#like i plan without her knowing just so i can do what i want/need and she fucks it up

[pinkyqil]

Flirt // Jenni hermoso x r

Jenni was a flirt least to say she could flit with anyone as long has it as lips head and a body anything else wouldn't matter to her. So that why you felt really confused with your "relationship". with her cause she always gave you mixed signals that rarely made any sense to you.

One day she's all over you complimenting you, making you blush and all as it the usual Jenni package. next thing you know someone else is getting the same treatment that she gives or how she likes to call it "her delicate taste".

That made absolutely no sense to you but one thing you knew was that you were done. with anything that had to do with Jennifer hermoso you didn't want a part of it unless it was something serious. But it didn't look like it things where going to change with her so you thought.

You started pulling away from jenni it went from you two always partnering up to you straight up ignoring her and picking someone else as your partner.

To dismissing her and canceling plans that she made cause you knew it would be some different by tomorrow.

Slowly a hole formed in your friendship you both couldn't even spare each other a glance or a simple greeting.

The only time you would actually say a few words would be around game days where you needed to communicate with jenni but that wasn't something you both could do outside of work.

It honestly broke your heart to be pulling away from her like this. You missed her smile silly jokes that she would make trying to lighting up the room.how she would be there whenever you needed something or that you weren't feeling well she was always by your side like your order half.

Least to say jenni also felt the same way her heart felt incomplete like the other pieces to it was missing. but she knew one thing and it was to make it up too you for whatever she did cause her heart couldn't take you acting like she didn't exist.

The last few days you noticed Jenni putting in some efforts but you would always denie her and.

still continue shutting her out she tried everything from leaving notes and your favorites chocolate in your cubby opening the door for you. helping you carry heavy equipment without calling out for help but you wouldn't come forward.

It wasn't that you heated what jenni was doing you loved it all but your heart wasn't ready for what would happen if you guys where to talk it out.

Would things go back to the same way with how she was treating you or would you two become something. Was what you wondered.

Jenni's act had been going on forever but still she didn't get any improvement from you side always the cold shoulder and nothing more for her.

Today she jenni had planned to conner you when everybody as left as she knew you loved taking your time.

Your day went on with how it usual was Jenni still left you some notes and perfume in your cubby for when you arrived but you hadn't seen her anyway around the training grounds which was quite weird as she hung out with her group of people. But needless it was none of your busses.

You were tye last one to shower as everyone else had left or that what you think.you quickly dressed up and started existing the building until you felt a strange but familiar hands grab you by the waist.

It was none other than jenni she looked broken and hurt. All you could do was stare at her.

"What do you want hermoso". you asked her as you tried pulling your hands away.

" I just want to talk to you it would only take a few minutes". She said

"Well get talking cause I didn't have enough time to spend with you in my way".

She took a deep breath before speaking.

"I know that lately have been giving you on and off signals and just acting out as if you aren't important to me which is false so I just wanted' to tell you that I love you so much more than a friend we've both been through anything".

anyone can imagine and I just can't keep living like this knowing that j hurt you instead of protecting you so I just wan to apologize for that". She said as she took time to catch her breath.

"oh jenni you don't understand how long I waited for you to tell me how you feel cause I' also share the same feelings as you, I love you more than anything else that you can imagine"

and it hurt me a lot seeing how you would always treat me I love you jenni hermoso". You told her not expecting all that to come out of your mouth.

"So will I be able to treat you out to a date". She asked

"Yes you can have honestly seen the way that you've improved and I love it". you told her before tip-toeing and leaving a peck on her lips.

"You deserve it". You said

"I guess I do". She replied back

"So I'll see you saturday for dinner". She asked

"Definitely". You told as you walked away holding the notes that she had been living for you onto your chest.

Maybe luck was on your side after all and jenni wasn't just a flit after all.

A/n: hope y'all enjoy this read and if you see any mistakes no you don't cause I just finished writing this at 12:18 so mistakes shall be fixed later. anyway feedbacks, request and comments or if you want to chat with me inboxes are always opened and everything else is appreciated and don't forget to take care of yourself 💗

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hey so, I was wondering if you could do a f/f hero x villain snippet, where the hero is in a super secret relationship with the villain, but, despite the villain explicitly having other goals, betrayed and used the hero, the hero still loved her? Until one day the hero gets so tired of it that she leaves the city without a single world and villain goes after her? sorry if its too specific

"Where are you going?"

Part of the hero had expected it, but it still didn't make it any easier to hear that voice in her motel room. Her shoulders tensed. She kept her gaze trained firmly on unzipping her bag.

"Hey." The villain's voice sharpened. She crossed the room, taking hold of the hero's wrist. "You can't just leave. What the hell?"

The hero yanked her hand back. Her head snapped up.

The villain stopped, at whatever expression it was that she saw on the hero's face. She wet her lips. "Look," she said, gentler. "This is silly. Just come home, alright? We can talk about this."

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Baby-"

"Don't." The hero's jaw clenched. "Don't you even." The hero looked back down again, pulling out her toiletries and night clothes. It was easier than looking at the villain; flaying herself raw with the memories and the longing and the awful truths that she should have accepted so very long ago. "Just go. If you ever loved me, just go. Please."

For a second, she thought that might work. At least, she'd thought the villain might temporarily back off, maybe get another room and try again in the morning.

(She wasn't sure if that would be a confirmation of love or the lack of it. Did it matter anymore?)

The villain crouched down in front of her, studying the hero's face. Her eyes flickered.

"I really hurt you this time, huh?"

The hero swallowed.

They'd had so many arguments, the villain and her. There had been times when she'd been furious that the villain simply couldn't seem to change her ways, change her plans, not even for the sake of the two of them. There had been yelling and cold demands and promises to do better. Apologies pressed on honeyed lips.

"We're more important than the world," the villain had said, kissing the hero's head. "You're my world now."

But that hadn't been true.

There had been times when she'd broke her heart over the villain. She'd wondered if it was her fault, somehow. If she needed to try harder, love better. She'd wondered just how bad things had once been for the villain to so compulsively choose victory over kindness. Revenge over love. Her plans, over the hero.

"Of course I love you," the villain had snapped. "I just don't see why love means I'm the only one who has to change. What about you? You're not perfect! Crying in an argument is super manipulative, you know?"

All that was left was tiredness. A hollow exhaustion.

"Yeah," the hero said. "You win."

"This isn't what I wanted."

"Well, now you know what it's like to have your lover not care about about what you want."

"You care." The villain said it with such certainty. She reached out to cradle the hero's jaw in her hands, delicate, like she was incapable of any pain she might cause. "You've never been able to stop caring. You're caring right now."

"Maybe. But I'm still done."

The villain's grip tightened.

"You're not done. We can't be done."

"Go home."

"Not without you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" The villain's eyes turned stormy. "You're mine. I'm yours. We belong together."

"And do you still find it good? Us?"

The villain stopped short again, as if she hadn't expected the question, as if she hadn't even considered it. Her hands dropped to her sides.

"You used me," the hero said. "I loved you and you used me. Do you understand that?"

The villain stared at her, uncertain in the face of the hero's tone. The tectonic shift of it. "I love you."

The hero shrugged.

"You don't love me anymore, is that it?" the villain demanded. "Because I don't believe that for a second."

"Sure, I love you."

"So come home. Baby." The villain surged to bestow a kiss to the hero's forehead, as if enough sweetness could once again wash away all that was bitter, or at least sufficiently mask the taste of the poison. "We've got over worse than this before. It's just how we are, you know? We fight. We make up. We don't just - you don't just leave."

The hero had wanted to simply slip away. Let it go without another fight she wasn't sure her heart had the energy for anymore. Of course the villain would never allow that.

There was always a final battle, wasn't there?

And the villain would stay no matter how cruel the hero was to her in turn. It was the way of her. But the hero didn't want to be cruel. She'd never wanted that.

"I don't think we're good," the hero said. "I don't think we've been good for a long time now."

"I'll be better."

"You never are though, are you?"

The villain swallowed. Tears flooded her eyes.

"I spent so long thinking that my love wasn't enough." The hero reached up, despite herself, to wipe those once-in-a-lifetime tears away from the villain's cheeks. Then she stood, looming over her very own perfect monster. "But it was. I was. And yours just isn't anymore."

The hero plucked up her things and made for the bathroom, pausing in the doorway, glancing back. The villain knelt on the floor, her head bowed as if for the slaughter. The hero summoned up the very last of her strength.

"You've always been so good at keeping secrets, but you're not keeping me anymore," she said. "Don't still be here when I come out."

She locked the door of them for good.

[stillness-in-green]

Not-Really Chapter Thoughts BNHA 424

You know, I really think there should be a point at which Deku rushing in with no plan and doing whatever he thinks feels right should become Heroic Malpractice.

Just me?

Because, like, Shouto had a plan. He spent the time between the two war arcs specifically developing a brand-new combat technique that he planned to use to shut down Dabi's combat advantage without killing him. He convinced his dad not to change the plan like Endeavor was hesitantly sounding him out about[1]; he went out and talked and asked questions, and even if they weren't the right words every single time, he did his best and he did it with intention. If Dabi proves to be dead, it won't be because of anything Shouto did to him; it'll be because Dabi himself chose to stand back up, take a warp gate across the country, pick a fight with the guy who doesn't have the power set to shut him down without unduly hurting him, and try to replicate an Ultimate Move specifically tailored for someone with a balanced power set Dabi doesn't have.[2]

And if Dabi lives, it's still going to be because Shouto booked it across the country and used that same technique to stop him again.

1: Dabi surely would have preferred to fight Endeavor from the start, and it probably would have been the more "just" choice if it had to be one or the other, but Shouto is the nominal focal character between the three of them, so, critiques of the broader Hero-side decisions aside, Shouto's arc has to come first. This is one of those places where you can clearly see how much the decision to let Endeavor survive where Horikoshi originally planned for him to die hurts the shape of the later story.

2: Obviously ultimately if Dabi dies, it's going to be because his family and Team Hero made repeated choices to ignore and neglect him, culminating in the entire family swearing to deal with Touya together only to passively accept a battle plan that involved splitting them all and letting the kid who knows Touya the least be the one to fight him. But like, in the context of that fight, Shouto isn't the reason Dabi takes all that hurt.

Uraraka may or may not have had much of a plan, but at least the words she said to Toga reflected that she had been seriously thinking about Toga in the here and now, what Toga's told her, what Toga needs. If Toga dies, it will be because Toga chose to give Uraraka an unsupervised blood transfusion with no intention of stopping it. (With the same general caveats as in Footnote 2.)

