#that class 1-A had no idea about any friendship

[poly-space-nerds]

hmmm thinking about Todoroki and Midoriya being childhood friends where they promised to marry each other so that todoroki could protect midoriya from bullies and he protects todoroki from his dad but one day todoroki just vanished and he doesn’t hear from him again until they end up in UA.

cue todoroki not wanting to get close because he’s still consumed by anger at his father and thinks Izuku won’t want to be his friend anymore since he’s changed so much and ignores him. Midoriya is hurt yet can’t stop thinking about him and the scar on his eye. i.e. they don’t interact in season 1. then sports festival happens and todoroki tells him everything. Midoriya is obvious like ‘i’m always gonna be your friend’ and ‘it’s your power isn’t it?’ while Todoroki is ‘i’m sorry’ and ‘thank you’.

The day after the sports festival has ended and everyone is back in class, Todoroki walks into the classroom, eyes set on Midoriya, gets on one knee and proposes. much to literally everyone else’s confusion.

[kamiversee]

➶-͙˚ ༘✶ 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁*𝘾𝙆 𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏

✧.* CHAPTER 1 || The List

[ { SYPNOSIS } ] ➤ A tale in which Gojo Satoru blackmails you into seducing a list of people to clear his debt. Sounds easy enough, right?

[ { CHAPTER CONTENT } ] ➤ language, blackmail, heavy sexual tension & semi-smut.

[ { WORD COUNT } ] ➤ 4.9k

[ { PAIRINGS } ] ➤ jjk men x f!reader. gojo x f!reader. geto x f!reader. toji x f!reader. choso x f!reader. sukuna x f!reader. nanami x f!reader.

[ [ chapters mlist } ]

——BROKE, BORED, AND HORNY, the average experience for a college student such as yourself. Hardly any money to get by with, nothing to do at three o'clock in the afternoon, and a random pulse of hormones begging for your attention.

With only one class on Wednesday that takes place early in the morning, all your schoolwork taken care of, and your luck in the search of a new job being absolute shit-- you find yourself lacking the funds to go out and do anything to pass the time and sexually frustrated beyond belief.

Your lips part to release a sigh. On days like this, you'd have your roommate to fulfill your boredom as she would usually entertain you with some new story or experience. Between the two of you, she was the one who always had something or someone to do.

There was hardly a day you didn't speak to her about a new event that took place with her and one of her lovers. And if it wasn't about her love/sex life, she'd fill you in on some other miraculous thing that happened to her.

The woman had a lot going on. Unlike you, she could score a new job with ease-- people loved her. She also went to parties and often came home with a bunch of drama to fill you in on.

Now, the two of you weren't besties or anything, and your friendship is built solely on the fact that you live together but, she's the only friend you have. Which is sad considering the fact that you're a great person to be around.

Regardless, you currently lay across your bed, your eyes fixated on the ceiling above as you mentally decide on what it is you should do to pass the time. You had already tried applying for more jobs that you're sure are going to dismiss you like the past ones so now you dwell in thoughts of what to do.

It's random but, there is this undeniable heat pulsing from in between your thighs.

You haven't been laid in months. Hell, men barely glance in your direction for all you know. Nevertheless, you know you're an attractive woman so, as you remain still in your bed lost to your thoughts, a new idea comes to mind.

What if you said fuck school and your, already depleting, social life and just decided to be a stripper or something? After all, they make hella money...

Or what if you decided to go to one of those sites and become a camgirl? People would watch. You'd get money.

But, you'd also be shunned and judged by those at your school. People have a tendency to be all too worried about what others have going on in their lives...

As you think about things further, you know for sure that you don't want to be a prostitute. But at the same time, you need some way to make some cash while you await one of your jobs to accept you.

Too many thoughts swirl around in your mind and you end up letting out a groan of frustration.

"Fuck life..." You mumble to yourself as you extend a hand over to your nearby cellphone.

Raising the device to your face, you decide to push off thoughts of making quick cash and instead figure that you should take care of the constant throbbing coming from between your legs. After a glance at the time, you place your phone back down.

You then take a quick glance around your bedroom, spotting that your door is wide open. You probably should've closed it but, you weren't expecting things to go down the way they did.

Your roommate is in class right now and she's always been on top of her education, despite her promiscuous lifestyle, so you don't expect her to come home for another few hours. Hell, you were texting her about twenty minutes ago-- she'd been ranting to you about how the class was stressing her out.

That aside, you end up leaving your door open, feeling too lazy to go close it, and seeing no point in doing so anyway.

You lay in the middle of your bed and the front door to your apartment is clearly visible with the way your room is set up. Again, your roommate shouldn't be coming home anytime soon.

So with that in mind, you move to relieve yourself. You remove the lower half of your clothing and toss them aside, parting your thighs and quickly going to tend to yourself.

You start slow, giving yourself a bit of a tease, as you close your eyes and envision someone else. There's no one particular in mind but, you still have thoughts of someone aside from yourself assisting you. You think of longer, thicker fingers-- pushing into you at a deeper rate than your own can.

A couple of moans escape you but you're completely unashamed. It's just you after all.

You imagine someone muscular, their body towering over your own, strong hands touching your body in the most perfect ways. As two of your fingers plunge in and out of yourself, you move a free hand to grope your breast-- still imagining another person.

Someone who smells good, and says all the right things, maybe they'd call you a slut or maybe they'd compliment you and tell you how well you're doing... Fuck, you haven't been with someone who meets your desires in a long time.

Your moans steadily grow desperate and louder. You wish you could just call someone and tell them to come over and help you with your situation. Your roommate has that ability-- she hooks up with a lot of people.

You on the other hand do not have that, at all. Instead, you feel almost pathetic as you try to please yourself. It feels good but it's like something's lacking, like you can't get yourself to that blissful feeling. Sure, you'll be satisfied in the end but never to the point where your legs are shaking and you can hardly breathe correctly.

Good sex sounds amazing to you right now. Hell, you'd beg for it at this point. With the way your moaning has grown far louder and your fingers had up their pace, you were getting closer and closer to a simple release.

You'd do anything to have some hot guy say all the right things to you, to coax you through your orgasm, and to even do things beyond your imagination. But, sadly, you lay alone-- fingering yourself with your bedroom door wide open pathetically.

Regardless, your thighs draw together and your back arches off the bed as a higher and more desperate moan leaves your lips.

Then, just as you feel the knot in your core about to release, a voice interrupts you.

"Well, fuck." A man suddenly says, the familiarity of his voice echoing through your apartment as you practically jump out of your skin.

Your soul damn there left your body with the way the male's voice startles you. The covers of your bed are quickly grasped and pulled over your half-naked body as a shriek of surprise leaves you.

"What the fuck?!" You shout, your body now covered beneath your blanket as your eyes frantically fall in the direction of the voice.

The front door to your apartment is open, a tall man stands there, phone in hand, and a surprised look on his face. The worst part about it all wasn't even that you got caught...

It's the fact that you know him. For the man at your front door is none other than Gojo Satoru.

His bright snow-colored hair is beyond noticeable, widened oceanic blue eyes peering in your direction, and a sharp jawline dropped with a little smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

You blink.

Gojo blinks.

Both of you are still and speechless. Embarrassment and shame are running all over you, the feeling so overwhelming that it was as though it were sinking into your veins and crawling all over you. You wanted to disappear from the room, excuse yourself from existence, and just pretend like everything that just happened didn't happen.

You swallow, hard. "W-What the fuck are you doing here?!" You manage to shout out to the man.

Gojo blinks a few more times as if he's trying to gather everything he just heard and saw before his face relaxes and he comes to his senses. The man steps fully into your apartment and shuts the door behind him. His arms extend to the air, putting his hands up defensively.

"Uhm," Gojo lets out a scoff. "Shoko sent me to grab something for her..."

Shoko Ieiri... Your roommate.

Your body is sweating a little and soft pants are leaving you due to what you'd just been in the middle of. Your brows pinch together and narrowed eyes are sent to Gojo. "What the hell, w-why didn't she just call me or something?!" You huff.

Gojo scratches the back of his head and his shoulders raise to a shrug. "She said you wouldn't answer her texts. Plus, I was looking for an excuse to leave class anyway." He explains.

You break eye contact with the man. Gojo and Shoko have an interesting relationship. You only know Gojo because of her, she's had him over a few times but you and him hardly ever speak. The first time you saw him you thought he was hot, hell, you still think he is but, you always assumed he and Shoko had something going on so you never tried anything.

The two are pretty close with each other too, based on what little you've seen. So, technically, it doesn't surprise you that Shoko gave him a key to the apartment. Actually, Gojo's explanation makes perfect sense. Shoko probably forgot something and asked Gojo to come get it for her since you didn't answer her texts and she hates leaving class.

Fuck, this is really embarrassing. After this, there's no way you'll be able to face Gojo properly.

"U-Uhm..." You swallow again, "Sorry you had to walk in on that..." You mumble.

You assume that Gojo doesn't hear you too well since he's far outside your room so you think nothing of it when he paces closer to your bedroom door. Once there, you notice the screen of his phone is on, the device held firmly in his hands.

Your sights raise to his face and suddenly, you notice he's smirking.

"No need to apologize, I am not complaining." Gojo says enthusiastically, "But, you should probably know that I uh... caught your little fiasco on camera."

Your heart sinks into what feels like your toes. "W-What?" You voice out shakily, your eyes wide and your lips parted in shock.

The man snickers, "You look scared..."

"You just told me you caught me on camera!" You shout, "Why wouldn't I be scared?!"

Gojo's eyes lower and he tilts his head, that smirk of his yet to fade away. "What do you think I'm gonna do? Post it?" He responds with sarcasm.

You give him a blank stare. "I don't know!" You huff, "How did you-, no, why did you get me on camera? A-And while we're on that, fucking delete it!" You order.

"Well, I didn't intentionally record you." He informs, "I was trying to record myself, y'know for the ladies, and my camera was turned around." Gojo says casually.

Your face twists up in disgust, "You were trying to record yourself as you walked into my apartment?"

"Hell yeah, you guys have good lighting." He shrugs.

You don't know how exactly to respond to that so you remain quiet for a few seconds. You can't get upset at him for what seems to be a genuine accident so, you let out a sigh and calm yourself down a little.

"Okay, fine, whatever." You say. "I get it was an accident so can you delete it now?"

You expected him to be simple and delete the video, hoping that you guys could truly act like this never happened. But boy were your expectations wrong...

Gojo suddenly starts laughing, the sound causing your unease to return. His face shifts into something mischievous and he holds up his phone, "Now, now, why on earth would I delete such a thing?" He asks you.

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter?" Gojo responds, "I can't believe you actually thought I wouldn't keep this little gem."

Your lashes flutter repetitively in utter disbelief. "Gojo are you kidding me right now?" You scoff, "You recorded me without my consent!"

"So?" Gojo hums in a confused manner.

"So?!" You echo, "That's illegal, you fucking asshole."

"Woah," Gojo motions his hand out to you as if to stop you from doing something, "Watch the tongue, sweetheart. I know it's illegal. But really, what're you going to do? Go the police?" He utters playfully.

You give him a completely blank stare. "Uhm. Yes?!" You shout.

He chuckles, "Okay. Go ahead."

You don't like his response. At all. "I will." You voice out with not an ounce of confidence.

"Okay." He whispers nonchalantly.

Gojo's whole attitude is throwing you off. Why isn't he worried? What does he plan on doing??

"Y-Y'know you'll be arrested right?" You tell him.

He nods, "Mhm, I'm aware."

Slowly, you shift under the covers to grab your sweatpants and slip into them. After which, you remove the blanket and step out of your bed. Gojo still has this smirk on his face and his entire vibe is irritating you.

"I'm serious y'know," You speak as you move towards a pair of slippers, your back to the man. "I'll go report you to the police right now if you don't delete the video."

Gojo raises his phone to his face and taps on the screen. The sounds that emit from his device make your entire body freeze in place. It's you-- your moans can be heard loud and clearly, the sound giving you embarrassment.

"Fuck," Gojo utters, "You kinda sound like a pornstar moaning like that."

You swivel your head around to him with a dangerous glare. "Fucking delete that." You snap.

He doesn't even look up from his phone, enamored by whatever else he caught on camera. The recording plays over and over and you see Gojo bite down on his lower lip as he watches it intently.

"Shit." He curses, his voice low. His blue eyes then flick up to you and you flinch, "You're sexy as hell." He compliments.

His words make your face twist up. Maybe under different circumstances, you would've loved such a compliment but, given the situation, it only pissed you off even more.

"Fuck you, I'm going to the police." You spat, turning away and bending down for your slippers.

"Have fun." Gojo teases.

Okay, you couldn't take it anymore. Something about the fact that he has no fear of getting arrested irks your core. You stand up straight and turn your body to face him.

"Okay, seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? You'll be arrested and go to prison if you keep that video." You emphasize, trying to really get your words through his head.

"Like I said before, I know." Gojo hums in casualty. "But, before I'm arrested and before you even make it to the police... I'll just send this video to every person I know and post it on every platform." He tells you, his words bringing chills to your body.

Fear courses through your bloodstream. "W-Why the hell would you do that?"

"I'm bored," Gojo says plainly. "I need some entertainment in my life and what better entertainment than watching Shoko's roomie get slut-shamed by the whole school?"

"You're..." You struggle for words. "F-Fucking evil."

Gojo clicks his phone off and slides it down into the pocket of his pants. He then takes a single step into your room, "Or.." He begins, his gaze now focused on your face, "You can do me a favor."

The facial expression you hold is nothing short of pissed off as you fold your arms under your chest and continuously glare at him. "What kind of favor-, wait, are you blackmailing me right now??" You scoff.

"I ammm," Gojo drags out, "I'm glad you caught on. Anyways though, it's nothing bad."

"If I do this favor will you delete the video?"

"Of course."

"Alright, what is it?" You question further.

Gojo takes a few more steps closer to you, "Well y'see, I have a little list for you to complete."

"A list?" You repeat. "What kinda list?"

"A list of names," Gojo utters.

"Okay," Your eyes narrow at him as he gets closer and closer to you. "And what am I doing with these names?"

Gojo tips his head to the side and smiles, "Fucking them."

Your eyes go wide, far wider than they had so far. "I'm sorry, what?!"

"What? This doesn't sound exciting to you?" He asks, clearly finding enjoyment in his little plan.

"Hell no! You just told me I have to go fuck some random people on a list in order for you to delete a video of me!! Why would I find that exciting??" You rant.

The sound of Gojo clicking his tongue is heard, "Well, you didn't let me get to the good part..." He says with a little pout.

You give him an expressionless stare, feeling as though this is only going to get worse.

"I'll pay you," Gojo adds.

"What, why?"

"Cause', I'm not that heartless." He sighs. "See, lemme explain again. So, I have this list of names and all you have to do is seduce every person successfully. With each person, I'll pay you..." He hums to think for a second, "A thousand dollars. And then, when the list is complete, I'll delete the video!" Gojo explains cheerfully.

You've never given a person a more crazed look than you are right now. Gojo is insane. Literally insane. He has issues, mentally. He has to. That's the only logical thing behind why he would come up with such a ridiculous scheme. He's a fucking madman.

It takes you a minute but you eventually respond to that. "And if I refuse...?" You ask slowly.

Gojo's smile widens, "Everyone will receive a lovely little video of you."

"Right." You say, your lips pulling into a thin line.

Again, you take a minute before you say anything else. The little game Gojo wants to play with you isn't the worst thing in the world. It's not like he's forcing you to go rob or harm someone... Plus, he's paying you.

"A thousand dollars per person?" You eventually ask.

"Mhm."

"Make it two thousand and we have a deal." You demand as you give the male a firm look.

Despite your look of confidence, you're actually terrified. Gojo's insane, he might just say screw the whole thing and post you for fun-- regardless of the fact that he'll be arrested.

"Are you really in any position to request such a thing?" Gojo asks you.

You abruptly take notice of how close he's gotten to you. From your bedroom door to only one step away from you, Gojo Satoru has found himself in close proximity to your smaller frame. You have to look up at him because of the height difference and you can even smell the freshly scented cologne that clings to his body.

You gulp, "No..."

He smiles down at you. "Y'know what, fine. Two thousand per person it is."

Your face brightens up. At least you're getting something out of this. "T-Thank you." You whisper.

"Mhm." Gojo hums deeply.

The close space between you two is making you see his features more clearly. As stated earlier, you've always found the man attractive but damn he's like something out of a fucking movie. Asshole or not, he's got really pretty eyes, he practically towers over you, he's fit-- you can see veins running down his arms and the shirt he wears is rather tight so his chest is outlined nicely, and he just oozes in sex appeal.

If he hadn't blackmailed you, you would've definitely tried to flirt with him. But, now you stand too scared to do so. Who knows what's going on in the man's mind?

"So," You begin, your voice soft and small. "When can I see this list?"

You've decided to calm yourself after seeing that there was no way out of this so, now you'll speak to him as normal as possible.

Gojo's gaze travels down your body, completely shameless. His focus stays on your tits for a minute, noticing that your nibbles are prominent due to earlier activities. He then looks down to your waist, then your hips, then finally back up to your face-- specifically your lips. They look plump, soft, and pretty in the eyes of Gojo.

He wonders what they'd feel like.

"Soon," Gojo answers to you. "I'll show it to you in a minute, I promise."

You're not sure why he's waiting to show you but you nod. "Okay.."

"In the meantime..." Gojo trails off as he takes that last step, his body now a few inches away from touching yours. "Well," His tone is low as he talks to you. He then raises a hand to your chin and lifts your head a little, his thumb moving to swipe over your bottom lip. "You never got to finish what you were doing... I'm sure that leaves you feeling frustrated."

His small touch makes you shiver. Gojo's hands are so soft, the pad of this thumb pressing into your bottom lip and the look on his face appearing like he wants to do nothing more than devour you.

"I-I'll be fine." You stammer.

He lets out a chuckle. "Really? But you were so desperate a few minutes ago." Gojo then leans closer to you, your breath hitching as he uses the grip on your chin to pull you to him. You can smell a fresh scent of mint leaving his mouth as he speaks due to how close your faces are.

"Poor girl..." He coos sweetly, "You couldn't call anyone to help you, hm?"

Your glance has softened by a lot. It was as though the man were putting you under a spell with the way his touches and words made your mind numb. Is this the same man who just blackmailed you? Why is he looking at you like he can't go another second without feeling you? Gojo's desire for you is so strong it's almost frightening.

"I didn't need help, Gojo." You voice out through gently gritted teeth.

He cocks his head to the side, "But you wanted some, didn't you?"

The way he's read you like a book is annoying. His words are true after all, you did want help. You wanted someone else to please you, it's all you could think about.

You roll your eyes and glance off to the side. "So what if I did? Why do you care?"

Gojo's expression softens. "You could've called me." He suddenly tells you.

His words bring you shock and confusion. You don't even know him that well and you've hardly spoken to him. Aside from the smallest interactions that usually consist of saying hey or him asking you where something is, you guys don't speak.

So what the hell does he mean by that? You have his number but you've only texted in short regards to Shoko, nothing more.

