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#and also importantly it is a good fucking book that made me cry
thepoisonroom · 1 year
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petition for all the trans the last of us likers to read manhunt by gretchen felker-martin
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sunflowerharrington · 2 years
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Reader find out the Evans have a crush on them What would reader do to drive each of them crazy?
Driving the Evans Crazy - Seduction 101 part One ( Season One - Five ) ( well technically it’s ‘what it would be like meeting the evans’ but same thing i guess <3 )
i got this ask in april, i’m so sorry darling, i hope you’re still here!
wanna be added to my ahs taglist? let me know! i will have separate ones for stranger things and ahs so please let me know!!
i got very carried away with tate, sorry! these are super unhinged, and not meant to be taken seriously. THESE ARE 18+ HEADCANONS MDNI PLEASE FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, THANK YOU
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pre-death tate langdon (one point is nsfw)
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- tell him you like nirvana, even if you don’t, this will drive him koo-koo bananas (but afterwards you’d have to listen to them in case he ever asked you about their songs because you know damn well he will)
- you’re low-key scared when you find out tate likes you but you subtly find out some of his interests and you talk to him about them
- you slightly rig group assignments in school so you somehow are always working with him
- you invite him to go birdwatching with you after finding out he borrowed the book on birds from the school’s library (you borrowed it right after he did)
- stealing his sweaters when he’s “not looking” (he knows you’re doing this and it makes him fall for you even more ESPECIALLY when you wear his green striped one to school, acting like you just had the same one lying around somewhere)
- he hates seeing you in this fucked up world, but you’re there to remind him that there are good things in this world even if some of it is a little fucked up
- smoke together behind the bike sheds at school
- sucked his dick behind the bike sheds at school
- your first kiss (soft) happened not long after (i’ll do another post about this another time <3)
tate langdon (kinda nsfw)
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- you found out from a sticky note he left in your room when he first ‘came over’ to greet you as his new next-door ‘neighbour’
- you’re pretty, it said
- you know when you just know that someone has feelings for someone? yeah, your intuition was telling you that tate liked you
- and he did
- spent all of his time watching you, learning what you liked and disliked, what music you were into, if you liked birds
- definitely wrote a love letter to you and left it under your pillow (you cried while reading it, multiple times, but who wouldn’t?)
- conveniently you ended up asking him to go on a date with you to the nearby park on halloween and he accepted since it was the only night ghost boy could actually leave the murder house
- he also bought you whatever you wanted from the corner store, and you got him to try some of the newer candies that came out because he said he never tried them before
- ate your snacks then went home
(i’m getting carried away here, LOL ANYWAYS)
- talks about you all the time, especially in therapy with ben (happy thoughts, sad thoughts, about how he wants to get you cock drunk every time he lays his eyes on you)
- you hold him when he’s crying
- you always listen to everything he has to say, especially when it’s him ranting about his mom
- and most importantly… you still steal his cute lil sweaters
- and then fucking violet came along after you chose to spend the rest of eternity with him
- BUT since you were here (and hopefully 18, if not, please leave this post) you agreed to have tate’s baby instead of the whole THING happening
the end x
pre-briarcliff kit walker
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- you guys met at a restraunt, and you were the waitress who served him and alma
- (you thought he was cute so you gave him a little discount, shhh nobody tell y/n’s boss!)
- he became a regular there. without alma.
- aaand then he confessed and you were over the moon because you felt the exact same way
- you put that meal on the house but he said he wasn’t here for food, well he was, but not… food… if you’re picking up what’s being put down
18+ beyond here for kit, please go onto Post-Asylum Kit Walker thank you
- ate you out and fucked you in the restaraunt’s bathroom after that
- correction, made love, because kit is a gentleman
- fucked a baby into you almost asap because that man has a breeding kink and we all know it, and i’m not judging
- you both chose to name your son james and your daughter daisy
kit in the asylum
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- you knew from the get go he was innocent
- you talked to him, lana and grace only
- got super jealous of how close he was getting to grace so you pulled him to the side, waited for sister jude to leave her office and then showed him exactly who he belonged to
- you got pregnant with his kids before grace could 🤪
- helped him escape to start a family with you (even though you gave birth to his child in briarcliff)(but it still works). again, james and daisy.
post-briarcliff kit
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- you met him in a market when he was getting some stuff for his kids
- bumped into you and made you accidentally drop your bunch of sunflowers, he offered to pay for more and you accepted
- fell in love at first sight
- saw you at the market again soon after that and bought you more flowers
- you also fell in love with him, got married (to alma too), started a family of your own
- over the moon that your kids, james y/l/n and daisy y/l/n, get along with julia walker, alma’s daughter
fratboy!kyle spencer
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- you were studying biochemistry in a nearby sorority
- and you guys met at a party (like the way he met zoe but he doesn’t die at this party because madison didn’t go)
- you thought he was so cute and the feeling was reciprocated
- kissed slowly, softly on the porch of the frat house you were at
- slowly built up into making out and moving somewhere more private (kyle’s room)
nsfw:
- asks for consent ten times a second, and you constantly have to reassure him that it’s okay
- you take the lead but you keep it soft and slow just like your makeout session
- you wear his shirt while you ride him, moaning his name in his ear
- he can’t get enough of you
- waits until you come to stop because he, like kit, is a fucking decent human being
- gives you his number before you go home and a relationship starts almost immediately
- it goes on after college too after you both receive your degrees and you get married
- you guys don’t have kids but you do get a golden retriever 🥺💕
franken!kyle spencer
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- to seduce this smoosh-ball literally all you have to do is breathe
- that’s it, that’s the post
- only joking, sweetheart! here’s the rest:
- you were a new witch at miss robichaux’s and instantly became attracted to kyle (who wouldn’t be?)
- he was still attached to zoe but slowly started drifting more towards you
- MOMMY KINK, MOMMY KINK
- BUT it’s only because his mom was a piece of fucking shit that he wanted you to be like a mom to him but not the way mrs spencer was (i’m not even saying her name because that’s gross)
- you stopped kyle from killing madison and that one guy at the tree
- you couldn’t stop him with that poor dog however, rip
- loves you because you’re “pretty” and you “make spag oh’s” for him
- you help him with his abc’s and his numbers, kissing him every time he gets a letter and number right
- you literally can’t leave him, not that you wanted to, but if you did the entire coven would perish due to his amplified strength and the fact that delia and the girls wouldn’t want to hurt him
jimmy darling
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oh boy, here we fucking go: lil lobster boy needs some love fr
- you were a new performer at the freak show
- a contortionist / dancer in this instance
- you became one of jimmy’s backup dancers and he instantly became attracted to you
- one night during cleanup after a successful show you showed up at his trailer in nothing but one of his gray shirts that you stole earlier on in the day, buttoned up all the way
- you knocked on the door, waiting patiently, only to feel two hands grab your waist, spinning you around and pinning you against the freezing cold door
- can you guess who it is? i bet you’ll never get it!
- you’re immediately thrown over jimmy’s shoulder, with him kicking the door shut and throwing you onto his bed
- he teases you about not wearing any underwear
- calls you his little cockslut
- always pulls out because he’s afraid his kids will get his mutation and he doesn’t want them stuck in the freakshow too
- you assure him it won’t happen, he’s very skeptical
- but he still keeps fucking you nonetheless
- when it doesn’t happen he’s the happiest man alive and proposes to you on the spot
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mr march
why are serial killers so hot
- you checked into the cortez on, coincidentally, james’ birthday. halloween. the one day he can leave but chooses not to
- you instantly have him under a love spell whether you realize it or not
- *planning your murder as soon as you step foot in the cortez*
- he chooses to slit your throat to match his scars
- you’re his bride, his queen, before you even meet him
- and when you do meet him he’s showering you in compliments, buying you whatever you like whether it’s inside or outside the hotel
- spoils you rotten
- tells you he loves you after knowing you for a week
- but you feel the exact same way, instalove if you will. it’s real guys, look!
- you become y/n march soon after <3
- it’s never rough with james, he makes love to you, touches you as if you were a porcelain doll
- until you anger him, and then that’s a completely different fucking story babes
thank you for reading!
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skzhocomments · 6 months
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My only Faith is you - Jeongin (I.N) Oneshot Fanfic (Vampire AU)
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HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
Pairing: Jeongin (I.N of Stray Kids) x OC (name: Faith)
Genre: mature, angst, romance, Vampire AU
Word Count: ~13k
Warnings: mature, explicit sexual content, swearing, angst, depression, crying, mentions of non-consensual interactions, blood play (Jeongin is a vampire)
This is just a story that doesn’t describe Jeongin or other mentioned Stray Kids’ members true characters in any way. It’s just a product of my imagination and should be treated as such.
This story is also on Wattpad (click here) and AO3 (click here)
A/N: As any other writer out there, I would appreciate reblogs and your comments on this story. Please let me know if you enjoyed it, and most importantly, have fun!
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Summary
In-between jobs, Faith cursed the hell out of the world for dealing her such shitty hands. 'The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train.' - was her mantra, the only reason that kept her pushing despite her astronomical debt. She was going to get out of the town no matter what. She never believed in God, for He never answered her prayers. But what happens if one day someone hears her pleas for help, and what happens if that someone is not human, nor is he God? What happens if that someone longs for the very essence running through her veins, to the point it hurts? Will she just forget his existence and stay oblivious, pretending they never met, since that would keep her safe? Will she even see him again? Or will she embrace the danger, as being in danger has always been the only thing that got her heart racing and made her feel alive? Mature content ahead. 18+ © all rights reserved by skzhocomments (Tumblr), skzho (Tumblr)/ storminsidemycore (Wattpad), storminsidemycore (AO3)
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My only Faith is you - Jeongin Oneshot Fanfic (Vampire AU)
~I.N's POV~
Humans are disgusting creatures.
Selfish, vile, egoistical, sinful, self-centred, unscrupulous, obsessed with themselves, way too proud for their own good.
But still, as horrible as they are... I need them.
I need humans to survive.
This is, for me, a fact of life that's still hard to accept, even though I've been like this... for many years now. Way too many. In fact, more years than any pathetic human life could even reach.
This inherent necessity I have for humans was initially impossible to control. The pretty girl from the coffee shop with the way too short skirt for the times, the drunkard sleeping on a park bench on a random Wednesday night, or the clumsy nerd boy with the round glasses holding his science books way too tightly for his own good under his arm, his plaided shirt too tight and ridiculously tucked into his high-waisted pants – no one was safe from me, for I couldn't hold back the desire I had for that extremely delicious something that flows through those small human veins. Oh, how I enjoyed the way their heart rate went up, pumping even more of that life elixir I hold so dear, when the realisation of what was going to happen hit them.
Their screams were annoying, though. Especially the girls'. High-pitched and irritating as fuck. I always had to make them shut up quicker. Don't get me wrong, men squeal as well, but they're more like... rats. A man's scream sounds almost funny, considering how macho man they see themselves. No one's macho on the verge of death, I suppose.
Let's just say that the first few decades of my new existence were unruly. The blood gave me so much dopamine, I couldn't stop myself, nor did I want to. I was young, barely turned for a few years, and I had fun. Being a sickly kid, I was never allowed to do much, but when I became a vampire, damn, did I not hold back! I allowed myself all the fun I've missed out on in the early years of my life, and I drank all the blood I could, my lips permanently stained red.
That all ended when I met my current family, as I like to call them now. It's unusual to meet too many vampires in the same place. There's not many of us, barely a handful all around the country. So, when I met Chris, everything changed.
I was leaving a bar with a pretty hussy: blonde hair, big tits, amazing thighs. Frankly, I didn't give a shit for any of that, what I wanted from her was to sink my teeth in her jugular vein and leave her cold, but for starters, as much as she was attractive, she was the biggest slut the '30s had ever seen. The thing about those years was that women were either wife material or easy, and that slut certainly wasn't any wife material. I picked her because barely anybody cared for girls like her that would flaunt their femininity, sleep around, and leave practically nothing to the imagination. Men wanted shy, reserved women, so who was going to miss this prostitute?
With as many affairs as she had, no one would suspect anything when she would inevitably turn up in a ditch on the other side of the city. I thought about it long and hard, even though I hated it and would've much rather been reckless, but what's key to vampires is that our existence must stay a secret unless we want to be hunted down, so I needed to hand-pick my victims meticulously.
It only took one espresso martini and a wink to convince her to go with me. Her laugh was annoying, but I was hungry, and her neck looked appetizing as fuck. So much so, that I couldn't even wait until we got back to my place. If I did, things would've maybe been different now, and I would've still been alone, perhaps.
I pushed her against the wall and kissed her neck, preparing it for the bite. Her perfume almost made me gag. I preferred it when people didn't use any on their skin, but oh well, beggars can't be choosers. When my teeth pierced the smooth skin on her neck, she let out such a loud scream, I wanted to smack her. Still, I just covered her mouth and continued drinking her essence. Her blood didn't taste too amazing: I found out that some people taste better than others. Before having time to analyse it, though, I felt myself being kicked to the ground so quickly and powerfully, I didn't even have time to process it.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing out here?!" a man's voice shouted at me, annoyed. I was also extremely angry: who did this idiot think he was to interrupt my meal?
And then it clicked. A normal person wouldn't have been able to shake me off. Or rather - a human wouldn't have been able to. Us vampires are blessed with inhumane force, specifically so we can easily hold our victims down and eat from them. It's just the way mother nature made us, and it's nothing more than a predator and prey dynamic between us and humans. Just the cycle of life.
"What the fuck am I doing? What the fuck are you doing?!" I shouted back and got myself up from the ground. A quick glance at the girl told me that she's passed out, so there was at least some luck there. Her screams would've made me go insane for real – I'd probably snap her neck.
"Saving your ass! Why the fuck are you eating out here? What if someone comes?!" the angry man came towards me and grabbed my collar forcefully. I was shocked to notice that I can't smack his hands away, for his grip was too strong, and he was more powerful than me.
That was a first. I've never met other vampires before, not even the one who turned me. He left me before I got the chance to wake up.
"What's so wrong with that?! I'd just leave. It's not like anyone would see me, no?" I replied coldly, being able to control my anger better now that I wasn't as hungry. The bitch's blood was awful, but it did its job.
"If anyone would, would you kill them too?" he raised an eyebrow and let go of me.
"I mean – I guess so?"
"That's sad. What's your objective, anyway? Messing around and eating? Why don't you do something more productive?"
"Tsch." I scoffed. "Like what? And what do you know about me, anyway?"
"Most things." He shrugged. "I've been following you for some time now, Jeongin. Or should I call you I.N, as you introduced yourself to her 20 minutes ago?" he pointed to the woman on the floor, who was still unconscious, two thin lines of deep red blood flowing from her neck.
"Who the fuck are you?" I replied, confused. Who was this guy and why did he know so much about me?
"Name's Chris. Or Chan, whichever you'd like." He handed me his right hand, waiting for a shake.
"Woah!" I rolled my eyes. "Really explicit! Well, Chris, care to tell me why you've been following me?" I slapped his hand away instead of shaking it, making him smirk.
"I wanted to ask you to join us."
"And who's us?"
"My companions. Fellows that are... like me and you. We call ourselves Stray Kids."
"What a dumb name." I mocked. "And why exactly would I want to join you?"
"Well, why would you want to be alone? Doesn't it get lonely?"
I scoffed again. What was this idiot telling me?
"Look, I'm not interested in any... "companionship" or whatever the fuck you want to call it."
"Suit yourself, then." The man shrugged and turned around. "But if you change your mind, you can find us on Fable Street 143. The big house with the green door. You can't miss it."
"Like hell I would join you. I don't need to hang out with a bunch of nobodies."
"Oh, and don't forget to take care of that." He ignored my snarky reply and pointed to the passed-out girl. "You can leave the poor thing live, no one's gonna believe her anyway."
And with that, he left.
~
The following months passed by excruciatingly slow.
It's so ironic. I've lived for a long time, but the months ever since that encounter went by slower than a hundred years.
I kept thinking about the man, and I couldn't help but feel like he emanated an aura that demanded respect. And more than that, he raised a suspicious curiosity inside of me; one I've never felt before.
That's how I ended up on Fable Street 143, paying close attention to the big house I've been told about. I kept waiting and waiting, but the green door never opened, I couldn't hear any sounds from the inside, and no one seemed to live there - metaphorically, of course, because no other fellows of mine would be alive.
Was it a scam? I thought at first, before deciding that I ain't in a patient state to keep waiting. I just went to the door and opened it, walking inside like I owned the place.
As soon as I walked in, loud laughter could be heard from a room on the opposite side of the house. I took my time walking towards the voices, admiring the interesting architecture on the walls. Intricate shapes were carved in wood, the height of the room impressive. Every detail pointed towards a Victorian architecture and evoked memories I thought to be long gone from my brain. It looked similar to the house I grew up in, making me feel even a bit... nostalgic.
When I finally reached the end of the large hallway, the smell of burning wood coming from the fireplace of the big living room I walked in welcomed me. In front of the fireplace, two big sofas and a coffee table made the place feel cosier, a few boys sitting leisurely and playing what looked like some sort of board game.
The left side of the room was more like an arcade, or a game room: there were all sorts of entertainment, such as a pool table, a football table, some game cabinets. There was a comical contrast between this side of the room, and the right side, where only a large table with many chairs scattered around it caught my eye.
"Oh?" one of the people on the sofa noticed me and turned around, raising an eyebrow expectedly. He had chestnut brown hair, however a blonde strand stood out in his bangs.
The man I got to know as Chris was also on the sofa, smirking.
"You came." Was all he said, before standing up and coming in front of me to shake my hand.
I decided to accept his shake this time.
"Is this the guy you've been telling us about?" another man spoke, his features cat-like.
"I'm Jeongin." I nodded shortly.
"Well, Jeongin, we're glad you decided to join us."
"I haven't decided anything-" I started, but was quickly cut off.
"We were just about to go feast. Wanna come with?" Chris tapped my shoulder once, then left the room without waiting for my reply. I once again felt his powerful aura, so strong that it made me follow him.
~
That's how I ended up with Stray Kids. I got to learn that there were 7 other vampires in total, and Chris, being the oldest, was proclaimed the leader of the group. Everyone was in charge of something, such as: finding a good place to eat, doing background checks on people we were interested in consuming, covering up our tracks and disposing of dead bodies if necessary. Stray Kids' main morals consisted in making sure the number of dead humans was as low as possible. They really seemed to dislike killing. I didn't care too much for it, but since I decided to live with them, I had to abide by their rules as well.
I found out that it's so much more convenient to not kill a human and dispose of them. It was so much easier using a drug instead to make them fall asleep while we eat, then making it look like they got hurt by accident.
This means that we don't really bite their necks, though, much to my dismay. A bite to the arm will suffice, then we'll cover it up with a small cut to make it look like a scratch and call it a day. This way we can eat without doing much work afterwards, and if we particularly liked someone, we could just remember them and return to eat when their blood supply comes back.
~
~Faith's POV~
Fucking hell, not again.
I thought while gagging so badly, suddenly feeling the need to throw up.
"Why are humans so disgusting?" I blurted out while starting to clean up the clogged toilet, full of shit by whichever animal – because I couldn't call the thing who did this a person – wanted to ruin my night.
"Everything okay back there, Faith?" my colleague shouted from the cash register.
"No, dumbass, nothing is okay here! Why the fuck didn't you clean this up before I came?!" I shouted back. He was counting the money made on his shift to add it to the computer program we used in this small gas station and was preparing to hand over the night shift to me.
"Tsch, how the heck do you have such a holy name but such a rotten mouth?" He scoffed.
"No but for real, you always leave these messes for me to clean! What am I, your personal maid?!"
"I just didn't have time, okay?! A lot more people come here during the daytime, just so you know!"
"Yea, yea, keep telling yourself that. How much money did we make during the day then, huh? 100 bucks?"
"150!"
"That's how many people. 5?! Fucking asshole."
I hated this job, but I desperately needed money, so I came to work here, despite all the rumours I've heard about the owners going bankrupt. There are not many options in this city for doing night shifts, and my days are already filled to the brim by the other full-time job I have. If this gas station's going down, we'll see.
What I like the most about this job is the hours. I call it a "night shift" out of convenience, but I'm actually scheduled from 7 PM to 3 AM, which gives me plenty of time to go home and pass out for a few hours before my other job starts at 10 AM.
What I hate the most is – you guessed it! The fucking toilet. And this co-worker.
Just ... a bit more... I tried to give myself some courage, thinking that there is a light at the end of this hellhole.
I am moving.
As soon as I manage to pay off my debt, I'm fucking leaving this place behind and starting anew somewhere else.
Where? I don't know yet. But there's nothing for me in this stupid city. I've been living in a black hole for as long as I can remember, and I can't change anything if I stay.
Just a bit more!
~
Handing over the shift to my next co-worker, I made my way out of the gas station and inhaled the cold air outside. It was already autumn, gold and rusty leaves paving the way back to the small apartment I lived in.
The way home was not too long, but not too short either. I had to walk for about 20 minutes and pass through some sketchy neighbourhoods, but this was already a nightly occurrence at that point, so I didn't pay it much mind.
