#slowly trying to get comfortable behind a keyboard again

[goatakiart]

Xavier Fluff✨️

Love and Deepspace

It's late night, there's not even one sound to be heard of, only the sound of the keys as you pull them out of your purse, you're going back home from a long day at work-- however it's not your door that you unlock.

You decide to surprise Xavier tonight, you could say you even missed him.

When you peek in and look around for him, you find him fast asleep on the couch.

"As to be expected..." You think to yourself.

As you move closer, you notice his phone screen is open. Out of curiosity, you move closer to see what he was up to.

His message app is open, your own chat specifically. He seemed to have been waiting for a text from you. You move even closer in hopes of reading the unsent message that's sitting above the keyboard.

Suddenly, Xavier grabs your arm and pulls you close. You gasp shocked with no time to react. The only thing you can do is lose balance and fall on him. He immediately notices it's you, and he softens his grip quickly.

"Oh, it's you y/n..." he seems to try to caress your wrist, but he only swiftly moves his hand away when he notices his phone is open. In embarrassment, he takes it and turns off the screen.

"...I seem to have dozed off."

You're still standing on top of him, a silly smile is painted on your face as you observe his features, causing you to get lost in thought.

He blinks and tilts his head till he notices what is going on in your mind. He flashes a warm smile and softly pushes a strand of hair from your face, placing it behind your ear.

"if I didn't know you, I would think I have something on my face..."

He says teasingly but still keeps his calm demeanor.

His hand stays still on your face before he brushes your cheek softly. You don't lose the opportunity to place your own hand on top of his and bury your face in his palm as you speak.

"Oh? And what do you think now, if you know me so well?" You say, teasing him back, eager to hear his answer.

"Let me think..."

Xavier slowly moves and wraps his arms around you, making you rest on him on the couch as you're both still sitting. His moves are elegant and caring, soft and delicate. He takes the blanket that was around him and wraps it around you both.

"I think you missed me enough to invade my home."

He says in a low whisper, the warm smile never leaving his face.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sudden exclamation, and you looked away to avoid him, even tho you liked this "confrontation."

He reaches out his hand, positioning it on your cheek once again, turning your face to look at him directly in the eyes.

"All the stars shone under the moon's gaze, nevertheless they are indeed all are cast aside at the sight of Venus and Jupiter. Awaiting for the dark veil of the night to tumble above every corner, just to see them again."

It's hard to understand his words sometimes, even when he's in the silliest mood or the most romantic one, he's still so ethereal, his eyes are like a starry night, he definitely has affected you with his metaphors.

"So, that means you missed me too?"

He raises his shoulders and snickers.

"You admit you missed me?"

He tightens his embrace around you and lays his head on your shoulder.

He's avoiding the question on purpose, he's always the one to avoid difficult situations.

You wrap your arms around his head and mess with his hair.

"I missed you as much as you missed me, Mister."

Xavier, however,  seems to be getting comfortable, as he's burying his face on to your neck, he begins to be unresponsive. You poke him, to wake him up, and make him speak up. He instead lays down, his weight pushes you to lay on the couch with him, his arms still wrapping you. He still has eyes closed and is about to sleep. One of his hands trails off from your back to your waist and finds its way to your own hand, he interlocks his fingers with yours.

You let out a sigh and you close your eyes, slowly you're beginning to fall asleep.

Many minutes pass, and Xavier must have thought you had already fallen asleep.

"I missed you too." He says. You can't help but smile. You look up and notice he's already looking down at you. He gets a little startled seeing you are still awake.

"Xavier."

"Yes?"

The smile on your face grows bigger.

"I love you." You say, without hesitating one second.

He gasps at the sound of your words and seems nervous. You notice a tint of pink on his cheeks. There's a small awkward pause, which, for a moment, makes you feel scared you ruined the moment. But he composes himself fast enough, and finally, he takes a deep breath and smiles back.

"I love you too, Y/N." Then he goes ahead and kisses your forehead lovingly before he lays his chin on your head. You hold him tighter, and he returns the gesture, as if you're both scared of losing each other.

You cuddle tightly and slowly fall asleep with the hopes you'll meet in your dreams, too.

[azureseacloud]

Hard Work

Ghost (band) one shot

Pairing: fem reader x ghouls

Warnings: swearing

Words: 1,999

Summary: Reader has been working all day. Ghouls return from practice and look after her, regardless of her resistance. Fluff with a dash of sexual tension because I can’t help myself :)

Hi again, thanks so much for your support on my other fic :))) You guys are awesome!!

I am open to requests for the ghouls so please feel free to drop a request :)

Working as a coordinator for the band was a huge job. It didn’t help that the ghouls always sought you out so they could bring you to their quarters for ‘mandatory’ ghoul piles or just for company. It was sweet, but by Satan they were an effective distraction from your work.

You had sat yourself down on the couch in the ghoul quarters, laptop sitting on your thighs as you reviewed the costings and set up for the next show that was in a weeks time.

None of the ghouls were present—busy with their commitments and band practice for the day—so you were using the time to get as much done as possible. It was easier to do the work in their quarters since you knew that they would go searching for you after and drag you back here anyway one way or another. Swiss had literally thrown you over his shoulder one time when you had protested to leaving your work space. Another time, when you had found a comfy hiding spot far away from where the ghouls wandered, Dewdrop had tracked you down by your scent and heartbeat.

You sighed, a slight headache beginning to make itself known. Checking the time, you’d been here for almost eight hours, and it was now afternoon. You’d made a lot of progress, which was great, but there was still a lot more to go.

You resettled yourself into a more comfortable position, shuffling around until your legs were no longer trapped under your body, wincing at the pins and needles that flickered as you moved. You began typing again, organising the itinerary for next years tours.

Something brushed against your neck lightly as you became aware of a presence behind you. Before you could look, two hands were splayed around your neck, applying a firm pressure but not impacting your ability to breathe. They pushed upward, tilting your head back.

“Fuck!” You gasped as you were met with a mask staring down at you. White horns poked through the forehead, an easy identifier for the ghoul that had a comfortable grip on your throat. Dewdrop.

“Oh, hi Dew.”

One of his fingers slowly caressed your neck as you fought to slow your heartbeat after the shock. His hands were warm, no doubt the perks of being a fire ghoul. You watched as he tilted his head in that infuriatingly attractive way.

“You look tired.”

You blinked up at the ghoul, realising your hands were still perched on the keyboard and not moving to at least try to defend yourself. You wondered if he noticed. What was it he had said?

“I’ve been working,” you replied evenly, after a moment of silence where you had to fight to gather your thoughts. His grip was distracting, in the way that sent your brain into overdrive. It was a struggle to maintain a normal tone—to hide what the ghoul was doing to you.

Dew moved closer, to the point where you could almost see the eyes behind his mask. Studying you. You tried your best to look alert and awake, knowing they would all swarm you the moment one of them figured out that you had forgone looking after yourself, choosing to instead work almost non-stop.

In a liquid movement he withdrew his hands, dragging them upwards along your neck as he straightened up. You almost sighed in disappointment at the loss of contact.

One major factor you had learned about ghouls is that they had no concept of personal space, nor any understanding of human ‘socially acceptable’ standards. They also shared more physical touch than humans usually did. It had been quite a lot to get used to when you first started working with them. But now you found yourself craving their casual touches and affection. Although you were still caught off guard with the more intimate touches they sometimes did. You knew they found your reactions entertaining, Dew and Swiss especially.

A set of footsteps echoed across the floor and you looked to see Swiss waltzing in, also still in his helmet and uniform. He looked over to you, then tilted his head up, most likely looking at Dew standing behind you still, his forearms now leaning against the back of the couch on either side of your head. His hands were brushing your shoulders in a tantalising way, and you were acutely aware of how close his chest was to your head.

Swiss looked back to you, and his mouth turned down in what you guessed was a frown.

“Have you been working all day?” The multi ghoul asked, leaning against the doorway. You clasped your hands to stop yourself from rubbing your eyes as another spike of pain shot through your head.

“No, of course not,” you lied. You knew the ghouls hated when you worked for too long—and you really wanted to finish this last part.

“When was the last time you had water?” Dew asked, still hovering above you. You rolled your eyes.

“I had water not that long ago.” You lied again, biting your lip. You hadn’t had any since breakfast—too engrossed in your work to have a break. That explained the headache.

“She’s dehydrated,” Rain spoke. Your eyes jumped to him, cursing internally that you had forgotten the water ghoul had gotten good at sensing how hydrated you were. He was heading to the adjoined kitchen at the far side of the room.

Swiss tsked and you shot him an answering glare. He grinned, pushing off the wall to join you on the couch.

“You can’t lie to us sweetheart.” Dew murmured in your ear, his breath ghosting the side of your face in a way that sent shivers down your body. His nails scraped lightly across your shoulders, and it was all you could do not to arch your back.

Too preoccupied with Dewdrop’s touch, you weren’t prepared for Swiss to snatch your wrists, yanking them away from your laptop.

“Hey!” You protested, trying to pull out of his grip. The multi ghoul only grinned, his hold on your wrists too strong for you to break out of.

“Rain,” Swiss called. The water ghoul hurried over, carrying a glass of water. You were still struggling against Swiss, trying to twist your way out of his grip. Dew grabbed your shoulders, pulling you back to the couch and pinning you there. Swiss barked out a laugh as you cursed at them.

“Can you get the laptop?” Swiss asked the water ghoul casually. Rain nodded, closing the device and moving it to the small table not far from the couch.

“Seriously guys? I just have to do a little more, then I’m done I promise.”

Swiss shook his head, releasing your hands while Rain offered you the glass of water. You rolled your eyes, accepting the glass reluctantly as Rain settled on the floor in front of you, murmuring a “thanks” to the calm ghoul. They were all watching—no doubt waiting to make sure you drank the water. Swiss moved one of his hands to your thigh, smirking as your eyes darted across to his.

“Is this an intervention?” You looked up as Phantom spoke, his voice holding a little bit of humour as he entered the room, crossing over to lean against the table. He looked at the laptop resting there—no doubt putting the pieces together.

“She’s been working all day,” Swiss explained. You took a sip of water, flipping off the ghoul beside you.

“She’s dehydrated,” Rain added.

“And she thought she could lie about it.” You hissed at Dewdrop’s words. Asshole. He gripped your shoulders tighter in response, his fingers pressing into your skin.

You busied yourself with drinking the water—it was the best distraction you had right now. Between Dewdrop’s hands on your shoulders and Swiss’ hand on your thigh, as well as everyone’s undivided attention, you could feel your cheeks beginning to heat up. You finished the glass, Rain reaching out to take it from you as he got up to take it to the kitchen. Phantom jabbed at his ribs on the way, the water ghoul skipping out of his reach.

“Good girl,” Dewdrop purred into your ear. You tensed, heat blooming across your skin. Your brain nearly short-circuited. He had to be doing this on purpose. There was no way he wasn’t—Dew wasn’t normally this flirtatious. The little gremlin.

Swiss snickered. “Someone’s flustered. Careful Dew, she might pass out if you keep going.”

Phantom chuckled at that. You scowled, crossing your arms.

“Okay, I drank some water, now let me keep working—“

You were cut off as Swiss stood up suddenly, grabbing your arms and pulling you from the couch. You squealed as he picked you up, one arm under your legs the other wrapped around your back. You threw your arms around his neck, gripping just under the helmet. He was grinning again.

“Swiss I swear to Satan if you don’t put me down-“

“You’ll what?” The multi ghoul taunted. He sat down on the soft rug in the centre of the room, rolling you onto your back and wrapping an arm around you to keep you there as he lay down beside you. You smacked his arm, knowing exactly what he was planning. You loved ghoul piles but you knew once everyone had joined you would not be able to get up until the morning.

You looked over as Dewdrop vaulted over the couch to join you, flicking off his helmet as he lay down on your other side. Dew slid one of his legs around yours, nuzzling into the side of your neck. The fire ghoul started purring loudly, draping an arm across your chest. His warmth was comforting.

“See? Just stay here with us. Take a break.” Swiss said, his breath tickling your ear. He’d also taken his helmet off, and he buried his face in the side of your neck like Dew. You sighed.

“No, I still have work to do!” Swiss snorted, still not letting you go. A wave of calm washed over you, sleepiness taking hold. Okay maybe you could finish the work tomorrow…

Your eyes snapped over to Phantom. “Phantom, you little bitch, I know what you’re doing.” You growled. The quintessence ghoul raised his hands in mock surrender, a wicked grin on his face.

Running out of options, you looked to Rain.

“Rain, can you please get them off me so I can finish my work?” The water ghoul sighed, making his way over. Instead of dragging the two off of you, he flopped down on top of you all, his head resting on your stomach.

How helpful.

You flipped off Phantom as he laughed. Not being able to help yourself, you lowered your hands into Rain’s hair. You slid your fingers through the smooth locks as the ghoul hummed contentedly.

Phantom curled up behind you, letting you rest your head on his chest. His own fingers worked through your hair, and you almost melted under his touch.

“What’s going on here?” Mountain crossed into the room with his hands on his hips, the ghoulettes behind him.

“Ghoul pile!!” Sunshine shrieked, launching herself over Swiss, who tried to bury his face deeper in your neck.

“A little help?” You asked, looking at the others hopefully. Swiss and Dew growled, both of their teeth lightly pinching your neck in response.

“I think that’s your answer.” Mountain shrugged, and you sighed in defeat. The huge ghoul settled down beside Dew, while the other ghoulettes curled around Sunshine and Swiss.

Dewdrop was purring again, his tongue licking the small bite on the side of your neck. You reached an arm around and scratched his head, his purring growing louder.

Okay, maybe you could let the rest of your work wait until tomorrow. For now, you relaxed in the comforting warmth and weight of the ghouls.

It didn’t take you long to fall asleep.

[ilydottie]

| A Sweet Love |

Warnings:  Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Reader is gender neutral, Modern Au, Reader overworks themselves, No pronouns for Reader, He/Him for Alhaitham, almost 1k words. 

Pairing: Alhaitham x GN!Reader

A/n: I have grown soft for Alhaitham <3

Summary: Alhaitham notices you haven’t been taking care of yourself and working yourself to death. Immediately, he makes plans to step in and take matters into his own hands. 

