#smell is also a good way of knowing What Has Gotten Onto My Hand

[dan-crimes]

People really need to use smell more often like I barely hear people talking about the smells of things like memory and thought wise like sure I see it but not nearly enough bcuz I am remembering smells DAILY I just randomly smell something and I'm like Ohohoho my brain is remembering the smell of something right now and then I think about where the smell came from and memories ensues

[lisysturniolo]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐅𝐔𝐌𝐄

𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐘!𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐗 𝐏𝐎𝐂!𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐘!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

𝐀/𝐍: let me know if anyone wants to be on the tag list for any of my other stories! 💖

𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: yes i did go back and update this lolol 👍

you had seen the ad's for it, you had seen it all over social media, you had seen it everywhere and you had become completely infatuated with it. the "pheromone perfume" had become so viral, that it was almost every video you saw. so you had to buy it.

see chris had no idea what was happening. when you told him you were buying something special, his mind went immediately to some lingerie you were going to surprise him with later.

when the package did finally arrive, you were grinning from ear to ear. unboxing it from its fragile packaging, you finally held it in your hands, thinking it's the best seven dollars you had ever spent

when date night finally came, it was a friday. chris had just gotten back from filming with his brothers and they all wanted to go out to dinner. he obviously told you, i mean cmon, your his girlfriend. chris almost bursted through the door and sprawled out all over the bed.

"hi to you too, chris." you giggled, surprised by his actions. he leans his head up and gives you a wave.

"hard day?" you decide you need more of an answer out of him.

"mhm." he mumbles through the comforter, but you could still her him bluntly. he finally picks his head up. "nick and matt were arguing and getting on my ass the entire fucking video," chris huffs, as he gets up to pace the room. "and now they wanna go to dinner to apologize."

your lifted a brow. "are you gonna go?"

"duh, i can never turn down some food." he makes his way over to you. "also hi my gorgeous, beautiful girlfriend. you look so pretty right now." he kisses your forehead.

"hi baby, so am i invited to this dinner?" you smiled, leaning in for a kiss.

"of course, ma, be ready in like 20, i'm hungry as fuck." he breathes out, taking off his shirt and finding a better one to put on.

you smile to yourself and go to put on a better outfit.

after what felt like 20 hours of getting ready, you finish and you decide to top it off with your newest purchase. the pheromone perfume.

you lather the roll of perfume on your neck, wrists, hands, arms, and down your thighs. you giggle to yourself, knowing how chris is gonna react. speaking of chris, here he is bursting through the door.

"hey, you ready?" he looks up from his phone and walks over to you.

"mhm." you slide a ring on your finger and clasp on your necklace. "lets go."

you get up from his gaming chair, heels tapping on the hardwood floor, and walk past him. he's looking down when you walk past him but as soon as he catches your scent, he's all over you.

"is that a new perfume your wearing?" he questions, you grin and tilt your head to the side. "no? the same one i've been wearing."

he walks over to you and shifts your hair so your neck is fully exposed to him. he takes one big wiff. "hey, i feel violated!" you laugh.

"definitely not the one i've smelled on you." he puts your hair back and hugs you.

"mm you smell so good, ma." he breathes on your neck and you try and push him off.

"thank you, now cmon can we eat now?"

you are currently sitting next to chris in the car. he has his head on your shoulder, basically in the crook of your neck, still breathing in your scent. "you smell so good, ma," he waves his hands at you so he can get more of the scent.

"what is that?" he questions. you shrug your shoulders in sarcasm.

"move to my lap." he demands. you look at him like he has said the most disrespectful shit in his life. he clears his throat. "can you please sit on my lap my precious beautiful girlfriend?"

you laugh, "cause you know fucking better." you move onto his lap and his arms go to your waist and his puts his head on your shoulder again.

at the resturant, he doesn't even bother to sit on the opposite side of you at first.

"chris go to that side, you know how i feel about couples sitting on the same side of the booth as others."he complains, but reluctantly agrees.

"you just smell so good, it's actually hurting my head a little." he chuckles.

after dinner, you guys both drove home and got ready for bed. washing your face and listening to music, you feel a pair of hands go to your hips. you look in the mirror and see the familiar face of your boyfriend.

"hi chris." you say flatly, being over to wash your face in the sink.

chris smirks and presses up against you. "hi ma,"

you look up from washing your face and put a towel on it to dry it. "i'll come cuddle in a bit  just need to finish-"

your cut off by chris turning you to face him and kissing you. the kiss didn't last very long. it was needy from chris and relaxed from your prespective. after you were done kissing, he breathes out. "come to bed now, you just smelt so good today, all for me, i gotta repay you somehow."

you laugh, "chris your insane."

"insane for you." and with that, and a slap on your ass, he's out the room, waiting for you so he can repay you.

[mingirn]

heavenly

lee minho x reader

genres: smut, some fluff

warnings: smut, grinding, dry humping, some dirty talk, getting off on the way someone smells, gender neutral reader

notes: titled after the song heavenly by cigarettes after sex

word count: 1,7k

”You smell good,” you say quietly, nose squished against his neck and lips brushing over the collar of his t-shirt as you speak.

”I smell good?” he asks, and you hum. ”Like my perfume? Or just the fact that this shirt is fresh from the wash?”

Minhos voice is humorous, underneath the softness of it he’s poking fun at you.

”Yeah, but also just- you. Your skin, your breath, your hair, your sweat, everything.”

Your hand is under his shirt, resting on his side. His naked skin is so smooth and warm, and with your eyes closed you can recall exactly what it’d feel like to kiss the skin thats underneath your hand. You know exactly what he feels like, every inch of him, you know every little spot on his body from the countless times you’ve kissed all over him. You know what he smells like too, whether he’s just gotten out of the shower and his skin smells like the bodywash he uses, or if he’s just woken up and he smells of sleep. You even love the way he smells when he comes to see you right after practice, when he hasn’t yet washed up and he just smells like himself.

”You’re crazy,” he laughs softly above you, while his fingers stroke over your hair. His voice reverberates through his chest and sounds a little lower when you lay on his chest like this. Everything about this, about him, feels like so much right now. His smell in your nose, his body in your hands, his touch on you, his leg between yours, the very warmth of him so close.

You scoot a little further up, aligning your chest with his so you can burrow into his neck, the tip of your nose brushing against his ear. You give him a quick kiss there, just where his ear meets his jaw and neck, and he shivers from the sudden contact in a place you know he’s sensitive.

Minho must be able to tell that your breath has gotten a little heavier, but he’s kind enough to say nothing of it. You bury your face in his neck, inhaling the scent of his skin. He smells best here, somehow stronger than any other place on his body, here it’s just so richly Minho. Without even thinking you hitch your hand higher, moving from his side up to his chest, letting his shirt bunch around your arm and reveal the skin of his stomach. He smells so good it’s almost makes you dizzy, having all your senses be so full of just him.

”Do you like this?” he asks suddenly. He has dropped the tone he had earlier, no longer teasing you but sounding genuinely curious, or just entirely oblivious. It’s not the first time you’ve commented on his smell, nor the second or the third, and Minho should be more than aware of his effect on you at this point. The fact that he somehow doesn’t know, or perhaps didn’t really realize the depth of it until now has you whining silently into his neck.

”Yeah, I thought you knew,” you mumble sheepishly, pushing closer to Minho as if you’d somehow be able to sink into him to avoid the embarrassment.

”I knew you liked the way I smell. Fuck, I love the way you smell too. I just.. didn’t know you liked it this much,” Minho says.

”Mm, what?”

”This much,” he states, grabbing onto your hips. ”You’re grinding against me.”

Minho is right, but until now you hadn’t noticed the unconscious pull of your hips against his thigh. Suddenly, you become aware of your own body, before you’d been preoccupied taking Minho in, feeling him underneath you and trying to drink in as much of him as you can. Now, you feel pleasant warmth spread through your body, pooling together between your legs where you’re far too effected by all this and somehow you still can’t make yourself stop, even though your boyfriend has drawn attention to it.

”Oh my god,” you whine in embarrassment. Your hips stutter as you try to will yourself to stop, but it just won’t happen, your lips are brushing against the skin of Minhos neck every time you take a breath and he still smells so fucking good, you just can’t bring yourself to stop. Then, you feel his hands wrap around your hips further, fingers digging into the side of your ass, and you realize he’s helping you guide your hips.

”That’s it, there you go,” he says softly. His voice is right by your ear, so close it sends shivers down your spine. ”You should have told me you like it this much.”

”What?” you manage to spit out, trying desperately to stay focused in the moment.

This is something Minho likes to do. He talks to you, asks you questions and makes little statements he fully expects you to answer. He words them like he’s not helping you grind yourself into his thigh, and he’ll do the same when he’s fucking you, not relenting until he’s gotten the reply he wants. It makes you just a little dizzy, how he stays so composed when he’s got you falling apart in his arms and your head always feels so light when you think about how much control he has, not just over you but of himself too.

”If I had known you liked my smell this much I think we could have had some more fun with it,” he says, and you can hear it on his voice that he’s smirking.

”Fuck,” you breathe out. ”What- what fun?”

”Something like this. Or maybe I’d skip showering at the studio, if I knew I’d come home and get you to be like this for me.”

Minho lifts his leg a little, pushing his thigh further between your legs so you have no choice but to ride it. The new angle makes your breath hitch, it feels even better like this and Minho is still controlling your hips, making you yearn for a lot more than just his thigh.

”Really turns me on to know how you get for me, you know that right?” he says. You can tell that he’s hard against the side of your leg, but Minho still grabs your hand and places it over his shorts to make sure you can feel how hard he is. He speaks again, ”Fuck, it makes me so hard, can you feel that? Just for you.”

”Minho, please, please-” you choke out, mouth against his neck. He understands you somehow, reads your mind in that stupid Minho way, and weaves his fingers into the hair at the back of your neck so he can pull you up and then he kisses you.

It’s messy and desperate, even Minho is starting to lose himself and he kisses you as if he’s never kissed before. He’s all tongue and teeth, tasting you and moaning into your mouth when your tongue meets his. It shouldn’t feel as good as it does, but the hurried kisses make your head feel like it’s spinning and all that’s repeating inside of it is Minho saying just for you, just for you, just for you.

It hasn’t been long, you know that, but you’re already starting to get close. Even though your underwear and his shorts are seperating you from feeling him, there’s something so intense about this and about Minho that it hardly matters, and you know it won’t be long until he’s got you making a mess in your underwear. It has your hips faltering a little, unable to keep up with how good it feels. Luckily Minho still has a hold on you, and when he notices that it’s getting harder for you to keep composed he lets go of your head to keep both hands on your hips.

”Don’t stop,” he murmurs into the kiss. You moan into his mouth, a lot too loud and a lot too desperate. ”Want you to be good and cum for me like this, okay? Can you do that?”

You nod fervently, stuttering out something between a ’yes’ and a sob, and he rewards you with a kiss. You lean your forehead against his, eyes shut tight and hands fumbling to get a hold of anything to get your bearings. You want him as close as possibly and somehow this, his mouth mere millimeters from yours, swallowing your breath, isn’t enough.

”Minho, Minho, please. Please, I’m so close-”

”Baby, you can cum whenever you want. Come on, sweetheart, want you to cum for me,” he speaks softly, his own breath erratic from being so worked up.

He starts thrusting up, meeting your hips so you don’t have to do any work, Minho does it all for you when he can tell you’re about to cum. It’s this that finally does it for you, his hands holding you and his hips meeting yours just like he does when he fucks you like this.

Your breath catches in your throat, too overwhelmed and sensitive and still cumming, and Minho doesn’t stop for a second, just talking you through it with mumbles of ”I’ve got you, you’re so good, there you go, angel”.

Your legs are shaking when you finally come down, vision unblurring and lungs catching air again. Minho is rocking his hips ever so slightly to help you ride it out, and when you return to your senses you can feel the cum that’s soaked through your underwear and probably now stains his shorts.

”Oh my god,” you breathe out, slumping down on him. He laughs quietly, stroking your hair and craning his head to kiss your forehead softly. You continue, ”Thank you, Minho, what the fuck.”

”Thank you,” he says. ”I think I’m gonna have a lot of fun with this.”

”Oh, shut up!” You squeeze his arm a little, a pathetic attempt at being intimidating, but your fingers feel fuzzy and you’re still regaining your strength.

”It’s just because I love you so much, you know,” you say. He hums lowly at this, and yet again you know he’s smiling without having to look at him.

”I love you too,” he says. ”Always.”

[unpretty]

from Karen from HR chapter 10:

""I did have an eating disorder for a while, but she didn't even notice that. I read somewhere that most eating disorders are actually about control."

"Mm," Bruce agreed.""

from Gotham High chapter 3:

"""You should eat more real food, too," she added.

"That wasn't real food."

"You know what I mean, though," she said. He didn't respond. "I'm pretty sure you have a disorder." She said it vague and off-hand, as if she didn't actually care; she wasn't sure if she did. He was rich, and he was eating. No one got to that size without eating. He was still better off in every way than most of the people she knew. She could not rationally explain why his careful lists of calories and vitamins felt so wrong to look at, seemed so inhuman.""

the fucking. DETAILS. the stupidly wonderful way you weave character details throughout your stories make me scream. it's so good

also I wonder if he still has that eating disorder??? or at least, disordered eating habit. like, he STILL doesn't like most "junky" foods (I'm specifically thinking of Tim suggesting he try Doritos from Anti-Social chapter 7, and Selina suggesting coney dogs from Stolen moments)

but SOME foods that can be kinda gross he IS okay with and sometimes even seems to prefer (like bad Chinese and hot dogs from Third Wheel chapter 3. I would include gyros from the same chapter and Anti-Social (again) chapter 6 on this list but that shit's tasty. can you tell I've read this collection of fics too many times)

but that doesn't necessarily mean he DOESN'T still have that eating disorder. it could just mean he's gotten very good at gestimating nutritional information and keeping mental track of stuff like that

anyways. I also feel the need to mention his "my father liked to cook" mini-monologue from HR chapter 7, but I don't know how to weave it into here. it just feels important somehow. have a lovely day, I love your writing i'm far too obsessed with it

you missed a couple! >;3

backup:

"I'm not apologizing for the fact that I wanted real food," Nightwing said. He turned around in his seat to look back at Harley. "Have you seen his little protein shake things? "They're his robo-fuel!" "You know he's not a robot." "Yeah, I know that." Harley and Nightwing both looked at Batman.

earlier in stolen moments:

Tim huffed. Then he knocked on the silver-domed lid resting at the desk, covering a dish that rested on a hotplate. "Alfred left a plate." Bruce only glanced at it. "Then eat fast." "It's for you." "I'm not hungry." Tim crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving until you eat." His chin tilted upward, attempting to look implacable. She came out from underneath the desk to circle his legs, and smelled the air. Salt and fat and starch. Bruce stood straighter to look at Tim. Tim immediately faltered. "You have school in six hours," Bruce said. "Go to bed." "... promise you'll eat?" She wound around his legs. "You're aware that I'm the adult here." "Are you going to eat?" "Yes. Bed. Now." Tim sighed. "Night, Bruce."

and there's chapter five of anti-social and probably some other bits in various places

i don't know if orthorexia is really the word for what i write bruce as having, because that's usually associated with Clean Eating and Health and No Processed Foods and that's not really what he does. what he's concerned with is Maximum Efficiency. if he were left to his own devices he would take a multivitamin and then eat mostly peanut butter out of the jar and possibly some kind of whey slurry (which is p much exactly what he's doing in chapter five). protein and calorie density are the priorities.

the foods he favors tend to be things that in his mind don't 'count', foods that made it onto his list early on and now he sticks with them. like cucumbers. or yogurt. a handful of plain kix. when you have an eating disorder and you're carefully tracking everything you develop certain habits and certain 'safe' foods, and even when you try to go back to eating intuitively you still have that list in your head. if he's going to eat Real Food he favors protein-heavy and cheap because it feels like less of a waste that way. he thinks high quality foodie stuff is a pearls before swine situation when he's the target audience for soylent.

he hasn't noticed that he thinks of cheap chinese food as special occasion food, but he does

[sunnysidevans]

Fire & Oceans - J. Seresin

Summmary: Jake Seresin was a man of his word and he fully intends to do so, through oceans and fires, he will always be there for his sweetheart. No matter what.

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Mitchell!Reader

Warnings: 18+, mentions of injury, lots of crying , emotional af. mentions of accidents in a f-18. mentions of death.

a/n: I couldn't help but keep up with these two okay, I wanted jake to have an endgame. You can read this as a stand alone piece but also can be read in additional to this fic

ps: surpise, it's long.

Fall was setting in, yellows and oranges covered the green. A scene you were far from being familiar with. “Sweetheart” pulled from your thoughts, you look over your shoulder towards the front door.

The breeze of Southern Texas followed him in causing a shiver down your spine. You still hadn’t gotten used to the shift of the fall season. “Hey” you smile, tossing the towel onto the counter. Walking to the entryway, leaning against it with a smile.

“Good day?” you ask, hands on your hips. He nods with a chuckle, “These recruits are killing me” he says. You laugh, pushing off the frame, going back to the cutting board. “That's what happens when you become a Captain old man” you smirk, cutting the vegetables for dinner. “Excuse me” he scoffs, making his way into the kitchen. 

He makes his way to you, wrapping his arms around you from behind, chin resting on your shoulder. “I am not old” he whispers with a grin, kissing your jaw. You smile, continuing to prep the vegetable in front of you. 

He makes his way to you, wrapping his arms around you from behind, chin resting on your shoulder. “I am not old” he whispers with a grin, kissing your jaw. You smile, continuing to prep the vegetable in front of you. 

“How was your day?” he asks, looking you up and down as he moves to stand beside you. He takes you in then, the Navy shirt that hung loosely on your body and the pair of boxers you stole from him, the whole outfit stolen from his half of the closet. “It was good, I got to talk to Roos” you smile, tossing the vegetables into the pot.

“How are the birds?” he asks with a smile. You laugh, looking at him as you set the spoon down. “Good, they are planning the wedding as we speak” you smile. Rooster was still stationed in California at Miramar, with Phoenix. “I hope I can get the time to go” you look up at him with furrowed brows. “What?” he shrugs with a smile as he moves closer to you, wrapping you in his arms. “I know how much he means to you, and hell he means alot to me too” he laughs, squeezing your hips.

“I see” you say with a grin, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Now, I can’t believe you haven’t even kissed your boyfriend since I've been home a whole” he looks at the clock then back at you “five minutes”. You laugh, standing up on your tip-toes to kiss him. He hums against your lips, kissing you as if you’d slip from his fingers.

“Okay captain, please go change you smell like jet fuel” you laugh at the look on his face. “Ouch” he puts a hand against his chest as he backs away and out of the kitchen, “right in the heart”. Shaking your head, you turn back to the stove. 

Life was a lot different from two years ago. Two years ago you were sending the love of your life on a dangerous mission he could possibly not come back from. Now you were standing in your shared home in Southern Texas.

Jake got a captain position almost immediately after the Uranium mission, shipping the two of you off. You hear the sound of water running, knowing he decided to shower before dinner, the southern gentleman he was. The sound of vibrating on the table pulls you from your thoughts. You smile, picking the phone up and answering quickly.

“Penny” you grin, leaning against the counter. “How is my favorite Texan?” laughing, you shake your head. “I am fine, how are you?” She has a smile in her voice, one you can hear even without seeing her. “What is going on?” you ask, looking over at the clock.

“What makes you think something is going on?” She's giggling like a schoolgirl. “Because you can’t stop giggling, tell me” she’s mumbling over the phone. “Okay hold on, Pete!” she yells, your father grumbling in the back.

