#including when she complains about why i won’t move back home

[lilyaceofdiamonds]

The sentence ‘my mother is pissed at me because i refuse to quit my retail job so i can fly to [redacted state] for christmas and when i said they could come to my state she said they had already bought tickets’ is just. How does that even sound real.

[wisteriainslumber]

“Wait, this is supposed to be relaxing?”

alternatively: TWST cast discover ways in which animal crossing: nh should not be played

once upon a time my playstyle was the entirety of ace’s section and then i thought “what if it was Worse” and this post was born

warnings: swearing, the aggravating process of getting villagers to move out, tom nook slander

Riddle

claims he doesn’t choose favourites but everyone & their mother knows he’s particularly fond of Merengue

would participate in the stalk market because he wakes up at 6AM like a maniac

also because he refuses to time travel

has a very neat island. he uses whatever time he can to improve on his island layout and is a very good form of stress relief for him

finally, a good coping method

gifts his villagers fruit most of the time, but will occasionally give them furniture and stuffed animals 

taken back by Pietro’s appearance in his campsite but now he is appointed the court jester

will tell no one that he adores the music in Pietro’s house

gets gold roses the quickest out of his classmates, but now he’s struggling with a major flower infestation

pls it won’t stop raining and he’s getting buried in petals

he really plays this game just to garden. this is not animal crossing this is Gardener Riddle Simulator now 

when he gets visitors, he demands they greet every villager in town as well. its the polite thing to do, after all

blathers is a fine lad but there’s one thing about him that really irks riddle

why is he complaining about doing his job?

he owns a museum, he asks for donations, and lets his personal bias get the better of him if given a bug (he says, yk, like a hypocrite)

bugs are part of the island and fit the criteria of things blathers asks for. there is even an entire wing of the museum dedicated to insects.

even if he has a distaste for bugs, the least the owl can do is his job. no one likes a biased educator

riddle wears a pretty little shirt customed designed with stars by sebek

cute, it’s really cute. except those stars are pentagrams, and both the wearer and designer still think they are a neat star pattern 

this was a relaxing game until riddle found out about the island rating system 

he will settle for no less than a 6, yes, six star rating

the bulletin board isn’t used for announcements it’s used for impromptu laws he declared

such laws include no vandalizing the board (only applies to ace), no slander towards one another (watch ur tone, Blanche), no tampering with the able sisters displays (he sees you, azul), and what looks like a wanted ad for Redd

yeah, it seems that azul & riddle have a common goal

sending literal long ass letters to his villagers if he catches them being mean to each other. 

after being enraged by the character limit because he wasnt finISHED, he settled for reporting them to isabelle

the peace era lasted a week

Trey

he loves the squirrel villagers so much, namely Mint. i’ll give you two guesses as to why

besides Mint he has a unique fascination for Blaire because she’s got the attitude of his classmates 😭😭

has the most variety of villager personality types on his island. the most normal villagers he’s had on there have peaked at 2 at one time. he likes the variety

or maybe he likes to convince himself hes the most normal one there who knows

gifts his villagers sunglasses when it’s sunny but then they kinda look like douches especially his jock villagers

keeps Flora on his island specifically so riddle can come visit her and chat in her home

it’s like an unbirthday party, but without any of the work #hallelujah

unsurprisingly his bathroom is the most furnished room in his home. other than that, he loves to decorate the outside of his house with flowers and has a constant rotation of wreaths on his door

big fan of Mable and Sable, they’re so sweet, reminds him of his go-to hedgehogs in croquet 

accidental dealer of furniture in heartslabyul

heartslabyul student C wanted a nice moon rug and asked trey if he knew how to get one, and trey went the extra mile to find & give it to him himself

the story spread and now all his students come ask him for stuff

he did not ask for this job </3

stocks up on mystery floorings and wallpapers whenever Saharah comes to visit

perhaps it is in his heartslabyul soul to make everything in his house whack

10000% laughs at the dad jokes in this game

let out a hearty ass chuckle at "i caught a snapper! its pretty dapper!"

no one but trey thinks they’re funny. clever maybe, but not funny

every time he sees C.J he points him out to cater and asks him about his hidden beaver relative

they talk the EXACT SAME. and trey thinks hes so funny for this (okay acc hes so right for this one)

everyone’s least favourite villager has to have some fans and that fan is trey. he has major “i can fix them” energy therefore he would love the most unpopular villagers

and by love i mean he is the only one that disapproves when lilia and leona form a temporary alliance to chase Barold around the island to hit him with nets 

Cater

you know damn well he went for the customizable phone case first

that horrific ugly phone case is so persistent in its survival that it transcends beyond the physical realm to do so

doodling on everyone’s bulletin boards so they get messages from their favourite senior <3

keeps one or two peppy villagers, but ultimately enjoys the chill of normal and lazy villagers the most

theyre just so kind.. and supportive :((

wants to collect all of the heart themed characters because they are pink and cute and full of love (is he convincing others or himself?)

ironically he doesnt end up collecting any of those villagers and his favourite villager is Cousteau because he has a funny mustache

let his favourite villager leave when they ask. he takes this so personally. thinks they didn’t wanna be there </3

Cousteau immediately went to rooks island too like. bruh okay then a fake french for a fake french >:(

cater now has a new favourite villager and it is Nate. they are besties, they are 4lyfers, he gets the best flowers around his house and the rarest of fruit

passes off the furniture he doesnt want to deuce and tells them they're gifts😭😭

obsessively putting smiley faces everywhere in his home to resemble his own room (???)

has matching mama bears with trey but instead of putting it inside it guards his house from the outside

having an identity crisis after the C.J comparison

he is not beating the C.J allegations but he loves to catch fish for him so they can take photos together

has a legitimate fear of Lloid because of the hollow eyes that crazy thing has. its like he can see into your soul 

because cater wants Lloid out of his island pronto he doesn’t wait for donations from his villagers he just pays up front

go away ASAP s’il vous plait🙏🙏

if you thought his dialogue consisted of 60% kaomoji before, its upped to the ninteys now

he's found a way to perform the reactions IRL and hasnt stopped since

in fact this is caters and kalims main form of communication

has a vacation area on the beach specifically designed with jamil in mind

not that jamil never visits, but his visits have increased to just chillax and take photos 

jamil is noticeably kinder to cater, and ruggie is seething in the back (gotta respect ur elders or smth idk)

has a million different fruit trees everywhere for the sake of fruit jokes

this is fruity island now, leave your zebra merch at the airport

unfortunately he gets unsatisfied with his island or villagers and wipes the file once every few months to start anew again

and because he’s indecisive, his name and island name will be the exact same too. 

rip to his classmates that have to scroll through 5 cater copies to find his current file. this is not how they imagined Split Card was supposed to be used for

Ace

uses the type in your own answer function for evil

makes his villagers call him weird names and makes them say inappropriate things

vendetta against the smug villagers. they sound like his bossy brother and grim

Wart Jr. happens to be his favourite villager. he’s never explained why

but grim & deuce say that he and ace both share the same smug ass look

ace does not agree with this statement

unspoken agreement from the dorm to not let ace into their world but he finds a way to break in and vandalizes their notice boards for the trouble

gave Hamlet a hamster cage and laughed when he displayed it

why cant he be nice😔

karma does come back around though, and it came in the form of Francine moving onto aces island

ace has never felt so much rage in a seemingly relaxing game

he doesnt even have a good reason for disliking her either she’s just too vibrantly blue for his liking

now all of the first years terrorize him with homemade good morning gifs of Francine that they edit themselves

high effort to cause ace as much inconvenience as possible, of course

his friends hate him because he blows up their console with “Ace Trappola is Online!” from all his time travelling

he’s trying to get this bitchass villager to move out why the hell is the STUPID bubble on everyone else but Francine!!?!?!?

100000% ready to reset his island just to purge his console of that damn bunny

hes so lucky that riddle does not do island inspections because his console would be forcibly taken away

at least isabelle is nice about it, but riddle would flame him

way too lazy to make his own custom designs so he steals them and subjects all his villagers to them

despite all of the chaos he sows, he’s one of the best terraformers and genuinely helps grim with his island. still bullies him the whole time tho💀

he reaches extremely high friendships with his villagers

yeah hes been working hard on the DL why is that so surprising >:(

Deuce

he loves Celia

he imagines this is what those indentured princesses in the fairy tales look like before their big transformation

plus Celia looks and is so friendly. she reminds him of his neighbours back home

making a gift out of anything he finds in the nook store.

wraps all his gifts too! has a bunch of wrapping to choose from to match his villagers. his villagers deserve the most!

gets giddy every time he receives a letter from Mom. gets angy that he cannot send letters or gifts back to her

at first he didnt really vibe with Cherry's punk look but shes got a soft place in deuces heart now. appearances can be deceiving and he respects that (some say he has a RBF). Celia has competition

sebek had told deuce that he and Cherry look alike and deuce pestered sebek for a while asking how to look less like a bad boy :((

even in game ace & deuce have matching everything. ace has Hamlet and deuce has Hamphrey to match

they both complain endlessly about their matching stuff but always refuse when their villagers request to move out

still keep up appearances though, they start wars trying to nab a villager the other wanted first

keeps being bitten by wasps because he doesnt know you can catch them with nets

whenever riddle visits he runs around and picks up weeds for him without scolding him

takes his job as the island representative very seriously. you will not catch him slacking in making sure his island is a well decorated habitat 

hasn’t gotten the hang of custom designs but trades the holiday DIYs to floyd in exchange for a few sidewalk/clothing designs

treats any request by his villagers as his god given duty

he was placed on this island to look after everyone and he is going to do his job WELL.

takes every and any opportunity he can to go on leonas island to admire the architecture and try to recreate it himself

has many heart ponds on his island after he unlocked terraforming 

once he had a sleepover with the first years and they switched consoles for the night

deuce was extremely nice and helped catch a few bugs and increase friendship with villagers for sebek. wholesome stuff

but of course the terror that is ace trappola was fighting for everyone else’s console to vandalize- i mean, terraform their island

safe to say no one’s island was safe from a pp pond. thanks ace >:(

deuce did get his revenge though, he teamed up with epel just to make a trash moat around aces house

even though ace is aware that deuce put up a bulletin post on his board calling him stinky, it has not been deleted lmao

Leona

gets rid of all the lion villagers, there can only be one member of the kingscholar family on this terf

he keeps a lot of the peppy villagers on his island

if asked, he will say they are annoying and won’t gtfo but it’s because its too silent and peaceful without the annoyance

hes too used to being interrupted all the time by a tiny cub jumping on him that he doesnt know how to function without it anymore wbk

not that he would kick out as many male villagers as possible but these jock villagers are getting on his nerves. like not even jack is that muscle obsessed

plus, big macho muscle men is such an outdated thing, grow up, Dom.

leaves gulliver alone. his business is his business

for someone so cranky, he beefs with the cranky villagers the most. says theyre so entitled and annoying LMAO

only one he doesnt beef with is isabelle. yeah, she gives him shitty ratings on his island but she’s so sweet, and she’s stuck with ruggies #1 enemy so she deserves the special treatment, you hear?

leona is the first out of his classmates to get his friendship high enough to receive a villager’s photo. no one knows how, but yea, leona and Stella are like besties now. they’re 4lyfers. BFFLS <33

what can he say, that island is his pride

makes a little library in his house, it sucks that there aren’t any readable books in this game so he studies the lore instead

he gets to one-up idia on the animal crossing expertise if nothing else🎉

places down mats and pet beds anywhere in case his lazy villagers need a lil nap (it’s not how it works but gotta appreciate the thought)

ruggie and idia have this weird cahoots going on where they leave pitfall traps everywhere for him. 

rivalry with malleus ended, new rivalry with these two gremlins

leona has beat the 'lazy' (is it really?) allegations hes making custom design after custom design just to spite his classmates

his interest solely lies in giving his juniors the True High School Experience

posts loving reminders on his classmates’ notice boards. such as a very “clean up ur island” on kalim’s and a very kind “the onceler called, he wants his island back” on azul’s

actually they’re not reminders at all, they’re just disguised insults

he also very kindly leaves fruit that epel doesn’t have on his island. he says it was his starter fruit (it was not) so he doesn’t need it 

in fact for some reason his island has become a playground for the first years

despite his complaints about bothering him, he always ends up opening up his island for them, even if hes still complaining during it

do not comment on it if you’d like to keep your eyeballs

Ruggie

runs a not-very-lowkey nook miles ticket business

take that azul, he’s the one drowning in riches now

made mad tickets by being an animal slave trader

azul felt it was morally wrong because they were so cute but ruggie does not give a flying eff

you all think azul's the person who treats people like pawns? absolutely the hell not

my guy ruggie & jamil are the kings of human (in this case, animal) meat shields & theres no time to debate morals in this economy

only one hes not keen on slaving away is Tutu. she simply looks too sweet for ruggie to subject that treatment onto

tries really hard to draw a lil picture of his classmates’ favourite villagers onto the notice boards, because he’s nice like that

plus it doesnt hurt to have a few brownie points with everyone :)

extends extra effort to get into jades good graces because 1. no one wants to be in his bad graces and 2. he is so high maintenance >:( 

ruggie is probably being hella scammed bc jade has been eating up his iron stash with nothing to show for until a few months later

living his fun little fishing dad life

bro’s a pro fisher, he’s beating the fishing tourney with flying colours. knows every fishing trick in the book & helps sebek catch all the fish he keeps scaring away

doesn’t matter who hates tom nook the most, because ruggie hates him more

his villagers are going to unionize. we rally under comrade ruggie

doesnt listen to a damn thing the raccoon tells him after the tutorial and only pays for his house if he runs out of storage

he writes letters to his villagers and has a daily graffiti notice board post to remind everyone that their island motto is “down with tom nook”

vive la revolutione

because history is important or whatever blathers said, ruggie decided to honour her majesty the queen of hearts with his island flag

it depicts tom nook under a guillotine 

riddle is slightly horrified

that One Time trey visited, he left with a new anti tom nook shirt bc ruggie insisted trey show off his hard work

unlike all of his other classmates, lilia is delighted to see so much passion and joins in on the revolution not knowing a single thing

one peruse into ruggies island and malleus is now convinced that tom nook is some sort of evil mastermind keeping the player and his villagers captive

Jack

increasingly disturbed by a villager named Ace who moved in

he gifted the villager a basketball out of kindness

but seeing how different the villager was from the ace he knew (cough cough, hardworking), jack would prefer if he moved out 

also a time travel anti. his friends are all time travelling but he will refuse to be tempted

stretches with his villagers every morning. it’s good to get the oxygen flowing for a good, energizing start to the day

all of his buildings have either hedges or flowers around them. hes very committed to the aesthetic of Mother Nature

joining riddle in the Gardener Simulator squad. his sole goal is making his entire island a pretty little garden

sometimes he does wish he could have Leif on his island permanently. he likes the friendly lil sloth creechure

not much preference in who moves into his island but he does have a penchant for the sisterly and jock villagers

they’re friendly and always keeping each other in check. it’s a mutually beneficial relationship

plus they have way more integrity than the rest of his friends lmao bye

personally vibes with Sterling for that diligent knight energy. jack has plenty of role models to choose from and this time he happened to want to learn from silver

even though his entire island is the most jock-oriented place, his favourite villager is Bangle. she gets along with almost all of his villagers and is always in a good mood. 

he thinks she has a good personality to lead the island pack

one of the few that tries to even give tom nook an ounce of respect. he wont join in on the hate but he wont necessarily defend the raccoon either

bless his big heart

the savanaclaw students adore jacks island and his complete butterfly exhibit

every friday after dinner, the savanaclaw students all huddle and play animal crossing together i will die on this hill

they love to camp out in jacks island and by the savanaclaw lounge, you’ll see a string of photoshoots in jack’s butterfly exhibit

who initiated this? why, leona of course! he’s giving jack the recognition he deserves & it gets the dorm bonding

(it also gets ppl to visit jack’s island more, which means ppl visit leonas island less😏)

puts up a daily motivational quote on the boards

got highly offended when sebek once compared him to a jock villager. it wasnt bc he hated the villager, it was bc sebek meant it as an insult >:(

Azul

his favourite villager is Marina

she’s super nice and has never hurt a fly. he complies to all of her whims. how can you say no to her??

finally, someone can understand idias penchant for cute things

in tears after knowing the octopi are sought after by the masses he’s so proud

was less proud when jade joked the octopi were endangered bc they were getting eaten like can you not >:((

cannot participate in the stalk market he time travels so much

sure, the weeds will increase but it’s a small price to pay for efficiency 

pays his debts as fast as possible. not because he’s a good noodle, but because he won’t risk interest (even though there is no interest)

has an ongoing (one-sided) rivalry with redd and gathers all of the real artworks he can get

the paintings are a good deal he supposes but redd truly needs a better atmosphere if he wishes to continue selling

his boat doesnt even look approachable, & ambiance is a big factor when getting your clients to be comfortable. azul could totally lend out a few tips. all for the generous price of free!

he changed his mind after he misclicked and bought a fake painting, so he decided to pawn it off saying it was real. as a famous princess once said, some things never change

he’s long completed his art collection, but if you’re in need of a certain artwork, you can have it for the right price <3

pissed as hell over the snooty villagers. you think you’re better than him huh???

or, that’s what he wishes he feels. he just feels bullied in his own domain

money DOES grow on trees so therefore azul’s island is decorated in bell trees

he got excited when a tree dropped a coin. 

got less excited when he picked up the coin and it got put in his wallet

he thought there were different coins and he could have a digital coin collection too :(

builds something akin to a mostro lounge 2.0, not really for monetary purposes, it’s just a nice outdoor plaza for his villagers to hang out in :)

mad respect for his villagers who go to the lounge during winter season. it is very cold :(

but they look so adorable in their sweaters and hats and scarves🥺 jade, floyd, perhaps its time to invest in a miniature clothing line

a completionist! he will try to earn every achievement, and complete his critterpedia!

he heard riddle wanted to complete the critterpedia so azul did it first to impress him, but all riddle told azul is that he needed to spend less time on the game osijfgnrfg big L

Jade

starting hissy fights with floyd over the villager he wanted moving into floyd’s island

refuses to let floyd on his island for weeks because he’s So Hurt. just look at how upset he is :'(

had Raymond during his hype and refuses to let him go to this day. he’s gotten attached

hes got some cool ass preppy vest and their eyes match!!

often mentions that he wants to invite Tia on his island in hopes someone gets the hint

(so far no one has yet, but jade is a master at playing the long game)

has a concerning amount of sharks on display: both in tanks and as plaques

he misses the hunt <3

kept refusing to give back wisp’s body in hopes something would happen but ur basically forced to give it back ugh

how boring. he hoped there wouldve been consequences or something

actually he hoped that wisp would lose his shit

his house isn’t really for living in, it’s for storage. his home is the outdoors and hes placing down the furnishing to prove it

many forget that jade is also just living his best life, just a little guy. hes so jealous of his villagers. he too wants to only water flowers, fish for hours, and visit his nice neighbours in their pretty little homes

almost always wearing some kind of wide-brimmed hat to really sell the image that his home is the outdoors

cater is constantly handing jade some more trendy clothes because he thinks jade’s fashion is atrocious, but jade. never. wears. them.

hell, next year he might just use his island as a way to recruit people into the mountain-lovers club

makes ugly ass custom designs and genuinely think it looks good (anyone remember that one time jade dressed himself?)

forget leona, maybe it’s jade that has the uncle fashion. socks with sandals and all

aside from his own kin, no one has seen him physically hold a console in his hands, yet, his hours in this game would give idia a run for his money

theres some skeletons in the basement yeah

no seriously, he has skeletons in the basement. it looks like a jail. theres custom design blood on the floor

all that iron he's been pilfering from ruggie goes into steel bars👍👍

but he’ll say its for educational purposes

between you and me though, thats the corpse of Chadder. he hates rats- wait what do you mean wrong game??

Floyd

loves Zucker because “he looks edible” 

because of course he’d say that

terrorizing one octopus wasn’t enough he needed to terrorize two

obsessively resets his island until he gets peaches

fighting with jade over his console to drop iron for him

his house looks fine and normal in every room besides the basement. 

there’s seven skeletons chilling in there with bubblegum k on 24/7 loop

its a skeleton rave because they deserve to have fun too goddamnit

out of the twins, floyd has the neater house. hes quite committed to the aesthetics of his virtual space 

his happy home academy scores have reached the peak and hasn’t moved from there at all

it’s also vil certified! he really liked floyd’s home and told him he could land a career in interior design

says he’s gonna custom design the octavinelle uniform for azul and yassified it up so its a crop top & shorts now :D

dont forget them knee high boots

had fun designing but it was less of a “mini matching octavinelle uniform for us awww” and more of a “what would azul hate to wear”

(azul absolutely fuckin hates it to shreds so yay!! mission accomplished!)

even though azul reluctantly wears it, floyd had legitimately made the real uniform for him should azul choose to change clothes

his home storage is filled with 80% clothes bc of course his shoe collection carries over to the virtual space

horrible person he loves to scare wisp but will never hunt the ghost bits to give back to him

once he got his hands on the ocarina it was over for his multiplayer invites

his most used tool frfr. depending on the day he’ll play a pop song he memorized or a cacophony of sounds

kalim is the only one who thinks its a good idea to extend floyd an invite to the pop music club

like ace, also uses the type in your own answer function for evil. except he forgets what he writes all the time and it jumps back in his face

villagers be asking him a month later if his favourite hobby was “de-boning Blathers” and then saying they “should try it out themselves”

probably owns Saharah’s entire collection of mystery everything, and just like lilia he will run around and bury them on other peoples islands like some kinda hamster

another one that just pawns off stuff to his juniors, but instead of calling them gifts he straight up says he doesnt want it before handing them off

at least he’s honest LMAO

Kalim

his entire head is a radio that is constantly playing bubblegum k on loop

leaves stuff all over the place then forgets about it

when a villager gifts him something he will make sure to put it on or find a place for it to display right away

look at the cool leaf umbrella Pashmina gave him!!

personally vibes with the peppy villagers the most since they’re so upbeat. he tries his best to talk to Wendy every day

spends most of his bells on random furniture to place everywhere. his home storage has always been empty because he wants to display everything

he especially puts in extra work for the seasonal furniture but he’s constantly out of materials

runs circles around his villagers in greeting

takes advantage of the many reactions at his disposal. makes happy gestures at his villagers in greeting

he leaves fruit and picnic baskets all over the island in case his villagers wants to hold an impromptu party or have a lil snack

vending machines are a MUST

food is his love language! 

gifts too but you can only give one a day :(

gets super sad when his villagers dont want to repeatedly talk to him

puts nice lil messages into his friends notice boards and draws a lil stick figure of himself to accompany them

kalim mentioned one day that he would wear an entire line of clothes vil designed and vil puts a few of them on kalim’s island

kalim most enjoys it when his villagers wear vil’s designs because he can match with them! thanks vil :DD

hes always wearing a wetsuit underneath in case he wants to go for a dive

adores the little seal, he goes swimming often just to bump into him to give him scallops

sticks around after he hands over the scallops just to see the seal hold it

encourages his classmates to take lots of photos with him

only his fossil and art exhibits are full

(the art exhibit not really because he doesn’t know how to spot the counterfeit artworks)

he doesn’t want to take the sea creatures away from their home

this does not apply to the insects though. call him blathers’ comrade because he is a valiant knight in chasing away the bugs on jamil’s island

in exchange, jamil farms materials for kalim (why is he always short on softwood???)

Jamil

floyd breaks into his island to hit all of his villagers with nets

emphasizes with blathers because of the mutual hate for bugs

not appreciating ace making crappy renditions of jamil as blathers on the notice boards

steers clear of flick. that has got to be the freakiest thing hes ever met and hes had several conversations with rook hunt

he can take all the bugs tho, if jamil was brave enough to catch any

the lazy villagers are absolutely adorable and wholesome but jamil is sobbing on the inside. listen its nice that you want to share your fruit with your friends but u can do better than insects

if those six-legged devils are invading your space, sooner or later, you’ll be contracting the entire alphabet of hepatitis

drives all the smug villagers out of his island. he doesn’t want this negative energy in his safe haven

he keeps a few peppy villagers. he thought he would tire of them quickly, but sometimes u need a lil happy-go-lucky energy as a pick-me-up

lets kalim pillage all of the coconuts on his island for his coconut tree forest

silver’s favourite villager resides on jamils island and he asks all the time if he can come over to say hi to them

silver keeps telling him that Plucky reminds him of his dad because he also gives silver daily self-defence tips and sleeps hella late 

and u know what the more jamil hears of silvers father the more confused he gets. its hard to condense so many unrelated characteristics into a single personality, but apparently silver’s dad has it all

spends an ungodly amount of time in the able sisters and nooks cranny because the characters follow him around like little ducks and he likes the sound of their liddol footsteps

also very much appreciates all the authority he has on this island its the small semblance of control his virgo ass can get

he can legit tell a villager to move their house somewhere and they’ll agree with a smile

always treats his villagers with respect

has a strange obsession with fire. he places campfires and torches all over the place

will not rest until his island looks exactly the way he wants, down to the last detail

hella annoyed during island recruiting because he cannot pick his villagers, and everyone’s uniqueness is clashing with the aesthetic jamil was going for, now he has to change it

his favourite villagers are the normal personality ones, and if he could control the villagers that move in, he would have an island to Poppy and Bertha’s liking

another one of the cries when he receives letters from mom squad. shes just really sweet.

Vil

when Whitney moved on his island he got reminded of jack then took it back after getting to know her personality. ik it looks like a bad thing but its not, she grew on him very quick

not very fussy about his villagers, no matter how strange their designs are 

ik ur probably thinking “but some of them are so ugly”, yeah but vil lives with twink he-man tailing him every day

nah im joking its bc he talks to his villagers often and they’re so nice and vil Gets Attached Easily

besides, they love all the clothing and furniture vil gives them. vil can’t even get epel to appreciate his own looks, this is a certified W for vil

sometimes its the inside that matters most <3

while vil kind of still has a bit of celeb status in-game, it’s not over-the-top, so it feels extremely refreshing to be regarded as Just Vil

plus the close-knitted community in the island reminds vil of home. its nice

wishes his villagers were nicer to each other but there isn’t a scold option in the game >:( might report them to isabelle

makes it a mission to get rid of a cranky villager after seeing them be mean to Gala. Whitney is the only ‘mean’ one allowed here

dreaded inviting leona to his island for one reason and one reason only: he put his own designs into able sisters

please, Gala is wearing leopard print, this is a crime

made his own custom designs to fill leonas island with them. the third years stay beefing for eternity

(according to trey, leona camps on vils island waiting to snatch Gala up)

besides the weaponry potential he has, vil spends most of his talents on making really nice designs

rook loves to wax poetry on the artistry of vil’s mind & then he ends up creating more. it’s a continuous cycle of art appreciation <33

speaking of rook, he had gifted vil an amiibo card of Étoile telling him ‘a star for a star’ 

vil does a very bad job hiding his favour towards her

but he does let rook take any lion, tiger, or gorilla villagers off his island (sigh)

found the most enjoyment after one of leonas favourite villagers left and came to vils island, saying that they finally realized they deserved better💀   

but cater so graciously opened his mouth to dub Cheri as “leonas leftovers” and yeah, you can probably imagine how that turned out

Rook

the hunting instinct has Awoken

mans has every fish & bug & sea creature in the critterpedia

he did lots of island hopping to do so

need a tarantula? he’s got cages of them. they’re so fuzzy and fast and their eyes are so cute!

jamil has sworn off ever visiting rooks island. evidence of his hunting instinct are inescapable

unfortunately for jamil, rook is loud and proud about the fruits of his labour. invites everyone to come take a look at his island and museum

azul comes in frequently to take pictures in the aquarium

jade would be bonding with rook more over the hunt but, they started a bet over who gets the highest score in the fishing tourney so, no bonding today

(there was no competition to begin with since ruggie swept up the entire tourney anyways)

never fails to send each and every one of his villagers a personalized letter telling them how much he adores them

‘you look radiant when you’re asleep’ holds merit because some of his villagers do nap under the trees, but it’s a still a pretty unusual comment to receive

nevertheless, his villagers are very receptive to him and tend to send him many letters back

gets max friendship with so many villagers so quickly and for why?? he just wants their portrait to display in his house

theres a room full of portraits and really it looks more like a hitlist than a documentation of his journey of friendship

do not ask him to choose a favourite villager, for he finds beauty in them all. it is simply too cruel to ask him to pick just one

unleashes the voices in his head onto the bulletin boards

they are mostly love musings and occasional tiny drawings

some of the times they are helpful hunting tips!

idia claims that there was no need to inform his villagers about how to preserve the hide of a jaguar but you never know when his villagers need to defend themselves against The Unknown (no he will not elaborate)

camps on everyone’s island to take the villagers that are moving out

yes, it is a shame that they must leave monsieur magicam's island, but he too understands the calling of adventure. please, come join his island for a rest until the next island awaits :))

hosts bigger goodbye parties than kalim. rook would be a terrible island representative if he did not give a heartwarming farewell to his now former villager, oui?

their time spent together was enriching, but who is rook to stop them from pursuing another destination on their journey? people often forget that there is beauty in endings

Epel

also obsessively reset his island until he got a certain fruit

once he got his pears he traded them with jack for his apples

almost exclusively keeps his island in winter as it reminds him of harveston aww

not appreciating the comparisons to Apple

extremely not appreciating sebek putting her into an enclosure because he doesnt like the interior of her home

considering sebek partook in the comparisons to Apple, epel is now banishing any crocodile villagers to the furthest corner of his island. they can live in isolation😡

it really doesnt last long, he got attached to Gayle. like father like son fr

even funnier his favourite villager is Judy but he will tell everyone that its Boots

he also has the most fruit trees on his island out of everyone. ace raids epels island all the time to steal fruit and sell it off (mostly with permission, but theres always that one time without)

happily gave azul some tips on tree placement & how to display as much as possible bc this is his Expertise

cue the next week azul was constantly asking epel if he needed any furniture and epel finally named something he wanted

low and behold he got it in the mail and azul stopped pestering him

huh. his seniors are really nice, arent they? :D

vil made a regal little flag design for epels island that epel swore he would never use but it’s always there when vil visits

he absolutely keeps the tune rook composed though. it sounds like boss music #weballin

highkey adores the able sisters (especially sable) they’re so kind they remind him of his town’s elders 

his villagers constantly compliment him and give him clothes🥺

unlike with vil he will happily wear whatever cute shit his villagers give him, even if he prefers the cool stuff

like you said vil, charm & cuteness is a weapon and its one his villagers exploit heavily. he’s jotting down notes the next time he wants vils lessons to end sooner😏

diligent with his landscape you will never see a single weed anywhere

his tree stumps are intentional and his tree placement is all arranged nicely

takes up gardening too and is the second to get the gold roses, but it didn’t fit with his island, so he passed them off them to malleus instead

kindly takes off the flowers colonizing riddle’s island to put them in his

can we get a round of applause? for epel has every species of flower on his island !!

