#until im met with a task that requires both arms

[lovestruckficto]

ok i know that P03 cuffs you to the table so you can’t like. get up and Figure Shit Out but theres also this part of me that’s constantly thinking like, he totally doesn’t realize this completely impacts the way the (ingame) player can play the game bc he only has one arm himself

[legendaryoikawa]

haikyuu boys as part of the mafia + how he met you

note: i just thought of this while im washing the dishes HAHA. female reader insert. also happy birthday to the ultimate baby bokuto 🥺💖

warnings: nsfw, mention of violence, grammar issues because im dumb asf

bokuto kotaro 

decoy/manipulator

has a two persona that is best used especially when he is in the midst of a deal

even though he’s a decoy, it is enough to send a rival down to his knees and beg for his mercy

Because bokuto doesn’t show tiny bit of his mercy especially when his dominating side takes over him

Is a good manipulator. To the point that you would have constant nightmares with just the slip of his words.

Good with his hands. Quite aggressive. Yet he plays his cards elegantly like the man he is.

you met him in a luxurious casino. you were the attendant of his table and you could always note how fast his mood changes and it was scary. you carefully stacked the chips in front of him, feeling the heavy weight of his stern gaze. you saw from your peripheral how his hands slid down the edge of the mahogany. “play with me.”

you didn’t answere and continued on organizing the stacks for a new game as per bokuto’s request but he repeated those words again, “play with me. you. im talking to you.”

and you did. he lost. and that’s what made you terrified even more. he grew dejected and stormed out of the casino like a raging tsunami.

that didn’t made bokuto happy at all, so he made sure to find you so he could play with you once more. it didn’t caused him a sweat when he found out where your apartment complex is. and his words have shaken you when he laid the stacks of money on your table and said, “play with me. the loser gets to kiss the winner, if you’ll allow it of course.”

there’s something with his words that are like witchcraft spells. and you found yourself nodding, yes.

daichi sawamura - 

the kingpin. 

daichi is the leader of the mafia group: karasuno or better known as their alias ‘lethal crows’.

 daichi is born into the syndicate. so he doesn’t get caught up unlike amateur people in the black world. 

undergone strenuous training just to prove himself as the worthy kingpin. 

he often orders the assassination and criminal deals. 

he isn’t as ‘intimidating’ like how people expect kingpins to act, but daichi has his own way that makes people so afraid of him. if he wishes to kill on the spot, he kills. even if you’re something important, if you annoyed him to the edge, you’re six feet deep.

however, one flaw of daichi is that he prioritizes his members that he doesn’t oversees the barriers coming his way. 

you met him during this time when curiosity get the best of you. you entered this fancy yet abandoned building in hopes of scavenging something that was left by its past owners. however, no treasure came to your view, rather a drug deal with bunch of rogue looking guys.

“daichi?” you were so shocked to see your co-worker in an expensive designer coat sitting in this throne like chair with stack of bills piled in front of him. he isn’t the typical guy you were used to seeing: the goofy guy in the fryer with his greasy apron. 

you didn’t expect him to be so, different.

“who’s this?” tanaka rose up to his seat. cracking his knuckles while giving you a dangerous look. 

“let her enjoy her remaining life as a free citizen. after this..” he counted the bills and paused at look at you, “you’re coming with me.”

akaashi keiji 

weaponry/gadgets specialist

Quite reserved.

He is often hired to big projects but he would turn it down if it requires his apperance.

No matter how much his members push him to bite off the job he wouldn’t, not unless he works up in the roofs, alone.

Usually works in the shadows. Where his identity is hidden.

Ask him about any weapon, he’ll have an answer in a few.

give him a vague description of a bomb, he’ll have it ready, ticking, for you.

he met you when you walked into his first walked in his gang’s base, with your red stilettos clicking aggressively against the marbled tile. then comes the second meeting and the third till you’ve both made good acquaintances. you liked him. for both his smart mouth and big dick. if he wasn’t just too difficult to persevere.

but you could see that way his breath hitched the moment you walked in with your fitted versace dress. which made you cocky from head to toe.

he could note the way your lips tugs upward as you scan the whole interior of the place. you didn’t need it though as you know every curvature of the place. you were just that shit going around him so you could give him a good view of yourself that he refused indulge in.

you stopped midway to stare at him from head to toe then back to his pretty face. gaze fixated on his kissable lips. despite your urge to kiss him up, you decided to tease, “give me something bold.”

“pardon?”

“you heard me, akaashi.”

and he gave you a fancy handgun, a caliber. however that wasn’t your request. you pulled his shirt and whispered to his ears, “i said i want something bold. want me to spell it out for you? A-k-a-a-s-h-i”

and you walked away. just like that and things just became bold in your apartment complex.

oikawa tooru 

underboss/ loverboy

Smooth talker. Usually uses his pretty face as an advantage to get something off girls that swoon over him.

he is quite unpredictable as well.

he approached you out of nowhere in the met gala and you were forced to be in his own disposal. he isn’t really a headache to deal with. but you aren’t here to flirt around especially with pretty boys like him. there is something in him that is similar with a ticking bomb. so best is to admire guys like him at a distance.

however, oikawa is determined to chase over you. because you are like a diamond in a room full of charcoal.

he approached you immediately when you stopped by in the concession stand to nurse yourself a cocktail.

“fancy a dance, miss?”

you looked at him. oikawa tooru. beautiful as they say but you immediately walked away.

oikawa smirked to himself, “if you just don’thold a precious information. i wouldn’t chase over a doll like you.”

tendou satori 

head of intelligence

can predict the moves of the rivalry gang

so in result they end up getting butchered thanks to tendou’s half assed predictions.

guess monster

the boys entered the room with a agitated expression painting their faces.

tendou raised a brow and looked at the boy filling in their ammos. “what’s up boys?”

“we got played.”

tendou grinned. “oh, interesting. who pulled an ace card?”

“y/n of the yakuza.”

tendou made sure to track you down for meddling in his play.

kyoutani kentaro 

torture specialist

All the dirty work is assigned to him

But kyoutani is quite carefree with his job, to the point where oikawa needs to step in to clean after his mess.

he is really brutal when it comes to finishing a rat pack from a rivalry gang and he gives no mercy.

knows every possible way of killing

but he fancies using the bat since it can strengthen his arm strength and it’s practical.

loves the sound of metal clashing with hard skull with the splasing sound of fresh blood slightly staining his skin.

you were both childhood sweethearts. however, you were the only one pursuing him because he doesn’t want to commit anything to you. not until you found out about him and his crucial job out of accident and he was forced to confess to you, and it was the reason why he don’t want to accept your heart.

one time he went home and he couldn’t find any trace of you. panic coursed through his veins when he heard your cries over the line.

“fucking touch her and i will drench all of you in boiling acid.”

ushijima wakatoshi 

hand to hand combatant

people are usually afraid of him because of how he could flip people off easily without drenching a sweat

he has the capability to run a whole gang just by himself

but he would just rather go and fight fist first

and chill afterwards

both of you met when you were scouted as a new member and part of the group’s test is to have a hand to hand combant against wakatoshi.

you were mortified when he approached you. with his large built and driving aura.

“ready?” he asked lowly.

“no?”

he raised a brow, “i bet.”

and he let you win just so you would get accepted in the gang.

tanaka ryuunosuke

hand to hand combatant

really moody

aggressive and violent

could kill with just the use of his hands, alone. 

but he has his soft moments too but this happens when the moon turns blue.

you were tasked to be his sparring mate. and to be frank, you were really spooked and frightened that you won’t get out of the arena, working let alone, alive. 

and to see him up close, it was really, a deal. he’s tall, with a slim yet broad frame, and really is intimidating. he gave you a look and ruffled your hair. 

“i don’t hurt girls.”

that was the first time you saw him smile. rumors said he never did. 

sugawara koushi 

consigliere

smart shit. 

he’s usually responsible for the activities of the group.

master at hiding the illegal stuff away from prying eyes

and a genius at continuing the legal stuffs even though it’s just for a front

he is also the adviser of the kingpin, especially at plans and deals on heists and forgery

at some point, he is the official diplomat for Japan.

he met you when he is trying to study the floor plan on the central bank. he was in this beige tux, with his gray hair brush up to give justice to his whole other persona. 

you came up to him and offered him installation plans and bank deals perfect for a bachelor like him. 

he gave you a smile, “i will be meeting you soon.”

and he did. in a creepy dali mask and a red overalls. “i told you, i will be back.”

iwaizumi hajime 

sniper

he goes with codes to maintain his anonymity

he works like a black panther, often sleek yet deadly

even the police couldn’t catch up with his hideous crimes because he never leaves unwanted trails behind

kills in his own special way

one time, he made someone swallow a C-4 and stitched his neck leaving it looking so grotesque

and boom, red, bloody like a slaughter house

he once made his way onto one of oikawa’s fancy bar to unwind. however, things went distrupt when there was a sudden shootout. he was beyond amused at how petty the shooters were aiming down at him. it was full of chaos.

he ducked down to fill in his ammos but he could see a figure crouched down underneath the satin cloths drench haphazardly above the tall tables.

he yanked the cloth and saw you there, looking lost as fuck. “what the hell are you doing here?!”

your eyes widened at the sight of the handsome man looking down at you as if you’re some unknown species. “uhm— chilling?”

he repeated your words. “chilling? in a middle of a fucking shoot out?”

“yo. i was lost okay? i don’t know where the exit is”

he grabbed you and threw his arms over your head so you’re protected from the stray bullets ricocheting over the place. “you’re a fucking goner.”

—

i hope you guys like this 🥺💖💖

[sugas-sweetheart]

Reincarnations || Sebastian Michaelis

A/N: IM SO SORRY I DELETED THE ASK BUT I HAD A SCREENSHOT BECAUSE I GET EXCITED WHEN PPL REQUEST BLACK BUTLER AND SHOW MY TWO FRIENDS - this is also a mix of both but I kinda tweaked it so that the reader doesn’t know Sebastian is their mate as it takes a little time for memories of their past lives to return once meeting him so that I could add a little more to it, I hope that’s okay! Enjoy! I’m also honoured to be the first person you sent an ask to 🥺 And I apologise for how long it took to write and it’s kind of shit oops ahdksnd I’m so so sorry

Request by: @samanthaambrosia

As you mention ‘She’ in the request I’ve made this a Fem! Reader so that I was also able to make her a maid

Upon your arrival at Phantomhive manner you could never have imagined how this would play out.

Entering the large mansion for the first time, you were greeted by the four other working staff; they welcomed you with open arms explaining that the young master and his butler were off on a business trip for the next few days. When the Queen sent you, one of her personal maids, to start working in Phantomhive manner, it confused you. You didn’t know what had prompted this, nor were you really in a position to question it. You thought that as her half angel, half demon maid, she wouldn’t let you stray very far away from her, but alas, here you were.

They gave you a tour of the grand mansion and stopped by your small living quarters to let you settle. Due to your supernatural nature, that they were unaware of, it wasn’t too hard to settle in, especially, after they had tested your reflexes to aid in “the Phantomhive welcome”.

You had been at the mansion for a couple of days now, the Lord himself and his butler were due to arrive anytime from last night. While you knew the Lord could be the tiniest bit caring, you still thought you ought to make a good impression sicne the Queen didn’t care to mention how long you would be here.

The sound of brisk knocking brought you out of your thoughtful daze as you finished buttoning up your shirt’s cuffs. The noise startled you as in your few days at the manor, you were the one to be awake and working before the others.

“Excuse me, may I come in?” A deep voice followed the knocking, which prompted you to step towards the door and open it for the individual outside.

