#still must've felt like being targeted personally

[purplelurkinghini]

nobody:

nada:

zilch:

me: Simulation!Stirk sounds like IRL!Stirk, but his fixation on Simulation!Bruce doesn't manifest in the behavior of IRL!Stirk. Since IRL!Bruce was investigating the Harvester murders as Batman, one would think that fixation should be on display towards the vigilante persona that's slowly catching up with him. Yet there is no textual interest on IRL!Stirk's side beyond the kidnapping which Strange -- or, rather, Ivy -- requested. All of this evidence -- or, the lack thereof -- points to IRL!Bruce himself casting Simulation!Bruce as Simulation!Stirk's mancrush.

[ssahotchnerr]

omg could you maybe write something about reader going to one of jacks soccer games and all of the moms are jealous of her bc she’s with hotch

not so friendly competition

omg i absolutely can cw; fem!reader, jealous suburban moms, one tries to make a pass at aaron, established relationship, small angst?, pettiness, aaron being adorable <3 wc; 1.3k

from the moment you arrived - a hand clasped in aaron's, jack excitedly sprinting ahead the two of you - you could feel the target on your back.

the warm, refreshing morning suddenly felt quite stuffy. as if strangely enough, there wasn't enough air to go around. the feeling especially solidified when aaron gave you a sweet, parting kiss - him off to uphold his coaching duties, you off to find a spot on the grass to set up your chair.

you half expected it, the feeling out of place and self consciousness; this was jack's second season playing soccer, aaron's second season coaching, and most of the players had returned from last year. long story short, and entering a relationship with aaron only a few weeks after jack's season had concluded, you were the new face.

not only that, you were missing a common trait amongst the others. you weren't, by definition, jack's mom.

it was a silly, technical notion, and it was quite possible you weren't the only outlier, but you simply wanted to belong there just as much as the others. to feel as if you belonged.

and that's definitely not how you currently felt.

despite your perception - hoping you had falsely and quickly misjudged the atmosphere - you offered the moms a smile and a hello as you got settled. you got maybe one, two responses in return, before they resumed their ongoing conversation without you. any hopefulness that remained, deflated as you sat there silently.

and while you weren't exactly listening to them, you could still make out bits and pieces of their conversation. however, your ears fully perked up at the mention of aaron. which also brought you into the discussion.

"you're with the coach?"

her question wasn't based on genuine interest, a getting-to-know-type basis, a friendly conversation starter. but, it was rather accusatory, as if you'd done something detrimentally wrong.

you nodded, your eyebrows furrowing briefly in confusion. "yes?"

"like... with him?"

oh.

the standoffish environment wasn't due to you being unwelcome, or, at least not in the way you had previously anticipated. it was jealousy, plain jealousy. they must've spent all of last season ogling aaron, and here you were, getting in the way.

again, you nodded in confirmation. a few grimaces were produced amongst several faces, igniting something deep within you, suddenly feeling very protective of aaron and your relationship.

you casually shot back, relentlessly, "why, is that a problem?"

the mom shrugged, pulling her eyes from yours annoyingly, as if you'd done her an injustice.

she didn't stop there though, uttering something under her breath. while you didn't hear what it was exactly - the low tone definitely indicated she had just insulted you in one way or another.

and choosing to remain on the civil side, you held your tongue.

the whispers continued sparingly; as much as it stung, and as much as the red-hot feeling that had settled in your body was uncomfortable, why should you let it affect you? they weren't a threat, they were suburban moms - probably peaked in high school, probably relied off their husband's salary, probably thought they were better than each and every person they came across.

you could be annoyed, but you weren't worried. the bigger picture, you had what they wanted; you had aaron. you've already won, despite any fights they attempted to pick.

"i need to stretch my legs." the same woman abruptly said, loudly to gain your interest.

she promptly rose, walking towards the team's bench. or more specifically, right up to aaron.

she was quick to strike up a conversation with him - overdramatizing her already-shrill laugh, displaying open body language, the sweetest smile she could muster up.

what did you in, a 'friendly' touch to his arm before she retreated, whenever she finished saying whatever the hell was so important she had felt the need to interrupt his coaching for.

and throughout such, aaron appeared as his typical friendly self as he engaged with her, as expected. although a look of confusion did flash across his face when she graced his arm.

your jaw clenched in anger, but you kept reminding yourself: her actions were just to spite you, just to piss you off, and you refused to give her the reaction she seemingly so desperately craved.

so when she returned, with an awfully smug look plastered on her face and dropping into her chair with a sense of pure satisfaction, you kept your focus forward. you came to watch jack's game, and that's exactly what you were going to do.

but during the mid-game break, once aaron had finished talking with the kids and they sprinted back onto the field to practice some goals, did you approach him.

"hi sweetheart," aaron mumbled into your skin as he kissed your temple, one of his hands comfortably finding your back. "enjoying the game?"

you nodded, offering him a timid smile.

"what's wrong?"

"nothing." you lied, tucking yourself into his chest. you took a deep breath and sighed, smelling the traces of light sweat and grass clinging to him.

"you don't think i buy that, do you?" he asked, a gentle, almost comical tone to his words - all to lighten up your present tension. "what is it?"

you shook your head, "i don't want to talk about it..." your eyes shot over to your new best friends, whose eyes were glued to the two of you. "here."

aaron glanced over at them, profiling immediately. "are they giving you a hard time?"

after a moment's hesitation, an annoyed huff escaped you. "let's just say they're not too happy that the coach is taken."

"what?" aaron laughed breathlessly, his face scrunching the smallest amount in confusion. "half of them are married."

"clearly that doesn't matter, they're still over there undressing you with their eyes." you arched an eyebrow, the scowl on your face only deepening.

"c'mon, you're too pretty to make that face." aaron lightly teased, kissing your pout gently. at the touch, your face did relax, the ends of your lips itching to turn upwards into a smile.

"oh they're gonna hate that you did that."

aaron shrugged, kissing you again. "let them."

you surrendered yourself to your smile, but you still frustratedly crossed your arms in front of your chest. "it's ridiculous."

aaron was quick to untangle your hands, holding onto them and applying a gentle squeeze. "you know you don't have competition. you have me."

"i know. that's why i feel so stupid i'm letting it bother me." you gritted through your teeth. "what did that one woman even say to you?"

"truthfully, i couldn't tell you. i wasn't paying attention." he answered honestly, his eyebrows drawing into a line as he even attempted to mentally recall it.

you couldn't help but laugh, pressing yourself more into him. "you're insufferable."

"i try." aaron joked, but his expression switched tactics, to genuine concern as he moved in front of you, "in all seriousness, are you going to be okay?"

"yeah." you brought your hands to his chest, running your thumbs against his pecs affectionately. you already were. "i have you, don't i?"

"and you could always stay here with me." aaron playfully, but earnestly offered. "and be my beautiful, thoughtful, astounding, beautiful assistant coach."

"you drive a hard bargain," your eyebrows rose, feeling his chuckle underneath your fingers. "but it's okay. i'm not gonna let them think they're running the show, or that they can step on me like that." you shook your head. "and as needed, i might have to flaunt you around."

aaron grinned, proudly. "that's my girl."

[bi-bard]

Family Trip - Rafael Barba Imagine (Law & Order: S.V.U)

Title: Family Trip

Pairing: Rafael Barba X Reader

Word Count: 1,024 words

Warning(s): bad family, bullying, cussing

Summary: (Y/n) just got back from visiting family. However, instead of bringing back funny stories or leftovers from their parents, (Y/n) brings back baggage that no one could see. Baggage that (Y/n) didn't want to acknowledge.

Author's Note: The holidays are rough for a lot of people. If you need a better family for the holidays, then I am happy to be a part of your found family.

--------------------

It wasn't meant to be anything more than an off-handed comment.

I knew that.

That didn't stop my brain from going into fight or flight mode when Rafael made said off-handed comment.

In all honesty, I wasn't sure why Rafael was there. We didn't have anything for him to look at or talk about, but he was standing in the middle of our office.

I had started rambling. I had been reading this new book series. It was new and exciting, so I was talking about it. I knew that sometimes my rambling could be a little intense and hard to follow. I knew that. I should've known that.

"My only problem is that I can't seem to find the last book," I explained, probably talking a mile a minute. "It's pretty popular, but I didn't think that meant that I wasn't going to be able to get my hands on a single copy of the thing. I've checked most of the places around me, but there's one shop- it's between my place and this little coffee shop- that might still have a copy-"

"(Y/n), (Y/n)," Rafael smirked as he held his hand up to mimic telling me to slow down. "Take a breath."

My mouth reacted before my brain could stop it, "Jesus fucking Christ."

I shook my head and looked down for a moment.

"Hey, I was just-"

"You should try letting people enjoy things without being treated like shit," I snapped before he could explain himself.

"Excuse me," Rafael asked. The whole team seemed to freeze.

My jaw clenched. I didn't speak.

"Liv," he turned to her. She had stopped when I snapped at him. "Can we use your office?"

"Be my guest," she nodded.

Rafael looked at me again. I sighed, already regretting my choices as I pushed myself out of my seat and toward the office.

He didn't speak up until he had shut the door to the office, "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry," I ran my hands over my face.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on," he asked.

"I... I just got back from visiting my family," I said. I took a deep breath. I was already yelling at myself for how I had reacted and for talking about this whole thing. "They're... They're just a bit difficult. I get a bit... touchy when I visit them."

Rafael's eyebrows were still furrowed.

"They just make a lot of jokes," I tried to shrug it all off. "Quite a few of them are targeted at me. Whether they're just about shit that I've done or how I look or the things that I like or... whatever. I tend to get a bit defensive."

"I... I didn't mean to-"

"I know," I stopped him, forcing a grin. "I'm just overly sensitive. I know that. Can't learn to take a joke."

I felt the tears in my eyes. I tried to figure out how to subtly blink them away. It must've not worked because Rafael stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me as he tried to shush me before I started sobbing. I wrapped my arms around his torso and closed my eyes.

"I don't mean to be invasive, but this doesn't seem like innocent joking," he muttered to me. "If it's this upsetting... (Y/n), this isn't normal."

"I'm the one that's not normal," I stepped back, rolling my eyes. "I... I just can't get my brain to not take it personally. Either I get defensive and overreact or I shut down and that's still overreacting. I just never learned how to take a joke. It's always been that way."

"(Y/n), no."

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"Hey-"

"I have a lot of work to get done," I said. "I'm gonna go clean my face up and get back to it. I'll see you later, Barba."

"Wait-"

"See you later," I repeated before walking out of Liv's office.

I ignored everyone's sad looks. I just continued working. Typing and writing. I answered a call or two. It was the rare occasion where S.V.U didn't feel like it was being left to drown and hopefully take down a few terrible people before we sank completely.

Sonny tried to talk to me a few times. Rollins too. Liv had called me into her office, but I pushed her away. Fin seemed to respect that I needed the space.

I had shut down. I figured it out as soon as I got home. Just like I always had. I had fucked it all up. I thought that I could keep myself together when I was away from my family. That those reactions could just fade away with time. But here I was. Still acting like such a child.

I spent the entire night caught in this cycle of punishing myself. Stuck in my thoughts and insecurities until I finally couldn't force myself to stay awake any longer.

I came back the next day to see something sitting on my desk. It was wrapped in some Christmas wrapping paper. It was just after Thanksgiving. It was probably what was in stock.

"It's from Barba."

I looked at Rollins as she spoke. She had caught me staring at the gift. I furrowed my eyebrows at her. At the idea that Barba felt the need to get me a gift.

"I saw him put it on your desk."

I chuckled.

