#which isn’t really a surprise given how busy they both are

[silverfoxstole]

Hattie, Paul and Nicola, from the Big Finish Instagram.

[crazychaoticizzy]

Just the Tip

CONTENT: 18+, MDNI, smut, unprotected sex, morning sex, dom/sub/switch reader and character depending on which one you’re reading, my knowledge on some of these characters is limited since i’m new to the fandom so they may be mischaracterized, the most basic concept but it’s something ✨

WORD COUNT: 573

MASTERLIST

“C’mon, baby… Just the tip, I swear.”

You both knew he was lying. He didn’t do just the tip. You knew that, and yet you still obliged him in the early morning.

“Just for a bit. I have a meeting today,” you mumble. You bury your face further into your pillow as he climbs on top of you. Now that you’d said it, you realized how much you didn’t want to go to that business meeting.

“I know, baby. I swear this time it’ll really be just the tip.”

You hum as he pushes your panties aside. His fingers briefly glide against your folds before he replaces them with his cock.

For a moment, he abides by his promise and only puts in the tip. He ruts into you and moans in your ear before pushing more of himself in. You’re too tired to notice entirely, although you can feel it. You don’t comment on it, though, even knowing that you should. You excuse it by convincing yourself just a little bit of indulgence wouldn’t hurt anyone.

It isn’t long until his hips meet yours. Your mouth falls open in a surprises moan when he pulls out almost completely and shoved himself back inside. Your eyes shoot open, and you look up at him with a questioning gaze.

“Oops.” The stupid smirk on his face tells you this is definitely not and oops situation, but you can’t find it in yourself to argue. Especially not after he begins a fast pace.

It looks like that meeting will have to wait. What a shame…

Jean Kirstein, Eren Yeager, Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Toji Fushiguro, Ryoumen Sukuna, Roy Mustang, Portgas D. Ace

There was no sound prettier than the sound of your boyfriend’s voice, still groggy with sleep as he holds onto your hips for dear life.

Just the tip. That’s what he’d promised you. But Jesus Christ, the way your walls stretched and squeezed around just the tip made him delirious. You’d barely given him anything and his eyes were already rolled to the back of his head.

He whines and whimpers in your ear, pleading, begging for you to let him put more of himself inside.

“Baby… Baby, please… I know you’re busy today but I need-”

With the way he moans in your ear, his hands twisted in the sheets and leaving bruises on your hips, it would just be cruel to say no, wouldn’t it?

Armin Arlert, Reiner Braun, Choso Kamo, Sanji Vinsmoke

Sometimes you find yourself hating how coy he can be. How fucking clever he is infuriates you, especially when it’s early in the morning and the only thing you want is for him to not follow what you said.

You moaned his name, long and drawn out, as you tried moving your hips back to push more of him inside you.

But he keeps his hands on your hips, preventing you from moving any further. He tuts and shakes his head, barely moving the tip in and out.

“We can’t get too carried away. We both have things to do today,” he whispered, his voice still raspy and thick with sleep.

You groan, attempting to move your hips again. When he resists, you give up. “Please,” you beg.

He chuckles. You think for a moment that he’ll give in to your pleas and screw you until you’re a mess beneath him, but he only kisses your cheek and pulls away.

It leaves you feeling empty and upset, even with the promise of a proper fucking when the two of you return to work.

Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman, Kento Nanami

this has been in the drafts since at least February sorry about that guys hope y’all enjoyed 💜

[staryuee]

“HEY, CAN I SLEEP ON YOUR CHEST?”

꒰warnings꒱ implied AMAB/AFAB, somewhat gender neutral terms but written w/ gay dynamics in mind, suggestive

⠀꒲ ` characters . . . kaeya, itto, alhaitham, wriothesley ⚣ yelan, yae miko, clorinde, arlecchino ⚢

⠀꒲ ` notes . . . meant for the gays and lesbians respectively! male characters are written in a gay POV, women are written with lesbian POV — my little gift for pride month ♡ shoutout to all my male readers i’m sorry there’s content drought for you i hope i sufficed even if just slightly 😓

A. KAEYA — 凯亚

resident boob window man.™

kaeya can’t help but relish in the eyes of people who pass him by to just simply ogle at his chest area; because let’s be honest, no body is looking at that red shirt of his. so when he heard the phrase, “can i sleep on your chest” escape from his boyfriend’s lips, it didn’t come as shock or surprise but more so a warranted compliment.

who was he to deny you? if he allows dozens to have a subtle peek at his gorgeous, tanned skin, why would he not give you a privilege that was beyond that. “how about sleeping on my bare chest? after all, isn’t heat better shared when directly skin to skin?” of course, such alluring words were written using the truth for the sake of obscenities.

and yet, when you finally burrow your face into his chest, arms snuggled safely around his waist as you hummed softly, kaeya was sure his heart would leap out of its ribcage. god, he was so lucky no one was here to embarrass him further because the image of the ever elusive, mysterious and slightly flirtatious calvary captain turning into a silly puddle at just the littlest bit of affection would be etched into history’s memory to make use of as blackmail material.

“your heartbeat is really loud,” you teased, a subtle smirk tilting your mouth as you felt his breath hitch at your sudden call out. he was hoping you couldn’t hear that incessant hammering, but since you’re so close, he might as well let you savour that sound for a little longer while he’s all yours.

A. ITTO — 荒泷一斗

“itto!”

“[name]!”

“can i sleep on your chest?”

pausing the excited chant and the slight ritual between you two to randomly call out each others names, itto stumbles and stutters in embarrassment, “i—! well, uhm, yeah! sure, hell yeah! ‘course you’d wanna, after all y’know we’re dudebros uhm, boyfriends, yeah!” it would be cuter if he did less dignity saving and a little more holding but nonetheless, this is what you signed up for when asking this tall hunk of mess to go out with you.

fortunately, neither of you would have it any other way.

getting fully comfortable in bed, it’s like you sink into itto perfectly, your body falling limp and heavy as your head cradles itself between his tattooed chest. if you didn’t feel so absolutely drowsy from the amount of heat exuding from his body, you were certain your hands may have wandered to squish them for the fun of it. yet, you refrained.

not like itto would’ve noticed such wanderings regardless, he was too busy fighting hyperventilation and this nagging cuteness aggression that threatened to manifest itself in him squeezing you painfully within the grip he had on your smaller frame.

WRIOTHESLEY — 莱欧斯利

“wrio…” you whine, face nuzzling into the nape of his neck and arms sliding along his waist to pull him flush against you.

“what is it, mon beau?” he can’t help but chuckle at the way your hands sneakily traveled along his abdomen and up to cup his chest, squeezing occasionally per routine after wriothesley came out the shower all wet and enticing, those droplets dribbling down his abs just simply begging to be swiped clean (either by your tongue or a towel, but both of you knew which one wriothesley would prefer).

“can i sleep on your chest, please? had a shitty day.”

wriothesley smiles smugly, the question rather warranted given how touchy you were being with him. “you’ve been getting all demanding lately, you know that?” settling himself within the covers of your shared abode, wriothesley promptly propped his head up atop fluffed up pillows before tapping on his chest. “come here.”

watching as you immediately snuggled yourself within his tender embrace, face nuzzled between his tits as if they were gold itself, wriothesley latched onto you with an affectionate stare, hands rubbing at your back to help soothe you. “my boyfriend’s so clingy these days,” he chuckles, giving you a gentle squeeze despite clearly having the strength to grip you tighter.

“should i just connect us with handcuffs at this point?” he suggested, but honestly if you asked, he’d do it without hesitation.

AL HAITHAM — 艾尔海森

“hey, can i sleep on your chest?”

alhaitham promptly shuts his book at your request, eyes gradually meeting yours like some sort of lizard. “but i’m a man.”

“yeah so am i, what’s your point?” your lips puckered into a firm pout, a hand on your hips as if you were absolutely bewildered that he even dared to deny you in such a subtle way despite you asking so nicely instead of snuggling yourself between his manboobs shamelessly.

“my point is,” alhaitham sat up from the couch, those muscular arms that you were certain were littered with your bite marks a few days ago laced over his chest as if to reprimand you for your ignorance, “i’m a man, it wouldn’t be comfortable for you because my breast tissue is smaller than that of a woman.”

“well, can i?” a small stretch of silence ensued for a while before alhaitham gave up trying to reason with you and merely propped up his pillow, rolling his eyes at the way you wasted no time in snuggling yourself against him. face of course nuzzling against his chest restlessly. he might not admit it to you, but you certainly weren’t blind to big boobs when you saw them.

there was a whole curve. you could calculate the circumference of those things if he asked — and honestly? that within itself wouldn’t be beyond him. alhaitham found himself enjoying this more than he thought he would. his hand carded within your messy bed-hair as the other took its time to soothe your back.

if such a dumb request is enough to make you happy, he doesn’t mind fulfilling it.

YELAN — 夜兰

“i’m not used to being caught off guard,” yelan coughs into her hand, what seemed to be both a look of surprise and smugness distorting her usually calm facade.

“would you like to bet on my answer to that question?” she tilted her head to the side to entice you, her finger luring you close with a simple movement you couldn’t help but be drawn closer to almost instantaneously.

“well, can i?” you ask innocently, a bambi look to you that yelan would normally tease, but right now she wanted to devour completely. she grins, pearly whites showing as she pat her lap for you to cradle yourself in.

“i was thinking of taking an afternoon nap anyways, i don’t see any harm in you joining me.” and of course, you wasted absolutely no time in jumping within her embrace, those hands that normally held poker chips and cards or the neck’s of egregious men now holding you with an almost surreal gentleness.

“atta girl.” yelan giggled as you nuzzled yourself snuggly against her chest, those lashes of your fluttering against your cheek as sleep seemingly lulled you in a mere instant. where you keeping awake just for her to hold you? how sweet.

YAE MIKO — 八重神子

“have you been obsessively reading those sapphic novels of yours again, [name]?”

“nuh-uh…”

“don’t lie to me dearest, i can read you with a mere glance.” yae miko flutters some cherry blossoms that clung onto her attire with a mere wash of her hand, prepping herself for the long yet worthwhile cuddle session ahead that she’s grown more than accustomed to each time you presented yourself with your hands clasped behind your back so innocently like that.

“lay down then darling, you have all my attention.” she says after a minute, and of course you obey without any protest. you snuggle yourself into her comforting warmth, her arms immediately enveloping you as you lay down against her. yae miko proceeds to kiss repeatedly all over your head while humming a soft tune that sounded suspiciously familiar to you.

it was the same song that gently breezed in the background of your first kiss during a festival, when the sunset deep the sky in a beautiful array of red and orange hues.

seems like you weren’t the only one to have been obsessively reading sapphic novels lately.

CLORINDE — 克洛琳德

“clorinde…~ can i sleep on you chest please?”

“…don’t you have your own? i don’t quite understand your fascination.”

“i want to be able to hear you heartbeat when i wake up.” ah, well you can’t just say such swoon-worthy words and then expect her to not completely drop everything and coddle you. a blush smothered her cheeks in the most cosiest of hues as she fumbled over in her effort to figure out what reply she could possibly conjure up.

it took a few moments before the words finally reached her lips but the response that fell out was no less eloquent than the one that followed, which was to laugh. “i…why not? just don’t get too attached, i have to leave in the early morning.” with that said she pulled the covers back and slid into the bed next to you, who had taken up residence in the space between the bed’s headboard and the wall, leaving enough room for both of you to comfortably fit.

clorinde wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you flush against her side while she tucked herself under your chin, effectively shielding you from all harm. her breathing evened out gradually until she seemed to have drifted off, lulling you into complete slumber. you were sure you wouldn’t even notice if she hadn't been holding you tight to her chest.

ARLECCHINO — 阿蕾奇诺

“you’ve become bolder, haven’t you my dumb bunny?”

the luxury of comfort was the last thing arlecchino obtained within her livelihood. she didn’t need it, nor did he want to have it. she would be content with living in the forest and sharing it’s abundant wildlife with fellow rabbits or whatever other small animal that came to feed on it. they could do what they wanted and it wouldn't bother that unnerving stoicism of hers.

yet such a simple, minute, even pure, question of yours? it somehow rattled something within her like a predatory snake unleashing it’s coil on its prey in sight for a bigger bite.

“since you’re so desperate for sleep, suppose i’ll have to indulge you.” she sighed heavily despite her tone holding no mingle of exhaustion apart from the permanent eyebags drooping beneath her lids.

like a berry unknowingly rolling into the reclining jaws of a centuries starved bear that’s drooling per conditioning, you comfortably settle right next to her heartbeat, those black nails sending shivers down your spine in electric shocks of warning as she spookily tugs them down your back.

her words always seem so elusive, so teasingly endearing they hardly feel sincere — almost as if sweetened words that spill from her lips come as easily as the breath from her frigid body. one thing that couldn’t lie, most unfortunately to arlecchin’s interest, was her heart.

the way it beat so clearly and loudly against your ear, it was hard not to giggle. of course, the ever perceptive arlecchino mumbled something incoherent about your perceived insolence and shoved your face right between her breasts to stop you from peeking directly into her heart. despite you clearly being in it already.

©STARYUEE do not copy, steal or repost ♡ ᴜsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɪʜᴇᴀʀᴛɢᴀɴʏᴜ

[superhero--imagines]

Dating Luffy Would Include

A/N: Reposting because someone mentioned that Luffy is canon!ace, so these headcanons are just Luffy being Luffy, there's not a need to call it out (Which I see the point of.)