The only place that truly creeped me out, though, was the tunnel. A big bridge carrying the country's largest highway crossed over the city, and under it – this cursed space with barely any light that I had to go through every day if I wanted to reach home quicker. The other way home would mean detouring the whole bridge, which would imply more than an hour of walking. I don't have that time, nor the energy to walk so long in the dark after 2 full time jobs.
Now, again, I was in front of the tunnel, bracing myself to go through. Faint sounds could be heard from the inside, but the cars going high speed above made it difficult to listen to anything that was happening.
I took a careful step in the dark but couldn't really see anything. The only light came from the headlights of the cars above that would creep through. I was able to make out a silhouette of a man hunched over. Disgusting sounds were coming from him as he threw up all the alcohol he probably drank, judging by the bottles around him, which made me wonder if he was perhaps the same breed as the guy that shat in the gas station's bathroom earlier.
I crossed over to put some distance between me and him, but that proved itself to be just a futile attempt, as he somehow managed to stop throwing up and come to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me back forcefully.
The guy smelled so bad, I gagged, feeling a bit of vomit rising up my throat. I shoved him back and tried to walk away, but the realisation that he, a man, was more powerful than me, a woman half his size, hit me hard, as he pinned me up against the wall and started rubbing himself on my leg.
"Fuck, get off!" I shouted, trying to push him away, but he forcefully held my hands against the wall, his lips finding their way to my neck.
"N-No!" I shouted, trying to push him again to no avail. Small tears formed in the corners of my eyes, and the feeling of doom settled deep down in my stomach. I didn't know what to do.
The only thing that came to mind was as pathetic as it sounded, which was letting out a quiet "Help" and closing my eyes shut.
I summoned all my strength and managed to somehow push him away from me, but that only got him angrier. He grabbed a handful of my hair and tackled me to the ground, getting above me.
If I could get myself out of the former position, this new one was simply impossible. He was too strong.
I prayed and prayed for someone to come, but quickly lost all hope as the man easily held both my wrists with just one hand, his other roaming my body, touching my breasts, my stomach, my thighs, and my ass.
He ripped off my pants, making me wince as the cold night air brushed on my naked thighs, and then clumsily touched my panties with his dirty fingers, grunting in pleasure.
His touch made me feel so disgusted, I cried again, but there was no one there to hear me.
As his hand moved from my thigh to his growing bulge, I heard the sound of him unzipping his pants.
Fuck.
No.
Is this really happening?
I shut my eyes tighter and mouthed a yet another small "Please help me.", and just then, the man's weight suddenly disappeared from me.
~
~Jeongin's POV~
Feeling better than ever, my stomach full after the meal I shared with my brothers, I decided to go for a walk.
Night was pleasant. Daytime wasn't too bad, either. There were certain vampires who preferred the sun over the moon, like Felix, one of the guys from Stray Kids.
Then, there was Chris, or Seungmin, or I, who enjoyed the moonlight.
Again, it was simply personal preference. There's no such thing as glowing skin, burning under the sun or nonsense like that. Whoever made those stupid vampire movies didn't research at all. It's clear that they never met a real vampire.
Of course, our existence is a secret, and it's normally extremely difficult to make out a vampire in a crowd. Almost impossible if that vampire is careful. After we drink, we are stronger than ever, but we also become... very human-like. Our skin is no longer pale and cold, we are no longer firm to the touch and these effects last for at least 72 hours, when we would have to eat again. The only indication that we are different stands in our crimson red eyes, but that's also easily hidden with coloured contact lenses nowadays.
Probably the only things those movies got right would be the super strength and enhanced senses. We are able to move very quickly, and our hearing and sight are truly something impressive.
As I'm leisurely walking through the quieter parts of the city, I suddenly hear a small voice.
"Please help me."
It was a cry for help, and judging by the melody of the voice, barely audible, I assumed it was a woman.
Shrugging, I turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.
Then the voice cried again.
"No, please..."
I was able to distinguish a few grunts coming from a man, and the sound of a zipper opening. What the man was doing was disgusting, but I guess it wasn't entirely so different to what we, vampires, did. I also didn't give two shits about others' bodily autonomy.
Well, not exactly. Ever since I joined Stray Kids, Chris made it crystal clear that I'm gonna have to respect other humans, since I needed them. So, I guess that asshole of a man and I weren't that much alike, after all.
Plus, I was doing what I did to survive. He was trying to rape a girl in the middle of the night for... what? A few minutes of pleasure?
Tsch.
My legs moved without me realising, and my hands collided with the man's back, grabbing him by the shirt and shoving him away from the whimpering girl on the ground. She was half naked, but judging by the man's dick barely hanging out of his pants, I got here quickly enough, and he didn't manage to do the deed.
The girl's eyes were burning holes into me, confusion visible on her face, as she didn't seem to register what happened.
The guy tried to get up and land a punch on me, so I went behind him and grabbed him by the collar, while he whimpered in pain as he was slowly getting strangled by his own shirt.
I kept holding the man and looked at the girl, who was clearly bewildered and couldn't comprehend how exactly I was able to hold the man one meter above the ground with such ease, while he struggled in my grip.
Still holding the bastard, who started muttering curses towards me, I took advantage of the super speed and went on top of the bridge quickly, throwing him in front of a moving car.
He was dead instantly.
I went back down to the girl to check on her and see if she'd be able to keep her mouth shut about what happened, and she was still on the ground, but she managed to pull her pants back up.
~
~Faith's POV~
"You okay?" The tall man spoke nonchalantly. He returned as fast as he left, the drunkard who just assaulted me completely gone by now.
"Uhm... where... is the other guy...?" I looked around confused, not understanding what happened. It's irrational to think that any of it was logical. How the dude practically flew off me, how easily this mysterious black-haired man held him up in the air with just one hand, and how both of them disappeared for just a few seconds, before he returned alone.
None of it made sense.
"Why, love, miss him already?" he wiped his hands off on his clothes, as if he was dirty and wanted to clean himself.
"Of course not. Thank you." Was all I said, when a car suddenly hovered over us on the highway, standing in place, small screams being heard from above. The sudden light allowed me to see the tall figure more clearly, and one thing in particular caught my eye: his red eyes.
"What..." I start, but stop myself in time, as the piercing gaze this guy was giving me almost made me freeze. I felt a sudden rush in my body, my breath hitching inside my throat, my heart beating quicker than ever, and I involuntarily started trembling looking into his eyes. I didn't understand why, but my fight-or-flight response was sending alarm bells to my brain stronger than ever, and I couldn't explain it.
What was it about this guy that was making me so afraid, feeling like a little lamb in front of a wolf? He just saved me... so why? Why is my body reacting like this when I notice him trailing his crimson eyes up and down my body?
It's a different gaze than the drunkard's. This one seemed a million times more... dangerous.
"You know," he started, clicking his tongue, "it's always better to not ask any questions. To stay oblivious. It's safe." He accentuated the last word and took a sure step towards me, and even though my brain was in overdrive and the only thing I wanted to do was to run away as far as possible from this black-haired man, I stood still, continuing to look into his eyes.
I just laid there charmed by his demeanour, by his determined steps, and despite the fear, I felt more alive than ever. The saying was true. Fear doesn't shut you down, it wakes you up.
And that's what it did to me. I got up and started walking towards the man as well, wanting to take in as much as possible about him.
I was completely mesmerised by the way his fox-like red eyes watched my every move, by how angelic he looked. There was no doubt that this must've been the most attractive man I've ever seen in this city. His black hair was parted in the middle, large strands falling on his perfectly smooth forehead. His cheekbones looked like they were carved by Michelangelo himself during a passionate night of sculpting and inspiration.
I reached out a hand to touch his face, and to my surprise, he didn't even flinch. His cheek was warm. My thumb slowly brushed over his lips, that were also an interesting shade of red, it looked like the remnants of a lip tint.
"Done feeling me up, doll?" he smirked, pulling me out of my trance.
"I'm sorry." I take my hand back and get shocked by my boldness. Where did that come from?
"You should go home and forget that tonight happened. Yea?" he instructed me, sounding really convincing. His words were as sweet as caramel liquor, and I just wanted to hear them more and more, to get drunk on them.
"Will you walk me home?" I asked directly, surprising myself; even the man seemed briefly shocked by my boldness, his red eyes growing wide for just a few barely noticeable seconds.
"And why would I?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Because it's safe." I replied, feeling clever to use the same words he just spoke.
"Doll, I'm the farthest thing away from safe. Can't you see? Or rather- can't you feel it?" His face came closer, and he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "I can hear your heart beating faster. Aren't you afraid?"
He was right. The ringing in my ears wouldn't stop, and I was in overdrive. This man felt dangerous, but the way he saved me was easily the most interesting thing that ever happened in my pathetic life. It's the first time someone saved me, and God knows how much I needed it before, when the creepy subway guy touched me under my skirt, when a drunkard followed me three streets home or when the loan shark I've borrowed so much money from to pay for my grandma's hospital bills beat me up. I needed help many times, and I asked for it, just as pathetically as I did tonight. But still, no one ever came.
No one ever heard me, until this dark-haired tall man showed up.
Maybe he was my guardian angel. Maybe all my faith was misplaced all this time.
"It's safer than going alone." I retorted weakly after trying to think of a witty reply, and failing.
"I don't know about that sweetheart. I could just be a monster in disguise and eat you as soon as we cross through the tunnel."
"Hmm. Maybe you are. Is red your natural eye colour?" I ask, way too bold once again.
"As I said, not asking questions and staying oblivious is safe, so why don't you bite your tongue?"
"Only if you take me home. Safe and sound."
"You're persistent." He grinned. "Okay. I'll take you home, but you will promise me that you'll forget about the drunkard, what happened in this tunnel and me. And you'll stop asking questions you shouldn't know the answers to."
"Fine. I promise. But can you tell me your name, at least? I'll forget it by tomorrow morning anyway." I started walking through the tunnel, surer of my steps, since it was no longer as dark. I wondered how many cars stopped above us for it to be so well lit, and I tried not to think of the drunkard that wanted to get a feel of me when several sirens could be heard from the highway.
I was sure that whatever happened to him, happened up above, and judging by the number of sirens, I would find out from the morning papers.
I'm not so sure I wanted to know, though.
"It's Jeongin. What's yours?"
Jeongin. A really old name.
I tried once again to stop thinking. Maybe it's as he said. Not knowing is better. It's safer.
But do I want safety, or do I want to feel something for once?
"Faith."
"Pfft." He burst out laughing. "Faith? So ironic."
"Why?"
"Who're you gonna have faith in? Now you have to tell me you believe in God."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Did God save you tonight? Whichever God you've prayed to. Did he listen to your prayers, ever?"
"Jeongin..." His name lingered on my lips for a little while. "You are... how I will pray from now on." I glanced at him with a serious look in my eyes, as we exited the tunnel.
"I'm no God."
"Maybe... But you are mine, for you answered my prayers, didn't you?"
"I just happened to be around to hear them." He shrugged, and I dropped it.
The walk home was filled with silence, as both of us leisurely made our way towards the old, run-down apartment building I live in. As soon as I announced that we arrived, Jeongin disappeared without a trace, and I didn't see him again.
~
~Six months later~
~Faith's POV~
40.000$.
That's how much I borrowed to pay for my grandmother's hospital bills. Lung cancer was a horrible diagnosis to receive at her old age, but what was I supposed to do? Simply give up on her? She's the one who raised me.
The doctors weren't optimistic, and suggested many times in good faith that we should stop treatment, stop forcing her to fight. The treatment was expensive, the chemotherapy reaching up to as much as 7000$ per month, excluding the additional cost of her having a bed in a shared crappy room at our state hospital. She was hospitalised for a total of 8 months, 6 of which included chemo. It's easy to say that the cost wound up eating away at me, putting me in a dilemma: let my grandmother go, or get money somehow?
I've been working since 13 doing all sorts of odd jobs just to keep us afloat, as my grandma hasn't been able to work due to her sickness in a long time. I even managed to save up some money, a few pretty thousands, but everything I've saved up was gone the first 2 months of her hospital stay, so the only thing I could do was borrow money. However, no bank wanted to loan anything to me, an 18-year-old high school dropout with no consistent job.
I was desperate. I didn't know what to do or who to turn to. We had no one, and with my grandma sick, I was completely on my own. I resorted to associating with bad crowds, and ended up finally meeting a loan shark that was willing to lend me as much as I asked for monthly, which was only my grandma's bills that I couldn't cover from my two jobs. I skipped eating entirely only to be able to pay him back the monthly fare we agreed upon once my grandma passed away, and I became frail. The only times I could eat were when something was left over from the gas station's pastry, or when I could get a 90% discounted product at the supermarket for something that was soon to expire.
In retrospect, I made the wrong choices. My grandma suffered badly, the chemo only made her weaker, the meds made her dizzy and sick, and by the end she became a shell of herself. I should've let her go peacefully, and I shouldn't have borrowed any money.
But I did. 40.000$, with interest 60.000$.
And the 2 jobs I had – now only one, ever since the gas station closed down – barely paid for my rent of the crappy one-room in the old, run-down apartment building and the loan.
Scraping by, trying to find another job I could work night shifts in, I kept agonising.
Just a bit more!
I tried to tell myself again, but who was I trying to fool? How many years would I need to lie to myself like this? How many years have I already lied?
My train of thoughts was interrupted when the door of my apartment opened up forcefully.
I stood up and glanced at the two masked men walking through the door like they owned the place.
"You turned off your phone." One voice spoke, and I quickly realised it was the loan shark. "And you paid me too little last month. Trying to run away from your responsibilities?" He came threateningly in front of me and slapped my left cheek with force. I felt the iron taste of blood inside my mouth, but I didn't cry out in pain.
"I didn't turn off my phone." I tried defending myself. "It broke down and I didn't have money to replace it. And I paid you a little bit less because I lost one of my jobs, but I will make it up to you as soon as I get hired again."
"And when's that? Fucking bitch." He raised his hand again, making me wince in anticipation.
"I- I don't know." I stuttered. "I've been trying to find something, but-"
"I know, Boss. Why don't we hire her at the new place? She's not that ugly, I bet she could bring in banks." The other masked man spoke. I didn't like the sound of it.
"Great idea. You're gonna start working tonight at the new club opened on Fable street."
"Wait-" I raised my hands in the air trying to get his attention. "I don't- I can't- I'm not a prostitute!" I shouted, trying to explain somehow and make him understand that I don't want to take this job no matter what.
"You won't sleep with anyone. You're just going to play hostess and serve drinks, make sure customers are happy. That's all." The loan shark shrugged as if it was nothing. As if I was so naïve, I couldn't tell that he was lying. There was no just playing hostess and serving drinks. Things didn't work like that in the real world, and I hated the idea of doing that kind of job, selling my body to strange men – I wanted to avoid clubs all together.
"But-" I started, before getting quickly cut off.
"Tonight, 10 PM, Fable Street 142. Dress up nicely, a short skirt would be preferable, and put some ice on that cheek, otherwise you'll bruise, and no customer will want to look at that ugly face. Oh, and you'd better be there, unless you want me to fucking kill you, or even better, sell you off to get my money back."
Bastard.
~
Even though I put ice on my swollen cheek, the bruise still started to form, and I didn't have any make-up to cover it up.
In terms of clothes, my wardrobe was also scarce. However, I managed to find a short black skirt that was hugging my thighs a bit too tight for my liking, and that was barely covering up my bum. I grabbed a sort-of matching low crop black shirt, and looking at myself in the mirror, I felt like a slut.
The only thing covering up my body was a big winter coat that I hugged around me as tightly as I could while I made my way on the dark streets to Fable 142. Indeed, a new club opened here. Glancing around, the only neighbours would be whoever lived in the house on Fable 143 – if there was even someone living there, for the place looked pretty abandoned – so poor them, because it was sure that this club, like all the others run by this loan shark, would be noisy as hell.
I entered the club and made my way towards the bar, where the loan shark sipped lazily on some whiskey.
"Look at you, you're presentable at least. But your cheek is bruising up, didn't you listen to me?"
"I did." I replied drily.
"I must've hit you too hard. It's not like you didn't deserve it, so whatever." He shrugged. "Take off the coat and start serving, the bartender will let you know which tables need which drinks."
~
~Jeongin's POV~
"Yo, Chris, wanna come with across the street? A new club opened up. Maybe we'll find some food." Minho smirked evilly.
"Nah, I'm good. Not hungry at the moment." Chris shrugged and continued reading whatever book he was holding.
"Seungmin? Jisung? Jeongin?" Minho continued asking around the room.
"I'd like to go." Felix replied.
"Hmm, me too. I do feel a bit hungry." Jisung got up from the sofa and tossed aside the remote control of the TV in the living room.
"Fine, I'll come too, if y'all are going." I stood up as well, and the four of us made our way vis-à-vis.
~
The club was loud, and the smell of smoke was intoxicating. We quickly found an empty table and Minho ordered a few bottles of expensive rum, whiskey and champagne, before starting to look around the room hungrily, hunting for tonight's unlucky victim.
I looked around the room as well and noticed how full the circular tables with leather sofas around them were, and then something caught my eye. Or rather – someone.
Faith was wearing a short, indecent black skirt with a top just as small. She presented a Dom Perignon champagne bottle to the men around the table directly in front of us, and they urged her to sit down next to them and pour the angel's tears in their glasses.
She seemed uncomfortable.
One of the men was getting touchy with her, his hand brushing over her naked thigh, and with each of his touches, her expression would grow even more cramped. Her whole body looked stiff, and I couldn't believe how no one cared for her comfort. But men will be men, and the only thing they cared about in this state – drunk, totally intoxicated – was getting to touch a pretty woman everywhere, and releasing themselves, preferably inside of her.
Why is she here?
After our encounter 6 months ago, I don't know what was wrong with me. I grew some sort of infatuation towards her, and I kept watching her more often from the shadows. I found out she's living a chaotic, sad life, working two jobs seemingly to support herself, all the money going God knows where. I never showed myself in front of her again, though, because what good would it do?
But strangely enough, I was curious to see how this small human navigated her day-to-day life, and I knew her gas station and cashier jobs' schedule by heart. I even remembered her name, which was another first. I never cared to remember any names before. And even more than that, it was the first time I wasn't interested in her blood, but rather in herself, but I didn't want to do anything with this curiosity, so I stopped following her around about a month ago.
She's just a pathetic human. I would tell myself. And she's going to die anyway.
So why was I now feeling so much discomfort, seeing the man try to move his fingers up her skirt?
Why is she here? Why isn't she at the gas station?
She suddenly got up and bowed shortly, before leaving the room and basically running to the bathroom. The man seemed persistent, however, and got up, going after her, and my feet once more moved without my will, towards them.
The man grabbed Faith by the hand and spun her around, grabbing her behind with his free hand and lifting up her short skirt. She protested and tried pushing him away, but before she got the chance to, I grabbed the man by his collar and threw him on the ground. One glance at him made all the annoyance in his gaze disappear, getting replaced by fear. He stood up and walked away, leaving me and Faith on the small corridor.
As soon as she saw me, her eyes went wide, in a similar fashion to the night we met.
"Jeongin." She breathed, my name sounding sweet on her lips.
I got closer to her and replaced the man's position, letting her skirt back down instead of lifting it up. I put my face closer to hers, and breathed in her perfume-less, natural scent, which was so sugary, it almost drove me crazy. This night I was hungry. I kissed her neck slowly and tried to fight all urges inside of me to not bite her then and there, and I was expecting to hear her complaining of my actions, but instead, she rolled her head back against the wall, giving me more access to her bare neck.
"Back again in danger's lap?" I whispered, feeling the way her body reacted to my words, how she crumbled in front of me.
"You helped me again." Her hands found their way to my waist, and she held on tightly.
"What are you doing here, Faith? This is not you." I trailed my hands down her body, touching the small of her waist, before trailing down to her hips, to her naked thighs, my lips still dangerously close to her neck. Oh, how I wanted to sink my teeth in her soft skin and taste her.
"I didn't have a choice." Her hands also moved from my waist, upwards towards the back of my shoulders, and she pulled me in closer.
"Do you want to bite me?" She asked seductively, making my breath hitch in my throat. Of course, I didn't actually need to breathe, but I learnt to do so naturally so as to seem more human-like.
"Why would you ask that?"
"I've been thinking about you. A lot. And I figured it out." She whispered.
If I had a beating heart, I was sure it would've beat harder than ever right now. Or stopped. Either or.
"What have you figured out?" I asked.
"What you are."
"What am I?"
"A vampire." She whispered again, slowly, the words rolling off her tongue.
"Bullshit. Vampires don't exist." I smirked.
"You exist, though."
"So you made out I'm no God, then?" I grinned again.
"I told you, Jeongin. When I'm down on my knees, you're how I pray. You can be anything, and I wouldn't care."
Fuck, how badly I wanted this human girl to be mine. To have her completely for myself and learn everything about her, to drink her blood whenever I please and to fuck her senseless – first time I've ever felt this urge, a new feeling rising up inside of my chest, making the shirt on me feel too tight.
"Faith, stop working at this place. Don't let any degenerate touch you." I whisper while slowly kissing her neck again, the small moans from her lips intoxicating me more than anyone else's blood ever could.