But Deku? From the very beginning, Deku has been valorized by the manga for how much he doesn't plan. All Might tells him specifically that it's a sign of greatness shown by future "top Heroes" that, in some crisis situation, their bodies moved before they could think. Bakugou's Rising chapter is defined by him reaching that same state.

Deku claimed he wanted to save Shigaraki; he's sad in the latest chapter that he couldn't save Tenko's[3] life. But did he ever have a real plan to do that? With all the quirks he had at his disposal - both his own and those who would be in the flying coffin with him, or classmates whose presence he could specifically request - did he think hard and come up with a technique that would let him stop Shigaraki without harming him? Did he try to connect with the Shigaraki right in front of him by citing to the future?

3: And I have nothing but scorn for Deku's insistence on that name when "Tenko" goes out very pointedly calling himself Shigaraki Tomura.

Well, no. Deku obstinately yelled at the phantasms in Shigaraki's mindscape that he had no plan whatsoever. The only plans we saw him carry out were ones handed to him by the OFA collective that involved "breaking" Shigaraki's psyche; the only plans he came up with himself involved more efficiently breaking Shigaraki's body.

Way back in Chapter 130, Nighteye harshly scolded Deku by saying that his way of thinking was arrogant. He said, "Go after him haphazardly and he'll slip through our fingers. You're not so special as to be able to save who you want, when you want. (...) This world is not so accommodating that you can act the Hero because you feel like it."

It felt like something that Deku should have taken to heart, a lesson to be learned and applied later, but I never much got the feeling that he did. Nothing he did in that moment, in that arc, or anywhere else in the series afterward indicates that he thought Nighteye was right. He just chose not to talk back, and the arc ended with Nighteye dead and no longer around to pose objections to Deku's mode of heroism.

But Nighteye was right. Three hundred chapters later, Shigaraki is dead because Deku could not be arsed to plan for how he could stop Shigaraki without killing him. Because he let Gran Fucking Torino give him the intellectual out that killing someone could be a means of saving them. Because he followed his gut instincts of prioritizing the phantom Crying Child that he always saw as more valid and real than the human being standing in front of him.

Because he haphazardly acted the Hero and let his body move without thinking.

And he wants to act sad about it now? I hope Nighteye materializes in his bedroom to sneer at him every night for the rest of his life.

--

Incidentally, fuck All Might, seriously. "Wow, Deku and Bakugou, you two are the greatest Heroes ever. Fuck me and everyone else who fought tooth and nail, arm and leg, eye and earjack, life and death, to contribute to the pile of damage that was necessary to kill and/or save Shigaraki and All For One. You two got the last blows in, so you're the only ones who get the credit for it in my eyes. Hero Society is definitely going to be different and better with you two around."

[thurio-edau]

"It was her," Aiden yelled out, trying to get them to understand him. He couldn't get that bloody image of Ashlyn out of his mind. "I swear I saw her this time!"

"Cut it out! This is the fifth time you thought something you've seen is Ashlyn!" And of course Tyler didn't understand him. He never understood.

Aiden was getting mad. He lost control of his emotions without the smiling mask he always wore. "Are you calling me insane!? I know what I saw! I'm not delusional like your m--"

His eyes widened as he realized what he said, already too late. These were his friends, his found family, looking at him as if he was a monster.

"...I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Tyler didn't accept the apology though. He pulled Taylor from the arm and left, he couldn't stand Aiden especially lately. It was his fault. He always messed stuff up. He messed it up again.

"Damn it!" Ashlyn yelled to herself in her mind, waking up in the boring facility room yet again. She was so close to getting there... But she failed.

All she could do was talk inside her mind. Not even out loud, she couldn't let Alex and whoever else was there suspect anything. Now she needed an excuse to have a first aid kit in her room. She wasn't sure if she could walk outside and search for anything in the phantom dimension from how heavily injured she was. Yeah, she had Alex's card thanks to a trick she did, but she didn't have anything in real life except this room.

The walls were plain white. Lifeless and tired, just like her. She missed the braids her mom did each morning. She missed her father's awful jokes. She missed the graveyard, she missed her friends.

She missed that one smile.

The pain in her back and arms were obvious to her. Phantom claws were sharp for sure, she bled terribly in the phantom dimension. And Ashlyn woke up in the facility room yet again... All the distance she went was trashed.

They told her it was a fungus. That her parents knew she was here. That her friends knew she was here. That they were okay with it. They were okay with it. They were okay with her being kept away. They were okay with not getting to see her. They were okay with it.

Tch. Such bullshit. She didn't believe it, at all. It ate away at her, she didn't know how Tyler was right now. How Aiden was right now. A tree and a ceiling. Maybe they were fine. Tyler was alright. Aiden woke up okay. She still felt the way she clung to him once they woke up.

She had to get back. It was so close, why not get closer? One hour was the preparation... If she prepared the night before, she'd have six hours on the road. Right. She could do this. She was Ashlyn Banner, of course she could do it... Well, she needed to take care of her scars first because she could pass out. Every single night was important now, she was practically only alive for 7 hours in the phantom dimension. She felt dead in real life, 24 hours of doing nothing.

"I need to hurt myself somehow... So that I can have some kind of bandaging." Ashlyn thought.

But how? She didn't have a knife to injure herself with. And no way they'd just bring her one upon request. And trying anything drastic was too risky. Injuring her foot or legs were risky too... She needed that to get to her friends. But she definitely needed the bandaging, because her scars were too intense from the phantom claws.

Putting together a plan wasn't as hard as she thought.

im okay guys dont worry i wrote this out of free will yes sorry it sucks it was the free will

its just buildup rn honestly i literally didnt expect to make this an actual fic but here we go i guess

smoke signals part 2 . part 1 here

[wonton4rang]

hey! i read you wanted to write more for woonhak so i had an idea :)

maybe “firsts” with him? as in asking e/o out, officially dating, first kiss, etc! (maybe you could include making out, WITHOUT any suggestive remarks ofc!)

it’s all up to you! have a good day 🫶

omg ilysm!! i literally had no idea on what to do for woonagi so thanksss<33 hope u enjoy this.

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i love u 3000 ¡!

pairing: woonhak x reader.

warnings: none!! fluff, some angst maybe, kissing and lots of giggles :')

summary: short scenarios of firsts with woonhak.

note: should i make a series with this theme? all bnd boys w the same scenarios. it would also include some suggestive/ smut for the other members. UPDATE: i am making the series!! you can see it here.

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first encounter; i feel like he would most likely fall in love at school, not because he's young but also because that's the place where he spends the most time and it's not on a "professional" type of way so he can actually focus on just having fun and creating relationships. you are for sure one of his close friends and he just got so used to your presence that he didn't really noticed he liked you for more than just a friend.

first time he realises he's in love; it would be a day you fall in the field during gym class, he would get so worried about your wellbeing, carrying you on his back until the nurse's office. but that wasn't what made him realize he liked you, it was the way he went back to the field after he made sure you were being treated so he could push the boy who made you fall, telling him how lucky he is that you were fine, otherwise his face would be meeting the dusty ground. woonhak was NEVER a fighter, did he get overwhelmed and yelled? yes, but never this type of aggressiveness. so it was pretty obvious for him once he held your hand in the nursery and realized how crazy he was for you.

how would he confess; contrary to his mbti and his usual behaviour, i do think that woonhak would be a shy person when it comes to love, he won't doubt to express his love once you are already together but to confess?? it would make him go sleepless for a few nights, his hands sweating when you get close to him after he called you up to meet at his house, his parents were out and it wasn't weird because you mostly hangout with him like this everyday. but today you noticed how nervous he looked and kinda pinpoint what he wanted to do when he whispered a little "i need to talk to you". he would tell you how much he cares about you and that he understands if you don't feel the same way, it's just that he wouldn't forgive himself if he never said anything and lost his chance. and well, he did have a chance.

officially dating w woonagi; he's an extroverted boy, very energetic yet he would try to keep his cool with you too. he would definitely be a clingy boyfriend, the type of boyfriend who's friends would be tired of hearing your name each time they were having a conversation.

"are you going out tonight, woonhak?"

"i think y/n wanted to do something, let me ask her"

"do you want pizza or hamburgers for today?"

"y/n likes hamburgers better, can we have those?"

"haerin asked about you yesterday"

"did you tell her that i am dating y/n and i love my girlfriend very much?"

"woonhak, for fucks sake, haerin is your cousin"

"ah, you're right" type of boyfriend.

that doesn't mean he won't have his own opinions though!! he does knows how to separate you from himself, so it's not like his life revolves or depends on you only.

first kiss; it would honestly happen spontaneously, he would try so hard to make it special and actually plan it but it always got ruined, something happened, you guys got interrupted, anything. so when you actually kissed him in the lips for the first time he would get frozen, looking at you with wide open eyes and his hand going up to his lips because he just couldn't believe it.

"i'm sorry if you didn't want to-"

"can i kiss you again?" and he would kiss you lots, all over your face with that bright smile of his while you both giggled, the other boys side eyeing you both as you apparently forgot they were there too.

first time he wanted to do more than just a peck; woonhak is a very hyper person but he is also really chill (idk if that makes sense) so you would be just doing homework together or watching a movie when he leaned in for a kiss, then another one, and another one. that's when you looked at him with a tilted head, asking for an explanation in silence.

"can i kiss you?" you nodded a little bit confused, not understanding why he asked for permission to do something he already did. "like... kiss you, kiss you"

and that's when you understood, allowing him to do so and laughing during it because you guys didn't even know how to get the correct angle and pace, teeth smashing for a few minutes until you finally got the hang of it. it was so cute the way you guys kissed with so much dedication and pure love.

first time meeting your family; he would be literally shaking, like physically trembling the second the door opened and your dad showed up. he even thought on sneaking out when he went to the bathroom once, but then it eventually got better, he started trusting a little bit more in himself and opened up to your dad and mom, chatting with your old man about some bands from the 90s and that basketball team he loved, plus helping your mom with the dishes and rizzing her up on how pretty she is and how pretty her daughter came out because of it?? your parents love him and you can have it for sure that he'll be visiting them even without you, just to check up on them and bring them some food.

overall, i truly believe that woonhak would be a really funny, outgoing and sensitive boyfriend. he would love you like you are the only person in the world (cause for him, you are), he would try to always make you happy and never have an argument because he knows how mad he can get and he would hate to say harsh things to you.

i also see him as a 50,50 when it comes to commitment, he wouldn't cheat but i can most definitely see him ditching you over his job or school stuff, just to apologize later with the excuse that it's "about his future", and he's right, but there was no need to be rude about it.

so yeah, if you can put up with his hyper, loving, talkative, kind self and his touchy hands, irritable mood when stressed and his yelling in general for everything and because of anything, then woonhak is definitely your pick <3

[queensunshinee]

Time Of Our Lives || Part 3

Part 3:

Liana hadn't seen Art for three days. Ever since they started studying at Stanford, not a day had gone by without his presence being felt. Even if just for five minutes, he would pop up suddenly and disappear just as quickly. Liana wouldn’t say it out loud, but his presence had started to grow on her. She was never the most popular kid or the most popular teen. She always had two or three friends. And Art, it's not very clear who he is in her life, but he's a figure that's there. Present. Breathing the air she breathes. Knowing the people she knows. Laughing at her words, annoying her with his. She hadn't seen him for three days and it's bothering her. So today, she decided to go to the open practice for the first time, and Art wasn't there either.

