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#and I had apparently forgotten how good it is to talk to people who are in your same life stage and Get what you're going thru
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hedgehog-moss · 16 days
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I volunteered to help the florist with her Mother's Day deliveries today, it was fun! My favourite parts of the experience:
early this morning I delivered flowers to women who were busy with morning farm chores, usually out in the barn; some had forgotten it was Mother's Day and were pleasantly surprised to see me show up holding a bunch of flowers above my head (so it wouldn't get eaten by barn animals on the way)
speaking of: one woman let a cow smell the flowers, then said "they're probably treated with chemicals—better not have a taste" with an apologetic look (at her cow)
a little boy opened the door at one point and I said, flowers for your mum! and he called her and while waiting for her to come downstairs, he said, "I learnt a Mother's Day poem at school", so I said, let's hear it! And apparently he hadn't expected that, and he lit up upon realising he would get higher returns on his poem investment than expected. He thought he'd recited it once and it was over but here was a fresh new audience!
a woman whom I found at the back of her garden hanging out with ducks deplored the fact that she didn't have a coin in her pocket for a tip, then said "Do you want to see my baby pigeons?" Yes of course I want to see your baby pigeons. That's a good tip
I delivered a bouquet to someone and a woman next door, who was in her garden, turned to the open window of her house and said, "[Neighbour's name] got flowers! For MOTHER'S DAY."
I later had to return to that street after a last-minute order was placed to this woman's address. Whomever she was talking to inside the house got the message loud and clear :)
at one point I entered a barn that seemed empty (except for cows), said "Is anyone here?" and a goat SPRUNG UP out of nowhere and poked me with her hoof and gave me a heart attack
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I returned to the shop and the florist let me pick a couple of plants as thanks, and we had the usual conversation—"Would this cheerful yellow plant thrive in my house?" "No. Your house is under 10°C. Try this one instead." Me: "This one isn't yellow :( It's more austere" Her: "So is your house" (She entered my non-heated kitchen in December once, and ever since I've been trying to convince her that it's not always like that) (just six months per year)
as I sat in the shop waiting for more bouquets to deliver, a man came in to buy roses and the florist started wrapping a ribbon around the bunch and the man asked, could you put a ribbon around each rose? I said aw they're for several mums? :) And he said yeah—that he was going to visit his mum at the retirement home and he wanted to get something "for all her friends too, why not!" It made everyone smile
admiring the florist's skill as she quickly put together a bouquet for a new order, I said something like "at least AI won't steal your job" and she said "with quantum computing, you don't know... not sure what it is but I read an article and it sounded scary." I said, I heard it's still impractical because the quantum computer particles need to be kept in very cold environments, like close to absolute zero, and she said "Quantum plants would thrive in your house."
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Florist: "I'll accompany you for this delivery because the person who filled the form gave a 'turn left after the third mossy rock'-type of address"
I was invited at her house for lunch, and I asked warily "Does your husband still have swans?" She said "No, we only kept the geese. We have just 3. They're evil too but not as bad as the swans"
one of my favourite interactions was when I delivered flowers in a hamlet that could fit in my pocket, and a young girl who came to the door asked me in what village I lived, and I said, it's not a village, just a lone house in the woods, and she sighed "I wish I could live away from civilisation." I looked around us. Asked, how many people live in this village? She said, "Sixty." I said, "That's too many?" She said, "Yeah."
Final stats for today: I was offered a coffee 4 times, Mother's Day chocolates 2 times, and 1 meeting with baby pigeons; was startled by 1 goat and terrorised by 3 geese; petted 2 windowsill cats, and was asked if Pampérigouste was currently in her pasture 4 times.
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ellecdc · 16 days
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thank you, McLaggen
inspired by the TikTok audio of Phil Dunphy saying "if you ever say anything disrespectful about my wife again, I'll kill you. Sorry, I don't know why that sounded like a joke; I will actually kill you."
James Potter x fem!reader who was apparently 'too much' for McLaggen
CW: they're at a party, readers last relationship left her feeling small, but she loves James and is all good now
It took a bit of unlearning when you found yourself in a relationship with James Potter. 
He sensed your hangups immediately; as if you were a duffle bag containing paraphernalia and he was a well-trained drug dog.
He noticed the way you seemed to fold in on yourself when you were excited, the way you cut yourself off when you began rambling, and the way you seemed to make yourself smaller as if that was what was required for the people around you to feel comfortable.
“Why do you keep snuffing out your own light, lovie? I miss your spark.” He’d said to you one night.
In all honesty, you hadn’t been aware you were even doing such a thing.
But you certainly knew why. 
Though your mother always told you to never look back on life with regrets, you’d spent about a year in what you now consider to be a rather unfortunate relationship with Tiberius McLaggen. 
And though you hadn’t noticed he’d been doing it; by the time your relationship ended, you realised you were perhaps a mere shadow of the person you used to be.
He’d ended the relationship after suggesting you were ‘too much’.
The irony of it was you were the smallest you’d ever been at that point; the ‘least’ you that you could possibly be. How could you be ‘too much’ and diminished at the same time?
You spent a lot of time reflecting after that, but it seemed that when you and James started your relationship, those old habits and qualities made their way back into your subconscious and it took James pointing it out for you to even notice.
You were glad he had, though. He was lovely, and he was caring, and he loved you. He loved your energy, he loved your passion, he loved your excitement, and better yet, he loved sharing those qualities with you.
All of the traits that your ex had deemed unseemly or unflattering were the traits you loved most about James, and in turn what he most loved about you.
And why would you deny such a lovely person of anything they wanted?
You just couldn’t.
So the two of you had been dating for nearly five months already, and you felt more comfortable in yourself than you ever had before.
You thought perhaps that this was just the effect James had on people; you found it almost impossible for any of his friends to be anything but their best selves when they were in his presence. 
You loved him immensely for it. 
You were getting a first hand look at exactly that from your spot on the arm of the sofa as you watched Peter throw his head back in boisterous laughter not usually seen from the typically soft spoken marauder. James didn’t even spend any time being smug about eliciting such a laugh from the cushion below you before he was complimenting Remus on his jumper, knowing very well that Sirius was the who picked it out for him - and also knowing Sirius would absolutely take full responsibility for the compliment - only to coo about how sweet they were together and leaving both boys blushing messes. 
You had almost forgotten you were sitting in the middle of a Gryffindor party when someone sidled up beside you.
“Lookin’ good, Y/N.” McLaggen commented as he looked you up and down.
You fought the urge to grimace as you narrowed your eyes at him. “Tiberius.” 
“Didn’t think I’d see you here; not really your scene, is it?” He commented with an air of casualty you knew was entirely for show. “I’m here with my new bird; she’s in Gryffindor.” He carried on without waiting for you to respond.
You hummed in acknowledgement as you looked around the room. “It doesn’t look like you’re here with anyone, McLaggen, seeing as you’re standing here talking to me.” 
“Come now, can’t old friends catch up?” He said salaciously. 
“We’re not friends, Tiberius.” You retorted forcefully.
He held his hands up in mock surrender as he chuckled at you. “Down girl, no need to get all jumpy now. You always were a bit of a handful, weren’t you?” 
You didn’t even have a chance to tell McLaggen where to shove it before James was standing up from his place hidden behind you as McLaggen’s face fell. 
“Ah, if it isn’t Tiberius McLaggen; kicked off the Ravenclaw quidditch team, failing Astronomy, received a mere acceptable in Herbology last term, and totally shit the bed with the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts. I’ve heard so much about you!” James recounted with faux cheer as he stuck his hand out to McLaggen, forcing the bloke to give him an awkward handshake as James stared at him hard.
James Potter was still flashing his (what should be award winning) smile, but it never met his eyes which were no longer their warm hazel. 
“Sounds like you’re the one I have to thank.” James carried on as he dropped McLaggen’s hand, wiped his own hand off on his trousers and threw his other arm protectively, possessively, affectionately over your shoulder. “Turns out if you hadn’t been such an absolute fucking tosser and fumbled the best thing to have ever happened to you, I wouldn’t have my sweet, gorgeous girl here. Congrats on losing the most lovely little thing to have ever looked your way; now sod off before I decide to do something that might just be worth making her frown over.”
You were unsuccessful in hiding your snort of amusement as you hid your face in James’ shoulder and listened to McLaggen scoff and stalk away. 
“Merlin’s tits, Prongsie! Did anyone else know James could be mean!?” Sirius cackled as the two of you turned back towards the group. 
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen James end a conversation without at least wishing someone a good day.” Peter carried on.
“Did you actually threaten the sod?” Marlene continued.
“No, I didn’t threaten him.” James muttered somewhat petulantly. “I promised him pain if he ever spoke to my girl like that again.”
The group cheered as you felt a shy yet pleased heat spread across your face and you shoved your face back into James’ shoulder.
James, for his part, accepted you eagerly and rubbed his hand up and down your arm as he pressed a kiss into your hair. 
“I’ll never let anyone make you feel small ever again.” He promised quietly; whether he was promising himself, or you, or McLaggen, you weren’t entirely sure.
What you were entirely sure of was that it was a promise he intended to keep.
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sophiethewitch1 · 12 days
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What We Want - Chpt. 7 - Black N' White Knight
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In Which A Romantic Breaks The Universe
(Yandere!batboys x f!reader) 18+ MDNI!
SUMMARY
Another lonely birthday, another empty year. You miss your family. You're late for your bills and rent, and even then, you got robbed last Tuesday.
Still, you buy yourself a cupcake, because you need it. I mean, hey. What's dessert for if not to get over cheating boyfriends and dead relatives?
As you blow out the candle, watching the clock switch from 11:59 pm to midnight of the next day, you make a wish.
And because the world doesn't like to make much sense, it comes true. Your life is suddenly flipped on a dime, and you're stuck trying to catch up with it. Fantasy becomes reality. You're a Wayne now, apparently. Or you used to be. You're loved, you're rich, you're talented and powerful.
Well, sort of. Careful what you wish for, right?
(TRIGGER WARNINGS AND MASTERLIST HERE)
PREV - NEXT
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“I can’t believe that just happened,” Dick tells Tim, hand carting through his hair. The two of them are in the kitchen, at the breakfast bar. Tim sitting in front of his laptop with his legs crossed, and Dick tapping one foot agitatedly against the marble floor. While Tim might not be grinning ear to ear, it’s pretty obvious for anyone who knows him that he’s delighted by the tale Dick just regaled to him.
And what a tale it was. He hasn’t seen you in a year and a half, and then when he does, he finds you teary eyed staring at a picture of him shirtless at the gym. Bruce had always told him the way he played with the paparazzi would come to bite him in the ass one day, but he really can’t say he expected… that.
Obviously, it had to be a prank. That’s his first thought. That’s his only thought, really. What other explanation could there be? An accident? Maybe you’d forgotten what his room looked like. It wasn’t like he kept much personal stuff in his Wayne manor room, the only markers his clothes and the letters he kept in his drawer from his parents.
And you were wearing his clothes, of all things. He’d be surprised if you forgot how much of a Superman fanboy he was, seeing as he’d spent many hours ranting to you before the explosion. So, a prank. A show of good will, an olive branch maybe? It was more likely you were just fucking with his head, as you’d done in the past. Never like this, though.
This was just… bizarre.
“I can’t either,” and of course, Tim sounds near estatic saying that. The love of chaos ran true in that one.
Dick had managed to wrangle his life under control a few years back, and despite the universe seeming to try to unravel it at the seams, he was indisposed to let it simply happen. Even if you of all people had changed. No, Dick was getting older, and he was finding his taste for chaos a lot more… limited.
He didn’t want to suffer it’s affects. He was currently suffering it’s affects.
“I knew something was going on when she showed up to the party, but this…” Tim pauses, leaning back in his chair, “It’s gotta be a prank, right?”
It said a lot about their family that this was all the assumption they defaulted to.
“It could be something else. Did you even take her to the hospital after?” Dick offers instead, overthinking as always. This situation seemed to be made for overthinking, though.
Tim hums. “No, we did not.”
Then he turns his stare to Dick, like he’s expecting something from him.
“Seriously?”
“What? You’re the friendly one.”
Dick very much did his best to seem like the friendly one, at least. Tim was well aware it was a complete farce, though. Dick was nice but he could also be a bit… well… a bit of a dick. Another thing he’d been trying to overcome. He was doing better than when he’d been seven, at least.
Dick sighs, pressing his hand to his forehead, “I’d probably just end up accidentally nagging her, and then she’d never speak to me again.”
“That’s not my problem,” Tim shrugs, glancing back down at his laptop and squinting.
“It is, actually. Because if she stopped talking to me you’d probably be the next one till the girls and Duke came home who has to talk to her.”
“She could talk to Jay,” Tim offers, because he’s a shithead. Dick bets he did the same with Bruce, “And besides, I’m busy doing surveillance.”
“You mean stalking.”
“I do it to everybody, stop making such a big deal out of it.”
Dick sighs again.
“Hm, you might want to check your phone,” Tim says, in a way that suggests he has once again tapped the network. Keeping him out of Dick’s private life was like Sisyphus and his boulder. He still wasn't going to give up, and the time Tim and Steph mercilessly bullied him for getting dumped over text had made him all the more so.
‘Dont_try’: hey. can you come pick me up? thx
“Please, tell me you sent that and are just messing with me,” Dick begs, staring down at his phone in mild despair. Chaos. Always fucking chaos. Despite how hard he tried, he could not keep his family out of trouble. God damn it, when he’d gotten this job he’d been the one made for trouble. Where did he go wrong?
“Honestly, sounds like the sort of thing I’d do, but the girl just got bitch slapped so I really think you should respond fast.”
“What?!”
“She’s fine now, run to the bathrooms I think. You know for such an upstate place you’d think they had better camera positioning,” Tim mutters, complaining that he can’t watch every single little movement you make. Dick thinks he should probably worry about this, as it’s a clear sign of another decline for his sanity, but he’s now got this shit to deal with.
“Why, Tim? What is going on? Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Hm?” he’s engrossed by the computer, “Ah, the shitty boyfriend… some soup- ha, how is she such a clutz? Maybe we should get her head checked again- and… an altercation of some kind? I don’t know, I can’t see it properly.”
Dick leans forward in his stool, clasped hands covering his face for a moment.
“Are you going to reply? If you don’t soon, she’ll probably make it a bigger shitshow,” Tim says, nudging his foot against Dick’s. Dick, good big brother that he is, takes a deep breath and steadies himself. Even if this is really not what he wanted for his holiday, he’s dealt with much, much worse.
The press will have forgotten about this within the week. You, however, likely not. He’d promised to help you all those years ago, and even if he had no idea why you were reaching out to him, or if you would even be amicable when you met again, he’d still damn well do it.
He glances back down at his phone.
“What is going on?” Dick repeats to himself, and Tim’s head cocks to the side. There’s that familiar cat that got the cream grin spreading across his younger brother’s face, and it just really isn’t welcome right now.
“Intrigued yet?”
Unfortunately for both him, Tim and especially you, Dick already was.
He’s in his car in five minutes flat, finger tapping against the premium leather wheel. The sound of it is the only thing that manages to keep him sane.
Riding up to the place, Dick realises that no, maybe the press won’t be over this within the week. Considering the amount of paparazzi swarming the place, he doubted you’d be free for at least a few months. To be fair, the mysterious ex-wayne making such a scene was a bit of a big deal. Before you’d been basically invisible, despite your immense wealth and past.
Invisible? Dick thinks he spots at least twenty cameras. And that’s not even mentioning all the phones inside that would’ve gotten up close videos of whatever happened. Their legal team would handle it fine, that which Barbara or Tim couldn’t wipe from the face of the earth. And that was very little, all things considered.
Dick has to push past the calls of his name, ignoring all the intrusive questions volleyed his way like the pro he was. He still makes sure to listen carefully and store away every vital bit of information, as well as remember the logos on the film crew’s van. Eventually he makes his way to the front of the line, and the flustered front of house immediately recognises his face and sweeps him inside. Dick ducks in with a thankful smile, which he admits, falters when he enters the scene.
A scene which you are not in. Your gold digging boyfriend was, though. Of all the things Dick regrets with you, it’s not breaking the horrid relationship the two of you had apart. Or well, the fact that you totally, loudly hated his guts. He was a sensitive guy, y’know!
He sees your terribly boyfriend - George, Dick remembers - raging at some poor servers, and he knows he need to go sweep in and save the pour soul. It’ll be a hard fight, he can already tell.
Before he does so, he sends a quick text to his phone.
Underwear_guy: Where are you?
Don’t_try: I’ll be right out.
Shockingly, that was the truth. You come striding into the restaurant, and immediately all eyes are on you. It makes you stutter-step. Dick can see you visibly stiffen up, before you manage to gather your courage and keep walking. You don’t even pay him a single glance as you walk straight towards your fuming boyfriend.
You try to whisper, keeping your voice quiet and your conversation private. The boyfriend seems uninterested in the idea.
“What the fuck are you thinking?!” he cuts you off.
You glance around, and then say something else. It seems like you’re trying to defuse the situation, but George seems uninterested by the idea. 
“This behaviour is ridiculous. You need to get it together, we’re in public!” he yells, like he isn’t the one causing a scene. He seems to be trying to intimidate you back into silence. But today and well, yesterday too, something is different about you.
Okay, that’s enough of that. Dick’s intervening.
“You cheated on me! You deserve it and everything that’s coming to you!”
Or, uh, maybe you’ve got it covered.
-
George’s shocked face is almost worse than when you literally bit him. Guess he expected you to be a bit more demure after that encounter. He should know better, the other version of you seemed to have been even more spiteful in nature.
Today again, you prove you are a less than stellar person. You’d stopped caring about George as soon as you’d discovered he’d cheated, but you were still angry. Not jealous, but furious. Bubbling up your throat, rage and bile and the urge to attack him once again, even if you just want to go home.
Your teeth grind. Your jaw ticks. And oddly, you realise you have a real taste for George Lancaster’s limbs.
Though your life had changed (literally) in the past few days, you were still the same girl from your first twenty-first. You wanted George Lancaster to suffer. Even more so, now that the evil cunt had hit you right in the face. The hit had stunned you, though. More emotionally than physically, but it had shocked you.
You couldn’t say you were a coward. You’d spent far too many days in your teenage years indulging in self-destructive behaviours to think that. But something about this pathetic man was scaring the shit out of you. You think that made you more pathetic, but you couldn’t quite tell. That’d be victim blaming, right?
You did have a habit of blaming yourself. It was just usually your fault.
…Maybe you shouldn’t have bit him, no matter how much the response was instinctual or his screech was satisfying. This was all too confusing, all too much. You needed to get back to your apartment, lock the doors and barricade them so nobody bothers you. And then maybe hibernate for a week. You needed some time to process all the stupid bullshit you were experiencing. The wayne manor was too much, your horrible white apartment was too much, George fucking Lancaster was too fucking god damn much.
You take a deep breath, and manage to stop yourself from bolting like a deer. Deal with the problem at hand. Deal with it now, deal with it!
“I’m leaving, and we are done. It’s that simple,” you tell George, trying to drill in a message that he seems unable to comprehend. At this point you’d assume he’d be trying to apologise, manipulate back into his good graces, but you think you might’ve completely broke him. Broke the script.
Good. That was damn well good.
“Can we talk about this somewhere else at least?” George replies, eyes flicking to Richard Grayson’s angry gaze. At least you think he’s angry. You can’t quite gather the courage to look directly at him.
Also, there’s the manipulation! You wish you weren’t right this time.
“Sure, but I’m bringing him, and my answer will absolutely not change. You hit me.”
“You bit me!”
Well, yeah, not your best moment. You don’t think you can regret it, though.
“Then I think this relationship is ending on equal terms,” you reply, trying your best to just get him to quit it. It is obviously not working by the way his expression darkens.
“I’ll tell the press everything,” George threatens, which, well, is sort of a shitty threat because I don’t even know what he’s threatening. ‘Everything’? Couldn’t he be a bit more specific?
You shrug. It is the wrong response, you know it is, but you’ve completely ran dry of fucks to give. Couldn’t be much worse than the bullshit happening right now. The press were already very well fed, considering the situation that was today. George makes a small sound of fury.
“We’ll sue,” Richard Grayson, the white knight that you’d daydreamed about, comes to your rescue. Is it odd that it’s kind of flustering? You probably shouldn’t be flustered.
George immediately snaps his gaze to Grayson’s, giving the man a look with a healthy dose of fear. Couldn’t blame the guy. Even if he was the second smallest of the three remaining brothers, he was still well known for being strong. His family often did kick-boxing, and their sister, Cass, often whooped their asses. It was sort of satisfying to watch. Anyway, his physical prowess from fighting to weirdo gymnastic bullshit was evident in his svelte build.
George was many things, but he wasn’t an idiot. With just the one threat from the Waynes legal team, he skitters away like the little rat you know him to be. He leaves the restaurant, and he very obviously does not pay or even leave a tip. You suppose you have the cash to make up for it. Then, ignoring the paparazzi, you were technically home free. You glance to the side. Richard Grayson’s beautiful face looks a mix of confuddled, frustrated, and exhausted. He still saved you, though, even after the fool you made of yourself.
White knight, indeed. It almost feels a bit anticlimactic, but it’s the results you wanted. And yet, an ominous feeling befalls you. Somehow, you don’t feel you’ve seen the last of George Lancaster. You just really hope the old you hadn’t committed any crimes. A tabloid? Humiliating, but livable. Prison? Not so much.
Not that the rich stayed in prison in Gotham, or even the rest of the world. It was kind of strange to realise you were sort of above the law now.
You glance at Dick, pulling your uncomfortably wet shirt away from your chest. You’ve sort of been bled dry of any shits you could give at this point, so you decide, very maturely, to make jokes and ignore all your problems. It had gotten you this far.
You’d seen this behaviour before. Many, many times. It was what usually got you fired. But now you didn’t really have to worry about that, so why should you worry about causing a scene and ruining your life a bit more? It wasn’t yours, after all.
“What do you think?” you joke, elbowing Dick. He looks down from glaring at the entrance George just slipped out of, to you. His blue eyes are a damn near shock to the soul. It takes everything in you not to start fidgeting.
“Think of what?” he responds, and despite how hard you try, you can not read his expression.
“I’m trying to make some more news. Don’t think the reporters got enough the other day,” you say, gesturing to the giant stain. It’s still Dick’s shirt. You hadn’t realised till now, but the Beatles was now some sort of green soup. Is it kind of gross of you to acknowledge that at least the soup smelled good?
Probably. You didn’t actually get to eat anything here. It’s also probably a bit weird that you’re thinking about eating at a time like this. Probably.
“I think you’ve done enough, honestly,” he says, glancing at the camera flashes from outside.
He sounds exactly like your mother, it’s almost uncanny. Well, this version of him technically knew her. You’re still not sure how well en-meshed your two families had been before the disaster, but maybe he’d picked up some traits from her.
…That… you’re not sure how to feel about the idea. The old green monster bubbles up at the thought, and you can’t tell if you’re jealous your mum got to meet Dick Grayson, or that Dick Grayson might’ve gotten to know your mum.
“We should leave,” he says, cutting off your bitter inner thoughts, “I know you don’t like it when the magazines bother you.”
You don’t? You don’t. Yes, that makes sense, ‘you’ definitely wouldn’t have. And it’s not like you feel comfortable with them either. In fact, if you think about the fact your drowned rat appearance will be on every tabloid in the city by tomorrow, probably alongside photos from your birthday, you feel so nauseous you could collapse. Going to compartmentalise that one.
“Yes, going, let’s go,” you say, following Dick out of the restaurant.
Despite the fact that the security guards are trying their best, it’s getting quite rowdy out here. When Dick wraps an arm around your shoulder, shielding you with his body, you almost just pass out right there. His muscles… Your heart simply can’t take it. As it is, Dick notices you jump like a foot in the air, and backs off. He still makes sure to try and protect you from their vision as much as possible.
Still, in an act that is purely rebellious, you turn and give them a big smile and a wave. Even as you hate every single person on the other side of the divide, you want to make one thing very clear. You will not be cowed by someone like George fucking Lancaster. Your peace sign and wink are a message to them, to him, and to yourself.
Despite the fact that this new life is one you have no idea how to handle, you know one thing. Put on a face, and it’ll always be easier.
Dick is probably wondering what the hell happened to you for you to be acting this way. Your shirt has a giant stain on it, you just broke up with your cheating boyfriend, went through a traumatising experience just a few days ago, and you’ve got the biggest grin on your face. This behaviour speaks more and more of a full blown mental breakdown. And it’s not the first you’ve had or the last.
There’s paparazzi snapping thousands of photos of the two of you, and instead of shying away as ‘you’ used to, you throw up a peace sign. One of the papps drops their camera. That confuses you a bit, as your peace sign deflates slightly. Didn’t they want more pictures? Weren’t you supposed to pose…?
For all you stalked celebrities online, you realise you have no idea how to pretend to be one. This is going to become an issue, you can already tell.
He points at a car, and you assume it’s his because he starts making his way over. He’s obviously done this sort of thing before, using and guiding the security with a smooth confidence. Even still, the two of you are a bit too close for comfort.
Which you prove, by putting your foot directly in your mouth.
“I don’t have abs, but do you think the press would like my stomach like they like yours?” you say, and almost immediately regret it. Another poor joke. You are deflecting so hard. And why the hell did you bring that up, you dunce? You feel your brain cells draining the more you’re around this guy, it’s not healthy for you.
“Please don’t pull your shirt up in public,” Dick sounds like he’s about to have a mental breakdown. It’s spreading, like the plague. You’re patient zero, of course. Even still he gets you guys to the car, and opens the side door for you. You follow his wordless command and slip into the passenger seat.
“I won’t. Sorry, sorry,” you reply, to relieve him of some of the trauma you’re currently inflicting.
He glances back to the papps, and then back down at you. His smile bowls you over like he’s getting the last strike in a fucking 300. He genuinely is the most beautiful human being you’ve ever seen. Thankfully, he closes the door so you have a moment to gather your sanity before he goes around the car and gets in the driver’s seat.
You hope you’re subtle when you shift away from him slightly. It shouldn’t be that surprising really. You were stupid on average. You would be stupider around attractive people. You would be frankly disastrous around someone as blastingly hot as Dick Grayson. The Waynes in general turned you into a drooling idiot.
