#sigh. oh well. perhaps I’ll hear more tomorrow

[trendywaifus]

Can I request Zhu yuan and Jane doe (separately) confessing their feelings to gn reader

hmmmm. i think i seen you around somewhere with this request but okay! | cw: non. gn! reader

↳ from the start

“ so, are you not going to ask them out for dinner before this shift ends, ZHU YUAN? “ qingyi queries, sipping from her hot cup of tea. the aforementioned woman fiddles with the vase of roses in her hands, leaning on the edge of the table with a nervous expression on her face. “ i-i will. i-it’s just. .will they reject me? o-or is it even the right time to ask—“

qingyi sighs, shaking her head. “ clear your mind. it isn’t good to overthink. perhaps it’s best to ask them now so you won’t have to worry about it later. besides, it’s a very low chance they’ll reject you because of how they act around you. “

zhu yuan gives her senior officer a puzzled look. “ b-because of how they act? what do you mean? “

the android finishes her cup of tea. “ you can’t see it? they act considerably kinder to you than others. they smile more when they talk to you, the way they look at you with such warmth is admittedly adorable. “ zhu yuan’s cheeks turn a darker red as she thinks about the times you and her interact with each other during break periods and patrol hours. honestly, she thought you were naturally like that to everyone; a caring and kind person. your words—your voice leave her heart a beating mess. the way you’d check up on her during and after busy days with a gentle smile on your face inspires her to do better; to be better. gosh, she always thought your smiles were breathtaking, the way your eyes would crinkle and sparkle as your lips spread never fails to make her knees weak.

unbeknownst to zhu yuan, qingyi had already left the break room while she was in deep thought and you walked in through the door. “ oh captain zhu yuan! you’re still here? “

she jumps upon hearing your voice, snapping out of her trance. “ y-yes, i was just waiting for you. “ zhu yuan stutters, facing you as you walk over to her with that patient smile of yours. you glance down at the vase full of red and white roses in her hands and back up at her.

“ oh? did someone give those to you? how—“

“ a-actually, these are for you! “ zhu yuan shyly hands you the vase, cheeks flushed red. you blink several times at the roses held in front of you before taking them. “ captain zhu yuan, th-thank you. but what’s the occasion? “

zhu yuan shifts her weight on the other foot as she nervously fiddles around. she takes a deep breath, clasps her hands around her back.

“ i-i like you—a-a lot actually. i-i really admire how wonderful you are as a person. pl-please, grant me permission t-to t-take you out to dinner tomorrow at 8:00pm! “ she stammers, the tips of her ears red and eyes squeezed shut. if you do reject her, she doesn’t want to see your face or she might burst out from anxiety.

“ i would love to go out to dinner with you captain zhu yuan. i’m interested in you myself, haha! “ you laughed shyly, rubbing the back of your neck. those ruby eyes of hers snaps open and an adorable, surprised expression sinks into her face.

“ r-really? “

“ yeah, captain. you’re wonderful yourself, and gorgeous too. “

a embarrassed noise leaves zhu yuan’s throat. her flustered gaze flickers to somewhere else before back at you. she clears her throat with a happy smile on her face. “ th-thank you, but please—it’s just zhu yuan. i don’t want any formalities between us. “

you reciprocate her smile with a bright one, causing her heart to skip several beats. “ you got it, zuzu. make sure to tell me more about where you’re thinking about taking us. “

“ z-zuzu? “

“ what, you don’t like the nickname? “

“ i d-do! it’s just— i have never been called that before. b-but it’s fitting coming from you. “

you let out a soft laugh, reaching your hand out to affectionately poke her nose. “ that’s good to hear. well, i’ll see you later zuzu. text me tonight, yeah? “

she shyly waves as you walk out of the break room with the gifted vase of roses. “ i-i will! a-also, adding sugar water to the roses will make them last longer and fresher! pl-please return home safe, a-and look both ways before crossing the street! “

“ i drive, but thanks! “

of courseee.

zhu yuan mentally facepalms herself but is nonetheless happy with the outcome of her confession. her phone rings in her pocket and she’s quick to answer it.

“ hi mom, i’m coming home now! do you need anything from the store? “ she asks, her voice an octave higher than usual.

“ i-i sound happy? y-yeah, it went well, mom. .” zhu yuan mutters, smiling stupidly to herself as she ambles out of the break room and her way out of the building.

“ m-meet them? n-not yet! it’s way too soon and i’m just taking them out for dinner tomorrow night too. .”

JANE DOE walks down sixth street, her fingers loosely hooked around her hanging straps. the chilly wispy night air kisses her sensitive ears, provoking occasional twitches from them. although she’s only walking through sixth street to get back home, her ears perk up at a familiar voice in the distance.

“ mr. chop, let me order a bowl of green pepper chicken noodles—the regular! i need something to warm me up since the fall air is kicking in! “

she subconsciously smile softly at the sound of your voice. her sharp teal eyes skim over to the waterfall soup shop not too far ahead of her. jane can make out your figure sitting on one of the chairs. her gaze softens; she’s very lucky to catch you around here this time of night. the way you talk to the owner makes it seem like you’re a regular around here. interesting note to pin in the back of her mind. jane saunters over to the shop, your figure becomes clearer and clearer as she approaches.

“ i didn’t think i’d get to see you around this neighborhood, (name). “ jane speaks up as she slides onto a empty chair beside you.

“ oh, jane! “ you offer her a sweet smile she oh so adores. “ i didn’t think i’d get to see you here either! how did everything go with the informant? “

the rat thiren sighs, running a thumb over her red nails as she examined them briefly. “ it went alright. i’m suppose to meet back with them tomorrow for more information about the case. what a hassle. “

you laugh bubbly, “ that certainly is a hassle having to meet with them twice. since you’re here, you have time to eat noodles with me, right? “

her gaze softens even more at the hopeful tone in your voice and the tender look marinating in those brilliant (e/c) eyes of yours. how could she refuse you? you’re just what she needed after a tedious day of running around prepping for an upcoming operation.

“ of course. i was on my way back to my home, and i was just about hungry anyways. “

you nodded, “ so what do you want to order, janey? “

her tail swish with delight from the cute nickname you’ve given her. it’s a shame that she hasn’t given you her real name yet but that’ll change soon in the future. you’re aware that jane has a secret identity, but you don’t seem to care at all and treat her as if she’s a close friend. your guard is always down around her—your body language is relaxed, there’s no skeptical look in your eyes, none of that at all. you’re so genuine with her that she can’t help but fall for you. you’re her first real friend she’s had in years but she grew to wanting something more than that with you. she knows what she likes so there’s no point in denying her feelings for you, right?

jane hums thoughtfully, “ hm, that’s a good question. what do you recommend? “

“ vegetable noodles for you. i’m sure you’ll love it. “

she chuckles, “ oh, really? i’ll take that then. “

you ordered it for her and a soft comforting silence settles in between you and jane as you wait for the food. jane’s observant gaze wanders off to you every now and then, admiring the softness of your face, the way the light perfectly bounces off your skin—do you know that you look memorizing like this right now? she feels like a little lovesick high school girl around her crush. how embarrassing.

“ sorry to break the silence, but, can i ask you a question, (name)? “

“ mhm? “

“ do you trust me as a person? “

you look at your colleague like she has two heads. “ huh, what’s that about? “

“ because you don’t really know much about me or my actual identity, yet you act like we’ve knew each other longer than we actually have. for all you know, i could just be a weirdo waiting for the perfect strike to tear you down. “ as if she would ever hurt you. no matter what disguise she’s in, she wouldn’t dare to lay a finger on you.

you still have that weird, adorable look on your face. “ oh please jane, don’t call yourself a weirdo. but you’re right, i don’t know much about you. however, you have your reasons for keeping your identity secret which is understandable, you’re a criminology specialist. if i was that, i would want to keep my identity secret too to avoid any mishaps with going undercover— thank you, “ you give mr. chop quick smile as he places the ordered bowls down in front of you and jane.

“ anyways, just because you have excellent skills of messing with people and deceiving them for the sake of your job doesn’t translate to how you actually are as a person. i seen how you care and worry for other people in your own little ways. seth told me about all the odd things you did throughout his time being a hostage and how it all added up once he realized you were one of us. when i saw you during that ambush and found out that the mountain lions took him and the hostages. i wasn’t really worried because you were there. I’m starting to ramble so to cut things short, no matter what type of person you are, i’ll always put my trust in you. you’re a good person and i find your presence welcoming. “ you smiled warmly at her before starting on your bowl of noodles.

jane’s utterly taken back by your answer. butterflies flutter around in her stomach like the first week of spring. she expected you to answer kindly to her question but not sentimental like that. her tail sways a little faster than usual and her pupils would resemble heart shapes right now if such a thing was possible. cheeks unusually red, she quietly focuses her attention on eating her noodles. just as you figured earlier, the noodles tastes appetizing.it’s smooth and well done. the chicken broth isn’t really salty and has a rich taste to it. the liquid is warm and easy as it goes down her throat, heating up her cool body temperature. the veggies were nice and crisp. her sore bones softens, the weight of today’s labor eases off of her.

“ this is really what i needed, right janey? “ you giggled, looking over at the woman beside you who’s a little too quiet while she eats.

“ mhm, thank you for recommending this to me. “

after you and jane finished your noodles, you paid for the meals and stood outside of the shop. “ wow, i feel full and tired. i’m definitely going to be sleeping good tonight. thank you for eating with me, i really appreciate it. “ you shove your hands in your pockets, smiling tenderly at her. the love-stricken woman nods her head, tenderness evident on her face as she looks at you. “ no need to thank me, i would of stayed whether you asked me or not. but before we part ways for the night, let me tell you what i’ve been meaning to get off my chest. i may not act like it but, i’m not really good with telling others how i feel so i’ll try to convey them as simple as i can. “ she says awkwardly, her hooked fingers playing around with her hanging straps.

her teal eyes glimmer with devotion as she takes a step closer to you, unhooking one of her fingers to place a delicate hand on your shoulder. “ although we started off as simple colleagues, our connection grew stronger the more i learned about you. the way you don’t hide your emotions is admirable, your eyes doesn’t hold an ounce of darkness behind them; they’re clear as a sunny day and i can’t help but feel drawn to them. .i feel at ease and warm. your presence is the same way. you’re so honest, thoughtful—your genuine nature pulled me in like a magnet. i love you and i wish for us to grow even closer. i promise i’ll tell you everything that you want to know about me if you’ll have me, of course. “ like that, jane leans in and softly kissed the corner of your parted lips.

she retracts away, peering at you patiently as you thoroughly process her confession. your face increasingly turns red every second until you resemble a bright red apple. once jane sees the awe in your eyes and the jubilant smile dancing across your pretty lips, she’s the happiest she’s ever been in a while. you wrap your arms around her and pull her tall frame against yours.

“ of course, i’ll have you. i love you too after all. “ you mutter softly, burying your face into her grey bomber jacket. she laughs breathily, circling her arms around your body, and perched her chin on your shoulder. her ears jiggles in response to your pleasant confession. her long tail curls around your leg as you continue to hug each other under the soft glows of sixth street.

a noisy bangboo in the distance: “ ehaa nu tha! ( i wish i had something like that in my life! )“

[revasserium]

midnight cravings

riddle rosehearts; 1,603 words; nsfw, pls dni if ur a minor; all characters depicted as 18+; fem!reader, tipsy!riddle, oral, fingerfucking, senpai!kink???... welp.

you find him with flushed cheeks and sticky fingers, his eyes honey-glazed as he looks up at you over the tray of liqueur-filled chocolates, his lips stained pink with laughter. he hiccups, tongue darting out to lick at his fingertips, his whole body swaying when you raise an eyebrow and blink.

“riddle?”

“o-oh — oops…”

“what on earth…”

he hiccups again, giggling as he stumbles his way towards you, nearly tripping over his very well-polished boots, leaning down towards you with a shy, sly kind of smile that makes your stomach twist like taffy inside you.

“hm… guess trey made them a little strong this year…” he muses, his eyes flickering from your lips up to your eyes and back down again.

“riddle… were those the whiskey chocolates that trey-senpai made for tomorrow’s holiday party?”

“mm… well, he did say i could try one… or two…”

you can’t help the smile stretching across your lips.

“or… seven?”

riddle purses his lips, his lashes fluttering as he lets out a soft sigh. you can smell the sweetness on his breath, the golden sting of whiskey, feel the closeness of his body to yours. you forget that he’s taller than you, but like this, he could cage you in easily, his eyes half-lidded, his smile knowing and lazy and distinctly cat-like.

“don’t make fun of me…” he says, his voice soft as he cocks his head.

“i — i’m not… i just…”

your breath catches as your eyes snag on the teasing edge of his smile, the way it lilts lopsided, the way he still tries to play at innocence even when the tension is palpable between you, thick as warmed butter.

“just… what? hm?”

you know you’re finished before your lips even meet, but when they do, you find yourself whimpering, the force of him startling. and sure, it’s different from how he usually is — sweet, attentive, perhaps a bit on the rigid side, but it isn’t like you haven’t seen him like this before, haven’t felt him like this before — on the occasions when he’s irked or tired or perhaps just a bite too excited. when he’s too happy or dizzy or drunk on life or laughter or you —

like this, he leaves you gasping.

“hm… i was just thinking…” he pulls back, casually swiping a thumb across your bottom lip, his eyes dark and hungry, tracking the wet trail his finger makes as it presses along the length of your mouth, dragging down your cheek till he can tilt your chin up towards him again.

“you never call me ‘senpai’… but you do with trey and cater… why’s that?” he asks, his voice just on the other side of nonchalance, his expression one of sharp, targeted curiosity, like he knows the answer but wants to hear you say it instead.

“i — i’m sorry, i’ll —”

“say it.”

you swallow, catch your lower lip in your teeth, eyes locking with his as his grin spreads cheshire-wide.

“s-senpai…”

his next breath is light, is one of laughter as he leans back down, “mm… good girl.”

you shiver as tingles rake up the length of your spine.

and then your thoughts skid through to pure incoherence as he melds his mouth to yours once more, pulling you to him, kissing you hard, kissing you hungry, kissing you like there’s an entire world somewhere beneath your tongue that he’d love nothing more than to be the cartographer for — you squeak as he hoists you up, always so much stronger than even you give him credit for, plopping you down on the biting cold of the metal kitchen table.

“y’know… i’d come down for a midnight snack originally…” he says, taking half a step back to look you over, taking in the muss of your hair, the ruffle of your clothes, your uniform collar loose and askew, your skin a tantalizing glimmer in the soft, dappled moonlight. and then, he drops to his knees and you nearly hiss in anticipation.

he trails his fingers along the bare skin of your thighs, pillowing his cheek on one of them.

“but i think i might just want to eat you instead.”

“r-riddle — !”

your eyes squeeze shut as he presses open your legs, your toes curling at the openness of it all, at the shock of embarrassment at being spread out like this, on the school’s kitchen table, no less — but riddle hums as he lets his hot breath wash over you, a thick groan rolling out of him as he tugs aside your panties and slicks a thumb through the wetness already collected along your folds.

“fuck,” he murmurs, and it punches through you, the way he says it, usually never one for such obscenities, the word slipping from him, more a prayer than a curse.

fuck, you agree, letting your head tip back as he leans in to lick a slow strip along your cunt, your fingers fisting in his hair, and on any other day, he might’ve balked at the sting, but now, tonight, he only revels in the way you pull him closer, your thighs shaking on either side of his head, the taste of you exquisite on his tongue.

“ri-riddle… please…” your voice trails off into a high-pitched whine as he wraps his mouth around your clit and sucks, leaving you a shaking pile atop the glistening metal table, still loaded to the one side with trey’s chocolate liqueurs. riddle grins, lifting his eyes to watch as you peer down at him, your cheeks dark with color, truly the sweetest, most intoxicating sight. the soft, warm, buzz of alcohol had loosened his limbs and inhibitions enough and he thinks that he likes you like this — pleading for him, shaking apart for him.

“ah… so pretty…” he muses, even as he leans up to press two fingers into you, fucking you slow, savoring the way you gasp and clench down around him, tight, and then tighter, your knees pressing together as if you could somehow keep him there. he grins.