"Will you open it," she asked. "The curiosity has been killing me."

I scoffed before picking up the gift.

I pulled off the wrapping paper to find a book. On top of the book was a folded piece of paper. I put the paper down on my desk before properly reading the cover of the book. I chuckled.

"What is it?"

"It's the last book in that series that I was talking about," I said, holding it up for her to see. "I... I don't know where he found it."

I grabbed the piece of paper that had been placed on the top.

I grinned a bit at the short note.

You deserve so much better.

Maybe he had a point.

--------------------

Navigation Guide

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[swallowtailcherry]

❤️Sakura Mochi❤️

Hades x Goddess!Reader

Notes:

1. I love the idea of Goddess!Reader with Mitsuri's personality (I wrote Qin with the same idea and now it's Hades' turn!)

2. This does mention Mitsuri's hair colour and her love for sakura mochi

3. I am falling deeper for this fine ass god-

4. Hades is probably ooc, but I tried!

"Is there any reason why you're so excited?" The lovely voice of the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite broke you out of your dream-like stance. You turned to face the beautiful goddess with the smile most of the deities grew to love.

"I'm eager to see Lord Hades! I haven't seen him for thousands of years!" You exclaimed, cupping your own face with your dainty hands.

"I take it you heard word of his arrival?" The goddess giggled. You nodded your head fast, the excitement growing more and more. Aphrodite always found it amusing to see you fawn over certain deities.

"I wonder what he looks like now? Will he be the same or will he look different?" You asked, mostly to yourself. Aphrodite opened her mouth but stopped when the smell of sweets caught her attention.

"You've been eating those small cakes again, haven't you?" Aphrodite teased, her blue eyes filled with mischief. You lowered your head down in embarrassment.

"I can't help it! They're so delicious!" You said, folding your arms and huffed like a child.

"Anyways, I shall leave you be! Tell me everything when you meet him again!" The Goddess was carried away by her golem like male servants. You stood in place, trying to process her words.

"Eh?! Aphrodite!!"

___

You smiled like a child that just received their favourite candy as you practically chomped down on your favourite sweets, sakura mochi. After finishing a huge bowl full of them, you wiped the crumbs off your lips and began walking around. You realised that you had to look for the god you've been waiting on all day, so you picked up the pace.

Meanwhile, a god with formal wear was on his way back to Helheim when his nose picked up a sweet smelling scent. It was something unfamiliar to him, but he remembered something his younger brother told him.

"If you suddenly smell something sweet, to be more specific, the scent of cake, a little goddess may be nearby!"

Hades was well aware of his younger brother's... problem when it came to females, but never really got involved in any way. He assumed this little goddess was his next target, but at the same time, he wanted to see why most of the gods spoke so fondly of her. Now that he think of it, Zeus had never spoke of her in such a way that implied wanting to sleep with her. He spoke about her as if she was a daughter to him.

The scent got stronger, but he never moved an inch. He felt something run into his side and turned a little to face whoever it was. To his surprise, it was a smaller female with pink and green hair.

You managed to catch yourself before you could injure yourself. Your two toned hair was a little messy from the running, but it was still in good condition. When you looked up, you couldn't believe who you ran into.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, Lord Hades! I was in a rush and-"

"It's fine (Y/n). But please be careful next time."

You shut your mouth, nervously playing with your hair. His voice was so calming it made you explode with embarrassment.

"Okay!" Your answer came out shaky. Your mind was blank from just being near Hades.

"Lord Hades is so handsome! He looks so dominating!" Gushing about the stoic god in your mind, your gaze landed on the floor, avoiding the slight mischief in the god's eye.

"Lord Zeus must've told Lord Hades my name. But the way he says it makes my heart shake!"

You mustered enough courage to face the god again, looking him straight in his eye. His fingers made their way under your chin and tilted it up and leaned closer to your ear.

"Your scent is intoxicating. Hopefully you taste the same." His breath tickled your ear and sent chills down your spine. He pulled away and left you, his lips forming a smirk. You stared blankly at the ceiling, not blinking even once. After a minute, you fell to your knees. You clutched your chest with your hands, trying to calm down your heart.

From afar, a certain blonde goddess had watched it all and giggled to herself.

"This is really interesting. I wonder what will happen next~"

[archiveikemen]

Ikemen Villains Prologue: Chapter 5

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by downloading and playing their games.

read this before interacting with my posts

Victor: Welcome back, my beloved cursed ones!

I was brought into a spacious dining hall while trembling with fear, where the supposed “God of Death”— greeted us with a party popper.

(“Cursed ones”...?)

Black Haired Man: … Oh? And who may this young lady be…?

(This guy is the “Palace’s Grim Reaper”...?)

I was a little puzzled by his amiable and candid demeanour.

He had eyes that resembled gemstones and elegant long black hair, they reminded me of stars twinkling in the night sky.

William: This is Kate. She just happened to be at the target’s residence.

Black Haired Man: Wow. That's uh… a very fated coincidence.

William: Kate, this is Victor. He is Her Majesty’s aide.

(The Queen’s aide!?)

Victor smiled and stopped me with one hand before I could curtsy.

Victor: Good evening, Miss Kate. Since you were brought all the way here… that means you must've witnessed something you shouldn't have.

Kate: … Yes, Sir Victor. You’re right.

(If a person of such high authority is in-charge of them…— who the hell are these people?)

I grew increasingly fearful and felt myself being on the verge of bursting into tears.

(I don’t want to die without knowing what's going on.)

(But what should I do now…?)

I was so tensed up that my head simply went numb and blank.

Victor: … If you just happened to be present at the scene, it must’ve been so confusing for you because you wouldn't know the situation.

Kate: …? Y-Yes…

(R-Right… No matter what, I need to stay calm and find out what’s happening…)

Already so close to having a nervous breakdown, I decided to count on Victor’s sympathy.

Kate: I-If I may be so bold… may I ask you a few questions?

Victor: A very polite little robin we have here. Very well, what do you want to know?

Kate: What exactly did I witness? And the stuff about “Crown” and “Cursed Ones” — what are they?

Cat-Like Man: Ah, that's right. Sorry for not explaining those things to you sooner. You must be feeling so uneasy.

Cat-Like Man: Both terms are referring to us.

Aloof Man: … Hey, Liam.

Cat-Like Man: A “cursed one” is someone who has been cursed ever since the day they were born into this world.

Kate: A cursed person…?

Cat-Like Man: That's right. We were born to sin and eventually meet a tragic end.

(So, you’re saying that all these people here are…?)

Cat-Like Man: “Cursed ones” have existed since the beginning of time… they all sinned and died tragically as they were destined to.

Cat-Like Man: For example, someone with the curse of a cat will be unable to control their curiosity. Their end will be to die from their own curiosity.

Cat-Like: … Oh, that was about myself.

Kate: What do you mean by… die from curiosity?

Cat-Like Man: For example, based on the records, the last person to be born with the curse of a cat uh…

Cat-Like: He committed deeds like arson, robbery, robbery, self-mutilation, adultery, and countless other misdeeds… just to satisfy his curiosity.

Cat-Like Man: It is said that he was still laughing and wailing even after his family and loved ones abandoned him, tortured him, and tore his limbs off.

Cat-Like Man: He said “I’ve never experienced anything like this before”. In his final moments, he jumped into a bath filled with sulfuric acid and laughed hysterically as he dissolved to death.

He told me the story of someone’s “tragic” end with a cheerful look in his eyes.

Man Carrying a Shotgun: There were some sayings about how some fairytales were written based on the existence of these “cursed ones”.

Man Carrying a Shotgun: But these days, the tables have turned, and the curse is now known as the “fairytale curse”.

(Fairytale curse… what.)

Man Carrying a Shotgun: Finding it hard to believe? You just witnessed it with your own eyes.

Kate: Huh…?

Man Carrying a Shotgun: “Cursed ones” possess special abilities that ordinary people don’t.

Sinister Looking Man: Hey, that's confidential information… you loose-tongued bunch.

(Special abilities…)

Suddenly, I recalled something that happened earlier on.

== Flashback Start ==

William: Come here, poor little robin.

(What the… why is this happening!? I can’t stop…!!)

== Flashback End ==

Back there, my body was moving against my will and obeying William's command.

(No way… it’s real?)

I involuntarily turned my gaze to William, who softened his eyes and affirmed my thoughts.

William: My curse is to be a “self-righteous king”.

William: My special ability is to make others do as I say.

(The magical power to make others obey your every command…)

The logical part of my mind naturally wanted to deny that it was real, but I couldn't forget the way my body got controlled by him.

Their stories were definitely the truth.

I also realised one more thing.

(The man who died at the mansion.)

I remembered the look of anguish he had on his face as he took his own life, and the knife he held in his hand.

(I thought it was unnatural for him to commit suicide in that manner…)

(Could it be that he was—)

(Did William command him to kill himself…?)

Kate: …!

My mind came to a horrifying conclusion that made me instantly look away from William.

William: “Cursed ones” are commonly treated as criminals or insane persons.

William: Great Britain is currently the only country in the world who has these potentially dangerous people under national control and put into an organisation.

Kate: Under national control and… put into an organisation…?

William: Yeah.

William: There is an imperial organisation under direct command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, all of its members are “cursed ones”.

William: — And that’s us, “Crown”.

William: We take on shady tasks ranging from spying to assassinations. In other words, the dirty work that the police or military can’t do.

(This means… what I witnessed earlier… was a murder scene.)

(And an assassination ordered by the Queen…?)

Victor: To “fight evil with evil” for the prosperity of Great Britain — is the duty of “Crown”.

Victor: … Well, the “cursed ones” are free to carry out their own evil deeds as they please too.

Victor: I personally think that's the most important.

(A group of assassins working for the country… fighting evil with evil… I…)

(I had just been made aware of a horrible secret.)

The plan was to find out about the situation, so that I could perhaps calm down a little — but that backfired very badly. I became petrified with fear.

Aloof Man: That’s right. The situation is more severe than you imagined.

Aloof Man: … Now that she’s known way too much, what do you intend to do with her, Victor?

Victor: Hmm… let’s see…

Tall Young Man: Do we kill her?

(What—?)

I immediately snapped my head around when I heard someone give the worst possible suggestion anyone could possibly give in this situation.

Tall Young Man: She doesn't look happy at all, but I’ll do it.

(Wh… WHAT!?)

I broke into cold sweat and looked at everyone else in the room.

Everyone’s facial expressions remained the same, they were all calm…

There was no mistaking that taking a person’s life was nothing more than a daily occurrence for them.

Victor: Hmm. Not a bad idea…

(I need to successfully talk them out of it or else…!)

(Since the reason for my death is because I found out a forbidden secret, then in that case—!)

Kate: I swear that I will NEVER breathe a word about ANYTHING I just heard!

Victor: Hmm… huh? What?

Kate: I will keep all that information strictly confidential. I work as a postwoman, I’m professionally trained to keep secrets!

Victor • William: …

(Doesn't seem like it's working…)

Kate: If you don’t trust me to do that, you can go ahead and keep a close eye on me until you do. I’ll prove to you with my actions that I’m completely trustworthy.

(Please don’t kill me. I’m begging you all.)

I looked at Victor desperately with a tiny pinch of hope in my heart.

Victor: I see. Alright, then. You’re recruited!

Kate: Huh?

Victor: From this moment on, you are officially a “fairytale writer”, a position exclusive to “Crown”.

[kuumara]

Carnival boy

Mike never wanted to go to this thing. He still doesn't, but he has no choice really, which is unfair. He has no choice because if he doesn't get in the car, Max and Dustin won't stop shouting at him to "get in already" and "stop being such a boring vermin" until his brain explodes and he dies and they finally drive off.

