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natsuyuki-w · 9 months

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Not one of the boys

Twisted wonderland cast realizes that (Yuu) is a girl.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 Featuring: Grim - Trey - Adeuce - Tsunotaro, Cater and Riddle

Dumb human

- Hyiiii! It's really coming down! - Appeared the monster out of nowhere. - ARGH! Grim! - I jumped almost stumbling on the dusty sofa. - Gyahahahaha! You've got this stupid look on your face like... Whaaaaaa but you're a girl! - He panicked watching my shirt.

To dust the abandoned building, I had thrown off the ceremonial cape leaving me with a tight black shirt.. - Yes,... I identify as one at least. What about it? - His face gradually relaxed and he put a paw under his chin. - I dunno. I only saw boys, just thought you were one as well. - he shrugged. Thinking back to the faces I met in the mirror chamber, it could've been true. Tho there were many people, hooded furthermore, and there was no way of knowing if somebody was another gender instead.

- Yes I've decided.- piped the grey cat. - Nothing has changed, you're still a weak dumb human, either a boy or a girl. -

- How many colorful titles am I going to get in the near future? -

Chestnuts

- Talking about husband material. - with the basket of chestnuts in hand, I gushed eying all the goodies in the kitchen prepared by the third year. Trey chuckled lightly - If you say so.- strangely enough, the comment hit differently from when his friends teased him about it.

Cater's words came to his mind: "Much like the new Pomefiore kid, (Yuu)Chan is a very cute boy."

- Lah - I clipped back Deuce's hair just like I did with mine. - Now we are ready! - and I struck a power pose. Trey looked at me for a good moment, mind wandering, cheeks reddening. His Heartslabyul companion was getting into his head.

---

With that tart involved, I knew it was going to end like this. - (Yuu)!!! Stop it. - slapped my hand Ace - I need them for the cake, do you want me to stay like this forever???- he pointed to the collar on his neck. - You are such a drama-king, there are probably 10 kilos of them. - I pouted - This is just the rightful prize for...Ouch! - he flicked my nose this time. Chestnuts were a weakness of mine and even tho it was a very boring and laborious task, Ace was considering switching and shelling them himself.

He snatched the one I just finished cleaning and dropped it in the pile - Junkie! - he threw a judging gaze. - Yes okay? I admit it. Hi, my name is (Yuu), I'm 18 years old, and it's since last November that I haven't tasted, this delicious fruit of the devil. - I chanted.

- Fruit of the devil? - asked Grim. - Yeah..., where I live, chestnuts have been said to be a gift from God to the people of the mountains, but that has been cursed by the devil, making them difficult to bring and eat.- - Ah-ha! - looked at me weirdly the cat.

- As I, mere mortal, can't look upon this gift... OUCH - a slap, this time on my nape. - Are you going to just punish me or do you intend to make yourself useful for YOUR apology cake? - I bit.

- Kids, calm down. - teased the man with glasses posing his large hands on our heads - but He...(Yuu) has a point, Ace. - inquired. And scolded by the older student, the angry first year started working alongside me but scrutinizing my every move.

---

I quickly finished shedding all the remaining fruits and stood to go asking what we needed next, but before, I spun fast, aiming for my drug.

Unfortunately, Trey was quicker, and from behind me, he managed to grab the bowl and hold me back with his long arms. When his hand got hold of my waist, I felt him tense briefly, but he recomposed, looking down at me with a tinge of red on his ears. - No more falling into temptation, okay (Yuu)? - he commented, lingered for just a moment, and then proceeded to give us instructions.

- What was that? - whispered Ace to me. - What? - I asked dumbfounded. - WHA??? You haven'...sigh...WHATever.- and he left

- What? -

---

- Do that thing you do, Trey-kun. - said Cater. The boy arrived just to snatch a couple of photos and enjoy our labor. -..., oh that! What are your favorite things to eat guys? - asked the other third-year. And after he listened and chanted " doodle suit", we all bitted into the slices again. Everyone was surprised and cheery about the unexpected flavor. My mind on the other hand got in a tantrum of emotions, and soon big juicy tears were streaming down my face.

- This is Trey-kun's unique magic. Don't you think it'd work super well on a date with a girl? - commented the boy winking and wrinkling the diamond seed on the cheek.

The rivers streaming down my eyes wouldn't stop. I quietly turned around hoping to cover it from the others. But Trey, who was right next to me, caught sight of my face - (Yuu) what happened? Have I messed up yours? - he posed a comforting hand on my back. I shook my head and tried denying my poor state with sobs choking each word. -N-no no! I-*hick* it's perfect. A-and don't *sniff worry-y I'm just a baby. - I felt pathetic.

- Uff I'm glad I didn't mess it up, but you definitely are not good.- - I-it's just...I think I-I'm feeling homesick fro-om the taste of the dish- I murmured - Pushing me a little he looked where he could find some tissues, but after seeing that it wasn't getting better tried the bold move of hugging me.

Welcoming the offered comfort, I moved my arms from my face to the back of his shirt mumbling - I'm so sorry.- for the tears that stained his clothes and the awkwardness of the moment, and too caught by my storm of emotions, I didn't realize the implications of my chest pressed against him.

His body went stiff like a wooden plank but managed to gulp heavily and relax. "Perhaps (Yuu) isn't a cute boy after all." He was going to take the information for himself.

Hook up???

- Excuse my intrusion. - said Deuce who came along to keep an eye on Ace. - Make yourself at home. - I smiled warmly. - the bathroom is here, I'll go up and take out the mattress, cover, and pillow. Ace, do you want to sleep on the couch again? - - My back hurts just thinking about it. - he groaned.

- Let us give you a hand prefect! - followed Deuce grabbing his companion by the wrist. - Hey, hey I'm coming... geez - he almost fell from the cramped stairs. - Hahaha, sure, thank you. - I waved them up. - I'll seriously start to tie up this weekend. So, I'm sorry but for now, my guest room is the lounge. - and I invited them to my shared bedroom. - Don't worr...- the raven boy froze in place.

- What's up? - and I followed his eyes. - Ups... - my laundry was still folded on the sheets and, obviously, my bra was on top of the pile. - I can exp...- -I KNOW RIGHT? I never noticed until yesterday! - exclaimed Ace. - Gyahahaha, you should've seen him: "HOW DARE YOU LYING TO ME LIKE THAT, WOMAN?". So lame. - Grim cackled nudging the boy's leg, but no reactions came out of him.

- ACE, GRIM DAMN IT! I was ready with a bunch of excuses! - - Oh yeah, like? - they asked incredulously. - This Gremlin pranked me? I snatched a hook-up? I like wearing women's clothes or I'm a Drag queen?...-

- THOSE EXCUSES ARE EVEN MORE EMBARRASSING THAN THE TRUTH! - Screamed back at me the ginger. I glared very disappointed but before I could insult his bigotry he inquired- And a hookup? How in hell would you find a girl to hook up with? - - Mhpf... - I pouted offended - I AM a pretty boy, Cater's words. I could find a girl easily if only I would.-

- (Yuu)...- Finally Deuce snapped out of his daze and spoke in a quiet voice. - ...you are a girl... - and a little hurt asked - Why you didn't tell us? - I had the impression this was starting to be a talk of routine. - Crowley asked me to keep it a secret, but honestly...Well, is not like I needed to tell anything. Do you present yourself as "Deuce, a boy"? Till the headmaster gave me the warning I don't recall occasions where my gender got questioned...other than Grim on the first day here. -

He was trying to Think how to take the situation, and that operation was successful just as mixing water with oil. - Look - I posed a hand on his shoulder before his brain started fuming - I wanna be friends with you all, it's not like I act any different either way, it's always me. Just covering more than I would usually. I mean, if it's awkward for you guys, I would be very sad, but I'll...accept it and I'll take my distan...- And he exchanged with a stern hold of my shoulder. - No! You're right! I wanna be friends with you, it hasn't changed anything. And don't worry - he puffed his chest holding his fist on it - I'll be sure your secret will not be spilled further! -

- Awww thank you Deuce, you're such a sweetheart.- - Mmmm... - he nodded but quickly turned to face the other way - SORRY...can't help it,.... that name hits differently now. - his face was red as a tomato.

---

They sat on their mattress while I was on the couch with Grim lying in my lap. - So in order, Grim was the first one, then the headmaster...when? - - After I gave him the crystal of the Dwarf's mine. - and I mimicked dramatically - One moment he was: "I'll grant you the honor of attending our majestic academy. Go and make me proud son." then he saw and he was: "WHAT'S A CHICK DOING IN MY OFFICE?". - The events may be inaccurate...- muttered the gray cat and I shushed him.

- How many others know? - asked Deuce. - You two,... I think?- - I bet, Trey-senpai. - inquired Ace. - Why? - - He was SO all over you. - he smirked. - All over...didn't notice. - delicious chestnuts were the only thing I could recall - And how do you know he doesn't like boys? - - Yeah exactly - supported me Deuce. - Cater said something about his unique magic being great with the girls so I am assuming.- shrugged the ginger. - He has a point! - quickly changed sides his companion.

And an evening of gossip and snacks started.

Intruders

Me and Grim prepared ourselves for another day of investigations and on the path to the school I sum up my late-night talking with the mysterious stranger.

-...and I saw those green sparks and this big shadow out of our widow. So I opened it and there was this Huge stunning boy with dark horns on his head. So I was like: " Intruder!" and he was like: "A child of man? Though, aren't you the intruder little lady? " - I imitated his tone - Obviously, I was wearing the crop top and not one of the XXL shirts - and Grim cackled.

