#I apologize for the lack of grannies

[pourablecat]

The Carpe Jugulum coven! Maiden, mother and (extremely unwilling) crone. Nanny gains all of Granny's extra wrinkles and dark circles when she's not here. Marks the first time I used a brown gel pen that does not - and this is very important - leak all over the page, and also the first time I bothered to scan my doodles instead of using my crappy laptop camera.

#discworld #discworld fanart #discworld witches #gnu terry pratchett #magrat garlick #of lancre etc. etc. #Esmeralda Margaret Note Spelling of Lancre #coochie coochie! #nanny ogg #or #gytha ogg #agnes nitt #perdita x dream #I meant to draw a little chain of star trinkets around her hat #she might have kept some old things from her time in the elf-baiting teenage coven #footwear speaks louder than words #magrat probably tried to lose her glasses for Queenliness for some time #and then gave up #I apologize for the lack of grannies #maybe later

[seeingivy]

pls do "the story of us" for ur gojo x taylor swift series 🙏🙏

the story of us

satoru gojo x f!reader

**part of my satoru as taylor swift songs series

content: gojo is ur roommates best friend, he is annoying (more teen gojo I am arrogant bastard vibes then sweetie teacher baby gojo), hoes are fighting, hoes are in the most complicated situationship on the planet earth, mistletoe, ice skating, sukuna as an annoying ex, mysterious evil dad figure for gojo

an: proof im the most annoying writer ever. made a poll for taylor as gojo to, for a second time now, ignore those options and write a completely different songs. sincerest apologies but gojo as taylor fans come get yall juice.

--

“Good morning, you hag.” Satoru states, in a fell swoop, crashing any hopes you had of having a good morning. 

“Good morning, you garden troll.” you respond. 

You rub the sleep out of your eyes, rummaging through the cabinets for a bowl, as he jumps up off the couch and joins you in the kitchen, keen and eager to annoy you bright and early in the morning. 

He’s leaning on the granite countertops at your side, his blue eyes peering over those god awful sunglasses he’s always intent on wearing - despite the fact that it’s quite literally raining outside - and gives you a jeering smile. 

“So, do all girls wear granny nightgowns or is it just you?” he asks, twisting the end of your pigtail braids in his hair. You immediately smack his hand off and glare, turning around to reach for the milk. 

“Do all boys have tiny dicks and overcompensate with a shitty personality or is it just you?” you iterate back, earning a satisfying glare back from him. 

With his snow white hair and annoyingly glimmering blue eyes, your roommate's best friend, Satoru Gojo, is quite literally the biggest nuisance you’ve ever met in your life. Clearly a rich kid, trust fund type, you can tell that Satoru, in earnest, has never worked a day in his life. And his lack of tact and self awareness truly reflects that. 

It’s embedded deep in the way that he acts. Because Satoru saunters from place to place, showing up at your apartment with no consideration or respect for you and Suguru, bats his pretty eyes at his professors when he’s failing, flirts with girls before he cheats off of their tests, and the list goes on and on. 

 One thing is clear. That he’s a spineless, pathetic little manchild. 

And you’re not sure why, what it is specifically about you, but he’s clearly made it his personal mission in life to antagonize and irritate you.Maybe it’s the fact that you yelled at him the first time he ever showed up in this apartment, that you couldn’t help but disagree with every word that came out of his mouth, that at his core he just agitated you - but it led you to this horrible predicament that you’re in now. 

That you ended up having to room with Suguru, when Sukuna dumped you and kicked you out. And that, of course, the universe was always in your favor, and you ended up at the one place Satoru was when he wasn’t shamelessly flirting with any living organism, which was right outside your room. 

Right on cue, the front door slams open and Suguru’s barging in, wildly out of breath and panting. His usual fixed, pristine bun is in a mess, his pupils wide and dilated as he looks at the two of you. 

“Fucking perfect!” he pants, leaning down on his knees and trying to catch his breath. 

“G’morning Suguru. You okay, there?” you ask, giving him a strange look. 

“Okay, okay. You guys are dating.” 

“Huh?” you both ask, eyes boggling out of your heads. 

“You’re dating. Be-be in love, I don’t know, be in love!” he shouts, immediately running back out of the door and slamming the door shut. 

You and Satoru give each other a look before shrugging, returning back to your bowl of cereal and Gojo to his phone. And on cue, Suguru strolls back into the apartment, more calmly and with a girl at his side. His cheeks are still flushed in pink, the panting subsided but still present in his voice.

“Y/N, Satoru, this is Hiromi. Hiromi, this is my roommate Y/N and her boyfriend, Satoru.” 

You swallow hard, realizing quickly what’s happening here. And out of the kindness of your heart, groan at the fact that you’re going to have to oblige. 

Three months ago, you got dumped by Sukuna. Because as much as you and the two of you had moved past, he had finally exhausted all ends and had enough of you.

Quite literally, enough of you, because he went as far as packing your things and taking your key, fully intent on never letting you back in. And out of the kindness of his heart, one of your only friends - who was free of any attachments to Sukuna - had an empty room in his apartment that he offered to lease to you. 

Suguru, naturally, was the perfect roommate. Always cleaned up after himself, offered to listen whenever you needed him, saved leftovers for you when you had a long day. Except for the stupid white haired plus one that came with him, it was perfect. 

For you. Because while Suguru was all but willing to offer you the spot in the room, insisting that it never caused an issue, he might have been fibbing the truth to save your feelings. Something you found out from Satoru, who is naturally a loudmouth. 

That since Suguru has a female roommate, you’ve put a damper on his…..romantic endeavors. Because they’re increasingly enthusiastic, so into him, until the shit hits the fan. 

They find out that you’re his roommate. And you think it’s a little ridiculous, but they all cite the same reason for not talking to him past the second or third date. Because to them, there’s no way in hell that he isn’t crushing on you, that you don't cuddle at night, and that you definitely coddle each other in a way no one else does. 

Because nothing is more ironic than losing a guy to the girl he lives with and they’d rather cut their losses before getting involved. 

Which proves that Suguru must really like this girl. Because if he’s going this far, lying to her the second before she walks in, it must mean that he really wants her to stick around. 

Is it moral? No. Is Suguru lonely? Yes. 

“Hiromi. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Y/N.” you respond, setting your bowl down and extending a hand to her. 

She gives you a warm smile back, laughing at Satoru flaunting some stupid line about chivalry before he presses a kiss on top of her knuckles. Satoru must be enjoying himself too much, because he’s now snaking his hand around your waist, leaning down to press his temple against yours. 

“Would you like to stay for breakfast? Poor Suguru has third wheeled with us far enough.” he asks, as she politely nods in response. 

You and Satoru lead Hiromi to the breakfast table - Satoru now eating your bowl of cereal - as Suguru starts setting out to make breakfast for all of you. You and Satoru sit side by side, sparing each other an awkward glance, as Hiromi shamelessly ogles you. 

“So how long have you guys been dating?” Hiromi asks, politely folding her hands flat on the table. 

“Well. Um, I moved here right after I broke up with my ex-boyfriend. He kind of left me with no place to live and I kind of met Satoru here. And then it just happened.” you mumble, cheeks turning pink. 

Satoru, again, has no concept of personal boundaries. He slings his hand around your shoulders, planting a wet kiss on your cheeks, before responding to her. 

“Don’t mind her, she just gets really shy when she talks about her feelings for me.” 

“Satoru.” 

“But rest assured, I promise you that you don’t have to worry about Suguru and Y/N, if that’s what you’re trying to pry about.” 

Her face immediately goes pink, as you look over at Satoru, who flashes you a knowing smile and squeezes your shoulder. 

“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry, I hope you understand. It’s just that…it’s kind of a weird situation. And I know that probably says more about my insecurities than anything but-” 

You reach over, placing your hand over her folded ones. 

“It’s a normal thing to be concerned about. If I was you, I probably would have asked a hundred berating questions already.” 

“Yeah. She gets really possessive.” Gojo unhelpfully adds. 

You shoot him a glare, before returning to look at her and smiling. 

“But I promise, you have nothing to worry about. I-I don’t even think about Suguru like that. And we’re never here alone, Satoru’s always here with me.” 

“Like you, I too am possessive over my girl. Despite the fact that she quite literally makes it so easy for us by wearing the most unflattering pajamas, I’ll be here to stamp out any budding feelings, if that makes you feel better.” 

“Yeah. Satoru really knows how to take the romance out of a room. I know better than anyone.” you respond, earning a laugh from Hiromi as she releases that awkward tension in her shoulders. 

 

You kick the tiny divots on the floor, patiently waiting for your matcha latte at the bar. Your anxiety is growing by the second, the unexpected morning rush and the heavy foot traffic outside indicating that you were going to be late to your morning class if your drink wasn’t made in the next few minutes. 

You’re thrown out of your thoughts by a tapping on your shoulder, only to find a boy, with blonde hair and brown eyes smiling at you. 

“I like your shirt.” 

You look down, at your boygenius the record shirt, and look up to smile at him. 

“Thank you! What’s your favorite song?”

“We’re In Love.” he responds, giving you a warm smile. 

You’re not sure why, but hearing him say the words has the blood rushing to your cheeks. You hold your hand out to him, swallowing that deep warm pit in your throat. 

“Y/N.” 

“Kento. It’s nice to meet you.” 

And really, the moment - your stupid coffee shop meet cute - comes crashing down when you hear that agitating, grating voice at your side. 

“And I’m Satoru!” Satoru states, standing at your side and too blissfully happy for seven in the morning. You glare at him, as he gives you an annoyingly irritating smile. 

“Your drink is here, babe.” Satoru states, holding your dark green matcha latte in his nimble hands. From the way it’s half full, you can tell he already downed half of it in the few seconds you were talking to Kento. 

“Thank you.” you grate out, giving Kento an awkward smile. 

“Well, Kento. It was nice meeting you but we have a class to get to.”  Satoru adds. 

He cocks his head to the side, blue eyes peeking over his sunglasses, as he looks at you. 

“Ready to go?” 

You groan, knowing internally that whatever shred of a moment you just had was gone, as you sigh. 

“Yes. Bye Kento.” 

You glare at him as you walk out of the store, Satoru reaching over to pull the hood of your rain jacket up, as the two of you start marching through the downpour. He’s walking at your side, sporting some very light clothes for the way it’s raining down. 

“I don’t like matcha. We should start getting iced vanilla lattes.” 

“I didn’t realize we were sharing. And that was really rude, Satoru.“

“Everything that’s yours is mine, sweetheart.” 

“Really? What are the three numbers on the back of your credit card, boo boo bear?” 

“666.” he responds, flicking the side of your cheek. 

“That’s fitting.” you murmur back, as he slides the drink out of your hand, again. 

You and Satoru march in silence, trudging through the puddles collecting in the holes of pavement, the silence enveloping the two of you. 

And really, for what seems like the hundredth time, you’re racking your brain trying to figure Satoru Gojo out. You’re not sure what it is about him, what drives him to act the way he does, but every answer you find leaves you with a hundred more questions you want to answer. 

In the few months you’ve been living with Suguru, you’ve been able to ascertain a few things. 

First and foremost, there is no one Satoru Gojo loves more than his friends. From the way he affectionately talks about Suguru, and their hometown friend Shoko, it’s evident enough that whatever friendship he has with the two of them means the world to him. 

Second, Satoru Gojo is extremely comfortable in his sense of self. From the way he carries himself, enthusiastically chats with strangers on the train and feels so comfortable stealing your lattes after the bar, you can tell that no one has tried to stomp that spirit out of him. Other people, more meek and timid like you perhaps, get that childlike wonder stamped out of them. But here Satoru Gojo is, at the ripe age of twenty-one, still sporting it like a proud badge he wears. 

And third, Satoru Gojo loves to irritate you. You’re not sure what it is about you exactly, whether it’s the fact that you’re Suguru’s roommate so it leaves you off limits to any of his usual charming compliments he leaves for other girls, but Satoru treats you like no one else. Always pulling at the ends of your hair, “lovingly” making fun of your clothes, and obviously, stamping any chance you have of romantic endeavors. 

Satoru swings the door open for you, walking all the way to the front of your class. He holds out a five dollar bill and gives you a cheeky grin.

“What for?” 

“Thanks for the latte, princess.” 

You glare, snatching the bill out of his hands. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Right on cue, a girl all but appears out of thin air at your side, giving you and Satoru sickly sweet smiles. 

“Hi Satoru.” 

Satoru’s leaning against the frame now, an irritating move you’ve seen him do countless times - one to show off his stupidly toned arms - as he leans down and smiles at her. 

“Hi Sammy. How are you?” 

“Pretty good, now that you’re here.” she responds, twisting the ends of her hair in between her fingers. 

You fight the urge to gag as Satoru laughs, leaning forward to tuck the stray hairs by the side of her ear. 

“Right, so. I’ll see you later, babe?” you ask Satoru, giving him a smile. 

He looks over, glaring with his bright, angry blue eyes. 

“Y/N.” he responds, tone warning. 

“And Satoru, sweetheart? Do remember to grab toilet paper on the way home. Suguru is getting really tired of cleaning up your skid marks.” you respond, reaching forward to pinch his cheek and settling into your seat at the front, watching him seethe at the front door. 

--

When you walk into the apartment, Satoru’s incessant comments are the final nail in the coffin on what might be the worst day ever. 

“Ouch. I think I just went temporarily blind. You look horrible.” Satoru asks, momentarily taking his eyes off of the movie he was watching with Suguru and Hiromi. 

And the comment - so pathetically hitting you the last place you needed it - is enough to send you crying in a fit of your tears, as you lock the door behind you. 

Satoru looks over to find Suguru and Hiromi glaring at him, Suguru more angry and Hiromi more disappointed. He can’t pick which one is worse. Well actually, you crying in his face is the worst thing that happened in the past few minutes, but their reaction is right up there with them. 

“What?” Satoru asks, shrugging. 

“Satoru.” Suguru berates.

“What? I was just joking.” 

“I don’t understand how you and Y/N are dating. I mean, you can hardly even call it that.” Hiromi states, looking at him rather unhelpfully. 

Suguru’s eyes go wide at her side and Satoru swallows hard, thinking of his collateral. Because in earnest, Satoru’s not really sure what Suguru sees in Hiromi, why he would ever think this would be the best solution to his issue. 

But when you followed Suguru’s lead, all Satoru could really do was oblige. 

“That’s just how Y/N and I communicate. It’s our love language.” Satoru says, giving her a halfhearted smile. 

“You know she hates it right?” Hiromi asks. 

“Well, I don’t know about-” 

“Who would want to wake up every morning and have someone just constantly berating them? Just teasing them, making fun of every little thing you say. And sure, it’s fun sometimes to banter with your partner but…it can’t really be easy for her. She doesn’t have many friends. And the one person who's supposed to like her being…rude can’t help either.” Hiromi adds. 

“Well, I just…tease her because that’s how I know to talk to her. That’s just how I am. And she has plenty of friends.” Satoru responds. 

“Not anymore. They’re all friends with Sukuna, who I’m positive she wants nothing to do with. It’s probably why she even tolerates you in the first place. Granted, I’m not trying to speak on your relationship but from what I’ve seen, it’s….you kind of have to make adjustments for her.” Hiromi states. 

“I don’t know if that will-” 

“Just be there with her. It’ll help her. I think deep down, she just wants someone to be there with her. At her side to support her.” 

Satoru gives Suguru a glare, before obliging and knocking on your door. He takes a deep breath as he walks in, finding you slumped on the floor next to your vinyl player. The gray vinyl is scratching on the table, soft guitar music emanating from it as you lay on your side. Satoru follows suit, lying flat on the ground next to you until the two of you are face to face. And in earnest, Satoru feels horrible. At your pink eyes, flushed cheeks, and puffy skin. Because for god knows whatever reason, what he had said was enough to make you cry. 

Satoru never understood it. Why people assign him so much importance when anything he’s ever had to say has been discarded all together. It’s why he’s unsure of what to say to you right now, when he’s never had to say anything at all. 

“Hi Y/N.” 

You stare back at him blankly, his blue eyes void of any of their usual excitement as he stares back at you. 

“Are you okay?” he asks. 

You divert your attention, the question so…agitating, that all you can do is watch your vinyl spin around on the table, at the little pin digging into the plate. 

“Is um….I don’t really know how to do this whole…comforting thing. It’s kind of awkward. Is this that band you like?”

You give him a meek nod, which he smiles at, before squinting at the small print on the vinyl. 

“Ah. I get it. You’re trying to be Cool About It. Whatever it is that’s bothering you.” 

“That was lame. Even for you, Satoru.” you respond, wiping the snot off of your nose. 

“Well, I personally think you’re hot. Being Cool About It was never going to be your thing either.” he responds. 

He’s not sure what it is about what he said, but suddenly your face is falling and you’re kind of…glaring at him. You pull your hood up and turn away from him, because the embarrassment of having Satoru Gojo in your room pitying you right now would be the actual nail in the coffin before you went full on off your rocker crazy. 

Satoru’s quick to move, now sitting crisscrossed near your head and looking down at you. 

“Are you playing hard to get so I’ll call you hot again?” 

“No. I’m trying to get you to stop pitying me.” you murmur back, pulling the hood over your face. 

“I don’t pity you.” 

You stand up, crossing your legs on the floor, as you turn to face him. And you know that Satoru in no way deserves any shape of the wrath that’s coming out of your mouth, but you can’t help it. 

“You don’t?” 

“Well, of course I-” 

“Yes, Satoru, you do. Because really, you’re only here because Suguru or Hiromi asked you to be. They asked you to put whatever the fuck it is that you have going on inside your head and think for one fucking second how it is that you make me feel. When you make fun of me constantly, do every last thing to agitate me, quite literally flirt with every living microorganism on this goddamn planet but me. I know that you really, truly do not care. You’re just here because they asked you to be but god, please spare me of whatever shitty response you’re trying to muster up to make me feel better because there’s no point. I just feel horrible when I’m around you.” you shout. 

You lean back against the back of your bed, your chest heaving, as you knot your fingers together and groan. Because if the day couldn’t get any worse, you just yelled at Satoru. 

For no reason. After he tried to comfort you, in his own weird way. 

He scoots up at your side, sliding his hand around your shoulder once again, and leaning your head against his shoulder. Your stupid tears are falling again as he rubs into your skin, the touch soft. 

“All that because you’re mad I won’t flirt with you?” he murmurs. 

“Of course that’s what you got out of it.” 

He laughs, the lack of anger in his tone at your words soothing down the bouts of guilt in your chest. 

“You’re not the type of girl I can flirt with.” 

“Jeez. Thanks Satoru. You really know how to make a girl feel special.” 

He reaches forward to pinch your nose, before continuing. 

“I mean, I’m obviously a guy who lacks self-awareness or tact, in quite literally any conversation.” 

“Naturally.” you respond. 

He gives you a pointed glare, before continuing. 

“But I have self awareness when it comes to these types of things. I know I shouldn’t flirt with you.” he responds. 

“And why’s that? I’m too ugly of a hag for you?” you spit. 

“No. You’re the type of girl who could take my heart and run off with it if I let you.” 

You shrug his hand off your shoulder, rolling your eyes. 

“You’re full of shit, Satoru Gojo. And corny as hell.” 

“You know you’re no good for me, right?” 

You look at him, at his deep, ocean blue eyes for the first time, filled with an emotion you can’t quite place. 

“You’d put me in my place too fast. Maybe too eager, too curious to figure out what it is I’ve got going on up and here. And I don’t know the answers to that either, but you’d want to make me figure it out. Whatever mess of things going on, I-I’d want to fix it for you. And as nice as that sounds, you’d probably break any semblance of structure I’d have left the second you go running. Which is something even I can’t handle.” he responds, lifting his hand to take yours in it. 

You cross link your fingers with his, linking your hands together. And try to place the emotion, that dragging sound in his voice. 

It’s desperation. 

“Why do you think I would leave?” you ask, looking down at your intertwined hands.

Satoru smiles in response, reaching forward to trace his fingers along the edge of your lips. 

“You’ve just proved my point.” 

And when he pads out of your room, you realize that once again, he’s left you with a hundred questions left to answer. But the one you’re sure of is this. 

That the emotion that was welling in his deep, crystal blue eyes was impassioned. That it was real. 

--

In the following weeks, things change between you and Satoru, but not too drastically. You’re not required to keep your show up for Hiromi too often, because she’s quite literally too enamored with Suguru to even think about the two of you, and Satoru Gojo stays the same way he is. 

He steals your lattes, pulls your hair, lovingly calls you an old hag, and stamps out any hopes you have for romantic endeavors. But somewhere around the grayness of November, he doesn’t stop by your apartment for three days. 

“Hey. Where’s Gojo?” 

Suguru looks up from his phone, giving you the most obscene look you’ve ever seen him muster. 

“Huh?” 

“Gojo? Satoru Gojo? That gangly idiot that’s always hanging around here?” 

“Yes. I’m well aware who he is, Y/N. Why are you asking?” 

“Dunno. He’s always around and now he’s not. Are you sure he’s not dead in a ditch somewhere?” you ask. 

“He might as well be. His dad is in town. Spending time with him.” he responds, turning back to his phone and looking away from you. 

You frown, leaning against the counter, as you reach for your phone. And you’re not sure why you do it but you slide into your chat with him and start typing. 

you: are you enjoying your father daughter time? 

satoru: are you missing me?

you: missing the free lattes that come from going to the coffee shop with you :/ 

you: come hit on the girl at the paper lantern. im craving a matcha latte. 

satoru: i would never waste a free drink on a matcha latte. 

satoru: and quit trying to whore me out for free drinks. 

you: then buy me one. 

satoru: well played. 

satoru: the ice skating rink, on sixteenth and rockfield. i’ll be there in an hour. 

You smile gleefully, wrapping your scarf carefully around you, as you head out into the cold to the ice skating rink Satoru had picked out. And you catch the back of his snow white hair, leaning against the railing as you eye the big, bright Christmas tree at the center. 

You walk up to his side, lacing your hand through his, as you turn and give him a smile. He returns the gesture, some part of his demeanor muted today, as he turns to you. 

“Hi Y/N.” 

“Satoru. Where’s my drink?” 

Satoru rolls his eyes, before reaching for the two cups on the ground and handing you one. 

“Your shitty matcha latte. As requested.” 

You smile, wrapping your arms around the drink, as he leads you to the stand to get your skates. His hand is soft on the small of your back as you walk up to the girl giving out the shoes. 

“Sizes?” she asks. 

“Eight.” you respond. 

“Eleven and a half.” Satoru provides, as the girl whisks off to grab your shoes. 

“Eleven and a half? What are you, Bigfoot?” you respond. 

“You know what they say. Big feet, big…” 

“Ego. But we knew that already.” you respond. 

The two of you take the skates and head over to the bench, Satoru too quick with his own skates that he’s suddenly tying yours and dragging you onto your feet. The two of you stand at the front of the tiny little opening, the sudden awkwardness of the situation dawning on you. 

That you don’t know how to ice skate. 

“What are we waiting for?” Satoru asks, hands on both of your shoulders as he stands behind you. He rests his chin on the top of your head, his breath tickling the hair on your scalp. 

“The rink to open up. There’s a bunch of people, I don’t want to crash into them the second we get on.” 

Satoru frowns, bringing his hands around your chin and lightly moving your face to his. 

“Are the people in the room with us? There’s like nine people here. And four of them are under the age of seven.” he deadpans. 

“I don’t want to knock over a kid.” you whine. 

“Yeah, that would be goblin on troll crime.” Satoru responds. 

“Am I the goblin or the troll?” you ask. 

“Troll. Obviously.” he responds, bringing his hands around your waist as he lifts you onto the ice with him. 

You’re suddenly wobbling too hard on your feet and holding onto his extended arms with a deathlike grip, the cold air biting your skin as your legs turn to noodles. 

“Okay, Raggedy Anne. Face me.” he states, voice soft as he turns you towards him. His hands are locked in with yours, the hold firm as he smiles. 

“Satoru.” you whine. 

“Just try to glide with me, okay? Our goal is to get to that side of the rink, by the end of our game.” 

“What’s our game?” you ask. 

“We’re going to play twenty questions.” Satoru states, mimicking the gliding motion as he instructs you.

You follow his suit, clutching hard on his arm every time you wobble, as Satoru starts to distract you with the stupid game he’s intent on playing. 

“Me first. Why did you text me?” Satoru asks. 

“Just wanted to make sure you weren’t dead in a ditch somewhere. It was surprisingly peaceful for the past few days, so I knew you had to be in some type of mortal peril somewhere.” you respond. 

Gojo hums in response, as you try hard to pick the hundreds of questions you have to ask Gojo. 

“Where were you the past few days?” you ask. 

“Did you want me there?” Satoru asks, tone hopeful. 

“You’re supposed to answer before you ask again. And I’m not sure if want is the word. But…I don’t know. It’s weird not having you around. All quiet.” you respond. 

“My dad’s in town. Was kind of busy.” 

You hum in response, rolling over the words in your head. 

“I did want you around.” you add, earning a smile from him. 

The two of you skate in silence, the wobbling minimal now as you try to reach the railing at the end of the rink that Satoru had pointed out, right near the small, brightly decorated Christmas tree at the end of the rink. 

“It’s your turn, Y/N.” Satoru reminds. 

“Right. Do you like your dad?” 

“No. What happened with Sukuna?” 

You swallow hard, so caught off guard by the question that you fall straight into the ice. You must have been holding onto Satoru too hard because he goes tumbling down with you, lightly rubbing the spot on his head that made contact with the ice. You reach forward, cradling his head in your hands. 

“Fuck. Sorry, Gojo. That caught me off guard.” 

“That’s my bad, princess. It came out of nowhere.” he responds, standing up on his knees as he holds his hand out for you. He’s wiping the excess ice off the sides of your clothes and you mimic his motions. 

The two of you start silently skating towards the end of the rink again, hands linked together, as you figure out the right words to say. 

“I live with Suguru because of him. He wasn’t the best.” 

“I know that much, Y/N.” 

“He…kicked me out. Like, put all my things in a box, put them outside, and kept my key.” 

His hand tighets in yours as you swallow hard and continue. 

“Dunno. I guess he just kind of sucked. I was trying to convince myself I liked him, that we were in love for a really long time. I’d write him all these really long love letters, that he basically read days after the fact that I wrote them. He’d compliment me once in a while, but then I realized when it was only when he wanted something.” you respond, sighing. 

Satoru doesn’t respond, only squeezes your hand in response to the entire bout of word vomit you just gave him. 

“Why don’t you like your dad?” you ask. 

“He thinks I’m perfect.” Satoru responds, sighing. 

“Boo hoo.” you respond, joking. 

He smiles in response, his hand lightly loosening in yours. You tighten your grip against his again, giving him your best smile. 

“I’m joking, ‘Toru. What did you mean by that?” 

“I just mean. He expects so much from me, because I’m his only son. And when I was a kid, he was really hard on me for it. Made me attend all these shitty classes by myself, isolated me from other kids because I was meant to be something great. And I obviously pulled away from him because of it. But then, he kind of…shifted. He was vying so hard for my attention now, that suddenly I became free of all blame, all faults.” 

“Well, we both know that’s not true.” 

He snorts, dragging you to the end of the railing by the Christmas tree, as you both lean against the little glass panes. 

“I just wanted him to be real with me. Tell me when I was good, tell me when I was bad. Not where he was criticizing every move I made but not when he was praising all of them either.” 

You nod, turning to your side to hold both of his hands in yours. 

“Well, you’re shitty when you’re mean to me. But you’re nice when you’re like this.” you state. 

He smiles, that stupid lopsided grin, as he brings his hands around your neck and pulls you in against him. His lips are soft and warm, though you’re not sure how, against your almost frostbitten, cold blue ones. But the warmth that’s blooming in your chest, under your skin, from his hands, from his lips on yours is enough to bring you down. 

He pulls back, resting his forehead against yours as he places a light kiss to the tip of your pink nose. 

“What was that for?” you ask, breathless. 

“Mistletoe.” Satoru responds, pushing off the little railing and slowly skating away, waiting for him to join you. 

You look up, fighting the urge to smile at the small little bundle of leaves and berries above you, as you skate out and join his hand to go around the rink. 