* So Luffy is Ace

* That’s canon

* I am convinced you guys started dating because when you guys landed at a port town, everyone went their own ways, and you and Luffy went together to eat at a busy tavern

* You’re sitting across from him, studying the menu, discussing what you're both going to get

* “This is kind of like we’re on a date,huh?” You say jokingly after he orders for you both

* Something in his head must have clicked right then, that yeah this does feel a little like a date, and yeah, he does like it

* His face breaks out into the biggest grin, “should I order some wine?”

* In his head I think drinking wine is the most date-like thing

* He orders the wine

* You’re half surprised when mid-way through the meal he gets this serious look in his eyes.

* “Can I kiss you?”

* You almost do a spit take, choking on your drink

* “Where is this coming from?!”

* If he wanted a taste of your food he could have just asked not that he ever had before though

* “I want to know what it feels like.”

* It’s a fleeting kiss, nothing more than a peck, but it brings heat to your face

* It’s also at this moment that you realize it’s gotten unusually quiet in the tavern

* You can practically feel the burn of stares

* Luffy feels nothing, instead he grins wide and says:

* “Hey (Y/N), let’s date and be partners.”

* The tavern goes wild

* “Isn’t that straw hat Luffy?”

* “Did he just ask them to be his lover?”

* With your face, as hot as the sun, hidden behind you hands, you nod

* “Okay.”

* He’s such an affectionate baby

* If you guys split up, and he meets back with you again he grins and stretches his arms out, wrapping them twice around you before tugging you towards him

* “(Y/N), I missed you!” He’ll say while nuzzling his face into your neck

* He loves it when you do that thing where you hold his face in both your hands and sprinkle kisses all over his face

* I think his kisses are pretty chaste, just quick, fluttering, pecks

* I think there’s a lot of insecurity on your end at first, because you don’t really know where you stand in his life, and how he feels about you

* He’s only got one thing on his mind — being king of the pirates

* If you had to bucket his ‘love’ in order of priority you’d say number one is himself and his version of freedom

* With his friends as a close second

* And then there you are, a seemingly distant third

* Given his personality you wonder if he knows being your “partner” doesn’t equate to just being your friend

* “Luffy what do you think we are?”

* His head tilts to the side, eyebrows twitching

* “You’re my partner.”

* “Yeah but what do you think that means?”

* “That it’s you and me until the end,” he says without an ounce of hesitation.

* “No matter what happens, no matter where you go — I’ll always be there for you and you’ll be there for me too.”

* In a way, it’s more than you could have hoped for—because when Luffy says it, it sounds like a promise

* You take his hand in yours and squeeze

* His mouth breaks out in a grin

* He loves you so so so much, don’t ever doubt that

* He would literally never cheat on you even though he seems to capture hearts with clueless rizz everywhere he goes

* “You going to go give your girlfriend a kiss before she leaves?” You ask Luffy, swallowing hard to keep from looking at Boa Hancock any longer than you have to

* A woman so beautiful she could give you an entire slew of self esteem and mental health issues at the of her sight alone

* “Why would I say goodbye when you’re right here next to me?”

* And just like that he’s got you blushing and mumbling to yourself

* And just like that he’s laughing

* He’s got you wrapped around his finger

* But don’t think he isn’t wrapped around your finger too

* You look at your plate with increasing concern

* Luffy’s fork slides in and out of view, depositing a glistening piece of fruit with each visit

* “Luffy what are you doing?”

* “You like these right?”

* Yeah, but so does he

* The entire crew shares your sentiment as they watch him with gaping mouths

* Luffy sharing food, you never thought you would see the day

* “Thanks Luffy.”

* “Anytime!”

* You’ll take it though

* God, just the thought of seeing gear 5 Luffy?

* Like he’s laughing up there, his silhouette hangs in front of the moon

* And it feels like you’re looking at a god

* This is what Patroclus must have felt like watching Achilles in war

* You’re brought to your knees at the sight of him

* His gaze swings to you, that same laugh rings in your ears—Luffy’s laugh

* “There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!”

* His arms wrap around you twice, bending space and time to bring you to him.

* “I missed you!” he says, nuzzling his face into your neck

NSFW

Under the cut

* So like I said he’s somewhere on the asexuality spectrum

* I don’t think he’s sex repulsed, but it’s definitely not the first thing on his mind

* So if you want to have sex with him you’re going to have to initiate

* Be direct, because he doesn’t understand any other way

* “Luffy I wanna sleep with you.”

* He grins, “Of course! We can take a nap together anytime you want.”

* “No, like…I want to have sex with you.”

* Oh.

* Ohhhhhh

* “Yeah, sure.”

* He’s willing to try it out.

* His verdict?

* “It was nice but I wouldn’t go out of the way to do it again or anything.”

* His favorite part was seeing you all flustered and panting with that sweet look in your eyes.

* His heart gets about ten times bigger from the memory alone

* He’d take a picture on a Polaroid and keep it in his pocket if he could

* He might get aroused occasionally, and seek you for some ‘alone’ time for stress relief, but it’s few and far between

* He’s a very confident boy, but this one would get to him

* “Am I enough for you?” He’ll ask one night hence you’re alone

* He’s only ever dreamed about being king of the pirates, about ultimate freedom

* So he never realized what a big deal sex was to other people

* And at the end of the day he doesn’t feel sexual attraction

* Maybe that’s a big deal for you

* You put your arm around him and hold him close

* “You’re more than enough for me Luffy, you’re my dream boy,” you promise

* And if you kiss his forehead afterwards?

* He might actually cry

[larcenywrites]

Now… how do you think Sabretooth will be as an S/O?

I worry about writing for him bc idk if I can capture him properly… but! We can try to dabble around with a few ideas!

Sabretooth x Reader

Warnings: some pretty mild NSFW | no pronouns given to reader | there might be some typos pls let me know if so!

🐈 Honestly who knows exactly how you even managed to become his plaything s/o in the first place….

🐈 Perhaps he even, uh, acquired you!

🐈 Even so, I think Victor will surprise you! Despite the claws and fangs and being muscularly massive, he can be pretty gentle 💛

🐈 Loving? in his own way, sure! But traditionally? Not really 😅

🐈 He probably doesn’t smile much, he probably doesn’t say very much half the time…

🐈 But hopefully you can do all of that for him instead 😉

🐈 Okay, he does smile, but it’s probably more soft and neutral 😇

🐈 And even when he is trying to keep his one more soft and quiet, it’s probably still pretty neutral and gruff

🐈 You probably aren’t ever going to know where he picked up that trinket or ring or whatever the hell else you may find around your bed (and probably don’t want to know), but you can rest assured knowing that he thought of you when he saw it :) yet probably won’t even acknowledge it next time you see him… but if it’s something wearable, he’ll still definitely spy it on you 😌

🐈 I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a cuddler, but more of a space invader 😼 Sitting on the couch? He’s directly pressed next to you with his arm around you but he’s just there. Not saying anything, not doing anything… really just- go on about your business reading or whatever, he’s just fine where he is!

🐈 In bed, it’s probably a similar situation. Honestly I hope you’re a stomach sleeper because it’ll probably make it easier for both of you when he suddenly decides to come lay on top of you 😅 He’ll hardly even acknowledge it or do anything else! Arms not really wrapped around you or anything. He’s just- there!

🐈 Though, he obviously has his sweeter moments! Sometimes he’ll simply lay his head on your stomach or chest or lap 🥰

🐈 Don’t be afraid to pet his head and play with his hair. He likes it 😘

🐈 Tbh if you roll over to spoon him (aka trying to just wrap yourself over him because he’s likely still bigger than you), he’ll probably growl a little 😔

🐈 Not in a mean way! It’s a soft growl! He’s probably just a light sleeper and maybe it’s supposed to be more like that little acknowledging burr sound cats make when you pet while they’re dozing off!

🐈 And let’s be real, it’s hot even if it is a warning growl 😏

🐈 This isn’t to say he isn’t a cuddler to an extent under the right circumstances! But those circumstances are typically related to him just getting jealous and possessive 🙄

🐈 He can smell whoever’s been hanging around you, and can even smell if they were happy, sad, or horny! He’s usually pretty unhappy about it 😒 and vocal about it 😒 especially if it’s someone he knows and doesn’t like (which is damn near everyone it seems)

🐈 But hey, at least this means that you’ll actually get cuddles in bed tonight! Arms wrapped around you and everything 😃 he’s probably also halfway on top of you buuuuut what are you gonna do? Push him off?

🐈 Obviously the bed isn’t just for sleeping 😏 But when it comes to sex, I don’t think loving and extensive foreplay is usually at the forefront of his mind 😅 besides he… can’t really do much with those claws 😬🫡

🐈 I mean… he technically could… but only once 🤧☝️

🐈 And when he’s in the mood, he’s probably not typically doing the whole handsy stuff…

🐈 He’s probably just going to bite you. Like some kind of overstimulated cat. Right on the shoulder too 🤕

🐈 And he’ll be very smug about it! You’ll swear he only smiles when he’s being a prick in some way!

🐈 You better hope you won the genetic lottery and got some of those regenerative genes or the like because otherwise, you’re definitely just going to have bites all over you 😮‍💨 fangs and all! He’s not shy about where he bites! Thigh? Sexy. On your forearm for no fucking reason? Fun! Neck? Sexy 😏 on your ankle while your legs are on his shoulders??? Now you’re just being annoying 😤

🐈 You’re asleep at 3am in bed? Doesn’t matter. If him crawling onto the mattress doesn’t wake you up, him biting your shoulder definitely will 😒

🐈 His sex drive probably is really high? Like sure, once you get him going, he’s an animal, but he probably isn’t initiating anything every day. Cut him some slack, the guy’s over 200 years old!

🐈 But that probably just depends on his partner as well 🤔 Not necessarily because he’s adaptable, but Victor can smell everything remember? Read something that made you even slightly horny?? He knows and he’s probably on it 😏 So he probably just responds to his partner’s needs!

🐈 You know, bath time is probably pretty great! Sure less stinky is a plus 🤧 but he definitely loves to be bathed 😘 beside it’s probably less hassle for him anyway considering the claws…

🐈 Which also means he probably won’t really be able to bathe you back 😔 you have enough claw marks as it is 🤭

🐈 But lowkey he likes to be taken care of 🥰 he won’t admit it, and he’ll probably play it as more of a I’m high and mighty sort of thing (which is also true!)

🐈 He’s not usually tense. A beast like him never has a reason to! But… he probably does get anxious about like, what he does… all the enemies he’s made… and how it’ll affect you ☹️

🐈 probably avoids bringing up any of that stuff around you, even though there’s, like, no way you don’t know… you just don’t know any specifics.

🐈 Can’t decide if he feels better having you at his mansion or at your own place :( He’d say both are dangerous, but that’s not really it— he’s dangerous 😔

[sangyeonsmuse]

MEDDLE ABOUT | DAY 7

PAIRING Guitarist Sunwoo x interviewer Reader x Drummer Eric

WORD COUNT | 2.4k

GENRE Smut

WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT ‼️ pet names like sweetheart and princess, threesome, double penetration, fingering, degradation, use of the word slut, oral , vaginal, dom sunwoo, dom Eric.

SUMMARY The two decide to take you backstage for a more private interview.

MORE | Day 7 of the Groupie Love Series

You were nothing more than a simple intern so you were shocked to say the least when the day after your company had an opportuned interview with Kim Sunwoo & Sohn Youngjae you received a call from their manager. As per usual, you had been sitting behind your desk as bored as ever, your thoughts interrupted by the phone on your desk ringing, on the other line was none other than the manager of Kim Sunwoo and Sohn Younjae. Your company had had eyes on them for years now, the only company having been persistent in trying to get interviews with them. Usually when it came to interviews either the two of them rarely did them or they were usually always busy, but to your surprise this time their Manager called and asked for you specifically.

“Hello is this yn? The intern from Whisper publishing?”

“Mm yes sir this is she, do you need to be transferred to one of our journalists?”

“Actually you’re exactly who I was looking for, we received the copy of the interview entry and the boys aren’t too pleased with it, would you mind coming in for another interview today?”

“Um i’m sorry sir, but i'm only an intern, I actually have no clearance here at the company for interviews.”

“I’ve actually already spoken with your boss and she’s given us the green light, she thinks it would be a good trial for you and has agreed to let us borrow you for the day, so what do you say?”

Of course you said yes, so now here you were standing in the band's living room awaiting their arrival. You stood there taking in the art on the wall when you heard someone clear their throat behind you pulling your attention away from the art and turning to face the direction from which the noise came.

“You came.” Eric eyes you from head to toe as he slowly but surely makes his way inside the room.

“Of course, I'm sorry to hear that the journal wasn’t to your liking, I’ll try my best to make up for it today.”

“Well isn't that sweet.” Sunwoo makes his appearance only moments later, not even sparing you a glance as he enters.

“Maybe your coworker should have done their job properly yesterday.” His comment had hit a nerve, but this wasn’t the time nor place for you to let your emotion get the best of you, pushing your annoyance deep down you simply ignored his comment.

“Chill, it's not like it was her fault, it isn’t like she was the one interviewing us yesterday.”

“Yeah whatever can we get this over with.”

“Are you always this much of a dick?” The words had spilled from your mouth before you realized, earning a laugh from Eric. Sunwoo on the other hand was not so pleased.