“m-more… ah — ngh —”

your fingers scrabble for purchase you reach blindly down towards him, trying to do something, anything to get him to go faster, harder, perhaps to curl his fingers the way he knows you like. but he only catches your hands, holding your wrists still as he leans over you, his torso keeping your knees spread just so, his other hand still sunk knuckle-deep inside you.

“hehh… i don’t think you’re really in the position to make demands right now…” he runs a tight circle of your clit with his thumb and watches as your entire body arches off the table in pleasure.

“rid-dle — riddle — s-senpai — !”

his body shudders as he lets out a breathy laugh, his head dropping as he finally picks up the pace, fucking his fingers into you hard enough for you to keen before dropping back down to press his tongue back to your folds, sucking hard just to hear you scream.

“mm… look so good like this… so desperate for me, hm? what a pretty… little… pastry…” he punctuates his words with harsh thrusts of his fingers, curling them inside you till he finds the place he’s looking for, the soft, tender spot inside you that has you twitching around him, begging and nearly incoherent with pleasure.

“’m s-so c-close — close —”

he moans loud and lewd against you as he pulls his fingers from inside your cunt, replacing it with his tongue, gripping your thighs as he eats you out hard enough for you to come undone right over his mouth, your body writhing over the metal table, nearly knocking the trays of sweets from their place beside you.

“aah-ahh… we’ve made… a mess…” he says, sounding rather pleased with himself as he pulls back, licking his lips, dragging a thumb across his chin before popping into his mouth, his eyes still locked with yours. you shudder as the aftershocks of your orgasm rake through you, not entirely able to shake the way he’s still watching you, as if this has done nothing to sate his particular brand of hunger.

he gives your thigh a small pat as you take a breath and force your body to sit up, cheeks flushing as you tug your panties back up your legs, smoothing your palms over the material of your skirt as you hop off the table.

“did… did you sober up a bit?” you ask, your voice uncharacteristically quiet as riddle leads you from the school kitchens, hand in hand, his gait still much more relaxed than it would’ve been in the daytime.

he peers at you from over his shoulder.

“hm… not in the slightest,” he says, and you stare up at him as he smirks.

the hallways are quiet as the pair of you make your way towards the hallway of mirrors, your footsteps echoing against the vast, stone walls.

“so… what are you going to tell trey-senpai tomorrow? when he asks you about the chocolates?”

riddle pauses for a second before shrugging.

“the truth, i suppose.”

“huh?”

he turns to you with that tell-tale grin as the pair of you reach the heartslabyul mirror, and he tugs you behind him towards his room.

“that i had a midnight craving, and… that it just had to be sated, now didn’t it?”

[chlobliviate]

Wolfstar Microfic - Defeat

Words: 987

@wolfstarmicrofic

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

It had been a bad moon on Saturday night. So bad that it was Monday morning and Remus was still in the hospital wing. Had he sulked a little when Madam Pomfrey told him he needed to stay Sunday night? Perhaps. Was he proud of it? Well, that was neither here nor there. Because it was Monday morning and he had Transfiguration.

“Minerva, will you talk some sense into him please?” He heard from behind the curtains before Professor McGonagall swept through them.

“Mr Lupin.” She nodded curtly.

“Professor McGonagall.” Her demeanour softened slightly.

“I hear that you want to go to class today. Is that correct?” Remus nodded, “And you recognise as well as Poppy and I do that you are in no fit state to do so?”

Remus frowned, “I can manage.”

“Mr Lupin.”

“Yes, I should probably be resting.” He did his best not to roll his eyes, reluctantly admitting defeat.

“I’m here to excuse you from classes for today, and to let you know that Mr— that Sirius has offered to take notes for you.” She looked at him with a new sparkle in her eyes, “I’m not sure how you have managed to convince him to undertake extra schoolwork, but… well done.”

Remus was so confused, “Thank you, Professor?”

“You should be able to head back to your dormitory mid-morning, and resume classes tomorrow. Make sure you rest well.” She turned and vanished through the curtains. He sighed and picked up the book Sirius had left beside his bed last night.

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

Sirius had never cared about taking notes. Not even when they’d had that hot Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in fourth year. He wasn’t totally sure why he’d volunteered. McGonagall hadn’t even asked him. He’d offered. Actually, he did know why. He just didn’t really want to think about the implications.

So Sirius was going to take the best damn notes of his academic career, and he was going to colour code them, and if Remus just happened to appreciate them so much that he realised that he was madly in love with Sirius, then wouldn’t that be a lovely bonus?

James stared at him, “Why do you have four quills?”

“One for each colour.” He wrote the date at the top of the parchment.

“I’ll rephrase.” James sighed, “Are you ill?”

“No,” Sirius said in a hushed voice, “I’m taking notes for Moony, so shut up.”

James, who had been the victim of Sirius’ increasingly lovelorn monologues lately didn’t need to ask any further questions. He nodded and began writing on his own parchment.

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

At the end of the day, Sirius’ hand ached. His right hand and wrist were covered in ink and he wasn’t convinced that the notes were any good, if he was honest. They were a lot messier than Remus’ were and had considerably more annotations and doodles. But, he reasoned, it was better to have slightly inadequate, doodly notes than no notes.

Remus was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for them to go down to dinner. He still looked pale and Sirius had a good mind to march him back to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey to bloody well do her job. But then Remus smiled at him, and he forgot why he was angry.

Sirius dropped his bag on his bed, fished out multiple pieces of parchment and proudly presented them to Remus. He looked down at them, and Sirius saw his eyes get wider the more he read.

“Pads, you really didn’t have to.” He said quietly. “Thank you.”

Sirius suddenly felt very exposed, “You’re welcome? Sorry they’re not as neat as yours would be but—”

“They’re perfect.” Remus cut him off, “The doodles really make…”

Sirius looked over to see what had Remus’ brow all cute and furrowed. Oh. Well, doodling hearts all over the Divination notes was maybe a little much, but it was the last class of the day, and he was tired, and in his defence, everything that he ‘saw’ during the lesson pointed to love… stuff. Maybe Remus would believe that if he was convincing enough and oh shit Remus had asked him a question and Sirius had caught none of it.

“Uh, sorry, I zoned out.” He felt his cheeks heating up. “What did you say?”

“I said you seemed to have a particularly amorous Divination lesson.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, seemed to be.” He looked down at the page, Oh that was a lot of hearts. “The fates don’t lie?”

“Riiight.” Remus looked at him suspiciously. “McGonagall seemed very concerned that you volunteered to actually do work.”

“I can imagine that would be a surprise for her.”

“Not just her.” Remus tilted his head as he looked up at Sirius. “You don’t even take your own notes.”

“I knew you’d be pissed off that you were missing precious learning time.” Sirius shrugged in what he hoped was a nonchalant way. “Thought I’d try and help.”

Remus was studying him in a way which made Sirius’ heart speed up significantly, “Well… I really appreciate it. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Sirius gave him a small nod. “Anything, Moons.”

Remus set the parchment down on his bed and started to stand up, causing multiple concerning clicks, pops and crunches from his joints. Sirius was by his side in a moment and they were so close now. He allowed himself to just look at Remus, the deep green eyes, the scar that traversed his lower lip and jaw and if he just leaned in he could— And then his eyes flicked back up to Remus’. They were fixed on his.

Of course, James chose that moment to crash into the dorm, grumbling about Slughorn.

“Get out,” Remus said.

“What’s— Are you—”

“James, get out!” He didn’t take his eyes off Sirius as James threw his bag towards his bed and huffed out of the room.

[niki-phoria]

Hello! I hope your well!

Could I request todoroki x with a Male or GN reader whose quirk is shapeshifting?

Perhaps they find us as some kind of animal in the rain and take us in unknowing of who we are!

If not I can settle for a little cafe date,

Thank you again!!

pairing: prince!todoroki x cat shapeshifter!male!reader genre: mostly fluff, slight angst word count: 1.5k

a/n: i'm doing okay, thank you for asking :)) i loved this idea so much, thank you for requesting !! i had this idea for prince shouto so i made it a royalty au, i hope you don't mind also i am a proud endeavor hater i will slander that man in every single fic i write

tw slight mention of blood, slight animal abuse, implication of child abuse

“shouto?” you’re surprised to see him standing at your door, flinching in surprise when he throws his arms around you. his body knocks into yours as he cries into your chest, quick breaths about something you can’t understand. tears roll down his cheeks as you pull him back a little, hands on his shoulders. “what’s wrong? why are you crying?” 

“touya-” he gasps. “touya’s gone.” you let him crawl back into your arms, rubbing a hand down his back. you can feel tears prick at your own eyes as shouto grips your shirt as if he’s afraid you would disappear when he lets go. and maybe he was right to be. 

“shouto?” fuyumi calls out. she rushes over to you, kneeling down next to shouto. “oh, shouto,” she whispers. shouto continues clinging to you, hiding his face away. 

“shouto, it’ll be okay, fuyumi’s here.” you whisper. slowly, he pulls away, wiping his tears. he glances between you and his sister before gently letting go. “i’ll come see you tomorrow, okay?” he sniffles, nodding. 

“you promise?” he holds his hand out. 

you intertwine your pinkies together. “i promise.” 

he holds onto your hand for a few more seconds before finally letting go. “okay.” 

the next morning, the castle guards who used to ruffle your hair and joke around with you are cold as they stop you from entering. they only separate to make room for the king-todoroki enji. he glares down at you coldly, as if you were a stain to be removed. “stay away from my son.” 

“but-i promised shouto i would come to see him!” your protests are ignored when enji turns around. 

“take him away.” he instructs before disappearing back into the castle. 

you weren’t strong enough to fight against the guards as they shoved you out, throwing you to the outskirts of the kingdom. “i’m sorry, y/n,” a knight murmured before turning to follow the others back to their posts. when you woke up you were in an unknown part of the kingdom, covered in dirt and newly formed bruises, and all alone. 

living so far away from the rest of society had it’s perks. with no one around to potentially hurt, experimenting with your quirk became one of your favourite pastimes. you would jump around, testing if things were easier to do as a cat or a human, honing your skills to be able to survive with nothing around but trees. however, with nobody nearby, you weren’t used to seeing people. 

the man slinks around, poorly hiding himself behind a tree. you silently watch him, orange fur shining in the daylight. when he sees you, he kneels down, outstretching a hand. hesitantly, you make your way over to him, sizing him up. he waits patiently as you approach before grabbing you, twisting your leg uncomfortably. he presses a sharp knife against your thigh, preparing to cut you. you mewl, unable to get out of his hold. 

“hey, look what i found!” he yells. in the distance you can hear trees rustling before another man comes into your view. he cocks his head and then grimaces. 

“i thought we were hunting for food.”

“we are,” the first man shakes you. you hiss at him, failing to scratch his arms. 

“i’m not eating a cat.” the second man says, shaking his head. 

“come on, there’s nothing else out here!” the second man sighs, defeated. 

“fine. if we can’t find anything else, we’ll eat the damn cat.” you cry when the man holding you presses his knife deep into your flesh. you can see a gun slung across his back. his partner is holding his rifle, using it to clear through the trees. it’s too dangerous to change here. you can’t fight. and even if you could, they could easily shoot you. you don’t stand a chance. the man holding you throws you unceremoniously into a bag where you’re plunged into darkness. 

after what feels like hours of being thrown around inside of the bag, the pain from your leg makes you dizzy until you fall unconscious into a blissful sleep. 

the ground is muddy as shouto walks along the castle grounds. normally he wouldn’t be out this late. the sun had begun to set already, coating everything in sight in shallow golden light. his fists clench by his sides as he focuses on the ground in front of him, anger still crawling in his chest from his earlier argument with his father. his father. what a vile man. shouto pushes the argument from his mind, forcing himself to relax. he outstretches his fingers, unclenches his jaw, and rolls his shoulders. though the tension in his body remains, he feels better. 

shouto stops entirely when he notices it. a small, orange kitten laying in the dirt. it’s back leg is bloody and bent in the wrong direction. it lays unmoving, even as shouto approaches. he gently rubs a hand against the cat’s back. it flinches awake, but doesn’t move away from him. shouto leans down to pick it up, holding the animal against his chest. he whispers reassurances, rushing to bring the cat inside the castle and to the doctor. 

despite protests that the cat was “just an animal” and that he “wasn’t a damn vet,” the man was in no position to deny the crown prince. shouto watched as he gently maneuvered the bone back into place before slowly stitching the wound closed. 

“take it,” the man gestured to the cat, throwing away the needle and bandages. shouto did so silently, wrapping the animal in a nearby towel and bringing it into his room. he ignored the confused looks from guards as he shut the door behind him, laying the cat down on his bed. it had fallen unconscious again, laying unmoving against shouto’s silk sheets. shouto found an odd comfort in the cat. having never had pets before, he gently pet the animal while it slept, watching it unil the sun set and the room was plunged into darkness. shouto left the cat on his bed, crawling underneath the covers and watching it until he too was fully asleep. 

the first thing you feel when you wake up is pain. it stings from your knee down to your ankle. the wound wastes no time in making itself known. you shift, moving to sit up. you’re no longer on the ground, covered in dirt and blood. everything around you is ornate, covered in red and gold-symbols of royalty. something shifts next to you-a boy. the prince. todoroki shouto.

it’s been years since you’ve seen him. he looks the same, though his scar has faded significantly in the years since the accident occured. he’s hardened from the five year old boy you knew into a strong sixteen year old teen. you can see some scars on his hands from training. he looks so peaceful as he sleeps, bangs falling into his eyes. you freeze when he shifts a little before waking up. he blinks at you, sitting up in alarm. you’re preparing for him to yell for guards, for them to rush in and pin you down, drag you throughout the castle walls and throw you outside into the dirt, where you belong. but he doesn’t. wide heterochromic eyes stare into your own. you shift uncomfortably, tail wrapping around yourself protectively. 

“what’s your name?” shouto’s voice is deeper than you remember. 

“y/n,” your voice is raspy. your throat stings with irritation. you need to drink something. 

“y/n,” shouto repeats. a moment of silence falls over you two. then, shouto whispers. “do you remember me?” 

“shouto,” you whisper. he’s quick to pull you into a hug, wrapping his arms around your waist. you bury your face into his chest, taking him in. even after so much time apart, he feels familiar. 

“why… why didn’t you come? that day,” he whispers. you blink away tears gathering in your eyes, grabbing onto his hands when you pull away. 

“i tried to, your father-he ordered the guards to stop me. they left me in the woods. i didn’t know where i was. i never forgot about you, i promise.” you stare down at the floor, worried for how shouto is reacting to the news. his fingers are cold as he raises your chin. 

“i never forgot about you either.” you can’t help but wrap your arms around him again, this time letting your tears fall. your hands shake as you grip onto his clothes, holding him close to you. shouto pulls you even tighter, waiting for you to calm down before pulling away a little. 

“i love you,” shouto whispers. your breath hitches as you look up at him. “can i kiss you?” you nod, gently pulling shouto into a sweet kiss. he smiles into it, pressing a kiss to your forehead after you pull away. 

“i love you too. i’m glad you found me.” 

“i missed you,” shouto murmurs. your ears twitch a little when he scratches them. a deep pur escapes your chest as you nuzzle closer into his chest. 

“i missed you too.”

[greycryingcorner]

of Moons and Stars • Prologue

// what happens if the moon falls from the sky? would it bring destruction or perhaps safety? are you willing to find out?

/ this is an OC story following the JJK timeline! Things will play out from their perspective as they try to find out who they are and what role they play in this world.

Tags: Fluff & Angst, Memory loss, Deaths, Spoilers, Found Family, NB MC. updated as I go o7

-☆-

‘Huh, how weird, I don’t recall what led me to this.’

It’s a gentle and sunny Sunday night in Tokyo. While known for its colors and business, on the edges of the loud city it was quite calm, you could hear the birds and insects as they sang their songs during the night and mornings and close your eyes to fall asleep alongside it.

That, unfortunately, wasn’t true for Megumi, who was currently sitting outside, unable to sleep. He had been struggling with sleep for a while, but it was now 3:45 AM and he had practice tomorrow. A sigh left him as he leaned back to look at the sky.

“Can’t sleep?” Came an oh so familiar voice from behind him. Megumi turned to look in the direction as he could feel the wood under him bend slightly as they sat down.