Good god, you need to get out of this car. As soon as you think that, Dick is pulling away from the parking spot and out onto the streets. He makes slow progress because Gotham traffic, but eventually you manage to flee the horrifying stares of the cameras. Already you can tell it’ll be giving you nightmares. Probably along with images of the guy who tried to rape you and Damian Wayne sneering at you.
“So, how are you feeling?”
Despite how you wish it not, Mr. Grayson decides he’s going to start a conversation with you.
“Good,” you reply, the answer instinctive and an obvious lie.
You can feel his gaze on the side of your face, but you don’t dare return it.
“That’s good to hear,” he says, and his voice is gentle. Sort of infantilising if you’ll be honest.
While it is very clear to anyone who looks at you that you have no idea what you’re doing, you’d rather he didn’t bring it up. You’ll figure it out. You’ve always managed to figure it out. This is what you get for asking for help. Really, despite your momentary panic you could’ve taken George. Probably not physically, but…
“You can talk to me if you want, you know?”
“Can you stop the car, please?” you respond, when that question immediately activates your fight or flight response. Dick must notice something about you, because he quickly shoots forward and into a momentarily available parking spot.
You scramble with the door, shoving your way back out onto the asphalt. The immediate distinct smell of Gotham, even Gotham’s richer districts, calms you down. Sewage, the ocean, and the ever present smoke and fog.
Fuck’s sake. You aren’t making yourself look anymore well put together.
Clearing your throat, you turn and find Richard Grayson coming around the car hood towards you. There’s a worried look in his eyes, and you really don’t know how to deal with it. It’s like you made a deal with the devil. By getting rid of George, you’d gotten a new problem - and an infinitely more complicated one.
Shit, you need to stop making rash decisions when you’re having panic attacks. You’d say you should probably try and stop having panic attacks entirely, but you don’t really know how to do that.
The sound of your name has you snapping back to attention. Dick looks even more worried.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asks, taking a few slow steps towards you. Again, infantilizing. Like you’re a wild animal about to run. Wait, weren’t you just comparing yourself to a chihuahua? Well, it’s not the same when other people do it.
“I’d like to take a walk,” you say, hand scrunching into your pyjama pants, “Alone, I’d like some time alone.”
“…In that?” He glances down at the stain that is slowly starting to dry. It’s making your skin itchy, but at least it’s not as cold.
“I can buy something,” you say, remembering one of the apps on your phone was connected to your bank account, which you had to assume was pretty full. It’s kind of stupid that you haven’t checked that yet.
You’re starting to feel a bit defensive towards your own intelligence. Maybe it’s because you seemingly keep making all the worst decisions.
Dick doesn’t make it any better.
“Do you have cash on you?” he asks, showing how little faith he has in your general abilities to survive as an adult in Gotham.
“I do, I’ll be fine,” you insist, because god damn it, you will be. You just need a fucking minute.
You ran from the Wayne manor because you felt like you were being watched, and then as soon as you showed up at the world’s most uncomfortable apartment, the haunting wraith known as George dragged you out in your P.J.s. You could figure it the fuck out, if these people would give you some fucking space.
Richard Grayson seems to realise that you’re getting upset, because he goes quiet for a moment. After staring at you for a moment longer, for which you manage to find the courage to maintain eye contact through pure stubborn will, he asks you one final question.
“Are you sure you don’t want a ride home or something?” he asks, still seeming so determined to help you.
His suggestion brings flashes of images of you breaking down in front of the Bruce Wayne to mind. From almost a birds eye view, you see yourself sobbing against your own ruined dress as the billionaire looked on. Bile literally jumps up your throat, and it takes a lot of willpower not to grimace at the suggestion.
“Look, Mr. Grayson, I really appreciate-”
“That’s the second time you’ve called me that.”
Once again, you feel the urge to simply sprint away from your own problems, but you manage to hold yourself still. Still, you can’t think of a solution. You can’t really think much of anything. Instead you stare at Richard Grayson with your hands threaded together and your lips pressed into a thin line.
Though you open your mouth to speak, you find you have no excuses ready or available. You’ve talked yourself into a corner already, and it’s your third day in this world. Marvellous. Maybe you should just tell the truth.
Still, the dangers outweigh the pros. They don’t know you, they don’t have any real reason to take care of you. If they believe you, they’ll toss you out onto the streets penniless. And if they don’t-
You blink. There’s a highway sign behind Dick, and it catches your attention like a lightning bolt. ‘Arkham Asylum 800 miles’. It’s white blocky letters on green panelling feels like a sign from god, warning you from the path you consider taking.
And then you realise that you might actually get sent to Arkham if you say anything, and you resolve to never tell a single soul about what has happened to you. You’ve heard enough stories about the asylum, and by god, you are not being roommates with the fucking Joker of all people.
Eventually Dick realises he’s not getting anything out of you and he sighs, shaking his head. His annoyingly perfect hair mesmerises you for a second, but you manage to wrangle your brain back under control. He really doesn’t make it easy.
“I just want to know if you’re safe. If you’re going through anything, you know we’re always happy to help-”
“Dick,” you say his name, face twisting in discomfort, “This was a… a one time thing. Usually I can handle my problems. It just… it caught me off guard. George cheating was a huge shock, and I needed someone to stand by me.”
“And you know I always will, right?”
Ah. That’s… Dick Grayson was a stranger. You didn’t know him, and more than that he did not know you. He did not know what you would do, could do. You didn’t think anyone did, not even yourself.
It’s a silly idea to expect your celebrity crush to save you, and it’s one you find you can’t stomach it at the moment. It makes you feel disgusted with yourself at the idea. It’s too indulgent, too silly. It’s very simply, not possible.
You’ve given up on relying on miracles. These lessons had been beaten into you, really. You didn’t want to have to learn them again.
Your feelings must show on your face.
Dick lets out a whoosh of air, frustration palpable. He carts his hand through his hair. It still looks perfect. The world is unfair, yadda yadda.
“You run hot and cold, you know?” he gives you a grin. It says a lot about his ability to act, seeing as it seems almost natural. Almost, being the key word.
Also, he is absolutely correct. The chihuahua effect is in full-swing. And you know what? You are probably going to continue to run hot and cold, because you’ve never made a decision in your life. He’ll just have to get used to it.
You raise your hands and shrug, in the universal ‘what-can-you-do?’ motion. He wasn’t wrong. You were being completely erratic. Not even you knew what you’d do next. At least life isn’t boring these days, right Right? You wonder who you are trying to fool, because it’s certainly not yourself.
“I’ll contact you if I need anything,” you lie, because it seems to be the right thing to end this torturous conversation, “And I’ll make sure to keep contact with Alfred. You can talk to Jeanine if you need anything, as well.”
Dick, unfortunately, calls you out on your bullshit.
“But not you, right?” he says, smile still printed on his face.
Woof. You think… you’ve hurt his feelings? Ah shit, you instantly feel like the scum of the earth. Still, you don’t know how you could fix this. Arkham is a genuine threat lingering over your shoulder, you don’t know enough about your new cut-throat billionaire world, and you can not lose any faith they have in you. Any that you have left, that is.
You’re sorry, but this is coming down to survival. And you are a greedy person, after all.
In the end, you don’t have anything to say, and Richard Grayson leaves without a word. Watching him walk towards his car, you feel… bad. Really bad. The part of you that is still crushing on this guy, a very large part of you, feels like you’ve ended the earth. The other part, the one that recognises that once again you’re going to have to fight for yourself… well, she thinks so too.
Maybe… maybe you could fix this. Apologise. Once you’ve gotten your bearings and know you’re safe and 100% financially stable, maybe you’ll figure it out. Give him his shirt back after you’ve dry-cleaned it.
For now, you give him your back as well.
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MASTERLIST - NEXT
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kaivenom · 2 months
Note
I just found your blog looking for Spencer white fics and yours are so good! I was wondering if you’d be willing to write something between spider and a gn reader who finds it really attractive when he speaks French (cause that scene did something to me-)
Thank you for feeding the small amount of hbh fics🙏🙏
French cuisine
Summary: you go to Spencer's house and found him cooking, you decide to help him and you discover he can speak french.
Pairing: Spencer "Spider" White x gn!reader
A/N: Sorry that this had taken so long, college is starting the final section before exams an i am going crazy. Words on cursive are the translation from french.
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It was an ussual Friday, you were going to Spencer's house, see some movies and eat popcorn. When you entered the house with the keys you borrowed, a french song was playing on the background, that was strange you thought, it must be his mother. Following the song, you found Spencer in the kitchen with an apron full of flour and humming the song.
"Look what we have here, the perfect 50's housewife," you joked while you get to hugh him from behind.
"Bonjour." he asked with a smile.
"Bonjour."
"Comment allez-vous?" you didn't understand anything and that made you question things.
"Wait, don't tell me you know how to speak french?"
"Yeah, i know, but i don't have to do it everytime... it's awful when people ask me: can you say something in french? or things like that."
"But you could have told me, i am your girlfriend." you tightened your grip among his waist and made a pout.
"I don't like to brag about it, but now you know."
"Yeah, right. What you said to me before?"
"How are you?" he turned around and kissed your forehead.
"Good, you?"
"Bon." something on the form he said it, made you blush.
"I suppose that means good."
"Correct." he put a finger with fluor on your nose, painting it white.
"Can you say more to me?" you make puppy eyes and like always, he can't resist.
"Tu es très belle," your heart skipped a heartbeat, you didn't know what he said but hearing him talking in french was exciting you more every secon. "i said you are very beautiful."
"Yeah?" his hands went to your cheeks and kissed you.
"Tu es la meilleure personne du monde." his lips drain your soul with every word and every kiss in between. You are the best person in the world
"Tell me more, please."
"Je t'aime... tes lèvres... ton corps... tes sons." his kisses increased, in speed, in intensity and passion, he was starting to feel very aroused by your reaction. I love you... your lips... your body... your sounds.
"I don't know what you said but i do too." you both laughed inoccently, for a moment unaware from the steamy interaction you both were having.
"Je veux faire du sexe avec toi." a moan almost escaped your mouth, you only understood one word and that was enough.
Then you started to smell burnt but apparently Spider was so concentrated in kissing your lips and neck, that he had forgotten he was cooking and also that he had things on the pans... that now are burning.
"How do you say the kitchen is on fire?"
"La cuisine est en feu." only a second was needed before he understood your words.
You both had to run to turn off the fire and open the windows to vent the kitchen. Nothing was saved from the disaster so you decided to order some french food to honor the ocassion and finish what you both started.
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thelov3lybookworm · 4 months
Text
My fault (part 2)
Part 1
Summary: She has accepted that she needs to stand up for herself.
•○●⛦●○•
A/n: um... this thing is apparently turning into a short series lol.
I like it. It was so fun writing this part, and I hope the next part will be posted soon ❣️
enjoy!
•○🌑○•
Y/n tore through the winding streets of Velaris as if her ass was on fire.
Judging by the looks she got, she definitely looked like it was. Or maybe it was her sobs and tears that made people look.
Whatever it was, Y/n would have been mortified and willed herself to melt into the concrete if she hadn't been so heartbroken and focused on getting away as fast as possible.
Y/n did not stop or slow until Nina's apartment was visible, and the open windows made her falter.
What if she was intruding on something? Surely, Nina would get tired of her one day and then leave-
No.
Y/n was disgusted with herself for thinking that way. She knew Nina would never leave, no matter what. She was too good of a person to do that.
Y/n slowed to a walk, ignoring the eyes she felt on herself, and walked closer, wondering if Nina could be having company.
She did not have to wonder for long, though, as Nina appeared in one of the lit up windows of her apartment, a cup in her hands.
She looked over the area surrounding her apartment, her features relaxed. But then her eyes met the teary eyes of her best friend, and her face tightened, concern evident in her posture, and she beckoned Y/n closer.
When Y/n reached the entrance to Nina's apartment, she found her friend waiting for her, the door wide open. The moment Y/n was close enough, Nina reached out, wiping away a few stray tears that hadn't yet dried on Y/n's face.
"What did that bastard do now?"
Y/n sniffed as she walked in behind Nina, shutting the door. "He did nothing. Not really."
Nina snorted, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of wine. "Of course, he never does anything. Just stands by and watches his family tear into you."
Y/n sighed, settling into the plush couch in front of the fireplace. "Nina-"
"Don't, Y/n. I know he has done something to upset you. Don't defend him."
Y/n stared into the fireplace as Nina filled a glass with the wine and pressed it into her hand. Y/n absently took a sip, relishing in the feeling of the cold wine making its way down her throat as she wondered how to break the news to Nina. It was as if Cassian was her husband and not Y/n's.
When the silence became unbearable, Y/n blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "They're mates."
Y/n spied Nina from the corner of her eyes, and watched as the dark haired woman nearly dropped her glass as she gaped at Y/n.
"They- who- what?"
A small smile spread on Y/n's lips. "Yes. Cassian and Nesta- the female you saw him kissing? They're mates."
"I- how?"
"Do you think I am the mother?" Y/n snapped, then her eyes flew wide, glancing at Nina in a panic. "I am so sorry-"
But Nina cut her off with a loud, disbelieving laugh. She had a huge smile on her face, something akin to pride shining in her eyes, dancing with mirth, her drink long forgotten in her limp hand.
Y/n huffed. "Only you would be happy about getting snapped at."
Nina cackled at that.
"What is so funny?" Y/n grumbled, frustrated.
Nina couldn't speak for a whole minute, heaving and trying to breath from how hard she laughed. "I'm sorry- sorry. It's just, its been centuries since I saw this side of you."
Y/n blinked at her friend, then turned back to the fire silently.
When Nina spoke next, her voice was solemn. "What happened, Y/n? You never cared for others opinion before. What has he and his family done to you?"
Y/n refused to meet her friend's eyes. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Oh but you do. You do remember doing whatever you wanted, not caring about what your mother said back before you met that brute."
"Nina-"
"No, Y/n, let me speak. Do you remember how you met him? We were out partying, and you just wanted to dance all night. That's when he approached you, because he saw how free and careless and confident you were. He fell in love with that confident female who cared not for male approval, but for her own happiness. When did you begin caring for what he thought?"
"Nina... I- he was my first love. I did not know how to be in a relationship, let alone be happy in it. I had no guidance except for what my mother taught me, and that is what I did. I used her advice and teachings to be with him. And my father stayed with her till he died, so I just assumed I had to be the same as her to be in a happy and lasting relationship."
Nina released a frustrated breath, throwing back her drink. "Bitch relocated to hell and left her shit teachings here to ruin your life."
Y/n choked on her drink, trying not to laugh.
A moment after Y/n stopped choking, she leaned back, tears pricking her eyes as she thought back to the time when nothing and no one mattered but herself and her happiness.
Silence settled around the two best friends, but it was the silence of comfort. Of regret and sadness. Of reminiscing of the time long lost.
Y/n was sure hours had passed when se spoke again. "Nina?"
"Hmm?"
"I miss her."
A beat of quiet. "Who?"
"Me."
It was just a whisper that answered her question, but Nina heard it nonetheless, and her happiness and pride was palpable in the air.
"I want to leave."
"I will come with you. I hate it here anyway."
A moment, then Y/n nodded despite the ache in her heart.
"Let's go."
•○🌑○•
General Taglist: @bubybubsters @eos-princess @nightless @harrystylesfan2686 @cassie6392 @mybestfriendmademe
Cassian taglist: @kennedy-brooke @hnyclover @minnieoo @sidrapotter @moonlwghts
My fault taglist: @awkardnerd @cleverzonkwombatsludge @blogforficslol
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samgirl98 · 9 months
Text
Forgotten Demon Twin 3/?
Prev | Next
Danny meets the Batfam. He almost gets what he wants
So, apparently, COVID and lack of sleep really get my creative juices going. Enjoy this next chapter.
Danny followed Damian with a distance between them. He had left the wakizashi behind but had hidden a few non-poisoned needles up his sleeve.
He studied his twin’s body language.
Damian seemed open, if a bit tense. He kept his posture non-threatening, probably to take Danny off-guard. Danny could hear the chatter in Damian’s comm. No doubt his father and other so-called siblings.
(Danny only had one sister, and she was asleep at home.)
They ended up in the park at three in the morning.
Danny wished he could put all this behind him and sleep. As always, though, his needs weren’t considered.
Danny could see the small group of people semi-hiding in the shadows with his enhanced senses. They all looked up when they heard Damian and Danny walk up to them. All of them got defensive when they saw Danny, though they tried to be subtle about it.
“Father, meet Danyal. Danyal, meet father and everyone else.”
“Boo, you suck! Introduce us, brat,” a man with white and black hair (who reeked of death, but who was he to judge) said.
“Seriously, you little demon, that’s your introduction,” a sleep-deprived teenager asked. (Honestly, sleep deprivation was such a mood.)
“Baby bat, how could you,” a blue-eyed young man asked. (Actually, a lot of the boys had blue eyes and black hair.)
The rest of the group started berating Damian for his introduction.
Danny was stunned. If anyone had even thought about doing that to Damian while in the League, they would’ve ended up with a sword through their chest. Here, these people were treating Damian like a snot-nosed younger brother…and he was letting them.
“Children,” the older man yelled out, “Enough!”
(An older man was haunting Bruce Wayne, but Danny ignored the man dressed as a butler. It wasn’t his business.)
Damian’s face got smug as everyone else quieted down. Some of them (the eldest among them) started pouting.
The older man, Bruce Wayne, walked up to Danny and held out his hand. Danny stared at it for a second before shaking it.
“It’s good to meet you, Danyal.”
“Danny, but you already knew that, didn’t you, Mr. Wayne?”
“Please, in that same vein, call me Bruce. And, yes, I have done a little bit of research before coming here.”
“Hn,” Danny hummed out.
“Great, another non-talkative one,” someone murmured.
Danny looked at the group and noticed that the sleep-deprived teenager suddenly seemed very alert with his calculating, narrowed eyes. Hmm, he would have to keep an eye on that one; he seemed like the most dangerous one. Not physically, but intelligent wise…well, Danny has learned to fear smart people.
He let go of Mr. Wayne—Bruce’s hand. (The older man following Bruce smiled gently at Danny.)
“So, to what do I owe this…unexpected pleasure,” Danny asked.
Everyone turned to look at Damian. The Heir seemed to be, was that embarrassment?
“Yeah, Demon Spawn, why don’t you tell Danny why we’re here?”
“Fuck off, Todd,” Damian hissed out.
Todd grinned. (The butler—he had to be a butler—frowned at Todd’s cussing.)
Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Children, please, not before introductions.”
“Yeah, B is right. Anyway, my name is Dick,” the eldest said. He got Danny’s hand and shook it.
“On purpose,” Danny asked.
Dick laughed good naturally.
“My parents weren’t from the US and didn’t know the word's second meaning. By the time I found out, I was attached to my nickname.”
The one who stunk of death spoke next.
“Name’s Jason. I’m the second,” he was interrupted by the petite Asian girl.
“Ahem.”
“I mean, I’m the third oldest.”
“Hello. Cassandra Cain. The second eldest. And you’re my new baby brother!”
Danny blinked, “Cassandra Cain? As in the ‘One Who is All’?”
The girl nodded while giving a thumbs-up. Danny gulped. He was so screwed.
“Tt, she’s not that impressive.”
Danny gave Damian a skeptical look for the first time in his life.
“Hi, I’m Duke Thomas. Why is your aura so weird?”
Danny blinked at the random question.
“Don’t know, dude, radioactive chemicals, maybe?”
Everyone stared at him with a look of horror.
“I’m joking.”
“Oh, hah,” Duke laughed, uncomfortable.
“Tim Drake,” sleep-deprived teenager said without adding anything else—honestly, mood.
“Of course, father already introduced himself, and you know who I am,” Damian said. He always had to have the last word, huh?
The ghost spoke last (not that anyone else would know.), “I’m Alfred Pennyworth. I know you can see me, Master Danny. It is a pleasure to meet you, even if it is after my death.”
Danny ignored the ghost.
“Great. Now, back to my original question: why are you guys here? If the League is gone, why bother with the unneeded spare?”
Everyone, minus the ghost, shifted uncomfortably. Even Damian. Danny narrowed his eyes; something big was going to happen.
“Danny,” Bruce started, “we found out about you recently—”
“Yeah, very recently,” Jason said.
“—and we wanted to meet you. We—I needed to make sure you were fine. I missed so much and could not protect you due to my lack of knowledge of your existence. I want to know if you need any help, and if you don’t, I’ll be here whenever you need it.”
Danny let Bruce’s words sink in. It didn’t take long for him to put the puzzle pieces together.
“Talia never mentioned me, did she?”
He turned to Damian, “Neither did you.”
Damian looked down at his feet, looking ashamed. Danny narrowed his eyes.
Too little, too late, brother.
Danny took a deep breath.
Here I go. It’s time to sell it.
“Look, I appreciate you checking on me, but I’m fine. I have a loving family and an awesome older sister. All of my friends are here. Amity Park is my home. I don’t want to leave. Please, I was never able to ask anything for myself. I'm asking now, begging, let me stay in Amity.”
“I have looked into the Fentons and have read some disturbing things,” Bruce said.
“What, the weapons? They can’t harm humans.”
They didn’t need to know Danny wasn’t fully human anymore.
“Not only that but a portal to the afterlife.”
“So my parents are a bit eccentric. If it makes you feel better, I can give you a full, unabridged copy of their work,” Danny lied. No way in the Infinite Realms Danny would give the freaking Batman more ammunition to take Danny away.
The ghost butler frowned at Danny’s lies and gave him a look of disappointment. Hah! The jokes on him that didn’t work on Danny.
“What about the reports of these so-called ghost attacks?”
Danny waved off the man’s concerns, “They rarely happen, and when they do, we have our own hero who takes care of it.”
Bruce gave him a calculating look. Cassandra was whispering in Tim’s ear. While she spoke, Tim started narrowing his eyes at Danny. Dammit, this was why he hated intelligent people. Danny was a decent liar, but he couldn’t come up with something if there were more than one detective.
Not to mention, he heard rumors about Cassandra’s abilities.
Time to bring out the sob story.
“Please, I don’t want to leave the only family I have ever known.”
Bruce narrowed his gaze. Bruce felt the boy was hiding something. He’d have to ask Cass what she saw.
“Maybe we should let him stay, B. We can always keep in touch, can’t we, little D?”
Danny nodded vigorously. Bruce almost gave in, but he had to ask.
“What about the report of the city being pulled into an alternate dimension? The Justice League hadn’t heard about this, and I know you know that I’m Batman. You could’ve reached out whenever to let us know.”
“I don’t know. It didn’t occur to me. The threat wasn’t that bad. There were just a few more ghosts than usual. Besides, other cities have seen stuff like this. We have two heroes, and the citizens got together to fight the threat.”
“So, there was a threat.”
“Listen, dude, I’m not here to assuage your guilt. I want to stay with my family. I deserve that much, at least, right?”
Danny refused to break eye contact first. He stared down the Batman; he knew the man wouldn’t kill his family, so he felt confident asking for what he wanted. After a few moments, Bruce sighed. Danny knew he had won.
“Young man, you should really tell your father the truth.”
Danny ignored Alfred. He wasn’t the boss of him.
“Okay, I’ll choose to believe you,” Bruce took a card out, “but if anything happens, and I mean anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Danny had almost been home free. A few more minutes, hell, seconds, and he would’ve gotten away with his lies and well-crafted half-truths.
Of course, that’s when everything went to shit.
Danny’s ghost sense went off. Bruce’s gaze narrowed, and Tim asked, “What was that?”
Before he could come up with a lie, he heard him. Fucking Skulker.
“I’ll have your skin, whelp,” he shouted and fired.
Danny didn’t think. He transformed and put up a shield around the group.
It didn’t even take Danny 10 seconds. He took out his anger on the so-called hunter and sucked him up in the thermos. He was going to get a month of soup time, at least!
Danny turned toward the stunned group.
“Um, surprise?” He said while giving jazz hands.
Bruce’s eyes narrowed in anger, “Well, Phantom, is there anything you’d like to say?”
“This is why honesty is the best policy, young sir.”
“Um, you’re all dreaming?”
Bruce crossed his arms.
“Really, Danyal? You thought that would work?” Damian asked, angry.
Tim was looking at him with triumph in his gaze. Dick looked disappointed, and Jason looked entrance by Danny’s predicament. Cass was shaking her head, and Duke was, weirdly enough, blocking his eyes.
Fucking Skulker, man.
“I think it’s time you told us the truth.”
Make that two months of soup time.
Danny sighed and hovered in the air, crossing his legs. He might as well get comfortable.
Yay, Alfred has appeared. Danny was a bit rude, but considering what Damian did to him when they first met, I think Danny was being downright pleasant
Danny: Lying through his teeth.
Tim: This little bastard isn't telling us everything.
Danny: Gets caught in the lie.
Tim: Ha! I knew it. Once a demon always a demon
yeah, Tim is a bit prejudiced, not that we should completely blame him after what Damian did to him
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muzansfangs · 1 year
Text
Guilty pleasure.
Starring: Muzan x f!reader; Nakime (mentioned), Kagaya Ubuyashiki (mentioned), Shinobu (mentioned), Kanae (mentioned) Enmu, Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Warnings: nsfw, murder, traumatic events from a child perspective, death, violence, gore, loss of parents, implied adoption, implied stalking, oral sex (reader receiving).
Plot: Talking with his seventh in command, Muzan reminisced about his past, about you and how you had always been his greatest weakness. While a particular Slayer is searching for you, Muzan bent his knee to you and showed you a side of him you, deep down, hoped to see. He cared about you a little more than he allowed you to know, apparently, and you once again feel lost into this crazy whirlwind of contrasting emotions.
PART 1| PART 2| PART 3| PART 4| PART 5| PART 6| PART 7
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MEMORIES.
"What do we know about her?" Muzan asked, lighting up a cigarette as he stared at the photograph of the purple-eyed slayer who had dared to put your life in danger. She was no different from the other ones they had taken down throughout the years: a prick destined to fall by his hand, a girl whose name was going to be forgotten by the world, once she had exhaled her last breath. Who was she again? A slayer.
Who were The Slayers?