- So I went out, 'cause I didn't want to wake you and I told him the all I'm here cause blah blah, don't tell anybody etcetera. So I asked him why strolling around our dorm? And he said he was there cause he likes exploring ruins, and now we ruined his ruin, cause the abandoned building is no longer abandoned.-

- Rude! - - A little...- - So who was he?- - Wait I'm getting there! - We stopped waiting for our favorite duo. - I asked him and he was all weird about it. At first, astonished, and then he laughed and said " I'd rather you remain unaware". - - Suspicious! - whispered Grim. - "It's for your own benefit. Instead, I will permit you to call me by the name of your choosing." - and I got closer to the cat to add drama -" Although you may one day regret it..."-

We looked at each other and grinned mischievously. - Oooh, oooh let me pick it! - exclaimed Grim - Howsabaout...Tsunotaro! - I couldn't help but giggle. - I was thinking "Hornton", but yours works well. Can't wait to see his face when I tell him.-

He then pondered - If Tsunotaro's a student here who knows when we might run into him? If we do, introduce me! I've never seen a human with horns before.- - G'morning, Prefect. - jumped Cater from behind us and threw an arm around my shoulders.

- Cater don't be so touchy - frowned slightly Riddle, and the older student complied disappointed. - But (Yuu)Chan is soft, I like giving hugs to my kohai.- I chuckled embarrassed - Good morning to you Cater, and hello Riddle. How is Trey doing? - - Better, he's slowly but surely recovering thanks to Crewel's potions and nurses' caring. - responded the redhead.

He then looked intensely - Mmh your tie is a little off from the assault. - frowned Riddle - Following the rules starts with your attire. Or else your residents will never listen to you...Although, I guess it's not as bad for you being the only one. - inquired the head of Heartslabyul.

I looked down and out of the corner of my eye, I could see the third year smirking. Before I knew it Riddle had his hands on my clothes, the back of his hand brushing on my chest. I stood still, too stunned to do anything.

"Wow (Yuu) is very broad." was his first thought, but Cater provided to correct it. - Riddle-San... You are unfair, first telling me not to be touchy with her, and now look at you. -

It took some time for the both of us to register his phrase and still holding onto my tie he twisted his head and stuttered - W-what have you just said? -

" Damn it" - Ha-ha. Why? What did he say? - I tried to play dumb hoping Cater would doubt his words. Unfortunately, my body was not as much of a good actor, and the boy's green eyes immediately spotted my shade of red. - I said that it's unfair you're being touchy with Her. -

The dorm leader looked back at me and a million thoughts passed through his big eyes, realizing everything at once. Quickly became red from head to toe, then threw himself back in a mess of sorries, "I didn't know", "Since when?"...

Incredulous, Grim asked - HOW DID YOU KNOW S...*MPHF - I quickly covered his mouth to avoid the entirety of the front yard eavesdropping. - Trey-kun told me! - winked Cater. - And since when Trey knya about it???- exclaimed again the cat. - Since the Mont Blanc tart! He was all over you so I asked and he confessed his suspicions. -

- Ace said the same thing... Dang, I'm in debt with that dummy...- I mumbled recalling his bet. - Was I the only one ignoring this fundamental fact??? - snapped Riddle still full red. - I don't know,...(Yuu)? - the third year quickly threw the fireball at me. - Well, there is Grim, the headmaster, who by the way, was the one telling me it would've been troublesome for him to let this information known. - I explained - Then Ace discovered, Deuce, Trey as it seems, and Cater too, Tsunotaro, and now you! - I listed. - I think...- - Tsuno-Who? - asked the two members of Heartslabyul. - Ah, a new encounter I made yesterday. -

- So you're telling me, someone, you just met, knew it before me???- and the tinge of red on the king of hearts, changed from fluster to anger.

Till reading the manga I thought Cater's name was "Carter" instead.

Not just because it sounded better in my head, but because "Carte" in Italian means "Cards".

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generalkenobee · 8 months

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Having sinful thoughts of riding bernards thigh😃 (the velvet would feel so good tho🤭)

"Not so silent night"

•Warnings: smut, thigh riding, mentions of being caught, mentions of female masterbation, FEM! Reader, let me know if I missed anything

•Synopsis: (Y/N) is feeling really neglected and Bernard doesn't seem to notice till she's practically humping him like a dog...

-----

Christmas Eve..now this was quite the sight. Elf's everywhere, Santa on his second check of the list, and Bernard...oh Bernard.

He was everywhere all at once, trying to make sure everything was in order making sure that no cookie was burnt, every wrapped gift looked perfect. Not to mention he had to keep Curtis in order.

And you knew how selfish you were being. You were always selfish when it came to your boyfriend. Selfish because you saw the way certain elf girls looked at him

You knew what a vital part of the workshop he was but you just couldn't bring yourself to care. You'd spent countless nights touching yourself since the start of November, moaning so loud..maybe even hoping he would hear and come accommodate for you.

---

You say in you and your boyfriends shared room watching a movie while he was out doing who knows what. And once again the same as the past two months. You were horny

You waited patiently for Bernard to arrive so you could ask for some desperately needed attention.

Everything seemed to be heightened, the way the sheets felt against your legs, the cold winters air on brushing your neck. It was almost like you were a dog in heat

If there was anyone to see the look on your face they would know. Anyone but Bernard.

He walked into the room with his brows furrowed carrying a bunch of rolled up blue prints "hi sweetheart" no response. "Bernie?" Nothing.

You say looking at his back as he sat down at his desk tracing his index finger over the words and print onto the blue paper and sighed

You were already built up as it was so seeing him moving his fingers around like that was just..wow

Before you could think your body was already moving, feet carrying you until you were standing behind him with your hands in his hair.

"Bernard..." you ran your hands down to his shoulders and collar bones rubbing and squeezing "please come lay with me" your voice pleading with him begging for affection.

"you know that I can't" his response was short and cold. I mean he didn't even look up at you when he said it.

---

He wasn't budging. Nothing..and you needed him. You needed to feel him...

You slowly walked over to the large fire place after you grabbed a box of matches off his desk. You watched the fire start as you walked over to turn off the lights so the room was just enough lit to seem romantic.

"(Y/N) I can't see the-" he halted when you sat down on his thigh resting all your weight on him "(Y/N)..?" You weren't wearing anything under your red nightdress...just in case.

The velvet of his pants..oh my god...

"mmm.." your hips started slowly moving forward and back and you placed your hands in his hair throwing your head back "m' love you.." your hips sped up

Bernard looked up at you with a sad look on his face.

"poor baby...so built up so horny...humping me like a dog" it felt so good to finally have your boyfriend's attention back. To have him look at you again like he needed you.

"I'm so sorry baby..I've been neglectful hm?" You looked up at him with doe eyes nodding your head "mhm.."

"we'll be a good girl and get yourself off on my thigh. Use me to make yourself feel good. You deserve it."

You sped up now moving your hips in small fast circles feeling your orgasm approach "Bernard...I-" you cut yourself off with a loud moan

"shh you don't want everyone knowing how you act when we're alone do you?" You shook your head "no sir"

Bernard loves being called sir. Being head elf and all, it really boosts his ego.

He rested his hands on your hips to help you speed up "yeah you don't want anybody to know you're the head elf's little slut" he rested his lips on your neck "but we both know you are"

---

"please baby. Please stain my pants with your hot need" that was all you needed. You were pushed over the edge. The coil in your stomach snapped just as fast as it was built up "Bernard I'm cumming- shit shit shit oh my- nughh-"

His hand rested on the side of your face as you rode out your orgasm kissing you as you moaned into his mouth.

"t-thank you..."

#x reader #bernard the head elf smut #bernard the head elf #bernard the elf x reader #bernard x reader #bernard the elf #the santa clause #the santa clause movie #smut #generalkenobee #Bernard the elf x you #Bernard smut #req #requested #req open

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imaginesmaimasterlists · 8 months

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You can request about any of the characters above, or any other masterlists I have (here), always following the Requests Rules. My main blog is @imaginesmai

💕:Fluff

🎈: Funny

💋: Smut

😭: Angst

⭐: Personal favourite.

🥇: The most popular fic in each category (it might change).

Angst Alphabet

Fluff Alphabet

Prompt List 1

Kink-November

Azriel

Breaking point: Azriel comes back from the dungeons broken and you're left to pick up the pieces, which makes you take matters in your hand and talk with your High Lord about Azriel's missions. 😭

Breeding tonic gone wrong: during a trip to the Illyrian mountains, Azriel and you discover a cabin with all types of monstrosities. One of them ends up in Azriel's blood system, a breeding tonic, which no male nor female has survived before. 😭💋 (darkish)

Hewn city, where nightmares come true: your anonymity makes you a great choice for Rhysand's mission, even if Azriel doesn't agree. But you'll do anything to discover more of Azriel's life, even the worst part. So you decided to take that trip to Hewn City - where nightmares do come true.😭

I love you: after the worst possible outcome after one of your missions, Azriel comes back to you, trying to fix what was broken.💕😭

Little secrets (headcanon): the batboys keep a small secret during your relationship, and you find about it. 💕🎈

⭐Missed target: (2) Azriel is convinced Elain was made for him. Three sisters for three brothers, and no one can make him change his mind. But someone or something is determinated to change the course of fate on his behalf. No matter how hard he tries. 🎈💕

🥇Right around the corner, (2), (3), (4), (5): 💕🎈😭

Four times someone notices something weird about Azriel, and that time someone figured it out.

What happened after each time Azriel's family noticed something weird about him, and that time they found out.

The turth comes out, but in a way Azriel didn't expect.

After the damage has been done, Azriel finds his brothers ready to pick up the pieces.

