#if it is as easily prevented as just needing them to stand around great!

[qvietflight]

Im not excited to be living in my home town again, but our grandparents are great so at least there's that.

My grandmother is so funny, tho. It isnt possible to see eye to eye with her on everything, but I learned from my aunts the best way to deal with that is to just move on past whatever it is. lol. She will tell you what she thinks, but wont tell you how to live. And the many ways she is just silly are so endearing.

We didnt eat before going over because... well, she ALWAYS cooks. Even tho she doesnt have to, of course, I had a strong suspicion. And when we got there she had cooked, as usual, and wanted to know if we had had lunch yet? of course not, you just cant eat before visiting my grandmother. But it plays out like this every time.

And for lunch she made both chicken and salad. The salad was very good, simple, and I recommended it to my partner (as one does) but my grandmother was in the middle of bemoaning how much chicken she made... and spooning it into my partners bowl. I said, "oh, i see you are too busy with the chicken right now, no salad for you!"

and of course she sent us with all the left overs. As we were leaving she called me back into the house to also give me paper plates and... forks... and a few knives. You can tell her no, but it is better to save the "no's" for when you really just need to end the conversation. It is usually just better to let her do what ever she has set her mind to, within reason.

For example, my aunt called with her daughters to say good night to grandma. I was forced (its fine) into a quick chat, during which my grandmother started doing dishes. Of course my aunt also had to put the girls to sleep, so I was like, "well... let me see if I can get her to stop doing dishes..." and my aunt was like, "you probably wont, you know how she is! (affectionate)" it is true, so I held the tablet for her anyway so she could say good night like she was supposed to.

She also told us about how she and her sister do not always see eye to eye. she says, "I love my sister, so when we disagree I just tell her I have another phone call..." Very good advice, I think, but the way she said it she must have recently had to take another call (exasperated.)

She did tell us some unfortunate things, like how a flooring person tried to scam her out of money (she avoided it just fine; he wasn't too clever, fortunately!) How she is often afraid to call people to get work done on the house because of anti-indigenous racism (we aren't indigenous, but racists don't care.)

She is incredibly resourceful. Her toilet? or sink? or? she substituted in the vietnamese word, which she does every now and then but not often enough for me to have learned many words. Anyway, some pipe was clogged and she managed to fix it her self! She was quite proud, which is just fine, but i think maybe she didnt need to lose her upstairs bathroom for 3 weeks...

We moved up here to take care of my partners grandmother, but it is just as well. We can also help take care of mine! I just have to figure out how to convince her to let us get her sink focet fixed...

[vexwerewolf]

I’m suddenly getting swathes of Lancer hate across my feed… Has something happened in the fandom? “Union is ______ how could they paint them as even remotely good. They allow _____, and I hate the devs they are ______. The whole thing is just 40k with communist veneer”.

Like am I taking crazy pills…? I thought that all of the problems were literally like right there on the tin “we are a utopia in progress! We will obtain it by any means possible even if it means being everything we say we are not/fighting against. As the player you decide what is right. How much will you ignore for someone else’s idea of utopia?” Like doesn’t it mean all the tools to actually change are there and that is the HOPE aspect of all of this?

(Sorry if this in incoherent grammar is a weak point and I pulled something in my back simply standing up. Now I am sad and crook backed in spasmodic pain)

This isn't an argument I feel super enthusiastic about stepping into, because it gets the most annoying sort of people in your mentions eager to maliciously misrepresent what you say.

However, yeah, there are some pretty terrible readings of Union floating around. I'd invoke "media literacy" because think that a lot of this comes from people not really holistically engaging with the fictional future history of Lancer, but also from a sort of dogmatic purism that requires future societies to be flawless, else they're irredeemable.

It is important to note that ThirdComm is the direct descendant of two highly imperfect societies. FirstComm was formed as a response to the Three Great Traumas of discovering the Massif Vaults (and thus that they were the inheritors of a fallen world), the wars over the Massif Vaults, and the discovery of the lost colonies, all of which collectively showed humanity how close it had come to total extinction.

FirstComm decided that it had a responsibility to ensure that humanity never risked extinction again. It manifested this by trying to colonize every habitable planet it could find, pumping out ship after ship to seed the cosmos with as much human life as it possibly could. This led to problems when it encountered civilizations like the Karrakin Federation and the Aun, who had been carrying humanity's torch just fine by themselves, thank you very much.

SecComm was an Anthrochauvinist fascist state. The book defines it thusly:

We can see a lot of Anthrochauvinist historical romanticism in the mech naming schemes of Harrison Armory, SSC and IPS-N - the fact that Harrison Armory names its mechs after great military leaders of pre-Fall Earth history, IPS-N does the same with naval figures, and SSC uses the names of Earth animals. Even the GMS Everest is named for a mountain on Earth. It's very Cradle-centric.

Anthrochauvinism was, to be clear, largely just an excuse for colonialism and hegemony. Atrocities could easily be justified under by stating that whoever they're being committed against were a threat to the Continuance of Humanity - a term that SecComm got to define.

It's also at this point that we have to zoom in from broad sociopolitical points to address one very specific piece of history: the New Prosperity Agreement. This was signed to prevent the outbreak of a Second Union-Karrakin War, and mandated that the Karrakin Houses would maintain privileged levels of autonomy within Union, and that they would be granted colonial rights to the entire Dawnline Shore. This agreement, struck in 3007u, basically defines much of the current political situation today.

ThirdComm was a final and inevitable reaction to the atrocities, abuses and excesses of SecComm. The unspeakable horrors of Hercynia were the spark, but I need to stress how little Hercynia actually mattered in the larger Revolution - at the start of NRfaW, it's explicitly stated that almost nobody in the galaxy even knows where it is, let alone what happened there. The Revolution was a generalized response to SecComm's tyranny, with no single rallying cry.

The Revolution might also have failed entirely, but for a critical error by Harrison Armory: pissing off the Karrakin Trade Baronies. After getting kicked off Cradle, the Anthrochauvinist Party organised a fleet at Ras Shamra to try and retake Cradle. Simultaneously, however, they were attempting to secure protectorate agreements to steal worlds in the Dawnline Shore out from under the KTB. Putting these two together and making five, the KTB assumed that the fleet was pointed at Karrakis, and started the First Interest War.

The First Interest War initially favoured the KTB. They smashed the fleet above Ras Shamra and simultaneously conquered the moon of Creighton in the Dawnline Shore. However, they underestimated just how ruthless Harrison I was - he "retook" Creighton by relativistic bombardment, and then conquered four of the 12 worlds of the Dawnline Shore with mechanised chassis, a technology the KTB had not adopted and had no counter for.

To prevent further loss of life, Union was eventually forced to broker a peace agreement that saw Harrison I handing himself over to Union justice in return for Harrison Armory's continued sovereignty, and the KTB joining Union as a full member state.

So, with that historical context out of the way, let me get to the second part of this absurd essay I'm writing.

Third Committee Union isn't a civilization that arose from whole cloth. It's shaped by five thousand years of Union history, six thousand years of post-Fall history, and six thousand years of pre-Fall history before that. It is, ultimately, an extremely well-thought-out and well-worldbuilt fictional polity, in that all of its imperfections come from traceable root causes in its history.

Why does ThirdComm permit the abuses of the KTB? Because to stop them, it would likely have to go to war, and such a war would butcher billions. Worse, to do so, it would probably have to ally with Harrison Armory and make horrific concessions.

Why does ThirdComm permit the expansionism and cryptochauvinism of the Armory? Because to stop them, it would likely have to go to war, and such a war would butcher billions. Worse, to do so, it would probably have to ally with the KTB and make horrific concessions.

Nobody in CentComm likes that Harrison Armory are empire-building expansionists. Nobody in CentComm likes that the KTB has a hereditary nobility and enforces blockades against planets that rebel against it. The problem is that ThirdComm is, in historical terms, still relatively new. They've been around five hundred years, and compared to the 1600 years that SecComm was around and the 2800 years FirstComm existed for, that's not very much.

ThirdComm is attempting to decouple itself from the Cradle-first politics of its predecessor, and to amend the many, many atrocities committed in the name of Humanity. It is not easy to do any of these things. SecComm was defined almost entirely by the fact that if it didn't like what you were doing, it would send in the military as a first response. Every time ThirdComm chooses to do the same, its legitimacy erodes, because the mission of ThirdComm is to prove that diverse, vibrant and compassionate human civilization can exist without devolving into war and bloodshed. ThirdComm always tries diplomacy as a first response because if it doesn't, millions of people could die.

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Given all the really excellent and interesting talk about this recently, I wanted to write up a quick list of ways we see Izzy being consistently abusive to Ed in season 1, just so I have a handy post to link to the next time someone asks me "wait, how is Izzy abusive?"

(Again, I genuinely like Izzy. I think he's a great character, but dismissing how he behaves in s1 defangs him as a character, cheapens his s2 arc, and decontextualizes a lot of Ed's behavior.)

Izzy is shown as being emotionally abusive to Ed throughout season 1, because he:

Controls the information Ed has access to. In s1e3, we see Izzy tell Ed his own version of events, twisting them to suit his purposes. He does this so easily and cleanly it's clear he's probably been lying to Ed to manipulate his perception of events for a long time.

Isolates Ed from others. We do not see Ed talk to any crew members before s1e4, and even then, Izzy cuts the conversation short. He also prevents anyone from seeing Ed in s1e10 until Ed makes him ask for Lucius. In s2 Ed tells us that he knew very little about Fang despite having worked with him for 20 years - Izzy seems to make a habit of making Ed unapproachable.

On that note, Izzy insults and demeans Ed to other crew members, creating his own narrative around Ed's actions. He says he "massages" the crew when they're worried about Ed's judgment, but what he actually does is tell them Ed's "half-insane." He is creating a situation where Ed is reliant on Izzy for information and the crew feel like they need Izzy to interpret what he presents as the irrational demands of an insane man, even though we as the audience know Ed's behavior is never as erratic or irrational as Izzy makes it out to be.

Insults and demeans Ed to his face. Izzy is not shy about calling Ed insane and unpleasant to his face, and Ed doesn't seem surprised to hear it. I don't think it's a coincidence that Ed admits while he's in the gravy basket in s2 that he's scared he's insane - that's one of Izzy's favorite insults to apply to him and he's clearly internalized it.

Ignores Ed's feelings and wants when he's not acting the way Izzy believes is appropriate. We see Ed constantly reaching out to Izzy in s1e4 to share his thoughts and excitement, and Izzy shuts him down every time. Izzy's created a situation where Ed can only really talk to Izzy, and Ed is clearly desperate for human connection.

Pushes Ed to harm someone Ed loves, even when Izzy knows that Ed "adores" Stede and Stede makes him genuinely happy. Izzy is very insistant about getting Ed to kill Stede, even once it's obvious Ed has already deeply bonded with Stede.

Literally "buys" Ed in return for selling Stede out. This is just gross and unacceptable, not to mention wildly racist. Frankly I think Ed showed remarkable restraint for only punching him once.

Tries to get Stede killed in front of Ed, multiple times.

Obviously, threatens and mocks Ed when Ed isn't behaving "appropriately." When Ed is starting to feel better in s1e10, and is reaching out to the crew and connecting with them, and is painting his nails and singing and generally behaving in a much more feminine and emotionally available way than Izzy would prefer, Izzy threatens him to force him back into the hyper-masculine Blackbeard persona he knows Ed hates and Ed has said he wants to move past.

Goads Ed into violent behavior and is delighted when Ed is visibly upset. When Ed chokes Izzy, Izzy is laughing and grinning and generally having a very nice time while Ed's standing there with tears in his eyes and visibly terrified. He's very happy to have gotten the reaction he was trying to provoke and doesn't care about Ed's feelings.

So, take it all together, and we can see that Izzy has created an atmosphere where he has put himself in control of Ed and has further manipulated the crew so they look to Izzy as a filter for Ed's behavior so Izzy can completely control the narrative. When he thinks he's losing control of Ed, that's when Izzy tries to get Stede killed, without regard for Ed's emotions. Izzy consistently insults Ed, ignores his desires and feelings, and prioritizes his control over Ed's feelings.

Have I missed anything?

[bi-disaster-yn]

Tread Carefully

Pairing: neighbour!Peter Parker x fem!Reader

Summary: Reader is used to being led on and then let down in love which leads to her not quite believing just how much Peter likes her.

Set after the events in No Way Home! As always, Peter is aged up to be in his early-mid twenties.

A/N: This one goes out to the all the girls who have been made to feel crazy when they’ve been led on by someone who suddenly loses interest. You are valid and you deserve so much better (and someone like Peter in this fic <3)!!

Feedback & reblogs are always appreciated <3

Whilst others seem to fall into love quite easily, for you it was always like trying to catch fire in a jar. Never successful, getting burned in the process and eventually the jar melting with all the exposure to further render your attempts useless.

Such carelessness with your emotions had led you to a solitary existence. The mere suggestion of reciprocated feelings had made you strategic and forceful, putting pressure on every encounter with a prospective lover in hopes that one day you might secure love.

Naturally, the pressure would snap any cord of bond you might have with someone and there you were, left again without any recourse. A scorned woman.

This wasn’t always your fault. Often, you’d bestow your emotions upon someone unworthy. Gaslighted with a promise of something real, you’d pursue these people only to be bitterly disappointed with a frank conversation where they confessed that you were great but all the same, not good enough.

Enter Peter Parker, your sweet neighbour who moved in next door a few months ago and brought with him a little spark that had you giddy.

The day he had moved in, he just seemed so out of his depth and alone. With the door open, he’d stood in the middle of his apartment looking round at the admittedly small number of boxes he had. Nevertheless, he looked entirely overwhelmed and frozen, struggling to even take the first step to open any of them.

You’d just finished grocery shopping as you walked past, peering in quickly when you came across the open door. From where you were standing, viewing his slumped shoulders and helpless face, it looked like he was going to cry. He looked so lost and you were sure that your help was exactly what he needed.

So, you came to the rescue. Announcing your presence, you offered your help which he reluctantly accepted. One by one, you worked your way through the boxes and worked together to set out his things the way he’d like them. At first, he was wary of you but grew more comfortable as you took things at his pace, never pressuring or hastening him.

You cooked him dinner, noting that his fridge hadn’t been stocked up yet. He asked you for coffee the next day as a thank you.

Coffee dates became dinner dates which naturally slipped into taking turns to make dinner for each other every night. He was so convenient being next door and had explained being new to the area that he had no one else really. Naturally, he gradually began to intertwine himself within your plans until you had become inseparable. Not that you minded, you hadn’t been this infatuated in a long time.

You did everything “right”.

You nurtured your feelings, trying to keep them on a leash to prevent them leaping out of control. You were calm and collected around him, allowing yourself to freak out about him after you said goodbye for the night. You made allowances for him in your plans yet didn’t hedge your bets on having to actually plan around him.

Yet, you still expected him to let you down. Some dark, twisted and nasty corner of your brain still told you that you were holding on to false hope. You had let people in before only to have them ridicule you for ever thinking that something could happen. For all you knew, Peter could be - and probably was - just the same as the rest of them.

Although, surprisingly, he hadn’t let you down to date. He always turned up on time when he said he would, except for that one rare exception that he had to cancel. Even at that, he was following up with you to reschedule and even planned and paid for the whole date because he felt so bad about having to miss your plans.

He let you touch him and he allowed himself to touch you. When your thighs lingered as you sat next to each other, he didn’t move away or sit in clear discomfort. Contentedly, he’d continue his story while you sat, completely mesmerised by the fact he’d allowed you a crumb of intimacy with just a simple gesture.

When this inevitably went downhill, it was going to kill you.

***

Winter had taken over the city. The restaurants and shops below your apartment had started to decorate their storefronts with festive lights which teamed up with the streetlights to create a cosy light in a cruelly cold and dark night.

It was Peter’s turn to cook that night. He stood at the stove making mac and cheese in plaid pyjama bottoms and a white t-shirt that although oversized, still managed to show his muscular shoulders.

You sat on his couch flicking through Netflix to find a suitable Christmas movie for your night in. As the snow began to fall outside, you wrapped the blanket round you tighter and excited yourself with the idea of cuddling up to Peter to keep warm. Peter hummed as he plated up the food; it was his Aunt May’s recipe and he’d raved about it for weeks, insisting he would make it for you.

You tried not to read into the fact he was letting you into something he’d shared with his aunt who had been more like his mother. Nor did you read into the fact that the blanket wrapped round you was one you hadn’t been able to stop touching in the store because of how soft it was. He’d bought it so he could see the big grin on your face as you smoothed your hands down it.

“You really love that thing, don’t you?” Peter commented with a sweet smile as he handed you the plate.

“It’s just so soft! How did they make it so soft?” You beamed in response.

“I don’t know, but you look really cute with it wrapped round you.” He smiled, facing the TV and taking a bite before saying the all too familiar yet equally dreadful sentence.

“I think we should talk.”

It was so out of left field and so unexpected. The horrible yet familiar feeling of dread sat deep in your stomach and destroyed your earlier appetite for a home cooked meal. Setting your plate down, you took a deep breath in anticipation of what he was going to say next. You had to give it to him, ending this over his beloved aunt’s recipe was a new low in your experience of rejections.

“Sure.” Was the only response you could muster without it sounding like you were dying inside at the very notion Peter could end all of this.

“Well, we’ve been seeing each other for a while now, right?”

Oh God. This really was it. Now was the time for the usual chat. He’d come out with some drawl about how even though you had spent every day together, ate together, slept together, treated each other like boyfriend and girlfriend, that it was of course, casual and you were irrational to think anything different. In the heat of the moment, frenzied by embarrassment, you’d agree and tell him you’d even prefer to be friends. Then over the coming months, the dejection would slowly eat away at you as you’d overanalyse the memories and consider what you should have looked for to ascertain that this would never be a serious relationship. Good enough for a fling, but not quite enough for a substantive commitment.

It was going to be a long and lonely winter.

“Yeah, two and a half months to be exact.” You stated, as if for a court record to build your case on just how much of your time he had wasted before he was about to throw this genuine and beautiful connection away. Peter merely chuckled at your matter-of-fact manner, oblivious to your serious tone.

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to be my girlfriend?” He asked nervously, watching you with a hopeful smile.

Admittedly, your reaction was in fact, irrational.

“Sorry, WHAT?!” You yelled back, so taken aback by the question. It was what you wanted to hear but not at all what you expected.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Peter tried to explain, clearly self-conscious by his choice of timing and now considering what seemed to be a real possibility of you rejecting him. “I just thought that I really love what we have and I wanted to make it official but if you feel differently then-“

You cut him off before he could go any further by lunging over and wrapping your arms round his neck tightly. You held him like he would disappear if you let go. The longer you held on, the more tangible his question became and the more likely you were being validated that this whole thing wasn’t just a one-sided and bittersweet liaison, doomed to fail from the beginning.

Peter chuckled, managing to set his plate down on the coffee table, despite you clinging on to him like a koala. He settled back against the couch, rubbing his hand up and down your back soothingly while you sat still, completely incapable of letting go.