Tags: @neuvillettes @suyacho @themovingcastlez @tighnarly

It had been a long week, grueling and exhausting, but you pushed forth. You did the work that needed to be done and then some. Unfortunately, you had pushed yourself too far this time. It was two am when your husband, Alhaitham, had found you fast asleep on your keyboard. He called out your name quietly and when he got no response he got closer to check in on you, and in doing so found you passed out from the constant work. He had no choice but to wake you up and help you back into bed.

“Hey, sweetheart, let’s get you to bed, okay?” He ushered you up from your wooden chair and walked you down the hall to the bedroom you two shared, ignoring your groans and resistance in the process. 

“Mmm, I have work to do ‘haitham.” You groaned.

But instead of listening to you Alhaitham led you underneath the covers and into the warmth and comfort of your bed. There would be no use fighting him now, tomorrow, or any of the days after that, because he was determined to fix this little mess that you had created. Or at the very least make sure you didn’t kill yourself in the process of it all. He pulled the covers over your body and carefully rested your head onto the pillow, face stern as he found himself lost in his head with all the worries that were consuming him. 

“Are you mad at me?” You asked, barely able to keep your eyes open long enough to see his reaction.

He shook his head, his face telling a different story, but instead of anger he felt concern. “Not at all. We’ll talk tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.” He said. Kissing your forehead before following into bed behind you. 

The following day he kept a very close eye on you. Paying attention to how much you slept, when you worked, when you ate and what you ate, too. He was very meticulous in how he watched you, trying his best to remain silent and covert. If it weren’t for how exhausted you were you would’ve caught on quickly, but to you he just seemed like he wanted to spend some extra time with you. All the while he watched as you slowly drifted off to sleep on your keyboard, again. 

He lifted his eyes from his book, slowly closing it to approach you. He called out your name and turned your head, and looking up he saw a word document that only had one word on it. He tilted your face to get a good look at your eyes, going through a mental checklist he had made on days like these to ensure you were okay. He pressed the back of his palm to your forehead, it was a little warm but nothing concerning. Physically you seemed fine but he knew better than to believe that lie. You weren’t fine. In fact you were far from it. He couldn’t remember the last time you showered or bathed yourself, so with that he figured the best first step was to bathe you. 

He shook you gently yet just enough to awake you, and awoke with a groan. “Honey, when’s the last time you showered?” 

You shrugged your shoulders and started to drift back asleep. 

He gently shook you once again and asked another question. “Is it alright if I bathe you? I’ll do all the work, but I want to make sure you’re comfortable first and foremost.”

You thought for a moment, opened your eyes briefly, and nodded with a smile. He kissed you on the forehead before he helped you up, walked you down the hall and into the bathroom. You were beginning to wake up again when Alhaitham asked if he could help you undress. You nodded, again. He proceeded to remove your clothing one by one, slowly and gently. Once he’d properly undressed you he wrapped you up in a big towel to keep you warm as you waited for the water to warm. He dutifully made sure he tested it with each passing minute until the water was perfect to your liking. 

He held your hand in his gingerly. “Ready?” He asked, and you nodded weakly with a smile. 

Carefully helping you into the bath he assisted you with sitting down in the tub, reassuring you to relax and just rest in this moment as he did all the work. Alhaitham gently massaged your scalp while washing your hair, and then following it up by cleaning your entire body and being extra careful with your sensitive areas. He’d stop for as long as you needed whenever you expressed the need for a break. He’d pepper your face in soft kisses until you’d smile and giggle happily. Once everything was all said and done he helped you dry off and back into warmer, more comfortable clothes. 

Afterwards, he led you back to bed and urged you to take a nap at the very least, stopping his words whenever he sensed he was getting far too heated. You didn’t need that right now, and he couldn’t risk you falling back into your unhealthy cycle to cope either. So, he eased you underneath the covers and held you close, stroking your hair as he hummed an unfamiliar song to you, until you became fast asleep in his arms. He hoped tomorrow would bring a better day for both of you, but especially you. He didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t ask for others help, but instead of ruminating on all that he chose to rest with you. Taking it easy until the both of you were well rested enough to talk about it. So, for now he’d rest with you safely in his arms, protecting you from any real or perceived harm. 

[chaiiitime]

It Happened One Summer Night

Summary : Stranded at the airport, Adriana Montero Mundt would do pretty much anything to get to her sister’s wedding, including getting into a tiny car with Daniel Ricciardo — even if she pretty much hates him Pairing : Daniel Ricciardo x OC!Fem Word Count : 3,500

Masterlist | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Chapter 1

“Are you sure? Can you check again?”

The lady behind the counter at the Barcelona airport's information desk gave her an overly patient smile, “Yes Ma’am, I’m sure. Unfortunately, the car rental agency no longer has any cars available and we don’t know when flights are going to resume. But –“ Her fingers clacked rapidly on her keyboard, “I can book you on the next available flight to Jerez. However, I cannot give you any reassurances when that would be.”

To say Adriana Montero Mundt was having a crappy day would be an understatement.

First, she’d nearly missed her flight from London to Barcelona because of a last-minute meeting with an important client. And now, her flight to Jerez had been cancelled because of a freak technology glitch in the airport’s systems which had effectively grounded all flights out of Barcelona. No one knew when flights would resume and there apparently were no cars available to rent, more or less leaving her stranded.

Which wasn’t so great considering she needed to be in her hometown of Jerez for her baby sister’s wedding in four days.

She was about to argue with the lady again when her phone began ringing. The lady looked pointedly at her phone before craning her neck to look at the long line behind her. Adriana got the message loud and clear — she needed to get out of the line.

With a sigh, she stepped aside to answer. “Hey sis!” Carmen was on the other end. “Any updates?”

Adriana slowly massaged her temples. She could feel a headache coming on. “No,” she answered, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. The last thing Carmen needed was any additional stress right before her wedding.

“All flights have been cancelled. No one knows when they will resume." She paced along the glass windows looking out on the tarmac.  So many planes neatly lined up in their little big boxes.  All of them useless because they couldn’t take her to where she needed.  “It can be in an hour or a day or even more, and there’s no cars available for hire.” She stopped pacing, trying to sound hopeful for Carmen’s sake. “But don’t worry about it – I’m sure I’ll find something soon.”

“Actually, I may have a solution for you.” Carmen’s voice sounded way too bright.  “You know Daniel Ricciardo, right? George’s mate?”

Nononononono. Adriana didn’t like where this was going.

“Anyway, George just mentioned he’s flying in today as well. He just got off the phone with him."  Adriana winced at Carmen’s excitement bubbling over the phone.  “Turns out, he was meant to take the same flight as you to Jerez but he's been a bit luckier. He’s managed to snag a rental car and –“

Nononononono.

“He’s happy to give you a ride.”

Suddenly, the headache that had been threatening since her flight landed, was beating right at the base of her skull. She could feel the band of her pencil skirt biting into her belly and her stilettos pinching her feet. She inwardly cursed at herself for taking that last-minute meeting.  If she hadn’t, at least she would have had the time to change in more comfortable clothes rather than having to dash to the airport in her work clothes.

The last thing she wanted right now was to face a ten-hours plus drive with Daniel freaking Ricciardo.

~

DANIEL WATCHED AS Carmen’s sister tottered her way across the parking lot. There was no other way to describe it other than tottering because who the hell wore such a tight skirt and heels to travel?

He wished he hadn’t picked up George’s call. He could have been making his way out of Barcelona right now, with the windows down and some good music on.  Instead, here he was — waiting for Adriana Montero Mundt.

Daniel prided himself on being friendly with everybody. That was what he was known for, right? So, when someone blanked him out, it kind of pissed him off. He’d been nothing but nice to Adriana the two times he had met her and both times, she’d been nothing but glacial towards him.

She was snooty, as his Nonna would say, and Daniel usually couldn’t care less about these kinds of people. So, it bothered him that his memory of her was so accurate — and detailed: the wavy dark hair, the vibrant green eyes and most importantly, the beauty mark à la Cindy Crawford.

It attracted the eyes to the fullness of her lips. It tempted Daniel to test out the lushness of her mouth — which was so not going to happen because him and her, they were like water and oil.

They didn’t mix.

“Hello, Daniel.” Her voice was cool and oh-so-carefully modulated. “Thank you for giving me a ride. I hope it isn’t too much trouble.”

Civil and polite. He could do that.

“No worries. We’re headed the same way.” He bent down to pick up her suitcase to put it in the boot.

“It’s ok. I can —“

“It’s alright.” Daniel cut her off as he heaved her suitcase into the boot. How much stuff did one need for a weekend? He nodded towards the passenger door. “It’s getting late. I want to get on the road as soon as possible.”

The inside of the car was stuffy from being in the sun for so long, the leather seats warm against the back of Adriana’s knees. Daniel already had the windows down in an attempt to get the warm air out. She resisted the urge to ask him to turn on the AC. After all, she didn’t want him to think she was difficult or whatever else he thought she was.

“Here.” Daniel handed her the map he had picked up from the rental agency desk. He had roughly traced out the route to Jerez with a pen. With one hand on the wheel, he set up his phone in the cup holder and slowly backed out of the parking spot. 

“Google Maps say that Jerez is about ten hours away, give or take.”

He watched her out of the corner of his eyes.  She was studying the map so intently as if she could come up with a faster route.

“My plan is to make it halfway to Valencia for tonight. Hopefully, we can find a place for the night there, and be back on the road early tomorrow morning. If nothing goes wrong, we’ll be in Jerez before noon.”

She pursed her lips as she folded the map and handed it back to him. “It sounds like a plan.” 

Daniel hated the note of surprise in her voice. Yeah sure, he didn’t have a fancy degree like her but he wasn’t a complete idiot – he could very well come up with a plan of action without her help.

He sent up a silent prayer of help because he knew this trip was going to be a nightmare.

~

TWO HOURS LATER, they were finally making their way out of Barcelona and onto the motorway. Both of them — as well as Google Maps — had vastly underestimated the time it would take to drive through the city at peak hour.

It had gotten so hot in the car that Daniel had given up and rolled up the windows to turn on the AC. Adriana watched him now, his fingers beating lightly to the country song he had put on. He looked relaxed and completely at ease behind the wheel.

She had to give him credit — he was a surprisingly patient driver. Sure, he had fidgeted a lot — continuously playing with his phone, sometimes picking at the skin around his nails, or craning his neck to look at other cars while constantly muttering to himself — but, he hadn’t once lost his temper as he had navigated through the horrendous traffic. Adriana knew, if she had been the one in the driver’s seat, she most probably would have pulled her hair out in frustration.

That didn’t exactly match the image of Daniel Ricciardo she had in her mind.

Adriana didn’t particularly like Daniel, which was a bit harsh, she admitted to herself, given how she had only met him twice before now.

Carmen had always told Adriana that her worst trait was that she was a bit too quick to judge people. Was she a bit too judgemental? Sure, yeah, but it was a label she’d wear proudly when she was almost always right and when her judgmental ass was what made her a damn good lawyer. So, had she then been a bit too quick to judge Daniel?

Maybe.

She remembered very clearly the first time she had met him. It had been at Carmen’s and George’s engagement party. She remembered him walking in and feeling that instant shift in the room’s energy.

Larger than life. There was no other way to describe Daniel.

There was something magnetic about him that just pulled people in. Maybe it was the smile or maybe it was the nose — it made his face that much more interesting. It made you want to take another longer look at him, grab a sketch pad and sketch that side profile — even if you were not an artist.  Adriana had been annoyed at herself for finding him attractive because one look at him, and she had him down pat.

She knew his type very well — rich, good-looking guy who thought he was god’s gift to women. He’d take you on a thrilling ride and discard you without a second thought once he was bored. And her assessment had proven correct as she had watched him flirt his way around the room, even when he had come to the party with a date.

So, by the time George had introduced them, Adriana had been distinctly cool towards him. She’d politely rebuffed all his flirting attempts. She dealt with enough big egos like his every day at work, she didn’t need to be another notch on his bedpost — or whichever other way Mr. Daniel Ricciardo kept track of his conquests.

Adriana chanced another look at him now. The afternoon light casted his face into golden shadows, the light almost bouncing off the bump on his nose. He was truly a handsome man – it was a pity he was such an asshole.

~

SHE NEARLY GROANED another country song came on.  

God, Daniel sure liked his country music.

Adriana didn’t understand that kink he had for playing the cowboy. Carmen had once shown her a picture of him riding into the paddock on a horse in all his texasboo glory.  That facial hair was — for lack of a better word — an inspired choice. 

She had to admit though, no one but Daniel could have made that look palatable.

“Can we change the music?”

Daniel was surprised to hear her speak. She had barely said anything since they’d gotten on the road and Daniel had been dying over here trying not to make conversation – he didn’t take silence, comfortable or otherwise, very well.

“Sure.” He said as he handed her his phone. 

Sometime during the drive, she’d pulled her hair into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and kicked off her heels — it made her look soft, almost vulnerable. The pale pink polish on her toes felt incongruous to the image of her he had in his mind.  He would have thought she would have gone for a darker colour, one more evocative of her sharp edges. Daniel actually felt like a pervert for noticing her feet — like one of those weirdos who lurked on wikiFeet rating people’s feet.

He definitely was a weirdo for knowing wikiFeet existed, he thought to himself.

“Do you even listen to all these songs?” She had her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she scrolled through his playlist. There must be nearly a thousand songs, or even more, on there and most of them were artists she had never heard of before.  All very underground, all very niche. All very —

“Your music choice is so pretentious.” Oops, she hadn’t exactly intended to say that out loud.

“What do you mean pretentious?!”

“Well, all your songs are from artists I’ve never heard of.” She fully turned towards him, holding his phone screen out to him. “Don’t lie and tell me you don’t go out of your way to listen to artists other people have never heard of to be —” She air-quoted, “—cool.”

“Of course, I go out of my way to look for new songs! Why does that have to be a bad thing?” He turned the blinker on to overtake a slower car in front of them. “Music is important. It feeds your soul. You need a song for every moment of your life.”

Adriana blinked up at him. She hadn’t expected such a passionate response from him.