Idia

finally, a place where he is The Boss and people will respect him for it

ortho recommended this game to him so they can play together

(it was mostly to comfort him after his favourite ship didn’t become canon)

cried the first time his villagers gave him a compliment :((

When Audie tells him “I managed to make some awesome friends, like you, Idia!”, he understands now why ortho told him to download this game

sniffling through this game it’s so wholesome

ofc he knows the lore about Audie its why shes his favourite

idia decides to keep his island full of peppy villagers to suit the vibe, match the aesthetic, etc

the only exception to the personality rule is if theres a cat villager, then they’re forgiven for any and all crimes

(this is a trick question, for they can do no wrong)

memorizes his villagers’ preferred gifts bc they get nothing else but the best!

actually all of his custom designs are cosplays. his villagers wear his designs. hes leaked water over this game more than hes ever in his life

isabelles soft, cheerful energy is really what gets idia through his day. shes the perfect amounts of outgoing without being too overwhelming

many people often believe that vil is catty but idia is literally right There

hes a bitch and everyone knows it. its just super forgettable because theres so many other aspects of idias personality that overshadows his mean bitch energy

idia will specifically go to azuls domain just to insult his trees and the placement of his furniture

he approves of the yassified octavinelle outfit tho its very tasteful

judges people who don’t know super obscure details like why do you have to be a casual AND normal about the game pick a struggle >:(

makes little mods and tweaks to the game. he coded in that his villagers can lie down on the mats, hammocks, and on the beach

four updates in though, a bug occurred and his villagers roll around on the ground like how they do in beds

it was way too funny so idia kept it that way and didnt patch up the bug

if anyone passes by him in the halls they might hear him singing acnh tunes

absolutely evil. doxxing people (its ruggie) for trying to auction off Bob & kicking his feet and wiggling his toes while talking to Audie the next second

he finds out that ace really wants to get rid of Francine so yeah, idias making derogatory drawings of Francine on ace’s notice boards and sending him anti-Francine memes

nothing brings two people closer together more than mutual hatred they said

Ortho

he’s inviting all of the robot villagers and they are having a blast

is very supportive of Ketchup’s dreams to be a popstar! he regularly puts microphone stands near her house and gives her lots of sparkly clothing

hes a fan of all the duck villagers, really. their little beaks and happy faces :)

his favourite villager is Doc. no particular reason but ortho has always wanted a grandparent

plus Doc talks about comics and superheros and ortho will not miss an opportunity to nerd out (even though Doc’s opinions are very on the safe side. ortho thirsts for controversy)

once ortho visited riddle’s island and asked for Kid Cat if he moved out

riddle gave him a generous donation of flowers to send Kid Cat off with😭😭  

if idias skipping his 8 hours of sleep, ortho will make him do the stretches with the villagers (hes the reason why they're all out of sync)

technically ortho joins in but he doesnt exactly need any stretching

hacked the star fragment trees into his world. low risk, high reward!!

uses those trees to recreate the stargazer tree and designed his own starsending gear to go along with it☺️

shared the design with jack and invited him onto his island for a photoshoot

jack is amazed by the trees and says he cant wait until he can grow star fragment trees and ortho just smiles through it all

jack would be so disappointed to learn ortho got them in less than legal means

maybe he'll hack them onto his island in secret

also puts his own little mods in. he makes some custom design furniture and FINALLY PUTS THE FROG CHAIR IN

even adds some characters he wants and brings back the ruthless dialogue from the past AC games

personally makes an entire set of furniture that references his favourite movies (extra care is given to ones vil has starred in)

ortho’s playstyle is a lot less wholesome than idias because he likes a challenge

he made an entire DLC called animal crossing: survival island because he heard silver talking about it (probably works like minecraft hard mode)

put pride flag custom designs in the shop to wait for his villagers to come out :) 

after they “come out”, ortho makes a little backstory on it and gets idia to guess their stories. he’s got lore in this island now !!

fluent in the entire soundtrack. he makes the noises, hes downloaded the bgm

ortho wants an irl isabelle and he’s preparing a 70-slide powerpoint presentation to convince idia to get him a dog

kinda overkill since all ortho needs is to give him the puppy dog eyes

Malleus

for the sake of this hc lets say he at least knows the controls

confuses this game for pokemon and tries to “catch” his villagers with the net

gets confused when they get mad at him

hes very very amused by how normal his villagers treat him

these tiny little animals are cowering in fear by the thought of ghosts even though they are technically walking over bones of the dead

they gas him up so much for the tiniest things he does and if it were anyone else but these fluffy animals he would think it was belittlement

it feels like he’s important, not for his titles nor his accomplishments, but just because his animal friends love him

he can see why silver loves to talk to the birds now

when he’s on someone’s island he can lurk and be afk until he’s kicked off

has statues everywhere. he doesn’t really know how to pick them up after theyre put down so don’t mind the random statues by the airport

tries to put down as least furniture as possible bc of one too many incidents of him picking up the sidewalk instead of his fruit

anyone near him during this can add many ancient curses to their forbidden vocabulary👀👀

when his villagers threw a birthday party for him...

rumours say the valley of thorns was sunny for the first time that day!!

his favourite villager is Coco and he cherishes her with his life

he also has a certain favour towards crocodile villagers as well, namely Drago bc he shares the name of one of his tamagotchis

doesnt do much in this game but talk to his villagers

loves the night walks in the game because he can bump into two things Celeste, or Wisp

hes so intrigued by Celeste shes fr just chilling and living her best life looking at the stars. it reminds him of lilia

given lilia is way more devious so maybe not😔

Wisp is a lot less brave than any ghost hes met and malleus thinks hes adorable. he feels very guilty for frightening him all the time however

it felt so dehumanizing trying to catch a dragonfly he was pouting for weeks

highkey cannot drop the game because he left for a while and when he came back his villagers were wailing about how he left them alone for months

hes never leaving them alone again he doesnt want them to feel abandoned

Lilia

his name in the game is not lilia, oh no

his name is dad. he is now the proud father of 10 more children

11 counting isabelle

debates are still on the table of whether or not tom nook is a legitimate dignified son of lilias

he even has a time out corner for his naughty villagers

its just him barricading that villagers house

he did barricade resident services for a good 15 minutes before receiving an amiibo card from silver and he wanted to use it

favours the lazy villagers because they are a certain brand of adorable and they try to make friends with everyone

technically loves all his villagers but he always points out Kevin because he ‘looks very friendly’

had a big ass laugh after deuce compared Kevin’s smile to treys

when he’s on someones island he treats it like hide and seek. he will never be found

getting access to the custom design was fun for lillia, but not for anyone else

sometimes he throws down some eldritch horror, sometimes his outfits look like a glowstick exploded

his island is in permanent halloween mode 

buries random shit on other peoples islands. they dig it up thinking it’s a fossil and instead get mystery wallpaper, random stacks of clay, and random diys

call it an everyday egg hunt if you will

he has three rooms dedicated to kitchenware and is trying to (more like going to) find a way to cook smth nice for his villagers. its the least he could do as thanks

if not then he’ll just buy fruit baskets and hand them out to his villagers. he’s such an asian dad

doesnt bat in eye when his villagers knock up on his door and barge into his house

he's welcoming them with open arms. why of course Pudge you can sit on the ground and read ur book for as long as you want ^^

he'll be doing his own thing too #parallelplay or something idk

(on a side note, Pudge’s face is probably how every visitor on lilia’s island feels)

Silver

thought there were going to be more survival elements to the game since it starts with himself & a group of animals on some remote island 

as soon as the plane was hovering over the island, silver was ticking off potential water, food, & shelter sources

threw him for a loop when he found out how peaceful this game was. it’s pleasant :)

doesn’t stop him from valiantly chasing off the wasps and scorpions and fleas away from his villagers

don’t worry Lolly, you’re under silver’s protection now. nothing will hurt you :)

even though the threats in this game are minimal, silver keeps lights & campfires all over just for safety reasons

if his villagers end up lost, all they need to do is follow the light! and if they want some alone time, the fire can keep them safe & warm <3

he thinks Flick is adorable. has a shy little personality and likes to make art and bug friends (?) 

constantly supports Flick by giving him bugs for commissions. everyone deserves the chance to follow their dreams :)

peacefully picking seashells on the beach while sebek is scaring away all of the fish

really fond of the zodiac furniture. he wants to collect them all

he makes around 100 wishes every time. just lays his console down and presses A

thinks celeste is very sweet. sad that she doesnt visit often

certified photographer. he takes a lot of pictures with his villagers because he’s just. so happy they like his island, they like each other, it’s such a wholesome atmosphere

cater and silver have a shared magicam account dedicated to their pics it’s very cute and the followers mostly consist of savanaclaw and diasomnia members 

loves seeing his villagers interact with each other. their conversations are so cute, they visit each others homes!! bros gonna sink into his mattress and flood it with tears

do not underestimate him, even if it is most likely made up, silver will become fluent in the Language of the Coded Animals

he will not curse but the animal noises are the closest he’ll get if he ever chooses to

all of his villagers get a royalty treatment. silver's residents are the most spoiled residents ever

fills his notice boards with drawings of his villagers saying nice things, like reminding him to drink water, or to hug his friends

at the same time he also puts in survival tips just like how lilia raised him. its a very contrasting mix of messages

Sebek

even online he is Too Much

sprints everywhere and wonders why all the bugs and fish flee

hes got places to be and no amount of time to waste

his home interior is a lot like diasomnia but bro do not let him get ahold of the custom designs

im sure hes a really good artist but anyone who's tried operating the custom designs knows that it zaps any artistic skill you've ever learned

traditional art? fucking amazing. acnh art? now ur kid with a purple crayon

stick figures. drawing the diasomnifam does not work. theres 4 stick figures. one has horns, one has bat wings, ones surrounded by animals, and one is Just Green.

his priorities shifted to practicing custom design until he mastered it

does not take commissions. if he ever bestows a custom design onto someone, its a sign of sebek’s approval/respect of them

hes very committed to the aesthetic. hes terraforming his island every single week based on his current mood (bros going thru it)

competes with silver for every kind of grading they get (happy home academy, island rating, etc)

this is what motivates him to come back and play

dont be mistaken either this is not one-sided. mutual rivalry is the best way to keep the other improving !!

hoards all of the holiday materials to make the diys that he doesnt have or collect

personally having the maddest beef with the snowboys bc one accidental nudge of a snowball resulted in them insulting sebek’s snowmen-building competence

sebek obviously does better the next time, but then the snowboys are just so egotistic for no reason. all they did was sit there and get built, they could never measure up to his master malleus, or lilia

by the third run-in with the snowboys, he just opts to crush or drown the snowballs. the winter DIYs weren’t worth the effort

the fued w/ one Ace Trappola has not ended since the day he got the console because they wanted the same villager and started fighting over Agnes’ amiibo card

amiibo cards can be used multiple times and clearly they both do not know this

probably the only one out of the cast to actually use the 'ask blathers' feature

the owl is a very dutiful and knowledgeable curator. sebek believes he can learn much from him

only thing to complain about is how often blathers is asleep during the day. if blathers were a retainer he most certainly would not make the cut.

[justabigassnerd]

Custody Battle

Pairing - Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x daughter!reader, Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

Word count - 3,942

Warnings - swearing, mild injuries, someone grabs a child

Summary - Jake opens up to the team about the one time the mother to his daughter came back into his life, and how she almost ruined it in the process

A/N - hey y'all it's a new part of the 'Hangman junior' universe! When I mentioned that I wanted to maybe include the mother for a bit of angst, an anon suggested this plot to me and I spun it into this! I hope I did the idea justice (also full disclaimer I don't know how custody cases nor courts work, my only experience is through playing Phoenix Wright and that's not that reliable aha). Anyways I'll stop rambling now. As per y'all, please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!!!

To celebrate Bradley finally moving in with Jake, the couple decided to invite the rest of Dagger Squad around to have a few drinks and hang out. The team all knew the move was bound to happen. After all, Bradley spent more time at Jake’s house than he did at his own house. When the team arrived at Jake and Bradley’s now shared house, they made themselves at home in the living room after grabbing a beer each.

“Where’s Hangman junior?” Fanboy asked as he settled himself into where he was sitting on the sofa, sipping from his beer as he looks around, expecting you to pop out of nowhere.

“She’s spending the night at a friend’s place.” Jake explains as he settles next to Bradley. The team grumble about your absence but are soon distracted by their drinks and food as they celebrate the move. At some point during the evening, the team decide they want to play ‘never have I ever’ just to pass the time since they had no dart board or pool table to bet money on each other. The team managed to have fun with it.

“Okay, my turn.” All attention fell to Payback as he rolled his beer bottle between the palms of his hands as he pondered what to say.

“Oh, I’ve got it! Never have I ever been to court.” He says, a smug grin on his face as he leans back in his seat.

“Does jury service count?” Bob asks, taking a handful of peanuts from the bowl.

“No. Just going to court to like testify or being put on trial or some shit.” Payback says, he was sure no one was going to take a sip from their beer but everyone except Coyote became shocked when Jake lifted his beer bottle to his lips and took a sip. The team erupted into chaos, demanding to know what happened. Coyote offered Jake a reassuring smile and Bradley grabbed Jake’s hand to give him silent support.

“He doesn’t have to tell us anything.” Phoenix says to the group, glaring at Payback and flicking Fanboy on the side of the head.

“It’s okay Phoenix. I might as well tell you guys.” Jake says, squeezing Bradley’s hand softly.

“Were you a murder witness or something?” Fanboy jokes, regretting his words when he got a second flick to the side of his head from Phoenix.

“It was a custody battle.” Jake says simply, taking another sip from his beer as the group descends into more chaos, being shushed by Phoenix and Bob quickly.

“What happened?” Bob asks quietly.

“If I tell you this. You cannot tell y/n. She doesn’t remember this, and I’d like it to stay that way.” Jake instructs firmly, staring directly at Fanboy who raises his hands in shock.

“Why are you looking at me?” He complains, noticing how everyone else in the room is also looking at him.

“Because you’re shit at keeping secrets. Especially from y/n.” Bradley states like it was the most obvious fact in the world.

“I promise I won’t tell y/n.” Fanboy says, crossing a finger over his heart and looking over at Jake who nods slightly. With confidence that Fanboy will keep his mouth shut about this whole situation, Jake begins to tell his story.

Jake was out in town when he saw her. Javy had come back from a deployment and Jake offered to take him out for a coffee to catch up while you were having a playdate at a friend's house. You were four, verging on five and you meant the whole world and more to Jake. He couldn’t imagine life without you. He entered the café with Javy, the two men chatting happily as Jake places an order for the two of them and paid. When the drinks arrive, they move to sit at a table so they can chat some more about what had gone on with Javy’s deployment. Realising he’d forgotten to pick up some sugar, Jake quickly excuses himself to grab some sugar from the front counter.

“Jacob?” Jake tensed up when he heard the all-familiar voice and turned to face Lauren, the girl who left him in the middle of the night with nothing more than a note.

“You leave me in the middle of the night and now I’m Jacob? Real nice.” Jake scoffs, grabbing the sachets of sugar and heading back over to Javy and sitting down opposite him once more. The two get at least five minutes of undisturbed peace before Lauren appears in his peripheral vision, arms folded as she stares down at the men.

“Can I help you?” Jake asks, a bored tone to his voice as he looks over at his ex.

“Where’s our daughter?” She asks, making Jake raise an eyebrow at how she suddenly cares about you.

“Why does it matter to you? You never gave a shit about her before you left.” Jake retorts, glaring at her.

“Well, my parents figured that now I have a stable job I could take her back in. It would be much better for her to be living in fear of you not coming home and leaving her alone with no one to care for her.” Lauren spits venomously, her words cutting like a blade through Jake’s heart. But Jake refused to give her what she wanted.

“You’re not taking her from me. I’ve spent the last few years raising her while you wanted nothing to do with her. Her home is here with me.” Jake says firmly, not letting Lauren see that she was getting to him with her comments. Letting out an enraged huff, Lauren turns on her heels and retreats, leaving Jake alone with Javy once more.

“I am so sorry you had to see that.” Jake mutters apologetically to his friend who shakes his head dismissively.

“It’s all good. I take it she’s y/n’s mother?” Javy says, getting a solemn nod from Jake.

“She wanted nothing to do with y/n. Left both me and her in the middle of the night and now she thinks she can just waltz back in and take my daughter away from me?” Jake says angrily, taking a sip from his coffee as Javy watches carefully.

“Well, she’s going to have one hell of a fight if she wants to take that kid. She’s got to get through both of us.” Javy says, a light grin covering his face that Jake can’t help but mirror, touched by his friend’s willingness to help. Jake then smoothly returns the conversation back to what they were talking about before Lauren popped up.

In the next few days that passed, Jake assumed Lauren had simply moved on and he wouldn’t be seeing her again. However, one Saturday morning while Jake was sitting with you curled into his side watching cartoons, the doorbell rang. Jake carefully detangled you from his arms as you whined and attempted to cling to him again.

“You stay here and watch your cartoons, sweetheart. I won’t be long.” Jake says with a soft smile, kissing the top of your head and wrapping you in the blanket that the two of you had been sharing before heading to the front door. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a man in a suit and Jake immediately felt underdressed in his naval academy t-shirt and sweatpants.

“Are you Mr Jake Seresin?” The man asks, glancing from the envelope in his hand to Jake.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Jake confirms with a nod, worry beginning to settle in his stomach at the formalities and beginning to get a bad feeling.

“Court orders for you. A Miss Lauren Hall is wanting to take custody of your daughter. If you have any questions, there’s a number in the envelope you can call.” The man says, holding the envelope out towards Jake who takes it hesitantly. Jake thanks the man half-heartedly before closing the door. He heads back into the living room, plastering a small smile on his face when you light up upon seeing him again.

“Daddy!” You grin widely, holding your arms out towards him and making grabby hands in his direction. Jake immediately joins you, moving to sit you on his lap. He hugs you tightly, smiling as you cuddle into him, wrapping your little arms around his neck as he presses kisses to the top of your head. As you giggle at the antics of the cartoon character on screen, Jake tightens his grip on you ever so slightly, willing the tears back into their ducts. He wasn’t going to let Lauren take you from him.

When the time came for Jake to go to court, he fought to keep himself calm for your sake. He wore the smartest suit he had in his wardrobe and dressed you up in a dress you loved. He hated that you had to come with him, but the court demanded it. When Jake opened the front door, he came face to face with Javy who offered him a soft smile.

“Hey, Jake.” Javy says quietly, greeting his friend.

“Hey, Javy.” Jake responds, just as he’s about to turn around to pick you up, you darted towards Javy happily.

“Uncle Javy!” You exclaim happily, rushing towards the aviator.

“Hey there, junior. Don’t you look pretty today!” Javy says, scooping you up with ease as he grins widely at you as Jake’s phone buzzes in his hand. Jake had hired a lawyer who had been helping him with everything and Jake learnt he’d have to state his case himself with other witnesses. Jake knew he was in for a fight so he enlisted Javy’s help to testify as well as a few parents of your kindergarten friends who had gotten to know Jake over time.

“Daddy said I had to look pretty today.” You say with a laugh as Javy tickles you quickly, hugging him once he’s stopped tickling you.

“Well, you’re looking like a princess.” Javy praises, looking over at Jake who is watching the interaction with a gentle smile.

“We should probably head out.” Jake says, regretting ruining the moment but knowing that he can’t be late. Javy hands you to Jake and leads him to his car so the three of you can head to the courthouse.

When the three of you were sitting waiting for the court session to begin, Jake couldn’t stop his leg from bouncing. His lawyer leant over and quietly reassured him that this was an open and shut case. Since Jake had been your primary caregiver, he held a much better chance of keeping you than Lauren did taking you. But Jake also knew that the courts, no matter how much they deny it, have a bias towards mothers rather than fathers.

When the judge called the court to order, everyone fell silent. The judge speaks to both Jake and Lauren’s lawyers and lets them take the floor one at a time to give an opening statement. Each lawyer presented their case and then the judge moved on to hearing from Jake and Lauren. Jake was questioned first, being asked about what it was like to raise you alone as a single father and why he thinks he should maintain custody of you.

“I’m in it for the long haul. From the second I held her, my daughter has been the centre of my universe. Everything I do, I do to let her have the best life possible. I’d never do anything to put her at risk. I love y/n so much.” Jake said honestly. He knew he’d never been a man to be open with his feelings, but he figured if there was any time to be completely open it was now.

“Okay, and since you are a naval aviator, you know you run the risk of being killed in action. Does y/n have someone who would look after her should anything happen to you?” His lawyer asks, glancing from the judge to Jake.

“Yes. I made Javy her godfather. He would be the person to look after her if anything happened.” Jake says, his gaze shifting to where you were sitting on Javy’s lap, and he couldn’t stop the small smile that crossed his face when he saw you grin and hug Javy a little tighter at his words. Jake got asked a few more questions before he was allowed to leave the stand. Jake was sure just from his words alone that the court would be in his favour until Lauren took the stand. Lauren spun a story that she left so she could work to get money and that Jake cut off all contact and moved across the country to take you away from her. Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing from this woman’s mouth. His anger only increased when she started saying that he couldn’t possibly be a suitable parent for you when he had to go on long deployments and how he could die and leave you with no one to care for him, insisting that Javy was also at risk of dying due to being an aviator as well so was, therefore, an unsuitable person to care for you.

Soon enough, the case progressed to testimonies from friends and family. Javy was up first, and he passed you to your friend’s mum with a whispered promise that he’ll be back soon before heading to the stand.

“Ensign Machado, you’ve been a close friend of Ensign Seresin since you joined the academy, is that correct?” Jake’s lawyer asks, standing in front of the stand Javy was sitting at.

“Correct.” Javy confirms, nodding his head in response as he glances across at Jake.

“And you helped look after y/n Seresin as her godfather?” The lawyer questions further.

“Of course.” Javy says.

“And what would you say your opinion is of my client as a parent?” Jake’s lawyer then asks. Javy looks over at Jake, shooting him a small supportive smile before talking.

“I don’t think it’s so much of an opinion than it is facts. Jake Seresin is the best parent out there for that little girl. It’s clear to anyone that he loves his daughter more than anything else on this planet. Most dad’s our age would rather spend their night at the bar but Jake rushes home the second he’s finished at work to make sure he can spend time with y/n. He’s giving her a great life. She’s grown up with such a loving father and I’d hate to see her taken away from him.” Javy testifies, fighting the urge to smugly smile over at Lauren when the lawyer nods in approval at his words. When Javy was dismissed, he returned to his seat and got you situated on his lap once more as you hugged him. Jake looked over his shoulder to watch the interaction and wished more than anything that he could comfort you.

After Javy, Lauren’s new boyfriend Steve took to the stand. He praised Lauren and said she’d been crying and missing her daughter since he met her. Jake couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that comment. Lauren had never given a shit about you before she left and since Jake never blocked her number on his phone she had every means to contact him if she so desired, not that Jake would be that willing to let her back in straight away but they could’ve tried. Jake’s leg started bouncing again as her boyfriend continued to talk, winning over the hearts of those gathered by spinning a sob story. When the parents of your kindergarten friends testified, Jake thought his chances were improving again until Lauren’s mum took to the stand. She spun the same story, saying Lauren was devastated at leaving you behind with Jake, claiming that Lauren went back to the old apartment and found that Jake had up and left with no warning. When Jake’s lawyer tried to object, stating that Lauren was aware of Jake’s application to the naval academy, Lauren’s lawyer fired back that as your mother she deserved the right to know when Jake was going to move. Jake clenched his jaw as the judge regained order as he felt his chances to keep you slipping away. When the testimonies had finished and both lawyers had given their closing statements, all attention fell to the judge as she called for a ten-minute recess so she could come to an appropriate conclusion after reviewing everything mentioned in the case. When the court was officially adjourned for the recess, Jake’s lawyer excused himself along with most others in the building while Javy approached with you sat on his hip. Upon seeing your dad, you wiggled out of Javy’s arms and rushed into your dad’s comforting hold.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Jake says softly, smiling up at Javy who smiles back.

“Can we go home, daddy? I’m bored.” You whine, looking at your dad with your famous puppy dog eyes and as much as it broke Jake’s heart and made him want to whisk you up and leave the courthouse, he knew he couldn’t do it.

“Soon, baby.” Jake says gently, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as you hug him tighter and whine once more into his blazer. Jake held you a little tighter and glanced back up at Javy, both men hoping and praying that you’d get to stay with him. When the ten minutes were up, Javy took you into his arms once more and returned to his seat while quietly reassuring you that you’ll see Jake again in a minute. You sat on Javy’s lap, quietly observing everyone as they filtered back in and found their seats.

“Court is back in session. I, along with the jury have come to a decision. Bailiff, could you bring y/n forward?” The judge says and a bailiff approaches Javy, asking if you could follow him. You hesitantly get off Javy’s lap with his gentle encouragement. The bailiff places a hand on your back and encourages you to walk to stand before the judge. You wanted to go to Jake, but the bailiff told you that you needed to stay put.

“After considering the facts of this case. We have come to the decision that y/n Seresin would be better off living with her mother, Lauren Hall.” At the judge’s words, Jake’s heart plummeted into his stomach and his eyes welled with tears. That was that. You were going to be taken away from him and he knew that Lauren wouldn’t ever let him see you again. As if she was expecting this result, Lauren turned to face you, crouching down and holding her arms out to you.

“Come here, sweetheart. Come to mummy!” She tries to encourage you in a sickly sweet tone but you shy away, trying to hide behind the bailiff. Steve, quickly growing impatient with you not cooperating with Lauren, made his way forward and grabbed you harshly by the arm and began pulling you over to Lauren as you wailed and cried.

“Get your hands off her!” Jake yelled, immediately leaping out of his seat and making his way over to Steve before he got stopped by the bailiff.

“Sir, there’s no need to get involved.” The bailiff states calmly.

“No need? He’s hurting my kid! You’re going to let that asshole take my kid from me?” Jake demands, almost yelling in the bailiff’s face as you cried out for Jake, trying to pull away from Steve’s grip. Another bailiff had to stop Javy from leaping in and getting involved when he saw Steve grab your arm. The judge, silently observing the ordeal, slammed down the gavel and ordered silence just as Lauren and Steve were about to leave.

“Everyone is to return to their seats, and Mr Jones you are to release y/n right now.” The judge orders, and slowly and reluctantly, people return to their seats while the bailiff leads you back into the middle.

“I have decided to overturn my previous decision as it was clearly made in error. Instead of having y/n go to live with her mother. Full custody will be granted to her father Jake Seresin. Bailiff, let the girl go to her father.” Jake couldn’t believe what words left the judge’s mouth. The bailiff let you go, and Jake immediately got out of his chair and knelt down to catch you as you launched into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder as Lauren storms off, Steve and her parents in tow as the other gathered people besides Javy leave the courtroom.

“It’s okay baby girl. You’re okay. They’re not going to come near you again. I promise.” Jake whispers in your ear as he hugs you tightly, allowing a few tears of his own to fall. He presses several kisses to your temple, glancing up at the judge and mouthing a silent ‘thank you’ to her before focusing all of his attention back on you.

“Did he hurt you?” Jake asks quietly, gently pulling away and taking your arm in his hands, inspecting where Steve had grabbed you harshly. He could see red marks from where you had been grabbed and he was sure they’d turn into bruises in due time.

“A little.” You mumble, looking down at your feet while Jake examines your arm. Jake peppers delicate kisses all over the red marks before looking back at you.

“There, your arm will start feeling better in no time.” Jake says with a gentle smile before scooping you up and setting you on his hip as Javy approaches, a worried expression on his face.

“Is she okay? I’m so sorry Jake I should’ve-”

“She’s okay. And you have nothing to apologise for Javy. I’m just glad she’s still here with me.” Jake says, freeing one hand to clap Javy on the shoulder with a grin that Javy couldn’t help but mirror.

“Let’s get the kid home, shall we?”

No pair of eyes from Dagger Squad left Jake the entire time he spoke. Bradley refused to let Jake’s hand go, rubbing his thumb along his knuckles to provide silent support while Javy offered to take over telling parts of the story but Jake told him that it was okay and he could do it.

When Jake had finished telling the team what happened, the silence that had fallen over the team remained in place for a minute or two before Bob finally spoke up.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Jake. I couldn’t imagine having to deal with almost having your child taken away from you.” He says, receiving a grateful smile from Jake.

“I hope none of you go through it.” Jake says, surveying his friends as he speaks. Bradley gives Jake’s hand a soft squeeze as he speaks.

“Well, she’s here with us. We don’t need to worry about your ex coming back.” Bradley says softly, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Jake’s temple.

“If she did dare to come back, she’d have to get through all of us and you before she got to y/n.” Fanboy says, lightening the mood and earning a chuckle from the entire team, all of them knowing they’d do just about anything to protect you.

