#like i have 3 chapters up in queue

[luimagines]

I'm talking like... if I were to set up a patreon, mailing list or something for monthly chapters until it's complete, would you guys be interested in that?

I'd naturally have to change it all to actually fit out of LoZ and such but I'll be keeping the main ideas the same. You would likely be able to tell who's who if you've gotten context clues from the boys themselves. XD

And this is for King! Dragon! Time. Not the other one.

[johnslittlespoon]

also my inbox is fr a warzone rn i'm SO behind on like ~50 asks </3 itching to get back, just been trying to focus on actual fic writing when i get in a rare productive swing instead of hrs of drabbling and brainrot lmfaooo but i'll clear up a whole evening eventually to sit down and go thru a ton of them!

[lyrebirdswrites]

Slaughterhouse chapters 3 and 4 are finished as of yesterday!! Excited to share them with u all in the new year 🥰

[luckyemo]

i always forget naegi/togami is like... a popular ship i guess so theres ppl who think like Deeply about togami and i just wha

[kohakhearts]

now that the insomnia fic is finished i can focus on the other fics i want to write but one of them is huge. giant. and here i am. writing it for a silly little rarepair

[rainbows-fanfics]

Fuck it. Got the rest of All'inzio posted in my Drafts. About to Queue/schedule it up.

[charliemwrites]

Part 5 of Mister(s) Steal Your Girl

Long awaited, but no Johnny smut just yet. Soon, I promise. (And Kyle will be back. It's been so long since he's gotten to smooch our dear reader.)

Also! A little reminder than you can check the queue to see what I plan to post for next. I try to update it often as the worms wiggle. Next I plan to do the final chapter of Greater Bad. (Unless I get my not-so-secret, no-longer-a-surprise oneshot out first)

Lastly! Please note that I wrote the "posts" from his perspective. So inconsistencies with the actual story and any grammar/spelling errors were purposeful or for "authenticity".

Content: Brandon.

r/CakeEater _OnBrand_ I asked my fiancé for an open relationship before marriage. It worked. A while ago I posted on r/adultery about the affairs (yes, multiple) I was having behind my then-gf’s back. We’d already been dating for ~4 years and I was seeing one of my coworkers (my “work wife”) regularly and one of her coworkers on and off. People on my other post were critical and called me all sorts of things like selfish and pig. I know it’s not traditional, but I genuinely don’t think I could ever be satisfied by one woman. My work wife (Rachel) and fiance’s coworker (Lucy) provide things my fiancé just can’t but I still love my fiancé. She’s the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. When I posted on r/adultery I was trying to figure out how to propose without her finding out. I knew she’d expect me to help with stuff and possibly want to look at my phone more often. It would have been harder to sneak off to meet up with Lucy or Rachel with wedding planning and I was sick of being stressed she would find out. Some nicer people on the post suggested I ask for an open relationship. I took their advice and sat her down to sell the idea. It’s a good thing I’m so good at sales (top 3% in my company for 5 years in a row) because she agreed. Yes, actually agreed. At first she got kind of pale and her eyes got really big and blank. I thought for sure she was about to start crying and run off. Maybe even kick me out. She doesn’t really get angry but she gets upset and it freaks me out. After I explained everything about how good it would be for us though, she agreed. This is my official unlimited hallpass. I’ve been seeing Rachel on weekends and Lucy once or twice during the week for drinks. Tonight I’m going to sign up for every dating site I can. Tinder, Bumble, Hinge. If anyone has other suggestions, I’ll check those out too. Fiance has been kind of off but I think it’s just an adjustment period. Sometimes I can tell she’s been crying but she hasn’t come to me about it so she’s probably just being emotional about all the changes. At least she’s got our house to focus on while she gets used to things. I feel a little bad about running out every night but she’s just so mopey and sad all the time and it’s not enjoyable to be around. I know she probably feels like I’m abandoning her a little but once she starts getting back to normal I’ll spend time with her again. You really can have your cake (all the cakes heh) and eat them too. Edit: no, I never told her that I already had Lucy and Rachel and I’m not going to. What good would it do? She’s already agreed to an open relationship and telling her that I didn’t have permission first would just hurt her for no reason.

Kyle’s been gone for two (long, lonely) weeks when he finally gets a chance to call. So far, he’s only been able to send scattered texts at odd hours. Always something sweet �� telling you he’s alright, or that he’s thinking of you. Sometimes you even catch him for a brief exchange before he apologizes and “goes dark” again.

Not that you begrudge it. This is part and parcel of dating him and you knew that going in. You’re not complaining when he’s putting his life on the line so that the public can live in blissful peace.

That doesn’t stop you from missing him though. His hugs, his smile. Getting his voice - even roughened by distance - is a nice compromise though.

“How have you been holding up, chickadee?” he asks after the initial reassurance that he’s whole and hale. 

“Easier this time!” you answer proudly. “I know what to expect with you gone and Johnny’s good company.”

“Yeah?” he asks, sounding pleased.

You can just imagine him now, leaning his hip against the nearest surface, arms crossed over his broad chest. He tends to duck his head when he smiles, and you unintentionally grin to yourself, thinking of him hiding into his phone. God, you miss him. 

“Mhmm! We found a board game bar that you’re going to love. Oh, and we’re going to the Hay Festival this weekend.”

He hums. “I’m sorry I can’t be there to take you, luv, but I knew Johnny would be good to you.”

More than good to you, really. There’s not been a day he doesn’t call to check up on you - if he doesn’t see you in person, that is. Dinner, movies, coffee. He’s somehow both a gentleman and an incorrigible flirt, but only with you. He’s nothing more than polite to anyone else, keeping his focus on you and whatever the two of you are doing.

You don’t know what to do with the undivided attention. If you didn’t know better…

“You two are getting close,” Kyle observes.

“I think so,” you admit, then hesitate. “Is… that okay?”

“‘Course, luv. I’m glad.”

You blink. “You are?”

“He’s my best mate and you’re my best girl.”

An odd pang of anxiety pierces your chest. Johnny calls you that too. His “best girl.” You love hearing it - but maybe you shouldn’t?

“It… doesn’t bother you? That we’re spending so much time together.”

He snorts softly, but it’s not derisive. It’s a noise he makes whenever he thinks you’re being silly, but his voice comes out soft and warm. Not an ounce of condescension.

“No, baby, I’m not fussed. You spend your time with whoever you want, however you want. Yeah?”

Your chest floods with warmth. “Okay.”

“There’s a love. I’ve got a brief, so I have to go. I’ll call soon as I can.”

“Be safe, Ky.”

“Do my best. Give Soap a smooch for us, aye?”

You blink as he hangs up. That’s a new one.

You ponder over it while packing on Thursday night. Was it just a joke? A tease at the little crush you’ve developed for Johnny?

Because it is a crush, you know it is. It’s impossible not to be attracted to him. Not with that smile, that laugh, the goofy humor and sweet mannerisms. He still sends you flowers every few weeks - just as the previous ones are about to die. It’s so thoughtful; you’ve started feeling a bit warm every time you look at them.

But you feel greedy, being even remotely interested in anyone else. You have Kyle and Brandon (even if you two are going through a… patch) and that should be enough for you. Shouldn’t it? You’ve never been with more than one person at a time before; it took you weeks to shake the compulsory guilt when you first met Kyle. It feels almost unforgivably audacious to want Johnny too, especially since he’s Kyle’s best mate.

Still… Kyle’s not a jealous or passive-aggressive guy. You’ve been with him long enough now that you know he’d just tell you outright if he was unhappy about something. And he’s been with you long enough that he can surely tell you’re more than a bit fond of Johnny.

Maybe that’s why he made the joke about “smooching” him.

Regardless, you want to talk to him about it. Things always make sense when you think out loud to him. His levelheaded and practical approach to difficult topics always straightens your panic spirals out into neat lines.

Plus, it’s not as comforting to hold your own hand. (God, when is he getting back?)

“Where are you going?”

You blink up at Brandon, folded pajamas in hand.

“The Hay Festival,” you answer.

Speaking of - you slip past him into the bathroom. He doesn’t follow, rooted to the spot spinning his phone around in his hands.

“Alone?”

You snort. “Of course not, I’m going with a friend.”

The allergy pills are at the bottom of the medicine basket beneath the sink. You really need to organize it the next time Johnny’s too busy to hang out. There’s no way you need three bottles of paracetamol. 

“I need that suitcase.”

You toss the bottle in and pivot for the dresser. “What for?”

He shifts, eyes sliding away. “An… overnight.”

Ah. That’s what he’s calling it now?

You snatch a few (too many) pairs of underwear from the dresser.

“Just bring them here,” you say over your shoulder.

There’s a long, tense beat of silence but you’re too busy rummaging for socks to break it first. Will it be too warm for thigh-highs? Eh, you’ll go with the sheer ones; the little lace roses match one of your dresses anyway.

“Bring who here?” Brandon asks slowly.

When you turn, he looks paler than usual. You shrug, trying to project casual comfort.

This is a totally normal and reasonable conversation to have. Just a couple in an open relationship, discussing a stranger coming to the house for a shag. Nothing to make a fuss over.

“Whoever you need the suitcase for? I know you’ve had people over before anyway, and I’ll be gone all weekend.”

He stutters, color returning to his face in bright pink blooms. “Why do you think I’ve had people over before?”

You arch an eyebrow. “I do the laundry, remember? And there was lipstick on one of the wine glasses.”

That had sent you into a tizzy at the time, disgusted that some stranger was in your bed, with your fiancé. You washed the sheets twice on the hottest setting and tossed in a bit of bleach for good measure. Hadn’t been able to look at him the whole week - not that he was there much to not look at.

Now, though, you seem to have adjusted to the idea, even if you’re still not thrilled. Brandon can have his… whoever over, and you’ll goof around with Johnny in Wales.

“Just toss the bedding in the wash afterwards,” you add.

“I thought you do the laundry,” he sniffs.

“I’m not traveling all day just to do chores when I get home,” you answer. He does a double take like you’ve started speaking a new language. “You’ll be here all weekend, I’m sure you’ll have time.”

He opens his mouth, and you can tell already that he’s about to argue - though you don’t really know what about. It’s not like he can’t do laundry or dishes, after all. He lived alone before you moved in together.

Thankfully, his phone distracts him before he can form the words. He spins away to tap at the screen and shuffles out of the room, shoulders till tense. You go back to packing and teasing Johnny about the amount of hair gel he’ll bring.

Friday afternoon can’t come fast enough. Even though you’ve taken a half day from work, the few hours seem to drag. You’re practically daydreaming about the food and drinks, music and activities. There’s a baker’s dozen art stalls you want to check out as well, and a gift to pick out for Kyle…

“Hope yer thinkin’ o’ me when ye make tha’ face.”

Your head snaps around so fast, you nearly give yourself whiplash. Johnny grins down at you in all his casually handsome glory – ripped jeans, green tee, and brown boots. Angels are singing somewhere, you think. Or maybe that’s just your nosy coworkers ogling from their own cubicles.

The reality of him sinks in a moment later and you leap up from your cushy chair – and right into his arms. He’s like a furnace compared to the cool, conditioned air of your office, a welcome source of warmth for your chilly fingers.

“What are you doing here?” you giggle. “Who let a rowdy guy like you in?”

He smells like bergamot and pine. It takes active thought to resist pressing your face into the crook of his neck. It looks cozy there.

As always, he squeezes you a bit tighter just before letting go.

“Hey now, Marcy’s a discerning lady. She knows a fine gentleman when she sees one.”

You snort, belied by the smile curling your lips. “She may need new glass then.”

“Och, don’t go talkin’ poor about my second-best gal now.”

“Is it that easy to get in your good graces?” you scoff, glancing at the time on your computer. It’s later than you expected; no wonder he came up to retrieve you. You spent so long daydreaming that you’ve lost track of time.

“Aw don’ be green, dove, you’re still my number one. Send ye flowers ‘n all.”

You roll your eyes at him. “Yeah, and now I’m wondering just how special that is.”

He stands close, proclaiming his case for how obviously special you are while you shut everything down for the weekend. You’re only half listening to the bit, admittedly. Mostly just basking in your excitement for the mini road trip and the weekend to come. You have no doubt that it’s going to be fun, even if it would be better with Kyle along too.

“Where are you headed off to?” Lucy asks.

“Hay Festival,” you answer shortly.

You’ve never been a big fan of Lucy, but lately she’s been insufferable. Talking over you during meetings, leaving you out of emails, throwing away papers at the printer. (Okay, you haven’t seen her do that last one, but you know.) Worst of all, she can help but make backhanded comments about every flower delivery.

“You’re not taking Brandon?” she simpers. “Something wrong?”

“He’s hanging out with a friend this weekend too,” you correct, “and he doesn’t like hay.”

“Shame that,” Johnny adds, sounding like it’s not a shame at all.

You haven’t told him much about Brandon – but you’re sure that Kyle has. From the face Johnny makes the rare times your fiancé comes up in conversation, he doesn’t think much of Brandon.

“Have fun you two!” your manager, Selene, calls.

You wave and shoot Lucy one last, unimpressed glance before stepping onto the elevator with Johnny.

r/CakeEater _OnBrand_ My fiancé is going on a weekend getaway with another man. I’ve posted in r/adultery and r/cakeeater before. I’m not looking for judgement or insults here. I really just want advice.

A little context: my fiancé and I are in an open relationship and it’s been like this for a few months now. I originally asked her to ope the relationship and for a while she was weird about it but lately she’s been getting sbetter. I thought she was finally getting used to me going out with other women and things were getting back to normal.

A few weeks ago, I noticed she was on her phone more. Like, all the time. Even at dinner when she used to be really picky about phones at the table. One day I came home from work and she was talking on the phone to someone. Giggling and laughing. When I turned the corner she was kind of blushing too. It kind of bothered me but I figured she was talking to a friend and just hot from cooking or something.

Lucy texted me pissed off one day, asking why I was sending my fiancé flowers but not her. I told her I hadn’t sent any flowers. I think they’re way too expensive for how long they realistically last and that they take up a lot of unnecessary space. But I thought it was weird that someone was sending my fiancé flowers and got kind of uncomfortable. That’s a pretty romantic gesture and her family isn’t the type to randomly send flowers either.

I tried taking her out on a date but she was all mopey again and turned her phone to ‘do not disturb’ so I wouldn’t even see if she was texting someone. We don’t have much to talk about now. I love her but she’s not a good storyteller or into very interesting things. All her ‘funny stories’ are just mundane things that happen during the day. We’ve run out of interesting topics about because we’ve been together so long. (That’s why I like having more than one partner.)

Yesterday she randomly started packing for a trip. I don’t even think she was planning to tell me until I asked her. She was packing a bunch of cute clothes too. Like dresses and tights and things like that. Stuff she only used to wear on our dates. I asked who she was going with and she just said ‘a friend’ which is weird because she would usually say the name of someone even if I don’t remember who they are.

Well today Lucy sent me a picture of my fiancé leaving her job with some guy. I couldn’t see his face because he was turned away, but I could see the side of my fiancé’s face and she was smiling at him. I got this awful sinking feeling in my chest like it was hard to breathe. It took me a few minutes to process that she’s going away for a weekend with a complete stranger.

Doesn’t she know how dangerous that is? Where did she even meet this guy? They’ll be gone all weekend so are they sharing a room? A bed? I nearly threw up thinking all these things as I called her.

I asked her to cancel her plans and come home. She seemed confused and reminded me that her plans were with someone else and it would be rude to ditch last minute. I told her I wanted to spend the weekend with her and that I’d been missing her. She seemed surprised and said that she’d see me on Sunday night, but she was looking forward to the festival with her ‘friend’ and wanted to go. As a last ditch effort I asked if her friend was more important than me, nearly begging at that point. She must have heard the desperation in my voice, but she just told me that she was already on the road and it was too late.

My fiancé doesn’t like lying but it’s hard to believe this guy was just a friend. Even if she sees him as a friend I know how men think and I doubt he sees her the same way.

She said some other weird stuff before she left about having someone over while she was gone. I don’t get it. How could she just casually invite someone else into our house like that? Has she had other people over? Is she dating now?

I’m not sure what to do. I don’t like that she put this trip over me. Should I talk to her about how bad this makes me feel? Should I call again and tell her to come home more forcefully? Am I blowing all of this out of proportion?

