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sakurashell · 2 years

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Bath time

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x fem bodied reader

Content: boyfriend!Levi, hurt/comfort, fluff, smut.

Word count: 3.6 k

Summary: Levi helps you take care of yourself when your mind doesn’t let you.

Content warnings: nsfw + dark content, depictions of depression/anxiety, masturbation (f receiving)

a/n: this is a portrayal of the way I process my emotions when I’m feeling at my lowest, it’s not meant to be clear nor precise, it’s just a flow of thoughts so keep that in mind while reading. Sorry for eventual mistakes, I’ve written it on a creative moment and haven’t really proofread it. As always, reblogs and opinions are appreciated <3

Levi knows there’s something wrong, and he’s very much aware you’re keeping it from him. Who is he kidding, he knows exactly what’s wrong, because he’s been through it before, too.

He might not talk or openly express his emotions a lot, but he’s highly intelligent in that regard, and he knows what’s going on inside that little head of yours most of the time, even when you’re sure you’re hiding it well. You’ve been together for what? Two years now? He wonders how you can even think he’s not capable of noticing you’re not okay.

He’s been calling you for days without receiving a proper answer, only some texts in which you told him you had a fever, that was it. You avoided hearing his voice and talking to him, most of all, you avoided seeing him. He suggested he could have still come to keep you company, but you refused and claimed he would have walked out with a flu as well.

Let’s get one thing straight, Levi’s not clingy in the slightest. Never been, never will be. He leaves you time when you need it, doesn’t force you to spend the day with him if you don’t feel like it or just want to be alone, and doesn’t presume to be by your side at any moment, even if he wouldn’t mind. He knows how important personal space is, and he would never take it away from you just because of his selfishness.

But this is different, the reasons stopping you from seeing him are different, your attitude is. Levi knows everything about you, and with everything, he means he also knows the parts you’ve been trying the hardest to conceal, for shame or pride, and he’s aware of how easy it is for you to fall into a self-destructive pattern.

Your mind plays tricks sometimes, makes you believe you’re not worthy enough, that you don’t deserve him, that he’d be better off without you because you just can’t help yourself from surrendering to your miserable nature. Going out gets hard, showering gets hard, eating gets hard, watching tv gets hard. Hell, even going to the fucking bathroom to take a piss gets hard, how pitiful.

Everything seems so..difficult, and senseless and useless. You don’t want to see anybody, perhaps because you fear their opinions, maybe because you just don’t want to be around people. You’re not sure, you just know you want to be in your bed all the time. You hate yourself for cutting Levi out, but you also can’t help but come to the conclusion that maybe it’s better this way, you’d just be a burden, another weight on his shoulders, and he doesn’t need any of it. He deserves more.

You don’t even listen to music these days, you can’t enjoy it like you used to. You’re not eating, you know you should, but you wonder what’s the point of putting something in your stomach just to survive, when you’re going to feel like this again and again. Furthermore, you find yourself pondering over the fact that your thoughts don’t really seem yours, you feel disconnected all the time and you can’t seem to grasp the exact reason behind your condition, it’s just so out of place.

Who are you? Who’s this person? When did it start and why? Why do you feel like this? Does it end? Do you have to do something specific to make it end? Is it your fault? How do you go through it? Can you? Will you ever be able to make it stop?

Your temples are throbbing and maybe you’re going insane, but your phone is buzzing again and the name on it doesn’t bring any kind of comfort, not as it should, at least. You feel awful, for pushing him away like this, for hoping he would just stop calling. You’re a terrible person, that much you know. Ignoring the only individual who’s willing to put up with your bullshit and that, on top of all, doesn’t judge you for it is absolutely fucking stupid. You don’t deserve him, why doesn’t he think the same?

He’s calling again, is he really that stubborn?

“Levi.”

You answer this time, he feels like he can finally start breathing again. He knows what’s happening, he knows you don’t want him around and that you think it’s the right thing to do, but it’s not. He doesn’t care if you don’t want to see him, he will just force his way in if you’re so willing to keep him out. He knows you, and he knows what you need. This is not it.

“I’m coming in.” he states, his voice is firm and steady. You panic, the air gets stuck in your throat and for a moment you can’t let any words slip past your lips. He hears your breath quivering, it hurts him to think you were willing to get through this alone.

“Don’t,” — it’s not going to work, but you try nonetheless — “please, Levi. Don’t come in.”

He has the key to your apartment, you had given it to him months ago, he’s never used it, not until this very moment. You almost regret it now, frustration taking the place of anxiety. Why did you give it to him? He has no right to just enter your house, especially not when you’re in this pathetic state.

He stays quiet for a while, you nearly think he’s going to give up and leave you to your misery, until you hear footsteps coming from the stairs of your apartment and next thing you know, he’s hung up the call. It happens all quickly, and soon you hear the keys jingling in the lock and the door squealing. You’re in your room, using your blanket as a shelter from inquiring eyes, and lowkey praying it would either make you invisible or just make you disappear all together. He doesn’t call your name once he’s inside, he doesn’t need to. He knows where you are.

Go away, go away, go away.

You’re forcing your eyes shut while chanting the words inside your head, as though they could somehow convey to him the message that you want to be left alone. But he was already aware of it, wasn’t he? God, the last thing you wish is for the man you love to see you like this, and it’s not merely because your hair is dirty, your face is bare of any trace of makeup and you haven’t changed your clothes in days, it’s the fact that you don’t want him to see you this..miserable.

But you can’t stop him, and when he enters your room and sits at the end of your bed, you fear you might die from embarrassment. You haven’t cried in weeks, much to your surprise. You felt awfully apathetic to your own suffering, and mayhap it was a pointless attempt to detach yourself from the consuming and pungent emotions eating you from the inside out. In spite of that, tears are pricking at your eyes and you suddenly feel on the verge of exploding.

“I don’t want you here.” the words come out rude, angry, even.

Nonetheless, Levi knew beforehand what he was about to face, and it was your indisposition to accept his help. You’re stubborn, that much he’s already aware of, but that’s not the point. In ignorance of an effective way to eradicate the root of your problem and learn that being vulnerable isn’t - and will never be - something you should be ashamed of, you’re fervently trying to alienate yourself from him.

“I know, but I’ll stay anyway.” his answer comes quickly, and you feel him shift on the bed, placing his hand on your covered thigh.

You’re wrapped in your blanket and he can’t even see your face, if it wasn’t for the fact he has to pull you out of the state you’re in - or at least make the effort to help you feel better - he would just crawl inside your stupid excuse for a barricade with you and spend the rest of the day there.

“Can I see your face?” the request comes, eventually, and you curl up your body in reaction.

“Just go, Levi. You’re pissing me off.”

Again, this is just your fear talking, the confirmation being the fact that you feel absolutely horrible for treating him like this, but you don’t know how to face the knowledge that you need help, and that you can’t do it on your own. He’s willing to give everything he has to you, you just have to accept it, and come to terms with your fragility.

He moves to the side of the bed, you’d be confronting him if only your head was visible, and focuses on your quivering breath.

“Take the blanket off, or I will.” his threat scares you, because you’re aware he’s perfectly capable of doing something similar.

Perhaps this is not the best approach to the situation, and maybe he shouldn’t force you to accept his company, but he’s certain that leaving you here, like this, and letting you wallow in the pain or the apathy without doing anything would be much worse than insisting on staying with you. He firmly believes this is what you need, he won’t let you struggle on your own.

“I don’t want to! Stop being a pain in the ass and just get out, this is my house.” you slither further on the bed, increasing the distance between you and him.

You’re a bitch, why are you doing this to him? It would only be fair if he broke up with you right away, and settled for someone less annoying and hefty than you. But again, this is not you speaking, is it? It’s not the way you’d normally reason, and it’s not even what you want. Funny, how your brain could work completely against you and your well-being, isn’t it supposed to keep you alive? Levi isn’t your enemy, he isn’t the person threatening your wellness. You are.