It was Gojo, because of course it was. Seemingly always up at any given moment. Megumi rested his head in his arms. “Mhn…”

Gojo smiled at him, reassuringly to make sure Megumi knew it was alright. “You look pretty tired to me.” He said, chuckling as he saw Megumi yawn.

“I just can’t seem to fall asleep regardless…” Megumi sighed. He was true that he was incredibly tired, and his training would most likely suffer tomorrow in turn, but no matter what he tried, he just wouldn’t fall asleep. Even the tea he would usually drink before bed wasn’t working this time.

Gojo pat him on the back. “Hmmm… what can we do about that…” He said, trying to find something that would help him get at least a bit of rest. Maybe some early practice? Oh! Or some boring papers, those worked wonders on Gojo. He was so lost in trance trying to find something that he missed Megumi tapping his shoulder a few times.

Megumi squinted up at the sky, seemingly seeing something. “Gojo…? Do you see that? That's not a curse, is it?”

Gojo was pulled out of his trance at that. “Hm? Where?” He looked in the direction Megumi was and saw something in the sky. Right under the moon, floating downwards slowly, it was hard to see but while he could certainly see cursed energy with it, it didn’t seem like a curse itself. More like a… Sorcerer?

They both stood up from their spots to walk towards where the shadow seemed to land. It was a bit into the more foliaged area of the practice field, in an area with a few trees, making it harder to see. “It’s not a curse but be on guard.” Gojo said as he slightly lifted his blindfold, trying to see the figure.

Slowly but surely the figure seemed to float down. They seemed to be unconscious by the way they were falling without a reaction.

Megumi’s mouth formed an o shape once he saw that it seemed to be a person.

Both of them kept watching as the body floated between the foliage and Gojo held out his arms to catch them from an actual fall and from landing in the dirt. They could now see that the person was apparently a sleeping person, their hands on their heart as Gojo caught their back and held them as the body went limp in his arms. Well this was curious.

Gojo sighed at the fact they seemed to be no threat for the moment. “Shoko is asleep for now, but we should check up on her tomorrow to check for any injuries. He then started walking towards the dormitory area as Megumi followed. “Eh? Are we just going to keep them asleep? What if they’re dangerous?-“

“Mhn, that’s a possibility, but by how they are looking right now, I doubt they’ll wake up anytime soon. Plus!” He lifted one finger. “I’ll keep watch, if they try anything we can make a plan b.”

Megumi mumbled a hushed “We should probably have a plan b beforehand…” That Gojo either truly didn’t hear or chose to ignore as they made their way to the first years dorms. “Mind if you open the door for me?” Gojo smiled and said before Megumi walked past him to open one of the doors and nodding.

He then laid the person onto one of the beds there, watching for any movement besides the slow and gentle breathing before grabbing a chair and sitting down next to the bed, the backrest between his spread legs and his arms crossed on top. “How’s that for a goodnight story for you Megumi?” He gently laughed, “Maybe if a few more people fall from the sky you can start counting them!”

Megumi just held his head at that. “And now?” He said before yawning again, his sleep schedule finally getting to him.

Gojo lifted a finger again. “Now, dear Megumi, you-“ He pointed it at him. “- will go to bed. I’ll keep watch, if anything happens I’ll wake you up.”

“And what if something happens while I sleep?” Megumi said, crossing his arms.

“Whaaaat? Do you not trust your trustworthy teacher anymore? I’m hurt…”

“Nevermind.” Megumi said before saying his goodnights and going to his own room.

Gojo looked towards the door as Megumi left before looking back at the person next to him. They had grey hair cut to be shorter in the front, a wolfcut. They were also wearing a black oversized sweater. If he had to guess he would assume them to be around 20.

“You know… it’s not often we have new students fall from the sky. Sleep well, tomorrow you get to answer lots of fun questions.” Gojo sighed, thinking about how to explain this to the higher ups, and oh the paperwork… ah this was going to be a long day.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Young American - Part 5

FRIENDS, THIS IS A GOOD AND LONG ONE 😮‍💨😏 A little earlier than usual because I will be very busy this weekend, but I hope you like it! Thank you to all of you who read and interact, it means the world to me!

WC: 10.7k

Series Masterlist

Also on an unrelated note, I'm going to 2 more LOT show and was thinking of maybe doing a little merch giveaway? Perhaps a LOT soup tote? LMK if that would be something you're interested in if you were unable to attend any shows! ☺️

Warnings: Talks about Alzheimers, death, depression, cancer, blood, pain, tattooing

Y/N wasn’t really sure what to expect on Monday when she got to the shop in terms of her official friendship with Harry. Since Sunday was her “day off” she didn’t see Harry or even hear from him, but she still felt giddy and nervous as she got through her tasks quickly and eventually got to the drawing table. She had done herself up just a bit more in the makeup department, she always got a little more of a confidence boost when she did her make up. It wasn’t anything crazy, she just added a thin winged liner and a red lip tint with some gloss over it. It stood out a bit since she was just wearing a white tee tucked into her black, high-waisted jeans and her go-to checkered vans adorned her feet. Y/N kept telling herself that it was because she just felt good, she had a little bit of a pep in her step today, but all that flew out the window when she heard the back door of the shop open and she perked up, preparing to see Harry, he was always the first to arrive as she turned back when she heard the steps lead into the studio she was met with G.

“Oh, hey! You’re early!” She said with a smile as she stood and he scoffed.

“Early? It’s 9:30.” He said and she frowned.

“Is it?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled, “Got lost in the drawing, did you?” He asked and she smiled and nodded. She felt a little worried, Harry was never late, “Show me what you’re working on?” He asked and she guided him over. As she showed him the new designs they made some small talk about his grandparents anniversary party and he shared that he had also been out yesterday and was curious about the Halloween party she bit her lip for a second before speaking.

“Ummm, maybe we should go for a drink after work.” She said and he looked at her with some confusion.

“Well I can’t tonight. The boo-thing and I wanted to go see a movie, sorry.” He said.

“It’s cool, we can do tomorrow.” She assured and then the door opened again and in came Rosa, “She lives!” Y/N laughed and Rosa sighed.

“I’m so sorry! I got hella cross faded and it hit right before we were leaving to the party and I was vegged out and eventually just passed out. I texted Harry!” 

“You did not!” She laughed and then pulled out her phone to show proof and as she searched through her messages she frowned and her and G just giggled.

“OK, I thought about texting Harry.” She laughed in slight embarrassment with Y/N and G. They chatted a bit longer and then Vy came in and cheerfully greeted everyone as she rushed to set up for her appointment and shortly after Rosa headed off to open up the shop and Harry still wasn’t in. It was a slow morning for G so he gave her some pointers on some of the new designs she had made so that they could be more tattoo friendly and she took note and as they wrapped up that conversation he let out a big yawn.

“Well, I’m gonna make some coffee, want some?”

“Yeah, I’ll come with you.” Y/N smiled and they walked into the lounge and she started getting out the grounds and their mugs. Suddenly they heard the door open and in came Harry, sunglasses still on his face, his motorcycle helmet nestled in one arm as he ran his free hand through his thick, brown curls. He was wearing some distressed denim, the fit was loose on his legs and his broad shoulders were draped in a worn leather jacket. He was wearing one of his usual t-shirts underneath, but god did he look astounding.

“Hey G!” He greeted happily as he passed by and when he reached Y/N he gave her a little side hug, “Hey you.” He hummed lowly as he pressed his cheek into the top of her head.

“Hey.” She responded with a bashful smile, trying her best to will away the rosy color of the blood rushing up to her face. After a few short seconds of being in his embrace Harry pulled away and headed to the storage lockers to set his things down. When she looked over at G he was smirking at her and she rolled her eyes and continued with adding the coffee grounds to the filter.

“Can you add a little for me?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, of course.” She smiled up at him, “Long morning?” She asked and he sighed as he shrugged off his jacket.

“Yeah, on my way here I got a flat on the highway. I had to get towed to a gas station to fill up and well, you know how tow trucks take forever and charge like hell.” He explained and both she and G hummed in understanding, “But it’s all taken care of now, thankfully.” He said with a smile as he came up beside Y/N to grab his mug out of the cabinet.

“That’s good. Glad to hear you’re alright and everything worked out.” G said and Y/N nodded along in agreement.

“Thanks.” He responded and then he turned to Y/N, “You look extra dolled up today.” He acknowledged her extra effort.

“Oh yeah? Just… felt like switching it up a little.” She shrugged nonchalantly, but internally she was happy that he had noticed. 

“Well, you look good.” He said more quietly, probably feeling a little bit timid since G was in there with them, but it surprised her that his presence didn’t deter him from complimenting her at all. 

“Oh! Ummm, thanks.”  She smiled at him again and Harry smiled timidly at her and she could see G grinning from her peripherals. 

“Did you already talk to Rosa?” He asked with a grin as he leaned against the counter as she started up the coffeemaker.

  “Oh my god, yes!” Y/N giggled and Harry shook his head from side to side.

“At least we know she’s alive. She was in a proper state yesterday.” Harry disclosed and she giggled.

“I can only imagine.” Y/N hummed and she looked to G who was texting fiercely on his phone. She was just waiting for her phone to ding with a longwinded message.

“Speaking of the devil.” Harry grinned as Rosa walked in and she rolled her eyes with a grin on her face, “Morning.”

“Good morning, Harry. Ummm, do you have a minute? Someone is asking for you up front.” She said and he nodded and left with Rosa. 

“OK, I cancelled the movie we’re going for drinks tonight.” He said and and she laughed softly and shook her head.

“It’s cool, it can wait.”

“Maybe it can, but I can’t. I need to know what is going on there.” He said quietly.

“Nothing. We’re friends now.” She shrugged.

“Bull! You hooked up.” He said more quietly and she shook her head.

“Really we didn’t!” He studied her face with squinted eyes, “Ughhh, we’re going to lunch then. I literally cannot wait to hear it all.” He said to her and she giggled.

“OK, lunch.” She agreed.

************

G could not stop smiling as Y/N told him about her time spent at the Halloween party with Harry. It was good that she and Harry were able to put their differences aside and have fun together. He was starting to grow a soft spot for him as she talked about how funny and sweet he was. 

“-and then Vy took us up to the guest room so that I could go to the bathroom without waiting in the long ass line and we just stayed up there talking.”

“Talking you say?”

“Yeah, just talking, and drinking of course, but ummm… he was just really bummed about how we had gotten off on the wrong foot-”

“Still?”

“Yeah, he was so apologetic! And you know, I was letting him know that it was OK and we watched a rom-com turned drinking game…Well, I let him think I was drinking too but I just hate taking Ubers alone if I’m drunk and well he asked if we were friends and I told him that I think we are and he got really happy about that. You should’ve seen how pretty his smile was, I swear my heart grew five sizes just seeing him beaming like that.” She pouted with affection and G cooed, “Then it was just time to go and well, he had driven himself and didn’t want to leave his car so he let me drive his car-”

“The Ferrari?” He asked with shock and Y/N nodded.

“He was so drunk, I thought he was joking! But then he was like I swear I trust you and he wanted to go home so I agreed to drive him. Then he like passed out and I have no idea where he lives, so I had to take him to mine and he stayed the night.” She shrugged, leaving out the part where they shared the bed, “He stayed for breakfast and then left for the shop and that was it.” She said.

“And he remembers all of this?” G asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, he ummm, he checked in the next morning and apologized if he was a handful or whatever, which I assured him he wasn’t and yeah.”

“How do you feel about all of this?” He asked and she shrugged and smiled.

“Good? I mean, he’s literally the sweetest person ever and he’s really proven himself to like, makeup for the beginning.”

“Well, I’m glad you guys are good now because now I can say how fucking good he looked when he came in today. Not really the type I go for but damn.” G said with arched eyebrows and Y/N giggled with warmth in her cheeks.

“Yeah, he did. Didn’t he?” She said giddily before taking her lip between her teeth.

“He was totally flirting with you, by the way. This morning.” G pointed out and her cheeks felt warm all over again as he recalled this detail and recounted it to her.

“Oh my god…he was just being nice.” She waved it off.

“Sure, sure… I might be into guys but I’m not blind. Flirting is flirting in any sexual orientation.” He said pointedly and she rolled her eyes. 

*************

The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet. Y/N was just doing some inventory in the supply closet while everyone else wither worked on their clients or on new designs. She was in the middle of counting the boxes of gloves when suddenly Harry came looking extremely irritated and she jumped a bit at his surprise intrusion.

“Sorry, I just need a moment.” He huffed.

“Alright. Do you want me to go?” She asked him as she set her clipboard down on the nearest surface.

“No. Stay.” He insisted, searching her eyes and she nodded as he looked down to the ground and took slow, calming breaths, but his hands were balled up in fists at his sides. She tentatively reached for one of his hands and he unclenched it, allowing her to take it and she just squeezed gently. He looked back into her eyes and she could see that he was so upset that it looked like he was going to cry.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked gently and he exhaled through his nose.

“Well, first the whole thing with the tow truck. I mean, it was an expense I wasn’t expecting to make and rent is due on Friday.” He explained, he was clearly stressed out about it, “And now, I got a call from the company that’s shipping over my things and they lost some really priceless art that I had. Stuff my grandfather had painted. They’ve been searching but still haven’t been able to track where it went.” He said and paused, that seemed to be what really was upsetting him, he exhaled shakily and she squeezed his hand again, “That’s all I had left of his.” He explained with tearful eyes.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Harry.” She said compassionately, her hand trailed up his arm from his hand and she smoothed over his bicep gently, “That’s super shitty.”

“Yeah. Fuck…I’m so angry I can’t even see straight…ughhh!” He groaned and she frowned and just hugged him. He stayed frozen for a second before he hugged her back. They were quiet for a few moments.

“Want to take a little walk? Get some fresh air?” She asked and he nodded against her, “OK, C’mon.” She said softly as she rubbed at his back before letting go. They headed out through the back entrance and he groaned again when he saw that his bike had a flat again.

“For fuck’s sake!” He exclaimed and sighed as he bent down to inspect the damage.

“Gosh, today is just not your day…” She said and he shook his head.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” He mumbled.

“Well look, one of my aunt’s friends is a mechanic, has his own shop and all. He does his own towing and I think he does tires too. I can call her and see if they can get this sorted out for you?” She offered and he turned to her.

“Do you know how much that might be?”

“Not sure, but cheaper. He never charges us if we need towing, being family friends and all. Or if he can’t work on what you need he can at least refer you to someone who will give you a good deal?” She said and he sighed. Harry hated feeling helpless and limited in what he could do. Things had been better, but he hadn’t replenished his savings enough to be able to deal with an unforeseen circumstance like this twice in one day.

“Yeah, please. Anything would help at this point.” He said and she nodded.

“I’ll call her now. Maybe if they come soon you’ll have it before the end of the day?” She said and he nodded, “OK, let me go get my phone.” She said and rushed back inside. She came back out and they started walking out of the lot with him at her side as she called her aunt and explained the situation. She was more than willing to give their friend, Andrew, a call and soon she hung up as they reached the corner of the street and they lingered there for a moment.

“Thank you.” He said and she smiled.

“I’m glad I could help with at least one thing.” She responded, “You wanna talk about the paintings?” She asked and he nodded.

“My grandfather and I were close. He was into art and that’s how I started to draw and paint.” He explained, “It was something we did together when I was growing up and when I told my mum that I was not going to continue in college to pursue tattooing he was… surprisingly supportive.” He smiled as he looked to her and she smiled.

“That’s sweet!” She hummed and he nodded, his dimple carved into his cheek and it made her swoon with endearment.

“Yeah, I was surprised but he believed in me, you know? Shortly before I started my apprenticeship with Eddie he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” He explained and she frowned, “It was hard for my nan to look after him on her own and my mum could only help so much with work and all. Like we helped how we could but it was really hard when he’d have bad days, so eventually she got him into an assisted living home but that just really accelerated his deterioration. I would visit every week and we would paint together. He didn’t remember me as his grandson, just as the kid who would come paint with him. Those were the paintings they lost.” He said and Y/N frowned.

“I’m so sorry, Harry. I’m sure they’ll turn up.” She said hopefully and he sighed.

“I hope they do. They mean a lot to me.” 