“We have to tell her together” you can hear her whisper as he chuckles. “Tell me what?” you ask, looking over at your own lover making his way down the steps. You put the phone on speaker, looking at him with raised brows. “We’re getting married honey” your father finally says, you gasp. “What?!” you laugh, looking up at Jake as he grins, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

“Oh my god! That’s so exciting!” you smile, “Bout time you did something dad!” he chuckles. “Thanks sweetheart, we’re hoping maybe you can come, Jake too of course” Jake laughs beside you, “I would love to be included”. You say your goodbyes, setting the phone aside.

“I don’t want you to worry about this” you look over at Jake as he looks up from his book. He pulls the glasses off his nose, raising his brows. “What’s that?” he asks, setting his book on the bedside table, wrapping you in his arms and pulling you into his chest. “If you can’t come with me to California for dad’s wedding” he sighs, rubbing your back.

“I am gonna see what I can do sweetheart, you know that” nodding against his chest, you nuzzle deeper into his side. “ I know we will have time but I also know how the Navy works” you whisper, tracing absentminded shapes against his skin. “I don’t want to go without you” he chuckles softly, “I know sweetheart". He kisses the top of your head, pulling your body closer.

“Let me see what I can do first, it’s a few weeks away” he whispers. He didn’t want you to go without him either but Jake was no idiot, he knew how the Navy worked. 

The red circle on the calendar continued to get closer, the days ticking by before the day was here. You were flying to California, without Jake. Standing in the airport as you look up at the man in front of you.

“It's okay” he whispers, cupping your cheeks. He stood in uniform, running from base to see you off. “I’ll miss you” you whisper, kissing his palm. Looking up at him through your lashes, he felt your tiny hands on his heart, squeezing. He nods, his own sad smile. “I know honey but I will hopefully be there for the wedding itself, I promise” he whispers, kissing your nose.

“Call me when you land, I don’t care the time” he insists, watching as you are slowly making your way to the gate. “I am not waking you in the middle of the night” he shakes his head, hands on his hips.

“I do not care” his voice is stern, you smirk. “No need to go captain on me, I get it” he smirks, sending you a wink. “I love you” you stop at the gate, looking back at him, he can see the tears in your eyes from where he stood.

“I love you” you say, watching the sag of his shoulders as he sends you another loving smile.

Two weeks of an empty home finally catching up with him.

“She should be landing any minute,” Bradley says, looking from his phone back to Maverick and Penny. She smiles, standing between the two boys.

“I love how excited you are '' he chuckles, looking at Maverick and then back to her. “She’s practically my sister, and then Hangman scoops her up and whisks her away” he shakes his head, a slight scowl on his face.

“Bradley Bradshaw!” he looks up at the sound of his name, laughing loudly. You stood at the top of the escalators, hands on your hips and a pair of aviators on your face.

“(Y/N) Mitchell, get your ass down here!” Maverick laughs, moving to the end of the escalators to wrap you in his arms. “Hi!” you laugh, hugging him back as tightly as he was hugging you. “Look at you!” he grins, looking you over. “Texas is doing you good” he says, giving your shoulder a squeeze.

“Okay let me see her, '' Bradley says, looking between the two of you. “Get over here” he pulls you into his chest, face squeezed between his pecs. “Roos'' you giggle, hugging him back tightly as his chest rumbles. “Hi Dove,” he smiles, kissing the top of your head and gives you an extra squeeze.

Penny then moves in, pulling you from Bradley to give you a tight hug. “Save me” she whispers in your ear with a laugh. The two of you laugh, linking arms and making your way outside.

“No Jake?” Maverick asks from the front seat, you shake your head as you look out the window. The trees pass in a blur, greens and blue from the ocean. “He’s gonna try coming, talking to his superiors and all '' he nods, looking back at you.

“I havent been away from him in a while, it feels really stupid to be upset about it” you chuckle as he shakes his head. “It’s not sad sweetheart, he’s the love of your life, we understand '' you smile at him, leaning against Bradley beside you.

“I’d be lost without phoenix” he whispers, looking down at you with his own shy smile.

The drive back to Bradley's apartment was quiet. "I will see you soon okay?" Maverick asks, head out the window as you and Bradley make your way to the door. You nod with a smile, "of course! I will see you soon". He smiles, waving to you and Bradley as Penny speeds away with a laugh.

Making your way up the flights of stairs, panting as you make it to the door. "I am not used to these, how did I live here?" you mumble as Bradley laughs, opening the door. You stop in your spot, looking down at the vibrating phone in your hand, smiling. “Hey you” biting back your grin, making your way to the guest bedroom. “Hey gorgeous” Jake’s voice is deep, full of sleep.

“What are you doing up?” you ask, sitting down on the bed, looking at the time. “It’s late” he shrugs knowing you can’t see him. “I wanted to make sure you made it” his voice is slurring as he fights off sleep. “I did, we just made it back to the birds” he chuckles, a sleepy smile on his lips.

“Alright sweetheart” he yawned loudly, he knew he should sleep. “I can’t sleep without you here” he admits, his voice soft. “Oh my love” you smile, hugging his hoodie closer to your body. “I can’t sleep without you either, hopefully it’s just a few days and you can fly out here” he nods, sighing heavily.

“I love you” you smile, chuckling. “I love you too Captain” he chuckles, rolling over to face your side of the bed. “Go to bed” you smile as his snores fill the speaker.

Within days wedding planning was in full swing. “Wait, so you want to get married here?” you look up from the notebook, looking between Penny and your father. She nods, looking at him then back to you, “I mean this place means so much to the both of us, it only makes sense” she shrugs. He nods in agreement, “I mean, it also saves us some money” he grins. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he looks between the two of you with a sheepish smile.

“I’ll be right back” he places a kiss on Penny's head and walks away. “So” she leans on her elbows on the bar top, looking you up and down. You raise a brow at her as she grins, “how’s Hangman?” she asks.

You smile at the thought of your boyfriend, “he’s great, he loves being able to be home. He likes getting to see his family whenever he wants” you nod. She smiles, “I mean you both look so happy, I see the photos you sent your dad" she hesitates, biting her lip. She looked like she was having an internal battle with thoughts.

“When’s he gonna ask you to marry him again?” she asks as you choke on the water you were sipping. “What?” you ask, coughing.

“I mean the man is swooning for you, I can’t believe he hasn’t done it” she shrugs with a smile. “I don’t know if I’m ready to marry him yet” you admit, looking at her. She nods slowly, watching your face as she sighs.

“I know, I want you two to be happy. I also know that it takes a lot to build trust” She takes your hand, you notice the glint of her engagement ring from the sun, you smile.

“I mean, the two years we’ve been in Texas has been nothing but wonderful, I have fallen in love with him all over again” she grins, the blush making its way to your cheeks.

You wave goodbye to penny as she pulls out of the small parking lot, making your way back up the flights of stairs you were starting to hate.

“Oh, Honey!” you walk through the door with a laugh, stopping at Phoenix and Rooster sat on the couch together. “Oh-” you cut yourself off, shutting the door quietly.

Phoenix sent daggers in your direction.

“I’m sorry” you whisper, walking towards the hallway. “Dove, c’mon come watch something with us” Bradley looks over the back of the couch at you with a smile. You shake your head, sending him a smile. “That’s okay! You two spend time together, I’m a little tired” you walk down the hall before he can protest.

“Why is she staying here again?” Phoenix asks, looking at her boyfriend. “This was her place first honey, it seemed only fitting, she took me in when we were brought back” he looked down at his girlfriend. She nods, falling into his chest with a huff. Looking at the clock, biting your lip as you contemplate the time in your head. “Screw it” you whisper more to yourself, calling the number you knew by heart.

The phone rang and then Jake’s voice picked up.

“Captain Jake Seresin, leave a message” you smile at the sound of his voice, hanging the phone up before the tone.

You felt alone without your boyfriend in a world full of people you loved dearly. Falling into the bed, you sigh. Looking at the ceiling you set the phone beside you. Penny’s question lingering in your head.

Did you want to marry Jake again? It had not come up in the last two years as you were just learning the other again. In the world of your thoughts, you fell asleep.

The knock on the door a few hours later pulls you from sleep, “what?” you mumble. “Dove, can I come in?” Bradleys voice is soft. “Sure Roo” looking at your phone, nothing but the photo of you and Jake. You were starting to get worried about him. The bed dips as you look up to see Roosters brown eyes.

“You okay?” he asks, hand resting on your knee and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’m fine” you sit up, crossing your legs over the other, watching his face. “I’m sorry about Natasha” he looks at you, face full of sympathy. Shaking your head as you smile at him, “Don’t be sorry”. He shrugs, “I don’t want you mad at me” he whispers as you chuckle. Moving closer to him, you wrap him in your arms hugging him tightly.

“I’m far from mad at you” you whisper, resting your head on his. He falls into your chest, giving your arm a squeeze. “Are you okay?” he whispers, sitting up to look over your face.

“I haven’t heard from Jake in almost forty eight hours” you sit back in the pillows, shrugging. “I’m worried” he looks at you, sighing. “Have you talked to your dad? He might know something” shaking your head, hugging yourself as you sigh.

“No, I haven’t. I don’t want to worry him with my worries, especially with his wedding coming up” he nods. “I’m sure Hangman will be okay, he will call before you know it” he chuckles watching the smile on your face.

The Hard Deck was covered in flowers, multiple colors and multiple types. Penny’s favorite being a sunflower, each table set with a sunflower in a vase. “Sweetheart” you look up at the sound of Penny’s voice, who is standing in the doorway smiling.

You had decorated the Hard Deck for the reception that was to take place in 5 hours.“This is beautiful'' you grin, looking at her. “You like it?” she nods eagerly, moving to hug you tightly. “I love it,'' she whispers, pulling you at arm's length with a concerned look on her face.

She could sense the upset even behind your wide smile, she knew you better than that to let it go.

“What is it?” you ask, resting your hand ontop of hers, “what’s going on?” her tone is serious. Furrowing your brows, she gives you the look that could only say, 'spill it'.

“Jake has gone radio silent” she frowns, moving the two of you to a table to sit. “Have you talked to Pete?” you shake your head, “he has enough going on” she smiles, looking at you.  She looks down at the sound of your phone vibrating on the table, she nods towards it.

“Go ahead and answer that '' you send her a sad smile, nodding.

“Hello?” The line is staticy but clear as day, “Hi, is this Mrs.Seresin?” it brings a blush to your cheeks, you were not Jake’s wife but to be referred to as that made your heart speed up. “Um, yes yes this is" you stand from the table, walking away from Penny.

“Ma’am I am sorry to inform you, there’s been an accident with Captain Seresin"

Putting a hand over your mouth to cover your gasp as tears form in your waterline. “He’s just been recovered this morning” you sob.

“We have brought him here to the hospital on base but I think it's best you get here when you can” the woman's voice was nothing but background noise. “Okay, I-I will be there as soon as I can'' you hang up quickly.

“It’s Jake, I-I have to go” you grab your bag off the counter, rushing to the door. 

12 hours of auto-pilot, 12 hours of flights, 12 hours of silence. You weren't even sure how you safely made it to the hospital, running on nothing but pure adrenaline.

The beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound you heard.  “Mrs.Seresin?” the doctor is making his way into the room as you stand. “Hi” he smiles sadly at you, holding his hand out to shake your own.

“I am Dr.Wilson, I have been caring for your husband since his arrival” you nod, hugging yourself as you look over at Jake. You didn’t have the heart to correct the doctor or anyone who referred to you as Jake’s wife.

“He’s got some extensive injuries, many we are monitoring. The main one is the swelling in his brain from the crash" His voice is sincere. “Is he gonna make it?” your voice is hoarse as you look between jake and Dr.Wilson, he smiles sadly. “We need to see if Captain Seresin’s pressure evens out and if the swelling in his brain goes down, the rest of him will heal” you nod, everything sounding foregin to you. “I will be honest with you Mrs.Seresin, he's not out of the woods until he wakes up' you nod.

“i will leave you with him for now, I will be in to check on him soon” he gives your shoulder a reassuring squeeze, walking out of the room.

You take a deep breath, taking in your boyfriend's state. He laid in the bed, bruises all over his face, his arm in a sling with the tube helping the rise and fall of his chest. He looked so small in the bed. You sit back down in the chair beside him, curling up in the seat as you sob.

The hospital room was silent, the slow rise and fall of his chest was the only ease you felt. You watched as the bruises on his face became more purple, the busted lip becoming more split. There was no timeline for him waking up, he could be out longer than he already had, which was about three days.

The vibrating of your phone, pulls your eyes from his face to the phone, you answer. “Hello?” you are shocked at the voice at the other end, “is he okay?”.

Natasha Trace had a nervousness in her voice as she spoke. “For the time being” you say, reaching out to take Jake's hand, resting your joined hands beside him on the bed.

“Listen” she sighs, “I’m sorry, no one should have to go through this, especially with the one they love'' you nod, knowing she can’t see you. “Thank you, I appreciate that" she nods, looking at Bradley who sits with concern on his face.

“What if I never get a chance?” you whimper, she frowns. “Chance for what?” she asks, you look up to avoid more tears as you sniffle. “To tell him how much I love him, to-to tell him that I’d spend the rest of my life beside him” you sigh, wiping your cheeks quickly.

“What if we’ve lost time?” you whimper, covering your mouth to muffle the sobs.  “I’m sorry, um- thank you for calling. I will definitely tell him” she’s sitting up on the couch, “hey, it’s okay (y/n), Hangman knows that''.

You smile sadly, “thanks for saying that, I will talk to y’all soon” hanging up the phone before she can continue, letting the tears roll down your cheeks silently. 

"Phoenix just called" you whisper, squeezing his hand. "The bird has a soft spot for ya, cowboy" you smile sadly, kissing his knuckles.

Standing in the hallway the fluorecent lights were brighter than in the hospital room. You look up at Dr.Wilson who was giving you the daily update on Jake's condition.

“Can he fly again?” you ask, voice hoarse, it was the first time you spoke in hours. Dr. Wilson sighs, “Unfortunately, we won't know until he wakes up, we don't know the extenet of the injury to his head and his brain” you nod, looking at him with a sad smile.

“I know this is something he will want to know '' he nods. “When can we expect him to wake up?” you ask, the doctor sighs, watching over your face. “I’m not sure, he’s been out of it now for about four days but from what we can see his swelling is going down so, hopefully soon” you nod. “Why don’t you head home? Grab something to eat or shower?” shaking your head, you sigh.

“I’m not leaving him” you nod towards the door, walking back into Jake's room. Standing at the end of the bed you watch the rise of his chest. You pick at your cuticles, a habit you knew Jake hated. 

Taking a deep breath, you pick up your phone from the end of the bed, hoping they were awake as you hit call. “Sweetheart” Penny’s voice is soft, sitting up from the bed beside your father. “Hi mom” you whisper, closing your eyes tightly. 

She stops as she looks at your father beside her,  you have gotten in the habit of calling her mom. “What is it?” she asks, voice soft. All you wanted was a hug.

“What if I lost him?” you watch the rain run down the window. “You didn’t, he’s okay, what did the doctors say?” she asks, your father sits up beside her, holding a hand out to her to take the phone. She shakes her head as you continue on.

“He’s gonna be okay, they think. It looks like the swelling in his brain is going down so, they are hoping by end of day today or tomorrow he will wake up" you sigh. “I called his mom, she’s on her way” she nods. “I will book a flight baby, hell I will fly to you myself.” you close your eyes tighter at the sound of your fathers voice. “That’s not necessary dad” you whisper, voice cracking.

“I’m sorry I missed the wedding” you say, she shakes her head, “no sweetheart you didn’t”. Furrowing your brows, you look back at Jake and back out the window.

“We canceled until you both can be here” she says, picking up on your confusion. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that” she chuckles, “yes we did”. The opening of the door pulls your gaze from the window to over your shoulder, Jake’s mom stood in the doorway with his father. “I-I gotta go” she nods, “we love you sweetheart” you share ‘ I love you's and hang up.

“Oh honey” Lisa, Jake’s mother, is pulling you into her arms. In the time you’ve moved to Texas to be with Jake, the Seresin’s have become quite fond of you. “Hi” your voice is soft, hugging her just as tight. “How’s my boy?” she asks, moving to sit beside him, taking his non injured hand “He’s got a few broken ribs, a broken arm as well as some swelling in his brain” she gasps, looking up at you.

“Hence why he hasn’t woken up yet” your words slow as the machines pick up. “Honey” she’s standing beside her son, holding his hand tightly. “We’re here honey, all of us, your dad, me and (y/n)” she smiles as his heart monitors pick up.

Rushing out of the room, you yell down the hall.

“I need a doctor in here!”

The rush of nurses and doctors make their way into his room, checking his pulse and checking him over. You stand in the hallway, watching as the nurses continue rushing into the room, frozen.

He’s groaning. The first sign of life for Jake Seresin.

You sob, sliding down the wall outside of his hospital room. Sobbing into your knees, not noticing the presence beside you. Glen, Jake’s father, stood beside you.

He crouches down, hands on your shoulder as he pulls you into a hug. “He’s okay sweetheart” he whispers holding you as your body shakes with sobs. His hand rubbing soothingly circles on your back. “It’s okay” he’s not sure if he’s reassuring you or himself. “C’mon sweetheart, I know he wants to see you” he’s helping you off the ground, hand on your lower back to lead you into the room.

Jake’s smile could light up a dark room at the sight of you. You stand at the back of the room, hugging yourself as the tears continue to roll down your cheeks. You wanted to give him the chance with his mother and father.

“Can I have a minute with my girl?” he asks, his voice hoarse as he looks up at his mom as she nods, wiping her own tears. She gives your shoudler a gentle squeeze as she exits the room. You can hear she's already calling Jake's older sister, Lauren. The room is then silent, just you and Jake. “Sweet girl” he holds his hand out, his left hand that you’ve spent days holding.

“C’mere” his voice is pleading, far from the Jake you are used too. Jake was alive. You make your way beside him, going to sit in the chair but he stops you, pulling your body to sit beside him. Reaching out, you cup his cheek, smiling a teary smile. “I’m okay” he whispers, leaning into your hand. “You weren’t two days ago” you say, stroking his cheek gently.

He nods, looking over your face, reaching up with his good hand to wipe the stray tears. “Jake Seresin you scared the shit out of me” he chuckles softly, “I’m sorry”.

“I kept my word though” he smiles as you furrow your brows. “I told you I would fight through fire and swim through oceans” you scoff.

“This is far different Jake, you were in an accident” you shake your head as he sighs. “It doesn't change that I made it back to you” sighing, wiping your cheeks quickly as you nod.

Resting your hand on his chest, confirming to you, he was alive.

“Mrs.Seresin” you look up at the nurse, Jake smirks from his spot. “We just need to ake him for some tests” you nod, standing from the bed.

“I’ll see you soon” he smirks, winking at you follow beside him out of the hospital room. Stopping in the doorway as they wheel him down the hallway.

“Dove!” you look up at the sound of footsteps. “Roos?” you look over your shoulder, watching as he runs down the hallway. “Rooster!” you run to him, body colliding with his as he wraps you in his arms.

He’s panting, hugging you tightly. “Bradley” you chuckle, hugging him tighter, “What are you doing here?” you pull away, meeting Natasha’s eyes from behind you. “I’m here for you” he says with a smile. “Well you are in time” you whisper, squeezing his hand as he looks at you with furrowed brows.

“He’s awake” he grins, pulling you back into a hug. Two additional arms wrapping around you, Phoenix wraps you in her arms tightly. The three of you stood there, wrapped in the other.

“I told you” she whispers, looking at you with a knowing smirk. You nod, giving her arm a squeeze. "Yes you did, I need to start believing you from now on" she laughs.