A small gasp left the dark haired males lips as his eyes locked with yours and a sense of familiarity washed over you.

“Oh! Goodmorning, you must be Sebastian, the head butler. I’m Y/N, the maid sent by the Queen to serve the young Lord. It’s lovely to finally meet you, I’ll introduce myself to the Lord when he leaves his quarters.” A smile graced your face as you rambled on, not taking notice of his initial look of shock, and his alluring features studied you.

The familiarity and comfort his face brought you was confusing. Being fairly young compared to other angels and demons, surely you’d remember everyone you’ve met? He had a strange aura, almost definitely supernatural. You couldn’t quite place where you had seen him before and that was going to be on your mind the whole day.

“You are correct, I am Sebastian. Please come to me if you have any concerns or require help. You can continue with your daily duties then and I shall be seeing to the young master now” with a quick bow, he briskly started walking away.

There was a constant elegance to him; it kept your eyes trained on him until he rounded the corner. That feeling of familiarity still lingering within your heart.

Sebastian paused after he had turned the corner to make sure he was out of your view. You had always owned his heart, and you would forever more. The reincarnations of you kept him going through his endless demon life. In this life and the next you two were promised to each other, a constant that you both needed in lives that lasted as long as yours would.

It was just a shame that you were cursed to forget him until you crossed paths, and even then, it took time for you to recollect and gain all your previous memories. He had one item that he had gifted to you in your last existence together, he had to try jogging your memory, right?

As the day continued on, quick introductions were exchanged between you and the young Lord before you were due to get back to your usual tasks. Sebastian by his side sparing glances at you any moment he could get when he thought no one was looking. Unbeknownst to him, a certain Phantomhive was very observant of it all. So he did what anyone would do and asked him about you.

“Sebastian, what is your connection to the new maid?” Ciel questioned, pausing his musical studies briefly to peek up at his butler.

“I don’t seem to understand what you mean, my Lord” the raven haired male sent a quick glance back at the boy before continuing.

“You seemed very distracted by her this morning” the younger male mused before too continuing with his music.

Although Sebastian wouldn’t say it, Ciel was right. You had invaded his head space since his eyes gazed over you this morning and he only wished that you remembered him quicker.

Reaching into his tail coat pocket, he checked that he still had the pendent. He knew it was there, it was just a force of habit that he checked and now it mattered most. He had carried the crimson pendant since your last passing, almost fifty years ago now.

“She’s my mate, my lover. She loves me, and I her, for eternity…” it was only quiet, but Ciel heard it.

“Shouldn’t she be running into your arms then? That’s what most novels say isn’t it?” This situation had peaked Ciel’s interest more so than before, you had only given the butler a few glances when focusing on your formal introduction to the Lord. He would have expected more longing looks for what sounded like such a profound love.

“Not all love stories are that of novels, my lord. There was once a curse placed upon us, she may only regain her previous memories after meeting me again, and even then it must be prompted by something”

“Well? What are you going to do?”

“Ah, always a curious one aren’t you, my Lord? I shall deal with it later, for now you need to get back to your studies” And so he did. Sebastian decided he would confront you later, but now he just needed to figure out how. It’s not a very simple thing to spring upon someone you’ve just met. If you didn’t regain your memories then you’d probably think he was a lunatic, or just a very big flirt.

The day had passed and night was closing in. The raven haired demon had prepared himself for this moment; he had waited patiently for so many years. With his gloved hands tightly clutched around the vermillion pendent, he took cautious strides towards your figure. Your back was turned away from the rest of the room as you dusted a tall cabinet in the corner.

A light tap was detected on your left shoulder causing you to whip your head round and meet the striking blood coloured eyes of the man behind you.

“Excuse me, but I think this belongs to you” he uncurled his fingers as he spoke to reveal a ruby pendant necklace and a tight lipped smile grew on his face.

“I’m sorry, you must be wrong. But as a maid I could never own such a high value item” the very prominent apologetic tone was laced with disappointment, he could tell you were just as infatuated with the ruby as you were when he first gifted it to you those many years ago.

“Oh on the contrary, my love” he reached forward to lightly pull your hand closer to his, placing the chain into your palm.

The look of bewilderment was obvious in your face, he had just addressed you as “my love” whilst giving you a piece of jewellery no maid would own. As he closed your palm around the accessorie it was like a warm familiar feeling filled you. Short memories were unveiled and unlocked in your mind, memories of him.

You began to hesitantly move your free hand to his face to cup his cheek, you had spent decades apart and were finally reunited and it all felt too good to be true.

“Going by Sebastian I see? I could get used to that” a teasing smile broke out on you face and Sebastian’s smile widened as he saw your old self shining through.

He couldn’t wait a moment longer and pulled your face forwards to meet his lips.

You made a mental note to thank the Queen for sending you here, and hoped that you’d be by his side for eternity once more.

[sachiwrites]

some friends to lovers hcs for sakusa pls? i've been thirsting over him for a while and seeing him in the recent manga chapters plus season 4 is just--

same fam, same. its been a whole mess over here. yikes this got long

— you are 210% that neighbor who his parents rely on to acclimate their son into being a somewhat decent member of society. is it a hardy task for someone at the age of six? yeah. was sakusa an absolute shit at that age too? of course. but he stopped that one kid from pulling your hair in class that day so he’s basically your unofficial hero. even if it was only because apparently you had ‘cooties’.

— naturally you continued to have this unknown disease for most of your life. but apparently so did everyone else in Japan. except when you got older it simply became known as- physical contact.

— “kiyoomi, why don’t you play outside with your friend?”

—“ they’re dirty.”

— sticks and stone may break your bones but the mud streaked across your face and hands would most certainly kill sakusa. or at least that’s what you thought at the age of seven when you went grab him off his front porch anyway. he sort of whined and pushed you for it, causing you to fall back on your rear, much to his parents obvious disdain. or as so you gathered as you smirked over their shoulder as they carried you inside, earning an extra few years of sakusa’s ire.

— “yoomi, lets play tag.”

— “it’s kiyoomi. and no, play by yourself.”

— “sakusa-san, yoomi doesn’t want to-“

— “run”

— the two of you were ‘reluctant’ friends until the age of eight. more or less, sakusa was required to spend at least half an hour outside with you a daily. half way through that the tenture you had mercy on him and introduced him to video games within the safety of his own home. sakusa has zero interest in crash bandicoot, but he likes you a little more for your concede.

— but his parents knew what they were doing when they put their son’s social reputation into your hands. for a while you were his only friend but occasionally you were able to integrate him into society. through little things like sitting down your lunch next to his and offering to be his partner in project.

— “i don’t need your help with this.”

— “maybe, but i need yours, so pretty please.”

— sakusa was a young genius and it would benefit you to take advantage of that feature. call it payment for all your years of servitude.

— the only time you found yourself not needing to be a crutch in his life was when he was playing volleyball. it was an option during recess to give the students an opportunity to scout out interests in athletic ventures. the sport was almost too perfect for sakusa- as an indoor requirement with almost no physical contact. it was his niche. a part of society that catered to his needs in a way that didn’t require your intervention.

— naturally, others began taking notice of his talents. other students were more likely to invite him for games during breaks- most knowing to keep their distance and touch to a limit. his own enjoyment of the sport slowly geared him towards pseudo-friendships that allowed him to play more and garner his skill set.

— “im going to try out for the volleyball club.”

— of course you knew this much. it was what he was so obviously looking forward to the most in junior high. it was just his decision to share his own thought with you the struck home.

— “yeah? i guess i should get some cheers ready for you games, eh?”

— he flinches away from your enthusiasm, his face portraying a mistake in letting you know so soon. but not once did he ever deter you from coming. in fact, you continued to be made aware of each an every upcoming match regardless of importance.

— “we have a practice match against haizen today.”

— wasn’t the most significant but he invited you so you’d be there. probably more vocal than you needed to be but he could mark your attendance and that’s all that mattered.

— a small part of you was worried that volleyball would take your place. it obviously had more suitable attributes than you. but it almost became a staple in your evolving relationship.

— in fact the first game you missed inflicted the first real argument you could remember having with sakusa. it surprised even his parents when you met him the next day to walk to class. you were use to a quiet shoulder but not a cold shoulder.

— “is something wrong?”

— it continued for most of the trip until you couldn’t take it anymore and reached for his arm. instead of shaking you off, he turns on you, gaze lit a flame with an emotion you didn’t recognize.

— “i had a game and you didn’t show up.”

— thinking back you did recall most of the students congregating towards the gym after class. it vaguely registered but you’d seen less of sakusa that day and more of pressing from your teacher to get your grades in order.

— “i had to stay back with my instructor. i needed help with my studies.”

— it was a little embarrassing- not something you wanted to admit. especially to someone like sakusa who obviously excelled where you fell short.

— “you’re an idiot. you come to me for that. ill help you after my games.”

— perphas it was in that moment that you should have realized that sakusa was more cognitive of his reliance than you were.

— what he does realize it how much he’s going to have to help you if he intended for you to join him at itachiyama. the school had shown interest in him earlier than year and it was mutual. but it’s prestige called for academics when sports weren’t your strong suit.

— matches weren’t the only appointments sakusa held you to. nearly everyday after class, whether your place or his, he made himself present while you studied. he wasn’t an overbearing tutor but he called you out in your faults and made you aware of mistakes before they became a habit. he wasn’t going to make you a super genius but you would become a student worthy of acceptance.

— the two of you were building something that only your parents noticed at first while watching from the doorway. itachiyama would be a dynamic chapter for both of you.

— the title of that chapter is: volleyball. because wow does that become an even bigger part of your life. itachiyama was already a powerhouse before sakusa but now he’s a cog in the wheel and an important one at that. quickly climbing ranks and becoming an imperative part of the team. if only he was more receptive to his newly popular status.

— he was still the same old germaphobe- avoiding crowds and wanting to get home as soon as possible to shower in his own tub instead of the school issued ones.

— his personality sort of highlighted your presence more than you expected. but given sakusa’s overall avoidance of unnecessary interactions, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

— “he can be a bit much, but please take care of him.”

— above your bowed head, his older teammate coo and awe at sakusa’s cute little friend. this of course leads to more teasing for him but it’s all part of being part of a team- a larger whole. something you were willing to give up a bit of sakusa for.

— “are you two dating or something?”

— oh but that. you get a lot of that. not just by his teammates either. everyone seems to notice how sakusa tolerates you more than anyone else. though part of you wants to point out to his fan base that they would get a lot further if they just gave him his space. -yet here you were huddled up close in the library while he looked over your school work, so what could you say to that?

— “are you paying attention?”

— “hey, i got most of these right. give me a break.”

— not thinking about it, you go to ruffle his hair as a retort. an action sure to give you his ire- but it doesn’t? in fact his gaze doesn’t even lift from his book. and is he leaning closer? weird.

— sakusa is making rapid progress not only within tokyo but on a national level. it’s one of his teammates that points out his accomplishments to you one day while you’re waiting for sakusa to emerge from the locker rooms.

— “your boyfriend is really something else. already the ace of the team and he’s climbing the stats nationally too. you must be proud.”

— you are proud. very impressed, in fact. but sakusa is not your boyfriend. an important note that you most certainly do not get to point out because now sakusa is here and is corralling you towards the exit from his pressure of his chest against your back.

— he’s much more hands on now. less in tolerating your touch and more so initiating his own. it’s a late realization but most of your attention is stuck on that same teammate who is waving mischievously from the door.

— but oh man. it’s becoming a lot more obvious to you now when sakusa offers to hold you books while you change your shoes, and holding on to them even as you travel to class. he sits a little bit closer to you during study hall now, the erratic hitter of your knee brushing against his with every jerk up.

