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#if he could bring himself to get a permanent tattoo he would probably get one behind his ear or on his collarbone/shoulder
lemonyinks · 1 year
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How do you think Lyle feels about tattoos and/or piercings? Both on himself and others?
Because he is a spy I don't think Lyle would get any tattoos or piercings, just because they are easily identifiable if he were to get caught. I mean, everyone knows who he is anyway if we're being honest, but its so engrained in his mind from his time in earthgov that he cant bring himself to get permanent modifications.
BUT I do think he likes them. He might get a piercing in a place that isn't easy to see, like his belly button or something like that, but he'd always take it out before leaving on missions and only very few people even know he has it in the first place.
I don't think he would get a real tattoo, but he likes getting temporary ones that will either fade in a few days or wash off by the time he has to work. He sometimes even lets the other LOSH members design them for him/draw on him
He also sometimes wears false piercings and tattoos when under cover, and he's always sad when he eventually takes them off.
he likes the way they look, they just don't really work out for him. He finds them attractive on others too and maybe even encourages Querl to get his ears pierced.
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reve-writes · 2 years
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—inked; kaz brekker.
ʚ kaz brekker x reader | grishaverse | 1k words. ʚ reader is a tattoo artist, kaz brekker needs a tattoo. there's a lot of yearning involved. ʚ non-descriptive needle and tattoo stuff; slight angst. ʚ a/n you can tell i don't know how tattoos work.
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Kaz Brekker should stop trying to find a reason to knock on your door. He should step back, tilt his head down and walk away as if he was never there in the first place. It was becoming a habit and habits meant comfort and comfort usually became root for something more—something that someone like him couldn't grow beyond a sprout when you deserved the whole forest.
Yet he stayed stubbornly at your door.
He was a selfish man in that regard.
He could hear you shuffling behind the door and then the rattle of your keys, followed by a soft click of your door being unlocked. You pulled the door open a smidge.
“Kaz!”
He wished you didn't sound so happy to see him. Then, he wouldn't feel welcomed to come back the next time and the next time and the next. He didn't want to make a habit out of it, but he was here yesterday and four days ago and a week ago. He had a feeling that he would be here in the near future as well.
Your door swung open immediately. You were wearing casual clothes, comfortable for sleeping, instead of your usual coats and leathers. It was a welcome change. It made his visits feel more personalised, like he was the only one to see you as you were and not as you wanted him to.
“What brings you here tonight?” you asked, already leading him to sit on the upholstered couch in your room. It used to be your bed, before you saved enough for a real one. Now, it nestled itself in one corner of your room for rare visitors. The only one who ever came by your rented room in Ketterdam was Kaz lately.
“I want to get a tattoo.”
His eyes wandered to your walls, littered with inked drawings of past tattoo designs you had done. You worked at a tattoo parlour that fell in the Dregs' territory. Many of the new members had their tattoos done at your workplace. You had even inked a few of them yourself.
“The shop opens in a couple of hours,” you said. “We can wait—”
“Not at the shop, if you can,” he interrupted. He didn't think he could bear having other people in the same room. He didn't think he wanted someone else to potentially do it as well. He came to you because he trusted you. He had spent too many nights awaiting dawn with you. He had told you too many secrets he shouldn't have. You had told him things about yourself that you probably shouldn't. He came to you when nothing went right. He came to you when everything went the way it should. You waited for him after a good day. You still waited even after a bad day.
It was a strange dynamic.
It should feel like he was skeeting over the edge of a chasm, but it felt more like the gentle hum of his room at the Slat. Steady, familiar four walls that served as a respite from the debauchery of the Barrell.
“Of course,” you agreed. It took you less than five minutes to gather everything you needed. Fortunately, you had gone on a supply run for the shop earlier. You were planning to bring everything to the shop when it opened, but you'd be needing them earlier than you thought.
“You're putting a lot of trust in me,” you joked. “I could write 'Ketterdam's biggest loser' on your arm.”
“It would suit you better than me.”
You chuckled. He thought it would sound good on vinyl. He could listen to it for hours.
“Rule one, Brekker. Never insult the person who's putting permanent ink on you.” You shot him a glare, but you were smiling. It was inexplicably easy to smile around him. “What are you thinking?”
“The Dregs tattoo, on my arm.” He rolled his sleeves and your heart was beating twice as fast. Unbeknownst to you, his was as well. He had never bared a part of himself so casually before. You had never seen him without all his layers—all the protection over his skin.
Your machine whirred to life. You disinfected his skin with a couple swipes of a disinfectant pad. His whole body tensed when you made contact, despite your gloves.
“Hey, Kaz.” You pulled his attention away from where you'd touched him. “I won't hurt you.”
You held out your gloved palm. With your free hand, you took his gloved hand and set it gently over your palm. He inhaled sharply.
“It's okay. It's just me.”
He trailed a finger softly over your palm. There was a barrier between your skins, but it was daunting all the same. He took a couple of deep, spaced breaths with closed eyes. When he opened them, you were smiling encouragingly at him.
“You can start,” he said, but almost immediately regretted it when you pulled your hands away.
“There will be slight pain,” you said over the whirring of your machine.
He scoffed. “I know pain better than—”
He cursed, inhaling sharply when first contact broke his skin.
You rolled your eyes. “I warned you, Brekker.”
Stray hairs fell over his forehead. “I was startled.”
His eyes were tracing the lines of your face as you worked. The proximity started to feel somewhat comfortable, with the lull of your tattoo machine. You occasionally hummed as you worked. He etched the sound into his mind. You weren't a singer, but he preferred your voice over any performers.
“Done!” you suddenly proclaimed. He looked away and cleared his throat. “What do you think?”
The crow and cup over his right forearm. A permanent mark that he was Dirtyhands of the Dregs. No deed too low for him as long as there was enough Kruge involved. Was that all who he really was?
“Can you add another? A small one,” he rasped.
“Certainly, Kaz. What is it?”
“The letter R, here,” he pointed at his bicep. “For the boy I was. For my brother.”
“I wish I could've met him, you know. Jordie.”
Kaz wished so, too. A foolish wish. Ketterdam didn't groom him to be a wishful thinker. Hope was a dangerous, dangerous thing. He should leave.
“Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I overstepped.”
Kaz's eyes widened. “No. You're okay.”
It was him.
“Then stop looking like you're ready to bolt anytime, Kaz. I happen to appreciate your company.”
“Oh.”
He let hope force its way in and make a nest in his chest anyway.
[ ]
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du-buk · 1 year
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bored and noticed asks are on this account (bug if ur seeing this hi)
if all the 8:11 characters were going to give a gift to someone, what would be the first thing that they think to give?
What a fun idea! 💙✨ though, gift giving for each character might depend on if it is for a romantic or friendship connection?
💜Ryker gave Leon a lot of gifts, which I do want to explore in future adaptations. Though, given Rykers finances, I doubt they can buy much. If they want to gift anything, it’ll be a cheap present or something they found (or stole)
🦌 Leon might prefer gifts in activities, like buying tickets to the movies or buying you a coffee. If he does buy you anything, there’s a good chance it’ll fall out of the holes in his pockets 💔
💚 Dante…….. he assumes no one else can hunt like him, and, would bring them a dead carcass of an animal; much like a cat brings their owner a bird or mouse.
🥇 Gabriel; (after the incident) will mix up gifts he has already previously bought, or, mixes up what someone likes and dislikes. To save himself from this embarrassment again, he might offer gift cards or directly ask what someone wants as a gift. Flowers and chocolates might be his go to for romantic purposes, however.
💖Juliek, whether he sees them as a friend or lover, will gift any and everything. Gift giving is a big sign of love and appreciation from him, so, showering people in gifts is his favorite expression. It could start as a flex though, first buying someone an expensive watch or elaborate fancy dinner, and then gradually becomes more and more luxurious.
🍴 Accardi ………. well. His ultimate gift for anyone are his homemade meals! That, or, printing out photos he’s taken with the other person at a special event. But the man just loves to cook, so, it’s hard to get him to do anything else.
💙Dakota and Wankou; free art and tattoos. The idea of permanently tattooing someone is so fun and cool in their heads.
🐞 Beetle: A grub. He probably doesn’t understand the idea of gifts too well on a human level.
🦷 Vittorino….. erm……. Well…… would you trust anything he gave you? Might be best to decline the shrooms he made, but, a painting from him could be fine.
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sensacetionalshady · 5 months
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@summerstrash
god, I can't remember all of it because I had an intense brainrot session about it like 2 months ago and never again, but basically the plot kinda went like this (keep in mind that I still haven't actually read Alex in the Krakoan era, but I read some stuff in the wiki and extrapolated from there):
Alex goes to therapy after being all depressed and moody in the Summer house after all the Limbo business and Rachel tosses some clothes at him with a business card for some kinda pro-mutant therapist she trusts; after a few session he realizes some of his more toxic/problematic behaviors are bad and that maybe he should be single for a bit longer (and maybe even forever bc I WILL make everyone aromantic) while he apologizes to his exes and also comes clean about his feelings of inadequacy to Scott and etc etc etc basic therapy stuff yk?
He's doing better and growing his hair out as a symbolic way of showing his growth as a person (and also because his therapist suggested he try to do some permanent modifications to his body by his own choice to make him feel more grounded in his own body, he's very hesitant because he wants to be seen as normal, so he starts out easy with the hair [later on definitely gets some tattoos and piercings and goes to a leather bar to realize hey this is actually fun]) when he gets accidentally referred to as ma'am by some of the younger mutants that don't know who he is and something in his brain *clicks*; he goes home and starts googling what the fuck is going on, asks himself if he's a woman, but doesn't know how to answer that so he goes to his lesbian niece to try and parse these feelings; Rachel suggests he try out some pronouns with her and other trusted people (punches Alex's shoulder and says "At least your name is already unisex, auntie." and Alex actually does really like Rachel calling her aunt)
Anyway, she takes an impulsive leap to go on estrogen to force herself to do a slightly more permanent body mod like her therapist said and, slowly over the course of some months, actually becomes pretty happy about what her body looks like on E; she starts being a little more social and confident and standing up for herself around others and eventually everyone in Krakoa kinda knows that she's Cyclops' sister now
Cut to the 90s X-Factor team having some kinda villain do some wibbly wobbly time shit that brings the whole team from the Krakoan Era back to their time, but it scatters them around the country. X-Factor puts out a government APB for "people that match our exact description except older" to try and get them all in one place so they can send them back into their own time; Lorna and Jamie make their way to X Factor HQ themselves, Guido and Rahne go to Guido's parents' place and then the HQ from there, while Alex has decided to plop herself in a leather bar because while she /could/ go to the HQ, she doesn't know if it's the best idea to show her younger self what she looks like (hell, she wouldn't show herself to who she was half a year ago) and besides, it's not as if they would believe that she is who she says she is
The whole team minus Alex is in X-Factor HQ, the old team is kinda marvelling at how they look when they're older and someone (probably Jamie) points out "alright, now we just need old Alex and you guys can go back to your own time" and the Krakoa team collectively inhales through their teeth and are like "yeaaahhhhhhh about that... there's a reason you haven't found h- ... /Alex/ with that description."; old team is very confused but they refuse to clarify; the time displaced guys take it upon themselves to go and find Alex because they can't exactly give a description without her permission because they would be outing her
I think Lorna would be the one to find her sulking and frowning at a newspaper just reminding herself what happened during this time; she convinces Alex to come to the HQ so they can all go back to their own future, but Alex knows that if a younger her saw the tattoos and hair and clothes and most noticeably boobs that it would seriously disrupt the timeline, or at least /her/ timeline; Lorna agrees but remarks that they can just put some makeup on her and cover her up with clothes and Alex just sighs because she /just/ got to a point where she can be herself freely but now she has to go back to being that insecure and self-censoring man
They probably have like... some telepath (preferably Emma but idk if she's a good or bad guy at this point) come and erase the memories of seeing older Alex after they've sent everyone to their own time. that or the Krakoa era guys convince like.. Hank or someone else to take them back. I don't know, I can't remember the ending
This idea mostly happened because I had a brainstorming session of what trans Alex would actually look like and then it devolved from there. I'm doing some sketches today and will share them once I stop travelling and get wifi because I'm on a bus rn lol
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bloody-bee-tea · 11 months
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BeeTober 2023 Day 28 - Shower curtain
Suguru wakes up disgruntled on the couch. His neck hurts, his arm is asleep and he’s vaguely cold, because Satoru acts as if his room is a bigger fridge, and none of these things help to make him feel better. He just wanted to take a quick break as he waited for Satoru to come back but clearly his body had different plans.
And clearly Satoru doesn’t care for him at all, because Suguru hears the shower running which means Satoru must have walked right past him.
“Great,” Suguru mutters as he shakes his arm in hopes to bring feeling back to it. “Just great.”
He rolls his head around too, trying to soften his neck up again and his mood takes another hit when hair tumbles over his face.
“Fucking great,” he hisses, his hair wild and unbound and it’s just serving to annoy Suguru even more. He is very certain that he had it all tied up when he laid down, though, so the hair tie should still be around somewhere.
He fishes around the couch cushions and lets out a triumphant grunt when he finds it, quickly putting his hair back into its usual bun. He immediately feels better, but then a new problem rears its head.
Suguru really has to pee. The shower is still running, though and Suguru knows Satoru well enough that this could take forever, though he has no chance to gauge the time. 
He’s not going to wait for Satoru to finish his luxury spa day, though, so he’ll just have to be quick about it; it’s not even as if he’s going to see anything since Satoru will be safely behind the shower curtain and he probably won’t even notice him.
Suguru ignores the thoughts that a stark naked Satoru will be right there and instead slips into the bathroom. He’ll be in and out, no problem at all. Suguru doesn’t even make it to the toilet before Satoru turns off the water though and just a second later the shower curtain is being pulled to the side, meaning Suguru comes face to face with Satoru.
Who immediately screams as if he is being murdered before he yanks the shower curtain back, effectively hiding behind it.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Satoru screeches but Suguru is too dumbstruck to reply.
Satoru is all lanky limbs and smooth, white skin, that much Suguru knows. What he doesn’t know is what that black spot on his chest is.
“What’s that on your chest?” he eventually gets out, his mind still racing.
“What’s what–Suguru! That really doesn’t matter right now, what the hell are you doing in here?”
“I need to pee.”
“Then go to your own fucking room, oh my god,” Satoru groans out but Suguru is still stuck on that dark spot he saw.
“Satoru, what is that on your chest?” he asks again and he has half a mind to reach out and tear the shower curtain away, so he can inspect it for himself.
“It’s a tattoo, what else would it be,” Satoru snaps out and Suguru’s hand instinctively moves to his own hip bone.
Satoru having a tattoo shouldn’t be quite so surprising and Suguru isn’t sure why he’s having such difficulties wrapping his head around it.
“Could you please just leave already?”
“What’s the motive?” Suguru finds himself asking, the mere second of the ink flashing on Satoru’s chest replaying in his mind over and over again.
“That’s none of your goddamn business, Suguru, get the hell out of here!”
“I–alright, alright, I’ll be in my room then, I guess,” he mutters and turns around on his heels to practically flee back to his own room. 
He had been looking forward to spending the evening together with Satoru but now he’s no longer sure if he even wants that; he needs to know that kind of motive Satoru deems important enough to permanently ink on his skin.
Satoru’s attention easily gets snatched up by all kinds of things and it’s hard to imagine that something piqued his interest enough for something like this. Suguru would have thought that Satoru would hate anything permanent on himself but clearly he has been wrong about that. Suguru isn’t one too judge, not with his own tattoo, and it’s not even like he is in any position to judge Satoru anyway, because it’s not as if Suguru had told him about his own tattoo either.
It’s just–
The need to know what’s marking Satoru permanently now burns in his mind.
“Fuck,” Suguru whispers as he finally uses the bathroom and his feelings only get more complex when he spots his own tattoo again.
It’s nothing fancy, just the outline of a lollipop, but it means so much to him that it almost feels as if he’s going to choke every time he sees it.
Satoru would probably laugh at him for it, if he even remembers at all and Suguru really is in no rush to have him make fun of this, not when meeting Satoru for the first time is still such an important memory for Suguru.
To this day Suguru still remembers the painfully surprised look on Satoru’s face when he’d offered him that lollipop, the careful way he reached out for it as if Suguru would snatch it away right before he could take it and then the absolutely delighted smile when Satoru got to taste it for the first time.
Suguru no longer remembers what kind of flavour it was and sometimes he chides himself for not paying better attention back then but they had been nine and they weren’t formally introduced either so it’s not really a surprise that he doesn’t remember.
He does—of course—remember the fluffy white hair and the piercing blue eyes; those are hard to forget and it had been quite the shock to meet Satoru again, here at the school.
Satoru doesn’t seem to remember him at all—and again, why would he—and so Suguru has never said anything. 
He still thinks often about how lonely Satoru had seemed, standing at the edge of the playground, simply watching the kids as if joining them to play wasn’t even an option for him. And with what Suguru knows about his childhood and his family now, that might as well be the case.
Suguru lets his head drop onto the backrest of the couch, covering his face with his hands.
It had felt like the most natural thing in the world, getting a tattoo of the lollipop, if only to remember that precious first smile he had ever gotten from Satoru.
Suguru is so incredibly fucked, it’s not even funny anymore, because just the memory has his heart beating fast in his chest. Satoru smiles a lot at him these days, so he should be used to it by now, but it steals his breath away every time, just like it did that very first time.
Suguru is still caught up in that memory when the door to his room flies open and Satoru barges in.
He takes one look at Suguru on the couch, before he comes over and kicks his legs. 
“Scoot over, asshole, letting me lay down is the least you can do right now.”
Suguru bites his tongue, swallowing the urge to apologise down but he does scoot over, just like Satoru demanded. Satoru doesn’t waste any time and flops himself down, his head neatly placed in Suguru’s lap and Suguru can’t help but to immediately sink his fingers into Satoru’s wispy hair.
“You do not simply barge into my bathroom unannounced,” Satoru says, staring up at Suguru, who playfully tugs at a strand.
“Didn’t know you were suddenly big on personal space,” Suguru teases, because if anyone, it’s Satoru who regularly disregards any kind of personal bubble when it comes to Suguru.
“I’m not,” Satoru huffs out and when he worries his lower lip with his teeth before he goes on, Suguru knows that this really bothers him. “I just–”
“You can just say that you don’t want me to see your tattoo, I’m not going to be mad about that,” Suguru interrupts him when it seems as if Satoru has problems finishing his thought.
“No, you’re just going to be disappointed and that’s so much worse,” he whines out and Suguru chuckles.
“I’m not going to be disappointed either, dummy. I can’t deny I’m curious, but it’s not as if you have to tell me.” He hesitates briefly before he goes on. “It’s not as if I told you about mine, either, so I really can’t judge you.”
“Yours?” Satoru yells out, shooting up and twisting around to stare at Suguru in betrayal. “You got a tattoo and didn’t tell me?”
“Yes? Same as you, it seems like,” he teases Satoru and immediately he feels better about this whole situation because he just knows that Satoru is going to be so much more bothered by this.
“That’s so mean, Suguru, how could you?” Satoru whines and flops back down again, burying his face in Suguru’s thigh. “Are you going to tell me?”
He sounds completely dejected and Suguru’s heart aches just at his tone but he will not be swayed.
“Are you going to tell me?” he shoots back and knows he has his answer when Satoru sighs.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier,” Satoru says after a moment of silence. “I was just startled.”
“It’s fine,” Suguru replies, getting back to carding his fingers through Satoru’s hair. “I’m not mad.”
“Good,” Satoru breathes out and goes completely lax.
Suguru enjoys their proximity for a while, letting Satoru rest and doing exactly what he wanted to do all evening: spending time with Satoru.
At least until he remembers something.
“Wait, I’ve got something for you,” Suguru says, scratching Satoru’s scalp and then leaning over the side of the couch to get his bag.
“Stop moving,” Satoru whines, like a disgruntled cat but he falls silent and goes cross-eyed when Suguru holds a bag of lollipops in his face.
“They re-stocked your favourite. I got you a bag, but I guess if you don’t want it, I can just bring it back,” he teases, because he damn well knows that Satoru is going to want it.
“No! Give it here,” Satoru immediately rushes out, clutching the bag to his chest before he takes out one of the lollipops and sticks it in his mouth.
“How are these your favourite, anyway? They are more on the sour side, aren’t they? You prefer your candy teeth-rottingly sweet.”
Something pensive passes over Satoru’s face, even as he sucks on the lollipop and when he looks up to Suguru, he seems determined.
It immediately puts Suguru on edge.
“What?” he quietly asks when Satoru still stays quiet and his stomach falls when Satoru looks away from him again. 
“They are my favourite because this flavour was the first thing you ever gave to me,” Satoru mutters. still avoiding his gaze.
Suguru goes completely still.
“I knew you wouldn’t remember,” Satoru breathes out, turning his face away from Suguru again which is what finally jolts Suguru into action.
He bends down, contorts himself until he can press his forehead against Satoru’s temple and he can feel the faint tremor that goes through Satoru.
“I could never remember what kind of flavour I gave to you. I should have paid more attention back then, honestly,” he whispers and nearly sustains brain damage when Satoru whips his head around and their foreheads smash together.