“You should really watch your pretty little mouth.”

“Oh I'm sorry, did that bruise your fragile male ego?”

“Aren’t you an intern sweetheart, shouldn’t you know your place?”

“It’s best to just leave it alone sweetheart.” Eric warns earning an eye roll from you. You were completely fed up. Sunwoo was being a complete dick and they both expected you to just sit and take it?

“Intern or not, does that mean I’m supposed to submit to you and just take whatever the fuck you say to me simply for the sake of my job?”

“You don’t know how to watch your pretty fucking mouth, ill watch it for you then. I’ll make sure you leave here knowing how to speak to us.” Within seconds Sunwoo had been up out of his seat and standing in front of you. His hands were squeezing your face as you looked to Eric to stop him.

“Aw look at how she looks at you Youngjae, so cute you think he’ll help you when he’s just as bad as me sweetheart. He's the reason you’re here right Youngjae, seeing you in that white button up and cute little skirt yesterday I guess he couldn’t resist inviting you today.” Sunwoos hands rubbed your waist.

“Guess the secrets out then hm?” Eric sits back in his seat as he watches Sunwoo practically man handle you.

This very situation was something you hadn’t really seen yourself getting into, never had you thought you’d be standing here in their living room one towering over you while the other just watched intently. Sunwoos' voice and the words he spoke were immediately blocked out when his hand met your waist. Feeling his fingers brush across your skin you realized his touch immediately made your brain check out. Your own thoughts now in the clouds rather than your full attention having been on the two of them and getting them to stop. It wasn’t until you felt a tap on your thigh that you were pulled from your thoughts and back into the present.

“Hey sweetheart, you know you really should pay attention when spoken to, another lesson we’ll have to teach her.’’ Sunwoo places a finger beneath your chin forcing you to look at the two of them.

“Much better right Youngjae?’’ Sunwoo turns and shares a knowing gaze with Eric before his gaze shifts back to you. A glimmer in his eyes that had many unspoken desires hidden deep beneath them.

“Well, Since I'm caught there's no reason to play the nice card.” Eric chuckles and gets up from his place on the couch.

“But if you still want me to save you sweetheart I wouldn’t mind keeping you to myself.” Now there you stood trapped in between the two of them, you opened your mouth to speak, wanting to tell both of them off and curse them out for being such obnoxious assholes, but your body was betraying you.

“Nothing to say now sweetheart? You were so mouthy a few moments ago, we should teach her when to speak and when not to speak.” Sunwoos fingers slipped beneath your skirt, hooking his fingers around your panties he pulled them to the side and immediately buried his fingers inside your clit.

“I think she likes it, how pathetic.” Eric laughs and watches the way your face contorts upon feeling Sunwoos fingers enter you.

“What’s pathetic is you ignoring me here for some sick fucking fantasy.” You finally managed to choke out earning a laugh from him and Sunwoo.

“Oooo, so so mouthy, Guess I’ll have to stuff that pretty mouth and fuck it until you learn the way to speak to me.” Eric's gaze suddenly darkened as he looked down at you, any sign of his previous niceness having disappeared from his face.

Mere minutes later Eric was sitting back on the couch, fingers tangled within your hair as he watched the way your lips wrapped around his cock. He couldn't help but admire the way you looked at him like you absolutely hated him. Eyes full of tears, a face stained of makeup now ruined as he forced the entirety of his cock down your throat. Meanwhile Sunwoo seemed to have the most satisfying view, You legs spread wide as he had you bent over, breasts falling loosely from your lifted shirt as he filled you up from behind. His eyes traced her every curve. From the dip in your back to the curves of your waist, but the main visual was getting to watch the way his cock so easily pushed past your folds until he was completely bottomed out inside of you, your tight grip around him immediately pulling a groan from his lips.

“Fuck, if you keep clenching so much you’ll be full a lot faster than you should be sweetheart.’’ Sunwoo groans as he rests his hands on her your waist and his head falls back.

Eric gazes down at you, eyes full of hunger, he wanted to ravish you, to make sure every time you interviewed anyone else after this you’d think of them and the way they ruin you. Placing his hand beneath your chin he presses his thumb down against your bottom lip, not missing the way drool spilled down past your lips and chin as his grip on your hair tightened and he began to thrust further into your throat. Every gag and choke that came spilling from your lips made him eager to hear more of it.

“I knew those lips were good for something. Cant talk back with your pretty mouth stuffed full of my cock can you hm.?” He grunts as he feels your tongue graze his cock, he could never forget the way you had entered the room during the first meeting with your company your lips perfectly glossy and so plump, the moment you entered the room he found himself fantasizing about having your plump lips wrapped around him taking every inch of him without mercy.

It made him crazy, the moment he pulled his cock from the depths of your throat and he heard a soft gag spill from your lips.

“Are you gonna behave sweetheart?’’ Eric couldbt help but take you like art, looking up at him with your tear stained face and swollen lips.

“You're such a pervert.” A moan spills from your lips interrupting whatever it was you were prepared to say, Eric didn’t mind that he was enjoying you struggle with your words, enjoying how mouthy and disobedient you were when it came to talking back to them.

“Am i baby? Am i a pervert when you’re sitting here like a pretty little doll taking both our cocks like a good girl? Let’s not act like you don’t like being stuffed in both your pretty holes. Go ahead and show us your true colors sweetheart, go on.” He was right, he was completely right, as mouthy as you had been the entire time you citizen denied that now it was all for show. You loved it, loved being put in your place, loved them both filling you up and fucking the brat out of you, and Eric saw right through you.

Eric simply sits back and lets you take over, his eyes watching you intently as you gazed at him with such intimate eyes while working your tongue over his tip and shoving his entire cock back into your mouth, the force of Sunwoos thrust forcing him even further down your throat. Sunwoos cock shoved so deep into your cunt you’d have sworn you were seeing stars especially as his fingers met your clit. He rubbed rough circles against you as he watched how his entire cock pushed in and out of you with ease from how wet you were. He didn’t miss the way your legs trembled or how youd desperately fuck back against him which needless to say brought a smirk to his lips. Your moans were swallowed back up as you made sure Eric was also well taken care of in front of you.

“Such a needy little slut, Supposed to be here for an interview and you’re so pathetically taking both our cocks. How unprofessional.’’ Eric's gaze had lingered on you long enough to know that you were reaching your limit, too bad even when you surpassed that limit they didn't plan on being done with you.

“Shit she’s clenching so fucking tight” Sunwoo grunts, his nails digging into the skin of your hips earning a soft cry from you that set a fire in their eyes. As the two of them were closing in on their release it seemed the both of them grew rougher with you, as if competing with one another to see who could tire you out best. Each thrusting into you with rough and merciless thrusts of their hips until both your mouth and cunt were full to the brim with their cum. Eric pulls out with a heavy breath and you are given no time to breathe as you’re immediately yanked into Erics lap and Sunwoo now towered over you. With no warning Eric pulls your hands behind your back and holds your wrists together as he shoves into you making you let out a loud cry. Now you were being stretched out for the second time that night, your sensitivity of having been fucked by Sunwoo combined with Eric now stretching you out made your legs go numb and your eyes roll back. Sunwoo took in the dazed and fucked out look on your face with pride as he forced your head up by pulling your hair back. In no time he had you sticking out your tongue to take him down your throat without him ever having to order you.

“Look at that, such a good girl when you want to be’’ Sunwoo coos as he wraps his fists around your hair, his muscles bulging as he forces your hair into a ponytail and tugs your head forward before forcing his cock down your throat, not missing the gags that spill from your lips before you finally hollow out your cheeks to help you take it. The vibrations of your mouth seem to have quite the effect on him as they immediately provoke a moan to spill from his lips. All while Eric guides the rotation of your hips in his lap, his fingers playing with your nipples as if strumming the strings of a guitar. His hips bumping against your ass with each thrust, the sounds of moans and heavy breathing filled the room as they both drilled into you. Eric found delight in watching the way you bounced in his lap, while hearing the sweet sound of your pleasured cries as they both fucked some manners into you.

Both of them loved the way you seemed to fall apart, that mouthy woman from moments ago seeming to have gone away as you sat between the two of them taking their cocks like an obedient little thing. With a loud groan Eric forces you further down onto his cock, pressing his hips against your bare ass as he shoots his cum deep inside your cunt completely coating her walls. Sunwoo ,wasn’t too far behind, his cum spilling deep into the canal of your throat.

“Look at how good you are when you just sit and listen.” Eric chuckles as he spreads your folds apart with his fingers watching how both he and Sunwood cum came spilling out of you.

“I don’t mind her being a brat we’ll just have to fuck it out of her over and over again.”

[nanasparadise]

Crushing Ember

☆彡 Yan! Resident Evil Village Chris x gn reader

☆彡 Word count: 1348

☆彡 I do not condone any 'yandere' behaviour in real life.

! TW: stalking mentioned, implied isolation, implied age gap, yandere behaviour, overall soft though, Resident Evil Village spoilers, MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY/MINORS DNI !

Summary: You work at a daycare and Chris picks up Rose too late.

You sigh and take a look at the clock again. 7.15 pm. It’s getting late, Rose should have been picked up by now. The girl is blissfully unaware of your wish to finally return home. Though you think she secretly wants to leave as well. Her little fists rub her eyes as she desperately tries to suppress a yawn and focus on her drawing instead. You decide that sulking won’t make the situation any better, so you ask Rose if you can join her, which she happily agrees to. Besides, this isn’t so bad: she’s a sweet child, you could have definitely been stuck with more tiring candidates of the daycare. 

You both are immersed in your drawings when you suddenly hear a pair of footsteps walking up the flight of stairs. A few moments later, Chris appears at the threshold, finally ready to pick up the girl. He’s not even out of breath, but given his physique (all strength and muscles), you aren’t really that surprised. You gently nudge Rose, effectively getting her out of her focus. She first looks at you, but her big grey eyes soon wander over to Chris. A smile spreads over her face and she excitedly runs to him.

“Uncle Chris!” 

He leans down and opens his arms. Rose takes the invitation and all but jumps into them. He lifts her up and holds her close to his chest, the gentle smile on his face mirroring the one of the child.

Uncle Chris. She always calls him that, but you’ve been wondering if they’re truly family. Mia and him don’t look alike, after all. And he can’t be related to Rose’s late father, since they don’t share the same surname. Maybe he’s just a family friend and it’s simply Rose’s way of referring to him. Chris does love the little girl like family (anyone can see that, really: the way his eyes shine when he picks her up, the affection in his tone, or the fact that he never smokes around her, only before he comes upstairs), so does it matter if he’s related? In the end, Mia approves of him as a person who can pick up Rose and the girl clearly feels safe around him, so it’s none of your business. 

“I’m sorry for running late.” Chris shoots you an apologetic look. “You know, with the traffic and whatnot…” 

You offer him a small smile. “It’s fine, those things happen. Let’s just not make a habit out of them.”

Chris chuckles ruefully. “Yeah, let’s not.” 

You hate to admit that you’ve been strangely intrigued by him. It’s not only his attractive looks, but also the way he seems to carry himself, with an air of determination that makes you question how someone could ever doubt him. A quiet shame washes over you when you think about him in such a manner. The little wrinkles on his face give away the age gap between you two. And you don’t even know if he’s got a partner. God, he could be married and have kids for all you know.

Chris pulls you out of your spiral of thoughts. “Seems like someone else also wanted me to be on time.” His voice is gentle as he points with his head to a sleeping Rose.

You can’t help but smile in amusement. “Yeah, well, she was very adamant on not taking a nap this afternoon. She had an important tea party to attend with her plushies.“

He laughs softly at that. “She’s a stubborn little thing sometimes, isn’t she? She’s definitely got that from her father.” Even though his gaze is fixed on the girl, you could see the distance in his eyes, a quiet storm of grief and regret brewing in them. You wonder if they were close.

“Anyway, I’ll close the daycare for today and then head home. I’ll see you next time you’re picking her up. Have a good evening and take care.”

You turn around, assuming he’d leave now, so that you can wrap up everything. A call of your name stops you in your action. Your heart flutters a little. Maybe it’s a bit pathetic of you, but you’ve never considered that he’d remember your name. After all, the times he picks up Rose are few and far inbetween. You face him again. 

Chris shoots you a tender look before he opens his mouth once more. “Please let me know if I’m being a prying jerk, but I was wondering if you’d like to grab dinner sometime.”

Your face drops for a moment. Guess that answers your question about his relationship status. You quickly school your expression into something calm and neutral again, something that doesn’t read ‘complete fool’. “Oh, uh, you’re asking me on a date?”

Great. That definitely didn’t scream ‘complete fool’. You just hope your embarrassment isn’t too obvious. 

Chris’ eyes crinkle in amusement, the small wrinkles handsomely framing his face. “Yes, if you’ll have me.” 

“Uh, yeah, sure, sounds good to me.” 

His expression seems to slightly light up at that. “Great, I’m glad. Here, let me just get your number so that we can find a date and place.” With his free arm, he fishes out his phone and hands it over to you. You quickly type in your digits in his contacts, still not quite believing your luck. 

He offers you one last smile while reassuring you he’ll send you a text once he’s back home before he eventually leaves. 

Once he’s gone, you cannot help suppressing the stupid smile creeping on your face. 