The Slayers, right, a pack of mangy dogs without a life purpose who spent their time trying to get his head, young people wasting their youth to serve that man. Every single time The Moons captured one of the swordsmen, they all said the same thing: "Muzan Kibutsuji is a monster, he deserves to die".
He was not offended. He pitied them, instead. How could they be so blind to see that Ubuyashiki Kagaya, and his father before him, asked them to stain their hands in blood, to commit the same crimes he, the devil himself, the infamous Muzan Kibutsuji, had been accused of? The thing was they surely fought for opposite ideals, but when the sun set, they were the same.
Why? Because two people pointing a gun, pulling the trigger, washing the blood of their victim away from their faces, were always going to be murderers. It did not matter why they did it, or how they dealt with their conscience, they were killers.
Now, looking at that girl, he wanted nothing more than tearing her apart limb from limb, for she had had the audacity of putting your life in danger. You, the girl he was going to marry, the one who had touched some strings of his heart no one had ever found, the good omen in his life. There was only one thing he was absolutely certain about: he would have always protect you.
Even if it meant dying for you.
"Her name is Shinobu Kocho, Master. – the seventh in command cooed – Her code name is Belladonna. Apparently, she is best known for poisoning her victims" he singsonged, drawing another photograph from his folder and sliding it down Muzan's desk.
The raven-haired man narrowed his eyes at the girl portrayed in it. She seemed a few years older than the other Slayer, but she had some physical traits in common with her. Were they perhaps related in some way? He had a feeling he had seen her face before. Those twinkling, kind, pink eyes felt familiar.
"She is the reason why Balladonna attacked Douma and Miss. L/N yesterday—" the Moon continued, only to be cut off by Muzan.
His plum red eyes blazed in a sinister glint, until they almost seemed to have darkened for his evident irritation "Mrs. Kibutsuji, Enmu" he deadpanned, watching the way his subordinate prostrated himself in front of him, his dark bob swinging around his heart-shaped visage.
"I beg your pardon, Master! – Enmu pleaded him, his turquoise eyes transfixed on the polished black derby shoes of the raven-haired man in front of him – I did not mean to offend you and your lovely fiancé" he apologetically cried out, not daring to flick his gaze up to face his cantankerous boss. He knew how cruel Muzan could be, he knew he would have not stopped when blood spilled, or a bone broke. They were nothing more than toys for him. Oncr they were broken, he threw them away without hesitation.
Muzan scoffed, reaching his hand out to put off the cigarette on the silver ashtray "Spit it out then. You are wasting my time, Enmu Tamio. – he stated, grasping the photo and turning it towards the terrified boy – Who is this other girl?".
The seventh in command gulped down forcefully, eyes landing on the the girl's smiling face in the photo, as he nodded his head absent-mindedly "Her name was Kanae Kocho. She was Belladonna's older sister. Douma kidnapped, tortured and killed her in hope she would have revealed her colleagues's identities. She did not say anything, except that her sister would have come for our heads sooner or later. – he explained, a tear rolling down his right cheek – I was there too. I recorded everything".
It was only then, when Enmu mentioned the fact that she had been killed by Douma, that he remembered her. Peony, she was Peony. He had specifically given the order to murder her, after they had reported the news of her being a Slayer and wandering around a certain area of the city: your neighborhood. Her shifts dangerously coincided with your homecomings from the restaurant where you worked.
He could not let you two interact. Not after he had found you again after all those years. You were his greatest weakness, his remorse. His humanity. The idea of having killed you too that night, under the pouring rain, had tormented him for years. He would have never forgotten your big doe eyes filled with tears. You had not changed. The terrorized look you had whenever you were scared was the same you had shot in his direction in the middle of the night, when you screamed out your father's name as his dead body slumped down on the muddy ground.
Your eyes had haunted him for years.
When he saw you all those years later, jogging down the sidewalk, he knew you were not just a random girl. He did not imagine it was you, though. The kid whose life he had crashed the night he officially succeded his father and swore to take the lead of the Country. He had to see you again, he had to know who you were, you had to be his to protect and keep by side forever.
When Douma had showed him the first picture of you he had taken, he immediately focused on your eyes. It was you then. It was the kid he had to kill. It was Y/N L/N.
It was Y/N Ubuyashiki, the sin staining Kagaya's name.
And it was yesterday, when you stared at him in horror, fearing for your life, that he understood that he could not keep the eye-contact with you. He could not keep up with you, he could not see you staring at him as if he was a monster, like you had said that night. Therefore, he had blindfolded you.
If only you knew how deeply he cared about you. He cursed the fate day and night for having made him fall for you, his enemy's daughter. He was going mad. You were a black diamond, enticing him with your attitude and beauty.
You, how dare you to make him fall for you with every minute you spent together?
Muzan scowled, his plum red eyes darting on the display of his phone on his desk. You had apparently texted him a few minutes ago, but he was too busy reminiscing about the past to hear the sound of the nitification.
"Leave" he flatly said, grabbing his phone and turning his back at the knelt man in front of him to make him plainly clear that his presence was no longer required.
Enmu flinched at the sound of his voice and hastily stood up, bolting for the door with his heart thrumming into his chest. A coward, that was how Muzan saw him. A talented hypnotist, indeed, but a rabbit running into his burrow as soon as danger flinged around the room.
Once he was alone, Muzan sat on his armchair and unlocked his screen to read your message. He expected you to thank him for the bank transfer, or asking him more about the plans for the night. What he did not expect was a picture of Nakime, staring blankly at the camera, and your comments below.
YOU: Hi, Muzzie! Care to explain what the fuck she's doing here? :)
YOU: Also, thanks for the gifts and the money but, honestly, I'd really appreciate it if you gave me some privacy back. If I am not mistaken, the fourth clause of the contract specifically grants a car for me to use. Where is it?
Muzan smirked. You were really as smart as he thought you were. But he loved playing with you to test your nerves.
MUZAN: Earn it, love.
You did not take a long time to reply and he found himself smiling at the display once again, eager to read what you had to say.
YOU: How? Do I have to kill for you? Whose head do you crave to use as a footrest?
He would have never ever let you be a monster. You were an angel, a pure soul. He killed in your name, but he would have never ever asked of you to take someone's life for him. You were his pride and joy. Therefore, before going back to work on his pc, he typed a simple reply.
MUZAN: That's romantic, love. But I'm fine. Just get on all four tonight, it will suffice.
Cheeks beet red, nails digging onto the palms of your hands, you stared at your reflection in the mirror. There was no way in the world you were going to wear that thing for him. You liked some good lingerie, but that was definitely too much. You felt naked, the silky black choker around your neck was making you feel like a courtesan. The suspenders, the lace thong and the bra were doing numbers on you.
What did he have in store for you? After all, he had promised you that you would have talked about his bodyguards, about him and about The Slayers.
If he thought you were just going to moan his name all night long, he was wrong. Grabbing your phone, you called him. You were not going to wear these slutty undergarments to pamper his ego. Reaching one hand behind your back to unclasp the bra, you kept your phone pressed to yout ear with the other and patiently waited for Muzan to pick up the phone.
"I guess you've found my gift, haven't you?" his hoarse voice finally pierced your ears after the third ring, earning a sight from you.
"Yes, I have, and I'm not going to wear this shit. I don't care if it's a 'Victoria's secret' limited collection. I still have my dignity" you complied, struggling to get the with the item off of you. As long as you hated it, you perfectly knew that it was expensive and you did not want to ruin it out of irritation.
You heard Muzan humming "It's not something supposed to stay on for a long time, love. – he reasoned, as you finally discarded the bra back onto the box huffing and puffing – What are you doing, anyway?" he curiously asked, making you roll your eyes at his comment.
"Nothing inappropriate, don't worry. I'm just going to take a shower" you replied, settling the phone on the bed and selecting the loudspeaker as you proceeded in slipping your fingers underneath the waistband of your underwear to drag them down your thighs.
However, the call ended with a click but Muzan's voice sounded too close to you "I'm just in time, then" he cooed from the threshold, making an high-pitched scream leave your lips, arms reaching up to cover your exposed chest from his vicious eyes immediately. Zero privacy, as per usual.
You blushed and took a few steps back, your eyes daggers on the man stripping off of his jacket "Hands down, Y/N. It's nothing I haven't seen before" he promptly remarked, turning towards the door and locking it.
"You're a pervert" you spat, averting your eyes from him.
Muzan quirked his eyebrow up, loosening the knot of his tie and throwing it on the floor carelessly, his fingers then working on the buttons of his shirt "I haven't showed you all my kinks yet, love. Don't be so rude. I'm much worse than that" he jested, irking you.
You exhaled through your nostrils and stormed to the bathroom, in hope to lock the door and leave him behind, but Muzan had understood your poor strategy and, before you could reach your destination, he had his hands around your waist. You yelped, your naked back pressed against his firm abs sent shivers down your spine, but the way the way his hands cupped your breasts, replacing your shaking ones, was something else.
"Can we try to get along? – he whispered in your ear, planting a kiss below your jaw – I don't like it, when you're mad at me" he hotly said, resting his chin on the top of your shoulder.
"If you stopped being a jerk, I would stop being a brat" you retorted, trying to resist his charm.
"What do I have to do to make you like me?" Muzan asked, a smug smirk gracing his lips as he rested his hands down your hips and spun you around to face him. Now, staring deep into his eyes, it was hard saying no. It was hard denying him what he was asking of you.
You batted your eyes close for a second, your fingertips grazing the outline of his abs "Show me that you like me too" you said breathless, almost regretting it. Why did you ask him such a thing? He oughted you no devotion, or romantic commitment after all.
You did not expect him to take you seriously. You did not expect him to grasp your chin and capturing your lips in a slow, tender kiss again. Yet, when his tongue slipped into your mouth and he softly helped you to lay down on the bed behind you, there was something that made you feel like he was truly trying to convince you of something, of proving his intentions and feelings.
When his lips parted from yours, his hand slipping down underneath your panties, he locked his eyes with yours "Has anyone ever gone down on you?" he asked in a whisper, making your breath hitch in your throat.
No. The answer was no, naturally. You had gone down on someone a few times, but no one had ever done it for you. Not even your ex, Sanemi.
"N-No" you murmured, turning your face to the side in embarrassment.
Muzan cupped your cheek in his hand, his thumb stroking the area above your cheekbone lovingly "May I have the honor to be your first once again?" he asked you, watching the way your eyes widened slightly and how you nodded your head at him. He had asked for your consent. Not that you never had given him it, but it was hot, it was intimate.
"You don't have to, you know?" you told him, watching how he worked on the suspenders and dragged every last piece of item you were wearing down your legs.
Muzan's hands ran up and down your thighs, parting them gently, as he laid his body flatly on the mattress. His hot breath fanned your heat and you bit your lower lip in anticipation, as he placed a soft kiss on your clitoris.
"I want to" he simply said, before he ran his tongue down your slit.
You jolted, sparks of electricity pervading your body as he started lapping up at your arousal with swirls of his expert tongue. How many times had he done it? Probably, too many to count. Yet, you were aloof from knowing that you were the only woman he was enjoying going down to, the only one he had offered his skills to without feeling any kind of pressure.
Why? Because it was you and you were different for him.
His pace was torturously slow, his mouth wrapped around your bundle of nerves, sucking on it, flicking his tongue around it, made whimpers and soft moans fall from your lips as your hands gripped the bedsheets at your sides tightly.
Arching your back, you glanced down at him. Muzan met your gaze, his red eyes pinning you on the spot as he gave you a look of your juices running down his chin, glistening under the artificial light of the chandelier. You blushed and he grinned, grasping your legs and settling them over his shoulders.
"You taste heavenly" he purred against your pussy, before sticking his tongue deep into your clenching hole.
You squirmed, hands flying up to your face to shield yourself from his attentive eyes. You felt ashamed for fhe lewd faces you were making. Did you really miss that much? Or was it just Mr. Kibutsuji talent?
"Muzan—" you whined, tears peeking at the angle of your eyes as your partner's grip on your hips intensified. You felt the a familiar pressure coiling into your lower abdomen and the idea of releasing on Muzan's tongue made you both thrilled and bashful. What if he did not like it? What if he did not want you to cum?
But, actually, the way he stimulated every right spot of your clitoris, the way he held your body close to his face, was a clear sign that he aspired to. He groaned against your entrance, your legs squeezing his head as you ended up climaxing on his sinful tongue.
He lapped away your essence and you trembled under the overstimulation, your chest raising and falling erratically as you stared at the ceiling in haze. What had just happened? Why did he let you enjoy yourself that much? Why did he satisfy your fantasies, if you should have been the one doing it?
You lifted yourself up on your elbows, glancing up at the dark-haired man unbuckling his belt at the end of the bed. The prominent tent in his pants looked uncomfortable and you blushed, crawling towards him with the most grateful and kind expression on your face that made his heart skip a beat in his chest. You could not look that cute and beautiful at the same time.
"T-Thank you... – you whispered, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear – Can I help you take care of..." you trailed off, darting your eyes away from the bulge in his boxers, threatening to nudge at your nose. You had not realised how close to it you were, until you had flicked your gaze up to meet his intense gaze.
Muzan chuckled, his calloused hand ruffling your hair jokingly "You don't have to thank me. – he said, his eyes darkening all of a sudden – But you can follow me into the shower. I feel like if I fucked you right now the way I had planned, you would seriously need me to carry you around for a week" he hoarsely commented, making your heart drop into your stomach.
What was wrong with him?
In the meanwhile, maroon eyes studied your empty house. It seemed like you had not been home for a few days. Everything was perfectly tidy, but the majority of your clothes were gone from the drawers, from your wardrobe. Your books were no where to be seen and the fridge was empty.
The tall man sighed, entering your bedroom in search for any clue of where you had gone. Little did he know where you were, but when Kagaya had called him last night to ask for his help again, he had refused to believe it.
You, the sweet and innocent girl he had rescued that night, were now siding with a monster? How did he convince you to follow him? How could you possibly love him?
Yet, when he spotted a white shirt with a reddish stain on its sleeve, he grasped it. Inhaling the dull track of scent still impregnating the fabric, he cussed. Reality finally dawned to him at the smell of the wine ruining the snow-white shirt. It was a Chianti. He knew exactly who loved sipping glasses of Chianti.
Muzan Kibutsuji had taken you away and Yoriichi Tsugikuni was going to bring you back home.
AUTHOR NOTE.
Hi there! I am honored to finally introduce the knight in the shiny armor: Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Now, Muzan and oral sex are something else for me. Y/N is a lucky pal, although her past is … ehm, a little crazy, you know? And there’s so much more to know about it muhahah. I love angsty shit, don’t I?
Anyway, let me know what you think about the chapter and thank you so much for reading this fan fiction 😭❤️
Tag list: @tired-writer04 @hjjks @kakuchosbff @yazzzmints @bookandstar @z3r0art @cherrymanhuas @kazuhasslvt @selenenyx0124 @infinitedilf @yunixkill @shigarakithings @i-loveyou013
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erospandemos · 1 year
Text
I just can't help it
Yandere Chaewon x Reader
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Part 1
“The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.”
― Ernest Hemingway, Men Without Women
What you’re about to read is a confession to you. An apology, if you prefer to call it that, as I’ve professed my love to you plenty of times—although it won’t ever be enough—and you’re at the knowledge of every crime I’ve committed since we met. 
My Korean teacher repeatedly reiterated the lack of clarity in my essays and oral exams. I’m not good with words, you see. That’s why I thought that letting you know about the events in my life that shaped me and the feelings that followed me throughout these months would make you understand me better.
I know our conversations weren’t as deep as you probably expected. I’ve tried to explain myself to the best of my abilities and even if it was a mess you seemed to make out that flurry of words and comfort me. Sometimes, I truly thought you understood me more than I did. 
It’s true that we always talked in riddles and puzzles but it made more sense that way. Because our—my—love was pure madness and somehow the riddles explained it better than we ever could. 
The lack of sleep shouldn’t have affected my mind too much, at least in the part that’s in charge of writing. 
If you’re reading this, I hope you understand. Sorry if I’m rambling a lot, and sorry if I will ramble more in the following pages. Right, sorry if I’m apologizing a lot—you told me not to do that. I just can’t help it.
I was tortured since the age of 6 when I started going to elementary school, that’s as far as I can remember. You could also say I was “bullied”, it’s what the adults like to call it, but it’s the same thing. People get defensive, almost offended when I use the other term. “Wow,” was a common reaction, “that’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” I didn’t think it was extreme. 
When I so naively asked my teacher the difference between the two words, she chuckled and looked at me as if I asked her what the difference between hot and cold was. Surprise was another clear feeling I could read from her expression. She asked me how I knew those words. I simply said I heard them from outside and she told me to forget them.
That evening, when I came home, I  took the chair from my mother’s desk and put it next to the bookshelf, I climbed it and looked at the books on the top shelf. They were the books she used the least and between them, sitting all dusty and forgotten, was also the dictionary. 
I blew and rubbed the dust away then I looked for the two words. I read the two definitions closely and more than one time but I still didn’t understand. They were the same. 
I didn’t ask my teacher anything else. My teacher was clearly against explaining them to me.
But I was sure, I knew those two words extremely well because I felt them on my skin. 
I wanted to be an idol. I told everyone in my class because I thought it was a normal dream—we all watched idols on TV in the afternoon—and being an astronaut seemed a lot harder. Apparently, it wasn’t. Because I wanted to perform on a stage, I was “pretentious”, “narcissistic”, an “attention-seeker”, and a “whore”. I didn’t know what they meant and thought they were compliments and they etched those words into my skin. 
I later found their definitions in the dictionary and understood what they were saying.
I wasn’t the only girl who wanted to be an idol. Hayoon, a classmate of mine, dreamt of testing for JYP, SM, YG, and all those big companies. She took dance and singing classes, they were both in group and private. She could afford it because her family was very rich. From what I heard in the classroom, she started training when she was just a little girl because her parents saw her dancing in front of the TV during an episode of Inkigayo.
Surprisingly, Hayoon was never shamed. Because she was “humble” and had “her feet on the ground”. She was loved by everyone and was the most favored prospect for the role of an idol, everyone seemed to believe in her dream. She was confident, danced well, and was beautiful. All the girls went to her house at least twice a month to go to her huge pool, splendid garden, and majestic house. I never went, I was never invited.
She was good at everything and topped all subjects. However, I sang better than her. In music classes and festivals, I was always chosen and often took the roles instead of her. When she realized she wasn’t the best, she became embarrassed and frustrated. 
She didn’t have any way of making me sing worse and neither could sing better than me, even after all those expensive lessons, so she took to poking fun at me to try and drag me down. Of course her friends joined as well. They were always calling me "ugly", "weird", and "gross" in a way that didn’t seem childish or playful, but demeaning and insulting.
The other kids constantly berated me between classes, glued my books to the desk, slapped me and then ran away. They knew all the spots where there was no CCTV in the school. They even stole my brand-new headphones and glued my shoestrings to my shoes when I didn’t see them. We wore slippers and my shoes were in my locker.
My teachers never helped me. I’ve tried telling them and they didn’t believe me, or rather, they chose not to believe me because that was easier for them.
Only a girl had the courage to help me, it only took one word and two days to have everyone against her. “Stop,” she only said that and then everyone hated her. You never go against the group, you never try to make yourself different, you never try to fight back. 
In the end, I understood the difference between torture and bullying: one was for hurting and one was for fun.
During middle school, the bullying stepped up a notch. Some of my classmates went to my same middle school, they had many friends there and the rumors spread like wildfire. Many of the students liked to take their stress out by bullying other students. They were pathetic and talentless, they hated anyone who had potential unless they provided them anything, like Hayoon.
Smoking was illegal. But they didn’t care. They found all the corners of the school where the CCTV didn’t see them and studied where the professors usually walked to avoid their path. It wasn’t always perfect and sometimes they were caught but it sure helped them and the bullies.
One day, I was dragged by my hair behind the basketball court and after getting pushed to the ground, the girls started slapping, laughing, and kicking me. The smoke from their cigarettes and the kicks to my belly and back took the air out of me. I couldn’t breathe and I thought I was going to die. They were experienced—they noticed my lack of breath, gave me breaks to catch it, and started kicking me again.
They were caught by a teacher who forgot his bag. They claimed they were only giving me “birthday punches” and didn’t admit anything, nor apologized. They weren’t stupid either. The girls had a very good reputation and a good student persona, essentially they didn’t have any criminal records. 
When I was asked what happened, I was ready to tell them all the atrocities that took place in school. But then, I remembered the girls’ eyes. I looked at the professor and I knew, right there and then, that he didn’t believe me, even before I said anything. They wouldn’t have done anything but the word would have been out, that I snitched on the bullies and then I wouldn’t have survived.
So I stayed silent.
The girls only got punished for smoking after they explained they only wanted to try and continued to do it anyway.
Between the end of middle school and the start of high school, the bullies got more creative. They tied me up and broke my legs with a crowbar. The older the girls got, the more of them wanted to be idols, and the first thing they had to do was to get rid of the competition. They succeeded as I stopped dancing altogether since that day.
I continued singing but nobody wants to see an idol in a wheelchair, right?
After I couldn’t walk normally anymore, they started treating me like a rag. They used me to clean the bathroom, by pushing me around on the floor, putting my face against the toilet, and mopping me with dirty water. I was like a toy to them and their friends joined the fun.
Part 2
It was no wonder that many bullied students leave the school. Sometimes, they leave on their own, because they can’t stand the torture anymore, other times, the school removes them. The bullies only bully others because they can and they know they can get away with it: they have influential parents or come from wealthy families, so the school can only quietly get rid of the problem and those are the victims that can’t stay quiet.
The class in my department didn’t have many students but it was enough: 20 students. During the year, 5 students left, and at the end of the year, 2 others were sent to another school in the province. The remaining 13 weren’t enough to be left alone in the classroom so they joined us with a class from another department that also lost many students. In total, we were 31, which was a big number but they didn’t have any other choice.
You were one of those students. I only noticed you after a week because I got used to keeping my eyes low not to anger any of my classmates. You sat beside me. People usually tend to avoid me since they could also become victims of the bullies but you knew it and it was your decision.
“Is this seat taken?” you asked me. When I heard your voice, I had a moment of hesitation. I kept staring at the wooden desk but then I thought that you might have accused me of being rude for ignoring you and that would have been a good enough reason to pick on me, so I raised my eyes.
“No, it isn’t,” I replied. Your eyes were cold. I genuinely thought you were a bully too.
“Then, can I seat here?”
“You can if you want…” I told you, unsure. “But I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What? You fart a lot?”
I was taken aback. “No! I don’t.”
“I suppose it’s fine then,” you said and took the chair out to take your desk. You started getting ready for the lesson and didn’t seem to have any intention of doing anything to me. Every time someone spoke to me, it was to make a comment, make a joke, or give me an order. Still, I was suspicious of you.
The lesson proceeded as usual. You took your notes very diligently, writing almost everything the teacher said, making graphs and small summaries to keep your memory fresh. If you were to tell me you were the top student in your class, I would have believed it and later I’d find out you really were.
Your behavior wasn’t the one of a bully. And it wasn’t the behavior of a bullied either.
At the end of the last lesson before the lunch break, the teacher gave us surveys for our future career choices. I stared at the paper with a pen in my hand. What should I write? My future, my future was stolen from me. My dream was as meaningful as an ant’s life. After everything they did and said to me, a miserable life of insignificance and sadness sounded perfectly fit for me. I kept wondering and pondering until you turned to me.
“What do you want to do when you grow up, Chaewon?” you asked me while you were lazily spinning your pen between your fingers.
“I- I don’t know, what about you?” I stuttered. I couldn’t bring myself up to pronounce those words. I felt as if I had been banished from even muttering them and thinking about it only brought me horrible memories.
“Web security,” you said. “I go around and check companies’ safety in their servers and sites. I’ve already started an internship so I’m sure it’s what I’m going to do.”
“An internship? This early?”
“Yeah, I figured the more experience I get, the better. I got nothing better to do anyways.”
“Don’t you have any hobbies? Don’t you hang out with your… friends?”
“I don’t have that many friends, to be honest,” you replied nonchalantly. “I mean, I do go out like once every three months so it isn’t a lot but I still have friends I can talk to. I’ve never been good with people, I guess.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“I was always better on my own. I tried a lot of stuff and I liked web stuff better,” then you turned to me for a second time, looking at me more intensely than before, “but you didn’t answer my question yet. What do you wanna do?”
Being put on the spot like that, I wasn’t sure about what I was allowed to say. More than that, I didn’t know what I really wanted, if the dust of my once desire was still in me if my heart wasn’t dead cold. However, after all these years, a subtle string of fate kept me going and it was still something that I liked doing.
I looked at your eyes. They didn’t scare me.
“I want to be… an idol,” I said in a single breath. After I finished the sentence, a heavy feeling of guilt dawned on me. I felt as if I just committed a crime and I was in danger.
But you didn’t judge me.
“An idol, huh?” You laid back on your chair. “That’s pretty cool. I know it’s very hard if you really want to do it, props to you. It takes some guts to train for that stuff. To dance all day, to have everyone look at you, it’s something.”
“Do- do you think I can do it?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. I don’t know how well you dance, or how good you sing, or even what you tested for.”
“But is it a possible dream?”
“You can watch idols too, right? They had the same dream as you did. They did it. I think it’s possible, yeah. And I think you can do it, Chaewon.”
When you said that, I felt so relieved. It was comforting. Finally, I found someone that didn’t hate me, that didn’t shame and believed in me.
Just as you stopped talking, the bell rang. It was the time.
“Oh, look at her, ms. Idol,” said Yejun and pushed my head away for fun. He started laughing.
“Hands off, Yejun. And go away before I sock you in the face,” you said.
“I’m so scared, oh my god,” he laughed. “What do you think you’ll do huh? Do you want to protect this filthy rag? How generous,” he said and then slapped me.
“That’s enough, fuckface,” you got up and stared into his eyes. “That’s the last warning. Leave before I do something I might regret.”
He scoffed. “Really, you talk a lot. Don’t forget that you work for my father.”
“I don’t think you get it, Yejun. I don’t just work for your father. He depends on me. One click and his whole 20 servers will blow up. Do you really think that incompetent fool of your father fixed all the problems? He doesn’t know shit about his stuff, he only knows how to count money and scam his workers. There are so many weaknesses I could just hack the whole thing and change your company to my name.”