"Are you looking for Art?" a female voice sounded behind her, and she turned around. Facing her was Tashi. Liana searched for the words, something that was always complicated for her; finding words in front of people she didn’t know or felt threatened by. Right now, she needed to answer 'yes' or 'no', and all she could do was stare. "You're Liana, right? Patrick showed me a picture of you with the boys, and I’ve seen you a few times with Art. Are you looking for him?" she explained and asked again. "Oh, yeah..." Liana managed to find her voice, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks. Unwanted color flooding in. "Did you see him?" she squeaked, trying to steady herself in front of the girl before her. "He just texted that he wasn't coming to practice today. Nice to finally meet you. Maybe we can have lunch sometime." She smiled briefly and moved towards the court, leaving Liana in the stands. A bit more worried than she had been before.

She knocked on his door three times. Then another three. And then six more. After the fifth round, he opened it for her. It was the first time she had been in his room, and he couldn't hide his surprise. "Li?" Art's voice sounded weaker than usual. "You didn't come to the open practice," she said coolly, looking at him and furrowing her brows. He didn't look good. In fact, he looked like shit. His hair looked greasy, his cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were sunken with dark circles around them. Art Donaldson looked awful. "What happened to you?" She gave his arm a light push, which made him lose his balance and almost fall, but he understood her intention and moved aside. He ran a hand through his hair, a tic she knew he had; when Art was nervous, frustrated, or confused, his hand automatically went to the back of his neck, a few seconds of that until he gets a grip and acts as if nothing had thrown him off balance. "You were at the open practice?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Stuck on that piece of information. Almost wanting to request that the sentence be engraved on his tombstone when the time came. 'Here lies Art Donaldson, whose open practice Liana Levi attended.' His parents would surely be thrilled. "For four and a half minutes, then I realized you weren't there." She said as she walked to the window and opened it. "Your room stinks," she stated, turning her gaze back to him. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" she added. Sure, they weren't best friends, but they were supposed to be each other's emergency contact. They were supposedly here together. He made sure to remind her of that once a day. And now, in a real emergency, he wasn't talking to her. "Because it doesn't matter, I already feel better," he tried to speak in a more upbeat tone, one he thought characterized him but failed miserably at it. Her hand was on his forehead, causing him to immediately lean into it and close his eyes. "You're burning up, damn it, Art." She moved her hand from his forehead to his cheek, realizing that the situation might be worse than she thought and beginning to think of a plan. "Okay, I need you to get in the shower, alright?" she spoke softly. He looked at her, his mouth half-open. "Where's your spare key?" she asked, without looking at him too much, opening the closet intending to find clean sheets there. Art watched her bustle around his room, and despite feeling awful, worse than he had felt probably in the last two years, he found himself smiling. Liana was worried about him. She would make sure he was okay. "Art, do you hear me? I need you to get in the shower, I'm going to get a few things. Can you do that for me? I'll be back in half an hour." she said assertively, and he handed her the key as she requested. "Please be done with your shower when I get back." She ran her hand over his forehead once more, almost causing him to surrender to her touch and close his eyes again, but just as she had entered like a storm, she left like one.

Liana went down to the cafeteria after making a phone order. She returned to her room with the soup and grabbed the bag she had prepared for Art. When she entered his room, the shower water was still running, so she decided to use the time to change his sheets and put the lemon, ginger, and honey in his fridge. He came out in a towel and looked at her, leaning against the doorframe. He felt blessed. His head hurt, he had sneezed forty times that day, and all his muscles ached, yet he felt blessed. "You didn't have to, Li..." he mumbled, and she turned to him. "Good, you're out. Get dressed and eat the soup. If it's cold, let me know and I'll go heat it up." There was a microwave on each floor, so that was an option. Art went back to the bathroom and put on long pants, unable to bring himself to wear a shirt. "I also brought you some pills I had. If you need anything else, I can go get it, this is just what I had in my room," Liana babbled, realizing she was behaving in an uncharacteristic way. It dawned on her too late that Art probably thought she was crazy. More than that, that he didn't want her presence in his room right now. She had invaded his personal space and decided on her own that she was there to stay, when he hadn't really invited her. He had done everything to avoid seeing her in the past few days. He sat down to eat the soup at his desk, unable to take his eyes off her for fear she would disappear and he would be alone again, wallowing in his own misery. "Is it hot?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. "It's great. Thanks, Li," he smiled sincerely, and she reached her hand towards his forehead again. "Can I?" she made sure to ask this time, hesitating and seeing him nod. Her hand moved from his forehead to his cheek automatically, and he sighed for a second. "You're still warm." Her brow furrowed again. "When you finish, take this pill, okay? It's supposed to help with the fever..." she added, starting to gather her things. "Are you leaving?" he asked. Art's voice sounded more desperate than he intended. He wanted to sound indifferent, as if he didn't mind being alone. As if the last three days hadn't been an isolated nightmare filled with self-pity. "You can stay a bit longer. If you want," he added quickly, saying the sentence fast as if it would make it vanish from the air. "Okay," Liana said and nodded. "We can watch an episode of 'Gilmore Girls'," she smiled. Every summer, she forced Art and Patrick to watch a few episodes of 'Gilmore Girls'. If she had to be stuck with them, at least some of the time they would do what she loved. She was sure they liked the show because sometimes they would make comments about it. Art shrugged while finishing the soup, acting as if he didn't care if she stayed or not. In reality, he wanted to smile victoriously because he had won today. No one could argue that Art was the winner of this day. "You can take a shirt from my closet if you want," he told her, and she nodded. If they were going to watch an episode of the show, they would watch it on his laptop, in his bed. She couldn't stay dressed in jeans, and besides, they had seen each other in much less clothing over the years. So Liana put on one of his oversized boxers and a Stanford shirt that was at least two sizes too big for both of them. Art looked at her and nodded for a moment, lying down in bed and waiting for the moment she would say it was too much for her. That despite all her good intentions, she and Art weren't going to share a bed just so he could feel better. They hadn't done that since they were six, probably because she wouldn't even sit next to him on the same couch. "We're in Logan's season, are you excited?" she asked with exaggerated enthusiasm and sat down next to him. He automatically pulled her closer. "Aren't you afraid of getting sick?" he felt like the biggest jerk in the world for asking only after he had pulled her that close. "My immune system has never let me down, Donaldson, and it’s not going to let me down today." She started the episode while getting comfortable next to him.

As the episode progressed, her hand found its way to his hair, playing with one of his blonde curls that, just like Art Donaldson himself, had grown on her. "That feels nice…" his voice was barely audible as he was close to falling asleep, his head half on the pillow and half on her shoulder while his arm was wrapped around her. Just before Art fell asleep, focused on Liana's breathing and her fingers in his hair, instead of the show, he realized he didn't need much to feel good.

heyyy there. How are we feeling about this chapter? I hope the slow burn isn't too slow for you...any thoughts? I know that Patrick wasn't here at all, but he'll have his comeback, don't worry. Also, should I do a tag list? It feels a little too much since I really don't know if there are readers who want to come back. I really want to hear from you so feel free to talk to me (PLEASE). By the way- I still feel like my English is ruining the story, but again, I'm trying. Thanks for reading. It means a lot ❤️

[foreverfangirlsblog]

Harmless Prank Husk x Reader

Summary:

You lost your phone a week ago around the same time Husk suddenly becomes extremely flirty with you....coincidence? I think not

Notes:

Word Count: 1511

Chapter Text

You had been living at the hotel for a few months now and in that time you’ve grown very close to everyone here. You got along well with Sir Pentious since you both arrived at the same time, he was like a brother to you. Angel quickly became your best friend, and Husk…well Husk caught your attention from the very beginning.

Recently you and Angel have even started a prank war of sorts, much to Charlie and Vaggies dismay.

The most recent pranked you pulled an Angel was the best one yet. Let’s just say it involved his precious Fat Nuggets.

This meant that Angel needed something big to get you back equally as well.

—--------------------------------------

Angel walked to the bar where Husk stood, absent mindly drinking his beer, and immediately noticed Y/Ns phone on one of the stools. “Where’d Y/N go?” Angel asked nonchalantly

“How the hell you know she was here?” Husk asked

Suddenly an idea popped in his head. Angel quickly pocketed Y/Ns phone, out of view from Husk. “Ummm she’s always here what are you talking about”

Husk shrugged “Can’t say you’re wrong there. I think she went up for the night”

“Ahh gotcha. WELP BYE” Husk glared at Angel, confused by his randomness. But Angel already hurried away.

—--------------------------------------

Angel had a plan. He would get back at Y/N by shamelessly flirting with Husk over text. He had known all about Y/N’s feeling for the feline lover. So this was perfect.

Starting that very night Angel started texting Husk using Y/N’s phone. It was perfect because all he had to do was make sure she wasn’t near Husk. And he’d already confirmed she went up for the night.

Time to let the fun begin. Angel logged into your phone and opened up Husks chat.

Husk 😍

“You”: Did you know I thought of you all day today? I’ll probably dream about you too ;)

Husk: wtf are you drunk? I didn’t give you that many drinks.

“You”: not quite sweetie I just wanted you to know how much I think of you..especially at night ;)

Husk: what’s that supposed to mean?

“You”: I think you know….

Angel couldn’t help and laugh at Husks replies. Sure Y/N flirted with him but never this aggressively or cringey. He’ll have to take it up a notch tomorrow night.

—--------------------------------------

The next night the whole group had gone out for training exercises, one of which was Angels suggestion, a BDSM room. This sparked an idea. Angel quickly made sure Y/N was out for the night before texting Husk again from her phone.

Husk 😍

“You”: couldn’t help but notice your purring earlier tonight

Husk: Idk what ur talking about

“You”: oh don’t play coy, I heard that purring you can’t deny it

Husk: Stfu it’s embarrassing

“You”: No need to be embarrassed sweetie, I bet I can make you purr louder

Husk: oh?