***

Cool night air hits his face as Chris takes another drag on his cigarette. The smoke fills him up nicely and momentarily distracts him from his conflicting feelings. The pinging noise of his phone makes him draw his attention to the device. You’ve sent him a text, confirming that you’ve received his message. He smiles at his phone. 

As he watches the ember of the cigarette fall into the ashtray, he thinks back to when he first saw you at the daycare. Chris knew from the beginning that you’re a sweet thing: he could tell by a single glance. The warmth you radiate did not only draw the kids in (though he can’t deny how much of an effect you have on them: Rose cannot stop talking about you whenever he picks her up). 

He leans against the railing of the balcony and takes a last drag, savouring it. Chris is well aware that his feelings for you are selfish and somewhat twisted. If he had been sensible, he would have kept his distance. You didn’t belong to his world: a world filled with bioweapons, terror, pain, loss. But can you blame him? Your presence drew him in like a moth to a flame and now that he’s got a taste, he can’t let you go. And it’s not like you didn’t want him back, is it? Oh, how he relishes in the small glances you give him, how your gaze stays on his eyes or his muscles. You think you’re being inconspicuous, don’t you? You truly are adorable. 

Chris is sure that you’ll have it in your heart to forgive him for the stalking he’s done on you. Or how he’ll keep you inside, once he’s made sure you’re truly his. You’ll eventually see things his way, especially once he’s shown you all that gruesome footage of his missions. 

Chris considers himself a good man, but he’s no saint. He’s gone through too much shit, seen too many innocent people perish in a blink of an eye. He’s been in too many life-threatening situations and for what? He’s only human. Chris feels this loneliness inside him, this seemingly endless emptiness that you might be able to fill. So let him be selfish for once. Let him have you, protect you, love you. Let him show you that you don’t need the outside world. 

He stubs out the cigarette butt and walks back into his flat. The last burning embers turn into ashes in this cold, starless night.

[lutawolf]

My Stand-In Episode 10 Commentary

I received a special request to do this post, and as promised, here we go. To preserve authenticity, I have observed spoilers on both this site and TikTok; however, I have yet to view the show. Until now, that is.  

Here we go! Let's all take a moment to recognize the talent behind this show besides the actors. The build up to the scene and setting of the tone is gorgeous. We are apprehensive even before we see where the van pulls up to. Then the melody continues to convey depth as we enter into Joe’s old home. 

The artwork in Joe’s home! It gives you an idea of his depth, it really does. Joe is just circling and taking everything in, while Ming is just casually exposing himself. Presently, they are both so vulnerable, but unlike in the past, it's Joe trying to build walls while Ming is now showing patience.

Teary-eyed Joe as he looks out, while Ming cooks. Now they're in complete contrast. One is at peace while the other is in utter turmoil. 

“If you’re going to give me your all. Why not use our couple mugs? Oh, I forgot, a man like you wouldn’t use broken things.” He is trying to remind Ming of their class difference. But unlike before, Joe doesn’t get mad. The tables turned. He extends to Joe what Joe once extended to him, namely tolerance and consideration. He tells him, never mind that, I still have our couple’s pjs. 

“Come here.” It’s a clear command. A command that Joe responds to but half-heartedly. Yet, Ming knows this is not the time and with a sigh restrains himself and instead meets Joe halfway. Look at them communicating. Joe didn't mean to, he's just trying to keep that wall up, but rather than denying any accusations, Ming responds to Joe's distrust with open communication. 

When Ming discusses recognizing Joe within this body, it is evident that Joe reluctantly allowed a portion of his inner wall to fall. Ahhh, I could scream over all the communication but most importantly, Ming’s growth. Before he would have been an ass about Joe avoiding the kiss, but this time he handles it with understanding and resilience. Not resistance but resilience. What’s the difference? He isn’t forcing the issue, but is still capable of a capacity of recovery.

Ming isn’t the only one who has changed. I love Joe’s face as he realizes it is Tong calling. It becomes determined. Then that smile when Joe tells Tong he isn’t his servant! Also… YAY!!! I HATE TONG! Good on you, Joe.

Okay, so after Ming smiles and says, “Joe, I made you pan-fried eggs.” You see a quick smile from Joe. It’s so fast that I had to rewind to verify, but it’s there. This slight smitten smile.   

Ahh, look at all the communication. If it were before, Ming would have told Joe to mind his business, but not now. Now he is sharing it all, which Joe recognizes, you can tell by the forced harshness. He steels himself for Ming getting mad about him hanging up on Tong, but to his surprise, Ming doesn’t. Instead, he makes comments on how Joe has changed, but he says it with admiration. You can see the softening and then the sadness cover Joe’s face. He expresses his emotions to Ming, however, rather than expressing anger, we once again observe Ming's newly acquired skill of composed endurance.

Now, if you watch carefully. Ming hasn’t given up his Dominance, he’s just more selective about where he uses it. Such as the car and drawing the ketchup design. Joe said no, but this is where Ming shows resistance and determination. It’s just we are finally seeing him do it with fucking charm. 

The actor who plays Joe is fucking spectacular. The way you see Joe’s wall of resistance breaking. Just chefs kiss. I need to look up the director and see their other work because this is usually a sign of an outstanding director as well. Those little nuances take teamwork to create. 

The kitchen scene really showcases whose Dominant and whose submissive. I love mom and son’s relationship! Mom was scoping out the guy for him, I love it. How adorable. 

Oh, Ming, that was a smooth lie. Fuck, but I love Ming. I love a villain with a soft spot for their love. Those conniving bastards have a way of wiggling their way into my heart. And the way they're both so vulnerable and communicating. I’m not okay. 

Ahhh, and Ming comes in with the love making. Joe would have pushed him away had he come in strong, but he doesn’t. This is Ming making love to Joe. He weakens Joe until he can just push him down and take control, “You know you can’t stop me.” Notice that Joe doesn’t argue, but Ming needs to do this. It’s cementing some really necessary things. It’s showcasing his feelings for Joe and making a statement. Not only is he making love to him, but he is making love to him face to face. Proving to Joe that he has changed. Yet, notice, who holds the complete control during the entire love making session. Ming.

Joe telling him he’d have to marry him first is my favorite. Ming like, sure, no problem. Time and place? Love it! HAHAHA, I’m dead. First the blanket and then the curtains. Mom’s face is all of us. Like, come on now. The way Joe pulled him back to cover his boxers. OMG, I’ve laughed so hard at this scene. It’s going down as one of my favorites. 

The way that Joe smiles at Ming at the table. So cute! I love how the mom breaks everything open. I also love that Joe protects Ming in his own way. 

You know what I love the most. Ming is not a good person. He has made numerous mistakes with Joe, but unlike other shows, we are actually seeing character development that can give us hope for the future. Ming is giving honesty to Joe, even when he knows it could work against him. He isn’t shying away from the ugliness but using it as a stepping stone for communication. This isn’t who Ming normally is, but he’s becoming a better man for Joe and only Joe. 

Tong really doesn’t realize the thin ice he is skating on, does he. Look at Ming standing up for Joe to Tong. Say it with me peeps. Character development. Ming not Tong. Tong couldn’t even spell character, much less the rest. 

And Joe proves once again that he loves Ming, and so does Ming. “Joe, regardless of what body you are in. You are still Joe.” Now, Joe knows that Ming got into the entertainment industry so that he could get exposure to reach Joe. They are so cute again! Let me enjoy it for this brief moment. Soak it in for the second it’s going to last. 

Proud boyfriend moment. He wants their names on video. Oh! Ming was ready to throw down for his boy! You played with the wrong one, Tong. Tong, you are about to find out that Ming is a villain. You only think you are. It might not happen in this episode, but I promise, you will feel it and when you do, I’m gonna enjoy it. 

The communication!!!

I hate Ming’s family. Despite Ming not wanting to, he did let Joe go. He knows he has to solve this. In the past, he would have manipulated, but he doesn’t here. He is thinking of Joe and not himself. 

Tong who is a douchacanoe whose too stupid to see he has created a disaster for himself. Meanwhile, Ming is such a badass. Yes, he is. Hope in the next episode we see more of the badass Ming. 

[angstysebfan]

My Roommates Boyfriend - Chapter 2

Pairing: Bucky x Female Reader AU: Modern

Chapter Summary: The drive begins... along with some tears.... Warnings: Angst, cursing, asshole Bucky

Series Masterlist

--

You woke up the next morning at 4, just to give you enough time before Bucky arrived. You showered and finished packing some last minute supplies. You had bought snacks for the car and made different playlists, as you weren’t sure what kind of music Bucky listened to. 

At 4:45 exactly your front door opened to reveal Bucky, with a duffel bag over his shoulder. You were busy making coffee in to-go cups. You looked up in surprise, forgetting Nat had given Bucky a key. 

“Remind me to get that key from you before we separate,” you say with a sigh. Buck just rolls his eyes and sits on the couch, saying nothing.

“Good morning Bucky, how do you take your coffee?” you ask sarcastically.

He glares at you, which makes you want to laugh. He obviously isn’t a morning person. 

“Black,” he says.

You put a cover over the black coffee and hand it to him. He takes it and turns to sit on the couch. 

“You’re welcome” you say, rolling your eyes. This was going to be a long trip.

You grab your stuff and you both head out the door. When you get to the car, you grab the keys from your purse, which are quickly yanked from your hand. 

“I’m driving,” he says, getting into the drivers seat.

You angrily throw your bag into the trunk with his and close it. Before getting in, you flip him off behind his back, just to make yourself feel better. Then walk over to the passenger side and get in.

Once you buckle up you take out a stack papers from your purse as Bucky starts the car and immediately pulls away from the curb. 

“Okay, so I have everything mapped out, and even put deposits at a few hotels and motels on the way, separate rooms of course. I also circled some fun things we might want to see before–”

Before you can finish your sentence, Bucky grabs the papers out of your hand and throwing them out of the open window. 

“I’m not gonna following any plan of yours. This is not some fun road trip, alright! The sooner we get there, the sooner we're away from each other. Which can't come soon enough,” he says the last part more to himself, keeping his eyes on the road.

“What the actual fuck Bucky!? You don’t have to be such a douchebag to me all the time!” you say, trying to keep your emotions at bay.

Maybe it was the early hour and the lack of sleep, but you were really trying hard not to cry. Bucky just ignores you and keeps driving, while you tear up in the passenger seat, your arms crossed over your chest. 

“Look, we don’t need some stupid plan. It’s 2020, we have GPS on our phones,” he says.

You decide saying nothing is the best option. You turn away from him and lean your head on the window, allowing the tears to come down. You really wanted to tell him to stop and let you out before you left the city. But then you thought of Nat, and decided that you would make the most of this time. After all, you will never see Bucky Barnes again after this trip. Man did she owe you after this trip.

After an hour of silence, you grab your phone and start looking through the playlists you created. You weren’t sure how to broach the subject with Bucky, since everything you did seemed to annoy him. You find your classic rock playlist, you looked at Bucky. 

“Um… I’m sure you don’t want to sit in silence the whole time. I made a few playlists, since I didn’t know what kind of music you like. I have a classic rock one, if that works for you,” you say cautiously.

Bucky’s eyebrows shoot up for a moment, then he glances at you with an unreadable look.

“You… you like classic rock?” he asks, shocked.

You scoff, “Yeah, what kind of music did you think I listened to?” you ask. He shrugs, not taking his eyes off the road, “Not sure, I thought some Ariana Grande or some shit like that.”

You roll your eyes, “Do you want the classic rock or not?” you ask, getting slightly annoyed.

He smirks, “By all means princess,” he says.

You grab the aux cord and plug it into your phone, ignoring the name called you. Queen’s greatest hits starts playing, and before you know it, you are both bouncing your head to the beat and singing along. You realize this is the first time that you both are near each other and not tearing each other’s heads off. It’s nice, if you were to be perfectly honest.

Soon you find your eyelids getting heavy. You hate falling asleep in the car when there is no one else is in the car. Bucky sees you struggling and rolls his eyes. 

“Just take a nap, I’m fine,” he says.

You look at him for a moment and then lean against the window, allowing your eyes to finally close.

–

Bucky’s POV (not saying anything out loud)

"Look at you, sleeping huddled against the door. You actually look…. adorable, to be honest. Not that I would ever let you know that. I will never let you know I actually find you attractive... more than attractive. Not after what you said about me. You try and act like you're this nice innocent girl, but I know the real truth. You're nothing but judgmental and cruel. Nat might have been fooled, but you couldn’t fool me. 

I still can’t believe Nat is forcing me to drive you across the country. I thought this was going to be my last days with my girl. We both decided long distance was too complicated, so we were going to part as friends. But, man am I going to miss her. She's just so beautiful, and funny, and smart. But she wasn’t my first choice to be honest...

If only you knew that it was you that I was looking at that night. It was you that I wanted to talk to. Good thing I found out who you really are before I made a move. Not that I wasn’t happy with Nat, but it was really you who caught my eye that night. But I won't fall for your good looks, kissable lips, and sweet smile. I’ll continue to keep my distance from you and your tricks because I know who you really are.

–

When you opened your eyes the sun was high in the sky. Your music was still playing, now moving on to The Beatles. You check the time and see that it is past noon. You stretch your arms up, which causes your shirt to ride up, showing just a slight amount of skin. You don’t notice Bucky glancing at it. 

“Where are we?” you ask as you yawn. 

“Western Pennsylvania, not too far from the United 93 Memorial, I think,” Bucky says dryly.