Keeping his eyes on the road, he gestured towards her. “What’s your favourite song? Like that one song that brings you back to an important moment of your life?”

Adriana drew a blank at his question. She didn’t want to think about what it said about her and her life that she couldn’t even come up with a favourite song in that moment. God, when was the last time she had actually listened to a song? Maybe read a book? Her job consumed her every waking moment that she never really stopped working till her head hit her pillow at night.

She felt oddly exposed by his question. She hadn’t expected Daniel, of all people, to send her into a philosophical spiral about her life. She shrugged it off and pulled up his Spotify. 

Oh, he was going to hate this song. She couldn’t help the smirk when she saw Daniel barely holding back the wince on his face as the song she had chosen started to play.

“What?” She asked with smug satisfaction. She’d known he would be just the type of guy to hate Coldplay, especially Paradise.

“Nothing. It’s a good song.”

Adriana had to suppress a laugh at his pained admission. “It is a good song.” She leaned back in her seat, turning her head to look outside, drumming her fingers along to the music.

It was still light out, the summer evening looking deceptively early even as the clock on the dash showed it was well after 8 p.m. She wasn’t sure how much longer it would take to reach Valencia. They’d lost so much time getting out of Barcelona and queuing up at the toll booth that she feared they would reach Valencia too late to find a respectable place for the night.

She tried to surreptitiously look at the speed Daniel was doing. Why is this guy doing the speed limit? What was the use of him being a Formula One driver if he was not going to take advantage of an empty highway and Vin-Diesel it?

She cleared her throat and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. “Do you want to switch? I can drive for a bit.”

Daniel glanced over, trying to determine why she suddenly wanted to drive. “It’s ok. I’m fine driving.” He really didn’t trust her behind the wheel, but he was not going to say that aloud.

“I’m just saying — ” she nonchalantly eased back in her seat, crossing her ankles. “We’re going to be reaching Valencia later than we originally planned anyway, and we’ll have to be on the road early next morning. That doesn’t leave you much time to rest up. So, if I drive now, you can rest a bit and will not be too tired when we get on the road early tomorrow.”

“But it’s ok though —” she shrugged. “— if you don’t want to let me drive. I just wanted to help out.”

Daniel couldn’t dispute the logic behind her reasoning. He was starting to feel a bit tired anyway, it wouldn’t be too bad if he could sit back for a bit. “Ok, fine. Let me just pull over.”

“Great!” Adriana flashed him a brilliant smile as she bent down, picking her heels and throwing them in the back.

~

DANIEL HAD BARELY clipped his seatbelt on that Adriana peeled away from the shoulder. 

“Wowowo, Michael Schumacher, slow down!”

He definitely didn’t have her down as a speed demon.

“What?!” She threw him a defiant look. “I’m barely going over the speed limit. Anyway, you’re an F1 driver — isn’t speed kind of your thing?”

“My only thing right now is for me to make the end of this trip alive.” He was smiling as he said it, his body relaxing as he stretched his legs in front of him. 

The speed definitely didn’t bother him.

Adriana settled down in the driver’s seat. It was actually nice to drive — the warm breeze in her hair, the empty highway, the Spanish flat plains stretching out on either side of the road. It was the perfect therapy to let go of stress.

“So …” Daniel was tapping his fingers along to the music. “Excited for the wedding, huh?”

Adriana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The man had managed to stay quiet all while he was driving, but now he seemed unable to sit still. 

“Sure.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows at her blunt answer. “Your enthusiasm astounds me. Tell me more,” he said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry, but not all of us are Mr. Funny, Outgoing and Popular,” she irritatedly pushed back her hair. “Some of us are reserved and quiet, and that’s fine.”

“There’s a fine difference between being reserved and rude.” Daniel muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Daniel flashed her his most media-trained smile.

He should let this thing go. He should just sit through the awkward silence. He really should not — “Have I done anything to you for you to hate me like that?”

Daniel surprised even himself with that question. 

He hated conflict, so he didn’t know what possessed him to ask her this question outright. Heck, he hated confrontation so much that he even stopped to chat with Zak fucking Brown every time he saw him in the paddock, even after the man had almost ended his career.

“I don’t hate you,” Adriana swiped at the stubborn strand of hair that the wind kept blowing into her face. “I just don’t like you.”

“And why is that?” Daniel turned towards her, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Sure, you’re —“ she gestured towards him, “charming and funny and people think you’re nice. Which you are, but you’re also arrogant.”

Daniel cut her off with a sardonic huff. “Babes, I’m an F1 driver. Being arrogant is a pre-requisite. If I don’t believe I’m the best, I might as well not step in the car.”

“Oh, I’m not done!”  She gripped the steering wheel even tighter. “You’re vain. You think just because you’re good-looking, you’re god’s gift to women — you expect women to just fall at your feet.”

Was he vain about his looks? Maybe, yes. He’d grown up an awkward kid — he’d been self-conscious about his nose, his hair, his crooked teeth. So, when he’d woken up one day in his twenties and realised, he’d somehow grown into his looks, had he taken advantage of women throwing themselves at him? Shoot him, any other guy in his shoes would have done the same.

He was about to give her a piece of his mind, but she was not done apparently.  "On top of that, you have this need to be the centre of attention. You like to have your needs catered to, which is why you always date women much younger than you. That way, they're always eager to do what you want without you having to give them anything back in return. You can keep them in neat little boxes without having to change much about your life."

This touched a sore string with Daniel. He knew he could be selfish, he had to be if he wanted to stay in Formula One because racing was the most important thing in his life — above everything else. He was not perfect or blameless, but he worked damn hard to be a better person. So, it angered him that she could sit there and allow herself to enumerate his supposed sins.

"Don't sit there on your high horse and pretend like you don't have any flaws while you thumb your nose at everybody else. The fall from your high horse is going to hurt."

She laughed derisively, the sound brittle even to her ears.

Daniel looked thunderous, his eyebrows furrowed into angry dashes. Who was she to judge him when she’d most probably been handed everything on a silver platter in life? What did she know about the struggles, the sacrifices he had to make to get to where he was? 

"Even if I am guilty of all the supposed flaws you've just listed, that doesn't justify why you hate me." He held up a hand to stop whatever she was going to say. "I have been nothing but nice to you since we met. So, I don't get this hatred you have against me."

She vaulted towards him, her eyes no longer on the road. Anger had heightened her colour, her hair coming almost undone from the bun she had put it in. "Don’t pretend like you don’t know!" Her words were sharp like darts. "I heard the comment you made about me to George at his birthday party."

Daniel looked stumped. "What comment?"

“Don’t pretend as if you don’t know!”

“No seriously, what comment?!”

They glared at each other, her eyes blazing with anger, his with suspicious defiance. Suddenly, there was a horrible grating noise. It felt like something was clawing at the floor of the car, the brakes screeching as Adriana tried to bring the car to a stop.

Fucking hell, she had run over something.

Next Chapter >>

[lebenspurpur]

AN: I literally have posts about other slashers I could work on, but the Vincent obsession keep coming back.

Warnings: hurt/comfort, anxiety, once again not proofread

Groaning, you massage your throbbing temples with two fingers as you stare at the blinding white screen. You can feel your eyes starting to tire from dealing with the blue light of the pc for too long, but it can't be helped. You promised Bo you'd send at least three applications today, and thus far, you're only done with two of them.

Stretching, you let the foot that has been propped up on the chair for way too long fall on the floor and ignore the numb burning of the limb. Only a few more minutes, and then you could start cooking. And then, after some cleaning up and doing dishes, finally you could sleep.

Your eyes wander to the small clock on the bottom of your screen, but the white numbers dance in front of you. Blinking a few times, you try to rid yourself of the sleepiness gathering in them, and when you glance at the numbers again, they're unfortunately all too readable. Already so late, you think to yourself, fingers resting on the keyboard once again, ready to keep typing.

Your head feels foggy, and it takes a lot of discipline to get it to stop fussing and focus on the task at hand. The next few minutes are going to be spent trying to make your personality attractive to yet another employer. The thought depresses and frightens you.

You don't want to work. Not really anyway. But Ambrose needs the money, and you're the only one without a daily occupation. Bo works at the station and deals with the incoming tourists, Vincent has his art and Lester already works the entire day. You don't want to be a burden, no more than you already are.

You know the boys are struggling even if no one tells you anything. Lester is the only one that ever started working somewhere, while Vincent and Bo always rely on others to fill their pockets. The savings they made in good years are slowly dwindling, and your unpaid presence doesn't improve their situation either. Guilt settles in your bones whenever you think about the burden you're putting on the Sinclairs.

A floorboard creaks behind you and with a way too loud and embarrassing shriek, you spin the office chair around, ready to feel a knife twisting a hole into your back.

You're lucky, it's just Vincent who looks almost adorably flustered at being caught sneaking up on you. "Sorry.", he signs after a second or two, but the crinkling of his eye and the slight shifting of the mask tells you that he's not feeling all that apologetic.

"You're going to give me a heart attack one day.", you breathe out, hand splayed over your racing heart. Breathing deeply, you turn the chair around again. Something dark moves in the corner of your eye as Vincent leans over your shoulder, soft breathing brushing against the holes in his mask.

His head tilts once he notices your tense posture and your shaking fingers hovering over the keyboard. Nonetheless, you keep your gaze on the screen, re-reading the same sentence over and over again in hopes that he'll leave you alone again. You know that as soon as Vincent will try to comfort you, the tears will flow and never stop. And you don't want to deal with that right now.

His fingers find your thigh right as you notice the letters in front of your eyes blurring from the fluid in them. Your gaze drops to your lap as he turns the office chair around, crouching down to look at your face. Worry sparks in his azure eye and the hand on your thigh moves to lift your chin.

As his fingers lift your face, you glance up at him, clinging to the familiarity of his masked face with anxiety in your heart.

His sweater-covered arms open a little, an invitation you gladly accept. Sniffling, you slide down the office chair and kneel in front of him, suddenly smaller again.

His arms wrap around you as you throw yourself into them, the woolen sweater scratching your bare face. Vincent smells like smoke and wax and rain, and you hang onto him like a drowning person, hoping that his warmth will encase you.

The artist's hands gently run up and down your back, smoothing out the sobs you cry into his shoulder. A small part of your brain acknowledges that the tears might soil his clothes, but you push it away. Not now.

You don't know how long it takes for you to calm down, but you know that after you're finished, the anxiety has given way to a complete feeling of fatigue. Still, you feel better than you did before.

"Thank you.", your lips brush against the soft skin of Vincent's neck, arms still connected around his torso. The Sinclair hums as an answer, head moving away to tenderly peck your forehead with his wax lips. The loving smile on your face wavers as his hands move from your back, and you nearly pout, until you realize he wants to sign something.

"I think you need to get some rest.", his hands move slowly and emphasized, making sure you get that he's not taking no as an answer.

"But the applications-"

"No buts.", if signing could be stern, Vincent's would fit the description. You give up, not really grieving over the loss of the task.

"Will you join me then?", the hint of a teasing smile grazes your lips.

"If your majesty insists."

"They do.", an affectionate feeling blooms in your chest as his eyes crinkle in a smile and Vincent uses your moment of weakness to stand up and pull you with him. As he tugs you out of the small room, hands intertwined, you finally feel the tiredness catching up to you. The walk to your room seems too long, and you silently thank Vincent for supporting your slumping body.

Yawning, you stumble after the dark-haired man and when you finally reach your shared bed, you swear you've never seen a more glorious sight. Vincent chuckles as you bury yourself in the sheets, pulling off his thick sweater and abandoning it on the floor as he joins you.

The second his arms envelop your torso, your eyes close with a sigh, and you move closer to your lover, trying to get as close as possible. Relaxation settles in your core, a feeling you missed dearly. It's fed by the soft sensations of Vincent's fingertips on your skin.

As your focus turns more and more drowsy and the welcoming arms of sleep come closer and closer, you register Vincent moving while he takes his mask off, and you smile into him. You would be fine.

[hellishere7980]

Whatever It Takes (CH-2)

Dear Damian, Normally I would write a letter in Arabic, but I thought since you're gonna live here, you might as well get used to the language. I know this was abrupt to you. But this is the first opening me and Mother could get. Sorry, Mother and I could get. English grammar rules are so wonky.

Both Bruce and Damian let out a soft laugh.

Anyway, back to the point. I know what you're gonna say. You're gonna say, “You did the same thing I'm doing right now. I can handle it.” And I'm not denying that, Damian. Just that you shouldn't have to do this. Shouldn't have to fight. You shouldn't have to kill. You shouldn't have to always watch behind your back. It's not right. And just the fact that it happened to me does not make it right for you. Here at Father’s you'll be able to learn new things. Enjoy life. Make friends. Meet your other siblings and our Father.

Please give them a chance. You don't know if you like something if you never try it. Stay safe. And be happy. Don't think this is goodbye, I will come visit. Mother and I love you. With all we have.

Your sister And the bane of your existence, Mariam.

Thankfully, Damien was too tired after the day's proceedings and went down for sleep without much fuss. After making sure he was comfortable in the guest bedroom, Bruce went back down to the Cave where the DNA showed 92% completed. Seeing him, Tim, Dick and Alfred came and gathered around.

“Well, Master Bruce?”

“He is sleeping for now. The kid had a dagger, but I left it with him because he looked too–”

“Vulnerable.” Tim said.

“Yeah, that.” Bruce said, giving them a tired smile. “I was thinkin–”

The batcomputer chimed. As all of them whipped around they saw displayed on the screen in bold letters. Almost mocking them-

Test #27

Subject: Damian Al-Ghul Wayne

Biological matches: Bruce Thomas Wayne (Parental) Talia Al-Ghul (Parental) Ra’s Al-Ghul (Grand Parental) Test subject #28 (Complete Fraternal)

“Well damn” Dick said. “I suppose it was to be expected, honestly.”

Bruce sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose it is pointless to open up the second test result.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Tim said, clacking on the keyboard. “Here we go.” with his words, the screen changed.