“You remember?” There’s an urgency to his voice that Suguru can emphasise with so he is quick to nod.
“Of course I remember. You seemed so happy when I gave that to you.”
“That’s what you remember? Not my hair or my eyes? That’s usually what clues people in.”
“Well, that helped to identify you when I saw you again, but really, those features weren’t the most striking ones about you.”
“What was then?” Satoru wants to know and Suguru smiles softly at him.
“Your loneliness,” he starts with because that was what caught his attention in the first place. “And then that joy on your face when you tasted the lollipop.”
“So you pitied me,” Satoru grumbles out and Suguru goes back to carding his fingers through Satoru’s hair.
“I didn’t pity you,” he corrects him. “You made me sad and I thought it wasn’t right that someone could look so sad at a playground.”
“My handlers wouldn’t let me interact with any other kids, because of the bounty on my head,” Satoru remembers. “So I wasn’t ever allowed to talk to anyone. I still don’t know how you made it to me.”
“I–” Suguru starts and he can feel himself blush at the memory. “I might have kicked one of your handles in the shin to let me talk to you,” he admits and Satoru blinks at him, once, twice, before he bursts out laughing.
“Oh, that is so good, and also deserved,” he chuckles out and Suguru joins him.
“You were so guarded, though. I had never met another kid who was so unwilling to talk to me.”
Satoru shrugs before he talks.
“Usually kids only approached me for two things: gaining a favour with my family or gaining a favour with me. I wasn’t used to someone simply giving me something.”
“Yeah, that was painfully obvious,” Suguru mutters. Then a new thought occurs to him. “How did you recognise me, anyway? I was a pretty scrawny, small kid.”
Satoru points at his eyes in explanation and Suguru momentarily feels dumb before he remembers that Satoru is always immensely pleased when Suguru forgets about his abilities for a moment. Of course the Six Eyes would tell Satoru everything he would need to know about a person.
“But that’s not it, actually,” Satoru says. “I recognised you because of your eyes. They are–kind,” he settles on and when a faint blush settles high on his cheekbones, Suguru gets the distinct impression that ‘kind’ isn’t quite what Satoru was going for.
Satoru still has his head in Suguru’s lap, still allows Suguru to play with his hair as if Suguru has all the right to it, and he still remembers their first meeting; well enough even to remember the exact flavour of the lollipop and declare it his favourite one.
Suguru thinks it’s time he takes a leap of faith.
“I have a tattoo of a lollipop,” Suguru tells Satoru who blinks at him with unabashed surprise. “On my hip bone.”
His heart is already beating painfully fast in his chest, because admitting that he has a memory of their very first meeting tattooed on his body surely must clue Satoru in on what it means to him–what he means to him–but when Satoru bursts out laughing his heart falls right into his stomach.
It must show on his face, too, because Satoru tries to stifle his laughter as he reaches up with one hand to clumsily pat Suguru’s face.
“No, no, don’t look like that,” he tries to console him. “It’s just funny because–”
Satoru breaks off there and instead pushes his shirt up. Suguru’s gaze is fixed on every inch of skin that is being revealed but when his eyes fall on the tattoo on Satoru’s chest, right over his heart, the breath gets knocked out of him.
It’s a tattoo of a lollipop.
“You can’t be serious,” Suguru breathes out and now Satoru’s laughter makes more sense. 
“I’m serious when I say that you’re my one and only,” Satoru says and Suguru can no longer hold himself back, he simply has to reach out and put his hand right over the tattoo.
“You’re my one and only, too, in case that wasn’t clear,” Suguru breathes out, because he knows he doesn’t say it as often as Satoru, but there is no trace of insecurity or doubt on Satoru’s face.
“I know,” he simply says and reaches out to thread their fingers together. “So,” he then says and Suguru knows that something very Satoru is going to come out of his mouth next. “When do I get to see yours?” His voice alone is suggestive enough but Satoru being Satoru pairs it off with an exaggerated eye-brow waggle that makes Suguru laugh again.
“Maybe when you barge in on me showering,” Suguru teases him but he leans down to kiss the pout right off Satoru’s face. “I’ll show you,” he promises then and is met with the same delighted smile that made him remember Satoru for all these years.
And he hopes it will accompany him through his life for so many more years to come.
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slasheru · 1 year
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If suddenly Mc dies from an accident, how are the datables going to react?
TATE: Will never love again. One of two things will happen: Either he walks the earth, alone, despondent, forever, never graduating, eventually disappearing into the darkness one day never to be seen again Silent Hill style, with everyone assuming he went to "find" the Player wherever they went, OR this is just the moment that makes the Eldritch Horror totally snap and take over permanently. The world might ACTUALLY end due to the carnage. Tate would 100000% end the world for ending you :(
LAILA: Ohhhh no. No no no. Death isn't the end, and we KNOW that! Laila's canvassing everyone undead or not-technically-alive around campus - Covington, Juno, Plutonium, anyone else she can think of - and starts concocting schemes to bring the Player back to life. BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. You two were supposed to survive to the end TOGETHER, dammit!! (She'd also probably help you do the requisite physical therapy to get used to your zombie body again.)
SAWYER: Sawyer feels two of the stages of grief most deeply: Sadness, and RAGE. SO MUCH RAGE. He'd oscillate between being a weeping fucking mess and threatening to murder anyone who came NEAR the Player's body. Luckily, Sawyer would probably also figure out death isn't the end after at least two or so weeks of freaking out and mourning. Non-zero chance he would've gotten a very classy memorial tattoo during this time, and will be a little embarassed to show it to you when you DO come back to life.
JUNO: ..........There's a ghost Player, now, right? TELL ME YOU CAME BACK AS A GHOST, PLAYER!!!! Juno would frantically try to ensure that the Player really DID get stuck between worlds. If they're fully a spectre, Juno would be THRILLED, and be so happy and excited to welcome the Player to their new incorporeal life! It's hard, but, uh, you can get accustomed to having to focus to keep your clothes on, right?
HEX: Possibly the only one who DOESN'T realize on his own that he could reanimate the Player (besides Tate, who goes hog wild insane on learning the news, so he doesn't count). Which means he'd spend A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME being ABJECTLY, HEART-BREAKINGLY MISERABLE. He wouldn't stop crying for fucking weeks, throw himself on your casket, dress like a Victorian widow, and sob while he makes little wreaths for you during class until Xerxes gets annoyed and tells him to just FUCKING ASK STEINFURTER TO SEW THE BODY BACK TOGETHER, MR. JONES-MACDUFF. YOU'RE A DISTRACTION TO THE REST OF THE CLASS
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lurkingshan · 1 year
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Never Let Me Go
Well, that was certainly a show! This one lost me along the way, but there were definitely things I liked. The first half of the show, before the beach getaway, was compelling if not perfect. I was interested in the characters and I thought the set up of the relationship dynamics was promising. The early love square between the four main characters had a lot of potential. Nueng and Palm had decent chemistry and I thought they performed their kisses pretty well. I was intrigued by Chopper’s character and his family dilemma. And there was some very nice cinematography, including the final beach sequence in the last episode. That was gorgeous.
That said, I feel like built in goodwill for these actors must have carried the fandom because most of that early promise was squandered and so much about this show just didn’t work. I also just realized that this was written and directed by JoJo, who also created The Warp Effect, one of my recent favs, and I am sitting with that because what a contrast not just in tone and themes but in assuredness of storytelling.
I probably have half a dozen different rants in me about where this show went wrong, but I’m sure no one wants to read that and I’m really just talking to myself here so I’ll keep it brief (hateration below the cut, enter at your own risk!):
Nueng is among the worst romance leads I have encountered in bl and nothing that happened over the course of the show moved my poor opinion of him. He was selfish and cowardly and thoughtless for most of the story and none of the facile attempts in the back half to demonstrate that he had matured worked for me at all. Putting him in a suit doesn’t make him a man and making the actor cry a lot doesn’t make me forget how awful he was to Palm.
Which brings me to the next major issue: Palm’s loyalty to Nueng despite all this had no meaningful basis. They barely knew each other, Nueng was mostly awful to him until they got to the beach and then again after they left it, and Palm had a whole life before he was forced to be his servant that we never really learned anything about. We never got any sense of who Palm was or why he loved Nueng. Maybe Nueng was the first boy who ever liked him? Maybe Palm was lonely and isolated and yearning and so he latched on to Nueng like a baby duck? I wouldn’t know because the show didn’t bother to tell me. At no point did Palm react like an actual human being to any of the awful things Nueng did. This kid treated him like shit, let him take his beatings and punishments, got his mom killed, drugged and abandoned him - and Palm just serenely smiled through it all (and got his name permanently tattooed on his body!!). One thing I’ll say for KinnPorsche is it actually showed the journey from Porsche resisting to accepting his role and gave me a reason to believe he would develop feelings for Kinn despite their rocky start. That didn’t happen here, they were just suddenly in love because the script demanded it.
The beach trip was a huge narrative misstep that sucked all the tension out of the show and basically torpedoed the plot. Yes, a lot of the scenes were cute, but they were not supposed to be on a lover’s getaway! Nueng was literally on the run from an assassin that already got both his parents, he’s supposed to to think his beloved mother is on her deathbed, he’s supposed to be terrified. Instead we got him relaxing at a beach resort, frolicking with Palm, declaring himself the happiest he’s ever been, and then blithely giving away their location without a thought so he could play hero only to lead the assassin right to them and get Palm’s mom killed anyway. Those episodes should have been more of a tense action thriller segment (and there still could have been romance built into that, and probably a more compelling one). The choice to make them a typical lighthearted bl beach trip was baffling.
If the romance worked better I might have overlooked that the plot is absurd on its face and falls apart at the gentlest prodding. I laughed out loud when Nueng just suddenly went back home and hired real bodyguards, which showed how thin the plot pretext had been all along. And now he’s a high school student/conglomerate CEO? Sure.
Why was this even set in high school to begin with? It would have made A LOT more sense with adult characters and then maybe they could have kept the tone more consistent. As it was it kept swinging wildly between being an adult mafia-adjacent drama and a teen romance and it never found a way to reconcile those two lanes.
Perth was easily the best actor in this cast but so underutilized while the mains were fundamentally miscast IMO. This show did not play to their strengths. There were a couple scenes where I actually cringed in sympathy at their attempts to perform the dramatic script. Please give them a slapstick comedy instead GMMTV (they would do well in a show like The Warp Effect!).
I’m just being petty now but what was UP with the music supervision on this show. Why did they play a random country song over their bed scene? And then Monsoons which has already been used in another bl drama and has such an opposite sonic vibe?? The music choices were often distracting instead of enhancing the story.
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littlest-dark-age · 3 years
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Damiano david headcannons
Tagging @daddydamiano @noshame-bb @mywritingonlyfans
Translations 1, my soul 2, angel 3, my love 4, my life 5, little star 6, puppy 7, bunny 8, sweetness. Please let me know if any translation is incorrect.
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Damiano would always be pressing kisses into your soft skin, wherever he could reach at the moment. The two of you are cooking and you have a huge sleep shirt on that reveals your shoulders? Kiss. You're fiddling with his hands out in public due to nerves? He's kissing every finger while looking you in the eye with a grin. You'd think he's convinced its a carnal sin to not kiss you every five minutes
He would beg you to do his makeup, constantly. He loves the intimacy of it, you usually sit on his lap for it and the way you gently cup his strong jaw turns him into an absolute puddle. You lose count of how many times you have to make him look back at you because he just wants to close his eyes and sink into the warmth you radiate. But you can't be mad at him, not when he looks up at you with those puppy dog eyes, shining with love.
Damia would absolutely give you one of his rings, and if it doesn't fit your fingers, no worries. He'll just give you one of his chains to put it on. He loves to kiss it when you wear it, whether it be on the chain or your hand. It always makes his heart skip a beat, a claim to the world that he was the lucky one to capture your affections
Please play with his hair, please. He will turn into a puppy the minute your nails graze his scalp. It doesn't matter the length, he loves it. His eyes slowly shut as you scratch at the shaved sides but he'll deny that he's about to fall asleep. 
Spa nights. Just, spa nights. He will let you put the cute animal headbands on him to keep his hair out of his mask, even letting you put it on him. Dami would love to watch movies like Legally Blonde and Clueless while you paint his nails and the glittery mask on his face dries. Never wearing a shirt, saying he wants skin to skin with you as he raises your shirt up to your chest so the two of you are pressed together. He'd sit on the floor, letting you work the hair mask through his hair as the first movie goes off and he starts to hunt for another, one of his hands stroking your bare leg.
Sleepy make out sessions are his favorite, after he's had his tea and the two of you are dead tired but can't stop. Even going as far to tell you that the two of you really should go to bed, as he's sweetly kissing you. There's no rush to it, no need to hide away your love as it's just the two of you. Locked away from the rest of the world, where damiano david is just yours. Where his nose keeps bumping yours just so he can hear you laugh and have you rub your own against his, like a bunny. His hands snaking up the back of your shirt to stroke down the length of your spine with the tips of his fingers. Barely enough for you to be able to feel it. 
If you were okay with it, he would absolutely want to tattoo you. He would never pressure you to if you really didn't but he would try to convince you if you were on the fence about it. If you let him pick, good luck. It would either be something like 'i am yours', which he would get a matching one. Probably around his heart. Or it would be something for måneskin. To have something he worked so hard on, permanently on someone he loves so so much would have him ecstatic. 
The pet names. They're never ending and ever changing. He says he can't help it and that he just says what comes to mind when he sees you. Whether that's anima mia 1, angelo 2, amore mio 3, vita mia 4, stellina 5, cucciolo 6, leprotta 7, or dolcezza 8. You never know which one to expect but they all bring a smile to your face, nevertheless. 
Damiano would always ask your opinion on his stage outfits, not really for reassurance but more so to involve you in every possible thing he can. He loves your input and always takes it into consideration. And you help him remember some things, like something might make him too hot or might restrict his movements on stage. The practical things he doesn't always think about, more focused on the look and aesthetic of it. 
Pictures, pictures and more pictures. He loves taking pictures of you doing the smallest of tasks, especially for when he has to be away from you. If you hid your face, he would still adore the photo but pout a bit because he couldn't see you. Even if photos could never compare to the real thing, in his words. He just wants you to be able to love yourself the way he loves you. He doesn't care about some imperfections, they're what make up you and everybody has them. So, it's probably easier to just let him have his pictures. 
His lockscreen is a picture of you and him with the cats piled up between the two of you. You didn't even know he took it until you went to check something on his phone for him. Dami says you look so peaceful in it, pressing a kiss to the cat's head with your eyes closed, and that it always helps him calm down when he looks at it. That it reminds him of home when he's not there to hold you on the nights on the road. Although, his wallpaper is an entirely different story. A bit more...spicy, if you will. It's a picture of you laying in bed wearing black lacy lingerie with a camera in your hand, and Damiano's legs are able to be seen straddling your waist.
He might not always be able to call or facetime during a tour but believe it when he makes those calls worth it. He loves to be able to call you for hours at a time and if time zones allow it, go to sleep with you on call. If not, that's okay. He has your time zone saved in his clock so he can always be sure to send you a goodnight or good morning text, even if it's a bit late or early. Damia needs to have that little slice of normalcy to keep him from going crazy during the tour. He lives and breathes music, don't get me wrong. But you are his soul and his mind, without you, there would be no music. 
If you're out with the band, he will pull you as close as you'll allow. Even onto his lap if it's a more private place or just you and the others. But this also means you'll be poked and tickled the entire night, even if you slap his hands away. He can't keep his hands off of your ribs, no matter how sore his hands get from your smacks. He compares it to when a kitten nibbles on them.
Damiano needs to be convinced to take a break and slow down, often. He gets so swept up in it that he doesn't realize he hasn't had a proper meal in a couple of days or that he's been skimping on sleep to write lyrics and play around with harmonies. Getting him out of the studio is hard, but much needed. He will appreciate it, as well as apologize for neglecting you for the past days. A nice date or just something to get him outside is just what he needed. No matter how casual it is, being able to relax and spend some time with you is one of his favorite things to do.
Some of his favorite dates are the ones where the two of you are able to just do something and have a good time without the pressure of having to dress up and get ready. He still uses the heart shaped mug you made him on one of your dates, still listens to the record you got him when the two of you got all of your favorite albums and swapped. He still has the tickets from the first movie the two of you were able to go and see together, stuck in between the worn pages of some old book of italian poems he's had forever
His love language is a mix of acts of service and gift giving. He loves to give you little trinkets and stuff he finds while on tour, each item reminding him of you in some way or another. Even if it's just a rock he thought you might like, a pair of earrings you've mentioned before or even just something he thought you might could use. And he will give you one of his oversized blazers if the two of you are out and it's cool, even make sure you have enough to eat and offer you bites of his own food if you want. Hell, if you wanted what he ordered versus what you ordered, he would swap it even if your dish isn't his favorite thing.
Dami loves cooking with you, there's something so domestic about it that he can't help but imagine your future together. He always claims that the meals the two of you prepare together are the best thing he's ever eaten, no matter how simple it is. Just don't break the pasta in front of him, you'll send him into cardiac arrest.
He loves it when you trace and kiss his tattoos, they're something he's proud of and knowing how much you like them just makes him happy. Of course, he knows you don't have to adore every tattoo he has as long as he's happy with it, but it still makes him feel nice when you show his ink a bit of love. It always tickles him a bit when you drag your nail on the ones in his chest, sending shivers down his spine when you do. 
He is a cover hog, yet denies it with every bone in his body. He claims you push them onto him most of the time, despite the fact that you struggle to cover up completely whilst he's on the other side of the bed bundled up like a baby with almost the entire cover. Thankfully, he's warm enough that you can just curl up behind him or into his side and get all the heart that you need from him. He still denies that he hogs the covers when the entire comforter is in a pile on his side, almost like he's trying to build himself a nest
Showering together is one of his favorite things, he loves how intimate it can be. Holding you and helping you wash up without any need to be awkward and feeling comfortable in your own skin in front of each other means so much to him. Being able to be open with one another and not hide anything, even if it's insecurities about your body. He understands that the world isnt always the nicest place and that he can't undo how people's words might hurt you but he'll try his best to get you to love your body
Damiano would love to teach you italian if you didn't already and wanted to learn. He's so excited to be able to share something like this with you that he doesn't realize how hard it is to teach someone an entire language. He overestimates himself and how good of a teacher he is, but that doesn't mean he won't try his best. It just takes a little bit of time, for the both of you. He understands the struggles of learning a new language and wouldn't try to push you to learn it so soon. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. 
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creepswrites · 3 years
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slashers with an s/o with lots of tats/piercings/vibrant hair please!!
Slashers with a s/o with lots of tats/piercings/vibrant hair!! (SFW)
Michael Myers
is confused at first how your hair color works. he's used to seeing more natural colors, so be probably stares at you longer than most
he absolutely thinks your piercings are cool though! he probably touches them and has considered getting some himself!
mans is absolutely not afraid of needles so if you brought him to watch you get new piercings or tattoos, he'd watch with such focus
has considered getting matching tattoos with you at least once but he's not gonna be the one to bring it up, you'll have to
if you have lip/tongue piercings, he LOVES that part of kissing you
he's the kind of guy who likes it when you wear crop tops and underwear, showing the most skin as you can, just so he can admire your tattoos
he's rly into it :)
Jason Vorhees
he LOVES the various colors your hair can be! he always helps you dye it at home and he loves running his hands through it to see the contrast of his skin against the color!
his mother always taught him that delinquents look the way you do, but you're special to him. he knows you're not like that!
he's used to seeing ear piercings but he gasps when he sees them in other places and asks if they hurt you
he wouldn't be able to watch you get the piercings, he's too anxious that they'd hurt you
not really a needles fan either, more of a machete kinda guy. if they start using machetes for tattoos, then he'll watch
he can't stand the idea of you being in pain, is all... he DOES like how the tattoos look after the fact though, he'll spend hours tracing over them with his fingers
HOWEVER he may consider matching tattoos if you suggest it to him. he loves the idea of you both belonging to each other and having a permanent reminder of that!
Ghostface (Billy Loomis & Stu Macher)
they are so down for this, you have no idea. they love your look and you catch them just staring at you for no reason sometimes. they admire your confidence and love your style so much, they HAVE to participate!
stu convinces you to dye his hair bright colors as well so you can match! billy's not super into dying his own hair, but he loves how happy it makes you and stu, so he probably helps with the dyeing process!
billy is very into the piercings and tattoos though. he'd probably get a few of his own! mostly lip or tongue piercings but he probably gets one of his ears pierced as well! (nipples as well but ;))
stu likely gets both ears pierced but is absolutely too scared of needles to consider anything beyond that! he'd hold your hand when you get new tattoos/piercings but he'd have his eyes shut or be looking somewhere else.
in contrast, billy watches the entire time, like he's in a trance. the building could be on fire and he still wouldn't look up.
billy's tried to convince stu to let him give him a stick n poke tattoo but stu is not for it! just seeing needles makes him anxious...
if you have lip/tongue piercings however, both boys enjoy kissing you very much! stu has laughed himself sick the one time you and billy got stuck together though!