“So… is that a yes?” Peter asked with slight concern in his voice as he tried to measure how long you had been silent for.

“Of course, it’s a yes! I thought you were going to end this!” You confessed. Peter frowned at your response, unsure where you could ever have gotten that idea from. He had tried so hard to not be one of those asshole guys and not lead you on. He started to question whether he should have done anything differently.

“Why would you think that?” His question came with a sweet kiss to your temple. Despite you holding him hostage with a cuddle, he seemed quite content.

The heat of embarrassment claimed your cheeks causing you to nuzzle your face into his neck. This should have been a really happy and carefree moment between you both, and hopefully the beginning of many years together. Yet, your insecurities and past emotional injuries had tainted this.

Perhaps, sharing your intense fear and feelings was going to be too much for Peter. Still, if he was going to be in a relationship with you, he ought to know the truth.

“I just…” You began, sitting back to look him in the eye. “I just never get asked that question.”  

Peter looked at you with a mixture of surprise and sadness. His eyebrows furrowed in contemplation and he let out a silent “oh”. At first, you thought he was pitying you but then you came to realise that he was just appreciating how big of a deal this was for you.

“I always seem to be the practise run or the casual fling. I never seem to be enough to be the girlfriend. You know?” At this, Peter nodded silently and reached his hand out for you to hold which you gladly took.

“And with you, I’ve been trying so hard not to get overexcited or put too much pressure on you but I really like you, Peter! I’ve been terrified that you’ve wanted to end this for a while now.” You explained further, watching him get confused.

“What did I do that made you think that?” Peter mumbled, his own fears and guilt setting into him. He had been trying so hard to let people in and to think that he was potentially failing was more than a tough pill to swallow.

“Nothing.” You said simply, because it was the truth. He had done nothing wrong.

“It’s just, I let you into my apartment, which was supposed to be just mine. I talked to you about Aunt May, which was really hard for me but I trusted you with it. I… I fell asleep on you. I felt safe enough with you to sleep soundly. I just don’t think I could have done anymore to let you know I was interested.”

The lump in Peter’s throat was evident with his words. This poor, sweet boy had no idea that this was so much bigger than him. It was an injury to your very being that had attached itself to you for all time coming. In truth, Peter had opened up to you and had let you in. On the other hand, all of those boys had done the same thing. They fed you with private and emotional insights then cut off the supply when you dared tried to establish a deeper emotional connection. How were you to tell the difference? 

“Sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just, not all guys are as genuine as you. They mess with our heads and then call us crazy.” You explained calmly, bringing his hand to your lips and kissing his knuckles lightly. The words took purchase in Peter’s body and he nodded at you, slightly embarrassed.

“I am sorry you’ve been through that. I just really liked you and wanted to let you in. I have meant it all and I’d really like for you to be my girlfriend.” He smiled, reaching his other hand out to caress your cheekbone. An excited and surprise giggle escaped your lips.

“I’d love to be your girlfriend, Peter.” You leaned in and kissed him deeply, putting your hands on his cheeks. His hands found your waist, pulling you to sit on his lap. You gladly obliged, not once breaking the kiss. It wasn’t catching fire in a jar. Rather, it was gathering water that easily streamed into the jar – filling it up and adapting to the shape of its keeper without any threat of burning or melting; secured simply with a screw top lid. It was different, fresh and easy.

“Okay,” Peter chuckled as he finally pulled away from the kiss. “Can you please let me know if I made a good job of dinner?”

“Sure thing, boyfriend.” You grinned, giving his lips one last peck before leaning back and retrieving your neglected plate from the table. It was starting to get cold but that didn’t matter. You were going to give it a glowing review anyway.

You draped the blanket over the two of you and cuddled into him, no longer afraid to show him just how keen you were. He hummed happily at this, turning to gently kiss your temple. Your mind and body relaxed, content in the knowledge that you need not tread carefully around your Peter.

Finally, someone genuine.

[sweetbutpsychobutsweet]

Care To Make A Wager?

Chapter 5

Thorin Oakenshield x AFAB!Reader

Summary: There's only one bathing pool and all of the pent up tension between you and Thorin finally starts to come to a head in the form of a bet

Warnings: smut, 18+, NSFW, Minors do not interact, angst, fingering, spanking, light choking, biting

author's note: Ahhhh! I'm so excited to finally share this chapter with you guys!!!!!! There will be plenty more spiciness to come between these two, and that is a promise, dear reader😉

Word count: 3686

To say you were in need of a bath would be a massive understatement. After spending so long on the road you felt as though you were covered in a permanent layer of dirt and dust. Your boots were caked with mud and your hair seemed to be harboring an entire forest of leaves and twigs. 

When Lord Elrond offered you rooms to wash up before dinner, you were all too happy to accept. You had spent so much time in Rivendell over the years that you knew exactly how to get to your regular guest suite. 

The wardrobe was still full of fine gowns and shoes in your exact size. The well-worn books you had failed to return to the great library still sat undisturbed in a pile next to the bed. It took a great amount of restraint to keep yourself from running your fingers along all of the familiar elven luxurious. Not until you had scrubbed all of the dirt and grime from your skin. 

There is a large bathing pool right outside your room that you are all too eager to step foot in. It is always filled with warm, flowing water, and the ceiling above remains open to reveal the sky overhead. You grab yourself a clean towel and practically skip through the adjoining door.

Only to stop short when you see someone else has already beaten you to it. 

“No!” you shout in frustration and Thorin turns to see you pouting angrily at him from the doorway. 

He chuckles at your frustration from where he already stands in the warm waters up to his chest. You take extra care to direct your glare right at his face, refusing to let your gaze wander down to all the exposed skin.

“Sorry lass, not fast enough this time,” 

“Thorin,” you growl, “do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting to visit this pool again?” he just shrugs at you. “There's another one down the hall I’ve been told, if you hurry you might still be able to beat the others to it.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” you snap before letting out a sigh.

“I can’t use that one,” you mumble, “it’s too…deep.”

Thorin stares at you in confusion for only a moment before barking out a laugh.

“Are you saying,” he chuckles, “that after all these years you still haven’t learned how to swim?”

You growl at him before turning around to march back to your room. 

“Wait!” he calls after you, still laughing. “I’m sorry, lass. We can share if you’d like? There’s plenty of room.”

You turn back to look at him suspiciously. He’s right, it’s a very large pool you could easily fit several people at once. The problem is that sharing it would mean taking your clothes off in his presence. It’s one thing for him to be naked, while you stand there fully clothed. But the depth of the water prevents you from seeing anything below his chest and you have a lot more…parts, that require coverage. 

It’s not that you feel insecure about your body, especially with all of the low-coverage outfits you’ve worn while performing. It's just that the idea of Thorin seeing you in that capacity feels… different. 

“I won’t look,” Thorin promises, seeing your internal debate.

The water looks so refreshing and warm,  you can’t help but think it would be worth the risk.

“Fine,” you relent, tossing your towel nearby and toeing off your boots. “But if I catch you peeking you’re walking out of that pool with fewer parts than you had going in.” He turns around slowly to face the wall when you reach up to undo the laces of your trousers, shimmying them down your legs before letting them fall into a muddy pile with your blouse not far behind.

You cautiously dip one foot into the water, slowly lowering your body all the way in and  a contented sigh escapes past your lips before you can stop it. 

The water comes up to your shoulders, and you try to rearrange your hair as best as you can so it covers your breasts.

“Alright,” you tell him, and he cautiously turns to face you again. 

His gaze slowly trails down every inch of exposed skin, lingering just a moment longer on the ends of your carefully placed hair.

Thorin takes a cautious step closer towards you and your breath catches in your chest. He slowly moves closer and closer to you until he’s standing right before you. If you were to drop your gaze, it would be safe to assume that you could see all the way down his torso, perhaps even further… which is exactly why you keep your chin held high and your eyes locked on his. 

He lifts one hand up out of the water and lifts it up reaching towards your chest ever so slowly. Your eyes widen and you temporarily forget how to breathe in anticipation as his hand finally makes contact… with the bar of soap beside you.

He takes a few steps back with that self-righteous smirk on his face as he starts to run the soap between his hands.

“Is something the matter?” he asks you tauntingly, “one might say you look… disappointed.”

You let out a growl and angrily splash water in his direction but he just laughs at your irritation.

You turn around to dunk your head underwater, wetting your hair enough to start lathering in one of the fragrant shampoos sitting by the side of the pool. 

With the product now in your hair, all of the dirt and debris finally starts to untangle itself from your head. All except for one particularly stubborn twig that seems to have knotted itself around several strands of your hair in one of the most inconvenient and unreachable places on your head. You yank and pull at it blindly but no matter how hard you try it only seems to make it worse. You could try adding more products but it would be pointless.

“Could you help me please?” you ask with a frustrated sigh. Thorin hums in confirmation behind you and you feel the heat radiating off him as he wordlessly approaches you from behind. 

You let your arms fall back to your sides in the water as his strong hands come up behind you to take their place. He delicately starts untangling it one strand at a time. Moving gently to try and avoid causing you any pain. You can’t remember the last time someone’s played with your hair like this, and the sensation causes your eyelids to flutter closed and your shoulders to droop in relaxation as you sink slightly deeper into the water.

“I could teach you if you’d like,” he says quietly, “to swim I mean. It’s an important skill it just might save your life one day.”

“Sure it is,” you reply sarcastically, “you just want an excuse to grope me underwater,”

His fingers still for a moment, “It doesn’t have to be underwater, but if you’re offering…”

You tip your head back to look at him with your eyes narrowed, pretending to give it some thought.

“Hmm, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your generous offer my king.” you reply formally, “I have very high standards for all my lovers, I only share my bed with those who can give pleasure just as well as they receive it.”

You’re only half joking to get under his skin, but Thorin doesn’t seem to take it that way. 

His grip on your hair gently tightens, and he leans down to bring his lips beside your ear.

“Are you implying that I’m incapable of bringing a woman to climax?” he whispers darkly.

Shivers run up your spine and a hot clenching sensation forms in your belly. You shrug your shoulders nonchalantly.

“Care to make a wager on that?” he challenges.

“Very funny,” you smirk nervously, trying to dig yourself out of the hole you’ve quickly gotten yourself in.

“I’m not laughing,” he replies darkly, one of his hands leaves your hair to trace a slow, agonizing path down the side of your neck, before landing on your shoulder.

“I bet I could make you come, right here, right now, using only my fingers.”

You gasp at the filthy images that start to fill your mind and you’re forced to squeeze your thighs together to help relieve some of the ache.

“How about we make a deal,” he drags his other hand along your spine causing your back to arch in ecstasy. “If I can make you come, you have to let me teach you how to swim.”

You laugh at his request, before thinking of a condition of your own.

“And when you can't, you have to let Lord Elrond look at the map.” his hand stills on your back and you half expect him to refuse.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he brings both hands down to your hips and roughly pulls your back up against his chest. “Deal,” he whispers before playfully nipping at your earlobe.

One arm snakes around your belly to anchor you closer to him, while the other reaches up to grab one of your breasts. You moan as his hand squeezes and massages the soft flesh. 

He growls into your ear and thrusts his hips deeper into your backside, making it all too clear to you just how his body is reacting to yours.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?’ he asks, his hand on your breast starting to trace slow circles around your now hardened nipple. You bite your bottom lip trying your hardest to suppress the sounds of pleasure his ministrations threaten to pull from you. 

“Do you know how many times, I’ve had to find some excuse to slip away, just so I could touch myself to thoughts of you in those damn trousers? It’s all I can think about.”

A wicked grin crosses your face. It brings you great satisfaction to know just how much of an effect you have on him. 

“Tell me,” he whispers from behind you, his free arm moving down the curve of your ass to give it a rough squeeze. “When you touch yourself, what do you think of?”

His hand slides around your hip to slowly inch closer and closer down toward your core. You arch your back to encourage him to keep moving his hand closer, but he stops right above the spot where he knows you need him the most. 

You let out a whine as he stubbornly keeps his hand frozen in place.

“I asked you a question,” he reminds you, “who do you think of?”

You tip your head back to rest against his chest, your eyes meeting his. You smirk at the dark lust you see in his eyes, swimming with desire for you. You think about lying to him, giving an answer that you know will make him angry, unhinged. But you don’t want to risk him moving that hand any farther away from your core.

“You, Thorin,” you whisper to him, “always you.”

He roughly brings his lips down to yours in a fierce kiss, and at the same time, he slides his fingers down the rest of the way to trace large circles around your core.  His hand at your breast reaches up to wrap around your throat, applying gentle pressure to keep you in place as he gives his tongue the freedom to explore your mouth.

You let out a moan before you can stop yourself, and you can feel the smirk on his face without even having to open your eyes. His teeth scrape against your bottom lip as his fingers start to tease circles around your entrance, one finger tracing the outside before pulling further away again.

You whine at his teasing and thrust your hips up to try and bring the entrance closer to his fingers. 

He abruptly pulls his hand away when he realizes what you’re doing to roughly grab you by the hip, the hand around your throat tightening the smallest amount in warning.

“Uh, uh, uh,” he chides in your ear. “Behave yourself.”

He removes his hand from your throat and presses it between your shoulder blades, gently bending you over in front of him. He keeps a gentle hand on your hip and brushes all of your hair to one side of your neck, exposing your entire back to him. 

Your hands reach up to grip the edge of the pool with a gasp as he starts to kiss his way down your spine slowly. 

“Can you do that for me?” Thorin asks, “Can you be good?”

You nod eagerly as his lips hover over the curve of your backside that remains above the water.

You jolt in surprise as a hand comes down to your ass with a sharp smack. 

“Use your words,” he demands, gently rubbing the now tender skin of your cheeks.

“I’ll be good,” you whisper hoarsely, “I promise.”

Thorin hums in approval as one hand slides down your bottom to tease the entrance to your core once again. His other reaches up to grab a fistful of your hair. With a gentle tug, he is pulling your head back to look at him.

The hand at your core leaves you briefly empty and wanting. He keeps his eyes locked on yours as two of his thick fingers push into your mouth. You can already taste the sweetness of yourself on him as he presses them deeper into your mouth. Your tongue licking and sucking every drop of yourself from them. 

You let yourself put on a little show for him, imagining it wasn’t just his fingers in your mouth. Your eyes flutter closed at the idea of what it would taste like, what it would feel like to have that beast currently pressing against your thighs deep inside of you.

“Eyes open,” Thorin warns with a sharp tug of your hair.

He pulls his fingers out of your mouth, leaving you such a disoriented drooling mess that you don’t even notice where he’s relocated those fingers until they’re plunging deep inside you.

Thorin releases the hand in your hair to cover your mouth just barely fast enough to muffle the scream of pleasure you can no longer contain. 

You push your hips back onto his fingers, signaling for him to start moving and he is oh so happy to oblige. He does not start slow, his brutal pace has you arching your back and crying into his hand at how quickly you can already feel your climax approaching. 

That fire in your body is growing hotter and hotter and yet you still need more.

You desperately reach back behind you, blindly searching for his cock in an attempt to give yourself some kind of anchor in the storm of pleasure. As if sensing your intentions already he growls your name in a low warning, giving his fingers an extra deep thrust to catch you off guard. 

You gasp into his hand, your fingertips just barely grazing the tip.

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Thorin reminds you.

Shit. you think to yourself. The deal.

You were so confident that all of his talk would not be able to translate to the bedroom, that the only reason his fingers were deep inside your throbbing pussy right now was as part of a childish bet.

A deal to finally find the answers hidden in that map, to help you enter Erebor, and most importantly to knock his ego down more than a few notches.

If you let yourself come on his fingers like this he wins. You’ll have lost the wager, and he’ll be able to lord this victory over you for years to come.

You can’t let him win, you just can’t.

You bite down hard on the rough hand covering your mouth to try and distract both of you from your current task but it still isn’t enough to slow his pace. His eyes narrow at you from above, a wicked grin spreading across his face, seeming to relish the pain.

You growl in frustration, desperate to think of some way, any way to put a stop to the rising flame in your core.

You try thinking of the most unsexy things imaginable: Orcs, rotten fruit, trolls, too-tight corsets, chamber pots. 

But no matter what you try the only thought you seem to be able to hold on to is Thorin.

Thorin who has his fingers inside you.

Thorin whose enormous cock is still pressed up against you.

Thorin whose beard keeps tickling your bare back.

Thorin whose blue eyes look like the hottest part of a burning flame.

Thorin whose deep voice sends shivers down your spine.

Thorin who left you.

Who abandoned you, lied to you, broke your heart.

A hot angry tear slides down your cheek and you bite harder into his palm, enough to feel droplets of blood start to roll down your chin and mix with the salt of your tears. 

You hate him. He betrayed you, broke your trust, and left you all alone. And he has the audacity to still make you feel things for him? After everything?

Perhaps after everything, he owes you this much. A mind-blowing orgasm, deal be damned. You’ll convince him to share the map some other way.

You’re feeling a pleasure so intense, so intoxicating, that when his fingers finally hit that one perfect spot inside you, you let yourself come undone on him. You’re too high on your own bliss to even care that you’ve lost the bet.

You wait for Thorin to start gloating, to rub it in your face that you were wrong. But he doesn’t.

He just slowly removes his fingers from your core and his bloody palm from your face and quietly disappears behind you in the water. Your head suddenly feels impossibly heavy and you let yourself slump over the edge of the pool, exhausted and trembling.

Thorin reappears behind you with a gentle hand on your back, while the other brings a warm cloth against your skin. 

He gently turns you to face him and you’re too tired to put up a fight. A strong arm wraps around your back to hold you upright against him. He brings the warm cloth to your face, gently wiping the mess off your chin and your lips, before trailing it farther and farther down washing every inch of exposed skin with an intense focus. 

It’s getting harder and harder to keep your eyes open. Sensing your fatigue he drops the cloth as soon as he’s done and starts to slowly lead you out of the pool. 

“Wait here,” he whispers as soon as you’re out of the warm water’s embrace, cold and shivering. You cross your arms over your chest to try and warm yourself before a soft towel is gently wrapped around your body. You attempt to take one, shaky step back towards your room and are immediately swept off of your fawn like legs into Thorin’s arms. 

He carries you back into your suite, the both of you undoubtedly dripping water across the marble floor as he gently places you on the bed.

You’re almost disappointed to see that he now has a towel covering his bare waist.

You expect him to leave you now if he has no interest in gloating, but instead, he crawls onto the bed with you. His body heat is such a welcome feeling that you don’t protest when he settles in right behind you wrapping a strong arm across your wet skin and pulling you in closer towards him by your waist. 

“You were trying to fight it weren’t you?” 

You shiver at the sensation of his breath tickling the back of your neck.

“How could you tell?” you ask him.

He chuckles against your ear before giving it a playful bite. 

“You always have this look on your face, whenever you’re trying to restrain yourself. I’ll admit it’s not a look I see often as you tend to say or do the first thing that pops into your head without thinking it through,” he grunts as your elbow reaches back to jab him in the ribs.