— “...are you okay, ‘yoomi?”

— he doesn’t complain about the name. not even a pinch of his brow, just confusion as he peers down at you.

— “im fine.”

— huh

— it’s all fun and games until his fingers catch yours one day while you walk side by side. it seemed like a fluke, just an accidental swing and bump. but then they’re latching and now you’re connected?

— “yoomi?”

— “it’s cold”

— yeah. okay, fair enough.

— periodic becomes occasional and now it’s a habit.

— and of course everyone takes notice. because sure sakusa tolerates you more than most. but now there’s a basis for it.

— “ah, so tables have turned.”

— “i knew it.”

— “top in the nation and already dating. our little kohai is such a pillar.”

— you’re beyond overwhelmed. worse because kiyoomi looks mildly irritated but doesn’t seem to be denying any of it.

— and you just have to ask.

— “yoomi are we dating?”

— because wow, only yesterday it seemed like he was still just your best friend. one who held your hand, shared his lunch, fell asleep on your shoulder in more than one occasion-

“— “we’re together. we’ve always been.”

— okay, yeah but context here.

— but then he’s dragging down the mask across his face, letting it hang under his chin. his lips are on your temple and phew, that’s new.

— “we should get home. i have a match tomorrow.”

— a game that becomes a statement in more ways than one.

— “ooh, is that sakusa’s jacket? so the rumors are true.”

— you fumble with the sleeves that seems to be determined to swallow up your hands. when he’d first offered it to you, it seemed so natural.

— “you might get cold.”

— god your boyf-... friend was so confusing.

— “not really. he hasn’t asked.”

— your classmate seems unconvinced but doesn’t comment further. that’s doesn’t say the same for the rest of the class who use every opportunity to chip at your resolve.

— “haven’t they been dating the whole time?”

— “they always hold hands now.”

— “i mean that’s his jacket isn’t it? it’s he like a germaphobe?”

— it’s getting harder to concentrate on the game. and certainly doesn’t help with every glance sakusa tosses up into the stands. by the end of the match, you’re beyond frazzled and ready to just sakusa the second he emerges from the gym.

— his teammate offer thanks in exchange for your praises on a game well won. it helps to distract you for a brief moment-but there he is now.

— his fingers slip befeeen yours like they belong and you can’t find the voice to complain. after congratulating him, there’s not much more said on your part. he walks you to your doorstep, not just the entrance, and lets his hand fall away. yet you both linger.

— “are we-“

— “are you-“

— when it comes down to it. obviously sakusa fails when it comes to words and actions seem to speak clearly.

— sakusa doesn’t protest when you reach up and undo his face mask for him. going as far as to lower his head, aware of your intentions, when you lean in.

— it’s a short kiss. a testing peck to balance in the shallow end before diving deep. his nose nudges yours and it’s your laugh that breaks the kiss.

— kiss-with kiyoomi sakusa-your once reluctant friend and now?

— sakusa leans in again. this time his hand on your shoulder for stabilization. there’s no tongue or extra touches. it’s just the act.

— life is all about changes.

— you smile and decide, yeah, you can do this.

— before he can leave, however, he’s tugging at the collar of his jacket.

— “i prefer to use my own detergent. but you can have it back tomorrow.”

— or maybe just some adjustments.

[send-allmyloving]

Could you write some Akutagawa Ryunosuke fluff? Like what being his girlfriend would be like?

Of course!

Akutagawa relationship headcanon 

- To be honest, the only way you’d ever be able to truly interact with him is if you were in the mafia, so let’s say you were in the mafia!

- You took on the secretary position in the mafia hierarchy, so you often saw off Akutagawa on missions and met with him for briefings.

- Babie Aku here would never voice it, but he honestly thought you were the prettiest thing he’d ever seen!

- The first time he saw you, he stuttered. That’s right folks, the great Akutagawa Ryunosuke stuttered!!

- Eventually after frequent meetings with you over the span of a few months, Aku mustered up the courage to ask you to go out with him <3

- It went a little something like this:

“Akutagawa-san... why aren’t you saying anything?”

“.......Uh”

“Are you sick? You look really pale right now--”

“IWANTYOUTOGOOUTWITHME”

“...”

“...”

“What”

- anyways hes a dumbass but hes gonna be the best boy 4 u owo

- This poor boy literally doesn’t know what he’s doing

- He’s never experienced romantic attraction until now, so as you can expect he’s having an internal battle on who the hell he’s supposed to ask

- Eventually he settles on Chuuya, the master of being suave lmao

- With his help, he at least sort of has a clue on wtf to do when he’s with you

- The first couple months of dating he was struggling really hard to at least display some physical form of affection

- When you saw him nervously shaking while gripping your hand you had to reassure him that he didn’t have to force himself to be so touchy

- And that’s when Aku realized how much you meant to him; you genuinely cared about him and wanted him to feel comfortable when with you, you didn’t force him to do something he didn’t want

- For the time being he just wanted to hold pinkies with you, nothing more

- But let’s be honest, this boy is literally touchstarved, at that point he just wasn’t used to the idea of physical affection

- So eventually he decided that he was okay with you touching him

- It sort of started with him shuffling over to sit next to you while you were on your phone, and he just suddenly put his chin on your shoulder and started pouting at you

“...Aku? What’s up sweetie?”

“Pats. Now.”

- Literally deadpanned that part LMAO

- He loves loves LOVES when you pat his head or pet his hair

- He likes lying on your lap while you play with his hair, it’s really soothing

- Also loves back rubs uwu

- Likes forehead kissies too, his eyes light up when u do that so pls always give him a forehead kissy thank u

- He’s really scared of baths so you have to be understanding with him on that part

- You have to call Chuuya to help him clean himself bc he’s just not ready to be that vulnerable around you

- But maybe 5-6 months into the relationship he starts letting his guard down around you and building up his trust with you (being his gf requires patience, he has a lot of trauma)

- You’ll encourage him to start to relax when he’s in the bath while you clean him

- He especially likes when you’re scrubbing his back or putting shampoo in his hair because it’s like when you’re giving him back rubs or hair pets

- He’s like a puppy tbh

- At this point he’s definitely okay with hand holding

- That’s sort of like his go-to when comforting you

- If you’re feeling sad or crying he’ll just hold both of your hands while his thumbs rub the back of your hands until you feel better <333

- When he’s feeling sad he tends to hide mask his emotions with his tsundere vibe and you have to talk to him about not bottling up his emotions bc that’s his bad habit >:((

- When he cries it’s heartbreaking, but not to worry bc a back rub and a kiss on the head does wonders to make him feel better!!

- You tell him it’s okay to share his insecurities with you bc love requires trust!

- He’ll start warming up to that idea slowly, and he’ll start getting used to venting to you

- Maybe a year or so into your relationship he finally gets used to full on cuddling and kisses

- NO PDA though, he absolutely hates PDA, he doesn’t like looking vulnerable to others.

- When you’re out on a date, the most you’ll get is holding hands, and if you’re lucky a peck on the cheek

- Speaking of dates, he likes going to places with fewer people, such as the theater, private karaoke rooms, and small cafes. By the way, he’s surprisingly good at singing when you go on a karaoke date, and he’s always up for doing some stupid songs if it means it’ll make you smile <3

- When you’re alone together he likes giving you back hugs

- Sleepy babie Aku waking up to you preparing breakfast and giving u a sleepy backhug in his pajamas :(((

- He likes letting you lay on him while you guys are relaxing on the couch, playing with your hair and occasionally giving you a kiss on the head, talking about whatever you want

- Sometimes if he’s in a good mood he’ll cup your cheeks and give you a kiss on the forehead and nose, grin, and walk away and you just smile bc hes the most adorable thing in this fucking universe

- You lead the kisses bc he’s not used to that stuff, and you make sure to be really gentle bc this guy has been hurt way too many times, he’s rlly scared

- The best way to ease him into a kiss is by running your fingers through his hair and massaging his scalp, and he’ll easily lean into your touch

- Pepper his face with some little kisses and slowly, slowly guide his lips to yours

- Kissing and makeout seshes are really soft, those are intimate times where you pour out your love and trust for each other

- Loves having you on his lap while kissing, he gets to hold you close to him and he feels stronger with you in his arms, he feels like he’s protecting you and that way he doesn’t feel so bad when you’re always caring for him

- He also loves laying side by side with you when cuddling; he loves being cradled in your arms while you look lovingly into his eyes and stroke his cheek and hair before pressing a little kiss to his nose followed by a really soft “I love you”

- That’s when he smiles softly and buries his face into your neck bc he’s so so in love with you im actually crying help me pls

- When you sleep, he is the little spoon. No I do not take constructive criticism

- Sing him a lullaby, press a goodnight kiss to his neck and wrap your arms around him and he is off to dreamland

- I’m pretty sure he has nightmares often, so when you wake up to him shaking in a panic the best thing to do is gently touch his hair so you don’t scare him

- If you touch his hair he’ll know it’s you, that’s his comfort spot

- Hugs you so tight when he sees you’re there with him

- Back rubs and soft words of comfort will stop him from trembling and crying so much from his nightmares, he’ll be so familiar with your touch at this point that it’s like you’re his safe haven (you are)

- He’ll fall back asleep with his face buried in your chest and your hands stroking through his hair bc he feels really safe that way

- If anyone tries to hurt you he would literally kill them, no one and i mean no one hurts his lover and gets away with it

- Super protective of you when it comes to Port Mafia things

- He can’t bear to lose you, you mean the world to him

- He might not express it often verbally, but he really loves and cares for you

- Being his girlfriend is a delicate task and you have to really care for him, but boy is it worth it bc his love for you is so strong

thx for reading! i think this was pretty long but aku’s character has a lot of struggles and self-doubt, so it would be hard for him to ease into a romantic relationship so easily. Hope this was to your liking!!

[angstars]

hello!!! can i request rei, natsume and wataru for 11 pm and 1 am? c:

ofc babu *^* im sorry this took awhile!

ミ☆

[11:11 PM] with Rei

The sky rains heavy tears on your already drenched form, unnoticed to you when the feeling in your chest just seems to numb everything there is. The streets are empty, street lamps not bright enough to light the road much like how it seems with the feelings coiling inside of you.

It's a strange feeling to be so hurt; feeling so damaged yet unable to feel at the same time. Your heart automatically shielding you from the pain but the numbness makes you frustrated. How were you supposed to face him again when you can't understand what you're feeling?

The rain pours heavily on you. Water droplets heavy and loud as they make contact with the pavement you walk on but it drowns when you hear your name called. Somehow... he's standing in front of you; six, seven steps away from where you are and it's suddenly hard to breath.

A step closer to you— you take a step back.

He looks hurt when you do and your heart is numb. Your name is whispered cautiously, testing your reaction and when a look of hurt crosses your face he freezes.

“I’m sorry,” you start because you never wanted to act this way- not in front of him. There wasn't an explanation to how you were feeling. Perhaps the week had been too pressuring and unable to let it out, it bottled up before spilling over when you couldn't finish a certain task before its deadline.

Rei had been there when you ripped the documents apart in frustration, the assignment no longer of use and he looked so taken aback, you rushed out without another word. It was already late and the walk to your apartment was quite before the rain started and your heart builds a shell to protect you from the cold.

The rain lightents a little, maybe in accordance to the crack in your walls when Rei takes three steps forward. “You don't have to say anything, but please,” he takes another step forward and stops when you flinch. ”it’s alright to rely on others once in a while. I'm here.”