Ghostface (Danny Johnson)
first time you met, danny probably teased you for your looks, but not in a mean way. as you grew closer, he's started showing WAY more appreciation for your style
he likes your hair when its bright red the best, since it reminds him of blood. he's probably played with your hair on several occasions when it's red like that
he's got a few tattoos of his own, so you both compare and contrast! he's the first to give suggestions for your next tattoos and piercing placements! ("no, danny, i'm not getting my nipples pierced-")
whenever you're making out, he makes it a point to bite at your ears and tug your piercings with his teeth. your reaction is priceless!
the idea of matching tattoos appeals to him and he thinks it would be sweet if you got your names tattooed in cursive around your fingers, like a ring of sorts. when you mention this to him though, he gets incredibly flustered
whenever you go get a new piercing or tattoo, danny gets one right with you! he's got lots of little things, but his most recent is a dagger that looks like its stabbing through his arm
you've offered to dye his hair a few times, but he just won't bite. as a joke, you've bought him bright wigs to wear and he thinks its hilarious
Bubba Sawyer/Leatherface
he's a huge fan of the colors! he likes to put your hair in braids, if he can, to see what different styles he can put it in!
if you do multiple colors at once, that's his favorite. he loves when you dye it bright yellow that fades to green the best!
the tattoos are interesting to him! he's curious how you got them and definitely wants to get matching ones with you, but he's a bit nervous about the needles...
he doesn't have very strong feelings about the piercings. he likes them because you have them, but he knows he doesn't want them for himself. not his cup of tea...
when he tells you this, you point out that he always gets excited to kiss you when you have your lip piercings in and he just turns bright red
bubba rubbing his temples in annoyance as his family makes a huge deal about it. he doesn't get why they're so... loud about it, but at least they're not hurting you
he wants to learn to give you tattoos and piercings himself! it's a sweet gesture, but you'll let him practice on some pigs first...
Brahms Heelshire
when he first meets you, his first thought is that your hair looked like candy
he LOVES the tattoos, often begging you to let him see your "pictures" constantly. he steals your clothes sometimes just to get a better look, but you've scolded him for this continuously. he still does it sometimes
sometimes he just stops what he's doing to tuck your hair behind your ear, if he can, and just gazes at you like you're the greatest thing to ever happen to him
he loves seeing you in tanktops, admiring all your tattoos and piercings. sometimes he sneaks up behind you to hug you to his chest and get a better look at your ear piercings
matching tattoos are a MUST. brahms is terrified of needles but pushes through to have your name branded on his body. he watches when you get yours done of his name and is so excited he's practically vibrating
he BEGS you to dye his hair the same color as whatever you've dyed yours recently. it takes a hell of a long time because of how dark his hair is, but seeing how happy he is makes it worth it!
he's expressed interest in piercing his ears but... you know how much that man showers, ain't no WAY he'd do the proper aftercare for it...
Chucky (joke-bonus because I just watched that movie)
Chucky is probably the least surprised out of all of them! he's got crazy colored hair now and is very familiar with piercings and tattoos, so he's pleased with your look
he absolutely pouts because he's a doll and can't have piercings or tattoos anymore, but when you offer to use a sharpie on his arms he gets excited!
him pleading with you to dye your hair bright red to match and you just sigh
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pingutats · 3 years
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could you write a really fluffy bit on harry kissing every single self harm scar on your body? like, stroking them and cuddling with you and reassuring you that your body is beautiful and okay even with scars? 🥺
thank you for requesting this! this was genuinely quite therapeutic to write so i’m glad i did it — it’s longer than i meant it to be at about 2.4k words, but anyway. here’s a difficult conversation with new boyfriend!harry. 
major trigger warning for discussions of self-harm and scars. this is not a story for everyone, and could definitely be triggering if you are not in the right headspace. please be responsible and look after yourselves <3 
this is also pretty unedited so forgive any mistakes. okay!! onwards!
It’s getting late when Harry asks you, ‘Do you want to spend the night?’
The meandering film you found on Netflix is drawing to a close, finally. The characters are on a boat, drifting away into an Italian sunset. You barely have a grasp of how they got there — mostly, you just listened to Harry talk over the dialogue about a pretty little café he knows just around the corner from where this scene was filmed, or how cool the water gets at night there and so the actors must have been shivering. All of it wrapped up, of course, in a quiet suggestion to take you there someday so you can see for yourself. You get a little thrill every time he says something like that. It means he’s thinking of a future with you, which means he wants one, even though it’s only been just over a month since you’ve been seeing each other.
He trails his fingers up and down your arm, bringing up goosebumps beneath your sleeve, and looks at you. ‘Or I can drive you home, if you’d rather sleep in your own bed.’
You hum. ‘No,’ you say. ‘I’ll stay. I’d probably end up falling asleep in the car anyway. I’m so tired.’
His dimple appears. ‘Good, because I’d probably fall asleep at the wheel.’ He grabs the remote and turns the TV off, then pushes himself off the couch with a groan. He holds his hand out for you. ’C’mon, then.’
You grab his hand and he hauls you up, his other arm coming up to your back to pull you into his chest. You fall against him, grabbing his biceps to steady yourself. The two glasses of wine you’ve had tonight have thrown your balance off. He presses a kiss to your hair as you giggle. Then he brings his hand up to your jaw to tilt your head up to look at him properly. You nearly melt at his green eyes.
‘Hey,’ he says. ‘I can sleep on the couch.’ His gaze is completely sincere.
You haven’t slept together before, both in the literal and figurative senses. You haven’t had sex with anybody at all, actually, and Harry seems to have picked up on your hesitancy. He’s never asked for anything. He lets everything stay on your terms. 
That’s what makes you trust him.
‘You don’t have to do that,’ you tell him.
He holds your gaze for a moment longer, just to make sure. ’Right,’ he says, breaking into a smile.
He finds a new toothbrush in his cupboard for you, and you brush your teeth together. It feels like a big step to do these nighttime rituals with him. It’s so domestic. He shares his cleanser with you and offers his moisturiser that smells like vanilla. You imagine spending every night like this.
As he leads the way back into his bedroom, he pulls his shirt off. ‘I get hot at night. D’you mind?’
You giggle — you can’t help yourself, at the sight of his muscled torso with all of its tattoos. He’s so handsome. ‘Not at all,’ you tell him.
He throws the shirt into a hamper in the corner, and the birds on his chest seem to fly with the movement of his shoulder, then looks back to catch you ogling him. He chuckles, and the sight of his dimples gives you butterflies.
‘You like?’ he asks.
You narrow your eyes. ’Are you flexing?’
He relaxes. ‘Yeah, a bit. Just wanna impress you.’
You snort at that. ‘Like you need to do anything to impress me.’
He grins. ‘D’you want something more comfortable to sleep in?’ He rummages around in his drawer for a moment, then pulls out a t-shirt and holds it up for you. It has an incredibly faded image of Flinstones characters on the front. ‘How’s this?’ he asks.
You smile at his courtesy. ’Perfect. I love your t-shirt collection, by the way. Where the hell do you find things like this?’
‘Oh, you know… Here and there.’ He tosses it to you.
You catch it with some semblance of grace — you’re proud of yourself for that. ‘Thanks.’ You glance at the bathroom door. ‘Alright. I’ll just… get changed in here,’ you say, slipping through the ajar door.
‘Alright, love.’
You shut the door, and realise you’ve forgotten to turn the light on, leaving you in pitch-black. You grope against the wall for the switch and turn it on, and take a deep breath. Why are you so nervous, so frazzled? It’s just Harry. You shimmy out of your leggings, then pull your sweater over your head.
You look at your reflection. Well. There’s a problem. It’s easy for you to forget when you’re alone, or wrapped up in layers of clothing — it’s just a part of your body now. Artefacts from a different time, years ago. Even the memory of how you got them — how you gave them to yourself — is slipping away, thank God. It’s all a haze. These scars were carved by a girl that you don’t see much anymore. They aren’t really a painful reminder anymore, just a fact of life. You know they're there. The problem is, no one else expects it.
You stare down at your wrists, seeing the lines that never faded. Maybe if they were all like the thin white lines, barely visible until you look closely, you wouldn’t mind. You’re going to sleep, anyway, and it’s not like he’s inspecting your forearms. No, it’s the three darker ones, hard twisting scar tissue that you can feel even through sleeves. Times where you went just a little too deep, were a little too reckless. The ones you regret the most. They’re big, and ugly, and too obvious. He’d notice them right away.
But he gave you his t-shirt.
You look at your reflection in the mirror, furrowing your brows. You adjust your pose, twisting your arms around so the inside of your wrists are hidden, facing behind you. You look ridiculous. You know, as soon as you see Harry, you’ll reach for him, and he’ll see.
Would that be so bad?
You look down at your arms again. It’s been years, and they’re still there. They’ll probably be there forever. They’re as permanent as the tattoos on his skin — except those are beautiful, and what you have is not. You can’t show this to him. The world where these scars exist, and the world where he exists, should never cross over. It wouldn’t be right.
You pull your long-sleeve back on, covering them again. Then you put the t-shirt, which is long enough to be modest on you. This is fine, right? It’s better than any alternative, at least.
You leave the bathroom holding your folded sweats up to your chest, nervous now realising that you are standing in front of Harry in just your underwear, more naked than you ever have been in front of him.
He’s checking something on his phone as he sits on the bed, back against the headboard and long legs stretching down the covers, but he brightens up at the sight of you. His gaze drops to your legs — which makes your cheeks burn, but his boyishly excited expression dissolves your nerves — then rises up again to your shirt. He frowns at the long-sleeve. 
‘Are you cold?’ he asks. ‘I thought it was pretty warm but I can turn the heat up if you need.’
You shake your head, dropping your sweats on the floor beside the dresser. ’No, it’s fine.’
He sits up straighter, swinging his legs over the side so his feet rest on the ground. ’Can’t be comfortable to sleep like that.’ He hesitates. ‘You didn’t have to wear the t-shirt if you don’t want to.’
‘No, I want to. I do.’ You wrap your arms around yourself, trying to figure out how to navigate this situation in a way that won’t end in him being annoyed or disgusted. ‘It’s just…’ You trail off, but one glance at his frown, at the way he leans forward and hangs on every word, makes your resolve crumble. You’ll have to have this conversation at one point or another. ‘Okay. Shit, Harry, can I talk to you about something?’
The way he answers immediately makes you want to cry. ‘Yeah, of course. Anything.’ He sits up straighter, pats the covers next to him, inviting you to sit down.
You sigh and cross the room to sit next to him, not daring to meet his eyes. How the hell do you explain this?
He moves his arm behind you once you’re sitting. Not touching you, but enough so he’s close. ‘What’s wrong?’ he prompts. ‘Do you need me to drive you home instead? Because I didn’t—’
‘No,’ you interrupt. ‘It’s fine. It’s just, I kinda…’ You take a deep breath. ‘Okay, please don’t freak out?’
He frowns. His next words are measured. ‘I’ll try not to. Is everything okay?’
‘Yeah,’ you whisper. It feels like the greatest effort in the world, but you curl your fingers around the end of your sleeve and pull it up, revealing your wrists. ‘So, I have these…’ Your voice shakes.
‘Oh, baby,’ Harry says quietly, and that’s all you need to hear. His arm behind you reaches around and pulls you into his chest, hugging you close to him. His thumb rubs circles into your shoulder as you sniffle, his other hand resting on top of yours.
‘It’s in the past, you know,’ you say, muffled into his shoulder. He smells good, you notice. Not that it’s really important right now, but you appreciate it all the same. ‘Not a big deal. Just didn’t want to scare you or anything. ’S embarrassing.’
‘Listen to me,’ he says, pulling back and holding your face in his hands. He waits until you manage to look him in his eyes. They’re watery, you realise, and that might be the most painful thing about this night. ’It’s not embarrassing, alright? I don’t want you to feel like that. They’re part of you, and I really like you, every part.’ He smiles. ‘I really do, you know.’
You sniff, wiping at your cheek with your fingertips, trying to calm your tears. Suddenly all your fears seem ridiculous. Did you really expect him to turn you away, disgusted? Ask to never see you again? You knuckle at your eyes. ‘Okay. I’m sorry.’
‘Hey.’ He springs from the bed to grab the tissue box from the dresser and brings it to you, pulling out a tissue and dabbing under your eyes himself. He’s so gentle. ‘You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry, that you were worried to show me.’
You chuckle, grabbing a tissue from the box and blowing your nose. What more can you say to him? He’s so wonderful to you. It’s early days still, and you’re wary of moving too fast and coming on too strong. You aren’t experienced with relationships in the same way that you know he is. But you love him. You’re sure of it. You’ll tell him, one day. Soon.
‘You don’t need to wear my shirt if you don’t want to,’ he repeats once you’re calmer.
‘I’ll wear it.’ And to show him, in your sudden burst of confidence, you undress right next to him, taking off both layers and then putting the only t-shirt back on. You turn to him, and giggle. He’s turned his head away. ‘You can look,’ you tell him, nudging his knee with yours.
He looks back with a sheepish smile. ‘Didn’t want to be a creep.’ He scoots backwards onto the bed, settling his back against the headboard. ‘C’mere.’
You crawl over to him, settling with your back against his chest, sitting between his legs. His arms wrap around your middle, anchoring you to him. He presses kisses to your neck, the scruff on his cheeks tickling you. You curl up, twisting your neck away, giggling.
‘Harry!’
‘Sorry, love.’ His hands relax, and find your own. He rests his chin over your shoulder, and gently turns your palms upwards, so your wrists are visible to him.
You shiver, but allow it. You feel this is important. You don’t want to hide with him.
‘Y/N…’ he says quietly. You feel his chest push against your back as it expands with a breath. ‘Am I… am I allowed to touch them?’ he asks.
You’re surprised. You thought he would want to avoid them. You nod, then, realising he can’t really see you, you add, ‘Yeah.’
Your fingers are tense. You can’t help it. His thumb presses into your palm, massaging the tension away. He pulls the back of your hand to his lips and brings it back to your lap.
You close your eyes.
When he finds the first hard lump of scarring with his thumb, he pauses. He takes a shaky breath, then he runs his thumb up and down the length of it.
‘Y/N,’ he says softly.
You squeeze your eyes shut tighter. ‘Mm?’
‘You’re beautiful, you know.’ He pulls your hand back up to his lips, but instead he kisses the biggest scar on your wrist. ‘No matter what. You are.’
‘Harry,’ you whisper, because you don’t know what to say.
He kisses the scar again, then trails his lips up your wrist, covering them all. ‘I don’t want you to be ashamed of anything. You survived. That’s a wonderful thing.’ He drops your hand and cups your jaw, turning your head towards his. He leans around your shoulder to face you properly. ’I’m so fucking proud of you, you know?’
You never were good at taking compliments, so you just cross the distance between the two of you and kiss him.
When you’re lying together in the dark a little while later, with his arm thrown over you protectively and his soft breaths hitting your neck where his t-shirt doesn’t cover, you feel safe. Your arms are bare, you’re with another person, and you feel safe in this situation for the first time in years. It’s a wonderful feeling. All because of Harry.
You can’t wait to wake up in the morning and see his face again.
403 notes · View notes
realcube · 3 years
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❥ HOW HE CONFESSES
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characters ❥ mikey, draken & baji 
tw ❥ the beach, bad driving, mentions of murder and cursing 
cr ❥ requested by anon
a/n ❥ i’ve not read the manga yet :’(
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MIKEY 
♥ his love language is shoplifting for you <33
♥ like okay.. in writing it kinda sounds pathetic compared to all the other shit he does but like.. he goes through the effort of personally picking up your favourite snack from the grocery store —instead of getting his toman underling to do it for him — and hiding them under his shirt 
♥ and he thinks about you the whole time he is sprinting away from security 
♥ if that isn’t true love idk what is 
♥ today wasn’t any ol’ day tho, snacks and sweets were going to cut it 
♥ instead, he went for the big shiny rock on a ring he keeps seeing the window of the rock shop on the high street
♥ it was pretty, for a rock, but not pretty enough for anyone in their right mind to think it’s worth £10,000/$14,000/ ¥1,500,000!!!
♥ however, after hearing that price from a salesperson, he knew that stupid rock ring was exactly how he’d win your heart <3 
♥ it was a challenge and it had him working overtime, but after pulling some strings, doing a couple favours, and maybe even inadvertently killing some people (you never know 🤷‍♂️), he managed to get his hands on the pristine stone, which he had come to learn was called a diamond, which was why it was so expensive 
♥ the guy who did him the favour of stealing it initially asked if mikey was planning on proposing and mikey said yes —since asking you out on a date is technically a proposal — and the dude didn’t even question it, he just said good luck
♥ and that sort of energy was exactly what mikey needed right now as he stood behind a wall near your lunch table as he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do 
♥ all your friends had left yet you were still sitting there alone since mikey texted you and asked for you to wait behind, and the fact you actually did filled him with hope from the get-go
♥ “(y/n)! there you are!” mikey greeted as if he didn’t know exactly where you were this whole time. why was his heart thumping so harshly in his chest? and why did he suddenly feel overwhelmingly embarrassed? i mean, he’s not done anything worth being awkward about.. yet.
♥ he didn’t understand. he never usually gets this way around people. but then again, he shouldn’t be surprised since he knew you were an exception from the beginning
♥ “hi, mikey.” you hummed, head propped gently on your arm while you slipped your phone away, “why did you want to see me? is something wrong?”
♥ the slight concern he detected in your voice was enough for him to immediately blurt out, “oh, no! nothing like that! everything is great; i am great and i, erm, hope you are too.” he announced, somewhat glad that your only reaction was a blank stare as it meant he doesn’t feel inclined to explain himself 
♥ “so, uh, i was just wonder if you..” he started, clenching his jaw as he mentally reassured himself. the fact that he felt embarrassed about feeling embarrassed made things infinitely harder from him. he took a deep breath, and spilled
♥ “do you want to go out on a date with me sometime?” he basically screamed, squeezing his eyes shut tight and emptying his left pocket onto the table in front of you so that his special gift would accompany his proposal 
♥ he closed his eyes as if that was going to protect him from rejection, but before he was able to silently rebuke himself, he heard faint sobbing from where he dropped his present 
♥ upon opening his eyes, the shock from the sight before him was enough to give him whiplash
♥ in an unfortunate turn of events, he must’ve emptied the wrong pocket because sitting on the table in front of you was not a diamond ring, but rather a sherbet dip he bought to share with you if you said ‘yes’ to his proposal 
♥ and his suspicions were correct, you were the one crying 
♥ ....
♥ waIT WHY ARE YOU CRYING mikey panicked, frantically looking around for someone who might’ve hurt you, or perhaps someone he’d have to send to A&E
♥ “are you okay?”
♥ “yeah.” you whispered, your light chuckle enough to prevent mikey from worrying any more, “i’m just..” you stuttered, smiling fondly at the blonde, “i’m just really happy. i thought you’d never ask.” 
♥ it was impossible for mikey to conceal the sigh of relief he breathed as he slumped down next to you on the bench, “thank god. i thought someone had threatened you or something.”
♥ “threatened me? why would they do that?” you innocently cocked your head to the side, rubbing your eyes as you did so. 
♥ oh, yeah. mikey hadn’t been fully transparent with you about his.. current employment. as far as you knew, he was a full-time student at ‘toman academy’ and he had a part-time job babysitting (which was hardly a lie, in his opinion)
♥ so you didn’t really know about how he was the leader of the tokyo manji gang or any of that
♥ originally he thought it was fine to keep it a secret, but now that you were officially his partner it would be immoral to not let you know about his affiliation with the gang 
♥ so he decided to tell you over a sherbert <33
♥ “so, are we official?” he cooed, ripping the lollypops out of the bag and popping one in his mouth while offering you the other by tapping it against your lips lightly 
♥ “yep.” you smiled, taking the lolly into your mouth with a smile, glad that he didn’t bring up your little waterworks a few second ago 
♥ but in all honesty, he was preoccupied wondering what the most appropriate way to phrase ‘i am the leader of a gang of delinquents’ would be 
♥ poor little mikey brain working on overdrive 
♥ he decided to pull out the ring, since he still had to give that to you, so while you were entranced by the fat gem glistening under the light in mikey’s possession, he began, “so, babe, do you think being a gang leader is hot?”
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DRAKEN
♥ he honestly didn’t have a clue how to ask you out
♥ in fact, he didn’t even know that he had a crush on you until mikey pointed out all of his weird behaviours around you 
♥ so his first instinct was to go to mikey for advice when thinking of ways to ask you out 
♥ but the only idea that mf was to get ‘will you go out with me, (y/n)?’ tattooed onto his ‘thick skull’ and ofc draken wasn’t about to do that
♥ although he did consider it for like.. a minute
♥ (he was like.. hmmmm... well, the tattoo guy does owe me a favour so... maybe i could get it for free?)
♥ (or permanent marker might work???)
♥ anyway, he eventually decided to ask you out the good ol’ fashion way!! by just telling you how he feels
♥ however, once he explained this plan to mikey, he was scoffed and said ‘good luck with that’ in the most condescending tone of voice
♥ draken’s initial instinct was to simply beat up mikey and go ask you out anyway, but this conflict ran deeper than just him and mikey bickering about trivial issues- his whole relationship was on the line! 