You look at him and bite your lower lip. “Do… uh.. do you think we could stop there? I've always wanted to see it,” you say.

Bucky rolls his eyes. “This isn’t that kind of road trip. I just want to get to Seattle,” Bucky says.

You look down at your hands, nodding sadly, then look back out your window. 

Bucky looks at you while you look sadly out your window. “Fine, we can stop there. Stop your pouting, please!” he says, exasperated.

You look at him and can’t help the smile that comes across your lips. Bucky’s breath hitches when he sees that site, but quickly shakes it off. He starts following the signs toward the memorial site.

After touring the memorial for two hours, you both get into the car. You both have been having quiet conversations about what you remember about 9/11. Where you were, what you were doing, how you felt. It was honestly the easiest and nicest conversation you both have had with each other.

When Bucky gets back onto the highway he sees a sign for a rest stop. “You hungry?” he asks. 

“Starving” you say with a laugh. “I’ll stop at the rest stop to fill up and grab food, but I want to get back on the road quickly since we lost time at the memorial,” he says. You give him a thumbs up and put your playlist back on.

As you are driving toward the rest stop, you think about how today was actually an okay day. Maybe this road trip wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe you and Bucky could make it across the country without killing each other. When you pull up to the gas tank you grab your wallet. 

“What do you want? I’ll grab the food.” you say looking at Bucky.

“Just a burger or something. I’ll get the gas,” he says calmly.

You smile at him before leaving the car. After getting you both 2 burgers, fries, and cokes, you walk back to the car, where Bucky is waiting. You get in and hand him his bag with a smile.

“Took you long enough. I didn’t realize getting a burger was so difficult,” he snaps at you.

You sigh defeatedly, so much for having a good day. “It’s not my fault there was a long line. I got it as fast as I could,” you say calmly.

He scoffs at you, as he takes a bite of his burger. “I’m sure you did the best you could,” he says rolling his eyes. 

You get back onto the highway, with complete silence in the car. The only noise was you both chewing or drinking your soda’s. The sun was starting to set as you passed the Ohio state line. You take out your phone and start looking at hotels in the area, since you are no where near where you planned on driving so all your hotel choices are obsolete. 

“There's a motel about 10 miles up, if you want to stop for the night,” you say, keeping your eyes on your phone. 

“Well, if the princess needs her beauty sleep, then of course I'll stop.” Bucky says sarcastically.

Your eyes shoot up and you look at his side profile. “Excuse me?!” you say, your voice raising. “I was thinking about you, dick! Especially since you've been driving all day. I'd rather not die in an accident because you fell asleep at the wheel. Since you obviously don’t want me to drive, I figured allowing you some rest was the next best option. Do you have to bite my goddamn head off with everything I say?!” You shout.

Bucky laughs, “Oh yeah, like you really give a flying fuck about me. I know what you really think of me. You don’t have to put on this show anymore, Nat's not here,” he says.

You look at him like he has 10 heads. “I would love to know what you think I think of you. I've been nothing but nice to you ever since I first met you. YOU, on the other hand, have been a complete and utter asshole and don’t care if you hurt my feelings.”

Bucky laughs again, “Yeah, keep going with your innocent act. Pretend I’m the bad guy. I may be an asshole, but we both know what you said that night in the bar,” Bucky sneers.

You look at him and scoff, “I actually have no idea what you are talking about, but whatever. Do you want to sleep at the motel or not?” you say annoyed. 

“Fine, I’d be fine sleeping in the car, but I don’t want the princess to be uncomfortable,” he said.

You look back down at your phone, again trying to keep the tears at bay. You hate the way he always manages to get a reaction from you. As you are looking for hotels you get a text from Nat”

-Hey love, how’s the trip?

-Ugh… Bucky is being Bucky. I still don’t know why you wanted the two of us to come together.

-You know I always have my reasons. You're just going to have to trust my instincts on this one.

What does that mean? What does Nat have planned?

--

Part 1 / Part 3

Yeah Bucky is an asshole... and you'll find out why soon. Will it make a difference is the actual question. Also what does Nat mean? If you already read this don't spoil it! Feedback is appreciated!

Permanent Taglist: Permanent Taglist:  @rebekahdawkins @marajade1974 @missvelvetsstuff @phillygirl77 @pattiemac1 @winterslove1917 @vampire7595 @unkasworld @midnightramyeoncravings

Story Taglist: @unaxv

[flightfoot]

ML Fanfic Recs for 2023: 60K - 80K Words

So I’ve been going through and adding particularly good fics I’ve read throughout the year. Only Complete fics, of course. Enjoy!

---

drowning (in plain sight) by @buggachat

Everybody had expected Monarch's defeat to be a moment of triumph. Nobody had expected Gabriel Agreste, unmasked and mind frayed from continual abuse of the miraculous, crying out to all who would listen and making Paris certain of one thing:

His son, Adrien Agreste, is one of his sentimonsters.

And now he's missing.

Nobody can find him— not even the superheroes, and not even his closest friends. But Marinette, Nino, and Alya aren't ones to give up so easily. They'll find him, no matter what it takes.

(But, geez, would it kill Chat Noir to lend a hand?)

I’m sure everyone saw this one coming. If there’s one thing buggachat’s good at, storywise, it’s capturing raw, tumultuous emotions, frantic breakdowns as the characters desperately try to navigate bad situations. This was a real treat to read, as I’m betting most people reading this will agree, given just how popular the fic has been. It also has a ton of fanart, both by buggachat and by random fans, if you go looking for it (there’s a drowning in plain sight tag which I’d advise perusing). 

---

The Rules of Engagement by @overworkedunderwhelmed

When tragedy sends Adrien Agreste racing back to Paris to run his father’s fashion house, Marinette doesn’t expect much from her very new, very rich boss. At least not until she is set up on a blind date with a very familiar face.

Much to her surprise, Adrien Agreste was hiding far more secrets behind his stoic business-like mask of temporary CEO. Maybe as many secrets as she had been trying to hide for years.

As they grow closer, Marinette fears her mask isn’t nearly as foolproof. Day after day, it gets harder for her to keep all her secrets well hidden from the surprisingly sweet man who insisted on staying by her side as often as possible.

Only she couldn’t afford to fail. Not when her biggest secret could spell the end of the job she’d dreamed about for years.

They might not be superheroes in this universe, but secret identities are still active here. Both Marinette and Adrien used to be involved with the Ladybug and Chat Noir movies, and both kept that a secret - Adrien especially, since if his father found out about it, there could be some bad repercussions, as he voiced Chat Noir without Gabriel’s permission. Marinette, meanwhile, is well known for making cosplay (calling herself “Ladybug” after the movie), and has been in contact with “Chat Noir” for quite some time before the story starts - not that she knows he’s the actual VA.

It’s mostly an Adrienette fic with the two of them getting to know each other after their unusual “first” meeting, where Marinette pretended to be Kagami in order to scupper the date with Adrien and get Tomoe off her back, with some intrigue and drama thrown in. Lila’s skulking around causing problems for the people around her, but she’s honestly not the main focus here. 

---

call it even by @anna-scribbles and @sha-nwa

After a year of dating, there is one thing Marinette knows for certain: it's her and Adrien against the world. Through it all, Adrien is kind, patient, and endlessly understanding—even as she tries her best to keep her secret superhero identity hidden from him along with the rest of the world.

Nothing could ruin it, not even the supervillains of Paris: Hawkmoth and Chat Noir.

(adrinette dating // ladynoir enemies au)

This is one of those fics where Adrien and Marinette are REALLY going through it emotionally, with them starting off with wildly different perceptions of each other when untransformed, and then reckoning with the person they love the most being someone they think of as a villain, with all the betrayal and doubt that involves. Especially with Adrien having been lied to extensively by his father, and not knowing who or what to believe.

---

Miraculous Conception series by @ladynoirfanao3

Summary of the first story, The Power Of Creation:

Everyone knows that Ladybug's cure fixes everything after the destruction wrought by Shadow Moth's akumatized villains. After an akuma with an unfortunate power leaves Ladybug and Adrien in an awkward position, Marinette has never been happier to simply forget. However, she soon discovers that her miraculous ladybugs have a limitation on their curing ability, a limitation that puts her in a situation she never expected to be in.

So basically, Ladybug and Adrien run into each other just as an akuma makes everyone in the vicinity extremely horny, and when they both start remembering things again, they’re in a pretty... compromising position. But it’s just an akuma so they put it out of their heads, until Marinette discovers she’s pregnant and has to decide what to do about it, whether to keep the pregnancy, tell Adrien she’s Ladybug and is having his baby, what to do with the earrings when she’s too pregnant to be Ladybug, etc.

I really enjoyed it! Just watching Ladybug and Adrien try and navigate the situation, especially with secret identities thrown into the mix.

The main fics in the series are basically the same story, it’s just that the first one is from Marinette’s perspective, while the second one is from Adrien’s. The Power of Creation is rated M while the Power of Destruction is rated E, but for both fics it’s just rated that for a single sex scene that occurs in the fic (with it being the same sex scene in both fics, just told from two different perspectives).

---

I Put A Spell On You by dazaimaru

Friday, October 25. 6 days until Halloween.

It’s their first high school Halloween dance, and Marinette and Adrien are ready to throw on some non-superhero costumes for once--that is, until an akumatized witch spoils the party and threatens to reveal what lies underneath everyone’s disguise.

With Hawkmoth taking full advantage of the spooky season, the days leading up to Halloween are certainly going to be thrilling! Especially considering Marinette’s growing feelings for a certain black cat…

This one’s mostly just some really cute Lovesquare shenanigans around Halloween, with some really fun sequences like Marinette and Adrien getting body-swapped and Marinette temporarily becoming a vampire (and also Marinette repeatedly stunning Adrien with her outfits. I was just waiting for him to pass out from blood loss from a nosebleed).

---

Through the Looking Glass by @jheqiawrites

Adrien is a lonely child, cut off from the outside world by his parent's strict rules. But when he discovers a window in his closet and sees a young girl looking back at him like his reflection, maybe he has hope for friendship after all.

Poor Adrien here, he makes a long-time friend (who everyone thinks is an imaginary friend), and has several great years interacting with her as his parents grow more concerned with him not growing out of it... and then Emilie dies, Gabriel orders the window destroyed, Adrien’s put on medication to suppress his “hallucinations” (which also makes him forget Marinette) and he’s just kind of left like that for the next several years, until he’s an adult.

Luckily, while Adrien forgot Marinette, Marinette never forgot him, and he’s not too difficult to track down...

This is some really cute Adrienette, if you want a “forgotten childhood friends-to lovers” Adrienette story, you should check this out!

---

Fate, Destiny... A Hamster by @mostmagical

After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien discovers something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else's hamster.

Marinette was so excited to have her first pet. If only it would stop escaping!

At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor.

(Adrienette Never Met AU)

Funnily enough, this is based on a true story. Specifically, the author’s own experience of having her hamster run out and be found by a neighbor.

Anyway, this is adorable! Marinette and Adrien become smitten with each other extremely quickly, with Marinette’s hamster keeping giving them reasons to talk. Very effective wing-hamster, that one XD. 

[jinglyhigh-heels]

Y’all holy shit.

I just finished Do NOT Take This Cat Home, and like. Holy Shit. (I need so much fucking therapy.) (Spoilers under the cut like HEAVILY.)

First of all, of fucking course I would play this when I’m feeling lonely. Literally two days ago, I was thrown into A Mood when a coworker seemed surprised by my lack of friends. Everything feels Stagnant and I’m feeling like. Idek. And then I see this game, and it decides to absolutely Gut me with the dialogue you get if you choose ‘don’t take the cat home’ -> ‘leave’ -> ‘go back’ -> ‘stay’. “What’s the point when you’re always doing all of it completely and utterly alone? Even going home to your apartment wouldn’t help, would it…? One bedroom. One bathroom. …And one you living alone in it.” And then the cat comforting you…not speaking, just meowing, lightly pawing at you, listening as you open up even more… (verbalizing thoughts is so hard) “I really do like being alone most of the time. It’s the only time I really feel comfortable being myself, you know? …But even I get lonely every now and then. It’s easy to ignore when I’m keeping myself busy…” And phew, do I have complicated feelings about whether I actually stay ‘busy’ or not lmfao. “That’s why I pushed myself to go out today, I think…” I’ve done this, but not only out of loneliness and more as a desperate attempt to stave off the monotony of my too-big, too-empty house. “Heh, or maybe I was hoping to make a friend or something…” pfft. AHAHAHAHA. Gonna be honest, I was relating so hard to this scene that this line so viscerally shocked me it got me to laugh. I’m not comfortable with that!! I don’t know how to do that!!! At all!!!! If I were to ever gain a friend by going out, THEY would have to approach ME. And who would ever do that? “…though I guess that wouldn’t be a good idea. I doubt someone like me would make for a very good friend to anyone…” …yeah. And this complex of mine is even worse for online. Like, I’m bad at holding conversations (and initiating them, and knowing when/how to end them…), but at least in person we can be Doing something, take away from the Need for conversation.

…but anyway. Then you say: “okay, okay, maybe I won’t go so far as to say that, but…” I would. I’ve, been told otherwise from outside sources enough to know it’s not entirely true, but it really, truly feels that way to me. And that’s pretty much the end of the explicit dialogue. The scene isn’t over, but this is really what wrecked me.