Test #28

Subject: Mariam

Biological matches: Bruce Thomas Wayne (Parental) Talia Al-Ghul (Parental) Ra’s Al-Ghul (Grand Parental) Damian Al-Ghul Wayne (Complete Fraternal)

“I didn't enter her complete name because she never really said it out loud, but do you want me to, like, input it in as Al-Ghul Wayne?” Tim asked, spinning around on the batchair.

“Yeah.” Bruce said. Turning to Alfred, he continued, “What do I do, Alfred?”

“Though it may take some time, Master Bruce, I believe a solution will present itself. Worrying about when will only cause additional stress. I suggest you focus on Master Damian. You do have a lot of years to make up for.”

“I don't even know how old the kid is!” Bruce groaned. “I’ll turn In for the night. I'll deal with this tomorrow morning.”

“Excellent idea, Master Bruce. After all, a good rest makes our minds work better. Don't they Master Tim?”

“Wha-What?” Tim asked, his eyes still glued to the screen pulling up Talia's file.

“Come on, Tim.” Dick said. He was slowly putting all the bat computer screens on Sleep Mode. “You already know all that there is to know about her.”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm looking through Justice League files, you know, in case someone updated something.”

“Come on, Tim.” Bruce said, making use of his ‘dad voice’ as put by Dick. “The files will still all be here in the morning. It's time you got some rest.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just a minute.” Tim said, his eyes scanning the screen.

“Nope.” Dick said as he picked him up. “Going to burrito wrap you in a blanket so you can't sneak into the Cave.”

“Nooooooo” Tim said dramatically as Dick put him over his shoulder and walked off.

Bruce waited until their steps receded before again turning to Alfred. “Do you think I'm ready for this?”

“Master Bruce, In quite a lot of cases, you have not been ready for something yet. You took it on beautifully. Some mistakes did happen, but, your imperfection is a part of you. I believe you'll know what to do with Damian and how to do it. You both are more similar than you think.”

[bakerstreethound]

Five More Minutes | dr. stephen strange

Really calling myself out here with this blurb but you try to convince Stephen you’ll rest soon, but perhaps you’ll need his assistance to do so as he takes matters into his own hands. There are mentions of anxiety and implied spicy times toward the end if you squint. 

Please don’t claim, repost, copy or translate my works to other sites. I only publish here and on A03. This was a little rushed but I still hope you all enjoy it nonetheless. It’s been a while since I’ve written Stephen Strange. Comments and reblogs are most appreciated! Graphic is by @firefly-graphics

“I thought you said you were almost finished,” Stephen grumps while your eyes remain transfixed on the computer screen in front of you. You’re determined to finish up as much of the weekly assignments you can for fear of falling catastrophically behind. 

“Five minutes ago was forty five minutes ago,” he quips, huffing as he sits in the armchair close to your desk. “You should take a break, can’t get it all knocked out in a day.” 

You sigh, typing faster still, your fingers a tornado of fury on your keyboard. 

I said that five minutes ago.” 

You can’t help but stifle a laugh at his comment. “Yeah, says you who passed Med School like it was nothing.” 

“It was challenging, but I knew I could do better than what they were teaching me.” 

Ah, there it was, the bold arrogance, the cocky self-assuredness you miss sometime now and again. You wish you could be done, but alas your major projects scream at you from their file pit, the dread creeping along, setting your heart racing anxiety falling in tandem as usual. 

You breath slowly, trying to not let the useless thoughts cloud you or your judgment, but it’s hard, you feel like sinking back into the well of your dread and misery, the darkened pit of your haunting and taunting leering screams and self doubts. 

It’s just a phase, you’re almost done. Four more weeks. Four more weeks. 

You repeat it to yourself, your mantra, your lifeline. They weren’t kidding at all when they mentioned senioritis afflicting at the end of the finish line. So close yet so far away, almost an eternity. You know it’s an exaggeration of your untapped fears. But you are almost there. 

The tears fall before you register them, Stephen kneeling in front of you, gently wiping them away with his fingers, trembling slightly and you can’t help but kiss it. 

“I went well over five minutes again, didn’t I?” The remorse and shame drapes over you like a bad omen, weighing you down. Why couldn’t you catch a break from yourself? All the empty promises you made to yourself, to him mattered not in the end, for you couldn’t meet them. 

Stephen says nothing, as he cradles you in his arms, the warmth of him comforting as he strides down the familiar corridors of the Sanctum, your beloved home, and setting you gently on your shared bed. You almost feel guilty for leaving your desk when he raises a brow. 

“Not another word. We’re taking the rest of the night off and you are going to relax.” He swoops in bed next to you, pulling himself on top of you drowning you in the confines of the mattress, his gentle kisses awakening you, stirring the pent up anger, sorrow and need from deep within, a promise to come in the darkening eves of the night. So you fall, fall into him without another word, clinging to him like a lifeline, never to be parted. 

******

@bakerstreethound @starks-hero @frostandflamesfanfic @lilythemadqueen @ironstrange1991 @wint3r-h3art @strangelockd @sobeautifullyobsessed @azu21 @gone-to-fight-the-fairies @thealleydog @starstruck-loner

[svngiem-remade]

CRAVING YOU | hjs

🧸 pairing. han jisung + gn!reader

synopsis. work, barely eat, repeat. your boyfriend's routine hasn't been the best lately, and you missed him, so a surprise late-night visit after the end of your shift seemed like an amazing idea to spend some time together.

🌙 wc. 1.6k | au. idol!au; established relationship; fluff; suggestive

How much time had passed since he had properly slept? A week? Two? Maybe more - he couldn't even recall the softness of his bed or the taste of something that wasn't instant ramen or iced americano. He just wanted to abandon all of his duties and go over to your apartment to cuddle with you until late afternoon, but all he could think about were the borderline catastrophic consequences if he actually decided to do that.

First, he had so many college assignments to complete, and he wasn't even halfway finished with them; all he did for the past hours was open a new document, write the title, a couple of keywords and... nothing else - his brain was completely fried, but still, he couldn't take a break. A few days ago he promised Chan to listen to a track he had recently made and fix it, since the older one couldn't pinpoint exactly what he didn't like about it and wanted an outside opinion. Plus, a really important exam was due in a couple of days, and fuck did he not feel ready for it - when he tried quizzing himself he just stuttered and trembled nervously, everything he studied flying out his open window.

If all this didn't already feel heavy enough on his shoulders, he also hated how much he had been neglecting you lately, who had been nothing but understanding with him. You were just too sweet for your own good and he almost felt like crying whenever you sent him selfies, updates on what you were doing that day and encouraging messages every few hours. He craved your presence so much, it hurt him physically.

He sighed and shook his head, realising he had been wasting too much time overthinking. He gazed at the little clock on his laptop's display, which signed 4.26 am, and immediately got back to work, deciding to switch to fixing Chan's track - just thinking about going back to his assignments made him want to throw up. He plugged his headphones into his laptop and started playing the song, which surprisingly had very relaxing and soft tunes. Shit, this isn't good. He already felt his eyelids getting heavier, no matter how many sips of coffee he had drank or how many times he had rubbed his eyes, and without even realising, he fell asleep on his chair.

With that, the tapping sound on the keyboard was replaced by quiet snores, and the faint relaxing music kept playing on repeat in his ears, which prevented him from hearing his vibrating phone on the desk showing his incoming messages.

[5.02am] — hey baby, would you mind opening the door? I'm freezing here [5.05am] — u there? [5.06am] — I really hope ur sleeping rn and not blatantly ignoring me. Sorry in advance for taking ur spare key. See u soon ;^

You quietly opened the door and stepped into the dark living room, almost tripping over one of the boys' shoes while trying to get yours off. After calling them all the names you could think of mentally, you finally walked towards your boyfriend's room, pouting when you noticed the light was on from the bottom of the door. Is he up again at this time? He's so getting yelled at tomorrow.

“Baby?” you whispered while opening the door as slowly as possible, taking a peek inside and almost melting when you noticed a sound asleep Jisung on his leather chair looking extremely fluffy, cuddly and adorable.

Tip-toeing inside his room and closing the door behind you, you took out your phone and sneakily snapped a picture of him, deciding to set it as your background later. You smiled and set the food you made for him on his desk, admiring his relaxed and peaceful expression, before deciding to wake him up - it mustn't have been comfortable sleeping in that position, most likely with an empty stomach, you thought.

You started pecking him softly all over his face - first his fluffy cheeks, then trailing up to his nose and forehead while taking his headphones off and stopping the music, “Ji? Love? Come on, wake up. I brought you homemade food.” you murmured when he wouldn't budge. You frowned and stood up straight again, running your fingers through his blond hair mindlessly while thinking of a way to wake him up.

You grinned and turned to the containers full of kimchi jjigae and bulgogi which were still hot, and opened them to let their delicious scent reach him - and it, unsurprisingly, started to wake him up. He stirred and stretched before opening his eyes fully, looking around confused until he saw you hovering over him, which made him widen his eyes. You saw him pucker his bottom lip as if he was going to cry at any moment, sliding even closer to you with his chair and hugging your torso tightly. “I'd get up to hug you properly, but 'm too tired to do that, 'm sorry.” he groggily mumbled against your tummy, pecking it all over.

Giggling at his cuteness and the ticklish sensation, you ran a hand on his cold bicep and the other over his cheek “Doesn't matter baby. I missed you so much. Just seeing you is enough for me.” you said, looking at him when you felt him staring up at you.

His eyes were teary as his hands pulled you even closer, making you stand in between his open legs, “I missed you much much more, but aren't you mad at me? I'm so sorry for negl-” he started saying, but you immediately stopped him.

“I'm only mad at you because you haven't been sleeping or eating properly, Ji. I know what you have to do is important.” you stated, stroking his cheeks and hair gently. “How about we catch up while you eat something? I made all this for you and I'm afraid it'll get cold if you don't dig in soon.” you suggested when you noticed his gaze was still unconvinced, though fortunately he smiled widely and happily took up on your offer.

Sitting next to each other on his bed, you stared at him as he stuffed his cheeks with the food you made, feeling extremely happy since it seemed like he was enjoying it “Is it any good, baby?” you asked, and he turned to look at you with the most offended face you'd ever seen him wear.

“Are you kidding me, jagiya? This is amazing! You know I love your cooking as much as you.” he sang, making you chuckle.

“Maybe more, since you woke up immediately when you sniffed it with your cute little nose, but you wouldn't budge when I tried to wake you up with my kisses.” you teased, feeling kind of sad at your failed romantic awakening attempt. He pouted and put the almost empty container on his nightstand while gulping down whatever he was munching, shifting closer to you and kissing your temple lovingly as an apology.

You felt your cheeks warm up at his sweet gesture, though you brought your knees in front of you to ball yourself up and rested your head on them with your head turned towards Jisung, who was staring at you, “Go kiss that bulgogi, you seem to like it more than me anyways.” you joked.

He furrowed his brows and scoffed “That's not trueeee, stop itttt.” he whined, lightly pushing you.

“It is though.” you grinned as he rolled his eyes.

“No, it's not.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“NoOooOoOo.” he kept whining, and you giggled, not realising he was now hovering over you.

“Y-.” before you could finish, he pressed his lips against yours, successfully shutting you up, his warm and skilful lips making you forget about what you were talking about. Jisung moved his hands to the back of your head, gripping your hair gently while you stretched out your legs to get more comfortable, stroking his cheeks and waist in the meantime.

He swept his tongue on your bottom lip slowly, as if wanting to taste you after all that time spent apart, before finally pushing it between your parted lips, causing you both to moan. No matter how many times you had already kissed, made out or made love, it was never enough - the more you did it, the more you craved one another.

You let out a needy whine when he pressed his weight on top of you, which ignited the fire inside of him even more, as he slid a hand under your sweater to touch the body he'd been longing for for weeks, ecstasy clouding his mind. In between the kisses that were getting sloppier and messier by the minute, you mumbled your worries, “Mmh, baby, you need to sleep, you're exhausted.” but he couldn't care less - he needed to feel you close.

He scowled and pulled you closer, moving from your lips to your neck to start working on painting the blank canvas with his loads of love bites, “Don't wanna.”

Moaning when he started suckling on your sweet spot and running his big hands over your sensitive body parts, your will to actually make him stop and go to sleep started quickly drifting away “I'm not here to tire you out even more. Plus, what if you fall asleep in the middle of it?” you breathlessly said while he removed your sweater.

He playfully bit your now easily accessible collarbones before leaning slightly back and looking you deeply in the eyes, adoration mixed with mischief and lust pouring out of them “Mh, I promise you I won't, baby.” he winked and dipped his head down to continue his mission to make the both of you feel good to make up for lost time.

Maybe he really did love you more than bulgogi, after all.

please reblog, comment and like, feedback is very much appreciated, plus, I love reading your thoughts!

→ masterlist.

© SVNGIEM — do not copy, translate or claim as your own.

[matenrou-fan]

Hello can you write about buster bros being kittens and getting adopted by reader

NB! s/o adopts Kittens! Buster Bros

quite strange yet cute request!! here <3

NBreader, hurt/comfort, just wholesome stuff;;

-Well, maybe you just wanted to pay a casual visit in your local animal shelter, donating some food for it, yet then..

-You notice three new kittens, sitting in one small box together. A big one was sitting in front, hiding two others behind his back and you can't help but feel as your heart started melting.

-You ask workers about these precious babies and their story makes your soul ache even more now.

-Their father was a typical stray cat and didn't pay any attention to his cubs and their mother died, so poor kittens ended up here..

-How can you not adopt them now? They look so cute yet kinda proud, helping each other and not interacting that much with other animals..

-So you take them home, deciding to show them a new world, full of comfort and care, without any cold rainy streets..

-And even though Ichiro would be overprotective over his brothers in a few first days, not letting you pat or touching them at all, he eventually slowly started trusting you more.

-Only after young brothers notice that he starts to spend more time with you and even let you pat him, they both also start to trust you more..

-And that's where they start to be the most precious soft kittens you ever see! Much more softer and loving than before..

-Okay, now I wanted to describe the appearance of Buster Bros as cats lolol

-They all would be stray mongrel cats. And of course the same heterochromia as in their human version.

-Ichiro would be a big one, but not chunky, just big. With good yet short fur that is surprisingly easy to comb.