“Yeah, I can see why. Did he ever get to see you tattoo?” She asked and he smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. He had these few weeks where he was just super lucid, like right before the final crash,” he explained and she nodded for him to go on, “and he wanted a tattoo from me. That was the first official tattoo I gave. He paid me and everything.” He chuckled and looked at the ground as he shared the story with her. It brought tears to her eyes because this one hit close to home because the reason she wanted to tattoo was her aunt, Julie, a cancer survivor and so close to being in remission right now. There was a point in time where they weren’t sure if she would make it, but she had always said that she wanted Y/N to tattoo her before she died and Y/N intended on making good on her promise.

“Awww, Harry, that’s so cute.” She sniffled and he looked over at her when he heard her sniffle.

“Oh, don’t cry!” He pouted and she giggled and swiped at her eye to wipe her tears, “You’ve ruined your eyeliner.” He tutted, looking between her eyes with a small smile and she huffed, “Here, I got it, love.” He said softly as he leaned closer to her face and just swiped the wings away with a little rubbing of his thumbs. She felt her heart pounding hard in her chest as his eyes focused intently on her face to ensure that nothing else was out of place. She did everything to withstand the temptation of looking at his lips, “There. Sorry for making you cry and ruin your pretty makeup.” He hummed before pulling his hands away.

“It’s fine.” She giggled with a shake of her head and he smiled, “What did you tattoo on your grandpa?” She asked.

“A portrait of my grandmother from their wedding day.” He said and Y/N smiled.

“That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah, he was a romantic. He was so in love with her and always went above and beyond for her.” He recalled, “I don’t know, I just really looked up to him and he meant a lot to me, you know?” He asked and she nodded.

“You’ll see, they’ll turn up, Harry.” She spoke with certainty and he chuckled as he looked to the ground as he shook his head, “What?” She giggled.

“You always speak in absolutes. Like you’re just so sure of everything.” He pointed out.

“It’s manifestation 101!” She grinned and he chuckled.

“Hmmm, do you find that things usually go your way?” He asked and she shrugged.

“I’d say so? At least most of the time I feel like I get my way.” She pondered on it for another moment, “I’ll continue manifesting that they find your paintings.”

“Please and thank you.” He said lowly and a moment of silence passed between them, “And thank you for listening to me. I know that none of this stuff really concerns you but I feel better when I talk to you. So thanks for just being here, I guess.”

“Anytime, Harry. What else are friends for?” She asked with a smile and he smiled back. Just then her phone rang and she saw it was her aunt, “It’s my aunt!” She said and answered right away. She informed Y/N that Andrew was on his way to the shop to get Harry’s motorcycle and to just keep an eye on her phone because he’d call her when he arrived. She agreed and with that they made the short walk back to the shop. It was only 30 minutes later that Y/N was rushing over to Harry that Andrew was out back and they went over to meet him. 

Harry handed over the the motorcycle keys and Andrew mounted it not he tow truck and got Harry’s number and let him know that he wasn’t too sure if they had the exact tires for his bike, but he would check and let him know. He said he’d also ask any neighboring shops if they had any in their inventory if he didn’t have it, if not he’d have to order one. Harry nodded and in a moment that Y/N went off to grab Andrew a water from inside he nervously brought up to him his concern about the cost.

“So ummm, do you know about how much this’ll be? Things have been a bit slow for me as I’m new in town and I’m just a little strapped for cash.” He confessed in slight embarrassment, “Or we could do like a payment plan if you’re open to that, or-”

“Don’t worry about it, kid. It’s just a freaking tire.” Andrew said with a steadfast smile.

“A-are you sure?” Harry asked Andrew nodded.

“Yeah, man. We’re good.” Andrew confirmed with a nod and Harry thanked him profusely until he took off. 

He and Y/N did a few tattoos after that and it was around 6:30pm when Andrew called Harry and let him know that he didn’t have any tires that fit his bike in his shop, but that a buddy of his could get his delivery guy to send one over the next day and that he could have the bike ready for pickup by closing time the following day and Harry assured him that was fine and that if he ever wanted to get tattooed he was more than welcome to ask for him, that was the only thing he could really offer him and Andrew said very happily that he might actually take him up on that offer at some point and with that they were squared away. It was closing time and they were all tearing down for the day and before she got to cleaning Y/N came up to Harry.

“Hey, what did Andrew tell you?”

“It’ll be ready tomorrow by closing, he couldn’t get a tire today.” He explained.

“Oh OK, that’s good. Do you need a ride home? Save you a couple bucks on an uber or something.” She offered.

“Ummm, if it’s not a bother that’d be great.” He said and she nodded.

“You got it. Let me just finish cleaning up real quick.” She said and he started helping her sweep as she disinfected the chairs and stations. 

Slowly everyone else started filtering out, calling out their goodbyes. She and Harry only stayed over about 15 minutes after everyone else and they soon were heading out to her car. He settled in and once again, that scent of hers just overwhelmed him completely, it took him over in the best way. It was sweet and fruity and completely intoxicating. As soon as the car switched on her radio started blasting Bon Iver and she rushed to turn it down and he chuckled.

“Jeez, sorry.” She giggled, “I have car concerts so that I don’t get road rage.” She explained.

“It’s cool.” He assured, “That’s me, too.” He chuckled, “I like Bon Iver too, they’re good.” He smiled.

“Sick.” She responded as she waited for her engine to warm up a bit. He was subtly looking around the space and then spoke up.

“You know, this is the cleanest girl’s car I have ever been in.” He pointed out as he looked around.

“Oh really?” She smiled with pride.

“Yeah. Usually they’ve got a mess in the boot and like a whole wardrobe in the back seat and like there’s always like fifty half drunken water bottles for some reason but you can hear a giant Hydroflask clanking around somewhere, though?” He questioned and she laughed loudly, her eyes watering with happy tears. She definitely had friends with that issue, he laughed along with her, he loved her laugh, it was probably one of his favorite sounds. “I mean that can’t be good for the environment, can it?” He posed the question through a giggle and she nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I don’t know the logic behind that but I do know some people with that issue.” She disclosed as her laughter dwindled into a breathy chuckle.

“Yeah, that’s my sister Or at least it was before she had kids.” He said and she grinned before she bit down her lip and looked over to him.

“Are you guys close?” She asked and he nodded.

“Yeah, pretty close.” He confirmed and then sighed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you or-”

“Oh no, it’s OK. I just forget that I’m so far away from them sometimes.” He explained and then smiled up at her, “W-would you like to stay over for dinner? I can order something in? Obviously on me, as like a thank you for all your help today.” He offered and she smiled at him.

“Ummm, yeah. That’d be nice. I’d really like that.” She accepted and he looked out the window and exhaled, as if he had been nervous to ask her, and it made her smile, “Let me just text my aunt real quick and then you can tell me where to go.” She said and he nodded. 

After a few moments they were taking off and he was directing her towards his apartment. It was about a twenty minute drive to his place and about ten minutes of driving around the block and joking that the food would arrive before she found a parking spot on his street. Finally, someone left and she quickly fit her car into the spot and cheered excitedly at finally finding somewhere to park. It was around the corner to his building so he took advantage of the walk to call and order their dinner and soon they were going up to his floor in the elevator. 

His building wasn’t all that new looking, but it was still nice and it looked like it had been remodeled inside. Harry also explained that his apartment had been upgraded, so he had some of the newer features and an in-unit washer and dryer which he was extremely grateful for. He pulled out his keys and let them inside before he flicked on the lights at the entrance. She immediately looked around and saw that he still had some boxes up against a wall and packages. He had been here for months already and the place still didn’t really look lived in, it looked like he had arrived a week before and it made her a bit sad for him. It did smell really good and relaxing though and it was very clean, which she was not shocked at, but it was still nice to see that since most guys living on their own tended to be a little messy and gross in her experience. He slipped out of his shoes so she did the same and followed him further in.

“Do you want water or wine?” He asked as he switched on the kitchen lights.

“What are you having?”

“Just water for now.”

“OK, same.” She agreed and he went ahead and served her a glass. She saw that he had no dining table in the spot that was presumably the “dining area". He had a couch though, it was big and velvety, so it looked comfortable. He also had a TV and coffee table before the couch and a rug underneath the coffee table and bordering the couch legs.

“I know this place is a state.” He said lowly as he came up beside her and she smiled up at him.

“I mean, you’ve only been here like four months.” She teased and he grinned and shook his head.

“Hey, in all fairness I do own more furniture, just building it is a bitch.” He excused, “Like my dining table is in there.” He said pointing to one of the larger boxes against the wall. “I built two chairs and just gave up on the other two.” He explained, “It’s hard doing it alone.” He explained and she bit her lip and looked up at him.

“I can help you if you want?” She offered, “I’m quite good with the Ikea furniture.” She smiled.

“Nah, I can figure it out. You’re my guest tonight, not my builder.” He said.

“You sure? I’m certain we can have it done by the time the food comes.” She said and he looked at her skeptically.

“I don’t know, but lets try.” He said and she smiled and he soon brought over a blade to open the boxes and his tool box. She didn’t know she needed to see him carrying a toolbox until he was coming over with it from down the hall that presumably led to his bedroom. They opened up the box and she glanced at the instructions as he set out the parts in the right places.

“Cool! Now that we’re organized, the rest is common sense.” She assured and he chuckled as they started working. There were definitely mistakes and plenty of laughter as they figured this out, but when his intercom buzzed indicating that the food had arrived they were just about to screw in the last leg of the table, “See!” She exclaimed with an uppish grin and he chuckled, “Just hold it for a second so I can screw it in while you grab the food.” He nodded and after a few moments he was dashing out of his apartment to find the delivery person and she was fastening in the final screws for the table. 

When Harry came back the table was right side up and she was smiling to herself as she wiped it down with a rag she had found in the kitchen. It made his heart flutter in his chest and he just wanted to set the food down, go up to her and take her pretty face in his hands and give her a big smooch on the lips, but he refrained from it and just set the food down on the kitchen counter before heading into the cabinet.

“Now I have an excuse to use my plates and cutlery.” He said and she looked to him in some astonishment.

“Ummm, what’ve you been eating out of?” She asked in bewilderment.

“Just disposable plates or like the takeout containers if I’ve order in.” He responded nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing.

Y/N wasn’t sure what about this made her heart hurt a bit more, but she felt so sad for him. She was a firm believer in the need to do nice things for yourself, especially when you’re feeling down. Break out of the routine and not opt for convenience every time, show yourself you’re worth the effort through the little things. And in his case, well she wasn’t an expert but she could see that Harry was a bit depressed. The evidence was all around her. He hadn’t bothered to make this place feel like home yet and it really showed in the way he was living. He was surely having a hard time adjusting to the move, he hadn’t settled in and it was super obvious to her that it wasn’t just because he “didn’t have help” as he’d said before. It was apparent to her that he actually wasn’t bothered to get help with any of this.

“Harry, can I ask you something?” She said as she came over to the kitchen where he was quite literally opening up the brand new box his dinnerware was packaged in.

“Ummm, sure.” He said looking at her with a quizzical smile.

“You can tell me to go fuck myself if I’m overstepping, but ummm, are you…regretful of moving out here?” She asked and he frowned a little at her question, “Like it’s just that you’ve been here for four months and it looks like you’ve just arrived a week ago…” she explained and he did feel a bit offended and was about to tell her to just leave it but then she continued, “and it just… makes me sad that maybe you feel like you can’t make this place your home. Like, I don’t know, like I’ve seen who you are as a person and then I see your space and it doesn’t align.” She said with a confused pout, “It’s like…void of all of the warmth and loveliness that you exude as a person. It’s like there’s no joy here, I guess, and it looks like you just haven’t adjusted well is what I’m trying to say.” She finished as she twisted her fingers nervously together and he sighed, “Sorry, if I umm-”

“No, you’re completely right.” He interrupted her with a frown etching into his expression, “I haven’t adjusted well. And I just don’t have the motivation to just…do it. Do all this. It feel overwhelming.” He shared and she nodded as she listened, “I’m not going to lie to you, it’s been…” he sighed, “It’s been really hard to make this feel like home and I don’t know if it will ever really feel like it.” He said morosely and she pouted. In all reality that’s why he liked being out of his apartment as much as possible; he went to pilates at 6:30 almost every morning and didn’t come back until after the shop closed, he didn’t like being here. It didn’t feel like a home, not in the slightest. There was no warmth, no comfort, no safety.

“Harry, I don’t like that.” Y/N said worriedly, “Is there something that would help? I mean, I just don’t like the idea of you feeling like you don’t have a place to call home. Where you can feel comfortable and safe and relaxed.” She said, “Happy even.” She added, her voice soft and sincere. He would eat her up with kisses if he could, she was too sweet.

“I don’t know, I just think I need to like set everything up, start making it my space, you know? Make memories here and all that. Like actually live here, not just come sleep here.” He said and she nodded.

“Yeah, that’s a great start. How about this? I help you out with setting everything else up and you can do a little housewarming dinner for your friends. Well those of us from the shop and maybe any neighbors or people you know out here?” She suggested.

“Yeah, s’just you guys…” he said with a timid smile.

“Well we’re excellent company. Think about it, you can use your dinnerware-” he laughed at that, “and you can get little gifts or gift cards from everyone so that you can buy more stuff to make this place more homey and we can play games!” She said with a smile and he bit his lip and nodded.

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” He said softly and she smiled.

“Yeah?” She asked again and he just looked into her eyes.

“Yeah.” He confirmed, and I really, really like you too, is what he wanted to tag in at the end.

“OK! Again, I can help you with getting everything finished up and even organize it if you want!” She said with a big smile and God was she making it so hard for him not to kiss her.

“Yeah, you’re the pro here.” He chuckled.

“OK. I’m gonna shut up now and we can eat.” She said.

Harry smiled and continued opening the box of plates as she opened up the take out containers their Italian food had come in. Everything smelled delicious and he was quick to rinse and dry the plates before handing them over to her to serve the food on them. He opened up the cutlery and rinsed those as well before handing her forks for them to use.They went over to the table to have dinner and used some of the complex’s newsletters as placemats to not stain the table. He brought out the wine and they ate and talked comfortably. He was really glad he had asked her over, it already felt a little more like his home. He washed the plates as she dried them off after they ate and they finished building the last two chairs of his dining table set as a TV show played in the background. It was near midnight when they finished doing that and they had consumed half the bottle of wine too. She was slumped against the wall and let out a big yawn, which he imitated.

“Can I use your bathroom?” She asked and he nodded.

“It’s in the bedroom, which is straight down the hall.” He said pointing to it and she nodded and stood with a groan and she stretched really quick before she started padding over, “And don’t psychoanalyze my bedroom, I’m well aware that it’s really depressing!” He called out after her and she laughed loudly as she headed into the dark room.

“Where’s the light?” She called out and he chuckled as he stood up and went down the hall and into his bedroom, “Behind you.” He said as he came into the dark space, but he was familiar enough with it that he went over to the bedside and switched on the lamp he had up there.

“Thank you.” She said and he nodded.

“And the light in the ceiling lamp just went out yesterday, I have to go buy a new one. I promise I’m not wallowing in darkness.” He said and she grinned.

“Oh shut up…” she mumbled and he sniggered as he let her head into the bathroom as he walked out of the bedroom and started stacking up the boxes that they had opened up. She came back out a few moments later, “Want me to help you take these to the dumpster?” She asked.

“Nah, I got it. There’s a chute down the hall.” He assured and she nodded.

“Harry, I’m sorry if I made you feel bad with anything that I said before. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, I just…well, I…care about you and want you to feel good about your decision to come all this way and t-” she froze as he grabbed her face in his hands, they were just centimeters apart. Y/N felt her heart pounding in her chest, making breathing oxygen a chore and for her stomach to flip with a whirlwind of butterflies. She looked up into his eyes, glancing between them quietly.

“I know, love. Thank you for caring about me.” He spoke so quietly, as if there were others listening in but message was exclusively for her, “Especially after everything I’ve put you through-”

“Harry-”

“I know. I know that you’re over it. I just can’t get over how you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Just…” he sighed, “Make everything better.” He said softly and she bit her lip and he mirrored her actions. He wanted to kiss her and bite on her lip and just make her feel good, as good as she made him feel, but in the best ways he knew how. She watched his eyes trail down to her lips and she decided to let her hands hug around his waist, making sure that she didn’t push him closer in case she was reading this tension all wrong, but she also wanted him to know that she was OK with this. He pressed his forehead against hers. He was mentally counting down from 5 before he just did it and kissed her, but suddenly her phone started blaring loudly and they both jumped slightly in response to the loud sound and he let her go so that she could grab it from the floor, the screen said Aunt Julie, so it was important that she answer it.