--

There’s an incessant pounding on your door that wakes you up, as you pull on the closest jacket and your glasses as you pad to the door. You open up to find him there, half bored on his phone, as he looks up at you. 

“Oh. Hey. Was the spare not under-” 

He all but lurches forward, wrapping his hands around your neck as he presses his lips to yours. He’s all too eager, because he’s walking into you so fast that he’s all but pushed you up against the wall behind you, his lips hanging off yours as he smiles into your mouth. 

“Y/N.” he hums, smiling into your face. 

“Good morning to you too.” 

He smiles, wrapping his hands around your wrist, as he leads you back to your bed, quickly peeling your hoodie off your frame as he tucks you into the bed with him. And instead of doing what you thought he was going to do, he’s tucking you tight against his frame, your face tucked into his clavicle, as he brings his arms around yours and holds you tight. 

“Did you come all this way to cuddle?” 

“I came all this way to kiss you. This is just a bonus.” 

You burrow yourself into his skin, leaning your head against his, as your thousand questions swim around in your mind. On what you’re doing, on why he’s here, on if you can even ask. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” 

“You have a weird, pinched up look on your pretty face. What is it?” he asks. 

“Oh. I was just thinking.” you respond. 

“About?” 

“Um, what we’re doing.” 

“We’re cuddling, silly.” Satoru responds, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of your forehead. 

“I know. But what does that mean?” 

Satoru brings his hands up around your face, cupping your cheeks in his hands as he smiles. 

“It means that I just had a really annoying fight with my dad. And I just want to hold you and not think about it.” he responds. 

“Oh. Okay, yeah.” 

You burrow yourself back into his arms, the two of you a mess of tangled limbs as you hold onto each other. And you’re not sure why you start talking, but you’re filling the silent space with your voice. 

“I saw Sukuna the other day.” you murmur. 

Satoru brings his hands down, rubbing into the side of your arm as he hums in response. 

“Was it okay?” 

“Kind of stupid.” you murmur. 

“Why?” he asks. 

“He came up to me to ask if I was going to go to the end of year banquet that they hold for the seniors going into the masters program.” 

“And?” 

“I mean, I was planning on it. And then he just felt the need to warn me that he’s bringing his new girlfriend and it was really awkward. He asked me if I was bringing anyone and I said no, just for him to smile in response and then walk away.” 

“You should have said you were bringing me.” 

“I wasn’t aware that I was bringing you.” 

“Well, now you are. Plus, my dad…he always gets on my back to go to shit like that since he’s one of the donors. At least now I’ll have something to do there.” 

“And what’s that?” 

“Annoy you!” he responds. 

You reach forward to flick the side of his cheek, before reaching forward to push the hair off of his forehead. The touch must be somewhat soothing to him, because it coaxes him to talk, in the slightest. 

“When I was a kid, my dad forced me to go to events like that. All the time. And when I was there…he’d always yell at me for all these different things. My hair was too messy, I wasn’t standing right, I was too loud.” 

You brush your thumb on the skin of his cheek, before reaching forward to press a kiss to his skin. 

“And after I kind of figured it all out, I was so…irritated that I ever listened. And I’ve tried to stamp it out, that voice telling me to be quiet all the time. But sometimes when I see him…I don’t know. It just comes flooding back.” 

You prop your hands up against his chest, resting your head on top of your hands as you look down at him. His eyes are shut as he faces your ceiling, a hand resting behind his head while the other one is secured, firmly around you. In the ray of sunlight peering out of your window, you notice that Satoru has the smallest patch of freckles around his nose. 

“I always wondered why you were like that. But somehow, this makes it better.” 

“Huh?” 

“You were always so…you that sometimes it made me jealous. That you had this unstoppable, vibrant spirit, that you probably had life so easy that no one had stamped it out of you.” 

You reach forward, tracing the skin on his cheek, as you continue to talk. 

“But this is better. Someone tried to do that to you and you didn’t let them. You’re not weak or timid like me, you don’t let people like that shut you up like I do.” 

“You’re not weak or timid.” he responds, cupping the side of your face. 

“Satoru.” 

“You’ve always stood your ground. Especially when it comes to me.” 

“Well, you’re you. Sukuna is…” 

“Nothing. You can handle an idiot like Sukuna. And I’ll be there, if he tries to say anything to you and you need me.” 

You halfheartedly nod. 

“And I’ll be there. If you want to annoy me instead of talking to your dad.” 

“I’ll take you up on that offer. Always.” 

--

Satoru presses a kiss to your cheek before running out the door, late for his class. And when you turn on your heel, you find Suguru giving you a wide smile, with an almost teasing look on his face. You glare in response, moving past him to do the dishes. 

“Do you need something, Suguru?” 

“Are you guys dating?” he asks, resting his chin in his hands as he gives you a jeering smile. 

“What’s it to you?” you ask. 

“My best friend…my roommate…seems like a very big deal to me.” 

“Well, we’re just talking. I don’t know if it’s official, but I think it’s exclusive.” you respond. 

“It’s definitely exclusive. He’s liked you for a while.” 

You snort, as he comes up at your side and starts drying the dishes. 

“No, I’m serious! I promise, he’s not coming around this much just to see me. And I’m sure you’ll make him very happy. Keep him in his place.” 

“That’s what he said.” you murmur, smiling. 

“Just, don’t get too heated if you guys get into an argument. You’re both the most stubborn people I know, but don’t let that get in the way of anything.” 

“Okay, I’ll definitely take relationship advice from someone who pathologically lies to his girlfriend everyday.” 

Suguru yanks on the edge of ear and you splash a good amount of dishwater at him in response as you both laugh. 

“I’ll have you know, that I told her almost like two days afterwards because I couldn’t stomach it.” 

“Huh? Why didn’t you tell us?” 

“It was just funny watching you guys try to be nice to each other. And then Hiromi was dead set on matchmaking the second she figured out Gojo was all but in love with you.” 

You roll your eyes at him in response, as you turn out to walk to the coffee shop before your next class. And as you march to the coffee shop, music blaring in your headphones, you feel a tugging on your elbow as you almost walk in. 

You turn around to find an older man, with blue eyes and light hair, smiling at you. And as you tug your headphones off and hear him talk, you know without a doubt that this has to be Satoru’s father. 

“Are you Y/N L/N?” he asks, his hands folded perfectly against the crisp pressing off his suit. 

“Sure. Who are you?” you ask, yanking your headphones off so they're resting around your ears. 

“I’m Satoru’s father.” 

“Oh, okay. Can I help you?” you asked, running through your thoughts as you think of what Satoru would want you to do most. 

Walk away? Be polite? Insult him? 

Insulting him is surely what you want to do. But knowing him, he wouldn’t even want you to talk to him for a second, so you should try your best to abort the conversation in its tracks. 

“I’d like to talk to you about your intentions. With my son.” he responds. 

“I'd love to do that. But I have to run to class, so I’ll have to go now.” 

“Class? What’s your major?” 

“Education.” 

That must not be the answer he wanted, because he stiffens his jaw before talking again, which just builds onto another reason that this man irritates you. 

“Right, well. I’ll be off then.” you respond, trying to move past him. 

“Are you dating my son?” 

“Not yet. But I think it’s headed that way.” you respond. 

“Well, if you’re so intent on attending your class, here’s my phone number. I’d like for you to call me the second you’re out of your class so we can discuss more.” he states, handing you a shiny piece of cardstock. 

You begrudgingly take it, shaking his hand as you all but sprint off to your class. But unbeknownst to you, Satoru was watching the entire thing play out from the window, with an ice matcha latte in hand just for you. 

He trashes the cup as he walks out. He’s always thought matcha was disgusting anyways. 

And three days later, you find Satoru in the library. In what might possibly, the most compromising of situations. 

You’re a few weeks out from finals, the banquet at the end of the week, and buried with term papers that you need to write. Hence the need to procure your matcha latte, lock yourself in the library for the rest of the week, until you can go to the event with Satoru and let loose before you go home for break. 

Except when you’re trekking through the library looking for a place to study, you find that a really large group is populating your usual prime spot near the window, with the big white board that you like to use. 

But even more jarring than the stupid white board and spot you’re comfortable in, it’s who is taking up the spot. Because Sukuna and his friends are taking up the entire face and there’s a certain white haired idiot sitting all the way at the end, headphones over his ears as he types away on his laptop. 

And you can hear your blood rushing in your ears as you walk up to him, all but yanking the headphones off your ears. 

“Hi Satoru.” 

“Hi Y/N.” he seethes back, matching the anger in your voice. 

“I got you a drink, asshole.” 

He looks down at your matcha latte, before looking back up at you and rolling his eyes. 

“Always intent on not listening to me, aren’t you?” 

“I learned from the best, asswipe.” you respond, marching off to the apartment and fighting down the angry tears that are falling out of your eyes. 

--

With the load of finals behind you and the quietness that populates your apartment, you find yourself begrudgingly dragging yourself to the banquet. And curse yourself for letting Satoru convince you, for already putting in an RSVP so early that now you can’t take it away. 

The room’s uncomfortably warm, the masses of people moving around each other, cheeks blushed pink from the drinks and flutes in all of their hands. You swipe one off of the tray as someone walks past, intent on filling that cold, awkward feeling in your chest with whatever warmth it can give you. 

You take a spot near the corner of the room, a nice vantage point from where you can spot, eye who you can talk to first. Your partner from your English class is stuck talking to your professor, which is frankly a bleak option. 

There’s the group of girls from your cohort, but they’re all talking to Sukuna and his girlfriend, which is a big no for you. And you’d love to talk to your advisor, but you’re positive occupying the solo spot on the wall is better than talking to the one professor that everyone hates. 

And you spot Satoru, his white hair stark against the crowd, as he talks to Hiromi and Suguru. He’s all dressed up, his tie loose around his neck and the top buttons are undone. You suppose that’s as well as Satoru can present for an event like this anyways, and your heart stings at the premise.

Because there's nothing you want to do more than point it out. That everyone’s dressed up, but he can’t even be bothered to put himself together for this. And you want him to argue back, to sport that stupid shit eating grin he always uses when he argues with you. 

It’s irritating. How much it’s killing you to not be with him. 

You pull down the edges of your dress, trying to soothe through the creases that are lining on your green dress, as you try your best to stop that tense, uncomfortable feeling from settling in your skin. 

On the most annoying cue ever, Sukuna walks up to stand by your side, two drinks in his hand. He gestures for you to take one, which you oblige, as you swallow the irritation on your tongue as he starts talking. 

“Y/N.” 

“Sukuna.” 

“Did you poison my drink? Or are you morally above attempted murder?” 

“I believe I am.” 

“Shocking, given your track record.” 

“Are you here alone?” he asks. 

“What’s it to you?” 

“It’s just that you RSVP'd for two people. Yet you’re the only one standing here.” 

“Are you stalking me now?" you ask, eyeing him.

“Maybe a little bit. I was just curious to see who it was you were seeing now.” 

“What’s it to you?” 

“Just have to make sure that they take care of you. That’s all.” he states, shrugging

You roll your eyes, putting a sizable amount of distance between you two. 

“That’s rich coming from you. Leaving me without a place to live is a real gesture of compassion, Sukuna.” 

“Well, I think that-” 

A girl, with short brown hair cuts the two of you off, as she excitedly points to the wallpaper above you. 

“You’re both standing under the mistletoe!” 

You look up, to find a small lock of the plant above the two of you, as you fight the urge to internally groan. 

“Right, well. That’s my cue to leave.” you respond, setting the glass down on the table. 

Sukuna wraps his fingers around your wrist, pulling you into him as you stumble on the edge of your heels. 

“It’s just mistletoe. You have to honor it or that’s like…really shitty luck.” he states, giving you a smile.

“I’ll take my chances. It couldn't possibly be worse than this.” 

“Look. I really hate being on bad terms. You were really important to me and I hate to think that you’re out there being mad at me.” 

“Right, well. Get used to being disappointed then because I’m clear on where I stand.” you respond. 

You make the motions to move again, as Sukuna yanks you back again. Except this time, Satoru’s at your side, nearly shoving him into the wall. He gives you a look, devoid of any emotion, as he adjusts his tie around his neck. 

“You’re not going to kiss her.” he states, teetering on the edges of his heels. Like he’s almost bored, so disinterested in the conversation that he’s having with Sukuna right now. 

“I was just joking. It wasn’t that serious, I wouldn’t even consider it honestly.” he states, as the words sting your ears. You don’t know whether to be relieved, offended, or extremely agitated by the premise of his comment. 

“You’d be so lucky.” he snorts, as you swallow hard. 

“Right. We are talking about the same girl, right?” he sneers. 

Satoru groans, looking up to the sky, before taking his jacket off and handing it to you. You give him a confused look, to which he smiles, before turning back to Sukuna. 

“Rather unfortunate that you chose to mess with the wrong girl. That and the fact that I have no semblance of manners when it comes to these types of things.” 

And then Satoru swings straight for his nose, wincing and shaking his knuckles in the air as Sukuna slams into the wall behind him. There’s a loud gasp, head turning to look at the three of you as you swallow hard. There’s a small amount of bright, red blood falling out of his nose as Satoru gives him a shit eating grin. 

“Thanks for holding it.” Satoru states, taking the jacket from your hands as the two of you watch Sukuna walk off into the side. 

“Right, well-” 

“Satoru.” 

The two of you turn around to find his father, nose flaring and undoubtedly mad, as he appears at your side. Satoru storms out of the room, agitated, as you follow and run behind him. The air outside is significantly colder, snow sticking to the concrete. 

“Are you okay?” you ask, the air so cold that you can see your breath in the air. 

“Yes. Are you?” he asks back, turning around to look at you. He’s kicking the tiny flakes of snow in the ground, averting eye contact with you as he talks. 

“Yeah. Now, I can yell at you.” you respond, shoving him. 

“What’s your problem?” 

“What’s yours?” he asks back, seething. 

“You. You ignored me for like two days and then I found you in the library being all buddy buddy with Sukuna. And then you punch him in the face for no reason?”

“It wasn’t for no reason.” 

“Right. Your hand just jerked through the air and just happened to hit his face.” 

“What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry?” 

You groan, bringing your hands up through your temples, as your frustration comes to a head. 

“Why are you pretending this is nothing? Like we're nothing?” you scream, tears burning your eyes at you look at him. 

“When did I say this was nothing?” 

“’m fucking dying over here to be the person standing next to you, because there’s nowhere else I want to be, and instead I’m standing in the corner trying to avoid you like the plague.” 

His eyes twitch, his hands almost fidgeting at your sides as you angrily wipe your tears off your cheeks and smudge the makeup pressed to your face. 

“You…you’re so fucking aggravating. You’re mean to me, then you’re nice. You act like you love me, but then you don’t. Your best friend tells me that I basically mean the world to you and then your stupid dad ambushes me outside a coffee shop and basically insults me but-” 

“What?” he states. 

“What? I just like…don’t know what page you’re on. You make no fucking sense, you’re so..so hot and cold with me instead of just telling me what’s going on. If you didn’t like me anymore, you should have just said that instead of hurting my feelings.” you state, crossing your arms as you turn back from him. 

He comes up at your side, eyes wide as he looks down at you. He quickly takes his jacket off, wrapping it around your shoulders as the tears stream down your eyes. 

“What did my dad say to you? Was it at the coffee shop?” he whispers, hands braced on your shoulders. 

“Huh? How’d you know that?” 

“Just, tell me.”

“Well, I was going to get my latte. He kind of pulled me aside. Asked me what my intentions were with you. Made some weird backhanded comment about me being an education major and-” 

“And?”

“Gave me his business card. Told me to call him because I kept trying to leave. I think I threw it in a trash can or something.” 

Satoru groans, leaning his forehead against your shoulder, as he curses. 

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.” he murmurs, eyes pinched in regret as he lifts his head back up. 

“What?” 

“Shit. I-I got mad at you. For talking to my dad, behind my back and not telling me. I thought…he was asking you for information about me and you were obliging. That you took his card so you could call him.” 

“You watched that entire thing?” 

“Yeah. And I saw you shove the card into your pocket as you walked away and I just got so angry that I-” 

“That you what?” 

“Hung out with Sukuna. To make you mad.” 

You glare at him, shoving him again for good measure. 

“You did what?” 

“I was upset! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to it was just that-” 

“You didn’t even think to ask me? You just had to be petty?” you scream, your frustration building. 

His eyes go wide, as he swallows hard. He burrows his hands into his pockets, lifting them from your shoulders as he casts his head down. You can tell that his skin is burning, it’s turning slightly pink, as you realize that the reason the two of you weren’t here together, stupidly laughing at everyone, was because of a simple miscommunication. 

“Satoru.” you groan, lifting your hand to your forehead. 

“Y/N. I’m so sorry.” 

“In what world was that fair to me? You didn’t even think to ask?” 

Satoru takes both of your hands in his, lifting them up to cover his eyes with. Your knuckles are flat against his forehead, the ends of his hair tickling your skin. 

“Y/N. I’m so shit at this type of stuff. You’re far too put together for me.” 

“I’m not expecting you to be put together. Just to kind of…work with me here.” you murmur, as he rests his head against your frame again. You’re wrapping your arms around his torso, deflating into his touch. 

“Yeah, well. All I know how to do is fight and-” 

“If you say you’ll love me rather than fight with me, I’ll forgive you.” 

“Huh?” 

“Just promise. That you’ll try to love me. And forgive me before you turn to fighting.” you murmur, cupping his face in your hands. 

“Y/N. I-” 

“You have so many walls that I’m trying to break through. Just try to work with me here when I’m trying to do it.” you whisper. 

“There you go. Doing that thing again.” 

“Doing what?” 

“Seeing the best in me. Making me want to be better.” 

You smile, leaning your head to the side. 

“Is that so bad?” 

“No. No, just. Try to be patient with me? I know I’m really shitty at this type of thing but-” 

“As long as you stick around. And don’t ignore me for five days like a fucking asshole, I promise I will.” 

He leans forward, pressing a kiss to the palms of your hands still secured around his face, as he leans his own forehead against yours. 

“Okay. Just, give it to me straight when…when I do stuff like this.” 

“Okay. I hate it when you’re stupid as fuck and jump to conclusions. Like genuinely, it’s really irritating that I spent all of finals week sleeping in my bed alone when it was obscenely cold and you weren’t there. And you just had to assume shit when you didn’t-” 

“Okay, I get it. Get to the good parts now.” 

“Ego-maniac.” 

“Cmon. I’m wounded here.” he states, holding his bruised hand up to you. You take it in yours, pressing a kiss to the red skin before continuing. 

“I like when you talk to me. And when we get to keep moving forward, past this type of stuff. It’s like…the best part of a story. You get to see the conflict be resolved and then keep going.” 

He smiles hard, nodding at your words. 

“You have to kiss me.” he states. 

“Why?” 

“I’m going to pretend I’m not offended by that heinous look on your face at the thought of kissing me. But, mistletoe.” 

You look up, to find a set of tiny Christmas lights with little embellishments in them, one of which is mistletoe. 

“That doesn’t count.” 

“Yes, it does.” 

“That’s not real mistletoe.” 

He pouts, rolling his eyes at you. 

“Fine. Don’t kiss me then.” 

You wrap your hand around his wrist, yanking him down by the tie to press a kiss to his soft, warm lips. They’re enough to warm up your frozen, nearly frostbitten blue ones, as he shakes his arms around your waist, pulling you closer and smiling into the kiss. 

And you take solace in the fact that at least for that night, the conflict is over. And the story continues.

--

the satoru as taylor swift songs series masterlist

taglist:

@porridgesblog @k0z3me @kayleegomez @yihona-san06 @bsenpai @sweetenertea @skzismyhome @mykyoon @violetmatcha @rebeccawinters @luna0713hunter @shotenvinsoot @itzmeme @gojoswifeyyys-world @cutiejg

lmk if you would like to be added to the taylor as gojo taglist or my general taglist <3

#seeingivywrites! #taylor as gojo #satoru #satoru x you #satoru x reader #satoru x y/n #gojo #gojo x reader #gojo x y/n #gojo x you #satoru gojo #satoru gojo x you #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo x y/n #gojo satoru #gojo satoru x you #gojo satoru x y/n #gojo satoru x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x you #satoru fluff #gojo fluff #jjk fluff

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

If you’re fine with it, can I request a drabble with neighbour!jason with the first time they met with Jason helping reader move into her apartment and all the grannies getting excited?

"What the fuck?"

Jason rolled to his feet where he'd crashed out on his couch 4.2 seconds after stashing his gear and taking his boots off and staggered to the door.

A loud crash and string of muffled swearing had him flinging open the door- only to be met with a sweet, if sweaty face and boxes that had toppled off a moving dolly and onto the floor.

"Lady what the-"

"Sorry," you say quickly, hurrying to pick stuff off the floor, grunting with effort, "I uh- Just trying to get this moved in and then-"

Neighbors were, Jason was sure, eagerly listening in. He lived on a floor of mostly older people with married children who had nothing better to do than try and marry off any person between the ages of 18 and 40... The number of giggling college girls who'd brought him this or that from an aunt or a grandma was appalling. And here, a cute, young thing was moving in right across the hall.

It was enough to make him want to shut the door and just put earplugs in. Or move just to avoid the nudges and meaningful looks.

But, the hand you were holding out to him was trembling and you had these big doe eyes that made you look like a mean look would probably have you in tears and he just... couldn't. Not when he knew he could just move the fucking boxes.

He hears your name and it takes him a second. Sleep deprivation overriding years of Alfred patiently hammering manners into his head- just narrowly missing making it more awkward trying to shake a hand you'd already started to retract, "Jason," he said. "I work nights."

One lie is as good as any other, he supposes. An apology and an explanation as he offers a half smile.

"I work from home- mostly. I uh-"

You look away, looking down at the scattered boxes and start to pick one up, the trembling in your hands making it hard to get a good grip. Which only made it worse.

Jason winced in sympathy, "I can help- if you don't mind?" he offered. He'd lay money on you running from something. Or someone.

"I already woke you up I can- it's fine-"

"Nah," he said, picking up a box easily, "It's not a big deal. You got more downstairs?"

"This is it I uh-" you fluster and push the door open with your hip, pulling the little dolly out of the way. "I just didn't want-"

"Traveling light has its perks," he said, following you inside just far enough to set a box down. Not remarking on the lack of furniture before making short work of the other three boxes.

"Thanks, I uh- I don't have any cash or anything but-"

"I'm not taking your money to heft a couple boxes," he snorted pushing hair out of his face with one hand and stepping back into the hall.

"Would you take some brownies?" you ask, not looking at him. "It's not much but-"

"For 5 minutes of work?" he asked smiling. Small-town kid then.

"I just- I woke you up and then-"

"Easiest moving job I ever helped with," he assured you. "Lemme know if you want help hanging pictures or something... sometime after like 4, though." And before you could stammer out an apology, he turned and walked back into his apartment, gently shutting the door. If it made you feel better, he'd take a plate of box mix brownies and pretend to like them. He'd just have to make sure the Lennox sisters didn't catch on. Because once they did, he'd never hear the end of it.

#Jason Todd #Jason Todd x reader #neighbor!jason #ask answered #minors dni

[alice-angel12x]

Wait.. you're telling me Epel and Death have history together?! (Well more like his ancestors-) BUT STILL

Is that why instead of being afraid when he first saw them he was impressed with their fighting abilities??

Now I need more interactions with them OR even better! Epel inviting Death to Harveston because come on! And maybe there is a legend of Death there? As the kind person who helped the small town grow and become what it is today!

Also sorry about all of this, Epel is my favourite character and your writing brings me so much joy so I'm very happy right now! :D

"You're inviting me? To what I may ask?" Y/n asked.

" I only got the news this morning too, granny is so unreasonable," Epel sighed. "There’s an annual festival in the Harveston this weekend."

"Let me take a guess. A festival in Harveston, at this time of Year... Moln Mountain’s Kelkkarotu I believe it's called," Y/n said with a slight uncertainty.

"Y-yeah how did you know?" Epel asked in surprise.

"I have been around for a very long time," Y/n answered simply.

Epel ended up inviting a few other some with great interest others, not so much. Sebek, Jade, and even Idia came along to the trip.

As soon as the cool air of Harveston hit Y/n's cold skin, a wave of memories and nostalgia washed over them. The once small town had become a thriving community.

As Epel explained the geography of the land and it's lands, and apple specialty, he noticed Y/n seemed to be off somewhere in their mind. Y/n looked on with a sense of familiarity.

Jade would question this, but Idia would reason that maybe Y/n would have come across the town before. Maybe a few times.

When Epel offered Y/n an apple fresh from harvest. They learned that Y/n Death does not Eat... Furthermore lacked organs to digest so there is no point in eating.

So Down the road to Epel's house they went. It was a beautiful cabin, fit to stand the cold weather of Harveston. Y/n hurried them don't, to get warm clothes on. Wouldn't want them to catch their death out here. Speaking of which.

"Inside the shed? Are you actually an indoor type?" Idia asked.

"No, I played outside almost every day. Even in harsh rain, I couldn’t stand still. So in those days, I’d prefer to play in the shed which it’s wider and has fewer things than in my room.  I played with the farming tools, and even made treasures and a secret base there," Epel reminisced. "  But there’s one time when I was in the shed and the snow falls down really bad… And the door of the shed was blocked by the piled snow and it couldn’t open."

" You, as a child, alone in that shed? You lack caution as a mere human," Sebek gasped.

"And even if I shouted or banged my hand on the door, nobody noticed. It kept getting colder, and I was getting hungry… it was so bad that time," Epel reminisced.

"Then how did you manage to get out of the shed?" Jade asked. Epel thought for a moment and smiled.

"Well need a bit more context for that story. Which we will find in the center of town," Epel said mysteriously.

"Oh, alright. Hold on to your mystery for now," Jade chuckled

So Epel leads the group to the center of town. to get to the hall and to meet his grandmother Malya.

When Epel and his grandma chatted, the others were completely lost on what they were saying. As the two talk in their native dialect. But Y/n was happy to translate for them.

As the boys choose the fabrics that would be used to make their plushie sled pullers. Grim being Grim got hungry again and wanted more sweet apples.

As he scanned for unattended food and saw a treasure trove of some. At the base of some state were the biggest, ripest, ruby-colored apples he had ever seen. He's never seen such perfect apples.

As Grim made a mad dash towards them, he suddenly slammed face-first into a shovel. Grim hissed and looked up to see an old man glaring down at him.

The old man began to scold the fire cat, catching the attention of the NRC boys, and Epel's grandmother. Y/n apologized on Grim's behalf.

The NRC boys were wondering why he was so angry. So Epel explained the significance of the statue.

"This is the state of Harveston's Founder. When our ancestors were in a hard place, the founder came across them and lead them here. Were they would teach and raise the orphans to survive here," Epel said.

The boys looked up at the Statue. It was of a familiar figure, in one hand they held a lantern above their head. Lighting the path in front of them, while in the other held a baby close to their chest. Behind the founder were three children huddled up close to them. One was looking behind in fear, the middle one simply hugged close, and the last one looked up at the found in awe.

What they noticed was that hand holding the lantern, looked like it was broken long ago.

"Oh, Epel. What happened to the statue's hand?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, did the hand used to hold the lantern? Cause the drilled-in hook looks strange," Idia added.

"Oh, that's was the founder's doing," grandma Malya laughed.

"The founder's...doing?" Sebek asked skeptically.

"Yes, even all these the founder's spirit has always been watching over us. We've noticed their spirit loves taking their lantern and putting it in places to signify their presence," The old man spoke. "And even before that the people of this town pick their best apple from their harvest. And place it at the base to pay respects."

"What a kind spirit," Y/n commented.

"Indeed, you could ask any local here and they would have a story to tell about their encounters. Even Epel, when was trapped in the shed when he was younger," Grandma Malya chuckled.

"Oh yeah, that story. Epel you never finished that story," Grim said.

"Oh yeah. When I was freezing, I suddenly felt this warmth. Not in the hypothermia kind of way, but like there was a small fire nearby. And I remember hearing someone," Epel explained.

"Heard someone?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, they were whispering encouragements and telling me I just needed one more push to open the door. And I did, with one of the tools I managed to free myself," Epel smiled.

"Ah yes, and when we finally found Epel. My son, Epel's father, saw something in the shed," Grandma Malya smiled. "It was the founder's lantern, once again in a place where it wasn't meant to be."