So, here he is, in El's car with unbrushed teeth, a damned D&D logo shirt on and barely conscious, for he literally just woke up (Lucas was carrying him to the car).

He really doesn't know if the group keeps him around because they actually like him, or because he's fun to laugh at.

But, soon enough he's singing "Call Me" by Blondie, along with Lucas. El would've be singing as well if she weren't driving. She loves driving, because when she drives it's "like the only thing that exists is me and the road", as she told him herself.

It was a short ride, but they had to stop like five times because Dustin isn't great with motion sickness. In the end it was worth it. Relatively clean walkways, a lot of shade, blue skies, cheap ice cream and, for once, enough sun screen for all of them.

They found a parking spot and started walking around to see if they find anything fun. Of course, they did- Lucas volunteered to sit in the thing where you have to hit a target to dunk the person sitting in the chair. Mike hit the target immediately, which was very funny to the kids watching them.

Then, they went on the rollercoasters. Dustin couldn't handle it, and he literally passed out for a moment while on there. So, Mike waited with him while the others were on the rides. He didn't like rollercoasters that much, anyway.

The crowd got thicker the moment the skies started to tint purple. And of course, he lost Dustin. He tried to wait for a moment in one spot, to look for him, but the constant flow of people pushed him into one of the stalls. He figured it's probably not that big of a deal, so he stood in a random stall and looked around the crowd to possibly spot Dustin.

"Uhm- you need help?"

Mike jumped. Turned around. There was a guy- a pretty guy standing there. He's never used 'pretty' to describe guys, and he preferred 'handsome', but this guy- he was pretty alright. Even with his dumbass neon-colored vest.

Pretty guy was now coming closer to him, he's been quiet for too long. He reached his arm out, and Mike's heartbeat skyrocketed.

"Hel-"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I lost my friend and there's too much people there, I couldn't find him, I can go," Mike finally got his tongue back, and was already one foot out the stall, when

"Oh, no, you can stay then- I mean, going back out there and constantly moving would just make it harder to find your friend, wouldn't it?" Pretty guy chuckled.

"You really don't have to do that, heh, but very sweet of you," Mike said, out of politeness. He actually didn't want to go, of course, but he would rather leave a good impression than come off as clingy and desperate, or something.

"No, really! You need to find your friend, and I could use some company. I mean- my brother has been handling the business for, like, an hour now, and I've got nothing to do," Pretty guy cringed at what he's said, perhaps knowing Mike sensed the desperation in his voice. But Mike just smiled, he liked that pretty guy wanted him to stay.

"Alright, then. Thank you- I'm Mike. By the way. Michael- But Mike. Y'know."

Pretty guy smiled. Mike stared.

"Hey, Mike. I'm Will. William," Now it was Mike's turn to smile. He offered out a hand, cuz he's a gentleman like that, and Will shook it. Will looked down at Mike's chest, and smiled even more brightly.

"Haha! You know D&D?" He asked. Mike felt embarrassed- maybe Will wasn't such a great guy after all...

Will must've noticed the change in expression from Mike, and hurried to add, "I love D&D! Well, I would love it even more if I had anyone to play my campaigns with. I wanted to teach my mom or my brother to play, but nothing came out of it. They think it's 'alright'. 'Alright'!"

Never mind. This is getting better and better! This guy is literally the guy of his dreams. And he's had no one to play D&D with? A chance with him literally handed on a plate-

"THERE HE IS" "MIKE WHEELER!" He heard in the distance. His friends.

They all rushed to the stall Will and Mike were in.

"You left us-" "Didn't even come looking for me!" They all started talking at once. Will found it entertaining, so Mike let them, trying his best to cover up his smile.

"Who's your new friend?" El asked. Mike couldn't tell if she was teasing him.

"Hey- I'm Will, hi," He smiled nervously. The others stared at him for a while, before all smiling back and reaching out to shake his hand.

"I'm Lucas-" "I love your vest!" "Can you give us free stuff?" "Do you have popcorn," et cetera et cetera. Will just nodded and smiled.

Max cut in. "Guys! Stop. Let's go play the game, look!"

It was a balloon game- the one where you have to aim balloons to hopefully get a prize. They all agreed and stepped in front of the stall, while Will got everything set up.

"You guys know how to play?" Will's brother asked. They nodded, and Lucas started throwing the mini arrows. He popped 9 out of 12 balloons, got a rabbit plushie with terrifying eyes staring at him.

Next was Max, hitting 5 out of 12, which Mike laughed at. After she threw an arrow at him, it was El's turn, and she got 2 out of 12. Everyone cheered. Dustin got 11, impressively. Then, Mike's turn.

"Good luck, Mike," Will said sweetly, and smiled from under his long lashes. He hasn't said that to anyone else. Mike's heartbeat skyrocketed again.

Alright, he has to impress him, now. No going back. If only he can unfocus from Will's flirty- flirty? Definitely flirty- gaze.

He had to hurry, to not become suspicious to his friends and them teasing him about this for at least two weeks.

He threw the arrow, completely missed. Another one, missed. So on and so on. His friends booed him every time. Until eventually, he hit one of the moving ones, and everyone cheered. Will, too- which is really all that mattered.

He is staring directly at him. Mike held eye contact. Kids are screaming. The group is laughing. The carnival lights shining everywhere. People whooping on the rollercoaster not too far away. Everything, yet only them.

Lucas shook him by the shoulders.

He whispered. "Dude." Will walked to the back of the stall. The moment was over, so Mike scowled at Lucas.

"What do you wa-"

"Ask for his number. Like, right now,"

Mike was confused.

"What- Do you like him?" He asked, a little bit hurt. He doesn't want to compete for Will's affections, especially not with Lucas. He would never get a chance if that happened.

"No, dumbass! I'm not gonna steal your man, who d'you think I am!"

Oh, alright. That makes more sense- Except Mike's never been good at directly hitting on someone. But it's too late, Max and El are already saying goodbye to Will's brother-

Lucas pushes him to the back of the stall. There's way less people here, now. He figures the kids have gone home, thankfully. He hates screeching, crying, sneezing little babies. He doesn't understand how people even-

"Hey, Mike," a soft voice says. Mike spots him. Will, finally with him again. He remembers what he's here to ask.

"Oh- hey, Will!" Oh, God, why can't he ever control his voice. He definitely sounds clingy and desperate. Fortunately, Will smiles fondly, and all Mike can do is smile back goofily.

Will laughs. "You need anything?"

"Ah- no- well, yes. Your number. Well- I mean-" He sighs. "Can I... get your number? You- mentioned you don't have anyone to play D&D with, and since we both wanna play it, why not play it together, y'know? My friends are also kind of nerds about it,"

Will beams. "Really? I don't, like, wanna be a burden or anything..."

"No! No! You would never be a burden- Just don't worry, they've all told me they want you to come to our next meeting. They like you." Mike assures him.

"And I do, too- We all do! I'll give you my number, and you can think about it. Incase you would feel anxious, because they're new people, or something. That happens to me all the time, so I get it- Well, in case that happens, you should still, uh, call me and we could- have a one-on-one session, would be fun. Yeah,"

Will giggles. His charms must've worked on him, then.

"Alright. But, I think we should have a one-on-one session in any case."

He's flirting? He is. Alright, Mike, be smooth now. And stop staring at his lips, goddamnit.

"Anytime you want,"

Good enough. Will's blushing, now. Mike is enjoying this, he wants to make Will blush all the time, actually.

Mike writes down his number and gives the paper to Will. Their fingers brush, Mike feels like a firework.

"Thank you, Mike,"

"No- thank you! And, uh. Call me."

Will laughs, smiles at him through his lashes again. Mike's gonna go crazy if he does this on their one-on-one session.

"Alright. Goodnight, then,"

"Sleep tight."

And if Mike was looking like a zombie the next day at work because of his lack of sleep... You couldn't resist Will Byers asking you to stay on the phone a little bit longer either, could you?

---

im getting good at this hoyl shit

inspired by this guy

my babygirl

[darlingdesiredelicious]

"Then why DON'T you hate me? Are you so... delusional that you believe I can be anything like the person I was when I was manipulating you?" It makes it all the more frustrating that Sebastian simply cannot move on from him, and despise him like everyone else. Fighting with him and letting him get a couple of deserved licks in made far more sense than... whatever this was.

"Listen... nothing you suggested will help you, Sebastian. You must learn to hate me, and then you must seek as best a life for yourself as possible. Mayhap I am simply bringing ruin to your life again... mayhap it would be best if you and I never saw each other again. I was a fool to show my face. It's... making this messier." And he liked messes... when they didn't involve himself.

"You never had to be... nice." Nice was oversimplifying it, really. "You never- Why did you put in all the effort? I mean... unless you were playing with your food? I don't understand it." He huffed. "It wasn't as though I was the only person there. It was The Mermaid for hells' sake. I wasn't even drunk when you found me. I wasn't the only person who came alone- I was stupid, but there were easier targets, surely?"

"You didn't have to be patient. Was it a challenge? Was that fun? You act as though kindness is as bad for you as the sun is. Like it makes you ill. You took my virginity. All of it, in a night, and you were... so good to me... and if I caught you in your own mind, I stopped everything, because it wasn't fun if you weren't really... there..." The more he thought about it, the more he worried his conclusion was falling apart. Still, Astarion must've been miserable trying to court him. At any point, he could've changed targets. Maybe Astarion wouldn't have even been remembered in all the chaos of the night. So, why didn't he get bored? Why didn't he get frustrated? Sebastian may have been naive and awful with people, but he had a keen sense for realizing, at least, if someone was upset and needed a friend.

"This isn't a game to me, Astarion. I'm not like you. My feelings are real and I can't paint over them like you can. Things like love and hate are not just things you can will yourself into feeling. Not for me, anyway. I-" Oh. Oh no, he said it. The word...

"Forget I said anything. Everyone else had different stories about you, shorter ones, crueler ones. The way mine felt like a perfect fairytale- and it wasn't really perfect. The times we had to slow down. The times you had to coach me through. Even right now, you're trying to help me, aren't you? At what point does it stop being for pretend?"

"I could pretend to hate you for years and years and decades, and it never becomes real. I guess it's different for you. Maybe you can trick yourself. Maybe you can care about someone for as long as you need to, and then destroy that part of you forever when you don't."

"You... remembered my name..." He took a shaky breath. "Thousands of people- You remembered me..."

[a-tale-never-told]

I know, I know... it's just that I'm extremely afraid for Dad especially. Considering his skin color and race, he's a primary target for any white supremacist group, or racist bigot to assassinate him, especially considering his status as an Ultimate. And given that he's crippled and relies on a wheelchair to move around the house, he isn't capable of defending himself in the condition that he's in.

Look at it from this perspective: Nobody actively tried to hurt your dad, simply because he always stays within the house and has the front door locked and windows shut. Nobody actively tried to assassinate him as of late, right? So I'm absolutely sure that as long as he doesn't go outside without any of you to watch over him, he'll be fine.

I understand. I just... want him to do something, anything around the house! He's been cooped up for years in that house without putting any effort into improving our well-being. I get that he's crippled and can't walk, but that's no excuse for being lazy that he can't hide behind.

But... I absolutely understand why he can't afford to find any job opportunities, given the current state of race relations in this country. It's not like he doesn't want to pursue any opportunities to seek a job, but his disability, and the enormous gaps of segregation between white-collar workers that come from purely white families, and the rest of the racially mixed working class.

Man, it must've been incredibly stress-inducing for someone like him and you, who's already dealing with a physical disability, to just lay down on the couch and take shelter in his own home simply because he feared that he might get killed just by going outside his residence, huh?