Narrowed and confused eyes are given to Gojo as you return your gaze to fixate on him. "Why would I call you?" You ask him.

Gojo's brows furrow, "Shoko never told you...?"

"Told me what?"

He then snickers, finding something deeply amusing. "Wow. I would assume that after talking about you so much she would've said something."

"Gojo, what the hell are you talking about?" You ask as you hold a straight face.

Gojo's amused expression fades away. It instead turns into something dark, lustful, and almost desperate. His head tilts to the side again and he holds your face up as he leans down-- much closer than before.

Gojo's lips ghost over your own and he gives you a firm glare from beneath low hooded eyes, "I want you." He breathes out.

His confession brings a weakening to your knees and causes your breath to get stuck somewhere in your throat. The seriousness in both his eyes and tone is shocking. He never made any moves on you before, nor did he ever look at you like he wanted you so you're completely confused by him.

Yet, confusion or not, Gojo is serious. He does want you, he always has from the very moment he laid eyes on you.

While you'd been oblivious to it, Gojo has had his eyes on you for months. Every time he comes over with Shoko, his first question is about you and your whereabouts. He never made a move on you before because you hardly gave him the time of day so he figured you weren't interested. Not only that but the man assumed you had a boyfriend for a while.

But here you are now, your eyes wide as you stare at him, pretty lips parted slightly as you struggle to breathe correctly, and completely reduced to nervousness. Gojo's enamored by it. He likes the effect he has on you.

Hell, everything he said about the video earlier was all a bluff. He'd never actually post you all over the place, he holds a deep care for you. And truth be told, Gojo was nervous when you said you were going to go to the police so he just thought as fast as he could-- quickly coming up with the threat of exposing you.

As for the list of names, they're all people that Gojo owes different favors who happen to be in need of some sexual satisfaction. So if he can get you to sleep with them all, not only would you be helping him clear his favorable debt but Gojo would appreciate it dearly.

The blackmailing part just happened to work in his favor but he's really not that evil, even though he pretends to be. But he can't deny the fact that he was feeling bored lately and needed entertainment in his life, and this little list game provided him with exactly that.

You take a deep breath, "You... want me?" You repeat eventually, hardly seeing any truth behind his words.

"You've never seen the way I look at you?" Gojo asks in return, "I want you more than you know." He utters.

You don't want to believe him but you're forced to. He's not lying, you can hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. The only problem is that you can't tell if he wants you sexually or romantically but, you'd prefer the first option at the moment. It'd be a lie to say that the man wasn't turning you on at this very second.

Your mouth opens to speak but he cuts you off. Gojo's thumb pushes to your lower lip again and he keeps your lips parted for him. He then inches impossibly closer, the two of you now sharing breaths. His head is still tilted and you can feel a tingle in your lips as your body awaits him to kiss you. It felt like he was about to and it looked like he wanted to.

Gojo's voice is quiet and seductive in a whisper, "C'mon pretty girl, weren't you fantasizing about someone fucking you?"

Churning is felt in your stomach. Your thoughts are jumbling and you're craving the male strongly. Your lips and his make the faintest contact as you talk, "Gojo I..."

"Plus," He cuts you off. Your eyes are on the verge of shutting and the sexual tension between your lips and his is impossible to ignore for much longer. "I am the first person on that list," Gojo informs you.

You breathe out shakily. "S-So?" You ask.

Gojo slides his hand down from your chin to your neck, his long and slim fingers curling around your throat in an almost possessive manner. "So... why don't we just help each other out?" He purrs.

Chills are slipping down your spine and you feel weak and small in face of Gojo, as if you're ready to just follow along and do whatever he says. Your arousal from earlier has returned to you, this time even worse. It'd be an understatement to say you were pooling in your underwear and the heat is so overwhelming that you've subtly been moving your thighs a little to create the smallest bit of friction.

If sex appeal was a person, it'd be Gojo Satoru. Damn the way he has you horny all over again and not able to think properly without even putting his lips on you yet.

It's almost sad the way a small, "Okay." Escapes you and hits the man's ears.

Gojo had been steadily growing hard since the moment he walked into the apartment and saw you. His mind won't stop replaying your moans or reimagining the look of your legs spread and your fingers inside you. So the second you utter an okay and give him your consent, his cock grows painfully hard within his pants and he too becomes dizzy with arousal.

Thoughts of what the man originally came to the apartment to do have disappeared. Hell, Gojo couldn't care less about what Shoko asked him to get for her. You're the sole thing on his mind right now and he has no intentions on changing that.

GOJO SATORU ☐

mlist || next chpt

[snowy-vee]

ALL MINE (3)

oblivious loser bsf! ellie williams x posesive popular bsf!fem reader

n/a: I may have rushed things! but I prefer to trust the process and cook a little bit more. I hope you all like it. Also, does the taglist works how I've done it or there's another way to do a taglist?

trigger warnings;; mention of vomit (1), idk if catalog it into violence because there's none but intense argue(?

Pt.1 HERE

pt.2 HERE

pt.4 HERE

Inform yourself about what’s happening and how to help! FREE PALESTINE, FREE CONGO.

Ellie was in such a boring class that she barely noticed when it ended and people started to pack up; a few of her classmates were waiting for her at the entrance of the door, so she hurried out with them. They discussed the topics covered in class today as they walked to the dinning hall.

“Ellie!” you called out, causing both her and her classmates to turn; you were on the opposite path from her, so you had to run a bit to reach her side faster. You opened your gym bag and pulled out the folder Ellie had left in your room last night after studying together. “Your folder, you said you needed it today.”

You were dressed in your cheerleading uniform since you had practice right now. Ellie, who had been a little dazed watching the movement of your skirt as you ran, nodded, feeling her cheeks burn, and indeed, you looked so pretty, especially when you said goodbye and turned around, showing the small bow in the back of your hair.

“Sometimes I forget you’re friends with someone so popular. How is it possible that you’re friends with her?” one of them said, mesmerized by your presence, like the rest of the group

“Well, we are, best friends,” Ellie asserted with a smile. It’s true that she was annoyed when people questioned your friendship, but she was happy to have you as a friend, and perhaps she also enjoyed the feeling of envy from others…

“Yeah but she is popular, pretty, hangs out with her kind of cliché, goes to every party invited ¡Hell! She could be an influencer if she wanted to… and you are you”

“Hey, I have my own charm” Ellie said softly feeling a little bit offended “Whatever, we’ve been friend for so many years and that’s what matters”

“Really? Then do you know if the rumours about her and Abby are true? I think it’s the hottest gossip on campus, the cheerleading captain and the captain of the women’s basketball team.”

“They’re all lies, don’t believe any of that. She wouldn’t be with someone like Abby,” Ellie said, dismissing the comments, and she sounded so sure of what she was saying, especially because you assured her of it the same night of the party.

Finally, you had arrived home, you were so tired that as soon as you got to your room, you collapsed on the bed.

“At least change before you throw yourself on the bed,” Ellie leaned against the door of your room. You nodded, kicking off your shoes and getting up to grab your pajamas; you began to undress in front of her, caring little, as it wasn’t the first time.

Ellie, without changing her position, watched as you slowly untied the knot of your top and let it fall, exposing your purple bra, unbuttoning the button of your skirt and slowly lowering the zipper. The skirt fell quickly, revealing your white panties with purple bows matching the bra.

She bit her lip as she looked at your body until she reached your collarbones; there was a hickey, and it looked recent. “Did… Abby do that?”

“Hmm?” You looked at her, she pointed to her collarbone, making you look at yourself in the mirror, seeing the hickey.

‘Shit, I told her not to leave marks.’ you thought rolling your eyes mentally

“Did she do that to you?” Ellie had a slight grimace of disgust as she asked the question, obviously she noticed.

“Of course not! It was some guy I was dancing with.”

“You swear? Because you know that I do not like Abby at all.”

You fucking knew it, that’s why when you were mad at her you used to call Abby. You knew how much it would hurt her, you had no idea why they hated each other and everytime you asked her she said that she had her reasons and was protecting you.

“I swear, I would never do that to you. Abby does want something with me, I think she’s obssesed with me, she’s telling people things that never happen, spreading false rumors,” you sighed as you finished putting on your pajamas, approaching Ellie and putting your hands on her shoulders. “At the party today, she tried to talk to me and go further, but I told her no, to leave me alone, she got really mad and threatened to keep spreading rumors, and I told her I didn’t care.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this? I could’ve defend you.”

“Oh, Ellie, please, I know you can but do you know how many rumors there are about me? I don’t care what others think; I care that you trust me. Do you trust me?”

“Completely,” she smiled before you kissed her on the cheek and let her go while you went to the bathroom to remove your makeup changing the topic.

Ellie smiled too, of course she trusted you, that’s why she was now in front of her classmates denying the rumors, no matter how much you didn’t care, she wasn’t going to let people talk nonsense about you. No one knew you like she did.

“Are you sure? Because Abby has been telling the whole team how much of a naughty bitch, how good she could take her seven inches strap, other nasty things I can’t repeat and that she had video proof…” the guy beside Ellie spoke while looking at his phone.

“What? Unbelievable! Isn’t that like revenge corn?” Another girl said looking at his phone as well.

Her smile dropped. “What did you just say?”

She stopped walking, and with her, the group. The guy who said that showed her his phone, it was a group chat with the football and basketball team, and Abby had sent different pictures that one could only see them once. “You’ve seen them?”

“N-no she hasn’t showed them yet but would do it soon…”

“Can you confirm that she was talking about her”

“It’s pretty much her name and physic description, yeah,” Ellie licked her lips, nodding slowly.

“Does anyone know where Abby is right now?”

(What happened in the fight?)

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

You began to climb the stairs to your floor, Ellie and you lived on the first floor so it took less than a minute, phone in your hand, calling Ellie for the twelfth time. Since you finished practice, you had been calling her to come pick you up without getting a response, not even a message.

By the time you were turning the keys and opening the door, your whole body was filled with worry, but seeing her shoes, you felt a little relieved. “Ellie? Hey, if you’re not going to come pick me up, let me know beforehand! And answer my calls even if it’s just for a second! You had me worried.”

You took off your shoes and left the keys at the entrance, noticing her backpack lying on the floor with all her things scattered about. You sighed, leaving your bag on the kitchen counter and crouching down to start picking up her things. “Ellie?”

You finished picking up and placed everything inside. The door to her room was halfway open, and you could see the light was on. “Don’t you hear me calling your name?”

You entered the room, placing the backpack next to the wardrobe. Ellie was sitting on the edge of her bed with her back to you. The atmosphere felt so tense that it made you involuntarily swallow.

“I want you to be honest with me,” she said in an intimidating tone, suddenly a shiver ran down your spine. “And I want the truth, if you lie to me…”

She let out an incredulous laugh. “If you lie to me again…” Your breath caught, thinking about what lie you had told Ellie, all small except for… Impossible, Abby wouldn’t spill, you had Abby under control.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s wrong?” You tried to approach, but Ellie raised her hand.

“Stay where you are, or move away from there.”

“Ellie-”

“Shut the fuck up!” she interrupted you. “Did you or did you not fuck Abby?”

What you were praying that wasn’t the problem was exactly the problem. You didn’t know where to hide, your legs seemed to want to flee, you wished the ground would swallow you up at that very moment. You tried to say something, but your lips were trembling. Were you going to lie again? No. It was obvious that she already knew everything; she just wanted to hear it from you.

“Did you or did you not fuck Abby?” Ellie repeated the question, now more demanding and intimidating, making your eyes start to fill with tears. You hated confrontations, especially if it was your fault.

“Yes,” you whispered, looking at the ground and clasping your hands, embarrassed by how ashamed you were starting to feel.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

“Oh my fucking god, Ellie! Yes, I fucked her, I fucking did!” you exclaimed, tired of how tense your body was becoming. She nodded slowly, getting up from her bed and turning to face you. “What the fuck? What have you done?”

Her lip was split with dried blood on it, she also had a bruise next to her eye and a split eyebrow. Your concerned face made her chuckle. “If this worries you, you should see Anderson.”

You unconsciously approached, trying to touch the wounds, but Ellie stopped your hand at that moment. You were maintaining such intense eye contact that it seemed like you were communicating. You were asking her to let you clean her wounds and disinfect them; she was asking you how you could betray her like this.

“You lied to my fucking face. Was it funny?” Her grip felt more painful. “What? Were you two laughing at me behind my back?” You two were close, but Ellie started taking steps closer to you, so you had no choice but to take some steps back until your were was pressed against the wall.

“It’s not like that, Ellie… my wrist- you are hurting me,” you said, feeling tears running down your face.

“Not like that? And how the fuck was it?” She screamed, making you feel smaller and making you cry more. “Explain it to me! Because I can’t understand why the fuck my best friend went behind my back to fuck the person I hate the most out of everybody on the fucking earth. Oh God! I knew you were a whore, but I never thought you would sacrifice our friendship for some sex.”

You couldn’t answer as you cried; for a moment, Ellie loosened her grip on your wrist, and you could see her eyes also filling with tears. You couldn’t hate yourself more at that moment.

“Why? I just want to know. There has to be an explanation for you to do this to me.”

“It meant nothing, I swear, it was just a few times, nothing serious,” you tried to excuse yourself, wiping your tears with your hands, but it was useless, they kept falling.

“Did she give you the hickey?” You sighed exhausted, looking at the other side, but she grabbed your jaw, forcing you to face her and look her in the eyes. “Answer.”

You nodded. Ellie let go of you, shaking her head, raising her hands in the air, defeated, watching you slide until you were sitting on the floor.

“Incredible… When was the last time except for the party?”

“That morning… She was the one who drove me to class; we did it on the couch. But then I ignored her once we got to class, that’s why you saw me arguing with her in the hallway.” You didn’t even know why you were giving so much explanation.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Ellie really wanted a clear answer, but it seemed so pathetic to tell her that you were fucking Abby to mentally punish her for annoying you. It was your way of torturing her without her finding out because many things Ellie did annoyed you, especially when she didn’t do things your way. You knew perfectly well how she would react if she found out, but you never thought it would hurt you so much. You shrugged, looking at her; you didn’t know what to say, but you knew what not to say.

“I can’t see you right now,” Ellie said, grabbing her jacket and leaving the room.

“Wait, where are you going?” you asked, almost crawling to follow her. “Ellie!”

You shouted her name, but the door slamming shut was enough to make you shut up and leave you there, alone on the floor, crying, and you could have kept going if it weren’t for the sound of a phone. Ellie’s phone.

You approached the bed where it was, seeing that she was being called. Dina was calling her and also sending messages; you managed to read one above:

Dina<333

Of course, you can come to my house, but are you…

As if someone had kicked you in the stomach, you ran to the bathroom to vomit until you couldn’t anymore. You had pushed Ellie towards Dina yourself.

No, that’s not how the story should continue. Everything was going so well. After the party, Dina started ignoring Ellie all week, and she barely wondered why the raven-haired girl wasn’t talking to her like before, because Ellie was busy looking out for you.

She would leave her classes directly to find you, not giving Abby a chance to talk to you. She accompanied you at the beginning of your classes even if it meant she was late for hers… She was there for you 24/7, and it was so perfect for you. What was the mistake you made? Did you make it, or was it Abby? It was her. She ruined your precious environment and your relationship with Ellie.

At least that’s what you thought as you grabbed your keys and quickly left the house. Oh, you were going to fuck Abby. Fuck her UP.

taglist;; @boobdrug @lovelyxbaby @pedropascalsbbg @cherryimaa

[st7rnioioss]

౨ৎ⋆ ˚｡⋆ romance cheat sheet, pt. 1

chris sturniolo x reader

warnings: swearing

summary: Chris and you have been best friends since middle school. Chris has been in love with you since he met you, and you developed a small crush during sophomore year. It’s now currently senior year, and Chris has no idea how to ask you out. So him, his brothers, and their friend, Nate, make a ‘romance cheat sheet’, to get you to fall for him (even tho you already have..?)

a/n: i JUST found out there’s a literal book with the same plot. uhhhhhhh, don’t sue me

౨ৎ

It was around midnight. Nate, Matt, and Nick were all slumped on the couch, looking at me sitting on the floor, my legs crossed.

“C’mon, don’t be such a pussy, Chris. Just ask her out already, she clearly likes you!” Nate groaned.

I had been talking about y/n for the past 20 minutes, deciding if I should text her to ask her out or not.

The thing is, she is my best friend, and I won’t risk our friendship just because I was delusional, and thought she liked me back. There’s no chance, she’s fucking perfect.

But yet I still had a small voice in my head, telling me she just might like me back.

“Nate, it’s not that fucking easy. She’s my best frie- girl best friend. What if I fuck up?” I lean back against the carpet, covering my face with my hands with a frustrated grunt. This wasn’t easy, at all.

“I say we make a little cheat sheet. Romance cheat sheet.” Nick said with a proud smile, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. He’s mentioned it before, but I cut it off immediately.

This time I felt different though. Maybe he was right, what if it would work? He noticed a thing or two.

“I’m with Nick on this one. You clearly like her. Too much for my liking.” Matt mumbled, making Nate break into laughter, leaning back in the couch.

I doubt it’ll work. None of us have any experience with women, but Nick had a few female friends. I mean, me, Matt and Nate also did, but we weren’t as close. I’d just let Nick take over the list.

“Okay! Fine. Nick, grab a paper or whatever,” I rolled my eyes, standing up to find a few pens for all of us.

Nick and Nate added a few points. Here and there I remembered a few thinks she liked, crossed a few of the stupid ideas out, kicking Matt because he wasn’t helping, and so on.

“Wait, her favourite flowers are tulips-“

“I don’t know, she mentioned she’s never played golf before?”

“She likes the Nerds Gummy Clusters.”

“Nick, we already have matching bracelets. Look- Mine’s blue.”

The final list consisted of 13 points.

1. Tuck her hair behind her ear once in a while

2. Get her flowers for no reason (tulips)

3. fake failing a class

4. Let her borrow your hoodies

5. Hold her hand when walking (oh la laa)

6. Kiss her forehead when she accomplishes something!!! ;)

7. Teach her how to play golf or something, stand behind her

8. Remember her ordr orders for specific restaurants

9. Always have her favourite candy in your bag (nerds gummy cluts clusters)

10. make out with her Take her out when it feels right

11. Go shopping or whatever

12. Get matching bracelets (more)

13. KISS KISS KISS - n8

“Alright, I think this is good. You start Monday, try to check any of these off during the day.” Nick said, putting the cap on the pen pack on. Nate nodded, and Matt was practically asleep on the couch.

I stared at the list for a second. Was it stupid? Was it really worth it? Would it even work?

I tried to push the thoughts away. It’ll be fine, if it’s not gonna work, at least we’re still best friends.

“Alright, I’m going to bed then. Goodnight.” Nate yawned as he stood up, making his way to the bathroom. I just gave him a smile.

“Nick, I’m scared it’s not gonna work. What if she thinks I’m a weirdo? I mumble, looking down at my hands. I shot Nick a glance.