Edit: she doesn’t know that I’ve been seeing Lucy. I haven’t told my fiancé about any of the women I’ve been seeing. (mostly just Lucy and Rachel. I’ve done a lot of texting through apps and gone on a bunch of first place, but most women don’t put out right away and I usually can’t be bothered to get to know them better). Even then, I wouldn’t tell her about lucy. They don’t get along and never have. It would cause a lot of unnecessary drama.

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[jsooly]

death in the family (2) / sully family x human!daughter/sister!reader

synopsis, dad and mom to the rescue. scared for the kids’ safety, they agree to leave… without you?

p.s. i've seen your requests so far and i love every single one! i'm super excited to write them <3

(1) / (2) / (3) / (4*) / (5) / (6*- ur here! ☆)

+ chapters with an * beside it means that it’s following atwow plot line as opposed to disconnected scenarios

neytiri had a strong sense of premonition, one that could only develop when dealing with such troublesome children. she knew from the moment jake grounded lo'ak, he would try and do something to regain the freedom he lost.

her youngest son always manages to surprise her with his roguish innocence. not only did he go to a forbidden place, he didn't pull back the moment he laid eyes on the recoms and put his sisters in danger alongside him.

did he think all the rules she and jake gave them were arbitrarily made up?

"neteyam, update your sister on our situation." jake called over the wind. "we might be out late."

behind him, neteyam nodded and pressed his comms.

"lightning bug, this is pathfinder, come in." neteyam was always the best at keeping up code names. lo'ak often slipped in a 'dad,' 'mom," or 'bro' here and there, but as with all things, neteyam takes his father's instructions to the last letter. "hello?"

neytiri cast a confused glance to her husband. it was unlike you to not respond.

"come in, bug, this is devil dog. answer us." jake spoke into his comms urgently.

"did anyone see her before we left?" neytiri asked, pulling her ikran back to match pace with the two boys.

"no, mother."

jake shook his head, running through his memory for a glimpse of you at high camp. he grunted when he came up empty. "m'sure she's just sleeping or something. we got a bigger problem right now."

“i know a quick way!” neteyam yelled over the wind, guiding his ikran to a shortcut.

jake and neytiri dove behind him, hoping it wasn't too late for their children.

. . .

you awoke with a groan, brows creasing as the blur in your vision mellowed out.

"y/n!" tuk squealed softly, thrashing in her captor's grip. “you’re bleeding!”

huh?

your eyes scan the circle you've found yourself in. the recoms got the children on the ground, bound by their queue or neck. faintly, you could hear spider's voice chatting with the commander.

and yes, you were in fact bleeding.

the bullet that grazed the length of your arm left a nasty laceration from your elbow to your shoulder. it burned like hot oil was carefully poured in a line on your skin, and ached like a ten day workout.

you began to sit up when a foot smashed into your chest. the wind was stolen from your lungs and you dropped back to the ground with a choked gasp.

you shot lo’ak a warning look right as he jerked against his captor’s grip. with an unhappy growl, he settled down.

“keep her on the ground.” quaritch snapped.

quaritch. that’s who this guy was—this avatar, rather.

“i hope you realize you almost killed three of my men,” the commander squatted on his hind legs but still managed to tower over you. “thankfully they were saved by that shit aim of yours.”

the three injured were off to the side, grunting in pain as they pulled your deep rooted arrowhead from their flesh. you remembered when you weaved blue and yellow, inspired by neytiri’s signature green and yellow, in the fletching of every single arrow sunken into them. removing them was a slow and painful process, the blade cutting just as much coming out as it did going in.

in a surprising revelation, you found yourself… thoroughly enjoying their struggle.

shit aim or not, they’ll remember the pain when they saw those blue and yellow tufts again.

you scowled, pushing the soldier’s boot off your chest roughly. they must have understood you weren’t much of a threat in your throttled state, because they didn’t move to restrain you further.

lo’ak hissed in na’vi. “(why didn’t you bring the gun?)”

you scoffed at his impertinence. “(i thought the worst you’d come across was a viper wolf, not dad’s greatest enemy. why didn’t you run away when i told you to?)”

a recom nudged your head with the barrel of their rifle. “hey. shut up.”

“(yeah, yeah, i know i was stupid.)” lo’ak cut you off, saving himself from further verbal assault.

“(that's right, and your stupid ass shouldn’t have come back.)” you clicked your tongue.

lo’ak’s face was painted with something between guilt and stubbornness. “(i was trying to help you!)”

“(you had the others to think of!)”

“but—”

"what would it take for you to shut up?!" quaritch whirled, irked from being puled out of his conversation (though it looked more like an argument) with spider. “it’s like a zoo in here, all the yipping and yapping.”

he stalked over to you, eyeing you curiously as he rested his hands on his belt. "matter of fact, why do i even need you?"

the recom behind you pressed the barrel of their gun firmly against your scalp. the distressed whines of tuk wasn't unheard by you, nor was kiri's uncertain promises that everything will be okay.

“hold off, lyle.” quaritch squinted at your face, scanning your features with a laser-like precision.

“don’t tell me… you’re that little brat that was always at his feet, weren’t you? well, wheels is more accurate.” he laughed heartily, looking at his company in condescending awe. “man, that jake sully just keeps getting better and better.”

. . .

night fell and your situation didn’t improve at all. but it didn’t worsen, either.

in the night, pandora grew even more dangerous and the way the recoms were patrolling the area meant they weren’t taking any chances underestimating her.

but then a call rang through. every kid turned their heads towards it. she was easily mistaken for the night noises of pandora’s wildlife, but to her children, neytiri’s voice was instantly recognizable.

you heard a thudding off to the side but saw nothing. before you could even turn your head back around, an arrow flew past your head and into the skull of the man holding kiri.

green and yellow fletching. it was over for them.

the next moments happened in a blur—

quartich pushed spider out the way, letting bullets fly towards the treetops.

lo’ak ripped the pin from a grenade, the burst of gas disabling some soldiers. he sunk his teeth into the recom behind him, tuk following his lead and doing the same.

once he took care of that, lo’ak launched himself onto the man holding you hostage, jumping onto his back and using the momentum to throw him off balance and face-first into the dirt.

“come on,” he grunted, pulling you up and onto his back. you grit your teeth when he squeezed your injured arm, and he murmured apologies when he heard your pained heavy breathing. “tuk, come on!”

he grabbed his baby sister’s hand. running off into the tall bushes and leaves, you caught the glint of neytiri’s arrowhead as she loaded another projectile into her bow.

you didn’t know where kiri or spider were at the moment. still, your brain finally allowed you to pass out from shock and blood loss knowing your parents were there to get everyone to safety.

. . .

“…hunting us. he’s targeting our family.”

“you cannot ask this! the children. everything they’ve ever known—this is our home!”

the words came in one ear, out the other. your head pounded, the thumping echoing in your chest, your ears... the whole world spun around you in a dizzying whirl.

“he had our children. he had ‘em under his knife!” jake's voice sliced through the fog in your mind. you felt him shift beside you, his calloused hand lifting your arm as he rewrapped your gauze.

rewrapped? how long were you out?

“look at this,” jake said, shaking your arm gently, his anger seeping through the tenderness. “he didn’t even hesitate!”

neytiri's voice cut in, louder now as she approached her husband. “my father gave me this bow—” she choked on the words, “as he lay dying. and he said protect the people—”

“honey—”

“you’re toruk makto!” neytiri's hoarse cry electrified the air, pained and anguished. “majake, we must fight.”

“this will protect the people!” jake pushed himself up, his frustration erupting, the words tumbling out in an rush of heat. “they’ve got spider. that kid knows everything. if the people harbour us, they will die.”

in a rush of clarity, your eyes cracked open. still drowsy, the words took a while to finally register in your brain. if they harbor us? where are we going?

“oh, y/n,” neytiri gasped with relief, kneeling beside you and running her slender hand over your head. “you are awake. thank you, eywa.” she whispered.

“are we leaving..? home?” your voice was barely a whisper.

neytiri’s shoulders dropped, her eyes unfocused. jake sat beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders in a silent promise of comfort.

“look, i got nothing.” he whispered gruffly, low and worn, more to her than you. he met her gaze, a silent plea for understanding. “i got no plan. but i can protect this family. that, i can do.”

neytiri blinked tears from her eyes, her breath catching in her throat. jake pulled her in, his grip tightening.

“dad.” you cut through the tension, your voice unsteady as you sat up. with a bewildered look on your face, you recaptured his attention. “are we leaving?”

jake gave neytiri a look drenched with grief. he scooted closer to you, his palm resting on your cheek. his thumb brushed your skin, as if to soothe your doubt.

then, in a picture of irony, a father reassuring his daughter delivered a killing blow—

“we’re leaving, baby. you’re… going to stay.”

—

“what?” the word tore itself from your throat, disbelieving.

the roof of the marui thundered under the feet of your siblings. done with eavesdropping, their protests rang through the air.

"you're leaving me behind?" you shot up, your feelings about the breach of faith plastered all over your face.

"jake?" neytiri's voice was sharp, a note of surprise in her words as she glanced at him, eyes narrowing.

"it's bad enough that we're not prepared for other environments." jake reasoned. "bringing a human there would make chances for uturu even slimmer."

"'a human?'" you recoiled, the sting of his words cutting deeper than expected. you, his daughter, reduced to just a human?

jake sighed, gazing at you helplessly. "you know i didn't mean it like that, baby."

“you wanna 'protect the family' and you’re abandoning me?” you said bitterly, the disbelief palpable in your voice. “suddenly i’m not a part of it anymore?”

jake’s eyes narrowed, irked by your insinuation. “of course you are part of the family.”

you rolled your eyes. didn’t feel like it.

“why were you even out there in the first place?” jake shifted closer, his eyes sharp as a blade as they bore into you.

“looking for another reason to ground me?” you shot back, voice wavered as the hurt in your chest spread.

“watch it, kid.” jake snapped, tilting his head dangerously. the command in his tone made you want to shrink, but you fought it down.

you massaged your temples, pain flaring up your arm as you were reminded of your body's current limits. jake reached out to you with concern, but you stepped back slightly, avoiding his touch. you couldn't face how pitiful he must look, not when the anger and hurt were still too fresh.

"dad, you're not serious." lo'ak came storming in. "you can't—"

"not now, boy." jake's words were clipped, unable to look his family's in their eyes.

"but sir—"

"lo'ak." neytiri cut in firmly. do not push any further.

"y/n, you will stay with norm and max. that's final." jake said, his tone resolute but tired.

you meet jake's eyes and for a moment you wonder if this was all a bad dream and you’re still passed out on the floor from the gash in your arm. you wonder, did he make the decision lightly, or did he truly have no other options? you wonder if he thought you were old enough to be on your own.

did he realize you had no purpose outside of this family he welcomed you into? if you couldn’t follow them, where else did you have to go?

“dad, i…” you faltered, unsure of what you were trying to say. out of the corner of your eye, you saw neytiri clutching her head in frustration, her gaze fixed on you with silent pain.

“i can adapt. i promise. if that’s what you’re worried about…” you continued, the words spilling out before you knew what you were saying. you weren't above begging, not if it meant staying with the only home and family you've ever known.

jake clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, anxiety and desperation flooding his every movement. “not like this, y/n. the ocean na’vi, they… they are more wary of sky people. even more than our own clan.”

your eyebrows furrowed. “i’ll keep to myself.” you whispered, hope trying its hardest to cling to your promises.

he sighed, turning away. a weight seemed to settle on you both. “no, y/n.”

“yes, i’ll keep to myself. like i always have!" you voice was rising, and your voice croaked as you pleaded with your father. "i won’t get in anyone's way. i won’t talk to anyone. i'll pull my weight too, i’ll cook and—”

"no." jake's voice cracked, anger bubbling over. “i said no! you will stay with norm and max.”

“i don’t want to stay with them.” you were reduced to childish retorts. the only thing you wanted to communicate was how much you needed them and it was flying over his head.

jake grabbed your wrist, lifting your arm slightly. he immediately dropped it when he saw your face contort in pain. “that. that is the best outcome for a run in with this guy. i’m not risking any of you getting hurt, or worse!”

“and your solution is to leave me alone with him around?” you were jake's prideful daughter, something that was only ever a problem when you got into fights. neither of you were willing to back down. so you returned his screaming match with one of your own. “no one else here would care if i was captured, and you know it.”

jake frowned. “that’s not true.”

"yes, it is. and you'd leave me here anyway!" your body couldn't decide which to choose: fight or flight? teetering between anger and distress, your hands trembled. “i don’t have a clan or an avatar to fall back on!”

“it’s final. i’ve decided.” jake's expression was unreadable, his resolve set. he cast a sideways glance at neytiri, who looked onward with silent disagreement. he ignored the churning feeling in his chest.

you laughed humourlessly. “i don’t—what’s so different about adapting to the water than the forest? it’s a learning curve i’m familiar with, i can—”

“you think it was easy bringing you in?” jake's voice dropped to a growl, and he caught your gaze with a searing glare. “you think it was easy raising you, here? i’m not doing that again.”

—

silence fell over the marui, the weight of his words pressing down on everyone. tuk held onto kiri’s hand, both girls’ gazes stuck to the ground. it was a miracle lo’ak hadn’t shoved himself into the argument. instead he was channeling that energy into pacing back and forth. neteyam was the only one strong enough to hold his head high, but a big sister’s eye could catch the way he blinked too fast and his drooping posture.

anyone would see jake was protecting his family, but all you could see was your father abandoning you. was... raising you so much of a burden as he made it out to be?

“jake.” neytiri’s call was soft, a tinge of disappointment filtering through. she rest her hands on your shoulders, as if trying to ease you into something you couldn't understand.

you shrugged her off. a burning ball of emotion was stuck in your throat, and with every shaky breath, the dam was threatening to break.

“it’s… he made himself clear. i’m going.” you muttered, gulping the heartache back down to burn up in your stomach.

jake tensed up when you finally complied. he reached out to you instinctively, but his hand paused midair. “baby, wait. please. you don’t have to go now.”

“stay, y/n? don’t go.” tuk whispered when she clung to you, her request a tether you couldn't bring yourself to break.

you felt claustrophobic. suffocated. like the universe itself was collapsing inside your chest.

"dinner?” neteyam offered a compromise, his voice tentative. ever the dutiful son.

when you looked at neteyam, all you could picture was that little kid who looked up to you as if you hung the stars in the sky. you remembered—you were still the oldest.

you glanced around the room at your siblings’ quiet dejection. in the moment, you didn't want them to go but you didn't want to stay either—in any case, you didn’t want to leave on this note.

“dinner.” you agreed, your response barely audible, snatching your effects from where they lay on the ground and storming out.

jake, stretched between guilt and uncertainty, began to start off in your direction. neytiri pulled him back, her grip tight on her husband's wrist.

“give her time.” she said simply, the three words heavy with unspoken sentiments. she barely met her husband’s eyes before stalking off.

the silence persisted long after you left.

. . .

thanks for reading <3

taglist (lmk if you want to be added/removed): @dae-dreamer @delirious-dolce @strawbaerriesvt @avatar-lover @ryiana @lxon-kxnnedy @zukki33 @chalahyung01 @ssc7514 @shmaptainbonky

© jsooly ‘25

[firingstars]

neighborly advice | ch. 3

bucky barnes x reader

summary: you and bucky talk properly for the very first time, face to face. then you get real close, face to face.

warnings: timeline is somewhere around the middle/end of fatws, language, alcohol, eventual smut, past trauma, nightmares, no use of y/n, makeout sesh, hair pulling, beer drank in questionable ways, they're flirting, you cry, you hate your dad, mdni

word count: 3.4k

a/n: idk if anyone remembers but leah is the character that bucky went on a date with in fatws… that should’ve been me… that’s why i wrote this fic im ngl. and then made leah ur bestie hehe

previous chapter | next chapter

The ride wasn’t bad. In fact, it was thrilling. Watching the city lights blur past as Bucky sped down the road, the wind in your hair– it was nice. What was even nicer was the fact you could forget how cold it was, at least for a second. Bucky’s back was warm and broad and shielded you from all the elements that threatened to attack you. Though, you have to admit, your arms tightened around his body during sharper turns, and your heart kept leaping out of your chest more times than you would ever care to admit.

Bucky got off the bike first when you got to the parking garage. You didn’t even know this building had a parking garage. Made sense that you didn't know, though. You didn’t own a car. 

Bucky reached for you, removing the helmet off of your head then extending a hand to you. You watched as he turned the other way as you moved to swing your leg off of the motorcycle. You tilted your head at the action, but didn’t say anything. Was it because in the end, with shorts or not, you were still wearing a skirt?