The story of how Azriel fixed what was broken, and how you forgave him

Promises to keep (2) (3): while you are held in a rotten cell, Azriel asks you to promise him something you can't. Because no matter how much he wishes it wasn't true, there was little you wouldn't do for your mate. 😭

Something new: Azriel proposes something new, and even if you have doubts, you're all in.💋

Taken: you're taken in the worst possible situation, and Azriel fights against time to find you. 😭

Time you take for granted: t for time: you're ill and you don't have much time together, from my Angst Alphabet 😭

⭐The orange peel theory: the spring court is beautiful, oranges are beautiful, but there's nothing more beautiful than your mate. 💕

Your name on my body (nerd-tattooed!Azriel x bimbo!reader): Azriel gets a tattoo with your name and it leads to smutty time, set in a modern time 💋

Eris

Feelings I cannot express: Five times Eris didn’t know how to express his feelings, and one time he did 😭

His precious treasure: Beron manages to ask the right questions at the wrong moment, making Eris suspicious of your safety. His hidden treasure in the forest, where he cannot get fast enough 😭

Cassian

Behind closed doors: Morning training in a storage closet. 💋 (Kinktober 1)

Little secrets (headcanon): the batboys keep a small secret during your relationship, and you find about it.💕🎈

Rhysand

Little secrets (heacanon): the batboys keep a small secret during your relationship, and you find about it.💕🎈

Rhun

Safe place: the autumn king tries to hurt you with his words and actions, but Ruhn is always there to help you up. 😭 💕

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cowgurrrl · 3 months

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Slow It Down Cowboy

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Author’s note: this ended up being so chunky but I hope that’s okay

Summary: The wall [5.8k!!!]

Warnings: academic blackmail??, bad administrative decisions, an even worse parent, Joel comforting reader, more art talk, slight angst

As the sun sets earlier and the weather dips below the usual heat, things actually start looking pretty good. Andie, somehow, found time off of work and is coming home for a few days during the long winter break. You've gotten back to making art you actually care about now that you're in a race with Joel. All your students are settled and starting to come out of their shells, making more experimental art. Ellie continues to show up with cups of coffee with your name on them before anyone else can spill into your classroom, and you continue to text Joel.

How much are you spending on coffee now?

I thought we agreed to keep certain things secret.

Joel Miller.

Hush. You deserve it.

In between lessons and at lunch, you'll manage to catch each other at the right time and shoot messages off as fast as they come in. He helps you fix a squeaky chair over text, and you help him set up a care package to send to Sarah. It's nice even though you haven't really seen him since the night of the gallery opening. Even things at the bar seem to be doing better, and you're making enough to not have to worry so much. But you're most proud of the list of students whose art will be shown at the winter showcase, Ellie's work among them.

You make a big deal about it and send in an announcement to be read in the morning, congratulating all the students. You even go out of your way to announce it in all your classes and offer extra credit to any student who shows up to support their classmates. Surprisingly, your rag-tag group of moody teenagers actually seem keen about the opportunity. Things are going well. You're happy, healthy, financially stable(ish), and your guards are down for the first time in a long time.

You're working with quiet music playing over your computer when the knock at your door sounds during planning period. You stand to open it, but before you can, you hear a jangle of keys and the popping of the lock. Principal Martinez walks in, squints at you, and immediately turns on the overhead fluorescent lights that haven't been used in God knows how long. They buzz in protest as your eyes adjust.

"Hey!" You manage to sound cheery even though she looks like she means business. "I'm assuming you're here about the winter showcase?" You ask, and the line between her brows deepens.

"The what?"

"The showcase? A couple of my kids from the art club got accepted to have their artwork shown in a gallery downtown. It was on the announcements this morning. I can send you the information about when the event is." You offer. Something clicks, and she shakes her head now that she knows what you're talking about.

"Oh, that," she says. "No, I'm not here about that."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Not exactly." She says, and you feel panic pool in your stomach like an unwanted visitor. "Dalton Green's father has brought his grade in your class to my attention."

"He hasn't turned anything in to me since September. I can't grade an empty page," you say, hoping that she's as aware as you are that it's the beginning of November. "I sent an email to his father and football coach back in October, but I still haven't seen any work from him."

"Mr. Green says he's positive his son has turned in work. Are you sure you haven't just misplaced it?"

"No, I've graded and given back every single assignment from the semester."

"Let me be clear," she says. "Are you sure you haven't just forgotten to put his grades in? It's an easy mistake to make. You could always just input them now so that he's eligible to continue playing. You wouldn't want to bench a perfectly responsible young man. Would you?"

"Ma'am, are you suggesting I lie about Dalton's grades just so he can keep playing football?" You ask, your panic quickly turning into frustration.

"It'd be such a silly thing to fail something as simple as art. Especially when the funding for the school comes directly from our team's ability to perform. Sometimes, as teachers, we have to make sacrifices to ensure the greater good of our students." She says. It never fails to surprise you how condescending people can be when it comes to your job. Martinez will be gone in a year to fight for a place on the school board, and it's clear she's not pulling her punches even now. Still, you're floored by the ask. Never in your career have you been asked by a principal to lie about a student's grades.

"I'd be willing to make certain accommodations, but I'm really not comfortable doing that. If he wanted to turn something in, I could find a way to give him half credit." You say. Her face changes almost imperceptibly before she straightens up with a cynical smile.

"Well, I think since you had the idea, you should be the one to call his father and tell him the good news," she says it like it's a reward, but it feels like more of a punishment. Your good mood comes crumbling around you as she looks at you expectantly. You have principles as a teacher. This is one of them, but how far are you willing to go to protect it? "I have a meeting with some people from the school board, but please let me know what conclusion you and Mr. Green come to regarding Dalton's grades." She says as she walks out of your room, not even bothering to look at you over her shoulder as she speaks to you.

"Fuck," you mutter as the door closes behind her. You stare at the phone and think about your options. You can't let her walk all over you just because she's your boss, and you won't compromise your values just so the football program will thrive. But you also really don't want to make this phone call. If Dalton's dad is as pleasant as he seems over email, you can't imagine this going well. "Fuck." You say again as you pick up the receiver and search your records for Dalton's dad's phone number. You find it, and in a burst of confidence, dial the number and listen to the line ring, secretly hoping he won't pick up.

"Green." His dad says in place of a greeting, and you take a deep breath.

"Hi, Mr. Green. This is Dalton's art teacher from school. I understand you had some issues regarding his grade in my class?" You tread very carefully, but even then, he scoffs.

"You're damn right I have some issues. Why are you failin' him? He's gotta pass to play football, and Principal Martinez said you'd get it sorted."

"Yes, sir, that's why I'm calling," you say. "Dalton hasn't turned in any of the assignments I've given out since September, and because of that, I've been unable to give him a good grade. However, I can make some arrangements to give him half credit for every assignment he turns in before the end of next week. That should give him more than enough time between classes and practice."

"He told me you lost his assignments."

"No, sir, I haven't received anything from him." You say. He doesn't say anything for a moment, and you almost hope the call dropped before he can respond.

"Are you sayin' my son's a liar?"

You spend the next twenty minutes being berated over the phone, not even allowed to get a word in without being cut off. Several times throughout the call, you think about hanging up and unplugging the phone, but you know that'd only make it worse. God forbid he show up at the school and humiliate you in front of the other staff or, worse, students. No wonder Dalton has issues if this is how his father speaks to people. If your day wasn't ruined by your encounter with the principal, it certainly is now. You handle it as well as possible until he gets near the end of his rant and takes a deep breath.

"I just can't believe they'd let a teacher as horrible as you work there. What right do you have to teach anything?" He says, and that's what really gets under your skin. Suddenly, hot tears spring in your eyes, and your throat feels like sandpaper.

"I don't know." It is the only thing you can think to say.

"Call me back when you have a real fuckin' solution and not whatever bullshit this is." He spits before hanging up the phone. You put the receiver down and bury your head in your hands, trying your best not to cry. Your molars buzz, and it feels like your head is swelling with pain. His insults and backhanded comments echo in your ears, and you can't hold the tears back any longer.

What a fucking shit show. You know Martinez won't do anything about the verbal abuse unless you're willing to lie about grades, which is a ridiculous request in the first place. Dalton's dad won't back down, and you can safely assume Coach Sanders is next up on the roster if you don't do something soon. Why can't you get a kid to turn in a fucking piece of paper? Are you really that bad of a teacher that you're losing an argument with a seventeen-year-old? Is this the hill you want to die on?

You think about going upstairs and seeking refuge in Mrs. Tomlinson's English class, your favorite coworker and the one who hides the good snacks in her desk, but you know she has a class, and you don't want to embarrass yourself. Andie is seven hours ahead and probably asleep. You're friends with people from the bar but not good enough friends that you could call them crying about a situation like this. The realization that you're alone in this makes you more emotional, and you have to stifle your sobs behind your hand.

You jump when your doorknob twists open again, and you half-expect Martinez to be there with an I-told-you-so look on her face. You quickly turn so your back is to the door and wipe the tears on your face. You can't stand to be humiliated again today. When you turn back to see who entered your classroom, Joel's big brown eyes soften when he sees how upset you are.

"Honey," he murmurs, and you almost start sobbing again at his soft tone. "What's goin' on?"

"I didn't know you were coming today." You sniffle, trying to pull yourself together. He walks over and drops his toolbox on a nearby table so he can pull you up from your chair.

"Supposed to be a surprise." He says as he tucks you into his chest. You hug him tightly and let him rub your back in the quiet of your classroom. His shirt smells like laundry detergent and the cold wind sweeping through the hill country. He should be wearing a jacket, but he's not, and you can feel goosebumps on his skin. For a minute, you just cling to him and cry, staining his shirt with tears, but he doesn't care. He's patient and shushes you gently as he adjusts his hold on you to bring you closer. You bury your face in his neck, and he kisses your head.

"What are you doing here?" You ask into his skin.

"I found your missin' piece for the projector. I thought I'd come install it for you so you'd stop fallin' off things tryna get it to work," he says. He leans back just enough to swipe your hair out of your eyes and rests his hands on either side of your face so you can see him. You want to turn away because you know you look like a crying mess, but he doesn't flinch. "There she is," he whispers fondly when you meet his eyes. "Your turn. What happened that's got you all upset?" He asks, swiping his thumbs under your eyes to catch stray tears.