The walls crumble, shattering to pieces and maybe it was never there when Rei takes your hand, pulling you to him and you take three steps forward. You're wrapped in Rei’s arms, his scent filling your senses, his warmth filling your heart and his heart, beating loudly in your ears.

“It’s for you,” Rei murmurs, kissing the top of your head and he explains, “it beats for you.”

You laugh, throat soar but the small sound of happiness makes you feel and it's enough when Rei is holding you. The rain stops when your walls are no longer there.

~~~~~~~~~

[01:16 AM] with Rei

Your eyes are heavy, your body protesting for lack of sleep with a headache but with a rub to your temple and small shake of the head you focus back on the documents in front of you. Management is never easy much like any task given to others but you can't help question why you were put in charge of group management for an upcoming live.

Your phone is quietly playing a soft instrumental Tsumugi suggested to calm yourself and help you focus but you feel neither both when your stomach rumbles in need of nutrients.

”Why...” you huff loudly, head dropping to the desk with a small bang and firming your resolve, you take your phone, pausing the music before making your way to the small kitchen with a mission.

You make use of the cereal in the counter and a small click reaches your ears from down the hall as you plop down on the couch. Rei trudges in towards you with a small frown, eyes slightly swollen and a few buttons of his sleep clothes are unbuttoned.

“I heard you get up and thought you were finally coming to bed-” he sighs, falling on the couch and you raise your hands to try and keep your midnight breakfast safe as Rei lays his head on your lap. “You never entered the bedroom so I took it on myself to see what you were doing so late. I need to express my frustrations.”

His sigh is a bit harsher this time but there was no malice or anger in his voice; not when he just sounds tired and in desperate need of sleep. You can only pat his head lightly, treading your fingers in his hair and Rei groans when you do, burying his head to your stomach.

You stay like that for awhile; finishing the cereal as Rei waits for you with his eyes closed. Though the light breathing coming from the raven makes you worried he fell asleep.

Preventing yourself from shifting too much for Rei’s sake, placing the finished bowl of cereal proved to be a struggle and Rei lifts his head for you to finish the task before laying his head on your legs again when you're done.

“Do you want to go back to bed?” you question, peering at Rei’s covered face and he hums, though not moving from his position.

“Rei, if you're tired you should've slept earlier. I was planning on finishing after eating.”

Finally lifting his head, Rei looks at you with a perplexed expression, as if struggling with an inner conflict as he entangle's your hands together. “No, no, you don't seem to understand,” he sighs, pulling you in a hug and placing his forehead on your shoulder. “I can't hold you when you’re not in the room. It requires a special type of warmth for me to be able to sleep and a blanket isn't enough.”

So late at night, you wonder how he can be so casual when making your heart swoon despite head clouded with fatigue. Untangling yourself from him, you pull Rei to the bedroom and his statement stands true. A warm feeling shared between the two of you as Rei holds you close to him, worries faded away as you take the much needed rest.

~~~~~~~~~

[11:37 PM] with Natsume

In this garden filled with empty landscape and plain scenery is where secrets and promises are spilled. An invisible delicate spark in the air spreading bright lights of tranquility. It was nothing special, plain in sight and empty. Showing the surface of abandonment and forgotten.

But it was the place you find yourself unable to leave from.

Coming back right before the clock strikes a new day in the world. Before the day fully ends and a new tomorrow arrives. You find yourself coming back during these time of loneliness. Spending the last seconds until it ends.

The pavement is a bit wet, rain pouring hours before and wet puddles drying slowly in time. In this run-down place of loneliness, a secret garden of yours is where you meet him.

“Ah,” the voice exclaims softly, the sound small yet held no surprise in them; as if he expected your arrival. He always does.

”What brings you here?” Natsume asks, smile on his lips and hair brushed back neatly, clothes a bit dirty with small patches of earth covered here and there.

He looks fine.

You frown, the sparks are invisible but you can see them, Natsume can too. “You look fine.”

He laughs, standing closer to you and a sudden silence filters the air. You breath, somehow struggling a bit and your eyes start to water. Natsume still stands next to you. He moves closer.

“Natsume,” you whisper, voice breaking near the end and he hums. “Why?”

He’s silent, the smile still on his face and you think you can see the bruise on his neck. Natsume’s hands are crossed behind him before he pulls his hands away to show you something in his pocket.

“This was the first thing you ever gave me as a present,” he holds a piece of paper in his hand, crumpled and covered in dirt but your writing is still visible. A small necklace is attached.

“There’s no reason.” He states, the answer to your question so curt it makes your eyes water again. He turns, facing you properly and you can see the cut on his lip, his brow trickling small tresses of blood. Natsume takes your hand gently and places the necklace in your hand.

“No, no, please. D- don't leave.” You plead, tears blurring your vision and you think you're heart is breaking when Natsume only smiles. He brushes the hair from your eyes, kissing your forehead and the sparks are brighter.

A whisper reaches your heart and it's enough. The spark is blinding, flashing before fizzling out like a dying firework. In this secret garden in your heart where you first met Natsume is the place you last see him, the news the morning months ago fresh in your mind of an accident near the place your heart longs for.

You clutch the necklace tighter, a parting gift from the one who left you with the promise whispered in your heart.

The garden isn’t perfect but you visit every night, the first and last confession of the one you held in your heart- his whisper gentle and warm; “I’m always with you.”

~~~~~~~~

[01:32 AM] with Natsume

“Focus a bit more,”

Your brows knit together, eyes still closed and sitting crossed leg in an attempt to stay relaxed. The task proved difficult when you felt anything but relaxed. A frustrated sigh leaves your lips and Natsume’s hands are on your shoulder.

“You don't seem very good at focusing.” He’s statement is playful and he squeezes your shoulder lightly. His hands rubs the sides of your arms in a firm yet soft manner as he tells you to focus again. “Don’t open your eyes.”

Another sigh leaves your lips and you break your position of straightening your posture though your eyes remained closed. “I find it strange- when we’re doing this in the middle of the night—” you pause a bit, stuttering slightly when Natsume gave you a hard squeeze on the tension between your neck and shoulder, massaging the stiffness but you move forward as to avoid him.

“It’s past midnight and you couldn't sleep. This is affective- now don't move.” His hands hold your head still, pelvis craddled in his hands as Natsume tilts your head from side to the other slowly before snapping from the position in a long pop.

Your eyes widen and a panicked sound leaves you lips though strangled in your throat but Natsume laughs at your misery as you turn around to for him with a pillow.

“I apologise but how do you feel?” his apology is words on paper but the question is held with a meaningful smile, almost smug and you slap your hands on his lips.

“Better... actually,” much to you distaste, the tension in your neck did subside and you find yourself relaxing. Natsume takes your wrists and pulls your hand from his lips to then tug you on his lap.

“Great. Now let's sleep. I can't have you walking to the kitchen every other hour because of neck pains.”

He doesn't really let you object the statement nor does he acknowledge how he’s the reason between your neck pains when turning you into his personal pillow but you don't really mind when he holds you so closely even in his dreams.

~~~~~~~~

[11:42 PM] with Wataru

Soft fingers thread through your hair in gentle motions, brushing the stray tresses from your eyes with care and untangling the few knots tied at the edges. Wataru is attentive especially when caring for your hair in such late hours when your mind didn't allow you to sleep. Racing with thoughts to then plunge into an abyss when your eyes close for some rest.

He stays by your side when you jolt awake, breath staggering and clutching at the bedsheets. Wataru’s eyes would open in a struggle to stay with you, sitting up and pulling you into his embrace. It was a habit you find yourself grateful for but something you couldn’t live with.

When will the nightmare end?

“It’s alright,” Wataru murmurs in your hair, kissing the spot his fingers carrases and laying his cheek atop your head. “No need to fret. We all have nightmares, don't we?”

His voice is soothing, the hint of fatigue and raw emotion at such an hour bringing forth a side Wataru would rarely show you during the day when he lived to perform and basks in the smiles that rewarded him.

The air is warm when you're in his embrace. Wataru’s arm protecting you from the abyss with a warm glow when you’re head is near his heart; beating life into you as if to drive the nightmares away.

The thoughts rushing through your head like orbiting meteors pummeling through space stirs away when Wataru is the center of your galaxy. He the sun and you the earth; you could only ever orbit around him without coming closer in fear of burning. Tears brim your eyes in harsh pricks as if you had been exposed to light radiation.

He shushes you- your thoughts. “The nightmares will go away. I’ll stay here until they do.” His words are whispered with empty promises. He doesn't need to be here to stay.

The countless times your heart longed for salvation are the times Wataru circles around you, as if you were his orbit and you were his destiny; the center of his universe.