+

Walking through the hospital, you sigh at the smell. A smell that is going to follow you now through the rest of your life. Spending two months in this hospital was enough for you, never wanting to see a hospital again. Pushing through the Therapy door, you smile.

Standing in the doorway of the gym, you watch as Jake and the therapist continue to whisper to each other, unknown of your pressence.

Jake was in his final steps of rehab, rebuilding his strength from his time in his coma. “There’s my girl” you look up to meet the green eyes you can’t help falling in love with all over again.

“Hi Captain” you grin, pushing off the doorway to make your way into the room. He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you against his sweaty chest. You cringe with a smirk, “god you stink”. 67He laughs, kissing the top of your head .

“I will leave you two alone” the therapist nods, walking out of the room as Jake moves to sit on the bench. “I want to ask you something,” he says, voice full of seriousness. “What's that?” you ask, moving to sit infront of him on the opposing bench.

“Why didn't you correct the nurses when they called you Mrs.Seresin?” you blush, looking away from him biting your lip. “I-I guess I just didn’t think to” you admit. He grins, looking over your face. “I didn’t hate the idea” he says, looking at you with what you called his captain face.

He reaches out, pulling you to sit on his lap, straddling his waist. “When they called me” you take a deep breath, reliving the whole thing again. “Asking me if I was Mrs.Seresin, i didn’t even hesitate. I was worried sick about you, I don't think it even clicked with me at the time.” you shrug, looking at him with a smile. He smirks, cupping your cheeks. “You have been Mrs.Seresin for quite some time, whether it’s on paper or not” you grin, leaning into his hands. “Oh really?” he grins, it met his eyes for the first time in weeks, nodding.

“You and me against the world sweetheart, that’s how it’s always been. Through fire and oceans” you smile, nodding as you connect your lips to his. He pulls you closer, arms around you fully. The first time in about a month that he could fully wrap both arms around you.

You cup his cheeks, whispering, “you and me” he smiles. He nods against your hands, “through oceans and fires”.

You pull away from him, standing from his lap as he groans. His hand staying in yours. “Okay casanova, let's get back to work” his therapist, Ruby says.

A sweet older woman who did not put up with his shenanigans. “Sorry Ruby, just lovin up on my wife” he winks turning towards Ruby. 

+

San Diego California, the perfect breeze from the ocean made it's way across your skin as you stand on the deck of the Hard Deck. This was something you were used to, being kissed by the ocean in November.

It was a perfect day for a wedding. Standing in the sundress, you take a deep breath. “(Y/N)!” you smile at Ameilia who is standing in the doorway, “mom needs you”.

Making your way to the small room at the top of the Hard Deck, you stop in the doorway with a smile. Penny stood in the white dress, looking up from the mirror as she struggled to zip it. “Mom” she stops, looking back at you with a shy smile. “Some help?” she asks as you nod, walking towards her.

Zipping the dress, you smile at her in the mirror. The flowers in her hair were simple sunflowers. “You look beautiful” she smiles, turning around to hug you tightly. “Thank you” she whispers, cupping your cheek. “So do you, both of you" she smiles.

Amelia moves to stand beside the two of you as you feel your phone vibrating in your dress. You smile, looking between the two of them, “I will be back”.

They nod, moving together as you shut the door behind you. “Hello?” putting the phone to your ear, you can hear the grin in his voice.

“Hi sweet girl” blushing, he grins from his place in the airport. “How’s the wedding coming?” he asks as you chuckle. “Well, I am getting ready to go see dad and we are getting this thing on the road,the squad is already outside” you laugh, watching the other pilots.

“I think Coyote is already a few champagnes deep,” he laughs. Jake couldn’t make it to the wedding with you but insisted that you go without him. What you didn’t know is two days ago, he got the clear from Ruby that he could fly.

So he booked the first flight to San Diego. 

“I’m sorry I’m missing it” he smirks, making his way out of the airport. You shrug, watching the group out the window, smiling at Bradley and Natasha together.

“It’s okay, I know dad understands, I understand” you whisper, picking at your cuticles. “I love you” he smiles, hauling down his taxi. “I love you sweet girl, I want lots of pictures of you in that sundress” you chuckle, shaking your head.

“Okay cowboy, I will make sure of it” you smile up at Bradley as he walks in the door, shutting it quietly behind him. “I’ll call you later okay?” he nods, “sounds wonderful sweetheart, I love you” hanging up the phone, smiling down at the photo of the two of you. 

You look up at Bradley who smiles. "Ready?" he holds a hand out to you, smiling you take it in your own, walking to the room your father was in.

Knocking on the door, you smile at your fathers voice. Opening the door at his request, you chuckle at him struggling in the mirror. “Dad, you have got to know how to tie a tie” you shake your head, walking to him. He turns to face you, stopping.

“Oh look at you” he rests his hands on your arms, looking you up and down. “You look beautiful" he looks from you to the brunette standing behind you, “you look very handsome, Bradley”. He chuckles, walking to the two of you. “Thanks Mav, now let's tie this tie” he grins, taking the two ends beginning to tie it.

“I can’t believe you are marrying Penny” Bradley says as Maverick chuckles. “Me either, I keep thinking about what your father would say about it” Bradley smiles at the mention of Goose. “Uncle Goose is probably shocked” you say from your spot on the couch.

Both men laugh, looking at you as Bradley finishes tying the tie. “You are probably right” he nods, sitting beside you, taking your hand. “I’m glad you are here” Maverick smiles, squeezing your hand. “I know how hard the last few months have been, I know how hard it probably was leaving Hangster” you laugh, nodding. “He’s okay, I’m okay” you squeeze his hand, standing from the couch.

“I will see you boys outside” you wink, “Let's have a wedding damn it!” you yell, shutting the door behind you. Walking towards the beach, a hand reaches out to grab you.

Pulling you through the doors, Phoenix smiles. “Natasha” you smile, looking her up and down. It was different from her usual khaki and slicked back bun, loose curls and a beautiful red sundress.

“I’m sorry” you furrow your brows, looking at her with a smile. “Why?” you chuckle, she sighs before smiling. “I should’ve never treated you the way I did, I see now how much you love Bradley and Jake” you smile, looking at her. “I’ve known Bradley since he and I were in diapers, I witnessed a lot of things I probably shouldn't have, stories for you later” you laugh as she does, nodding. “I fell in love with Jake when I came to North Island, Bradley tried talking me out of it, more times than I think I can count” she nods with a laugh, as she smiles.

“I love Bradley but the way he looks at you” reaching out, you squeeze her shoulder. “It’s you Natasha Trace, he is swooning for you hard" you wink, linking your arms together to walk out onto the sand. 

Everyone made their way to their seats, flowers lined the sand as you stood at the end of the aisle on the steps. Watching as Bradley and your father walked out together, standing at the end of the aisle.

The music hadn’t started yet for Penny’s arrival, you furrow your brows. “Now, I didn’t miss walking a bridesmaid down the aisle, did i?” you knew that voice immediately.

Looking up, Jake stood at the top of the stairs, a smirk on his lips. He stood in his dress whites, Ameilia stood beside him with her own smirk. You close your eyes, biting back your growing smile.

“No officer, you didn’t” you grin, walking to meet him at the end of the steps. “You can’t show up my own father ya know?” you whisper as he shrugs, taking his hat off.

“C’mon, I want the chance to walk my girl down the aisle” you chuckle, linking your arm with his as he holds the other out. Furrowing your brows as Ameilia is linking her arm with his other. “You look beautiful too” he whispers to her, as she smiles up at him.

The three of you walk down the aisle, he kisses your cheek as he sends you and Amelia to the side. As he’s going to sit, Maverick pulls his elbow to stand him beside Bradley. “Welcome back Captain” Bradley whispers, holding a hand out to him. The two shake hands as the music starts, Penny standing at the top of the stairs with a smile on her lips.

She winks at you as she walks down the aisle, choosing to walk alone. You hold a hand out to her as she makes it to you, moving her in front of your father and holding her bouquet.

You watch the ceremony with tears in your eyes, eyes moving between the two of them and back to your boyfriend. He winks, clapping as everyone else cheers. "I now introduce you to, Mr and Mrs. Admiral Mitchell!" you laugh, clapping.

Maverick scoops her up in his arms, walking down the aisle as she laughs. "Drinks inside!" she says through her laugher.

Bradley meets Phoenix at her seat, linking arms with her as they walk inside. You smile, standing in your spot. “Go ahead” you whisper to Ameila, as she laughs and jogs to catch up to the two of them.

An arm slipping around your waist pulls your eyes from the group and up to meet his emeralds. “Hi sweet girl” he whispers, kissing your forehead. Moving to fully wrap your arms around his neck, you smile. “How did you even get here, and let alone keep this a secret from me?” you ask, hand resting on his chest.

A habit he has noticed in the last few months, you always rested a hand over his heart.

“Ruby cleared me to fly two days ago” he smirks, watching the shock over your face. “And you lied to me!” you defend as he laughs, pulling you closer to his chest. “Listen” he whispers, looking over your face, nothing but love in his eyes.

“I wanted to keep it a secret, surprise you” he smiles, kissing your cheek. “I have other motivates” he continues as you furrow your brows. “And what's that cowboy?” he smiles.

“I remember about two years ago, someone confessed to me on this beach she never wanted to give her heart to a stranger” you blush, nodding.

“So, I have my own confession” he whispers, reaching up to cup your cheek. “(Y/N) Mitchell, four years ago I walked into this bar and found you serving drinks and you took my breath away” he smiles at the blush on your cheeks as you tried looking away from him.

He turns your chin back to face him. “I promised myself from that day, I was gonna marry the woman from behind the bar, god damnit I was gonna marry Captain Mitchell's daughter” he smirks as you giggle.

“And I tried, and that didn't happen, we didn't work out” you roll your eyes as he smiles. “Then, I got called back to Top Gun, called back to you.” he feels the tears in his waterline now, watching over the love that was held in your eyes. “You forgave me and packed up your life to spend it with me” he nudged his nose against yours, moving to stroke your cheek with his calloused thumb.

“I felt complete again for the first time in years, and then I thought I lost that chance,” he admits. In the months after his accident, Jake rarely talked about what happened.

“I thought I was going to die (y/n), I thought I was going to leave you alone in this world, I thought about how I never had the chance to tell you” he gulps, licking his lips. “I never would get to tell you how I want to spend the rest of my life by your side, I want to be your husband and a father to our children” he grins, catching a tear with his thumb.

“I fought to keep my promise, I was gonna swim through that ocean until I found my way home to you” you chuckle through the tears. “I don’t want to take away from your Dad and Penny” he says, moving away from you. “But, I’m not gonna let us leave this place, our place” he motions to the beach.

“I told you I loved you the first time on this beach, we had so many dates on this beach, this is our beach” he smiles, looking around. “So” he pulls the box from his pants pocket, moving to one knee in front of you.

You gasp, hand moving to cover your mouth. What the two of you didn’t know was, Bradley and Natasha stood in the window. “(Y/N) Mitchell, let’s put it on paper shall we? Will you marry me, again?” he grins as you laugh.

“Oh my god, yes!” he laughs, standing as he spins your body around. Your arms wrap around his neck tightly, laughing. He slides the small delicate band on your finger, one you knew instantly. “Your moms” you whisper, more to yourself than him as he smiles, nodding. “It is” you look up at him with a smile.

Cupping your cheek, he pulls your body closer to his. “I will keep my promise, now and forever” you grin, leaning up to kiss him, pulling him closer by the back of his neck. “Whooo!” you both pull away, chuckling as Bradley claps from the deck.

“Another wedding! Yes!” he laughs with smirk. Jake wraps you in his arms, smirking. “Next it’ll be you birds!” he points out, smirking at the blush on Phoenix's cheeks and the nervous laugh from Bradley.

Jake Seresin felt content with his life for the first time in years. He smiles at the grin on your face as your cheek rests on his shoulder, watching the waves of the ocean.

“Through oceans” he whispers, kissing your temple.

“And fire, Cowboy” you wink, connecting your lips.

-

if you enjoyed this fic , you can find all my other work in my library here <;-

i swear one day I will write a short Jake fic, will it happen? probably not but I can't stop myself. If you enjoyed this, reblogs & comments are always welcome!

[ssahotchnerr]

appointments

summary: you're afraid, anxious, nervous; and aaron will stop at nothing to comfort you.

for the lovely @ssamorganhotchner <3 cw; description of anxiety, reader doesn't eat due to anxiety, mentions of food, type of appointment not specified - can be either the doctor, dentist, etc., just a whole lotta aaron fluff <333

you had one moment of peace.

the sun was shining through the blinds, you could vaguely hear birds chirping outside, your mind clear and hazy due to sleep. it felt like a normal day, until everything slowly started fading back into your head.

growing up, you hated appointments. hated them. you would rather give an arm and a leg than attend a regular check up, of any kind. it caused the utmost amount of anxiety to fill you from head to toe, and nothing has changed as you've gotten older. uncomfortable, silent waiting rooms - the perfect interlude for heightening worries, the peculiar smell only a doctor office's could possess, even the fluorescent lights made a chill run up your shine. and not to mention, the whole appointment itself.

with a huff you rolled out of bed, tears pinching behind your eyes. luckily your appointment was early enough, meaning it would be done by mid-day. 'just a few hours from when you wake up,' aaron had said as the two of you settled into bed the night before, one of the many reassurances he had offered, 'and it'll be over before you know it.'

speaking of aaron, it also partially didn't help you had woken alone in bed. while he had awoken you briefly to give you your kiss goodbye, he had to take jack to school before heading into the office.

you had taken the day off work, knowing you would need it - due to the anxieties before and the hum that lingered once it ended. and aaron had insisted you sleep in as much as possible.

internally, you repeated all the comforting words he had provided as you ran through your morning routine, knowing that they were the only stamina you needed to actually get through the whole ordeal.

you eventually trailed into the kitchen, freezing at the sight of aaron pouring himself a cup of coffee. his eyes easily found yours as he sensed your presence.

"what are you still doing home?" you gaped at aaron, blinking at him in disbelief, debating whether or not him standing there was a figment of your imagination. he wasn't wearing his usual suit either, but rather a pair of jeans and his orange sweater.

"i decided to take the morning off." aaron answered, and then gestured to his steaming mug. "breakfast?"

you shook your head, nerves always unsettled your stomach and made it impossible for you to eat. "but, why?"

"so i could take you to your appointment." he answered earnestly, his sweet brown eyes softening.

the sting behind your eyes resumed, tears threatening to spill. "really?"

"of course. there was absolutely no way i was going to be sitting at my desk all day, knowing you weren't having a good one." he crossed the kitchen to reach you, his hands finding place on your waist. "we'll do this together."

your only way of response was to bury your head into the middle of aaron's chest, your arms wrapping around him tightly.

the car ride over, aaron kept you busy, allowing your mind to stay occupied and not wander. he asked what you wanted to do this weekend, explained the new coaching technique he and dave had come up with for jack's soccer team, the school project jack had coming up. anything normal he could think of. aaron also made sure to have a hand on you for the entirety of the ride, whether it was clutching onto your hand or your thigh, his thumb rubbing small, soothing circles.

but normal couldn't distract you as he pulled into the parking lot, your palms sweating in anticipation immediately. and it certainly didn't distract you as the two of you approached the office's door.

"hey." aaron grabbed your hand, pulling you back and stopping you. "look at me for a second."

with a sigh, you gingerly gazed up at him. your hands were also shaking slightly.

"it'll all be okay, you hear me?" he asked softly, while you timidly nodded your head. "and i'm proud of you." his lips pressed to your forehead for a moment. "you're being so brave."

you scoffed faintly, "easy for you to say. you catch serial killers for a livin-"

"hey hey hey," aaron interrupted, shaking his head and grabbing onto both your hands now. "no. if something scares you, it scares you. and facing it, no matter how big or small, makes you so incredibly brave. so again, i'm proud of you."

you bit down onto your lip to keep it from wavering. you were close to tears - half due to your fear, but half because of how sweet aaron was. how understanding.

"i'll be here the whole time. and then we can go do something fun afterwards okay?" aaron offered, his eyebrows lifting lightly. "since you didn't have breakfast, we can go try that new cafe that just opened up. how does that sound?"

again, you could only nod.

"okay." he placed another kiss on your forehead, and then one onto your lips. "i love you. and you can do this, alright? i have no doubts about it."

[gutterfuuck]

ok all i can think of is super pervy & creepy incel mark w a reader who lowk knows he’s super weird and creepy with her but is like…into it. like he steals her underwear and gets off on the smell of her and she knows and is just like 🤷‍♀️😊 like maybe she finds a fucking box of her underwear under his bed while they’re hanging out and he’s like oh fuck i swear it’s not what it looks like and she’s like :0 okay but do you want another pair? 😊😊

“ and in addition to my other ask; what would be even better is a reader who is so like fucked up mentally over being into it (bc uhhh she doesn't think she should be so into her best friend being a fucking creep) and mark can tell and he's like ok so ur just a little pervert like me!— ☆ “

this is so good anon omggg—- it would also be an interesting idea to have a reader who’s kind of a bully/mean girl towards mark + he retaliates (😉) but that is a whole other concept that i am not focusing on rn haha 😅

MDNI, 18+ CONTENT

you were accustomed to it by now; mark’s calloused finger tips brushing past your neck, hands wrapping around your waist or pulling you almost into his lap at times. he was just a touchy guy, you were his best friend, he’d never look at you like that!! mark just loved playing with your hair, he was just affectionate!

you knew why his hugs would linger just for a bit too long, you weren’t stupid. that’s why you weren’t the least bit shocked when you had found out where your underwear had ran off to. you weren’t shocked, weren’t exactly disappointed either. you knew what had been going on, you damn near set him up by just leaving your clothes thrown onto his bathroom floor after you would use his shower and purposely wearing short skirts and low tops whenever you would hang out with him. you’d picked up on his behaviour for a while now, so had everyone else. everyone around you could see how often mark would touch and let you walk up the stairs first so he could see up your skirt, “well i’m not gonna look up there, you know that.” “if you fall or slip, i’ll be there to catch you, y’know?” “c’mon y/n, don’t you trust me? wouldn’t you rather me accidentally see up there?” “you already walk around my house basically naked sometimes.” he justified, eventually winning you over and getting the chance to pull out his phone while distracting you with talk, taking a video from underneath your skirt.

you’d found them when you had dropped your phone down the side of his bed, going to get it before mark could protest and offer himself to grab it, he hadn’t moved that one pair of cotton white panties, the ones he had pressed up to his nose the night before, getting off to the scent of your pussy still on them. mark almost died when his fear came to fruition, you holding up your own pair of underwear that you had left your phone for.

mark’s face turned red, hand shooting forward to grab at the pair of underwear; you snatching your hand away. “i-it isn’t what you think it is!” he shouted, your eyes locked onto his. the corners of your lips turned upwards, glancing at the panties and then back to mark, “i think these are my panties. no, i’m sure.” you spoke, mark’s hands flew to your shoulders. “they must’ve g-gotten there by accident…-you’re always here, you never know, you might’ve left them here-” he stuttered, fingers digging into your skin gently, moving up to hold your face so he could give you a look of sincerity, hoping that you would believe his lies.

“d’you want more?”

he swear he heard ringing in his ears. the world seemed to slow down, his vision blurry. did you really just say that or was he actually going crazy this time? a beat, two. “what?” he breathed out, voice quiet and getting lost somewhere on the way out. “i’m wearing pink. white polkadots, lace i think.” you wondered, fingers playing with the hem of your skirt, inching it towards your upper thighs. further, further. “wanna see?” and mark feels like he’s going to explode. he was already nodding before you had even asked him if he wanted to look at your underwear, you got off of the bed, standing in front of him and lifted your skirt up. lace, just like you had promised. crimson red trickled out of mark’s nose, dick throbbing in his pants.

he looked so disheveled, half lidded puppy eyes focused on your clothed cunt, blood slowly dripping down his nose and past his chin, red staining his shirt. “can.. c-can i…” he almost drooled, hand reaching towards your thigh, needing to hold you, needing to confirm that this was real and happening. “you’re gonna let me touch you here, yeah?” his hands stuck to your waist, pulling you closer as he moved to kneel in front of you, pressing his face into your cunt and sniffing feverishly, tongue lolling out to lick you through the cloth.

