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brazilian-vampyra · 3 months

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꒰ ♡ ₊ ꒱ ⠀!⠀ AKAI ITO (01/02) ! ⠀"

(english)

₊˚⊹♡ synopsis: the feared king of curses Ryomen Sukuna is back among humans, and you didn't expect to get his attention.

₊˚⊹♡ trigger warnings: kidnapping, strong language, nudity, suggestive topics, Sukuna being slightly lovely with the reader, violence, Sukuna x fem!reader.

₊˚⊹♡ the song Sukuna keep playing is "Fantasia and Fuge in G minor, BWV 542 "The Great" by Johann Sebastian Bach.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 and reasonably comfortable, when I found myself waking up suddenly, surrounded by the gloom of my room. A shiver ran down my spine, as if an electric current had suddenly manifested itself, and my senses sharpened, catching an indescribable sensation of an ominous presence that filled the space around me.

I opened my eyes in the darkness, trying to understand the origin of this inexplicable shiver. I raised my hand to the back of my neck, feeling how my hairs were standing on end, and a mist of uneasiness hung in the air, as if something malevolent had penetrated the boundaries of reality and was now hiding in the shadows. My heart quickened, not out of fear, but in silent anticipation of knowing what it was about.

With cautious steps, I slid my bare feet across the cold floor of my apartment, approaching the half-open window. Outside, the distant lights of Tokyo seemed obscured by an aura that even I couldn't explain, and the pulse of the normally vibrant city was drowned out by a sense of expectation.

My cell phone rang, on the bedside table, and I ran to answer it. It was very late, it was already past midnight. Who could it be?

It was my older brother.

━━ Did you feel it too?

We both asked at the same time.

━━ Yes, I did — I said to him.

━━ I did it too… — Toji replied. ━━ Are you fine?

━━ I am... but this feeling is very strange… — I replied, placing my hand on my chest.

━━ Look, go to sleep, okay? You have to teach at Jujutsu High tomorrow, I promise you everything will be fine — my older brother sighed. ━━ Good night, little sis.

━━ Good night, big bro.

I really couldn't sleep that night. The sensation was bizarre, as if something was lurking, whispering in my ear and breathing heavily on the back of my neck.

The next day was cloudy — something very different for spring, which was being followed by sunny days with a beautiful blue sky. The skirt of my white dress fluttered in the breeze and I adjusted the sleeves of my denim jacket as I walked inside Jujutsu High. I saw Megumi talking to Itadori in the hallway, and I ran to the brunette, hugging him tightly.

━━ Megumi, my dear! — I hugged him tightly, bringing my hands to his face, holding his cheeks and making him look at me. ━━ Are you okay?

━━ Hi, auntie… — he was still a little embarrassed that I treated him like that in front of his friends. Because I look more like a sister than an aunt, despite being older, my appearance is youthful due to my nature. There are pros and cons of being a 22-year-old teacher. ━━ I'm fine and you?

━━ That's good, I'm fine too! — I looked to the side. ━━ Ah, good morning, Yuji!

━━ Good morning! — the pink-haired boy smiled happily. He thought the way I treated my nephew was cute.

Although Toji is not a present father in my little darling's life, there are two people he trusts immensely to take care of our little one: me and Gojo Satoru.

Talking about him, I heard the light-eyed sorcerer call me, adjusting his sunglasses.

━━ Does my favorite sorceress have some time for an important matter?

━━ Of course!

Now we were in the teachers' room, gathered near the coffee machine, next to Nanami who looked tense. It was difficult to see that “wall” express something, just like my brother.

I took a sip of the coffee with notes of caramel and vanilla essence that he had prepared for me.

━━ Everyone felt that way yesterday, right? — Kento cleaned the lens of his glasses.

━━ I woke up in the middle of the night. That's strange... it never happened... — just remembering it made me feel cold.

━━ Well, I think we already know... — Gojo bit into a sandwich, how can he eat at a time like this… ━━ That if everyone felt the same thing, late in the morning... it's because something really, really bad happened... so, I think…

━━ No!

The blonde and I exclaimed at the same time. We already knew what he was going to say, it's almost like an intuition.

━━ You don't even know what I'm going to say!

━━ Yes, we know — Kento crossed his arms.

━━ It is not a hypothesis to be ruled out!

━━ It's impossible, Satoru! Impossible! — I said.

━━ The impossible is just a matter of opinion when it comes to magic, my dear — the white-haired sorcerer had an important point.

Ryomen Sukuna had been defeated during the Heian era, centuries ago. At first, the sorcerers had the idea of sealing the curse on twenty fingers, but they disregarded this hypothesis, as they were afraid that it would be easy to bring him back in the future.

Therefore, the king of curses was mutilated, completely dismembered. Then, the sorcerers cremated his parts, one by one, and sealed them in individual urns, which were spread across different parts of the world. How could anyone have gotten all these urns and performed the ritual to get him back?

It would be a lot of work for a huge disgrace. Many rituals had to be done, innocent blood had to be spilled so that the ashes would materialize in parts of his body again.

Who wanted Sukuna alive?

If he returned, he would destroy the sorcerers. And, our death means the death of everyone, the death of humanity.

Now, I walk along the winding forest trail, surrounded by the shadows of the trees in this late afternoon. My mind is still restless, and what Gojo suggested earlier is haunting my every thought. I don't care so much about what will happen to me, but I need to protect my nephew, my brother and my friends.

The sparkling crystals I sought out for the purification ritual were a welcome distraction. The city was as restless as my head, and I felt it in my core.

While collecting the crystals among the roots and mosses, a strange sound broke the silence. A thunderous cry for help. I immediately dropped the crystals and ran away as fast as I could.

I was immediately petrified by the terrifying scene that my eyes captured. There was a dead man on the floor; unfortunately I arrived too late. His lifeless and completely bloodied body lay with his chest open and empty. I went closer to look at the hole.

━━ It couldn't have been a bear, there are no scratches... it was just a fatal blow to the chest…

━━ Well now... are you looking for this?

I heard a booming voice behind me, and I looked back. He was identical to Itadori, even the color of his hair, and was more muscular. Furthermore, there was something different in his gaze: cruelty. There were two extra eyes just below the ones already on his face, and he was a little taller. But it didn't have four arms.

Gojo was right, really, the impossible in the field of magic is just a matter of opinion.

I looked at the hand he offered to me, there was the man's heart, and it was pulsing a little. My reaction was to run as far as I could, and even then I could hear his evil laugh.

━━ Run, run and hide, bunny! Just don't let me find you!

Fighting Sukuna would be suicide, and suddenly I found myself lost in the forest. How can I? How am I lost in the fucking forest I've been wandering through my whole life? I know this place like the back of my hand

I was on the verge of having a panic attack, I ran as if my life depended on it — and it did — if I died, I wouldn't be able to protect the people I love. I sneaked between some trunks and trees, until I got close to a stream, where I could hide behind some rocks. The only thing I heard now was my heartbeat and the sound of water, along with some owls.

When suddenly, I feel a hand touch my shoulder.

━━ Oh, what a shame... I found you!

Sukuna's hands went to my hips, squeezing tightly as he tried to hold me in his lap. I struggled and screamed, it seemed like my powers were useless now, because when your emotions are shaken, your magic weakens. He didn't even tickle that son of a bitch.

━━ I love skittish women, you know that?

The blood on the cursed palms stained my white dress, which was now practically scarlet, and also stained my skin. Despite all my efforts, nothing worked, he ended up throwing my body over his own shoulder, while I continued to struggle.

━━ Look, I'm trying not to hurt you, but you're making things difficult, bunny.

He laughed sarcastically, I was a complete joke now. A sorceress from the Jujutsu Academy who couldn't protect herself, unfortunately my emotions still shook me a lot and this made my techniques difficult.

I looked at the ground, seeing some footprints that the tallest one left. What would become of me now? Was he going to kill me? Swallow me alive?

My eyes were starting to tickle a little, as if an invincible sleep was ravaging my eyelids, which became increasingly heavy, until I sighed one last time, and fell into a deep sleep.

[...]

I woke up in a daze, with my senses deadened by the oppressive darkness that enveloped me. My mind tried to comprehend the situation while my body remained still, I felt something around my wrists, a cold material. The feeling of being captive, enclosed in darkness, left me with severe restlessness.

I then sat down, on what seemed like a very soft carpet, at the same time I heard the noise of the chains. I wish this was just a dream.

━━ Shit… — I sighed.

━━ Good morning, sleeping beauty.

I heard his harsh voice ring through the room, when the fireplace was lit, with its purple flames. Now the environment had become illuminated, and I could see better where I was. It looked like an old living room, perhaps from imperial times, with sophisticated furniture.

Sukuna was there, a few meters away from me, sitting in a leather armchair, wearing a black kimono and with his arms crossed. He smiled at me, like an idiot smiles when he knows he's won.

━━ What’s this? — I was still disoriented, it felt like I had hibernated. ━━ How long did I sleep?

━━ Just a few hours, relax.

━━ Where am I? What is this place?

━━ My palace. You're in my living room — he opened his arms and showed me the room.

I felt my head boil and whistle, like a pressure cooker, and if this were a cartoon, there would definitely be smoke coming out of my nostrils and ears. A tantrum was rising in me, and I could even feel my powers coming on, but it had no effect.

Instead, my left shoulder started to burn.

I groaned in pain and started panting. Until I looked to the side and noticed a mark on my skin, like a seal or something similar. Had he blocked my powers? For the love of the elder gods, someone kill me.

━━ Oh, my dear... you won't be able to use your powers, not here — he sighed, as if he was saying something completely casual. ━━ The more you try, the more the seal will burn, and as I'm sure you don't like feeling pain, I recommend stopping…

━━ You son of a bitch... — were the most sincere words I could come up with.

━━ Aww, this hurts... — he placed a hand on his chest after that insult.

━━ Honestly, I'd rather you kill me right away.

He laughed then, a strangely satisfying laugh, like someone who had just heard the best joke of the year.

━━ Kill you? No no. I have other plans! — He got up from the armchair and walked over to me. ━━ What would be the fun in killing such an adorable little creature like you?

━━ What are you going to do? Leave me here to decorate your living room? I'm pretty sure I'm not part of the decor.

━━ No, no... I just want company, you know? — he patted my head, as if I were a dog. ━━ I was gone for so many eras... and you were the first pretty face I saw. So I thought "why not bring her here?"

━━ That's ridiculous.

━━ Well, maybe it is. I don't care — he shrugged and walked to the room's huge door. ━━ We can play later, bunny. Now I have some important topics to solve as a king.

The moment he closed the door I started struggling and swearing. I was furious and felt like crap. How could I have fallen into his clutches? How did this happen?

Now look where I am! On the carpet in the living room of this huge palace where he lives, alone, chained, powerless and in the dark. If he swallowed me all at once, it would be a much more dignified death. But for him, it might be funny to see me suffer like this.

I tried to look at the windows, and saw that they were covered by long, thick black curtains.

The only source of light I had left was this fireplace with a purple flame. I stood up and noticed how dirty I was, with dried blood and the smell of iron that entered my nostrils. The chains were only attached to my wrists, and they were considerably long, they didn't keep me completely immobile.

I heard a voice whisper something inaudible.

I was surprised and remained silent, listening carefully to see if the voice said anything again. And so it happened, a shame I couldn't recognize it. However, I saw that the voice had come from the fireplace, so I approached it slowly. Were there any souls?

They said something again.

━━ What? — I whispered.

━━ Fresh soul…

By the gods, it's not possible.

━━ FRESH SOUL! — several voices said together, and then a hand came out of the fire and grabbed my ankle.

I screamed in surprise and tried to free myself, but to no avail, as another hand came to grab my other ankle. My body fell to the floor at the same moment, using as much strength as I had left so I could kick those hands and they let me go, while I clung to the carpet. I managed to kick some of them, however, then others came and grabbed my ankles, pulling me towards the fire.

I was being pulled by a legion of souls. Fighting was in vain, I no longer had as much strength as before.

━━ FRESH SOUL! FRESH SOUL!

That ghostly chorus scared me even more, so I had no other option:

━━ SUKUNA! SUKUNA!

I screamed, desperate, and in a few seconds he appeared. The door to the room was slammed against the wall when he stormed in and shouted at them.

━━ RELEASE HER NOW!

The souls obeyed and released my ankles, while Sukuna snapped his fingers and made the chains disappear. He bent down and picked me up, holding my legs and my back. He didn't hold me sloppily like he had in the forest, this time he was really careful, and that left me perplexed.

However, this experience was so scary that it made me cry with anxiety.

━━ Why didn't you just throw me in a fucking dungeon!?

━━ The palace is mine, I decide where I put you — he began to walk out of the room, heading into a vast hallway. ━━ Besides, there must be something much worse in the dungeon.

I remained silent, as I was in the grip of this powerful curse. The only thing I could do was accept my fate, and accept whatever it was going to do to me. I didn't have much of a chance to resist, because even though I'm without the chains, I still have the seal on my shoulder.

He continued walking a little further down the corridor, carrying me, until he reached a… room?

The walls were covered in dark velvet, in a shade of moss green and there were large crimson curtains, which adorn the large windows, leaving the light scarce and filtered, which gave me a feeling of seclusion. In the center is a colossal four-poster bed, ornamented with what I thought was gold and carved from dark wood.

Persian rugs covered the stone floor, and there was an ebony table next to it. In the far corner of the room was a fireplace that crackled softly, casting dancing shadows on the walls. After this experience with the cursed souls, I have a certain trauma, but apparently it's "common fire".

I also noticed one or two paintings on the wall, with images from Japanese folklore.

━━ Take a shower and it won't take long to go downstairs.

━━ Down the stairs? For what? — I questioned, as he placed me on the ground.

━━ You have to feed.

So, he closed the bedroom door and left me completely alone. I looked up from the bed and noticed a white kimono. I took it and went to another oak door, which was a bathroom.

There, I took a good shower to remove the blood from my body, and take a few deep breaths, while the warm water kissed my skin. I sighed heavily several times, thinking about how my family and friends were doing. Were they already looking for me? Does everyone already know that Sukuna is on the loose?

What if I never get the chance to see them again?

I should have had lunch with Toji more often, and I should have hugged Megumi harder and longer. A few tears rolled down my face when I thought about it, but I preferred to avoid dwelling on that thought. I dried my body with a red towel that was there and got dressed with my kimono, leaving the blood-stained dress on top of the marble sink.

Leaving the room, I paid attention to the large windows in the hallway. The sky was strange, like the end of a very cloudy day. I descended huge stairs that seemed to be made of ivory, adorned with red carpets that slid down the steps.

At the bottom of the stairs, he was waiting for me. His expression was friendlier than yesterday when we first met. He didn't have four eyes, nor a sarcastic smile.

━━ It is a little big, but from the looks of it, it fit — he said, looking at the kimono. ━━ Then I'll get you better clothes.

I nodded silently and followed him as he walked, heading to a huge dining room. All the rooms in this palace were certainly dark, with these chandeliers that provided very good lighting, but did not take away from the funereal air.

There was a huge dining table in that room, like those you see in huge banquets in medieval films. Sukuna felt on edge, and pulled out a chair next to me for me to sit on, and I did so.

━━ Then what you will do? Snap your fingers and make food magically appear?

He laughed softly and shook his head.

━━ You're smart, I appreciate that — he said calmly. ━━ What do you want to eat and drink?

I gave a description of some food and a drink, quite accurately, saying everything. And immediately, he snapped his fingers, making it appear on the table.

━━ Make sure you eat right, okay?

Was that a way for him to show that he cared about me or what? Because if he was trying to convey some credibility, he wouldn't succeed.

I thanked him shyly and began to eat quietly, while he remained next to me, with one elbow resting on the table, while one hand was supporting his face. His eyes watched me intently as I chewed and took subtle sips from the glass. It was then that I noticed a bracelet around the man's strong wrist; probably amethyst.

━━ Dessert time now?

He suggested, and in the blink of an eye, a slice of berry pie appeared on a small porcelain plate in his hand.

━━ What? Hm… of course, of course.

He picked up a silver fork and brought it to the slice, which was soft and juicy. Then taking it to my mouth. I was surprised and had no reaction for the first three seconds, until I finally accepted and ate it.

What's up with this guy? Is he doing what the witch did to Hansel? She fed him a lot until he was chubby so she could eat him.

Sukuna looked at me differently. I would say he didn't look at me as someone who would kill me, but with a certain appreciation. A certain compassion, perhaps. But, that silence was strange, so I decided to ask:

━━ Where did this bracelet come from? — I finished chewing some of what he had given me. ━━ I mean, it doesn't really fit your aesthetic.

━━ Not really, but I love it. I've been using it since the day I got it.

━━ Love? — I gently licked my lower lip, collecting the crumbs. ━━ I'm sorry, I can't imagine someone like you is capable of love.

━━ I didn't knew I had this ability either, until the woman in my life showed up — he said, taking another piece on his fork.

━━ Have you ever fallen in love? — now I was really perplexed.

━━ Unfortunately, yes.

From the tone of his response, I could guess that she had broken his heart.

━━ It must not have been a good experience, I'm sorry.

━━ It was a great experience — he gave me some more pie. ━━ But I fell in love with someone who was my complete opposite.

━━ Was that a long time ago?

He laughed softly.

━━ Since the Heian era. She was the sorceress of the imperial family — how strange to see him talking like that. ━━ Strong, smart, powerful, fucking beautiful…

As much as he kidnapped me and is harmful to humanity, I can't hate him. Why can't I hate him? It's all so confusing, he doesn't seem like the monster everyone says he is.

━━ Did she not return your feelings? — I ate the last piece that was left.

━━ It's a question I still ask today. Unfortunately, the doubt will be eternal, since she was killed and I couldn't declare myself.

━━ D-Dead? By the gods, by whom?

━━ For the damned Gojo clan... — I swear I heard his voice shaking with anger. ━━ They took her from me... all because of envy, since she was better than them in everything.

━━ Which clan was she from?

━━ Zenin.

Oh, an ancestor!

━━ It's my clan... — I ended up thinking out loud.

I didn't even have time to lose myself in my reverie, as I saw three young women entering the dining room. They were wearing very revealing clothes, exposing many parts of their bodies and they went laughing towards the pink-haired man, hugging him and kissing his face.

I cleared my throat in the most blatant way possible, making them look at me.

━━ Oh, these are…

━━ Concubines. Every king has them, and I know what they're for.

I got up from the chair and started walking away.

━━ Have fun with him, girls. Bye-bye!

I smiled at them without showing my teeth, they waved at me, while I turned my back and went as quickly as possible to the stairs. Why do I feel angry about this? It's something that goes beyond embarrassment, beyond simply thinking I'm getting in the way.

I was truly "upset".

I had a strange dream when I took a nap. This seal on my shoulder makes me "weaker" and makes me feel a little more drowsy, thanks to the damn restriction. During this dream, I was walking in a forest with beautiful Sakura trees, the cherry blossoms were blooming and it was night. The light of the full moon illuminated the place, it was peaceful.

I heard laughter in the distance and my feet guided me close to a beautiful stream.

I saw Sukuna from afar. In its original form. He was extremely tall, muscular and had four arms. His body was covered in a white kimono with some black patterns drawn on it. There was a woman with him, who had her back to me while I could see him... smile!?

━━ I think I should have made more bracelets, right?

The woman's voice was sweet, but I couldn't recognize it. Is this the woman of his life? The one he had mentioned in the dining room?

━━ Choose an arm for me to use, you have four options!

━━ I'll choose this right here!

And so I saw her putting an amethyst bracelet on him, the same bracelet he was wearing.

[...]

The next day, I woke up and opened the curtains in my room — the sky was cloudy and dark — and then went to make my bed. The kimono was a little wrinkled, since I only had that outfit.

The bedroom door suddenly opened, and it was him. Who else would it be, right?

━━ Good morning princess, I brought you new clothes.

He placed them on the bed, and I took a good look. The fabrics seemed to be of quality, but I had one condition to use them.

━━ If it's your concubines' clothes, I'd rather be naked.

━━ It's totally fine for me.

He crossed his arms and I froze. Did this idiot actually agree with this idea?

━━ What?

━━ Fine by me. It'll be even more fun that way.

As much as I don't like the idea, I can't show weakness. I immediately took one of my hands to the bow, which was on the back of the kimono, and pulled it so it could come undone. The bow came undone and the piece of clothing fell to the floor, leaving me completely exposed.

His eyes roamed over my skin, taking in every feature of me. Like he was taking a good look, to be able to memorize what I looked like naked. A gentle breeze came from the window, making me shiver, and I felt my nipples harden.

He laughed softly, a laugh of satisfaction that was extremely clumsy.

I curled up, dead with shame, trying to hide my body with my hands. Sukuna was only a few centimeters away from me, and I felt so vulnerable that it seemed like a lie.

━━ I'll get you some other clothes — he said, with a smirk, going to the bedroom door. ━━ Nice body, by the way.

I felt my face blush when he "breathed" this last compliment, before leaving the room. I sat on the bed and covered my body as best I could with the kimono, waiting for him to return with the new clothes.

He seemed to be ogling me at that time. My heart was racing, and my cheeks were still hot. I was a little shaky, due to the growing nervousness that was growing in me as I kept reliving this scene in my head.

Sukuna returned to the room minutes later.

━━ Here, I think it's your size — he handed me some folded black clothes. ━━ And, don't worry, it is not from the girls.

━━ Thank you... — I was going to get dressed, and I noticed that he was still there, but leaning against the wall and with his arms crossed. ━━ You can go, I'll be right there.

━━ Nah, I feel good here — he smiled mischievously. ━━ Don't worry, you have nothing to hide from me.

I swallowed, and went to get dressed, feeling his eyes on me. I had panties, a dress and socks that went up to just above my knees. I put on the panties, sliding the underwear down my legs and then picked up the dress. It looked short — and it really was — with a slightly more accentuated waist, like a corset, and delicate straps, and I also put on socks, since walking barefoot on that stone floor was horrible.

━━ Don't you think... the dress is a little short? — I pulled the skirt down a little, seeing that it barely covered my ass.

━━ No, I think it's perfect — he motioned for me to go through the door first, and so I did.

As we walked down the hallway, I heard him laugh softly and felt his eyes fixed on my ass as I tried to pull down my skirt several times.

Apparently I would be alone all day, as he had said he had "important tasks". He also said that I could freely walk around the palace, except for the fourth and fifth floors. I said that I understood everything and that I would not break any rules.

But when he left, I went up the huge staircase until I reached the fourth floor. Unfortunately, when I was about to go further down the corridor, I was stopped. There seemed to be an invisible wall that wouldn't allow me to proceed.

━━ It must be because of that restriction seal — I grumbled as I looked at my own shoulder.

With no other options left, I went down the stairs and "adventured" to the second and third floors. The first floor was where there was the dining room, the kitchen, the main hall, and what appeared to be a wine room.

On the second floor, there was my bedroom and three others, next to the living room in which I had been trapped at first, and a treasure room, with mountains and mountains of gold, jewels, chests, etc. That room was so bright that it seemed to have irritated my eyes.

On the third floor I saw a music room, a painting room and especially a huge library, which is where I entered without thinking twice.

The space is vast and lit by antique chandeliers, whose flames flicker gently, casting dancing shadows on the shelves full of books. The walls are covered in dark wood panels, decorated with intricate carvings that represent mythical creatures, or something very similar. The shelves are made from the same dark wood, displaying an impressive collection of perfectly aligned, leather-bound volumes, from the finest books to grimoires.

I noticed a reading table decorated with upholstered chairs. There were two or three grimoires on top of it, next to an old map made of yellowed paper.

At the end of the library there was a spiral staircase that led me to a mezzanine adorned with colorful stained glass windows, which filter daylight in hypnotic patterns throughout the room, what's more, the air is full of various incense. I think I could stay here for the rest of my life.

I didn't take any books from the shelves, I preferred to read one of the ones on the reading table that I had seen before. I sat comfortably in the chair, and the moment I opened it, a page fell out. It wasn't from the book, it was on cream paper that had something written on it.

He said "my greatest curse is being in love with someone I can't have."

That could only be Sukuna's handwriting, and deep down I felt sad for him. Just remembering the way he talked about her yesterday, I could imagine how broken his heart was. Was I really feeling compassion for him?

There could just be something wrong with me.

[...]

After spending the whole afternoon reading a book of spells and seeing which ones I knew, and which ones I wanted to learn, it was starting to get dark. He still hadn't come back, and I was starting to get bored.

Well, he didn't say anything about me not being able to cook, right?

I left the library and went to the stairs, hurriedly going down and going to the kitchen. It's incredible that he had so much stuff in that pantry, but he didn't cook. Was this all laziness or what?

I remembered something my mom used to make for me: cupcakes. When I was a child, it was very common for the house to always smell like these cookies. It was something I also did for my nephew and brother when I had free time.

Are they okay?

I didn't want to think too much about it and went to prepare the ganache first so I could let it cool while I prepared the dough. The dough was vanilla, and there were even fresh cherries for me to put on top, along with the whipped cream.

Almost everything was ready, the cupcakes were in the oven and the ganache was cooling.

━━ What are you cooking? — I felt Sukuna's cold fingertips slide down the back of my neck.

━━ You don't know how to arrive in a conventional way, do you? — I got goosebumps and complained, looking back and seeing him with a mischievous smile. ━━ It's a vanilla and chocolate cupcake.

━━ The smell is great.

━━ Thank you, wait until you eat. Or do you only eat humans?

He laughed, and I could see that I caught him by surprise.

━━ I eat normal things too.

The cupcakes were finally baked, and now I had removed them from the oven so they could cool on the counter. I sat on top of it.

━━ Now I have to wait for it to cool before I can fill it.

━━ Do you get burned by this? — he mocked.

━━ No, but the restriction seal leaves me vulnerable to these “ordinary human” problems.

━━ If you behave properly, I'll remove him.

He started opening the dumplings with the knife and holding them with his hand. I laughed softly.

━━ For what? For me to kill you?

━━ It depends, if it's to have you on top of me, I think it's worth it.

I felt my face heat up again, as it had earlier when he saw me naked. What is it about him that can disconcert me so easily? I even seem to like him.

━━ Aren't you going to fill it with me?

━━ Of course, I will.

I took a deep breath and got down from the bench, with an awkward smile, trying to hide how embarrassed I was.

If somebody told me that I was going to fill cupcakes and eat with Sukuna in the kitchen of his palace, I would bet all my money that it was a lie. But apparently fate had different plans for me.

━━ It tastes spectacular! Congratulations, cupcake! — he said, biting another piece of the cupcake he had in his hand.

━━ Why did you call me cupcake and not princess or bunny this time? — I looked up at the tallest one.

━━ Because you're not defenseless and fragile like a bunny — he continued. ━━ But, you're certainly cute, pretty and delicious like a cupcake.

I had nothing to answer. Now, I'm sure he realizes how he leaves me and does it on purpose.

━━ Then go upstairs and take a shower. I put pajamas on your bed, see if it fits.

━━ Don't tell me it's tiny and short like that dress.

━━ I think I've reached my perversion limits for today, relax, covers everything.

When I went to my room, I took a shower with that wonderful warm water and got dressed in the pajamas he had left for me. It was a delicate white nightgown, with thin straps and a low waist. The fabric was probably silk, judging by its comfort and texture.

The ends of my hair were a little wet, but my skin was fresh and I felt clean and light.

As I looked at myself in the huge mirror, I heard music. A melody coming from some instrument, I was sure it was coming from upstairs and it was probably Sukuna in the music room. Somehow, those notes were mesmerizing me and my feet guided me through the palace to there.

I reached the door of the music room and stood there, silently watching as he was engrossed in his melody. He was sitting in front of the majestic organ, with his skillful fingers dancing over the keys, producing an enveloping harmony that filled the space with powerful, funereal notes. The golden light from the chandeliers was reflecting on the polished keys of the instrument.

As I listened to the majestic music, I felt a strange wave of emotion and non-existent nostalgia invade my mind. The musical notes resonated inside my head, as if I had heard this melody a million times, but in reality it was the first time. I couldn't explain it, but it was as if this song was important to me, as if it had marked me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, sliding silently down my cheeks as I relived ghost memories. It was a feeling of belonging and knowledge. The melody Sukuna played was more than just a sound; it was like an enchantment that created a bridge between the present and a past that I was simply unaware of.

I stayed there until the end, listening note by note, and when he played the last one, he sighed and passed his hand over his face, as if he were thoughtful. He looked back and saw me, his expression went from relaxed to worried in a matter of milliseconds.

━━ Hey Hey! Princess, are you okay? Why are you crying?

He came to me because I just couldn't stop crying.

━━ You... you played this song for me, Sukuna... you played it... — I cried more and more, my mind was wandering, I felt out of my depth. ━━ I-I remember…

I felt his hands on my arms, holding me to try to calm me down while I only knew how to feel sad, and at the same time with this false nostalgia that hit me with the same force as a wave on the beach on a rough tide day. I was losing strength, feeling a strange headache.

If it weren't for him, I would have fallen to the ground, as I ended up fainting.

[...]

𑁍ࠬܓ 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄¹: I adapted and changed many things in the anime's lore to adapt to this, but I hope it's understandable. By the way, Toji and the reader are brothers only on their mother's side.

𑁍ࠬܓ 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄²: I'm already writing the second part and there will be smut.

XOXO, kisses that taste like blood o negative, see you next time little bats 💋

— brazilian-vampyra, 2024.

#jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen sukuna #ryomen sukuna #sukuna x reader #sukuna x you #sukuna smut #jujutsu kaisen smut #jujutsu kaisen oneshot #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #sukuna oneshot #sukuna x female reader #jjk sukuna #sukuna x y/n

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piss-pumpkin · 10 months

Text

🪷☀️Some sunny day🌤️☔️

Douce amere chapter 4, (older)dipper pines x reader, ~4.9k words

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The party, and really all that had happened in the last few days, had left you drained. You sighed, stretching. Today, you thought, could be a good day to do nothing, and see nobody. At least for a while, to recharge your social battery.

It was afternoon, and Susan’s house was empty. But it was so sunny out, and the woods were nice. You glanced out the window, checking the weather again. Yeah, outside. That was where you should be. You grabbed your backpack, and opened the door.

You took a deep breath in, feeling the wind hit your face. It smelled vaguely like the woods, whatever that meant. Something like pine, cedar, dirt, with a pinch of monsters and mystery, though monsters didn’t smell very good, typically. You leaned on the railing of lazy Susan’s porch, and took another deep breath. It smelled like summer, and the woods were waiting.

You stepped down off the porch, and hopped onto the driveway. You’re backpack was heavy with Dippers book. Today was a good day to catch up, and the best place to do that, you decided, was the woods. If, by chance, no monster or adventure found you, you could read the beginning.

You started walking down town, headed for the Gravity falls forest that so often drew you in with mystery. As you walked, you checked your bag, double checking that you brought water and snacks. Thankfully you did.

You approached the edge of the forest. The tree line was thick immediately, the woods forming a clean barrier. It either was, or wasn’t. There was no place in between town and forest. The closest thing to that would be the shack.

You touched a tree. It was a little right, and a little wrong, your first time venturing into the woods this summer alone. Mystery hunting here was something you did with the twins, and your first summer memory in the forest being without them was strange. But alone was liberating. It was free. Alone was the fresh air in your lungs and the silence of the world replaced with the noise of the jungle. It made you feel like Gravity falls was yours, like you were the main character, so to speak. You stepped though the tree line, forging a path through.

The grass folded under your feet, and the brush parted as you lived through it to change trails. You found yourself smiling, hands swinging at your sides. It really was beautiful, the nature. The trees leaves blocked the sun overhead, what little rays could break through spotlighted whatever they landed on. And the morning dew and dampness of the forest created a mist to walk through.

So you walked. Carefully, as not to trip on any branches or roots, searching for a comfortable looking spot to read. That and taking in the sights. And your eye was caught by more then a few Gravity Falls weirdness things. You passed a few glowing flowers, strangely coloured vines, and a strange mole creature with human eyes. That one was strange. You did your best to take a picture of each oddity you saw, to show it Dipper later. Maybe he or Ford would know what you passed by.

You picked a few faintly glowing red and pink flowers, who’s pollen centres seemed to be steaming. You looked them over, and wafted the scent of them towards your face as you went. Smelled like…sulphur. You threw the flowers away behind you.

Looking back in front of you, you saw… a breakage in the trees. A clearing, with the sun shining in unbroken rays down over a grassy patch of the woods. Fuck yeah. If it was dry, that would be the perfect place.

You sped forward, into the clearing. The sudden sun was startling, and your arm flew up to shield your eyes. You scanned the area, checking for any gnomes, or perhaps a vicious plant. It seemed clear… stray for an unmoving grey silhouette facing away from you. That was a bit odd.

You moved to investigate, getting closer to the… statue. As you stepped in front of it, you saw. It was a little guy, triangular in shape, with a little top hat at the tip of the pyramid. It was as if it was holding out a hand to shake. Most striking of all, a single eye took up half the face. Odd.

You stared at it, considering taking a picture to show Dipper. You decided against it. Odd.

You squatted down, resting your hands on your knees to make curious eye contact with the statue. It felt familiar, and alien. You pondered what to name it. “You’re a weird looking guy,” you said, pointing at the statue. “What is your name?”

You paused, and it seemed like the sounds of the forest disappeared from your head. It was just you and the statue. As if the sun was shining just on the little stone pyramid, time seemed to slow. There was no wind, and no birds chirping to offer a bit of advice or naming inspiration. You stared into the eye, not touching the statue. In truth, you couldn’t look away. What to name it? The air was hot, and you were acutely aware of it in your lungs, for some reason. You could almost see the statue was sparkling in the light.

And then the thought came to you. Silently, the thought came and echoed in your mind, the only thought you could have. “You look like a William…” you tilted your head, the sounds of the woods and creatures and wind coming back. “But that’s too formal, you look like a casual kind of guy, despite the hat,” you pondered. “Hmmm, and Will isn’t right for you, you don’t look like a Will.”

You stood up, and started to pace around the little statue. “Ugh, and Billy is too childish for you,” you said. Your face soured, “And Willy is just stupid.” You walked in a small circle around it. “I’ll level with you, there’s only one nickname of William left I can think of,” you knelt back down in front of your new stone friend. “But I hate that name… my best friend really hates the name, so I won’t use it.” You sighed, flicking the hat, “So as much as it doesn’t suit you, I think I’ll call you Billy.”

You could almost feel the anger coming from the statue. “Yeah, yeah,” you shrugged. “I know, feels a little weird…” you booped it just under the eye, and smiled. “We’ll get used to it though.”

You stood up, and looked around. “So, Billy, the area looks pretty nice, is this the spot for me?” you asked your new friend.

Silence as a response. Spine tingling silence.

”You’re, right,” you said, setting your bag down. “I think I’ll read here, it’s sunny and warm.” You set your bag down, and sat beside it, nearish to your new friend. You laid back on a flat and soft patch of grass, and leaned your head on your backpack. Comfy.

You held the book so you could see, and started from the beginning. It was nice reading in company. Usually that was Dipper, today it was Billy. You glanced over at him. He hadn’t moved. You weren’t sure why you expected him to, given that he was made of stone. “Billy, do you like mysteries?”

Silence. Not even a bird chirp. Like the forest was just spitting static at you. And a mild ringing in your ears.

”Yeah, I have mixed feelings too. They can be really good at their best, but so boring, predictable, and lazy at worst,” you said, pulling the book to your chest. “And if it’s a murder mystery, it’s so hard to get invested in the characters…” you looked away from the eye and back up to the clouds passing overhead. “But my Dipshit likes them, and said this was was really good,” you opened the book again, eyes scanning over the first page. “So I’ll give it a fair shot.”

Billy didn’t have any thoughts of his own to offer. Figures, since he was a statue.

As you read, you had to give credit where due, Dipshit picked a good one. Gripping story, and compelling mystery. You limited yourself to the marked page that Dipper had stopped at, so you could read the rest together. But stopping was a difficult task considering the quality. It took a lot of self restraint not to finish it, or at least read ahead of him. Instead, you decided to discuss what you did read with Billy.

”So, I really hope Dip is wrong about Paul… the friend character,” you said, rolling into your stomach and kicking your feet in the air. “Cuz I am not normal about him and the main guy.”

Billy didn’t respond as you looked into his eye. The single, bulging eye, which seemed to be watching you.

You were about to speak again, but were startled out of it. A small droplet of rain hit your face, causing you to blink a few times. “Well shit, Billy,” you said, standing up and looking at the bright but overcast sky. It was white and grey clouds for as far as the eye could see. “I think I have to leave you now, I can’t let Dip’s book get wet.”

You packed everything into your back, and slung it over your shoulders. But you couldn’t just leave. It seemed like it had been windy only a moment ago, but as you started off the clearing felt eerily still. Still and silent. You looked back at Billy. “Don’t worry, I’ll probably be back,” you said, snapping him a finger gun. “Any time I need away from all my bitch ass friends, you know the deal.”

Billy didn’t reply. But with those words, and that promise, life seemed to return to the valley. odd. So much was odd. But that was Gravity Falls, you supposed. You started to walk back to town, under the cover of the trees to avoid the rain. Back to your Aunts place, or perhaps Greasy’s diner.

…

Lazy Susan was not a lazy woman, that was certain. She ran the only decent diner in town, cheap and open at the best and worst hours of the day. She greeted you as you came in, the bell drawing her attention, “Hello, Y/n!”

“Eyyy,” you said, snapping at her. You took a seat on the counter, resting your elbows on the old stained wood, and kicking your dangling feet off the vintage seat. “What’s up?”

Susan leaned on the counter with you, “Oh, you know.” She glanced over to another customer waving her over, “Sorry, be right back, sweetie.”

You nodded, biting the inside of your cheek through a smile. Cringe nickname, sweetie was. Not all bad though. Looking around, you saw the restaurant was swamped. You must have gotten there during the dinner rush. You watched as Susan tended to the customers order, the man winked at her. You squinted, and realized it was Toby Determined. Gross.

As Susan came back, she sighed, starting to brew a coffee behind the counter. “So, Y/n, can I get you a drink?”

You smiled, “Of course. My favourite?”

Susan placed the coffee in front of Toby, and came back in front of you. “Of course.”