Wataru doesn't need to promise you empty words. He proves it to you with staying in your heart, countless times of warm embraces and saccharine emotions pored all for youー you are the center of his universe. You the sun and he the admirer.

~~~~~~~~

[01:20 AM] with Wataru

Those sleepless nights spent empty and cold in your room are distant when Wataru dutifully comes to your room with a flutter of cards. Pouring them onto your bed with a giddy smile as he ushers you to play a game with him.

It was always the same routine. Past midnight when your mind plagued with fatigue yet racing with thoughts didn't allow you to sleep, Wataru enters your room with a hushed announcement before getting on your bed to began his ’practice’ of tricks and riddles.

You would amuse him and this time was no different.

The card in your hand is an Ace and you hold it between your palms dutifully as Wataru chatters with all the energy he pulls from the bottom of his heart (his bottomless heart which is why there’s endless energy). Snapping a finger, he gestures you to open the card and you do, the card you held now added an addition of letters to the A as it spells in cursive letters Amazing.

You nod your head a bit, eyes blinking as you stare at the previous Ace card in your hand, turning it around to see what sort of trick was applied to it.

“Do not worry! Though it has changed, it's past identity is not lost,” Wataru began but you cut him off before he could start ranting.

“Ah, ah. Right. Er, how about we finally try and get some sleep?”

Wataru blinks comically before smiling again, gathering the cards strewn around your bed and crushing them between his palms to make them disappear as if it was the simplest cleaning method an elementary student usually does.

“Of course, of course. We all need our rest yes! Then I shall wish you a good night’s rest-”

You grab onto his hand before he could leave. Tugging him closer, your other hand taps the pillow on your bed. “I meant here. I need to hold something to fall asleep and I’m short on pillows.”

A pink hue dusted Wataru’s cheeks though not entirely visible due to the dim lighting. He laughs, though the sound sounded a bit strained and embarrassed. “O- of course.”

Though the late night routine of yours with Wataru is a scheduled habit shared between you, it always ends the same with you holding onto Wataru’s hand as your mind drifts to sleep.

[ritualmichael]

Internship - Duncan Shepherd x Male Reader

based on this ask: “duncan hitting on a male intern? yes”

(yes,, thats all it took for me to write a whole fic on it kdkdj)

this is very canon divergent because i only watched duncan’s scenes in hoc so im changing things up a bit since i didn’t know what was happening half of the time. also sorry that this is hardly male focused,, i’ll do better next time oops. 

warnings: none really?

“That’s not his order,” the blonde lady stated as she read the cup, shaking her head. You didn’t actually know her name, never properly introducing herself on your first day but instead already giving you tasks when you walked in.

“You’re the new boy? Okay, this way. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do. The last intern walked out without a word to anyone,” she said with an ironic laugh, leading you through the maze of cubicles and desks. You mentally noted to yourself to dress nicer the next day in order to blend in with everyone.

“What?” you asked, appalled that you had messed up something as easy as a coffee. On the way to the coffee shop, you had repeated the order over and over in your head and was sure you got it right.

“He’s never ordered this a day in his life,” she said, raising a well manicured brow at you. You could feel the ground trying to split open and swallow you whole. It had been a stressful day and now messing up Duncan Shepherd’s coffee order was just the icing on the terribly made cake.

“I’ll go get another one,” you said hurriedly, turning to head back to the elevator but she grabbed your arm gently, shaking her head.

“You’ve got better things to do. Don’t worry about it,” she said and you were unsure if it was her being generous or just tired of your mishaps.

“Why can’t he just use one of the twenty coffee makers in this huge building?” You asked, shrugging off your jacket as you both walked through the busy office.

“Because he has the money to drop and a lovely intern that happily gets it for him whenever he wants,” she said in a sarcastically sweet tone, making you groan.

“Just tell Mr. Shepherd I’m sorry,” you said, making your way to the small desk that was tucked into a cramped cubicle.

“You can call him Duncan,” she said, leaning against the partition wall, the dreadful coffee cup still in her hand.

“I don’t think we’re on first name basis quite yet, it’s only been two weeks,” you laughed nervously, scratching the back of your neck. Even the thought of him made you intimidated.

He wasn’t just your boss but he was everyone’s boss, even the blonde lady’s. You were just an unpaid intern, hoping he would sign off on all of the work you’d done at the end of your time there. Praying, really.

“Suit yourself,” she shrugged, walking off and leaving a trail of her expensive perfume behind.

You forced yourself to get over the embarrassing coffee situation and focus on the work you were assigned. It was a bunch of mindless filing and sorting, but it gave you something to do.

You often times found yourself pridefully walking out of the Shepherd Freedom Foundation building, knowing that any bystanders would assume you worked there - one of the most successful foundations in Washington. Little did they know, you were really making coffee runs and scans all day.

The day was nearly coming to an end, your brain swimming with names and numbers which you could hardly comprehend anymore. There was a knock on your cubicle, the blonde lady standing there and looking at you expectantly.

“Duncan has asked to see you,” she said cooly.

“Me? Are you sure?” You asked nervously, standing up and straightening out your shirt. You had only met Duncan twice, once on your first day and the other when you had caught the same elevator as him.

“You’re the new intern right?” He asked, making you do a double-take at the rest of the elevator, as if you were checking that he was actually talking to you.

“Yes, I started a few days ago,” you said, trying to stay composed and nonchalant. Duncan tried to guess your name, miserably failing which only caused you to laugh.

“Y/N, actually,” you said, smiling politely.

“Well, Y/N, congratulations on lasting this long,” he said, his voice smooth but humorous as he bid his farewell, stepping out of the elevator as it opened to his floor. A whole floor for his office. Your small cubicle suddenly felt the size of a airplane bathroom.

“Positive. Floor 26,” she said, directing you to his office before walking away again. You already knew the floor number, having memorized it after your interaction with Duncan on the elevator. It was mostly out of fear that you would press the wrong number one day and show up uninvited to his office.

Now, you actually were invited and pressing the “2” then the “6” made you cringe. You nervously ran your fingers through your hair, silently wishing you had spent more time styling it this morning.

The dreadful ding of the elevator filled the small space and the doors pulled open, revealing the spacious floor. Stepping out, you noticed the full wall of windows with an amazing view over the streets of D.C. The room had a sleek, dark mahogany table stretching out over the floorspace and nice luxuries scattered around. Everything looked expensive and you knew you were nowhere near the salary that was probably required to sit at the conference table. You actually had no salary, you bitterly reminded yourself.

“Impressive, right?” Duncan’s voice pulled you out of your daze, making you instantly straighten your posture. He stood in the doorway, a glass of dark liquor in his hand.

“Much better than the other floors,” you laughed, your eyes still skating around the room. You felt like you were a kid again, your parent’s voice in the back of your head reminding you to not touch anything, worried you would break something and they’d have to pay for it.

“There’s more,” he said, cocking his head in the direction of the other room and began to lead the way. You followed him, nearly stopping in your tracks when you saw his actual office.

Everything looked priceless, from the books lining the walls and the expansive desk down to the pens, “Shepherd Freedom Foundation” engraved into the steel. You suddenly felt very out of place.

“After my mother handed down the foundation to me, I did a little remodeling,” he said casually, taking a sip from his shallow glass and you couldn’t help your eyes from glancing at the way his stubbly jaw flexed as he swallowed.

“It’s amazing,” you said, cursing at yourself for your lack of sophisticated vocabulary. This was one of the richest men you had ever met, yet you still spoke as if you were with a casual friend.

Duncan caught you eyeing the leather chair, chuckling softly. “You can sit down,” he said, gesturing to the chair that neatly sat behind his desk.

“Really?”

“Go ahead, see what it feels like,” Duncan said, sipping the remaining liquor in his glass.

You didn’t want to reject his offer, that would be rude. Also, you just really wanted to sit at the desk and feel as luxurious as Duncan did everyday. So you did. Carefully sitting down, you pulled yourself up to the desk, your hands running over the smooth varnished wood.

Duncan walked over to his desk, seating himself on the corner and giving you a smile. You caught a glance of his pants tightening around his thighs and you swore you saw him briefly bit his bottom lip out of the corner of your eye.

“You could have something like this one day,” Duncan said.

“I’ve got a long time until that happens,” you scoffed, shaking your head and relaxing back into the chair.

“You’re not that much younger than me, let me remind you,” he chuckled. You flushed, not meaning to suggest he was old or anything. You were actually impressed that he could handle such a big business at such a young age.

“I’m sorry,” you laughed nervously, rubbing your red face. “I just mean, I’m an unpaid intern amongst hundreds of employees who could probably buy six of my apartments while I struggle to pay for one.”

“A lot of them started out like you,” he said, moving to sit even closer to you on his desk. It was a strange contrast, seeing him casually lounging on the desk when you were nearly scared to touch it. “Interns who were messing up coffee orders and jamming the printers,” he continued, making you laugh at his blatant reference to your coffee mishap earlier.

“Sorry about that, by the way,” you said.

“It happens to the best of us,” he shrugged, giving you another warm smile.

You were really surprised at how relaxed he was. It was a little laughable now how stoic you expected him to be. Some serious, uptight guy who would hardly cast much of a glance your way. Instead, he was having a casual conversation with you, sitting atop his desk like a kid in the lunchroom. The first few buttons of his shirt were popped open, revealing his warm skin and his leather jacket was draped over one of the chairs facing his desk. It definitely lessened your nerves.

“Can I ask why you called me up here?” You asked, the question gnawing at you.

“I just wanted to see how you’re adjusting. I hope I didn’t scare you,” he said, a playful smile still gracing his lips. “I know the boss calling for you can be a bit intimidating.”

“It was surprising to say the least,” you lied. “The blonde isn’t the warmest person to receive that news from anyway.”

“The blonde who wears too much perfume and wears short skirts everyday?” Duncan said, receiving a nod from you. “Of course she didn’t introduce herself. That’s Caroline.”

“Are you two together?” You asked, instantly regretting the question. Who were you to pry into Duncan’s private life?

He let out a laugh, shaking his head in amusement. “Absolutely not. Not my type,” he said.

“Ah,” you said simply. You didn’t know what to say, feeling too embarrassed from practically asking your boss who he sleeps with. Before, you were convinced they were because of all of the time she spent in his office.

“Let me make you a drink,” Duncan said, slipping off of his desk and walking leisurely to the small table across the room, bottles of expensive liquors and delicate glasses sitting on top. You watched as he poured two glasses and stood up to join him. He turned to you, handing you a glass with a slight smile just barely crossing his full lips.

“Is this a test? Drinking on the job…” you asked, taking the glasses from him, your eyes flicking down to his hand when his brushed against yours.

“Internship,” he corrected, taking a sip and giving you a shrug. “Don’t tell the boss… Oh wait,” he said, causing you to chuckle and take a sip from your own glass.

It tasted more expensive than anything else you had drank, even when you splurged on a $50 bottle of champagne when you turned 21. Duncan would probably laugh at your idea of expensive, you thought.

Duncan stepped over to the large window, his gaze fixed on the buildings beyond the thick panel of glass. You joined him at his side, your arm brushing against his accidentally but you didn’t do much to distance yourself from him. Glancing over at his hand that held his glass, you noticed the lack of a wedding ring on his finger.

“Everyone looks for that,” he mumbled, bring his glass to his lips. “They expect me to have some housewife with a kid at home, being passive and submissive like everyone else’s wives.”

“Why don’t you?” you asked. You figured you might as well indulge in hearing about the life of someone much successful than you while you had the opportunity.

“It’s boring,” he glanced at you, his eyes looking brighter in the natural light and up this close. “I’m already running this foundation on my own, I don’t need a trophy wife at my hip. My work should show my success, not an imprisoned woman like the other people here have.”

You nodded, letting your eyes linger on him a little longer than you probably should have. His nose was rounded perfectly at the end, his lips full and defined, wrapping around the brim of his glass with ease, his hair a mess of curls that somehow looked neat and sophisticated.

He turned to look at you, causing you to glance away from a moment and you could feel your face heating up. It was the alcohol, you told yourself. Definitely the alcohol and not your boss.