You could feel something give birth in your stomach and start to flutter.

Once you were off his bike, he opened up the compartment and replaced the food he bought with the helmet, and the two of you walked up the stairs together in silence. It was comfortable. The quiet was good, and you liked it. It’d been loud all fucking night.

“Wanna come inside?” Bucky asked softly once you'd gotten to your floor. He looked nervous. “Or I can just give you the burger and you could–”

“Yeah, I’ll come in,” you cut him off before he could continue. He let out a soft breath, and nodded.

Nothing much had changed since the last time you were in his apartment. He did get an upgrade though. There was now a coffee table between his couch and TV, which was a start. He put the bag of burgers there, sat on the couch, and paused.

“What are you doing?” he asked, eyebrows knitting together. You were still at the doorway, standing there.

“Is this… a shoes off… kinda house?” you asked slowly. The entire house was spotless and you were certain the soles of your boots were dirty and sticky from being in the club.

“Oh. You can, if it makes you more comfortable,” he offered, and you immediately moved to take your boots off, leaving them neatly by the door. Bucky got up, too. He toed his shoes off, and put them right beside yours, which strangely made your heart beat faster.

As you approached the couch, you tied your hair up and out of the way in preparation for this burger. You could swallow your growing crush for now. You needed to eat. Once seated beside him, he handed you your food, and your stomach growled on queue.

“Thank you for buying,” you told him with a smile.

“Of course. My ma’ would be rolling in her grave if she found out that I let a pretty girl pay for her own food,” he replied, unwrapping his own burger. You froze for a second, turning your head to look at him. He took a bite, completely undisturbed. “Besides, I’m not that much of an asshole that I make you pay for your own food after the shit you’ve been through tonight.”

Oh. So he just wanted to gloss right over that compliment. Fine. You’ll play along.

“I owe you more now though.”

“Consider it an apology for slamming my door in your face,” he said and you snorted, shaking your head.

“I’m not mad about that. I just came by because I was worried.”

He let out a laugh. “Sure.”

You huffed and took your first bite of the cheesy burger in your hands. It was like heaven on earth. You could feel the stress of the night washing away with each chew. Life was worth living, it seemed. Once you swallowed, you took another glance at him and paused. 

“You eat with your gloves on?” you asked, tilting your head. 

“Oh.. I got… poor circulation,” he said slowly, trying to come up with a lie on the spot.

“… I’m not scared of it, if that’s what you’re worried about. Wasn’t your choice for everything that happened to you, either. If anything, I’m grateful for it. I’m sure you’re strong without all the modifications, but it really came in handy tonight when you kicked my date’s ass,” you said with a hum.

Bucky froze mid-bite, and you continued to eat. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see as he placed the half wrapped burger on the table slowly and begin to fight an inner battle with himself for a few moments. Then he removed not only his gloves, but his jacket, too. He exposed both flesh and metal before he continued to eat. You smiled to yourself, and took another bite.

“So you have a thing for assholes?” he asked after a few more moments of pure silence. 

You choked, and missed the smirk on his lips as he got up to grab you a cup of water. You gratefully accepted, but still stared at him with disbelief as you rubbed at your sternum. 

“I’m just saying. He didn’t seem like a great guy, you know?” he continued as he sat back down. 

When your coughing fit died down, you shifted on the couch to face him. Your back rested against the armrest now, legs tucked under you as you stared him down. Bucky raised an eyebrow at you, leaning back into the cushions to look at you better as he comfortably let his legs spread a bit wider.

“I was two-manning, for your information,” you frowned at him, “No clue who the guy is or what his personality was.”

“Two-manning?” he repeated, confusion thick in his voice. 

“Yeah. Like wingmanning?”

“Why can’t you just say that? Why are there so many new terms for everything?”

“Okay, just because you’re old and can’t keep up doesn’t mean that new things can’t be invented.”

“And you’re like, what? Nineteen?” He raised his eyebrows at you. 

“Flattered. Add seven years.” You smiled at him, and he paused like he was truly considering your age. 

“You look good.”

“You look good for 110,” you replied. “But, you know. Helps when I was erased from existence for five years. Thanks for bringing me back, by the way.”

He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. Then, his face turned serious, and he looked a little nervous. His voice was quiet. “How long have you known?”

“They said your last name in the station. Called you Sergeant Barnes,” you answered. “I only know one Sergeant Barnes and he served alongside Captain Steve Rogers, so… Just put two and two together. Plus, you’re kinda buddies with the new Cap, too.”

“He’s not my buddy.” He said the words too fast. Too defensive. 

“Sure.” You rolled your eyes, a smile playing on your lips. 

“You’re really not… Scared? Of me?” Bucky asked softly, and you paused. He looked so small at that moment. Afraid of your next words, afraid of the world around him. 

“I can’t say I’m aware of everything you’ve done,” you said truthfully. “I only know what was put out on the internet, but I do know the guy that drove me home and let me crash in his bed. So, I think you're a pretty decent guy, all things considered.”

“... So. Wingmanning, huh?” he said with a breath. “Your friend okay?”

“She’s fine. That guy’s a gentleman, or at least I hope so. She texted me when I was at the station that she went home with him, so someone ended the night happy,” you sighed, shrugging. “Only went out with her because I was losing my mind over some other shit going on.”

“Yeah? I figured, since you blacked out the other day.”

You could feel your face go hot again. “I’m really sorry about that, by the way—“

“It’s okay,” he cut you off. “I promise. It’s fine. Are you okay?”

"No,” you answered honestly. “But I’ll figure it out. Have to.”

“Well, I don’t know much about you either, but I’m sure you will,” he said with a nod. “You’re always carrying around some weird books with long titles.”

“Necessary for my study.”

“So you’re smart. You got this,” he said with a shrug, then stood up again. “You want a beer?”

“Please. And I really hope I do, otherwise some asshole is gonna get me deported and send me back home,” you muttered.

“Deported?” He frowned at the fridge as he pulled out two bottles.

“My family situation is less than ideal,” you summed up simply. “My dad would love for me to come home and play the filial daughter. I don’t want to.”

“What does playing the filial daughter entail?” he asked, easily popping open the top of the beer with his metal hand before handing the bottle to you as he took his first drink.

“Marrying a guy who already has three kids older than me,” you answered. It was his turn to choke.

“Your dad would–”

“Never said my dad was a good guy. Which is why I left and I’m across the sea. I didn't want to do it, so I left. If he finds out that the shit I’ve been doing here doesn’t have results, or if I can’t figure out something substantial, then it’s only a matter of time before I get roped back into elite upper class politics again.”

“Damn. That’s heavy,” he murmured, settling on the couch. He crossed an ankle over his knee, flesh arm draped over the back of the couch. “What are you trying to do?”

“Regenerative nanotechnological medicine.” 

His bottle paused on its journey halfway to his lips, and he looked at you. You were dead serious, and you were staring at your bottle like it owed you money. 

“The thing is,” you started with a deep breath, “Stark monopolized everything to do with nanotech. It’s trademarked so trying to do something similar is so fucking hard without getting sued or going through a bunch of legal battles. And what I’m doing isn’t totally similar. I use a different system and my technology is run by a different program that I made on my own and I refused to look into what Stark uses for his nanotech until I fully made mine– but only to make sure that I didn’t accidentally make it the same. Anyways– Can you imagine? Going into battle, and instead of needing to return back to your base, you can carry something so light that you don’t even notice is there– it heals you at a moment's notice? Moreover– it’s reusable over and over again?” you rambled on quickly, finally meeting his eyes.

Your breath caught in your throat. This was it. The moment that he was going to call you crazy. Of course he was. You were talking to an Avenger. Dr. Cho had already created something similar years ago, that lab in Seoul that made regenerative tissue out of nothing, but this was different. Yet, you’d heard all the arguments before. If this was something that could have already been done, then it would have been done. You couldn’t handle hearing it again, not when the wound was still fresh. You looked away from his eyes.

“Anyways, it’s probably not going to go anywhere–”

“If we had that kinda tech in some of our biggest fights, we could’ve held on for so much longer, maybe even turned the tides and won,” he cut her off with a whisper. You met his eyes. There was a sparkle in those steel blue eyes that made your chest tighten. He breathed your name, in awe, “That’s amazing. Seriously. I don’t have that kinda knowledge, but damn. If I had the money, I would invest in you.”

Your eyes widened. This was the first time.

No one, absolutely no one, had heard you out with this much earnestness before. Even your previous sponsors had to be coaxed into the project, and gave you lowball offers that you could barely work with. Even your team of researchers weren’t committed to the work, and you picked up all the slack. It was always you, by yourself, trying to keep yourself afloat with your own hands.

“Hey- Hey! Did I say something wrong?” he exclaimed in panic, quickly moving to grab a napkin from the table.

You were crying. Warm tears brimmed over your eyes, and slipped down your cheeks before you could stop it from happening. You blinked rapidly to try to clear your vision, trying to find the words to say that there was just an eyelash, but nothing came out. All you could do was shake your head, take the napkin and try to calm down.

Bucky waited. He sat there quietly, giving you comfort in his spot beside you. There was no judgement, only concern. Once you did calm down, he didn’t ask any questions. He just settled back down into the couch, watching you quietly.

“It’s hot in here,” you lied, trying to play the situation off and change the topic as you shrugged your jacket off, tossing it on the edge of the coffee table. “You should really get a coat rack. Or something like that.”

“I should really get a lot of things,” he snorted with a shake of his head as he took another drink. “You go to Izzy’s often? Mr. Nakajima kept talking about you today when I saw him.”

“Well, yeah. But I met Mr. Nakajima because of Mr. Lin– Mr. Lin used to live in this apartment,” you explained. “I used to take care of him. I don’t sleep at night since I work late, and I would listen out for him in case he were to fall or something like that. Mr. Lin used to force me to go out on walks with him during the day and told me that the sun is good for me, and I would end up in the park with him and Mr. Nakajima and watched them while they played old man games. Like go.”

“Go is not that old,” he frowned.

“Yeah? And who’s saying that to me right now?” you asked, raising your eyebrows at him. “I thought I was getting a young neighbor, but I just got someone older than Mr. Lin.”

“Alright, kid. Isn’t it past your bedtime?” Bucky asked, rolling his eyes.

“Why? You gotta go play mahjong with Nakajima right now?” you asked, a smile tugging at your lips. “You’re really annoying when you get alcohol in your system, you know that?” he said, staring at you with disbelief.

You let out a deep, sarcastic sigh. “Old guys just don’t know how to relax these days. No energy for any kind of fun. I know I’m not one to talk, but maybe you should go out on a date, Sarge. Let loose. There’s this lady on the third floor, second door. She’s single.”

“She’s 90.”

“Scared of an age gap?” you asked with a grin as you took a slow sip of her beer. Bucky watched you, and you could see the gears in his mind turning. 

“You know what? You really aren’t one to talk,” he finally said. “I’ve known you for like, two minutes. At least I’m a gentleman and gave you my bed to sleep in–”

“Was very comfortable, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You also smell really good.”

“Thank you. I try. I’m using a new body wash.”

“You should keep using it. I like it.”

“You have horrible judgement in men.”

“The man I’m staring at right now doesn’t seem to be all that bad, though?” 

The conversation had happened so fast, passing between you two like quick banter without a single beat in between. You stared at him, straight into his pretty steel blue eyes as you took another drink. Slow. Waiting. You watched as his own eyes dropped to your lips briefly, like it was a mistake before lifting back up to meet your eyes. Bucky sucked in a sharp breath of air, watching as you smiled coyishly against the rim of the beer bottle.

“What’s wrong, Sarge? Can’t keep up with the kids these days?” you asked softly, innocently. As if you weren’t daring him to do something.

“Shut the hell up,” he grunted, grabbing the bottle out of your hand. The liquid sloshed and splashed on the floor as he rushed to drop it onto the coffee table as he moved to close the space between you two on the couch.

You let out a soft gasp right before his lips touched yours. His lips were soft– surprisingly soft. It was a nice contrast to the roughness of the stubble of his face, and it felt so nice to finally touch him. Your hands fell onto his shoulders, his hands moved to your waist, and easily picked you up and situated you onto his lap. 

Bucky kissed you harder, tongue sweeping against your bottom lip and asking for entrance that you happily granted. You let out a soft noise against his mouth as his tongue caressed yours, and he groaned in response, pulling you closer to him. Your arms moved around his neck– you couldn’t stand any distance between you.

Kissing him felt like finding water in the desert. You didn’t know how you survived before this, before him. You needed him all around you, pulling you in and deeper until you drowned in him. His flesh hand was in your hair, pulling the hair tie out of it so he could take a proper fistful of your locks in his hand. Then, he pulled your hair, forcing your head back, ripping you away from the kiss. 

His lips pressed soft kisses against your jaw, the stubble of his beard lightly scratching at your skin as he moved. Bucky kept moving, kissing and sucking at your throat, briefly dipping down to your collarbone to nip at the skin there. Then, he settled on the spot right beneath your ear where your jaw met your neck and bit down. You let out a soft moan as he sucked on the wound to placate it, and you pulled yourself closer to him as your hips instinctively moved against his.

“Careful, doll,” he whispered heavily against your neck. You could feel him through his jeans. The thick length of him, straining, begging to be free. You were certain that he could feel the warmth from between your legs, especially when you had only a few thin layers separating you from him. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“Shut the fuck up,” you whined, and it was your turn to pull on his hair. He let out a moan of his own, the sound making you clench around nothing. Everything was warm. Everything was on fire, and hot, and you need more of him now. 

“What’s wrong, doll?” Bucky smirked at you, sending a tingle down her spine as he locked eyes with you. “You really need to keep up.”

A momentary surge of confidence and annoyance coursed through your body as you twisted behind you to find your– probably his– beer and drank down two gulps before holding another one in your mouth. Then, you turned back to him, weaving your hand in his hair again and slammed your lips into his. His grip on your waist tightened, and you could feel him twitch against you as the beer passed from your mouth to his. Bucky swallowed what you gave him, almost greedily, letting out a soft groan once he finally had the means to do so. 

You pulled away, watching as he chased after your lips. With half lidded eyes, he looked at you, a bit breathless. You could only bite back a smirk, tongue licking your lips slowly.

“I think it’s past your bedtime, old man,” you whispered, echoing his own words back at him. You reached to cup his face, wiping off the lipstick that had transferred onto his mouth. Bucky watched you with intense eyes, pupils blown out, hungry. You smiled at him. “Thanks for the meal.”

You got off of him, and grabbed your jacket. You left him on the couch, humming to yourself in satisfaction as you went to the door. You didn’t even bother to zip your shoes back up since you were just moving a few steps over. You could hear him stand up behind you.

Bucky said your name with a voice so thick and heavy that it sent something straight down to your core. You swallowed, looking over your shoulder at him. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to find the words before finally settling on, “Sleep well.” 

You let out a small laugh, nodding at him. “You, too, Bucky.”

next chapter

taglist: @iyskgd

[kyri45]

✨ShadowPeach Bio Parents Bio AU Q&A! 20/09✨

Welcome to the Q&A! A space where I can answer related or similar question about the Shadowpeach Bio Parents AU! If you submitted your ask anonimously, then you’ll have to check the whole post if it’s answered here, if it’s not, worry not! Your asks might have been used for a future comic or just in the queue~

@funnybadger868 ha chiesto:wait so if mk can hear macaques past can he hear wukongs for example the circlet and the spell

Yeah he could. It's now just a matter of if he wants to use this power ever again

@cryptic-theseus ha chiesto:you're paying for my therapy btw, the bill is on the way

Blame it on the gay monkies not me. It's bc of them that my life is ruined/hj

@ayrza ha chiesto:Hey!I have an important question, where do you get your sources for the AU👉🏻👈🏻p? I mean, I just recently entered the LMK fandom and I see that there are parts that are not mentioned much in the series and it frustrates me because I feel like I only watch the anime but I'm missing the manga 🫠I love your art and your work, it's amazing 🫰🏻✨

Hi! Well I' finishing to read Journey to the West (im at chapter 80) and if I need extra info or just check I go to the fandom wiki.

@feyqueen91 feyqueen91 ha chiesto:A question for your Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU (btw, I just saw your recent post for More Than A Successor Arc & I thought something light hearted was needed to even out the Angst), is Macaque able to summon something like what Red Son did with the Samadhi Sprite, and he teaches MK to do it too?

Wait what exactly? I haven't understood what you meant by sprite.