“What made you change your mind?” he asks in a serious tone. “You could have easily fought me off if you wanted to.”

“I know,” you reply with a sigh. “As much as I hated the idea of letting you win, I figured after everything you put me through, betraying and abandoning me, at the very least you owed me a mind-blowing orgasm.”

You can feel Thorin tense up behind you. You crane your neck to look back at him and he’s staring back at you with an intense look on his face that you can’t quite place.

“I would have thought you’d be flattered to hear me refer to it as ‘mind blowing’” you laugh nervously. He blinks at you and gives a weak smile before slowly untangling his arms from your waist so he can rise to a seat on the bed.

“The others are waiting,” he says, “we should head to dinner before someone comes looking for us.”

You nod silently, not having enough strength to call him out on the convenient change of subject.

“You go ahead,” you tell him, knowing you’ll need some time to process everything that’s just happened. “It might take me a while longer to finish getting ready,” you lie.

He rises from the bed, still clearly deep in thought as he crosses the room to head back to his own suite. He pauses for a moment with his hand on the doorknob, like he has something else he wants to say to you. But instead, he just disappears through the door without another word.

You let out a deep exhale and press the heels of your hands into your eyes.

“I can’t believe I just let Thorin Oakenshield finger fuck me,” you groan.

Next Chapter

Taglist:

@mrsdurin @thetaekwondofeline

[mouschiwrites]

hi can you do zane/ gn ninja reader oneshot where they get hurt and zane is patching them up? and reader is always jumping into battle first and zane is there to help them. if you want to ofc!!

Can do!

Word count: 673

Ninjago - Zane Patches You Up

Vines and branches whipped at your limbs as you barreled through the brush, but luckily your gi was thick enough to prevent you from sustaining any scratches. You were in hot pursuit of a gang of thieves. They had just stolen a valuable magic artifact from its tomb, an artifact that you would prefer to have in your own hands.

“Don’t they know how dangerous that thing is?” You panted, frustration obvious in your tone.

“If they did, I doubt they’d have stolen it,” Zane replied from behind you. You managed a sardonic laugh.

You nearly fell flat on your face when the thick vegetation opened up suddenly to an angled river bank composed of rocks. Your foot slipped a few inches as a rock tumbled away from under it, but you caught yourself easily and continued running.

The thieves were hauling themselves into a boat when you pounced on them. You seized an oar and swung, knocking out the one who held the artifact. It fell into the boat with his unconscious body.

You lunged for the artifact, tumbling into the boat desperately with arms outstretched. You leapt up with the artifact—a little gold statuette—held high above your head. “Guys! I got it!”

“Excellent work, Y/n!” Zane appraised you, clapping his hands together.

Your cheeks went flushed pink as you beamed at him. For one crucial moment you forgot about the other two thieves in the boat with you.

One of them tackled you from behind, sending you sprawling onto the rocky bank.

“Y/n!” You heard several voices cry out.

You felt a sharp pain shoot up your arm as a particularly jagged rock sliced your skin. The artifact was no longer in your hands.

You felt woozy. You had also hit your head when you fell. Trying to stand up but failing, you fell again. Suddenly you felt a strong body next to your own, helping you limp along to the tree line, out of the way of the ongoing tussle.

The world stopped spinning at last, and you looked to your side to see Zane hunched over your wounded arm. Zane. Of course. He was never far, even when you were in the midst of a battle.

“Is it bad?”

As if in response, a horrible pain shot through you at the slightest touch. Even Zane winced as he watched you recoil.

“You’ll live,” he said after spending a moment staring at the wound. He reached for his first aid kit.

“I can do it,” you offer, holding out your hand. Zane shook his head with a little smile.

“Please. Let me.”

You sighed, reclining a little against the tree and letting him get to work.

“This will sting,” he warned you, wetting a cotton ball with disinfectant. You gritted your teeth as the cold ball dabbed against your tender skin, and you hissed audibly when it suddenly began to burn.

“Sorry,” Zane murmured, trying to move quickly to prolong the pain no longer than needed.

“It’s okay,” you said in a strained voice. You relaxed a bit when he finally discarded the cotton ball. “My fault for getting banged up in the first place. Guess I’m just facing the consequences.” You laughed dryly.

Zane cocked his head. “Was the pain of getting hurt in the first place not the ‘consequence’?”

You shrugged. He had a point, but you were really just trying to cope here. Even with the sting of the disinfectant gone, the wound still hurt like a cow.

The pain eased a little when Zane tenderly wrapped soft gauze around it, fastening the dressing in a little bow. He patted your arm comfortingly. “All patched up, my love.”

“Great,” you grinned, springing to your feet. “Back to battle!”

Zane tried to protest, but you were halfway down the bank already, seamlessly inserting yourself into a struggle between Kai and one of the thieves. With a little sigh he watched you go, an unusual smile making its way onto his lips.

“Y/n, you wild creature.”

Thank you for your request, and thank you for reading! Have a good one lovelies <33

(divider by saradika)

[jimmystrudel]

Part 1 of Ranking the 2024 WAG jackets

part 2 & part 3 since tumblr only allows 8 photos per post

(and VGK whenever that's posted)

Also massive thanks to Lexi Lafleur for posting most of these and talking about them, I obviously used her as a source

1. Boston Bruins - Katrina Marchand’s IG

I love that they used dark brown leather instead of black, it makes it look vintage

The fit of them is perfect, very cozy and relaxed

I am obsessed with the little bears on the sleeves that the numbers are in

They are just perfect, I can’t find any faults and I’m sure they can wear these outside of these playoffs

2. Dallas Stars - Kate Seguin’s IG

I was surprised by how much I like this but I’m a sucker for bright colours

The crop, the bagginess, the paint speckles, it all gives a loud, aggressive, young energy which is all really on brand for the stars

They really stand out next to the other jackets this year and I like rewarding creativity

(also Dr Lexi Lafleur Brown says that she thinks they might have nicknames instead of last names on the front and I really hope she is right)

Vancouver Canucks - Lexi

I have seen a lot of angles of these and they are just really good and well thought out

No visible number, no visible name, last name under the collar, pets and kids names on the sleeve, the signature being on the collar (more intimate than on a number) are all just super sweet and personal touches

This is an emotional keepsake

What prevents it from being 1 or 2 is that the back is too busy, they should have centered the logo on the green stripe and maybe have made the letters smaller

New york Islanders - islanderwagss IG

Neon orange is the love of my life

I like that anyone who is pregnant can easily cover their belly for some privacy (part of why most of the cropped ones are lower)

Looks really easy to layer and store since it is baggy without being stiff which is super convenient

I like that since they skipped on using a logo they put Long Island on the sleeve

They are just all around good but don’t crack the top 3 since they are a little underwhelming

Los Angeles Kings - Lexi 

I didn’t chose great pictures of it so for more detail; the logo is a little ironed on patch either on the top of the sleeve or chest diagonal from the front pocket, back has last name and number in white bubble, embroidered writing

If I saw them walking towards me, even at a game, I wouldn’t be like “that’s a WAG!” which is something I feel like these need to give otherwise just wear team merch

They clearly had the goal of being minimalist and trying to draw from an old money aesthetic and they definitely accomplished that so I’ll give them points for clearly communicating a vibe and being the only blazer

It reminds me very strongly of my dead, rich and very formal grandmothers raincoat

It’s the only one in my top half that I wouldn’t want to wear (minimalism makes me anxious) but I do really like looking at it

[look-how-they-massacred-them]

Preliminary Poll

The Ghost Gang (Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde)

Submission reason:

Okay so. the ghost gang were set up to be super intresting in ghostly adventures because in the first episode Blinky manages to weasel their way out of being eaten by pac man by agreeing to help him in his fight against Betrayus and the ghost army by giving insider info and stuff. Good start. Their motivations are established, they want their bodies to be returned so they can be alive again, and Pac and the President can do that for them as long as they continue working as double agents.This has a lot of potential. Early season one sets up their dynamic well. They all want to do the right thing but are struggling with various character flaws preventing their true redemption: Clyde wants to be a good person but is easily bullied and bossed around by others, who override any objections he may have and force him to get involved in the plot no matter what side that may be. Pinky is doing all of this for purely selfish reasons: She is in love with Pac. She will sabatoge and harrass any of the ghosts to get her way. This is also how Pac cements his teamship with them, by falsely professing his love for her so she'll sabatoge his execution. This can also backfire against Pac though, as Pinky is also easily jealous against any other girl who shows even remote interest in him, and can be easily mislead into believing pac is cheating on her even if it's a misunderstanding. It's a whole thing and is very annoying Inky is indifferent to both sides, he just wants to be on the winning team, and wants to do the least work. He also ends up being the most vocal against working with pac, but mostly because he is indifferent at best to Pinky's love life and is most likely to be accidentally eaten by Pac, as it quickly becomes a running joke in the show. Blinky seems to be the most logical in this regard, judging which stance he should take based on the opinions and status of the rest of the ghost gang, pac and co, or betrayus and the other villains, and what would work best in the moment. He will argue with the other ghost gang members if there's room for discussion/debate, but will submit if there is any true urgency to the situation or if Pinky yells loud enough. They never actually settle into a concrete flaw for him though. Early episodes seem to think his problem is that he is perfectly fine with working for Betrayus if it benefits him, but this is diminished in later episodes due to the fact they greatly reduced his role in season 2. So early on, this worked great. Pinky got an episode where she and pac's friend Cyli had to work together to save him and Pinky learned to be less selfish, good development. The ghost gang as a whole have an episode where they have to give up a chance of getting their bodies back in order to save Pac. But the thing is, the writers just can't commit to it. They're the GHOST gang, so they can't ever have their bodies back lest they become functionally unrecognizable to the brand (which may play into why we never actually learn much about their lives before they died). And if they get redeemed without ever being offered their bodies, people will get mad that they aren't being rewarded for their loyalty. So they're stuck always having to tow the line, getting occasional episodes where they inch closer to their much needed developments, but never actually being able to reach them. Clyde needs to learn to stand up for what's morally right, but is never put into a position where he does so on purpose and is rewarded for it. Inky has an episode where his morals vs his selfish desires literally splits him into two beings, but this is not fully explored at all and so Inky is never actually confronted about his flakiness.

Blinky has at least three or four character flaws that could be explored but the writers just kinda stop paying attention to him at all. Pinky needs to get over herself and reach a state where not being romantically involved with pac is acceptable for her, but she only ever gets as far as reluctantly accepting cyli as being pacs platonic friend and then continuing to be passive aggressive towards her anyways.

As it went on, they became less and less involved, and more of the episodes had them just warning Pac about things he was already aware of, and many attempts to help him further being more or less unsuccessful.

It gets so, so bad in season 2. They make a Blinky centric episode where they imply he may have known Pac's missing parents before the war and yet it's never actually acknowledged. It could have been such a great development considering how much the ghost gang had begun to stagnate at that point. It also makes it clear that Blinky has clear moral boundaries that he refuses to cross, which is ALSO a really good development. But... the episode was actually just a vague Kung Fu Panda ripoff where Pac learns to use his roundness or whatever, and the episode wasn't actually supposed to be a Blinky development episode at all, and so NOTHING that happens in the episode is EVER mentioned again.

By the mid point of season 2, the ghost gang is imploding. Clyde has devolved into useless comic relief, with none of the intelligence he exhibited in the first season and his pacifistic nature treated as nothing but a gag. Blinky starts going several episodes without getting a single line, having exactly one line of dialogue in exactly three episodes and having more than one line of dialogue in another three episodes out of this 26 EPISODE SEASON. As an indirect result of Blinky's lack of dialogue, Inky is forced to juggle both his own as well as Blinky's roles, making his character inconsistent.

Pinky in particular gets it VERY bad, because, since she was the one to have dedicated episodic character arcs, she starts straight up regressing. She finds out Betrayus and co plan to psychologically torment Pac by pretending to be his missing parents and she says nothing because Pac had the audacity to be happy during the holidays which meant he MUST be seeing someone else behind her back. In the very last episode of the series, she sabotages a budding relationship between Pac and Elli and does not even admit it when Pac is severely depressed. CLYDE ends up the one revealing the scheme, and that can't even be boiled down to his own character arc about doing the right thing because HE DID IT BY ACCIDENT!!!! Inky and Blinky have no significant role in this episode because both of their last lines were in the halloween/christmas episodes respectively so all they do is kind of look on and be there.

And then the show got cancelled.

There is so much miscellaneous complaints that I could go on for ages about. The episode where they split up two for two that should have been major since they usually act as one unit but it barely gets glanced over because it was done solely to avoid having to make new models for inky and blinky in the 8bit world if they weren't even going to do anything that episode. The episode where Pac forces the ghost gang to get involved with his school life drama and never gets called out for it despite the fact that he literally threatened to eat them over something that was out of their jurisdiction. The fact that the Wizard of Oz parody episode gave it's version of Blinky a more complete arc than the show proper did.

When people think about problems related to PMATGA they usually instantly think of the fart jokes and the fact that it was cancelled before getting a proper ending but. Man I am so angry about what happened to the ghost gang they really deserved better. Like the way it was shaping up towards the end it seemed to be approaching the idea of the ghost gang never getting their bodies back at all. Which would have been sad since the early episodes leaned heavily into their redemption which just gives the whole thing just an air of tragedy to it.

Like man, the ghost gang are like four out of five of the original Pac Man characters. You'd think they'd actually focus on them.

Propaganda:

The first two episodes are actually pretty good as far as ghost gang goes so. I'd recommend that. You get to see them wearing little executioner hoods. They feel bad about having to go betray their new friends. It's fun.

[erin-bo-berin]

Your single mum universe is honestly killing me- the sweetness the cuteness omg im dyyyinnggg 💙❤️💜

If its okay with you, could you do a blurb ect of toddler and teen mom meet steves parents for the first time? Im curious of how you would write it - and it would be amazing anyway cause your writing is uh *chefs kiss*

Aw thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re enjoying them ❤️ Dad Steve just makes me weak. This man needs babies stat! He’s just got so much love to give. Also, since they haven’t been mentioned since season 3, I figure they don’t have the best of relationships, but I’ve always imagined them to be pretty cold and/or pretty mean. So I’m all for writing Steve standing up for them! 🥰 This calls for this gif cause if there’s ever any time for him to say no it’s definitely this.

“Steve, are you sure you want to do this?” you asked.

You were in the middle of unfastening your daughter’s car seat, pulling her out into your arms as Steve walked around the car to meet you.

“Yes. My parents said they wanted to meet you, so I want to show you off. But uh, don’t let anything they say bother you okay?”

You winced. You were nervous enough to meet Steve’s parents and his comment didn’t help.

“Should I be worried?”

“No. They’re just not the nicest of people,” he said, matter of factly.

Steve didn’t have a great relationship with his parents. Throughout high school, they were gone more than they were home, leaving Steve to run wild and do whatever he wanted. One of the biggest reasons for his asshole phase was because he was willing to do anything to get his parent’s attention.

Now, he hardly talked to them. Although it didn’t seem to bother them too much as they were always too busy to be actual parents before, so why start now? It was odd though that they wanted to meet you and your daughter now, although Hawkins was a small town, so maybe they’d heard that you and Steve were dating.

You followed Steve up to the door of the elegant house that he used to reside in, your baby in your arms. The huge brown doors that filled the front entrance were impressive and they alone, proved how much the Harringtons were worth.

“Biiiiig,” your daughter gasped, looking up as best as she could from your arms.

“It is,” Steve told her, “It’s also depressing when a house that’s so big is empty all the time.”

You frowned, knowing he was referring to years past and you ached for what he’d had been put through by the two people who were supposed to love and cherish him and protect him, help him to grow into himself. That’s what true parents should be like. He’d vowed often to you that he didn’t want to be anything like his dad had been to him.

You knew good and well that there was no danger of that as Steve was such a caring, patient and loving father to your child.

Steve rang the doorbell, his hands in his jean pockets, tapping his foot nervously.

The door opened to a middle aged man. Though he could’ve easily passed as ten years younger than his true age, there were graying patches of hair at his temples. Steve had the same dark hair and eyes as his dad, but his face was nowhere near as warm and loving as Steve’s, it was cold and closed off.

“Ah, Steve. Hello.”

“Hi dad.” Steve said bluntly.

He stepped aside to reveal you and the little girl in your arms.

“Dad, this is my girlfriend Y/N and—”

“Jesus, we haven’t seen you in over a year and you knocked up a girl? Didn’t I teach you enough about condoms?”

You felt your face flush and Steve’s lips thinned as he pressed them together, maybe to prevent whatever he truly wanted to say from escaping.

“No, this is Y/N’s daughter. From another relationship. She already had her when we met.”

“Oh your mother is going to love this,” his dad huffed a laugh, opening the door and stepping inside so you both could walk in, “Speaking of, she almost has dinner ready. Your mother put in a lot of time and effort to cook dinner for you and your friend tonight.”

“That would be a first,” Steve mumbled, following his dad inside, you close behind him.

He gave you an apologetic glance when his dad’s back was turned.

“You didn’t tell them about her?” you murmured to him.

“I did. But they only hear what they want half the time,” Steve answered.

“Steve, honey, it’s so good to see you.”

A well dressed—in fact very fancily dressed, put together woman came swooping into the room.

“Hello, mother.”

Steve stood, giving her half a hug as she gave him air kisses on both sides of his face. He peered at you over her shoulder, rolling his eyes.

“This must be Nancy.”

“Uh, no, mom, I dated Nancy 3 years ago when I was a senior in high school. This is Y/N.”

“Very nice to meet you dear. I hear she’s my sons?” Mrs. Harrington pointed a pointy, perfectly polished finger at your little girl.

“No ma’am,” you said.

Steve was pinching the bridge of his nose, already put out. It had hardly been five minutes and Steve was irritated. This did not seem to bode well at all.

“Y/N already had her when we met. I told dad this.”

Maybe it was the tension in the air, but your daughter started to fuss, reaching for Steve.

“Daddy.”

“I’m sorry honey, come here,” Steve said, taking her in his arms.

“She calls you daddy?”

Mr. Harrington had joined the conversation again when he heard your daughter speak.

“Yes because I’m the only father she’s ever known.”

“Oh good, our son has shacked up with a whore,” he spat.

You tensed but said nothing. You didn’t want to be impolite, even if his parents hadn’t done anything to deserve you being polite.

“Now darling,” Mrs. Harrington drawled, “Don’t get carried away. I’m sure I know what’s going on here.”

Steve’s jaw was tense and you could tell he was getting more and more upset by the moment.

“Do elaborate, mother.”

“You’re just dating him for his money, aren’t you? I mean a single mother like yourself, I’m sure it isn’t easy getting by. I can understand that our son would be an appealing partner,” Mrs. Harrington smiled.

You opened and closed your mouth like a goldfish. You had absolutely no idea how to respond to that.

“If I’m not mistaken Nancy Wheeler was hotter than her,” Mr. Harrington quipped, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

“Honey, are you really wasting your inheritance on this woman? Is she begging you for money?”