♥ so after hearing the leader out, he finally decided on the most appropriate way to confess — just like how all the dudes in the animes mikey and him and watched did it 
♥ by giving you flowers and chocolates <3
♥ and mikey even offered to come into the store with draken and help him choose the goods since mikey was a self-proclaimed ‘love-expert’
♥ draken obviously denied his offer but he came along anyway 
♥ “ooh, ken-chin! look at these ones, they’re on sale.” mikey gasped, happily grabbing a pack of heart-shaped chocolates off the shelf, ripping them open and stuffing his face, “and they are delicious too!”
♥ paying no attention to the fact that mikey had essentially already committed a crime since there was no way he intended to pay for those chocolates, draken mused while eyeing up the rest of the sweets, the bouquet of flowers he had already chosen tucked under his arm, “valentine’s day was a week ago, that’s probably why they are on sale.” 
♥ “draken?” 
♥ a familiar voice from the end of the aisle caused draken to avert his gaze from the chocolates displayed in front of him and instead search for the source of the voice, which happened to be you standing innocently with your basket in-hand
♥ “ah, (y/n),” draken tensed, immediately shoving the bouquet of flowers behind his back at hopefully out of your sight as he put on a forced smile to distract from them too, “what a nice surprise seeing you here.”
♥ “hm?” mikey chimed in, unable to vocalise his curiosity through the chocolates stuffed in his mouth, but that didn’t stop him from trying, “is that the (y/n) you were talking about? the one you were going to conf--” 
♥ “that’s enough outta you.” draken hissed through a fake smile, shoving mikey into the next aisle, which happened to be the snack aisle so, entertained, he decided to stay put
♥ “oh, is that your friend mikey?” you inquired, having only ever heard about mikey through rumours up until now. though none of them exactly matched the image you saw just there
♥ “yep, he’s pain sometimes, but he’s still cool.” draken muttered, awkwardly rolling on the balls of his feet as he waited for a deity to save him from this interaction —  not that he didn’t want to talk to you, it’s just that every second you spend with him, the less likely it becomes that his confession will go as planned
♥ and you only confirmed that with your follow-up question
♥ “i see you’ve got flowers, and you’re looking for chocolates. who’s the special someone?” you teased, poking draken’s cheek playfully (which is one of the many things he only finds comfort in when you do it)
♥ “oh, no one.” he hummed, his coy smile doing a number on your heart rate
♥ “how about you? who is that card for?” he inquired casually, gesturing to the classic pink ‘i have something to tell you... <3′ confession card that was only in-stock during valentine’s day season, that was sitting atop the groceries in your basket
♥ a cocky smirk tugged at his lips — as if to say ‘i won’ — while he watched you become increasingly flustered right in front of him. it was adorable
♥ but he thought it would stop there; stop with him winning the teasing battle, you getting all sheepish then leaving but that apparently wasn’t your plan
♥ instead, you lowered your head and outstretched your arms to give him the card (which was still in the wrapping plastic) 
♥ “red-handed. i bought these with you in mind, draken.” you said, voice barely above a whisper, “but if you don’t accept then that’s fine too, have a nic--”
♥ “who said i don’t accept?” draken grumbled, almost as if he was annoyed, as he took your card and examined the card thoroughly for a couple seconds
♥ then suddenly, he froze. the shock of the realisation leaving him stunned to the point where the only thing he could do was shift his eyes from the card on to you and utter in a terrified tone, “this isn’t, uh, this isn’t a confession, is it?”
♥ you shrugged, “i guess, it is.” 
♥ “damn it.” draken cursed, glaring at the snack aisle and hence mikey, for giving him this stupid idea
♥ “is there a problem?” 
♥ “no.” draken said through gritted teeth before pulling out the bouquet his had hidden behind his back, “but i was meant to confess first.”
♥ your jaw dropped, leaving draken concerned for a second until you instantly pulled him in for a tight hug; another thing he admired about you was that you gave hugs like you were in the mafia, strong enough to cut off his airflow
♥ “double confession!” you squealed, absolutely delighted that draken not only wanted to confess to you, but he had the same idea to come to the shop and buy stuff beforehand
♥ “i guess so.” draken chuckled, handing you the bouquet of flower as soon as you pulled away, “these are for you.” 
♥ you gasped, smiling at how he managed to remember your favourite kind of flower after a single off-handed comment you made ages ago, “thank you!” you hugged them to your chest, “have you already paid for them?”
♥ “no.” draken replied simply. “but they are still yours.”
♥ sometimes it slipped your mind that draken was part of a literal gang since.. he just seemed so normal and humble 
♥ but on some other occasions, it was painfully difficult to consider draken anything close to ‘normal’
♥ and one of those moments was when he was trying to convince security he was pregnant with a flower-baby, and when that evidently didn’t work, he just made a run for it with mikey, whose pants pockets were filled with sweets that trailed behind him where ever he ran
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BAJI
♥ he didn’t even ponder about how he was supposed to confess to you for over a second
♥ the idea just came to him instantly and he went with it
♥ the only question he asked was ‘how can i show them how badass i am without bragging?’ and he immediately came up with an answer and rolled with it, no questions asked 
♥ and there was no planning or anything done beforehand either, he literally just texted you ‘where are you?’ at like 7PM and when you replied ‘the park’, he hopped on his bike and sped over 
♥ like he didn’t even ask which park.. he just guessed.. but he guessed correctly 
♥ your heart almost stopped as you watched a chunky motorcycle come speeding towards you at such a rate that all you could do was brace for impact and kiss goodbye to your relatively peaceful live
♥  however, at the very last second it swerved around you and came to a halt, allowing the rider to extend his free hand to you, “hop on.”
♥ the voice was all to familiar and you weren’t surprised at all to see baji with his signature ‘i could kill you’ grin plastered on his face 
♥ as your heart rate slowly began to return to normal, you cried, “what do you mean ‘hop on’? you almost ran me over!”
♥ he unclipped his helmet and tossed it to you, “safety first.”
♥ “did you even hear what i just said?” you grumbled, putting on the helmet anyway 
♥ “i think you said something about how excited you are to finally go out with me.” he mused, shuffling forwards slightly to give you more space to sit on behind him, like a true gentleman /s
♥ “no.” you replied simply. 
♥ though you initially had no intention of going anywhere with him, you still found yourself reaching your leg over his bike to take a seat behind him, “where are we going?”
♥ baji shrugged, chuckling slightly as he felt you gently wrap your arms around his hips, “don’t know, but hold on tight.” he warned, revving his engine and taking off without another word
♥ perhaps you were the fool for getting on a motorcycle with baji and letting him take you to an undisclosed location, but you trusted him enough to know that he wouldn’t try to drive you off a cliff or put you in danger.. or at least, that is what you hoped
♥ however, if it wasn’t a rival gang that kills you, baji’s driving definitely would
♥ he drives like a madman and left you with no other choice but to cling onto him for dear life, since if you didn’t bury yourself into his side, you’d probably fly off with all sharp turns he does around the other cars/bikes
♥ it was like being taped to the top of a vehicle in mario cart
♥ eyes squeezed shut, you yelled over the harsh blaring of the wind, “slow the fuck down! where are you even taking me?” 
♥ baji was having fun, but he was getting the feeling you weren’t..
♥ usually he doesn’t care about what other think but this was the first time he was taking you out, he didn’t want you to think of him as a maniac driver, or else you might not want to come with him ever again
♥ “if you open your eyes, you’ll see.” he uttered, slowing down slightly so the noises weren’t as harsh 
♥ taking his word for it, you hesitantly pried open one of your eyes and turned your neck so your face was no longer pressed against his shoulder
♥ and honestly, you were glad you did. passed the edge of the road, you had the perfect view of the beach below, the sea gently glistening under the orange sunset 
♥ now that your nose was free from only breathing in baji’s sickeningly strong, wild spice body spray, you finally able to enjoy fresh ocean air 
♥ “the beach.” you mused, smiling down at the completely deserted sandy shore, which looked so beautifully peaceful in contrast to how busy it was when you usually come 
♥ “no shit.” baji chuckled, his eyes remaining glued to road, despite how much he wanted to see your reaction
♥ you let out a defeated sighed, leaning against his back, “but it’s closed.”
♥ baji nodded, “yep, that means we’ve got the whole place to ourselves!”
♥ before you could question what baji meant by that, he steered off the edge of the road and down the steep hillside which led to the beach, though it definitely was not meant to be drove on as there were several warning sign at the side of the road, warning drivers about the hill
♥ “baji, what the fuck?!” you screamed over baji’s amused laughter, similar to the way you’d laugh if you were playing GTA, rather than playing with actual human lives
♥ “isn’t this fun?” he yelled back, enjoying how the wind felt against his skin as he maneuvered his bike down the steep hill 
♥ honestly, you weren’t sure whether you enjoyed it or not, but as soon as the bike came to a smooth landing upon the soft sand of the beach, you found yourself silently wanting to do that again
♥ “well, how was that?” baji asked, immediately hopping off the bike on his own only so he could offer you a hand
♥ accepting his hand, you stepped off the cycle only to notice that your legs were shaking, yet you oddly liked it, “that was.. okay.” you murmured, not wanting to feed his ego but also unable to lie to him.
♥ “great.” he uttered, leaning forward to carefully unclip your helmet for you and sling it over the handle of his bike
♥ “so,” he started, looking around the beach for any stray cops or surveyors, “what do you wanna do?” 
♥ he felt a light tug on his jacket sleeve, causing him to look down and meet your pleading gaze, “do you think we could go out again? some other time, maybe?”
♥ all baji did was laugh, resulting in you become sheepish for a moment, until he wrapped his arms around you picked you up for a hug, “obviously!”
♥ you smiled, your cheeks heating up slightly, “nice!”
♥ “anyway,” he started, placing you back down and dashing off towards the sea, “loser owes me lunch!”
♥ ignoring how he gets lunch either way, you immediately sprinted off behind him, watching as he dramatically fell over a large shell and face-planted into the the sand
♥ being the kind friend you are, you ignored him and continued running towards the water, only for him to grab your ankle and trip you up too
♥ “ha!” that is how he shows affection <3
394 notes · View notes
biaswreckingfics · 4 years
Text
Transcendent
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Pairing: Kang Yeosang x Reader
Genre: Soulmate!AU, Angst, Fluffy ending
Word Count: 9.5k
Summary: You are born with the first words you ever hear your soulmate say permanently marked on your arm, but what happens when your soulmate turns out to be your best friend’s boyfriend and neither of them are willing to end the relationship? Find out in Transcendent.
Soulmates.
The concept of soulmates was kind of funny to you.
The idea that there was one person out there for everyone on a planet filled with billions of people, and you were somehow supposed to find them during a short human lifespan, was wild.
Of course, some people believed in fate and thought that the universe would pull the two souls in the right direction so they could find each other. You didn't know if you believed in that, but something was out there making it happen because you had seen soulmates finding each other with your own eyes.
It was a weird sight to witness. They would be standing there talking to someone or quietly walking by themselves when they would just stop like they were frozen in time. A slow turn would come to reveal their other half and the change that overcame the two individuals was undeniable.
It was ineffable.
There wasn't a physical change that you could see with your eyes, but something shifts within each person, and you always wondered what that was like.
You had always wondered what it would be like to find the one who was meant for you. The one who would be your other half. You didn't want to be one of those people who gushed over their soulmates and constantly talked about the day you would meet them, but your friends knew how badly you wanted to meet your soulmate.
They would catch you running your fingers over the light tattoo on your inner forearm that everyone was born with in curiosity, but you didn't want to make too much of a big deal about it. They knew a part of you yearned to meet the person who would understand you like no one else, and they all wanted that for you.
That didn't mean all of your friends were on the same page as you. Sure, there were some who were, but others wanted to live in the "now", and of course, you didn't blame them.
Nobody knew when they would meet their soulmate, and you understood them wanting to find happiness with another partner in the present, instead of waiting for the future. You had also dated around here and there, but it had never felt right to you. It always felt bland and less colorful than you had hoped.
Your best friend was one of those people who wanted to live in the "now". The ones who hopped into relationships knowing their soulmate was out there probably searching for them without a care.
She had been in five different relationships over the years that you would consider to be somewhat serious, but you were always the first to know and she would share every little nauseating detail with you. That's why you were shocked when she called you to gush about her new boyfriend of a month.
How had she managed to go an entire month without telling you about this mysterious man she was falling for? Where did she even meet him, and why did she wait so long to tell you about it?
"I know he's not my soulmate, Y/N, but he's... perfect."
You quietly sit there and take in Mijung's words in slight disbelief. The two of you have been best friends for well over a decade, and you knew that while Mijung liked to jump into new things, she tended to get over them relatively quickly. It was stunning how much she seemed to be into this guy.
"How come I'm just now hearing about him?" You ask curiously.
Mijung is silent for a good minute and you wonder if she even plans on answering you. "I knew you wouldn't completely agree with our relationship... especially when I tell you how different this one seems..."
The seriousness of her tone catches you off guard. You have never heard Mijung this serious about a guy, and you had to admit, a small part of you was starting to get worried. If they cared about each other this much already... What will they do when they meet their soulmates?
"What's different about this one?"
Mijung takes a deep breath like she's preparing to launch into all the reasons he's so much better than the rest. "At first, we were just having fun. Nothing too serious because we knew we weren't each other's soulmates... but then it just naturally grew into something more. Maybe it's all in my head, but I feel some type of pull towards him, and I know it's quick, but I love him."
Your mouth drops open in shock at her admission, but before you can fully process what she's telling you, she continues to drop another bomb on you.
"What if there has been some type of mistake? What if we were supposed to be soulmates instead?"
You pull your phone away from your ear to check that you are really talking to your best friend. When you do in fact see her contact ID, you bring it back to your ear in confusion. You've never heard your friend talk like this. Ever.
"Mijung... That's never happened before. You know there are no mistakes when it comes to the soulmate tattoo."
"I know, but - "
"Mijung." You unapologetically cut her off.
She sighs loudly in your ear before relenting. "I know... I know the tattoo is never wrong, and I know we're not soulmates... I just wish we were."
"What are you going to do when one of you finds your soulmate?"
Her silence on the other end lets you know you're not going to like whatever she has to say. Whenever Mijung is silent, you know it's because she doesn't want to admit something to you.
"We want to be together. No matter what." She finally says with determination. "If one of us happens to find our soulmate... It's not going to change anything."
You blink a few times, taking in what she's telling you. Now it all made sense why she was hesitant to say anything. She knew you wouldn't agree with ignoring your soulmate when you found them. That wasn't how society worked.
Everyone waits for the day they meet their soulmate. The day colors seem more vibrant and sounds seem more celestial. The day everything in your world clicks into place... and they were just willing to ignore it? To let both of their soulmates go on without them because they thought they wanted to be together instead?
"So, you're just going to say, 'screw your soulmates'?"
She sighs heavily. "Look, I know you're excited to meet your soulmate, but I'm happy with Yeosang. We're happy, and we want to stay together."
When you stay silent, she lets out yet another sigh. "Please, don't be mad at me..."
"I'm not mad at you. You're both grown adults and you can do whatever you want. I don't agree with it, but I can't do anything to stop it, either, so..." You trail off, not sure what else to say at this point.
"Fair enough... but... how would you feel about meeting him?"
"Excuse me?"
"Please, Y/N." Mijung pleads. "I really want the two of you to meet! I know you'll both get along really, really well."
The excitement and happiness in her voice makes you feel slightly guilty for mentally shitting on their relationship.  If your best friend was happy... that was really all you could ask for.
As you agree to meet him, your eyes fall to the tattoo on your forearm. The words that you knew by heart staring back at you in a slightly lighter shade than your skin tone.
Once you hang up with Mijung, you lightly run your fingers over the words like you've been itching to do ever since you started talking about soulmates. The familiar phrase bringing a small smile to your face like it always does.
“It's freaking gray, you dolt.”
You had always wondered what type of conversation spurs those words on, and a twinge of excitement fills you when you think about the day you'll actually find out. The day you'll finally hear the first words of your soulmate.
You try not to get too lost in your imagination, and honestly, it's pretty easy to pull yourself out of it when you think about what Mijung had told you. Would the couple really say, "screw their soulmates" and stay together? Well... you guess you were just going to have to wait and see. Hopefully, for the sake of their soulmates... you never find out.
A few days later, Mijung is hosting a small get-together so her and Yeosang's friends could meet, and so you could finally meet the mystery man himself. She swore only a few people would be there besides you. Thankfully, your other best friend Yunho was going to be there, which was going to help calm your nerves and make you feel less anxious. Especially since Mijung warned you that Yeosang's friends could be a handful.
As soon as you woke up this morning, something felt different. You couldn't place your finger on it, but you knew, without a doubt, something was going to happen today. You just hoped it was something good.
With that in mind, you decide to dress up a little nicer today instead of your normal hoodie and yoga pants. You put on a cozy beige sweater and a pair of flattering skinny jeans that tucked into your brown booties perfectly. You spruced your hair up just enough that it looked like you actually attempted to make it look nice, but not enough that you looked like you were trying too hard. Adding a dainty gold necklace to complete the look, you were satisfied with what you saw in the mirror and quickly headed over to Mijung's.
Once you walk into her apartment, without feeling the need to knock since you were there almost as much as you were at home, you can hear booming laughter coming from the kitchen. You quietly close the door and take a moment to gather yourself before entering what already sounded like chaos.
The first person you spot when you round the corner is your tall, brown-haired, best friend Yunho. He notices you at almost the same exact moment and his eyes immediately light up while a giant smile grows on his face.
"Y/N!"
He strides over to you in two steps thanks to his long legs and pulls you into a tight hug. You welcome the hug from the giant puppy and feel some of your anxiety immediately disappear. If there was one thing Yunho was good at, it was making you feel safe and comforted.
"Hey, Yunho."
"Well... I don't have Yunho's name on my arm." You hear someone sigh from behind him.
A muttered “me either” has you pulling away from your friend and peeking around him. He moves out of the way and turns toward the two strangers in the kitchen with him.
Your eyes immediately fall on two ridiculously attractive black-haired males. One with full lips and a more hawkish nose and the other with small eyes and sharp cheekbones. When the latter smiles, two dimples appear on his cheeks, making him look younger than he did two seconds ago.
"Y/N, this is Wooyoung and San, Yeosang's friends." Yunho introduces you.
"Hi, I'm not your soulmate." The one who Yunho gestured was Wooyoung says.
The other one, San, side-eyes his friend before coming over to you and shaking your hand. "I'm also not your soulmate, but I'll at least be nice about it. My name is San."
"What did I say that was mean?" Wooyoung loudly asks.
As the two discuss what would and wouldn't be considered rude for a greeting at top volume, you glance over at Yunho in question. He nods his head, answering your unasked question.
"They've been like this since I got here."
Before you can respond, you hear Mijung ask the two bickering boys, "Why are you two like this?"
She enters the kitchen with the question and looks over at Yunho in exasperation. When she notices you, she lets out a high-pitched squeal that causes the two dark-haired boys to fall silent.
"You're here!" She happily says while bouncing over to give you a quick hug. "Let me go grab Yeosang real quick, so you can finally meet him!"
As she rushes out of the kitchen, you turn to Yunho and say, "She says so I can finally meet him like I didn't just learn of his existence a few days ago."
Yunho nods in agreement. "She just told me a week ago too."
Your head snaps up to the taller man in disbelief. "She told you first?"
A sheepish expression crosses his face as you mull over his words. You temporarily forget the other two are even there until San gets your attention.
"Yeosang's really nice. You'll like him. Though, he is pretty quiet sometimes, so you might have to pull the conversation out of him."
Wooyoung nods along, adding, "Don't let him fool you, either. He's a savage and will attack when you least expect it."
You hum in thought. Mijung was quite talkative, so you were sure the two balanced each other out in that way.
"Have you guys known him long?" Yunho asks.
"He's been my best friend for years. I probably know him better than anyone else." Wooyoung proudly tells the two of you.
You couldn't help but ask their opinions on your friend's apparent whirlwind romance. "What do you think about their relationship?"
Wooyoung shrugs his shoulders. "If they haven't found their soulmates yet, who cares?"
San glances at the wall across from him for a couple seconds before his eyes come back to you. "I don't think it's right. Especially when they say they're going to stay together regardless of what happens."
Yunho's eyebrows furrow and you figure this is the first he's hearing about this. Before you can ask him what he thinks, Wooyoung scoffs, pulling your attention back to him.
"No one can ignore the soulmate bond. It's over for them as soon as they meet their other half."
The sound of voices coming down the hallway instantly catches your attention. You easily identify Mijung's voice, but the other voice is too deep for you to understand right away.
For some reason, you tense up, but you don't notice until Yunho gives you a weird look. That's also when you notice that you're suddenly holding your breath for some reason. What was wrong with you?
"Are you colorblind, Yeosang? That's blue." You hear Mijung argue.
The most beautiful laugh you’ve ever heard follows her words before you hear a deep voice that shakes you to your core.
"It's freaking gray, you dolt."
