do it while whisper-yelling. You know, show them some taste.”

Jake shook his head at your antics. “You and your 90’s songs.”

“That was actually late 80’s.”

Jake only chuckled at your musical knowledge shining through. “Someone’s not drunk, huh? Do I need to carry you to bed?”

“Oh, Mr. Lieutenant Seresin-” You leaned back with a smirk, inspecting Jake thoroughly. That gaze alone, and that rank drop, sent a surprising shiver down his spine.

-“You know, I’m not that kinda girl.”

“Oh my God,” he whispered. “Only you would try to flirt in your affectionate state.”

“I’m always flirting with you.”

That reminder unsettled Jake, especially since that sort of affection seemed unusual to other people. For some reason, he didn’t want to lose that. Jake swallowed, frowning. “Yeah, that … that’s what we do. We’re just really, uh…”

“Really secure in our friendship,” you added, holding onto his arms.

His eyes lit up, feeling grateful for your words and warm from your touch. “Exactly. We are.”

You smirked. “How secure do you feel with Javy?”

“Hey, that’s very different. I’m very comfortable with ‘touching guys’, but we’re not in the flirty stage.”

You pursed your lips, imagining that specific scenario. “So, you’re saying you could get there with him one day.”

He didn’t have to ponder about that. “Nope. There’s never been the need for that.”

“Oh, you’re saying I’m special, sweetheart?” Your hold shifted into a tight hug.

“Don’t fish for compliments. You know you are,” Jake whispered quietly, like he was sharing something only for you to know.

“Oh, that’s nice,” you muttered. Snuggling deeper into his strong shoulders while enjoying his warmth. “Damn, your shoulders are really something else, huh? Did I already say that?”

Jake’s shoulders shook with laughter. “It’s fine.”

Like a gentle and exploring piano player, your fingers danced around his shoulder. “You must get them compliments all the time from everyone else.”

“I don’t care about everyone else,” Jake paused.

“Sorry for objectifying you. You’re a real nice guy.”

“First, I don’t mind you objectifying me. Second, don’t you dare call me nice.”

“Oh, you’re just a sweetheart and I don’t get why you don’t let others see that.” Jake felt his body vibrate when you nestled deeper into his neck. Maybe it was easier for Jake to admit stuff if he didn’t have to look at you.

That thought process was eviscerated when you leaned back to stare into his eyes. You stroked his cheeks with deep consideration. “You know, sometimes I keep thinking you deserve so much more than the small scraps of brief flings you’re setting for yourself.”

Almost allured, Jake leaned his face into your palm. Before he caught himself with that infuriating smile. “Oh, you’re thinking about me having sex. Is there something you want to tell me?”

He could feel your disappointment deeply in his core when you sighed heavily. “Jake, you really know how to kill the mood.”

Jake smiled proudly. “Thanks. I really worked hard on that skill.”

With wide eyes, your whole stance changed. “I changed my mind. Can you take me to bed, in a purely platonic way?”

“Only because you asked nicely.”

“Oh, proof that Jake Seresin is secretly a gentleman.” As soon as he offered his smile, you squeezed his dimples, like he was a little kid.

Jake shook his head. “Okay, I think it’s time for bed.”

“And the great Hangman takes aim. Will he be able to defeat the local competition or forfeit his winning streak?”

Jake sighed at hearing Rooster commenting with high anticipation on their pool game at their usual hangout. His arm, holding the cue, hesitated on the pool table. “Rooster, if I have to listen to your droning voice any longer-”

Rooster leaned over the cushion, whispering teasingly, “Why? Am I getting inside your head?”

Jake scoffed at the insinuation. “You think you can get to me with mind games? I invented those.” He pulled his arm back. The moment he saw you enter, a fond smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he saw you laugh with Natasha and -

-pat Bob’s arm?

Jake pushed the cue forward. And watched in apprehension as it slipped away from the ball. “Fuck me,” he grumbled. He couldn’t look away from the unfolding car accident of his play as the ball slithered frustratingly to the middle of the table.

Rooster snorts morphed into boisterous laughter. “Outstanding performance. At least something is getting to you. Are you sure you’re as good as you claim to be?”

Jake whipped his head around. “You know, why don’t you play one of your piano sessions?”

“That would be kind of hard to do since-” Rooster leaned forward with his cue stick. “-you know, I’m beating you.”

Jake cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt his eyes wander surreptitiously to the pair sitting at the bar. Jake made grumbling noises when Penny covered his view as his fingers tightened around the cue stick.

“Ace, you need a special invitation or are you considering to surrender already?” Jake heard the annoying voice behind him. It took everything inside him to not give up and wander where he really wanted to go.

“You’re a hilarious bird.”

Jake lined up his shot.

~ Y/N POV ~

“Okay, what did I miss?”

When you turned your head, Jake sauntered next to you. It took you another glance until you noticed something amiss. “Woah, what happened? You look really hot,” you said, inspecting Jake’s forehead with the back of your hand.

Jake smirked. “Well, thank you. I try my best.”

You rolled your eyes at Jake’s antics to view everything as a compliment. “No, you dork. I mean, you’re like really sweaty. Did you overdo it with the testosterone match?”

“I think I did it just right,” Jake sputtered.

“Who won?”

His green eyes twinkled at the spoken challenge, making your heart flutter. “Who do you think?”

It took you less than a few seconds to look towards Bradley, who swaggered behind Jake. “Who won?”

Jake opened his mouth to gasp at your cheekiness not to trust his word. “I won! What are you asking him for?”

“Barely,” Bradley mouthed, making you giggle. “Totally. I was absolutely … destroyed.” His eyes turned serious when Jake’s gaze found his. “I need some beer to recharge,” he said, moving away.

With a conspiring demeanor, Natasha leaned forward to whisper into your ears. “Oh please, let me tell him.”

Jake’s head moved in her direction. “Oh, you’re here too. Tell me what?”

She placed her hands on your shoulders, slightly shaking your body with her utter enjoyment. “Someone’s gotten herself a date,” Natasha trilled with a sing-song voice.

The glower on Jake’s face sent shivers through your body. You felt uncertain at seeing his reaction. You tried to tell yourself that Jake was just being an overprotective friend. His gaze alternated between yours and Natasha’s before it finally landed on Bob’s.

A wide-eyed Bob swallowed his cup of water. “Not me. I mean, not that Y/N isn’t … you know-” You felt touched that Bob tried to rectify his statement by not wanting to hurt your feelings when he truly looked at you. “You’re really pretty. A guy would be lucky to have you.”

You inwardly gushed at Bob’s gentlemanly ways and felt utterly compelled to give him a hug. Instead, you held him by the shoulder. “Oh Bob, you’re such a sweetheart. You just earned yourself a dance. Pick a song.” With an energetic jump, you moved from your stool and went towards the jukebox.

“I didn’t want to make things weird for the team,” Bob whispered with wide eyes.

There was something akin to respect shining in Jake’s eyes when he nodded once before staring calmly at Natasha. He tried really hard not to reveal his candid emotions on his face. Jake promised to himself, he wouldn’t clench his jaw or cross his arms. He felt like a twitching fool when he was about to cross his arms. Instead, he was forced to let his arms glide downwards before he stroked his abdominal muscles. In the end, he awkwardly hid his hands in the back pockets of his pants.

Natasha smiled mysteriously. “Don’t worry, I’m a great matchmaker. She’s in the safest hands.”

“Phoenix,” Jake started, before he inwardly winced. He crossed his arms and spoke slowly, “what are you doing?”

She shrugged. “Just listening. Y/N mentioned something when we were talking.”

He couldn’t help tilting his head in intrigue. “What exactly?”

“That’s for me to know and you to butt out.” Natasha’s expression softened when she tried to soften the blow. “All in good time. I have a plan. It’s gonna sound weird, but you seem like someone who likes having their best friend close. This is me ensuring to make San Diego as appealing as possible to her. I’m just saying—if she wants to stay,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

“By giving her a date? You’re right, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Best-case scenario: She’s gonna have the time of her life with the potential to meet the love of her life while getting a meal out of the date.” Natasha lifted the palms of her hands like a scale to weigh the chances. “Worst case: death by boredom. And next thing you know, Y/N is gonna seek comfort from her best friend after realizing that all naval aviators are douchebags.”

Jake groaned at the thought. “Ugh, great. It’s a damn naval aviator?”

She tilted her head in fascination. “Short question: does she have a thing for aviators? There was a fangirl moment when I mentioned Mav.”

He winced before murmuring, “It’s a statistics thing. Don’t mention Iceman around her.”

Natasha nodded. “Noted.”

“You’re way too involved in this.” Jake pressed his lips together, hoping to see her ultimate endgame. “What’s in it for you?”

“Not everything’s an agenda.” Natasha brushed by him, moving away.

Jake narrowed his eyes with deep suspicion. “And that’s not really an answer.”

~ Y/N POV ~

You could feel your heart beating nervously in your chest. Even your stomach was being all fluttery when you looked into the bathroom mirror while putting mascara on your eyelashes. You heard shuffling behind you before you met green eyes in the reflection.

Your voice echoed in the bathroom. “Jake, you’re hovering like a mother hen.” You didn’t bother turning around since you needed to focus on the task at hand, in order not to go crazy with anxiety. His rare controlling persona wasn’t helping matters.

Jake leaned his shoulder against the door jamb. “I’m just curious, that’s all. You’ve never met the guy. Assuming it’s a man, I don’t want to presume.” He waved his arms around. “I wouldn’t put it past Phoenix to put you on a blind date with a girl.”

You pursed your lips while mentioning casually, “Nat did mention that most of the aviators on the force were duds.”

Jake grimaced. “Going to ignore that,” he mumbled under his breath.

You wiped some mascara remnants from your eyelid. “Your sex not being dating material or me hypothetically dating the same team?”

Jake shook his head, clearing his throat. “So, where are you two lovebirds meeting tonight? Romantic restaurant, picnic by the waterfront?”

The annoyed growl leaving your mouth surprised you. Normally, you weren’t an irrational person who was prone for aggravation. His hovering presence distracted you in an inefficient way. “Seresin, you’re starting to cramp me in this bathroom.” You puzzled yourself more than him when you shoved him through the door. “All answers will be given in the living room after I had some breathing room.”

As soon as the door was closed, it felt like you could breathe again. You exhaled a heavy breath. “Oh my God,” you whispered.

“I heard that!” Jake protested behind the door.

“Good!”

Jake released the breath he was holding. He was sitting on the couch, drumming his fingers on his thigh. He mindlessly watched ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ on his TV, needing something to run in the background while he was waiting for you to come out. Every time he heard noises coming from the bathroom, Jake craned his head, unable to tamp down his curiosity.

The moment the door closed again, he felt nervous energy coming off of him. And he didn’t truly understand why. Jake heard your shuffling feet in the distance before you finally came out. It felt like the breath had been knocked out of his body.

There was something about a Y/N in a sundress and ballet flats that made him feel very weird. You swung around to show off the full effect of your date attire.

“So, what’s the verdict? Does it meet the expectations of Jake Seresin at least?”

“Um-” Jake cleared his throat before he averted his gaze. “-it looks good.”

“Oh, if the dress looks good… Lucky me, huh?”

“Whoever you’re meeting tonight, they’re the lucky ones.”

“Oh.” You rushed forward, hugging Jake sideways in gratitude. “I like when sweet and charming Jake comes out. He’s such a gentleman.”

“I’m going to assert plausible deniability, in case you decide to reveal my secrets.” Jake shared a small smile with you, reminding himself to at least appear like he was fine with the thought of you going out with another naval aviator.

“I wouldn’t. Not for a good trade at least.”

Jake pointed at you as a reminder. “No apple pie.”

You threw your head back, groaning loudly. “How about a strudel?”

“Not even that.”

“Fine.” She leaned back against the couch before whispering quietly, – like you had to remind yourself - “I need to get going.”

He looked up. “You want me to drive you?”

“That’d be weird, wouldn’t it?”

Jake had to keep trying. “To pick you up then.”

A small part of him would remember fondly how he made you chuckle. “Even weirder flex. I’ll be fine.”

The goodbye kiss on his cheek made him sigh before he nodded with a resolved air. “Text me when you need a getaway car.”

You laughed airily. “Alright.”

It was an hour later when he was already lying in bed and mindlessly scrolling through social media on his phone when he received a text from you.

Don’t need a getaway car.

Nodding dazedly to himself, Jake whispered, “That’s just … great.”

Jake was proving to be an utterly, frustrating man. It had been fifteen minutes since you said good morning that Jake had uttered a word. Only the sound of awkward breakfast crunching could be heard.

You sighed when you saw Jake eye you inscrutably again. He truly thought he was being covert. “Okay, when are we going to break the tension?”

“What tension? There’s no tension.” Jake kept munching on his cornflakes. Like he didn’t have a care in the world. Granted, Jake was the kind to keep on eating food, even when he wasn’t feeling well. “It’s a wonderful morning. I’m having breakfast.” Jake scarfed down a mouthful. “There’s nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever.” To prove his point, he offered a close-lipped smile.

You narrowed your eyes in speculation. Talking gibberish was very unlike him. “You want to know how last night went.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“You don’t want to know,” you repeated slowly and in strong incredulity.

“Yep, no interest.” Jake paused in thought. “Unless you want to talk about your date.”

“I’m not going to force you into a conversation if you couldn’t care less.”

“I do care,” Jake rushed with his reply before his voice turned casual again. “I mean a meager amount.”

“Is this like a guy thing?” You sniffed, taking on a low manly voice for effect. “I don’t mind talking about my latest conquest but I’d rather die than talk about it in a meaningful way.”

“First, I hope that wasn’t an impression of me.”

Your face took on a blank expression before you crossed your arms. Waiting for Jake to continue with his list.

“Second, I don’t mind talking about your … dates, as long as it’s not, you know-” He winced. “-sexual.”

“Jesus, that was a first date. And besides, I don’t know if that’s sexist or something else, that you’re allowed to talk about that stuff, but not me?”

“I don’t know why we’re going the feminist route, but with you it’s just different,” he mumbled before shrugging.

“Why?”

“Because you’re my best friend,” Jake responded fervently. “And none of these guys deserve you.” His voice turned quiet, becoming serious all of a sudden. “You deserve someone better.”

Disappointment filled your body at Jake’s perspective. Recounting all the times in your head when you would tell him how he deserved someone who could challenge him, yet appreciate the things about him which made him such a decent and caring guy. It was a pity that Jake would rather wallow in his self-loathing, while pretending to be the most egotistical guy that ever existed than to be vulnerable for once.

Your shoulders deflated when you realized that maybe he would never be ready to have a meaningful relationship—or any relationship at all that progressed over the 3-day mark—and you swore that a small part of you died right there on the kitchen floor. Feeling more hopeless than ever.

Before you could fully understand the reason why this bothered you so much, Jake’s concerned expression pulled you out of the deepest parts of yourself.

“What? What’d I say?”

You shook your head. Never feeling this gloomy before. “You know, for someone who claims to be so smart, you’re just so dang stupid.” Every single word felt like it was torn painfully from between your lips.

“What?”

You just felt too tired to make Jake understand. It felt easier to just turn your body away. Despite how much you hated appearing this careless towards him. “I got to go. I’ll see you later, Jake.”

~ Jake POV ~

“Well, someone’s in a bad mood.” Natasha teased him. Despite them having to endure the same punishment by being forced to do push-ups next to each other, Natasha still seemed to be in a formidable mood.