She knew your cafe order by heart by now. As she was making it, another few customers walked in, and another at a table tried to call over Susan. You sipped your drink and watched as she tried to juggle all of them. “Hey Susan, you want help today?” you asked. Wouldn’t be the first time you worked there, and wouldn’t be the last, you were sure.

Susan waved her hand, “Oh, no.” She shook her head, pouring a coffee for a manly Dan. “You’re on summer vacation, you should be outside enjoying yourself, go hangout with your friends.”

”Girlie, it’s busy in here and it’s just you today, come on,” you said, gesturing around.

A voice called out from the kitchen, “Hey, I’m here too!” Robbie, the dishwasher, shouted from the back.

You sighed, “My bad, it’s just you and Robbie here today, you need me to take some orders?”

Susan pursed her lips, and glanced around the room. More people coming in, more people needing service at tables. Yeah, it was busy. She sighed, “Alright, thank you.”

You smiled, “All good,” you said, snaking around the counter. There was an apron for you, hanging in the kitchen. Robbie was also there, unfortunately, scrubbing away. “Y/n,” he greeted flatly.

”Robbie,” you replied, nodding.

You walked by the dish pit coming back to the front, a little too closely. Robbie flicked some soapy water at your face. Furrowing your brow, you sneered at him, “Nerd.”

He sneered back, “Nerd.”

So, you went to the front and took orders so Susan could focus on cooking. You put on a customer service voice, and did the absolute best you could with how busy it was and how tired you were at heart.

…

Just a a couple hours. You just worked the dinner rush, and the closing hours. It wasn’t nearly enough to make your feet hurt, or supply you with the need to complain. You looked around the now empty diner, “Am I good to go?” you asked.

Susan was in the cash register, “Of course, Sweetie. Thanks for helping today, I’ll pay you…” she paused, starting to the back kitchen, “Eventually.” Susan stopped, nearly falling off balance as she did so suddenly. She turned to you, and pointed at the door way, “Also, the Pines boy is here for you!”

You glanced at the closed door, then back to Susan. You barely saw the trailing end of her apron disappear into the kitchen. “Outside?” You asked, hanging your own apron on the rack.

“Yeah!” you heard shouted from the kitchen. As well as faint complaints from Robbie, dealing with the final push of the dishes.

It was dark out already, a wonder considering it was summer. The day does pass by fairly quickly when you sleep till noon. You grabbed your stuff, “Alright, I’m heading out!” You shouted to the kitchen.

You heard two responses. Robbie yelled a hearty, “good!” to you, while Susan said a quick, “Have fun!” You smiled, and pushed the door open.

The moment you stepped out, he spoke. “Heyyyy,” Dipper said, leaned on the wall. “I would have come in to talk to you, but you looked super busy.”

You smirked, “Aww, never to busy for you, Dip.” You glanced back through the window, “It was actually swamped though, I wouldn’t have been able to chat much…” you turned back to him, stepping away from the diner, “so where we going?”

”Are you recovered enough to hangout at the Mystery Shack?” He asked, pushing himself off the wall and walking beside you. The car was still here, which you planned to drive illegally again.

You thought for a moment. After a few hours busting your ass at customer service, you were tired. That and the long night last night didn’t do wonders for your energy. A little tired to hangout with the big group, but just you and him? That was easy. “Yeah, let’s go,” you said, hopping in the car. “Get in.”

Dipper stood for a moment while you sat at the wheel. “Don’t you still have your L?”

“You didn’t care this morning,” you said, brow raised.

He sighed, and climbed in the passenger seat. “Well, I’m a lot more coherent now,” he said, putting on his seatbelt. “I took a nap, and now I can think critically.”

You snickered, starting be engine, “how unfortunate for you.” You started backing out into the parking lot, and turning into the road. “Lucky for me, I’m kinda delirious,” you smirked. “Did not sleep since the party.”

Dipper sighed, “Don’t crash.”

”Hey, if I didn’t this morning,” you said. You hit the road, “I think I’ve at least had rest time since then, sooo…”

…

When you got to the shack, all you did was zone out in front of the tv and your phone. And that was fine, you were next to Dipper on the couch while Mabel was fast asleep upstairs, and the house was quiet.

Then Dipper spoke up with a question, rather out of the blue. “Hey, wanna go in the roof?”

You looked at him, brow raised. It was late, probably pitch dark. “Like, now?” you asked, blinking tiredly at your phone.

He stood up, “yeah, it’s nice.”

You sighed, standing up to follow him. “And probably cold,” you smiled. He was in front of you, but you could guess he heard the curl of your lips.

He found the gift shop, and Dipper crawled up the ladder, opening the hatch in the ceiling, “Come on, it’s cool.” You looked up at him, and at the crack of the night you could see. “Is it cold?” you asked, folding your arms across your chest. There was a breeze coming through the hole, and it sent goosebumps up your skin.

Dipper stuck his hand out the hole, “No… unless your a pussy,” he said, looking down at you. He threw the door open and waved you up, “Come on.”

You smiled up at him, shaking your head, “well, if you insist then.” Dipper climbed onto the roof while you ascended the ladder, and moved away from the hatch to let you through.

You scrunched your face as it hit the cold air, a reaction you couldn’t control. Stepping out and kicking the door closed behind you, you saw Dipper. He was standing with his back too you, looking out onto the forest and the sky. The stars were out and bright enough that you could see the line of trees as a black silhouette against the sky.

You stared up above you. This side of Gravity Falls didn’t have much light pollution, the stars were so completely out and visible that it drew your eyes like a magnet. You elbowed Dipper, “hey, look, it’s you.”

You pointed up to the Big Dipper, and heard regular sized Dipper groan beside you. You looked at him as he rolled his eyes. “No escaping that one, is there,” he said, shaking his head.

You turned your body to him, smirking. Your eyes wandered up to his forehead, and his birthmark peeking through under his hair. “It’s your namesake,” you said, trying to poke his face. He swatted your hand back gently.

“Nickname-sake,” he scoffed. He turned away from you, fixing his hat so that it covered his birthmark. “And by no fault of mine,” he laughed.

He sat down on the edge of the roof, letting his feet dangle off the edge. You smiled, doing the same next to him. “What, would you rather me call you Mason,” you said, leaning over to better see his face. The night air might have been cold on your cheeks if you weren’t blushing. Still cold on your arms though.

He winced, pursing his lips as a blush crept over his face. His eyes flickered over to you for a moment before he looked back at the view. “Yeah, no,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Now that I’m hearing it, it feels weird. Like you’re gonna murder me, or something.”

You snickered, “Yeah, you better watch your back, Mason.”

“Ugh, stop,” he smiled, shaking his head. “That’s what my Mom calls me when I’m in shit,” he said. He cracked his knuckles idly, “I’m terrified for my life.”

“Maybe you should be,” you said, smacked him playfully across the chest. As he moved to block your strike, he threw himself off balance a moment, nearly stumbling off the roof. “Oh, shit!” you exclaimed, as he started to squeak in surprise. You reached out to grab him, pulling him just a little bit away from the edge, and steadying him. “God damn dude, maybe you really should be scared for your life.”

His eyes were wide, and brow furrowed He glanced over the edge of the roof, “I feel like this happens too much, I think I nearly fall to my death on a regular basis.”

You gasped in faux shock, “Maybe it’s a sign!”

Dipper scoffed, “of what, my impending death?”

You almost wanted to make another joke about falling in love. Almost. Two days in a row with that one was too much, you didn’t want to go too hard.

You opened your mouth to speak, but Dipper was faster. He laughed, “Or let me guess, falling in love with you.”

You felt your face flush. “Wow, you know me too well,” you shook your head, eyes wide and a nervous smile crossing your lips. “I need new jokes.”

It was Dippers turn to lean forward to to see you. “It’s true, you really do,” he deadpanned, brow raised. “I’m at a point where I can perfectly mimic your cringe.”

You snickered, “If that’s true, maybe then you’ll pull some bitches.” You internally grimaced at the irony. He did have the power to pull bitches, even without your cringe. Primarily, you.

Dipper leaned back on his hands, kicking his legs back and forth as they dangled. “That implies you get bitches, which…” he trailed off, looking at you with skeptical eyes.

You punched him lightly on the arm, trying very hard to make eye contact and not look away in embarrassment. “Hey, I do, actually,” you said. You looked away after you did, staring again at the Big Dipper in the sky. “Unfortunately,” you added on.

Dipper scrunched his face for a moment before it dawned on him. “Oh shitttt,” he said, stroking his chin. “Yeah, you dated that one guy last school year… god, what was his name?”

”If you remember, don’t say it,” you laughed. “That guy sucks.” You kept your eyes trained on the stars. They were shining and beautiful, it was true. But at heart, a big part of you wanted to look at Dipper beside you. “And don’t remind me of the cringe flirting I’ve endured from randos.”

Dipper paused, letting night silence hang over you for a moment. You fought the urge to look at him. While talking with your crush, the topic of conversation accidentally turned to your ex. That was not ideal. You bit the bullet, and glanced over at him.

Immediately you were met with his eyes on yours. Shit. You looked away quickly, back at the tree line silhouette and stars above. Beside you, you gripped the edge of the roof hard, with the hand he couldn’t see.

“Did you like him? Your ex, that is…” Dipper finally asked. “I know you don’t now, but like… did you before?” His voice was quiet, not unsure of himself, but small and soft. You looked over at him again, finding his gaze locked on the sky, face slightly red, from what you could tell in the dark.

You looked at your hand a moment. “I don’t know,” you sighed. “You know?”

Dipper nodded his head up at you, silently asking for a little more to go off.

“I just… have no idea,” you said, thinking back. “I don’t think I did, really. Not like that, anyway.” You kicked your feet, embracing the fact that this conversation was happening, whether you wanted it or not. “It didn’t work with him because he sucked, for one… but I don’t think I was,” you paused, fidgeting with your hands. “Emotionally available… like,” you pressed your eyelids together in a very forceful blink, and then glanced at Dipper, making brief eye contact. “I still liked somebody else, and I think I knew that… but I didn’t know that, ya know?”

Dipper fiddled with his hands, “I think so, yeah, actually.”

You tilted your head, gazing still at the stars. “Oh yeah?” You pondered curiously, “ever date anyone back home?”

You could feel Dipper nod beside you. “I had… a similar problem to you, but I was a shittier person about it.”

That piqued your curiosity, “Oh?” you asked, turning your body completely to face him. You crossed your legs in front of you, and leaned back on your hands.

Dipper sighed, and did the same, fully facing you. “Yeah, I… dated somebody, for kind of a while, actually,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “Too long, I really hurt their feelings.” He was avoiding your eyes. That was okay, given the topic.

You pursed your lips as he spoke, trying to keep stoic. He dated somebody? And didn’t tell you? Your fingers owed at the roof shackles, grinding down the prints on the tips. And he was mean?

“I kinda sucked though, I knew I liked somebody else, and I was only dating this person to try and get over them.” Dipper shook his head at himself. “It uh-“ he finally looked at you, face flushed in embarrassment. “It didn’t work, and I just felt really bad, for a while.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. “Damn, dude,” was all you could say. And you didn’t even know. Why wouldn’t he mention that? And who was he trying to get over? It felt cruel to hope it was you, like you wished to be the cause of his distress. You tried to shake the thought, that tiny hope from your head.

He folded his hands in his lap, and looked out into the trees. “Yeahhhh….” he said, small and unhappy smile on his lips.

You sighed, resting your cheek in your hand. “We all do shit, man. You seem really torn up about this, you wanna talk about it?”

Dipper glanced over at you, and threw his head back, neck nearly limp as he looked up at the sky above him. “Not really much to say, actually. Just kind of a bummer… and I lost a friend too, when we broke up… so that sucked.”

Damn. “That’s awful, man,” you said, taking a deep breath if night air in. “Honestly, I’m sorry.” What words were there, that could help.

“Eh, don’t be. It was a little bit ago now… I wanna say around the same time you were dating that one asshole.”

You smiled, “we’re twins, then!”

Dipper laughed, “Don’t tell Mabel, she’ll get jealous.”

You snickered. Your eyes were adjusted enough to the dark to see his face clearly, and the soft smile he wore while he looked at you. You pursed your lips, and wiggled them around, unsure if you should ask the question lingering in your mind. “Dip, can I ask…” you started. “Why didn’t you tell me? About any of that… I would have been happy to listen if you wanted to vent.”

Dipper groaned slightly with a sigh. “I thought about it…” he said, playing with his fingers. “I didn’t want to bother you with it, plus I was kind of… ashamed.”

You put your hand in his, steadying his anxious movements. “Being ashamed isn’t a bad thing, Dip. It means you care, and you want to do better,” you told him. You tried your best to channel Mabel’s emotional intelligence. “And, also, talking to you is never a bother.”

Dipper looked down, leaving your eyes on his shaggy hair, and hat that was nearly falling off. But you could sense his smile. “Thanks, Y/n,” he said softly.

You glanced up at the sky, barely catching a shimmer across it. “Shit, Dip, look,” you said, pointing up. “A shooting star!”

Dipper looked up, and you could see the light from the moon and cosmos reflected in his eyes. “Shit, I missed it…”

You hummed in disapproval, about to speak. As you were though, a stronger gust of wind hit you, cutting though any clothes you had on and giving you goosebumps on your skin. “Dip, I’m a pussy, it’s cold,” you said. “I might go inside soon.”

”Want my sweater?”

You paused a moment, thinking. The answer didn’t take a lot of thought. “Yeah,” you said quickly. You pursed your lips, “Oh wait, but then you’ll get cold.”

He was already unzipping his hoodie, “You’re mistaken, I’m not a little bitch,” he said, tossing you the sweater. You started to put it on, feeling the lingering warmth from him as you did. Felt nice.

As you zipped it up, you turned back to dangle your legs off the edge. Dipper did the same as you did. You glanced over at him, hugging yourself in his sweater. You smiled, scooting closer so you were practically huddled together. He raised an eyebrow at you curiously.

“Warmth,” you said. You pointed at his bare arm, “You are a bitch, I can see you’re goosebumps.”

He grumbled, “I can’t even feel that, actually.”

”Bullshit,” you called. “Well either way, I’m helping by blocking the wind, too.”

He sighed, “okay, it’s a little chilly without a coat on, I’ll give you that.” He looked around at the now swaying trees. “It’s cuz the wind picked up,” he pointed at the weather vane, which was spinning. “See?”

You snickered, “yeah I see… bitch.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, whatever nerd,” he said, putting his arm around you. Even warmer. Good. You leaned in more, snuggling closer to escape the growing win. He glanced down at you, huddled into yourself and looking much smaller then normal. “You’re right, though, we should go inside soon.”

You looked up at the sky, and felt his heavy arm around your shoulders. It was nice. “Soon,” you echoed. Not now, but soon.

It’s here I remind you again that y/n has never seen bill, despite all they’ve heard. Also sorry if you do t have an asshole ex I very much wrote this at a specific time in my life 💀

This chapter concludes the introduction arc.

#x reader #dipper pines x reader #gravity falls x reader #my writing #dipper pines #dipper x reader #douce amere #gravity falls

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simp2537 · 8 months

Note

Hey there, I saw your requests were open and just wanted to ask if you’d be willing to do a yandere Percy Jackson x a male or gender neutral reader who happens to be an actor— I myself am male, but I also think it’s annoying to look for a fic about your favorite character, only to find out it’s written for the opposite gender. The reader can either be a demigod (probably a child of Apollo or Dionysus since those two are closely related to acting & whatnot) or just some mortal that can see through the mist like Rachel or something. Either way, would you mind writing about Percy seeing the reader & a co-Star share a stage/film kiss? It could even be Percy & Annabeth since both are pretty cool and I like them both as a couple; plus, poly yandere situations are fun. You can also decide whether or not the reader and Percy/Percy and Annabeth are dating or not; thanks for taking the time to read this, and have a great day :)

-🪑 (I am now chair anon)

Stage Lovers

A/n sorry if this isn’t what you wanted, I took a small guess in a few things. Not sure if everything I wrote was canon but whatever. I wasn’t sure if you meant the show of book so if the books image their older and the same goes for the show. Also I used the Little Shop of Horrors play in this. Hope you enjoy.

Warnings: Yandere behaviors, possessive behaviors, slightly(a bit more then slightly) himbo reader, mention of killing someone later.

Anon - 🪑

All Characters are aged up to 18 plus

Percabeth x Male! Reader

Camp half-blood was a buzz with people. Apollo’s cabin was preparing the annul musical/play to celebrate their father’s birthday. Percy and Annabeth hovered around the scene as they watched their boyfriend practice his lines with some daughter of Aphrodite. The girl was too close, too touchy, to smiley for the pairs taste. Their sweet and kind boyfriend Y/n just helped her with a smile in his face. Percy kept an arm around the visibly seething Annabeth as they watched. Everyone at camp knew that Y/n was there. They all got the message but this stupid girl.

Open distain was on Annabeth face as Y/n walked over to them. His script loosely in his hands and a bright smile. He’d been working for weeks on this play, but he wouldn’t say a word about it. Y/n being the sweet boyfriend he is, wanted his lovers to be surprised when they watched him.

Y/n kissed Annabeth’s forehead first, hoping to soothe the anger visible on her face, then he moved to Percy. When he pulled away Percy held his hand.

“Who was that?”

Y/n turned his head at Annabeth’s tone. It’s irritated and annoyed.

“Who?” Y/n questioned unsure. Percy traced the back of Y/n’s hand.

“The girl over there, you were reading with her a moment ago Sunni.” Y/n blushed at Percy’s nickname for him. Looking back quickly Y/n missed the look of hatred his partners gave the girl.

“Oh, Vanessa, she’s my stage partner for the play.” The pair stilted. His partner?

“What play are you doing again?” Annabeth pondered twisting a lock of her hair. Y/n’s face lit up and he chuckled softly. The pair basked in awe of his voice. They could listen to him all day.

“Little Shop of Horror… Wait! No! I’ve spoiled it now! It was meant to be a surprise!” Y/n groaned softly. Percy laughed at his silly little Sunni. Annabeth raised a brow intrigued.

“Who do you play?”

“I’m Seymour!”

“And she is?” A moment of silence filled the air after Annabeth’s words. Percy brought Y/n closer and sent him a look.

“Who is she?” Percy demanded not liking that Y/n wouldn’t answer.

“You can’t get mad.” They pair furrowed there brows.

“Why would we be mad lovely?” Annabeth muttered softly moving some of Y/n hair. Y/n didn’t meet either of his partners gazes.

“She’s Audrey.”

Silence echoes through there conversation. Y/n had shown his partners the movie of Little Shop of Horrors once. In that one time they knew who Audrey was. Y/n took a nervous gulp and his partners shared a look.

“Are you mad?”

“No, lovely we’re not mad.”

Y/n breathed out a sigh of relief. One of his other siblings motioned for him to go back. Y/n kissed his partner goodbye quickly and dashed back to the stage.

“I’ll grab her after the show.” Annabeth voiced softly.

“Why can’t we grab her now?” Percy snapped. No one other than them was going to touch Y/n. They could allow that.

“We’re nothing going to mess up Y/n’s play, he’s been working so hard. We’ll throw her in the lake afterwards, then celebrate with Y/n.”

With Annabeth’s words said the pair returned there gaze to Y/n who was singing with one of his siblings who was playing Audrey two.

#percabeth #percy jackson x reader #annabeth chase x reader #percabeth x reader #percy pjo #percy series

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sebsbarnes · 8 months

Note

i a d o r e the way u write tan it’s just so akdkdkdkkfkfkf gawd

there’s this scenario that has been stuck in my head so i’d like to request a tan x reader where both r contract killers and they r both in a mission somewhere in the south of italy or france during summer, and right after their mission they r in an empty beach and it’s sunny and warm and reader suggests swimming but tan is like miss girl what if they catch up to us or whatever like he’s a lil hesitant cuz they aren’t that far away from the place where the mission took place idk?? but ends up accepting after seeing her stripping into her underwear and stepping into the water being all giggly and happy

and just them having fun and giggling and maybe heated make out sess 👁️ feel free to change anything or not write it if u can’t it’s completely fine <333

love u❤️

hii!! thank you omg! this idea is SO cute and dare i say i kinda am obsessed w what i wrote so thank you! so much love<3

sunlight || tangerine

tangerine x f!reader

alt summary: though the moon would watch over him, he knew the sun was far closer to him because you were in his arms.

warnings: tooth rotting fluff

word count: 1.1k+

masterlist

"don't be ridiculous," tangerine paused, seeking to see if you were serious.

"does it seem like i'm joking? when do we get this?" you gestured with open arms.

tangerine sighed looking out at the water, it was tempting, like a siren singing his name. you took his silence as acceptance and grinned widely, turning to walk off the pavement and into the sand. he trailed behind you, watching you kick sand up and smile as the breeze took it away.

"we... we shouldn't stay too long, love," tangerine said uneasily, eyes wandering over the sleepy beach town, "they aren't that far away."

"tan," you laughed, kicking off your shoes, "those men are not coming for us okay? besides, they'd never think we would be stupid enough to stop for a swim just two blocks away from where we just kicked their asses."

his shoulders relaxed slightly realizing that what you said was true. you on the other hand were taking full advantage of the beach, you unbuttoned your pants and wiggled your hips to move them off your body. tangerine's eyes quickly darted away as you stood in your shirt and underwear. he leaned down, slid off his dress shoes, and tucked his socks neatly inside. when he stood up he was hit in the face with your shirt. tangerine removed the shirt from his face and gave you a pointed look and you gave him a teasing smile back.

he couldn't help his eyes wander down your body. the contours and curves of your skin on full display in your bra and underwear. he was grateful the sun was still minutes from breaking the horizon to hide his red face. you walked into the water gasping at the coldness on your ankles and tangerine opted to observe from the shoreline.

in that moment he swore he'd never seen a sight more beautiful. the sun peeked over the horizon casting an array of colors, signaling a new day. blushes of orange and pink danced up into the sky and faded into a light blue, the rays illuminated the water and he could see the mist from the colliding waves. the sun was bright and your body was merely a silhouette in the light. he watched the way your hair bounced as you jogged into the shallow water. you turned to face him and tangerine felt short of breath. even from the distance, he could see the hidden specks of color in the iris of your eyes as the sun hit the side of your face. the golden rays danced across your skin and the soft rolling waves lapped at your thighs.

tangerine was at a loss for words, enamored at your beauty which was being amplified by the light of a new day. he felt honored to be in the presence of such a marvel that it almost seemed unjust that it was only his eyes witnessing it. if he had a camera he would photograph the sight before him from every angle, sure to not miss even an inch of beauty. it would be a photograph worthy to be hung in a museum for millions to gaze at for years to come. they'd awe at the colors of the sky and murmur how beautiful dawn looked, but you, you were the show stopper that left everyone admiring your beauty and longed for the love the photographer had for you.

"tan!" he heard you giggle over the noise of seagulls flying past, "come on!"

tangerine inched forward so the waves brushed against his feet. he sighed, peering over his shoulder. there was no one in sight and even if the men from the job came running at him now with guns pointed to his head, he'd die happy knowing he had seen the most beautiful sight in the world. so, he unbuckled his belt and slipped his legs out of his pants. his fingers worked on the button of his shirt as he watched you dip your head backward to wet your hair. he tossed his shirt on top of his pants and walked into the water. tangerine crouched into the water next to you, your eyes closed, basking in the rising sun.

you felt the water ripple next to you and looked over at tangerine. his eyes were dancing across the horizon, the golden light glowing across his face. you could see the tiny brown freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose and every individual eyelash from the light. tangerine turned toward you and his eyes were dauntingly beautiful in the rays. he ran a wet hand through his hair and his curls fell seemingly into place.

"you are absolutely breathtaking," his voice low as if the water told him to be quiet.

you tilted your chin down, slightly embarrassed. tangerine looked at you in anticipation, worried about his confession. you crouched down in the water to be level with him and grabbed his hand floating under the water.

"thank you, tan, and i hope you know how handsome you are," you grinned.

he shook his head lightly, known for being awful at taking compliments, "thank you, darling."

the two of you went quiet as your eyes danced over each other's faces. his eyes kept lingering over your lips and you took the silent cue to inch closer to his body. his arms snaked around your waist and your legs floated up to tangle around his body. the heat from the sun was nearly as hot as the nerves in your body. tangerine and you slowly started to close the space, noses bumping. his lips were slightly parted and ghosted over yours.

"can i kiss you?" he whispered, looking at you through his lashes.

your hand wandered to the back of his head, gently grabbing his curly hair and finally connecting your lips. it was soft, like the waves touching your skin. his lips tasted of sea salt and his facial hair tickled at your face. it was pure bliss and it made you dizzy as if you were seasick. tangerine pulled you closer to his body so your chests were pressed against one another. his hand cradled your face and your lower back with your arms draped over his shoulders. as the waves rolled in harder the kiss became more feverish like it was outrunning the light of dawn and you felt your lungs pleading for air. tangerine gently pulled away, your bottom lip between his teeth. he rested his forehead against yours and a tiny giggle bubbled up your chest.

"let's just stay here all day," tangerine whispered, his thumb brushing off droplets of water on your face.

tangerine would gladly sit here in the clear water till his fingers wrinkled and his skin toasted under the sun. he'd happily watch the colors of dawn fade and trade itself with the dark of night. though the moon would watch over him, he knew the sun was far closer to him because you were in his arms.

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fauustic · 1 year

Note

aa hello!! could I request a miguel x enby reader in any way??

the genre really doesn't matter but maybe a little fluff?

for an idea i was thinking the reader works as a florist and miguel knows them meeting them as spiderman. he begins taking a liking to them so he comes to the shop often getting flowers or small bouquets, but each flower means love or care, or notice me? (I'm thinking it would be really adorable if he just, late night studied floriagraphy for them) in the flower language, and they start taking notice to it, and eventually ask him?? idk this is silly but if you wanna write it!!

I hope you have a lovely day!!

(( stares at the miguel gifs i've used so far with a longing gaze... i only have so many left ..

i really hope you enjoy this, thank you so much for your request! it was super sweet. ))

nonbinary reader x miguel “spider-man 2099″ o’hara

fluff. like pure fluff. its literally just miguel pining after a little silly florist.

warnings: literally none except the use of some language. possible use of incorrect spanish because i'm learning so i have help of a translator in some parts :) let me know if i can fix anything!

word count: 3742

The smell of all kinds of flowers flooded your senses as the floral shop's door opened with a little chime, a beautiful melody that brightens every beginning of your shift. The shop that has become the core of your life was nothing too fancy, hidden away in a cozy little alleyway accompanied by a coffee shop and another restaurant– a safe space along the bustling city.

Your identity wasn’t something that you mentioned often, but with the support of your coworkers you couldn’t help but express yourself easier. Being able to incorporate outfits of all kinds in your daily life without much more than a stare, some days you’d adorn a long skirt and a tank top, finished off with a floral-patterned apron to keep yourself tidy. Other days, you didn’t exactly confine yourself with a particular style because you were just you. As free and as happy as ever.

That was one of the many things you loved about the city you found yourself in. The growth and ability to thrive in Nueva York was a symbol of diversity, no matter who you were or where you had come from. It was different back home, so the newfound independence pushed you to be more talkative and approachable because you didn’t need to worry about others' thoughts. Labels and identities were celebrated in the cultures you intertwined with.

So when you found out you aligned with the embodiment of being nonbinary, you snatched it up like a piece of treasure and hadn’t looked back at who you were once before.

The love you had for flowers was immeasurable, somehow finding ways to include floral in your outfits no matter what you were wearing. A lovely white magnolia, fresh and healthy, found shelter in the secure pocket of your apron. Another flower was tucked upon the sunhat you adorned, a light pink peony settled right within the ribbon.

The alley your store took home in held a usual quiet atmosphere soothed by the comforting ambience of bird chirping due to housing a small little section for trees scattered about the alleyway. It reminded you of where your love for nature first began. Yet as you misted a bundle of Irises blooming upon a full window-sill, doused in a beautiful sunny haze, the tranquillity washing over you was unfortunately interrupted when a cat bumped against the shop’s window closest to you. It was loud, shaking the Irisies you just tended to.

Jumping from the sudden chaos happening outside your floristry, you couldn’t help but rush out the door with the watering pot still in hand. Did you need to get involved? You couldn't help but wonder to yourself when you noticed the little feline looked as if it was running away from something, but before you could intervene the answer dived past you on all fours, claw marks left in its wake. The figure, you have recognized from the news, was the talk of the city– broadcasts nicknaming the hero “Spiderman.” But what was he doing trying to grab one little kitty with the intensity of a predator? Surely Nueva York had more crime than that.

Entertaining the idea of watching such a well-respected hero having difficulty catching a feline, you played it off as if you were watering the flowers that decorate your shop– but in reality you just wanted to have a good laugh at seeing the man who has made criminals beg on their knees for forgiveness speak to the cat in desperation.

Funnily enough, the cat did climb one of the many large trees planted around your shop, and even if it was a bit hard to hear from the distance, this Spiderman guy wouldn’t stop trying to call for it to come down.

“Come ‘ere, gatito.” He shouted towards the cat at the tree’s base, his claws digging into the bark as if he was contemplating scaling the tree himself. “If I don’t bring you back with me, you will have to give up treats for the rest of your life. You don’t want that, do you?” His next step was to “psspspssp,” which just came out as a weird hiss. The cat only hissed back, which only fueled his discontentment even more. Without another moment to spare, Spiderman scaled the tree in two leaps, plucking the cat from the branches with a cautious hold. When he landed on the ground, he caught you staring a little too hard.

But the scene was just too hilarious, having to stifle a hearty giggle with the back of your hand as you noticed he was walking straight towards your shop. But luck wasn’t on your side today, as he stood right behind you. The window mirrored how he was holding the cat the same way as before, held like a little baby with its arms reaching out to you. You only laughed harder, crumbling to your knees as water splashed at your boots from the watering can. He didn’t dare to utter another word, obviously finding amusement in your little laughing fit over something so stupid.

“Did you get it out of your system, jardinero?” It was no doubt he was smirking under his mouth as he loomed over your laughing form. A ruffled meow followed his question, which only made you double down on your giggles. “Oh my god– I can’t breathe. Holy shit–” You cried out, rolling on the side to only have a flurry of Wisterias cloud your vision.

“Who knew the biggest baddest hero that Nueva has, could barely even catch a little animal?” You cackled into the air, which instantly made him defensive.

“I did not have a difficult time with this little pest, he’s as agile as a Roomba.” His tone was flat, if not a bit irritated. If you didn’t notice the soft chuckles escaping him softly, you would have thought he was genuinely bothered. Spiderman scooped up the cat in a more comfortable position, belly facing the both of you as the cat’s back lied against his arms. “Lo que sea–” He muttered through his mask, shaking his head in disbelief. After a short pause, it's clear he had nothing else left to say. “That’s enough entertainment for you today.” It was clear he was done once he spun on his heel, cat in arms and not even sparing a wave.

Something overcame you, as you called out to him. Maybe you were just as stricken as all his other fans, but as he paused with an awaited glance– you rushed through the waves of color in your floral shop before stopping to a bundle of crimson petals. Plucking a single bloom, you rushed out your store in a flustered mess so he wouldn’t have to wait long.

There wasn’t much to his suit, so there was no way you could easily position it in a way the flower couldn’t fall. So you just settled with putting it against the cat’s ear, the feline wearing it without a care.

You sighed, smoothing out your apron in nervous relief. This was an eventful start to your day, to say the very least. But Spiderman didn’t move from where he moved despite being eager to leave just a moment ago. Instead, his attention was fixated at the bloom in his grasp.

“It’s an Amaryllis. Truly a beautiful one, right?” Your tone shifted, excitement lacing your voice at the opportunity to explain a flower to a stranger– let alone someone that is apparently a huge deal.

“... What does it mean?” When your attention snapped to his masked face, you weren’t able to distinguish his wonderstruck expression. You gladly took the chance to ramble about what you knew about the flower, and explain the exact reason why you chose it.

“Amaryllis have multiple kinds of meanings you see– every flower does– but they’ve always been a symbol of hard-earned success due to its representation of determination and pride. I thought it was fitting because I was able to watch you in action, and you deserve a reward for your civic duties.” You couldn’t help but include some form of humor in your sprinkles of a compliment, but the truth was there. No matter what he had to do under the mask, he deserved to be reminded that his successful missions help so many people. It may have not been your cat, but you were happy that someone will now return back home to their fluffy companion. “And the scarlet coloring of its petals kinda matches your suit, so in a way it kind of reminds me of you.” The masked man in front of you was completely silent, until the gloved hand meeting his shoulder shook him from his daze. “Good work, Spiderman. Can’t wait what next animal you’re going to save,” The spell you unknowingly put him under was slapped away in an instant at the little jab.

He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips before he could turn away, which only encouraged your teasing more. He waved behind his back, keeping his focus on what’s in front of him. “What will it be, a giraffe? Maybe a walrus–” Spiderman was gone by the time you sputtered the second animal, leaping away with an iron grip on the feline to a nearby building rooftop.

“What about something cool like a whale shark? Now that’d be something to read online..” You mumbled to yourself, brushing off your apron one last time before clutching your trusty watering pail and beginning your duties for the day.

Which is how Miguel O’Hara found himself hunched over his computer, staring at a gallery full of vibrant botany with a sigh. He couldn’t express it under the mask– he had a purpose to not allow any sign of weakness when the suit is on, but he was absolutely smitten by you over some stupid mishap on his end and a nervous, endearing ramble about your knowledge of flowers. The nightlife seeped into the windows of his home, neon lights reflecting off the walls. It was late, but Miguel was determined to shove some kind of information down his brain to make him not look like a complete fool when he arrived at the floral shop again. He was a chemist, for god’s sake– botany wasn’t too far off, was it?

He was just so enthralled with you, the way your eyes lit up ever so slightly at the opportunity of ranting about your favorite thing. The scent of fresh flowers entering his senses through the slightly cracked door of the floristry– it was a place he wanted to spend all his freetime in. Having been surrounded by the burning smell of chemicals and the pollution of such a technologically advanced city, Miguel craved to surround himself with so much nature. Or maybe, secretly, he just yearned to have a space of his own that was hidden away from the evils of Nueva York.

It took him a little while to finally work up the courage to stroll in, not having the mask around his head while he met someone as Spiderman always gave him a weird feeling. But he pushed that aside, chanting the knowledge that he crammed in his memory so he wouldn’t stupidly ask for a bundle of flowers that probably didn’t even exist.

Stepping foot in the floral shop for the first time was like a big breath of fresh air, his muscles relaxing ever so slightly at the influx of sweet scents. It reminded him of you, the same smell of blossoms clinging onto you even after you walked through the alleyway to give him that Amaryllis. He still kept onto it, dried against the confinement of his wallet.

Miguel was going to start browsing even though he already knew what he wanted simply because he wanted to know this place inside and out– it was a part of you after all. But he didn’t go very long unnoticed, your voice making him well-aware of that.

“Hey, welcome to Nueva’s most diverse little flower nursery! Happy to see a new face, if there’s anything I can do for you just let me know!” Your voice came from the back of the store, yet you peeked out and was able to study him from afar. He tried his best to be stoic, nodding in understanding before quickly averting his gaze to the waves of flowers you clearly took very good care of.

Miguel, when faced with attraction to another, struggled deeply with bringing it into words. It didn’t exactly help his case when you haven’t met him outside of being Spiderman, so he devised a subtle plan to get closer to you. He wasn’t religious, but he still prayed that you would pay attention to his little requests and specific choosing of flowers.

And you did, of course you did. Your attentiveness squeezed his heart with a grasp he’s never felt before. After transforming into the Spiderman 2099 he’s come to accept, Miguel just couldn’t bring himself to fall for another. But when it came to you, and your silly little knowledge about flowers and the way he watched you tend to each and every one of them with the same amount of tenderness, the sweetness in your touch made him fall even harder. He imagined your hands grasping his own, as if he was as fragile as a flower. The idea made him flustered.

“A bouquet of red tulips and camellia, please.” He found himself asking you, his index, middle, and ring finger drumming along your counter in a soft rhythm. You were caught by his words almost instantaneously, a certain look in your eyes that even he couldn’t decipher. A knowing smirk erupted on your features, not being able to help yourself at teasing this new customer. “That’s so cute, you found yourself a soulmate?” Miguel choked at the proposal, the question rolling off your tongue in a singsong as you began skipping along the shop you owned.

The gracefulness you had in every step distracted him, plucking every sense of dignity he had as if he was a flower getting its own petals plucked by your graze. “Only a flower connoisseur would know the meanings behind such simple flowers. It’s what makes them interesting, but I suppose the mix of bright crimson intermingled with a calming purple brings a sort of intensity most people don’t get.” You unknowingly held the bouquet to your heart, a smile blessing your lips. “Camellias are standard flowers that convey longing, mostly a yearning for one out of reach. While a red tulip is a promise, the subtle intention of trying to tell another that you want to spend the rest of your life with the recipient. It’s a big commitment to use such flowers for a bouquet, hopefully you know what you’re getting into.” You wrapped it without a second thought, framed with a sweet soft yellow.

The cashier popped open as he paid.

“I do,” Miguel peered into your gaze, “I know exactly what I’m gettin’ into, mi sol.” He couldn’t help but utter, scooping the bouquet from your stunned response with a cheeky smile.

“W-What’s your name..?” Your composure lost, you demanded an answer as your finger twirled around an Amaryllis. You had kept one close by since your run-in with Spiderman, your thoughts never swaying from the masked hero until now. The stranger now seemed so familiar, but you couldn’t bring yourself to blurt out anything stupid.

Breathing in the bouquet he picked out, his shoulders sagged just a bit in relief. “Miguel,” He picked up a red tulip, the darkest hue in the bunch, and gently placed it right beyond your ear. “Miguel O’Hara.” His gaze flickered from your name tag and the flower he placed upon your curls, a satisfied quirk of his lips dashing his features. He sounded your name out like a blessing, and the two of you shared a stare that almost knocked you down.

As he left the floral shop, with the little chime of the door signalling his exit, Miguel had waved behind his back with his other hand keeping the bouquet close to his chest. It reminded you how the masked man occupying your thoughts gave you the same gesture in goodbye, and you couldn’t help but pry the red tulip he placed upon you with delicate hands.

Bringing it to your nose, suddenly red tulips smelled a lot more honey-like.