“You aren’t funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be. Now, that I’ve seen who this rag of yours is, tell your friends to keep their hands off her. I don’t want to see your father come back and beg at me and he’ll know it was all your fault. Everyone listens to you apparently, so spread the word. I won’t hesitate.”
Yejun stormed out of the class in anger.
I felt like I was reborn, that I finally found my savior. You were the angel I needed and you came to save me from this hell.
“I don’t like this place, let’s get out of here,” you said and I followed you.
We went to grab lunch but right behind the vending machines you got attacked. He called you a nerd, whatever he did, but I couldn’t stand it. I felt a force in me and I grabbed his neck, I squeezed until he couldn’t breathe anymore.
I’ll be honest, if it wasn’t for you trying to get me off, I would have killed him.
Just as that guy run off, you freaked out. I didn’t blame you. Still, you took my arm and pulled me to somewhere more covered to talk to me, scared that someone else might have seen it. I could see the surprise in your eyes, but you didn’t look terrified, you were concerned if anything.
Your hand was still bleeding, the red liquid dripped to the floor. I stared at the droplets, slowly coloring the grey concrete, as if it was the ticking of a clock. At each tick, I was getting more impatient, there was something inside me that wanted to jump out, run after who hurt you, and make him pay for it. But I had to calm down, you were in front of me.
“Chaewon, what the hell!” you whisper-shouted while repeatedly glancing behind your back and into the hallway. “Where did that come from?”
“I-I don’t know what happened,” I stuttered. I was saying the truth—at the time, I truly didn’t know why I reacted in the way I did. I never raised my hands, I never talked back, I never reacted.
“Shit, I’m bleeding a lot,” you cursed. You gritted your teeth and started walking towards the school clinic. I followed you.
You talked to me as we were walking. “You don’t just choke people randomly, you know?”
“I- I really swear! I pro-promise… I have no idea what happened!”
“Listen, Chaewon, I saw you pinning his neck against the wall. You raised a senior with one hand.”
When we were in front of the nurse's office, you pinched your nose and waved your hand to stop me from talking. The cuff of your white shirt was stained with red, it already spread so much in just a short time. You must have been in pain. My blood was boiling.
“You can explain yourself later,” you said and opened the door. “I have to close this wound first.”
I followed you into the room. For some reason, the room was empty, there was no trace of the nurse and it looked like she hasn’t been there for a long time as everything was very tidy and the coat hanger was empty. Often, when people can avoid work, they’ll do it. The nurse must have seen that there was no one needing her in the morning and decided to leave for some coffee.
You sat on one of the beds, keeping your arm stretched out so the blood wouldn’t stain the sheets and with another hand, you searched into the cabinet for something you could help yourself with. You took out bandaids, alcohol, gauze and cotton buds. You really made a mess, trying to pour the alcohol on your arm and spilling half of the content on the floor.
After sloppily cleaning yourself with cotton, you got the bandaids.
“Do you really think bandaids will do?” I asked you. “It’s way too deep.”
“Is there any other way?”
“Yeah, we have to put stitches on you.” I took the chairs from the desk and sat in front of you. In the cabinet beside the bed, there were also needles and thread for that procedure. Luckily there was an anesthetic as well.
I put on gloves. I cleaned your wound again, better than you did before, and applied the anesthetic gel. It took about two minutes to take effect, in the meanwhile I prepared the rest of the equipment I needed: forceps, curved needle, and new thread.
When I was sure you didn’t feel anything, I started stitching your wound.
“How did you learn this?” you asked me so curiously.
“I… I got used to taking care of myself,” I said softly. It was embarrassing. You nodded. I could feel your eyes scan me, looking at all my bruises, the bandaids on my face, and many more wounds underneath my shirt.
You sighed. “I’m sorry. I hope they won’t attack you anymore. Always stay with me, they are scared of people who have a known name.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think it will do anything.”
“Just do as I say,” you repeated. I could see how sure you were from your face. You definitely didn’t see, as my face was facing the floor, but I smiled for the first time after you said that. Your desire of protecting me was honest. I was really happy that you cared for me.
When I came home, I had the time to think through what happened that day. As I was drinking a cup of water, I looked at myself in the reflection of the window, my fingers tracing my wounds and bruises, itching the dried blood on my nails. Where did that strength come from? I could have sworn they had taken every ounce of energy from me, I knew I had no will, no ambition, no desire to even talk back until today. And yet, I hurt him.
I felt good. It didn’t feel good to hurt him per se but to know I defended you. As to him, I should have killed him. But you stopped me. You shouldn’t have done that. He hurt you. That shabby gross fool tried to hurt you, how could he?!
I was so lucky to have caught you before it was late. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened to you if he succeeded—the bruises on your face, the blood on your face—you would have looked just like me. No, I couldn’t stand that. You didn’t deserve to go through the pain that I did, not after you defended me. Oh, if only I could lay my hand on those sinners, the pain I could inflict them, all the experiences that I felt inside my skin, into my very flesh.
I want to hear them scream. To beg for forgiveness. To regret their very existence. I want them to apologize to you, to offer their life…
Crack
I looked down at my hands. What a mess. I completely shattered the cup I was holding—bits of sharp glass everywhere, even some into my skin. The veins of my hand were bulging, I could feel the blood in my body flowing so fast and forcefully. The adrenaline was high in my brain.
I didn’t realize what I did until I heard the sudden noise.
It was true, just as you said. It wasn’t me. But why? This must have happened because I was thinking of you getting hurt… yes, it was your thought, just you. It was because of you. I didn’t want to see you hurt, you were my only hope in this world, just the thought sent a shock through my spine and into my head, and I would go crazy.
You made me like this.
Completely insane.
“Chaewon! What happened?” I heard Yujin calling me and I turned around to see her rushing out the hallway. Yujin was my roommate, we shared the rent because it was cheaper that way. She wasn’t a bad person, not at all. But she couldn’t understand my life, she lived between rich girls and handsome guys.
To be kind, you need to know what misery is. She was just nice.
“Oh, Kirin-chan,” I said.
“How did you break your glass?” she asked worryingly, grabbing a towel to clean my bloody hand of the bits of glass.
“My bad, I was standing up and it just slipped out of my hand.”
“Then how did it get all over your palm?”
“I slipped and fell right onto it, you know how clumsy I am.”
“Yeah,” she commented without much belief, “just like all the time you come home with bruises on your face.”
“It isn’t my fault if they don’t put warnings after cleaning the stairs.”
“It isn’t your fault,” she repeated. “Anyways, don’t forget to clean it up, I’ll go back to studying,” she ended, turning around and leaving the lounge to return to her prettier room.
I continued to stare at my hand.
I couldn’t help but think about you again… my head got foggy… my thoughts haunting…
What if they scarred you?
What if they bullied you?
What if girls broke your heart?
What if you were friends with the wrong people?
I knew I was crossing a line when those questions took form but it was too late and I didn’t even care anymore. It was a promise I made myself, to protect who I loved, and I swore I wouldn’t fail again. I would protect you forever, no matter what.
I feared that you’d run away from me but instead, we got way closer than before. When I walked into school the day after the incident, I was genuinely scared I wouldn’t have seen you—that you had stayed at home, that you changed class or even school. What worried me the most was the fact that you could have been scared of me.
I waited for you anxiously. I kept scratching my nails, rubbing my arms, looking around for you. So many times I got up and walked around the paths outside the school where I thought you’d usually walk, even if I didn’t know well what were your habits, and not finding you, I’d sit back at the wall and wait again.
After several minutes, you arrived at school. At the sight of you, my dizziness and worries faded away. I immediately ran at you and hugged you so tight, you had to know how much I missed you.
You were surprised, of course, you were. “Huh? What has gotten into you Chaewon?” you laughed jokingly.
“I just thought you wouldn’t come to school anymore,” I told you.
“Why would I do that? Today is a school day.”
“It’s okay, that’s perfect. I’m just so glad I can see you again.”
Part 3
The door opened to the locker room and I and the other trainees entered sitting down. They changed their clothes from casual streetwear to old clothes and gym wear. I’ve been training for a bit now, I got to know all the trainees well, there were a lot before but now they only remained half. The one that finished first started stretching. "It's one minute and a half. Let's do this," she sighed.
One of them threw to the other a white sheet with a name written on it and did the same with the others. "Here. Your name tags."
"That's it? Just a minute?" the girl chuckled.
"A minute and a half. Everyone does their part and it's a difficult choreography, don't you forget. It will be enough."
"It's for evaluation. Don't forget every detail counts," another girl added.
We went out of the room and made our way toward the practice room, each one with a name tag on it. The corridor leading to it was cold, probably because they just changed from thick to thin clothes, but it got hotter towards the end where the air got denser. One at a time, they entered bowing at the line of men sitting on the right of the mirror in front of the door.
Everyone had papers and a pen and a serious look plastered on their faces. After a couple of stretches, the girls got into position and the music started. They smiled and danced with their full capability and the judges looked sharp. When the music stopped they held their ending pose and went in a line waiting for their words. The air suddenly felt cold.
"There had been improvements on what we said the first time. But we can also fix others," the first said and the men nodded. They wrote on the paper and scribbled.
"You. When the others did their move you were coordinated and that's fine but you did it wrong. You need to raise your hand higher," he said making the move himself and the girl followed.
"Can you do the move a bit before the ending?" another one asked, gesturing his intention. "Yes, that one. Please get into the position and do it."
They did and when it came to the next section he spoke again, "One more time."
"Once more."
"Five...six.. seven... eight... an-"
"Okay," he said and got up walking to the center of the room. He demonstrated the move more and more times. "Don't tense your muscles too much when you do this alright?"
"But," the oldest got up, "you were all a lot better today, good job. Specially Soojin and Gaeul."
"That's it, goodbye," they said.
"Thank you!" the girls answered together.
BLAM. The oldest almost slips as he got out and the others held him up. The girls let out a muffled laugh, their mouths covered with their hands."See girls, don't tense your muscles too much or they won't work properly," the man chuckled. The judges left fast, embarrassed by their eldest and the group laughed in relief.
"Are we really doing this? They are not saying anything anymore."
The youngest looked at them from the ground, laid down breathing hard, and said, "We're close to debuting."
When everyone was done with their stuff and cleaned themselves they left. Almost all of them ran out to catch the last bus of the day or were just in a hurry. I, on the other hand, had to walk home so I did everything slower. When I got out, in the distance, I heard a group of girls around my age shouting and laughing. When they got closer, I realized they were my classmates, there were about four of them and they were drunk.
They noticed me.
"Look at you. It's late, pretty girls like you shouldn't stay out," one of them said and I frowned.
"Don't tell me. You were practicing?" she said laughing. The other three got in a semi-circle in front of me.
"It's a really difficult life isn't it, miss idol? Everybody wants you and you're here dancing until late," she mocked me, with her fingers under her eyes faking tears, and let out a hearty laugh. The choir followed with a carol of joy.
"It's sad really," she continued, "so popular but so tired."
She pushed me down on the ground and the group stepped back making more space for the two. She forcefully pulled my hair, forcing me to get up. The girl got closer and said, "And you're so pretty. It would be a shame if anything happened to this pretty face."
She slapped me. They laughed. They kicked me. I tried to defend myself, curling into a fetus position and protecting my head. They snickered as they continued wasting the effects of the alcohol on me. When they were finally satisfied, they got up and left me there on the side of the road and went away to the opposite way of where they came from.
I remained on the ground with tears on her face and sobbed trying not to make any noise, I wanted silence. However I heard their voices again, from the distance, and they were screaming.
"What do you think you're doing?!" the same girl as before squealed."We're girls, you think you can-." The group gasped.
"You're five and I'm one and you just beat that girl up. You think I care?" It was a male voice.
The girls ran away but the guy didn't try to chase them and walked to me.
"There's a convenience store nearby, we can get something cold for your face," he said with a soft tone. I recognized the voice and looked at him, I recognized his face too. It was you. My legs trembled a little as I held myself upon your shoulder for support. "It's fine, take your time," you said dusting my back.
At the shop, you bought a bag of frozen peas so I could put it on my face where it still hurts. "I ate those for dinner, they're great. I can use them for everything, look, you're using them too now," you said and I laughed. I calmed down a little and your face got more serious and worried.
"I told you. Starting from tomorrow I'll bring you home," you said.
"But it was only this time," I said.
"And the other four before."
"Kind of."
"Being there by 11:30 should be good."
"But you should sleep."
"I would just be studying, and either way, it's way better to have your company," you insisted, leaning down on the chair. A small smile formed on my face. Ever since that day, the two always walked home late at night even when it was freezing or when it was raining. We got way closer.
You grew up so well. Unfortunately, many girls seemed to notice you and fall for you. I don’t blame them, you were very charming, so attractive for such a young student but I couldn’t let them near you. They were fools, too stupid to realize they were nowhere close to your level, you were levels above and they were just insects. I had to make sure no one bothered you, to avoid you crying because some worthless bitch broke your heart.
I was surprised when you told me you got asked out. But then I felt my chest burn.
There’s only one thing that I can’t stand in this world and that’s people who think they can take what’s mine. I don’t care about gossip, jealousy or envy, I don’t have anyone to compete with, I just want what’s mine. And you are mine.
It was so easy to scare them away. All it took was a quick talk behind the school, a very convincing speech, a cutter to their throats…
They were scared of me. Good. You didn’t suspect anything—they’d still smile at me as if nothing happened, I made sure to tell them. I couldn’t let you know, to worry more than you already were.
The bullying had completely stopped towards me because you were always by my side defending me and eventually they all got the message. If you were just a crush before, now I love you. If I loved you, now I worship you. You’re my religion, my god, my purpose. I’ll kill for you, live for you, and I’ll love you forever. Wherever you go, I’ll follow you. Whether that’s heaven, hell, or any other world. My very existence is embroidered into your name, I can’t exist without you.
Things were going great, so great. You only had eyes for me. Those two beautiful pupils could only look at me, at my face, at my body, only at me. I loved when you stared at me, I was yours after all, you could watch how much you wanted.
That was until those two eyes became one. You got a big bruise on your left eye, it was swollen, black, and horrible.
You were waiting for me near the big tree behind the school like you always did, and you talked to me like you always did, without worry or pain. “Hey, Chaewon,” you greeted me.
“What happened?!”
“Nothing, I just hurt myself,” you lied. How naive you were, you were too kind, too nice. I didn’t believe you one single bit. I wonder why you did that? Why did you lie to me? Was it to protect whoever did that to you? To protect who hurt you?
“Tell me. Tell me, who hurt you?” I asked you calmly.
“It’s really nothing Chae… I’m serious, I only hurt myself—”
“TELL ME WHO THE HELL HURT YOU RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!” I asked again, the sudden increase in volume startled you and you backed away into the tree. I didn’t know at the time, and you’d tell me later, but my eyes were empty. You got scared, I apologize, I just couldn’t help it.
“Ch-Chaewon?” you stuttered.
When I realized you were terrified, I calmed down. “Huh? Oh, my bad, sorry… I was just really worried, but now, please tell me.” I shook my head and took a couple of steps back.
“Okay, I will tell you… it was Seojun,” you finally confessed. “I bumped into him and spilled his drink on his uniform. I apologized, but since I was alone and his ‘friends’ were with him, they thought they could get their revenge on me.”
“I see… let’s get you some ice for that eye for now,” I told you and we started to walk into the infirmary for the second time. I hated walking into that place, especially with you. I tried my best to hold it inside me, not to scare you again, but I was going to snap anytime soon.
“Chae, are you alright?” you asked me.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, dear… and it will okay from now on. You don’t have to worry about Seojun anymore.”
You know, people say that the first time is special, you never forget it. The first time I bathed my hands in the warm liquid that is human blood, my body was cold. I felt hesitation at first, but I knew I was doing it for you, and thinking about you, all that fear was gone. And I killed him.
Yes, it was me that killed Seojun. I don’t regret one bit what I’ve done to him. I made sure he suffered as much as he made you suffer. An eye for an eye, as they say.
That day was special, it was like I confessed to you and instead of a ring, I gave you a life. It was only fair you’d give me your life in return.
The murder of Seojun made headlines in the news and when asked about it, the students never said anything nor praised or acted sad at his death. No one missed him. It’s quite sad that life can be so insignificant that not a single person will care about how gruesome your death was and forget you the next day. To be quite honest, he deserved it. We die in the same way we live.
You were a bit suspicious of me at first. You didn’t really doubt me—you were curious. The news of his death was delivered by our professor during the first period with a sigh before continuing the lesson. The reactions were mixed but mostly towards one extreme: relief.
When a bad person dies, two things will happen: if you’re a good person or a victim, you will be happy; if you’re equally bad then you’ll be scared, because you know he already got what he deserved and nothing prevented you from having the same fate as nothing is stronger than luck.
You were both worried and glad. I’ve always noticed how you tend to care about other people, it’s something that I really love about you, you just have to direct toward the people who deserve it. “Hey, Chae, do you know anything about Seojun’s murder?” you asked me during the break. You were hesitant at first but I was sure you’ve thought about it long enough to decide to spill it.
You must have thought about what I said the other day: You don’t have to worry about Seojun anymore.
“Huh?” I raised my eyebrow at you. “Why would I have anything to do with his death?”
“W-well… you see… you said that I didn’t have to worry about him anymore and the next day… he dies.” Your shoulders were so tight almost as if you were trying to keep the words inside of you. Your gaze flitted around the room, never settling on one person or object for long.
“It must have been a coincidence,” I told you. “And karma.”
“Right,” you muttered. Then you relaxed your shoulders.
“By the way,” I changed the topic, “there is going to be the last test before the debut at Hybe.”
Your eyes changed completely, they brightened. Every time I talked about my dream, you always seemed too excited for me. You fully believed in my ambition and constantly encouraged me to keep trying. Whenever I practiced, I always thought of you.
I always think of you.
“That’s awesome, Chae. It’s your opportunity, you wanted to become an idol all this time.”
“I will start practicing right away then,” I said. “I want to be with you that day. Can you come with me?”
“What day will it be?”
“Next Saturday, 4:00 pm.”
“Next Saturday… 4:00 pm,” you repeated. “I’ll make sure to be there—I will be there, I will.”
“Thank you,” I smiled and hugged you. You were still a bit against the idea of hugging but slowly you were getting used to it. I trusted that you’ll eventually come to love it.
I had prepared about four songs for the test: two for my singing and two for my dancing, one of them was good for both. I decided to be very broad with my songs because if they asked for more, I’d be prepared. You never know. I didn’t want to go there and have them ask for a random song and fail horribly.
You were waiting for me in front of the building with a little bag of snacks. I mentioned all of them before to you and you remembered. Some of them were for when I’d finish the whole thing and some as a snack to calm my nerves.
Honestly, I felt like you were my boyfriend already. If anyone saw us together, they’d say the same thing. Every little thing you did was so full of attention, I knew you cared for me, and I loved you so much.
Anyways, the time came. I bid you goodbye and entered.
The test went terribly wrong.
You waited two hours for me, only for me to blow it all up. When I came out, I was so embarrassed, I didn’t want you to see me at all.
“So Chae, how was it?” you asked but I didn’t reply. It was hard to come up with any word at all. I couldn’t even look at you in the eyes.
“Chae?”
“Chaewon?”
You finally got enough at the third time and you grabbed my shoulder to shake and direct my gaze at you. “Chaewon, answer me please!” you said with an upset tone.
“Do you… do you think I’m a failure?”
“What are you talking about?” you asked back.
“Hey, am I a failure? Tell me. Were the guys right? I am not meant to be an idol after all, should I give up after all? Tell me, please!” I hiccuped and cried. I was truly heartbroken. It was the test per se but the fact that I disappointed you, that I wasted all your determination and belief you had in me.
“Chaewon, no…” you whispered and went for a hug. It was awkward, you didn’t know how to hug. You tried to put a hand on my shoulder and one on my hip, but it didn’t work. Then you tried to put both of them on my shoulder but you looked like you wanted to headbut me. On the third try, you succeeded and properly hugged me very tightly.
I buried my head into your chest, it was where I could really feel safe.
“Chaewon, what happened in there? How did it go?”
“I FAILED! I BLEW IT ALL UP! IT’S ALL GONE!” I yelled and gripped you harder.
“How is that possible? You’re perfect, I mean, you sing so beautifully and you’re beautiful,” you said. “You’ve been practicing… why? How?”
“I’m sorry it’s that I was so worried. I got distracted. I continued to ask myself if I’d fail and so on… I knew the lyrics but I got jittery and…”
“No, Chaewon! I told you to believe in yourself. You can do it. You can do it.”
“But—”
“You have talent, Chae,” you repeated, “and I’ve seen it since day one. You will not fail. You just have to try again.”
I was embarrassed to see if I could try again but you weren’t and you stormed inside the building, dragging me by arm to ask the staff if I could try again. You explained everything and even pleaded with them until they gave in.
This time, you were waiting for me outside the door. I knew I wouldn’t fail again.
Don’t think about anything else. Focus.
I sang the first song. Just like I practiced. Then I danced. It was perfect.
I passed. I was so happy and I just had to tell you. I ran outside but you weren’t there.
I searched everywhere until I understood you weren’t in the building and had to search for you outside. I found you in an alley, bloody and bruised.
I immediately called the ambulance and they rushed you to the hospital. Your condition was so bad they had to x-ray your whole body and do a small surgery.
When I found you, you could barely talk or even breathe. You were laying in a pool of blood, that came from the numerous cuts all over your body—they weren’t clean but all rough and jacked, meaning they came from brute force and not blades. Your clothes were also messed up and ripped. Together, I could count on 19 injuries at least. I couldn’t understand at all. Why would someone do that to you? And how did it happen?
Together with you was a bag with two drinks and a couple of sandwiches. I suppose you went outside to a convenience store to buy something, maybe for me, and then… you were attacked. This may have been premeditated, it’s impossible a group of people randomly hurt you that bad.
I couldn’t stop crying, you know?
To see you in those conditions, I could only think of the worse.
What if you’d never wake up again?
What if you’d be miserable for the rest of your life?
What if you died?
It was my fault. I’m sorry, it was totally my fault. It was because I took way too long in the test, chatting with the staff, seeing the other girls so happily, while you were being jumped… I could have protected you, we could have gone home together and this would have never happened.
The doctor called me. “Kim Chaewon?”
“Yes?” I raised my eyes. I saw him and wiped my tears before standing up and walking to him.
“Is he okay…?” I asked.
“He’s not in danger is what I can tell you. Some of his bones are broken and he has received a concussion, he may be asleep for a while, you see,” he said.
“Can I see him?”
“Yes, you can,” the doctor agreed, “this way…”
He guided me toward another floor of the hospital. You have been transferred from the emergency room to the patient’s rooms. You were in the section where more care was needed—the hallway was quieter, everyone walked slower, and everything was more gentle.
I entered your room slowly, holding myself up with a hand on the door frame and then I saw you. Your eyes were closed. Your whole body was covered in bandages and you were hooked to all sorts of machines with cables and cords everywhere. It was almost like seeing a puppet tied up in strings and they were keeping you alive.
I was scared to come close to you. I feared that any of my movements could have damaged you even more. You were so fragile at that moment.
I gently lowered myself to the chair next to your bed and held your hand. I cried. I cried again, so much. I couldn’t help but keep thinking it was my fault. If only I was quicker…
Some of your items were put in the drawer. I noticed your phone together with your wallet and backpack. The screen was cracked and some of the blood crusted into the cracks. I don’t know why I felt curious but I unlocked the screen—you trusted me enough to let me know your password months ago to check some messages while you were busy cooking—and it opened KakaoTalk. You were texting me and the phone memorized it.
Chae be careful the bullies might be after you
Don’t go in the shortcut at the
Oh, dear. You were on the brink of death and all you could think was to warn me, to protect me. You didn’t even think of calling for help. I understood everything. It was those bullies again… they didn’t forget, did they? It’s because their life turned to hell after they didn’t have anyone to bully anymore and they got revenge but attacking you.
I was angry. I was furious. I was so pissed that I unconsciously cracked your phone even more. It was that feeling again, all over—the fire in my chest.
I will kill them. Each one of the. I will make them suffer. I will tear them to shreds. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them.
I will make them pay for everything they have done for you.
They were so stupid. It was so easy to trick them: I attacked their leader when he was coming home late and forced him to send a message to everyone who was involved in your attack—he confessed right away when I showed him my knife.
The guys came on point the next day. It was all so easy. They always hung out at the abandoned warehouse where they could make all the mess they wanted and dragged their victims to torture them properly and in private. Now they were dragging themselves to their death.
I dressed in black that day. You never liked seeing me in black. People used to tell me I tried to stand out too much so they forced me to use torn, old, ugly clothes, but when they stopped tormenting me, you brought me to buy more clothes for me.
But that day I wasn’t dressing as the victim. I was in the guise of the Grim Reaper.
I prepared my knives, axes, clamps, nails, and staplers and waited for them in the building.
Humans are so easy to kill. They are so frail and mortal—I had to be extremely careful not to let them die immediately to cause them all the pain they deserved. I’ll spare you the details. You don’t have to know of the gruesome parts of their murder. I’ll just tell you everything they did to you and in their years of bullying, I did to them. From crowbars to knives, to fire and stabbing.
When the last one stopped screaming, I felt at peace. The silence was absolute. I couldn’t even hear the wind, the cars, or the noises of the city. It was completely quiet.
I finally avenged you.
Part 4
Disposing of the bodies was quite simple but extremely tiring. I had to chop their bodies to bits, bury them and hide all the evidence. I cleaned with bleach all my weapons, the floor, and the walls of the warehouse. I had to soil the floor since it was dirty before and I couldn’t leave a clean patch in there, it would have been a dead giveaway.
Of course, I had to get rid of all their phones. I broke them into little pieces before grinding them up to a bag of dust and flushing them down the toilet.
I got most of my weapons from around the city. I stole the knives from the school kitchen and returned them to them. I did the crime on a Friday night and finished in the evening of Saturday so they wouldn’t have noticed the disappearance of their tools. I bought the rest of the tools from a hardware store so I could have just put it in someone else’s garage.