“Hello?” She answered, “Yeah, still here. Oh OK, I’ll head over right away.” She said softly, “Love you, bye.” She said before hanging up.

“Is everything OK?” He asked her in concern.

“Yeah, she just got really sick to her stomach and it really takes it out of her after all her chemo.” She explained and he frowned, “We can talk about it another time.” She sighed and he nodded.

“OK. Well, let me know if you need anything?” She nodded in acceptance.

“You too. Ummm, do you want me to pick you up tomorrow? So that you can just take your bike home after?”

“If it’s not too much of a hassle.” He said and she smiled.

“It’s not, don’t worry. I’ll text you, OK?”

“Yeah and ummm, thank you for helping me with all of this.” He said a little bashfully and she smiled a bit wider now.

“Anytime, Harry.”

“OK.” He chuckled and with that he let her out and she assured him that she could get down to her car just fine but he insisted on walking her all the way there. He could tell that she felt a little bit worried, but he didn’t press her for details as she agreed they could talk about this another time and so he just hugged her goodbye and waited until she was down the street before he headed back to his building.

***********

Y/N had a long night, but thankfully her aunt was feeling better in the morning and she was able to pick Harry up as planned. He didn’t press her to talk about what happened after she left his place, which she was grateful for. He did talk about the proposed housewarming dinner though, which was a good distraction, he wondered if maybe doing it as a “friends-giving” type of thing would be convenient and she was really excited over the prospect of that.

Y/N had a busy day ahead of her, she would be tattooing two people in the morning and then another in the afternoon from her new designs. Harry had Ria and their sister coming back at around 11:30, so he wouldn’t be able to sit through her tattoos, but Auree was more than willing to make herself available to pop in and see how Y/N was trucking along. Everyone was really excited for her and kept giving her a dew encouragements as the time for her first client approached.

“Which ones are you gonna do today?” Harry asked as he came over to where she was creating the stencil for her first design of the day.

“Gonna do these poppies as a filler on some guy’s sleeve.” She said and he hummed, “Then the second is the leopard with the heart spots.”

“OK nice.”

“And the final one is the little finger gun one with the heart-shaped smoke at the end.” She said with a smile.

“That one’s cool.” He smiled and she grinned as she continued working.

“Yeah, really liked that one too.” She said.

“I like that tiger you did too.”

“Same! But no one has inquired about it.” She said looking to him almost in disbelief, “I thought that it would appeal more to the men, but maybe I was wrong.” She shrugged.

“They don’t know what’s good for them.” He said and she smiled. Harry really liked her design and he decided that he would claim it for himself. He moseyed his way to the front office where Rosa was checking the rest of the bookings for the day.

“Hey Harry, what’s up?” She asked without looking away from the screen.

“I wanted to get an appointment for a tattoo.” He said and she glanced up at him with a playful smile.

“Well sir, we are pretty booked up until the late afternoon.” She said jokingly with raised eyebrows and he chuckled.

“I’m serious.” He said and her amused smile dropped, “That tiger Y/N did is fucking sick and no one has claimed it so I’ll claim it before someone else does.” He said and she smiled again.

“Awww, supporting your mentee.” She cooed and he chuckled and nodded.

“Exactly.” He confirmed, “So what slots are available?”

“Well sir,” she said playing along again, “we have 5pm or 7pm available for Y/N. Tomorrow we have 11am, 2pm, or 5pm.”  She said and he hummed pensively.

“Hmmm, I think I’ll take the 7pm today.” He said and she grinned and nodded.

“Perfect, I’ll put you on the schedule.” She giggled and he grinned.

“Great. Thanks, Rosa.” He thanked her and walked back to the studio. He finished setting up for his appointment with Ria and then got to working on the stencil. 

Harry was excited for his appointment with Y/N though. All day, he thought about the placement he wanted for this tattoo, he roughly knew the size of it, but the more he thought about it the more he decided that he wanted to speak to her about it first and see what she had envisioned for it when she drew it. Around 2:30 in the afternoon Andrew called him that his motorcycle was ready and Y/N drove him over, it wasn’t too far from the shop and after he came back from that, the day escaped him. Now he was cleaning up his station after a walk-in, it was about his tattoo time. Rosa came to the back and smirked at Harry before she went up to Y/N to inform her she had one last tattoo for the day.

“Oh cool, is it a walk-in?” She asked.

“No, it’s an appointment for one of the new designs.” Rosa informed.

“Sick, which one?”

“The tiger.” She smiled.

“Oh my god, no way! I was so excited for that one!” She said to Rosa .

“Yeah, the client too.” She grinned.

“Oh OK, are they here already?” She asked with an eager smile and Harry smiled to himself as he disposed of the paper towels he had been using to clean his needles with in the garbage can.

“Yeah, he’s here.” Rosa said again with a grin as she saw Harry coming over quietly.

“What is this little grin about?” Y/N asked with a nervous giggle and just then Harry came up and rested his arm on her shoulder, “Harry, someone made an appointment for the tiger!” She said glancing up at him excitedly.

“Oh yeah?” He asked with a smirk and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why are you both acting weird?” She asked them.

“Y/N, meet your client, Harry.” Rosa giggled and Y/N’s jaw dropped open.

“Stop playing.” She scoffed as she shoved him away playfully.

“I’m not!” He insisted with a chuckle.

“Harry. Stop.”

“I told you I really liked the design.” He said sincerely.

“What’s going on here?” Vy asked as she came up.

“Harry wants Y/N to tattoo him.” Rosa grinned and Vy smirked at Harry.

“Oh really?” Vy said and Harry rolled his lips together for a moment and Vy raised her eyebrows at him.

“Harry, no way! What if I fuck it up?” She sighed and he shook his head.

“You won’t.” He assured, “I mean, I’ve trained you, haven’t I?” He asked with a mildly cocky grin and she giggled, “And if you do happen to mess up, any one of us can figure something out.” He said and she sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Can we have a moment?” Y/N asked Rosa and Vy.

“G needs to hear about this.” Rosa said walking off and Vy giggled as she trailed after Rosa and Y/N looked up at Harry’s eyes.

“Harry, seriously?” She asked with a small and disbelieving frown and he nodded, “God, now I’m nervous.” She huffed with anxiety and he chuckled lowly.

“Why though? It’s just me.” He said simply. He wanted to reach out and caress her cheek with his thumb, it was tempting.

“Exactly! You’re you!” She giggled.

“And you’re you. And you’re fucking good and I want your art on my body.” He said pointedly and she felt her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Just the way he said it made butterflies swarm through her stomach and it made her want to just kiss his pretty pink lips. Suddenly Auree and G were returning with Vy and Rosa to catch up on this little spark of excitement to the day.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Of course!” He smiled confidently.

“Jesus, OK.” She exhaled with a timid smile and everyone cheered as she agreed to tattoo Harry, “Let me just go to the bathroom real quick and we can get started.” He nodded and she rushed off. She was nervous out of her mind and as soon as she exited the bathroom G was waiting for her with a grin.

“He so likes you!” He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

“Oh my god, no.”

“He does. And well, if you think of it, this is a little cathartic after everything he put you through you can give him a little pain as payback. It’s cute, really.” He said and she shoved him off playfully. 

“You’re so annoying.” She mumbled under her breath as she came back to her station where everyone was standing around chatting with Harry, “Now, I don’t want anyone hovering because I’m nervous enough as it is!” She announced with a nervous laugh and they all grumbled against it, “Please, guys! It’s too much pressure.” She whined in an exaggerated manner and they chuckled, but agreed to just give her space to do her thing. Harry was happy about that though because he just wanted it to be them. If his apartment was properly set up he would have asked her to do it at his place, but alas it wasn’t ready yet so this would have to do for now. Everyone went about their business, stealing glances of them, but not intruding as she had requested. “Do you know where you want it?” She asked him quietly as she spared him a glance.

“Where did you intend for it to go when you designed it?” He asked and she sighed.

“Harry…” she whined and he chuckled.

“What? I want to consider your artistic vision for it. If I hate that I’ll tell you where I was thinking of putting it.” He bargained.

“Fine.” She said, “Come see the size again.” She said and he followed her to the drawing tables and she showed him the tracing she had done of it. It was the biggest one she had done for her new designs. It went a little over a medium size but Auree was cool with it when she had reviewed them, “Is that size good?”

“Yeah. Now where did you envision it when you designed it?” He asked.

“I was really thinking that it would look really cute on an ass cheek.” She said in the most serious tone she could and they both looked at each other before they burst out laughing and he shook his head as she knocked her head back like she usually did when she laughed and clutched at her stomach as she caught her breath, “Ah, I’m funny.” She exhaled and he giggled.

“Yeah, fucking comical. Now seriously tell me.”

“I was thinking upper thigh.” She said and glanced up at him, “What do you think about that?” She asked him.

“Ummm, I was thinking upper thigh too actually.” He said more quietly.

“Sick, we’re in cahoots.” She smiled, “OK, so let me make the stencil, did you want me to shave your thigh for you - like full client experience? Or can you do it yourself?” She asked and he chuckled.

“I can do it. You just finish that up.” He said and she nodded. It took her about 20 minutes to get the stencil ready and she let him look it over once more before got his pants down and got comfy on the chair, she glanced up at him and he gave her a reassuring nod before she laid the stencil down and pressed it against his thigh. It was thick and muscular and she had a primal urge to just get down there and sink her teeth into it and leave a hickey on it; mark it as hers. In a way, she kind of was marking it at hers. Her art was gonna live on it for the rest of his life. She glanced up at him once again and swallowed thickly.

“Are you sure about this? It’s pretty permanent.” She said lowly.

“I’m absolutely sure.” He smiled with certainty and she smiled at him again before getting the machine and getting comfortable on the stool. 

His pants were rolled down to his ankles and he felt a tiny bit exposed but he didn’t care, the prettiest girl in the world was about to ink her mark into his skin and he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world right now. His spine tingled in excitement as she switched on the machine, he loved getting tattooed and he couldn’t wait for it to be her doing it to him. He watched her for just a moment and then she bit her lip nervously before glancing up into his eyes, his tummy fluttered in excitement and a heat started building inside of him at that innocent little gleam in her eyes.

“Ready?” She asked softly and he nodded almost robotically, “OK.” She whispered before licking over her lips and then focusing on the tiger stenciled into his skin and then she got to work.

She was quiet the first few minutes, really concentrating on getting the outline of it done and then she got to talking with him about his favorite tattoos and they had been at it for about half an hour before she finally asked him why he wanted the tattoo and he was honest, he just really liked it and she smiled at that.

“But I want you to promise me something.” He said and she hummed, urging him to go on, “You’re gonna shelf this design. I want it to be a one of a kind.” He said and she smiled as she continued working.

“I’ll think about it.” 

“Come on, years down the line when you’re a seasoned artist and they feature you on some TV show or Inked magazine this’ll be like a seminal piece that you did and you just never replicated it again because it was a special piece.” He said and she hummed.

“And what makes it so special?” She asked with a grin and he smiled.

“You’re doing it on me.” He offered an explanation and she grinned wider, “Not because I’m all that special,” he added in, “but because you’re so special that I wanted one of your first tattoos.” He explained and she smiled more tenderly at that, “But also because I don’t want people to copy it, I want something that’s uniquely yours, you know?” He asked and she fought her smile of giddiness as best as she could, but he noticed it and he was happy that he had made her feel giddy over that. 

They took a little break around the hour mark because her hand was getting a little sore, after all it was her first bigger piece and she worked more slowly than the rest of them. During that time everyone else came to check out the progress and with great reason praised her about it. The shop was dead, no one had come in during the time she started and now, so Auree just said they could close up early, there had been plenty of appointments and a good number of walk-ins to make up for an early closure. This made Harry even more excited because it really would just be them. G and Rosa lingered a little bit after they started up again and then left after about half an hour of chatting and looking on from afar. 

“So what got you into tattooing?” Harry asked and she smiled.

“My aunt Julie, she’s got like full sleeves.” She explained, “As a kid I just found it so cool.” Y/N explained, “I got into drawing and painting and she told me that she would want to get one of my drawings or paintings tattooed on her. She was always kind of the black sheep of the family, but we were always close.” She said and he hummed, “Wait. You’re not in pain?” She asked out of nowhere since she had started on the final finer details.

“I mean yeah, but I don’t mind it. I enjoy getting tattooed.” He said and she smiled and continued.

“OK, well we were always close and I was around 16 when she got diagnosed with breast cancer. It wasn’t good and she’s been fighting for a while. There was a point where we were prepared to say goodbye, I was 18 then. And her final wish was to have me design a final tattoo for her and I worked on it and ummm, out of nowhere her treatments started working and she got better and ummm I moved in with her for college and took care of her until she was all good to go, or at least as good as it gets. And maybe it was silly, but I made a promise to her that I would tattoo the piece I designed for her on her myself. That’s why when you told me about your grandpa I got a little emotional. She’s kind of been that supporter for me on this journey. Obviously, I finished college, but I was growing my portfolio that whole time and started my Etsy shop. And after graduation I started to search for the apprenticeship and ummm, two years later here I am and she’s been in remissions for almost a year now.” She said with a smile.

“That’s really fucking cool, Y/N. I think she should be your first official tattoo, fuck Ian.” He said and she pulled away to laugh and he chuckled as well.

“Yeah, I want her to be.” She said and he smiled.

  She kept working and it was nearing 9pm when he suggested ordering some food and taking another break to eat. She agreed and took advantage to notify Julie that she’d be late again before she was able to finish up. She maybe had about another half hour of work to finish. She was trying to work faster but Harry didn’t seem to mind, he encouraged her to go at a pace that made her feel comfortable. She ate quickly before resuming and Harry assured her she could pick it up as he finished up his own food. He was taking it like a champ, she could see how irritated and swollen the skin was where she was working, but he was doing well. Well, considering the amount of tattoos he had, she expected him to have some endurance.

“What was your most painful tattoo?” She asked.

“I think the laurels on my lower stomach.The butterfly on my stomach is a very close second. That one hurt just a wee bit less.” He said and she chanced a glance up at him.  “What?!” She gasped in shock and he grinned and lifted his t-shirt and she saw half of the laurels sticking out from under his underwear and well, apart from his extremely toned abdomen, she saw the large butterfly inked into them. “Jesus, Harry.” She giggled breathily and he grinned, “Did you cry?” She asked.

“A little bit yeah.” He confessed and she smiled, “Why are you smiling?” He asked and she pulled away again to laugh.

“I’m not laughing because you cried during your tattoos, I’m just laughing because you’re bonkers, my guy!” She exclaimed through a laugh and he chuckled, “How do your parents feel about your tattoos?”

“They don’t really care anymore. Like when I got my third one in the span of a month and then the butterfly shortly after they just checked if I was alright. Like psychologically because well, I was moving quite fast.” He chuckled and she smiled, “Obviously to them some of them are a bit questionable, but as long as I’m not fucking up my life they’re fine with my choices. How do your parents feel about yours?” He asked and looked down at the tattoo to see it basically complete and then he closed his eyes and winced.

“Starting to feel it, are you?” She asked and he nodded and grimaced and let out a low groan through a pained laugh.

“Yes!” He chuckled and she smiled, “I shouldn’t have looked!” He said and she giggled.

“We’re almost done. I swear.” She assured and he nodded, “But ummm, to answer your question, my parents are not too happy that I have a tattoo, specially with the size of it. I’ll show you sometime. But ummm…we can talk about it another time. Don’t want to dampen the good vibes.” She said and he nodded in understanding and it fell quiet for a few moments. Only the deep buzz of the tattoo gun and the soft music playing from her phone filled the space.

“God, it always hurts when you know it’s almost done.” He said through gritted his teeth and she giggled.

“That’s a fact. I’m just doing the whiskers, OK?”

“Yeah, OK.” He squeezed his eyes shut and after a few moments she was pulling away.

“All done.” She said and he peeked his eyes open to look down at it and immediately flashed his biggest and prettiest smile.

“Fuck, that’s really good.” He exhaled happily.

“Yeah?” She asked with a bashful smile and he nodded.