The two of you found each other in this routine for weeks now. Neither of you could break, he’d walk into the floral shop and continuously order different kinds of bouquets– sets of flowers that practically screamed, “love me back, you’re all I think about, notice me my dear.” Pink roses hugged by Peruvian and Stargazer lilies, the next week would be more simple– a pair of red roses intertwined with fresh caspia.

His voice was distinct, over the many years you’ve operated this little floral shop hidden away, the only two times you’ve heard the little rambles of his and the light accent within his tone was of course from him, but you kept help but think you’ve heard him somewhere else too. It made you nervous thinking about it, was it truly stupid to think he may be Spiderman? Over just one simple interaction with the masked hero and all of a sudden a person with a similar voice and mannerisms begins parading around your store and buying the most mushy, cliche bundles of floral you’ve ever seen? At this point, Miguel has helped generate an amount of revenue you haven’t seen in months.

By the time his next visit came into fruition, you couldn’t help the question that has loomed over your consciousness for the last week.

“Do.. do you-” You stumbled over your words clumsily, picking at the new floral he’s offered this time. Red roses surrounded by pink, finished off with a row of calla lilies. A beautiful balance of red, pink, and white. “Miguel, what are you trying to say with these bouquets?” You breathed out heavily, the nervousness of speaking about something weighing on you to someone you’ve found yourself attached to crashed against your usual calm and teasing attitude. You were out of your element.

Miguel’s eyes widened at the sudden question, which he averted from your gaze almost immediately.

Your mind was working a million miles a minute, and as you were trying to get the questions out as fast as possible you stumbled over your words like how you usually do, which in any other situation Miguel would cackle as you burn into the ground in a flustered mess.

“Are you into Spiderman?” You yelled into the empty floral shop, placing your hands down upon the counter in accusation with a thud. A moment of silence hung over the two, bouquet still in your grasp like it's glued to you.

“Am I- what-” Miguel’s jaw practically fell open, in which his fangs were finally on clear display to you. You only could point, stuttering in an embarrassed flurry of limbs as you tried your best to explain yourself.

“That’s not–” You mumbled as his gaze only widened more, not believing the question he just heard. “I meant are you like–” The silence on Miguel’s end wasn’t making this situation any better. “Are you into me?” You blurted out again, hiding your face in embarrassment. “Like– are you sure you’re into me? Like I didn’t know you would like me like that because I know I express myself a bit differently but–”

Miguel cut yourself off with his hands grasping yours, the bouquet now shared between the two of you. “I-” He sighed, casting his gaze downwards before facing you with a look of determination. As you spent time with Miguel, you came to understand that he never was good at talking about himself. Everything clicked into place as he nodded slowly, not a hint of doubt in his silent confession.

“I thought you’d notice sooner or later,” He huffed, dragging his thumbs against the skin of both of your hands. “Since the moment I saw you with an ungrateful gatito crowding my arms, I can’t lie that you piqued an interest I didn’t know I could feel.” Miguel sighed, leaning forward to lean against the counter opposite of you. “Who you are, how you express yourself– that's why I became so drawn to you, cariño.”

Now your jaw was the one to drop, before dropping your head to the counter the two of you shared in exasperation. “Oh my god! I knew it, I literally knew it. But I didn’t want to seem like some crazy person, you know? But I was right, what the fuck.” He couldn’t but laugh, which earned a warmth spread throughout your chest. Miguel only let out a chuckle and it had your insides twisting as if you were on a rollercoaster.

“You are too much, mi sol.”

“I wasn’t the one buying flowers to subtly tell someone I have a massive crush on them!”

Miguel frowned for only a moment, before leaning in just a bit closer. “Since I put in so much work to flaunt my love for you, do I earn a kiss?”

You rolled your eyes, before practically melting into his touch upon your jaw. Miguel met your lips and it almost felt like rain after a long drought. You didn’t know you wanted to kiss him so badly until his mouth was already on yours, his other hand trailing up the sleeves of your shirt and pulling your floral apron closer to him.

When the two of you separated after becoming putty in one another’s grasp, Miguel mumbled right upon your lips, breath fanning the blush you felt;

“May I please visit you still, mi corazón? I wouldn’t know what to do without coming here, swallowed by your scent and surrounded by what you love the most.”

You only laughed, nodding against his hand upon your cheek. It soon became a nuzzle, relaxing against his touch like the cat he saved when you first met him.

“Don’t start asking stupid questions, you know you’re more than welcome to come find me wherever I may end up at.” Miguel smiled, full of teeth and unapologetically showing his fangs.

The two of you intertwined like bonded stems, peppering kisses on one another until the door chimed once again.

#miguel o'hara #into the spider verse #across the spiderverse #miguel o'hara x reader #spiderman 2099 #miguel o'hara fluff #x fluff #fluff #x reader #x nonbinary reader #miguel o'hara imagine #miguel o'hara x nonbinary reader #nonbinary reader

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almostgenerallyalways · 4 months

Text

to absent friends and those at sea

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x fem reader Category: angst / fluff Word count: 6,2K CW: language, don't know how the navy works, maybe workplace bullying, this is a 'there's only one bed' fic that got out of control

Summary: Through seven years and almost as many deployments he’s carried this torch, the flame low but always burning somewhere in a condemned antechamber of his heart, one he tried hard to forget the route to.

2023

“Your flight is about to get canceled.”

You start, thrown by the appearance of Hangman at your side, interrupting your intense scrutiny of the departures board where another forty minutes have just been added to the already considerable delay of your outbound flight to Seattle.

“What are you still doing here?” You eye him suspiciously, adjusting your duffel bag over your shoulder.

“Nice to see you too, Mir.” He smiles, completely unperturbed as always. “I stayed back to hang out with Coyote. Haven’t seen him much since he was transferred. He left this morning.” He pauses for a moment, indifferently examining his fingernails. “You?”

You sigh. “I thought I’d take advantage of being in the Rockies to hike.”

The man next to you smirks. “In other words, you got drenched.”

“More or less.”

Two days ago, Saturday, had been a beautiful, sunny day for a wedding: Every circumstance had been perfect to reunite most of your Top Gun class, gathered with assorted family, friends and colleagues of the happy couple, to watch Halo say yes to her wife.

You’d enjoyed yourself immensely; the majestic scenery of Halo’s remote hometown in the Colorado mountains, the beautiful venue and decorations, and best of all: being with one of your best friends on the happiest day of her life.

Then the next day, as you’d rolled out of bed bright and early, only slightly hungover, you’d opened the curtains of your hotel room to unannounced streaks of rain.

Not put off by a little change in weather, you’d checked if there were any safety warnings for the trail you’d chosen, and set out in spite of the adverse conditions. The experience had been less enjoyable than anticipated: the beautiful views over the Rockies obscured by a thick layer of fog, you’d returned to your room early last night, chilled to the bone, every stitch of clothing you’d been wearing soaked through.

Another announcement pings over the speakers, interrupting your reflections. The status next to your flight number and destination now blinks in bold, red typeface: CANCELED.

“Told you.” Your unwanted companion grins helpfully.

Around you, people are starting to move, expressing their panicked complaints. You groan as you realise you are going to be stuck here overnight: it is almost 8 PM, and with the rain and mist not letting up, there’s no way another flight is leaving this small airport tonight.

“Listen, Mir,” Hangman says, expression more sober now, “My flight to San Diego was canceled, and I just stood in line for two hours to get a room for tonight. You’ll be here for hours if you have to get one.”

He considers you, any trace of mockery gone from his face for once. “You wanna crash with me?”

Pressure starts to build behind your temples, as you quickly consider your options. On the one hand, you are tired and cranky and in desperate need of sleep: having been one of the last guests shutting down the wedding in the late hours of Saturday night, and having spent most of your Sunday hiking up a non-rewarding mountain in the pouring rain, you’d love to avoid spending hours in the line that you see the crowd of weary and pissed-off people scramble to form, leading up to the United desk.

On the other hand: Hangman.

He smiles tentatively, as if he can read your thoughts on your face. He probably can. “It’s a double.”

You close your eyes, feeling like you might live to regret this decision: “Okay. Fine. Thanks.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016

Top Gun is a dream and an outright nightmare.

Brought in two weeks after the start of the program to replace someone who was summarily discharged, you’re determined to prove your worth.

When you are first introduced to the men and women (woman, singular, you correct yourself) who are to be your classmates and competition, it’s clear the group dynamics have already been cemented. Some eye you suspiciously, leaning back in their chairs, trying to get a read on the late addition. Some don’t even bother to look.

A blonde pilot in the second row scoffs when the instructor reads a short overview of your scant accomplishments, and another man sitting next to him laughs in response, poorly covering it up with a cough.

It takes everything you have to tough it out. They’re throwing you in the deep end, barely allowing any time or grace to make up for the hours and hours of valuable technical and practical training you’ve missed.

On day eight, though, you execute your first successful stealth manoeuvre, getting the upper hand over one of the instructors. As the details in the move are analysed in front of the class, for the first time, you feel a begrudging respect from some of them.

Not everyone, though. Two seats to your left, Seresin makes a show of studying his cuticles.

* * *

Halo is your lifeline. As the only two women in the class, you gravitate towards each other, finding some respite from the hyper-masculine bullshit of the rest of the group.

Or maybe she’s an angel, as her recently coined callsign suggests.

You’re lounging on the rec room couch with Halo’s feet in your lap, debriefing the day’s hop, when Seresin and two of his usual hangers-on walk in. (Their names are Miller and Wozniak. Halo and you have taken to referring to them as Crabbe and Goyle.)

“Ladies.” He grins, flashing you a smile with no warmth behind it.

A feeling of dread gathers in your stomach.

He casually picks an apple out of the fruit bowl and pretends to inspect it as he comments: “Poor showing out there today. You’re gonna have to do better than that if you wanna play in the big leagues with the boys.”

Halo, laid back on the couch, rolls her eyes. “Fuck off, Jake.”

He grins at her and takes a bite, crunching loudly. “You know, Halo, it’s not so much you I’m worried about. But this one-” He gestures at you with the piece of fruit. He has never referred to you by your name. “Is on thin ice, I hear. Heard they’re regretting calling her up.”

At this, Halo sits up, looking like she wants to give him a piece of her mind, but you stop her with a touch to her arm. “Forget it, Callie.”

* * *

You’re breathing heavy, blood rushing in your ears as your body is pushed to its physical limits, your F-18 protesting as you accelerate into a sharp turn curving around a particularly treacherous stretch of the San Jacinto mountains.

Your gamble has paid off, though, as you come out right on top of your prey. You can taste bile in the back of your throat as you lock tone on Fanboy’s jet.

It tastes like victory.

Back on the tarmac, peeling off the top half of your sweat-drenched flight suit, Halo throws her arms around your neck as Fanboy shakes your hand, a bemused smile on his face. “Nice work out there. Never even saw you coming.”

Later, at the Hard Deck, one pilot after another buys you drinks as you finally earn your callsign: Mirage.

* * *

It gets easier from there on out, and it doesn’t.

On the one hand, you don’t feel like you constantly have to defend your place anymore. After you score big in the mountains, Hangman finally has the decency to shut his mouth around you. You’ve found a natural understanding with most of the other pilots – the competition is fierce, but nights at the bar bring everyone back on equal footing.

Yet as the program ramps up to its conclusion, so does the pressure. Some mornings you can’t choke down breakfast, your stomach seized up into a knot of nerves and anticipation.

In week ten, you’re having so much trouble with a simulation that you, your wingman and his backseater get shot down six times in a row. Your arms burn with the hundreds of push-ups you’re grinding into the blistering tarmac, your CO never running out of the torrent of abuse he’s heaping onto your back.

You can’t sleep that night, keep seeing the disappointed look on your wingman’s face as you’d fucked up again and again. Around three in the morning, you give up on sleep and head to the on-base gym.

You crank a treadmill up to high and you run, run, run until your lungs are burning and your mouth tastes like metal. Rivulets of sweat drip down your back, down your face, mingling with tears you didn’t realise you’d been holding back, until finally your legs are screaming at you to stop, and you sit down at the end of another treadmill, your shoulders shaking, cradling your face in your knees.

You don’t know how long you sit there, but you know it’s not fully morning yet when a pair of white sneakers appears in your line of vision.

“Mir?”

Of course it had to be him, of all people, seeing you at your worst and most vulnerable.

“Go away.” You manage to grunt.

He doesn’t. Instead, he sits down next to you, hovering at a distance – still too close.

“Are you alright?” He asks, and if you weren’t burning with embarrassment and rage, his hesitant tone might give you pause.

You lift your face from your knees, steeling yourself. You must look ridiculous, you think, a sweaty heap of a girl having a mental breakdown at the bottom of some exercise equipment. You refuse to look at him. “I’m fine.”

He reaches out tentatively, trying to brush away a strand of hair that’s plastered to the side of your face, and you all but jump back: “Goddamn it, Seresin, don’t touch me.”

Finding the strength to push yourself up, you turn to him: “Don’t touch me, don’t talk to me, don’t come anywhere near me.”

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

2016

When Koehler is discharged, Jake Seresin feels like the rug’s been pulled out from under him.

They came up together through the Academy, and while Jake isn’t sure he would’ve called him a friend in any other circumstances, at least… At least he was an ally. Familiar. Someone who saw through his cocky bullshit and gave as good as he got.

The chances of both of them getting into Top Gun were astronomically small – and then Koehler immediately went and fucked it up. Jake cannot comprehend it.

He feels off-kilter, his only confidant having made a spectacularly embarrassing exit from the program. He can feel the rest of the class watching him, like sharks who’ve smelled blood in the water, waiting for him to make a deadly mistake too.

But Jake didn’t come here to screw up. He came here to win. So he does the only thing he knows how to do – he ramps it up, builds his walls higher, needles people harder – gets under their skin before they can get under his.

He knows it’s not making him many friends – but it works. People don’t question him. He takes no prisoners, flies like he’s the only one out there, puts himself first always – and is ranked near the top of the class for doing so.

When you’re introduced as Koehler’s replacement, he can’t believe it. It feels like adding salt to the wound, bringing in someone who didn’t even make the cut-off on their own merit. So if you get it a little worse than the others – well.

He sees you struggling, those first weeks, and it only confirms his thinking.

One scorching afternoon, after a long series of dogfights ends in embarrassment for half the class, he’s in the rec room pressing a cold compress to his face, discussing the day’s events with Wozniak: “I mean, did you see her out there? That’s what happens when you pull the B-team off the bench. She’s got no business being here. She’s dragging everyone down.”

Wozniak doesn’t immediately respond, and Jake looks up to find you standing in the doorway, looking caught off guard. You recover after a second, straightening your back, and grab a water from the cooler, studiously not looking at him.

You never look at him, after that.

But he looks at you.

* * *

You have bags under your eyes. The line of your jaw has gotten a little sharper. You get a little quieter, even more so than before.

He notices these things just like he notices the redoubled resolve stiffening your spine.

You start creeping up in the rankings, slowly, point by point, and while he doesn’t like that, he respects it.

After the mountains, where you pull a trick out of the bag that takes him completely by surprise, he lines up to congratulate you. Fanboy takes it on the chin, he’s a good guy, and Jake claps him on the back before turning to you, Halo still at your side. But you won’t look at him, and ignore his outstretched hand.

He supposes he deserves that.

* * *

A few weeks later, he wakes up earlier than usual after a night of fitful sleep, his body still processing the adrenaline from an open-sea simulation the day before. Jake came out on top, though he ditched his wingman to do so. Several others didn’t manage to complete the exercise, a crucial barrier for the last stretch of the thirteen-week program.

After tossing and turning for twenty minutes, the light outside his cracked window starting to shift incrementally from pitch black to indigo blue, he decides to head to the gym.

When he steps into the cavernous, air-conditioned room, he immediately senses someone else’s presence, though he can’t see anyone using any of the rows and rows of equipment. It’s not until he rounds into a stretch of treadmills that he spots you, hunched over into your bare knees.

“Mir?” He approaches hesitantly, noting the flushed skin of your back, your hair matted with sweat.

“Go away.” He gets in response, but he can’t, not when you’re sitting there trembling.

“Are you alright?” He asks, even though he can clearly see that you’re not.

You lift your face, surreptitiously swiping at your eyes with your palm. “I’m fine.”

Still not looking at him. Never looking at him.

He reaches out a hand, tentatively; he wants to make this better –

He has to make this better, make you feel–

- but you recoil from him, and he sits there for a long time after you’ve banged the door shut behind you like you couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

Sits there for a good long while, with the ghost of your presence.

* * *

Jake wins the trophy.

It’s a raucous night at the Hard Deck and he feels like a weight’s been lifted off his shoulders. Sure, he doesn’t know where they’re shipping him off next week – but for now, he has won and no one can take that away from him, not the pilots giving him sideways glances at the bar, not his father, no one.

Fanboy bumps his shoulder and hands him what must be his fifth or sixth beer of the night. Over on the jukebox, Son of a Preacher Man starts playing and he glances over to see you throw your arms around Halo’s shoulders, laughing, dancing her around the crowded room a little unsteadily. You look lighter, happier than he’s ever seen you.

He watches for long moment, transfixed, until he realises Mickey is talking to him.

Mickey turns around, trying to follow Jake’s line of sight, and finds you. “Oh, dude.” He turns back, clinks Jake’s beer with his own. “I’m sorry to tell you, I think that ship has sailed, man.”

Right, Jake thinks, taking a long pull of his beer. And why should he care? He’s got what he came to North Island for.

No one can take that away.

* * *

2018

He doesn’t see you again for two years. Two years of him being shipped from base to base, coast to coast and back again, the Navy’s prize pony, getting new orders every few months.

He shows up in Oceana, papers in hand; greets familiar faces at The Admiral’s and trades stories over the sound of classic rock and the clicking of pool cues.

Then he turns around and bumps into – you.

It puts him on the back foot, coming face to face with you unexpectedly. You look like you’re caught off guard, too, but you recover quickly. “Hangman.”

“Mirage.” He smirks, defences slotting into place. “Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

You look a little bit older, sharper in ways, your watchful eyes clearly on guard as he leans against the bartop, giving you a once-over. It’s a tactical mistake, on his part – it only serves to ignite something warm deep inside of him.

“Gonna be here for a while. Think we can kiss and make up?”

You shoot him a withering glance, like you expected better out of him. “In your dreams, Bagman.”

The bartender brings you your drink, and you smile sweetly at him. “Terry, put one of whatever he’s having on my card, will you? Fucking new guy’s gonna need it.”

* * *

And it’s fine, it’s perfectly fine. You work perfectly well together.

It’s just that –

No matter how much he needles and cajoles, flirts or tries to rile you up, you only ever treat him as –

A colleague. Which is what he is, sure, but –

He doesn’t ever get that part of you, the part that laughs easy with Fanboy or does shots with Bambi, the part of you that bodily holds up Halo after she gets the call that her childhood dog has died, the part of you that sits next to the radio, fists clenched with anticipation when someone is flying a tough hop, the part of you that envelops them into a full body hug after.

The part of you that has your eyes light up when you look at someone, instead of straight through him.

And no matter how many times he tells himself to move on, he never quite stops wanting it.

* * *

2021

Deployed in the South China Sea, he flies one of the more difficult, harebrained missions of his life with you.

He finds you, after, where you’re slumped against a steel wall on deck, your flight suit half off, trying to catch your breath; and hands you a Sprite.

You consider him for a moment before taking the soda. It feels a little like you’re really looking at him for the first time.

“This is my favourite.”

He sits down, not close, exactly, but close enough to feel the heat radiating from your skin. “Yeah.”

A beat passes. You open the can with a hiss, and he exhales: “Nice work back there.”

“You too, Bagman.”

The wind whips across the deck, but you’re sheltered from it by the structure, leaving only the noise.

“Do you know where you’re headed after this?” he asks.

“Back to Bahrain, still got another fourteen months there. You?”

“San Diego.”

You give a little quirk of your mouth. “Lucky.”

“I thought you’d be stateside. I thought you might have…” He holds up his right hand, indicates his ring finger. “That guy in Fallon. Search & Rescue with the dark eyes.”

You take a sip of your drink. “You noticed his eyes?”

Jake shrugs.

You look at the wide expanse of ocean churning beyond the flanks of the carrier. “No. He was… He wanted to settle in Nevada, have kids.” You give him a wry smile that doesn’t quite make it to your eyes. “Wasn’t ready to give all this up.”

“Ah.” Jake says, his throat a little dry. It feels like the realest conversation he’s ever had with you, and yet, he can’t think what to say.

You sit there for a while, in what feels like something close to companiable silence, until it’s time to debrief.

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

2023

The receptionist looks up apologetically from her sleek desk. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Seresin. Because of all the delayed passengers, we’re getting a lot of demand for double rooms for families. Is there any way you would take a single? We can offer you complimentary breakfast.”

Jake looks at you hesitantly, shifting the strap of his backpack over his shoulder.

You rub your temples, doing nothing to alleviate the increasing pounding in your skull. Of course this was going to happen. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”

* * *

“I can, uh,” You see him looking around for a sofa, but there isn’t one.

You sigh, letting your bag drop onto the plush grey-green carpet. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve shared worse sleeping arrangements.”

These have usually involved a barracks or an aircraft carrier, and between twenty to two hundred of your coworkers, but who’s counting.

“I suppose that’s true.” He replies, staring at the bed.

At least it’s big, you think, and you can’t wait to plop your head down on one of its crisp white pillows. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

* * *

After your shower, you’re in bed, waiting with no small amount of apprehension for Hangman to emerge from his turn in the bathroom.

When he does, in boxers and a t-shirt, his normally slicked-back hair slightly peaky and darkened by the water, he looks younger than he is. He looks a little like he did when you first knew him.

He pulls back the covers and settles against the pillows on his side, the mattress dipping with the weight of him. He’s heavier than he looks – you’re always a little surprised by the lean, solid mass of him. It’s a byproduct, you suppose, of years of studiously not looking at him when you can avoid it.

“I guess that’s goodnight, Mir.”

You look up at him, facing you. The proximity of him is unfamiliar, and a little unnerving.

You have to close your eyes against it.

“Night, Hangman.”

When you open your eyes again, he considers you for a moment with an expression you can’t place.

“I wanted to talk to you, you know, at the wedding, but you kept disappearing on me.”

You don’t really know what to say in response. “I didn’t realise we had much to say to each other.”

His face shutters, and you feel a little pang of guilt. “Yeah. I guess that’s true.”

He shifts onto his back. “You looked beautiful. Just wanted to say that.”

You can’t help but be a little taken aback, and it takes you a second to reply, guardedly: “Thanks. You didn’t look too bad yourself.”

But then he never does, does he? Jake Seresin, golden boy, never a hair out of place.

He doesn’t respond, and you burrow into your pillow, determined to let sleep take you over as soon as possible.

* * *

You wake from a fitful sleep to movement beside you. It takes you a second or two to remember where you are, and with whom, before you realise that the man next to you is breathing in wheezy stops and starts, a low, panicked murmur emanating from his throat.

You hesitate for an instant before propping yourself up on your arm, using your free hand to lightly shake his shoulder. “Bagman. Hey. Seresin, wake up.” He’s breathing hard, radiating heat. “Hey. Jake.”

He comes to, slowly, gasping for air, as if emerging from deep below the surface of a rough sea. His skin, where you are holding onto him, is overly hot, the fabric of his t-shirt damp. He scrambles to prop himself up, causing you to pull back your hand, but he grabs your wrist hard before you can fully pull away.

“What,” He manages, the look in his eyes still wild and unfocused, roaming over you. It takes a second, two, three, before realization dawns, and he starts to calm down. His tight grip on your wrist eases slightly.

Despite the low light of the dark room, you see a flush start to creep up the skin of his throat. “Mir. I’m sorry. I was…”

For the first time, you feel something akin to tenderness for him. You try to sweep some of the sweaty strands of hair off his forehead, hindered by his continued grasp on your arm. “It’s okay. You’re fine.” You pause, feeling a little awkward. “Could’ve just as well been me.”

At that, he lets go of your wrist, letting himself drop back onto the pillow. He stares at the ceiling, and you let yourself settle back onto your side, watching the steadily slowing rise and fall of his chest.

Just as you wonder whether you should just go back to sleep, let the both of you pretend this never happened, he says, “They’re always the same. Me, trying to save one of you, and failing. It’s getting better, they used to be much more frequent, I’m talking to someone, but…”

“I stop sleeping.” The words are out of your mouth before you realize you’re saying them. “When it gets really bad.”

You have never shared this broken, faulty part of yourself with anyone, but somehow, looking at the shadowy form of Hangman’s shoulder two inches from your face, it tumbles out.

“I can’t sleep, I can’t function, I fly like a zombie. Sometimes I genuinely worry they’re going to ground me.”

You see his little smirk appear, even in the dark. “I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen you fly badly.”

“Oh, fuck off, Bagman.” You say it without venom, thumping his stomach lightly. “That’s certainly not what you used to say.” On the rebound, he catches your hand, cradling it just below his ribs.

You don’t pull it back.

A few minutes go by in silence, and you just when you start thinking he may have fallen asleep, he says: “Mir.”

“Yeah?”

“Will you ever…?” He exhales a puff of breath. “Will you ever forgive me?”

You fold your arm under your pillow, wary, and consider your answer for a moment. “I forgave you a long time ago.” You pause, scared to say too much. “I just… don’t know how to be around you without feeling like I’m twenty-three again, always having to prove myself because I’m not good enough.”

You watch his chest rise as he inhales, fall again with a deep sigh. “I’m sorry I ever made you feel like that. I can’t excuse it. From the beginning I blamed you for replacing Koehler when it had nothing to do with you.”

His voice drops a little bit. “To be honest, I was scared I wouldn’t make it without him.”

Now it’s your turn to smirk. “The great Hangman Seresin, scared?”

He turns onto his side to face you, his expression solemn. “Seriously, Mir. I was insecure and I covered it up by being a dick. Maybe I still do, to some extent.”

His eyes turn downwards, to the space between your bodies. “But I feel like I’ve been trying to make things right with you for a while.”

You can’t deny this. You’ve always rebuffed any attempt on his part to approach you beyond what was strictly necessary.

“I guess I’m a champion grudge holder.”

He looks back up to meet your eyes, a crooked smile appearing on his face. “Seven years and two entire deployments together, though?”

You scoff, realising how ridiculous this sounds, but you can’t help it – it felt very personal to you. “You don’t know what it was like. I didn’t make the initial cut. By the time I got to San Diego I was two weeks behind everyone, one of only two women, and on top of that you, the class golden boy, hated me being there.”

You pause, inhaling to steady yourself. “I felt like I was under so much pressure, it fucked me up.”

When you meet Hangman’s eyes again, something in his face has softened.

“I’m sorry.”

He squeezes your hand, the skin of his palm rough.

You take in the sharp lines and smooth planes of his face, hair in disarray from a sweaty, restless sleep. He’s very close, and you don’t know if it’s the weird, suspended-in-time quality of this darkened room, or the weight that’s been lifted off your shoulders through this little exchange, weight you hadn’t even realised was there; but for the first time you feel like you might like Hangman.

Not Hangman, Jake, brass and bravado stripped away, looking at you like you’re something precious, something he’s a little bit afraid of.

It's a lot of things to feel, in the middle of the night, after seven years of cold war.

You clear your throat, but your voice still comes out a little raspier than you intend to: “Alright then, Bagman. Détente?”

Out comes that crooked little quirk of his lips again: “Alright, Mirage. Détente.”

He’s still holding on to your hand, and he pulls it a little closer into his body.

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

Jake wakes up to the frantic buzzing of his phone and reaches for it on the nightstand, the endeavour complicated by your head weighing down his other arm. The crisp first light of day is seeping through a gap in the curtains, framing a picture of you sleeping curled into his chest so pointedly he almost has to assume he’s still asleep.

After a second or two, this assumption is dispelled by a very chipper United rep talking away at him, informing him that he’s booked onto a flight to San Diego at 10:45.

“Okay, uh, that works,” He manages, trying to keep his voice down so that you don’t wake up, but it’s too late: already you’re looking up at him, blinking sleep out of your eyes.

He ends the call, puts the phone down, and after a second’s hesitation, returns his arm to its place around your waist.

He looks down at you, not even sure what he’s asking: Is this okay? Do you still hate me?

Do you realize I’ve wanted this for years?

Through seven years and almost as many deployments he’s carried this torch, the flame low but always burning somewhere in a condemned antechamber of his heart, one he tried hard to forget the route to.

You shift slightly, and he reflexively tightens his fingers into the fabric of your shirt. He sees your pupils go wide, and it’s stupid, the jolt he feels at that – it goes straight to his gut.

Then your phone rings, too, and the moment bursts like a soap bubble. You prop yourself up, pulling away from him to answer it.

When you’re done arranging your flight, he can feel the atmosphere has shifted. You don’t look at him when you say: “We should probably start packing up, huh?”

“Mir, wait,” He says, and he knows he sounds a little desperate, but there’s so many things he wants to say, finally, if this is the best chance he’ll get.

“Jake,” you interrupt, and the pleading tone of your voice shuts him up.

Later, on his flight, he’ll think about falling asleep with your hand in his, and his heart will break a little.

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

Halo calls you, ten days into the honeymoon, to exalt Jess, marriage, and Hawaii, in that order.

You’re at home, cooking dinner, a Motown playlist on in the background while she details all the kayaking, wine tasting and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes they’ve been doing. Your heart swells at her happiness. “I’m so glad you guys are having a great time.”

She asks how your hike went, and you end up telling her what happened – the canceled flight, Hangman, all of it.

Halo snorts. “Oh, poor guy. I’m not sure his outsize ego will recover from this.” She pauses to say something to Jess. “Though I’d feel more sorry for him if he hadn’t literally waited for an adverse weather event to try to tell you how he feels.”

You plop down on the couch with your plate of pasta. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“Come on, dude. He’s been in love with you for years.”

“Huh.” You say, eloquently.

* * *

You book a ticket to San Diego. You take four days’ leave, and you’re not even sure Jake is there. If he isn’t, you think, clicking to skip the seat selection, you’ll take it as a sign.

Which is stupid. You don’t believe in that kind of thing. Maybe this entire idea is stupid, you consider, as you board your flight at SeaTac.

When you walk into the Hard Deck on Friday night, it feels a little like the first time: You’re nervous, your hands clammy as you run them down your shorts. Penny waves you over and pours you a tequila soda, which you accept gratefully. People you know start noticing your presence, coming up to catch up at the bar.

You’re talking to Fritz, who’s already a little worse for wear, when Jake comes in. He catches sight of you and stops short. You forget what you were saying mid-sentence.

Fritz turns around and clocks him, shooting you a wide grin. “Ah. Guess that’s my cue to leave.”

He comes up next to you at the bar, taking the place Fritz vacates. “Hey. No one told me you were gonna be in town.”

He looks good, if a little tired: sun kissed skin and slightly deeper lines in the corners of his eyes when he gives you a smile that feels perfunctory. He’s wearing his khakis, in pristine condition, though he looks like he hasn’t been sleeping well. Penny has already put a beer in front of him, and he takes a long pull on it before really looking at you.

The look in his eyes feels like the confirmation you needed.

“Last minute decision.” You say, inclining your head in the direction of the back exit. “Would you mind if we talked somewhere quieter?”

If he’s surprised, he doesn’t question it, and he follows you out to the back porch.

It’s a warm night, late summer – the kind you love.

You set your drink down on the railing, suddenly nervous, and turn around, leaning back against the salt-weathered wood to face Jake. The music filters out from the bar, muted by the windows – a moody Tom Waits song.

“I’m sorry.” You start, “For leaving the way I did in Colorado. I think I was overwhelmed, by you, by what I was feeling- I got scared.”

“By what you were feeling,” He says, like he needs to repeat it to be sure.

You nod, willing yourself to be brave this time. “Yeah. I spent seven years keeping up my defences around you and then I wake up once with your arms around me and I’m like oh, fuck and-” You stop yourself, looking out at the calm ocean waves in the distance, the sun just beginning to dip into the horizon. “Fuck, I’m not explaining this very well.”

Jake’s face shows the beginning of a smile. “I think I understand what you’re trying to say.”

He steps in closer to you, and your hands go to his waist. You feel a little lightheaded with him so close, but you’re determined to continue. “And I didn’t know what to make of it. You looking at me like that. I told myself it wasn’t real so I could go back to where I was comfortable – not thinking about you.”

He closes the gap between you, an arm around your shoulder, tucking his face into your hair. “I assure you, Mir, that the way I feel about you is very real.”

His voice in your ear feels like a balm, and you tighten your fingers into his shirt, bringing your body flush with his. It’s still overwhelming – how he’s familiar and new at once, the scent of his warm skin and pressed uniform, the feeling of his lips against your temple. “Yeah, well. Not thinking about you wasn’t going very well.”

He lifts you up to sit on the railing, bringing your face level with his, and steadies you with his hands on your waist. “Mir. Did you come out here for me?”

You place your hands on his shoulders, running your thumbs up the sloped curve to his neck, and smile at the visible reaction this has on him. “Yes, Bagman.”

He kisses you then, and it feels like the solution to a problem you hadn’t even realised had been weighing on you – tangling your fingers into his hair, drawing him in closer between your knees. He keeps repeating your name, like he can’t quite believe you, and you keep answering him with more kisses, needing him to know – what?

That you’ve caught up with him. That you’re here now.

You both slow down when you simultaneously become aware that there’s a small crowd on the other side of the windows, gawking at you. You think you see an open-mouthed Mickey, pool cue still in hand. At the moment, you don’t have it in you to care.

“How long are you staying?” Jake murmurs into your neck, his arms around you.

“Monday.” You breathe, resting your chin on the top of his head. “But I’ll be back soon.”

*******

end notes: omg sorry i didn't write anything for so long - life's just been A LOT. i hope you enjoyed it. check out my masterlist <3 title from the royal navy toasts

#jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #hangman x you #hangman x reader #jake seresin x f!reader #top gun: maveric fic #jake 'hangman' seresin fanfiction

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hyuukais · 1 year

Text

Waiting

Finally, after many busy weeks, you’d be getting to see your boyfriend again. Beomgyu was coming home for an entire weekend. However, you were still stuck at the worst part of his return, the waiting.

word count: 1.5k

genres: beomgyu x streamer!reader, slice of life, fluff, insinuations of angst

warnings: language, mentions of executive dysfunction, reader plays zelda specifically botw because i do not have totk 👎👎👎👎

author: FINALLY SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY !! hopefully i will have more content coming soon im just in a major slump atm 😔 also shoutout to @ssunnae & @bobariki sunny and rue thank you both so so much for beta-reading this !!

The colorful LEDs shift along the floorboards, currently a fog of purple misting the floor. Trickles of soft mood music set the low-light room into its sleepy atmosphere. Two large monitors illuminate your face in blue light, aided by a small ring light situated to your left. Amid the calm, an underwhelming rage slowly fizzles up in your throat.

“Oh come on; not right now, please!” The sudden battle music picking up in your headphones sends you into a panic as an enemy health bar appears at the top of the screen. Rain crashes on Link, lightning streaking across in pixels. Your fingers smash around frantically, trying to run away as the Lynel begins to draw its bow.

“Please please please please, don’t-” Unable to draw a weapon or get away, a hard strike lighting descends on the character. The hearts filling the top left of the screen go dark.

“God-fuck!” Red light blinds your eyes with the large “Game Over” fading onto the screen. Your head slams down onto the desk, the top of it all that’s left in view of the camera. The long-winded groan that leaves you is still picked up well by your mic. Chat messages fly fast along your monitor; many expressing their simple sympathy for your defeat, others instead laughing at the situation.

Slowly drawing yourself back up, you catch on the monitor displaying the stream and take a moment to look at everything. “Man…I know I said today was only gonna be Zelda but…this is already the 7th time I’ve died.” Your words trail into a whining laugh. More comments flood the chat. Some call out your terrible playing, some suggest other ideas for the rest of the stream, and many are just extremely off-topic.

“I’m not usually this bad! I don’t know what’s happening to me.” You were out of it today, unfocused, and part of you knew why. “I guess…I dunno, I think I’m just tired!”

This space-y feeling had been following you all day. It was the sort of distance your brain felt when experiencing executive dysfunction. Stuck in a loop of boredom; waiting for something, anything. Struggling to do anything, but still wanting to. Oftentimes, it was hard to discern a particular reason for the feeling, maybe burnout or simply worms in your brain. Today, however, you could easily guess the reason. Today, there was something to wait for. After more than a few weeks apart, Beomgyu would finally be coming over.

You and your boyfriend were both busy people; both public figures in your own right. Although, his schedule as an idol was arguably stricter than yours as a streamer. Between the end of the North America leg of the tour, preparing for their Japanese comeback, and the new single, you hadn’t seen Beomgyu face-to-face in close to a month. It was like spending a month in hell. A month without having his hands in yours, body wrapped in your arms, lips painting your skin, heartbeat beneath your fingers; the reminders that he was real and he was all yours. So, now that you’ll finally get him all to yourself for a whole weekend, your brain was searching for any way to skip to having him back in your arms. Hence, why Link has died more than five times by your incompetence.

“Maybe-uh-why don’t we switch gears? Maybe Zelda was a bad idea.” Considering your head space, streaming today in general may not have been the best of your ideas; you still felt bad for skimping out on a regularly scheduled stream. You also kind of hoped streaming would give you some distraction from sitting by the front door like a puppy.

You click around, filling the screen up with your face as you exit the game. “Hmm…what about…animal crossing? Minecraft? Thoughts, chat?”

You watched message after message fly by, all varying that you don’t actually reach a consensus with them.

“I think…hmm…” You watch a moment more, “Okay, I think we’re gonna do Minecraft.”

Once again, your face cam is moved to the corner as your PC feed takes up the stream. The ambient music takes over for your voice, filling up the silence as things load. Grass blocks and wood load in first before the sudden appearance of buildings. You spawn near a small farm you last left off building.

This wasn’t the world you usually streamed from; preferring the action a survival world provided for content. Actually, this was a world you’d created and built with Gyu, and some of the other members much after you invited them. Although, your audience didn’t need to know any of that. “I’m just going to stick to creative this time, chat. Something…calmer, y’know.”

Soon enough, you find yourself sinking into a rhythm with the music. You keep working on the farm you left unfinished, fixing it up with the build of a greenhouse. Little commentary is provided; small tidbits here and there as you casually speak to yourself. Humming to the music at times and finding some focus on small tasks.