I couldn’t burn my clothes or rags because that would have caught the attention of my neighbors or anyone nearby so I colored it with all sorts of paints so the blood would have been unrecognizable. If anyone analyzed them, it would look like they were of an artist. And then I disposed of them.
Burying the bodies was the most laborious part and I could only do it during the night. It took me both Saturday and sunday to get rid of all the evidence.
The next days were all marked by nightmares. I didn’t dream of what I did. What haunted me was you leaving me. I was afraid that my crime could have separated us.
Chaewon, you’re a monster.
I can’t be friends with a murderer.
I can’t love a killer.
I hate you.
I wish you died.
I was distressed and jittery during the day and couldn’t sleep at night. Many times I would get distracted in those thoughts, imagining all the things you could say to me, and not realize people calling me. I would often zone out and not hear anything else.
“Chaewon? Are you okay?” my classmates would tell me. I would snap out of my daze and realize most of them were looking at me then I’d realize I actually chipped a corner of the table off with my grip.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s nothing,” I could only say. They would continue with the day forgetting about it or just tell their friends excitedly about a classmate with a freakish strength.
It was especially hard when I was training with the other trainees but I told myself you wouldn’t be proud of me if I wasn’t doing my best and forced myself to dance.
On Monday, their disappearance was announced but nobody could find anything. Not a single trace. The secret was safe with me.
They also announced your attack but they didn’t connect the two events together, assuming you were also a victim. The attacks in this Korea were common anyways. Bullying was so widespread you could say it was part of our culture.
After a week. you were still asleep. The doctor concluded that they must have stomped your head too for you to be concussed that badly. They damaged the nerves.
Unfortunately, I knew only after I killed them. If I knew I would have done the same to them so they could feel the pain you felt but I guess cutting their limbs counts as nerve damage as well.
I was getting extremely impatient waiting for your awakening. The doctor couldn’t help me but it wasn’t their fault. I’ve only realized now how much I relied on you and those days without you were as sad as Halloween without candies.
When I woke up, I couldn’t tell if the Sun rose already or if it was still sunrise, it was timid, and the light cast a somber hue in the room. It was gray and pale. The soundscape was eerily quiet, the usual chirping birds seemed to have disappeared, as if even nature was mourning alongside me.
Walking through the corridors of the school, I felt like a solitary figure amidst a sea of faces. Conversations echoed around me, yet they seemed distant. The classrooms, usually alive with energy, felt suffocatingly silent.
I couldn’t help but notice how happy the other students went on with their days, completely ignoring what happened to you. Worst of all, some students even mocked you, saying you were a loser and you deserved it. My bloodthirst was beyond the roof. I had to hold myself back a lot not to commit other killings, reminding myself that I could have raised a case of a serial killer if I wasn’t careful enough.
I thought I had been sneaky enough not to raise any suspicion but I didn’t know the only person to find out would have been you.
I was in an alley near the hospital when I met one of those mean girls. They were badmouthing you and I had to make sure they wouldn’t do it again. I didn’t kill them, you don’t have to worry about that. I merely sent a message, a little punishment. I got one nail for each insult they said toward you. Poor them, they won’t have nails for months—I hope it hurts.
They ran away but when I turned around, I saw you. You were looking at me so horrified and disgusted.
“I had my suspicions, Chae…” you said. “The coincidence was too perfect. I woke up and saw the news, I knew it was you. And now, I’m sure.”
“You’re mistaken, dear,” I tried to say foolishly.
“Chae, I saw everything.” Your face morphed into an extreme melancholy, of disappointment and sadness. My face instead contorted into a horrified frown. You… my best and only friend, my love. You discovered my worse secret—I knew what the consequences were and I knew what the risks were.
“I mean, what are you even doing here? Weren’t you still sleeping?”
“I woke up this morning—I got discharged—and the doctor let me take a walk… and then I saw you.”
“Do you know what I did all of this, darling?” I asked, my nerves were so tense and my blood was pumping like crazy. I was getting more and more scared. There was a thread inside me that was being pulled and pulled…
“W-what is it?” you asked with hesitation.
“It’s because… I… I love you.”
I saw the shock on your face but I couldn’t stop myself anymore. I did it. I snapped. You found out and there was no turning back. You didn’t have a choice either.
“W-what? What are you saying?”
“Darling, don’t you get it? I love you so so so so so much. I love you so much—to the point I killed for you. Yes, I did kill them. I murdered them. I slaughtered them. I made them suffer, love, the way they made you suffer… Please! Please understand—I’m doing this because I love you.”
“Chae, you’re scaring me. Stop…”
“Oh, don’t be scared, my love. I would never harm you or kill you… I would only cherish you—in fact, I did all of this to protect you from those bastards! I love you with all of my heart.”
That fire inside of me took over again and this time I was already glued to you, my knee under your thigh, pinning you to the wall, a hand on your cheek and one near your waist. You couldn’t move at all, I wouldn’t let you. I was finally this close to you… your skin was so smooth and soft—just like you, my precious baby.
Maybe I was smiling a bit too much. You’d describe to me later that I looked psychotic, yes, I was crazy.
You didn’t know how to react. I admit, you were so cute—so vulnerable and fragile, just at my mercy. Yet, you dared to take and push my hand away from your face.
“Chae, I’m sorry,” you said and it almost broke my heart, “but I just… I-I- I don’t know…” you said.
“What aren’t you sure about? Is it my love? Is it not clear enough?” I asked. “I’ll do anything for you, just ask me.”
“Please stay away from me,” you replied, “for a while.”
“What are you saying, darling?”
“Chae… you’re my best friend and I understand why you did all of that. I do. But I need to think about it. Don’t worry, I won’t say this to anyone, no one at all, but I need to stay alone for a bit,” you pleaded, “I just recovered too.”
“Okay, fine,” I agreed. You were right. It was a bit too much for you, especially after you just woke up from that concrete hospital bed. Also, I knew I could trust you. You never betrayed me so that did not scare me.
You slowly backed away and left me, alone in the alley.
I don’t know why but I started laughing hysterically.
I thought I messed up a lot. That isn’t the way your lover should look at you, right? Terrified and pleading on the verge of tears. You should have looked at me lovingly. I was so scared you’d leave me and I couldn’t let you do that. I needed you too much.
But then you left me waiting for almost a month. I respected your choice and didn’t contact you at all but it’s been too long. I figured that knowing I killed tormented you so I didn’t touch anyone else but rather I kept it to simply threatening them verbally and that seemed to work.
You have to understand I couldn’t take it anymore. Looking at your pictures every night wasn’t enough. Listening to your voice from the vocal messages wasn’t enough. Smelling the shirts I stole from you wasn’t enough, and the smell was fading away. My imagination wasn’t enough, especially when I knew I could have you and I was just waiting for the right moment.
Then the right moment came. I sent you a message just to let you know, you couldn’t say no. I went right to your house, which I came over to many times already, and even your mother knew me. She let me inside with a smile, she was so kind. I knew where you got that virtue from.
I heard you running frantically around your room. You must have been dressing up, so I waited until you were done, knocked, and opened the door. Your room smelled just like I remembered it, it was so good, it was just you.
“It’s been a while, Chae,” you said, clearly nervous. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing terrible, honey,” I answered honestly and you gulped. “You know, I’ve been good to you. I waited and did nothing else. I did not kill or hurt anyone. I let you have your space, then why did you disappear for an entire month?”
“I kept thinking and reflecting on what happened…”
“For a month?” I was furious. “Did you try to make me forget you? Did you try to forget me?”
“It’s that… It has been a tough month,” you said. “My best friend murdered 6 people, or more… How could I go back to what we were before? You killed… humans.”
“So? They didn’t deserve to live anyways. I did it for you.”
“No, Chae—”
“They beat you up so badly you couldn’t even walk!” I snapped. “They badmouthed you, they laughed at you and… why are you defending them?!”
“Yes, but you took their lives.”
“They were going to take your life too! Don’t you get it?”
“Chae, please—”
“No! Shut up! I can’t take this anymore! I can’t forgive them. They’re always making fun of you, beating you up, torturing you—just because you’re my friend! But you keep shoving it away and get hurt for me… I- I…”
I hugged you. I had to hold onto something and you were the only one that could have helped me stand up. All those years… I was so pent up, I was so tired of it. I know you told me many times to let it be but I can’t. Sorry, I just can’t help it. I can’t let anyone walk away after they hurt you, even if it’s something as little as pinching you, because you mean too much to me.
“Darling, I love you!” I sobbed and pleaded onto your chest, bathed by my tears, “I missed you so much. If I don’t see you even for a day, it starts to hurt, you know? I’ll do anything to stay with you, anything! Just tell me! I want to see you every day, I can’t let you leave like this…”
“If it’s like this,” you started, “we can make a deal.”
“A-a deal? Really?”
“Yes, a deal. You can see me how much you want but absolutely no killing. No physical assault and no insults to anyone.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes, you just have to restrain yourself.”
“Very well. Then, I promise, I will never kill again, I swear. Does that mean I can see you every day?” I asked. My tears finally stopped pouring out, the hiccup was still there, but I could focus and talk to you properly now. I took a deep breath and spoke, “Then you have to be my boyfriend from now on.”
“What did you just say?” you asked with confusion.
“You can’t say no. You are my boyfriend now. You know already, I told you so many times. I love you with all of myself.”
I knew you liked me a little already. I wasn’t sure if it was as strong as my love for you was, although I doubt it can, I knew you were interested in me. No one would stick with me for that long and no one would defend me from all those bullies. I knew you loved me, of course you did, you always took care of me since our first day and I couldn’t help but fall for you too.
I tried my best to change my appearance to suit your ideal type more. I dressed better, I dieted, I worked out, and I practiced so much that I wouldn’t disappoint you.
“Chae, are you sure? I’m just a regular guy and you’re an idol…”
“Don’t lie to yourself, honey. I wouldn’t give myself to just anyone. You never laughed about me, you believed in me when nobody else did, and you infected me with your kindness and humanity. You’re the best man I can ask for.”
“Thank you…”
“You’ll be my boyfriend and I’ll be your girlfriend, okay? Do you accept?”
“Uhm…”
“Do you accept?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Ma’am?” I laughed. “Don’t tell me you have some weird fetish going on… It’s okay. Just tell me, I won’t mind, hehe.”
Part 5
You have been very strict with me. The first thing you did was to establish a set of rules and all the punishment that would have resulted in breaking them. You’ve been very clear in defining them and made sure I understood you were very serious about it and would absolutely punish me if I dared to not respect them. They were something along the line of:
NO KILLING. The punishment is an instant break-up.
NO BODY HARM to anyone. The punishment is no contact for two weeks.
NO KIDNAPPING/STALKING/THREATENING other people. The punishment is no skin touching for a week.
RESPECT YOU. We’re together in this relationship and I have to listen to you.
TRUST YOU. You'll leave me if I don’t trust you when you tell me you aren’t cheating.
I accepted them and we started dating. Our relationship was as good as it was before but this time I got to be as clingy as I wanted, hugging you as much as I wanted, holding your hand wherever we went, and most of all you gave me a lot of head pats. You always gave me head pats to congratulate me when I did well in school or had a good performance.
It was difficult to respect those rules and you showed me how convinced you were of them when I broke the hand of a guy who shoved you against the lockers. You really ghosted me for two weeks without saying anything. When they ended I couldn’t help but jump on you and I promised to be more careful. Since then, I didn’t break any other rules and you showed me your love in so many ways, I lost count of them.
We learned a lot about each other and helped each other all the time. You helped me be more confident with my skills and get angry (but you told me I was cute when I got mad). You were always a bit discouraged with your work, giving up easily, and I made sure you knew how great you were. Just like me, school has really made you more insecure about yourself, but when we were together, we achieved a lot more.
Recently I discovered a hidden diary you used to keep under your bed, between the mattress and the frame. The last thing you wrote was months ago, way before the incident, and it was you rambling about me. ABOUT ME! And it was so adorable. “I have the biggest crush on my friend!” You wrote on the last page.
I stared at the words in a daze, it was like the words were screaming in my face. I was used to only obsessing over you and knowing you were going through the same thing warmed my heart.
You know, I’ve never believed in good endings, but with you, I think I finally found one where we are the protagonists. Our story is not like a fairy tale, it’s far from perfect, I am not a princess, nor could ever be one. However, you made me feel like one and I’m more than sure you’re my prince.
Sorry if I am always so obsessive and so imperfect, I just can’t help it.
THE END
Written, 7 June - 27 June 2023
409 notes · View notes
themainreactor · 7 months
Text
"Would you care to be my lover?"
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In which, Giyuu almost dies and is afraid to rest without knowing whether or not you would still love him if he passed away. He doesn't want you to forget him and he wants you to know that he loves you more than he thought he ever could.
Giyu didn't think that he was afraid to die
He never had been.
After all, it was just the natural order of things to die was it not?
So what was the point in trying to avoid it?
At least that's what he had kept telling himself. But ever since he met you... It's been rather difficult to understand anything in a reasonable light.
He also fell for you the moment that he set his eyes on you. Of course he didn't know that, but he found out later.
You were a Hashira and you kept yourself so undetected that barely anyone even knew you.
When he first noticed you, his intention weren't to be rude when he had asked who you were.
For some reason, he was desperate to know who you were, like it was something he needed.
He only received a small smile and later he realized that you had been a hashira for almost ten years.
You had been a hashira before he was even a demon slayer.
Apparently you didn't mind that he didn't know, or that he was the only Hashira to know you were alive at the moment.
Apparently this had happened multiple times where you would be in a room with everyone else and listen in without actually conversing or interacting with the others.
Apparently you literally stood next to him every single meeting with the master and he hadn't even noticed once.
But how? You were always there so how come he didn't feel any sort of familiarity around you?
He felt almost guilty, he didn't know what to do.
And yet here he was, watching as you sat down under a tree at your estate. You were just closing your eyes in quiet, nostalgic peace. He was still so confused and intrigued at the same time.
He had even asked the other Hashira and demon slayers, trying to figure more about you only get answers of 'who are you talking about?' Or 'I don't know'.
Shinobu of course had to make fun of him for such pretending, after all, it didn't seem like you were even a real person.
So no one believed that there was another Hashira, and Giyu didn't bother anyone about it.
Except for the master.
The master knew who you were, thank goodness, it made Giyu feel less stupid. He seemed happy about hearing your name come from a hashira and he seemed proud of Giyu for noticing in the first place.
You were a very quiet and reserved person, yet your fighting style involved words.
Basically, your breathing technique helped you tap into frequency, which in turn, gave you the power to control frequency and what people heard.
So technically, you had been staying undetected on purpose, using the breathing style to control the frequency your own body gave off.
Although, you must have slipped up when Giyuu actually noticed you, you wonder how that happened.
Giyu's still baffled about your existence and has no idea what to do about it.
"Try and get close to her, she is a stoic and indifferent person like you. However, she has no one to talk to besides me and she doesn't like to burden people. She denies it but she needs to find a companion and you happen to be the first hashira to notice her."
Those were the words of his master, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. But the question was, how was he supposed to be around you if you were like him?
Even he knew how hard it was to be around himself so how much harder would it be to be around you, especially if you didn't want anyone around you to begin with?
It's not like that was going to stop him though. Whether the master had told him to talk to you didn't matter because he would have done it anyway.
"Hello..." Giyu greeted you, feeling uneasy as he approached you. All he did in that moment was stand in front of you like a lost dog.
You were pretty sure that he would have forgotten you in due time but instead he had decided to talk to you again. It was cute.
Maybe you could afford to indulge him.
"Hi." You plainly replied, watching as Giyu decided to sit next to you under the tree. Giyu seemed nervous, like he didn't want to make a bad impression but at the same time he looked like he would smack you if you insulted him.
What a strange look to such a young man.
"So... How was your day?" He asks, looking ahead of him and trying to control his breathing. He didn't like how strange he felt, but he wasn't sure if it was from your breathing technique or from him being so nervous.
"My day was fine... How about yours?"
"Good... My day was good." Giyu continues, not really sure what else to say. This was a good way to start a conversation right?
"Good, that's nice."
"Yes... Well... Your hair looks nice." He's being very gentlemanly he thinks, that is a good thing when talking to women right?
"... Thank you..."
"You're welcome."
Damn, you weren't making this easy for him. You felt like such a kind and gentle person and he didn't understand why you wouldn't want to be seen.
Then again, people had their choices and he respected that, however he wanted to get to know you without feeling like he was being so pushy.
"Why are you like this?" Giyu questions, finally looking at you with a straight face only to receive a confused glare from you.
"Pardon?"
Crap, he didn't mean to offend you.
"Sorry... I just mean... Well... Why do you hide yourself from everyone else?"
"... Oh." Was all you said, not answering his question for some time before looking up at the sky.
"I don't like to cry."
Now you just confused him even more than before.
"... Cry? What do you mean?" He asks, keeping his gaze on your face. You look very pretty to him and he wonders how he hadn't seen you before even with your breathing technique.
"I don't want to get too close to people and have them die because I wasn't strong enough." You start, making eye contact with him in hopes he would understand.
"I don't want anyone to have to cry when I die either. Death only brings pain and familiarity only breeds contempt. So I guess you can say that I am running from reality."
"So you would rather have someone not know you existed so that they don't cry about your death?" Giyu asks, feeling less confused but more sad. He had thought about stuff like this very little but clearly you thought about it all the time.
"Yes, I don't like to cry."
For quite some time, the two of you stay quiet, just sitting under the tree and enjoying the silence. Of course you were enjoying the silence, Giyu thought you were crazy.
As much as Giyu had taken a liking to you in such a short amount of time, Giyu couldn't decide whether or not to label you as a psychopath, depressed or a high functioning sociopath.
You were willing to disappear for yourself and others as if you weren't alive. And yet, he didn't understand why you would avoid the inevitable.
"Do you not have anyone?"
"I have our master..." You comment, smiling at the thought of Kagaya since he was someone who had allowed you to be where you were today. He was like a father to you.
"Anyone else?"
"... No."
Giyu stayed quiet again, thinking of something before sighing and standing up.
"Let me then."
"... What?" You ask, confused at what he said.
"Let me be that other person."
You watch him as he stands his ground, clearly serious about what he said. He wants to be around you, to make sure you're okay and he could care less whether it was selfless or selfish of him to ask.
"Why? You don't know me."
"I want to know you... Here."
Giyu pulls out a few questionable things from his mismatched haori, he seemed to be looking for something specific and it was making you slightly nervous since he shouldn't really be carrying a bunch of... Rope. Why did he have that much rope?
Finally he pulls out a small ribbon and starts tying it around his wrist, why? You have no damn clue.
"Whenever you enter a room that I'm in, you should pull on this, that way I know you're there." He starts, grabbing his other items including the rope and placing them back in his haori.
"Why?" You ask, scratching the back of your head in slight annoyance. You didn't want him to try so hard, otherwise he wouldn't forget about you.
"Because I want to know when you're around me so I can be your acquaintance."
"You don't have to worry, I don't feel lonely or anything like that."
"That's fine, I just want to know when you're there."
"But-"
"I insist... I will not try to fix you nor will I make you cry, but I would like to at least be a companion for you to talk to."
For some reason his words made you feel warm, like he meant them. You didn't know why he wanted that, but it was sweet and scary at the same time.
You weren't sure if you liked it or not but as far as you were concerned, this was something that you shouldn't allow.
After all, he might die and then you might end up crying.
Or the other way around... You don't want him to cry because of you.
Then again.
Maybe you could afford to indulge him a little bit longer.
What's the harm in that when he would eventually forget you anyway?
"Okay."
"Alright then."
This went on for months, you pulling on that stupid ribbon like he asked you to so that he would know you were there.
The two of you have now become acquainted and maybe even close to friends. However you don't know what to do with yourself.
You taught him things about you, your breathing technique and the way you fought while Giyu taught you about his own and even a bit of his past.
You felt stupid and you didn't like the unfamiliar feeling of getting so close to someone like you have with Giyu. You didn't like the feeling you had when you thought about him.
You didn't like it...
You hated it...
You hated it so much...
But you liked it at the same time...
Oh, how you loved it, but that's what scared you the most.
Because if you loved it, that would mean that you loved him.
He was supposed to forget you but he didn't, you just ended up coming on his mind more often.
Eventually you got used to it and even felt more comfortable about it. Eventually he didn't even need you to pull the ribbon for him to know you were in the room.
But he still wore the tiny, red cloth. A stupid ribbon that made your heart flutter every time you saw it.
It seemed like he could faintly feel the change when you were around.
You still didn't like it and yet you felt very special to have someone like Giyu care enough about wanting to know you.
Why couldn't you make up your damn mind?
Not only that, if you think you're the one having a hard time with this, take an actual look at Giyu for once in your life.
He's always gentle around you and yet his hands get all sweaty and he clams up. He doesn't remember feeling this way around you before, he just remembers being nervous, not sweaty and lightheaded. He doesn't remember getting vivid fascinations of you in his mind.
He can't tell if it's the feeling of just doing a drug or of absolute distress. He likes being around you but he's so nervous at the same time. He can't help but act differently around you than the other Hashira. He wanted to desperately kiss you and he had never wanted to kiss anyone else before.
It was almost as if he had a crush on you but there was no way to determine that. Even with all the scrolls he read on the topic in hopes to explain what he was feeling.
He didn't like this feeling of his chest tightening and his face brightening up. Most of the Hashira could even see the change in Giyu, how he looked more happy, even with his neutral face.
What made it worse was the thoughts he had about you. His frantic fantasies about you being closer to him, being with him in ways he wouldn't utter. He prayed that this was just love and not lust but he couldn't tell.
He had even tried to talk to Kagaya about it, but he had just dismissed him with a laugh, saying that he would get used to it over time and that it was an experience to try and keep.
And Giyu had to make it worse by being bold one day and kissing your cheek after you had come back from the Swordsmith village.
That was a fun and welcoming surprise for you which only clarified how you felt about him. Unfortunately it made Giyu want to hide in a corner for the rest of his life right after.
This is why no one likes him he's sure, he's weird and thinks things that he shouldn't about other women. Then again, he's never thought about it with another woman besides you.
Everyone was sure that he was a lonely weirdo that wouldn't find anyone. Maybe he would.
Mitsuri, Rengoku and Uzui are sure he is in love even though they didn't know who it was. Sanemi and Obanai just think he's high, either way he likes it.
He likes it...
He's sure he likes it...
He likes it so much.... Maybe too much
But he doesn't at the same time...
He loves it, but that's what scares him...
It scares him because that would mean that he has fallen for you.
He has fallen for you hard.
He loves you.
The two of you fell in love too fast and now you might as well start courting.
I mean, what else are you going to do?
The real problem was the fact that you didn't want to be emotional and Giyu didn't want to cause you pain if anything were to happen.
Yet he couldn't help himself when he wanted to be around you. It made him feel alive and he wasn't sure what to do.
So that's how he finds himself almost a year later.
He's in fear of his life because he almost died on a mission and the impending love he had for you about to explode his heart wasn't helping either.
All he knew is that he had to get to you, he had to tell you everything. Whether or not he ruined the relationship or was healed yet.
He fought against the Kakushi to get out of the butterfly mansion, not caring if he would hurt himself more.
Aoi tried to stop him and he wasn't trying to be rude, he was just a man on a mission and the fact of the matter is that he could care less.
He even scared Shinobu when she watched him walk out of the mansion. She tried to tell him to rest but if she was being honest, there was no real point in trying when he was moving so fast.
When Giyu finally found you standing outside and looking at the red, cloud-filled sunset, he tried to give a small smile but even that couldn't mask the weariness that showed on his face.
Despite how tired he was, he wanted to see you first, before even allowing himself to rest. He wouldn't rest, not yet.
It seemed that his feelings for you were so strong that even the exhaustion and pain he had just experienced wouldn't stand in the way of confirming something that he desperately needed to know.
"Giyu? Aren't you supposed to be healing at the butterfly mansion?" You ask in surprise as you watch him walk towards him. You were nervous cause here he was, trying to walk around in your house like a normal person.
Not that Giyu wasn't strong because he was and you loved seeing him when he was around, but he needed his rest and he deserved it.
You had listened into a conversation that Gyomei was having with Mitsuri. He was saying that Giyu was going to be taken to the butterfly mansion for healing even though he could still stand and walk around when the clean up crew found him.
Giyu was taken back by your concern, but he quickly hid it behind his usual calm demeanor. It seemed out of character for him to show any kind of vulnerability. Not that he wasn't going to show it eventually.
"I was at the butterfly mansion for healing, but I wanted to see you first, and check on you." His voice was slightly hoarse from the amount of screaming he probably did on his mission.
"How have you been? Are you doing alright?" Giyu inquired, hoping to see some sign of affection from you.
"I'm fine, thank you." You responded with a small smile, flattered that he wanted to check on you to make sure that you were okay. The funny thing was the fact that he was the one that almost died.
"You shouldn't be walking around like this when you're injured." You continued, standing still for a moment before looking at his hand.
Hesitantly, you softly grab a hold of his hand and meticulously massaging his palm. Your thought was that would make him feel better.
As far as he was concerned, all the heat in his body went straight to his... Cock?
Lord have mercy. No way in hell was Giyu going to even allow that to interfere with anything, at least not yet.
Giyu didn't expect you to be so gentle with him, yet he welcomed the gesture. He always kept others at arm's length, but with you, he couldn't help but find himself comfortable enough with your touched.
That’s probably why he suddenly got all hard.
He smiled at your concern, not yet accepting that he could be this vulnerable and dependent.
"I'm okay, it's really nothing." Giyu said, trying to downplay the seriousness of his mission.
"I'm just glad you're alright." He whispered softly.
You nodded your head, not looking at him and keeping your gaze focused on his hand. You knew that he was lying and not only was he injured, he was so stressed out that you could feel it in his hands and arms.
"You must be tired." Was all you said as you started to massage his fingers and then slowly up his arm. You felt bad for him since he looked so tired and the fact that he wanted to see you in this state was almost romantic. It was definitely cute.
Giyu's pride wouldn't allow him to accept any help, but he also knew that deep down he needed your comfort and reassurance. As you continued to massage his hands and arm, he found himself wanting to return the gesture.