"I need money."
I raised my head and examined her face closely, and that's when I noticed a dark patch on her left cheek.
"Who did this to you?" I touched her cheek softly, seeing her wince in pain.
"The same bastard I've borrowed money from. I couldn't pay back this month's share fully, so he hit me, then brought me here."
"How much do you need?"
"25.000$ more"
"Ouch. Why don't you show me the unlucky bastard who hit you, pretty?"
"Why? What good would it do?"
"To pay him back, of course." I smiled innocently, thinking of all the ways I was going to fuck up the idiot's face.
I raised my head and looked down into Faith's eyes, surprised to see no more fear in them. Instead, something else seemed to glimmer – curiosity, perhaps. I resumed my initial position in the crook of her neck.
"It's the owner of this club."
"Got involved with a bad gang, pretty?"
"I did. And now I'm paying the price." She shrugged. It felt like we were having a talk while drinking a morning coffee, not something as serious as this. It was quite ironic, considering our proximity. My lips were still latched to her skin, stealing small moans with each few seconds of silence between us, and her arms were still pulling me closer, hands on the back of my shoulders.
"I'll clear it up for you, if you promise me you'll live better." I distanced myself from her again, afraid that I would really sink my teeth in her. I wasn't sure if she would want me to, and Chris' words to respect humans' autonomy echoed through my head. It was shocking, really, to truly care about her autonomy, and no one else's.
"What do you know about how I've been living?" She raised an eyebrow, grabbing the collar of my shirt and holding it tightly. I let her do whatever she wanted. That's the privilege of my interest in her. "And if you help me, will you just disappear again?"
"I don't know. Probably. You don't need me hanging over your head."
"I want you, though." She replied bluntly. "You see, Jeongin... playing with death seems to be the only thing that makes me feel alive."
I was baffled. The burning in her eyes made it impossible to look away from her. It was like there was something unspoken between us, a connection I couldn't back away from, and I once again wondered what it was about this mortal girl that made me feel this way.
I forgot that I, too, used to be mortal. I haven't always been a blood thirsty vampire, and I haven't always longed for human's very essence.
Looking into her eyes, though, I remembered, and it came down on me like a wave crashing against the shore. I used to have this burning in my eyes too, and I used to want to live, as I was rotting away in a hospital bed a few hundred years ago.
"Will you offer to me just like that, Faith? Will you come with me? Will you continue praying to me, no matter what I'll do to you?" I asked her in such a low voice, it almost came up as a whisper, barely audible in the club's uproar.
The corners of her mouth lifted up in a mischievous smile, before she pulled on my collar and made our lips collide.
~
~Faith's POV~
I must be crazy.
No sane person would do what I've done.
Jeongin was walking leisurely in front of me, his right arm stretched backwards to hold my hand firmly.
The realisation that I was following a vampire God knows were at 3 AM after just kissing him sunk into the bottom pit of my stomach, and I started feeling very dizzy. It was surely the lack of sleep that made me feel this way. How many hours have I been awake for?
"How old are you? How did you become a vampire?" I asked, trying to steer away from the tightness of my chest.
"Someone turned me when I was 21. Many, many years ago."
"Who? Why?"
"I don't know. I can't remember his face. I was sick, on the verge of death. I probably had something that doctors would call an autoimmune disease nowadays. It wasn't much known of medicine back then, though, so I can't be sure. Then I got pneumonia, and I knew I was done for."
"Fuck, so you've been sick your whole life?"
"Yes. Couldn't really get out of bed much. I remember my mother's face when she took me outside in the sun, on the rare occasions she had enough time to. I had 6 other siblings, so she was a busy woman."
The fact that he was answering my questions without any complaints made me feel more at ease, making the knot in my stomach slowly disappear.
"Really? What happened to them?"
"They all knew I died, and since the form of pneumonia I had was contagious, there was no open casket. It was easy enough to fool them into thinking someone was in there, buried in the ground. I continued helping them out and left money from time to time, but they never saw me again."
"That's sad. Weren't you lonely?"
~Jeongin's POV~
"That's sad. Weren't you lonely?" Faith asked, a pitiful look in her eyes.
"Well, why would you want to be alone? Doesn't it get lonely?" Chris' words echoed inside my head, making me close my eyes.
Why does everyone assume I've been lonely?
And why does it feel like they are right?
"I don't know." I replied truthfully, feeling her hold my hand tighter.
"I am lonely." Faith continued, looking ahead. We weren't going anywhere in particular. I just wanted to get her out of the club and walk somewhere with her. Being in her proximity was not healthy for her, she would for sure end up bitten with the hunger growing in my body.
I don't want to bite her, though, or to taste her blood.
I don't think I would be able to stop if I did.
"I borrowed money to pay for my grandma's hospital bills. She was really sick, and then she died. It was all in vain. That's why I work two jobs now, to pay everything back."
"Hmm. I see. Which reminds me, why weren't you at the gas station?"
"How do you know I've worked there?" She raised an eyebrow.
Fuck.
"I followed you around for a bit, after we first met."
"No way! And you didn't meet me even once?!" She pouted. "I wanted to see you again so badly, Jeongin!"
"Didn't you promise me you'd forget about everything?" I raised my eyebrow playfully as well.
"I lied." She grinned. "The gas station shut down. The owners went bankrupt."
"Oh, that sucks."
"Indeed. That's why I'm apparently a part time hostess, part time prostitute at the new club."
"Nah, you won't go back there."
"I won't?" She asked, surprised.
"You won't."
"Jeongin, I..." she started speaking, her voice trembling. "I don't feel so good..."
"Why, what's wrong?" I turned around just in time to see her knees giving out.
She would've definitely fell, if I weren't there to catch her.
~
~Faith's POV~
Huh?
What... happened...?
I opened my eyes to see the curtains of an unfamiliar room, my head pounding with pain.
"Hello." A voice I didn't recognize sang next to my bed. I turned my head to see a man leisurely reading a book, his legs crossed. "Slept well?"
"Who... uhm... where am I?" I stumbled on my words and looked straight into the man's eyes, noticing a familiar crimson pigment in his irises.
"This would be Jeongin's room." The man replied, closing the book and meeting my gaze.
"Oh."
"And I am Chris, he asked me to look after you until he returns."
"Where did he go?"
"To eat."
"Oh."
Chris was beautiful, there was no doubt about it. His jaw was so sharp, I was certain it could cut through glass, and there was just something about him... emanating confidence, making you unable to look away.
"Will he be gone long?" I asked the man, noticing him shrug a bit.
"I'm not sure. I assume you're hungry as well? We bought you something earlier, hopefully you'll like it."
"Uhm... Chris?" I start, unsure, holding the duvet closer to my chest. I cursed myself for having worn such inappropriate clothes last night to the club. "Do you perhaps have... uhm... a change of clothes?"
"It's okay sweetie, we aren't that desperate to bite you just after seeing some skin. Most of us aren't, anyway."
Well, that surely is assuring.
"I am the one uncomfortable, though..." I grimaced. "Not because of you. It's just... not my usual style."
"Hmm, I guess you could borrow something from Jeongin's closet if you want."
"He's so tall, though."
"Changbin?" Chris said, as if the person he wanted to talk to was in the room. I was shocked to see the door open not even 2 seconds later.
"You asked for me?" A black-haired man walked inside. "Hey." He waved at me, acknowledging my presence. He seemed excited to be here, and he was smiling at me way too eagerly.
"Yea, can you bring some pants for Faith? Jeongin's clothes are too large."
"Sure. Or I could go buy something real quick. What size are you, Faith?"
"Uhm... I'm not sure? Probably S or M?" I reply with a shrug. I haven't bought clothes in forever, so I really didn't know.
"Mkay, be right back." Changbin left as quickly as he came.
"Wanna wait for him, or should we go down for you to eat?"
"We can wait..."
"Sure, whichever makes you more comfortable."
"Chris?"
"Hm?"
"Are you okay with me knowing about...?" I hesitated.
"About what?" He raised an eyebrow as if he was daring me to keep talking.
"About the fact that you are... vampires?" I gulped, noticing the small twitch of his mouth.
"I don't have much choice. Each of us has an obsession, and we can't help it. You're Jeongin's."
Huh?
I blushed uncontrollably.
"So, what's yours?"
Chan chuckled. "Mine? Hard to say. Haven't found it yet."
"It?" I asked a bit offended. "Is that how you generally refer to people? Like they're objects?"
"What? No." He shook his head. "You misunderstood. Each of us has... their own thing they are extremely obsessed with for no particular reason. Think of it like this: what you specifically like as a human being gets amplified 1000%. Imagine your favourite thing in the world is Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. If you become a vampire, you don't simply enjoy eating that the most. You are so obsessed with it, you would literally be almost unable to live without the thing."
"Oh, I assumed it would be... a person. Sorry."
"No, not necessarily. No worries." He waved his hand around in the air.
"So what other... obsessions do you guys have?"
"Well, the man you just met earlier-"
"I'm back!" Changbin burst through the door, startling me and making Chan chuckle.
"He can answer that himself." Chan grinned.
"Answer what?" Changbin raised an eyebrow, still supporting multiple shopping bags on his arms.
"Your obsession." I clarified, feeling that Chan was having a bit too much fun making me look like a curious idiot who wasn't able to ask things themselves.
"Oh, can't you figure it out?" Changbin smirked, dropping all bags on the floor and starting to flex his muscles.
Chan started clapping with a loud laugh, as if impressed by his friends' show.
I smiled with content and asked what's in the shopping bags. Changbin seemed kind of dejected that I didn't pay more attention to his muscles. I couldn't lie, he was attractive as fuck, but I got my eye on someone else already, so...
"Why did you buy so little? She's gonna need a lot more." Chan scolded Changbin as I examined the pants he brought back with him. I found out he brought me a few clothes, so I'd have a selection to choose from, and even if Chan thought it's not much, it was more than my whole wardrobe back home.
"You know how peculiar I.N is about style! It's best if she just goes shopping with him directly." Changbin whined.
"Who's peculiar about style?" Jeongin entered the room, seeing him in the daylight was a cultural reset. He was the most beautiful man who ever walked the earth, and I was grateful to finally be able to examine him clearly under good lighting. The same red eyes, crimson stained lush lips and prominent cheekbones brought me a sense of familiarity and I felt safe.
"No one, no one! Anyways, I'm gonna let you to it." Changbin excused himself, and Chan followed soon after.
"I'd say go with this blouse if you like those pants." Jeongin commented, seeing me be indecisive. Having little clothes to pick from would've been way easier.
"Thanks. How was the meal?" I asked him, genuinely curious. It would be a lie to say I was not interested in how vampires live, now that I found out for sure that they are real.
"Wh-what?" He stuttered. "Why would you want to... know that?"
"I mean... no reason in particular. I just want to know things about you, I guess?" I stumbled on my words as well, not expecting Jeongin to grow shy.
"It was... good, I guess? Could've been better."
"Oh. Uhm... do people... taste differently?"
"... Yea, they do."
"That's insane. Do you think I-"
"Did you eat breakfast?" Jeongin cut me off, and seeing the tip of his ears grow as red as his lips, I decided to drop it for now.
However, I was really curious to know what my blood tasted like. This was a weird new oddity of mine.
"No, not yet."
"You should, so let's go downstairs, what do you say?"
We both made our way to the kitchen where another red-haired vampire I didn't recognise was cutting up all sorts of vegetables. He quickly shifted his attention to the pan of the stove where two eggs were slowly getting cooked, sunny side up.
"Morning." He smiled briefly and waved. "I'm Minho, the guy in charge of your meals from now on."
"Hi, thank you. I'm Faith. Wait- from now on?" I turned and glanced at Jeongin.
"We were thinking that it would be best if you started living with us, so-"
"We're trying to be accommodating." Minho cut him off.
"Uhm, okay..." I looked again at Jeongin, unsure, then sat down at the table and watched as Minho placed a plate in front of me.
"I don't remember when I last ate breakfast." I mumbled, and Minho hummed, then sat down in front of me, elbows on the table and head in his hands, and looked at me expectantly. Jeongin also sat down next to me and started speaking.
"So, Faith, about that loan shark..."
"Yea?" I turned my head to him, but Minho was growing impatient, so he leaned over the table and moved the plate towards me. The gesture caught me off guard, making me chuckle slightly. I got the memo and took some bread, swirling it in the egg yolk, then brought it to my mouth to eat.
"I killed him." Jeongin said, as if it was the most usual thing in the world. I, caught off guard once again, for entirely different reasons this time, choked on the bread and started coughing. Minho gave me a glass of water, and I gulped it down.
"You what?" I asked after I collected myself.
"I killed him." Jeongin shrugged again.
"Oh." Was all I could say in return. What was I supposed to answer anyway? They probably kill people on the daily basis to eat, so-
"Oh my." Minho shook his head. "Bad, I.N, bad. When's the last time you killed someone?"
"70 years ago...?" Jeongin tilted his head, unbothered. "Although I killed two ever since meeting Faith."
"Tsk. Bad influence. What did the unlucky dudes do?" Minho chuckled.
"The first one tried to assault Faith, and the second one hit her."
"Mhm." Minho nodded.
70 years ago...?
"Don't you normally kill people when you suck their blood?" I asked bluntly, the two men's heads turning at me.
"No." Minho replied with a gentle smile. "We are a bit... conservative, in this regard. We let them live."
"Really? But... if you bite them and let them live, wouldn't they turn into vampires?" I asked, confused.
"What, do you think we're zombies or some shit? That it's transmissible like a virus?" Jeongin chuckled.
"I mean, it would make sense." I shrugged.
"No." Jeongin replied with a slight laugh.
"If people don't turn after getting bitten... how do they turn?"
"That's the first step, but it's not enough. A bite would make you feel sick for a few days at most, then you'd be back to normal." Minho clarified.
We continued chatting for a while, and it was such a weird feeling, sitting at the kitchen table talking sweet nothings in the morning, as if I've always been with them, as if we've known each other forever and shared food at breakfast every morning.
~
After six months of living with Stray Kids – as I learnt that that's what they were calling themselves – the feeling that I was home continued to grow in my chest.
It was certainly an unusual situation, living among vampires while my heart kept pumping blood, but seeing that all the other vampires in the house seemed to care for my comfort – at least out of respect for Jeongin – and didn't want to hunt me down or eat me or anything was pretty relieving. Even our bonds became stronger, and I was sure some of them considered me genuinely pleasant to be around, if not a friend. Felix and I would play games daily, Lee Know taught me how to cook simple meals, Seungmin taught me photography, Changbin would sometimes take me to the gym to get in shape, Han and I would sing songs together – even if his voice was angelic and mine was the opposite of that, Hyunjin and I would paint together, I would read and discuss books with Chan, and Jeongin...
Jeongin was, to me, the most important person in the world.
My feelings for him just grew and grew and grew and they were so big I was sure they were going to swallow me eventually. I also knew he felt something for me too, just from the way he cared for me. He treated me like I was a precious porcelain doll – with care and consideration. At night, he would hold me in his arms until I fell asleep, and he wouldn't leave my side even afterwards, even if he wouldn't be sleeping. He said it's enough just to hear me breathing, knowing I'm happy, and safe.
We haven't kissed again since that night in the club 6 months ago, which hurt. I wanted Jeongin in all ways. I wanted to be his, I wanted him to capture my lips and fuck me and bite me without thinking of any repercussions.
I wanted him to turn me into a vampire.
~
Tonight, just as usual, we were laying in bed, Jeongin was waiting for me to sleep. My head was on his shoulder, and my fingers were tracing the shape of his neck.
He was warm to the touch, and soft, which indicated to me that he must've eaten today, or yesterday.
Watching his neck in the soft moonlight, my fingers touched two scarred spots on his skin.
"Jeongin...?" I started.
"Hm?"
"These spots here... is this where you were bitten?"
"Yes."
"When you were turned?"
"Yea."
"Do you remember... how it happened?"
"Not much.... I told you before... I was a sickly child, and on my deathbed, a man visited me. I don't remember what he looked like, and I don't know why he did it, but... he decided I should live, so he bit my neck."
"But you said biting someone is not enough to turn them." I raised my head to look him in the eyes.
"Because it's not. There is still... something else you have to do to become a vampire."
"What is it?"
"You must drink a vampire's blood."
"Oh... how did you... do it?"
"The man cut his hand, and I felt a warm liquid getting poured in my mouth... his blood." Jeongin looked at me, trying to grasp my reaction. When there was none, he asked. "Aren't you shocked, Faith?"
"Why would I be? No... I'm actually... glad."
"Glad?" He chuckled. "Why?"
"Because thanks to that man, I got to meet you."
"I'm also glad we met, Faith." He cupped my cheek with his hand, and we looked at each other for a little while.
"Jeongin, I feel like you made me wait enough..." I said, and pressed my lips against him, as his hands moved on my waist and pulled me in his lap.
"I didn't mean to. It's just... it's hard to control myself around you sometimes, when all I want to do is sink my teeth in your neck and taste you."
I leaned in next to his ear and whispered, "Do it.", and I felt his grip on my waist tighten.
"What if... I wouldn't be able to stop...?" He looked into my eyes, seriousness laced into his glance.
"I don't care." I shook my head. "I love you, and I want you to have me in every possible way. Please. I want to be with you forever. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I feel happiest when you're around."
"I feel the same way." He smiled, cupping my cheek once again and raising his head to meet mine, pecking my lips.
"Can't you... drink from me, at least once, and... turn me?"
"Faith... I don't know if that's the best thing for you... I don't even know if loving me is right."
"Yet I do. But why... are you saying this?"
"Because of who I am." He smiled sadly. "I have a horrible past, and you certainly deserve better."
"I would take on the whole world for you, Jeongin. I thought you knew that..."
"Before deciding on anything... I must confess all my sins. If, after hearing about my past, you are still sure you want me... then Faith, I will do whatever you want me to do. I will submit to you wholly."
Jeongin started telling me about his early childhood, about his brothers and sisters, and his fond memories of them. He told me about turning into a vampire, how painful it was, how hungry he woke up, how he couldn't recognise himself anymore, as soon as he turned. He told me about his early vampire days, about the people he mercilessly murdered just for his own entertainment, about how he met Chris and the others, and how he got here.
He spoke for a long time, and I just listened, my head pressed against his chest, where normally a beating heart should keep him alive. There was no beating coming from his chest, though. Jeongin was dead, and I was alive, and it was hard to grasp, still.
After he finished talking, he changed our positions, making me lay down while his head laid on my chest this time.
"Your heart beats nicely..." he spoke softly, his ear pressed against me, listening closely to my unruly heart. After everything he told me, a normal person would've been scared, repulsed, even. But I...?
I now understood what made Jeongin himself, and I loved him even more now.
"Faith... don't you want children? A family? Growing old with someone you love? If you continue to pick me, you won't be able to have any of those things..."
"I don't need any of that." I replied truthfully. "As long as I have you..."
"I am a monster, and you want me?" He chuckled. I caressed his hair.
"You are not a monster. You are my everything. I am not religious, but... I told you before. You are the closest thing to God I'll ever encounter in this life, and the fact that we met... must've been fate, don't you think?"
"If I'm your God... you are my Faith." Jeongin spoke, then pulled down my blouse and kissed my chest softly. He moved upwards and kissed his way from my collarbones to my neck. He sucked a few marks on it, his sloppy, wet kisses making me moan, and after a few seconds, a stinging pain made me wince, and I grabbed his back for support. I felt his teeth sink deep in my neck, as he sucked my blood slowly, and my whole body stiffed in place from the pain.
"Shh." He whispered, taking out his fangs and kissing the sore spot. "You did well." He praised me, continuing to kiss my neck.
"How... was it?" I asked, trying to hold back tears. It hurt, but there was something erotic about the way he bit me and kept kissing me, and I felt my core aching for some friction, for any sort of contact between our bodies.
Jeongin must've known it too, for he pressed his crotch against mine, making me moan as his hard cock pressed against my pussy.
"The best blood I've ever tasted. Fuck, you taste so good, Faith. I want to bite you again." He said, and without missing a beat, his lips latched to my chest, just above my breast, and his teeth sank in my skin once again. Another sharp pain awoke my senses, and I rolled my head back, trying to relax.
Jeongin's left hand trailed on my body, cupping my right breast slightly, then touching the hem of my pants and underwear, taking them down in a swift motion. His thumb started working on my nub, his teeth still in me, and I spread my legs open for him, giving him full access.
The next time he moved his mouth, he brought it against mine, and kissed me, parting my lips with his tongue. I opened my mouth and let our tongues play, and the first thing I felt was the salty, metallic taste on his tongue. I was tasting my own blood in his mouth, and I moaned once again. I was already a wet mess, ready for him to take me however he wanted.
He once again seemed to know, as he took off his pants quickly and positioned himself between my legs, his dick touching my entrance. He pushed in, continuing to kiss me, and when he bottomed out, I saw stars.
A few thrusts in and he established a quick rhythm, hitting all the right places as I clenched around him. The sounds coming from my lips were obscene, but muffled by his mouth as he fucked himself into me.
"Fucking hell, Faith, this is just too good." He praised me again and again.