Stress-inducing doesn't even begin to describe it... it almost felt like we were constantly being under surveillance in our own homes, always being watched and spied upon for even the slightest bit of activity we did. I had to resort to holding Mom's sniper rifle in my hands and positioning myself whenever someone knocked at the door since I couldn't tell if they were out to kill my family. Do you know how much trauma I endured from all of that alone?!

Dear god... I'm... terribly sorry for that, Mahiru. I can't even describe how much paranoia and pain you and your family must've suffered during this time.

It's fine, Sonia. Really.

Luckily, I've managed to calm down and think rationally since then, and I no longer hold the sniper rifle with me whenever a person shows up, so at least it shows that my mental state has improved... somewhat.

I just... really wanted my family to be protected from any insane, hate-filled, white supremacists that would've been out to slaughter us simply because my dad is black... and I ended up taking desperate measures to the extreme.

While I don't agree with the methods that you took to protect your family, I honestly don't blame you for being justified in your fear for your family's safety. Anyone with a sensible brain would absolutely feel threatened if a random psychopath went up to their house, and just started to kill their family members. I just doubt they would have handled it in the same manner you did.

Uh, I don't blame you for judging me on that. I admit that I should've handled the situation far better than I ended up handling it in the idiotic manner that it was committed.

But I definitely know far better than resorting to such a callous and reckless move like that. Next time, I'll try to handle situations like this far more appropriately, considering that I could've ended up shooting someone by absolute mistake.

Don't... even bring that scenario up. Please.

S-Sorry! It was just hypothetically speaking, that's all. Still, I really need to handle house security a lot better than I ended up conducting it in such a stupid and irresponsible matter. At least I know what NOT to do in the event of something like this occurring...

[spicxxx]

This is my first time writing here. I've always been excited to share my thoughts on anime because it takes up a lot of my thoughts. I want to share it here.

Animated stories have always had a way of moving me but since I've seen attack on titan I just know that no other show can take its place in my heart well atleast not now as one piece isn't finishing anytime soon. The friendship, love, betrayal, suspense and shock in the show is like no other. The character background of Levi and his personality is marvelous. And I needn't speak about Eren. The choices that he had to make must've been terribly hard on him. He didn't deserve any of it. He kept fighting though. Kept persevering. It had to be him for no one could bear the pain and suffering he went through.

Next up I want to talk about one piece. The adventures and comedy make the show a masterpiece. The backstory of characters and how they each were initially chasing their goals but now united the trust they have in each other their friendship makes the show commendable. What is a show if not for the emotions it springs up in you? Luffy's determination to be the most free person by not just being a pirate but freeing all others of their sufferings and giving wings to their dreams is just awe inspiring!

Next I want to speak about a certain character who I have a soft spot for.

Yes it's Itachi Uchiha. The boy who carried such a heavy burden all his life. One who'd been the target of such raw hatred from the one person he cared about and loved the most. How must it have felt to willingly make yourself out to be the most cruel person when your intentions were the complete opposite? To make your brother despise you so much just to shield him from the cruel world? Indeed his character was very sorrowful.

Speaking of geniuses I want to talk about this another prodigy. One can do anything who has no bounds but still chooses to not deviate from the right path which is not to say that geto is bad maybe he is but he had his own struggles. If only he had gotten a little emotional support from his best friend things could've been different maybe. But Gojo must've had it very rough to have been separated from his best friend so, the only one who understood him the most. One who went against him. Am sure he must've thought could I have prevented this? How would things have been different if geto had not gone off the track? They would've dominated the jujutsu era together as the strongest pair for sure!

[rendevousz]

reunited

req: i was wondering if i could request a natasha x teen daughter reader where the reader has really bad social anxiety please? maybe where the reader was in the red room with natasha but given to hydra once the red room was taken down and natasha has been looking for her ever since she left the red room. on a mission to take down a hydra base natasha finally finds reader, and it's super emotional for the both of them and they're just happy to have each other back. natasha knows about readers social anxiety from when she was younger and sees that it's only gotten worse now, so she's super sweet and understanding. she saves the reader from the base and comforts her the whole way home because she's scared of all of the new people also on the jet (the other avengers). the reader lives with natasha at the compound with everyone else and natasha is just great about her social anxiety and never pushes her out of her comfort zone and comforts her when she has panic attacks. sorry if that's a lot, but thank you so much! i love your fics sooo much, you're such an amazing writer!!! 💖💖💖

mother figure!nat x fem!teen!reader

summary: nat finally finds you after years of looking.

word count: 4083

notes: i didn't make them peers in the red room because then they'd have to be around the same ages but i made them meet at the red room. also i didn't know how to write about her having social anxiety so i hope you don't mind that i didn't 😓 hope you like this <33

"stop," madame b's authoritative voice commanded and all of you stopped dancing. all of your peers seemed to be struggling to stand still on their battered feet, some breathing heavily but who could blame them? you had all been instructed to dance for hours now. you had to dance until you couldn't anymore.

your head faced madame b but your eyes landed on your best friend, veronika, for a split second. she seemed in pain and you vowed to check on her after whatever announcement your supervisor had for you. you stood tall, clenching your jaw in order to not show that you were in pain or out of breath.

madame b's gaze flickered to you for a second, her lip lifting up on one side for a brief moment before her face hardened once again.

"i have someone special here today. she's here to observe your training and if necessary, teach what you girls lack. she has long graduated this academy, please welcome miss natasha romanova."

you jolted awake, panting hard at the memory that just played in your dreams. you looked around you, seeing the same cell wall you had been put in for the past three years. after the fall of the red room academy where you were from, another organisation came and swooped you in, not wanting to waste your skills. you were the only one they took, having heard much about your abilities and reputation in the red room.

the girls stood all around you and veronika, watching the two of you spar tirelessly after hours of endless ballet. natasha and madame b watched the match closely, eyes trained on your techniques and movements.

after natasha had introduced herself to all of you, madame b had instructed her supposedly two best students—you and veronika— to demonstrate a true spar between skilled assassins.

while you were reluctant to attack your best friend, she had other plans, one that included impressing her idol who stood mere metres away from her. you were shocked when she started attacking you. never had she obeyed a command against you so quick.

you had to put away your initial shock to start attacking back in order to not get hurt by the hands of your own best friend. the look in her eyes was different, almost animalistic. it wasn't like the one she had when you two were laid in your beds side to side at night, handcuffed to it while you talked about your deepest struggles being in the academy. it wasn't the same one she had when you reassured her that she was doing okay whenever she said she would never be as good as you were at this whole assassin thing. it wasn't the same innocently surprised one she had just moments ago when she was addressed as one of madame b's best students.

this wasn't your best friend. this was a girl blinded by her desire to impress. she wanted to show natasha that she was the better one out of you two. your heart broke when you saw her desperation. it was obvious in the way she fought you.

it wasn't long before you had her in a chokehold, the girl struggling to get your grip off of her. your face visibly faltered, eyes tearing up slightly when you heard her whimpers. natasha took notice of this.

your lips were quivering when you turned to madame b. a simple nod from your trainer had you whispering a strained 'i'm sorry, i love you' in her ear before you broke her neck. the girl fell limp in your arms, dropping down to the mat, dead. you panted heavily as you stepped away from her body.

"good. this is what i expect of all of you," madame b turns to your peers, the stone cold look back on her face. "one thing you need to perfect though, y/n, is your emotions. don't get emotional over things that don't matter. i saw your inner conflict. veronika would have no reluctancy to end you if you were the one in the chokehold. she was more mentally prepared to be a ruthless assassin. you're lucky you're more skilful than she is. she would have no hesitation to kill you, close companion or not."

you swallowed that lump in your throat, biting the insides of your cheeks to prevent crying right then and there. "you have a lot of potential, y/n. don't let your emotions ruin it. i have high hopes for you." she spoke once again, before dismissing everyone.

you left the room with a heavy heart, turning to look at veronika's body one last time before leaving quickly so you could break down where no one else could witness.

you rushed to the staircase where you and veronika would sneak away all the time when you were supposed to be having lunch. you two would always sit under those stairs, talk about anything and everything you could. your tears were now freely rolling down your face.

"hey," you heard a voice say and you quickly wiped your tears away. you looked up and saw that it was none other than natasha. "miss romanova," you breathed out, scrambling to get up before she placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, the woman seating herself next to you on the floor, under the staircase.

"that must've been hard for you," she spoke after a few seconds of silence. "i remember my first time killing an actual person in training. they had me shoot targets and i consistently got the bullseye every time. then they switched out the targets to an actual person and i had a hard time doing that. i can't imagine how it must've been for you. i heard you and veronika were quite the inseparable duo."

you didn't move to show that you were shattered over the current events but the millions of tears silently streaming down your face said otherwise. natasha turned to you, reaching to wipe your tears away before gently caressing your cheek.

"you're a strong one, y/n. you remind me of myself when i was still in training. i can see myself in you." she told you truthfully. she had no idea why but she felt a strong connection towards you. she felt that you and her had so much in common. she had a strange inclination to protect you even though she knew damn well you were capable of doing so yourself.

since then, she always dropped by to help train all of you but you and her developed a relationship so strong that she even told you of her plans to get you out of that hellhole. at that point, it had been a few months since she'd turned good but she kept coming to the academy for your sake. she felt a sense of responsibility over you, like a mother would over her daughter.

she would with the other girls too if they had shown at least a bit of humanity but it seemed that the red room had ruined them beyond fixing. despite being the best student of the academy, you still weren't inhumane like the rest. you would hesitate to hurt others, only doing so when threatened and even that, you still weren't as heartless or cruel.

madame b would always berate you over this but natasha would pick up the pieces every single time. you loved her. she was the best thing in your life after veronika and your heart broke when the red room fell and you were taken away. away from the mother you never had.

you awoke with a jolt again. it was the second night in a row you were reliving your past memories. you touched your face and you felt the tears on it, wiping them with your sleeve as you sat up in your cold, uncomfortable bed in your cell. you sighed, bringing your knees up to your chest and hugging them.

you couldn't help but think of nat again. what could've happened if she managed to get you out before you were taken away? could you have a nice life with her? would you never have to hide under the stairs to have emotional exchanges with the woman? would you finally have been able to be who you were, not influenced by the evil around you?

you never knew what it was like having a mother but you imagined it was what nat had been towards you during the times you spent together at the academy. you two were more mother and daughter rather than trainer and student.

all of a sudden, alarms blared through the building and red warning lights flickered in your cell. you stood up, peeking through the small glass of your cell door to see guards rushing through the hallways in a frenzy.

you assumed that the facility was under attack and no one was coming to save you. you didn't even try, walking back to your bed to return to your position of hugging your knees tightly to your chest.

you could hear the chaos outside but opted not to pay attention to it. it didn't involve you and if no one was coming to save you from whatever was attacking the place—not that anyone in that place would, you were merely an asset to them—you wouldn't bother worrying about whether you were going to live by the end of the night.

a loud bang interrupted your thoughts and you looked up to see your cell door had been forcefully thrown open by a large man in stripes, holding a circular shield. you immediately stood up, getting ready to attack him when he spoke.

"i'm not here to hurt you." he said, holding out a hand as if to tell you to stop whatever you were about to do. "we're here to save you. you can finally leave this place now." he says gently. you frown at him, still in a stance ready to attack him.

"cap, is there someone in this room?" a familiar voice spoke and your head immediately turned to the door, where the owner of the voice stood, mouth dropping open at the sight of you. your face softened and a tiny gasp left your lips at the sight of her.