“Chris, stop. She’s not gonna suddenly find you weird after being your best friend since middle school. You guys are attached to the fucking hip, this is literally the first Friday in what? Weeks, she hasn’t been sleeping here. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, laughs at your extremely unfunny jokes, always staying by your side. You literally sleep beside each other. So please, shut up. And goodnight.” Nick rolled his eyes as he also stood up.

Deep down Nick felt kind of happy for his brother, finally trying to making some sort of move on his best friend. It was getting painful to watch two people completely oblivious to each other.

I looked back at Matt behind me, asleep on the couch with his phone in his hand. I slowly got up to put his phone on the coffee table, finding a blanket for him, before making my way to my bedroom, not forgetting to bring the cheat sheet with me.

-

I had been staring at the ceiling for God knows how long. The overthinking had taken over, makes me completely restless.

That was until my phone lit up with a vibration.

a/n: chat ignore the message thing, i don’t know how y’all make them. yes, it was 9.30 pm💀 i know it’s short, sorry😖😖

taglist: @chrissgirlsstuff @leah-loves-lilies @toriinie @cupidzsq @lacysturniolo @iluvmattyb @ratatioulle @emma4eva @riasturns @sstvrnioloo @sweetbabydoe @elliewrites1 @its-jennarose @abbypost @chrisstopherfilmed let me know if you'd like to be added!

[nadinediary]

The 7 Dating Bare Minimums from 𝒩adine

1. Shared Values + Belief

Values are prioritised characteristics that build who we are as individuals and our belief is what forms our world view and lifestyle. I find it easier to build a relationship with someone when your values and beliefs align. I cannot envision a relationship or even casually date someone who I can't see eye-to-eye on the core attributes that form my life and character.

I can understand being lenient on religious and political beliefs when casually dating although for long term relationships, I need to be on the same topic about religion, politics, children, cheating, etc.

2. Romantic (Considerate)

I personally can not be in a relationship or date a person who can’t exhibit romance. Romance to myself isn’t the flowers (not saying I don’t adore flowers), or the chivalrous actions shown in the rom-coms.

Romance is the small intimate actions that show you’ve been paying close attention to your loved one wants and needs. It’s the considerate small things that may take a little more time but are worth it.

3. Chivalrous

Talking about chivary, don’t get it confused, I love a chivalrous man. The door opening, pulling the seat out, making sure I’ve gotten home safe, I’m quite old fashion when it comes to dating. I love it all.

I find it charming when someone is chivalrous to everyone not just when it pertains to myself. If they see someone needing help and step in, I think that's a great trait to have. I don't want someone who just does things out of attraction but rather because of kindness.

4. Well groomed

Personally a man is most attractive when they are well groomed, actively upkeep themselves and pay great attention to their hygiene. This idea that only women get manicures and pedicures is ridiculous. I know plenty of men that like keeping their cuticle healthy.

Every man that has had the honor of taking me on a date or more, has had a skincare routine (even if it's just a three step routine). They’ve all had beautiful nails and I could tell they cared about cleanliness.

5. Adaptable + Resilient

I‘m a first-generation immigrant who has seen poverty and wealth, I’ve gone from living in the scums of rural Nirobei to the upper class Australian suburban area. This is all because of God’s blessing and my family’s resilience.

I need a partner who is both resilient and adaptable when in situations less than ideal. I’m a strong minded individual and hope the same for my partner.

6. Communicative

We’ve all heard about the importance of communication in relationships but not all communication is healthy.

It's important for your partner to be open to hearing you, a lot of people lack listening skills so it's precious when you find someone who really listens and respects you. Trauma can cause people to close up but there are many different ways to communicate from written to spoken, as long as my partner shows they are communicative I don't care.

7. Generous

I come from a generous family, I’m surrounded by generous people and I myself am always ready to give if someone needs. I could not envision any relationship, friendship or romantic relationship with someone who wasn’t as giving.

Generosity isn’t neglecting yourself for other, it's lifting each other up, know when to say no while being kind to others situations. I don't want a pushover, I want a generous partner.

Sincerely,

𝒩adine.

[nvrsaidiwasinurcloset]

Hated - Ethan Landry - Part 1

Ethan Landry x Fem!Reader

This contains SMUT. - Minors DNI

Part 2

Summary: Ethan's hated you for a while, but a little bit of time alone and a heated argument leads to something more.

A/N: There will probably be a part 2, but I'm not sure if I like this.. If you guys have any requests, please send them in. I need ideas!

You loved hanging out with your best friend, Chad. The only downside to the friendship: His roommate hated your fucking guts.

You thought Ethan was cool when you first met him at a party with the “Core Four”, but that changed once you started to spend so much time with Chad. He rolled his eyes whenever you spoke, made comments about the way you dressed at parties, and just seemed to loathe your presence.

One day, you arrived at Chad’s before he made it home from class. Ethan didn’t want to let you in, but it was cold outside, and he wasn’t heartless. You both took a seat on the couch, him on one end, you on the other. After a while of you both scrolling through your phones, you finally decided to speak.

“Why do you hate me?” You asked, not looking up from your phone. You saw his head snap in your direction in your peripheral vision.

“Why wouldn’t I hate you?” He scoffed, and it took everything in you to not slap him.

“You didn’t answer my fucking question,” The irritation in your voice obvious.

“Maybe it’s the way you play dumb all the time whenever you’re studying with Chad. Maybe it’s how you dress like you’re looking for attention whenever we go out. Maybe it’s the way you flirt with anything that fucking walks. Shit, all those things would be a good enough reason to hate you, don’t you think?” His condescending tone was infuriating.

You stood up in front of him, “First off, you make it sound like I’m just out there fucking everybody, which isn’t true. I haven’t had sex since my boyfriend and I broke up before I even came here. Second, even if I was trying to find someone to fuck, that’s none of your business. It’s not my fault that you’re jealous.” Your words set Ethan off.

He jumped up too, inches away from you, “No, what IS your fault is knowing I had a crush on you, making out with me after that party, and then acting like it never fucking happened!”

“What are you talking about?” you asked, as his face twisted in disbelief.

“You don’t remember me taking you back to your dorm because you were too scared to walk alone? You don’t remember inviting me in? You don’t remember moaning my name when I was kissing your neck?” At this point, he was pacing. Seeing him this angry was a turn on, so you decided to press further.

“I was WASTED, Ethan. Plus, I have a hard time believing that you made me moan.” He stopped pacing, staring you down. His eyes were lust-filled, and you could see he was starting to get hard through his sweatpants.

“I guess you don’t remember asking me to fuck you either, huh?” he asked, stepping closer to you.

You smirked, “What if I asked you to fuck me now?”

Within seconds, you were in his room. As soon as he closed the door, you were up against it. His mouth attacked yours as you lightly ran your fingers under his shirt and over his abs.

You both hurried out of your clothes. It’s been a long time since you’ve had sex, and up to this point you thought Ethan was a virgin, but now you aren’t so sure.

Once you were on his bed, he kissed you all down your chest, paying extra attention to your nipples. You were a moaning mess within minutes, and he wasn’t even inside you yet.

He started to kiss further down your body, the anticipation killing you as he inched closer to where you needed him the most. He suddenly stopped, and you shot up to whine in protest.

“Hey, I want to make sure you’re okay with everything I’m doing. If it’s too much or if it’s not enough, tell me. If you want me to stop, tell me. I want you to feel good.” For the first time in months, you’re seeing the Ethan you first met. The kind, sweet, caring Ethan. You almost didn’t know what to say with the complete personality switch.

“This isn’t a hate-fuck thing anymore, is it?” you asked, as he started to blush.

“I kinda pictured my first time to be a little more…intimate, I guess? If you want to stop, I understand,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

You were in shock, thinking there’s no way this man exuded this much confidence and had you so turned on, but was still a virgin.

“We can keep going, if that’s okay with you. We can do whatever you feel comfortable with,” you said, before placing your lips on his.

He started to kiss down your body again, spreading your legs to kiss you as far down as he could. He placed a gentle lick to your clit, testing the waters to see if that felt good. His eyes connected with yours, “Keep doing that, baby,” you said, as he continued. It felt good, but you needed a little more.

Before you could say anything, you felt one of his fingers slip inside you. “Oh, fuck,” you moaned, as he found that special spot. He added another finger as his mouth got more aggressive on your clit. You wanted to praise him for doing such a good job, but your brain was turning to mush as you felt your orgasm building.

You felt yourself tightening around his fingers, unable to control the moans coming out of your mouth. Once that wave of ecstasy hit, you were thrown into the best orgasm you’ve ever had. Ethan couldn’t stop staring at this blissful expression on your face, so happy that he was the one to make you feel good.

“I know you’re a virgin, but there’s no way you haven’t done that before,” you said, smirking as your breathing steadied.

“That was the first time,” he whispered, as we heard the front door close.

You mumbled ‘fuck’ under your breath as you scrambled to grab your clothes off the floor, putting them on as quick as possible.

“Roomie, you here?” Chad yelled from the other side of the door. You had a look of panic on your face, terrified that he would open the door.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute,” he said, as he put his clothes back on.

“This isn’t over yet,” you whispered, nibbling on his ear lobe.

“Promise?” he whispered as you both walked out of the room.

[red-hot-kick]

Theory: Ryuji was popular, before.

I'm not entirely sure if anyone has really talked about this but I maintain my interpretation that, in the canon of Persona 5, Ryuji used to be very (or at least moderately) popular prior to the events of the story.

This is something I've gotten into before when talking to friends who like the game and the character, but I haven't really considered writing it down until now. The main argument I have is based on three things:

Things Ryuji alluded to in canon (but no one believed him on)

The deliberate choice of making him a track athlete

Typecasting for voice actors

1: "There were girls all over me!"

I don't really have the time to go on a deep dive through all the instances in which he hints at his reputation before the Kamoshida incident, but I think the most clear-cut representation of this was during the scene where he and Ann spend the day with Futaba during her post-palace social rehabilitation:

So here's the thing...I don't think he's lying about this. Nobody in the room would be that impressed to find out whether Ryuji was popular since they are already friends (or in Mona's case, he really just doesn't care), so it wouldn't make sense for him to lie.

Regarding everyone's reactions though, here's my impression: Ann was simply not aware of what was going on with the track team, being predominantly focused on dealing with rumors, her friendship with Shiho, and her modeling career (and eventually Kamoshida's advances once he started doing that shit) and she mentions a few times that she and Ryuji weren't actually close before joining the PT; they were just in the same class in middle school. Futaba hasn't interacted with anyone her age in years and isn't the most reliable source when it comes to what people generally find attractive; just because she doesn't have any interest in Ryuji doesn't mean that nobody her age would. And Morgana is a cat that brags constantly about how cool he is, so he shouldn't be throwing rocks.

There are many other times in the game when you get little glimpses of his social savvy, and from my understanding of Royal (I'm an OG vanilla P5 player and haven't done 3rd-semester yet, so don't kill me) when the track team returns to "how it was", he is getting along extremely well with everyone. Not only was he the team's ace: this kid was also expected to become the captain by his senior year (as briefly mentioned when he bumps into his former senpai at the gym, iirc). That's huge! If his team held him in such high regard, then the general student body of Shujin surely had a similar opinion. This brings me to my next point:

2: Girls like boys that run fast(???)

This is honestly something that baffles me. It's also really difficult for me to substantiate; any source material on this is obviously in Japanese and if I could find any of it, I sure as hell can't read it. The only English-language source I know of I cannot find anymore; I think it was an old Tofugu article? However. If you've watched any romance anime set in a high school during the last 20 years, you might have seen this trope at some point: the school sports festival is happening, and the relay race is kind of a huge deal (it's the final event! a make-or-break moment for the class!). The boy thinks to himself "If I win this race, I'll be able to win her heart/ask her out/etc." Low-stakes drama ensues. Maybe a confession happens.

This is (from what I've been told) based on a long-standing trend of girls and women self-reporting in surveys about how, oftentimes, their crushes in junior or senior high school were simply "the boy who ran the fastest in the races". I have no idea what this means in a broader cultural context. It makes no goddamn sense to me at all. Do not cite me on this. But I think it's worth keeping in mind, even if it's almost entirely speculative (and possibly outdated) information. And even if it's just based on rumors, don't you think it's pretty in-character for Ryuji to go for a track scholarship—despite being adept at other sports like baseball and football/soccer, as mentioned in P5 and P5D—because he was aware of the potential of being more popular with girls? Of course, his priority would be getting the scholarship and paying his way through school to lighten his mother's burden, but hey, getting a girlfriend on the way up wouldn't be half bad!

I think this could also inform us as to why Kamoshida (as a predator who wanted attention from high school girls) felt so threatened by the track team in particular, and why he felt a need to specifically knock Ryuji down a peg and sought out a weakness to do so (as opposed to targeting any of the probably just-as-popular boys on the many other athletic teams and clubs in the school). Just some food for thought on this one! Also, if anyone can find a source or has any insight on the relay race thing, please share. I am so confused about it.

3: Typecasting

So this is something that you really only notice if you are very into keeping up with seiyuu in Japan. I am not one of those people. But I do have some favorite voice actors! One of these being Mamoru Miyano.

So I freakin' love this dude. He's voiced a lot of my favorite characters, sings incredibly well, and has an unreal sense of comedy. He's stated in interviews that his acting inspiration is Jim Carrey, and let me tell you: it shows. He is also quite consistently typecast into certain roles, predominantly as princely pretty-boy types, Coolguys, or complete fucking nutcases. Sometimes all three at the same time (shoutout to my boy Ling FMA!)

ATLUS definitely cast him for P5 because of his comedic chops. But I think they also cast him because having him voice someone like Ryuji is a great way to subvert expectations for the player. I think it's supposed to give you whiplash—"what do you mean the voice of LIGHT FUCKING YAGAMI is coming out of this guy's mouth?" "why does the delinquent character sound like king of the host club Tamaki Suou?" "isn't that Rin Matsuoka's voice?" etc. etc. etc.

(here's a quick list, just to really get the idea across. maybe you recognize a few.)

This is obviously a non-comprehensive list, but something that a lot of the characters he's voiced over the years have in common is that they were considered cool, handsome, or popular. Not just for fans, but within the canon of their stories! So...what does that mean? What does that say about how we should see Ryuji?

I think players are supposed to expect that he will fall into one of those categories too, and then be surprised to find that it's not the case—that he's been isolated and made bitter and resigned by what happened to him the year before.

Speaking of his tone, I think it's very telling that Ryuji actually forgets to keep up the delinquent act a lot in the original JP audio, which unfortunately doesn't really carry over in the ENG translation. The delivery of his JP lines sounds a bit more subdued in comparison too—yeah he's got a lot of energy and is very hotheaded, but when he gets to talking about serious shit, he sounds a lot more regretful and melancholy as opposed to the EN delivery which depicts him as more resentful and outwardly angry. I think before Shit Went Down, he probably had the Coolguy vibe. Still a bit of a rowdy idiot and a showoff, but I think he probably came across to most people as a very friendly, sincere, and popular guy.

So yeah, the girls probably were all over him, at least for a short while.

[imnotjaesblog]

Hogwarts Dreams at Night

Intro:

Part 1: An Owl Appears

New Nct Dream Series Starring,

Huang Renjun- The Ravenclaw.

-Huang Renjun is one of the smartest students in all of Hogwarts. He's aced every exam and test. He's absolutely beloved by his teachers and students can't decide if their jealousy is from hate or desire to be as smart as him. However, Renjun had always been head-to-head with you. Both of you taking any chance to turn in even an optional extra credit assignment and an opportunity to compete. But one day on your way to your Defense Against the Dark Art class you both get stuck inside a classroom and are forced to work out your differences. Making Renjun realize he shouldn't have been competing with you but for you.

Here Now!!: Part one: The Ravenclaw

Posted: 03/ 30/2024

Na Jaemin- The Slytherin

-Na Jaemin is a quidditch player but unlike Jeno, he could care less about the sport. He only played because his father forced him to. Jaemin would much rather spend his time in the library, but not curled up with a good book or studying for his Spells class. He'd rather fuck some pretty Hufflepuff behind the bookcases and maybe even get caught. However, when you are paired with him to work on a project in your spells class he sees the chase for you as a challenge and he'd do anything to piss Jeno off.

Coming Soon

Lee Jeno - The Gryffindor

-Lee Jeno captain of the Quidditch Gryffindor team. Had always had everything in life handed to him. His father was a beloved Gryffindor and Jeno wishes to follow in his footsteps. He was loved for his bravery, honor, loyalty, and boldness like a true Gryffindor. However, everyone has a weakness. His recklessness, self-righteousness, short tempers, and desire to have you are what make him lose you. After countless arguments, your friendship falls apart and breaks his heart. But he'd never tell you. Until one day you rip it right out of him.

Coming Soon

AHHH okay. I'm so excited to write this series, you have no clue. I've always wanted to do something Harry Potter and it's finally happening.

This will be a 5 part series.

I played around with the idea a lot. Adding in members and taking some out. Changing the plot based on which members I wanted. But I knew one way or another Jaemin as a Slytherin had to be created. Then I thought I should write about a chase. Which one will Y/n choose?

Then I had to figure out who would be the other man. I knew I wanted him to be Gryffindor it was just deciding which one would be a Gryffindor. Originally it would be Jaehyun but then I changed it since I've written so much about him already. Then my mind went to Jeno and I knew I had to write about him.

Now Renjun came so quick. I just had to make him a Ravenclaw.

I wanted to write the entire 00 line but I physically could not make Haechan a Hufflepuff. So I promise he will be mentioned all of the Dreamies will be but the main 3 will be Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun.

I hope you all enjoy this series.

See you soon:)

Happy Reading :)

[ughgoaway]

playing on my mind

content warnings: swearing, referring to Matty as tall (look we all lie for plot purposes okay), dilf Matty and rushed writing... i think that's it? word count- 3.3k ish

a/n: woah this was quick but I am nothing if not impulsive!! this is just a one-shot but if y'all want a series I might do one?? idk it depends on how inspired I am lol. but yes this is just my little blurb-thing from yesterday fleshed out into an actual story!! I'm so glad people liked the idea, I hope this doesn't disappoint <333

(I didn't proofread this so I apologise if its utterly shit </3)

“And off you go! If you need your pencils sharpened or help, make sure you raise your hand! I’ll come to see you!” You say to the group of 30 little balls of energy in front of you. 60 eyes looking up at you might seem intimidating to most, but when it's a hyperactive group of 5-year-olds; the fear wears off slightly.

It was family tree week in your classroom, and you had given your little ones the usual task of drawing their family, each set up with pieces of paper and various pencils and pens to create their masterpieces. Seeing them smile and talk about their older sisters and brothers or how much they love their parents always warmed your heart. 

You originally got into teaching with every intention of working with teenagers. You were sure you shouldn't be moulding such young minds - you were never sure your mind was a very good example. But one test week in a year 1 classroom changed your outlook entirely. Seeing the pure, unadulterated joy on a young child's face was something beyond comparison. 

Getting to watch them grow and develop into little people brought you so much happiness that it could never compare to standing in front of a group of grumpy teenagers. Each teen boy clearly trying to get you over to their desk to “flirt” with you, well as much firting as a 15-year-old boy can do.