At that moment, your world stops. The sounds around you momentarily muffle before suddenly snapping back with a clarity. Their footsteps approaching you become louder and louder with each thud, and a sudden rightness settles into your bones as they get closer. Happiness floods you because you know, without a doubt, you just found your soulmate. Your other half. The person you'll have a connection with that transcends everything.
You feel Yunho bump into your arm and you look over at him in a daze, causing concern to grow on his face. His expression triggers something in your brain, and you're suddenly pulled from the moment when you realize what this means. You found your soulmate... and he was already claiming he never wanted to meet you. He didn't want to start a relationship with you because he wanted to continue being with your best friend, who was apparently in love with him.
With each step that comes closer to you, it gets harder to breathe. It feels like a hand is squeezing tighter and tighter around your throat, and your foggy brain beings to realize that you're panicking.
You had to get out of here. Now. You couldn't meet Yeosang because the second you spoke; the truth would be revealed. Not only would your best friend be devastated, but you would be outright rejected in front of everyone.
Your eyes flash back over to Yunho, who is quietly saying your name and asking if you are alright.
"I need to go."
Confusion flashes in Yunho's eyes. "What?"
"I have to leave." You repeat as you back away from him.
Even you can hear that your words sound desperate, and Yeosang's friends look over at you in confusion. You continue to back away from the three men who are watching you with either concern or like you were crazy.
A strong feeling tells you that Mijung and Yeosang are going to round the corner any second, so you turn and book it for her front door without a backward glance. You run away from her apartment like your life depends on it, and you don't stop until you're in the safety of your own.
Once you shut your apartment door, you lean back against it and try to take deep breaths to get some air back into your lungs. You thank everything in the universe that Mijung only lives five minutes away from you because you wouldn't have been able to go much farther.
You take a few more deep breaths to try to calm down, but you can feel yourself shaking. You don't know if you are shaking from adrenaline, shock, or fear, but you were sure it was a culmination of the three.
You had just found your soulmate. The only person in the world who is meant for you, but he is your best friend's boyfriend and she is apparently in love with him. Not to mention, he is willing to screw you over to be with her.
You feel your phone vibrating in your pocket and pull it out. You stare at your phone as you see Mijung's contact name blaring at you. There was no way you could talk to her right now. You didn't even know what the hell you would say to her in the first place. "Oh, hi.  I'm sorry for just running out like that. By the way, your boyfriend is my soulmate. Isn't that crazy?" Yeah, right.
You hold your phone in your hand until it goes to voicemail and the tiniest sense of relief fills you. You unlock your phone with a sigh and see several missed calls from Mijung and a couple from Yunho… How would you explain any of this to her?
You toss your phone toward your couch and your eyes catch a glimpse of your soulmate mark. The words you had heard Yeosang say not even half an hour ago. The words you were once so excited to hear, but now cause your heart to stutter in panic.
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Over the next couple of weeks, Mijung tries a countless number of times to get you and Yeosang to meet, and every single time you came up with an excuse or a way to get out of it, just like the night you had found out he was your soulmate.
Once you had finally returned her multiple missed calls, you came up with the excuse that you had suddenly felt very nauseous and needed to leave. She thought it was a little odd but didn't question it too much.
That excuse could only work so many times, though, so you came up with many others like you had to work or your parents needed you for something, but you knew Mijung was suspicious of why you suddenly never had time. You knew your window of time was closing, and you would have to meet him eventually.
You wished you could say a part of you was surprised when Mijung ended up calling you out, but you knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Mijung wasn't the type of person to accept "no" as an answer, and certainly not as many times as you have said it. You were slightly surprised you got away with it as long as you had.
"I know you're avoiding meeting him, Y/N," she tells you through the phone. "So, you can stop giving me all of these excuses."
You can hear the irritation in her voice, and while a part of you feels bad, the other part of you doesn't. This wouldn't even be happening right now if her and Yeosang weren't being selfish and stubborn.
She sighs in your ear. "Is it because you don't agree that we should be together?"
"They're not excuses, Mijung," you lie through your teeth. "I've just been busy lately."
Her silence lets you immediately know she's not believing a word you say.
"Look, it's not like he's even met his stupid soulmate yet, anyway, so why does it bother you so much?"
Even though she didn't know it, her words were like a slap to the face, and you sat there in disbelief that your friend was behaving this way. You mentally scoff. His stupid soulmate was also her stupid best friend.
You take a deep breath before mumbling that you have to go and hang up the phone.
You knew you had two options. You could meet him and let the truth come out and bask in the awkwardness that will inevitably ensue... or you could stay away and willingly lose the friendship you had with Mijung.
You knew your friendship with Mijung was going to take a hit either way. She would either be hurt by the truth or she'd never forgive you for continuously avoiding meeting the person she was "in love with".
Both options had pros and cons, and there were things you needed to consider before you decided what you were going to do. If you decided to go and meet Yeosang, you would finally get to know what your soulmate looked like. You would finally know if he was short or tall, a manly man or a pretty boy, but you would also be rejected by the one person on this planet who was supposed to want to be with you.
The pro to the second option was avoiding hurting your friend while also avoiding the rejection they apparently were going to give you, but it also meant that you were willingly giving up your soulmate and your decade-long friendship with Mijung.
Neither option sounded appealing to you, and a part of you hated both of them for making you have to decide between a rock and a hard place. You didn’t want to give up your soulmate. You’ve been waiting for him nearly your entire life, but him wanting to ignore the bond was forcing you to make that decision anyway, and since rejection hurts a hell of a lot more than curiosity, you choose the latter.
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For the next few weeks, you spend most of your time with either Yunho or by yourself. Once Mijung realized you were doing your best to never meet Yeosang, she obviously grew upset. In her eyes, you were mad about what her and Yeosang were doing, and you never bothered to correct her. It would be far worse for her to find out he was your soulmate than for her to think you thought they were being stupid. Which they were so it wasn't like she was far off.
After the first week, she had thankfully given up on trying to get the two of you to meet and has spent the last couple of weeks avoiding you like you were her. Of course, it hurt. It hurt to treat your close friend like this and to have her treat you like this, but it hurt more knowing that your soulmate was so close to you, yet so far away. You could live with losing Mijung’s friendship, but you weren’t sure you could continue ignoring your soulmate and letting him keep living in their lie. However, besides blowing up their relationship, there was nothing you could do.
Unfortunately, it was all going to come to a head, and quicker than you would've liked.
It was like the universe was determined to make you and your soulmate meet. If it hadn't been Mijung trying to consistently get you to meet Yeosang, it was Yunho begging you to hang out with the three of them, so he wasn't third-wheeling. If it wasn't that, it was apparently the three of you running into each other on the street, and this time, there was no escaping the inevitable.
You had been searching for a birthday present for Yunho when you decided that you needed a coffee, or you were going to collapse on the sidewalk.
Although you may have been dramatic with that statement, something inside of you did start to feel weird, but you couldn't place it. Something... something was going to happen, and soon.
You push the feeling to the side as you approach the entrance of the coffee shop. Once you got your dose of caffeine, you would figure out what this feeling was, but you had zero hopes of doing it right now.
As you go to reach for the handle, the door of the coffee shop pushes open toward you, and you quickly back away to avoid impact.
"Oh my god. I'm so sor... Y/N?"
Your body freezes once you place the voice, and your eyes slowly trail up and meet Mijung's. You open your mouth to say something, but quickly snap it shut once you take in the quiet presence next to her.
Your body and mind scream at you to look at the person next to her. To look at the man you had no doubt was Yeosang, and you try to fight it, but quickly realize there's no hope in fighting the inevitable. Slowly, you look over to the right and try to stop the gasp that leaves you.
Standing before you was a prince. There was no other way to describe him. He was ethereal, otherworldly. His skin was perfection. There wasn't a mark on it besides what looked to be a birthmark near his left eye that made him no less attractive. In fact, it added an allure to him that intrigued you beyond words. His pouty lips complimented his round cheeks in a way that made him seem softer, more delicate.
You meet his brown eyes as they stare at you curiously before you notice his brow furrow in confusion. A weird look crosses his face and that's when you know he can feel the pull because you can feel it too. It was like every fiber of your being wanted you closer to him, wanted you to unite with him.
You shake your head when you hear an "excuse me" and realize the three of you are still blocking the entrance to the coffee shop. You move away and back onto the sidewalk and the couple follows you, much to your dismay. You take in the look on Mijung's face and mentally prepare yourself for what was to come. She knew this was the perfect opportunity for the two of you to finally meet.
"Y/N! I'm so glad we ran into you. I've been dying for you to meet Yeosang!" She says with a spark in her eyes that you can't interpret.
You glance over at him and he offers you a tight-lipped smile. "Hello."
Your eyes fall closed at this voice. It was deliciously deep and may be the most calming thing you've ever heard.
When you realize what you're doing, you snap your eyes open and offer him a small smile and nod. You were determined to not say anything. The last thing you wanted was to cause a scene in the middle of freaking town.
Mijung notices your lack of voice and you can see her frustration build, but you had to remind yourself that you were doing this for her. For both of you. The more you were in Yeosang's presence, though, the less you cared about their relationship.
Why were you so willing to let your soulmate go? Why didn't you deserve a little happiness for once?
Before Mijung can call you out on your behavior, the door to the coffee shop flies open and a group of teens come out, snagging your attention for a moment. You notice the one who opened the door with his back continue to walk backward, but you think nothing of it until he slams right into you.
He spins around in surprise at the collision and spills his warm coffee right onto you. You hear Mijung and Yeosang gasp, while you hiss in shock, expecting his coffee to be hot, but relax when you realize it's more lukewarm than anything. Thank god, because getting burned was not on your list of things to do today.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" The teenage boy panics.
He grabs napkins from his friend’s hand and begins wiping at the sleeve of your shirt. You look down at what he's doing and see a growing brown stain covering your sleeve. You appreciate his effort, but it's way too late to save it.
"I'm so sorry for ruining your shirt! I'll buy you a new one, I promise!" The boy shouts, still in full panic mode.
You grab his hands in an effort to calm him down, and to stop him from pulling at your shirt some more. You look him directly in the eyes and give him a small smile.
"It's an old shirt, anyway... and I'm okay, really."
"Are you sure? I'm so sorry..."
"Yes. I'm fine. It's not a big deal," you softly tell him.
The teenage boy looks at you like he's not sure if he should believe you before slowly nodding his head.
"I'm really sorry... again..." He tells you as he backs away from you. Realizing that's what got him into trouble the first time, he whips around and hurries after his friends.
You watch him go for a minute and sigh as you feel the liquid on your shirt become cold. Great. Now you were gonna have to... Your mind trails off as you begin to remember what was going on before the coffee incident. Shit...
You slowly turn to look at the couple next to you. Taking a deep breath, your eyes meet Yeosang's shocked ones as he searches your face in wonder.
"You're my soulmate..."
"Yeah..." you softly say.
A noise comes from next to you that snags both of your attention. You look over at Mijung, who was completely frozen beside Yeosang. Heartbreak and pain are clearly etched on her features as she takes in what's happening.
Yeosang looks between the two of you, confusion and sadness crossing his face as he tries to figure out what to do. You remember what Mijung had said when she was telling you about Yeosang. How he apparently didn't care if he found his soulmate and that he wanted to be with her.
A part of you wondered if that would change now that he met you. The soulmate bond was intense and everything in you wanted, needed, to be near Yeosang. Would he really try to ignore the soulmate bond? Did he still want to?
"You're his... That's why you've been ignoring me..."
"Mijung... I'm so sorry..."
"Are you?" She roughly asks while her eyes flash with anger. "You thought we were stupid for ignoring the soulmate bond. You probably think this is what I deserve, don't you?"
Your head jerks back like you've been slapped. "What the hell are you talking about? It's not like I planned this.
"Whatever," she spits before turning and nearly running the opposite way.
Yeosang continues to stand there for a moment, not knowing what to do. His eyes flit between you and Mijung's retreating figure. You see the longing in his gaze, but don't know who it's for.
His eyes fall close, and he takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, he looks back at you.
"I'm sorry..."
Your heart stutters at those words, and you know exactly why he's saying them. He was going after Mijung. He was going to stay with her.
It feels like your heart cracks as Yeosang turns away from you. With each step he takes, it feels like it gets harder to breathe. A part of you likes to think that his slow movements are because he's feeling everything that you do, but you have no way to know for sure. You silently stand there alone as you watch the one person who's supposed to love you walk away.
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The next couple of weeks pass by in a blur. You fall into a boring, consistent routine of work and home. The only other time you bothered to leave the house was to see Yunho or get groceries.
Life felt like it lost its sparkle ever since your soulmate left you, and it was easy to find yourself staring off into space for long amounts of time. You, also, often found yourself feeling anxious and even a little bit twitchy. Your body knew something wasn't right, and it didn't know what to do about it.
The first week was the hardest. The rejection was still fresh and the knowledge that your soulmate and best friend were together when they knew the truth, was like a slice to the chest.
Avoiding them was easy because they avoided you just as much. It was like they were pretending what they found out didn't happen. They were continuing to live in their fantasy world.
When you got a phone call from Mijung the following week, you were surprised. You weren't ready to talk to her. You didn't want to hear her apologies or excuses, so you ignored it, and the dozens of calls after that. You couldn't really be mad at Mijung for fighting for what she wanted, but that didn't mean you were ready to face her and go back to being normal again.
Yunho respected your thoughts and feelings and didn't try to force you to forgive her, especially when he found out the real reason behind your actions, which you were thankful for. To say he was shocked that Yeosang was your soulmate was an understatement, and he was just as upset with Mijung’s actions as you were.
However, Yunho was always quicker to forgive people than you were. He went back to hanging out with Mijung and Yeosang fairly quickly, and when he asked if you had talked to your soulmate, you were confused. How would you have talked to him? Why would he want to talk to you?
That was the part that hurt the most. Yeosang knew who you were, and he didn't want to do anything about it. He wanted to live in the fantasy world he and Mijung had created, and as much as you wanted to pretend you were okay with it, you weren't.
What would even happen when he and Mijung broke up? Did he think he could come crawling back to you? Finally give his soulmate a chance? You didn't want to be a second choice for anyone, especially your soulmate. No fucking way.
Also, how could you be with someone who was in love with someone else? Your best friend at that? How could you be intimate with someone who had been intimate with your best friend? Who had chosen her? Could you compete with that? With what they had? Did you even want to?
Not to mention, how could the three of you ever be in the same room together? Whether Yeosang was with her or with you? The awkwardness, guilt, and pain the three of you would feel was something you wanted to physically crawl away and hide from.
You pull yourself away from the horrifying and self-deprecating thoughts that were trying to penetrate your mind and look down at your phone with a sigh. Before you could even finish the thought about Yunho being late, the tall man rushes into the coffee shop, his eyes searching for you. Once he spots you, he books it for your table with an apologetic smile.
"I'm so sorry I'm late."
You regard him like you're annoyed, but you really aren't. "I'll forgive you if you buy me a muffin."
"Consider it done," he says, smirking at your ploy to get free food.
You silently watch as he gets up to order himself a coffee and you an apology muffin.
Yunho had asked you to go get coffee with him today because he had something he wanted to talk about with you. You weren't stupid. You knew he wanted to talk to you about Mijung, and his sudden request for a coffee date instead of hanging out at one of your apartments like you usually did, clued you in on it. Especially, when you knew he had hung out with Mijung yesterday.
For the next 30 minutes, you're able to avoid the topics of Mijung, Yeosang, and soulmates all together, but you know Yunho isn't letting you leave this coffee shop until he talks about whatever he wants to talk about.
"They broke up."
You pause with your coffee halfway up to your mouth as you process his words. He takes your actions as an encouragement to continue.
"They tried to make it work for a couple days, but neither of them could move past what happened... That's why Mijung has been calling you."
You clear your throat and put your cup back on the table. What were you supposed to say? That sucks? You're sorry they didn't work out? Because you weren't. Actually... you didn't know what you were.
"I don't really... know what you want me to say?"
Yunho sighs, "Mijung feels really guilty. She knew that you wanted to be with your soulmate... and she knew she was in the way of that..."
"So, she broke up with him?"
Yunho shakes his head no. "It was mutual. She felt guilty and Yeosang... well, Yeosang felt the change. I guess when they say something clicks into place, they're right... Yeosang wants to be with you, or at least get to know you..."
He pauses to take in your reaction, but you offer him nothing. However, he does sigh when he sees your cautious gaze. "I'm not trying to tell you what you should do here, but... he's your soulmate, Y/N. I know you, and I know you're not going to avoid your soulmate for the rest of your life."
You pick your cup back up and bring it to your lips as you avoid Yunho's eyes. He was right. You wanted that soulmate bond, and now that Mijung was out of the way, you could have it, but it still didn't sit right with you.
Once the lukewarm liquid goes down your throat, you ask, "What do you think I should do?"
"Talk to them," Yunho says without hesitation.
You sigh, "I don't know if I'm quite ready to talk to Mijung... and I don't even know how to reach Yeosang."
Yunho tilts his head as an odd look crosses his face. "Yeosang says he's tried calling you quite a few times."
Your brows furrow in confusion before it clicks into place. You had been getting calls from a number you didn't recognize, but you kept ignoring them because you didn't answer calls from unknown numbers. It had been Yeosang calling you this whole time? Why wouldn’t he leave a voicemail or send a text when you continuously didn't answer?
You ponder over what to do the entire trip home. Should you call Yeosang? Wait until he calls you again? What are you going to do about Mijung? You had almost left your coffee date with Yunho with more questions than you originally had, and now you were more frustrated than ever.
You continue to process everything you had learned as you trek up to your apartment. They had tried to make it work... Tried to be together knowing who you were... Mijung knew how much you wanted to be with your soulmate, and Yeosang felt the same things you did when he figured out who you were, but Mijung...
Mijung was standing right in front of you.
You pause in the middle of the hallway and eye Mijung while she stands next to your apartment door. The thought of making a quick escape and avoiding her fleetingly crosses your mind, but the option is quickly taken from you when Mijung's eyes spot you.
"Hey..." She starts, taking a step toward you before stopping.
You take in her twiddling fingers and anxious gaze. She's nervous to talk to you. She's scared you're going to freak out on her or slam the door in her face.
You take a step toward her, and then another until you're outside of your apartment door. Mijung bites her lip as she watches you, but you ignore her and open your door. You don't take a step inside, though. Instead, you wave your hand into your apartment as an "after you" gesture.
Mijung takes the hint, but before she steps all the way into your apartment, she pauses and turns to you. When she throws her arms around you in an awkward hug, you freeze, not expecting it.
"I'm so sorry..."
You bring your hand up and awkwardly pat her back. "Let's get into the apartment before we talk. My neighbors are nosey, and I don't want them to know what's going on."
Mijung nods and pulls away from you. Once you're free from her limbs, you shut your apartment door and walk towards your couch, knowing Mijung will follow you.
When you're both sitting down, Mijung immediately turns to you and picks up from where she left off. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have tried to continue a relationship with him after finding out you are his soulmate. That was such a shitty thing to do. I know how excited you were to be with your soulmate... but I just loved him. I didn't want to give him up… I was being selfish."
You slowly take in her words. "Believe me... Nobody expected this to happen."
She gives you a sad smile and the two of you fall into silence. You're not surprised when she breaks it because you didn't have much to say at the moment.
"You should call him."
You snap your head to look over at her. "What?"
"Y/N, he's your soulmate. You should be with him," she tells you through misty eyes. "He's a good guy and he deserves to be happy, and you're the one person on this planet that will make him happy. That will complete him."
Surprise floods you at her words. "But what about you?"
She looks away and sighs. "I'll meet my soulmate one day... Who knows? It could even happen tomorrow. Life is odd like that."
You give Mijung a confused look and wonder who the heck this person next to you is. Mijung wasn't wistful like this. She wasn't one to dream about her soulmate.
She looks over and catches the expression on your face, which causes her to laugh. "I know. Who am I? ...Things were great with Yeosang, and if being with your soulmate is even better? Then I want that. For both of us."
"Yeosang wanted to be with you, though... He knew who I was, and he still left with you," you quietly admit part of your fears.
A guilty look crosses her face. "That was... my fault... He didn't want me to be upset, and I was so bound and determined to say, 'screw soulmates', I don't think he even knew what to do. That's why he followed me..."
She pauses like she's working up the nerve to admit to something, and when she finally does, a sick feeling grows in the pit of your stomach.
"Yeosang wasn't the one who wanted to ignore our soulmates... That was all me, and I kept trying to push him into wanting the same thing as I did, but I knew that was over the second he saw you... He stayed with me for those couple of days because I begged him to... but he was different. I think he tried to hide how he was really feeling from me, but it was obvious he didn't want to be there anymore. He was mentally checked out. Distracted, distant, and overall, just sad. When he sat me down to talk, I knew what it was about. He wanted to pursue something with you. He couldn't be with me anymore."
So many thoughts swirled through your head, you didn’t know which one to focus on.
This entire time, you were under the impression that Yeosang didn’t want to be with his soulmate. That he wanted to be with Mijung, and he didn’t care if he met his soulmate or not… but that was all Mijung? It was Mijung’s idea to ignore soulmates? Did he even say those things or was it all just Mijung’s wishful thinking?