"Just… a really shitty call with a parent." You say, not wanting to get into specifics just yet.

"Anythin' I can do?" He asks, and you shake your head. Just his presence is enough to make you feel better. His big, warm hands holding you like you're precious is a big plus, too. You run your hands over the muscles hidden by his shirt and take a deep breath.

"Just this," you say, and he smiles. "'S a very nice surprise."

"I might've had ulterior motives." He says sheepishly, and you chuckle.

"What are your ulterior motives, maverick?" You ask. You honestly don't know where the nickname came from, but it's stuck around. You've heard it used by old southern women when talking about someone who's independent or doesn't follow the rules. "There goes maverick again!" They'd say when their unruly son would go speeding by in the kitchen. You think the private name suits him.

"Can I kiss you?" He asks quietly, without a hint of shame or doubt in his voice. You almost fold just because of how he's looking at you through his long eyelashes. Almost. The age-old sound of your projector whirring reminds you where you are, and you straighten up.

"Not here."

"After I fix the projector?" He negotiates, and you laugh at how quickly he bounces back.

"After you fix the projector and we're not on school campus anymore."

"Deal," he says as he turns away from you and toward his toolbox. "You should time me. This might be the fastest replacement I've ever done."

"You're really that motivated now?" You tease, the levity between you two draining the dredges of your bad afternoon from your brain. He smiles and digs in his toolbox for the right screwdriver.

"For you? Of course." He says. You bite the inside of your cheek, fighting a smile, and he winks at you. He's barely standing on a chair before you grab his arm and stop him.

"Wait," you say. You're not really sure what the plan is, but you also don't care. Joel, however, looks confused. "I found an old step stool in my storage closet the other day, but it's on the top shelf. If you can get it down, that might be a little safer."

"You've had a step stool this whole time, and you're still climbin' on tables?" He asks, raising his eyebrows at you. "You're gonna put me in an early grave one of these days."

"Quit that," you laugh as he steps off the chair. "I didn't have time to get it down whenever I needed it, and I just forgot about it until the other day. C'mon, I'll show you where it is." He sighs dramatically but follows you into the dusty storage room filled floor to ceiling with various art supplies. It's hidden by a suspicious-looking, windowless door just off to the right of your classroom. You think it might've been used as a tornado shelter when the school was much smaller and younger, but since then, it's been renovated into a personal storage room.

The second the door closes behind him, you turn around, push him against it, and kiss him before you can change your mind. He gasps into you like he wasn't expecting this but quickly grabs your waist, anchoring to you and kissing you back feverishly. You really had planned on making him wait until you were safe, far away from school grounds, instead of pulling him into the nearest private space like a teenager. But you figured if Martinez can break the rules, why can't you?

Your hand snakes through his hair and plays with the curls at the nape of his neck, drawing a content sigh from Joel. His lips are a little chapped and firm against yours. He tastes like coffee and something sweet, and you want more. You tip your mouth up to him to kiss him deeper, and he grips your hips hard, his fingers grazing the skin just under the hem of your shirt. You test scratching your nails over the back of his neck, and he shudders beautifully under your touch. In one move, he switches places with you and pins you between him and the door.

With him in control, he slows down just a little, kissing you softly like he's got all the time in the world. You've realized Joel likes treating you like you're made of porcelain. Like all it would take is one wrong move, and you'd fall apart under his touch. He lets you make the first move every time, tying his hands behind his back until you say the word in an impressive show of self-control. Even at the art gallery, when there was so much tension between you, you thought you'd choke on it; he wasn't the one who initiated. The knee-jerk reaction of flipping your positions against the door to take control is his first show of power, and you like it. What do you need to do to get him to do it again?

The bell sounding through the intercom breaks you apart, and you groan at the intrusion. Nothing is keeping you after school today but you aren't ready to separate from Joel just yet. You rest your head on the door and stare at him as you vaguely hear the sounds of rowdy kids flooding the hallways. His lips are swollen and a little pink, and his hair is messy from all your pulling.

"What?" He questions your staring and you shake your head.

"I just like looking at you," you say. "Your hair is also a mess, but that's a completely different story."

"And whose fault is that?" He laughs and musses his curls back into place. You help with a few strands at the back and smile when everything is tame again.

"Good as new." You say. Now, it's his turn to peer at you, and you give him a confused look. You swipe under your eyes as if there's mascara stuck there and fix your hair, waiting for him to give you the all-clear, but he just chuckles.

"I can't believe you pulled me into a closet to make out."

"Me neither, honestly." You admit as the both of you dissolve into delirious laughter. You wait in the closet for a few more minutes so the hallways can clear out (and you can kiss a little more) before you finally exit, checking that it's clear and then opening the door wider for Joel. When he sees his toolbox sitting on the desk where he left it, he sighs and glances between you and the ceiling.

"I'm never gonna get to fix that goddamn projector." He mutters, and you laugh as you pass in front of him and pat his shoulder.

"Next time, maverick." You say. His grumbles disappear as you pack up your stuff side-by-side in silence. It's nice to not feel like you always have to fill the space with conversation. It's enough for papers to rustle as they land in your bag and his tools to clink as they find their proper homes. The hallways have gone quiet, and the eerie silence of an empty school slowly creeps up on you.

Joel's boots squeaking catch your attention as you unplug your computer and start turning off various lamps around the classroom. He stands in front of the whiteboard where you have a big print of a Rothko painting displayed for today's art history lesson. He tilts his head as he looks at it like he's trying to find some hidden meaning or perspective, and you smile to yourself at the motion.

"Lots of people think it's not much to look at." You break the silence from the back of the room, and he looks at you over your shoulder.

"I didn't say that."

"I know. I'm just letting you know what certain historians say," you say. You finish with all the lamps, and the only light coming into the classroom is the little bit of natural light streaming in from the windows near the ceiling. Stray dust spins in the air as you join him in looking at the poster of the Rothko, and you try to imagine what he's thinking.

It's a little unnerving, like most of the ones Rothko made towards the end of his life. The vast darkness on the top half of the painting is daunting, while the gray at the bottom helps ground the viewer, at least a little. If you look closely enough, you can see the various washes and brushstrokes he used to create the painting. Obviously, a lot of skill and time went into something like this, even though not everyone wants to see it. "It's hard to know what it meant to him. It probably didn't mean anything, honestly. He wanted people to have sensory experiences with his art, so you only get as much as you put into it." You explain, and Joel nods but doesn't look away from the painting.

"Is it the surface of the moon?" He asks.

"What makes you say that?" You interrogate, trying to hide your excitement at getting to hear him tell you what he thinks of art.

"Well, it kinda looks like I'm standin' on the moon and lookin' out into space." He says as he runs his finger over the divide between the two colors.

"Where's the Earth, then?"

"Maybe I'm on the dark side of the moon."

"Why?"

"I don't know," he says. "Maybe the Earth is just too far away, and I can't reach it, but I know it's there. If the moon started spinnin' faster or somethin', I could see it, but maybe it's not for me to see..." It's incredibly profound, even if he doesn't realize it. You see where he's coming from based on what you know about his past and almost want to reach for his hand, but you don't. "But I don't know. What do I know bout art?"

"A lot," you answer quickly, hating how he talks about himself like he's stupid. "You know a lot. That was a really good analysis." He hums noncommittally and bumps your shoulder with his.

"What bout you? What's it to you?" He asks, and you sigh as you look the colors over again.

"A wall and the night sky."

"A wall?"

"Yeah. It's either protecting me or keeping me in, but either way, it's there, and there's not much I can do about it. I could stay where I am and never find out what's beyond it and be safe, or I could climb the wall and never be the same again. I wouldn't know what's behind it or what's out there— that's why it's all black at the top— but maybe that's what's so interesting about it. The unknown." You say, and Joel hums.

"You should be a teacher or somethin'." He says, and you laugh and move to grab your backpack off your desk.

"It just might be in the cards for me," you say. "What's Ellie doing tonight? Don't you have to pick her up?"

"She's actually going to the movies with some friends tonight." He says, beaming with pride, and you gasp dramatically.

"Is she really?"

"Sent her with twenty dollars and everythin'."

"Oh, that's so good! She's doing so good! I knew art club would get her out of her shell." You clap your hands, and he nods, smiling.

"She certainly ain't shy anymore. It feels like she's always on the phone with someone these days." He's a little nostalgic for the little girl who used to cling to her dad, and you make a sympathetic sound.

"Don't you worry. I'm sure she'll want to hang out with her old dad during winter break."

"Old?!" He parrots as you usher him out of the room, your keys jingling on your arm.

"Her words, not mine." You say as you walk out into the empty hallway with him and lock your classroom door behind you. He scoffs and grumbles something under his breath but doesn't push you for any insider information on Ellie. You like having your secrets with her, and as long as she's not a threat to herself or others, you'll keep those secrets until she's ready to tell him.

You walk out to the parking lot together to catch the last few rays of sun scattering across the sky and smile when you see that Joel somehow managed to park close to your car. He loads his tools up in his truck bed while you throw your backpack in the backseat, but neither of you gets in your car immediately after things are settled. Instead, you wander back over to his truck and lean against one of the doors.

"So, if Ellie's out with friends, what are you doing for the rest of the night?" You ask, and he smirks, stepping into your space. You think about scolding him, but the parking lot is practically empty. Plus, you like having him close. In the orange light of dusk, you feel safe next to him and his truck. He quirks an eyebrow at you and looks serious.

"Are you askin' me on a date?"

"It's not a date."

"Is this the same thing like you weren't gonna kiss me, and then you did?" He teases. You roll your eyes and push off his truck, putting your arms up in defeat.

"I didn't realize Joel Miller hated spontaneity so much. Fine, I'll stop doing it." You start walking back toward your car, but he grabs your wrist and pulls you back before you can get far. You smile when your chest collides with his and look up at him.