Soon Malya had to go make the sled Plushies, and Y/n opted to help her. While the boys looked up at the statue.

"hey, you know. This founder statute looks a lot like Y/n" the fire cat commented.

Epel's went wide and he looked at the statue to Y/n and repeated 2 more times.

"No...No... It... They can't be right?" Epel gasped.

___________________________________________________________

Part 2? Maybe. well, see.

#Falling Pegasus answers #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst yuu #death!reader #death au #origin au #epel felmier #epel x reader

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Grannies (part 1)

A/N: When I am in a writing lull I default to two things: crafting and post-Hydrofoil/post-SOS. I hope this is still enjoyable - dedicated to the craftyfam for inspiration. In this part: Scott

On a new day, Scott realized he wasn't alone in the lounge. Sometime in the early morning his younger brother must have stumbled in, still encumbered as he was with the cast helping his leg to heal, but Scott had been too engrossed with the work begging for his attention to notice. 

He apologizes for it now. 

Gordon has used pillows to prop himself up against the arm of the sofa so that he's sitting, and there's a space right past the injured limb for Scott to gently position his weight. This couch is made for Scott’s height, so Gordon seems entirely too small against the decor pillows. 

He’s healed nicely after the events of finding Braman - the strain on his arm and shoulder had just needed rest. Their caution saved his neck and spine, though he hadn't been able to escape the head injury, which still gives him headaches from time to time. And the leg - well that needed a bit more than just TLC. 

Scott’s hand finds the ankle attached to the uninjured leg, his voice crackling a “good morning” from the lack of use and dryness he hadn’t realized was there. Gordon, with honey-brown eyes that shine with a knowing amusement, pauses the movement of his hands and lets the strand of orange yarn drop at the reminder of Scott’s presence. They both share in the explosion of color just outside the lounge windows.

Clouds like peach fluffs remind Scott of just how long it’s been since they were able to enjoy the dawnslight together. Prior to the accident, their routines aligned with daybreak, the timing of their exercises overlapping. Gordon’s, of course, included laps in the pool. The pool which was decidedly off limits with Gordon’s current accessory. Scott would often go for a run, chasing the sun. Scott’s not so much a fan of this new normal created by the Hood’s attack - the world where Gordon is unable to partake in what runs through his blood, and where the rest of them are spread far, far too thin. 

“Granny for your thoughts?” 

Scott shakes his head. “They’re not worth the - wait, what?” 

In response Gordon tosses him a square of fabric, blaming aerodynamics when it lands on his own foot instead of on Scott’s face where he was aiming. “Well, I can’t reach my wallet and you don’t need my pennies anyway.” 

“So this is your substitute?” Scott picks it up between two fingers to inspect it. He’s not trying to make it seem like there’s a practical joke here… but it’s Gordon. So there’s a practical joke here somewhere. 

If anything, it’s the color combination. Gordon’s never been afraid of putting clashing colors together, though Scott’s never been sure if that’s truly fearlessness or whether it’s just Gordon being oblivious about it. There was a period when they were younger where Dad thought Gordon might even be colorblind - had him tested and everything. But when all was said and done, Gordon could see what he was doing when he dressed himself with one green sock and one orange - he just didn’t care. 

The square’s got the same energy, the only pattern being that no color is repeated. Otherwise, it’s random and clashing, and oh so Gordon. 

He loves it immediately. 

Even the Barbie pink near the autumn orange.

“Can I keep this?” 

“Sure. What’s one granny?” Gordon cuts the orange yarn with a flourish and loops it back through his work. “I have hundreds more where that came from.” 

“Oh, wow, that’s … a lot.” Scott wonders if they all channel Gordon’s chaos the way his square does. 

“Yeah, well. Not being able to swim is a lot.”

“Oh, Gordon…”

“Don’t. I’m irritated, and it’s not your fault. Pick a color for me.” 

“Hmm. Teal.” 

There’s a basket on the floor. Gordon reaches for it, placing it instead on his lap while he digs through his options. In the end the color he holds up for Scott is more turquoise than teal, but it’s close enough to the bird feathers outside the window, which inspired his choice in the first place, that he nods his approval. 

For a while, Scott watches him work the green-ish blue over the row of orange. Without knowing exactly what Gordon’s doing with the hook and the yarn, Scott catches the general pattern: spaces over the clusters of color and new stitches where the previous row had spaces. Each row around the row before it with corners shaped into a square. 

He understands the principle.

“What do I do with it?” he asks. It's small, despite the volume of its color. “Will it work as a coaster?” Scott hopes so; he could use some life for when working at Dad's desk. 

“It's perfect for a coaster.” 

“What are you doing with them? You can't possibly need hundreds of coasters, can you?” There's actually very little Scott assumes about Gordon’s logic. This is one he feels fairly certain about. 

“Ha, no.” Gordon's sly smile would make warriors cower. “Virgil's making me a blanket.”

“Virgil is?” 

“Well, yeah. He doesn't know I know. But it's Virgil so of course he is.” Gordon leans in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. “I'm leaving them around the villa for him to find. There's one in his favorite coffee mug right now.”

Gordon cackles. An actual full belly laugh. “I haven't had any sent back to me in retaliation,” he explains further. “Ergo…”

“Ergo,” Scott echoes, the pieces coming together. He absolutely understands now that Gordon is doing just the part he enjoys, a welcome distraction from his current misery. The injured aquanaut gets to enjoy the instant gratification of the small project while Virgil…

…does the heavy lifting. 

That’s so entirely them it makes his teeth hurt grinning. 

Scott glances at his square with a rush of warmth being welcomed into the language his brothers seem to share over yarn. He never learned when Mom taught Virgil her magic, but he knows it’s important to the two of them and that Virgil taught Gordon at the hospital all those years ago now. 

There is still one more thing he’s wondering. 

“Gordon? About these ends?” The square looks unfinished with the strands dangling with each color change.

“Oh, do they bother you?” He beams. “I don't mind them so much.”

Scott's gaze immediately jumps to Gordon's gaze away from the trailing yarn. That little shit. Virgil will hate that. Hell, Scott can't stand them unfinished like that himself. And Gordon knows exactly what he's doing. 

“You're maniacal.”

Gordon shakes his head. “No, I'm bored. And Virgil likes fixing things, remember?”

#Gavii Scribit #fic: grannies #gordon tracy #virgil tracy #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hello, I'm seeking advice on helping my ISFJ mom feel more confident about changing her relationship dynamic with her brother and mom. I'm close to her, and she values my mental health advice. I have ideas on how to do this but need practical solutions and examples. Any guidance is appreciated!

I'm from a therapy-limited country. My traditional family, though not toxic, faces challenges. Thanks to grandma in the past, mom and uncle are now successful. In gratitude, Mom lives with Granny for reciprocity, leading to our current situation.

Grandma consistently hurts mom without apologizing, creating a one-sided dynamic. Mom struggles with setting boundaries and changing her perception of what makes a 'decent' person. Despite my attempts to explain the concept of boundaries, it's perceived as encouraging her to be more 'selfish' or risky. Mom is highly self-critical, fearing others see her as immoral, but this fear is primarily fueled by grandma's spiteful comments. The idea of grandma not living with us is seen as a threat to mom's mental well-being.

Uncle, though respected by ppl outside home, is a source of family tension. Grandma's bias towards him results in unfair treatment, with the family expected to serve his needs. Mom sacrifices for him, but when she needs help, grandma is indifferent. Uncle is unaware of the family dynamics and attempts to enlighten him result in backlash from grandma or his dismissal of the issues as insignificant.

Granny relies on our family for help a lot, while uncle remains uninvolved. When we mention his lack of contribution, she defends him by citing Mom's voluntary choice to let her stay, claiming he owes her nothing despite her past support for uncle.

In this complex situation, mom bears the entire burden of running the household, making it challenging for her to seek help. Uncle remains oblivious to the family's struggles, behaving as if they owe him. Despite efforts to communicate with him, he views it as mere dislike rather than understanding the impact of his actions.

Navigating our family dynamics is challenging, requiring effective communication and understanding. How can we voice our concerns effectively? Thank you for reading

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

Changing ingrained family dynamics is quite difficult for many reasons. The first obstacle that often comes up is a problem of perception. You can't really control how people interpret or misinterpret things.

For example, it's difficult for one member of a family to raise a concern when the other members immediately perceive it as a personal attack. People at low levels of ego development automatically process criticism as an ego threat, which means they easily become defensive. Once a person becomes defensive, good communication is no longer possible, because the main goal becomes silencing the criticism by whatever means necessary. This usually manifests as sweeping the problem under the rug, only to have it resurface again and again.

If people are sensitive to criticism, you have a lot more work to do in order to reach them. Firstly, you have to work through your blame and adopt a more big-picture attitude that focuses on the greater good, otherwise the blame will infect all communication and make people unnecessarily defensive. Secondly, you have to learn how to communicate in a more authentic manner that quickly gets to the heart of the issue, rather than getting baited into petty and distracting squabbles. Both of these points are already covered in the article about Communicating through Difficult Conflicts.

However, communication only works when all parties are capable of being reasonable. Some people can only reach a reasonable state after much work and lengthy dramatics, but some people can never reach it, so it's important to know the difference in order to avoid wasting your efforts.

The second obstacle that often comes up is the difficulty of change. Motivation is very important for achieving lasting change, and motivation can be very difficult to sustain when change is perceived as too difficult. Even in the best case scenario of every family member recognizing the problem, it might still be very difficult for individual members to change their behavior because the patterns have become so habitual. Breaking bad habits is an uphill battle. In your family's case, there is strong resistance to acknowledging the problem in the first place, which means there is also strong resistance toward change. Nothing makes change more difficult than people actively fighting against it.

If people are willing to change but have difficulty with it, you have to do more to: make the learning process as easy as possible for them; give them reliable encouragement and support as needed; and actively set up better conditions for success by removing environmental obstacles whenever possible.

Part of the problem you've encountered is you have not yet pinpointed the areas where you're most likely to succeed in implementing change. While it's tempting to lay blame on your grandma and uncle, it's the wrong path for you to take. Everyone has a part to play in a negative family dynamic, including you, so it's important to acknowledge everyone's contributions rather than hyperfocusing on the most obvious targets. I have explained many times that blame is always unproductive, see past posts. Blame makes you come off as critical which in turn makes people defensive. You basically defeat yourself before you begin.

As disagreeable as your grandma and uncle both sound, what was said in their defense isn't untrue. The only reason they can get away with bad behavior is because your mom allows it. The only reason they can get away with not repaying relationship "debts" is because your mom offers support for free, out of her sense of moral duty. The fact that they can speak so candidly and shamelessly about the situation is because they don't believe there will be any negative consequences (from your mom).

While this might sound like blaming the victim instead of the perpetrator, it isn't meant to be. There is no doubt that your grandma and uncle are behaving unethically, but the power to change this situation lies mainly with your mom. Your grandma and uncle have made it clear that they will not voluntarily relinquish the benefits they receive from this unhealthy family dynamic. In other words, they not only have zero motivation to change, they will actively resist it. As such, pouring your energy in their direction isn't likely to bring positive returns until your mom changes her part of the script.

One aspect of being a good problem solver is knowing how to simply accept the things you can't change, no matter how unpleasant, in order to focus all your efforts on the things you can. In this case, face up to the sad fact that the people who benefit most from a situation have the least desire to change it.

The first step of change must come from mom, unless you're willing to use force and go against everyone's will. I can understand why you'd think "boundaries" is the way to go with her, but, unfortunately, it doesn't get deep enough into the problem. There are many reasons why people have poor boundaries and it seems you haven't quite gotten to the bottom of hers, which is why you're not able to present the information in a way that resonates with her. As a general rule, you must understand a situation fully from the other person's perspective in order to maximize persuasiveness. There are several aspects of boundaries to consider if you hope to fully grasp her perspective:

1) Self-awareness of feelings and emotions is very important because they alert you to unhealthy behavior, both from yourself and others. When someone disrespects you, how do you feel? You shouldn't feel happy about it. Anger would be a more appropriate response. When you disrespect yourself by allowing others to disrespect you, you should feel angry about your own helplessness or powerlessness.

People who aren't in touch with their feelings and emotions, or worse, repress them, aren't fully aware of how hurt and angry they feel. Hurt and anger alert you to boundary violations specifically, so they are important sources of motivation for restoring broken boundaries. Until a person can acknowledge just how hurt and/or angry they really are, they will have difficulty working up enough motivation to change toxic relationship situations.

I don't know the degree to which your mom is self-aware, but given that she has borne the situation for so long, it's likely that she has learned to repress her hurt and anger. If that's the case, an important early step in her recovery would be to improve her emotional awareness and understand the importance of honoring her own feelings. (See the articles on emotional intelligence.)

2) Low self-worth is a deeper factor behind poor boundaries and it also contributes to the emotional repression described above. If you see yourself as unimportant or less than others, then your feelings don't matter, do they?

In some cases, people with low self-worth tend to perceive boundaries as "selfish" because they don't fully understand that they are being treated unfairly and thus have a right to stand up for their own dignity and request fairer treatment. As such, it's probably better that you approach the topic of boundaries from the angle of "fairness" (virtuous) rather than "protection" (selfish). As long as she perceives a behavior as being morally "subversive", she won't engage in it, because it conflicts with her ideal self of wanting to be a moral person. She should be applauded for her moral fortitude. In other words, encourage and support her ideal self instead of asking her to smash that ideal.

Unhealthy Fe often manifests as devaluing oneself and being unfair to oneself, but this doesn't mean FJs do it on purpose. Oftentimes, they grew up in an environment that devalued them or exploited their kindness. Lessons of low self-worth can also be hammered deeper into the psyche by being a member of a historically, politically, and culturally oppressed group such as women. There have likely been many forces coming together to teach your mom that she matters less than others. Judging by your description, your grandma was and continues to be one of the major forces.

You seem to hesitate to call your family dynamic "toxic", but your grandma sounds verbally and emotionally abusive. She knows she wields an enormous power over your mom and doesn't hesitate to abuse that power to get what she wants. I think you need to acknowledge that your grandma is toxic and abusive, and that this makes her "scary", because you don't know how far she will go to hold on to the power she has over your mom. You didn't grow up under her influence the same way your mom did, so perhaps you are still a bit naive about how negative their dynamic can really get. Grandchildren tend to see grandparents through rose-colored glasses because they don't have full access to the darker aspects of the family history.

It's easy to say to people "just stand up for yourself", but it will be very difficult for them to do if they have repeatedly experienced social repercussions for it. It's likely that through constant criticism and attacking her self-esteem, your grandma has basically used punishment to condition your mom into compliance and make her believe that she deserves to be treated as inferior. Because of this, there is likely good reason for your mom to believe that standing up for herself is "risky". She has likely borne the repercussions her entire life and she's not wrong to believe that they might only get worse the more she tries to free herself. Don't forget that ISFJs have deep memories, especially when it comes to past hurt, and those memories might loom quite large any time your mom thinks about confronting your grandma. Add to that, she is obviously outnumbered as soon as your uncle enters the picture.

ISFJs are great students when it comes to learning and internalizing social expectations. On the upside, this ability grants them confidence in navigating social situations and allows them to fit smoothly into a social hierarchy, but, on the downside, they can also suffer terribly from internalizing the immoral values of their oppressors. Ideally, your mom needs to heal from the damage of your grandma's abuse of power and discover her own voice and her own power. But this is a very long-term goal, a lifelong project.

Until then: i) acknowledge that her fears and concerns are valid, and ii) offer her practical ways to mitigate the risk of social repercussions (to soothe inferior Ne). Otherwise, she is unlikely to confront the problem. In short, if you want people to stand up for themselves, you have to get them to believe that it's necessary and also okay and safe to do so.

3) Some people with boundary issues have healthy self-worth and good emotional awareness and the only thing they lack is knowhow. Usually, they never had any opportunity to learn good strategies for setting and enforcing boundaries when they were growing up. Perhaps they even grew up in good families and never encountered toxic people, so they have no idea how to deal with them. They usually have the easiest time learning about boundaries, which includes some people who ask me about boundary issues on this blog (see previous posts).

Unfortunately, it sounds like your mom is stuck on points 1) and 2) above. Until she addresses them, she simply isn't psychologically ready to learn the "how" of setting boundaries yet. You can try to help her with both points, and there is always hope as long as she is receptive to hearing you out.

She needs to understand why boundaries are important for everyone. I don't know what culture you're from, but one of the greatest ideas that has come out of democratic culture is that each person should be accorded their dignity. Every individual is entitled to a voice, basic respect, and fair treatment. And if you don't receive the respect and fairness due to you, you have a right to demand it. Allowing for every person to feel content makes for a more peaceful and harmonious group/society.

If you come from a culture that believes some people are inherently superior/inferior than others (the caste system of India is one example) and your mom is a full supporter of a culture that says she should just shut up and accept her lot, then I'm afraid there's not much you can do to dissuade her. You can change a person's beliefs through reason and logic but not their deeply held values. To change those, a person usually has to do a lot of self-work to finally realize how terribly misguided/harmful their values have been.

#isfj #auxiliary fe #boundaries #helping #family #self worth #criticism #abuse #ask

[ingek73]

Charles undermined late queen’s plan to sue News UK, Prince Harry tells court

Harry claims his father intervened because he wanted to ensure the Sun supported his and Camilla’s future reign

Jim Waterson Media editor

Tue 25 Apr 2023 15.39 BST

Queen Elizabeth II personally threatened Rupert Murdoch’s media company with legal proceedings over phone hacking only for her efforts to be undermined by the then Prince Charles, the high court has heard.

Prince Harry said his father intervened because he wanted to ensure the Sun supported his ascension to the throne and Camilla’s role as queen consort, and had a “specific long-term strategy to keep the media on side” for “when the time came”.

The Duke of Sussex made the claims on Tuesday as part of his ongoing legal action against News Group Newspapers. The legal case lays bare Harry’s allegations of the deals between senior members of the British royal family and tabloid newspapers.

The prince said his father, the king, had personally demanded he stop his legal cases against British newspaper outlets when they were filed in late 2019.

The court filings state: “I was summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an ‘effect on all the family’.” He added this was “a direct request (or rather demand) from my father” and senior royal aides.

Harry blamed tabloid press intrusion for collapses in his mental health, said journalists had destroyed many of his relationships with girlfriends, and said British tabloid journalists fuelled online trolls and drove people to suicide.

He said: “How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?”

The duke also suggested that press intrusion by the Sun and other newspapers led to his mother – Diana, Princess of Wales – choosing to travel without a police escort, ultimately leading to her death in 1997.

In 2017, Harry decided to seek an apology from Murdoch’s News UK for phone hacking, receiving the backing of Queen Elizabeth II and his brother. His submission said: “William was very understanding and supportive and agreed that we needed to do it. He therefore suggested that I seek permission from ‘granny’. I spoke to her shortly afterwards and said something along the lines of: ‘Are you happy for me to push this forward, do I have your permission?’ and she said: ‘Yes.’”

Having received the support of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry said he asked the royal family’s lawyers to write to the Murdoch executives Rebekah Brooks and Robert Thomson and seek a resolution. Yet the company refused to apologise and, out of desperation, Harry discussed banning reporters from Murdoch-owned outlets from attending his wedding to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

In 2018, Sally Osman, Queen Elizabeth II’s communications secretary, wrote an email to Harry explaining that she was willing to threaten legal action in the name of the monarch.

The email read: “The queen has given her consent to send a further note, by email, to Robert Thomson, CEO of News Corporation and Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News UK.

“Her Majesty has approved the wording, which essentially says there is increasing frustration at their lack of response and engagement and, while we’ve tried to settle without involving lawyers, we will need to reconsider our stance unless we receive a viable proposal.”

However, there was no apology, which Harry ascribes to a secret deal between the royal family and senior Murdoch executives to keep proceedings out of court. As part of the legal proceedings he alleged that his brother, Prince William, had secretly been paid a “huge sum of money” by Murdoch’s company in 2020 to settle a previously undisclosed phone-hacking claim.

Harry claimed that, shortly before his wedding, he was informed Murdoch’s company would not apologise to the queen and the rest of the royal family at that stage because “they would have to admit that not only was the News of the World involved in phone hacking but also the Sun”, which they “couldn’t afford to do” as it would undermine their continued denials that illegal activity took place at the Sun.

Murdoch’s company has always denied that any illegal behaviour took place at the Sun and that all phone hacking and illicit blagging of personal material was limited to its sister newspaper, the now-defunct News of the World.

Harry insists this is untrue and claims phone hacking was widespread at the Sun when it was edited by Brooks, now a senior Murdoch executive. He has said he is willing to go to trial in an attempt to prove this. Murdoch’s company denies any wrongdoing at the Sun, or that there was any secret deal between the newspaper group and the royal household over phone hacking.

The prince also said press intrusion into the life of his mother was “one of the reasons she insisted on not having any protection after the divorce” as she suspected those around her of selling stories to outlets such as the Sun. He claims: “If she’d had police protection with her in August 1997, she’d probably still be alive today. People who abuse their power like this need to face the consequences of their actions, otherwise it says that we can all behave like this.”

Harry now believes his father and royal courtiers were prioritising positive coverage of his father and Camilla in the Sun, rather than seeking to back his legal claims. He said: “[T]hey had a specific long-term strategy to keep the media (including [Sun publisher] NGN) onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother (and father) to be accepted by the British public as queen consort (and king respectively) when the time came … anything that might upset the applecart in this regard (including the suggestion of resolution of our phone-hacking claims) was to be avoided at all costs.”

He said all of his girlfriends would find “they are not just in a relationship with me but with the entire tabloid press as a third party”, leading to bouts of depression and paranoia. He claimed the press was pushing him in the hope of “a total and very public breakdown”.

He made clear his personal loathing of Brooks, who was found not guilty of phone hacking by a jury in June 2014. He said: “Having met her once with my father when she was hosting the Sun military awards at the Imperial War Museum in London and having seen her essentially masquerading as someone that she wasn’t by using the military community to try and cover up all the appalling things that she and her newspapers had done, I felt this surprise at her acquittal even more personally, especially as I had been duped into thinking that she was OK at our meeting.”

#prince harry #duke of sussex #king charles the cruel #abolish the monarchy #camilla parker bowles #prince william #brf #british royal family #the sun #phone hacking trial #queen elizabeth ii

[kits-shrine]

The peppy beast quite literally howled with laughter at the question until he realized no one else thought it as funny as he, “Oh! Riiiiight! My apologies ma’am, you wouldn’t be privy to the normal tales,” the pup grinned sheepishly, allowing Cian to cut in, “names hold great power in our world and to the Fae-“

“Very important, they are!” Cian arched a brow, and the brown shuck, who once again grinned sheepishly and apologized, “but we spirit, are born nameless. A contract is formed between a human and a spirit through a naming ceremony. The pair are bound together until death, which is the only force strong enough to sever the bond.”

~

Tony eagerly munched along with Tamashii as Laurel finally met Yurei’s gaze, still an impressive shade of pink.

"Oh dear... I don't want you to feel like you have to stay that long." Granny fretted a little before laughing wryly, "Though old as I am, It might not be that long." Her wrinkled hand reached out to lightly scratch the brown shuck behind the ear "Are you sure you want to stay dear? No hard feelings if you don't want to stay with this old bag of bones."

Seishin snorted at that.

~

Touma giggled from Laurel's lap at Tony and Tamashii's actions and Yurei's growing rainbow haze on his face, before looking up at the Fae woman whose lap he sat. "I...I Hope You Will Allow Me To Redeem Myself?" The tall skeleton implored still under the impression that she had been insulted by his lack in an immediate reaction.

#aizawasluckylady

[ladykailolu]

Additional note about Ballroom Blitz

I honestly didn’t think of this when o gave her the stand (I just thought this type of stand would be cool)

But Ballroom Blitz fits Sadie Mae

It’s a stand that allows her to shape shift into others

It reflects how Sadie Mae wishes she was someone else and her lack of self love

That she feels the need to be other people

Maybe if she was different someone better, her mama and papa would love her

But they don’t so :/

Poor, poor Sadie-Mae, who only wants to be loved and cherished....

I can't help to imagine that Johnny, out of all people, is the adult to bridge the connection to Sadie-Mae. He comes to love her as if she was his own daughter, and tries to make her feel at home, but Gyro's antics only undermines his efforts. So, in the end, Johnny can't connect with Sadie-Mae, and she feels so alone and isolated. She only gets close to Maggie, but even then there's a gap between them because Sadie-Mae can't understand why Maggie chooses not to see the hatred that Gyro has for her.

Still, even Sadie-Mae gets a happier ending. There's no changing the past. There's no pleading with her mom to treat her better, nor resurrecting her granny, nor erasing Gyro's neglect. But there's still hope. Gyro turns over a new leaf and wants to connect with his daughters and actively tries to be in their lives and apologize for his actions, and Johnny is beyond relieved to see her alive and well. Ofc they offer their home to their children and would do anything for them.

Even so, I imagine that it would take a very long time for Sadie-Mae to trust them. The ordeal of being kidnapped and returning home helped Sadie-Mae to feel closer to Paxe and Maggie, but all in all, she was dreading the moment that she would see Gyro again. What would he say? Would he be the same asshole he was before? Sadie-Mae can't let her heart be broken again, you know.

But it gets better for her. It gets better.

Btw, how did Sadie-Mae discover her stand? Was she at a low point in her life that she peered into someone else's eyes and suddenly found that she *was* that person in appearance?

#sadie-mae tinsley maddlin #gyro zeppeli #johnny joestar #jjba #jjba oc #not my oc #the bastard zeppeli daughters #the bastard zeppeli children

[breenmatthiesen54]

False Bay South Africa Sharing , Not Mine Top 10 Seashores, Cape Town South Africa, Scenic

I never received the opportunity to meet you. Every time i take into consideration you my coronary heart cries out to Hashem to provide your neshama an Aliyah, ברוק דין האמת. Rohan 10 years ago you were with us in Toronto. You will always be remembered. To our very special mother, we are heartbroken that you are gone and wi ..... I miss him although i was friends with sean. I will always remember coming to your home and seeing lance and rael almost conjoined on the chair collectively. Such was their love for each other it was almost tangible. One factor i never forgot and never advised anybody. Days earlier than i heard the devastating information, i noticed rael out with his associates one night .i keep in mind the charity lady doing her rounds via he membership and most of the people appeared the opposite means. dr greg hough Remembered with fondn ..... In memory of Rosalind Bloch. Wife of Nahum Bloch, mom of Sandra Menachemson, Barry Bloch, and Fay Victor. Daughter of Esther and Philip Rosenberg. Dearest Dad, you're always in our hearts and all the time remembered, lov ..... It has taken me years to seek out you. There’s lots happening round Houghton in the next 6 weeks or so. Apologies for bothering you a 2nd time this week, but we have simply obtained some stock of Titleist's new Vokey SM9 wedges. Really sorry to hassle you for a third time this week, but those crazy folk at Srixon are at it again, and I just had to move the message on. I was at herzlia with Benny although he was a number of years forward of me he was closed to my late brother Arthur in age. I remember him when he was in practice +-50 years ago. I wish all his household a protracted life. Dear Errol & Family, Heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement. Fly free with the angels! Thanks you for all the time you spent with the beloved animals. As the doors of Adopt A Pet are about to close and we desperately looking for houses for the remaining animals I hope that you are watching and seeing the amazing work that is being accomplished to give you peace of mind. We is not going to stop till each animal is in a loving residence. We are unable to proceed the work you probably did for so a few years but the name remains in high stead. Not a day goes by granny, the place you are not talked about or remembered, from cooking to movies, you're at all times in my heart . Not a day goes by that I do not consider you. Hi mother, I wish i was round to spend more time with you. Love and miss you every second of the day. Dear Dr Tavian, you delivered my three sons and can at all times have a s ..... He very thrilling Collin Morikawa continued his nearly dream begin to life on Tour when he whacked World #3 Justin Thomas in an exhilarating playoff at Muirfield Village within the Workday Charity occasion. Morikawa now moves to #13 in the World Rankings, and his meteoric rise continues. We all find out about his first 22 begins with out lacking a minimize that ended just some weeks ago, however then he hits straight again along with his 2nd win in his quick career. • This weekend sees the playing of the 6th edition of the Norman Gordon Trophy, the club’s youngest of its ‘named’ Majors, and in honour of one of the club’s biggest sportsmen. At the time of his dying in 2014, Norman was the oldest living survivor of the final ever Timeless Test. After the first round of this first Men’s Club Major of the year, the brothers Kuming, Jordan and Cale, lead the Sid Brews after a superb forty nine Betterball factors. You will always be an enormous a half of me, You had been my rock and my greatest good friend and I cant wait to hold you in my arms once more. My dearest mommy - you are always with me and held close to my coronary heart ..... May his memory be a blessing. My coronary heart is with you all.

