#this was so cute and fun to write though omfg

[nomazee]

haii :3

could you write how shinsou would take care of a reader when they are sick :0

i’ve been a little sick this week so this would really cheer me up :D

<3

pairing: shinsou hitoshi x reader

word count: ~800

content: sickfic AGUGHHH, friends-to-lovers slash unspecified relationship could be established could be not, cutesy, literally just fluff, vague mentions of puking etc typical sickness stuff

this was such a cute request omg thank you for sending it in! i hope u feel better much love! i decided to do this in bullet point format!

ALSO IM SO SORRY GUYSSS IM GETTING THROUGH REQUESTS SO SLOWLY <//3 i promise i will try to get as many of them done as i can but many of them are like long-fic format so they will take me a bit FEEL FREE TO SEND REQUESTS IF U STILL WANT TO!!! rules are linked here!

OK SO

you're both in the gen ed department + living in the dorms

it's the middle of the week and you've been feeling ROUGH for the entire week but just haven't had the time to focus on yourself between studies and everything

shinsou and you are in your math class sitting together at a two-person desk while your teacher lectures

you're super dizzy even while sitting down, there's a sheen of sweat on your forehead and you feel way too hot overall, you're holding back a coughing fit because you know if you let it happen you're gonna end up puking everywhere

the bell finally rings signaling the end of class and the start of lunch and you can't bring yourself to stand up at all

shinsou is packing up next to you and doesn't really notice your unmoving form until he's slinging his backpack over his shoulder and looking down at you, expecting to see you packed and ready to go but you.... look like you're dying

"you good, man?"

"ghf.......gh...m......"

"alright"

he packs up your stuff for you because he's secretly a SWEETHEART and carries your bag and pulls you up by your elbow with a big sigh

"guess i gotta take you to recovery girl now"

"do NOT take me to recovery girl..."

it's not like you have anything against recovery girl but it's not like she would be able to help you with a sickness and she'd end up giving you a bed to sleep on or just send you to your dorm to rest anyways

you just want to sleep in the comfort of YOUR bed already

you tell that to shinsou and urge him to just walk you to your dorm before you throw up on his shoes

he tells you that the teachers will think you're skipping class but you flutter your lashes at him (it probably looks more like you're seizing with how sick you are) and say something like "you'll cover for me, right?"

he rolls his eyes but. yes. he will cover for you. (he's whipped)

walks you to your dorm with an arm around your shoulders and you try not to collapse from both ur fever and the feeling of him walking so close

your delusions are running rampant in this HEAT

walks you alllll the way to your room and helps you lay back in your bed, pulls the covers over you and everything and your hands are TWITCHING because you wanna kiss him so bad but you'd end up puking all over him in this state

leaves your room for a bit and comes back with an ice pack wrapped in a towel to put on ur forehead and hot tea mixed w honey for when you're ready to drink something

puts the ice pack over ur forehead with a gentleness you've never seen from him before and you're like dying and clawing at the sheets trying not to scream with how in love u are with this guy

"you should go back to lunch man you're not gonna have enough time to eat"

"you're on the verge of death and that's what you're worried about"

"I'M NOT DYING"

stays with you until there's like 5 minutes left in the lunch period and he (unfortunately) HAS to leave

you're holding back a whine because yeah you feel guilty that he wasted his lunch time taking care of you but also... stay here forever?!?! duh?!?!

he notices the hesitant look in ur eyes while he stands up and takes his bag with him and sighs and rolls his eyes all fake-annoyed before leaning down and kissing your cheek and you hold back the urge to swing and punch him because he CAN'T JUST DO THAT AND THEN LEAVE???

"i know you can't stand a minute without me but i promise i'll be back the minute classes are over"

"i'm gonna set an alarm to make sure you're telling the truth about that"

"you can count on me"

you sleep for like the rest of the day and only wake up when you hear your door opening and smell soup and there's totally no way shinsou made that for you except he definitely did because when you ask about the soup his ears are flushed and you're literally gonna kiss him if he doesn't stop being so hot

overall shinsou would be so soft with you in his stupid sarcastic way and tease you about getting sick because he's a JERK but also a cutie so you let him get away with it

would definitely spend the rest of the day sleeping in your bed with you and then also get sick and force you to make him homemade soup (it's only fair, he argues)

[tiramissyoucake]

Bimbo doll

MINORS + AGELESS BLOGS DNI, Satoru gojo x reader, all characters are 18+, reader is heavily bimbo coded and loves pink, satoru's gross here, 1.3k words approx

CW: Masturbation, satoru gets horny over reader sending him pics of her dresses, satoru has fantasies of reader and she's unaware, again satoru is gross here you've been warned, some proof reading but very little

Notes: I'm so sleepy and I'm too lazy to fix any other mistakes so if you see mistake no you didnt. had to write sth for Satoru, as wit all of my creative works I hate this but I hope u like it though!!

Satoru thinks you're absolutely adorable. From the moment he was blinded by the absurd amount of pink you were wearing, he thought you were the cutest thing on this planet. The coordinated color palettes of your clothes that always had a splash of pink, that shiny layer of gloss on your lips that you regularly reapplied, he gets so happy when he hears the clack of keychains because that means you're near.

Of course he couldn't keep himself away and you both exchanged numbers at one point, you gladly gave it to him after he shot you a lame pick up line— to which you laughed and smiled, simply telling him "you're funny! Sure!"It was almost too good to be true.

You got along well with each other, you both liked sweets, complimented each other's fashion sense, shared a similar sense of humour— when satoru asked you to describe him, you told him that you love being around him because he's fun (you said something about how he 'gets it', a quote about girls.. getting it and others not getting it..? He didn't understand, but he deduced that you like him, and that's all that matters.)

Satoru notices you love sharing tidbits of your day, and most of the time, you usually share a photo related to it in some way along with multiple typos, abbreviations, and emoticons.

"(Name)💘: Toru omg look at these shoes! Super cute right :3" Attached image sent.

"(Name)💘: I went 2 that cafe u told me, the strawberry shortcake is soooo good" Attached image sent.

"(Name)💘: I have 2 go 2 a party tonite, which dress should i choose!1!!??" 4 images sent.

Being friends with you had its benefits, you were comfortable with Satoru, so comfortable that he almost dropped his phone when he opened the images you sent; all of them were minidresses, all of them different shades of pink, all of them hugging your figure so tightly and snuggly he was tempted to stalk your social media to know where this party is.

He couldn't see the details that differentiated each dress, or at least he didn't focus on them as he felt his cock throb in his sweatpants.

"Ooooohhhhhfffuuck..." he mumbled longly to no one in particular, Satoru almost choked on his spit as he sat up from his position in his bed, all the heat rushing to his face as he examined your photos closely. Your poses so cute as you stared at your phone screen in the photos with a small pout, you had the pretty sparkly gloss on this time, that's his favorite..

(Name)💘: TORU OMFG PLZ ANSWEERRRR MY RIDES ALMOST HERE >:(

he almost forgot your little dilemma.

"Sorry lol I was eating, go with this one!!" he forwarded one of the four dresses with his response and sent his text, he felt guilty about lying but what was he supposed to say? 'My bad! You were so hot I got a little hard like some Virgin!' No way in hell.

You answered back quickly, how did you type quicker than he did with nails longer than his? He has a hunch it's because you don't care about typos but the dedication is admirable.

(Name)💘: TGANK UUUUU ill text u after the party!

(Name)💘: thank* lol

He let out a small laugh at your typo, scrolling back to the photos he zoomed in on one of the four he hadn't picked, and the reason why he didn't choose this dress is that he knows no sane rational person with a sexual libido would be able to resist you in this.

You looked so cute, so perfect, Satoru let out a small sigh as he pulled his dick out of his pants hissing at the cold air, his thumb smeared the precum over his tip. He should feel bad– terrible even, but how can he resist? There's no way you have no idea what you do to him, he tried justifying in his mind as his cock throbbed desperately in his hand.

Biting his bottom lip, the image of you in his phone fueled his imagination as he envisioned arriving with you at this party you mentioned, having such a pretty thing like you on his arm would be a major ego boost too. The length of your dress could easily allow him to pull down your panties (did you even have a pair on under that dress?), bend you over the host's bathroom sink and slam his cock balls deep inside you, relentlessly filling you then demanding you to pull your panties back up and come back to the party with him as his cum would be dripping between your thighs.

As Satoru bucked his hips up into his hand, he stopped briefly to spit into his hand, deciding there's no time to look for lube, he went back to fucking his hand to the thought of you. If only you knew your new friend got off to these innocent pictures you sent him, if only you knew what he wanted to do to you– he's confident you wouldn't wanna be friends anymore. Shaking his head he pushed aside those thoughts and focused on his current pleasure, his fantasy, his goal of cumming from the pictures of you in those dresses you handpicked to show him.

He mumbled words of encouragement as if you were there with him right now bouncing on his dick instead of the reality of his hand moving up and down, mutters of 'good girl's and praises like "so good, baby" and "yeah? You like that?", desperate to convince himself of his fantasy. Satoru tossed aside his phone long ago after making sure the photos were engraved in his mind, he wasn't expecting you to update him until sometime near midnight.

his eyes closed as his other hand slid up his stomach pushing up the material of his shirt until it reached his collarbone, his fingers trying to find any weak points on his body to rub, pinch or entice as his hand rubbed his dick to the pace of his imaginary storyline; where he dreamed of driving you back home and stuffing you full of his cock until the only word that was in your vocabulary was his name.

"Yesyesyes, (Name)..! Mmmmmhffuck..!" He groaned out as he felt his end near already, his face warming up to a soft reddish pink reminiscent of the tip of his dick as he fucked his hand, soft gasps and groans escaped him as he imagined all the filthy things he could do to you, all the filthy things he wanted to know about you.

What type of panties do you always wear? What type of men make you horny? Who have you been with? Would you let him fuck you? 'Please lemme fuck you, lemme fuck you..! Wanna fuck you..!'

The vulgarity of his desperation made him blush but brought him dangerously close to the edge, squeezing the base of his cock Satoru covered his mouth instinctively, he bucked up his hips as his cum coated his abdomen, stomach and some droplets even reached his chest. He moaned behind his hand as he felt the waves of pleasure shock through his body. He slowed his hips, mumbling for the imaginary you once more. "Take it, take it all, baby.."

He didn't want to move, he knew he had to but he wanted to relish in his fantasy a little longer, he wanted to pull you close and sloppily kiss your cute glossy lips and praise you for being a good girl, taking his load like that. He imagined his cum oozing from your slit but he wouldn't let it go to waste, he'd use his finger to slide it back in where he knows it belongs.

He remembered to save those photos for.. 'next time', reaching over to get his phone, he paused as he received a notification.

(Name)💘: party was lame, coming 2 ur place!! >:3c

Sitting up, the sweat that collected at his back from his 'session' cooled him off, he cleaned himself up and couldn't help but grin at your adorable message.

You don't need to worry, he'll entertain you more than any dumb party could.

[yawujin]

Hi there you're really cool (shuichi is great). If you wouldn't mind writing v3 boys x reader that dyes their hair a lot (wild colors each time)

Example: one week the reader has one hair color than a couple weeks later oop a different color.

Little bonus: the reader forgets to dye their hair and their roots grow back their natural hair color

I hope this made sense it's really late

Thank you

:3

okay ramona flowers i see you lmao

request | how the v3 boys would react to reader that dyes their hair often

type | react , light hearted , non killing game , gender neutral reader

shuichi saihara ♡

instantly but silently notices each time you do so

doesn't comment on it until you ask him if he likes the color of the week

ofc he does

"any reason in particular why you dye it so often?" he asks one day

you explain to him that you just enjoy it and that it's for fun

hmm would you want to dye your hair shuichi?

he raises his brows, surprised you'd ask him

"i'd try anything once so, i suppose!"

you two agree that he'll try it if you're the one dyeing his hair

rantaro amami ♡

unlike shuichi, he comments on it right away, sounding rather impressed

"well now, if it isn't the ultimate hairdresser~" he jokes

no seriously, where on earth do you find the time to dye your hair

he has certain colors he favors over others

especially on you

offers to paint your nails to match whatever color you have on your hair at that time

K1B0/kiibo ♡

omfg he's kinda jealous

he wishes he could also dye his hair but the chemicals in the dye would surely mess with the metal

you offer to get him wigs with different colors (and you know exactly where to get them from cough *tsumugi* cough)

he just laughs and says it's fine

adores each and every color on you

he's your go-to if you want to search for products that prevent damage from a lot of dyeing!

korekiyo shinguji ♡

would definitely bring up his research about how ancient peoples used to dye their hair using various things

like how vikings used to dye their hair blond using wood ash soap

hehe

anyway

he would also help you maintain it by offering to assist you in getting the dye in harder to reach places

like the very back of your head lol

offers to brush your hair after

"no matter what color you choose...you always look perfect."

kaito momota ♡

he never gets used to seeing you with a new hair color so often

everytime you greet him he's like

"again!?" and another two weeks go by

you have a brand new color

"AGAIN!?"

he doesn't hate it though, he finds it interesting

he really likes pastel blue on you

reminds him of neptune :)

gonta gokuhara ♡

he asks you about it

"why (Y/N) hair change so much?"

so you explain

you can practically see a lightbulb flash bright over gonta's head

"ah! gonta see..."

he really likes it

always asks ahead of time which color you are planning to dye your hair next

"gonta want to see if he can find bug to match (Y/N)'s hair!"

he'd then show you a beautiful orchid mantis which matched your baby pink hair

ryoma hoshi ♡

makes it a point to compliment you if you dyed your hair multi-colored

lowkey wants to you see you do the calico cat hair trend

offers one of his beanies to you if you feel embarrassed that you forgot to dye your hair and your roots begin to show

he thinks your natural hair color is cute though

maybe one day he'll get to see you with no hair dye at all (?)

kokichi ouma ♡

the first to notice that your roots are showing

he announces it aloud for all to hear

SHHHHH

he's just messing with you ofc

insists to everyone that you are a copycat when you decide to dye it purple

he really likes it when you dye it red

it just does it for him

winkk

[yzashaven]

✰ ━━━ how they show affection for you <3

FEATURING scaramouche, tartaglia, xiao, albedo, thoma, kazuha, alhaitham, cyno x gn!reader

WARNINGS some are prob ooc 😭

NOTE (omfg these images are so low quality LMAO) on my past blogs, i usually only write nsfw so this is like... a change of pace? sort of... anyways hope you enjoy, likes and rbs are ofc appreciated! also, referring to wanderer as scaramouche since his name is player dependant

okay so hear me out when i say he seems like the type to take you to places with the prettiest views (shout out to his birthday voiceline) whether it be views of the sunset, a flower field, an ocean or beach view... as long as it's a pretty site to see, he'll take you there! scaramouche loves the way the places give him a peaceful feeling, and the way that it's just the two of you there? he's in paradise and heaven combined.

a bit similar to scara, tartaglia would take you to places. and by places i mean his homeland, snezhnaya, for the snow and to see his family. his little brother, teucer is certainly very fond of you, and tartaglia loves to watch you spend time with his siblings. he's such a family oriented guy... another thing he'd do is cook delicious meals for you! ranging from simple snacks to your personal favorites, and definitely some snezhnayan delicacies~

xiao is sweet to his lover, no doubt. but that doesn't mean he'll ignore his duties as an adeptus and focus on them. he expresses his love by protecting you... and maybe sharing his almond tofu. need his help? call out for him and he'll be there in an instant. also this whole love thing is very new to xiao, soo he's not used to things like hugging and kissing, yk those kinda stuff but he'll get used to it eventually. he does really like your company though, brings a smile to his face.

we all know albedo is a very amazing alchemist, he can make basically anything within a few hours or even minutes. he'd use his skill and powers to give you sentimental itemsㅡ such as a bouquet of flowers that never wither or ones that glow in your favorite color. If you don't really like flowers, don't worry, he can make whatever it is that you want! oh you want a dragon? he'll try and will come back to you with a small, cute, non-hostile looking one that protects you <3

he is sometimes busy due to work for the kamisato clan and being the "fixer" in inazuma, but he never forgets to make time for you! his love language is definitely quality time as he loves to just relax and accompany you wherever. another way thoma shows affection is through doing errands and other things for you such as cooking, cleaning around in your teapot realm, curing for your wounds if you ever get hurt, and maybe doing a commission or two of yours!

kaedehara kazuha... he's such a romantic man when it comes to his lover. he'll write you a poem literally every single day and compliment you every minute. kazuha also likes to run his hands through your hair as he whispers sweet nothings in your ear while you watch the sun set together at the best vantage point in wherever it is you're traveling at. he also definitely introduced you to his mom(beidou) so he takes you with him on the crux for fun adventures together! or just taking naps as the boat sets sail.

as the akademiya's scribe, alhaitham is often busy attending to those missions along with his personal investigations and other matters. so to prevent any lost time, he takes you with him. you're quite the strong fighter yourself so there won't be any problems, right? and if something bad does happen, he's your savior. despite talking sharply at times about how you weren't being careful or being reckless, he still loves you and will be happy that you're safe. alhaitham would reassure you about that too. also you study together at the akademiya library sometimes, he really likes having you around :3

cyno is a man of few words but reassures you about how much he loves you and would quite literally tear apart, limb from limb anyone that tries to harm you. cyno keeps a close eye on you especially when he senses danger is near, he wouldn't even wish for anything bad to happen to you. as the general mahamatra, fighting is practically his specialty which is why he uses that fighting experience and knowledge to protect you even if you tell him that you can handle yourself, he insists as he doesn't want to risk losing you like that.

[th3fam1lyd1ssap01ntm3nt]

RAAAAAHHHHHHH hello :3!!!