"This is not hell... it's heaven." I replied, through hurried breaths, feeling myself almost get over the edge. "I'm so close." I cried out, and as soon as I said that, Jeongin moved from my lips to my neck, on the other side that was still unmarked.
He pushed his dick in and out of me harshly, grazing my G spot over and over, and I felt my orgasm take over all my senses, making me see stars, moment when Jeongin's teeth marked my skin once more, biting me and drawing blood for him to drink.
The combination between pleasure and pain was euphoric, and I felt myself get dizzier and dizzier, completely fucked up.
"You're the best." Jeongin spoke, his own orgasm coming quickly enough as his warm seed released inside of me. He kissed my lips again, and then plopped down next to me.
I turned around to face him, when he bit his own wrist, blood dripping on the covers.
"Faith... the ultimate decision is yours. You can stay human, and I will love and cherish you until the end of your life, or... you could join me in this deathless life. Now, next time, or never. Whatever you choose, and whenever you're ready to choose, I will be happy to stay by your side regardless."
"Are you proposing to me after just one night together?" I joked, and Jeongin smiled kindly.
He put his wrist close to my head and I grabbed his arm, looking into his eyes. The choice was obvious, and I was determined, so I licked a long stripe of blood from his elbow until the bite, and I closed my eyes.
The taste was similar to when we kissed earlier, metallic and salty, only slightly different, as it was now not only my blood I was tasting, but his as well, and I found it so beautiful, knowing the same blood would flow through both our bodies.
I latched my mouth against the bite and closed my eyes shut, forcing myself to drink Jeongin's blood, even if the taste was making me nauseous.
He petted my hair gently, and after a few long seconds, my chest started throbbing with pain and I felt myself suffocating for air.
The pain was like nothing I've ever experienced before, not even when that loan shark would hit me and I would bruise for weeks on end. My whole body burned so badly, like it was on fire. My head hurt and I couldn't understand anything around me. All I could feel was the excruciating pain as Jeongin's blood travelled through me, changing every part I once held familiar, transforming it into something new, something different.
Jeongin took me in his arms against his chest, and held me tight as I was going through agony. I held onto him tight as well. It felt like the only one who could keep me anchored through this was him, so I snuggled closer to him and tried to breathe the pain away while he whispered kind words in my ears that I couldn't even hear well, let alone comprehend.
A few minutes later, my eyes grew heavy, and the world went blank.
~
The next morning, I woke up, still in Jeongin's arms. He was looking at me expectedly. Hunger pangs overcame me completely, and I felt myself unable to stay still.
"Faith..." he started, looking right into my eyes.
"Did it work...?" I asked him, and he chuckled.
"Red eyes suit you. How are you feeling?"
"I'm so, so hungry..." I replied truthfully, and he smiled.
"I'll teach you how we hunt."
"I can't believe I'm a vampire..." I said, snuggling myself closer to Jeongin. He took my face in his hands and kissed me, and my senses were on overdrive. I felt everything amplified a thousand times. Is this what Chan meant about the obsession? Was Jeongin mine, as I was his?
"I'm happy you chose to be with me forever, Faith."
"You also chose me. Thank you for that, Jeongin. I love you. Truly."
"I love you too. Should we go downstairs?"
We stood up and my body felt foreign. I had more strength than ever, and with just a glance outside, I could hear each individual bird singing in trees as far away as the eyes could reach. I was able to hear people's voices that I couldn't even see, listen to their conversations, I could smell the smoke I saw coming from the chimneys in the distance, and each and all my senses were intensified.
We made our way downstairs and the only ones in the kitchen were Chan and Minho.
"Good morning." Chan smiled. "Faith, you... you're different."
"Yes. I feel different, too..."
"I love your new smell. It's no longer... appetising." Minho smirked.
"Welcome to our family." Chan came next to me and took me in his arms, hugging me tight.
"How didn't any of you bite me until now?" I asked. "I feel so hungry and I smell someone like 10 houses over and the only thing I want to do is go and fucking snap their neck and drink their blood."
"You'll learn to control it, eventually." Chan assured me.
"Yea. It's all about self-control, missy." Minho replied, and I playfully slapped his arm.
~
It's been more than three years since I've been with Stray Kids, and life, as I once knew it, is now completely different. Or should I say death?
My heart stopped beating three years ago, and with it, the need for normal food, water, oxygen and any other things that make humans... human. The only craving I have now is blood, but after a lot of practice, I can now hunt by myself without needing someone else to help me not lose control. I learnt how to pick my prey and how much I can drink from someone without messing up their whole week.
My bond with Stray Kinds only strengthened with time. They are the family I never had, and the love we have for each other transcended even life and death.
It's funny, really. All these years, I tried so desperately hard to believe that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, that it wouldn't end up crushing me under its weight. I wanted so hard to believe that life could be different, that things will change. Now, I know that the light at the end of the tunnel has been and will always be Jeongin, who is my love, my sun, my everything, whom I love unconditionally, who made my heart beat even after it stopped beating, who took my breath away even after I stopped breathing. He is my religion, and I am his Faith.
My days are, for the first time ever since I was born, peaceful, tranquil, and the thought that there will only be serene days from now on, next to Jeongin, my husband, and our family, all the vampires in Stray Kids, is the most beautiful thing in the world.
~The End~ 
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masochistic-tifosi · 4 months
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Links and explanations below
Fic that made me laugh - Ships Passing in the Night by Anon
Yukierre, Nando/Various. Pure crake and I love it. Nando find out about Yuki and Pierre's relationship and that spirals into Nando's many partners in bed.
Fic that made me cry - between the moments you remember by @merenwenformulauno
Strollonso- Bittersweet tears instead of sad. it was flufftober sam. they grew old sam. did you have to end the story at that point sam.
Fic that gave me a story hangover - All I Wanted by Agnst_crrnt
Rosquez- Bet you didn't expect MotoGP, did you? What can I say, I love the MotoGP equivalent of Brocades but instead of childhood friends they're Legend/Rookie and Idol/Fanboy. I love how time travel is utilized in this fic and how something tie together perfectly. Marc gets sent to a random point in the future for a few hours at different times of his life, and the only constant is that he always end up near Vale.
Fic I want to discuss book-club style - All The Time You Have To Leave A Space (For Me) - siempremadridistalalala
Fernando/Lewis Mpreg- Not finished but good. I love the characterization and character dynamics. Long story short Lewis and Nando had a fling and now Nando is pregnant, they are dumbasses about it.
Fic that got me a little flustered - That smutty Boy King Au fic by @skitskatdacat63
Vettonso. Smutty, yes. But more importantly, it's about the power dynamics . Seb's on his knees but Nando is the one on the back foot. + Historical Au
Fic by one of my favorite authors - Between Gravel Traps by @merenwenformulauno
Strollonso - Not a fic but a series of Fic. I love Lance and Nando's relationship and how it develops throughout the series. Nando and Lance start their relationship with fucking and Nando works move on from a past-relationship.
Fic I re-read more than once - Too Many Love Stories by @seafoampearl
Webbonso - Written in 2022 but I read it this year so. It's nice and fluffy and i want to know more about Marks post-retirement writing career. Does anyone call his books thinly vailed Webbonso fanfic? Does he get popular on booktok so he and Nando can be tiktok famous together?
Fic I send to everyone I know - All Stories Worth Repeating by Silverbluefire
Strollonso Fantasy Au- Only one chapter but A.) I don't really send or rec fics and B.) Sam almost got tic-tac-toe they can survive not having this square. I love how the first chapter is written and the balance between humor and eeriness. Nando retires from the King's Legion and retires to a farm next to woods that have something dangerous hiding within,
Fic that made me fall in love with an author - endlessly caving in by @merenwenformulauno
Lewis/Fernando - Absolutely brilliant fic by Sam, brilliant characterization and I adore how the omegaverse dynamics recontextualizes past situations and affects the characters mentalities instead of just being a mpreg excuse. Also, the first fic by Sam that I read. (*^_^*) Quick Summery: After Nando's 2022 USGP crash Lewis goes to check on Nando, they get into a relationship that has Nando accept that he is a omega and Lewis has a grudge against the attitude towards omegas in the past and Nando's family (but mostly Nando's Family)
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veliseraptor · 1 year
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top 5 favorite fucked up but somehow still soft character dynamics!!
ooooh this is a good one...let's see let's see
1. Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen is definitely the first that comes to mind because it's part of what drives me insane about them! it's the fact that the violence is real, that everything Xue Yang feels about resenting Xiao Xingchen and wanting to bring him down to earth is real, and also the incredibly deep love is also real, an ugly thing that's the best version of it Xue Yang can manage. Xiao Xingchen is his victim. Xiao Xingchen is his lover. Both those things are true, simultaneously.
And not just for Xue Yang, either! For Xiao Xingchen, tormented by the break between a man who ruined his life (and, more importantly, Song Lan's) and the man who's been sharing his life and making it better when he thought he'd never find happiness again. He doesn't have time to really reckon with that - or, well, I think part of why he kills himself is because he can't - but in AUs where Xiao Xingchen survives but Xue Yang doesn't...I don't think Xiao Xingchen comes out of it in one piece. Particularly because if Xue Yang just accepts the two things living side-by-side, Xiao Xingchen wants to reconcile them, or figure out which one was the real thing, and can't figure out how.
2. Vegas/Pete. Once again! Relationships born in ugly violence and destruction that develop into something beautiful somehow anyways. Other people have written more cogently than me about themes of dehumanization/weaponization between these two, and the way they both take turns putting the other person in the position to be a weapon that they're made to be, and then breaking that down, breaking each other down. Pete goes on a very weird voyage of self-discovery over the safehouse arc and comes back irrevocably changed and awfully traumatized (:D), but Vegas also goes on a very weird and unexpected voyage of self-discovery of his own, and comes out of it with a crisis of identity that I think is part of what has him repeatedly making dangerous and potentially self-destructive or even suicidal choices. They both broke something open that revealed something neither of them really wanted to deal with, ever, but there they are and the issue's been forced.
and out of the wreckage of self-image and expectation, they're making something new. but the sweetness of that absolutely does not overwrite the origin and foundation of their relationship and also I don't think either of them is capable of a "normal" relationship with the other person, they're deeply obsessed and codependent and it's great.
3. Felix & Mildmay. They are a mess. Felix hurts Mildmay over and over and hates himself for it but can't figure out how to stop. Mildmay keeps coming back because he has no sense of his own worth as a human being and loves Felix too much to walk away, even if he could, which he couldn't, because he asked for a binding that would require obedience. And sure, he needed it for actual reasons, but I don't think we should underestimate the Thematic Relevance of that as a narrative decision. And yet! And yet!!! They love each other so much, so stupidly much, and over the course of the series stumble into figuring out a way to do it a little better. Them, man. Now I kind of want to go reread bits of the series but I know myself and that will just end up with me reading the back half of The Mirador, again, and crying.
4. Mo Ran/Chu Wanning. I feel like this one is a little bit of a cheat because the "fucked up" and the "soft" are sort of split across two timelines, but I think it counts. Certainly they've got both at varying points over the course of the book! And that's (part of) what makes it so tasty.
5. Trying to think of a fifth and weirdly coming up empty. I feel like there should be an obvious one here. Maybe Beefleaf, though it doesn't feel like exactly the right flavor, probably because even as Ming Yi I would not describe He Xuan as "soft." He's just not. I feel like I must be forgetting something and as soon as I hit post on this I will think of it.
OH actually thought of it as I was writing this post and it's funny because it's one that I feel like was severely underutilized to its fucked up potential in canon, which is Daemon & Lucivar from the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Formative, unfortunately. There are like. Two scenes where the dynamic between them gets weirdly charged, and Anne Bishop gives you just a taste of the way that they simultaneously love and hate each other, are both each others' only comfort and also the people who can hurt each other the most. It's not quite the same as the other ones on this list but I'm going to say that's partly Anne Bishop's fault for passing up the latent potential in this dynamic and turning the fucked up dial at least a liiiiittle more.
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pickle92 · 2 years
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TAG GAME
10 characters from 10 fandoms (in no particular order) tagged by @beardedblack thank you darling
its actually really hard to think of 10 i had to come back to this like 3 times lol
1. Edward Teach, OFMD (90% of the active blogs that follow me are ofmd blogs so I don't think I need to explain this one lol. also just to weigh in on beardgate he's def hotter with it, sorry besties. imagine running your fingers thru it and tell me im wrong)
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2. Dean Winchester, Supernatural (bc i used to be spn trash and that shit is hard to shake off completely, also he's the best character to make cry or bleed sorry i don't make the rules. also the most bisexual character ever created don't @ me)
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3. Ezio Auditore, Assassin's Creed (mainly out of nostalgia bc AC2 was my gateway into fandom/shipper culture and my first time writing proper fanfics (ie not dumb quizilla stories about my chemical romance lmfao, if you're old enough to remember quizilla hello fellow olds). also bi af, him and fucking Leonardo da Vinci were my first OTP)
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4. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider (on the subject of video games I gotta give Lara proper credit for 1. representing badass women in games, especially in the 90s and 2. being what in retrospect was clearly my first gay crush, compounded by bicon Angelina Jolie playing her in the movie 😳🥵)
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5. Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with honorary mention to Spike (following on the theme of badass women, Buffy needs no explanation. also Spike gets a mention bc of how in love with him i was when i was like 12 lol)
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6. Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean (speaking of people i was in love with, potc kick-started a Johnny Depp obsession when I was a teen and I still think he's one of the best characters ever. also proof I've always loved pirates)
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7. Guybrush Threepwood, Monkey Island (before Stede came along he was the og loveable cringefail pirate wannabe. also the monkey island games are so good and make me think of my nan who was cool af and the reason i found monkey island in the first place. also maybe loving pirates is hardwired into me?)
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8. Eowyn and Arwen, LOTR (can't choose bc in retrospect they were both early Gay Crushes(tm) and Badass Woman representation, don't think I need say more)
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9. Holly Short, Artemis Fowl (realised I hadn't included any book characters so here's another one included for nostalgia's sake (avoiding HP). Holly is a badass making her way in a male dominated field and constantly kicking ass. also she's an elf, so.
10. Sybil Vimes, Discworld (also a badass, but more importantly the fact that she was fat but also still totally cool and Worthy of Love, thank you Terry Pratchett (gnu))
this was really fun to do but also made it apparent that i have a type which is 1. Badass and/or 2. Pirate. so um yeah, do with that info what you will.
gonna tag @littletugtinytug and @jellybeanium124 and anyone else that feels like playing ☺️
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morrigan-sims · 2 years
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Criminally Underrated Books (aka, books that are Actually Good)
After ranting about BookTok for longer than I should have, I thought I’d share some recommedations of books I never/rarely see talked about that are Actually Good. The list is going to go under the cut in case I want to add to it, and also beacuse it’s long as fuck.  I suck at summaries, so you might have to look up a summary yourself.  My “summaries” are mostly me rambling about why I like it, ajsdkajs. EDIT: this is going to be mostly sci-fi/fantasy or maybe speculative fiction, and also YA-heavy, since that’s what I read a lot of.  (moving more away from the YA now, but still sci-fi/fantasy obssessed.)
1. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel This one got some traction after being made into a miniseries on HBO (which I have NOT seen, for the record), but I still have never heard anyone talk about it.  It’s a beautiful book, and feels like a work of art.  The writing is beautiful, the characters are painfully human, and the whole book is a beautiful essay on / loveletter to humanity.  Yeah, sometimes we suck, but sometimes we make beautiful things, and most importantly, SURVIVAL IS INSUFFICIENT. (P.S.: Can people stop thinking that that quote is from Station Eleven?  It’s not.  It’s from Star Trek.  It says it in the book, that it was chosen as their motto but they didn’t make it up.) (P.P.S.: The “no more” chapter is the best thing ever, and I love it.) Trigger Warnings: death, disease (world-ending plague, remember?), violence, wepaons, cult-y shit.
2. The House In The Cerulean Sea + Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune THITCS is gorgeous, and adorable, and just a beautiful comfort book.  It’s cute, happy, gay, no teenage drama, just some middle-aged gay guys falling in love, with a healthy dose of Found Family and Fuck Beaurocracy thrown in for good measure.  (also, magical realism) TW: uhh, idk off the top of my head. UTWD is the only book that has ever made me cry, because of a goddamn ghost dog.  It’s cute, and funny, and sad, and it’s about death.  And I love it.  And again, more middle-aged gays and magical realism.  Also, the majority of the main cast are POC. TW: death (obviously) (but in a postive way??), animal death, suicide mentions, brief mentions of homophobia.
3. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson Adorable graphic novel about found family, good and evil not being what you thought, and shapeshifting.  Also, dragons. (kind of) TW: violence (nothing graphic, but it does have visuals)
4. Villains series by V.E. Schwab Since BookTok won’t shut up about Addie LaRue, I thought I’d shine some light on Ms. Schwab’s better books.  An amazing take on superheroes (and villains) and how no one is totally one or the other.  Also, I’ve never seen someone put as much thought not only how heroes get their powers, but also why they get what power.  It’s amazing worldbuilding, and I love it. Also, Found Family, morally grey characters, and some badass showdowns. TW: death (So. Much. Death.), violence, blood, weapons, animal death, cursing, abuse (mostly book 2), and Religious Stuff (christianity, not in a good way).
5. The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Aimee Kofman Sci-fi adventure with very high stakes, a lot of plot twists (but not too many), and a lovable cast of characters.  Low-key some found family.  But the best part of this story is the way it’s told.  The entire story is told via documents.  Trancripts of audio recordings, chat logs, etc.  There is no “normal” prose in these books, and it works out brilliantly.  Fast reads even though the page count is high. TW: death, violence, gore (mostly book 2), war, weapons.
6. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein Gorgeous, showstopping, spectacular, brilliant.  I’ve read it 5 times.  Deals with a female spy and her friend a female pilot during WWII.  I know, I know, another WWII book.  But this one is different!!  As I said, I’ve read it 5 times.  Should probably have made me cry, but didn’t.  Also, Rose Under Fire and Black Dove, White Raven by the same author are wonderful as well. TW: War, torture mentions, weapons, violence, injury.
7. On The Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis A gorgeous book about the end of the world and leaving things behind.  A host of POC and disabled characters, and the main character is autistic and Black.  (the author is also autistic + POC, so dw.)  It’s gorgeous, and I love it, and I’ve read it 3 times now.  There is a scene that almost made me cry (again, has to do with animals), but I love it, and I relate very strongly to Denise, the main character.   TW: injury, end-of-the-world stuff, animal death, death mention, ableism.
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august-reads · 2 years
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𝓑𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵
Author: Penelope Douglas <33
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Synopsis:
JORDAN
He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He doesn’t use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work.
I have to stop this. It can’t happen.
My sister once told me there are no good men, and if you find one, he’s probably unavailable. Only Pike Lawson isn’t the unavailable one.
I am.
PIKE
I took her in, because I thought I was helping. As the days go by, though, it’s becoming anything but easy. I have to stop my mind from drifting to her and stop holding my breath every time I bump into her in the house. I can’t touch her, and I shouldn’t want to.
But we’re not free to give into this. She’s nineteen, and I’m thirty-eight.
And her boyfriend’s father.
Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.
Review:
My obsession with older men is getting even higher!!!
Oh, my good god!!! I think I know what type of man I want. I WANT A BOYFRIEND LIKE PIKE LAWSON.
Holy Spirit! This man! I've read Penelope Douglas's devil's night series and Kai, Michael and Damon are nothing like Pike. Yeah, of course, they won't. For Michael, I've not seen him crying on Corrupt, and same goes for Kai and Damon. Pike is someone, you'll see mixed with emotion. I love that!
And for Jordan, this girl, made me fell in love with retro and candles! Pike and Jordan is so good for each other! I love them.
The other characters like, Cam, she was a great big sister. Also at first, I fucking hated Cole, cause he was so messy and couldn't control his own life. But, in the last, I understand his struggle. Some teens can't accept the adulthood easily. And most importantly, Lindsay, I fucking hate her!
I really enjoyed this book but please read the TW before starting reading this book.
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stars-inhereyes · 2 years
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Hi Dids :)
Would love to read about your top 5 series you could rewatch any time :)
Have a lovely day/night/morning/evening!
Josi dearest, so nice to see you, thank you so much for the ask! ❤️❤️
This is mostly going to be incoherent nonsense because I am more melting goo than a person due to this heat but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.
BESIDES KINNPORSCHE because as you know, that's my current hyperfixation and so it's just cheating at this point here's the list:
1- The Untamed/ Cql: Dude, dudeeeee. This one broke me like sure, Wangxian, amazing, iconic, spectacular but it's so much more than that. This show is so full of tragedy and could-haves and yearning like you can turn every which way and there is something to cry about. In the end, I think CQL is a story about love, all that we do for the people that we love, even though we can't say it, even if they will never know the sacrifices we made. Head in hands, truly, head in fucking hands.
2- The Umbrella Academy: Look, this show is a clusterfuck but still very endearing because it is aware of it. The writers do make some terrible decisions about the characters sometimes but on the other hand, you have Five which is such. a. character. You have the sibling relationships that makes me wanna roll on the floor, bawling. But the most importantly: Klaus. Especially the whole him and Dave thing in Season 1, jfc, the parts (ep 8 or 9, I think?) where Klaus talks about Dave live in my head rent free.