“That’s enough!” Steve thundered.

You jumped, not used to hearing Steve raise his voice in such a menacing manner. It must’ve scared your baby too as she started crying.

You took her back from Steve as he whispered an apology to his little girl before turning his stormy gaze back to his parents.

“I will not stand here and listen to you insult Y/N. You insult her, you insult me. That sweet little girl may not be mine but damnit do I wish she was. She’s the sweetest, loving, ray of sunshine I’ve ever met and I’m proud to be her father figure. I may not have fathered her but I’m as much as her father as an sperm donor is. Secondly, Y/N is not dating me for my money. In fact, she didn’t even know I had money until well into our relationship. I think I’m smarter than you think I am when it comes to my own personal decisions and relationships. Lastly, father, I know it’s hard for you to do but try not to be a dick. There is absolutely no need to compare Y/N and Nancy. They’re both equally beautiful and strong women. I can’t believe—well I can believe, knowing how you are—that you’d stand here and say such awful things. She has more class in her pinky than either of you do. Thanks for proving that some things never change, mom, dad. We’re leaving. Come on, Y/N.”

You silently followed Steve to the door, leaving his parents standing stunned in the living room.

What hurt you more than their words was that they didn’t even bother to stop their own son.

He slammed the door behind him and stormed to the car. Only after you’d strapped your somewhat settled baby girl into her career and got into the passenger seat did Steve speak again.

“I’m so sorry about that Y/N. I had no idea they’d be this nasty.”

“It’s okay. You’re not your family.”

He took your hand, squeezing it in his own, then peeked in the rearview mirror at the baby, smiling softly before speaking.

“We’re our own family.”

[vilevvords]

Test Drive — Ushijima Wakatoshi // NSFW

word count: 2.9k

content note: established relationship, car talk, driving and then sex, somehow. brief choking, vaginal sex & semi-public sex

a/n: saw a dodge, had some thoughts, et voila. also, happy birthday wakatoshi. love ya

visuals: one; two (wrong color but for front view)

mdni

Wakatoshi’s new car is a Dodge Challenger. He’s been driving a run-down Nissan god-knows-what for the longest time, never much of a car guy, but when it started rusting around the hubcaps, he knew it was time to say goodbye to the old thing.

He knows a thing or two about cars, changing both of your car’s tires by himself, checking on the oil, doing everything to prevent going to a car workshop if not absolutely necessary because although money isn’t tight for him, he prefers to not spend anything on things he can easily do himself.

And knowing this, it was even more surprising to find out just how much he had spent on his new car. You didn’t need to know cars to be able to tell it was expensive - sharp edges, polished body, sleek leather seats; a machine all muscle, sure to turn heads on the street. And while Wakatoshi never seemed like one to flaunt his possessions, he sure does cherish them.

Wakatoshi doesn’t have to, but he made it a habit to ask you first before making great purchases, partly to hear your opinion, partly because he feels like anything he owns is just as much yours as it is his. This one, however, is an exception. You knew he was going to buy a new car eventually but nothing could have prevented the way surprise painted your face when he came up to you sitting on the couch, dropping a shiny, brand-new car key into your hands followed by an “I have something to show you, baby.”

The key itself looks pricey, doing justice to the car you see standing in the car park of the apartment complex you two live in. Most of the vehicles parked there were already familiar to you, you had seen them plenty of times going and coming home from work, but even if that wasn’t the case, you didn’t need Wakatoshi to point it out. It stands out even in between your neighbor’s fancy sports cars, with a body rather angular than rounded, edges rugged compared to the flowy build and aquatic curves of most pricey cars. The burgundy is oddly reminiscent of the Shiratorizawa high school volleyball team colors and immediately overwhelmingly him.

He takes a few fast strides to get to the car door before you do, opening it and holding out his hand, signaling for you to sit in the driver’s seat. With how close the seats are to the ground, you almost fall into the red leather seat getting in, the brand-new factory smell wafting over you pleasantly and you make sure to take a few deep breaths, your eyes roaming over the sleek console.

You feel him shift beside you, moving to stand in between the opened car door and he puts one arm on the roof, leaning down slightly to see your expression.

“And? What do you say?” he asks and you find it uncharacteristic how his voice is dipped into what you think is a tinge of nervousness, almost like a little boy who forgot to get permission and is breaking the news to his parents.

For a moment, you don’t know what to say, overwhelmed by the luxury, intimidated by the power, and still not entirely done processing the surprise. You let your gaze wander over the interior once more, taking in more details this time. Your fingertips are grazing the leather center console as he leans in a bit further until he’s halfway into the car, his eyes still fixated on you because the silence has him growing restless and for a moment, he starts to already regret the decision.

It’s when you turn your head around and meet his expectant eyes that you remember you still haven’t given him an answer.

“It’s great, it suits you,” you say eventually, flashing him a smile, and you think you can see relief washing over his face as his features relax.

He explains to you how this type of car is called a muscle car - an American-made two-door sports car with a powerful engine - and it fits, you think. He starts babbling away on the details, about the sheer power of this car that manifests itself in 807 horsepower, making it the most powerful muscle car there is, and it’s clear he’s put about as much thought into this purchase as he does into everything else. And you can’t pretend you understand everything he’s saying, because it’s a lot, but you’re glad to listen nonetheless.

“Turn the motor on,” he says eventually, gesturing towards the start button. The rumble of the engine immediately creeps through your bones, even without acceleration, electrifying your veins. And it’s an exhilarating feeling, one so unlike what you felt in any other car you’ve ever been in. You look towards Wakatoshi and see him smiling at you.

“Let’s go for a ride.”

Apart from a few other cars passing by, traffic is light, and the motorway yours.

The fresh August breeze flowing in through the slightly opened passenger window hits your face, a welcome refreshment on an otherwise hot and humid day. Through the tinted windows, there are wide fields on one side, stretching out over the landscape and painting the scenery in hues of beige, the coastline on the other. The low roar of the engine mixed with the monotonous hiss of the tires rolling over smooth concrete is ambient, evoking an atmosphere that sets your mind at peace, and it is almost enough to make you want to close your eyes and have it lull you to sleep.

There’s a song playing on the radio, though anything beyond the steady rhythm of the bass is drowned out by the sounds of the car and the wind angrily swashing through the small gap of the opened car window to leave your hair tousled. It’s peaceful, relaxing your senses and at least for now, it feels like you’re able to leave all the stress of the last few weeks behind on the motorway.

You look over to Wakatoshi and feel a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth because it feels like a movie. The last few rays of the warm August sun encompass him, casting a warm halo around his silhouette, and he must notice you looking at him because the hand resting on your leg suddenly grasps you tighter, squeezing the flesh of your thigh.

And at that moment you think you will never be able to imagine Wakatoshi ever driving a different car again. Because sitting there in the driver’s seat, it looks like this car was made solely with him in mind.

You’re driving in silence for a little longer, though it feels like time passes in no time and it’s almost a shame, you think. Eventually, Wakatoshi lets the car come to a halt at a parking area of a sightseeing place you know well, though today, despite the great weather, you two are the only ones there. The view is nothing short of magnificent - vast skies stretching out over the vast expanse of the blue ocean, close to cloudless. Coming here is always nostalgic in a way, bringing back memories of past dates, stolen kisses in the setting sun, and heartfelt confessions. It is your place.

You reach to unbuckle your seatbelt but looking up again, Wakatoshi is already standing in front of the passenger door, opening it for you. He’s holding out a hand for you to take as you step out of the car, pushing the door shut behind you.

For a moment, you’re just standing there, taking in the view and basking in the last bit of sunlight for the day that soon threatens to disappear behind the horizon; because that’s all it takes. Because solitude with Wakatoshi isn’t of the suppressing kind; it’s reassuring, soothing, and altogether alleviating.

You wrap your arms around his waist, overcome with the sudden urge to be close to him and he lets you, reciprocating the affection by bringing an arm to rest around your shoulder.

He’s the first to break the silence.

“Thank you for being here with me.”

Instinctively, your hold on him tightens as you look up at him, smiling.

“Of course.”

He dips his head down to press a fleeting kiss on your forehead but the contact lingers, enough so to have you reaching up to cup his face, pulling him down to kiss him properly.

His hands fall to your waist and you can feel the warmth of his palms through the fabric of your dress. He’s using his body weight to gently, carefully guide you backward until your legs make contact with the car before closing the space left between you, his lips meeting yours once again. It’s sweet and unassuming, not necessarily meant to be an invitation to take things much further, you know, but when you feel his breath hitch as a soft sound escapes your throat, his fingers digging deeper into the flesh of your waist, you decide to test the waters.

The kiss becomes deeper, more breathless, and slowly grows into something that hints at the unmistakable, like a promise of passion.

You run your fingers through his hair, tugging on the strands and drawing a deep groan from him that you swallow. For a moment, he breaks the kiss, an action rather sudden as though he just came back to his senses, his chest heaving as he’s trying to catch his breath.

“Here?” he asks, cautiously; uncertainty deeply engrained in his features. “Now?”

You press a kiss to his jaw, another one just below and by his Adam’s apple, hoping it’s enough of an answer.

It seems to be because his hands hook under your thighs, lifting you on the wide hood of the car and you’re unsure whether it’s the cold aluminum prickling on your skin or the way Wakatoshi reaches up to tug on the straps of your dress that’s sending shivers down your spine. He pushes them off your shoulders, his fingers ghosting over your collarbones before he brings his hand to your throat, applying slight pressure. And even though your mind is clouded and the adrenaline rushing through your veins makes it difficult to think straight, you believe you can make out something unruly grazing his features. His other hand grazes the hem of your dress, teasing, before pulling down the fabric and cupping your breast, massaging the flesh.

He pushes you backward until your back makes contact with the aluminum, his free hand coming down to squeeze your hip. He’s hovering over you, his tall frame hiding the last rays of the setting sun still daring to peek over the horizon. There’s still a soft beat coming from the car’s speakers, setting the atmosphere and helping both of you to get lost in the moment.

It’s now that you take note of how worked up he really is, feeling the bulge of his erection through the layers of clothing separating you, and a gasp escapes past your lips as he presses himself a little further onto you, creating friction by gentle thrusts of his hips that feel ever so slightly restrained. And you know there’s a kind of impatience concealed within his actions, a kind of primitive urge threatening to burst through the closer he is to you, the longer he feels your fingers run through his hair, and the longer he tastes you, swallowing your sweet gasps and whines. His body curves around you, coming impossibly closer as his chest presses against yours, and yet something within his actions still appears restrained, like part of him can’t quite seem to let loose.

“’Toshi,” you manage to choke out, a breathless whimper, as he breaks the kiss, and it serves him as a reminder of how tight his pants are at that moment. He lets his head dip down onto your shoulder, his hands leaving your body to prop himself up on the hood, leaving you aching for his touch and warmth in the process.

“It’s okay, ‘Toshi. We’re alone,” you try persuading him carefully, though your hands are less restrained as you hook two fingers into his belt loop to tuck gently. “Please.”

His hips buck forward on instinct alone, chasing your touch, and it only has you growing more restless.

“Please,” you repeat, more imploring this time.

“Fuck, I don’t wanna dent it,” he breathes out, voice a deep grumble, and you think if you weren’t already lying on the hood, your legs would’ve given in.

“Bend me over the hood then.”

His brows are furrowed in thought like he’s suddenly contemplating how far he’s really willing to let his desires take him. He’s not the type to typically take sexual intimacies outside of the bedroom, not out of shame, but because he believes it to be something between only you and him, something he’s not quite willing to let anyone else in on.

And yet there’s something deeply lustful in his eyes as his hands wrap around your knees, pulling you forward and off the hood. Once your feet are planted on the ground, you’re being turned around, a hiss escaping from in between clenched teeth at the cool sensation of your chest coming into contact with the aluminum.

He hitches your dress up, leaving it bunched up at the dip of your waist, sighing as he catches sight of the darker spot where wetness seeps through your underwear. Your hips buck forward as he presses an index finger onto your clothed clit, gently circling. He hitches a finger under the fabric, pulling it aside at another whimper of his name, slipping a finger inside, soon another. His unoccupied hand massages the flesh of your hips as he pulls soft moans and pleads for more from your lips, patient despite the building pressure sitting deep in his abdomen.

Once he deems you ready to take him, he pulls away briefly, reaching to unbuckle his belt. He sighs as he frees his cock from the restriction of his pants, stroking himself, and his eyes fall shut briefly, needing to steady himself. One hand finds its place back on your waist while the other positions himself. A groan escapes his throat as the tip pushes inside and he takes his time bottoming out, although it’s less for him and more for you to be able to adjust to the stretch.

Wakatoshi leans forward, bracing an arm on the hood to further press his weight into you and you wrap a hand around his biceps, both in an attempt to be even closer to him and to brace yourself.

He starts slowly rocking into you, setting a pace that is deliberate and testing. It takes some time for him to grow bolder, for his careful thrusts to grow less restrained, faster and harder. You can feel the car moving slightly with every move of his hips against yours, the sound of skin against skin mixing in with the bass of the radio.

You’re trying your best to match his pace, attempting to meet his thrusts, but it’s too overwhelming, too overpowering that you find your muscles staggering, unable to keep up. Your nails dig into the muscle of his bicep, so hard it must sting, but he lets you. Because Wakatoshi lets you do whatever you want to him because he knows that ultimately the strain on your body is bigger. So he will take it, endure the sting, for you, and because he can.

Your vision starts to blur and your whimpers and soft moans mix with chants of his name falling from your tongue as you grow louder, but Wakatoshi shushes you, caressing the skin of your waist where he previously dug his fingers into.

He reaches to pull your upper body up from the hood as he feels your orgasm approaching, two fingers circling your clit to help push you over the edge. And he helps prolong your orgasm as you begin writhing in his hold, pleasure finally washing over you, and he presses sweet kisses to the nape of your neck until he feels your body loosen. Gently, he lays you back down on the hood, a few more strokes all it takes for his groans to stagger, for his own release to near. You purposefully tighten around him and feel his rhythm falter, a rare moan pushing itself past his lips as he cums, his cock throbbing inside of you with every wave of his climax.

His hands fall back on the hood as he halts to catch his breath. Fingers push back the strands of slightly damp hair that had fallen onto his forehead as he straightens himself up, pulling his softening cock out of you.

He helps you get back up, making sure you’re standing secure on the ground before he makes you turn around, cupping your face in both of his hands and catching your lips in another kiss. His lips move slowly, sensually, tasting like gratitude and a promise for more, for unrelenting loyalty, for love.

[pixelmensupremacy]

Hello and My Lord–

I've just read these headcanons about Resident Evil and the last two about Y/n being a childhood friends with Chris Redfield and the one with wholesome and such fluffy writing about Leon and Chris with Y/n who helps them go through stuff is just– *melts and dies*

I know that I just got here but I already love you and your content wholeheartedly💗💗💗

Also, If you don't mind. Can I ask something with the same Platonic Y/n with Leon and Chris but Y/n constantly gets hurt and simply doesn't notices it but when if it's really bad one - Y/n patches themselves up by their own.

I really love them both , but I need them being sort of protective or somethin.

Love your content and all sorts of writings!💕💕💕💕💕💕

A/N: Thank you, Nonny! That literally melts my heart. I'm sorry this is not the best I coud do, but Ididn't want to make you wait longer!

Warnings: Injuries, the boys caring for reader

To describe best how Chris is around you, whenever you get hurt or are in pain, would be one word

Chris Redfield

Protective

After everything he's been through, Chris couldn't bring himself to loose another close person

He would be alert to not let anything bad happen to his loved ones, including the minor things most would consider unimportant

Even if it's a minor injury he would always rush to your side at the sound of you wincing

He would make it his responsibility to patch up your wounds and won't even let you get on about how you can do it yourself

One time he went as far as picking you u bridal style only to put a bandage on the tiny cut you got on your finger as you were preparing dinner

"You should have left this to me." His tone was as serious as ever, his eyes keen on your finger as he wrapped it in a bandage.

"Chris I was just chopping onions." You rolled your eyes, yet deep down their heart melted at how soft and caring their boyfriend tended to be.

"I just can't stand seeing you hurt."

If by any chance you two met on the force he will be twice as protective

He is alert all the time and has your back no matter what

He would go as far as abort the mission if it meant you will be safe

Despite his effort, you still end up getting injuries

Quite a lot of them actually

Especially ones that are easily avoidable

Even though he knows it's part of the job to get a few scratches and bruises here and there, but it still deeply pains him to see you suffer

Yet it angers him when he knew he could have done something to prevent you from getting hurt

He would get disappointed with himself, but he will never say even though his body language says it all

At times he would scold you akin to a loving parent

Patching yourself up is out of the question in both domestic and working settings

Chris is prepared for any scenario, carrying disinfectant and bandages

Leon would definitely be calmer when you get an injury

Leon Scott Kennedy

Well, he'll still lose his shit, but he won't show it

He will play it off cool

He will observe as you take care of your injuries only to offer his help in a flirtatious way

"Need a hand?" He asked, his eyebrow quirked up as he carefully observed your every move.

"I'm doing great, thanks."

If you accept his offer you will see an immediate shift in his demeanor

His smug expression would be switched to a serious exterior that hid the worry that gradually grew within him

Much like Chris, Leon has gone through thick and thin

He naively believes he could protect the people he holds dear

Especially when he is younger

With the years he grow more possessive over his loved ones

Though he would still be very smug about it

When he notices you often get bruises and cuts he will take it upon himself to prevent them

If you always hit your pinkie or hips on the sharp edges of the furniture he would buy you corner protectors so you won't get bruises

When you two get assigned to the same mission, he would always save you from getting injured at the very last second

"A thank you would be appreciated." His voice echoed in your ears as your heart thumbed against your ribcage- you were seconds away from getting your fingers chopped off.

"Yeah, thanks."

Later that day he would check if you got seriously hurt

Just like Chris he will carry around the basic first aid tools

My boi pulled out a whole damn bottle of rubbing alcohol from his ass in re2re don't test him

[baeklination]

Lacking Ver. 1

Date: 230312

Warnings: SMUT🔞, general fucking, anal, degradation-ish (giving, no harsh language or name-calling), gen. expl.lang.

Pairing: Baekhyun x F. Reader

NOTE: I don't know why in the world this Baek popped up first when it was finally time to get back, but he did. It was more difficult than I had first anticipated, even saying/writing what would prolly be considered mild for you who take part with gusto. But since my Baek isn't a full sub I think it kinda fits. Rest assured, this is not a "new style", I'm gonna write in my more common one next time.

WC: 1,2k

Masterlist

¤¤

"He in?"

Ji-Hoon offers a faint nod to let you know what you, of course, already know. Completely closing the blinds to his office to prevent his subordinates from seeing him means he's in a foul mood - and Baekhyun being in a foul mood can only mean one thing. 

The latch slides into place with a smooth, metallic click when you close the door behind. 

"What happened..?"

"I think you know." 