But ahhhh that’s not even all of it. Not by a long shot. This scene just feels like. The easier? Shorter? Part to explain?

Because now, we gotta talk about the overarching plot of the game. And that is, escaping from an abuser/abusive situation. It didn’t really click for me that that’s what this is, until I went into the game for the second and final time, and actually read the content warnings; which, you can probably guess what it said. Before this, I thought this was a game about unconditional love, and how it can be bad for you. …I honestly still kind of thought that, until I got the dialogue about how this WASN’T unconditional love. In some abstract way I can’t describe, it made sense to me then. I, can’t even describe how now.

…but the point here is that I still longed for it, in some kind of twisted way. The ending where you and the cat groom each other? Where, in a twisted attempt to pay you back from the grooming you gave it, it forces fur to grow both in and out your body—killing you—so it can groom you? When you choose to sleep with the cat, and you stay there forever until you literally crumble into dust? WHEN YOU TURN INTO A DOLL AND CUDDLE, UNTHINKING AND UNFEELING, NEXT TO THE CAT FOREVER?? When you beg for forgiveness to the cats and puke up fish until you die, then are given the chocolate as a sign of forgiveness? (Edit: the pain just made the scraps of kindness so much sweeter. Which. Hoo boy.) Both endings where you give the cat your blood as food? The mice eating you, and the cat killing them all in turn? Even the endings I didn’t directly long for, I often found myself thinking ‘this is fine, right? I’m helping sustain this creature, so it’s fine.’ (Side note though, this is still a fictional story, so this likely doesn’t 1:1 reflect how I would feel in an irl situation like this.)

But I know exactly why I wanted this. In the face of all the horror, the terror, I still wanted this, because it was a love I didn’t have to actually put any work towards. Who cares if I don’t have the energy to initiate conversation? Initiate playtime? No matter how much it hurts, it’ll love me and keep me close in this infinite dance no matter what.

(And what makes this story so great regarding abuse is that it actually WON’T. It’ll beat me down until I won’t resist, absorb my remains, and move on to the next person. (Except I DO resist but that’s something for a discussion about the game’s plot, not. Whatever this is.))

It’s part of the reason I think I was having such a great time looking at a list of cats at my local shelter two days ago. I HAVE cats. I love them dearly! But they’re work, and I feel like I’m not doing things right with them cuz they want and need things and I either can’t understand what they want or I don’t have the energy/motivation to give it to them. But when I look at all these cats that I can adopt, everything is theoretical. I can imagine how much they would love me, how much easier it would be to take care of THIS cat instead of the (already really low maintenance tbh) cats that I already have. THIS cat will fix me. Adding THIS lovable responsibility to my list will TOTALLY make me a more functional human being!

[justauthoring]

content.

*content: in a state of peaceful happiness.

a/n: this is entirely self-indulgent but!!! did you guys see isagi in the most recent episode? i wish his hair was always like that lol. pairing: isagi yoichi x f!reader

It was always uncomfortable being in another person house for the very first time.

The unfamiliar space where everywhere you looked, something was new for you to discover -- it bothered some more than others. And it wasn't necessarily the fact that it was an unfamiliar space and not your familiar, easing apartment; but rather then fact that this was your first time ever spending the night at Isagi's apartment.

Your boyfriend of two months. You'd both decided to take things slow, not really rush into anything. Given his busy schedule as a professional athlete, he wasn't even home all that often so the offer to spend the night just hadn't been made yet.

Until now.

His apartment was so much for lavish then yours. A lot bigger too. You're not sure why you're so surprised; you knew that his job paid well. It's just while you certainly weren't ashamed of your own job or your apartment, his was so large.

You felt like you could get lost just trying to find the washroom.

But after a small, quick tour and a nice dinner that you and Isagi had decided to make together, the night was ending and the tensed silence was enough of an answer for both of you. Isagi's cautious and gentle as he takes your hand in his own, guiding you over to his bedroom where he assures you to get comfortable as he takes a quick shower.

At his offer if you'd like one as well, to which you politely decline, he slips away into the bedroom.

It isn't until you hear the water start running that you get up from the spot you'd rooted yourself on on his bed. You first move to change out of your jeans and blouse, opting for a pair of shorts and one of Isagi's sweaters that you'd stolen from him on a day you'd neglected to bring a coat and he'd been generous enough to offer you his.

(You'd promise him you'd return it to him the next time you saw each other, but you and him both knew you had every intention of keeping it for yourself.)

You move to remove your makeup, grabbing your other hygiene products and getting them ready for when Isagi's done his shower.

Then, you wander. You smile as you come across a photo on his dresser drawer of the two of you from your second date. He'd taken you to an arcade, one that he'd assured his friend had said was awesome, and in it had been one of those photos booths. The blush on your cheeks in undeniable and neither is the warmth that blossoms in your chest at the fact that you kept your copy in a similar spot as him.

There's small little trinkets along the way -- memories from his childhood, the trophies and awards his won along his career, photos of friends and more of you and him and even some of just you.

You get so lost in the moment that the sound of the the bathroom door opening doesn't register -- at least, not until you hear Isagi let out a small 'oh'.

You turn, flushing at having been caught snooping, but there's a smile on his lips you easily recognize the second you meet his eyes that eases your worries without hesitation. And then, the rest of him sinks in and your lips part, eyes widening faintly when you take in the fact that Isagi's elected to only wear a pair of shorts to bed, showing off his toned upper half; and it's not like you've never seen him shirtless before but that coupled with the way his freshly washed, wet hair is slicked back, slightly messy and out of place, leaving his forehead pair...

You've only ever seen Isagi with his hair worn down like it always was -- and you loved it that way!

But this... not only did he look incredibly handsome, there was something so vulnerable about how you were seeing him now. Not dressed in the way he'd left the house for the whole world to see, but comfortable and relaxed in a way usually only he ever got to see.

"Yo..." You mumble, your nickname for him being the only thing you can manage to mutter.

"Is it weird that I think you look so beautiful right now?"

You blink at his words, the blush on your cheeks instantly turning darker. You suddenly feel hot as you lower your gaze, arms moving up to hug yourself, bashful. "I haven't even washed my face yet," you mumble, "I'm sure I look like a mess."

"Nah," he says, shaking his head as he steps towards you. Your eyes slowly flicker up to meet his as he reaches you, lips parting as your heart flutters when he raises his hand, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear with such a gentle touch it's enough to send goosebumps across your arms. "You look amazing."

Unable to stop the smile that curls onto your lips, you tilt your chin up, hands coming up to run through his hair, admiring the way it slicks back, revealing more of his forehead.

"Yeah, well you don't look so bad yourself," you grin.

Isagi shakes his head, flushed. "My hairs a mess."

"I like it," you laugh, "I feel like I've never seen your forehead before."

He chuckles at your light tease, shaking his head before blowing a puff of air up at a strand of hair that falls directly in front of his eyes. You giggle at the action, eyes slowly flickering back to meet his as Isagi's hands move to your hips, pulling you close.

"I still have to brush my teeth."

"Me too," Isagi nods, thumbs rubbing patters underneath your sweater, "wanted to do it together."

"How incredibly domestic of you," you grin, eyes twinkling with warm at such a simple but incredibly kind gesture.

"Yeah well," he shrugs, "I've been wanting you to spend the night for a while."

Brow quirking, you tilt your head; "oh? Have some fun ideas there, babe?"

Turning bright red, Isagi instantly shakes his head; "not like that!" He all but squeals, rushing to get the words out as you cackle in response. Isagi eases when he realized you were just showing, watching for a moment and enjoying as you laugh.

He loves when you laugh.

"I just... I really like you."

Smiling softly, you nod; "I like you too, Yo."

And you take a moment, taking in everything of him with sparkling, warm eyes, before slipping your hand into his own.

“Let’s go?”

“Yeah,” he nods with ease. “Let’s.”

[nostromo13]

Marry the Sea

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Pairing: Nalu

Rating: Gen

Summary: Usually Natsu felt like he knew everything when it came to Lucy. He knows she loves him but now it's come time to propose and he's not so sure if marriage is something she wants.

This was written for @fleuve-des-etoiles for the @allaboutnalu 2023 Gift Exchange. Sorry it took so long to get out. Life has me busy but I loved writing this.

I owe a big thank you to Tokkias for being my beta for this fic. She put so much work into this, so smooches for her

AO3 Link

Lucy didn’t like surprises. Her friends knew her birthdays weren’t to be made a fuss of and any special achievements such as her book award required no more than a personal, close-circle dinner at a budget-friendly restaurant. No splashing out on her account.

If she took the care to analyse this feeling properly she could probably identify the source as some unspecifiable upset from the hundreds of surprises that came from having wealth. There were the low-effort, entirely symbolic trinkets that counted as birthday presents from her father – usually bought by the house staff – which didn’t make for a great foundation of trust in gift giving. And there were the bountiful gifts from potential courters, all with a transparent intention behind them wrapped up in crepe paper and finished with professionally tied bows. She had had enough of gifts by the time she left the Heartfilia mansion.

As such, a dilemma arose upon the start of her relationship with Natsu. Her love language was quality time, either by themselves or with Happy. It didn’t matter where, as long as she could enjoy her time with her new boyfriend. Natsu's, however, was gift giving.

Lucy had explained to him after the third little trinket that he had given her for no particular reason other than he liked it and thought it would look pretty on her that she simply wasn’t interested in that sort of thing. It set off something in her that made her want to cry that she wasn’t his dress-up doll and she hated feeling like someone else was trying to make her pretty or put her on display.

She knew it wasn’t like that, though. Natsu, for all his dragon tendencies, wanted to make her smile with his giving. She wasn’t his hoard – although wherever that was hidden away it did have a lot of similar jewellery to the sort she wore. She wished she could make more room for his love language and as such she let him go all out for birthdays and Christmas. She tried to meet his gusto when she could.

After four years of resigning gifts as a solely birthday affair, Natsu now had to figure out how to propose to her without touching the nerve that led straight to the ‘gift’ trigger portion of Lucy’s brain. He had even pulled in the big guns to help him plan the right approach.

“I don’t see how it’s the same thing as a gift. I think she’ll be fine with it, Natsu.” Levy was offering her insight, albeit unhelpfully so far.

They had gathered along with Gray, excluding the rest of their team because Erza had the tact of a pinwheel and would blow the operation in her next conversation with Lucy and the guilt of keeping a secret would eat away at Wendy from the inside out. The Exceeds had never really gotten the hang of human dating rituals. Case and point Happy understanding his finally winning Carla over as the result of his continued fish offerings.

“If it feels like the natural time for you both, I don’t see why you shouldn’t.” Levy continued as Natsu shook his head.

“What if it’s the right time for me but it isn’t for her? I don’t want to push her.”

“You don’t want it to be a repeat of Joe. That’s what you’re worried about.” Gray interjected. As much as they grated on each other, Gray was good at being his back up when Natsu truly needed it. It was a once in a blue moon occurrence but Natsu couldn’t help but be glad for his long-term nemesis right now.

Joe had been Lucy’s boyfriend prior to Natsu at 22 and things had gotten pretty serious. They had done all but move in together when Joe popped the question and it had sent Lucy running in the other direction. She had loved him and she had loved his family, but for whatever reason that Natsu hadn’t deciphered in the three years since then that he and Lucy had been dating, she hadn’t been ready to get married.

“It won’t be another Joe.” Levy spoke rather sternly. The script mage was convinced that just because he was Natsu and he was Lucy’s partner, that they were eternally bonded and Lucy wouldn’t dream of turning down his proposal. All he had to do, in her eyes, was gather the balls to ask.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be nervous.” Levy shifted her tone when she realised she was erring on the side of unsympathetic. “Of course you’re going to be nervous. She’s the love of your life.”

Gray made a nauseous face at that, earning a playful elbow from Natsu. “Maybe a ring isn’t the right move.” He added, trying to be at least somewhat helpful.

“Lucy’s never responded well to jewellery.” Natsu agreed, getting an immediate objection from Levy.

“She liked that last necklace you got her. She wears it all the time.”

“And she helped me find the ring I proposed to Juvia with.” Gray added.

Natsu gave it a hard thought. “Did she give any indication of whether she would want one? From me?”

“We didn’t talk about it. She was dating him at the time and it didn’t really seem relevant. She was always going to end up with you anyway.”

That seemed to calm him a little. His nerves were racing even through the planning stage but if everyone else saw what he had from way before the war with the Alvarez empire that maybe, just maybe, Lucy loved him as much as he did her.

Or very possibly it wasn’t about love and marriage just wasn’t something she wanted, in which case they would work around it.

Having given all the advice she could reasonably give, Levy called over her husband, currently arrested himself in the demand of two four year olds gripping onto his arms and dangling off the floor.

“Did Salamander decide whether he was gonna do it or not?” He asked, directing his question to his wife as if the other two weren’t sitting across from her.

“Yeah, I think I will.” Natsu replied. “It’s all I want right now and I want to at least have the conversation with her.”

“That’s the right spirit, Natsu.” Levy agreed.

Gajeel guffawed in his gravelly voice, the sharpest of his teeth showing in his amusement. “Make sure ya get a return receipt on that ring.”

Yeah, that didn’t help.

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

When the day finally came, Natsu had everything planned down to the minute. He had put more effort into this than anything else in his life – including the trials in which he had succeeded at gaining S-Class mage status.