"Now, I didn't say all that," he says. "'M just surprised. You're gettin' ballsy."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't think so," he says as he leans forward like he's about to tell you a secret. "I think it's pretty hot, actually." He whispers lowly in your ear, his breath fanning out across your neck and making your face hot. You shove at his shoulder, but he just laughs and grabs your hand. "What? You don't like me callin' you hot?"

"You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"I ain't hearin' a 'no.'"

"Yes, Joel, I like it. Is that what you wanna hear?" You finally relent, and he shrugs with every ounce of sass.

"Maybe," he says. "I also wanna hear what you were thinkin' for our not date."

"Oh, something super romantic."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah. Whataburger meals and milkshakes." You say, and he makes a play at his knees giving out under him.

"A woman after my own heart." He groans, and you roll your eyes.

You could take separate cars. It'd probably be easier for getting home and take away an extra stop, but you don't really care about that when you climb into the passenger's side of his truck. He doesn't seem surprised by your decision to ride with him and rests a hand on your thigh the second he pulls out of the school parking lot. He asks about your day, painting, and even if you've heard anything else from Henry as he drives. You rant a little about Principal Martinez and ask about his day, so he gets a turn ranting about headers and structural issues. You're not exactly sure what he's talking about, but you nod and listen anyway, and he doesn't critique you for not knowing.

When you get to Whataburger, you have to scout to make sure there are no teenagers you recognize before going in. Of course, he opens the door and lets you order first like a gentleman, but you elbow him out of the way so you can pay before he can even reach for his wallet. By the look on his face, you would've thought you ripped a cookie out of his hands. "It's my turn!" You say, but he still looks shocked when you hand him his orange and white striped cup. You choose a booth near the back and continue talking about your days or recent developments until your food comes, and then you talk in between bites. It's not romantic, but it is comfortable.

He updates you on Sarah's progress in medical school and even shows you pictures on his phone of the last time the three of them were all together. He looks lighter when he's with the both of them like all the pieces of his heart are bound in those girls. You like to think it is. He tells you how he's looking at grants for small-business owners in Austin and is eligible to apply for a good amount. "'M just nervous I won't get any." He says, and you shake your head.

"They've got insane amounts of money they're looking to give to hardworking people. I bet you'll be a millionaire by the end of this bet." You say, and he chuckles as he pops a fry in his mouth.

"What bout you?" He asks.

"What about me?"

"How's the search for a gallery goin'?" You take a deep breath at his question and shrug.

"I don't really have anything to submit just yet, but some places are taking rolling submissions, so I can send something in whenever. I just want it to be good."

"'M sure it will be." He says, and you give him a look.

"You haven't even seen any of my work. What if it's awful?"

"Then I'd lie and say it's the best thing I've ever seen."

"So you’re a iiar."

"At least, I'd be a considerate liar." He says. You're about to start arguing with him about it when a pair of familiar eyes meet yours across the restaurant. Before you can even think about a tactic to get out of the situation, she's already up and walking toward your booth.

"Oh, shit," you mutter, and Joel's eyebrows furrow until he finds who you're looking at. His face falls exactly the same way you're sure yours did.

"Hi!" Marnie greets as she lands in front of you. "I haven't seen you in a minute!"

"I know! I've been meaning to text you about getting drinks, but I keep forgetting!" It's a lie. A considerate lie, but a lie nevertheless.

"Oh, you're too sweet. We'll set somethin' up," she says as she turns to Joel. "And you! I haven't seen you since Sarah moved. How is she?" Oh, shit. How does she know you and Joel? He recovers quickly with a charming smile and a nod.

"Yes, ma'am. She's doin' real good up in Boston. Keepin' outta trouble and everythin'."

"And Ellie? How's she doin'? She still makin' art?" 900,000 people in Austin and countless Whataburgers within 100 square miles, and the person who walks into the one you're in is the one you used to work with at school. Not only that, but she knows Joel's kids. She knows Joel. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Yeah, she's still doin' art. She's good at it. She's seein' a movie with some friends from school tonight." He says, and Marnie's eyes light up at the mention of the high school while Joel tenses.

"Oh, my gosh, how's the new classroom? I completely forgot they renovated that old teacher's lounge a couple years ago."

"It's good. The equipment's a little old, but nothing's fallen apart yet. You'll have to come see it sometime."

"We'll have to find a time!" She says, always insanely cheerful. "Well, I'll let y'all get back to your meal, but I'd be kickin' myself if I didn't come over here and say hello to you two. Joel, please tell the girls I said hi."

"Yes, ma'am," Joel says politely. With that, Marnie turns and walks back to her waiting husband and says something that sounds like, "I know them!" Your food is suddenly cold and unappetizing when you look at it, and your stomach is in knots. The warm bubble around you and Joel has burst, and you're left in the stark light of the truth. "D'you wanna go?" Joel whispers, and you nod.

He takes your trays and throws away the food before opening the door for you to walk out into the cool night air, avoiding Marnie's stare the whole time. He doesn't reach for you or help you into the truck. He barely looks at you until you're in the safety of the cab. The world is spinning around you, and alarms are sounding in your brain. What the fuck just happened?

"How do you know her?" You ask Joel, staring straight ahead, and he swallows hard.

"She was Sarah and Ellie's science tutor," he says, and your eyes flutter shut. "How do you know her?"

"She was the science teacher at the high school during my first year there. She left to go to a different school after that, but we were pretty close."

"So, she knows you're a teacher at the same school my kid goes to."

"And she knows Ellie does art, so she knows she would be one of my students." You slowly piece together how bad this could be. You got caught having dinner with the parents of one of your students. If Marnie says anything, word could travel through the district until Martinez hears about it. You'd be in much more trouble than you already are with her. You could be accused of giving Ellie special treatment and violating school policy.

"Fuck." Joel mumbles, mirroring your exact thoughts, and you nod.

"We can't do this." You whisper, not wanting to admit it, especially after such a nice day with him. He doesn't protest. He feels the gravity of the situation. You want to put your hand over his. You want to hug him. You want to comfort him the way he comforted you, but you can't.

"I know." His voice is even and controlled like he's choosing his words carefully, but you can hear the disappointment in his words. You can't go back to an hour ago when you were laughing and pulling him into storage rooms. You have to stay where you are. You have to stay safe. He is the personification of your wall and you have to be okay with not knowing what’s beyond it.

You can't do this.

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#hippies and cowboys #joel miller au #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x fem!reader #joel miller tlou #joel miller #joel miller fic #joel tlou #the last of us au #tlou au #joel miller fluff #joel miller angst #the last of us fic #the last of us x reader #the last of us hbo #the last of us fluff

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keketopia · 9 months

Text

DEATH

[MHA PORTALS Series 1/16]

pairing. katsuki bakugo x gn!reader

synopsis. after an argument, bakugo sadly lost you in a tragic accident.

cw. aged up, prohero!bakugo, angst, death, bakugo is in grief, bakugo feels remorse.

a/n. i'm starting my first masterlist. in dedication to melanie martinez's new album! i'm starting a portals series with mha characters! each character will have a story based on the songs in order (including the deluxe track). this is not my idea so credit to @katimagines since they were the ones who came up with it (but with k-12) I hope you like death with katsuki bakugo, I will be making more soon. enjoy!

Sounds of beeping could be heard in the bedroom.

"Fuck…" Katsuki grumbled as he reached his hand out to turn off the alarm on his phone, clearly annoyed that his alarm disturbed his slumber.

But he can't complain, he's a pro hero, and he has to get up early and work. He sat up from his bed and stretched his arms, yawning. He then reached into his nightstand to check his phone, checking the time, and then he looked at the date…

November 8th…

As soon as he saw that, he felt a chill go down his spine. God, that date. Why did it have to exist?

"Shit…already? This is a fucking nightmare"

He looks over to the photo frame that was also on his nightstand. It was a picture of him and you at a carnival. It was taken while you guys were on the Ferris wheel, with you smiling so innocently while he on the other hand raised his middle finger, the bright lights in the background making you two glow like a glowstick.

Man, that felt like forever ago, he wished he could go back to those days. But unfortunately, that wish would most likely never come true. You had died in an unfortunate accident, that was something that made Bakugo crack. He never was the same since. He remembers the day so vividly.

You two had gotten into an argument that day. It was late at night, and you were cleaning in the kitchen when suddenly Bakugo burst through the front door, his costume was ripped up and he was dirty. He was panting as if he ran so fast to get to your guy's home that you both share. You offered him some help but he shoved you away, claiming that he could clean up himself. You simply brushed it aside and let him do his business while you continued to clean up the kitchen.

After you got done, you made dinner for both you and Bakugo, you figured that he was done getting freshened up so you went to your shared bedroom to tell him. You find him on his desk doing some paperwork.

"Hey Kats, I made dinner. The food is on the tab-"

"Just bring it here" He suddenly said, eyes glued to the paper he was doing.

"Are you sure you don't wanna eat it with me?" You question, feeling saddened that your boyfriend doesn't want to eat together with you.

"Yes, I'm sure," He responded. You gave in and gave him his food, setting it on the desk. You watched as he grabbed his chopsticks and ate the food while still keeping his eyes on the paper. He didn't even spare a glance at you when you entered the room or when you offered him food. You ended up sitting at the dinner table alone, eating the food you made for yourself.

Something like this always happens just recently. He would prioritize his hero work over you. Not giving you enough attention or appreciation when you do something for him. You figured it was just his busyness which is probably the reason why he barely acknowledges you. I mean being the number two hero is not easy. However, it still bothered you how much he has been neglecting you, so you decided to calmly talk about it to him, that somehow escalated into a full-blown argument.

"ALL I'M ASKING IS FOR YOU TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK AND GIVE ME SOME LOVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE"

"THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I DO GIVE YOU SOME LOVE"

"YOU BARELY SPARED A GLANCE AT ME WHEN I GAVE YOU YOUR FOOD. I SWEAR YOU LET BEING A PRO HERO TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE SO MUCH SO THAT YOU DON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR OWN PARTNER!"