As the team falls back into their conversations, sipping on their beers and laughing. Jake observes them all while moving to cuddle into Bradley’s side, grateful that they were the people he got on his team when he came back to Top Gun. Except they weren’t just his team anymore. They were his family.

taglist (comment or message to be added):

@zbeez-outlet @kaceywithak @tsnelf7 @starkleila

[spuffybot]

The new season of Vanderpump Rules is airing in a month and I’m so not ready for the world to turn on Ariana.

For those of you who don’t know, Ariana’s long term bf (9 years, owned a home together) was cheating on her with one of her best friends and cast mates for 7 months. The discovery and fallout went viral and became a pop culture sensation (covered by the news, major talk shows, etc etc). The world rallied behind Ariana and she turned the scandal into lucrative business deals including a book, a majorly successful run on DWTS, and now a role in Chicago on Broadway.

The problem is, people have short memories, especially when it comes to women and their pain and anger.

I’m reading a book called Trauma and Recovery by Judith L. Herman, and in it she discusses how people are more comfortable siding with the abuser / oppressor because it requires nothing of them except to pretend the abuse never happened. When we side with the “victim” we take on their pain, we empathize with them, and this can take a toll. It’s a lot easier to put it out of your mind than it is to take up for the person who was harmed.

We already saw this start to happen after the reunion aired (in Bravo reality tv, the cast watches the show and then gets together for a reunion where they confront each other over what they watched). At the reunion Ariana was angry and she didn’t hide it. She had only found out about the affair a few weeks prior and the pain was fresh. She didn’t hide her hurt, her rage, or her pain. It was truly cathartic and beautiful to watch, but many people started to turn on her. They were willing to rally behind her when she was the saintly victim of an affair, but not when she was vengeful and raw and open. Comments online went from calling her “queen” to saying she “went too far” a common occurrence when women are vulnerable and express their emotions without censoring them.

It’s been months since that reunion aired and Ariana has used that time to shine. She had an amazing run on DWTS and just announced a run on Broadway as Roxie Hart. Though she gained notoriety through the scandal she has more than proven she deserves these opportunities, demonstrating her incredible dancing skills week after week. And yet, already I see people saying it’s “too much” that they’re “over” Ariana and it’s “unfair” that she get these opportunities.

As we gear up for a new season, I fear the tide will continue to turn. Ariana has even expressed concerns herself:

Add to the situation the fact that her ex, Tom Sandoval is a fan favorite who has been on the show since day 1 and you have an audience who is primed to turn their backs on Ariana in favor of the comfort of enjoying Tom and his antics.

We see this scenario play out in real life all the time. It’s much easier to ask women to bottle up their pain and “be the bigger person” than it is to hold men accountable for their actions. No one’s life should be ruined over an affair, Tom is worthy of forgiveness and moving on, but why do we prioritize men’s comfort over women’s pain? Why can’t we create space for Ariana to still be angry and hurt, even if it’s awkward and uncomfortable for those around her? Why can’t we root for her to win, regardless of how much time has passed? Why are we always turning on women the second their pain becomes inconvenient?

We see this narrative play out in all corners of life. Those with chronic pain are viewed as complainers and fakers because accommodating their lived reality is inconvenient. We turn off social media or “check out” when the weight of suffering in the news becomes too much. We get annoyed with friends who are depressed and won’t “snap out of it” and we avoid those who are grieving or suffering heartbreak because it’s awkward.

There’s a cultural push to judge and condemn those whose pain is “too much” and who don’t let it go. But pain and trauma and healing doesn’t work like that.

I don’t have the answers but I hope I’m wrong. I hope this season airs and we can continue to root for Ariana, to show up for her pain and her joy in equal measure and to continue to believe she is worthy of success. It may seem silly to care so much about reality tv, but this situation just mirrors things I see play out every day. I hope we can collectively learn to hold space for the uncomfortable, the awkward, and the painful even when we don’t understand it.

[starryjuicebox]

Beloved (8) - Revelation

Summary: A necessary conversation is had.

Pairing: Ascended!Astarion x Tav

Word Count: 981 words

Masterlist | Ao3 Link | Next Chapter

Kythorn 1494

Astarion has secured a seat on the Council of Four. He came back to the manor and picked me up, spinning me around as he boasted of this victory. Then, he slipped a diamond ring on my finger. 

I, the Princess of Silevren, shall be joined in matrimony to the newest Council member. It feels more like a formality than anything else, as everybody already acknowledges me as the Lady of the manor. 

When I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of my wedding day. I just never expected it to be happening like…this. 

He does not understand my melancholy. I grieve the seven thousand people, each with families and loved ones of their own, that were damned because of my weakness. There were children included. Ones that will experience eternal torment due to my failure. Every glance in the mirror is a fresh reminder of my sin. Any time I partake in blood that is not his, I fear how it was obtained. I dare not share any of this with him. Astarion showers me in jewels, luxury, and affection. His ascension and my damnation was my folly to begin with. How could I complain? 

Last night, he had another nightmare and held me tightly. They happen so frequently. Astarion is somehow more afraid than he ever was before, and merely compensates with arrogance. It breaks my heart.

Astarion won’t let me out of his sight, for fear that something may befall me. If he leaves the manor to conduct business, he sends three servants to watch over me. I feel smothered. 

Last week, I had transformed into a dove to feel the wind in the sky. I thought he might burn down the entire manor in his consternation when he arrived home. I soothed him by lying that I was merely resting and hadn’t noticed his return. I was too late though, and the servants had already been killed. 

How can we heal from this? How do we move forward? Is it even possible? 

Stella Lunaris 

Love? Astarion knew love. The gravest crimes committed in the world were committed for love. A hunger crueller than bloodlust. He had told himself he would ruin her love, used it until she was nothing. 

And he had. Hadn’t he? Was that not the reason she no longer looked at him the way she had…before? He had succeeded in ruining her love. Over the past three centuries, he had been watching her waste away, slowly disappearing even if she was physically with him. 

It felt awful. 

Perhaps that was why he had wanted her to smile, why seeing her so hollow invoked anger and frustration inside of him. 

He just hadn’t wanted to admit it. 

Stella remained motionless on the floor, head bowed, but he saw the teardrops sliding onto the baby blue satin of her dress. Her hair curtained his consort’s expression from him.

For the first time in centuries, he was briefly at a loss for words. Was she telling him that despite the change in her behavior, she still loved him? 

He decided to latch onto something far easier to talk about and retorted, “You hate what I have become? Your hands are as bloody as mine, darling. Why would you go along with any of this just to pretend you’re innocent now?” 

“I know. I am not innocent at all. I’ve become a monster, and turned you into one too,” came his lover’s melancholic response, thick with tears. 

Astarion bristled, crossing his arms defensively. He desperately tried to ignore the foreign pang in his chest. “I have always been a monster. The Rite just made me a free one. But you? You are no monster. You are my dark consort. My treasure, and my most beloved.” 

How could she speak so poorly of herself? Had she been feeling this way the entire time? Gods, no wonder she had been miserable. These useless thoughts had to be banished.

He sighed, before guiding her to stand, and she buried her face into his chest. Wetness bloomed onto his expensive doublet, but that was of no consequence to him at all. He held her close, because that was surely what she wanted. It also somehow lessened the strange ache inside his own chest.   

“Thank you for saying that, but… I can’t take it anymore, Astarion. Seven thousand people died because of us. The guilt eats me alive. It’s been centuries, but I still can hear their anguished screams. And you - you’ve changed so much since that day,” her wails were muffled by the cloth.  

Gently stroking her hair, he said, “I have changed, for the better. I am so much stronger than I was back then. And those spawn would have unleashed incredible carnage upon the world. It was for the better that their lives were put to use.” 

His words seemed to cause her to pause in consideration. 

“That…may be true, but did they not deserve a chance to live? Just as you did?” 

Astarion sighed, before kissing the top of her head. “It’s too late for regrets, darling. They’ve been dead for three hundred years. Besides, I needed the power to best the brain. The pathetic weakling I was before could never have destroyed it on his own.” 

Stella finally tilted her face upwards to meet his gaze. “Seven thousand trees, for seven thousand souls. I…can’t take back what’s been done, but at the very least I can honor their memory. And their contribution to saving this city.” 

As much as he wanted to roll his eyes at her soft-heartedness and the pointlessness of it all, he supposed it was worth doing, if just to make her feel better. “As you wish, my love.” 

The tiniest ghost of a smile appeared on her face, and he felt the pain in his heart begin to ebb away.

[drachenfalter]

So, @lollytea recently made a post about what the B.I. equivalent of Christmas could be, and I was inspired to write this quick piece.

Crustus Night

Bonesborough

“I don’t know why you even bother writing her an invitation anymore,” Matt complained to his half-brother as he hung up the fairy lights. “She isn’t even family.” And she wasn’t his friend anymore, either.

Like every year, the Tholomule family had gathered to celebrate Crustmas together. This year, Matt’s parents were playing hosts.

“Come on, Matty, it’s Crustus Eve!” Steve replied cheerfully. “You know she doesn’t have anyone else. And no one should have to spend tonight alone.”

Matt didn’t know why his half-brother still insisted on including his former friend. 

“Hey, Bria isn’t a kid anymore, Spiky.” Matt’s dad walked in holding a box of old crustmas weapons. “Hasn’t been in a long time. She’ll be fine on her own. The Crustus Monster only goes after children, remember?”

He set down the box of weapons and started sharpening a blade.

“Of course, neither are you two. This should be a pretty boring Crustus, without any children in the house-” Matt’s father continued, but Matt stopped listening.

Without any children…

It was just a hunch, a vague idea. And he wanted to tell himself that he must be wrong, that Bria didn’t need a better reason to ignore Steve’s invitation for the last few years. But if he was right…

“Shit.”

—

Latissa

Bria paced across the courtyard, hands tight around her weapon as she inspected walls for weakpoints and scanned what might soon become a battleground. The walls won’t protect you, a nasty little voice in her head reminded her.

She knew that from experience.

There was no hiding from the Crustustious Carbuncle, a monstrosity preying on children every year that the more fortunate had dubbed Crustus and formed a big celebration around.

They had it easy. If you had the numbers, defeating the monster wasn’t all that difficult. It was easy to forget (or ignore) that such a monster could not live on an empty stomach.

Sure, Crustus could not hope to win a fight against a full family of witches.

But that didn’t matter. Because there were other places.

Places full of children that no one cared enough about to take into one’s home.

Places that weren’t as well protected.

Places like the orphanage she grew up in.

“You know, I remember you saying you’d never go back to that shithole again,” a new voice interrupted her brooding.

“I did.” She turned around and faced her childhood friend. “What are you doing here. Don’t you have a family to hang out with?”

Matt looked at her with something like pity, which only made Bria angrier. “Steve sent you an invitation,” he stated, looking around at the pitiful gathering.

“I know,” she said. He started looking around to avoid her eyes.

“That’s… everyone?” Matt asked, gesturing at the few caretakers that cared enough to stay and the handful of teenagers just old enough to fight. It was a pitiful showing, considering the number of children they were trying to protect.

Bria huffed in irritation and looked away. “It’s all voluntary. What do you expect?”

Matt sighed and went silent for a moment. “You could have said something.”

“To you?” She gave a sarcastic laugh, then got serious again. “We’re not friends. You made that pretty clear.” With that, she turned away and continued her fruitless job of checking the walls. “If you’re just here to complain about me not coming to your little family thing, you might as well leave.”

He didn’t answer, but also didn’t make any move to leave yet.

When she glanced back at him again, he was on his scroll, looking way to relaxed.

“What. Are you still doing here,” Bria bit out. The sun was quickly setting and they really didn’t need any distractions.

He raised his eyebrows and smirked at her.

“Getting you some more volunteers.”

[invisibleletterstoafriend]

monday, 19/9/22

Sometimes I am reminded of the fact that my family hates each other. And I don’t mean the general unpleasantness of being around them for an extended amount of time or the screaming and crying I’ve grown accustomed to. I’m talking about when we’re sitting at the dining table and eating dinner and no one can think of something to say. Because I think it’s easier to feel better about our situation when no one’s really trying. When we all leave each other alone and when we outwardly don’t give a shit about each other, it’s easy to find something to blame. We didn’t eat together, we didn’t ask each other about our days, we were so busy that we fell out of contact for so long, Mom was stressed and she wanted to be left alone. Those excuses make it sort of okay - we're distant emotionally because we’re distant physically. And it’s easier to just not talk about the years of abuse, manipulation and rejection when you’re all staring at a screen.

Where it gets complicated is when there’s an actual effort being made. I’m not saying I hate my family - there’s just an air of tension and dissatisfaction between everyone that feels a lot like hatred. And now, we have no excused not to talk to each other, to not be normal. Because suddenly, you can’t keep saying “We were watching TV, we didn’t get to eat all together, everyone’s doing work, everyone’s busy on their phones!” Instead, we’ve sat at the dining table like last night and we’ve gone on family trips like Christchurch. The destination could be the most beautiful place on earth but we would still be unhappy as long as we’re together. We barely talk to each other and when we do, it’s always negative. People are so angry on the inside - including me.

And I don’t understand how Mom can expect me to act like her child when she refuses to interact with me unless it’s to show displeasure or to tell me what to do or wear. She doesn’t hug her children like a mom should, she’s mean-spirited. She refuses to joke around with us and when she does ‘joke’, it is most often at someone else’s expense. These days, she probably won’t hear a word you say to her unless you wait for her to take her earphones out. She is barely responsive. When I say ‘good night’ or try to show her affection, she is cold. Then she says she doesn’t know what we want from her, yet when we tell her, she always has some excuse as to why we’re being unreasonable. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have much a mom most of the time. When someone asks me what my mom’s name is, I refer to her but there’ll be a part of me that feels like I’ve gotten the answer wrong.

Dad seems to think that suppressing your trauma is the same as forgiveness. That simply trying to forget all the terrible things that have been done to you is the same as healing. I think that’s because he’s a people-pleaser… like me. He wants people around him to be smiling and happy, regardless of if it hurts him or if people don’t care as much as he does. He’s mostly supportive, he feels like my parent more often than not. His anger is usually deserved, instead of a way to gain control the best way he knows how. But I also think he’s so focused on being right, on being the smartest guy in the room or not letting Mom down that he forgets to protect his children when they need him the most. So when everything is tense at home, he will always find a way to take his wife’s side, even when she is hurting the people he claims to love the most. But he’ll always come back to you when the shouting is finished and he’ll tell you that his wife is irrational, hostile and that she didn’t mean whatever she said. He’ll be frustrated in private, complain about her and then ‘move on’, leaving his children with conflicted thoughts and a damaged sense of trust. I don’t think he realises that talking shit behind her back is just as bad, if not worse, as saying all of this to her face. The only difference is that she’s not there to hit him and scream at him the way he knows she would.

As the days go on, I see my sister becoming more and more like Mom. She is becoming an angry, wrathful person. I’m not saying she doesn’t have a right to feel mad, confused, scared and betrayed…it’s just that she lashes out at people and rejects others until they’re of use to her. Exactly like Mom. Don’t get me wrong, I love that kid like she’s my own. But I don’t try to parent her, I try to protect her; in this family, those two things are worlds apart. When she was 6 and I was 9 and things were particularly hard, I did everything I could to keep her distracted, emotionally taken care of and out of danger as much as possible. I didn’t do it because I wanted Mom and Dad to pat me on the back when it was all over. I did it because I love her more than anything. Except, now that she’s getting older, she lives under the impression that she knows better. She's almost 15 but she's been stealing alcohol and taking it to school just to get through the day. She posts things on her private stories, asking people if they have weed because, in her words, she needs it. When she's been having panic attacks at school, my parents either put the responsibility on me or have treated her like she's seeking attention. I can see that she is on a dark path (through no fault of her own) but no matter what I try to do to help her, she doesn’t always want me there.

I don't know where I was going with this. Point is, really, I want to leave. As soon as I can. And I want to be able to take my sister with me if I can. I've always said I didn't want her to have the childhood I did and here she is, getting exactly that.

[sukirichi]

black magic [01]

REQUEST. arranged marriage + enemies to lovers (sukuna is a simp and lowkey a housewife)

CONTENT/WARNINGS. some suggestive scenes, but overall fluff and romance! slight crack fic, I guess? I was laughing when I wrote this lol

NOTES. I NEED A HUSBAND! SUKUNA I’M GOING TO CRY GOODBYE THIS HAS ME SOFT. also anon i’m not sure if you wanted something with more ~sexual tension~ since this is kind of just comedic, but I hope you like it anyway!

part one | part two (nsfw)

“This is new,” you comment with a glare, your ankle propped on Sukuna’s knee.

“Shut up,” he rolls his eyes, pushing your skirt aside to clean the wounds you attained through exorcising curses. You’ve taken a particularly strong curse today and you’re caught off guard, barely finishing the mission unscathed. Limping all the way back home isn’t easy especially since you live on top of the darned mountain, but if Sukuna’s going to kneel in front of you like this...maybe it wasn’t too tough a journey. “You should stop going to missions you’re not ready for. Look at you, all wounded and bloody.”

“You sound like you care.”

“You’re my wife,” he huffs while dropping the bloody towel on the floor. Sukuna wraps the bandage around your ankle and carries you bridal style even though you’re perfectly capable of walking, but he shoots you a silencing glare. You’d have knocked him in the face any other day, but he’s particularly warm and smells nice today – plus you’re beat – that you bury your face in his chest, ignoring that stupid fluttering in your stomach. “Of course I do.”

You snicker, mind tracing back to your earlier years of this dreaded marriage.

It definitely wasn’t the best – the memories blurring between strangling each other to making out as if breathing was never a thing – and it felt like forever ago when you first met him.

You’d never say it out loud, but... you don’t regret this arranged marriage. Not when Sukuna is tucking himself beside you on the bed, your head above his muscular chest a place similar to home. He covers both your bodies over with a blanket, pulling your body closer to him with a strong arm, his lips pressing onto the crown of your head.

Ugh, you think to yourself, giving in to the need to cuddle your husband after a long day of work. You still refuse to say it out loud, though, and you irk him further by muttering, “That’s not what you said two years ago.”

“I wasn’t in love with you then.”

 “I refuse to be married to you!”

Sukuna fights back the urge to cover his ears. Ever since your clan decided to visit his land and started exorcising curses one by one, his life has been nothing but hell. Not only are your relatives the most arrogant people ever with a consistent god complex, they just had to let their little mortal child be in charge of taking on the stronger curses. Seriously, what were they thinking, sending you – who’s barely even out of their training bra years – to deal with curses like him?

Everyone knows Sukuna is a no bullshit man. He won’t hesitate to cut your head off the moment you came raging at him, but then he sees how young you are and decides to send you back to your family.

Expecting that everyone would just call it a day and he’d get offerings for his unexpected mercy, Sukuna is beyond stupefied when they send you back to his temple, all dressed pretty with a basket of fruits and flowers braided in your hair. He remembers growling because you look adorable, but that’s easily wiped away when you open your mouth, your voice scratchy against his ears as you stomp your feet like the young mortal you are.

Sukuna pushes a thumb to his forehead to ease the impending headache, and that’s just from your presence. Something inside him tells that you’re going to be a bigger pain than you look.

“You don’t have much of a choice. You should’ve thought of that before deciding to run rampage over my land,” he reminds, turning boredly to his lone servant from above his throne. Sukuna isn’t impressed, to say the least, especially with your clan’s audacious proposition to gain his favour just this once. “Is this really the woman you bring me – the one they insist to be my wife?”

“She is their best fighter, my Lord.”

Well, he can’t disagree to that. You did, after all, single-handedly give him a cut on the cheek. “She’s feisty indeed.”

“Don’t talk as if I’m not here!”

“Mouthy too,” he mumbles to himself, but your sorcerer senses are sharp and easily picks up on it. He sees you flush angry again, looking immensely adorable with your tiny fists clenched like that and he snorts, waving a hand in the air. “Whatever. Get the wedding over with,” he nods to his servant, his sigh loud and tired as he makes his way to you.

You don’t stiffen at each haunting step, his eyes only glimmering harder with entertainment. It’s rare to find a mortal that doesn’t quiver at the sight of him, the urge to break you only growing stronger.

Even as he cups your face, making sure to not let his claws dig into your precious skin, Sukuna smirks. You’ll be entertaining indeed.

So Sukuna makes a promise, four eyes surveying the way your body is starting to fill in curves at the right places, the swell of your flesh just perfect in his hands... He chuckles to himself, daunting you further as he leans down to your ear, taking pleasure in the slight way your breath hitches. “Maybe then I’ll get to teach you a lesson or two.”

You’re definitely something else, taking advantage of each presented opportunity and not wasting any time before you make your move. Right after the wedding and everyone’s left, leaving you alone with your new husband behind closed doors; you push him until he’s on the ground, legs straddling each side of his hips while you growl above him – the sound similar to a battle cry.

Sukuna merely smirks, barely moving a muscle as his large hands come up to rest on your hips to steady you. “I’ve imagined countless ways you’d be on top of me like this,” his eyes light up with humour upon feeling the cold blade on his skin, “None of them included a knife on my neck though.”

“Shut your mouth. I will kill you myself,” you warn, pressing your knife harder until it draws a slight tinge of blood.

You hardly look threatening above him like this, dolled up to look the best in your wedding with this cursed being. If anything, you look more divine than deadly, and Sukuna thinks that perhaps your beauty could be your best weapon. You are bewitching, after all.

“I refuse to be your Queen and sit next to your throne.”

“Then why didn’t you stop the wedding?”

“I—”

Sukuna’s teasing grin grows wider when you pull back, trying so hard to not trip over your words. It takes all of his self-restraint to not take you right then and there, but he does a good job of holding back, enjoying this view above him instead. “Could it be you’re attracted to me after all, hm, little one?”

“Do not test me, Curse. I’m more than capable of exorcising you myself.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. You’re the strongest in the Gojo clan, are you not?” he prompts to appease you, “I don’t even want to see what you’re capable of, but maybe, just maybe...” just as his eyes darken, the edges of his lips turning up into a smirk, Sukuna digs his claws into your thigh in a possessive show of ownership, a painful reminder that you’re his now. “...You could put on a little show for me?”

“I hate you!”

Experienced and strong as you are, you’re nothing compared to a thousand year old curse who’s killed a lot more people faster than you could blink. Sukuna immediately notices the animalistic way you draw your blade, arm swung back with rage written all over your face. Before you could so much as bat an eye, he easily switches the positions until you’re under him, using only one hand to pin your arms above your head, your blade effortlessly thrown to the other side of the room.

“As I thought, you’re a lot prettier under me like this,” he observes, roaming his eyes shamelessly over the fabric clinging prettily to your body. You’ve fallen silent at his unconcealed attention, your compliance enticing him to lean closer just to inhale your intoxicating scent.

“Not so feisty now, little one? Where’d all your hatred for me go?” Sukuna pulls back with widened eyes, “Oh? Am I hearing it wrong or is your pathetic human heart beating so loud right now?” You refuse to look at him, wriggling your hips in an attempt to leave, completely unaware that the mere movement is hypnotizing the curse above you. Sukuna grips your hips in warning, not wanting to destroy you – not now, anyway. “You know all you need to do is say it. I’d gladly take you right here and then.” His words spoken with that deep, throaty voice immediately sends a wave of heat down your core, but you turn away from him, breathing hard and nervously; something Sukuna picks up on in an instant. “Little one...have you never had a man hold you like this before?”

“N-no...”

“I see. Pure and innocent behind that ferocity, huh?” He surprises you by pulling away, smoothening his white robes down as he leaves you panting still on the floor. “Fine. I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.”

“I’d rather die before that ever comes out from my mouth.”

“We’ll see about that,” he smirks, winking at you before he shuts the door. “Little one.”

There’s a lot of weird – and utterly inconvenient things – about being Sukuna’s wife. The man eats everything, absolutely everything, and it doesn’t help that he sucks at hunting too. For a man so huge and burly, he sure is lazy, preferring to do the laundry in the riverside instead while you go out every day to prepare your meals.

You actually don’t mind, but it’s very fun to complain around him.

You’re on your way back to the temple when Sukuna grabs at you, making you drop the freshly caught birds onto the ground. Your brows furrow, about to scold him for being too eager again when Sukuna stares at your arm, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Following his line of sight, your lips form an ‘o’ shape. There’s blood trickling down your forearm from his claws accidentally cutting you, guilt written all over his face. Another weird thing about Sukuna is that he babbles a lot when he’s emotional, and you’re too tired to hear him beat himself over it that you just drag him inside your room, sitting his ass down before taking a clipper.

Sukuna scoffs when you start cutting his nails. It irks him that you don’t even bother wiping the blood off first and he tsks, eyes narrowed at you. “You should have thicker skin.”

You roll your eyes as you file his nails; you’ve been married to him long enough to know it’s his way of saying sorry. Not wanting to let him wallow in guilt any louder, you pad kisses over his knuckles before swiping the black ink off your desk, using a pen brush to colour your nails instead. Sukuna hovers behind you, head tilted to the side as he watched you. “Are you painting your nails black?” he utters in disbelief, trying to ignore the fact he feels...proud and even a little smug. “Not so fitting for the angelic sorcerer now, isn’t it?”

“I’m only doing this so you don’t feel left out.”

“Maybe I’ll add markings to your pretty face too,” he cups your jaw to make you turn to him, landing a solid kiss flat to your lips which makes you sigh, pretending to be annoyed but leaning over for another peck anyway. Sukuna laughs and pulls you onto his lap, kissing your neck this time around, a little annoyed that you don’t stop in brandishing your nails. “Wife, what do you think?”

“I have work, Sukuna. You flirting with me doesn’t change the fact I need to go.”

“Come home safe for me, at least?” he breathes down your neck, his touch sending shivers down your spine. You’ve definitely changed since the first time he’s met you, starting from a mean (although he stands strong that you are still mean to him sometimes) temperamental little one to a mature, stronger sorcerer who’s secretly weak for his wife.

Unable to resist him as always, you turn around once you’ve finished painting your nails, rubbing your nose over his until your strong, scary husband is turning into putty at your hands. “Of course I will,” you peck his lips one last time, Sukuna’s eyes closing as he dives in for a deeper kiss. “I’ll always come back home to my handsome husband.”

If anyone were to ask how it’s possible that the King of Curses is actually very soft for his sorcerer wife, everyone would claim it’s impossible and a heresy – but if you ask Sukuna, it’s probably just black magic doing its wonders.

[zivazivc]

Pinocchio AU

Okay people want the explanation for this comic so here it goes. It’s long and complicated and MESSED UP because of course it is, this is me. I’m going to write in points because my small tired brain can’t handle good english atm but basically to sum up the Adrien was a sentimonster theory or Pinocchio AU as I like to call it:

Young married Emilie and Gabriel can’t have kids. Gabriel reluctantly accepts this fate and even brings up adoption as a possibility once, but Emilie doesn’t want to hear any of that. She’s a bit of a Marinette in the sense that she pictures this romanticized ideal life for herself and a child—her flesh and blood—HAS to be in it.

They keep trying to get a baby while other young families Emilie knows keep growing. She feels left out and hurt and depressed, then her newlywed twin sister announces she’s expecting a baby too and something within Emilie just unhinges.

She eventually lies to some of her friends, who she was out for coffee with, that she’s pregnant too. She mostly does it just to see their reaction and feel what it would be like but it quickly spirals out of control where she just starts pretending she’s pregnant until you can’t even tell if she believes it herself.

Gabriel is confused at first because he hears the news second hand (a friend/family member congratulating him) so he’s apprehensive when he approaches his wife but she convinces him that they really are getting a baby and Gabriel is ecstatic.

It’s only later at a doctor’s check up that Gabriel learns that she indeed is not pregnant. The doctor even speaks to him alone explaining that his wife is in denial and that he should make sure she goes to see a psychiatrist, something she definitely wouldn’t do alone.

Gabriel is unsuccessful with that because he’s not entirely persistent, doesn’t want to be the guy with the crazy wife having to tell everyone she lied about being pregnant, and hopelessly believes she’ll just get over it eventually.

That is until her “pregnancy is near due”—her sister already had Félix in England a few months ago—and he stumbles on her transformed with her peacock miraculous (they already have both of them) creating a sentimonster newborn.

They have a huge fight about it but because Emilie refuses to destroy it, won’t tell Gabriel where the amok is, and Gabriel can’t just hurt the baby with his hands, Emilie just… wins. Fucked up, yeah?

Now she tried creating kids before this one, using her imagination to try and blend her and Gabriel’s looks but it just wasn’t working. So she decided to copy of photos of baby Félix because he already looked almost like a copy of his mother, and Amélie and Emilie already looked alike so it’s not so weird?—is what her mind was telling her.

She didn’t dare alter his looks but she decided to give the baby Gabriel’s eye color to include the “father” in some way. (Yes in that comic I made I gave Adrien a mix of green and gray but that was mainly to get the point across to the perceptive readers)

Now we got Adrien, a normal baby boy to the whole world except for Gabriel who’s forced into his wife’s fantasy through social expectations.

Why are we only at this point and this post is already so long AAAAAAAA!!!

Adrien physically basically grows in a way where Emilie just keeps changing his appearance to match what Félix looked like a few months prior.

Mentally he’s like a robot just taking in information without really needing to learn it. So Emilie decides when he says his first word, she decides when he learns to walk,… He knows how to walk, he just wasn’t given the command to do so yet.

But even so he does develop a personality over time, just slower, because unlike a normal child who’s always testing his boundaries, how far they’re allowed to go until they’re in real trouble, Adrien just can’t misbehave. At all.

But he does have his favorite foods and favorite toys, and jokes that make him laugh the most. The problem is just that Emilie could just decide that his favorite food is strawberries and he’d just start acting accordingly, rewiring his belief. 

He also isn’t allowed to argue or be mean to others which is why Félix thinks he’s a goody two-shoes weirdo while Chloé the brat adores him.

This behavior isn’t so hard to hide with a toddler who’s fickle but it’s harder and harder as the kid grows. Which is why the family becomes very secluded over time.

Gabriel always keeps distance with his “son”. He’s not Dad, he’s Father, he doesn’t do hugs and cuddles, he doesn’t say I love you. But Adrien knows he loves him because his mom told him so and he loves him back unconditionally because Mom said that’s what families do.