"y/n...is that you?" she breathed out, walking towards you and not stopping when she saw that you weren't alarmed or anything. "nat.." you choked out, tears starting to form. how crazy was it that you had been having flashbacks of her for the past two nights and suddenly she was here to come save you?

"y/n!" she exclaimed, pulling you into a tight hug. you knees buckled but she held onto you tightly, sniffling as she caressed your head gently. you buried your face in her shoulder as you took in the familiar feeling of being in her arms once again.

more tears started to form in your eyes now. never had you thought you were actually going to see her again. you lost the hope of seeing her again two years ago. but here she was, standing in your cell and hugging you like there would be no tomorrow.

your hugging session was cut short when steve sheepishly spoke up. "sorry to uh, interrupt this reunion but more guards are coming, i think it's best if we leave now." he picked up his shield, leading the three of you out of the facility safely and back to their quinjet. the whole time, nat held onto your hand tightly, as if letting go would lead to another few years of being apart once again.

once you reached the quinjet, nat led you to the seats in the back where you two would have more privacy. the team watched the two of you in confusion before turning back to steve for an explanation as he was the one who was partnered with nat for this mission. all the captain could tell them was that you two knew each other way before this and that all of them would have to wait for an explanation from nat herself if they wanted to know what was going on.

when you reached the compound, nat led you to her room where she lent you her clothes and let you shower before tucking you into her bed. when she was sure you were comfortably asleep, she left the room quietly to go grab a glass of water only to find the whole team sat in the common room instead of back in their own rooms.

she looked at them, confused. "guys, it's like almost the crack ass of dawn and we just got back from a mission, why aren't you asleep? or were you debriefing? in the common room? did i miss it?"

"no, you know debriefings for late night missions are the next morning. we were waiting for you actually," steve spoke on behalf of the whole team. "me? for what?"

"nat, c'mon, don't act stupid. you know what we're talking about," clint makes an unimpressed face at his best friend. nat sighs, taking a seat next to him and the team look at her expectantly. she cleared her throat, preparing for a whole story time.

"you know how i was from the red room?" she asked them and they all nodded, urging her to continue her story. "well, after i graduated, i was asked to come help train the younger ones in the programme. during that time, i met this girl. she reminded me a lot of my younger self and she didn't seem completely brainwashed to the point where she lacked emotions. i grew close to her and after i met clint and joined SHIELD, i vowed to get her out of there because she went through a lot in that hellhole and i could tell she didn't want to do any of the things that the other girls were fine doing.

"she had a good heart and i didn't want it to be wasted. she was the best in the academy and i knew they had big plans for her. but i didn't want her to be programmed to kill. she was much more than that. so i made this whole plan for her escape. i kept going back to the academy to come see her and share my plan with her. clint, you always asked me where i kept disappearing to when we first started becoming friends. it was her. the people there didn't know i was already under SHIELD at that time—nobody did—so it was safe for me to keep visiting and keep planning an escape for her.

"but three years ago, the red room fell. i rushed over because i thought i could finally leave with her without anyone knowing. but apparently she'd been taken away. she was the only one of the girls who was taken. by who, i didn't know at that time. but i knew it was because of her skills and abilities. if the red room had big plans for her, i knew other organisations must've already heard of her too.

"i never stopped looking for her. i don't know why i never thought of HYDRA. but it doesn't matter anymore. i finally found her and i'm never letting her go. i hope you guys don't mind that she lives here now. if not, i'll move out and find somewhere for us."

the team seemed surprised that nat told them her story. they were very much expecting her to, well, not tell them because this seemed like a very personal story.

"no, no, of course she can stay. i'll even set up another room for her." tony says and nat nods gratefully. "what's her name?" wanda asks.

"y/n," nat tells her, smiling at the thought of you as she stands up. "alright, i have to go back to her. see you guys in the morning. maybe you'll get to see her then."

she bids them goodnight, leaving after grabbing a glass of water for you in case you woke up in the middle of the night, in need of it. she wasn't wrong because when she got back to her room, you were up, hugging your knees as you cried.

"hey, hey, hey, what's wrong, sugar?" she quickly puts the glass of water on the bedside table, sitting on the bed and pulling you close to her. you look up at her all teary-eyed and she feels her heart break.

"i–i thought i lost you again," you croaked out, burying your face in her shoulder. "oh, sugar, you'll never lose me ever again. i'll never let that happen. you're safe here with me. now sleep, i'll be here when you wake up." she stroked your hair gently, laying down next to you on the bed before you two fell into a blissful slumber in each other's arms.

true to her words, she was right next to you when you woke up the next time. she seemed wide awake and you felt bad because she probably had been up hours before but didn't leave you because you were scared.

"how'd you sleep, sugar?" she asked as you sat up, stretching. "the best i have in years. thanks to you, nat." you smiled at her, still not believing all of this is real. that you're finally reunited with the woman you thought of as your mother.

"do you want to meet my friends? they're dying to meet you," she tells you and you bite your lips nervously. "do you think they'll like me?"

"are you crazy? of course they will. and if they don't, i'll make them." she threatens playfully and you laugh, missing how protective of you she is. you smile, agreeing to her suggestions to meet her friends after you got ready for the day.

-

"hi, sweetie, you're y/n?" a man with fancy silk pyjamas greeted as you entered the common room with natasha. you nodded timidly, scooting closer to natasha. it was weird for natasha to see you this nervous. after all, you were the best student of your batch in the red room. but she understood that years with no actual social interaction does that to people.

"i hope you'll like staying here, i already have your room setting up as of right now. when you move in, you can tell me if you don't like anything and i'll change it for you. oh, i forgot, i'm tony," he extends a hand towards you and with an encouraging nod from nat, you hesitantly shake his hand. he smiles at you before telling you both he has projects to finish down in his lab and to tell him if you needed anything.

"hey, nat, not gonna introduce your friend to us?" you heard a voice from behind you and you two turned around to see two men and a woman. you recognised both men—one of them was the one who broke into your cell last night and the other one you had seen him a lot from pictures nat would show you during your secret meetings in your red room days. he was her best friend. you didn't know the woman but the kind smile on her face was enough to reassure you that these people weren't bad.

"y/n, meet clint, the idiot who i call best friend," she points to the shorter man. the name nat called him must've offended him because the face he made was hilarious that you let out a little giggle. nat smiles at this before proceeding to introduce the other two.

"this one's steve, he's an old man stuck in a young body—literally— so if he says things you don't understand, just smile and nod." you nod at nat and steve gives her an incredulous look, as if not believing the audacity she had to introduce him like that.

"this one's wanda, she's the least annoying person in this whole place and she can cook whatever you want so i think you two will get along really well." wanda smiles at you and you return it shyly. you smile at the other two before nat drags you away, telling them she still had others to introduce you to.

when you entered the kitchen, you saw a man reading a newspaper on the kitchen island while another man, whose skin was red, stood beside him. they seemed to be discussing something very intelligent because you didn't understand a single word they spoke.

"bruce, vision, i want you to meet someone." they turned their attentions towards you and nat and you immediately felt like hiding once again. "oh hello, steve told us you brought back someone from the mission. is this her? hello, i'm bruce," the man sitting down introduced himself.

"wait, is this the bruce?" you asked nat, smirking teasingly at her and she smacks you gently on the shoulder. the man seemed flustered at what you're insinuating, scratching his neck awkwardly.

"bruce, vision, this is y/n, i've known her for a long time and i finally found her after years so i hope you two won't mind that she'll be staying here from now on," nat tells them. the two of them didn't come on the mission last night so they were the only two who didn't actually see you until today.

"it's nice to meet you, y/n. i'm vision, i hope you'll enjoy your stay here." the man with the red skin greets formally and you turn to nat with a confused expression. "he's an android, he does things a bit weird here so don't mind him." she whispers to you and you nod understandingly.

"it's nice to meet you two, i hope we'll be good friends." you say awkwardly, hoping to get this whole introduction thing over with. how many people do you have left to meet?

speaking of the devil—or should you say, devils—, two annoying voices rang through the kitchen, interrupting the peacefulness that it was before they came in.

"i'm just saying that if you hadn't eaten my last bag of chips last week, i wouldn't have taken your cookies last night. it's all about fair play, man."

"and i keep telling you that it wasn't me! i don't even like those stupid salty ass chips from that brand,"

"stop lying, i saw you eating that brand the other day! just admit you stole my chips and go,"

"guys, are you really having another one of your stupid arguments now?" nat cuts them off and they immediately turned to you, finally noticing all of you.

"oh hey! y/n, right? it's nice to meet you, i'm sam. if you wanna survive in this place, you better hide your snacks because if you don't, this winter warrior here will snatch 'em all before you can even stash them in the cupboards. don't ever trust this guy here when it comes to your snacks. you heard what happened to mine," the man fakes a cry and you held back a laugh at his long introduction. you only wanted a name to match the face but he gave you much more. you didn't mind though, he seemed like a fun person.

"hi, doll, i'm bucky. don't listen to eagle right here, i do not steal snacks. i simply let people have a taste of their own medicine. you steal my snacks, wilson, i steal 'em back. you think i don't know you stole my oreos too last month? that's why i stole your damn chips last week,"

"so you did steal them!"

"so what if i did?! you stole my oreos first!"

"oh my god, guys, you're really embarrassing me in front of y/n. these are really the people i was excited to introduce her to," nat face-palmed and you couldn't help but laugh. "don't worry nat, these people seem amazing. i can't wait to get to know them better." you assured her and she smiles, pulling you close to her. "buckle up, sugar, because living with the avengers is gonna be a wild ride."

you were excited for what was about to come. it seemed like everything was finally falling into place. you finally got nat back and you didn't have to worry about losing her again because you had a feeling these people weren't going to let that happen.

taglist <3

@amourtentiaa @rqmanoff @abitofeverythinggg @andreasworlsboring101 @cay-writes-fan-fiction514 @teenwonder @sevenmorningstars @fleurlovesbucky @marauvdersfate @bestillmystuckyheart

[bumblesimagines]

Protect Him

Request; Yes or No

Wanda is apparently 28 in WandaVision so Imma keep her age 28-32 while (Y/N) is 19-24.

Also disclaimer: She might be ooc but that's probs cause I only remember edgy Wanda lmao. I also haven't seen a Marvel movie in like a year.

~

Wanda felt a soft breeze blow by, strands of her red hair swaying along. She watched with a gentle gaze as people walked or jogged. The park always had people around but it wasn't overly crowded. She could hear the sound of cars behind her, occasionally honking. Wanda felt empty. Vision was gone. Right when they had began their life together in Europe. Wanda felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. She inhaled sharply, quickly wiping away any tears when someone sat beside her.

"Coffee?" Wanda blinked, turning her head as she sniffled softly. Her gaze locked onto the coffee cup, reaching out and gently taking it. She looked at the young man, sitting beside her, lips parting.

"Why?"

"You seem down." He shrugged lightly, looking forward, watching the lake water sparkle from the sunlight hitting it. Wanda noticed the name written on the cup. '(Y/N)'.

"Wanda, right?" (Y/N) looked at her, head tilting. Wanda nodded slowly, eyeing the young man next to her. Her guard was up.

"I've never met a superhero before." (Y/N) said, looking back at the lake.

"I wouldn't call myself a hero." Wanda mumbled, leaning back against the bench. Her finger gently tapped against the cup, wondering if it was drugged or poisoned. She could always use her powers but she didn't want to be seen by other civilians.

"Why not? Saving people makes you a hero by default. Even if some of the Avengers are terrorists, mass murderers, and automatically can't be trusted cause they work for the government." (Y/N) shrugged lightly, chuckling softly. Wanda let a small smile slip, looking forward.