Seeing a child come out of their shell, make friendships, and discover their passions made your heart warm in a way nothing else did. So as soon as you qualified you jumped at the opportunity to teach these little ones, this class might be your first but you are sure it will always be your favourite.

And of course, despite what every teacher tells you, they have a favourite student. You were adamant when you began that you really wouldn't have a favourite but then little Annie Healy came bounding into your classroom with a mop of curly hair, untamable energy and the cutest slightly wonky smile you've ever seen. 

She very quickly stole your heart, always wanting to tell you stories and going off on tangents rather quickly, organising tea parties but soon getting distracted leaving you at a small table surrounded by teddy bears giving a toast. Her little body seemed to be filled with enough energy to power the world 3 times over, and you couldn't love her anymore. The idea that she would be leaving your class broke your heart every time you thought about it, despite people telling you not to get attached - you did,

You had just settled at your desk after explaining for the 4th time to Zach that sticking pencils up our noses isn't a very good idea. You ended up telling him if he pushed too far, he'd touch his brain, and soon after that, the pencils stayed firmly in his hand rather than up any nose. If any student was the problem child, it was him. You couldn't hate any student, but let's just say he's given you one too many impromptu haircuts this year to be in line for your favourite.

Soon your real favourite student stuck her arm into the air and wiggled it around in an attempt to get you to see her sooner, little Annie Healy was ever impatient- a trait that is only endearing on her. You quickly nodded and started wandering over, trying not to laugh at her large toothy grin back at you.

“Hi sweetheart, do you need some help?” you say, crouching down to her eye level, flashing a sweet smile.

“Hi miss y/n!” she began, her eyes flittering around your face before landing on your hair, and soon, her hands were stroking your head.

“Wow! I like your hair! It's got sparkly clips in it! You know I asked my daddy for some like that, and he said-” you gently placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to stop the tangent before it started. You knew she'd somehow end up keeping you there for 20 minutes, giving you a detailed list of all of her Barbie dolls and their jobs if you didn't redirect her quickly enough.

“Thank you, Annie! I saw your arm wiggling in the air earlier. Did you need some help?” her eyes light up as she remembered why she called you over here.

“Oh! Yeah, I want to write what's in my daddy’s hands, but I don't know how to spell it. Will you help me?” she says, bringing her attention back to her drawing and grabbing the black pencil to continue her work. It's the first time you actually looked at her drawing, and to say you were concerned would be an understatement.

Most drawings of family consist of the same basic elements; a mum, a dad, a sun in the corner, and a house that is wildly disproportionate to everything else.

So imagine your surprise when you look down to see 4 men in what seems to be leather jackets, holding various musical instruments, and a very tall dog next to them.

You blink a few times. Just checking what you're seeing is right. The lineup starts with a tall man holding a guitar, next to a slightly shorter man also holding a guitar with a mess of black scribbles on his head. Next up is a very tall man with drumsticks in his hands and a kit behind him, and finally another very tall man with a beard and a bass. The concern briefly melts away as you consider how impressive it is she knows the difference. In the bottom left corner is a black dog with very long legs and a big pink tongue sticking out, the dog was almost as tall as the first man but you're aware kids aren’t known for their skill with proportion.

No one had prepared you for this in teaching school, there was never a lecture about what to do if one of your kids does a mildly troubling family drawing of 4 men in leather jackets and a horse dog. You try to stutter a response to Annie, but no real words are leaving your mouth. Just a jumble of sounds, each one sounding more confused and stressed than the last.

You flash a look at her only to be met with a confused head tilt and sad eyes. Oh god. She thought you hated her drawing. Shit.

Time for damage control.

You make the decision then and there not to ask her about the details of her drawing, desperately trying not to make her cry. 

Maybe you could go and see her mum in the playground? Yes, that's what you'll do. You'll walk her out, have a brief discussion with Mum, and make sure Annie knows her family isn't 4 men in a band and then leave her be. That sounds like the professional thing to do.

You take a deep breath and smile at Annie, and soon her downturned lips flashed that cheesy grin you knew so well. You tighten your hand on her shoulder and grab a pen, ready to help her any way she needs. 

“Do you mean the word ‘guitar’ Annie?” she gives you an excited nod as you continue speaking, “Ah yes, that's a really hard word for even grown-ups to spell. Let's work it out together, hmm?”

With your mind racing you help her sound it out and label her drawing, even stopping to sharpen her black colouring pencil for her- there's a lot of black for young girls drawing but she's committed to an aesthetic, and part of you respects that.

On the walk back to the desk, you begin practising your speech in your head, trying to figure out how to ask why she’s drawing a band as her family without unknowingly offending mum. Maybe she just really likes music?

You run through your memories trying to think of her mentioning a band before, but nothing comes to mind, Annie doesn't even stay on track long enough to talk about her family. Always seeing something shiny and discussing that instead. 

You flick your eyes to her one more time just to see her animatedly talking with another little girl on her table, her hands gesticulating wildly and her curls bouncing as she tells her story.

The sight calms you slightly, seeing the little girl you know so well acting exactly as she should be. You have the fleeting thought that you might be overreacting, but eventually, you collect the drawings to see Annie had dated her work “1975”. Yup, that discussion with her parents was definitely happening.

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

The bell rings, and you manage to catch Annie just before she runs off into the playground without you, “Hi Annie! I have your drawing from today. Should we show it to mummy and daddy together?” her eyes light up as her curls bounce from her excited nods. 

You walk hand in hand out onto the playground, crouching down you make eye contact with Annie before asking, “Can you point out your mum or dad Annie?”

She nods and begins scanning the playground. You stifle a laugh at the look of concentration on the young girl's face. Her nose is scrunched along with her eyebrows, one hand pulling at a curl by her ear and the other holding yours. Soon, you see her face brighten, and her eyes fill with joy. 

“DADDY!!” is the scream that comes from the little girl as her hand shoots from her head to point to the corner of the playground, she starts dragging you before you even look up but as you do, you feel your heart drop.

As a student teacher, you'd definitely seen some hot dads, but they were still dads. Most were slightly creepy, partially balding, and talked about nothing but golf and their “annoying” wives. You were used to that kind of dad, not exactly this kind.

Standing nonchalantly in the corner of the playground was a tall man. A pile of salt and pepper curls sat on top of his head; untamed but effortlessly and obnoxiously cool. The white t-shirt he was wearing did nothing to hide the patchwork of tattoos that snaked up his arms. The low neck of the top even teased the top of his chest tattoo. Sunglasses sat on his face, they gave him an "I'm too cool" rocker vibe that, for some unknown reason, made you dizzy.

In one hand, he had a lit cigarette, something that was not allowed on school property, but the way his cheeks hollowed as he took a drag had you forgetting that rule completely. He dropped the butt of the cigarette to crush it with his heavy boots before taking a sip of the can of coke that was in his other hand. 

As he noticed you coming over, a dazzling smile broke out on his face. You felt your knees weaken as you tried to brush off how hot he was. 

You then realised you actually had to speak to this man. Fuck. You're not sure you even have a voice currently. If you opened your mouth, you're sure incoherent noises would come out, followed by wild hand motions trying to explain your insane behaviour.

The closer you got, the less you stared at him, feeling too intimidated to keep looking in his direction. This did mean you almost tripped 3 times, but you would rather fall than risk making eye contact with this intimidatingly attractive man.

Annie dropped your hand as you finally reached the man, and she jumped into his arms. He grunted at the force but soon began pressing kisses all over her face, smiling at her uncontrollable giggles.

Quickly, the man noticed your presence and stuck a hand out to introduce himself, “Hi! Sorry about that, you know what it's like when kids miss you. I’m Annie’s dad, Matty.” 

And this is where a normal person would introduce themselves, stick their hand out, and shake Matty’s. Maybe even say their name and start talking, but oh no. Not you. You stood there motionless and just said “Matty” breathlessly to yourself 3 times over.

Time dragged on in the 10 seconds Matty stood there with his hand out. If you weren't aware of how time worked, you would swear you stood there in stilted silence for 10 minutes. 

By some grace of god, little Annie Healy saved you and introduced you, “Daddy. This is Miss y/n. She wanted to come and show you my drawing." 

Matty retracted his hand and pushed the sunglasses that sat on the bridge of his nose up to his mess of curls, just as wayward as his daughters. His deep brown eyes met yours as he tilted his head questioningly at your behaviour. His smile remained wide at you, his tongue swiped over his bottom lip, and you felt your heart stutter. A litany of inappropriate thoughts swirling through your mind.

He quickly diverted his attention back to his daughter, “Oh really munchkin? Is your drawing just that amazing? Is Miss y/n going to send it to all the museums?” he said whilst tickling her sides. You smiled at the pair of them watching Annie throw her head back with erratic laughter. 

Finally, you manage to right yourself and begin speaking, “Right. Sorry about that, long day,” you explain, looking apologetically at Matty, who only nodded and tried to hide his widening smile at your flustered state. 

“I'm just here to talk about Annie's drawing,” you pause briefly and look at Annie in her dad's arms. Not wanting to disappoint her, you form a plan in your mind. “Hey Annie, why don't you go practise some hopscotch! I'm just going to have a quick chat with your dad, okay?”

Before you’d even finished your sentence, Annie was wiggling out of her dad's arms and running off.

“She's got endless energy that one hasn't she?” you say wistfully, staring off in the direction she ran, watching her jump around and giggle with some of her friends.

“Ah like father like daughter, I suppose” Matty says, grinning at your clear love for his little girl. He feels his heart warm at your caring eyes. “So what seems to be the issue? I'm sure you're not over here because the Louvre has asked for Annie’s drawing?” 

You laugh at Matty's joke, perhaps a little too hard. Nervous laughter was one of your less attractive traits, but you try to shake it off and have an actual adult conversation with Matty. 

“Ah no, no phone calls from Paris yet,” you begin laughing lightly, you pull out Annie's drawing and pass it over to Matty and start to analyse his reaction as you finish speaking, “I was just coming over to ask why Annie's family portrait is seemingly a band? I wanted to make sure she knows her family isn't 4 tall men in leather jackets and a surprisingly tall horse dog.”

As you finish your sentence, Matty bursts out in hysterical laughter, folding over as his chortling laughter takes over his whole body. Your face scrunches up at his reaction, your eyebrows are pinched, and a small frown overtakes your features. 

Eventually, Matty catches his breath and looks up at you only to realise how strange his reaction appears. His hand shoots up to your arm and begins to stroke it lightly as he attempts to explain himself.

Each featherlight stroke of his fingers made your breath hitch. You felt your eyes fogging over, and your ears felt as if they were stuffed with cotton wool, the surrounding sounds suddenly becoming muted.

A shake of your head brought you back to earth as you fought to focus on the words Matty was saying.

“Oh I'm so sorry, once you know the story you’ll understand my reaction” Matty began explaining with wide apologetic eyes, “basically Annie's mum isn't in the picture, it's just me and my 3 best friends,” he said smiling.

You lightly laugh and say, “Ah I'm assuming they are the man with the guitar, the one with the bass and the other with the drumsticks?” You finish with a teasing tilt of your head.

Matty's fingers encircle your wrist as that smile you've quickly grown to love appears on his face once again at your teasing.

“Yes those are the ones. You see we’re all in a band - hence all the instruments. I always tell Annie that Uncle George, Ross, and Adam are our family. So when you asked for a family drawing...”

“She drew her family!” You finish his sentence for him, staring at his hand and holding your wrist as you do. He quickly drops it, and you curse yourself for bringing it to his attention.

You wrap your arms around your stomach protectively in an attempt to hide your mounting embarrassment.

Matty smiles and starts to speak again, only to be interrupted by you, “Wait I understand that, but why did she date it ‘1975’?”

Somehow, Matty's smile grew again, “Our band is called the 1975. Weird, I know, but it comes from me being young and pretentious with a Jack Kerouac book.”

Before you could respond, Annie came bounding over and wrapped herself around her dad's leg, “Dadddd” she complained, pulling out the last letter to announce her annoyance to the world.

“Annieeee” Matty teased back in the same tone as her, picking her up as he did.

“Can we go home now? I want to see mayhem!!” she said, excitedly clapping her hands as she finished.

You shoot Matty a questioning look, and he quickly answers your silent query, “the horse dog” he says teasingly, parroting your earlier words back at you.

“Okay darling, let's get going then,” Matty says with a grunt, putting Annie down, grabbing her hand, and taking her backpack from her.

“Say bye to miss y/n Annie,” he says, smiling sweetly at you, but you can see the mischief brewing in his eyes.

His eyes keep your attention so long you almost miss Annie's sweet goodbye, “bye miss y/n! See you tomorrow! Can we talk about your sparkly clips tomorrow?” she asks with a tilt of her head.

“Of course, little miss Annie!” You say smiling at the young girl. You focus solely on her in an attempt not to get lost in her father's eyes again.

You watch them walk away but after a few steps they pause, Matty turns over his shoulder and waves with his free hand, “Bye miss y/n” he says with a teasing lilt to his voice and a flirty wink.

Before you can even process what just happened, he's strolling away casually, and all the mums in the playground are silently lusting after him.

A heavy breath leaves your chest as you start to watch him leave.

“Isn't he gorgeous” a voice behind you whispers, causing you to jump and let out a small scream. You hold a hand to your chest and look at your colleague with wild eyes.

“Oh my god, Amanda, please do not sneak up on me like that! I'm fragile” you say, now laughing at your ridiculous reaction.

“Sorry, sorry,” she begins giggling, “but isn't he just so hot? Annie was in my class last year, and I used to count down the days until parent’s evening! I mean, who wouldn't want to sit across a desk from a man who looks like that?” Amanda says, wiggling her eyebrows flirtatiously.

She begins to teasingly poke your sides at your awkward silence, and you quickly brush her off and straighten up, “Amanda! You can't talk like that about a parent!” You say, trying and failing to have any conviction in your voice.

“I can when the parent looks like that!” she says, smiling and watching Matty stroll away.

You huff at her behaviour and walk away, desperate to sit down and process what just happened.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your desk chair squeaks as you sit down behind your desk. You spin the chair and pick up a pen to begin marking some spelling tests from last week, but before long, you give up.

Staring off into space with endless thoughts poisoning your mind, only one thing can come out of your mouth. 

“fuck."

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Bit Slow Round These Parts

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Dec 2023 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 8 of 12 - Mhok is about the most indulgent boyfriend on the planet. Why they dressed as 1930s gangsters for the wedding? I have no idea idea, but it’s adorable. IFYLITA mark 2? And they’re even dancing together using bits of the same steps that were used that show too. Cute nod.

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 6 of 10 - Everything but the kitchen sink includes lesbians apparently. Excellent. Carry on. Also a lot of filler about the sides. (Boring, stop that.) I wish the doctor were a little bit more of a multifaceted character (and less evil snakey), and that we had some of his backstory + Tharn. If we saw them as kids, having a longer true friendship, it would make Tharn’s attitude a little bit more sympathetic and forgiving.

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - I like this show, but it’s awfully one-sided in the romance arena. I mean shouldn’t they be trying to support and make each other happy? Why does it always have to come from Him? Also, I’m constantly worried about the fact that Nail doesn’t eat any vegetables. His digestive track must be in serious distress. And if the boy is a bottom?! Look I have concerns is all I'm saying, I hope he's getting his fiber along with the dk. Meanwhile... Mom confrontation! Always fun.  

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 9 of 10 - Now I’m having a hard time keeping the twins straight. Who’s getting beat up for whom, what’s going on? No matter who, First caught himself a live one. I like those bits.

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 7 of 14 - I got little crumbs of my sides but not enough, and then they dropped the mpreg bomb. Kinda like blowing the BL diaper. Trash watch happening here.

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 5 of 12 - They are so cute. And mostly such good communicators. Except evil dad is evil! I didn’t have OffGun tango on my bingo card, but I'm happy to check it off. After making everyone sing, GMMTV is now making everyone dance. I much prefer it. Kiss came a bit out of nowhere. But it was sweet. 

A few minutes later...

Bake Me Please (Mon Gaga) ep 6fin - I don’t know, I feel like this just wasn’t good enough for the class of talent involved. Which means it’s mostly the story and script's fault. In the end I kinda just wanted Guy to get the guy.

In cluclusion:

A lack-luster story about a group of bakers coping with (mostly) a shoddy script that could not be saved by either the beauty nor the talent of the actors involved. It suffered for lack of narrative backbone and so did I. 6/10

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI ep 8fin - Mai is an adorable clingy boyfriend, and that bit was kind of cute.

Summation:

Office clown, Jade, a manic pixie dream dork, is courted by the new intern, Mai. This show is right in my wheelhouse but it fell flat for me. I wish it had lived up to the concept behind the title (if nothing else). If we had done more of Jade‘s family and the reasons behind his self-worth struggles and self-acceptance issues, they might have been easier to bare. Without backstory, the show had no through line. In the end, Jade was a largely intolerable character, and Mai felt flat and lacking in personality. I was disappointed with this show, and I hope they don't blame the pair for the poor ratings. 6/10

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) 1626 ep 19 of 24 - Meh. So dull. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - I’m not really interested in the late addition love triangle concept.

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 4 of 8 - a bit too frenetic and manic for me, this one. Glasses boy is best boy. But I’m kind of confused as to was actually going on with this show. Including whether I like it or not.

I Became the Main Role of a BL (Japan Sun Gaga) ep 1-3 - AKA BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen - it should finish airing at the very beginning of the year, so I decided to wait and watch all 3 back-to-back. 

It's Airing But...

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far.

Night Dream (Sat YT) 6 eps - It’s a pain to track down and I really didn’t like the first episode so… DNF  

The Whisperer (Sun ????) 10 eps - Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). I don't think even the perfect single dimple can motivate me to watch. Word is... it's terrible.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 10 eps - Giving me Luminous Solution vibes. I'm waiting to binge if safe.

Dead Friend Forever (Thai Sat iQIYI) - horror, meh, tell me if it's worth my time?

It's done and I didn't, or we can't

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) 8 eps - House of Stars meets Boyband. I was NOT impressed with ep 1. Been told I shouldn't bother. So I won't.

Behind the Shadows (Korea movie) - This is a historical I was interested in, but I've been told they kill the gay so I'm OUT.

[INTERNATIONAL] Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - yeah Japan put the smack down on our boys. Sadness. You can use a VPN if you like. Read all about it here.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have a spare day.

Crazy work load right now so no idea when that will be. (End of year is a bear for me.)

Honestly I'm gonna have an epic number of dnf's this year for me.

Next Week Looks Like This

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED). With the end of the year upon us I'll do an "announced for 2023 but never happened list" soon.

Also my best ofs are coming.

Don't think I'll do a stats round up this year, everything progressing as before.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

(Last week) - sorry, forgot to link it.

It's 2024 people! Round ups are coming!!!! Leave a comment or an ask, if you have something specific you want addressed.

[creative-crybaby]

Birds of a Feather (Flock Together)

PAIRING: yan!timeskip!Kageyama Tobio x fem!reader

GENRE: smut | dark content (18+)

Minors DNI

TAGS + WARNINGS: yandere themes, toxic friendship, nipple play, light manhandling, semi-public sex, creampie

Let me know if I missed anything.