@og-glitch-punk ha chiesto: Honestly I expect this to be hidden but i also love your work on both comics, keep it up!! I forgot their names but dude- how would the lotus prince and our moon chef feels about wukong and Macaque being MK's parents? HELL. WHAT ABOUT THE TRIO? YELLOW TUSK, PENG AND THE LOIN (CANT REMMEBER HIS NAME EVEN IF HE IS TECHNICALLY DEAD/GONE). Hell even this chaotic snake man may even use MK to his advantage with the fact he is the child of Wukong and Macaque. So many possibilities and guesses, so many twists and turns we will never know bro

Oh he absolutely woud. Also about the others. They would probably act like protective aunt/uncles to that poor traumatised boy.

@thenerdnico ha chiesto:Oh my GODS that last bio dad's chapter broke me, your expressions are always amazing. I'm going to assume that at the end of Wukong's and Macaque's fight, Wukong realised Macaque wasn't moving and ran up to him, and ended up sobbing and screaming when he realised he was dead??? If that is the case, do you think MK listened to it long enough to hear that as well?

Oh for angst reason yes. He did.

@shadowpeachera ha chiesto:AHHHH YOUR SHADOWPEACH BIO AU IS SOO GOOD!!!! I SCREAMED AT THE LAST UPDATE!!! I have a question though. You know in the series i think season 3 epsiode 5 where Wukong goes into a deep mystic monkey meditation, yeah. Well i was wondering if Mk has ever tried that but got disrupted and lost his memories or started acting strange infront of his monkey parents. It would be hilarious i can imagine him shouting, “TUDI, TUDI!”KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, no pressure though! HAVE A GOOD DAY!

Lmaooo ok ok I don't think I'll go witha small amnesia arc in the AU but this doeß sound adorable.

@sakuralotus03 ha chiesto:It will probably be quite heavy, but I suggest that after Wukong saw the monkey like that he had a huge attack of guilt and anxiety and ended up injuring his left eye with his claws

Poor baby!! Nono don't worry his eye is fine.

@raylamoongirl ha chiesto:question for macaque: what was the hardest thing to teach Mk?Lmk bio parents Q&A

Mmmm so they tried really hard to teach him shadow teleportation, but he seems to not be able to do it.

@lmkobsessedmoth ha chiesto:For the Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU What if macaque and wukong go on a date and wukong doesn’t know it’s a date because he’s as dense as the rock he hatched out of

He truly would be. May the gods give him a clue or smt otherwise we wont end up nowhere here

Anonimo ha chiesto:Hey!I love your Shadowpeach bio Parent's AU But I Wonder,Does Wukong and Macaque already dance together before?

Danced??? I think so?? When they still were lovers friends I think (i think i m missing something)

Anonimo ha chiesto:I am on my knees, heart giving out, HOW IS BABY MK SO CUTE AND SHADOWPEACH SO ALLERGIC TO JUST KISSING ALREADY LIKE COME ON YOU TWO Anonimo ha chiesto:When I read the other part where swk and mac where talking about wanting MK to view them as parents at first I thought swk was proposing having another kid with Mac and I went “WOAH HEY- HOLD UP FOR A SECOND THERE U NEED TO GET UR SHT TOGETHER FIRST” and thank god it wasn’t that I thought swk was JUMPING AND ACCELERATING THEIR PROGRESS LMAOOOSo I’m actually glad they are taking baby steps, they need them

This slowburn is gonna be so slow-burning you all are gonna die when they actually kiss (will they kiss? Oh that's just for me to know ahah)

Anonimo ha chiesto:Since macaque is called mama by mk does that mean macaque is like a mother figure to mk in your au mama macaque is adorable and he gives off motherly in his character

Anonimo ha chiesto:Whos mom if there is considered a mom by MK or only dads? Is it Wu or Mac? My headcanons is Wukong basically the mom cuz he gives off mom and dad vibes together and Macaque just gives off dad vibes to me

He gives more motherly vibes, yes (Mamacaque and DadWukong forever)

Anonimo ha chiesto:Hi in you bio parent au for monkie kid how were monkey king and macaque as teenagers when they had a good relationship were like they a romantic couple or had secret crushes on each other and never told each other or were they just friends love this au it's amazing

Oh I think they were definitely lovers once. And that makes their past and what happened even more tragic honestly.

@ayrza ha chiesto:I don't know who is more adorable: Baby MK or Macaque and Wukong blushingPsd. I love your AU and your art 💖

Both. Both is good

@diamondwolf23 ha chiesto:THOSE TWO BETTER KISSSSSSSSSSS-I’m gonna miss Baby Mk ;-

Me too. Me too.

Anonimo ha chiesto:You could say Wukong is a...... simpian?(like simian but yknow >>)

LMAO YES

@scififeather21 ha chiesto:You can't believe how much I love your Shadowpeach AU comic series that last part made me grin so much. Mostly because my husband and I have done that exact thing when our kids were small babies and the looks and smiles were the same too. OMG it such a nice thing to see after a long day at work yesterday. :)

THAT'S THE- SWEETEST THING?????? LIKE IM SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE???? TO HEAR IT'S THE SAME THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IS THE SWEETEST THING EVER

@snsp6 ha chiesto:I love ur bio dads au! I wanted to ask what would happen if smth similar to the baby mk incident happened to the immortal monkeys.Like either they were de-aged to their youth or had an amnesia rules type of situation!(I am in love w the world building in this!!! And ur art is delectable!)

I don't thing the world would be ready for non-reformed Wukong#like-#not really reformed but the guy killed so many people bc of impulsiveness#until he learned that murder is not fine

Anonimo ha chiesto: This might be a stupid question, but for your bio parents, AU is MK just always in his monkey form, or is this just how he permanently looks now?

He's on his monkey form when he trains / stays at the weekends at FFM or when he friendly duels/train with Mei and Red Son.On weekdays he's constantly in his human form

@meisawkwardashecc ha chiesto:Is Wukong potentially shorter than Macaque? 👀🥺Avatar

Yes

@miraclecactus ha chiesto:Can you show us what's going on in the Freenoodles house? I'm looking forward to knowing how they manage to calm MK down :( Puedes mostrarnos que es lo que sucede en la casa de Freenoodles? Estoy ansiosa de conocer como ellos manejan el como calmar a MK :(

They used Wukong and Mac advices until he feel asleep.

Anonimo ha chiesto:I like how Wukong asks Macaque how he knows MK won't hate him after this. Like my guy, you literally killed Macaque, and he still hangs around I think he knows a thing or two

True. Although let Wukong be the dumbass he is.

alizardonfire ha chiesto:I love the idea of macaque being wukongs *rock* if that makes sense? It gives so much character to him.

Aaaahh ty! Yeah I feel like he's pretty good at understanding when he s just out of his mind and bring him back to earth.

Anonimo ha chiesto:If this isn't to much spoiler will the next lmk comic be angsty

This will be answered too late but I will always warn you in advance if there s angst coming.

Anonimo ha chiesto:I love your art! Lighthearted question since your about to bring the pain- do you think Mac and Wu fight over who gets to be little spoon/big spoon or are both of them 100% happy with Mac as big spoon and Wu as little spoon every night

So as for now, they are good with Wukong being the little spoon. Both bc Wukong is the the one who constantly craves for touch amd bc Macaque feels more comfortable in a position of "control" let's say. He can decide how much closer or not to get to Wukong.

Then in the future they would be more comfortable to switch (and the bicker about who should be the big or small)

@sallyvanna ha chiesto:HAIII FIRST OF ALL I LOVE YOUR BIO PARENT AU it makes my day every time I see a new page postedI was just wondering, why was macaque kinda nervous when he summoned rumble and savage? He was like 'ah shit I didn't want that-' 👀

It was because the kid would be afraid of them! Of course he wouldn't. But I guess Macaque still feels like his powers are a threat to him.

@redwrathroit ha chiesto:Hey, note this is something you can completely ignore but I wanted to know if you had a ref sheet for your monkey Bois, I'd love to take a try and drawing them plus I had made an Oc character of my own but I did it once and then art block hit me like a train and said; nah, never again. So it would really help me out if you have a ref, if not ignore this and have a nice day/night

Unfortunately I don't. I have a lot of panels where you can see them full body in various stances though.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Wukong being the little spoon is too cute, he spends years being the big spoon platonically to everyone that someone finally gave him what was needed, to be protected instead of being the protector

Yesss he iss!!!!!!

@froggyofdeath ha chiesto:Question abt Shadowpeach bio parents! Sooo, who kills the spiders, who screaming abt them, who the one who picks it up and try to scare the screaming one?🫠✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️☕️☕️☕️☕️

Mk is screaming, Wukong picks it up, Macaque kills it.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Can we see exactly when they decided to prepare the courtnapping room? Like when exactly did they know oh we need to prepare that our son has apparently followed in our footsteps

Unfortunately in this AU for now I don't plan tp draw a full spicynoodle arc as well. There will be moments for the ship as well but more like extras and side stories.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Your shadowpeach bio au reminds me of something..... I remember you saying to someone that they should Read a Son of Two Dad's. Have you read the entire thing? and the sequel?

Yes I did! Also the sequel, but i think it s in hiatus.

Anonimo ha chiesto:In you newest update for the shadowpeach parent au, that one scene of Macaque looking at Wukong as MK holds his finger kind of reminds me those flashback scenes in movies of the dead lover/wife that is looking at the main character from under a flowing blanket. I have no clue why but the image popped up in my head when I read that part of the comic lmao

I bet when they are back together they will re-create this exact image eventually

Anonimo ha chiesto:I love that Macaque is initiating contact with Wukong. Hugging him, holding his hands, cuddling with him. It makes my heart melt 🥹🥰 And Wukong is giving him opportunities to do so

He is opening the door for Mac to come closer, so that it's his choice how much he can get closer. The last thing Wukong wants is to rush things or do something that would make him more uncomfortable.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Omg! I love your art especially your shadowpeach parent bio au, it's adorable! Although I'm terrified for the next page. Anyway, my question is, why won't you let the monkey trio breathe from the trauma? 😅🥹

Bc apparently chat asked for it

[anakinstwinklebunny]

older sugar daddy!anakin who's paying for your postgrad, just cuddles you after a long day of studying 😩

TW: none really, just fluff and soft praises cause bunny loves dilf!ani :3

Author's note: I love you, give me more..let your fantasy free. Also, today's my birthday, when it's posted, I'm sleeping (thanks to the queue). But I want to thank YOU for this year. In September, I celebrated without all you knowing probably, my one year on this app. One year. Year ago, I'd not even imagine that one of my dreams would come true - to post MY work, something people will enjoy..you guys made it real and for that I thank you so much! Hugging all 622 of you!!! <3333333

It had been one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. Your brain was fried from the constant cycle of lectures, readings, and assignments. The textbooks in front of you blurred whenever you tried to focus on yet another chapter of dense material, so it was no use.

You felt drained—mentally and emotionally. All you wanted to do was crawl into bed and forget about postgrad for a little while.

The soft click of the apartment door opening snapped you out of your haze. You heard the familiar shuffle of Anakin’s shoes being kicked off, his expensive, cashmere-wool blend coat draped over the chair. Before you even had the chance to look up from your mountain of notes, he was beside you, his presence filling the room with warmth and comfort you so much craved at the moment

"Hey," he greeted quietly, his deep voice gently vibrating in your ear. He could immediately sense the tension around you, see the exhaustion written all over your profile side. Without asking, he leaned down to kiss your burning temple that was heated up from way too much information for one day

Not taking your tired eyes from the whatever you were trying to focus on, your nostrils could pick up the familiar scent of him—clean, warm, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon

Dear heavens..

"Long day?" he asked softly, his large hand coming to rest on your shoulder, thumb gently brushing the back of your neck. You closed your eyes at the contact - it felt so good, to just being able to feel the all the stress and tension slowly melt down your spine

Well, Anakin's hands were magic. In every way. They could tear you apart, pull you back together and make you beg for more. Yet today, you were way too tired to beg him to do anything

"You have no idea," you sighed, your voice barely above a whisper as you leaned into his touch. “It feels like this coursework is never-ending.”

Anakin’s lips curled into a soft, understanding smile as he tilted his head, studying your tired expression. "You’ve been at it for hours. I can tell." He glanced at the textbooks, notebooks, and laptop scattered around you. It was impressive, to say the least, but even him knew you needed to slow down "You need a break."

Before you could protest, Anakin was already moving. He gently closed your laptop, setting it aside along with your textbooks, making sure they were out of reach so you wouldn’t be tempted to keep working. At first it brought you a quicker heartbeat, to see him just so casually act like it when you still had so much to do “Come here,” he murmured, reaching out to you. "You’ve done enough for today."

Yet, you didn’t hesitate. As tired as you were, the moment he opened his arms, you were drawn to him like a magnet. You slid into his embrace, sinking into his broad chest as he wrapped you up in the warmth of his body.

Your cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his sweater, and you could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your ear. It was grounding, a gentle reminder that you weren’t alone in all of this. He was here, as he always was, making everything seem a little less overwhelming.

“You’re working too hard, sweetheart,” he whispered, his voice tender as he massaged your scalp before gently threaded his long fingers through your hair, brushing it away from your face. "You need to rest."

You sighed, sinking further into his embrace. Dammit, if he keeps it up, you'll fall asleep "I just want to get through this semester." you confessed

Anakin pressed a gentle kiss to the top of your head before his hand moved to caress your back “And you will. You always do.” His voice was filled with quiet confidence, the kind of unwavering belief in you that never failed to make your heart swell.

“You’ve been taking care of everything else,” Anakin murmured after a long moment of quietness, his voice a soft rumble in your ear. “Now let me take care of you.”

You felt a lump form in your throat, overwhelmed by how much his simple presence soothed you. He always knew when to step in, offering comfort without needing to ask for anything in return. It wasn’t about money or gifts—this, right here, was what made him your anchor. The way he could make you feel safe and cherished, no matter how heavy the world felt on your shoulders.

"Thank you," you whispered, your voice muffled against his chest. You pressed your face further into him, breathing him in, the scent of him calming your racing thoughts. "I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"You’ll never have to find out," he replied softly, kissing the top of your head. "I’ve got you."

You shifted slightly, your legs curling up as you snuggled deeper into him, finding the perfect spot in his lap. His hand gently cradled the back of your head, fingers sliding through your hair with a touch so tender it made your heart flutter.

"I’m not letting you out of my sight for the rest of the night."

TAG LIST: @kingdomhate @divineani @erosmutt @haydensprettyprincess @mistress-amidala @catnipaddictt @heartscone @haydensbbg @inneedsoffanfics @jediavengers @literally-izzy @anisluvrgirl @slutforfinnickodair @xhunnybeeex @fuckmyskywalker @gallerygourmet @bimbo-baggins17

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[musicforastylesrestaurant]

A Morning In Berlin.

masterlist || ask me anything <3

blurb masterlist !!

authors note - this is a sister chapter to this, you don’t necessarily need to read it 🩵

word count - 2k

in which, harry and madison are in berlin, whilst your back at home in the uk working, madison’s almost turning three in april, and harry wants to spend as much time with his two year old as possible.

The café hummed with the soft clatter of cups and quiet morning conversations, a welcome warmth against the crisp air outside.

Harry stood in line, his almost three-year-old daughter, Madison, nestled securely in his arms. Her small fingers played absentmindedly with the buttons on his coat as she rested her head against his chest, her curls still slightly tousled from the stroller ride.

He had already parked the stroller at a quiet corner table, making sure everything was set before stepping into the queue. Madison was getting tired, as her morning nap was soon approaching — her tiny yawns and slow blinks proof that the morning had been an adventure already.

The barista, a friendly-looking woman with a warm smile, greeted them cheerfully.

"Good morning," Harry said, offering a dimpled grin. "Could I get a black coffee, please?"

Before the barista could respond, Madison stirred in his arms, lifting her head slightly. She rubbed at her sleepy eyes with her fist before peering up at the woman behind the counter.

“Wan… warm miiilk, peas,” she mumbled, her voice soft and dreamy.

The barista’s face melted into a gentle smile. "One warm milk? Of course!"

Harry pressed a kiss to Madison’s curls, swaying her slightly in his arms. "That sounds like a perfect choice, bug."

Madison hummed in agreement, already resting her head back against his shoulder, her little fingers now curling into the fabric of his sweater.

As the barista rang up their order, Harry chuckled softly, feeling the steady rise and fall of his daughter’s breathing against him.

“Think you might be falling back asleep on me,Maddie-Moo’s,” he murmured.