Twirling a paper clip between his fingers he looks out the window, sighs, then rests his head in his chair. For a second he's about to say something, but instead flicks the clip away, having it land on the carpeted floor and swivels the chair away from you.

You know it too, if only as a fading memory; letting an account you thought was a done deal slip through your hands without noticing the point at which it happens.

"Sook already told you Mimora likes to fuck around, you know he wasn't expecting anything from it."

"From me, you mean."

"It. It would've been half a miracle if they signed, you know that. Everyone knows that. "

"Your subtle way of saying I told you so…"

"Well, I strongly advised against it, remember?"

"Mm… You told me so." 

"B… Don't get hung up on this. You've got a great portfolio."

"Says the woman with the best portfolio…"

Moving from his desk to the couch - an automatic ask for you to sit next to him - he sullenly shakes his head, but he puts more energy into his kiss when you join him; the slip of his wet mouth makes his lips seem all the more plush.

"I wasn't good enough…", he whispers, looking for a certain reaction he sometimes needs when he thinks he's failed. Brushing his thumb on your cheek, he lets it naturally caress your back as you lean forward to take off your shoes. Waiting. 

Sliding your hand over the hardening part between his legs then pressing, you put your mouth to his ear:

"You didn't impress them. "

Baekhyun exhales shakily, bucking into your palm:

"I bet I couldn't impress you either…"

Tugging at the lobe of his ear you flick open the button to his trousers and pull the zipper down. Just as you're about to put your hand down, he gently takes your wrist.

"No… You won't like it. Think I'm too small."

"Don't be ridiculous." With your hand between his pants and boxers you stroke him up and down. He's full in your hand, but you pretend the opposite, offering a look of awkward disappointment while Baekhyun's bottom lip quivers in anticipation of belittlement - and the chance to make good. "Oh… Maybe-"

"No, keep working it", he pleads, keeping your hand in place when you start to move away. "I can make you feel good. Let me try."

Somewhat trembling with adrenaline he undoes the bow on your wrap dress and slides his hands onto the skin of your waist, wetting your lips with his, trying to contain his breathing.

"Let me show you", he whispers, nodding as if to reassure himself.

Acting as if seeing his cock - upright and raring to go - is nothing to you, is a lie in every way, but you manage. 

"Honey… Okay, just…" Knitting your brows, you turn and stand on all fours. "Do it from behind."

Baekhyun plays overly eager to a T, kicking off his trousers, pulling your underwear no farther than mid-thigh before putting his cock to your hole. Pressing, easily pushing himself past your wet entrance, finding a grip on your hips, sliding out, then pressing further in. 

Your mouth opens, you bite your lip - censoring sounds of pleasure is made all the harder by his  painfully slow bucking where he lets himself feel every part of your tight hug, from head to shaft, moaning airily.

"Are you in all the way?"

"Ah….. Yeah, all the way…" Baekhyun's hips slowly push back-and-forth against your cheeks. 

"Oh…"

Snapping his hips, groaning, he asks if it's better without really wanting you to say it is.

"Do you want to try on top?"

"On top? Okay, I can do that", he says like a good boy and lets you turn.

"Maybe you should pump, get a little harder?", you suggest, looking down.

"You could do it for me?"

"No."

Baekhyun's chest tightens from your cut-down, his eyelids flutter when he firmly closes his fist around the shaft. This is reality meets play because you delight in feeling his knuckles brushing against your stomach when he leans over, steadily pumping, getting even more ready.

"Ahh… It's gonna be good for you…", he whispers eagerly, wetly, while aligning himself. 

When he lets his cock slide in again you try acting blasé, closing your fist behind his head when really you want to grab his ass, lift your pelvis to meet his thrusts, get stuck in the messiest kiss… How many times can a person think "fuck me"?

It's not just you who keeps a careful balance. Here, holding you by the nape of your neck, vigorously pounding, Baekhyun lets slip an almost inaudible, true "oh, shit" with the rest of his labored breath hitting the couch beneath you.

"I wanna come in you."

"I don't think you're strong enough, baby."

"Uh…no, I can…"

"Hm? You gonna come in me like a man-"

"Yes."

"-spray me full with your small cock-"

"A-hh, yes…"

Straining from exertion and excitement, Baekhyun's words ride roughly on the waves of his exhales:

"Do you like it?...Ah-hh, do you like it..?"

Burying his length deep, slamming his broad hips against yours; yes, you fucking love it, so you pet him over his damp hair, lavishing him with encouraging words.

"You're doing good, baby. Try to come now-"

"Ohh."

"That's it, right there. Keep going, baby, show me a good man…"

His hand is to slippery to keep your hair in his fingers when he tries for a better grip.

"I'm coming…….ugh" Saliva lands on your ear, his sweaty groin rubs, presses, in a perverted frenzy. "Ugh…….chh………uh, now….ahh, ahh, a-hh!"

There's no hiding what's going on inside Baekhyun's office once he lets go of his persona and freely rides his ecstasy, wailing with his sweet, exhausted voice as he finally releases his cum into you.

Huffing, with his heart beating hard against your chest he half jokingly asks:

"What do you want in return?"

"Hm… Anal..?"

Baekhyun's stomach pushes against yours when he chuckles.

"I can't imagine squeezing myself in…", he muses, gently kissing you on the mouth. "I'd die."

"No, you won't."

With a jerk he looks at you.

"You mean it?"

"Mm, I mean it."

With half a smile he pulls out and starts pressing against your other hole. The way Baekhyun reacts to overstimulation is a stimulation in and of itself; knitting his brows, letting his mouth hang open while he stops breathing. The head of his cock, smeared with his own cum, goes in smoothly and he breathes again, kisses you again.

"Shit…" Moving his pelvis one millimeter at a  time, choking, relaxing with a chuckle, is how he eventually gets all the way in. "Ah, shit…"

And then he's not interested in talking. Amidst generous, humming kisses he bends your leg to your side and starts rolling like a pendulum. 

•

[chackyxyooj]

You Grew Up Too Quickly

No Manga Spoilers Present! - Modern AU

WC ~ 12,000

"We were all young once. There's no shame in that."

There are times in our lives where we feel like we have done more for others than others have done for us. When we, as individuals, take on a burden that shouldn't be ours to begin with, or when we are forced into situations where the outcome is weighted unfairly against us, a seed of indignation is planted within. When left unchecked, that seed will undoubtedly grow into the monster known as resentment.

But why is resentment such a difficult emotion to handle?

If we know exactly how it starts, doesn't that mean we can easily prevent it from happening?

Is it, after all, such an unavoidable future? If we are all so familiar with the persistent ache of resentment, why aren't we better equipped to deal with it?

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

In all the years you've lived, you've never considered yourself a fan of surprises. There is an exception to every rule, but one good experience didn't mean you had to like surprises. Similarly, having one bad surprise didn't mean that someone was obligated to say they hated surprises. For you though, you've had a few too many unpleasant surprises in your life - enough that you could say with confidence that you didn't like them.

In that same vein of logic, you considered yourself someone who very much preferred to be prepared. The stormy season was quickly approaching and you'd be a fool not to prepare yourself for it.

Although the first of the early-summer storms hadn't taken you by surprise, certain circumstances had arisen and left you a bit overwhelmed. Today was a particularly humid day. You've lived enough life to know that this kind of weather warranted one thing: an oncoming storm. So despite your desire to stay home you dragged yourself out to a shop.

Between avoiding puddles and protecting yourself from ravenous bugs, you suddenly found yourself face to face with something you actively disliked.

A surprise.

The surprise you currently found yourself facing wasn't something that someone could easily prepare themselves for. Perhaps it was silly of you to think that a situation like this needed to be prepared for, but that didn't mean you couldn't get swept up in the flow of it all.

You blinked slowly, staring at the young boy standing in front of you.There was no way he was older than four or five, so where were his parents? You took a moment to glance at the aisles around you but were met with disappointing prospects. Maybe you'd be better off bringing him to the front of the store? The employees here could keep a better eye out for his parents than you probably could anyway. But maybe if you waited just a moment longer you'd-

"Did you hear me, miss?" The young boy in front of you stared up at you, grinning.

You shook your head slightly as you snapped back to what was happening in front of you. "Sorry, could you repeat that for me?"

"Of course!" The young boy's grin grew wider. "Can you be my girlfriend?"

There it is again - that unpleasant feeling of surprise. Even so, you couldn't bring yourself to dislike the young boy.

You kneeled down to meet the gaze of the boy. "Shouldn't you be asking that to someone who's closer to you in age?"

The boy shook his head. "But I want you to be my girlfriend, miss!"

"You shouldn't be asking girls to be your girlfriend if you don't even know their name..." The words slipped out a little too quickly, but the young boy took it in great stride.

"You're right! Can I have the honor... the joy...no..." The boy scrunched his eyes shut as he suddenly fell deep into thought. You thought it was cute but didn't say it out loud. When the boy opened his eyes again, he gave you a desperate look. "What am I supposed to say again?"

"The pleasure?"

"Oh, yeah!" The boy's look suddenly disappeared as he returned to his previous smile. "Can I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance, Miss?"

"(L/n) (Y/n)."

"Okay (Y/n)-san, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Um... well, I can't be your girlfriend if I don't know your name... so I guess that means I can't be your girlfriend." You stood up once more, your eyes darting around again only to be met with what you'd gotten before: nothing. At this point, you decided you weren't going to get anywhere without the help of an employee. A bit hesitant, you turned your attention back to the boy.

"So if you know my name, you might be my girlfriend?" There was a certain look in his eyes. It was a look of innocence, naivety and hope. "Hmmm... but I'm not supposed to tell anybody my name..."

So the issue with him asking you to be his girlfriend wasn't because you were a stranger, but because you told him you had to know his name before you became his girlfriend? What kind of strange logic was that? Actually, you could probably answer that question yourself - it's childish logic, of course. So technically speaking it wasn't logical at all and- wait, what were you even going on about?

You let out a short sigh. Perhaps you've been entertaining him for too long.

"I don't think I'll get in trouble if I tell you my name because you're pretty." The young boy looked at you with a cheeky grin. You had to hand it to him, he was pretty crafty but his logic was seriously lacking. "My name is Uzui Ten-"

"There you are!" A new, third voice called around the corner. Relief floods your senses when this new, third person enters the fray.

Within a moment's notice, the newcomer had run up to the young boy and grabbed his hand.

As you turned your gaze to investigate the newcomer, you let out a quiet sigh. "Oh, good, you must be this young boy's... father...?" The relief you once felt suddenly turned to surprise when the newcomer was but a teenager who looked to be barely older than yourself.

"Do I look old enough to be his dad?" The newcomer quipped.

You shook your head profusely, standing up to meet the newcomer's gaze. "Oh- no! I didn't mean it like that! It's just that with your reaction and the age of the boy I just assumed that you were his dad but now actually looking at the two of you it's pretty obvious that you're probably brothers! Please accept my sincerest apologies."

Although a look of displeasure had been etched onto his face, the newcomer suddenly smiled at you. If that wasn't enough to throw you for a loop, his sudden change in attitude was definitely enough to make you reel back in surprise.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled a rather charming smile. "The name's Uzui Tengen. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Your eyes darted down to the young boy once again. "So... you're both named... Tengen?"

Shock momentarily filled the newcomer's expression, but it was quickly wiped away with a slight smile. "Ah, yeah... our parents wanted both of us to... be named after our dad! Yes, that's it. He's a serious narcissist and wanted two of his kids to share his name."

"Oh..." You had your gripes with the story, but it wasn't like this newcomer and the young boy were unacquainted. You decided that as long as the young boy was someone he knew, he was in good hands. "Well, I suppose that's none of my business in the first place. Now that the two of you have found each other, I hope you'll understand that I'll be taking my leave."

The older boy nods in understanding but the young one isn't as keen to see you go. You can hear him whining to his brother as you walk away, which amuses you, but you have shopping to tend to.

Things go smoothly for the most part, but you quickly come to realise just how small this seemingly large store is. It feels like you're running into the two boys at every turn. Each time you run into them is a bit more awkward than the last. The young boy is always sending you childish grins and you'd be remiss if you didn't at least smile back.

Even when you finish shopping, you find that the two boys are lined up behind you.

Once is by chance, twice is a coincidence, but more than three times? This felt ridiculous. Things like this don't usually bother you, but you have to draw a line somewhere right?

As the cashier is ringing up your items, you turn to face the older of the two boys. With a slightly joking tone, you address him. "I just can't seem to get rid of you two. Are you following me or something?" Though your question comes out playfully, it's much more sincere than an onlooker might suspect.

The older boy flashes you a playful smile. "Must be a coincidence."

"Twice is a coincidence. Three times though... not quite."

The older boy gives a short laugh that makes you just a little embarrassed. You think it's befitting for someone of his stature though. "Is that so? That's no good. Why don't you let me do something nice for you in apology."

"But... why?" You raise a brow in a mix of confusion and intrigue. It wasn't your intention, but your reaction causes the older boy to give a short laugh.

"You did help me out by finding this little rascal over here." The older boy says, ruffling the hair of his younger brother who swats at his hand. It's a fairly funny sight to see, but your attention is immediately redirected back to the older boy when he adds to his previous statement by saying "Plus, you're pretty cute."

You can feel heat begin to rush to your cheeks but the attention of the situation quickly shifts away from you and to the young boy.

"Not fair!" The young boy pouts. "I asked her to be my girlfriend first!"

"You did what now?"

The young boy turns to you with a childish grin. "I asked her to be my girlfriend!"

"You shouldn't be saying that kind of stuff to girls... espically at your age!" The older boy scolds his brother before turning to you with a bit of embarrassment. "I can see that I, well, my brother has caused you more trouble than I thought he did. Please, let me pay for your groceries as an apology."

Now it's your turn to be surprised. The things you bought weren't what you would call expensive, sure, but it wasn't cheap either. You were able to afford it because both your parents had overseas jobs, but him? He said himself that he wasn't much older than yourself and yet he was trying to pay for your groceries as an apology? "No, it's fine. You don't have to do that."

The older boy shakes his head. "I insist."

Despite adamantly declining his offer, the older boy pushes past you and pays for your goods anyway. He acted much faster than you thought he would. Even when you tried to protest, there was no way that you could push past him. When all was said and done, you were left staring at the boy in utter shock.

"Why did you...?" You can't even manage to finish your initial thought. "Let me pay you back immediately!"

The older boy just laughs. "Nah, don't sweat it. I was the one who insisted, remember?"

"Yes, but I declined so-"

"Don't worry about it."

"But I still-!" You bite back a response when the cashier motions for the older boy to pay for his own set of groceries. You have half a mind to try and pay for his things but there's no way you're making it to the till before he does.

As you mentally curse the older boy for being so nonchalant, you notice that the young boy is trying his best to pick your items off of the counter for you.

You gently lean over the young boy and pick your things up from the counter. Though the young boy pouts in response, you can't help but let out an amused sigh at the sight. "You two brothers are definitely cut from the same cloth."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

While you'd planned to go straight home after shopping, you now found yourself sitting at the park instead. You weren't really sure how you ended up here. Okay, that wasn't exactly true. You knew exactly how you ended up here but you weren't exactly sure why you were still here.

You let out a soft sigh to yourself, your eyes trailing over the bag groceries at your side. You'd never had a stranger pay for your stuff before. While it was a nice gesture, you couldn't shake the feeling of guilt away. Life was kind enough that you didn't have to worry about your finances so you would have preferred to pay for yourself. You tried to tell that to the older of the Uzui brothers multiple times, but nothing worked. He'd just laugh it off or play it down with a compliment.

During that conversation, you and the older boy had instinctively followed the younger boy all the way to a nearby park. At this point in time you've given up on trying to reimburse the boys. It's not like you didn't believe in good karma, but this felt like it was bordering on too much.

You pressed your palm against your forehead and sighed once more.

"(Y/n)-san..." When the young boy calls your name, you find yourself being brought back to reality. He's looking up at you with such a childish grin again. You'd be lying if you said you didn't expect the young boy to try something a bit cheeky, but you couldn't find it in yourself to not return his smile.

"Yes, Tengen-kun?" You can tell that the young boy's smile grows ever so slightly when you use his first name.

"Do you want to play a game with me?"

"That depends on what game you want to play."

Tengen shifts in his spot slightly as he clasps his hands behind his back. "I won't tell you unless you agree to play first."

"Is that so?" You tilt your head slightly as your curiosity gets the better of you. "I suppose I have no choice then. Alright, I'll play."

Tengen's eyes light up when you agree to humour his request. He eagerly grabs your hand and pulls you over to where his older brother is sitting. Though he was browsing something on his phone, he puts it down when he sees you approaching.

He sports a playful smile that's similar in nature to his younger brother's smile, but you do catch the slight confusion that clouds his eyes. "What's the rush?" He asks. His eyes are focused on you but shift toward his brother when he asks the question.

"(Y/n)-san said she'll play family with me! Do you wanna be the son?"

The older Uzui's eyes widen in shock, yours likely doing the same. You weren't against the idea of playing family, but you also felt like this wasn't a very good idea either. Even so, the excitement on Tengen's face and the pure shock on Uzui's face amused you.

When the older Uzui finally collected his thoughts together, he pulled his brother closer to himself with a stern look.

"First of all, you should address people who are older than you more respectfully. It's rude to call people by their first name if they're not family. And second of all, you shouldn't make (L/n)-san play childish games like family."

"But (Y/n)-san said she'd be my wife, so technically she is family!"

"That's not-" Uzui gives a brief sigh before turning his gaze to you with an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry about him. I don't know where he gets off thinking he can do stuff like this. It's so different from how I was as a child."

You shake your head quickly. "No, it's alright. He's not lying or anything since I agreed to play. Plus, it's not like children at his age do things like this maliciously."

Uzui shoots his younger brother a stern look but lets him pull away. The moment Tengen is free from his brother's grasp he basically clings to you. It's a little bit awkward but it surprisingly doesn't bother you too much. It feels much less like Tengen is clinging to you and more like he's making fun of his brother.

Tengen pokes the side of your leg to draw your attention to him. "You'll be my wife, right (Y/n)-san?"

"In the game?" You clarify.

The young boy nods his head with a cheeky grin. "Yup! In the game!"

You hum to yourself for a moment, closing your eyes as you debate your options. There's a part of you that wants to go back home, but there's also a part of you that finds this whole ordeal rather amusing. These two boys don't seem like bad people, and they certainly act like brothers. If only to get back at the Uzui for paying for your groceries, you decided that playing along wouldn't hurt.

"Sure. You can be the husband and I'll be the wife." You respond as you open your eyes. When Tengen turns to his older brother after hearing your response, the grin on his face could only be described as satisfied - almost like he'd gotten the last cookie in the cookie jar.

"So I'll be the husband, (Y/n)-san is the wife..." Tengen turns to his older brother, his look of satisfaction turning triumphant. "And you can be our son."

"Hold on a minute, shouldn't I be the husband and you be the son?" The older boy says.

"Of course not. (Y/n)-san said she'd be my wife so that means that you have to be the son."

"That doesn't make any sense. I'm literally older than you."