WORD COUNT: 6.6k

SUMMARY: What was supposed to be a helping hand became an unhealthy relationship when Kageyama mistakes your kindness for something more. All characters are 18+

@creative-crybaby, do not repost or modify

Now that you think about it, you’ve always been too nice for your own good. 

Not that it’s your fault. Your parents raised you that way; show kindness to others whenever the opportunity presented itself. The limit of knowing when to stop never came up, opting to believe that your positive behaviour would be contagious. Wishful thinking, of course. You don’t blame your parents for those drawbacks—their boundless optimism, perhaps, but that’s all. 

You wished reality showed some mercy when slapping you across the face. Sooner, too, maybe. 

When you especially wished for a backbone, you were in your first year of high school, standing before your anxious friend after offering your help. You know her pretty well, having gone to the same middle school; your brain saw no reason to process possible consequences. (Not like you could ever predict your current outcome, anyway.) If anything, the muscle was too busy thinking about how the blonde’s spine would break eventually. No ill feelings behind the idea, but it doesn’t stop your brows from furrowing in guilt. 

You worried for Yachi, that’s all. And with her bent over at a 90° angle before you, a position you both seem familiar with, you couldn’t help but sigh. 

“Hey,” you began softly. The sheepish blonde didn’t budge, and it wasn’t until you said her name a bit louder did she tilt her head to peer up at you. “It’s no problem, okay? I’d be happy to help. Besides,” you quipped with a smile for good measure, and your classmate rose from her deep bow, though kept her position so you remained above her, “this could look good on a resumé, no?”

By now, Yachi’s posture returned to normal as she offered a nervous chuckle. “I guess you’re right. It’s just that those two can be a handful sometimes, especially with each other. I don’t want to put any stress on you.”

Your arms crossed as you arched a brow, considering the new volleyball manager’s words. “Then, how about I take care of one of them and you keep the other? It’ll be easier to help if you focus on one person’s struggles, and that way they won’t bicker all the time.” A small smile graced her lips as she pondered your idea, and you leaned forward curiously. “You make them sound like an old married couple. There’s no way they’re that bad, are they?”

Yachi’s eyes widened ever so slightly before she frantically shook her hands in front of her. 

“No, no, no!” she insisted, voice raising a bit more than probably intended. A few classmates paused their conversations to glance at you two; you waved them off apologetically. “I don’t mean to make them sound terrible or anything! It’s just that they care so much about their club that,” she paused, searching for the right words, “they can’t seem to focus on anything else.”

You hummed, head tilting in thought. A valid concern, but it was a drawback most teens had with studying. Not that you needed to remind Yachi: with keeping up with a team where she somewhat understands the sport, tutoring her teammates and keeping up with her schoolwork, stating the obvious may not put her at ease.

Instead, you grinned reassuringly, and light pink dusted across the blonde’s cheeks. “Nothing I can’t handle. I got this.”

It didn’t take long to find your tutee upon entering Class 1-3. Based on Yachi’s description, you were sure you’d seen him a few times in the hallway, a scowl seemingly stuck on his face. That expression remained as he stared at whatever was in his notebook. And with other students in the room tiptoeing as they passed his desk, you were even more sure that was who you were looking for. 

“Kageyama.” Despite your voice’s volume as you attempted to gain his attention, your tone carried its usual gentleness. It did the trick, his frown softening as his brows lowered to a neutral expression. Not as intimidating as his previous look, but you understood where Yachi’s hesitance came from as she tried to describe him. 

“You’re Yachi’s friend?” It sounded more like a statement than a question, but you nodded. He hummed. “What’s your name again?”

You are–were–kind, not a saint. The question irked you, having put effort into knowing who he is and how he worked to help him raise his grades. He can’t bother to remember your name? Surely, Yachi gave it to him.

There’s no need to get mad, you remembered. Reminded. Wired. It was just introductions; give him a chance. Give him as many as he’ll need to open up in his own way. Yachi said he wasn’t the best at communication. He’s trying. You were both trying.

You gave him your name with a smile.

The first lesson had more to do with diving deeper into his brain than helping him study. With only a summarized description to go by, you needed more information. 

Kageyama understood onomatopoeias better than imagery. Tone flew over his head while clear instructions prepared him for the journey ahead. Studying English and Japanese had their wins and losses. (Mostly the latter, though some battles must be lost to win the war.)

The next couple of sessions weren’t any different. You wondered if the environment distracted the setter, and while it didn’t appear that way, you suggested meeting up at the library. A minor improvement, though his brain’s wiring still wasn’t completely translated to you. 

Whenever you and Yachi sat together for lunch to update each other on the tutoring, you tossed in some enthusiasm in your tone as you promised her you were getting there. Following up was a back-and-forth of the blonde insisting that you could back out of the deal whenever and you assuring her that everything was going smoothly. (Can’t say “fine.” No one believes in fine anymore.)

Now, you observed the twitch of Kageyama’s eye as he glared at the graphs, angles and equations in his notebook. You didn’t blame him: not when you were slowly running out of methods to help him. 

As time passed, so did his patience. The ravenette slammed his notebook onto his desk with a groan, hands flying to slap his face, making you jump in your seat across from him. Other students flinched as they turned to face the commotion, whispering to one another before trying to look away. 

“This is a waste of my time,” Kageyama muttered. 

That makes two of us, a fleeting thought grumbled. You swatted it away, ignoring the tightening of your chest.

His glare trailed toward the window to his left, muttering about how he could be improving his technique—or rather, something more about a certain pipsqueak needing to work on his spikes. 

You hummed. “Tell me about volleyball.”

His gaze snapped to you, brows still furrowed, though curiosity replaced the aggression in his eyes. “What about it?”

“Whatever you want,” you shrugged, placing your pencil on the desk. “I only really know the basics of the sport, but there’s no use stressing yourself out over something you’re stuck on. Consider this a little break.”

A slight pout formed on his lips, either from hesitation or pondering where to begin. 

Kageyama lived and breathed volleyball. Not his words verbatim, but his rambling told you as such. He knew his strengths and his weaknesses (even if he’d rather not discuss them), and his irritation toward his teammate sounded like complaints on the surface. Still, it came from high expectations and confidence in the ginger’s potential, and it wasn’t until he rambled on about A passes and C passes did a light flick in your brain. 

“There it is!” you exclaimed, a grin tugging the corners of your lips. You slid the notebook closer to the setter. “Try what you were just explaining to me and add it into these questions.”

It took him a few seconds to process the order, his head tilting to the side as that pout returned. A cute look on him, but that wasn’t relevant then, nor now. 

“What, my passes?” Kageyama blinked, and it seemed to click. 

You nodded. “You’re so precise with your sets. Just apply all the knowledge to these situations. It may not be exactly the same thing, but it’s possible.”

Kageyama looked at you for a bit before returning his attention to his notebook, taking his time looking over the written words before skating his pencil across the paper. You figured Yachi was exaggerating when she told you about his passion for the sport, but that assumption went out the window soon enough. But weaknesses can be strengths if you view them from a different angle, and soon the setter’s distraction became his motivation.

Not all the questions he answered were correct, but the improvement was impossible to miss. You beamed, praising him for finding his way. Despite his resting face, Kageyama’s eyes shined from the encouragement, his posture straightening ever so slightly. The baby pink dusting his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed by you, either, and you had to refrain from cooing. Holding back a chuckle as he stammered an invitation to his team’s next practice match wasn’t possible, and you agreed should he continue to work hard.

The study session ended early, with you wishing the ravenette good luck at practice and his upcoming quiz. You slouched while walking in the opposite direction, pride washing over you like a warm shower. An accomplishment, a job well done. Completed.

You remembered thinking how you could only go uphill from there, academically speaking. What else was there? Aside from volleyball, there wouldn’t be anything else to worry about, and you weren’t even responsible for that department. All you could do was observe the sport and those who play it, learning bit by bit as you cheered for your school’s volleyball club. 

You didn’t know the opposing team or their capabilities, though you could only assume they were a challenge. Yachi sat beside you, scribbling notes and occasionally explaining whatever she learned herself. 

“I heard you found a way to help Kageyama,” she said between sets. “How’d that go?”

As if he heard you, the setter trailed his gaze toward you two, giving you a curt nod before drinking from his water bottle. You returned a small smile before giving your attention to your blonde friend.

“Figured things out a few sessions in,” you responded as the remnants of pride from that day of discovery still swirling in your chest. “He should get the hang of it soon enough. I’m sure getting to stay in this club is more than enough motivation for him.”

Yachi perked up at the news. “That’s great! Thanks again for helping out. I owe you bigtime.”

“Don’t say that.” You shook your head with a giggle. “How’s your tutoring process coming along?”

Movement teased the corner of your eye, but the shriek that echoed throughout the gym was impossible to ignore. Your attention went to the source, and the new manager almost dropped her notebook at the sound.

Kageyama held a death grip on a ginger teammate–Hinata’s–hair, roughly tugging the locks as he glared at the shorter teen. The latter continued to beg, though aside from who you could only assume to be the team captain, no one paid them any mind. As the senior student handled the situation, the setter caught your gaze. His glare faltered, but his frown didn’t disappear as he seemingly analyzed your expression. He walked away with a huff, and soon enough, the second set began.

It was normal, apparently. You got to interact with a few of the other teammates, one of which–Tanaka, if you remembered correctly–barked out a laugh as he assured that Kageyama and Hinata fought like an old married couple all the time. You weren’t sure what kind of elders he’s been around, but so long as the explanation put you at ease, you’d take it. 

You eventually got used to the random quarrels as well. A deal was made between the setter and you that you’d see his games should he continue to work hard academically. Or rather, he’d let you know when his upcoming practice matches would be like you’d already planned on showing up. Not that it bothered you; it was probably his way of connecting with you outside of tutoring, and with your first impressions of him, you assumed making friends wasn’t his forte.

The only downside is that you also had your own club to go to. The boys’ volleyball team didn’t have practice matches too often, so you had yet to miss any, at most showing up a bit late as you’d wrap up your club’s meeting for the day. You’d catch Kageyama with his usual frown until he found you’d shown up, and his expression would soften as he straightened his posture. Having already been in the game, he couldn’t say anything about your tardiness, so you’d sneak to the balcony and observe from above, cheering on a little harder to make up for it. After the game, he’d approach you with a pout, though he’d only discuss the match with you.

It was late fall when you first missed a match. Kageyama informed you a few days prior, as you helped him with Modern Japanese, that a practice game would partake. You thought nothing of it until that day arrived, and you had yet to dismount your seat in your own clubroom. The calligraphy club was pretty straightforward, though that day, there was a meeting, one you barely recalled as your eyes continuously glanced at the clock. Along with cleaning up the classroom, you lost more time than expected, and rushing to the gymnasium did little to fix the issue. 

The game was in its second set by the time you arrived. The first thing you noticed upon entering the gym was the starting setter’s head whipping toward your direction. His alertness subsided, but his gaze stayed on you for a few seconds too many before he served the ball. You assumed things would go as usual, with you sneaking to your designated spot and watching the match until it was over. 

It wasn’t until the opponents requested a time-out did you discover how wrong you were. While the other boys went to fetch water and towels, Kageyama stomped over to you, his sweat-slicked bangs hovering over his eyes in a way that made his glare all the more intimidating.

“Where were you?” His voice was of normal volume, but his tone matched his furious expression perfectly. Your body froze.

“I had this thing,” you stammered. “My club meeting took longer than I thought, and—”

“I was waiting for you,” he seethed, stepping closer. “I even asked Coach to wait a bit so you could make it. I shouldn’t even have to make excuses for tardiness. You couldn’t have told your club that you had places to be?”

Your mouth went dry as he got louder, and by now, most of his teammates were watching the commotion. You’ve seen him frustrated, sure, angry on bad days, too. At least he’d take it out on his homework. 

Still, your habit of patience was second nature, even when it wasn’t called for. “I’m sorry—”

“Kageyama.” Daichi was behind the ravenette with a hand on his shoulder before you could further explain yourself. His tone was stern, sharp even, but nowhere near as intimidating as what you received. A warning. “Go take a breather, why don’t you?”

The setter’s gaze stayed on you a little longer than necessary. He scoffed before walking away, his back facing you as he sipped from his water bottle. You politely dismissed the captain’s apology on his junior’s behalf, assuring him you were all right.

“His Majesty’s probably just upset his girlfriend couldn’t watch him show off,” you heard Tsukishima mutter to Yamaguchi. You weren’t sure if he intended for you to catch his comment, but he wasn’t exactly out of earshot, only a couple of feet away. Regardless, you didn’t bother responding. It didn’t take long for everyone else to leave the little incident in the past, and the tall blonde’s snarky words lingered in your brain for the remainder of the match.

No one else showed up to watch these games. You were there for the tournaments, too; aside from Tanaka’s older sister and a few of the coach’s old friends, the boys’ volleyball club didn’t have much moral support. Much less Kageyama, from what you could tell. You’ve heard about his behaviour back in middle school from Hinata and Tsukishima, the latter with taunts, and the new fragments of information added pieces to the puzzle. 

Kageyama was trying. He didn’t always succeed, but it didn’t stop him from attempting to steer away from the tyrannical path he was heading. You’ve seen him reach for Tanaka’s high-fives, albeit with a confused expression, but it didn’t falter his senior’s enthusiasm. His compliments (if you could even call them that) came out as awkward and forced when he gave them to Hinata after the ginger won a point, and he wasn’t afraid to ask Azumane if he needed to adjust his sets to suit the Ace. 

Maybe you were supposed to be his tutor and nothing more. Maybe it would’ve been better that way. But with very little assistance and even lesser options, Kageyama might have considered your listening to his ramblings as a sign of friendship. You supported him in staying on the team, and now you’re watching him flourish as a result. That’s what friends do—it was only fair for him to ask you to stay as such. You’d ask yourself why not indulge, though you were probably in too deep to call it that anymore.

The following morning, you find Kageyama waiting by the school entrance, two milk cartons in each hand and a strained apology on the tip of his tongue. You smiled, the two of you sipping on your refreshments as you waited for the first bell to ring.

Your calligraphy club disbanded at the beginning of your second year. You weren’t all that surprised at the time: there were barely enough students for it to exist in the first place. Why certain members decided to leave was beyond you, but you saw no point in pushing them to stay if they didn’t want to. Still, you missed your club: you were left to your own devices, the black ink dancing across paper lulling you to a place of comfort.

It was Yachi who suggested you joined the boys’ volleyball club as another manager. She figured you learned some things from Kageyama here and there while tutoring him, and she has no problem helping you catch up. 

“Besides,” the blonde smiled, handing you the sign-up sheet, “it’s pretty lonely now that Shimizu graduated. It’d be nice to have a friend around.” You take the paper from her, staring at it somewhat skeptically. You didn’t voice your hesitance, and after a few seconds of silence, your friend added, “I’m sure the others will be happy to have you around, too.”

With how often you dropped by to watch the team practice and compete, the club members have grown to know you. It didn’t take too long for you to warm up to them, too, usually sitting with Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita and having them explain the gameplay whenever you were lost. Otherwise, it was mainly Kageyama who kept you to himself either because you had time to assist him in his studies or simply because he wanted your attention. 

You later found out it was his idea to have you join the team as another manager, and Yachi agreed immediately. Who would complain about that? Another sweet and pretty girl to help and cheer them on was a dream come true for most. You were the only one that had yet to vocalize content, and you handed in the application sheet soon after receiving it. 

Even with the progress, you still tutored Kageyama. Seeing him more often after classes only gave you more opportunity to support him, especially when Coach Ukai would remind certain members to keep their grades up. 

Not that any of this bothered the setter. He had no problem having you continue helping him with his schoolwork. He’d listen to your instructions, try out new learning techniques whenever he struggled on a particular unit and remained patient (by his standards, anyway) with you when things didn’t work out.

You had no issue continuing your support. You knew Kageyama was trying his best, even when his brain could only focus on volleyball, and you figured you could still learn more about how he interacted with others as he tried to come out of his shell. 

His one-track mind came to a disadvantage at times. When Hinata suggested studying as a group, Kageyama quickly shut the idea down. He’d sometimes go on tangents about strategies and new techniques for the sport while you tried to help him. Tanaka and Nishinoya would quip that the setter had a crush on you and didn’t know how to express it, though you knew better than to take those two seriously. Kageyama told you that becoming a manager would be more suitable for your future than your previous club. He’s grown used to your routine of getting all your attention for tutoring, and having others there would throw him off his game. As for his rants, he’s merely passionate about the sport—you don’t need a reminder.

So, you became a manager for the boys’ volleyball club, continued your one-on-one tutoring sessions and instructed him to only speak of team strategies in English as practice. And you do so until you graduate. 

It’s where the connection between you and Kageyama seemingly disappeared, set ablaze before dwindling into disintegration. He didn’t even give you the time to say goodbye to your friends outside the club before asking them if he could steal you away. (It was more of a declaration—the questioning tone was a mere formality.)

“Ready to take your volleyball career to the next level?” You didn’t know what else to say: not after the abrupt isolation. He’s brought you one of the many hidden corners the school had to offer, away from all the other graduates and their loved ones. Sakura petals fluttered through their descent, softening an otherwise overwhelming atmosphere full of completed chapters and new beginnings. You read manga: it felt like prince charming would swoop in with a confession, second gakuran button in hand. Having blueberry eyes boring into your awaiting frame in such an environment should make the butterflies in your stomach perform their very own acrobatics number, the anticipation eating you from the inside out. And it did, the churning in your belly boiling your face as you tried to meet his gaze. Kageyama’s resting face was always a disadvantage regarding his approachability, but with three years of getting to know him under your belt, you still felt a ghost’s kisses up your spine. 

“Obviously,” he answered. You would have chuckled at the comment in your first year of high school. But even the smile you’ve managed to muster no longer seemed convincing. Part of you wondered if you could find your friends once more to keep in touch before you all left. “I should be asking you that, though.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion, yet you kept the corners of your lips upwards. “I don’t know if being a manager for a volleyball team counts as a volleyball career.”

Kageyama didn’t laugh at your quip. You didn’t expect him to, but his response caught you off-guard.

“When will you be joining me?”

Your tiring performance of halo and white wings evaporated at his question, brows further creasing as your smile dropped. A clear indication of confusion, though a hint of offence found its way into the mix. 

“What are you talking about?” Your body instinctively inched closer to your corner. The setter noticed. 

“One of the biggest reasons I’ve managed to get as far as I am with volleyball is because of you,” he stated. “From helping me keep my grades up to becoming manager. I can grow to adjust to any team I become a part of, but I need someone who gets me to be by my side if I want to continue to prosper in my career.” 

The butterflies once performing in your belly dropped dead before they had the chance to bow. The love confession you dismissively thought of boomed with laughter as it slapped you across the back. Your lungs were empty as your brain progressed his words, your face slowly morphing from one expression to another. 

Did you do this?