Your headspace shifting from inattentive to hyper-fixated, you’re not particularly tuned into any noise besides what’s pumping in your head. Perhaps that’s why you don’t notice the usual creak of the hallway floorboards or the awful squeaking of your office door. You don’t even see all of the chat messages taking note of those very things. Rarely looking away from the game, there’s no note in your mind of the torso slowly creeping up behind your chair; head just out of camera view, hands sneaking up to your headset.

It’s sudden, the relieving of pressure against your ears, the disappearance of your soft tunes, the realization that there is a person in your home and they are standing behind you.

Your scream is shrill and unending. The whiplash from how fast your turn around would have your head spinning if not for the new pumps of adrenaline coursing through you.

There, standing behind you, wearing the stupidest little cocky smile, is the cause of all your problems. Beomgyu was smart enough to keep his face just outside of the camera, hiding his identity from any viewers. Still, with pretty much the rest of him in frame, this is the largest glimpse your audience has ever gotten of your boyfriend. The chat reacts accordingly to such a realization.

You scramble around to mute your microphone and cover your camera; cutting off your connection as more and more chat messages fly faster along the screen. Nothing else matters though, as you spin your chair around to face the man looking down at you. He’s smiling still, eyes crinkled up and lips split wide. The way you leap at him sends him stumbling back.

Beomgyu’s hands come to cradle your back as you take him in your arms; feel him, his heat, his breath, the shake in his chest when he chuckles. His head settles upon yours. You squeeze his middle tighter and tighter and take in the depth of his scent. Head pressed against his chest, his heart beats softly in your ear.

“That…” You pull yourself away to get a look at his face, “was mean.”

He laughs as you slap at his arm; languorously boisterous, infectious with the happiness of his simple presence. A smile breaches your cheeks, soon enough, as well. Beomgyu’s hands tickle along your waist; keep you close, skin touching skin.

“It was a surprise.”

“More like a jumpscare!”

“Same difference.” His breath brushing your skin all this time finally comes ever closer. Douses you in his everything. A sweet peck on your lips, interrupted by a smile and a whisper. “I missed you.”

The fire of his words floods the pit of your stomach. His lips were barely pulled away from yours and yet that was too far. Your hands cupping his cheeks, pull him closer, filling your space with his. Breaths mingling with heavy words.

“I missed you, too.” You bring his mouth to yours; sway in his presence and feeling. Almost pulling away before more. “So much.”

Head tilted back, chest pressed into his, lips meeting in reverie. Beomgyu’s arms encase your waist; your fingers twirl in his hair. So soft, delicate, fluffy—so like him. Such is the kiss. Deep and sweet, nothing further than adoration. It’s intoxicating sugar; he’s delicious and addicting. His taste sticks to your lips as they leave his. Eyes still fluttered shut, taking in the disappearing feeling.

“I…have to finish off my stream.” You can barely stand to push him away, losing the soft brush of his thumb beneath the hem of your shirt, “You get yourself situated and I’ll be right there.”

The pout on his lips is nothing short of goading after losing your kiss. Still, he responds, although not without an eye roll. “Okay, but if you’re not done in 10 minutes, I get to choose the movie tonight!”

He plants a quick peck on your cheek before leaving you in the office. You have to laugh at how proud he is of that challenge as if you weren’t going to let him pick anyways. Though now, you may just have to get your own bit of payback and not leave him waiting.

318 notes · View notes

jeankluv · 4 months

Text

Birdie - Satoru Gojo | Chapter 12

words: 5,2k

summary: While everyone adored him, you stood apart in your feelings. It wouldn't be accurate to say you hated him, as " hate " was a strong word, rather, you harbored a profound dislike towards him. The problem was he knew that and his irritating presence seemed to persistently cling to you whenever he crossed your paths.

Now, you found yourself paired with him for your semester project, and the thought made you wish to hurl yourself out of the third-floor window. Three months of working alongside him loomed ahead. Adding to the discomfort, you were currently under the scrutiny of hundreds of eyes, each gaze feeling like a murder attempt. It seemed everyone coveted the opportunity to collaborate with Gojo Satoru, except for you.

ac: _3aem

tags: modern au, college au, fem!reader, academic rivals, he fell first, fluff, old money Gojo Satoru, abusive parents, slight slow burn, Satoru is a softy, secondary couple (Geto Suguru x oc), a bit of angst, no use of y/n, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, Gojo plays basketball, Gojo needs a hug

notes: long af chapter but full of things, everything I have to tell you is, trust me. Sorry if there are any typos, I think there aren’t any but let me know so I can correct them.

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

ao3 | playlist

As you looked at your result on your phone and then at Satoru's, confirming that you had both achieved the same perfect score, a feeling of relief washed over you. The bet had ended in a tie.

Leaning back in your seat, you couldn't help but make a small pout with your lips. You looked at Satoru, who was engrossed in the screen of his own phone, the nervousness that had disappeared took over you again.

The adrenaline of the exam results had momentarily pushed aside the weight of the conversation you were supposed to have with him that day. But now, as the reality of the situation returned to your consciousness, a knot formed in your stomach and heat rose to your cheeks.

As you cleared your throat and sat up straight in your chair, the weight of the conversation fell on you, you couldn't help but feel a surge of nerves coursing through your veins.

“Satoru…” You whispered nervously, turning to look at him. "After class, we should talk."

He turned to look at you, his expression unreadable, and he responded quietly. "Sure.”

You met his gaze briefly before quickly looking away from him, the intensity of his gaze sending a shiver down your spine. How was it possible that you didn't feel even a hint of nervousness? Was it possible that he had forgotten what happened Saturday night?

But even as you considered the possibility, a nagging doubt lingered in the back of your mind. What if the whole movie you were playing in your head ended up being real? It couldn't be like that, right? Satoru was probably holding it together, but inside he was just as nervous as you. Right?

As the lecture began, your mind drifted between the professor talking and the conversation you needed to hold with Satoru. You could not focus as your mind kept on circling back to the events that occurred in the club and outside of it. Parts of your mind were still confused as if a mist had taken over but other parts were as clear as a sunny day.

And with the time passing, your anticipation only grew bigger. You could feel the knot of nerves on your stomach as if you were about to throw up at any moment.

You stole glances towards Satoru, trying to read him. But it seemed he was completely calm and relaxed.

When the professor gave his farewell you knew the moment arrived. You didn’t move from your chair, as you watched students getting out of the class. You glanced at Satoru, who this time was also looking back at you.

Your nerves only grew bigger as you focused on his gaze. Taking a deep breath to steady those nerves that were inside of you and you spoke.

“Satoru.” You began, feeling how your voice was shaking just by saying his name. “Can we talk?”

He nodded, his expression being soft which made you feel relaxed. You got up from the chair and started walking out, you didn’t want to have that conversation in the middle of a classroom. Satoru followed you in silence. With each step taken, you could feel the air growing heavier

When you finally arrived at a more intimate place, you looked at Satoru. “Satoru…”

“Did you rest well?” He cut you.

“Huh?” You said, confused. “Oh! You mean because of the hangover?” Satoru nodded. “Yeah, yeah I… I sleep well.”

“Good, I’m glad. You looked tired.” He said with a faint smile.

“Satoru, I don’t remember much about what happened.” You began, feeling your heart racing. “Only pieces… but I…” How could you continue?

“It’s okay birdie.” He assured you.

“No wait!” You stopped him. “I remember something clearly.” You pointed out. “During the 20 questions I asked you, how many shots do you need to kiss me.” Looking at him you took a deep breath. “And you told me to ask you again once we were sober. So I’m asking you again, Satoru. How many shots do you need to kiss me?”

Satoru took a step forward, closing the distance between you. “And I told you that my answer would remain the same, didn't I?” You nodded, feeling your cheeks redden. “I don't need any fucking drop of alcohol to want to kiss you birdie.” He whispered to you. “We didn't finish the game and it was my turn to ask.” He smiled. “Tell me birdie, how many drinks would you need to kiss me?”

Your gaze was upward due to your height difference, first you looked at those blue eyes, which looked at you with such intensity and then, then you looked at his lips. “None.” You whispered, feeling how Satoru was leaning towards you and your breaths began to mix due to the closeness between you.

“Say it, birdie.” He whispered in your mouth. “And I will...”

Without letting him finish the sentence you pulled him towards you and trapped your lips with his.

As your lips met an electric shock went through your hold body, a surge of serotonin flooded through and your heart started to race. Feeling how Satoru began to kiss you back only made those feelings increase.

You felt as the time stopped moving and as the world started to fade away. It was just the two of you at that moment. No one else.

You were grateful for having come to that place away from curious glances and possible whispers, there were only you and Satoru.

Satoru grabbed your face and deepened the kiss, causing you to feel a thousand butterflies flutter in your stomach. It seemed to be true that Satoru Gojo was perfect in everything he did.

Breaking the kiss but not separating from you yet, Satoru left a few more kisses on your lips and the corner of them. You were almost breathless but exhilarating, your eyes looked up, finding Satoru’s gaze looking down at you. Like always.

Rarely did you feel as ashamed as that moment, you wanted to run away and hide from that penetrating gaze.

“Birdie…” He whispered.

You hummed still shy after the kiss. “Satoru…” You looked down and played with your hands. “Do you…”

“I like you birdie. I have for quite some time.” You felt like your breath was cut off and your heart forgot how to beat.

Feeling like a teenager again, you couldn't help but be overwhelmed by a rush of emotions as Satoru's heartfelt confession washed over you. Despite your attempts to hide your embarrassment, Satoru gently took your face in his hands, urging you to look into his eyes.

Your cheeks burned a deep shade of red, and you couldn't help but feel self-conscious under Satoru's intense gaze. You were sure you looked completely ridiculous with your cheeks flushed and lips possibly swollen from the kiss you had shared.

With a shy smile, you allowed yourself to meet Satoru's gaze. "I like you too." You whispered, in that instant, you felt a sense of release, as if a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. “But now I must look ridiculous.” You said with a small pout.

Satoru leaned down to place a soft kiss on your forehead, you closed your eyes, savoring the tenderness of the moment. “Maybe, but you also look fucking adorable.” He smiled, as he caressed your cheek. “Who would have told me, you could be so adorable.” He said in a mocking tone.

You rolled your eyes and stepped away slightly. "Idiot." You muttered.

“I'm the idiot you want.” He said pulling you closer to him.

“I guess you are.” A slight smile appeared on your lips. “About the bet?”

“Oh right…” He said still holding you.

“I think…” You bite your lip, not used to this kind of stuff. “We could still go out on a date.” You felt your whole face burning up with intensity as those words slipped out of your mouth.

“Why are you so embarrassed?” Satoru mocked.

“Ugh shut up.” You tried to free yourself from him, but it was impossible, he was stronger than you and he was holding tightly to you, as if he was afraid of losing you.

“Okay princess then I will take you out on a date.” He smiled.

Ugh you liked that smile so much.

“I have class.” You stepped away from his touch and you swore that Satoru looked like small puppy that just got abandoned. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“But you are leaving…” He pouted.

“Oh my god.” You turned your head. “Satoru, don’t do that!”

“Why? Does it make you nervous?” You felt him on your back. “But it’s the truth I will feel sad.”

“I can’t believe how clingy you are.” You looked at him. “It’s terrifying.”

“Only for you babe.” He said in a mockery tone. “You know I’m kidding right?” He held your hand.

“I don’t know anymore. But for real, I need to leave.” You looked at your hands.

“Okay…” He tilts his face until he is at your height and places a soft kiss on your lips. Closing your eyes you enjoyed the soft touch of her lips touching yours. “I will pick you up after work, birdie.”

As you nodded and let go of his hand, you walked away, still feeling the beat of your nervous heart pounding in your veins. When you arrived that morning, you hadn't imagined the conversation would take this turn, but your turbulent impulses and emotions had proven difficult to contain.

Now as you walked through the halls you couldn't help but smile as you remembered what you had experienced with Satoru just a few minutes ago.

Your heart was completely filled with joy and satisfaction, you had had enough courage to say and do what you felt, after having spent weeks repressing those feelings that threatened to come out at any moment.

Walking into your next classroom, you tried to hide your happiness but as soon as Kyoko saw you, she already knew something had happened.

“You are shining.” She commented as soon as you sat down. “Then tell me, what happened?”

Unable to contain your smile, you told him. "We kissed."

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise, a smile spreading across her face as she leaned closer. "My God, really?" She exclaimed, her enthusiasm was contagious. "Tell me everything!"

Satoru Gojo POV

Satoru felt as if he were floating on a cloud. In that moment, he believed he could accomplish anything.

When he arrived at class that morning, he anticipated that you might not recall the events from before. After all, you hadn't reached out to him, and he hadn't heard from you all day yesterday. So, when he saw you in your usual spot, he experienced a peculiar sensation twist within him.

Typically, Satoru was someone who remained composed. He consistently excelled in his presentations and eagerly volunteered to read out loud as a child without any difficulty. Even when it came to matters of the heart, he remained unfazed. His heartbeat remained steady, and nervousness rarely crept in.

However, when it was about you, his world turned upside down, and he felt as though he were losing his grip on reality. The pulses in his veins quickened, and his heart pounded so fiercely in his chest that he could hear it reverberating in his ears.

So when you looked at him that morning with that certain gaze and asked to speak with him, Satoru felt as though he might lose his footing.

Satoru felt a feeling of joy invade his body as he remembered the kiss, kisses you had shared a few minutes ago. He could really die in peace.

“He already completely lost his mind.”

"Seems like it"

“Satoru, are you okay?”

Satoru was still in his world, although he had arrived at the table where his friends were, his mind was much further away.

“Satoru!” Suguru snapped his fingers in front of Satoru's face, causing him to shake his head and return to reality.

“Oh Suguru…” He responded surprised.

“You were completely lost.” Shoko spoke this time.

“Maybe…” A little smile escaped his lips.

“My God, you really look terrible.” Utahime looked at him with wide eyes.

“What can I say my dear Utahime, love makes you crazy.”

Utahime rolled her eyes and stood up. “If I stay one more minute I might throw up.” She took her bag and turned to look at Shoko. “I will call you later.” She kissed her lips.

“Okay.” She waved goodbye at her. The three friends watched as Utahime exited the place. “So what? Now the three of us are with partners?”

“I mean…” Satoru scratched his head. “I haven't officially asked birdie out, but we've kissed and confessed.” He smiled.

“For real?” Suguru asked to which Satoru nodded. “That’s good man, now I can finally rest and stop listening to you saying how much you like her, you can tell her all of it.”

“You need to ask her official or else she might get wrong ideas.” Satoru nodded. “You are my friend but you know the rumors that go around about you…”

“And you both know they are not true.”

“Yeah but she might think they are not if you take too long to ask her out.”

“We are going on a date soon, I have everything planned.” Satoru stretched out in his chair with a wide smile.

Suguru put his tea cup on the table and looked at him strangely. “You don't have the charity gala soon?”

Satoru shrugged in his seat remembering the quote. “Yes… but I wasn't planning to go.” Shoko and Suguru looked at each other and then at his friend. “Don't look at me like that, what else can they do to me? The truth is I don't care, I prefer to spend my free time with her, not in a place where they hate me.”

“Satoru…” Suguru whispered.

“Are you going with Utahime?” He changed the direction of the conversation to Shoko.

“I would like to but Utahime hasn't told her parents about us yet and it would be quite scandalous if we both showed up.”

“I understand…” The white hair whispered, looking down.

The idea of taking you to the charity party had crossed his mind, but when he remembered how cruel his parents or simply anyone else who might be present could be, he discarded the idea. Satoru didn't want to expose you to those cruel people, who would probably look at you as if they were on a pedestal. When the reality was, they didn't reach the soles of your shoes and not even in a hundred lifetimes could they do so.

He wanted to protect you from his world as much as he could. Although he knew that eventually you should meet it, because his intention was for what you were forming not to be temporary. No. Satoru wanted to treasure you, he wanted to know you more deeply and get to know every little gesture, every little quirk, everything about you, the good and the bad. He didn't want it to last a few months, he wanted it to be long-lasting. But he knew that if you knew his world, where he came from and especially his parents, you would probably distance yourself from him and that caused his heart to shake with anguish and fear.

“Satoru…” He looked back up, facing his best friend. “Have you told her?” Satoru swallowed hard when he realized what Suguru meant. “You have to tell him or it will be worse.”

Shoko looked at both of them confused. "What are you all talking about?"

Suguru sighed when he saw that Satoru didn't say anything. “Satoru asked Haibara for a day off for her, without her knowing.” Satoru shifted in his seat. “He actually told Haibara that he would let him play the next game as a starter if he did.”

“Suguru shut up.” Satoru muttered, knowing that what he had done was wrong.

"You did that?" Shoko exclaimed, stunned. “Satoru, you can't go and do that, it's her job and she should be the one to ask for days off if she wants it.”

“Ugh!” Satoru scratched his head. “I already know that I fuck it, alright? At that moment I thought it would be good. But I will talk to her.”

He would, that night when he came to pick you up from work, you would talk to him. But the cloud of uncertainty hovered over his head thinking about the possibility that you would find out before he told you. Haibara had promised him that he wouldn't do it, but knowing Haibara he would probably confess to you if you suspected anything.

Your POV

As you entered the store, a smile remained on your lips, a constant companion throughout the day. It felt strange, this new buoyancy, especially considering it was all because of a certain boy with white hair and blue eyes. Yet despite the strangeness of it all, you couldn't deny the warmth that filled you every time you thought of him. You liked him more than you wanted to admit, and that excited you.

Putting those thoughts aside, you walked around the store and caught a glimpse of Haibara serving a customer with her usual calm attitude. Without disturbing him, you headed directly to the private room reserved for employees.

Closing the door behind you, you let out a sigh of relief, the tension in your shoulders dissipating as you sank into a chair. Alone in the quiet room, you let yourself a moment to reflect on the whirlwind of emotions. And a smile appeared on your face again just thinking about him.

“You seem happy today?” Haibara entered the room.

“Oh Haibara!” You said, a bit embarrassed. “Yeah kinda.” You chuckled trying to wash the embarrassment off you.

“Did you have fun on Saturday?” Haibara asked you while preparing himself to leave.

“Yeah.” You smiled. “But you didn’t go, why?” You tilted your head.

“I need to take care of some things here.” He looked away from you which was rare.

You looked at him confused. “I thought you told me we weren’t going to be open during the whole day?”

“Oh… did I?” He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding once again your gaze.

“Haibara… are you hiding something from me?” You asked him.

“No…” He grimaced. He was clearly lying.

“Haibara, tell me the truth. I won’t get mad.”

He sighed in defeat. “Captain Gojo asked me to give you the day off.”

As Haibara's words sunk in, a mix of frustration and disappointment washed over you. Realizing that Satoru had intervened without consulting you left a bitter taste in your mouth.

“Thank you… for telling me Haibara.” You whispered, still trying to process his words.

“I’m sorry.” Haibara murmured.

You shook your head with a smile. “Don’t worry Haibara. But next time please, talk with me first.”

As Haibara nodded and left to attend to her duties, you found yourself alone behind the register, the weight of the day's events falling heavily on you. Your mind was consumed with thoughts of Satoru and his unexpected actions.

A peculiar need to cry overcame you and took you by surprise.

You didn't know how to feel about what Satoru had done for you. You felt like he had crossed a line by interfering in something as personal as your work. Nothing had happened, because it was Haibara and he was Satoru's friend, but for something like that you could have lost the only financial support you had.

With a shaky breath, you wiped away a stray tear. You didn't want to rush and get angry for no reason, but knowing your character that night when you saw Satoru, you didn't think you would be calm. And you needed to be, because you didn't want to ruin what you had started for something that you could talk about and solve.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

When you left the store and saw Satoru waiting for you, an avalanche of mixed emotions washed over you. Despite the pang of pain and anguish in your chest, seeing him there ignited a flash of warmth within you, a reminder of the depth of your feelings for him.

But beneath the surface, pain and betrayal simmered, threatening to boil over at any moment. The thought of him making decisions about your life without consulting you left a bitter taste in your mouth, a feeling of autonomy and agency that disappeared in an instant.

Taking a deep breath to calm your emotions, you approached Satoru, feeling the cold night air biting your cheeks. The temperature seemed to reflect the cold that had settled in your heart that night. A stark contrast to your feelings towards him, which were still as warm as they were that morning, when you kissed him.

With a heavy heart and a tightness in your chest, you force yourself to maintain a semblance of composure, knowing that lashing out in anger would only make things worse. But beneath the surface, a storm raged within you.

“Satoru.” Your voice came cold and you knew he noticed it.

“Birdie? You okay babe?” Feeling a mix of emotions stirring within you, you closed your eyes for a moment, allowing the weight of Satoru's new pet name to wash over you completely.

With your heart beating on your ears, you opened your eyes again and you looked into his eyes, seeing the anguish that had been established in his eyes. “Haibara told me…” You finally whispered, you watched as something in her eyes changed.

“Birdie, I…”

“Why did you do that?” You whispered with a sharply tone, you didn't want to get angry, but at that moment you felt like you were a volcano about to erupt.

Satoru looked at you in the eyes, slowly opening his mouth. “I thought it was a good idea…”

You huffed feeling like you were about to cry. “It’s not. You can not go to someone else's job and tell their boss to give them a free day…”

“But Haibara…”

“I don’t care, Gojo!” You didn’t want to shout, you didn’t want to say anything or else a lot of bad things could come out of your mouth.

“Birdie listen… you deserve to go to university parties and enjoy yourself, you have never gone to one.” You felt like crying and screaming.

“I already told you, didn’t I?” You crossed your arms in front of yourself. “Not everyone has parents that pay for their apartment, their car, their career. Some of us work our asses off.” You filled your lungs with fresh air and continued. “Haibara, it's your friend and maybe everything is fine, but this is crossing a lot of lines. I don’t care if you did this with the best of your intentions but…” You bite your lip. “I… it’s best if we talk about this in some other moment.” You whispered, giving a glance at him. “I don’t want to keep saying things I might regret.”

“I’m so sorry…” He whispered.

You turned around. “Bye Satoru…”

“Birdie…” But you didn’t look at him but he held your wrist. “Let me take you home, it’s late.”

You stopped walking and turned to him, accepting his invitation. It was late and you wanted to get home as soon as possible.

The car ride was shrouded in silence, not a single word escaping Satoru's lips. You found yourself unable to meet his eyes, a departure from your usual subtle glances in his direction. Instead, your eyes were fixed on the twinkling lights of the city, each of which seemed to radiate its own brilliance.

Despite the external focus, your mind was consumed with thoughts about recent events. A bitter taste lingered in your mouth and a persistent feeling of discomfort gnawed at your consciousness. A part of you questioned if your reaction was over the top, but deep down you knew it wasn't. Satoru had crossed a line and you couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal.

You couldn't help but wonder if Satoru would have acted the same if the situation involved someone else. The idea made you uneasy. It wasn't the thought of talking to Haibara that bothered you; it was the fact that Satoru had orchestrated it behind your back, as if he had the right to make decisions on your behalf.

As the car gradually slowed to a stop in front of Kyoko's house, you released your seatbelt and reached for the door handle, ready to exit.

“Birdie…” He whispered before you could get out of the car.

“I need to relax and think about it.” You said with the same tone. “

“I understand.” He said with tone that was full of sadness.

“We… we will talk about it, okay?” You glanced at him, he was looking down not facing you.

“Sure… no problem.” He looked up and your eyes connected, you could see the sadness in his eyes.

With a heavy heart you step outside. “I will call you.” He slowly nodded. “Thank you for taking me home.”

You opened the door to your house and shuffled to your room, your head hurt, your body hurt, your chest hurt. And you felt like at any moment you would burst into tears.

With your eyes closed, you felt the mattress sink next to you and someone caressed your arm gently. You didn't need anything else to know it was Kyoko.

As Kyoko settled in next to you on the bed, worry etched into her features, you couldn't help but feel the weight of your emotions pressing down on you.

"Are you okay?" Her question only served to untangle the avalanche of emotions that had built up inside you.

With a heavy heart, you shook your head, unable to find the words to express the confusion within you. “No,” you whispered hoarsely, the words barely audible in the silence of the room. "Sometimes I feel like I'm just… I feel like people pity me and that’s why they are with me." You held back your tears. “There is a tiny part of me that thinks that Satoru only sees me as charity work and I feel terrible for thinking about it.” A rebellious tear fell through your cheek. “God I’m horrible…” You whispered.

The confession floated in the air, the truth of those thoughts that had been etched in your mind for a long time, weighed heavily on your chest. But before you could sink further into despair, Kyoko's voice broke the silence, full of sadness.

"Why do you think that?" She whispered, her eyes reflecting a mix of empathy and concern.

But before she could finish his sentence, you interrupted him, tears threatening to spill. “Kyoko… I’m sorry.” You said, your voice shaking.

Her response was immediate, wrapping you in a comforting hug. "People are not with you because they pity you. I’m not with you because of that." She whispered fiercely, her words a balm to your wounded soul. “You are my best friend, my confidant, my soulmate, my other half, my best part, a sister. So don't ever think that the reason we're friends is because you're some kind of charity or because I pity you. Because you are not and you never will be." She took a deep breath. “My parents adore you for who you are, Shoko adores you, hell even Yuki who you were only for a few moments with also adores you. Your coworker, Suguru also and I am sure that Satoru doesn’t view you like that. God damn it, that man is down on his knees for you.” She smiled. “And believe me, my boyfriend is so tired of listening to Satoru speaking about you all day.” You chuckled a little bit. “But now tell me, what happened?”

With tears streaming down your cheeks, you rested your head on Kyoko's legs and let yourself be caressed. "My job is one of the few things I have control of," you whispered, the words heavy with the weight of your frustration and hurt. "And Satoru going to my boss and asking him, without consulting me first, for me to get free days, just hurts me and annoys me."

Kyoko's touch remained tender as she listened to your words. With a soft stroke of your hair, she whispered. "And it's totally valid."

Your voice shook with uncertainty as you raised your gaze to meet Kyoko's eyes, searching for any sign of doubt or disbelief. "Do you think I'm exaggerating things?" Asked.

Kyoko's expression softened, her eyes filled with compassion as she reached out to gently caress your cheek. "No, of course not." She responded firmly, her voice filled with conviction. "Your feelings are valid and it's understandable that you're upset." She stroked your hair a bit more. “But tell me, since when have you been feeling like you are some type of charity work?” She asked you with sadness in her voice.

Your gaze shifted away from Kyoko’s. “I don’t know…” Your voice trailed off as you struggled to find the right words. “I guess it’s always been there.” You took a deep breath. “Especially since my mom died, people always looked at me with such a sad eyes and would whisper things like ‘look it’s the poor girl that was abandoned by her father and whose mother died, be nice to her’.”

You stopped trying to hold on to your emotions that were on fire and wanted to show up any moment.

“I felt that people came to me for that reason, because they felt sorry and they were only interested in being with me because they could go around saying 'look, I'm a friend of the poor orphan', hell I even heard those words on occasion.” You remembered.

Kyoko had her eyes fixed on you and you could see how each of your words was hurting her. “Babe…” She whispered. “You know it’s not like that right?” You didn’t know what to say. “It is not, we are friends with you because how amazing you are. And if I have to remind you every single day that, I will.”

“But I don't know, Kyoko, that someone like Satoru notices me, that likes me.” You sighed, trying to compose yourself, it seemed you were going to let go of many of the things you had been feeling and keeping. “He seems so inaccessible to me and at first when he kept bothering me, I believed it was to annoy me, then I started to believe it was because helping the poor scholarship student made him feel better and that's why he was with me. But when I see how he looked at me I want to hit myself, because I realize that it's the same way that Suguru does it to you and damn, I hate myself for feeling that way and I hate myself even more for having yelled at him and having gotten upset like I did with him.”

Kyoko slightly smiled at you. “I think you don’t just have a crush on Satoru.” You looked at her confused. “You are completely in love with him.”

Finals notes: so… 🙃

- comment if you want to be tagged

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spookyserenades · 2 years

Text

Trouvaille - Chapter Three

Pairing(s); BTS OT7 x Reader

Genre/Themes; Hybrid!AU, themes of the supernatural and the occult, religious themes, violence, hurt/comfort, horror, romance

Rated; 18+ for swearing, violence/gore, future sexual themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Word Count; 21.5k

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Updates on the 7th of each month

Hi lovelies, it's Dana! Thank you all so much for all of the lovely feedback on the first two chapters of Trouvaille! I always enjoy answering questions, hearing reader theories, and even gushing over the Trouvaille hybrids together. In Chapter Three, we'll finally meet the mysterious wolf hybrid Namjoon, and some of the paranormal aspects of the plot will be introduced as well. There's a bit of angst in this update, a fair amount of awkward interactions between characters, but a healthy amount of soft and domestic moments as well. As always, if you would like to be added to the taglist or chat with me at all, my inbox is open and I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading and please enjoy the latest update!

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Pulling into town, the rain had slowed into a light mist, shrouding the homes on Y/N’s street in a blue-gray fog. The orange headlights from her car cut through the haze, guiding her way to the driveway at the side of the house, lamplight from within the first floor illuminating the gloom of the morning storm outside. The Beach Boys CD had looped by now, the sunny melodies doing little to brighten Y/N’s stress-induced jaw clenching.

With her mother’s last minute visit sprung upon her, Y/N had little to no time to prepare herself for the situation, let alone the six hybrids she had barely just met. She spent much of the ride back grinding her teeth and muttering under her breath, Taehyung periodically rolling the window up and down while she pressed pedal to the metal to beat her mother to the house. The squeaking noise of the window glass set her on edge, trying not to look at Taehyung cross-eyed, praying to the sky that her parents wouldn’t embarrass her within an inch of her life.

The hybrids had lapsed into pensive silence after her mentioning of the surprise visit, and she didn’t dare glance through the rearview to get a look at Jeongguk’s likely disgusted expression. Y/N hadn’t even noticed the hushed whispering in the backseat, too bewildered to hear much else but the curse-loop bouncing around in her own skull.

Leave it to her mother to completely disregard Y/N’s insistence she would come around later in the week to introduce the hybrids to her, in a controlled environment with more time to warn the hybrids of her mother’s quirks. She mostly blamed herself, with the fact that her kitchen was bare of food and calling her parents right away to tell them about the adoptions– she kicked herself for not holding out a bit longer, perhaps waiting for when she got Namjoon home– but it was all too late now. There was no convincing her mother to stay away, especially not without worrying her, or even worse, offending her.

Turning the car off, Y/N twitchily attempted to brighten up, not wanting to taint the first impression Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jeongguk were getting of their newfound home. Clearing her throat, she shakily turned to the backseat, a sheepish smile stretching across her face.

“We’re here,” she ignored Hoseok’s amused expression as he read the discomfort in her air, Yoongi squinting out the window past him to look at the house through the mist. Jeongguk had his bag of items from the drugstore tucked under his armpit, an unlit cigarette already poised between his lips. “Let’s head in and get out of this fog.”

Grabbing the box of donuts from the console and fishing around in her pocket for the house keys, Y/N yanked her car door open, not even bothering to pull up her hood to protect her clammy strands of hair. Jeongguk was right behind her, the flicking of his lighter clicking in her ear, a puff of smoke tantalizingly curling around her. She’d definitely have to have one of those later, when she could grab a moment to be by herself.

Dodging puddles in the gaping potholes of her crumbling driveway, she popped the trunk, hauling out the trash bag of the hybrid’s belongings. While it was half-full, it was exceptionally heavy– a burden that was immediately lifted by Taehyung’s nimble fingers hefting it over his shoulder along with his bags from the drugstore. Before she could protest, he was following Hoseok to the door to the lit-up kitchen, leaving her to fall into stride with Yoongi.

“Alright, I get it now. This place does look totally haunted,” Yoongi murmured to her out of the corner of his mouth, fanning away smoke from Jeongguk in front of them. “Marlboros. If you’re gonna smoke, at least have a menthol,” he whispered, low enough for Jeongguk to miss but perfectly audible to Y/N beside the leopard hybrid. Laughing weakly, Y/N had a warm feeling in her stomach at Yoongi’s attempts to make her smile.

The hybrids made a half-circle around her as she unlocked the door, Jeongguk’s tattooed hand stamping out his cigarette but in the ashtray Y/N had used nights before. She peered into the glass slider while she slid it open, but Seokjin and Jimin were not lingering in the kitchen.

Inside, it was warm and the air had a faint buttery smell of toast, yet did little to balm Y/N’s anxiety surrounding her parents impending arrival. She could hear the sound of the TV going in the parlor as she and the hybrids filed in behind her, placing the donuts on the island with a thump. It appeared that someone had cleaned up the kitchen meticulously after their breakfast, even the stainless steel of the fridge had been wiped to a polish.

“Whoa, this kitchen is awesome,” Yoongi breathed, immediately circling the island to run his hand along the stovetop with a grin on his face.

“Yoongi, were you a line cook at that bar you worked at too?” Hoseok remarked teasingly as Yoongi admired the pots hanging from the rack over the island.

“Yeah, actually. I worked just about every position at one point or another, Foxy,” Yoongi answered, folding his arms over his chest.

Taehyung had set the garbage bag on the breakfast nook, slowly placing items from it on the table one by one. Jeongguk was impatiently standing behind him, tapping a foot on the tiled floor, snatching a little leather notebook from Taehyung’s hand as soon as he pulled it from the bag. Taehyung simply returned to retrieving items from the bag, tucking a weathered black jean jacket under his armpit as he went.

“I can show them around, if you need some time to get ready for your parents,” Hoseok said from behind Y/N at the coffee pot, where she was filling a mug up to the brim. Hoseok had somehow become her saving grace the past two days when it came to helping out, and she almost wanted to hug him in relief as the words left his mouth.

“Thanks, Hoseok. I owe you,” Y/N squeezed his wrist, watching dimples appear on his cheeks.

“Oh! Did everyone come back today?” Jimin’s voice came from the entry of the kitchen, eyes wide as he scanned the room full of people. Brushing past Hoseok to greet the coyote hybrid, Y/N couldn’t help but wonder where Seokjin was, his absence peculiarly profound to her.

“Good morning, Jimin!” Y/N said brightly, his smile as he saw her step from behind Hoseok equally as radiant as her voice. “Everyone, apart from Namjoon.”

Jimin hummed, eyeing Hoseok who had stalked off to the mysterious garbage bag on the breakfast bar. Y/N motioned for Jimin to come closer, which he did gracefully in his sock-clad feet, bending low to hear her.

“My parents are coming today. My mother gave me a call and totally surprised me with it, sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner,” Y/N whispered in his ear while trying to hear what Yoongi was saying to Jeongguk several feet away. Jimin made a noise of surprise, Y/N pushing the opened box of donuts towards him, gesturing for him to take one.

“Don’t apologize, Miss Y/N. I’m sure they’re lovely people,” Jimin assured her, his penchant for titles slipping into his speech. Heat rising up her neck, she was thankful his sight was trained on the donuts as she took a hearty swig of the coffee in her mug, which probably did nothing but add to her jitteriness.

“How’s Seokjin?” Y/N changed the subject, hoping that the jaguar hybrid wasn’t nursing a wine hangover. Jimin placed a powdered sugar donut on a paper towel, casting a look over his shoulder towards the foyer.

“He’s upstairs. He moved up to that pink bedroom this morning, reading a book or something,” Jimin responded, licking a bit of sugar off of his thumb. Y/N began to sweat, forgetting that she had told Seokjin to pick out a bedroom in the first place, and began to worry about cleaning up his previous room if one of the other hybrids decided to claim it that afternoon. While she had left her high stress level job days ago, Y/N had a whole new set of situations that seemed to crop up quickly.

“Jimin,” Yoongi interrupted, nodding at the coyote hybrid as he approached the island. Yoongi had a bomber jacket slung over his shoulder, sliding a canvas knapsack across the granite countertop. “This yours?”

Jimin’s mouth fell open, grasping the bag with relief, checking the contents of the bag frantically. Yoongi swiped a chocolate donut from the open box, munching on it thoughtfully as Jimin pulled a dented brown Stetson hat from the bag with a frown. Standing on her tiptoes to peek at the others, she noticed Hoseok with a stack of athletic wear he was most likely wearing prior to his arrival at the shelter, and Taehyung crumpling up the empty garbage bag.

“This was Jin’s, I’ll take it to him when we find him,” Hoseok joined her, Jimin, and Yoongi at the island, holding up a ratty drawstring bag in one of his hands. Taehyung had snuck his way next to Y/N silently, opening random cabinets with the garbage bag in his fist. Finding the drawer that hid the trash, he tossed the bag in with a grimace, blowing his bangs out of his face with a gust of air.

“Why don’t you guys get settled before my parents get here? Hoseok has offered to show you around, to pick out your bedrooms,” Y/N urged, still mournfully lamenting the fact that she hadn’t seen Seokjin yet that morning.

“Before you ask, Yoongi, we aren’t sharing a room, sorry,” Hoseok nudged Yoongi with his shoulder, the leopard hybrid’s mouth set in a grim line. Hoseok was already on his way out to the hall, Yoongi trudging after him with Jeongguk not far behind, leafing through his notebook with a detached expression.

“I’d sooner share a room with Satan,” Yoongi shot back under his breath, tossing the last piece of his donut in his mouth before disappearing from the room with the fox and elk hybrids.

Taehyung begrudgingly followed the other three, looking like he wanted to say something to Y/N as he watched her tuck away the leftover donuts for later. Jimin stayed behind, as Y/N predicted he would, finding his own mug in the cabinet to help himself to some more coffee.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jimin asked softly as Y/N brushed crumbs from the counter into the sink, raking a hand through her hair in distress.

“Oh, that’s okay, Jimin, thank you. I guess I should warn you… my mother is a little out there,” Y/N grit her teeth, avoiding Jimin’s eyes as she sipped her coffee. “She might hug you, or ask you if you want a tarot reading…”

“A… tarot reading?” Jimin’s voice was laced with confusion, slinging his knapsack around his trim shoulder. Nodding, Y/N made her way to the bags of toiletries Taehyung had left on the breakfast nook that were likely for Jimin, Seokjin, and Namjoon, which he had separated so each bag had one of each item. Smiling at Taehyung’s quiet consideration, she selected a bag for Jimin and offered it to him.