"Too bad."

The older boy shoots you a look of confusion, hoping that you'll shift to his side in the debate. Instead, he's met with your laughter. It seems that between the young boy's childish logic and your desire for retribution in whatever way possible, you can't stop yourself from letting out a short laugh at how things seemed to be unfolding.

The sound of your laughter makes Uzui's expression soften. It's a stark contrast to the playful smiles he's been giving up until now. You think it makes the older boy look rather attractive.

"Fine, why don't we let (L/n)-san be the tie breaker?" All of a sudden, the older boy's gaze has shifted from his younger brother to you.

You can feel a light blush beginning to form so turn away from Uzui.

"Well then... Since I'm the one who gets to decide, I'll offer you a deal, Uzui-san." You turn your gaze toward your bag of groceries that are still waiting for you on the bench just over from this one. "I'll take your side if you let me reimburse you. If not, well..." You give a short laugh as you turn your gaze back to the older boy. "I guess you'll just have to play the son."

You can tell by the way he brings his hand up to his face to help hide his expression that you've taken him by surprise. Perhaps he wasn't expecting you to be so stubborn about such a matter, let alone to use it against him at such a strange opportunity. Or perhaps you were just waiting for the best moment to bring about your true intentions all along.

Just as it seems like the older boy will give his answer, you quickly interject with a playful grin. "I'm only joking. Why don't we play a game that will make better use of the playground instead of just playing family?"

"Really?"

Both boys ask in near unison. You can't help but become amused once more. For two brothers who are so vastly different in age, you can't help but notice the similarities they share. Perhaps it all goes to show how similar two people can be no matter their age.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It's been a few days since your encounter with the Uzuis. Between the bickering and teasing between the brothers, you had to say that you enjoyed spending time with them. You likely wouldn't be running into them again, but with all things considered it was time well spent. Now that you've gotten over your initial surprise, you find yourself falling back into the rhythm of your life.

School. Volunteer work. Home.

It was a simple and straightforward way to live, but you enjoyed the normality of it all. Today was your day off from your volunteer work so you'd be going straight home. It was a good thing too since it was supposed to be a rainy evening.

When lunch time rolls around, you decide to visit the school shop to buy something. There are more people lined up than you initially expected, but the length of the line doesn't bother you.

You pass the time waiting like most other people probably do - on your phone. You're not looking for anything in particular, but a voice from a passing clip catches your attention. It's familiar for no apparent reason. When you scroll back to it, you realise that it's not an influencer you usually see being recommended to you.

'Sounds_2EZ'

Upon inspection, you come to find that the channel is hosted by a gaming oriented influencer who competes in esports tournaments. It seems like their main brand is to play FPS games, but they have a recurring theme of rhythm games. It doesn't strike you as odd since gaming has become a viable way to make a living, but you still can't shake that sense of familiarity.

As you go to search the influencer up on the internet, someone lightly tugs at the bottom of your uniform. You can feel your heart dropping at the action, only complimented by a deep feeling of dread filling your chest. The last thing you needed was to deal with a pervert.

Your eyes quickly shoot up from your phone only to fall back down to the perpetrator.

You're met with none other than a certain young boy and his excitable grin. "Hi (Y/n)-san! I found you!"

While you're glad it wasn't some random schoolmate of yours who was trying to get your attention, much less a pervert, the worried feeling in your chest doesn't immediately subside. "Tengen-kun? What are you doing here?" You ask, bringing yourself down to match the young boy's level.

Tengen puts his hands on his hips with what you can only describe as a proud grin. "I snuck out of daycare to come here! I didn't know you went to the same school as-" The young boy goes quiet for a moment, his eyes darting from side to side. You unconsciously mimic the young boy's actions and come to realise that a handful of people have redirected their gaze to you and the young boy.

"So your brother goes here too, huh?" The young boy nods silently in response to your question. "And you're here because you're trying to find him here?"

The young boy nods once again. "I wanted to go to school with him, but he said no. But I really, really wanted to, so I came anyway!" Tengen's expression is hardly one of guilt. It makes you think that the two brothers are rather close if Tengen is willing to sneak out of school just to find his older brother. Still, you're surprised he was able to get away at all.

A light murmuring has begun to sprout in the general area around you. There's no doubt that it's in relation to you and the young boy. It probably wouldn't look very good for you if you were to just ignore the young boy at this point in time. Even if you were hungry, it was better that you dealt with this situation before anything else.

Giving a short sigh, you offer your hand to the young boy with a smile. "Come on, Tengen-kun."

The young boy takes your hand graciously as you lead him down to the teacher's office. You notice a few odd looks being thrown your way but Tengen seems unbothered. Every time you look down at him to gauge his reaction you're always met with a childish grin.

When you get to the teacher's offices, you explain the situation to them. Though you were going to leave Tengen in their care, the young boy clung to your hand. Despite reassuring him that he was in good hands, there was a certain sadness in his usual expression that you couldn't overlook. It reminded you of someone from your past, but you couldn't quite place your finger on their name.

While sitting with the young boy, you learned many things about him. You learned that he has a fondness for video games and that he especially enjoyed going to the arcade. You assumed that many children his age liked similar things.

After a while of idle chit chat, a familiar white haired male was making his way through the corridor to where you and Tengen were sitting.

You greeted Uzui with a warm smile which he reciprocated, but you managed to catch the slightly irritated look on his face he had when he initially turned the corner. You got the feeling that the older Uzui brother wasn't very happy to see his younger brother at his school, especially after he said not to come. Still, here the three of you were.

"You're here too (L/n)-san?" The older boy inquires as he approaches.

"You mean at this school, or with your brother?" You can't help but ask with a playful lit. In part it was to lighten the tension, but a part of you wanted to do it just because. In the end, it seems to do the trick.

The older boy relaxes slightly as he lets out a short sigh. "Both I guess." The older Uzui takes another breath before meeting your gaze directly. "I- uh, apologise for the trouble I've caused for you. Twice now, as a matter of fact."

You shake your head. "It's not a big issue, Uzui-san. Now, if this becomes a regular occurrence then I'd say that we have a problem." You give a short laugh and Uzui shares it with you.

"Yeah, I guess so." There's a stiffness in Uzui's voice as he speaks. His eyes flicker between you and his younger brother. "Still, I just don't understand why he's acting so brashly like this. I was never as thoughtless when I was a child."

At this, the young boy pouts and clings to your arm. "Tell him he's being mean, (Y/n)-san!"

Your gaze shifts momentarily to the young boy. He's looking up at you with that childish smile of his - as if he knows you'll take his side. Although you'd like to downplay the situation to avoid creating tension somewhere you have no place being, you decide against it. "Your brother has a point, Tengen-kun. You shouldn't be wandering around places by yourself at such a young age."

The young boy's smile shifts to a small pout. "Why not?"

"Because you're a kid." The older boy snaps. "That's why."His tone is pretty stern, though it's not like you don't understand why. No matter how peaceful your town may be, walking out and about at such a young age wasn't a good idea. But as the young boy pulls himself a bit closer to your arm, you can't help but feel like this might be a bit too much.

"Don't you think you're being a bit too harsh, Uzui-san?"

The older boy shrugs at your question. "It's fine. He can take it."

"Even so, your tone is too harsh." You gently place your hand on top of the young boy's head and smooth back his white hair. "His thoughts and feelings are valid, too."

The young boy's body relaxes beneath your hand as you brush your fingers through his hair. He's leaning his forehead against your upper arm as he hides his expression from both you and the older boy. It's such a simple action, but it's one that amuses you. It seems that children are much clingier than you recalled.

When you turn back to the older boy, there's a slight hitch in his expression. You only caught it because you looked over at him without much warning, but once the older boy realises that you're looking at him his expression changes immediately. This time you're certain that he's trying to hide it from you.

"Are you alright?" You're a bit surprised by the fact that you've asked Uzui that question, but you're more surprised by his reaction. He just laughs it off and gives you a pleasant smile.

"Yeah, of course. I'm always good to go."

The words you want to say get caught in your throat. You don't feel like you're really in a position to question the boy; especially since you don't know Uzui enough to want to pry any deeper. It's not any of your business, so you don't want to overstep your bounds. So instead you nod your head and give a slight hum in acknowledgement. "Alright. If you say so."

As you drop your question, the older boy smiles and abruptly takes a seat beside you. You very nearly ask Uzui what he's doing but he cuts you off before you can. "You're really cute. Did you know that, (L/n)-san?"

"What?" Blindsided by the boy's compliment, you avert your gaze from the older boy. "I don't think that has anything to do with what's happening, Uzui-san, but thank you?" Even without turning around, you can tell that your response has amused the older boy. He lets out a short laugh and lightly bumps his shoulder against yours.

"I'm serious, you know... You really are cute." You can feel Uzui leaning forward in his seat. He lingers there for a moment before sitting up straight again. "Do you have any club activities today?"

You shake your head. "No, none in particular."

"Nice." Just as you feel that the moment is beginning to linger, the older boy stands up and ruffles his younger brother's hair. "Alright then, it's time to say goodbye to (L/n)-san."

The younger boy looks to have been caught in a daze by his older brother. There's a bit of resistance on Tengen's part but he eventually stands up and goes along with his older brother. As the two boys take their leave, you find that the feeling of Uzui's compliment is lingering in your chest. It's a bit weird though. You can't really tell if you enjoy how it feels or not.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

As the end of the school day approaches you find yourself more and more eager to get home. Today has been quite a long one, and the most comforting thought for you right now is to get home and lay in bed.

As you help a few of your classmates put chairs on top of the desks, a knock on the classroom door catches everyone's attention. A few excited whispers circulate around the room, prompting you to look up from what you're doing. When you finally look up, your eyes quickly meet with a familiar pair.

"(L/n)-san! I finally found you." The older boy quickly steps into the room and strides up to you. You feel a bit self conscious as several pairs of eyes flick over to where you're standing but Uzui seems oblivious to it all. "Let's get going."

"Let's get going...?" You look at the older boy, confused by what he means.

"For dinner. My treat."

"What? When did we agree to that?"

"Clocks-a-ticking." He gives a short laugh as though you've been joking this entire time. The older boy motions toward the door with the playful grin you've gotten used to seeing. When you don't follow after him, he turns to meet your gaze curiously. "You're not being held up with surprise club activities, are you?"

You briefly shake your head. "No, but-"

"Then let's go." Before you can protest, the older boy grabs your hand and practically drags you out of the classroom.

It feels like eyes are attracted to Uzui wherever he goes. As he leads you from the school and through the streets, his charisma pulls in glances from all around. You can't help but feel conscious of all the attention that falls from Uzui and onto you. It's a bit uncomfortable to be honest, but you can't seem to pull your hand away from the boy. Physically you could of course, he's not holding you with an iron grip, but you suppose it would feel... rude?

You attempt to interrogate the older boy with a few questions, but Uzui doesn't stop until the two of you are standing outside of a daycare center. Unlike the older boy, you're completely out of breath. It takes you a minute or two before you can form coherent sentences.

"Shouldn't you... I mean, could you please tell me... why you've dragged me all the way out here on my day off, Uzui-san?"

"Didn't I tell you already?" The older boy gives a short laugh, clearly amused by something or other. When your expression shows no signs of changing, he meets your gaze head on. "I'm taking you to dinner to express my thanks for your help."

"You mean with your brother? Something like that is common courtesy. There's no need for you to feel indebted to me."

The older boy shakes his head adamantly. "Even if you feel that way, I still want to do something to show how thankful I am to you."

"I don't think that this much is necessary though..."

"No, I insist. It would be rude of me to accept help from such a lovely lady without properly expressing my appreciation."

That feeling from before sprouts in your chest once again, so you ignore it to the best of your abilities. "I understand your thoughts, Uzui-san, I do! But-"

Uzui's demeanor changes slightly. You can't really put your finger on it, but his words suddenly seem a bit heavier than before. "Is it really fair of me to accept so much kindness from you, only for you to turn around and reject all of my kindness? Seriously, let me treat you to dinner. I really and truly insist."

The older boy's sudden change surprises you. For as long as you've known him (which isn't actually that long), you haven't taken him for someone who would be so serious about this kind of thing. Then again, he did pay for your groceries without much care or concern for what you'd say, but this felt like it was too much. You didn't want to make him feel like you were being stubborn or rude about his choices, but you also didn't want to take advantage of his kindness.

As you're about to give your response to the boy, a familiar voice catches your attention. Before you know it, Uzui's younger brother has come up to you and grabbed onto your hand.

"(Y/n)-san!" The young boy says cheerfully. He's looking up at you with the childish grin that's already grown synonymous with him. "You came all the way here!"

After hearing the young boy's response, you suddenly have an idea of what has transpired. "Have the two of you been working in cahoots to get me all the way out here?"

While Uzui gives a short laugh in response to your accusation, the young boy looks up at you in confusion. "Cahoots? What does that mean?"

"It just means that you two have been working together." You explain, though you quickly turn your attention to the older of the two boys. You look Uzui down with clear suspicion but he doesn't shy away. In fact, it almost feels like he's challenging the look in your eyes. "So you kidnapped me so that I could spend more time with you and your brother?"

The older boy chuckles to himself before answering your question. "No, of course not. It's like I said before: I want to thank you for your help."

"And that's the whole truth?"

"Of course not." The older boy replies as his playful smile returns. "I also want a chance to get to know you better."

The blatant honesty in Uzui's answer surprises you. You can feel your face beginning to warm again, and it causes you to avert your gaze. "You're quite a charmer, you know that? Paying for a girl's groceries, dragging her along to pick up your brother and taking her out for dinner. I don't think I know of any other people who could be as bold as you."

"Not even me?" The young boy asks as he lightly tugs on your hand.

You give a short laugh as you kneel down to match the young boy's gaze. "Yes, I suppose you are also quite a charming young boy, though you should really save all your charm for when you're older." You turn your head to look up at the older boy once again. "Well then, I suppose this is the part where I ask you where we're going..."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

You and the two boys ended up going to a beef bowl place near the center of town. Though Uzui had suggested going somewhere more befitting for you (which you deduced was a compliment), you didn't want to get caught up in the rain that was supposed to hit this evening. It seemed that for once the older boy didn't try to convince you otherwise because, well, here you were.

The two boys sat on one side of the booth and you sat opposite them. Up until now you've been exchanging short pleasantries with the two, however, it's been a bit quiet since the food arrived. You supposed that's how things usually happened, but it still felt weird.

When you look up at the two boys, you notice that the younger of the two is shifting in his seat back and forth. Curious, you turn to him. "Are you okay, Tengen-kun?"

The young boy looks up at you and nods, but you notice that he doesn't immediately make eye contact like he usually does. Before you have a chance to inquire further, the young boy pulls on his brother's sleeve. "I need to use the bathroom..."

In response to his younger brother's pulling, the older boy waves Tengen away. "Then go to the bathroom. It's just over there."

"Can you come with me?"

"Why do I need to? It's right there."

"But I-"

"You'll be fine."

The tone that Uzui uses surprises you a bit. It's not the first time you've heard him take this tone with his brother, but this felt a bit unprompted.

Although the young boy pouts, he gets out of the booth and wanders over to the bathroom by himself. You briefly debated going with him, but that didn't seem like a very wise decision. So instead you continued to sit across from Uzui in relative silence.

While you initially thought that the two boys were very close, you weren't actually sure that was the case anymore. To you, it definitely seemed like the younger of the Uzui brothers was much more attached than the older, but maybe that was how things usually were between siblings? To be fair, they were at least a decade apart. If that wasn't room for disagreements then you weren't sure what was.

When you turn back to the remaining brother, he looks like he's deep in thought. It's very different from the playful smile that you constantly see him sporting. It's not a bad thing of course, but it's... familiar. Not familiar in the sense that you've seen it on Uzui's face before, but more like it brings back a familiar gut feeling.

Not really a fan of uncomfortable silences, you find yourself shifting in your seat. "Won't your parents be worried if the two of you come home later than usual?"

Uzui shrugs. "Probably not. I don't live with them anymore."

"So you've been living alone for a while? Just the two of you?" You try not to let the shock show in your expression, but you're not sure you do. "Are you sure you should be paying for me then? Let alone other people's groceries?"

The older boy laughs a bit as he leans back in the booth. "Nah, it's cool. I've been making decent money on my own for about a year now."

"Even as a full-time student? I'm surprised you found a part time job that pays well enough."

"Oh, it's not a part time job..." Uzui laughs again. His eyes flicker up to meet yours and it catches you off guard. "Technically speaking I'm self-employed."

"Self-employed?"

"I'm a streamer."

You nod your head and give a short hum in acknowledgement. "Oh... I see. That's cool. Actually-!" You pull out your phone and search up the streamer you came across earlier today. It totally slipped your mind before, but you were almost certain now that the clip you came across earlier was from Uzui. Before the older boy could ask you what you were doing, you slid your phone across the table. "This is you, right?"

An amused look crosses the older boy's eyes. "So you're a fan?"

"No, not really." You laugh as you pull your phone back. "But I came across it earlier today. Considering your content came to me unprompted, it seems like you're getting pretty popular."

"Nah. You probably came across an ad I did recently. I partnered with a pretty sizable brand too, so I'm not too surprised."

Now it was your turn to be amused. "What a humble brag."

That familiar playful grin has appeared on Uzui's face once again. "I have no clue what you're talking about. I'm a very humble person."

"Oh, yes. You're completely right." You return the playful smile back to the older boy. "How could I be so foolish?"

"It's alright. I tend to have that kind of effect on people."

"You do, huh? And what kind of effect would that be, exactly?"

"A very endearing and pleasant effect. One that naturally draws people in. Charming, some might say."

"Ah yes, you're very charming indeed." You give a short laugh as you lean forward against the table. Your head naturally tilts as you rest your chin against your palm. "I suppose that's a good thing though, being a streamer and all."

"That's true..." The older boy leans forward slightly as he meets your gaze. "But I like to think that being charming is only reserved for people I really like. People like you, (L/n)-san."

And there it is again; that odd feeling in your chest. It returns in full and makes you feel strange. You've had crushes before, but this was different. You can't say it feels like attraction, but you aren't being repelled by it either.

Before you can say something in response, someone in your school's uniform approaches the two of you. She's quite tall and very pretty - most likely a third year. She approaches with a soft smile and waves to the two of you. Well, probably more to Uzui since the two of you have never spoken until today. And as if to confirm your thoughts, the older girl greets Uzui.

"Tengen-san! I didn't think I'd be seeing you here."

The older boy pulls away from you as he shifts to face the newcomer. You mirror the boy's actions, though you're much less engaged in the conversation than he is.

You'd almost forgotten that the two brothers shared the same name. It felt a bit weird to hear someone calling the older boy by his first name, but it's not like you had any reason to hear it before now.

Your eyes flickered between the two third years. They were both very attractive individuals, and they seemed quite familiar with each other. You wouldn't be surprised if the two of them were good friends. Actually, judging from the way the girl pushes the loose strands of her hair back while talking, you can't help but wonder if they're more.

