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#i said he needs to play it first and then ill make him guess
aliasknives · 4 months
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a dear friend of mine who is about to start bg3 asked me which character i romanced and who my favorite is yesterday and like. it’s actually unbelievably fucking humiliating that one of the bg3 characters that im most frequently rotating in my mind is the lawful evil goth loser who is wearing the magic equivalent of a weighted blanket while trying to plunge the world into totalitarian dictatorship. instead of literally anyone else
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highvern · 6 months
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Lucky Me
Pairing: Kim Mingyu x fem reader
Genre: idiots in love, fluff, established relationship
Warnings: sickening sweet tooth rotting fluff, kissing, tears, brief mention of illness, in this lore Seungchoel is a married man and off the proverbial streets
Length: ~1.4k
Note: Drunk Goggles couple's first L-word! post Discovery by like a few weeks lmao. I'm actually crying in the club bc Mingyu is my ENXJ kindred spirit so i wrote this in the most self serving way possible lol
read more here
“Can’t believe you’re not picking up your phone right now. Really selfish of you. What if I was dying in the street and you didn’t know because you ignored my call? What then, huh? Your poor boyfriend just wants to talk to you but I guess you hate me now.”
You chuckle at the sound of your Mingyu’s scolding. Always one for dramatics, that one. Toweling off your hair, you move to tidy the discarded packaging from the decorations you spent hanging all afternoon. Mingyu’s voicemail plays through the speaker of your phone on the counter as you work to clean up before people start arriving.
“Anyways! I picked up the cake for the party tonight, and some more snacks and beer just in case. The lady at the bakery said the cake took her all morning because the picture I sent of Jihyo kept making her laugh. Hate to say it but I think you have some competition. I can already see us getting married and being her sugar baby.”
Everytime an old lady even compliments Mingyu he tells you to watch your back because they want to steal him from you. Your eyes roll at his comments but they humor you nonetheless.
“She’s nowhere near as pretty as you though, so she's gonna need to step up her game. Alright, I’m gonna stop at my place to shower and grab some clothes and then I’ll head your way. Text me if I need to get anything else on my way, okay? Love you, bye!”
You freeze, plastic bags and towel dropping to the floor with a wet thud. 
“Shit.” 
You hear his faint curse through the speaker as the voicemail ends. 
Heart squeezing as you replay his words over and over, you plop down on your butt to the hard wooden floor. Love you, bye! Love you, love you, love…
He loves me.
Oh boy.
The new information is magical, twisting your insides in knots as you think of all the times you’ve wanted to say those very words you’ve buried in your chest over and over. The times he makes you laugh so hard you think you might pee your pants, his own giggles pulling him to the ground; when he cleaned out space in his dresser for your stuff, buying duplicates of your toiletries so you could come over whenever you wanted and feel at home; when your car broke down on the side of the road and he came to pick you up, racing across town in the dark of night to get you; when Wonwoo told you he’d never seen Mingyu so happy since you’d started dating; the time he cried when Seungcheol recited his vows to his now wife; how he always pulls a extra mug out of the cabinet when he makes his morning coffee, leaving it next to the machine with a sweet note for when you get up.
I love him.
Oh boy, indeed.
Standing, you grab your phone from the counter. Mingyu called almost an hour ago meaning he will be at your apartment any second. You use the few minutes you have left to calm your breathing, praying your hands stop shaking and the blush you feel dissipates as you open the freezer and pludge your face into the cold air.
A clunky knock at the door startles you. Sprinting to unlock it, you nearly fly face first into the door knob in your haste. 
On the other side is your boyfriend, thick waves of stress palpable as they roll off his body. Mingyu’s hands are full with groceries so you snag the cake, planting a quick kiss on his chin in greeting.
“Hi,” he mumbles, fear evident on his face.
“Hi!” You beam, dazzling smile thrown over your shoulder as you walk back toward the kitchen.
“Ugh, did you get my message?” 
Mingyu pauses to kick off his shoes by the door, nervousness firing through every fiber of his being. He meant what he said on the phone, but you've only been dating for a few months and he doesn’t want to mess anything up by being over eager. Correction: he can’t mess this up; he’s certain the heartbreak would kill him.
Mingyu prides himself on all the times he’s reigned in those three little words from slipping past his lips. Whenever he’s drunk and sees you smile, whenever he’s sober and sees you smile; when you cried about your shitty boss; when he cried at Seungcheol’s wedding, imagination running rampent; every morning when he wakes up next to you and every night before falling asleep in the same place; when you took care of him when he had the flu a few weeks ago; the first time he saw the new toothbrush you bought him to keep at your place, sitting in the cup on bathroom sink right next to yours. The list is endless. 