Jake turned his head. Not caring particularly that he sent her a dark glower.

“Don’t hang your head, Hangman. I doubt you could’ve evaded Mav’s hit on your best day.”

“Shut up,” he grumbled. Inwardly, he winced. His ma would have his hide if she heard him talking like that to anyone.

“What? No comeback? I wonder what else could be bothering you,” she mused to herself.

Natasha didn’t fool him one bit. Jake wondered if she had it out for him and that was why she focused so hard on Y/N.

“What do you think, Bob?” She decided to thrust the knife even deeper.

Even at the mention of his name, Jake swore his forehead garnered the first droplets of sweat.

Bob chose to focus on his push-ups before grunting, “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

“You’re way too nice.”

Jake clenched his jaw. “Yes, someone’s a real goody two-shoes.”

Bob turned his head, looking bewildered. “What did I do?”

“Oh, just sweet and perfect Bob who can do nothing wrong.”

Heavy footsteps came closer. “Why do I hear chattering and see no push-ups over here?” Maverick’s voice came over their heads.

“Understood, Sir,” Bob automatically replied.

Jake kept his mouth closed. As much as it pained him.

After the completion of their punishment and he had taken a shower, Jake hurried after Natasha in the rec room. “I need to talk to you.”

Natasha tilted her head. “I thought we already did.”

“Who was the date?”

She exhaled in exasperation, glaring at him. “You’re so predictable, Hangman,” she said, turning around to leave.

“Wait, wait. I’m sorry-”

Natasha stopped in her tracks. She swivelled her head, frowning. “An apology? You just bought yourself two minutes of my time. Go on.”

“Was it Bob?”

Natasha breathed out slowly, pausing in thought. “…You have a weird fixation on Bob. I wonder why that is.”

Jake cleared his throat and crossed his arms. “I don’t-”

“Just kidding. I know why that is. And no. I asked, but he refused.” She shook her head, revealing that this bothered her more than she wanted to admit. “Honorable little fucker,” Natasha grumbled. She chose to clarify instead. “He wouldn’t have minded to date Y/N, but, you know- Didn’t he tell you this already?”

Bob did mention that. But Jake couldn’t help thinking that he might have changed his mind. He averted his gaze, feeling slightly depraved that he considered Floyd doing that. “Maybe. But still.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “What does it matter who the lucky fella was? What are you gonna do? Scare the hell out of them?”

It was indeed bad when someone like Phoenix could predict his future plans. “If it’s someone who doesn’t deserve her, then yes.”

She hummed. “If you know her so well, then tell me, what kind of person do you think Y/N deserves?”

Jake spread his arms. It felt strange how a list of things ran through his head and how they just rolled off his tongue. “Someone nice. Someone who just gets her and adores her little quirks. Just a gentleman.” He counted the amount of traits with his fingers. “Funny, maybe a bit sensitive or vulnerable. Good-looking, but that’s not as high up on her list as the inner qualities.”

Natasha remained quiet. Her brown eyes were staring at him with a profound expression. “Very insightful. Interesting qualities you just listed off. Anyone you know that could fulfil those strengths?”

At the mere mention, he felt like he was put in the spotlight. Either she wanted him to say ‘Bob’ – since those characteristics could cover him easily—or maybe utter his own name. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he wanted to be with you. And wanted to be a part of you.

Jake carefully glanced at Natasha. Not trusting her look of consideration, he narrowed his eyes. He spoke slowly. “I’m not sure.”

“Pity. I could be persuaded into making something happen, if you know what I mean.”

Jake licked his lips, knowing exactly what she was trying to get him to admit. He pressed his lips together.

“But … you would actually need to say the words.” She waited patiently before sighing. “My patience knows its limits though. So, if you got nothing to say, then…” Natasha pointed behind her to threaten her departure. She nodded to herself once before saying, “Okay.” And walked towards the exit.

Jake opened his mouth, as he watched her walk away. He didn’t understand where his courage was coming from when the words left his mouth. “Natasha, would you squeeze me in as Y/N’s date?” He knew how he’d usually call her ‘Phoenix’ or in very rare instances ‘Nat’ so he figured that she caught him in a vulnerable mood for a change.

She dramatically turned around and pursed her lips. “Depends. Will you also apologize to Bob for being an absolute dick?” She paused. “Again?”

Jake sighed. “Listen, I don’t-”

“It’s called being a decent human being. It’s the least you could do. Not to mention-” Natasha tapped her chin mockingly. “-I can’t imagine how Y/N would feel if she found out that someone was being this rude to sweet Bob. I mean, what do you think? How would she feel about that?”

He revealed a tight smile at the slight warning. There was no need to hit below the belt. He would have done it anyway if Natasha said he was being a jerk. “Fine, I got your point. I’ll apologize,” he grunted lowly.

She smiled cheerily. “Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

You felt bad about ignoring Jake, you thought, while you waited in the midst of the amusement park of Belmont Park. Ever since this morning, things had been weird between you. Or Jake was just being his stubborn and obstinate self.

You had been baffled since Natasha sent you a message that the date location had changed. The more you looked around, you realized that you would’ve loved to spend time with Jake at this place. You exhaled with disappointment. Jake would absolutely force you on the roller-coaster, but then feel bad once your stomach was upset by buying you a funnel cake.

Deciding that your bond with Jake was far too important than to leave everything hanging like that, you yearned to clear the air. Pulling out your phone, you scrolled through your contacts until your thumb pressed against the name.

The sound of a cell ringing in the distance made you turn your body in uncertainty. You frowned once you saw Jake advancing with hesitation, waving an arm in greeting.

“Hey, you.”

You hung up your phone, trying to grasp his presence. “What are you doing here? Did you want to ride the Giant Dipper, or something?”

Jake smiled awkwardly. “I wouldn’t actually mind that. Depends if my best friend would be up for it too?” You tried to prepare yourself against his puppy dog eyes as he stepped closer. The movement made you take notice of his suave appearance. You swore you could feel your knees weakening when you saw him wearing his jeans and a pressed white dress shirt.

Jake rubbed his hands against the fabric of his pants.

Not wanting to hurt him, you spoke slowly. “That’s hard to say. I’m kind of on a date. Just waiting, I guess.”

“Yeah, I know. Natasha told me.”

You felt befuddled by his explanation. “Why … would she do that?”

“I asked her to?” Jake phrased the statement into a cautious question.

You pursed your lips as you tried to understand why she would do that in the first place. “Did you bribe her?”

Jake blushed at a memory when he explained with a gravelly voice, “I think I paid her off by giving her the satisfaction in seeing me grovel.”

“How did that look like?” You said, feeling fascinated by the concept of a begging Jake. Even that word didn’t seem to fit him.

“You don’t want to know, trust me.” Jake grew silent before something akin to hope lit up his eyes. “Why did you want to call me?”

You cleared your throat. “Why are you here?”

Teasingly, Jake pointed at you. “I asked you first.”

You sighed. “I wanted to clear the air.” Still, you were not above getting one small dig in. “Unlike some people, I wanted to be the grown-up one here.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “Now someone’s just being cheeky.” He exhaled, willing to admit any wrongdoings. “I’m sorry for being a dick.”

“Why were you?” You spoke softly. Just because he was your close friend didn’t mean that Jake would get special treatment.

Jake stepped closer until you were only a foot apart. “Because I have a talent for it. Because it’s easier to just pretend. Because of you going out … with a naval aviator just pissed me off. Because I-” He breathed in, like he was preparing for you to hit him. “-I really, really like you.”

You blushed, not yet trusting if he meant it or if this was just some strange prank he wanted to pull off. “You like me,” you repeated, unable not to tease him just a little bit. “And here I thought most of the time I was your annoying best friend.”

“I think you’re confusing yourself with Javy.”

You cocked your head playfully. “Oh? Do you really, really like him too?”

He pursed his lips, like he needed to entertain that thought first. “He’s just alright, I guess. I mean, I more than like you. It’s like obnoxious.”

Wow, and here you thought, Jake could prove to be an adult for once. So, unless he decided to brandish a real love confession that didn’t sound like the most aggravating nuisance, you could do the same.

“Oh my God, you’re like a big kid, huh? Using those big boy words.”

His eyes were burning with sage fire. “You’re just so infuriating at times.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Says the great Jake?”

“That’s what I mean! You’re driving me absolute insane. You’re making friends with everyone you meet.” Jake counted at his fingers. “Maverick, Bob!-”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “What’s Bob got to do with this?”

“He’s like-” Jake grimaced. “-And you’re-” He waved towards you, very eloquently describing the issue at hand.

“I think somewhere was a compliment. Let me just reiterate: you think Bob’s a great, wonderful guy and I’m just-”

“Perfect,” he uttered with a hoarse voice.

You inhaled deeply, stammering nervously. “You can’t just say stuff like that.”

“It’s still the truth.”

“What if you’re only saying all of this because you can’t stand the idea of me getting with a naval aviator?” You voiced your inner worries, absolutely needing him to be truthful.

Jake opened his mouth several times before admitting, “Partly true. But the truth is, Nat made me realize I was just being too chicken to fully admit that I … I can’t imagine not spending the day with you. You make me think about you all the time. Even when I’m out with the guys and I keep thinking ‘Oh wow, Y/N would love to try out that drink’ or ‘As much as you’re a talker during Sunday Night Football-”

“Not always,” you mumbled quietly.

“-you still make it fun.”

You pressed your lips together, feeling very nervous and emotional by his words.

“Maybe I just didn’t realize I was in love with you until the concept truly hit me, that you might be into a … nice guy like Bob.”

Despite his familiar self-loathing, you couldn’t help reminding him with a small smile, “You’re a nice guy too, Jake.”

“Only with you.”

Jake’s confession made your heart palpitate in your chest nervously.

“So,” Jake started, “what do you feel for me?”

You hummed to yourself before confessing, “Ditto.”

Jake huffed loudly. “Oh my God. Of course, you’d be aggravating about it.”

“I’m just saying, maybe I really, really like you too.”

He shook his head, trying to suppress a smile. As much as you could tell what he wanted to hear from you.

In the end, you chose to take a chance. “Let’s just say, there are more times when I realized over the years how I’m in love with you than the amount of times when I can’t stand you. The second is pretty close though.”

You couldn’t have been prepared for Jake’s wide and blinding smile.

“Ditto.”

You rolled your eyes, while revealing a small smile on your lips. You decided to put him out of his misery when you admitted, “Nat was my date.”

“Wa-wait, what?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “She said that she had a specific guy in mind, but he wasn’t ready yet. I just thought it was someone who was still out on a mission. So, we hung out last night.”

Jake still remained confused. “And did what?”

“Nosy,” you mumbled. “Karaoke and stuff like that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He inquired with wide eyes.

“I wanted to, but you decided to be a jerk about it.”

Jake narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. “Nat ‘Fucking Mastermind’ Trace.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Jake looked at your surroundings, hiding his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Do you want to go on a date?”

You smirked. “Like a platonic one?”

“Nope, like a real one. You know, the romantic kind. I promise to make it a bit fun, unique and unforgettable.”

“That’s a big promise.”

Jake smirked arrogantly. “I’m aware. It also perfectly describes me.”

You groaned loudly. “And here we go. I want Nice Guy Jake though and not the obnoxious one.”

He was walking alongside you, nodding. “I’ll tell him to take an off-day.”

“What is it about you and Bob though? He’s just a really stand-up guy. Really funny.”

“So am I.”

“Sometimes. Let’s just say, we just get each other. You know, cut from the same cloth.”

Jake hummed. At least he was no longer being a caveman when it came to Bob. “Okay,” he said, laying his arm over your shoulder.

“I mean, he was just helping me rent an apartment in the city,” you explained, gauging his reaction.

“What?”

“Yes, he offered to put in a good word and Nat sent me a few listings.”

It seemed like the rare event of a speechless Jake took place. “Huh, that’s-”

“As I live and breathe, a speechless Jake Seresin was just seen out and about.” You glanced at him through your eyelashes. “I think you were about to say that’s a real stand-up guy thing to do, huh?”

Jake sighed, not wanting to admit reluctant respect before mumbling something under his breath which sounded close to, “Damn it, now I really got to apologize.”

You turned your head. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s okay. There’s still time for you to deal with your big boy emotions,” you replied before you chose to do something new. By taking his hand and interlacing your fingers together. “And here I thought, judging from your letters, you had more of a rivalry thing going with Bradley.”

“I know, right? I thought I would feel threatened by Rooster of all people. But Bob?”

“Let’s just say, in another life Bob would’ve swept me off my feet,” you retorted, patting him against his chest.

His blank expression could be described as something where he tried to imagine that so-called horror reality. “… Don’t even joke about that.”

[doumadono]

Synopsis: initially hesitant about adopting a cat, Shoto finds his reservations gradually melting away as he discovers the endearing charm and companionship the furry creature brings

A/N: this story was commissioned on my Kofi page by my lovely @indignant-alpaca - I'm sharing it with her kind permission 🌸 If you like my writing, please consider supporting me via my Kofi page

MY HERO ACADEMIA MASTERLIST

In a quaint apartment on the outskirts of the city, Shoto Todoroki found himself faced with an unexpected addition to his life — one that would soon melt the icy barriers around his heart.

His girlfriend, Y/N, beamed as you carried a fluffy ball of fur into your living room. "Shoto, meet Mochi," you announced, presenting the tiny calico kitten nestled in your arms.

Shoto eyed the feline with a stoic expression, his dual-colored eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and reluctance. "A cat?" he questioned, his tone revealing a hint of skepticism.

You nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I thought it would be great to have a pet. They say cats bring good luck."

Shoto arched an eyebrow, his signature stoicism intact. "Luck, huh?" he mused, as Mochi stretched out her tiny paws, giving a small mew. "I don't need luck."

Undeterred, you gently placed Mochi on the floor, who immediately began exploring her new surroundings.

Shoto observed from a distance, maintaining his cool composure. "She's small," he remarked.

You giggled, "Well, she's a kitten. But just wait until you see her charm."

As if on cue, Mochi approached Shoto, her curious eyes fixated on him.

"I'm not a cat person," Shoto declared, attempting to assert his indifference.

You nudged him playfully. "Give it time, Shoto. Cats have a way of growing on you."

Over the next few days, Shoto found himself begrudgingly amused by Mochi's antics. The mischievous kitten would bat at his shoelaces, pounce on invisible prey, and curl up on his lap during quiet moments.

You couldn't help but notice the subtle softening of Shoto's expression as he interacted with your newfound furry companion.

Another evening, as Shoto sat reading a book, Mochi nestled beside him, purring contentedly.

You seized the opportunity. "Looks like someone's warming up to you," you teased.

Shoto sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Maybe she's not as annoying as I thought."

As days turned into weeks, the bond between Shoto and Mochi deepened in ways neither of them expected.

Mochi, once a mere distraction, became a constant presence in Shoto's life.

Mochi's preference for Shoto became evident. She would follow him around the apartment, ignore your attempts at play, and eagerly await his return whenever he stepped out.

One evening, after a long day of hero duties, Shoto found himself slumping onto the couch, exhaustion evident in his eyes.

Mochi, sensing his weariness, padded over and gracefully leaped onto his lap. She nuzzled against his chest, her purrs resonating through the room.

Shoto, surprised by the comforting gesture, couldn't help but stroke her soft fur absentmindedly.