But then his eyes fell on your lips and you couldn’t stop yourself from dodging your tongue out to wet them. You knocked back the rest of the liquor in your glass, Duncan gently taking the empty glass from your hands and setting it down on the table.

“Think you can handle all of that?” He asked, laughing under his breath.

“I can handle a lot of things,” you lied, shrugging  as you turning back to the window to avoid his gaze. You were a lightweight and you could already feel your skin warming up and legs getting weak.

“Is that so?” Duncan said, his voice airy and playful. “Well, hopefully you can handle your time here. I don’t want a boy like you getting too overwhelmed on the job.”

“What kind of ‘boy’ am I?” You quirked a brow at him.

“Hopefully one who comes to me if he’s having problems,” he said, emphasizing the last word.

You turned away from the window, facing him instead and crossing your arms over your chest, a smile tugging on your lips. “Are you typically this generous with your interns?”

“That’s assuming any interns have made it this far. Plus, there’s something about you,” he said, tipping his glass in your direction before taking a sip. “You’re modest. You didn’t come in here trying to brag about everything you’ve accomplished and show off to me. It’s refreshing and admirable.”

“I didn’t think you’d be interested,” you shrugged, willing yourself to not blush at his compliment.

“But I am now,” he said, stepping even closer to you, his chest brushing against your folded arms. He held out his glass to you and you took it from his grasp, sipping the rest from the same spot he had. It was extremely suggestive on both of your ends.

“What do you want to know?” You asked, all of the nerves completely dissolved from your body and replaced with a bit of confidence. Duncan was clearly coming on to you and you didn’t want it to stop, no matter how wrong it might be.

“What are your goals?” He asked, throwing you off with such a serious, blunt question.

“Um,” you stumbled over your words as you thought. “To be successful, maybe run my own business and-” you tried to finished but Duncan cut you off.

“None of that college essay bullshit,” he said, the curse word seeming strange coming from him but you kind of liked it. “What do you want? Be greedy for a second,” he said, shrugging.

“A nice office like this with the view of the Washington Monument,” you said, Duncan nodding as he entertained your ideas. “An apartment that has a concierge,” you laughed and Duncan planted one of his hands beside your head against the glass, a playful smirk on his face. “A vacation,” you said, it nearly coming out as a groan as you leaned your head against the glass. Duncan had leaned even closer, a smile on his lips.

“Where do you want to go?” He asked, it seeming like an offer more than a curious question. It made your heart race and you mindlessly reached up, fixing the collar of his shirt that didn’t actually need fixing, you just wanted an excuse to graze his neck with your fingertips.

“Somewhere with white sand and the ocean,” you said.

“I like a boy who is easy to please. There’s plenty of beaches to choose from,” he said, tilting his head at you.

“Maybe you could make the decision, I’m sure you’ve been to some great places.”

“We could go somewhere far, where it’s warm and there’s a resort that’ll give us endless drinks and the biggest suite they have,” he suggested, biting his lip as he smiled at you. He knew what he was doing and it was absolutely working. You legs were weak and your almost wanted to grab onto him for support.

“What would the tabloids have to say about you taking some boy across the world only to be seen getting couples massages?” You said, smirking as Duncan not-so-subtly leaned in closer to you.

“They’d be impressed that I scored such a catch,” he said, his voice dropped to a low mumble due to your close proximity and his eyes stayed trained on your lips.

“Yeah, right,” you blushed, Duncan reaching up and cupping your face before leaning and connecting your lips. You melted into his touch instantly, your hands going to his chest as he moved his lips against yours gently. His lips tasted of liquor and you knew that you own did too, only fueling you to kiss him even more eagerly. Your tongues met and you let out a content sigh when his teeth caught your bottom lip.

“You better start buying some summer clothes,” Duncan mumbled against your lips with a smirk, going back to kissing you even harder.

You were too lost in the man to think about how unprofessional or reckless this was, you fingers gripping the expensive material of his shirt and pulling yourself even closer to him. Duncan Shepherd might’ve been your boss but he was also an amazing kisser.

- 

tags:@dudesorriso @silkyhoneybaby @avesatanaslangdon @lucifer-owns-this-pussy @sodanova @romanoffkittens @heelsamizayn  @lovely-langdon @langdonpilots @cryptid-coalition @cherryberryann @omnipotentdemoness @marzipan-romanoff @featherpool-852 @langdonsdemon @slasherloversposts @lxngdonscoven @01-800-mary @mcenziehughes @kylolangdon @kinlovecody @sammythankyou @duncvn @fernshorrorstory @amytakesmanhattan @queencocoakimmie @yourkingcodyfern

[darker-side-fanfiction]

Modern(ish) Gangster AU featuring Masa: Part 1

Trigger warnings: light(?) torture

Short fic summary: A mole’s been found in gang. Guess what? They don’t like moles. Who knew?

Story beneath the cut:

Mmrgh. Everything...fuzzy...even the pounding in his skull was a distant drum. Chin upon chest tilted and swayed until a sharp intake of breath saw him more awake. One blue eye, before a keen predator’s gaze now bleary made an attempt to assess his situation. Nothing would come into focus and the harder he tried the more it slipped away. Instinct had him rising to his feet, or would have. The creak of ropes binding his arms, chest, and legs to the chair were a deterrent.

Crap. He knew he shouldn’t have come back. It was in the little things. A glance between two gang members, a smell...his gut said something was hinky, and his gut was never wrong. Neither was his nose. Ignoring both had come with the territory of being an undercover cop in one of the most notorious crime gangs in the region. Ieyasu was going to kill him should he make it through this. That thought brought a smirk to his face, right in time for a fist to wipe it away.

“Little pig, little pig, let me come in!”

The snarling beast of a man was infinitely more porcine in his features with his mouth all twisted up, but Masa kept that commentary to himself. Shifting his jaw was a new difficulty. Not broken, that was good. Man though! That ring sure packed a punch! He could feel a trickle of blood tracking down his cheek from the cut opened. Sure cleaned out the cobwebs, if adding a few more klaxons to the party.

“We thought you local cops had learned your lesson long time ago. Guess we’ll be leaving an anonymous reminder for the next time they get a bright idea.”

The sucker punch inflicted wasn’t allowed the reflexive action to curl in on himself; all the air whooshed from his lungs but the restraints kept him upright and vulnerable. Boy did the man have stamina! The only solace Masa could take between the blows raining down on him was how badly those bruised knuckles were going to hurt later. Course, thinking required breathing and that was going to be difficult for a while.

Mouthy comebacks and sarcastic remarks sat on the tip of his tongue and the brash and bold Date ‘the Dragon’ Masamune had a million of ‘em. His classes in undercover work went opposite of that. Which did he go with? Surprisingly, a little bit of both.

“Hey, Pete,” he had to spit blood out of his mouth to ungarble his words. “This is a barrel of laughs, but you can tell the hidden cameras to come out now. You and I both know I’m not a cop. Have you ever known one to be as reckless as me?”

Masa grinned, though there was nothing happy about it. Fierce and with deadly intent, the Dragon was legendary for what he did to repay those foolish enough to try crossing him. Despite he being the one bound, Pete felt the need to take a step back, eyes widening and Adam’s apple bobbing in fear.

As if on cue, the door to the warehouse’s small room swung open, reverberating off the wall with a bang that didn’t catch the spitfire racing to where Masa was restrained. No, Kitten...she shouldn’t be here! Masa’s head snapped back when her ire met his cheek. Not an open handed fist either, she was ticked! Half shrieking, half hitting wildly, no one had seen this side of her before. Of course not, because only he had been allowed anywhere close to where they assumed she had a heart. And he’d betrayed it.

“How could you?!? You never should have kissed me!! I never should have kissed you back. I thought you-you!! Why would you do this to me!?”

The shift was so abrupt and sudden, the two men in the room didn’t know what to make of it. Pete wasn’t about to get in the middle of the lover’s quarrel though. The lass went from out of control to calm in a second, like a switch had been flipped. She sat on Masa’s lap, trailing her fingers up his sweaty chest and towards his neck. Her unreadable expression and blank eyes would make most people squirm. Masa wasn’t most people...but not knowing was an uncomfortable place to be. With a sharp yank, she’d threaded her fingers through his unruly chocolate mane and exposed his neck. Masa growled and tried to glare, but she wouldn’t make eye contact. Instead her tongue traced along the pulse in his neck, stopping at the shell of his ear.

A whisper, supposed by any that might view to be a threat. None but the two of them would know the truth.

“Don’t tell them anything. Trust me.”

Confusion chased her words, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it long. Pete had gotten a little too curious, thinking himself sneaky to have shuffled closer to hear. The lass bit Masa’s earlobe, hard, causing a bellow nearly draconian in nature to echo through the room. If there had been any actual fire, Pete would be a cinder by now. As it was, he was holding his ringing ears in consternation. Serves him right.

His kitten slid off his lap, almost causing a groan of a different sort. Not the time or place, Masa! A double take revealed the creepy smile she wore wasn’t just a figment of his roaring headache or imagination. How many times was he going to be thrown for a loop with this one? To be fair...it was one of the things that had attracted him to her to begin with.

She’d pulled a knife from her boot and was angling it with purpose, the sizzling fluorescent lights glinting off the sharp blade. “I don’t think boss man will mind if you’re missing a few things when you’re dropped off. What do you think, Pete?”

If it hadn’t have been himself they were talking about, Masa would have found humor in watching the large man so frightened of the dainty looking kitten. She...wouldn’t actually do that though...right? She’d said to trust her, but Masa was going to find that difficult to do should she bring the knife anywhere close to what she’d been referring.

Shuffling on his feet, swallowing hard and trying to come up with any excuse not to have to watch, Pete was visibly relieved when the “boss man” himself strode through the door.

The room was getting a real crowded feeling. Any nerves Masamune might’ve felt were hidden behind an indomitable grin, one shared by the boss’s near mirrored but much less handsome mug. Also a bit less bloody, no bruises, and minus an eyepatch, but you get the picture.

“Ya’d think, after all we’ve done for them, they’d give us a little leeway to run things how we choose.” Boss man tutted, shaking his head slowly with that same grin. With snake-like reflexes, he struck out and encompassed the lass’s neck in a vise grip. She didn’t have a second to react. Her head hit the wall with a crack that made Masa wince, and her knife was wrenched from lax fingers.

Boss man spoke over the sound of the lass gasping for breath. It was as though he didn’t notice her hands scrabbling at his tightening around her throat. “Rumor was, we had a mole running around our humble operation. And some bright guy was a little too eager to accept what our rat in the local office said.” He turned his eyes to Pete, who scratched his neck and looked away ashamed. “Turns out, that was bad intel. Let ‘im loose, Pete.”

A wary Pete unpicked the knots holding Masa to the chair. He had every reason to be worried about what revenge might look like, but for once Masa was willing to wait. The kitten was looking a little blue, her struggles having settled into weak twitches.

“You going to explain how the lass fits into all this?”

Masa stretched cat-like, feigning nonchalance. In truth, he wanted to rip boss man away from his kitten and feed the man his teeth. A nasty chuckle covered the wheezing breathes a loosened grip allowed the woman pinned.

“Instead of a pig, what we have here is a FBI skank. We’re gonna find out exactly what she’s told her handlers, and you’re gonna help, Dragon. You’re up for the task, ain’t ya?”

Cracked knuckles and a fire burning in his singular blue eye were at odds with the sick roiling in his stomach. The surprise written in raised eyebrows was real though. FBI agent? Her? What had she done to get them to disbelieve their own mole in the police department?

However she’d managed it, she had kept him from being found out. He wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. They would all pay for what he was going to have to do next. They would pay very dearly.

Given the same order six months ago, he wouldn’t have had a second’s hesitation. He’d do whatever was necessary to protect his city, and that meant keeping his cover whatever the cost. Including torturing a woman. Undercover agents knew what they were signing on for. Somewhere along the way...when did that resolve waver?

He locked away his feelings far, far away. This was no longer the lass he’d spent half a year with, both of them watching the others’ back. She wasn’t his kitten...she was an enemy to break.

And pray she had a plan, because she would break.

A smile, “Let’s get the party started.”

[asa-ghost]

For a prompt how about a : Mchanzo au where hanzo is an alien but has to pretend he is human until he can get of the planet and Jesse has no idea that hanzo isn't human.

TO BE CONTINUED..

[buckysgoldenheart]

A Part of The Team: Part 5

Request: Hello! Would you mind doing a oneshot where Bucky and Reader just got married and he becomes more protective of her and sweeter and clingier and his team mates tease him about it ? 😅

Words:1403

Warnings: Not a one...I think