“Kageyama,” you began, barely knowing where to go without a map, “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but that’s not the path I’m taking.” His resting face grew sour. You forced yourself to continue. “I’m flattered, but really, you did most of the work. I just gave you a little push.” Kind words didn’t weaken the blow—his staredown didn’t falter. “I have a life outside of the sport. I’m no prodigy. I don’t work anywhere near as hard as you do. I don’t feel the same about volleyball the way you do—”

“Bullshit.”

The snap from harsh lips forced yours shut. You shrank back once more, a scolded child fearing further punishment. 

You dared to glance at him. Kegayama was seething, leaning forward with clenched fists and jaw. You didn’t want to peer out to the crowd; had anyone heard him? They either didn’t or were too afraid to jump in. You knew you would be, too. 

“You think some sweet talk is going to make any of this okay?” His voice grew in volume, and you flinched. “You learned past the basics, you understand strategy better than the average player. You’re throwing it all out the window for what? That damn club you were in before had nothing to offer. I can vouch for you if you just follow me.”

There he was: King of the Court. You always thought Tsukishima would exaggerate to gain a reaction, but that title came to be for a reason. You just never thought you’d fall victim to it. 

“Look, I’m sorry if I led you on,” even in a situation like this, your feelings seemed to fall to a second priority, “but I’m telling you now that I don’t love the sport as much as you think I do. It’s not in my future.”

“I showed you opportunity and you throw it back in my face,” he sneered, getting closer. 

“I joined because of Yachi and my old club disbanding,” you defended, voice quivering. “I don’t understand why you’re yelling at me.”

A petal landed on your cheek, and you went to brush it away until you discovered the soft touch was a stray tear. It seemed enough to silence him, if only momentarily, though his glare remained just as deadly.

He wanted to say something; you knew he did. More words of anger, most likely, but he tightened his jaw instead, opting to walk away after giving you a final look of disdain.

You didn’t hear the hopeful and cheerful banter between graduates, nor did you catch Yachi calling your name until she laid a hand on your shoulder, snapping you out of your daze. Kageyama lingered in your head for the remainder of that day; no harsh words in particular—mainly the darkening of his blue eyes as his tone became aggressive. Part of you thought you also heard a twinge of betrayal, but after such a whiplash of a confrontation, you weren’t sure you could recall that moment in your state.

Wherever he was during the remainder of graduation, you didn’t see him.

To be more precise, you didn’t see him afterwards, either. With moving to another prefecture for school and time passing by, you eventually put that memory behind you. That isn’t to say it didn’t make your body temperature drop; on the rare occasions Kageyama would be brought up, the daggers his eyes threw your way would flash in your mind. Of course, you saw no reason to voice the issue—you only ever heard about him from Yachi whenever you’d catch up, which isn’t as often as you’d like. From what you know, he’s out of the country, furthering his career like you assumed he would. And while the setter was right about how being manager brought more skills and opportunities, your studies had nothing to do with volleyball. 

Neither does your career.

You never thought you’d set foot in Italy, much less work there after university. Your parents told you that your kindness paid off, much to your irritation. (Was school not already enough of a hassle? And the extracurriculars? The people?)

Even though the conversation was over the phone, you found yourself putting on a smile as you told them about taking the opportunity, your tone hopeful as if you still needed their permission. 

It took you who knows how long to realize you didn’t. And as soon as it hit you, you packed your bags and flew halfway across the world with barely the basics of the Italian language in your brain and newfound perseverance in your heart.

Whatever bits and pieces made you a doormat evaporated into the air as that airplane took off to your new home, and you planned on making what should be the next chapter of your life a completely different book.

Easier said than done, of course.

The last person you’d expect to see at this pub meets your gaze, and your eyes widen from instant recognition. 

Kageyama hasn’t changed all that much. His resting face is hard to miss, the light crease in his brows making him appear far angrier than he is. And with his increase in height and muscle, his intimidation goes up, too. His hair is also somewhat shorter, though that’s all regarding his changes. 

You continue to gawk at him, though his expression remains calm like you two were back in high school and you showed up to one of his games. You should be there.

He’s wearing his jersey, you realize, and grouped up with other men in the same attire. You don’t recognize the team; you haven’t been keeping track of the setter’s career. 

One of his teammates follows his stare, and Kageyama mumbles something before approaching you. You don’t hear what the other man says in return, your attention stuck on your old high school friend. (Can you still call him that? Could you ever have called him that?)

He says your name; your feet plant themselves on the ground. “It’s been a while.”

You blink away the myriad of emotions before nodding. “Still playing volleyball.”

It wasn’t a question, but it doesn’t make you feel any less stupid for bringing it up. Kageyama tilts his head back a bit, motioning to his team with a hum. “Yeah.”

“Can’t say I’m all that surprised,” you try to quip, your fingers toying with the hem of your shirt. Even if the ravenette’s height wasn’t a prominent factor, he’d still tower over you with how his eyes bore into your frame.“Last I heard, you joined Schweiden Adlers.”

His frown deepens. “I’m part of Ali Roma now.”

You bite your lip, your face growing warm. Kageyama appears offended, what with how he slightly tilts his head back for his eyes to look down on you. His brows furrow more, and you’re surprised you still remember his quirks even after all these years.

“An Italian team? Congratulations!” You don’t mention living in the same country, working on the same soil where he now lives and breathes his beloved sport. In fact, you don’t say anything for a little too long, and your eyes glance behind him. “Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you from your team. It was nice seeing—”

“Don’t worry about them,” he says, moving towards you. “I plan on catching up with you. They’ll understand.”

He’s making you approach a corner booth, and neither your feet nor your voice can protest. Even once you’ve sat down, all you do is shift in your seat, seemingly never comfortable. And whatever you originally planned on ordering is replaced with a glass of water. If Kageyama noticed, he doesn’t comment. He sips his beer occasionally; you’re halfway with your drink in a minute. 

“So,” you hum, “you like your new team?”

The setter looks at you for a few seconds before responding. “Yeah. Full of great players.”

He sounds more like he’s being interviewed than catching up with someone from high school. You try not to deadpan at his short answer. Your habit comes back crawling, keeping up performances and your back straight, head forward and heart thumping.

Your glass is almost empty when Kageyama speaks once more. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in Italy?”

He didn’t sound offended or hurt. The question came out as curious and casual like you two were going on about your day. But you know that’s not what’s happening, and his eerie calmness makes you nearly choke on your drink.

“We kinda lost touch,” you answer steadily, briefly. “It was a pretty quick decision, too. Only a handful of people knew.”

Not a complete lie, but you consider it necessary for now.

“Had to find out from Yachi that you were here last time I played in Japan,” the setter grunts, eyes glued to his drink. Your hold on your glass tightens at his words as your head snaps up to face him, a mix of confusion and a twinge of fear making your expression. You don’t get to ask him anything, not that you’re sure you can, and he continues. “Kind of a hassle not being able to reconnect with you whenever I had time back home. Switching teams was a good call, especially with my previous contract coming to an end. And it’s not like I wouldn’t have made it into Ali Roma anyway. I guess you leaving was a blessing in disguise.”

Whatever he says afterwards, if anything, drowns out as you stare past his shoulder, and your stomach drops. The strength you gained found its cowardice as the old you that disappeared into the clouds crashes down on you like a rainstorm, soaking you to the bone and making you shiver.

You rise from your seat a little too abruptly for your liking. “I need to use the bathroom.”

Also not a complete lie, but who’s keeping track? Not a drop of alcohol touched your tongue, yet you stumble down the hall towards the sign with a female stick figure in a dress and clumsily push the door below it open. You’re unsure if you should hunch over the toilet or splash water on your face, but you aren’t rewarded with a choice, nor the time, to make it.

A knock rinses the blood out of your ears, and you can hear the cheerful and far-from-sober banter back in the bar.

“Occupied,” you stammer hurriedly, carrying yourself to the sink. The creak of the door opening has you inhaling sharply, and who you see in the reflection keeps the air in your lungs.

Kageyama stands a couple of meters from you, his brows lightly furrowed. “Why do you keep doing that?”

You don’t answer him. The ravenette takes a step forward. You flinch.

“I was right, you know,” he begins, strangely calm. “That old club of yours–the calligraphy one–it was a waste of time.” His movements are slow as he approaches you. “It’s a good thing everyone left. Even if your new job has nothing to do with volleyball, your manager position definitely brought you to where you are now.” As vague as he may be, you can’t help but move back every time he gets closer, your fist tightening near your chest. “It would’ve been better if you’d just joined me, though.”

Your back hits the wall, and you don’t register what happens afterwards as your jumbled thoughts decipher possibility after possibility over the athlete’s implications. You don’t realize he’s kissing you or grabbing hold of your face to make you return the forced affection. You’re elsewhere as he lifts your top over your breasts and your skirt past your hips. Your mind is groggy as he gropes you through your bra, soon sliding past the material to tweak your nipples. 

It isn’t until his hand slides down your body and into your panties do you awake to a nightmare. 

Your front presses up against the tile wall; you don’t recall when he turned you around, the dead end’s coolness painting goosebumps all over your body and juxtaposing the warm fresh tears cascading down your squished cheek. Kageyama’s fingers languidly glide across your lower lips before he clicks his tongue. You can hear the irritation; you always could.

Not as wet as he’d like you to be. But the setter only has so much patience. He’s human, after all. He’s human.

The thought barely registers when you hear a faint zipping sound behind you, and suddenly his hard-on presses into the small of your back. Your breathing picks up as he spreads your legs with little effort, further pushing you into the wall before doing the same with your panties, revealing your entrance to him.

He doesn’t grace you with sweet nothings and mercy: just a blob of spit in his hand to pump his cock followed by heavy panting. And when he finally enters, the silence deafens you as he chokes on a gasp. 

That’s the moment that felt never-ending; he went in and never stopped, it seems, dragging himself into your insides until he was everywhere. He is everywhere. He is inside and behind and looming and crushing.

The nicest he was to you was when he waited to let you adjust, and you hate yourself for being the sweet little high school girl who tried to see the best in people. He doesn’t deserve it. You don’t deserve this.

Kageyama makes his first few strokes slow, but they’re still deep enough to have you gritting your teeth. It isn’t long until he gasps your name and picks up speed. 

“All this way,” he rasps in your ear, almost masking the slapping noises his hips would make when colliding with your ass. “All this way to another part of the world, joining a new team, starting over and getting better, all to see you again.” You don’t hear him when he speaks, nor as he grunts extra loudly as you tighten around him. “I should’ve done this sooner.”

A large hand slides back into your bra, squeezing your breast, calloused fingers tugging at the hardened bud, while the other one further shoves your panties aside to hastily rub your clit. The dry friction does little to soothe you, and with his lack of patience, the nub receives no pattern except whatever it's offered. Still, the added stimulation makes you tighten and the ravenette more restless. Even in your position, he finds a way to slam his lips against yours again. His tongue makes its way into your cavern as his thrusts get sloppier. You can’t breathe.

Not when he pulls away from the kiss. 

Not when his hips sputter as hot ropes paint your insides white. 

And certainly not when your high follows soon after.

It wasn’t strong, and it didn’t last long, but the shame that creeps into your stomach lasts an eternity. 

Your heavy breathing syncs with his as everything finally settles into your slowly-sobering mind. Kageyama’s still inside you, his hot breath fanning the back of your neck as his hands find your wrists to grab hold of. 

You’re in high school all over again. His actions have evolved to more dangerous heights, but you’re back in that gymnasium watching him practice. Even when he finally pulls out, even when he pulls you close, even when he snuggles into the junction of your shoulder. 

Kageyama hasn’t changed one bit.

@creative-crybaby, do not repost or modify

[strayrumia]

Road to Relationship (Ch. 1)

lee know x fem!reader

Synopsis: [Y/N] and Minho have been best friends since childhood. The two have never talked about the possibility of a romantic relationship between them, but then again, why risk losing a friendship? As they continue their college years, [Y/N] starts to take interests in the guys around her. Unbeknownst to [Y/n], her best friend may actually take that risk the more she goes after guys who don't really deserve her. - or - [Y/N] starts to crush on other guys, but Minho doesn't like the idea of other guys being beside her romantically but him.

Follow these best friends as they navigate their feelings for one another!

Genre(s): fluff, best friends to lovers, angst, love triangles Other tags: jealous/possessive minho, bts side story, fake texts au, semi-social media au + written Content Warning(s): swearing, suggestive themes, mention(s) of forgetting to eat/take care of yourself will be updated every chapter! This Chapter in specific has: swearing, mention(s) of forgetting to eat, mention(s) of fear of rejection/losing a friendship

After you've finished texting your best friend, you looked up at the lecture before you. You were taking a communication class, more specifically, a debate class, so that it would help prepare you to see the other side of arguments as well as be able to defend your own stance. If you were honest, as much as you did have some interest taking the class, you were mostly taking it due to it being the most interesting undergraduate general education course in one of the required catalogs. The professor was teaching something you were familiar with due to reading the previously assigned texts, so it allowed you some time to divert your attention.

You glanced over at your side where you watched your classmate crush listen to the lecture intently and take down some notes.

Jeon Jungkook was his name. The same handsome man who happened to be in the same classes as you in the previous semester and now sits beside you out of comfort and familiarity. You didn't know much about him other than Minho's mention of being part of the same dance club as him on-campus and that he was well-versed in many things, judging by his stickers on his laptop.

It had to be a sign if he's in your class again. There's no way he would be in the same class - if you recall, he's not the same major as you! After the last situationship you've put yourself into, you made a mental note to yourself to never let yourself beg for a man's attention or love ever again. That doesn't stop your crushing or attempts to get closer to the attractive being beside you.

"Alright, class. I'll give you all a few minutes to find yourself someone to work with for this assignment."

You quickly looked up at the instructions on the projector screen.

PRACTICE: Work in a pair and find a topic you both want to debate about. You will have 2 rounds with 1 minute each to try and convince the other to join your side. If you concede, then you lose.

The timing has been so perfect.

"Hey, [Y/N], was it?" Jungkook's low voice startled you, prompting you to turn your head to his direction immediately. You tried your best to calm any nerves rising and took a quick breath.

"Yes! Jungkook, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," he grinned in return, the bunny-like smile sending butterflies in your stomach. There was something about his smile that sent your heart racing yet you couldn't quite put a finger on it. He was just so cute! "I remember we had a couple classes before. Honestly I don't know anyone else in this class... would you mind being my partner for this practice?"

You were prepared for being the one to initiate, so his words took you aback. Regardless, you tried to shake the feelings off and returned his smile. "I don't mind at all!"

"Great! Well, I don't want to take all the ideas - do you have a topic in mind you want to argue about?" Jungkook asked.

"Uh..." You were left speechless. You internally panicked before you started overhearing a conversation by your peers nearby. They were throwing ideas about romance and dating, especially during this time. They seemed to develop a topic of dating people they knew versus dating people through apps. Their conversation gave you an idea. "How about the idea of dating?"

"Huh?" Shoot. Was that suspicious of you to suddenly bring up? His surprised reaction made you not only confused, but surprised before you started to panic yet again.

"Wh-what I mean is...! Dating is an interesting topic nowadays, y'know... going for strangers online on apps or going for the people you start to get acquainted with in-person... it's a very interesting debate to have!" You tried to explain, trying to fight the nervous blush creeping onto your cheeks. The more you tried to defend the idea, the more you started to ramble and felt your ears go red. Luckily for you, Jungkook seemed more interested and acknowledged your words.

"Ah, I see... you make a great point. I think I like the idea of discussing romance as a topic. What about the idea of possibly dating an acquaintance versus dating someone, like say, your best friend?" Jungkook suggested. The idea struck onto your mind and got you intrigued in return. You approved the idea but before you two can discuss which side to take, the professor silenced the class and began to call for volunteers to take the stand.

You thought long and hard about the idea. Dating an acquaintance to you is dating someone you're pretty much strangers with. You can still build that relationship, get to know each other, and eventually learn whether or not you would be a perfect match. It wouldn't be too bad, right?

Dating your best friend, however, was a different topic. You immediately thought about Minho when Jungkook brought up the idea. You tried to think about the possibility of having a romantic relationship with him but only certain flashbacks came up.

"[Y/N], don't tell me you forgot to eat again! Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you to take care of yourself?!"

"Haha, I still can't believe you fell trying to race me! ...What do you mean, [Y/N]? Yes, it was funny!! Don't worry, I'll patch you up, I'm done laughing!"

"You're going to adopt a cat?! [Y/N], you ARE a cat! ...But I'll support you through it, as long as you take care of yourself and the little one."

You blinked a couple times reminiscing before you shook your head at the memories. You couldn't even fathom a romantic relationship with your best friend when all he does is scold and nag you while making fun of you at the same time. How is any of that romantic anyway? It wouldn't be like him nor would you be able to believe him to be a romantic in the first place. Nope, there's no way you could see yourself in a relationship with him.

You were pulled from your thought process when you heard your professor call Jungkook's name. Jungkook had volunteered to go up and mentioned you being his partner, forcing you to stand in front of the class with him.

"I can't imagine dating my best friend..." You muttered under your breath, but it does not go unnoticed. Jungkook patted your shoulder and gave you a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'll take that argument if it makes it easier for you."

What a kind guy! You thought to yourself as you silently praised him for taking initiative.

Your professor reset the timer on the projector screen, prompting you both to take a deep breath to start. "Timer starts... now! [Y/N], your side first."

You exhaled and looked at Jungkook in his brown eyes. "Dating an acquaintance is better in all levels. The acquaintance being a close friend is entirely up to you and your comfortability. You can get to know them more and prevent yourself from any possible heartbreak with the idea of losing a friend if things don't work out."

Jungkook gave you a challenging grin in return as he started. "Dating your best friend would lessen the heartbreak. You'd be with someone you've known your whole life, the one who knows you well enough that they wouldn't betray your trust. You would never have a dark moment with them because not only will you have your eternal partner, but your best friend in one."

You fought the temptation to frown and defended your stance. "What's the point in risking a relationship with someone you care so much about? If things don't work out, you will subject yourself to losing a best friend, your other half almost. It's better to go for someone who's essentially a stranger to you so it can be up to your judgment of whether they're trustworthy or partner-material or not."

"Oh, but you mentioned that your best friend is essentially your other half. The idea is still likely, is it not? Then the only things you're worried about are the fears of losing your close friend due to romantic interest and rejection." Your grin faltered ever so slightly at the surprising claim, but Jungkook continued. "If they're single and they're willing to pursue that relationship with you, then why not go for it, unless you're unwilling? If you two respect each other enough and your platonic relationship is more than that, then a little romance shouldn't break that."

Any attempt of countering was put to a halt. 'Damn, he's good...' you thought to yourself as the professor's two minute timer went off. You both went back to your seats as the professor continued the lecture following your activity. You mindlessly took notes of his lecture as you let Jungkook's defense get to your head. You were in disbelief that he was able to defend his stance so well, let alone it feeling like he was calling you out.

You shook off the idea of ever pursuing a relationship with Minho, but you were content with your relationship as it is. You didn't think it needed to be anything more, nor did it seem like Minho was interested in you that way. No, he definitely doesn't seem like it. With how much he would scold you and nag you, he was taking more of a motherly role towards you than anything else.