-Totally would hunt down some mice or other small animals just to bring them to you with a happy proud face. Isn't he very helpful?

-Love to hang out in the kitchen and watch you cook. And yes he would leave his paws on rolled pastry when you were not looking or put his nose in a jar of pickles or something.

-If you let him sleep with you at night he would totally sit on your chest and purr. It's actually very helpful, especially after a long rough day at work..

-Jiro is kinda skinny and bony, with his fur always being messy. It's also grown really fast for some reason but he hates grooming.

-As much as he hates baths, despite Jiro always returning home with dirt all over his body.

-He's the most energetic and chaotic one, this type of cat who wakes you up in the middle of the night with sudden thud or something.

-Also, if you have neighbors with cats expect at least two or three fights as Jiro will protect his territory or just be a bratty cat.

-That's why he has a little scratch on his right ear that he got back in the old days in the streets. After they all grow closer to you, Jiro would let you treat this wound but it's probably never healed completely.

-Love to sit on your face early in the morning so you would wake up and feed them all. And despite him and Saburo always having fights, here they work together as Saburo also loves to annoy you a little.

-Saburo is the smallest one, with pretty smooth fur that he doesn't let you brush (at least in the beginning). He prefers to licking himself.

-Calm and sleepy, he is not that active like his brothers but he likes to play with interactive toys.

-Also Saburo would like to sit on your lap when you are busy with paperwork or doing something on your laptop.

-He loves to watch the screen of your laptop change, so he and Ichiro would be really mesmerized if you turned on some baby sensory video for them.

-Jiro would 100% try to sit on your keyboard so expect a fight between him and Saburo again…

[iluvchanniesposts]

How Skz react to you offering them a massage

**

Chan

He had been slouched over his desk for hours, working on their new song. The only break he took was to eat his dinner in which he scoffed down in less than ten minutes. You knew he needed to work on this, but it got way too much; too much for you to even watch. You couldn’t sit back and let him torture himself like this, especially at almost midnight. “Channie.” You called from the doorway. “Hmm?” He slowly turned his head towards you, eyes still focused on the screen in front of him. “Please come to bed now.” With a sigh, he looked at you with sympathy all over his face. “I’m sorry, baby. I really need to finish this.” He typed away on the keyboard and clicked his mouse to edit the tune. “What about you come to bed and I give you a massage, that way you can finish it more comfortably tomorrow?” You walked up behind him and snaked your arms around his neck. He leaned back into your touch, eyes closing with satisfaction. “That sounds like heaven.” He admitted, finally giving in and following you to your shared bedroom.

Minho

“Shit.” He hissed through his teeth whilst rolling his shoulders back once more. Concern was washed over your face, you knew he shouldn’t have gone to dance again today. Especially since it was their day off, he had no reason to go and overwork himself again. “Minho..” You started and he knew what you were going to say. “Yes?” He huffed out in annoyance and turned to face you. “Would you like a massage?” You patted the seat next to you and his shoulders slouched with relief. “I’m very tense, I’m not sure it’ll do anything.” He winced as you sat him into the correct position. “Well, we can try cant we.” You tried lifting his spirits with your own; to some extent it worked. “You’re an angel, do you know that?” His head leaned back and rolled as you massaged his shoulders.

Changbin

“Are we still going out today?” You entered the kitchen whilst sipping on your coffee, noticing a very troublesome Changbin. “What’s wrong?” You asked when you saw his distorted face. “My thighs keep cramping up, think I worked leg day too hard yesterday.” He winced and sat on the stool in the kitchen. “What did I tell you about going to the gym for stupidly long hours?” You scolded him and looked closer at his leg. Sympathy instantly took over as you noticed his humour wasn’t there today. “Hmm, it does look pretty swollen. Want me to massage it?” You offered and set your cup down onto the coaster. “You’d do that for me?” He asked with hope laced through his voice. You nodded your head and he sighed with relief, limping to get the lotion and other equipment you’ll need. “Thank you, baby.” He kissed your forehead as he settled next to you, thigh resting over your lap.

Hyunjin

His posture became curved from being slouched over his painting for hours on end. He was convinced he had to get it finished. “Hyune..you okay?” You entered the door and spoke softly so you didn’t ruin his aura in the room. “Yes, baby. Just fine in here.” He spoke back without even sparing a look over your shoulder. “Doesn’t your back hurt? You’ve been sat on that stool for hours, your ass must be numb?” You enquired with a little humour in your voice. He chuckled a little, straightening his posture with a few visible cracks and pops. “Aish..you’re right. I should probably talk a walk around the house.” He laughed and placed his hands on the small of his back. “Do you need a massage?” You walked up and started circling your thumbs on his shoulder blades. He moaned a little at the touch, rolling his shoulders back. “That would be amazing. Can you focus on my lower back?” He got comfortable on the sofa, sprawling out for you to sit on him.

Han

“Hi, baby.” He walked in and kissed your forehead as you pottered around in the kitchen. “Hi, Hannie. Was your day okay?” You watched as he sat on the stool, head in his hands as he closed his eyes. “Hm, yeah. I’ve had this excruciating headache all day. I’ve taken medicine but it won’t go away.” He whimpered and covered his eyes from the light. Your face softened, knowing how badly he suffers with them sometimes. “I actually saw something online, mind if I try?” You walked towards him slowly as he gives you a confused look. “Remove your hands, I’m going to massage your temples okay?” You raised a brow before getting the consent you needed; him nodding his head in response. He immediately closed his eyes at the feel, his whole body relaxing into the chair. “I swear, you have magic hands, my love.” He almost fell asleep to the feeling, head dropping into the air occasionally.

Felix

It wouldn’t be Felix Lee without an injury. Now it became a regular occurrence; him coming home with sore muscles from working himself too hard. You scolded him every time, but he called you cute instead of actually listening to you. “Felix, don’t tell me you’ve overworked again?” You raised a brow as he rubbed his biceps. “I just want this choreography done.” Distraught was written over his face as he etched closer to the bed. He flopped down onto his back, resting one arm over his face and the other sprawled out. You sat down next to him and place his arm in your lap. “Would you like me to massage it?” It’s something you never offered before; the fear of it not helping was real. All you wanted to do was be of some help and a massage was all you could offer. “Honestly, babe, that’s the only thing that sounds appealing right now.” He closed his eyes whilst you kneaded his bicep muscle lightly without hurting him. “Now, will you do this again next week? Or will you finally listen to me.” He chuckled at your words, arm still over his eye and shook his head. “If it means I get this again, then why not?”

Seungmin

“Ugh, I ache all over.” He slumped into the house, dropping his duffel bag by the door with a thud. You peeked your head out from the living room, seeing what all the commotion was. “Min?” You called out, pausing the TV. He hummed in response, walking in and slumping into your lap. “I missed you.” He whispered into your hair and wrapped his arms around your waist. “I missed you too, bub.” Your hand stroked down his back soothingly as he relaxed into your touch. You ran your hand over his back and could feel the tension in his muscles, making you frown. “Babe. Do you need a massage? You feel so tensed up.” You spoke softly as he lifted his head to look at you. His eyes were drooped with tiredness and he smiled. “This is why I love you.” He sprawled out onto his stomach and let you work your magic.

Jeongin

“Can I massage you?” You randomly blurted out to your boyfriend to the left of you. “What, so you can trap me and tickle me again?” He scoffed and shook his head. “No! I learned a new technique on the internet. Please?” You batted your eyelids and pursed your hands together to beg. “If you tickle me again, I’ll buck you so far that you fly out the window.” His warning made you giggle, laying down and covering his sides for protection. “I’m not gonna tickle you! Let up your tension.” You started kneading the knots in his shoulder blades, earning groans of appreciation from him. “See?” You laughed and carried on. “Okay, maybe you’re not a total witch.” He giggled and closed his eyes on the pillow. “I could get used to this.” His cheeky tone earned him a quick pinch on the side, making you lose all his trust quickly.

[caliumcyanide]

Every time Dazai smiles in the entirety of the light novels (the official translations) Part 1.

Don't ask me why I did this. I wanted an excuse to read all them again, ok? I'm deathly afraid of the manga, but ln are my comfort space. With as much context as I can provide, behold the smiles and giggles of the one and only: Osamu Dazai.

Volume 1: "Osamu Dazai's entrance exam."

Prologue:

“Wait. Seriously? Wow, thanks.” He smiles bashfully, even though there’s nothing to blush about.”

“Well then, I think it’s about time we end this so I can go buy that book. We just need to slow him down, right?” Dazai breaks into a smile.

Chapter I:

“Oh, Kunikida! Good morning! Take a look at this! It’s incredible!” I’m suddenly greeted by a grinning Dazai on the threshold.”

“Good afternoon.” A man smiles from ear to ear as he enters the room.”

“I really hope we can get along, Kunikida.” Our new hire gives me a toothy smile, perhaps oblivious of my internal apprehension.”

“Ah-ha-ha. I kid. We’re going to investigate a haunted mansion, right?” His smiling face and casual demeanor cause me to scowl.

"He's a good kid" Dazai says with a grin as he looks up at the night sky.

“Thought so.” Dazai smiles, taking note of my expression.”

“You’re a real romanticist, you know that?” Dazai’s snickering comes out sounding like a sigh.”

Dazai’s sudden shrieking from up ahead causes my heart to skip a beat. He turns around, staring at me with his mouth opened wide. Then, after getting a good look at me, he slowly but surely begins to grin.

Chapter 2:

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I simply did what any gentleman would. Besides, I’m used to getting asked for things from people I’ve just met,” he replies with a smile.

“What a beautiful, misfortunate woman,” Dazai says with a smirk.

“Your treat?” Dazai asks, beaming with joy.”

Interlude:

“I mean, I’m not good at this electronic stuff.” He smiles faintly, his fingertips nimbly tapping the keyboard.

“…But I guess this isn’t something I can let others do.” He chuckles to himself in the dim car.

Chapter 3:

“So she’s available, Kunikida.” Dazai grins, gently elbowing me in the side.

I look at Dazai at my side. He’s smiling gleefully.

“Heh-heh.” Dazai smirks.

“So, Mr. Spy, what do you want in return for this information?” Dazai chimes in with a chuckle.

“Yeah, right. I dunno about Kunikida here, but I’m just a bit more cynical than that,” he replies with a grin.

“Looks like I couldn’t fool you. Too bad it’s just an ordinary fountain pen.” Dazai cheerfully grins.

“Shoot me.” He grins mirthfully from ear to ear. There’s tranquility in his smile.

His peaceful smile never once wavers. “Shoot me,” he says.

“I knew you would use that to shoot me, Kunikida.” Dazai grins, still on his back.”

Grinning, Dazai stands behind him with the bottle of liquor cracked in half in hand.

“…That hurt, y’know.” Dazai stands, and his lips curl upward—a fierce grin—as fresh blood drips down his cheek.”

“Wearing an unwavering smile, Dazai continues to close the distance.”

Afterword:

“DAZAI: “Hey, Atsushi. Just finishing up work for the day?” Dazai smiles cheerfully.

ATSUSHI: “D-did you…try to drown yourself again?” Atsushi makes a face.”

A total of 13 smiles, 9 grins, 2 smirks, 2 chuckles, 1 "beaming episode", and one snicker, that sounded like a sigh.

To be continued in the next one...

[awingedinsect]

-Flood me like Atlantic-

Chapter 4

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: language, alcohol, slight! choking, non-con drug use, also Vessel just being cute to even it all out lol

The black pavement beneath his shoes makes a steady sound, like the first opening beats of a song worth writing. He listens to it and thinks about it, trying his best to distract from the uncertainty of his mission. What exactly is he doing?

He took a cab to a pub about a mile away from the Blacklit Room, partially to avoid suspicion, and partially because well-

there’s not a lot of money to be made in obsessively hunching over a keyboard in a dark, long-lived-in motel room.

He stares up at the sky as his feet carry him off the main road, his peripheral streaked with the black daggers of trees illuminated like ghosts in the light of the full moon.

It’s a beautiful sight. The black void, speckled with a few twinking, determined stars. Not even the vanishing city behind him can wash them out of the celestial tapestry. And if he was a romantic person, he might even be inspired by it.

The moon bathes the lower half of his face as he trudges on, hood pulled snugly over his head. There’s a chill in the air.

Slowly, he becomes aware of a strange smell. And as he walks on it becomes unmistakeable- the musk of damp, burned wood.

It wafts to him on a cold breeze and tells him he must be getting close, and suddenly he’s shivering for more reasons than one. But he keeps moving, now starting to search for a sign of Venus and her crew.

He spots a black pickup in the distance.

“Glad you could make it,” Venus says, now suddenly visible and smiling at him, her black lips once again glistening in the blue light. He immediately feels a sense of comfort wash over him at the sight of her, almost like he was scared the whole thing had been a dream. But she’s as real as everything else as she walks up beside him and shoves a flashlight into his hand, gesturing at him. “How ya doin’ baby?” She asks, tilting her head at him. He follows her to the other two people already knee-deep in the remains of the bar, shining their beams over the mountain range of blackened wood and broken pieces. He shrugs.

“I’m alright.” He says, ducking his head to avoid the gaze of the ruins. There’s shame creeping up his spine.

He didn’t do it.

“Hey, don’t worry about looking around just yet,” Venus says, her voice cutting through the darkness and bouncing off the charred, crumbling walls. He lets go of the neon sign he had just started flipping over and looks up at her, eyes finally glinting in the moon as his hood slides back.

“Come and sit down, huh?” She asks, nodding to the open bed of her truck. “I got beer.”

The proposition, once again, fills him with a little relief. Does he want to be here? No. Does he want to stargaze with a pretty girl and finally calm his heart with a drink that he’s been too broke to afford himself? Fuck yes.

He shuffles after her over the piles of bricks, hands shoved in the front of his hoodie as he tries to keep his balance.

“Here ya go, sweetheart.” She says, reaching into the bed of the truck and fiddling around. She retrieves a glass bottle and hands it to him, flicking the cap onto the road with her nails and pocketing the opener.

“Let’s take a damn breather.”