Now even though Gabriel is traumatized by this whole ordeal and knowing Adrien “isn’t real” freaks him out he does soften a bit over time. I’m going to give an awful example but like someone who hates cats softening for a cat that their partner/roommate decided to get/had from before. Continuing with this example: But still becoming appalled when the cat starts acting odd/unusually.

Okay I think you get the gist. Let’s move on…

Emilie loves her son more and more as he grows and his sentimonster behaviours start bothering her more and more too. She hates being reminded that he’s not a real boy by people mentioning he looks young for his age because Emilie forgot to make him grow for a while. She hates when he does everything like he’s told. She hates that he has no real friends because they’re afraid to expose him to the outside too much and without supervision. She hates to think about his future.

Her desire for him to be real keeps growing and is what drives her to search for a solution in the miraculous spellbook.

She cracks the script after years, when Adrien is nearly a teen, and finds a way to transfer the creators soul into a sentimonster.

It’s a long process that takes time and while she falls ill to everyone around her, Adrien becomes more real.

Gabriel starts realizing what’s happening when he notices Adrien hesitate for a second when he’s playing a video game and Gabriel wants him to do something, groan when he gets bothered watching TV, huff, complain, have slightly opposing opinions to his and Emilie’s, when he argues with his mother when she tells him she’s feeling fine; when he notices his son’s eyes are greener. Or is it all in his head?

He confronts his wife too late, when she’s extremely ill already, her normally vibrant eyes dulled match Adrien’s bluish gray, and he pieces together in his head what she’s doing.

Before Gabriel could properly think what to do to stop the love of his life from turning into a lifeless doll, in a fit of panic he tries to take her wedding band (where he knows Adrien’s amok is) to get rid of Adrien instead, but is unsuccessful in getting it off her so he snatches her peacock brooch instead (which she needs to complete the spell obvs) and breaks it. (Heyoo! broken peacock miraculous. things are coming together)

Because the spell was almost complete anyway it’s Emilie who falls unconscious. But she doesn’t disappear because she’s not a real sentimonster, she just becomes dormant like one.

This is the point in the story where Gabriel makes it seem like Emilie ran away or something like that—basically disappear. Now he’s living knowing he has an almost sentimonster wife in the basement, knowing he almost killed his son (or her), and having to care for a son that suddenly became much more alive, questioning, arguing, angry, screaming, not accepting, crying, grieving, staring at him with Emilie’s eyes.

Instead of becoming a real parent, Gabriel shuts him out.

Soon Adrien evolves desires for socializing, company, getting away from the suffocating home which eventually leads to him going to a public school.

He slowly starts to live life freely without the restrictions that were put around his thoughts.

Gabriel has an even stranger relationship with Adrien now because he still loves him in a way but also holds resentment toward him. But mostly he sees him as something valuable.

The show happens here…  And now finally we get to the comic…

Gabriel gets a hold of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses. (There’s no epic fight in his lair as you see there’s no Ladybug in the comic but that’s not really important)

What’s important is that Gabriel had deciphered the miraculous spellbook with the help of Emilie’s notes and had decided to use the unification’s “wish” power to awaken Emilie.

He’s aware he’ll need to sacrifice something for the wish to come true and he’s certain Adrien should be enough because the soul inside him is literally the one thing Emilie is missing.

✨Adrien (poor boy just lost his miraculous) is taken to Gabriel’s lair, where he finds out his father is Hawk Moth, sees his mother, learns he’s a sentimonster, and that he’s going to become a sacrifice ✨

Of course the last part is not what happens. It’s Gabriel who ends up being sacrificed.

I can’t decide if Gabriel ends up sacrificing himself because he changed his mind in the last moment while Adrien was screaming for him to stop, OR  because he didn’t love Adrien enough for him to be considered an equal exchange for his wife… O.O

But anyhow…

Emilie wakes up with Gabriel’s soul within her (hence the bluish gray eyes in the comic).

Adrien is traumatized for life.

This took me hours to write… I knew there was a reason why I didn’t want to do it. I hope I didn’t forget anything and my brain made sense of it all

Well there you have it, peeps. The Pinocchio AU. It’s as messed up as my sleep schedule. Good night. 

[waitimcomingtoo]

Isn’t It Romantic?

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Synopsis: you and Tom cycle through iconic cliches as you fake a relationship for the holidays

Masterlist

“Sorry about that.” You sighed as you came back into the room. “She told me 45 minutes ago that that phone call would only take 5 minutes.”

“Was that your mum?” Tom asked as he moved a throw pillow so that you could sit next to him.

“Yeah. She wanted to know when my train got in. As well as every detail of my life since the last time I saw her. Including my vegetable intake.” You complained as you flopped down on the couch.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you eat a vegetable in a while.” Tom teased you as he tapped his chin.

“I had spinach and artichoke dip last week.” You said flatly. “That’s beside the point. The point is, my mom is crazy and I’m already dreading spending the holiday at home.”

“It can’t be that bad, right?”

“Oh, it can.” You insisted. “She’s already getting on my case about not being in a relationship this year. Do you know how many times she’s reminded me that women lose 90% of their eggs by the time they turn 30?”

“So what are you gonna do?” Tom asked you. You let out a defeated sigh and looked at him before an idea popped into your head. You sat up sharply and let out a gasp as you gripped his arm.

“No. Absolutely not.” He said before you could speak.

“I haven’t even said it yet.”

“You don’t have to. I know what you’re thinking.” Tom shook his head as he got off the couch.

“You can’t possibly know what I’m thinking.” You scoffed and folded your arms.

“You want us to fake a relationship for the holidays so your family stops teasing you for being single.” Tom said simply.

“How the hell did you know that?” You exclaimed as you stood up as well.

“Because I know you.” He reminded you. “And you have a fantasy of enacting iconic romance cliches.”

“No I don’t.” You rolled your eyes. “We did hate each other as kids though, so we’ve already checked enemies to friends off my list. We’re kinda destined to do more. Just saying.”

“I thought it was enemies to lovers?” Tom asked without making eye contact with you.

“Is it?” You replied coyly, also adverting his gaze.

“I guess we do fulfill a few cliches.” Tom shrugged. “Male and female best friends, check. Friends since early childhood, check. Everyone mistakes us for a couple, check. Roommates with sexual tension, check.”

“What was that last one?”

“I said people always mistake us for a couple.” Tom said quickly.

“No they don’t.” You said as the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.”

“Hey.” Your neighbor said when you opened the door. “Your boyfriend left his car door open.”

“Thanks. I’ll tell him.” You replied before shutting the door. When you turned around, Tom was staring at you with a smug smile.

“Shut up.” You rolled your eyes at him.

“I didn’t say anything.” He defended.

“Your face did.” You grumbled as you folded your arms. Tom looked at you for a moment and felt a pang of guilt. He knew how much it upset you when your family got involved in your romantic life. He didn’t want your holiday to be ruined, so he mad a decision.

“I’m sorry about my face.” Tom said as he stepped towards you. “Let me make it up to you by being your fake boyfriend for the holidays.”

“Really?” You lit up. “You’d do that?”

“Why not?” He shrugged. “I’m always down for a little hi-jinx. And we can just fake break up once the holiday is over. No harm done.”

“Thank you.” You rushed into his arms to hug him. “I’d say you won’t regret it, but you almost definitely will.”

“I’m counting on it.” Tom laughed as he hugged you back.

The next day, Tom sat beside you on the train headed towards your hometown. To really sell your fake relationship, you’d convinced him to wear matching sweaters and change the backgrounds on your phones to photos of each other. He wouldn’t tell you this, but Tom was secretly excited to be your fake boyfriend for the holidays. He hoped it would show you how good he’d be at being your real boyfriend.

“We should be there in an hour.” You told him. “Then our fake relationship can begin.”

“Sounds good.” Tom nodded. “What’s your favorite cliche anyway? Faking a relationship for the holidays has got to be up there.”

“It is.” You agreed. “But I have a lot of favorites. While most people think running after your true love and confessing your feelings in an airport is the most iconic romance cliche, there’s a better one.”

“Is there?” Tom humored you.

“Yes.” You smiled. “The one that really gets me is when Person A runs after Person B’s train. Watching them run along side the train until they can’t keep up as the love of their life gets taken further and further away anymore breaks my heart.”

“Oh. Is that why you cried your eyes out when Alberto ran after Luca’s train?” Tom realized.

“When the train got too fast for Alberto to keep up, so he stayed back and cheered Luca on.” You recalled as tears welled in your eyes.

“Oh God. Not again.” Tom groaned.

“And he turned into a sea monster from the rain but he didn’t care because he was too busy watching Luca.” You put your hand to your lips as tears slipped down your face.

“It’s just a movie.” He reminded you. “A children’s movie.”

“And then Luca looked at Alberto’s hideout because it was the place they met and the sun was shining on it and he had that proud smile on his face.” You continued as you gasped for air between sobs. Tom looked around and gave an awkward smile to the other passengers, who were staring at you with concern.

“I know. I watched it with you and held your hair back when you threw up from crying so hard.” Tom said as he rubbed your arms to comfort you. He suddenly gathered your hair and lifted it off your neck while you gave him a strange look.

“Just in case you puke again.” He told you.

“Thanks.” You sniffled. “I love that movie.”

“So I’ve been told.” He chuckled and handed you a pack of tissues.

An hour later, you pulled into the train station and went onto the platform. Tom stopped in a cafe as you went to get the bags from the train.

“Can I help you with that?” A man asked as he came up behind you.

“Oh, thanks.” You smiled shyly and stepped back. “Sorry, it’s really heavy.”

The man easily lifted your bag over his head and carried it to the trunk of your rental car.

“Oh. I guess it’s not as heavy as I thought.” You chuckled. “Thanks again.”

“No problem.” The man smiled at you.

“Do you work here? You seem really good at lifting bags and putting them in trucks. Almost as good as I am at giving lame compliments.”

“No.” He chuckled. “I’m a doctor. I just wanted an excuse to talk to you. Even if you give lame compliments.”

“Oh.” You smiled sheepishly. “Nice to meet you, doctor.”

Tom watched this exchange from a distance until his jealousy got the better of him. He walked up to you and put his arm around you, putting your fake relationship in motion.

“Hi, darling.” He greeted before glaring at the man. “Are we ready to go?”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks again.” You said to the man.

“Anytime.” He smiled before walking away.

“Who was that?” Tom asked as you got in the car.

“Just some guy helping me with my bags since my boyfriend was too busy getting himself a drink.” You teased as you eyed Tom’s cup of tea.

“Actually, your boyfriend was getting you a scone.” He smirked as he held up a small bag.

“Blueberry?” You gasped and took the bag.

“Obviously.” He chuckled as he started the car.

“I knew I loved you for a reason. You’re the best fake boyfriend ever.” You threw your arms around him and kissed his cheek a few times.

“All right, all right.” He laughed and pushed you off. “Save that for your family.”

“Trust me, I will.” You assured him. “My mom screamed for a minute straight when I told her we were “dating”. I’m gonna pack the PDA on so thick that she never asks me about my dating life ever again.”

“Are you?” Tom smirked as he looked over at you. His heart pounded in the ears at the thought of all the things the two of you would have to do to play a convincing couple.

“Uh huh.” You nodded. “I’m gonna be the best fake girlfriend you’ve ever seen.”

“That’ll be hard. I’ve seen so many.” He joked.

A few minutes later, you were both being ambushed with hugs inside your childhood home. Your mom had already asked the two of you a million questions and you’d only been home a few minutes.

“I was so happy when Y/n told me you had finally gotten together.” Your mom beamed. “I always knew she was in love with you.”

“Mom.” You said warningly.

“What?” She asked innocently. “The way you talk about him on the rare times you call is always so sweet. I’ve known you two would be together since you were little kids.”

“Childhood friends to lovers.” Tom whispered in your ear as he rubbed your shoulders.

“Stop it.” You laughed and pushed him off.

“You two are so sweet.” Your mom sighed. “Come on. I set up your old room for you.”

You followed your mom to your childhood bedroom, which was set up for two people.

The bed was as as small as it ever was, made smaller by the

“I’ll leave you guys to unpack.” Your mom smiled at you before leaving the room.

“We’re sleeping here? Together!?” You whispered harshly once your mom left.

“They think we’re a couple.” He reminded you. “Couples sleep together.”

“This is not gonna work.” You shook your head. “You breathe super loud. And you do that thing that men do in their sleep where they violently twitch.”

“How many men have you slept next to?” He chuckled as he felt a little jealousy bubble inside him.

“Enough to know that I’d rather sleep next to a grizzly bear than spend a night with you.” You mumbled as you sat on the bed.

“It can’t be that bad, darling. It’s just for a week.” He smiled softly as he sat down next to you.

“I guess so.” You sighed and rested your head on his shoulder. “Can you just do me a favor and not breathe while you sleep?”

“Anything for you, lover.” He chuckled and rested his head on top of yours.

“Aw.” You laughed. “You’re too good to me.”

The door opened suddenly, making the two of you jump apart.

“Oh! Sorry!” Your mom quickly covered her eyes. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s fine, mom. You weren’t interrupting anything.”

“Your father and I have a surprise for you both in the living room.” She told you. “Come on.”

You and Tom exchanged a confused look before following her out the door. When you got there, you found Tom’s entire family in the living room.

“Surprise!” Tom’s parents cheered as they opened their arms.

“Mom? Dad?” Tom asked before giving you a fearful look. As he hugged them hello, you maintained panicked eye contact over their shoulders.

“Mrs. and Mr. Holland. It’s so good to see you.” You said as you hugged them as well.

“Your mother asked us to spend the holiday here since we’re one big family now.” Tom’s mom told you.

“Oh, wow.” You squeaked. “Tom, can I speak to you in the other room, please?”

“Of course, lover.” Tom gave his parents a fake smile before taking your hand and leading you out of the room.

“We gotta call this off.” You whispered once you were alone. “I can’t do this. I can’t lie to your parents.”

“Why not?” He whispered back. “I’ve been lying to your parents.”

“Because my parents are insane.” You reminded him. “Yours have never been anything but good to me. I can’t do this to them.”

“We’re gonna fake break up after the holiday anyway. Who cares if we lie to them for a few days?”

“I do.” You whined. “I see them all the time. I can’t lie to them like this. We’ll have to keep this lie up for the rest of our lives.”

“Or we could just start dating for real and never tell anyone the truth.” Tom half joked, half meant entirely.

“What?”

“I’m kidding.” He lied. “Obviously. Let’s just keep the lying to a minimum around them, all right? We’ll just act like we always do.”

“Okay, fine.” You sighed. “Let’s go back in there.”

“Theres the happy couple.” Dom smiled when you came back in the room.

“I can’t believe we had to hear it from Y/n’s mom that you two were finally together. How could you not tell us?” Nikki asked.

“We like our privacy.” Tom answered. “We wanted to keep it to ourselves for a little while.”

“It makes sense.” Nikki shrugged. “You’re both so stubborn. They probably didn’t want to admit that we were all right.”

“Right about what?” You wondered.

“Right about you two being more than friends.” Dom said. “I always knew you’d fall in love one day. I just didn’t think it would take this long for you to admit it.”

“So how did it finally happen?” Nikki asked you. “It must’ve been a surprise since you’d been friends for so long.”

“Remember. Minimal lying.” You whispered in Tom’s ear as you took a seat on the couch.

“Well we were hanging out one day and it occurred to me that I’d like to hang out with her for the rest of my life.” Tom answered honestly as you looked at you.

“Aw.” You smiled at him. “That was actually really sweet.”

“He’s not normally sweet?” Your mom asked.

“No, he is.” You insisted. “I haven’t opened a door for myself in years. And he always gives me his jacket, even when I can hear his teeth chattering.”

“It looks funny on you because your hand don’t reach the ends of the sleeves.” Tom chuckled. “It’s really cute.”

“And you know, he always stocks the refrigerator with my favorite food when I come home from a trip. He makes dinner if I text him and tell him I had a bad day, even if it’s my turn to do the cooking. And he leaves notes on my mirror if he knows I’m feeling insecure. Notes that tell me I’m beautiful even if I don’t see it for myself.”

“You tell her that in person too, right?” Your dad asked. “Not just in notes.”

“Of course. I tell Y/n she’s beautiful all the time. Because she is. She’s the loveliest girl in the world.” Tom said, never taking his eyes off you. You smiled softly at him, seeing him in a different way than you usually did.

“Truth is, I’ve always loved her.” Tom continued. “I’ve always wanted more than a friendship. I just never knew how to tell her that.”

“Until now?” Your mom asked, interrupting the moment you and Tom were having as you stared into each other’s eyes.

“Yeah. Until now.” He said as he slipped his hand into yours.

“Minimal lying, right?” You whispered, wondering how much of what he said was truthful.

“Right.”

After a long day of catching up and pretending to be in a relationship, you and Tom were finally able to go back to your room.

“Today has been exhausting.” You sighed as you shut the door behind you.

“I know. Lying takes a lot out of you.”

“Oh dear.” You laughed when you saw what was on your bed.

“Matching pajamas.” He smiled. “How lovely.”

“We don’t have to wear them if you don’t want.” You said softly.

“Obviously I want to wear them.” He scoffed.

“Okay, good.” You giggled. “Me too.”

You each grabbed a pair of the matching pajamas your mother had gotten you and went to go change.

“Woah. Hello handsome. Nice pajamas.” You teased Tom when he came back in the room with his red flannel pajamas.

“I like yours too. Where’d you get them?” He flirted back.

“Clearance rack at Kohl’s.” You said seductively. “They were 30% off.”

“Damn. I wish they were 100% off.” Tom smirked as he tugged on one of your buttons.

“Thomas.” You playfully smacked his arm. “You rascal.”

“Sorry. You just look really good in flannel. I might fall in love with you for real.” He joked as he took a step closer to you.

“I would certainly hate for that to happen.” You replied, leaning in a little. Before your lips could touch, your bedroom door opened.

“Night you two!” Your mom called. “Get some sleep.”

“Night, mom. See you tomorrow.” You smiled tightly, feeling disappointment sink it.

“So. Ladies first.” Tom said as he awkwardly gestured to the bed.

“Damn it. I forgot we’re sharing a bed.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought this through before you fake asked me out.”

“I didn’t think they’d stick us in a bed together. My dad is crazy protective. I’m surprised he hasn’t shot you already.” You grumbled as you got into the bed.

“He threatened to.” Tom said as he got in beside you. He noticed the frown on your face and quickly tried to fix this.

“We don’t have to do this. I can sleep on the couch if you’re uncomfortable.” Tom offered.

“I’m not uncomfortable.” You shook your head. “I’m just thinking about how cold your feet are.”

“I actually have a solution for that.” Tom smirked getting out of the bed and going into his suitcase. He pulled out a poorly wrapped gift and handed it to you. “Happy holidays. From your favorite fake boyfriend.”

You gave him a skeptical look before unwrapping it, finding fluffy pink socks inside.

“You got me fuzzy socks?” You gasped in delight.

“You always touch them when we pass them in the store.” He shrugged. “And I know you’re always losing yours.”

“You know me so well. And they’re so soft.” You gushed and rubbed them against your cheek. “This is the best gift ever. I could kiss you right now.”

You both froze and sheepishly looked at each other following your exclamation. You let out a flustered laugh as your gaze dropped to his lips.

“Whats stopping you?” He asked quietly. “T’is the season, right?”

You sucked in a sharp breath as a smile tugged at your lips. You leaned in to kiss him, but lost your nerve at the last minute and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you.” You smiled softly. “It’s nice to be known.”

“You’re very welcome, darling.” He smiled back. “It’s nice to know you.”

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.” You said as you put your socks on. He smiled at you before shutting the light off. After pulling the covers over his body, he felt two arms wrap around him.

“Are you spooning me?” He whispered in the dark.

“Are you complaining?” You whispered back.

“No.” He said before snuggling into you. A smile rested on his face as he began to drift off to sleep.

“No breathing.” You reminded him.

“Sorry.”

The next morning, you woke up to the feeling of Tom’s breath fanning your face. He woke up shortly after you did, smiling softly when he realized you had turned to face each other at some point in the night.

“Good morning.” He said in groggy voice.

“Your breath is lethal.” You groaned and pulled the covers over your nose.

“I love you too.” He chuckled and pulled you closer. You didn’t know if it was because you were pretending to be a couple or just from not wanting to be cold, but you let him cuddle you for a while. You laid in each other’s arms, awake but not moving as you watched snow fall outside your window.

“We should probably go out there.” You said after a few minutes. “Make an appearance.”

“Could we just stay here a little longer?” He asked you.

“Yeah.” You smiled. “I’d like that.”

After a few more minutes of cuddling, you got out of bed and went to the kitchen. You were holding hands, but neither of you addressed the fact that you started long before the family could see.

“Hey, we shared a bed last night. That’s another cliche I get to check off my list.” You whispered as you took a seat at the kitchen counter.

“I’m really happy for you.” Tom teased.

“Shut up”. You shoved him playfully

“Good morning you two. I made breakfast.” Your mom chirped as she set two plates in front of you.

“Thank you.” Tom smiled. “It smells amazing.”

“Wait. Don’t move.” Your mom said. “You’re under the mistletoe.”

“Oh. Look at that.” Tom gulped as he spotted the mistletoe hanging above you.

“You have to kiss.” Your mom gushed. “Go on. I’ll get a picture.”

“Mom. Stop.” You groaned.

“Come on.” She pleaded. “We can put it on next years holiday card.”

“Next year. Hm.” Tom gave you a worried look as you mom left to get the camera.

“It’s just one kiss.” You whispered. “We can do that, right?”

“Yeah. Why not? We do it all the time.” Tom lied as your mom and back into the room. She eagerly held up her camera as you and Tom exchanged a look. You gave each other an awkward smile before leaning in for a kiss. You saw the bright flash of the camera behind your eyelids as you kissed your best friend for the first time. The camera flash was nothing compared to the firework display going off in both your stomachs.

“There.” You said quietly when you pulled away.

“Ah! How cute?” Your mom squealed and showed you the picture. “I’m gonna go upload it to the computer.”

“You do that.” You nodded as she left the room.

“Does she know her phone has a camera?” Tom asked once she was gone.

“No.” You told him. “She has a flashlight app, a calculator app, and a clock app.”

“Wow.” He chuckled. “So, should we talk about that kiss?”

“What? What kiss? T-that?” You sputtered. “That was just to convince my mom. I barely remember it.”

“Me either.” Tom lied, quickly dropping the subject before it got awkward.

A few hours later, you and Tom returned to the kitchen to find your mom baking holiday cookies.

“Can you guys help me finish this last batch? I have to run to the store and get some decorations for the party.” She asked as he set her apron on the counter.

“Sure. We have nothing planned.” You shrugged and picked up the mixing bowl. Tom added in the milk and eggs as you mixed the batter, sending some flying out of the bowl.

“Come here. You got some flour on your face.” Tom laughed and rubbed your cheek with his thumb. He left even more flour in its wake, making you both laugh.

“Did you get it?” You asked as you playfully threw some flour on his shirt.

“Yeah. You got some on your lip too.” He said as he took a handful of flour and threw it at your face. You gasped in shock before grabbing the whip cream and squirting it on his face.

“Was that supposed to be retaliation, love? Because it tastes delicious.” He teased as he wiped the cream off his face with his finger and licked it clean.

“Oh, whatever.” You rolled your eyes. “Help me mix the damn batter. It’s too thick.”

“It’s not that thick. You’re just weak.” He teased as wrapped his arms around you from behind. He put his hands over yours as he helped you mix the batter.

“This has got to check something off your cliche check list.” He noted as he rested his chin on your shoulder.

“Are you kidding? Having a playful flour war while baking is an iconic cliche.” You told him as you looked over your shoulder. “So is a man showing a woman how to do anything from behind. It’s probably the least efficient way to teach someone something but it’s awfully romantic.”

“I agree. And look at that. We’re under the mistletoe again.” He realized as his eyes flicked up.

“Are we?” You asked coyly, knowing you spotted the mistletoe the second you walked into the room.

“You know, I hear it’s bad luck not to kiss.” He told you. “Since it’s traditional and all.”

“Well I certainly wouldn’t want any bad luck.” You replied as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Me either.” He said before leaning in to kiss you. It wasn’t your first kiss with him, but it felt like it was. You could taste the sweetness of the batter on his lips and smiled into the kiss before pulling away.

“Thanks.” He said softly. “For protecting me from bad luck, I mean.”

“Don’t mention it.” You smiled shyly. Your moment was interrupted all too quickly by the front door opening.

“I’m back.” Your mom said as she walked in. “And look who I brought.”

A man walked in behind your mouth, face hidden by your moms head. He stayed behind in the living room as your mom came into the kitchen.

“Who’s that?” You wondered.

“That’s Nick. The very handsome and very single doctor I talked you up to.” She replied.

“The what?” Tom’s jaw dropped.

“I did it before I knew you were dating Tom!” She defended. “It was gonna be one of your holiday gifts.”

“What exactly was gonna be one of my holiday gifts?” You raised an eyebrow.

“A blind date with a handsome doctor.” She said sheepishly. “Surprise!”

“Mom!” You hissed. “A blind date? Really? Get rid of him.”

“I can’t do that.” She whined. “He came all this way to meet you. It’s rude to send him away.”

“I don’t care. I have a boyfriend.” You said as you gestured to Tom.

“Well, are you guys exclusive?” Your mom asked.

“We haven’t discussed that.” Tom replied, making your jaw drop.

“I’ll talk to Nick for a little bit while you two sort that out. That’ll give you some time to get ready.” Your mom suggested.

“No, mom. I don’t want to go on a blind date. And she’s ignoring me and going to talk to him.” You sighed as your mom rushed back to the living room. As you watched he talk to the man, you realized you had seen him before.

“Oh my God.” You grabbed Tom’s arm. “It’s the train station guy.”

“Who?”

“The guy who helped me with my bags at the train station. He’s the blind date.”

“Oh.” Tom said gravely as he stared at the man. He was bigger, taller, and objectively more handsome than Tom was. On top of all that, he was a doctor who had already charmed your mother.

“Hello again.” Nick smiled at you as he came into the room.

“Hi.” You smiled awkwardly. “Nick, right? I’m Y/n.”

“And here I was calling you the beautiful girl I saw at the train station.” Nick said suavely, making Tom roll his eyes.

“You two met?” Your mom asked.

“Briefly.” You muttered.

“And it looks like fate brought us together again.” Nick said as he stared at you.

“Aw.” Your mom gushed.

“Yes, very sweet.” You said sarcastically. “Tom, can I talk to you in the other room?”

Before Tom could respond, you pulled him by the hand into another room. As soon as you were alone, you smacked him in the arm.

“We haven’t discussed that?” You whispered his words from earlier.

“What was I supposed to say?” Tom asked. “We didn’t exactly iron out all the details before posing as a couple. We never said our fake relationship was fake exclusive.”

“But now my mom expects me to go on a date with Nick.”

“Well, you guys seemed to hit it off at the train station.” Tom said insecurely. “Why not go on a date?”

You furrowed your eyebrows at him, not sure why he was pushing you towards Nick after the moment you just shared in the kitchen.

“Are you serious?” You asked lowly.

“We’re not actually dating. And you’re always saying how hard it is to meet people. Maybe this is your chance to get a real boyfriend. There’s nothing stopping you from going after him if you want him.” Tom said without making eye contact. You dating Nick was the last thing he wanted, but even he couldn’t deny the coincidence of Nick coming back into your life. He saw the chemistry between you at the train station and he knew in the long run, Nick was the better man for you.

“Theres nothing stopping me?” You asked as you narrowed your eyes at him.

“No.” He gulped.

“So you’re okay if I go out with Nick?” You asked, failing to conceal the sadness in your voice.

“Yeah.” He lied. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Right.” You nodded sadly. “Why wouldn’t you be?”

Tom stayed in your room all night, trying to distract himself from thinking about you and Nick. He tried not to think about all the things you could be doing on your date with another man. He heard the door open suddenly and he jumped out of bed.

“How was the date?” He asked as you set your stuff down.

“Fine.” You shrugged. “He wants to see me again tomorrow night.”

“That’s great.” Tom gulped. “You should go.”

“You think?”

“Yeah.” He said weakly. “Why not?”

“Right.” You smiled tightly “Why not?”

As the week went on, you went on more dates with Nick. There was an icy tension between you and Tom that neither of you addressed, but you both felt. You didn’t even want to go out with Nick every time, but you felt obligated out of spite. After the third date, you returned to your bedroom to find Tom sitting up in bed.

“Hey.” He greeted. “Did you have fun on your date?”

“Yeah. It was fine.” You mumbled.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” You sighed. “I can’t tell if I like him or not.”

“He seems like a good guy.” Tom shrugged. “And you always seem to have a good time with him. Plus, he’s a super handsome doctor from your hometown. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

“You really think I should keep seeing him?” You tested Tom again.

“Yeah. Why not?”

“Ugh. Stop saying that!” You groaned in frustration and threw a glove at him.

“Woah.” He was taken aback by your outburst. “What’s wrong?”

“You honestly can’t give me a reason why I shouldn’t go out with Nick?” You asked as you threw another glove.

“No. I can’t.” Tom lied. “He’s available and he’s into you. Why wouldn’t you date him?”

“I hate you. You know that? I absolutely hate you.” You shouted as your threw your hat at his face.

“What is your problem?” He asked as he caught the hat.

“I don’t have a problem. I’m gonna text Nick and see when I can see him next.” You shrugged as you pulled out your phone.

“Good. I think you should.” He said facetiously.

“I am.” You shouted.

“Good.” He shouted back.

“Fine.” You screamed.

“Fine.” He screamed back

“G-“

“Don’t say anything.” You cut him off. “I’m storming out.”

You swiftly left the bedroom and slammed the door behind you, making the entire room shake.

“Well I’m storming out too!” He screamed and left out the other door. After loudly slamming the door, he found himself in the dark.