I am

Wondering if you would be ever so kind,,,

To write the monster au(or the hybrid au) of TF141 and I was like oh,,, Gaz no on list,,, who else,,, Johnny. Request thee Johnny, you could add the others for funsies as well, I don't mind the werewolf Johnny I like hims a lot as ,, but like, imagine, Male!user(I don't know what we call him erm male whatever the fuck his name is idk the WHORE sorry he's not maybe? Maybe he is actually idk it's male reader around those sluts 😠😠/HJ....) who usually kept his hybrid features hidden for god knows what reason because it's him??? He's just?? He's a little silly, but like "omg a human on the team grrr!!!" Is reaction from almost everyone until they warm up to him later and then he's just revealed as a moth hybrid :3 moth man, he squeaks when angry because moths can squeak and that's very interesting to me :3 and he just itty bitty plush like and plush size and shorter than them, but yeah they angry thinking he human, get close to the "human", they wake up early one morning, see the man they thought was human, but is a moth hybrid, standing in the kitchen, deadass staring into the kitchens light for god knows how long he was standing there, antennas just out as he's focused on the light, not even noticing them standing beside him, he's just staring at the light until someone turns that shit off and then he's just back like " ! " "When did you wake up???" Like .

PLLEAAAASEEEEEE PLEAAASEEEEEEEEE PPPLLLLEEAAAASEEEEEEEE I BEG FOR HIM TO HAVE SOME CHUB TO HIM I BEG FOR MOTH MALE READER WHO USES HE HIM PRONOUNS FOR THE HYBRID/MONSTER AU TF141 LEMSJWJSJS I want chubby male ones to be loved☹️

Have a wonderful day yahhhh‼️‼️‼️

RRAAAAHHH MY FIRST ASK!!!! (Omfg tysm u don’t know how happy this makes me :3 )

Lemme get this straight.. a moth hybrid! male reader x Werewolf! Johnny (Soap) Mactavish?? Ill see what i can do!!

(Inspired by the Monster AU by whisperrwarm on X, when I say INSPIRED I mean, not everything is the same!)

Characters:

John (Soap) Mactavish: A Werewolf

Simon (Ghost) Riley: A Wendigo

Captain John Price: A Dragon

Male Y/N: A Moth

Just a cute wee pudgy lad :3

Tw: Swearing, suggestive content, Male x Male

Since Anonymous wanted M! Y/N to be pudgy, I imagine that he would have the shape of something like this:

Moth Dust

(A Johnny (Soap) Mactavish x Male! Reader fic)

You, LN, FN, (last name, first name), who would have thought out of all possibilities of hybrids, you would be a moth. Not that its a bad thing, it was just rather annoying though.. you were picked on constantly because of it, your hight, your looks, and what made you insecure the most, your weight.

Not that you were huge, but you were fun sized, the perfect love handles, and the loveliest thing of all, your thick thighs. Aye, its like they say, ‘Thick Thighs Save Lives!’ You tend to hide your moth features though, fearing that a hybrid with predatoristic features might harm you.

I mean.. c’mon, you were a moth and there were damned stronger mutants out there.. its like the food chain with normal animals, and as embarrassing as it was, many things ate bugs. And what are you a hybrid of? A bug. Well.. a domesticated silk moth to be more specific, but still!

Being a moth you were fluffy and small, and well.. adorable. But you never though of yourself as that short.. until you joined the military that is-

“Bloody fucking christ! How fucking big does a man need to be here?!?” You thought to yourself once you actually saw how large the men in Task Force 141 where. There was one in particular who stood intimidated you from his height, Simon Riley, better known here as Ghost, and he stood a strong 6’2”!!

He could easily fucking squish you like the bug you are if he wanted! You were intimidated by the other men slightly, I mean, c’mon! Your captain is a fuckin Dragon for Christ sake!

But wow… boy were they lookers though- there was one in particular who stood out to you the most, he looked like a dog hybrid, but that didn’t seem right for some reason? What stood out to you the most was those elegant.. enticing.. wonderful blue eyes… wait. What the hell? Were you staring? Oh shit, didn’t anyone see you staring at him?

Your mind was racing at the thought of being caught staring. “Did anyone see that? Shit- did he see that?!” You thought to yourself, more like mentally screamed at yourself, but still..

(Not finished, currently busy, will finish soon!)

[zee-143]

Can I request

Skz headcanons for, partner that laughs like Cruella De vil on helium :D

Or

Partner that is tall af and is basically a cat

Hope it's smth you can write, mon chérie 💓

--Skz with you as their tall and cat like partner--

A/N: I chose the second one pookie!!! I just thought it was interesting and we love our tall bitches😌💕 Hoping this is what you were looking for😭

Genre: Fluff asf

Warnings: None I believe other than swearing:P

Chan

He was a little intimidated at first by your height (never judged you for it though 😞❤)

Now, he's obsessed with how tall you are

He enjoys every single hug or cuddle

Some days you'll be really clingy, and those are the days he absolutely loved

Despite the height difference, chan doesn't mind being the bigger spoon when cuddling

He was quick to notice your cat like tendencies.

Fight me but he boops your nose

I'M SORRY I JUST CAN'T STOP IMAGINING CHAN BOOPING MY NOSE THEN GOING "Boop! "

Says yes ma'am sarcastically when you tell him to do something

Minho

He wasn't fazed by your height at all

Called you cute any chance he got

Always playfully strangles you into a bear hug (especially if you're feeling down)

Minho having cats then having a cat like partner? He loves it

Whenever you'd want his attention, Minho would ignore you but only in a playful manner. He likes seeing your pissed off reactions.

He would have so much pride when around you. Even in public, he'd basically show off how tall you are

(We love him😭❤)

He would occasionally rub your cheeks just for fun.

Changbin

OUR SHORT KING😍

He would be so in love with you it's not even funny

Kisses your cheeks all the time

He gives the best hugs! Though sometimes he almost squeezes you to death. He's just affectionate y'all😭

Whenever you do something, Changbin congratulations you by patting your head.. If he can't reach, he will pull you down to his level. Just to pat your head

He will literally SCREAM in public : "I LOVE MY TALL AND BEAUTIFUL BABY"

In conclusion, he loves you too bits. Maybee a little attached but don't worry. It's all for love

Hyunjin

He was shook

I mean, he is technically the tallest in Stray Kids. And of course he has met people taller than him. But for you, his partner, to be taller was such a surprise.

He didn't complain though

He always held your hand and leaned his head against your arm.

He complimented your looks every single day. Without fail. (Sometimes it was concerning)

Omfg, he loved your cat like actions

Whenever you suddenly got clingy, he'd instantly melt.

Other days when you didn't feel like it, he'd be disappointed but couldn't say much. He just really liked your hugs

A common thing Hyunjin really did was kiss your nose before you went anywhere. It was like a tradition.

Even if he had to stand on tip toes just to do it, he didn't mind

Jisung

Jisung wasn't as shocked as the others but definitely wasn't unfazed.

He tried not to show it but it was obvious

As soon as you both started dating, he learned how useful it was

(You could easily scare people away😭)

He loved when you rubbed your cheek against his

It was a feeling that he ADORED

Just as much as he adored you

Gosh, does he adore you

He always wraps his arms around your waist from behind.

Treats you like a baby sometimes, though you could tower him

He'd squish your face and speak like he would to an infant

It pisses you off, though it's sorta cute

Jisung is extremely attached to you, so good luck😍

Felix

Like Jisung, Attached af. Maybe a little worse?

He loves his tall partner.

You're height amazed him. He stared at you like you're the first tall person he's met.

Dating you was an even better experience

The funny thing was, in public people would think he's your child or something. When you had to correct them that he was your boyfriend the look of 'what the actual fuck' on their faces is priceless

It's not even your height. It's how he trails behind you or holds your hands that was confusing. Like a little child

Felix loves being the little spoon.

He lays on your lap and let's you play with his hair, telling you random stories

You both act like freaking cats, so marriage when😞

Seungmin

Doesn't give a shit.

You're tall. So what? He likes that about you.

Seungmin is the type to kiss your hand I think

Like, he's that more old times romance

DANDY BOI, SEUNGMIN!!!

He feeds you like a toddler. No debate about this. He would literally tell you to open your mouth and feed you himself

Despite you being taller, he's usually the one taken more seriously

They say dogs and cats can't get along but like y'all are adorable af

Seungmin is mature, but plays pranks like a bitch. And you react in an annoyed manner.

That makes him laugh

He massages you during cuddling sessions. Idk, it just feels right.

Just like. Get along with the puppy and it'll be fun times (he'll fight you sometimes)

Jeongin

Your height didn't affect him as much

He was suspicious but still loved you for it

Kisses your face everywhere

When y'all start hugging, you'll have to wait for about 2 hours until he let's go

Nothing serious (you'll be lucky if it's isn't 4 hours🤭)

Omg, he loved when you'd start your cat tendencies

He'd smile form ear to ear

Sometimes you had to set him straight

He'd often do dumb things. You felt like a mother when lecturing him

Jeongin didn't listen anyway so-

He respects you a whole lot. And that's the important part

Normal men<<<Jeongin

[chiquititaosita]

Monster Trio + Shanks, Ace, Doing the Quebradora with Latina s/o

Hiii so this one omfg I had so much fun writing this one and I love putting my culture into this because it’ll be nice to see representation for once. Even though y/n is your name there’s not that much we know about y/n. Like WHAT ARE THEY. What’s their way of life. Yk? anyways context so quebradora is a dance usually with two people in Mexico. It’s a popular dance at bailes (dance parties) rodeos, and quinceañeras. Lots of people usually sway, it’s usually common for a girl to be picked up and swung around heres videos for references. 😭😭

Luffy

- I am sorry but luffy at first will throw you like a rag doll in reference to this video

- “ am I doing this right?!” he’s just gonna be throwing you around.

- he has two left feet for dancing. I’m serious.

-teaching him was the worst.

- when he thinks he’s got it, he’s gonna make you dislocate your hip.

-THE FACT HE USES HIS DEVIL FRUIT FOR HIS HIPS TO ONLY MOVE 💀

- “ go!!! Y/n- Chan!!!” Chopper was just cheering on zoros head

- when it came to the bailes for the island y’all landed at. He knew you seemed off when coming to the bailes with him.

- sanji, robin and nami had to catch him up. “Luffy you didn’t pay attention with y/n! When she taught you FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS!?”

-“SO THATS WHY SHE WAS TEACHING ME THAT DANCE!?” Luffy forgot literally and felt so bad. He didn’t like seeing you sad like at all. It hurt his heart.

- “It’s in the hips luffy. You gotta do this not whatever that was that” Sanji had just corrected him after he took a puff out of his cigarette.

- he watched you trying to teach luffy on the thousand sunny he couldn’t help but laugh the whole time, but hype you up more.

“Ohhh… yeah I screwed up. Imma go make it up to her.” He ran to go find you, he found you talking to your Tia. She hugged you so tightly, after you guys catching up. you let her go and told her you’ll be back

- “y/n dance with me!!!” He grabbed your hand while laughing

-“ you serious?”

-“ yeah the songs about to start. Let’s go. I wanted to show you that I paid attention!” He flashed that gummy smile you always loved you just said fuck it let’s just have fun. Because you knew in the end luffy wouldn’t leave you.

- when y’all danced bro. He actually did it!- if that makes sense. He had to put his own twist to it.

- “luffy! LUFFY! PUT ME DOWN IM GONNA FALL!”

-“ what?! Pick you up! Don’t have to tell me twice!” This was a reminder for you teach him more dances after that. start off with cumbias or merengue. No but he didn’t. He did it the way you wanted it to happen.

- He carried you and span you around, of course y’all did a bit of hopping which was cute. In the end y’all had fun.

- the night ended with you and luffy dancing the night away as he peppered you with kisses

Zoro

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRCxH6x5/

-now if there’s anything zoro doesn’t do. It’s dancing.

- he hates it.

-not when it’s with you he’s used to dancing with you alone in y’all’s shared quarters or on the ship

-he hates dancing in public bc it’ll ruin his “pirate hunter Image.”

-“I’m not dancing.”

-“fine I’ll just ask sanji, he’ll always say yes to me anyway.”

-“I’m gonna dance with Y/n-San?!!!” he just melted as you grabbed him to the dance floor at the baile.

- you knew how to push zoros buttons

- just as the song was about to start he grabbed your hand

-“never do that again.” He whispered into your ear while kissing the top of your head.

- seeing you smile is the only thing that matters. well besides being a pirate hunter lmao.

- when you jumped into his arms as he held you in that side to side bridal style move.

- he wanted to flip you which he did.

-“bet that curly couldn’t do that.” You giggled and kissed his cheek

- he’s now your forever dance partner. because he’s a jealous now he can say he’ll only dance with you.

“ too slow curly brows kyahaha!”this was his petty moment that he even told you some spicy things in your ear

- “Keep grinding on my knee like that, you’ll be screaming my name tonight…”

--y’all danced like the very first video. He was just trying to keep himself composed.

- you indeed couldn’t walk the next day.

-“this will be the last time you ever ask me to dance again.” he lied.

Sanji

when I decided to write about with him he’d just get all flustered it goes in two ways

- If he’s simpy he’s going to be just speaking utter nonsense or he’ll actually be shocked than process and than be his stupid self we all love

- “y-You want to dance! with me!” his eyes went into sparkles and almost passed out

- “come on I’ll teach you.”

-“you move your hips and relax, it’s gonna be like this. Is that okay?”

-he blushed furiously, “y-yeah that’s f-fine.” he looked away as wiped his bloody nose kissing his lips.

-“Y/n Chwan you’re so good at this!”

-“it’s just a dance I know.” You snorted

- when it came to the bailes, mans wanted to show you off. In which he does succeed

-the only time y’all did it successfully was the when the ship was swaying, or a tropical island.

-“you ready my darling?” he whispered and you nodded eagerly walking away from him.

- when you ran into his arms omg it felt like the whole world was just paused and only you two kept dancing.

- when he picked you up in that bridal style motion. You both touched foreheads and kissed only for a moment.

- “not bad for a cook!” you giggled as you pressed his chest against his.

-“only for you my princess.” He kissed the top of your head.

- “The way you move is sending me into heaven.” He gasps for sure, sighs in awe.

“I have been blessed by the gods!” you almost think he’s drunk when he’s saying this stuff

-“We should get married and have many babies together 😭😩💗” it’s cause of that hip thing that’s why.

- now you know why he loves that move. so whenever you dance with sanji you can tease him.

- “do you want to take a break now?”

- “ why is everyone looking at us?” Insert Confused pikachu face

-“ it’s because of your beauty and moves my sweet.” He flashed a grin against your lips. Kissing you once more.

-even if you have a fashion malfunction while dancing quebradradita.

- Sanji will I MEAN HE WILL COME THROUGH TO THE RESCUE like oh your dress ripped here. Wear my jacket.

-man can improvise and of course show you off

Shanks

- mans is a pro.

-surprisingly it was his idea and not yours 😭

- “imma throw you now!”

- “WHAT!?” your eyes widened

-“ HAHA im kidding, but imma gonna drop us down!”

-“ shanks your legs may not work the way they used to!”

-“oh really! Are you saying that I can’t do this!?”he squats down as y’all are dancing. Not gonna lie him proving himself wrong is hot as hell.

- he’s gonna show you off and than you’re gonna be light on your feet.

-“ PUT ME DOWN SHANKS SHANKS IM GONNA FALL!!!”

-“do you trust me?!”

-“No!”

-“good!” He just flips you as you scream in shock because it was out of nowhere. when you asked him to put you down nicely. you just had fun. Literally you heard his crew cheering you both

-“woah. You alright there sugar cakes?”

-you just groaned and rolled your eyes at him, as he picked you up bridal style.

-“guess that’s a no… sorry about that I got carried away.” He snorted, and kissed your temple

-“since you do so much for me I’ll take care of you tonight.”

- never have him do the quebradora. like that. Again. thank you but that’s a lie you can’t say no to him.

Ace

- imma be honest. Ace can’t dance to save his life as pirate on whitebeards crew 😭

- unlike sabo and luffy. HES GOT TWO RIGHT FEET 😭

- sabo can dance better it’s just observation according to sabo.

- “babe can I just spin you around if that counts?”

-“I don’t want to drop you.”

-“OW!”

-“ IM SORRY Y/N!” He felt guilty, and when he saw you laugh and fall on your ass he couldn’t help but laugh too

-“I love you so much.”

-“dude I’m gonna cream my pants if you keep riding my thigh like that!!”

-“why are you poking my boobs 😭”

- “And dip! Ooh now chips and queso sound good rn😩.”

- but at the end y’all had fun.