He doesn’t reply to your useless tantrum, and you almost come to the conclusion that you succeeded in driving him away from you. The thought makes the tears finally run down your face, and before you can stop it, you’re hiccuping and crying like a baby. I’m sorry, you wish you could say, but it doesn’t seem enough. What excuse do you really have for being mean to him when he was only trying to help you?

You’ve ruined so many beautiful things in your life because of this way of thinking, and you wonder why it appears impossible to cease, when you know you’re self-sabotaging. The only thing you fail to wrap your head around, is the reason you’re doing this to yourself to begin with. Do you deserve it? Perhaps you do, and your mind is subconsciously acting on it.

“I’ve missed you these days.” his voice is soft and kind as he speaks, and it only makes you cry more.

You don’t budge when he slowly takes down the blanket from your face, and your hands unwillingly loosen the grip on the fabric. You keep his gaze only for a minute, before shutting your eyes and pretend he’s not watching you. The bags under your eyes are more prominent, your lips are dry - albeit swollen from your weeping -, and your hair is a mess.

Levi hates dirty and unkempt people, he hates messy rooms and soiled places, who knows what he’s thinking about you right now.

“I’m sorry, I’m disgusting.” your words are muffled by your hands, and your brows are knitted together. You’re in pain, he can tell, he just wishes he could see the wound clearly and mend it.

“I’m sorry Lev, I can’t get up to take a shower.” he keeps quiet, and waits for you to continue.

You’re being honest now, but it’s not like you’re choosing to be. You’ve just reached the breaking point thanks to his unwillingness to give up, and now you’re about to pour it all out because, truth be told, you can’t keep it to yourself anymore. You just hope he’s able to bear it.

“I’m not hungry, I feel like throwing up every time I put something in my mouth. Everything feels so...blank, I can’t find a reason to do the things I should be doing. I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t know how to stop it, but I feel like I’m making it up and perhaps I’m just exaggerating.” you’re out of breath, your head hurts, and it’s like something’s heaving on your chest and stopping your lungs from expanding as they should.

“I’m sorry for being so mean to you and not answering your calls, I just - ” — this time, your eyes finally meet his — “I didn’t want to see you.”

The confession makes your heart clench and your stomach twist painfully, for a moment you fear he’s going to get mad or just leave you like this, or worse, look at you pitifully.

But his gaze doesn’t hold rage, or pity, or bothersome; it holds love and kindness, and it only reminds you of the reasons you fell in love with him in the first place, as well as increasing the tears streaming down your face. He reaches his hand out to cup your cheek, his thumb gently strokes it before he tucks your hair behind your ear, and bends down to kiss you on the forehead.

You furrow your brows as soon as he gets up, and your mind is ready to come to conclusions of its own, until he smiles fondly at you and somehow reassures you without speaking.

“I’ll be quick.” that’s the only explanation - if you can even name it that - he gives to you, before making his way to the bathroom.

Your face is scrunched up in confusion until you hear the water flowing, presumably in your bathtub, and it takes him less than five minutes before he’s back to you. He doesn’t spare you a word as he approaches you, and proceeds to lift the blanket from your body to pick you up. You don’t protest, you’re too exhausted to do that.

Once you’re in the much tinier room, white walls surrounding you, he takes initiative and takes off his clothes after putting you down, bare feet coming in contact with the cold tales of your bathroom floor. You observe silently, before replicating his actions and getting rid of your sweatpants and baggy t-shirt, your underwear following right after. There’s no room for embarrassment in front of him, he’s seen you naked countless times and knows your body like the back of his hand, you can safely say that the same goes for you.

The tub is filled with water, so he closes the valve to stop the clear liquid from keep flowing and gets right in, stretching his legs out and laying his back against the marble. He turns to look at you, and you don’t need him to ask you to join him, because you’re adjusting in between his legs in a matter of seconds.

Your head rests against his toned chest, the way it rises and falls at a steady and calm pace appeases you, and his fingers glide over your skin as though they’re touching the most precious of things, featherly caressing you. It’s hatred, what your heart swells with, but it’s entirely directed at you and your attempt to make the only man who’s capable of understanding you leave you. But there’s also love, so much love and pristine affection, and it’s all towards the very same man.

“I don’t want you to go through this alone, there’s no need to,” — he whispers delicately against the shell of your ear, his palms now rubbing your arms — “I know you’re tired, so stop trying to fight it on your own.”

You know he’s right, you just wish this conversation wasn’t needed in the first place. You loathe this feeling, especially when staying in bed all day makes you even more frustrated and angry at yourself. There are a lot of things you want to do, and the fact there’s something just keeping you from being productive - something you can’t even comprehend - enhances the feeling of disappointment growing in you. It’s infuriating and hopeless, or at least it feels like it.

“I’m sorry.”

Repeating it won’t help, you should be aware of it, nevertheless, you can’t stop from saying it again. You feel guilty for reacting so childishly and making him worry about you when he has his own stuff to take care of, and you’d gladly accept his rage if only he wasn’t so stubborn to treat you like you’ve done nothing wrong.

“Stop apologizing, or I’ll fill the tub with cold water and throw you in next time.” he flicks your cheek affectionately, you chuckle at the idle threat, albeit maybe not so idle.

He stretches his arm to reach the handheld shower head and turns on the water, proceeding to wash your hair. He wets them, before massaging your scalp with the shampoo, and takes his sweet time with it as you close your eyes and let his devoted fingers lull you in a trance. You adore the way he touches you, it conveys extreme trust and absolute dedication.

He knows your shower ritual, so he even lets the conditioner sit in your hair for a while as he drags his lips along your shoulder, and you lay your head back on his. The soap on your body follows once he’s finished with your locks, and his digits trace every curve like he’s still discovering you.

“I love you, Lev.” you tell him, opening your eyes to look at him. His palms rest on your breasts now, but the gesture it’s filled with loving intimacy, instead of a pure, lustful need. Levi’s bewitched by you and your body, in the very neat sense of the word.

It feels like a breath of fresh air to finally be comfortable enough to show him this side of you, to be free to just rant about your emotions and have him take care of you. His sole purpose is to make you feel good and help you relax, and after long, painful days of not being able to be near you, he wants to take care of you like only he’s capable of. The tension in your muscles is terribly perceivable, and considering he’s aware of the insecurities wandering in your mind and bothering you, he’s determined to help your nerves loosen up, as well as reminding you just how gorgeous you are. So his kisses become persistent and his touches turn desirouses, without getting merely concupiscent and infusing his desire to satisfy your needs only.

One of his hands rests on your head, caressing your hair as the other goes down to your core, slowly enough to tease your longing for his touch and make goosebumps rise over your skin. He observes his own movements once two of his digits are on your clit, softly pinching it between them at first, gently tugging up and down to build your pleasure, before starting to trace slow circles around it.

The whimpers coming from your mouth are sweet music to his ears, and the way your body jolts each time he switches his movements and taps on the bundle of nerves has his chest swelling in pride and his cock twitching. But he doesn’t care, this isn’t about him. It’s about you.

He doesn’t slide his fingers in like he usually would, it’s a mere superficial stimulation and it’s slow, attentive, careful. Simple, but definitely effective, and the fact he knows your body so well that just having him circling your clit makes you whine pathetically says enough.

“You’re so pretty like this,” — he coos in your ear, and this time the hand that was on your head slides down to your nipple to pinch it — “so good for me, my beautiful girl.”

His praises make your pussy clench around nothing, as he increases the speed of his movements once you start to buck your hips against his hand. You haven’t touched yourself in a fairly long time, let alone had him do it for you, taking into consideration the fact you’ve been closed in your room for the past week, so it’s no surprise you’re already close to your orgasm.