At this sudden thought, you become aware of the eyes that are on you.

You're an outsider in this conversation. Just a first year who happened to get dragged along to Uzui's tune. Without the younger Uzui here, would outsiders be inclined to think that you...? Are other people thinking the same things as you? Are they assuming things worse than that? Just the thought alone makes you push further back against your seat.

The eyes that hovered over you suddenly pierce you through your practiced smiles. They can see through the cracks, can't they? It's uncomfortable.

You're uncomfortable.

You're confined to your seat with nowhere to escape and nowhere to hide. Is there any way you can get away?

The bathroom maybe?

As your eyes jump up from the table, you quickly realise that Uzui and the older girl are looking at you. Did they ask you a question? Should you smile and nod? Should you just ask them to repeat themselves? But you were supposed to be listening to the conversation, right? Wouldn't it be rude of you to admit that you weren't paying attention? At this point, you should probably just play it off, right? Or maybe you could-

A small hand grabs your own. When your eyes snap over to see who it was, you're met with none other than the young boy.

He meets your gaze with a curious look.

You finally take a breath. "What's up, Uzui-kun?"

The young boy flashes you the same childish smile he always does as he pulls you out of the booth. "I'm ready to go home now. You'll come with me, right, (Y/n)-san?" Before you have a chance to answer, the young boy pulls you through the shop and outside. You hardly get a proper apology out before the door closes behind you.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─��───•

The air outside is humid. It's clear that heavy rain is on the horizon, but you're pretty sure you'll be fine. You should be able to outrun the rain if you're walking at a good pace. Oh, but then again, you're not going straight home.

You look down at the young boy beside you. He's struggling a bit to keep up with your pace, but he insists that he's keeping up just fine. As to not hurt his pride, you've shortened the length of your strides but kept the pace the same. You're pretty sure that if you did anything else, the young boy would notice.

As you walked alongside the young boy, you couldn't find it in yourself to tell him to wait. You and the young boy haven't gotten very far from where you had dinner - likely just a block or two away at this point, but a part of you knew that it would be better to wait for the older boy. And yet, that's the part of you that made you want to keep going. Perhaps part of the reason was guilt from leaving Uzui in the shop, but you knew better than to tell yourself that. As much as you want to, you won't bring yourself to admit what you already know.

"Hey (Y/n)-san?" The young boy's tone urges you to look down at him. He isn't looking up at you like you expected he would be. "Did I do something wrong?"

You unintentionally cock your head when the boy asks his question. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you called me Uzui when we were leaving the shop. I was just wondering if you were mad at me for something..."

"Oh, that's not it at all!" Hearing the unease in the young boy's voice, you stop and kneel down to meet the young boy's gaze. He doesn't make eye contact with you like he usually does. "You haven't done anything wrong, I promise. In fact, I want to thank you!"

The young boy finally turns to look at you, albeit confused. "You... do?"

"Yes, I do." A soft smile pulls at your lips. "If you didn't pull me out of the shop back there, I would've been wedged into a love triangle for sure! That kind of thing is the silliest stuff to get worried about, so I'm glad you helped me."

The young boy laughs a bit. "I bet (Y/n)-san would be the leading female in any love story."

"What? Why do you say that? Wait... I didn't even realise kids your age liked romance stories."

The young boy laughs a bit as he focuses on the question you'd asked. "Because you're really pretty and really nice, and you always know what other people are feeling!"

A tinge of guilt pulls at you, but you hide it. "Is that so? Well, thank you for the compliments Tengen-kun. That's very sweet of you to say." You smile softly and force out a short laugh. "Though, I still think you should save those kinds of compliments for people in your life who are more important than me. Like your brother."

"But you are important to me, (Y/n)-san! I love you!"

You'd think you would get used to the young boy's antics by now, but it still manages to catch you by surprise. Instead of responding to his statement directly, you give a short laugh and shake your head.

As silence slowly fills the space between you and the young boy, he looks up at you with a look you could only describe as determination.

"(Y/n)-san, will you marry me?"

You smile gently as you ruffle Tengen's hair. "Sorry Tengen-kun, but I'm afraid that I can't be making any more promises than I already have. You see, there's a certain someone in my life that I've already promised my 'tomorrow' to."

As the young boy opens his mouth to reply, your attention is pulled toward a pair of approaching footsteps. From around the corner you see the young boy's older brother approaching. The mixture of concern and irritation in his eyes makes you feel bad about leaving so quickly.

"Why did you two leave like that?" Uzui asks the moment he reaches your side.

"Sorry Uzui-san. It's just that-"

"No!" To your surprise, the young boy stands between you and his brother. "(Y/n)-san shouldn't have to apologize to you!"

"What did I tell you about using people's first names? It's disrespectful."

"You were being a meanie by making (Y/n)-san feel bad, so I saved her. You're the one who always says we should help people we care about!"

"I wasn't... I didn't..." Uzui looked over at you, conflicted. "I mean, were you uncomfortable?"

"Well I... I mean..." You keep your gaze averted from the older boy. It's gotten hard to gather the words you want to say, and the tension in the situation isn't making things better. "I'm not really good with new people so it's not like it was entirely you or anything."

The older boy turns back to his brother. "See? You're just putting words into (L/n)-san's mouth."

"No I'm not! You're just too worried about yourself to notice."

"You-!" The older boy sighs deeply, pressing his palm against his forehead. "Why are you so difficult? I was never like this as a child, so why are you so annoying? You're so clingy and needy and always get me into trouble. Can't you just behave for once?"

Tengen is surprised by his older brother's outburst. You can tell the young boy is on the brink of tears now, but he continues to stand between you and the older boy. At this moment, you can't help but feel that you were part of the reason why this argument had come to this point. You take a deep breath in hopes that it will help calm your nerves. It does, but barely.

"Don't be so mean, Uzui-san." Your voice is soft as you speak. "He's just a kid."

"But I wasn't like that when I was a kid!"

You visibly recoil at the boy's harsh tone. You know it's not directed at you, but it still hurts. Seeing you pull away, Uzui instinctively steps toward you and offers his hand. You're still kneeling on the floor so you assume that he was offering to help you stand, but the juxtaposition of his words and actions make you pull away further. The strange maneuver causes you to shift your weight in a way that causes your ankle to waiver.

Pain shoots through you as you fall back and roll your ankle. You instinctively let out a short curse under your breath as you grab onto your ankle. In the heat of the moment you can see a worried look cross Uzui's expression.

"Are you okay?" The older boy leans down to try and help you but you quickly swat his hand away. You immediately feel guilty about it though, as Uzui's expression turns surprised.

You turn your gaze away. "I'm fine." You attempt to stand up but it's obvious that you're in pain. Uzui holds out his hand in an attempt to offer support to you, but you don't take his hand. Instead, you slowly kneel down to talk to the young boy again. "Are you okay, Tengen-kun?"

The young boy, though initially nodding, shakes his head.

You gently hold the boy's hand with your own. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The young boy shakes his head again.

A short sigh escapes you as you gently rub your thumb against the young boy's hand. "I think it's time for me to go now. Make sure you hold your brother's hand while you walk home, okay?"

The young boy finally lifts his eyes to look at you. "He doesn't let me."

You spare a moment to glance at Uzui. His expression is... complicated, to say the least, but not threatening. You wonder what he might be thinking, but you would never ask. You turn your attention back to the younger of the brothers with a soft smile. "Oh... well, how about you hold my hand then, okay?" You hold your hand out toward the young boy. Though Tegen doesn't take it immediately, he does eventually.

His hand seems softer than it did before. Gentle, even.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

By the time the three of you arrived at Uzui's place of residence, the raincloud from earlier had arrived in full. Despite saying that you would be able to make it home, Uzui insisted that you stay - just until the rain let up a bit more. You could tell he was trying to avoid making you uncomfortable. You felt bad making Uzui go out of his way like this, and you didn't want to worry him by walking home through the rain, so you decided to just wait inside.

It wasn't a big place; just a small apartment with two bedrooms and a bathroom. The main space of the apartment was just one big room separated by a counter used to differentiate between the lounge and the kitchen. As to not intrude too much, you took a seat in the lounge.

It's been nearly half an hour since the three of you arrived. You were content with sitting in the loungewith the young boy - he talked about everything and nothing at the same time. You found yourself thoroughly entertained just by talking with the young boy. He seems to be in a much better mood now that he's home.

Just as Tengen was about to show you a drawing he'd been working on, his older brother enters the living room. His eyes briefly glance over to you before returning to his younger brother. "It's about time you leave (L/n)-san alone and go to bed."

"Right now? Can't I sleep later?" The younger boy pouts in protest.

"No, you can't. You're going to wake up early whether or not you sleep late, and I don't need you to be grouchy when you wake up tomorrow."

Although reluctant, the young boy eventually makes his way to the room Uzui had just emerged from. On the other hand, Uzui lingers between the kitchen and the lounge. He's likely debating whether he should sit to chat with you, but he eventually decides to stand in the kitchen. He leans a bit awkwardly against the counter that separates the two areas.

"So... how's your ankle doing? You kind of took a tumble earlier and I saw you limping." Uzui's eyes glance over to you briefly. You can tell there's something else on his mind, but it's not something he knows if he can bring up.

You give a brief sigh. "It's not the worst thing that's happened to me as of late."

"Really?"

You nod your head with a short hum. "I cut my hand pretty badly the other night. It needed... three stitches, I'm pretty sure? It's almost fully healed at this point, but I still keep it wrapped up."

Uzui briefly inhales through his teeth. "Damn. That sounds pretty nasty."

"It's not as bad as it sounds." You assure the boy. Uzui opens his mouth to respond, but no words immediately form. He takes your word for it with a slight nod.

The silence between the two of you is only filled by the sound of rain tumbling against the window. You can tell that the older boy wants to say something, but he doesn't. There are plenty of things you could talk about at this point, but after all this time you finally decide to bring up what's likely on both your and Uzui's mind.

"I'm sorry for what happened back at the beef bowl shop. I feel bad for leaving all of a sudden."

Uzui shakes his head. "No, it's fine. It's not really your fault, it was... well it was probably mine."

"Yeah... it kind of was. On both ends, as a matter of fact." You can see as the older boy's expression turns confused, so you finally decide to lay your cards on the table. "The two of you aren't actually brothers, are you?"

There's a slight shift in the way Uzui is standing. "Huh? W-what do you mean?"

"Forgive me for saying so, but would I be right in assuming that you and him are the same person? More specifically, that he's literally the younger version of yourself." You sit up slightly from your spot on the couch. "I hit the mark, didn't I?"

"How...?"

"Did I know?" You shrug your shoulders. "Aside from how you both share the exact same name, there are a lot of similar traits and mannerisms. I've got to say though, the most damning piece of evidence is your smile. It's similar in a way that siblings' smiles usually aren't." You shift in your seat slightly as you attempt to become comfortable. "So, am I correct?"

"Honestly... I have no idea. He just like... appeared one day. Not at the door or anything, but right in my apartment." The older boy shifts how he's standing. He turns his body so that he faces you completely. You can see his expression clearly now and it's one that is honest and genuine. You wouldn't say that it's sad in any way, but thoughtful didn't exactly capture it either. Perhaps it was the look of someone who had finally reached their wit's end?

"Completely unprompted and out of nowhere?"

"Well no... not exactly." The boy answers. You tilt your head curiously at Uzui's confession. He, on the other hand, averts his gaze from you. "I already have a general idea of what's happening to me. One of my friends at my old school went through something similar. Okay, 'similar' is a stretch, but I'm pretty sure it's a symptom of the same syndrome."

"Adolescence syndrome?" You ask curiously.

The boy nods his head. "Yeah, actually. How do you know about it?"

"I've had a few run-ins with people who were also affected by it. There was someone who kept repeating the days they lived, someone who affected the weather and someone who ended up body swapping with their sibling. But to have an entirely new person come into existence, let alone that person being a younger version of yourself... That's on a whole different level."

"I take it they've gotten used to their new ways of life then?"

"No, actually. Their syndromes were so abrasive that they had no other choice but to confront the problems that caused their syndromes in the first place. Aren't you trying to do the same?"

Uzui hesitates as he presses his lips. "I mean, I guess I am but I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Do you think you can tell me what you've already tried?" As you ask the question, the older boy hesitates. He doesn't want to accidentally start trauma dumping onto you, especially since the two of you don't actually know each other all that well. It doesn't take a genius to sense his reluctance, so you quickly follow up your question with a statement of your own. "Sorry, that's probably too forward of me to say. Could you tell me what your favourite colour is, instead?"

The older boy gives you a puzzled look. "What? Why?"

"I won't lie to you, I want to help you with your Adolescence Syndrome, but I fully understand that something like this isn't an easy thing to talk about. Adolescence Syndrome is usually a manifestation of a person's deepest feelings, so of course it will be hard to talk about. That being said..." You shift in your spot on the sofa and make enough room for Uzui to sit beside you. "...what's your favourite colour?"

Even if your approach confuses him, it causes Uzui to relax. He slowly makes his way to the couch beside you. "Apricot."

"Apricot?"

"Yeah. Like, it's not yellow but not orange either. It's something in the middle."

"You must really like sunrises then, huh?"

"Ehh... I guess I like them most of the time."

You give a short laugh. "Only most of the time? What's wrong with the sunrises that don't fall under 'most of the time'?"

"Nothing really. It's just that sunrises feel kinda... I don't know... sad?"

"As in, it feels nostalgic or melancholy?"

Uzui nods his head, his playful smile ghosting over his lips. "Yeah actually. That's exactly right!"

You nod your head with a small smile. "I get what you mean. Watching the sun rise is such a beautiful thing, but sometimes it leaves a pang of sadness for reasons you don't really understand. Perhaps it's because sunrises represent the start of something new. That feeling of leaving something else behind for the start of another can just sneak up on you, so I get it."

"You do?"

"Nope! Not a clue." You hold Uzui's gaze for a moment before sharing a laugh together. It feels natural and simple. Gentle, even. At this moment, Uzui can't help but feel that he'd misjudged you upon his first meeting. You were turning out to be more cunning than he initially thought you'd be.

And for him, that was enough of a reason to open up. Not too much, but just enough.

"I um... I grew up with a lot of siblings. Being one of the oldest children, I had to take care of my younger siblings a lot of the time. It wasn't easy, but that was just life. I couldn't stand the way my parents treated us. It was to the point where at some point, I knew I needed to get away no matter what."

"Do you regret it?"

"Moving out? Not a single bit!" Uzui forces out a laugh to himself, but he eventually clears his throat. "But sometimes I wonder about my siblings. I kind of just up and left them. Sometimes I feel bad about it, but when I remember how much I was always stepping in because my own parents didn't, I just-!"

As Uzui lets out a deep sigh, you gently place your hand on his shoulder. "I see. That sounds like a very difficult situation to navigate."

The older boy lets out a sound of feigned amusement to himself. "Yeah, no kidding. But I still don't understand what that has to do with my Adolescence Syndrome."

You pull your hand back and rest your chin against your palm. "Do you consider yourself similar to your younger version in any way?"

"Not at all." Uzui thinks he might have answered a bit too quickly, so he ends up backpedaling a bit. "I mean, to an extent I guess. But he was literally asking you to be his girlfriend when he met you, and I have enough decency to not do that."

"You say that as if you haven't been actively flirting with me ever since we met." You tease the boy, causing him to let out a short groan in embarrassment. In contrast, a soft smile pulls at your lips. "In actuality, when I found your younger self, he was crying."

Uzui lets out a short huff. "Okay, but that still doesn't make him very similar to me. He doesn't even address you in a respectful way! Even as a kid I knew better than to be so disrespectful."

You let out a short sigh. "You're really harsh on yourself. Why is that?"

"Harsh? I don't think I'm being harsh. I think the expectations I have for myself are perfectly valid. It's my own fault if I don't live up to them."

"I know that you have to hold yourself to a higher standard, especially since you always had your siblings to care about, but that doesn't mean you have to dismiss your own feelings in turn. That little boy, no matter how 'clingy' or 'childish' he is, is just a kid." You shift in your seat to more easily see Uzui.

"Seriously? That doesn't give him, well, me a reason to act like a brat."

"No, maybe not, but he's young." Amused, a short laugh escapes you. "We were all young once. There's no shame in that. In fact, I find the young version of you quite charming."

The older boy lets out a short huff. "Yeah, sure. Charming is one word."

"Yes, it's one among several others, but I hardly think that's a bad thing. I can tell that he loves you a lot. But what about you?"

"Me-?"

Your words linger in the air longer for longer than what the older boy is comfortable with, and they hit him harder than he thought they would. He wants to believe that he's been trying his best, but he can't get over the fact that this supposed 'younger him' acts nothing like he did. He's actually inclined to say that the version of him that appeared is not him at all, but a child who is the complete opposite of himself.

He's tried to change his younger self's attitude multiple times, but it only ever seems to have the opposite effect. At some point, Tengen Uzui was tired of dealing with his 'younger self.' He was just about ready to leave him behind completely, but that was when he ran into you.

For the first time since he'd appeared, the younger version of himself actually listened to someone. Not only that, but the 'young him' finally listened to himself - to the current and real version of Tengen Uzui. What you did within the span of about five minutes was something Tengen Uzui was not able to do for nearly two weeks. It was the real reason why he felt so indebted to you.

But even though that's what he wanted to say to you, he found himself stumbling over his words. How could he just admit something like that to you? Something like that would surely break your heart.

So instead, he says nothing.

And to you, Uzui's silence speaks more than what he might have had to say at all.

A soft sigh escapes your lips. You let your gaze soften and your practiced smile fall away.

"I've always believed that children are some of the only people in the world who love others as earnestly as they do selfishly. Sure, there's a lot that they have to learn in life, but that doesn't make their love disingenuous. It gets harder to love others when you spend your whole life catering to other people's needs and ignoring your own. It's not really fair for ourselves, or for the people we love. At some point, we need to understand that it's okay to love and care for ourselves, too. That doesn't mean we have to stop loving others. It simply means that we have to re-learn how to do both at the same time."

"You say that like it's easy."

You give a short laugh. "Oh, it most definitely isn't. Your feelings literally manifested into a younger version of yourself! That alone is a testament to how hard something like this can be, but that doesn't mean it's not worth the work."

The older boy goes quiet. In fact, the entire room is quiet.

The rain has stopped.

You realise it before Uzui does, so you politely get up from the couch. "I don't want to overstay my welcome, so I'll be going now. I wish you the best of luck in life, Uzui-san."

"Right..." A tight feeling envelopes Uzui's chest. He isn't sure how to feel about you leaving, but he knows it's for the best. He doesn't want to force you to do anything more than he already has. He leaves a considerable amount of distance between you and himself as you walk to the front door.

Uzui waits with bated breath while you put on your shoes. The left side before the right side, but the right laces before the left laces. You stand straight up before using the heel of your foot to turn around.

Your smile as you wave goodbye causes Tengen to lose track of anything he might have wanted to say. Even when you're standing in the doorway, Tengen hopes that you'll stay for a little bit longer. He's never liked leaving interactions on such a bittersweet note. It always leaves a tightness in his chest that lingers for a bit too long.