He was intent on at least talking to Lucy about it even if she didn’t end up saying yes right there. The worst-case scenario was her doing the same thing she did to her ex and bolting after the smallest explanation she could muster. Only this time Natsu wasn’t an outsider to the guild and it would affect their whole social lives and work.

They had just finished a mission together when they were off on their date. Casual clothing – nothing that could tip her off or make it so big a deal that she would feel pressured. They’d gathered a few foods from her kitchen, put them in a basket so they would be easier to carry and set off for the park for an afternoon lunch.

“I love Jason but I sometimes wish he wasn’t so pushy with getting me to ask my friends if they will do shoots for him.” Natsu listened as Lucy described her recent run in with their favourite reporter. He and Lucy really were good friends from her time as a journalist with Sorcerer Weekly but since then Jason, feeling the pressure from his bosses to churn out more content of Fiore’s top guild, had been trying to use his connection with Lucy to influence Mira and the other Fairy Tail girls to model for him. While they were happy to, on occasion, the weekly permanent contracts that Jason was pushing for weren’t conducive to the busy life of a Fairy Tail Mage.

“What did he say when you asked him to stop?”

“He just got all sad.” Lucy shrugged. “I know it’s none of my responsibility and he’s not trying to make it so it is but I feel kind of bad.”

“Eh, it’s his job, and it sounds more like his bosses are screwing up.”

Her boyfriend, ever the blunt one. Lucy chuckled to herself. “It’s not like that in that world of work. He can’t just drop a client like us because he doesn’t like the way they speak. You can’t just change your bosses.”

“Sounds dumb.” He shook his head. It took a second for him to realise how dismissive he might have sounded. “I’m glad you came back with me instead of staying at that job.” He added softly. 

“Me too.” She smiled at him.

They had known generally what area they would sit in when they entered the park. Picnics weren’t out of place for them and Lucy particularly loved sitting near the duck pond so they aimed for about there. They managed to find a nice shady spot that got enough of the Spring breeze but also the summer warmth that May was beginning to invite in.

Lucy waited for Natsu to finish spreading out the blanket before placing their items down and unpacking their basket. Some fruits, some sweeter snacks for later and Marmalade sandwiches, a quirk Lucy had brought with her from her hometown that, when she had introduced it to Natsu, it had become a firm favourite. Now, whenever they passed through Acalypha on the way back from a mission, she always made sure to pick up a fresh jar.

Natsu reached for the Tupperware of cakes, stopping himself just as his fingers met the rim of the plastic. He wanted to be on his best behaviour today and going for dessert first didn’t fall under that. Unless doing just that would tip her off. And surely he should act like his usual self today.

As if answering his question, his fingers were moved out the way by more dainty ones. He watched as Lucy removed the lid for him, taking a slice of Battenberg from the options and raising it to her lips, taking a big bite.

He watched almost in awe. Lucy never broke social etiquette, especially not around food. He was pretty sure such a thing went against her coding.

“Go on Natsu.” She smiled widely at her sputtering boyfriend. She brushed a few crumbs from the corner of her mouth where her unusual haste had spread some.

He didn’t need to be told twice. He took the plate she offered, filling his plate so full that the weight of the mini cakes and the structure of the plate made it look like a paper plate taco in his grip.

Eventually they got through the deserts and onto the sandwiches, Lucy admittedly feeling a little sickly after so much sugar. That was never a hazard for her partner. They had struck up in that time a conversation debating which of their guildmates would win a Ninja obstacle course – whatever one of those was.

The debate had reached the point where Natsu had stood up, waving his arms about, animatedly presenting his argument as to why Laxus could not win at the inflatable obstacle course section.

“He would blow up the course because of the static electricity or something. He couldn’t touch the thing without it exploding beneath him because his electricity would fuck everything up, right?”

“I thought magic was banned from this.” Lucy asked, taking another bite of a sandwich. “I think he would just run around, anyway.”

“No, that would be banned.”

“But the Exceeds flying isn’t?”

“Yeah, well, the floor is Lava or something, I don’t know.” He grinned, not deflated at all by her pragmatism. This was how their conversations usually went on dates like this. She would propose some stupid idea – the Guild Obstacle Course coming from her mind and not his– and Natsu would take it and run with it while she offered a more practical perspective on things.

He sat himself down beside her, arms outstretched on the grass as she leaned into his shoulder. “I think Erza would win.”

“Yeah, she would.” He agreed, more occupied with the feel of her hair against his cheek than expanding on their argument.

“Although.” Lucy began to add, popping her head up suddenly from their rest, “Sabertooth could give us a good run for our money.”

“But they’re not in the guild.”

“So, we’d open it up to other guilds. We could make a rival Grand Magic Games.”

“With no magic?” 

“Oh, yeah.” She seemed to sink back into thinking. Before she could think up a new line of enquiry, Natsu thought it best to try and steer her onto a more affectionate type of conversation. Hopefully that would calm the thrumming in his chest that had taken route there the night before. 

“Cana’s been talking about proposing to Abigail.” Smooth, dragon slayer.  He chastised himself for showing his talent for bluntness.

Lucy smiled, though showing no suggestion that she had caught onto his internal anxiety. “I like Abi. I think she’s been really good for Cana and Cana’s been good for her.”

“The guild’s income has been suffering from it.”

“More alcohol for Macao’s lot, I guess.”

They shared a laugh. Opening his eyes, Natsu looked at her as she giggled. Her eyes were on the duck pond where a small cluster of the ducks of Magnolia South Gate Park were gathered, picking their lunch out of a soggy white bread loaf that some teenagers had chucked into the pond whole. Sometimes she smiled as if she was so entirely content with life. Ducks made her content, Wednesday evenings with him made her content, as did birthday parties and nights out with their friends. He hoped it didn’t mean there wasn’t room for more in their relationship. That maybe she was too content with her life as it was now for things to change.

The weight of the box in his pocket felt heavier as he watched, requiring a quick shake of the head to reset the feeling. He could only talk to her.

“Lucy.” Natsu spoke, thanking his voice for not giving out on him when it counted. She gave him her attention, smiling because there was no way she could see the anxiety bubbling inside his gut. At least that settled him a little. “If I proposed, what would you say? I already have the ring. I just need to know if that is something you would want.”

Lucy’s smile dropped into surprise. Her stare was stuck on his, and for a moment the cogs seemed to slow. But not into a stressed jutting, more into a peaceful, steady clicking.

 Her smile bloomed.

“I would say yes.”

If she expected the conversation to end there, she didn’t stop him as he moved onto one knee. His hand tugged the box from the pocket of his trousers, presenting its black velvet exterior before effortlessly prizing it open. Her eyes widened as if she hadn’t realised that he had meant now, but she easily found herself settling into the pull of it.

“Lucy. You’re my best friend.” Natsu felt his cheeks ache with his broad grin. “I think you might be the best thing that ever happened to me and Happy. Even if you’re not always happy with us and we insult you sometimes. You let me take you on adventures and you make me feel comfortable because that is just what you do. You make everyone feel okay with being themselves around you. I think you’re so strong and kind and I love watching you practice your magic because you just care about your spirits, without anyone asking you to. I think it’s incredible. I love you and I want to marry you. Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Lucy half-whispered. “Yes, I will.” 

She met him on his knees, her hands clutching onto his shoulders as she kissed him over and over. “Can I put the ring on you?” He asked between pecks. 

She nodded, leaning into his shoulder as he tugged the ring from its hold in the velvet. The kiss had made her breathless but the feel and sight of him slipping the ring on her left hand had the sort of butterflies she had only felt with him making her skin tingle. “Natsu, it’s beautiful.”

The ring itself was simple but vintage – not that he could spell the word – and had a round garnet set in the middle. He had chosen it by himself but at Levy’s instruction he had taken one of Lucy’s rings with him for the sizing. It was still loose by a small bit but they could get it resized no problem. Right now he was just happy it was a hit. “Gods, I would’ve been okay if you had just wanted to date instead of getting married but I’m so glad I won’t have to return the ring. The shop man was super weird.” 

“Was it that shop just off the marketplace? Levy says that guy is super intense about green engagement rings and thinks everyone should have one.”

He chuckled, unaware that such a guy had existed. “No, I got it in Hargeon.”

“Oh,” She felt her blush blossom more.

“Shit, I love you.” He let out an exasperated sigh. “I was so worried you’d say no.” 

“Why would I?” She had to take a second to think. “I sort of knew you were going to propose. I would have said something sooner if I didn’t want you to.” 

“You knew?”

“I– yeah. I’ve been nervously rambling all afternoon. Could you not tell?” She laughed. An hour ago she was barely making it through a conversation without blurting whatever she could think about, work, and modelling and whatever. Natsu had never been one to ignore her when she felt like she was being boring but she wouldn’t have blamed him for a disinterested sound.

“Why were you nervous?” His brow had softened and he’d taken to stroking her fingers between his own wanting to listen.

“I didn’t want to accidentally ruin whatever you had planned. I don’t know, really. You can always sort of tell when a guy’s about to propose but you never know when it’ll happen.”

“Did you know with Joe?”

Lucy swallowed, nodding. “He sort of got happy whenever he was around me. And since I didn’t really want that with him I just ignored it until I couldn’t any longer.”

“But you do want this with me?”

“Yes.” She nodded harder. “I didn’t know it at the time but I broke things off with him because of you. I think you’ve always been in my heart even if it took me a while to realise it.” She didn’t let him speak. “I love you and I want this with you, more than anything.”

Natsu kissed her again, hands pressed to her cheeks to pull her in and she smiled into it. His fingers tangled into her hair and he sighed, finally content. He had everything he wanted right here and he could spend his lifetime making her happy.

[bethanydelleman]

Anne de Bourgh is probably just sick

It really bothers me when people speculate that Anne isn’t really sick or that she is a victim of Munchhausen's by proxy because it makes Lady Catherine a monster instead of a uppity busy-body. There is nothing in the text to indicate that Anne is even unhappy at home or feels stifled by her mother! She is presented as ill.

First of all, it was very common back then for people to be sickly. No modern medicine meant vaccine preventable diseases were running rampant many of which can cause lifelong complications (except smallpox, that vaccine was rolling out) and if you had something like a heart condition, no medication or surgery. There are many "sickly" people in history who are suspected of all sorts of conditions. Anne could suffer from something as simple as chronic anemia or from a congenital heart condition or many other things. Diagnosis lagged behind cures in many cases, for example, Type 1 Diabetes has been correctly diagnosed for hundreds of years but it was just a death sentence until they learned how to manufacture insulin.

Second, Anne is physically different from her family and shockingly so. Maria cries out in surprise, “Only look at her. She is quite a little creature. Who would have thought she could be so thin and small!” Elizabeth later describes her thusly, “Miss de Bourgh was pale and sickly: her features, though not plain, were insignificant”. Given that almost every other member of the Fitzwilliam family (Darcy, Georgiana, and Lady Catherine) are described as tall and “formidable”, this indicates a long-standing illness.

Third, there is no evidence that Lady Catherine is in any way cruel or abusive towards her daughter. Anne has her little phaeton to ride around on, Lady Catherine brings people to play pianoforte and cards for her daughter's amusement, and she has a round the clock health attendant, Mrs. Jenkinson. She seems excessively concerned about Anne's health, which wouldn't help to fake keep her sick, "except when Mrs. Jenkinson expressed her fears of Miss de Bourgh’s being too hot or too cold, or having too much or too little light" and "Mrs. Jenkinson was chiefly employed in watching how little Miss de Bourgh ate, pressing her to try some other dish, and fearing she was indisposed,"

Fouth, Anne if anything, seems like a Lady Catherine mini-me than a poor stifled child. She makes Charlotte stand outside to talk to her, which Elizabeth calls rude. She also is a tyrant over her guests:

Miss De Bourgh chose to play at cassino, the two girls had the honour of assisting Mrs. Jenkinson to make up her party.... When Lady Catherine and her daughter had played as long as they chose

In Mansfield Park, Mrs. Grant makes a big pretense of wanting to play whist for her husband’s sake but making it seem like the guests’ choice. Both Anne and Lady Catherine choose without reference to their guests and they play for as long as they want.

But mostly, why in the world would Lady Catherine make her daughter sick if her life goal is to have Darcy marry Anne? Who is going to marry someone who looks like they will die in a stiff wind? Lady Catherine's probably relying on family duty because she knows her daughter is basically unmarriageable. She's frail! She can't even play piano much less run Pemberley, and Lady Catherine is aware of that which is why her only chance is hinting at her nephew and yelling at women he dares to propose to!

Now is it possible that Lady Catherine is treating Anne with something that makes her more ill? Certainly. But that would be an honest mistake and not malicious. Also, we see in Sense & Sensibility that the doctor tries a new remedy when the last fails, so I think it is more probable that Lady Catherine would have gone though many treatments and many doctors, all of whom have failed or maybe resulted in very small improvements.

Anne de Bourgh being an only child and a sickly one is Lady Catherine’s only sympathetic feature. It seems more likely to me that the reason Lady Catherine tries to control and advise others is because the only thing she can’t change is Anne. If Lady Catherine is inflicting this illness on Anne she just becomes an irrational monster. It’s far more likely that Lady Catherine is deeply disappointed that she can’t present Anne at court and parade her around.

People with MbyP usually want to be praised for taking care of their child. Not so with Lady Catherine. The compliments Lady Catherine appreciates are Mr. Collins saying it’s sad Anne can’t be out. She assures people that if Anne was well she would have been awesome. This points more to disappointed hopes than wanting to be seen as a supermom.