#dr gregory hough south africa #dr greg hough south africa #dr gregory #dr greg hough #greg hough #dr gregory hough #dr gregory images #dr greg hough images #dr gregory facebook #dr greg hough facebook

[scover-va]

Hi im spitting thoughts down here bc i cant do that with insta without having to draw smth or make my gf listen to thoughts shes already heard, but anyways im here to finally get some thoughts down abt irving but like. if he were to ever get any sort of redemption. "Oh but Scov hes dead Lazarus shot him-" Um hes an ai and also hes alive in inscryption so shhhhhhhh. Idk how long inscryption takes place after the hex and for all i know, Irving checked up on Inscryption's development before getting shot, but like. Im gonna say Inscryption was in development after the fact for the simple reason of i hate trying to figure out timelines *looks at the weird ass timeline goin on just with vicious galaxy* Also ramble under the cut bc its a very long post

Anyways so obv Irving would have a lot to redeem himself for (Crippling Reggie, traumatizing Chandrelle and Lazarus, and at after playing thru the game 3 times im convinced he purposely made Bryce punch him during the training scene and intended to do the same in Cooking Granny but shh. And also im like 99% sure when he wanted to throw Chandrelle overboard he was fully intending to murder her ass) but thats like. The entire reason he SHOULD get redeemed??? And i dont mean smth cheap and insincere like with Shadow Weaver in spop, I mean a legit redemption. Bc hoooo boy does he need to start learning how to apologize, goddamn. I feel like forcing him to spend time around the group would make him realize how badly he fucked up, and I feel like he'd use the excuse "Well I'm just following orders" even tho he: - Told Lionel he would put Reggie in a different game - He admitted that making Vallamir possess Chandrelle was his own idea - It's implied he erased the VG1 files so he could punish Lazarus - Probably was not fuckin told to go try and fight Chandrelle to the death

Anyways so yeah, only one he fully followed orders on was Bryce, which idk if it's just me interpreting Bryce differently or if I'm right here, but I feel like Bryce is the type of guy who, if he saw Irving actively trying to make up for it, he like. He'd try and be some sort of support system??? Like "No Irving, you can't say sorry and then blame them. Apologizing means you're taking the blame." Bc for Bryce, he's like. The only one who can't fully get pissy with Irving??? Like Lionel's the one who bought Bryce, not Irving, so yknow. But yeah I think the big thing with Irving is that to him, these are just game characters. He's not a game character (in the dmg universe, anyways), hes an AI. So there's definitely bound to be a disconnect there, like "Your purpose is to fit a narrative and be a pawn. My purpose is to keep you all in line and make sure development goes smoothly." So like some sort of superiority complex and a lack of understanding.

But yeah, in a post-canon setting, I do think he should get a redemption arc. Not to mention that, if the game were to be from his or Lionel's perspective, he wouldn't be a villain, bc then the narrative would be "These game characters are running around and destroying perfectly good games, so they need to be stopped", he's a villain in the hex purely bc like. Most of the people there fuckin hate him. I mean, hell, in the game that narrates Lionel's life (Walk), Irving seems like a genuinely good guy/AI, up until Rootbeer Tender, which is implied to be put into Walk by Jeremiah I think (or im assuming wrong idk, there was a radio and ik radios are commonly associated with Jeremiah, even if I still gotta get into the basement vending machine). Like, he provided Lionel everything he needed to make a game when he was 12, gave him some good tips, and Lionel even fuckin says that Irving tried to warn him that his life was in danger. Like, up until RBT, if you had only played Walk, you'd think Irving was a helpful AI too. Kinda strayted from my og point but anyways yeah, from his own perspective for the entire game, Irving sees himself as being the good guy, so seeing as how to p much everyone fucking else hes a bad guy here, I think a redemption arc is entirely possible.

And also I mentioned Bryce bc you got it babey I love me some good enemies to lo- /hj And also I like the trope of the local asshole one day looking at The Nice One (tm) and just realizing "Ah fuck I've caught feelings" and then just adamently fucking denying it. Half of the reason I talked abt the redemption arc tbh was just bc this last bit would sound absolutely insane (/neg) without it. But yeah just Irving struggling to apologize and when he finally gets it out he decides to never acknowledge it happening, but it's okay because it's a step in the right direction

But yeah that's my two cents on the topic. Tldr this man needs to be fuckin humbled and brought down a notch

#the hex #the hex game #daniel mullins games #irving #character analysis #and also a ramble tbh i have adhd and needed to get this down #scov.txt

[leagueoflegendsimagines]

hi! thanks for answering my question abt poly requests :) can you do some viktor x fem!reader x jayce hcs where they’re all married and happy, i need super fluff especially after arcane :( thank you in advance i love ur writing

Oh my oh my - this will be quite interesting to write. Viktor and Jayce have an amazing dynamic and I absolutely love it.

Note 1: I have a big writing project I'm working on. It's with Viktor. So if you guys are interested in it, keep an eye out for my blog in the following days.

Note 2: I didn't quite know what you might wish for, but the "where they're all married and happy" line makes me assume that it wouldn't be a problem for you if, besides being in a relationship with you, they'd be in a relationship with each other as well. Poly dynamics can be a bit tricky to understand so I apologize if I'll offend anyone with my current confusion. As a conclusion to this note, this will contain JayVik as well as Jayce x Reader x Viktor.

Note 3: I decided to make this a soulmate AU because it works. Perfectly. If it's a problem, do send me another request. I love writing for these two idiots.

Forever [Soulmate AU]

Pairing: Viktor & Reader & Jayce

Word count: 9109

Warnings: brief self-harm [not exactly what you'd think but I'm adding this here just in case], panic attack, NSFW

NSFW warnings: Size king, threesome.

~ When you finally returned to Piltover after finishing your studies in Shurima, you were shocked by how suffocating your home felt. The etiquette didn't bother you, not quite.

~ It was the lack of expression, of passion, the almost surgical coldness of your surroundings. Now that you were a grown up young lady, as your mother would say, it was so easy to see through the facades and masks worn by those around you.

~ Why did they even bother? Everyone was hiding something. Everyone was faking it. It was hard to not feel a bit ashamed when you saw the lack of emotions, of passion. The lack of feelings in a place you loved more than anything else.

~ Shurima had been... different. Full of life and raw energy. A desolated desert filled with magic and power. With ancient, forbidden things.

~ You were sent there to finish your studies in Archeology, to serve as a diplomatic resource.

~ And you returned with knowledge of things that would get you in serious trouble, if your parents were to find out.

~ The runes tattooed into your skin, right underneath your breasts, were the proof when it comes to your betrayal of science. Arcane magic. Power that should have been forbidden to you.

~ A legacy left behind by your mother's bloodline. Like your grandmother and her great grandmother before her. A legacy shunned by your mother once she had left the humble life of an average citizen, marrying your father - one of the successful traders in Piltover.

~ While your family had been able to perform their sacred magic in secret for generations, it all ended with your mother.

~ She tried to keep you away from your roots. She tried to stop any contact between you and your grandmother, who had decided to move to Shurima after your mother's deep betrayal.

~ After so many years, your mother was sure you wouldn't remember her.

~ But how could you forget your granny?

~ The strong, tall woman that seemed to charm everyone around her. You'd always remember her smile, her bright eyes... her flowing hair, full of life and colour even at her advanced age.

~ How could you forget the way she cradled you close to her chest, whispering to you stories of magic and mages lost in time and space.

~ The woman you'd always look up to - proud and strong, full of confidence and so charming in her natural beauty and femininity. A woman who was never afraid to get her hands dirty, to give her life away for the sake of another.

~ Unsurprisingly, you met her in Shurima. And, unknown to your mother...

~ She taught you the ways of controlling magic.

~ Before you returned to Piltover, she warned you of the danger that to constantly loom over you.

~ Mages weren't tolerated in the city during an age of progress and science. You'd have more chances of living peacefully in Zaun, where people would fear and respect your still limited power. But Piltover...

~ Piltover would rip the meat off your bones for such deep, offending heresy.

~ And things went well for a while. You lived in your comfortable apartment on the outskirts of the city, a place where you could gaze upon the natural beauty of the world, untainted by the condescending city behind you.

~ Every morning, you'd go on the balcony to do your meditations. And that glamorous, clear stretch of water - the blinding light of a new dawn, glistening in the languid movement of waves...

~ It made everything worth it. Even with the risks of being caught. Even with the risk of being exiled - or worse.

~ You started helping people in the Undercity. You'd go in and out with the help of an old friend, a Zaunite who didn't give a damn about the prejudices held against mages.

~ You were trying to specialize in healing magic, drawn from the nature around you. Burning energy brimming with life. Energy that left your skin irritated and itchy when you pushed yourself too much, still unaware of your own limits.

~ You healed people as much as you could. Of course, you'd find excuses for not following your grandmother's warnings. It was good practice for your magic and alchemy. It was...

~ It was the only thing you could really do. The only way you could give back to the world what you were taking through the use of magic.

~ You had a weak, sensitive heart. Every life you couldn't save wrecked you for days, haunting you to the point of a break down. Every time you saw a child suffering, or a bunch of kittens left to die... it broke your soul down, little by little. It left you broken and exposed.

~ It didn't stop you from helping. You did your best to take care of the children, debating solutions with your friend for countless hours. You adopted the stray kittens or puppies that you'd find abandoned, almost starved to death.

~ And you'd take them home, nursing them back to health and giving them away to people who would take care of those sweet souls.

~ As the years passed, it became harder and harder to get into the Undercity. And that's when you met Ekko - a young man who, reluctantly, offered you his trust after a few months of collaboration. You helped his people - and he gave you his protection to roam freely in Zaun.

~ You certainly didn't expect him to show up at your door with Professor Heimerdinger - Heimerdinger, out of all people - and another man.

~ The man himself - the icon of progress.

~ At that moment, you saw your end. They knew. You could see it in their eyes - they knew what you were capable of. And you could only look at Ekko with betrayed eyes as you remained frozen in the doorframe, fingers gripping the doorknob to the point of pain.

~ Heimerdinger cleared his throat, unsure of what to do in such awkward silence. "Miss [L/n], I'm well aware that such a late visit is uncalled for. But my dear friend over here," his small, enthusiastic hand gestured to Ekko. "He told me you could help us."

~ You slowly relaxed. Good. They weren't here to take you away. At least not yet. For now, they only needed help.

~ You were used to helping people.

~ With a heavy sigh, you backed away from the doorframe - long enough for them to enter your modest but cozy apartment. Full of flowers and plants you used in your alchemy. A few puppies and kittens sleeping peacefully in the corner, close the fireplace.

~ "Take a seat, professor." You had a soft spot for the recently retired dean of the science academy. Eyes filled with pain, yet hopeful. He looked weary and tired. Old. "Take a seat and tell me what you need."

~ You watched with careful eyes as he gingerly sat on your couch. Ekko leaned against the wall, familiar and casual in your home. You didn't glance at Jayce - you didn't quite like him. Someone who was willing to use magic in such a reckless manner, unaware of how powerful or deadly it could be.

~ "This young man said you're a mage." When Heimerdinger saw your body tense defensively, he continued in a rushed manner. "No, my dear. We're not here for that. You must be well aware of our recent experiments with the hextech."

~ Taking a few moments to think, you reluctantly nodded.

~ "We... need your help."

~ Help was a word you initially underestimated.

~ Help meant guiding their research. In the short-term, it meant stabilizing the core, the hidden power behind it. A difficult task, as you were still quite the novice in magic yourself - but you knew that, with hard work, it would listen to you.

~ It had to. Your blood would call out to it, after all.

~ Help also meant saving someone's life.

~ A very sick man.

~ You pondered over it for a few moments. This would take all of your energy and mental resources - too much to focus on your priority, Zaun.

~ You'd have to put everything you had into this for a few months. At least half a year. Maybe even more?

~ "And what if I refuse?"

~ Heimerdinger looked at you with pained eyes, but spoke wisely nonetheless. "It is your decision, my dear. We will not report you for your usage of magic. "

~ But others didn't seem to agree to Heimerdinger's perspective.

~ You could only gasp in shock when Jayce grabbed your shoulders tightly, pulling you toward him. Forcing you to face him. Distantly, you could hear Ekko getting closer - prepared to shove Jayce off you.

~ "Please! I beg you..." His grip on your shoulders tightened to the point of pain. "You need to help him. Viktor deserves to be saved. Please. Before you make any decisions, meet him. You won't regret it."

~ You stared at Jayce. He was a handsome man, with bright eyes and a shining soul. A man who wished to do good, but who got lost on his journey. This man he was talking about... what did he mean to Jayce?

~ What was Jayce willing to sacrifice for him?

~ You swallowed thickly around the knot stuck in your throat as your gaze fluttered down, away from his desperate eyes. You didn't enjoy being forced into helping people.

~ It was your effort. An effort you gave away freely, without asking for anything in return. And there were many innocent people in Zaun - people who actually needed your help.

~ Helping scientists solve their own messes wasn't exactly high on your priority list.

~ But you agreed to help them. You'd see for yourself who this man was.

~ And magic wasn't a toy. You knew that, as a mage, it was your duty to stabilize the core and help them.

~ As much as you'd be able to.

~ Your voice was soft as you spoke again. "I'll help you." Jayce's grip on your shoulders relaxed as he slouched, face overwhelmed with relief. "But for a price."

~ His next words broke your heart. "Whatever it takes," he breathed out as he watched you with wide eyes - with an intensity that made you feel uncomfortable.

~ "You will put as much effort as it takes into helping Zaun. And you will change the general mentality of the population when it comes to mages. Don't you find it a bit hypocritical, professor, how the academy uses the arcane magic freely while we are shunned for doing the same thing - in a much more controlled manner?"

~ You didn't have to look at Heimerdinger to notice his shame. His lack of words told you everything you needed to know.

~ The following day - after giving Ekko quite the scolding for telling professor Heimerdinger, out of all people, what you are - you met Viktor for the first time.

~ The academy was a cold place. To you, it lacked personality. It lacked the passion you were used to. Burning passion, as hot as the deserts you've grown to love so much.

~ But their research lab was... different. It had something. Not quite the passion you possessed, no.

~ Something guarded. Something that veiled a passion, a determination ready to swallow the whole city.

~ You assumed that the man sitting at the desk, next to Jayce, was Viktor. And, after thanking professor Heimerdinger for showing you the way, you approached them with cautious steps.

~ "You should stop messing with the core until I stabilize it." You spoke with a touch of disapproval as you watched the pale, lean man poke at the core with annoying determination.

~ You heard the echoes of pain, of anger. And it only made you cringe further. Only the Gods knew how they had managed to come so far with their crude handling of the magic.

~ When Viktor turned to look at you, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance behind his googles, you continued your previous statement. "Magic is sensitive. The more you probe it without its consent, the more vengeful it will become. And, believe me, it will get its revenge eventually."

~ Jayce beamed at you with a wide smile, his hand squeezing Viktor's shoulder comfortingly. He looked like an excited puppy - as if he had expected you to walk out on your promise.

~ "Viktor this is... [Y/n]. She's a mage. She will aid us in our research."

~ "And I would also like to take a look at your illness. I might be able to help." You ignored Jayce's glare at your crude approach. If this man was as sick as you had been told, you needed to start your workings immediately.

~ "I don't.." You watched him glare at Jayce before turning to face the core once more. "As much as I appreciate the offer, Miss [Y/n], I don't quite remember being in need of help."

~ Ah. A stubborn one, then.

~ "Could you leave us alone for a few moments?" You looked at Jayce with insistent eyes. Insistent enough for him to give up on any protests. As he quietly left the room, you approached Viktor.

~ "Listen, darling." You forcibly turned his chair around, pulling off his googles. His glare was as intense as you'd have expected, amber eyes staring at you with a fire that burned wild underneath.

~ "I know what you've been doing. I can smell it on you." You leaned closer to him, matching his glare. "You've come quite far with your research - for that I must applaud you. But it was an incredibly dumb move to mess with arcane magic without the assistance of a mage. Magic cannot be controlled. It chooses to help you, not the other way around. You've been pushing it for years, forcefully drawing energy from it without giving anything back. Do this any longer and it will destroy you."

~ You pulled back with a heavy sign. "You're sick. Why would you rather rely on a force that cannot provide you enough at this very moment instead of letting me help you? Are you that prideful?" Your steps took you closer to the large blackboard, filled with equations and scribbles. In that mess, you could only recognize your beloved runes. Slender fingers traced their contour, relishing in the soft whisper of magic inside them.

~ "Jayce told me you wish to help people. And you can't do that as a dead man." You faced him again. Viktor refused to look at you, stubbornly staring at the door.

~ It didn't take a genius to know he was annoyed by your presence , not used to someone pushing into his comfort zone.

~ "Look... If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for Jayce. That man was ready to give his head on a plate to anyone who can help you." At last, Viktor relaxed. His face softened as you mentioned Jayce - and a deep sigh wrecked his chest, followed by violent coughs.

~ "What do you need?" You frowned at the sight of blood on his handkerchief. The diagnosis was clear. Still, he was worse than what you had expected.

~ "From you? Nothing. Just let me do my job and I'll let you do yours."

~ During those days you started thinking more about the blue ink engraved on your right wrist, constantly hidden from sight by bandages. Sometimes the sign itched horribly - and you'd catch yourself scratching it raw, even through the thick fabric of the bandages, under Sky's worried gaze.

~ And you'd give her a comforting little smile, making up some excuse about a skin irritation. But she knew. Everyone knew. Most people chose to show their signs freely when they were on a visible part of the body. But you didn't wish for that kind of attention.

~ In some ways, you were scared to meet the person who was linked so intimately to your life.

~ A life that went on slowly - days spent healing Viktor, little by little. Night spent with the core, trying to find a way to stabilize it without further provoking the raw magic.

~ A life that you found oddly comforting, with occasional visits to Ekko's modest Paradise in Zaun.

~ A life you enjoyed, no matter how exhausting it was.

~ Viktor proved to be a wonderful companion, exceeding all expectations. During the hours you'd spend with your hand pressed against his chest, pushing as much healing energy as you could into his very being, he'd talk to you. He'd tell you of his childhood, of his ambitions. Of his life with Jayce.

~ That's how you found out they were soulmates.

~ It surprised you, at first. But then it all made sense. Not only was Viktor Jayce's closest friend, he also held a part of his soul.

~ No wonder he was so desperate to save him.

~ Sometimes, he'd read to you. His voice would smooth out the increasingly painful migraine to grow behind your eyes, a sign of exhaustion.

~ But not enough to make you to stop.

~ It was hard. It was painful. But he was steadily getting better. And it made you happy to see this wonderful genius brighten up, blossoming like a delicate flower of the night. And to watch Jayce regain his hope, with an energy as bright as the sun.

~ When Viktor asked you about your soulmate, you could only stammer. It was quite hard for you to explain your nervous thoughts when it came to such things. Ironically, as a mage, you were supposed to understand better than anyone else the importance of such a connection - a bond that linked souls together in the most amazing, most natural way possible.

~ The very definition of true love.

~ Even so, no one was forced to have a relationship with their soulmate. People could live on happily without one.

~ Did you wish for that? No, not really. But you weren't prepared for it.

~ You weren't prepared for rejection.

~ Few people believed in magic. And so many shunned mages away, as if they were the plague.

~ You wouldn't stay with a person who couldn't accept that part of you, soulmate or not.

~ "It's... complicated." You gestured with your right hand - and his eyes fell on the bandage with a thoughtful look.

~ You didn't pay any attention to that look. You were used to them. Even your parents greatly disapproved of your choice. Others wondered if you were ashamed of your soulmate. Of your sign.

~ Professor Heimerdinger even inquired if you and Ekko...

~ Of course, your embarrassment had been immeasurable. And Professor Heimerdinger apologized repeatedly over the following days.

~ He didn't inquire about your soulmate ever again after that disaster.

~ You couldn't ignore the fact that you had to spend most of your time in the presence of two very handsome, very bright-minded men.

~ You tried to ignore the building attraction as much as you could. And it was hard to do so, especially with the annoying itching of your wrist. It happened more and more those days, to the point where the skin under the bandages was almost constantly red and irritated.

~ At least you were going through some massive progress with both the hexcore and Viktor's health.

~ One night, you returned to the research lab after taking a break of several hours - enough to eat something more consistent, take a nap in your own bed and enjoy a long, steaming shower.

~ It was a quiet, rainy night. Peaceful. You could see the dim glow of the core in one of the main rooms. A glow that, nowadays, was less threatening and slightly more willing to cooperate.

~ You just wanted to check on Viktor and see if he was still in his study. You didn't mean to peak in or anything, but the door was left open, exposing the low light of a lonely lamp.

~ You almost squealed when you saw them. Viktor pressed against his desk while Jayce was kissing him with the passion of a dying man, hand inside the younger man's pants -

~ Needless to be said, you covered your eyes and left as quietly as possible, trying to not trip over your own legs. And even outside, in the cool air of the night and the chilly rain falling from the sky, you could still feel your flushed face burning and your heart beating wildly in your chest.

~ "I think you scared off a little bunny." Viktor said with an amused glint in his eyes and a breathless voice when they heard the main door closing a bit too loudly.

~ "Caitlyn, they were fucking! Well, not exactly fucking. But they were plastered over each other and..." You watched as Caitlyn choked on her coffee before bursting into laughter. "It's not funny! How am I supposed to look them in the eye after seeing... that?!"

~ Next morning, you didn't hesitate to drag Caitlyn from her home to a nearby cafe. You were desperate for advice, and too embarrassed to go straight to the academy.

~ "Well, they are soulmates. What did you expect?" "For them to not fuck in the academy?!" "You said they weren't fucking!" "They were almost fucking!"

~ Caitlyn could only sigh at your childish antics. "Just... go in and act normal. They can't possibly know you were there. Right?" You stammered with your words as your face flushed even more.

~ "I tried to be quiet as I went out... I mean, they were busy so I doubt they heard me."

~ "Oh my God, [Y/n]. These guys have ears of a demon." You watched Caitlyn groan with a sheepish smile.

~ You were giving her so much second-hand embarrassment.

~ In the end, you had to go to the academy with a few words of encouragement and little advice. As Caitlyn put it, "You go in there and give your best innocent eyes. Don't you dare let them even smell the embarrassment on you. Jayce isn't the problem - Viktor is the real monster here. He has the sharpest tongue in Piltover and Zaun combined."

~ And you were lucky enough to escape their presence for a few hours. Something about a council meeting. But you weren't interested in politics.

~ Instead, you spent those hours working on the core, trying to persuade it into opening to you much like you'd persuade a child into actually trusting your good will.

~ As you stared at the core with annoyance - you'd call it a staring contest if you didn't know any better - you heard the door opening behind you. And the familiar sound of a cane.

~ "Is it still resistant?" The soft-spoken, professional voice calmed your nerves. You didn't turn to face him as you answered.

~ "It's... stubborn. And petty. Magic doesn't exactly appreciate being controlled against its will, you know."

~ You jumped out of your skin when Viktor pressed his large, warm hand on your shoulder - looking down at your form, seated on the floor.

~ "You should take a break. If there's anything I have learned during these past years... Pushing yourself to the very limit will always be counterproductive." He patted your shoulder gently and turned to leave the room.

~ You thought you were safe.

~ You almost thought you were safe.

~ "And that means staying home at night, [Y/n]."

~ As soon as the door closed, you slammed your forehead on the ground. Maybe, just maybe, the ground would swallow you whole.

~ You could almost feel that damned core laughing at your misery.

~ And when you went, later that night, to continue your healing workings with Viktor...

~ It was unbearable, how embarrassed you felt as you pressed your hand on his chest, against his steadily beating heart.

~ He didn't say anything, this time. He only leaned back and closed his eyes, slowly breathing as he relaxed into your touch.

~ It felt intimate.

~ It felt more intimate than it should've been. After all, he had a soulmate. There were even rumors that they were already married and here you were, blushing and being bothered by a man you shouldn't even have a crush on -

~ That night, lying in your bed, you scratched your wrist to a bleeding mess, trying to get rid of the itch embedded into your skin.

~ Your head felt clearer when, the next day, you returned to the academy.

~ The itch was still there, but it was overwhelmed by the dull pain that you inflicted upon yourself unintentionally. It hadn't been your intention, of course. It just... it just felt so overwhelming that...

~ You pulled in a deep breath as you sat on the chair, looking at the core.

~ It was quiet today. No negative energy, no unpleasant whispers in your mind.

~ Just a gentle, balanced energy.

~ You closed your tired eyes with a heavy sigh and, crossing your arms on the table, you rested your head on them.

~ The lab was filled with silence. Only the soft hum of the core, brimming with magic, echoed in the large room.

~ You watched it. You watched the mesmerizing pulse of magic call out, the raw power that made your skin tingle from the proximity.

~ It pulled you in with a hypnotizing power and, surely, you lifted your hand.

~ Closer, closer, closer.

~ Your fingers were tingling with blue energy, almost fully touching it, when you felt your wrist pulled back violently - a pained hiss leaving your mouth at the pressure on the wounded skin.

~ "What are you doing?" You heard Jayce scolding you as his grip tightened on your wrist, pulling another pained noise from you. And then the tall man stopped abruptly, relaxing his grip to glance down at the bloodied bandages.

~ You didn't protest when he pulled a chair closer, sitting next to you. Close enough to feel the heat of his body.

~ It made your wrist itch again and you tried to yank it out of his grip. But Jayce was much, much stronger than you. He effortlessly kept your wrist in his grasp, his free hand tugging gently at the bandages.

~ "Why would you do this to yourself, [Y/n]?" He was still scolding you, yet his voice was gentle. He seemed... surprised. Shocked, even, by your actions.

~ Why would you do this the one thing most people treasured the most in their lives?

~ And you didn't answer him. You only slouched against the chair, eyes closed, as he slowly unwrapped the bandage. And then...

~ There was a slight pause as his fingers tightened painfully around your wrist, pulling you from your slight reverie.

~ "Jayce, it hurts-" You looked at him, and paused as you caught him staring at your mark.

~ An intriguing mark, complicated and breathtaking. A design that made you think of machines, of... progress.

~ Not really that surprising. Not in Piltover, at the very least.

~ "Jayce? Jayce, let me go." You tugged your wrist back and that seemed to bring him back to you.

~ When he met your eyes, you saw something different in them. Something that burned deep into your soul.

~ At the time you had assumed it was anger.

~ But later on you realized it was something else entirely.

~ "I'm... okay." He cleared his throat as you pulled your wrist from his slackened grip. You refused to look at him again, embarrassed by this sign of your weakness. Gods, you didn't even want to imagine what he might think of you now.

~ "At least let me clean the wound." His voice was sure and stern, brimming with authority.

~ They were both quite dominant people. Two types of leaders.

~ Jayce was naturally born to be a direct leader. But Viktor... Viktor knew how to make people listen to him. When he was completely serious, even Professor Heimerdinger would stop and listen with all of his focus to what he had to say.

~ You sighed at his request. Nonetheless, you placed your wrist on the desk while he gathered some supplies from Viktor's office.

~ And you could only hiss and wince as he gently cleaned the wound, wrapping new bandages around your wrist with a care that worried and comforted you at the same time.

~ As if you were going to break.

~ Did he think you weren't up for the task anymore?

~ "You should go home and get some rest, [Y/n]. Viktor will be alright if we skip one day." You didn't argue with him, even as you felt your heart drown in worry.

~ After quietly gathering your things, you left the academy and Jayce alone at the desk.

~ And that's how Viktor found him, elbows pressed against the smooth surface. Head held in his palms, unaware to the world around him.

~ You didn't return to the academy the next day. Viktor was almost fully healed - there was no need to continue his treatment immediately.