“‘ngh fuck - Levi, ‘m gonna cum.” your brows are knitted together, and your bottom lip is tucked between your teeth as he keeps rubbing against the sensitive nub. You’re so precious, he wishes you could see yourself right now.

“Yeah?” — he mutters against your cheek as you nod dumbly, his lips brushing on your reddened skin — “go ahead then, let it out for me.”

And that’s all it takes for you to reach your high, panting his name as your legs shake from the pleasure he’s given to you. Normally, he would have kept touching you until you were shivering and begging for him to stop overstimulating you, but this is not that kind of moment, and he’s happy your muscles finally seem relaxed.

“I love you.” he tells you, grabbing your jaw to pull you in a soft kiss, letting you finally taste his mouth.

You’re so grateful for him, you’d think he could never understand if it wasn’t for the fact he feels the exact same about you. His stubbornness is a blessing in disguise, and something you very much appreciate even if you say otherwise. He’s not going to leave you alone, and if it takes absorbing your spiteful thoughts for you to feel better, than he’s willing to do it, as long as he gets to be with you.

tags: @nanaminswaifu , @coyloves , @the-princess-button , @crybabyddl

#levi x reader #levi x y/n #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x y/n smut #levi smut #levi ackerman x female reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #aot levi #snk levi #shingeki no kyoujin levi #attack on titan levi #aot smut #snk smut #levi fanfiction #levi fluff

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phr0gie · 3 years

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sleep softly, love; genshin impact

synopsis: how i think certain genshin impact characters would fall asleep next to you for the first time :)

note: hihi! so i finally feel like i’m caught up enough in genshin lore that i can start actually writing for it!! yay!! anyways, i’m sorry if my portrayal of them is a lil ooc, i’m still getting used to writing for them. still, i hope you guys enjoy! :D

pairings: xiao x reader, diluc x reader

tw: mentions of nightmares and death in xiao’s, mentions of alcohol and suggestive themes in diluc’s, ooc characters, mostly j fluff, not proof read (oops)

wc: 2k

masterlist

xiao:

the first few times you bring up sleeping next to him he’s probably going to turn you down

you see, xiao doesn’t really need to sleep, nor does he want to

he finds the idea of lying in a comatose state for eight hours in complete darkness to be “weird” and a “waste of time”

and his opinion on the matter doesn’t change for a while

that is, until you confess to him you’ve been having nightmares

these nightmares were like nothing you have ever had before

they shook you to your very core and, rather than the dream just leaving your mind after you woke up, they followed you around for days

once you confide in xiao about these terrors, he grows very concerned

in the past he’s known people who have been plagued with nightmares as a result of a dangerous curse that, more often than not, ended in death

the thought of you, the person he cares about most, succumbing to such a terrible fate frightens him more than anything — not that he’ll ever admit this to you.

and so, reluctantly, xiao agrees to spend the night with you

just this once, to protect you

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

“Xiao.”

Your gentle voice catches his attention immediately. As he looks into your eyes all he can see is admiration, his heart clenches at the feeling it gives him.

“Thank you,” you say softly, “for being here for me like this.”

Xiao simply nods his head at you in response.

“Sleep,” he whispers, his tone commanding yet soft, “I will be here when you wake.”

He desperately wants to say more. To let you know that he would always be there for you, that no challenge would ever be too difficult if it was for you, that he would rip the moon from the night sky if it meant that you would rest a little easier. Yet, the kind smile you give him shows that he need not continue. You know he loves you, you have never once doubted it. You are aware of the burden he carries and how it affects him. You know that one day he will be able to share with you the confessions of love and vulnerability that are buried deep inside him. For now, this is enough. He is enough. And so, with a content smile you snuggle even further into your pillow.

“Goodnight, Xiao.” You whisper before finally closing your eyes.

Xiao stares at your resting form for a while. It is not until your breathing evens out and he is sure you are asleep do his eyes flicker from your face to your hand lying closely to him. All of the sudden, an overwhelming urge to hold you in some way overtakes the adeptus. Again, Xiao was not the biggest fan of physical affection, however, something about you looking as peaceful as you do in this moment evokes something from him. And so, he decides to finally accept your invitation. As his palm meets yours in a tight hold — not tight enough to wake you, of course — Xiao allows himself to indulge in the warmth and safety you provide him, just this once.

Neither of you have any nightmares that night.

diluc:

you and diluc are in a fairly new relationship.

having just started seeing each other a few months ago, it’s only natural to not have done anything too domestic quite yet.

not to mention, our ever stoic winery owner is a bit shy when it comes to his affections.

the two of your were every content with your soft, simple touches.

hand-holding, hugging, and subtle kissing kept you both very satisfied.

until you decide to get drunk at dawn winery.

your work has been k i l l i n g you recently

commissions are beginning to pile up, hilichurls have invaded the area you were supposed to scout next, and you couldn’t help but think that you were getting a bit rusty with your weapon.

all and all, you are very stressed out.

you desperately want a chance to relax.

originally, you had planned on just having a drink or two and ranting to your ever so reliable boyfriend.

however, a drink or two turned into three, then four...

before you knew it you couldn’t remember how many you had and it was rather late.

being the gentleman that he is, diluc forces offers you his bed for the night

seeing as you were in no condition to return home on your own, he has no choice.

it’s the responsible decision.

however, he’s still very flustered about the whole ordeal

Dulic thinks you are a handful. Especially right now.

He huffs as he attempts to open his bedroom door one-handed. The other appendage preoccupied with keeping you slumped against his side so that you don’t fall over.

“I knew you shouldn’t have had that last glass of dandelion wine.” He mumbles, gently scolding you.

You simply blink up at him, a bored expression on your flushed face.

“You sayin’ I can’t hold my alcohol?” you hiccup, “I’ll show you…”

You attempt to push off of him, but his hold on you tightens.

“No,” he grunts, “You won’t.”

Finally the door opens and Diluc lets out a sigh of relief. Swiftly he lifts you up — earning a small ‘woah’ and a giggle from you — and carries you over to his bed. He then sets you down and turns to his dresser to get you some clothes to sleep in. He picks out a large, white, long-sleeved undershirt and. Your lips curl into a suggestive smirk and you chuckle.

“Oooh,” you tease, “Master Diluc how bold of you, are you going to dress me?”

The pyro user looks absolutely mortified but you pay no mind to it, too busy laughing and hiccupping at your own joke. A prominent blush grows on Diluc’s face as he shuffles over to you.

“Of course not!” he stutters, dropping the clothing article gently on your head. He then grabs a pile of his own clothes and makes a beeline to the door. Just as he is about to exit he turns to you.

“Wait here,” he instructs, “and try not to fall asleep yet.”

And with that, the Diluc dashes down the hall, presumably leaving you to get changed. You do just that, tugging off your shirt and removing your bottoms. You huff as you lift your boyfriend's shirt up and over your head. As soon as the garment falls over your shoulders and past your knees, you’re hit with the rich scent of chestnuts and mahogany — the scent of Diluc. His undershirt is so baggy and so warm that you cannot help but feel at ease, Diluc always did have a way of making you feel safe — whether it was the hand he always places on the small of your back when he guides you around town or the look in his eyes when he spots you across the room, so sure that you’re the one he’ll always search for. The red-head returns a moment later clad in a dark, short-sleeved undershirt, similar to the one he gave you, and a pair of soft pants. In one hand, Diluc holds a fresh glass of water and in the other a pillow that seems to be smaller than the ones laid out in his bed. Diluc gently sits on the edge of the bed and pats the spot next to him, beckoning you to sit next to him. As soon as the bed dips with your weight, Diluc is handing you a cup of water.

“Drink,” he instructs once again, “so your hangover doesn’t kill you tomorrow.”

You do as you're told, dutifully downing the refreshing liquid. The minute your lips leave the cup he takes it from you, setting it on his bedside table. Then, Diluc picks you up once more and positions you so you are laying properly on the bed. He pulls the covers out from under you and makes sure you’re tucked in well.