“Yeah, fortune telling. She’s a pagan witch, not so far off from that movie we watched last night,” Y/N joked, realizing the joke went right over his head as he stared at her with alarm. “These are for you, Taehyung helped me pick up some other things you might need,” she thrust the bag into his open palm, the astonishment slipping from his face as it settled back into a more neutral expression.

“Thank you. Hugging is fine. I’m alright with staying unaware of what the future holds, for now,” Jimin murmured, following Y/N to the foyer.

“I hear you. Not that she took that into account growing up, however,” Y/N sighed, pausing by the room Seokjin was in previously. He had made the bed. “I’m just going to freshen up a bit before they get here, so I’ll see you in a few?”

“Alright, Miss Y/N. Give a holler if you need anything,” Jimin grinned, Y/N returning the gesture before hurrying away so he wouldn’t see her blushing. She didn’t have the heart to tell Jimin to drop the titles again, and for some reason she found she actually liked it when he used them.

Like clockwork, as soon as Y/N began to detangle her rain-mussed hair in her bathroom, her phone buzzed with her mother’s “on the way” message. Cursing, Y/N hastily changed into some drier clothes, heart racing as she prayed that a disaster wouldn’t unfold. She hadn’t exactly been forthcoming on the phone with what kind of hybrids she had adopted– all men, almost all large predators. There was a chance her father would blow a gasket seeing that many men living with Y/N, or her mother totally embarrassing her by trying to set her up with one of them; like they were at a wedding and the hybrids were groomsmen.

Y/N had been single for most of her adult life; a few college hookups were as close as she got to a relationship. Always focused on studies, keeping up with her friends, and spending quality time with her family, she never really found the time to enter the dating scene. Especially as she landed her job after graduation, Y/N was busier than ever working at the animal hospital, with little thought spent on men and relationships. She knew that her mother and father talked behind her back about her lackluster dating life, and that her mother in particular wanted to see her in a loving relationship, but her mother trying to set up blind dates with one of her friend’s sons was more annoying than helpful. There was a real chance her mother would corner one of the hybrids and ask them what she thought of Y/N, or maybe even offer a compatibility reading, the thought mortifying and making Y/N twist her hair up into a bun a little too tightly.

While Y/N was a little less cosmic than her mother, she did hold the belief that there would be a “right person, right time” situation that magically manifested into her life; whether it be a college romance in her literature class, a new doctor sweeping in from across seas at her job, or a handsome stranger reaching for the same vinyl at the record store– but those instances never came to pass. Instead, Y/N found herself invested in work, house restoration, and antique hunting on her weekends with Roy or her father. Her hope had not diminished in finding the right man, but it had become something she had tucked away and forgotten about. With the adoptions of the hybrids, Y/N was certain her mother would get up to her old tricks again, and Y/N would have few defenses against them after all this time.

Above her head, Y/N heard scuffling footsteps, likely where the tour Hoseok was leading was at the moment. The room above her bedroom was one of the tower rooms, the gray and maroon one– the room that her older male cousin always stayed in when her grandparents lived in the house. It had a little balcony attached to it, where one or two people could stand on and look out over the backyard, but had no space for a chair or much else. Smoothing the fabric of her fresh tee shirt, Y/N made her way back to the staircase at the front of the house, stowing away the materials she had used on Friday night to strip it in the broom closet. She was a little behind schedule with the restoration work, but she figured she’d be able to get back to the grind in the next coming weeks, once the hybrids felt more at home and fell into a routine.

After a few moments of polishing a glass vase with a cloth on the table by Seokjin’s previous room, Y/N heard the clanging of the door knocker indicating her parent’s arrival. Tucking the cloth into her back pocket with a curse, Y/N tried her best to compose a pleasant expression on her face as she went for the door.

“Hi honey! We waited until the rain let up to come on over, oh! I see you’ve started on that staircase,” her mother rushed past her with large recycle bags as soon as Y/N swung the door open, her father sheepishly hobbling after her wheeling a little wooden wagon stacked with containers. Sputtering, Y/N patted her mother’s back as she quickly squeezed her, the midnight blue velvet shawl she was wearing slipping from her shoulders to her hooked elbows.

“Here, let me take those,” Y/N grabbed two of the bags her mother had stuffed with food, her father ruffling Y/N’s hair affectionately in greeting.

“Don’t refinish that staircase with that horrid glossy varnish again. When my father did that, I thought your grandmother was going to have a heart attack,” her mother warned, narrowing her eyes at the humongous box of hybrid clothes by the stairs Y/N had yet to unpack.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Y/N affirmed, making haste after her father who was already on his way to the kitchen.

“Now, where are your friends, honey?” Her mother inquired, her silver bangles making clinking noises as she gesticulated around the kitchen. Y/N hummed softly as she began unpacking boxes of salad greens and sacks of potatoes from the first bag.

“They’re upstairs, I think. I just brought three home from the shelter this morning, so one I had brought back yesterday offered to show them around to pick out bedrooms,” Y/N explained, wondering when Hoseok would bring everybody back down, and if he’d let Seokjin in on the situation at hand. “There’s still one I’m going back for tomorrow. It seems that it’s pretty difficult to earn his trust,” Y/N added, sliding several new bottles of condiments into the fridge.

“It’s good that you’re waiting for him to open up a bit more, darling. One of the worst things you can do to a hybrid is force them into a situation while they’re still distrustful of you,” her father pointed out the obvious, handing her a jug of orange juice.

“How old are these hybrids of yours, anyways, Y/N?” Her mother asked, packing a bunch of frozen fruit into the freezer.

“They’re all mid-to-late twenties,” Y/N replied casually, stretching up on her tiptoes to fill the cabinets with cans of various beans and boxes of pasta. Her mother had truly gone all out at the grocery store, like she was preparing her for a hurricane.

“Oh, good. They’ll fit in with all of your friends during the cookout,” her father said positively, folding up empty bags to put in the wagon he had brought along. His green jacket had a couple of yellow leaves stuck to it.

“I’m going to make some of those bean burgers out on the grill for lunch, honey. Keep the potato salad out, will you?” Her mother started towards the patio by herself with a lighter and a platter of patties and cheese, her father shaking his head fondly.

“Everything alright, sweetheart? You look like you haven’t been getting much sleep,” her father asked once her mother was out by the grill, accepting a stack of plates from Y/N. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Y/N smiled. Her father was always quick to see what was really going on with her.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve been pulling a few late nights, and I had one of those nightmares last night– the one I used to have as a kid,” Y/N admitted, hugging her midsection. Her father’s eyebrows knit together in concern, smoothing his hand over hers on the counter.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s probably stress related, you’ve had some exciting past few days, with the adoptions and quitting your job,” he assured her, turning around when he heard her mother shouting at him through the glass door. Her father, unlike her mother, was not one for the supernatural or unexplained.

“She needs the buns. I’ll be right back,” her father murmured, bag of bulkie rolls in his fist as he trudged out into the patio.

Y/N put the remaining groceries away, the refrigerator and cabinets now fully stocked. She was extremely grateful to her mother, once admiring the full shelves, knowing that she likely wouldn’t have been able to make it to the store for a few more days herself. Somewhat comforted by her father’s logical words on the topic of her nightmare, she decided not to worry about it too much. Thinking about it too much may encourage the nightmares to begin recurring again.

“Hoseok said your parents are here?” Y/N spun around at the sound of Seokjin’s voice, his fiery eyes trained on her as he leaned against the counter. Again, Y/N wondered how long he had been standing there while she was staring into the cupboard with her eyes glazed over. He had a habit of sneaking up on her.

“Oh! Hi, Seokjin,” Y/N made her way to him, nodding her head towards the patio. “They’re out there. My mom’s making us some lunch.”

Seokjin followed Y/N’s gesture, peering out the window while she checked him out. His posture was lax, shirt a bit wrinkled from sleep, but there didn’t appear to be any blood leaking out from his patched-up wound through the fabric. Y/N was surprised he didn’t appear to have any sort of hangover, even with the 3/4th’s of a bottle of wine he had the night before.

“Ah. You look like your mom,” Seokjin commented under his breath, a whisper of a smile on his face. Blushing, Y/N busied herself with collecting silverware to place on the counter.

“How are you feeling today?” Y/N asked, Seokjin tearing his gaze from her parents bickering over the grill.

“Much better. Look,” turning back to see what Seokjin wanted to show her, Y/N nearly fell over as she came face-to-face with Seokjin lifting his shirt up to his shoulders, rotating slowly so she could see his side. Trying to keep her mouth from falling open, she realized the wound had mended itself to something that looked more like a nasty cat scratch, and his bruising had all but vanished. The fabric of his shirt fell quickly as he lifted it, Y/N’s face as hot as an iron.

“U-um, good! It looks like it healed pretty quickly!” Y/N rushed out, hastily stacking napkins on the island and almost shouting in relief as Hoseok bounded into the kitchen with Yoongi and Jimin in tow.

“They’re here!” Hoseok exclaimed, ears flickering as he looked out the window. Yoongi was reaching for the donut box again, and with the look of his thin cheeks, Y/N had no qualms letting him eat them all at this point.

“They brought us food, too,” Seokjin added, pointing to the cabinet full of snacks Y/N had left open before he came into the kitchen.

“Did you all pick out a room you like?” Y/N inquired, Yoongi tucking into a glazed donut. Nodding, he pointed to the ceiling.

“I’m going to stay in that beige room upstairs, if that’s alright. I like your piano up there, too. It’s beautiful,” Yoongi said through a mouthful of donut, sinking into a barstool.

“Of course, I was hoping one of you would stay in a tower room. Thank you, by the way– that piano has been here a long time, before my grandparents lived here. I think it was my grandmother’s father’s,” Y/N smiled, fond memories of trying to teach herself songs on the piano as a child popping up in her mind.

“Jeongguk picked that other tower room, the dark one. He went out to smoke again, said he’ll be down after,” Hoseok rolled his eyes, pushing hair out of his face. So Jeongguk would be in the room above Y/N– fitting, as her older cousin that used to stay there was just as bristly as him.

Taehyung appeared in the doorway, his expression a touch nervous as he noticed Y/N’s parents outside. He hung back, fiddling with the petals of a wilting flower arrangement on the coffee bar that Y/N had forgotten to replace a couple of days ago.

“And Taehyung is in that purple room by the billiard’s room. At least, that’s where he put all his stuff. He’s still not talking to us,” Hoseok muttered into Y/N’s ear, helping her set out glasses on the counter. It was curious, Taehyung seemed to only speak directly to her, and avoided the others at all costs. Even now, it looked like Taehyung wanted to say something to her as he watched her and Hoseok at the sink, but with the fox hybrid and Seokjin flanking her sides, he wouldn’t move an inch.

Flinching as the glass door of the slider screeched open, Y/N took a deep breath bracingly as her mother came in from outside.

“Honey, I need the hot sau– my goodness!” Her mother exclaimed upon seeing the kitchen filled with the five hybrids, pressing a hand to her mouth with glee. “Oh, honey– honey! Watch the burgers, I’ll be there in a few moments,” she shut the door, shooting Y/N a pointed look as she scanned all of the hybrids with a thoughtful face.

“Mom! Uh, let’s see,” Y/N panicked, waving her hands around, gesturing to Seokjin, “This is Seokjin, and Hoseok and Jimin… Yoongi is on the stool here, and over by the coffee pot that’s Taehyung,” Y/N blurted, each hybrid’s ears fluttering at the sounds of their names.

“My, you’re all such handsome young men, something my daughter neglected to tell me,” her mother crossed her arms with a playful expression, a choked sound coming from Hoseok’s throat next to Y/N. Heart falling to her ass, Y/N immediately felt heat shoot up her neck and pool in her cheeks, mouth gaping in horror at her mother’s audacity.

“Mom!” Y/N squeaked, wishing the floor would open up and suck her into the Earth’s core. Yoongi was laughing, eyes scrunched up in mirth as he watched the mortification bloom across Y/N’s features, and Y/N couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with any of the others.

“Relax, honey, could you get me that hot sauce?” Her mother waved her off, apparently not noticing Y/N’s distress. Numbly, she fumbled for the bottle in the fridge, Seokjin opening the door for her with an amused smile smugly set on his lips.

“Oh! Another one,” she heard her mother say, Y/N whipping her head around to see Jeongguk stalking into the room, eyes wide as he stared at her mother. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Seokjin raised his eyebrows, exchanging a bracing look with Y/N as she hastily brushed past him to shove the hot sauce in her mother’s hand.

“Um… Jeongguk…” the elk hybrid replied warily, trying to nonchalantly tuck the pack of cigarettes in his hand into his sweatpants pocket. Forcing herself to laugh lightly, the sound coming out more chopped up than she had hoped for, Y/N patted her mother on the back, urging her towards the patio again.

“Y/N, honey, I need another spatula too. Stop trying to shoo me away,” batting Y/N’s hand away, her mother winked at her knowingly.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll get it for you,” Jimin pulled a metal spatula off the wall hook by the stove, saving the day as he spoke up bravely. Mouth hanging open, Y/N stepped to the side as Jimin handed her mother the spatula, sliding the glass door to the outside open. “Do you need any help on the grill?”

“Oh, dear, that would be just wonderful…my husband is dreadful on the grill. Are you a Libra? You’re so polite,” her mother hooked a hand around Jimin’s elbow, the coyote hybrid’s bright smile as he led her out the door ever-blinding, but his eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“A-a Libra?” Y/N heard Jimin stutter, leading her mother out to her father. Head in her hands, Y/N felt a migraine coming on.

“Jesus Christ. I’m sorry about her, she can be a little forward,” Y/N mumbled, too embarrassed to turn around and face the remaining hybrids. After that show, she wasn’t even worried about her father saying something vaguely silly to any of them.

“She’s funny. I’m going out there,” Hoseok returned confidently, giving Y/N’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze as he breezed past her and outside. Scoffing, disbelief flooding through her, she watched the fox hybrid saunter out to the grill, giving her father a firm handshake with a dimpled grin.

“Are we sitting out there?” Seokjin inquired suddenly, next to her with the stack of plates and silverware. Nodding dumbly, he too exited the kitchen in pursuit of the picnic table outside, tail swishing languidly behind him. Apparently, Y/N was the only one feeling the embarrassment of the whole situation.

“Well, at least Namjoon isn’t here, that’s all I gotta say,” Yoongi piped up as Y/N crawled to the coffee bar. Barking out a short laugh, Y/N pulled a fresh mug from the shelf to pour the dregs of the coffee pot into it, taking it like a shot. Watching her carefully was Taehyung, putting the bag of coffee beans down he had occupied himself with studying during the entire exchange with her mother.

“Fair, I suppose. Ugh, it’s just like her to ask Jimin about his zodiac sign, I mean seriously… oh shit, I should hide the tarot cards in the library before she gets an idea,” Y/N complained, dropping her mug into the sink with dismay. Yoongi simply chuckled, tucking a lock of his long hair behind his ear and rising from his seat.

“Should we go out?” Yoongi jabbed a thumb towards where the others were, Jimin appearing to be manning the grill with her father, Seokjin cornered by her mother at the picnic table. Gripping the countertop with unease, Y/N nodded as Yoongi looked at her quizzically, taking the container of potato salad with him.

“Let’s get this over with,” Y/N muttered to herself, Taehyung underfoot like a shadow as they marched outside. The last to trudge out, of course, was Jeongguk, who kept a good distance between himself and everybody else, eyes narrowing across the backyard towards the one of the trails further out into the property. Y/N wondered if he was planning his escape route, not that she blamed him.

“Yoongi! You’re a cook, right? Are these done?” Hoseok shouted from the grill, Y/N’s father scratching the back of his head as he hesitantly poked at a burger with a spatula, Jimin checking the propane levels of the tank under the grill. Shaking his head, Yoongi went over to investigate, exchanging the potato salad for the spatula with her father with an encouraging look.

“I brought these out, too,” jumping at Taehyung’s deep voice beside her, he lifted the napkins and glasses balanced in his arms. Despite his build being less muscular than Jeongguk’s, Taehyung had demonstrated considerable strength in the past couple of hours– especially with the stack of nine water glasses he was currently holding up with three fingers.

“Oh, good, thank you Taehyung! Let’s go rescue Seokjin and help set the table, shall we?” Y/N eyed her mother, who had somehow managed to get Seokjin to sit down on the bench while she perched on the table in front of him, explaining something with wild hand gestures. Seokjin looked extremely confused, ears turned backwards.

“Hi, everything alright over here?” Y/N interrupted her mother, who was actually giving Seokjin a history lesson on the grounds. Seokjin’s eyes softened as he saw Y/N peek over her mother’s shoulder.

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be my silly girl? Don’t worry so much, Y/N, I was just telling Seokjin here about the pond over by the old stable back there,” her mother smoothed a hand over Y/N’s back comfortingly, her spicy perfume suddenly making her nostalgic. Y/N was just glad she wasn’t inquiring about a betrothal between Seokjin and herself.

“I didn’t know there was so much land back here,” Seokjin straightened out a plate beside him, curiously watching Taehyung place the glasses and napkins and brushing leaves off of the table.

“Well, that’s because Y/N hasn’t started clearing all the brush out of here, honey. When I was a kid living here, my father and uncles were meticulous with the landscaping,” her mother informed him, irking Y/N as she reminded her of all of the things she had yet to accomplish with the family home.

Lowering herself onto the dampened wood of the picnic bench across from Seokjin, Y/N grimaced at the slimy feeling, all too familiar from summer's past. Taehyung made himself comfortable next to her, not noticing her mother studying the side of his face as he lowered an ant crawling by his plate onto the grass.

“You’re Taehyung, right sweetheart?” Standing, her mother found her spot next to Seokjin, whose cheeks were turning rosy as she used his shoulder to lower herself down. Taehyung nodded, twiddling his fingers, evidently not keen on speaking to her mother, either.

Y/N could hear Jeongguk and Yoongi bickering from all the way where she was sitting, but she sensed no malice in the words yet. Her father was laughing with Jimin and Hoseok, deep in conversation. Y/N had a suspicion earlier that her father would like Hoseok; they were pretty similar in certain ways Y/N had observed in the fox hybrid so far. Jimin was nothing but perfectly pleasant in general, so it was no surprise that he was able to charm both of her parents.

Starting to relax a little bit now that she had her eye on her mother, Y/N felt the caffeine start to make her crash a little. There were so many things she wanted to do later in the day with the hybrids, namely gifting them all of their new clothes and maybe going for a nice evening walk around the trails in the backyard. She wasn’t too sure if she could fit in a nap that afternoon, but she was determined to make the most of the energy she had left in order to make everyone feel at home, safe, and entertained– perhaps to make up for the spontaneous dropping in of her parents, as well.

As she was lost in thought, she hardly registered her father, ambling over with the potato salad and a frosty jug of iced tea from the fridge, setting it down on the table and snapping her out of her reverie as he took his spot next to her mother. The latter had gone back to chatting with Seokjin about the house, his attentive listening actually quite adorable. Melting a tad, Y/N poured a glass of tea for Taehyung and then herself, sliding the jug across the table for Seokjin. In the middle of all of this, Jeongguk had found his way to the table, sitting at the farthest part of the table on Y/N’s side.

“Here we go,” Yoongi carefully approached the table, perfectly cooked burgers nestled on the platter on his arm making Y/N’s mouth water. He had tucked the spatula in the waistband of his sweatpants, Hoseok right behind him with his own plate of buns.

“Ah, look. Yoongi even toasted the buns,” Hoseok pointed out excitedly, setting them down in front of her father and taking his seat next to him. Yoongi was a little pink from standing in front of the grill, clutching the platter tightly as Jimin danced around him to grab a seat beside Hoseok. Everyone still seemed to be avoiding both Taehyung and Jeongguk, Yoongi reluctantly sitting in between them with his lips pursed.

“Thank you for taking over, honey. I think you cooked them better than I could have,” her mother gushed to Yoongi, already helping herself to a bun and burger. Yoongi ducked his head in embarrassment, taking a sip of some iced tea Seokjin had kindly poured for everyone else at the table.

“Yoongi said he worked at a bar in the city, cooked there, too,” Hoseok said around a mouthful of potato salad, swatting a mosquito that was buzzing around his twitching ears.

“What bar? My husband and I have been to almost every bar in Boston,” her mother inquired, putting a bun and burger on Seokjin’s plate for him. Clearing his throat, Yoongi’s hands stilled while slathering ketchup on his bun, an odd look crossing his face.

“The Black Lodge,” was all he said in response, quickly taking a bite of his burger to prevent him from having to speak further. The name rang a small bell in Y/N’s mind, but she had no memory of actually spending time at a bar by that name– it certainly wasn’t one on the streets of her old stomping grounds, perhaps it was closer to Cambridge, or tucked away in a corner street she and her friends didn’t venture out to. Her mother and father exchanged identical shrugs, apparently they hadn’t patroned the bar either.

Her father was extremely interested in Jimin’s time as a rancher, perhaps because he was a fan of old western movies. Thankfully, he didn’t bring this fact up, as Y/N recalled Jimin’s recoil from Hoseok’s cowboy comment. Taehyung remained quiet as a mouse next to her, his elbow occasionally brushing her’s when he reached for his glass of tea. She’d have to do some brainstorming on how to get him to open up a bit more to the others; Y/N was just counting her lucky stars he was even speaking to her.

“Y/N, honey, remember Mrs. Khan’s hybrid when you were little? Keaon, the white fox… they moved away, our old neighbors– to Maine. Well, anyways, don’t you remember him? You always loved when he’d shift, and play with you in the yard,” her mother suddenly brought up, both embarrassing and puzzling her. She shrunk a little under the gazes of most of the hybrids, their expressions piqued with interest.

“Yeah, I remember Keaon, why do you ask?”

“Well, I noticed Hoseok is a fox, too! You know, foxes have always been Y/N’s favorite animal ever since she was a kid,” her mother said matter-of-factly, Y/N flinching in her seat with her statement.

“I–” she started, words dying on her lips as Hoseok began laughing boisterously.

“Oh, is that true?” Hoseok chuckled, thankfully not sending a wink her way as the table all turned to look at him.

“Yes, yes! There’s a picture framed in the library of her and Keaon, we took it at the cookout before they moved away. Oh, poor Y/N– she was devastated when he left,” her mother pouted sympathetically, Y/N wanting to bolt into the house and lock her bedroom door. So much for her mother backing down on the humiliation.

“Alright mom, come on! I was like ten when they moved!” Y/N groaned in exasperation, her appetite vanishing as she poked some potato salad on her plate with a fork. She hadn’t thought about Keaon in years, and was surprised that her mother had made the connection to Hoseok before she had. In addition, she felt eyes boring into her from all directions, increasing her discomfort tenfold.

“Dear, did you know that Jimin worked at a national park?” Her father changed the subject, picking up on Y/N’s embarrassment, the table breaking into a new conversation with Jimin at the center of it. Breathing a sigh of relief, she happily sunk into the background, her father clearly favoring both the coyote hybrid and Hoseok. Her mother continued to fuss over Seokjin, piling more potato salad onto his plate, before considering Yoongi’s empty plate and reaching over the table to do the same.

Jeongguk had smuggled his little journal to the table, Y/N noticed him hiding it on his lap, flipping through it almost frantically and periodically checking his surroundings like he was being surveilled. Raising an eyebrow, Y/N wondered what exactly the journal contained – he didn’t seem like the diary type.

The sun had come out by now, warming Y/N’s skin pleasantly and evaporating the gloomy mist that was hugging the brush in the backyard. The light shone on pretty strands of crimson in Hoseok’s dark auburn hair as he teased Jimin, who looked more relaxed than ever conversing with the fox hybrid and her father. While the lunch had its hiccups at Y/N’s expense, it brought her happiness that her parents seemed to like all of the hybrids so much, and the latter didn’t seem to mind their questions or antics.

Now that she thought about it, perhaps she was overestimating her mother’s matchmaking tendencies. While she was certainly aggressive about it in college, over the last couple of years her mother had backed off significantly with the blind dates and nudging her towards handsome strangers at the library whenever she helped out with the book club. She hadn’t even offered Y/N a love reading in quite some time. Y/N started to feel a bit bad for thinking that her mother would try and set her up with hybrids she would be living with, painting such a bad picture of her in her head when in reality she seemed to truly be determined to make the hybrids feel welcomed.

“Cookout?” Seokjin’s voice had her re-focusing on the flow of the conversation.

“I guess she hasn’t had the time to tell you all yet. This Friday, Y/N is going to host our end-of-the-summer cookout here. We have a bonfire, lots of food, and you’ll get to meet the neighbors!” Her mother cheerily exclaimed, collecting dishes from people in her immediate surroundings. Seokjin cocked his head, looking at Y/N for confirmation. He had a little bit of ketchup on the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah! It’s always a lot of fun, and you can meet some of my friends, too,” Y/N encouraged, knowing that her weekly three-way video call with Laura and Alice was coming up, creating the perfect opportunity for her to break the news of the adoptions and the upcoming cookout. Laura wasn’t able to come the year before, her son coming down with a fever the day of the event, so Y/N knew that she’d be extremely excited to introduce her son to the hybrids; kids loved them, and it would be very sweet to see the hybrids interact with a child, Y/N thought.

Y/N hadn’t seen her two friends, the twin sisters Laura and Alice Santos, who she had met in elementary school – in months. With her hours at work, Laura’s packed schedule with little Kai and her husband Tyler taking up much of her time, and Alice’s newly appointed position at the newspaper she wrote for, all three girls passed each other by like ships in the night. Gone were the days of spending the weekends at new tapas bars and trendy brunch spots once the pace of adult life really began to pick up. Y/N was desperate for time with her girlfriends, the thought of a sleepover watching 90’s rom coms and eating greasy pizza with them almost brought a tear to her eye. She was determined to make more plans with them for the future with her newfound free time, once she actually saw them at the cookout, not planning on letting them leave without at least one adventure in the books.

Y/N began to help everyone clear away the plates, noticing Jeongguk sneaking away towards the side of the house, nose in his notebook and cigarette burning at his fingertips. Shaking her head, Y/N sped into the house, trying to avoid Hoseok in case of the likely event he’d begin to tease her about the fox conversation. Yoongi was hard at work at the sink already with gloves, scrubbing grease off of the spatula and handing Jimin utensils to place in the dishwasher.

“Oh dear! What time is it, honey? I have to get to the library for the book club by two!” Her mother suddenly gasped as she lugged plates into the kitchen, snatching her father’s wrist to get a look at the time on his watch. A frown settled over her features, pulling her shawl tight around her shoulders in dismay.

“If you want to be on time, we should probably get going, darling,” her father noted calmly, giving Hoseok a pat on the back as he picked up a fork her father dropped in the chaos.

“I’m sorry, sweets, we wanted to stay a bit longer and get to know you all some more, but I suppose it’ll have to wait until Friday,” her mother rubbed Y/N’s arm mournfully while she put the jug of iced tea back in the fridge, her head turned to speak to the hybrids. Snorting at her mother’s affection for the hybrids already, she walked her parents to the door, Seokjin and Taehyung evidently competing to see who could stick to her more closely on the way. She thought she felt a light tug at the back of her tee shirt, but chalked it up to her wild imagination.

“By the way, honey. I talked to Judy the other day; she’s looking for help at her shop in town. Something to think about, while you figure out what’s next,” her mother suddenly offered, pausing on the porch. Judy, her mother’s friend from high school, owned a metaphysical store in the town square, selling candles, books, and herbs. Not exactly similar to what she was doing at the animal hospital, but a possible source of income nonetheless.

“Okay, I’ll think about it. Bye mom, dad,” Y/N pulled her parents into a group hug, grateful for the book club’s meeting cutting their visit short. Her father ruffled her hair once more, lugging the wooden wagon that was carrying the food earlier down the porch steps. Waving to Seokjin and Taehyung hanging by the threshold of the front door, her mother spirited away down the street, her father trying his best to keep up in her haste.

Y/N let out a long, ragged breath of relief as they disappeared from view, making a mental note to check in with Judy sometime during the week. It was highly likely that her mother told Judy that Y/N would be able to start right away, and it wasn’t the worst job she could land while figuring out where her career would take her next. Besides, she definitely needed an income to cover future expenses in order to provide for her new housemates.

Turning to the two hybrids waiting for her at the door, she gave them a grateful smile, hoping it would convey her sympathy for putting up with her parents for so long. Seokjin, with his sweet disposition, had gotten the brunt of her mother’s fussing and doting. At least Taehyung’s silence saved him from some cheek-pinching. Seokjin stepped to the side, allowing her through the door, closing it as soon as Taehyung scampered out of the way. Y/N stopped short at the stairs, the big box of clothes sparking a happy excitement for the first time that afternoon.

“What’s in there? I noticed it this morning, did you order a refrigerator or something?” Seokjin wondered aloud, nudging the box with his sock-clad foot. Y/N heard the sound of the dishwasher kicking on, and the hushed voices of Jimin and Yoongi in the kitchen.

“I got you guys some clothes, just to last you until we can get to the stores and you can pick out stuff yourself. I felt bad you only had that one set from the shelter, but I hope you like some of the things I picked out… I don’t know your personal styles, yet, of course,” Y/N replied, using her thumbnail to slice open the tape on the box. A soft exclamation came from Seokjin as he stood behind her crouched form, curiously watching her peel the flaps of the box open while Taehyung plopped down on the stairs to do the same.

“You got us clothes? When?” Seokjin breathed, Y/N pulling out all of the sock packs piled on the top of the order and setting them to the side. Humming a tune, she happily made piles for each hybrid, checking the sizes on the packs of boxers to make the piles accordingly. She hadn’t noticed Taehyung turning pink at the sight of the underwear, turning his face to stare at the basement door.

“Last night! I found a great online site, overnight delivery. I wrote down all your measurements on my phone yesterday morning so I could get things that fit properly.”

“Huh? What’s all this?” Hoseok strolled out of the kitchen, eyes round in surprise at the rather large stacks of underwear, socks, and pajamas Y/N was still adding to. She was amazed at how small the items were folded in order to fit inside the box, it seemed practically bottomless.

“Y/N bought us some clothes!” Seokjin was now crouched down next to Y/N, eagerly glancing into the box as she unpacked it. Hoseok whistled, plucking up a pair of slides that Y/N placed on top of Jeongguk’s pile to examine.

“Oh, no, Hoseok, these ones are yours,” Y/N pointed to the pile by his foot, Hoseok promptly setting Jeongguk’s down and trying on his own pair of slides, flexing his feet and taking them for a lap around the foyer.

“Wow, these are comfy,” Hoseok commented, running in place. Giggling, Y/N pulled out a cobalt blue v-neck long sleeve, checking the tag to recall who she had gotten it for. The material was much silkier and softer than the picture on the website gave justice for, and she had to suppress the urge to press it to her face.

“Taehyung, this is for you,” Y/N sang, placing it gently in his lap instead of his pile she had been stacking on the step next to him. He ran his fingers over the shirt, holding it up to his chest to check the fit.

“You didn’t have to get all of this, you know,” Hoseok tutted, hesitantly accepting the sage thermal from her outstretched hand. Seokjin grumbled from beside her, shooting the fox hybrid a dirty look. Scoffing, she added the black satin button down she had purchased for Yoongi into his heap.

“And what? Let you all stroll around in a single set of sweats for a week? Come on, Hoseok,” Y/N scolded, spotting Jimin and Yoongi slinking into the room in search of the commotion. Hoseok was effectively clammed up with her response, scratching the back of his head, his lips pressed together.

“Whoa, is it Christmas?” Yoongi shouldered past Hoseok, the front of his white tee shirt wet from washing dishes at the sink. Hair falling forward, his ears turned back as Y/N gestured towards his stash of clothing, eyebrow raised. “So that was what was in that huge box.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should leave Namjoon’s things in this box?” Y/N pondered aloud, folding the dusty rose thermal she had gotten for him, the fabric cozy to the touch. She could place his toiletries in there, too, so he’d have everything in one place when he arrived. Judging by his measurements, Namjoon was the biggest of all the hybrids, only piquing Y/N’s curiosity over his appearance, as well as her intimidation towards him already.

“Where’s the elk?” Hoseok peeked into the kitchen, his slides making a slapping sound against the marble tile of the foyer. “He’s going to give himself lung cancer at this rate.”

“Ah, just leave him, Foxy, it’s nice without the storm cloud he brings along with him,” Yoongi complained from his spot on the floor he had dropped to, throwing his head back in annoyance. Snorting, Y/N finished sorting out all of the clothing, partly regretting stacking everything on the floor because it would be difficult for the hybrids to carry so many items to their rooms without making multiple trips; and she only had two hands to help one at a time.

“Your parents were so nice,” Jimin commented out of the blue, Y/N almost forgetting he was there leaning against the staircase banister by Taehyung. A noise of surprise ripped from the back of her throat, recalling her mother’s arm looped through Jimin’s when he went outside to help at the grill, like he was walking her through a homecoming promenade. “Although, I felt bad that I didn’t know what your mother meant by being a ‘Libra’,” he trailed off, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Y/N giggled, tucking away Namjoon’s things for later. Seokjin was busy admiring the lavender shirt she offered him, his tail flicking back and forth in a pleased manner, the appendage occasionally brushing her calf from where she was crouched.

“It’s a zodiac sign, there’s twelve of them, and they’re given according to your birthday. Funnily enough, you are a Libra, Jimin – October 13th, right?” Y/N had all of the hybrid’s birthdays on her phone already, noticing the night before that Jeongguk and Namjoon’s birthdays were coming up quickly. Y/N loved celebrating birthdays, and had to come up with a scheme to get close to the two hybrids somehow so she could plan a nice celebration for the both of them.

“How did she even guess that?” Yoongi scoffed, hauling himself to his feet with some of his clothes slung over his arms.

“My mother has a bit of a knack for knowing, if that’s what you want to call it,” Y/N shrugged as she almost teetered over trying to stand, electricity zapping through her as Seokjin’s hand slid into her’s, gently hoisting her onto her feet. Unfortunately for her, her foot caught an old floor tile that was sticking up a little, making her stumble back directly into Seokjin’s broad chest– a small oof coming from the jaguar hybrid at the contact.

Though Seokjin was the one she knocked into, it felt like she was the one with the air punched out of her, his hands coming around to grip her waist to right her upwards and away from his chest. Squeaking out an apology and a thank-you, she couldn’t bear to turn and get a look at his face. Horrified, she made awkward eye-contact with Hoseok, who had an eyebrow raised at Seokjin’s hands still around her waist. Quickly stepping away from Seokjin, his hands sliding from her body, she gathered up some of Jimin’s clothes, eager to flee the scene with the coyote hybrid who was surreptitiously looking out the window by the front door.

“I’ll help you guys carry this stuff to your rooms, okay? Just gonna start with Jimin, his room’s the closest,” Y/N rushed out loudly, halfway down the hall already. Her heart was racing, seeing the smug look on Yoongi’s face and feeling Taehyung’s eyes bore into the side of her skull when she fell into Seokjin. She really had to work on the clumsiness.

Rushing into Jimin’s room, Y/N laid down the clothes on his impeccably made bed. His window was cracked open, a beat-up copy of Play It as It Lays sitting on the blue velvet chair next positioned next to the window. It wasn’t her copy of the book, but she was pleasantly surprised by Jimin’s taste in literature. The book must have been one of the items in his knapsack from the shelter garbage bag.

Jimin scuffed into the room shortly after her, Y/N busy placing folded tee shirts into his dresser so she could avoid his eyes. Clearing his throat, he knelt beside her to stack his socks into the drawer. Peeking at him through her peripherals, there was a smirk curling up the corner of his mouth. Huffing, Y/N tucked a pair of pajama pants into the dresser and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Okay, go ahead and laugh,” Y/N insisted, Jimin’s shoulders shaking with his suppressed chuckling. Shaking his head, he allowed a small laugh to escape, golden eyes squinted with glee.

“Miss Y/N, you’re pretty clumsy. If it gets any worse, it may become worrisome,” Jimin remarked matter-of-factly, swatting away the tank top Y/N had tossed at his face. Sighing, she couldn’t help but agree with the coyote hybrid as she was more jumpy than ever since they all had arrived at the house. That, and she could still feel the weight of Seokjin’s hands on her waist, adding to her feelings of jitteriness.

“I have to work on that, don’t I?” Y/N sighed, leaning against the door to the hallway. Jimin worked quickly putting all of his clothes away, humming contentedly as he went, still shaking his head with amusement. “Maybe I should start using that gym downstairs…”

“You could work out with Hoseok, he has great balance,” Jimin encouraged, ear twitching at some sound Y/N couldn’t hear. “I think Jeongguk just came in from the backyard.”

Straightening out, Y/N peered down the hall, nervously grinding her teeth. She’d might as well go out and help Jeongguk with his clothing, as Jimin was pretty much all set with putting his own things away. Cocking his head, Jimin looked at her with sympathy, settling himself on his chair by the window.

“I’m gonna go check in on him. See you in a bit?” With a nod from Jimin, she left his room, setting off down the hall to search for the elk hybrid. She followed her nose, the scent of smoke clinging to Jeongguk as he stood with his back to her, dumbstruck, in the foyer. The other hybrids had cleared out and already lugged their share of clothing away; all that was left was Namjoon’s box and the everything she had left by the stairs for Jeongguk.

“Hey, you’re back?” Y/N skipped up to his side, deciding not to be intimidated by his looks or sharp tongue anymore, it was unlike her anyhow. Besides, killing with kindness was her specialty. Jeongguk flinched at the sound of her voice, hurriedly tucking his journal into his pocket and craning his neck to peer down at her by his side. Somewhere, he had found an Anchor Animal Hospital pen Y/N had stolen from the office, tucked behind his heavily pierced ear. Narrowing his eyes at her, he crossed his arms over his chest, nodding towards the clothes.

“I’m assuming these are for us?” He ignored her greeting, not-so-subtly scooching a few inches away from her. Smirking, Y/N brightened up a bit, loving the potential challenge of getting him to crack.

“Mm-hm, that pile over there is for you. Left everything for Namjoon in that box,” Y/N confirmed, gathering half of his garments up in her arms to help him up the stairs. “Come on, I’ll help you bring it all up to your room.”

“Wait,” Jeongguk choked out, scrambling to grab the remainder of his clothes and jog up the stairs behind her. Muttering curses, Jeongguk followed her towards the end of the hallway to his room, the wallpaper peeling on the walls outside of the bedrooms. Y/N had yet to get to the second floor living spaces for restoration purposes, and to be frank, the whole floor gave her the creeps. She was saving the task for last, once she finished working on her bathroom and the staircase, but now that she had the hybrids living there, she felt it was more important to make the space most of them were occupying less Amityville Horror-esque.