~ You couldn't return. Now with the thoughts plaguing your mind.

~ Instead, you went to Zaun in search of Ekko.

~In search of an old friend's companionship.

~ When you returned home the following day, very early in the morning, you found the light in your apartment on. And two serious, worried men inside.

~ "What..." You glanced at Jayce and Viktor with surprised eyes. Jayce was leaning against the wall, close to the living room's window - and you couldn't blame him, the view was absolutely breathtaking - while Viktor was seated at your desk, looking over your notes and books on arcane magic, given to you by your grandmother. "How did you two even get in here?" You looked at your oldest dog with annoyed eyes. What a guardian he was, letting strangers help themselves into your home.

~ "I assume you don't remember this." Without raising his eyes from your notes, Viktor showed you the key dangling on one long, slender finger. The key to your apartment.

~ The one you gave to them in case of emergencies.

~ You sure know how to sabotage yourself.

~ "Quite a lovely home you have. And very well written notes - personally, I wouldn't have thought of magic as a sentient, living being. But I will admit defeat when I see myself bested." You watched him get up from the chair - reaching for his cane as he turned to face you.

~ "Now, my darling, I believe we have some things to discuss." His words only made your confusion grow more and more . You glanced at Jayce, but he remained still... eyes fixed on you with an unreadable look on his face.

~ Gods, you were royally fucked.

~ "Your bandages. Take them off." You met Viktor's eyes again. "Now."

~ You wanted to argue. You wanted to tell him that he had absolutely no right to address you in such a way, to force you into...

~ Yet your shaky fingers clumsily unwrapped the bandages, letting them fall to the floor. And your eyes remained fix on the healing skin as Viktor got closer to you, his own cool fingers brushing over the irritated lines of the sign.

~ It left your skin tingling and, as you tried to pull away, you were stopped by his hand wrapping sneaking around your waist.

~ "I did have my suspicions." You heard him mutter against your head, his body pressed close to your own. You wanted - you tried - to pull back, but the man was stronger than he seemed.

~ And you were already weak in your limbs, barely capable of keeping yourself together.

~ "I wonder how long it might have taken us to find out if you would've decided not to do something as foolish as hurting yourself." His voice maintained a scolding undertone. As if you were a stubborn, impolite child.

~ You didn't fight it when his hand moved to the small of your back, a ghostly touch on your weary body. "And this mess, just because you refused to wear your sign proudly."

~ You couldn't protest - you couldn't tell him it wasn't out of shame, but out of apprehension. But then he took his hand away from you. And you couldn't help but unconsciously lean closer to him, yearning for more.

~ His hand loosened his tie just as Jayce sneaked behind, caging you between their bodies. You would've fallen to the floor if not for Jayce's strong arm wrapping around your frame, shocked eyes falling on Viktor's pale collarbone.

~ The same mark you wore. That meant...

~ The same mark Jayce had.

~ Your breathing got heavier. You could hear your heart pounding, your blood rushing in your ears as you squeezed your eyes shut, completely overwhelmed by the situation.

~ It felt like you were suffocating, choking on air and you grew light-headed, leaning completely on Jayce.

~ You felt Viktor's cool hands rest on your cheeks, pulling you down with him to the ground. You couldn't feel Jayce's hands on you anymore, but when you were pushed back you hit his chest.

~ It took a while for you to calm down, back pressed against Jayce's well built body. You could hear Viktor speaking to you, the gentle lull of his accented words pulling you back from the sudden panic that had overwhelmed your entire being, his fingers lovingly caressing your face.

~ When your heart returned to its steady beat, you opened your eyes. In that moment, it felt as if you were gazing at Viktor for the first time.

~ His lovely, silky hair. His pale skin. The aristocratic shape of his face. The gold in his eyes.

~ With a shaky exhale, you leaned more heavily against Jayce, seeking his body warmth. To know you could want such a thing felt incredibly strange.

~ To know they'd give you anything you wished for... it left you incredibly confused and conflicted. And it was hard to understand that you'd do the same for them.

~ It was hard to comprehend the connection you shared with two amazing, incredible men.

~ And your heart quivered when Jayce squeezed you against him, hands wrapping fully around your chest. A warm, comforting embrace. You rested your head on his arm and your tired, exhausted eyes fluttered close just as you saw Viktor lean over you to press a kiss to Jayce's lips.

~ It made you feel... something. But you couldn't quite explain it.

~ You didn't have enough words for explaining it.

~ When you wake up the next morning, you're not even surprised to find yourself nestled between the two men, Jayce's face pressing into your back while you were resting your head on Viktor's shoulder.

~ It was an entirely new feeling. But you felt safe... and comfortable.

~ So you went back to sleep.

~ Things were a bit tricky for a few weeks. You remained quite shy and embarrassed, much like a spooked fox in the presence of wolves.

~ You continued to help them with the core. But, those days, you'd also sneak to the Undercity - now that Viktor was almost fully healed, you didn't need to do your healing as often as before. Only two or three times per week was enough.

~ Jayce didn't enjoy your work in Zaun. He was nervous and scared for your safety, while Viktor felt immense pride at your work. Why would he worry? Zaunites wouldn't hurt the one person who'd help anyone in need. It was an unspoken rule. And you had Ekko there, your self-proclaimed bodyguard.

~ While you weren't comfortable with initiating affections, Jayce and Viktor didn't have any complaints in spoiling you rotten. And you didn't mind the soft kisses you'd get from both of them when you'd leave the research lab, kisses that left you trembling and blushing down to your collarbone.

~ Viktor's kisses were slow, languid. Sensual. Calculated. They left you dizzy and trembling with need as you'd twist your fingers into his vest. Slow and long enough to leave you breathless, your mind empty and pupils blown wide with lust. He'd always have that knowing look on his face afterward, a look that made you remember his origins - as much as he was a gentleman, Viktor remained a Zaunite. And he was far from naive or innocent.

~ Jayce's kisses were fast and passionate. He took over your mouth like he owned it, overwhelming you with through his mere presence and ardent touch. Hands resting on your hips as he'd pull you flushed against him, swallowing the soft whimpers to leave your swollen lips. He enjoyed few things as much as your disheveled look when he'd finally pull back, lips flushed and glistening while you looked at him with glassy eyes.

~ And after your share of kisses, you'd leave the laboratory in a hurry, barely able to stand right and with a horrible ache in your core.

~ It wasn't surprising to return home and find them there. It felt strange to share your home with two men each night.

~ You learned new things about them. Viktor was a ridiculously good cook, while Jayce couldn't cook to save his own life. They both loved animals - you saw it in the way they dotted on the stray pets you'd bring back home from Zaun.

~ It was always a pleasure to watch them argue over their research while you dozed on the couch with a book in your hand, cuddled next to your only adult cat - a fluffy, ginger boy you absolutely adored. You'd also see them share kisses during those times, watching through short bursts of consciousness before you'd fall asleep again. And the memories of those kisses you'd occasionally see would always make their way into your mind when you finally had some time to touch yourself, some time to spend alone. You were left confused and ashamed by how much it turned you on.

~ You'd crawl into bed with them every night, too tired to be embarrassed about being squished between two incredibly attractive men. But it would bother you in other ways. You'd try to keep still and relaxed as your skin tingled from the proximity. And each time you thought you got it under control, Jayce would wrap around your body from behind or Viktor would groan softly into your ear as he stretched and...

~ And you'd be left cursing yourself for wanting them to fuck you so badly.

~ Bless your heart, they enjoyed pushing your buttons. They were much more experienced than you - and it was so easy to read your desire.

~ Jayce couldn't understand why you chose to hold back so much when you were soulmates. But Viktor could fully understand your apprehension and hesitation to take such a great step.

~ It doesn't mean he wouldn't tease you as much as Jayce did.

~ They asked you to move in with them.

~ And they lived together. Of course they did.

~ And while you were initially tempted to refuse, you...

~ Agreed.

~ You actually agreed to share a home with them.

~ They made sure you had your own room. A place where you could spend some time alone when things got too overwhelming. It was a nice thought that you appreciated. Just like Viktor had his study. Just like Jayce had his blacksmith - you had checked him down there once and dear Gods, the sight of him shirtless left you seeing stars - .

~ Sometimes, while you were in your room, Viktor would come and bring you some sweet milk and cookies. Jayce, on the other hand, always brought you coffee - just as you liked it. It was so endearing to see their dynamic, to see how different yet similar they were.

~ And you grew up more comfortable with them, softly blooming in their shared love and affections. You grew confident enough to kiss them whenever you wished to do so - and the look in their surprised, heated eyes was always worth it.

~ But sleeping with them also made you more and more uncomfortable as you opened up in your love for them. It became incredibly hard to actually only sleep with them. Your own touches didn't bring you any satisfaction, not anymore. Not when you were utterly and helplessly sexually frustrated.

~ One night, Viktor came to bed earlier than he usually did - to find you already in the bed. You were trying to fall asleep, hoping you'd have an easier time doing so in an empty bed. But your plan went horribly wrong when Viktor slipped in the bed, pulling you into a warm embrace.

~ You could only squirm as you listened to the shower - Jayce loved taking ridiculously long showers. And the thought only frustrated you more as you buried your face into Viktor's chest, breathing in the comforting scent of his body and the faint traces of his cologne.

~ He was so warm. His touch was so comforting. These days, you could see yourself spending the rest of your life with them.

~ It felt natural to share a life, a home with them.

~ You knew they'd ask you, sooner or later. Jayce was a very straightforward man. You've heard them talk about it from time to time, when they thought you were sleeping deeply. Soft whispers passed over your head as you cuddled against one of them, warm and more comfortable than you had even been before. And you knew you wouldn't mind marrying them.

~ You melted into his touch. One hand brushing through your soft, long locks of hair. His other rubbing your back comfortingly.

NSFW

~ If he could feel the subtle quiver in your legs, he chose to not say anything.

~ Yet, he didn't seem surprised when you pushed against him fully with a shaky exhale, raising your head to meet his gaze. And his tired eyes were welcoming as you pressed yourself up to kiss him.

~ You deepened the kiss with a whimper when you heard his soft groan, and you didn't hesitate to press him flat on the bed. Crawling over his body, you straddled him. You arched into his touch like a cat in heat, your body burning with desire - a pent-up desire that has brought tears of frustration for many nights before.

~ When you grinded your hips against him, you almost lost your breath - and you definitely lost your mind when his hands found your hips, pulling you back down and guiding them into a swaying movement as you pressed your flushed face against his neck. Breathy gasps left your raw-bitten lips each time his hard length brushed against your clothed clit, sending sparks of uncontrolled pleasure through your body. His palm cradled the back of your neck as you gasped your pleasure into his skin, his other hand sneaking under your shirt to ghost over your naked skin.

~ "Having fun without me? I'm quite disappointed, Viktor." Jayce's voice pulled you from the hazy feeling in your mind and, instinctively, you tried to pull away - only to be stopped by Viktor's hand, who pushed your face back into his neck with a gentle shushing noise.

~ You could only squirm against Viktor's cock when Jayce pulled down the blanket. His warm hands pushed up your shirt and teasing lips left soft, sweet kisses over the expanse of your naked skin, droplets of water spilling from his wet hair. And then you felt him lean over and...

~ Your face grew even more flushed when he realized he was kissing Viktor.

~ But he wasn't done with you. Jayce's hands covered Viktor's own your hips and forced you to take a sharper, harder turn in your thrusts - an action that made Viktor break away from the kiss with a hissed curse. And then you felt Jayce's smile against your shoulder, followed by whispered words: "He likes it rough, sweetheart."

~ You outright moaned when his hand sneaked inside your shorts, ghosting over your soaked panties while Viktor guided one of your hands to his clothed, straining erection. And you rubbed it cautiously, a bit concerned at how big it felt against your hand, fingers twitching whenever Jayce's touch brushed against your clothed clit.

~ It was an onslaught of pleasure that left you breathless and dizzy, gently grinding down on the fingers teasing you.

~ It drove you fully, completely insane. It felt so good - and you berated yourself for waiting so long, for not doing this sooner. You were ready to combust into flames because of the tension inside you, the gnawing feeling deep inside your bones.

~ When Viktor pulled you further up his body, you were barely clear-headed enough to press your palms to the wall for balance. You felt hands push your shirt up and, when you opened your mouth to speak, a loud whimper escaped instead of words as lips wrapped around one of your nipples, tugging teasingly on the sensitive buds. Cold fingers pinched the other. You were almost seeing stars, looking at the wall in front of you and unable to comprehend how exactly did you end up like this.

~ And then Jayce's fingers slipped into your panties, touching your soaked skin - and your mind went completely blank. You heard him curse behind you, whispering how wet, how hungry for their cocks you were. You nodded your head desperately, pushing back against his fingers with building desperation - and when one of his fingers finally slipped inside, you sighed in relief as you slowly relaxed around the intrusion.

~ It felt a bit uncomfortable, yet satisfying. And you pressed down further, walls fluttering around the single digit when Viktor bit gently on your nipple, sending sparks of plain and pleasure down to your clit.

~ The first finger was followed by a second. By the time his third finger was inside, you were grinding down on his hand with increasing urgency, fingers digging into the wall.

~ You made a noise of confusion when Jayce drew out his fingers, pulling you off Viktor. Until you heard his words.

~ "I'll fuck you first. I'm gonna prepare you for him." Ah, yes. So he was as big as you had expected. The realization left you trembling with anticipation, well aware that it would be a long night.

~ While Jayce pressed you down on your back, you watched Viktor get comfortable against the pillows. He had a cigarette in one, ready to light it. Your brows furrowed. You had never seen him smoke. As you prepared to scold him for smoking in the first place, you were distracted as Jayce pulled off your shorts and panties, pressing his heated length against your soaking lips with a heavy thrust.

~ "Eyes on me, sugar." You turned your wide eyes to Jayce. Beautiful Jayce, with his damp hair and handsome face. You've heard so many girls and women talk about him. And here you were, in bed with him. As his soulmate.

~ It still felt surreal.

~ You relaxed further when he pressed a slow, gentle kiss to your lips - different from his usual ones - and you didn't protest when he nudged your thighs open with his own. But you did tense a bit when you felt the flushed head of his cock pressing teasingly against your opening. Your nails dig into his shoulders in nervous anticipation. You knew it would hurt, at least a bit. You couldn't help but feel nervous.

~ Jayce deepened the kiss when he started pressing inside you, a slow determination that forced you to arch your back through soft whimpers. It was painful, a stretch that brought tears to the corner of your eyes. He was bigger than you had anticipated. You shuddered only thinking of how Viktor would feel.

~ The slow roll of his hips left you breathless, gasping for breath when he pulled away to watch you as he pushed himself fully inside of your heated, soaking core. You threw your head back against the covers, overwhelmed, and felt him twitch, pressing just a bit harder inside.

~ A slow, patient rhythm - slightly pulling out, then pushing deeply inside. It left you clawing at his back, breath held in anticipation for every thrust that would follow. He maintained it with an annoying accuracy, to which you responded by biting his shoulder sharply. The satisfaction you felt from hearing his pained hiss was short-lived as he pushed you down into the covers, thrusting hard into you. Your legs shook at the force behind it - and you moaned sharply, hiding your face into the blanket.

~ "That was a very mean things to do, my dear." You heard Viktor's voice to your right, calm and nonchalant. Your walls fluttered violently around Jayce as you took in his thick, accented voice.

~ "Looks like she has a thing for your voice." Jayce didn't even sound surprised when he huffed those words.

~ You could almost feel the satisfaction rolling off Viktor.

~ And that's when Jayce truly went to business. Hard, deep thrusts that had no mercy behind them, that left you gasping for breath between broken whimpers and moans. Every thrust filled you with burning pleasure - yet it wasn't enough for you to reach an orgasm. And when he came, a few minutes later, you were left shaking and wanting more.

~ You weren't even surprised when Jayce flipped you to your belly and pushed you to Viktor - Viktor, who was watching you with heavy and dark eyes. Cigarette long forgotten.

~ "He's waiting, princess." And indeed he was, legs open with an erection bulging against his pants.

~ You looked to Jayce again with a questioning look in your eyes and he only grinned cheekily as he whispered in your ear. "Ride him."

~ Your heart fluttered as you turned to look at Viktor again, biting your lip in quiet contemplation. And then you crawled slowly over him as Jayce tugged Viktor's pants off, impatient to see you take the other man.

~ You didn't dare look at his cock, opting instead to softly kiss him. Your hand cupped his sharp cheek and you felt him relax against you with a sigh - a sigh that turned into a drawn out moan when you sat on his lap, your soaked folds dragging over his throbbing, thick cock.

~ He was longer and thicker than Jayce, enough to make you quite concerned about how he'd fit.

~ You could barely take Jayce. How in the name of Gods were you going to take him?

~ Your question was answered for you when Jayce's hands gently pulled your hips back - and moments later you were slowly pushed down on Viktor's cock. You whimpered at the renewed stretch, body trembling as your walls squeezed in protest at the overwhelming feeling.

~ "You're doing good, sweetheart." Jayce's voice rasped against your ear, sending shivers down your glistening body. "Fuck, you have no idea how hot you are right now." You heard the low tremble in his voice and it was enough for you to push yourself down, taking another portion of Viktor's cock inside you.

~ A long whine left you. You already felt so full. Full to bursting. But Jayce encouraged you to push down further and, to your surprise, you could take more. His words were muffled in your ear, words of encouragement, one hand reaching to pinch your left nipple between his thick fingers.

~ And then you were completely seated on Viktor's lap. With a heavy sigh, you relaxed your muscles around the uncomfortable stretch, curiously rocking your hips for a better position.

~ What you didn't expect was the sharp gasp from Viktor, one arm thrown over his eyes as he unconsciously thrust up into you. As you whimpered at the sudden pressure caused by his movement, you leaned over him - and then you slowly rose to your shaking knees, before falling back in a sharp sway of your hips.

~ You couldn't take your eyes away from him. While Jayce seemed much more confident in taking his pleasure, Viktor was clearly holding back. One hand gripping your thigh tightly, the other one pulling on his own hair with gritted teeth and shut eyes.

~ The most controlled man you had ever met, completely out of control.

~ And Jayce, Piltover's sweetheart, breathing heavily over your shoulder, enjoying the view as much as you did. His hands still guiding the gentle rocking of your hips, forcing you to go faster and harder - forcing you to take Viktor to the hilt, a sharp pleasurable pressure on your most sensitive spots.

~ You never thought you'd ever feel this full.

~ You never thought you would enjoy being so full.

~ As you leaned over Viktor, hands resting on his chest, you started putting more force into your hips - desperate to reach a point of relief, to finally have the tension snap. You were so wet you could hear it, the loud sound turning your ears red with embarrassment.

~ It only made you more wet, your sensitive and raw feeling skin fluttering around the thick, hot cock inside of you, tightening it like a vice.

~ And you could feel Viktor twitching madly inside of you, drawn closer and closer to his orgasm by your very presence on top of him, by the incredibly tight feeling around his cock. You were so very wet around him, driving him insane -

~ You were caught by surprise when he finally opened his eyes, golden orbs swimming in lust and pleasure as he glanced between you and Jayce, who was looking just over your shoulder, a constant, reassuring heat behind you.

~ When Viktor pulled you down to his chest, you went willingly. Too tired to keep yourself up. You rested for a few moments, his cock still deep inside of you. His hands caressing your heated skin for a few long moments, before securing their hold around your waist.

~ You downright wailed when he thrust inside you forcefully, pushing the air out of your lungs as you gasped and whimpered into his ear.

~ It was almost too much, too overwhelming. But Jayce's hands were a reassuring weight on your back, and Viktor's familiar scent in your lungs. You couldn't help but relax into the hard, rhythmic thrusts pushing you closer and closer to the edge - the knot in your lower stomach growing harder and harder to ignore.

~ When Jayce sneaked a hand between your lungs to flick at your sensitive, swollen clit you were gone. Thighs shaking violently while loud whimpers left your lips uncontrollably, you spasmed around Viktor's cock almost painfully. It took you almost two minutes to ride out your orgasm - and it took you another three to realize Viktor had also finished, his cock softening inside of you.

NSFW

~ The next morning, you woke up splattered across Viktor's chest, with Jayce spooning the younger man. A soft smile appeared on your face as you glanced at the two man you've grown to love so much - your soulmates.

~ And as you snuggled closer to Viktor, you realized you wouldn't have it any other way.

So, I know I didn't really get into detail when it comes to married stuff - but I hope it will still have enough fluff and... yeah.

Somehow it also turned into a NSFW piece. I mean, it's Jayce and Viktor. It was bound to happen.

#league of legends #arcane #arcane viktor #arcane jayce #league of legends viktor #league of legends jayce #viktor x jayce #league of legends x reader #viktor x reader #jayce x reader #arcane x reader

[tessenpai]

List of All Chika & Satowa Moments

@kotos-and-smiles and I have done a compilation of all Chika & Satowa moments and interactions throughout the manga. This way you can all have a guide of how their relationship has been evolving chapter by chapter. Hope you find it useful!

In bold letters, you will find the milestones, or most important Chika and Satowa moments

1-10

Chapter 2:

Chika and Satowa meet for the first time and fight

Satowa tells Chika he is not worthy of playing koto while pulling on his tie

Chika realizes that Satowa is in the same class as him and asks her how to become worthy of playing, she refuses to answer. He runs off, not wanting to be around her.

Chika hears Satowa playing koto for the first time

Satowa sees that Chika is working to repair the kotos to become worthy of playing

Chapter 3

Chika and Satowa bicker about which one of them is deterring members from joining the club

Chika claims he can play the koto, but he tries and fails to play the song Gen taught him. Satowa insults him.

When Chika and his friends stumble across Satowa eating lunch alone, Satowa says to Chika that she’s used to being alone. He notices her somber mood.

Chika tries to ask about Satowa’s family on their way to Nishina’s, but she snaps at him

Satowa helps Chika find the right koto picks, having to take his hand in hers. He notices how hard her fingertips are and how small her hand is

Satowa claims that Chika alone bought the gift for granny, allowing him to keep the picks

Chapter 4

Chika and Satowa bicker about him being able to learn how to play in time for the club’s first performance

When they go to watch Ryuuseigun being performed, Satowa nearly gets hit by some jerks and Chika pulls her back. He says that she shouldn’t provoke people. She ignores the advice.

Chika begins to get defensive about being able to play the song well but remembers how Satowa plays and is aggravated by how skilled she is, and his lack of ability

Satowa leaves the group early, and Chika takes notice

Chika sees Satowa carrying a koto to school by herself and offers to help. She turns him down, claiming that he’ll damage it

Chika and Satowa argue about practice time, they both end up saying things that actually hurt each other.

Satowa spots Chika playing his cardboard koto and compliments him on his form while playing

Chapter 5

Chika tries to ask Satowa about how to make his sounds clearer with his bare fingers, it devolves into bickering

Satowa plays with the club for the first time. Chika once again realizes he wants to be able to play like Satowa

Chika makes Satowa go with the club when they go to a restaurant together

Chika tells Satowa that she can be honest when she doesn’t know something and that no one will blame her

Chika cooks for her

Chapter 6

Satowa explains that koto is a way of connecting people’s hearts, which resonates with Chika

Chika practices his solo but his sound is different than it’s ever been before. Satowa is shocked to hear his true sound

Chika shares that it was his grandfather who taught him how to play when Satowa asks

Chapter 7

Satowa learns about Chika’s past

Satowa is in tears as she runs into Chika outside of the club

Chika gives her a pack of tissues by placing it on her head, telling her she can come to the club later

Satowa apologizes for everything she’s said to him

Chika makes fun of her but gives her a slight, understanding smile

Satowa kicks Chika for making fun of her when she was being serious and walks away

Satowa tries to bring up the way he played at Granny’s, but Chika doesn’t know what she’s talking about

Satowa asks Chika to carry the seventeen-stringer for her, now trusting him enough to carry it

Chapter 9

Satowa runs off in the middle of people complimenting her on their performance. Chika notices her reaction

Chapter 10

Chika and Satowa bicker some more

Chika brings his koto to school, and Satowa scolds him for bringing such a nice koto. He relents and says he’ll bring it home

Chika is asked to bring handouts to Satowa, the teacher stating he’s the only one Satowa ever really talks to

Chika defends Satowa against Hiro’s lies, saying that he’ll only believe what Satowa herself says

11-20

Chapter 11:

Chika carries Satowa to bed after she faints from a high fever

Chika realizes Satowa lives by herself

Chika accidentally finds Satowa’s underwear and pretends he didn’t see

Chika takes care of sick Satowa

Chika sees the recording of Satowa’s entry in the National Koto Competition and cries after listening to her sound

Chika stays the night to take care of Satowa

Chika tells Satowa she can talk about her problems in her own time

Satowa finds out that Chika prepared porridge for her, eats it while tearing up because of how touched she is

Chapter 12:

Satowa watches Chika and remembers him staying the night to take care of her

Satowa tries to thank Chika for taking care of her but is interrupted by Kota

After Satowa tells them she was debarred from the Hozuki Group, Chika thinks about when she didn’t want to tell him about where she learned koto and looks worriedly at her.

After she confesses she was debarred, Chika tells her to not get ill anymore because they would have a hard time just with Takezou.

Satowa explains classical pieces to Chika

Chapter 13:

Chika pushes Satowa so she can eat lunch with her class girlfriends for the first time

Satowa realizes why Chika pushed her and Chika smiles when he sees he achieved his objective

Chika, remembering Satowa’s words about musical pieces, earnestly asks her to play Rokudan for him, because “he would like to properly listen to Hozuki’s playing once more”

When Satowa looks at Chika’s face, she gathers the courage to play for them, even though she is still afraid because of her mother saying “her koto is a weapon”

Chapter 14:

Chika is fascinated by Satowa’s Rokudan and asks her how he can play like that. Satowa explains it doesn’t make sense for him to play like her, since that is her Rokudan.

Chapter 15:

Chika is surprised by Satowa adamantly telling Kazusa she is fine in the Tokise club

Chika and Satowa lightly bicker about Kuon being the piece they should play at the music festival

Chika and Satowa hum Kuon together to practice in the middle of class.

While Satowa is embarrassed for saying something like she joining the koto club was just an interesting story for her future, because she would carry them to Nationals, she asks Chika if he is okay with her joining the club for such reasons. He answers that since their performance affects her future, they have a huge responsibility.

Satowa is touched by his words and says she likes playing with everyone while furiously blushing

While Chika makes fun of her for blushing, Satowa is transfixed by his smile and her heart starts beating faster

Chapter 16:

When Kazusa tries to drag Satowa away, Chika pulls her back against his chest and tells Kazusa he knows they are not at her level, but they will catch up to her

Chika still holding her wrist, Satowa smiles, touched by his words

Chapter 18:

Chika asks Hozuki to keep her rhythm, since people are talking about the difference between them and her, and she shouldn’t slow down for them.

She says that she is gonna become so good he won’t be able to catch up. They bicker and become “rivals”

Chika is laying on the floor fading from the heat and says he wants a Papico. Satowa asks what is that?

Going home, Chika shares his Papico with Satowa

When they are discussing allocations for their summer camp, Chika looks at Mittsu and Satowa, who would struggle to come up with the money. He steps up for them and says he is broke, so they don’t have to speak up.

Chapter 19

In summer camp, Chika asks Satowa to play a part of the piece for him. He sits close to her because he wants to see clearly. They both stay sitting together until he understands how to play it.

Before leaving, Chika says “your koto notes are beautiful”

While walking back to practice, Chika thinks about her way of playing makes it look really easy.

When practicing together, Satowa keeps an eye on Chika and the part he asked her to teach him. She is shocked to see he can play it now by just watching her.

21-30

Chapter 21:

After practicing the performance, Chika quickly asks Satowa if they got better. Satowa just proudly smiles at him. Chika looks giddy.

Chapter 22:

Chika arrives in the morning to practice and Satowa is already there. She stares at his back and he almost catches her when he turns. They discuss the meaning of ‘Ryuusegun’ and Chika points out how Satowa seems to be having fun with the club. Flustered, Satowa stands up and stumbles into the koto, and falls into Chika’s arms. Satowa blushes furiously and Chika looks puzzled.