“There,” he says finally, pulling the comforter up to your chin, “are you comfortable?”

However, he does not receive an answer. You’re already half asleep, head slumped against the pillow, mouth hanging wide open. Diluc smiles in spite of himself. He should be mad at you, he knows he should. But, as you lay there with your hair a mess, wearing one of his shirts, in his bed, Diluc cannot help but fall even more hopelessly in love with you. Stroking your hair a few times, he finally leaves a light kiss on your forehead. Hesitantly, he gets up, being very careful not to jostle you. He’s about to head to his living room to sleep, but he can barely make it two steps away from the bed before a hand shoots out and grabs his wrist. He turns to see you, still snug in his bed, a pout adorning your features.

“Where’re you goin?” You grumble out sleepily.

Diluc looks at you curiously.

“I’m going to let you sleep,” he whispers, “You need to rest.”

He attempts to remove your hand but your grip only tightens. Suddenly you pull him down, your faces only inches apart. You wrap your arms around his neck and rest your forehead against his.

“Please,” you whisper, your voice soft — so soft that Diluc doesn’t think he would have heard it if he weren’t so close to you, “stay.”

The blush from earlier creeps back up Diluc’s neck and rests upon the apples of his cheeks. Hearing you plead for him like this evokes a sense of warmth within the pyro user. He’s never felt so wanted before you. Ultimately, Diluc gives in and indulges you — how can he not? Crawling into bed next to you, he stiffens when you rest your head on his chest and wrap your arms around his torso. Diluc stays up a little while after you doze off, admiring you.

Diluc thinks you are a handful. However, he thinks he can handle it if at the end of every day he gets to hold you like this.

please do not steal or repost my work, thank you!

#genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #xiao x reader #xiao headcanons #xiao #diluc x reader #diluc headcanons #diluc #frog.fiction

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tsukikento · 4 years

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Empathetic Ch. 5

Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

Summary: After your mom, the number 1 hero in America, gets offered a teaching position at U.A., you two pack up your things and head to Musutafu, Japan to start a new life. Pressure for you in America was at an all-time high, and now you're in Japan, where almost no one knows you, or your family's past.

This tale starts on your first day of class where your new teacher decides the best way for you to fit in is to fight against the strongest person in your class: Bakugou Katsuki.

Warnings/Genre: This piece will feature some angst and reference to an abusive parent, if you are ever worried about other tw’s feel free to send me an ask and I will let you know. There will also be fluff, slight angst, pining, and slowburn.

A/N: This is also posted on ao3 under @allie_win. I’m transferring it over here, pls let me know if you like it! I love your comments! Just a note that any italics means thoughts.

(series masterlist)

When you woke back up, your head was pounding and you were on your side. As your vision came into focus, the first thing to hit you was how goddamn bright it was. Next was the crushed building to your left. Your head pounded even harder and you realized you must have been the person to cause the imprint in the building.

Kaminari was looming over you, his electric cage was covering both of you. You blinked up at him and he smiled down at you. “Glad you're awake,” He quietly spoke.

You groaned in response and slowly sat up. Chaos was around you and Bakugou worked hard to keep anyone from getting to you and Kaminari. He somehow looked even worse than before.

At that moment, a blast of fire came in your direction and Bakugou quickly hit Todoroki and stopped the fire just in time before it reached you and Kaminari. The heat warmed your body for a moment before the cold wind came crashing back, tickling your skin and giving you goosebumps.

You felt like a burden considering your teammates had to watch after you when they should be defeating the other teams. You looked around you to see how intense the situation was. Sato, Todoroki, and Ojirou were the only people you saw. In the distance, you saw Koda laying on the ground, presumably unconscious.

Where’s Hagakure? I thought she was with Ojirou. Maybe she found Ashido and Uraraka… I wonder where Ashido is anyways.

“Kaminari,” Your voice was hoarse and you coughed a couple of times because of how dry your mouth was. You paused and the electric boy looked back at you after watching Bakugou get a hit on Sato. “Don’t worry about me, just help Bakugou.”

Your voice was still weak and you really needed a glass of water, but there were more important things to deal with at that moment.

Kaminari was reluctant to drop his shield so you weakly grabbed his arm and used your quirk to reassure him.

“Stop that,” Kaminari spoke, pushing your hand off of him, “Just rest okay? I know you can handle yourself.”

You nodded as Kaminari stood up, effectively dropping his shield. He looked around and rushed towards Ojirou, his hands already twitching as electricity sparked from his fingers.

You watched the battle, the sounds of fighting, specifically the explosions, making your headache worse. Kaminari was shocking Ojirou and Sato with the disks attached to his wrists while Bakugou fought off Todoroki. You tore your attention away from the explosions to try and locate Ashido. Her thoughts were unclear and almost like static in your head, but you could hear enough.

Ashido was still fighting against Uraraka, and yes, Hagakure was with them. Ashido didn’t seem too tired which meant you couldn’t have been knocked out for more than a few minutes.

You slowly stood up from your spot on the ground, your head pounded as if begging you to sit back down. Honestly, you really wanted to curl up with some hot cocoa and watch TV, but you knew you couldn’t have everything you ever wanted. And so, you ignored the headache and watched the situation unfold, thinking about what you could do next.

Bakugou looked pretty beaten up, and it would be in your best interest to help him against Todoroki, but his ice and fire powers would be difficult to fight against. It was as if he only needed one second to come up with a plan and execute it, making it horribly difficult for you to dodge something so strong. Bakugou could escape his attacks or even take them head-on, but you were not fast enough or strong enough to break free of his ice walls.

You turned to Kaminari, who had done good damage against Sato and Ojirou. Both men needed to touch someone to damage them, and Sato was pretty slow, meaning Kaminari was able to get some decent hits on them.

In fact, Sato looked like he was slowing down drastically.

What is this kid’s quirk again? Something to do with strength?

Either way, you knew you could help Kaminari more than Bakugou so you ran towards him, making quick work of devising a plan. You ran towards the sluggish Sato, who saw you coming and got ready for a fight.

If you didn’t dodge and he hit you, it would hurt. Badly. However, if you dodged and grabbed any part of him, you knew you could put him to sleep easily. You ran faster and Sato aimed to punch you in the jaw. At the very last moment, you ducked, his punch instead hitting the air. From below, you grabbed his chin instead of punching it which was your usual move.

Unlike most people, Sato was already tired when you tried to make him sleep. The switch was already there, and within only a moment, you had him asleep. Although tired, you knew he would eventually wake up if you let go. You needed him to pass out but Kaminari and Bakugou were both busy, and you needed to do this yourself.

Still holding on to Sato by his shoulder, you started punching. His body panicked as you punched him, writhing in place. In fact, you lost your grip on his shoulder for a moment and he almost woke up, but you reassured him with your empath quirk while still punching.

The calm Sato was now bleeding from his nose, but he wasn’t quite there yet. Just a few more punches and then he would finally be passed out.

One. His heart rate sped up once more and his body tensed.

Two. You calmed him down and told him to just rest.

Three. He was finally passed out, his body no longer strong enough to fight against you to stay awake.

You sighed and let go on him, taking a few breaths to calm your headache. You took this moment to check back in on Ashido and--

Holy shit!

She had it! She had the flag and was heading back to base. Hagakure was trailing behind her, but Uraraka was defeated and had a horrible stomach ache preventing her from fighting against Ashido anymore.

Ashido was tired. Her body was slower than usual. And you knew Hagakure was planning something. You could run away from the current battle to help her. That would probably be the best choice, but in this condition, you were too slow to catch up to them. Bakugou would be the fastest, but you also needed him against Todoroki. That meant that the best choice would be Kaminari.

Would Kaminari be able to fight against Hagakure though? She must have taken off her clothes to go full invisible and that might just ruin Kaminari to know.