When he finally looked at you, he found it hard to speak. The expression on your face made him feel butterflies in his stomach. In that moment, he could only think of how lucky he was to know such a lovely woman. As he looked up at you, he gently pulled you closer.
He's so glad that you slipped up on your breathing technique, otherwise he still wouldn't know you.
"I don't feel so tired anymore." He whispered, clearly knowing what to do even though he had no clue what to do. This must have all been from instinct because he had no experience in this.
"No?" You ask him, allowing him to pull you closer to him. Whether it was an attempt for a hug or something more you didn't know but you felt comfortable. Although you had a feeling he was trying to initiate something.
"Why aren't you tired anymore?" You continue, being just as gentle with his other hand as you were with the last one you massaged.
Giyu pulled you even closer, his face just inches away from yours. A small but tired smile spread across his lips as he began to answer your question.
"Because you're here, and I want to stop beating around the bush."
He looked into your eyes with an intensity that seemed almost animalistic. He wanted to show you how special you were to him, and what better way than to express it physically.
He was going to love on you... Not like that though, he was just going to kiss you until you yell at him to stop.
At least, in his mind it seemed like a good idea, although it may have just been from your physical touch but he was absolutely sure he loved you.
"... Well have you eaten anything recently?" You ask as he slowly buried his head in the crook of your neck.
You felt flattered, you felt more than flattered. You and Giyu both had been courting in a way and it was quite obvious that the two of you liked each other. Even so, you didn't really know what else to do.
Giyu nuzzled your neck before answering you, his words mixed with soft chuckles of affection.
"No, I haven't had anything to eat yet." He admitted.
"You should eat."
"I'll eat later, it can wait."
You both had been so busy with Hashira work and beating around the bush that romance had been pushed to the side. Now that the two of you had time, it was time that you both dealt with your feelings. He wasn't going to let you go without at least talking to you about how he felt.
"I was worried I wouldn't make it back... I was... I was so scared" Giyu confessed, his head still resting on your shoulder. "But I... I very much like you, I think... That I love you. So I wanted to come back to tell you that."
"... You... Do you really love me?" You ask, wanting to hear him say it again. Maybe you should have paid more attention to your mother when she said that you'll experience a love like this.
"Yes... I believe I love you more than anything, and I was scared of leaving without you knowing that. I don't know why, but I thought of you and I was so scared... I didn't know what to do, I know I love you."
"... Thank you." You respond, placing your hand on top of his head as Giyu kisses your cheek. He had kissed you once but hadn't given you a kiss since then.
"I missed you, I was hoping that you would be okay so that I could see you again." You comment with a small but warm smile. Even though you could be naive sometimes, clearly he was confessing to you. "I... I love you too... Maybe I should have said that sooner."
As the moment became more intimate, Giyu knew that he couldn't handle not kissing you anymore.
Looking up at you with eyes that were full of affection and adoration, he moved his face up to touch yours. Your lips made contact with each other as Giyu's hand moved behind your head, his thumb slowly caressing you.
He was sure that he loved you, it couldn't be just lust because if it was, he wouldn't have thought about you when he almost encountered his death bed.
"Thank you for always being there for me." Giyu whispered as he lost himself in a moment that he had never felt before.
Giyu was feeling dumb, filled with color and emotion while you happened to be hyper aware. Maybe this was a good thing, a small amount of love could go a long way in a short amount of time.
"You're welcome." You mumbled, letting Giyu kiss your forehead before giving you a small kiss on your nose.
Heck, he could marry you right now and he wouldn't mind. In fact, he would love that.
You leaned in, kissing him and not knowing where to put your hands before finally deciding to let them hold onto Giyu's haori
Giyu had no time to feel lightheaded and embarrassed, he wasn't prepared but he wasn't going to hold off.
He loved you, and he knew that. He also knew that you must have loved him if you had kissed him back. The two of you weren't acquaintances or friends anymore.
He would be so happy if you would care to be his lover and maybe in the future, his wife.
...
"We'll be prepared, I'm sure since-" Tanjiro quickly stopped, looking at the sight of Giyu and a woman he did not recognize.
It was very cute and Tanjiro couldn't help but smile at the lovingness that Giyu seemed to show the female.
Tanjiro would have left to give the couple privacy if he hadn't been walking with both Muichiro and Genya.
"Who is that?" Muichiro asks, gazing at the woman while trying his absolute best not to smile at the romantic sight.
"Whatever, let's just go!" Genya yells, clearly embarrassed by the whole thing.
"Shh! Don't yell Genya!"
"It seems like a beautiful demon slayer has caught the attention of a Water Hashira." Muichiro starts, pretending to be the invisible narrator in some unknown story while being way too flamboyant.
"Seriously?"
"Oh c'mon Genya, have some fun."
"Let's give the two some privacy." Tanjiro comments, chuckling as the three of them walk off.
Tanjiro and the rest were apparently wrong. It seemed like Giyu wouldn't be alone for the rest of his life, and Tanjiro was happy for him.
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piratefishmama · 1 year
Text
Forgiven not Forgotten | Part 6
Matchmaking would unfortunately have to wait. As much as the parents wanted to dive right in, meddle a little, be insufferable, it was well overdue after all, there were more pressing concerns. Eddie was awake. He was awake, coherent, sure he’d been initially a little loopy loo on the drugs, but he was able to answer questions, simple questions. Sort of.
“What year is it?”
“I mean, I thought it was 1986 but I seem to be missing a couple of years so, pretty sure it’s 1988 now. So much for graduating.”
“Who’s the president?”
“Man I dunno, how would I know? I just told you I’m missing a couple of years. Reagan? Is it still Reagan?”
“It’s still Reagan, Eds, election isn’t for another few months.”
“Thanks, Stevie.” Eddie turned back to the doctor “Reagan then.”
“Don’t help the patient, Mr Harrington.” Steve mouthed a sorry but didn’t actually look sorry. Eddie just smiled at him. A conspiratorial little grin shared between them, like an inside joke they’d never had the moment to create. It continued on like that for a good half an hour, boring step by step questions to ascertain just how much of Eddie’s memory was simply not there.
It turned out, he remembered nothing from after he took his seemingly last breath, to waking up in that room. Or at least that was what he was sticking to. Until the doctors left and everyone decided to leave Steve on his own in that room with him. The Harringtons gently guiding Dustin out as well, offering to get him something from the vending machines as their sandwiches had been distributed already to those sitting in with Max, Will, and Eleven via Robin.
Stinson had already collected the documents and was likely off to do whatever she had to do to fulfil her promises.
“I do remember some stuff.” Eddie finally broke the silence that seemed to fall over them the second everyone left the room. Steve’s eyes shot to him, wide, fearful? Why was he afraid? He held up a hand quickly, then got up out of his chair. Eddie watched in confused silence as Steve rummaged around the room, checking around things, the flowers people had left, the plant in the corner of the room, the TV that hadn’t been turned on, each of the little machines, he even checked the lights, and only when apparently satisfied, his search coming up empty-handed, did he finally turn back to Eddie.
“What do you remember, Eddie?”
“Nothing out here I guess.” He wasn’t going to ask why Steve ransacked the room, it didn’t really matter. “The real world I mean. It was like… a void. This big, dark space. It felt like I was stuck in limbo, but I could like… make stuff appear if I thought about it hard enough.” Steve’s continued silence only prompted him to talk more “like—like my bedroom back at the trailer? I could make that appear, everything in it, crystal clear, I could use stuff in it like my guitar, or my yo-yo! I could make the picnic table behind the school appear, I could even make Red’s living room appear if I thought about it hard enough… it was like… like I was stuck in my own brain or something, it was only places I’d been too. Time didn’t really… move there, y’know? I thought I’d only been gone a few days.”
Steve was looking down at the floor, brows furrowed, eyes flicking as if searching for answers in his own mind, working through theory after theory in silence. “Was it just you in there?”
“Mhm yeah, I mean… sorta. I think so. I mean, the mirror in my room always freaked me out a little bit but… I dunno, it was me just—”
“Not you.”
“Yeah. How’d you—"
“Don’t talk about this. At all, with anyone else. Okay? Nobody else. Not even the kids. This cannot leave this room, alright?” Eddie’s eyes flicked to the door, before he nodded “you stick to your story, you don’t remember anything. Nothing. You got ate, you woke up here. Nothing in between. Not the void. Nothing. That’s the story you stick to. Got it?”
“…Steve… what happened?” Steve sat back down beside his bed.
“Nothing good, nothing good happened these past two years okay? But as long as you don’t remember, and with what we know, I don’t think there’s anything out there that could jog that memory, you’ll be fine.” Eddie let his eyes drop to his lap, fingers fiddling with the blankets, full of nervous, uncertain energy. He was missing something. He was missing a lot of somethings, but Steve was right. It wasn’t like there was a fog in his mind where memories should have been, he remembered dying, the void, and then waking up. Nothing was missing there. He didn’t even feel like he was missing something. “I’m not going to tell you what happened, Eddie so don’t ask. There are things that you don’t need to know, things that you wouldn’t want to know. Just be grateful that you don’t remember them, and that you’re here, alright?”
“…I still don’t know how I’m here.”
“You don’t need to, just… be glad you are. We all are.”
“…All of you?”
“All of us, Munson.”
They fell into silence again, not uncomfortable, Steve seemed content where he was, a little troubled maybe, there were lines on his face that weren’t there before, stress and worry having etched permanent lines into his skin the past two years, but he was content. “Steve I—”
The door bursting open cut off anything Eddie would have said, he wasn’t even sure what he was going to say, he didn't have a plan but Steve was staying so he had to say something even if it would have been dumb... so he was sort of glad it happened.
He was glad Robin burst in and immediately took to reaching for the TV with a “you have to see this shit.” As her explanation as a news channel, the screen split between two women quickly came into view. one in a news studio, one backed by a horrorscape the people in the room unfortunately recognised.
“—he closest we’ve been allowed to get to Hawkins Indiana in the last two years, after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked this quaint town 80 miles outside of Indianapolis. This town, once struck by tragedy, after tragedy, now lays desolate, a wasteland, and although the government remains tight lipped as to the exact cause of the decay which has steadily overcome this town for the last two years, government operatives who have been slowly picking through the wreckage of this disaster looking for more survivors, have assured us that it is a contained and isolated incident.”
“And this decay… I’m sure towns nearby will be worried, it can’t spread further, right?” The anchor prompted.
“No Judy, we have been assured that, while it remains classified, the cause has been located, and destroyed by a combined herculean effort from both civilian, and government forces.”
“Is there any further information on the murders that took place just before this disaster struck? If you recall some were claiming these disasters were tied to satanism and caused by ritualistic sacrifices at work?”
“Unfortunately the losses sustained in this catastrophe include the majority of the police force investigating this heinous crime, however our sources have revealed the true identity of the perpetrator, to be none other than a Mr Henry Creel, brought to justice by the very man he framed for the murders of Chrissy Cunningham, Patrick McKinney, Fredrick Benson, and the attempted murder of Maxine Mayfield. Eyewitnesses have come forward to reveal Edward Munson was seen alongside several other civilians who will remain nameless, heroically subduing the man in his attempt to flee a second thankfully unsuccessful attempt on miss Mayfields life. His reign of terror over this small town, finally ended by the very people he tormented.”
“I have here that Henry Creel was presumed deceased several years ago, is that correct?”
It was so scripted, everything about it, nothing felt real but… they were at least pinning it on the actual guilty party.
Creel’s human face revealed on screen in between the two video feeds, a blurry ID photo with no discernible origin used as the picture. It disappeared again shortly after, the two feeds growing larger once more to fill the split screen.
“Yes. Perhaps that is what gave him the freedom to enact this terrible crime without suspicion. He was being held in a private psychiatric facility which cares for mentally traumatised youths, pronounced deceased to protect him from association with his father, Victor Creel. He escaped spring of '86 under the name Peter Ballard, and immediately took to live up to his fathers’ terrible legacy.”
“And what can you tell us about the survivors of this catastrophe?”
“Once a population of just under 15,000, survivors have been spread across just four hospitals in Roane County. The death toll…” the reporter appeared to breathe, she looked down for a moment, clearly emotional “unfathomable. This will surely go down in history as one of the worst natural disasters The United States has ever experienced.”
“Thank you, Harriet.” The second feed was cut, the anchor taking up the entirety of the screen once more. “Government officials have stated that the names and current locations of identified survivors will be made available at this free to call automated line.” A number flashed up on the screen. It stayed there for just long enough to write it down “it will be shown over the course of the following weeks until all survivors are claimed by family or friends.”
The camera switched to another anchor, a man. “In lighter news, Washin—” Robin turned off the TV. Screw lighter news.
Steve stared at the now blank screen, mouth hanging open, “Did they just—”
“Pin the blame on the actual guy who did it while giving Eddie the credit for taking his ass down? Haha, yeah. Stinson didn’t fuck around.”
“Holy shit. That was like, an hour. Maximum.”
“Stinson, didn’t fuck around. Also your parents have been calling estate agents in Bloomington.”
“Huh?”
Eddie needed a nap.
Part 8
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theminecraftbee · 3 months
Note
can i request three somehow forced into a fake dating situation
Three stares directly into Martyn’s eyes. They are blue and of an average size. It feels as though maybe this should be against the rules, but according to the book it had read, this was… normal. A normal thing to do on a date. Look deeply into someone’s eyes. It would not be suspicious at all, even though Three isn’t really sure how to look more or less deeply into anyone’s eyes at all. Eyes are not flat, but even when Three Looks, it isn’t as though there is anything interesting in there.
Martyn is sweating somewhat. He looks away first.
Three’s pretty sure this counts as a victory, especially given Martyn can’t see Three’s face behind the mask anyway. It is good Three has now won the game of ‘staring lovingly into its date’s eyes’, because that had been a strange, threatening mortal ritual. It would rather not do that again.
“Haha, thanks again for agreeing to this date,” Martyn says, very suspiciously looking around the small cafe in a bustling semi-private Origins server. “It’s been so long since we’ve gotten to hang out like this. Gods, do I sound stupid.”
“You do,” Three says.
“You don’t have to answer those,” Martyn says.
“Will comply,” Three says.
“Oh, for the love of—we’re on a date. A date!” Here, Martyn winks obnoxiously. “It’s not a mission.” He winks obnoxiously again. “Besides, you should lighten up!”
“Will comply,” Three says.
“You know, I had forgotten how obnoxious that was,” Martyn says cheerfully. “Anyway, I should order us some drinks! Have some conversation! Keep an eye out around us, yeah, for our waiter?”
“You are not very subtle,” Three says.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Martyn says. “Besides, honestly? I am really glad to just hang out with you. Because we’re dating! On this server for fancy couples. Yep.”
The problem is, of course, that a fancy origins server is a great place for the strangest of people to hide.
When Martyn had asked a favor, Three had been… uncertain. This was not because Three doesn’t care for Martyn—it does, greatly—or because Three didn’t want to see Martyn—they’d met up a few times before now, tentative and quiet and frustrated and all the things that were hard to explain, and then in all the ways they were okay again—but because Martyn, for all Three cares for him, is still an idiot.
Three is its own handler, now. It does not have to follow handlers that are morons. It had told Martyn this. When Martyn had stopped wheezing, he’d explained that it’d be fun. Not Listener business, he promised; he still hadn’t quite gotten out, but he wouldn’t drag Three in, Scout’s honor.
(Three believes him. It’s never been that Three doesn’t trust him.)
It was a friend of Martyn’s that had gone missing. Apparently, on some fancy modded server? And now, Martyn wanted Three to come help him do some recon because, quote, “Jimmy laughed at me until he cried and that hurt me a little bit, not going to lie, and I’ve used up the favors Ren owes me, and Oli was busy. Have you met Oli? You’d like Oli.”
(Three did not like Oli.)
Three agreed, despite its better judgement. The reason it thought this may be a poor plan was because—
“Ah, the lovely Valentines,” the waiter says. He gives them a plate of lovely heart-shaped calamari. Three wonders if they had belonged to heart-shaped squid. “It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful here with my beloved!” Martyn says.
The waiter and Martyn both look at Three. Three doesn’t say anything and sits perfectly still.
“Um,” the waiter says.
“It’s for a health condition,” Martyn says, which technically isn’t a lie.
“Very well, sirs, although it may get in the way of the kissing competition!”
Martyn, who had just started sipping some wine, chokes on it.
“I will win the kissing competition,” Three says.
Martyn chokes harder.
“I will see you to it!” the waiter says. “And of course, our patented species comparability exam is the highlight of the evening.”
“Oh. I am not sure I can produce viable offspring,” Three says.
The waiter stares at Three. Three stares back, although not into the waiter’s eyes, as to not cause any confusion. The mask somewhat prevents that from working, though.
“Very well then,” the waiter says. “I suppose just—do you need help?”
“It knows what it’s doing,” Martyn hisses.
“I did do research before coming here,” Three says.
“I’ll just head on,” the waiter says, in a tone that suggests to Three that maybe it did not do enough research before agreeing to help Martyn.
Oh well.
At least the mask means it doesn’t have to keep a straight face as it picks Martyn off the ground and, completely flat in tone, says: “Do not die. I would be sad if you died of something as stupid as choking on wine.”
“I asked for this,” Martyn says.
“Yes,” Three says. “You did. That is why I am here.”
(Beneath the table, it grabs Martyn’s hand. Martyn squeezes Three’s hand back. It had missed him, though. For all they do not see each other often—)
(Well. It had missed him, though.)
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tired-and-ticklish · 2 months
Text
The Dangers Of Bows
Disclaimer: This is a tickle fic, so if that isn’t your thing, then just ignore this. 
Summary: Angel Dust likes pulling pranks. He really should have thought about his plan to prank Alastor a bit more thoroughly.
TW: Tickling (maybe a bit intense?), Restraints, Swearing, Mentions of Cannibalism, Angel Dust being Angel Dust.
Inspiration: This video
In Angel Dust’s defense, he thought it wouldn’t work.
In Angel’s defense, he thought someone would have stopped him.
In Angel’s defense, he thought Alastor would have noticed sooner.
In his defense, he had not expected the Overlord to be that distracted when talking with Rosie. The Cannibal Overlord had come to the hotel to get a good look at the new ‘business venture’ the Radio Demon had taken interest in. Apparently, talking to her put Alastor in such a good mood, he almost forgot where he was for a moment, and thus, didn’t feel the spider demon tie a bow around his tail.
Angel hadn’t even been aware Alastor even had a tail, until Niffty mentioned it off-handedly one day. That gave the spider an idea for a small prank, just a small one. Alastor also liked pranks, sure, but Angel didn’t want to end up double dead. Despite what people may think, he isn’t that stupid.
Or maybe he is, considering he went through with the prank, even though most of his instincts told him it was a terrible idea. He had waited until one of the rare days Alastor wasn’t wearing his trademark coat, and thus, his little deer tail was on full display. The Radio Demon only did this in the presence of Rosie, considering they had been friends for who knows how long.
“Certainly not as long as me and Al’!” Mimzy had said once.
The spider demon had honestly thought Alastor would have noticed his presence sooner, or caught onto Angel’s plans quicker. Hell, he was pretty sure Rosie had even seen him sneaking up on the deer, and yet, she didn’t say anything. Maybe she was curious as to how this would all turn out.
What Angel failed to remember was Alastor’s own shadow, which was almost like having a second Radio Demon. As soon as the bow was tied on, the spider let out a startled noise as Alastor’s shadow grabbed him, pulling him down and restraining Angel to the floor.
“My, you must have a double-death wish.” Alastor said calmly, looking over to the pinned pornstar. “Sneaking up on me while I’m having a conversation with an old friend?”
Angel let out a nervous chuckle. “Alright, you caught me Al.” He said, holding his hands up placatingly. “Dumbass move on my part, I know-”
“He tied a bow to your tail.” Rosie interrupted, casually sipping the tea Charlie had made.
Slowly, Alastor turned his head around to check if what his companion was saying was true. Angel had forgotten that the Radio Demon could turn his head like an owl, it being completely turned as he looked at his own tail. Sure enough, there was a bright pink, sparkly bow tied to the deer tail. Alastor’s head snapped back toward Angel’s direction, the pornstar instantly filled with dread.
“And you didn’t think to warn me beforehand?” He asked Rosie, incredulous.
“I think it’s cute~” She teased.
“A-Al, we can talk about this, r-right?” Angel pleaded, trying to crawl away. “I-It’s just a little joke, you know?”
Alastor seemed to consider this, scratching his chin in thought. “Well, my arachnid acquaintance, if you desired a laugh, you simply needed to ask.”
Before Angel could question what the Radio Demon meant, he saw it. The mischievous glint in Alastor’s eyes as he kneeled by the trapped spider. His shadow yoinked Angel’s arms upward, giving the deer easy access to his worst spots. Angel’s eyes widened, shaking his head frantically.
“W-Wait wait wait! Y-You don’t have to do this Al!” The nervous smile was already starting to form on his face.
“Do what~?” Alastor asked, before poking the spider’s sides. “I’m not doing anything.”
Angel bit his lip, trying to twist and turn away from the Radio Demon’s hands. It was useless, of course, as Alastor’s shadow held the spider firmly in place. The deer poked and prodded at Angel’s sides, his claws slowly, torturously tracing over the spot.
“Ah ah ah.” Alastor tutted when he noticed the spider biting his lip. “Why are you resisting now? You wanted a laugh, so I’m giving you one!”
“A-Ahahahal Ahahal I’m sohhohohorry! I-Ihihihih’ll lehehheeave yoohohohu aloohohohone!” Angel pleaded.
“You should have thought about that before, Angel.” Alastor chuckled.
Rather than go right for the spider’s worst spot, the Radio Demon decided to go for his own personal favorite spot: the ribs. He started at the top, just close enough to Angel’s armpits to get him nervous, before slowly dragging his claws down, tickling each rib with feather-like touches that made Angel lose it.
“S-Smihihihihles plehehehehease!”
“Sorry Angel.” Alastor said, not at all apologetic. “I am a cannibal, I just have to go for your ribs!”
Angel was about to let out another protest or plea, when he squealed as he felt a second set of hands tickling his stomach. He was regretting his decision to wear a crop top that day. Alastor raised an eyebrow, looking over and spying Rosie, who had her own grin.
“Oh Alastor, don’t you know the best part is the stomach?” Rosie asked, digging her nails into the spider’s fluffy belly.
“Really? Again with this discussion, Rosie?” Alastor asked, amused. “Ribs are the far superior meal.”
“Oh please, just look at how soft and tender the stomach is!”
Angel was losing his mind! Both Overlords were tickling him and acting like he wasn’t even there! He sputtered as he felt the Cannibal Overlord drag a finger slowly up the pink streak on his stomach.
“See? This one even comes with his own outline for where we could cut! Just open up this sensitive little belly~”
“Please, he’s so thin, I highly doubt his stomach would be of any value.”
Honestly, most people would be panicking from two cannibals talking about eating them or cutting open their stomach, but Angel knew that if Alastor really wanted to eat him, he wouldn’t bother with tickling him first. That just wasn’t who Al was, he wasn’t someone to give his victims comfort before eating them.
What Angel was panicking about was how close Rosie’s finger was getting to where his belly button would be. Before he could even attempt to beg, she dug right in.
“SHHIHIHIHIT SHIHIHIHIT!”
“See, Alastor? Listen to those little squeals!” Rosie teased.
Alastor let out his own amused chuckle. “Surely you’re joking. I think he’ll scream louder if I do this~”
Without warning, Alastor’s claws dig right into the top of the spider’s ribs, making him howl with laughter. Angel tried to squirm away, pull his arms down, anything to try to block out the sensations, but the Radio Demon’s shadow held firm. All the spider could do was kick his legs out, the only part of him not restrained currently.
“P-PLEHEHEHEASE PLHEHEHEASE IHIHIHIH’M SOHOHOHOHOHRRY!”
“You know, Angel, it’s rather rude to interrupt a conversation.” Alastor hummed. “Did no one teach you any manners?”
“Guess we’ll have to help him with that~” Rosie teased.
She ceased her tickling, allowing Angel to slightly catch his breath, still laughing as Alastor’s hands stayed at his ribs. The pornstar then felt Rosie hold onto his waist, his eyes widening as he realized what she was about to do. He pleaded, shaking his head as Rosie lowered her own toward his stomach.
“W-Wahahahit wahhahait dohohoohn’t!”
Angel’s pleas fell on deaf ears as Rosie blew a raspberry right into his stomach, making him squeal so loud, Alastor thought the whole hotel might hear. The Radio Demon hummed, deciding to show a little bit of mercy and cease tickling Angel’s ribs, allowing the pornstar to only focus on Rosie’s torment.
“I wonder if Husker knows about this little weakness of yours, Angel?” Alastor teased, humming a bit. “A few little raspberries and you’re practically a mess!”
Angel couldn’t help but blush as Alastor said that. The idea of Husk finding out how well raspberries worked on him making the spider both terrified and excited. He kind of hoped Alastor would tell the bartender, it’d save Angel the embarrassment of telling Husk himself. He was pulled out of those thoughts by another raspberry, and a few nibbles to his stomach.
As both Overlords noticed Angel’s laughter start to sound desperate, Rosie stopped her onslaught. Alastor snapped his fingers, his shadow releasing it’s hold, allowing the spider to curl up on himself, rubbing the spots where a few phantom tickles lingered.
“I do hope this goes without saying.” Alastor said, leaning near Angel’s face. “But I trust Rosie’s visit won’t be interrupted anymore?”
“Y-Yeah, yeah, no more interruptions.” Angel said, catching his breath.
“Delightful!” Alastor said, before getting up and dusting himself off. He held out a hand to help Rosie up.
“Aww, don’t be too upset Alastor.” Rosie hummed, taking Alastor’s hand. “He’s such a cute little thing! No wonder Husker likes him~” She teased, leaning down and pinching Angel’s cheek slightly.
‘Little thing’ was ironic, considering Angel was the tallest person in the hotel. The way Rosie complimented/teased him was… weird, but nice. Like a mother or aunt teasing you about your crush. While Angel pushed himself up, Alastor snapped his fingers, the bow the spider tied around his tail now on said spider’s head.
“Pink isn’t really my color.” Alastor hummed.
“Were you more mad about the color than anything?” Angel asked, not putting it past the Radio Demon.