3- Bad Buddy: Thing about me is, I don't like cutesy teenager shows (I know they're in university but like still teenagers). I didn't like them even when I was a teenager but this one, yeah, this one is special. THE CHEMISTRY IS OF THE FUCKING CHARTS, first of all but also the longing??? You know that sleepover scene, Pran watching Pat and the tear? I watched that once and I was sold, I will carry this show in my heart forever.
4- The Devil Judge: I know it's not BL but there is no heterosexual explanation for any of the things that are happening in this. I am just a sucker for violent morally grey characters falling in love, turning to simps and leaving murder and mayhem in their wake and this show gives me just that. Queerbaiting? Yes. But that's why we have fanfiction lol.
5- Shadow and Bone: Six of Crows books are among my favourites so naturally the series has me in a headlock. It's a really fun show with good storyline that has humor, mystery, action etc but the main thing is characters. I truly truly love all the characters in this and the acting is chef's kiss so yes.
Two (dis) honourable mentions: Firstly let me apologize for putting these comphet shit in your ask like it is truly despicable but I like to be honest with you about my guilty pleasures.
But Sefirin Kızı (just the first season though) and Son Yaz are two Turkish series I go back to a lot (I'm not from Turkey but I know the language since I spent majority of my childhood there). The thing about Turkish TV is that the episodes are long, like 2 hours long. So there is no way in hell I'll rewatch these in full but damn do I not watch some scenes over and over again on YT. Seriously, ain't nobody doing angst like the Turkish, those bitches will make you cry like a baby.
Okkkay, I'm done now. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, I hope it has been fun to read!!! Ily, bye ❤️
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landinoandco · 3 years
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Could I ask for a Max Verstappen request?
Where you get all excited to tell him you’re pregnant and it doesn’t go well. Could you make it super angsty
Of course you can :) here you go, I hope you enjoy! 
Max Verstappen x reader 
Warnings: angst but with fluff at the end
Word count: 2.2 k 
Requests are open...
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Baby, the future is ours
At last the summer break had rolled around again, to the relief of the Formula one drivers and crew, they had 3 long weeks ahead of them to fill with whatever they deemed stress-free or relaxing. The subject of activity depending on person to person - most sane folk tended to stick to a holiday to Greece or if you were an adrenaline junkie like Daniel Ricciardo jumping out of planes or BMX biking. You had lost count of the times Max - your boyfriend - had rushed in to tell you about all of the exciting things his best friend had gotten up to as of late. 
You and Max had decided to take a break and travel to a cosy, quiet part of Italy - to escape the press, the stress and most importantly the eagle eye of social media. It would just be you and him for a few weeks before reality brought you back to Milton Keynes in the shape of Christian Horner and his motley crew. 
You and Max had met in 2018 at a gala event Redbull had hosted, Pierre Gasly - being a close friend of yours - had introduced you two and to say the pair of you hit it off instantly was an understatement, whether it was a mixture of the Dutch meets British humour you had no clue but you weren’t one to complain. A few months later and Max had asked you to travel around the world with him - you did so willingly and life had been nearing perfect ever since. Of course you had your ups and downs, where the universe seemed to really test not only your love for one and other but your patience. A few arguments had shown you that both being hot-headed never ended well. 
You were sat out on the balcony, a book in hand and looking out into the Italien countryside. Max had left for a run and to explore the local village, leaving you, your thoughts and your growing baby. You were pregnant - you had taken the test just before flying out, this meant that Max wasn’t aware. You hadn’t told him yet and you had no clue how you were going to. As it turns out telling your partner you were pregnant was easier said than done - ironically. 
You and Max hadn’t had the baby talk yet - you had but only along the lines of: “one day, when we’re older and married and driving isn’t the main priority anymore.” Those were Max’s words. He wanted to be there for his child, to watch him or her grow, to see every milestone but most importantly to be a good and nurturing father. 
There was part of you that was slightly worried because you just didn’t know how Max would take it - you couldn’t keep it in any longer though. You had to tell him. There was another part of you that was excited - from a very young age you knew you wanted to have a family of your own with the person you loved the most. Call it childish naivety. At this point in time, you were ready to become a mother - well as ready as anyone ever could be. 
Placing your book onto the table, you made your way into the kitchen, grabbed a glass and filled it. Sighing loudly as you leant onto the countertop. 
“That was a loud sigh.” A voice called out from behind you. You recognised it instantly. Whipping your head around, you saw Max standing there, wiping the sweat from his forehead. 
Chuckling, you hit back, “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”
Rolling his eyes, he made his way over to you and wrapped his arms around your middle, placing a sweet, chaste kiss onto the side of your head. Leaning into his warm embrace, you let out another long but content sigh. 
“Seriously, what is it with you and sighing today.” Max uttered, his lips still against the side of your head. 
You went to move forward, out of his welcoming embrace. You knew what you had to do. 
“There’s something I need to tell you.” Instantly the atmosphere changed, you could feel Max stiffen behind you. Maybe the tone you chose to make that comment in was too serious but it was now or never. 
“Haha, which of your friends is pregnant this time.” He quipped jokingly, trying to break the tension. 
Instantly you knew the way the conversation was going to end, a pang of hurt felt in your stomach. You squeezed your eyes shut, catching your lip with your teeth. He stood there with an air of innocence and unknown, concern dancing in his eyes - he went to reach his arm out to you, to offer that encouragement. 
You braved the words that came out of your lips, “Me.” You almost whispered. Time seemed to slow. Max dropped his arm and instantly took a step back. 
“Pardon.” Was the only thing he could force out of his mouth, his throat seemed to close up and his hands went clammy. He definitely heard you the first time but he wanted to make sure it wasn’t a night terror. A bad dream he had failed to wake from. 
“I am, Max,” You said again, your voice wavering. 
“Oh.” He stated, his face drained of colour, his mouth set in a straight line. 
“Is that all you have to say.” You swallowed thickly, your eyes swam with tears. You had a hunch this was how it was going to end but it didn’t stop is from hurting the way it did. You had hoped he would have proved you wrong, to have wrapped his arms around you and to have spun you around. To have laughed. To have cried. To have shown a little more excitement to the fact you were now carrying his child. His first child. 
You moved past him and sat down on one of the wooden chairs, rubbing your hands over your face. He was still stood there. His eyes fixated on the view out of the window. No emotion read in his eyes. It was almost like you had hit the ‘off’ button. He tapped his foot and made a clicking noise with his mouth before turning around to face you - meeting your gaze. 
“How long have you known.” His voice was hoarse.
“A couple of days before we flew out.” You answered him, moving your face back to rest in your hands. 
There was a pause. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner.”
You took a breath, looking him dead in the eye. “Because I knew this was how you were going to react.” You didn’t trust your voice at all, you also didn’t know whether you wanted to scream at him or cry in the corner. 
“Right.” Was all he said. Still stood there like some awkward teenager after a rather large telling off from their mother. 
“Is that all you have to say to me?” You asked him, nostrils flaring. You were allowed to be angry, right? 
“What do you expect me to say.” He rounded on you, his voice raising more than was necessary. Tears had spilled down your cheeks, you didn’t have the energy to fight back. As soon as he realised the effect this was having on you, he went to move forward again, his eyes softening instantly. “I’m sorry - I - I shouldn’t have raised my-”
“Get out, Max.” You stated lowly. By this point, you had stood up, shuddering away from his desperate grasp. He knew he had made a mistake. You knew he regretted it, the moment the words had left his mouth. 
“Get out?” He repeated quietly, his voice cracking, you could see tears glazing his vision. 
“Just - please, go on a walk - come back once you have more to say to me.” You spat.
“But - But I already have more to say-” You cut his rambling off once again. 
“Please. Max.” You insisted, your voice betraying you again. “Go.” You whispered. 
Max stormed out of the door, ensuring to slam it so hard the chandelier on the ceiling swung precariously. You sank back into your chair and let out a loud sob, unable to hold it in any longer. 
Max was mad. Not at you, that would be unfair. He was mad at himself. At the world. At everything actually because at this point why the hell not. You were pregnant - don’t get him wrong, he was over the moon. He was going to be a dad. 
It was too soon. 
He still had his full F1 career ahead of him. A promising and long F1 career as a matter of fact. He wanted a baby to be his main priority and he wanted to share those one in a lifetime moments with you. He knew there was no point in being mad, it wasn’t like they were in a position where they couldn’t have a child. They had plenty of things to offer, a nurturing home with parents who were head over heels in love with each other and a large family - blood and not - who would be willing to support and love the child as if it was their own. Max really was in love with you. He knew it would be you to mother his children in the end, he just didn’t think it would be now. 
He reached for his phone, went into his contacts and pressed on the number that read the name: “D.R new phone.” Whilst it wasn’t adventurous like many thought it would be, it saved the confusion from calling a number that no longer existed. 
Daniel picked up on the second ring. “Hey dude, how’s it going?” 
“Not good at all, Dan, not good at all.” Max admitted, his voice wavering once again. He explained the events that had happened a mere 5 minutes ago, the way he reacted and the way he left you. Hurt and alone.
“I’m not going to lie to you, mate, you’ve fucked up big time.” Dan spoke after what felt like a loud silence. After all, Daniel knew you just as well as he knew Max. 
“I know. I know I have, do you think I’ve been selfish?” He asked, his tone full of raw emotion. 
“Yes.” Dan stated simply, “I think you have been, especially since she even told you this is how she thought you would react. How much stress do you think she had been putting on herself? Come one, I’ve taught you to be better than this.” Daniel paused, Max could almost hear him place his thumb and ring finger onto the bridge of his nose. “You know, just as well as I know, she knows it isn’t the best time. Her becoming pregnant is very much a two person job, I think it’s time that you go back to her and have a conversation like the adult I know you are.” 
In that moment, Max was so grateful to have someone like Dan just a call away. “Thank you, Dan. Really. I don’t know what I would do without you.” 
“Alright Mr Father-to-be, don’t be going all soppy on me now.” Daniel joked, returning back to his normal teasing. That was the best thing about Daniel, he was quite useful when you needed him to be. 
“You can count yourself on being the godfather after that.” Max added, a large beaming smile plastered onto his face. 
He heard Dan let out a loud laugh, “Go on, leave me be. Good luck, mate, let me know how it goes and when the time is right tell her I say congrats.” 
“Of course, mate. Thank you, again.” Max muttered, looking back in the direction of the villa. After he hung up, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and ambled slowly - working out exactly what he was going to say to you. 
Once he had opened the door, he called out to you. “Babe?” He heard a sniffle in response. You were still slumped on the chair in the kitchen, shooting daggers at the cupboard opposite. 
Max sat opposite you, reaching out for your hand. Grudgingly you let him take it, you blinked and he took a deep breath before a large, beaming smile crept onto his face.
“We’re going to be parents.” He rubbed the back of your hand, speaking tentatively. You nodded, your lower lip trembled. Max stood up, still keeping a hold of your hand as he gave it a slight tug, indicating that you should stand up. You made your way into his embrace, his arms wrapping securely around you, tucking your face into the crook of your neck as he rocked gently side to side, burying his face into your hair. He then moved his hands to cradle your face, wiping the stray tears away before peppering your face with feather light kisses. 
“We’re going to be parents.” He repeated, a little louder and to this you let out another sob, laughing as he picked you up and spun you around. 
“I’m sorry. I was being selfish.” He said, as he wrapped you back up into his arms. You smiled into his chest. In that moment, you couldn’t be happier. It was like all of your childhood dreams had come true. In that kitchen stood your new family, mismatched and sometimes a little bit broken but you wouldn’t have it any other way.
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sugrbugz · 3 years
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their reaction to you coming out as trans!! : BOKUTO, KENMA, AKAASHI, OIKAWA, TSUKKI, & ASAHI ♥︎
CW: this covers topics such as gender dysphoria, transphobia, and ignorant parents. please be safe my loves!!
transphobes get the fuck outta here right now
also i’m ftm myself so i’m writing from my own experience! if you want a non binary one or even mtf let me know! ♥︎
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BOKUTO
would be so very excited to go clothing shopping with you but also giving you all of his hoodies in the mean time-
would love to show you off as his official boyfriend, would fight transphobic people for you
“hey bo, can we talk?” you asked softly, only causing him to open his arms wide from where he was sitting on your bed. you crawled into his lap like you always did, your hands shaking a bit when your wrapped your arms around his neck. “what’s up little owl!” he smiled wide, flashing you that beautiful smile of his. “it’s sorta serious love..” you mumbled making his smile fall only a bit, it falling completely when you started crying. “lovebug? what’s wrong..you can talk to me baby” he soothed making you nod. “i know we’ve talked about your preferences before and i don’t know where i fall but-“ you hiccuped, trying to figure out how to say it. “i’m transgender..i want to be a boy” you sobbed out, ultimately terrified he’d leave even though you knew he wouldn’t. “no..” he started making you cry only harder, not even three seconds later were calloused fingers there to wipe them, “you are a boy..not want, right baby?” he smiled softly, kissing your nose.
KENMA
his emotions would hurt him first only because he wouldn’t fully understand why you’re so upset
best hair stylist in the game!! he’d do your hair so you don’t have to deal with judgemental old ladies and weird barbers.
would 100000000/10 drop anything hes doing to snuggle you since he knows how much of a bitch dysphoria can be
it actually happened by accident. currently you were in the bathroom, shaky hands on a pair of scissors you’d found in the kitchen. it was one of those moments. you weren’t officially out to anybody, not even your boyfriend just simply out of fear of being disliked. however when kenma came to use the bathroom after doing a five hour livestream her heart almost shattered right then and there. you were too into your head to even notice his presence, snapping back to reality when he took the scissors from you. that’s when the tears started. he was quickly to pull you close, kissing your head. “i think i understand..but if i don’t, please explain..” he whispered softly into your ear. “i-i..” you stuttered, you didn’t even know how to say it. “i’ve been dealing with my gender for awhile and came to the conclusion that im a boy..” you sniff, snuggling into his chest since the comfort felt good. “okay baby, you’re still mine okay?” he spoke so soft it was reassuring. “but come to me instead of butchering your hair, you know damn well i could cut it better. dork.” he winked sitting you down to actually cut your hair properly.
AKAASHI
wasn’t totally surprised even though he is oblivious to most things
he would be so sweet about it??????? he wouldn’t even question you???? just accepting right away
after you were ready to come out? god he would be so overbearing with how supportive he was. “hey have you seen my BOYFRIEND?” or “are you doing okay, pretty boy?” he would do it all the time
he already knew. you’d asked him to pack your laptop in your book bag since you guys were going to study at the library. he usually didn’t snoop and honestly minded his business, but when he saw what he thought was a dildo his curiosity was peaked. you had millions of tabs open, all pertaining to the concept of gender identity. his heart softened sadly, upset by the fact you did this all alone. you came up to check what was taking him so long, face dropping when you saw what was open, “i-i promise i can explain-!” you rush forward but he quickly wraps two arms around you, kissing you softly. “shush. you don’t need to explain.” he smiled, “your preferred name and pronouns my darling?” he hummed in addition, grinning from the blush on your cheeks. “uhm..y/n..and he/him..please..” you whisper making him nod, “i’ve got the cutest boyfriend every yanno that?”
OIKAWA
would make fun of you for a bit until he realized this was actually serious
he would also apologize profusely for doing so.
would go out and buy you 67963334 slacks just to see you in them i know it
“tooru i’m serious!” you’d whimper, genuine tears pricking at the corner of your eyes. that’s when he knew he took it too far. “hey..i was just joking around…does me calling you girlie actually make you uncomfortable? why?” he was confused but then again you couldn’t blame them. you’d told iwa you were trans, hoping to get someway to tell oikawa but there wasn’t much acknowledgment of him at all. “yes..it does” you nodded wiping your eyes. “is it because you’re trans?” all the air in your lungs was knocked out of you at this. “how did you..” you’d ask softly, “i dunno! i’m just really good at this!” he giggled before kissing your head and getting off the couch you two were on. “one minute!” he ran upstairs and about five minutes later came back with all his old clothes he outgrew. “here! ‘ma saved them for donating to relatives but your more important” he hummed making you blush, “tooru you don’t-“ “and what’s your pants size?” “uh-i-“ “it’s okay doesn’t matter we’ll get all of them.” “ALL OF WHAT.” and that’s honestly how the rest of your night went.
TSUKKI
he wasn’t totally surprised but then again he knew how your parents were and would understand your hesitation for coming out
it didn’t really phase him at all. have you seen his gender nonconforming best friend? tsukki wouldn’t care unless you were authentically yourself.
would always give you reassurance, no matter how much you needed.
you’d come to your boyfriends house for the third night this week, his mom more than happy to let you stay. “he’s upstairs!” she’d smile from where she was making dinner. you already knew where to find his room, so coming inside and throwing your bags down casually wasn’t an issue at all. “y/n how many times do i have to tell your messy ass that you don’t put bags in the middle of the-“ he spun in his desk chair to look at you, his face falling the second he saw your face go red and tears streaming down your face. tsukki fucking SUCKED with emotions but he wouldn’t be pathetic and not try. “cmere moonie, what’s wrong” he frowned getting up and sitting on the bed, pulling you down with him. “i told them” you stated simply, his own anxiety kicked in. “and?” he asked, already knowing the answer. “they kicked me out.” you nodded towards the fourish bags you had dropped. “well..fuck them. here you’ll be loved and respected. they don’t deserve you. no one does. now, ill ask mom if we can move in the old dresser from akiterus room..you make yourself comfy. change, take of makeup, whatever it is. here? you’re allowed to be who you are.” and with that he was gone. tsukki may look like an asshole but he tries his best not to be for you.
ASAHI
wouldn’t initially get it, but it would take some explaining and he’d be absolutely on board
would probably smoother you in love and affection for being brave enough to tell him how you’ve been feeling
similar to akaashi he’d be quick to correct those who use incorrect pronouns (unless you tell him not too) while expressing love for his boyfriend
dating asahi had plenty of benefits, most importantly his ability to scare those off who were rude to you. you had come out to him a week ago, he needed some help understanding the process but soon he was very on board and understanding. now you two were eating lunch with noya and tanaka, watching a group of girls who ever now and then looked back at you to laugh and point. you’d just gotten your gender affirming hair cut the night before. you began to feel very self conscious about everything, just slowly tucking yourself into asahi who immediately realized something was wrong. “what’s up babe?” he asked watching you nod towards the group. with that he gently passed you over to noya who was very excited for the hugs he was allowed to give his close friend. needless to say asahi scared the living hell out of those girls. when all was said and done, he took you to the boys bathroom and locked the door. he simply hugged you, rubbing your back while you almost immediately cried. “it’s okay bunny..i’m sorry people can’t mind their own business-not that it’s my fault-i dunno why i apologized-sorry-i-“ he took a deep breath but his nervous rambling had made you giggle. “thank you, you giant teddy bear” you smiled leaning up to give him a nice soft kiss.
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Arya Stark & Femininity
This might turn into a mini rant, so bear with me here. A lot of times whenever I watch old GOT clips, (bc I hate myself) and read stuff about Arya on fansites, I realize that there’s been a lot of misconception about her and her character. Particularly about her being a woman. And a lot of times i see this sort of “justification” from her fans that the reason why she’s such a fan-favorite character in the show (and to some extent, the books?) is because Arya is esentially this “bad-ass ninja asassin tomboy who’s out for revenge against those who’ve killed her family.” And some of her fans and especially her anti’s will call her out expressing that “Arya’s only a child who doesn’t like girly things like dresses and boys and doing her hair. She “identifies” herself as a tomboy because she likes “boyish things” like sword play, and playing in the mud, and gore, wrestling, etc. I was scrolling through the Jonrya tag here on Tumblr, this is a comment I found regarding Arya:
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The moment I read that I straight up just wanted to rant! Lol! Also, I’m sorry for the formatting, I’m writing this on mobile. :( Anyways, these people who make those claims about Arya, esentially only see her as this small girl who likes fighting and getting dirty. They completely disregard everything else that makes Arya, Arya. Pretty much just limiting her to her sex, understanding that because Arya likes boyish things, she’s NOT ALLOWED to inherit things, like the North, fall in love and get married, have a high position in the hierarchy and in politics. It’s because that these people see her as someone who hates needlework or everything that isn’t Sansa, everyone believes that she hates everything that makes her FEMALE. Everybody here knows that Arya’s my favorite female character in the books, so I just wanna talk about how the general public views her, and how their views tend to go against Arya’s entire character.
People have this view that she is the “exact opposite” of Sansa. And while that’s true in terms of their different characteristics, it doesn’t mean that Arya is against everything that makes Sansa, feminine. Now lemme elaborate here. Sansa is everything that represents “femininity.” Especially in terms of the inspired time period that ASOIAF takes place in. She’s very girly & lady-like, is mannerful, “soft-spoken.” She daydreams about boys and being a princess. She’s graceful and elegant. She knows her place in terms of society, and as a woman. AND YEAH, Arya is the exact opposite of that. Yes, she has this boyish nature. She’s wild and free spirited. Loud also adventerous. But that’s the thing: Arya has a lot of femininity in her. It’s just not the femininity that we’re used to. What society percieves as “normally feminine.”