MbyP is also super rare. It's far more likely that Anne is just sick or is a result of too many cousins marrying cousins, or is a contrast to healthy, vibrant Elizabeth. Jane Austen also LOVES writing hypochondriacs and when she does, it is always very clear but Anne de Bourgh is presented as just sickly.

Additional Note: The JAFF trope where Elizabeth, uneducated girl that she is, knows what is wrong with Anne/knows the treatment is hurting her is just kind of laughable. If anything she would say something like, “You shouldn’t bleed her, mercury is the way to go.”  Also Lady Catherine would probably laugh in her face and ask her for some credentials.

[randomprose]

the rest is confetti

written for the satosho server weekly prompt: wedding [ao3] shoko and satoru get married—twice

When Shoko decided to get married, and when Satoru said it’s gonna be a traditional wedding because of the clan and both of their standing in Jujutsu society, she didn’t think much of it.

When Shoko let him slip that very shiny ring on her finger, she knew exactly what she was getting into.

Hell, she knew it the day Satoru finally got his shit and his words together long enough to ask her out on a date, and she knew it when she leaned it at the end of it to kiss him.

So Ieiri Shoko entered the wedding planning process and it didn’t come as a surprise to her at all that everything would be chaotic and hectic. To say the least.

What did come as a surprise, however, is how…not well Satoru is taking it all in.

While the usual planning and preparation time of a wedding as big and as important as theirs—she is well aware despite not really seeing the point of it—takes six months to a full year, theirs were all set and done in just two months. Which doesn’t really surprise her given the extent of the Gojo clan’s wealth and influence.

In two months, Shoko was ushered in and out of dress fittings and alterations, food and cake tasting, wine sampling (which she thoroughly enjoyed), flowers and decor (which she really didn’t care much for), and all other inanity such as seating arrangements and memorizing clan members. The last part was fairly easy having been in and out of the Gojo estate and having met most of Satoru’s kinsmen since becoming friends with him. It’s the other clans she couldn’t give less of a fuck about.

Everything went relatively alright and smoothly considering both hers and Satoru’s very busy schedule. And all the while Shoko was just thinking they just needed to get through all these frivolities and then they’re golden.

And then Satoru goes AWOL the day before the wedding. Shoko finds him hours later in the clan’s secret garden hiding in the gazebo she and Satoru used to lounge around with Suguru when they would visit in the summers.

“Thought I’d find you here,” Shoko says as she spots him lying on the gazebo’s cold marble floor. “What? Getting cold feet?”

“Marrying you? As if,” Satoru scoffs from his place on the floor. 

“We can still call off, you know? The wedding isn’t until tomorrow. We have time.”

“What, and have my clan and all of Jujutsu society on our ass forever?” Satoru runs a hand through his hair. He has a bitching headache and it's obvious with the way his brows are pinched. “Listen, Shoko. I need you to know that you’re the only one I’m sure about in this whole fucking circus, okay? I’m not backing out on that. And you can’t either! I'm just having an off day that's all! Don’t think you can use this as an excuse to back out!”

“I know that, doofus. And I’m not running away. I’m not the one who’s gone awol and went into hiding the day before their wedding, am I?” Shoko says as he sits by his head, putting a hand over his eyes to soothe them and rid him of his migraine. He’s in the mood for jokes even in his state and that’s a good sign. “So, what is this really about?”

“It’s just…” Satoru sighs in relief as he feels her technique course through him. The pinch in his brows is gone. “I’m sorry for putting you through all this bullshit. I know it’s not your style.”

Shoko smiles exasperatedly. Of course, Gojo Satoru will have a meltdown the day before their wedding.

“Please. Give me some credit. I knew what I was getting into the moment I allowed your dork ass to hang around me.”

“Oh, yeah? What, that you’ll one day be marrying the strongest sorcerer?”

“That you’ll one day bamboozle me into somehow agreeing to marry you, yes.”

“Oh, shut up. You beat me to the punch and asked first,” Satoru retorts, clambering up to lay his head on her lap. “You love me.”

“Of course, I do,” Shoko answers without missing a beat and they sit like that for a while with her fingers carding through his hair until the edges of his eyes have softened and his face finally relaxed.

“Man,” Satoru sighs after a while. “This whole thing kinda got away from us, huh?”

“You know I don’t care about any of this, right? But I’m okay to go along with it all because it’s you I get to meet at the end of the aisle.” Shoko looks at him, really looks at him. “Now, I’m asking you. What do you want?”

She’s asking him what he wants. Outside of him being the strongest sorcerer of their time, beyond him being the head of the Gojo clan, taking aside his duty to Jujutsu society and the world it promises to protect, Shoko is asking him what he wants as just him. As just Satoru.

“You,” Satoru answers without hesitation. He sits up so he can look at her properly. “I just want you.”

“Okay,” Shoko smiles. “Then you have me.”

In the next second, Shoko had sneaked them out of the secret backdoor hidden in the garden’s hedges and into a car. She tells Satoru to drive to the airport while she makes some calls. When Satoru asks where they’re going, Shoko just simply tells him ‘Tokyo’ and to drive fast so they can catch the next flight out. She holds up a finger in a shushing motion when Satoru tries to say something because Suguru has already picked up on the other end of the line. 

Shoko knows their friends won’t be flying out to Kyoto for the Gojo estate until tomorrow. She tells Suguru to round up the gang and to get Yaga certified to officiate then meet them at the school in two hours.

It is only when they’re sitting in the plane’s first-class cabin do Satoru says, “You know I could’ve just teleported us to Tokyo, right?”

“I know, but we gotta give the gang time to get ready. It’s lucky Utahime and Mei are on a mission in Tokyo right now. She’ll want to get presentable first at least.”

They get to Jujutsu High with just enough time for Utahime to squeeze Shoko out of her sensible turtle neck and trousers into a pantsuit at her insistence. She also does Shoko’s hair in a modest updo and puts light make-up on her. Mei-mei hands her a bouquet. 

In another room, Suguru and Yuu manage to wrangle Satoru out of his shirt and jeans into a white button-up and slacks. Kento lends him one of his suit jackets and tames his unruly white hair into a slick do.

They get married on the school grounds at dusk with Yaga blubbering through half the ceremony and his officiation and lecturing them about how they’re impulsive idiots who are a pain in his ass and that he loves them both very much.

Shoko tosses her bouquet and Utahime catches it. Satoru makes a teasing quip about it and Utahime counters by saying she’ll be walking the aisle next for when Shoko divorces him.

Their reception is held at their favorite izakaya and Satoru and Shoko cut a cake bought by Haibara from Satoru’s favorite bakery.

And then, after all the festivities and the congratulations and the ‘see you tomorrow’s, Shoko and Satoru hop on a flight back to Kyoto (because Satoru took a sip of Shoko’s sake and was feeling a little woozy to teleport) and retire to their respective rooms when they get back to the Gojo clan's estate. 

In the morning, Satoru and Shoko get married in the traditional way that was expected of people of their standing, with the Gojo clan and all the representatives of major Jujutsu clans in attendance, the Council, and everyone who’s anyone in the Jujutsu society. Their friends are among the crowd of attendees, no less excited and happy for them than they were the day before.

“Is this your first time?” Satoru asks lowly once they’re arm in arm. “Getting married, I mean.”

“Not really,” Shoko shrugs. “I’ve been married before. You?”

“Oh, same.”

“Good to know we both have some experience then.” 

“Just so you know, Mrs. Gojo-Ieiri,” Satoru says leaning down so only his wife could hear. “I would marry you a thousand times over any day, anytime, anywhere.”

“Eehh,” Shoko smirks shifting closer and bumping shoulders with her husband. “How very romantic of you, Mr. Ieiri-Gojo.”

Shoko and Satoru share knowing secretive smiles throughout the ceremony.

[verymuchimmortalcat]

I'm captivated by you, baby, like a fireworks show

For Bio Dad! Bruce Wayne Month, Prompt: Dating ao3 @maribat-bdbwm

Marinette paces across her room, glaring at her phone. Tikki had given up on her a while ago and was probably raiding the kitchen now. She types out a message, ‘would you be free on saturday?’ before backtracking and deleting it again. Why is this so hard? It’s just Jon. Too busy trying to figure out how to ask him out, she doesn’t notice when Dick pokes his head through the door and asks, “Something wrong?”

She jumps a bit in shock and he laughs. Glaring at him, she says, “No, not at all. Get out.”

Unsurprisingly, her brother doesn’t listen to her and walks right in, sitting down on her bed.  She stuffs her phone into her pocket before he sees too much. But because her siblings are both extremely annoying and ridiculously skilled, he catches sight of something and puts it together almost immediately. Marinette groans internally as his eyes light up and he grins. “It’s about your crush on Jon then?”

Hoping her face isn’t as red as a tomato, she shoots back, “What crush? I don’t have a crush on Jon Kent.”

Dick (truly an appropriate name for him, she thinks) laughs again, “And Tim has a regular sleep schedule.”

She doesn’t give in, “Really? Good that he fixed that then.”

Undeterred, he continues, “Just ask him out. I’m fairly certain he’ll say yes.”

Marinette sighs and walks over to her brother, sitting down next to him. “It’s not like I’m not trying. I just don’t know what to say. It’s not like I can just ask him to a movie or to play video games or anything. We do all that all the time. How will he know it’s a date?”

“Tell him it’s a date.”

She scoffs, “Right. Because that’s not terrifying at all.”

He offers her a smile, “Even if he says no, what’s the worst that could happen.”

She replies immediately, “He doesn’t want to be friends anymore and everything becomes so awkward that I have to move to Antarctica.”

He gives her a look, “The most realistic worst case scenario.”

“I don’t know how to do those.”

He sighs, “Even if he says no, which by the way is extremely unlikely, you’re not going to stop being friends. You’ve been friends forever.”

“But-”

“Just think it over.” And he pushes himself off her bed and walks out her room. Marinette lets herself fall back. It’s fine, she tells herself, it’ll probably go away soon enough.

.oOo.

It does not go away but it doesn’t really affect her interactions with Jon either. Things are normal and normal is sitting in the living room and beating Jon at video games. She turns to look at him, ready to rub her victory in his face but she’s met with a look so full of affection that she falters. Somewhat vaguely, she considers the possibility of Dick being right in his belief that Jon would want to go out with her.

Jon frowns, eyebrows scrunching adorably in confusion and it strikes Marinette that she’s acting weird. But before she can say anything, the door opens and Damian walks in. “Kent, we have to leave now.”

Beside her Jon looks surprised, “Already?”

“Unexpected developments. Father wants us downstairs immediately.”

He frowns but gets up nonetheless, shooting her an apologetic smile. Marinette waves him off, “It’s fine, not like I don’t bail on you all the time.”

“You also apologise profusely every single time,” he points out.

She grins at him, “You can make your apologies next time.”

“I will,” he promises, getting up and leaving the room. Damian looks at her questioningly once Jon has left the room. “What?” she snaps.

“Get together and end this misery.”

She splutters, “Damian, if-”

“If he hears me, maybe he’ll finally believe me when I tell him you like him too.” And then he walks out of the room before Marinette can grab him and thoroughly interrogate him.

She’s in desperate need for better siblings. Except Cass, Cass is the best.

.oOo.

Marinette takes it back, Cass is the worst. Her older sister grins mischievously and repeats, “You want to know if Jon likes you?”

The part of Marinette that thought this was a good idea has shrivelled up and died. Yes, Cass will know for sure but also Cass is definitely going to tease her about this for the next while. Regardless she nods, “Please?”

“Do you think he likes you?”

She groans, “Maybe. I don’t know. Why do you want to know?”

The older girl’s grin widens, “It’s funny.”

Marinette glares, getting up to leave. She’s at the door when Cass calls out, “He does.”

She turns, “huh?”

“He does like you, it’s very obvious. Steph thinks he has heart eyes. I agree.”

Marinette’s heart is racing and she can’t stop smiling. “Thank you,” she breathes out before running out the room.

As soon as she’s back in her room, she pulls out her phone to text Jon. Tikki looks at her, confused. “I’ll explain in a minute.”

Marinette: are you free on saturday?

Jon: yup Jon: movie night?

Marinette: yes Marinette: it’s a date

Her phone starts ringing instantly. Taking a deep breath, she picks up. “Hi.”

He skips the greeting, “You meant it when you said it was a date? Like an actual romantic date?”

She bites her lip, her siblings like messing with her but they wouldn’t lie about this. “Yes.”

“I’d love to go on a date with you,” is the breathless reply that comes and Marinette can hear the smile she knows so well. An identical one spreading across her face. “See you Saturday then? The usual time?”

Tikki gasps.

“Ok.”

“Ok,” she repeats, still smiling. The conversation turns from there, switching to their usual topics. Admittedly there’s so much more giggling than normal. Tikki squeals when the call ends. “Oh Marinette, I’m so proud of you.”

Marinette blinks, letting everything settle in before squealing, “Holy shit! I actually did that!!”

Tikki giggles and hugs her holder’s cheek.

.oOo.

It’s at family dinner, two days later that Jason asks, “Could you not have waited one more week, Pixie?”

She tilts her head in confusion, “For what?”

“Dating the tiny Superboy.”

She stares at him for a second, processing his words before screeching, “You bet on this??????”