He can’t help that he’s built to love so deeply; his friends, his family, all of the important people in his life have their own space carved in his heart including you. Even before you started dating he cared for you. Your name has been branded in his chest since day one and inferno has only grown as his fondness expands with each moment.
“Yeah, I did. Sorry I missed your call, I was in the shower.”
“It's okay! I just know you like to be kept updated.”
After placing Jihyo’s birthday cake safely in the fridge, you turn to face your boyfriend. He looks like he might actually throw up, hands shaking as he unpacks the bags he’s brought in and eyes refusing to look in your direction. You can tell Mingyu is watching you out of his peripheral, waiting for you to comment on his confession with bated breath.
You stride around the kitchen island to stand next to him, helping sort the different treats he bought in silence. The juxtaposition between you two is almost laughable. You’re all shy smiles and flushed cheeks, unable to control the wild thump of your heart; while Mingyu looks like he might sprint out the door and into traffic at the drop of a hat.
Once all the bags are discarded, food lining the counter to be prepped, you turn to rest your back against the edge of the cool marble, your soft gaze focuses on his face. Arms crossing in front of you, you watch as he pretends to be busy to avoid meeting your eyes.
“I love you too.” You confess shyly, sides of your mouth quirking upwards.
Mingyu’s head shoots up so fast you’re afraid he might give himself whiplash. All you can do is smile demurely, embarrassed by the way he stares at you with wide eyes and an open mouth.
“Really?”
Biting your lip to control the grin attempting to split your face in half, you nod gently.
Next thing you know you’re consumed in a tight embrace, squashed into his chest as he squeezes you so hard you might explode. The smell of his cologne and laundry detergent waft of his shirt, soothing your own nerves as you relax in his hold. You can hear his heart racing in his chest, thundering below your ear; your own echoing in response.
“Say it again.” Mingyu sighs into your hair.
You can’t help but laugh.
“I love you.”
“Oh my god.” He gasps.
“Say it back.” you pout, chin digging into his pec as you peer up at him.
For a second, all Mingyu can do is stare at you, face soft with emotion, eyes cataloging your features. In his wildest dreams, he never thought he’d be fortunate enough to feel this way about another person. How lucky is he that the person he loves loves him too?
“I love you. I love you. I love you.” He says, hands moving to cup your face as he emphasizes a different word with each repetition, tip of his nose rubbing against the side of your own.
“Baby, are you crying?”
“I can’t help it! I love you! And you love me!” He wails, pushing his face into your cheek. “I think I’m gonna faint.”
“Aww, Gyu!” You coo, turning your head to kiss away his tears as they fall.
Mingyu catches your lips with his, needing to show you how much he cares for you rather than just tell you. 
But one more time doesn’t hurt.
“I love you.”
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in-som-niyah · 2 months
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soft!oblivious!Jason Todd x fem!reader on her period
a/n: hey besties guess whos on the bathroom floor again haha its me!!!!! endo is trying to murder me but guess what jason's here to make it all better!!! this is entirely self-indulgent btw i wrote this to make myself feel better and to take my mind off the urge to rip my uterus out with my bare hands🫶🏾🎀🌸💝✨💖💗💕
Warnings: reader vomits, reader has a period, reader is in fucking pain, jason todd speaks spanish, reader is weakned, jason todd is a beautiful husband fuck you i said what i said
Note: reader and jason have a system where jason asks the reader what her pain is on a scale from 1-10 (10 being highest)
Jason's key turns in the lock of your shared apartment in Gotham.
To his surprise, the place is dark and lifeless. Upon checking his watch, which read 6:45pm, he noticed the peculiarity of the scene before him.
Usually, you would have started dinner by now, had some sexy 90's R&B playing (which you unashamedly sung along to) and would have greeted him babbling excitedly about what your colleagues thought about your new hairstyle.
But nope, there was nothing.
Though Jason was concerned, he tried to pass it off as a weird occurrence, until he heard a faint retch coming from the other side of the apartment.
Immediately, he parked whatever he was doing and came rushing (sprinting) to you, desperately needing to make sure you're okay.
When he found you in the bathroom hovering over the toilet, the sight clawed a hole in his chest.
You were gripping the edges of the toilet with shaky hands, trying to steady your unstable and shaking body. Your braids were tied back too tight, definitely causing you an uncomfortable and unnecessary headache.
Carefully, Jason stepped in the bathroom and lowered himself to you. He loosened your hair and re-tied it in a more comfortable way and kissed the top of your head.
In your dazed state, you barely recognized his lithe fingers in your hair, too exhausted physically and mentally to focus on anything other than the searing pain in your abdomen.
Finally empty, you reach to flush the toilet when a much bigger, scarred hand takes yours and kisses the back of it before flushing for you.