Passing by Taehyung’s room, she caught a glimpse of him shrugging on his new hoodie in the full-length mirror by his closet. Grinning, she continued to Jeongguk’s bedroom, a cool breeze coming in through the little door out to the balcony he had left open. While the bedroom was newly refinished, it still set her on edge, mainly due to the memories of her cousin chasing her out of that very bedroom in a Ghostface mask as a kid. Y/N gently laid Jeongguk’s clothes on the velvet bench in front of his bed, the elk hybrid awkwardly standing in the doorway with his arms full of packs of boxers and socks. She wanted to get a better look at him, especially his tattoos and the antlers encircling his head, but found it hard to stare at him for too long.

“Did you walk around the back yard a bit? It goes back pretty far,” Y/N opened up his empty wardrobe, the deep scent of hickory smacking her in the face. Jeongguk grunted in response, shuffling over to her side to push the folded clothes into the wardrobe with haste. Snorting, Y/N continued to put his clothes away, smoothing out the materials so they laid flat. As they worked side-by-side, she studied the red iris tattooed on his forearm with minor interest.

“How are you planning on getting the wolf back here? From the looks of it, he doesn’t like you at all,” Jeongguk said after a few moments, taking Y/N by surprise. Frowning at the pajama pants she was sliding into the wardrobe, she considered his statement– while rude, he wasn’t wrong at all.

“I’m still thinking about that, honestly. I’m not sure what I can say to get him to trust me just enough to get him out of that shelter, but I really don’t want to have him deal with Gerry much longer. That guy is an asshole,” she admitted, self-consciously squeezing her eyes shut. Jeongguk said nothing, the sound of him traipsing over to the balcony door making her sneak a peek at his form.

Leaning out the window, Jeongguk spoke with a cigarette poised between his lips, “Well, there’s not much you can say to convince him to trust you; trust doesn’t work like that. He either has to suck it up and get in the car with you or rot in that shelter,” he lifted his pierced brow at her, sparking up his lighter, not bothering to ask whether or not he could smoke in the house. Y/N didn’t have the courage to dissuade him, especially when he was seemingly attempting to help her with the Namjoon situation in his own way.

Shutting his wardrobe, Y/N considered his words as he leaned over the balcony to smoke. Perhaps she was going about getting Namjoon home the wrong way; Jeongguk was right, trust has to be earned over time, not with perfectly strung together pretty words to convince. Y/N didn’t think that pointing out to Namjoon the following morning that he would have to continue enduring life at the shelter unless he came along with her was wise, either. She supposed in the end, all she could do was keep persisting and returning to the shelter until he was comfortable to leave with her.

There was also the ordeal of Hoseok’s fear of wolves– something Y/N understood as she had a few phobias of her own– which didn’t make things exactly easier. Y/N felt fortunate that Hoseok was so kind to her right off the bat and her affection for him was already growing steadily, so introducing a hybrid into the house that would make him feel on edge was borderline heartbreaking to her. There would have to be a conversation between her and Hoseok in the near future surrounding the issue, which was another thing she had no idea how to go about. Consulting Seokjin would be a likely solution for tips on how to dance around the subject of Hoseok’s wolf phobia.

Realizing that she was staring at Jeongguk, leaning lazily over the balcony with his eyes roaming rapidly over the landscape of the backyard, Y/N awkwardly shuffled her feet, snapping out of her internal monologue.

“So… I’ll leave you to it. I’m gonna check on the others and clean up a bit downstairs. Um, thanks for your advice, by the way,” Y/N made her way to the door, Jeongguk humming in response, not sparing her a glance as she slipped from the room. She shut the door behind her, hoping it would block out most of the smoky scent coming from the room, trudging down the hall deep in thought.

Jeongguk was a bit of an interesting character. Clearly, he wouldn’t be warming up to her as quickly as say, Hoseok and Seokjin. However, the latter two painted such an unflattering picture of him for Y/N the night prior, and she had yet to experience much from Jeongguk to back that up. Sure, there was the exchange at the shelter, but Y/N could understand where he was coming from with his speculation of her intentions, especially when Ben made similar points in nicer words. With time, Y/N had a feeling that Jeongguk would come around; she was just hoping there would be less fights between him and the others now that they had the space to distance themselves.

“Hi,” a soft greeting had Y/N nearly jump out of her skin, clutching her chest as she whirled around to face the voice– Taehyung, in his new black hoodie, standing outside of his bedroom. She had to get used to people living with her if she didn’t want to have a heart attack every time one of the hybrids sought her out, pronto. Dropping her hand from her chest, she found herself melting under his garnet eyes.

“Hey, Taehyung, that sweatshirt looks nice! What’s up?” She leaned into the banister by the stairs, hearing Yoongi and Seokjin’s voices from the room down the hall with the piano.

“Oh, um, thank you… it’s comfortable. I was just wondering what you were doing,” he murmured while shoving his hands in the hoodie pocket, his voice quite low so Y/N had to strain her ears to hear him. Truthfully, she was on her way to clear out her old wardrobe in the green room on the off-chance Namjoon decided to claim it, as there were plenty of other rooms he would get to choose from. She just didn’t want to be caught with her pants down.

“I was going to pack up my clothes from when I was a teen, and bring them down to the storage closet in the basement,” Y/N swiped a finger over the banister, collecting a thin layer of dust from the wood with a pout. Looks like she had neglected her cleaning duties during the past few months of mayhem at work.

“Can I come?” Taehyung quickly asked, shooting a glance down the hall at a peal of laughter coming from Seokjin. A noise of surprise came from Y/N involuntarily, delighted that she would have some company during her task, and even more excited that she could potentially get to know Taehyung better. Grinning, she nodded enthusiastically, motioning to follow her down the stairs. He synched up in her stride, hair curtaining his face in soft curls, almost completely covering his rounded ears just barely peeking out above the dark curls. Taehyung definitely looked the most human compared to some of the other hybrids, apart from the redness in his eye color.

“Taehyung, I’ve been meaning to ask… what kind of bear hybrid are you? It didn’t say on your information sheet at the shelter, and I’m curious,” Y/N wondered as they descended the stairs, a few out-of-tune notes from the piano floating from the billiard’s room as she spoke.

“Kodiak, I’m from Alaska, originally,” Taehyung answered after a few moments, Y/N having to lean closer to him to hear.

“Alaska! I’ve always wanted to go there, it’s a beautiful state,” Y/N gushed, part of her wondering how he had made it all the way to Boston. Jimin, too, was from far away, and she still didn’t even know where the others had traveled from besides Yoongi, an apparent Boston native.

“Yeah…” Taehyung murmured, evidently not keen on elaborating on his former home.

Again, like when her parents were leaving earlier, Y/N felt a tugging sensation on her shirt hem. Bewildered, she peered at Taehyung– whose hands were still buried in his pockets. A chill crept up her spine as Taehyung cocked his head quizzically, waiting for her to lead the way to the green room, as she felt unease worm its way into her chest.

For a long time, Y/N had shut out her connection to the supernatural elements of life. Y/N, picking a career path that was based in science, logic, and method, had done so in an attempt to distance herself from her childhood and the way she was raised. Her mother, a witch, filled her youth with the beautiful aspects of all that the occult can be; reverence of nature, how to identify friendly house spirits, card reading and spiritual cleansing. But as her mother had once told her, something that she had always kept in the back of her mind: once you open yourself up to the spiritual world, there is no turning back.

There were instances growing up where she had encountered frightening things within her grandparent’s house, and had that recurring nightmare with the terrifying creature pursuing her off and on for years. Spirituality she had once so gleefully embraced had turned into the source of her constantly looking over her shoulder, seeking the owners of whispered words and fingers tugging a lock of hair. She loved the house, but it was full of secrets. Y/N had hoped by the time she had moved in after years of being away from the house, and apart from her dabbling in the supernatural, she could live there with her newly forged skeptic’s mind without a problem. With the return of her nightmare, and the uptick in brushes from an unseen force in the last few days, Y/N saw those hopes dashed and divided.

Unnerved, she sped into the green room, Taehyung following closely behind. It might be time for her to get back into working some protective magic, she didn’t want things to get to the point where spirits were bothering the hybrids. Spirits, hybrids– these weren’t the sort of things Y/N thought she’d be dealing with months ago, so much for the plan of living a semi-normal life.

“Alright, I think this will fit everything…” Y/N tabled her worry over the ghost matter, dragging her old duffle bag out from the closet. Taehyung had made himself comfortable on his side, laying on the bed with his head propped up on his arm. Chuckling, she felt a lot better that there was someone with her while she turned over some of her anxieties in her mind. Flinging open the wardrobe, she cringed at the amount of black tee shirts about to tumble out and drown her, most of them stuffed in there without being folded. She shoved her arms in the wardrobe to pull out a big stack, bringing them over to the bed to place in the duffle bag.

Taehyung sat up, reaching for a tee shirt to fold without a word. Footsteps from upstairs made the tips of Taehyung’s ears flutter, to which he pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt upon noticing Y/N’s eyes on them. Strange.

“Hmm. Alice In Chains, nice,” Taehyung commented after a few moments, smoothing out the tee shirt on his lap with a smirk. That was one of her favorite shirts in high school, and one of the less embarrassing shirts of the bunch compared to the Green Day crop top she was hurriedly stuffing in the duffle bag.

“Grunge fan?” Y/N asked with a smile, dumping another batch of baggy garments on the bed beside him.

“Definitely. Wish I could have seen some of the bands in concert in the 90’s,” he replied with a tone of melancholy. If Taehyung was a classmate of hers in highschool, Y/N would have had an embarrassingly huge crush on him. Nodding in agreement, she wondered if busting out a MTV Unplugged DVD would be a nice bonding moment between them.

As they worked in comfortable silence, Taehyung would occasionally snort with amusement, lifting up a blink-128 tee shirt to Y/N’s humiliation, but it was all in good humor. Leafing through some of the relics of her past usually made her quite sad, but with Taehyung there, and his thoughtful comments on certain artists she used to love, it was actually an enjoyable experience.

“Oh, did you know that Mad Season was–” Taehyung began, but was immediately cut off by the sound of the door creaking open and a newcomer barreling into the room.

“Hey, I was looking for you!” Seokjin exclaimed, his cheeks flushed as his eyes narrowed in on Taehyung before softening at Y/N’s slightly-startled gaping mouth. “What are you guys doing?”

“I’m cleaning out the wardrobe here, just in case Namjoon wants this bedroom. Taehyung’s helping out, too,” she explained, noticing Seokjin’s damp hair and change of clothes. He had donned the lavender tee shirt she had selected for him, which looked unfairly good on him, picking up the sunset in his eyes perfectly.

“Could you use an extra set of hands?” He made his way to her side, picking up a pair of baggy jeans. They were almost done, but Y/N had no right to deny his help when he was so eager to assist.

“Thanks, Seokjin. You’re so helpful,” Y/N praised, giving him a fond pat on his shoulder. Seokjin straightened out his back at the praise, fingers fumbling to fold the denim properly. Taehyung fell into his usual silence again, as he normally did when another hybrid was around, much to Y/N’s disappointment. She’d have to ask him later what he was going to say about Mad Season.

“So, I think tomorrow afternoon, we could all do something fun! We could walk around town, maybe go to the bookstore, get some ice cream before the shop closes for the season. Anything you want to do in particular?” Y/N tucked a plaid pair of pants into the bag, getting it out of her sight as rapidly as possible. After a couple days of mayhem, she thought it would be nice to spend a day out relaxing and getting to know one another.

“Is there a music store around here?” Taehyung mused, Seokjin dropping the lacy tank top he was holding in shock. Y/N, too, was surprised he spoke in front of the jaguar hybrid, but was more overjoyed that he came out of his shell a little bit to do so.

“Yeah, there’s a vinyl shop in the town square. They sell instruments, equipment and offer lessons, too,” Y/N zipped the last of the clothes into the duffle, admiring the empty wardrobe with glee. With some of her new free time, she was considering taking up some piano lessons, so the trip to the music store would be a worthwhile venture in tandem with making Taehyung happy.

With a sweet smile, Taehyung nodded, slinging the duffle bag over his shoulder before Y/N could grasp the straps. Seokjin was still gaping at the Kodiak hybrid, blinking rapidly and nudging Y/N’s ribcage with his elbow. Shrugging, she grasped Seokjin’s wrist to tow him along, hurrying after Taehyung’s path to the basement door. The heavy weight of Seokjin’s wrist in her hand felt grounding, and ever since Seokjin had awoken from his fever the previous day, Y/N couldn’t help but want to be near him, to reach out and touch him in some way. He didn’t seem to mind being pulled along, head hanging bashfully as he tried to match her stride exactly.

“Here?” Taehyung pointed at the bottom of the basement steps, to a little alcove tucked under the stairway where Y/N stashed her winter jackets. She gave him a thumbs-up, reluctantly dropping Seokjin’s wrist she was still cradling, watching Taehyung heave the bag down and push it under the stairs.

Peering around the basement in search of her fox hybrid, Y/N poked her head into the bathroom, twirled around the gym, and even stepped into Hoseok’s room to find it empty. Disappointed, as she was already missing him regardless of his incessant teasing, she pouted, returning to Taehyung and Seokjin already bounding up the stairs. Even with the basement being beautifully and cheerily refinished, she didn’t want to be left alone down there, especially with whatever kept tugging at her shirt all day long.

“Hey Seokjin, you know where Hoseok is?” Y/N gasped as she made it up the stairs, more out-of-shape than she cared to admit. Running after the hybrids was harder than it looked, considering their inhumane speed and strength. Seokjin’s chest wasn’t heaving like her’s from the effort, and Taehyung was even yawning into his elbow.

“Watching TV with Jimin, last I heard,” as if on cue, she heard Hoseok’s laughter ringing through the halls in the direction of the parlor. Y/N nearly fainted at the thought of sinking into the couch for a couple of hours, hoping to marinate in her thoughts about bringing Namjoon home.

“I think I might join them, if you two want to come as well,” she pressed her hand over her heart, the rate slowly going back to normal as she admired the way Seokjin’s curls had dried over his face, silkier now that they were clean. Again, the two clung to her like glue as they followed her to the TV room, sandwiching her so closely she could heat coming off of their bodies. She felt like she had bodyguards, which was a pretty silly thought but at the same time made her feel protected from whatever may come her way.

“Jinnie!” Hoseok sang from the recliner, where he had nestled himself cozily in a throw blanket and an extra pillow. Seokjin cringed next to Y/N, his fingers brushing her arm as he curled them into a fist. Jimin was sitting criss-crossed on the couch close to Hoseok, a glass of iced tea in his hands, an episode of Hell’s Kitchen on the TV.

“Hoseok, I told you I hated that nickname, I’d rather be called cupcake,” Seokjin grit his teeth, looking about ready to throttle the fox hybrid. Y/N snorted at the utter shock registering on Hoseok’s face, a split second from blossoming into hysterics.

“Alright, then, come here, cupcake,” Hoseok managed through fits of laughter, Seokjin fuming as he plopped down on the couch as far away from Hoseok as possible. Jimin was rolling his eyes, turning up the TV a notch to rise above Hoseok’s giggling, scooching over with a soft smile so Y/N could settle down next to him.

Taehyung was left lingering in the doorway, only budging when Y/N patted the open spot between her and Seokjin. As he walked, the hood of his sweatshirt dropped, his hair just matted down enough so his ears were truly visible for the first time. They were positively adorable, rounded and small, and Y/N had to suppress her urge to squeal upon seeing them. Taehyung wiggled in his seat, inching closer to Y/N rather than the grumpy Seokjin muttering under his breath. Jimin smelled delicious next to her, the lavender shampoo she had left in his bathroom for guests coming off of him in tantalizing waves as he raked his hands through his silky honey-colored strands. Getting comfortable, Y/N put her feet up on the ottoman, laughing heartily at Gordon Ramsay calling an unfortunate chef a muppet.

After a couple of hours, Y/N shook out her stiff limbs, suddenly alert after nodding off while watching TV. She had caught her head lolling over onto Jimin’s shoulder, which is what had woken her up, drowsily murmuring an apology with a pat on the back of his hand as she righted herself. Jimin simply smiled softly, his posture adjusted towards her body, telling her she likely was taking a cat nap on his shoulder all this time. Flushing scarlet, she looked around the room, noticing Hoseok had also fallen asleep on the recliner, his lips parted slightly, ears drooped against his head and blanket pulled up to his chin. Taehyung had gone, judging by the way Seokjin had stretched out his legs over the space the Kodiak hybrid had once occupied, the jaguar hybrid still watching Gordon Ramsay roast a team of contestants.

“What time is it? How long was I out? Where’s Taehyung?” Y/N rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn. Damn, she hadn’t even thought about her plans for the following morning while she was sitting there, like she intended. Sorry Namjoon, she thought.

“It’s 5 PM, two and a half hours, and he went upstairs shortly after you fell asleep,” Seokjin answered completely, not tearing his eyes away from the television as he spoke. He still looked a little ticked, even though the incident with Hoseok was hours ago, and the fox hybrid was fast asleep. Y/N wanted to go and pinch Hoseok’s rosy little cheeks as he snoozed, looking way too precious for his own good.

“You alright, Jin?” The nickname slipped from her mouth before she could stop it, her drowsiness getting the better of her. Seokjin sat up ramrod straight, ears fluttering furiously as he finally stared her down with a hard-to-read expression. Swallowing thickly, Y/N tried her best not to shrink back into the safety of Jimin’s proximity, painting on nonchalance.

“Uh, I’m fine? Great, I like this show! I’ve never seen it before,” Seokjin floundered, suddenly trying to mask his emotions as best he could. All of that just because she had used his nickname, Y/N noted that for future purposes. Still, she didn’t buy his excuses, because the way his broad shoulders were tensed up, something was obviously still bothering him. She supposed she couldn’t force it out of him if he didn’t want to disclose.

“Miss Y/N, Yoongi came in a while ago. He’s making dinner,” Jimin informed her quietly, his husky voice sending a shiver down her spine. All of these hybrids were completely lethal to her nerves. She was pleasantly surprised, though not without a twinge of guilt that Yoongi was cooking while she slept away on the couch drooling on Jimin’s shoulder. Now that her senses were becoming a bit more sharpened as she came back to the land of the living, she could smell a spicy, herbal, tomato scent in the air. God, she hoped Yoongi was making pasta.

Jimin had switched to whiskey while she was out, and Seokjin had his glass of white wine resting on the coffee table. Shaking her head at the thought of alcohol, she wondered if that was why Hoseok passed out so soundly in his chair, but it seemed there was no drink glass near him. The events of the day must have worn him out – she did make him get up extremely early.

Struggling to her feet, she set off to find Yoongi, assuming Jeongguk was still shut away in his room as Jimin nor Seokjin had mentioned him. Jimin waved her off with a grin, Seokjin ducking his head as she passed by. Man, was he easily flustered.

Following the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, she was nearly blinded by all of the lights Yoongi had turned up, compared to the dimness of the parlor she had come from. He was by the stove, his hair tied back with what looked like a rubber band that came from a bundle of vegetables, stirring a large stockpot serenely. He even had a glass of red wine on the island as he worked, and used dishes soaking in soapy water in the sink. Impressed, Y/N skipped into the kitchen, his spotted ears swiveling in her direction, but his face remained trained on the pot he was stirring.

“Hi, Yoongi!” Y/N greeted, seeking out a glass of water for her dry throat. Reaching by his head for the cabinet containing the glassware, she peeked into one of the pots he had going, a decadent looking tomato sauce simmering away.

“Good morning, sleep well?” Yoongi replied, setting down the slotted spoon he was using to stir spaghetti on the spoon rest. Cringing at the vaguely suspicious look on Yoongi’s face, she figured he must have caught her napping on Jimin. How embarrassing.

“I had no idea I was even going to doze off, I swear. The amount of caffeine I drank today was enough to choke a horse,” Y/N raised her hands in defense, Yoongi’s carefully constructed disapproval crumbling into minor amusement. Going back to stirring the pot of pasta, Yoongi used his other hand to bring a sip of wine to his lips, eyes narrowing at the fettuccine dancing in the boiling water.

Pouring herself some water from the dispenser on the fridge door, Y/N hoisted herself up on the countertop beside the stove, studiously watching Yoongi cook. He simply lifted a brow at her as she drank her water and occasionally sniffed the air, detecting something else that was being cooked. It was a few moments before she realized the oven was on, as she was peering at the floor and swinging her legs happily.

“What else are you making?” She couldn’t stop her query, excited that the kitchen was getting some use after all that time after the renovations her and Roy had worked so hard to complete. Yoongi hummed, hefting the pot of pasta over to the sink to drain it with her flowery pot holders, his tail flicking like an agitated cat. She hoped she wasn’t bothering him.

“I roasted some veggies on a sheet pan, put them in the oven. Chicken, too, with some of those herbs in the fridge,” Yoongi returned the pot to the stove, lobbing a giant hunk of butter into the mound of pasta. Mouth watering, she couldn’t believe he had done so much while she snoozed away, and the guilt from earlier returned tenfold.

“Wow, Yoongi, thank you so much for cooking… lunch, too,” Y/N murmured sheepishly, ashamed that he was picking up slack already in the meal department, mere hours into coming to the house.

“I like to cook,” Yoongi started after a beat of silence burning a hole into the side of her face with his feline stare, putting a lid on his simmering sauce. “It’s relaxing, brings me peace. You don’t have to feel guilty about me taking it upon myself to do something I enjoy.”

Snapping her head up to lock eyes with him, she wondered how he could possibly read the emotions flooding though her, squirming in her spot on the counter as he dissected her with his eyes.

“H-how–?”

“Silly girl. Don’t you know hybrids can pick up on scents better than humans? We can smell your shifts in moods, what they are,” Yoongi turned his back on her, tossing a bowl of salad with a pair of tongs Y/N hadn’t seen before. Dread flooded through her, because no, she did not know that. “I guess you’ve got some research to do.”

Y/N gripped the lip of the granite countertop with panic, realizing the hybrids had been able to smell her vastly extreme range of emotions all this time. Her embarrassment, her fluster, the annoyance, even the frustration was all perfectly legible to them; and there was no way for her to mask it at all. Even with dropping this bombshell on her, Yoongi appeared as though he had said nothing out of the ordinary, apparently ignoring her distress on the countertop as he dressed the salad. He could smell it, anyways.

“Uh, is there anything else I should know right away? Can you read my mind?” Y/N squeaked, Yoongi’s ears dropping flat to his skull as he shot her an unimpressed grimace.

“Who do you think I am, Edward Cullen? No, we can’t read minds,” Yoongi grumbled, although there was a twinkle in his eye that exposed the mirth towards her reactions. “We have better hearing than humans, too. Heart rates, breathing, whispers that you thought we didn’t catch– we can. There’s the scenting, too–”

“Yoongi? Did you make chicken?” Seokjin interrupted, bounding into the kitchen with his empty wine glass. Reeling, Y/N processed all of the new information Yoongi had offered her; the fact they could hear every time her heart skipped a beat, and “scenting”? What on earth was that?

Yoongi shooed Seokjin over to a barstool, claiming that he was “in the way”, although Y/N was seated right in front of the spice cabinet he had to squeak his hand by every so often while she was sitting there. Seokjin smiled at her widely, his cheeks bunching up roundly as he did so. Y/N could only weakly return the action, turning over hundreds of burning questions in her mind distractedly.

“Foxy up yet? It’s almost time to eat, I could use some extra hands to bring everything outside to eat,” Yoongi leaned across the island, filling Seokjin’s empty wine glass with the red he had been drinking. Y/N sprung into action, eager to not look like Yoongi had pulled a carpet from under her feet. Easing herself off the counter, she willed her heart beat to stay steady as she slinked towards the hallway. Seokjin opened his mouth to say something, watching her try to escape the room, but she halted him by speaking first.

“I’ll round everyone up,” Y/N offered, nearly smacking headfirst into Jimin as he entered the kitchen. So much for keeping that heart rate down, Jimin grinning at her like the cat who ate the canary. Shaking her head, she hurried by him, feeling his yellow eyes on her long after she made it to the parlor where Hoseok was.

Tiptoeing to the recliner, Y/N turned off the TV, cooing softly at Hoseok curled up with the throw blanket. His face was so serene, it felt wrong to have to poke him awake, one of his ears twitching slightly as she got close.

“Hoseok?” Y/N whisper-shouted, not wanting to startle him awake. His nose and ears twitched simultaneously, but all he did was pull the blanket closer around his body with a curled fist in the knitted material. Snorting softly, Y/N leaned across his body, tentatively placing her hand on his shoulder and shook. “Hoseok!” She murmured with more volume, squeezing his shoulder.

All at once, his eyes snapped open, his hand shooting out from under the blanket to wrap around her wrist with alarm. Y/N realized just how close her face was to his, able to detect the flecks of gold in his irises, swallowing thickly as his nails dug into the flesh of her sensitive wrist harshly. Wincing, she found herself unable to free herself, stuck hovering over him with her heart hammering around in her ribcage.

As soon as he realized it was her, Hoseok’s eyes widened with disbelief, immediately releasing her wrist with shock. Bringing the sore skin to her chest, she rubbed the crescent-shaped marks with her other hand dazedly. Hoseok scrambled out of the chair, cursing and spewing earnest apologies so quickly Y/N could hardly understand them. She wasn’t frightened by his reaction to being woken up; she couldn’t even imagine some of the ways it could have happened to him in the past– but she was admittedly a little startled at the sheer strength he held in his hand alone. Y/N could hardly move under the vice.

“Shit, shit. I’m so sorry, let me see,” Hoseok held out his hand, eyebrows pinched in concern. Y/N slowly lowered her wrist into his outstretched palm, trying to avoid making him feel worse than he already was. Hoseok sucked in a breath, his fingers curling over her arm and turning it over to grimace at the marks he had left on her, his other hand coming up to brush his fingertips softly over skin erupting in goosebumps at his tender touch.

“I’m okay, Hoseok, It’s my bad for startling you,” Y/N assured softly, his thumb rubbing slowly over the deepest well his middle fingernail had created. Her words did little to melt the guilt festering over his fine features, corners of his mouth turned down in distress. He hadn’t even broken skin, for crying out loud.

“You didn’t… fuck. Seokjin won’t like this,” Hoseok muttered to himself, passing his fingers over her wrist one more time before removing his hands to pull them through his mussed hair. Y/N wasn’t sure what he meant by bringing Seokjin into the situation, but decided to let it go.

“Hey, no harm, no foul! I’m fine. Dinner’s almost ready, that’s why I came to wake you. I should probably grab Taehyung and Jeongguk from upstairs, too,” Y/N nodded towards the kitchen, prompting Hoseok to trudge behind her, tail literally between his legs.

“Let me go get them,” Hoseok pleaded, the apologetic droop in his eyes almost too much to bear.

“Sure, thank you, Hoseok,” Y/N smiled encouragingly, holding his eyes just long enough for him to hang his head briefly and dash up the stairs. By the time he had disappeared up the landing, so too, the marks on her wrist faded significantly. Poor Hoseok, she thought, making her way back to the kitchen.

Shaking off her scattered nerves, she made her way back to the kitchen, Yoongi pulling the tray of chicken and vegetables out of the oven with a grunt. His hair was tumbling out of the flimsy hold the rubber band offered, getting in his eyes as he set the hot pan on the stove. Seokjin appeared to be outside setting the table, his pastel shirt visible by the large willow tree over the dining table. Jimin was with him, two bottles of wine in his arms while he poured several generous glasses for the table. If there was one thing for sure, the hybrids liked to drink.

“What can I take, Yoongi?” Y/N hid her arm behind her back, not chancing the leopard hybrid spotting anything amiss with her. He was poking the chicken with an extended index finger to check the doneness fastidiously, and Y/N thought to herself all he was missing was a cute apron.

“Here, you can take the salad out,” Yoongi approached her after ditching a dish towel he was using to wipe his hands clean, salad bowl in hands. Taking it carefully, she inspected the greens dressed with sliced citrus and shaved parmesan. She couldn’t have made something as elegant in her recent frazzled haze if she tried.

“This looks so good,” she mumbled, mouth watering as she peeked around his shoulder at the sizzling chicken on the cookie sheet. Yoongi smiled slightly, his teeth peeking out adorably, leading her to the door to the patio with a guiding hand hovering over her mid-back. She could feel the warmth of his palm through her shirt even though he wasn’t touching her, grateful for the cooling evening air rushing into her lungs as he urged her outdoors. He assured her he’d be right out, leaving the door open to retrieve the chicken.

Y/N trudged through the overgrown grass with the salad, hoping Hoseok wasn’t still beating himself up. By now, the marks on her wrist were gone, and it truly was an involuntary reaction he had to being woken up. At the table, Jimin was still filling a glass with a hearty pour of Cabernet, a covered casserole dish with the saucy pasta sitting at the center of the table next to a basket of bread rolls and a dish of butter. Yoongi had gone all out.

“Hi guys, I brought the salad,” Y/N plopped down at one of the center seats, noting that Seokjin and Taehyung would likely be flanking her either side. She slid the bowl next to the pasta, grinning as Jimin offered her one of the glasses of wine. Y/N felt the wine coat her throat like liquid velvet, trying to avoid smirking at Seokjin immediately scooting onto the bench next to her.

“Yoongi told me he liked to cook, but I didn’t expect this,” Jimin made himself comfortable across from Y/N, sounding deeply impressed at the spread of food in front of him. Nodding in agreement, Seokjin leaned back on the bench on his palms with his eyes closed, trying to catch rays of the orange sunset on his face.

“Did you get Hoseok up? He can be pretty grouchy when he wakes up,” Seokjin mused, eyes still closed as he sucked in a deep breath pleasantly. Y/N didn’t feel the need to solidify the truth in that comment by relaying the earlier sequence of events.

“Mm-hmm. He’s getting Taehyung and Jeongguk,” Y/N confirmed, expertly disguising her glazing-over of facts with another sip of wine. Speaking of the devil, Hoseok had found his way outside, Taehyung close behind.

“Wow, Yoongi made all this?” Hoseok exclaimed, all evidence of anything amiss with him completely unreadable on his face. Damn, he was good, Y/N thought to herself, as he shot her and Seokjin a cheeky grin. She didn’t miss, however, the way his eyes swept over the skin of her wrist, exposed as she was toying with the stem of her wine glass. The tiny crease between his eyebrows Y/N picked up on disappeared once he realized the marks were gone.

“Out of the way, Jeongguk,” Y/N heard Yoongi shout from across the yard, the elk hybrid appearing to be blocking the way to the table with his leisurely strides. Yoongi stepped around the taller hybrid, making haste for the table with the pan he was holding. As expected, Taehyung slid into the empty spot on her other side, eagerly grasping his filled wine glass.

Everyone settled in pretty quickly, praises for Yoongi’s hard work coming from every direction as they tucked into the meal. Seokjin piled spaghetti on Y/N’s plate for her, reminiscent of her mother filling his plate for him earlier in the day, the memory filling her with warmth. The food was absolutely delicious; down to the pasta sauce Yoongi had admitted was from scratch as well. Y/N inquired about how he had learned to cook so well, his answer being working on the line at the bar and watching the cooking channel on his days off.

“What else did you do at the bar, Yoongi?” Hoseok asked, taking a deep sip from his wine glass, a blush settling over his cheeks. He had avoided eye contact with Y/N for much of the dinner, Y/N distracting herself by lowly speaking to Taehyung beside her about their trip to the record store the next day.

“I told you, I pretty much did everything. I worked on the line making food for a bit, did some bartending. For a while, I helped out with security, bookkeeping… I played piano often during the weekend,” Yoongi pierced a slice of grapefruit from his salad with a fork, pushing it around his plate.

“Oh, a piano bar? How fancy,” Hoseok remarked, nudging the leopard hybrid with his elbow. Yoongi looked peeved, inching closer to Jimin, who was minding his business by munching on a buttered roll.

“Y/N said she’s going to take us to an ice cream shop tomorrow,” Seokjin announced proudly, chest puffing out in excitement. Jimin and Hoseok brightened significantly, Y/N remembering how much they had enjoyed the ice cream bars from their lunch yesterday. Jimin voiced his approval of the plan, smiling fondly at Y/N in a way that made her melt a little in her seat.

“Oh boy, like we’re twelve?” Jeongguk suddenly quipped, filling his wine glass up while rolling his eyes dramatically. Frowning, Y/N began to feel insecure– maybe she was treating them a little childishly.

“Will you just shut up? Why complain when you could just be quiet?” Yoongi barked, fed up with the younger hybrid’s never-ending bitching. Besides, it was uncomfortable to watch the shadow of doubt cross over Y/N’s face, her excitement turning to worry at the drop of a hat.

“Shut up? Maybe you guys are twelve, seriously. I can’t stand it,” Jeongguk shook his head in disgust, pushing his plate of half-eaten food away from him. Hoseok looked positively livid, staring at the elk hybrid so intensely that it made Y/N shiver. Jimin, similarly, had his jaw set in annoyance, however he held his tongue.

“The rest of you might be okay with being nothing more than a domesticated pet, but I’ve had just about all I can stand for today,” Jeongguk rose from his seat and tossed his napkin on his plate, his words hitting Y/N like he had thrown knives at her, visibly flinching into Taehyung’s shoulder.

Yoongi calmly got up from his seat, harshly catching Jeongguk’s wrist as he began to storm into the house. While Yoongi was slight, he must have had considerable strength in his grip, yanking Jeongguk to a halt as the leopard hybrid’s lip curled back.

“You know, you could be a lot worse off right now, elk. You have a lot to be grateful for right now. You have clothes on your back, food to eat, a roof over your head– and most importantly, someone who gives a shit if you’re living and breathing,” Yoongi spat, each word enunciated clearly through his teeth. Hoseok was gripping his fork so tightly it looked like his knuckles were about to come through his skin. Jeongguk yanked his wrist from Yoongi’s grasp with a repulsed expression, stalking into the house with an agitated stride. Y/N flinched again as he slammed the glass door into the house, half expecting it to shatter from the impact.

“He’s such a prick,” Hoseok ground out, appetite vanishing as he read the sadness enveloping Y/N like a heavy shroud. Yoongi returned to his seat, draining his wine glass with measured movements. The scent of guilt was thick in the air, and it made him feel ill.

“Don’t listen to him, Miss Y/N. He’s young, jaded. It doesn’t make what he said right, though,” Jimin rushed to comfort her, hating the way Jeongguk had ruined a perfectly good meal with his thoughtless words. Y/N offered a weak smile, her lips shaking at the corners. To be honest, she felt like crying, but she wasn’t about to break down into tears in front of them.

Seokjin had stayed silent during the entire altercation, but Y/N could see in her peripherals how stiff his posture had grown. He was gripping the bench so hard, his fingernails were scraping wood shavings from the seat.

“It’s alright, Jimin. Um, I’m gonna clean up the kitchen, put away the leftovers… again, thank you for the food Yoongi. It was delicious,” Y/N managed, trying to keep her voice steady, collecting the bowl of pasta, her plate, and Jeongguk’s abandoned setting to dash into the house.

She knew she had to flee before the first tear fell, harshly scrubbing the plates with a sponge while she used her shirtsleeve to hastily wipe away a pathetic tear rolling down her cheek. Y/N was more upset that Jeongguk was under the impression that she intended to reduce them to pets, rather than the fact that he had said it out loud in front of everyone else. Humiliated, she didn’t know how to face the others, let alone go through with the plans for tomorrow’s outing now that what he had said wormed its way into her brain, convincing her she was treating the hybrids frivolously.

Watching red sauce from the pot Yoongi used swirl down the drain, she was thankful the tears had stopped as quickly as they came, anxiety over the hybrids walking into her weeping over the sink preventing any more drops from spilling over her lash line. Part of her wanted to peek at the slider to check if they were on their way in, but she was too afraid she would come face-to-face with Jimin’s sympathetic expression or Hoseok’s barely-contained anger. Sniffling, she dried her hands off, quickly wiping down the counter and stuffing the leftovers into the fridge. She knew it would be polite to go back outside and tough it out, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. A few moments to collect herself was in order.

In her bedroom, she sighed deeply, head pounding from everything that had occurred that day. She’d abused her body by drinking so much coffee, not getting enough sleep, and running around like a crazy person for days. Numbly, she pulled pajamas out of her dresser, leaving them on her bed and making her way to the shower. Being rained on earlier made her feel sticky and her hair smelled of earth, and a hot shower would be nice to drown her sorrows for a bit.

Steam filled the bathroom as Y/N stripped down, tossing her raggedy clothing into the hamper with a little more force than necessary. She had dealt with many men like Jeongguk before; quick to anger seemingly from nowhere, rude, and reactionary. Normally, she wouldn’t take anything a man like that would say seriously, in fact, she’d often give their acidity right back. Never before had they affected her the way Jeongguk did, every icy word cutting her deep. In a way, it made her want to try harder to prove him wrong, that she simply wanted to share a nice life together, not treat them as pets. It would be hard to do, considering how much he already disliked her and his current situation.

She boiled her skin in the shower, using a calming shampoo to make herself feel better. The water was scalding, but she still felt a cold draft coming through the shower door. Frowning, she turned the water up even higher, promising herself to take a screwdriver to her bathroom window tomorrow and fix the draft problem.

As she rinsed her hair, Y/N’s eyes shot open as she heard a thud from above her, making her frown. Seems Jeongguk was out on his balcony for another smoke break. She felt a touch guilty for buying them for him, considering the intensity of his habit so far, but she was too pissed at him to care enough at that moment.

Turning the shower off after the remainder of the chamomile body wash suds were rinsed from her skin, Y/N wrapped her body in a thick towel, cursing at the frigid temperature of the bathroom. She didn’t remember it being so cold when she had come in to start the shower, and the temperature of the steam should have heated the room significantly. Pulling the towel closer around her body, she could have sworn she could see her breath in front of her, but blew it off as being completely ridiculous and impossible. Moving to the skin vanity, she reached into the mirror cabinet to retrieve her lotion, mumbling under her breath as goosebumps rose on her arms. The room was deathly quiet, not even the crickets outside that usually kept her awake were chirping.