- the bailes you had fun at were cool too

- you and aced danced y’all’s little happy feet away

[spgothkidsheadcanons]

Can you write the goths with a s/o who's aesthetic is the opposite of theirs like pink and cute stuff? I'm a sucker for opposites attract if you couldn't tell lol💕

This is so cute omfg

Opposites attract is the only trope that actually matters

SFW/NSFW

Warnings: Mentions of bullying (nothing too serious)

~~~~~~

Michael:

- Michael thinks you are quite possibly the cutest thing that has ever walked on Earth

- The first time he met you, he developed a soft spot for you, as well as a need to protect you from any harm that may come to you

- Except the only harm that has come your way has been the multiple Sanrio and Squishmallow stuffies that he flooded your room with

- For real though, he spoils the hell out of you

- He can’t help it. He sees something pink or sparkly, he thinks of you, and before he knows it, he’s walking out of a store with a shopping back full of random pink items and a new hole burned into his pocket

- Michael won’t wear pink clothes, but if you gave him something like a pink bracelet, he’d always have it on

- When you started staying at his house more, it was like a pink takeover

- Dishes, blankets, pillows, EVERYTHING

- But he couldn’t have been more happier with you, so he happily enjoys it just to make you happy (just realized that I used all variations of ‘Happy’ but I’m not changing it lmao)

Henrietta:

- Henrietta picks on you for your taste, but she’s just being an asshole

- She really loves how sweet and innocent you are

- She’s gonna taint you 😈

- For real though, she loves how cute you look when you show her your new skirt or shoes

- Always always ALWAYS is making you some sort of dress or skirt whenever she finds a nice fabric she thinks you’d like

- LET HER DRESS YOU UP IN HER STYLE AND THEN MAKE HER DRESS UP IN YOUR STYLE

- She thinks she’s revolting in your clothes but can be convinced to try again just to see you happy

- Anytime she finds any snacks that are strawberry or cherry flavored, she buys them for you

- She just loves you a lot even though she thinks pink is an eyesore

Pete:

- Oh, my sweet uncaring of what you wear Pete

- I’m serious. He could care less about what you wore

- There’s absolutely no doubt that he thinks you are truly the most precious thing to ever walk this Earth, but he sees you for you, not the clothes you wear

- You’re sweet, you love him enough to be with him, you don’t care about how he loks

- Pete feels like he hit the jackpot when he found out you returned his affections

- Loves when you grab your favorite stuffy, your signature pink blanket, and cuddle up beside him on the couch. You can force him to watch whatever you want once you have him flustered, and if that means the entire Hello Kitty collection, then you guys are gonna watch the entire Hello Kitty collection

- Whistles and pretends he knows nothing about the packages with your name on it filled to the brim with pink everything that have suddenly started showing up at your home

- If people make fun of you for what you wear, you’d have to hold Pete back because he can, AND WILL, beat the shit out of anyone who dares speak bad about you

- You can, and absolutely have, dress him up to match you. He doesn’t care, and he’s never lied about pink looking good on him lol

[revasserium]

CONGRATS RAIN!!!!!!!!!

also heavy breathing bc before i even opened the "keep reading" i was like. i hope pride and prejudice is on the list T______T and there she is ..... #1

i will kindly ask for osamu x pride and prejudice pls & thank u 🤲

pride and prejudice

osamu miya; 2,952 words; fluff, childhood friends to lovers, volleyball player!reader, fem!reader, general cuteness

summary: osamu has known you for longer than he can remember.

a/n: @starrysamu remmyyy thank u!!! and thank u for sending this prompt omfg i actually loved writing it so much u__u i hope u enjoy and yES ofc i couldn't leave miss p&p off this list!!! though the fic has nothing to do with the actual book LOL i hope you like it regardless <3

one.

you have known each other for longer than he can remember.

longer (osamu is convinced) than the summer days. longer (he is still convinced) than the winter nights. longer than the length of a volleyball court, than the glistening white lines that separate the game from everything else beyond it.

you’ve always been small, but you’d never let that stop you. and perhaps it’s this more than anything that grates at osamu’s consciousness — the sheer stubbornness of you. and he knows a thing or two about being stubborn — have you met his twin brother?

but no — you’d insisted, at the tiny, peculiar age of four, that you’d found volleyball first. as if it were something to discovered, like electricity or the new world. even though osamu knows better, knows that volleyball has always been there, just like he knows that atsumu will always try to steal the last popsicle in the freezer and that the sky will always turn blue again after even an entire week’s worth of rain.

“shorty’s can’t play volleyball, y’know,” he drawls, watching you with his head cocked, casually kicking his feet as they dangle from the edge of a low-rise bridge, the summer having reduced the usually hearty waterway to a trickling stream. you stand on the banks, panting, bruises like badges of honor blooming across your knees as you bounce a large ball along your forearms, over and over and over again.

osamu follows the trajectory with half-lidded eyes, his heartbeat ticking inside him like a time-bomb.

“says who?!” you demand, squeaking as the ball bonks off your head, making your eyes water.

osamu hums, caught between morbid amusement and a true, burgeoning curiosity as you dash off after the worn old volleyball.

“says… everyone, duh. tall people play volleyball… shortys…” he trails off, casting his eyes up at the first flickering stars as they wink into existence along the far horizon, “i dunno… shorty’s probably make ramen or riceballs or something like that.”

“samuuuu! it’s dinner time!” the clank of their old bike alerts osamu to his twin’s appearance, even as atsumu screeches to a halt the foot of the bridge, looking between osamu and you, now cradling the ball in your arms, your eyes bright and sharp as — yes, osamu thinks, bright as the evening stars.

“c’mon,” osamu says, hoisting himself up and jerking his head towards his brother.

“don’t wanna,” you say, stomping a foot as you turn resolutely away from him even as he rolls his tiny, four-year old eyes.

“don’t be stupid. kaa-chan made taimeshi —”

“oh! my favorite!”

osamu smirks as you bound up to meet them, his previous slights apparently long forgotten as you race off down the road, shouting over your shoulder that the last person there has to do the dishes. atsumu shrieks and nearly topples the bike chasing after you, leaving osamu to sigh and jog slowly after the two of you.

he wonders how long it’ll take before you outgrow this weird new obsession with volleyball. but then again, watching you play, it did seem like fun.

maybe, he’ll even give it a try one day.

two.

you’ve got a solid 10 centimeters on him by the time he and atsumu make it to the starting lineup in their middle school team. by then, you’d already been the star for an entire season, what with your boundless energy and your painful determination.

he’s seen you at school games, but of course he has — streaking along the sides of the court, jumping high enough to convince half the stadium that gravity does indeed play favorites.

“anddd… inarizaki middle takes another stunning victory over the girls at shukugawa tech! that number 11 is really someone to watch!”

he meets you after the match with a cold pocari sweat and a bag of caramel candies.

“you’re dropping your elbows on your spikes again,” he says, even as atsumu smacks both his palms into yours in celebration.

you pause, wiping at your face with the towel dangling around your neck.

“shaddap! we won, didn’t we?”

osamu sighs, “guess you did.”

“so, when’s your first game?”

osamu sniffs as he tries to keep the blush from crawling too far up his neck as he looks away.

“tomorrow afternoon.”

atsumu jabs a thumb into his chest with a cheeky grin, “you gonna be there to watch us cream the other team?”

“course i will!” you say as you flash them a smile that has osamu wondering if, just like gravity, perhaps the sun plays favorites too.

three.

the twins grow nearly a head and a half over one summer before high school and you’re inconsolable for weeks.

“it’s not fair!”

osamu sighs, fighting the urge to roll his eyes for the twelfth time that night as you smack another ball across the net and toss another for him to set.

ba-bam! thump thump thump.

“guys and girls grow different… it’s not like it’s a secret or anything —”

ba-bam! thump thump thump.

osamu catches the next ball you toss for him, straightening to shake his sweaty bangs from his eyes.

“you’re dropping your elbows again. and you’re pulling back too hard on your swing — you’re gonna throw out your shoulder if —”

“what’s it matter anyway?!”

your voice is loud enough to echo, even in the giant gymnasium, even with all the doors thrown open to let in the autumn breeze. osamu doesn’t miss your fingers curled into fists at your sides, he doesn’t miss the tremor in your voice like the first rumble of thunder before a summer storm.

“it matters cause if you injure yourself, you’re not gonna be able to play —”

“i — i haven’t grown since i was twelve years old! w-what’s it matter if i get hurt o-or if i can’t keep playing? it’s only a matter of time before i’m too short —”

“fine then. quit.”

your head jerks up, your eyes wide and watery as you stare at him. the ball falls out of your grip and bounces, listless, once, twice, three-four-five times against the waxed wooden floor before rolling to a stop against one of the padded net poles.

osamu shrugs, feeling suddenly too cold and too hot all at once as something he thinks might be anger roils in the depths of his stomach, and then all he wants to do is scream and run laps around the building till this inexplicable fire inside him goes out.

instead, he turns away from your piercing, accusatory gaze and starts picking up volleyballs, casually tossing them up and setting them back into the big blue ball bin.

“osamu… you giant fucking asshole!”

bomph-thwack — something smacks against the back of his head so hard his vision goes blurry. but before he has the strength to whip around and look for you, you’d already gone, racing out of the gym, leaving osamu utterly bewildered as he raises a hand to touch the bump already rising at the back of his head.

“ow… what the fuck was that?!”

later that night, when he recounts the tale to atsumu, who’d spent a solid fifteen minutes laughing at the fact that he’d gotten nailed in the head by a girl, atsumu had pinned him with a flatlined look and said —

“well, ya kinda did deserve it.”

to which osamu had responded by promptly shoving atsumu’s face into a pillow and holding it there.

four.

you don’t quit volleyball, because of course you don’t. and osamu knows you well enough by now to know that you run on a combination of energy drinks and spite. but you don’t talk to him for weeks, and that sucks more than he quite has the words to explain.

so he doesn’t. and he doesn’t.

atsumu is the first one to notice, but then when kita-san finds him in the lockers one day to ask him what’s wrong, osamu thinks that it must be more serious than he’d thought.

he finds you practicing by the river, his footsteps slowing as he pauses to watch the shape of you silhouetted against the setting sun, the ball bouncing up in perfect rhythm as you bend at the knees and bop it back up, again and again and again.

he allows himself a smile as he makes his way over and plops down in the grass.

“your shoulders are getting tense again.”

you don’t answer, don’t even show any sign that you’d heard him, expect for the near imperceptible drop in your shoulders as you force them down the second before the ball makes contact with your outstretched arms.

bomph-bomph-bomph

the ball goes up and up and up again.

you don’t turn to look at him so osamu takes a deep breath and casts his eyes up at the darkening sky.

“it was a shit thing to say. i’m s —”

“we’re playing shiratorizawa this weekend.”

you both speak at the same time.

bomph-bomph-bomph

osamu jerks upright to stare at you.

“shiratorizawa? aren’t they in miyagi? what are they doing here?”

you bump the ball way up and fall a few steps back. he watches as you mark the ball with your eyes, the way your whole body goes fluid as you do your run-up, bending down, your entire being held perfectly still for a single second before you leap up into the air.

like this, he thinks, it really does look like you’re flying.

thwack.

the ball comes straight at him, but this time, he’s ready for it. he jerks the side to avoid it and catches it as it threatens to bounce off towards the open road behind him.

“dunno… some kinda training camp or something,” you say, shrugging as you climb up the short incline to join him on the grass. you drop down next to him as he cradles the ball in his lap, eyes trained on his fingers as they dig into the worn grooves around the old ball.

“hm. their boys team is a pain in the ass to play against.”

you laugh, “their girls are just as bad.”

“hm.”

you turn towards him, “not gonna wish me good luck?”

osamu tosses the ball up to balance it on the tip of a single finger.

“why would i? ‘s not like you’re gonna need it anyway.”

you bump him with your shoulder before snatching the ball from his hand and jumping up to race off towards the road.

“mom’s makin’ gyoza tonight! last one there’s gotta do the dishes!”

osamu groans as he pushes himself up, but jogs after you all the same, wondering just how long of a head start he should give you before he races after you.

he shoves your head forward as he catches up to you, chuckling as you yelp.

“how bout if you win this weekend, i’ll come over and do the dishes for you for a whole week!”

you laugh, chasing after him, “and if we lose?”

osamu turns around, grinning as you narrow your eyes at his easy gait, even as he’s running backwards, still noticeably faster than you, “mah… i haven’t thought that far yet. i mean, ‘s not like you’re gonna lose, right?”

five.

when they lose to karasuno, you’re crying way harder than anyone on their team.

atsumu huffs, scowling to keep his own tears at bay as you bawl into his chest, your other arm wrapped around osamu’s waist. osamu sighs, reaching up to pat you placidly on the back, even as something in his own chest coils tight, and then tighter.

“d-damnit — you guys p-played so well, too! th-that little number t-ten was — was such a freak!”

at this, osamu chuckles, pulling back to take you by the shoulders, “says our own tiny volleyball freak.”

you sniffle and wipe at your eyes, glaring defiantly up at him. and as he watches you hiccup, reaching up to wipe at your red, puffy cheeks, something inside him seems to snap all at once.

he tugs you forward and before he knows it, all he can feel are your rapid, uneven breaths — all he can taste is salt and the faint hint of your mint chapstick.

he hears atsumu make a half-disgusted, half-resigned sort of sound next to him but he doesn’t care. he kisses you till your breaths are no longer choppy, till he can feel your fingers digging into the sore tightness in his biceps. till someone clears their throat and he pulls back, breathless, to find aran staring at him with his arms crossed.

“team meeting in five,” aran says as he pointedly turns back around to usher the rest of the stunned team towards where their stuff is. several people from other schools are staring and whispering behind their hands but at a sharp glare from atsumu, they all scatter.

“feeling better?” osamu asks, unable to keep the lilting edge of a tease out of his voice as he pulls you with him into a deserted corner of the stadium. you blink up at him, your eyes a bit unfocused and still red from crying as you reach up to press your fingers to your lips. and then, you jolt back to life all at once and whack him on the arm.

“ow! w-what was that for?!”

“did you do that just to stop me crying?”

“wha — no! i — i did it cause — i — i don’t really know why — ow! stop hitting me!”

osamu grabs your arms and pins them to your side, pressing you up against the large pillar behind you, currently keeping the two of you hidden from view. he stares down at you, at the way your eyes are bright and sharp even in this relative, borrowed darkness, at the way your chest heaves up and down, up and down, stretching at the fabric of your very well-fitted sports top. he stares at the way your lips are still parted, and he hates the fact that he now knows exactly how they taste, knows just how soft they are, after having wondered for years and years and years.

he wonders how long he’s wanted to kiss you.

longer, he thinks, probably, than the summer days.

longer, he knows, than the winter nights.

“s-samu?”

“hm? oh. sorry…” he shakes his head and lets you go slowly, but he should’ve known you’d never let him off that easy. it’s just not who you are.

you narrow your eyes and he feels caught by your gaze.

“if you didn’t do it to stop me crying… then why’d you do it?”

osamu allows himself a deep sigh, taking half a step back, “ah… can’t a guy just kiss the girl he likes without being interrogated about it?”

you blink, and then, you reach out to whack him again.

“dumbass-samu… you’re gonna be late to your team meeting.”

osamu feels a strange mixture of pride and elation ballooning in his chest as he notices the way you’re blushing, the way you refuse to meet his eyes. he reaches down to ruffle your hair even as you yelp and try to swat him away.

“right, right — wait for me, yeah?”

you roll your eyes but you’re smiling as you say, “of course, idiot… where else would i be?”

six.

“so tell me… why’d you really kiss me that time after the karasuno match?”

it’s winter, two years later, and osamu’s arm is slung casually around your shoulders as the rest of the team chatters and drinks and makes a mess in the corner of the bought-out restaurant for their first annual high school reunion.

osamu hums, nursing a half-finished glass of sake.

“mah… i guess i just wanted to make myself feel better after getting my ass whopped, y’know?”

you laugh and try to dig your elbow into his side but he clamps his arm around you and holds you close. outside, the snow is finally starting to slow.

“have you figured it out yet, then? what you’re gonna study in college?”

at this, osamu turns to cast you a sidelong look.

“you’re not mad that i’m quitting volleyball?”

you shrug, “why would i be mad? it’s not like you’re making me quit with you.”

this time, he shrugs, “well, tsumu was mad for like… a week.”

you roll your eyes, “yeah, and i’m so similar to your brother.”

osamu makes a noncommittal noise that once again prompts you to try and elbow him in the side.

“then you tell me… what do you think a former volleyball star should do after quitting, hm?”

you swirl your own drink around your glass, your cheeks dusted in pink as you consider for a moment. then, you smirk as you look back up at him with a wistful gaze.

“make ramen or riceballs or… something like that, right?”

osamu smiles, leaning down to gaze his lips along your cheek before reaching out to tip your head back to press you lips to his.

“y’know, that actually doesn’t sound like such a terrible idea.”

2k celebration reqs still open! :)

[tonberry-yoda]

Fluff Alphabet - Giorno

requested by: anon

based on this post

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

I think this guy loves springtime walks!! He would love the sprouting flowers and trees since his stand revolves around life and stuff. I think just those gorgeous daytime walks would be really fun for him <3

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Oddly enough, your hands. Not like Kira tho LMFAOOOOO more like... just how gentle you are. He loved when you run your hands through his hair or cup his face. He also loves when you tell stories. He's a sucker for just listening to how you tell him stories <333

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

This man has such a soft and tinee voice, so I think he would just comfort you through speaking to you. He would rub your arms and give you a soft hug while quietly telling you that everything's going to be okay. If you need him to be quiet though, he will and just sit next to you until you feel better

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Oh, marriage, 100%. This man could be with you for the rest of his life tbh. Maybe even kids if you wanted them. I think he just wants that iconic loving family like the one he never grew up in. I think he would love to adopt children with you and make a mini familia <3

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

He's a babygirl, but he is a dominant babygirl LMFAOOO. He literally becomes a capo at 15, so I think he would be the more dominant one tbh

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

You two don't fight often, but when you do, it is always resolved rather quickly through conversation. This man loves you way too much to just argue with you over stupid crap. So if there is an argument, the two of you will take a little time away from each other and then have a conversation. He thinks communication is very important, and wants you two do use it often <3

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

Oh, this man is so grateful for you <33 I think one of his love languages is acts of service, so when you two do some of those for each other, it makes him swoon and he can't thank you enough for everything you do for him <3

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

If you didn't know he was in the mafia before you dated, I think he would hide that from you for as long as he could because he didn't want you to get involved in anything dangerous but other than that, he is very open with you :)

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

I think you made him a little more open tbh. He's a pretty reserved guy and had a lot of past trauma he had to heal, but you helped him with that healing and made him more open to you. He now smiles a lot more and is much more social <3

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Honestly, no. Mista jokingly flirts with you, but never crosses any lines and knows better than that. Plus, your friends are really cool, so Giorno isnt worried at all <3

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

OMFG I WOULD FAINT! This man holy cow, this man can KISS. He's got soft lips and is overall an amazing and passionate kisser with nothing but love swelling from him <333

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

He was definitely nervous, but I think he would still be his kid self and write you a little note and turn it into your favorite animal. It would run over to you and then turn into the note that says. "You're cute :)"

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

As said before, yes <3 He would propose to you in the spring time and plan to get married that next spring <3 it would be a small wedding with close friends and cherry blossoms would be growing <33

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Darling, dear, my love (in both english and italian <3)

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

He definitely looks at you more than he looks at anyone else <3. He will just admire the things you do for him and will express that love for you through words. This is only obvious to you though as he has made it clear that he likes to admire you. To others, they couldn't even tell if the boy was in love

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

He does let everyone know that you two are together. He never brags, but he never fails to mention you to others. However, he is not a big fan of PDA. He will gladly hold your hand in public and even give you hugs, but her will never kiss you in public I dont think. He just prefers to have that aspect of your relationship be for the two of you only <3

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship.

Communication and the ability to tell you how much he loves you. He will never fail to mention how much you mean to him and whenever you two have a bump, he will make sure to ask what's wrong or even just talk to you. He may be a quiet guy, but he sure knows how to talk to you

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

VERY ROMANTIC. The kind of guy who will take you on late night walks to go get a drink and watch the stars. The kind of guy to take you to a 5 star restaurant and smile at you. The kind of guy who buys you jewelry. He loves spoiling you with romantic acts, even if cliche

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

This man is more than supportive. He will help in any way he can to get you what you need! He thinks that you are a very talented individual and is big on making dreams come true. His came true, so more than anything, he wants yours to <3

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Honestly, no. This man doesnt want any part of anything terrifyingly new. He likes adventure, but that doesnt mean he wants to switch anything up with the both of you. He likes the routine you have. But if you want that, he will try to get a good compromise going <3

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

He probably knows you better than anyone. He can read you like an open book sometimes and knows when you are overwhelmed and knows when you are happy about something. He can always tell when you're going through something and wants to help anyway he can

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

After he became a capo, you became his entire life. He never wants you to get hurt and honestly, he would give up his life as a mafioso if you needed anything. You are his first priority because he got his dream, he wants more than anything to keep you safe

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

He can't fall asleep without holding your hand. He doesnt know why, he just needs to hold your hand. If he is cuddling you, know that he is holding your hand. He also sleeps in his undies lol and needs a plush blanket. He's just very picky about sleep and needs to be very cozy

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

I think he is! He prefers cuddling and kissing right before bed though, I think the sunlight for him means work, but nighttime is cuddle and kissy time for him <3

Y earning - How will they cope when they're missing their partner?

He was used to being alone for a very long time, but when you are gone, he will just be super lonely. He'll stare off into space for a little, but still be doing work. Night time is the worst if you're gone though. He cant fall asleep without you

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

This man would kill for you. Yeah. He's a little feral, but he NEEDS you to be safe and honestly, he needs this relationship with you. If you're unhappy, he will be more than willing to change what you don't like, but will never change who he is. But he would do anything for you tbh

@beanbings-things