“s’good… smell so f-fuckin’ good, y/n..” he groaned, you giggled. you were so perfect for him, so fucking perfect. he slid one of his hands into his pants, wasting no time in stroking his cock, jerking himself off while he sniffed around under your skirt and put his mouth around your still covered pussy, wetting the fabric and licking up your juices as soon as they secreted from your heat and soaked into your panties that mark would definitely be keeping. your hands stroked through his hair, gasping lightly when he pulled your panties to the side and instantly began sucking harshly on your clit, rubbing circles into it with his hot tongue.

this was sooo fucked up. were you taking advantage of him? would it even matter seeing as he’s obviously been taking advantage of you, stealing your underwear while you weren’t looking? you didn’t care, neither did mark. you especially didn’t care when his fingers found their way into your warm cunt, pumping in and out while he gently grazed your sensitive bud with his teeth, your fingers tightening in his hair and your chest heaving, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat as he held you still with both hands now, teeth biting down just right enough for it to make you almost jump backwards, a light squeal leaving your lips.

“taste so good… so wet f’me, getting my fingers all sticky..” he talked into your clit, tongue flicking back and forth. mark pulled away, looking up at you with lust glazed eyes, putting his fingers into his mouth and sucking your slick off of his digits. he turned you around, mouth open while he panted, hands spreading your asscheeks as his tongue began licking circles around your asshole, making you almost jump at the unexpected action. “j-just wanna touch you everywhere…” mark told you, tongue pushing past your tight little back opening, your ass clenching around his tongue as you nearly fell over onto your knees, mark steadying you.

you were always teasing him, always. he pulled his tongue out, pulling you down onto the floor with him, positioning you onto your back, hands attacking your zipped up jacket and almost tearing the clean off. no shirt. no bra. fuck, you’d done this on purpose. “so fucking hot…” he said before sucking on your now exposed nipples, other hand squeezing as if he had no idea on how to handle tits gently. oh, that was because he didn’t. he was inexperienced, but it wasn’t something that made you upset. no, quite the opposite, you liked it; the hungriness of it. the greediness, selfishness.

“no bra… practically naked under there…-“ he huffed tapping your leg so you would wrap your legs around his waist. he bent down to lick your cheek, smiling when you gave him a look of confusion, “p-perv..!” you joked, laughing at him. his cock strained, his cheeks went pink. “again… fuck, call me that again.” mark muttered, humping against you on the floor, trapping you in with his teeth tight on your shoulder. you complied, gasping and nodding, “pervert..”

he lost it, getting to his feet and keeping his hand on your head so you knew not to stand up along with him, his hand anchored in the back of your hair, using it to pull you forward so he could rub your face in his bulge, throwing his head back when you opened your mouth, sliding your lips up and down the side of his cock through his pants.

in reality, maybe you were the pervert. you couldn’t care less, your hot best friend was trying to force his fat cock all the way down your throat with his gorgeous face all ruined and flustered with your lacey-pink-and-white panties held up to his nose, your scent drove him fucking crazy, your own face streaking of mascara and your lipstick smudged around the corners of your lips. you were beautiful to him, his hips unrelenting with his messy thrusts. “nghh aaaahh.. so warm… ‘s this what pussy feels like too?” he asked, gripping your hair even tighter. “b-bet you’re tighter in there… in your cunt-“ he continued to let his tip bully the back of your neck, your throat bulging ever so slightly with each harsh thrust, catching a rhythm that made his balls slap against your chin. “c-callin’ me the perv… you’re all soaked and sicky down there…” your eyes watered, nails digging into the meat of this thighs, your cunt gushing. this was so wrong, you should know better than to let your best friend throat fuck you after finding out that he had been getting away with stealing your items of clothing for so long. “you’re the real pervert, hah..- you look so messy, f-fuck, i-i’m gonna cumdownyourthroat—“ he choked out, dick pulsing as his head rolled back, his vision blanking and hips stuttering, thick ropes of cum filling your mouth.

he was right, you were the perv. only a perv would swallow their best friend’s load and beg him to shoot the next one into your guts.

[tasteracha]

a/n: this was 100% inspired by the news of hyune being made a global ambassador of versace (i'm so proud of him i'll cry). also this wasn't proofread in any way. oops.

you were in the middle of trying to make it look like you weren’t waiting at the door like an excited puppy when hyunjin came home, the lock to the front door rattling a bit as he unlocked it. he hasn’t been home this early in weeks, too busy with schedules and practices and meetings. you’re always immensely proud of him, happy to sit at home while he lives out his dreams but the pang of missing him has hurt a little more than usual lately.

all pretenses of trying to act cool flew out the window when you saw him though - he’s always beautiful, but something about the flowing silks and elegant patterns of his new versace clothes makes him look other-worldly. versace, the brand he was now a global ambassador of. 

you didn’t know he was coming home all done up like this. even the shoes he kicks off are absurdly nice, smooth leathers complimented by lines of gold metal. your own body is clothed in your sleep shorts and an old worn out t-shirt, but the look of awe he gives you rivals the one on your face as he takes you in, the first thing he lays eyes on after a tiring day. 

“hi, gorgeous,” he says, sweeping you into a hug and pressing a kiss onto the top of your head. 

“shouldn’t i be the one calling you that?” you say, pulling back a bit to look him up and down. “you look amazing, mr. fancy brand ambassador.”

“it doesn’t matter what you wear, you’re always perfect,” he says sweetly, a fond smile on his face. he’s so sweet. but with the way he looks right now, like a greek god walking straight out of a myth, you suddenly don’t want sweet.

his eyes widen a bit when yours narrow in on him for a second, calculating. all your plans of cuddling him while you watch a movie and share a bottle of wine fly out the window as you pull him straight to the bedroom, not asking if he’d eaten or needed water or rest - that can happen later. once you’ve gotten what you wanted from him.

“i have to be careful with this, hmm?” you don’t waste any time as you slowly unbutton his silk shirt, the fabric rippling like water under your hands. “this probably is worth more than i am.”

“no,” he gasps when you get it open and run your hands up and down his chest, stopping at his nipples. you’ve caught him off guard. good. “yes. i don’t know?”

“awh, does my pretty boy feel shy because he’s all dolled up?” you tease as you slide the fabric off of his shoulders and neatly place it on the dresser. you know your words will push the wrong buttons. or the right ones, depending on his mood. for all of his shyness, he doesn’t usually like being teased in the bedroom. he likes it slow and sweet, sometimes hard and rough, but for the latter he needs to be pushed there. 

“watch it,” he says, voice sharp in a way that slices right through you, just as you expected. you shiver when he pulls you close, his hand a harsh grip on your waist. you can smell his perfume from this close, the flowery scent mixing with his own natural one creating a melody of intoxicating aromas. his eyes are still soft though, he rarely ever looks at you with anything but pillowy fondness.

but the way he rips your shirt off when you just smirk at him in response is a sharp contrast to how you discarded him of his. it’s quick and rough, and you’re surprised that it didn’t rip before he threw it onto the floor behind you. 

“you’re buying me a new shirt if you’re going to treat it like that,” your voice trembles when he cups your breasts in his hands, squeezing just so. for all your words, you know he’s winning this round. it’s a game of chess that you had prepared to lose.

“i’ll buy you a hundred shirts if you shut up and let me fuck you,” he almost growls, the frustration building up. fuck. 

“i don’t know,” you pretend to think, placing your chin in your hand and rolling your eyes upwards in an exaggerated display. “why should i?”

before you can blink, he’s sliding your shorts and underwear down and pushing you backwards, and you feel the swoop of the fall in your stomach as your back hits your mattress. you let out a breathless laugh when he almost trips trying to get his own pants and boxers off, hopping on one foot when the other gets tangled up. 

“do you need help?” you ask, voice sugar sweet and gaze locked onto him through your lashes. the final puzzle piece you needed, you realize, as his eyes ice over and the beautiful features on his face sharpen. he rids himself of the last of his clothes in one smooth movement, striding over to kneel on top of you on the bed.

“what’s gotten into you today, hmm?” he purrs, the hand that isn’t holding himself up over you is rubbing slow, hard circles into your inner thigh. you don’t answer, but the fight leaves you as you melt under him and your eyes flutter closed, content. he leans down to press a soft kiss to your jaw, then behind your ear, and finally to your mouth. “are you that desperate to get fucked?”

he pushes two fingers into you at once, making you keen and your eyes fly open as he starts pumping them in and out of you. he crooks his fingers just right every time, and you’re already seeing black spots in your vision as the pressure in your lower belly pools up.

“hyune-”, you gasp out, hands fluttering on his back. “what, ah-”

“you want me in control, right? i’m going to make you come on my fingers,” he pants out, his hand not slowing from its brutal pace. “and them i’m going to make you come on my cock. and you’re going to lay there and take it.”

the thought makes you groan and move your hips up to meet him, and when you look up at him hovering over you he looks like an angel. his hair is still done up, red-tinted lips parted and sparkly brown dusted eyes focused on how his fingers look inside of you. he moans when you clench hard around his fingers, like he’s feeling your pleasure too, and it sends you over the edge. you pull him down to meet you, parted pairs of lips meeting in a messy kiss as you all but sob into his mouth. 

he doesn’t give you any time to recover as he pulls his slick-soaked fingers out of you, using it to pump his hard cock a few times before sliding it into you, propping himself onto his elbow so his entire body is covering yours. his mouth is still on yours, sucking and biting at your bottom lip, and even with that as a distraction you can feel every inch of him entering you. you can’t help the way your walls tighten around him when he starts moving and you break his kiss to throw your head back, an embarrassingly load moan leaving your mouth.

his lips move to your neck, latching on like his mouth can’t stay away from you. you can feel his breath panting out onto your skin, aligning with your own ragged breaths. you hook a leg around his waist, your hands scratching gently across the smooth planes of his back. 

he comes before you do, pumping you full as he bites down on your neck, and he keeps fucking you until you follow him into the high. your legs shake and he whimpers, holding you close and burying his face into your neck as you both gain control of your breathing. 

he rolls off of you once he can take breath that isn’t ragged and you lay your head on his chest, not minding the sweat. the both of you are serene, basking in the glow when you remember to ask - 

“…do you think i get free clothes out of this too?”

[cod-dump]

I'm tipsy (read drunk. I haven't had alcohol in quit some5im4s and everything is a lot). And all I want for ghost and soap is someone where they don't have to wear figuratively masks. Also all the cuddles. Simon loves when Johmmy is the koala bear piggy bag on his back. With his face smoshed in-between ghosts shoulder blades. Sometimes, after time apart, soap just clings to simon like that and he goes on about his day. I love them. Please. Just let them be happy 😭😭

Me: *slowly puts down the angst I was working on*

Me: I guess I could use a fluff break

___

They tried to go out drinking twice a month so they could unwind. They would go out to their pub of choice and Price would but rounds for everyone until he was ready to leave. After that if they wanted more to drink they would have to buy it for themselves.

Price ended up leaving early that night and soon everyone but Ghost and Soap followed. Soap was gone, leaning over the bar giggling. He was already pretty deep in the bottles when Price left so Ghost chose to stick around to make sure he got back to base safely. But after he determined that Soap wasn’t going anywhere on his own he closed his and Soap’s tab before trying to get the man to stand.

“Come on, mate. Time to go.”

“Noooooooo—“

Ghost gets Soap to his feet but the man immediately leans into him. He buries his face against his chest and sighs loudly.

“You smell nice.”

“Fuckin’ hell, Johnny. On your feet.”

Soap just cries loudly in response when Ghost pushes him away. Ghost swears there were actual tears slipping down the man’s face.

“You don’ love me…”

“Johnny—“

“No! I see how it is!”

Ghost groans as people stare at them. Ghost grabs Soap and starts to drag him through the pub, the man crying. They make it outside and Soap jerks free from Ghost, holding his hands to his chest.

“Who is it!”

“What—?”

“Who has your heart?! Is it Alejandro?! It has to be!” He sobs out, “He’s so pretty!”

“Johnny— you know that Ale is just a friend—“

“ALE?!”

Soap cries loudly, Ghost rolling his eyes.

“You can cry about my ‘love affair’ with Alejandro back at the base. Come on!”

“No! I refuse to go anywhere with a CHEATER!”

“Cheater— Johnny we’re not dating!”

The look on Soap’s face after Ghost said that made Ghost regret saying it instantly. Soap’s face was just heart broken, tears rolling down his flushed face. Soap swallowed, nodding before turning and walking down the sidewalk.

“Johnny— Where are you going?!”

“To the base!”

“The base is this way!”

Soap stops. He stands there for a moment before sobbing loudly and dropping to the ground. Ghost breathes in before walking over. Soap was spread out across the sidewalk like he was a sea star. Ghost looks down at him, pulling out his phone and snapping a quick picture, sending it to the group chat, before putting his phone away. He kneels next to Soap and rubs his back.

“Easy, buddy…”

“Don’ TOUCH ME!”

Ghost stops rubbing his back and pulls his hand away. Soap immediately turns and looks at him.

“Why’d you stop?”

Ghost just blinks. He can’t remember the last time Soap had gotten this drunk before. He helps Soap get off the ground, Soap leaning into him. Ghost starts to help him walk down the sidewalk, but Soap was dragging his feet the entire ten feet the managed to make.

“Johnny… do you want me to carry you?”

Soap just nods. Ghost steps in front of Soap and kneels, Soap climbing onto his back. Ghost stands and makes sure he has a good hold on Soap before heading down the sidewalk. It took thirty minutes to get back too base but Ghost just wrote it off as training. He took Soap to his room and helped him change into comfortable clothes before getting him into bed and leaving.

Ghost had just gotten changed and was about to get in bed when someone knocked on his door.

“Siiimoooon!”

“Good fucking god—“

Ghost walks over and opens the door, Soap leaning on the frame, “Hey~”

“Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I wanna— I wanna stay with yooouu~”

Ghost rubs his face, “Johnny—“

“Pleeeaaassseeee! I won’— You won’ even know I’m here!”

Ghost groans, “Fine!”

Soap stumbles in, “Yous a saint!”

“You’re sleeping on the-“ Ghost sees Soap flop onto his bed, “-floor…”

Ghost sighs and walks over, shoving Soap over against the wall before getting in the bed. It was peaceful for a minute before Soap rolled over and snuggled against Ghost. Ghost pushes him away and rolls over so his back is to him. That doesn’t deter Soap who presses himself against Ghost’s back. Ghost groans.

“Johnny—“

“Warm.”

Soap wraps his arms around him and nuzzles his face between Ghost’s shoulder blades. Ghost decides to just leave him be and deal with the Scot in the morning. He was too tired to try to deal with him now.

Ghost closes his eyes, and he ends up having the best night of sleep he’s had in years.

[wrenreid]

Off Limits

mostly nsfw story | haven’t checked for typos

Part Twenty-Four

It’s been 7 days, 9 hours, and 12 minutes. This case has kept me away from her for a little over a week now.

I find that every day that passes within our little relationship, I grow more fond of her. No - fond isn’t the word I would use. I like her more, my feelings grow, I fall for her deeper and deeper. I don’t know how to describe it, every word combination seems silly.

All I know is that our connection has strengthened, deepened with time, and I find her crossing my mind when I hear certain words or see certain things. For example, the candle on JJ’s desk the other day reminded me of Jade. She loves candles, has at least 16 of them in her family’s apartment.

It’s only been 7 days, but I miss her. I miss her voice, the smell of her hair and how its sweet scent wafts to my nose when she lays her head on my shoulder, her laugh, especially the one she tries to hide that sounds like animal giving birth. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Of course, I miss kissing and touching her, feeling her soft skin beneath my finger tips. Most importantly, I just miss being around her, talking to her. I have no idea what this feeling is because I haven’t felt it with anyone. It’s new, slightly terrifying territory.

Not only am I longing the company of my… I haven’t ask her to be my girlfriend. I want to. What if she doesn’t want that? I force my train of thought to go back on its tracks. I’m also exhausted from this case. The hotel bed and the fact that due to occupancy I’ve had to hear Morgan snore 5 feet away from me every night have caused me to barely get any sleep since we got here.

The case is tricky, time consuming. We’ve finally got a lead, but we have to plan the details of this arrest precisely so no body else gets hurt.

I’ve been really productive this week. With Dad and Spencer gone, both of them only being able to really talk to me at night, I’ve had plenty of time to get things done during the day.

Of course, it’s been a little tricky with my little brother pestering me most hours of the day, but I’ve been able to occupy him with cartoons, coloring books, snacks, naps, and action figures.

I’ve gotten all of my work done for this week and the next. Finals are coming up so we are getting into review topics. I cleaned around the apartment the other day since my father never has time to, doing the dishes, laundry, helping Jack pick up his room, and organizing the kitchen. I’ve also gone to the park with Jack and caught up on binge watching my current hyperfixation tv show, which yes, I consider that productivity.

I miss Spencer. I know it’s only been a week, but It’s weird not seeing him for this long. Especially since he’s been so busy and hasn’t been able to text me more than 3 short messages a day: “Good morning!” “Have a good day.” and “Almost done for the day. Can we call later?”

Things between us have definitely changed. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I’ve noticed our dynamic alter a bit. Not in a bad way either. I think we’re on a deeper level of connection.

Anyway, I hope they come home soon. I miss my dad too, and not just because I want him to take my sometimes pain in the ass of a brother off my hands.

“Hey kiddos,” my dad says with a cheesy grin as he walks through the apartment door. He looks tired, but relieved to be home.

“Daddy!” Jack abandons his toy card and jumps into his arms before he can even set down his go bag.

As the two of them embrace, I stand up to give him a hug as well. “How was the case?”

“Not too bad, just long and elaborate. A few of us got a little banged up though,” Dad tells me, releasing his arm from around me and setting Jack onto his feet.

My mind immediately wonders if Spencer’s okay. I know my dad would’ve said something if someone was seriously injured, but I can’t help my anxiety.

I check the time on my phone. “Let me cook dinner tonight,” I offer, my gaze meeting the dark circles under my father’s brown eyes.

He smiles and nods. “I’d love that.”

After talking a little while longer, I head to the kitchen to get dinner started. In between making sure things don’t burn, I text Spencer, reading his updates on the week.

“Can I come over later?”

I ask.

“Please do.”

I smile down at his words and get back to cooking. After dinner, Dad and I talk while we clean up the kitchen.

“I’m heading to bed early tonight. As soon as Jack’s down, it’s lights out for me.”

I chuckle softly, my eyes showing the sympathy I have for my father’s lack of sleep or relaxation for the past 8 days.

“God, I missed you,” Spencer says as his arms wrap around my waste. He barely let me get through his apartment door before pulling me into him. He smells like soap and vanilla woods, and his hair is still damp from the shower.

I rest my head on his chest, arms around the back of his neck as I let him hold me for however long he wishes. “I missed you too, Spencer.”

He lets me go after a good half minute, smiling down at me with his adorable grin, his dimples on full display. I smile right back up at him in adoration until I notice some bruising on his jaw and cheek bone.

“What happened?” I hold his face, brushing my thumb against his darkened skin gently.

“A little altercation with the unsub. Even Morgan has a black eye right now,” Spencer says matter of factly.

“You’re okay?”

“I’m okay,” he nods. “You should see the other guy.”