“Yeah.” He hummed. A bit of blood was dotting to the surface so she grabbed the little water and antibacterial soap mix and spurted it on his thigh and glanced up at him before wiping over it with the paper towel.

“Ready for it?” She asked and he scrunched up his face and nodded.

“Just do it.” He said and held his breath as she gently wiped at the fresh tattoo, but the texture of the paper towel was rough and still made him tense up, but he didn’t let out a peep.

“Wanna take a look in the big mirror?” She asked and he nodded.

“Can’t waddle over with my jeans like that.” He chuckled and she giggled and grabbed one of his legs to untie his shoe and then the next one. Once they were out of the way she pulled his jeans off the rest of the way and draped them over the seat as he hopped down and headed over to the big mirror to inspect the work. He looked really happy with it and was getting all up in there as she took apart the machine and removed the plastic and continued with wiping down each part.

“Are you happy with it?” She asked him as she continued wiping down the machine parts.

“Fuck yeah! Yes, I fucking love it!” He called back enthusiastically and she spared a glance back at him in just his t-shirt and undies. She tried to not linger too long on the strong structure of the backs of his thighs or his adorable and perky butt, but it was sure tempting to stop and stare. She continued wiping down and disinfecting the machine as he snapped a few pictures of his brand new tattoo and kept admiring it, calling back compliments to her on her work. She felt proud of what she had done, also this was the longest tattoo she had ever done and she was pleased that she had made it through it with minimal breaks. She heard Harry coming back over as she removed her gloves and tossed the paper towels she had used. 

“You really like it?” She asked as she turned around, leaning on the edge of the counter of the station, he was just a few feet before her.

“I love it. I really do!” He insisted, “Thank you.” He smiled at her and she smiled again.

“I’m just happy that you’re happy with it.” She said and he came closer to her.

“I really am, I promise you.” He assured as he put his hands on her shoulders and she bit her lip to suppress the gigantic smile threatening to split across her lips. And he smiled and brought his thumb up against her bottom lip, “Don’t hide that pretty smile from me.” He said softly, a small smile of his own played on his lips, “Should be really proud of yourself.” He reassured her and she glanced down out of nervousness and bashfulness.

Harry removed the other hand on her shoulder and placed it right under her jaw and angled her up to look at him. The timid smile melted away from her face as their eyes met. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter further in anxiety of what his next move might be. She watched his pupils grow larger as he watched her lips while licking over his own. She was struggling to breathe at this point, she felt light headed and tingly and completely out of control as he leaned in closer until the tips of their noses skimmed together and she let out an involuntary whimper which caused him to grin as their breaths intermingled in the minuscule space between them. She wanted to beg but she couldn’t even speak from how on edge she was. His eyes flickered up to her own for a moment before they fluttered shut and she followed suit as they inched closer together and everything felt absolutely right with the world as their lips met in a tentative and hasty kiss. They pulled back and looked at each other before giving in again and joining in a fiery and much- anticipated kiss.

Harry’s hands grabbed her face tenderly and her hands bunched up into his t-shirt as they moved in sync, the only sound between them was that of their ragged breaths, their lips smacking together in wet little sounds, and soft moans of pleasure at finally relieving the tension that had been building between them. His lips were warm and smooth and eager against her own. Y/N felt like she was floating on a cloud of him, him, him at the feeling of his lips and tongue against her own lips and tongue. He smelled so good and he was so warm, it was coming off him in waves. The entire experience was consuming her. He was a good kisser and all she could do was let him keep going for as long as he wanted. She felt like she was no longer grounded to reality. 

Eventually, his hands left her face but only to tighten up at her hips and help her onto the counter as she draped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed his narrow hips between her thighs to pull him closer as their kiss grew deeper and more desperate. Both of their bodies were buzzing and their brains were fuzzy with overwhelm as the pleasure of their kisses sent a wave of warmth rolling through their bodies. Harry was quickly growing hard and he had nothing over him to tone down the feeling of his arousal, so before he lost control and went too far he pulled back from her lips with a soft smack and bated breaths and she pecked his lips once more and he smiled against them.

“Got the smoothest and sweetest lips, love.” He whispered and she felt her entire body shudder at his words and at the feeling of his thumb tracing along her swollen, bottom lip. Without any warning she rolled out her tongue and licked along the pad of his thumb and glanced up into his pretty, green eyes and proceeded to suck it between her lips, her eyes fluttered shut at the slightly salty taste of his skin on her tongue and she moaned softly, she wanted more. Harry groaned lowly as he watched this unfold and his jaw tensed a bit at the sensation of the warm, wet texture of her tongue against any part of his body. He wanted more too. So much more. But not here. 

“Fuck, baby…please, need you t’stop that.” He swallowed thickly and her eyes blinked open as she gently popped off to see his eyes clouded heavy with lust and his lip bitten beneath his teeth. He wasn’t expecting her to listen right off the bat, it made him smile at her, “Such a good girl.” He whispered and she smiled and hugged around his broad shoulders to pull him closer so that her lips were up against his ear and his arms were still draped around her hips. She leaned a bit closer and her voice was as light as a tickle but it left him burning like a wild fire as her words processed and echoed in his brain.

“I’ll be your good girl.”  

-

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----- Tag List -----

@sunshinemoonsposts @anotherdudetteinthisworld @matildasatellite @sad-avocado @sunflovverharry @cherrysulewski @daphnesutton @gurugirl @angelqueen99 @slutfortigertattoo

[justsomeclintasha]

Day 9- Quiet/ Loud

Natasha pulls on an oversized sweatshirt and drops onto the hotel bed. The cars look like ants below her. Just minutes ago she had fought through the crowds and traffic of a bustling city. Now, the soft hum of the heater is the only thing to break the silence. She pulls the comforter over her lap and checks her phone.

It’s not too late to call home.

Perhaps she should be enjoying the time to herself. She could make a cup of tea, read a book, order some food. It’s been a long time since she’s been alone like this.

It’s been a long time since she’s been lonely.

She presses send before she fully registers what she’s doing.

“Hello- no, Yelena, you can’t- okay just-“ A loud crash echos in the background, followed by laughter and running feet. “Sorry, you there, Nat?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Subconsciously, she tucks her knees to her chest, pulling the blanket a little tighter. She can hear the click of their bedroom door as he closes it for some privacy.

“You don’t sound alright,” he prods gently. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s too quiet,” she admits with a shaky laugh. Suddenly she feels like crying. “It’s just hard being away. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. One more night and you’ll be home, sweetheart.”

“I know.” She brings up a hand to wipe her eyes. “Can you put me on speaker so I can talk to Katie and Yelena?”

“Sure, hang on a second.” Muffled background noise floats through the phone, and then an excited screech.

“Mommy!”

“Hey Peanut. You being good for Auntie Lena and Daddy?”

“We made cookies!”

“Did you? I can’t wait to try some.”

“When you come home?”

“Tomorrow, honey. I love you.”

“Love you mommy. Gunna get Auntie Lena!”

“Oh no you don’t! Watch out for the tickle monster!”

Katie squeals as Yelena grabs her, both of them laughing hysterically. Clint must be walking away from them because she can still hear the noise, but it’s not as loud.

“They are absolutely crazy,” he remarks with a sigh, but she can tell he’s smiling.

“You know it’s way past her bedtime.”

“Tell that to your sister.”

“You’re the adult in that house.”

“Oh God, I am.” He laughs, and she finds herself unable to hold back a smile of her own.

“I’m going to order some dinner and maybe take a bath. I still haven’t finished that book I brought with me.”

“Okay. But call me if you want to. I’ll have my phone on.”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Tasha. Goodnight.”

She sets the phone on the blankets and leans back into the pillow with a contented sigh. The weight on her chest is gone. Tomorrow she’ll be back in her loud, crazy, chaotic home, but tonight, well… maybe her quiet hotel room doesn’t seem so bad after all.

[koalaray]

Quiet As A Mouse

Loathsome Leonard x mouse!yokai!reader

The circumstances under which Leonard met you were less than ideal. The Mud Dogs were running from the Hidden City Police and at one point decided to split up.

Leonard made a regretful decision next. He slipped inside a small bakery, being lucky enough to find the door was unlocked.

Normally he would never do such a thing, but the lights were out, the shutters were closed, the shop couldn’t have been open to the public.

The problem was, Leonard didn’t stop to think that perhaps since the door was unlocked that meant that the owner was inside.

Slamming the door behind him, Leonard let out a sigh. Finally he was safe. But suddenly he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Leonard took a moment to glance around before turning his gaze downward. And there you were. A short, albeit adorable, mouse yokai.

You did not look happy. You were glaring up at Leonard with your arms crossed over your chest, your large ears twitching in irritation.

“Can I help you,” you asked.

Your tone was dripping with sarcasm, but Leonard couldn’t help but think how beautiful your voice was.

Leonard knew his chances were low, but he may as well try. So he collected himself and cleared his throat.

“Yeah, um, listen little mouse, I just need a place to lay low for a bit. I swear I’ll be out of your fur as soon as possible, just-“

“Ok,” you said.

“Wait seriously? Just ‘ok’?”

“Ok and some of the loot,” you smirked.

Leonard scoffed.

“Listen here you little rodent. I am not giving you any of our loot so-“

He was interrupted by a knock on your door. Your smirk grew.

“Oh my, that must be the police. It sure would be a shame if someone were to let them in-“

“Okokok, you have a deal, you can have some of the loot, just please hide me, I can’t go back to jail,” he begged.

Leonard was glad Danny and Mickey weren’t here to see this. They would never let him live this down.

You nodded in satisfaction before gesturing to the counter. Without hesitation, Leonard ran and leaped over to hide behind it. He listened closely to your conversation with the police.

“Oh yea, he came in here earlier.”

You traitor!

“I kicked him out though. He ran off that way.”

Ok, so you’re not a traitor.

“Yeah, I hope you find him. He was really annoying. So full of himself too.”

But you are still one mean mouse.

Leonard stayed hidden behind the counter, even after he heard the door close. Just to be extra careful. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. But when his eyes opened, he was met with your face right in front of him.

“EEEP!”

“You scream like a girl!” You laughed.

Holy shit, your laugh was adorable! Leonard hated being laughed at, but for some reason he decided he wouldn’t mind if it was you. Hell, you could laugh at him all you want, so long as he got to hear it. Leonard smiled just a bit and laughed softly.

“Alright alright, so when do I get my cut of the loot?”

Oh yeah. That. Leonard had hoped you would forget. What was he going to tell the guys?

“Yeah yeah, I’ll bring it by tomorrow night.”

You gave him a hard stare.

“Ok I know I’m a criminal, but you did me a solid. I’ll keep my promise, I swear.”

Leonard would never mean those words if he had said them to anyone else. But when you smiled in satisfaction he decided that he didn’t care what Danny and Mickey would say.

Besides, this was a perfect excuse to come back and see you. He would have to start brainstorming some more excuses for later. Leonard was definitely going to come see you as much as he could.

—————

Sure enough, Leonard returned the following night. This time however, you let him in through the back door. It was safer that way.

“Did you bring me my share of the loot?” You asked.

“Yeah yeah, I got it right here,” Leonard said with a sigh.

He tossed a bag on the floor in front of you. You began rummaging through it, a grin growing on your face. This were have you set for at least a month.

“This is great! I can make my bakery so much better with all of this,” you spoke with excitement. “I can fix that one leaky ceiling, buy a new window, and maybe even get some cool decorations!”

Leonard couldn’t help but smile fondly as he listened to you. He found you excitement quite endearing. And your smile? Oh, your beautiful smile. He was glad he kept his promise to you.

Suddenly, Leonard was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt something crash against him. He slowly looked down, only to see you. You were hugging him.

Shit shit shit, what was he supposed to do? No one had ever hugged him before. What did he do with his hands? Should he try and hug you back?

Much to his dismay, you pulled away before he could make up his mind. But when he looked at you again, Leonard felt a tug on his heart. The way you were looking up at him with such adoration.

“Thank you so much Lee! Can I call you Lee? That’s ok right?”

Without any thought, Leonard responded. Much quicker than he meant to as well.

“Sure. You can call me Lee,” he said with a smile.

Wait. A smile? Was he really smiling? Why was he smiling? What is happening to him?

Leonard quickly looked away, breaking eye contact with you. He cleared his throat.

“So uh, I guess that’s it then. You got your share.”

You looked down at the floor in deep thought. When you looked up again, Leonard saw your soft smile.

“Well, if you want,” you began softly. “You could always come visit.”

“Seriously? You’re inviting a criminal to come visit you in your home?”

Leonard couldn’t help but laugh at this. You were absolutely crazy. But he found that he enjoyed it.

“So that’s a no then,” you spoke, sounding almost disappointed.

“Hey,” Leonard said. “I never said no.”

“So you will come back and visit!”

“Yeah. I’ll come back.”

Leonard reveled in your excitement. He couldn’t understand how you could be so excited to have a criminal visit you in your own home. Leonard would never argue against though. He was started to like you. You seemed fun. And you were so kind to him.

Sure, Danny and Mickey would start to get suspicious eventually. But Leonard could care less when he was there standing before you.

Leonard couldn’t wait for his next visit.

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

WIP...Wednesday

I mentioned my hibernation fic the other day, so I decided to share a bit of it for WIP Wednesday. :D

He smiled as he bent to kiss her. She is perfect. She fills my heart with such joy. “I was feeling tired.”

“Again?” Her voice was tinged with worry.

Pulling up his chair next to hers, he sighed. “Yes, but I think I know what it is.” She offered an encouraging nod, and he continued. “Every so often, the bear needs to hibernate. It’s getting to be that time.” He watched as she put a slip of paper inside her book and closed it.

“How long?”

“It can range from a week to three months. It’s never the same, and I won’t know for long I’ve been hibernating until I wake.” She’s going to ask if she can come with me. Oh Annie, please…

As she serious as he had ever seen her, she asked, “Can I come with you?”

He sandwiched one of her hands in his as he shook his head. “No. It’s far too dangerous. Best to stay here and—” Please don’t fight me on this. It’s too dangerous. Far, far too dangerous.

Anais smiled sadly. “Carry on as best I can.”

The two sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. “I will write to your mother, Nadia, and Astarion to see if any of them would like to be with you while I’m gone. Or perhaps Gale could make the trip from Waterdeep. Or Shadowheart and her parents?” I would also suggest Wyll and Karlach, but alas, they cannot return from Avernus, and gods know where Lae’zel is.

Her other hand now rested on the top of his. “Oh no, please. I don’t want to be a bother. Besides, I’m not alone when I have Scratch, Horace, and Obie here. And there’s also everyone in town. I’ll be okay.” She reassured him with a kiss on his cheek.

Their foreheads touched as he closed his eyes. I don’t want you to feel alone. I want you to be surrounded by love and care while I hibernate. It will make my sleep much more peaceful. “Since we have coupled, we have not spent one night apart. I worry if my hibernation lasts more than a week or two you will be lonely, my heart.” And it breaks my heart to see you sad.

She wrinkled her nose and gave him a quick peck. “Oh, I’ll be alright. Don’t worry about me.” Impossible, dearest one. “Is there anything else we need to do before you, I assume, go into a cave and sleep?”

Halsin chuckled heartily. “Yes! I’ll start scouting for one tomorrow. There is something else, Annie. I need to put on some weight.”

Anais raised an eyebrow. “How much?”

“Usually between forty to sixty pounds. Though,” he remembered a specific hibernation, soon after the Shadow Curse took hold. “There was one time I barely put on forty pounds, and it was…erm, not a pleasant experience. So please forgive me if I eat us out of house and home for the next several weeks.” Upon hearing her laugh, he shook his head. “You’re taking this remarkably well, my heart.”

She waved a dismissive hand with a grin. “To be honest, when you pass a certain point, some things are just filed under ‘strange but interesting druid things.’ This happens to be one of them.”

[tofueggnoodles]

Extreme Bath Log Disk 2 – Track 4: At the Milky Way

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Click here for translations of previous tracks.

Summary: Kenren and Tenpou had a heart-felt conversation about the former’s travels and his being away from his sons. Some of the things Tenpou said sound eerily similar to what Hakkai said to Goku in Track 01-06.

--------

Kenren (slides the door open and walks inside): A starry sky inside a bathhouse, eh? (laughs) It’s certainly–

Tenpou: –amazing, isn’t it?