~~~~~

jjba masterlist (2) (3) | pinned post

2023 @tonberry-yoda – do not repost or claim ANY of my work as your own! likes, reblogs, and comments are not only welcome, but appreciated <3

~~~~~

[sempsimps]

Gregory Violet head cannons + NSFW

Season 4 of black butler has me thinking about a certain emo (Gregory not ceil but check out my friend @serve-corps if your into that) but like omfg he's so fine what for and like man wears lipstick I just he's so adorable I've never wanted to own the manga more in my life he's so- I should stop but like aaaaaa so this is head cannons mixed with actual cannon that was on the fandom wiki so that's fun I was thinking of writing a full story later but for now....

this is head cannons, and at the bottom, I'll have a warning for my nsfw thoughts. lol, just remember you're responsible for your Internet consumption, but before i get into this, it's all my opinions. Don't take it as gospel or anything like that, im having fun, alright? okay then.

Little head cannons

-he likes poetry. He gives that vibe like come on...(literally an hour later) Okay, so like, just seen a manga page of him drawing a jabberwocky around ceil like a sleep paralysis demon. a little back story on this particular poem is "a nonsensical poem about the killing of the jabberwocky" in 1871, apparently. this is very relatable to ceil and Gregory alike and like Google it for real (so like I was completely right about that and I didn't even know)

he smells like a mix of charcoal and acrylic paint like dusty but kinda nice, ya know (i go back to this further down)

-why dose he seem like he has autism, i cant explain it but, i have it to, so I'm not trying to be rude, but the bowtie he wears is like a normal tie but looser and nicer. and i hate ties, so i feel that in my soul. he also seems like he wouldn't like synthetic material idfk. also social situations suck, his voice is mostly monotone and quite, its not the typical "not understanding cues or not getting jokes" but its more like a social anxiety thing, and that's usually diagnosed with autism i think? (I'm not a doctor i don't really know. Maybe I'm projecting here a little)

-he's like defo bi or pan or perhaps an ace group. I'm not that educated on that lgbtq+ aspect apologies but that's the vibe (again, that's my opinion)

Dating head cannons male or female [brackets if pointed to someone with tits lol]

-bones. Need I say more? I like bones and rocks soooo be like, otters give him a bone (not like that-) or rocks he strikes me as a rock guy like smooth ones. idk how, but just get one he deserves it.

-painting dates if you struggle, he can easily guide you through it, his hand gently moving to help you use the right brush stroke. he's clearly more skilled in pencil/charcoal works, though we haven't seen much else [that takes skill and I take art like damn that's difficult]

-So apparently the sun and dancing makes him dizzy (it was on the fandom wiki) so definitely have water on hand and well he doesn't seem like the type to like anything plain becuse of the drink mixing so water is a no go to boring and i get that so grab one of those ball tea infusers and make flavoured water he can put the flavours in it like idk lemon slices and let it sit in the water maybe add suger (wait thats just flat lemonade lol whatever I'm a genius ik don't flatter me)

-stolen hoodie? Nah, stollen emo robe looking ass. it seems everyone in purple house has one, and well, yall could swap, or ya know, just wear his. if he has another obvious man is never seen without it, it could be a comfort for him. but like, he seems like he would have a bigger one, and it would smell so nice like charcoal and acrylic paint (that i mentioned earlier). Don't question it, but you can smell that, right? but there's a hint of passion fruit becuse he's trying for you (aw how cute) you can not tell me he doesn't like perfume and like its either passion fruit or cola adjacent like i know it probably wasn't around at the time but like you can see it (maybe i based this on a meme i found but shush)

-you paint each others nails need i say more? and even if you dont like/want to, he would just like to take time off with you to do his own or you do his. oh my god, I just remembered he wears eyeliner the same thing, but he likes you doing it. For some reason, you're better at it, and he doesn't want panda eyes.

-sneaking out at late to hide behind the boarding house, to just chill or chat, looking at the stars. It's a nice area, but yall gotta dodge the house master most of the time. Still, a little thrill never hurt nobody, just maybe given a Y or two if you're caught.

-hiding in your shoulder when the sun or people get too much to deal with. (I feel that so much)

-Gregory is a mix when it comes to pda. Overall, he doesn't like it could be a little overwhelming for him, but when yall with the other prefects, he might hold your hand, he's trying, and we love him for it.

-Gregory seems to observe his friends a lot, and so i think he truly values any relationships he has with anyone. on a whole, he usually draws people that are around him, like ceil, and i think i seen one of Lawrence. (idk i don't have the manga) so i think he would have a lot of sketches of you, be it in his work as doodles, or fully fledge charcoal drawings, maybe even a painting. but he values and enjoys being with you a lot.

-little snacks like fruit and chocolate almost like a picnic in the swan gazebo, but ya know not sharing with everyone unless Gregory wants to, also the fact your with the others in the swan gazebo is becuse, 1 your allowed to be there they've invited others before, 2 you get along with the prefects and drudges and they really don't care, 3 your either his drudge or the first two already applied before hand so you both seen no point in doing that.

okay, so i can't think of anything else wholesome to put down, and i just can't stop thinking, so now this is the warning I REPEAT NSFW BEOYNED THIS POINT!! ALSO HE IS 18-19 ACORDING TO GOOGLE

NSFW head cannons

- some general things, he's a switch or power bottom idk but i can see it so much he prefers you on top, though

-favourite body part would be chest. tits or not [but defo would love them so much like a stress toy] or the space between shoulder and neck, to hide in and bite....(he is a wolf lmao)

-right, so first off lipstick. oh my god... imagining it smeared in places and having prominent marks on your body made by him, like hickeys but removable. and like after he gives head, it would get so messed up on his face or you and just kissing him with it like that, getting some on your lips... (jesus, i need to touch grass)

-he likes art obviously, and well going back to the lipstick and hickeys, he wants to see what colour they turn, your like a brand new canvas just begging to be painted on by him, and honestly vice versa he's too pretty not to mark up..... (no comment)

-this is an all boys school they most likely don't have sex ed here and so you would have to teach him what to do but once he knows it kinda clicks right ya know [another reason i think he would just love titties becuse he wants to learn and i mean like he would get kinda fascinated with them] also he would be really sensitive in general and that's a great advantage to top (but hey you didnt hear that from me 0^0)

okay then that was that and ive run out of ideas now and i need to get this out of me ive got like 2 more things to write about this emo becuse i love and relate to him so much anyway hope that was good i try to be accurate even though this is head cannons and not real at all im still trying to be in character sorry if my writing sucks :)

[savoryscribbles]

*＊✿❀ handwriting headcanons w/ my favs ❀✿＊*

pairings:bokuto, suna, sakusa(seperatly) x gn!reader

tags: fluff, ranting, not super x reader but you're their partner.

warnings: they/them pronouns, probably a few curse words, lemme know if i should add anything!

word count: 396

a/n: a/n: pt 2 of my 300 follower series :d. i'll add the link when i'm finished with it! (i'm like half way to 500 rn but this is old! pls forgive me!). also these are short and sweet! kinda just wanted to post something!

haikyuu masterlist | general masterlist

bokuto:

messy.

it's practically illegible, but somehow he can always read it perfectly, even if he wrote it a year ago.

it's tilted, but not in one direction. for the love of god don't give this man plan copy paper to write on. one line will be tilted to the write and 5x smaller than the next line which is now tilted to the left.

ambidextrous, he didn't train himself or anything. in fact people consider him ambidextrous simply because his handwriting doesn't get any worse with whatever hand he writes with.

surprisingly decent at cursive, probably because there's a lot of extra loops in his regular handwriting anyways.

suna:

so messy omfg

you can't read it, he can't read it, no one can

don't ever let him write things down for you, it never works. you'll be like "what does this say?" and he just shrugs.

his signature is so sloppy too, lucky for him it doesn't have to be legible

sometimes he'll be cute and try and hand write text messages, particularly if he has an away game and can't call. he actually tries really hard to write neatly, but mans can write nice with a pen, how the hell does he expect himself to write with his finger? his teammates are like "suna you've spent 18 of our 20 minute break rewriting that damn message, hurry up!"

if atsumu is there, he will definitely record suna just rewriting it over and over again. sends it to you, but expects you to make fun of suna, but you find it endearing.

but you do still tease him about it, he gets all pouty though

sakusa

the only one that writes neatly out of the three

he writes in neat cursive, because i hc he comes from like a rich/well off family so they put him in english+cursive lessons

even if his handwriting is neat people still complain because its like cursive so its harder to read

he lowkey gets kinda insecure about it.

like atsumu told him about suna sending his s/o a handwritten message, and now he wants too, but hes worried you wont like it, or say something about his cursive D:

bokuto ends up being his hype man, and sending the message for him, because he's to scared to send it himself

he's very relived when you absolutly adore it :D

[lostinforestbound]

Gonna drop a request before they close~

Gimmie your Pyxis and Rolan relationship headcanons :3

BARB OMFG I've been wanting to talk about them so badly but never found the opportunity, thank you!! This is purely going to be self-indulgent so don't mind my rambling!

Rolan and Pyxis

Pyxis fell first, Rolan fell harder. Pyxis was immediately infatuated with Rolan when they first met at the Grove, even if Rolan didn't reciprocate at the time. He thought he was (and still is) very cute, handsome even. He's still shocked he fell for him that quickly, but he couldn't help it.

Rolan fell really hard for Pyxis at the end of Act 2, though he already found the guy attractive. This kind man convinced him to stay at the grove, kept the grove from getting raided, saved him from the shadow curse and then saved his siblings on top of it. All without expecting anything in return. Not only that, he just realized the man has been subtly flirting with him the entire time. Gods he's a fool.

One of Pyxis' main goals in life is to make Rolan laugh, he just needed to figure out what the man found funny. He literally tries every stupid joke in his book, even poking fun at himself. Rolan is a very stubborn bastard though, and just refuses to laugh. Pyxis sees it as a challenge.

Pyxis is a very sweet man, he's close to being the perfect partner, despite being more chaotic than Rolan. Honestly, Rolan didn't know how to handle his affections at first so he never exactly reciprocated, not that Pyxis minded. When Rolan finally finds his own way to show affection, it made Pyxis unbelievably happy.

Their love languages are different. Rolan leans towards quality time, wanting to be in Pyxis' presence a lot even if they're busy in the day with their work. If Rolan studies the weave, he'll invite Pyxis to relax there or even take a nap. Anything to keep him close.

Pyxis prefers physical touch! Gods he wants to have a hand on Rolan all the time. He sneaks kisses, he cuddles close when they sleep, he massages his hands after a long day of writing scrolls, and he even offers to brush his hair for him! He genuinely wants to take care of him.

Speaking of touch, he loves to trace Rolan’s infernal ridges. There’s something so mesmerizing about them, so he often uses his fingers to just feel them. Rolan gets embarrassed (and sometimes riled) but secretly loves it.

Sometimes, Pyxis feels inadequate next to Rolan, as if the man was completely out of his league. He's no magic user (Pyxis is a Spell-less Ranger/Rogue/Fighter) and he's not that smart when it comes to anything in the Arcane category. When Gale tried to teach him magic at the very beginning of this fucked up adventure, he failed. Miserably.

He's great at other things though! He can fix plenty of things, make healing balms, elixirs, has dabbled in plenty of alchemy, and is an excellent sharpshooter! Rolan is genuinely impressed by his alchemy abilities, and he even made an empty room in the tower into a lab for him so he can experiment (within reason). He also has a room so he can do target practice.

One of the things they do have in common is terrible sleep habits. They're both plagued with nightmares due to their individual traumas, though Pyxis is the first to try and find a solution to their problem. He makes tea for them both at night, to the point where it’s their nightly routine.

Pyxis can be clumsy, so mishaps happen a lot in his little lab or when he’s doing alchemy traveling. Plenty of things of exploded in his face, and all Rolan does is let out a resigned sigh. He helps clean up with magic since it’s faster.

Because Pyxis loves to stargaze so much, he takes Rolan out to one of his escapades! Rolan was at first apprehensive (there’s so much dirt, it’s cold outside, and what if bugs crawl on them?) but he goes with him anyways. He ends up being mesmerized by the stars, and they both laid there in a comfortable silence. Pyxis then realized, as he was watches Rolan look up in wonder, that he wants to marry him.

Now here’s a few that are a little sillier!

Rolan silently grieved when Pyxis cut his hair (he likes it a lot more when it’s long)

Rolan says he hates that stupid mustache but he surprisingly finds it charming. (He was horrified when Pyxis shaved it off)

Sometimes Pyxis grabs Rolan’s horn and shakes his head around a little just to mess with him.

Rolan randomly bites Pyxis to spite him in return.

And in return for biting Pyxis will lick him. (This back and forth goes on for a while until one of them gives up)

Pyxis likes to touch noses instead of kissing sometimes. Rolan thinks it’s ridiculous but lets him do it anyways.

Rolan’s favorite joke from Pyxis: “Wisdom is chasing them, but they’re faster.”

[thebestofoneshots]

✩ Star :

very funny/makes jokes, sarcastic, can be closed off but only about backstory, sweet, can be cute but mainly sarcastic

slim with freckles on my back, 5’6-5’7ish [people putting they’re elbows on my shoulders like they’re a table or stand is shockingly hot okay 😭], short black hair, shockingly blue eyes that are apparently pretty

writing [fanfiction omfg], reading [romance novels]

open to polyamorous relationships

If you want to participate in "TBOS' 400 Followers Celebration" too, you can look at this post for all the options of prompts you can choose from <3

I ship you with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. You have been friends with the boys since you started Hogwarts. You really enjoy hanging out with them, and they equally enjoy your company, especially because they find you absolutely hilarious, yet also very small? Sirius used to say you were like an evil squirrel, too cute to pose a threat, but with claws sharp enough to blind someone.

"Hey Moons," you said one day while chilling with him, both of you engrossed in reading your respective books, both of your feet rested on the boy's lap. Sirius lounged nearby, lost in his music.

"Yes, dove?"

"What do you think about poly relationships?"

"Poly… what?!" Remus asked, confused, peering up from his book.

Sirius laughed from the side, “Means you’re dating more than one person at the same time. Of course everyone is aware of it,” he explained. "Why the sudden interest, Fluffs?"

Sirius had playfully given you the nickname shortly after likening you to a squirrel. Originally it had been "Flufftail," but he thought it sounded to much like Wormtail and he didn’t want to aoscieate you with him, so he switched it to Fluffs.

"Oh, it's just this book," you said, indicating the one you held, "It's about a poly relationship. Seemed like an intriguing conversation starter."

"Well, I'd give it a shot," Sirius chimed in.

"Shocking!" you teased.

"Only with the right people, though."

"I've seen you hook up with plenty of girls, what do you mean 'the right people'?"

"Hooking up isn't the same as having a relationship, Fluffs. You'd know if you tried," he said, smirking and gesturing for you to come closer with a suggestive smile. Instead, you threw a pillow at his face.

"I guess I’d have to test it to give my opinion," Remus replied with a nonchalant shrug, returning to his book.

"I guess it's the same for me," you mused.

Suddenly, Sirius had an idea, a metaphorical lightbulb illuminating his brain. "Let's do it!"

"Do what?" you asked, perplexed.

"Let's test it, the three of us."

"Like a throuple?" you questioned with a slight frown.

"Exactly, a throuple!" he affirmed. "We'd be exclusive with each other and see how it goes."

"For how long?" you inquired, setting aside your book.

"Three months."

"You won't last three months without hooking up with someone."

"What do you mean without hooking up? I'd have both Remus and you! I could kiss your pretty faces whenever I want. Sounds perfect to me."

"Now you're just trying to charm me into it."

"And is it working?"

"A little," you admitted, smiling. "What about you, Remus?"

"Count me in," the boy responded, a playful smirk gracing his lips.

Long story short, those three moths extended into six, and those 6 into a year, and eventually you all decided that you'd just stay together, you just didn't want to go back to how things were before. Becasue this, this was perfect.

A/N: Hope you like this darling, I had lot's of fun writting it!

Sending you great vibes, Lilly xxx

MASTERLIST

[yandere-genji]

Omfg you’re bully!Gabriel had me weak in the knees!!! Please make a second part! I’d very much appreciate it!!!

hnng after writing these college au prompts i am actually convinced this is peak content//fem!reader in this one homies

The semester had started just a few weeks ago but you dove headfirst into your studies like a madman. Carefully studying your textbook and making notes for chapters well in advance, this was the part of your studies that invigorated you the most. You truly enjoyed the material and what would seem like a chore to anyone else was an odd thrill to you. Not only that, but studying was enriching and you hoped your future would benefit from your dedication to your field. Still, you missed socializing with your friends.

In fact, since your encounter with Gabe, you had become a recluse. The last thing you wanted was to chance another run-in with him. It must’ve gotten him off knowing he had such an effect on you, but you didn’t care to indulge him any further than that. So, you continued your studies but never stayed on campus long enough to fraternize with anyone. After class, you went straight to the comfort of your dorm, where you were sure to be safe.

Your dorm mate, Angela, was your only source of interaction. The two of you got along well, both hardworking students. You understood each other, it had been a blessing that she was assigned as your roommate. And she was happy to be your shoulder to lean on while you were keeping to yourself, allowing you to rant about your courses and professors as you pleased. But to your dismay, Angela had grown concerned for you. Obviously you had undergone a change of some kind, one that was affecting you for the worse.

“You know,” she chided, “I can’t be your only source of comfort. I love you, honey, but what’s going on with you?”

You sighed, not wanted to go through the stress of explaining anything to her, “I just…I don’t know. College, I guess.”

“My God, you’re a terrible liar,” she scoffed, “Am I going to have to mother you like this the whole semester?”

“I mean…” you rolled onto your back, looking up at her from your mattress, “am I so needy that I’m becoming a nuisance?”

Angela giggled and sat against your mattress on the floor, meeting your eyes with her icy blues, “I’m just worried. We should go out sometime together. You know, somewhere that’s not here.”

You shrugged, “Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. But I have some exams coming up that I have to study for…”

She cut you off, “You’ve been studying for those exams for weeks. Come on, it’s Halloween season, you know. Ana is hosting a costume party and I’m just dying to go, I have the cutest angel outfit, wanna see?”