But Mochi had other plans. As Shoto attempted to get up, Mochi protested with a small meow and refused to budge. It was as if she sensed when he needed a moment of respite, providing a gentle reminder to slow down.

In the mornings, Shoto found Mochi perched on the windowsill, her eyes fixed on the world outside. He joined her, silently appreciating the quiet moments shared with his feline friend.

You often caught them in these contemplative instances, a smile playing on your lips as you witnessed the unspoken connection forming.

One weekend, as Shoto worked on his training routine in the living room, Mochi decided to participate. She playfully swatted at his shoelaces, darting around him in a display of agility that mirrored his own. A small smirk tugged at Shoto's lips, and he found himself engaging in a playful dance with the energetic kitten.

You, capturing the adorable scene on your phone, couldn't resist sharing it later. "Looks like Mochi is teaching you a thing or two."

Shoto raised an eyebrow but didn't deny the truth in your words. Mochi had indeed become an unexpected mentor, reminding him of the simple joys in life and offering companionship in moments of solitude.

As their connection grew, Shoto started incorporating Mochi into his daily routine. Whether it was a quiet moment of reflection, a shared glance during meals, or an impromptu play session, Mochi became a source of comfort and joy for Shoto.

One evening, Yuki found them curled up together on the couch, Shoto absentmindedly stroking Mochi's fur while she purred contentedly.

"I guess you're officially a cat person now," you teased.

Shoto merely glanced at you, a small smile gracing his face. He couldn't deny the warmth that blossomed within him.

Their cozy little family, consisting of an icy-hot hero, his girlfriend, and an adorable cat named Mochi, found harmony in the unexpected bonds that formed. And as the trio shared quiet moments together, laughter and love echoed through the apartment, proving that even the coldest hearts could be thawed by the warmth of feline companionship.

[sphireath-wisp]

#Fairytale (Sae's Version)

Sypnosis: Your relationship with them as a cliche, romantic book trope <3

Warnings: Not Proofread, gender is not specified but reader is described with the term "pretty", messy interchanging grammar, slight cursing, sort of spoilers for the scene when Sae meets Rin after returning from Spain(?)

Note: Other versions coming up soon!!

Featuring: Sae Itoshi x GN! reader

Sae Itoshi - Childhood Sweethearts

"Meeting you was like listening to a song for the first time and knowing it would be my favorite."

There was this strange kid in your class who goes by the name of "Sae Itoshi". Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, maybe it was fate that drew him close to you. Perhaps it was the fortune slip you drew on New Year's, bold letters painted on paper, asserting the supposed misfortune that will follow you throughout your year.

But, to start your year on a sour note, you happened to sit right next to him. You didn't hate him but didn't exactly enjoy his company either. Furthermore, he had a sharp tongue, refined and honed with a rich vocabulary that he used to his heart's content. Whether it was directed at the teachers or those guys that stick around him like glue, every sneer and snide remark reached your ears.

And oh god, he was so creative with his words to the point where you couldn't hold back your laughter.

Sucking in your stomach, your chest puffs out in an attempt to hold in the giggles on the verge of leaking out. You cover your mouth with the back of your hand, glancing away as you sink your teeth down on your lower lip.

Sae leans back in his chair as usual. His attention was drawn in by your strange behavior, softly chuckling and pursing your lips to resist a smile. Testing the waters, a witty remark slips out of his lips and he connects the dots when you struggle to contain your laughter after his words.

"This teacher is way too strict... right?" Sae initiates a conversation. For the first time, in the two weeks you've sat beside each other and referred to each other as 'seatmates', he spoke directly to you without being forced to by any pestering teachers - who always insisted that 'this class is a family'.

You pause, a moment of silence that you needed. To consider what to say - then reconsider again.

"...yeah." Something simple wouldn't make this any less awkward than it already is, right? "You're right, he needs to really chill."

You lean forward and stack your forearms on the desk you and Sae were supposed to share. Sae observes silently, hands in his pocket. He fiddles with the only lollipop he had left in his pocket after all of his friends ran off with the rest of his collection, contemplating whether he should give the last one to you or keep it for himself.

Teal eyes land on you, innocently absorbing your features, the way your leg bounced up and down, how you twirled the pen in your hand (occasionally dropping it). Sae turns his head away, the rational part of his mind reminding him that staring - especially for that long - is rude.

However, he took away something from that little session of scrutinizing you - you're pretty.

A simple fact, an observation - Sae convinces himself. It totally isn't just him being subjective and admiring you. Yeah, everyone else probably regards you as pretty. It isn't just him, right?

"I knew I did from that first moment we met. It was... not love at first sight exactly, but familiarity. Like: oh, hello, it's you. It's going to be you." - Mhairi McFarlane via 5000letters (via perfect)

"Do you want to be my partner?" You wanted to tap his shoulder before asking, but your gut told you not to - it was rude to touch people without permission... or maybe it was something else that made your gut churn so uncomfortably.

It had gotten easier to talk to him through the lighthearted insults thrown at the others in class or the gossip you would both indulge in, but things still occasionally felt awkward and stiff. But, it was progress! School days wouldn't seem so dull if you could befriend the aloof boy next to you.

"Why?"

"It's convenient that way." Thank god you had prepared a response in mind beforehand. "I don't wanna move seats and take all of my stuff to another table just to move back here again, you know what I mean?"

Sae's eyes drift to the group of guys signaling to him and, while he had no problem shutting them down, he was reluctant.

"Hey," You begin, not wanting to force or pressure him into anything - though you knew damn well he's too stubborn to be forced into something he doesn't like. "You don't have to if you don't wanna"

"No. Let's pair up." Sae interjects. "The last time I paired up with those idiots, we got no work done." You widened your eyes and he swore he saw stars, causing a small chuckle to escape him.

Strangely, he found himself growing fond of your reactions and expressions. You were... very full of life; he liked that about you. The way your eyebrows shot up when he directed a snarky remark to the teacher who belittled you - which he took more offense to than you did - only pushed him to make more sarcastic comments until you struggled to contain your own laughter.

You nudged him as a plea to stop, not because you disliked it - hell no, it entertained you and made class something you looked forward to. However, your actions backfired when Sae took it as a challenge. His hands snaked their way to your sides and zapped you with lightning speed. You were relieved that the class was so loud during discussions, the yelp you let out would have turned heads.

"S-Sae! Okay, okay, stop, you win! You can do the research, I'll do the writing." You panted for air when he finally ceased, a smug smirk pasted on his face. With a toothy smile, he slid the papers to your table. "Good, I knew you were reasonable."

You wiped the tears from the corner of your eyes with the back of your index finger, clutching onto your stomach with your other hand to shield your body. "You better not slack," Clicking your tongue, you rolled your eyes and earned a scoff from him. "I could say the same to you," He retorts before packing his pencil case back in his bag to move to the next class.

"Sae, your pencil," You silently pass him it. "Return me it later. We'll see each other in the next class anyway, right?"

"You trust me with it?" You respond to his question with another, lowering your hand - something as small as a pencil could be seen as insignificant, but it was still his. Sae already had the strap of his backpack hanging on his shoulder by the time he came up with a reply, "...I guess."

Conveniently, the next class required everyone to pair up too. Firing knowing glances at each other from across the class, you both already found your partner before the teacher had even finished speaking.

"I didn't know what to call it, what was happening between us, but I liked it. It felt silly and fragile and good." - Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

"Say 'ahhh'," You scoop a spoonful of rice and stop it in front of Sae's mouth, waiting for him to open his mouth instead of stubbornly turning his head the other way.

"I can feed myself, (Name)." Sae firmly states, rotating his body and turning his back to you. At least, in this position, you won't see the raging flush decorating the apple of his cheeks - a heat he wasn't used to and couldn't get to disappear.

"Not when you have a fractured wrist and sprained the other, don't even think about overexerting yourself." Your voice is firm, eyes trained on his hands.

Sae doesn't respond - maybe it was something he didn't want to bring up. It's okay, you're used to giving in to him and his petty demands.

He's silent, deathly silent. Reluctance is clear in his every move when he faces you, lips parting and leaning forward for you to feed him without any issue. The last thing he'd want is to cause you any more trouble when you went out of your way to help him - help he wanted and needed, but he'd rather die than admit that.

For once, he'll put his voice to rest, not a single whine or groan slipping from his lips when you accidentally spill a bit of rice on his lap or when the spoon bumps into his teeth. For once, he isn't as irritated by the stares he receives and the nudges he gets from his soccer buddies when they pass by - he notices, but he couldn't care less.

And you? It was a struggle on your end to ignore the butterflies swarming your stomach. You had found comfort in the silence you and Sae used to find awkward, eyes speaking languages only you and he could understand.

His gaze never left yours, no matter how many times you bashfully looked elsewhere to prevent the pink shade on your cheeks from becoming any deeper, any bolder, any brighter, any more obvious to the boy you had developed a silly crush on.

"Are you not going to eat?" You pause, realizing that the bowl of noodles that was supposed to serve as your lunch must have gone cold by now. You felt hungry, but a cold bowl of noodles didn't seem too appetizing to your grumbling stomach. "...I'm fine, I'll eat later."

"At least drink something."

"Later." You reply dismissively, more getting him to eat.

"PE is next. You're not going to have enough energy, you know. What if you pass out or something?" Sae narrows his eyes at you, not remembering the last time he got so worked up about something other than soccer.

"Then, I guess I'm sitting out with you."

He doesn't say anything back, chewing on his food silently. "...You should look out for yourself more often."

"I could say the same for you." You place the spoon down, finally through with the bowl of food. "You were the one who blocked that soccer ball from hitting my head, so I owe you that." He used his hand to try and block a soccer ball hurling right at you and the impact caused his other hand - which he was using as a support for his weight - to slip and sprain itself. It was certainly a streak of misfortune for him.

"It was one time-"

"So you wouldn't protect me again?"

He shuts up, clicking his tongue after.

"Maybe we'll meet again, when we are slightly older and our minds less hectic, and I'll be right for you and you'll be right for me."

"You're really leaving, huh?" It was pouring outside and judging by the amount of background noise coming from Sae's side of the phone, he was probably at the airport by now.

"...Yeah- Sorry, it's really laggy here."

You chuckle, hugging your pillow to your chest with the phone by your ear. "It's fine, as long as I can hear you."

Sae sighed into the phone, the same rich and colorful vocabulary used to criticize the ridiculously noisy airport and geek out about his future in Spain - a future he wished wasn't away from all of the things he held dear, his family, his friends... you.

"Real Madrid. I'm still sort of in shock." You replied with a barely audible 'uh-huh'. "I made the decision to leave a while ago, but I'm still processing leaving Japan."

His voice was uncharacteristically gentle as if he knew you weren't handling his departure well - he knew you like the back of his hand after all. However, it had the opposite effect, the fact that he cared only made you want to cry more. He was so damn observant for his age.

"Can we-" You take a deep breath... you could be a little selfish just for today, right? "Can we call until you get on the plane?"

"...I hope, I have earphones in, so it should be fine." Your tense shoulders drop, burying your face into the tear-stained pillow. "Rin's clinging to me so much, even though he said he's okay with me going."

"He wants to see you achieve your dreams and all, but he'll definitely miss you, you know?" You related to him, a little too much. "Where are you now?"

"Just past security and bag checks, I have a little bit of time before I board the plane..." Sae clutches his passport in his hand. "I gotta say bye to my family."

"Tell Rin to hug you for me."

"...right." Sae hugs Rin even tighter.

It's silent between you and him other than the background chatter and buzz - a silence you were well acquainted with.

"They left... or should I say I left them?" You hear the sound of the wheels of his suitcase; he's heading somewhere. "Don't say sad shit like that, Sae. You're going to Spain; you're gonna be a star! As your biggest fan, I don't wanna see you moping around."

"I'm about to board the plane, I'll be quiet for a little, but I'm listening." Sae reassures you.

"Okay. I'll start rambling as usual then." You laugh lightly, still in denial that this could be the last conversation you have with him. "Before you leave, I promise to hold that grudge against the teacher you hate - I never knew why you hated them though. I promise to take care of your pencil because in the end I never returned it."

You don't hear a response from Sae, but you can neither stop your word vomit or tears.

"I promise to take good care of Rin in your stead. I promise to be more careful and 'look out for myself' more. I promise I'll always support you from the other side of the screen. And- and, I know we won't call much because of the timezones," You take a shaky breath. "but, please don't forget about me, Sae."

You sniffle, the pile of tissues next to you only increasing. "Sae, I never got to tell you-"

"I'm in my seat." He interjects suddenly, voice as unstable and shaky as your breathing. It was a plea - a plea to please don't force yourself to say anymore, a plea to tell you that he knows, a plea to remind you to take deep breaths because he can hear how painful it is for you, a plea to beg you to stop before it's too much for him and he cries too.

It's a mixture of gratitude and regret. He's glad you don't have to see him like this, but it'd be a blessing to have you by his side, to ease this ache in his chest.

"Sae." You don't want to stop now- you can't; you need to finish what you started. "I lov-"

The call ends - he disconnected; the plane took off.

"You never meet the same person twice, even in the same person."

Sae Itoshi - he's made it, but he's not the same.

When you heard Rin shout at his own older brother from afar, you knew something was off. No, no, Rin would never shout at him - not the very person he put on a pedestal and looked up to his whole life.

"I don't want that!" Rin's eyes glare at Sae, or the shell of the human he once was. "I'm the younger brother of the best striker in the world!" You felt your own beating, living heart crack in your chest for the second time - the first was after meeting Sae's tired eyes, accompanied by the dark eye bags.

The heart you crappily pieced back together after not being able to tell your childhood sweetheart how you felt was on the verge of breaking again - so easily too, after all the sleepless nights you spent trying to mend it together.

There it was again: that uncomfortable, unbearable silence. Sae's lips part, a shaky breath escaping him, yet no words follow.

After all these years, even you weren't sure if you were looking at 'Sae Itoshi, Rin's older brother, the best striker in school, your foul-mouthed seatmate.' or 'Sae Itoshi, the prodigy, the boy genius'. Were you really staring back at the person you fell in love with?

"Let's go, Rin," You spoke up, even though every fiber of your being was telling you, begging you to stay. Your gaze locks with his for a short moment, eyes pleading with him to please stop you from leaving.

"...Sae," Have you ever said his name so coldly? "how long are you staying in Japan?"

He glances down - as if too shameful to meet your gaze. The collar of his windbreaker covers the lower half of his face and brings more attention to his dreary, reddened eyes. "I'm leaving tomorrow; tomorrow morning, 9am." His trembling hands stay in his pockets.

"I see." was all you could utter and it left both you and Sae terribly disappointed.

"I don't care, I love you anyhow. It is too late to turn you out of my heart. Part of you lives here." -Anne Sexton, from A Self-portrait in Letters

It was like a replay of that heart-wrenching memory 4 years ago. He was leaving and that thought haunted your mind for the whole night. Everything ached, your head, your body, your heart. It was stupid to chase a crush you had left behind 4 years ago, but you had realized by now that your feelings had bloomed into something more than just a simple crush.

It was 6 a.m., tear-stained pillows, and a migraine steadily kicking in. You mindlessly reread what Sae and you used to text each other, what you could've been with him. For all these years, you haven't called him, because the first few months of trying always left you with no response. You felt like a bother, prompted to leave him voice messages instead of hearing his voice - were you truly as important to him as he was to you?