Also, they were only together for a couple of days? She begged him to stay with her? A part of you was so mad at Mijung. That she purposely ruined this for you and convinced your soulmate to stay with her. How could she do this to you? To Yeosang?
Then again, another part of you was elated. Yeosang wants to be with you. He’s always wanted to be with his soulmate. He’s even tried contacting you multiple times. He hadn’t really rejected you…
“Yeosang wanted to be with his soulmate?” You ask for clarification. When she meekly nods, you continue. “It was you alone saying, ‘screw soulmates’?”
“Yes… and it was me who tried to continue the relationship afterward. Yeosang’s just too good of a guy to kick me to the curb.”
You hum in thought because what are you supposed to say? If you let your true thoughts and feelings out right now, you might end up smacking Mijung for pulling something so disgusting. For trying to keep soulmates from coming together when they’re two people she claims to “love”.
“Y/N… he’s your soulmate… He wants to be with you, not me, and he always has. Plus, there’s a reason the universe wants the two of you together… so you should call him and meet up.”
Your head was extra fuzzy now as Mijung suggests you call Yeosang again. She had just dumped a shit ton of information on you and it was a lot to process. You were gonna need a clear head before you talk to him about any of this.
While you are trying to work through your inner turmoil, you don’t notice Mijung reaching for your phone until it’s too late. You look up in confusion as she jumps up from your couch. Her head is down as she furiously types something on what you come to realize is your phone.
Before you can jump up and snatch it back, she drops it into your lap with a smile. “This is just the start of me trying to make up for what I did.”
You watch in complete confusion as she makes a beeline for your door before looking down at your phone to see what she did. When you see that the call screen is up and your phone is currently in the process of calling someone, you panic.
You recognize that number. You’ve had multiple missed calls from that number the past couple of weeks.
A deep voice answers the phone and suddenly you forget how to breathe.
“Hello?”
You open your mouth to say something, but absolutely nothing comes out. You can hear Yeosang’s soft breaths as he waits for you to say something, but you can’t make yourself do it.
“Y/N?”
Your eyes fall closed as he softly says your name. You had never heard it sound more beautiful than in that moment. It was almost like a caress. You force your eyes open and take a deep breath. You had to say something before he hung up.
“Hey, Yeosang…”
It’s quiet for a moment before you hear, “It’s really good to hear your voice…”
“Yours too…” You let out a soft laugh. “This is awkward, isn’t it?”
“Only if we let it be.”
The slight determination in his voice eases your anxiety. He was right. It was only going to be awkward if you made it that way. You take another breath.
“Would you like to meet up somewhere?”
“Yes,” he replies without hesitation, almost before you can finish asking.
You hold back the laugh that wants to come out and suggest meeting at a park close to the coffee shop that you met at. Once Yeosang agrees, you hang up and feel the butterflies in your stomach start to crawl up your throat.
You are really going to do it. You’re going to meet up with your soulmate, and this time you don’t have to worry about anyone else, but the two of you.
You look down at the clothes you wore on your coffee date with Yunho and immediately get up to change. You quickly throw on a pair of your softest blue jeans and an off-the-shoulder long sleeve shirt. It was a comfy, casual look, and you didn’t look like a slob so that was good. Plus, the only other time he’s seen you, you had coffee all over your shirt, so this was a vast improvement.
You run your fingers through your hair to make it seem a little more put together and throw on some Chapstick before running for the door. The two of you decided to meet up right away, so you only had a few minutes to make yourself presentable, and this would have to do.
As you walk up to the park, your anxiety doubles and you let your thoughts consume you. Was this gonna be awkward? What were you going to say? What was he going to say?
When you step onto the path that leads into the park, it’s almost like your body knows exactly where to go before your mind does. You find yourself making a beeline for the bench that sat next to a beautiful stone fountain, and when you get there, you’re not surprised to see Yeosang already there waiting. A part of you knew he would be.
When you step up next to the bench, Yeosang turns to look at the sound and shoots up from his seat when he sees you, his eyes lighting up in excitement. A shy smile graces his face and you know a matching one is present on yours.
“You made it.” He happily says as he gestures for you to sit on the bench.
“I invited you here… Of course, I was gonna make it.” You softly laugh as you take a seat.
“Right…” he bites his lip for a moment as he settles back into his spot, “but it’s just nice to see you again.”
His eyes scan you from head-to-toe like he’s taking you in for the first time, and maybe he is. Considering how hectic it was the first time you met.
You meet his gaze and, as stupid as it sounds, the world stops. For one moment, you don’t hear the rustle of the trees, you don’t see the splashing of the fountain, you don’t feel the cold stone you sit on, all there is, is Yeosang and you. Suddenly, it’s like everything clicks into place, and that rightness you felt before settles deep into your chest. This is where you’re supposed to be. This is your person for the rest of your existence.
“Do you feel that?” He quietly asks in awe.
You almost couldn’t speak. It was like words evaded your mind and ceased to exist, but you somehow grasp onto some and are able to form a coherent sentence.
“The connection…” you trail off, nodding. “I never thought it’d be like this…”
It consumed you, and you would be content never existing outside of this moment again… but all too quickly it was over. The trees rustled once more, the water continued to splash in the fountain, and the stone beneath you became solid again, but there was something new in the air. Something that wasn’t there before but would be there for the rest of your life.
Yeosang clears his throat and reaches for your hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. His hands are soft, and his touch is light, but he’s suddenly become your anchor, keeping you grounded and safe.
“I can’t believe I was stupid enough to ignore the soulmate bond for even a second…” He says, his eyes searching yours. “I’m so sorry…”
You immediately shake your head. “You don’t have to apologize. I ignored it too… even longer than you did…”
You feel so stupid for letting him slip through your fingers for all that time. For letting this moment continuously get pushed further away from you. You should’ve never run out of the kitchen that day… You should’ve let the cards deal how they were supposed to, instead of trying to fight fate.
“I do have to apologize for walking away from you. Mijung could’ve waited. You’re more important.”
“Well… We can only go forward from here… so let’s forget about the past.” Yeosang hums in agreement. “Although, I will say this wasn’t how I thought I’d find my soulmate.”
He lets out a deep laugh. “Yeah, I couldn’t have predicted this at all.”
You fall into a serene silence, processing everything happening in the moment until Yeosang breaks it.
“I was so excited to meet you… Mijung had already talked you up a lot, and then when my friends told me about you, I almost couldn’t wait any longer.”
You pause, remembering when you met his two friends at Mijung’s… and how odd you acted before you ran out… What kind of impression did you leave on them?
“What did your friends say about me?”
An awkward expression graces his beautiful face. “Well… Wooyoung thought you were kind of weird… but San said you were super nice and that he thought you’d be cool. Once we figured out why you apparently ran out of the kitchen like it was on fire, San made Wooyoung take back his weird comment, which, of course, ended up with the two of them bickering.”
You stifle a laugh and try to figure out what about the scenario made Yeosang excited to meet you. You didn’t sound like anything especially great, and nice was something you said when you didn’t know how to describe somebody. You don’t let it bother you, though. You did act weird, so there was no other impression they could’ve had, but you weren’t worried. You’d change their minds in the future.
“How come you didn’t leave me any voicemails or texts? I would’ve responded a lot sooner if I knew it was you…”
“And say what?” He asks with a wry smile. “I’m sorry for leaving you standing there on the sidewalk in a coffee-stained shirt, can you call me back?”
You shake your head at him and try to fight the smile that wanted to permanently be on your face. “I would’ve answered to that…”
Yeosang bites his lip before smiling and nodding. “I’ll remember that for the future.”
His words fill the air with an almost crackling intensity. The future… What would the future hold for the two of you? Yeosang must’ve felt it too, because he turns his whole body to face you, bringing his leg up on the bench so he’s not awkwardly twisted, but still managing to maintain his grip on your hand.
“I know…” he starts before looking down at your entwined hands and playing with your fingers. “I know it’s gonna be awkward with Mijung… but I want to be with my soulmate… I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and not waste any more time.”
He stops playing with your fingers and looks up to intently search your gaze. He was right. Things were going to be awkward with Mijung, but you didn’t care. He was your soulmate and you wanted to be with him as badly as he wanted to be with you. The rest of it you could figure out together…
Because you’ve found your soulmate. The one being on this planet meant for you. The one who will always understand you and be by your side until your last day… and maybe even beyond that…
Because he was yours and you were his…
“I’d love that.”
Tagging: @to-all-the-stories-i-love​, @skittlez-area512​, @wanderingatiny​
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yinses · 4 years
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B R A N D E D
| he would make sure that everyone knew who you belonged to |
tattoo artist! sukuna ryomen
rating: t
a/n: this is going to be a three part series. it got too long because i couldn’t shut up. thank you to @teoran for beta reading !! 
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you should have never informed yuuji that you were thinking about getting a tattoo, because of course his first response would be hey, sukuna owns a shop. why don’t you stop there. as if you didn’t already known that. your other friend, unfortunately had not known how to be subtle about it.
its when you go to hand off your card that they gasp audibly, drawing the attention of both yourself and the woman behind the counter.
“you’re not going to ask for a discount? i mean you know the owner, right?”
she jumps back quick enough to dodge the errant elbow you throw her way.
you knew you would regret telling her.
the woman is undeterred as she take your card, looking bored with the news. “so you know sukuna, huh?” the way she said it implied that it wasn’t the first time it had been made known to her.
you had known the man long enough to know where her thoughts were going with that assumption. sukuna wasn’t only popular for his art. a shudder rolled through your body at the idea of being categorized as one of his flings.
it wasn’t as though you were intentionally shaming the women. but it was sukuna. the same guy who locked you and his younger brother out on the patio whenever he was meant to keep an eye on you. and then blamed you for hiding from him when the responsible adults got home.
in hindsight, maybe you should have chosen another location. but now your card has been charged.
you scribbled your signature on the receipt, “uh yeah, awhile now. im not requesting him or anything.”
“his appointment book is full anyway. he doesn’t take walk ins.” its not said snidely, just matter of fact. as if she was seasoned with dealing with these kind of customers.
the man of topic strides in then, carrying a few bags of take-out that he drops carelessly onto the counter. he doesn’t m look unlike any other day, a loose white sleeveless shirt with a low hanging v-neck that just invited attention to his skin. the swirls of black ink made permanent by his hand only. though that was the advantage of this field and owning your own business on top of it.
sukuna was prepared to ignore the clientele planted at front desk, until he did a double take. those vermilion eyes took you in, morphing from speculation, to shock, a pinch of awe, then back to postulation.
“what are you doing here?”
a small frown mars you face. you didn’t actually consider that perhaps sukuna wouldn’t want you here. it was one thing to know the guy, but whether you wanted to accept it or not, you weren’t just another customer. so you unsurely respond with, “getting a tattoo?”
the snort he gives isn't one of annoyance. in fact its almost comforting to see the minuscule curl of his lips until they start to part, “yeah, missing something aren’t you?”
you realize with a frown that he’s referring to his brother.
“i have other friends.”
that slow smile wides as he gives your friend a brief look of appreciation. suddenly all those years of witnessing him cart his flings around rise to the forefront of your mind.  really nothing rarely changed. “ i can see that.”
his gaze cuts back to you, “what are you getting? your boyfriends name?”
you cant tell if he’s teasing, fishing or a combination of them both.
he turns to lean over the counter, arms flexing at the action and pinches the fresh design still hot from the printer. you resist the urge to shuffle in place as he inspects the image with more interest than there were lines. it was hardly all that complex, just as you intended.
sukuna finally voices his opinion, to no surprise of your own. “yeah? kind of small isn’t it?”
“its my first sukuna,” you drawl.
you realize too late that the wording isnt best around him.
“no kidding.”
he tugs a styrofoam box free from the plastic bag before gesturing to you with a tilt of his head.
“alright, lets knock it out.”
you look to the woman expecting her to complain about his pending appointments but she only returns it with a pointed look. when it came down to it, what the boss wanted goes.
right then.
turning, you address your friend who seemed more invested in watching sukuna’s departure. “are you coming?”
her gaze snaps to you and she doesn’t even bother to pretend. she shrugs, “you may not be squeamish about needles but i am.” her hand waves vaguely towards the lounge area near the coffee station and stack of assorted snacks. “i’ll come running if you scream though,” she teases as you turn down the hall.
sukuna’s voice carries from the right in guidance where you find him setting his food off to the side. the room is neat. though you don’t know what you were expecting given the health expectations lining his work. then again, you’d spent the better part of the decade watching him cart week old pizza boxes out of his room so it was hardly a baseless assumption.
aside from the desk of tools and variety of inks the only other defining feature was the wall at the back. there was no rhyme or direction to the madness. the once white wall was littered with varying penmanships and messages. almost like an autograph book. some derogatory, others genuinely thankful for his work - you think you see a few numbers too.
the cushion of the seat protests under his weight as he rolls to the center of the room. he has the stencil of your chosen art held up in expectation.
“where is this pretty little thing going?”
“oh my rib- here on the right.” you think nothing of bringing up the hem of your shirt to expose the skin just under the curve of your breast.
he almost looks impressed, though there is some doubt. he wheels closer and gives no warning as his hand palpates the area. “over the bone? that’s daring for your first tattoo, princess.”
the name was nothing new, an accompaniment to yuuji’s ‘brat’.
part of you actually grateful that its sukuna. the entire shop had good reviews but it was best known for his talent. besides, the charge was already sitting on your card.
“i can handle it.”
he’s still squinting at your side, fingers tickling at your skin.
“yeah?” he answers absently. nimble digits you didn't think had any taste for delicacy carefully peel the plastic from the stencil. he doesn’t second guess himself in the slightest before pressing it to your skin.
when he pulls away, the chair follows him as he collects a hand mirror from his desk to reflect the design back to you.
“double sure?” he’s still rallying your resolve, but there is a hint of warning to his voice as professionalism seeps in.
with a firm nod you seal the deal,” yeah.”
“aright, pin up your shirt out of the way. tuck it into your bra if you want.”
you were expecting this already, given the location you’d decided on. with sukuna that action comes effortlessly without thought. it was no different than the times he’d seen you in your bathing suit, your brain reasoned. at least you still had your pants this time.
sukuna rests back into a lean against his small desk. absently you note that his eyes haven't left you once since you’d entered the room.
“eager little thing aren't you?”
but its sukuna.
you shrug.“ i guess. kind of been saving up for this one.”
the noise he makes is non-committal as he nods to the angled chair.
without your shirt there was no barrier between yourself and the leather. you expected the cold chill but the lack of stickiness kind of surprised you. once again you were reminded of the indisputable list of reviews at your fingertips.
sukuna goes about collecting the materials to disinfect your skin, angling the bottle and cotton over the trash can to catch the excess drops. satisfied with the saturation, he slides back.
you try to absorb the brief shock you feel when he applies the alcohol to your skin. it was hardly a substitute for actual bracing to come but it was good practice. when you look up, you catch his gaze again.
he’d been more observant in these last few minutes than you could ever recall sukuna caring before. maybe it was the job. though the thought of him excelling at customer service has you fighting a snort.
“cold,” you supply and he gives another grunt.
he chucks the cotton ball into the trash with all the efficiency of a man who has made a sport out of it and probably keeps score.
deciding on a solid color eliminated the need for him to break away to change shades, eliminating any surplus time keeping you in this chair.
a gloved hand braces your side, pinching the skin, while the other holding the gun rests against your sternum. when the motor starts you take a careful breath in. sukuna’s eyes raise at the sound.
“not nervous?”
you blink, expecting him to just get to it.
“uh, not really? i’ve never really been afraid of needles.”
he pauses. just when you part your lips to ask what wrong the buzzing starts.
its impossible not to tense at the first bite of the needle. but you fight the urge to jerk. it stings. the vibration of the motor is uncomfortable against your ribcage but it's not unbearable. you certainly wouldn't cry.
sukuna seems to notice it as well.
“not going to lie thought you’d be more of a cry baby? weren't you the one sobbing after you stubbed your toe.”
you latch onto the idle chatter even if it's a jibe.
“i was eleven and i sprained that toe.”
he gives you a quick glance. “sure, princess. completely called for the waterworks.”
you snort. “yeah well it made me stronger. im barely affected today.”
your words are followed by a shift of his hand as it turns to follow a line, the movement pressing firmly against the underside of your breast. you're too attentive to the needle pinching at your skin to take notice.
but sukuna does, eyes narrowing without your awareness.
“yeah, i can see that.”
rather than closing your eyes to block out the pain, you find a more comforting distraction in tracing the lines of his tattoos with your gaze. you can hardly make out the first tattoo he’d gotten at the age of seventeen after forging his parents signature. 
the abstract design had now branched out, interlocking with new styles to map out the formation of a sleeve. it was almost like his own branded language. a dialect of bold shapes and bands. you’d never thought to actually ask what his tattoos meant. nor did you expect an honest answer.  
sukuna works rather quickly and efficiently while your mind wandered. even if he hadn’t squeezed you in during his lunch break this felt like the usual pace for him. he looked so in the zone as he followed the pre-made lines to perfection.
you weren’t the model customer, still having your brief moments of weakness but he rolled with the interruptions better than you expected. sukuna was brash growing up and didn’t tolerate nonsensical people. you’d had your fair share of opportunities to be chewed out by him.
and earned a reasonable amount of them, though your returning attitude said otherwise.
but this sukuna was softer, if you could put it like that. he knew the right time to give you breaks but didn’t let your nerves settle too much. when he wasn’t adding a layer to permanency to your skin, an errant finger would smooth over the swelling flesh.
more than once you heard him throw out a quiet good girl. that you knew was meant to be encouraging but it came with additional implications that tickled your skin.
he tells you that you should be grateful that the artwork doesn’t need any shading. that it was never a good fit for beginners.
your chest expands the furthest it had in the last half hour when he finally rolls back.
“alright, princess, go ahead and take a look.”
you take the offered mirror again and angle it to take in the fresh piece. the reflection you get back is- amazing. you’d been so concentrated?? on micromanaging the pain that you failed to take in the little details he’d added along with the original design.
as if reading your thoughts, he snorts. “it's not my art if i don't leave my mark. you can tell me it looks good you know.”
if you didn't know any better, you’d say he was authentic in his attempt to bait your approval.
and you had no reason not to provide.
your legs are a little shaky but you manage to balance yourself before brining the eldest itadori into a hug. sukuna goes stiff for a moment before returning the embrace and doesn’t resist when you press your face into his shoulder. there’s an awkward pat before they release each other from the hold.
sukuna .. before he’s shrugging you off.
“god, what a noob. at least let me cover it up. you’re going to irritate the skin.”
when he turns back to rummage through his desk you note the hint of a flush creeping up his nape. you know better than to mention it, instead just smiling at his back.
there is a scowl on his face as he applies the cotton square to your skin and tapes it in place.
“please do not itch this shit. i don’t care if you feel like your skin is going to fall off.”
he presses a small tube of antibiotic into your hand.
“and apply this daily. you don't need it drying out. “
you’re grateful for the little slip of printed instructions that follow. you were able to remember the sensible directions but it couldn't hurt to have additional guidance when you started to question the progress.
“oh and no sex.”
that was definitely not on the list.
sukuna raises a brow in all seriousness. “what? if you get your blood pumping too much.”
you call him on his bullshit,” this small? hardly. “
he raises his hands in mock surrender. “alright, try it yourself if you want. i charge for touch ups though.”
the two of you size each other up. just like old times.
with a sigh you relent, “fine, no sex.”
“good, see me in two weeks.”
his words stop you short. it wasn’t as if you needed anything added and he wasn’t a physician checking on your progress. if anything, you would only revisit your artist if there was a problem.
“what for?”
the dawning grin would follow you for the next fourteen days.
“to make sure you didn’t have sex.”
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bakugohoex · 4 years
Note
Levi fluff #8 from the prompt list?
“sorry, i shouldn't have kisse...”
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pairing: levi ackerman x female reader
cw: modern au, language, fluff
word count: 2400+
a/n: another prompt for my event, hopefully they get finished before mid februrary, we can pray 
summary: in which after having a near encounter with your ex, you find yourself kissing your long term crush levi to make him go away, just as your about to apoligise, levi does something that you had never expected
1k event masterlist
↞ back to attack on titan masterlist
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It was only a work event; it was only supposed to last a couple hours and then you’d drive back to your empty apartment. That was all the night was supposed to be, Eren had been the one to make you stay for longer, the event was only to gain extra money even with the CEO of the company already having all the money he needed. You never understood the need for these events, it was a way to just flaunt wealth and you would rather just stay at home. 
Even if you did love your job and your friends, the only real reason you’d ever resign was if a certain man had started to hate you. You knew it was cliche, resigning because a man hated you, but he wasn't just any man, he was the strongest in all fields of the company and a great asset. You on the other hand may have just been below him in position, but you’d never reach his standards.
Remembering the earlier conversation you had had with the man, on arrival with Eren who had wandered off to get some drinks. You found yourself flicking through your phone before hearing a cough behind you. “Oh Levi.” 
His lip twitched upwards before he composed himself, “I thought you said you weren’t coming.”