“Jesus, it’s almost November, and then December. Angela, before we know it, the semester’s over!” you propped yourself up on your elbows, “Ugh. Whatever. I kinda wanna see your costume, though. What’re you going for, like a Victoria’s Secret vibe or like Catholic school stage play angel?”

“That’s the best part,” she jumped up, headed for the closet, “it’s both!”

Seeing her so excited made you match her energy. It had been some time since you dressed up for Halloween. And you’d never been to a costume party before, let alone a college party. It sounded like great fun.

Angela emerged from the closet, glowing brightly from the sequins of her white dress. She looked radiant, the corset of the dress fit snuggly around her waist and the short skirt puffed around her hips. It seemed like the dress had been made for her. She flashed you a beaming smile, “What do you think? Isn’t it cute? Oh, you have to come to the party. We should have matching costumes!”

You were never as giddy as when you were with Angela. She brought out the girly side of you that laid dorment whenever you were enveloped in your coursework. You stood up and fiddled with the wings attached to her back, “It’s so cute on you, Angie, but I couldn’t pull something like that off. Plus, it suits you better.”

She pushed your hand away and began to take the wings off of her, “Try it, at least. See if you like it.”

The pajamas you had on would certainly look silly with the wings, you thought, but she insisted. The elastic bands pulled at your shoulders and chaffed your skin. You examined yourself in the mirror, clearly uncomfortable.

“Seriously, Angie, you’re much more the angel type,” you started, already taking off the wings, “I don’t know. I think I’d like to go to the party, but I have no idea what I’d go as.”

She hummed inquisitively, examining you like the fairy godmother of your dreams, “They have those Halloween stores this time of year. Why don’t we shop around today, get you ready for the party. It’s not until the weekend anyways, plenty of time to get you dolled up.”

You agreed, no longer hesitant and finally ready to leave your books and pajamas behind. The two of you set off to a large strip mall just outside campus that had been decorated to theme. Purple and orange garlands framed the stores and pumpkins littered the ground with the vibrant fall leaves. Angela led you by the hand to a large department store full of costumes. Witches, clowns, a bloody nurse, a zombie maid, and a very tempting banana suit. But none of them seemed to appeal to you.

“Oh my gosh, this is perfect for you!” Angela almost squealed in excitement.

“What is it?” you asked, discarding a pirate wench’s corset dress.

She lifted up a plaid, pleated skirt shorter than your own underwear, “Slutty schoolgirl, what do you think? I mean, it’s basically what you wear everyday. Just slut-ified.”

“Great…” you groaned, turning away from her and averting your attention to a werewolf mask on the make up shelf next to you.

It had masks and palettes with artificial blood. Strange to think people willingly put that stuff on their face. Lord knows what was in those things. The palettes were cheap and certainly weren’t made from the highest quality face products. You could already feel your skin breaking out just by being in proximity to them.

“Oh,” you heard Angela raise her voice behind you, “what’s this?”

She picked up some sort of pencil, it looked like an eyebrow pencil but the tip was a much darker black than what you had seen. She looked at the pencil, then at you, then the pencil again. Her brain was brewing up an idea that you weren’t sure you were going to like.

“You know, there is a universal Halloween costume that I know you will like,” she began, “something so basic but so cute that you can’t possibly say no to it!”

You were not sure where she was getting this newfound confidence from, but she had your attention by the way she was selling her idea. “And that is?” you asked.

“A black cat!” she opened her mouth in feigned shock, “My goodness, what an idea! And I could be a witch! Oh, that’d be so adorable! Oh, let’s do it!”

“What about your angel costume?” you asked.

“Oh, well. I mean, I just had to buy the wings, I already had that dress from my sweet sixteen. Or was it prom? Can’t remember,” she shrugged, “Come on, let’s pick out a witch costume and see what else they have for you, my kitty.”

Angela was already getting into character, there was certainly no swaying her now. Besides, going as a cat wasn’t so bad. She was right, it would be cute couple’s costume. You sighed, “Alright, let’s go.”

You felt like an actual pet being led by Angela as she scoured the aisles looking for accessories for the both of you. In the end, she decided on some fluffy cat ears that tied around your own, a thin choker attached to a leash and a flattering black skin suit fitted with a fuzzy tail. For herself, she found a short witch’s dress with matching gloves, a hat, and a wooden broom, of course. Both of you went into the fitting rooms to try on your outfits. Your suit hugged your curves and complimented the shape of your body. The leash, in your humble opinion, was a little much for you, but Angela insisted upon it. You were surprised with the quality of the costume and were content to wear it for the party. Angela was too, happily praising her own styling intuition. It was beginning to darken outside and the two of you headed back to your dorm after a successful day of shopping.

——

Your days were starting to look brighter. There was something to look forward to and because of the busy fall season, you were able to keep to yourself. Angela wasn’t pestering you about leaving the dorm and your anxieties about Gabe were getting weaker by the day. If this was becoming your new norm, it wasn’t so bad.

The party came sooner than expected and you were nervous as ever the day of. To you knowledge, only Angela and a couple of people you knew would be in attendance. Ana was an acquaintance, you had seen her at the library cafe from time to time and waved to her, but the two of you had completely different majors. She was close to Angela, but you didn’t know much else about her.

Angela said there would be boys too, much to your dismay. There were two suitors of hers she was anticipating to meet. One of which was Genji. You shared your comp sci class with him and he was a good guy as far as you were concerned. He was cute and seemed like a good fit for her. Then there was Jack. You’d seen him with Gabe, and that was as much information as you needed to know about him. He seemed cocky, probably only wanted Angela for her looks, something to show off at parties. You told her you much preferred Genji, and she agreed.

“But men have to earn you,” she said, “or else it’s too easy for them. It’s like playing tug of war with a puppy. You know you’re going to win, but it’s no fun for them that way.”

“Um,” you started reluctantly, “I don’t know if that’s true at all.”

“Oh, what do you know about boys, you’re still a virgin!” she giggled at herself and your cheeks burned red.

“Whatever…” you replied, “how big is this party going to be? I might have to cling to you.”

“Oh, you’ll definitely have to cling to me. Why do you think I insisted on matching?” she said, patting her face with blush.

“You’re okay with me being so clingy?” you asked.

“I’m well used to it by now,” she smiled at you, brushing her hair.

“I’m not usually like this, you know,” you started, “it’s just been so weird lately.”

“Dont worry about it. If you need me, I’ll be here. Let’s just enjoy our time tonight, yea?” her words soothed you and the two of you agreed to ride whatever wave of emotion you were on until it subsided. You weren’t sure where you would be without Angela holding your hand through this. Her words about you being a virgin reminded you again of Gabe and you wondered if he would show his face at the party. Jack was going, sure, but probably only to met Angela there. Gabe definitely didn’t seem the type to go to a costume party and you doubted he even knew Ana or Angela very well if at all. You deserved some time away from all the drama and stress of college, you thought. This was the perfect opportunity to decompress and allow yourself some fun.

Once the two of you were dressed and made up, you eagerly drove out to Ana’s house in the suburbs. It was festive, the lawn was decorated with skeletons, bones, tombstones, and a blown-up haunted house gated the entrance. Ana was waiting outside, dressed like a pirate with a fake parrot over her shoulder. Her smile was inviting and she welcomed you with open arms.

“Argh mateys,” she mustered her best pirate voice, though it wasn’t very convincing, “are ye ready to party?”

“What is wrong with you?” Angela scoffed, “That voice is painful.”

“Fine, but you can’t tell me this isn’t the best pirate costume you have ever seen,” Ana retorted. It really was, you had to admit. The neutral leathers of her belt complimented her white blouse and flowing pants.

“The boots are a nice touch, with the heels and all,” you complimented her with a smile.

“Don’t entertain her,” Angela chided, “it’ll go right to her head.”

“Not as fast as the rum will,” Ana opened the door to her house and gestures for the two of you to come inside.

The interior was just as festive. It was illuminated by purple string lights and tv screens playing old horror movies you didn’t recognize. Bottles of liquor and fruit juice lined the kitchen along with bowls of snacks and candy. You were tempted to drift away from Angela that instant, but she pulled you by the hand to a crowd of people on the couch.

There was Genji. Dressed as a flashing neon green power ranger, smiling from ear to ear and looking directly at Angela. He was like a fool in love, it was sweet to witness. With him was another man who looked a couple years older than him, same black hair but longer and tied back. He wore a beautiful black suit, Men in Black, maybe? There was no obvious indication of what his costume was. Across the boys were two girls, one with a high ponytail in a graceful ballet dress and another with a striking duo-toned black and white updo that flattered her pained green skin. Bride of Frankenstein, easily the best costume you’d seen yet. You didn’t recognize any of them, but Angela was quick to introduce you.

“Scoot over, Genji. Make some room for us,” Angela patted the spot next to her and you sat, “Have you met Hanzo before? He’s Genji’s brother.”

Hanzo gave you a curt nod, said something to Genji, and returned his attention to his drink. You met the attention of the girl in the ponytail across from him.

“Hi,” you extended a hand, “I don’t think we’ve met, what’s your-“

“Amelie,” she replied before you finished, her tongue was sweet and smooth as silk, “This is my friend, Olivia.”

“Friends, are we?” she laughed, looked at you, “nice to meet you, heard a lot about you.”

“Me?” you asked puzzled.

“Uh-huh,” she rose from her seat, “excuse me, there’s someone I have to met.”

Something about her tone left you feeling uneasy, like there was some nefarious plan you weren’t left privy to. But Angela kept you from thinking any further into it, offering you a bottle of beer.

“No thanks,” you said, “I don’t know if we should be drinking tonight.”

Her and Genji laughed, “You’re at a party, honey,” she wrapped your fingers around the bottle, “live a little, yea?”

And you did. Although Hanzo seemed stone cold, he loosened up with a few drinks and was eager to chat with you and the group. He told you stories of his childhood with Genji in Japan. There was a lot to learn from him and Genji often interrupted his brother before he was about to say something extremely embarrassing. You and Amelie bonded over a few drinks, both of you being impartial to beer, she offered you mixed fruit drinks instead. She had you giggling like a school girl as she played with your costume.

“I wanted to be cat woman,” she explain, “but didn’t have the time to prepare a proper costume. You look exquisite.”

It made you blush, though it was hardly noticeable through your drunken red face, “I think you would’ve made a great cat woman. You’re a beautiful ballerina.”

She cackled, very amused at your joke. You didn’t quite understand what was so funny, but you gave a light chuckle to entertain her, “Look at you, you’re laughing and yet you have no idea why.”

You weren’t sure if she was mocking you or genuinely thought you were endearing, “Sorry, maybe it’s the alcohol.”

“Well, you two are really enjoying each other’s company!” Angela remarked, “Wanna go outside for a bit? I have to touch up my makeup, the heat in here is unbearable.”

“Sure,” you replied, you weren’t sure what she had in mind, but she came to the party with a plan and you intended to help her, “Amelie? Want to join us?”

The three of you took your leave and left the two brothers behind. You followed Angela to the back of the house with Amelie in tow. It was much quieter and intimate, a nice relief from the crowded party.

“Ugh, I’m starting to drink too much,” Angela bemoaned, taking a breath of the fresh air, “if Jack doesn’t come soon I might just fall asleep in Genji’s arms.”

“Jesus, Angela,” you reprimanded her, “why even bother with Jack? You’re playing those two boys.”

“I admire you, Angela,” Amelie said and turned to you, putting a gentle hand on your shoulder, “those two boys need something to play with or they tire quickly. You’re too innocent, dear. These are just the ways of a masterful seductress.”

The two girls laughed among themselves. You sighed, “Not you too, Amelie. This is just cruel. Genji is so sweet, he really brings out the best in you. And Jack…he’s so upity.”

“Why don’t you just take Genji for yourself, then,” Amelie suggested.

“What? No way, he’s not even into me. I’m not into him, either. But him and Angela really make a cute couple,” you said, looking to Angela. She seemed to be eating up the conversation with a satisfied grin.

“Oh? What are you into, then? Not the nerdy type…maybe the jocks? Oh, don’t tell me, you’re into Jack, aren’t you?” Amelie was being obviously playful, but you weren’t sober enough to detect it.

“No! You know there are more boy on this planet than Genji and Jack, right? Ugh, never,” you leaned against the wall, arms folded.

“Okay, let’s see. What about Hanzo? He’s handsome,” she remarked.

“I don’t know, I don’t really like to think about boys like that. I’m way too busy with school,” you said, fiddling with the leash that dangled onto your chest.

“I think you’re getting somewhere Amelie!” Angela was engrossed, hanging on the every word.

“Maybe not Hanzo. Then who else can I think of. Oh, of course! You go to the same school as Gabriel Reyes, don’t you?,” she spoke intently, closely examining your face.

At the sound of his name you couldn’t help the way your body responded. You froze, almost shuddered, and you legs involuntarily squeezed together. The heat in your face was almost unbearable, “What? Why would you even bring him up?”

Amelie chuckled and coiled a finger around the ends of her ponytail, “Just curious. He’s the biggest name at your university besides Jack, thought you might know him.”

“I don’t,” you practically snapped, like a cornered dog, “I’m sorry.”

Your own reaction stunned you once you directed the rude reply at Amelie. You had only met her just a bit ago and were projecting whatever conflicting feelings you had about Gabriel Reyes onto her. It was embarrassing. You didn’t dare look at either of the girls as you excused yourself back into the party.

It had grown louder since you first arrived. Something had changed the mood, everyone was jumping energetically to the music with alcohol in hand. You tried to make your way to something familiar, but you were lost in the sea of people. Navigating through the house seemed impossible, but you managed to stumble your way into the kitchen, holding an empty red cup close to your chest.

“Hey,” you heard a familiar voice faintly next to you. Turning your head, you noticed Olivia trying to get your attention, “You’re Angela’s friend, right?”

You nodded. She smiled, “You’re not with her?”

You just shook your head. Olivia offered you her hand, “Wanna chill?”

The two of you made you way through the crowd and up the stairs. Most of the party was below you now and Olivia took you into what you presumed to be an office of some sort. There was a computer desk across from a leather couch, occupied by a rugged man dressed as a cowboy and none other than Jack Morrison dressed as…himself, presumably.

“What in hell took you so long?” the cowboy spoke with a deep southern accent, “I was nearly about to blow my damn brains out.”

“Shut it, hillbilly,” Jack retorted, “don’t you see Olivia brought a guest.”

The sound of his voice was jarring but you followed Olivia into the room and sat among the men.

“Certainly, and what a lovely lady you are,” the cowboy extended his hand and you placed one on top of his. To your surprised, he rose your hand to his lips and gave a gentle kiss, “Name’s Cassidy.”

You blushed, unsure what to make of the man or the situation unfolding before you, “Nice to meet you.”

The door crashed open, Ana stood in the frame and raised a six-pack of beer, “Hello, old friends,” she smiled at you, “and a plus one! Perfect, a beer for each of us!”

You counted five people, including yourself. Ana handed you a beer and you held it against your chest, unsure of when or where your red cup had been discarded.

“Where the man of the hour?” Jack asked, opening his beer.

“He’ll be here shortly,” Ana turned to you, “do you need help opening that?”

“Oh, sure,” you shyly replied, not really wanting anymore to drink but perhaps if you just wet your lips…

“Don’t tell me your drinking without me,” you heard a voice speak from the open door. You froze.

“Well, shit,” Cassidy chuckled, “get yer ass in here, Reyes, I’m workin’ up a thirst sittin’ next to this jackass.”

Fuck. You wanted to jump up and run away into Angela’s arms. But something kept you in place, staring down at the beer in your hand. Your costume was beginning to feel all too revealing in front of the man you had been trying to avoid for weeks.

“Here, you can have my seat,” Olivia spoke, sitting up from next to you.

“What a doll,” with all of his weight, he plopped down next to you, making you jump.

You looked away, thumb playing with the lip of the beer bottle and eyes fixed at the hallway outside. Even when you weren’t looking at him, you could feel him staring into you.

“Yo,” he snapped a finger at you and you turned towards the sound. You couldn’t believe your eyes at first. He had really outdone himself, face painting like that of a skeleton. The hollows of his cheeks were black, same for the rest of the areas not painted white. You stared at him like a deer in headlights, “what the hell is a prude like you doing here?”

You blushed and took a breath. Before you could reply, Cassidy spoke up for you, “Shit, if she’s a prude wearing that little number, I’d like to see what the less modest ladies are wearing.”

He and Gabriel shared a hearty laugh and Ana rolled her eyes, “Now that you’re here, Gabe,” she started, “let’s have a little toast.”

Jack rose up, holding his beer out in the air, “To good company,” he looked down as Cassidy, who was beginning to light a smoke, “on second thought, to debauchery.”

Gabe laughed, shaking the couch, “That’s something I can drink to.”

And with that, everyone took a drink from their beer. You took a small sip while Gabe downed half of his in one go. It felt wrong, sitting next to him here and enjoying a beer as if nothing had happened between the two of you. And Cassidy’s comments weren’t helping you feel any more comfortable with the situation.

“Thank you for letting me drink with you guys,” you spoke shyly, “but I should really get back to Angela and see if she’s okay.”

Before you could move, Gabe put his arm around your shoulders and kept you in place with a strong grip. Your eyes met his and you couldn’t hide your anxiety any longer. He could undoubtably see what he was doing to you, a smile growing on his face, “Don’t be rude. Finish your drink.”

“Wait a minute, Gabe,” Jack interrupted, “you said you were going to find Angela?”

You nodded. Jack might be your saving grace yet.

“Let’s go. I’ve been meaning to find her all night,” Jack said, lifting himself from his seat.

“Fine,” Gabe relented, “I’ll go with you.”

“Looks like it’s just the three of us, ladies,” Cassidy sent Ana a sultry smile, to which she responded with a slap to the back of his head.

Jack began out the door, motioning with his hand for you to join, you and Gabe followed him to the party downstairs. The party was still going hard, it seemed, as the floor shook with the feet of the dancing partygoers. You searched for any sight of Angela’s blonde hair or her witch hat. It didn’t seem like she had returned to the party.

“Where did you leave her?” Jack asked, almost screaming to cut through the noise of music and guests.

“We were outside,” you explain, matching his volume, “come on, I’ll show you.”

“Fine,” he said, lowering his voice. You made your way through the party guests and opened a sliding glass door that led to the backyard. Sure enough, there was Amelie leaning against the wall and scrolling through her phone.

Before you could ask her where Angela went, Gabe greeted her, “Wow, Amelie, you’re really enjoying this party, huh?”

She put her phone in a clutch bag and turned her attention to your company, “Well, I was wondering when you would show up. Looks like you found yourself a little pet, too.”