I laugh softly before grabbing his hand and leading him to his couch. We sit down together, my head on his shoulder and his hand on my thigh.

I kiss his shoulder through his shirt, and I can see the corners of his lips perk up. Spencer removes his hand from my thigh and uses it to lift my chin up so he can kiss me. My lips return the gesture immediately.

We give each other a couple of sweet pecks and a few longer kisses before settling back into our cuddling positions and turning on the tv. It’s nice to just be here next to him.

As if he can tell what I’m thinking, he kisses the top of my head, scootching in closet even though it’s not quite possible.

Bar on east 4th tonight. The whole team is coming. I’m expecting you to be there, pretty boy.

I roll my eyes at the text that pops up on my phone screen. I’m not exactly in the gathering mood, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go. We haven’t been able to all get together outside of work in at least a year. I suppose I’ll stop by for an hour or so.

At 8, I get ready to leave for the bar. Jade’s voice telling me not to wear work attire to casual outings rings in my head, so I opt for a more relaxed white button up (no tie), dark fitted jeans, and my pair of purple converse I don’t wear often enough.

I arrive early, of course, but my coworkers, no, friends enter the bar soon enough, some coming in pairs and some alone. We all gather at a table until there’s not enough chairs. Morgan and Emily take a seat at the bar, already ordering drinks.

As time moves on, my peers are fueled with alcohol, some more than others. Hotch drinks his scotch very sophisticatedly. It’s a little intimidating at times that he never actually seems to drop his professionalism.

JJ orders a basket of fries for the table which Morgan takes a few every time he passes by on his way from the dance floor to the bar and vise versa. He and Penelope seem to be having the time of their life dancing, having no care in the world. Emily takes JJ’s hand as we’re in conversation, dragging her to the floor to dance with her. This leaves me, Rossi, and Hotch at the table, sipping drinks - I ordered a vodka soda about thirty minutes ago, and I’m only 2/3 of the way done with it.

The three of us make conversation, talking about whatever. I like the way Hotch smiles when I correct Rossi on a slight mistake he made when we were discussing something. It’s like he’s proud. Which that admiration I feel quickly turns to guilt because I’m going behind his back and seeing his daughter.

Around 10, we’re all seated at the table, talking and laughing at each other. I’m the most sober, and the drunkest of the bunch are amusing me.

Somehow, the conversation topic turns to sexual situations and who has the most game.

“Spencer could have game if he didn’t spill so many random facts,” JJ says then shoots me a loving I’m sorry but it’s true look.

“Hmm I don’t know about that,” Morgan says with a devious grin. “He’s too awkward for game. Maybe if he had like three drinks in him and relaxed a bit. Maybe.”

I can feel my face beating red. I hate being the subject of discussion, especially when it’s a topic like this.

“Have you ever actually been with a girl?” Morgan asks, genuinely curious. “Or guy, I don’t judge.”

I shoot him a glare. There’s no way I’m talking about this right now. “Shut up.”

“So no?” Emily teases.

A few more words are said, and laughs are shared. Laughs at me. Well, they may think they’re laughing with me, but I am no longer amused. Even Hotch is laughing a little.

Something in me lights up, and I rise from my seat. “You guys are unbearable when you’re drunk.”

I leave, despite the protests. But I’m not leaving because they hurt my feelings. I’m going to Jade.

Fuck it if she’s off limits.

tags: @pauline5525mgg @theintimatewriter @lilibet261 @greysviolets @jazzymariexoxoc @one-sweet-gubler @thatsonezesty13 @necromaniackat @awhoreforspencerreid @sebs-oxygen @scarredelirium @bts-sugaplum @awesomeness1679 @preciousbabypeter @yazzyu @cynbx @r3idsp3ncer @1010lizz @tiredbut-here @skulzombiw @lena-1895 @eevee0722 @shakespear-picaso-lovechild @daydreamingqueen1 @regulus-black-223048 @virginmusicloverr36 @jazzerbelle14 @kylakins88 @f-me-reid @lovejules888 @marimorena06 @daph-421 @idkusername8787 @axen-gers

[pointless-soap]

Review - Public Goods

While visiting my family for the holidays, my dad told me that he had gotten me an Airbnb nearby his apartment. That way, my girlfriend and I wouldn't be sharing the couch with two rambunctious dogs. My girlfriend and I are very grateful for this, as we appreciate having our own space like this.

When we arrived yesterday, I took a look in the bathroom and noticed that the hand soap, the shampoo, the conditioner, and the body wash are all the same brand: Public Goods.

(I'm only including the one picture, because it's all you really need. All the other bottles are basically the same, but instead of saying Hand Soap, they say Shampoo, Conditioner, or Body Wash.)

First things first, I have to admit that the graphic design of the bottle does nothing to endear me to the soap. I'm not a huge fan of minimalist design. I think it's boring. I like clutter. I like when there's a bunch of little stuff on bottles. I think bottle's should have word searches and crosswords goddammit. This bottle has the brand, the type of soap, the volume, the slogan "It's all good", and nothing else. Where's the pizazz? Where's the fun? It's gone.

Hand Soap

Anyway, onto the soap itself. Despite the first impression, the hand soap is actually pretty solid. I don't mean in terms of matter. It is a liquid, don't worry. I mean that it does the job well. It doesn't really lather well, which is disappointing, but it doesn't clump up at all, it spreads easily, and it wipes away grime. It works! A good sign for soap. Not much to say for the smell though. It's pretty inoffensive, subtle, standard soap stuff.

7/10

Shampoo

Not gonna lie. It was pretty disappointing. Felt like I was just using the hand soap on my hair. It didn't lather, which is like the one thing I expect shampoo to do? There's gotta be suds in there, otherwise it's no fun. I even went and grabbed an extra squirt to see if maybe I could rub more in, and all I got was disappointment. Anyway, it's fine otherwise. Smells pretty nice, but again not like anything in particular. That's it. Also it pretty effectively killed my curls, but that's normal for shampoo. It's why I only really shampoo once or twice a week.

5/10

Conditioner

I didn't use the conditioner. I have curly hair and use a specific conditioner for it, recommended to me by my sister who went to beauty school and knows these things. I didn't want to completely kill my curls, so I just used that.

?/10

Body Wash

At first, I was optimistic. It came out of the bottle thick, which is great for a body wash. Smelled nice. Was a different texture than the shampoo and hand soap. Fantastic. Pretty quickly though, I became disappointed. I don't know if it's the brand or if whoever owns the Airbnb did this, but it honest to god seemed whatever down. Just fell right off like sauce off of penne lisce, the worst pasta noodle. I guess I'm clean, so that worked, but it was genuinely disappointing.

4/10 (Again, it might've been the owners who watered down the soap though, so if Public Goods wants to send me fresh bottle, they can DM me and I'll update the review.)

Summary

Public Goods seems to me to be a decent company. They talk a lot about environmentalism and sustainable practices, which I hold to be a very important topic. I hope what they say is true. But what it says on the soap bottles does not seem to be.

"It's all good" the soap bottles say, right near the bottom, in tiny print. I would say it's more like "it's fine" or "it works" because those are technically true.

But the hand soap was pretty good.

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor x MC - S2 CH 44 - Part 2 (Eng Translation)

“This smile is not pretty, and I have a feeling that I’ve seen this man smile even more beautifully before.”

“The falling fireworks are as gorgeous as the reminiscence of tears cascading down from the galaxy.”

Do remember to read PART 1 first: Here!

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a chapter that is yet to be released on the global server. ⌚  

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-9】

The car comes to a slow halt, and the familiar décor of Souvenir comes into view.

After pushing the door open, we are greeted with an exquisite and meticulously organized hallway. Bright lights illuminate the pristine floor, and the tabletops are smooth. Additionally, there is also a pleasant fragrance in the air.

Souvenir likely wasn’t open for business during the time Victor was away, but Mr. Mills still took care of the place attentively.

Seated in the dining chair that exclusively belongs to me, I rest my face on my hands and suddenly sigh for no apparent reason.

Victor: What’s the matter?

MC: Nothing… It just occurred to me that we only have three days now, so shouldn’t we prioritize the investigation?

Victor: Haven’t we already started the investigation?

MC: But…

Victor: Although the other party seems to have gotten the head start, they have also divulged some information.

Victor: They are in a rush.

Victor: That’s why they hurried to take action when Meng Chang took office. 

Victor: The more critical the situation is, the more important it is to remain calm. If you allow yourself to be controlled by the other party, you will only end up in a disadvantageous position.

Victor: What we need to do now is to get the other party to follow our rhythm.

MC: I see…

As I listen to Victor calmly analyze the situation, my inner restlessness gradually subsides.

The current situation is impossible to unravel, and it’s difficult to discern the opponent’s true intentions. So, the best course of action at the moment is to wait patiently for opportunities to present themselves.

After completely abandoning my worries, I can’t help but gesture at the empty tableware on the empty dining table in front of me.

MC: So we didn’t come to Souvenir just to look around, did we?

Victor’s gaze carries a slight hint of helplessness within as he lifts the corner of his eyes.

Victor: I’ve already got the ingredients prepared, so it won’t take long to cook.

MC: So that means, I’ll be able to eat pudding soon?

I look up at Victor, my eyes brimming with expectation.

Victor: Unfortunately, the pudding couldn’t be prepared in advance.

Victor: However, I do know a way to get a certain someone to eat her pudding faster.

Victor walks a step closer to me and slowly takes my fingertips in his hand.

Victor: Let’s head to the kitchen and help me out.

—

Along with the familiar aromas wafting from the brightly-lit kitchen, I see that many dishes are already prepared on the spacious table.

Victor skillfully flips the steak in the pan, and the unique aroma of the seared meat continues to stimulate my sense of smell.

Although my stomach is rumbling with hunger, I’m still holding onto the mixer and diligently stirring the egg yolks I just added to the bowl.

I glance at the exquisite food on the table, emitting a tempting aroma, and quietly move closer.

The refreshing and sweet basil sauce paired with the perfectly crispy texture of the shrimp makes it hard to resist the urge to dig in.

Using my fingertips, I pick up a shrimp tail buried at the bottom of the dish, and while Victor isn’t paying attention, I pop it into my mouth.

Victor: Aren’t you supposed to be helping? How come you’re sneaking a bite?

MC: …!

Caught in the act, I guiltily wipe my hands in haste and frantically continue to stir the ingredients in my hand, pretending nothing has happened.

Victor: …if you continue beating it like that, the good pudding will be turned into the batter for a cream cake.

Victor helplessly takes the mixer from my hand.

With great effort, I swallow the food I have just eaten on the sly, then put on a dignified and righteous look.

MC: After all, you haven’t cooked in such a long time, so I was just checking if your craftsmanship had become rusty.

Victor: Even after all this time, the dummy’s excuses are still as peculiar as ever.

—

The lights on the windowsill shimmer brightly, and Souvenir finally welcomes its guest after a long absence.

The table is adorned with a variety of food items arranged with great care, and the exquisite color combinations are reminiscent of pieces of art. In the center of it all is the pudding I have just “made an effort to participate” in making.

We are the only two people in the spacious hall, locking eyes with each other. Even our breathing comes to a pause momentarily.

I blink my eyes slowly, and in this moment, it feels as if this image is being etched into my mind to remain there forever.

Victor: Why are you in a daze again?

The swaying lights softly trace Victor’s contours, haloing him in a blur of colors. I smile and squint my eyes.

MC: Souvenir without any customers… it feels like this dinner has been prepared just for me.

Victor’s brows arch slightly at my words, and he slowly walks up to me. He takes my hand, his warm fingertips caressing the back of my hand.

Victor: Has there ever been a lack of times when I prepared just for you?

The sentence falls heavily on my ears, stirring up ripples of the past. By the time I snap out of it, he has already led me to my seat.

Victor: The only thing you need to do right now is to enjoy everything.

–

The moon gradually conceals itself behind the clouds, and the night deepens.

I’m bored to death as I remain seated in my seat, waiting for Victor, who has gone to get something from the car.

The door of the restaurant suddenly opens. Thinking that it’s Victor who has come back, I lift my eyes to see but am met with the sight of a stranger standing at the doorway.

Customer: I apologize for bothering you, but is the restaurant officially open now?

The other party has a polite and inquisitive look and seems to be a diner who dropped in by chance.

Considering the challenges LFG has been facing recently, Victor will surely be particularly busy, and Souvenir probably won’t be open for business for the time being.

With this thought in mind, I apologize on my own initiative.

MC: I’m sorry, it will take some time before Souvenir can open for business.

Customer: Oh, I see. I was passing by just now and saw you having a meal, so I thought the restaurant was already open for business.

MC: Um, I… I’m the chef’s assistant. I just came over with him today to clean up a bit. That’s why we had a simple meal together.

Customer: You were just having a meal with the Souvenir’s chef?! What a shame that I didn’t get to see him! I’ve been here so many times and still haven’t met the legendary chef!

Customer: Since the restaurant isn’t open yet, I’ll ask again next time I visit. I’m sorry for bothering you guys.

The other person expresses their apology and leaves with a regretful look. After a while, the door is opened once again.

Just as I’m about to tell Victor about the arrival of a guest, my attention is diverted by the large and small bags he is holding in his hands.

MC: Why did you buy so many things?

Victor: As this business trip was relatively long, I brought along a few gifts for my family members.

The plain tone sounds as if he’s saying, “These are still not enough.”

Victor: So, one of the purposes of coming to Souvenir was to seek your help in distributing these gifts.

MC: You want me to distribute the gifts? What if the recipients don’t find the gifts to their liking?

Victor: It doesn’t matter.

Victor pauses for a moment, then adds with a smile.

Victor: If worse comes to worst, I won’t tell them who picked the gifts at first. So if they aren’t happy with their presents, I’ll be the one to blame.

I also giggle and curiously open Victor’s gifts, which unveil various objects of different sizes that we spread out on several tables.

The bags are adorned with exquisite decorations and have logos written in various languages from around the world. The gifts inside include intricate handmade knick-knacks as well as a diverse selection of luxury items that are not commonly found in the market.

While the gifts are very much in line with the “Victor-style,” the assortment of items demonstrates the level of care he has invested in them.

After careful deliberation, I help Victor choose a handmade teapot for his father and a necklace for Aunt Grace. I also advise on gift ideas for the other people on his list.

However, after tallying up everything, there are still a bunch of gifts that haven’t been assigned to an “owner.”

MC: What should we do with these extra gifts?

Victor: Has a certain someone forgotten something?

The warm-toned lights reflect in his eyes, setting off an endless series of ripples.

Victor: While making all these distributions, how come you didn’t count yourself in?

In the next second, the piles of gifts are naturally pushed in front of me. Amid the hazy lighting, there is an indescribable tenderness in Victor’s expression.

Dumbfounded, I sweep my gaze over the table. All kinds of intricate and bright colors are shining brightly on the tabletop.

Ultimately, my attention is drawn to a handkerchief that is not particularly noticeable.

The soft and delicate fabric flows through my palm, and the embroidered design at the edge creates a perfect curve as it moves through the air.

MC: I’ll choose this handkerchief then.

Victor: …just this one?

MC: Mm, just this one.

MC: Sometimes, the simplest option is the best choice~

Victor gazes at me as a mixture of helplessness and amusement surfaces on his face, and a small smile graces the corners of his lips.

Victor: …that’s indeed the dummy’s style.

MC: Since I’ve already chosen my gift, it’s your turn!

Victor: Have you ever seen someone buying a gift to give themselves?

MC: What’s wrong with that… I do it all the time.

Victor must have put a lot of thought into preparing so many things. But, the person who deserves to receive a gift the most is Victor himself.

My gaze sweeps over the assortment of gifts on the table, then I glance down at the handkerchief I have just chosen in my hand. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head.

I walk up to Victor and neatly fold the handkerchief in my hand, placing it in his breast pocket.

MC: If you don’t want to choose one for yourself, I will assign this gift to Vic (Xiao Li)!

Victor: …

Victor: This is what people call “presenting Buddha with borrowed flowers.”

Despite saying so, he doesn’t decline the gift. He runs his slender fingers over the handkerchief on his chest and lapses into silence for a moment.

For a while, neither of us speaks. I just gaze at him quietly, watching as the corners of his lips part slightly and the complicated, deep emotions in his eyes become evident.

Victor: You took all that trouble, but you’re not leaving anything for yourself in the end?

MC: Who says I haven’t left anything for myself?

I lift my head and, with an earnest expression written on my whole face, wrap my arm around his.

MC: I left Victor for myself. Doesn’t it mean that I already have everything?

Victor remains silent, his deep gaze fixed on me. The distant moonlight reflects the shimmering specks of starlight in his eyes, and it seems as if something is quietly surging within him.

Eventually, a smile still tugs at the corners of his lips.

Victor: Yes, it does.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-11】

To avoid Meng Chang’s surveillance, at Victor’s suggestion, I choose to stay at his place for a few days.

The following day, we get into the car ahead of time and prepare to head to our respective workplaces.

Since Victor’s reminder yesterday, I’ve begun gathering information on Meng Chang as soon as possible.

News: Mr. Meng Chang, who came to the city yesterday, conducted a visit and thorough investigation into the measures related to the redevelopment project of Loveland City.

News: The locations involved include not just landmark buildings within this city but also newly-built public welfare facilities such as nursing homes and kindergartens.

News: Mr. Meng Chang’s action aims to drive forward the long-stagnated redevelopment work in this city. Additionally, he also conducted a comprehensive investigation of the enterprises involved in the redevelopment. 

News: According to reports, several companies have already undergone investigation, among them being [MC’s Company Name], a participant in the redevelopment project, as well as the celebrated LFG.

News: Although the investigation findings have not been disclosed yet, it is reported that [MC’s Company Name] is involved in a major financial issue.

News: As an investor of [MC’s Company Name], LFG also seems to be heavily implicated.

In the video, the picture changes into the LFG building, while the projects in which LFG participated in Loveland City are also displayed on the side.

The Cliff Villa, nearing completion, is still decorated with celebratory balloons. But at this moment in the picture, it appears unusually chilly.

I tightly purse my lips, and my fingertips touching the screen feel slightly cold. Even though we took emergency measures yesterday, I didn’t expect the situation would ferment so rapidly. 

City Hall Bodyguard: Miss MC, we’ve arrived.

As the car comes to a slow stop, the company’s building appears in front of me. The spacious entrance, which is usually unobstructed, is now crowded by a swarm of visiting journalists, causing an impenetrable blockade.

The camera lens in the far-off distance is flickering, reminiscent of an innumerable number of eyes.

“The more chaotic the situation is, the more important it is to remain calm and not get caught up in the opponent’s rhythm.”

Victor’s words from last night replay in my mind, giving me an invisible confidence boost.

I take a few deep breaths before raising my hand and opening the door.

—

By the time I see Victor again, the night has already fallen.

Although there is no one at the company entrance, those cameras remain hidden in the shadows, reminiscent of vultures waiting for their prey.

I quickly get into Victor’s car, and upon seeing his familiar figure seated beside me, my anxiety alleviates to some extent.

MC: Victor, how was the situation at LFG today?

Victor: The same as usual.

The uncharacteristically cold and distant tone catches me off guard for a moment, and it looks like he doesn’t intend to continue the conversation.

MC: Victor…?

I turn my head to look at Victor. Without changing his expression, he gently holds onto my hand while keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead.

My mind stirs slightly, but I swallow back the question that’s about to escape my lips and imitate his posture instead as I lean back against the seat.

The urban scenery slowly recedes on the window glass in silence until a familiar building appears in my sight.

Victor: Park the car by the side of the road.

The bodyguard complies with the instructions, and Victor motions for me to get out of the car first. He then crouches down and fumbles around at the crack of the door a few times.

Shortly after, he lifts his hand, and between his fingers is a bugging device that had been planted there at an unknown time.