Arya is not Sansa. And it’s because she doesn’t act like a “lady” that the audience sees her as this girl who “doesn’t want” or most importantly, should not want/get the same treatment as the typical noblewoman in Westeros should recieve. This idea was engraved into people’s heads because of the show, and that’s how we’re supposed to see her. As this cold hearted ninja assasin warrior who happens to be a girl, but doesn’t act like a typical girl. The audience pretty much places her in the “I’m not like other girls” trope. Which is honestly, so wrong to me. Because yeah okay, Arya isn’t like the typical lady. But god, she is far deeper than that, and is a much more complex character.
Here’s the thing, Arya does not reject being a female, and most importantly, she does not reject the typical ideals of what makes a lady feminine. Of course not. In fact, she actively encourages that women be included in all things, especially in things only made for men. She believes that women should not be held back or ignored because of their sex and femininity.
“The Lannister’s are proud,” Jon observed. “You’d think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother’s House equal in honor to the king’s.”
“The woman is important too!” Arya protested.
This excerpt is from Arya’s very first chapter in AGOT. It is also my favorite Jonrya moment, lol. And asides from the scene foreshadowing potential plot points for not only Jon & Arya, the scene introduces to us and examines Arya’s perception of society and more specifically, the women in society. In this scene Arya joins Jon in observing Prince Joffrey, talking about the Lannister/Baratheon coat of arms. Jon makes a point that while the Baratheon sigil should be enough to prove that Joffrey is of royalty, the Lannisters (Cersei) are a proud house, married into the royal family. So therefore Joffrey is of house Baratheon AND Lannister. That is why the Lannister sigil stands besides the Baratheons. Because they, specifically Cersei, should be seen as equal to the king.
And while Jon makes this seem like it’s wrong or not needed, Arya disagrees with him. She tells him that the women should not be forgotten, as they should be seen as equal to the men. That the women are just as important as the men, and that it would be of good conduct to not forget that. And with that being said, she never acknowledges that Joffrey’s mother is too lady-like or too feminine to be seen as an equal to the king. Nope. Although she does question later as to why if women cannot fight, why should they have a coat of arms. Though that is hardly the point of her argument.
Another point that makes people believe that Arya is not feminine or does not support femininity, is when she flat out says to Ned that she hates the idea of being a lady.
“Your mother and I have charged her with the impossible task of making you a lady.”
“I don’t want to be a lady,” Arya flared.
Alot of people misinterpret this as Arya not wanting to be a noblewoman, because she only likes to play with swords, and get dirty. Because acting like a lady is stupid and not her. This is simply not true. Arya has no problem with women, or being a lady. She is a lady. A highborn one. What she does have a problem with is that being a lady often means being trapped in the conformities of what society percieves to be the acceptable standard for women in this time period.
All of the acceptable standards is what Sansa is. And she is not like Sansa. She does not believe herself to be a lady like her sister or her mother. When she first reveals her true identity to Gendry in ACOK, he immediately apologizes to her for his behavior and calls her m’lady. :3 Arya unfortunately sees this as a form of mockery and an attack because while Gendry acknowledges that she is a lady, Arya doesn’t act like a typical lady or even look like one. That insecurity of not being a lady like her mother and sister makes her believe that Gendry is using her sex against her. Like a form of irony. But I mean, we all know that’s far from the truth, lol!
And Jon recognizes this too! It’s the reason why they are so close and tightly knit together. Because Jon understands Arya, and sees her insecurity like how she sees his. They are one and the same. Jon sees and understands Arya’s frustrations of sexism viewed in Westeros. He acknowledges that Arya is to become a lady. But he also sees that Arya is not the conventional type of lady wanting to stick to the norms. She is a different type of lady, and to him, that is okay. He may tease her for it once in a while, pointing out all the unfair limitations that women have to go through. But he accepts her for being this unconventional noblewoman, and often encourages her to pursue being different.
“Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister.”
Later when Jon and Arya say their goodbyes, Jon gifts Arya with the swords. Needle. This is his way of saying, fuck all them haters, be who you wanna be. Solidifying the idea that he supports her and accepts her for who she is. Kinda like how Tyrion told him to use his identity as armour, Arya should do the same to herself. It’s okay to be different than the rest. Fuck the rules.
It’s not that Arya hates the idea of being a lady. It’s a far cry from that. It’s the sexism that goes along with being the typical lady that infruiates her. Arya loves running around, riding horses, playing with swords, being loud and adventurous. She has a firery temper to her. And just because she likes doing all of that, and is all of that, it doesn’t mean, shouldn’t mean that she isn’t a lady. That she can’t be a lady. All of those things shouldn’t limit her to being viewed as a girl, a highborn lady. She is a woman, and she identifies as one.
“Listen to him, boy.”
“It was the third time he had called her “boy.” “I’m a girl,” Arya objected.
That is why, even though she sees herself as a woman, she often tells herself and other people that she is not a lady. Despite others telling her that she is one. Her insecurity and her frustrations do not allow her to see herself as a lady because she isn’t a “conventional woman.”
But the thing is, even though Arya doesn’t enjoy most of the typical lady-like things, she still has a ton of femininity to her. And people often ignore her more feminine traits in favor of her more “badassery” side, which unfortunately are most often occupied by men. People forget and downright ignore that Arya is really intelligent. She particularly excels in math. It’s one of the few things that she’s better at than Sansa. She loves flowers—like her aunt Lyanna. The very person who she’s said to look and act like the most. And a really important one is that she has motherly instincts. It’s what helps her protect other kids throughout her journey. Her ability to empathize enables her to be more social with outcasts and befriend others without judgement. She is well-mannered and kind to strangers. (An example of this would be when she apologizes to a common woman who lent her a dress to wear, and she accidentally destroys it because she and Gendry were playing by the acorn tree.) She can also cook and clean just like any other woman—or any other person. All of those are feminine traits, and are traits that make her more human. And the show opted to get rid of all that and gave us some cold-hearted, angry, ninja.
The audience perceives that because Arya is this ninja warrior who rejects the common standards of being a lady, it means that she can’t have these other more female traits. Nope. She’s not allowed to have or want more rights and power because that’s not her. She’s a warrior and nothing more. She can’t find love because she has to be this bad-ass independent woman who don’t need no man. That’s not her, that’s her sister. We can’t have Arya be any more female than she already is because she rejects the idea of being female. Leave all that crap to her sister! Sansa’s the princess—and we can’t have Arya being a princess or queen. Arya’s only allowed to carry a sword.
And it’s the audience’s perception of her that goes against everything that Arya is, and everything that she believes in. Because remember, Arya hates the idea that being a lady means being trapped in the societal norms. And it can be said vice versa too. Arya still respects those who want to be more of the conventional type. Arya may not have the more typical feminine traits that make her a lady, but to hell with it! It doesn’t mean that she’s not allowed to have the other things that the more conventional woman would/should have. That goes against all of her views and beliefs. The audience puts Arya at an unfair standard because she doesn’t act like a conventional woman.
It’s the same thing as the audience saying that Jon Snow doesn’t want a title or power, because he’s devoted his life to the Nights Watch and is unselfish. False. Very false. Just like Arya. Arya’s young. She still has time to grow, and no doubt she doesn’t think of all those things now because of other priorities. But she’s slowly getting there. And there is so much foreshadowing of her finding love, becoming a woman gaining power, etc, etc. She’s not there yet, but that’s a part of her growth. Just because she defies the typical female standards, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want or wont want all those things later.
Like com’on. Everyone knows that Arya is the only legitimate candidate right now to inherit the North. Everyone knows. The Northmen know, the Nights Watch knows, the people in Kings Landing knows. Hell, even the damn wildings know this. And it’s because of this knowledge that formed the majority of the northern plotline in ADWD. People are going to war for her. She is the true key to the North, and that’s why the Boltons lied and said that they have her. It’s why Jon went to war and died for her. I don’t think Arya will truly believe it if/when she finds out that people are fighting for her because she holds the power to the North. Unless Jon’s gonna be the one to tell her himself. The fact that she is being set up to inherit all this power, and yet people deny it and believe that she doesn’t want it because it’s “not her” in regards that she’s not feminine enough, is seriously infuriating.
I mean look at the type of women Arya respects and idolizes. Where do you think she got the name Nymeria from? Nymeria’s name originates from the Princess of Dorne herself, Princess Nymeria of Ny Sar. Princess Nymeria was said be very beautiful, strong-willed, cunning, and full of wisdom. She was a “warrior-queen.” From that alone, her femininity clearly did not matter. She was a woman whose goals were not held back because of her femininity and sex.
Arya does not hate femininity or things that makes women more feminine. She doesn’t truly hate wearing dresses or being a lady. It’s being conformed to the general standards that she hates. It’s her sex being used against her that makes her angry. It’s not being able to be herself that she despises. And thanks to Sansa and her mother’s judgement of her, Arya’s insecurity only heightened. Despite looking exactly like Lyanna, Arya herself believes that she’s not beautiful enough to even be considered a lady. Only Jon and Ned allowed Arya to be Arya. Only they called her beautiful, and only they encouraged her to be who she wanted to be. Arya loves her fellow women. And yeah, she also loves Sansa despite her being such a pain in the ass bitch, lol.
Arya’s character encourages women to just be women. She encourages us the audience to just be ourselves despite all the conformities forced upon us. Her character explores the limitations of sex, gender, and especially the loss of identity. Arya not wanting to be a lady doesn’t actually mean she doesn’t want to be a lady. She doesn’t want to be held back by the standards of being a lady. Her question, her argument is that why should women be limited only to being this or that. Women are far more than meets the typical standard, and if society can’t accept it, then fuck that! Women can be knights and still be a lady. They can be fierce and passionate and emotional and still be a lady. Women can be warriors and still be a lady. Just because there are some women out there who don’t fit the ideal standards of what it means to be lady, it shouldn’t make them feel like less than one.
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tanoraqui · 3 years
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There actually are enough good fics about postcanon tentative reforging of assorted pairs and even the whole of the Gusu Summer School No Brain Cell Trio to satisfy my niche itch, so pls enjoy these stray snippets of a fic I don't have to write:
Nothing would've happened if the cultivation conference wasn't at Cloud Recesses. But it was, Cloud Recesses with its pale stone and gracefully winding walkways and too many memories, including Lan Xichen sitting the whole thing out in seclusion somewhere... If it'd been at the Unclean Realm, Nie Huaisang would've been busy and if it'd been at Carp Tower the memories only would've been manageably bad, and if it was Lotus Pier or one of many smaller sects, it would've been...fine. Just fine.
But it was Cloud Recesses this year, this first conference since Jin Guangyao's downfall, and specifically it was half past ten at night, and Nie Huaisang was wandering the elegant pathways with a mostly full jar of wine in one hand. The previous jar, now entirely empty, had been left back in his room. He was a Nie, so he was only half as drunk as he'd always used to pretend at these things - but at least twice as drunk as he'd ever actually been.
After da-ge's death, of course. Before that, he used to get plenty drunk. Playfully drunk. With friends.
It would be a terrible idea for him to go appear on Lan Xichen's doorstep. Neither of them was ready for that yet.
So he appeared on Jiang Cheng's.
[ . . . ]
"Fine." Nie Huaisang pouted and turned. "I'll go ask Wei-xiong - "
And Jiang Cheng was easy, he was so easy, he'd always been easy, the only new thing is the faintest edge of wariness to his fury -
He grabbed Nie Huaisang's elbow in a flash and snapped, "Ugh, fine, I'll go - but I'm holding the wine."
Nie Huaisang laughed and handed it over. Jiang Cheng immediately took a deep swig.
[ . . . ]
It must've been a quiet night at the Jingshi. Wei Wuxian's sleeping robes didn't look the least bit hastily pulled on, and his lips were only the slightest bit red and puffy.
[ . . . ]
[for the record, this takes place in a book-show postcanon fusion wherein immediately post-Guanyin Temple, WWX and LWJ ran off to fuck in the bushes at least once a day for as long as possible, but in their absence, various sect leaders voted that Lan Wangji should be Chief Cultivator now, and alas some messenger caught up with them about six months into their honeymoon. Definitely caught them in flagrante delicto. Tragic for all. I’d probably communicate all this hereish somehow. It was definitely NHS who finally tipped someone off on how to actually find them.]
[ . . . ]
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Wei Wuxian said, with a lidded look at Nie Huaisang, and Nie Huaisang burst into a giggles because the two most unequivocally lethal people he knew were afraid to leave each other alone with him, and it was satisfying to be recognized but also what's he going to do, personally? Cry at them? It'd taken him years to destroy Jin Guangyao, and at this point it'd take him months, if not years again to re-destroy the Yiling Patriarch, much less Sandu Shengshou. Especially when they both kept doing things like watching each others backs while pretending they weren't.
[ . . . ]
"Of course we need more!" Wei Wuxian declared. "This isn't even Emperor's Smile!"
[ . . . ]
"It's just a rat or something," Jiang Cheng scoffed.
"So?!" Wei Wuxian cried grandly. "Are we not noble cultivators? Is it not our duty to investigate this woman's complaint, and to slay whatever monster plagues her good inn’s wonderful cellar, whether deathly or monstrous or rodential it be?" He turned to Nie Huaisang and begged, "Help me out, Nie-xiong. You agree with me, right?"
Nie Huaisang clutched his cup against his chest, eyes wide, and shook his head in sharp jerks. "I don't know! I don't know!"
Wei Wuxian laughed and elbowed him in the side.
[ . . . ]
[while waiting for Wei Wuxian to send some sort of signal]
"You know I don't bear any grudge against Jin Ling, right?"
Jiang Cheng's impatient glare snapped to him, darkening with threat; his hand shifted on Sandu's hilt toward a drawing position. "What?"
"I don't bear any sort of grudge against Jin Ling," Nie Huaisang repeated, holding only the last jar of Emperor's Smile. "That's why you've been side-eyeing me all night, right? All conference." He took another sip (it really was the best!) and added recklessly, "If I wanted Jin Ling dead and disgraced, or all Carp Tower burned to ash, they already would be."
Sandu slid an inch out of its scabbard and Nie Huaisang watch it with fascinated curiosity. From a greater distance, he wondered if that was entirely healthy.
"What about Lotus Pier?" Jiang Cheng asked abruptly.
It took Nie Huaisang a blinking moment to focus on him.
"What about Lotus Pier?"
Jiang Cheng sat beside him on the cold earth and yanked the jar out of his hands, cruelly before Nie Huaisang could take another sip.
"Where's your grand terrible vengeance against me and mine? I get it, but if you're being honest for once right now, you could at least tell me when it's going to hit, and how."
"What?" Nie Huaisang pushed himself against his tree trunk, genuinely confused. "Why would i have a terrible vengeance planned against you?"
"I benefitted from Nie Mingjue's death, didn't I?" Jiang Cheng took another swig of wine of his own, and swung the jar illustratively. "My disciples have hunted in your territory while you 'weren't paying attention.' I absolutely fleeced you in that trade deal four years ago. And I worked with that bastard as much as anyone but Lan Xichen, especially on those damn watchtowers, and you broke him. So when's it my turn?" He pointed at Nie Huaisang, finger only wavering slightly. “If you fuck with Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian, or my sect, I will fuck you back.”
"You- oh, gimme that. Gimme. Gimme!" Nie Huaisang leaned forward and tried to grab the wine jar, and more importantly whined until Jiang Cheng handed it to him.
He stared at it for a moment, thrust it back and ordered, “Drink,” without letting it go, and once Jiang Cheng had dutifully tilted it back, pulled it back and slugged down the last swallows. He needed more alcohol for this much honesty, and so did Jiang Cheng.
He set the jar down very carefully, because the ground seemed to be moving, and leaned forward with even more care. He enunciated clearly, “Everyone fleeced me, and hunted in my territory, and I acsh- ass- let them. Why would I expect you to go looking for trouble with Jin Guangyao, when he had your heart locked in a box in his treasure room?”
Jiang Cheng, who was a respected master of all five arts but probably hadn’t actually read poetry for fun since an instructor had officially declared him as such, and who was himself at least a full wine jar in, squinted in angry confusion.
Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes. “He had final say over where and how Jin Ling spent his time, and could’ve tried to poison him against you. What would you have even have done if I had come complaining?”
Jiang Cheng’s face only fell further, with the very sort of drunken moroseness Nie Huaisang was out here to avoid.
Nie Huaisang attempted to swap him sharply. He failed on both the swap and the sharpness. 
“Stoppit! Stop thinking you’re not useful! You weren’t! I needed to pry er-ge away from him and for that only Lan Wangji would work, and I needed someone to watch his back through thick and deadly thin, and to be so disruptive that even Meng Yao couldn’t...circle, sneaky, planning...”
They were waiting for the pulse of a light talisman from the other tunnel entrance, half a mile away. There was a small but very bright explosion. laced with resentful as well as spiritual energy.
“Motherfucker!” Jiang Cheng cursed, leaping to his feet and drawing Sandu in one hideously coordinated motion. 
“Just Lan Wangji, I think,” Nie Huaisang said, because Nie Mingjue himself couldn’t have stopped him. He groped for his own weapons - fan, check; wine jar - 
“Oh no!” 
“What?”  Jiang Cheng snapped, as he bent and dragged Nie Huaisang to his feet with one hand. (Hideously coordinated. Sword people, honestly...)
“He’s going to be so mad that we finished the wine without him!”
[ . . . ]
[three grown-ass men, two sect leaders and one Yiling Patriarch, flying at high speed through Caiyi Town on one sword, all screaming. Nie Huaisang is clinging to Wei Wuxian; Wei Wuxian is flinging to Jiang Cheng, a little bit to Nie Huaisang, and most importantly to a chicken, Jiang Cheng is flying the sword. There is a bedsheet draped over all of them from where they ran into a laundry line. It’s 2am. Again I say, all are screaming]
[ . . . ]
[it probably wasn’t a rat - not just one, at least. Wei Wuxian does something incredibly clever, possibly including a creative use of that bedsheet; Jiang Cheng singlehandedly defeats something in combat, probably after he and Wei Wuxian shove each other out of the way of blows without either of them acknowledging it. Nie Huaisang shoves them both under cover and then with perfect professionalism tells whoever came to check on the ruckus that they handled the problem exactly as planned with absolutely no involvement of alcohol, and the Chief Cultivator will foot the bill for the unfortunately absolutely necessary property damage. Overall, they did handle the problem, but the local cryptid they were chasing will only have its reputation swelled and its continued existence assumed by all locals. it is possible that they themselves made this cryptid up two decades ago, but idk how heavy-handed we want to be.]
[ . . . ]
Nie Huaisang was leaning heavily on Wei Wuxian by the time they got back to the guest quarters. He could hold his alcohol, he was a goddamn Nie, and frankly he’d had it adrenalined out of him at least twice this evening. But he’d also had rather a lot, and he didn’t have Jiang Cheng’s golden core or Wei Wuxian’s blithe lack of sleep schedule. 
“I missed this,” he admitted, head on Wei Wuxian’s (Mo Xuanyu’s) shoulder while Jiang Cheng opened the door.
Wei Wuxian leaned his head on Nie Huaisang’s. “Me too.”
“You’re both fucking annoying,” Jiang Cheng grouched, which meant, Me too.
Wei Wuxian stripped off Nie Huaisang’s muddy outer robe and tucked him into bed, and Jiang Cheng poured a glass of water from the pitcher by the door, drank it, poured another, scowled at Wei Wuxian for a moment, and set it on the bedside table. Wei Wuxian glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, finished with Nie Huaisang and started backing out of the room.
Nie Huaisang sat up more or less abruptly. “Both of you have got to stop that bullshit. I miss my brothers, okay? I’d I had a second chance...” He sagged back down with the plural, and flung an arm over his damp eyes. There was a glimmer in the sky; it’d be morning by Lan standards soon. “I fucking miss them.”
“...Ah,” said Wei Wuxian, who always spoke even when he didn’t know what to say.
“Yeah,” Jiang Cheng said abruptly, and, “Drink your fucking water.” And the door slammed behind him as he walked out.
[...a few lines of dialogue later...]
“Seriously, you can go.” Nie Huaisang flicked a few tired fingers in dismissal.
“Are you sure?” Wei Wuxian added with an audible smirk, “Because if I stay up for another half hour, I can wake Lan Zhan with a morning...big ol’...loving...”
Nie Huaisang finally adjusted his arm to crack one eye up at him.
“People usually cut me off before I get that far,” Wei Wuxian admitted.
[ . . . a bit more dialogue and the end.]