You blushed when she smiled at you, you were really regretting going along with this costume. You cleared your throat, trying to get back on topic, “Do you know where Angela went?”

Gabe tugged lightly at the leash dangling from your collar and you looked up at him, “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt adults when they’re speaking?”

Amelie laughed and you slapped his hand. Jack was growing ever impatient and spoke, “I didn’t come to this party to watch your fucking foreplay. Where’s Angela?”

“Her and Genji went to the basement,” Amelie replied, “with his brother or something. Probably playing pool. Might be caught up in some other things, though…”

When her voice trailed off, Jack made a bee line into the house and disappeared into the party. You started to follow him before Gabe pulled you back.

“What’re you doing?” you asked, frustration obvious in your voice and he seemed all too amused to hear it.

“You’ve been drinking like a damn sailor,” he said, “I can smell it when you talk.”

“Oh, please, Gabe,” Amelie chimed in, “cut her a break. Heaven knows the last time you’ve had this much fun, right?”

You weren’t sure if she was referring to you or Gabe but whatever fun you had at the start of the evening was beginning to fade fast.

“I just want to find Angela and go home,” you confessed, “it’s getting late.”

“You know she’s been waiting for Jack all night, there’s no way she intends to go home just yet,” Amelie reminded you, walking towards you and Gabe. She put a hand on your shoulder and said, “I suggest you make the most of your time here.”

“I’m just going to follow Jack, then,” you said, hoping they would let you go, but you should’ve known better.

“She really is rude, you know,” Amelie said, patting your shoulder before making her leave. When she opened the door, she turned to chide you again before leaving, “Be a good girl, now.”

You looked up at Gabe, that same feeling in your stomach you felt in the locker room came back again and you were suddenly reminded of what you had been hoping to avoid. How could you feel so alone and vulnerable in a house full of people? It didn’t make much sense, but your heart raced and you hushed the urge to cry. His face was concealed through the paint, even the line of his lips was difficult to make out. Still, he stared down at you with his hand still holding your arm. Your face burned hot again knowing how tight your costume was against your body, it was suffocating when his eyes trailed downward.

“Cassidy was right,” he began, “for a prude, you’re really dressed like a slut.”

You tried to wiggled you arm away from him, but he tightened his grip. Annoyed and anxious, you spoke, “Stop it, Gabe. I don’t want anything to do with you, and if you don’t like me so much then maybe we should just leave each other alone.”

His eyes met yours, rich ebony that bended against the outline of his pupils. They kept you frozen in place, like the stilling darkness of a bottomless abyss. No light reflected through them.

“And yet here you are,” he said after a brief pause, “Little miss perfect, drunk, at a party, dressed like she’s looking for a good fuck that’ll leave her senseless. What a sight you are.”

“Shut up!” your voice cracked and your words couldn’t reach the volume you had hope, “I didn’t even want to dress up like this, Angela picked it out for me. We’re matching! She’s a fucking witch and I’m her cat familiar, asshole!”

“Jesus Christ,” he rubbed his temples, “you’re such a fucking dork, you know that? Can’t believe I-“

He paused suddenly and looked down at you again, eyes trailing down your body. His stare perverse and he licked his lips in sick anticipation like a hungry wolf, “What am I saying…look at you. If only you’d shut that pretty mouth of yours, you might be the finest piece of ass I’ve ever seen. Hell, you even give some good head.”

“What the hell?!” you spoke up in an attempt to stop any discussion of what had happened in the locker room, “You’re sick, for real. There’s something actually wrong with you!”

He chuckled, “Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself. Poor thing, you never did get off. Maybe we should finish what we started…”

You crossed your arms in defiance and tightened your jaw in an effort to conceal your frustration. Truthfully, you wanted to slap him in the face for being such an insulting, patronizing, annoying creep. But you didn’t want the confrontation. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of ruining your night.

“You’re nothing but trouble, Gabe,” you huffed, “maybe you should stop following me around like a puppy and just pretend like nothing ever happened because I am not at all interested in playing your sick little games.”

He clenched his jaw and turned away from you, a sly smile growing on his face. The muscles in his arms flexed through his hoodie, clearly what you had said cut through him. You didn’t regret it, what you said was true. He’s bad news.

Gabe turned to catch a glimpse of you. In that moment, you thought you could see right through him, piercing through whatever barrier that concealed his true nature from everyone that know him but you. He liked to play with your emotions, to dwindle down your strength and take control of the situation. But now the tables had been turned in your favor. It had stunned you, to think you could disarm him like this. And the atmosphere was tense, silent and still for a while.

It wasn’t long after that he regain his composure, straightening his posture and bridging the gap between the two of you, “What do you want, huh? Want some desperate boy to feed your fucking ego? Always talking about how I don’t like you, like you want me kiss your ass and tell you whatever bullshit you want to hear, is that it?”

He laughed and his chest rose heavily. Staring up at him, you remained aloof, “I thought we were friends once, Gabe. Then you changed your tone quick. You’re mean, actually, you’re cruel.”

His arms suddenly gripped onto yours and he forced you to back up against the wall with nothing more than a squeal of defiance from you. He moved a hand from your arm to hold your face, smearing whatever black makeup that it touched. You felt that same paralyzing fear you had felt before. He crashed his lips against yours and you denied him any sort of entrance to your tongue. This didn’t satisfy him, his hand went to grip your throat and the tight squeeze caused you to open your mouth in an attempt to breath. He took the opportunity to lace his tongue between yours, and a tear rolled down your cheek. It was sickeningly intimate, like the reunion of two passionate lovers. And you were anything but.

Your hands wrapped around his wrist, pulling and tugging to release their grip but it was futile. He didn’t move a muscle as he continued to assault your tongue with his own, both your lips wetting with each other’s saliva. It disgusted you. But why did you hips stutter when he sucked on your tongue and why did your fingers squeeze around his wrist in reaction to the burning feeling in your core? Why did he have to be so perverse, so debauched in his thoughts of you yet still lure you in with his hoarse voice and beautiful visage. It was as if he were the devil himself and you a victim of temptation.

When he pulled away from you, it was sudden. A string of spit connected the two of you for a moment, breaking once Gabe stood at full height. He towered over you, a shadow of a man eclipsing the moon. You wiped your mouth, surely smudging your makeup and drawn whiskers while doing so.

“What a waste of time,” Gabe spoke, “trying to talk sense into is like talking to a wall. Just as dull, too.”

“You’re vulgar,” you spat through heavy breaths.

“You’re in denial,” he scoffed, wiping his lips with a swipe of his thumb.

“You ruined my makeup,” you almost shouted.

“Yeah?” he chuckled, “Wouldn’t mind ruining the rest of you while we’re at it.”

“Gabe,” you felt him staring intently at you like a bloodhound, “let’s just go back to the party.”

He looked up at you from whatever part of your body caught his attention, “Fine, you caught me in a good mood tonight. Just know I’m not finished with you yet, princesa.”

He brought a tender hand to you cheek and rubbed it endearingly, sending you a wink as he walked towards the sliding glass doors that lead inside. His sudden gentleness reddened your cheeks and you walked beside him into the party, trying to find some sort of sanctuary in the arms of Angela or perhaps an unoccupied bathroom. Whatever presented itself to you first. Before you could bid farewell to Gabe, he had already left you, somewhere among the crowded house. A part of you was relieved but another unsure what to make of his sudden disappearance. It was a tendency of his to come and go as he pleased and take whatever it was he desired from you while doing so. You felt vulnerable, even when you sent curses his way it barely seemed to make any difference. He was going to take what he wanted from you and you were powerless in your efforts to stop him.

[annasinterests]

don't look at me like that unless you mean it

smiling, having fun ♫ feeling like a number one

|| series masterlist || main masterlist ||

a/n: god dayum this took me so long to put out and i sincerely apologize friends!!! my family's been in town and i've been planning trips with my bf for the next couple of weeks so i've just been sooo busy. to make up for it, enjoy the longest chapter i've written yet :)) i legit had so much fun writing it but i also fussed w/ it a ton because i wanted to get it just how i envisioned it. nuff' ramblin' from me, love y'all, enjoy !

word count: 9.8k (i had over 10k written b4 editing but still omfg!)

pairings: joel miller x f!reader

warnings & tags: minors dni, cursing, joel/reader/tommy being cute, tommy being an instigator lowkey, mutual pining, joel and reader going on a lil 'date', sexual themes, mentions of alcohol/being drunk, honestly kinda self-indulgent esp on the music parts, angst RAAAAAAAAH — please tell me if i missed anything!

Friday. Thank God.

As the morning light painted the sky in soft hues, you opted to savor your coffee on the front porch with your feet kicked up on the deck railing, basking in the quiet before the day's festivities consumed the town.

The early hour granted you respite from the scorching sun, sparing you the discomfort of the sweltering heat that would undoubtedly arrive later. Dressed in a small tank top and shorts, you relished the cool breeze that gently brushed against your skin. Tilting your head back, you closed your eyes, allowing the sounds of chirping birds to serenade you and the warm rays envelop you in a soothing embrace.

You thought back to last night with Ellie, how much fun you had with her even though you passed out before the movie was even over. It was the perfect start to your two days of rest, and it prompted you to commit a rare act of self-care by pushing off your new workload until the new week started.

You always did something on your days off for Jackson, whether it was doing a few favors for neighbors or finding yourself in Maria’s office all day. Nothing ever to give yourself the time you deserved.

And maybe it was selfish– irresponsible, even– but you needed a real break, and when would you get that if not today? Tonight promised laughter, music, and camaraderie. All your problems and issues would still be there tomorrow anyway.

"Put some clothes on, would you?" You jerked your head forward to meet Tommy walking up with a grin on his face. You rolled your eyes.

"I'll put on more clothes when you shave off that disaster you call a mustache."

He put his hand over his chest that shook with laughter and took the vacant seat next to you. When you offered him coffee, he politely declined, chuckling when you insisted that you could add whiskey to it for him. "I actually came to ask a favor."

He watched as you peered down at the imaginary watch on your wrist before giving him a skeptical look. “Tommy, if you’re asking me to work, the answer is-”

“No! God, no.” You let out a thank fuck under your breath. “It’s for tonight.”

You raised your eyebrows as you drew a sip from your coffee. For tonight? He took your silence as a cue to continue.

"Joel tells me that you've got quite the music collection. I was wonderin' if I could borrow a couple of your tapes or CDs or whatever y'got?"

You thought about it for half a second, but pretended to be in deep contemplation. He grew antsy, attempting to seriously reason with you, and when you couldn't hold it together any longer, you hid your grin behind your mug as you watched him realize that you were fucking with him. You got up from your seat and signaled for him to follow you inside as you grabbed cassettes for his cause.

Joel had been in the kitchen pouring himself a cup from the pot you had already brewed. You peered around the corner to set your mug on the counter, flashing him a bright smile before quickly scurrying off, catching a glimpse of how his face dropped from a smile to confusion upon hearing more footsteps in the house. You giggled once you heard his groan, followed by 'Jesus, don't you know what time it is?'

You picked through your pile, grabbing tapes that you were certain would be winners. Once content with your selection, you brought them back to Tommy in the kitchen. His eyes and smile widened at the handful, carefully taking them into his possession. Joel, still clearly waking up, watched the interaction with a dull curiosity over the rim of his mug, flickering his gaze from you, to the cassettes, and lastly Tommy.

Your eyes lingered on the tapes, a small smile brought to your face at the pure nostalgia they held. You knew each track on each tape, word for word. You remembered when you heard them for the first time, what life had felt like, and when you found yourself listening to them the most. Normally, you'd feel hesitant to lend out your most prized possessions. They’d been with you ever since before outbreak day, and the one constant you had since the beginning that got you through your toughest times. But this was Tommy, and you didn’t have to think twice about whether or not you could trust him.

"Wait, I almost forgot!" You snapped out of your thinking to go and retrieve another part from your pile. You handed him a small deck of index cards binded together with twine in what was your own way of personally cataloging. "It's already in order, by cassette and song title, so you can figure out if there's something you don't wanna play.. or whatever you got planned." You lazily gestured.

The brothers exchanged a look before turning their attention to the cards. Joel set his coffee down and took the thin stack from Tommy, reading over it together as they glanced back and forth between the cardstock and the tapes. The corner of his mouth curled up as he skimmed over the songs, making it impossible for you not to smile either. You sheepishly looked down while rolling your feet from heel to toe with your hands behind your back, feeling like a kid showing their parents a piece of art they made at school.

"Had the world not gone to shit, you could’ve been a mean music curator.” Joel waved the cards between his thumb and forefinger, a suppressed laugh leaving your lips.

“Yeah.. damn, these bring back some good memories. Buncha’ old ones on here, some even way before our time.” Tommy motioned between himself and Joel.

The small smile on Joel’s face grew bigger, his face becoming more lively at a realization. “Y’know, ‘lotta these were popular bar songs. You were just shy of eighteen back then, weren’t you?”

Tommy quickly caught on to Joel’s train of thought, matching his grin. You stared at him with a subtle smirk, knowing that he knew he was right, and only asked to make it a point that he knew that. And in a way, you found it kind of.. hot? He was keenly aware of your timeline and able to make the connections that no one else really could. He didn’t have to do the mental math like Tommy probably was after he said it. You felt a surge of heat in your cheeks and on the tip of your ears as their gaze on you persisted, waiting for you to answer.

“.. I may or may not have snuck into them..”

Their voices overlapped with elation, to which you stuck up a middle finger for each Miller.

“Sounds like you were living on the edge,” Tommy peered down at Joel’s hand, “..of seventeen.”

Before you could open your mouth to scold Tommy for popping the corniest joke in all of the apocalypse, he and Joel fell into their own fit of laughter, bumping shoulders and elbowing one another. So proud and smug of their joint-effort to expose your rebellious years. But you found yourself grinning, not at the joke, but at them.

You shook your head, letting out a mix of a laugh and sigh, “Alright, you boys had your fun. Now Joel, why don’t you do your big brother duties and show Tommy the way out?”

He raised a brow at you, bringing his mug to his lips, “Must I remind you that it was you that brought him in here, not me?”

Tommy raised his hands up in defense as you glared at Joel, “Alright- I’ll see myself out.” He winked at you as he walked past, “Give you a break before ya’ gotta deal with me tonight.”

You and Joel walked him to the door, exchanging goodbyes until later this evening. Just before stepping out, Tommy suddenly turned over his shoulder to you. "Oh! Before I forget– Are you seein’ anybody?”

You froze at his question, your smile slacked and your eyes widened. The residual feeling of laughter in your chest subsided quickly as if it never existed in the first place. He held up his left hand, “Not for me, obviously.”

You rolled your eyes, then narrowing them at him. “Yeah, no shit. What, are you playing matchmaker for me?”

“Not for you, someone else.” A shit-eating grin appeared on his face. “So, are you?”

The short answer was no. You were too busy with leading your life in Jackson.. And being hopelessly in love with his brother.

“Uh– no. I’m not.”

Joel's gaze shifted towards you, your words evoking enough of a reaction out of him, to which Tommy caught and raised an eyebrow with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. They bounced between you and Joel as if he had caught a whiff of the unspoken agreement you two held. You felt your cheeks go hot again, knowing that your words hadn't gone unnoticed by either of them.

He bid a final farewell with an unconvincing nod that left you both standing in the foyer quietly, which was luckily cut short by Ellie coming through the back door, giving you both the perfect excuse to forget all about.. whatever that was.

She rubbed away the sleep in her eyes, murmuring a good morning to you and Joel as she made her way into the kitchen, both of you treading in after her. You inquired about the basics. How'd you sleep? Want me to make you something for breakfast? Do you want orange juice? What are your plans for the day? Joel watched as you engaged in conversation, admiration and warmth flaring in his chest as you seamlessly transitioned into your role as a caretaker.

You were receptive when she shared her plans for the day, further inquiring about smaller details of her schedule. He watched as Ellie became more animated the more she got to talk about her day ahead, especially as you encouraged her.

"What about you guys? Don't you both have off today?" Ellie faced in her chair so that she could clearly see you both.

You exchanged a glance with Joel before you both shrugged your shoulders. You hadn't realized that he had the day off as well, if you were being completely honest. As you thought about it, it occured to you that you hadn't gotten to figure that part out, since Tommy and all. When you confessed that you hadn’t planned anything for the day, Ellie’s eyes squinted in deep thought for a moment, then looked back at you both, “Why don’t you guys do something together?

You straightened up at her proposal, mildly thrown off, sharing another look with Joel before you both attempted to give a series of excuses, which just came out in a mess of jumbled, almost incoherent words.

“Oh, come on! You guys almost never do anything together.”

You folded your arms in defiance, but it came off more as a pout. “Yes, we do.”

“Sitting at home together doesn’t count.” You opened your mouth to disagree, but nothing came out. “Go out! Have a date or something.”

You nearly choked on your coffee as Joel sighed, speaking with caution, “Ellie–”

“Anyways! I’m off to Dina’s for the day.” She beamed and laughed in victory as she watched you two writhe in place. You could hear the smile in her voice as she left out the back door, “You kids have fun tonight, and make good decisions!”

God– first Tommy, now her. It couldn’t have been past nine yet.

You hand cradled your elbow, the other hand covering your eyes as your thumb and middle finger kneaded at your temples. Okay, maybe she was right. Maybe you and Joel didn’t spend proper ‘quality time’ together, but it just wasn’t something that either one of you were accustomed to. Before Jackson, the most you were able to be alone outside of your apartments were during smuggle runs, which was definitely not the type of recreational activity that she was referring to, and once you picked her up and finally settled here, your lives were centered around her and your respective jobs for the community.