You tried to stand up, knowing it would be better if you chased after Ashido to stop Hagakure. However, you still needed to tell someone where you were going.

At that moment, Bakugou blasted up to the sky, avoiding a blow from Todoroki. He was now closer to you than he was to Shouto and so you ran towards him, albeit quite slow.

“Bakugou!”

The blond boy looked at you and worry rushed through his head at the sight of your slow body running towards him. You tried to prevent your cheeks from flushing pink at the idea of Bakugou caring for you, so you brushed it off with the idea that Bakugou needed you healthy to win. He quickly propelled himself towards you. His brows were furrowed with concern as his eyes wandered across your body to check your injuries.

“Stop worrying, I’m fine,” You mumbled as he inspected your head for any cuts. “If anything you are worse off than me.”

“Hardly,” He scoffed, “I can handle myself, you passed out at the first hit.” He pointed his finger towards you and you quickly pushed it out of your face.

“Shut up, I didn’t come here to bicker about who is worse off, I need to tell you something important,” You replied.

He looked at Todoroki, who was currently making his way towards you, “Hold on, I’ll get us somewhere safer.”

“What?”

Bakugou grabbed you by your waist before you could even process the plan in his head. God, I am way too fucking tired, you thought as the smell of smoke and caramel filled your senses. Bakugou used his other hand to blast you both up and onto a building. It was one of the tallest buildings and it would take Todoroki a moment to reach you at such heights.

Your face flushed at Bakugou’s muscular arm holding you. You couldn’t tell if you were hot because of your embarrassment or because of Bakugou’s explosions. Before you could figure it out, you and Bakugou landed safely on the building and he quickly let go of you. You felt much colder now.

“Okay, tell me,” Bakugou said, getting straight to business. Obviously not startled about holding you by your waist and carrying you to safety.

“Oh, um,” You stuttered, trying to refocus your attention on what was important and not on how goddamn attractive Bakugou looked. Has he ever carried anyone else to safety like that before? You shook the thoughts out of your head, knowing full well that Bakugou thought you were and bumbling idiot. “A-ashido got their flag,” You practically yelled, “but Hagakure is chasing after her and is still at full strength while Ashido is pretty tired. I need to get to them to help her. So, I’m leaving.”

Bakugou looked you up and down. You can’t catch them in time, you are too beat up, he thought.

“I know, but you need to be here against Todoroki and Kaminari can’t fight against a naked girl,” You replied.

I guess so, he thought. He took a moment to look down over the building and onto the battle. You took a few steps to follow his lead.

Sato and Koda were passed out on the ground and Ojirou and Todoroki were currently fighting against Kaminari, who was wondering where you and Bakugou went.

“He can handle himself, he hasn’t even used his strongest move yet,” Bakugou responded. “I have time to get you to wherever and back here to help him.”

“No, Bakugou, don’t worry about me--”

“I’m not worried about you. I want to win,” Bakugou interrupted. “So just shut up.” He wiped his right hand off on his pants before using said hand to grab you by the waist again. His hand swept around and happened to brush past your training uniform so Bakugou was touching your skin. The heat from his hand warmed your cold skin.

You knew he was nervous from not only his thoughts, but the emotions he held that rushed through you at the slightest touch. However, your brain was also rushing with wild thoughts and concerns. Your face was flush red and you looked down so Bakugou couldn’t see your bashful appearance.

Part of you was happy Bakugou was just as nervous as you. But then again, your heart was beating so fast. Bakugou pulled you against his chest. You could hear your heart beating much faster than his, which meant he could also hear your heart beating much faster.

How is he already calm, his heart is barely beating! And here I am, an absolute mess!

When Bakugou pushed off, pulling you out of your thoughts, you yelped. Bakugou ignored the noise and kept flying before stopping a few buildings over. “Where is that invisible brat?”

“That way,” You pointed towards the center where all sectors meet, ignoring the insult towards your friend. If you could even say she was your friend.

Bakugou blasted off again, grunting in response. Every now and then, he would land on top of a building and you would use your quirk to locate Hagakure. Soon enough, the distance was minimal. “Quiet down, we are approaching,” You said.

Bakugou looked down at you from on top of the short building. “I can’t be quiet, I have explosions that come out of my hands.”

“Okay, okay, whatever. Just hop over to that pointy building,” You responded.

Bakugou listened to you and blasted off towards the building. Once he landed on top, he looked at you for further directions.

You placed your finger on top of your mouth in a ‘shushing’ motion to tell Bakugou not to make noise. You pointed down and Bakugou followed your fingers to see Ashido sliding through the streets with the flag. He looked back up at you and you leaned into his ear. “Hagakure is right behind her, waiting till Ashido is back at the base so she can take both flags.”

Bakugou nodded in response. Do you want me to land you with Pinky?

You shook your head. “No, I wanna fight her on my own while Ashido gets back to base.”

Bakugou looked at you and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. I don’t think you are strong enough for that, idiot.

“Yeah, I am,” You pouted. “Don’t underestimate me Bakugou.”

“I’m not, you beat me before so I know you are strong. However, you are pale and cold. You lost blood and I am sure your head is still pounding,” He countered, crossing his arms in defiance.

You groaned at how well Bakugou knew you. Someone you only met a few days ago shouldn’t know you this well, and yet here he was, proving you wrong. “I can do it, okay? Just trust me a bit.”

He looked at you. Really looked at you. His crimson orbs stared into your soul and you had half a mind to wonder if maybe he was an Empath too. If only he knew that he was making you so goddamn nervous with just one look.

“Okay.”

“Huh?”

“Okay,” He responded. “I trust you. I’ll drop you off and you’ll kick her ass. Then I’ll kick Half-and-Half’s ass. Then Deku’s. Then we will win.”

“Ah,” You responded, “So ass is necessary when winning. What good priorities.”

“I didn’t say that you pervert!” Bakugou practically yelled.

You chuckled in response and Bakugou just groaned even harder.

“Shut up, you bastard,” Bakugou mumbled.

“Okay, okay!” Your laughter finally died down. “Just bring me to that building and let me down.”

Bakugou grumbled and tightened his grip on your waist--

Holy shit his hand was still on my waist.

--and blasted off effortlessly.

When you landed on the building, you scoured the ground to find Hagakure and Ashido a few paces ahead. You pointed at the opposite side of the street which was out of view for the other two girls and Bakugou easily landed you on the ground without drawing any attention to the both of you.

“Thanks,” You mumbled, pushing yourself out of his grasp and brushing invisible dirt off your clothes.

Bakugou merely nodded in response. Don’t fuck up.

“I won’t,” You retorted.

Bakugou smirked at you and your insides flipped.

When you first saw him fight in the sports festival, you thought he was cool and handsome. And now here you were, face to face with someone even more attractive than you perceived and even stronger than before. You couldn’t help but smile back at him as the pink hues in your face showed themselves again.

Bakugou turned around and quickly ran off towards the battle of ice and electricity that erupted in the distance. Bakugou pushed himself into the air using both his hands to move faster than he was when he carried you.

You turned back around to face the tall, cement buildings and concentrated on locating Ashido and Hagakure. Neither of them were too far away, and luckily they had no idea you were here.

You made quick work of quietly trekking over to Hagakure, trying to figure out how you could sneak up on the sneakiest person in your class.

Your head pounded as you once again tried to hone in on exactly where Hagakure was hiding. You were so tired and craved a nap, and yet you still needed to get the Blue Team’s flag and ensure Ashido’s safety. You were too scared to sigh and kept your shallow breaths to yourself as you followed behind Hagakure, waiting for the perfect time to attack.

The invisible girl was currently focused on Ashido who just slid out of view with the green flag in hand. The pink girl had no idea Hagakure was behind her, and thought she was completely in the clear. You closed in on Hagakure, ready to punch the air you hoped she was standing. Toru was focused on Mina and didn’t hear you approaching. Although you weren’t sure exactly where she was, you just needed to touch her in order to ensure Ashido’s safety.