"Sorry for your losses." (Y/N) added, licking his lips and softly sighing. Wanda hummed gently, shoulders relaxing. She finally raised the cup to her lips, taking a sip. The coffee had gotten a bit cold but Wanda didn't mind.

"What brings you here?" (Y/N) asked gently, taking a sip from his coffee as well. Wanda inhaled deeply, eyes shutting briefly.

"I come here to think, I suppose." Wanda answered, unsure with her response. (Y/N) seemed to notice but didn't comment.

"The park is a good place for that. If you don't mind honking and barking." He chuckled softly, shifting slightly to face her. Wanda's gaze dropped to the ground. (Y/N) watched her saddened expression.

"Wanna talk about it?" (Y/N) asked, tilting his head. "We don't have to but.. You can talk and I'll listen."

"I.." Wanda began, glancing at him. She shifted to face him as well, placing her cup down infront of her. The bench was sturdy enough that the coffee wouldn't tip over.

"I miss Vision a lot.. He understood me. He cared for me. He and Natasha were friends of mine and.. They didn't even get a statue or a big memorial like Tony did. They were just as important as him. I'm angry and hurt and.. I lost the love of my life. I watched him die twice and I couldn't save him.." Wanda let out a soft whimper, letting her tears fall freely as her heart ached.

"I should've been more aware.. Maybe.. Maybe if I had done something or- or been quicker, he would still be here. I should've protected him." Wanda sniffled, sobs escaping her as she covered her face with her hands and cried. (Y/N) reached out, gently touching her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. (Y/N) placed the coffee cup between them elsewhere, scooting closer and giving her a proper hug. She was clearly still grieving and in need of comfort.

"You don't have to be alone in this, Wanda. You don't have to hold everything in until you can't anymore." (Y/N) whispered softly, gently rubbing her back. She sympathized with her. Being a hero had its pros but it had its cons as well. Being a hero meant knowing your family was always in constant danger of being targeted. He could only imagine what it must've been like to watch someone he cared about die twice.

"There's something I do when I'm overwhelmed.. Probably isn't good to do it here but if you want, I can take you somewhere you can." (Y/N) said, pulling back and gently wiping the tears away from her soft skin. Wanda sniffled, brows slightly furrowing. She swallowed, giving a small nod. If anything were to happen, she had the upperhand with her powers. They stood up, throwing away their cold coffees and walking away. The dogs that passed by put Wanda at ease as they went over to a car. Wanda hesitantly got in, buckling in. (Y/N) did the same, driving out of the parking space.

"Are you from Edinburgh?" Wanda asked softly, turning her head to look at him. She hadn't noticed a scottish accent from him but didn't want to assume. (Y/N) licked his lips, chuckling softly as he shook his head.

"You're asking if I was born here, the answer's no. I'm from New York City. I decided to become a.. Nomad after you and your hero friends destroyed the city for like the twelfth time but I decided to calm down and chill for a year or two." (Y/N) explained, giving her a small smile. Wanda hummed, understanding why'd he want to leave. She left for a good reason. To get away from the chaos and guilt. The only person she kept in contact with was Clint. They were each other's rocks. They both knew how it felt to watch someone they loved die. Wanda noticed they were heading away from the city.

"I promise I'm not kidnapping you. We can get donuts after this." (Y/N) said, noticing some uneasiness. (Y/N) pulled into a trail, parking and motioning out. He got out of the car, followed by Wanda. (Y/N) walked forward until there was a clearing and a field. Wanda smiled softly, looking over the field. Everything felt calming. The sound of the birds and wind russling leaves relaxed her.

"I like to go to the middle of the field and just scream. I found this place when I first came here. It's pretty nice to let everything out without hurting anyone." (Y/N) told her, giving her a small nudge. Wanda slowly walked towards the middle, feeling the grass gently prickle her fingers. She stood in the middle and inhaled, eyes closing. She let out a scream, her powers unknowingly making an energy wave. Luckily, it wasn't a big one but it didn't cause some birds to flee in a panic. The grass around her flattened, her hands glowing a bright red. (Y/N) was glad he hadn't gone with her to the middle. Once she couldn't scream anymore, Wanda gently panted, eyes opening as she scanned her surrondings. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Wanda felt lighter. She heard laughing, turning her head as (Y/N) walked towards her.

"That was incredible to watch. Feel any better?" (Y/N) asked, giving her a smile. Wanda nodded, watching him. She felt like she could finally breathe. Her gaze softened as she looked (Y/N) over. Wanda didn't want to lose him either. She was beginning to get attached.

"I'm willingly to share my secret screaming spot." (Y/N) said, giggling softly after. Wanda smiled, cheeks gently flushing as she chuckled and nodded.

"Thank you." She breathed out. Maybe, she could finally have someone who she could protect and keep safe, no matter the cost.

[lowkeyerror]

I Lost Everything

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Word Count: 1668

Warnings: It’s a sad one babes, no happy ending

Pt2

No one plans to be sitting in their car parked outside their ex's house. It's creepy and toxic and can only lead up to something more problematic. 

However you didn't know where else to go. Your life had fallen apart since Natasha and you broke up. It seems like parting ways with her started a domino effect. You broke up, then you got fired from your job, and because you didn't have a job you couldn't afford to stay in the place you were renting. 

You were trying your best to cope with all of that. You started working at a grocery store and were able to get yourself a run down one bedroom apartment. You didn't have a choice but to keep moving forward. You didn't have time to have a breakdown because if you did you wouldn't have anything at all.

You thought you had it under control until today. Some goons on the street decided you were the perfect target and tried to rob you. You fought back the best you could but there was only one of you and three of them. They took your wallet and beat you up pretty badly. Your wallet contained all of your credit cards, your ID, and your payday for the week.

There was nothing you could do about it at the moment. So you just walked to my car and as soon as you were in there you burst into tears. It's like it had all hit you at one time and before you could comprehend it you were parked in front of Natasha's house.

Your subconscious knew that she was the only one that could really help you. You knew that if you got out of the car and knocked on the door Nat would let you in. You just didn't know if you would be able to face her.

Natasha broke up with you because she wasn't ready for a serious commitment. That's what she told you and it was hard to believe. You had already been dating for 8 months. In your head you were already in a serious commitment but she just didn't feel the same.

Knocking on her door while you look like this, after you've lost everything, and seeing her standing there doing just fine without you would destroy you. 

" Fuck" 

You punched the dashboard and leaned your head on the steering wheel letting the fresh tears stream down your face. The silent tears were quickly turning into choked sobs. 

" Y/n?" 

A loud tap on the car window had caused you to lift your head off of the steering wheel. Your vision was blurry from the tears but you already knew who it was.

You got out of the car and tried to wipe your face but ended up wincing.

" Hi Nat"

The tears still hadn't stopped coming from your eyes and you were trying your hardest to hold it all together.

You felt her eyes rake your entire body before finally meeting yours. 

" Come on"

She turned away from you and started walking towards her house. You trailed behind her with your head hung low. You don't know what you were expecting her to say but you thought it was going to be more than two words.

Once you were inside the house you felt overwhelmed. Everything was too similar to how it had been when the two of you were together. You could tell Nat was leading you to her bedroom and that made you feel like you were going to vomit.

Being in here felt like a mistake. You wanted to turn around and run back to your car. Anything that would help this feeling of dread disappear seemed pretty reasonable.

Your brain must've not been communicating with your body because somehow you were already sat on the smallest corner of Natasha's bed.

You had heard fumbling around in her personal bathroom, most likely searching for an emergency kit to clean your wounds. Just as you expected she came out of the restroom with the white box in hand.

She stood in front of you but your gaze was glued to the floor. This was too intimate for you. There had been too many times where the roles were reversed and you were dressing her scars.

" I don't think we've ever done this the other way around before" Natasha's tone is gentle as she examines your face the best she could.

" Well I don't get mugged quite often so maybe that explains it," the tiredness in your voice shines through as you lift her head giving her easier access to your face.

Her movements freeze and her eyes locked on yours," You got mugged?"

You knew that expression well, Natasha was angry.

" Well mugging usually implies just one person. I guess jumped is a better term. I got jumped by three guys who then stole my wallet"

Natasha had a death grip on the cotton ball she was using to clean your cuts," That's not any better. Do you remember what they look like?"

" Not in the slightest but there's a ton of cameras on Madison I'm sure one of them caught a glimpse of them"

Natasha furrowed her brow," What were you doing on that side of town in the first place?"

You wanted to recast your gaze to the floor but you couldn't because Natasha was holding your head.

" Well I work over in that area now and I actually live not too far from there too"

Natasha chuckled a little," Why would your company move to the shitty side of town?"

You visibly tensed not bothering to answer the woman this time. This was already embarrassing enough as it is. 

When you didn't answer Natasha noticed how quiet you had gotten. She was trying to focus on the cuts and bruises on your face but your eyes were distracting her.

You looked like you were so far away. Which was not how she would've described you in the past. You were always in the present. Something about enjoying what's around you at any moment because it could always be taken away in a minute.

Now it just seemed like you'd rather be anywhere else. Not even just anywhere else besides the woman's home; it was as if you rather be anywhere else besides your own skin.

Without noticing it Natasha began to caress your face. Placing herself back in a timeline where this was the appropriate behavior. She hated seeing you like this, so defeated. 

" Natasha"

Your voice snapped her out of her thoughts," Sorry, does it hurt anywhere else?"

You bit your lip preparing to lie to the woman so that you could get out of this situation.

" Don't lie to me Y/n, you always bite your lip before you lie"

You sighed heavily," My ribs"

Natasha took it upon herself to slowly lift up your shirt causing you to flinch away from her. Partly because of the pain and also partly because you didn't want her to remove your shirt.

" Can you take your shirt off so I can see how bad it is?"

You shook your head," It's fine, I should get going anyway"

You tried to get up from the bed but Natasha put her hand on your shoulder," You're hurt just let me take a look"

You removed her hand from your shoulder," I'm fine Natasha"

" Why won't you let me see it, it's not like it's anything I haven't seen before?"

" Don't"

" I wouldn't have to if you weren't being so stubborn right now. If this was a few months ago it wouldn't even be an issue"

" Natasha stop"

" You probably would've even enjoyed it a little-"

" WELL THIS ISN'T A FEW MONTHS AGO NATASHA. A FEW MONTHS AGO I HAD RESPECTABLE JOB AND A NICE HOUSE AND A GIRLFRIEND THAT KNEW NOT WHEN TO CROSS BOUNDARIES. NOW I WORK AT A GROCERY STORE IN THE SHITTY PART OF TOWN AND LIVE IN A SHITTY ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT AND I DON'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND ANYMORE BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT 8 MONTHS WASN'T A SERIOUS FUCKING RELATIONSHIP."

You exploded and the spy froze up. Your chest was heaving up and down as you tried to regain some of your composure. 

This time you were able to get off of the bed without Natasha stopping you. You couldn't stand to be in this house anymore. When you finally made it to the front door is when you felt Natasha gently grip your wrist.

Your first instinct was to rip your wrist out of her but something else was telling to look back at the woman.

So you did and glancing back at her you could see that her eyes were glistening with tears threatening to spill.

You let her pull you into her body. Her arms wrapped gently around your waist and you let your head rest on her shoulder.

" I'm sorry. It was all beginning to feel so normal and I've never had that. I still don't and as an Avenger I never will. I thought it would be easier to let you go before you got tired of living this kind of life with me"

" I would've never gotten tired of being yours Nat," you pulled away from her, avoiding her eyes," I'll see you around"

You left her house and this time she didn't try to stop you. You got in your car and drove away. Unlike when you broke up this time she watched you leave.