“You”: my hands would feel soo much better roaming through your fur and around your body, don’t you think?

.•.•.

Husk: youre damn right

Angel couldn’t help but laugh at the messages ‘oh they’re fucked’

—--------------------------------------

How Y/N has gone three days without bringing up her lost phone to Husk? Angel has no clue. But tonight he wanted to go all out on the texts, just in case she caught on soon.

After confirming Y/N was asleep Angel starting texting Husk again, this time from the lobby to see if it would work like he planned. He starts to texts Husk flirty texts that would make anyone go crazy with desire. He watched as Husk grew more and more uncomfortable at the bar, constantly shifting. Until finally Husk cursed and stormed out of the bar area and quickly to his room.

Angel snickered seeing his reaction and looked at the text Husk sent: “Dammit Y/N you’re driving me crazy now I have to go take care of myself”

This just made Angel laugh even harder.

“What are you doing?” Sir Pentious hissed.

“AH SHIT” Angel totally forgot he was there to be honest. “Uhhh texting Husk?”

Sir Pentious looked at him quizzically. So in response Angel showed him the phone. “Oh you bad bad spider boy”

Angel rolled his eyes “whatever you gonna help me fuck with them or not?”

“Eh why not” he shrugged, telling his egg boys to go elsewhere while he got involved with the meddling. “Oo Oo you should text ‘Just wait for tomorrow and I’ll make it up to you big boy’ “

“That’s-“ Angel blinked at him for a few seconds “-GENIUS”

—--------------------------------------

The next day you walked downstairs angrily and frustrated. You had asked almost everyone if they saw your phone but no one came up with anything. Luckily Charlie suggested checking the lost and found at the bar so you took her advice.

You noticed Husk wasn’t at the bar yet so took your chances and went behind to bar to look for the box. After opening some cabinets, you found a box of things under the counter, hidden by some cleaning products ‘thank goodness’ you thought as you set the box on the side counter and began rummaging through the things.

Suddenly you felt a pair of arms wrap around your torso and a deep voice close to your ear. “What ya doing back here doll?”

You were a bit, well actually very surprised about Husks actions. Usually you guys are bit a touchy and flirty but nothing to this extent. However you were so focused you really couldn’t recognize the total weirdness of this action. “I’m looking for something”

“Hmmm” he hummed in your ear. You could practically feel the vibration off his chest, so you paused your scourging. “Why don’t you stop that and come finish what you started last night” he purred in you ear

You felt multiple parts of your body warm up. ‘What is he talking about?’ Your focus is now only on Husk.

You wiggled out of his arms and turned to him. “What are you talking about?”

He backed away from you a little, now feeling like he was too forward “I’m sorry, was that too much? I just figured because of our texts last night that maybe…you and I could..-“

You stopped him mid proposal “texts? Last night? Husk hun I haven’t had my phone for a week almost”

His heart dropped. He felt nauseous. “What? What do you mean??”

“I mean I lost my phone almost a week ago! I’ve been going crazy trying to find it that’s what I was looking for when you…..wait a minute what did I start last night”

“Oh my fuck-what- who the hell have I been texting then”

“Let me see them” you reached to get his phone and he snatched it away quickly

“Oh hell nah. You’re not looking at these.”

“Husk come on why can’t I see them, I need to figure out who stole my phone”

“Nuh uh” he shook his head aggressively and held his phone over your head “over my double dead body”

“Oh come on Husk how bad is it?” You questioned

“Bad” he said

Before you could continue questioning the flustered cat, a certain spider walks in with a certain someones phone in their hands.

You both turned your attention to Angel then to the phone.

“Shit”

Angel ran

“DAMMIT ANGEL GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK” You chased him

“Y/N WAIT MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST GET A NEW ONE! ILL BUY IT FOR YOU” Husk yelled as he chased after you.

—--------------------------------------

You were extremely out of breath when you finally managed to corner Angel to get your phone. “Alright Angel give it back”

“Promise you won’t hurt me” he pouted.

“I promise I won’t kill you again how about that?” You snarled

Before Angel could hand you the phone back Husk caught up, also out of breath “Angel don’t! I’ll give you $1,000 to break that phone right now”

“Husk what the fuck!” You yelled at him

“Oooo tempting” Angel teased

“Don’t worry doll I’ll buy you a new one” he said to you.

“But no can do whiskers, it’s apart of my plan” with that Angel handed you your phone with the texts pulled up and ready to go, and again ran away.

“ANGEL YOU LITTLE BITCH- I - UGH DAMMIT” Husk cursed profanity after profanity as you just scrolled through the days of texting and flirting and borderline sexting with Husk….he thought it was you?? And he didn’t hate it??

“Husk” you said quietly.

“Y/N listen if I knew-“

“Husk did you really mean all this stuff?”

“Umm, truthfully I don’t know how to answer that” he was beyond flustered. His fur was standing up, his ears were slanted back, his cheeks red with blush.

“Well I think there’s only one thing we can do” you smirked and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and started him pulling him towards your room seductively. “Let’s do what you suggested and finish what was started”

Actions

[idkwhatever580]

Absolutely not!

Masterlist

Pairings: Natasha Romanoff x reader

Prompt: Natasha and y/n decide to switch up their typical styles for a stark party. What if they switch up something else afterwards?

Warnings: SMUT, switch!natasha, switch!reader, kind of dom/sub in the end. Masturbation kink,

A/N: y’all know the drill

\/ if y’all wanna listen lol

Nobody’s pov

Natasha was really regretting her life choices right about now.

You see, y/n is usually the feminine kind when it comes to parties. And Natasha is more masculine.

So it’s always y/n in dresses and Natasha in suits. Leaving y/n a hot mess by the end of the night as well.

Of course. They decided to switch it up for a party. And Natasha was about to go feral if they didn’t leave now.

So y/n let Natasha drag her down the stark tower and to their sexy corvette.

Even the driving situation is switched. Y/n is typically the passenger princess and not because she can’t drive just because Natasha likes to.

But Natasha doesn’t care about anything right now. She needs some relief.

Natasha is gripping onto the seat when lunch by Billie Eilish comes on.

Y/n starts singing it completely oblivious to Natasha’s needs and it sets her off.

Natasha moves her hand onto y/n’s thigh and squeezes it.

Y/n’s pov

I get it now.

She wants me.

But I’m not about to let her distract me. I must stay strong. It’ll be better anyways.

She rubs her hand up my thigh and I decide to deflect and act innocent. I lace my fingers through hers and pull her hand up to my lips for a soft kiss.

My plan works for a few minutes and then she’s back at it again. She puts her hand on my core and I push it off of me shaking my head.

Then she huffs and says

“Let me have something!”

I shake my head and keep my eyes on the road. 15 minutes. That’s all I need then we’ll be home.

But Natasha just can’t fucking wait.

She grabs my hand suddenly and pulls it onto her own core. She’s hot. I can feel it.

Fuck

I speed up slightly and pull my hand away and she says

“Please”

I widen my eyes knowing she doesn’t just beg whenever. I don’t think I’ve actually ever heard her genuinely beg without being asked to.

I give her a small look and she says

“Please touch me”

I huff and pull away from her grasp again and say

“Absolutely not! That is a one of a kind designer dress and you are not about to ruin it for a quickie”

She whines which makes me clench a bit. Yeah it’s hot but that dress was expensive.

“Please baby. I don’t care. I’ll have Tony buy me another!”

I roll my eyes and say

“Nat. The whole point of a one of a kind custom dress is that there is nothing else like it!”

She squirms a bit and tries to bargain with me

“I’ll have the designer make another one”

I come to a red light so I stop and glare at her and say

“Nat. The designer spent hours making that dress perfect for your body and they will not make another one. It will ruin the integrity of their brand. They never repeat a design”

She huffs and crosses her arms and the light turns green so I speed off.

Can’t this thing go any faster?

I know I said I wouldn’t do it with her dress on. But that doesn’t me I don’t want to do it.

After a bit she whines and humps the air making me almost whimper at her own neediness.

I glance at her and grab her hand to make sure she doesn’t take things into her own hands and I say

“Almost home baby. Then I’ll get that dress off carefully and fuck you. Okay?”

She nods her head and says

“Baby I’m so horny”

I let out a breathless laugh and say

“I can tell. I promise I’m not doing this on purpose but I cannot let you ruin that dress okay?”

She has a moment of sanity and nods her head saying

“I know”

I smile and realize I’m far enough away from the city to floor it.

So I absolutely slam the gas and we make it home in about 4 minutes.

I pull into the garage and Natasha almost jumps out of the car.

To be fair, I do too.

We get inside and Natasha is thankfully, carefully taking off her dress and she can’t get it anymore so I finish it.

“Here let me baby”

I trail my hands down her back and she shivers.

I quickly hang up the dress and make sure it’s safe before turning to Natasha and I almost tackle her into our bed.

Usually when she would let out a grunt she lets out a moan and I smirk.

Maybe I should tease her.

Natasha literally pulls me out of my thoughts when she pulls my head into hers. Crashing our lips together and she makes out with me until she decides it’s enough and starts pushing me down to where she wants me most.

I give in and trail my kisses down her naked body and I get down and see how wet she actually is.

It’s leaking through her fucking underwear.

I accidentally let out a straggled breath and it hits her core making them jerk.

“Fuck baby. You’re dripping”

She rolls her eyes and says

“It’s not my fucking fault”

I smirk and say

“Oh? And whose fault is it?”

She grunts and decides to answer hoping I’ll be nicer

“You”

I smile and say

“Wow. I make you this wet?”

She nods her head begrudgingly and I chuckle a bit and pull her panties down.

I get back up to her core and lick a soft strip up and nudge her clit slightly.

I can’t wait any longer so I dive right in.

Her hand instantly grabs my head to keep me from pulling away.

I eat her out like it’s my last meal and her legs start to tighten around me indicating that she is getting close.

In order to help her out I decide to pump a finger into her which makes her groan and then I add another one after a few seconds. I ease it in and she moans when I suddenly curl both my fingers and suck her clit at the same time.

Her hand tightens on my head and pushes me further into her. Not that I mind. This wouldn’t be the first time I passed out from her hands and legs squeezing me. And it probably won’t be the last.

I moan into her when she tugs at my hair sending vibrations straight through her and it sends her over the edge.

I don’t think she’s ever come this fast before, but I don’t dwell on that as I clean up her juices.

She lets out a strangled moan and then I get a devious picture in my head.