You reached out in front of you and grabbed onto whatever you could, not quite sure what it was. The invisible girl gasped and rotated out of your grasp.

“Y/N,” Hagakure squealed, “You found me!”

You smiled at your friend but took her surprised state as a chance to attack. You clenched your hand into a fist and punched eye level to yourself, hoping you hit her in the nose.

The girl groaned, proving your assumption was right. You heard her take a few steps back so you pushed forward and grabbed at her, trying your best to make the girl sleep. Unfortunately, you didn’t grab anything and Hagakure regained her stance by the time you realized.

“Warp Refraction: Say Cheese!”

A burst of light shot through the sky and reflected off of Hagakure, effectively blinding you. “Aw, fuck!” You stepped back and closed your eyes because of the brightness.Your head pounded and you knew Hagakure was planning on punching you, but the sharp light prevented you from moving.

A sharp pain shot through your stomach and you suddenly felt like vomiting.

You groaned and shot down to your knees.

Focus! You told yourself. You needed to ignore the light and just use your quirk to create a picture of the scene in your head.

I got her now, Hagakure thought. I’ll kick her and then-

As her shin raced towards your right side, you blocked her hit with your forearm and used your other hand to reach up to grab her arm. You pulled the invisible girl towards the ground. “Sleep!” You shouted, more for yourself than for her. You worried you wouldn’t be strong enough to actually make Hagakure fall asleep. However, the lightswitch appeared in the cavern of her mind and you flipped the switch as if it was your last dying action.

You breathed over the sleeping girl and debated your next actions. You should punch her till she passed out, but wondered if you could bring yourself to hurt your friend. You were way too tired to push her into a sleep that would last long enough to secure Ashido’s safety.

You decided to drag Hagakure into the nearest building. You knew you needed to make her pass out, there was no point in forcing her into a sleep she would just wake up from. You sighed before pulling back your fist. Although you couldn’t see Toru, you still punched the girl, using your opposite hand to get a reading on her emotions. In the body, you could tell when someone is passed out and when that moment came, you finally stopped and sat down for just a moment.

You needed to stand up. You couldn’t stop.

Maybe you just weren’t cut out for this class. Maybe you needed to be put into a lower class level. Your old school never did exercise this intense. You ignored the depressing thoughts and told yourself to just finish this battle. Finish this battle and then you can figure out whether or not you deserve to be here.

You pushed yourself off the ground when a groan. Your stomach didn’t hurt from the punch anymore, but your knees were definitely bruised and your head still pounded with every use of your quirk.

Speaking of which, you left the building and faced where you saw Ashido disappear from minutes ago. You used to quirk to locate her and noticed how far away she was. Although tired, you didn’t put much thought into your actions and started running after the pink girl. You knew she was much faster than you when it came to travel distance, but part of your skills was the speed to avoid moves and you hoped that would pay off today.

Ashido was close to crossing the boundary, close to safety, proving that she was much faster than you, making it difficult to catch up to her. You knew she would stop eventually though, she didn’t remember where the base was set up. When Ashido crossed over the tape into the orange sector, she paused for a moment, debating which way to go. During that time, you were able to catch up just enough that you could call out to her. No one was near, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing.

“Ashido-kun!” You called out to your friend as you watched her turn the corner down an alleyway.

Within a moment, her head popped back around the corner, and she smiled brightly at you. “Y/L/N-kun!” She used her quirk to slide across the concrete road towards you. “It’s so great to see a teammate!” She stopped in front of you and waved the flag like a child who won a toy. “Look what I got!”

You smiled in response. “Good job!”

Ashido’s smile widened. You didn’t have to touch her to realize how excited she was to see you and to be helping the team so greatly. “Can you help me find the team? And you can tell me how everyone is doing on the way.”

“Yeah, just follow me,” You responded, before heading towards your team.

You were able to use your quirk to see that Kirishima and the others were still located in the corner they originally stationed themselves in.

After making a path in your mind on how to reach your team, you started telling Ashido how the battle was going on your side. “So, I know for sure that I and Kaminari knocked out Tsu. While we fought her, the other teams found Bakugou and teamed up against him. We caught up with them. By the time I left, Sato and Koda were unconscious leaving Todoroki and Ojirou to fight against Kaminari and Bakugou.”

You took a moment to check back in on Kirishima’s location as Ashido listened tentatively to your story. “I think that they can beat Ojirou, but Todoroki is difficult. If Bakugou and Kaminari get so caught up on fighting against Todoroki, we won’t be able to go to the blue sector and get their flag.”

“Yeah, I’m sure everyone is going to come after us now,” Ashido added.

“I wonder if the Green Team is still fighting the Blue Team,” You mumbled.

“Can you check?” Ashido asked.

“Yeah,” You sighed, “But my head really hurts from using it so much, so I don’t think I should. It’s probably more important that I rest up.”

Ashido hummed in response, not asking you any more questions.

After another minute of walking, you finally came into view of your team. You were able to see Kirishima’s prominent red hair shining in the sun. Around him was tape attached from wall to wall, as if blockading them in, no one was small enough to reach through the small gaps left. However, you knew multiple people in the class you could blast through or even sacrifice themselves to create an opening for others. Kirishima turned around when Ashido yelled out his name.

“Hey!” He smiled at you both, excited you captured their flag. He turned to look at something you couldn’t see. “Sero! Take some tape down so Ashido-kun and Y/L/N-kun can get in!”

Sero walked into view and casually waved at the two of you before using the sharp edge at the end of his helmet to cut some tape. He gave you and Ashido just enough room to get into the area before he taped it back up.

“How is everything?” Sero asked as Kirishima and Aoyama put the flag next to the orange one.

“Okay,” You mumbled. “We were able to knock a few people from the other teams out but,” You paused for a moment to hone in on Bakugou’s thoughts, “Bakugou and Kaminari are fighting Todoroki. I know Bakugou is pretty beat up, but Kaminari is in good shape.”

“Are they in the Blue sector?” Aoyama asked.

“Um, no. Still in the green sector.” You took in a deep breath and concentrated on the Blue sector. “The Green and Blue team are still fighting over the flag. It’s Midoriya, Iida, and Tokoyami against Momo, Jirou, Shoji, and Mineta. Although I’m pretty sure Mineta has passed out, I can’t find his thoughts and that usually means he’s asleep.”

Kirishima hummed in response, his hand found its way to his chin as he processed everything happening, debating what to do next.

In your own mind, you debated the only option that seemed best for you. I people went to Bakugou’s aide and distracted Todoroki, then he could get away and go fight in the Blue Sector. Or maybe Kirishima and Ashido should just go fight the Blue team and leave Bakugou and Kaminari to finish off Todoroki.

Although it wasn’t very responsible to leave so few people monitoring the flags when your team has two and will be the obvious targets.

Everyone stayed silent, debating their own ideas in their head, most of which were difficult to pull off.

“So,” Ashido started, taking a seat on the ground and leaning her back against a nearby building, “What now?”

The group looked around at each other, wondering who was going to talk first. Personally, you knew you should go find them, but you were so tired and knew there was very little you could go against the people you were fighting. Just imagining Iida coming at you, unable to use your quirk to help your team, sent shivers down your spine. You stayed silent, praying someone else would speak up with another idea.

“I suppose we need to get in contact with Bakugou and Kaminari. We don’t know if they are going to come back here or go to the Blue side,” Sero spoke.

Guess not.

“That’s true,” Aoyama added, “but the best person to find them would be Y/L/N-kun and she is obviously tired.”

Thank God.

“I’ll take her,” Sero replied. “She can guide me and with my tape, I can probably get there in just a few minutes. Then, we can distract or maybe even beat Todoroki and get everyone back here.”

Kirishima stepped into the circle forming around you and Ashido. “With everyone here, we can wait and see who gets here first. For example, if Midoriya gets here, obviously Bakugou would want to stay and other people will go get the other flag.