Chika, not understanding Satowa’s reaction, believes he brushed her breast with his arm and takes Sane’s beating

Kazusa takes Satowa’s hand and again insists on her transferring to Himesaka. Chika takes Satowa’s wrist and pulls Kazusa away. They banter and fight over where Satowa belongs.

Chapter 24:

When Sentaro first sees Satowa, he has a nosebleed. Chika makes fun of him and points out he must’ve had a perverted thought about her. Satowa gets angry because of his crudeness and hits him.

After, she stays mad and tells him that even though he has matured some, his level of maturity is still that of an elementary school student.

Granny brings the kotos to the competition venue and gives Chika his koto, the one Gen made. He asks Satowa to carry it for him. She understands how much he is counting on her that is and proudly carries it.

Hiro accidentally pushes a koto and Satowa, trying to protect the kotos on the floor, almost has the falling koto crash on her head. Chika protects her and hurts his wrist in the process

Chapter 25:

Chika has disappeared with the excuse is an upset stomach. Satowa is worried and tries to mask it, but Hiro points out is ok to say she is worried about him.

When Chika comes back, Satowa says that even one person makes a difference in the performance, and tells him he should do something about his stomach ache with his fighting spirit. Chika, who was told by Takinami that the rest could perform without him, is touched.

Just before entering the scenario, Satowa notices Chika is sweating a lot. He brushes it off, but she notices he is acting odd.

Chapter 26:

Satowa notices Chika’s sound is not right mid-performance. She turns to him and realizes he is hurt. She remembers how he shielded her from getting hurt and realizes that was the moment he got injured. She blames herself and her sound starts distorting. Everyone notices the change.

Chapter 27:

After Chika goes to the infirmary to get treated, Satowa quickly cleans up to go buy him some strawberry flavored snacks

Satowa overhears Kazusa and Chika’s conversation. Kazusa berates him and tells him she can not accept that performance, and that they do not deserve to play alongside Satowa. Chika tells her that the outcome of the performance was his fault, but that Kazusa has no say over where Satowa wants to be. She is with them because that’s what she wants. Kazusa snaps and says that they made Satowa sound to become flaccid and dull. Satowa can only think about how Kazusa then prefers the sound that separated her from her mother but then hears Chika correct her saying it is not a flaccid nor dull sound. It is now a gentle sound, and he much prefers it than when he first heard her play. Satowa is beyond touched.

Chika finds Satowa behind the column and startles. Satowa says she heard everything, and before Chika apologizes because he talked without thinking, Satowa sincerely thanks him for his words. Chika goes to pat Satowa’s head but gets interrupted by the rest of the club.

Satowa pushes into Chika’s arms the bag of snacks she bought for him and runs off. Mittsu sees the snacks and asks for some. Chika kicks him and goes away after saying he is not sharing.

We see Satowa is running off with a happy smile on her face

Chapter 29:

Chika notices Satowa is wearing her hair down again. She asks him if that is a bad thing and he says he doesn’t really care. Satowa gets irked by that, and Chika asks why is she getting angry.

The girls in class have talked about love. They ask Satowa how is Chika in the club, and she doesn’t know how to answer. She gets flustered when they ask if there’s someone she likes.

Satowa is making the menu poster for the cafe their class is making for the school festival. Chika laughs at her drawings. Satowa is transfixed by his laugh and smile, but other classmates notice too. Satowa covers Chika’s face with a carton.

Chika goes to help Satowa and almost steps on a nail. Satowa, trying to prevent this, stumbles into him. Chika’s lips end up in Satowa’s forehead. Chika blushes and apologizes. Satowa says it’s alright but suddenly starts crying.

Satowa runs off, and Chika is stunned thinking he made her cry. Tetsuki saw the whole thing unfold.

Satowa is not handling well her feelings. She is feeling hot all over.

Chapter 30:

Although it was an accident, the whole atmosphere is unbearably awkward. Chika tries to apologize but Satowa won’t meet his eyes. He is shocked, and Satowa is dismayed by how much more awkward he made the whole situation

Satowa tells herself is no time to think about what happened, and that she needs to erase that emotion for the sake of the club.

Satowa apologizes to Chika and tells him he did nothing wrong. She reacted badly just because of a silly accident.

Chika is still puzzled because he feels something is wrong still. When he goes to greet her good morning, wondering if they are back to normal, she greets back stoically and still won’t meet his eyes

In class, Chika asks Satowa if they can talk, and noting she is still avoiding his eyes, he starts to get really worried, wondering “why won’t she look at him”.

Chika seeks advice from Tetsuki, and he tells him to give her time.

In the club room, they are looking at CDs with possible candidates for the song they play at the preliminaries. Kota asks Chika to come to look at a CD case and when approaching Kota, he gets near Satowa. Satowa flinches, and a hurt Chika reminds himself “Time heals all wounds”

Satowa is serving in the cafe their class is making for the school festival. A guy from another school grabs her to force her to talk to him and his friend. Chika sweeps in to push his hand away from her and sends him a death glare.

When Chika turns to Satowa, she turns away because she still can’t look at his face. We see she can’t stop blushing, and the “heat won’t go away” no matter what.

Chika is dismayed and depressed by the whole situation.

31-40

Chapter 31:

As the rest of the club leaves to go enjoy the festival, Satowa decides to stay behind and Chika decides to stay with her to finally talk to her alone.

Chika calls her “Houzuki-san” rather than just “Houzuki” because he is so worried about trying to be respectful, implying that he isn’t sure where their friendship stands after the last couple of days.

Chika asks what he can do for her to forgive him and apologizes to her, but then they get interrupted

Before Satowa leaves with Takinami, Satowa hands Chika a tuner for his koto so he can practice. It’s the first time she’s talked to him for the last couple of days.

Chapter 32:

Chika greets Satowa the next day at the club. She turns her head away and he’s shocked for a moment, worrying that she still won’t talk to him, but she insults his hair and he gets offended. As he turns away Chika smiles now that they’re back to their usual banter

As Takinami suggests Satowa’s solo performance for their song for prelims, Chika mentions that he’s heard it before and notices her adverse reaction to having it brought up

During lunch, as Satowa is alone thinking about her past with the song, Chika comes to sit next to her.

Satowa asks him what he thought about the song, thinking back to his comment on her sound right after the Kanto music festival, and he answers that it hurt

Chika asks her if she’s listened to the song before, and she answers no. He sticks an earbud into Satowa’s ear and puts the other in his own so they can listen to her performance. He says “I don’t know what this song is to you, but it will be fine if we listen to it together.”

After listening to the song with him, Satowa stands up, having gained more clarity on the song and the situation. She thanks Chika, telling him she’s fine now.

Chapter 33

Chika notices that Satowa’s sound has changed again, and that wants to make him practice more

Chika thinks to himself that he won’t let the gap between him and Satowa get any bigger and that he’s definitely catching up to her. She turns around and smiles at him as he practices.

Seeing that the club needs another seventeen-stringer to practice, Satowa goes to borrow one from her mother. Though Chika is initially excited, he quickly realizes how serious it is that Satowa borrowed it from her family. Satowa brushes it off as not a big deal and Chika thanks her with a bright smile. She is happy to see that the club, including Chika, will be able to practice better.

Chapter 34

Akira joins the club as their teacher, Chika is immediately concerned upon hearing that she’s from the Houzuki group. He asks why Satowa can’t just continue to teach them, but Takinami points out that Satowa needs to focus on her own playing. Chika feels guilty that he’s asked her for help so many times in the past

Chapter 35

Satowa tries to help Chika with his playing, but he snaps at her that it’s fine. She is surprised, but he does mutter an apology

Chapter 36

Chika goes to the clubroom early to practice and Satowa is the first to arrive after him. She tries to help him again and he tries to refuse again saying that she should focus on her own practice. She says he’s an idiot for listening to what Akira said and he calls her an idiot right back. Satowa insists on continuing to help everyone practice, and when Chika still doesn’t listen to her she pulls on his tie and tells him that she never thought helping them was a burden. They share a moment just looking at each other, before she helps him practice. He marvels at her sound, once again thinking of how much he wants to play as well as she can. She smiles as he asks her to play again before they get interrupted

Chapter 38

Chika grabs Satowa’s hand in the middle of practice to feel how hard her fingertips are. She’s confused at first then pulls her hand away. He’s completely oblivious to why what he did was wrong, but then she calls him a pervert for just touching him and he remembers the incident from the end of ch.29.

He asks if she’s feeling well because she’s been quiet that day. She says her throat just feels bad, so he gives her a strawberry flavored cough drop/candy. She comments on the fact that everything he has really is strawberry flavored, and he tells her to stop complaining. She thanks him seriously though.

After having an upsetting conversation with Akira, Satowa eats the cough drop/candy

Chapter 40

Satowa and Akira play Tenkyuu together. Chika is excited to hear it and it ends up making him cry a bit

41-50

Chapter 41

Chika begins to over practice, so in class, he’s really tired. Satowa comments on it and asks him if he’s worried about the song. He replies that it has nothing​​ to do with her, she snaps at him and turns away. He thinks to himself that he wants to stand next to her.

Chapter 42

Chika isn’t allowed to practice due to hurting his fingers by over-practicing. As Satowa is leaving class, Chika stops her. She bumps right into his chest, and he says he wants to talk to her. In the background, Satowa’s friends freak out thinking that they could possibly be confessing.

Chika and Satowa go to talk alone in a hallway. He asks her about why she wrote Tenkyuu, sharing that his grandfather once said to him that “A song is the very heart of its maker,” which is why he wants to know her side of things to understand better, and he feels like he can’t play as well if he doesn’t understand. She tries to say she’ll just be talking about herself, but Chika insists that it would help him, so she tells him about her past with Tenkyuu.

After she tells him everything, he thanks her and says he understands the song better now, then asks if he can share it with anyone else. Satowa doesn’t want to burden everyone with her backstory, but Chika tells her that it’s different because everyone cares about her. Satowa buys Chika an ice cream after that, thinking to herself that she hopes to be able to repay him the same warmth she’s always received from him.

Chapter 43

Chika asks Satowa if her mother is coming to listen to their performance later. Satowa says thinks that her mother won’t come, but it’s okay because it’s the club’s performance and they’ll be performing together again. Chika gives her a look of admiration.

Satowa says she has something to give to everyone but tries to pull back at the last moment so Chika grabs her wrist and pulls her hand from her bag with the box full of charms in it. He keeps holding onto her wrist as he opens the box. After seeing that someone made a charm just for him, which is something no one has ever done for him, he gets emotional thinking about how great the club is and how he wants it to last forever.

Chapter 44

Chika notices that Satowa is quiet and asks her about

Chapter 47

Chika asks Satowa a question about the performances and he gets quiet. Satowa is confused by his silence.

As Satowa gives Akira her charm, Chika realizes that Satowa doesn’t have one of her own so he takes out a marker and writes her name on his charm. They share a moment, her staring at the charm with both their names, Chika looking at her gauging her reaction, before Kota interrupts them saying they’re like a couple. Chika questions whether her reaction was a happy one or not.

Chapter 50

Right before their performance for the prelims, everyone is nervous so Satowa almost tries to say something, but before she can Chika grabs a lock of her hair to get her attention so that Takezou can give a speech instead

As the performance starts with Satowa’s solo, Chika thinks to himself “She really is… amazing.”

51-60

Chapter 52:

After hearing Chiharu listened to their performance, and that Satowa wants to excuse herself to go look for her, Chika takes her arm and, distressed asks her “Why didn’t she say something earlier!?”

Chika sees a woman with a kimono and calls out to her. After seeing her face, he immediately assumes that she can’t be Satowa’s mom, since she looks more like Mittu’s mom.

Chika remembers Satowa’s struggles with her mom and the situation that resulted in. He prays for her mom not to have gone back yet.

Chapter 53:

Chika looks happy when he sees mother and daughter embracing

When Chiharu thanks Chika for supporting Satowa, he shyly says “it’s usually him who’s being helped”

When Chiharu tells Chika she holds the club very dearly, he blushes and thanks her. Satowa wonders “what are they talking about?”.

Chapter 55:

Satowa remembers how Chika asked her if she wanted to go see his gramps with him. She startles when other classmates pass by and rejects his invitation. She regrets it deeply and thinks to herself “she should have gone with him. She wanted to go”

Chapter 56:

Satowa thinks how glad she met everyone in the club, after telling them she has gone back home. Chika, looking at her face, unconsciously reaches out to her and pats her head. They both startle

Chika thinks to himself “He touched her without thinking. Am I an idiot” he also thinks “He needs to be careful or she could go back to avoiding him”

Satowa touches her head where Chika’s hand was and blushes

Chapter 57:

When Hiro finds out how clumsy Satowa is, Satowa tells her she really can’t do anything but koto. And then tells her she can’t even make monja. That “Kudo told her to just ‘shut up and eat’”, implying Chika took over and made the monja for her

Hiro mentions how everyone will be happy about the cake, especially Chika since it has strawberries. Satowa pauses while drinking her tea when she hears that, and Hiro notices. She then asks if there’s anybody she likes now.

Chapter 58:

The koto club is meeting at the train station, and Chika and Satowa come over bantering with each other about Satowa leading them in the wrong direction.

Kiyoka, Takinami’s sister, comes out to greet the koto club in a bathrobe. Chika is appreciative of her beauty, and Satowa looks at him with a stern face.

Chapter 59:

Satowa sees Chika is nervous about performing in such an adverse environment. Satowa looks at him and asks what is he so afraid of. “It’s not like you. We just have to play normally”

Chika struggles while performing, and listening to Satowa’s unwavering sound, he remembers her words. Her sound guides him to find equilibrium on his own.

Satowa looks at Chika and seeing that he has settled, she smiles to herself.

When Chika feels proud of himself when people praise their performance, Satowa reminds him not to get carried away. Chika blushes and says he isn’t but she says “His face is telling differently”

When Chika asks Satowa if she can do the sex appeal thing, she says that she is certainly better than him but has still a lot to learn. He is about to take offense but then remembers how her steady sound guided him through the performance. He thinks to himself that “after Tenkyuu, he thought that they were equal now, but…”

Chika promises Satowa he will catch up to her by Nationals. “Just watch me. I will definitely catch up to you by Nationals”. Satowa challenges him and says “Then it’s a promise” with a huge smile on her face.

Seeing her smile, Chika blushes and turns away.

Chapter 60:

Satowa, seeing that she is again in the same class as Chika, is giddy. Chika comes in behind her and points out how they are again together. She then says “Excuse me for ending up together” with a frown. Chika is puzzled and tells her “Why? I’m happy about it”

Satowa thinks to herself “She is probably much happier than Kudou”.

Seeing that Yoshinaga is feeling intimidated by Chika’s proximity, Satowa grabs him and pulls him back. “Stop that, can’t you see he’s scared?”

61-70

Chapter 63

Chika comes back to the clubroom after Yoshinaga says he no longer wants to be taught by Chika. Chika tries to claim that he just can’t do it, not mentioning that Yoshinaga said anything at all. Satowa calls Chika out on giving up too easily and tells him if he doesn’t teach Yoshinaga no one will. Satowa finally gets to the point of why she’s telling him this by saying “I don’t want to go to Nationals with somebody you give up on in just thirty minutes.” Chika leaves without another word, realizing that he shouldn’t have given up so easily. Takinami points out that Satowa wouldn’t have said something like that if she didn’t trust Chika 100%

Chapter 65

As Chika walks into class, he stops by Satowa’s desk and thanks her for saying what she said yesterday (the previous moment). They look at each other for a moment, Chika having a very slight blush before he awkwardly says that’s it and walks away. Satowa grabs her heart and leans over her desk with an intense blush and smiles. Then she starts kicking her legs out of excitement. Her friends notice and tell her to calm down.

Chapter 67

Satowa decides not to tell the club about the revitalization concert that will reinstate her as the Houzuki heir. Kazusa alludes to the fact that something is happening with Satowa and Chika doesn’t know about it, but she doesn't tell him

Chika arrives late to school and there’s a rumor going around that Chika was arguing with a girl from another school. Satowa is shocked and upset to hear the rumor. As he enters class, their eyes meet and then Satowa turns away without thinking. Chika walks by her, confused. They both think about what could be happening with the other that they haven’t told each other.

Everyone makes plans for the weekend, so Satowa resolves to stick with her decision not to tell the club about her concert

Some of the guys start talking about the rumor about Chika and Chika doesn’t want to explain what really happened because he wants to respect Kazusa. As the guys gang up on him, Chika asks for Satowa’s help, but she says to him “is it something you can’t talk about with us?” The guys immediately stop play-fighting, and Chika asks why Satowa is so angry. She denies that she’s angry, then Chika remembers what Kasuza said, and says to Satowa “Houzuki, even you don’t talk about everything with us, do you?” Satowa is surprised, and then Chika turns and walks away.

That night, Satowa can’t make the sounds she wants while practicing, realizing that she hates the idea that she doesn’t know about someone in Chika’s life. She questions when she got so selfish, then remembers many things that Chika has done for her and said to her and she decides to call him.

Chika is still thinking about what he said to Satowa when he gets the phone call from her. He answers. Satowa apologizes for her behavior and then tells him about the revitalization concert. When he hears that she’ll be reinstated as the Houzuki successor he’s happy for her and says so. She then invites him to come to the performance. He accepts with a smile

Chapter 68

The next day at school, he asks her if they should tell anyone else about the performance. He says the club should at least know about it before it happens, and she says that she’ll mention it in the club. He smiles at her and she scurries off flustered. Tetsuki comments to Chika that he and Satowa had a “good mood going”

Chika smiles seeing how happy Satowa is after telling everyone in the club

Upon Isaki’s request, Chika goes to buy Satowa a flower, but he doesn’t have enough money to buy her even a mini bouquet. The florist suggests picking one, meaningful flower and then asks Chika questions so she can help pick a flower. He begins describing Satowa as strong but weak sometimes, cool when she performs, and when he’s asked if she is cute or beautiful he responds that she’s both.

Chapter 69

Satowa plays On a Sepia Wind, the very first song Chika ever heard her play. Chika realizes that he’s forgotten just how far away she is from him. He starts questioning how he could ever say “I’ll definitely catch up to you by Nationals!” to her. Then he remembers how she made it into a promise (in chapter 59) and begins paying attention to her performance again, determined to catch up to her.

After the concert, Chika gets nervous to talk to Satowa, but her face lights up when she sees him and the club and she excuses herself to go talk to them. She tries to comment on his outfit but gets cut off. Chika remembers someone’s earlier comment questioning how many people actually came to celebrate her today, so he pulls out the flower and gives it to her, simply saying “here, i-it’s for you.” She’s confused at first, and Chika starts questioning himself, but then Satowa smiles as she takes the flower. After a moment, she realizes that she’s just been staring at it and so she thanks him for it.

After the rest of the club shows up, Chika is spaced out thinking about how much he wanted to hug Satowa when giving her the flower, then reprimands himself thinking that he needs to be careful not to touch her

Chapter 70

The next day, Chika is still thinking about Satowa and the smile she had when he gave her the flower.

Both Isaki and Tetsuki ask Chika about yesterday with Satowa. In the classroom, Chika looks away from Satowa, and Tetsuki notices

Satowa gets a new cellphone so now she can join an app to talk to everyone. When her phone displays that she and Chika are friends on this app she smiles and Chika reaches out his hand to pat her head before he pulls himself away. Chika once again chastises himself for trying to touch her, not wanting the incident from ch.29 to repeat itself

71-80

Chapter 74:

When Satowa and Hiro discuss with Isaki how to achieve an “erotic sound”, the conversation derives into love talk. Isaki tells them that “Unconditionally loving somebody and spending normal, everyday life together, in the end, is quite amazing and special. Satowa blushes while thinking to herself.

Isaki asks Satowa to go wake up Chika since she believes he would rise immediately if his “rival” came to wake him up.

When Satowa thinks about Chika only considering her a rival, she gets a little depressed and tells herself “yeah, that’s right. I knew that”. She then remembers Isaki’s words of “just unconditionally loving somebody and spending everyday life together”, and thinks to herself “I’m fine with that”.

Satowa sees Chika sleeping, and goes to touch his forehead. She then remembers she is just a “rival” to him and retreats her hand.

Satowa tries to wake Chika up but is not working at all. She says that “while he is sleeping, she will be practicing until she reaches a place where he can’t hope to catch up to.” Chika, still asleep, grabs her hand and says “No” while pulling her to him

Chika hugs Satowa while sleeping and squeezes her to himself. They are completely tangled together and Satowa is blushing like never before.

With a broken voice, Satowa calls out to Chika, which wakes him up, only to see Satowa is in his arms and her face is just inches away from his.

Chika immediately retreats with a full-body flush, without understanding what is going on. Satowa runs off with a full-body flush of her own after telling him with a shaky voice that morning practice is starting.

Chika freaks out still not understanding anything but believing he did something awful to her, that could make her avoid him again. (see chapter 29, 30)

Satowa, running to morning practice, falls to her knees and says to herself “Why… when you don’t even know how I feel”

Chika and Satowa end up sitting together on the bus on their way to see Ichiei’s performance. The atmosphere is heavy and awkward. Chika wants to apologize for the whole incident but “can’t look at her face”

In the end, Satowa is the first one to breach the topic and says “you were sleepy and mistook me for a pillow.” She brushes it off saying that “Those things happen!”

Chika is not really happy with just that and tells him that “he’s horrible and made her feel scared”. He gets depressed when he thinks that Satowa was the one that had to speak first.

Chika clarifies that she was just surprised. “They are together all the time, so at this point, she is not scared of him in any way”

Chika smiles earnestly while saying “I’m glad”.

Satowa is hit with the full force of that smile. When he asks if she’s ok, she says that she is fine while blushing

Chapter 75:

The club is looking at Ichiei members’ backgrounds and gets intimidated by how many awards they have. Chika snaps and says “What’s that gotta do with anything. If it’s about prizes, Hozuki’s got a ton!”

He asks her if she doesn’t have first place awards as well, and when Satowa replies that she has, he looks relieved and very proud. Sane asks “What is he so happy about”

Chapter 76:

Luka hugs Satowa immediately after spotting her. Chika pulls her to his chest and pushes Luka away from her. With an angry face, he says “What the hell is your deal?”

Still pressed against Chika’s chest, Satowa blushes furiously.

Chika gets irked when Luka refers to Satow without honorifics.

Chapter 77:

When Sane wonders “how are they supposed to catch up to Ichiei?” Chika tells him that it is not about “catching up'' but overtaking them. “We are trying to catch up to Hozuki. If we can’t overtake them we can forget about catching up to her”

81-90

Chapter 83

Chika and Satowa are practicing together when Satowa asks Chika if everything will be okay between Momoya and Mittsu. Chika reassures that they’ll be fine then tells her to get back to her own practicing, saying that he’ll catch up to her in no time if she doesn’t focus on her own playing.

Chapter 86

The whole club is sitting in a circle figuring out their problems with playing the song, and Chika mentions that his sound is off for some reason. Satowa asks to see his koto nails so he gives her his hand. She realizes his nails are rounded, but before she can finish giving her explanation he realizes that she’s touching him so he pulls his hand away. They’re both surprised by this, and he says that it was a self-defense reflex. She finishes telling him to switch his nails, but she’s really thinking about how he shook her hand off.

Chapter 87

When Satowa pointedly looks away from Chika, he starts questioning if he did something wrong, then remembers the other day when he pulled his hand away and tries to get her attention but is interrupted.

Chapter 89

Upon Satowa’s recommendation, Chika gets new nails. Granny asks Satowa to bring Chika his old nail bands, but instead of handing them to him, Satowa puts them on the ground near him instead.

Satowa just tries to leave, but Chika won’t let her go without asking her what that was and accusing her of avoiding him. She claims she’s not avoiding him, only being mindful about not touching him because she thinks he doesn’t want to come in contact with her. He’s confused, but then remembers how he pulled his hand away. Chika asks her if she’s still mad about when he brushed her hand away. Satowa gets teary-eyed and tries to leave the room, saying that she’s not mad about it.

Chika chases after her, saying he knows she’s angry and “Don’t tell me I hurt you or-” Satowa cuts him off saying that he didn’t hurt her. She begins ranting to Chika “You’ve avoided touching me because you avoid people like germs, right!?” He’s aggravated and says he never said that. She brings up how he said that it was a self-defense reflex and he stops her by grabbing her wrist and pulling her to face him. He says “That reflex was for me so I don’t put my hands on you all the time!”

Chapter 90

The chapter picks up right from where the last one left off, and Satowa reads what Chika said completely wrong, thinking he’s talking about hitting her. He says that’s of course not what he meant and drops her wrist. “I”m saying that I’m the germ,” he says and goes on to explain the number of times he’s made her uncomfortable despite trying to be careful and finally apologizes. Chika walks away after that.

At home later that night, Satowa runs through the conversation in her head and feels terrible that she distracted the club by acting childishly and that she made Chika apologize again. She’s embarrassed and feels awful, but she pulls herself together to practice more.

The next day, Satowa apologizes to Chika at the club. She says that she hasn’t been angry and that Chika has never made her feel uncomfortable. Chika is surprised but happy to hear it.

Takinami says something that Chika doesn’t understand. When Chika expresses his confusion, Satowa explains and gives her own interpretation. What she says gives Chika an idea which leads to him asking if he can go to her place after the club to listen to music. Everyone wants to come along as well, but Takezou points out that that’d be too many people, so Momoya suggests that Chika should go alone as a representative. Chika and Satowa realize that they’ll be alone with each other.

91-100

Chapter 91:

Chika and Satowa are on the train on their way to Satowa’s house. Satowa loses her balance and bumps into Chika’s chest. Blushing, she apologizes. Chika thinks to himself that “She’s so light”

Chika asks Satowa how things are with her mom. She says that thanks to everyone everything is alright. She then goes to ask about Chika’s mother but stops herself, realizing “Despite how they’re together all the time, there are so many things she doesn’t know about him”

Chika sees the flower he gave Satowa in the rehabilitation concert (chapter 69) at the entrance of her house. Chiharu explains that Satowa was worried it would wither so she pressed and framed it. Chika is incredibly touched.

Satowa pushes Chika so he isn’t staring at the flower anymore. He mentions how she received “plenty of them that day, didn’t she”. Satowa answers that “This one was the most beautiful!”.

Chika glows after hearing this, and teases her about her normally being so clumsy, “But I’m glad you managed to make it look nice”. Chiharu chuckles in the background.

Chiharu is about to leave them alone in their business. Satowa stops her from leaving with the excuse of “not knowing where the songs are”. She is just embarrassed about being alone with Chika.

Chiharu explains the meaning of ‘Seoto’. Makes says how the part they are listening to sounds like “a river where kids can play”. Satowa wonders “what’s with that analogy?”

Once Chiharu is done explaining, she apologizes for talking so much. Chika formally says that he learned a lot. Satowa realizes he is making an effort to speak politely to her mom and tells him “He doesn’t have to be so polite”

Chiharu tells them she is going to make them some tea, but again Satowa stops her from leaving them alone by saying she will do it.

While searching for something to eat with the tea, she realizes “there aren’t any sweets Kudo would like…” she says that “at the very least, she needs something sweet”. Ends up taking the Youkan with her.

Chika asks Chiharu about the space between sounds. Chiharu, to explain the concept, asks him what does he think of Satowa.

He says “He thinks she is cool, especially when she is playing”. He explains that her sound has a good posture, that it never wavers. He wonders if she accumulated that on purpose.

To himself, he thinks that he often thinks that “he has no right to play together with her” “Lining up beside her, a person who devoted her life to koto, living a life she can be proud of, is something he can’t stomach”

Thinking Chiharu’s question “What do you think of Satowa?” his mind flashes to the moment he gave her the flower, and her face when she receive it. It then flashes to the club poster.

“What I think of Hozuki…. I admire her from the bottom of my heart” he replies to Chiharu. Satowa hears him say it.