I keep licking and sucking and she’s already wanting to come again.

Ive always had a masturbation kink and sure I’ve thought about it. But I’ve never asked Natasha until now.

“Can we try something new?”

I suddenly get shy when she looks down at me. Although she’s frustrated she understands that I’m taking a big step with asking this so she nods her head and says

“As long as I cum soon”

I giggle and sit up and say

“Will you touch yourself for me?”

Her eyes narrow and she looks me up and down before smirking and saying

“Would that make you happy?”

I look at her and try not to let my submissive side come out and I nod my head shyly.

She grabs my face softly and says

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

My eyes light up and I wait patiently. I pull away and let her situate herself.

She trails her hand lower and gasps and how wet she is and then she softly rubs circles on her clit.

I’m sitting on my knees in front of her on the bed as she starts to finger herself.

Fuck. This should not be this fucking hot.

My legs spread open a bit and I somehow bunch up the sheets under me enough to hump them slightly.

It’s not great but it’s relieving some of the pain.

I whimper and Natasha smirks knowing I’m under.

She slides another finger into her hole and I watch it swallow her digits.

I bite my lip and clench my thighs together. My own wetness is almost flowing out of me onto the bed.

Unfortunately the fact that I am only barely humping this damn sheet is making it so much harder for me to do anything.

So I just resort to watching Natasha as she pumps her hand in and out of her core.

She brings her free hand up to her tit and starts massaging it and tweaking her nipple.

I bite my lip hard and she looks at me with a knowing face and says

“Baby this feels so good”

I nod my head and say

“You look so pretty”

She smiles at me and says

“Thank you baby girl. Do you want to touch me?”

I nod my head furiously.

“Words baby”

I look at her and find my words and say

“Can I please touch you?”

She nods her head and says

“Only my breasts. I’ll do the rest like you asked me to.”

I nod my head and immediately go to kissing and sucking her boobs.

Every now and then I pull away and massage them with my hands to look at her fucking herself.

And then I fall into a daze. I’m positioned above one of her legs and she lifts it up and hits my sopping core and she says

“If I’m gonna fuck myself you’re gonna fuck yourself on me okay?”

I bite my lip and whimper at the thought and I start moving back and forth on her leg. Sliding my juices everywhere.

I end up humping her like a crazy person while my eyes are locked on her hands that are in her pussy.

She moans out and says

“Oh fuck baby”

I moan loudly at that and she says

“You like watching me fuck myself? Do you have a masturbation kink?”

I bow my head in embarrassment but I don’t stop my hips and I slightly nod ever so softly, but Natasha sees it and chuckles a bit and says

“I bet you’ve thought of me doing this. Have you touched yourself thinking of me doing this to myself baby?”

I nod my head and moan. I’m so close and she seems close but she’s been going for a while. I’ve only been going for a little bit.

She smiles and says

“I guess I’ll work it into our very tight sex schedule”

I smile knowing she’s making a joke and I throw my head back when she flexes her muscle.

“Oh fuck Nat! I’m so close”

She smirks and says

“Wait a bit baby. I’m close too. I wanna cum with you”

I nod my head as best I can and it falls back. Natasha grunts and firmly says.

“Look at me”

So I quickly snap my eyes to hers and I pant a bit.

“Oh fuck natty. I’m gonna-”

“Cum with me baby! Oh!!”

I roll my eyes back and grab her boobs again for stability which sends her over the edge and her muscles flex even more making me hit my clit hard and I jerk and thrust a bit more and then my orgasm crashes over me.

We slow down but keep our movements going until we can’t anymore and I look down at her panting. She smirks at me and says

“I didn’t know you liked that.”

I send a half smile her way and say

“It was so hot. You’re definitely gonna have to do that again soon”

She moves her wet fingers to my lips and I open willingly and suck and lick her fingers.

Then she pulls away with a pop and looks down saying

“You made a big mess on my thigh. You’re gonna have to clean it up baby”

I let out a shaky breath and move down to her legs and lick my own cum off her leg and moan at my taste and hers mixing on my tongue.

Once I’ve sufficiently cleaned her up I move back to her face and kiss her making sure she tastes both of us on our lips.

I pull away and lie down next to her and say

“That was so good. Thank you.”

She smiles now in her right mind and says

“No thank you. I’m so glad you didn’t let me ruin that dress. I don’t know what I was thinking”

I giggle and cuddle next to her and say

“I’m sleepy”

She brushes my hair out of my face and says

“Sleep. I love you baby”

I smile and say

“I love you too”

A/N: I tried to finish it quickly. This isn’t really my day I guess but I wanted to get it out since I promised it. <3

Taglist

@ilovesnat @ihartnat

[eddiemunsons80sbaby]

Hard Habit to Break

Chapter 2

Pairing: EddieMunsonxOriginalCharacter

Summary: When a chance at the career he always wanted came knocking at the same time that she received the worst news of her life, they were forced apart. Long distance, time on the road, and stories in the tabloids destroyed anything they had left, leading him down a dark road, playing the role of the bad boy rockstar his manager wanted from him. Now tragedy will bring him back to the town he swore to never step foot in again and face to face with her for the first time in years. Will he be able to stick to the plan or will she be the one habit he can't break?

Word Count: 5.6K

Trigger Warnings: Cancer battle, death of a parent, grief, addiction

18+ Only

Now

“Do they need anything else from her right now?”

“I don’t think so. What more could anybody possibly do right now, anyway?”

“Then we should get her home. She needs to get out of this place and get some rest. Tori? Tori?”

“Huh? What?” she mumbled, shaking herself from her stupor, shocked to find her best friend’s eyes so close to hers. The gray blue of a stormy sea, mirroring the feelings rushing through her right now. A tumultuous tempest that she couldn’t make sense of. Her hands were frantically reaching for purchase but finding none as she was tossed around on angry waves that were threatening to swallow her into the depths and drown her. 

Robin was kneeling in front of her now, her jean covered knees pressed against the tile. She took both of Tori’s hands in hers, keeping her tethered to this space, this chair, this horrible stark white space that she wanted to escape. Everything was so bright, too bright, the glare of it hurting her already burning eyes, aching from exhaustion. She wanted to tunnel down into the floor beneath her feet and disappear, curled up in the Earth, becoming one with the dirt, just like her mother would soon. No more pain. No more grief. No more heartache. Only darkness and peace. 

How was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to face this world without the person who guided her through it? How was she supposed to go on motherless? No one to tell her she was doing it right or call her out when she was messing up. Isolated, alone, roaming aimlessly with no one to point her on the right path?

“Babe, are you okay?” Robin asked carefully, each word laced with deep concern. “Sorry. That’s a stupid question. Of course you’re not okay. Do you want to go home? You know, you don’t have to do anything else today. Nothing has to be decided right now. It might be better to wait until Lacy’s here so you can do it together.”

“Yeah. You should go home, get some rest, and deal with everything tomorrow. It’s been a hell of a day. Honey, it’s been a hell of a few years for you, especially these past six months. Maybe you need to take a break,” Nancy piped up from the chair next to her, her hand coming to rub what she clearly thought were soothing circles on Tori’s back. 

Tori knew she meant well but her touch was anything but soothing. It just made her want to jump out of her skin, conjuring memories, flashes of her mom’s hands doing the same thing whenever she was sad. 

The time she sat next to her on the bathroom floor all night in fifth grade when she had the stomach flu. Sophomore year when Jenny Simmons has been so mean to her, lying and telling everyone she’d made out with Eric Hoffman behind the bleachers. Junior year when she stormed in the door, sobbing, because she’d just had her first fight with her boyfriend. Five years ago when she’d had to watch that same boyfriend get on a plane and leave her behind. She had come home, barely able to talk, collapsing into a ball on the floor. A year later when she’d made the hardest decision of her life and her mom had held her for hours, rubbing her back as she released all of the pain that was shredding her from the inside, assuring her that it would all be okay.

Now nothing would ever be okay again. How could it? How much could she lose and still keep moving forward? How many pieces of her heart could be lost before it stopped beating altogether?

“I…uh…yeah…” she mumbled, her brain complete mush, as if someone had run it through a food processor, her thoughts minced into pieces she couldn’t fit back together. She was unable to think, unable to process, unable to do much of anything at the moment. “That’s a good idea, probably.”

“I know it is,” Nancy delicately told her, taking charge of the situation as usual. Her hand came to rest under Tori’s elbow, gently guiding her to her feet. “Let us drive you home and get you to bed, okay?”

“Lacy…I have to call…she needs to know…I have to tell her that…”

“I already took care of it,” Robin assured her, taking her other arm, her two friends slowly guiding her through the building and toward the door. She simply allowed it, too tired to argue, too broken to do it on her own. “I called her at school. She’s going to head home first thing in the morning, okay?”

Tori nodded, anything else felt like too much work. She should have been prepared for this. She’d been preparing for this eventuality for the last five years. It had been a certainty for the past six months but she still wasn’t ready. She would never have been ready to say goodbye, would never be ready to live in this world alone, a girl without a mom. That’s what she was now and it didn’t matter that she was twenty-eight, a grown adult who should be able to survive on her own. It wouldn’t have mattered if she was fifty-eight. She didn’t know how to do any of this without her mom. How do you say goodbye to someone who’s been with you your whole life?

Even now, she wanted to call her, to ask her what to do next, to fall apart in her arms and let her fix it the way she always fixed everything. But now it was up to her and Lacy was coming home tomorrow. She was going to be looking to her big sister to take care of everything, to take care of her. Tori could barely care for herself right now. How was she going to take care of anyone else? 

It didn’t matter. She had to. She had to find the strength within her somehow. Her sister was going to need her to be the strong one, to handle everything, to step up and be what their mom no longer could. 

Tori was only vaguely aware as they tucked her into the backseat of Nancy’s car, mumbling, “What about my car?”

“I called Dustin and he and Steve are going to drive over to the hospital to get it,” Robin told her as she slid into the passenger seat. “They’ll drive it back to your house for you, okay? You don’t have to worry about anything besides taking care of yourself right now. We’ve got you.”

Tori nodded, resting her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She was so tired, running on empty, nothing but fumes left in the tank. The last five years had been hard, the last six months had been awful, but the past month had been hell. Long hours sitting at the hospital, spending any time when she wasn’t at work sitting vigil by her mother’s bedside from the moment they told her it was the end. They couldn’t say how long or when but it was inevitable. There would be no more going home. 

Her eyes slid closed, her body desperate to shut down, but horrific images of the last few hours flashed through her mind. The haunting sound of that endless tone that had signaled her life had been irrevocably changed. She snapped her eyes back open. No. She couldn’t relive it. It had been awful enough the first time. 