Madison barely responded, just letting out a tiny sigh, perfectly content in her daddy’s arms.

Harry carried Madison over to their table. He carefully sat down, adjusting her in his lap so she was snug against him. Her tiny hands gripped onto his sweater, her head resting against his chest as she nursed her warm milk from the small cup the barista had given her.

Harry smiled to himself, brushing a few stray curls away from her face. He could tell she was getting sleepier by the second—her long lashes fluttered lazily, her little body melting further into his.

“Getting sleepy, bug?” he murmured, rubbing her back gently.

Madison gave a tiny nod, letting out a soft hum as she sipped her milk.

Harry glanced down at his phone on the table and, with one hand, tapped the screen to call you. The familiar ringing tone buzzed in his ear for a few moments before the screen lit up with your face.

“Hey, love,” Harry greeted warmly, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

You appeared slightly out of breath, your hair still damp from your workout, dressed in your gym leggings and an oversized hoodie.

“Hey, you,” you replied, shifting the phone in your hand as you locked the front door behind you. “How’s my little munchkin?”

At the sound of your voice, Madison stirred, lifting her head slightly to peek at the screen. Her face was still sleepy, her cheeks rosy from the warmth of the café.

“Mamaaa…” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fist.

You cooed, pressing your phone closer. “Oh, baby, you look so sleepy. Have you been having fun with Daddy?”

Madison blinked slowly, nodding as she leaned back against Harry.

“Had…. warm miiilk,” she said, her voice soft and drowsy.

Harry chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“She’s just about ready to knock out, I think,” he mused, glancing down at her as she settled back into him. “Had a busy morning, haven’t we, Mads?”

Madison hummed in agreement, though her eyes were already drifting shut again.

You smiled, tucking your legs under you as you sat on the couch back home. “She looks so cozy. Wish I was there to cuddle you both. But I’m so glad you get to spend your time with her.”

These traditions were the moments Harry lived for.

Harry shifted slightly in his seat, careful not to disturb Madison as she snuggled deeper into him. Her soft breaths were steady against his chest, her tiny fingers still loosely gripping his sweater.

He glanced back at the phone, his green eyes warm as he smiled at you.

“So, what’s your plan for the rest of the day then, love?” he asked, his voice low and soothing.

You sighed, stretching your legs out on the couch.

“Nothing too exciting,” you admitted. “Gotta go food shopping in a bit. We’re running dangerously low on snacks.”

Harry chuckled. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

“Exactly,” you teased. “I’d never hear the end of it from you two if I didn’t restock the biscuits.”

He grinned. “You’re not wrong. We’ve raised Mads to have very high biscuit expectations.”

You laughed before tucking your feet beneath you. “And then after that, I think I’m just gonna curl up on the couch and watch some Netflix.”

Harry tilted his head. “Ooo, what’re you watching?”

“Dunno yet,” you admitted. “Might start something new, or I might just rewatch something comforting.”

Harry smirked. “So basically, you’re gonna watch Friends for the hundredth time?”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t fight back your smile. “Maybe.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Predictable.”

“Oh, shut up,” you laughed. “What about you two? What’s on the agenda after this?”

Harry shifted the phone slightly, glancing down at Madison. “Well, before this one started dozing off, she was very adamant that we go to the toy museum.”

Your eyes lit up. “Oh, she’s gonna love that.”

“Yeah, I figured we’d head over after she wakes up,” Harry said, running a gentle hand over Madison’s back. “She was going on and on about the dolls and the trains. Kept saying, ‘Dada, choo-choo!’ over and over.”

You laughed. “That sounds about right. She’s been obsessed with trains lately.”

“Tell me about it,” Harry grinned. “She spotted one in a shop window earlier and nearly launched herself out of the stroller trying to get to it.”

“Oh god,” you chuckled. “Well, knowing her, she’s gonna try and bring half the museum home with her.”

Harry sighed dramatically. “I know. I can already see the puppy dog eyes she’s gonna give me at the gift shop.”

You smirked. “And you know you’re gonna give in.”

He scoffed. “Hey, I have some willpower.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Because last week, she asked for a teddy at the supermarket, and you told me you ‘just couldn’t say no’ while buying three of them.”

Harry groaned, tilting his head back. “Okay, okay. Maybe I’m weak.”

You laughed. “You definitely are when it comes to her.”

He shook his head with a fond smile, glancing down at Madison, who was still peacefully asleep in his arms. “Yeah… but can you blame me?”

Your heart melted at the sight of them.

“Not at all,” you murmured. “She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

Harry grinned. “She really does, huh?”

You nodded. “And I love watching it.”

He gave you a soft look, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing small circles on Madison’s back. “Well, she’s got both of us wrapped around her little finger.”

“Completely,” you agreed with a smile.

For a moment, you both just sat there, miles apart but completely connected. The love you shared, for each other and for your little girl, filled every space between you.

“Alright, love,” Harry murmured after a beat. “I’ll let you get on with your day. We’ll FaceTime again later, yeah?”

You nodded. “Definitely. Give Mads a kiss from me when she wakes up.”

“Already planning on it,” he said, his voice warm. “Love you, darling.”

“Love you too.”

After finishing his coffee, Harry carefully adjusted Madison in his arms before gently easing her into her stroller.

She stirred slightly but remained in a peaceful sleep, her tiny hands curled up by her face. Making sure she was snug, he pulled the blanket over her legs, tucking her in just right.

With one last glance to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, Harry pushed open the café door and stepped out onto the crisp Berlin streets.

The city bustled with its usual morning energy—cyclists weaving through traffic, locals sipping their coffees outside tiny bakeries, and tourists snapping photos of the historic architecture.

Harry strolled along the pavement, taking his time as he pushed Madison’s stroller. He popped into a couple of small shops along the way, picking up a little toy train he knew she’d love and a book for himself.

The morning air was refreshing, and despite the gentle hum of city life around him, it felt peaceful—just him and his little girl, exploring together.

But as he turned onto a quieter street, a voice called out from behind him.

“Harry? Oh my God, it is you!”

He glanced up to see a young woman approaching, her phone already clutched in her hand.

“Hiya,” he greeted politely, offering a small smile as he continued walking.

“Would you mind taking a quick photo?” she asked, stepping closer.

Harry sighed softly, his tone kind but firm. “I appreciate it, love, but I’m just out with my daughter right now.”

He gestured slightly toward the stroller, making it clear he wasn’t in a position to stop.

The fan’s eyes flickered toward Madison before she pouted slightly. “Oh, please? Just one? I won’t be long, promise.”

Harry shook his head gently. “I’m really sorry, but I just wanna have a quiet morning with her.”

The fan huffed, clearly disappointed, but instead of backing off, she kept pace beside him. “I won’t tell anyone where you are, I swear. Just real quick?”

Harry exhaled through his nose, still keeping his voice steady. “I appreciate that, but no, not today.”

The fan groaned, frustration creeping into her tone. “It’s just one picture, though! I came all the way over here—”

A soft whimper cut through the air, making Harry immediately look down at the stroller. Madison shifted, her little face scrunching up as she let out a sleepy whine.

The noise, the persistent voice, the shift in atmosphere—it had disturbed her.

Harry’s brows knitted together as he crouched down, instantly switching his focus to his daughter.

“S’alright, baby,” he murmured, adjusting the blanket and rubbing her tummy gently. “Go back to sleep, love.”

Madison made another tiny noise before sucking on her thumb, her lashes fluttering as she tried to settle again.

Harry looked up, his expression now firmer as he turned back to the fan. “Look, I really need you to respect this. She’s just woken up because of all this, and that’s not fair on her.”

The fan’s face paled slightly, guilt flashing across her features. She bit her lip, glancing between Harry and Madison. “I—I didn’t mean to wake her, I just—”

Harry sighed, standing back up as he kept one hand on the stroller. “I get it, I do. But I’m asking you to please just let us be.”

The fan hesitated before finally nodding. “Okay… sorry.”

Harry gave a small nod, his jaw still tight. “Thanks.”

Without another word, he adjusted the stroller’s canopy slightly to block out some of the daylight and began walking again, keeping his steps slow and steady to soothe Madison back into sleep.

As he put distance between himself and the fan, he glanced down at his daughter, his expression softening instantly.

“Shh, it’s okay, bug,” he murmured, rubbing her little knee through the blanket. “Daddy’s got you.”

And with that, he kept walking, determined to make the rest of their morning as peaceful as possible.

[nab1wuzhere]

Magnetic

“You wouldn’t look at me.”

“I saw plenty.”

“In my eyes.”

“…Does it matter?”

~

summary:

Bakugo Katsuki, No. 3 Hero in the charts, massive amounts of tan girls, always invited to galas, events, and even award shows along side his peers, but he has never once gotten a dating scandal in his whole career. Has never even looked in a woman's direction. So you can be certain he won't change his actions when artist Y/N is invited to sing at a private Christmas Gala hosted for hero's to celebrate the season and a year well done of duties...right?

Singer, artist, model Y/N, has it all. Looks, wealth, awards, friends, family, and boyfriends.. her music revolves around her relationships and past relationships along with her mental health that she speaks about through her music. She gets asked to gigs almost every day but few are lucky to book her, when her team gets a request for the Christmas Hero Gala which is highly exclusive, she immediately agrees to entertaining the hero's, excited for the night she doesn't realize she caught a certain man's attention in the back of the crowd..

• slow burn - secret pining - romance - bold Y/N, shy Katsuki - vice versa - celebrity!y/n x aged up!katsuki

• following contains, eventual smut, mentions of suicide, alcohol, mental illness, heavy party scenes and probably more !

• 18+ only!! this is your warning

• the rest of the celebrities mentioned in this series i do not take credit for, and the songs mentioned all writing ownership belongs to them! i do not take credit except for this fan fiction!

!! just a friendly reminder this is all fake, simply my imagination placed into writing !!

Chapter one

intro

After Kirishima left Katsuki alone in his hotel, Katsuki much to his dismay went through a whole social media dive on Y/N. Research, is what he told himself when he scrolled through her Instagram. Photo dumps from her and her friends, including a few actors Katsuki was familiar with, a picture of her dog, Bell, a candid photo of her in the studio, headphones placed on her head.. 'She's pretty' he thought but quickly brushed it away.

Yeah, Katsuki was extremely private when it came to his love life, so what? Was that a crime? Not at all, he had a disgust for the media and he sure as hell didn't want strangers all up in his personal life, it's how he has always been even from his UA days.

All of a sudden his phone started blowing up from the group chat he had with his friends. Kirishima sent a video from some Hollywood website, headlined "Y/N seen getting off at an airport in Japan". the video showed Y/N in a baseball cap wearing all black and a few bodyguards surrounding her, screams were blasting from his phone, flashes bouncing off her as she walked keeping her head down.

"For fucks sake.." Katuski scowled at the video, where's the humanity in following someone around? God he hated paparazzi.

Buzz Buzz.

Shitty Hair - OH GOD! this was today! she's here in Japan!

Raccoon Eyes - EEEK! I CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW, WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE'LL WEAR?!?!

Bob Head - oh god! that's a lot of pap.. i hope she's okay :(

Nerd - Yeah.. I'm sure someone like her is used to it but, wouldn't that get a little draining?

He hated to admit it, but Deku was right, shit, having people scream your name everywhere you go has got to get tiring.

Shitty Hair - yeah, I'm sure it is tiring, but that's what you get in that industry, hell guys even we get that

Shitty Hair - …but seriously, I think she's gonna wear black

Pump Legs - She's definitely wearing red

Raccoon eyes - I SECOND THAT!!!!!

Shitty Hair - NO?!?

Shitty Hair - Katsuki! what do you think?

- i’m not participating.

Dunce Face - the obvious answer is green

Pump Legs - Wanna bet?

Shitty Hair - KATSUKIIIIIII

- white.

Shitty Hair - WHITE?!

Bob Head - waaaiiiittt cause i can see it..

Aaaand that was Katsuki's queue to exit the group chat, he scoffed to himself and was just about to go shower but curiosity got the best of him. He groaned before googling her name. Pictures and articles popped up of her when one of them caught his eye. "BREAKUP?! Y/N and Cole Malter’s 1 year relationship comes to a CLOSE" Katsuki's interest was peaked and he clicked on the link, scrolling down pictures of Y/N at red carpets were displayed, a tall guy with black hair and a cocky look in his eye was seen standing next to her. A very obvious grip on her waist. Katsuki narrowed his eyes and thought, ‘Who even is this guy?’ before realizing he was an actor on a popular sci-fi show Deku was once talking to Sero about during one of their movie nights. He could tell immediately this Cole guy was an asshole, just by the way his lips curved up into a smug grin and again that tight possessive grip on Y/N's waist. Katuski glanced over at Y/N trying to read her expression but was only met with a bright smile that creased the corner of her eyes a little.

Scrolling down on the article, according to a source Cole's very “open” drug addiction was one of the reasons for the split. A video was attached bellow showing Y/N and Cole late at night in LA by a crosswalk, Cole was clearly drunk out of his mind as he threw himself on her while laughing. Y/N's face was anything but happy. You see her shaking her head at him before turning him as she spoke, Cole throws his arms up in a defensive way, but Y/N keeps at it. She moves her hands in a expressive manner as Cole lights up a cigarette, seconds later he puffs smoke directly in her face..

Y/N stands there no longer speaking and turns back in front of her with a blank expression on her face, Cole laughing, no remorse shown. The video ends there.

Katsuki scrolls to the comments,

user62946: omfg it's so obvious he's high on TOP of being drunk.

y/nforpresident: what an ASS. I would've dumped him too.

maggieisabbi: when I see stuff like this I always think if people were dropped on their head as baby

reply/user72048: LOLLLLLL

kentuckyfriedchicken: didn't he just get out of rehab too??? how long has this been going on

deluluisthesolulu: I feel awful for her, my partner for 3 years was a druggie, by far most draining experience EVER. glad she got out when she did.

Kastuki shut his phone off after reading a couple more comments. A pang of sympathy rushed through him for her, he immediately clocked it and shook his head, he has no relation to her, tomorrow night will be the first and last time they ever crossed paths.

"Why do I even care?"

-

Y/N was awoken by a knock on her door, her manager, Crystal and long time best friend came through after announcing it was her. Y/N groaned dramatically when Crystal pulled the curtains open, the sun stinging her eyes immediately.

"CRYSTALLL."

"Wake up hun, we gotta get you ready for tonight."

Y/N's eyes opened at that, when her team got a request for her performance a month ago she was thrilled to say the least, she loved gala's and being able to have more domestic performances like she was just another girl with a voice.

"Uh?? Hello!! Yes!", was the first thing she said when Crystal pitched the idea to her.

Y/N was a big fan of the heroes and felt like her dreams were coming true when she realized she would meet some of her favorite ones! Not realizing they were just as excited to meet her.

After an hour of hair she was now sat down on a high chair, her makeup team working away their magic, she texted her mom letting her know how the preparations were going. A text came up from Cole, Y/N stared at it her stomach swarming with anxiety, she swiped the text away not even bothering to read what he had texted. With a deep breath she shut her phone off and focused on getting ready.

"Was that Cole?", Crystal asked with a hint of worry.

Y/N shook her head, "Doesn't matter, when I go back to LA I'll deal with him then.."

Cyrstal stayed silent, fiddling with her bracelet, "Just.. be careful? This isn't the first time he's come crawling back and-"

"I've got it handled Crys."

"-No I know it's just.." she sighed looking deeply into Y/N's eyes, "guard yourself, don't succumb back into what he wants."

Y/N extended a hand, holding Crystals hand with a small squeeze, "I won't."

Crystal smiled, “Good, now chop chop people we have to be out the door and on our way to the venue in less than thirty minutes!!”

Y/N smiled, Crystal completely back on manager duty, her mind went back to Cole, thinking about the last in person conversation they had.. Cole was almost on his knees asking her not to leave him, but she was too tired to continue on with him and his actions, she didn’t care about her image, if Cole needed her by his side during his recovery out of his addiction she would, and she was, but he just wasn’t meeting her halfway, and in the end the only person getting hurt was her.

“Hey babes?”, Kelly, her makeup artist spoke up, “I’m intrigued, who are you most excited to meet tonight?”