Shutting the mirror cabinet distractedly, Y/N set her lotion down, moving to comb her hair, her eyes catching a shape behind her in the mirror. Looking more closely in the fogged-up mirror, she realized it was her, from her childhood, the old woman. Comb clattering to the floor, Y/N shrieked involuntarily, the ghostly sight of the creepy elderly woman scaring her out of her wits. She hadn’t seen her since she was a girl, and had no idea why she had made her presence known. Shaking, she turned around, feeling sick to her stomach, but all at once the apparition was gone.

Screaming again at the sound of her bathroom door being blasted open, Y/N fell to the floor, clutching her towel so closely to her she thought she’d lose circulation. Seokjin and Taehyung barreled into the room, Seokjin’s eyes blown out in concern as he saw her cowering on the floor. Taehyung’s chest was heaving, head turning in every direction to scope out the bathroom for the source of her fright.

“What happened?! Are you alright?” Seokjin exclaimed with urgency, kneeling down to collect one of her hands quivering on the floor to brace herself. She was absolutely not alright, the old hag who followed her around the yard as a kid was back, this time inside her house. But there was no way to express this to the jaguar hybrid, smoothing a thumb over the back of her hand with a deep crease of worry etched in his brow. To do so would risk him calling her crazy.

Taehyung had made a lap around the bathroom, opening up the closet to the towels to check for any intruders, hands on his hips as he came up with nothing.

“I-I… um,” Y/N stuttered, heart threatening to break free from its cage, “I s-saw a spider, huge one. Crawled into the sink drain,” she lied, hoping her anxiety would cover up the absence of the truth. There was no way she was telling them about the hag just yet, especially since they had barely just arrived. A new anxiety was crawling down her spine: she was simply in a towel, and she tried as best she could to stay covered up in front of the two men in her bathroom.

“A spider?” Seokjin confirmed softly, gently helping her to her feet and never averting her eyes from her face. Nodding, she glanced at Taehyung, who was cocking his head at her inquisitively, eyes on her damp hair. She couldn’t tell if he believed her or not.

“Sorry I worried you guys,” Y/N mumbled, feeling humiliated that she was standing like a drowned rat in front of them, lying to their faces. What would she do if they saw the ghost as well?

Seokjin shook his head, guiding her out into her bedroom. To her surprise, the rest of the hybrids, including Jeongguk, were standing in her bedroom, various expressions of concern across their faces. Jeongguk was close to the door with his eyes narrowed at the window looking out to the yard, and upon seeing that Y/N was unharmed, he nodded and disappeared from the room. Feeling more exposed than ever in the damp towel, Y/N wasn’t sure how to usher everybody out as quickly as possible. Clearly, the remaining hybrids needed extra reassurance that she was alright.

“I’m sorry, guys. I’m okay, just got spooked by a spider,” Y/N explained, Jimin brushing a finger over his lip as he considered her excuse. Half of the room seemed not to buy it, Hoseok frowning as he gripped her bedpost, Yoongi’s eyes roaming over her skin. She chalked it up to him checking for injuries, but the weight of his gaze made heat rise up her throat in embarrassment.

“We thought there was someone who broke in, or you fell, so I guess a spider is a lot better than those two fates,” Jimin replied, politely staring at the floor while he spoke. Y/N didn’t think he was used to seeing a woman in such a state of undress, his cheeks pink.

“Come on, everyone, let’s give her some privacy so she can get dressed,” Taehyung suddenly spoke, shocking everyone in the room as he waved his hand to coax everyone out. Y/N didn’t really want to be left alone in the room, but she had to get out of the damp towel before she caught a cold.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Seokjin asked her once more, as the others filed out of her room. Y/N could definitely tell he did not buy her spider cover-up, but he was too kind to say otherwise. Placing a hand on his bicep, Y/N gave him her best encouraging smile.

“Yeah, thank you, Seokjin. It’s nice to have people here to check up on me,” she answered truthfully, feeling a whole lot safer now in the home than she ever did as a child with her grandparents. Seokjin smiled at her, telling her to come out and watch TV with them when she was done.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Y/N shakily got dressed, eager to get out of her bedroom for a bit and be around some living people before bed. She didn’t even know if she’d be able to sleep that night, all she knew is she definitely had to do some protective magic in the days to come. With a house that size, it would take her a long time, but it was worth it if she could banish the spirit that had been bothering her all day. As soon as she pulled her pajama top over her head, she set off to the parlor to the hybrids waiting for her.

Y/N wasn’t sure how she had fallen asleep in her room that night, but thanks to watching several episodes of Twin Peaks late into the night, she had no problem sinking into the mattress and knocking out, regardless of the possibility of a ghost hovering over her while she snored into her pillow. Her alarm shocked her out of her sleep in the morning, her wake-up call to go pick up Namjoon, potentially. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she resolved to tackle all of her obstacles today with positivity.

She hadn’t asked any of the others if they had wanted to join her to the shelter that morning. For some reason, she felt it would be best to attempt to bring Namjoon home by herself, perhaps he was wary of the others, and she needed to stop by the library to speak with her mother afterwards anyways. Before bed, she texted her mother about getting her some of her black salt for the protection magic, to which her mother sent her a vague reply about retrieving some from her while she was at the book club the following morning. To Y/N’s relief, her mother didn’t push the subject of Y/N beginning to pick up her spiritual practices again. Y/N had a suspicion her mother knew a little bit more about her current situation than she was letting on.

Y/N threw on a knitted sweater and an old plaid skirt she had gotten from her cousin, pulling on a thick pair of tights to combat the chill of the morning. She wanted to look more presentable than she had the past few days, hoping it would stave off any more concerned looks from not only her hybrids but also her mother, who would definitely comment on the perpetual nervous smile on her face. She had to get rid of that ghost today.

Turning on the coffee pot in the kitchen, Y/N yawned as she listened for any movement in the house. She couldn’t hear anything, however, it was quite early and they had gone to bed pretty late. Y/N was beginning to think some of the hybrids, like Hoseok and Yoongi, were nocturnal in nature. Filling her to-go container with the hot coffee, Y/N hesitated before pulling out a second cup, filling that one as well. If Namjoon came with her, the least she could do was bring him something to warm his belly. Upon further consideration, she put a couple of protein granola bars and a ripe apple into her bag for him as well. She was crossing all of her fingers that he’d be willing to leave the shelter that morning.

She wrote a little note to the hybrids letting them know her whereabouts and stuck it to the fridge, confident they would be able to scrounge up their own breakfasts especially with Yoongi there. The draftiness of the house made her shiver, pulling a cozy beret over her head as she loitered by the front door. Autumn seemed to be rolling in quicker than normal, and she worried about reinforcing all of the windows and doors in the house before the winter months as she made her way to her car.

The drive into Boston had her squirming in her seat. If Namjoon was anything like Jeongguk, she was in trouble. She’d prefer if he was closer to Taehyung’s version of “strange”, as the other hybrids had coined him, but honestly she didn’t know what to expect at all. The weather that morning was clear of rain, the sky a light gray and the scent of briny ocean on the highway filtered through her windows. It was a lovely day for walking around, no humidity, and pleasantly cool. Getting over the fiasco of last night’s dinner, Y/N resolved to go ahead with her plans to take everyone out for a day in the town, even if that meant leaving Jeongguk at home to smoke himself into oblivion in the backyard. While the rest of them were watching TV after her encounter with the spirit, Jeongguk had spent at least an hour on the grounds, nose buried in his notebook. More than ever, Y/N itched to see what was in that notebook of his.

Traffic was light and Y/N got to the shelter as soon as it opened. Gerry wasn’t there, as she pushed open the glass door; she assumed it was his son, a younger, still gray-looking man in his thirties. Brushing a stray yellow leaf from her sweater, Y/N approached the man counting the register, squinting through the darkness as there was only half of the fluorescent lights turned on in the shop. The man looked up at her when she tapped her fingers on the tin desk, somewhat set at ease she didn’t have to see Gerry’s stupid face for the third morning in a row.

“Are you Y/N? Here to pick up Namjoon?” The man peered at her over his rectangular glasses, closing the register discreetly.

“Yes, sir,” Y/N nodded, surprised that he had referred to Namjoon by name. His nametag read Robert.

“You can go ahead and get him. I think he’s ready to leave now, after I convinced him last night. My old man’s tired of getting snapped at with those teeth of his, and he came down with a cold last night. Wanted him out of here by the time he came back,” Robert explained, handing her the keys to the cells during his speech. Simultaneously enthralled by Robert’s persuasion skills and disgusted with Gerry’s impatience, Y/N started towards the back room without a word.

She fidgeted with her skirt as she went, nervous now that she knew Namjoon had shifted for sure. At last, she might be able to have a two-sided conversation with the wolf hybrid who caught her eye the most that night she discovered all the hybrids. The heavy metal door was left ajar, Y/N shouldering into the room with a huff to steel herself. Immediately, she headed towards the last remaining occupied cell, eager to get a look at Namjoon.

He was seated on the edge of his bed, staring straight at her. And of course, like the others, he was absolutely gorgeous. Eyes warm like a thick amber honey, golden skin beneath his green tee shirt, and shining silvery hair swept off his forehead as if he was running his hands through it all morning. Upon making eye contact with her, his eyes narrowed, full lips pursing as he sucked in his cheeks thoughtfully.

“Good morning,” was all Y/N was able to manage lamely, wrapping her hands around the bars of his cell. He was a large man, even seated, his mass was intimidating– and even shifted, he held all the danger in his eyes of his cautious wolf form. Namjoon stood, walking towards her, his height towering over her as he assessed her attitude, hopefully reading cheerful and friendly from what Y/N was trying to put off.

“You didn’t bring any back-up today? Not even the fox?” Namjoon’s voice was deep, melodic, the authority dripping from his tone enough to make her want to take a step backwards. She refrained from doing so, in order to stand her ground.

“Back-up? No, no one came with me today. We stayed up late watching TV, I wanted everyone to get some proper rest,” Y/N laughed, attempting to lighten the mood. Namjoon didn’t crack, lifting an eyebrow as he appeared to consider her answer.

“Are you ready to come back with me today?” She asked after a few moments, unable to break free from his gaze. Something about his eyes was so familiar, and looking away felt impossible.

“Do I have much of a choice? Robert said they’re going to stop feeding me,” Namjoon grumbled, the ear that had a piece missing fluttering just so. He shifted from one foot to another, eyeing the key ring in her hand. Y/N hastily unlocked his cell door, eager to free him.

“Not that they were feeding you much, anyways, the bastards. One of the others told me you only got ham sandwiches twice a day,” Y/N fumed, pulling his door open with great effort. The iron bars were incredibly rusted and heavy, and Y/N was relieved she never had to set foot in the disgusting shelter again after Namjoon and herself got in the car.

To this, Namjoon didn’t reply. He took a step out into the open room, a little shaky in his stride, like he hadn’t walked on two legs in weeks. It took him a few moments to stretch his legs out, gritting his teeth in annoyance. His incisors were particularly sharp, Y/N noted, and she couldn’t decide if that was cute or concerning.

“Let’s go,” he grunted finally, after reaching the door to the hallway with more stability. She moved before her mind could catch up, following him briskly down the hall. So far, so good.

When they reached the front of the store, Robert caught up with the two of them, giving Namjoon a slight nod. He handed Y/N a thick manila envelope, to which she accepted with puzzlement.

“These are the official adoption papers, I fetched them from the State House myself instead of sending them through the mail. Pleasure doing business with you,” Robert shook her limp hand, Y/N startled by the word “business”. However, she was pleased to have the official documents right away, thoughts turning to the database where she could look up the hybrid’s pasts. Namjoon scoffed from behind her, impatiently tapping his foot.

“Thank you,” Y/N painted a fake smile on her face, finally ridding herself of the forsaken shelter as she led Namjoon out to her Land Cruiser. Namjoon slowly got into the passenger seat, staring at Y/N as she started the engine and straightened out her hat.

“Here, Namjoon, I brought you some coffee. I have some granola bars and an apple in my bag, too, if you’re hungry,” Y/N held out the to-go cup that wasn’t smudged with berry lip gloss, adjusting her rearview mirror with her other hand nervously. Namjoon’s stare was much more unnerving than gentle Jimin’s, whose gaze was soft around the edges, while Namjoon’s was probing and steely.

“Hmm… thanks,” Namjoon muttered, breaking free from eye contact as he accepted the coffee with both hands. Bringing it to his lips, it was Y/N’s turn to stare at him as he took in the street surroundings. Namjoon was truly beautiful– devastatingly so. His hair was like starlight, and his side profile was stunning.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I have to make a short stop before we go home,” Y/N pulled out into the street, navigation to the library playing out in her mind. Traffic was still light for a Monday morning, so she’d get there in no time at all.

“Do whatever you have to do,” Namjoon replied easily, fidgeting in his seat. He opened the glove box, immediately diving into the CDs to Y/N’s great surprise. “Have any tapes?”

“Tapes?” Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. It was rare to have anyone these days to even know how to operate a tape, but she could have sworn that her dad had left a tape or two in the glovebox. The Land Cruiser did, in fact, have a tape player as well.

“You have a Rolling Stones tape,” Namjoon relayed matter-of-factly, Y/N cringing. The thing probably had hair on it with age. With practiced ease, Namjoon carefully popped the tape into the player and rewound it.

“Wow, I’ve never met someone who knows how to play tapes under the age of 50,” Y/N joked, internally scolding herself as soon as the words left her mouth. She had to remember not everyone was Hoseok.

“I like them, they have a unique sound. You can hear what time does to the tape,” Namjoon said simply, thankfully not taking offense to her joke. Typically, old tapes hiss and fade with age, and she had never considered it as a charm before.

With an elegant index finger, Namjoon pressed play, the tinny sound of the tape pressing through the speakers instantly. Similarly, Namjoon began to relax, sitting back in his seat and taking another sip of his coffee. Unfortunately, Y/N already found it impossible to relax around him.

They enjoyed three songs on the tape until Y/N pulled up by the library, throwing the vehicle in park. She was planning on letting Namjoon stay in the car, but he was checking his surroundings in disbelief, already unbuckling himself to get out.

“I know somebody in here,” Namjoon stated, an interesting edge to his voice. He almost sounded fond. Perhaps Namjoon was a Boston native, but his accent was closer to Jimin’s rather than Yoongi’s. Cocking her head, she hurriedly got out of the car to follow Namjoon rushing into the library. He was pretty fast, all of a sudden, busting through the front doors.

“Crap,” Y/N muttered, losing Namjoon immediately in the labyrinth of the bookshelves. Dreading having to go find someone to call for him over the intercom system, Y/N thought her best bet was seeking out her mother. Trying not to panic, she remembered that her mother had told her to meet her at the reference desk rather than the book club room, before the meet started. That’s where she’d have to go for Namjoon’s bat signal, anyways. Making a wide circle around some hungover-looking college students, Y/N speed walked to the reference desk, spotting her mother’s mustard yellow shawl of the day.

“Mom!” Y/N exclaimed desperately, her mother scanning a returned book and dropping it in surprise.

“Honey! You’re early! Here, I’ve got your salt,” her mother pulled a large mason jar of black salt out of her patchwork satchel, handing it over gingerly. Taking it impatiently, not caring at the moment that a young couple standing by the desk was staring at the two of them with confusion, Y/N tucked it into her bag, crushing one of the granola bars.

“Mom, I need you to call a name over the intercom. The hybrid I picked up this morning disappeared as soon as we got in here,” Y/N breathed, worried sick that Namjoon might already be halfway to Fenway Park.

“Oh, Christ, honey, I can do that. What’s his name?” Her mother grabbed the mic to the system, frowning with worry. Before Y/N could say anything, her mother looked past her, face splitting into utter shock and recognition. Turning urgently, Y/N spotted him just behind her.

“Namjoon? Where have you been?” Her mother gasped, blood draining from Y/N’s face.

Taglist; @blancflms @grazysf @sbromp @jaxavance @sunderlight @ot7nem @mageprincess7 @wittyreader @drenix004 @mayla548 @skyys-universe @ddaeng-angmoh @trtlthts @exfolitae @kalala22 @xiusmarshmallow @bangtans-momma @zae007live @paigetj @singukieee

Please do not repost or translate my work. Thank you!

#bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts ot7 x reader #hybrid au #bts ot7 x y/n #bts hybrid au #bts fic #bts au #bts hybrid x reader #bts hybrid fanfic #namjoon fanfic #seokjin fanfic #yoongi fanfic #hoseok fanfic #jimin fanfic #taehyung fanfic #jungkook fanfic

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syngrafaes09 · 2 years

Text

Pivot | Dr Strange x Y/N

In continuation of 'I can help with that'

Masterlist

W/N: Keeping up with the ideas sent by @lady-harvey and @thearcadeyel in the DM, things keep pivoting between...

Warnings: Absolutely 18+

I could melt, Stephen thought as he silently slid under the covers. He had long forgotten what it would be like to return home after work to find someone warm and beautiful waiting in bed for him.

Y/N mumbled and churned, feeling the dip. She had finally retreated to sleep after her roommate didn’t pick up her calls nor Stephen seemed to return soon. She sighed as gentle fingers caressed her fuzzy hair.

He felt a bit of disappointment when his arms pulled her closer to his chest. Fucking piece of cloth. But it soon followed a wave of guilt. He had left her without a word halfway through… It wasn’t entirely his fault, was it? Wong had held him up longer than it was required. He let out a breath, glancing outside the window. The sky was still filled with the black fog. It will clear out soon now that we have sent those creatures back to their dimension.

Y/N blinked several times trying to adjust to the light. She remained still, silently watching him stare somewhere, jaw clenched, lost in thoughts, feeling his fingers draw light patterns against the shirt. Even with the messy hair and few dull red cuts across his face he undeniably- She shot up abruptly as the realisation of the events of the past hours coursed through her.

“Sweetheart,” Stephen began, unsure of her thoughts and emotions, “I’m sorry about last night. There were things from other dimensions. I had to go…”

“It was alright. I mean, it was literal life and death, right?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Then I can wait. I’m not that important.”

Faint amusement darted through his weary eyes. “Thanks for the understanding.”

He toyed with the collar of the shirt she was wearing. His shirt, technically. “I thought I left you naked.”

“Naked and aroused,” she corrected.

He hummed and ran a thumb down her neck and in between the valley of her clothed breasts. Her nipples pebbled in anticipation.

“This is not appropriate,” he said, undoing the first button and sweet baby Jesus, she threatened to liquefy under his intense, scolding stare. “This has to come off. Did you try to leave?”

“I had wanted to,” she breathed as his thumbs circled her nipples for a moment.

He noticed the use of past tense and nodded. “Good,” he muttered, pinching her pebbled flesh between his fingers, “It will take some time to clear out the mist. Everyone had been instructed to stay indoors until then. ” It was then she noticed the dark gloomy night instead of the bright sunny morning.

Then he just grabbed handfuls of her aching breasts and crushed them between his palms.

She shoved him away. Then she put her hands on his shoulders, straddling him, her tits were right at his face, and he leaned forward, nuzzling between them. Stephen closed his eyes, mouth drifting towards her nipple. His lips parted over it and latched to it like a newborn’s.

She arched at the suction and he put his hands on her back so she couldn't get away. She groaned, so aroused by alternate waves of suction and his tongue swirling around it, she squirmed in his lap.

He held her down, shifting his attention to the other nipple.

His tongue languidly swirled in circles around the pigmented skin until the skin was drawn as tight as possible. Drawing in a cold breath through his mouth, he flicked his tongue against the bundle of nerves.

She whimpered and pressed herself further into him. He grinned, looking up at her, one hand travelling between them, rubbing circles on her lower abdomen. Eyes closed, her head tipped towards the ceiling, getting lost in the sensations. He returned to sucking her gently before tugging it in between his teeth.

As he felt her body tense up, he sucked harder, nibbling - driving her into madness.

“I n-need you in me.”

Stephen pulled back and set her loose. “Condoms’ in the bottom drawer,” he informed, leaning back on the headboard.

Y/N leaned down, opened the said drawer and sucked in a sharp breath glancing at the contents. She had never been much into toys. And he had quite the collection. She grabbed the least complicated appliances of all and a bottle of lube.

“I have never tried this before but… the idea… I would like to try this,” she said toying with the cuffs and the cockring.

Strange smiled at her, “Anything that makes you happy baby girl.” He kissed her one more time, tugging at the cuffs.

“What?” He asked, confused when Y/N didn’t hand them over.

“I wasn’t thinking about myself tied to your bed. I want to restrain you.”

He was swept away by utter bewilderment. No one had done that. To him. Ever. I have always been the giver. Never the taker, he thought. He has been so lost he didn’t realise she had already cuffed one of his wrists to the bedpost until Y/N tugged at his other one.

“Besides, I think it’s fair after what you did to me.”

“Fuck,” Stephen muttered under his breath, straining the restraints, “Thought I was already forgiven.”

“You are. This is a penance.”

“Fine, have me as you like,” he snorted.

She smiled, settling in between his legs and leaned in to kiss which he happily complied. He groaned into her mouth as she slid her hand down his chest and squeezed his growing erection through the sweatpants.

She pulled back only to let her lips roam around his neck, shoulder and chest. Working her way up, she blew a warm breath over his ears, kissing the shell while her fingers gently pinched and teased his nipples.

“Jesus,” Stephen moaned, “Woman where have you been all these years?”

Y/N smiled, resting her hands at his waist, teasing the waistband of his pants, “Learning the anatomy of pleasing you.”

Stephen chuckled, raising his hips for her to pull down the pants. He sighed in relief as his cock sprang free.

She bit her lip at his knowing smirk, lubed him and slid the ring to the base of his shaft. He was big. And thick, she thought, lowering herself on her stomach as she pumped him before turning on the vibrations.

He groaned, the muscles of his leg going all stiff as her tongue darted out and swirled around the head. She continued to lick, peppering kisses, along the length of him. He hissed, buckling his hips, as her mouth licked and sucked his balls.

Y/N smiled, stepping up the speed of vibrations.

“I might lose my patience and use- fuck.”

She took as much as possible of him in one swift go. Her eyes watched him throwing his head back and wincing upon hitting the headboard. I’ll never forget this one. She had been nervous - Would I be able to give him enough pleasure with so little experience? However as her mouth squeezed, caressing up and down, satisfaction burned on his handsome face.

Stephen sat there entrapped, watching her head bobbing, one hand stroking what length of him she couldn't fit in her mouth and the vibrating ring… He continued tugging now and then against the hard metal of the handcuffs even though the wrists burned in pain. He never thought he would like this so much. Oh, her nails, dug into his thigh.

“You're taking me so well, sweetheart-,”

He took a sharp breath, gasping as he felt her teeth gaze at him very gently. She looked up at him, all doe-eyed, flickering her tongue on the underside of his cock.

He wanted to break free, caress her hollowed cheeks, pull her hair to the back, and wantonly fuck that mouth. “Oh, my,” he grunted, feeling himself near the base of her throat. His hips thrusted of their own accord. “I’m so close.”

Y/N stopped immediately. “No,” he cried out at her. She gave him a slow, devilish grin. And sat up, scrambling away from him. It took a tremendous amount of effort when every bit of her ached for him.

“What are you doing?” he grumbled watching her climb out of the bed, relaxing into one of the armchairs beside the bed, across the fireplace.

“I’ll let you come only when you beg nicely.”

“I don’t beg,” Stephen snapped.

Y/N shrugged. She flaunted the control before turning down the strength of the vibrations.

Stephen strained his neck as he continued to glare at her. “You’ll be punished for this baby girl.”

She gulped looking at his darkened eyes. “I-is that so?” Don't be intimidated, she reminded herself.

Y/N hesitated for a moment, then ran her hand down her stomach and in between her legs. She spread her knees and slowly began touching herself. She closed her eyes, knowing that he was watching her every movement, she imagined it was his fingers stroking the bundle of nerves. She smiled wider when she slipped her fingers into her slick slit.

How have I turned into such sex hungry woman?

“I could do better,” he voiced once she started to whimper. She wanted him to but she didn’t want to halt now. Not when she-

She shivered as the wave of heat washed over her.

When she opened her eyes, Stephen was staring at her hungrily, but strangely patient. “Since you are done with yourself, you might finish what you’d started,” he said with a pointed look. “Please,” he added.

Y/N sighed. Still, a little wobbly from the orgasm, she settled in between his legs. He relaxed back watching her slide off the cockring. She wrapped one hand around the base of his cock, squeezing him, while her tongue played around following each line, curve and crevice, as he was the most teasing appetiser imaginable.

Stephen let out a deep low moan, thrusting his hips upwards.

He cursed under his breath as her mouth sheathed him, working him up again.

“Y/N,” he grunted, thrusting his hips in a slow rhythm. Leaving his cock, her hand rubbed his thighs before cupping the balls.

“Don’t stop,” Stephen whimpered as she quickened the pace.

“You look so pretty like this. Guess you’d look better only when my cock goes rampant in that pussy.”

He had been silent most of the time except for the few noises he made, she almost choked at his filthy words. Looking up at him she couldn't think it possible, but those light grey eyes darkened even further when her fingers trailed below his scrotum, applying subtle pressure around the perineum. He jerked in her mouth when she found his sweet spot.

“Yeah,” he moaned, “S-so close.”

Amazed by her own boldness, she stroked him harder.

His insides were screaming guttural exhilaration. He was sure he would go crazy by the time they were going to finish. His hips jerked unsteadily, grinding against her mouth until everything stilled.

It was more and more. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes as she choked on the sheer volume of his semen. Her throat was already full and his ejaculation was nowhere near an end. Lots of it, as if he hadn’t come in months, years, maybe never.

“That was ethereal,” he breathed, “you tortured me so sweetly…”

Y/N smiled, wiping away the drips of cum lining her mouth. “I’m glad you liked it,” she sat up and kissed him. It was slow and gentle at first, their lips moving languidly. When he kissed her harder, she threaded her hands through his hair, pressing herself further against his hot, slick body.

He cast a simple spell after it was too much to bear. She grasped when hands clutched her waist, moving her around. He settled her amongst the pillows. “You have no idea what it took not to break free of those cuffs and fuck you as animals do.”

However before she could say anything he reached beneath, pinching her clit hard, until it hardly even felt like it was a special nub, but something else entirely. “Now, it's my turn to return the favour.” His looming figure left to reach out into the drawers. He snapped his fingers and a red cloth blinded her. “And torment you in the sweetest way possible.”

Stephen stroked her thighs, gradually sliding his hand up until he touched that heated core of her womanhood.

“Oh, doctor!”

“Do you like that, baby?”

She nodded wordlessly.

He put his head between her legs, nuzzling at first. His beard was a little rough on the insides of her thighs. He stroked her with skilful fingers. Then with his lips, and his tongue, he struck fire. A slow, fat lick brought his tongue to her aching button, and as soon as he touched tip to tip, white light exploded through her. His skilful tongue rubbed, nudged, and poked in a rhythm like a giant pulse. She cried out in astonishment, in appreciation at being touched in that right place.

Y/N’s legs twined about his head and shoulders desperately, she was beginning to buck her hips, beginning to come. She bit her lip to suppress a moan as her skin exploded into flames. Holy fuck, Stephen.

“Let me hear those noises, sweetheart,” he crooned against her sensitive flesh, making her wither under his subsequent licks.

She moaned gutturally, her hands grasping fistfuls of the sheet on either side of her hips as a shudder shook her head to toe.

Stephen smiled and gently began to pet her with his fingers. He glided one finger along the gaping cleft, then very slowly and gently penetrated her. Y/N whimpered. He touched her lightly at first, testing her with one finger, moving carefully. Then he stretched her with two fingers, curling them upward as his thumb began to rub tiny circles. He never took his eyes away from her, listening to her breathing speed as his curled fingers found her spot inside. He bowed his head in admiration, bringing his lips to the top of her inner thigh, teasing her before taking the flesh into his mouth and sucking with abandon, while continuing the movements of his hand. It was an extraordinary combination.

Y/N put her own hands on her breasts and her palms rotated the nipples.

He took her again in his mouth until she was weak and quivering, fondling her breasts until they were swollen with hot blood, the nipples stiff.

She tightened even more around his stroking finger and he increased the speed and depth of the thrusts. She reached the peak swiftly, spasms of her pleasure shuddering through her entire body, pelvis rising from the bed as if seeking something in the air.

He reached up his free hand to rub her quivering belly and fondle her breasts. She jerked and made a little sound, and he raised his head to look down at her. Heat bloomed over her cheeks as his thumb brushed over her nipple.

Yes,” she whispered, all her senses hyper-focused on the overwhelming touches.

Stephen kissed her, his mouth skimming over her taut abdomen.

“Harder,” she pleaded but he paid no heads.

He was kneading her breast gently, and when his mouth finally reached her nipple and closed over it, she moaned and clutched at his shoulders, her hip bucking against his fingers, her senses nearly drowned by the waves and waves of burning pleasure.

Along with those waves came those strange creatures: gratitude and hunger. Gratitude at being touched in the right place, in the way, at the right time. Hunger for something she was after, something she was trying to achieve, and there was always the danger that she’d miss it, wouldn’t find it, or get hold of it. She couldn’t get enough of him. It felt like a punishment.

A silent invisible wave squeezed and squeezed her hot throbbing sex. She felt her entire abdominal area cramp as it would during her period. It was like the sweet torment he had warned her about. Anytime now, she thought, I would burst like a sea fish held under the tap water.

The entire torrent, the pulsing flood of sensation, sent her over an unseen barrier, and she slid, throbbing, down, down, down into hot squeezing pulsing incognizance.

“Oh my God, Stephen,” she squealed as a spray of fluid came gushing out of her pussy and soaked the sheets beneath them.

“Had told you,” he whispered near her ear, “I could do better.”

After regaining some of her senses, she tugged free of the blindfold. As her eyes adjusted, she saw him emerging from the washroom, drying his hands in a towel.

“I’m so sorry,” Y/N said, tears blurring her vision.

Stephen immediately went to her on the bed and scooped her up into his strong arms. “What's the matter, baby?”

“The bed’s a mess,” she cried, burying her face in her hands, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s just a little wet, it’s no big deal. Are you…are you embarrassed about squirting?”

He watched her face turn red with shame beneath her hands, and he gently pulled them away from her face, shaking his head at her.

“No, no. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I loved it. It’s so fucking hot. It meant I had given you the most pleasure.”

Once he was sure she was over the edge, he asked her to lie on her stomach and wait for him. He held an unfamiliar bottle, squeezing out a generous amount of lube into his palm, then bending over and rummaging through his toys.

She swallowed hard glancing at the beaded silicone toy, “I couldn't take that…”

“Have you ever tried?”

She shook her head.

“It won't be nasty,” he said, “trust me.”

“I want to but that thing is scary.”

He obliged, tossing it back from where it came and settled, parting her legs.

“Tell me when it gets uncomfortable,” he said, sliding his fingers between her legs. She nodded into the pillow, mumbling okay.

The fingers of his right hand trailed through her cleft, gathering up her arousal, and then continued its indecent path up, slipping between her cheeks. He swirled over the taboo spot, each circle smaller than the previous one until the tip of his index finger was there, pushing gently to gain entrance.

“How does it feel?”

“Weird.”

Her breath came out stuttered. He was naughty and corrupt. But he stopped the movements at once.

“There are a lot of nerve endings here.” His finger resumed its swirling, proving his point. “Trust me sweetheart I won’t be doing anything that could remotely hurt you. And I would stop whenever you want me to.”

“Okay,” she murmured.

A shudder rolled down her body as his finger probed the ring of muscles.

“Squeeze and relax,” he guided.

She did as instructed, making little ‘uhs’, as his finger slipped through the virgin muscles of her asshole.

Shame and euphoria battled in her mind as his finger slowly, gently thrusted in her. Her thoughts swirled wondering how she ended up here. She was supposed to be on the giving end. Giving him penance. Instead, he was in charge, finger fucking her ass.

With no warning, she climbed the cliff and jumped off as heat bloomed from deep within her.

Y/N felt tired and sore but she didn’t care. She couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted him inside her. She wanted the ache. She wanted to squeeze him in. She wanted to watch his face. She wanted him in ways she had never wanted anyone before. It was like something had been invented. By him in that very bed. Or something he had unleashed. It was something raw she couldn’t put her finger on.

Finally, when he returned to her side, she got on top of him like her original plan. Her palms rested on his chest, as her hips moved to press and rub her swollen lips against his groin.

She’d never done it before. And couldn’t really believe she was doing this. It felt like she was in charge.

He watched with a hooded gaze as she reached back, held him and tried to put him in.

“Condom,” he reminded her but she denied it.

“I’m clean of STDs if that’s what you are worried about,” she spoke, guiding him in. She was so hot and wet, he slipped in faster and deeper than she anticipated.

“The way you came over my fingers, I can guarantee that you have barely ever fucked anyone.”

She snorted and squeezed her muscles making him hiss.

“I don't want you to get preg-”

“I’m on birth control for medical reasons.” She squeezed him again, “Can you come? Just from this?”

Stephen smirked. “I might if you try harder and longer.”

She continued to clench around him, rotating her hips, and rocking softly until he went mad. He bucked, splitting her in two. His hand flew to her waist, holding her body, lifted her off and drove her down impaling on his cock.

One thrust was enough to have her addicted, he knew that well, so he let his hands rest under his head.

She repeated the action, again and again, ramming herself down on him. Her thighs burned with the exertion. Sweat dampened her forehead and hair as she rode him, her breasts bouncing between the force of gravity and the thrusts. However, she was getting fatigued.

She gave in when his strong, capable hands wrapped around her and pulled him closer towards him. Her head rested on his chest as his hands caressed her back. Then he slammed into her, so deeply, she thought it couldn’t be possible. Wordlessly he proved her mistaken as he did it again and likewise. It felt like he was making her from the inside out. He speared her, plunged inside her, crushing her into him.

She was close and could tell by the way the muscles in his chest tightened, he was close too. She saw his jaw bulging as he gritted his teeth, trying to keep from coming as long as he could. She wanted him to come. To lose control. Just like she had.

Closing her eyes, Y/N channelled the heat of her orgasm to squeeze him, and at just that moment, she felt his cock jump inside my body, seemingly growing even bigger than it had been, then half a second later blasting his hot semen inside her.

Somehow, after many minutes of silence, they smiled at each other and laughed.

“We should do it another time at least,” she said, finger doodling on his bicep.

“Studying or having sex?”

“Both,” Y/N replied, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

Stephen hummed in agreement, “We should do it regularly.”

Tags: @lady-harvey @thearcadeyel @butchers-girl @newavenger

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bluegalaxygirl · 1 year

Text

Blizzard Castle (Zosan X reader) Part 1

Zoro X Sanji X Reader, poly relationship, established relationship, reader is Female (Sorry)

Plot: A vampire has their sights set on reader capturing them and taking them to his castle. It up to Sanji and Zoro to save them.

Warning: Bad language, violence, blood, seduction, Trigger warning reader not in control of their body.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

3 AM, everyone on the Sunny is asleep in their beds except Usopp who's in the crows nest supposed to be keep watch but is in fact fast asleep. A large blanket wrapped around him to protect him from the constant light snow fall and freezing cold winds making his exposed nose turn red. The Straw Hat crew made it to the snowy island very late at night, a blizzard of snow making it hard to see but with Nami's expertise they managed to dock and decided to explore the island in the morning.

The large shared bed was warm and cozy as you lay there asleep, Sanji's arm around you and your back pressed against his warm bare chest his forehead pressed up against your shoulder blade while Zoro slept behind him in a star shape position snoring away. The sound of his snoring was hardly heard over the howling of the wind and a light whistle. The whistle was strange though, it was almost like a tune not something the wind would make. Starting to wake you didn't realize your body started moving on its own grabbing Sanji's arms and lightly pulling it off of you as your legs moves to hang off the side of the bed. You sat up feeling light-headed, the whistling getting louder but it was soothing, calling to you and your body couldn't help but be drawn to it. Pushing the sheet off you your body stood on its own and started walking towards the bedroom door, a sense of calm washed over you even though you knew something was wrong and hoped that this was all just a dream. Your hand reached for the door nob, turning it and opening the bedroom door freezing cold wind hitting you but your body didn't shiver, your bare feet stepped out of the room meeting cold wet wood where snow had fallen but not stuck.

Closing the door behind you your night dress fluttered in the wind leaving your legs and bare feet exposed to the freezing cold winds and the now heavy snow fall. Walking to the railing of the ship you realized threw the thick mist of snow there was a large figure standing on the railing. Their hand reached out, long black nails attached to white skin took your hand and effortlessly pulled you up and into his arms. Now up close you could see his face, he was beautiful, chiseled chin and jawline, white skin almost like snow with pink lips and piercing gold eyes that never once strayed away from your own eyes. He let out a whistle the same one you've been hearing a beautiful sound coming form a beautiful man, another wave of calm washed over you as he leaned down smelled your neck "Eleanor" he whispered into your neck. It wasn't your name but your mind and body didn't seem to care your hand making its way up into the mans short jet black hair. "Sleep my dear" His light voice ordered and your body obeyed, eyes closing and falling into a deep sleep as the man pulled you closer stepping off the ship.

8 AM, Sanji wakes facing an empty part of the bed, his hand runs over the cold sheet before looking at the clock. He shoots up realizing he's slept in and the others are probably waiting for him to make breakfast but his sudden action wake Zoro up who sits up and rubs his eyes. "What?" the swords man asks feeling groggy watching his boyfriend frantically get out of bed trying to take off his night clothes and replace them with his day cloths "It 8, i slept in" Sanji struggles trying to get his pants on "Where's Y/N?" Zoro asks sitting on the edge of the bed and stretching his arms up over his head with a large yawn "I don't know, i thought she would have woken me though" brushing his hair and putting on some cologne Sanji quickly kisses Zoro and the cheek before rushing out their bedroom door. The cold wind hit his face but the snow fall was gone leaving no snow on the deck of the sunny just a little bit of water, he didn't take much note of it though heading to the kitchen seeing Nami and Robin come out of their room looking very tired "Morning Sanji" they both greeted Sanji giving them a big smile while rushing to the kitchen.