You looked at Jungkook through your peripheral vision, where you noticed he'd glance a few times at your direction while taking his own notes. You didn't think much of it. After all, all you could think about was either he has his own experience with relationships with a close friend or that he's just that damn good at debates.

Once the professor ended the lecture, you started to put your things away into your backpack when a familiar voice called your name.

"I'm sorry if I accused you of something there, [Y/N]. If I hurt your feelings in any way, I didn't mean to." Jungkook said, his bag hanging off one shoulder as he apologetically scratched the back of his head.

"N-no, you didn't hurt me at all! You're actually really good at debates! I have no doubt you'll ace this class with flying colors." You felt guilty at the possibility that your reaction made him overthink his words, but it also made you feel good to see that he cared about his actions if it did affect you. He truly is a kind person.

"You think so? Thank you, I'm glad to hear it!" his smile returned, never failing to send your heart leaping for joy at the sight. "I'm especially glad to hear it now that we'll be working together for the next project."

'Huh?' Oh, that's right. You recall that towards the end of the lecture, the professor mentioned that we'll be working with that same partner for the next project. You'll be either revisiting the same topic you've debated against for the class activity or decide on a different one. Either way, you'll have a longer timer of ten minutes to make sure you're able to debate against the other side. As each day passes by, you'll have to send written reports and updates of how your side of the speech is going while working with your partner to make sure you touch base on both sides. This meant...

"I guess we should exchange contact information so that we can keep each other accountable with our respective updates, huh?" you said, hoping any ounce of your excitement and nervousness was not apparent in your voice.

"Yeah, if you don't mind!"

With that, you both exchanged phone numbers and said your goodbyes as Jungkook walked away with his friend, who was waiting outside the door for him. As soon as he disappeared from sight, you immediately pulled out your personal messages with Minho.

To be continued...

Prologue | Chapter 1 (You are Here) | Chapter 2 ->

Profiles | RtR Masterlist

TAGLIST (OPEN): nappynapnaps

[myhaikyuuacademia]

Totally fake | Ant x Reader (Heartbreak High)

Fake dating, fem!reader A/N: it’s been a while since I watched s1 so forgive me if the timeline is a little wonky. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

You had no idea how you got yourself in this… situation. In this mess, honestly. Thanks to Amerie, the whole school life had imploded. Thanks a lot, Map Bitch. Now here you were, standing next to her trying to get a ticket for the party as Ant told her about how his mom reacted to the whole Darren wristy thing. Your face twinged up in sympathy. Somehow Quinni and Darren had adopted Amerie into your friendgroup after the whole thing, so here you were, supporting your new friend. Well, it was more like she dragged you along. Moral support or something. Ant ended up telling Ams to go ask Spider and she trudged away disappointed, but you stayed, hesitating. “Um, I’m sorry about your mom.” You offered. What a stupid thing to say, you cursed yourself. Boys made you nervous. “Yeah, it really sucks. I love Jesus and all but going to church 3 more times a week is reaaaaally boring.” He groaned. You began walking to your next class together. “Um.” You started talking before you could think. You were a fixer, it was a whole thing. A pathological need to fix things, which is why you couldn’t really be against Quinni and Darren taking Amerie in, you wanted to help fix this. But sometimes in your need to fix things you went a little overboard. You realized that that was what you were doing after you had already started talking, and now you didn’t know what to say. But being quiet now was also embarrassing. “What’s up?” Ant stopped and leaned against the doorway of your classroom. Looking at you expectantly. Fuck it. “Maybe I could help.” You looked at him. “With your mom I mean.” He looked confused, his brows furrowing as he tried to figure out what you were proposing. “How?” Taking a deep breath in, you began rambling the plan that had formed in your head in the span of maybe 10 seconds. Which in hindsight, perhaps was a sign that this was a really dumb idea. “Well. I’m assuming your moms problem is that Darren is not a girl. Because you’re Christian and all. Which, I don’t know, not very Christian, ya know? Loving your neighbour and all. But anyway. If her problem is in fact that, I am a very good liar, I know enough about like the bible and stuff, and I happen to be a girl…” You trail off. He looked as confused as he did before you started talking, which, honestly, you figured this would not be enough to get him to understand. It was just too embarrassing to finish. You felt cold all of a sudden. Nervous. Rubbing your arms for warmth, or perhaps in an attempt to rub the nervousness away. “I’m saying I could be your fake girlfriend until she calms down.” You finally huffed out. “Ohhhhhhh” You swore you could almost see the lightbulb that went off above his head. “Gotcha.” He nodded contemplatively. “You’re really smart, y/n, I’m impressed.” Still nodding. You were a little surprised he knew your name. People tended to not know it because you mostly kept to yourself outside of your friendship with Darren and Quinni. And you hadn’t talked to Ant before, like literally ever. Yeah you shared a lot of classes, but he didn’t really seem to pay attention and so far you had never been paired with him for any group work. “Let’s do it.” He grinned, excitedly. “Wait what?” Your eyes widened in surprise. “For real?” You didn’t know what you expected his answer to be, but for some reason you hadn’t prepared yourself for a yes.

“Yeah! I’m in! I only see positives honestly. I get to pretend to date the coolest girl I know and get my mom off my back.” Wait, what did he say? The coolest girl he knows? Huh? You blinked in confusion as he left you standing in front of the open door to go to his seat. Autopilot activated you went to your seat, in between Darren and Quinni. Completely zoned out your eyes trained on Ant who was sitting a couple rows ahead and to your right. “Earth to y/n, repeat Earth to y/n.” A hand was waving in front of your face and you blinked as you turned to Darren. “huh?”. “What’s wrong with you today, space girl?” They asked. “What?” Your brain hadn’t completely caught up yet. “Why were you talking to Ant?” Quinni asked excitedly. Why was she excited? “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you talk to him before.” She mused. Uh. What were you supposed to tell them? Both of them looked at you expectantly. Completely frozen, your brain refused to cooperate. “I.. uh. Amerie. Party. Slapband. You know?” The words were more stuttered out than said, and they did in fact not know what you meant.  Your saviour came in the form of a very out-of-breath Amerie, who was almost late to class, but just almost. She fell into her seat next to Quinni and immediately started babbling about whatever it was she was up to after she had left you and Ant, taking all attention off of you. And if they saw you staring at Ant the whole class, they didn’t say anything. Yet.

By the end of the school day you had bounced back, the whole Ant thing still nagging at a corner of your brain but not at the front anymore. Until you were walking out the school gate with Darren, Quinni and Amerie, that is. “Hey, y/n, Wait up!.” This caught the attention of your more than nosy friends. You stopped and turned around to see Ant jogging up with a stupidly cute grin on his face. “Um, hi, what’s up?” Your face felt unusually flushed. Your friends looked at you like they were vultures and you, and the ensuing gossip that would come from this, their prey. You didn’t need to look at them to know that. “Here.” He held out a slapband. “You don’t have one yet, do you?” “No, I don’t, actually.” You were about to tell him that you were not interested. Partys? Not your thing. But the way he looked at you, and the fact that he got you one and went out of his way to give it to you, rendered you incapable of rejecting it. He was waiting for you to take it, or do something to accept it, so you lifted your arm and held it out in front of him. He slapped it on your arm and you mumbled out a thank you. “No worries, babe.” He leaned in and gave you quick peck on the cheek before he proceeded to wink at you and then leave with a wave and a “See you later!”. You almost dropped to your knees. What the hell just happened. Wide-eyed you looked after him, hand lifting to touch the cheek he had just kissed, legs still awfully wobbly. “BABE?!?!?!” A chorus of awestruck half-yells ripped you out of your moment, seconds before your friends came into view in front of you and crowded you. This was… too much. You gave up trying to keep your legs steady and dropped down to the ground, sitting on your knees, before shifting to sit criss-cross applesauce. “Whoa, shit girl, you okay?” Amerie dropped down next to you. Not trusting your voice you simply nodded yes. “Oh my god, you and Anthony Vaughn?” Darren crouched down next, almost scandalized by what they had just witnessed. “Oh, are we sitting now?” Quinni, bless her, sat down next to you. “Yeah…” You just said, to no one in particular, nodding. “Oh my god, you’re like, a total goner.” Amerie laughed. “I am?” You turned to look at her with puppy-dog eyes. Before this day started, you had never talked to Anthony Vaughn before, and now, before it ended, you were apparently head over heels for him. You blamed it on hormones, or some kind of chemical inbalance in your brain. Because… there was no way, right?

This would make the fake-dating significantly harder, you concluded, after you had time to mull it over. You and your friends had continued sitting on the ground for a good 10 minutes, before you felt stable enough to attempt standing and walking again. Of course they all had a million questions, yelling simultaneously, trying to understand what they had just witnessed. You had no idea what to tell them. “I will tell you once I know.” You end up saying, which leads to more questions. “Seriously guys, not right now.” You couldn’t tell them anything before you lined up stories with Ant. Well, technically you could tell them it was all fake, but they were all huge blabbermouths, and you wanted to check in with Ant first, before doing anything. You hadn’t expected him to just… go and do that. Like, at least you had expected talking to him once, or maybe twice, about what being in a fake relationship entailed, you know, lining up stories, where, what, who, when…. What kind of person his mother was, how far to go, how much to do to make it believable. But now everything had kind of blown up and it had to wait. You didn’t even have his number, you realized, after you were finally alone. The gang had tried to peer-pressure you into making this a whole goss-sesh at the diner, but you managed to worm your way out of it. Now they would probably just do it anyway, but without you to defend yourself. Not that there was anything you could say right now. Frustrated you blew a piece of hair out of your face. This was gonna be one hell of a week.

[klmp11s]

Hello! Could I request hcs with Ruggie and Sebek having a crush on a dense male!reader? I'm curious on how they would realize that they have a crush on him and how they would react to it.. if possible I'd like them to already have an established friendship with the reader 👍

Thank you in advance! Take all the time you need to answer this 🙏

Hello!! I did an romantic open(?) ending. (I SWEAR I have no idea how I wrote so much in the both parts) (English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes)

Summary: twst boys having a crush on a dense reader Characters: Ruggie Bucchi, Sebek Zigvolt Warning: dense male!reader, established friendships, ooc(?), hcs, In both parts reader is in the same year as boys!, Anxiety (?) Part of Ruggie is 5.9 thousand letters, part of Sebek is 5.5 thousand letters, one(1) curse word in Ruggie part

Ruggie Bucchi

You met in your first year, and he immediately noticed that you were quite dense

He also decided that it was none of his business. You are really funny sometimes, maybe you and he would even become friends.

After your meeting with him, he began to notice you much more often. You and he have a lot of joint classes, he thinks that this is not bad and perhaps you will even start communicating with him more often

He was the first to start a conversation with you and you also calmly continued it. He was even surprised at how easy it was to communicate with you, although he heard a rumor that it was impossible to talk to you about anything

But rumors are still just rumors?

You began to spend time with him much more often and he even got used to your presence nearby. When talking to someone, he also calmly says that you are his friend

In your second year, you and he became even worse. Yes, he has important things to do that he needs to do, but also you and him were hardly seen alone

Over the course of a year of friendship with you, Ruggie has also gotten used to the fact that you have to explain a lot and doesn’t see this as a problem.

He also sometimes joked that "shihihihi your head is too dense, so let's talk about something else"

I swear, there were a couple of times when another student confessed his love to you and you just didn’t understand it.

Like, “You like me, I like you too, it’s nice to communicate with you.

So what did you want to tell me? and you just stood there and batted your eyelashes while you waited for an answer

Ruggie constantly laughs at these stories, because how can people, without knowing you, confess their love LIKE THIS?

One weekend, Ruggie finished his work much faster and went to his dorm to spend time together. That day, you and he remembered your first year with him, the new first years and even discussed a couple of gossips when at one moment you both fell silent, he just fixed his gaze on you and what came to his mind was how you looked last year.

He won’t argue, you have become even more beautiful, but he is glad that your character and attitude towards him have not changed.

Because of your friendship, he often forgets that new acquaintances see you completely differently. He can even understand those who were in love with you, because you had a lot of good qualities and talents, Ruggie forgets what an attractive guy you are and doesn’t even remember the time when you were just acquaintances.

You turn to your side and stare back at him. You break into a tired smile and your hand falls on his head, starting to scratch his ears. At that very second he begins to squirm, laughing at the same time and trying to remove your hand.

He is always calm with you and he doesn’t need to be attentive, why did he have such a good friend? Holding your wrist and trying to catch his breath, Ruggie looks into your happy face, but instead of the usual calm, he feels something wrong.

He couldn't have gotten sick or something else, could he? Maybe he's tired? No, fatigue feels different. Something unpleasant settles in his chest, and he feels how this “something” begins to spread throughout his body.

He decides to brush it off and carefully lets go of your hand. He leans his elbows on the headboard, closes his eyes and continues to listen to your story about what chaos the first-years of your dorm managed to create.

On the way to his dorm, Ruggie even forgets that something happened, until he fell into his bed he didn’t even remember that strange feeling. He puts his hand on his chest and looks at the ceiling. What could happen? He spent time with you calmly, as usual. Why does he feel more tired this time than rested?

At this moment, you and your relaxed smiling face come into his head.

Oh..OH WAIT

He feels his heart begin to beat faster and this feeling returns again. The reason you feel this way is you? He sits up and runs his free hand through his hair. Something is definitely wrong. His best friend makes him feel this way, why?

At one moment, one of those thoughts comes into his head, which he tried to throw away as far as possible.

This is bad. THIS IS REALLY BAD, LIKE HE MAY FEEL SOMETHING NON-PLATONIC FOR HIS BEST FRIEND?

From that evening, Ruggie began to pay closer attention to you in order to understand his reaction. He He hopes that he is wrong. But do you know what they say? Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

After a couple of weeks, Ruggie was already sure that, yes, he might have feelings for his best friend. But that's not so bad, right? And then he remembers what kind of person you are. Dense.

Fuck.

Okay, now Ruggie understands all those who were in love with you.

He completely forgot that you might not understand even the most obvious hints.

Now he HAS a problem and it is catastrophically large.

I hope you remember that he is a beast-man? ABOUT Obviously, the first thing that came to his mind was the courtship of hyenas and he even tried to court you a couple of times. But then he remembered that even if you were told something directly, you might not understand it.

He even teased you for a while, said hints or even straight up romantic things, but unfortunately you didn’t understand it at all. You're kidding this poor lovestruck hyena, aren't you? How cruel.

You didn't even notice the difference between Ruggie's new and old behavior. Yes, he started sharing food with you more, touching you and talking nonsense, but Ruggie always acted like that, no? He even asked you out on a date a couple of times! He starts to think that you might not like boys, or that you really are THAT dense. He literally gets nervous before every walk you take.

After a few months, he finally plucked up courage. Okay, what bad could happen? He doesn’t think that you will stop communicating with him because of his feelings, you are not that kind of person.

Okay, MAYBE he was too confident, but looking into your eyes he can't tell how he feels. He's afraid, but what? He wrings his fingers behind his back and swallows nervously.

Once he starts talking, it is impossible to shut him up. The words flow like a waterfall and he tries to explain to you as simply as possible the nature of his feelings.

As soon as he stops speaking, he immediately looks away from you. Was it too much? Are you leaving now? He ruined everything, didn't he?

But then he feels a hand on his head, gently stroking his ears.

Okay, that's not a bad sign. His gaze rises to your face and all anxiety dissipates from his soul. You are not angry and stand and look at him with your warm smile. Looks like it was worth it. He calms his breathing and still feels the rapid beating of his heart, but now he is focused on something completely different.

At this moment, he notices that you are just as nervous as he is.

Your eyes dart over his face, never stopping for more than a second.

And the last thing he expected from you was that he also made your heart beat faster. He's not sure if he's ready to start crying or run and win the spelldrive tournament. He simply wraps his arms around you and finally calms down.

Well, he is now the happiest man on the planet and he right now wants you to become his boyfriend. He hears your quiet laugh and feels your hands stroking his back. Perhaps everything has been heading towards this since the first year, right?

Sebek Zigvolt

You met him upon admission.

He also didn't want to talk to you at all. He is the future knight of Malleus Draconia himself! And who are you? He doesn't care how interesting you are, leave him alone.

The first week you could completely keep up with him. I really hope you have earplugs, because hearing his screams every day is a mockery

After a couple of weeks he finally got tired of you and said that YES OKAY YOU CAN BE MY FRIEND, WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT?

Now you have a crocodile friend, congratulations!

I think in the first two months he got used to the fact that you are constantly near him if he is not busy defending Malleus. I also think that the entire Diasomnia dorm is very grateful to you, because finally their Sebek has such a good friend! (they hear half as much screaming if you are with him)

He obviously became calmer when talking to you. But your density is obviously annoying. When he realized that you were not behaving this way on purpose, he felt guilty for yelling at you because of this.

He has learned to explain simple things to you completely calmly, even if he spends more time on it than necessary. You are literally his first friend outside of his family (read: Diasomnia).He doesn't know many social interactions, so he tries to entrust this part to you.

He also began to seek your company more often. Still, it's not so bad to have a friend to spend time with. He tells you about the activities of the club in which he is a member, about Malleus, about lessons with Lilia and Silver, about Malleus, about how his day went at flying lessons, about Malleus..

You sometimes jokingly say that soon you yourself will talk about Malleus so often. He is SCREAMING??

You didn’t joke like that again (in front of him)

You also often invite him to spend time in your dorm, in the library, or maybe for a walk on the college campus. He never refused, like he could complain that he doesn't have time for such nonsense while he literally goes where you want.

I think he was also next to you when one of your classmates confessed their love to you. Okay, Sebek screamed when you responded to the confession with something like “cool, was that all or do you want to say something else?” OK?? WHAT?

They told you that they LOVE YOU, WHO RESPONSES TO CONFESSION LIKE THIS??

Sebek gave you a LECTURE on how you can respond to a confession and how you ABSOLUTELY NOT.

At some point he even felt sorry for this person, and he remembers that your dense nature is often mistaken for something else. He also often wants to say that no, you're not rude, you're just DENSE

Despite this, he is honestly happy to spend time with you. It's as if his problems and responsibilities disappear and he can be an ordinary student.

When you once again called him to garden, he had just finished his club activities and headed towards the mirror room.

When he arrived, you started talking about Crewel's mission. You wearily sit down in the shade of a tree and pat the grass nearby. Sebek frowns at first, then calmly sits down next to you and continued listening to you

This has already become a routine for the two of you. In your free time, spend time with each other somewhere quiet, Sebek is even grateful for such moments, because he can act relaxed and no one will tell him that “knights don’t behave like that”

Your presence nearby makes Sebek feel needed and that someone is truly happy to be with him. He also long ago removed all the stupid prohibitions that he told you at the beginning of your friendship.

While he was thinking about this, he felt something fall into his lap.

When did he manage to close his eyes? He looks down worriedly and sees you calmly resting your head on his lap.

You smile tiredly at him with your eyes closed and turn so that your face is against his stomach. Fine, now he again doesn’t know what to do. You often show affection to him, but he’s still not used to it being so harsh.

He sits quietly for a couple of minutes before gently placing his hand on your head. His inept and even rough hands always tried to treat you gently. You are not a knight, not a fairy, and you need to be treated carefully.