Your fingers hovered over the call button. You were too tired to get out of bed, much too tired to think clearly and stop yourself. Before you knew it, your head bobbed down and your finger lost the strength to hold itself up, pressing the call button.

The realization that you were actually calling him hit you awake. Your body jolts up, scrambling to quickly end the call.

"...Hello?" Shit. He answered.

"Fuck, sorry," You held your head in your hands. "I didn't mean to call you at this hour. It was an accident, I swear-"

"It's fine." He bluntly answers and you pause.

"...okay, then uh, I'll end the c-" Before you can finish, he interrupts you - a characteristic of Sae's that you had grown accustomed to. "Why are you awake at this hour? Why does your voice sound weird?... Have you been crying, (Name)?" He was so blunt, so straightforward.

You could feel the suspicious glare Sae was giving you through the phone, even though his camera was off. The image of his face - teal eyes narrowing and scrutinizing your every word, eyebrows knitted together, and finger impatiently tapping any surface while waiting for an answer - painted itself in your head. Oddly enough, you giggled.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just- I vividly remember you interrogating me like this back when we were kids. You always used to bombard me with questions - giving me not even a single moment to answer, mind you." It had become a habit - being sarcastic and lightheartedly insulting each other. So, when talking with Sae again, it naturally came back to you.

"Ah... am I rambling?"

"Yes, you are," Sae didn't bother sugarcoating anything, "but don't stop. Continue."

You blink - you could be a little more selfish just for today, right?

"Could we... do it in person?" You could feel Sae frown when you suggested it. "I know, I know. Your flight is at 9 a.m. But, it doesn't matter to me where we hang out. Let's talk at the airport before you go."

The silence only diminishes your hope and you continue to persuade him before it's fully extinguished.

"Please, Sae. For old-time's sake. Can't we talk? Can't we catch up?" Your grip on your phone hardened, "Even if it's just 10 minutes, I don't care. I never got to finish what I said 4 years ago, I'm gonna finish it today."

You waited for what felt like hours for a response.

"Ok." The tension left your body, breathing a loud sigh of relief and you hop out of bed. "I'll see you at the airport?"

"No. I'm picking you up." It's like he already made the decision for you, and how could you ever say no to him? "Wear something warm, it's gonna rain today. I'll lend you my jacket if you get too cold."

"Sae." The sudden firmness in your voice stunned him... did he do something wrong? Was he too forward? All the shuffling from his side stopped as if time stopped with him when he paused to listen to you. "Thank you for this and...

I love you, I didn't get to say that the last time you left." You decide to be frank because there is no point acting shy and coy around someone like Sae. Beating around the bush would only waste time - you conclude - and at least you'd get to process the heartbreak if he does reject you. Or perhaps, you were just too impatient to wait anymore. 4 years was much too long for you.

The background noise began again from his side and you hear a sigh - relief that that was all and he hadn't accidentally screwed things up.

"I've known for a long time." He admits, clamping the phone between his raised shoulder and ear whilst he fishes out something he hopes you'd like to see him in - even though he himself was unsure what that would be.

"Really?" You ask back. You didn't doubt him, but it sounded like he had so much more to say.

"Yeah." His words trailed off into silence, a momentary pause for him to think. He's known that what he felt for you was more complex than anything he's encountered before, feelings bubbling in his chest and far beyond his own comprehension. Judging by the way you struggled to say it to him at first, he could tell you were going through the same hardships as him.

It was commendable that you pushed past your own cowardice to tell him something so tender. Your future and friendship weigh heavy on his shoulders, and the last thing he's going to do is break your heart. He didn't forget you, he couldn't have forgotten you - you were his childhood sweetheart after all.

"And... I love you too."

Taglist: @dewwberry

[scekrex]

HIII🫶🫶🫶🫶💍💍💍

I had an idea for a adam xm!reader and its like reader became in a way a sort of friends with the main cast of the demons (Charlie, Vaggie angel ect.) and adam finds out about it when he finds reader with fat nuggets in hel for funzies idk im not so great at English its absolutely not my first language nor the second so if its a complicated idea you can just scrap it dww!!

Furthermore i hope you have a great rest of you’re day 🫶🫶

Sup hun, I simply assumed you mean angel!reader bc it makes the most sense (and it's what I've written) hope ya like it xoxo/p

Forbidden fruits cause damage

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language

note: not beta read bc fuck you I don't have beta readers

You knew you weren't allowed to, you knew that if Sera or the other seraphims were to find out, they wouldn't let you come back, that you would only see Adam once a year during extermination day and it really messed with your head to be constantly reminded of how tight heaven's rules were.

And yet you came back over and over again.

At first it had been to visit Charlie's hotel, to make sure she wasn't violating any rules heaven had made - that had been an order from Sera. But when Charlie had greeted you so warmly as if she was one of your closest friends and Niffty had dubbed you 'totally hot not-badboy' you couldn't resist when it came to visiting these shitheads.

At first your visits had been rare, they had been a once every couple month kinda deal, you needed to be careful not to draw any attention to you after all. But soon every couple months turned into once a month, once a month became once every two weeks and every two weeks quickly switched to every week.

And while heaven seemed to either not notice or not care enough - maybe they thought you were doing business with Lucifer, who knew - Adam noticed. Of course your boyfriend would notice that every week you'd suddenly disappear for an entire day. You always made sure to leave early in the morning to be back for dinner. However, whenever you left during the early morning hours Adam woke up due to the lack of warmth that you took with you when you left. He was a cuddly guy, even if he would never admit it so of course he would notice his beloved boyfriend’s absence.

Today was yet another day to visit hell. So you went down to hell early, you had left Adam a note that stated something along the lines of 'visiting Ma & Pa, see ya tonight, big guy'. He however wasn't buying any of it. You had once lied to him by telling him you were hanging out with a friend of yours and when Adam had left the apartment for a walk he had seen said friend alone. The same thing happened a couple weeks later again.

He crumbled the little note in his hand and threw it onto the bed. He trusted you, he really did, but then there were his insecurities. His first and second wife had both decided to cheat on him and leave him. What prevented you from doing so too? He didn't know and the thoughts of you fucking another guy were eating him alive.

What if you disappeared once a week to enjoy time with someone who was more charming and loving than him? With someone who'd constantly tell you how much he loves you instead of jokingly insulting you? He couldn't stand his mind for fucking him up so badly, he wanted to crash his head against a wall until it would split open, but he didn't.

Instead he snapped his fingers to let a small orb appear in front of him. The scene the orb showed him was fogged up at first but the picture got clearer only seconds later. He felt disgusting for spying on you, wanted to scratch the skin off of his bones and claw out his eyes but it was the only thing that quieted down his mind at least a little bit.

The orb showed you a bright smile on your face as you held a little pig, petting the small animal lovingly. Next to you stood Angel Dust.

Angel Dust?

“Fat Nuggets really loves you, y’know, poor baby always gets sad when you have to leave,” the pornstar explained with an arm wrapped around your shoulder. Adam couldn't believe what he was seeing. You were in hell, even worse: you were in hell to hang out with the demon scum like it was the most normal thing to do for an angel as pure as you were. The brunette was so overwhelmed by his feelings that he didn't even recognize it when the orb disappeared again, the only thing that was on his mind was why you didn't tell him.

You were apparently regularly hanging out in hell and instead of telling him you always made up some sad excuses why you were gone for the day. Did you not feel comfortable sharing such a big secret? Adam's mind went crazy, the wildest trains of thoughts were running through his head and there was not a single thing the first man was able to do about it, the only thing that was possible in a situation such as his was to take it.

-

When you got home that evening Adam was walking up and down in the living room. “You okay, babes?” you casually asked, your voice didn't indicate that you had been lying to him for months, it didn't indicate that you had just gotten back to heaven after spending the entire day with some demon fuck-ups. “You wanna explain me where the fuck you were?” Adam asked instead of answering your question and crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes gave away that he was pissed about something yet they were glued onto your body leaning against the door frame. “I wrote you a note, I was-” you were about to explain but the first man to ever be created didn't let you finish, “Fuck you and fuck your lies. You weren't visiting your parents bitch, you were in hell visiting the demon fuck-ups who think redemption is possible.”

You frowned at his words - yes that was true but how the fuck did Adam know about that? “What? So you were spying on me?” you questioned his behavior and stepped towards Adam. The brunette seemed to be close to crying yet his body was ready for a fist fight. “After I figured out you lied to me twice about hanging out with friends? Duh,” he made a hand movement that was supposed to symbolize something along the lines ‘obviously I did’.

You let out a deep sigh. He was right. And that was way too fucking hard to actually admit. But you swallowed your pride and gave in. You walked past him, your hand reached out for him but he flinched away from your touch which resulted in you sitting on the couch alone. He didn't move an inch from the spot he was standing on, the only thing he did was to turn around in order to look at you. “I’m sorry.” A look of surprise washed over the brunette's face and his body language visibly softened. He had expected many things but an apology without a fight hadn't been one of them. “What?” he dumbly asked as he blinked at you in confusion. His wings, which had been fluffed up to make him seem bigger than he already was, dropped until they were pressed against his sides again. His beautiful golden eyes which had been full of anger only moments ago had softened too, they reflected empathy.

You couldn't bring yourself to look him in the eyes as you continued to speak so you stared at the floor instead, “I’m sorry that I lied to you, that I visited hell without telling you, I know I should have but -” you shook your head as you paused for a moment. “No. No excuses. I was afraid of your reaction to it, I know you hate them, I know you hate their project but they're actually so sweet and caring and- and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about all of it. I should have shared this with you.”

Now it was Adam who sighed as he flopped down onto the couch next to you, he kept his distance though, “I don't fucking like that you're visiting them, what if one day you'll get locked out of heaven? The fuck am I supposed to do without you?” You glanced at him from the corner of your eyes. “I honestly don't fucking care who you're friends with and what they are. That's your fucking life, I won't control that shit, that's yours to decide. Just promise me to be fucking careful ‘n’ stop fucking lying to me about it.” You nodded silently, it was the only response that felt right in that moment.

“N remember, if I have to go to fucking hell just to fuck your juicy little ass, I fucking will. You're not safe from me, not even down there,” the grin in Adam's voice was audible and you peeked up a little only to see the taller man grinning down at you. That made you smile a little.

-

It was the next day that you called Charlie to inform her that you wouldn't be able to visit as regularly anymore. You weren't willing to risk everything, especially Adam. She being the supportive girl she was obviously understood. “Who are we talking to?” Adam asked sleepily as he entered the kitchen, the poor man had just woken up and followed your voice immediately. “Charlie,” you cheered at him, “You wanna say hi?” You held your phone in front of his face, his mimic was a mix between annoyance and sleepiness as he spoke, “Sup, bitch.” Then he went to make himself a coffee. “You want one too, babes?” he offered to you and you nodded before giving him a quick ‘thank you’ kiss. “Was that Adam?” Charlie asked in surprise over the phone. “Yeah, y’know how I told ya that we're dating?” Your words made pride bloom in Adam's chest, you had been talking to your new friends about him and you weren't hiding that he was your boyfriend even though Charlie and Adam weren't exactly on good terms. “Well yeah you mentioned that but I didn't think- nevermind. I hope you two have a wonderful morning, I assume we'll see each other in two months?” Lucifer's daughter seemed eager to get off the phone now that she knew that Adam was with you. You chuckled at that, “Yeah, sure, see ya then.”

Once the call ended Adam turned around with a sharp grin on his lips, “So, how's hell reacting to a pure babes like you dating me?”

[callsigns-haze]

But where's the fun in that?

Pairing: Azriel x reader Warning: This chapter contains explicit scenes of intimacy and references to strained family dynamics. SMUT Summary: In a tender moment of shared vulnerability and passion, YN finds solace in Azriel's unwavering support amidst family tensions and doubts about her identity. So this can be read alone or it can be read as the fourth part of Shadows Blade. Please go and check out the series!

As the day of the ceremony dawned, YN prepared herself with her usual practicality, opting for attire that reflected her fierce spirit and independence. She dressed in sleek black pants, accentuating her long legs, paired with a fancy black bra that added a touch of allure beneath her suit jacket. With every movement, she exuded confidence and strength, a warrior ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As Azriel entered their shared room, his eyes widened in appreciation at the sight of YN, his mate, looking breathtakingly beautiful in her unconventional attire. Unable to resist the pull of desire that surged through him at the sight of her, he closed the distance between them in quick strides, his heart pounding with longing.

"YN," he breathed, his voice husky with desire as he reached out to gently cup her cheek. "You look... incredible."

YN's cheeks flushed at his words, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she met his gaze with a mixture of amusement and affection. "Thank you, Az," she replied, her voice tinged with warmth. "I wanted to feel like myself today."

Azriel's hands trailed down her arms, his touch igniting a fire within her as he drew her closer to him, their bodies fitting together like two halves of a whole. "You always do," he murmured, his voice filled with adoration. "You're perfect just the way you are."

Lost in the intensity of their connection, Azriel leaned in to capture YN's lips in a passionate kiss, his desire for her burning brighter than ever before. In that moment, there was no ceremony, no family drama, just the two of them, wrapped up in each other's love and desire.

As Azriel's lips trailed along the curve of YN's neck, igniting a trail of fire wherever they touched, she couldn't help but let out a soft gasp of pleasure. The sensation sent shivers of delight coursing through her veins, her heart racing with the intensity of their connection.

"Mmm, Az," she murmured, her voice husky with desire as she tilted her head to grant him better access. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I just got dressed."

Azriel's lips curved into a playful smirk against her skin, his breath hot against her neck as he replied, "I can see that. But you look far too tempting to resist."

YN couldn't help but laugh at his response, the sound ringing out in the quiet of their room. "You're incorrigible," she teased, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer.

Azriel's hands roamed over her body, his touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through her as he whispered against her skin, "Only when it comes to you, my love."

Lost in the intensity of their passion, YN surrendered herself to the heat of the moment, reveling in the intoxicating sensation of Azriel's touch. In that moment, there was nothing else in the world but the two of them, their love a flame that burned bright and unyielding against the backdrop of their shared desire.

As the passion between Azriel and YN intensified, their desires consuming them in a fiery embrace, a familiar voice echoed through Azriel's mind, breaking through the haze of desire with unexpected amusement.

"Ah, Az, my friend," Rhysand's voice teased, his tone filled with playful amusement. "I hate to interrupt such a passionate moment, but I thought I should remind you that the group is waiting downstairs."

Azriel's eyes widened in surprise at the intrusion, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he realized they had gotten carried away in the heat of the moment. He pulled back slightly, his gaze meeting YN's with a mix of sheepishness and amusement.

"Rhys," he muttered inwardly, his thoughts laced with chagrin. "You couldn't have waited a few minutes longer?"

YN couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange, her own amusement evident as she met Azriel's gaze with a playful glint in her eyes. "Looks like we've been caught," she teased, her voice tinged with laughter.

Azriel pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, his affectionate gesture a silent apology for the interruption. "Seems like it," he murmured, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Shall we go downstairs and face the music?"

With a shared laugh, Azriel and YN straightened their attire, their passion momentarily set aside as they prepared to join their friends and family for the ceremony. And as they made their way downstairs, hand in hand, they knew that no matter what surprises awaited them, as long as they had each other, they could handle anything that came their way.