Kenren: Oh hi there, Tenpou. Wrote enough to feel like taking a break, didn’t you?

Tenpou: Yeah, more or less. When I asked Hakkai-san, he told me you’re here.

Kenren: I heard this decoration was a great success at the Tanabata event. I thought I’d have a proper look at it before I leave. After all, it’s a masterpiece painted by my precious son.

Tenpou: Are you leaving tomorrow evening?

Kenren: I guess so.

Tenpou: You’re really a footloose and fancy-free father, aren’t you? Goku will be missing you again.

Kenren: They say that children still grow up even in the absence of parents. Looking at how full of spirit and well they’re living, there’s no need for me to be by their side, is there? To be blessed with good people in their lives is surely a natural virtue of theirs.

Tenpou: Is that an excuse you made up after the fact [for not being with them while they were growing up]?

Kenren (sighs): Indeed, it is – nothing more than just an excuse, made up by a guy who can’t stay in one place for long and is thus not able to properly fulfill his duty as a parent.

Tenpou: It’s sneaky of you to be self-aware of that.

Kenren (chuckles): What are you trying to do here, huh? Having fun picking on a friend you finally got to meet after a long while?

Tenpou: Nevertheless, Kenren, in a sense, you’re always here in this house, you know.

Kenren: Hmm?

Tenpou: There are traces of you and the life you’ve lived everywhere in this house. I can feel pieces and bits of you in all of the words and deeds and the facial expressions of the people who live here. No matter how far away or where you’re in this wide world, your passions live on in this house. I think your sons grew up while feeling all these.

Kenren: Is that how it is?

Tenpou: For one, every time I see Gojyo-kun’s face or hear his voice, I subconsciously and inadvertently feel like asking him to run some errand for me.

Kenren: Please stop that. (after a pause) This starry sky – it’s the Andromeda constellation I saw at Anchorage [Alaska] – no, more like the Milky Way I saw in Gobi Desert. Perhaps it was due to the piercing cold air which numbed all of my five senses – but it seemed as if I could hear the sound of the stars twinkling. The sight’s not the beautiful thing old tales about stars make them sound to be. ** Witnessing it felt like a punch to the gut – from a violent sea of stars. A magnificence that inspires such awe can’t possibly be fully captured on film.

Tenpou: That feeling is probably a blessing conferred only to those present at the site.

Kenren: Will you go there [and witness it]? With me?

Tenpou (laughs): No. I wouldn’t want to get in your way.

Kenren: Tenpou.

Tenpou: I’d be fine with hearing you talk once in a while about the things you see around the world and how you feel about them. Like just now. I’ll let my imagination go wild and, as if I were the one who has experienced it, put down what you’ve told me in my writing.

Kenren: “No bird can soar higher into the air than the power of imagination, right?”

Tenpou: Terayama Shuji is the author I most look up to. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%Abji_Terayama, whose words Kenren just quoted]

Kenren: Come to think of it, you once claimed in a magazine article that you’ve never visited any of the places in your novels **. Aren’t you planning to use the scene I narrated just now in your writing?

Tenpou: Unfortunately for you, Kenren, this is not the first time I’ve used that trick to get my hands on material for my manuscripts. Flying about as freely as you do, you’re my eye to the world.

Kenren: Hmm. Then, how about treating these precious eyeballs of yours to a bit of sake?

Tenpou: That’s a cheap fee you’re asking for in return. Shall we go then, Old Man Eyeballs?

Kenren: If I were Old Man Eyeballs, I guess you’d be Rat Man.

Tenpou: I can’t consent to that casting.

Kenren: Then, how about Crying Old Man? [Konaki Jijii: a ghost in Japanese folklore with the shape of a small old man and having a baby's cry]

Tenpou: The grade of the sake we’re going to have is definitely getting lower, you know.

Kenren: If you don’t like those nicknames, that’s fine with me. Or are you just looking for a fight **?

Tenpou (smiles): Ah, that’s right. Kenren–

Kenren: Hmm?

Tenpou: Welcome home.

(Sound of the door sliding.)

--------

(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure of. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.

[wardenred]

Angstober 18: "But I love you"

More MTWNK, not so fluffy this time. Oh, Bariq. You really were supposed to be Vel's love interest initially, you know. I had a whole early draft based on it and all. Not my fault that you turned out to be so... you.

Sufjen’s cottage by the sea is a strange place, because it is so normal. When Bariq looks at it from the shadows of the sprawling sycamores, he can almost picture himself living in a place like that—one day in the future, when he’s too old and scarred to keep adventuring. He can imagine sharing a home like this with Vel.

It’s a small, two-story building with whitewashed walls and a thatched roof. Flowers bloom behind a low wooden fence, a lot of them as blue as the waves crashing against the cliffs behind Bariq’s back. The windows are adorned with soft creamy curtains. Perhaps it’s his imagination adding to the sight, but he thinks he can smell freshly baked bread and spicy stew. 

Yes. This definitely looks like the kind of place he and Vel used to dream about.

Except it’s not theirs. It’s Sufjen’s, damn him.

Bariq is but an unwanted guest here.

Veliesh is, quite possibly, a prisoner.

* * *

“Bariq? Hi! What on earth are you doing here?”

For a prisoner, Bariq notes with a mixture of mistrust and relief, Vel is rather perky. He delves out from behind a particularly thick profusion of flowers pretty much as soon as Bariq stops by the gate. His hands are dirty, his clothes are rumpled, and his smile is wider than Bariq ever remembers seeing it.

Maybe when they were children together. Maybe that was the last time Vel smiled like that.

Before Bariq left him alone. Before Vel started dabbling in all that bloody magic. Before everything went downhill.

He clears his throat. “I’m here for you.”

“Well, come in then.” Vel flicks a wrist, and the latch on the gate slides open, untouched. Bariq stiffens. “Let me take you inside. Have you been walking for a long time? Are you hungry? It’ll take me a minute to wash up, then I can fix us something.”

Bariq casts a dark glance at the cottage. Up close, it is just as homey and quaint, and it makes Bariq think of staring down a basilisk—if the monster was wearing a floral crown and smiling sweetly.

When he looks at Vel again, his old friend is not so subtly rolling his eyes.

“Sufjen isn’t here, if that’s what’s bothering you. He’s got business in Thornfield. I don’t expect him back until tomorrow night.”

Bariq exhales through his nostrils. Finally. Something understandable and unequivocally good.

“That’s great to hear. So if we leave today, we can make good progress before he even knows, right?”

A frown creases Vel’s brow. “Leave? Today? We? Hang on—I thought you were just paying a visit. Do you need my help with something, are you in trouble?”

“I’m not,” Bariq says. “You are.” He wonders if Vel’s been brainwashed. “But it’s fine, I mean—whatever he’s got on you, we can deal with it together. I’ll protect you.”

Veliesh takes a step back. His right hand goes to his left wrist, and Bariq’s eyes widen when he spots the thin silver bracelet Vel is twisting. The marital kind.

“I most certainly don’t need protection from Sufjen.”

“But...” Bariq starts. There’s a lump in his throat, choking him. He doesn’t even know what he’s trying to say. But he’s evil? But this isn’t how it’s supposed to be?

But I love you?

Veliesh sighs, resigned. “Clearly, I wasn’t able to explain it well enough the last time we talked. Please.” He holds the gate open wider—by magic again. “Come inside and let me try again.”

[luneevenfall]

Camp nano day 9

I always keep writing like, until 10-15 minutes before midnight and go "OH CRAP I HAVE TO UPDATE ON NANO OR IT'LL BE COUNTED AS TOMORROW!" lol

so anyways, a little lower but still 7k today! I'm at the point of the story where shit is easy to write (lots to do lots to see)

I'm not even sure what scene to do for this one, but since I've been pretty consistently posting lesbicious longing I decided that this will just be my theme. That or lesbicious suffering!

“Hina, are you alright?” “Hm, what do you mean?” Hina questioned as she tilted her head. “You’ve just been kinda… quiet since we left the ramen place.” “Oh, that?” Hina waved her free hand at Ayumu dismissively. “It’s nothing, I’m just a bit tired.” It was something. She wanted to ask about her birthday. Was she really going to be so much of a coward that she’d delegate that to asking over texts? It’d be so much better if she asked in person. “If… if you say so. If there is anything, don’t feel afraid to speak up.” Ayumu reassured her, reaching her free arm over to pat Hina’s head on top of the cap; it was a bit awkward with the way they were walking, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless, cozying up to Ayumu the whole way. “Don’t worry, it’s… really nothing. I’m… really happy we did this. Even if it was a bit silly.” Hina couldn’t help but smile timidly as she looked down at their feet, down their bodies, still pretty amused at what she saw. “It was pretty dumb. But hey, I actually kinda like this outfit. I’m keeping it.” Hina was incredibly happy to hear it. “What about you?” “I’ll keep it. Though I still do think I look like a kid trying to be cool and failing.” Hina couldn’t help but laugh at herself as she looked down her body; it just felt a little surreal. “Trust me, you don’t look like that at all.” Ayumu looked towards the night sky, refusing to face her. “In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you wore stuff like this all the time. You look like a model.” Hina blushed, unable to form a good reply to something like that, instead moving her hand down Ayumu’s arm to hold onto her hand, locking their fingers together. There was no hesitation and neither of them made any move to stop it. Touching each other had become entirely too natural. Surely, they just looked like friends to most others, especially right now; no one would see two girls holding hands and find anything strange by it. That’s what she told herself, at least. That this was still just “friendship”. She sighed to herself ever softly, but Ayumu seemed to notice, holding her hand a little tighter. “Are you… really sure you’re ok?” “Yes… I’m fine. Sorry. I think I just need to get back and sleep.” They had been stalling this entire time, but finally they arrived at the station. Well, perhaps it wasn’t “finally” in her mind, but “already”. How splendid it wouldn’t be for them to just spend an eternity, just the two of them, with nothing else in the way. If such a world existed, perhaps right now, they would call each other more than friends.

And yet, the world was not so simple, for they had expectations put onto them. There were restrictions that they followed. If they had not been idols, would it have been different? The train was surprisingly empty, and it was mostly just the two of them; Hina was mostly left alone with her thoughts as they sat down in the seats, leaning on each other. All that kept her company in her reverie was the rustling sound of the train on the rails, and the warmth of Ayumu’s shoulder against hers. She watched the night sky through the windows across the aisle, as the scenery passed them by. Ayumu’s hand never left hers, even as they got up to leave the train, only briefly parting to walk out through the ticket gates on the other end. They walked until they came upon that familiar intersection. Hina stood still for a moment, shuffling on her feet, not wanting to let go of Ayumu’s hand. “It’s late.” Ayumu finally spoke up, as if drawing attention to the fact that they were just standing there without letting go of each other. “Mhmm.” Hina hummed in response, turning her gaze down to look at their hands. “We… should really go home…” “… Yeah.” Ayumu finally let go, albeit very slowly. Hina felt a little lonely, even though she knew that they had to. The urge to ask to go to her house was huge; if she did, what would happen? Instead, she watched as Ayumu turned around; her silhouette looked beautiful in the moonlight, the new outfit enhancing her slender frame. “Goodnight, Ayumu.” “Goodnight. I’ll see you… at practice.” Hina watched her go, until she turned the corner; that was when Hina finally pulled the jacket around her body, feeling the cold seeping in as she made her way back home. If only she had even the smallest little smidgen of courage in her body, she would’ve probably had the ability to move forward with this relationship. Instead of that, however, she walked this path home. Alone.

Oh, the miseryyyyy

I think tumblr found the excerpt too long so I had to split the indentation pls don't look at it too hard

[jasmariswonderland]

“Call It Concern” ~ Iman’s R School Uniform Vignette

“Yawn, the day’s already started and already it’s a bore.”

When her best friend doesn’t show up to class for several days, Iman decides to head to her dorm and search for an explanation. This is a joint vignette with Vidaria and part 2 will be posted on/around her birthday on November 30th!

Fake screencap made with assets from the wonderful @ alchemivich! 💖

~~~

Iman: *sigh* (This is the last stop. Funny, Vidi and I have been friends since before freshman year and this is the first time I’ve ever visited her dorm. Yet she’s been to Scarabia more times than I can count. I don’t think I’d even be here if the circumstance were different. I really hope…)

Silver: Greetings, Your Serene Highness, what brings you here today?

Iman: Hello, Silver. I’m here for…something of an odd reason. 

Silver: Odd? How so? 

Iman: Well, it’s about Vidaria. She hasn’t come to class for nearly a week and she hasn’t come to our club meetings either. Haven’t you noticed?

Silver: Yes I have, I was under the impression Her Highness was ill. At least…that’s what Father told me.*he closes his eyes thoughtfully*

Iman: Hmm? You don’t seem so certain. 

Silver: It’s only that, in the time you’ve known Her Highness, have you ever known her to become ill. Think carefully.

*Iman thinks for a few moments and then shakes her head*

Iman: Now that I think about it, I haven’t. In fact, do fae even get sick like humans? Do they catch colds or anything like that?

Silver: Not that I know of, I’ve never known Father to even catch a fever. To say nothing about Malleus. I believe fae have stronger health than we do and aren’t susceptible to the same ailments as humans. 

Iman: If that’s the case, what’s wrong with Vidi? Call it concern but her absence has really been bothering me, because when I last saw her…

*Flashback*

Iman: Ugh! Trein’s lecture went on forever it seems! I thought I’d scream if he kept us there a minute longer! But at least it’s over, now onto the equestrian club! I’ll just cut though these woods to get there faster!

*sound of loud rustling in the bushes*

Iman: What the? What was that? 

???: And once you’ve deleted that photo, erase the image from your mind! And never, if you value your life speak of what you just saw! I mean it! 

Iman:*smiling* Oh! I know that voice, it’s…

*Vidaria appears, looking very upset*

Iman: Vidi! Hey, girl! Let’s… *Iman notices Vidaria has tears in her eyes* Wait a sec…Vidi, are you alright?

*But Vidaria doesn’t see Iman or even acknowledge that she’s there. Rook appears as well*

Vidaria: I’m serious! If I hear a word about this, I will know who is responsible and so will your dorm leader!

Rook: Once again, a thousand pardons, mademoiselle! Though it pains me, I swear to do as you requested. I shall forget the enchanting spectacle I’ve just witnessed, and will never speak of it. 

Vidaria: ESPECIALLY the last part! Never speak of this! EVER!

*Vidaria runs off and by this point, Iman is watching this happen from some distance*

Iman: I…what happened? What did Rook see and why did it piss her off so much? And why…was she…crying? Well, hopefully she’s feeling better by tomorrow and I can ask her then. 

*End Of Flashback*

Silver: I see, well unfortunately I’m not aware of anything that might have upset her recently. 

Iman: And Rook-san? Has he mentioned anything when you’ve seen him? 

Silver: Nothing. Nothing at all. Have you tried asking Rook directly?

Iman: *frowns* I have, In fact right before I came here…

*Flashback*

Iman: I’m sorry, perhaps I wasn’t clear. There’s no way you just told me no!

Rook: Ah, but that’s exactly what I just said, Princesse. 

Iman: What do you mean?! Vidi hasn’t come to class for several days and you’re the last one to see her! What secret are you keeping?!

Iman: Well, at least you are keeping that promise to her. It must have been something very serious then. 

Rook: I will neither confirm nor deny your thoughts, but have you thought of visiting Diasomnia and asking her yourself?

*Iman glares at him but her face softens to a thoughtful look*

*End Of Flashback*

Iman: And so here I am.

Silver: I respect Rook for not speaking of her secret to anyone, *sighs* and now, I cannot help but feeling a bit concerned myself. 

Iman: Can I see her? Even if I don’t know what her secret is, I’d still like to make sure she is alright. 

Silver: *smiling* I understand, Her Highness is extremely fortunate to have a friend like you. *rising from his chair* Come, I’ll take you to her. 

~~~

Silver: Hello, Father. Her Serene Highness has come here out of concern for Princess Vidaria. Could you direct us to her room?

Lilia: *smiling* Hello, Iman. That is very thoughtful of you. *sighs* Unfortunately, Vidaria is...ummm....currently not in a suitable state to receive guests. I can’t let you see her just now. 

Iman: *looking surprised* Not in a suitable state? What do you mean? 