"WELL, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? I'M THE NUMBER TWO HERO, OF COURSE, IT'S GOING TO BE MY LIFE"

"BUT YOUR LIFE IS MORE THAN BEING A HERO. YOU'RE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH A WONDERFUL PERSON WHO WOULD LITERALLY SCRATCH YOUR BACK FOR YOU. I DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU AND INSTEAD OF APPRECIATING ME, YOU FLAT-OUT IGNORED ME. I CLEAN YOUR WOUNDS YOU IGNORED ME, I COOK YOU FOOD YOU IGNORED ME, I CLEAN THE HOUSE YOU IGNORED ME. WHAT AM I? YOUR S/O OR YOUR SERVANT?!"

"YOU'RE MY S/O, OF COURSE, WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?"

"IF THAT'S HOW YOU SEE ME THEN HOW COME YOU DON'T ACT LIKE IT?!" Tears began to well up in your eyes.

"I'M SORRY BUT I'M NOT SEEING WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS?!"

"I JUST EXPLAIN WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM! SEE, THIS IS ANOTHER THING. YOU DON'T LISTEN!"

"WELL, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!"

"PAY MORE ATTENTION TO ME, IT IS NOT THAT HARD!!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT Y/N, YOU'RE SO SELFISH! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL HOW MUCH BEING A HERO MEANS TO ME AND YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT IT"

"...Are you serious? Are you actually kidding me? You're seriously blaming me? I never thought you could stoop this low" Your voice cracks up as you finally break and started crying.

"You know Katsuki, I always saw the better in you when others didn't. I helped you with your anger issues and I helped you assist at the agency. I am heartbroken that this is what I get in return. Unappreciated and unloved"

You then grabbed your jacket from the coat rack and opened the front door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk to clear my head, I just want to be alone for a while" Was all you said before walking out and closing the door. Little did you know that those were going to be your last words. A minute later, the sounds of screaming struck Bakugo's ears. He rushed to the window and gave it a little peak, only to see a car parked in the middle of the road and your body in a pool of blood.

Time felt like it stop for Bakugo as he saw that you were not moving, his blood ran cold as he feared that the worst had happened. Without thinking twice, he ran out into the cold night without his jacket and rushed to your body. A woman was standing by her car, her face in pure horror as she realized what she had done.

"I'm so sorry! They came out of nowhere and I didn't have time to break!"

The woman was apologizing profusely, but Bakugo tuned her out. He was more focused on you. He held your bloody body with his two arms, he checked your pulse, he couldn't feel it…

At the hospital, the doctors confirmed it, you were dead. Bakugo almost felt like he was about to have a heart attack. He wanted to yell and scream at the doctors for lying. But he couldn't let it out, it was like the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

At the funeral, he kept convincing himself that this had to be some sort of hallucination or nightmare he was enduring, but unfortunately, he was not. He was in reality. The funeral was lit with candles and fresh flowers decorated your tombstone, the setting was beautiful for such a somber occasion. Everyone mourned your loss and said their prayers, while Bakugo stood there, wearing his best suit, clutching a fake candle in his hand, trying his hardest not to break down into tears. When it was finally over and he got into his car, he just let it out.

He let all of the emotions he'd been holding in for so long finally be shown at a dimly lit parking lot. Not only was he saddened that you were dead, but he also felt guilty. He blamed himself for getting you killed. He felt like a terrible boyfriend. This wouldn't have happened if he just didn't let his anger get the better of him. Damn, why did he have to start an argument? Why did he have to be so hard-headed? You were right, he never listens, and now thanks to him, you were gone, forever.

5 years later and Bakugo was still in deep sorrow. Every time Kirishima and the rest of the Bakusquad wanted to hang out with him, he would shut them out. How could he do anything when you weren't around anymore? His friends tried everything to comfort him, but he was inconsolable.

Slowly getting up, he went inside the bathroom to take a quick shower. He then made himself breakfast and put on his hero suit. He then went outside to unlock his car but not before locking the door to his house, he put the keys into the ignition, turned on the car, and drove off.

He stops by the flower shop to pick some flowers for your grave. He entered the store and the first thing his eyes set on was a set of white calla lilies. You've always liked Calla lilies, especially the white ones as you believe that it was a symbol of rebirth and resurrection. In fact, you believed in a lot of shit, such as how you believed that there was life after death and reincarnation. Bakugo always called you weird for that but secretly, he found you quite interesting. As soon as he saw those flowers, he knew he had to get those for you, after all, it's the least he could do after what he's done.

He paid for the flowers and got back in his car and drove his way to the cemetery. Walking through the site, he passed by all the other tombstones of the citizens of Japan, eyes only focusing on the one tombstone that was the shape of a heart, with your name carved into it. Approaching your grave, he kneels down to his knee and places the flowers by your tombstone. Then he just sat there, in the grass, reading what was carved in it.

"Y/N…" He spoke out.

"I know I've said this a hundred times but, please forgive me for that night. I didn't mean to neglect you. It's just, work has been so hectic these days. Villains are out there doing their fucking crimes, I had a shit load of paperwork, it was all hell. But that doesn't excuse me for rarely giving you any attention, I'm sorry for making you feel like you're being unappreciated. You didn't deserve that. Please take these flowers as an apology and if you can hear me, show me a sign that you forgive me"

Just then, his phone began to ring. He checked it to see it was his secretary.

"Yes?"

"Sorry if I interrupt anything Mr. Bakugo but I must remind you that you have an interview with Mx. Yuno for the assistant position today"

Crap, he completely forgot about that.

"Alright, I'll be there in 15 minutes. Let Mx. Yuno know in case they come early"

"Gotcha! I'll see you later, Mr. Bakugo"

The call ended and Bakugo took one last look at your grave.

"I love you, Y/N"

And just like that, he went back into his car and drove away.

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

Bakugo sat in his office, waiting for his interviewee to arrive. They called to tell him that they would be a few minutes late due to heavy traffic and Bakugo did some work on his computer to pass some time. Just then, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in"

His secretary peeked her head through the door.

"Good Morning Mr. Bakugo, I am just here to let you know that Mx. Yuno is here"

"Alright, bring them in"

The secretary then left, leaving the door cracked open. Seconds later, she comes back.

"Here he is, good luck"

He heard the secretary say before closing the door, leaving Bakugo with his interviewee. Bakugo didn't even look at them as he was busy organizing the papers.

"Please excuse me for a moment, I need to keep everything in place"

"Sure, no problem"

Bakugo took a little peak at his interviewee and his eyes went wide.

They looked exactly like his late s/o, every facial structure looked the same, your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your ears, they even have your eye color. The only difference was your hair as it was a different color.

"Is everything okay?"

Bakugo snapped out of it. He must've stared at them for a little too long, but how could he not when the person he is interviewing is the exact replica of you.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry, you kind of remind me of someone I know. Let's get this interview started"

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

After about an hour and 40 minutes the interview was over.

"I will need time to review your answers, you should get your results in about a week or two, thank you for coming, you have a nice day"

Yuno gets up from their seat and begins to walk to the door. Bakugo couldn't help but look at them, so much of Yuno reminded him of you, he wonders if this is just a coincidence or you just have a twin you never mentioned before.

He stops what he is doing and begins to do some paperwork he never finished until…

"Also, Mr. Bakugo…"

He looks up from his papers and sees Yuno halfway out the door.

"I forgive you…"

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– •

𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉, 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝕴'𝖒 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉, 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝕴'𝖒 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉, 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝕴'𝖒 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉, 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊- (𝕴'𝖒 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐)

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decolonize-the-left · 1 year

Text

Was looking up updates on Tyre Nichols and decided to click on the link for his lawyer, just wanted to see other cases he had and judge whether or not he'd be helpful or harmful.

And was linked to another case from last June with an update from this month that also deserves attention.

“People from my community have been coming to us for years talking about how they torture people in the back of paddy wagons,” said Scot Esdaile, according to the Associated Press. “They put people in the back of the paddy wagon; they go real fast and then they slam on the brakes.”

Mr Crump has similarly raised allegations that the driver could perhaps be more culpable than the force is letting on, saying he suspects speeding or texting while driving could’ve been a factor, and is thus demanding that the police department be transparent in the investigation.

The Independent has reached out to the New Haven Police Department for comment on the investigation.

Writing on Twitter on the Fourth of July holiday, Mr Crump highlighted how Mr Cox – an otherwise healthy young man – went from being able to step into the back of the police car on his own to now needing full support to breathe and eat with little hope that he’ll be able to walk again.

And there was an update recently......Just 4 days after Tyre's murder in fact.

The officers -- Sgt. Betsy Segui and officers Oscar Diaz, Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera -- were each charged in November 2022 with one count of second-degree reckless endangerment and one count of cruelty to persons

Both charges are misdemeanors and the officers were each released on a $25,000 bond.

[...]Gregory Cerittelli, the attorney for the fifth officer Sgt. Betsy Segui, confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that Segui will plead not guilty.

"The job of a police officer has become increasingly more difficult in recent years," Cerittelli told ABC News. "Police officers are often required to utilize their best judgment in assessing situations, and are now being judged with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. Our Supreme Court has consistently held this is not the appropriate standard."

[...]The video footage also shows the officers dragging Cox by his feet and throwing him into a wheelchair, which his lawyers said could have exacerbated his already life-threatening injuries.

"[Randy] is essentially quadriplegic. He's in a rehab facility. He can't feed himself, he can't clean himself, he can't relieve himself without assistance," O'Donnell said on Tuesday.

"Randy is going to be left with permanent injuries. The least that can happen to these officers is that they have permanent records," he added.

Cox filed a $100 million federal lawsuit against the city of New Haven and New Haven Police Department officers in September 2022.