As Azriel and YN descended the stairs, hand in hand, they were greeted by the familiar sight of their friends gathered in the grand hall, their faces alight with anticipation and excitement for the upcoming ceremony. Rhysand, Feyre, Cassian, and the others stood together, their expressions a mix of warmth and camaraderie as they welcomed the couple into their midst.

"About time you two joined us," Cassian teased with a grin, his tone playful as he nudged Azriel's shoulder. "We were starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost up there."

Azriel chuckled at his friend's jest, a hint of color dusting his cheeks as he exchanged a knowing glance with YN. "You know us, always fashionably late," he replied with a wry smile, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Feyre stepped forward, her smile radiant as she enveloped YN in a warm embrace. "You look stunning, YN," she said sincerely, her voice filled with admiration. "Both of you do."

YN returned the embrace with gratitude, her heart swelling with affection for her dear friend. "Thank you, Feyre," she replied, her voice filled with genuine appreciation. "It means a lot."

Rhysand clapped Azriel on the back, a grin spreading across his face as he surveyed the group. "Well, now that the lovebirds have finally graced us with their presence," he said with a chuckle, "shall we get this show on the road?"

With a collective nod of agreement, the group made their way to the ceremony venue, laughter and conversation flowing freely as they prepared to celebrate the bravery and camaraderie that bound them together. And as Azriel and YN joined their friends, surrounded by love and support, they knew that no matter what the future held, as long as they had each other and their cherished friends by their side, they could face anything that came their way with courage and resilience. For their bond was unbreakable, a testament to the enduring power of love and friendship in the face of adversity.

As YN stood among her friends, waiting for her siblings to arrive, she couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and apprehension swirling within her. Her heart ached with the absence of her parents, who had passed away, leaving her with only her siblings as her remaining family.

"I'm excited for you to meet my siblings," YN said, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness as she glanced around at her friends. "Stel is the kind one, the sweetest soul you'll ever meet. She's the mother of my nephew Rylie, and she's always been there for me, through thick and thin."

There was a warmth in YN's voice as she spoke of her sister, a fondness that spoke volumes of the love she held for her. Stel was a source of comfort and support in YN's life, a beacon of light in the darkness.

"My brother Mar is also kind and gentle," YN continued, her gaze softening with affection. "But my parents... they banned him from the family when they found out he was gay."

A heaviness settled over the group at YN's words, a reminder of the cruelty and prejudice that still lingered in the world. But despite the pain of rejection, YN spoke of her brother with love and acceptance, a testament to the bond that bound them together, even in the face of adversity.

"And then there's Lilith," YN said, her voice faltering slightly as she spoke of her oldest sister. "She's... different. She's always looked down upon me, judged me for who I am."

There was a sadness in YN's eyes as she spoke of Lilith, a painful reminder of the strained relationship that existed between them. But despite the distance and animosity that separated them, YN couldn't help but hold out hope for reconciliation, for the chance to mend the broken bonds of their fractured family.

The silence that enveloped the group was broken by the sound of a young voice calling out for YN, and as they turned, their eyes fell upon a small figure darting through the crowd. With a burst of energy and excitement, YN's nephew, Rylie, broke free from his mother's grasp and made a beeline towards his beloved aunt.

"YN!" Rylie exclaimed, his voice filled with joy as he threw himself into her arms, his laughter ringing out like music in the air.

YN's heart swelled with affection as she scooped her nephew up into a tight embrace, her own laughter mingling with his as she showered him with kisses and affection. "Rylie, my sweet boy," she said, her voice filled with love. "I've missed you so much."

The tension that had lingered in the air dissolved in an instant, replaced by the infectious warmth and joy of the reunion between aunt and nephew. Around them, the group couldn't help but smile at the heartwarming scene unfolding before their eyes, their hearts touched by the deep bond of love and affection that existed between YN and Rylie.

Stel approached, a smile on her face as she watched her son reunite with his aunt. "I'm sorry, YN," she said, her voice tinged with amusement. "He insisted on seeing you right away."

YN shook her head, her own smile bright as she hugged her sister. "It's alright," she replied, her voice filled with warmth. "I'm just happy to see him."

With Rylie still nestled in her arms, YN turned to her sister, Stel, and beamed with pride as she made the introductions. "Everyone, this is my sister, Stel, and her son, Rylie," she announced, her voice filled with affection and warmth.

Stel smiled warmly at the gathered group, her eyes shining with genuine kindness. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," she said, her voice soft yet sincere. "Thank you for welcoming us."

The members of the inner circle greeted Stel and Rylie with smiles and nods of acknowledgment, their warmth evident as they exchanged pleasantries and shared in the joy of the reunion. Rhysand and Feyre knelt down to Rylie's level, engaging him in playful conversation and laughter, while Cassian and the others offered Stel words of welcome and friendship.

Rylie, wide-eyed and eager, took in the sight of the inner circle with awe and curiosity, his excitement palpable as he soaked in the new surroundings and faces around him. "Wow," he breathed, his eyes sparkling with wonder. "Are all of you really friends with Aunt YN?"

The inner circle laughed at Rylie's enthusiasm, charmed by his innocence and enthusiasm. "We are indeed," Rhysand replied with a grin, ruffling the young boy's hair affectionately. "Your aunt is a very special person to all of us."

As the introductions continued and the bonds of friendship and kinship deepened, YN felt a swell of gratitude in her heart. Surrounded by her loved ones, both old and new, she knew that she was truly blessed to have such a supportive and caring inner circle by her side.

As Rylie, with the knowledge of his Illyrian heritage, bombarded the inner circle with questions, the atmosphere brimmed with the vibrant energy of his youthful curiosity. His inquiries spanned a wide array of topics, from the mundane to the profound, his insatiable thirst for knowledge propelling him to seek answers from those around him.

"Why are your wings different from Cassian's?" he asked Azriel, his gaze alight with wonder as he observed the subtle variations in their wing structure.

Azriel smiled indulgently at the young boy, impressed by his keen observation. "Well, Rylie," he began, crouching down to meet the boy's eye level, "each Illyrian's wings are unique, just like fingerprints. They're a reflection of who we are and where we come from."

Rylie nodded, absorbing the information with eager fascination before turning to Rhysand with another question. "Can you do magic, like Papa says you can?" he inquired, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Rhysand chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes as he responded, "Indeed, Rylie. I possess certain abilities that allow me to manipulate magic. But like any skill, it requires practice and discipline to master."

The young boy's curiosity seemed boundless as he moved from one member of the inner circle to another, his questions flowing freely like a stream of inquiry. Each answer sparked new questions, each explanation deepening his understanding of the world around him.

As the conversation unfolded, YN couldn't help but marvel at her nephew's insatiable thirst for knowledge, his Illyrian heritage evident in the sharpness of his intellect and the depth of his curiosity. Surrounded by her loved ones, she felt a swell of pride and gratitude, knowing that moments like these were precious reminders of the beauty and wonder of life.

And as Rylie's questions filled the air with laughter and conversation, YN found solace in the warmth of their bond.

As Rylie suddenly dashed off, his small feet carrying him with youthful exuberance, the group exchanged puzzled glances before realizing the reason behind his impromptu departure. With a shared understanding, they followed the direction of the young boy's flight, their curiosity piqued as they caught sight of a figure standing at the entrance.

There, standing with a hesitant smile on his face, was Mar, YN's long-estranged brother. His presence seemed to cast a ripple of emotions through the group, a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and perhaps even a hint of apprehension.

"Mar," YN called out softly, her voice tinged with a mixture of relief and uncertainty as she approached her brother.

Mar turned towards the sound of her voice, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of emotions. "YN," he replied, his voice hesitant yet filled with warmth. "It's been too long."

The siblings embraced, a silent acknowledgment of the years that had passed and the wounds that had yet to heal. Around them, the inner circle watched with bated breath, their hearts heavy with the weight of the familial reunion unfolding before their eyes.

Rylie, sensing the significance of the moment, approached his uncle with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. "Uncle Mar," he exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder. "You're really here!"

Mar smiled at his nephew, a sense of tenderness softening the lines of his face. "Yes, Rylie," he replied, his voice filled with affection. "I'm here."

With a mixture of pride and apprehension, YN stepped forward, her hand resting gently on her brother's arm as she addressed the gathered group. "Everyone, this is my brother, Mar," she began, her voice steady despite the emotions churning within her. "He's... he's come to join us today."

The members of the inner circle regarded Mar with a mixture of curiosity and warmth, their expressions softening as they took in the sight of the long-lost sibling standing before them. There was a sense of solemnity in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the significance of the moment.

"Mar, these are my friends," YN continued, gesturing to each member of the inner circle in turn. "Rhysand, Feyre, Cassian, Azriel... all of them. They've been like family to me."

Mar nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group with a mixture of gratitude and humility. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," he said, his voice tinged with emotion. "Thank you for welcoming me."

Rhysand stepped forward, extending his hand in a gesture of friendship. "The pleasure is ours, Mar," he replied, his tone sincere. "YN means a great deal to us, and anyone she considers family is welcome among us."

As Mar exchanged greetings with each member of the inner circle, a sense of warmth and acceptance settled over the group. Despite the years of separation and the wounds of the past, there was a glimmer of hope in the air, a belief that perhaps, in the embrace of family and friends, healing and reconciliation were possible.

As Mar leaned in to deliver the news, YN's heart sank with a heavy sense of disappointment, though it was not entirely unexpected. She nodded silently, her expression betraying a mixture of resignation and sadness as she processed the information.

"I'm sorry, YN," Mar whispered softly, his voice filled with sympathy. "Lilith... she's not coming. She decided to cancel last minute."

YN sighed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of disappointment. Despite the strained relationship she shared with her oldest sister, a part of her had still hoped for the possibility of reconciliation, of bridging the divide that had long separated them.

"It's alright, Mar," YN replied, her voice tinged with resignation. "I saw this coming. Lilith and I... we've never seen eye to eye."

Mar placed a comforting hand on YN's shoulder, offering her a silent gesture of support and understanding. "I'm here for you, YN," he said softly. "Whatever you need."

With a grateful nod, YN leaned into her brother's touch, finding solace in the warmth of his presence. Despite the absence of her sister, she knew that she was not alone, that she had a family who stood by her side through thick and thin.

With a solemn yet resolute tone, Rhys stepped forward, commanding the attention of the gathered group. His voice, steady and authoritative, cut through the air, bringing a hush to the room as all eyes turned to him.

"Friends," he began, his words carrying the weight of significance, "today, we gather to honor bravery, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds that unite us as family."

There was a sense of reverence in the air as Rhys spoke, his words resonating with each member of the inner circle, reminding them of the challenges they had faced and the victories they had won together.

"We stand on the precipice of a new chapter," Rhys continued, his gaze sweeping over the assembled group, "a chapter filled with hope, resilience, and the unwavering determination to forge a brighter future for ourselves and those we hold dear."

As Rhys concluded his speech, a ripple of applause broke out among the gathered group, a testament to the strength of their unity and the depth of their resolve. With a nod of acknowledgment, Rhys signaled for the ceremony to begin, setting into motion a series of events that would honor the bravery and valor of those who had stood against adversity and emerged victorious.

----

With the weight of the ceremony behind them, the inner circle began to disperse, each member bidding farewell to loved ones and friends. For YN, the moment came to say her final goodbyes to her family, a bittersweet reminder of the ties that bound her to both the past and the present.

As she embraced Stel, Rylie, and Mar one last time, a sense of gratitude welled within her. Despite the challenges they had faced and the distances that had separated them, their bond remained unbreakable, a testament to the enduring power of family.

Once the farewells were said and her family departed, YN found herself swept up in Azriel's arms, his strength and warmth a comforting presence amidst the whirlwind of emotions that swirled within her.

"You're making a habit of this, aren't you?" YN teased, her voice tinged with laughter as Azriel carried her through the corridors of the Night Court.

Azriel chuckled, his eyes alight with amusement as he met her gaze. "Can you blame me?" he replied, his tone playful. "You're much easier to carry than you are to keep up with."

YN rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face betrayed her amusement. "I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own," she countered, though there was no real protest in her voice.

Azriel flashed her a mischievous grin, his eyes twinkling with affection as he continued on their journey. "Perhaps," he conceded, "but where's the fun in that?"

As they reached their room, Azriel gently set YN down, his arms still wrapped around her as they stood face to face. In the quiet intimacy of the moment, surrounded by the warmth of their love, YN felt a sense of peace wash over her.

As Azriel's gentle hands traced the contours of YN's body, a shiver of anticipation coursed through her, igniting a fiery warmth deep within her core. With each lingering touch, she felt herself surrendering to the intoxicating sensation of his love, her skin ablaze with desire beneath his tender ministrations.

With practiced ease, Azriel began to undress her, his movements slow and deliberate as he removed each garment with reverent care. As the fabric fell away, leaving YN bare and vulnerable before him, she felt a rush of exhilaration mingled with a sense of profound intimacy.

With a soft sigh, YN leaned into Azriel's touch, her hands finding their way to his skin as she returned his caresses with equal fervor. The air between them crackled with electricity, each fleeting touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through her veins.

As they stood entwined in each other's arms, the world around them faded into oblivion, leaving only the two of them locked in a timeless embrace. With a hunger born of passion and longing, Azriel's lips found YN's, their mouths melding together in a searing kiss that spoke of unspoken desires and unbridled passion.

Slowly, almost reverently, Azriel began to kiss his way down YN's naked form, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they explored every curve and contour of her body. With each kiss, YN's breath hitched in her throat, her senses overwhelmed by the heady rush of pleasure that consumed her.

As Azriel's lips finally found their way to the apex of her desire, YN gasped in ecstasy, her body arching instinctively towards his touch. In that moment of pure abandon, she surrendered herself completely to the overwhelming tide of sensation, her world narrowing down to the exquisite pleasure of Azriel's touch and the boundless love that flowed between them.

As Azriel's tongue delved deeper, exploring the depths of YN's desire, she couldn't help but cry out his name in ecstasy. Each flick of his tongue sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her body, igniting a fierce fire of longing deep within her core.

With every tantalizing movement, Azriel teased and taunted, his ministrations driving YN to the brink of madness. Her cries of pleasure echoed off the walls of their chamber, filling the air with the sweet symphony of their passion.

As YN writhed beneath him, lost in the throes of ecstasy, Azriel's touch grew bolder, his tongue tracing intricate patterns of desire against her skin. He relished in the taste of her, savoring every moan and whimper that escaped her lips, his own desire mounting with each passing moment.

With a devilish grin, Azriel intensified his assault, his tongue dancing with expert precision as he teased her to the edge of oblivion. He reveled in the intoxicating power he held over her, his every touch driving her wild with desire.

And as YN's screams reached a crescendo, her body trembling with the force of her release, Azriel drank in the sight of her pleasure with greedy abandon. He was consumed by the raw intensity of their connection, his own desire burning bright as he lost himself in the sweet bliss of their union.

As YN slowly descended from the dizzying heights of pleasure, her body still thrumming with the aftershocks of ecstasy, Azriel couldn't resist the urge to tease her further. With a wicked glint in his eyes, he trailed feather-light kisses along her heated skin, reveling in the way her body quivered beneath his touch.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Azriel murmured, his voice husky with desire as he peppered YN's neck and collarbone with teasing kisses. He delighted in the way her breath hitched in response, her fingers tangling in his hair as she arched towards him, seeking more of his intoxicating touch.