“That may actually work,” Ashido added, grinning widely.

The team made quick work of getting everyone ready. Currently, you were waiting outside the tape barricade for Sero to apply the finishing touches to his defenses. Once done, waved goodbye and came up to you, smiling brightly.

“Okay,” He started. “So just tell me which way to go and I can use my quirk to fling us from building to building.”

You nodded and Sero tentatively grabbed onto your waist. You knew he needed to do that to help you travel and you weren’t at all thrown off when he did so. However, his body was comparatively much colder than Bakugou’s and the tape dispense in his elbow jammed at you back.

This would not be a comfortable ride.

Sero launched both of you into the sky, moving quickly. All that could be heard was the fast wind piercing your ears and the directions you have to the brunette.

Soon enough, the directions were unnecessary because the eruptions of Bakugou’s quirk were big enough to see. Sero decided it would be best for you to arrive by making a big entrance. You both swooped in just as Bakugou was preparing a move. Sero sped up and kicked Todoroki straight in the head before having you both land on the ground. You almost lost your balance, but his hand around your waist stayed and helped you keep yourself up. You looked up at him and he winked.

“What the fuck was that?!”

You looked up to see Bakugou, who was fuming in his eyes. His condition was similar to how you left him, just with a few more burn marks.

The blond stomped his way to you and Sero. “I was just about to hit him!”

“It sure didn’t look like it,” Sero laughed. “It looked like he was about to pummel you.”

“What the fuck do you know, tape-for-brains?” Bakugou yelled.

Sero just chuckled in response so Bakugou looked down at you instead.

Sometimes, it really was nice to hear people’s thoughts. For example, right now, thoughts of jealousy rushed through Bakugou’s head. He was slightly annoyed that Sero ruined his attack, but he was more so jealous that Sero got to touch you the same way he did.

The anger in his eyes was replaced with confusion as he looked at you. He almost looked like a puppy, or maybe a kitten, begging you to tell him that it meant nothing.

You looked down at the ground, wondering if Bakugou remembered that you could hear his thoughts. Now was not the time to address Bakugou’s subconscious, jealous feelings. On top of that, you were sure your face was redder than it had been

“Hey, guys!’ Kaminari smiled, cutting through the awkward air. “Come to save us?”

“I don’t need saving, Pikachu!” Bakugou yelled in response.

“Calm down, sheesh,” Kaminari stuck his hands up as if the cops were holding guns to him.

“Whatever, let’s just go finish Todoroki already,” Bakugou mumbled, turning away from the group to look at the heterochromatic boy in question.

He was worse off than Bakugou was, it was difficult for his body to hold a proper temperature and after a fight this long, it was really taking a toll on him.

I can’t believe this intense fucking game of capture the flag is considered a regular day of school here… you thought. Suddenly, Bakugou grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the enemy.

I’ll hit him and you make him sleep, was all you heard before the tired Todoroki enveloped your feet in ice.

“Fuck!”

You looked behind you to see Kaminari caught in the same trap. Sero, however, was able to use his tape to pull himself out.

Bakugou squeezed onto your hand even tighter and used his opposite hand to explode him and then yourself out of the ice.

Sero came in once again and managed to get a hit on Todoroki. Bakugou followed up with exploding into the competitor’s face while he was busy with Sero.

You, remembering what Bakugou had thought earlier, rushed up to Todoroki and grabbed his wrist while he prepared to burn Bakugou.

Todoroki’s flames stopped and he looked over at you with wide eyes. You were still trying to calm him down to make the switch appear, but Todoroki was fast to act and recover from your actions.

You weren’t able to hear his thoughts as you focused so heavily on his emotions. His emotions were slowly changing to become more calm. However, a burst of red shot through your vision as opposed to the relaxed and determined purples and greens that reflected in his mind.

Ice shot through Todoroki’s left side, which you happened to be holding onto, and you felt your hand freeze, the cold shooting throughout your body. Instinctually, you tried to pull your arm back, worried the ice might harm your skin. However, seeing as you were now frozen to him, you are unable to move your hand away.

Fuck! It’s so cold!

Goosebumps arose on your skin and shivers when down your spine. The ice continued to crawl up your skin. You knew Todoroki was trying to prevent you from making him fall asleep without hurting you very much.

Todoroki rapidly moved so he had better leverage over your body. He placed one knee on the ground and held his left arm over his shoulder. He was then able to lean forward and pull you over his body and slam your body onto the hard concrete.

You were still attached to Todoroki and although waves of pain shot throughout your back, you knew you had to keep working. You focused back in on Todoroki’s emotions and worked even faster to calm him down. The red and orange hues of battle and anger morphed into blues and purples. He was fighting against your actions but was unable to fight back anymore.

The light switch appeared, although far away from your reach. You pushed Todoroki farther into your relaxing trap, his breathing shallowed and his heartbeat slowed. Finally, you were in reach of your goals.

“Sleep,” You whispered, and his eyes closed.

Slowly, you sat up from your position on the ground. Your hand was still frozen, your head still pounded, and now you had back pains you were sure would last weeks. You looked up at the three boys around you, Kaminari and Sero stared at you with shock and worry. They were wondering if you were okay or if they should take you out of the game now.

On the other hand, once Bakugou noticed you were able to make Todoroki fall asleep, he stormed up to you and put his hand on the ice where your hand was grabbing Todoroki’s wrist. “This is going to hurt a bit, just stay still okay?”

You nodded in response and Bakugou used small explosions to heat up the ice. You felt the heat and explosions against your skin, but they didn’t hurt much and Bakugou was being safe enough to stop just before all the ice would have melted. He moved farther up your arm and used the same method to melt the ice that crawled up your skin.

Bakugou looked at you when most of the ice was finally melted away. He motioned his head to tell you that you could break away by yourself.

“I can’t, he’ll wake up,” You responded.

Bakugou looked at you, to your hand, and then to Todoroki’s sleeping body. “Hey, idiots!” Bakugou called over his other teammates who were still just watching the situation unfold. “Tie him up and then shock him to make him pass out.”

After recovering from the shock of being taken out of his trance, Sero quickly wrapped up Todoroki’s body, being careful not to get you tied into the tape. Once done, you broke your hand free of the icy grip and Kaminari electrocuted Todoroki much like he did with Tsu. Both boys then moved Todoroki into one of the buildings.

While they moved Todoroki, you awkwardly stood off to the side. With the battle no longer distracting you, your mind was free to roam and right now, all you could think about was the jealous thoughts that ran through Bakugou’s head when you and Sero first arrived. Not only that, but Bakugou had grabbed your hand earlier, giving you skin to skin contact once more. You wondered if he was always so warm because of his quirk, or if maybe his body was hot because he was just as nervous as you.

“So,” You looked up from the ground to see that Bakugou moved to be standing next to you, “What now?” He only spared a moment to look at you before noticing you were looking at him. Abruptly, he turned his focus back onto your two teammates.

“Um,” You bit your lip, taking a moment to push your previous thoughts out of your head in order to focus on the situation at hand. “We are going back to home base.”

“Why? Shouldn’t we go get the Blue flag?” Bakugou asked. He was much calmer now than he was when talking to Kaminari and Sero. You made a mental note to try and figure out why later.

“We wanted to head back to make sure we have appropriate reinforcements. Like, if you run off to the Blue sector and then Midoriya comes here, the plan is kinda ruined,” You responded.

Bakugou thought over your explanation for a second before agreeing with a hum. After a brief and awkward pause, Bakugou spoke again, “Do you know where everyone else is right now?”

“I can try checking,” You replied, “but I am a bit tired and don’t know how great my range will be.” You took in a deep breath, something that wasn’t necessary, but was a habit for you when using your quirk on bigger scales.

Just before you delved yourself into the world of thoughts, Bakugou stopped you. “Don’t waste your energy then, we will be fine without knowing.”