“Oh, Eren kinda dragged me here.” You stared at his build, the way the suit fit him perfectly, the loose buttons allowing his neck to show. Even his fingers with the veins across the back of his hand-held rings, you couldn’t say that you hadn't given long looks towards his arms and hands when you both had to work late. 
“You look nice.” He didn't meet your gaze; he couldn't lie and say the dress you adorned didn’t make his heart flutter. How could he not love the way your figure rested in it, how perfectly your boobs rested between the dress. How even with its length you looked seductive, the way even your neck looked ready for kisses and marks. He shook his head trying to not think of anymore thoughts but the soft eyes you gave back made him stare at you. 
“You look nice too.” You repeated before noticing the crests of ink across your wrist, you hadn’t noticed it before but now you could. “Woah, you got another one.” 
In a matter of seconds you grabbed his hand, your other hand moving his blazer jacket to see the tattoo swirls across his arm. You always loved his tattoos, he had shown you them a while back, and you had fallen for the scenes he had across his arm. He always tried to hide them in meetings but in the comfort of work colleagues, when he’d roll his sleeves up you were able to see the patterns across his arms. 
You skimmed your finger against the new ink that you haven't seen a month ago. “Yeah, I got it a month back, I’m surprised you didn’t notice, brat.” He teased knowing how you always did stare at his arms. 
“Oh shut up, it’s so pretty.” You grazed your finger across the tattoo, Levi felt his cheeks gloss over with red. He didn't care to watch how enticed you looked, your hand touching his own whilst your finger contained to trace his new tattoo. “Wait, I remember you showing me the designs.”
“I asked which one you liked, and you picked this one.” He shrugged not wanting to make you feel shy over the fact that something you picked was now permanently on his body. 
You felt your eyes widen at his words; your opinion had meant something to him. You had meant something to him, “Agh Levi, Y/n, Hanje is waiting for you Levi.” Erwin spoke having appeared from one of the doors to the hall, Levi nodded as you let go of his hand. 
He missed your touch but knew if Hanje was the one waiting, she’d become irritated from not doing anything. “I’ll see you, Y/n.” You nodded giving him a way as he left with Erwin. 
Eren passed you the drink after you both had mingled with some of the less ranked staff. You didn't care to make friends in a company filled with over 200 people there was no need, you’d never meet them again, so why should you care. Taking a large sip, glad that Erwin had finished the introductions of the night in haste, he was always good with words. That's probably how he got so much money from the company and other businesses. 
“Y/n.” Eren nudged you softly, “you spaced out, we should go find Armin and Mikasa.”
You nodded, the blue dress clinging to your frame, with the small straps across your shoulder. You regretted not bringing a jacket, having decided to go for a more attractive look rather than comfortable. “Y/n, Eren.” Armin called out.
“Hey Armin.” You gave him a smile hugging the boy, his blonde hair crept to his shoulders and the suit he wore fitted him nicely. 
Eren went next smiling at him as you wanted to talk to Mikasa, “you not seen Levi yet?” She questions taking another long drag of her drink. 
���I saw him earlier.” You seethed out, even with your early conversation, an intimacy between the two of you, he was still the strongest in your company and a man you highly looked up to. But it's not like you were in love with him, it was just an office crush, a simple crush that would go away in a matter of months. 
Jean and Connie were the next to come meet you guys, you enjoyed hanging out with them but became agitated as if someone was staring at you. It felt like eyes were eyeing every inch of you, watching the way you touched the glass, the way you licked your lips. “That guy’s been looking at you for a while.” Jean lowly whispered into your ear; Jean had seemed to notice but hadn't said anything until he saw a shiver run through you.
He moved away from your ear, having had to bend down to even reach you, he went back to talking to Connie who had been trying to gain Sasha’s attention away from the food. You stopped paying attention to the group, deciding to turn around to meet the man's eyesight, that's when you saw it.
The dull eyes of your ex-boyfriend, the eyes of the man who had degraded you to your limits, left you crying on the floor, pushed you away and gave you the worst months of your life. Your breath hitched at the sight of him eyeing you up and down without shame, the glass you held looked like it was about to shatter.  You wanted to go home, leave away from the man, putting your glass down as you quickly walked away from the group with your head low. 
You knew he was following you, the feeling of his gaze etched onto your skin. You didn’t even know why he was here, thinking back, you didn’t know how he could have even gotten in. That’s when it dawned on you as you tried getting past the guests and their plus ones, your stomach felt like it was about to explode of anxiousness. You continued trying to get out of the hall, to gain some air, but he kept at it, following you swiftly. 
That’s when you saw Levi, he was at the bar, a drink in his hand as he was looking around. He had been on his own, you were almost grateful for this, but the feeling of your ex nearing sent your mind into overdrive. With a quick step your eyes moved to the man, he had seen you walk towards you, the figure of a man following like a lost manic puppy. 
“Y/n.” The man repeated your name, but you kept on ignoring him. Your eyes fixated on Levi the way he had rolled his sleeves up, his blazer on the side. His jaw tense as he watched you being followed. 
Levi took a swing of his drink, the alcohol burning his throat, even the way you walked up to him was so fucking sexy to him. He leant against the bar, waiting for another drink to come his way, until you finally came up to him. “Y/n.”
“Levi.” You whispered, just as your ex was about to call your name, you smashed your lips onto Levi. You didn't care if others were around, who were not even bothered about your actions anyway. Levi had been in shock at first but had kissed you back, his tongue flicked against your lips, his hands cupping your face. He shouldn’t have let it continue so why was he trying to bring you closer. Why was your body moulding into his, why hand your hands moved to his hair. 
A small whimper from your mouth let his tongue glide inside, moving along with your own. He let out a groan at how both of you were too close, he could taste the alcohol and presumed you could taste what he was drinking. His hand moved to your waist, trying to bring you even closer, he didn't know why you had even kissed him. But he assumed it was because of the man who had taken a couple steps backwards. 
You finally let go, mouths still only inches away, you regret your actions, not having considered Levi’s feelings. Words spurted from your mouth instantly, “sorry, I shouldn’t have kisse…”
This time it was Levi’s turn to instigate it, his hands grabbing your head making your lips smash into his again. He had always been in control, guiding your head through the kiss, your heart fluttered, the first kiss you had had was only to get rid of your ex, but this one, it was one that proved that he did like you. 
He let go of your face, his thumb caressing your cheek as he stared lovingly at you, “you k...kissed me.”
“You kissed me first.” He grabbed his drink, taking another sip as he stared at you, hand still around your waist. 
“I...I…” You couldn’t speak, only staring at the man instead. He stared back, before giving a small smirk. 
“That guy left, I guess the alcohol took over.” He muttered; he didn't even know if you liked him like that. 
“He was my ex.” You whisper. 
Levi acknowledged, “a twat?” 
You nodded, looking down, “we broke up on bad terms.” 
“Would you ever get back with him?” Levi questioned, even with it being on bad terms, Levi knew how easily manipulative guys could be. 
Levi watched as you shook your head, his hands firmly gripped on your waist seemed a lot more. He saw you take a deep breath before you continued speaking hesitantly, “I…I like you Levi.” 
“Good, now that you’ve shown the whole event that, we should get out of here.” He put his hand out, he had spoken with such confidence, but inside he knew he was shitting himself. 
“Levi.” You were still hesitant. 
He turned to face you again, his hand still out, “take my hand, brat...I like you too, okay?”
“Okay.” You smile looking down to suppress just how wide your grin was, you take his hand as he brought you closer to him again, his jacket in his other hand, as your fingers played with the rings he had. 
He went towards Erwin hand still with yours, Mikasa was the first one to notice, elbowing Eren who had given the loudest sign before passing Jean what looked like some money. You rolled your eyes as they watched the stern Levi have you in his tight grasp. It was common knowledge between the group of yours and Levi’s crushes on each other, the long looks you’d give each other after work, the way you'd both instantly turn to face each other in meetings. Even the way Levi would bring you coffees in the morning even if he hated making them. Everybody knew and it almost came at a relief that both your pining for each other were finally over. 
“We’ll see you later, Erwin.” Levi smiled as you gave a smile and waved back to the blond. 
“Do you think Y/n will let me look inside her brain to see why she likes Levi?” Hanje questioned Erwin watching as Levi brought you closer to him, his arm resting against your waist. 
“No, Hanje.” Erwin spoke stoically, removing the drink from her hand. 
Levi’s eyes stayed fixed on yours, his arm wrapped around your waist. Your fingers began tracing his tattoos. “Y/n?” You both stood at the entrance, but the sound of someone calling your name, made you both turn around. “Who’s here?”
Your ex stood with a sadistic grimace on his face, trying to act threatening but Levi gave a dull look at the man. “He’s none of your business.” Levi spoke, seeing how you began to look scared. 
“I wasn’t speaking to you.” Your ex was about to waive the man off, ready to grab your arm. 
“I don’t like when people touch what’s mine.” Levi gave a glare holding you behind his back. 
“Yours?” Your ex looked even more pissed. 
Levi didn’t want an argument, seeing it as immature and fighting a feeble man like your ex would bring him no enjoyment. “Ignore him princess, lets’ go.” Levi didn't even let your ex interrupt instead taking you outside leaving your ex with an angry confused face. 
“I’m yours?” You questioned once the feeling of the cold air hit you both. He let his jacket drape across your shoulders, the black and blues in the sky mixing together with pins of stars scattered throughout it all.
Levi looked up to watch the stars, at how everything looked so bright in the dark. “You are now, idiot” He whispers, grabbing your hand again, you gave a small smile to the boy, his hand bringing your comfort as you both just stood outside the venue.
Basking in the comfort you both brought as you watched the constellations and swirls of blues flow throughout the sky. Levi may have hated to admit it, but he was almost relieved that your ex had come, without him both your feelings probably would’ve never been revealed. His grip tightened on your own hand, watching as you learnt your head against his shoulder, he felt comforted, warm even and was never going to let you go.
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starlessea · 3 years
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Here Comes the Sun: XX. More Than A Feeling (Daryl Dixon/Reader)
Series Masterlist: Here Comes the Sun
Summary: Daryl Dixon scares the hell out of you climbing out of that damn creek. It takes hauling his ass halfway across Georgia and taking a bullet for him to realise that you're not half bad. He slowly starts to come around, despite grumbling about how much he doesn't like your singing, or that you can't use a gun for shit - and don't get him started on that ugly yellow tent of yours. It takes him a while before he starts to see for himself that he's found a best friend for life, and that he doesn't actually mind the colour yellow that much, after all.
Words: 6480
Chapter Warnings: Language, Violence, Injury.
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Your head pounded like an alarm clock you couldn't shut off. The explosions hadn't done any favours for your tinnitus, either. The high-pitched ringing noise was constant, and only intensified the more you tried not to focus on it. Even now that everything had settled down, it still seemed like you could hear walls crashing around you, or feel the vibrations as the stone crumbled and settled at your feet.
Except, it wasn't brick walls that were sending shock waves over the ground; it was Daryl's footsteps as he paced. You could feel them through your own boots, and sent him a look to try and coax him to sit down. 
"It's a sprained ankle, Daryl. I didn't lose my leg." You said gently, before someone cleared their throat.
You looked down at Hershel, who was in the process of wrapping the bandages, and winced as he raised an eyebrow at you.
"Sorry." You muttered, awkwardly.
Everything had gone mostly to plan. The governor and his men had been driven away, and the others had returned from Woodberry with even more survivors. You hadn't gotten the chance to see them yet, but the ruckus drifted up the stairs and you could feel the marching of the stampede as though they had been part of the army themselves.
The prison remained standing, albeit missing a watchtower and seeming a bit dilapidated in a few places - but your home was once again yours. You'd sacrificed so much for it. Lori, T-Dogg, Axel, Oscar, and Merle had all lost their lives just so that you could sit here now, complaining of flesh-wounds and mild injuries like they were the most perilous problems you could face.
Daryl didn't seem to agree, however, and narrowed his eyes at you - or more specifically, at the bandage wrapped around your head. You'd taken a bit of a fall, but it wasn't like you'd cracked it open. Though, that didn't stop the man from treating you like Humpty Dumpty - trying to fix all of your pieces despite them not actually being broken.
"I don' care!" Daryl yelled, and you felt Hershel flinch as he made another pass with the bandages.
The man slung his crossbow onto the mattress, and you felt the bed dip beside you from the weight of it. His face was all scrunched up into a scowl, and you wanted nothing more than to hold it in your hands and bring his cheek to yours.
"What the hell d'ya try an' pull tha' for?" He asked, but this time his voice had lost its fight. "You could've gotten yerself killed." Daryl said quietly, like it almost killed him to say, too.
The older man stayed silent as he continued to do his job, and you felt guilty for having let him get caught up in this. 
"But I didn't." You reminded Daryl, before shooting a light-hearted smile his way. "Certain victory, remember?"
Your eyes glanced down to his hand, and at the shoddily drawn rune you'd given him with a sharpie earlier in the day. He didn't say anything back, but his pacing had stopped - and he looked straight at you as you spoke.
"And although the governor got away, don't you think he'll be easier to find with a bullet in his shoulder?"
If you had anything to show for your injuries, at least it was that. You offered a teasing smirk to the man - one that probably made him wonder if you had a concussion.
"I think I know a pretty good tracker, too." You joked, nodding in his direction.
Daryl didn't smile back. You watched as the man took a seat next to you on the mattress, and noticed the way his eyes rested on Hershel as he tended to your injuries better than he could have. 
"Ya should've followed the plan." He mumbled, so quietly that you barely caught it.
You let out a sigh, unable to hide your guilt. Daryl had an expression you'd only seen him wear once before, and you didn't like it in the slightest.
"I had a clear shot." You reasoned timidly, like you were trying to convince yourself of your words.
You had done; it was true. Except, you should have taken a moment to consider your actions. You thought that you were in fact the hypocrite - since when the time came, you'd been the one to shoot first, and ask questions later.
"If my aim was a little better we wouldn't even be having this conversation." You told him, and offered a sheepish smile alongside it. "I'm sorry I missed."
Hershel tightened the knot as he finished wrapping your foot. You lifted your leg and outstretched it to examine his work. Tentatively, you wiggled your toes, and thanked the man when you felt no pain in doing so. Daryl sent a nod in his direction too, before turning back.
"I don' give a damn if ya missed." He told you, barely above a whisper.
Hershel ushered himself out of the room as quietly as he could manage, trying not to intrude any longer. As soon as he'd left, Daryl let his head drop onto your shoulder, and you could feel his warm breath over the crook of your neck.
"I only care tha' yer alive." He admitted, mumbling against the skin there. "I can't lose you, too."
You leant back against the man. He seemed so downtrodden, but for the first time since the farm, you felt safe. You remembered that first night after you'd cleared the prison, sitting out in that field around the campfire. You'd asked him then if he thought this could be your home. Now, you decided, it was.
"Have more faith in me, Dixon." You told him, and stroked his hair - letting your nails run along his scalp gently. "I think I must be pretty hard to kill."
Despite the head injury, the events of that morning were as clear as day to you - as clear as the cloudless sky had been when you all took your positions. The strategy had been to ambush them when they came, and you had been the one to dissuade Rick from utilising the watchtowers.
"They'll be their first target." You'd said, and luckily he had listened.
You and Daryl had been checking the guns, before deciding to take one last walk around the perimeter. You'd scouted their vehicles en route to the prison, so you knew it was only a matter of time before all hell would break loose. The day was otherwise serene, and you hoped that once all of this was over you'd get the chance to revel in the sunshine and celebrate your certain victory.
You smiled over at the man, remembering what you'd wanted to tell him. The two of you were checking for breaches in the fences, making sure that the governor's men couldn't infiltrate from anywhere you wouldn't expect. You watched as Daryl pulled on the lattice wire to make sure it was secure, and you slipped your hand into his other, free one. 
He gave you a subtle glance, but didn't make any sarcastic remarks in return. The two of you walked hand-in-hand alongside the fences, as though you were going on a mundane, morning stroll in the sun. It was silent, and you both seemed to just bask in the peace whilst it still lasted. Though, once you had gone full-circle, and had ended up back where you'd started, you stopped in place.
You fished around in your pocket and pulled out the sharpie you'd scavenged from Glenn earlier in the day. Daryl looked at it suspiciously, but let you do as you pleased - just like always. Carol had noted how much of a soft spot the man had for you, and you couldn't even deny it at this point. The two of you had woken up entangled in each other this morning, and it had taken you the better part of half an hour to coax him to let you get up. You could tell he was scared of what the day would bring. Despite claiming to be a man 'not scared of nothing,' you knew that Daryl Dixon was afraid of one thing above all else - and that was losing you. 
"Give me your hand." You instructed, and pulled the cap off the top of the pen with your teeth.
The man eyed the permanent marker, before looking down at your interlocked hands.
"Yer holdin' it." He grumbled, and you rolled his eyes at his dry humour.
"The other one." You clarified, pointing in the direction. "It needs to be on the same side."
You took his hand in yours before he had time to question you further, and pressed the sharpie to it. You drew the simple pattern, watching as the ink bled out slightly over the cracks in his skin.
It was the same rune of Týr that you had tattooed on your hip - the one Daryl claimed 'looked like an arrow.' He stared at it once you'd finished, stretching out his fingers before balling his hand into a fist. Maybe it was a little childish to want to wish him luck in this way, and you thought that Daryl was a man quite capable of victory by himself, but you'd wanted to do it nonetheless.
"Look, we match." You exclaimed with a smile, but the words felt familiar on your tongue.
Daryl must have thought so, too, as you saw some kind of recognition flash behind his eyes. Then, you remembered it. The memory washed over you like a wave coming onto shore. It had been back on the farm, where you lay next to each other on that springy, double bed. He'd had an arrow wound in his side, and your bullet hole matched it nicely. You'd pointed it out to him with a grin, too doped up on medication for your own good. It felt so long ago - back when you'd been more young and naive to the world, and he'd been more angry at it.
"I guess some things never change." You admitted, and you could tell that he understood.
You felt him squeeze your hand, and looked back down at the semi-tattoo you'd drawn haphazardly. 
"An' other things do." He replied.
When the first explosion rang out, your mind immediately thought back to that moment. The front left watchtower had been decimated, just as you had predicted, and the tanks began to roll in through the field. Whilst some of the group were hidden away in the prison interior, waiting to ambush those who came in, you stayed outside with Maggie and Glenn - ready to catch any stragglers who made it back out.
Daryl hadn't wanted you to be in the thick of it, and you could tell why. From the looks of it, the governor's army was partially made of toy soldiers. From your position, you could make out young boys and girls barely through their teenage years, and adults who looked like they had never held a weapon before. You would have found it hard to kill them - even if you needed to.
From your hiding place, however, you couldn't see the governor. The group was too dense, and he was probably lurking somewhere in the middle - just like the coward he was. You stared down the scope of your rifle, trying to get a better view. All around you, you could hear the sounds of crumbling stone, and the flicker of flames as they burned the tower to the ground. There had only been a couple of warning rounds shot at the building, but they'd done more damage than you were comfortable with. You just hoped that Daryl and the others were alright inside. 
The whole thing seemed to last a couple of minutes at most. As quickly as the group had entered the cellblock, they were forced back out in a shroud of smoke and gunfire. Maggie and Glenn had their guns aimed, but it looked to be a clean retreat. The govenor's makeshift suicide army had all turned back, and were fleeing into the forest - so you didn't shoot at them.
That had been the plan anyway, until you caught sight of a familiar eyepatch and the man who wore it. You jumped up from behind the bushes like someone had set them alight, and ran over to the wall for cover. Maggie and Glenn shouted at you, but you continued until you reached it. It was part of the fence you'd reinforced with steel, and you ducked behind it to peer through the gunhole. 
The man was returning back to the tank, mowing down anyone who got in his way. You stared through your rifle scope, finger hovering the trigger. You would have pulled it, but a civilian got in your line of sight at the last second. 
"Shit." You whispered, below your breath, and slung the rifle back over your shoulder.
You hopped the fence and started running, making your way to the blazing watchtower that was set alight like a torch. The base was still steady, and it provided good cover whilst allowing you to move in closer. The calm summer's day had been transformed into a warzone in a matter of minutes. Shouts and gunfire rang out around you as you dashed to the burning building. When you reached it, you quickly ducked down and pressed your back to the stone as you set up your rifle. 
It hasn't been part of the plan; you knew that. Though, you didn't just want to let the man walk free, either. If you weren't the one to do it, it would be someone else - perhaps Rick, or Michonne, or even Daryl. You wanted to pull your weight, especially if it meant that their shoulders wouldn't have to bear the burden of it.
The tower creaked and groaned above your head, and your eyes quickly glanced upwards to catch sight of the flames that licked the sky - creating an amber haze that resembled sunset. You ignored the sound, and locked onto the governor once again. This time, he was clambering into the vehicle, and you knew that it would be your last chance. Your line of sight was clear, and so you let your finger squeeze the trigger - and felt the jolt of the gun as it hit back against your shoulder.
The bullet connected, and you watched the man stagger backwards. He turned to face your direction, and your gazes caught for a split second - like you could see it all unfold in slow motion. Then, you heard a crash, and time resumed as normal.