Y/N was pulled out of her daze and smiled brightly, “Now there’s a question I want to be asked! ..Hmm, honestly? I adore Red Riot, his quirk is so coool!! His whole friend group seems like such sweet people”

Crystal jumped in, “Oh yeah, i read somewhere they all went to the same hero school, UA or something”

Kelly nodded, “Yeah the top 3 hero’s are in that group as well… gonna be completely blunt, that Shoto hero…? Such a good looking guy”

Y/N snickered while Crystal laughed, “Oh my gosh let’s talk about it, that guy you mentioned Y/N, Red Riot? He could do whatever he wanted to me and I’d thank him”

“Haha-! What the hell Crystal?!”

Crystal and Kelly laughed along with some of the other staff working who overheard the girls conversation

After Kelly stopped laughing she asked, “What about you? Who do you find attractive from all the hero’s?”

Y/N shook her head, “No way in hell am i answering that-”

“Awww come onnnn!”

“No!”

“Please?!”

Y/N sighed, a small smile betraying her, “Uhm.. well Dynamight’s pretty cute-”

A squeal from the two girls pierced Y/N’s eardrums, “Oh my god shut up both of you! Aren’t we on a time crunch? I’m still with the same unblended concealer I had five minutes agooo!”

Crystal shook her head grinning before clapping her hands and ordering people around, Y/N smiled as a giggle escaped her and Kelly.

“Isn’t Dynamight the really loud and brash one? I heard he once cussed out a reporter on live television”

Y/N nodded, “Yeahh.. but that reporter did ask him a really stupid, out of the box question, so i think it’s completely valid”

“Yeah but doesn’t he like hate is fans or something? Anytime he’s at fan signs he always look so miserable”

Y/N pressed her lips, “You know he once saved two children from an apartment complex that was on fire and was about to crumble within seconds? He even helped an old lady at the grocery store cross the road because she was afraid to make cars stop for long just so she could go?” she paused for a moment, “Does he sometimes come off as loud? aggravated? mean? yeah, but so do we, that man has seen things and experienced things we couldn’t even imagine,” she ends with a shrug, “I’m just not convinced he’s truly like that”

-

Later into the evening Y/N was behind a secluded corner, preparing herself as she was about to go on stage and sing for the heroes she peaked out a curtain to see everyone gathered around, shes preformed in front of filled to the brim stadiums, always feeling confident beforehand and right about now she needed some of that confidence.

This was a more domestic appearance, they didn’t come here to see her, she came here to be the one to bring on a show for them and bring it well.

“You are 3 minutes till entrance Ms Y/N”, spoke out a tech staff that was helping for the night, she thanked them and noticed they were still lingering, “Is something the matter?”

“Oh! No- no i just- well, could i get a picture?”

Y/N smiled, “Of course!”

She finished up with the staff and began to take deep breaths to ease her stress

Suddenly microphone feedback rang in the air and a rough voice spoke out, it was All Might, one of the greatest hero’s about to make a speech.

“Ahem, hello everyone good evening, it’s good to see everyone here and thriving.” applause erupted, “As you know this year was filled with its challenges, hardships and struggles.. a lot of you have been placed in situations where some of us couldn’t handle. Some were forced to make difficult decisions, some of us easy ones.., but at the end of it we completed what we chose to do, and that was make the world a safer place.” applause filled the room a second time, “Now, it is time to relax, celebrate the holiday season, enjoy friends and old faces we haven’t seen in a while and most of all, pat one another on the back for yet another great year of hero work!!” some heroes let out whistles and cheers

“Now i won’t bore you any longer and skip to the part i know we all.. have been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen! Please give a loud and warm welcome to the woman who is by far the voice of this generation.. Ms Y/N!!”

Y/N’s heart felt like it got squeezed at the lovely compliment given to her, All Might stepped off the stage and the lights going completely off, a few gasps let out, she walked out onto the stage, careful not to trip, standing in front of the mic stand, her iconic jeweled microphone in her hand.

Flash

The lights came back on in an instant revealing Y/N standing in a beautiful while shimmer dress, her curled hair draping down her back, her cheeks rosy, her eye shadow glittering from the lights, a smile peaking out from her glossy lips.

“Heroes how we doing tonight!?”

Applause was not hesitated the minute she spoke. As the music began to play, a familiar christmas chime filling everyone’s ears, Y/N looked around the crowd seeing everyone’s faces and smiling before her eyes locked on dark red ruby ones, the eyes no doubt belonged to him.. Katsuki Bakugo.

authors note:

never in my whole time of being here on tumblr would i ever think i would have the guts to publish something, and when i finally do it received a lot of love and attention! (at least in my eyes)

seriously all the love from the intro made me so happy and i’m glad you all love it!! as requested here is a taglist! comment if you want to be added as well :}

ps. look out for a moodboard i’ll be posting! ;}

@d1orhaz3 @stoned-anime-babe @yjploum @penguinsravioli @mutsu422 @anonymity-222

[phantomstatistician]

Important announcement: the future of phantom statistician

Hi everyone! I'm just going to cut right to the chase. I have some good news and bad news to share. Let's start with the bad.

Bad news: As a federal employee, I will be required to return to the office 5 days a week starting March 17. This means that if I want to keep up with this blog, I'll have to devote my free time after work to doing so. Unfortunately, that is not how I'd like to spend my free time. What does this mean? I will be stepping away from this blog as soon as my queue of requests has run out. I will not be opening requests again. You all can go ahead and thank President Musk for this. I'm really sorry to let you all down.

Good news: Even without the return-to-the-office mandate, I had already made the decision to step away from Tumblr starting around August 2025 because... I am pregnant! Yes, my wonderful husband and I are having a baby. We are absolutely thrilled. With the arrival of the baby, it would not have been possible for me to maintain this blog anyway. I'm just going to be stopping a little earlier than intended.

I'd like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for following me and supporting me <3 Your engagement has meant the world to me. Some of you have sent me the most kind, encouraging messages, all of which I've taken to heart. I've been making charts for you all since 2017. It's been a good, long run, and it's been an honor to serve you for all these years. I'm excited to start the next chapter in my life. I wish you all the very best.

Much love, Phantom Statistician

To support the baby fund: Kofi <3

[thehighpriestess1]

Make A Wish Chapter 1 : The Bet

Warning: Self harm tendencies mentioned. Dark themes. 

Genre: Angst

Pairing: Gojo x y/n

a/n: Hi! I hope you all missed me as much as I missed you. This is my first work in a long long long time so forgive me, I am a bit out of practice. I hope you like this. Leave a comment if you want to join the taglist.

30th July 2024, 12:30 AM

The neon blue lights of the club gave a grim hue to the streets. You heels barely on your feet anymore tried their best to carry you from one club to the other. You frazzled hair welcomed the gush of the wind. You took a deep breath, filling up your lungs with the cold night air. Was it even night anymore? You looked up at the sky and chuckled. What a beautiful night this was. After weeks of downpour you could finally see the clear sky. A group of boys ran past you and you almost fell but regained your balance at the last second. 

If anyone were to make a judgement on you they would probably think you are high society women drinking her sorrows away. Some would even try to get close to you to gain a few favours. But little did they know, you had nothing to offer. 

With shaking legs you made your way from one bar to the other. Some didn’t let you enter and those that were allowed were filled with men trying to get into your pants. Maybe if you were a different person you would have found a handsome man and gone home with it. You were not judgemental that way. But you had no heart or soul left to care for anything. You had things to do tonight..or tomorrow morning. Does time even matter now? You reeked of not yours but perfumes of men you had been dancing with for the past 3 hours. 

What brought you here? Heartbreak? Or did you just want the courage to do one last thing right. Having a nice quiet night at home was a suitable option but a part of you feared that you might enjoy your time at home and change your mind. You were on a mission. So you bought a new dress, wore all of your best jewelry, carried your most expensive purse and walked out. 

Now as you stood outside of your 7th bar of the night you could barely see anything. You sniffled and wiped your mascara stained tears. Every place was the same. Crowded, sweaty, and filled with men making empty promises.

Your phone buzzed in your purse. You groaned and took it out, the screed displayed Shoko’s name and a selfie you took with her many moons ago and it made you want to throw up. You cut the call and saw a storm of texts coming from Shoko and Geto. Swiping right on one the texts you opened the chat but could barely read any message. 

Gojo…help…call.. What? Were they still worried more about him?! Him?! They were worried about the one with everything in the world?! You didn’t expect this from Shoko. Even if she had to pick a side, why couldn’t it be yours? Why can’t anyone ever look at you?! You had feelings too! Your lips quivered as you tried to stop yourself from breaking down in the middle of the road. You scrolled through the text..Gojo..find..please

Please….call…

The letter moved in and out of focus and you tried your best to string the words together to just see the three words you had been begging to hear from your friends. How are you? 

Your phone buzzed in your hand but it was Geto calling. You scoffed and cut the call. There was no way you were going to pick up his call. 

You needed to forget everyone. Especially the three of them. You were a fool to think they would ever be on your side. They were thick as thieves. Friends since they were one and you..you were just a cog in the system. Put in place to help them…no.. To serve them..a toy to entertain them. You took a deep breath and walked to your next stop. 

Loud music filled the alley as you looked for the next bar that would let you drink your sorrows away preferably quietly.You didn’t have it in you to stand in queues or flirt with the bouncer .A loud neon pink light snapped you out of your pity party for one. As you looked up, you saw a large neon pink sign, Fate. You had never seen this bar before and there was no queue or bounce so you stepped inside anyway. 

Contrary to the modern sign outside, the bar had an old parlour aesthetic. Leather couches were sprawled in the sets of two and a heavy oak round table sat in between them.Two men sat in a corner silently as they sipped their beer. A woman sat alone on a velvet chair to  your right drinking a shimmery cocktail and talking to herself. The circular bar counter in the center had a halo like effect, beckoning you to have another sip. The bartender was already looking at you with a welcoming smile like one offers to an expected guest. 

“Welcome!”. He called from a distance. 

You walked to the bar counter and sat on one of the velvet bar stools. “Hi, can I see your menu?”. You tried your best to appear sober. You can’t afford to get kicked out of yet another bar now.

“How about I suggest you a drink you really need…y/n?”

“Huh?” Did he just say your name or was it your mind playing tricks again? Must be the alcohol from hours of drinking. “Ummm..yeah sure”.

The man placed a glass of clear liquid in front of you.

“What’s this?” 

The bartender chuckled. “Water”. It’s bar policy to make sure that customers are hydrated, You see our drinks are quite strong”

You looked up from your glass of water to the bartender. He was handsome with a sharp jaw and high cheekbones. His doe-like eyes had a spark to them, like it held all the stars of the galaxy. His dark brown hair stood perfectly. His clean vest and crisp white shirt fitted his toned body quite well. His kind smile made you relax in your barstool. 

As you sipped the water you felt your body getting lighter. “Wow..thank you..I needed that”.

The man chuckled. 

“Not that I am drunk…but hydration is good”.

“It is, isn’t it. It’s sad how we forget to take care of ourselves. We don’t need to have a perfect life to take care of ourselves, do we?” He smiled again. 

“This place is quite..” You looked around at the largely empty bar. “...vacant”.

“Oh it’s an exclusive bar you see”. He said nonchalantly as he shook the tumblr in his hand.”Only those you need it can visit”. 

You frowned at him,”I..what?”.

The man chuckled again. “I said our aesthetic doesn't resonate with everyone”.

“oh…I see”. 

“Maybe you can help us. You work in marketing right?”. 

“Yeah..I used to..wait how do you..?”. 

“You told me a few seconds ago”. He said as he poured the drink into a goblet like glass.

“Did I?” You smiled nervously. “But yeah…I used to..I..”

“Got fired?”. He placed the drink on a metal coaster in front of you. 

You stared blankly at him. Maybe you had too much for today. “Yeah…Thank you”. You stared at the drink, it was pink like the sign outside with a hint of golden glitter. “This looks quite pretty”. You smiled widely and took your phone out and quickly took a photo. “What is it called?”

The bartender placed both of his palms flatly on the glass counter and leaned closer and looked at you, “it’s called a second chance”.

Another flirt, you thought to yourself. “Why is it called so?”

“You will find out soon”. He winked and turned away to work on the other side of the bar. 

You sipped your drink and realized that a faint song was playing in the bar that you didn’t hear when you walked in. The song grew louder but just enough so you can hear the lyrics. You were not sure you had heard it before. Change the prophecy…redo the prophecy…cards on the table

You sipped the drink and suddenly had a deep urge to redo everything. God if you could redo everything you would not make the same mistakes again. This wasn’t anger or vengeance. It was a desperate cry for help. Your head spun as the liquor trickled down your throat. The urge grew stronger with each sip.

1st June 2024 1:00 AM

“Hello”.

Hearing your mom's voice on the other end of the line made you choke up. “He..Hello..mom?”

“Y/n?”

You pressed your lips as you knew where the conversation would go but your heart wanted to try one more time. Hoping that she would remember that you were her daughter after all.

“I..I left him”. Your words came out in broken sobs. 

The silence made your heart tighten. 

“Why?”. Your mom asked sternly.

“I..I can’t do it anymore. I tried mom. I real-”

“Well you didn’t try hard enough. Relationships are hard. It needs work. You can’t just give up every time you have a fight”.

All the bottled up emotions came out as loud sobs escaped your lips. Snot and tears mixed and rolled down your chin. Your eyes burnt from hours of crying. “But mo-”.

“You know how much he has done for our family don’t you? If it wasn’t for him your brother would still be unemployed! God y/n….”

“Please..just..I will take care of you and Ren..I ca-”

“No! I..you need to grow up y/n. I..I have always supported you. But please..for the sake of our family..you need to work on it”.

You were speechless. This wasn’t the first sob filled cry for help. It wasn’t 10th either. You didn’t know whether your mother was just sick of your sob story or she loved his acts of kindness more than she loved her own daughter. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t deny how much he has done for your family. But you could not ignore what he was doing to you either. You knew you could never match up to you everything he had done but that didn’t merit your sad obedience to him. 

“Hello? y/n?”. Your mother called out.

“I..”. You wiped your tears away and took a deep breath. “..you know what he has done”.

You mom stayed silent for a few seconds and you hoped that just for a second she would pity you.

“So what? Men are stupid. They make mistakes. Even your dad-”.

“Do not compare him to dad! He is nothing like him! Dad cared enough to change! He doesn’t! Oh god! I..I can’t..mom I am sorry…I can’t..I can’t take this anymore. Please…just..help m-”

“Do what you want y/n. Just remember that if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have any of this. He is your-”.

“Don’t say it”. You cut her off staring at the ring on your hand. What a joke. “If I stay with him for another day it would kill me..I might ki-”

“Do whatever you want then!”. She yelled from the other end. “I would rather have no daughter than have an ungrateful daughter like you!”. 

Those were the last words she said to you.

You held the phone in your hand and sat staring blankly at the wall. When a fierce thunder lit up the dark room you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. You looked no different from a zombie with hair frizzy and falling over your shoulder in knots, eyes red and swollen, skin red and lifeless. You had been wearing the same t-shirt for over a week now. Is this life even worth living? 

Your phone buzzed and Shoko’s text flashed on the screen,

Shoko: You are taking things out of context. You should hear him out.

Shoko: I will support you in whatever decision you take. But you need to talk to him once.

Shoko: It was all planned by Mishki. 

All the texts were about him. Everyone wanted him. Everyone was charmed by him. No one cared about what you wanted or how you were doing. You had no one. No one would miss you if you were gone. 

You looked at the calendar hanging on the wall. 2 months until your birthday. What a nice way to go..on your birthday…

“Excuse me?”You called out to the bartender. “Can I get another drink?”.

The man walked over to you and took your glass away. “Sorry, only one drink per person”. He smiled.

“Wh-”

“It’s time for you to step out y/n”.

You gulped harshly. Maybe you made a fool of yourself again, it wasn’t the first or the third time. Same story every night. “How much do I owe you?”. You asked as you shot an apologetic smile.

“You can give whatever you want”. 

So it was one of those places where customers decided the price. You took the Amex card out and stared at it for a second,hoping that the payment goes through, before sliding it across the table. 

“We don’t take cards, sorry”. 

You rummaged through your purse to look for cash but had none. “I am sorry I don’t have cash”. 

“We take payments in every form”.

You were taken aback with this comment. Swate beads formed on your forehead as you realized what the situation was.

The man laughed heartily. “I mean the bracelet on your wrist looks pretty good as a payment”.

You looked down at  your wrist. You had worn all three cartier love bracelets that he had gifted you. Even the just un clou and love rings. You didn’t know why you were wearing them all at once. Should you even have it with you? Each piece of jewelry brought back bittersweet memories. One by one you took out all your jewellery and the watch and placed it on the counter. The counter was now littered with earrings, necklace, bracelets, rings, and a watch. All gifted by him. “There you go”. 