Opening the kitchen door he was about to greet his love but you weren't there, your always in the kitchen of a morning at the counter reading the news with a cut of tea or coffee but it was empty and quiet. With Nami and Robin walking in behind him they looked around confused seeing no food ready "Ur... Sanji?" Nami asks snapping Sanji out of his confused state. "Have you two seen Y/N?" Sanji asks walking into his kitchen area and placing a hand on the kettle, it was cold which means you didn't come to the kitchen this morning. "No we just woke up. strange night though, i dont feel rested at all" Robin answers sitting down at the table while Nami does the same yawning. The kitchen door opens the rest of the crew coming, the normally loud Luffy was quiet rubbing his eyes not having enough energy to call out for food. The crew sat down at their spots on the table, Brook and Chopper falling back asleep at the table. Last in was Usopp the blanket still around him and a bright red nose from the cold. "Hay did any of you hear that strange sound last night?" Usopp asks walking to his seat and flopping down into it "Now that you mention it i did. it was whistle right?" Nami answers putting her finger to her lips trying to recall last night "Yea i heard it as well. I wanted to get up and investigate but i couldn't. i thought i was dreaming" Luffy groggily answers his chin slumped on the table his eyes slowly opening and closing.

The pit in Sanji's stomach got bigger remembering last night. He heard it too and felt you get up, but he couldn't move, he couldn't even open his eyes. Zoro looked over the cook seeing the worried look on his face, it hit him at that moment, you weren't here with them and last night during the whistling the bedroom door opened and closed, Did you leave?. "Somethings wrong, Y/N not here" Zoro piped up catching everyone attention snapping Chopper and Brook out of their sleeping state. Robin placed her thumb and index finger under her chin humming in thought "A missing crew mate, a blizzard leaving no snow behind, all the crew sleeping in late, a state of sleep paralysis and strange whistling" stating all the facts out loud make Usopp, Chopper and Brook all yell out in unison "MONSTER" Chopper leaped over the table to cling onto Usopp and Brook. "For god's sake will you three knock it off" Nami yells out scaring the three more while Robin laughed "Maybe the village will know more" Robin suggested everyone nodding. "Ok lets go then" Luffy stood up adjusting his hat with a smile seeming to be more awake now "What about breakfast?" Franky asks finally speaking only to feel two pairs of burning eyes on him. Sanji and Zoro looked at him with anger ready to kill him only for Luffy to let out a laugh "One of my crew is missing, I'll eat while were out looking"

After getting dressed on warm cloths the crew set off splitting up to look around taking small snail phones with them. Nami, Luffy and Franky went into the market mainly, so they could get Luffy something to eat, Robin and Chopper went to the library and doctors office. Zoro and Sanji went to the town hall and farm land at the edge of town while Brook and Us opp stayed with the sunny and asked around the docks. The island was strange, with all the snow fall from last night there wasn't much snow on the ground, there was still a very cold wind blowing but the snowy ground only went up to the sole of their shoes. Old cottages and big greenhouses took up most of the town along with a big church in the middle. Sanji and Zoro made their way into the town hall, the inside being much warmer than outside, a young lady sat at her desk writing away on a piece of paper with letters stacked from the floor to the ceiling. "Hay" Zoro blurted out catching the lady off guard "Zoro, don't scare the lady" Sanji yelled the swords man just rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. "Im sorry for his rudeness, i was hoping we could get your help" the cook bows down taking the lady's hand and kisses it, the action making the young woman blush but not pull away "Oh i-im more than happy to help" she stutters flustered by Sanji's charm "One of our crew, my lovely Y/N went missing last night, and we can't find her. Do you happen to know where she might have gone?" he asks only for the lady to pull her hand out of his her smile fading into a frown "Im sorry i can't help you." she tries hiding her face only for Zoro to slam his hand down on the desk "You know something" the yelling seems to catch someone else attention, a much older man comes out of a back office looking at the two men "Do you mind not making so much noise" His deep voice growled causing the young girl stand up and walk over to him whispering something in his ear.

What she didn't realize was Zoro and Sanji had excellent hearing "Their looking for the girl" At those words Zoro pulls his swords out anger filling his body, they knew where you were but trying to hide it from them. Sanji's eyes blaze glaring at the man in front of them "Don't hurt the lady, Zoro" As much as he hated the girl lying to them he couldn't hurt her instead turning his anger on the man kicking him into the wall. Screams came from the young girl watching her boss get kicked across the room. "Out the way" Zoro's voice order the girl her running into the office and closing the door while the two boys walked over to the slumped man "Where is she?" They both asked in unison, their eyes dark ready to kill if need be. The man looked up shaking "I-I don't know" he tried getting out only for Zoro's sword to stab the wall right next to his face a small cut appearing on his cheek. "Don't lie. where is she?" Zoro asks again Sanji raising his leg up ready to kick the man into the next life "Please... just... He has her ok... he'll leave us alone now.. so please just leave her here" The man blurts out tears streaming down his face. "Who? I'll kill him for touching her" Sanji asks wanting answers, how dare another man touch you and take you away form them.

The door to the office opens slowly the young girl stepping out "Talon, he lives in the castle up in the mountains" Sanji puts his foot down walking over to the now crying girl. He places a hand on her head bending down to meet her face "Thank you" he whispers only for the girl to hug him "You'll kill him right? You'll end it?" she asks making both boys confused "I guess we should explain the situation" the man on the ground slowly gets up leaning against the wall for support once Zoro takes his sword out of the wall and puts it back in its sheath. "He's a vampire, one of the last true vampires, he came here and settled with his human wife, our great great grandparents found out what he was and tried to kill him but failed killing his wife instead. Ever since then he's been torturing us, twice a year we have to present a girl to him, and he takes them never to be seen again but last night was different. He showed up with a girl in his arms one we've never seen before. He promised to leave us alone if we left him alone and made sure no one came after them" Zoro and Sanji stared in disbelief they've seen a few things on their journey but never a vampire "It doesn't matter what he is or what he wants. were getting Y/N back" Zoro states turning to Sanji who nods and pulls away form the girl "Right, lets get our love back"

#zoro x reader #polly relationship #roronoa zoro #sanji x zoro #vinsmoke sanji #sanji x reader #zosan #zosan x reader #one piece zosan #halloween #one piece #zoro x sanji x reader #one piece imagine #zoro roronoa

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differentpostrebel · 14 days

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Lost and Found: A Pirate's Promise

The first gif cause Sanji is fine in this Gif, and the second gif adds to the story also lmfaooo

Chapter 28: A Dangerous Gamble

A/N: We are back at it again with another chapter! Don’t worry you guys I’m still creating that masterlist. But when I tell you the next chapters are cooking! Like we getting, all of the action. also Ive been seeing alot of edits on TT with these guys along with a few more I have in store and when I tell you I went FERALLLL!!!! Like someone hold me! Thank you guys so much for the follows, the likes, the comments, the interactions just everything! I cant wait for you guys to read what I have in store! But without further ado, let the adventure begin!

Word Count: 6.2K

Sanji X Reader, Sanji X Y/N, One Piece X Reader

Sanji POV..

“Yeah, we barely escaped, both the Navy and Doflamingo,” I spoke to Usopp via the transponder snail, my voice tinged with frustration. “Also, have any of you guys seen or even heard from Y/N?” My heart raced with worry.

“Wait, why? What happened?!” Usopp's voice cracked with concern.

“I lost her... and no one knows where she is,” I admitted, my hands tightening around the snail. “Doflamingo has something planned for her, and it pains me that I’m not there with her.”

Usopp’s expression turned grave. “We’ll find her, Sanji. We have to. Don’t lose hope.”

“I’m trying not to,” I said, “but it’s hard when I can’t even get a lead on where she might be. Every moment counts.”

“What's worse is we’re heading to Zou, so I won’t be able to kick some ass in order to find her,” I said into the transponder snail, taking a drag of my cigarette. My frustration was evident in my voice.

“What? Sanji, you’re not planning on leaving us here?!” Usopp’s voice came through, filled with alarm.

“Hold on a minute,” Franky’s voice interrupted, “What are Luffy and Law up to?”

As I was about to respond, I heard Franky’s question. “Zoro and Kinemon are outside the Colosseum trying to find Luffy so they can bring him up to speed. After that, they’re going to look for Y/N.”

“And Law?” Franky asked.

“Well…”

Law POV…

With the Sunny crew heading to Zou and the remaining Straw Hats carrying out their plan, I made my way to the bridge with Giolla. The blade was close to her neck, a constant reminder of the precarious situation we were in. My mind kept drifting to Y/N. I can only hope you are safe and far from Doflamingo’s grasp, I thought.

Footsteps echoed closer, the fog obscuring the figure’s approach. I tightened my grip on my sword, preparing for whatever was to come. As Doflamingo emerged from the mist, his mocking tone cut through the air.

“What’s the point in letting half of the Straw Hats escape?” he taunted. “The rest of them are still in Dressrosa. All I have to do is hold them hostage, and they'll hand me Caesar in exchange for them.”

“Many have underestimated them and paid the price,” I replied defiantly. “Do you really want to add your name to that list?”

“At any rate, my pirate alliance with the Straw Hat crew is coming to its natural conclusion. Do I have to spell it out for you? From the moment I met up with them, I was using them. They'll be destroying the SMILE factory, and as much as I want to revel in killing you, Kaido is going to do that anyway.” I retorted, gripping my blade tighter. “Beside, I want to make you pay for what you did thirteen years ago” I said, my anger evident.

“Make me pay... for what happened to you thirteen years ago?” “Come on, Law. Holding Giolla hostage isn’t going to change anything.” Doflamingo’s laugh was chilling.

“You're right. That’s not all you lost. With Caesar gone, you no longer have a hold on the SMILE factory,” I said, my voice dripping with contempt.

Doflamingo’s smirk widened. “My, you are still mad. Grudges aren’t good for your health, you know.”

“This isn’t a grudge,” I retorted, my eyes burning with determination. “I’m seeing his dream through to the end!”

With that, I launched a series of relentless attacks at Doflamingo. Each strike was fueled by the anger and frustration I felt

Sanji POV…

“You better protect my sweet Robin, understand, Usopp!” I said into the transponder snail, the urgency in my voice unmistakable. “And also, keep an eye out for my Y/N!” I added, as I took a drag of my cigarette. I hung up the call, letting out a long sigh. “This anxiety is killing me,” I thought, running my fingers through my hair. “Y/N could be hurt, injured, or worse…”

I shook those thoughts out of my head, trying to stay focused. “Is everything okay, Sanji?” Chopper asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I was just making sure that Robin is safe since she’s with Franky and Usopp right now. I wanted to let them know to keep an eye out for Y/N if they see her,” I explained, my voice tinged with worry.

“Okay, so if Kinemon and Zoro are with Luffy, that means they would need to find Y/N, right?” Chopper said, trying to piece things together.

“Well, knowing mosshead, that’s going to take 50 years, since he’s lousy with directions,” I grumbled. “Damn it! I knew I should have stuck with my gut and stayed.” I grabbed at my hair, a habit I developed when smoking didn’t ease my anxiety anymore.

“I’m awfully worried about Traffy and Y/N, though,” Chopper said, his voice low.

“Traffy is a big boy; he can handle it,” I replied. “Y/N, although I know she can handle anything, knowing what that creep wanted to do to her and what he planned on doing to her makes me sick.” I clenched my hands, the frustration and helplessness boiling within me.

Momo began recounting a memory he had of Doflamingo, but my mind drifted away to thoughts of someone who wasn't Y/N. “Ahh, why are you happy?!” he exclaimed, breaking through my reverie.

“Don’t worry, being taken hostage isn’t all bad, especially when it’s a beautiful woman doing it,” I said, swooning with a blush on my cheeks.

“You’re obviously thinking about something else; at least pretend to care!” Momo chided.

“That reminds me, Violet said she’d be okay too,” I said, as my mind wandered to our last moments together.

Flashback

“I’ll be fine. I talked to my friend, and I’m certain the government will protect me,” Violet said, as we rode the toy horse together.

“Really?” I asked, still concerned.

“Just trust me,” she said with a reassuring smile.

“Okay, I’d feel better if I could go along with you, but as long as you’re safe, I…” I started to say before Violet reached for my hand.

“You’ve done enough. How can I ever show you my gratitude?” she asked, her eyes filled with sincerity.

I blushed at her words. “Well, you could give me a kiss on the cheek, and then maybe a little kiss on the lips,” I said, my voice tinged with shyness.

With that, I felt the warm impact of Violet’s lips on mine. The kiss was soft but filled with gratitude. I was about to ask for more when Violet suddenly pulled away.

“Oh no, it would seem your ship is under attack by flying fish!” she exclaimed.

“What! What are those?!” I shouted, bewildered.

“No time; you must go!” she urged.

As I skywalked into the sky, leaving Violet behind, I headed back to the Sunny, the urgency of the situation driving me forward.

Flashback end

I sighed deeply, shaking the memory from my mind. “I hope Violet is okay,” I muttered.

Zoro POV…

Ten minutes before Y/N called…

“Hey!! I’m up here! You guys wanted to talk to me!” Luffy yelled, his voice echoing through the Colosseum.

“Luffy! Quiet down! We don’t want anybody to hear!” I yelled back, trying to keep my frustration in check.

Luffy laughed, clearly unbothered. “Wow, sorry! I was just happy to see you!”

“Ahh, so you met with the green-haired man. At first, I was apprehensive about trusting him, but he seemed quite eager to offer his assistance,” Kinemon said, his gaze scanning the area.

“Where is he now?” I demanded, trying to keep my focus sharp.

“I don’t know. He just, like, passed out…” Luffy said, sounding somewhat unconcerned.

“Passed out?! What the hell is wrong with him?!” I exclaimed, my frustration mounting.

“Hey, by the way, have you seen Y/N yet?” Luffy asked, changing the subject.

“Actually, yeah. She just called,” I said, trying to keep my tone steady.

“Really?!” Luffy’s eyes widened. “What did she say?”

“Something about her being safe and that she’ll call back in a few minutes,” I replied. “I’m worried about her, Luffy. She said she was chased down by three men block after block.”

Luffy’s expression shifted to one of concern. “Three men, huh? That doesn’t sound good. We need to find her as soon as possible.”

“I agree,” I said, my voice grim. Just then, a call from my transponder snail went through.

“Hello?! Y/N?!” I said urgently.

“Y/N?! Where have you been?!” Luffy’s voice crackled through the line, his grin evident even over the transponder snail.

“Hey, Captain. How’s it going? I was checking on your fight. I wish I was there to kick some ass too!” Y/N said, her laughter coming through, which was oddly comforting.

“Same here, Y/N,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm even though my concern for her was growing.

Y/N began to explain that Doflamingo had been tracking her since she arrived and that three men had been chasing her block after block. My rage spiked with every word.

“Where are you?!” Luffy demanded, his tone sharper than usual. It was one thing to mess with him, but to mess with his crewmate was a whole other story.

“Don’t worry, Luffy. I’m safe. I’m with…” Y/N said, but I couldn’t quite catch the last part. Her voice was muffled, and it sounded like she was with someone, but the connection was poor.

“I have a plan, but I want to ask your permission first,” she continued.

“What’s the plan?” Luffy asked, his focus entirely on the call now.

“I’m going to have Doflamingo take me to his palace,” Y/N said, calm but with an edge of seriousness that instantly put me on alert.

“Wait... AS IN KIDNAPPED?!” I yelled, my voice immediately rising. “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?!”

“Yes, as in kidnapped,” she replied, unfazed. “I need to draw him away from the Colosseum. Once I’m in the palace, I’ll try to dismantle his operation from the inside. It’ll buy you guys time to get there so we can finish the job.”

“This is insane!” I snapped. “You’re not just walking into a trap—you’re running into it! How many things can go wrong here, Y/N? Do we need to pull out the list? You’re going up against a warlord who is psychotic, you could get thrown in a dungeon, or worse! And we won’t even know where you are!”

There was a pause, then Y/N responded with that annoying calmness. “I know the risks, Zoro. But it’s the only way to distract him long enough for you guys to make your move.”

Luffy, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly chimed in. “Y/N, this is risky, even for you...”

“I know,” she answered, her voice steady. “But I can do this. If I can get him off the streets and into the palace, it’ll give us the upper hand. You just need to trust me.”

“Trust you?” I scoffed, rubbing the back of my neck in frustration. “I trust you, but this plan is reckless even by your standards! Do you even know what you're up against?”

Another pause, and then Y/N let out a small laugh, which irritated me even more. “Zoro, I’ll be fine. Just make sure you guys get to the palace. I’ll be waiting.”

Before I could protest more, Luffy jumped in, cutting me off mid-sentence. “Okay, Y/N. If that’s what you want, we’ll trust you. But you better be careful! We’ll get there as soon as I figure a way out of this Colosseum.”

I clenched my fists, not fully convinced. “This is still a terrible idea... If anything happens to you, I’m coming to drag your reckless ass out of there myself.”

Y/N’s voice lightened, trying to ease the tension. “I know you will, Zoro. But you won’t have to. Just be ready when it’s time.”

The call ended with that, and I stood there, my frustration boiling under the surface.

“Damn it, why does she always have to make things difficult?” I muttered.

Luffy turned to me, his expression serious. “We gotta trust her. She wouldn’t do this if she didn’t believe it would work.”

I sighed, still irritated. “I don’t like it. But if Y/N’s already in, we need to make sure we’re ready to follow through. This is going to get messy.”

Law POV…

I struggled to stay on my feet, each breath feeling heavier than the last. The pain in my knees throbbed with every movement, but the thought of Y/N—captured, helpless—burned in my mind like a raging fire. I couldn’t let her be taken. Not her. Not after everything.

Doflamingo’s laughter grated on my ears, his voice full of mockery. “You look like you’re about to collapse, Law. Just how much longer do you think you can keep this up?”

I glared up at him, blood dripping from my wounds, but my focus was elsewhere—on Y/N. She was out there, trapped in his twisted web, and I was running out of time to save her. My hands tightened around my sword, trembling from the exhaustion.

“You can mock me all you want, Doflamingo,” I growled, my voice low but filled with fury. “But I’m not done yet. I’ll tear you apart before I let you lay another hand on her.”

But my body betrayed me. I could feel my stamina slipping away, the strength in my legs faltering. “Room!” I called out once more, though my powers flickered, weaker now. I felt my ability straining to stay active, but I refused to stop.

Doflamingo smirked, casually flicking away my efforts like they were nothing. “Pathetic,” he said. “But keep struggling, Law. It’s amusing to watch you crawl while I’ve already won.”

His words pierced through the fog of pain in my mind. I knew what he wanted—he wanted to see me suffer, to see me broken before he took Y/N away forever. The thought sent a surge of rage through me. I won’t give him that satisfaction.

I tried again, pushing my body to its limit. My sword swung, aiming for him, but Doflamingo dodged it effortlessly, almost playfully. His string bullets followed, slamming into my legs again, sending me crashing to the ground.

The pain was blinding, but worse than that was the sickening feeling of helplessness creeping in. I bit down hard, forcing myself not to scream, but I could barely move.

Then, his transponder snail rang, cutting through the chaos. I looked up through blurry vision, seeing Doflamingo’s smirk widen as he answered the call.

"Hello, this better be important," he said, his voice dripping with malice. The words that followed made my blood run cold.

"Sir, we got her… we got the girl, young master!" came the voice on the other end.

I froze, my heart pounding so hard it drowned out the sound of everything else. Y/N. No. This can’t be happening. She can’t be in his hands.

Doflamingo's laugh cut through me like a blade. "I knew she couldn’t run forever. Tied up nice and snug, is she?"

“Yeah, she is. She's tied up. Meet us at the Colosseum at the front, so you can take her,” the voice said.

Doflamingo’s eyes glinted with sadistic glee as he hung up. He turned to me, relishing in my helplessness. “You hear that, Law? Looks like your little princess is mine now. And you? You’re going to watch me take her. Let’s head to the Coliseum, I want you to see her all tied up, broken, and realize that you couldn’t save her.”

The weight of those words crushed me. Y/N. My breath hitched, my vision narrowing to a tunnel of fury and desperation. I forced myself to move, despite the pain, despite the exhaustion.

But unfortunately, Doflamingo launched one more attack, his strings cutting through the air with deadly precision, and before I could react, my body gave out and fell to the ground, powerless. As darkness crept in, the last thing I saw was his cruel smile, and the only thought in my mind was that I had failed her.

Zoro POV…

"Hey, mosshead! Any updates on Y/N?" Sanji's voice crackled through the transponder snail, sounding as impatient as ever.

I rolled my eyes at the snail, which mimicked his curly eyebrow expression. “Now you listen, curly brow…” I started, but then paused. “Actually, yes. She was able to get in contact with us.”

"WHAT? You did?!” Sanji's voice shot up an octave, panic immediately kicking in. “Is she okay? Did Doflamingo do something to her?!”

The transponder snail mimicked Sanji's frantic expression, and I could practically hear the others in the background, freaking out—Chopper, Brook, and Momo wailing in unison.

I sighed, trying to stay calm. “No, she says she’s safe. But…” I hesitated, knowing this was going to cause a scene. “She’s got a reckless plan.”

"RECKLESS PLAN?!" Sanji shouted, his voice nearly causing the snail to vibrate. "Mosshead, what did you say to her? Why didn’t you stop her?!”

“Tch, hey! It’s not my fault, curly brow! She decided this on her own!” I snapped back, gripping the transponder snail like it was his neck.

“Mosshead!” Sanji growled through the snail, his voice dripping with frustration. “What the hell is she thinking?! You didn’t just let her go, did you?! You know how dangerous Doflamingo is!”

I clenched my teeth, trying not to let him get under my skin. “She’s planning to go head-on with Doflamingo,” I said flatly, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

The transponder snail’s eyes widened comically. "SHE'S DOING WHAT?!" Sanji’s voice boomed through the receiver. "Why didn’t you stop her, mosshead?! Do you even understand what Doflamingo is capable of, what he plans on doing to her?!"

I gripped the transponder snail tighter. "You think I didn’t try? She’s as stubborn as hell you idiot! She’s doing this for a reason!"

There was a tense silence, only interrupted by the muffled sounds of Chopper and Brook still panicking in the background. Then Sanji's voice came through again, quieter but no less furious. “If anything happens to her, mosshead… I’ll make you regret not stopping her.”

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of his words. “I know,” I muttered, my voice low. “But if it comes to that, I’ll be the one to cut down Doflamingo. I won’t let her fall.”

Before Sanji could respond, a deafening crash echoed in the distance. I snapped my eyes open, and the transponder snail mimicked Luffy’s frantic expression as his voice boomed through it. "Doflamingo! And Traffy!" he shouted. "What the hell is going on?! Traffy, why are you fighting Mingo?!"

We barely had time to process what Luffy was saying before we saw it. Doflamingo had his gun drawn, pointing it directly at Law.

Bang! The gunshot rang out, and Law’s body jerked back, blood spraying from the wound. “Damn brat,” Doflamingo growled, taking aim again.

Bang! The second shot tore through the air, hitting Law once more, sending him crashing to the ground. I cursed under my breath. “Not good!”

Just as Doflamingo was about to fire a third time, a sudden, blinding yellow light zipped through the chaos, cutting through the tension in the air.

"Get away from him!" a familiar voice yelled, echoing across the battlefield. The bright light morphed into a swift kick, slamming into Doflamingo’s chest and sending him flying into the nearby buildings. The impact was so powerful that the walls exploded into debris, raining down across the area.

As the dust and debris began to settle, a figure stepped forward, racing toward Law, who lay crumpled on the ground, barely clinging to consciousness. “I’m sorry, guys,” the familiar voice called out, softer now, filled with regret. “I was a bit late.”

The figure knelt beside Law, gently cradling his head, their voice trembling slightly. “I’m sorry, Law,” they repeated. “I couldn’t stop the first bullets... but I’m here now.”

As the last of the dust cleared, the blinding yellow light faded, revealing the face of the person who had saved him. My heart skipped a beat, disbelief and relief flooding through me.

"It’s Y/N!" I shouted, my voice filled with a mix of shock and relief.

Y/N POV…

As I watched Zoro and Kin'emon from my hidden spot, my heart raced with anxiety. I knew the odds were against me—this plan had a 95% chance of backfiring—but there was still that 5% hope, and I had to cling to it. My eyes flicked to the Colosseum again. “Sabo should be in there by now,” I thought, trying to reassure myself.

I reached for the two small hidden blades strapped to my sides, pulling them out as I remembered the lesson King had given me about these blades. His voice echoed in my mind, calm and mysterious.

Flashback…

“These blades, although they seem ordinary, can create quite a damaging effect,” he had said as he handed them to me.

I had stared at them skeptically. “So, what do they do?” I had asked, turning them over in my hands.

“They are meant to enhance your skills while helping you channel your abilities,” he explained, leaning back in his chair like it was obvious.

I had been frustrated by his cryptic explanation. “Well, how the hell am I supposed to use this?” I had muttered, annoyed that he was speaking in riddles rather than giving me straight answers.

He had simply smiled. “Once you channel all that energy, you will soon learn of their true purpose.”

End of flashback…

Now, standing in the shadows of the Colosseum, I gripped the blades tighter, trying to channel the energy within me, just as he had instructed. I could feel the familiar warmth building in my hands as a yellow light began to glow faintly around the blades.

Suddenly, a massive impact shook the ground, sending debris flying everywhere. I instinctively covered my face with my arms, the sharp dust and rocks pelting my skin. “Doflamingo must have arrived,�� I thought, heart pounding in anticipation.

But when the dust cleared, my breath caught in my throat. Law. He was lying on the ground, bloodied and unmoving.

“Law?!” I whispered, shock and confusion hitting me like a tidal wave. "What the hell happened to the plan with Caesar? Did it fall through?"

The urgency of the situation took over as I heard two gunshots ring out, echoing through the air. Doflamingo had just shot Law again. My heart pounded as I saw him preparing to strike once more. Without thinking, I lifted my left leg, the yellow light around me intensifying, and dashed toward them.

"Get away from him!" I shouted, channeling all my strength into a kick aimed directly at Doflamingo’s chest. The impact sent him flying back, crashing into nearby buildings. Debris exploded across the area, shrouding everything in dust. As the light around me began to fade, I heard Zoro’s voice, full of disbelief.

"What the hell just happened?" he muttered.

Breathing heavily, I looked down at Law’s battered form. His lips trembled as he muttered broken words: "Cora... Y/N…" My heart clenched as I knelt beside him, cradling his head in my hands. My voice cracked as I whispered, "I'm sorry, Law. I wasn’t here in time to stop the first bullets... but I’m here now." The ache in my chest deepened, seeing him like this.

"Tell us what’s going on, please!" Sanji’s voice rang out through the transponder snail. I barely registered it as Zoro approached me, concern etched on his face.

“Y/N...” Zoro said, his tone more gentle than usual.

"What?! What’s going on?!" Sanji demanded again, his voice filled with panic as it crackled through the transponder snail.

Murmurs began to fill the air around us. I could hear the marine soldiers in the distance.

"She struck a warlord!" one of them gasped in disbelief.

"That’s Princess Y/N, she’s with the Strawhats!" another soldier pointed out, his voice trembling with both shock and admiration.

"No way... she actually landed a clean hit!" whispered another.

Kin’emon approached, bowing slightly in my direction. "It would appear that Lady Y/N has now arrived," he said, his tone filled with admiration and respect.

Before I could respond, Sanji’s frantic voice came through the snail once more. "Let me talk to her! Please!"

Kin’emon moved to hand me the transponder snail, but before I could take it, the sharp crack of a gunshot filled the air. My body tensed.

Doflamingo emerged from the dust, walking toward us slowly, a twisted smirk on his face. "My, my, that kick nearly took me out. I’ve got to hand it to you, princess," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "I’m liking this side of you."

I stood up, my heart burning with anger. "Doflamingo…" I muttered, my grip tightening around my blades.

"Y/N, wait!" Zoro called out, his voice filled with warning.

"Y/N!" Law rasped, barely able to speak, his voice weak but desperate. “Tell me what’s going on?!” Luffy’s voice echoed from the Colosseum

I stared down Doflamingo, my mind racing. The tension was thick in the air, and everything seemed to freeze for a moment. Doflamingo’s smirk deepened as he approached, his voice laced with cruel amusement. "Princess, I was told you were captured, bound like a helpless little bird. It seems my subordinates were mistaken."

I grinned defiantly, reaching into the waistband of my skirt and pulling out a small momento I’d taken from the thugs. "Maybe you should hire better help next time," I said, tossing it at him. It struck his chest, and he glanced down, his amusement flickering into irritation.

"So, you’ve got some fight in you after all," he said, his tone mockingly impressed. "I thought you’d be running by now."

I held my ground, my fingers tightening around the blades, the faint yellow light beginning to glow again. "I hear you’ve been looking for me," I said, my voice steady. "Well, here I am."

Before he could respond, Luffy’s shout rang out from behind the bars. "Hey, Mingo! You’re gonna pay for what you did to Traffy!"

Doflamingo turned slightly, glancing back at Luffy with a smirk. "Law? That little brat used to work for me," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Didn’t he tell you? Some ally you’ve got there."

My breath caught at his words, my gaze flickering to Law, who lay battered and barely conscious. But I couldn’t let this rattle me, not now.

Doflamingo’s attention snapped back to me, his grin widening. "Now, where were we? Ah yes... I was just about to capture you."

He moved forward, his fingers twitching as he prepared his strings. But I wasn’t about to let him think he had control. "Doffy," I said, smirking, "your subordinates—at least the one I knocked out—called you that. Funny, I thought you enjoyed the game of cat and mouse. What’s the fun in capturing me so easily?"

Doflamingo chuckled, clearly entertained by my defiance. "A game, is it? Alright, Princess, let’s play." His fingers twitched, strings flickering in the air. "But remember, I always win."

I clenched my blades tighter, the yellow light flaring to life. "We’ll see about that, Doflamingo. Let’s find out who’s really in control here."

I gritted my teeth, the glow from my blades flaring even brighter. "Kinemon, Zoro, get Traffy out of here!" I barked, my eyes locked on Doflamingo. I lifted my left leg, ready to dash toward him, determined to land a strike.

But just as my blade was about to meet its mark, I felt an immense force slam into my arm, redirecting my attack into the sky. "What the—?" I gasped, trying to react quickly, but the same weight crashed into me again, this time with enough force to send me flying into the Colosseum wall. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, and blood dripped from the corner of my mouth as I slid down to the ground, stunned by the sudden assault.

"Y/N!" I heard Zoro shout, his voice full of alarm as he turned his attention toward me. The weight of everyone's gaze shifted to where I lay, struggling to get back on my feet, the air thick with tension. "Y/N!" Luffys voice cut through the chaos, a note of alarm piercing through as he turned his gaze toward me. For a brief, tense moment, it felt like time itself had slowed, all eyes converging on my injured form. "Are you alright?" Luffy’s voice, filled with concern, crackled through.

I struggled to rise, my body shaking with pain. "Yeah, Luffy, I’m okay," I managed to reply, though my voice was weak. "But what the hell was that technique?"

As I fought to regain my balance, I saw Zoro and Kinemon charging toward Doflamingo. "Pirate Hunter Zoro and Foxfire Kinemon," Doflamingo drawled, his tone mocking. "I also noticed that Momonosuke is unguarded aboard your ship." Kinemon’s face tightened at Doflamingo's words. "Don’t listen to that bastard! We would never let him take Momo," Zoro shouted, his anger palpable.

But before Zoro could strike, the blind man from before intervened, delivering a powerful blow that pinned him down. "Zoro!" I cried out, my heart sinking as the sight of him struggling to break free filled me with dread.

Doflamingo smirked, his eyes gleaming with malevolent amusement as he shifted his focus to Kinemon. With a swift, unexpected move, Doflamingo struck Kinemon, sending him crashing into the ground. "Kinemon!" I cried out, my voice trembling with urgency and frustration.

I struggled to push myself upright, clutching my sides where pain radiated. My grip on the blade tightened, the yellow light and electrical charge flaring brightly. "Hey, Doflamingo!" I called out, lifting my left leg. "Forget about them. This is our game."

Doflamingo’s attention snapped back to me, a cruel smirk spreading across his face. "Ah, my defiant princess," he drawled. "Your spirit is truly something to behold. Once I capture you, you’ll discover just how much fun I can have with someone as spirited as you."

"That’s what you think!" I retorted, gathering all my strength. I dashed toward him, using the momentum to leap into the air and aim a tremor kick at Doflamingo. But as I extended my right leg, it suddenly stopped in mid-air, restrained by an invisible force.

I gritted my teeth, trying to break free from the unseen grip. "What’s going on?" I shouted, my frustration mounting. Doflamingo’s laughter rang out as he floated up to my level, his presence imposing and taunting.

As I tried to attack with my right hand, still clutching the blade, another invisible force wrapped around my wrist, pulling it back. I struggled against the restraints, my heart pounding in my chest.

Doflamingo floated closer, his face mere inches from mine. His gaze was cold and calculating as he gently grasped my chin, forcing me to look directly at him. "So close, my princess. The power of the String-String Fruit is quite remarkable, wouldn’t you agree?" he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. "It allows me to control and manipulate anything I desire." Doflamingo’s smirk widened as he stared into my eyes, his malevolent gaze unwavering. Slowly, he moved his hands from my chin, trailing down to my neck. His touch was cold and commanding, the invisible strings still binding me tightly.

"Ah, such fire," he taunted, his fingers tightening around my throat just enough to remind me of his power. "You really are a fascinating specimen, Princess. The way you fight against the inevitable, it’s almost endearing."

He leaned in closer, his breath warm and disturbing against my skin. "You see, my strings can control everything from the smallest details to the most grandiose displays. And right now, you're tangled in my little game. You're not just my captive; you're my plaything."

I glared at him, the struggle evident in my eyes. "I’m not done yet," I said, my voice resolute despite the pain. "I won’t let you win."

Summoning the last of my strength, I quickly maneuvered my free hand, still clutching the blade. With a swift, decisive motion, I cut through the strong bindings constricting my right hand. The strings fell away, freeing my arm. Without hesitation, I moved to sever the bindings on my right leg, slicing through them with precision. As I fell from the sky, my body propelled downward by gravity, I saw Zoro emerging from the debris, his face filled with determination.

“I got you!” Zoro shouted as he dashed forward, managing to pull me from the perilous height. He caught me in mid-air, his grip firm and reassuring as he guided me safely to the ground.“Thank you, Zoro,” I said, still feeling the tremors of pain as I tried to stand.

Kinemon hurried over, his expression a mix of concern and disbelief. “What’s a navy admiral doing with Doflamingo?” he asked.

My eyes widened in shock. “You mean to tell me that blind man is a navy admiral?” I asked, the revelation hitting me hard.

“Kinemon, is Y/N okay?” Sanji’s voice crackled through the transponder snail, filled with worry.

“Hey Sanji,” I said, trying to stay calm despite the sharp pain. “I’m okay. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Y/N…” Sanji’s voice choked up, filled with worry, but before he could continue, a sharp, searing pain tore through my left shoulder. I cried out, dropping to my knees as the pain overwhelmed me.

“DAMN IT!” I shouted, gritting my teeth, fighting against the agony. I looked down and saw blood trickling from a fresh wound—a bullet had struck me.

Doflamingo’s mocking voice echoed through the chaos. “Ah, look at you, princess. Already on your knees for me,” he sneered, his voice dripping with cruel amusement.

My eyes shifted to where Doflamingo was now holding Law,standing behind the Navy Vice Admiral, a smug grin on his face . “Don’t you dare!” Kinemon shouted, his voice filled with fear and frustration.

I managed to stand, determination burning in my eyes. "If he wants to fight dirty, then fine," I muttered, sheathing my blades. My body still ached, and the sting in my left arm reminded me of the situation’s urgency. Turning towards Zoro, I locked eyes with him. "There’s been a slight change of plans," I said quietly, still clutching my injured arm.

Zoro's brows furrowed. "What change of plans?" His hand was already on his sword, sensing something wasn’t right.

"I’m going to let Doflamingo capture me here." I leaned in closer so only he could hear. “I didn’t expect the Navy Vice Admiral to be involved, which complicates things. But the original plan stays. Capturing me here will still keep the plan in motion."

"Like hell it will!" Zoro snapped, his voice low but brimming with frustration. His grip on his sword tightened as if ready to strike. "You're not doing this alone."

Before he could make a move, I had already stepped forward, forcing myself into the spotlight. "Trust me, Zoro. We don’t have a choice."

“Doflamingo!” I shouted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the pain. “I thought this was our game of cat and mouse. Are you scared already?”

Doflamingo’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement. “Princess, such bravado. I must admit, I enjoy this side of you. It makes the victory all the more satisfying.”

As Doflamingo held Law like a puppet, I clenched my left hand, activating the power of my ring. I leaped into the air, raising my right leg, ready to deliver a powerful tremor kick. But just as I was about to strike, the navy admiral used his power to halt my attack mid-air. I was slammed back to the ground, crashing heavily into the dirt.

“Y/N!” Zoro yelled, his voice full of desperation. “Hold on! I’m coming!”

I struggled to rise. The air around me grew heavy, and invisible strings began to wrap around my body, lifting me off the ground. Doflamingo’s laughter echoed around us, cold and mocking.

“Wake up, Sir Law! Lady Y/N, are you alright?” Kinemon shouted, his voice filled with panic.

“Are you kidding me!” Zoro shouted in frustration, his voice crackling with anger and fear.

Doflamingo’s voice carried a sinister edge as he spoke to Fujitora. “Let’s take this conversation back to the palace. There’s much to discuss, and I’m eager to see how this little game ends.”

As Doflamingo’s strings tightened around me, I came face to face with him once more. His grip was unyielding, the pressure making it hard to breathe. I met his gaze, and despite the pain, a smirk formed on my lips. “Phase 1 of the plan is complete,” I thought to myself as the world around me started to darken.

As I began to slip in and out of consciousness, the smirk on my face remained, a silent declaration of our progress.

Zoro, visibly frustrated, prepared to make another move. But before he could act, the navy forces readied their weapons, their presence creating an impenetrable barrier. Doflamingo’s laughter filled the air, mocking and cold. “Look at that,” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “It seems your friends are in quite the predicament, princess.”

I fought against the strings, trying to regain some control, but it was futile. Doflamingo stepped closer, his face twisted into a sinister grin. “I’m going to savor this. I plan to enjoy every moment of it.”

As I was lifted away, the last thing I heard was Kinemon’s determined voice cutting through the chaos. “Both Sir Law and Lady Y/N have been seized.” The words lingered in my mind as consciousness began to slip away, leaving me with a mix of defiance and resignation.

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