Next chapter is going to take place a couple years in the future. 

Chapter 5

“Bucky, baby, please stop panicking.” You said as you watched your husband scour the room for anything he thought you would need for the doctors appointment. He was practically bent over backwards on his head trying to look for something under your shared bed, but for the life of you you couldn’t figure out what. “Bucky, it’s just a sonogram, not the actual birth.” He shot up from his contortionist position to glare at you, but it was much softer than the typical menacing look you knew he was capable of. However, even the smallest of glares was rarely directed at you. Your eyebrows shot up. “You better stop looking at me like that, mister, or you don’t get to go.” You accentuated with a pointed finger.

His features smoothed so fast you would’ve missed it if you blinked, then he rushed to you and placed his large hands on both of your arms. “Doll, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m just nervous. I’ve…I’ve never had a baby before.”

The chuckle you let out caused your husbands eyes to light up and sparkle just a little. “Well I’ve never had one either and I’m not freaking out.”

“Well, you should be! Y/N, we are having a baby. There will be a little Y/N or a little Bucky running around here and…oh, god!”

Buckys eyes blew wide and you were hit with a sudden feeling that he was going to pass out, so you gripped his own arms from underneath to keep him steady. “What?!” He had this faraway look in his eyes and you jerked him back to earth. “What’s wrong?”

“We can’t have a baby here!!! We…we need an apartment or…a house. We need a house! Oh my god, where are we going to get a house?”

He had pulled away from you and started to look around the room like he would find one a couple feet away from him and began running his hands through his hair like a madman. “Bucky, its ok.”

“We are having a baby in a couple months, Y/N. Where are we going to get a house that soon!?”

“Ok.” You chuckled, reaching out for him again. When he noticed your outstretched arms, he calmed and walked into them, then tightly wrapped his own around you. “Honey, first of all, I’m 10 weeks pregnant. Its going to be more than a couple months. And second, we don’t need to get a house yet if we don’t want to. Yea, it would be nice, but there’s no rush. We have time to decide what we want.”

“Oh yea right. Who told you that?”

“Steve.” You mumbled into his chest.

“Steve!?” He said, obvious concern in his voice.

You looked up to his face to find it less than happy and you knew his mind was racing. He had that look in his eye that reminded you of a few years ago when he was plagued by nightmares and spent hours replaying them in his mind the next day. But, you couldn’t understand why that look would appear at the mere mention of his best friends name.

He released you without meeting your eyes and slipped around you out the door. You found yourself a little offended at his actions, but mostly you were just concerned. Bucky never ignored you, ever. He had once told you that no matter what you said or did, he would always find value in it. It wasn’t as if you required his attention on you at all times, sometimes you even found it overbearing, but this was different.

When you walked out of your room after Bucky, you went straight for the living room where you knew Steve would be. The only clue you had to where your husband would be going was his surprise exit at his friends mention, but you figured that was a pretty strong lead. And sure enough, there he was, once again sitting in front of his friend on the coffee table, blocking the TV that Steve had been attentively watching.

Just like two days before, you waited on the sidelines as two of your favorite people had their own conversation, most likely about you and the child you had yet to have.

“We can’t live here, Steve.” You heard Bucky mumble into his hands as he rested his arms on his knees. “We just can’t. Y/N…the baby…they won’t be protected.” He looked up to meet his friends concerned gaze, one that was understanding, and one that you were thankful for. “I really appreciate you offering to help, all of you, but this place gets attacked. I love her…I love…them…too much to risk staying here for a minute longer than necessary.”

Steve emitted a large sigh and leaned forward to mimic Buckys position. “Does Y/N know you feel this way?”

Bucky chuckled half-heartedly. “Of course she knows. Besides she’s right there.” He smiled slightly, pointing a long finger exactly in your direction, not a degree off, without even looking your way. You forgot that he had these ridiculous senses when it came to you. And he knew you would follow, of course.

Steves eyeline followed Buckys long arm until he met your eyes and he gave you a little wave, which you returned with a small smile. “Hi, Steve.”

“Hi, Y/N.”

At your words, Bucky smiled, and it caught your attention from the corner of your eye. “Doll, im sorry I walked off. I just---”

“Its ok, Bucky. I know you’re just concerned.” You replied, moving to sit by him on the coffee table. Instinctually, he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close to his body. You felt safe, snuggled up like two little kittens. He would prefer you refer to him as a wolf or some more ferocious animal, but to you, he would always be your cute little, blue-eyed kitten. Even if you couldn’t find a way to move from the tower for a while, you knew you would be safe with him.

You wrapped your arm around his middle, leaning into him further, and he placed a soft kiss on your forehead. He mumbled an ‘I love you’ into your skin and Steve smiled at you both. You knew that man was in love with love. Seriously, one day you would get him with Sharon. And maybe when Buckys anxiety about you and the baby calmed down, he would help you with that task.

“Well…” Steve spoke up after minutes of uninterrupted silence. “We all love you both and if what you need is a house or an apartment, somewhere other than here, then I’m sure, positive actually, that Tony would be willing to chip in.”

Your eyes blew wide at the mere mention of your friends spending that kind of money on you. “Steve, we aren’t going to take anyones money.” That was just not something you and Bucky would expect or accept just because. The two of you were never handed things for free. You even had to fight, and hard, for your relationship. Being handed things was just not how you rolled.

“Of course we aren’t.” Bucky stressed.

Steve rolled his eyes and a very un-Steve-like fashion and it shocked you quite a bit, but he had a smile on his handsome face, so you figured it was in good nature. “Guys, we want the baby to be safe, too. We’ve...kind of been talking about it. The whole team.”

“But…You didn’t say anything.” You said, trying to recall if, at all, your friends had even let it slip that they had this plan. They most definitely hadn’t. You would’ve remembered, without a doubt.

“Well, we wanted to make sure that was something you wanted first and now that we know it is…there’s only the matter of picking out where you want to live.” Steve smiled. “Hopefully not too far away.”

Your hand flew to cover your mouth as you gasped an ‘oh my god’ and your grip on Bucky grew tighter. You heard him suck in a breath and you knew he felt the same as you.

“Steve…” Bucky nearly whispered. “I…I don’t know how to thank you guys.”

“Just make sure to bring the kid around every once in a while.”

The three of you laughed as a tear of happiness slipped down your cheek. “As if you aren’t going to be the godfather, Mr. Rogers.” You chuckled.

tags: @dugan365 @moonlightimagination @pietrotheavenger @marvel-fanfiction @agentsinstorybrooke @dani-si @alyssiamking @wintersoldier98 @then-there-was-me-emily @prxttybirdz @tessvillegas @xceafh @jazzwoman897 @sebstanchrisevanchickforever19 @fandoms-who @meganwinchester1999 @ufffg @debra77 @rebelliouscat @seargantbcky @anise-d-castle6 @projectxhappiness @buckybarnesappreciationsociety @sexysamsungl 

[rewrittenkoomie]

“That’s not the wind howling” Chapter 1.

Dealing with snow was difficult, I don’t even remember why I moved into this little honkey-tonk town to begin with.

Oh, that’s right, my folks BEGGED me to come and live nearby so they could visit their grandchild more easily. It wasn’t all bad though, the view was nice and the mountains kept the worst of the weather at bay, plus it was a pretty rural area.

There were Farms nearby that my son could visit and learn about various animals and the farmers themselves were friendly enough to let him run all his energy while playing with the foals, or even letting him pet the hatchlings. He was fascinated by the small critters that would flow and ebb around his ankles, and was ecstatic when a horse would trot up calmly to meet with him.

Personally, I loved farm animals too, but being so incredibly lazy, I knew that raising them was a  task larger than I was willing to deal with. My five year-old son would come home with stories and beg to keep some of the smaller animals, most notably chicks and ducklings. He’d been begging for weeks now, ever since the other kids all got to play with and even keep at least one pet from their parent’s farms.

His eyes had been huge, begging me silently for the opportunity to have a small life that he could coddle and nurture all of his own.

“Now, you know animals are not toys. If you have one, you have to take care of it.” He nodded emphatically, His dark brown curls bouncing off his forehead and tumbling with each movement. “You know they must be Fed multiple times daily, they need to have their area cleaned up, and you need to play with them. Plus, IF,” and I stopped, Hands on my hips, Tilting my head to drive the point home.

“IF I get a pet for you, you will be in charge of it, anything it does wrong will be your fault. You have to train it to be good. Okay?” My son’s eyes danced, his wide grin so hopeful and bright.

I didn’t stand a chance.

“I’ll be really good momma! I’ll give it baths and play with it and even take it for walks, jus’ like Genny from the Holted’s farm does with the Lambs!” He was dancing in place, so excited. He didn’t seem to care if I was getting him a dog, cat, foal or even a mouse, he just wanted a pet. Something he could nurture and be proud of.

I sighed in defeat, “Okay, but it’ll have to wait until I can talk to the farmers nearby to see if any of them are willing to let you have one of their animals okay?” He squealed with delight, tackling my legs and hugging them tight. “THANK YOU MOMMA! I’LL BE THE BESTEST PET OWNER EVER!”

He then turned and ran out the door to plow through the snow I had yet to shovel from the walkway.

Shortly after he ran off to somewhere, most likely to one of the farms that he loved to wander around, I was outside and shoveling the drifts back up to the yard. It was hard work, using muscles that I didn’t normally work out.

I was just a simple single mother, working as a receptionist at a company about three hours’ drive from home into the city round-trip. It was pretty easy work, seeing as it’s all I’d been doing for the last decade. I had moved into the Rural area to be closer to my folks, plus the classes for my son were smaller and The housing was pretty darn cheap. Even more so when my folks owned the house, and land, and let us live in the mother-in-law house. All I was required to pay was the utilities for my portion.

It was a sweet deal, and after the nasty break up with the father of my son, it was a haven. I could relax and not have to worry about what that man was doing to our child while I was working. I was also getting more time to spend with my son. He seemed to flourish with all the nature around us.

I had just finished the walkway to the garage that sat next to our little home when a big Red pickup truck pulled up next to me and rolled his window down.

“Hey there Teddy, how’s it going?” Theodore was a Farmer from a few houses down, which was an average of 5 miles away, he came to visit occasionally since he met my son and preferred to be called Teddy. His Farm in particular housed larger animals. Cows, Bulls, Horses and even a few Ostriches, I still didn’t know why or how he came across those huge birds.

“I’m all good ‘Belle, how’s Gunter?” His cocky smile always made me feel warm inside.

Theodore was one of the few Bachelors still living nearby, and was a total package deal. He was tall, around six foot five, and had thick black hair. His pale green eyes seemed to sparkle when he talked about his two great passions his farm, or food. He had the traditional Farmers’ Tan and was built like a brick house. He swore he had the money for the ‘Fancy machines’ but was convinced that they made more problems than they fixed, so almost everything was done the Old-fashioned way with sweat and muscle.

He did have a couple of four-wheelers for feeding his animals and even took my son out to go meet the herds once or twice.

“Gunter’s been begging for a pet again, and I just couldn’t say ‘no’ one more time.” I sighed as Theodore chuckled.

“’E’s a good boy! A pet would do him some good, mebbie settle ‘im down some.” I pursed my lips and shot him a look of disbelief. He just continued to smirk, then changed the subject.

“Anyway, I was wonderin’ if you’d be so kind as to feed a poor bastard for the’ night?” He took on a pleading look, clasping his hands out the window as if in prayer. I sighed again, “And here I thought you liked me cuz I’m pretty!” I giggled as his face lit up.

“Just help me with the driveway so you can park and You’re mor’n welcome to stick around.” He whooped and backed up his truck quickly, then tumbled out into the crisp snow after he’d parked on the side of the road. He quickly rummaged through the truck bed and pulled out a sturdy snow shovel and began on one end of the driveway while I started at the other.

Within the hour the whole driveway had been cleared and salted just as more snow decided to fall.

“I wonder which farm Gunter decided to wander off to this time?” I wondered out loud, Teddy shrugged and dusted off his jeans as we entered the mud room to the house.

“I’s Sure he didn’t go my way, I woulda’ spotted ‘im and brought ‘im back with me.” Teddy slipped his work boots off and we both walked into the house, rosy cheeked and sweaty.

I pulled off my jacket and rested it on the nearby chair and pulled my cell phone out of the top pocket. There were no new messages, but I sent out a text to the local Farmers asking if they’d seen my son and to let me know if they needed me to come get him. In the meantime, Teddy settled down at the kitchen counter, practically draped over the stool. He sniffed the air, drinking in the scent of the pot roast I had prepped hours ago as it bubbled in the crockpot. I smirked as he hummed to himself.