“Are you sure you will not miss these? They seem sentimental”

You stared at the bundle and shook your head. 1st bracelet for when you caught him in the parking lot, rings for when he stood you up on numerous dates, necklace for when you caught him at his grandfather’s funeral, and the watch for when he didn’t show up for your grandfather's funeral. It was time to let go of these. “Please keep all of this”.

“By the way y/n..”. 

You looked up, sweeping your hair to one side, “Yes?”

“Happy BIrthday”.

“Thank You”. You smiled sadly and hopped off the barstool. 

“I will see you again”. 

“I doubt so. Thank you once again”

You grabbed your purse and made your way to the door. Right above the door was a sign etched in golden on dark wood. Fata Viam Invenient. 

A cold gust of wind blew your hair and welcomed you when you stepped outside. You didn’t want to go home just yet and all the bars where you were not banned were shutting down now. You wanted a few more hours out of life.  Your phone buzzed once more but you didn’t bother checking it this time. You looked down at the black mini kelly and held it in your hand like a mother nursing a child, another gift from him for forgetting your birthday. Last of the painful gifts. You wanted to throw it away but a part of you wanted to hold onto it. To remind yourself that he was real. That all of it happened. It wasn’t a nightmare. It was a glorious war that you lost. But god you fought it bravely and gave it your all. 

Someone coughed loudly, snapping you out of your fantasies.On your right you saw a homeless man shivering in the cold, black soot marks littered over his face, salt and pepper hair matted to his head.He was slouching against the concrete wall of the bar .Was it winter already? Alcohol coursed through your veins and a smile grazed your lips as you found your companion for the night. You stumbled and made your way to the man and sat next to him and lit the last cigarette in your 20 pack box. He gave you a sympathetic look. 

“You alright, miss?”. He asked kindly.

You chuckled, “Are you in a position to ask me how I am doing?”. Taking a long drag you rested your head against the concrete wall. 

The man looked down and saw the red scars on your knees. “All I can offer is kindness”. He said softly.

Kindness. A concept foreign to you. “Kindness..” You rolled the word on your tongue. “....thank you..for your kindness”, you said wiping another tear.

“Heartbreak?” The man asked.

You smiled. “I….maybe..yes”.

“Who is the man…”. The man pulled his coat closer as another gust of wind swept the alley. An empty beer clanked and rolled to your feet. 

“He is..a myth….he is not real..not anymore..”. You took out your Burberry scarf and wrapped it around the man’s neck. “Take this..”.

The man rubbed the material between his fingers and gave you a questioning look. “This is real. This must be quite expensive”.

You smiled, “Keep it, I don’t want it”.

“That man must be stupid to let go of a woman like you”.

“Trust me I am not that kind..”. Your cigarette was on its last few drags and it bummed you. “Do you want to eat something?”

The man nodded. 

“Gottit! Let’s order some food!” You took your phone out and began scrolling through restaurants on Ubereats. “Aha!”. With a childish smile you placed your order.

“What’s your name?”. The man asked. 

You looked at him but he looked slightly different now. His face seemed clearer. You shrugged it to the effects of alcohol wearing out. “Y/n..what’s yours?”.

“Yojutsusha” The man smiled.

“Interesting name”

You sat in silence for a while watching drunk salary men puking in the corner, Men carrying drunk women out, some waiting for a cab, friends laughing loudly, everyone had a reason to be here..except you.

You tried to recall how this night started. But it didn’t matter. This was your night time routine. While most people preferred serums, moisturiser, calming music, or tea..you preferred the bitter taste of alcohol and stumbling from one bar to another. Drinking with strangers every night. But in every strange face you saw glimpses on him. Some had the same nose, some had the same lips, but no one was wholly him. The thought of him made your heart ache. You ruined everything. You could have had a good life, a job, a loving partner, a friend..but here you were, drunk, lost, sitting in a dingy alley waiting for your food. 

A delivery man on his scooter stopped in front of you and looked around with a Ubereats bag in his hand. You snapped out of your thoughts and raised your hand, “Oi! Here! Delivery for y/n?”.

The delivery man looked apprehensive but shyly walked over to you, “Y/n?”

“That’s me!”. You smiled and extended your hand towards him.

The man seemed unsure as he looked over to the homeless man next to you. He wanted to question you more but also wanted to get out of here as soon as possible so he handed you the paper bag.

“Dinner’s ready!”. You slurred and took out two bags of french fries, fried chicken, and two diet coke. “Here, have this”. You passed a portion to the homeless man. 

The silence between the two of you was comfortable. Neither of you said a word but occasionally you felt the man looking at you. Maybe he pitied you.

“I don’t pity you”. The man chuckled. 

You laughed with your mouth half filled with food. “Sorry..I was just thinking out loud I guess”. The warm food and his company brought you comfort. For the first time in the last 6 months you felt okay. You had a strange feeling in your heart, you were ready to give it all up. Nothing mattered anymore. You have lived your life. You touched the sun and now your wax wings were burning. The pain was your price to pay for dreaming of the glowing sun. If you fall, so be it. It was worth it. Years of pain, guilt, heart break, loss…all worth it. You had touched the sun. 

“Would you like to play a game?”. The man asked, wiping his mouth. 

“What kind of game?”. You asked.

“A bet”. He smiled with his mischievous eyes.

30th July, 2024 12:00 AM

Gojo paced frantically around your living room. He kept on checking his phone every few steps. Hoping to get some updates from you. “Did she answer your call?” He asked Shoko for the 100th time.

“No. But she read the messages just now”. She said, wiping her tears. She looked at her phone in one hand and your letter in another. What if it was too late? What if they were too late?

“That’s a relief. I am getting my men to track her phone down!”. He sat down next to her and hysterically typed instructions to his men who were in a van outside the building praying that they track you down. Their life depended on it. 

How did it all come to this? Gojo questioned everything. Few hours ago he was on his way to your home with a bouquet of flowers and a cake and now the flowers are dead and the cake box is on the floor. He remembered looking all over the apartment for you but all he found was the letter on the kitchen counter. Gojo didn’t believe it at first. But once he looked at the empty fridge, wiped out the closet, and an almost empty house, he knew…He fucked up. He realized everything too late..and now he might lose you forever. All because of his selfish pride and ego. If he could, he would kill himself over and over again before letting anything happen to you. He would take his heart out and stab it thousand times over to feel the pain he has caused you. Did he even deserve you? How could he be so blind?

“Please…god please..”. He begged no one in particular. 

Shoko sat frozen next to him and clenched the letter in her hand. She was the person Gojo called, hoping that she would know something. If she was being honest and had any will to talk she would admit that she was surprised when Gojo called her. She was surprised that Gojo cared at all. “Why did you come here?”. She asked.

“I..I don’t know. I just wanted to talk to-”.

“You turned everyone against her didn’t you?”

Gojo remained silent. He was guilty. But he wanted to make things right now. 

Shoko took a deep breath and continued, “You turned me against her. You told me that she tried to sleep with Geto. Was any of it true?”. Her heart beat loudly against her chest. She didn’t know whether she wanted it to be true or not. Either way she would not be able to live with herself.

“No”. 

Shoko broke down. She howled like a mad woman as she hit Gojo with her fists. “Why?! Why?! Why?! You are a monster! A fucking monster! You were my friend!”.

Gojo tried to hold her down to calm her and one of her fists landed on his nose. 

An eerie silence filled the house as a trickle of blood dripped down his nose. “I deserve it”. He said. “I ..I can’t explain right now…”.

“Try!”.

“I didn’t want to lose her. I did horrible things! I know! But I didn’t want to lose her! She..”, Gojo gulped harshly.”..she would have left me if she had you..or anyone…I couldn’t let that happen..I know I got selfish and made some bad decisions but I..I love her. I love her. I..love her.”.

Shoko stayed silent for a while. She had known Gojo and Geto since she was one. She trusted them. But you were her best friend. You were the friend she needed but never had.  

“If we find her, I will talk to her and I don’t want you to be near her ever again”.

“I..can’t let that happen”. Gojo said coldly. 

“Why Satoru? Why do you want to make her life a living hell again? There is nothing in the letter that mentions you. So you..and your empire are safe! Just do me the favour of finding her and leave!”. 

“Stay here until I get back”, Gojo couldn’t sit here and do nothing. He needed to find you before it got too late so he picked up his car keys and left.

30th July 2022 10:00 PM

Gojo groaned as his phone rang once again. He didn’t need to look who was calling him. He knew it was you. 

“Shouldn’t you pick it up?”. Mishki said as she sipped her red wine and looked a thim through her lashes. 

“It’s nothing important”.

“What if it’s your..fiance?”. 

Gojo let out a tired sigh and chuckled defeatedly. “You got me. It is her”.

Mishki raised a brow prompting him to go on. 

“She is probably calling to check where I am, what am I doing, When will I see her, ugh…it’s never ending…and she is not my fiance".

"Oh but that's not what I have heard"

Gojo smiled charmingly, "Do you know how many women in the city claim to me by girlfriends?"

“I see. Interesting relations you have..Satoru. I hope I can call you that”.

“You can call me anything you want. Shall we discuss our deal now?”. 

.

.

.

Back at home you sat on the couch with your face in your hands. Tear drops rolled down your chin onto the cake that had been sitting out for 3 hours. You knew Gojo was a busy man so you didn't expect him to do much but picking up your call on your birthday was the bare minimum you expected.

On clue, 5 minutes before the clock struck 12 Gojo walked through your living room door and rolled his eyes when he sae your puffy eyes and tired face. "oh come on now!".

"Where were you?", you got up and made your way towards him. "I have been calling you for-"

"For the past 3 hours? I know! Can't you get a hint?"

"Satoru..it's..".

"It's what y/n?! How many times have I told you to not disturb me when I am in a meeting? Don't you get it by now that I am a busy man! I don't have time to play house with you!"

"It's my birthday for fuck's sake!". You screamed.

Gojo was taken aback by your outburst. "So? I work on my Birthday! What is so special about birthdays anyway?!"

You stared at him blankly. "I..I just wanted to have dinner with you on my birthday. It is special to me".

"Why didn't you call Shoko then huh?".

"I did but..but she said she was busy".

Gojo scoffed, drawing the dagger deeper in your heart. "See, not everyone has the free time to sit and celebrate like kids. You need to grow up". He walked over to you and took you in his arms, "Look y/n, you know that everything I do, I do it for us right? So please be on my side here. I am really trying".

His embrace brought you comfort and you relaxed in his arms and nodded. Maybe you blew things out of proportion. "I know, you're right. It's just a birthday. It comes every year anyway".

"Exactly!". Gojo pulled back and smiled at you. "Now go wash your face and let's go to bed. I am tired".

As you lay in bed wide awake you thought about the uncut cake in the fridge. You turned around hoping to wake up Gojo but realised that he would probably call you childish for caring about a cake.

The fridge light illuminated the kitchen as you crouched down and slowly tried to pull out the cake. It was Gojo's favourite strawberry and cream cake.

You lit a small candle on a triangle piece and made a silent wish,"I want to be happy".

As you ate the cake in silence you looked around at the luxurious apartment he generously gifted you. When you first moved in it was your happy place, your sanctuary. But, lately it has been getting cold. You had everything that someone of your standing could ask for. A house, a car, a partner who supported you..financially. It all felt like a gold cage now.

You would happily trade all this comfort for a partner who wanted your company more than he wanted the next big offer on the table. You laughed to yourself. Were these really your problems now? Few years ago you would have taken this happily but now you are bitching about it as you eat an expensive slice of cake.You had touched the your amex card more than you had touched him in the past few months.Being with Gojo made you realise that how wrong you were in running after the money. Guess this was a small price to pay. People in castles are often lonely.

30th July, 2024 2:00 AM

Gojo drove at an ungodly speed across the city, hoping to catch a glimpse of you. He visited every restaurant and cafe you had mentioned. His best guess was that you would visit your favourite cafe on your birthday or maybe the place where you had your first date with him. But if he was being honest, he had no clue where to look for you. In the last two months he barely looked at you or spoke to you and it was all his fault. He was so busy fixing everything that he forgot to fix one thing that mattered the most, your heart. 

All your pleas and fights rang in his ear serving a cruel reminder of his actions. His heart raced faster than the time as he thought about everything he could have done differently. God if only he had one last chance he would do things differently. All the money in the world could not undo his actions. He groaned and hit the steering wheel thinking how misplaced his priorities were. By the time he realised what mattered the most, it was already too late. He hoped that it wasn’t too late. He prayed that you were safe and sound somewhere and that when he found you, you would find it in your heart to forgive him. But he knew deep in his heart, the best thing he can do for you is to let you go. But how could he? How could he let go of you? You brought sunshine into his life. Everything he was today was because of you. You were his motivation, his totem keeping his world stable.

He thought about your last Birthday and his actions brought bile to his mouth. He felt disgusted at himself. He imagined himself running out of the meeting to see you and how you would jump in his arms happily and he would kiss your pain away. But he didn't run out of any meetings. He didn't let you go when he should have. Instead he brought more pain to your life. He cursed you. He hurt you.

As the streetlights flashed past him, he wondered what he would say if he found you. Was it too late for a genuine apology? People gave him questioning looks as he ran the streets looking around in every direction. In this big and cold city he felt lost. He stopped and called out to women who looked like you and gave them a disappointing look when he realized he was wrong. 

He ran through alleys with questionable people waiting to take advantage of a vulnerable man. He spent thousands of dollars on strangers hoping to get some direction. He pulled his hair and screamed in empty alleys leading to a dead end. 

He never gave you the time you deserved and now time was slipping through his fingers. With each passing second, with each dead end lead, with each negative response, Gojo was slipping into insanity. 

Gojo stopped his car at a pier where the two of you would often meet. He sat on the bench where you had your first kiss. Defeated, devastated, tired, and hopelessly in love. Broken sobs filled the silence around him. “Please..God please!!”. He hung his head like a soldier who lost the war he was sure to win. His tears stained the light wood near his feet in dark brown. “Please..please..please..!!!”. He screamed. 

His phone buzzed. The message on the screen broke his cracked heart. “Found y/n’s phone by the river”. 

He was too late. It was too late. The world spun around him and then it all went dark.

30th July 2024, 4:00 AM

“How am I losing every time?”. You groaned and looked at the man hopelessly. 

The man shrugged looking at the spread of cards in front of him. “You are not playing with your heart”.

You scoffed looking at the cards in your hand,”My heart has been played enough. I should be using my brain now”.”

“In this game and in life people make the fatal mistake of not balancing between their feelings and logic. Do not force yourself to use logic where you should be listening to your heart”.

You laughed, “You are quite cryptic”.

“What do you want to bet next?”. He asked. Maybe it was the fading effects of liquor, but the man seemed wise and not as ragged as you had found him. 

“Hmm..let me see”. You pondered over his words for a moment.” So far I have lost my heels, my jacket..all I have left is my bag”

“Are you willing to part with it?”.

You held your bag in your hand and took a deep breath, “Yeah, why not”. You took your phone and placed the bag in between the two of you.

“Are you forgetting something?”

You chuckled, “what rule am I forgetting now?”

“Your keys. I am sure a girl like you has a house to return to”.

Your mind went numb. Did you even want to go back? What was the point? “No. I have everything I need”. After all, all you needed was your phone for identification. “Okay, so what do I do now?”.

“Now you pick a card from the deck?”

The deck of cards that the man had pulled out hours before was not the regular cards you had at home. Sure it was the basic 52 card deck, but they felt premium to hold. You felt the card between your fingers, turning it around to see the golden rune calligraphy on the navy blue background. “Oh…this card is blank..”.

The man smiled and began arranging his cards neatly in a pile on top of remaining cards. One can not interfere with fate. Humans think that fate is largely in our hands but little do we know that there are powers beyond our comprehension that work in cohesion to chart our life. Long ago you had cursed the fates, a curse so powerful that it compelled the fate to hear your plea. Now, you were given a chance to redo your life. An apology from the fates. 

“Is it?”

“Mmhmm”. You extended the card for the man to see. 

“What are the other cards in your hand?”.

“Queen of hearts, King of spades, and a-’

“Ace of hearts?”

You looked at the man in disbelief. Was he a con man, did you just get conned? You laughed at yourself. “Yes. An Ace of hearts”

The man smiled to himself and looked at you. A much younger version of him stared back at you.