Glass shattered above your head and fell onto you like jagged raindrops, and the stone debrid came following like lightning after it. The tower shifted, and you watched it crumble for a brief moment before the adrenaline kicked in. You abandoned your rifle and jumped up, starting to run in the opposite direction. Rubble came pouring down and bounced over the concrete at your feet. You felt small pieces nick your legs, but continued to sprint as you heard Maggie and Glenn call your name in the distance. You couldn't outrun the collapse, but you'd managed to dive behind one of the fences just in time to shield yourself.
You'd squeezed your eyes closed as the tower fell, and huddled your knees to your chest to protect yourself. The stone structure made the most almighty crash as it caved to the ground, and suddenly the courtyard was completely shrouded in dust. It wasn't until the smoke cloud had settled and you recognised figures emerging from the fog that you realised you'd made it. 
Your head stung, and you pressed your fingers to your temple only to notice that something had drawn blood there. You must've been struck by some stray piece of rubble, you thought. You were a bit dazed, but you could make out voices clearly as they shouted your name. You recognised one in particular, and your heart sped up in response.
"C'mon, Teach!" Daryl yelled, but you couldn't pin-point where from. 
You tried to call back, but your throat was dry and your voice barely made its way out of your lips.
"Can ya hear me?" He shouted again. "Call out to me if ya can hear me!"
Clearing your throat, you tried again.
"Daryl!" You screamed, and this time it resonated. "I'm here!" 
You noticed a shift in the fog, and figures got clearer as they made their way through it.
"I'm over here!" You yelled again, your voice breaking over the words.
The man came running over to you as soon as he could tell where you were. You'd been hidden behind the sheet of metal, sat amongst a pile of debrid, but he still found you. You could feel the fresh blood trickling down your forehead, but you wiped it away with the back of your hand and sent him a watery smile of pure relief. Daryl took in the sight, and the way your foot seemed to be turned in an awkward angle beneath you - and his eyes widened.
"What did you do?" He asked, rushing over to your side in an instant.
You looked back at him with an equally dumbfounded expression.
"I shot him." You admitted. "I shot the governor." 
After Hershel had left your cell, you and Daryl stayed sitting on the mattress together for a little while. You let him rest his head over your shoulder, which soon turned into lying on your chest as you both slumped back into the pillows. It was a little different from what you were used to, but you held his head and stroked his hair gently. You thought that he needed the comfort, and you were fine with being able to return it for once.
Maggie and Glenn had informed you that they'd seen everything go down - and that you'd actually hit the governor in the shoulder, rather than his chest. It was a bitter disappointment, but they'd reassured you that you'd still done a good job - after they'd given you a scolding, that is. You weren't entirely sure what had possessed you to do it - to abandon the plan. Maybe it was the images of a beaten Glenn and an inconsolable Maggie that you weren't able to rid yourself of, or perhaps it was the nightmares you had of cowering beneath Axel's body. More likely, it was the recent death of Merle, and what it had done to Daryl as a result. Whatever it was, you didn't regret it. The governor had deserved everything that was coming for him, and you'd just happened to be the one to pass the sentence.
Daryl's eyelids seemed heavy, and his breathing had evened out. You knew that if you didn't rouse him now, he'd probably fall asleep within a matter of minutes. It was selfish, but you didn't want that. You wanted to celebrate your victory - no matter how certain it had been.
"I'm sorry, Daryl." You whispered, and gently moved his hair back from his face.
The man inhaled sharply, and you watched his eyes flicker as they adjusted to the light. You let out a soft chuckle, which you were sure he could feel resonate through your chest.
"Can you help me down the stairs?" You asked sweetly, hoping to coax him awake. "I want to meet everyone."
He'd already carried you out of the rubble once today, but you hoped he'd be generous enough to lend you an arm as you hobbled down the metal steps. Daryl sat up and stretched his neck side to side before glancing over at you, his eyes immediately resting over your bandaged forehead to check it was still alright. You offered a smile to reassure him, and eventually the man nodded in return.
"It's gonna get a lot nosier 'round 'ere." He grumbled, but it didn't sound like he really minded.
Daryl had your arm slung over his shoulder as you both attempted the stairs. His other hand was on your waist for support, and he waited patiently as you took each step - going along with your pace. You'd heard the commotion from your cell, but nothing could have prepared you for the sheer amount of people that had been brought back from Woodberry. 
As your foot hit the final step you were greeted by an unexpected round of applause, interspersed with the occasional cheers. You almost stumbled back in shock, but Daryl caught your arm before you could trip.
"There she is!" Glenn yelled over the crowd. "Our suicidal sniper."
You shot Daryl a side-eye glance, but the man just shrugged in response. Your gaze ran over the unfamiliar faces as they smiled, or looked at you curiously, and you suddenly felt inadequate in comparison. You stood leaning against Daryl in your dusty clothes and bandages, and sheepishly lowered your head as they stared. Eventually, Daryl shooed them all away, warning them to 'get out of your face.' 
It made you laugh, and you aimed some teasing remarks in his direction - pestering him if he'd like to become your bodyguard. The chatter buzzed around you like nothing you'd ever heard before. Even in the old world, the atmosphere couldn't compare. You didn't know how long it had been since you'd even laid eyes on so many people at once. You knew that you'd have to clear out some other cell blocks just to make room for them all. This was the start of something; you just knew it.
Someone called your name from amongst the fray, but Daryl didn't stop ushering you over to a nearby seat. You whipped your head around in confusion, but continued to shuffle along until you had the opportunity to sit down. He leant against the table next to you, resembling a diligent guard dog. Daryl was the most loyal man you'd ever met, and everyday he reminded you not to settle for anything less. You wondered how anyone could ever come close to him - past or present. Your ex had been a mere speck of poorly-chosen dust in comparison to Daryl Dixon. 
The man seemed to be able to read your thoughts, as he glanced in your direction with perfect timing - causing you to look away. You heard your name through the thick of the crowd again, and this time tried harder to locate the source. Only a few seconds later, someone emerged from the centre of the room, pushing past everyone so that she could get to you. 
The woman had neat brown hair to her shoulders, and was wearing a sundress that looked like it had been recently pressed. All of the former Woodberry inhabitants looked clean, but she definitely stood out due to how beautiful she was. Her eyes were a warm coffee colour, and her smile was bright as she looked over at you.
You choked on your words, immediately standing up only to stumble into Daryl's shoulder. He quickly got a hand under your arm to steady you, but had a disapproving expression on his face as he did so.
"Vanessa?" You spluttered out, and she gave you an excited nod in return.
Daryl barely had time to step aside before the woman bounded up to you and flung her arms around your neck. She squeezed you so tightly that you forgot how to breathe, but you hugged her back with the same force - clasping your arms around her back.
You were utterly speechless. The last time you'd seen the woman, the two of you were witnessing the complete horror of your camp being destroyed. You'd looked for her in the days following, but she'd seemed to simply disappear into the night. You hadn't even thought she'd made it out alive. She'd been your colleague before all this, and then your campmate. But, most importantly, she'd been your friend.
You stared at her as she pulled away, and she giggled at your dumbfounded expression. Her smile was as pretty as you remembered, and you suddenly felt pale in comparison to her rosy cheeks and honey complexion. She was as quick-witted as ever, and wasted no time in regaining her composure to tease you like you'd never even spent any time apart.
Daryl watched in silence, not wanting to interrupt, but you could tell that he was starting to put the pieces together.
"You were the one who shot him?" She asked, as though in utter shock.
She had her hands on either of your shoulders, and looked you up and down before settling over your one foot that you kept hovering above ground.
"Yeah." You replied sheepishly, and glanced off to the side.
The woman slapped your arm in disbelief, and Daryl shot her a warning look that made you snort. She looked over at the man, too, and raised an eyebrow.
"What on earth happened to you?" She questioned, meeting your eyes this time.
You stared at the floral pattern of her sundress, secretly wishing you had something equally as pretty, and shrugged.
"Well, I hit my forehead and sprained my ankle-" you started, but the woman cut you off.
"I don't mean that." She remarked, with a disapproving tone.
She sounded the same as she did on those days you'd spend your lunch breaks together, or go and get coffee at the local shop - trading gossip and work secrets. She grinned at you mischievously, and it didn't go unnoticed by Daryl.
"Where is the timid girl who sang 'Yellow Submarine' to us from her tent every night?"
The man beside you was the one to laugh this time, and you jabbed him with your elbow in response. 
"I really do miss that tent." You mumbled under your breath, and thought you could hear Daryl weakly protest below his.
Vanessa eyed the two of you, and her mouth upturned into a grin you recognised all too well. It was the one she wore when whispering to you about cute baristas, or when sliding her number across the bar. 
"And who's this?" She said, in a tone that was equally as familiar.
She turned to face Daryl, and gave him a quick once-over like she was checking for any visible flaws. You couldn't contain your laugh; she always did lack subtlety.
"This is Daryl." You told her, and slipped your hand into his. "My-" you paused, furrowing your eyebrows as you did, "boyfriend?"
It came out like a question, and Daryl snorted uncharacteristically from beside you.
"'M too old for tha' word." He grumbled, but it was still light-hearted.
You took the opportunity to have some fun, and pressed your chest against his arm as you got closer to his ear.
"What do you want me to say, then?" You asked teasingly. "My partner? Sweetheart?" 
The man seemed completely taken aback to hear you call him anything besides 'Dixon.' 
"My other half? The old ball 'n chain-" you continued, but were abruptly interrupted as he shrugged you off in embarrassment.
"D'you wan' another head injury?" He asked - a little too quickly and a lot too loudly.
Vanessa laughed her usual dainty laugh, and you'd almost forgotten that she was even there. Daryl's cheeks were dusted a light pink, and you knew he would remind you of this later when you were alone.
"You two are good together." The woman spoke, causing you to look over in her direction. "I'm glad you found someone in all of this." 
You gave her a shy smile, before looking down at your feet. You'd never been good with compliments, but she always seemed to have an abundance of them to give.
"After everything you've been through," she went on, this time glancing over at Daryl with a look that could only be described as approval. "You really deserve someone who can make you happy."
Happy. That is what this feeling was. You'd almost forgotten what the word meant, but you were suddenly reminded. Daryl had made you feel a lot of things since you'd met him - first a lot of nerves and sometimes even frustration, but eventually it became comfort and security. However, you realised that all along there were moments of happiness. Even back at the farm, the man never did fail to make you laugh - intentionally or unintentionally. Whether it was his dry sense of humour, or the wise-cracks he'd make in those days where he seemed younger, and more willing to fight the world. 
You looked over at the man like you'd only just come to the most obvious of realisations. Daryl Dixon made you happy - like nothing else had before.
As the night started to settle down, the atmosphere fizzled away along with it. Everyone had taken to their temporary sleeping arrangements, and you could tell that Daryl was holding back his yawns as he helped you clamber over the people left chatting on the floor. The day felt like it had gone on for a week, and you couldn't wait to just sink into bed and let your bandaged head meet the pillows.
Across the block, you spotted Rick talking to some of the new residents, and urged Daryl to return to the cell ahead of you. The man glanced down at your foot and then back up to your eyes, as though needing to state the obvious. You shook your head, telling him that you'd get Rick to help you up the stairs once you were done. You just wanted to talk to the officer briefly, and didn't want to keep Daryl up any longer than he needed to be.
He didn't seem entirely convinced, but he left you propped up against the wall where you instructed him to. His stubbornness had definitely rubbed off on you, you'd realised, and he could hardly attempt to fight against it.
"Deputy Grimes!" You called, once Daryl was out of ear-shot. "Get over here for a second."
The man looked up from his conversation, and you watched him excuse himself before making his way over. He looked equally as exhausted as the rest of you, and stepped heavily over the stone floor. Still, he gave you a small smile as he approached, and squeezed your shoulder.
"You did good today." He drawled, praising you for the second time tonight.
You rolled your eyes and slapped his chest with the back of your hand. 
"Don't let Daryl hear you say that." You warned, with a teasing look. "I could have died, remember?"
You'd said the words in Daryl's Southern accent, impersonating the man the best you could. Rick laughed in response, and you quickly glanced over your shoulder just to double-check that the archer wasn't still looming there.
"Never knew him to be so uptight." The officer replied, and you shrugged.
"He just needs a good night’s sleep." You explained, glancing over at the staircase leading to the second floor. "I think we all do."
Rick especially seemed like he was dead on his feet, but he held it together well. You couldn't imagine the pressure he felt having to keep everyone safe during times like these. You wanted to ease that burden a little, or even just throw some distractions in the mix to make him forget about it.
"Anyway, I heard that Glenn found a camera at Woodberry." You started, watching as he raised an eyebrow at you.
A few hours ago you'd hijacked it, and briefly kidnapped the Grimes children for that photoshoot you'd been threatening. The polaroid had turned out even better than you'd hoped - and you had almost been tempted to keep it for yourself.
You pulled the picture from your pocket, careful not to bend it, and passed it to the man. His eyes squinted as he looked at it, flat atop his palm. Both Carl and Judy were sporting their sheriff's hats, and the older Grimes had his sister perched on his lap.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us, Rick." You told him, and watched as he brought the picture closer to his face. "I'll never forget how you were always there for me."
It was rare that you ever saw the man speechless, but in that moment you were sure you saw a glimpse of the same Rick Grimes you'd first encountered back at the farm - that officer friendly who would give anything for his family.
He shook his head wordlessly, before tucking the picture into the inside pocket of his jacket.
"You don't give yourself enough credit." He said quietly, before slinging one of your arms around his neck. "And I don't think you ever will."
You returned to your cell soon after that, bidding the officer goodnight at the door. He gave you a quick kiss on the cheek before reminding you to change your bandages in the morning. You laughed in response, wondering why all the men around you treated you like glass.
The room was quiet as you ducked under the sheet hanging at the doorway, and you shuffled inside. Daryl had lit the small lamp on the table, and it cast a warm, golden glow over him where he lay. He had his eyes closed, but you noticed he had your headphones on - connected to the walkman that was left at the edge of the mattress.
You could hear the faint din of the music as some sound escaped, and slowly made your way over to the bed - not wanting to startle the man. He was still fully dressed, and had his arms tucked under his head as he lay on his back. You didn't think he was asleep; rather, he seemed to be waiting for you.
You knelt down onto the mattress, feeling it dip beneath your weight as you crawled up beside him. He didn't react, so you pulled one side of the headphones from his ear, and brought your lips close to it.
"Boo." You whispered, and blew hot air there to make him shiver.
This time he cracked an eye open, and pulled you down beside him gently. He continued to be mindful of your head, and plumped a pillow up for you to lay on. He then removed the headphones, and twisted the ends of them so that the speaker parts were facing outwards. 
You chuckled at the action, suddenly thinking back on your childhood where you'd share a pair with your friends. Daryl placed them in the space between the two of you, so that you could both listen to the songs together. You heard something by The Beatles play muffled, and closed your eyes to take in the melody.
The two of you talked briefly, and sleepily, for a bit. Daryl grumbled about you using him as a makeshift crutch for the majority of the night, and you just hummed in response. You caught him glancing over at you every now and then, but he made no attempt to pull you closer like he usually would have. You knew it was because of your head; he didn't even have to tell you.
"Hershel said it might leave a small scar." You told him, like it was a secret you felt needed to be disclosed.
You didn't really mind all that much, but you knew Daryl had a tendency to look at you guilt-stricken whenever he saw you injured. You just wanted to warn him - just in case.
"Like Harry Potter or some shit?" The man mumbled, and you rolled your eyes.
"Maybe." You replied.
The chatter downstairs had settled, and all that remained was the tinny sound of the music that quietly played near your ear. You swallowed thickly, staring up at the ceiling to see the uneven cracks that marred it.
"Will you still love me if I have a gawdy scar over my forehead?" You asked teasingly - but a part of you felt nervous to hear the response.
Then, your eyes widened as you realised your choice of words. You sat up, immediately feeling the blood rush to your head as you did so.
"Wait-" you stuttered, noticing the man's expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
He cut you off before you could finish.
"I will."
You blinked, but he pulled you back down to him - this time letting you lay your head gently over his chest.
"Know I ain't said it before, but-" he paused, "I love ya." 
His heartbeat pounded quickly against your cheek, as though proving his words.
"I love ya so goddamn much, so don't ever pull that shit on me again."
You felt tears start to well up in your eyes, and hoped he couldn't feel them dampen his shirt.
"I love ya - you crazy woman who shot the governor an' took a bullet for me."
You swallowed thickly, trying to hide the wateriness of your voice as you responded.
"I love you too, Dixon." You admitted, wondering why you hadn't done so before.
You'd loved the man almost as long as you could remember; but it was one thing to love, and another thing to be loved in return.
"I won't let anything on this earth take me away from you." You mumbled against him. "You don't have to worry about that."
Daryl breathed in deeply, and you moved along with the rise and fall of his chest. This is what happiness felt like, you decided. Happiness wasn't as perfect as you had once thought it to be - back in the old world. It wasn't that amazing job, or the hard-earned paycheck, nor was it the men who called you pretty whilst giving you an ugly stare. Happiness for you was now walking around the perimeter of a dingy prison, hand-in-hand, as you stared up at the morning sun preparing for a fight. Happiness was those nights you'd stay awake, listening to the laughs down the hall of Maggie and Glenn as they whispered about their future together, and noticing that Daryl was eavesdropping, too. Most importantly, happiness was the man who you woke up next to, and the sound of his voice as he told you 'good morning.'
You looked down at his hand, resting on his chest, and saw the ink there that had smudged throughout the day. The walkman finished its tune, and there was a brief, few-second silence before it skipped to the next one. A familiar melody rang out, and Daryl placed a careful kiss over your hair.
"I like this song." He whispered against you, and you nodded in return.
"Yeah, me too."
A/N It took 20 chapters, 120k words, but they finally exchanged their ‘I love you’s.’ I think it was obvious that they already loved each other before this, but hearing them say it out loud just- 
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hi! i love ur writing. headcanons for when sole wants to tattoo romanced companions name on them
sorry this is my first time requesting anything bdjdbfndjcjdjxncbcbcbxhxhfjdjddhhddhd
Cait:
•Definitely approves, that's for sure.
•She is so moved by the gesture, she actually proposes getting a couple tattoo together. That's one date she'd certainly love.
•Is ecstatic if you go ahead and get her name tattooed on your arse. She'll playfully smack it when it heals, making little comments on how she has her mark on what's "her's".
Curie:
•Is immensely flattered whenever you tell her- but she is just about overjoyed whenever she actually gets to see the product once it heals up.
•She is fascinated with the process, but she does wish you wouldn't have put yourself through so much pain just for her..nonetheless, she still thinks it's sweet.
Danse:
•Despite what most would likely believe, Danse likes tattoos quite a bit. (He has a couple in more "hidden" spaces)
•whenever you tell him that you want to get his name on you though, he can hardly believe it. He is incredibly moved by the gesture, especially if it's after Blind Betrayal. If you get it somewhere like your arm or chest, sometimes he'll lay his hand over it before he goes to sleep.
•You can guarantee he'll get one of your's on his chest.
Deacon:
•Okay, hear me out...
•Jokingly? He thinks it's funny enough to inspire a chuckle..but if Youre being serious..well his reaction may not be the nicest.
•He'll try to spare your feelings as much as possible but he instantly shoots down the idea. Surely you understand, right? He hopes you do..
Gage:
•Hell. Yes.
•Screw canon, I fully believe that Gage would have tattoos all over him. So with that being said, ol' raider would probably proposition you first (so long as the two of you are a serious item of course).
•Would especially love it if you got his name across your chest. It's where he'd get your's anyways..
Hancock:
•Don't think he wouldn't absolutely lose his shit over this..because he would! A gesture like this means a great big deal to him.
•Maybe one day he might even bring up the idea of getting wedding bands tattooed...yknow..far down the road, of course 👀
Macready:
•Gets all red faced and starry eyed when you tell him. He'd try his best to pull himself together and express his pleasure but he'd just end up smiling like an idiot- a love struck glimmer in his crystal blue eyes- as he blubbers his approval.
•Especially happy if you have a sense of humor and get it out somewhere on your back- that way he can always "have your back", just like he was hired to in the first place.
Maxson:
•People have expressed adoration in every form imaginable to Arthur- however this gesture stands out to him because it was you performing it.
•Getting his name, his last name especially, permanently stained into your flesh is perhaps the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for him.
•It doesn't even matter where you get it- he's just satisfied knowing his "mark" is on you.
Nick:
•Is kind of iffy on the idea at first. He doesn't really think it's necessary for you to go through pain like that just to get his name on you..
•Nonetheless, he comes around and discovers that there is certainly an element of satisfaction that comes from seeing his name on the person he loves most.
•Of only he could get a tattoo as well...oh well, maybe you can just write your name on the bottom of his foot or something.
Piper:
•Loves the idea with all her heart! If Youre open to it, she even goes as far as writing a reference for the tattoo artist in her own handwriting.
•If you'd do the same for her, she'd love it.
Preston:
•Honestly? He thinks it's quite possibly the hottest thing he's ever heard.
•Hates that you'll have to endure pain to get it, but..you're tough, right?
X6-88:
•YES
•Feeds that suppressed wild possessiveness of his. So he certainly approves 😉
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