“Did you call him?” asked Nancy, her hands held tightly at ten and two, forever the responsible driver no matter the circumstances. 

Maybe she could just let Nancy handle everything. She was good at that, stepping up and taking charge. Maybe she could go to the funeral home tomorrow and make all the decisions, take care of Lacy, deal with her dad while Tori allowed herself to sink into blissful nothingness. 

“I tried,” Robin answered with a shrug. “But you know how it is. He’s not exactly the easiest person to reach these days. He’s always busy or flying off somewhere. I left a message for him with his people.” Her tone took on a haughty air as she snorted. “He’s all Mr. Fancy Pants now. Barely has time for those peons he left back in Hawkins. Hopefully he gets it. I can try again tomorrow.”

“I mean…I know the circumstances are awkward and she doesn’t usually want us to say anything but he should know about this, right?” replied Nancy, her eyes glancing up to the rearview mirror, checking on Tori for a moment, before returning to the road. “He loved Linda, too and…”

“Yeah, I know.”

Their mindless chatter was nothing but background noise to Tori, an incessant buzzing in her skull that she couldn’t make sense of even if she tried. And quite honestly, she didn’t have the energy or the desire to make much of an effort at the moment. It didn’t matter what they were talking about. None of it mattered. How could anything possibly matter more than the catastrophic thing that had just happened?

Her eyes glazed over as the world blurred by outside her window. A couple holding hands as they strolled down the street together, a man walking his dog while bopping his head to whatever music was playing through his headphones, an employee on the sidewalk having a smoke break. 

These simple moments of people just living their lives filled her with an irrational sense of rage. How dare they. How could the world just keep spinning as if nothing happened? How could these people just keep on living their lives as if something unspeakable hadn’t just happened? Why wasn’t everything stopping to acknowledge the tragedy? Why wasn’t it recognizing the awful loss that had occurred?

Nancy pulled into her driveway and the car went silent as she turned off the engine. Tori opened the door and made her way up to the porch mechanically. She grabbed the knob, turning it, but nothing happened. Tori stood, glaring at the door as if it had done something terribly wrong to her. Robin appeared at her side, dangling her keys from her fingers. She swiftly unlocked it and three of them headed inside. 

Tori froze just inside the door at the sight of the hospital bed in the living room, the image sending new waves of grief crashing over her, threatening to pull her down under their swells. The entire room tipped and she reached out, instincts kicking in to grab onto something to stop the inevitable crash, when Nancy caught her around the waist, keeping her upright. 

“Whoa there,” she said softly, brushing her hair back from her face. “I got you. It’s okay. Come on. Let’s get you upstairs, alright?” Her eyes turned to Robin, her head tilting toward the hospital bed. 

Robin took the hint, heading in to pull the curtains around it that they had put up for her mom’s privacy. The hospital bed had become a necessity six months ago when her mom grew too weak to make it up the stairs anymore. Tori had taken to sleeping on the couch, wanting to be near in case she needed anything in the middle of the night. For the past month she’d slept on a cot in her hospital room. It felt wrong now to be heading upstairs to her room, to a bed she hadn’t slept in for months, even though there was no reason not to anymore. 

“Did anyone call my dad?” she questioned quietly, not sure where the thought had come from, logic somehow breaking through the haze of grief for a moment. 

“Lacy was going to do that, babe,” Robin assured her, somehow returning without Tori even noticing, the blond now on her other side. “Everything that needed to be done tonight has been taken care of and everything else can wait until tomorrow. All you need to do right now is get some rest, okay?”

Robin led her to the bed, holding her hands and sitting her down as Nancy rummaged in her drawers, finding Tori a pair of sweats and an oversized shirt. The two of them helped her, tugging off her clothes, lifting her limbs, pulling the pajamas on, as if she were a toddler who was incapable of independence. But that’s exactly how she felt right now. She was still just a little girl, a little girl who wanted her mom, who wanted the person who always took care of everything to come and take care of all of this because she didn’t want to. She hated the universe for forcing her to.

Tori glanced down at herself and frowned, some small part of her brain recognized the shirt she was wearing. It was a shirt she never wore, not anymore, because it was attached to another kind of pain, a different loss. It was a shirt that stayed tucked away in a drawer, hidden from sight but always there because she couldn’t bring herself to toss it. 

Seeing it was always like having her heart torn from her chest all over again. But in this moment, not even that pain, the pain that was so unbearable she thought she’d never recover, the pain that was the worst she’d ever felt until tonight when she learned there was another level of hell, couldn’t break through. That awareness of what it meant couldn’t break through. She was already in agony and the last thing she gave a shit about was what she was wearing.

“Alright, how about we lay down now?” Nancy urged, lifting her feet and turning them toward the bed as Robin gently pressed down on her shoulders, her body sinking back into the mattress compliantly. 

Robin pulled the blanket up over her, tucking it under her chin, and sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing her hair back from her face. She fought the urge to slap her friend’s hand away, illogical anger coursing through her at the gentle gesture that should have come from someone else. 

“Just try to get some sleep, okay?” her friend urged. “Close your eyes and get some rest. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.”

Tori’s eyes moved to her bedroom doorway at the sound of someone walking in the front door downstairs. Her brow furrowed in confusion, wondering who would be coming into her house at this time of night. But that was a silly thing to think because she realized she had no idea what time it even was. 

“It’s just Steve and Dustin. They were bringing your car home for you, remember?” asked Nancy quietly, her hand sliding over Tori’s hair before cupping her cheek. “Just go to sleep, Tori. We’ll go down and take care of them.”

“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded softly, her hand grabbing onto Robin’s, clutching it tightly. “Please? I just…I don’t want to be in the house all alone.”

“Never. We’ll be right here all night, okay?” her best friend assured with a squeeze of her hand. “And we will be here when you wake up.”

Tori murmured her understanding, the sleep she’d been fighting for hours finally winning its battle as her eyes closed, exhaustion taking over as she slipped into sweet oblivion. 

___________________________________________________________

The plain, yet organized space, was a stark contrast to the messy, disheveled guy sitting on one of the dark leather couches. A large glass window that ran along the wall would allow any passers-by to see his agitation as his leg jiggled with frustration, fingers raking through his tangled waves. In the corner was a soundproof booth with thick padding to allow for maximum noise isolation but he didn’t need that when he had nothing to work with. Speakers and amps that sat silent, waiting for music that he couldn’t write.

“Son of a bitch,” muttered Eddie, yanking the pencil from behind his ear to scribble out lyrics he’d already written over twenty times. 

This song was turning out to be a pain in his ass. Every single time he thought he had it, he would try to play it and it sounded all wrong. And it wasn’t just this song. It was any song. Something that used to be as natural to him as a river flowing downhill, following the natural curve of the Earth, had suddenly become impossible. 

He chewed on the end of the pencil, metallic and rubbery in his mouth, eyes screwed tightly shut as his head moved to the beat, struggling to find the right words to lay down with it. The problem was, he didn’t even like the music. The intro was messy, the bridge was leading nobody anywhere, and the hook definitely wasn’t hooking anything. And the chorus? Forget it. Their fans would boo them right off the stage with the bullshit he’d been coming up with.

“Man, you’re going to give yourself an aneurysm if you don’t chill out,” Gareth teased as he entered the studio, dropping into a chair that sat in front of the control board. “It’s our time off, Eds. Give it a rest already.”

Eddie glared at his friend, “I can’t give it a rest. I can’t get this goddamn song to work. I can’t get anything to work. Everything I write is fucking wrong lately. It’s like I’ve lost my mojo or something.”

Gareth chuckled, shaking his head, “You haven’t lost anything, man. You’re just overworked. If we’re not on tour, you’re locked in the studio writing. If you’re not writing, then you’re making calls, figuring out the next show, always trying to make everything bigger and better than the last time. You never stop, man. I swear you never even sleep. Maybe your brain is trying to tell you to slow down. If I were you, I’d listen to it. We can’t have our frontman burnt out or all of this work is for nothing anyway.”

Eddie groaned, tossing the pencil onto the table with annoyance. It bounced and then hit the floor, rolling off and under the soundboard. For the last three months, he’d been having a block, finding himself incapable of writing anything that was worthy of another Corroded Coffin album. Every single time he tried, everything just came out absolute shit. He was close to losing his damn mind over it. 

They were at the top of their game right now, the hottest metal band in the country. How were they going to stay on top if he couldn’t come up with any new material?

It happened to so many bands. They became an overnight sensation, sold out stadiums, records gone platinum, only to hit their peak then slide backward after a few years. Pushed to crank out albums quickly, the quality of the craft deteriorated as concern became about keeping up with demand and striking the iron while it was hot. All those people behind the scenes, pulling the strings, wanted to cash in on their payday. And if your band failed? So what? They had thousands just like you waiting in the wings for their six minutes of fame.

Fame was a fickle bitch and if a band didn’t constantly stay relevant, it could snuff out like damp fingertips suffocating a candle’s flame. Instantly and without remorse. Eddie couldn’t let that happen to Corroded Coffin. He wanted them to be one of those groups that stood the test of time, their albums still being bought and played long after they’d left this earth. He didn’t just want fame. He wanted immortality, a legacy he was proud to leave behind. 

His body buzzed with nervous energy, needing something to take the edge off. Eddie pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, worrying at the already torn and flaking skin. He was always hearing it from Amanda, their make-up artist, when she had to buff all the dead skin off his lips and then slather them in Vaseline. 

But not being able to do the one thing that he’d always been sure of, the only thing he knew he was good at, had him on edge. And the only thing that might help, he’d sworn off of, promised his friends he wouldn’t touch that shit again. He’d almost sent the band crashing and burning, torched everything they’d worked for and he couldn’t risk that again no matter how strong the urge was. He couldn’t just toss two years of being clean down the toilet because of some writer’s block. 

“Eds, you’re starting to make me a bit nervous, man,” Gareth told him, angling his body toward him, elbows propped on his knees. He could see that look on his friend’s face, the look he hated, the one he’d worked so hard to keep off his face for the past couple years. “In fact, you’re making all of us nervous. You’ve been off lately. You’ve been real twitchy and moody. It’s bringing back memories, man, memories none of us want to relive. You’re not…”

“No,” Eddie snapped, his hand slamming against the table as he lurched to his feet. His fingers ran through his hair roughly, one of his chunky rings getting caught in the strands, pulling and causing him to wince. “No. I haven’t touched that shit, okay? I haven’t touched it since…that was different. I was in a really bad fucking place, man. I’m not in that place anymore. I dealt with all that shit in rehab and I am still dealing with it. I’ve got it under control. I’m just pissed off at myself. This is what I do, Gareth! I write and play music. If I can’t do that…what the hell else am I even good for?”