Victor: The glue is quite fresh. It seems to have been attached only recently.

He simply states it plainly, but it’s enough to make the faces of Meng Chang’s bodyguards turn deathly pale.

City Hall Bodyguard: Th-that…

The bodyguard in front of the car seems to want to say something in defense, only to be responded with the sound of Victor closing the door.

Victor: If something like this happens again, you guys must be aware of the appropriate course of action.

—

After returning home, I battle with all my willpower to keep myself seated on the sofa. The eavesdropping incident just now is merely a microcosm of what we’ve been experiencing lately.

If the root of the problem is not tackled, such situations will continue to emerge endlessly.

I lightly tap myself on the forehead, trying my regain my vigor as much as possible and focus on the investigation report sent back by Victor’s team on the table.

Almost all of the previous suspects are eliminated in the report, down to the extent that the entire focus now is drawn toward the missing accountant, Chen Hui.

However, among the information we’ve received, in addition to confirming that his previous work experience was completely fabricated before he arrived, another noteworthy point is that - he is an Evolver of the space department.

I carefully analyze the connection between the fragments of information before me, and gradually, a web that has been laid out for a long time appears before me.

The fact that Chen Hui is kept hidden in this way suggests that the mastermind behind it all must have a great deal of trust in him, and it’s likely that Chen Hui also knows the identity of the other party.

In other words, if we can find Chen Hui, not only can we clear the public’s opinion outside, it will increase our chances of uncovering the person behind him.

My mind is filled with chaos, as if slicing up every part of the past few days of my life into tiny fragments.

It’s not until the sound of a soft voice accompanied by the aroma of milk reaches my ears that I’m snapped out of my trance.

Victor: MC.

I lift my eyes to look at Victor, who’s already been sitting beside me without even me noticing when he came over. He leans in and calmly places a glass into the palm of my hand.

Victor: There’s no need to be so anxious.

He takes hold of my wrist and quietly leads me into his arms. His palm, warm against my back, gently pats me up and down.

Miraculously, my restless emotions slowly calm down. It feels like as long as he is by my side, all the anxiety and worries will become insignificant in his presence.

Victor: Loveland is not a big city. No matter how hard you try to hide left or right, there is always a limit.

Victor: I had already sent people to conduct a comprehensive investigation throughout the city from the moment I was being investigated. The purpose was to exert pressure on the other party.

Victor: As long as the opponent senses this, they will undoubtedly take the next step of action before we find this person.

Ding, ding – Victor’s phone suddenly rings. He answers the call, and as he listens to the voice on the other end, a stern expression appears on his face.  

Victor: Chen Hui has appeared.

Chen Hui: The Loveland City redevelopment project that everyone has been looking forward to is progressing so slowly, and the main culprit behind all of this is LFG! 

Chen Hui: Under their coercion, I had no choice but to comply with their demands to become a tool for transferring assets.

Chen Hui: I know that they have sent people to catch me, and I may be caught soon. But I believe that someone will eventually stand up for justice on my behalf!

In the video playing on the phone, Chen Hui, who has been missing for a long time, is actually sitting calmly in the hall of the villa.

The room is adorned with gorgeous vintage furniture, and even the walls are covered in exquisite patterns.

Although the scenery outside the window is somewhat blurred, a vague sense of familiarity emanates from it.

MC: Is this… the Cliff Villa that LFG was in charge of reconstructing before?

I stare at Chen Hui in the video, my brows involuntarily furrowed together into a frown.

He speaks with calmness and composure, as if he is not the slightest bit worried about his whereabouts being known by others, seemingly suggesting that he is not the culprit behind framing [MC’s Company Name], but rather an innocent victim.

MC: But why would Chen Hui suddenly appear out of nowhere? Could there be some conspiracy behind it?

Victor: Rather than a conspiracy, it’s a blatantly laid out trap.

Victor: Moreover, the other party is confident that we will walk right into their trap.

Victor’s tone is serene, his deep voice laced with a solemn undertone.

Although Chen Hui’s actions appear to expose himself, he has actually garnered significant social attention. If he is allowed to continue unchecked, it will likely trigger even greater waves in public opinion.

The other party has used retreat as a way to advance, putting us in a difficult situation where we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I flip through the investigation document on Chen Hui again, and an idea suddenly comes to mind.

MC: Before we set off, I’m gonna make a quick phone call.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-12】

By the time Victor and I arrive close to the villa where Chen Hui is located, bodyguards are already stationed around the vicinity as per Victor’s arrangements.

The curtains at Cliff Villa are swaying, indicating that someone might be trying to peek outside from within.

Victor: How is the situation now?

Bodyguard: We’ve confirmed that the person is currently inside the villa.

Bodyguard: We just attempted to break in, but the other party is an Evolver in the Space Department. He can directly teleport anyone in their line of sight, and he teleported many of our comrades out of the area.

Bodyguard: The last encounter with him was in the master bedroom on the west side of the second floor, and we didn’t take any further action after that.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Victor asks again.

Victor: What is the approximate range of his distance control?

Bodyguard: About four meters.

Victor: Got it. Ask the ones who are injured to step aside and rest for a while.

As I watch the injured bodyguards being assisted in departing, I wrinkle my brows into a frown.

It’s evident that Chen Hui has the ability to teleport a large number of people, so why is he insistent on staying here?

Moreover, despite knowing that there are people outside the door, he still seems unconcerned.

MC: Could it be that… Chen Hui never had the intention of escaping in the first place?

Victor: It’s highly likely.

Victor: Based on the current situation, it seems highly probable that the other party is stalling for time.

MC: Could he be waiting for backup to arrive?

Victor: It’s unclear, but…

Bodyguard: CEO Victor! Take a look at this!

Before he can finish his words, a bodyguard hurries over holding a phone that is playing a news broadcast.

News: “——Mr. Meng Chang is currently en route to the villa reconstruction area for an inspection, and the media is vying to cover the story.”

MC: Hold on…

I vaguely feel that a gear that is not quite wedged in the event flashes through my mind.

MC: That’s too much of a coincidence… did Meng Chang know that Chen Hui would be here beforehand?

I lift my gaze towards Victor, who calmly surveys the villa before us, while his facial expression betrays a touch of solemnity.

Victor: Regardless of Meng Chang’s purpose for coming here, we need to capture him first.

Victor: Otherwise, things will become more troublesome.

I clearly understand Victor’s point. Meng Chang’s coming here must be accompanied by a large amount of media coverage. Should he witness Chen Hui being captured,  the media will undoubtedly report it without restraint.

As I’m feeling extremely agitated, the phone in my hand suddenly rings.

Zehn (on the call): Haha, boss, I’m here!

Zehn (on the call): I was actually on vacation, but I rushed back as soon as you called. Aren’t I very loyal?

Zehn’s voice comes through the phone, causing my hanging heart just now to be lowered halfway.

As a Space Evolver, Zehn understands the weakness of this ability the most. As long as he strikes when Chen Hui is off-guard, we can capture him.

I briefly explain Chen Hui’s ability to Zehn, and he bursts into laughter.

Zehn (on the call): Only four meters? That's far less compared to my ability. However, I'm currently on a different slope, and it will take me around ten minutes to get there.

MC (on the call): There’s not enough time. Can you see the villa in front of me from where you are?

Zehn (on the call): Um, I can barely see half of the corridor.

Upon hearing Zehn’s words, I can’t help but furrow my eyebrows.

At this moment, Victor walks up to me.

Victor: Are you trying to make him leave the room and go out to the corridor?

MC: Hmm, but that seems difficult…

Victor: Give me three minutes, and I’ll help you with that.

Victor looks at me with certainty, as if this is merely a trivial task for him to accomplish.

Victor: I’ll leave the rest to you once he is out in the corridor. Alright?

I nod. Although it’s a somewhat audacious move, it’s worth a try at this point.

MC: Sure, absolutely.

After his words, Victor bends down slightly and helps me put on the earpiece. His fingertip lightly grazes my ear, leaving a slight warmth in its trail.

Victor: Go.

I take a few deep breaths and address Zehn.

MC (on the call): Send me to the corridor.

—

After a momentary distortion in my vision, I find myself in the corridor. I know that in just three minutes, Chen Hui will be leaving his room.

Although Victor didn’t explain his plan to me, I have faith in him.

Four meters. Only four meters.

I look calmly at the hallway ahead of me, while continuously envisioning what might happen later.

Not long after, I seem to hear intermittent sounds coming from my earpiece.

Exactly three minutes have passed.

Accompanied by the steady voice in my earpiece, Chen Hui, who is yelling furiously, bursts out of the door, stumbling and crashing.

Victor (through the earpiece): He is out.

Victor (through the earpiece): I’m leaving the rest in your hands.

I nod my head, then shout vigorously at the other person.

MC: Chen Hui! You must know who I am, correct?

The other party’s body visibly freezes for a moment before he turns around to face me.

MC: I know you’ve been monitoring me all along, and I’m also aware of your true conspiracy.

Immediately after I speak, a gradual sound of footsteps approaches from the end of the corridor.

One step, two steps, every time his feet land, it feels as if he is treading on my breath.

How far is he from me now? And how far is Zehn from him?

Chen Hui: You can’t possibly know…

MC: Is that so? Would you like me to tell you then?

MC: At first, you figured out a way to infiltrate the company, bided your time for an appropriate moment, and concurrently kept monitoring me.

MC: However, even after a long time, you did not receive any corresponding instructions until a particular event occurred.

MC: Meng Chang took office.

Chen Hui lapses into silence as the sound of footsteps echoes through the corridor once more, only this time, they are much faster.

MC: You guys knew Meng Chang’s style, so you deliberately provided him with leads.

MC: Your aim was to implicate LFG, wasn’t it?

I try my hardest to suppress the nervousness in my chest and sustain my confidence.

The shadow of the corridor streaks across his face, dividing his footsteps in two. Now all he needs to do is step across the boundary between light and dark on the ground to succeed.

But Chen Hui stops walking.

He holds his hand up and looks straight at me, and there seems to be some kind of subtle fluctuation in the air.

Chen Hui: Your life is now in my hands, and I can throw you off the cliff at any time.

My heart begins beating uncontrollably, but I try my best to remain calm so my voice won’t tremble when I speak. 

The victory or defeat will be decided in the next instant.

MC: Then why haven’t you taken any action yet?

Tightening my lips and suppressing my racing heartbeat, I take a step forward with determination. I want to force him into making a choice.

MC: Or is it that the person behind you won’t allow you to do this?

Chen Hui: …

Chen Hui’s eyebrows jump suddenly, and the calm composure he had on his face in the video disappears, replaced by a dark expression.

He steps half a pace forward and lifts his hand abruptly.

Chen Hui: Who said I’m unable to take action?

At this moment, as the distance lights illuminate his side profile, the balance of victory is slanted toward me.

MC: Zehn!

The intense wave of dizziness shatters the trailing sound of my call, and as my vision spins, Chen Hui’s figure suddenly vanishes from my line of sight.

Simultaneously, I’m also flung out of the corridor by strong inertia and abruptly fall into a brilliant light.

Splash––

Amidst the dizzying whirl, I stagger to my feet from the neither-too-deep-nor-too-shallow pool, and my blurry vision gradually regains its clarity.

The setting sun slowly sinks toward the horizon, painting the figure approaching at this moment with a red glow.

MC: Victor, look! I did it!

MC: I didn’t expect that I’d actually succeed!

Victor: [heavily doting sigh mixed with inexplicable relief]  Hmm, I heard everything.

Victor walks to the edge of the pool and bends down, reaching out his hand towards me naturally. But then, he pauses for a moment before discreetly lowering his arm.

He parts his lips, as if there is something very important on the tip of his tongue that needs to be released, yet he never speaks it out loud.

But I know it’s not a criticism, and perhaps it’s not even a compliment.

It’s simply a sentence he wants to say but is unable to find the words for.

I blink my eyes at him in perplexity. However, before I can say anything, he has already bent down and retrieved the handkerchief I’ve given him from his chest.

The soft fabric dabs away the droplets of water on my face, and I can still feel the warmth radiating from his chest.

The action of his wiping is slow, as he does it with great care and cherishment.

My heart suddenly feels an inexplicable pang of sourness, but I quickly lift my head and give him a big smile.

MC: See~ this gift is very handy, isn’t it?

The fingertips resting on my cheek pause briefly, and I seem to hear a soft, almost imperceptible sigh.

Victor: [istg that sigh shaved off a few years of my life]  Dummy.

–

───── [Narrator’s POV Begins] ─────

The sky darkens, and the moonlight caresses the contours of Victor’s sharply defined face, leaving behind the trails of an unfathomable emotion.

He gazes quietly in the girl’s direction, while the “dummy” he couldn’t hold back just now echoes in his mind.

Obviously, he doesn’t have the count of how many times he has called her “dummy.”

However, this time, he feels an indescribable sentiment lingering in his chest.

In fact, she has always been capable of exceeding her own expectations, and he has long known this fact better than anyone else.

She always says that he is her confidence. But the truth is that she may have already found it within herself to walk forward without even realizing it.

When that clear line stood between them, he had witnessed her proudly proving herself to him.

He just didn’t know which expression to put on, so he chose to adopt his usual demeanor.

It turns out that she had already achieved it long ago, and it was just that he couldn’t bear to let go.

It turns out that he himself had acted like a dummy without even realizing it.

───── [Narrator’s POV Ends] ─────

—

─────

【CH 44-13】

Reporter: CEO Victor? Why is he also here?

Reporter: CEO Victor, would you mind answering a few questions if you have time?

Wearing Victor’s coat, I sit on the steps next to the villa, watching Victor standing in the distance before the media who came after hearing the news.

He adeptly responds to all the tricky and blunt questions raised by the journalists, just as he has always done in the past.

Meng Chang: What a coincidence! Is CEO Victor also here for the inspection of the project?

The crowd parts ways on their own, and Meng Chang walks out from the center. He speaks in an amiable tone and doesn’t seem to think that the group of journalists he’s brought has caused any inconvenience for Victor.

Victor: I’m simply here to attend to some personal matters.

Hearing Victor’s words, Meng Chang nods in understanding.

Meng Chang: I apologize for the delay caused by my untimely arrival, CEO Victor.

Meng Chang: However, judging from CEO Victor’s appearance, the matter should have already been resolved, right?

Victor: I believe Mr. Meng will soon find out.

Victor turns his head, and his gaze drifts casually toward Chen Hui, who is sitting in the car and is unable to use his power due to restrictions.

Meng Chang nods with a smile, and Victor turns around to leave. However, just then, another reporter steps forward.

Reporter: I’m from the City Hall’s Publicity Department. Would you two please take a photo together?

Meng Chang: I don’t mind. I’m simply curious about what CEO Victor thinks…

Victor: As an ordinary citizen, it’s my duty to comply.

Victor: I also hope that Mr. Meng remembers the obligations of the City Hall.

After Victor finishes speaking, he takes half a step to the side and makes a gesture of invitation.

Meng Chang: …of course, I remember.

Meng Chang turns around with a smile across his whole face, and for the first time, takes off his leather gloves.

And as soon as their hands meet, a slight crease forms on Victor’s otherwise composed brow.

However, his expression reverts to its normal state in the next second. The flash of the cameras lights up in due course, bearing witness to this scene of “friendly exchange.”

—

After changing out of the soaking wet clothes, Victor and I proceed to drive home.

MC: It’s a pity that Chen Hui was taken away by City hall, but we had no reason to keep him back in their presence either…

MC: Thankfully, once the accounts are disclosed to the public, the previous climate of opinion should be resolved quickly.

MC: Although I’m not afraid that Meng Chang will play tricks after having Chen Hui in his grasp… after all, we still have the archives. But I still feel a little anxious for some reason…

MC: Say, will Meng Chang really solve the subsequent problems? And about the mastermind behind Chen Hui… [realizes she’s been chattering all alone so far]  Victor?

After muttering to myself for a long time with no reply, I turn to look at Victor, who is driving beside me, only to find that he too has turned his head at this moment.

Victor: What were you just saying?

This guy was actually absent-minded! I can’t help but pull the corner of Victor’s clothes and reply to him in a tone of dissatisfaction.

MC: I was talking about that Meng Chang….!

Victor remains silent for a while, fixating his gaze on the road ahead.

Victor: Meng Chang appears to be amiable on the surface but is actually very shrewd.

Victor: There will likely be further troubles down the road when dealing with him in the future.

Victor furrows his brows, and his words reveal an imperceptible anger.

Victor: Moreover, there is a certain uneasiness that comes with him.

MC: What kind of uneasiness?

Victor: It’s hard to say. Anyway, you should be more careful around him from now on.

MC: In fact, you are the one who needs to be more careful around him! Although he appeared to be targeting my company, he was actually aiming at LFG.

Victor: Mm. Moving forward, I…

Midway through his sentence, Victor suddenly swallows back his words and lapses into a certain silence.

The streetlights on either side of the road shine down, casting a faint glow of quietude. I move closer to him and adopt a half-joking tone.

MC: By the way, you haven’t told me how you got Chen Hui to come out!

MC: I just know that it had to be done within those three minutes.

Victor: Is the answer really important?

MC: I’m simply curious…

Victor’s gaze falls on the road ahead, and he says in a deep voice:

Victor: I did the math that if everyone present at the time went to capture Chen Hui, the maximum limit would be three minutes.

Victor: After three minutes, either my people would rush in and succeed, or it might result in failure.

MC: So, you were taking a gamble?

Victor: Yes.

Victor: But I don’t seem to be the only one who took a gamble.

He arches his eyebrows slightly. It appears he had already seen through my audacious plan at that time. And even though he knew this, he still chose to trust without a second thought.

MC: So what was going through your mind when you saw me falling into the pool? After all, a certain someone seemed to be hemming and hawing when he came running…

MC: Victor, do you have something you want to say to me but feel a little embarrassed to say out loud?

Upon hearing me say this, Victor freezes momentarily.

MC: Rest assured. Even if CEO Victor praises me above the moon, I can take it~

Victor’s gaze drifts slightly toward me, and a barely perceptible smile appears at the corner of his lips.

Victor: [heavenly laughter but somehow pricks you in the heart]  I do have something to say to you.

Victor: But for something so important, does a certain someone really want to hear it in the car?

MC: Since when did CEO Victor become so adept at “diverting the conversation”?

Victor: Being with you all day long… this is called seeping in through osmosis.

Victor: Also, have you forgotten something?

MC: Hm?

Victor: The two lantern festival tickets that were placed inside the proposal, were they simply for me to take a look at?

—

[Tidbits]: It’s a subtle nod to their “Night Cherry Date” (on EN), and how MC placed the play tickets inside the proposal, but he missed them cause Goldman thought those were for him since MC didn’t leave a note lmao~ T_T

—

Upon hearing him say this, I immediately open the proposal and, sure enough, find the tickets inside.

Victor: I even thought that perhaps it was a special surprise you prepared.

Victor: But now it appears that a certain dummy herself has forgotten about it.

Feeling embarrassed, I glance down at the tickets and notice that the designated time for the festival is 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

MC: It’s almost 8 o’clock now. I don’t know if we can make it in time if we go now…

Victor looks at his wristwatch and steps on the accelerator.

Victor: At my side, you will always have enough time.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-15】

[Tidbits]: It’s wholly unnecessary to mention, really, but yeah, we will see the “travel back” back to their “Lantern Date” here~ Should also mention his chapter tagline at this point because— ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽

“And like that, he walks through the cracks of time, illuminated by his own wounds.”

───

The streets are adorned with colorful lights, zigzagging ahead reminiscent of a galaxy on the ground.

Victor and I stroll along the path decorated with colorful lanterns, surrounded by a bustling crowd.