•••

The chill is gone from Vessel’s bones. He feels at ease, eyes flicking lazily over the ink-black sky and lips teasing the mouth of his drink as the night drags on. His legs swing slowly off the side of the truck, his body falling more and more into Venus’s. Her voice luls him. And he could listen to her forever; her soft words, her comments on the night, the little hums she makes as her nails rake lazily through his hair. He finds his heart thumping slowly, the sky above beckoning him and the earth below holding onto him better than it ever has. He could get used to it.

“Sleep callin’ ya, doe eyes?” Venus chuckles, scratching the side of his head as it falls onto her shoulder. He mumbles something back, a content smile on his lips. “…Sorry I’m not very helpful.”

“Hey, don’t worry about that.” She dismisses, turning her attention once again to the night sky. The full moon fills her brilliant eyes and brings a grin to her face. “You’ll serve your purpose just perfect, even if ya only lay here.”

“You think they’ll find it?” Vessel asks, turning his beer up to his lips and drawing on the last bit it contains. “Your mom’s stuff?”

“Would be nice.” She runs a hand down her thigh, pulling on the thread of the fishnets once again making an appearance beneath a black skirt. “That stuff means a lot to me, but honestly… prolly burned up and long gone.”

Most likely, yes. But he doesn’t want to say it. Doesn’t want to believe it, knowing just how important pieces of the past can be. “Eh, don’t lose hope.” He says, suddenly feeling the wind blow at the back of his neck. It would bother him, having his hood off, if it weren’t for the feeling of Venus’s hand tangling in his locks. The sensation alone makes him want to curl up like a cat and go to sleep for hours, content to just be held and pet. But he’s still determined to assist in the search before he goes home.

“What’cha thinkin about, Vessel?” The question drifts on the wind, grazing his ear so soft. It makes him wish he was thinking about something important.

“My music.” He whispers.

“What about it?”

“What it could be.” He says. And fuck, the words just flow. Something is missing, and it’s the thing that usually stops him from thinking about his future, much less talking about it.

“I want… to be good.” He says. “Wanna make music people understand, without having to understand me… Have them understand it because of, themselves.” He feels his eyelids growing heavy, and he stares at his hands, feeling the tiniest jolt of fear when he notices them going numb. The little bit of liquid in the bottom of his bottle sloshes in the moonlight, and he struggles to hold it upright in his lap.

“I wanna make music so pretty it’ll have a thousand people on their knees...”

“Want me to get on my knees, Vessel?” She asks, her voice sounding distant and jagged. It’s part of the wind now, part of the stars. He looks at her, eyes going wide as the earth pulls harder on his bones.

“W…What’s happening?” He asks, feeling the bottle being pulled from his cold fingertips just as he starts to drop it.

“Nothing, baby.” She holds him, coaxing him down into the bed of the truck with a steady hand keeping his heart inside his chest. “Don’t worry, don’t worry.” She coos. He swipes vaguely up, cupping her shaved head in a trembling hand as he’s lowered down and watches the sky somersault above him.

“Go to Sleep, Vessel, you’re a good boy.”

The notes of alcohol turn to acid in his mouth as he vaguely comes to realize what has happened. Why would she roofie him? What did he do to her?

Could it somehow be a mistake?

He asks the question once or twice, and his voice shuffles like a deck of cards until his mind is brought to the singular thought of her hand on his throat.

The world erupts in light, then goes darker than it ever was before. And the only thing he can do is frown and feel tears prickle in his eyes as Sleep wraps it’s tentacles around his mind, and pulls him down into a deep, murky oblivion.

[yukikogazingthestars]

“Give Peace a Chance”

Fukuchi Ouchi x Reader

Description: Fukuchi was triggering his PTSD again and his S/O decided to have a little chat.

Tw:Mention of violence,murder,tortures, philosophical stuff.Fukuchi himself is a warning but don’t worry our Y/N is also a freak.

It was already past midnight but the typing noise from the mechanical keyboard was scattering in the living room. The strong fragrance of black tea with full cream milk, the cold air from A/C, clear fragrance of green tea air freshener, the typing and page flattering and sketching asmr was occupying the silence of the Midnight.

Fukuchi couldn’t lay in the bed anymore.Well,it was his fault. Y/N clearly warned him to shut the door since she will be working late tonight .But, he didn’t pay any attention. The more he tried to sleep ,the undistinguishable noises entered his ear not only from the living room but also from his mind. After struggling for nearly 30. Minutes, he decided to step into the living room where Y/N was minding her own business .

The living room was definitely luxurious and comfortable. When he was living alone, he didn’t pay much attention to his apartment since he didn’t spend much time there. Compared to him, Y/N spent a lot of her time in this house so she did make this house more livable and cozy. A lot of indoor plants, bookshelves,sun catchers, and many decorations that were trending in social media. Thanks to her, not only the living room but also the whole house seems so lively and beautiful.

On the black leather couch,there was a girl reading and annotating a book. He couldn’t see the title from behind. All he could see was her soft and silky brown hair tied into a messy bun. He walked quietly and sat beside her. She was so immersed in her reading that she only noticed him when he sat down and hugged her with his strong hands. The way she sank into his chest, the view he never gets enough of.

She stopped reading and turned her face towards him.Her tanned complexion matched with her soft pastel pajama set.Her messy bun was decorated with tiny blue butterfly hair clips . A pair of watercolor eyes full of confusion, pump glossy lips which were a little open due to the out of element, her face was glowing under the warm light. She took off her spectacles and massaged her nose line with her fingers.

She was neither happy nor surprised to see him.

“Still awake?”asked Y/N, “If I remember right, tomorrow isn’t your day off. You should be sleeping now.”

Fukuchi scoffed and leaned his head on her shoulders.

”Can’t sleep…”

“I told you to shut the door,” She sighed and was combing his hair through her slender fingers while she was reading again. She felt a little guilt since she knew his job was so exhausting and energy draining.

”It wasn’t the noise,”answered Fukuchi, “I just can’t sleep alone,”. He was trying to snuggle her but she stopped him with a gentle bonk with her book.

”My girl is so cold.” He made a silly pout. Y/N couldn’t help but giggled and patted his head where she just bonked. Although she was teasing him, she knew that he couldn’t sleep alone. Due to his PTSD from the war and stress from his job. How could she neglect him ?

“I’m trying to conclude my review . You can sleep here while you wait for me and I will wake you up when I finish these.”

”hmm hmm” He was nuzzling her arm and nodded. Y/n scoffed because of his silliness.

“What are you writing for this time?”

“About a novel , Strange Weather in Tokyo “

Fukuchi didn’t reply, he settled himself beside Y/N completely and leaned onto her arm. The cologne mixed with the bitterness of Whiskey entered her nose and she found tranquility slowly.

”Darling Dearest…”

After a while, the soft humming of her name from her lover made her worried. He was always energetic,boastful and goofy all the time. He always showed his eccentric and oozy side but the way he softly called her… she realized something was wrong with him. Luckily, she concluded her review.

”Darling Dearest…”

He called her again and this time,she gently tapped his hand as a response.He was still hugging her tightly as if she was about to disappear if he didn’t do that.

”Yes, I am here, Is something bothering you?” She asked while she was rubbing his back to confront him.

” These days, I think about the past. Whenever I recall the past, my heart is sinking and I feel sick”

Fukuchi’s past means blood, gore, violence,death, murders,wars,tortures. Well,Y/N wasn’t a fool. It took a lot to be the Captain of the military strongest unit,Hunting Dogs,to be a world hero. She knew his hands were tainted with blood, death and sins.

“ I’m still hearing them..screaming and crying and asking for mercy…. Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw those people, those bloody … disgusting things I did to them”

He couldn’t continue and she sometimes felt bad for him for the things he had to go through. She despised those people who were cheering him. She saw those people as cowards who just pushed her man to do dirty things in the name of Public Good.She sighed and kissed his cheek. She was finding the words to make him relax but in the end,they both know that there is no Salvation for his sins.

”The past… you won’t gain anything from digging up the past.”

She took a deep breath and tried to find the right words. Fukuchi was lightly rubbing her flushed cheeks and she leaned into his palm while holding his wrist.

“ You’ll forever be caged in your own guilt,your own past. It is your punishment.”

” You don’t even bother to confront me, you’re sometimes so mean…..again so logical”

Fukuchi didn’t mind her bluntness but he was even amused. At least,someone was telling him the truth, not sugar coated lies and praises.

“We all choose our actions by ourselves. Even if we are screaming,declining or we were forced, threatened by something or someone to do something ,in the end, it was still our choice to do so we must be punished or rewarded. Nothing will be neglected”

”You are telling me that I deserve to be traumatized and pathetic like this” . He replied with a laugh but she could feel that he was hiding his anger. To smooth his mind, Y/N pinched and grabbed his cheeks.

” I always told you to shave those silly mustaches and you never listened. You look much older because of them and Mister Hero, I am not telling that you deserved all those sufferings. I am telling you that you should not be guilty about your choices. No matter how much you feel guilty,you can’t change the past. Again, you can’t even stop now despite knowing it is wrong.”

”I am still young! and why do I feel like you’re being sarcastic calling me Mister Hero”

”no, you’re already 45. You’re silly middle aged man who was labeled as Hero by a bunch of useless people”

Fukuchi pouted and he turned his face signaling that he was hurt and he needed to be coaxed. What a silly man.She thought and giggled.

“ You know, Fukuchi San,…you really need to stop your job. You really need a rest. You keep doing those violences and it is triggering your PTSD again and again. It becomes a never ending trauma cycle for you”

“The world needs me. I need to protect those people”

“Who cares about them? They are just a bunch of cowards who gave you that “HERO” title to save their pathetic ass. Who asked them to be born? Did they ask your permission when they did those stupid things? They did as they liked and they asked you to save them when things got out of control!”

This time, Fukuchi pinched her cheeks and laughed.

” Again, you’re being logical.”

” You know, You aren’t responsible for their lives and deaths. I want to slap those people who worship you. They are just a bunch of lazy asses who can’t take responsibility,who can’t clean their messes. They manipulated you to think that you’re their savior. But,you’re being used. Hunting Dogs .. you guys are tamed to dirty your hands for them”

Y/n knew that her words were offensive and crossing the line but she didn’t care since she was seeing the truth.

”I made my Darling Dearest sad and angry”

Fukuchi gently wiped her tears with his rough and callous hand, she grabbed it and put on her plump cheek.

”But, you’re happy to save those people,you’re longing for a peaceful world. How could I blame you when I see your heart. You will dirty your hands to achieve your dream again and again.”

His whole body went shiver, he thought that she had learned his true identity,”Kamui” and his plan. But, her gentle eyes proved that she still hasn’t learned it. Even if she had learned his identity and plan,he knows that she will gladly accept since he understands her frustrations towards the world.

“ Do what you believe, after all, we all live to save ourselves,don’t we? We all die while chasing our ideals”

Fukuchi didn’t answer back . He kissed her passionately and she returned the kiss.

“ You should sleep now, tomorrow is my day off but yours aren’t. Well, Mister Hero Fukuchi Ouchi sama, let’s go to bed. And please carry me to the bed, I don’t want to get up since your embrace is too cozy”

“What should I do? I also don’t want to get up too. Let’s spend the night here”

Y/N gave him side eyes but she agreed to do so. She turned off the warm light and nuzzled his chest finding comfort and tranquility. Fukuchi kissed her plump cheeks as goodnight kisses.

“If I have the chance to rewrite everything, I would ask for a peaceful world”

“If I have that chance, I would ask for you to be peaceful and free from your guilt”

Fukuchi smiled at her answer.Finally,He felt safe and slowly fell asleep.

[adr1annn]

VIPER — Prologue

World count: 3308

Warning- mentions / descriptions of anxiety

Have you ever thought about changing the future? your future? I haven't, I don't believe I have.

-mmh no, no, no it can't end like that...- the sound of the keyboard could be heard throughout the room as the light from the screen illuminating it. It was around 3 in the morning and I was doing an essay for my English class. The teacher allowed us to write whatever we wanted, to show her how we have improved during this school year, and I decided to write something stupid... the multiverse theory. Look, it sounds wonderful but also unbelievable, the part of us being available to go to other universes. I prefer reality.

A yawn escaped my lips, I had reached my limits for tonight. I got up from my chair and went to the bathroom where I changed my clothes getting ready to go to sleep. I stopped when I saw my reflection in the mirror "it's long..." Here comes my best friend, the classic craft scissors. I never use them for the purpose of making crafts but they work very well for my hair. Did I know what I was doing? Absolutely not. I cut the front as much as I could, leaving the two long pieces resting on the side of my face alone. The back was long but I couldn't reach it. I had my back painted a grayish blue and the front was my natural dark brown color. I did a happy dance when I saw that my hair looked perfect as always. I turned off the light and walked to my bed which was by the window. I slept with a beautiful view of the moon, and the horrible view of the other houses, did I care? No, did I sleep well? nope, but I did have a beautiful view of the moon. I fixed my bed only to mess it up again with my body, a satisfying sigh as I felt the cold blankets touch my body. My eyes slowly closed feeling the wave of comfort wash over me – until it was interrupted by the sound of an alarm. My phone turned on and started ringing loudly, I jumped out of bed trying to find it. As soon as I found it I pressed the off button... it was already 7 in the morning... "I didn't sleep at all..." ... "That's what happens to you for sleeping so late" I could hear the soft voice of my mother behind me, I raised my head to see where she was seeing that she had opened the door to my room. An embarrassed smile slowly creeped into my face "it was super early when I started, I promise" ... "3 in the morning is not early" I flopped back into the bed embracing defeat. She approached me, grabbing the back of my hair. "Did you cut it again? You're going to be bald one of these days" I let out a small ouch, she left my room leaving me to change in peace, I headed to the closet grabbing something simple for today; some long denim shorts that were above my knees along with a long-sleeved t-shirt, it was brown with green sleeves, I looked for my shoes and put them on, green converse "perfect..." Once again I entered the bathroom to fix my recently cut hair.

I finally walked out the room jumping off the last step of the stairs running towards the kitchen, the smell of pancake had hit me making my mouth fill with drool. Dad saw me arrive and handed me a plate with three pancakes and slid the honey. Before he could say anything the news started playing, taking my attention.