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beann-e · 3 years
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hi I was on u-tube and saw a bakugou playlist for when he can’t sleep and I thought well , since I just hit 200 followers ( tysm;3 I love everyone who even took the time out of their day to press follow ) why not bring them this idea of y/n not being able to sleep & bakubabe lending his beautifully different services
also abt the sero line I have in here— I personally think it’d be cool if he just learned Spanish because, he has an interest in other cultures and languages but I don’t really see him being actually hispanic
also I really like writing baku bc he’s so rough with everything he says & I kin him so he’s the easiest so, I hope no one thinks I write him too much
Reader with bad mental health & bakugou lends a hand in his own way
No one cares and no one ever asks. Or at least that’s how you felt while standing here in your last period class your hands balled up in fist tightly held at your chest
Your head was pounding and body was aching you couldn’t describe why you were feeling so horrible all of a sudden but
you just were
maybe it was from all the nights you couldn’t fall aleep due to overthinking
maybe it was the way you got stuck on your phone or even your head dropped low eyes trailing over words in a book just trying to find something to take your mind off the fact that you were struggling
whatever the case was
right now in this last period class this wasn’t helping
“ look shitty woman “ you heard the boy huff “ I want to get a good score on this paired project and right now your fucking this up for me “
his anger was visibly present even if his voice was low to where only you could hear the annoyance that sat in it had everyone looking around for the culprit of the sudden change in the air
“ and I don’t like fuckups so get whatever you have going on together and let’s do this —ok? “
you shook your head and let out a soft ‘ok ‘
the fight ending quickly with bakugou staring down on you his hands on his knees face made up in anger “ you keep finding a way to fuck with me “
“ I didn’t even do anything to you “ your voice was soft and tired
his eyes squinting before sighing
“ I didn’t do anything to anyone “
“ cut this shit out right now “ he pulled you up off the ground hands in fists gripping at your shirt standing you up with his muscles alone “ get to your room — sleep off whatever the fucks going on with you “
His eyes dead set on you as you walked off everyone from the class watching as you failed to gain the strength to open the big doors that led you to your shared dorms
“ sero plea— “
“ got it hermosa “
“ really dude “
“ look it’s hot — and just cause we’re in japan doesn’t mean I can’t show off my online spanish lessons “
“ whatever “ denkis voice whined as he shook his head holding the other door open for you “ gonna get some sleep y/n ? “
you ignored the two boys head hung low as you walked to your room door
the strength appearing in your body as you opened it but, quickly dispersing when you found your bed.
Your face hitting your favorite pillow hand coming up to cradle underneath it as you sat on your knees butt high in the air tears coming out pouring into your blankets “ I won’t show — I won’t show it — I won’t get bad again “ you repeated like a chant
The light from outside disappearing as the day grew into night
several footsteps heard departing from your door when you didn’t answer the knocks . Their low calls of dinner was done , lunch was in the microwave , that you’d missed movie time , that you missed denkis attempt of asking jirou out , and todorokis miss understood question of what ‘ cuddles ‘ were when denki offered her his body to do so
“ and you assholes didn’t just think to open the door? ”
your bedroom door swinging open in a crash as the knob hit the wall behind it creating a hole
“ fucking assholes bothering me with this shit “
“ we didn’t even call you out of your room “
“ you came over to her room on your ow— “
bakugous hand moved swiftly to slam the door in their faces
“ bakubro we’ve been trying to get in there all day and your just—“
“ gonna close the door on us “ denki finished in annoyance “ seriously I just know y/n needs my charm right now “
he pouted behind the door “ it always cheers her up and I like her lau— “
“ didn’t ask to hear your fucking crush story charger base “
“ ass — kiri let’s go “
“ so no sleepy boob pics?“
bakugou stiffened hearing the purples freaks voice
“ so I came with you guys because you said she was sad and usually when girls are sad they don’t dres— “
bakugous voice was guttural as he put his forehead to the door voice loud enough for the boy to hear
“ hey — hey purple nurple “
“ I-uh — yes bakugou “
“ come here “ he could hear the small shuffle of feet to the door as he smirked softly
“ put your tiny head to the door — actually press your whole body up to the door —all the way “
“ are you trying to help me get one of y/n’s bras god —- of all people to help I never thought it’d be bakugo—“
“ hey just shh ok — you don’t want to ruin it right and make her wake up right “ he groaned inside his mind
“ she’s slept this long and through all of this— I can’t get you her bra if your loud right purple zit “
“ so so smart “
“ ok so here it is “
the room grew silent as bakugou pressed his palm as low as he could placing it on the door away from his standing body breathing in to suppress his anger so , he didn’t let out a major blast due to his mood
sighing before he felt his hand grow sweaty tiny pops coming out
“ hey bakugou —is my princess ok ? sounds like popcorn in there are her tit—“
it was quick as the door had a hole in it the newly created circle having black burn scratches on it as mineta laid burnt on the floor once purple body now black and smoke wafting off it
Bakugou squatting as he put his left hand above the hole to steady himself and his right one reaching out through it as he grimaced in pain at the stretch his fingers finally wrapping around minetas short body fingers interlocking around his neck as he looked through the new hole in the door eyes piercing into the boy he held
his voice low and dominating “ you ever come back to her room on some creep shit — and I blow your fucking brains out do you hear me “
“ y-yes sir “ mineta let out dazed “ I will stick to yao-“
“ that goes for all the girls you hear me — guys included I know your a little pervy fuck you can’t get your hands on girls underwear you’ll move on to dekus shitty tidy whities”
mineta was silent as bakugou threw him back on the floor watching as he crawled off
his body relaxing as he shook his mind burning.
head in his hands before wiping his face in exhaustion and standing up and turning to you when he felt the air in the room shift , his hands out in jazz hands and a fake smile on his face.
“ ta da “ he was met with your sitting body your pillow covering him from seeing you .
your face dropping in shock moving from his tall figure that stood inching over to the now huge hole that he was trying to hide from you
“ k-katsuki “
“ I told you about that “
“ s-sorry “
“ again I told you about that shit “ his gaze was hard on you
“ do it again and i’ll tell shitty hair to harden in the next hug he gives you — since you and that crappy puppy boy are always touching “ he mumbled
“ bakugou why are you — why does my door have a hole in it “
“ don’t worry about it “
“ h- w-how can I not worry about it my doors black“ you screamed in confusion “ it used to be brown bakugou “
“ bakugou it used to be this — bakugou — katsuki oh my gosh i’m sorry — god do you ever shut the fuck up and just be thankful “ he mocked you soon converting back to his anger ridden voice
“ and whats with this pillow take it away from you — I wanna see your fucked up face “
you sighed bringing the pillow from in front of your head his eyes having a look run through them that you couldn’t figure out but you knew it had something to do with how puffy your eyes felt . Even if they weren’t puffy or couldn’t get puffy you’d never known for a fact because it still felt like they were .
You two stared at each other as the silence grew louder him shoving his hands in his pocket before taking out the packet of pills he’d gotten for you shaking them to show you it wasn’t a weapon like Mr.Aizawa thought after finding him returning to school late and shaking him down like a police officer
his hand putting them on your desk
His other one throwing the water he found in the kitchen to your bed “ not throwing you the pills — need you to move around so you gotta come get em‘ “
your face showed no emotion as he nodded understanding the new tense and uncomfortable emotions thats were present “ ... ok — well got a green headed vegetable to go bully so “
you watched as his hands gripped the door swinging it open as you dropped your head eyes moving to the water in front of you “ why can’t I do anything right “
you cried “ why can’t the world — the days — the stars fucking align for me to feel good for once huh “
you felt even more tears prickle your eyes as your voice grew louder “ why can’t I talk to people without having this voice in the back of my mind screaming — raging like its having a party — why can’t I sit in silence without having to stand up every five seconds and move around because my body screams for attention — for movement because i’ve been sitting still for 5 seconds “
you heard the faint click of the door mouth still moving as if he were still there
“ why can’t I speak what I feel when people ask me“ you laughed shortly “ not like they do — because they can’t tell I just mask so well “
you let your face start to feel heavy and tense as you continued your crying rant into the empty room “ and most importantly why was I so bad at everything “ your eyebrows furrowed
“ why am I so bad at today ? “
“ just a day really ? “ you heard the taller males voice came out questioning
“ just today that’s what your worried about “
“ well I “
“ tch “ he shook his head before turning to face away from you his face dropping into a look he didn’t want you to see.
“ I-i’m sor— “ you knew he didn’t like you saying sorry or even using his first name you two had established that when he finally accepted your friendship or in his words
‘ you can hang around —like shitty hair but one sniff of blabber mouth and your gone ‘
“ I didn’t mean to spill to you I just — I — you can go —no one gives a shit anyways “
“ I will “
your body grew sad at his quick response
“ tell me what your most upset about “
your answer came quick as you let your brain take over “ I wake up in the middle of the night and can never fall back asleep when I do “
he moved to your door for a second time opening it to leave before pausing for a second speaking something to where you couldn’t hear much less make out
“ just knock “
he shook his head before closing the door softly to rival his usual mood.
Your body shaking when you finally realized you’d spilled out your mental thoughts to bakugou letting your body calm down before you grabbed the pills and silently thanked your friend before feeling yourself at some time finally fall asleep
It’s been days since you last felt that horrible it never stopped but you were able to hide it even more and live out your life the happiest you could
until one night you found you beating yourself up surprisingly not in real life but in your dreams
a loud gasp leaving your mouth as you sat up calming down only to bring your knees to your chest arms wrapped around them in a hug
your back moving to the wall to feel comforted after only feeling your cold hands and body wrapped around yourself
“ what I would give to have something warm “
‘warm ‘
your mind raced to bakugou trying to push the thoughts out your mind of him actually being a caring boyfriend who could help you like he did nights ago with bringing you medicine, a boyfriend who would let you snuggle into him and take all his warmt—
stop the track cause that song will never play you thought as you started to think about him again face made up in determination and focus as you tried to remember what he said that night feeling stupid when you finally remembered your quirk
the quirk that brought you pain and contributed to your mental health
your quirk allowed you to take pictures of everyone’s last moments you’d spent together with your thoughts
it was good in some aspects like right now when you could finally remember where sato helped you hide your candy bars from yourself so you wouldn’t indulge in them 2weeks ago
at the same time you can see your problem with it when the last moment you had of your mother was her kissing you goodbye before shapeshifting into a fire extinguisher and landing in your fathers hands as he screamed at you to run out of your home and get more help the last image you seeing of your father was him spraying the fire extinguisher all over the stove in hopes to calm it down before it spread but he couldn’t
it didn’t help when the pictures replayed in your mind like video home movies that you didn’t want to watch
whenever your quirk was used everything spun in your head like a movie reel the downside was it made you watch every single picture you’d taken until you found the one you were looking for
it didn’t take long before you finished your mom and dads memory and got to bakugous last moment you two spent together
you zooming in reading his lips turning up the volume on the moment as he spoke “just knock “
“ just knock ? “ you sat confused in your spot on the bed shaking off your quirk taking as long as needed to process his words only to be even more confused and just knocking on the wall twice between your two shared dorm rooms.
You never paid much attention to him being your neighbor it’s not like you needed him for anything so right now you were a bit curious in why he reminded you that you two shared walls
Eyes closing while you waited for whatever was supposed to happen
“ guess he didn’t mean it like th—“
your body softened when you heard music fill his room and overflow into yours
You heard the drums kick in as the lyrics played muffled through your wall
‘I listened to the cure
I listened to the cure
I listened to the cure
and then I cried ‘
your eyes widened before you felt your body relax against the wall eyebrows made up in content
eyes watering when you heard your two soft knocks returned on the wall behind you
you let your body go tenseness leaving as the song played moving to grab your phone with shaky hands seeing his name light up on your screen
Godzilla wannab
‘ no one gives a shit about your life right ? ‘
you cried even harder when you saw the message fit the song perfectly the words you spoke a couple days ago as if your were singing the lyrics
you looked around your room before falling on the dent he left in your wall grabbing your phone and zooming in on it to take a picture and sending it to him
Godzilla wannab
sorry your room was just so ass you needed some redecorating be thankful people tend to cry when I redecorate—just ask deku
you laughed as you seen him prepare to send a new message your heart swelling when you read it
Godzilla wannab
look this is gonna sound sus as fuck but
you bit your lip at the new message
‘ if you can’t sleep come over — your rooms cold as fuck and I know that pillow your hugging’s not doing shit ‘
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little-murmaider · 3 years
Text
Well @offdensmith ‘s Nategaar OTP answer and @frienderbender ‘s Skwisgaar in therapy comic have me feeling A Way so!!!! Also thank you @insomniac-pens for edits!
“How’d it go?”
Skwisgaar flopped onto Nathan’s bed face-first, his prolonged groan muffled by the mountain range of pillows. 
“That bad, huh?” 
Closing his book on a faded Burzums receipt, Nathan knuckled aside Skwisgaar’s hair and massaged the back of his neck. Skwisgaar hummed in appreciation.  
“Hads to talks about Little Skwisgaar.” 
“Ugh, I hate when he makes me do that.”
Rolling onto his side, Skwisgaar scooched up to rest his head on Nathan’s shoulder. “He says dat’s de best ways to work throughs my.” He waggled his fingers. “Childhood traumas.”
“Always with the childhood trauma, that guy! It’s like, we get it, we all have an alarming number of unaddressed psychological issues, move on!”
“Pfft, ja. Gets dis, today he says dat my needs to appear as dis untouchables closed off cool guys stems from my fears of emotional intimacys, ands was likelys a copingks mechanism developed durings a volatile childhoods wif a narcissistic and neglectful parent.” He coughed, fingers thrumming against Nathan’s collar bone. “Or somet’ings likes dat.” 
“He can cope with this mechanism!” He palmed his crotch. “Did you say that? That’s what I would have said. If it was me. And I was there.”
Nathan expected a laugh. Dick-based punchlines were a guaranteed laugh from Skwisgaar; for all his posturing, he had the comedic sensibilities of a middle schooler. But Skwisgaar didn’t laugh. Instead, he looped an arm across Nathan’s waist, curling his knees into himself like a moon shell.  
“Cans I stays here for a little bits?” He murmured. 
A cold, disarming pulse rocketed through Nathan’s bloodstream.
“Uhhhhhhhhh yeah dude. Yeah. Yeah.” He leaned toward the night stand, hand hovering over the remote. “You want to put something on, or…?”
Skwisgaar shook his head. “Dat’s okay. I just…”
The arm draped over him curved tighter around his body, hand splaying against his ribs.
“…Wants to be wif you, rights now.”
“Oh. Uh. Okay.”
Thumbing away his makeshift bookmark, Nathan tried to pick up where he left off, the book’s spine digging a divot into his palm as he balanced his wrist on Skwisgaar’s shoulder. He found himself scanning the same passage over and over, unable to focus through the fog of confusion that had settled over his senses. This was…weird. He didn’t know why it was weird, or what to do to make it less weird. He’d never been good at reading these kind of situations. (Or, according to That Guy, he lacked emotional literacy or whatever, he was working on it whatever!) Best he could do was stew in the weirdness, let it simmer around him until it broke down into a delicious broth of normal. Had he missed second lunch? How soon was dinner? Was it too late to ask Jean-Pierre for soup?
Wetness seeped through the material of Nathan’s shirt. He smirked. Skwisgaar must have dozed off—the trickle writhing down Nathan’s chest must have been his drool. Gross, but not an uncommon occurrence. For some reason Skwisgaar was most relaxed when the two of them were alone. It puffed Nathan’s ego with a misguided pride, that the most tightly-wound person in the world unraveled with him.  
But that pride vanished the moment he realized Skwisgaar was crying.
Technically, he shouldn’t have been shocked. Technically, this wasn’t the first time he’d seen Skwisgaar cry. There had been plenty of stress-induced meltdowns; plenty of shaky insistences he was TOTALLY HIGH as globs of corpse paint dribbled off his cheeks. This wasn’t like that. This was new, and rare, and required a delicacy way above Nathan’s emotional pay grade. Oh God. He was going to fuck this up so bad. He was going to destroy Skwisgaar, destroy their friendship, destroy the band and, much less importantly, destroy the global economy. Oh God oh God he was going to fuck this up so bad! The book tumbled from his fingertips, his body on autopilot. One hand snaked through the rolling golden waves of Skwisgaar’s hair. The other anchored between Skwisgaar’s shuddering shoulder blades. Feeling Skwisgaar’s hitching sigh of relief, Nathan’s panic settled. Against the odds, he’d stumbled into the correct reaction. He did something right.   He gathered Skwisgaar closer, the rhythm of his sobs mirroring the beat of Nathan’s heart.
Time grew hazy. Nathan was unsure how long they laid there, how long he held him. Long enough that when Skwisgaar wriggled out of his grip and rocked onto his knees Nathan’s arms ached at the absence.
“H’okays.” Fixing Nathan with a watery smile, he swept at his cheeks with a flourishing flick of his wrists, eyes bright as heat lightning. (Once he’d confided when he was little his mom would purposely make him cry because she loved how deeply blue it made his eyes. He’d shared it as though it was a wacky, hilarious anecdote but it left Nathan with nothing but a gutting sadness.) “I’m normal nows.”
Nathan bobbed his chin. “Sick.” Sick? He’d never said sick in his life, why did he choose to do so now? What was the matter with him? What the hell was emotional literacy???
Skwisgaar raked his hair back from the roots, lips twisting as if he were considering the notes of a wine. Nathan anticipated a bailout. He waited for the half-baked dismissal of what occurred, the flimsy excuse to leave, the tacit agreement to never speak of it again. But when he spoke, Skwisgaar said, softly, “t’anks you.” Nathan balked. “For what?” “Dere amn’ts a lots of people I cans...does dat wif. Most times I just does it by myselfs. But.” His gaze lowered, shyness coloring his smile as a flush colored his cheeks. “Ams really happy I haves you.” Nathan’s face heated, an unfamiliar pressure building behind his sinuses. He felt his lips part and waited for his brain to push something ruinous to fall out of them. Before he had the chance, he curved his hands around the back of Skwisgaar’s neck, drew him back down into the bed. They melted into each other and kissed until their jaws ached.
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sleeperswakewriting · 3 years
Note
First time smut? Could be both or one inexperienced with a dose of comedy ^^
Summary: Childhood friends to lovers, Levi finally works up the nerve to ask Petra to go to prom with him. After years of pining, they decide to lose their virginity to each other on prom night.
Rated: M
Word Count: 5.4k
Prom outfits based on this!
now playing inevitable by anberlin and I think we're alone now by tiffany
Tumblr media
If you told Levi Ackerman that the best night of his life would include loud music, drunk teenagers, and a broken air conditioner, then he would have called you crazy and told you to piss off.
Except, of course, unless you mentioned one small detail.
He would be attending prom with his childhood crush, Petra Ral.
Friends since they were babies, neighbors both raised by single parents, they were the best of friends.
Even if they were polar opposites.
Petra was on the cheerleading team, doing cartwheels and somersaults by the time she could walk and was a social butterfly with a heart of gold.
Levi had exactly five friends, not including Petra—Erwin, Hange, Mike, Eld, and Gunther. He met them when they were in elementary school and his friend group had stayed the same ever since.
Throughout the years, their friendship faced trials and tribulations, mostly due to the fact Levi had been in love with her for as long as he could remember, and Petra was absolutely oblivious to the fact.
So much so, that she would dance around the room while they did homework, clad in booty shorts and a loose t-shirt with no bra on. He knew she saw him as a brother, going as far as to kiss him on the cheek in times when she was feeling particularly affectionate, and allowing him to wrap his arms around her with each heartbreak she faced.
"Levi, why don't you ever date? You could get any girl you want!"
He didn't dare tell her why. Even though Petra would never actually leave him, he enjoyed their affable candor, her free touches, and smugly, their Friday night movie nights, a ritual they had since they were children.
Which was also the point of contention between her and her current boyfriend.
He had a bit of a reputation as being a hard ass, also Petra's silent bodyguard even though she didn't need it, and one guy in particular—Oluo, had the nerve to come between their sacred time.
And Petra being Petra, invited him to their movie night, to Levi's chagrin, but miraculously, Oluo had taken a liking to him and the three had a few more movie nights together.
Eventually, they broke up amicably, with Petra teasing Levi that it was because Oluo had a bigger crush on him than her.
It was their senior year, which meant college applications were rolling out, and for the first time in Levi's life, he faced the reality that he might be alone.
Petra had gotten a full scholarship as a cheerleader, Erwin was going to business school, Hange to a STEM school, which left him...
"Directionless!" His mother called him. "I've worked so hard raising an intelligent young man and you can't pick a school?! Application times are ticking, Levi, you need to choose something—-a major, a school, something!"
He asked Petra what she thought about him going to school across the country, and in her infuriating smile, she patted him on the shoulder and said whatever made him happy.
I want to make you happy, he wanted to say.
The summer of their junior year was filled as it always was; late nights talking around the bonfire, camping, and summer jobs.
Petra had gotten him a gig as a camp counselor, a job he wouldn't have gotten if it weren't for her since he had "the personality of a boar," as Hange aptly put it. But, with her sweet persuasion and way with people, she had convinced the manager that Levi would be a fine addition to the team.
And he could lead the children's soccer league!
As luck would have it, he was pretty good with kids, and they latched on to Levi's stoic personality with glee.
It was a sleep-away camp, and while the girls and boys slept in separate cabins, counselors included, Levi knew Petra had a rule-breaking streak (that she got from him) and snuck out after curfew so they could watch the stars.
"The night sky is easier to see than in our hometown!" She exclaimed, leaning against his shoulder.
There was no way she would be able to hear how fast his heart was beating, how his cheeks were heated from how close she was, but all of that seemed to change when she took his hand in hers.