Shaking my head I pulled out the potatoes I had peeled and boiled earlier and set to mashing them. Teddy always seemed to pick the days I was making a good-old fashioned lunch or dinner to ‘pop’ over and invite himself in. I didn’t really mind, seeing as he was a gentleman and always tried to help out with things that needed fixing.

He’d helped fix the roof last summer and even helped with prepping the garden back in spring so that I could actually start growing something. I’d done the work of planting, but getting the posts in the ground and the boxes in place? All Teddy’s handiwork.

“Would you please grab one of the Pie tins from the Pantry? And the smaller bag of flour too please!” Teddy may have been relaxing, but he was quick to react when I asked for something. Soon enough I’d had all the potatoes mashed and the pie tin waiting for me on the counter.

Teddy stretched and touched the ceiling with his fingertips as he sauntered into the living room. I blushed lightly, since his stretch had pulled his T-shirt from his jeans and exposed a part of his sculpted lower back. He was deliciously handsome and Fit, if only a hunk like him was interested in a flabby wench like myself. I sighed, dashing that thought from my mind.

No man in a rural area wanted a pre-started family, especially with the kind of baggage we brought to the table.

As I put together the Apple pie, the timer on the pot roast went off and I opened it up to check how it was doing. Teddy had turned on the Radio to one of the local rock stations. I tasted the stock from around the roast and cut into the meat, checking how soft it was. It was perfect.

The potatoes had been put in the oven with some garlic and butter sauce to cook a bit more and the pie was in the smaller oven browning to perfection. I was very satisfied with myself, in less than a year, I’d learned to cook some damn-fine meals. It didn’t hurt that a lot of the women around the area traded recipes all the time. Adding to that, quite a few of the farmers would barter meat and eggs for veggies and fruit too.

My contribution was that since I went into town so often, they would trade me staple goods for exotic things from town, or fetching packages from the post office for them when I was on my way home. I loved to bring home bulk items that I could then later trade for some fresh eggs or milk.

I pulled the Mashed potatoes from the Oven to cool on the rack and arranged the Pot roast and Its fixings on a plate. When I turned to start setting up the table, there was a knock at the door. It sounded almost urgent and I wiped my hands on a towel I kept on the oven handle.

Teddy heard the rapping on the door and had emerged from the Living room, brows knit together and frowning slightly. He stood behind me as I opened up the mudroom door and unlocked the outer door. Teddy’s arms were crossed and he leaned on the doorframe as the outer door opened to a harried looking Farmer from three houses down the road to the north.

“Fredrick, what’s wrong?” I was surprised, normally Fredrick wore a sort of soft half-smile. Like he was privy to a secret and was never going to tell anyone.

His pure white hair was sticking up on all directions and he had an almost wild look to his soft brown eyes. “It’s Gunter,” He croaked, and my body went cold. Ice seemed to shoot up my spine as my stomach tightened.

“W-what about Gunter?” I whispered, Fredrick ran his hand through his hair, making it even messier. Fredrick refused to look into my eyes, and instead stared at Teddy.

“Fredrick?” I was scared, and being ignored wasn’t helping. I looked to Teddy, who was frowning and looked almost murderous. It was chilling to see the fire in his eyes, as if he was going to break the first thing he touched.

“Teddy?” I was cautious, I had seen my Ex-husband with that look, and when I’d bothered him, He’d tried to break me to soothe his anger.

Unfortunately for him, I refused to break.

Teddy clutched at his shirt and took a deep breath, leaning his head back as his eyes closed. Just as rapidly, he stepped forward and I stepped back. I pushed myself against the wall in the mud room, trying to keep from aggravating Teddy. He shoved his feet in his boots and threw on his jacket.

“Teddy.” I breathed his name, my chest tight. His shoulders where stiff and he stood with both hands fisted at his sides.

“’Belle,” He started, voice rough with what sounded like fury, “I’ll try t’ be back ‘fore sundown.” He strode forward, Fredrick rushing to his own Deep green SUV. Teddy practically stomped up to his Red pickup and seemed to rip the door open. I’d followed them outside, where the snow was gently falling around us, almost surreal.

Once he’d gotten into the vehicle, I tapped on the glass of his driver’s window. He took a moment to breathe, then rolled it down to face me. His eyes seemed to blaze, sharper and brighter than before the green even more vibrant than before.

“What happened Teddy? Please tell me!” I begged, Gunter was my baby, He’d been a complete surprise to my-then-husband and I.

I’d been elated to prove the doctors wrong, as I’d been told I was infertile only a few months prior, but my husband had been furious. He hadn’t wanted a child at all. Not only had Gunter proven the doctors wrong about my fertility, but they proved them wrong about my ability to carry at all. I had carried him successfully until two weeks before my due date, the day my husband first started beating me.

It had been a shock to have the man I’d married hit me so hard. Sure, we’d argued a bit, but that was normal and we’d always found a common ground and made amends. Something about having a child drove my husband crazy and he’d finally snapped.

We’d been arguing about where we’d move to after he’d gotten his promotion. He wanted to move to the East coast, but I was adamant about moving to the Midwest. At the time we’d lived a bit between the two. I wanted to be closer to family, both his and mine, and He wanted to start living more ‘in-style’.

I’d refused to move with him to the East coast, and He hit me. I was so shocked that I had frozen on the floor where I landed and just stared at him.

It had taken me only a week to decide to leave him the first time.

We’d made up for it later and had struggled to cope, but in the end All I asked of him, was to leave us alone. I didn’t want his money, or his name, just the child we’d created together. He agreed and signed the paperwork that released me from the nightmare of being his Wife.

Teddy was tense, and I thought he was going to lash out at me for getting in his way. He moved his left arm quickly and I flinched back, anticipating a smack, but it never came. I had closed my eyes reflexively, but cracked them open to see Teddy with his arm held out, a strained look on his face and the green of his eyes pale again. He gripped the steering wheel with his right hand so hard that It creaked, and he gently held his left hand to my face.

“ ‘Belle, I will never, ever hurt you on purpose.”  He practically growled as his hands felt rough against my skin but he rubbed my cheek so gently, as If I was made of spun glass, just waiting to fall apart. Tears were welling from my eyes and I was on the verge of bawling, I just wanted to know what was happening to my son!

As if he heard my mental cry, he cupped my chin once more, and gently pulled me to look up into his eyes. The green had lit up once more, and seemed to search inside mine for something.

“I’m sorry ‘Belle.” He whispered, “I cain’t tell you what you want to know.” He took a deep breath, releasing my chin. He then leaned against the doorframe and propped himself out the window to kiss me.

His lips were softer than I’d imagined, and the rough feel of his stubble was almost delightful, making warmth spread down into my core. My hands reached up and I took a step forward wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him in deeper. He groaned against my mouth and reached out again with his left hand and mixing his fingers into my wavy blonde hair, his right keeping him steady In the window. I stood there like a statue, reveling in the feel of his warm mouth and dancing tounge.

Suddenly he parted from me, and groaned while shaking his head. I was blinking, still overwhelmed with everything and in complete disbelief. Teddy just kissed me.

“’’Belle, stay here. Please.” His eyes still blazed, but there was some gold creeping in, he looked almost feral. I nodded dumbly, not thinking at all.

“Don’t open the door after sunset, and do’n open it ‘till after Sunrise.” I was transfixed on Teddys’ face, as I nodded again, and I opened my mouth to question why, when he shook his head once and grimaced.

“I cain’t tell you darlin’, not yet.” His hands were shaking, and he finally put his truck into gear. I stepped back, finally realizing I’d been standing there longer than a few minutes and shivered.

“I’ll tell you what I can, when I can. Jus’ …sit tight, I’ll find yer boy and git him home safe. That’s a Promise!” He pulled out of the driveway and directed himself northward, to Fredrick’s farm. The Truck squealed in protest at changing gears so quickly, from reverse to drive and then being pushed to dive through the fresh snow at a high speed.

I stood there shivering until his truck faded from sight into the woods that surrounded my home. It was a few moments before I turned to go back inside, and by then the pie I’d been preparing was ruined, and I flipped the oven off. The pot roast was now dry and even the potatoes were cold.

So much for Dinner.

I was still in a state of shock, Gunter was God-knows-where in some sort of trouble, and Teddy had kissed me. Between the Elation of that kiss and the Fear of losing my only child, I was frozen. I stumbled into the living room, ignoring the food or the mess it caused in favor of hopefully making sense of what was going on.

I knew when I had moved in only two years ago, that this town was small and had its oddities. My folks had always told me to check the eaves for bats, make sure that there were no animal tracks around the house and to water the toadstools that circled the small house I lived in.

The bats and the tracks I could understand, but the mushrooms? I didn’t question my folks, and did as they said. Once or twice I found coyote tracks and raccoon tracks around the house and showed Gunter how to distinguish them from one another.

He was practically a natural at picking up practical knowledge like that. He even went so far as to have someone teach him to make plaster molds of the more interesting prints he found and asked to keep them on a shelf in his room. To this day he had well over a dozen tracks, some canine, a few feline, and a few deer tracks too.

I was still shivering.

I wasn’t cold anymore, but I couldn’t stop shivering. There was something my mother had told me before they’d suggested Gunter and I move out to live with them.

“There’s quite a few tall tales around this little town, most of them having to do with werewolves. I know it seems far-fetched, but these folks take those tales seriously.”

Werewolves, was Teddy insinuating that they were real? That Gunter had been caught up with them? Or did something terrible happen and no one wanted to be the bearer of Bad news? I had started scratching my arms in a nervous fit, only realizing I was doing so when I felt warm liquid running down the rest of my arm.

I’d scratched right through my skin, leaving me bleeding. I swore to myself,

“This isn’t getting me anywhere!” I stomped over to the bathroom and tended to my arm. Once that was finished, I still felt the need to be ‘doing’ something.

Teddy had been pretty adamant about me staying indoors once the Sun set. And a quick glace outside had me guessing that I had about an hour before I needed to close myself in for the night.

Quickly, I put on my thickest sweater and leggings, hoping that I could make it outside and back before the stipulated time. I rushed through the mud room and yanked on my knee-high boots a colorful scarf, and my parka jacket.

After thinking about it, I returned to the living room and reached up to the doorway where the Remington 700 was perched just for safety’s sake. I checked the barrel from the loading mechanism, and it looked all clear. Pausing by the closet nearest the door to the mudroom, I rifled through the jackets until I reached the back wall where the dial and handle was visible for the safe where I kept the ammunition.

A quick turn of the dial and the safe was open. I only took five bullets from the box and loaded them into the Rifle. After which I shut the safe and locked it back into place.

Slinging the rifle over my shoulder carefully, I headed out the front door.

I had checked the doors to the house and had locked both of them. The mud room was never locked, to shelter people from the cold or heat depending on the season. If Gunter came home and everything was locked, he wouldn’t be in danger staying in the mud room.

I turned to the Road in front of the house, took a deep breath, and stepped beyond the circle of dormant Toadstools around the house. It was going to take time, but If I walked, I was less likely to miss hearing screaming or shouts. I had started my trek facing North. Since that was where the men had run off to, that’s the most likely area that Gunter was.

I quickly realized, no matter how motivated I was, I was not physically ready to make this trek. I was breathing heavily, and sweating terribly. My knees and feet had already started to hurt, and when I glanced behind me, I couldn’t see my house anymore. The sun, however, was just touching the skyline. I was just getting close to the neighboring farmstead.

The Nylors home was ranch-style and honestly very pretty, if a bit more rustic than I liked. I trudged up the shoveled walkway and stopped to catch my breath before I attempted to knock on the door. Their Mud room was much larger, and much nicer than mine, but then again, they had a larger family and had also been living here much longer.

I finally found my breath and knocked on the house door after stomping out the snow from my boots. I heard some scuffling, and then heard a creak as someone stepped up to the door.

“Who ‘dere?” came the gruff voice of Pa Nylor, The Patriarch of the family. He was the oldest living person in the town and was also the only person who could handle any animal regardless of its temper.