You nodded, too shocked to verbally reply. Bakugou did not at all seem like the type of person to care about the individual over the group outcome. Because of this, it especially shocked you. Speaking of which…

“Bakugou,” You started, “Are you okay? Is there anywhere you are really hurt?” You asked him, eyes darting around his body and examining the burns, bruises, and blood that littered his pale, golden skin.

“Don’t worry about me,” He mumbled, turning his body away from you and crossing his arms.

He was offended you asked him. Annoyed you didn’t think he was strong enough. Even though you once again could not feel his skin and experience his emotions at hand, it was obvious from his thoughts that he was upset.

It upset you slightly that he forced you to let him take care of you for the team, but refused to let you do the same. How someone’s thoughts could change so easily in only an hour was ridiculous.

As someone who could hear thoughts and experience others' emotions, it was more common for people to think that you would be best as a rescue hero or a healing hero. When younger, you were trained in first-aid and how to utilize your quirk to help those around you. The idea of helping Bakugou tempted you. However, you knew it best to leave him alone.

For both of you.

You swallowed down your worries for that moment, promising yourself that it was okay to deny your ever-growing crush on Bakugou.

Kaminari and Sero exited the building smiling as if their energy from defeating Todoroki revitalized them.

“Are you ready to head back?” Sero asked as he and Kaminari approached you and Bakugou.

You looked towards Bakugou, still able to tell he was mildly upset about your comment earlier. “Yeah,” His hoarse voice responded.

Kaminari then looked towards you, “Y/L/N-chan, who would you like to go with, Sero or Bakugou?”

Your brain immediately debated between the two boys. On one hand, Bakugou got jealous when I rode with Sero, but now he seems a little upset at me. Maybe he wouldn’t want to ride with me because of tha--

“She’s going with me,” Bakugou interrupted. Everyone looked at Bakugou.

Or not.

You bit your bottom lip and furrowed your eyebrows out of stress, noticing the jealous thoughts that once again ran through Bakugou’s head.

You weren’t an idiot. You knew what it means to be possessive over someone, but you met Bakugou only a few days ago and things didn’t even start off well. On top of that, Bakugou seemed almost oblivious to his possessiveness, making his intentions even more confusing.

Bakugou squinted his eyes at your reaction to his comment before looking back at the two other teammates. “You guys know the way back. Me and him,” Bakugou gestured towards Kaminari, “don’t. So, we have to split up.”

The answer seemed to satisfy Kaminari and Sero who made quick work of positioning themselves in the least romantic way they could. Currently, Kaminari and Sero were connected by a tape belt that kept them within 2 meters of each other. When Sero set off towards camp, Kaminari held onto the tape, basically dangling under Sero as he moved.

“Ready?” You heard Bakugou mumble, moving your attention elsewhere.

You looked up at Bakugou and found yourself biting your lip again, wondering what Bakugou’s thoughts meant. It was as easy as A + B = C because Bakugou sure didn’t realize what his thoughts meant. He was, however, great at hiding them to others.

“Yeah,” You looked down at your feet, his crimson eyes stared into yours and made the atmosphere fill with awkwardness.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Bakugou mumbled as his hand found its way around your waist, “Baka.” (usually playful way to call someone dumb).

You looked up at Bakugou once more as his hand touched the skin of your waist. His emotions rushed through you, but you were more focused on the smirk on Bakugou’s face and the glint in his eyes. Before you could respond, Bakugou launched both of you in the same direction Sero went.

#boku no hero academia #boku no hero headcanons #my hero academia #my hero academy #bakugou #bakugo #katsuki #bakugou katsuki #bakugo katsuki #bakugo x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki x reader #bakugo katsuki x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #bnha #bnha bakugou

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revpauljbern · 5 years

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Progressive Bible study for this week will be part 1 of Acts chapter 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

[Acts chapter 16, verses 1-15]

To view this on my website, click here :-)

This week, in our ongoing study of the chronology of the writings of the apostle Luke, we'll be moving on to Acts chapter 16. When we concluded Acts 15 last week, Paul and Barnabas had split into two teams after having a considerable disagreement about whether the apostle Mark should come with them. But this breakup over what amounted to a personnel issue was exactly what God had planned, since the two men who had been working together for several previous years were now split up into two teams. Barnabas took Mark, who was rejoining the apostles after a hiatus of undetermined length, and sailed for Cyprus. Paul took Silas and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches”. So today, as we begin part one of Acts 16, Paul and Silas have departed Antioch and are in the process of moving from town to town – which is where we will begin at verse one.

“1) Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2) The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3) Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8) So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9) During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16, verses 1-10)

So Paul and Silas go back to where he and Barnabas had been before, to the churches they had planted together in Derbe and Lystra. The apostle Paul wanted to introduce Silas to these churches as his new coworker, as well as to further build these churches up in the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at Lystra, where Timothy lived, that he was introduced to Paul and Silas, and who ultimately had 2 books in the New Testament named after him. But then in verse 3, we encounter something a bit unexpected – as a condition to entering the ministry and being co-workers with Paul and Silas, Paul has him circumcised. The Bible's reason is clearly stated: “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

I'm sure you remember from last week's study that this very topic was debated at length at the Council at Jerusalem, and that the decision had been handed down that Jewish believers in Jesus should not compel, not was it necessary to require, new Gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised. And yet, the first thing Paul did with Timothy was to have him circumcised! The apostle Paul was an orthodox Jew, and a former member of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, so Jewish customs meant a great deal to him. Granted, all those who knew Timothy knew his father was Gentile and his mother Jewish. Paul did not have Timothy circumcised to honor his mother, he did so in the name of 'peaceful coexistence' between Jews and Greeks there at Lystra, and as a Jewish man. As I wrote in last week's study, Paul was one of those people who were set in their ways, even if it meant going against the grain of the new faith in which he believed so strongly and taught so fervently. For that reason, I think he also circumcised Timothy as a condition of being his co-worker. Remember, this was the same man who said gay people can't be saved, who said that the apostle Mark should be banned from the ministry, and who said women should not be allowed to preach or teach, but should “remain silent”.

“4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” With this being done, the old requirement of male circumcision was done away with for good – except for certain churches that insist on continuing with this apostasy to this day. We went over that in part 2 of Acts 15. This decision strengthened the faith of the believers immeasurably, because the burden of of Old Law had been lifted for good. At last they were free to practice their faiths without feeling like they had Moses and the prophets constantly looking over their shoulders.

“6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” The geographic locations Luke was referring to here make up the area around the Black Sea, in what would be the southwestern Russian provinces today. After around the eight century, this area became predominantly Muslim, and it remains so to this day. And so they ended up going to Macedonia. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study, beginning at verse eleven.

“11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12) From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.”

Troas, Samothrace and Neapolis were 3 towns within a couple days walk from each other. All these towns were on or near the Mediterranean coast, in the northeast corner of that body of water, where modern-day Turkey shares a border with Macedonia. From there they went on to Philippi, the capital, where they founded the church whose name would inspire the Book of Philippians. “13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

The reason they had to go outside the city gate to pray is because there was evidently no synagogue where they could go. Or at least, not there in Philippi. So they went down to the river to pray, and presumably to bathe, although the Bible leaves out little details like that. So they encountered a group of women there, who were presumably getting their daily washing done, and they convert Lydia to the faith. So moved by the experience is Lydia that she insists on giving Paul and Silas lodging for the duration of their stay. “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.” And so Paul and Silas stayed there at Lydia's house for the duration of their stay there. And next week, when we move on to part 2 of Acts 16, we'll see what happens next, as Paul and Silas find themselves in the same bad situation that Peter had found himself in Acts chapter 12 – in jail for the sake of the Gospel. See you next week!

#Progressive Christian #the early Church #Paul and Silas #the church at Philippi #Biblical Teaching #Biblical Studies #discipleship

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