The lawyer saying "remembering to put a seatbelt on people is too high of a standard" "everyone has 20/20 hindsight" like???? About putting on a seatbelt??? What my 8 year old does As Soon as she enters a car cuz even she understands and knows it could be dangerous not to?

The absolute disregard and dismissiveness for Black lives in on full display with this pathetic excuse.

Remember that whatever platitudes they give us don't matter. Platitudes and promises mean nothing.

Firing the 5 cops who hurt Tyre Nichols won't help Randy Cox from New Haven. It won't help any future Randy Coxes and it won't help any future Breonna Taylors.

It's a band-aid. An attempt to look like they care in an attempt appease us all so we stop demanding better, so we stop protesting and rioting for police brutality to end.

....Because it's almost an election year. And a stance more extreme than "thoughts and prayers to everyone except cops who get another $50 billion" just isn't centrist enough to win the majority vote. So police reform and increased budgets will be the response. That's already the response. That's what they want us to accept.

Don't.

Keep protesting. Keep demanding. Keep posting. Don't let this die out.

Don't get complacent.

If change is ever going to happen it's because we will have forced it to. Not because the people in power suddenly decided to have a conscience.

#tyre nichols #randy cox #acab #current events #blm #black lives matter #racism #police brutality #2024 #police reform #abolish police #usa politics

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foxo-lotl · 6 months

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from twitter

blame the otdiaftg account for this

TW/THANKSGIVING MENTIONED/LOTS OF PAIN, ANGST, SELF BLAME.

Neil blaming himself for Thanksgiving.

He knows he shouldn't, it wasn't his fault and he'd do anything to take it back, but Andrew's words come back to him the November's following it in the years to come.

"You misunderstand. I wasn't asking, Neil. You helped create this mess. The least you could do is help clean it up. Where's your sense of responsibility?"

the words plague him, threatening to choke him all throughout the weeks.

He knows logically it wasn't his fault, he would never choose such a thing, but Andrew's words were like a knife, buried deep and leaving a bleed too hard to stop.

When Neil wakes up from a new nightmare full of blood and sirens, following it is always the belief that it was his fault.

and while he knows, logically, he couldn't have predicted it, it kinda was his fault, right? his fault for pushing, his fault for insisting, his fault for asking.

Neil doesn't sleep.

His eyebags match Andrew's now, match the dark skin like a sick irony, it makes sense that they'd match, right? Neil tells himself it's the least he can do, after all, he caused it, right?

Aaron starts being more volatile, screaming at the top of his lungs insults during games and practice, cornering Neil after class, demanding things like Neil to just leave, that's all he's good for right? so just go. Andrew won't miss him. He hates himself more at that, and even more when he dies grab his duffle and shoes, slowly slinking to the door in hopes nobody wakes up. all he has to do is get out and leave, and then he's gone, gone, gone, was never there in the first place.

He has the door creaked almost enough for him to slip out, when he hears feet rushing to the door.

He turns around and is met with Andrew's disappointed, almost panicked face. Neil thinks he can even see a little sadness.

Words are hard for Andrew right now, so Neil is surprised when he hears a strangled, choked out 'rabbit?'

he's a mess, hair messy, eyes squinting in the light, body tense, still wrapped in his blanket he's hardly left for the past few days.

he looks so much smaller, he's small already, but he does everything to make his presence larger, but now, in the morning sunlight, he looks tiny.

Neil waits for him to say anything else, but it's clear he can't get any words out.

Andrew reaches a hand between them, small specks of blood still under the fingernails from when Neil found him scratching at himself in sleep.

Neil's unsure what to do, surely Andrew doesn't want to touch him, right? he's the reason Andrew can't sleep, the reason every breath feels like knives in his throat, the reason for his near constant migraines, Neil causes nothing but pain.

Neil stares at his hand like it's an alien.

Andrew keeps his hand raised, looking to the door, the duffle, his shoes. He hadn't realised before, too tired and fuzzy from the for once peaceful sleep he was having. Great, Neil ruined that for him too, of course, he can bring nothing but destruction. Andrew's eyes return to the door, before meeting Neils. He looks so vulnerable, Neil can see the panic in his eyes, in the shaking in his jaw and hand he's still holding up. What hurts the most though, is the pained 'Neil' stabbing it's way out of his throat. It's gravely, panicked, forced and painful, voice sore, Andrew's not talked for days leading up to this.

Andrew stares at the door like it betrayed him, when really, he should be looking at Neil like that, right? I mean, Neil really did. He hurt him so bad, and then he let it happen again!

Neil doesn't realise he's crying until he hears it hit the wooden floorboard, and then he feels the tears rushing down his cheeks, warm and fast.

Andrew stares at Neil's face with shock, as Neil begins shaking.

Neil let's go of the door and drops his duffle, and Andrew uses his chance to push the door closed.

Neil finds himself sliding down the door to the floor, head in his hands, muffling his sobs.

Andrew slowly lowers himself to the floor, every movement taxing on his body, using every bit of energy he has left.

That's Neil's fault too.

He cries harder.

Soon, Neil's sobs are accompanied by words, apologies spilling from his mouth, how he's so so so sorry, how he wishes it was him, how he would go back and do it all over again, his he would take Andrew's place a million times before ever letting him step into that room, how Andrew was right, he caused it, and he understands that he's nothing, worth nothing and doesn't deserve to stay, he should just go, before he hurts Andrew again. all he can bring is destruction and pain. It's like a dam on his emotions burst and now he can do nothing to keep them at bay. Towards the end of all his admissions, he can only manage to choke out 'i should just die' before going silent and hyperventilating. Andrew just sits there, shocked.

Neil doesn't even realise the silent tears streaking his face until he's finished, and feels even worse for making Andrew cry.

He can't breathe, can only feel pain and pain and pain and it's worse than any stab he's ever felt.

He feels Andrew's hand rest on the back of his neck, and counts as high as he can in all the languages he knows.

He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, Andrew's face is in front of his, cheeks red and eyes puffy

To his surprise, Andrew doesn't let go, hold tight onto his neck, slowly moving closer, resting their foreheads together, he croaks out a 'no'. Neil nearly reels back, thinking the no was for the touching Andrew initiated, but he meets Andrew's eyes and realises he means no, to everything Neil was saying, no to all of it.

Neil nods slowly, and watches as Andrew joins their hands, and starts to rise.

Neil rises faster, and pulls Andrew up too. Neil grabs his duffle, and for a second Neil sees the panic in his eyes, before Neil starts to walk to the bedroom.

Neil drops his duffle at the end of their bunk, before trying to release his hand from and Andrew's to climb the ladder to his bed. But Andrew doesn't let go, instead gently pulling to his bed.

Neil is surprised, Andrew can hardly stand touch right now, let alone sleep in a bed with someone else in it.

Still, Andrew leads him to the bed, only waiting until he needs to get in before letting go of Neil's hand.

He situates himself with his back against the wall, snuggled up in the blankets, before reaching a hand out to Neil.

Neil wants to climb in immediately, missing Andrew's presence and touch in the past few weeks, but he needs to be sure.

He asks 'yes or no?', meeting Andrew's eyes.

It's clear he's out of words, but still, he manages to whisper a yes whilst nodding.

Neil slowly lifts the covers, getting in, leaving a comfortable distance between them.

Andrew slowly reaches his hand out to Neil again, and Neil slowly twines their fingers.

Andrew pulls at his hand to encourage him to move closer, watching as Neil slowly shifts closer, breaths ghosting Andrew's face, meeting his eyes.

Neil sees the relief in them, contrasting his earlier panic, before he feels him slowly relax on the mattress beside him, watching as his eyes close and he settles into what is hopefully a peaceful sleep.

#all for the game #aftg andreil #aftg #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #palmetto state foxes #the foxhole court #aftg textpost #aftg series

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finitepeace · 5 months

Text

november: imi reads tony fics

a bunch of tony x steve, some tony x stephen, and a few tony x bruce. favorites are marked with ✌

STONY

Of things lost in time by erde (orphan_account) | Words:16,082 | The Time Stone beckons Steve with the promise of home. He ends up in Clint's farm, reliving the same day again and again

✌ Drawn to You by jellybeanforest | Words:15,988 | In a world where what one writes on one’s own skin appears on their soulmate’s body in exactly the same place until it’s washed off or fades, no one has ever responded to Twenty-five years later, Tony Stark is born with a single phrase on his left forearm written in messy old-fashioned script. And as he grows up, the words never change:

Safe Haven by gottalovev, zappedbysnow | words: 20,686 | It's been three months since the Battle of New York. Four since Steve woke up in the future. Everything is still too fast, too bright, too glib. And then, as if it wasn't enough, Steve is dragged through a portal into an alternate universe. Other Him is happy, though, and that feels like hope.

✌ to find a secret (behind the ruins) by dapperyklutz | Words:19,555 | As is the case in Tony’s life, it starts with an accident.“This… is not the coffee pot,” he says dumbly. “Astute observation as always, sir,” JARVIS replies dryly, though there’s no mistaking the hint of astonishment in his voice. Tony blinks once more before he gapes at the hammer in his hand. Specifically, he’s holding Thor’s hammer. He has Mjölnir in his hand. Like, what even.

✌ You Can Never Get Enough (Enough Of This Stuff) by Carsonian | Words:3,554 | (A.K.A. Steve gets drunk off Asgardian liquor and broadcasts his feelings towards Tony in the most ridiculous manner. This is incredibly confusing for Tony.)

No Return, No Return by Carsonian | Words:18,231 | In many ways, Tony Stark has spent his whole life waiting to meet something real enough to test himself against. He hadn't planned on it being Steve Rogers. (A re-imagining of Steve and Tony pre-/post-Avengers (2012) with a spotlight on their relationship.)