“Fuck.” He grumbled. “I’m in a closet.”

Tom didn’t come back to bed that night and avoided you for most of next day. After lunch, your mom found you pouting in your bedroom.

“Come in the living room.” She told you. “We’re opening gifts.”

When you walked into the living room, you saw that the only open seat was next to Tom. You rolled your eyes slightly before sitting next to him.

“Thomas.” You said coldly.

“Y/n.” He said hack.

“You didn’t come to bed last night.” You said without looking at him.

“I slept on the couch.”

“Good.” You shrugged. “I was finally able to get some sleep without your Neanderthal breathing.”

“So was I.” He replied. “It’s amazing how peaceful I felt without your arms wrapping around me like a boa constrictor.”

“I hate you.” You whispered.

“I hate you more.” He whispered back.

“Here, Y/n. This ones from Tom.” Your dad said as he handed you a present.

“How nice. I wonder if it’s another knife to stab into my back.” You said sarcastically as you tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a DVD inside.

“Luca?” You asked quietly before looking up at Tom.

“Yeah. I know how much you love it.” He shrugged. “I wanted you to have it.”

“I do love it.” You smiled softly and picked up a present. “Here. This is for you.”

Tom gingerly took the rectangular gift from you, feeling guilty about your fight. When he unwrapped it, he found a picture frame with the photo your mom took of you.

“Aw.” Tom smiled. “Our first kiss.”

“Under the mistletoe.” You said quickly to keep the lie alive. “We never did that before.”

“Right.” Tom nodded along as he admired the picture.

“Happy holidays, Tom.” You smiled apologetically.

“Happy holidays, darling.” He said before leaning in to kiss you, his way of saying he was sorry. When you pulled away, you rested your head on his shoulder and nuzzled into his neck.

“Remember everyone, the party tonight starts at 6.” Your mom spoke up. “I invited my church group and some old friends from town.”

After the rest of the family opened their gifts, you and Tom went back to your bedroom to get ready for the party. Before you could speak to apologize again, he pulled you into a hug.

“I’m sorry about before.” He said as he rubbed your back. “I’m sorry we fought.”

“Me too.” You mumbled into his chest. “Can we just put it behind us and get this party over with?”

“I’d really appreciate that.”

A few hours later, the holiday party was in full swing. Tom lingered near a wall while he watched you laugh at something Nick had said. It killed him to see you together, but it was made easier knowing you were happy. Tom lost sight of you after a while and searched through the house until he found you sitting on your bed.

“What are you doing in here?” Tom asked as he sat beside you.

“I needed some space.” You shrugged. “Too many people in there knew me in high school.”

“I’m one of them. And I miss your leggings under dresses phase every day.” He teased, making you smile.

“Well I don’t.” You chuckled and bumped your shoulders against him.

“So, uh, you and Nick really seemed to hit it off.” Tom brought up.

“I don’t know.” You sighed. “We’re not a match. I’m not gonna see him anymore.”

“You’re not?”

“Why would I? I already have a boyfriend.” You smiled softly and nudged him. As much as Tom wanted you to ditch Nick and date him instead, he knew he couldn’t let you.

“I’m not your boyfriend.” He said as he got off the bed. “Not really.”

“Woah.” You frowned. “What’s your problem?”

“You can’t keep using this fake relationship as a crutch. I can’t let you.”

“What? I’m not.”

“Yes you are.” Tom insisted. “You’re scared to go after Nick, so you’re using us as an excuse not to do it.”

“I don’t want Nick. Our fake relationship has nothing to do with that.”

“I think it does.” Tom stated. “I think you convinced yourself you don’t deserve Nick so you’re leaving him before he could leave you.”

“That is not why I’m breaking things off with Nick.” You answered honestly.

“Isn’t it? You don’t like taking big risks. That’s why you love cliches so much. They’re comfortable and familiar and there’s no uncertainty. And that’s why you’re so okay with letting me fulfill the role of your boyfriend without actually being your boyfriend. I’m comfortable and familiar too.”

“Tom.” You groaned.

“I’m serious. We’re not gonna be roommates forever, Y/n. Eventually, we have to move out and be our own people. We can’t keep playing house and acting like…like this. We’re not a couple. We’re just gonna hold each other back if we keep pretending.”

“Tom, Nick is not the one I want. We can talk about this later, okay? No one’s moving out.”

“No. We’re going back home soon. I have to do this now.”

“Do what?” You wondered as Tom left the room. You watched him as he climbed onto a table and hit a spoon against his glass.

“May I please have everyone’s attention?” Tom shouted. Everyone at the party, including you, turning to look at Tom.

“Thank you. Y/n and I have to tell you all something.”

“Tom.” You ran to his side. “Don’t do this.”

“It’s not real.” He announced, ignoring your request.

“What?” Your mom stepped forward. “Whats not real?”

“Any of it.” He continued. “We were just pretending to be in a relationship so you’d all stop pressuring us to actually get into one. It was fake the whole time.”

“Tom. What are you doing?” You asked as you tried to pull him off the table. Shocked gasped filled the room as everyone turned to stare at you. Tom looked at Nick before looked down at you and sighing.

“I’m letting you go.” He told you. He stepped off the table and moved through the stunned crowd as he made his way to Nick.

“Be good to her, mate.” Tom said as he patted Nicks back. “Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice.”

Tom wandered around town for the next hour, not wanting to go back to the house and make things worse. He felt bad for leaving you after spilling the secret, but he figured he’d be doing more harm than good by going hack. When he passed a run down dive bar, he recognized Nick sitting on a bench outside.

“Nick?” Tom asked. “Where’s Y/n?”

“Why don’t you ask her?” Nick grumbled. “Since she’s clearly in love with you.”

“What?” Tom frowned.

“Dude, are you really that oblivious? She never wanted me. On all our dates, all she ever talked about was you. Every little thing reminded her of something you had said or done. I never stood a chance.” Nick scoffed and kicked some snow.

“Is she still at home?”

“Probably. She said she had to pack.”

“Oh no.” Tom gasped before taking off running. He didn’t stop until he burst through your bedroom door.

“What are you doing?” He asked when he saw you zipping your suitcase.

“I’m leaving.” You grumbled and went to leave the room.

“You were just gonna leave without talking to me first?” He stepped in front of you. “How cliche are you?”

“Enough.” You replied as you tried to push past him.

“This isn’t a romantic comedy. You can’t just get your feelings hurt and leave without talking it through. This is real life. That means we have to have a real conversation.” He said as he held you in place.

“Whats there’s to talk about?” You asked him tearfully. “You just told my family our secret and humiliated me in front of everyone.”

“I had to.” He insisted. “You were letting this fake relationship hold you back from what you really wanted.”

“You obviously have no idea what I really want.” You laughed bitterly as you tried to push past him again.

“Then what do you want?” He raised his voice. You opened your mouth to tell him the truth, but decided he didn’t deserve it.

“I have to go. My train is soon.” You said as you pushed past him and left the room.

“Where are you going?” He asked as he followed you out.

“Home. I’m moving out. That’s what you wanted right? You said so yourself. We’re not gonna be roommates forever. We have to stop playing house and move on.”

“I didn’t mean that. We have to talk about this. Can you please stop walking away?” He begged as you passed by your family in the living room.

“You walked away first.” You shouted. “Why should I be the one to stay?”

“Because…” He trailed off when he couldn’t bring himself to admit that he loved you.

“Can you give me a reason to stay?” You asked him, giving him one last chance. Tom was silent, knowing if he loved you’d less he’d be able to talk about it more.

“I didn’t think so.” You laughed sadly as tears fell down your face. You left without another word as Tom began to cry as well.

“Get in the car.” Your dad sprang off the couch. “We’ll follow her.”

Time moved slowly as he got in the car with your father and drove to the train station. As fate would have it, they hit every single red light on the way. Tom’s heart pounded in his chest when they finally got to the station, ten minutes after the last train boarded.

“Where is she?” Tom asked as he looked around frantically.

“There. On the train.” Your dad spotted you in a window seat. Tom ran to the side of your train and waved his arms.

“Y/n!” He called. “Down here!”

“She cant hear you.” Your dad said. “Call her.”

Tom quickly dialed your number and watched as you picked up the phone.

“Look down.” He said as soon as you answered.

“Tom?” You frowned when you saw him out the window. “What are you doing here? Go home.”

“You are my home.” He said into the phone.

“Then why did you push me away?” You asked. “I thought things were going well between us. I really thought you liked me back. But then you pushed me towards someone else. Why did you do that?”

“Because I was scared to tell my best friend I’m in love with her.” He admitted just as the conductor made an announcement over the loudspeaker.

“What? I can’t hear you.” You said as you plugged your ear.

“Because I was scared!” He repeated.

“Of what?”

“Oh no. “Your dad sighed. The trains leaving. She’ll lose signal any second.”

“I have to chase the train as far as I can.” Tom realized as he hung up the phone.

“Why?” Your dad wondered.

“Because she loves that. It’ll make her feel loved.”

As your train began to pull away, Tom jogged along the side of it. You pressed your hands against the window and cried as you watched Tom chase your train. He kept running until he couldn’t keep up anymore, just like in your favorite movies.

“The leads have an explosive fallout before the climax cliche. Check.” You whispered to yourself as you turned away from the window. Tears slipped down your face as you were taken further and further away from the love of your life.

An hour later, you walked through your front door and felt the cold air hit you. You didn’t bother turning on the lights, feeling to sad to look at the home you and Tom once shared.

“Hi.”

“Tom?” You gasped at the sight of him. “How did you beat me here?”

“I drove. I think I ran a few reds. I don’t care though. I had to get to you.”

“Why did you come back here?” You asked him.

“Because you left me back there.” He said simply.

“I asked you for a reason to stay. You couldn’t give me one.”

“Because I can’t be the thing that holds you back. You deserve to be happy. I would never stand in the way of that.”

“You’re what makes me happy.” You told him. “I was perfectly happy pretending to be your girlfriend until you started pushing me to be with Nick.”

“I thought that’s what you wanted, so I was being supportive.”

“That’s not what I wanted.” You shook your head. “That is never what I wanted.”

“Then what do you want?” He shouted.

“You!” You screamed. “I’m in love with you.”

You both fell silent once you finally confessed what you had been feeling all along. Tom blinked a few times, trying to register what this meant for your future together.

“I wanted it to be real from the beginning.” You admitted. “I was never pretending.”

“Darling.” He said softly.

“I know. I know it’s pathetic.” You sighed and wiped your face. “I’ve been secretly pining after my male best friend because I’m a pathetic little hopeless romantic. I’m nothing but a big, stupid cliche.“

“Did you just admit that you love me during a heated argument?” Tom asked as a smile tugged at his lips.

“Yes?”

“That’s so cliche.” He said as a full smile broke out.

“I know. But unrequited love is also an iconic troupe on my list. So I guess it all works out.”

“I know. You’ve told me.” He reminded you. “It’s too bad that you won’t be able to check it off your list.”

“Why not?” You wondered.

“Because the love isn’t unrequited. I’ve been secretly pining after my best friend too.” He admitted.

“Mutual pining?” You realized with a smile.

“Mutual pinning.” Tom confirmed.

“That’s one of my favorite troupes. It’s so cliche.” You said as you teared up, with joy this time.

“I know.” He said as he stepped towards you. He took your face between his hands and gently tilted your chin upwards.

“Wait. Look out the window.”

“It’s snowing.” Tom realized.

“It’s not rain but, it’ll do.” You smirked. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“You read my mind.” He grinned as he took you by the hand. You ran outside and stood in the street, a few feet apart from each other.

“You ready?” He called out.

“I was born for this.” You called back. As snow fell around you, you ran towards him and jumped into his arms. He kissed you for all he was worth as snowflakes collected in your hair and eyelashes. It was straight out a movie scene, and you were the only audience he ever needed. Tom held you tightly as he kissed you, the warmth of your body protecting him from the cold air.

“I feel like we’re in the ending of every romantic movie I’ve ever seen.” He said once he pulled away. “All that’s missing is God Only Knows playing in the background.”

“We don’t need it.” You smiled against his lips. “We don’t need anymore cliches, for that matter. You’re my favorite movie. We’ll make our own cliches.”

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[xoxo-teddybear]

The Bakugou Kids - Bakugou Katsuki

(Dad)Bakugou x (Mom)f!reader

Warnings: Fluff, Crack, Cursing

Summary: Bakugou and Y/N love their son with their entire beings, but sometimes, parents need a break. Especially when those parents are responsible for creating a literal demon spawn. He is kind, well behaved, and cute of course! But he does have Bakugou blood in him. With Y/N already away on a girls trip, Bakugou has to find out how he’s going to deal with his (now) many, many kids.

A/N: You passed down your duplication quirk down to Katsuo.

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” You asked your husband as you stood at the doorway. “Katsumi may be a calm baby but she’s still a baby. And Katsuo’s quirk just kicked in and it is mine. I would know how difficult it can be to manage.”

“Stop worrying, Babe. It’s just a duplication quirk. And he’s only 5, how powerful can it really be?”Katsuki said, wrapping his arms around you. “Just go on your little girl’s trip with Ponytail and Racoon Eyes. I can handle the brat.”

You looked at your husband with a raised brow and smile before rolling your eyes and giving him a kiss. “Alright then. I’ll see you in a few days!”

With that, you walked out of the house and into the cab to meet your friends at the resort. Katsuki chuckled before walking back into the house to find his son napping on the couch. His spiky, blonde locks were all messed up with bed head while his E/C eyes he inherited from you remained shut. Katsuki walked over to his newborn daughter and picked her up while he took a seat next to Katsuo’s sleeping form, rubbing at his soft hair until he woke up.

“Can’t be all that bad, right Katsumi?”

The baby girl merely cooed with sparkling ruby eyes that mimicked her father’s.

—

Wow. Wrong. He was so wrong! It had only been 2 days since your departure but things had already gone so wrong! When you said your quirk was difficult to manage, Katsuki thought it would be difficult for Katsuo to manage. Not him!

Katsuki should’ve known his son would’ve taken the opportunity to act out while his mother was away. He had always been your little angel while Katsuki saw him as his little gremlin. With Y/N gone, Katsuo has been pushing all kinds of limits. Limits that had Katsuki beat.

Katsuo had been fortunate enough to inherit a quirk. And not just any quirk, but your quirk. Duplication. Basically, he can create copies of himself. When you were his age, you could only create 4, max. Katsuo was different though. He had Bakugou blood flowing through him. He was advanced the second he was born. So now, Katsuki was stuck looking after Katsumi, Katsuo, and Katsuo’s 16 other copies.

“Aye! Number 15, you’re gonna break that lamp! 11 and 8! Don’t wrestle in the mud! Go take a bath! NUMBER 3 GET OFF THE KITCHEN ISLAND! KATSUMI!” The adult blond screamed, looking for his infant daughter, eventually finding her sleeping in her little rocker on the living room floor. “Oh right, you don’t talk yet.”

Katsuki sighed as he slumped down next to his daughter, and leaned his back against the couch. He looked around the room and saw the 17 Katsuo’s making a ruckus around the house. All he could do was question how the hell is 3 month old daughter could possibly sleep through all this.

Katsuki almost lost all hope for humanity until a knock was heard on his front door. Knowing exactly who was there, he quickly got up from his place on the floor and ran to the entrance. “You idiots are finally here!”

Katsuki pulled in his 3 friends, the boys of the Bakusquad, and slammed the door shut. The 3 friends all stood in shock at the sight of the house. Not that it was overly messy or anything. It’s just that there were about 16 more figures in the house that aren’t usually there.

“You gotta help me!” Katsuki said, running infront of them, shaking his best friend’s shoulders. “I love my kids! I do! I love Katsuo, I swear! BUT I DIDNT SIGN UP TO BE A FATHER OF 18 FREAKING DEVILS!”

“Okay! Okay, relax man. We’re here.” Kirishima said, patting his friend’s shoulder as he wept. “How the hell are we gonna take care of 17 little Bakugous?”

“Right? We thought 1 Kacchan was a lot. Then you brought another one into the world, who apparently brought some unannounced friends.” Kaminari joked.

“They’re demons!” Katsuki exclaimed. “This has to be some fucking Karma for the shit I did. I knew I should’ve listened to my old hag better. Now shits came back to bite me in the- HEY! PUT YOUR SISTER DOWN! SHE’S NOT A FOOTBALL!”

Katsuos number 7 and 5 placed a sleeping Katsumi back in her rocker with an annoyed pout before running off to play something else.

“Welllll, there’s nothing that 3 cool uncles can’t fix!” Sero enthusiastically said. “Hey kiddos! Who’s ready to have some fun?”

All the mini blondes stopped their movements, some freezing mid-air, and looked to the slim man. They all shouted in joy at the sight of their uncles and ran to pounce on the 3 men, including their father. From the point of view of the boys in the Bakusquad, it looked like a Bakugou stampede.

“Run, run, RUN, RUN, RUUUNN!!!!” Kaminari screamed as the boys all ran for their lives to escape the herd of Katsuos. This was going to be an interesting day.

—

Safe to say after the day had passed, the boys of the Bakusquad were completely exhausted. Sero had half his clothes torn, Kirishima’s hair fell from it’s great spikes and even lost some red hues, Katsuki’s eye bags had never been heavier, and Kaminari was just straight knocked the fuck out. They were all thrown across the couch as Katsumi rested in Katsuki’s arms.

“What do we do?” Kirishima exclaimed.

“I don’t know.” Katsuki said, looking at his scrambling son(s). “There’s just too many.”

“And we’ve already lost a soldier.” Sero said pointing to Kaminari’s sleeping form. Katsuki and Kirishima followed his gaze and bowed their heads in respect towards the defeated Kaminari.

“Well now what? Is Bakugou just supposed to live like this for the next 3 days?” Kirishima asked.

“Hell no. If I do, there’s not gonna be anymore Katsuki. I’ll just be some body without a soul because my damn gremlins sucked it outta’ me.” Katsuki said with his head dropped down.

“Well how do we get them to calm down?” Sero questioned.

“I don’t know. They’re all mini me’s. Nobody could get me to relax.” Katsuki said in defeat, but that’s when Kirishima had a lightbulb go off for him.

“Except for Y/N!” The red head said, popping up from his seat on the couch.

“Uh, if you haven’t noticed Shitty Hair, this all started because she’s away on her trip.” Katsuki said with sarcasm as he looked at his friend as if he was an idiot.

“I know that! But Y/N wasn’t the only one to tame you, Bakugou!” Kirishima said in excitement.

“So then who else?” Katsuki asked.

“You know,” Kirishima smirked. “Denki’s favorite person. Y/N and.........”

It took Katsuki a second before his eyes popped when he finally got it. “No!”

“Yes!” Kirishima said.

“No way! We’re not going to her!” Katsuki complained.

“Who?” Sero asked.

“Nobody!” Katsuki screamed.

“Oh it’s somebody alright! Somebody who was able to tame the beast in Bakugou the second he was born!” Kirishima said.

“Who?” Sero asked. Katsuki finally sighed before he gave in, realizing this was his only hope for sanity. He grabbed his phone and made a quick call before explaining to his dark-haired friend.

“The demon of all demons...”

—

The door opened to reveal a tall standing brunette and an elder feminine blonde.

“...My mother.”

—

The boys of the Bakusquad all sat lined up on the couch as Mitsuki stood at Katsuki’s end and smacked her son’s head.

“You idiots! Y/N leaves for 2 days and all hell breaks lose?!” Mitsuki screamed at the 3 young men.

“You old hag! Quit hitting me! Ima’ grown man for crying out loud!” Katsuki screamed as he rubbed his head. Masaru simply bounced the sleeping Katsumi in his arms as he watched the scene play out.

“Well if you’re such a grown man then why can’t you manage your own kids without your wife’s help?!” Mitsuki argued, leaving Katsuki silent as he grumbled. The eldest blonde sighed before continuing. “Alright listen, I’ll watch these little devils for the next few days until Y/N comes back. I’d love to spend some time with my grandbrats. Why don’t the 3 of you go take a break and-“

“THANKS! Let’s go losers!” Katsuki said dragging his friends to the exit. Mitsuki and Masaru only laughed at their son’s behavior as they began tending to the kids.

The boys of the Bakusquad all quickly walked out of the house and headed for their cars as they all walked together.

“So, where to?” Sero asked.

“We could go head up that new resort in Tokyo!” Kaminari suggested.

“Naahhh. That’s where Y/N’s having her girl’s trip. Wifey would kill me if she saw me there instead of at home with the kids.” Katsuki said with his hands in his pockets. Kirishima raised his brow at this.

“Oh? So then, maybe we should go back and-“

“You know, on second thought,” Katsuki said with wide eyes once Kirishima made the suggestion. He took his hands out of his pockets and placed them behind his friend’s backs to keep them moving. “Maybe she won’t kill me..if I’m lucky..and wish..upon a shooting star....a million times over. Hah.....yeah. TO THE RESORT!”

As they walked, Kaminari attempted to look at the house once more, prompting Katsuki to turn his friend’s head back around. “No, no, no, don’t look back, they can smell fear.”

[favefandomimagines]

Nurture Relationships (b.b.)

Summary: Bucky comes to your apartment every time he has a nightmare. but why can’t he seem to own up to the feelings he has for you? 

AN: inspired by the first episode of fatws! possible spoilers if you haven’t seen the episode yet! i’m also on a bucky kick sooo i’m sorry 

and not all dialogue is gonna be 100% accurate obviously and quick PSA: this was thrown into my publishing schedule so the two evan buckley requests will be out during the week!! xx

After everyone had come back from the blip, chaos became a pattern that everyone became used too. Everyone was having a hard time adjusting to half the population coming back after five years. But no one was struggling more than Bucky. 

Bucky Barnes was always used to a fight and having to fight for something. Without that, he was left alone rather often with his never ending cycle of demons. 

Even before the blip, you had tried to bring some form a peace. Even if it were only for a moment. Bucky took a strong liking to you, and you to him, when he met you in Germany. You quickly became a fascination to him as he spent more time with you. But it was quickly cut short when he went to Wakanda and went back under. 

You were reunited under poor circumstances and even that reunion came to a screeching halt when you were both victims of Thanos’ snap. Everyone was brought back and it seemed like you were falling into a sense of normalcy. 

You kept in constant contact with Bucky, making it your mission that he was adjusting to civilian life as best he could. But normal soon included Bucky sneaking into your bed in the middle of the night due to his nightmares. 

Bucky didn’t know what it was, but he felt safe with you. He felt safe when he knew you were lying right next to him and you never turned him away. You let him bring you as close as he could as if you were his security blanket. Once he did that, the nightmares stopped for the night. 

For the past week, Bucky had been woken up by the nightmares and made the short walk to your apartment to find solace in your bed next to you. And never once did you complain, but you did worry. 

Bucky had used the key you gave him and let himself into your apartment. It was around two in the morning and he did his best to remain quiet as he entered your bedroom. 

The sound of your front door opening woke you up and you knew it was Bucky, so you moved over to make space for him in your bed. That was a detail that Bucky had noticed when he entered your room. 

He took off his jacket, shirt and shoes, and climbed into the side of the bed. You rolled over to look at him, moving closer to clearly see his face. 

“This is the third night this week, Bucky. Are you okay?” You asked softly. He just simply nodded his head, avoiding your gaze as he did so. You knew that he wasn’t okay. The things he did as the Winter Solider still haunted him every day, especially at night when he closed his eyes. 

Rather than pushing him and trying to further the conversation, you moved to place a kiss on his forehead before rolling over to go to sleep. 

Bucky’s arm snaked around your waist and pulled you extremely close to his body before he himself fell sound asleep. 

__

The next morning, Bucky woke up to you not in the bed next to him. Usually you were always there when he woke up but this time you weren’t. He got out of the bed and walked out into the hallway and saw you standing at the counter with two mugs, pouring water into them. 

“Good morning.” You greeted him with a warm smile. “Morning, doll.” He replied. “Would you like some tea?” You offered. “That’d be great, thank you.” Bucky said. 

You passed him one of the mugs and sat next to him at the counter. “Buck, we gotta talk about what’s going on. Three nights in a row you’ve had nightmares, so bad you’ve had to come here. Do you want to talk about it?” You asked. 

“I’m fine, Y/N. They’re just some nightmares.” He said. “Bucky, they’re not just nightmares. You can’t even sleep in your own apartment anymore.” You rebutted. “I said I’m fine, okay?” Bucky said, his tone slightly rising. 

Bucky didn’t mean to react so harshly. You were just worried about him and you cared about him. You didn’t like seeing him in so much pain. 

“Okay, Bucky.” You sighed, getting up from your seat. “I have to get ready for Steve’s honoring at the Smithsonian.” You added. Bucky could see that he had disappointed you or scared you. Something that had changed your attitude completely. 

“Y/N,” He started. “It’s okay, Buck. I’ll see you later.” You cut him off, retreating back into your bedroom. Bucky kicked himself for how he lashed out at you. 

He looked at the clock on the wall and saw he had to be at therapy soon. Bucky debated whether or not he wanted to leave things unsaid and at such an uncertain point but when he heard the sound of the shower, he knew it had to wait. 

Bucky sat on the couch, staring straight ahead at Dr. Raynor. “So, James, have you been having more nightmares?” The woman asked. There was a long pause, the man wondering if he should be honest or if he should lie. He chose the latter. 

“No.” He answered. “James, we’ve been doing this long enough I can tell when you’re lying.” She replied. “How is Y/N?” She added. That piqued Bucky’s interest, his head moving to look at the Dr. Raynor. “Why would you ask about Y/N?” Bucky questioned. “Because you’ve said she makes you feel safe, right? Why haven’t you furthered your relationship?” She asked. “Because I’m me. Y/N has been through a lot already she doesn’t need anything to complicate it.” Bucky replied. 

“That’s utter bullshit. And you know it. You’re afraid to further your relationship with her. Because of all the loss you’ve faced, you don’t want to lose her.” Dr. Raynor said. “James, you’re free. You have a chance at peace and you’re not taking it. Y/N can give you peace. Sure, she’s been through a lot but so have you. Who says you can’t heal together?” She added. 

Bucky wasn’t one to show how he’s really feeling about something so once Dr. Raynor was met with the same stoic expression, she moved on. But throughout the entire session, his mind wandered to you. 

Dr. Raynor was right. He was afraid to solidify his relationship with you because he was afraid to lose you like he had lost everyone else. Steve told him to be happy and he knew all along that happiness was with you. You were his chance to try to live a normal life. But he wasn’t allowing himself to have it. 

Later that night, when he knew you were home from D.C., Bucky stood outside your apartment, building up the courage to knock. You knew he was out there. You could hear him whispering to himself, saying to just knock on the door. 

You opened your door and Bucky stopped pacing. “You have a key, you know.” You commented. “I know but it didn’t feel right using it after this morning.” He said. 

Moving aside to let him in, Bucky slowly entered the oh so familiar space of your apartment. 

“I’m sorry about lashing out at you. I know you ask because you’re worried and you care about me. A part of me didn’t want you to care so much because then I would find a way to fall out of love with you. Mainly because I’m afraid that I’ll lose you again and I don’t know if I’d be able to survive that.” Bucky confessed. 

“Buck, you won’t lose me. You’ll never lose me, not anymore. Thanos is gone. There are no more Infinity stones, we’re okay. And I know because of your past you won’t let yourself be happy but a part of forgiving yourself, is accepting the fact that it wasn’t you who hurt those people. It was your body, yes, but it wasn’t your mind. And I love you despite your flaws because that’s what love really is.” You told him. 

Bucky wasn’t sure he heard you correctly when you said you loved him. No one had said those words to him in years and it coming from you felt like it was too good to be true. 

“What did you say?” He asked. “I said I love you James Bucky Barnes and I’m going to spend a very long time doing that. Filling the void until you can learn to love yourself.” You answered. 

Bucky didn’t say anything at first, wanting to make sure it was actually real. He took a couple steps towards you and kissed you deeply. Sure he was a bit rusty after not having kissed anyone since 1943 but it was the fact that he was showing compassion towards someone was what meant the most.

“You’re going to be okay, James. I promise.” You whispered, resting your forehead against his. “We, are going to be okay, doll.” Bucky replied.

[cursestothemoon]

A Cruel Favor

Regulus Black x Fem!Slytherin!Reader

Request: Could I get and angsty and sad blurb with Regulus? Nothing specific in mind, Regulus’ entire life is pretty tragic already- just throwing some strained and kind of heartbreaking romance into that mix sorry i like pain this is how i cope

Summary: Your relationship with the youngest Black brother in the form of memories seen in a pensieve by Sirius Black.

Warnings: Death, sadness, crying, the dark mark, ghosts

Word Count: 3265

Author's Note: babe you asked for a blurb and i just did not listen i am so sorry, if you'd still like a blurb let me know and i'll whip up a little short piece but regardless i hope you enjoy this 😌

“You didn’t know him! You didn’t want to know him!” Your voice bellowed, trembling with the burning anger you held in your heart for the eldest Black brother.

It was true, back when the war was just ‘politics’ and the ‘Dark Lord’ a name whispered behind closed doors, Sirius Black had already made up his mind about his family- Regulus included.

“He was my brother.” Sirius spoke the statement as if just the mere fact of relation was supposed to trump that he hadn't even spoken to his brother in the months prior to his death.

You let out a bitter laugh, “Don’t lie for the sake of saving face, you never saw him as a brother; not then and certainly not now.”

Sirius seemed taken aback by your accusation, his words getting lost on his tongue for a moment before he quickly regained his fiery passion for argument.

“He betrayed me.”

“You were the one who betrayed him!” Your accusatory finger pointed at Sirius.

The eldest Black brother’s features went stoney, “The moment he decided to get that mark, was the moment he lost his name as my brother.”

Everything in the mangey old house seemed to still, a silence falling so powerful you could hear a pin drop. Your slow footsteps were exaggerated in the quiet, each creak ringing in both yours and Sirius’ ears. With a tired hand, you pushed a small pouch onto the surface of the dining room table, the vials inside clinking together softly.