YN's cheeks flushed with a mixture of arousal and embarrassment as Azriel continued to tease her, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She squirmed beneath him, her body still sensitive to his every touch, but unable to resist the heady allure of his ministrations.

"Stop teasing," YN pleaded, her voice a breathless whisper as she struggled to maintain her composure in the face of Azriel's relentless teasing. But even as she protested, her desire burned bright, aching for more of his touch, more of his love.

Azriel chuckled softly, his laughter a melodic symphony in the quiet intimacy of their chamber. "But where's the fun in that?" he teased, his lips curling into a playful smile as he continued to torment her with feather-light caresses and tantalizing kisses.

With each passing moment, YN found herself falling deeper under Azriel's spell, her body awash with longing and desire. And as they lost themselves in the intoxicating dance of pleasure and passion, she knew that there was nowhere else she'd rather be than in the arms of the man she loved, teased and tantalized by his irresistible charm.

Tagging some:

@callsign-magnolia

@hardballoonlove

@senawashere

@hookslove1592

@marvel-molly

@lucky7rosie

[teddypan]

I'm sleep deprived and got random thoughts about Niragi... So I wrote this

Honestly, I was bored and tried writing something for the first time, English isn't my first language so there may be some mistakes

Warnings: little angst, an attempt at comfort, mention of sex, Niragi, made by a sleep-deprived soul

The reader is annoyed with Niragi and decides to do something about it

You had enough, ever since you came to the beach, and it's been going on for some time now, it seemed like Niragi's main job was to annoy you.

You were relaxing by the pool? He had to throw remarks your way. You were on patrol? God forbid if he didn't try to poke some idiocy into your brain. Finally, had free time to relax in your room? Nope, he had to find some problem that you specifically had to go and resolve.

As it went on, solely the sigh of his tall lanky ass made you angry, the worst thing? He did it all with a smirk on his face, fully knowing what impact it had on you. Thankfully for other residents of the beach, you controlled yourself and simply ignored him. Which, mind you, he didn't like. Everyone could see, that he wanted to get a reaction out of you.

Till today,

you just came back from a game. It was four spades and it was supposed to be easy since spades are your specialty, as a professional stunt woman for action scenes. But no, not today. Not only were your teammates useless, they nearly got you killed because of questioning your capability. The game was finished only thanks to you, and it made you angry like nothing before. Out of five people, three died because of their idiocy.

When you came back, with an irritated face and first clenched to the point of making your palms bleed, your mind pointed to a bar with alcohol. He chose to speak and break your last straw.

"Hah, how did you manage to kill them in that? Did they have to save your ass like every guy you know?" ...

That was it, at this point he could say anything and it still would do the same thing.

Stopping in your track, you turned around and walked to him. Grasped his sleeve and started walking towards your room. "Oh, did you finally realize you want me?" He asked. With no reply from you, he still allowed you to drag him with no resistance.

The moment you both entered your room, he tried to kiss you. But boy he wasn't prepared for your push. Stumbling he fell on your bed, getting the breath knocked out of him. His rifle lying forgotten somewhere on the floor.

His eyes were in full-blow shock, looking at you, only his upper body had slightly risen, his chest rising in jagged intervals.

At that moment you knew what you wanted to do, he wanted a reaction, and he will get one. With confined steps, you strode toward him eyes hooded with a mixture of lust and rage.

"you don't have to be so pushy, I would have gone to bed either way or are you that eager for me," Niragi said in a joking manner. But with you not saying anything, he started to look unsure

"hey, answer me when I ta-" before he could finish, you were standing above him. His words cough in his throat, the look you were giving him made chills run up his spine.

Hard, cold, and predatory. After a long time, he felt small, weak, frozen in place unable to move. His body wasn't listening to him. Niragi felt hopeless, your eyes reminded him of his school days.

As you were standing above him, you saw fear, he started to draw fast breaths. His face lost its color, his eyes became unfocused almost as if he started to have a panic attack. By your proximity, you could notice his trembling.

Then it happened, out of his throat come a soft gasp, followed by a whimper right after. Almost instantly he pulled his arms over his head like he wanted to protect his face. He wasn't crying, but soft gasps and whispers could be heard as if he was in pain.

Niragi couldn't see anymore, he was remembering, feeling like he was back under the bridge. It hurt, why was he weak, what did he do to get this treatment? He was out of it, almost like in trance.

That's when all your anger disappeared, yeah he may be a jerk and maniac. But he only annoyed you compared to others and it was bearable honestly. So at that moment you slowly sat on the bed to not alarm him. Leaned towards him and pulled his trembling form slowly into the arms.

Now you were sitting on the bed, with Niragi in your arms, leaning on you. After a while, as he heard your heart, he slowly calmed down and stopped making sounds and trembling. That's when he sat up completely, separating from you.

"you didn't see shit, you hear me? Nothing happens, forget everything if you tell someone I will-" Niragi closed his mouth when he saw the look in your eyes. "Yeah, I haven't seen anything, no worries," You said.

With that, he stood up, picked up his rifle, gave you a last look, and without a word left your room

After he left you lay on your bed thinking, about how this incident will change the dynamic between you two. It made you curious to know what made him act that way. With that, you closed your eyes and went to sleep.

[mimisempai]

The end of loneliness

Summary

As Aziraphale watches Crowley having fun with Muriel, he realizes how lonely the demon has been until now.

Maybe today's the day to put an end to it?

Notes

The characters have done as they pleased once again...

On Ao3

Rating G -  1255 words

Aziraphale was putting away the last of the books that had suffered during the demon invasion when his eyes were drawn to some movement across the street.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw that it was Crowley who seemed to be bickering with Muriel in the coffee shop.

The angel watched with amusement as Nina pushed them both out of the coffee shop. Then he saw something surprising: once outside, the demon and the angel started laughing together.

Aziraphale felt his throat tighten with emotion as he watched the scene. He was touched to see Crowley connect with other people, and it reminded him of their conversation after saving Job's children.

Aziraphale looked at Crawley, who was staring at the horizon ahead of them, and asked as he sat down, "But what am I?" 

Crawley looked straight ahead and replied softly, "You're just an angel who goes with Heaven as far as he can. 

Aziraphale looked up quickly at the sky and said sadly, "That sounds..."

Crawley looked at him and finished his sentence, "Lonely?" 

Aziraphale nodded and watched as the demon confirmed that this was the case.

Then he replied, almost in despair, "But you said it wasn't." 

Crawley said lightly, smiling, "I'm a demon. I lied."

For the first time in all these years, Aziraphale wondered how lonely the demon had been all along.

Over time, their two loneliness had gradually brought them closer together, forming what Crowley called their group of two.

Though their encounters had initially been far apart in time since Job, Aziraphale, though unwilling to admit it openly, had never really felt alone, knowing that somewhere there was someone like him. Even if they weren't on the same side.

Crowley, who was almost always the one who came to him.

Crowley, who was the one who made the move when they had a disagreement.

Aziraphale called himself an idiot for not seeing anything. Safe in his little shop, with his books, his good wine, and his little restaurants. Comfortable in his little life.

Crowley sat across from him and asked directly, "So, what's the problem?" 

Aziraphale replied, "Problem? Who said there was a problem?"

Crowley replied as if it were common sense, "Tone of voice. You have three reasons for calling me: you're bored, you need to tell someone about something clever you did before you pop, or something's wrong."

He paused and added, "That was your 'something's wrong' voice."

It really was like that, wasn't it?

Aziraphale had given Crowley the impression that he was convenient, and Crowley had agreed every time because he was lonely.

Crowley who slept in his car with his plants instead of asking Aziraphale for a place to stay.

Crowley who asked for nothing and graciously accepted the crumbs Aziraphale gave him.

Well, that was about to change, starting now.

Aziraphale looked at Crowley, who was having fun at Muriel's expense like an older teasing brother, and then decided to go out and join them.

When Crowley saw him arrive, he gently chased Muriel in the direction of the record store. Muriel, who was becoming increasingly bold, must have made some cheeky remark to him, for he took on a scolding air as she walked away with a bouncing step strangely similar to the demon's own.

Aziraphale said with an amused expression as he reached the demon, "So, having fun, kids?"

"Angel...not you, please."

Aziraphale hooked onto the demon's arm and said softly, "Come on Crowley, let's take a walk, shall we?"

Though the demon, as usual, resisted, he let himself be dragged along, and as they strolled leisurely through the streets of their neighborhood, Aziraphale had the pleasure of seeing several of the shopkeepers greet them. Both of them.

"Why are you smiling, Angel?" the demon asked, looking at him a little confused.

Aziraphale replied kindly, "Well, it pleases me to see that you have acquaintances in this neighborhood as well."

Crowley shrugged, "Nonsense, they know you, I'm just tolerated."

"Oh, that's the good lad!"

They were interrupted by Mrs. Sandwich, who greeted them.

Crowley replied, "I told you I was neither a lad nor good.

Mrs. Sandwich leaned forward and whispered, "Perhaps not the former, but I'm sure of the latter. I know the nature of men, you see. I know when I see a good one."

Then she turned to Aziraphale, "Don't let him get away, Mr. Fell."

Aziraphale smiled back and replied, "I have no intention of doing that, dear lady."

They continued their little tour, and on the way back, as they passed Maggie's store, she called out to them, or rather to Crowley, "Thank you! Thanks to you I got a good deal," she said, waving a bundle of old records.

Crowley nodded and they continued on their way.

Aziraphale gave him a little nudge on the shoulder and said simply, with a small smile on his lips, "So, just like that, you're just tole..."

Crowley huffed, "Shut up, angel!"

The small smile didn't leave the angel's lips because he knew deep down that Crowley appreciated it.

They arrived at the Bentley and Aziraphale stopped and turned to face the demon.

The angel pointed to the car and said in a clear, confident voice, "Well, my dear, why don't we take your plants to the bookshop and find a permanent place for them?"

Crowley gasped and asked, "Angel? What do you mean?"

Aziraphale replied softly, "Nothing more than what I just said."

He opened the car door and grabbed a box of plants, forcing the demon to follow.

They set the plants down in a corner after entering the store, and Crowley stood in front of the angel, asking a little sharply, "Angel! Explain yourself!"

Aziraphale moved closer to him and took both his hands in his.

He said softly, "Well, I'm offering you and your plants a permanent place here. Crowley, I don't want to be alone here anymore, and I don't want you to be alone in your car. We've spent too much time alone. You so much more than me."

Crowley shook his head and, trying to break free, said abruptly, "I don't want your pity!"

Aziraphale held him back and replied in the same soft voice, "Crowley, please, this isn't about pity. It's about us. About stopping lying to ourselves. I want you to be with me. All the time. Don't you? The Bentley is already our car. Don't deny it, it likes me as much as it likes you. So why shouldn't the bookstore be our home? What do you think my dear?"

Crowley scrutinized the Angel for a few seconds in silence before replying in a voice slightly hoarse with emotion, "Be careful, Angel. Because if we do this, I may never leave again."

Aziraphale chuckled slightly, "But I do hope you won't"

Crowley freed himself, cupped the angel's face in his hands, and, bringing his face close to his, said in a voice he could no longer hide the emotion in, "Then, yes. Let's make this our home."

The angel smiled softly and said in a voice as full of emotion as the demon's, "So, let me say, welcome home, my dear."

Crowley closed the distance between them and pressed his lips tenderly against the Angel's. 

They remained entwined in the middle of the shop for a long time.

For the first time after so long, they enjoyed what humans called home.

Isn’t it lonely?

Not anymore.

Never again.

Neither of them would ever feel lonely again.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[pavardscherie]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYgTtWwR/

You can't tell me that's not how Benji would be in the morning <333 He's for sure so clingy and cuddly <3 could you write something about it?

benji not letting you get up when he has a day off but you have to get to work. oh gosh, i need a benjamin pavard.

the dim, yellow light of the sun shane through the sheer curtains in front of the window. another day announced itself, the early monday morning after a long weekend filled with training sessions and the game.

while benjamin was blessed with two days off, you did not have the chance to sleep in. your boss waited at work, and the next article wouldn‘t get done without your creativity. the new magazine depended on your punctual arrival at the building.

the back of your hand rubbed over your closed eyes, attempting to wipe out the remains of sleep. the early mornings after such an eventful weekend always became the most stressful. accompanying benjamin to his games was exciting, you loved seeing him on the pitch but it also, took away hours you could spend writing an article.

letting your palms wander over the tired muscles of your face. you carefully pushed your exhausted body off the bed. the charcoal duvets brushed off your legs, the warmth of a calm spring morning welcomed you.

getting up before benjamin always seemed like a horrific scene. his muscular arm draped over your waist, the fingertips tightly holding onto the material of the oversized shirt, which belonged to the man beside you, you chose to sleep in.

carefully, and very slowly to not wake him up, you peeled of his fingers without much resistance and placed the palm against the cold material of the mattress. even when he was slightly snoring, and sprawled out on the bed, laying on his stomach, benjamin pavard was a sight for sore eyes.

hazelnut curls stuck to his forehead, and couldn't be more of a mess than in the morning. one arm placed underneath his head for more comfort, the other laid where you placed it. lids closed, hiding the beauty of chestnut and caramel which wrapped around his black pupils. blanket draped over his lower half, the hem of his boxershorts still showing. broad shoulders on display, the muscles mildly flexing when benjamin inhaled a deep breath.

pulling yourself out of the trance from watching benjamin sleep, you swung your legs to the right. naked feet touched the fluffy carpet underneath the king-sized bed and you slowly stood up, leaving the comforts of his embrace and the warmth of the duvets.

grabbing your phone from the nightstand, you glanced over your shoulder to make sure that benjamin was still deeply resting from the exhausting weekend. prepared to tip-toe out of the bedroom, you took the first step when you almost jumped.

a warm hand wrapped around your wrist, keeping you in place before quickly pulling you back onto the bed. two warms wrapped around your chest and kept you in a tight hug. the gestures were quicker than you could react, and you found yourself back in the arms of your lover.

"ben.." you whispered, letting your delicate fingers brush through the mess of curls on top of his head. he still had his lids closed, or better had them closed again, resting with you in his arms. a satisfied groan slipped out of his mouth when you touched him, and you couldn't hide the smile that tugged on the corners of your lips.

"ben, i have to get to work." you remarked, reminding him again that today was monday, and a normal work day for you. wiggling from left to right, attempting to get out of his grip, benjamin simply tightened his arms around your upper body.

"i don't care." he muttered, scooting closer to you. tilting the head slightly down, his warm mouth pressed featherlight kisses around your jaw, and the side of your throat. "you can stay home today."

"as much as i would like that, i don't think you're making that decision." you chuckled, attempting once again to peel his arms off your figure. it was difficult to ignore the small pecks blown against your skin, benjamin always knew what kind of tactics he had to use, to keep you with him. plans were canceled way too quickly once his lips found yours, even the girls' nights out when the other lads of bayern münchen did not have time for a meeting.

"i will call your boss." he breathed against your skin, his voice a mixture of soft and raspy. "right ben." you did not take his comments seriously, knowing how angry your boss will be once he realises you're being unpunctual once again. it happened way too often in the past, after benjamin kept you longer in his arms, declined the early return home while celebrating one of his friends birthday, or planning a surprise trip with you to another city, or to his parents, without giving you a hint.