Silver: Father, Does this mean that Her Highness is sick after all?

Lilia: No, not sick. At least, not in the traditional sense. Vidaria is just experiencing some...growing pains as of late. But do not fret, give her a few more days and she will return to class and return to her normal kittenish self.

Iman: Could you at least give me an idea of what is wrong? The last time I saw her, she was very upset and it’s been bothering me ever since. 

Lilia: ...*closes his eyes in thought*

Iman: ...

Lilia: ...

Iman and Silver: ...

Lilia: Forgive me, Desert Bloom. I cannot say. But please trust me when I tell you that everything is alright. This I swear. 

Iman: *annoyed sigh* That’s all I can do, it seems. But I do trust you, Lilia. Just please let Vidi know I was here.

Lilia: That I will do, but before you go, you know Vidaria’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks. She’ll be passing a great milestone this year and naturally, we’ll be celebrating accordingly. Can we expect to see you there?

Iman: *grinning* Duh! Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Okay, that makes me feel a little better so this visit wasn’t a total waste. Thank you, guys, and please give Vidaria my regards. Tell her if she’s not back in class by next week, I will be back here!

Silver: Yes, Your Serene Highness. Of course!

Lilia: Yes, and I have no doubt, Iman. 

- END - 

[purplecraze]

Beauty and the Beast AU 13

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:20 PM

He pouted

"...Can i ask you another thing?"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:21 PM

"......? yes, of course."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:22 PM

"Well, you first told me the curse was an accident after messing around with magic, but then you told me someone did a spell on you- so what happend?'

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:23 PM

"........" Fugo's eyes glided away. "It's..... perhaps a bit of both..."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:24 PM

"Mh?? How so?" He asked curious

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:25 PM

he sighed.

".....my teacher tried to curse me, but that curse went wrong."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:26 PM

"Jesus- what a pice of shit-" He murmured

"Who the fuck tries to curse a child-"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:27 PM

He shrugged.

"I didn't do as he told me to."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:29 PM

"So??? Dosent sound an excuse-" he pouted

"Also must even been shitty at his job if he fucked up so badly"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:29 PM

Fugo shook his head. "It's because I tried to counter it."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:31 PM

He sighed

"Well, whatever happend we will find a way to fix it!" He nodded

"If the plants in the dome stay alive, it means we will have somewhere to start!"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:32 PM

"......." Fugo nodded, though he didn't seem all that hopeful. and even a bit annoyed.

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:34 PM

Nara was way more optimist instead.

"Mhh...Is there something you want to do after the curse is over? I guess is gonna be a bit dazzing to leave the house after 3 years, so if you want to go somewhere we could go together" he shrugged

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:36 PM

"I'd prefer to think of the things we can do now...." he spoke, a tad bitter.

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:37 PM

"Oh! Well what do you want to do now?" He just asked

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:38 PM

he frowned. "How am I supposed to know that?"

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:39 PM

"W-Well its not that i can know what you want" he giggled awkardly

"You just said you wanted to do something"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:40 PM

He shrugged. "I assume you have more experience in doing things with others than I do..."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:41 PM

"Not really sure what rich people do in their rich people houses" he giggle and then thinked a bit

"We could play some music like the other day~"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:43 PM

"Nothing worth mentioning, at least...

If you'd like, that would be nice. I don't know a lot of songs to accompany the harmonica, though."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:45 PM

"Well we will figure out! I'll go take the harmonica!"

He said, leaving the room almost running

(And you could hear the faiting sound of someone tripping on the stairs; followed by a 'im fine!')

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:52 PM

Fugo laughed, despite himself.

He leaned back into the chair and stared at the high ceiling.

"tomorrow...huh?...." he whispered to himself.

It wasn't that he thought Narancia's meddling was unpleasant. But he was skeptical on the boy not forgetting about him. Maybe not in one or 2 days, but once his life was going well and he could settle down, time would pass by before he knows it....

And Fugo wouldn't blame him. Knowing there's no cure, who would want to trade their freedom for taking care of--....... of some invalid monster he met a week ago. and it wasn't like his personality made up for it...

Long before this curse, he had already--.......

'no one else will love you.'

Fugo broke the glass in his hand, seething.

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 10:54 PM

"Fugo!!! Come here!!" Narancia chirped from the room where the piano was, holding the silver harmonica in his hand

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 10:57 PM

Fugo shook up from his dark thoughts upon the call. he quickly fixed the glass and removed the shards from his hands, pretending like nothing happened, and followed the sound of his voice in a hurried step.

the back of his throat ached. It was such a sweet sound... so welcoming and warm....

He didn't want it to all end tomorrow...

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:02 PM

Nara waved his hand at him, sitting on a chair a couple of meters from the piano

"If you play something easy i can catch up!"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:05 PM

Fugo gave him a look like he was considering what was the most difficult piece he knew.

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:05 PM

Nara looked at him with puppy eyes, dont do that to him

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:06 PM

alright

https://youtu.be/0-zUcCbb5_4?t=13

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:09 PM

"Oh i know this" he giggled, following along

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:14 PM

Fugo laughed. "Want to try something a bit above that level?"

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:15 PM

"Yeah sure!"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:16 PM

"heheh..... okay~" he started playing a bit of a cheerful melody that wasn't all too hard to improvise to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YOrBGdBVCA ( Serenata - Enrico Toselli)

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:18 PM

Narancia let the other start, then when he had an idea of what the melody was he followed along

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:25 PM

Fugo followed along to what Narancia was playing too. It was a bit messy, but nice to listen to.

He swayed his hands back and forth after a few songs. "It's been a while."

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:27 PM

"Its ok! I havent played in a while too! I guess we are both a bit rusty!"

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:28 PM

He nodded. He had been playing regularly, but nothing so energetic as this.

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:30 PM

Nara was more used to play folk music, stuff he would play in the steets to get some pennys, yet it was nice to play like that, even if it was a bit messy it was fun! And that what music was about right?

Also Fugo was really good at playing...He wondered if the fuzzy feeling he felt in his stomach when they were close was part of the curse

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:35 PM

yep, must be it. he's toxic and you're intoxicated.

"......." After resting his fingers for a moment Fugo set in for a calmer, more intimate song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0N3hU8MdHM ( Ballade in A minor - Walid Nahas)

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:37 PM

"..."

That was not what Narancia usually played, but there was something catchy about how Fugo played it, and so, after a minute or two he started to play along, going slowly and steady, following the rythm

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:41 PM

Fugo felt strangely warm inside. It felt so serene and complete to call out to someone through music and to have it answered.

for a mere 5 minutes, it felt like he could just be a normal boy. for 5 minutes, he had lived more than in those 3-- no, those 16 years...

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:47 PM

Thats the effect of having the human incarnation of sunshine next to you

When the song was over, Narancia smiled softly

"That was really nice- you are really good at the piano!"

He kinda wondered...nha thats stupid...But when the curse was lifted, maybe he could ask Fugo if they could dance a bit in the dancing hall...that would be nice! A-And dumb! Nevermind! He cant even dance!

purplecraze — 09/01/2021 11:50 PM

Fugo looked back at him. There was something longing in his eyes.

He could barely breathe and felt a shiver down his spine.

When Narancia cut through the silence, the voice rang in his ears.

"uhh...yeah... y-you too." he replied docile, casting his eyes down.

orange-plane-boy — 09/01/2021 11:54 PM

"You ok? Is the fever back?" He asked worried at that reaction.

Nh...he wanted to touch his forehead to check, but he wasnt that unwise...

purplecraze — 09/02/2021 12:03 AM

"huh? fever? oh!" seems he completely forgot he had one.

"no. no, I'm fine....." he didn't really know what do do with the awkwardness he had created, though....

[stitch1830]

For @twinkle-toph :)

Kantoph - #6 - “I love to hear your voice, even if you’re so far away.”

“And then after the play was over, he was so pissed he just slammed into me!”

“Sounds like you deserved it, Hotshot,” she teased. “I did not—okay, maybe a bit. But c’mon it was immature! Sokka was just being a butt!”

“A grown man saying “butt.” You really are so much more mature.”

He didn’t say anything, but Toph could tell he was smiling through the phone. They had done this so many times that she memorized the tiny details in his voice, the tells in his breath that could only be detected when she listened closely. 

It was nothing like having him with her, but that wasn’t an option for them. They were professional athletes, travel was part of the job, and Toph never thought she’d grow to hate it. 

But that was before she fell for him.

The hotels felt so empty, the bed so cold, and the excitement of visiting a new city seemed so trivial now that she had someone she wanted to share the experience with. 

And whenever she was home and he wasn’t, the house was always too quiet. Thankfully, she had friends and work to keep her preoccupied, but since they moved in together, Toph only got sound sleep when his arms were wrapped around her waist.

She scoffed to herself. He made her such a sap.

“How’s the city?” he asked after a beat.

“Oh, just beautiful,” she drawled, masking her missing him with a quip. “The skyline is my favorite part.”

Kanto chuckled. “Okay smartass, what’s actually your favorite part?”

Toph paused for a moment. “It actually reminds me of our city.”

“Yeah?”

“There’s lots of traffic, some honking and sirens, and one night, I heard someone playing the violin. Not very well, but it was something.

“And there’s a cafe at the corner of the hotel I’m staying at, and you can smell the morning brew from a block away. There’s lots of restaurants with outdoor seating, which is a bitch to navigate around, but I’ll let it slide.”

“How noble of you.”

Toph laughed—no, cackled. Perhaps it was the time change making her rather ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it.

Kanto laughed with her, and somehow, they got to the point of tears in their eyes. 

When they finally caught their breath, Kanto let out a sigh. “I love hearing your laugh.”

“I love hearing your voice,” she replied, her voice growing softer. “Even if you’re so far away, and it makes me homesick as hell, I love it.”

“Only a few more days, baby,” he said, but it still brought tears to her eyes.

Good grief, he really made her a sap. 

After she wiped her eyes roughly and let out a small sniffle, Toph nodded, repeating the words in her head like a mantra. 

Only a few more days. 

 And even though she didn’t say a word, Kanto knew what she was doing. He changed the subject when a minute passed. “Did you find a rock for our collection, yet?”

“Not yet, I was gonna search after the tournament tomorrow.”

“Good idea. Speaking of, what time is it over there?” he asked.

She thought for a moment, then placed her hand over her watch. “Almost 2.”

“You should probably get some rest. Big day tomorrow.”

Toph scoffed. “Big day for the other competitors. Tomorrow is just another day for me.”

“My girlfriend,” he sighed. “What a humble woman.”

“You definitely do not date me because I’m humble.”

“You’re right, I date you for the sponsorships you get. They’re so much better than mine, it’s not even funny!”

A breathy laugh escaped her, then she sighed. “I wish you were here.”

“I know.”

“I miss you.”

“I know, baby. But—”

“I know,” she whispered. “Only a few more days. But—” Toph hesitated, biting her lip. It was such a stupid request, she was being childish and couldn’t believe she even thought of it—

“Do you want me to stay on the phone? While you sleep?”

“Well, I’m sure you have plans—”

“Nope. I’m just gonna be at home. What do you say?”

Toph smiled, and as she closed her eyes, she couldn’t believe how he made her feel. So safe, so happy, so loved.

And under her breath as she drifted off to sleep, Toph said, “I love you.”

She heard the smile in his voice when he whispered back, “I love you, too.”

[spideysneighbor]

Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooks - Chapter 18 The Librarian (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1242108692-hello-neighbor-welcome-to-raven-brooks-chapter-18?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=NeighborReno12&wp_originator=lssUEhNL0EUZARURdzJ61YB5p63IezG4KsM0mTyU96LVzqTpKXpdlWTLI1DyYnaUwzxvhdrZ0OdZmXJN19rokGP%2Bb5vBpRirHgRXJSRArapbcWtGk9pNJBgmRETid9OP 

link here ---> https://www.wattpad.com/1242108692-hello-neighbor-welcome-to-raven-brooks-chapter-18

I just post another chapter on my fanfiction after like MONTHS so if you guys want to read it here the link you don’t have to just wanted to post it hope you guys have a great day.

I focused on the pages of the book seeing page after page, drawing after drawing, as the sunlight lit up the room, helping me see better but it only bother me I couldn't help to rub my left eye and sigh " well narf time to act like you slept good. " I got up and started to do some stretches because I felt like the aliens drain my human energy maybe because that was pretty much what happened but perhaps it was god himself or just lack of sleep but I didn't bother to care about myself because I was too busy cleaning up the couch to make sure there was no evidence I was here so Mr. Esposito and Miss. Esposito wouldn't know. Once I was done I was planning on continuing to study the observation notebook but I wanted to explore more since now the rooms were now no longer shadowed by darkness. I found myself walking down the hallway that led to the bathroom, I walk there because it was the only place I could see Esposito's pictures that were hung up on the wall. While they were pretty much the same, with all of them just having a picture of each family member doing something together or apart they were fascinating to me because I have never seen this many photos before, mainly because they all looked so happy with each other, while I couldn't do stuff like fishing, soccer, engineering, spend more time with my parents.I continue to look at the picture until I heard footsteps. I turn around only to be scared by a single boo that makes me jump back only to see the two siblings " ha got you, Nicky " she said with a gentle smirk as I rolled my eyes playfully " yea you got me, your getting better at that " I replied which got her to smile even bigger than before " thanks, you're making it easy for me " she said, to which I grin at her " oh I'll get you back, that I swear to holly aliens and god, I will have my revenge " I grin.I look up to her brother " you look like crap " I said to him to which he just smirks " yea, well you don't look so hot ether " I let a laugh hoping Mr.Peterson wouldn't hear me " but seriously you look worse did you even sleep " Aaron asked, to which I was just stood there not really knowing how to respond " y-yea I didn't sleep that good " I said to which he put his hand on my shoulder " next time try to go back to sleep " he said to me while rolled my eyes " yea well I can't, i-it not easy I'm not as lazy as you " I said but then he gave me a punch on the shoulder " oh please you can't even get out of bed most of the time " he said as I rolled my eyes " okay but seriously you need sleep " he said " okay fine what do you got to say " I asked as Mya lean against the wall " well you know how you like engineering and how it makes you more relax, well it like sleeping, try thinking of ideas that you could build or make adjustments to and the more that you think the more time you drift off. "His eyes sparked as he smiled revealing his white teeth that were almost perfect looking as his smile, but yet it had an effect on me that made me put a smile on my face " thanks for the advice, I might use it someday" I said he let out a sigh " well you better use it tonight because this is our last sleepover since your parents are coming home tomorrow " he said " yea they have been doing a lot of work " I said a little quietly only for Aaron to speak " well at least they will be back and you can hang out with them. " I was about to talk until Mya let out a cough " you should get your breakfast before I steal yours " she said only for Aaron to grin at her " oh you are a little thief if you dare lay finger on the pancakes I will use a gamma ray to destroy you " he said only for her to roll her eyes " I wasn't talking to you " she smirk, as I felt a little grin on face " oh that how going to be...well SEEYA " I yelled as ran pass her " GET BACK HERE YOU ALIEN BUTTLER " she screamed behind me as we both came down the stairs, both of us laughing as well ran through the halls, with the floors squeaking from our footsteps and the halls echoing our laughter only to stop once when I hit something in front of me that made me fall to the ground cause me get up and look up to see Mr.Peterson as fear was now all I felt " what are you doing boy I can hear you from the living room " he growed at me making nervous with his russian accent putting me on edge as I felt myself trying to make out a word but it never came out.I only stared at him as the both of us locked eyes " morning dad how did you sleep " Mya's voice said behind me with a happy tone that sound excited but Mr.Peterson seemed to ignore it as he look at her " I didn't sleep I was...working and you should be quiet Mya or you can go back to your room " he said to her like he was annoyed with he, as if she was just some nuisance it made me have a spark of anger that I felt inside me, but I kept calm " now you all be quiet or Nicholas is going home early " he said to us, that when I felt more anger but that was interupted by a voice behind me " they weren't even screaming that loud, they were just having fun " I look behind us to see Aaron who had his arms cross as he stared at his father " what did you say oMeN  you better have a good reason on why you dare to talk to me like that " he growed at his son with his hand rolling up into a fist " I said they were just having fun, father " he repeated but he sounded irrated rather then scared of the man stepping forward to him.