Chiharu tells him that “The pauses between his words were packed full of feeling and kindness. Even if I couldn’t hear them… they were conveyed perfectly” with a warm smile on her face, having finished her explanation about ‘The pause between sounds’

Chika is going home with the disks. Satowa, before he goes, asks him if he remembers that he said: “That he’d catch up to her by Nationals” (chapter 59). With a serious face, she asks him to “Catch up to her. Catch up”. Chika tells her that of course he will “Just you wait”. Satowa smiles fondly and she teases him, since “she won’t be waiting though”

Chapter 92:

Hiro wonders what happened in the end between Satowa and Chika. She thinks about how everything was normal that morning, and wonders why no one is bothered by what went down at Nishina’s. Satowa seeing her distracted asks if she is ok. Hiro recalls Satowa saying that “she will never cause trouble again” referring to her feelings for Chika. Hiro thinks that even though Satowa has put her emotions in order, she wants to tell her that her feelings and emotions are not a burden to anyone in the club.

After club Hiro stops Satowa to talk to her privately. When they are alone, she tells her that is about Chika and addresses the fact that Satowa said something about “Never causing trouble for the club again”. Satowa interrupts her and apologizes for her behavior, telling her that it was childish and unacceptable. Satowa is incredibly distressed and goes to tell she can rest assured that her emotions won’t cause trouble again, but Hiro interrupts her saying “She thinks is important to treasure that”

Hiro explains that she understands that Satowa thought that since “everyone is putting their all into the club, she wished she could hide those emotions, thinking they were unwanted or improper”

Hiro says to Satowa what Takinami told her once “You might as well make that into your strength”. Satowa is terrified of using her emotions in koto because there was a time she lost her mom exactly because of that. She says that “Again… I could do something wrong and then…”

Hiro recalls Chika saying “He is the germ” and realizes they are both very similar, in the way they care for each other and the club so much they forget to care for themselves.

Hiro tells Satowa that she is allowed to take care of herself as well. Satowa thanks Hiro, and thinks about Hiro’s words while Chika’s face flashes on her mind.

Chapter 99:

Satowa and Tetsuki wake Chika from a nightmare about his past. He is in class drenched in sweat. Satowa wonders why he is sweating so much and takes out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face. She realizes what she is doing and goes to pull away, but Chika takes her hand to keep it on his face.

Satowa blushes and Tetsuki reminds them that they got club activities. Chika, still not letting go of Satowa’s hand, rushes to go to the club room.

In the middle of the hallway, Satowa points out that he is still holding her hand. Chika immediately lets go of her and berates himself since he didn’t realize what he was doing.

Satowa asks if everything is ok, realizing he is acting odd. Chika says everythings is fine. He changes the subject to talk about their solos. Chika is surprised to hear she hasn’t perfected her solo, and she scolds him saying that “there is no way something like that is her perfect”. Chika, hearing her explanation as to why her solo is not perfect yet. Chika pouts and dashes, telling her to “not put any more distance between them”

Satowa thinks about Chika saying that “everything was fine”. She thinks about how cold his hand was despite being drenched in sweat. And she wishes that “they’d stayed connected”.

Chapter 100:

Chika and Satowa bicker while going to the club room. Satowa is helping Chika with some mock exam questions.

After Chika rushes into the room in a panic after seeing the poster saying “Welcome back”, Satowa watches him intently.

The next day Satowa says that “His sound’s been a mess since yesterday” after Takezou asked him if something was wrong with him. Chika brushes them off with an excuse about him being nervous with exams coming up.

101-110

Chapter 102:

Uzuki comes out of the blue to greet Chika with the rest of the club there. Chika gets angry at Uzuki and his taunting but Satowa grabs onto Chika’s sleeve to get his attention. Chika instantly snaps out of it. They share a moment just looking at each other, which Uzuki smirks at. Chika, remembering that Uzuki is right there, moves to cover Satowa, which Satowa isn’t too happy about.

As Chika leaves, Uzuki tries to get his attention again, but Satowa stops him and glares at him, not letting him take up any more of Chika’s time.

Satowa notices how down Chika is, and tells both him and Momoya that it will be fine now that everyone knows the situation

Chapter 103:

After Uzuki uploads the video of Chika fighting in his gang days, Chika and Satowa arrive at class, and the atmosphere is off. Satowa’s friends come running to them and to ask if the koto club is ok. Chika wonders what is going on, and they hesitate to tell him. Chika asks them to show them [the video].

Tetsuki tries to stop him from watching it, but Chika says that something happened and it’s about him, and he can’t just be kept in the dark. Satowa tells Shuu-chan to give her the phone, but Chika goes to stop her saying that “She shouldn’t look” in a foreboding way.

Satowa makes an angry expression and tells Shuu-chan to give her the phone. She then turns to Chika and tells him that “If they watch together, it won’t be as scary, right?” (parallel to chapter 32)

After seeing the comments to the video, Satowa looks angry and heartbroken. Chika looks sad and resigned

In the club room, Chika apologizes because the whole incident has caused the club activities to be put on pause. With Chika’s apology, we see Satowa’s sad expression and red-rimmed eyes.

Chapter 104

Satowa and her mom have a conversation about Chika. Satowa says she hates seeing the comments people made about Chika, but that she treated him the same way when she first met him and she can’t forgive herself for that. She wishes she could erase that experience from him and leave only her regret. But because nothing can be done about the past, right now she’ll never again let go of Chika’s hand.

Chika doesn’t feel like eating at lunch, so Tetsuki employs Satowa’s help to get him to eat. Satowa says he can leave it to her. She shares her lunch with Chika, even giving her a strawberry treat. Chika says the food is good and is about to ask Satowa what she thinks about him, remembering Takinami’s words from earlier in the chapter, before getting interrupted by a text from Uzuki. Chika quickly finishes the meal and then tries to leave, but Satowa grabs his wrist. When she asks where he’s going, he says he’s just going to the bathroom and she let’s go. He smiles at her and leaves, but she can sense that something is wrong, so she decides to follow him, thinking to herself that she won’t let him stand alone.

Chapter 105:

Satowa evaluates the situation Chika is in and decides she can’t get out since she would get in the way. She hesitates to call the police since Chika was wrongly charged in middle school. She decides she needs to be careful if she doesn’t want the situation to get out of hand.

Hearing Chika’s story about how he used his fists to shout out, but now is not the same, since he has koto, Satowa tearfully records the whole situation while hiding.

Chika bows down and tells Uzuki & Co. that she wants to be with them [the club], and asks them to leave the club alone, and not their hands on them. Satowa cries in earnest.

Abiko is about to crush Chika’s hand with a steel pipe, but Satowa intercepts him with her school bag, coming out of her hiding spot.

With tears on her face, she shouts “What is this ‘it’s all Chika’s fault’ idiocy!? I’m not going to let you continue this any longer!! I’m taking Kudo home!!”

Chapter 106:

Chika questions why Satowa is there, and she calls him an idiot for always running off alone when anything important happens. She asks if they’re that unreliable to him. He tries to tell her that of course, they’re reliable, but she barrels on saying she has no interest in being protected all the time.

As Abiko starts to threaten Satowa, Satowa kneels down on the ground in front of Chika, determined to protect him even as he pulls her arm and tries to tell her to stop. She just turns around and hugs Chika close.

Uzuki asks Satowa why she’s doing this, “Who are you to Chika?” Uzuki goes on to say that she’s not Chika’s girlfriend or anyone special, just another club member and classmate who’s from the opposite world to Chika’s. He asks again why she’d go to this extent for someone like Chika when she has no reason to. Chika tries to pull Satowa off of him, begging her to let go, but she only holds on tighter, proclaiming in response to Uzuki’s questions “Because I love him! Because I really love Kudou!!!” Chika is dumbfounded as she continues to say that she wants to protect him and treasure him and wants him to be happy. She then asks “What’s wrong with that!? You got something to complain about!? That’s why… I’m not letting go,” and she hugs Chika tighter, burying her face in his shoulder. Chika begins to cry as Satowa says she won’t be torn away.

Chika then remembers his grandpa’s last request: for him to become happy. But to become happy, Chika has to reach out and grasp it for himself as well as let other people help. Thinking of this, Chika hugs Satowa back tightly, finally grasping onto happiness as he hugs her.

After seeing this, Uzuki tries to swing a bat at Chika and Satowa. Chika notices and twists Satowa away from the incoming attack.

Chapter 108:

Takezou takes out the withdrawal notice Chika tried to give Takinami. Satowa looks angry when seeing it. Everyone starts scolding Chika and Satowa tells them that “Kudo is really looking down on them all”

Chapter 109:

Hiro and Satowa talk about the confession at Hiro’s house. Hiro didn’t expect something like that to happen. Satowa clarifies that she didn’t think it would come to that either, but hearing them [Uzuki & Co.] say that Chika was alone and that nobody loved him, and he taking it all in… “ she got really angry”

Hiro asks about Chika’s reaction. Satowa says he acted very normal, and wonders to herself if maybe the hug (chapter 106) didn’t hold any special meaning. In the end, she tells Hiro that she is happy as long as the club is at peace and Chika is smiling

Kota asks Satowa if he can watch the video she took as evidence against Uzuki & Co. She gives him her phone for him to watch it. After getting distracted by Takinami telling them they are confirmed to go to Nationals without any issues, Kota realizes the video is still going. Everyone then hears Satowa’s confession (chapter 106), since she inadvertently recorded it as well. “Because I really, really love Kudo!!!”

Everyone is scrambling without knowing what to do. They all start telling Chika that they love him “as a kohai” and “friend”, trying to cover up for Satowa. Chika looks puzzled at them.

Satowa is kicking herself, thinking about how now the atmosphere is weird, and it’s her fault. Chika, seeing Satowa’s embarrassed face, calls out to her. “Hey, Hozuki”. Satowa tearfully looks up at him “I really, really love you too, Hozuki” he tells her with a bright smile on his face.

Everyone freaks out.

Chapter 110:

Satowa stayed up all night thinking about the confession. She doesn’t know how to face Chika. She thought about it so much, she psychs herself out of it being romantic “He seemed so blasé about the whole thing. Is Kudo after all, what if he was going with the flow, or he meant it as friends!?” “But despite that…” Satowa squeals in bed.

She scolds herself for thinking about it so much since Nationals are so close.

Satowa intends on teasing Chika about his public confession. He seems unfazed by it, and Isaki fearfully asks him if he meant he loved her as a friend.

Chika replies saying that “He does love her as a friend as well”

Isaki blushes hearing this and asks him how is he so calm when in the past any Satowa related teasing would make him squirm and blush. With Satowa’s distressed face in mind (chapter 109), Chika says that “He doesn’t want to make this into something to be ‘embarrassed’ about. To have somebody convey their love for him and then be able to say he loves them back, he just thought how happy he was to experience that.

Satowa arrives at the club room and doesn’t know how to act. Chika asks her about the title of the Nationals song. Satowa really likes his idea on how to interpret it, and with her embarrassment forgotten, she asks him to help her practice. Chika with a small full of love watches her set herself up

Everyone arrives at the club room and wonders why they are acting so normal. They wonder if Chika’s confession was a mirage, and Kota says “Maybe they’re just a couple of koto idiots”

Hiro is amazed by how normal they are both acting and thinks that “If it was me, I wouldn’t be able to properly…” but cuts that train of thought when she sees Satowa’s face, glowing with happiness, and just outright giddy.

Seeing that Momoya has come to morning practice for the first time, Mittsu says that “Maybe Chika’s confession altered their dimension!!” Chika sternly says “Hey, now”

#kono oto tomare! #kono oto tomare #kot #sounds of life #stop this sound! #chikawa #houtsuki satowa #kudou chika #chika kudou #houzuki satowa #chitowa #chika & satowa #satowa & chika #chika and satowa #satowa x chika #satowa and chika

[verxsyon]

·:*¨༺ ❝ 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄 ❞

@sleepyyangyang​  being zhongli’s girlfriend and having always have money on you to cover his bougie ass that keeps forgetting mora because he’s a dumbdumb (i love this guy but seriously, he needs to remember his fucking wallet).

✧ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. zhongli x gn!reader

✧ 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭. drabble ; 0.2k

✧ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞. established relationship au ; comedy, fluff

Zhongli is a wonderful partner. He has done nothing but being kind and respectful of your wishes and boundaries as do you. There is one peculiar thing about this man that makes him stand out from the citizens of Liyue.

Despite being knowledgeable of the city’s rich history and culture, he lacks financial sense, often forgetting that Mora is a thing. So therefore, he relies on others for financial support such as yourself, his significant other.

“Again?” You raise an eyebrow when Zhongli pulls out the insides of his pockets that are void of the object he frequently forgets. “Ah, who am I kidding? Should I even be surprised at this point?”

You apologize to Chef Mao on his behalf before offering to pay for the meal instead. Along with Zhongli you then head for the exit, bidding the restuarant staff farewell.

“Zhongli, dearest,” you say, reaching for his hand as the two of you continue your stroll around the harbor. “I love you, but please bring your wallet next time.”

Not even seconds later you notice that your lover has disappeared from your side to Granny Shan’s counter, admiring the kites beside her. You are met with the softest expression the man has ever worn when he shows you one of the kites he likes the most.

“These designs are fascinating—“

“No, Zhongli.” You crush his dreams the moment you take out your wallet and shake it. No clinking of the Mora coins are heard. Good things must come to an end, they say. “We’re broke.”

#✦ .fics #genshin impact #genshin impact drabbles #genshin impact fanfic #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact requests #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli drabbles #zhongli fanfic #zhongli imagines #zhongli requests #zhongli scenarios #zhongli fluff #genshin impact rex lapis #genshin impact morax

[no-reply95]

John Lennon: *Releases How Do You Sleep?*

You live with straights who tell you, you was king

Jump when your momma tell you anything

The only thing you done was yesterday

And since you've gone you're just another day

Rock Critics: “Wow, Lennon eviscerates McCartney in this song!”

“From the way Lennon angrily spits out the lyrics and name checks McCartney’s songs, there’s no mistaking the meaning behind these venomous lyrics!!”

Also John Lennon: *Releases I Know I Know*

Today I love you more than yesterday

Right now I love you more right now

And I know what's coming down

I can feel where it's coming from

And I know it's getting better (all the time)

As we share in each other's minds

Rock Critics: “Wow, this is an honest apology song that must be about Yoko”.

“It’s funny that given what a genius, honest, lyricist Lennon is that coincidentally he slipped in some references to Beatles songs that all happen to be Lennon/McCartney compositions, including Yesterday, In My Life, Getting Better and the riff at the beginning of the song is oddly reminiscent of I’ve Got a Feeling...”

“But we know for a fact that this song can’t have anything to do with Paul McCartney because it’s not angry and all John’s heartfelt emotional songs are about Yoko, so case closed on that!”

Meanwhile...

Paul McCartney: *sighs*

Rock Critics: “Well this sigh is clearly about Lennon, you can tell from the timbre of his voice.”

“In terms of the sigh itself, it isn’t offensive but it lacks the counterpoint that someone like a Lennon could have added, maybe an acerbic yawn or a witty groan could have added an air of authenticity to this sigh, which is otherwise pretty lightweight”.

“But hey, this sigh will be popular with the grannies!”

#the beatles #john lennon #paul mccartney #john and paul #rock critics #how do you sleep #i know i know #song lyrics #john couldn’t have made it more obvious #i don’t get how people have examined John’s life to the nth degree and still think i know i know is about yoko #what is not clicking #the song dialogue went both sides #rant over #for now #thoughts

[alicemitch09writes]

(un)loving miya atsumu

twelve.

you’re my sunflower.

You didn’t like zoos.

It’s not like you didn’t like animals, there were a whole lot of fascinating creatures that lurked and filled the earth. Coming in different shapes and sizes - some rule the land, some soar the skies, and some are masters of the ocean, they can even be as large as a mountain or as small as your fingernail. Truly, they are humble dwellers on the face of the earth. It’s just that humanity, since their evolution, has learned to dominate the land thanks to their superior intelligence.

Thus, animalia that once ruled the earth were now cut down while humanity increased.

Once they roamed free, now, they are caged and put on display for all of mankind to see. Isolated from the freedom forever.

Hence, why you didn’t like zoos.

Watching animals on display, not being able to run wild and free just didn’t sit right with you.

“Wah!!!! Look, look, look at it, (Y/N)!” Atsumu held on to the railing, leaning down to look at the nearing creature – it looked like a giraffe, but fluffier, lankier, almost floppy.

Sadly, it was mandatory – being a school event and all. It was your first school trip, since moving to Hyogo. It should be exciting if it weren’t for helpless animals put on display.

“It looks like a giraffe and a sheep had a baby,” Osamu said, nearly voicing out your thoughts.

Laughing into your muffler, you eyed the approaching creature warily. “It’s an alpaca.”

“Oh!!!!” Atsumu was shaking with excitement, hand reaching out to touch it.

Very speedily – almost a quick reflex, you pulled Atsumu back at the creature spat, its slimy spit landing just inches from Atsumu’s feet.

“HEY! WHAT THE HECK!”

“Careful, they spit.” You warn, letting him go cautiously. Osamu laughs behind you.

“Ha, not even they like you,”

“’SAMU, SHUT UP!”

A caretaker, who was guiding the gentle creature, looked at the boy in shock, appalled by his language and tone. You had to bow in apology for Atsumu, prompting him to quiet as the three of you continued to roam the outside area of the zoo.

Passing the kangaroo farm, just across it was the penguin walk, where you could hear your schoolmates cooing at the sight of waddling flightless birds.

A collective gasp once the birds appeared, followed by cooing of the girls, some of the boys were clapping their hands to get their attention. Sure, they were cute. But not even that could ease your unease.

“Are you okay, (Y/N)?” Osamu turns to you, seemingly having enough of flightless birds.

“Yeah,” Atsumu rounds you, honey-brown eyes watching. “you barely said a thing since we came here!”

Feeling bad about your lack of response, you could only bow your head in shame. Muttering an apology under your breath, nose digging into your muffler. Cold winds blew in, winter must be approaching.

“Are you hungry?” Osamu asks.

“Do you want to take a dump?” Atsumu asks next.

Shaking your head, head still hung low. They both glance at each other, then to you.

Fiddling with your gloved hands, you wondered if the twins would leave you then and there. Eyes staring down on the concrete ground, focusing on the material that came to view.

You shouldn't have come.

At first, there was a hand – two hands, holding your own. Then a tug.

Suddenly, you weren’t seeing animals on display, allowing yourself to be whisked away.

Veering northeast from where you were.

“Where are we-“

And then, there was a burst of color in different shapes and sizes.

Flowers.

Reading the sign, blinking, the twins brought you to the ‘Flower Garden’.

“Girls like flowers, right?” says Atsumu with a smile, Osamu smiling next to him.

Feeling a smile coming on, a gentle tugging at your heart, slowly you nodded.

“…zoos are just weird,” you say finally, walking down the path, the twins on each of your sides, matching your pace. It shouldn’t be hard, since you were inches taller than them.

“Weird how?” Osamu asks, nose wrinkling as he sniffs around.

Shrugging, you thought of your next words carefully. “Maybe I just don’t like the idea of animals in cages?”

“Well, that’s what zoos are for!” Atsumu says, almost helpfully.

“And that’s where the problem lies.” You point out, drinking in the many flowers, far as the eyes can see.

Walking along the pebbled path, several schoolmates were in the area, gushing and watching at the flowers in interest. There were even some adults, two teachers leaning towards each other, whispering and giggling. Atsumu wrinkled his nose at the sight, Osamu just walked on quietly.

Having rounded the Flower Garden, the three of you leave, your eyes looking around until your eyes fell on the bricked flowerbed by the exit. An array of flowers were on full display, but your eyes on a particular flower. Little pieces of the sun, sprouting brightly against the rest of the equally bright, blossoming, and elegantly arranged flowers. The little sun was peeking up, proud and tall.

Osamu was busy watching some butterfly while Atsumu turned to you, curiously following after your gaze.

Out of nowhere, a bark sounded off. From the corner of her eye - where you vaguely read a sign that said 'Dog Stage' a blur of white and a bright pink tongue came rushing your way.

Quickly, you hid behind the boys, holding on to Atsumu's shirt. Osamu turned to you in shock, then at the dog, a smile spreading across his face. "Hey, a dog!"

Laughing, the caretaker approached you three. "He's just excited to meet you lot!" Kneeling, he gently ruffles the dog's head. "Why don't you come say 'hi'?"

White in color with splotches of brown littering his face and body, the dog had an oddly-shaped head, almost shaped like an inverted egg, its triangular brown eyes were bright.

Furiously shaking your head, a yelp left your mouth when the dog broke away from Osamu, walking up to you. Despite its obvious friendliness, the dog was half your size. Seeing your fear, Atsumu puffs his chest, holding his guard against the sweet boy.

"Sorry mister," Looking down at the gentle creature, Atsumu then pats the dog. "doggy, but (Y/N)-chan here isn't up for it."

His reply was a bark, causing you to yelp again.

"Okay then, guess we'll have to go now." Pushing himself to stand, the caretaker whistles for the dog. "Come on, Bowser."

From behind Atsumu shoulder, still holding on to his shirt, you watched the dog happily wagging its tail as it walked behind its caretaker, leaving adoring glances from everyone on the path.

The two brothers exchanged glances.

"Well, looks like you don't want to meet our granny's dog, huh?"

When it was time to leave, everyone settled in the bus. With a total of four classes, two classes had to share a bus, meaning, to your luck, you and the twins sat together.

"Atsumu," you berate at the boy, rushing towards your seat. "where have you been?"

Osamu, who was sitting by the window, was forced out by Atsumu, who sat on top of him, wiggling until he moved in disgust. 

"You'll see!" he grins ear to ear, excitedly clutching on to his backpack. Noting his dirtied nails, Osamu frowns and mutters something under his breath.

"Okay, everyone here?" Your teacher asked, his response was a chorus of 'yes'. Nodding, he turns to the driver, and the bus slowly careened off the road.

Once the bus was miles away, instantly, Atsumu perked up and turned to you. “(Y/N)-chan, I have something for you!”

Ducking down low, very carefully, he zipped open his bag, produced a paper bag, which was covered in dirt for some reason.

Bright yellow, as though the sun's rays solidified itself, came to view. The very sun shrank to the size of a child's hand, sprouting out from the same child's bag as though in greeting. Mouth parting, you stared at the flower before you.

“Ta-dah! I got you a sunflower!”

“’Tsumu," Osamu frowns, hating that he was in the middle. "that’s stealing, ya know.”

Swiping the underside of his nose, you saw dirt under his fingernails. “They’ll never know!” he says rather proudly. "And hey, (Y/N), did you know?" he scuttles closer, voice low. "When it rains, and the sun's gone, sunflowers face each other to harness each other's energy?" He puffs his chest out, all smug. "Pretty cool, huh?"

You took a moment to appreciate the tiny sun in his bag, that he got. For you. Registering Atsumu's words, it was kind of endearing, and he looked really proud of the information he shared. 

However, "That's a misconception." You tell him, he guffaws, Osamu cackles between the both of you.

Fingering the smooth yellow petal, seeing the dirt cumulate in his bag, which will probably earn an earful from his mom, the fact that he did this for you was enough. Smiling, you tell him, “Thank you so much, Atsumu.”

(Atsumu swore, your smile rivaled the sunflower he got for you.)

Hiroshima was surprisingly calm.

Proclaimed early on as the 'City of Peace' postwar, the city was only fours hour away by bus, the prefecture was known majorly for being one of the first to suffer the nuclear attack from the first world war that devastated the island. And yet, it feels peaceful, calm.

Like all the years ago, those past sins, have all but wavered into the wind, forgiving the many generations to come.

A strange sense of calm washed over you, gazing at the structure before you, feeling for the victims - direct and indirect victims of the bombing. Even the very ground you stood on, was once covered in casualties unimaginable today, a traumatic experience impossible to dismiss. Truly, after the war comes peace. But that peace comes with sacrifice, bloodshed, and tears.

"(L/N)-san?" a voice calls, cutting you of your stupor. Turning, you met Kusakabe's kind face. "Are you okay? I've been calling your name for a while now."

Feeling your hand holding on to the itinerary plan, your other hand on the railing, hearing students murmur all around you brought you back - you were having a class excursion. In Hiroshima. For three days.

"Um," putting the booklet down, you gave a weak nod. "yes. Yes, I am. Sorry. I was just" you peek back at the monument. "awe, for lack of a better word."

He smiles, pushing his glasses back. "I understand what you mean. Coming to these monuments just makes you appreciate the history behind it."

You nod again, looking at the map - it would be a long walk, considering the park's grand area and the monuments you'll visit along the way.

"Anyway, I just came to inform you that we can roam around the park for an hour. Then we'll meet up by the parking area for lunch."

"I see. Thank you so much, Kusakabe."

He nods, smiling.

"Kusakabe!" from behind him, a group calls, waving.

Turning to you, Kusakabe asks. "And ow about you, (L/N)? Do you have a group?" the wind blows, you wrinkle your nose at the cold. "If you want, you can join us."

Before you could even reply, someone walks up to you - well, four someones that is.

"...That's why I told you, if we strike that bell hard enough, it could probably echo throughout the park!"

"Idiot, you want to ruin the sanctity of the bell? It's called 'Peace Park' for a reason!"

"Woah," Suna deadpans, eyes on his phone. "'sanctity', that's a big word, even for you, Osamu."

"Now, now, let's just enjoy the trip, yeah?" Ginjima, ever the peacemaker, tries to settle things, smiling apologetically when he meets your eyes.

Heaving a sigh, wearing a smile on, you gestured to the boys with an open hand. "As you can see, I have a group of my own."

Nodding at the trouble children, Kusakabe breathes a laugh. "I can see that. Well, I'll see you around, (L/N)."

Osamu asks, watching said boy meet up with his group. "Wasn't that the student council prez?"

"That is him."

The rest of the boys watch Kusakabe approach his group in joint interest, especially from the way they move - all good posture and all, neatly pressed uniform, not a hair out of place, all of them were pretty as a picture.

"Elites, huh?"

You rolled your eyes at Suna's words. "Just because Kusakabe and I belong in a college preparatory class does not mean we're elites."

"Well, your class does give off some sort of vibe," Ginjima explains helpfully.

That was a strange way of putting it, you thought. After all, you've been classmates with them all of three years, with the occasional new classmate last year. Other than that, it was just like any other class, filled with different personalities on different faces, except everyone in your class was outstanding students with equally outstanding grades. 

Cold wind gushed, (h/c) strands of hair flying in your face.

"It's gotten cold, huh?"

"We're just a week off nationals and we're greeted by cold," Suna mutters.

"At least it's not hot anymore," Osamu grumbles, remembering the unforgiving summer that passed.

Busily working on your hair, your muffler ended up loosening to the sides in the process. Letting out a sigh, you undid your muffle, ready to fix it when large hands took the ends of your muffler.

"Not to mention the culture festival next month!" Atsumu gushes excitedly, making quick work on your muffler. Next month, being November. Time sure flies when you least expect it.

"Oi, 'Tsumu, step away from (Y/N)," says Osamu, walking towards you both. "you might end up choking her."

"Will not!" he yells, yet his hands carefully folding around your neck, tying in front. "I know how to fix a scarf, idiot!"

Wincing slightly at the volume of his voice, you suddenly found yourself unable to look away, frozen in your spot, watching Atsumu busy himself on fixing your muffler.

"On your own, maybe."

"U-Uh, guys...?" Ginjima fumbled, Suna just watching in veiled interest.

Doing some finishing touches, ever so gently looping and pulling the ends, Atsumu nods, clearly pleased, before he steps back to admire his finished work. "There, see!"

Osamu steps in, eyes on Atsumu's work, face neutral, eyes laughing. "Sloppy."

"HAH!?"

Glancing down at Atsumu's work, it was a bit sloppy, but it seemed to hold up just right. 

"You should be ashamed, now (Y/N) will lose face."

"From a fucking scarf!?"

"You've ruined her, idiot."

"You're ruined!"

Exhaling, you just walk ahead letting them argue amongst themselves. Ginjima and Suna were quick to follow after you.

"Um, should we-"

"You've been with them for three years now, Ginjima. They'll be fine. They'll just follow after." Suna nods at your words, randomly taking photos of the area.

For the next few minutes, relative calm washed over your group walking along the path, watching ancient buildings. What's left of it, a skeletal piece with absent windows, floors, or life, covered in scars from years past. Each of the boys carefully regarding each monument in awed whispers.

Although, time to time, someone would comment about how creepy it was to be up close to it, then would be called disrespectful by someone. You'd only have to turn and then they'd be silenced. Every now and then, you'd write down about the monuments on a small notepad, so you could use it later for your essay after the trip.