“You!”. Your eyes widened as you realized why the man seemed familiar. “I just saw you inside!”. The same man who served you the drink was sitting in front of you. 

“What does your heart desire y/n?”

“Who are you?! And..and why..”. You felt dizzy and disoriented. “Did he..did he send you?” You stuttered. 

“Who? The god?”. The man laughed from his stomach. “You called me y/n. Did you forget?”

“Wh..what..no..I don-”.

“Yes you did. You screamed to the thundering skies above and asked for one more chance! So there you go!”. The man stared at you excitedly like a magician about to do the grand reveal.

Your hands trembled as you slowly turned the card to see three golden words appear on it out of thin air, Make a wish. You felt as if all the air had been sucked out of your lungs. 

The man looked at you with folded hands and dropped shoulders. “Well, since you were going to end your life anyway, I thought today would be the best time to-”.

Before the man could finish you grabbed your phone and bolted in the other direction. Tears ran down your face and the world spun around you. You looked back once to see if he was following you but the alley was empty now.

“Careful now”. The man appeared in front of you causing you to lose your balance. “Oops! Can’t let you get hurt”. He smiled as he caught you with one arm. 

“Please let me go..I will ..I swear I will never tell anyone about this”

“Darling even if you do, no one would believe you”. He shrugged and handed you the single card. “Take it. What’s the worst that can happen?”.

You took a few steps back and gulped hershey.

“Your time is running out y/n. You would be dead in..”. He took out a pocket watch and stared at it amusingly. “..in about 10 minutes”.

“What..why? Please don’t kill me!”.

“Aha!”. The man took one step towards you as you took one step away from him. “I can’t kill you. Since you decided to do the honours yourself tonight, I was just biding time with you. You can either accept this card and start over or…well..”, A shot of smoke appeared from his right palm, “,,poof..you can choose to cease to exist”.

You stared at the card in his left hand and his pocket watch in the right. Was this really happening? 

“Come one y/n, there must be someone you would live for..what about baby ren?”

Your eyes widened. “What..what is the catch?”.

“Oh there is no catch. It is merely an apology from me..I mean us. The only condition..you will be sent to a specific decisive moment in your life and from there…it all you..”. 

“What if..what if I…”.

“This is your last chance. You will never see me again..ever”.

Everything that had happened in the last few years flashed before your eyes. All the lies, betrayal, hurt, why did you have to suffer? You thought about the countless days where you cried in your bed curled up like a baby. Did you deserve that? You thought about all the fights you had in your mind where he gave you a chance to explain. But did he? All the dreams he showed you were all smoke and mirrors in the end. All the promises were just words spewed out in a blissful moment. He used you in the cruelest way and god oh god you missed who you used to be before you.He was a forbidden fruit that you dared to taste and you wished he had left you wondering instead. You would have died for his sins but you were dead inside. You thought about all the times you wished to redo things, to never cross paths with him again. This was your chance. 

You took the card from his hand and looked at him, “What do I do now”.

“Now you close your eyes y/n..”

You nodded your head.

“All the best y/n”. The man smiled. 

With a deep breath you closed your eyes and then it all went dark.

You opened your eyes and found yourself staring at your laptop screen. Your heart pounded in your ear and sweat beads rolled down your forehead like a string of pearls. HArsh sunlight blinded your eyes and you squinted to make sense of your surroundings. It wasn’t your room and yet it seemed familiar. Was it all a cruel dream? You gulped down the half empty glass of water kept on your table and leaned back in your chair gasping for air.

You stared blankly at the fan above and then it dawned on you. Slowly you got up and checked the date on your phone.

1st January 2021, 10:00 AM…

So it was all a dream then. But it felt too real. You ran your hands through your hair and took another deep breath. Just as you were about to get up from your desk a faint familiar blue peeking between pages of your diary caught your eye. With a quivering breath you dared to flip the page and the room got drained of oxygen when you saw the same card with the three words written. So it was all real. 

Right above the card scribbled in haphazard writing were cursed words that changed your life, Domain Dynamics Inc Interview : 01/01/21 10:15 AM. 

A team's notification snapped you out of your thoughts and saw a meeting reminder. You smiled to yourself and joined the meeting.

“Hello, y/n! Congratulations on getting through previous rounds! We are ha-”.

“I can not accept this offer”. You said as excitement coursed through your veins.

“Excuse me?”

“I..I am sorry for wasting your time but I can not accept this offer”.

“Y/n..if this is about your salary then we ca-”.

“It’s not. It’s not about the salary. 120k is a lot and I am sure you will find a better suited and more…deserving candidate for this role. I can’t accept this offer. Thank you for your time”. You ended the meeting with a wide smile on your face. Now you will never cross paths with him again.

“Good riddance”. You mumbled to yourself and opened your email. You remembered this day very very well. 

To: n.kento@goldenratiodesigns.com

Hello Mr.Kento,

It has been a pleasure interviewing with your firm and getting to know you and samantha. I would like to let you know that I will gladly accept your offer. I have attached a signed copy of my offer letter. Please let me know if anything else is needed from my end.

Looking forward to working with you and the team!

Regards,

Y/n l/n.

“Fuck Yess!!!!”. You creamed as you punched the air. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”.

“Y/n! What happened?”. You mom walked in barging through your bedroom. 

You turned around and saw the version of your mom not corrupted by Gojo but your still ached. You got up and hugged your mom like you were afraid to lose her.

She gently rubbed your back and chuckled,”What happened? I thought you had an interview right now so we were all quiet.”

“I..yes I did. But I didn’t accept the offer from Domain Dynamics”. You moved back and looked to the ground like a guilty child caught stealing.

“Why not?”

You could have lied that they didn’t offer a good pay but you wanted to know in your heart that she loved you regardless of how much you earned. 

“They were paying well but I didn’t like the company. People were quite rude and..selfish”.

“Oh, okay. What about the other firm?”.

“I accepted the offer from Golden Ratio Designs! The pay is lower than Domain Dynamics but I loved the team and everyone is really nice and supportive”. Your gulped anticipating cruel words that you had grown accustomed to,

Your mother stepped towards you and gently caressed your cheeks. “I am so proud of you. I am sure you made the right decision”.

Her words brought tears to your eyes and you wrapped your arms around her. “I promise I will take good care of you, dad, and ren! You don’t have to worry about anything!”.

“Oh my baby! If you are happy then we are happy!”. She smiled. “When do you have to move to tokyo?”.

“I don’t have to. The firm is right here in Kyoto”.

Taglist: @missybrat @lem-hhn @byakuya61085 @starlightanyaaa @inlove-maze

[rogue-durin-16]

HEAD-TO-HEAD (part XVII/?)

Summary: Joe thought she was pretty. Had he just said that, things might have been different for them. Maybe they wouldn't have gone head-to-head at each other for three years like it was a contest.

Pairing: Joseph Liebgott x Reader

Genre: angst/rivals to lovers

Tags:

Head-to-head: @derersketnoget @ladystardustfromarss @lanadelray1989 @chanshugsaretherapy @hoddystark @sxalbatf @jetjuliette @luvrottt @fromjupitertocentauri @ecompstolemysoul @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @bitter-post-millennial

Band Of Brothers: @fernando-jpg @chubbypotatoepie @tvserie-s-world @clumsy-wonderland @lordndsaviorwinters @lanadelray1989 @chanshugsaretherapy @hoddystark

Permanent taglist: @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa @comfort-reads

Warnings: language, violence, blood

A/N: god knows I wasn't gonna post this shit tomorrow if I had let it sit in my drafts for another day, so here comes yet another chapter written at an unholy hour. Enjoy<3

Head-to-head masterlist

Band of Brothers masterlist

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

'I don't owe you an answer.'

'People fuck, Joe.'

'Calm down.'

Her words bounced inside my head like fucking ricochet. Up, down, side to side, hitting every spot of my skull, driving me insane with her faux indifference coated by the thinnest layer of sympathy.

What was even worse is that she wasn't wrong, was she? People do fuck, and she did not owe me answers. But after an entire day of looping those three sentences over and over and over until they lost their meaning, who was wrong or right mattered little.

The snow cushioned my bootsteps as I stalked across the Bois Jacques, cold biting through every layer like it wanted to take me out too. Ahead, the boys sat in a loose circle around what passed for lunch lately; cold beans, stale bread and shit jokes.

Chuck had his profile to me. That stupid lazy laugh of his carrying in the air like everything was fine. His face pivoted to my frame when he caught the determined movement in the corner of his eyes. My expression must have been too unmoved for him to read the room correctly.

"I'm not givin' you my beans, Lieb." He started, soft amusement stringing his tone. "You go make that queue like all—"

The punch landed square against his jaw—a clean right hook. No hesitation, no warning. Just frostbitten knuckles to bone and the thump of Chuck hitting the ground beside the lodge he had taken as seat.

"Jesus Christ!" More, who was the closest to Chuck, jolted up.

"What the hell, Joe?" Popeye questioned, kneeling down to pull up Chuck.

"What a fuckin' friend you are." I hissed, zeroed in on the blonde man, still too stunned to understand what had just happened. He blinked the sharp pain away, his gloved hand shooting up to his bleeding nose. Confusion danced in his eyes, as if he didn't know what the fuck I was talking about.

That just made it worse.

Alley must have read it in the way my foot shifted forward as if I was planning to lunge at our friend again, because he was the first to grab me, pulling back hard by the arm. "Hey—hey, knock it off—"

"Let go." I growled, shoving him off.

"What's going on here?" Lieutenant Compton's voice cut in like a whipcrack as he approached, eyeing the blood on Chuck's face, then looking at me. "What's this about?"

My laugh scraped my throat on its way out, a pointer finger motioning at my friend. "Oh, he knows what this is about."

Chuck got up with Popeye's help, droplets of blood dripping past his lips and down to the snow. They bloomed red against the white like a goddamn warning flag.

His hand cradled his jaw, fingers checking for something broken with a wince. "Are you nuts?!"

"I don't know," I snapped, voice cracking with rage. "Am I?"

The men around us shared worried glances, some looking away, some staring too intently like I was a pinless grenade about to go off.

"Who told you?" He asked without shame or or any intention to pretend cluelessness, which only made the blow hit harder.

"Who the fuck else is gonna know, Grant?"

Silence. Heavy silence and a sorry glance from Chuck was what I needed to get the memo. The sarcasm hadn't landed because I had asked the wrong question. No one met my eyes when I vehemently searched for confirmation among the group of soldiers.

I was the last to find out.

Something in me buckled under the weight of it. The air turned heavier, bitter in my chest, burning down the little restraint I had when it came to fully take it out on Chuck.

"She told you." It wasn't a question, and it didn't need an answer. He sighed, wiping the blood off with his sleeve. "The hell'd she tell you for?"

I didn't even consider responding, choosing to throw another inquiry at him instead "You really weren't gonna tell me you fucked the—" I stopped myself, teeth grinding. "Her?"

"Somebody better explain to my what's going on." Buck command was clearly directed at me. I consciously chose to ignore it.

"You knew." I accused the bloodied man, guilt plastered all over his face in the same pathetic way heartbreak was plastered over mine. "You knew and you still fucked me over."

"I was gonna talk to you—"

"You're so full of shit."

"Liebgott." The officer's attempt to get my attention were useless. "You're out of line."

"I don't know what the fuck she told you," Chuck began, now obviously pissed. "but it was her idea."

"And you just—what? Rolled with it?!"

"So what if I did?!" Chuck yelled, losing whatever patience he thought he owed me. "Get your head outta your ass, Joe! She's a grown woman," his arm motioned at what seemed a general direction. Until I turned and saw her.

She stood right outside the scattered circle, trailing after Muck and Penkala with her recently poured portion of lunch, eyes slightly widened as if she was keeping herself on check in order not to give away too much.

"—and you're a big boy too, okay?" Chuck continued, taking a half step in my direction. He shouldn't have. "If you're so pissed maybe you should—"

An ugly crack echoed in the woods when my fist connected with Chuck's jaw again.

"LIEBGOTT!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

"GRAB HIM FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

Everyone's panicked words meshed together, two pairs of hands grabbing me while my friends crowded around Chuck. The world blurred a little.

I didn't dare to look at her again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The iced ground crunched like broken glass beneath our boots—sharp and loud in the quiet of the night. We weren’t that far from the treeline, but with the moon half-choked behind clouds, it felt like we were walking through the ribs of something long dead.

They'd sent us out to patrol the edge of Easy's perimeter. Said it was routine. Said it was quiet. Didn't mention how convenient it was, how it did the trick to keep us both out of everyone else's hair.

We knew what they were doing—keep us busy, keep us separate from the rest of the company, keep us from getting someone killed. But putting us together? That wasn't exactly brilliant.

In their defense, Y/n had been a last minute addition to Winters' charity collection of broken minds. I wasn't told exactly why she was here, and I didn't ask. Sink's runner had spread the word that she had lost it after seeing Toye and Guarnere torn up during a bad barrage. Maybe it was true, or maybe not, but after all she had been put through —all I had put her through—, a bad crashout was long overdue.

I just wished it would have happened a couple of days earlier, when every edge between us had been smoothed by the cold and the exhaustion, and not when we could barely look at each other.

Y/n walked three paces ahead, but I could see the tension in her shoulders nonetheless; the way her rifle was clenched too tight in her hands, the way she hadn't looked me in the eye once since they handed us this bullshit detail.

We moved through the woods, past the shell holes and splintered roots, Foy still visible in the distance. Her steps quickened. Mine decelerated out of spite.

"Slow down, will ya?" I muttered.

She didn't turn around. "Try to keep up."

The nerve.

"You always gotta run your goddamn mouth?"

That stopped her.

She turned slow, face shadowed by her helmet, eyes meaner than the forest we were trapped in. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." I took her halt as an opportunity to catch up until I was right beside her. "All night with that tone, like I'm the fucking problem here."

She took a half-step forward, close enough that her breath hit my collar when she spat out, "You are the fucking problem."

I couldn't help but scoff, looking past her to avoid aggravating myself even more. "You fuck Grant, out of everyone, and I'm the problem?"

"Who I fuck or don't fuck is none of your business." There was a twisted condescendance in her tone, tainted with smugness, as if she had me figured out and was done with it.

"It's none of my business?" I repeated, my voice jumping an octave out of indignation as I leaned forward just enough to be eye to eye with her. "You made it personal."

"I made it personal? Me?" She breathed out a humorless laugh, her index finger pointing at her chest.

"You went for my friend."

The sour smile twisting up the corner of her mouth vanished, his arm falling limply at her side. I could see the cogs in her head turning, crafting something that would hurt me. I spotted the exact instant in which she found it, and it was bad enough for her to hesitate.

She still said it.

"She looked like me."

With gritted teeth, my boots slid a little on the frost when I closed the space even more a bit too fast. "You gotta learn to shut up."

Her hand snapped out fast, gripping the collar of my jacket. "Do not get in my face, Liebgott." The side of her fist pressed against my chest, forcing a short distance between us; a false sense of safety. "I will fuck you up."

I didn't flinch. I didn't move. The question slipped out with bottled up resentment before I could think twice about it.

"More?" My lips twitched; not quite a smile. Not quite anything aside from a sign of me finding the moment fucking comical. "Maybe I should be the one fuckin' you up."

That hit something. Her hand clenched tighter in my coat, dragging me a little closer. We both swayed slightly at the sudden movement, boots slipping just an inch in the frozen mud.

"What?" she whispered. "You gonna try and break my jaw too?"

I stared at her, taking in the way her words landed like a punch to the ribs. "You think I'd hit you?"

She didn't blink. "Maybe."

"You don't fucking know me, then." I growled, tasting the way pain and anger mixed together in my tongue.

Her eyes narrowed like she was set on making me break beyond repair. "I know enough."

I grabbed the side of her jacket, mirroring her grip to yank her half an inch to me until we were toe-to-toe, our breaths fogging together in the frozen air.

"Let go of my damn uniform, Y/l/n."

"Fuck. You." she spat, venom coating the short sentence. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, inhaling sharply. Whatever she was about to say refused to reach my ears, so she swallowed and settled for something else. "Quit trying to mess me up."

"You first, sweetheart."

Our noses bumped when she angled her head with defiance and, for a second, what I felt wasn't rage. It wasn't betrayal. It wasn't the war or Chuck or the blood still stuck under my nails. It was just heat. Heat in the freezing dark and the fire burning her down behind glassy eyes.

I didn't know if I wanted to kiss her breathless or scream in her face until the knots twisting inside my throat loosened up. Maybe both.

I did neither.