At this, you look up at him with bleary, tearful and irritated eyes, clearly indicative that you've been feeling like this for a while.
Jason's heart cracks.
Before either of you could speak, Jason pressed his forehead to yours and instructed you to steady your breathing. His hands expertly maneuver you to sit on your bum in front of him; this was not his first rodeo.
Jason was familiar with your illness, and what that meant for you sometimes. With practise, he was attuned to your needs and catered to them willingly. But still, his heart broke a little more every time he saw your body fold in on itself in pain.
When your breathing calmed he kissed your forehead just before another cramp seized your body, and your face crumpled in pain.
"Shit- You're okay sweetheart c'mere. Remember to breathe okay? In. Out."
You nodded lightly as you pushed yourself to move into his lap, the action only making your muscles strain but you were so desperate to feel his warmth you did it anyway.
As you continued to breathe Jason wrapped his strong arms around you and held you to his body, his hands came up to gently rub your lower back where he knew you were hurting.
"What's your number this time, amorcita." Jason asked in a tender voice, as to not upset your headache.
Through sniffles and shakes, you reluctantly surface your buried head from his chest to answer him.
"It was an 8 all day today..." you started, still in pain but able to speak.
"I took the painkillers too late, and they didn't work in time. I'm sorr-"
You're interrupted by Jason pulling you back into him. He would sooner take your pain than hear you apologize for a painful experience you couldn't control.
"Shhhh no sorries, princessa. You know that." He spoke into your hair.
Soon, the wave of pain settled, and you were granted a limited amount of small relief.
"I-I think I should move to the bed now. I don't know how much I have until the next one" you mumbled into his chest.
Through a positive rumble in his chest he agreed, and began to carefully untangle himself from you.
"Can you stand?" Jason asks, his eyes conveying sincerity.
You looked to the floor shook your head in shame. You couldn't believe you had to rely on Jason to help you so much.
"I'm gonna pick you up okay baby?" He says, but his eyes ask for your permission.
Upon granting it, he slips his arms under your body and lifts like you weigh nothing. He carefully walks to the bed, taking extra care in making sure he doesn't hit your head or legs on walls or doorways.
Once at your bedside, he places you down gently and presses a set of kisses to your nose, cheek and forehead. It is then when he notices how frigid your skin is, which worries him. But first, he needs more information.
"How long ago did you take the painkillers, mi vida?" He begins as he crouches to reach your eye level.
With an exasperated sigh, you close your eyes and shrug. Truly you had no idea how long it has been since you've been in such pain, much less since you've taken your last round of painkillers.
Jason returns your sigh, but with one of sadness as he reaches out his hand to absentmindedly rub your sore hips. Remembering your small remedies that help the pain, he stands and begins out the room.
Suddenly your hand grasp his ring and pinky, and he turns to face you again.
You look up at him with tears on your cheeks, silently begging him to stay.
At this, he leans down and captures your lips softly, silently letting you know that he would never do anything you wouldn't want him to.
With your hand still grasping his, he brings your hand to his lips to kiss, before breaking the silence.
"'Tell you what, amorcita. I'm gonna go get you your heating pad and boil some raspberry leaf tea, then i'll climb into bed with you and i'll rub your back as you fall asleep. But you gotta let go of me so I can do it, bien?"
Reluctantly, you took his offer and released his hand before he left a soothing kiss to your hairline and took off.
While he was gone, your were desperately breathing through another wave, trying not to scream or cry out. The pain continued to ebb and flow, but it was pain nonetheless.
When Jason returned with the tea, hot water bottle and a little square of dark chocolate he found you almost asleep, knees up to your chest while clutching your abdomen. He knew you well enough to know that your back is not enjoying the position at all.
He placed the tea and chocolate on your nightstand and carefully took his spot behind you. You slightly woke up at his shifting, but upon Jason's placement of the hot water bottle to your aching abdomen, you relaxed.
Jason breathed a silent breath of gratitude that you're able to rest easier than you were before now that you're comfortable. He moved himself closer to your body, firmly but delicately wrapping his arms around you and stretching out your aching back.
You appreciated this, the pressure releasing on your back and the soothing warmth of your hot water bottle contributing to easing your pains.
Jason retracted one of his arms from your waist in favour of rubbing your sore lower back. A sleepy hum of appreciation followed his ministrations just before you spoke.
"Jason?" you mumbled into your pillow
"Querida?" he replied, semi alert
"Thank you" you finish as you let yourself drift into a light and more comfortable sleep.
A peck to the back of your head is his response.
Jason knows he can't take away your pain. But when it cuts you deep, he'll be your remedy.
Always.
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a/n pt2: bro im so sorry if this makes no sense im in pain leave me alone im tired its sleepytime
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squerlly · 2 months
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flames of desire chapter 4: I'm creepy?...