Furiously writing, a vibration went off in your coat pocket. Putting your notepad away, you flipped your phone open to read the text.

"Who're you texting, (Y/N)?" Osamu asked beside you.

"Aran-san."

“Eh? What about Aran-kun?” Atsumu asked, suddenly appearing by your shoulder. Suna and Ginjima looked up, at the mention of the senior.

“Well, he tried out for Tachibana Red Falcons a few weeks ago." You tell them, seeing no harm in it. Hitting send, you waited until the confirmation popped up before pocketing your phone away. "He’s going to get a call of his results sometime this week.”

Nearly all of them raised their eyes in shock, amazed by the news. It was the same reaction you had when he told you.

"Hear that, 'Samu?" Atsumu laughs at his twin, pride and unbridled happiness. "Aran-kun!"

"I heard, idiot." Not even Osamu can hide his joy and pride, like that of his twins', over the news.

"It's nice that you've still kept contact with Ojiro-san and the others." Ginjima noted with a smile.

Suna, appearing beside you, gently guided you towards the next destination as your group converged with some tourists, some girls giggling at Suna. "It's so you to keep in contacts with the seniors,"

"Because I respect them?" Burying your nose into your muffler, at the chilly wind that blew past.

"Because you fit right in with them."

Reaching the Peace Bell, just at the heart of the park, you were told that you can ring a bell and make a wish.

"Normally people wish for world peace here," Ginjima says aloud, reading from the booklet.

"Maybe we should wish for Ojiro-san?"

"I believe we can do that."

So you rang the bell, a soft gong echoing out, clapped your hands twice, palms pressing together, then lowered your head. Offering a quick prayer. For Aran-san. For Kita-san. For Akagi-san. For Oomimi-san. For Reiki. For Mika.

Following after you were the Ginjima, then Suna, and then finally, the twins, which you had to stay and watch over, lest they try to really smash the bell so loud it'll echo throughout the park. Thankfully, they behaved under your watch.

Later, while having lunch at a nearby restaurant, your phone vibrated.

“Ah.”

“What is it?”

The four boys turned to you - Osamu sneakily taking a meatball from Atsumu's bowl, Suna was putting mushrooms and carrots into a small plate, Ginjima was blowing into his bowl.

“He got in.”

At first, there was silence. Then, you ever so calmly turned your phone in your hands, showing Aran's text, for further confirmation. And then, the trouble children burst out in joy - all hoots and cheers, happy for their senior, uncaring at the spectacle that they've caused. And Suna caught it all on camera.

(Aran cried when he received the video)

“Something’s different about you,” Atsumu says to you. You blinked twice, surprised.

“…I’m wearing my winter uniform?” You say, almost consciously, gesturing to the blazer you now donned on your uniform, contrasting the summer uniform, which was just a shirt, a sweater, a skirt, and shorter socks. School-issued brown blazer shirt, shirt, maroon tie, black skirt. Your socks were knee-length because of the seasonal change.

Even with the culture festival going about, students were encouraged to wear their uniforms - well, students of Inarizaki High School that is.

With October long past, students were all to wear their winter uniforms to anticipate the cold weather ahead.

In spite of the season dropping a few degrees though, the culture festival at your school rolls easily. The school was filled to the brim with life coming from its students, visitors from different schools, and supporting families.

Yet for some reason, amidst the fanfare going around, Atsumu keyed on you.

Something was shining, hitting Atsumu in the eye.

“Wait a minute,” Atsumu closed in, too close for comfort, tucking bangs and some strands of hair behind your ear. “You got a piercing!”

There was a stud by the inside of your right ear cartilage, just by the inner middle rim.

Suna whistles. “Wow, never thought you had it in you, (L/N).”

“Uwah, it looks cool, but does it hurt?”

“More importantly, when did you get it done?” Osamu asks with a frown.

Atsumu’s thumb was tracing along the shape of your ear, staring at your conch piercing in fascination, standing way too close. Gulping you took a step back, fixing your bangs as you explained. “I, uh, did this on a whim. And yes, it did hurt, because it was on my cartilage, but nothing I can't handle.”

The four look at you, eyes wide.

It kind of ruins the image of the perfect role model people has cooked you up to be. Then again, you were never perfect, to begin with, it was nice to ruin that image and shatter people's expectations.

“Woah.” Ginjima's eyes shined at the stud on your ear.

“Badass,” muttered Suna.

"When did you get so rebellious?" Osamu teased, as though reading your thoughts, pinching your nose with his knuckles.

Atsumu couldn't look away at the new addition in your body. "But when did you-"

"(L/N)-senpai!" a voice cheerily called you from behind, green from the torso up - green wig, green coat, ruffled white undershirt, black pants, with black shoes. Oh, and there was some sort of contraption strapped on their arm.

Atsumu stared in confusion as the person happily greeted you, holding your hands and full of smiles, he just about to burst when Osamu elbowed him.

"It's Yoshimichi," Suna explained, admiring the costume. "y'know, one of the kits."

"Or the managers-in-training," Ginjima added, enjoying the interaction between you and the younger girl.

"Yoshimichi!" you greeted, taking her in. "Wow, you look amazing!"

The younger girl flushed, her usual dark brown eyes were replaced with light blues - contacts, it seems, gripping your hands tighter. "Thank you so much! I worked hard on it! But senpai, your hair looks great!"

"Ah, thank you," you say with a faint blush. "Asano worked on it." More like, she worked on them while you busily sat on your booth, studying the papers from all the attendees who came to the volleyball club's gig. Asano took advantage of your preoccupation to work on your hair. You couldn't hate her for it, since the style proved to be helpful from keeping your hair from your face.

"It's times like these where (L/N) can really be a girl, huh," Ginjama said.

"You're making it sound like she's not." Suna deadpans.

Sputtering, Ginjima tries to defend herself. "Y-You know what I mean!"

Atsumu sort of does, having known you all his life. You weren't the girliest girl around, but you dressed like one, but it was average at best and formal, compared to Mika, who loved wearing frills, brightly colored dresses, and all. Plus, you didn't have many female friends because you had the twins. Most of the time, you were surrounded by boys, so you had to toughen up.

"But who're you supposed to be?" Osamu couldn't help but ask.

"Lyserg from Shaman King!" Yoshimichi says excitedly.

"Your class is doing a cosplay cafe, huh?"

"Right on! Senpai, you should visit!" remembering that you weren't alone, she looked at the four boys behind you. "Ah, you senpais can come, too!"

"I feel like she's extended the invitation to (L/N), though," Suna mutters, Ginjima laughs.

From the end of the hall, someone, with an equally elaborated costume, holding a sign, calls out to her. 

"Ah, that's my cue! I have to go now!" Before she leaves, she turns to you. "Senpai, I'll be waiting!"

Smiling, you wave off as she runs towards her classmate, watching them stroll down the hall.

Once the younger girl left, you turned to the boys. "Yoshimichi's family owns a tattoo and piercing shop. I had it done there." Their reactions were instantaneous - multitudes of shock.

"Yeah, but when?" Atsumu asked. He can't even fathom the idea of Yoshimichi - bright, bubbly, cosplayer Yoshimichi Ryoko to come from a family of punks!

"Um," uncharacteristically on the spot, you rubbed at your elbow. "A day after we came back from Hiroshima."

"Who would've thought that our kit comes from a ragtag fam."

"That's a rather crude way of saying it,"

"Yeah, but the flip side of getting a tattoo is you can't go to onsens,"

Ginjima hisses, eyes suddenly sad and dim. "Ah, that is sad and true."

"On the contrary, there are onsens that allow tattoos, so long as it's not visible or in an innocuous location," you say helpfully, automatically bringing backlight in Ginjima's eyes.

"(Y/N) have mercy on us with your words," Osamu cries. "the lot of us are idiots here!"

You'd expect Atsumu to retort, absolutely refusing to be called an idiot, or likening to one. But he was quiet, right by your side, smiling.

"Heh, I'm thinking of getting a piercing myself!"

Three eyes turn to him, doubtfully.

"What?"

"Everyone knows you're likely to cry getting one."

"HAH!?" And there he was. His aura was emanating warm and gentle, like his usual vibe from before. What's weird was, you were there, yet he was smile was genuine, probably brighter than everyone in school.

"(L/N)-san, are you alright?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Um," Asano's eyes went from your face to the mechanical pencil in your hand. "y-your pencil lead…it’s run out." You stopped writing, or what you thought you've been doing. "For a minute now." Oh.

Pushing your pencil, seeing the lead pop out, you write again.

"Thank you, Asano."

"You're welcome," she smiles, but her lip turns up, eyes filled with worry. "But are you okay?"

"I've just got a lot on my mind."

Asano's face fell, eyes not leaving your face, noting the heavy intake of breath, followed by the sag of your shoulders. Even your eyes seemed lost, sad.

The feared and great 'Inarizaki's Fox Keeper' was known for her uptightness, her stoic and cold aura - intimidating by name, more so in person. Highly respected and feared, even the coaches held her to a high regard. With a reputation like hers, it was no wonder she was able to manage the team on her own for years, even aiding them to nationals, and holding her ground against Miya Atsumu. (L/N) (Y/N) was the perfect manager, a standard for all club managers. A reputation that definitely lived up to her expectations.

However, Asano Miki, found that you were actually just a really reliable person, extremely kind, and a saint-like patience. Under your guidance, she eventually got out of her shell - she and Yoshimichi, and easily adjusted to the club thanks to your guidance. And behind closed doors, especially during those nights at training camps, you were practical, uptight like a mother, and almost always preoccupied.

And yet, underneath it all, there was always this sort of sadness in you. 

She couldn't help but think of the iceberg theory, that's there's always more to a person.

With her and Yoshimichi, you could open up more about yourself. With the rest of her seniors, you could, too. But Asano could feel like it was to a certain degree, there was something you'd like to keep within. The more she thinks about it, the more it scares her of what's underneath it all, of how long before the truth just freezes her over.

A flash of yellow appears from the corner of her eye, when she turns, it was the captain - Miya Atsumu.

Just a year ago, you and him were not on good terms, having been childhood friends for a long time. The team's dynamic changed drastically, but you remained as manager, only colder and more robotic, as the rumors say. It was said you supposedly resigned, only to wordless come back. Magically, the team's dynamic changed for the better. Even your dynamic with the now, blond-dyed, setter-captain.

"Oiiii, As-a-no~" Yoshimichi calls in a sing-song, her fellow manager-in-training nudges her shoulder. The girl turns to her. "C'mon, I'll pass the bibs to the opposite team, you fetch the cart from the storage room. Okay?"

"O-Okay!" she starts for the storage room. However, unable to help herself, she looks over her shoulder, to where you were, with the captain standing close, the two of you seem to be discussing something. You were doing the talking, pointing with your mechanical pencil, talking a mile. And then there was the captain, eyes soft and warm...watching you.

Atsumu - known for his smug smirk, likened to that of a fox, filled with general mischief and mayhem, wore a true smile. A smile that softened his features, that made him (and his twin, because they were identical) admired by many, a smile that brightened him more, one that reached his eyes - one that Asano knew was reserved for you and you alone.

Of all the things Asano knows about you, one thing is for sure: Miya Atsumu was the cause for the sadness in your eyes.

“You know, I worry about you,” Osamu says to you, echoing questions that have been thrown to you for days - mostly indirectly, at your usual convenience store over a shared sashimi set.

Something's bothering you, has been bothering you, from the looks of it. Osamu knows it.

From the dim moonlight that hung up in the sky, contrasting against all unnatural light, you blinked at him. When your eyes met, his grey-brown eyes took you out of your stupor, making you feel bare and open, without even saying anything.

“I’ve been worrying about you." Osamu adds, voice thick. "For a long time, you felt this need to put others before yourselves. Don’t get me wrong, it’s admirable and honorable at best. It's what many of us love about you, (Y/N). But," his shoulders sag, gray-brown eyes softening "if you keep putting them over you, one day, you’ll forget yourself altogether and just crush from the weight of keeping everyone first.”

You feel the need to defend yourself, to make a statement rebutting all his claims. Yet, your tongue feels heavy, mouth clamped shut. Looking up at him reluctantly, you were met by his unwavering kindness - so, so kind, and worry. Worry growing, seeing as your eyes turned glossy, neutral expression cracking.

Osamu reached an arm, pulling you over. You wanted to pull away, but his warmth washed over you.

Quietly, eventually, you leaned against Osamu, crying softly.

Strong as they were last year, it wasn't enough to satiate the hunger of your foxes, led by Atsumu, that brought them to victory. Still, Karasuno's presence was felt, establishing themselves in the national scene now that they've made a resurgence in the past year with an invaluable set of players. One of them, being your dear childhood friend.

"Sho-chan!" you called out after the match ended, seeing as you had time.

The redhead turned, eyes widening and brightening at the sight of you. "(Nickname)!"

Running to him excitedly, he did the same and the two of you met by the sides.

"Oh wow, your hair's getting shaggy!" you laugh, ruffling at his hair. "By the way, great game, today. You guys are as tenacious as always."

Noticeably, some people were looking your way - still surprised that by some twist of faith, you and the spry middle blocker were acquainted, let alone childhood friends! Too busy being in your friend's presence, you hadn't realized the attention you were receiving. Too busy catching up to the ball of sunshine before you, going on and on about the feats they did today, freely smiling about with your childhood friend.

"Inarizaki is crazy strong this year! Especially with Miya-san's serves!"

"Which Miya?" you laughed with a cock of your head.

"Oh, uh...the blonde dyed one??"

"Ah, Atsumu."

"Are you close?" Hinata asked, sensing the familiarity when you said the setter's name.

"Um," tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, you were unsure how to answer. "kind of." That seemed like a good answer. "He and his twin brother live next door and were my first few friends when I moved to Hyogo." Behind him, his captain was calling for him. "Neh, let's continue our chat later, okay?"

"A-Ah," he sputtered, short-circuiting.

"You're here until tomorrow, right? Better make it worth your while. After all, we haven't talked much in a while. Well," you take his hand in yours, squeezing. "face-to-face, that is."

At the prospect of seeing more games, and maybe spending more time with you, he brightened. "Sure thing, (Nickname)!"

Unable to help yourself, you ruffled his hair playfully. "Then, wait for my text later, okay?"

Later that day, dinner, a bath, a short meeting later, you were slipping on an oversized hoodie over your pajamas, and took off. Despite it being a rather exciting day, you still had enough energy to go about, carefully making your way to meet your childhood friend.

Meeting Hinata just a block away from your hotel, the two of you walked a few more blocks until you reached a neighborhood playground, chatting aimlessly as you sat by the railings framing the park.

"Since it's your last year of high school, do you have any plans, (Nickname)?"

"To be honest? Not really." Wrinkling your nose at your answer, you tried again. "Maybe nothing special. How about you, Sho-chan?" you ask, despite him being a second year.

To your surprise, he readily answered. "I wanna do beach volleyball!" 

"Beach volleyball? Why?"

Something sets off in his eyes, almost like excitement, assurance, burning compassion. "I want to try and learn a lot of things!" It even showed off from his voice, no longer quivering, strong and firm, with a hint of childish excitement. "I want to try and get better to be able to play more volleyball!"

That was a rather interesting take into his career, choosing to play outside court. Plus, you've heard beach volleyball can be demanding with just two players.

"You're really set on it, huh?"

"Yes!"

You felt warm.

"Well, good luck with that, Sho-chan. I'll be rootin' for ya~"

Extremely, pleasantly warm, despite the January cold.

“(Nickname), you’re really a lot different, huh?” Before you could ask what he means, he furthers. “I mean, from all our texting, you seem…kinda…on hold? Like you’re holding back? But in person, you seem more relaxed now.”

You blink, remembering bright lights, head against another warm body, a shared sashimi set.

“Maybe it’s because I’m with my Sho-chan.” you smile, forcing the thoughts away. “A lot’s happened in my life. I’m not ready to unpack them all to you, but Sho-chan, you just really have a way with making people feel relaxed about themselves, of making them feel like it's okay, y'know?”

He flushes at that.

“I’m really jealous of that part of you.”

“W-Well, I’m jealous of how smart you are, (Nickname)!”

The two of you laugh into the night before you randomly blurted out wanting something sweet to eat.

"Want ice cream?" Hinata asks, gesturing to stand.

Peering out at him in the dark, the park was a bit dim, your childhood friend shined bright. "Nah, maybe I should head back."

"But you said you wanted something sweet!"

Chuckling, breath coming out in puffs, you stand. "Alright, but you're buying, okay?"

"Aren't you older?"

Playfully frowning at the younger teen’s argument - because yes, you are the older one by a year, you just link your arm around his. "Yeah, but you lost to us!" you threw back.

"How mean, (Nickname)!"

On the way, you realized how eating something cold during a cold season wasn't feasible, which made the younger boy panic. Laughingly, you assured him that it was probably because it was so cold that you wanted something sweet, for a boost of insulin or that happy feelings rush.

At the nearest convenience store the two of you could find, which was a few blocks away from your hotel, the two of you make idle chat over ice cream despite the January weather, explaining further on sweetness, boost of insulin or that happy feelings rush.

"O-Oh! I see!"

Seeing the look on his face, you guessed that the mini-biology plus chemistry lecture made his head spin. "Do you really, Sho-chan?" you tease, handing him a plastic spoon. "It's okay to say you don't."

That caused his nose to scrunch up, brows furrowing together. "I understand, (Nickname)! Sheesh, I passed biology!"

Laughing again, both of you opened up the small pack of ice cream to share. It was in salted caramel.

One bite full and comically, both of you felt warm inside, moaning in absolute delight at the sweetness and saltiness.

The conversation started anew from there with topics that flew from fun plays, his sister, Natsu, taking an interest in volleyball, your sister and her boyfriend, Kaoru and his soccer, talks of the new Karasuno captain.

"Hey, Sho-chan," you asked, watching him chew. "if we didn't move..." if her dad wasn't an asshole "...do you think...?" you mulled, thinking of all the people you've met since moving. Weakly, you leaned against the younger boy, much to his surprise. 

"(Nickname)-"

"...do you think things would be different?"

Hinata falls silent at that.

Who knows what your life would have turned out had your family stayed in Miyagi, or your uncle didn't forcibly bring your mom out of her depression and move the family all the way to Hyogo? Would you be happier? Would you have turned out better? Who would you even be?

"Does it matter? What's happened, happened. And whether we like it or not, it's for the best!"

Ah, such a simple-minded sweet boy. "That's true."

"But," you push yourself off, watching him. "had (Nickname) remained, maybe I would've had a boost up with my skills! I would be at maximum level now!"

Snorting, you broke out laughing. "Maximum level!?"

It was a shared moment of nostalgia between two childhood friends over a tub of ice cream, all smiles and laughter.

...which is how Miya Atsumu found you.

"Miya-san!" came Hinata's energetic cry, you look up in shock.

"Shoyou-kun..." the setter says quietly.

Was he looking for someone, you thought, spooning a chunk into your mouth. Or maybe he was out for a late night snack?

Chewing, you didn't notice your captain walking towards you. "(Y/N), if you wanted a late night snack, you shoulda counted me in!" Huh?

Before you could react, he took your spoon and fed himself the last chunk, moaning dramatically at the burst of flavors in his mouth.

"Mi-Miya-san!" shrieked the younger boy, cheeks flushing for some reason.

"You could have gotten your own spoon, you know," you frown, grabbing the spoon from him, he whines. "Besides, you shouldn't be eating sugar before your bedtime."

"Speak for yourself, (Y/N)."

Thinning your lips, you put away the spoon. Your captain turns to the redheaded boy. "Anyway, it's getting late and we should all get back." Turning to your childhood friend, the setter asks. "Shouyo-kun, you're here until tomorrow, right?"

Recovering from whatever it was earlier, the younger boy nods. "Ah, y-yes, n-no!"

"Which is it?" you ask worriedly.

"That's cool!" without warning, he stands next to you "Be sure to watch our game, 'aight?"

"Of course!"

"We should probably head back now," you announce as you stood up, taking your trash with you. "You need a full rest of sleep. Both of you." At the last part, both athletes felt chills run down their spine. 

When all three of you were at the door, Hinata assuring you that he can walk back to his hotel just fine, you suddenly remembered something and called out to your friend. "Sho-chan!” the younger boy turns to you. “Actually,” seeing you uncharacteristically sheepish, he keeps his eyes on you, waiting. “I'm on the fence with what I really want."

Offering you a smile, you feel warm all over. "That's okay, (Nickname)! You still have time!"

"We're months away from graduation," you reply, a small smirk at his crestfallen face. "but I think I'm settled."

Instantly, he recovers. "That's good to hear! Well then, good night, (Nickname), Miya-san!"

“What? What? What?” Atsumu turned to you curiously, picking up on the conversation with Hinata. “What were you two talking about?”

Burying your hands into your pocket, you debated. Osamu, Hinata, and Mika were the only people you’ve shared with, the ones you could trust with. The career form fresh in your mind.

“C’mon, (Y/N)!” he whines. “You can tell me!”

And for some reason, you opened your mouth and told him. “We were talking about future careers after high school,”

“Ah, really?” Before your third year even started, you were already thinking and dreading life after high school. “It’s strange that you don’t have a plan after high school.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean," he shrugs easily, carefully steering you to his side, his other side to the open street. "you’re so well organized and value order above anything else. Not to mention, you’re one of the smartest people in our year-“

“Just because I’m part of the top students doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed success,” you tell him, bluntly. Despite the cold, Atsumu feels even more chillier at your pointed words.

But he chips at the ice.

“Still! It makes a world of a difference because it’s you!”

You stopped at that, his words sinking in.

“It’s…me.”

“Yeah!" He continues to chip at the ice, mouth opening, as though reminding you of the most obvious thing on earth. "Plus, I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine wherever or whatever you end up choosing. I’ll be rooting for ya!”

Despite yourself, you smiled, warmed by his words. “Thanks…I kind of needed that.”

Atsumu glanced at you, the two of you carefully taking a turn. “So, what did you write in your career forms?”

“Um…nutritionist, psychologist, or probably something related to sports.”

“Wow,” he thinks back to your background, awed at how much your past impacted your future. “That’s amazing, (Y/N)!”

"Nowhere as amazing as you," you tell him, with utmost sincerity and honesty. He was, after all, a nationally recognized athlete for a high schooler. With his impressive reputation, he'll definitely go far and have the best teams at his disposal.

He barked a laugh, happily. "But of course! Sucks that 'Samu won't be with me, but I'll work for the both of us. No," he thrusts three fingers in the air as he declares "the three of us!"

For some reason, that was a moment of calm for you, filling you with the assurance you'll need. No matter how many years passed, even with his hair dyed lighter than his natural dark roots, he was still that same self-assured, cocky boy you know. You get the feeling he'll always stay like this, which you find you don't mind either way.

Much like Hinata, this boy right here, made you feel inexplicably warm. "That's surprisingly mature of you, Atsumu."

His name came out surprisingly easy. And to Atsumu, who stares at you as though he discovered a snowflake's design at a microscopic level, it was the sweetest thing he's ever heard.

Snow gently falls down, your breaths coming out in puffs, Atsumu's unable to look away.

"We should really head back to the hotel now."

"Y-Yeah!" Atsumu takes hold of your hand, much to your surprise, tugging you forward.

Inarizaki, unfortunately, made it to the top 3 after losing to Kamomedai – who, under the captaincy of Hirugami, were relentless as always – you and your team found yourself with heavy, weary hearts. There were regrets here and there, but the fact that the team maintained its spot as the top 5 made the pain of losing less. Also, you kept your promise to Aran and the rest, who were over the moon (and probably in tears) from watching in the benches.

Speaking of Aran and the rest, you had met up with the rest of your former seniors. Ever the emotional man that he was, Aran was tearing up at how proud he was of how well the team played, and how much the trio – the twins plus you, held the team up.

Being captain in his final year, with his brother as vice-captain, and you as manager, was definitely a highlight in Atsumu's high school career. Smiling at the camera, arms hooked around you and Osamu, Atsumu will forever cherish this amazing high all his life.

Now that you think about it, when did you first start liking Atsumu? What was the instance that made you fall in love with your best friend?

It's been almost ten years - 9 years, to be exact once the cherry blossoms bloom. It's been that long since you met the twins, met Atsumu, and loved him. 

But for however long you loved him, a most precious feeling for your young heart, never had you expected it to be inferior in the eyes of many. You may never have said it out loud, but when Atsumu read your love letters out loud in front of the whole team - seeing the looks in their eyes, you felt so cheap. Maybe your feelings were cheap, a joke. Even after the incident, even after a new year and the new faces, that scar was still there - the unavoidable scar that lingered on the fearless, 'Inarizaki's Fox Keeper'. 

If people knew the actual reason for the dispute between you and Atsumu, would people think of you differently? It never bothered you, but the knowledge of your feelings for someone as perfect, unattainable, unreachable, and out of your league?

It only made sense.

In a sense, it was like an old toy - one you loved so much as a kid, but once you've played with it too much, it gets worn out, broken, and useless, you'd have to throw it away.

The whole time you held on, foolishly you were also holding on to the possibility that maybe one day Atsumu would come to return your feelings. In a cliche way, he'd think of you as more than a friend, see you as something more, then come around to love you. Again, you were foolish. 

It was wishful thinking.

Atsumu's eyes and heart were set on your perfect big sister, Mika.

And who wouldn't? She was perfect, beautiful, smart, kind - everything you're not.

You? You were boring, plain, an afterthought.

Annoyed at the person staring back at you, you childishly flicked water at it - as if it would magically dispel the ugly. Nope.

All you found was a splotchy view of you, strings of water running over.

For all your feats - or whatever people thought of you, you had one terrible weakness: you gave your heart way too easily.

Your asshole of a father was one.

He was your father, of course it was only natural to love him. Until he broke it in a million pieces.

Miya Atsumu was second.

You gave your heart to him since he took you by the hand, never getting the courage to take it back. Atsumu can do whatever he wanted with your heart, just so long as it's still with him at the end of the day.

You had to wonder though, much of your heart was left in his hands?

The human body was composed of atoms – millions and billions of them in the form of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. It also contains much smaller amounts of the other elements that are essential for life.

The human body is also composed of love. Now, compared to atoms, its amount was infinite, endless.

Atoms burn out and die each day, easily replicated the next second, but not love. Love was something that you give but never runs out.

How much was a single person capable of loving?

How much of their fill until eventually, it runs out?

You might never know.

Scientifically speaking, love was just…unexplainable.

Law of attraction or serotonin can do very little in explaining the amount and power of love.

It was infinite in quality and quantity, yet it's also finite in a way.

"Nee-san?"

Lately, you've noticed that Kaoru tends to call you 'nee-chan' behind your back. You heard it once when you were sick. Normally, he just calls you 'nee-san', Mika was 'nee-chan'. It was just an honorific, with subtle tones when using.

"What."

His brows furrow, arms folded against his chest. "Why are you lying on the floor?"

"Because of gravity," you reply, staring into nothing, maybe at the ceiling, maybe at cracks, maybe at the ceiling fan, maybe at the spaces in between composed of billions and billions of atoms. Inhaling through your nose, exhaling the same way. Some days, it was just getting harder to think...to be, to seem.

Kaoru frowns harder, always hated how cryptic your replies tend to be, whenever he was genuinely worried for you. Then his expression wipes clean into worry.

"Nee-san," you could hear the franticness in his voice. "are you crying?"

Alarmed, you didn't move to hide your eyes, lest you worry him or make it worse. Instead, you sigh and close your eyes. "No. It's just dust."

You didn't see the slight panic in Kaoru's eyes, his big (e/c) eyes on you - his big sister.

“…nee-chan?”

You hummed, not daring to open your mouth at the sudden wave of emotion.

Kaoru was silent, for a while, and then. “I love you.”

Smiling at your brother, opening (e/c) eyes met lighter (e/c) ones, saying it back. “I love you, too.”

masterlist • thirteen

#(un)loving miya atsumu #miya atsumu x reader #miya atsumu #miya atsumu fic #miya atsumu angst #haikyuu!! #haikyuu!! fic #haikyuu!! angst #haikyuu!! angst fic #hq #hq x reader #hq fanfic #hq angst #hq angst fic #inarizaki #countdown to the end begins