“They’re numbered.” You breathed out. “There is so much you don’t know, Sirius.”

You walked through the door and onto the street hastily, not wasting any time to apparate back home.

Sirius sat down in the nearest chair with a huff, his knees spread as his shoulders slid down the back of the chair. He hadn’t remembered just how far up his brother’s ass you were.

Roughly, he rubbed his face with his palms before lazily reaching for the dark velvet pouch on the table. The emerald green reminded him not only of his brother, but of his entire family, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Sirius couldn’t help the groan that left his mouth at the memories of his family that seemed to plague his mind.

Fittingly, Sirius opened the pouch to reveal just that. The silvery, viscous tendrils that floated through each vial were immediately recognized by the pureblood. You had given him your memories...and a letter.

You deserve to know him.

Y/N L/N

Sirius’ curiosity regarding what secrets of his brother’s seemed to be swimming in the vials bubbled over, he was sure 12 Grimmauld Place was harbouring a pensieve somewhere within its walls, he’d just have to get up and find it.

17 October 1974

Barty Crouch Jr. was an insolent child, the type to collect bones and listen to them rattle. He had a nervous tick, his tongue slithering past his lips every so often in a manner that was so serpentine it made your skin prick.

“Come on then, L/N, be a good little girl and do as I say.”

You threw down your quill in frustration, “Bugger off, Crouch. I’ve said no.”

“Don't be like that,” Barty smirked, coming closer to where you were sitting. “It’s only some homework. You were going to do yours anyway, why not get some extra practice in by doing mine too?”

“I’d rather have unforgivables practiced on me than do anything you ask.”

His sickly sweet smile wasn’t one you were expecting, his voice low and threatening, “That can be arranged.”

Your blood ran cold as you watched his nimble fingers move toward his wand pocket in his robes. Truthfully, you should’ve known better. Being in the same house as Barty allowed you the luxury of hearing all the gossip surrounding him and his hobbies, dark magic and curses being at the top of that list.

“Barty.”

The cold baritone made the sandy-haired menace stop in his tracks, his face contorting into an expression of mild annoyance and frustration.

“There’s no need for you to be acting like a child. Quite humiliating asking someone else to do your work, isn’t it, Crouch? Are you too thick to get it done yourself?”

Barty turned to look at his friend, words jumbling as he tried to figure out how to get himself out of the hole he had dug.

“Reg-” The stone-like stare had Barty cowering and mouth snapping shut, the boy seemingly trying to fold in on himself.

With a simple nod of his head, Regulus directed the him to make himself useful elsewhere, but you were far too taken by the handsome boy in front of you to notice the stomping footsteps of Barty’s as he left. Of course you had known of Regulus Black, seen him from afar and even once had Transfiguration with him, but seeing him up close was an experience in and of itself. His skin was ghostly pale, hair dark and wavy as it fell just below his ears, and his cheekbones were high accentuating the slant of his nose. Regulus Black was beautiful, everything about him seemed to be placed just right and sculpted with the utmost care and attention.

He turned to you, your eyes meeting before he gave you an appraising look.

“Regulus.” His hand struck out, a rather rugged introduction.

Slowly, you took his hand in yours and proceeded to shake it. You couldn’t seem to rid yourself of the feeling that your hand was far too dirty, far too boring to be touching his, to even be near his.

“Y/n L/n, thank you- for that.” You were proud of yourself for not allowing your voice to shake.

“I’m sorry he was a bother.”

Regulus seemed to lack the ability of holding a conversation, he nodded- you assumed a goodbye- and got ready to make his way to the dorms.

“Wait,” Your voice came out before you could stop it. “You could stay, I’m almost done anyway. We could...talk.”

The suggestion had the boy's ears turning pink, his words coming out stuttered and jumbled, a stark contrast from the boy who had told off Barty so eloquently.

“If you- alright.”

You thought for a moment before speaking again, “You’re not very good at talking to people are you?”

“Excuse my blatant honesty, but you make me quite nervous.”

It was your turn to have your ears turn a soft hue of red, “I could say the same about you.”

5 April 1975

“Haven’t you got your own side of the blanket? Must you be so close to me?” You giggled, trying to roll away from Regulus while still avoiding the grass.

Regulus smiled, his eyes closing and nose scrunching in thought before he spoke, “I prefer to be close to you; making sure you won’t run out on me.”

Both of you began giggling, his head falling to nudge your shoulder. Ultimately, Regulus shuffled away from your side, allowing just about a foot of space in between your bodies. The wind rustled your hair as you turned your neck to look at the youngest Black as he sat up, his legs stretched and crossed at the ankles, arms propping himself up as his palms pressed flat against the floor.

It was no secret that Regulus was beautiful. His dark hair- now gently flowing in the cool breeze- stood out against his pale skin, freckles were dusted delicately over his aristocratic nose and sharp cheekbones. You could tell he’d never worked a day in his life with how handsome and soft his hands were. His fingers were long and slender, never dry or rough, and his nails perfectly trimmed and always clean.

Regulus Black was absolutely perfect and you were regretting ever complaining about his proximity.

You were quick to right your wrong, bashfully you raised yourself onto all fours and crawled over to your boyfriend. Regulus tried to hold in his smirk, avoiding turning to look at you directly but you could tell his resolve was breaking.

“Regulus…” You spoke his name with an innocent lilt, sitting back on your shins once you were close enough to have your knees touching his thigh.

He hummed, not giving you the satisfaction of having his full attention.

A huff of frustration fell past your lips at his stubbornness as you threw your leg over his thighs, straddling his legs just above his knees. His composure was thinning, a wide smile threatening to spread across his thin lips.

“You’re far too close,” he teased, his hand coming up as if trying to stop you from getting any closer. “I believe you are on my side of the blanket, L/n.”

“Don’t be so fickle, Black.”

Regulus’ pale blue eyes found yours, his delicate hand coming up to run across the delicate collar of your dress.

“It’s in my nature isn’t it?” His eyes held a certain sadness that you could not place, one you wouldn’t see again until a few years later.

Your lips parted to respond to him, only to be interrupted by a Hogwarts ghost floating nearby. It was a ghost neither you nor Regulus were familiar with and as she passed she mumbled something- rather spitefully- about young love. The event had your train of thought derailed, a quiet giggle erupting from your throat as the transparent, deceased woman floated on.

Regulus seemed to find the woman just as amusing as you did, his eyes crinkling with laughter as you two now looked at each other in fits of hysterics.

“Oh her poor soul!” You exclaimed, eyes looking off in the direction she had gone. “If you were a ghost, Reg, where would you haunt with your undead presence.”

His expression contorted into one of reminiscence, “Uncle Alphard’s cherry orchard just a few kilometers from Monts de Venasque. When we were little, Sirius and I would play in the trees. I could sit in those cherry trees for hours, everything just seemed to disappear. Alphard’s been burned off the tapestry since, but he’s left the property in my possession along with the small house on the land. I think if I were to choose one place to spend eternity, it would be there.”

You smiled softly at his answer.

“And you?” He asked, bringing you out of your lovesick haze.

“Me?” You chuckled. “I’d suppose my eternity would be well spent as long as I was somewhere with you.”

28 June 1976

It seemed the entirety of 12 Grimmauld Place shook with how hard Sirius had slammed the front door.

He was gone.

Completely and entirely gone.

And Regulus was completely and entirely alone now.

Regulus swiftly made his way up the stairs and to his room, just barely avoiding a collision with the poor house elf.

“Y/n’s room.” The words were spoken clearly and concisely as the floo powder fell from his shaky hands.

The time of night- 2:27 am- was of little importance to Regulus, he needed to see you.

You woke up with a jolt, the sound of someone stumbling into your room and panicked mumbling doing nothing to ease your nerves though the mop of dark curls had your heart calming down.

“Reg?”

He turned to look at you with heartbroken eyes, watery and bloodshot.

“He’s gone.” He choked out.

You kicked the blankets off yourself and stood up from your bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor.

Keeping a calm tone you slowly got closer to him, “Who’s gone, love?”

His pain was so evident, rolling off him in waves, “Sirius- he’s not coming back.”

“Oh,” You sighed, treading lightly. “I’m sur-”

“No!” He cried, “Burned off the tapestry, probably with the Potters- he’s gone an-and he left me with them.”

Regulus’ anguish, tear stained cheeks, had your own eyes welling with unshed tears. It was clear words would do nothing to calm him, instead you opted for pushing yourself into him and taking his crying form into your arms. His body seemed to give out as you held him, his tears soaking your shirt as he wailed into your neck.

Neither of you could tell how long you stood in the middle of your room seemingly holding him together, but his cries subsided into gentle whimpers and the occasional sniffle as his nose nudged the side of your neck.

His voice came out rough and strained, just barely above a whisper, “Please don’t- don’t leave me like Si- like he did.”

You could feel your heart shatter, “Wouldn’t dream of it, darling.”

“I don’t know how I would’ve survived in this mess if I had never known you.”

Your breath came out ragged as you spoke the truest words you've ever dared to speak, “My heart beats for you, Regulus.”

30 December 1979

His forearm itched.

It seemed to always have an odd itch ever since he was sixteen.

Regulus watched your form get closer, bundled in a thick overcoat and a dark blue scarf- Christmas present from himself- wrapped neatly around your neck. You were the picture of beauty, like a living doll with your soft smile and adoring eyes.

“My love.” You greeted him, leaning in to place a soft kiss against his cold cheek.

His eyes seemed distant, your only greeting a tight lipped smile.

Your eyebrows knit together, “Everything alright?”

Regulus nodded, his eyes swimming with a sadness so familiar, “Just taking you in.”

He pulled off his leather gloves, stuffing them deep in his coat pocket before reaching his hand out to hold your jaw, his thumb running across your skin. The action was comforting and you couldn’t help but close your eyes to savour the feeling of his thumb caressing your cheekbone.

You let out a small gasp when you felt him take your lips in a slow kiss. It was passionate, loving, yet there was a certain finality to it that had a shiver run up your spine in the most unpleasant way.

“I have the cruelest favor to ask of you, and I can only hope you’ll forgive me once I do.”

Your stomach dropped, “What do you mean, Regulus? What- what favor?”

“Please, try to understand-”

“What favor?”

“I couldn’t-”

“Tell me what the favor is, Regulus.”

Your voice had an edge to it that made him compose himself almost instantly.

He took a breath before speaking, his eyes looking off somewhere behind you as he spoke, “He’s getting stronger.”

You didn’t need to ask who this ‘he’ was, the tone made it very clear.

“He has these… horcruxes. Incredibly dark magic, I don't know how many but I know of one. It’s hidden and I’ve found out the location, I can destroy it I know I can but-”

His tone was hushed and your heart rate had started to pick up speed.

“But you don’t know if you’ll live to tell the tale?” You asked with a humorless laugh.

The look in Regulus’ eyes had told you, you were right.

“I can’t let him continue. If this could stop him, weaken him even, it’s worth whatever the consequence to myself may be.” He argued.

You pushed yourself further from him, “I can’t- I won’t lose you. No, there’s no way.”

His expression shifted into one of sorrow and pleading, “I have to.”

And you knew there was no changing his mind.

You bit the side of your lip anxiously, looking at the ground before asking, “And this favor?”

The heartbreak was almost palpable, his voice going raw.

“I cannot be fully prepared to do anything that is necessary to destroy this horcrux if-”

He cut himself off with an intake of breath.

“If I know you’ll be waiting for my return, if I know what I have to leave behind I may be tempted to not go through with my plan.”

You couldn’t help but feel and look horrified, “What are you asking of me, Regulus?”

He seemed to flinch at the tone of your voice, a tone you’d never used before and one he couldn’t name.

“I need you to obliviate yourself from my memory.”

It felt as though your chest had collapsed in on itself, “I-I couldn-”

“You have to!” Regulus cried, his arms gripping the sides of your face as you couldn’t help but let a choked sob escape from your lips. “It’s the only way I’ll be able to go through with it, I can't know that there’s a possibility of leaving you.”

“Please, Regulus, you can’t ask this of me.” You choked out, searching his eyes for some sort of humor, something that told you it was all a cruel joke.

He pressed his lips against your forehead, both of your eyes closing as you two took in short, ragged breaths.

Everything seemed darker. The flowers in the Black garden were cold and dead, the snow wasn’t snow at all, instead dangerous sheets of ice. It was then you realized the war, the death eaters, everything had become so real.

“There is a letter on your bed at home, I’ve settled everything for you. I’m going to stand against the pillar, my back to you, and you are going to do it from behind the hedges so we won’t see each other after. You need to leave once it’s done alright?”

You nodded solemnly, knowing there was no use in fighting it. The cause was bigger than you, bigger than Regulus. Everyone made sacrifices, this just had to be yours.

“My heart beats for you, Y/n, whether I know it or not.”

“And mine for you, Regulus.” You smiled sadly, pulling his wrist up to your face and pulling back his sleeve to reveal his dark mark, pressing a kiss to the skin you spoke, “You aren’t them, you never were and you never will be.”

Regulus smiled but said nothing as he lowered his arms and put his gloves back on. With slow steps he walked to the pillar and looked back at you one last time.

“I’m just taking you in.” He whispered, before slowly turning.

You took your wand from your coat as you took even slower steps to stand just far enough for him not to notice you after it had been done. Regulus felt his resolve crumble with each crunch of your boots against the frozen ground, his eyes screwed shut- tears rolling down his face freely- as he prepared for what was coming.

With a shaky hand you raised your wand.

“Obliviate.”

Present

Sirius seemed to be thrown back from the pensieve, as if the memory had rejected him from viewing any longer, still sensitive. He felt an odd tickling sensation run down his cheek, his hand raising to brush away a stray tear as he fell into a nearby chair.

He never knew…

***

You pushed open the backdoor of your small home, the warm scent of cherry trees welcoming you. The sun was just barely starting to set as you looked off into the horizon of the vast field of trees, if you looked long enough you could make out the handsome silhouette of a boy you once knew sitting up in a cherry tree.

Only a few short months later, the lone figure would be joined by another… a brother.

tags:

@amourtentiaa

@vsawyer1989​

@lifeofkaze

@siriusement

@erinruby003

@maybesandohnos

@onlyfreds

@tayyx

[yslkook]

UNFUCKWITABLE (9)

mind of mine masterlist

summary: jungkook convinces you to take a staycation with him for a few days (a week).

pairing: “badboy” jk x “shy/reserved” oc

warnings: cursing, alc, excessive use of pet names, oc and jk discuss their unprotected sex practices, vomiting, some jealous jk, mild exhibitionism, fingers in oc's mouth grinding, making out, oral (m), titjob

word count: 7k

a/n: if you want to be tagged, send an ask plz. would love to hear your thoughts. also...cant believe mom manifested into butter jk im in pain

****************************************

Jungkook is unsurprised to enter your home with the key you’d given him the other week and find it completely empty. You’ve been working early mornings and incredibly late nights for the last week and a half, and he can tell it’s beginning to take a toll on you. The first sign that you were beginning to wear down was when you had skipped dinner in favor of sleeping. The second was when you had snapped at him in irritation and then immediately cried over hurting his feelings.

He can think of about a dozen other things, including the even more pronounced bags under your eyes. You’ve always had dark circles under your eyes naturally from hyperpigmentation but these days, not even concealer can help you mask them.

In fact, the reason that you’d even given him a key was because you felt like work was taking over your entire life. You’d hardly had a chance to see anyone who wasn’t a work colleague, and you just missed Jungkook. At least this way, you could wake up and go to bed with him.

You had only been calling Jungkook your partner just shy of four months, and he had a key to your home. Perhaps it was fast for other people, but with him, it felt right. So he keeps a copy of your keys on his lanyard- it’s possibly his most prized possession right now. Jungkook usually only comes when you ask him to, he’s been staying at your place for the last week because of how tired and busy you were.

Usually you stop by the tattoo parlor at least once or twice a week, but you have been sparse because of work. So he’s here, in your home without you. It felt strange the first few times he’d been here without you, but then he started leaving little pockets of himself- his shoes next to yours, his hair product on your shelf, and his two of his jackets hanging near yours in the closet. He’d even purchased a new plant to keep on your windowsill in your living room (which you take turns dutifully watering and making sure she gets enough sunlight).

It’s all very domestic. He had jokingly told you not to expose him to your shared friends, specifically Mina and Mei. To which you had rolled your eyes.

Though some small, very small, part of him wonders if the magic will fade away soon. Considering how fast you both are moving both physically into your home and in your relationship.

It’s only been a few months, and you both were incredibly comfortable with the idea of unprotected sex- after all, Jungkook always pulls out in time. Until, of course, you’d had a pregnancy scare. Hoseok and Yoongi, ever the pair of realists, had scolded him when Jungkook had revealed that you both hardly ever used any protection-

“Are you trying to knock her up? Is that it? You both ready to potentially be parents?” Yoongi says mildly as he polishes off his wine, looking at Jungkook expectantly. Jungkook’s cheeks burn.

“No, I’m not trying to knock her up and no, nobody’s trying to be parents-”

“You both are lucky you haven’t knocked her up already,” Hoseok says, with more heat in his voice, “You both are fucking stupid, but you especially.” He even smacks the back of his head with the book in his hands and Jungkook glares at him.

“Hey, my pull out game has always been strong, and I’m serious about her. We wouldn’t fuck raw if-”

“Oh, yes, then we definitely have nothing to worry about,” Yoongi says, “Keep it moving, Hobi.

“Talk to her about it, or else,” Hoseok threatens, “I don’t wanna hear about another pregnancy scare because you’re both idiots.”

“I know, I know,” Jungkook relents, “We’ve been talking about it. It just sucks that birth control can fuck up a woman’s body like that, you know? Mood changes and appetite changes, nausea and everything…”

“You could always get a vasectomy,” Yoongi says bluntly.

“Mei said the same thing. She was way more mean about it, though. Told me she’d cut my balls off if I didn’t get my shit together.”

“I don’t blame her, considering what a mess you both were last month.”

“We were not a mess!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so stressed ever in your life, not even when your first bike got run over by a car. Or when your tattoo got infected three consecutive times. And I’ve never seen her cry so much before.”

“Alright, maybe we’re a little bit of a mess.”

In the end, you and Jungkook had both decided that yes, condoms were probably a good idea. Considering the pregnancy scare you had last month, you both were on edge and a little paranoid. Jungkook hadn’t even mentioned the idea of you taking birth control or getting an IUD, knowing that your last few experiences with the former were unpleasant-

“I can get a vasectomy, you know. In fact, Yoongi suggested it,” Jungkook shrugs nonchalantly but your jaw drops.

“Jungkook. I don’t think vasectomies are reversible like that. Think about what you’re saying,” You murmur, “I’m touched you’d consider a surgical procedure so I don’t have to take birth control, but what if-”

“I looked it up, they can be reversed-”

“But Jungkook! You don’t know that, what if you want to have kids later and you can’t because you decided on a fucking whim to get a vasectomy? It’s still trauma on your body! You can’t just snip snap, snip snap your vas deferens tube whenever you please. At least with birth control you can start and stop it, even if that’s not a completely benign process.”

Jungkook looks at you long and hard, his tongue poking his cheek and you sigh. “But I don’t-”

“Honey. I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” You murmur, squeezing his hands in yours, “But we’re both being stupid. We’re both acting like condoms don’t exist. Why don’t we start with condoms and then think about getting your tubes tied or me getting an IUD?”

“You spoiled me,” Jungkook complains dramatically and drops his head to your chest, “With your pussy. I’m spoiled now.”

“Shut up.”

And so now, a box of condoms sits in the drawer of your nightstand and you’ve taken to bringing a few with you in your purse as well (and so does he). You’d been far more nervous buying condoms than you’d ever been of buying anything else, and Jungkook had only cockily grinned at you.

Today’s Friday and it’s the day of your deadline. Meaning that you’d hopefully be home soon and be his for the rest of the weekend. He fully plans on getting you to relax and stay in for the majority of the weekend, so that you can catch up on sleep.

But then you come home past dinner (you had sent him a text earlier telling him that you were going to be late. He knows your mood is sour- you had been in a foul mood all week, and the fact that you’re so close to being home but so far just makes it worse). You come home with an empty belly, a weary mind and wetness along your lash line. Climbing into bed next to him, you circle your arms around his waist and cry tiredly into his chest.

“J-Jungkook,” You hiccup, “I’m so tired, they kept me s-so late today but it’s done. Everything is finished-”

“Oh, baby,” He sighs, rubbing your back soothingly, “It’s okay. We can just sleep now. You should take a few days off next week, baby.”

“I don’t know…” But your eyes are wide and considering it.

“You’ve been running on empty all week,” Jungkook points out, “For longer than that. Your job can handle two or three days without you while you recharge. Text your boss, baby. You need to rest, too.”

He nudges your cheek with his nose and you hum in agreement. “Okay. Five day weekend? Sure you won’t get tired of me?” You murmur and laugh when he squeezes your waist.

“We can make it a staycation.”

And you’re already texting your boss, telling her that you needed a few days off next week. She gives you a thumbs up and encourages you to rest up, making it a point to recognize how hard you’ve been working. She even suggests you take the full week off, which you jump at and Jungkook only grins at you.

“My brilliant girl, charming her way into a full week off.”

You swat his hand away and hide your burning but satisfied face in his chest. “Yeah, your bad habits are rubbing off on me.”

“Oh, that’s not the only thing rubbing off on you,” Jungkook says wickedly and pushes his hips into yours, earning a fierce pinch to his bare waist.

“Hush, I’m trying to nap,” You mumble, your voice muffled. Without warning, you lick his neck and bite lightly at the base of his neck, ignoring his soft yelp. He doesn’t have a chance to question you on what that was, as you’re already falling asleep.

You’ve always thought from the beginning, even when you and Jungkook were just friends, that he was an ass man. You’ve caught him staring at your ass many, many times- in jeans, in a dress, in a skirt. And now that you both are officially together, he spends any and every moment he can with a hand on your ass. Casually, when you both walk side by side. And purposefully when you’re both just in his bed or on your couch. His hand is a well known presence on your ass, not that you’re complaining.

One of Jungkook’s favorite places to nap is on your ass, with his cheek pressed into you and one hand firmly gripping your ass. He also likes laying with his head on your lap. But his favorite place to nap is with his head buried in your chest, specifically buried in between your tits. He is currently analyzing his hypothesis that your right tit is smaller than your left, a thought he’s had for a while now, but needs further samples of evidence to properly assess.

But he’s always had an affinity for your tits, whether you’re blissfully unaware of it or not. You don’t notice it not really- you like any and all of his touches on any inch of your skin, as you’ve told him many times before. Especially when he holds you close next to him or under him and you feel protected, surrounded by only him.

He holds you, looks at you as if you’re as soothing as the sea and as bright as a supernova. And yet, the universe is contained in his big, doe eyes.

But really, at the end of the day, it’s an affinity for you. Jungkook loves every part of your mind, body, and soul, and he thinks he has for a long time. His heart has been tangled with yours since the first time he had seen you years ago at Hobi’s surprise birthday party that you had planned. Jungkook is sure that when he had seen you with a homemade red velvet cheesecake with a ‘Happy Birthday Hobi <3’ written perfectly in red icing in your arms, a silly party hat on your head, and a shy, beaming smile on your lips, he had been magnetized to your center of gravity from then on.

But even then, he had only hovered. Barely introducing himself, if it weren’t for Mina and Mei. He thought he had known girls like you- girls who baked cakes, planned elaborate birthday parties for their friends and wore flowery dresses liked other predictable people. It’s another one of his hypotheses (which has been clearly debunked)- but by now, he knows not to be so judgmental of others.

But he doesn’t dwell on that for long. Even the first time he met you, right after he had introduced himself to you and you had stared at him with starstruck eyes and stammered a quiet ‘hello’ in return, Sora had cornered him. And told him to back off from right then, that you were off limits. That you’d never be interested in a guy like him, so to not even spend a second in his stupid little mind even entertaining the ridiculous idea.

So he backed off subconsciously, thinking it wasn’t worth it to even know you as a friend. He’d convinced himself that it was too much trouble, and Jungkook has always been an easygoing kind of guy in most instances. After all, your best friend would know you best, right? And really, what did he care? As the saying goes, there were about a million other fish in the sea.

However. Even then, with each word uttered between you both, with each laugh that he pulled from your soft mouth, he couldn’t help the reluctant fondness for you that began to bloom. You had surprised him every few months after that, just saying hello at events that you were both present at and asking how he was. With that stupidly beautiful smile and those bright, shy eyes.

You were a smart, kind woman, always remembering details about others. And he was no exception.

That was years ago. He’s known you since your third year at university, hanging by a thread just outside your orbit. But this is now.

This is now, and your lips are against his neck, your chest pressed to his. You climb into his lap haphazardly, nearly knocking your mug off of the coffee table. You both have only just woken up and stumbled out of bed for coffee and breakfast. You had combed the tangles out of his bedhead with his head in your lap, but now sleepiness has washed away and you’re tugging at his oversized shirt.

You promptly bite him, right where his neck tattoo starts and ends. Jungkook meets your eyes with an incredulous, breathy laugh. “What’s gotten into you?” He murmurs, palming your chest from under your shirt.

“Nothing. You just have a very biteable neck, I told you,” You say, resuming your inspection of the vein next to his tattoo, “What a juicy jugular vein-”

Jungkook holds your wrist and flips you so that your back is on the couch. “My sexy vampire girlfriend. Love when she starts talking about my jugular vein.”

“Watch out, I might drink from it. You never know,” You giggle with a wink, squirming in his grip.

“You can do whatever you want,” Jungkook murmurs but then an idea that has been planted in his head for weeks now spills from his lips without him meaning to, “I wanna fuck your tits, baby.”

Your eyes go comically wide, mimicking Jungkook’s own. His cheeks are a little pink from his abrupt confession as silence falls between you both.

“That’s really interesting,” You muse.

“Is it?” He asks, feeling a little lightheaded. You tug a little at his purple locks to pull him down to you.

“Yeah. Always thought you liked booty. And legs,” You shrug, “But I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised.”

Jungkook’s throat is too dry for him to reply coherently. But he finds his voice after you give him a reassuring smile, “Uh, when it’s you, I like everything.”

“Me too. When it’s you, I like everything,” You mumble, heat rising in your cheeks, “And uh… you can. Do that I mean.”

“Do what?” He asks teasingly, tilting his head to the side.

“Don’t play dumb,” You whine, shoving his shoulder.

“C’mon say it,” Jungkook jeers, not unkindly, “Put your big girl panties on.”

“I hate you,” You sigh dramatically, “Fine. You can fuck my tits, if you so desire.” His face splits into a grin as he thumbs your chin and ducks his head into your neck. He playfully nips at your skin, murmuring that he’s just giving you a taste of your own medicine, but you feel his half hard cock pressing against your thigh.

The image of his cock wet and slick between your tits is now imprinted in your mind, and when both of you want something, you’ll surely get it.

Despite your eagerness of making Jungkook’s wish a reality, neither of you have had the chance for your usual shenanigans just yet. You still have quite a few days of your staycation left, so you won’t rush it. You had spent most of the first two days sleeping, cuddling, spooning, eating and lots and lots of slow sex.

You think you can count on one hand the number of times you’ve left your bed. Jungkook has been nothing short of wonderful, bringing you food (just this once, you hate eating while in bed), giving you shoulder rubs and booty rubs without you asking. Your favorite ice cream is in your freezer. Life is good.

His shirt hangs off of your shoulder and you’re too lazy to fix it. In fact you’re too lazy for pajama bottoms, only settling on your favorite pair of comfortable panties (nothing flashy. Just a standard black cotton panty) to wear under your shirt. One might even call them granny panties or whatever, but lace was uncomfortable on your skin. Lace and thongs are for very, very special occasions (hardly if ever) and you are in the comfort of your own home. You’ll be comfortable if it’s the last thing you do.

In fact, you’re too lazy to even raise your head to pucker your lips for a kiss from Jungkook. You only open your arms and hum, as if he’s supposed to telepathically know what you want from him. But he does, and he flops onto you once he tugs his shirt off. Jungkook’s face remains buried in your chest as you gently rub his scalp.

He hums happily, nearly purring at your touch and shoves himself closer into your hold. You can’t believe this man, the man who mildly intimidated you for years, is now in your arms and purring like a baby kitten. He’s admitted a few times that his scalp has been irritated and inflamed ever since he dyed his hair purple. One of his favorite things is to lay in your lap while you massage a mix of coconut oil and peppermint oil into his scalp.

He looks up at you, warm heat blazing in his eyes. You’re about to ask him what he’s thinking about but he palms your pussy from under your shirt- your still swollen, puffy pussy from the four times he’s made you cum already.

“Can I help you, Jungkook,” You ask flatly, but your poker face breaks when he dots you with kisses up and down your thighs.

“Yeah, fuck,” Jungkook groans, voice slowing to a whine, “I’m still hard, baby, fuck. Help me.”

“How are you still hard,” You wonder with a grin, “Damn, Jeon. You must really like me, huh?”

“If that wasn’t obvious then I’m clearly not doing something right here,” He breathes into your skin.

“Gimme a kiss then,” You murmur, pushing his long hair behind his ear. His eyebrow piercing glints in the light of your bedroom and you trace it gently with your fingertips. Jungkook desperately pushes his lips to yours, parting your lips easily and slipping his tongue into your mouth. He kisses your teeth hungrily, strands of his hair brushing against your cheeks.

His hips roll into yours impatiently, hands already pawing at your shirt. The air in your bedroom is suddenly so stifling, thick and nearly choking you both with the intensity of your desire. You just want him to feel good with you.

“Jungkook,” You say softly with warm cheeks, “You can use me, however you want. Tell me what you want, bunny.”

He lets out a quiet gasp, his eyes bright and wide.

You’re both on the same page, because he’s scrambling to chuck his boxers to the side and you’re tossing your shirt on top of his boxers.

***********************

“Fuuuck,” Jungkook groans. He’s breathless, heart racing erratically. All he can do is hold your shoulders as he watches with a piercing, hazy gaze as his cock is swallowed in between your tits. You squeeze them tightly together, trying to create as much friction as you can for him.