"Officially today, April 25, the TITAN project begins, little information was revealed to the public, the only thing that can be known about this project is that the sectors will be officially protected after a long time. They are looking for a total of four young people" My father turned off the television before he could finish the report. "All the government does is worry us, they talk a lot and protect little... If they continue like this, Well lose another sector" My mother let out a sigh "It's time to go" I tried to eat quickly but mom had taken away my almost empty plate. I got up from the chair and picked up my backpack again, checking that everything was there.

"Did you finish your essay?"

'I didn't know how to finish it without sounding like a maniac who thinks the planet is flat"

"you already sound like that"

'haha... funny"

I said goodbye, giving my dad a hug and a kiss to my mom on the cheek. I left the apartment, I walked through the hallways full of plants and old people watching the landscape, the complex was difficult to explain but very easy to go from point A directly to point B. The building where I lived was connected to the market building. There were many like Farmacias Sánchez which was very popular for its mascot and of course good medicines, or secrets of good food, a very good store! Every morning around 6:40, the bakery inside puts out the best freshly baked bread and I buy myself three chocolate donuts, a coffee and a cup of chocolate, the best thing before a stressful day at a school for spoiled children. . I walked between the premises on the 15th floor trying to reach the stairs "good morning, Don! Do you need help with orders after school hours?" I asked running towards the stairs "if you are not busy with exams, help would be appreciated young lady" every weekend, Mr. Lee's place is filled with workers from sector A. They have something special with Asian food, and even though they have their own Asian food establishments in Sector A, they still keep coming back here. If I were them, I would also do the same. I quickly went down the stairs, jumping a few steps trying to go faster "oh look there they are!" I looked up and couldn't hold back my smile "three chocolate donuts with espresso and hot chocolate!" one of the workers said out loud, I took my wallet out of my bag, took out the 25 cred and gave it to the young woman who was holding a bag and two cups "fair exchange!" I grabbed the bag of donuts, I gently put the bag inside my backpack and grabbed the cups "have a good day" You can say that I'm a regular. As I went further down the stairs, I could see the traffic on the ground, many soldiers, more than usual... I went down and down, finally arrived but by not moving quickly I was pushed by the wave of hurried workers, I held the drinks tightly trying to ensure that the hot drinks didn't touch my skin. After a few minutes, the longest and most intense minutes of my life, I came out with both cups still full. I looked towards the bus station that was near the sector's frontier. I smiled when I saw that there were still not too many students, the same ones who arrive super early just like me to have their usual seats. I walked with a hurried step, smiling victoriously "identification" a voice that, to be honest, sounded tired and defeated could be heard next to me. I looked to the side finding Zach, one of the many soldier in charge of patrolling sector B "your coffee, Mr. Soldier" putting the coffee in his face, he grabbed it and shook his head taking some of the coffee "the donuts?" he didn't look down at me, already knowing that i had them "I brought you three this time" i took the donuts out of my backpack and handed them to zach. He looked inside the bag seeing the three chocolate donuts before smiling.

Zach, the soldier who seems like a big nerd, had to put up with my nonsense since elementary school, it was a very long 7 years... Now he is old and still alive at 26 years old... How strong! We were watching workers hurriedly run to their work bus while some soldiers scolded others for bothering them. "So, Zach—" the soldier turned to look at me with a sour expression "don't call me by my name..." he said with a donut in his mouth, he stared at me a little and hit me on the shoulder making me complain "you cut your hair, it's shorter than usual" he said, looking back at the stores "is it really that noticeable?" - "you had it a little longer" he responded quickly. After a chat the bus had finally arrived and Zach had pushed me to go to the line, we said goodbye and I got on, walking quickly back and grabbing my usual spot, I smiled victoriously waiting for the others to get on and grab the remaining spots.

Something wasn't right.

A wave of chills invaded my body, the hairs on my arms stood up, the ace was off, and the weather was not cold at all. I looked everywhere trying to see if there was anyone watching me, but nothing. Something in me knew that someone was watching me, intensely... but there was no one watching me. A shout like scream could be heard outside "like an inspection? These kids have to leave immediately!" It was the driver yelling at Zach, who was just apologizing... the truck moved, someone was getting in — but if it wasn't the driver, who was it? The sound of boots could be heard from the entrance, and the heavy breathing bothered the ear. The driver saw how someone got in and in panic he ran to the truck, Zach behind him trying to stop him.

That was when the wave of chills returned.

He was not a soldier

of course...he was a damn pilot.

-What is a pilot doing here?!-

-wait, they're real?-

-I'm scared...-

The whispers of the students were all that could be heard until the pilot tried to speak which made everyone silent, but he didn't say anything. He began to walk, looking at each student quickly, examining them. Slowly, he approached, each student he had already examined looked back, wanting to see who they were looking for. He looked at the girl who sat in the seat next to me, but he didn't look at her for long.

The opposite was for me...

He stared at me for a few seconds, longer than the others. Being district wasn't his biggest availity by the way he was looking at me up and down, a small sound came out which only sounded like a sigh, distorted by the mask. He didn't say anything and left. I let out a sigh, I was holding my breath. The students continued with the whispers until the movement of the bus made them sit properly, thanks to the sound of the bus their whispers didn't bother my ears as much. My heart was beating to the point that it hurt to breathe. I looked outside seeing Zach who was talking to that pilot and handing them a tablet. Honestly, I wish I hadn't seen that.

"Isn't that the boy in the back?" One whispered as soon as he noticed what that tablet contained, it was a photo of me. "What? No, that girl has short hair," his friend whispered back. Why was my face on the tablet?! Did I do something? No, I don't think so? I don't remember... I'm a clown at school!

That time in September during science class, I misread the instructions and made the whole classroom smell bad.

Or the time I brought a glitter bomb and it exploded in the middle of class!

Did I really make such a mess... for them to send me to the school for troubled kids? While I was thinking about my horrible ending, I didn't notice we had already arrived at school. Everyone got off, leaving me at the end.

You know that feeling when you do something embarrassing and everyone is looking at you, that feeling that forms in your stomach, you get dizzy and that disgusting feeling of nausea, wanting to run, get out of that embarrassing situation. The feeling was slowly building up, my trembling hands gripped the bag tightly, slowly walking down the steps of the bus. It felt like millions of ants were biting me all over my body, but it was just my imagination. Everyone's eyes stuck on me, I didn't do anything wrong, why are they looking at me like that. The school doors opened and I quickly looked for the elevator trying to escape all of those eyes. It felt like I was doing circles but I finally found one. touching the button multiple times, the wave of students walking to the building "open, open" as soon as the elevator opened i walked inside pressing the button to close it. I sighed in relief, my back touched the wall, leaning on it, I was breathing so fast that I felt like I was going to faint. My legs were about to give up but the sound of the elevator made me stand up

-hi-

-hello-

Silence . . . sweat, I could feel the sweat falling down my forehead, my hands were seas of sweat, just thinking about it made me sick. The elevator went up and the awkward silence increased, it was as if I could hear the dust falling and landing on me...

-I like your backpack-

-thank you...-

The door opened and I quickly walked towards my class. My day couldn't get worse, Oh, the desire to die was out the roof, but jumping off this floor would only break some bones. I was already more than late, I knew that if I opened that door, the teacher would scold me worse than the last time. My hand reached for the door handle but I stopped, silence again. Something is not right... Why is no one talking? Why is nothing okay? I was doubtful but in the end I opened it. Smiling, I entered the class watching as the teacher looked at the class with a worried expression "sorry for being late. There was an accident," I said, waiting for the teacher to scream... nothing, again. I didn't want to move, but I had to sit in my seat. Every step I took I felt like I was going to fall, my legs felt weak "a crazy man posing as a pilot stopped the bus and I couldn't..." I should've just skipped class.

"arrive early..." In front of me was the same pilot I had seen in the bus. That feeling returned to my body, my head felt light but my stomach felt heavy, going around and around only to feel the food return to my throat, wanting to vomit but I held it in. "Student number 4003" a painfully long pause, waiting for me to respond to which I only shook my head "you will come with me" I don't want to. I looked at the teacher, who obviously had many questions but she didn't dare ask them. I don't want to go with him. I looked at the pilot once more seeing that he had a miniature box, handcuffs? I had seen them before, the box encloses your hands up to your wrists preventing the movement of the user "what happens if I don't want to?" ... "We do it the easy or the bad way" not like I have many options.

A black canvas, a white circle, eyes, thousands of eyes, following you as you reach that white circle, bright and warm, your own eyes going everywhere trying to focus on the path but finding it difficult thanks to the thoughts This is how I would explain this situation. The pilot had put my hands on the handcuffs, he led me back towards the entrance holding me by the back of my neck while his other hand held my belongings. My head was too heavy, I couldn't lift it and I just looked at the ground, could it be the shame? Definitely... I looked at my feet and listened to the whispers of the other students.

When we reached the door, the strong wind accompanied by the rays of the sun made my eyes close. I opened my eyes slowly, the sun blocking my view but I could finally see it, a damn dropship "I don't understand, where are you taking me?" The pilot didn't answer and continued his way. Dropships were not uncommon, usually used for transportation of goods or military use, it was rare to see one if you didnt work for some organization or company. He finally let go of me as soon as we entered the ship. I sat in one of the small seats that the ship had. I have seen ships before but I never imagined being in one. Two knocks could be heard and the ship began to make noises moving sideways. I held on tightly to the belts. There were two long windows and I could see how the ship rose. Slowly we moved away from the institute. The pilot was sitting a few seats away from where I was, I didn't understand who was driving this ship.

An awkward silence...

If looks could kill, I would be dead the second the pilot sat down in front of me. He didn't say anything and I had given up asking questions until a voice could be heard in the front of the ship "come on... this is so uncomfortable" a somewhat tall woman came out of the pilot's compartment, she had long brown hair, a fringe that I hugged her cheeks and had a very nice smile "we weren't talking..." the pilot said which made the woman complain and sit next to me "exactly, your lack of communication makes me uncomfortable" a laugh escapes my lips quickly shutting up as soon as i felt that the two were looking at me "what's your name?" the woman gave me a playful punch on the shoulder which made me look at her again "oh my name is" –

-their identification number is 4003-

-i didn't ask you, viper-

So his name is Viper... "My name is Daniella, my pleasure 03" she said, extending her hand, giving me a smile "don't talk to them..." Viper said in a low voice, lowering his gaze to the ground "fine"

Daniella returned to the cockpit preparing the ship for landing, Viper stood up in front of the door ready to open it and get out. And I continue with these handcuffs that look like cement blocks "and we arrived!" Daniella said with a tone of happiness leaving the cabin, grabbing my backpack and putting it on her shoulder. She helped me get up while Viper opened the door "welcome to Sector C"... "excuse me?"

There were thousands of stories about Sector C, none of them talked about what Sector C was like before the accident. Speaking of accidents, Sector C is the reason we have sectors... A few years ago this place was a white canvas, a field full of animals and flowers, you know, the classic thing about a place untouched by society. The government thought it was a perfect place to do their secret projects, they were never revealed but there was a theory that they were the reason for the contamination of the forest, the animals became wild and recently the government found mutants. To save what was left, the government locked up that entire area, covering it with houses and markets, that is the sector known as B. They realized that the land was unstable and nothing could be harvested for at least some kilometers, so they made another area for the rich and left the others below, separating themselves into sector A... yes, the land is still dead but a little art and plants in jars cover everything, they recently put in fake grass!

"03, are you okay?" ... -what? Oh yes, just that, I never imagined entering the sector... it is very difficult to enjoy" everything was dark and humid, the ground was muddy and it seemed like it had a filter like in the movies "if you don't mind, could you tell me where we are going" I asked, watching how the pilot walked deeper into the forest, Daniella behind him. I didn't want to go but I also didn't know what was hiding in this forest.

"There are things that are out of our control. Forgive me but I can't tell you" it was obvious that I wasn't going to get information just by asking. I tried to look ahead but all I could see was the heavy fog and the trees that seemed to reach into the sky. A small uff left my lips as I felt my body hit Daniella's back "we arrived" there was nothing. In front of us there was a path made of wood, you could tell that it was not stable since the wood was not completely together "follow the path, someone will be waiting for you on the other side"

"you know I can easily leave rig—"

"These parts are covered with monsters, dangerous animals that I doubt you can beat in a fight, the border is blocked and access to semi-human creatures is denied. Any other questions?"

I stayed silent, it was useless to continue the fight. I turned around and followed that wooden path, still, this was scary. The sound of waves moving and the sound of creatures growling made the hair on my arms stand up. The path seemed endless until the fog slowly disappeared revealing a beautiful pink sky, white clouds with a rainbow crown. It looked straight out of a movie, finally at the end of the path there was a man, looking toward the snow covered mountains, the sound of a branch breaking got his attention making him turn around. His face, how to even describe it... He had long hair that was neatly tied back in a half ponytail, the left part of his face and down his neck was burnt slightly, he wore a white suit and a black trench coat. His gloved hands grabbed the cigarette out of his mouth and gently smiled

 "hello 03"

[cydie]

10:47AM cw death

After a bunch of scrambling to get a keyboard and pc, I'm finally starting this.

I was dating Brandon, except he looked very different, maybe a mixture of Shaun and Brandon and ?? a celeb I can't pinpoint.

This is written in a series of scenes, potentially out of order.

[[MORE]]

-

I went outside, and climbed the ledge, because I could see a sleeve flapping in the wind. I pulled myself up to where there was sort of a platform, and I realised it was him. He was sleeping with a pillow, a hoodie jacket? and maybe a blanket, and his bag.

I took in what I was seeing, and I realised - he was staying here so he could be closer to me. I have no clue what the building behind us was for, whether it was a school, a uni, or a community centre, but it was a public space and not a living area.

My heart twinged as I came to the realisation that he was sacrificing his own comfort to sleep outside on a raised concrete platform so he could nap and still be close to me.

I left before he noticed me.

-

I went to a different outside area, and I met with him. There was something on my mind, like something was going on for me. We chatted and he was reassuring. I don't know if I was totally reassured, but I did find comfort in the conversation.

Our relationship was a little bit distant then, like we both had things going on in our lives that was making it different for us to connect. The meeting was somewhat familiar but casual at the same time. We were both optimistic, but deep down I think we knew something was up with us.