Alastor chuckled. “Not particularly. If it was blue like a certain Television, then, well, I wouldn’t have been as kind.” He said with a threatening grin.
Message heard, loud and clear. Don’t put anything blue on Alastor.
“Now then!” The Radio Demon said, turning to the Cannibal Overlord, holding out his arm for her “All of this has left me famished, shall we head out for a bite?”
“Oooh, you read my mind.” Rosie said, her smile full of teeth as she hooked her arm around Alastor’s, allowing the deer to lead her out of the hotel.
Alastor snapped his fingers one more time, his coat materializing onto him and covering his tail once more.
140 notes · View notes
oneatlatime · 9 months
Text
The Blind Bandit
I had honestly forgotten that the Gaang were trying to find an earthbending teacher, so the 'previously on' segment was actually useful instead of spoilery.
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Nobody's face is having a good time.
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Look at this sweetheart. You go ahead and treat yourself honey. You've single-handedly escorted a pair of earth-shatteringly overpowered tweens around the world for months; the least you deserve is a shopping trip.
"You kids like earthbending?" Has the same energy as "wanna buy a sun dial?" from that animated Hercules movie.
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This guy is one of those strip mall karate types.
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I take back everything I ever said about Zuko's season 1 haircut. This guy has a dust bunny poop on his head.
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Momo's bag now.
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My absolute favourite girl power: incredible violence!
The acoustics at this earth rumble place must be great. I don't see any microphones.
"That's what I paid for." Sokka is a simple creature at heart. Likes food and violence.
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Something very strange about this guy's face. I think his mouth moves but his eyes don't.
So apparently earthbending gets you mad air.
Oh! I get it. This is a WWE parody. Somebody on the writing team did their homework too. Don't ask me how I know, but this is a very accurate parody.
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Sokka thinks listening to big muscles is a very good idea actually.
And here's the heel. Complete with russian accent. And oddly homoerotic anthem. And cowardice when challenged! Yep, total heel.
I LOLed at the zamboni badgermoles and hockey organ.
She's like two feet tall!
I'm. in love.
I could watch little girls beat up grown men all day.
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Earthbending sonar?
Omigod it predicts. She can see moves before they happen.
Well it's a good thing Bumi said to look for someone who Waited and Listened rather than Watched.
"I don't really want to fight you. I want to talk to you." Says the guy who just volunteered, in front of a full stadium, to FIGHT her. Time and place, Aang.
Get back on the ground you flighty airbender. She sees with that ground. No fair.
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This is about the face I made when Aang pulled that move. Does this boy think at all? I love him, but what part of stealing her well-earned title is supposed to convince her to talk to him?
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You messed up.
I love sartorially inclined Sokka. It's a tiny an innocuous little trait, but it rounds out his character so well.
I get to watch two different girls terrorise idiots this episode. I am blessed.
So I'm guessing the two idiots at the earthbending academy are doing that excercise where kung fu people stick their hands in sand (I've seen videos of it) but it really looked like they were in the 'beat back the dough' phase of making bread.
In this universe of plot-convenient clothing blindness, how do Dumb and Dumber recognise Aang as the one who beat the Blind Bandit?
I think the voice actor for the dumb kid with actual hair did a bunch of voices in season 1. The soldier who gives Aang Bato's map comes to mind.
Have I said recently how much I love Sokka and Katara?
These wrestling guys keep switching between first and third person. Too many rocks to the head.
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This could be a board for a murder mystery board game. Or a map for a DND dungeon.
It's her hair. I thought the Blind Bandit had a cap type thing with a little brim for her costume, but it's just a pile of her hair? Like a beehive?
A lesson in character writing: if you want to make someone look super dumb, have them earnestly believe in the credentials and authenticity of a guy you have previously set up as a borderline con artist. Lookin at you, Blind Bandit's dad.
"Basic forms and breathing exercises only." That line is just so funny. And they're all so stupid. She snapped like half a dozen spines last night and this guy is preaching breathing exercises.
Wow! I hate her dad!
I hate him more!
Sokka going ham on some rice rather than listen to the idiots. Good priorities.
This passive aggressive fight between the girl and Aang at the dinner table is so fun.
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Looking for somewhere to store your meal after you've face planted into it? Try the top of your head!
I need to get a hold of some of those magic napkins. Wiped up a whole multicourse meal in like 5 seconds.
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That is indeed the appropriate reaction to this pint sized badass. Glad Aang is learning. (Also this episode needs more Appa. The last couple have been sadly bereft.)
Called it. Earthdending sonar. Or is it more like echolocation? No! Whiskers!
How does this pint sized badass - who if I am understanding correctly, is not known to exist outside the walls of her house - have more emotional intelligence than the entirety of the Gaang put together?
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So much for the guards in the garden. They'd actually be useful now.
Sokka. Priorities. Although given how many times Aang has escaped custody/kidnapping he's probably ok to take a minute to fangirl over an autograph.
These idiot parents don't know their daughter at all. That chafes.
"I'm not smiling." I LOLed at that too. Perfect delivery.
Hippo man having a snack before he gets down to business. No wonder he's missing teeth.
All this blind and tiny and helpless and fragile talk is really making me hope someone smacks the crap out of the dad. What an awful thing to say, nevermind saying it where your daughter can hear.
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SMACKDOWN INCOMING
This is gonna be good.
If this girl does join the Gaang the writers are going to have to nerf her in every major conflict. She's too powerful. I bet she could take on the firelord now.
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And that's why you don't announce sneak attacks.
So remember how Sokka was absolutely losing his shit over the Boulder? That's me right now.
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She waits. All these idiots are losing because they're getting impatient and attacking first. Which means that, to her senses, they're telegraphing their moves. That is so cool. And so is this visual.
Here's your chance Dad. Are you going to mess it up?
"I love fighting. I love being an Earthbender. And I'm really really good at it." me:
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I don't have words for how much I LOVE when little girls STAND UP for THEMSELVES and THEIR INTERESTS. This would have had me HOLLERING if I'd seen it as a kid. It was a message I needed to hear too.
Wow I want to kill her parents.
OH FUCK OFF
COME ON
You made my girl cry.
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Get wrecked belt stealer. I LOLed at this too.
Sokka just beaned a blind girl on the head. Not a good look. I laughed though.
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Fun fact: everyone in this picture is a piece of shit.
I haven't been this steamed since Zuko's dad burned half his face off.
Final Thoughts
IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, this episode feels like it's movie quality. This show is usually excellent, but this feels like a cut above. I feel like I could sense the love the writers, animators, voice actors, everyone had for this episode. They had a good time making it and were enthusiastic about it. And there were lots of tiny background details in this episode too. I'm sure I missed quite a few. Oh No! I'll have to rewatch it!
New team member! That hasn't happened since Momo. Actually, no wonder the episode was so good. Introducing the first new team member in at least a season's worth of episodes is a delicate operation. I bet they were workshopping this episode since early in the first season.
And Toph! (thank you credits for how to spell that - I was really hoping it wasn't Toff). Be still my heart I love Toph. She may well take Sokka's spot as my favourite character. Strength of character, self-assurance, emotional intelligence, badassery, mastery of violence, what's not to love!!!
How did she get so emotionally intelligent and articulate if her parents have kept her caged her whole life? I don't know but I'm not complaining!
How did her parents get away with caging her for her whole life? I do know (money) and I am complaining. Very much so. And yet Toph can still find it within herself to have an honest conversation with them, including apologising for leaving said cage. I never would have had the maturity to do that in a similar situation. I would have gone the Katara explosive rage route.
A little girl who stands up for herself. Against HER PARENTS. I just. Do you know how amazing that is? Especially in a kids' show? I was ROBBED by not being able to see this show when I was Toph's age.
Does bending work like a muscle, in that you build up stamina? Because if so, then Toph is the strongest human earthbender in the world by default. If she's using it in place of seeing, then she's using it 100% of the time that she's awake, all day every day. By the time she was like 5 years old she'd probably used her bending more than the average earthbender does in their whole lifetime.
My one complaint is Toph's voice. Nothing wrong with it; this is a me thing. It fits her perfectly, but my ears do not play well with nasal voices, which hers is. I had to rewind quite a few times and resorted to subtitles by the end. Hopefully I'll get used to it like I did Zuko's.
Sokka! My soon to be demoted beloved! He shone in this episode. I love that he has fashion sense and is not afraid to show it. I'm thinking, what with how hung up he was on masculinity at the start of the show, that the water tribes have a different conception of masculinity: one that classes fashionability as a masculine or gender neutral trait. Even back in season one it didn't take much to get Sokka into the Kyoshi warrior uniform, and he's shockingly good at applying face paint symmetrically. Which I still cannot do with winged eyeliner.
Katara! Not headed for a career in diplomacy but so satisfying to watch. I would love to have a Katara in my pocket that I could unleash on people. And her and Sokka bouncing off each other this episode was great. Every one was at peak performance this episode, except Aang. Not at his brightest this episode.
Checking for typos before I post this and I realise I'd already forgotten that Toph is blind! Just like in the Northern Air Temple, this is how you do disability right: as just a part of who they are, rather than an entire personality. This show is so good.
In sum, Toph:
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192 notes · View notes
softspiderling · 2 years
Text
hooked from hour one | j.h.s.
Summary: He watched as Rooster took you around, introducing you to everyone and Jake’s eye twitched. The two of you looked awfully comfortable around each other, with tons of physical contact. You and Jake hadn’t been dating long, but he thought that you were on the same stage as him when it concerned your relationship. Were you cheating on Rooster with him? But you wouldn’t do that, right?
or, the one where you share a mutual friend, but are unaware of it
pairing: jake “hangman” seresin x reader
warnings: contains smut, minors dni
word count: 6,4k
author's note: omg this beast!!!! So glad to be finally able to share this with you! Been thinking and writing this fic for so long and I think I am finally happy with it now! Mind you, this will kickstart a verse, aptly called wingman's best friend (more on that later). Pls pls don't forget to leave a nice comment/reblog if you liked it, it would mean the world to me!!
From the moment Jake had stepped into the bar, he had his eyes on you. The way you were sipping on your drink, your fingers around the straw, the way you threw your back in laughter as your friend said something, the way you raised an eyebrow at every man that tried to hit on you and your friends.
Absolutely captivating.
Initially, Jake hadn’t planned on taking anyone home, just wanting to have a drink by himself, but he quickly changed his mind when he saw you. He wasn’t sure on how to approach you at first, however. Jake was usually a hit with the ladies and the gentlemen, but your confidence and the way you shot about just every man down that even stepped in your vicinity clearly put a dent in his confidence. He wasn’t about to ask you out just to be rejected. He had to play it smart.
“I got another whiskey on the rocks for you,” the bartender suddenly said, sliding the drink across the counter, the ice cube clinking against the glass.
“I haven’t even finished my first,” Jake answered, somewhat confused and the bartender swung a towelette over his shoulder, tilting his head to the right. 
“It’s from the lady over there.”
And sure enough, you leaned back into Jake’s sight, raising your glass at him and he actually flushed, nodding at you in gratitude. It didn’t take long until you excused yourself to your friends, pushed your chair back and made your way over to Jake, a grin on your face. 
“You know, I’ve got to give it you. You managed to get my attention without disrupting my friends and I,” you told him, taking a seat next to him.
“Well, you didn’t look like you wanted to be interrupted,” Jake said easily, swirling the whiskey around in the glass. He kept his tone light, even though he was buzzing underneath his skin. Jake couldn’t really put a finger on what exactly it was about you that made him so nervous. But you did. 
And it was different than talking to the people Jake just wanted to take home. He didn’t just want to take you home. He wanted to take you home and keep you there. Which kind of made him sound insane since he just met you like five minutes ago.
“Good call. It definitely makes you more likable already.” You leaned your elbow on the counter turning to your side to look at him, drinking him in. When you told him your name, he was sure it burned into his brain, never to be forgotten. 
“Jake Seresin.”
“So, Jake. What’s someone like you doing drinking by yourself?”
“I was feeling restless at home, so I thought I’d come out here for a drink. Friends were all busy so I came alone. You’re welcome to join me, though,” Jake suggested and you only smiled, as if you knew something he didn’t. Sliding a piece of paper to him, you pushed your chair back, leaving Jake puzzled. 
“I am busy tonight. But you can give me a call, if you're lucky I am free.”
With that, you joined your girlfriends, who were standing by the door, clearly laughing at him. Jake guffawed at first, staring at your number on the counter and back to you. Winking, you exited the bar and Jake only huffed out a laugh. 
Well, apparently he wasn’t taking anyone home. At least not tonight. You really got him good.
///
After Jake called you, not even 24 hours after you first met, you had your first date at a nice restaurant he picked. One date quickly turned into two, three, seven? Jake wasn’t sure. He stopped counting by the time you had turned up on his doorstep with a pizza on a random Monday evening. And it’s been nice. Really nice even. He couldn’t remember the last time he enjoyed another person’s company so much. Right now, you were standing in his kitchen, trying to figure out dinner. 
“Can you help me chop up the veggies? If you have a second cutting board,” you said, halving the cherry tomatoes. Jake complied, pulling another cutting board out of the cupboard, taking the leafy greens - bok choy he presumed - out of the water. With narrowed eyes, he reached for the knife, his eyes never leaving the cherry tomatoes.
“What’s your problem now?” you asked with a sigh, dropping the tomato, the knife still in your hand as you looked up at him, clearly exasperated. 
“... I don’t like tomatoes.”
“My god Jake, don’t be such a baby.” You rolled your eyes at the minor inconvenience, but Jake made a sound that suspiciously sounded like a whine. Your head was turned away but he could tell you were laughing by the way your body was shaking. 
“You didn’t seem to mind them on your pizza.”
“That’s different,” Jake argued, cutting the butt off of the bok choy. “That’s marinara sauce. Not tomatoes.”
“Is it a texture thing or a taste thing?” you wanted to know, pouring the halved cherry tomatoes in the bowl, checking on the shrimps in the stock. 
“It’s a tomato thing,” he sniffed and you muttered under your breath. Jake was sure it was profanities. 
“I’m not going to leave it out of the soup, but I won’t put that many in your bowl, okay? Will you at least try it?”
You had put the wooden spoon down, hands wrapped around his bicep and with the way you were looking at him, Jake was sure he’d do anything you would ask him too. 
“Fine,” he grumbled, begrudgingly, his frown only disappearing slightly when you kissed his cheek, returning your attention to the stove. He watched as you put the finishing touches on dinner, only grimacing slightly as the tomatoes were added. 
As you plated the bowls, Jake ripped open the package of chopsticks you brought, guessing correctly that he did not have them in his drawer, setting the table as well as he could. You brought the two steaming bowls to the table and sat down, looking at him. 
“Go on, try it.”
Jake somewhat clumsily picked up the noodles with the chopsticks, draping them on the spoon before adding a tomato, with a pointed look in your direction, before putting it in his mouth, humming in surprise. 
“The tomato is actually not that bad,” he admitted and you danced  in your chair in victory. 
“Told you so,” you gushed, digging into your own bowl. The two of you spent the next couple of minutes in silence, with the occasional slurp by Jake, not having mastered eating with chopsticks quite just yet. 
“You know when you offered to cook dinner, I was expecting something like chicken alfredo or some steak and gravy, not shrimp tom yum,” Jake said in between bites and you chuckled, placing your chopsticks on the bowl. 
“There’s nothing wrong with pasta or steak. I love that, but if you have it for lunch and dinner every day, you quickly get tired of it, trust me. When my best friend and I used to live together, I was the one cooking for like 90% of the time because Brad is a disaster in the kitchen.”
Jake paused, the name sounding somewhat familiar, but it quickly moved to the back of his head as your story progressed.
“I got tired of pasta, so I just started looking for more recipes, branching out a bit. And it’s definitely come in handy, I never have to wonder what I should cook for dinner,” you said with a shrug of your shoulders. 
“That probably takes a lot of stress off your shoulders. I mostly eat on b- work. I eat at work,” Jake corrected himself quickly and you narrowed your eyes at him. “So I don’t really cook that often.”
You opened your mouth to say something, but apparently decided against it when you closed it again, finishing your dinner. After the two of you were done, you left Jake to do the dishes, not even fighting him on it as he offered to do it, instead making yourself comfortable on the couch. 
When Jake was done, he walked to the living room, pausing in the doorway as he wiped his hands off, watching you tapping on your phone. “You know, “ he started, kneeling on the couch, “other people would fight me to do the dishes.”
“I made dinner,” you pointed out, looking at him with raised brows. “Quid pro quo.”
“I was kidding, I would’ve cooked for you if you had let me,” Jake needled, trailing his hands up your leg and you only watched, amused. 
“Anything I can help you with, mister?”
“I was just wondering if you had planned anything for dessert…” Jake hummed, his fingers hooking into the waistband of your shorts, the other hand ghosting over the buttons. “Otherwise I have some ideas.”
“Oh yeah?” you asked, your eyes dark, and Jake could tell that you were getting antsy. “What’s on the menu?”
“You.”
Jake scooped you up, throwing you over his shoulder, having you squeal, as he carried you into his bedroom, throwing you on the bed, not very gentleman-like. 
You didn’t seem to mind. 
As with everything Jake did, he didn’t waste any time, flicking the buttons of your pants open before he pulled them down swiftly, leaving you in your underwear. You propped yourself up on your elbows, and Jake looked up at you with a smirk before he literally buried his face in your pussy. 
Using his hands to lift your thighs, Jake took his sweet time licking in between your folds and hearing you gasp was music to his ears. Pushing closer against you, he hitched one of your legs over his shoulder, plunging his tongue into you. 
“Oh god, Jake!”
Your hands had found their way into his hair, tugging, not quite so hard that it was painful, but enough that it made him fuck you with his tongue even harder. The way you moaned over him drove him crazy and he grunted into you. His cock was uncomfortably straining against his jeans, but he was determined to make you come first, so he kept swirling his tongue against the bundle of your nerves until you were shaking. 
“I’m close,” you writhed out and Jake detected a hint of surprise in your voice. He was tempted to ask about it, to tease, but at this point it would be kind of mean and he was pretty sure he’d regret it, so he filed it away for later. 
Applying a bit more pressure, while holding the same rhythm, Jake swirled his tongue around you, lifting his eyes just at the right moment when you fell apart, your whole body shaking as you did. 
Satisfied, Jake pulled away from you, biting his lower lip with his teeth, a shit-eating grin on his face after having made you come like that. Your chest was heaving as you recovered from your orgasm, eyes shut. 
“I was that good, huh?”
“Shut up,” you muttered with a huff, dragging him up next to you so you could kiss him, while your hands were steadfastly busy with undoing his belt. Jake’s mouth was still glistening with you, but you didn’t seem to mind, as you eagerly kissed him. When you finally undid his pants, you wasted no time, immediately wrapping your hands around his cock and Jake moaned into your mouth, while you lazily jerked him off, hand slick from his pre-cum. 
“‘m gonna ride you,” you mumbled against his lips, and he merely grunted in agreement, his hand reaching for your shirt, before he pulled it off over your head, tossing it somewhere on the floor. Throwing your leg over his waist, you straddled him, his cock just barely touching your ass. Jake reached up to unclasp your bra, sliding it off your arms and you pulled on his shirt impatiently. 
With a laugh, despite his rock-hard cock, Jake took off his shirt and you immediately put your hands all over him, groaning. 
“God, you’re literally sex on legs.”
“You know I really ought to eat your pussy more often if it gets you like this,” Jake grinned and you huffed, fingers brushing over his abs. 
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Jake.”
Leaning your hands on his chest, you bent down to kiss him, while one hand reached down to guide his cock against your entrance and Jake’s eyes fluttered shut in pleasure when he was engulfed by your warm walls. 
“Oh fuck me…” you sighed, throwing your head head, adjusting to his length and Jake’s eyes fluttered open, smiling lazily at you. 
“That’s the plan, if you’d start moving,” Jake said with a slap on your side and you glared at him, before you started to move, your eyes rolling to the back of the head. He’d never get tired of this sight, watching you fuck yourself on his cock with so much pleasure. Grunting when your nails started digging into his abs, he reached up to cup your breast, his mouth salivating. You laid your hand over his and squeezed; when your eyes fluttered open, staring directly at him, he nearly came then and there. 
“Jesus fuck, you’re killing me,” Jake choked out, dragging you off his cock. Before you could start complaining, however, he already had you on your back, lining up against you, and plunging in, making you moan. 
The sounds that filled his bedroom were obscene and he’d feel guilty for his neighbors, if he actually cared. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss, as he pounded into you, which apparently wasn’t enough for you, judging by your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him in deeper. 
“Harder,” you moaned against his mouth and he’d roll his eyes if he wasn’t enjoying himself so much. Of course he obliged. Your moans turned into cries of pleasure and Jake leaned his head on your shoulder as he thrusted into you, biting at your neck. 
“Are you going to come for me, hm?” He whispered against your skin, the sound of his cock driving in and out of you, constant. “You going to come all over my cock?”
“Yesyesyesyes,” you whined, your back arching when the second orgasm hit you, your entire body shaking. 
Jake followed quickly after, spilling his cum inside of you with your name on his lips. Carefully pulling out, he rolled to the side, as the two of you caught your breath. He pressed a soft kiss to your side, before he reluctantly stood up, knowing he’d needed to clean up, grabbing a towel from the bathroom. Kneeling in between your legs, he carefully wiped you off, making you hiss. 
“Sensitive!” 
“Sorry,” Jake said, not feeling sorry at all, wiping himself off as well before tossing the towel in the hamper, curling around you. A comfortable silence fell over you as Jake drew circles into your skin. 
“So…” Jake started, drawling a bit. “You sounded a bit… Surprised when you came the first time.”
Jake could literally see you rolling your eyes, even though you had your back to him. 
“No one has ever made me come with their tongue before,” you then said and Jake inhaled sharply, feeling a sense of pride and also possessiveness at your words. Pulling you a bit closer, he nipped at your neck, smiling. 
“Where’s my award then?”
You rolled in his arms so quickly, Jake had barely time to react, and that was saying something. In a matter of seconds, you were back on top of him, giving him a devilish smile. Jake gulped at the sight of you, his cock half-hard again already. 
“I was trying to give you some time to recover, but if you’re so eager…”
A few seconds later, you had your mouth wrapped around his cock and he was seeing stars like he was flying at night.
///
With a sigh, Jake pulled the helmet from his head, shaking out his hair. The squadron’s been testing out some new planes for the past weeks and today Jake very much experienced the limits of those planes. He couldn’t even wait for the others and headed straight to the changing rooms, putting his helmet in its designated space on his way. Unzipping his flight suit, he let it drop around his waist, stilling when he passed his locker. Without thinking for too long, he opened the locker, reaching for his phone. 
Sweets: hey
Sweets: idk if I can do dinner tonight, work’s been tough
Sweets: don’t be mad
Furrowing his brow, Jake was disappointed you’d cancel dinner so last minute, especially because you’ve been looking forward to the reservation for like a week. So you must be really down, then. Jake bit his lip, thinking for a second before he decided to call you, phone already ringing against his ear. 
“Hello?”
You sounded small, exhausted. Jake’s never heard you like this and he wasn’t sure if he liked it. What happened to make you, someone who was so inexcusably bright and happy all the time, sound so… Down?
“Hey. It’s me. Are you okay?”
You laughed, though it didn’t sound very happy. “Um, no. Not really. I’m sorry I had to cancel so last minute, I was really looking forward to eating there.”
“No, no. It’s completely fine, don’t worry about it,” Jake looked up when the door to the changing rooms opened, and Javy stepped in. Jake shushed him with a finger on his mouth, turning his phone the other way. “I could maybe pick up some food there and come to your place afterwards. How does that sound?”
Javy raised an eyebrow at him and Jake laid his palm over his mouth. 
“That actually sounds good. Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.”
“You’re the best.”
Javy side-eyed him as Jake hung up the phone, stuffing it back into the locker. Jake didn’t say anything as he stripped out of his flight suit, but he could feel Javy’s eyes staring at the back of his head. 
“What was that?”
“What was what?”
Javy rolled his eyes. “Didn’t know that things were getting serious with the bar girl. That was her, wasn’t it?”
“She has a name,” Jake pointed out and Javy sighed. “She’s not feeling very well and she has been looking forward to that restaurant for like a week. It’s not a big deal.”
“I know it’s not. I was just surprised. I am happy for you, man.”
Javy squeezed Jake’s shoulder and he huffed, hiding his smile before shrugging his hand off of him. God, Javy was so nosy sometimes. Jake knew he only had good intentions but he was pretty sure that Javy was going to pull a stupid stunt like give you the shovel talk when he’d introduce you to him. After Jake showered, he got dressed and drove to the restaurant to pick up several things from the menu. Packed with two take-away bags, Jake made his way over to your place, knocking gently on your door. 
There was some shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened, revealing you. You gave him a small smile and Jake put all the bags in one hand, wrapping his arm around you and pressing a soft kiss on your forehead. He realized that it was very much a boyfriend move, but a kiss on the lips just didn’t seem appropriate, and he didn’t just not want to kiss you. So a forehead kiss it was.  
“Come on, I already set the table,” you said, pulling him inside and grabbing the bags from his hands. While Jake took his shoes off, you put the take away boxes on the table, opening the pizza box before sitting down. 
“Do you want anything to drink?” 
“Just water is fine.”
Jake walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge to grab a water bottle for you, stilling when he saw a six pack of his favorite beer standing in the corner. Breathing out a laugh, he grabbed a beer for himself and a water bottle for you, getting back to the table. If you noticed the beer in his hand, you didn’t say anything so neither did he. 
///
Sweets: you up for a movie tonight? the new marvel movie looks great
Jake: what’s marvel?
Sweets: you’re joking right?
Jake: no
Jake stared at the small ellipses that kept popping up and disappearing, meaning that he had just riled you up on another level. Obviously he knew what Marvel was, Fanboy recently took the whole squadron out for the new Spider-Man movie when it came out. You couldn’t be friends with Fanboy and not know Marvel. When five minutes had passed, and the ellipses were still there, Jake decided to let you off the hook.
Jake: I was kidding. Of course I know what Marvel is.
Sweets: i hate you.