“Fuck,” He whines, “Fuck, you look so good, baby. O-oh, shit, my pretty baby, you’re pretty-”

Jungkook nearly cums when you mischievously stick your tongue out to brush against the head of his leaking cock. The visual is almost too much for him and his breaths are choked, strangled as he forces himself to look into your dark eyes.

“So big, bunny, look,” You say softly, “You like this? You’re so hot like this…”

He’s nearly in tears, eyes shining and wet at how good this feels. If your pussy was a slice of heaven, then your tits were the next best thing. You moan softly, feeling your own wetness and heat pooling. Jungkook’s cheeks and chest are flushed, eyes wild and wet as he slides his cock in between the valley of your tits languidly. Almost as if he doesn’t want the moment to end.

You’re so warm, warm everywhere.

His muscles are tense, the furrow in his brow beginning to appear when he’s about to cum. “Shit, baby, oh my god, I love your tits,” Jungkook moans, tossing his head back, “Fuck, I love everything about you-”

You don’t know how he’s able to form coherent sentences to you when he’s this close to cumming. But he’s always been a man of many talents.

“You know what I just realized,” You gasp suddenly, “Neither of us made it official that we’re dating. Like I never asked you ‘out’ and you never asked me ‘out’-”

“Fuck, you talk too much,” Jungkook nearly snarls, “My cock is literally in between your tits and I’m about to fucking cum all over you and you think I belong to anyone else?”

You swallow thickly, Jungkook narrowing his eyes at you. He looks intimidating and intense above you, his powerful, golden thighs straddling either side of you.

“N-no, I was just-”

Jungkook shoots you a glare, reaches behind him and gathers your wetness with two fingers. Before you can ask him what he’s doing, he pushes two fingers into your mouth to shut you up. You send him a glare right back, but it melts away quickly when you swirl your tongue and suck on his digits.

He cums without warning, hastily and with a broken sort of sound ripping from his throat. It’s warm and sticky as it lands on your chest and your cheek. But he cums so much and much to your chagrin some of his cum gets in your eye and you nearly shriek at the burn.

“Jungkook! What the hell, your cum is in my fucking eyeball-”

He’s still panting above you, like some sort of golden boy, and it takes him a few seconds to register your irritation. “Oh shit,” Jungkook says and jumps into action. He tugs you into the bathroom to gently wash your eye for you (after washing his own hands), with you grumbling the entire time.

“I’m sorry, baby,” He says sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. You roll your eyes and demand to be taken back to bed and lavished in kisses as penance for his cum shooting into your eye.

Jungkook tastes himself a little when his tongue slips into your mouth, but it hardly registers as he rolls on top of you, caging you in between his arms.

Jungkook fleetingly thinks he should’ve spent more time trying to convince you to stay home with him. Maybe with a few soft, long kisses to your neck, he might have. You looked delectable, good enough to eat- your dress fitted around your hips, nails, hair, and makeup done, the scent of your perfume subtle but not irritating to his sensitive nose.

You had asked him to pick what jewelry to wear, so one of his long necklaces sitting around your neck and disappearing into the valley of your chest. It doesn’t really match with your dress, but you don’t care.

And Jungkook… well, it was difficult for you to keep your hands off of him as well. His hair is tied back into a neat ponytail, he’s wearing a sequined black (fitted) button up with the top four buttons undone, a thick, silver chain and ripped, black jeans. Your eyes are glued to his chest and he knows it- you can’t help but grip his arm, his bicep whenever you can.

Neither of you really enjoyed the club scene, but you had wanted to go out since it had been a really long time and after all, you were on your staycation. Mei had planted the idea in your head, and so now here Jungkook was.

Here he was, catching flashes off the satin, coral colored wrap dress that you were encased in. For someone who doesn’t like the scene, you blend in effortlessly. But you’re a grown woman, so he takes his eyes off of you and orders a round of shots for him, Jimin, Taehyung and Jin while nursing a bottle of soju.

In the midst of the thumping bass bouncing off of the walls in the club, you’re only aware of you and Mei while you both sing along to whatever song is blasting through the club. Mina disappeared a while ago, presumably to find Jimin.

You’re holding two drinks, one in each hand, and all you feel is the vibrations of the club. Along with your own drunkenness. Mei holds your arm to keep you steady as you move your hips in time with hers. You laugh loudly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders at something she said. Everything is amplified and muted at the same time, the swirl of alcohol settling comfortably in your veins.

You’re having a great time with your friends, dancing, swirling, singing and drinking. It’s a nice night to unwind, in the company of dear friends and strangers.

“Hey,” Mei murmurs in your ear, “I gotta pee and I’m gonna go find Seulgi-”

“You can just say that you wanna go find her,” You giggle, “Don’t blame your bladder on it, Mei.”

“Oh, you’re funny. I’ll text Jungkook and tell him to come find you, alright?” Mei says, patting your head. You nod and tell her to go find her girl, and she does. Leaving you to your own devices for a bit, at least until Jungkook makes his way to you.

However, what neither of you realize is that the cell reception in this building is terrible. Mei’s text never goes through and you stay in your bubble, with your two drinks in your hands and bounce along to the music.

You’re not sure how much time goes by, but it feels like you’ve been alone for quite a while. You squint your eyes at your phone to check the time and send a text to Jungkook. A text that never goes through. You frown and are about to turn on your heel to link up with your man (wherever he might be), but you hear a surprised call of your name.

It’s hard to keep the incredulity out of your face when you come face to face with Yunho, the man who had stood you up all those months ago. The air has almost been punched out of your lungs, and you have to squint at him to believe what you’re seeing.

He calls your name again, giving you a wave and a bright smile. “Funny seeing you here, huh?”

“Uh…”

“Can I buy you a drink? I feel like I owe it to you after…” His eyes are sincere. At least you think so, with your drunk goggles on.

“I don’t know, Yunho, it’s okay…” You mumble unsurely, “Isn’t this weird?”

“It’s only weird if we make it weird,” Yunho says and pulls a chuckle out of you.

“Oh, alright. I guess a drink won’t hurt,” You shrug and lead the way to the bar. The least he can do for you after standing you up and hurting your feelings is buy you a drink, you think.

“Hey listen, I owe you an apology,” Yunho says, sliding your drink towards you.

“Oh, it’s- it was a long time ago,” You shrug, avoiding his eyes. Sure, it was a hit to your ego, but in hindsight it doesn’t matter. Not when you have Jungkook. Honestly, you’ve forgotten that Yunho had even been a blip in your radar once upon a time. It was only because of Sora, anyway.

“I had something urgent come up last minute that day and I asked Sora to tell you,” Yunho continues, “I’m sorry I didn’t follow up or even reach out to you after. But I’d heard that you were with Jeon now, so didn’t want to… overstep, I guess.”

And even through your drunken haze, you understand. You sigh deeply, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“Oh boy,” You groan, “Sora never told me about that but we’re not close anymore, Yunho. It’s okay, I understand. I’m sorry she got you, too.”

Yunho’s lips part in surprise, “She didn’t… Alright. What’s done is done, I guess.”

“Yeah,” You murmur airily, “And yes, I am with Jeon. Though I can’t seem to find him…”

“I’m happy to keep you company until you do.”

Despite how well you and Yunho seem to hit it off (most of your time spent bitching about Sora), you can’t help but think of Jungkook. You quite miss him, not having seen him all night in the club. You want to dance with him, and little do you know that he’s been scouring the entire club for you in a frenzy once he ran into Mei and Mina and hadn’t seen you with them.

He had sent them a glare, his jaw clenched and walked away to find you. So when his eyes finally land on you at the bar, after about twenty-five minutes of searching and trying to get through strings of people around you, his heart soars. But he sees you laughing with someone else at the bar. With Yunho.

Jealousy is petty, he tells himself. But he struggles to keep it at bay as it rears its head and comforts him. He’s always been protective and possessive of those he loves and cherishes. You’re definitely no exception.

You wobble a little on your feet, but you hold your own. Even from here, he can see the drunkenness of your smile, beads of sweat as they race down your neck to hide in the valley of your breasts. He zeroes in on your necklace (his) around your neck and reminds himself. It’s his necklace that you’re wearing, after all.

Then why is the man who stood you up all those months ago making you laugh like that?

You must have a sixth sense or something for him, because you turn your head a bit as if you can sense him. Your entire face lights up when you see him, in a way that makes his tough heart swell in adoration.

You make your way over to him with your drink and peck his lips chastely, despite his desire to pull you into his arms and kiss you long enough that your knees buckle. So that Yunho sees that he is yours.

“You disappeared on me, baby,” Jungkook murmurs, adjusting your necklace. He’s gripping it tightly, but you don’t notice.

“I was with Yunho, remember him? ‘Member, he stood me up but he didn’t because it was Sora’s fault-”

“That’s no surprise,” Jungkook says, rolling his eyes. You take his hand, squeezing and introduce him to Yunho. As if he doesn’t know him already. Jungkook’s tongue pokes the inside of his cheek, his jaw clenched. He doesn’t like how Yunho looks at you, how his gaze lingers on your skin and the curves of your dress. You lean against Jungkook heavily, absently playing with his fingers. You stay mostly quiet, sipping your drink as the two men speak (rather tersely).

Jungkook knows he’s being ridiculous.

“Kook, finish my drink?” You murmur, offering him the glass. Jungkook maintains eye contact with Yunho as he downs the remainder of your drink in a few solid gulps.

“Was nice to see you, Yunho,” You say, “I think Jimin and Mina are looking for us, Jungkook. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

With that Jungkook firmly holds your waist, keeping you close to him. You both know that neither Jimin nor Mina are looking for either of you. You’d only wanted to be alone with Jungkook.

So Jungkook leads you to a spot where he knows Yunho can visibly see you both. You let loose, giggling as Jungkook twirls you easily and moving your arms to match the beat of the music. He makes you laugh with his moves, winking at you and shooting finger guns at you as he twirls and swivels around you. He’s always been a great dancer, you realize. That’s funny, because you’re sometimes clumsy on your own two feet. He pulls you into him, his chest to your back and his hips pressed against your ass. You sigh contentedly, head lolling against his shoulder and you rest your hand over his hand to let him lead you.

His nose is buried in your neck, lips lightly brushing your pulse. He bites your earlobe gently, earning a soft laugh from you. Jungkook tilts your jaw to the side to meet your eyes and plants a deep kiss to your glossy lips. He holds you steady when your knees weaken, your belly flipping at the intensity that he pours into you.

Jungkook is all around you, encasing you within his arms and there’s not a single place you’d rather be. When you pull away for air, you thumb away your gloss on his bottom lip and bite his bottom lip gently.

“I adore you,” You say dreamily, “You are so… Everything. Everything. I adore you.”

Jungkook’s cheeks burn, but he ducks his head for another sharp kiss. And if Yunho is watching him shove his tongue down your throat and holding your hips to his possessively then that’s fine by him.

The journey back home is a quick one (after you both stop for fried noodles, despite the inevitable heartburn it’ll give you both the next day but you’re both so hungry). You both stumble into your home in a mess of giggles and groping, nearly falling to the floor due to your clumsiness.

Jungkook has been hard since he kissed you in the club, in front of Yunho. He knew Yunho had been watching, feeling the man’s eyes on you both the entire time. His jealousy has crawled back into the box that it was unleashed from, but he knows that’s something to revisit later.

Something else to revisit is that he liked that someone else was watching him with you. He stores that information for later, instead focusing on keeping you upright from falling.

Somehow, through your blurry vision and wobbly legs, you get on your knees and palm Jungkook’s cock through his pants. A shameless moan rips through you- any and every inch of him makes you dizzy with desire.

You like him so much that it nearly makes you cry.

“Gonna blow you now,” You announce happily, fumbling with the button of his jeans and using all of your concentration and strength to pull his pants down along with his boxers. You sloppily kiss your way down his chest, spending extra time on his tattoo and licking (then biting) his happy trail before humming around his leaking cock.

He’s so wet already, and it’s all because of you.

Jungkook groans, eyes closing in pleasure as your pretty mouth wraps around his cock. He thrusts lightly into your mouth, peeling his eyes open to watch you. Only to find you already staring up at him, your makeup smudged and tears already forming in your pretty eyes. He cradles your cheek affectionately, stroking your cheekbone-

But before he can compliment you, softly praise you, he hears a noise. It originates from the back of your throat, something both familiar and unfamiliar. You gag uncontrollably around his cock, and while it’s certainly not the first time it’s happened, it’s different this time. Because you’re a little drunk. So he should be unsurprised when you retch on his cock, pull yourself off of him before your drunk self can get any more vomit on his cock and sprint into your bathroom.

You manage to lock the door in your frenzy of utter humiliation and alcohol addled mind. You hover over the toilet bowl, the sounds of you throwing up bouncing off of the walls. You’re crying, sobbing more like it- from both the pain in your chest from vomiting violently into the toilet bowl coupled with the humiliation of quite literally throwing up on your boyfriend’s cock.

You groan and squeeze your eyes shut, as if that’ll erase the memory.

“Baby,” Jungkook calls softly, his cock fully hanging out in the open, “Baby, please open the door. It’s not a big deal, but I need to wash my dick off.”

You let out a choked, watery laugh at that and move to flush the toilet and rinse your mouth out. Your cheeks burn in embarrassment when you unlock your bathroom door, and you can’t bear to look Jungkook in the eye. But he holds your wrist to his when you try to escape into the safety of your bedroom.

Your heart feels like it’s going to beat right out of your chest, heat flooding your ears in shame. It feels like your head is empty, static filling up the spaces that the silence between you both doesn’t.

“It’s just me,” Jungkook coos, “Do you want to shower with me?”

“Jungkook, ‘m absolutely mortified,” You say flatly, voice a little high in pitch as fresh tears burning behind your eyelids, “I want to evaporate from this plane of existence in about three-point-four seconds, I literally threw up on your penis, I’m so sorry. Don’t even look at me-”

Jungkook winces at your tone and the way your shoulders are hunched, hands gripping the hem of your dress unsurely.

“Baby,” Jungkook sighs, “It’s really okay, there’s nothing to apologize for. Come shower. The vomit is drying on my dick-”

But that’s the wrong thing to say because you start to cry immediately, shoving your face in your hands. Jungkook sighs, mentally kicking himself and running a hand through his purple locks. He calls your name softly and pulls you into his arms for a tight hug, despite the drying vomit on his dick, which is hanging out and brushes against your hip. You sniffle, peeking at him with shy eyes and he rubs your back soothingly.

“When I say it’s okay, I mean it,” Jungkook murmurs into your hair, “I’m sorry I didn’t realize how drunk you were. I know you feel embarrassed, but it’s just me, baby.”

He kisses you, despite your protests, and helps you rinse your mouth again. You allow Jungkook to somehow maneuver you into the shower, peeling you out of your clothes. You feel grimy and sticky from the club and you’re grateful for the cool water against your skin. You stand behind Jungkook, wrapping your arms around his waist and pressing your face in between his shoulder blades, letting him wash himself.

“Can I wash you?” You whisper, voice unsure. You feel awful, cheeks burning but still. He nods and you take your body wash and lather him with it, washing his now limp dick gently and swallowing nervously.

“See? Not a big deal,” Jungkook says, coaxes you out of your nervousness, “Lemme wash you, baby.”

And so he does, taking your loofah and gently rubbing your skin. Under the cool spray of water, your nerves slip away with each giggle and kiss that he pulls and plants from your lips. Your eyes are still a little shy, a little slick with alcohol. But it’s just Jungkook, and you’re safe with him.

Jungkook nearly wrestles you to get you to eat something more, after throwing up the remainder of your guts after you both had showered (it was mainly just water and alcohol at this point). You’re nearly falling asleep on his shoulder but he manages to shake you awake for a slice of leftover noodles and two glasses of water. But eventually, he coaxes you into eating with a few kisses, hugs, and shoulder rubs.

Once you both are in bed, Jungkook wraps himself around you, his hands immediately drifting below your sleep shirt to your belly. Your cheeks burn as the events of the night replay in your mind’s eye and you press your face into your pillow with a groan.

“I can’t believe I threw up on your dick a-and you’re so nice a-about it,” You mumble, “You really are everything.”

“Well, what else am I going to do if the girl I like vomits on my dick,” Jungkook murmurs, “Don’t worry about it, baby. It happens.”

“To who? Only to me,” You say sadly, “I drank too much. I’m sorry, Kook-”

“Shhh,” Jungkook says, tightening his arms around you and kissing your forehead, “I promise it’s okay. I promise I’m not looking at you any differently.”

His words make you relax in his hold and you nod. Jungkook tilts your jaw towards him, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. You don’t say anything else after that, only allowing your soft, breathy sighs to spill out of your lips and into him with every comforting kiss and every slip of his tongue in your mouth.

He tells you to rest in between kisses, but your eyes are already closed.

**************************************

MOM TAGS: @tiemeuptogoldenchains @boymeetsparadise @jungkooksseuphoria @kaepjjangiya @drumsofheaven @ppeachyttae @tae-bebe @yiyi4657 @mygscafe @beeeetsandskzreads @maichiverse @hordanhearsawhooo @anonymous2505 @dreadity @mysugarkoo @ultraanonymousey @moonchild1 @fan-ati--c @yeotan07

TAGS: @kookdbean @codeinebelle

[illegal-spiegel]

“Mr. Coffee-Shop-Hotshot”

Pairing: Hikaru Hitachiin x f!reader Genre: fluff, angst, smut Warnings: jealous and possessive Hikaru, unprotected sex (wrap it up), a dash of degradation, choking, and I think that’s it lmao Summary: You’ve been dating Hikaru since high school but that doesn’t stop him from getting jealous of your coworker at the coffee shop Word Count: 4.1k words  A/N: characters are aged up!! Prompt #72 from my 1k Followers Event: “You’re Mine.”

You and Hikaru have been sweethearts since high school. The thing is, when you two first started dating, no one thought it was going to last, seeing as how you two were literally enemies until Hikaru kissed you to shut you up. After that kiss, you two avoided each other until Kaoru tried talking to you while pretending to be Hikaru. You weren’t blind though. You could tell it was Kaoru instead of his twin. You played along until the end though, only revealing you knew it was really him until he got his point across. His point was “I’m sorry for treating you so poorly. I’m just not very good with feelings and I didn’t know how to face you after the kiss without arguing with you.” You figured that Kaoru wouldn’t say something like that unless Hikaru felt that way himself. So, you grew a pair and talked to Hikaru after he was done with the Host Club. 

“It appears I’m going to be the man in this relationship.” was the first thing you said to him, to which he scoffed at because A. if anyone is going to be the man, it’s him and B. who says you two are in a relationship? 

You just kissed him and that easily proved your point. From then on, you two started dating, to everyone’s surprise. Just because you two were dating though doesn’t mean you two stopped fighting. While everyone else has their honeymoon phase, you two went right to the old married couple stage. They weren’t ever serious fights though. One time you two argued about who had better eyes. Hikaru couldn’t admit to you that it was definitely you and you couldn’t admit to him that it was actually him, so you both claimed that it was yourselves. 

After that phase ended though, you two went into the honeymoon phase, which just confused everyone, including you and Hikaru. Suddenly, him leaving his used cup on your bedside table didn’t bother you anymore. You’ll just bring it down with you when you go downstairs. Hikaru realized that he didn’t mind you having your clothes thrown out in every other direction in his room anymore. His maid will just clean it up anyway. No harm done. 

The honeymoon ‘phase’ was more annoying to everyone than the old married couple phase. Now, instead of you two arguing who wants the last piece of candy, you two are ‘arguing’ about who gets to kiss who last. It makes everyone gag. Honey senpai seems to think it’s really sweet though. 

That was four years ago and now, you two are just as bad now as you were back then. Everyone, luckily and unluckily, decided to go to the same university. It is way out of your price range but that wasn’t going to stop your boyfriend of four years from getting you to go there. “I’ll pay off all your bills, babe. Don’t worry,” he’ll always reassure you despite your worries and nagging. You refuse to let him pay for it all though, so you got a job. 

It was actually pretty easy to nail the job, seeing as how it’s at the coffee shop where you and the gang always went for energy boosters and to study. You were already friends with the manager from going in there so much, so when you asked if they were hiring, they practically hired you on the spot. 

Hikaru didn’t like you having a job though. 

“Why do you even work here? I can pay for everything, babe. You don’t have to worry about it. So why don’t you just quit? I miss hanging out with you,” he complains every time you leave for work, when he shows up to your work, and when you come back to your shared apartment. His argument, in your royal opinion, is stupid. If anything, you see him too much as it is. I mean, you already live with the guy and have half of your classes with him. What more does he want from you?

It took him a month to finally accept the fact that yes, you will pay for things yourself, and no, you are not quitting just because he wants you to. Once he realizes that you can secretly give him free coffee though, not that price ever mattered to him, he was happy. “Okay, but I also want a free muffin,” he finally agreed. 

It was like that for maybe half a year before new problems started to arise. Your boss hired a new guy who you don’t even know the name of yet but, oh, Hikaru hates him already. “I don’t like him. He smells like too much Axe body spray and he has a weird, purple piercing in his eyebrow. And! And, he has a tattoo. A tattoo! Who does he think he is,” Hikaru complains to you while you try to do homework. He had gotten your schedule mixed up and when he went to go see you on your day off, he ran into the new guy. You weren’t surprised that he could tell he’s new since Hikaru is practically there as much as you are. He knows everyone and, of course, everyone loves him. 

Not this guy though, apparently. 

“When he gave me my coffee, it tasted off! Then, I realized, he didn’t add sugar! I didn’t say anything about sugar!” he continues to rant, making you sigh and set your pencil down. You turn to face him now, placing your hand over his and soothingly rubbing your thumb over his smooth skin. 

“Baby, I’m sure it was an accident. He’s new, remember? I’m sure he just forgot to add it,” you reassure, giving his cheek a kiss once he takes a deep breath and lets it all go in one breath. 

“Fine. I guess you’re right. But if he messes up again, I won’t hesitate to say something next time!” You giggle at this and nod your head, giving him a proper kiss this time to relax him even more. 

“Okay, baby. You do that,” you tease before going back to your homework. This, of course, was just not okay. 

“Babe, we’ve been studying for hours. Let’s take a break,” he coos, moving closer to you and starting to place kisses along your neck. You try to ignore him and focus but your boyfriend knows you too well. Knows your body too well. 

“You mean I’ve been studying for hours. You’ve just been talking and playing on your phone,” you tease, a gasp ripping from you when he sucks and nibbles on your sweet spot. You feel him smirk against your skin, his hands coming to squeeze your thighs. 

“Fair point. Makeout with me a little and then, and only then, will I study,” he bargains, making you roll your eyes. 

“Fat chance,” you decline him as you playfully push him away, making him whine loudly. 

“But baby—”

“No. Study and then, and only then, will I makeout with you,” you bargain right back, a smirk of your own coming to your face. 

“You’re wicked,” he says with a dramatic gasp and a hand across his heart. When you don’t reply or even react, he groans before finally picking up his pencil. “Fine! You better take your shirt off too then,” he snaps before focusing on his work. Most of your study sessions go like this. 

The next day at work, the new guy, Ritsu, came in in the middle of your shift. Your boss introduced the two of you once he put his stuff away in his locker, the guy seeming nervous for his next shift today. You smile at him and shake his hand, reassuring him that you’ll help him out today. He seems to relax at this, thanking you before starting to get to work. Whenever he had a question or messed up, you were right there to help him. The day, overall, went pretty smoothly you think. 

At the end of your shifts, he grabs his things from his locker before walking to the front with you. “Do you need a ride home?” he asks as he walks over to his motorcycle. You smile at him but shake your head, taking your phone out of your pocket to check your messages. 

“No, that’s okay. My boyfriend is picking me up and taking me out to dinner. Thank you though!” you reply with a sweet smile, Ritsu flashing you a smile back as he climbs onto his motorcycle. 

“Okay, good. I didn’t want you walking home alone at night. I heard there was a robbery a couple of roads away from here,” he explains as he pulls his helmet on. 

“Oh yeah. It was at the corner gas station. That’s so sweet of you to think of me though. I’ll be sure to let you know if I ever need a ride!” you thank once more. He nods as he turns the vehicle on, bidding you farewell with a salute before pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road. 

You check the time and see that you have a few minutes until your boyfriend gets there. Luckily, he seemed to have left early because, within the next minute, he’s stopping right in front of you. “Well, hello there, good lookin’. Do you need a ride?” he playfully flirts. You hum and pretend to think about it as you walk over to his window. 

“Well, I don’t know. Are you going to show me a good time?” you playfully flirt right back. He hums as he happily lets his eyes trail over your body despite your hideous work clothes. He didn’t seem to mind them though. 

“Oh, you have no idea, baby. Don’t tell my girlfriend though.” You scoff as you burst into a fit of giggles, lightly hitting his arm before going to the passenger side. 

“Well, that depends. Am I prettier than her?” you reply, batting your eyelashes at him as you slide into the car and pull your seatbelt over your body. He hums and nods his head, putting the car in reverse as he replies. 

“Oh, most definitely. She’s like a fat cow,” he jokes, making you scoff and hit him again. 

“I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate you saying such things about her. What if I decide to tell her what you said about her?” you argue, crossing your arms over your chest as if you’re mad at him. You know for a fact that he’d never cheat on you. You always tease him that he’s too obsessed with you. ‘I love you! I’m not obsessed with you! There’s a difference!’ he’d always argue to your joking jab. 

Before he can leave the parking spot, he stops the car to look at you with this new glint in his eyes. “What if I eat you out so good that you can’t even remember your own name, let alone mine?” he whispers right into your ear, his tongue licking around the shell of your ear. You let out a shaky breath, not expecting his sudden change in this little game you two were playing. 

“I doubt you’re any good,” you sass, it lacking the power that you want it to have. He pulls away from the side of your head to make eye contact with you again, his eyes shining with a newfound lust. 

“Well, I’ve only ever been with my girlfriend, so it’s possible. You should hear the way she screams my name though. She’ll cum three times from my mouth and fingers alone before I even give what she really wants inside of her,” he says lowly, your eyes moving to watch his lips as he talks. You press your legs together, already starting to feel arousal bubbling low in your gut. 

“Is she any good in bed?” you decide to ask, bringing the attention off of him. You wait for him to say something along the lines of ‘no, she’s horrible’ but it seems he decides to stop playing your little game all of a sudden. 

“She’s better than good. She sucks me off like I’m a popsicle and she just got out of the desert. She’s always so desperate to unravel me but I never do only because I know it works her up even more. She then starts acting like a brat, trying to get her way. We both know that’s just her way of annoying me to the point that I punish her. Mmhm, her screams sound so good when her face is shoved into our mattress,” he replies, his voice dropping an octave or two. You gulp at this, feeling your panties dampen with your slick. 

“No wonder she’s your girlfriend,” you whisper, your throat suddenly too dry for your liking. He only hums before continuing with his driving, grabbing your hand and kissing the back of it once you two get on the road. 

“What do you want to eat? I’m kind of in the mood for Mexican,” he says to you as if he didn’t just make you so horny that the only thing you can think about is having him inside of your mouth instead of food. 

“That sounds fine,” you say softly, trying to think of anything but that. He smirks at the way you sound, which is slightly wrecked, and starts to head in the direction of a Mexican restaurant that you two like. That night ended, of course, with him deep inside of you and grunting out all sorts of deliciously dark things into your ear. 

Things continued on like normal for a while. You went to work but didn’t get to work with Ritsu again for a week, so Hikaru never ran into him again. The day you did work with him though, he seemed to be struggling more than usual. So, when there was a break in customers, you decide to ask him what was up. 

“Sorry. I got into this fight with my girlfriend, Mei, this morning,” he explains, a frown hanging heavy on his face. You nod your head, only too familiar with that feeling. You and Hikaru don’t have serious fights a lot but you, obviously, have them just like every other couple. 

“It’s okay. I understand. Do you want to talk about it? Maybe I can give you my opinion or some advice?” you offer, wanting to help him feel better. He thinks about your offer for a moment before sighing and giving in, starting to tell you everything that had happened that morning. You two occasionally pause to help a customer but always end up focusing back on his situation. As a woman yourself, you look at his story from her point of view and figure out what might be the cause of her frustrations. 

“Okay,” you say once he finishes his story, “I think I see what the problem is.” You then tell him what you think and what he should do to mend their relationship. After hearing your advice, he realized what he did wrong and gets so excited that he hugs you. 

“Thank you so much! It all makes sense now! No wonder she was so upset! You’re seriously a lifesaver! I owe you one!” He hugs you tightly, making you giggle and return the hug. 

“It’s no problem at all,” you reassure. You two pull away when you hear the bell ring, automatic smiles coming to your face to greet your new customer. Your eyes widened when you saw your boyfriend instead though. A very angry and brooding boyfriend at that. “Babe? What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t going to be here for another hour?” you ask confusedly, walking around the counter to give him your usual hug and kiss. 

His eyes are on Ritsu though. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you not want me here? Am I interrupting something?” he snaps, his eyes squinting at Ritsu as he says this. Your brows furrow at his words, stopping in front of him and dropping your arms since it’s obvious that he’s not going to give you a hug. 

“What? Well, I’m working but—”

“Oh, sorry to bother you then. I’ll let you get right back to it,” he snaps, turning his glare to you before leaving without another word. He doesn’t stop or turn around when you call after him either, making you sigh as a frown comes to your face. 

“What’s up with him?” you mumble, trying to think as to why he would be mad. That’s when it hit you. You hugging Ritsu? Did that upset him? But why? You hug guys all of the time. Well, not all of the time. And then again, they’re his friends too or your family. You snap out of your daze when the bell jingles again, signaling a new customer. You sigh and go back behind the counter, smiling and greeting the customer happily. Guess you’ll just have to talk to him about it later then. 

When you get off work and you get back home, you find that Hikaru isn’t home. You think back to what he was telling you yesterday, remembering him telling you his plans for today. You check the time on the microwave before looking at your fridge for any notes. He doesn't have any plans right now that you are aware of and he didn’t leave a note telling you where he was going or when he’ll be back. Maybe there was an emergency? That just makes you worry more though.