Joel crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway that bordered the dining room, staring at the back door and then subsequently at you. You hadn’t noticed him looking, still hiding behind your hand to mask your embarrassment, and saw how his eyes raked over your figure, taking in how little clothes you were wearing. The black tank top was a deep cut halter that exposed your arms, chest, and just the littlest bit of midriff. Your shorts matched in color, the fabric just hovering over the higher part of your thighs with slits up the sides.

It was a good thing for him that you had your eyes covered. You weren’t able to see how his tongue poked over his bottom lip and his eyes that were drawn to your cleavage that was accentuated by your arms drawn together. Even with your fair share of scars, your skin looked so perfect and soft under the glow of sunlight through the window, so much that he could barely keep himself back from touching you, wanting to trace the contours of your arms with his fingers and hold your face in his palms again.

His heart thumped in his chest as he wondered what it would feel like to rub your legs against his under bed sheets. How it would feel to press his fingertips into the soft flesh of your hips–

“Joel?”

His head jerked up slightly as his eyes darted to yours. “What?”

Irked, you threw your hand away from your face in an exasperated manner, “Do you wanna come?

He stared dumbly at you, stuttering, “Do I- w-what?”

“To Lake Falwich! Weren’t you listening?” You threw him an incredulous look as he shook his head to himself, apparent to you that he in fact hadn’t listened to a damn word you said.

Lake Falwich was located off of Elk Creek, an area you and Joel switched off on patrolling. You’d found the place when you went off-path during your first summer patrol, deeming it as another little hidden gem of Jackson County. Over the years, you grew fond of it and made it a point to frequent it whenever beyond the walls, but you hadn’t been yet this season.

“Uh, yeah– Yes– Sure.”

You didn’t know what had gotten into him in the last few minutes, but you couldn’t deny that you enjoyed seeing him all flustered and not being able to keep eye contact with you. How the tables turned for once.

“I’ll be ready to head out in ten.” You began to head towards the stairs for your room, but stopped at his side and placed your hand on his shoulder, curling your fingers over the muscle, “Don’t keep me waiting.”

A grin adorned your face as you walked away, leaving Joel to hang onto the sensation that burned his skin where you touched him and force himself to calm down from the excitement growing in his pants. He hadn’t really known what he’d just gotten himself into with you, and you were pleasantly surprised at his answer as you half-expected him to come up with some reason to not go.

But one thing was clear to you both: It was definitely not a date.

Your hands draped near the straps of his pack by his hips as you rode out, brushing against his belt and jeans every so often. It wasn’t a difficult route by any means; fairly smooth and clear of any obstructions.

Being the passenger gave you the opportunity to be immersed by your surroundings rather than having to focus in front of you. You got to pay attention to the small things, like the rhythmic beat of the horse’s hooves against the ground and the scent of pine mingled with the earthy aroma of the forest. The trees towered above you, their branches forming a natural canopy that filtered the sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the trail. Every so often, the trees would give way to open meadows, where wildflowers swayed in the gentle breeze.

When you weren’t being captivated by nature, your attention was drawn back to Joel. The heat had caused his hair to curl at the nape of his neck that was slicked with sweat, seeping into the collar of his dark gray shirt that stretched across his shoulders and back with more splotches of sweat. Now and then, you’d get a glimpse of his profile when he scouted around. You felt like a teenager getting to hang out with her crush that she’d had since elementary school, your stomach doing flips just from the proximity alone.

The ride itself was filled with comfortable silence, punctuated by moments of look there and did you see that? with every passing mile. You could get used to this– having these little outings together.

You could hear the rushing water before you could see it, the sound of it growing louder and louder until it finally came into view. When the landscape presented itself before you, you felt a child-like thrill growing in your chest. The clear water shimmered with a vivid turquoise hue that seemed almost unreal, partnered with tall limestone walls that framed the lake. Smaller stone structures and boulders formed near the base of the waterfall, enticing you to explore and conquer their heights again like you’d done in the past. The vegetation extended all around the area, mosses and ferns clung to the rock walls in a tapestry of greenery. It all gave you a sense of simultaneous exhilaration and peace.

Eager to get to the water, you dismounted from the horse before Joel could hitch it, causing him to call out after you in protest and watch you with a careful eye as he got everything situated. You stood at the mouth of the lake with your boots kicked off when he joined you, slowly following suit.

“So.. What do you wanna do now?”

With the heat, there was only one thing to do.

“Jump in.” You pointed to a ledge that was a considerable height up. “From there.”

He met where your finger signaled, then back to you with a quizzical look. “Don’t you reckon that’s a bit high?”

You shrugged your shoulders and threw a smile over your shoulder as you walked away from him, earning a scoff and one of his typical disapproving head shakes. His eyes stayed on you as you made your way, widening when you started to peel off your clothes piece by piece.

First off was your tank top, slipping it effortlessly over your head, then the undoing of your belt and shimmying out of your jeans. You’d stripped down to only a sports bra and underwear, both of which happened to match, which was very much unplanned. Through each removal of clothing, Joel couldn’t help but have his eyes glued to you. He became restless, running his hands through his hair and turning around just to face back to you because he simply couldn’t keep his eyes off you. And when you looked back at him, you felt a little boost of confidence in seeing how he kept his attention on you.

You ascended the rocks, reaching your desired spot and standing proudly, waving your arms above your head at a miffed Joel. The air was filled with a refreshing mist, carrying the fragrance of damp earth and the invigorating energy of the cascading waterfall. The lake below you offered a new perspective on how high you really were, and for a second, you considered that Joel was maybe right.

But fuck it.

Your legs propelled you forward, curling up as you plummeted, and your shouts of joy drowned out by the thunderous roar of the falls. The water engulfed you, prickling your body with its cold touch. Submerged beneath the surface, you held onto the sensation of being weightless, listening to nothing but the ebb and flow of the currents and feeling them weave through your fingertips.

You emerged from the depths to the sun’s warmth on your face. When you refocused your vision, you saw that Joel was standing in the same spot as before, now with his arms crossed against his chest. You swam closer to the shoreline.

“Come on, water’s fine!” He shook his head. “It wasn’t a question, now get your ass in here, Miller!”

He rolled his eyes and huffed, shaking his head once more before pulling off his shirt by the collar and tossing it aside with his boots and pack, and despite being in the freezing water, you flooded with heat at the sight of him. You’d only seen him in small increments when tending his wounds, but now you could finally know what he looked like underneath those damned clothes.

Just as you suspected, his shoulders were strong with muscle, and the prominent veins in his hands and forearms traveled upwards through his biceps. His chest and abdomen were toned and had an even layer of hair, and you basically drooled at the definition of his hips and the trail of hair leading down that was secured by a belt. Beyond his attractive features, though, you saw his scars of survival. His torso littered with healed lesions, many of which you cared for, and a significant mark near his side that reflected the time of his near-death.

“Don’t splash me now, alright?” He stifled a laugh as he undid his belt, which took all your self-control to not watch his hands and think ungodly things. Once he stripped down to his boxer briefs, he stepped further into the lake, wincing at the coldness as he got deeper. When the water reached his thighs, he sucked in a sharp breath and hissed, “Shit- That’s cold.”

You were too busy gaping at how muscles tensed and contorted to make a stupid remark. He delved deeper into the lake until he fully submerged himself, surfacing quickly and shaking out his hair, which was doing things for you. In all the years you spent with him, you didn’t think that he could possibly get more attractive, nor did you think that you’d ever be like this right now, yet here you were.

In what was supposed to be a little fun getaway from all the stresses of the world, you found yourself seriously lusting for him in this moment, which was a stress all on its own. You were alone in a very much secluded area, only an article of clothing or two away from being naked, moreover. The very thought sent you over the edge, making you physically ache where you wanted him the most. How easy it’d be to just close the distance and get lost in him for hours.

The fact that you couldn’t do that, though, pained you viscerally. You couldn’t keep looking at him, or else you’d do something stupid, so you closed your eyes and spread your limbs out to drift on your back. You focused on your breathing, honing in on how your body bobbed with each inhale and exhale and letting the water guide you in any direction.

The next few hours were spent floating, challenging Joel to swimming races, and jumping off the rocks to see who could make the bigger splashes. You found yourselves in lots of banter and bickering, especially when you did a flip off of a ledge and Joel was very displeased that you could’ve hit your head. All you could feel was pure, unadulterated happiness. Together, you were having fun. Real fun. Enjoying each other’s company and nature’s playground.

A while after you returned to drifting on your backside, an unfamiliar sensation across your back and thighs caused you to flail and frantically look around. Sheer panic rose as you realized that you’d drifted off into the deeper end, and you tried to calmly but quickly thrust yourself back into shallow waters.

“Somethin’ got you scared?” Joel had been awfully calm with an arrogant grin on his face, and his laughter rung out clear in the air as he watched you go through the motions of panic, confusion, and finally disdain.

You feigned indignation. “Don’t be a dick.”

Once your feet touched the solid floor, you waded and found a spot to sit in the safety of the shallows, pulling your knees up and resting your arms on them. As Joel drew in to join you, you watched as the water lapped at his waist, drawing your attention to the band of his boxer briefs that seemed to hang dangerously low on his hips and how they clung to him in a way that’d have all the women in Jackson ready on their knees for him. His body swayed with a subtle rhythm and cadence that was uniquely his; full of purpose and so.. virile. You averted your gaze to the sediment of where you sat in an attempt to rid yourself of the thoughts you were having.

The clearness allowed you to examine its composition of pebbles and rocks of all kinds, and you picked up handfuls of them to admire their different qualities, quickly getting wrapped up in recognizing unique patterns and markings. Joel watched as you threw the ones you didn’t like further into the lake, like it was a process of elimination until you found the best one.

When you liked one, you wordlessly handed it to him without taking your attention away from the ones in front of you. There was a serene grace in your actions, as if you were entrusting him with something fragile and precious, and he took notice of the care in which you handled each stone. He’d give it a once over, his fingers gliding over the surface, before dropping it back into your hand. There was something about you doing this, yielding to human nature’s innocent curiosity, that made it so much more than just a seemingly mundane exchange to him.

Your eyes met his briefly, and you saw he was truly relaxed from how the hard lines of his face were softened. The sun shone on him in where you could really see the depths of his eyes; the green-gold that seeped into a lighter brown around his pupil, creating the most beautiful iris structure you’d ever seen. His skin held a perpetual tan with freckles all over his shoulders, a feature that you weren’t necessarily familiar with. Waves and curls formed near his ears and forehead as his hair dried, most of it disheveled and left you wanting to run your fingers through to tame it. Your eyes drifted to his body for a moment, overly cognizant of how much bigger he was compared to you. With a tinge of a smile, you turned back to your little stones, gently placing them back in the water in a decision to leave them where they belonged.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed this,” Joel’s voice filled the silence, “we should get goin’ soon. Promised Tommy I’d swing by to help set up a couple things.”

You hummed in acknowledgment. If there was one thing about Joel, it was that he always showed up for Tommy, no matter how big or small it was. Even if it was a five-minute task or a project that Tommy was entirely capable of doing on his own, Joel was always there. You had that in common with him, back when you had your brother.

As you were about to stand, Joel hovered over you with an extended hand. You clasped it with your own as you gained your balance, but when doing so, your eyes caught a glimpse of something slithering right under your feet. You yelped at the sight, tightening your grip around his hand, and he instinctively pulled you to him, wrapping a protective arm around your waist while acting as a shield between you and the potential danger. He scanned the water, catching on to what you saw: a plains garter snake.

At the sound of his chuckle, you braced yourself against his chest in confusion as his arms were still around you. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s not-” he loosened his hold, but his hands still splayed over your waist. “It’s harmless, nothin’ to worry about.”

“Oh.” You bowed your head forward in relief and slight embarrassment, and a faint smile played at his lips. Your hands were still on each other, almost as if you were trying to play it out as long as possible until either you pulled away or he did, which winded up being the former. You drew back to yourself, stepping backwards as he released you. “Thanks.”

You both retrieved your belongings and set up on a flat bed of rock to dry out, another comfortable silence enveloping you once again as you bathed in the warmth. With your arm slung over your eyes, you could only sense Joel’s presence beside you. You slid your arm up to peer at him, his eyes fixed on the lake. His legs were drawn towards his chest with his forearms on his knees, his chest rising and falling in calm breaths. There was a peacefulness in his expression, a sense of contentment that mirrored your own. You smiled before covering up again, but he caught you at the last second.

“What’re you thinkin’ about over there?”

You brushed off his question. “Who says I’m thinking?”

“If there’s one thing about you, it’s that you’re never not thinkin’.” You sat up at the accusatory words, arching your eyebrows in disbelief. “Go on now, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“I..” a grin spread on your face, “..was thinking about how much fun your shift must’ve been with Fitz yesterday.”

You giggled as he let out a groan, successfully diverting away from where the conversation was leading. “Oh, it was a fuckin’ shift alright– and I don’t wanna talk too much about work, but he shouldn’t be bothering you anymore.”

You faced him and leaned back on your hand, eyeing him, “Joel, what did you-”

“I took care of it.” He left no room for you to speak, his voice stern. He softened a moment after once he realized how it came out a little too sharp. He lowered his attention down to his hands, rubbing his thumb into his palm, “..Not s’pose to treat a woman the way he does, especially when it’s you.”

A moment came and went in where it looked like he regretted his words, fearing that he may have revealed too much, or maybe not enough. But what you felt was incomparable to anything you’d ever felt before, hearing him tell you– blatantly admit to you that he regarded you differently than other people, and that if someone crossed you, they were crossing him too. You always knew he had your six, but this was different than that.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was doin’ that? Or Tommy?”

Those dumb, beautiful eyes conveyed a genuine concern that immediately made you feel guilty for not saying something sooner when you very well could’ve. At the same time, you didn’t want to fuss or make a big deal out of it. It was better that it was you than someone else, like Joel. So you tolerated it, because you were still able to do your job even with an annoying fucking twat as your partner.

“I never took him seriously. I thought he’d just stop if I ignored it enough, but.. clearly not.” You gave a half-suppressed laugh, knowing how ridiculous and naive it sounded out loud. He sighed at your answer, making you fidget, “I know! I know. You’re right– it was stupid of me-”

“Sweetheart–” his hand on your leg and delicious southern drawl shut you right up, “nothin’ stupid about you tryin’ to keep the peace. Just.. let me know next time, okay?”

All you could do was nod, dumbfounded by this new, open protectiveness towards you. He knew better than anyone else how you could handle yourself, but he still couldn’t help but feel that it was his job to keep you safe and be your advocate when you weren’t your own.

Without another word, he rose and offered you a hand up, indicating that enough time had passed and you should get going if you were going to be on time for the party. You accepted the gesture again, but he held your hand longer this time as he guided you down the rocks so that you wouldn’t trip, a chivalrous act that also gave an excuse to linger on your skin.

A hot shower was what you needed to scrub the freshwater off your skin and out of your hair, also to give you some much needed relief from having to control yourself the whole time you were with him, but of course you did that after he left since you shared his bathroom.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over Jackson. The vibrant energy of the evening pulsed through the town, the streets alive with people as they made their way to the most popular establishment, laughter and music floating through the air. You’d gone through about four outfits before ultimately deciding on a ribbed henley tank, jeans, and sneakers

Just before running out the door, you checked yourself in the mirror to smooth any stray hairs away from your face. With a smile, you stepped out, falling in with your neighbors who’d been on their way over as well, engaging in conversation on the short walk there. There’d been a crowd gathered outside the Tipsy Bison, people mingling and sharing stories, some already on their second round of drinks.

Through the doors you were immediately greeted by a wave of warmth and liveliness. Your eyes danced around the bar, jumping from full booths and high tables, to the large alcohol selection behind the counter guarded by about three barkeeps if you were counting right. The air was filled with a thousand different scents, ranging from beer and cigarettes to perfume and aftershave. And lastly, the sounds which brought it all together, the clinking of glasses and hum of conversation, and of course, music. Your music that people were enjoying.

Searching the crowd, you spotted familiar faces and friends scattered throughout the place, engrossed in their own circles, but the one person you actively sought out was nowhere in sight. Your efforts slowed as you heard a picking of chords grow louder over the speakers, causing a wild smile to grow on your face.

♫

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone Turned on some music to start my day I lost myself in a familiar song

♫

“I closed my eyes and I slipped awaaay!” Tommy appeared at your side two shots in one hand and unopened beers between his fingers in the other, slinging the arm around your shoulder as he pushed the small glass into your hands.

Without hesitation, you threw the shot back with him, feeling the instant burn go down your throat. You both popped off the beer caps off a nearby counter, a party trick you’d gotten quite good at over the years, before rushing over to the middle of the floor to join the rest of the party and sing your hearts out to your first song of the night. You could barely hear yourself over the speakers and fellow singers, saving you from the embarrassment from being incredibly off-key. Your body reacted instantly to the music, finding the rhythm and constantly moving in accordance. That was the other thing about music, you felt most comfortable in your skin when you listened and danced to it, being able to fall in with whatever played. In between the verses, you hurried over to the bar to grab more shots and beers, slamming doubles back before pulling each other back to the floor.