As if to completely forget the worries that have risen over the past few days, we both slow our pace down in tacit agreement.

Holding his hand in mine, we walk through the streets and alleys, as if we are stepping across the waning light of time.

Looking at the multitude of lanterns lining the street, I can’t help but stop in my stride. For some reason, memories from the distant past come flooding back to me like an overwhelming tide.

Memories of that dazzling starry night surge back, along with the wish he and I had written together for all wishes to come true.

Back then, I thought wishing for “may all wishes come true” was too greedy. But now I know as long as I’m able to be with him – this alone is my wish come true.

Victor: Are you planning to write “may all wishes come true” again?

MC: How did you know!

Victor points at my face, his expression brimming with a smile as if saying, “All your thoughts are written on your face.”

MC: Humph, this time, I’ll definitely make a wish that you won’t be able to guess!

Victor: Let’s hear it then.

MC: For instance… my wish is to have ice cream now?

I stick my tongue out and deliberately make a tangential wish.

Victor looks at me with an imperceptible smile, giving my finger he is holding a gentle pinch.

Victor: Sure, what flavor do you want?

MC: You’re actually saying yes? I was just joking around. I don’t think they sell ice cream here...

Victor: There isn’t any here, but let’s go and check out the place up ahead.

Victor: The path ahead of us is still very long.

We walk leisurely onto the lantern-lit bridge adorned for the festival, and the crowds grow increasingly dense. The lights soften Victor’s features, and the flickering candle-lights embellish the entire long dark night.

Today, he seems to be more silent than usual, but the smile on his face is also a little wider than usual.

I remember the words he didn’t say in the car earlier, and I sway the hand I am holding with him.

MC: Mr. deliberately being mysterious CEO Victor, can you tell me now? 

MC: What was it that you wanted to tell me earlier?

Victor: I don’t need to think about what I want to say for so long.

As we talk, our pace slows down, and we stop in the middle of the small bridge.

Victor’s gaze firmly locks onto mine, as if his eyes have been on me from beginning to end and have never strayed away.

—

[Anika’s Tidbits]: I do want to talk about the grammar of this sentence here since it’s a very important detail. The 2nd half of the sentence is “仿佛从始至终就在那里, 不曾离开,” the writers could have added a pronoun (他), or a subject (他的目光) to make it more definite, but I can see why they didn’t. The sentence is structured in a way that you could interpret it as either the one I translated or “he has been there from beginning to end and has never left.” I chose the former because it keeps in pace and conveys the intensity of emotions more heavily– « that this person’s eyes have always been on you, which means, they may have a thousand things going on in their life to distract them, but you’re still the center of their world, and they will always return home to you », which again, is a recurring theme for Victor x MC, and crucial for the upcoming part~ ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

—

But he still doesn’t tell me what he wants to say. Instead, he raises his hand and points his fingertips toward under the bridge.

Victor: It seems that a certain someone’s wish is about to come true immediately.

I glance in the direction his finger is pointing and vaguely see an ice cream sign at the distant end of the bridge.

MC: There really is…!

Although I intended to deliberately make things difficult for him, it ended up being more like a trap that I’ve thrown myself into unwittingly. This causes me to foam at the mouth and clench my fists.

Victor: I’ll never break the promises I’ve made to you.

Victor: So, before that, let’s satisfy the wish of a certain dummy first.

His voice becomes a little more serious, causing my heart to soften.

MC: Then you wait for me here~

Victor: Do you really need a sense of mystery to buy ice cream?

MC: Hmm! If you can correctly guess the two flavors I bought, I’ll share one with you. After all, this is my wish.

Victor: [i can’t with his voice anymore––]  Childish.

Victor can’t contain his laughter, and the corners of his eyebrows curve into a beautiful arc.

Victor: Then remember to walk a little faster. The lantern show is about to start.

MC: I’ll be back very soon! You wait for me here, and don’t wander off too far!

Weaving through the crowd, I turn my head several times to confirm Victor is still obediently standing in place, then hurriedly run towards the small shop by the bridge.

MC: Boss, give me one strawberry-flavored and one milk-flavored. And please make it quick~

Milk and strawberry – he will surely be able to guess that I got these two.

Carrying the prepared ice cream, I walk towards the bridge, and from afar, I can see that familiar figure.

He stands quietly in place, his silhouette hazed by the lantern lights. Even though the distance makes it hard for me to see him clearly, I have a wonderful intuition that he is gazing at me.

I subconsciously quicken my pace and walk up to the bridge. Perhaps because the lantern festival is about to start, the crowd around me is so tightly packed that it seems like a barrier.

The lanterns on the bridge ascend gradually, reminiscent of a resplendent galaxy on the earth.

I try hard to find Victor’s figure, only to realize that his face is obscured in the dimming lights of the lanterns.

MC: Victor!

I shout loudly across the sea of people, as if trying to grab his attention. He turns his head slowly, but then a lantern happens to block his face.

The candlelight traces the lines of his contours on the fine material to create a shadow, gradually flying upwards.

At this moment, that face I couldn’t be more familiar with slowly becomes hazy in my eyes.

The strawberry ice cream, which has begun to melt, drips into my palm, feeling slightly sticky. I glance down and can’t help but frown.

The overwhelming joy in my heart instantly dissipates into a boundless sense of stillness.

Endless cheers and shouts are jumping around in my ears, but they seem to have nothing to do with me.

Why am I here? Am I here to see the lantern festival?

Feeling lost and confused, I blink my eyes in a daze.

It seems like something is disappearing little by little.

MC: …who is Victor?

The moonlight is misty, coating the lake’s surface with a cool temperature.

The joyous laughter creates ripples in the moonlight, while the lake quietly observes the hustle and bustle of the world.

The bridge is still bustling with crowds, packed and congested.

But amid the crowd, a person stands exceptionally tall and straight, and my gaze can’t help but be drawn to him.

The surrounding clusters of flames emit a bright glow, and the slowly rising lanterns encircle the man. It seems as if he is a god descending from the heavens.

He gazes at me quietly, his eyes churning with turbulent emotions that I’m unable to comprehend.

I seem to hear the frequency of his breathing and see the slightest movement of his Adam’s apple.

Victor: MC, remember to continue doing what you have to do.

MC: …do you know me?

MC: Who are you?

I feel that I should know him, yet for some reason, his name eludes me.

The call of his name is like a lump in my throat. No matter how hard I strain to pronounce it, I remain unable to do so.

I find myself instinctively moving forward. I don’t know why I’m insisting on moving forward, but every step I’m taking leads me closer to that person.

I feel as if something has been ruthlessly gouged out of my heart, violently tearing my soul apart. And then it has been scattered in pieces and concealed in the hubbub of time.

My breathing inexplicably becomes urgent, and I grasp at my chest, as if stopping my heartbeat at this moment could prevent everything from slipping away.

MC: Vi…ctor.

I don’t understand the meaning of these six letters, but I find myself simply murmuring them over and over again.

Seemingly hearing my voice, his lips twitch slightly, and he slowly pulls out a smile.

This smile is not pretty, and I have a feeling that I’ve seen this man smile even more beautifully before.

Victor: That’s fine.

Victor: I’ll leave now.

I don’t know why this man is saying this to me, but he shouldn’t leave first.

Because he has never left first before.

Dazedness and sourness flood my chest, yet I can only feel an inexplicable sense of bewilderment.

Bewildered because I clearly shouldn’t have any memory of this person.

MC: Wait… you––

The next second, the lanterns soar to their highest point, and the surging crowd completely submerges the person.

Dappled light and shadow fall into my eyes, and I stand rooted in place, staring blankly at the two ice creams in my hands.

The strawberry jam slowly trickles down the ice cream cone and drips into my hand as I tightly grasp the crispy outer shell.

I look at the lively atmosphere in front of me, where everyone has a smile on their face except for me. I feel at a loss and bewildered, like a child who has lost sight of their parents.

MC: I… why…

Why am I feeling anguish?

Isn’t today supposed to be the lantern festival? I even bought some ice cream there that was very hard to find.

But why did I buy two ice creams?

“If you can correctly guess the flavor of the ice creams I bought, I’ll share one with you.”

Out of nowhere, a sentence echoes in my mind. I instinctively try to listen carefully, hoping to discern the person I’m speaking to.

However, even after exerting some mental effort to remember, I can not conjure up any memory of the person’s appearance or voice.

I gaze blankly at the end of the bridge, finding myself incapable of moving forward.

I should continue to move forward. I should start walking.

But… someone was supposed to accompany me on this journey.

The noise around me continuously rises and falls, until there’s suddenly a loud noise––

The lanterns are scattered in all directions, while the fireworks ascend into the sky.

The dazzling fireworks illuminate the joyous faces of everyone.

Tears inexplicably keep streaming down my face in big drops, and I can’t help but lift my head and look around.

The falling fireworks are as gorgeous as the reminiscence of tears cascading down from the galaxy.

—

The moonlight shines on the messy straw hat, casting dappled shadows on the young and tender face peeking through the crack.

The young boy is wearing a brightly reflective sweatshirt that shimmers with white light, and he is holding a stream of sand in his hand. The fine sand gradually trickles through his palm, forming a tiny heap on the ground.

A broken hourglass lay among the heap of sand, with its sharp glass edges reflecting a cold and white glow.

Little Boy: Are you ready to bear the price?

─────

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

✧ [Conclusions] ✧

—

[attic-club-sandwich]

Summary: MC wakes one night to a familiar problem. Someone else is also awake at that hour and he comes to comfort them. A short drabble about MC getting their period for the first time since regaining their human form in the Devildom.

Lucifer x Afab! MC

Check out Part 1 with Mammon!

Feel free to send requests for who you want written next!

CW: MC has a vagina and menstruates. Period content and blood mentions.

Being stuck as a sheep in the Devildom was hard, but you were beginning to think that being a human in the Devildom was even harder. Since you regained your human form, your body had started to go back to its normal functions, which included your first monthly cycle since being human in the Devildom.  

Your sleep was interrupted all night long due to the dull ache of cramps in your lower abdomen…unfortunately you knew that ache well. Your period had started in the middle of the night, and you had completely forgotten to get any sort of products for it. Not that you even knew how to go about asking any of the demon brothers. You reach over to your bedside table to check your phone. Squinting, you could make out that it read 3 a.m. Of course. You sigh, kicking the covers off of yourself and head to the bathroom.  As you sit on the toilet contemplating your next move, your phone buzzes. Who would be up at this hour? You thought as you reached for your phone once again. You had a text message from him.

“MC. Are you awake? I finally finished some paperwork.”

You let out a small sigh. Of course he would be up doing paperwork at this hour. The eldest brother doesn’t seem to know how to relax and get a proper good night’s sleep. However, you found yourself replying to his message anyways. 

“Yeah I’m awake, not feeling too good though.”

“What’s the matter? I’m coming to your room right now.”

As you sat and stared at the message on your phone, Your stomach immediately began doing flip flops. How are you going to explain this situation to LUCIFER? There’s no way you can ask the Avatar of Pride to go out and buy you feminine products! As you were lost in your thoughts, you heard a light knock on your bedroom door. 

“MC, are you okay? It’s Lucifer.”  “Y-Yeah, hang on Luci. I’m in the bathroom!” You attempted to yell but kept your voice low at the same time. You really don’t want any of the others waking up and overhearing your situation since it would more than likely cause a scene. You stumble out of the bathroom and nervously place your hand on the doorknob to your bedroom. Opening the door just a crack, you peek your head through.“Really, Lucifer, I’m okay! T-There’s nothing to worry about.” You cursed yourself as your voice shook. Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “You reek of blood. What’s going on?” You can feel your face heating up as you glance down at your feet. He could smell it? Lucifer uses your distraction as an opportunity to let himself fully into your bedroom. “You look pale, are you hurt?” You shake your head as you sit back down onto your bed. “No, I’m okay. I’m just feeling a little sick. I um…” You can feel your cheeks getting warmer as you kept your gaze on the floor. Just say it, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. “I started my period, okay? That’s all.” The eldest brother’s cheeks flushed pink as he cleared his throat. “Oh, I see…um, is there anything I can do for you? Unfortunately I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to this situation…” You wrap your arms around yourself and nod. “Yeah. I um, haven’t gotten the supplies I need yet…since I was, you know, a sheep for the first half of my stay here.” To your surprise, Lucifer chuckled and wrapped his jacket around you. You finally lift your gaze to his. He's smiling one of his rare smiles that he gets specifically around you, his cheeks still tinged with pink. “That makes sense. Of course, I’ll have some things delivered right away. In the meantime, I’ll make you some tea.” You wrapped his jacket around yourself a little tighter. “T-Thank you. Some painkillers and a bath would be nice too.” Lucifer smiled and tucked a stray hair behind your ear. “Of course, I’m here to take care of you after all.”

[shutupheathersorryheatherr]

“Tea, and a warm feeling”

Summery: based on the prompt “you make me tea when I’m sick and I get the urge to kiss you. deliriously I ask if I can. You come the the conclusion that we’ll kiss after I stop sneezing.” Friends to lovers fluffy fluff

A/n: oh my god me??? Posting a fic??!! Who knew I could do that lmao. Anyways this is for the lovely anon who requested this. I had a little trouble writing it as y’all could tell from how long this took because I have trouble writing for someone I don’t feel attracted to 😭🤣 because life has been busy and because I can barely write fluff lol. But I tired really hard to! And I hope this is up to your expectations, dear anon. And I hope everyone else to reads it likes it as well :)

warnings/info: Mentions of food, obviously sick reader, kissing, extremely fluffy, as fluffy as I could make it, a very small mention of underwear in a laundry basket (🤣,) reader and seungmin are really good friends, friends to lovers, a couple curse words, mentions of drifting off to sleep (man, if I could do that lol) and I think that’s it! Please let me know if I missed anything!

~this is simply a piece of fiction. My imagination onto “paper”. This is in no way meant to be taken as anything actual or a real representation of anyone.~

•••••••••••••••••••

When you had sent Seungmin a plain "S.O.S" text, (which was code for "get over here and bring food") you didn't expect him to come over so quickly. What? Was he waiting down the street or something? He dropped off the food onto your bedside table and unknotted the bag, taking the styrofoam container out and letting that sweet sweet smell of comfort food waft through the air of your room to your nose. He wondered why he was so fast getting over to your place too. It did more than cross his mind about why both of you acted like this with each other.

It wasn't like you two were together. Nonetheless, an electric shock shot up his back at the thought. You and him-- being together. He tried to dismiss the feeling of his hands shaking, his mind spinning, and his heart thumping in an erratic pattern as he handed you a fork for your food. "You're not gonna have any?" You asked nasally, nose so clogged that it sounded like someone had stuffed half a box of tissues in each nostril. He visibly perks up at your words. "There's plenty." You remind him. How come now that hes here he suddenly can't think of anything besides you? 

It was odd, but he still liked having his mind blank and only clouded by you. The thought of you made nice clouds. How could he suddenly forget that he had gotten two servings so both of you can eat your late lunch? "I know, I know." He sung, getting up to get a dish from your kitchen. He comes back to you on your bed, bundled up in blankets, head against the wall, and skin a couple shades darker than usual. 

"You didn't put your fork in again, right? I don't want to get infected." He laughs. But really, the both of you knew that he was only joking. If you needed to, he'd let you have the last piece of food that existed at the expence of him. Just so you could be a little stronger. Even more so, anytime you came over to where he lived you could take his favorite snack and "barrow" his jewelry. You did that sometimes-- take some of his rings or necklaces then giving them back later, asking of course, but it always made him smile when  he saw you wearing them. It made him feel like... like wearever you were you could have something of his that reminds you of him. That you thought of him throughout your day. Overall made him feel just that much closer to you. Not just that you were wearing it, but also because he let you take it in the first place

"No, Seungmin," You wheezed out a laugh, "I'm not trying to poison you." He takes a bite from his own portion. "Yeah, that would be pretty out of the ordenary for you. I didn't do anything deserving of death by good food." He triesm god, he really tries to make you feel better at a time like this. He just wants you to forget about whatever is hurting and how you can't breath through your nose and to feel relaxed. Having that calm feeling and enviornment always helps when youre sick. Whnever you try to speak, even if it is to give a small word of agreement to whatever he talks about, he urges you with more concern than a mother to "Please, not talk if it'll hurt your voice and throat even more." Noting about a speady recovery has anything to do with making your thoat even more sore ans scratchy. He hands you your water when you start to sit up, antisipating your moves like he was inside your head. 

His fingers slid against yours, making him look up at you in surprise. You didn;t seem to mind though, a smug smile on your face like you were the mastermind in all this-- like you had wanted for it to happen anyways. He thought about, not just the very distracting tingling feeling now spread up his hands; the type you'd get when on the edge of a cliff in your feet. Somehow, in all of it, the waters down below him looked safe as ever. BEcause they were... they had you in them. The ocean that was you that seemed to be calling out to him, airy feeling intering his lungs and scent wafting past in nose... it was warm, and safe, and inviting. 

He quickly withdrew his hand when the glass he had filled up when he got here was gripped in your hand. That was another thing: he never failed to make double sure that you had it. Whatever it was didn’t really matter. But what was important was how before ever letting go he would make sure you could handle it. Whether that be a glass of water when you're sick or something bigger. But he always, and I mean always made sure you were good with whatever it was. 

He also thought about the reason why he was so in tune. You only had to move an inch and he already realized what you wanted. "Shouldn't you be sitting farther away? Whatever this is, it's nasty you don't want it." He was in such a deep daze that you had finished talking before he could gently scold you about talking. WHy hadn't he thought of that? He wondered. Well, if he was farther away how would he bring you your water so you wouldn't have to get up when you needed it? Reluctantly thought, he still got up and moved across your bedroom. He still had his mind about him, you know.

once you Finish your food, he stands up with a jolt. You raise your head, sensing he had an idea. You liked his ideas. Most of the time, that is. But no matter what, whenever he’d give them you’d listen. Knowing that it could take some courage and lots of effort to formulate them and to put them into the right words. He pats his knees as if you weren’t already giving him rapt attention. Your eyes only on him. Him and his wide eyes. “You know what? You need some tea, yeah?” Your dry mouth watered at the thought of something warm and soothing slide down your throat. 

You can't help but smile at his request, and he knows it, getting up to your kitchen. Thats just who he he is, thats just how you both are. Making each other smile and press your lips together and look down at your shoes and the stupidest things. You hear your stove turn on, it was always loud. He had stayed over one night and you two had shared a joke about waking the neighbors and getting noise complaints. BUt it never made you feel unsafe or uneasy about it. Rather, the jokes you two took part in, the minutes of his and yours lives were you could both just breath? It made you noting short of calm. Thats what he always did for you. 

In a matter of a few minutes the tea was done. Your body was still flopped on your bed as you hear his socks slide across your floor. You could barely smell it, the faint whiff of the herbs he brought into your bedroom soothed you none the less. Your eyes were heavier than the pit growing in your stomach. You wanted so badly to blame it on how it was only his affection while taking care of you that made you feel this way. How you didn't even need to ask and he was there. He didn't really do that for anyone else right?

But you cant think about that now, can you. Not when he's two feet into your door and placing a cup with a plate on top, and telling you not to  drink it for a few minutes because it needs to steep. "I'm not a baby, you know." You grumble as if he's just told you not to touch the hot stove. "I know you're not... baby." he laughs, bumping  you with his shoulder. It's a tease, for sure. Stupid little confident menacing tone passing out from his stupid pretty lips along with words that should either make you mad or chuckle and not melt further into your pile of blankets like you are.

"Thought you--" You say, mostly through your clogged nose. He tisks and rolls his eyes as you, reaching over to your nightstand and giving you your phone. "No talking." He says as soft as a fluffy blanket washed in fabric softener and fresh out the dryer-- still warm and comfy. You snatch your phone out of his hands. The same ones that rub your shoulders when you're stressed. The same ones that fix something on  your clothes or hand you an item he thinks is "cute" and he thinks "would look cute on you." 