"he likes me, he knows who i am. i will just offer him tickets for the next game and he will give you a couple of days off." pushing himself up on the right lower arm, benjamin hovered above your body now. his face merely inches away from yours, the warmth of his breath fanning over the tip of your nose and the upper lip. "you can't bribe people, ben. i don't like it."

"but, you like me. and i'd do more than bribe people to keep you in bed with me." the right corner of his mouth lifted into a lazy but satisfied smile. he was exhausted, the entire weekend was packed with training sessions and a particularly hard game against paris saint-germain to stay in the champions league. he earned himself a second booking, but it was worth it to recover from the strict timetable.

"you're an ass, i hope, you know that." you wrapped your warms around benjamin's neck, carefully pulling down on top of you and closing the gap between your lips. a soft, very slow-moving, kiss.

[fadinglandtragedy]

POTO Korea Review

August 9, 2023 Seoul

Cast : Jeon dong-seok, Sohn ji-soo, Song won-geun

[first review]

This one was my favorite.

JDS is insane. His voice is in the best shape these days, and his performance is very engaging. He seems to be gradually stepping out of the shadow of the Y&K Phantom and steadily building his own phantom. He still can't quite touch Christine and doesn't know how to treat her, but his attitude and mood captures the sassiness of the ALW phantom.

It's been a few days since I saw his previous performance, but I was surprised to see that his movements were more organized. This time I was able to see him more closely from a different angle, he really organized his hair nicely and walked like this :

Now I know why Christine actresses said he was so cool in that moment. Really seductive.

And he kept trying to whisper in Christine's ear at MOTN. It was like... it was the one scene that summed up why Christine couldn't resist the Phantom.

At the Red death scene, I was told it’s an recording, but he broke through the recording and sang it really loudly live. (I think the people in the front row could hear it.) His voice and the recording resonated, which seemed like another Phantom’s trick. and reminded me of the LEROUX Phantom playing with his voice... It was quite fascinating.

PONR… I like that he matches his movements with her in the Christine part.

My favorite scene was the one in Final lair where he was arguing with Raoul behind the bars. The original line, ‘I love her, does that mean nothing?’ was changed to ‘I love her, Why don't you believe in love?’ in the Korean. JDS, who had been bit relaxed, was momentarily unable to hold back his tears. I realized that his Phantom was the one who believed in the miracle of love more than anyone else in this musical…

With that, he started crying a lot... again, and I think it was more than the last performance. He kept showing signs of pulling himself together to hit his lines (especially when he heard ‘I gave my mind blindly’), and I could keep hear him sobbing in the silences. really don't know how he sings steadily in the middle of that… When Christine came to return the ring, he looked like wanted to tell her not to, but all I could hear was a sob.

He's crying like the world is ending, and behind him, Raoul kisses Christine's hand… yes it’s sad but also too beautiful. Can’t deny it.

I know it’s weird, but I like the moment right before he lassoed Raoul the best. His impressive use of elongated limbs reminds me of Leroux's Phantom. Sexy

I'd love to see his phantom on west end stage, if that's possible.. he'd look better in west end makeup

The chemistry between JDS & SJS is really 🤌 They're both settling into their acting, and when JDS shows his charms, SJS responds well to it.

I think Sohn ji-soo is going to be my new favorite Christine… Her dialog is a little awkward, but she's a former opera singer, so she's very good at conveying emotion through song, and also (of course) a good singer.

Overall, she is more passive, serene, and calm than SEH Christine. This time I saw in her a Christine from the 90s and 00s. A very early, almost archetypal Christine. She plays Christine as fragile and vulnerable, but that's what makes her shine in the graveyard scene. While SEH showed us a beautifully radiant prima donna making her debut in TOM, SJS brings a lush sadness to the Wishing.

She seems overwhelmed with how to get through this, but in the end, she moves forward unbroken. So her first step, Wishing, is even more impressive.

Her feelings toward the Phantom are similar to those of a mortal facing the Absolute. In The mirror scene, she fearfully soothes the Phantom, but when his anger is unabated and he tries to reveal himself, she willingly tries to open the dressing room door, despite her fears.(She must have thought he would be at the door. Love this detail!)

She was afraid to face the Phantom in STYDI (on the other hand, SEH didn't avoid his gaze.), but when he turned away in pain, she reached out her hand as if she wanted to hug him.

In the Final lair, she's upset to see herself in a wedding dress, but when the Phantom starts singing (this face, which earned~), she turns toward him as if mesmerized. (This reminds me of Claire Lyon in PONR)

She was clearly afraid of him, but also attracted to him. It's such a natural and obvious Christine’s trait, but it was great to see it again with the chemistry between JDS and SJS. I still remember her reaching for him as he painfully yelled at her to leave…

I saw her respond to being told that she had the biggest role in Don Juan by saying, "me…?". Funnily enough, JDS once interviewed that when phantom said, 'I've written you an opera,' the 'you' was referring to Christine.

I thought that Christine would have instinctively sensed the Phantom's obsession and affection and already known that she would be the one to play Aminta, but her Christine seems to think that his anger is simply a hate of her.

She was a relatively innocent and naive Christine, which seemed to work well with JDS's romantic side.

She and SEH Christine both sing along Carlotta's TOM in small voice, which is a detail I love because it's so cute and shows their desire to sing🥹

Oh and Korean fans call her a hamster… i can understand. She’s so lovely Christine!

I’m not sure about SWG Raoul… his presence was barely felt. I'm not sure if it was tiredness or what, but his performance had very little impact, and I felt like I was watching a character from another musical he was in.

But he was definitely milder than HGH, and I love the detail of him hugging Christine in the final lair, even though he's in a lasso.

I really like LJY Carlotta! Her performance was appropriate and impressive as a prideful prima donna. At the same time, her mean and demanding personality was well portrayed, making her an appealing character. Like the scene in Il Muto where she throws Christine into bed (Andre's panicked reaction is hilarious) or in Don Juan rehearsal where she gently teaches Piangi and gets annoyed with Monsieur Reyer in an instant are good examples.

When she says "she’s crazy," it's no longer sarcastic, but more like she's looking at a mentally ill person with disdain, which, coupled with PHR Piangi's reaction afterward, further emphasizes the relationship between the Phantom and Christine. (It shows how strange their relationship is and that it can't be shared with anyone.)

There were a lot of little funny scenes. The most interesting was the conductor's panicked performance with Andre in the Il Muto ballet scene. It was quite funny to see her panicking, searching for the score, and ruffling her hair.

why do the ballet girls' screams seem to get louder and louder...? 😂

The supporting cast is also working well together, and the performance is gradually becoming more complete. I was actually thinking that this production might not be for me, but um now I just wish I could follow this show and witness every moment..

If you sit in the first row, your neck can get sore, and you can barely see the Phantom on the angel. On this day, JDS was very emotional and the angel was swaying SO much that I wondered what was going on overhead.

There are no tickets left for me right now, but I hope this isn't the last time I see his phantom. I'd love to see it again as a JDS/SJS/HGH/LJY pair if I get the chance🙏

[frogspond200]

𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙻𝚞𝚣 𝙿t.2

Requested By: Anon

Ask: Hi could I request a part 2 or your Yandere Luz story where

Luz finds the reader?

Warning: general Yandere behavior

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Sure! Here's part 2

After a month away from Luz, I was enjoying my newfound freedom. But one day, while I were strolling home, I heard a familiar voice from behind me. Suddenly, Luz materialized out of seemingly nowhere, and before I could react, she had already grabbed me, dragging me away into the shadows.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself bound and gagged in what appeared to be Luz's bedroom. Luz was standing over me, her eyes filled with a feral grin. She bent down close to my face, her breath warm and sweet-sm.

Luz's gaze was fixed intently on mine, seemingly studying my every reaction as I took in the scene around me. I couldn't make out much from the restraints, but I could tell that I was surrounded by piles of stuffed animals and other whimsical knick-knacks.

Luz took a step forward, running her fingers through my hair. "I missed you," she said in a soft, raspy whisper. "I couldn't let you leave me."

My eyes went wide with fear as I realized my predicament…

Luz took another step towards me, reaching up to caress my cheek. "You belong to me." she said, her voice full of passion. "You're safe here with me."

I struggled against their bindings, trying desperately to escape. But Luz only tightened her grasp on my arms, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I would never hurt you…" she said, her remark dripping with sweetness. "Stay with me, and I'll keep you safe forever."

I felt My heart racing as I stared up at Luz, torn between fear and fascination.

Luz's hands trailed down to my neck, her touch gentle yet firm. I could feel her thumb tracing their pulse as she leaned in closer. "I know you want this," she whispered, her tone intoxicating. "Trust me, you'll be much happier here with me."

I felt my resolve wavering as Luz's lips hovered just inches away from mine. Despite my fear, I found myself unable to resist the pull of her nearness. "Please," I managed to whisper, my voice barely above a murmur.

Luz's smile widened as she heard my plea, her lips slowly descending towards theirs. Just before she could reach the my lips, there was a knock on the door.

"Luz?" came a familiar voice. "Sweetie, is everything alright in there?"

Startled, Luz pulled away from me, her expression turning from one of passion to one of shock. She quickly unbound me and helped me sit up, but not before warning me to remain quiet.

As the two of us waited in silence, there was a soft knock on the door again. "Luz?" the voice asked again, this time with a hint of concern.

Luz's eyes darted around the room, clearly panicking. She didn't know how to explain me being in her room, and time was running out. "Stay quiet," she whispered, her tone urgent.

As the knock on the door grew louder, Luz's anxiety seemed to intensify. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a way out of the situation. Suddenly, a smile spread across her face. A plan had come to mind, a plan that could buy them more time.

Quickly, Luz opened the door and greeted her mother with a bright smile. "Hi mom!" she said cheerfully, her tone completely at odds with the tension that was still coursing through her veins.

When Luz's mom first saw me, her eyes widened in surprise. She had known her daughter had feelings for me and that she kept me before, she just wanted her daughter to be happy…but seeing the reader in this situationwasn't what she expected.

"D-Did you kidnap them again, hija?" she asked hesitantly, her tone filled with a mixture of happiness that I was back and worry.

Luz grinned mischievously at her mom, "How else do you expect me to get them to stay?" she answered.

(Here are two paths the story could go down.)

Path 1: The reader feels guilty about having to disappoint Luz, So they give in and say "I'll stay"

Path 2: Luz's mom stands up for you, reminding Luz that they should be free to make their own decisions and choose, and you ultimately decides to leave.

You choose

[bookwyrm35]

June 21:Character Arcs

At first I wanted this day to be about Quill because honestly he has one of the best character arcs in the story and I could talk about my son for hours- but I've changed my mind. Today I would like to confront Holly's character and how I my perseption of her changed as she did.

Holly started out as one of my least favorite characters. She came out of no where, swept both Lockwood and George off thier feet instantly, and in so many ways invaded the safe space that Portland Row was for Lucy. She felt strict and demanding and stuck out like a needling throne in the midst of the homely chaos of Lockwood and Co.

Another part of the reason I disliked Holly so much at this stage was that...she reminded me a lot of the parts I don't like about myself. She over-organized, picked other people apart, showed them their worst parts in contrast to her best, and had an overall aura of "I'm better than you".

My whole life I have wished to be a Lucy. To be brave and talented and confident but never vain or haughty. I've always wanted to build a place where I am the master of my fate, a place where I am surrounded by friends, a place that is entirely our own.

I've always feared that I'm more like Holly. Perceived as "perfect" and flattered to my face, but hated behind closed doors. My mind plays tricks on me and constantly tells me that I'm invading, I'm putting too much of myself into a place even if I just tidied up. Seeing a character like that so blatantly disliked in these books brought those ugly thoughts to the surface and, I'm ashamed to say it, but instead of taking comfort or solidarity in Holly I turned my hatred of myself to hatred of her.

And then... the Poltergeist of Aickmere's happened. I had to take a moment in the middle of thier argument because Lucy didn't. I know she couldn't, not really, but I had to take a step back in that moment and realize a few things. This is when I realized how enormously brave Holly Munro is. This is when I realized she and Lucy are two sides to the same coin. Holly had every reason under the stars to leave the ghost hunting industry after what happened to her and her team. But she didn't, not fully at least. She stayed at Rotwells and took a desk job even when she hated who she worked under. She suffered for who knows how long because even if she couldn't bring herself to serve in the field, she believed she was still doing the world some good. Still protecting people anyway she could.

Unlike Lucy, she did have the luxury of possessing other skills that would have gotten her as far from agencies as she ever wanted. But she chose to stay. More than that, by joining Lockwood and Co. she decided to step back into a field that killed all of her friends. She had every reason to leave, but Holly Munro chose to stay and fight.

I bet she didn't expect more resistance from teammates than ghosts.

I can't imagine how horrible she must have felt when Lucy announced her resignation. Everyone, and I am certain that includes Holly, thought Lucy was leaving because of her. I remeber feeling as if the floor had been ripped out from under me as I read that scene, but imagine what it must have been like for Holly. Maybe she'd thought they'd made up, maybe she was excited to put their past pettiness and differences aside and move forward as a united agency...but no. Lucy left, and now it was up to Holly to keep the boys together.

I wonder if they blamed her. I know she must have blamed herself, even if only a little. And yet, once again, she stayed. I can just see it, her looking at Lockwood and George as they realize Lucy is gone and not coming back. The hopelessness that must have surrounded them. I bet she took on a lot more responsibilities after that. I think she took it upon herself to keep the case book full, make sure they ate, and just did everything she could to help keep them together when they were falling apart. It's no wonder that her first words to Lucy are how much she missed her.

And then comes my favorite part. We get to see in Aldbury Castle Holly's reaction to Lockwood and Lucy 'dieing'. It's hard to explain why but it brings literal tears to my eyes to think of a wild, mad eyed, crazed hair Holly going absolutely savage on the research workers after thinking her friends had died. Like Lucy, seeing the madwoman behind the primp and proper lady made me love and admire her so much more.

I think this is when it struck me how human Holly is. How fiercely loyal she is, and how much she truly cares. It was never a bad thing to be like Holly, and this is when I started to see that.

It was a little bit after things had settled down (and promptly got stirred up again) that my next favorite part comes. It's when Penelope comes to Portland Row, using all tactics at her disposal to pressure Lockwood and Co out of business. Lucy's pretty silent through the whole thing, but the second that snake dares paint Holly as a coward- if their rapiers had been within grabbing distance you know someone would have walked out there with blood on their hands.

Holly began in my eyes like somthing of an infection, quick to run its course and needing to be taken out. But I now I see her for the true beauty and nessecity that she is. Lockwood and Co would not have survived without her. She is the constant, she is their stability, and when they need it, she is their brave, brilliant, and a bit of a madwoman of an agent.

[reivrze]

TEASERS ! | TALES OF TIME | masterlist

2023 | 18+ | SERIES | ENHYPEN + OCS

GENRES. coming of age, historical fiction, mystery, romance, joseon dynasty, drama, angst, graphic violence

TAGLIST. open ! send an ask or comment down below to be added ! taglist for each member's story will open soon :)

— author's note : these scenes aren't part of the actual stories but bonus scenes to give the reader an sense of what the stories will be like ! the same type of scene might appear in the stories but won't be written the same way. i don't want to spoil too much :)

WARNING. mentions of blood, angst, but also fluff hehe

— destiny's blade | lee heeseung

"I'm sorry, I just can't help you anymore,” he whispered, looking down at his feet, shame overwhelming him. Jiyeon didn’t comprehend the words coming from him, her heart sinking at the sudden change in his demeanor. She had learned to rely on his support and guidance, and now it seemed like he was abandoning her. Confusion and hurt washed over her as she searched his face for any signs of explanation.