You let it go with a heavy exhale, trying not to read too much into it. You don’t have to know where he is every second of every day. 

You go to your bathroom to take a shower and get the smell of coffee off of you. You end up accidentally using his body wash though, the smell of cinnamon and ginger filling your nostrils. It’s not your favorite but it’s what he’s been using for years. He pulls off the smell really well though. 

You step out of the shower and wrap yourself up in a baby blue towel, leaning against the sink to look at your skin in the mirror. After applying some lotion to your body to make you feel extra nice, you leave the bathroom. You stop at the door though when you find Hikaru sitting on the bed, his feet still on the floor and his hands hanging between his knees. Now you’re even more concerned. Normally, he would’ve jumped at the opportunity to take a shower with you but now he won’t even look at you. 

“Hikaru,” you call out softly to him, seeming to bring him out of his daze. You walk over to him and come to stand in between his legs, making him sit up straighter. His eyes glaze over your bare collarbones and neck, something spurring to life in his eyes as water droplets cascade down your soft skin. 

“You’re mine,” he says suddenly, his eyes snapping to yours. Your eyes widen a bit at this random declaration, your brow raising curiously at him. 

“What?” is your brilliant reply to him. You gasp when he stands and switches your positions in a flash, the back of your knees hitting the bed before you fall back onto it. You gape up at him, your hands clinging to the front of your towel. 

“You heard me. You’re mine!” he growls, his hands snagging your towel away from you before you can even attempt to stop him. His eyes wander your body, a dark look in his eyes as he takes his sweet time admiring your naked body. 

“Hikaru,” you breathe his name, goosebumps crawling over your flesh. He hums in response, one of his knees coming to the bed so he can lean over you, his fingers starting to trace random lines and patterns into your skin. 

“That’s right. Say my name, baby,” he coos, his fingers coming to tweak your nipples. You moan his name in response, back arching up into his hands. He watches you with attentive eyes, not daring to look away from your lewd expressions or wet hole for even a second. He loves how quickly you react to his touch, your body always craving his as much as his craves yours. “Who do you belong to?” he asks as he crawls completely over you, staring into your eyes as he lets his hands crawl down your body. 

“You,” you whisper breathlessly. 

“Who?” he growls, suddenly shoving two of his fingers into your drooling heat. 

“You, Hikaru!” you cry, back arching when he slips a third finger in. He hums lowly as he pumps his fingers in and out of you, scraping the pads of his fingers against your g-spot to get you really moaning for him. 

“That’s right, baby. You’re all mine, now and forever,” he whispers before pulling his fingers out, making you whimper. He brings his dry hand up to your throat, squeezing it lightly as he stares into your eyes. “Shut up! Dirty whores like you don’t get to cum until I say so,” he hisses, not letting your neck go as he uses his other hand to remove his pants and boxers. “‘M gonna fill you up, remind you that you only belong to me,” he mumbles, his hand frantically trying to pull his member free. 

Your brows furrow at this as you bring your hands up to his chest. Before you can question him though, he starts to push into you. You both groan in sync as he slips inside, your eyes rolling back into your head for a moment. You forget about his words for now, your brain only thinking about the way he feels inside of you. 

He just barely bottoms out before he’s already pulling back to thrust back in, starting a frantic pace. You moan his name loudly, your nails lightly scratching his chest, causing him to hiss. He keeps up the frenzied pace, your breasts bouncing with each thrust. 

You both cum almost at the same time, Hikaru finally giving you permission to cum after denying you your orgasm over and over again. He keeps true to his word, pushing deep inside of you and coating your walls white. He stays inside of you for a while, his chest heaving as he tries to get air back. He slowly releases your throat, and instead brushes his fingers against your cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, his eyes shining with regret. You’re confused for a moment, thinking that that’s some of the best sex you’ve ever had. Then you remember his words from before, how he kept saying you’re his and that no one is going to take you from him. 

“What’s going on, my love?” you whisper, still a little breathless. He looks away from you, starting to worry his lip between his teeth. 

“Don’t leave me for him,” he whispers, and if you weren’t just a couple of inches away from him, you wouldn’t have heard it. He pulls out of you then and moves to lay beside you, putting his back to you. 

“What? Hey. Hey, look at me,” you say worriedly, pushing yourself up onto your elbow as you use your free hand to gently trace random shapes into his back. It takes him a minute but he eventually turns onto his back, staring at the ceiling instead of you. “What’s all this ‘leaving me’ talk about? We’ve been dating for years, Hikaru. Why would I want to leave you for someone else?” you ask with furrowed brows, starting to run your hand through his hair to help soothe him. He leans into your touch, his eyes finally meeting yours. Despite your reassuring words, he looks scared, worried. 

“What about Mr. Coffee-Shop-Hotshot? You seemed to like him a lot,” he grumbles, his mouth turning into a scowl just at the thought of the man. You can’t help but smile at how jealous he is, your heart swelling with the amount of love you hold for the man before you. 

“You dope, he was asking me for advice about his girlfriend. That hug happened because he was thanking me for basically saving his relationship,” you inform, a smirk on your face as you watch the realization come over his face. 

“Oh,” he squeaks out, his face turning sheepish and red. You snort and move to lay your head down on his chest. 

“You’re such an idiot. You should know by now that you’re the one for me, idiot and all,” you tease, gently rubbing his chest and abdomen. He huffs and wraps his arms around you, holding you tightly to him. 

“Whatever. As if you wouldn’t get upset if I was hugging another girl,” he accuses. 

“You act as if another girl would even come near someone as ugly as you,” you tease, obviously joking. 

“Hey!”

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[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

More than just a game

Warnings: dark elements including noncon and rape, oral, fingering, doxxing, stalking, and other explicit content. 

This is dark!Jake Jensen and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You find a new gaming buddy but he sees you as more than that.

Note: So this is my first Jake Jensen fic and it was lots of fun so let me know what you think and hope you enjoy. :D

Thank you. Love you guys!

As always, if you can, please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

Special shout-out to @navybrat817​ for helping me with this idea

After too many nights scrolling through subreddits and searching for something to keep you distracted, you decided to bite the hook. Several other redditors agreed to hop on Minecraft and it had been a while since you logged in. You missed the almost relaxing ritual of mining and building.

You joined the chat, quick to hit the little microphone emblem as you listened to the voices in your headset. You learned long ago to keep your mic muted on the servers, especially with strangers. The last time you dared to speak up as a woman in a game chat, your DMs had become so overwhelmed you deleted and started a new account on Discord and changed your ID on Steam.

You were all given your tasks as players called out coordinates and you kept to chopping up the side of a mountain. You mostly worked alone, chatting through text instead of voice chat. As you placed a crafting table in your little mine, another player, JJ-Smooth, popped up and dropped some iron for you. 

He stayed close but you didn’t mind. A lot of players tried to work together the deeper they got and you were used to it. As you uncovered some lava, he dumped water before you could get burned and helped you hack up the obsidian. 

He thanked you on the voice chat but you knew any courtesy in return would earn you the attention of the entire server. So you dropped some gold for him and went on your way.

“I hear a zombie,” he warned.

You turned to hack up the undead before it could get you, only to be shot by a skeleton hidden on the next level. Another appeared and you died before you could hide, the bony villain killed by your ally as you watched your possession scatter over the death screen.

“Hey, I got your stuff,” he said as you loaded back up, “I’ll find you.”

You typed quickly in the chat, ‘sorry, mic busted, give me your coordinates and I’ll come to you.’

You waited as ‘JJ-Smooth is typing…’ appeared at the bottom and finally he sent the numbers. You hopped over the blocky hills and through the forests until you found the mine again. He was just outside and handed over all your tools and ration. He headed back into the mine and you followed him. This time, you began your own path in the opposite direction.

Before you knew it, you’d lost track of time. You sat back as you realised it was only you and JJ on the server. The silence should have tipped you off earlier. He was the host and you felt super awkward for staying so long. You typed that you were logging off for the night and thanked him. 

You hit the keyboard with your knuckle and yawned as you opened the screen, 

“God, it’s late,” you muttered.

“Hello?” he said.

Your eyes rounded as you looked at the mic symbol and the lack of red line made you cringe. You’d hit an extra button without noticing.

“Um, hi, sorry, I just--”

“Mic busted, huh?” he asked.

“No, I--” you didn’t know what to say, “anyways, I should--”

“So, you’re a chick? Is that why you mute?”

“Uh, well, it’s just… easier, sorry, I--” even if you weren’t trying to hide from gamer dudes, you weren’t the best at conversation.

“A gamer girl, nice,” he said and you sighed, “sorry, that sounded weird, didn’t it?”

“Mhmm,” you touched your bottom lip as you cupped your chin, “it’s late, I have to work tomorrow.”

“You comin’ back?” he asked, almost hopeful.

“I don’t know--”

“I won’t tell anyone,” he said abruptly, “promise, lips sealed.”

“I really don’t know if I can do this too much, I usually work early mornings so… yeah,” you said.

“I get it but you know you’re always welcome, hope you don’t mind if I send you an invite now and then. No pressure,” he offered.

“Uh, sure,” you shrugged, “okay, yeah, good night.”

You left the chat quickly and pulled off your headset. Shit.

‘I’m Jake by the way,’ a pm popped up, ‘gg.’

You typed back, ‘gg, it was fun’ and quickly logged out. You sat back and rubbed your eyes. Well, he didn’t seem like a total creep, maybe just a bit awkward but so were you. You shut down for the night and stretched out as you switched off the lamp. You were going to pay for your session in the morning.

🎮

A few nights later you got an invite to the server. You debated it but as it was Friday, you decided to make good use of the PC you’d saved up forever to build. You spawned in the middle of nowhere and built a bed before you found the half-finished settlement. You joined the chat but you must have been early as you were the only one there.

You headed back to the same mine, some work done since the first night, and laid your torches as you ventured into the depths. You jumped in your seat as a voice broke your peace.

“I don’t think anyone else is gonna join,” JJ-Smooth, or Jensen said, “you think maybe you’ll unmute?”

You stopped your mining and stared at the screen. You hovered over the mic button and re-read his name, he was the only other one there. You clicked and gave a strained smile to the screen.

“So, um, what’s the goal tonight?” you asked.

“Get some materials and go back to the settlement, keep building, oh, maybe we could try a portal, you ever gone to the nether?” he said but before you could reply he kept on, “shit, I shouldn’t assume, you seem like an experienced player.”

“Yeah, a few times, but I’m more a casual miner,” you went back to harvesting stone and ore.

“Ah,” he said, and it was silent for a moment, “so, you work again in the morning?”

“Not tomorrow,” you said as you focused on the game, “daycare isn’t open on the weekends.”

“A daycare, huh? That sounds fun, I love kids… not in a weird way but you know, I… urgh, I have a niece,” he said with a nervous chuckle, “nah, that’s cool though, sounds more fun than my gig.”

“Oh?” you turned and kept your axe moving.

“IT. You know, some people would be like ‘hey Jensen, why do you spend all your free time staring at a screen when that’s what you do at work?’” he scoffed, “well, who says I’m not mining there too.”

You wrinkled your forehead and gave a small laugh. He was rambling and it was kinda odd. You were happy for once not to be the strange one.

“But anyway,” he said, “I found lots of diamond over here. If we get some lapis lazuli we can build an enchanting table and get some sick armour.”

“Awesome,” you pressed your fingertips to your lip as you leaned on your elbow, “should try to head back before dark…”

“Hard to tell down here. How about you mine and I’ll keep an eye out for monsters?” he offered.

“Sure,” you agreed as he came onto your screen, “that works.”

🎮

Another week went by and you ventured back into the server a few times but not for very long as late nights did not mix with young children. The next weekend, you joined again on Saturday night and like the last few times it was just you and Jensen. You wondered why no one else was joining when the subreddit was so popular but you didn’t worry about it for long.

You mostly played in silence, Jensen did most of the talking and it was never about anything more than the game or his niece’s last soccer game. That night when you left the game, he kept typing on Discord.

‘I like playing with you,’ his message blipped up.

‘Same, thx.’

‘Really, you’re awesome.’

‘Thx :) Tired, gotta sleep.’

‘Sweet dreams.’

‘Night.’

You changed your status to offline and dragged yourself to bed. You opened your phone as you laid in the dark and went to the subreddit, you scrolled through the builds and screenshots of other people’s catastrophes. 

You came to Jensen’s last invite post from that night but all the comments complained that the world code was incorrect. Hmm, you should tell him next time.

You blackened your cell and plopped it on your night table. You rolled over and buried your face in the pillow, the light still etched into your vision. You fell asleep quickly and woke the next day to another invite from Jensen.

‘How about some Fortnite? If you’re into it?’

‘Srry, can’t, my mom’s expecting me for lunch.’

‘2 bad, maybe later.’

‘Maybe’.

You got ready to go see your mother for your usual Sunday afternoon visit and it went by like any other. When she asked you what you’d been up to, you didn’t mention the gaming, she was never a fan of it. When you got back home, Jensen was messaging you again. You didn’t open the notification and settled in to catch up on some streaming before another week of work.

Monday hit you like a train and you were glad you hadn’t spent the night mining again. If you had, you doubted you’d even be able to open your eyes. You got to the daycare centre and welcomed in the kids. You got them set up for the morning snack then cleaned up as Sandy took them over to the reading circle.

You wiped the tables and then did some painting before you went out for some play time in the yard. As you watched several of the children on the swings, you glanced around. There was a man across the street. You squinted through the chain link as he seemed to be watching but assured yourself it was nothing as he quickly headed for the corner and disappeared.

Inside, the kids were due for quiet time, some napped and those who didn’t, stared at the ceiling and yawned. You could have joined them but knew that wouldn’t be acceptable. The end of the day came and you helped the kids pack up their paintings and their sweaters. You waited in the yard with them as the parents showed up and handed them off one by one.

You waved to Danika as she clung to her mother and your eye was once more drawn beyond the chain link. The same faded grey jacket, the same glasses, and the hat with the frayed brim. It was a better look at the man. Was he looking at you? Why on earth was he hanging around outside a daycare?

“Sandy,” you turned and lowered your voice as she neared, “see that man?”

She peeked over and shrugged, “which one? The guy crossing the street?”

You looked up again and like before, he was walking away casually as if he hadn’t just been staring through the fence. You shook your head and huffed. “Sorry, never mind.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” she waved her fingers, “come on, let’s clean up.”

With the kids all sorted out, you went back in and tidied up the last of their mess. You and Sandy were friendly but like with any, you weren’t very talkative. You never really knew what to say but you were never unkind.

You pulled on your jacket and checked your purse for your phone and wallet. You checked the time and turned off the lights. You bid Sandy goodbye as she headed for her SUV and you took your usual route down the sidewalk towards your bus stop. 

You stopped short as the man was there. You were paranoid, he must just be waiting for the same route. You approached and he turned to watch you as you sat on the bench. He smiled and the dread sank deep in your chest. 

His rectangular glasses gave light to his blue eyes and a goatee trimmed his jaw. He was tall and well-built, you could tell even under his comic book tee. He was going to talk to you, another weirdo in the city.

“Hey,” his voice was chillingly familiar, “how was your day?”

You stared at him and blinked cluelessly. You looked around, it was only the two of you. You opened your mouth but you had to be wrong. He said your name and you winced.

“Jensen?” you breathed as you stood and squeezed the strap of your bag, “why? How--?”

“You weren’t answering me, I was worried,” he said, “just making sure you’re okay.”

“What the-- I don’t understand how--” He stepped closer and you backed up against the bench. “Don’t, I’ll scream.”

“Scream? Why? I’m just-- You know me, it’s me, Jensen.”

“You doxxed me?” you snapped, “what the hell?”

“No, I didn’t-- I’m just checking on you--”

“I don’t know you,” you said as your heart began to race, “so please, leave me alone,” you edged away from him, “and don’t message me again.”

You sprinted across the street and as you came up on the curb, you looked back at him. He watched you but didn’t follow. You could tell from there he wasn’t happy but the brim of his cap shadowed most of his face so you couldn’t guess if it was hurt or anger. You quickly spun away and continued down the next street to the nearest stop.

You couldn’t believe he’d just shown up like that. You couldn’t believe he would think that was okay. You couldn’t believe he’d think that much about you.

🎮

You blocked Jensen on Discord and left his world on Minecraft. That night you were shaky and nervous, afraid that he would show up at your apartment. Did he know where you lived? He must if he could figure out where you worked.

You didn’t open Steam that night. You paced your small apartment, jumping at every noise. Sleep didn’t come easily but in shallow spurts that left you even more tired. You watched over your shoulder as you walked to your stop and boarded with one eye on the door.

Work was little better as you found yourself distracted in the room full of toddlers. Sandy asked if you were okay as you kneaded play-do violently. You shook yourself out of your paranoia and assured her you were only short on sleep, not a complete lie.

You took out your phone when you stepped out for a small break. Your mom had called but you would have to get back to her when you had two hours to waste. There was another notification, that one from Discord, a friend request from JJ-NoRematch. It wasn’t hard to guess who it was and you declined it right away.

There were several others from Jensen, too. He followed your Insta, blocked; he followed your mostly empty twitter, blocked; and he even commented on your LinkedIn like a weird. You closed your phone and took a breath before you headed back into the kids, their voices rising in their excitement to go outside.

In the yard, you had another look around, expecting to see him there on the other side of the fence. You were slightly relieved when he wasn’t but still on edge. You joined a game of tag then watched several of the kids line up for the slide. You lost yourself in your job as you told yourself he must have gotten the hint, at least not to bother you irl.

Just like the day before, and every day, you left work and headed for your stop. He wasn’t there either and you sat down and phoned your mom, hanging up as the bus pulled up with a promise to call her again when you were home. At home, you felt almost normal again and checked your notifications; no more follows, no more requests, nothing.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday passed in a similar fashion. Each saw your anxieties less than the day before. You even resolved to open Steam and start a new world for yourself. You spent hours mining and almost fell asleep in your chair. When you nearly tipped over, you decided it was time for bed.

You slept better than you had all week and woke up before noon. You wanted to log right back on but you had life to deal with; groceries, cleaning, and of course, making that call to your mother you’d delayed the night before. After all that, you felt accomplished and you decided to treat yourself to take out, a rare divulgence.

You called the local Chinese eatery and waited eagerly for your feast as you turned on a new episode of your current binge. You played on your phone until the battery was low and had enough juice to buzz up the delivery man. You dug for your wallet as you went to the door and unlocked it without looking up.

“How much--” you asked as you opened the door.

Your eyes met a familiar pair, two blue gems behind a pair of narrow glasses. Jensen wore the same cap and held the paper bag of take-out with a smile. You grabbed the door and tried to swing it shut but he was too quick as he slapped a large hand against the peeling paint.

“It’s on me,” he said, “I love spare ribs.”

“What the--” you gasped as you pushed on the door helplessly, “please go away.”

“You’re not answering me,” he said as he stepped closer and forced you back as his body brushed against yours, “you blocked me and I can’t even get a hey, Jensen, how are you?”

“I don’t want you here,” you tried to shove him and he shouldered you away easily, “get out!”

He slammed the door and you flinched. He put the bag down on the corner table and reached back to twist the lock without a look. His eyes roved around your entryway and further into your apartment. He smiled as they stilled and focused on you.

“This place is cute… like you,” he said and you heard a slight hesitation in his voice.

You swallowed and backed away from him. You spun on your heel and ran for your couch. You reached over the back to your phone and unlocked it as the battery icon flashed. You had just enough juice to make the call. You dialed as you turned back to him.

“I’m calling the police so you b-better l-leave,” you warned as your voice and hands shook, “I me--”

He was quick and before you could pull away, he swiped your cell out of your hand. He scoffed and tossed it across the room. It hit the wall and landed screen down on the hardwood. You bit down and pressed yourself to the couch. You stared at him and kicked yourself forward as you tried to slip past him. He caught you and wrestled you back into the front room.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked calmly as you struggled in his grasp, “I’ve been nothing but nice to you.”

“N-no, you’re-- you-- let me go,” you stammered as he angled you around the couch. He pushed you down so you bounced on the cushion. You tried to push yourself up and he pointed his finger in your face and wagged it. 

“No, you stay,” he growled and wiped his other hand on his jeans. He was nervous, even if he was angry.

“Please, why-- what do you want?” you grasped the cushion and hovered at the edge of the couch.

He sighed and sat in the chair. He took his hat off and set it on the table as he ran his fingers through his short hair. 

“Good question,” he said as his jaw squared and his eyes turned to pinpoints, “better one, why did you block me?”

“Are you serious? You-- you--” you struggled to get your words out, your voice even more splintered by your fear, “you doxxed me, you came to-- to my work-- and…”

“I thought we were getting along. I thought you liked me,” he said with a frown, “I really did, you sure acted like it and-- I only wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“But why wouldn’t I be? I--” you shivered and crossed your arms as you withered beneath his gaze, “Jensen, this was only supposed to be online.”

He scoffed and stomped his boot on the floor. He shook his head as he looked to the ceiling and his anger bulged along his temple. He tilted his head and looked at you again.

“You know, for years, I have been a nice guy, I am a nice guy,” he pushed his shoulders to his ears as he threw his hand out, “I’m so patient and caring and you girls, you don’t even give me a second look.”

“Jensen--”

“No, really, I mean look at you, you’re no supermodel and yet it’s the same thing, ‘let’s just be friends’,” he spat, “but I watch guys all the time treat women like shit and they don’t have any trouble at all, they got them hanging off of them and I’m a creep for giving them a compliment or opening the door--”

“I don’t… know you,” you eked out, “you have to understand--”

“I don’t understand,” he stood abruptly, “I’m done trying to understand.”

He pulled his jacket open and slid it down his arms. You watched him sling it over the chair and as he turned back to you, you stood. He caught your shoulders and held you in place. His strength was plain in his grip as he squeezed then slowly moved his hands to cradle your face.

“I just wanna be nice,” he said as he leaned in. You tried to pull away but he moved a hand around the back of your head and forced your lips against his. He poked his tongue inside your mouth roughly as you tried to shove him away. Finally, he parted, his hands still firmly around your head, “wasn’t that nice?”

“Please,” you begged as he ran his thumb over your bottom lip.

His eyes searched your face as you stared back at him in terror. He sighed and dropped his hands back to your shoulders. He pushed you down to the sofa harshly and backed away.

“Fine, I won’t be nice,” he snarled as he took his glasses off and folded them carefully. He put them on the table beside his cap and twined his fingers together, loudly cracking his knuckles.

You blinked at him as your eyes grew glossy. You brought your legs up under you and pressed yourself to the back of the couch. You grasped the upholstery and turned as you launched yourself over to the other side. You stumbled as you landed on your feet and ran for the door.

You were yanked back as he snaked his arms around you and took you off your feet. You kicked out and screamed but it was cut off by his palm as he kept one arm around your middle. You scratched at his hand as he dragged you back to the couch. He pushed you face down onto the cushions and planted his knee in the middle of your back, slipping his hand away as he put enough weight on you to keep your voice suffocated.

“Listen, I know I look like some IT nerd but I’m a lot more than that, now don’t make me hurt you,” he played with your hair as he smiled down at you, “you try that again and I will shut you up and if someone hears you, I can take care of them too.”

You sniffed as tears pricked in your eyes and nodded frantically as it felt as if he would snap your spine. He pushed off of you and you stayed as you were, paralysed with fear. He sat and unlaced his boots one at a time. He looked up as he set them neatly beside the foot of the chair and he bent to catch your eye.

“Well?” he pointed at you and traced the line of your body in the air, “let’s go.”

You stared at him dumbly and he stood to pull his tee over his head. His torso was sculpted perfectly and his chest trimmed with hair that trailed all the way down to his pants. He stepped forward and tugged at the back of your shirt.

“You want me to do it for you, baby?” he purred, “I can help you.”

You swatted him away and sat up. You bent your legs to your chest and hugged them. “Please, I’m scared, just leave me alone--”

His hand rested on his belt and exhaled again. His fingers moved swiftly to unloop the striped belt and unbutton his jeans. He pushed them down, nearly tripping as he stepped out of them. He stood in his boxers, tented with his impatient excitement, and gripped his hips.

“It’s okay, baby, I know you’re shy, I am too,” he neared and you winced as he grabbed your wrist. He tugged on your arm and you resisted until he bent your hand back painfully and you cried out. He tickled your jaw as he looked you in the eye and tutted, “it doesn’t have to be like this, alright?”

You went limp and let him pull your arms apart. Your legs slipped down and your feet dangled above the floor. He got to his knees and pushed between yours. He slowly rolled up the hem of your shirt and bent to kiss your stomach as he bared the flesh. You trembled as he forced your arms up and swooped the fabric over your head. It fluttered through the air and to the floor as he cupped your tits through your bright pink bra.

“Is this so bad?” he asked as he nuzzled your chest and pushed your tits up. 

He glided the straps down your arm and slid your bra lower so that you popped out. He nibbled at your flesh and traced your nipples with his tongue. You sat rigid and let him explore your body, too terrified to move a muscle. He reached around you and struggled with the hooks, frustrated he snapped the clasps and the band came free.

He continued to play with your chest, his fingers crawling up and down your stomach and sides. There was a genuine curiosity to his touch and it sent a chill through you. His fingertips pressed to the top of your pants and he pulled at them as his lips travelled down to your hip.

He tugged on your pants and jerked your entire body. He tore them lower as he pushed you up and you lifted yourself to let him peel away the layer. He added them to the floor and toyed with the elastic of your panties. The little bow in the front drew his attention as he pushed your legs wider and ran his nose along the cotton.

He hummed and rubbed his fingers down your crotch, pushing the fabric to your folds as he teased you through them. You inhaled sharply at the tingle it inspired and he pressed firmer against you, flicking his fingers along your bud as he noticed how it made you squirm.

He gently pulled aside the cotton and you felt his hot breath against you. You pushed on his head before he could delve into you. “Please, don’t--”

“Shhhh,” he threw your hand away from his head and bent over you, “just relax.”

He dragged his tongue along your cunt and lingered around your clit. You clenched as it sent a thrill through you and he moved his lips against you, suckling at you bud as your breaths grew raspy. You pushed yourself against the back of the couch and dug your nails into the cushion.

He slid a finger along your cunt and circled your entrance. He rubbed up and down as he kept his tongue swirling over your clit and you swallowed back as gasp as he poked inside. He felt around and added another finger, stretching you as he carefully pushed them in and out of you in time with his mouth.

He lapped you up and you closed your eyes, desperate to resist the coil winding within you. Your legs tensed against the couch and you tilted your pelvis without thinking. He sped up, the noise of his mouth and your slickness filled the silence. You let out a puff and moaned as you slapped the couch. The waves rolled over your flesh and you came into his mouth with a pathetic mewl.

He stilled his fingers as he lazily teased you with his tongue. He pulled his fingers out and sat back, the heat between your legs cooling in his absence as he licked up your juices. He watched you as he sucked his fingers and stood. Your head lolled and you edged forward on the couch. You tried to stand but he caught you and flung you back.

“We’re not done, baby,” he winked at you as he grasped the top of his boxers, “go on, lay down.”

You murmured your refusal and once more tried to get up. You slipped onto the floor and shakily crawled away as he dropped his boxers to his ankle. He grabbed you before you could get around the side and lifted you easily. He turned you and shoved you down onto your back as he lifted a leg over you.

He straddled you and again his hands roved over your body. You smacked at his fingers weakly but he easily ignored you. He kept one hand moving along your curves as he stroked himself with the other. He groaned and shook as he stroked his dick. Your eyes followed his hand and you gulped, he was thick.

He moved his knees back and pushed them up beneath your thighs as he kept a hand planted on your chest. He ripped your panties down your legs and untangled them from your feet. 

He held you down as he ran his tip along your cunt, wetting himself with your coerced arousal. You groaned and grabbed the arm of the couch above you. You tried to pull away from him.

He pushed against your entrance and you looked at him in shock. You couldn’t stop him. His eyes were set between your legs as he inhaled and slowly eased into you. He gasped as he got his tip inside you and his muscles tensed. He bit his lip as he dove further in and you gasped as he filled you inch by inch.

“Shitttt,” he moaned as he reached his limit and you whined at how full you were, “oh, baby.”

His hand slid from your chest and he gripped your hips as he pulled back and thrust. You exclaimed and he did it again, slowly as he watched himself impale you over and over. You curled your fingers against the couch arm and your feet arch as you pressed your thighs around him. He lifted your pelvis high as he angled his dick even deeper.

“You feel so good,” he rasped, “oh, baby, you’re so good. Ahh-hh-hh,” his voice fizzled as your walls clenched him and you closed your eyes as you felt the heat building. 

He moved his hand along your thigh and stretched it over your pelvis, pushing his thumb to your clit as he kept his pace. He purred as you writhed helplessly against him and you panted through the rising ecstasy.

“Please, please, please…” you chanted, unsure if you were begging him to stop or for more.

He moaned as he sped up and you sucked your lip under your teeth as you neared your peak. You quivered as your orgasm crashed into you and you let out a strangled cry. He snarled and planted his hands beside your head as he leaned over you, his hot breath tickled your face as he pounded into you.

Your legs bent around him as his pelvis rubbed against you and the friction drove you to another climax. You held onto the arm of the couch as he fucked your harder and harder. He kissed you and nibbled at your lip as he groaned and hooked an arm under to hold you close.

“You’re gonna make me cum, baby,” he said against your cheek and you turned your head away from, “ah, here I--”

He spasmed and slammed into you. He took several long thrusts and stilled. He grunted and drew heavy breaths as he rested his weight over you. He grabbed your head and turned your head up as he pressed his forehead to yours. You kept your eyes closed as the flames slowly dwindled.

“Was that so bad?” he stroked your cheek and trailed his finger down to poke between your lips, “No, it’s what you wanted, isn’t it, baby?” he wiggled his hips and you hissed, “yeah, you want me.”