This time she didn't hide the tears, she let them flow freely as your car faded out of view. Her heart ached for you, she didn't mean to break you so badly. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid.

The intentions didn't matter anymore in her mind. All that mattered was her helping put your life back together. 

Though it frightened her to her core she was going to do whatever she needed to do to get you back.

[asterjennifer]

Gif used with premission from @starcrystalrose

Yellow Carnations

I was inspired by @cheeppy's drawing for the Saeran week so I decided to write something about it!

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Pairing: Saeran ( & 707 & Mother Choi)

Category: Angst

Warnings: referenced Child abuse, depression, family issues

Word count: 2611

Summary: He's grateful for every opportunity to get out and watch the clouds.

He'd never seen other parents with children.

But when he does, it's agonizing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These coulds appeared fluffy, looking more and more comfortable the longer his head's leaned back to watch every single movement with care. He had to cherish it, who knew when he's able to sneak out of the house again with his brother gone. It's a miracle he got the courage to even attempt such rule breaking thing, he must've picked up on some of his borther's bold behavior. Saeyoung always acted strong, he didn't get sick as fast. Not always the target as he's capable of opeing his mouth to rebel. To this day, Saeran wished to understand how he gathered this confidence.

But it always had been that way, considering his brother's a good person. Regardless of what mom said, she called Saeyoung many names since he sometimes didn't go along with her education, or the parenting. Saeran felt unsure how to call it properly, his brother always denied these terms, saying it's not parenting. But he never shared the true designation, probably because he didn't want to waste even more time on someone like Saeran, he might wouldn't understand at all and then Saeyoung would've to teach him. The younger one's certain Saeyoung had other, more important matters to deal with.

The wind's fresh when stroking over his irritated skin, these wounds from head to toe itched with their healing process painfully slow. The scratches on his neck and wrists stringed abnormal, uncomfortable as his mom continued to cause new one's right when the oldest healed. His knees hurt, they're weirdly colored in blue and purple as well. Saeran didn't know what it meant, yet he's aware it's nothing good because when he touched the skin there, it hurt like hell. Ever since Saeyoung left, mom became more frequent in her anger episodes. There's not a time at day or night where she would stop picking bottle after bottle.

Only after leaving the house he realized how strong the smell of alcohol was, going back in always required a lot of willpower to not gag. Saeran, once again, didn't understand why mom liked to drink such things all the time. He figured by now it's not because of the taste, he knew she's somehow escaping this world when being drunk. Or rather, she fell even deeper into it. And every time, Saeran had to deal with it. Now since he's without his brother, it's even harder and difficult to handle. She's constantly on his case to remind him who he was.

At least for a bit he's able to go out, thankfully he's not too stupid to memorize her pattern. The times where she drank too much, forcing her into deep slumber and giving Saeran the opportunity to leave it all behind for a little while. Still cautious though, nobody knew when his father would send the next creepy looking people to catch him or his brother. When sitting on the near by bench, he closed his eyes in order to take in the nature around him better. He liked to see and listen to every detail that's out there to find, waiting to be discovered.

"Mom! Here look, that yo-yo has a different color underneath the picture!"

Startled at first, Saeran's entire body tensed. It's the voice of someone his age though, not a person that could be a threat. Confused as to why anyone would come to this part of the place, he found a mother with her son on her arm. He wore bright clothes and shoes, hair a bit messy but still soft looking. Eyes shining so bright it first scared Saeran, but the adult woman frightened him even more. She's so carefree looking, wrinkles that not caused her to look older than she actually was. Her hair tied up firmly, a nice dress with fitting shoes in the same color. Not particularly tall, defined or special. Still pretty when smiling.

"It's just the foundation, dear. They paint over it to have the picture printed on it."

"Woah– Does that mean the car's also painted!?"

"Haha, yes. In a different way. But it's painted, that's right."

She laughed as her son questioned with a gasp falling from his lips, shocked by the reality with the woman unable to stop herself from giggling. The boy lifted his hand then to touch some of her hair. Saeran could see them clearly, and yet, his vision's not very focused. There's an empty feeling spreading when watching the son holding up the hair for his mother to see.

"Are these painted too?"

"No, they're my natural hair color. Just like yours! We have the same color, sweetheart."

She explained while taking the strands of hair out of his small fingers to wiggle it against his face and hear him sneeze. Again, it made her laugh as her son just rubbed his nose to get the itchy feeling away. Saeran's fingers tightened around the edge of the bench, waiting silently for the two to walk away and continue their tour. He's unable to take his eyes from the mother and her son, although the longer he saw them, the more empty he felt. Saeran had never seen another parent before, nor a boy his age with his mother. And frankly, he didn't need to see this. It happened though, so no denying there.

His body felt paralysed, unable to move an inch even when telling himself otherwise. So that's what Saeyoung talked to him about, what he'd read in these few books his older brother managed to smuggle into the house? That's what parenting looked like? What a mother should be like? Saeran's head suddenly became heavier than steel, therefore, he stared down to his feet for a while. Interesting, he thought to himself. The pain of his wounds increased without a warning, forcing hot tears to prick at the corners of his eyes. His entire body began to tremble as the nature fell somehow into the background of his focus.

Mom wasn't like that, she never had picked him up to carry him around when being sick or hurt. She never laughed, he couldn't remember he ever saw her smile either. And she definitely didn't talk in such a calm albeit assuring voice. Mom didn't give him any little nicknames, only bad ones that stringed in his heart. She didn't look at him with the glimpse of affection he'd seen the other woman give her son. Saeran's shoulders hunched forward in a way it's almost more painful than his ankle, the part mom used to tie him up at to make sure he wouldn't run away. He suddenly realized that mom never did something similar before.

Mom didn't like when he spoke, even less when he's having the audacity to ask questions. She didn't give him these shirts or shoes that seemed comfortable when wearing, nor did she ever gave him a toy. She would only feel annoyed if he's playing. Because that meant he's loud, that's why she didn't want him anywhere near her. Mom didn't like touching him. She didn't like Saeran, or maybe, as she always stated, she hated him. Mom hated him. His eyes hurt for the countless time as he's crying, he's not sure why. He didn't know why he's tearing up like that. Deep down, however, he already figured it out. After seeing what other parents were like with their kids, he understood for once.

He couldn't dear to talk to mom without the fear of getting locked into the closet, but that boy, he didn't seem afraid at all. Saeran couldn't ask for anything, regardless how small it was, she would freak out due to his arrogance. His red hair fell over his eyes, where was Saeyoung right now? Would he be okay? He missed his twin brother. But maybe.. he's happy he managed to get away from the situation. Maybe Saeran's alone with mom as punishment since he's secretly wishing for changes. Maybe it's deserved mom despised him, he's nothing but a burden ever since he could think. He's weak and stupid, maybe that's why mom hated him.

What could he do for her in order to change her mind and care about him? Every little decision he made on his own turned out as a failure. The words circling around his head were meaningless when coming from a devil like him. She called him bad and a devil, so that's what he was, wasn't it? Maybe he didn't deserve to ask for nice things or a hug. It might make mom feel disgusted when coming in contact with him. Maybe it's all his fault, yet he's too stupid to realize which part he lacked. Was there no way for him to change and have mom pick him up? Read him a bedtime story the way Saeyoung used to do or call him a good boy for the effort he put into everything she asked for?

Of course not. Saeran lifted his hand, a cold fire shoot through his veins by the movements, he couldn't care less, though. He hid his pathetic tears behind the back of his hand. He didn't deserve love, or care, or light. Saeran's not a good child, otherwise mom would show more mercy. She probably wouldn't have to waste so much time on his inconvenience, punishment after punishment as he's incapable of improving. Even if he's giving it all, no way mom would hold him when feeling sick or sad. Sometimes he's so, so sad. Especially now with the only good thing in life leaving his side. Saeran felt broken. And mom didn't want to waste her energy on repairing such an unfixable idiot.

Without noticing it, he leaned back against the bench more. Pulling up his knees despite the pain it caused to hide away his face alongside the tears. Getting carried around? Getting to eat cake or play with other children? Ask questions? Getting nice gifts? Getting cared about or getting a hug? How stupid he was to long after something that's not meant for him. Saeran wasn't worth the time nor the struggles. He wasn't worth anything, mom said it often enough. But he's selfish as he couldn't stop his heart from aching in agonizing amount. Feel his body shiver with loneliness, or neglect, as Saeyoung once said it's called. Yet it's all he deserved, maybe that's why he left Saeran.

Did Saeyoung hate him as well, just in secret to not have him cry even more than he already did? Maybe. Maybe it was Saeran's fault for being weak and a good-for-nothing. Although that's all he should get, it's so painful. It hurt to wake up to bottles being thrown at his direction. It hurt being called scum or useless pile of nothing. It hurt to get told he's better off dead. His heart broke whenever mom gazed at him, filled with hatred and reget. Just towards him, he's the reason her life's ruined. He's the reason father had to continue waste time by looking for someone without value.

Not only his body's in ruins, Saeran's aware the most of his mind didn't function correctly. Mom wouldn't call him dumb if it's a lie. His entire being's just one big mistake, other kids had a purpose. Going to school, learn and become someone their parents could be proud of. No, mom wouldn't ever be proud of him for anything considering he's never going to achieve something remarkable. Saeran's back burned when trying to keep in the sobs, doing his best to stop acting like he's the unfortunate one. Mom's right, he's too noisy even when making no sound. He's stupid. Weak. Useless until the day he would vanish, which wasn't far. Saeran would die young one day.

Mom would be much happier if Saeran just disappeared, maybe the only time where he's able to make her smile. He really wanted to ask mom about her life more, what he could do for her. And if he's not worth at least a little bit of love after all. If he's capable of changing into someone she might like to have. Saeyoung told him to never change, but Saeran's pretty sure he had to if he wished to experience affection. The way he was now, who in their right mind would want to take care of someone that useless. His brother left him. Father wanted him dead. Mom hated him. Didn't matter how badly Saeran hoped to give and gain love.

"Stupid... Stupid boy. Mom's right.. you're an idiot. Idiot..!"

He whispered, a familiar hatred to witness in these words that were directed on only at himself. Saeran didn't do anything to earn love, he's just crying and continuing to be a burden to literally everyone in this world. There's a reason why they all hated him, wanted to leave him. He shouldn't get nice clothes, he shouldn't go to school and make friends. None of it's meant for Saeran, the only thing he should get were wounds until he learned how to stop being such a weak being. One of his tiny hands went up to pull on the red hair, to tear out some as he didn't deserved to be freed from pain.

"I hate you.. I hate you so much.. Mom hates you, father hates you and Saeyoung does too. And I hate you too..! I hate you."

He cursed himself, nobody around he could tell how much he despised himself for acting the way he was. For wanting mom to care about him, for wanting father to leave him alone, for Saeyoung who's much better without him. Who did he think he was for crying, trying to imagine how different it could be when they would return his show of affection. For thinking how nice it could feel when going out with his family on a trip like this. Only good children should get light poured over themselves, not someone like Saeran. One day he might end this useless struggle, or if he didn't do it himself, then mom or father.

Saeran let go of his hair, then. The sky began to dip into darkness more as the sun already started to set, giving him a vague idea what time it was and that he should go back before mom noticed he'd been gone. Saeran got off the bench painfully slow, feeling all of his tendons and bones crack individually. As he looked down to the torn clothes on his disgustingly thin body, he couldn't help but grab a fistful of the dirty fabric. His face twisting as the dark shadow crawled back over his features.

"Good-for-nothing.. Mom should hit you for being so arrogant. Mom should lock you back into the closet."