"What do you mean?" Jiyeon asked, her voice trembling with a mix of sadness and frustration. "You can't just give up on me now.” He raised his gaze to meet hers, and she could see the pain etched in his eyes.

“We both know of our circumstances. I can’t be seen around you, it’ll ruin us both.” He said softly, his voice laced with regret. Jiyeon's mind raced, desperately trying to comprehend his words. She had always turned to him in times of need, and now he was telling her that he couldn't be there for her anymore. The weight of his decision settled heavily on her shoulders, and she struggled to hold back tears.

“But… you promised.”

— song of jade | park jongseong

The rain poured down, goosebumps covering their arms and hair dripping wet. they found little warmth as they held each other, hands on each other’s waist, their bodies swayed to an unspoken rhythm, dancing in sync with the beating raindrops. The world around them faded into the background as they focused on each other, finding relief and comfort in their shared moment.

No words were necessary; their bodies spoke a language of their own. The raindrops served as a symphony, creating a serene soundtrack to their intimate dance. It was as if time stood still, and they were the only two souls existing in that moment, wrapped in each other's arms.

In that moment, they knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, finding strength in each other's arms. The rain may pour, the world may whirl around them, but their dance would endure, an eternal reminder of the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit.

— breaking the cycle | sim jaeyun

“Why won’t you talk to me? I’m sorry that I ruined whatever plan you had of staying alone for the rest of your life but it wouldn’t kill you to at least say good morning once in a while.” Iseul had enough of his mopping around and his blatant efforts to avoid her. He had made a deal and it wasn’t her fault that she had beat him. She needed this, for her and her sister, she couldn’t let them stay in the streets, wondering every day if they would be able to eat that night.

She had confronted him countless times, trying to break through the impenetrable wall he had built around himself. But each time, she was met with silence, his eyes averted, his body tense with resistance.

For a fleeting moment, she saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes, a crack in his stoic facade. It gave her hope that he was still there, buried beneath layers of disappointment and resentment. Iseul reached out, gently touching his arm, a silent plea for him to let her in.

"Is it that hard to try?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Does the idea of loving me seem so impossible for you?"

— a royal quest | park sunghoon

The palace was a flurry of activity as everyone prepared for the arrival of Prince Park Sunghoon. Yoonji couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect of finally meeting the prince's dear friend, whose name she had been asking herself about for the past few days. She wondered what he was like and what bound them together for her write the letter.

As the afternoon wore on, Yoonji found herself stealing more and more glances in the direction of the prince's friend. His conversation with the prince seemed lively and engaging, and Yoonji couldn't help but be drawn to him. She was intrigued by his easy charm and quick wit, which he effortlessly displayed in his interactions with those around him.

The prince's friend, for his part, seemed to be enjoying Yoonji's attention. He found her little glances and stolen looks endearing, and he couldn't help but reciprocate her interest, stretching his arms out and neck, an attempt to show off his physical attributes such as his sharp side profile and muscles.

— the kitsune curse | kim sunoo

The chilly air had made the night colder than most nights, and Yumiko was feeling the brunt of it. She had been trying to warm herself up by curling into a ball, but it didn't seem to be working. That's when she caught the sight of Sunoo who was sleeping not far from her.

Without a second thought, Yumiko crawled up to Sunoo and lay down close to him, feeling the warmth emanating from his body. She snuggled into his back, and the feeling of his warmth enveloped her. As she lay there, she realized how much she enjoyed being close to Sunoo, his presence making her feel safe and secure.

Sunoo, who was fast asleep, turned around subconsciously and brought Yumiko closer to him, trying to warm himself up. Yumiko, feeling even more comfortable, sighed in contentment and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. The two lay there in each other's company, the warmth of their bodies keeping them cozy in the cold night.

— scribe's secrets | yang jungwon

Jungwon and Mina strolled through the streets of the bustling town in silence. The atmosphere between them had turned sour after a recent argument, leaving them both feeling uneasy and distant. The only sound between them was the soft tapping of their shoes on the pavement.

As they approached the town square, a group of performers caught their attention. They both paused, their eyes fixed on the dancers and musicians. The melody and rhythm of the performers' music slowly began to fill the air, and Jungwon found his foot tapping along almost unconsciously.

Mina, still feeling uncomfortable, tried to focus on the performance, but her mind kept drifting back to the argument with Jungwon. She didn't know how to fix things between them or how to move forward. Without looking at each other, their hands slowly crept closer until their pinkies touched. They both froze, unsure of what to do next. It was a small gesture, but it felt significant, like a tiny bridge connecting them.

As the performance continued, they both relaxed and let the music take over. The tension between them began to fade away, and their pinkies remained linked throughout the rest of the performance. For a moment, they forgot about their argument and the world around them. They were lost in the music and the warmth of each other's touch.

— string of fate | nishimura riki

Niki entered the room, sweat glistening on his forehead, and his clothes torn in several places. He had been in a fierce battle that had left him with numerous wounds, including a deep gash on his shoulder and a cut on his left leg. As he leaned against the doorframe for support, he could feel the warm trickle of blood seeping down his body.

Noa saw him enter and rushed to his side. With gentle hands, she helped him to the bed and began tending to his injuries. Niki groaned in pain, his body still sensitive from the battle. However, Noa's touch was soothing, and he tried to relax as she worked her magic. As she focused on his injuries, Noa couldn't help but glance at Niki's face. She had always had a soft spot for him, admiring his bravery and determination. And while she had never acted on her feelings, she couldn't help the thoughts that crept up in her mind.

Niki's groans turned into shouts as Noa tended to his shoulder wound, the pain too much for him to handle. Noa tried to ease his pain, brushing her hand through his hair, and whispering comforting words.

As Niki laid there, feeling the gentle touch of Noa's fingers on his scalp, he couldn't help but notice her gaze on his lips. He had always known that there was something special about their relationship, but he had never acted upon it. He closed his eyes, trying to suppress his thoughts, knowing that there could never be anything between them.

© miyu 2023 - do not copy, translate, repost or plagiarize my work anywhere !

[luciehercndale]

Do you think that an Antari can get sick ? Or their blood protect them from any infection ? As they heal very quickly and can survive very bad injuries, could they also resist not-magic diseases ?

This is not something pointed in the books but the story takes place in the 1800s, where many diseases killed thousand of people and life was shorter. Even if Red London appears to be the cleaniest of the four, this is interesting to note there is no accessible magic for healing. Priests can balance elements but seem not able to heal people. They should have very good knowledge of medecine or being lucky (or having an Antari at hand…).

Lila probably got sick when she was young, and maybe her mother has died from infection. It would be highly tragic if her power manifested to try to save her mother. I really want to learn more about her past!!

Hi anon! That's a good question. I would love to see this in the books, because it never happened so far. Their blood has healing powers, so we could assume that they do not get seriously ill like ordinary people. But an antari still needs another antari to heal wounds of any kind they may sustain, so I don't think their blood protects them from any infection either. Or maybe just light things. I think if it would, the antari wouldn't need another antari to heal them. I guess it's because of the balance of power. The antari might be able to use their blood to do things others can't do, and they're harder to kill, but they are still human beings at the end of the day. So I think they get sick :) maybe we haven't seen it yet because it's not relevant to the plot like when someone gets a fight wound or breaks a few bones. Plot wise, this has more impact. I think there is a slight possibility that we may see an antari get sick and I have a scenario in mind of when/who could be. I might write a story about it. 👀

I also think Lila's mother died because of a disease and I need her full backstory like yesterday. lol Like you said, around that time even a cold could kill a person, or even hunger. She died when Lila was 10, so her power had manifested already, if we think Kell's had manifested before he was 5. The trying to heal her mom theory would be devastating to read about, but then it would clash with what happens later because Lila doesn't know she's an antari until she goes to WL to save Kell.

Part of me thinks Lila would remember trying to use her magic to save her mother, because unlike Kell (who has forgotten everything about his biological parents due to the forgetting spell), Lila remembers everything and the trauma of losing her eye, but also of losing her mother is still vivid in her mind. I definitely think her mother died before her eyes and she felt powerless because she couldn't do anything to save her. Unless, since it was a traumatic experience, her ptsd manipulated her memories and she forgot about this or has a distorted recollection of the memory.

It would parallel with the scene I mentioned above of Lila going to WL to save Kell. When she finally frees him, she wants to heal him using antari magic, but she doesn't know the words. "Tell me the fucking words," she orders Kell, and he obliges. She goes feral when Kell is injured, maybe because it reminds her of when her mom was dying. What if this also happened with her mom but her mom didn't know the words? Would be mind blowing! I also realized something about the mothers when I reread A Life Erased... but I'll write another post about it.

I love answering btw <3

[raewritesf1]

Mr. George (hiding-relationship) Russell avoiding jock! Max at every moments. Max is not shy to reveal that he's dating and fucking the no. 1 student in school. But George doesn't want to ruin Max's reputation and student athlete career (yes yes anxious george). Max gets done with George avoiding him so he makes it his mission to show everyone that George is Max's one and only (+ to shoo off other men who try to flirt with George)

George could sit alone during lunch, just reading his book then suddenly Max came secretly behind him and kiss his cheeks. Everyone would go 😱 and the school will be bustling with gossips. Max would follow George anywhere, calling him 'princess' until George surrenders to him and let Max hold his waist as the school hottest couple walks down the hallway

Bonus part: George couldn't find a seat then Max calls his name loudly infront of everyone before patting his lap. "Free seat?"

Oh my god akjsjshshs im shy but hs romance gax is my fav

Aww anon don’t be shy this is fun. I love a new spin on the highschool au. (that last part remind me so much of that one scene from the Love Hypothesis which was cheesy as shit and I still loved it)

I wasn’t originally for Jock Max until but I just saw the boxing pictures and basketball edit and 👀👀

But I do love the idea of George just trying to hide their relationship and Max just deciding to be the absolute worst. Like C&C Max but on steroids (+ a side of possessive Max. my love). Like people keep flirting with his boyfriend and he hates it so much that he just decides to be an absolute fucking menace and just does not leave George alone. They basically become attached at the hip. Max make sure to walk George to every class, picks him up after school, visits him at lunch, is by his side immediately after every practices, and he very much would have George wearing his letterman jacket 25/7. (The idea of George just walking around with Max’s last name across his back?? How could he resist)

Those two would be the talk of the school. George would spend the whole day burning red while Max just looks smug as fuck. It would be hilarious

[janfraiser]

“can we pretend this never happened?” + Maggie and Mickey?

ehehe this is a gooood one. I'm setting this in s1, right at the end of Chaos Theory. Like yes this is already in my top 3 McHaller scenes but also. I can make it even more insane

Mickey takes Maggie into his arms without thinking, the look on his face spurring action from his heart rather than his mind. "You were trying to do the right thing," he assures her, rubbing her back. "Getting the witness to talk is your job."

"It's my fault he's dead," she says, her voice choked and her face buried in his shoulder.

Mickey shakes his head. "You didn't pull the trigger."

"He had a daughter, Mickey. Fuck, Hayley was... she saw the whole thing. I couldn't get her out of there while everything was happening..."

"She's okay, Mags," he reminds her. "She's safe. I know you didn't want her there, but she's thirteen, it's not our fault she does what she wants."

Maggie looks up at him, her brow furrowing with doubt. "I can't get him out of my head, I don't even want to know how Hayley's doing."

"She's doing alright," Mickey insists, cupping Maggie's face in his hands and tucking her hair away from her face. "It's not your fault," he repeats. He wants to pull her closer, but they're already flush against each other. Mickey risks leaning in, his eyes on Maggie's the whole time.

Her eyes, on the other hand, flick down to his lips as he ducks his head. He skirts his fingers along her jaw, tilting her chin up when he finally leans down to kiss her.

It lasts longer than he could've expected, and to his surprise, Maggie is holding almost as tightly to him as he is to her. When they do have to breathe, they end up just staring at each other, and Maggie bites her lip, the anxiety returning to her face.

"I'm sorry--"

"No, don't," he protests, cutting her off. He's not sure if he should apologize or just tell her they don't need to be sorry at all, but they're interrupted before he can decide.

"Woah, okay," Hayley says. Maggie whips toward her so fast that Mickey actually stumbles when she leaves his arms. "What's happening?"

"Nothing's happening," Maggie answers quickly. "You didn't need to call your dad, honey, it's not your job to worry about me."

"Yeah, that's why she called me," Mickey interrupts, brushing his hand against the small of Maggie's back in the hopes of calming her down. "It's my job. What about you, Hayley, do you want a hot drink or something? I know it's been a long day."

Hayley shrugs. "I dunno. I already have a therapist. It didn't really feel, like, real? Could've just been a 9-1-1 episode."

Mickey looks between her and Maggie, who looks flushed and a little ill. He's not sure either of them are as okay as they're professing to be.

"I'm making hot chocolate," he announces decisively. He ushers Hayley into the kitchen, relieved to see her smile, but her mother doesn't follow. "Mags?" He calls, while he's filling the kettle. "You coming?"

Maggie hovers in the doorway. "I already have a drink," she points out, lifting her half-full wine glass.

If he had to guess, he would be doubtful that's her first glass-- the bottle had been sitting on the coffee table, not to mention he'd tasted the wine when he'd kissed her. "Come on," he says, shaking his head. "Nothing wrong with a nice warm drink on a bad day, is there?"

She tosses back the last of the wine and then makes her way into the kitchen. "No, there isn't."

Mickey takes her hand in his as she tries to slip past him. "Let me take care of you," he murmurs, nearly whispering in her ear. She turns to look at him with clear resistance in her eyes. "Okay?"

Maggie pulls her hand away, but nods, her eyes toward the floor. "Okay."

Later, when Hayley has rebounded enough to no longer want the company of her parents, Mickey begins trying to clean up, gathering mugs and spoons off the table.

"You don't have to do that," Maggie sighs.

Mickey shrugs. "It's fine. I was just going to pop them in the dishwasher."

"Really, Mick," Maggie insists, standing and taking a mug from him. "I think you should go."

He frowns. "I was thinking I should hang around for a bit."

She shakes her head. "I don't want to talk tonight, about any of this... can we pretend this never happened?"

It's a slap to the face, but Mickey isn't willing to risk upsetting Maggie even more tonight. "If that's what you want."

Maybe he'll get an apology a week from now with the excuse of her being out of her mind tonight. It's happened before.

"I need some time to myself," Maggie says, nodding slowly.

Mickey frowns. "Are you sure you want to be alone?"

"No," Maggie says quietly, "but not being alone is a bad idea, too. And at least I know right now that when I wake up tomorrow this will all be a little further behind me." She gives him a pointed look.

He gets it. She wants him behind her too, and it doesn't matter that he doesn't want the same. It's not a good idea, like she'd said.

"You need anything," he sighs, "you call me."

Maggie gives him a wry smile. "I don't know about that."

"Goodnight, Mags." He leans in and kisses her cheek as he hands her the last mug.

She lays a hand firmly against his shoulder but doesn't quite push him away. "Go say goodnight to Hayley before I kick you out of the house."

"Seriously," he says, backing out of the kitchen, "call me."

"Goodnight, Mickey."

He sighs, wishing they were still standing in the living room holding onto each other. "Goodnight."