You and Tommy locked arms and pressed back to back while holding up your bottles in a toast-fashion, switching off during the last chorus and refrain and holding out the longer notes.

♫

It’s more than a feeling (More than a feeling!)

When I hear that old song they used to play (More than a feeling!)

I begin dreaming (More than a feeling!) ...

♫

The alcohol was slowly but surely taking over, a key indicator being the warm, fuzzy buzzing that flourished throughout your body. You clung to Tommy’s shoulder and leaned towards his ear during a break between songs, “Tommy, this is way better than I thought it was gonna be!”

He looked at you with wide eyes and a grin, “I know right! Joel really helped pull it together before we opened the doors!”

You smiled at the compliment towards his brother, then furrowing your brows. “Where is he, anyway?”

You both looked around for a moment before Tommy steered you off to the side, yelling that it was too hard to see from the middle, and your efforts were put on pause again as you winded up near a large group of patrolmen that grabbed Tommy’s attention. He dragged you with him to socialize, though you mainly watched from the outskirts of the circle, smiling and nodding along where the conversations went as you didn’t have much to say or add.

When you went to drink from your bottle, you noticed the lightness of it and realized that you needed another, giving you the perfect excuse to slip away and look for him. You checked over your shoulders as you squeezed your way through to the bar to request your next drink, and it didn’t help that the room was dimly lit and was accompanied by flashing strobes.

The barkeep slid you a bottle across the counter and you swiftly popped it off, taking a swig before turning around right into somebody. An apology flew out of your mouth before you could even see who it was, their voice catching your attention and making you look at them.

“Hey, no worries! Both still got our drinks, yeah?”

Samson flashed you a grin, his hand light on your arm but enough to keep you steady. You raised your beer to him, his eyes flickered between it and you before raising his own and tapping the neck of your bottles together. You both took another swig.

As you got into conversation, you moved away from the bar towards the wall where there wasn’t much action going on. You talked about how nice the place had been transformed for the night and shared your favorite drinks, occasionally dropping a drunk-story from your youths. And the weird part? You found yourself genuinely enjoying his presence. With the way he kept eye-contact with you and made you feel like he was actually listening and comprehending the words falling out of your mouth, laughing and giving you verbal cues that he was following along, it made you see him in a way you hadn’t before.

You were.. enchanted. If it had been any other man, they’d dominate the conversation, going on about themselves the whole time and forcing you to listen. But with Samson, he treated you like an equal. He never cut you off or interjected to relate, waiting until you were entirely done or if you allowed him to weigh in between your thoughts.

“By the way–” he wiped his mouth of any residual beer, “I don’t want this to come off as weird, but you look incredible tonight. I don't think I’ve ever seen you dress in anything other than like, work clothes– and not that you look bad in that!” You giggled as he tripped over his words, his cheeks flushing a deeper shade. “What I’m trying to say is that I think you’re very beautiful, and I don’t want you to think I’m like Fitz.”

Your fingers brushed against his arm, furrowing your eyebrows at him for thinking such things, “Awh, Samson! You’re nothing like him, I hope you know that.”

He smiled down at his feet before back at you, “I know the other day you said that you and Joel weren’t a thing, and Tommy told me you weren’t seeing anybody– so I guess I’m just triple checking here– is there someone in the picture?”

So this was who Tommy was playing matchmaker for.

Your heart slowed and you fought to keep the innocent smile on your face. Was he approaching you at the bar when you bumped into him? Was he pretending to act like that just to segue into this? Several things ran through your mind as your eyes drifted away from his, and just when he was about to call you back to attention, the devil himself appeared: Tommy.

He swooped in around Samson’s shoulders, nursing a beer in hand. He held a smugness in his demeanor, surely you thought it was about the scene he’d set up until he spoke.

“Looks like you may have a roommate for the night.”

He jerked his hand behind him to a woman leaning against a pillar with Joel standing mere inches in front of her. He stood still with his hands to himself, but dropped his head closer to hers with a clear smile on his face. She beamed up at him with a look you knew all too well, not even attempting to conceal her attraction to him. She laughed too much for your liking while gripping his bicep, probably sneaking in some flirty comment with a double-meaning. Good fucking God.

You thought maybe you had a breakthrough at the lake, but this proved that you clearly didn’t, and you couldn’t believe you were stupid enough to think that what he said had any depth underneath it. Joel cared about you– this you knew. He cared in the same way he cared for Tommy and Ellie. But somewhere along the lines you’d gotten it confused with love, something he had for them, but maybe not you. Samson’s words replayed in your head in a painful reminder.

You said you and Joel weren’t a thing… Tommy told me you weren’t seeing anybody.. Is there someone in the picture?

Your eyes widened then narrowed, your jaw wiring shut as your chest began to heave. Tommy’s grin fell as he watched your features morph into something between resent and heartbreak, his eyes nervously peering from you, to Joel, to Samson as the alcohol took a momentary backseat.

He’d always sensed something between you and Joel after you settled in, though he knew that neither one of you would ever admit to your feelings for each other out of stubbornness. But he saw the way Joel looked at you after saying you didn’t have someone to call your own this morning, how his big brother almost looked offended by the truth of your answer. The reality was that Samson was interested in you, but Tommy had seen it as an opportunity to put pressure on the status between you both, and now he saw that it didn’t go in the direction of which he hoped and it was clearly affecting you.

“Oh, y’know he won’t take ‘er home! Never’s taken anyone. Not like that with him. Too chickenshit.” He tried his best to play off his earlier comment to put you at ease, but by the way the gap seemed to be closing between them only made the green-eyed monster rear its ugly head in full force.

You cleared your throat as you broke away, grabbing three shots off a nearby high table and handing them to the two men before you, needing to wash down the bitter taste in your mouth. “Oh, Tommy, you must’ve mistaken me for someone who cares. Who knows if I’ll even be going home tonight?”

Samson’s face lit up in surprise as you wiggled your brows at him and grabbed his hand to lead away while leaving Tommy open-mouthed as he saw right through your spite. Breathless curses left his mouth as he watched you disappear through the crowd, a frustration growing towards you and Joel for being so goddamn stupid about each other.

The barkeeps fed you two more shots and another beer. The alcohol was definitely hitting now. A few minutes ago, you were properly pissed off, wanting to storm up to Joel and give him a piece of your mind and telling the woman to go kick rocks, but now you were all over Samson, turning up the charm for him. It didn’t matter anymore if he just wanted to fuck, because maybe you’d just let him. He let out a chuckle and smiled, prompting you to tilt your head at him in question.

“The music tonight has been so fucking good,” he drank from the bottle, a smirk forming on your face, “I mean, when was the last time you heard this song?”

The bass riff and guitars let you know exactly what song had been playing, a long-time favorite of yours. You could’ve answered 'a couple months ago' to his question, but you took silent pride in knowing that he was another person impressed by your picks. He understood your cue as you turned your head to the middle of the room and back, placing his hand on the small of your back as you weaved through people. You wrapped an arm around his shoulder as he drew you closer to him by your waist, moving in sync to the beat.

♫

One of these nights One of these crazy old nights We're gonne find out pretty mama What turns on your lights ...

♫

If intimacy, yearning, and sex was a song, surely it’d be this one.

♫

Ooh.. someone to be kind to In between the dark and the light ...

♫

You sang out with your heart, pressing your body into Samson’s, but knowing the lyrics were about him. And deep down, you wanted him to hear it and think of you. Think of how you were the daughter of the devil himself and the angel in white, the woman he’s been looking for with a little of both and how she is in sight.

Around you were all couples reflecting exactly what you’d been doing, some doing more but your eyes didn’t linger on them long. You caught the faces of work friends and neighbors totally focused on their person as you swayed around, smiling at their fun. Eventually, the whole room sang along, an imperfect harmony to your ears that you couldn’t get tired of hearing tonight.

As the song winded down, Samson held you closer and craned his head down until your foreheads and noses were touching, still swaying to the guitar riffs. You took it a step further and pressed your mouth to his, your hand cupping his cheek and fingertips grazing his hair. You hadn’t expected anything out of it other than the feeling of your lips on someone else’s, but you didn’t pull away. You couldn’t. Your tongues found one another every other kiss, deepening as they went. His warmth kept you glued to him, and you found yourself taking a liking to his taste of alcohol and.. mint, maybe? Definitely something with an icy, refreshing hint.

You didn’t realize how long you’d been kissing, or kissing enough times that it was leading to straight-up making out, until you heard clear hoots and whistles during the switch between songs. When you pulled away, his lips were noticeably more plump compared to earlier, and the tingling sensation on yours let you know that they probably looked the same. You bit your bottom lip as you looked around at the ones cheering you on, the corners of your mouth curling up, but you broke out into a complete grin once you saw his face.

♫

Off with your head Dance til you're dead Heads will roll Heads will roll ...

♫

You’d almost tripped over your own two feet, discreetly looking over Samson’s shoulder from left to right to make sure you were seeing things right, and the excitement you felt when they were? Unmatched. And almost as if it’d been planned, the perfect song was playing.

If he’d been giving you or Samson a death-stare, you couldn’t tell, but either way, you loved seeing the scowl on his face. His fingers tightly curled around his beer that if he did it any tighter it’d break, the hard lines on his face prominent to you even this far away. You situated yourself to the side, giving him the perfect view as you brushed your nose against Samson’s, giving him your best doe eyes before melting into his mouth again, making sure that Joel could see the smile on your lips when you broke away and went back for more.

Your body winded up as the song progressed, building up to the drop and heavy riff. The strobe lights blinked quickly enough to cause a stroboscopic effect on everyone’s movement, perceiving them to move slower than they actually were. But when you looked back at Joel, he stayed completely still, his eyes locked on you between the several bodies that separated you from him. He looked so.. menacing.. that it made you shiver and throb. A wicked grin spread on your lips.

♫

Off, off with your head! Dance, dance til you're dead!

♫

Turning around, you pressed into Samson and grinded your backside into him. His hands were off you as quickly they were on you, frowning at the absence, you spun around and saw why: Tommy, again. You’d suspected something bad from the way his gaze fell back and forth between you both and he had a strong hand on his shoulder, but were eased when Samson held up a finger to you and smiled.

As much as you wanted to dance, you also wanted another drink, the empty bottle in your hand now warm from holding it for so long. Sliding shoulders through the floor, you looked between the bar and the bathroom, choosing to make the pitstop before continuing on. Pushing in the door, you were relieved there wasn’t a line, darting into an open stall to squat and do your business. As you finished, another body entered the bathroom in heels that clicked and echoed until they stopped in front of the sink, to what you imagined was a woman checking her makeup. When you got out, you saw their reflection in the mirror– indeed they’d been checking their face, but it’d also been the woman that’d been smitten with Joel. You paid no mind to her other than your initial glance, ignoring her presence and harshly scrubbing the soap on your hands.

“That older Miller’s somethin’, ain’t he?” Your hands froze under the running water. “I only got a taste earlier, but I bet he’s real good in bed.”

The fuck does she mean she got a taste earlier?

Your face must’ve been showing too much of a reaction based on the stupid fucking smile on hers and a snobbish laugh. Not even bothering to dry off your hands with paper towel, you rubbed them against your jeans and threw the door open to leave, storming up to the bar and impatiently tapping your fingers against the wood as you waited.

Fuck her, and fuck Joel. And you know what? Fuck Tommy, too. If he hadn’t brought it to your attention, maybe you wouldn’t have seen it. Then you wouldn’t have downed one too many drinks and legitimately considered sleeping with someone as rebound off hurt feelings, and then maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t be feeling like all kinds of fucked up right now. You blinked back the burning in your eyes. Don’t cry. Don’t fucking cry over this right now.

The lights returned to their original dimness and calmed down on the strobes, allowing you to search around a bit easier for any of the three people you found yourself with most tonight, but had no luck. Samson and Tommy were out of sight, and you didn’t have the slightest idea of what he pulled Samson away for. As for Joel, he moved from the last spot you remembered him in, or was it over there? You shook your head. It didn’t take much contemplation to decide on going home, you had your fun, but it was over, and you were too far gone to spark it back up in any capacity.

You held your arms tight to your body as you embraced the cool air on the walk to Rancher Street, a fair distance from the Tipsy Bison. The lightness in your head caused you to stumble quite a bit, wishing that either your house was closer or that someone would’ve walked with you. Other times when you drank too much, though it didn’t happen very often, either Tommy or Joel were right there at your side to get you home safe, but you wanted to throw yourself in someone’s yard and pass the fuck out rather than be alone.

Stomping up the porch, you caught yourself on the doorknob last minute as you tripped, fumbling it open and pushing inside. You ungracefully dropped to your ass, tugging at the aglets of your laces in the dark until the knots came undone and kicked your shoes off. So focused on keeping yourself upright, you hadn’t noticed Joel staring at you while leaning against the entryway of the living room with his arms crossed.

“Wasn’t expecting you.” His tone was deep and flat. You scoffed as you got off the floor, face contorting as you mocked him.

“I live here, don’t I?”

“Alone, I meant.” You shook your head as you walked past him, but he grabbed your wrist and held you in place, feeling the heat of his glare on your back. “You gon’ tell me what the hell that was back there?”

You met his eyes over your shoulder. “That was me having a good time. Same as you with that lovely woman.”

“Bullshit.” He shot back. “That wasn’t the same.”

“Oh, please,” you scoffed while yanking your wrist back, turning into the kitchen and bracing yourself along the island, “s’hardly a difference.”

“Really?” He followed you, his frustration apparent in the way his jaw clenched. “‘Cause it sure looked like you were all over him tryin’ to prove somethin’.”

You pointed at yourself, “I don’t have anything to prove to anybody!” you snapped, the words coming out slow but loud, “And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”

His eyes darkened, slowly taking a step towards you, “I am not-”

“Then what the fuck is wrong?” You staggered around the island on the emphasis of the curse, throwing your hands up, “I didn’t do a damn thing, and you’re losing your fucking head!”

“You didn’t– Wow.” A wry laugh came out his mouth. He waved you off, his tone dripping with bitterness. “I ain’t gotta explain myself to you.”

“And neither do I!” You retorted in defiance, your arms grandly gesturing. Your cheeks were hot with anger now, more so than before. “I can do whatever the hell I want, Joel! I don’t need your fucking permission!”

He dragged a hand down his face, turning away from you before whipping around and meeting you at the end of the island, raising his voice at you. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“And you’re insufferable!” you seethed as you pushed his chest, his hands seizing your wrists, “Acting like you have some fucking claim over me when we’re not even together!”

The silence after your outburst was deafening.

His anger faltered as a flash of pain crossed his face, quickly making your own frustration subside. The hard lines on his face deepened, a slight frown and somberness settling upon it. His grip on your wrists remained firm, but there was a hint of vulnerability in his touch. You wanted to blame the alcohol for making you so mean, but it was really the floodgate of feelings that’d been repressed for far too long.

You huffed, “Joel, I-” he interrupted you by tearing his eyes away from yours and releasing your wrists.

The pang in your chest was unmistakable. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. This was the part where everything was supposed to come out, to confront the truth of your feelings, but instead he was backing away, retreating and shutting down that conversation before it could even begin. You said his name again, but he simply raised his hand and continued to walk out of the kitchen.

Fuck– No. No, no, no. Your dejection passed and your temper flared up again. No, he doesn’t get to just walk away.

“Joel!” You called out, your voice tinged with frustration and desperation, “Joel, stop!”

But he didn’t. He kept walking, putting more distance between you and fueling your determination. Your heart was pounding as you quickened your pace to catch up with him upstairs, his arm just out of reach before he slammed his door in your face. He didn’t respond when you pounded on the door and demanded for him to come out, your temper mixing between anger and hurt.

“Screw you, Joel! I’m so tired of this– whatever the fuck this is!” Your voice trembled, feeling a punch to the gut when you remembered an obnoxiously accurate point he’d made to you once before. “I-I fucked up– but people do things when they’re scared!”

Your eyes stung, and it hadn’t dawned on you yet that you were potentially jeopardizing everything by blabbering off, but you couldn’t stop now.

“I can’t- Fuck-” a ruined sigh forced itself out your lungs, your thoughts moving too fast for you to comprehend, “If you’re gonna break my heart, do it now, because I can’t-”

You didn’t know when he’d opened the door and stepped out, but you stopped your rambling as soon as you saw him. The silence fell heavy, the only sound being his boots stepping towards you until his chest was nearly touching yours and his breath fanned over your skin. Your eyes darted around his face, from his eyes, to his nose, lips, beard, and back to his eyes again. Just the slightest inch forward and you’d be touching him, the fact making you shiver and fiercely pulse between your thighs.

Your heart ached when you saw the raw emotion in his eyes– an amalgamation of sadness, yearning, lust, and tenderness– all things you grew to be familiar with when you found yourselves running in circles. You couldn’t stand the way his eyes flickered between yours and how his warm hands were slowly reaching up to cup your face. And how you could now feel his chest pressed against yours. And how his lips parted. And that fucking look on his face.

“Joel,” you quavered, “don’t..”

But he knew.

A soft, broken breath escaped you as it was all suddenly becoming too real, reaching the point of no return.

“Don’t look at me like that unless you mean it.”

His lips crashed into yours.