He's still looking at you, neither of you two are talking and he's just brushing away some of your hair that's falling in your face.

Strange. Why does he feel an electric current running through his fingers even with gloves on?He can't say it's unpleasant, but he's never felt anything like it. IN An unknown tingling sensation began to bloom in his chest and he placed his hand back on top of your head and closed his eyes nervously.

He listens to his heartbeat and realizes that it sounds much faster than usual. Is there something wrong? Does he sense any danger? No, it feels completely different. Like something that calms his warlike nature and allows him to breathe deeply.

Heat rises across his cheeks and he notices that you have fallen asleep. Okay, maybe he still has time to be with you, what if the tennis is attacked while you are resting? He, like a knight, must protect you!

Stop. But he only ever protected Malleus? His thoughts reach him and it’s as if he’s been doused with ice water. You did something to him and he doesn't like it.

After a couple of days, he begins to realize that his feelings for you are far beyond platonic. He was definitely in denial for a long time, because YOU ARE HIS BEST FRIEND he can love you as a friend, family??

Afterwards, he finally admits that he is really in love with you and how much you didn’t want him to, something needs to be done about it. He goes to his team in Diasomnia and tells absolutely everything. Yes, he is embarrassed and teased by Lilia, but it’s better than him ignoring you because of his feelings. After a couple of weeks of diligently courting you, he realized that you were not at all aware that he was ROMANTICALLY courting you. Finally, he makes an appointment with you to confess to you live.

He is nervous, but he tries with all his might not to show that he is definitely worried if you refuse him and he will also lose you as a friend.

He is very glad that he chose a quiet place, because his confession came out as a mixture of embarrassed screams and exclamations At first you didn’t even understand what exactly Sebek wanted to tell you, but suddenly you remember how he himself explained to you the topic of declarations of love.

Okay, sometimes Sebek is VERY useful to listen to and you're glad you didn't fall asleep that day. You carefully take his hand in yours and say what you may feel similar.

He will remember this date, but now the only thing he would like to do is kiss you.

The characters do not belong to me, they belong to their rightful owners, please do not edit, translate, repost my works on other platforms, also without my permission and @

[mari-lair]

Gladly! Aoi was inspired by the high school of magic Aoi, who also has a secret identity + no popularity queen status. So she is shy when people pay her any attention, especially Akane, and less arrogant. She avoids conflict but is able to take action when the situation calls for it!

Overall she is more open about her emotions, not hiding behind a cutesy smile all the time.

Since Aoi's clockkeeper contract is forced, and she is alone, her situation is less of a fun double life like in the magic AU, and more of a curse.

Mirai made her cry the first week she was forced to babysit her and cleaning the clocks used to be awful, she hates having to be their maid after learning they are the ones who put her best friend's life at risk in the first place.

She trains herself to become a persistent girl, independent by force.

She hates supernaturals but has a soft spot for mokkes. She occasionally hides them in her sleeves and sneaks them to No.1's boundary, paying for their services with candy so she doesn't have to clean the clocks alone.

She befriends Teru when he sees her in her supernatural form, more cause she doesn't want to be alone than really because she thinks he is cool.

She goes out of her way to learn about supernaturals instead of pretending they don't exist. She is scared of being lied to again, specially on something so big as the clock keepers recruitment plan, so she doesn't trust their words. Her glasses are enchanted but she only uses them to not be bothered in her studies, she always takes them off if Akane looks troubled or she is on break. She makes sure to learn every rumor to keep Akane safe from the dangerous ones.

The incident where the keepers nearly killed Akane traumatized Aoi. She always walks on the side closest to the road when they are on the streets by instinct.

Aoi never has to protect Akane from all the admirers he gained by being a beauty king, cause his personality is the same, he can brutally kick people regardless of gender just fine, people know he isn't on the market, but she doesn't catch a break, constantly rescuing him from supernatural trouble and worrying about his safety. Since Akane can't see her in her supernatural form he has no idea she is inhumanly strong, only noticing she has been more stressed after her contract and being even more protective and careful with her.

Most people respect Akane, knowing from personal experience that he is a responsible class representative, kind, and brutally blunt. So even though he is able to make people swoon by just existing, confessions are not a daily occurrence, admired from afar.

In the occasional cases people objectify him, Aoi is more bothered than Akane about it, she wants to throw hands and give away her identity as 'more than a cute shy girl' the second someone is bold enough to hold his hand without his consent, twisting his behavior to fit their personal narrative, and acting entitled to have him.

Think of the rare people that bother Akane as similar to the creepy cashier who created a whole false narrative about Aoi in his head.

Her friendship with Teru makes Akane a little jealous. Why does she wear Teru's glasses? Why does it feel like they are hiding secrets from him? And she does tease him about it, going out of her way to try to make him jealous as revenge for all the time she had to deal with girls gushing about how hot he is. She is petty.

Aoi usually stops time to make her life easier, get away from crowds, save a flower pot from falling. Little things. If her clockkeeper duties drain her too much she'll even copy someone's homework, though she needs to be really really tired to do that, she is usually too prideful to copy someone else.

She does eventually stop Akane's time to stare at him, mostly out of curiosity, but she gets self-conscious about it and avoids him for the rest of the day, much to Akane's confusion. Getting superpowers may have increased her confidence and made her more proactive, but Aoi is still pathetic when it comes to showing and receiving affection.

[m00nlight-ramblings]

Like Real People Do: Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of "Like Real People Do"

After a slight mishap in the admissions office, you find yourself in the same History class as Eddie, pushing your friendship forwards (thanks to the help of Dustin Henderson).

Read Chapter 1 here

Pairing: Eddie x AFAB reader (named "Brooke" because I hate using Y/N, but will also be using "you" to make it reader-centric!)

Warnings: Swearing, dual pov. This entire series is 18+ MINORS DNI!

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: I'm so happy so many people are liking this one...I love writing about Eddie *kicking my feet*. I've also noted that some people are wanting a tag list for this one, so if you want to be added, let me know!

The heat inside the class room was stifling – one last heat spike seemed to be in full effect in Hawkins, and the lack of air conditioning inside Hawkins High really put a damper on any chance of comfortability. Eddie fanned himself with his hand, rolling his eyes at the sweat he felt pooling slightly at his collar.

Mr. Binkins, the history teacher, was droning on an on about World War I, much to the dissatisfaction of what seemed like the whole class. Eddie’s eyes wandered to outside the window, Mr. Binkins’ voice slowly morphing into the Charlie Brown adults – womp womp WOMP wOmP womp. This was his second time taking this particular class, and even though he got a D+ the last time, he had still retained the information somewhat.

In other words, he was really, really bored.

Eddie resisted the urge to start tapping a drum beat to the latest Metallica song he heard on the radio, his pencil resting between his fingers, ready for him to say “when”. No…he wouldn’t be that annoying in first period – besides, Mr. Binkins would probably tell him to stop within 10 seconds of him starting, and where the hell was the fun in that?

His mind wandered, running down his usual daydream subjects: music, his DnD campaign, the newest issue of Playboy Wayne was hiding under his bed that he thought Eddie had no idea about…

You.

He sat straighter in his seat. You’d been in classes for a few days now, but Eddie had only seen you in the hallway a couple of times. You’d pass by and offer a polite smile, or even a friendly wave, and he would return the favor. He noticed you hadn’t seemed to be initiated into any cliques yet, and that you were equally friendly to everyone you came across whenever he saw you. At lunch, you were either sitting by yourself, or not there at all. Eddie hadn’t gotten the courage to ask you to sit with him and the Hellfire Club just yet.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened and in you walked, holding your books in front of you. Eddie’s heart lurched and he furrowed his brows.

Had he…conjured you? Like straight up wizard-ed you into the classroom?

“Can I help you?” Mr. Binkins asked, all heads turning to you. You offered him a smile – your trademark smile – and handed him a pink slip from the office.

“I was apparently put in the wrong history class for the past few days. The office told me I should’ve been in this one.” You scanned the class quickly, and when your eyes passed by Eddie’s, you deepened your smile, causing Eddie to blush.

Jesus, dude. Get a grip! You thought, slouching in your chair again to try and regain any sense of cool you had left in your body.

“Huh. Okay, Miss…Henway. Welcome! Tell the class a little about yourself.” He gestured to the rest of class and you turned.

“Okay. Um…hi,” You offered a little wave, “I’m Brooke. I moved here from Ohio at the end of June…um…” You made a face, pursing your lips together to try and think of something, “I’m a junior? And I work at the library. And I have a dog! Her name is Molly. Um…I think that’s it?”

“Very good. Have a seat anywhere that’s empty. Quite exciting…not only that you’re a new student, but that you’re in a senior class! Very good.” Mr. Binkins clapped his hands together, “Now, as soon as Miss Henway takes her seat, we can continue you.”

Eddie watched you scan the room again, and once you noticed the empty desk next to him, you made your way over, sitting in the seat and plopping your books on the desk. You turned to him and smiled.

“Hi again.”

“Hey,” He said, returning the smile. Lowering his voice down to a whisper, he spoke again, “So you’re in this class now? Cool.”

You nodded, “Yep. I guess the office messed up. Based on my transcripts I should be in this class. Do you know what page we’re on?” You asked, point to the textbook. Eddie shrugged.

“No idea?”

You raised your hand, “Sorry, Mr. …”

“Binkins.” The teacher said, turning around from the blackboard.

“Right. Mr. Binkins, what page are we on?”

“33.”

“Great, thanks.” You started flipping through the book and snorted, your eyes darting over to Eddie. You whispered, “I don’t mean to sound rude but…Mr. Binkins sounds like he should be related to Bilbo Baggins with a name like that.”

Eddie chuckled and his heart flipped. “Fan of ‘The Hobbit’?”

“I read a lot.” You shrugged and gave him one last smile before turning your attention back to the lesson.

Eddie leaned back in his chair, his mind starting to swirl. So, he had met a cute – beautiful, really – girl, who was also really nice, and now in one of his classes. And on top of that, she seemed to share some similar interests? He blew out some air, trying to slow down the rapid pace of his heart.

He had a feeling he was going to be in a lot of trouble.

Lunch period came quickly – thank god – and once you had grabbed your tray from the cafeteria lady, you turned to face the lunchroom. You had spent your lunch periods either sitting by yourself at the end of a table, in the library, or taken in by various random students like an orphaned colonial child. Which, really, you didn’t mind – you didn’t mind being by yourself all that much, especially when you remembered to bring something to read, or had some homework to catch up on.

You started to make your way to your favorite empty table when you heard a voice shouting behind you. “Hey! Hey!” Turning, you saw Dustin, waving his arms in the air with enthusiasm. Eddie and Mike were sitting next to him, hanging their heads in embarrassment. The other few at the table were snickering, smiling at you. Dustin waved you over and motioned to sit.

You sat down across from Eddie, sliding your bookbag underneath the table. “Hi, everyone.” You greeted.

“Hi! I’m so happy I noticed you walking to your usual empty table – you should sit with us instead from now on!” Dustin said, sitting back in his seat and smiling, “If you want!”

“Oh, thanks!” You said, “Yeah, maybe I will, if you don’t mind.” You eyed Eddie and he immediately smiled back at you, nodding slowly.

“Yeah, sure, of course.” He said.

“Great, then it’s settled! You can be apart of the lunch crew!” Dustin smiled proudly and ripped into his sandwich, chewing with his mouth open slightly, “How have your first few days been?”

You shrugged, pushing the salad you had gotten around with your fork, “Oh, it’s fine. I like school so it’s not too bad, but…” You trailed off, crossing your feet at the ankle, “Just an adjustment, is all.”

“Have you made any friends?”

“Dude!” Mike hissed, looking at Dustin, “You can’t just like, ask a new kid if they’ve made any friends yet. That’s rude.”

“No, it’s okay!” You offered, trying to lighten the mood, “I have…kinda? No one that I’ve hung out with outside of school yet…I have a bunch of classes with Nancy? Wheeler? So we’ve been chatting. Do you know her?”

Mike rolled his eyes and Dustin barked out a laugh, “Yeah, we know her. That’s Mike’s sister!”

“Oh! Oh, okay. Cool! She’s really nice.”

“Yeah…” Mike grumbled, in only the way younger brothers could. You shoved some salad in your mouth to shut yourself up, nodding and hoping someone else would take over the conversation.

“You could hang out with us, if you wanted!” Dustin offered, leaning in, “Do you play Dungeons and Dragons?”

“Dustin…” Eddie quietly groaned, “Please stop interrogating her. She’s only been able to take like, one bite of her food because you won’t stop asking her about her life story.”

“I…don’t, sorry,” You said, “Is that the game with like…dwarves and stuff?”

“Uh-huh! It’s really cool…if I do say myself.” Dustin reminded you of an over-enthusiastic puppy, which was really endearing. You noticed that Eddie, though seemingly annoyed with him, couldn’t help but have an affectionate air towards him. “I mean, we do other stuff too…not just DnD. We do movie nights, and go to the mall, and stuff.”

“I like the mall.” You offered politely, “I like to do a lot of stuff. And I like movie nights, too.”

“Next time we have one, we’ll invite you! Right, Eddie?”

Suddenly, Dustin shot up in his seat and yelped in pain, reaching down to his foot. Everyone at the table stopped to stare at him, including yourself.

“Jesus, that hurt, Eddie! Why did you kick me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eddie said, in monotone. His eyes flickered to yours and back to Dustin, “I say we let her decide if she wants to hang out with us. Stop peer pressuring the poor lady to go to a movie night with us for Christ’s sake.”

Your heart sank a little – even though Eddie was friendly enough, it didn’t really seem like he wanted you to hang out with his group. Which was fine, since you didn’t know each other very well, but it still would’ve been nice if he had been a little more welcoming. Especially, considering you thought he was really handsome…in a rockstar, grungy kind of way.

“Um…well…I work weekends sometimes for the library so…I don’t really know my schedule. So who knows when I can even go to a movie night…” Pushing your food with your fork again, you tried your best to sound nonchalant, and not like a movie night would be the most fun you’ve had in a while.

Dustin frowned a little and took another bite of his sandwich, “Yeah, yeah. Okay…well…let us know…” He focused on his food and trailed off. You quickly looked up to Eddie, who was looking at you, but then looked away at his own food.

The rest of lunch was kind of awkward, with everyone making polite conversation about their “newest campaign” (whatever that was), and peppering questions in for you about your previous life in Ohio. Soon, the bell rang, and you made your way to the garbage can, throwing away the leftovers and sliding the tray on the collectable surface on top.

“Hey…” Eddie slid next to you, falling in line while you started to walk to your next class, “I’m sorry about Dustin. We don’t get a lot of…um, excitement? In Hawkins, so a new girl is quite a big deal for him, I guess,” He offered a smile, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets.

“Oh, it’s okay. It’s kind of sweet, actually. I like him…he seems nice.”

“Yeah…he is. He’s really nice.”

Your heart felt like it was being squeezed with the obvious tenderness Eddie had for Dustin. You both walked in silence for a second before he spoke again.

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the next time we do have a movie night, you are more than welcome to come. In fact, we’d love to have you. If you want, of course.” He said, avoiding eye contact. You brightened a bit.

“Yeah? Okay, then. I’d like that.”

“I’ll let you know, then. I do have to warn you, though – we usually watch strictly horror flicks.”

“Oh, no!” You squealed, a laugh rising within you, “I love horror movies but I get scared so easily…just make sure I have something to hold on to so when I jump in fear, I don’t fall off the couch!”

As soon as the words left your mouth, your mind immediately flashed an image of you in Eddie’s arms, nuzzling into his neck to hide from the movie playing on the television. Heat creeped into your neck, no doubt causing you to blush.

Eddie awkwardly cleared his throat, looking away, “Yeah, I’ll make sure to have a blanket or something…a super special blanket made to protect you from the big bad scary man on T.V.” He ended the sentence in a goofy voice, wiggling his fingers for affect. You scrunched your nose and giggled, both of you walking up to the entrance to your classroom.

Suddenly, the bell rang, giving you one minute to get to class. “Well…thanks for lunch today. And for the movie invite. I’ll see you around?” You said, smiling. Eddie nodded, rocking on his heels.

“Yeah, see you around.”

You turned to head into class and for some reason, looked back at Eddie. He was inching his way away from the door of your classroom, but made sure you were fully in your seat before walking away. Smiling to yourself, you sat down.

You were really starting to like Hawkins.

Saturday night, you found yourself in front of Eddie’s trailer, smoothing your shirt and taking a deep breath to calm your nerves. Your first time hanging out with someone from Hawkins – hanging out with anyone in months, really – and you were a bit nervous. Never mind the fact that you were seeing Eddie.

No…those nervous butterflies definitely didn’t have anything to do with that.

The trailer was on the smaller side, so you heard multiple voices right away. It seemed like you were one of the last ones to arrive, even though you were right on time. Suddenly, the door opened, and Eddie’s smiling face greeted you.

“You made it!” He said, ushering you inside. “Did you find my place okay?”

“Yeah, it was easy! You’re close to my house.” You said, walking into the trailer. Eddie shut the door behind you.

The trailer was homey – full of knick-knacks and memorabilia. Though the amount of stuff was overwhelming (in a good way), it was meticulously clean. You immediately felt at ease – almost at home.

The rest of Hellfire looked up at you in surprise. Eventually, Dustin smiled and stood up.

“Hey! I didn’t know you were coming!” He said, almost too excitedly. Immediately behind him, Mike rolled his eyes and Gareth, Jeff, and Dougie chuckled.

“Must have forgotten to mention it,” Eddie murmured quickly, guiding you to the couch, “Okay, who’s ready for the movie?!” He moved on quickly, shutting down any conversation Dustin was about to start. Dustin shot him a curious look and shrugged, heading to the kitchen.

“I’ll start to popcorn!” He called, opening the microwave.

You sat on the couch and Eddie immediately handed you a crocheted blanket. You looked at him, confused.

“The blanket…you know…to protect you from the big bad man on T.V…” He answered sheepishly, turning a light shade of scarlet. Your heart flipped at the recognition from the conversation you had a few days ago. Taking the blanket, you unfolded it and smiled.

“Oh, Eddie. Thanks. That’s so sweet.”

Eddie shrugged and sat down on the other side of the couch, leaving at least two people’s worth of space between you, “Yeah well, I couldn’t have you scared shitless your first time in my place.” He tried to wave it off like it was no big deal.

“So I’m assuming we’re watching a scary movie?”

“Not one, not two, but THREE scary movies!” Dougie said, holding up three fingers, “If you can handle it, that is.”

“Oh, she’ll be able to handle it,” Dustin said, coming back with a big bowl of popcorn. He sat next to you, offering the bowl, “Right, Brooke?”

You nodded, taking some popcorn. “I hope so.” You looked towards Eddie, only to find that he was already staring at you. When you made eye contact, he immediately looked away, fiddling with the remote in his hand. Your heart did a cartwheel, and you stifled a blush rising on your neck.

You certainly hoped so.  

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Thank you all so much for reading! As always, comments, reblogs, and likes mean more than you know!

Taglist: @cosmicdanielle @sapphire4082