"If its so cute why dont you wear it? They have your size." you sometimes say. "But it's for you. I said it would look cute on you. Not on me, not on the hanger. You. Colors go nice with your skin." he always smiles back.

What is it?

You see pop up at the top of your screen. Not unlike what happens between the both of you usually. Back and forth, up making your heart jump with anticipation then back down again and making your stomach sink, dodging thoughts and feelings with halfway written then scrapped text after halfway written and scrapped text. 

Thought you didn't wanna get my germs?

You say. And to your surprise his body doesn't shoot up in disgust. Youre laying on your side, unable to really see him on the other end of your bed. 

Look up

The second you do he points to his mask. You see the sides of his eys crinkle like tissue paper from a bagged gift. You smile. But really, in this room, he is the gift. Not the tea or food he brought. Him. His care. The warm feeling he brings along with him everywhere he goes. You see it like a trail following him. Slight and hard to see. But still there none the less. He seems to breathe in air and let out warmth to all around him. 

whyr you smiling at me?

The buzz in your hand makes you come back to reality, looking at your phone. Why are you smiling at him? You know why. You don’t like to think about it, though. Because the more the thought of him lingers in your mind like the memory of a good dream, the more you know you’ll smile at him. The more he might figure it out. The more you think about it, the more you’ll be admitting to yourself how much you like him.

And my fucking god, you really do like him. Before you can think of it any more, you quickly type something out that isn’t a four paragraph long love letter/confession to the man. 

Noting weirdo 

Your eyes catch his roll from above his mask, leaning further away from you. You think it’s just him being dramatic. But really, how dramatic is physically having to move yourself away from someone to keep yourself from embracing them? How dramatic would having to scoot further away because oh my god how did they get even cuter just now? Doesn’t matter that you’re sick. To him, you took one smiley look at him and it has his brain pushing himself toward you. He grips the footboard of your bed for support as he gulps. He sounds stupid, he knows. But he can help smiling when you smile… or when you wrinkle your nose…. Or when you look down at your hands and play with your sleeves or fingers… or when you— he has to stop. He seriously has to stop thinking like this. You’re his friend. Not someone to swoon over. 

Drink your stupid tea

“Stupid? You made it lol” you’re about to type, 

But Before you can wonder why the hell he’s put so many emanation points on his text, the coffee mug of tea is already to your lips, plate in his hand as he crouches down in front of you. “You ok there, Seungmin?” You wonder, almost laughing at, not only how quickly this all transpired, but also at the very uncomfortable and awkward position he’s in. “Tea!” He reminds you, nearly grunting as he puts the plate on the bedside table. “Dude, you’re gonna fall—“ him pushing the tea closer to your lips effectively shuts you up. 

you give up, finally drinking the warm liquid, soothing you immediately. And thus, soon, you’re falling half asleep with him still at your feet, now occupying himself with folding the laundry you’ve had in a basket since you’d gotten sick a couple days ago. You wonder if he’s sure he really wants to spend his time on your floor. You pick up your phone to ask him through text, knowing the tisky look he’lol give you if you didn’t save your voice. 

“oh?” He wonders aloud, the thought of wanting to get up from beside you never crossed his mind, “no, I’m good here.” You see his cheeks lift up and eyes crinkle in a smile you can’t help but return. 

I just feel so bad 

You say, and you’re not lying. Your floor hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Not being done when you usually do it because of well, being terribly sick. Why was he being so sickeningly sweet? Folding your clothes on his own initiative…You already had a bad infection of some type, you didn’t need anything else. 

duh ur sick 🙄

You’d kick him in the head with your foot if you weren’t so week and buried under so many blankets it feels like a ton of bricks is on top of you, rendering you unable to move. And he’s not wrong, though. You felt more tired than you think you had in several months. Tea soothing you, acting as a lullaby to drift you to sleep. Nose is as runny as ever, too. Maybe some sleep would do you good. 

“Go do sleep” He said, as if reading your mind. You’d jump back in surprise if, again, you could move. He didn’t even need to turn his head to know how tired you were the second you stopped rocking back and forth to warm yourself. “I’ll be here.” He says. A Small voice, but something you heard loud and clear. 

You can leave if you want!

He gave you a knowing look, like: I don’t think you want me to. And, as always, Seungmin was right. You didn’t want him to leave. You wanted him to climb in your bed and cuddle you to help you stay warm, not really caring if you got him sick. “I’ll stay.” He says definitively. You know he’s not gonna budge. And quite frankly, you don’t want him to. Honestly, you only told him he didn’t have to as a formality. “I’ve got food and a phone charger. Plus, you” he chuckled. “That’s what friends are for.” He shrugs like: welp that’s my job. And neither of you want to think too much about how you don’t want the word friends to be the only thing people describe you as. 

You made me tea already tho…

“That, I did.” 

You smile to yourself, comfortable silence sitting between the two of you, you falling into an even more tired state as the clock ticks on, and on, and on, and on. Finally, you take the last swig of your now room temperature tea. Still tastes good, you think. And Seungmin is still on your floor. 

A while later and— You’re half asleep when you ask him. That’s what you blame it on. If you had your minds about you, maybe you would've paid more attention to how he was getting to the bottom of your laundry basket and how you definitely did NOT want him to see your underwear. See? You were Delirious and sick, you ask 

“Man, that tea was so good I could kiss you. Wanna?” You slur your words, nodding off. Your hand is over your feverish and aching head, trying to keep the pain at bay. You don't even realize what you're saying when you do. Only thinking of it as something more than just a simple question to your best friend when he looks at you differently than he ever has. No fear is behind his perfect eyes though. Rather, love and warmth for you is the only thing that adorns them. He stops folding mid-shirt, a couple others on his lap. And all he does for the next minute is look into your eyes

You don't shrink back, fearing that if you do, you'll miss something in his eyes, telling you what his next move is. You almost want to say you're sorry. But really, you're not by bringing it up. You have the urge to kiss him most of the time he's around you, why not at least make it known? Him placing the clothes with the others folded neatly in a pile and inching closer to you brings you out of your thoughts. You look him up and down, your palms glued to your sides as he leans over your figure in your bed. All his weight on his knuckles on either side is you. And you can hear him swallow the lump formed in his throat before speaking, "Sure, we can kiss after you stop coughing so I don't get infected. Once you can talk, too." You see a smile adorning his eyes and you can't help but look down in admiration at him as he sinks back to your floor to fold the remainder of your clothes.

Because of how out of it your were, you don't think much about it, only smiling to yourself as a blissful feeling as relaxed as his expression fills your body. Suddenly you feel warm and at peace. And you can finally drift away into sleep. 

A couple minutes later and he's patting your clothes to get them a little neater inside your drawer and scooting the laundry basket away. He wants to say something, to talk to you more about what you had just suggested and what he'd said. Not taking it back, bacuse, you were well, you, he'd be a fool not to jump at the opportunity to be close to you like that. He presses his lips together as he remembers how much he dreams about it. And he's about to step away but then, a spur of the moment choice, he leans back and whispers to your sleeping form, "I'd like that more than you'd imagine. Sleep well, please get better."

He says the last part honestly. But really, this was you he was talking about. You getting better meant he could kiss you. Fast recovery equills faster he can fill you soft as butter lips on his. He wants to you get better, he swears, but you kissing him just made it all the more better. 

A few days later and you text him that you're feeling better. You would've called but you didn't want him to know about all the excitement in your voice just yet. Did he really need to know? You two had still kept in contact with each other those few days . But with the passing of time all he could think about and do was coming over again and again-- making you hot drinks to warm you. As nice as they felt in your stomach and on your tongue, his smile to you placing the hot drink on your bedside table is what really made your insides heat up before taking the first sip. Mouth never burned, but cheeks hurting from smiling so much. 

He practically jumped up from where he was sitting when he got your text. He takes a breath as his fingers hover over the keypad. "You sure?" He laughs when he gets sent back a wordless picture of you flipping him off. Guess so, he thinks.

And now, here he is, hot drinks in his hand that he insisted on making for you again. You guide his hands to put them on the bedside table, now not so littered with tissues you didn't even know where the bottom is. 

His hands find their way to your forearms. Seungmin, careful as ever as he looks into your eyes for whatever reaction you wanted out of him. If it all was a joke? Or if you did really wanna try. All he knew is that he liked you. So so so much. And he wanted, no needed to have this with you. but if it was a joke he didnt think he could handle it. His lips sink into yours. Softly. Like the breath of air you and him breath out at the contact.

His finger tips trail up and down your arms, running slow delicate circles right above your elbows. He wants to gasp you tighter, make sure you never can leave leave… at least for the time being. But he can’t seem to find the will to move from this perfect place he’s in with you. Even an inch. You, with your pretty couple fingers locked behind his neck. You, and him, making warmth spread throughout the both of your body’s as if he’s your own personal radiator. You might not still be sick and shivering cold, but you don’t temper feeling this wonderfully warm before this. Were you somehow always this cold beforehand?

A breeze seems to flow through your body even thought the windows aren’t open. Carrying with it the sweet smell of his cologne, smiles and new beginnings. Bringing the smell of his world to yours in a way it hadn’t been before. The breeze flowing through both of you and carrying something spring like and new. 

~~End

Annnnnd that’s it! Thanks so much for reading! Please leave some love like comments and reblogs if you liked it :)

taglist: @impuritywritings

ps. If you’d like to be added to my permanent taglist just comment!

[bifuriouswaterbender]

Hey there! May i ask for a greatwise drabble with the #98 song?

Send me a ship (or fandom) and a number between 1 & 101, and I’ll use my Spotify Wrapped as fic inspo

98- If You Have My Voodoo Doll, Give Me A Hug by Loveless (which I used as very loose inspiration because I'm tired of writing sad things for these two lol)

Will bit his lip and looked down at the ground. “I guess I’m just used to fading into the background. Easier to ignore that way.”

He didn’t want to bring up his Zombie Boy title. Surely Gareth had heard it before. That two years’ difference between them was in some ways a blessing because it meant Gareth hadn’t been around to see the worst of it in middle school. But it also meant he didn’t understand most of it either.

“Hey,” Gareth said, his voice low and soothing. As his hand came up to brush at Will’s hair, the younger boy closed his eyes with a sigh. “You don’t have to fade with me. With any of us. You know Hellfire has your back”

Will nodded. When Gareth’s forehead brushed against his own, Will leaned forward. He always felt steadier with his boyfriend around.

“I’ll never quite be able to turn my mind off,” Will admitted. “All my doubts? They overwhelm me sometimes.”

“That’s okay.” He pressed a kiss to Will’s cheek. “When you get in too deep, I’ll pull you back out.”

Will wanted to believe him. “You may not always be able to.”

“Then I’ll burn down everything else trying.”

Will shivered, opening his eyes to lock gazes with Gareth. He looked so serious, so convicted.

“People have raised hell on your behalf so many times, Will.” He didn’t even know the half of it. “I wasn’t around to, but I will if I need to. I’ll do it as often as I need to keep you here by my side and make you happy. You deserve the world. I want to give it to you.”

Ducking his head, Will let it drop onto Gareth’s shoulder. He took a deep breath. Sometimes he wondered if the Upside Down had permanently altered his sense of smell. Right now that didn’t matter. He was surrounded by Gareth.

As his boyfriend’s arms came up around him, Will hummed. “I think I’d do just about anything if you told me to.”

“That’s my line,” Gareth teased. He slowly rocked Will back and forth.

“Do you think we could have kept this up if I’d had to go back to California?” Will asked. He knew it was a sudden change in conversation, but he’d been thinking about it a lot lately. About the way distance had strained El and Mike. About whether he would have had the voice to carry over that distance.

Gareth chuckled. “It probably would have been hard, but I would have written so many songs for you.”

Will shivered, then blushed because he knew Gareth had felt it. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m rubbish at guitar. I usually stick to drums. But I would have borrowed Eddie’s acoustic so often. Written lyrics to send to you. Recorded what I could and send that to you anyway.”

“Maybe I should have gone then,” Will teased. “I could have gotten songs out of the deal.”

Gareth made a small noise of protest. “Not funny. Besides, you’re getting a song or two anyway.”

Will pulled back to stare at him. “Wait, what? Really?”

Gareth smiled as he nodded, looking much shyer than he had previously. “Eddie won’t let me hear the end of it. I asked him for help. I had decent lyrics but no sense of melody or how to build the chords for it.”

“Eddie helped you write a song for me,” Will repeated, delight welling up in his chest. “That’s so sweet.”

“I was hoping for dramatic or romantic.” Gareth looked so grumpy that Will couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss his cheek. They’d kissed for real a few times, but Will was shy about it. And Gareth always gave him the time and space he needed.

“It is romantic,” Will agreed. “And rather dramatic. I can’t wait to hear it. No one tell my friends or they’ll all be insulted, but I have the best boyfriend ever.”

Gareth laughed, and good, that was Will’s goal. “I will not tell your friends that you have a better boyfriend than any of their girlfriends,” he promised and leaned in to press a kiss to Will’s nose. “I might tell them I do, though. Builds character.”

Will shifted to the side, leaving one arm looped around Gareth’s waist. “Yeah? Normally I’m not a fan of bragging, but I feel like this could be an exception.”

“You always are,” Gareth promised. “You always are.”

[alienaiver]

Of all the ugly parts;

Sakusa Kiyoomi x gn!reader

warnings: descriptions of self-loathing and general insecurities - let me know if i missed anything tho! wordcount: 1.3k content: vent piece, genderneutral reader, happy ending, mild angst, hurt/comfort, character study, healthy communication, fluff, mentions of a wedding but like not as a plot point!

notes: this is honestly just a vent piece! i’m not entirely sure what the entire point of it was but i relate deeply to sakusa on some levels and he was a good outlet for some emotions! this is the first time i’ve written for him tho, so i hope i did him justice! thank you for reading!

”No one likes when you’re in that mood.”

He doesn’t, either.

“You should practice becoming more palatable to the world.”

He thinks so, too.

Sakusa isn’t a stranger to negative comments about him – he learned to brush them off at an early age, deciding his own comfort came before anyone else’s and that he’d meet the right people one day.

And meet the right people? He did – as he thinks about how the MSBY Jackals all treat him well and with love despite his uglier parts and he thinks about you, grumpy and sleepy in the bed next to him before he goes for mornings runs.

But sometimes he explodes. He explodes and collapses in on himself and even the people who treat him with such love and care gets caught in the downfall and he isn’t a stranger to see the hurt flash in your eyes when he reacts outwardly and hits you with venom.

It wasn’t even your fault, really. He’d gotten a call from his mother earlier that day, already clouding up his mind with irritableness and the experience of an itch he wanted to scratch to blood. It’s game season but practice had gone like shit, none of his hits making any sense and he needed to do way more penalty dives than he thought was necessary for a pro volleyball player.

So when he got home and you’d emptied his dishwasher for him but put the forks and spoons in the wrong place, he couldn’t hold back the bile that’d been steadily growing in his esophagus throughout the entire day and spat it out right onto your own, unsuspecting face.

It’s not fair.

It’s not fair that he met you and you made him think he was anywhere near worthy of your love. It’s not fair to you that he’s so difficult and spoiled and narcissistic and has a tendency to spiral into this gooey, dark mess of a person.

So here he is, by the riverbank, reconsidering every life choice he’s ever made and reminded of all the angry, disappointed sentences thrown at him when he was younger and suddenly he realizes something,

They were all right about him.

He clicks his tongue and fists his hand into the grass beneath him, only then realizing that he’s willingly placed himself on the ground. Him, on the ground.

He does a breathing exercise – one that you taught him, seven in, hold for six and nine out- it’s supposed to help, right?

“You’re doing great,”

He’s thrown out of his concentration by the warmth of your voice next to him, the gentleness in your voice so easily spotted and so easily embracing him – he’s relaxing his shoulders instantly.

“My boss yelled at me today,” you start, situating yourself comfortably on the grass, “but then at lunch, it was Margot’s birthday. She pulled me aside after the cake and told me our boss is full of crap,” you laugh and Sakusa realizes what you’re doing, “I also met a dog after I got out of the supermarket! I was allowed to pet it and it was so nice, wanted to lick my face so bad.”

You reach out a hand tentatively towards his, “how was your day?”

Sakusa sighs and retracts his hand from the grass. He ignores his own grimace at the action,

“I’m not a good person.”

You hum and place both your hands on your lap, “and I’m not… easy, or lovable. I wasn’t a lovable single and I am definitely not a lovable boyfriend.”

For a while you don’t say anything and Sakusa’s not sure what else to tell you.

“The first time we met, you told me I smelled like shit.”

Sakusa winces and while he’ll never admit it, he’s currently fighting to hold back tears – keep them behind his lash line and safely stored away. Letting them drop was not an option, “and the second time we met you asked Komori why he’d brought me.”

You laugh at these memories and Sakusa wants to yell – he wants to get up and scream at the top of his lungs that you need to leave him, that he didn’t turn into the palatable adult everyone wanted him to become and that his intricate made-up rules is clearly affecting how this relationship is going to go, how you deserve someone so much better, but then you add, “but the third time we met was on the crowded train, where you noticed my panic attack. You got me out of the train and helped me calm down and then you walked me home.”

“Remember the fourth?” you ask after a moment of silence and dumbfounded, he can only shake his head, still unable to look directly at you, “you came to my place the day after with some snacks and a Ghibli movie, telling me how Whisper of the Heart always makes you feel like it’s going to be okay. You’d spent 45 minutes in the convenience store choosing snacks because you didn’t know which I liked,”

You sigh out and a nostalgic smile graces your features, your lips reaching your eyes at this point. Sakusa’s always loved that smile. “The other day you made me a cup of tea when I stressed about that meeting and you didn’t even reprimand me for not rinsing my plate after dinner. Yesterday, you didn’t come after me for not hanging my towel on the rack to the left of the sink.”

You reach for his hand again and this time, though with a flinch, he lets you take it. He notices how warm it is compared to his and he thinks he must’ve sat out here for a while before you came after him. You always did know how to handle his outbursts. Give him time to cool down and then talk,

“I love you, Kiyoomi. I don’t want you to change – not for anyone but especially not for me. I fell in love with the Omi who gags at public toilets and groans loudly when I even think about skipping a shower for being too tired. I fell in love with the Omi who has a very valid need to have things a certain way, who offers me some structure in my own life just by upholding his own. I fell in love with the Omi who motivates me to do better, to be better, because he’s such a wonderful and deeply lovable person that sometimes I can’t even wrap my head around it. And Omi?” you squeeze his hand and he finally gathers the courage to raise his head – albeit only a little.

“I also fell in love with the Omi who lets me into his space so openly, who makes room for me and happily obliges for cuddles when I’m needy, who’s attentive to my needs and makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. Who takes care of me and loves me despite my own flaws.”

You lean in and rest your forehead against his, “flaws are something we all have and I don’t love you despite your ugly parts, I love you with them.”

There’s silence as Sakusa processes your words, overwhelmed by the sheer sincerity he felt in your voice.

“I kinda went on a rant, sorry.”

He laughs then, laughs hoarsely and squeezes your hand back. It’s not until you reach up to wipe a tear from his cheek that he realizes that he failed in holding them back, letting out another nervous laugh, “those sounded like wedding vows,” he jokes and you smile mischievously, “it was really good too! Maybe I should write it down for the future,” you joke and a blush creeps up to his ears at the implications of your words. You lean in and gently give him a peck on his lips, “you’re allowed to react outwardly, that doesn’t make you a bad person. You can’t scare me away with you, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Let’s go home.”

@hanayanetwork​ 🌸