Although that's one of the worse things mom had to offer, he's oddly willing to get himself punished. Saeran felt numb, there's nothing but a slight string in his chest paired with the same kind of anger his mom used to lash out on him. Was he leaning from her after all? Saeran looked back up at the sky, moon already visible on the left before he pinched his eyes close. Taking steps back to the house with his stare glued to the ground his feet walked over. The chaos in his chest not settling down as it's usually the case. Maybe this was also deserved. Maybe there's nothing else for him other than hatred. No matter by whom. Saeran digged his nails into his palm when reaching the door of the old, wooden house.

"You don't deserve to see the sky..! Don't be arrogant. I–I don't.. deserve.. anything. Mom is right. I'm... worthless. I'm worthless."

[percybeloved]

Marlboro

matsuda touta x black!m! reader

contains: fluff, mentions of cigarettes/smoking, a reader thats the opposite of matsuda personality wise. also, engaged to your bosses (adopted)son (whose like a yr younger than you) this will be in matsuda's point of view lolz also, theres most def a lack of black targetted fanfics so this fanfic is targetted towards my fellow black death note fans.

Unedited (as usual)

I looked at M/N as he lit his cigarette. It wasn't his usual pack of Marlboro though. It was something different. Something not as strong as the ones he usual buys. I watched as let the smoke out through his nose and tilted his head back. He always did that when he was calm. I took a moment to take in his disheveled state. M/N had barely gotten any rest since we took the Kira case. His shirt was unbuttoned and tie lossened.

Even his usually styled hair was out of place. He was gorgeous even now. I wonder how soft his skin is right now. It was such a beautiful brown colour. Chief Yagami's voice interrupted my thoughts. I snapped my head over to the papers that I had accidently neglected whilst admiring M/N. "M/N??" Called Chief Yagami. "Son, can you go and grab us all something cold to drink?" M/N nodded his head before taking another puff of his cigarette and putting it out.

"I would be pleased if you brought me some tea" said L from his chair. With a sleepy glare, M/N responded with a small yes before making his way to Light. "Anything for you, brother dearest?" He said sarcastically as he placed his hands on Light's shoulders. "Get off me, you smell like smoke and its hot" with a pull of his ear, M/N made his way to the elevator. There was about 8 of us in the room meaning he wouldn't have enough hands for all the drinks.

"Wait up, M/N!" I said while placing my pen down. "I'll come with you!! I'll help you bring the drinks up" He glanced at me quickly before nodding. I quickly made my way to the elevator and stood there. Though Light said he smelt like cigarettes, he smelled different. Sweeter. But something like roasted apples. I can't quite explain it. I looked over to him as he lit another cigarette. He was truly the most beautiful human being I've ever seen.

The elevator made a ding sound and opened up for us. We both stepped in and I watched as M/N pressed the button for us to go down. It was quiet. But I was used to the silence. Of course, we spoke everyday yet he still maintained a silent attitude when we're around the others. He would tell me stories like how Chief adopted him at a young age and how life was before he was adopted. The sound of his voice was almost like a drug. Addictive.

There was a sudden rumble of the elevator. The lights began flickering and I felt M/N grab onto my waist and pull me towards him. "Matsuda? Are you okay?" We could've fallen to our deaths yet his voice was still smooth and intoxicating. "Y-yes" I managed to mutter out. He hesitantly let go of me and looked down at his phone. "The heat must've caused a power outage or something. And I'm all out of juice" I pulled my phone out of my pocket. "Dammit, no bars here"

With another puff of his cigarette, M/N slid down onto the floor. The sight of him smoking was calming. It almost made me forget we were stuck. "We'll just have to wait it out, Matsuda. Untill then, Lets just chill for a bit" He pushed his sleeves up and laid back. He took another puff of the cigarette and grumbled. The cig was most definitely done for, so he pulled out another one. I watch as he lit his lighter up and covered the flame.

When he's done, he slips the lighter into the pocket of his shirt. "Matsuda?" The sound of my name wakes me up out of my trance. "Wanna take a puff or something? You look lost there" I look at M/N and think for a bit. "Sure, I guess" I sit next to him and lean into his body. He guides the cigarette to my lips and waits for me to inhale it. I lean in further and catch it inbetween my lips.

"Hold it" he saids to me. "Don't inhale it yet. Just hold it in your mouth" he removes the cigarette and leans in. He kisses me softly. As if I were fragile and could break. He always touches me like this. When he pulls away, he inhales and lets the smoke fall out of his mouth and nose. "Do you want the rest of it?" I shake my head and make myself comfortable sitting next to him. I feel as his head lands on my shoulder. He places the cigarette back inbetween his lips.

"Why did you switch so suddenly?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence. "What do you mean?" "Brands" M/N looked at me and brought his hand to my face. "Because these taste like you"

Holy hell, I'm glad to be in love and engaged to such a handsome man.

[itsmyara]

I was researching about sociopaths and psychopaths, especially regarding relationships. When I was going through forums, I found forums talking about if they can love. A lot of them said they cannot form bonds emotionally (yk, involving the heart), but they can still. Like their brains would 'send' the signals instead. The people they're very close to are generally ppl they trust and benefit them. (mostly benefit for psychopaths' case; sociopaths can still feel sympathy or empathy to a small degree). Those who were married, they said it's bc they trust, respected them, etc. even tho they don't love them 'emotionally'. So we can say Hisoka 'likes' Machi not only bc she brings benefits, he also sees her as someone to trust, admired her, and prolly respected her and such to some degree. As with betrayal, they either said they drop them and stop caring about them in a matter of sec, or they do that and also make them pay for what they did. With the recent events in hxh, I felt like Hisoka felt betrayed (or realized she betrayed him; maybe the theory that he wasn't fighting alone is true after all :0) and so he did what he did in ch 357. He must've wanted to kill her right there and then, and idk why Togashi didn't go that route. But nevertheless, he did like her (in a sociopathic or psychopathic way) and did what a sociopath or psychopath would do when the person they like betrayed them.

Hey, Anon! I think this one goes well with this previous ask.

That's a great take if we consider Hisoka as a psychopath or sociopath. Even if he's not by any chance, I think his way of "loving" someone is very... different. Your ask reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend (who also ships HisoMachi) about it a while ago. She had taken Psychology classes and I asked her if she thought Hisoka could love Machi for real. This is what she had answered me by the time:

He loves Machi, he really does.... Just not in a "normal" sense of love. It would be a strong level of affection to the point where pretty much nothing she can do will shake it; he loves all her reactions~ she gets angry, he loves it since it's her bloodlust, she's apathetic: he loves it, it's a challenge for him to get an emotion out of her; she's happy: he loves it, it's interesting and something he doesn't see often (plus a sense of stroking his ego if he makes her happy, an emotion we don't see much of from her).

My thought is that he would say he's in love with her... but he doesn't know what real love actually is. His thought is "well I feel all this love for her emotions and personality" which is true if you consider love as just "strongly liking something".

But there's not much putting her before his own wishes (ex. killing Chrollo).

Think about it: he refers to Bungee Gum as "elastic love"; the idea of being strongly attached to someone is his idea of love, without actually considering their wishes and wants.

I've always seen how Hisoka acts romantically, but I've always thought someone like him just wouldn't know what real love is (he shows little to no compassion for anyone). So in my mind, his "love" for Machi is obsession mixed with lust and maybe some element of caring for her well-being (he would do things for her if she's like sick or injured but wouldn't consider the impact of her losing her friends by him).

Well, maybe a betrayal would shake it actually, as you've mentioned. I will always find it interesting how Togashi only mentioned Hisoka wanted to kill her in his commentary, not in the story, as Hisoka had done previously with many of his targets when directly verbalizing or thinking of it. Made me think that him wanting to do this was something different, and maybe something Togashi wanted to elaborate better later, and this is why she's still alive.

P.S.: I've showed your asked and talked about it with my friend because I wanted to ask her permission to post her take and she wanted to add this:

While I do think Hisoka is sociopathic, he's also a character. And 99% of all fictional sociopaths/psychopaths are not close to an accurate portrayal. There's a reason we don't have murderous clowns like him irl. So, if he can feel things like empathy for Machi, it can be not the most realistic thing, but pretty much all of the characters in Hunter x Hunter are unrealistic or act very unrealistically to an extent (especially the kid characters).

Just to say that we can try to analyze it realistically but also there's no problem in imagining he can actually feel empathy or love because in the end of the day, it's just fiction.

[cryptidax]

Note: This letter might seem all over the place, but that is on purpose. I believe all love letters are messily written. The reason is that emotions are hard to convey on paper. Also, this letter is written to seem a bit more serious than the last, so sadly, not that many silly remarks in parentheses. With that being said, please enjoy this confession letter from our local ginger-haired harbinger, Childe!!

Dear Beloved,

Time sure does fly fast, huh? It felt like just an hour ago I was drafting up this letter to be sent to you, but now looking at the clock. I must've spent at least five hours on this. Fun fact, I now have a little pile of used papers covered with crossed-out words now. Seeing I'd be a waste to throw them out. I'll use them as target practice later or throw them at the other harbingers (Scaramouche preferably, his short height would make it perfect to use as training to hunt smaller beings).

Moving on, Did you know I have taken up reading more books? The librarian of the official Snezhnayan library looked so surprised when I checked out a stack of them!! It was hilarious seeing them freeze up and stutter an excuse when I playfully glared at them and "demanded an explanation for their hindrance."

I should stop dilly-dallying and get to the point of this letter. "Fortune favors the bold," right? Hopefully, fortune will favor me once I get to the purpose of this letter.

I feel so many new emotions when I hear about your day. You make me feel human. That should be normal, A human-like me feeling human. Well, it wasn't. My family was the only ones who made me feel like that. Then you come in strolling your way into my life with no regard for your safety despite me being a dangerous man.

I hate how your smile would light up my world. I hate how your rambling about your day makes my lips quirk up into a smile without me forcing it. I hate that you panicking because of me made me hesitate in going headfirst into battles. I hate how you made me feel weak in my knees. Like I don't have enough blood on my hands to paint Mondstadt red.

Well, that's what I thought anyway. The fatui did not train us to understand our emotions. When I felt this warm feeling in my chest whenever I thought of you, I panicked. And what does a rational person do when panicked? Ask an expert. Unfortunately, I am not a rational person and have subjected myself to instead dive through many books regarding emotions. It did not take a while to get to the cause of why I felt warm around you. It turns out I'm in love.

Would you look at that? You made me fall in love. Did you know that being in love is not normal for the fatui? Well, now you do. Snezhnaya stopped believing in true romantic love after the organization that I work for formed. Still, you and all your glory made me feel it.

So I take it back. I treasure love how your smile would light up my world. I cherish how your rambling about your day makes my lips quirk up into a smile without me forcing it. I adore that your panicking made me realize that I love something more than the heat of battle. I love how you made me feel.

But I am not an ordinary man. I do not delude myself into thinking my sins will become forgotten when the new generation comes. I am anything but a man who can give you all that you truly deserve. Yet, please allow me to be selfish.

I want to be the first person you smile too when your days start, to be the person who helps you haggle prices when we go to the markets, to be the person who you drag out to dance when music plays, to be the person who you listen to ramble sweet nothings when we go to sleep, To be your boyfriend.

I know I am not worthy of it, but allow me to be bold and ask for the position of being your one and only. You do not need to answer this letter immediately. I just request that you will respond. You could draft a reply decades later, and the words in this letter will still remain true. I love you, родной/родная*. And although I do not deserve it, I hope you feel the same way.

*родной (m) родная (f) = dear

Please comment a review on the way out!! It helps me improve my writing 🧡