“That’s not true. Music is not the only thing you’re good for. Even if all of this ended tomorrow, you are so much more than just a rockstar, Ed,” Gareth assured, rising to his own feet, waving Eddie’s worries off as if they weren’t this giant monstrosity sitting in the middle of the room, keeping him up at night, causing him to chainsmoke until his throat was on fire. “Every writer goes through this shit, man. You really think you’re the first musician who struggled to write? Take a few days off. You can’t force it so give it a break. Do do something relaxing for a while. Get a room at The Biltmore. Chill by the pool and have a few drinks and get some damn sleep and maybe a little sun. You’re starting to look like the undead, my friend.”

“Thanks asshole,” he huffed, snorting with a roll of his eyes. You could always count on a friend to give you the brutal truth and Gareth was an expert at that. Of course Eddie needed that dose of reality from time to time. It was what kept him grounded. It was what kept him clean.

“I mean it. I say this with all love, man, but you gotta do something different. You’re looking less rockstar and more Dracula, and not in a sexy way. I mean, some chicks might be into that pasty, sunken eyes look but only if you can stay upright long enough. Call Gianna and see if she can meet you for the weekend. We don’t have to be in this damn studio for another two weeks. So, get the hell out of here and take advantage of the time off. They’ll have our noses back to the grindstone before you know it.”

Eddie considered his friend’s words. A weekend at The Biltmore didn’t sound half bad. He was drained, absolutely fatigued, running on nothing but black coffee and a dream. He’d been pushing himself hard for the last few months, harder than he ever had, angry that he couldn’t get one damn song right. Music was the only thing that kept him sane anymore. It was the only thing that mattered in his life anymore. Without it, he didn’t know who he was and that terrified the shit out of him. 

He’d had more sleepless nights than he could count, his brain unable to quiet, desperate to find that next great song. That anthem that would have kids from California to Maine banging their heads, devil horns raised proudly. Maybe he did need a break, a chance to reset. Who knew? Maybe it would get his creative juices flowing again. 

Inviting Gianna, now that part he wasn’t so sure about. The last time they’d talked she’d called him a selfish prick, told him to go to hell, and hung up on him. Eddie might not be the smartest guy in the room but he knew how to take a hint. Spending a weekend with him was probably the last thing she wanted to do. Whatever. It was only a matter of time, anyway. He’d known this was coming because it always did. None of them ever lasted.

He hadn’t had a relationship last longer than a couple months since…nope. He shut that thought process down, a door slamming in his brain. That was the name they didn’t speak. The name he did not allow his brain to even think. That name always led to pain, pain that led to…other things. Things he was trying to stay away from. Things he swore to the guys he wouldn’t touch again and he intended to keep that promise. So that name stayed locked up tight where it belonged.

Fingers snapped in his face, jerking him from his thoughts. Gareth stood in front of him, brows meeting in concern. “Hey man, you still with me?”

“Yeah.” He laughed hollowly, shaking his head. “Sorry. I guess I must be even more tired than I thought. I was just thinking that maybe you’re onto something. Maybe I do need to take a break. Maybe I’ll even make it a whole week instead of a weekend. Sleep until noon, order some room service, watch some crappy movies, lay in the sun so I can stop looking like Nosferatu….recharge my battery, you know?”

“There you go!” Gareth exclaimed happily, clapping him on the back. “So you thinking just a solo trip or inviting your girl?”

Eddie snorted, “I’m going solo on this one. Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s not my girl anymore.”

Sighing, his friend gave him the look, the look Eddie had received more times than he could count, especially these last few years. He squeezed Eddie’s shoulder and he knew what was coming but he really didn’t want to hear it again. He knew he was hopeless when it came to relationships. He knew he sabotaged every single one but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. No matter what the guys said, it didn’t make a difference, and it just pissed him off that they felt the need to keep harping on something that wasn’t going to change.

“Eds, you’ve got to stop chasing every single damn girl away,” Gareth groaned. “It’s been years, my friends. Years with an ‘s’, meaning plural. You’ve got to move on at some point. It’s like you think you don’t deserve to be happy but you do. I swear to you, you do. You know she wouldn’t want this for you. She’d hate to see you doing this to yourself. You say you’ve let go and moved on but it sure as hell doesn’t seem like it. I don’t know if you’re still holding out hope that one day Tor…”

Eddie’s hand slapped over his friend’s mouth, cutting him off before he could finish her name. Gareth knew the rules. They all knew the rules. He’d been very explicit about the rules with every single one of them. The rules were in place for a reason and saying that name was the number one no-no. Gareth knew what hearing that name did to him. His friend shoved his hand away, rolling his eyes. 

“Fine, you’re holding out hope that one day the person we don’t name is going to suddenly show up and want you back but it’s not going to happen. You guys broke up four years ago, Eds. You can’t keep destroying every single relationship you have because you’re still waiting for the one we don’t talk about. I know you hoped that one day things would be different and…that unnamed person would come find you but it’s not happening, man. You two haven’t even spoken in four years. Don’t you think it’s time to move on? I’m betting she has.”

“Hey, Eddie!” called his manager, Arty, as he walked in. “I’ve been looking all over for you. What the hell are you doing in the studio, kid? Did you miss the memo that you’ve got two weeks off? You should be out living it up and enjoying your break because I am going to work the hell out of you guys when it’s over. The fans are anxious for the third album. We gotta keep the fires burning red hot, you know. Anyway, we got a message for you. Usually, we ignore that shit because it's just fans trying to find a way in, but this one sounded like it might be legit so I wanted to double check. It was from someone called Robin.”

One simple word, two syllables, a name, and he was spiraling. Jesus, had they known him and Gareth had been talking about her? Was the universe playing some perverse trick on him? His stomach twisted, muscles tensed, the wrench spinning and spinning around the bolts that held him together until he was twisted so tight he couldn’t move. Everything went rigid, strained to its maximum threshold, ready to snap under the slightest pressure. 

The blood whooshed through his head like a tidal wave, pounding in his ears, behind his eyes. Eddie’s hand came down on the table, propping himself up, knowing he had to find out what the message was even if it had the potential to destroy him. There was only one possible reason that Robin would even bother to try to reach him after the last conversation they had.

“She said…” Arty paused, bringing the yellow notepad closer to his aging eyes, unaware of how tightly Eddie’s hand had wrapped around the edge of the table. “Tori’s mom passed away a few hours ago and she felt like you should know. They haven’t made any arrangements yet but she left a number for you to call her back if you want to know the details.”

Arty held out the slip of paper proudly, smiling like he’d just done Eddie some massive favor. The man had no idea what he’d just done. He’d taken over their management almost three years ago once they got too big for the guy they’d had before. When playing smaller venues turned into massive arenas, Todd could no longer handle it. He was more of a small time guy. That was when Arty swooped in, a guy who’d worked with some of the biggest names in the industry when they started to take off. That was his specialty, not getting you to the top but helping you stay there once you’d reached it. 

He knew about Eddie’s substance abuse issues, but he never knew why he’d first touched the stuff. He didn’t know why the idea of forgetting everything, of not being in control of his own faculties, of just allowing himself to get swept under the bad boy rockstar image had been so appealing to him. But Arty had been the one to kick his ass and get him into rehab, telling him he was going to destroy everything, that he was a ticking time bomb sitting in the center of the band, that was going to explode and decimate it all if he didn’t get his shit together. He’d seen bigger bands than them fall apart over the same shit. 

Eddie’s eyes darted over to Gareth’s, his best friend since they were kids, the one who understood exactly what this meant, how this news was causing him to spin out of control like a car careening on the highway. That careful wall he’d built around anything that had to do with her was crumbling apart around him, massive chunks tumbling and smashing to the ground to expose everything he worked so hard to conceal. 

Gareth stepped forward, taking the paper from his hands, looking down at the hastily scrawled set of numbers as if Robin herself were going to leap off the page. He looked back up at Eddie, eyes wide.

“Vacation plans changed?” he asked knowingly and Eddie didn’t miss the flash of fear in his friend’s eyes, the way his jaw stiffened into granite. He knew exactly how hard it would be if Eddie made this choice. He knew what the potential fallout could be. But he was going to have to take the risk because what other choice did he have?

“I guess my vacation time is going to be spent in Hawkins…” Eddie murmured, eyes falling back to the paper again, his brain struggling to catch up with the decision he’d just made, the repercussions of what he was about to do. 

“Hawkins? Where the hell is Hawkins?” Arty asked with a snort. “Sounds like some podunk town if I ever heard one.”

Eddie lifted one eyebrow along with a shoulder. “That’s exactly what it is. Some podunk town in Indiana.”

“So, what the hell is in Hawkins that’s got you spending your precious time off there?”

“Everything,” he whispered, snatching the paper back from Gareth and striding out of the room. 

Here it is! Hope you all enjoy. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. I am forever trying to better my writing so feedback is always welcome and reblogs are always appreciated. Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. And if you do, please make sure your age is on your profile. I will not add if it's not.

Taglist: @browneyes528 @chevelle724 @tlclick73 @transparentenemypenguin @missmarch-99

[ivelle-serenity]

Skateboard 7

Wind breaker

fem bodied reader | smut | action | pwp | jayjo/fml | vinny/fml | wooin/fml | joker/fml | hyuk/fml | owen/fml | enemies to lovers | angsty | the other woman (?) | reverse harem | fluff | SLOW BURN! | all characters featured are 18+

author's note: i need demitra's interaction with sabbath now and write smut. damn it. they're so hot--i just can't.

✧˖° — windbreaker men

✧˖° — mdni, smut, description of not safe for work content.

✧˖° — this is a story not one shot.

"Jay's out of it again," Dom sighed, watching Jay sitting alone on the bench. It was currently our P.E. class, and we were doing our stretches. Jay, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the world, sitting on the bench reading a book.

"He didn't eat lunch again. I'm really worried about him," Mia said, lowering her head.

"Damn it, I hate seeing him like this. Why doesn't Shelly even message our friend?" Dom said angrily, throwing the ball down in frustration.

I kept staring in Jay's direction. His friends were getting worried about him, but Jay didn't seem to care because of Shelly. I noticed my bag beside Jay; I had left it there so I could go straight home after P.E. without having to go back upstairs.

"I'm going to get some water," I told Mia and Dom. Mia nodded while Yuna tried to calm Dom down.

When I reached the bench, I grabbed my water bottle for a drink. I was surprised to find a sandwich in my bag that I hadn't eaten earlier. I took it out.