Before he left, he reminded me that he loved me, and promised me he would call or sort something out for me.

-

I was sitting inside at the table near the door, in somewhat of a classroom setting. There were others sitting in the other chairs, but I didn't know them well. I receive a notification on my phone. It was an article about Brandon. It said he was dead.

(4th: Idk why there was an article on just him, and didn't detail anything? Maybe it was because he was a sports player? Idk. The article literally just said he had died, like those super vague celebrity articles informing the public X celeb has died for undetermined/unstated reasons/private reasons.)

I felt my heart sink. I scrambled around my phone for any more information, how did he die? What happened? I couldn't find an answer. My mind starts to race. I think of his family, that I knew well and had met in the many times I had stayed over. I think of his friends, whom I knew, and what they would be thinking right now. I think of him, and his always optimistic outlook, his smile, and his voice, and slowly it dawns on me that, I will never see or hear him again.

Without thinking, I get up out of my seat and I turn the right corner to walk towards the room. There is a room in the center that for some reason is full of lost items? Extra items. Almost like a police claim room except it wasn't documented or looked after.

I looked around at the things on the floor and I see a bag propped up against the middle of 1 cushioned bench and 1 couch.

Something in me decides on that bag. I walked towards it and I begin to look through it.

This bag was pieces of things, but I found a phone. It was a red S22 Ultra, and I turned it over to turn it on. I realised it must be his. I had never gone on his phone before, but I had seen it. The 22 was cracked upwards starting from the middle. The LCD was blinking and unstable.

The second try of turning the phone on turned the dead lower half of the phone on too.

(see diagram)

Either I knew his passcode or it was unlocked, but I was met with his homescreen. I saw Messenger down the bottom right, and that it had 6? unread messages. Suddenly, I felt a little guilty. He might come online and give people the wrong idea.

I turned the screen off. In the bag was a second phone, that was also his. A longer shaped Moto? phone with a rugged type case on it.

I pocketed both. In the bag, there was also another phone. I picked it up, and I realised. There were other things in this bag. Someone else's things, someone else's phone (S23? maybe? lighter colour phone) in amongst his.

That's when it hit me. This was a car crash. This is debris. He didn't survive. The person he was with mustn't have either.

I went back to the table area with 2 phones in my pocket, and instead of sitting down, I went around and towards the back outdoor garden area.

This is where it starts to get weird. There was a girl already there, doing something. She tells me not to get too close or to go down the stairs as I put one foot on the first step. All of a sudden, a large brown bear comes out of nowhere and starts to fight me? Or something. This part is hazy.

After that, I walk around like a zombie. My energy that I am exuding must be incredibly depressing, but nobody is noticing. I feel shellshocked. The death of someone close to me has never been something I thought I would experience.

I walk around dazed. Everyone I talk to though, doesn't seem to notice and seems to think I'm moody for no reason. I begin to think if I'm just masking it so incredibly well, or if everyone else around me doesn't like me enough to think it is something serious.

-

A flashback of him going to play some sort of game, potentially basketball?

A group of us walked out of the house, into the courtyard. His dad was there, he stood there, and some of his friends that I also knew.

I hugged him tightly, and looked up at him. He looked down at me and whispered something in Mandarin that I can't recall, but it was something supportive and energizing. I whispered back, "yi ding yao ying o" "jia you!" Everyone must have been watching us, his dad too. Must be thinking "How sweet, and how nice that my son has a girl." Hugged him tightly again, and he went out the double doors behind us with his dad to the game.

The group of friends walked in front of me together, and I trailed behind, his auntie? was on my casual left, also slightly trailing. I got closer to the door and I saw on the floor his rubix cubes/lego? cubes. These were things he fiddled with all the time, and he liked to build them.

One of the cubes was a blue/white theme and some of the pieces were on the floor. I saw another cube, by the door. I realised they had been thrown, and suddenly it was present day.

I pictured in my head the cubes being thrown in anger and frustration at thinking about him and feeling empty, as his auntie's moving feet walk past me and into the house.

Suddenly, I get a call. It's from ?? Prison?? something?? 360 something?? This guy knew both of us. He was involved with drugs ??? or something. I wasn't particularly keen on talking to him, because he usually asked for something.

I declined the call and messaged "Text". He responded immediately, with a screenshot of the article and saying "is this true?"

I don't respond.

-

This is all I currently recall of the dream I woke up from an hour ago.

I'm so depressed rn hahahaha holy shit. I genuinely could have started crying. This is fictional but I feel the loss in my heart.

I am ever so empathetic and sorry for Amara.

[unseededtoast]

Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Part 29/37 | Part Twenty Eight, Part Thirty

Summary: I've lived every day for the past five years looking over my shoulder. I knew they'd come for me, it was inevitable. I was foolish to think I could outrun my past. It's followed me everywhere I go, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Never would I have anticipated that the shadows would lead me to the light.

Bucky Barnes x OC

Series Warnings: Discussion of human trafficking, alcohol consumption, graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

a/n: Hi everyone, thank you for checking this out, I appreciate any and all support! This series is also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad if you prefer those formats/platforms! This is a completed series, and it's going to take some time for me to transfer it to Tumblr, so please bear with me!

I don't think this is going to end well, what goes up must come down. 

I type away at the keyboard as we all wait for Pietro to return. It's been two days since we arrived at the Sokovian base. I hear Bucky and Wanda talk behind me, but I focus on writing the code before the idea leaves my mind. I had come up with an idea for how to finish writing algorithm the other night, after I killed Dane. 

I hear the door open and close, Pietro must have returned. He's back sooner than I thought. I spin around in my chair and see he has a worried look on his face. 

"The robots, they're here." He says. My eyes widen as I realize the gravity of the situation.

"Are you certain?" I ask. Maybe it's something else. He shakes his head,

"Stark's name is plastered on the metal. They're definitely his." He says. I take a sharp breath and realize it truly is now or never. 

"Pietro, can you keep watch? Let us know if anyone or anything gets close. Wanda, I'm almost done, I'm going to need you to stick around. Bucky, take a seat." I say and everyone nods. Pietro speeds off and I quickly turn back around and furiously type the last few lines of the algorithm. 

I knew we were running on borrowed time but I was hoping that they wouldn't find us for at least another day. My palms start sweating as I realize this code has to work or my chance at removing the programming is gone, possibly forever. My stomach turns as I try to push that thought out of my mind. It will work. It has to.

Wanda stands beside me as I try to wrap this up as quickly as possible. She puts a hand on my shoulder, which calms my nerves just a touch. 

Out of nowhere, the building shakes, and pieces of loose concrete fall from the ceiling. I pause what I'm doing and listen. I don't hear anything. I take it as a warning and type even quicker. The building shakes again. I don't think it's going to hold for very long. 

I finish the last line of code and pull up another application. Before I feel comfortable asking Wanda to put this in Bucky's mind, I have to know it's going to work. I refuse to put something that can potentially be faulty in his mind, I will not experiment with this. The application loads too slowly for the limited time we now have. After what seems to be an eternity, the application shows up on the screen.

Thankfully, my work from when I was in Hydra hadn't been erased. They were likely trying to learn from it when I was gone. I had created a replica of Bucky's mind so that I could run tests to see which program would be the most effective. It shows the activity of the brain and how each program would affect it. At least I have one thing to be thankful to Hydra for. 

I hurriedly switch to another application and merge the algorithm with the small part of the gem's matrix I was able to extract. After the incident with Dane, I wasn't able to sleep, so I figured I'd work on extracting what I need out of the matrix. Thankfully the flash drives remained unharmed throughout the ordeal. After I was able to isolate a portion of the matrix I then merged that small portion of the matrix into the copy of Jarvis I had made to create a heightened version of Jarvis that should be able to dynamically think and react based upon the input it receives.

The code was designed to recognize the trigger words for the Soldier and prevent his brain from starting to scramble. Essentially, the algorithm would recognize the pattern and prevent the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex from going dormant and would regulate the rate of communication between the insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. As a failsafe, in case this isn't enough, I also decided to add in a part that would make sure that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the medial prefrontal, along with posterior cingulate cortex areas of the brain retain communication so he doesn't become disconnected from himself like the programming causes.

Hopefully I was thorough enough and correct in my coding skills. I switch back to the simulator and paste the Jarvis hybrid into the simulation and run it. I layered this with the Winter Soldier program and watch what happens. The building shakes again and more concrete falls. I hear the walls start crumbling, we don't have much time. I tap my foot on the ground anxiously. 

The simulation starts up and I lean forward in my seat to closely watch the interactions. I watch how the Soldier program interacts with the algorithm. The simulation completes and I almost can't believe what it's showing. I run it again, I have to be sure. It works for a second time. 

I look up at Wanda and nod my head. I plug in the flash drive that used to house the gem's matrix, which I wiped after I isolated what I needed. I upload this into the flash drive and tuck it in my pocket, just in case something goes wrong as it tends to do. 

The building shakes once more and I see the large cracks in the wall. I don't think we're going to be able to do this here. I rush into the holding cell where we made our makeshift beds and grab the red leather-bound book. I tuck it under my arm and go back to Wanda and Bucky. 

"Wanda, can you get into that computer and get that code?" I ask, voice wavering with nerves. She nods and wastes no time focusing her energy on getting what she needs.

We had discussed how this could be accomplished as I worked on isolating a part of the matrix. Since the Jarvis hybrid is essentially a brain, we thought it would be possible for her to use her powers and absorb the information and then transfer it to Bucky's mind, much like she transferred her memory into my brain. 

I go to Bucky, who's biting the skin around one of his fingernails and bouncing his leg up and down. I crouch so that I'm eye level with him. He looks at me and I see he's scared. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I reach out and cup his face in my hands, making him look into my eyes.

"This is it Bucky. Are you sure you're ready?" I ask. He swallows and continues bouncing his leg. He nods his head,

"I'm ready. You're sure this is going to work?" He asks. We both look at Wanda who seems to be deep in thought and concentration, her red magic connecting her to the computer. I look away and nod,

"I'm one hundred percent sure the code is going to work." The simulation never failed me, and I hope it didn't choose now to start breaking that pattern. Another tremble comes over the building. What is going on out there, and where's Pietro?

I start worrying that Wanda isn't going to have enough time to do what she needs to do. I give this building maybe fifteen more minutes before it collapses. I don't want to break her concentration so instead I focus back on Bucky. He needs all the support he can get right now. 

"Bucky, I promise you that if I had a single doubt it wouldn't work I would not be going through with this. It will work, you will be free." I say and place one of my hands on his shoulder. 

"I trust you." He says and puts his hand on top of mine and gives it a slight squeeze. The building shakes again. I close my eyes and say a silent prayer, begging for this building to stay standing for just a few more minutes. 

"Adalyn." I hear Wanda's voice call for me. I open my eyes and rush to her, she gives me a short nod.

"You're sure?" I ask,

"I have it." She confirms. I lick my lips, and try to decide if we have enough time in this building. Another strong shake comes over the building, answering the question for me. 

"We have to get out of here, we'll do this somewhere else." I say and the three of us rush out of the building. As we speed towards the entrance, large pieces of concrete fall from the ceiling. I hear a large crash and turn, seeing the room being filled with concrete. It's all coming down.

Bucky picks me up and continues running, taking me out of my shock. I watch from over his shoulder as the base begins to crumble. Wanda throws a large piece of concrete out of our way as it falls in our path. As we make it out of the building, the entire thing collapses. 

Bucky continues to carry me as they run into the woods, and instead of the peaceful woodland sounds we were welcomed with a few days ago, there are sounds of screams. I look around and see a massive army of robots. Some are on top of buildings, tearing them apart. 

In the distance, where the capitol is located, I see a few people flying in the air. Wanda and Bucky stop running and I squirm out of Bucky's hold. We all look at the scene unfolding. 

"Is that Tony and Thor?" Bucky asks and points to the people flying. I squint my eyes to try and get a better look. 

"I think it is." I say as a light beam comes from one of them. That's Tony for sure.

"That means Steve is probably there." Bucky says and takes a step towards the city. 

"Bucky we have to do this now." I say. He shakes his head.

"I have to help Steve, I can't let him fight alone." He says and I grab his metal wrist. Shaking my head, I protest,

"He's not alone, he's got the entire team of Avengers helping him out, we don't. Bucky we need to get this done. If you go out there something might happen. I can't let you." I say and tug on his wrist, begging him to not go. We don't even know what's out there, plus, Tony wants us dead. 

Before Bucky can say another word, the ground shakes. The tremor throws us off balance and I struggle to stand. I look around and notice that it seems we're slowly starting to get closer to the clouds.

"What's going on?" I ask, not feeling good about what I'm seeing. I see a Shield ship fly above and park just on the edge of the city. An idea comes to mind.

"We need to get on that ship." I say and point to it. 

"What about Pietro?" Wanda asks. I run a hand through my hair, trying to think of a solution.

"Okay. Pietro is probably in the middle of the fight going on over there. The two of you need to stay out of that fight, you need to stay alive." I say, knowing there's only one answer to this that I'll be able to live with. I pause before I say the rest, quickly coming to terms with what might happen.

"You two get to the ship. Wanda has everything she needs to undo the programming. I'll go to the city and find Pietro. If I don't make it back, Wanda, please undo the programming." I say and I hand both the book and flash drive to Bucky. They'll need them if something goes wrong and I don't make it back. Bucky shakes his head,

"No. I can't lose you." He says. 

"Bucky, this is the only chance we have at undoing this for good. You and Wanda go, I'll find Pietro and bring him to the ship." I say, convincing myself I can pull this off. More than likely it's a death sentence.

"None of us are going to let anyone go alone. So we go together." Wanda says. I hate the idea of them going into the fight but I know she's right. Bucky hands the flash drive and book back to me and I put the drive in my pocket and tuck the book in my waistband, making sure it's secure. This time I'm thankful that Shield's uniforms are uncomfortably tight, they're able to hold the book close to me and still let me run.

"I hate this idea, but let's go." I say and the three of us start to take off towards the city.

I hope we can find Pietro and get onto the ship. I don't think this is going to end well, what goes up must come down.