Snorting, Jake fingers flew over the screen of his phone as he replied to you, tensing when he heard steps coming towards him. Quickly, he slipped the phone into the pocket of his flight suit, only to relax again, realizing who it was. 
“Who’s got you smiling at your phone like a fool?”
“None of your business,” Jake said lightly, reaching for his phone again, the message to you still unfinished. Jake leaned away when Rooster tried peeking on the screen, but apparently he saw enough.
“You didn’t tell me you had a girl!”
“You never asked.”
“She must be a saint to be putting up with you,” Rooster joked and Jake huffed, a fond smile on his face. 
“You have no idea.”
“Hey, why don’t you bring her around for my birthday?” Rooster asked and Jake smirked, already having thought of it. “I think all of us would like to meet the girl who can tame you down into a puppy.��
Honestly, Jake wasn’t sure if you’d actually wanted to meet his friends. Were you at that point to meet each other’s friends yet? Is that where the relationship was headed? 
“Watch it, Rooster,” Jake bellowed, though without any heat. “And I was actually thinking about bringing her, but I think she’s busy.”
“Aw, that’s too bad. But bring her around for drinks sometime?”
“We’ll see. I don’t want to chase her off by introducing her to you group of ragtags too soon.”
“Introducing who to us?”
Jake groaned when the rest of the squadron joined, Phoenix raising a meticulously groomed brow at him. 
“Ooooh, does Jake have a girlfriend?” Halo teased and Jake rolled his eyes, brushing her hand off his shoulders. 
“You know, now that you mention it, he has been constantly glued to his phone and ditching us instead of coming to the bar,” Payback hummed in thought, throwing his arm over Jake’s neck. “I thought we were friends.”
“Friends may be a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Don’t tease him, he’s a man in love.”
Jake couldn’t help the flush on his cheeks and everyone started hooting. He threw a dirty look at Javy, his supposed best friend, who definitely will be demoted to friend, soon if he didn’t stop airing out his dirty laundry. Jake looked at Rooster, for some type of support, but the other man only shrugged with his shoulders, having the time of his life. 
“Just for this, I will bring her around even later than I already planned to,” Jake huffed. “Now come on, I have time for one drink before I go meet her.”
For the entire time Jake was at the Hard Deck, the squadron continued teasing him. Jake was annoyed, but he knew that you would love this. God, the worst thing is, you’d probably fit right in with the people Jake called his friends. When he finally announced his departure, they all yelled at him to send regards to you and that they would meet you soon. With a head-shake, Jake made his way home, changing into his civvies and drove over to your place. 
You were already standing out by the sidewalk, climbing into his car when he pulled to a stop. 
“Hi.”
Leaning over, you kissed him sweetly on the lips, before dropping your hands in your lap. “Thanks for driving.”
“Sure thing.”
You spent the entire drive to the movie theater talking about your day, without mentioning your jobs, and exchanged theories about the new Marvel movie. At the movie theater, you did the old dance and grab of paying for the tickets, with Jake paying and accepting defeat when you slapped your card out for the drinks and popcorn. 
During the movie, Jake spent most of it staring at you, instead of the screen and he realized how right Javy was. He’d got it bad for you. After the post-credit scenes have rolled, you turned to him to say how his theory was so wrong, only to find him already looking at you. 
“What?”
“Do you wanna spend the night?”
Caught by surprise by his, admittedly, very random question, you pursed your lips in thought, before nodding. “Sounds good. But I need to eat, I’m starving.”
“We can’t have that, now, can we,” Jake drawled, grabbing his hand and pulling you up. “Come on, I know a pretty good taco place.”
The taco place was on the way to Jake’s house and it wasn’t anything special, really. It didn’t even have tables, so you and Jake had to eat your tacos by the curb of the parking lot the taco truck was parked in. 
“My friends were hassling me about meeting you today,” Jake told you, wiping his hands with the napkins and you raised a brow at him, swallowing the food in your mouth before answering.
“Were they now? And what did you tell them?”
“I said that they can meet you when I deem them worthy enough.”
Snorting out a laugh, you shook your head, throwing the last of your taco in your mouth. You shoved his forehead gently, which was kind of demeaning, but Jake smirked at you, wrapping his arm around you. 
“They told me to bring you around tomorrow-”
“You know I’m busy, I already told you,” you cut in and he gave you a look. 
“Yes, I know. I was listening to you.”
“Good.”
You got to your feet, dragging Jake with you. “Come on, let’s go.”
Jake took you home, and while it was a bit odd to have you with him while he got ready for bed, it wasn’t something that he couldn’t imagine getting used to. But when you crawled under the blankets of his bed, Jake had to pause a bit, that image burning in his head.
When Jake woke up the next morning, he felt your warmth pressing into his body and he smiled before he could even open his eyes. 
“I can literally feel you staring at me,” you mumbled into his chest, leaning back to blearily look at him, your brows furrowed.
So definitely not a morning person then. Noted.
“You must definitely still be asleep then, because I am definitely not staring at you.”
Huffing, you buried your face in the crook of his neck again, groaning. “What time is it?”
Jake reached for his phone, squinting his eyes at the bright screen in the otherwise dark room. He usually liked to keep his curtains only partially drawn to get woken up with the sun rise, but you had vehemently complained against it when you got in bed the night before.
“Ten-ish.”
With that, you started stretching like a cat, almost taking Jake’s eye out in the process. You sat up, wiping your eyes and you had to be the most adorable fucking thing he’s ever laid eyes on. “Do you want to get breakfast before I have to go home? I need to run some errands before I head over to my best friend’s tonight.”
“Sounds like a plan, sweets.”
The two of you got dressed, and got ready in the bathroom, and Jake merely watched you in the mirror as you blinked, brushing your teeth. 
“How many cups of coffee do you need before you’re actually awake?”
“Ask me again after I’ve had my first cup,” you mumbled, mouth full of toothpaste. 
When you were finally done, Jake draped your button up over your shoulder, before herding you to the car, driving to the closest breakfast diner. Luckily, it wasn’t that full and Jake managed to find a booth, quickly flagging down a waitress to order. It was nice out, the sun out and bright, though there was still quite a morning chill. 
You leaned your head against his shoulder as you sipped on your coffee, sighing softly, having opted to sit next to him, instead of on the other side of the booth. 
“You know, I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“Why you never wanted to sleep over. You’re almost like a kitten, all small and complacent.”
Glowering, you side-eyed him. 
“You wanna say that again after I’ve finished this cup?”
Biting back a laugh, he wrapped his arm around you, pressing a firm kiss on your temple. “There she is.”
You finished breakfast while occasionally swiping at each other before you paid the bill, raising a brow at Jake, daring him to fight her for it. He didn’t. 
This time. 
Twenty minutes later, Jake’s truck rolled to a stop in front of your apartment building and you unbuckled from your seat. 
“Hey, before you go,” he stopped you, grabbing your hand gently. “What do you think about coming out for a drink with me and my friends sometime?”
You tilted your head at him, a small smile on your face. Jake actually got nervous the longer you took to answer, but you instead grabbed him by the nape of his neck, pulling him over the console for a kiss, in which Jake nearly lost himself, before you leaned away, biting your lip. 
“I’d like that.”
Climbing out of the car, you gave him one last smile, before you shut the door, heading inside your building. Jake couldn’t help but chuckle at himself, shaking his head and making the drive back home. He spent the rest of the day doing some paperwork he had been pushing off, trying to get the rest of the squadron to not completely escalate regarding Rooster’s birthday present and occasionally texting you. When it rolled around seven pm, Jake got changed and made his way over to an old hangar of Penny’s dad, where Rooster was holding the party. 
“Awe, you didn’t bring your girl?” Halo immediately asked when he got out of his car, having waited with Javy by the parking lot. 
“No. And seeing you prowling around here like this, I’m glad I didn’t,” Jake replied dryly, patting Javy on the back before they walked inside the hangar. 
“You can’t blame Halo. You’ve been holding out on your mysterious girl for so long, the suspense is literally killing us.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Javy,” Jake sighed, plucking his aviators off his nose. “You’ll meet her when you meet her. Now come on, Rooster’s over there.”
They broke up Rooster and Maverick, whose eyes were suspiciously misty, to embrace the other aviator.
“Hey man, happy birthday,” Jake said, hugging him tightly, clapping his back. “Let’s hope that this year’s finally the year where you shave off that mustache of yours, yeah?”
Rooster beamed at him, apparently having a few beer intus already, his cheeks red. 
“Yeah yeah, Hang. I know you love me. I’m glad you came.”
Soon, the hangar filled with the rest of the squadron, Payback and Fanboy bringing in Rooster’s birthday gift - an entire cardboard box full of the most brightly colored hawaiian shirts they could find, and yes, Jake was outvoted - and they were currently trying to see how many shirts Rooster was able to put on before he’d suffocate. 
With a fond shake of his head, Jake grabbed a beer from the cooler, snapping the bottle cap off. He was glad to have found this team. Before the mission, he only had Javy, and occasionally Halo, whenever she was stateside. Jake wasn’t sure what it would’ve looked like to you, if he was only able to introduce to you one and half friends, because he just didn’t have more. This was better. 
Pulling another swig from his beer, Jake checked his phone for any new messages from you - nothing - when there was a commotion by the front. Jake couldn’t see exactly what it was through the crowd, but then Rooster emerged with a huge grin, holding a cake in the shape of a… Was that a rooster in a Hawaiian shirt? 
Someone clearly had a good taste in humor. 
Rooster placed the cake on the table before wrapping his arms around a girl, the one who brought the cake presumably, and kissed her soundly on the cheek. She looked vaguely familiar and Jake furrowed his brows, staring at her, until recognition dawned on his face. 
It was you. 
He watched as Rooster took you around, introducing you to everyone and Jake’s eye twitched. The two of you looked awfully comfortable around each other, with tons of physical contact. You and Jake hadn’t been dating long, but he thought that you were on the same stage as him when it concerned your relationship, especially after last night. Were you cheating on Rooster with him? But you wouldn’t do that, right?
And Rooster hadn’t mentioned dating anyone, has he? Or was Jake just not listening again?
By the time Rooster finally brought you around, Jake was crawling out of his skin, not missing the fact how your eyebrows rose up, before you shook your head, smirking. Jake was barely listening when Rooster introduced you.
“... this is Hangman. This one shoved Jeremy Maguire into a bush of roses when he tried to steal my scooter and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
Blinking, Jake stared at you, not having processed the information just yet, while you only peered at him, mouthing Hangman? at him.
“Hi, nice to meet you, Hangman,” you drawled and Jake furrowed his brows in confusion. Childhood best friends? he mouthed instead.
Rooster, however, was completely oblivious to your exchange. “I’d tell you not to hit on her, but I know you wouldn’t be able to handle her, so you better watch out,” he told Jake, before turning to you. “I’ll go grab some plates and a knife for the cake. Are you okay?”
“Yeah yeah, go on, B,” you said, waving him off. Rooster pecked you on the cheek, nodding at Jake before disappearing into the back of the hangar. 
You, on the other hand, turned your full attention to Jake, crossing your arms. “So. Hangman, huh?”
Jake sighed in exasperation, finishing the last of his beer. You watched, and Jake, checking over his shoulder that everyone was otherwise busy, grabbed you by the arm, dragging you outside the hangar. You leaned against the wall, a smirk dancing on your lips.
“Your best friend Brad is Rooster?”
“It’s not like you didn’t know his name is Bradley, Jake,” you shot back, jabbing his chest. “You should have told me that you’re flying for the Navy.”
In hindsight, Jake probably should’ve been able to put two and two together. Now that he thought about it, there were so many instances where you were basically screaming at him that Rooster was your best friend.
Small world indeed.
“You didn’t want to know!”
“God, I should’ve been able to tell with that ego of yours,” you sighed and Jake snorted. 
“Didn’t seem to mind my ego last night.”
You rolled your eyes at him and god you were so beautiful when you were annoyed. Brushing his hand up your arm, Jake fixed the strap of your dress.
“You look nice.”
Scoffing, you fixed him with a look that Jake knew meant that you were unimpressed. Straightening his shirt, you batted your eyelashes at him. 
“What does Hangman even stand for?”
Jake smirked broadly. “You’ve seen me naked. You know what it stands for.”
“Fucking naval aviators will be the death of me,” you muttered before dragging him in closer, pressing your lips on his. Jake groaned quietly, kissing you back while one hand cupped your cheek, the other resting on your waist. 
“Seriously?”
Immediately you and Jake sprang apart, as Rooster only looked at you, blinking unfazed. Jake waited for Rooster to grab him by the ear or something, for desecrating his childhood best friend, but he only shook his head at Jake. 
“It took you five minutes to fall for her charms, huh? I expected better from you.”
“I- what?” Jake was at loss for words, mentally prepared for defending himself, but apparently that wasn’t necessary.
You smirked coyly at Rooster, your hands smoothing over Jake’s shirt. “He’s tongue guy,” you said, as if that explained everything. 
Evidently, it did though, as Rooster’s eyebrows shot up, his face a mixture of shock and surprise. “Holy shit, he is?”
Jake was extremely confused at this point and he very much did not like how he was the only one in the unknown. Was this how it was always going to be at this point? He wasn’t sure if he liked that. Rooster wrapped his arm around Jake’s shoulder, laughter rumbling in his chest.
“The hell is going on here? Am I in the middle of some weird shovel talk or something?” 
“No, she is definitely capable of taking care of herself, Hangman.” 
“What’s that even supposed to mean?” Jake grumbled and you beamed at him, your eyes twinkling. 
“Wait, he doesn’t know yet?” Rooster asked gleefully, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Wait, you didn’t pull that weird job thing on your first date again, did you?”
“It normally doesn’t even backfire like this. How should I have known that you guys know each other?”
“What’s with the job thing, anyway? Isn’t this the best time to tell me now?”
“Oh oh, can I tell him please?” 
“Jesus, fuck off, Bradley,” you huffed, giving him a shove. Jake glanced between Rooster and you, actually getting concerned. 
“What is it you do for a living, sweets?” He then wanted to know. Rooster, having noticed his tone change, cackled, rubbing his hands together like the little shit he was. Sighing, you glanced at Jake, before telling him what you did for a living.
“Are you kidding? Now that’s not really fair, is it?”
author's note: anyone any guesses as to what reader's job is?
🏷️list: @obiwankenobis-lap @piceous21 @kajjaka @peaches-1999 @dempy @bluearchersstuff @ordinaryornate @hope-love-equality2 @averyreadswow @idiomaticpunk @luckyladycreator2@littlebadariell
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jokingmisfit · 2 months
Text
Not Yet Forgotten
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Platonic Future Hamato Brothers x Neglected Reader
Warnings- Angst with Happy Ending, Reader is Casey Jr's Sibling, Neglectful Parental Figures, Severe Injuries, Mentions of Blood and Broken Bones, Near Death Experience, Hurt with Comfort, Head Injury, Mention of Reader having Mystic Powers
Notes- I may make a different version from 3rd person pov to show how bad the boys felt. I don't know anything about medicine so please forgive me for any incorrect everything. Wrote this right before therapy and I think it shows. Lol, Enjoy!
Your breathing was fast, but muffled through your hand. It felt like your lungs were on fire. You don't know how far you've run, but you hope that it's far enough.
Only an hour earlier, Krang dogs surrounded you and your crew. The rest were already dead... You were frightened and angry. You knew that if only they'd taught you how to fight as well as they had Casey, then you wouldn't be in this situation. They didn't care for you. Your brother being far too important, apparently, for you to be cared for at all. 
Made sense in your mind. You didn't look like your mother like Casey did. Didn't share a name or even blood. Just another "stray" she'd picked up, but she loved you. In her own way. Too bad when she died the knowledge she left you with was all you'd be given. No sessions with Leonardo. No kind words from Michelangelo or Raphael. No scolding on health or knowledge from Donatello. It was like you were invisible. Unimportant. 
You and your team had done so much. Achieved amazing things, but every achievement was overlooked. Every injury was ignored. Perhaps you did learn a few things... Fending for yourself. That didn't help now, though.
Climbing the rubble. You could feel the parts of your body move in ways they weren't made for. You were strong but how strong would you have to be to defy death itself. You had sent out the SOS so long ago, yet it seems as if nobody will come.
Your blood stained broken concrete rocks. You prayed to whatever higher being was above that, just this once, they wouldn't overlook you. That the people who were supposed to care the most would save you.
You finally collapsed at the top of the heap. Only small peaks of the red sky could be seen. You were safe, for now, but you were bloodied and broken. Your stash of medical supplies were carried by a dead man. You wouldn't last, not long, at least.
You hit the alert again seeing as the purple light went out. Hitting the button over and over as your breath thinned. It felt harder to breathe with every second. 
An alert came back to you. A communication. You heard April once say it was like a phone call. Whatever that was. You pressed the button to hear the voice on the other end. It was Donatellos.
"Are you there? Can you hear me?" His voice was wavering. Something you'd never heard before.
With a raspy tone you whispered out your response. "You got... got te loc-location right?"
He sighed on the other end. "Yes we have it. A rescue team has already found the rest. Where are you hurt?"
"Hehe." Your laugh is cut off by coughing. Blood bubbling up in your lungs and throat. Looking at the gashes and stuck out bones, you answer. "Every- Everywhere..."
Silence met you on the other end. Silence and the clicking of the keyboard.
A deep breath, and you talk again. "I know... I- I know you all... Probably don't- don't care... but I don't wanna die... I don wanna die." A sob escapes your mouth, cutting off your sentence.
The pain and fear causing tears to cascade down your face.
The clicking stopped at your words.
Donatello responds after a few seconds. "They're almost there... I- You need to stay awake and you'll be fine. We- I won't let you die."
"I'm- I'm so sorry..." Your breath stops in your chest. "I shoulda- should of done better... I try- tried so hard... Was never good enough. I can't- can't breathe." Your words are heavy and painful as you sob them out.
"HELLO!" You heard Leonardo yell.
Before you had a chance to answer a light came from your gear. The communication line ending and sends an alert to the other mutant.
Footsteps could be heard from multiple beings. Talking and panic is heard as you stare at the broken roof with blurry eyes.
Raphael's face coming into view before anything else. If you weren't in so much pain you'd smile at him. Instead you stare as he picks you up gently. His words sound soft but melt in your head making them unknown. He holds you close and moves quickly. 
A whisper escapes you. "you came..." The statement soft and broken from your lips. The only evidence he heard you being the tilt of his head as he stares with worried eyes.
You held on tightly to your consciences. You held on for however long it took to be laid on a table. Long enough to have something put over your face. Long enough to feel a hand pet your head slightly as your eyes finally close.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It hurt. Everything hurt. Your eyes flutter open, but they're unfocused.
"They're awake!" You heard someone yell.
You flinch at the noise. A whine escaping the back of your throat from the pain.
"Be quiet. They're not going to react well to loud noises." You heard another voice scolds matter-of-factly.
You huff out heavy breaths. You try sitting up only for a large hand to, gently, hold you down. You blink several times to try and see better. Figures, shapes, and colors bounced around but nothing appeared sensical. 
"How are they?" A voice says nervously and stern at the same time. Their footsteps stop towards you.
The hands that were moving on and around you pause for a moment before an answer. "They're discombobulated."
"What the hell? English, Donnie." The voice answers.
Your voice is scratchy and comes out in squeaks. "Don- Donnie?"
Your question goes unanswered, but you were glad you finally knew who one of the voices belonged to. You were with Donatello.
"They had a head injury, so their brains jumbled. They can't see straight... At least we can be sure that they can hear fine." He answers with distaste.
A hand sets itself on your head and plays with your hair. The voice above you talks nervously. "So shouldn't we be talking to them? They're probably so scared right now. Aren't you?"
You realize that the end was directed at you, but you lost the energy to answer. You tried to speak, but nothing came out, as if your body didn't agree with your mind."
"Mikey’s right," The deep voice spoke. "We need to comfort them right now."
You wanted to tell them not to force themselves. That you knew they were only here because you were hurt. That once you were better they'd go back to the way it was before. But you couldn't speak, and the feeling of actually being cared for felt so nice.
The weight in your chest may have been painful, but it felt so good to be loved. If your head wasn't so fuzzy you might have cried.
Your name was called, almost urgently. You hadn't realized you weren't listening. So caught up in your own head that you forgot to listen.
You looked slightly to the person calling out to you.
"You still in there, kid? Lost ya there for a second huh?" You could hear the smile in his voice.
That was Leonardo right. He's the one to smile when things are bad. That means the deep voice was Raphael... All four of them were there for you.
You wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Maybe you were imagining things?
"You need to relax. Your heart rate is spiking..." Donatello tells you strictly.
Raphael's voice picked up from the foot of your bed. "Don, I don't think they can necessarily control that... Y'know?"
"Sigh," Donatello answers him. "I'll fix it myself."
You felt the bed adjust, setting you up slightly. You felt his hand on your arm fiddle with something sticking out of it.
You felt calmer, almost, instantly. Surprisingly, your vision cleared slightly. Things still blurred but you could make out their faces so much more.
A crowd of turtles that left no space to see what room you were in. The lights still felt too bright, yet they were dimmer than any room you’ve been to. The blue lights gave you more of a clue. The screens lights bouncing and reflecting off the men. Was this Donatello’s lab? It had to be.
With your eyes now clearer you were able to hold them onto the figures separately. Their blurred faces held concern, fear… It was definitely a sight.
“You feelin’ better?” Raphael asked sweetly. He loomed over the edge of the bed, yet still he managed to keep a distance.
Despite the medicine making you feel better your head and chest still layed heavy on the bed. The only response you could manage was a broken noise from the back of your throat.
Leonardo laughs sadly. “Y’know maybe we shouldn’t ask them too many questions, heh.”
If you could shake your head in agreement you would. The other three certainly did, or at least it looked like they did. 
You took a deep breath in and out letting everything sink into your skin, into your bones. You had your own list of questions you wanted to ask them. Like, how bad is the damage? Why are all four of you here, there’s more important things to do? Did any of the others live?
You could feel all four eyes on you. Feel them stare like you were the only thing worth looking at. It confused you, so you turned your eyes to the only one who you knew had all the answers, Donatello. 
“Right, well I suppose you want answers. Yes?” He asked, oddly nervous. “Where to start,” he whispered to his screen before sighing. “You have a major concussion, obviously, you have two broken ribs, a broken leg, a sprain in your right arm, you have large lacerations on your abdomen, and you had punctured one of your lungs.” He lists off easily. “All of which have been cared for, however you will be immobile for quite a while. I estimate approximately 12 weeks and 3 days. Do you understand?” He asks you calmly.
You huffed at him, hoping he would understand that you were listening. He seemed satisfied with your response and went back to typing on the screen. Of course you were slightly confused by this as you hoped he’d elaborate on why they were all there.
Clearly noticing your confusion Raphael talks with guilt. “I think they’re confused on why we’re here…”
He says it like he can read your mind. 
“Why would they be confused about that?” Michelangelo laughs out shakily.
“Probably, because we’ve neglected them for years.” Donatello answers within seconds.
Leonardo being the next to speak, like they were taking turns. “We really fucked up that bad, huh kid?”
You couldn’t hold his gaze. The guilt was so evident on his face. You’d never imagined they’d realize what they’ve done. You pictured you’d grow into an adult and leave the Resistance without anyone knowing you were gone.
“Listen, I know- We know we should’ve done better for you…” Leonardo sighs. “You are just as important as everyone else. As the Resistance. As Casey Jr. I was always so caught up with him and being a leader I forgot that I had to be there for you. You always seem to have a hold on everything. Always seemed so sure. So confident… I never thought you might need help to. It was such a terrible mistake and I should have known better, should’ve been more and done more for you,” He leans over and grabs your hand gently. “I promise to never act like that again. I will never let anything hurt you like this. I will never leave you alone again. I swear on my life kid I will do anything, everything to make this up to you.” Tears from his eyes fell onto your clasped hands.
You couldn’t hide the shock from your eyes as you were crying too. It was like your body finally jump started and tears fell so freely.
“You were always so strong,” Raphael starts. “I don’t think any of us thought that our lack of attention would hurt you so much. You always shined so brightly on your own.” He chuckled sadly. “I never thought you’d need us so much, Jr’s strong too, but he relied on your mom more than you so when she died we- I thought you could handle yourself. You’d never seemed to waver. I’m so sorry.” 
The regret he held in his words weighed heavy on your mind causing more tears to fall from your eyes.
“My turn already?” Michelangelo laughed, tears in his own eyes. “Heh, I remember this one time I was talking to one of your group members, she seemed so excited to join your team. I remember I asked her what she was so excited for… It was you. She told me that she had seen you and your team fight. Saw how well you worked together, but she was mesmerized by you. She told me years ago she idolized me for my mystic abilities,” He laughs quietly. “But she admitted in this conversation that she idolized you even more. Because you were more like her than I was and your mystic abilities were so strong…” He pauses with a sad silence. “A part of that conversation fortified in my mind that you didn’t need anyone. You were able to figure everything out all on your own. Lead your own team. Fight and save lives like a pro. I should have taken into perspective your feelings. I used to be so good at feelings, but it seems I’ve lost my way a little bit. But I promise not anymore. You’re never going to feel left out again. I guarantee it!” He ends off happily
Silence fills the room. The only thing truly heard was the buzz of machines and various sniffles.
The silence was cut off again by Raphael. “Donnie… Are you going to say anything?” He asked both encouragingly and authoritatively.
“Sigh.” Donatello stated tiredly. He turned to face you more. “I’m not good with emotions. They were never something I could grasp fully. I’ve worked hard on fixing that, but I see in some areas I have… failed. I personally assumed if you needed help you would come to me, however looking back it’s clear you had and I pushed you away.” He states uncomfortably. “As an adult I should have been more prepared and I wasn’t… You were just a child, you are a child, and you’ve experienced so much on your own. I can assure that we plan on remedying that.” He ends sincerely.
After listening carefully to all their words your heart swelled with happiness. You were still afraid that they may not be true, but you were hopeful and so glad to finally be seen. The love you felt radiate off them in blissful waves made you smile. You forgave them as soon as their words left their mouths. As soon as they told you they cared. There was nothing better than feeling true love for what felt like the first time. You couldn’t help but be happy.
“Get some sleep, Kid,” Leonardo says. “We’ll be here when you wake up.”
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