"Do you want?" I offered it to Jay. He paused and looked at the sandwich.

"I'm fine," he said.

"I made it myself. It's really good! Promise!" I said, sitting next to him. He glanced at the sandwich again before putting his book down.

"Fine, thanks," he said.

I smiled widely when he accepted it. I felt proud of myself for getting him to eat. As I watched him, I noticed Dom walking towards us.

"The tournament's tomorrow. I still can't believe we have to ride without Shelly," Dom said worriedly as he approached us.

"You guys trained for a reason. I know you can do it," Minu tried to reassure his friends.

"Why do we have to fall apart when we're so close to the end of the competition?" Dom sat down beside Jay, who was now eating the sandwich.

I just listened to their conversation, not wanting to intrude. I was only here to replace Shelly in the competition. I didn't want to assume they saw me as a friend. I knew my place. Besides, I had no intention of officially joining their crew. Wooin didn't want me getting close to the Hummingbirds, so joining was out of the question. I sighed.

"How about you, Demitra?" Mia's question caught me off guard. I forced a laugh.

"I'll just try my best tomorrow. I think you can win even without my help. You guys are amazing."

I could feel Jay's eyes on me. My actions yesterday were too risky. I can't let that happen again. I really need to control my feelings for Jay. It's embarrassing because he probably sees me as just a friend, while I see him in a different light. I also don't want Shelly to know I'm here. If she finds out, I'll probably transfer to another school.

"We still need your help to win the race," Jay said, stopping my thoughts.

"Of course," I said, scratching the back of my neck in embarrassment.

"We got you a wig," Yuna said, holding out a bag. A wig? For what? "So no one notices you're not Shelly."

I was stunned and had no choice but to nod. I couldn't believe I was going to pretend to be Shelly. If Noah were here, she'd probably laugh at me. She knew how much I hated being compared to her. But here I was, agreeing to her friends' plan.

"Got it," I said softly.

After saying that, they started discussing unfamiliar things related to the race. I overheard Sangho's name being mentioned, which made me even more silent. I noticed that it wasn't just Jay who was looking at me; even Yuna seemed to want me out of there, judging by her glances. Since I didn't want to intrude on their privacy, I moved away from the group. I approached some other classmates and grabbed a ball to play with.

Our teacher was absent. From what Dom said, they called him Mr. Nam. I hadn't met him yet, but based on how Jay and the others seemed to respect him, I figured he must be a great teacher.

My brows furrowed as a ball rolled towards the school's entrance, played by some other classmates. I quickly went to retrieve it. As I picked it up, I nearly dropped it when I saw a familiar guy.

"Vinny?" I exclaimed in surprise. He looked blank and pocketed something. He had a bike with him.

"You're studying here too?" he said with almost a tone of disgust. Perhaps he said that because he knew his former friends were studying here.

I nodded. "What brought you here?" I asked, looking down at the bike.

"Wooin wanted you to come to a race tomorrow to watch," he said, almost stopping my heart. "And he also wants you to know that you should be at the club every night at 8 p.m."

"W-What?" I couldn't process what he was saying.

"I can't go tomorrow," I said quickly. I didn't want them to know that I was one of the racers tomorrow! "And why should I go to the club at night?"

His gaze turned colder. "Have you forgotten the deal you made with Wooin?"

Damn it.

"You need to be there every night before the tournament. He needs you for the strategies we'll be planning for the race," he explained, looking irritated.

"O-Oh..." I nodded. "But isn't Sangho there?" I said nervously.

He fell silent. "Why are you so afraid of him?" he asked seriously.

I clenched my fists. "I told you, I got into a fight with some guys who seemed to work for him. And... those men didn't just want me dead. They tried to touch me." It felt pointless to lie. They would find out eventually.

"They what?" His face darkened. His eyes widened.

I looked away. "But I think they won't chase me here. But still... I don't want to see Sangho—"

"They tried to touch you? Fuck."

I smiled bitterly. "Vinny, do you think it's easy being a female rider in the underground? Not everyone we race against wants to compete fairly. Some of them want to..." I couldn't finish my sentence.

We both fell silent. Maybe he realized I didn't want to talk about it anymore. It was a nightmare. That's why I promised myself I'd never bike again.

"You stay close to Dom," he broke the silence. "He can protect you."

I furrowed my brows. "Why him? Don't you think Wooin can protect me?"

He sighed. "Not like that. Like you said, you don't want any connection with Sangho. Wooin has business with that man, so it's better if you stick with Dom for now," he explained, combing his hair.

"He's part of the Yakuza. He can protect you."

The real question is... Why would he protect me? I'm not even his friend! I'm just his classmate. I don't want to approach Dom just to be protected. I'm not that desperate!

"I think I can protect myself very well, Vinny. Thank you for your concern," I said with a smile. His gaze remained serious.

"I'll go talk to him, then."

"What!?" I exclaimed, trying to stop him from entering the school. "Wait! I thought you two weren't friends anymore?"

I blocked his way to stop him from entering. He was so tall that I was having a hard time. There were many eyes on us because of him. He looked like a gangster trying to enter the school.

I tried to block his way, but it was too late. Vinny had stopped and was glaring at something behind me.

"What's going on?" Jay's cold voice made me wince.

"Call Dom. I don't need you," Vinny snapped at Jay. I quickly turned to Jay and shook my head, trying to defuse the tension.

"You can go back. He's just asking me something," I lied, but Jay's gaze remained fixed on me, then shifted to Vinny in a silent challenge.

"I thought you weren't friends with him?" Jay's comment made Vinny pause and look at me with an annoyed expression. Maybe he was irritated because I had told Jay, or perhaps that was just his usual demeanor.

"Why do you even care, jerk?" Vinny retorted, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Hey, stop," I urged Vinny, my brows furrowed. "Can you please just go? You're making a scene." I whispered, glancing around and noticing the growing number of onlookers. The tension was palpable, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

"What the fuck? What's that bastard doing here?" Dom's voice startled me. He approached with a fierce look, positioning himself between Jay and Vinny. I felt a surge of anxiety, fearing they might start a fight. Both of them towered over me, their presence intimidating.

Vinny clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "You..." he couldn't finish his sentence, throwing sharp glances at Dom, who tilted his head mockingly.

"Vinny, just go," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the chaos. His gaze dropped to me, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face.

"I'm not here to fight, considering I've already beaten you," he sneered. Dom made a move towards him, but Jay held him back with a firm hand on his shoulder.

Vinny continued, "Just protect your new member, will you? You never know who might want to hurt this little one." His tone was mocking, but there was an undercurrent of threat that made my blood run cold.

Dom’s eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he took a step closer. “You think you’re tough? Coming here and making threats?”

Vinny smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction he was provoking. “I don’t need to think. I know.”

“Enough,” Jay said, his voice cutting through the rising tension. “Vinny, leave now.”

Vinny held Jay’s gaze for a long moment before he shrugged, as if bored by the whole confrontation. “Fine. But remember what I said, Dom. Watch your back. And hers.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and looked at Jay and Dom, who were still tense and ready for a fight.

“Are you okay?” Jay asked, his voice softer now.

I nodded, but my mind was racing. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… let’s go back to class.”

What the hell was that? Is that his excuse to follow through with his plan to have Dom protect me? I hate him! He doesn't need to do that,.

[lorephobic]

idk how to even like. put this pain into words and i would normally vent about this shit on twitter, but the person its about follows me on there so like. anybody have skills for coping with the crushing realization that the person u love most in this world and have built ur life around sees ur current situation together as a temporary hurdle that's preventing them from their truest and happiest self which. is separate from u entirely? anyone know how to deal with this?

[dirt-str1der]

What ive learned about the yakuza community is that you guys are way too hung up over that scene in y4 where he pinned haruka to the ground then started panting really heavily , that didnt happen for me , that scene wasnt real to me i forgot about it.

[lesbianyosano]

legitimately what the fuck was that

[swordmaid]

am getting a lot of character inspo for shri’iia from amy gone girl. I don’t think she’s as smart nor calculated but she is similar to some degree in that she’s hyper aware of the current persona she’s presenting and how she’s appealing to the people. the masks and the mjndgames, that’s basically how shri’iia operated while she was still serving under her matriarch in menzoberranzan. she needed to play the roles the matriarch required of her and it was only when she was with her matriarch that she can be ‘Real Shri’iia’, and that’s how I imagined shri’iia to be esp in act 1 when she is so new and scared in the surface. she needed to work out who these people are (her companions) and what they liked, so her first persona - her blank one - the charming helpful paladin who got tadpoled and wants to go back home just like the rest of them (which was half true). she didn’t really argue and she generally agreed to what the group wanted. she was helpful and co-operative, ask her about her past and she will tell you something bland and generic- interesting enough to be ooh-ing about but not too interesting that they’ll delve deeper into it. then, when she got to know them a little more, she started crafting little personas adjacent to her first one ; she’s the girl who’s curious about magic but never had the chance to learn with gale, she’s a cool girl who likes mischief as debauchery with astarion, she’s the one who likes to take risks and live in the moment with karlach, the knight in silver armor who’s willing to help the tieflings with wyll, a disciplined fighter with lae’zel, someone who understands the depths of devotion with shadowheart - but none are really her, not really. ofc her own personality might slip in here and there but for the most part she’s appealing to them and what they’d like her to be but none of it is really genuine. shri’iia just needs to be on their good side to minimise the chances of them turning on her, and if they let her guard down it’ll be easier for her to get rid of them should the need arise. taking up all these different masks, collecting all these intel abt them to be used for later, slithering and making a place in their minds - it’s really how she operated back in menzoberranzan. I think the only one who catches on to her game is astarion but that’s bc he’s doing the same thing too, so it’s very game recognises game lmfao

it’s only when she breaks her oath and goes through her existential crisis that all of her masks drop and her real self comes out. she was never that kind of person lmfao ^, she’s greedy, selfish, paranoid and rather obsessive. she doesn’t care about a lot of things that doesn’t concern her, she has a cruel streak that she hasn’t shown before, and she hates doing anything that won’t really benefit her. but she’s fiercely loyal to anyone she likes, like a dog. and severely she craves validation and approval - also like a dog.

[livvyofthelake]

love spending three hours waiting for my mom to be ready to watch a show together only to be told it’s too late once she finally finishes doing other stuff. girl we agreed to watch this tonight what do you mean I’M too late. i was HERE. i was ready the whole time… YOU were the one doing things you could have done tomorrow!!!

[batemanofficial]

i need weed. i need a medical card so bad or im gonna go out of my fuckign GOURD