But when you reach forward and lightly flick his forehead, Tengen Uzui can only find it in himself to laugh.

Bittersweet as this may be for him, just this one time, he figures that it's okay.

As soon as the door closes behind you, the older boy lets out a deep sigh. Time feels much heavier right now. He straightens out his shoes at the door, and the shoes that the younger him has been wearing. He turns off the light in the foyer before mimicking the spin you did earlier.

When he finally turns around, Tengen Uzui immediately notices the younger version of himself at the door of his room. He looks tired.

"Did (Y/n)-san leave already?"

"Yeah... She did."

"But I didn't get to show her my drawing."

Although it feels wrong and unnatural at first, the older boy smiles. "You can uh... you can show it to me if you want."

"Really?"

Tengen Uzui can feel his breath catching in his throat when the younger version of himself smiles excitedly. "Yes, really. I want to know what kinds of cool things you're up to when I'm not around." Tengen Uzui watches the young 'him' run into the living room and grab the sheet of paper that's been laying on the table all this time.

It's a strange thing to see a younger version of yourself so excited to show you something, but for the first time, Tengen finds it endearing.

When he sits down on the couch, the younger version of himself excitedly hands him the drawing. The colours are crude, the shapes rudimentary and the wax of the crayons have left the drawing feeling blotchy, but none of that matters. In the center of the drawing are two stick figures holding hands.

"Do you like it?" The young boy asks all too honestly.

"Is that...?"

"Us!"

The older boy lets out an amused laugh. "It's pretty good, but I think that we could look even better if our stick figures are wearing clothes."

A small pout pulls on the young boy's lips. Almost on instinct, the smile on Tengen Uzui's lips softened. He rests his hand on his younger self's head slowly. It feels different, but not uncomfortable. Gentle, even.

"How about we draw another one, but this time we draw together?"

══════════════════

Epilogue

There are times in our lives where we feel like we have done more for others than others have done for us. When we, as individuals, take on a burden that shouldn't be ours to begin with, or when we are forced into situations where the outcome is weighted unfairly against us, a seed of indignation is planted within. When left unchecked, that seed will undoubtedly grow into the monster known as resentment.

But why is resentment such a difficult emotion to handle?

If we know exactly how it starts, doesn't that mean we can easily prevent it from happening?

Is it, after all, such an unavoidable future? If we are all so familiar with the persistent ache of resentment, why aren't we better equipped to deal with it?

"It's no secret that the popular online streamer 'Sounds_2EZ', is a very attractive man! That's why today, us hosts of 'Red Light Delights' have brought him in for questions. That's right ladies, keep your eyes and ears on us to get the hottest scoop about this new viral influencer!"

"Thank you for having me today."

"Please tell us, Uzui-san, have you ever fallen in love?"

Tengen laughs as he flashes his all-too-well-known smile at the camera in front of him. "While I would usually call myself more of a flirty man, there was this one time I asked a girl I barely knew to be my wife!"

"Really? And what did she say?"

"No, unfortunately, but that's alright."

"She must have been quite a catch if even you wanted her to be your wife. Could you tell us a bit about her?"

"Well... she was an extremely kind person. I'd never met anyone quite as compassionate or empathetic as her before, and she genuinely blew me away. She helped me through the toughest time in my life and I can't thank her enough. Without her, I don't think I ever would have become the person I am today."

"Wow! She certainly sounds like an amazing person."

"She definitely is..." There's a softness in Tengen's voice as he briefly looks away from the camera. Picking up on this, the interviewer quickly improvises a question for him.

"If that girl is watching this interview right now, what would you want to say to her?"

"There's a lot of things that I would love to say to her right now, but I think that the thing I want to say the most is... if 'tomorrow' doesn't work out, I will gladly be yours from today onwards."

[hinatastinygiant]

9 | A Second Thought with the Explosion Hero

Pairing: Various MHA x Fem!Reader

Dear Departure

"I'll find him, it's not a big deal," Bakugou waves off Ojiro and Koda as they try to reassure him.

"Bakugou, please, let us help," Ojiro pleads, but Bakugou ignores him. This isn't even that big of a room, how is it possible that he keeps missing the only bright-red-haired student in here?

Just then, Bakugou's eyes catch onto a moving target. Mina, who is running as if she is escaping from prison, rushes right past him. Bakugou quickly follows, not quite sure why but something tells him that he needs to.

He doesn't quite catch up with her until he sees her standing before Kirishima. Bakugou gulps, not wanting to witness his confession. But, despite himself, he stays hidden in the crowd.

"Kirishima, can we talk?"

"Sure, Mina," he smiles, though he looks more concerned than happy.

As the two of them walk a bit further away from Bakugou, he loses the ability to hear what they're saying. He does try to move closer, but the annoying sea of people prevents him from doing so. Instead, he decides it might be better not to hear them.

Time seems to pass slowly as he watches the two of them talk. Part of his brain comes up with a conversation that he thinks he can hear based on reading Kirishima's lips, but it's not easy. Kaminari pissed him off so much before that he feels like his brain is fuzzy. That idiot must've shocked him or something.

Finally, Mina wraps her arms around Kirishima. Bakugou's heart sinks as Kirishima allows her to kiss him squarely on the lips. The two of them laugh, and Kirishima takes her hand, leading her out of the room.

"Fucking great," Bakugou grumbles as he finally decides to leave this stupid party.

As soon as he steps outside, the cool night air hits his face and he breathes a sigh of relief. He had forgotten how hot it was in there. But, the peace and quiet of the outside makes him feel a lot more comfortable.

He decides to walk around a bit. His eyes drift up towards the sky, which is a dark navy blue. He can see the stars sparkling faintly. As he admires them, a thought enters his mind.

"Isn't it incredible, Katsuki?" Y/N's soft voice resonates in his mind. It wasn't real, but he feels drawn back to a time when they were in love. "Look at all those stars, each one a shimmering piece of the universe. And yet, here we are, under the same night sky, together."

Bakugou always hated how her words sounded like poetry. She could soothe him out of anything so easily, and he hated it. Or rather, he hated that he loved it.

He continues walking, his shoes crunching the gravel beneath his feet. He can still hear her voice whispering sweet nothings in his ear. He can still remember her touch, her kiss, her warmth. She had such a strange way of making him feel safe, and he had been too stubborn to let it continue.

"I hate you," he had told her once.

"That's okay," she had replied with a smile, putting her hand on his cheek. "I love you."

"Ugh," Bakugou growls as he kicks a rock and it goes flying. Why can't he just get her out of his head? It's over, isn't it?

Sick of thinking of her, he decides to sit on a nearby bench and wallow in self-pity instead. He shouldn't've ended things with her. Especially not the way he did. He was so mean for no reason. He had no reason to say all of those things. He knew how much they hurt her. But he had to, didn't he?

But then there was Kirishima, the person he'd trusted most from his first day at U.A. whether he'd like to admit it or not. If he hadn't been so dense, if he'd only realized what was going on, he wouldn't have broken up with her. But then again, maybe he would've.

It wasn't worth thinking about anymore. Kirishima's off somewhere with Mina right now while Bakugou's stuck outside alone. He had pushed everyone away, just like his friends told him he would do if he didn't let them help.

It wasn't worth thinking about anymore. Kirishima's off somewhere with Mina right now while Bakugou's stuck outside alone. He had pushed everyone away, just like his friends told him he would do if he didn't let them help.

"Katsuki," she had hummed one morning after the two of them had spent the night together in Bakugou's dorm, "You know how much you mean to me, right?"

"What are you-"

"And you know that I'll always love you, no matter what happens," she had continued, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Stop, it's too early for this," he had complained, burying his head in the crook of her neck and holding her tighter.

"But I'm being serious," she giggles at the sensation of his skin rubbing against hers.

"So am I," he mutters.

"Katsuki, if something happened to you, I would-"

"I know," he says, rolling his eyes and sitting up to look down at her. "I'd do the same. But nothing's going to happen, so just shut up and kiss me."

She laughs and pulls him back down on top of her. He kisses her and the rest of the world seems to fade away. She was his. He was hers. Nothing could ever change that.

But then, a few months later, they were nothing. Just a memory, and Bakugou didn't know how to handle that.

"I wouldn't be able to live if something happened to you," he suddenly whispers to himself, looking down at his hands in his lap. Well, at least this is the last night he'll ever have to see any one of these people ever again.

"You're so fucking stupid," he sighs as he stands up and stretches his arms. It's been a long night and he's ready to go to bed. 

Dear Departure

[greatideas-badwriter]

SasuSaku: Sacrificed To The Banished Prince Ch. 10

SURPRISE! EXTRA UPDATE!

Akuma surprised everyone by doing a fair job of mimicking Prince Sasuke's personality upon their return to the engagement party. 'It's simple to figure out who knows the royal family's secret just by looking at these ugly peoples' faces.'

The fear surrounding many of the guests satisfied the demon. He'd missed being respected like this, having been locked up in that damn manor all these years. It pained his pride to have to act civilized, but he'd rather have this little taste of freedom than be shackled to the wall each night like before.

"Akuma, will you excuse me for a moment? I'd like to step out onto the balcony to rest," Sakura politely asked.

The demon's eyes roamed over her attractive appearance. He'd taken advantage of the situation and had forced her to hold his hand all night. 'She's the only passable woman in this entire palace. None of these other whores compare.' He inwardly became angry with his own thoughts because there was no need to find her beautiful. Her standing out like a diamond amidst all these dull gems shouldn't matter at all.

"Lead the way," he said.

She released his hand, flexing her fingers as she turned to walk toward the massive open doors that led to the balcony. Only a couple of people were out there. Most of the party remained indoors, though the area was easily visible.

"Curse, may I have a word?"

Akuma's gaze left Sakura. He turned to glare at the king of the land, a sneer begging to meet his lips, "What is it? Be quick."

Madara chuckled as though he'd said a great joke, "Your disposition is as prickly as I remember."

"You're irritating me. I said to make this conversation quick, so make your point while you have the chance."

"Yes," the king's grin became less friendly, and he lowered his voice so those around them wouldn't overhear, "I don't suppose you'd tell me what your intentions are concerning my nephew and that girl?"

The bluntness fully pulled Akuma's attention from the pink-haired woman enjoying the moonlight outside. He eyed the ruler with disgust, "Having knowledge of my plans won't grant you the ability to prevent them."

"Then why not share them?"

"I don't answer to you. I have no master."

Madara's cheerful aura fell almost completely. His dark eyes narrowed, "Come, now, Demon. I may be lenient, but to blatantly lie to my face is insulting."

'...What is he trying to say?' His red-eyed glare hardened, but he said nothing, 'Does he have information that others do not?'

"You've two masters, yes? The demon lord, Satan, and the wizard Orochimaru." Akuma's eyes widened in surprise because that was a name he hadn't heard in a decade. The king seemed smug, "Or would it just be one now since Orochimaru was beheaded? I'm unsure of how permanent death is for you underworldly beings."

Seeing as that snake-like wizard had given Akuma a chance to live a human life, something he'd longed for, the demon would be grateful, but that wasn't the case. No, he'd been made a fool of just as strongly as the cowardly prince's parents. It'd been his understanding that he'd have full control of the body that'd host his soul. Obviously, that was not the case.

An earsplitting scream filled the air.

The demon's blood ran cold, 'Where is she?!'

He turned to see the room in chaos. Panicking men and women were running about as a handful of masked men dressed in black entered via the balcony with drawn swords. Ignoring the king, who'd begun summoning guards to fight the intruders, Akuma rushed into the fray, searching for just a glimpse of pink hair.

'She must be dead already because she was the nearest to where they arrived, but I must see it with my own eyes so I can use that rage to fuel the massacre I'll embark on once I own this body.'

He took down three men who attacked him on his way to the open area, careful not to kill them so as to not break the deal he made with the prince, only to freeze when the only proof that Sakura had even been there was a few drops of blood on the railing. Seething, seeing red, and ready to murder, the demon dipped his fingers into the substance before sniffing it. A growl shook his chest. 'It's hers, but she's not here.' There wasn't enough to judge the severity of whatever wound she'd suffered.

Sasuke shot upright the moment he gained consciousness, bursting out of the bedroom. It felt like his heart would pump right out of his chest. 'She's gone. They took her. If only I'd been able to stay with her. I wouldn't have let her wander alone like that!'

He hurried downstairs and into the ballroom, where butlers and maids were still cleaning up the broken dishes and blood from last night's battle. All he could see as he looked around with wide eyes was the charming blush on the pink-haired woman's face as she tried to console him during the change. No one had ever looked at him like that, much less put his comfort and well-being before theirs.

'And I repaid that kindness by allowing her to be kidnapped, maybe even killed.'

"Brother, come quick! A letter has arrived from someone claiming to have Lady Haruno!"

Itachi led a silent and focused Sasuke to the king's personal office, where Madara sat at his desk with a letter in front of him and a frown. The second prince became confused because something felt off about his uncle's demeanor. He couldn't say or do anything about that before the man in question began speaking, "According to this letter, Lady Sakura is injured. If we don't meet their demands within the day, she'll likely die."

Ice ran down Sasuke's spine at this news, 'What? Is she seriously hurt? There wasn't much blood, though!' "Is there a possibility this is a bluff to create a sense of urgency?" He managed to ask.

The king and first prince shared a look that he automatically recognized. He swallowed hard and reeled in his emotions, 'If they think that I'm attached to her, they might let her die to see if it'll get rid of the curse.' He had to feign indifference if Sakura stood a chance of being rescued.

"They're demanding a small fortune be delivered by the second prince alone," Madara explained with his gaze locked strongly on his nephew, "They're threatening to kill her if their instructions aren't followed to the exact."

"I'm sorry, Brother, but it's simply not possible," Itachi said with a sad expression.

Sasuke immediately argued, "So we should let this innocent woman die? I'm confident The Curse won't be destroyed at this point."

"Unfortunately, the life of an Uchiha is worth much more than the average lady's, Nephew. There is nothing we can do but pray that she doesn't suffer."

"What does it say of our family if we live with such an inflated mindset?" Sasuke was livid. Somehow, he didn't completely lose his composure and tried to make a logical argument, "If the royal family isn't ready to lay down their lives for their subjects, why would the kingdom's people have faith in them? I was under the impression the Uchiha family considered honor more important than riches and status."

"This is one woman, Sasuke," Itachi said, "As much as I hate to say it, the risk is much too high. It's almost definite that you'll both be killed upon your arrival regardless of if the demands are perfectly met."

"I refuse to-" "Silence," Madara cut off both of his nephews. They looked at him expectantly. He searched Sasuke's face for a silent moment before asking, "Are you certain this is what you want to do?"

The second prince recalled all the selfless gestures Sakura had offered since their first meeting. 'She's been willing to sacrifice everything to help a man she barely knows. If anyone deserves rescuing, it's her.' He nodded with a firm glare, daring his uncle to deny his request, 'This won't make up for all the suffering she's done or will continue to experience, but it's at least a start.'

Shorter chapter this time! The next one will be longer, so please be patient. Thanks for reading! :D

[fonulyn]

so I already did the fic stats game thing but since @thebrandywine was lovely (😘) and tagged me I decided to take it as an opportunity for shameless self-promo :'D

last time I took into account all of my RE fics, and the results were overwhelmingly chreon :'D so this time around, I excluded chreon from the search results to see what the answers would be then! (otherwise it'd just be the same results again lol so no point)

SO ANYHOW.

Fic Stats Game rules: give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the fewest words.

the most hits: on an all time high, Leon/Queen Plaga (I laughed at this result negl :'D it's just monster pwp!)

Some of the thicker tentacles were swirling around him, slithering around his legs, and as much as Leon tried to kick at them he didn’t really accomplish anything. If anything, it made everything worse. The creature must’ve gotten tired of him as suddenly it flipped him over, and with a surprised outcry Leon suddenly found himself dangling in the air upside down. He didn’t even have the chance to complain, as now that he’d opened his mouth to cry out there suddenly was a tentacle pressing its blunt head against his mouth, preventing him from closing it.

second most kudos: I am the light that shall lead you to darkness, Chris/Wesker

In all honesty, Chris wasn’t entirely sure how he’d ended up here. He was a panting mess, bent over a massive wooden table with Wesker holding him down laughably easily. Both of his arms were twisted behind his back, and Wesker held them in place with one hand so that no matter how much Chris struggled against the hold he could barely move. Chris’ muscles bulged as he tried to wrench an arm free, but to no avail, and Wesker only gave him a push that sent him closer against the table.

third most comments: you're a dream, Piers/Leon (my baby the soulmate au 🥺💖)

Piers Nivans is eleven years old when he starts dreaming of death and monsters. The nightmares plague him for years until he realizes that they're actually his soulmate dreams, and that is when he sets out to find that person. Maybe they're a serial killer, maybe they're just someone with a really shitty life, but whatever it is Piers needs answers. He is going to find his soulmate. If only it was that simple.

fourth most bookmarks: question all my doubts, Krauser/Leon

Something was off. Leon reached out and flipped on the lights, closing his eyes for a second just in time not to be blinded by the sudden brightness. When he opened his eyes, it didn’t take him half a second to connect the dots. Jack fucking Krauser. Bloody and beaten. - Or the one wherein no matter how many times Leon tries to walk away from Krauser he always ends up back to him.

fifth most words: so I confide in you (for nothing compares to you), Piers/Leon

As the door clicked open and Leon took half a step inside, the first thing he registered was someone hurtling straight at him. He saw a glint of a blade, and it was only because of his great reflexes that he managed to dodge out of the way of what appeared to be a sharp curved sickle. He spun around, grabbing the arm of his assailant, and twisted them around until he could slam the other person right into the nearest wall, face first. Only then did he realize that the person he’d just bodyslammed was the exact person he’d been trying to find. - Or the one wherein Leon saves the president's son from a cult, but that isn't the end of their story, it's only the beginning.

the fewest words: when the Master is slave to his life, Chris/Wesker

“Then the world will be ours,” Excella practically coos right into Wesker’s ear, draping her body all over his in a way that really, really shouldn’t be decent for any kind of an audience. Even if the audience is only Jill right now, and it’s not like Jill is there because she wants to be. She’s got no other choice but to stand there, watch these two utter assholes plot the demise of the entire earth. “Yes,” Wesker says, something lighting in his eyes. He looks almost mad, with the way his lips stretch into a grin, an expression he would never get caught dead with if there really was an audience that mattered. “And then Chris will finally have to admit his defeat! He’ll finally see me as the god I am!“ “Chris who?” Excella frowns.

-

so not gonna lie it made me laugh that i've literally only written three Chris/Wesker fics and two of them made the list? :'D lmao. also when I looked up the first two I was already prepared for this to be a noncon smut list and dreading what it says about me lol but at least the rest didn't follow that trend :'D

also, I gotta say, #3-#5 are some of my personal favorites. and #1 shhhhhhhh.

okay i'll shut up now sorry :'D