"This is our last summer like this, isn't it?" She whispered, and he dared to wrap an arm around her, even though it was far from the first time.
"Yeah," he agreed gruffly, not wanting the cruel reminder. Would they stay friends? Would she leave him? Did he fuck up all his chances to be with her?
Erwin and Hange kept telling him to tell her how he feels—they weren't getting any younger, and Levi morosely pointed out that she's dated several people, with none of them like him at all.
Well, there's a reason why none of them worked out, they observed.
Petra leaned in closer, burying her face into his shoulder as she sniffed. "I'm not ready for senior year. So many choices to make. I mean, I'm glad to be more independent, but I like living with my dad, you being right next door, and our friends all being in one place. Everything is going to change."
Levi swallowed, her words like bile in his throat, but choosing to placate her.
"Well, not everything."
She looked at him, eyes watering with hope.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, looking away from her, not being able to tolerate her steady laugh, her playful friendly shove, and an "Oh, you!"
But she did neither of those things, and he looked back cautiously, noticing a different look in her eyes.
Maybe it was the moonlight, but her gaze was tender, her lips puckering in a way that he'd never seen before, and before he knew it, she was leaning in to kiss him.
Levi had his first kiss when he was 13 years old in a game of spin the bottle, with Petra in attendance. She had been making eyes at a boy all night, and in a fit of frustration, he spun the bottle furiously, hoping it would land on her, but instead, on another girl who he was fairly sure had a crush on him.
Petra walloped with the rest of their friends, cheering and loudly goading, and it was over before he could blink twice.
Hange took pity on him later, locking them in a closet for 7 minutes in heaven, but it turned into Petra crying over the boy who wasn't paying attention to her, with him consoling her as best friends do.
She was bliss, her sweet pea body spray engulfing his senses, as he tentatively kissed her back, wondering if this was some delirious dream he was having.
Petra was moaning in a way that he thought was only in fantasy, at night when he dared imagined himself as her boyfriend, and when she pressed her body against his, breasts deliciously folding against his chest, he groaned in return, releasing them from the kiss to catch his breath.
"Petra, what's going on?" He asked, caressing his forehead to hers, begging that this wasn't some mistake.
She kissed his cheek, then his nose, as she giggled, "I love you, Levi. You've always been there for me, I guess what I've been looking for has been here the whole time. You...You feel the same way about me, right?"
Nifa and Nanaba had teased her relentlessly that she was building a harem since, for every guy she dated, Levi was very much a part of her life, even accompanying her on some group dates.
"I don't want him to be lonely!" She argued, putting on her watermelon lipgloss. "You know how he is, all by his lonesome. Everyone knows he's like my brother."
Nanaba laughed, giving her a look, "Well someone better call the cops because brothers shouldn't be looking at you like that. I can't believe you wear this around him," she said, pinching Petra's thigh that cut off just at her ass by her extra-large PJ shirt.
Rolling her eyes, "Please, we've seen each other in diapers. And in cringey Halloween costumes. I think we're past feeling embarrassed."
"Whatever you say," Nanaba said, noticing the pink hue on Petra's cheeks as she talked about him.
Levi thought he would be caught dead before he said I love you to anyone but his mother, and even then, it was given in brief, stilted tones.
But with Petra, he said it as quickly as he could, pulling her in for another kiss, wanting to hold on to her for as long as she would allow him.
His mother was thrilled, always having a feeling that her son harbored feelings for their ginger neighbor, and her father awkwardly patted him on the back.
"Glad it's you, son. I'm tired of all the jocks she brings around," and with a crane of the neck and a stern look, he said, "By the way, Petra, same rules apply, door stays open at all times!"
Petra groaned, stomping up the stairs. "Daddy, it's Levi! We used to listen to music on my boombox when we were 10, remember? We'd keep the door closed so you couldn't hear the CDs we bought from the thrift store."
Her father gave her a cautionary glance to her, then to Levi, who for the first time in his life, felt scared of the serene man.
"Door. Open." Her dad said with a final word, and Petra huffed, dragging Levi into her bedroom as she bemoaned how much she wanted to kiss him, earning a cough from downstairs.
Their relationship was "going steady" as some would call, with it being Levi's first relationship (he hoped his only), and Petra getting used to the idea that he was now her boyfriend.
He got jealous quite often, to the extent where he would hold her hand in the hallway or would walk with one arm wrapped around her shoulders. If he was feeling particularly whipped, he'd hold her books, but he wasn't sure if the snickers from Erwin and Hange were worth it. Not the one for PDA, Petra was surprised when he asked to hold hands, and she was more so endeared at his exuberant affections.
So far, these were the happiest days of Levi's life.
When springtime came around, with the seniors abuzz with the promise of graduation and more importantly, prom, he came to the dreaded realization that Petra was expecting a "promposal," something he had seen throughout his four years of high school but always wrote it off as annoying.
He supposed he didn't think he'd be lucky enough to go with the girl of his dreams.
It started with Nifa, who received a promposal from Gunther in the most saccharine way possible, a candy gram.
Then Nanaba and Mike, the latter coordinating a flash mob with their friends. (Levi didn't dance, but Petra told him all about it and showed them the final video they recorded).
It was a given that Eld and his long-time girlfriend would be going together.
Hange dropped on Levi that she and Erwin were also going as a pair, but it was nothing serious, and decided to go together just so they wouldn't have to deal with the headache of finding an actual date.
Which left Petra, waiting for Levi, and not being the one for grand gestures, he sat himself down to work on a promposal in the only way he knew how to.
Coding a video game.
Petra may be a cheerleader, but she was also a huge nerd thanks to Levi, where they spent most of their childhood playing every video game between his Gamecube, her PS2, and subsequently, their Nintendo DS's, and trading and exchanging games throughout their adolescence.
Their personal favorite was Zelda, with Petra often handing the controller off to him for the harder dungeons, and he knew just what to do when they had their usual Friday night movie, this time at his house.
Cuddled up on the sofa, they were kissing, barely paying attention to the movie as the white of the TV illuminated their bodies. A half-eaten box of pizza was open and cups of soda were on the table in front of them.
It was getting late, and he knew Petra had to be home soon, and he tried to focus on not losing his nerve. Hands at her waist, her plush body against his, he told himself there was nothing to worry about since this was Petra and she chose him when she could have any guy in the school. Eight months of dating should have said so.
Petra seemed to catch his hesitancy as she broke the kiss, but suckled at his lower lip in a way that he adored before she whispered, "Something wrong?"
She knew him so well.
Pulling her in for one more kiss, he reached for the remote to shut the TV off. "I coded a game," he said seriously, wondering if his face gave away his nervousness. "I was wondering if you could try it."
Eyes sparkling, Petra nodded excitedly. "It's been a while since you've made something!"
He ran to get his laptop, already having the file ready while he opened his computer, sliding it in front of her.
"It's, uh, standard WASD to walk, and you can use the numbers to click on objects," he explained as a black screen opened, showcasing a pixelated version of Petra. She held a magic wand with some fire at the end, and she was smiling, wearing her cheerleading outfit.
"Is this me?" She asked, giggling as she went through the dungeon, shooting fire bolts from her wand.
He nodded, staring at the screen in apprehension.
"Not to be a critic, but it's a little easy. Maybe add some mazes so it's not as linear?" She suggested, blasting through a monster.
"Sure, yeah, I'll keep it in mind," he said absently, chewing at his lip as she made it to the final room.
A dragon with a letterman jacket appeared, and Petra easily dodged his fire while she gave more flicks of her wand. The dragon poofed away in a cloud of smoke, revealing a chest, and as she clicked to open it, the chest opening sound from Zelda played, making Petra squeal.
"Oh boy, what am I gonna get?" She asked with an excited clap, and the screen enlarged, a picture of a blue rose and a question in pixelated letters asking,
IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE. WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME?
YES / NO
Mouth gaping, Petra looked to Levi, who was nearly squirming out of his skin in panic, clasping his hands together firmly.
Petra smiled, moving the cursor over to "YES" and clicked on it, playing the item received sound from Zelda, and confetti popped on the screen.
Crashing into Levi, Petra kissed him, wondering why it took her so long to see that she had been adored her entire life.
"You're so romantic," she sighed, tugging at his hair and running her fingers down his undercut.
Levi wanted to nearly cry from relief but quickly forgot about his distress as Petra flicked her tongue down his earlobe. She whispered she had five minutes until curfew, and it was a good thing they were neighbors so she wouldn't have to hurry home.
---
It's too damn hot, Levi thought to himself, tugging at his cravat that contrasted with his black button-down and white suit. A chain tied the two ends of the jacket together, also accompanied by a white pocket square, and even though he liked his ensemble when his mother first helped him pick it out, it was starting to feel too tight as sweat clung to his skin, the layers of the fabric suffocating him in the mid-spring weather.
Maybe it wasn't the only reason he was hot, he entertained, seeing Petra dance with their friends, dressed in a spaghetti strap orange dress and matching cream ribbon. Around her wrist was a blue rose corsage, the one he gifted her when he picked her up from her house in his mom's beat-up minivan.
She looked radiant, and perhaps what made her even more attractive was the fact that she was dressed for him. He had seen her in dozens of outfits ranging from sweat pants to middle school formals, but tonight, this was just about the two of them.
Blushing, she accepted his flowers and corsage, posing for pictures by the stairwell he used to climb with her, pretending monsters were chasing them.
Wrapping his arms around her had never felt so right as they slow danced, the dim light and rainbow disco ball illuminating their touch starved bodies. Levi Ackerman didn't dance, but for her, he would do anything as long as she was by his side.
Pressing her cheek to his chest, happy she chose only an inch for her heels so he was still taller, she whispered to him, "Are you nervous about tonight?"
Petra had agreed to go as fast or slow as Levi wanted, especially with it being his first relationship, but there was one request she had after he had asked her to prom.
"I want to have sex with you if you're ready," she said after a heated make-out session.
"Here?!" He asked, looking at his childhood bedroom, the same navy walls he had known for 18 years staring back at him.
"No, not here!" She giggled, flopping down onto his body.
"Prom night," she said quietly. "I've been saving myself for someone special and I want it to be you. I've never gone all the way with a guy...."
"Really?" He asked in wonderment, assuming Petra had sex, a thought he kept firmly shut off at the back of his mind.
"It just never felt right before. Until you." Scooting up to meet his lips, he groaned, evidence of his arousal for her apparent from the first time they kissed and then after. Sometimes she palmed his pants, sometimes he took care of himself right after she left, but he never wanted to push too far, or come across as inexperienced to Petra.
"We're both 18, I was thinking we can rent a hotel room. I can tell my dad I'm sleeping at Nifa's. You can say you're at Erwin's."
A million thoughts and images flashed through Levi's mind, but the only thing he could hear was I'm going to have sex.
"Prom night, then," he agreed.
He had stayed up hours the night before reading up on sex, the technical side of things, the intimate parts, and discussing protection with Petra the weeks leading up to it. They agreed on condoms, so he went to the store in the middle of the night to get a box, and stuffed them in the back of his underwear drawer so his mother wouldn't find them.
Before he left for Petra's, his mother embraced him, giving him the speech that he was growing up so fast, how proud she was of him, and that she was so happy he and Petra were dating.
It was then she pulled out a plastic shopping bag of condoms and started putting them in his pockets, both his jacket and pants, and Levi nearly pushed her to the ground, face flaming.
"What the hell, mom?!"
She gave him a stern look. "I know what kids do on prom night, Levi. I just want you and Petra to be careful—Don't make me a grandmother just yet! Look, I got you different sizes and flavors—"
They were not having this conversation, and Levi haphazardly unlocked the front door, barely sliding his shoes on, "Stop. Just stop. We're, uh, we're fine. We have everything we need."
Kuchel breathed a sigh of relief, placing three more condoms into Levi's hand, accompanied by forty dollars. "Good. Just be safe. Tell me if you need anything, and have fun at the hotel," she winked, and Levi gaped at her.
"What?" She asked innocently. "I know you guys are 18. And I might have heard Petra in the grocery store gossiping with her friends."
He facepalmed, groaning. Of course, Petra would be broadcasting losing her virginity.
To you, he reminded himself.
Levi stepped back into the house, kissing his mom swiftly on the cheek, muttering I love you as he took the car keys and drove down the half a block to Petra's house. Kuchel waved as she closed the door, happy her son was finally with Petra.
"A little," he admitted to Petra, back in the present. He kissed the crown of her head, holding her close. "Are you?"
Nodding, she raised her head to look at him, though they were nearly at eye level.
"But I'm happy it's with you."
A more upbeat song began, causing the numerous couples on the dance floor to break away and spin onto the dance floor. Petra let him go, but grasping his hand as she guided them back to their friends, encouraging them all to hold hands.
"To senior year!" They shouted, and as much Levi wanted to say he hated crowds, the sweat, and the lack of personal space, he found himself not caring, savoring the last tendrils of adolescence.
---
Petra was talking nonstop as they drove to the hotel, only 15 minutes away from the prom venue, and while she was usually a chatterbox, she found it was more from nerves than actually having anything significant to say.
Levi had one of their mixtapes in the CD player, burned during their middle school years written in sharpie Levi and Petra's mixtape, volume 5. Stolen songs from the internet, coupled with tracks from both of their iTunes libraries, Petra always marveled at how opposite they could be, and yet shared similar interests.
The songs were so familiar to her that she involuntarily sang along, reminiscing how often she played their shared songs and rolling over in excitement on her bed when she found a track she knew Levi would like.
Levi parked, hand still resting at the clutch as he looked to her with a steady breath. "We're here," he said quietly and Petra nodded sweetly in return.
Both brought two small duffles to change out of their prom clothes, and shuffled into the hotel, checking in, trying not to look like two teenagers about to have sex for the first time, but ultimately failing as Levi's hands shook as he slid the key card in.
Booking the cheapest room they could find that wasn't a motel, there was little space to walk other than the perimeter around the king-sized bed, a TV with a dresser, and a door leading to the bathroom where Petra excused herself to.
Levi switched the lights on, checking for anything unsavory, and dropped his duffel bag to the floor, checking himself in the door mirror.
Should he change? He didn't want to look too casual, not having the faintest idea of what "sexy" pajamas looked like for men, and he awkwardly paced, debating to at least take his jacket off, unhooking the chain to let his lapels break free.
He hung the jacket over the nearby loveseat, then fiddled with his cravat, wondering if he should take that off too since Petra may find it to be a nuisance, and before he could debate with himself any longer, he heard the bathroom door open up, revealing Petra in a pink baby doll outfit.
Blinking at him with doe eyes, she blushed furiously, not meeting his wandering eyes.
She was definitely not wearing that before they got in, so she must have changed, and suddenly, Levi felt very overdressed as his mouth went dry.
Licking his lips, he hurriedly got the "sex stuff" from his bag, throwing the box of condoms onto the nightstand, followed by lube, and Petra started giggling as he undid the condoms from his pockets as well.
"How many times do you think we're going to have sex tonight? 50?" She joked, eyes raking at the varieties.
"My mom insisted," he grumbled, heat creeping up his neck and Petra's eyes widened in embarrassment and fear.
"You told her?!"
"No!" He blurted defensively. "She figured it out. You know how perceptive she is."
Petra hummed in agreement, scooping up the condoms and putting them back into his duffel.
"I think it's safe to say we can just use that box," she said, pointing to the Trojan extra-large, then running her hands down his arms.
Levi shuddered, unsure if he wanted to keep staring at her or rip the lingerie off, but found himself unable to speak as Petra kissed him heatedly, tongue diving in, and placed his hands on her breasts.
"You can touch them, you know," she whispered, and Levi could have come alone from the contact, his hands touching the silken mounds he had fantasized about ever since they hit puberty.
He backed them into the bed, with Petra's back falling against the plush sheets, and she moaned as Levi pressed his weight against her, gently rocking against her body. She reached for his cravat, tugging it off so that it hung around his neck, and began unbuttoning his dress shirt.
"Have I told you how handsome you look tonight?" she purred, her pearl earrings catching the light in the room.
"Yes, but I can stand to hear it a bit more," he replied, daring himself to touch her legs, each graze of his fingertips like electricity down her spine.
The babydoll deliciously pushed her breasts together as a cute little ribbon sat in between her breasts. The material was nearly opaque, and his mouth watered, thinking of Petra in a thong, despite the number of times he'd seen her in a bathing suit.
"And you look, uh, amazing," he breathed above her.
"Really?" Petra exclaimed in relief. "Nanaba helped me pick it out, said that you're probably more into cute-sexy than sexy-sexy."
Gently sliding the straps down so he could kiss her bare shoulders where her freckles met, he said, "Anything you wear for me is sexy."
"Mmm," Petra sighed as he continued working at her top, finding the ribbon in the back and letting it fall off her arms until she was left in her bare breasts.
Instinctively, she went to cover then, but at Levi's eager and furtive look, she released them, guiding his hands back onto her chest, encouraging him to knead and caress her.
He was clumsy, but in an endearing way, fascinated that he was able to elicit such sounds from her, and when he realized she was only wearing her underwear, and he was wearing too much, he immediately discarded his shirt, then moved to unbuckle his pants.
"Let me help you with that," Petra said, sliding onto her knees to unzip his fly, then eagerly sliding them down his legs as he kicked it off.
"Wow," she breathed at the tent in his boxers, and he had the urge to cover himself as well until Petra reached for him, stroking his length and he moaned loudly.
"Y-you can't do that, I'm gonna come," he coaxed himself to say despite how magnificent it felt.
Blushing, happy she was able to make him feel so much with so little, Petra removed her hand and embraced him as they fell back onto the mattress.
They kissed again, feeling each other's bodies for the first time in this state, hands needy but asking for permission, Levi skimmed the tips of his fingers over Petra's ass, earning a hiss of pleasure.
"I need you," she whined, and unsure of how to proceed, Levi detached himself and grabbed a condom, hands shaking as he undid the wrapper.
"You know how to put it on?" Petra asked out of concern and fascination.
He nodded, slipping it down while pulling the tip. "I've done a test run just to make sure. I, uh, was thinking of you the entire time—-" Fuck, this was not romantic in the slightest, Levi chastised to himself. Petra didn't want to hear how he tested the physics of it, how to avoid using it incorrectly which led to him snapping it against his fingers.
But practice makes perfect, and he felt confident as he hovered above Petra, kissing her neck softly while feeling awkward from the latex between them. She hooked her thumbs over her panties, taking them off, and spread her legs for him, her expression yearning and hopeful.
"I've heard it might hurt," Levi said, breath heady at the sight of her womanhood, a cute ginger patch of curls.
"It's okay. You can't hurt me, it's you," she said gently, resting her hands against his shoulder blades, egging him forward.
Levi placed the tip at her entrance, holding his breath as Petra wriggled beneath him, gasping from the friction and he slid in very slowly, both moaning from the contact.
Petra was slick with arousal, and as he continued to push in, they gasped in time, and Levi had to keep himself from moving too firmly because she felt absolutely wonderful, all warm and tight.
"You okay?" He asked, noticing her wrinkled expression, and Petra gasped, opening one eye.
"Y-yeah, you're just really big. But I feel okay."
Pride swelled within him, kissing her gently as he throbbed with desire, and asked her permission to move.
Lifting her hips, he groaned, pumping into her once, then twice, then on the third—-
"Argh!" He gasped, already coming, not being to restrain himself because that's how good she felt.
Shame washed over him as Petra realized what was happening, and she held him gently as goosebumps danced across his skin.
He immediately removed himself from her, hobbling to the bathroom, and Petra looked worried as she processed what had just happened, but pleased that nothing unsafe occurred.
She squeezed her legs together, disappointment and frustration throbbing between her legs, but Levi reappeared, looking thoroughly abashed as he tucked his underwear back on.
"Petra, I'm so sorry about that. Let me make it up to you—"
And before Petra could protest, he crawled to her on all fours at the base of the bed, and placed his hands on her knees, opening them slightly.
"I read that most girls like this better away," he began, kissing her inner thigh, and Petra rolled her head back, happy he was tending to her, but squeaking as he immediately dove his head between her legs, then licking her core with an unpracticed tongue.
"Eek!" She screeched, kicking him in the chest out of reflex from the surprising sensation.
"Ow!" Levi exclaimed, falling back and looking like a mixture of pissed off and fear.
"Did I hurt you?" He asked, inching back to her, and Petra plopped her head against the pillow, laughing hard to herself.
"I should be asking you that, I'm sorry I kicked you," she said, giggling into the popcorn ceiling, then turning to face him. "I think for that, we need to warm up a bit. But...I don't want that tonight. Another time," she added with a hopeful look and Levi smiled sadly, hanging his head.
"I'm shit in bed."
Petra weaved a hand through his hair, realizing how much pressure he was under. "No, you're not, Levi. You were just excited. If anything, it's flattering," she said, an adorable pink blush filling her cheeks.
"We'll get better with time and practice. While we wait for you to reset, I brought something for me. I figured something like this would happen."
She padded to her duffel bag, taking out a pink dildo, and clicked it on. It vibrated, and Levi looked at her with a dumbstruck face as she smirked in response.
"Maybe we'll need all those condoms anyway."
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