✌ Since We've Been Together by Carsonian | Words:1,788 | "Marry me." On his life, he couldn't tell how the words came out. Whether they were loving or demanding or whispered. He only knew that once they left his lips, the following breath came as easy as his first one right after receiving the serum. (Steve proposes to Tony, right after a battle.)

The Five Stages of a Time Loop by AirlocksandAviaries | Words:40,517 | Tony Stark looks Thanos in the eye. He raises his gauntlet in defiance and states his iconic phrase. He snaps, expecting death. But death doesn't come. Instead, he's back in his basement, completed time travel model in front of him. He builds the time machine. He snaps again. Again, and again, and again. Tony can't for the life of him seem to change the outcome of this story. What does change, though, is his feelings around it.

ironstrange

Beg by lucifersfavoritechild | Words:2,310 | Tony smiled. “Knew you’d heard of me.” He took a long draw of his drink. “So what do you think? Want to be my something new for the night?” “If you think you can keep up with me.” “Cocky. I like that in a man.” “Really? The version I heard is that you like it in you.” Tony arched a brow. “Planning to join that list?” Stephen gave him a long, considering look before sliding a hand over Tony’s free one. “Mister Stark . . . you’re going to beg me to join it."

✌ One Time No One Thought Tony and Stephen's Marriage Would Work and Five Times They Were Wrong by infiniteeight | Words:10,956 | An alliance requires that Tony and Stephen get married. No one really thinks it will last. They're wrong.(aka an arranged marriage plot where instead of marriage forcing them to resolve their differences, everything works out bizarrely well right from the start)

Embers by surveycorpsjean | Words:8,274 | They’re horribly different in all the best ways.

reach out by crownsandbirds (Restricted) | Words:4,048 | "Tony's eyes focus first on the long fingers holding the glass of champagne, and then up to the blue eyes eyeing him with intent. He hopes the sharp breath of want he has just taken wasn’t too noticeable." Tony and Stephen meet, lose each other and then find each other again.

sciencebros

Mutually Assured Protection by Ophiuchus_Trails | Words:1,579 | In which the Hulk protects Tony, and he returns the favour. Because that's what friends do.

Tin Man by some1_around | words:2,120 | People tend to think that the only emotion Hulk can feel is anger. They're pretty spectacularly wrong.Or, five unpleasant emotions Hulk has felt and how Tony helped him through them, and one time Hulk returned the favor for Tony.

Common Sense by thebratqueen | Words:1,814 | “If he throws one more of those I’m going to have to have lunch with the mayor. I can’t express how much I’d rather be fighting the Doombots.”

#stevetony #stony fic rec #ironstrange #science bros #ironstrange fic #ironstrange fic rec #stony fic #science bros fic rec

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bloodynectarine · 1 year

Text

The devil is in the details

You try (and fail) to spoil Diavolo on his birthday, as he picks a grocery store of all places to spend a night with you in. Or, the shortest sugar daddy career ever.

tags. gender-neutral mc, crack and fluff, diavolo x mc, mc is whipped, but so is diavolo.

notes. I'M LATE, november went by in a blur, what's up with that. even so, i wanted to finish this one and i'm shameless, so please pretend diavolo's birthday is around the corner while reading.

thanks to @property-of-diavolo for hosting #diamonth2022 sorry for the delay (!!)

As of late, you can't help but feel self-conscious every time you set foot in the Demon Lord's Castle.

You've become suddenly hyperaware of the fact that you're not only stopping by to join sweet, attentive and easygoing Diavolo for a cup of tea but… Well. You're actually hanging out with the ruler of the Devildom.

Naturally, you already knew that. But trying to find the perfect birthday gift for a soon-to-be-kinda-already-king has brought a ―drastic, sometimes suffocating― change of perspective.

What could you offer to someone that seems to have everything and anything he could want? There's no avoiding it: sooner than later, you find yourself noticing details that you've swiftly overlooked before.

The almost translucent centerpiece that sits on the dinner table between you and Dia, the gold-lined curtains that he carelessly shoves away to show you how big the moon looks tonight, the unnaturally-blue mirror that blinks back at you whenever you fix your hair right before entering his office, as giddy as ever to see him.

You're starting to get why Mammon tries to steal something every single time he visits, and that's a dangerous train of thought that you would rather avoid following.

One afternoon, out of curiosity ―you're no cat, but you should've known better―, you ask Barbatos how much is the pen you're currently holding. It's of such a bright red, and it feels cold, heavy in your hand. The deep voice coming from it whispers a trail of suggestions as you write down your grocery shopping list, getting ready for your brief visit to the human world.

Barbatos tilts his head, a bit taken aback by your inquiry but answering anyway, as willing to help as always.

“It has been in the castle for generations and its curse is excessively unique. Originally, it was worth merely thirty millions, but to decipher its current price range, a proper assessment is in need. The only answer I can provide with at the moment is that it's, well, priceless.”

Of course it is. When you laugh, it comes out more like a cry, and one look at Barbatos' politely confused expression has you laughing even louder.

In your rush to put down the pen as fast as possible, your shopping list is long forgotten.

Well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions. That exact list is what has brought you here, in the human world, on the eve of Diavolo's birthday, about to enter a three-story 24 hours grocery store accompanied by Devildom's ruler.

“Dia… Lately I've been picking up a few extra hours in Devil's kitchen, maybe I could take you to the movies for your birthday? An amusement park? We can go to a concert. A spa. Or camping.”

The inhabitants of the house of lamentation have seen you running around like crazy this last month, trying to squeeze some extra hours of work whenever you could, all with one objective in mind: spoil Diavolo on his birthday.

You forgot a tiny little detail though: to ensure that said demon is willing to being spoiled.

“I thought you needed groceries? That list was quite long”, he answers, and watching him push a shopping cart through the dairy aisle is surreal enough to have your mind reeling. He is towering over everyone and everything, wearing the human-grocery-shopping outfit you helped him pick ―black graphic tee (yours, oversized on you but fitted on him) and jeans, with a white beanie and a cozy-looking coat on top―.

“Yeah. I can go out to get groceries any other night, though. And I know you wanted to come here for your birthday, but… Is that really okay? Wouldn't you like to go, I don't know, anywhere else more fun?”

“More fun? Than this?”, and it's the genuine confusion in his voice what takes you by surprise, any further questioning getting stuck in your throat when you gaze directly into the molten gold eyes that look at you in earnest, as sincere as ever.

To disarm you further, Diavolo takes your shopping list out of his wallet and deciphers your handwriting without a problem, looking around in amazement, so regal and achingly familiar at the same time.

(Has he kept it in there all this time? It has been almost three weeks since you left it behind, and it was nothing but a crumpled piece of paper, with a couple of tea stains here and there. The careful way in which he holds it has your belly in knots)

And he looks… Excited. Relaxed and happy. And isn't that everything you could ask for and more?

Your concerns seem trivial and distant in the face of his excitement. Of course, trust Diavolo to pick a night spent with you in a grocery store over a fancy tea set, or an expensive wine ―gift options you've considered before, you admit shamefully―.

You can see him talk, gesturing with both hands, but you're too busy spacing out to really listen, feeling lightheaded with relief upon realizing that Diavolo is and will always be Diavolo around you.

By the time you manage to pay attention, Diavolo is holding a carton of milk in each hand, examining them with the wonder of a five-year-old and the solemn expression of someone that's holding something invaluable.

“So many options, and it's just milk! What's the difference? Maybe a different cow for each of them? Mh, I see.”

It's so unfair. He's just standing there, and yet your heart decides it's the perfect time to do some flip-flops.

“Ah, yes, as expected, 'Almond' is a pretty suitable name for a cow. '2%' is a little bit underwhelming as far as cows' names go, but I'm sure their milk is just as lovely as Almond's.”

You nod solemnly, without contradicting such a sound conclusion, making quick work of getting your phone out and ready.

“Could you hold the carton closer to your face? Let me take a picture of you and Almond”.

Hours later, you come out of the store with arms full of bags and your camera roll overflowing with pictures of Diavolo ―some of them you already shared to the group chat, graciously ignoring the multiple missed calls after that one picture of Dia trying to get into the shopping cart―.

The face that the cashier made when Diavolo excitedly explained he came here to celebrate his birthday was unforgettable. Almost as amusing as the one pulled by that old lady that overhear the both of you talking about “bringing Lucifer a few snacks”.

The night air feels icy-cold against your cheeks, and yet, you cannot stop smiling. Feeling your chest impossibly full, getting even more stuffy once you turn around and see an even bigger smile on Diavolo.

He comes closer and carefully places the beanie on your head, probably adjudicating your red ears, cheeks, and nose, to the cold.

“Thank you. I haven't had fun like this in years.” Voice charged with intimacy, without breaking eye contact. Your overall redness only increases once he holds your face in his hands, thumbs sliding across your cheekbones. Surely another effort to keep you warm.

“Truth to be told, today must've been the first time I've enjoyed myself this much.” He adds, with a chuckle. And you know it's true, he can't be lying, not Diavolo, and not with the way he would light up whenever people barely glanced his way; unbothered and oblivious.

With the way he's looking at you, you have to control yourself before spitting some nonsense about buying him the whole grocery store if he wants you to (you have no idea how, but you would).

You have to settle for the next best thing: raw sincerity. “First of many. We can do this again, you know? We don't have to wait for your next birthday. You have me, after all.”

An open door. And by the looks of it, Diavolo recognizes it, if the way his hand travels to take one of the bags out of your grasp, all to intertwine his fingers with yours, is any indicative.

You share a secret smile. You don't know if you can go back to shopping alone after this.

“Human world dinner on me! I'm all ears for the birthday boy, any food you'd like to try? Sushi, maybe? Steak? I know a pretty good lobster place.”

“Oh! I've heard about 24 hours fast food, and I find it fascinating. How fast is it? Do we have to chase it? I would like to try it!”

“… Dia, I'm begging you, let me buy you something that is at least six dollars.”

ao3 ― writing tag

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