Alastor x (f! bunny reader)
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your POV:
back at the hotel, I went straight to my room, putting all of my clothes that angel bought for me in there drawers and hangers. angel said that there weren't any shoes that work for my paws so he said to try and wear toeless socks....there comfortable but I just have to be carful were I step. walking to the lobby I decided to grab a drink, sitting on the stool "what do you want kid?" "nothing strong" sliding the drink over to me I decide to ask about what happened earlier "hay husk right..." "yeah?" "do you know who valentino is?", setting down the glass he was cleaning he turns "hes an overlord, part of the Vees ...owns a strip club angel works at" well that explains it "what's an overlord?" "you ask to many damn questions kid" "sorry...just asking since I'm still getting used to the permeant damnation thing..." "overlords are powerful demons, ranked by there power over others. humans deal in favors and money, but down here...you deal in souls. and fuckers like radio face abuse that power" radio face? that's new "you mean Alastor? "yeah kid, hes an overlord, haven't you ever seen those posters outside?" now that I think about it, no...I haven't but that would explain his whole dark and twistedness "is that why hes so creepy.." "I'm creepy?...", whipping my head around my heart feels like it just fell out of my ass "oh how you wound me dear, tell me what makes me so creepy hmm..." "well I- no I didn't mean- how long have you been standing there..." "well I heard my name and couldn't help but listen, tell me what is it that has peeked your interest in me?", "w-well husk was telling me about overlords and that you were uhm-...one" "ah yes my dear, husker is correct!, what brought up such a subject?" "oh well... me and angel ran into this Valentino guy and when I asked angel he looked so scared..." "hmm well if he works for valentino, then there's a high chance he made a contract" "contract?" "yes, a contract for his soul~" of course, a contract or a deal for a soul "husk also said something about the Vees who are they?" hearing loud static I look up, Alastors smile was tight and his expression was that of irritation, the static getting louder "oh nobody important..." "oookk..." I'm not gonna pry into that anymore, I like my second life...sorta.
Alastors POV:
so our little bunny got into some trouble with the Vees? and it seems valentino has caught interest in her, I cant have that... "tell me dear what did valentino say to you?" "hmm he asked me if I wanted to work for him, said he could make me rich or something like that" oh Valentino, how does one fine joy in taking advantage of young women, maybe he has an animal fetish or something, for once that makes my skin crawl "and what did you say?" "I told him no naturally, the guy has no boundaries, and from the way he treated angel I don't think I would want to work for somebody like him" hmm smart girl~ "well its good to know your alright!" wouldn't want my toy to be broken before iv played with it first... "i just hope angel is ok" "you need not worry about angel, I'm sure hes doing just fine dear, you shouldn't get involved" especially with the likes of such nasty people like valentino, how dare he attempt to steal my plaything, I guess ill have to show him that I don't like sharing.
your POV:
chatting with Alastor and husk I feel a bit tired, probably had one to many refills of my drink, iv always been a light weight... "its getting a bit late, I think I'm gonna head to bed now" husk takes my half empty glass as I stand from the stool "well goodnight my dear, sweet dreams~..."
I had writers block for like 30min because I just felt like adding a whole extra part for Alastor and it nearly killed me!!! but anyways I love you guys and please enjoy this chapter stay tuned~
-squerlly
@pooplyface1423 @strippezzz
for more stories and more chapters please click this masterlist
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stelliyue-cafe · 2 months
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A/N: First time writing for Love and Deepspace- (More notes at the end). 
Fic Notes: 
SLIGHT CHAPTER 4 SPOILERS
Canon divergence(?)
The number of times I had this song on REPEAT as I wrote this
Pairing: Caleb / Female! Reader
Genre: Mutual pining; Slow burn; Fluff; Romance; Angst
Summary: Falling in love with Caleb wasn’t love at first sight. Falling in love with him was more like a thief in the night- unexpected.
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Growing up with Grandma exposed her to two people: Caleb and Zayne.
Caleb had invited her and Zayne over. Why bother having two different playdates when he could have one playdate with his two best friends in the world, right?
She looked up at the boy standing in front of her. “You’re the famous Zayne that he keeps rambling about. Besides getting into the Aerospace Academy, you’re all he ever talks about.”
“He talks about me?” Zayne asked, a bit shocked.
She nodded. “Mhm!” 
“Zayne! (Y/N)! You’re here!” Caleb said, running into the backyard where they had been waiting.
“About time, Caleb.” Zayne scolded, his arms crossing over his chest.
Caleb put up his hands in defense. “I was only five minutes late, Zayne!”
“Then next time, you should set an alarm.”
She laughed at their small argument. “You two act so much like brothers!”
They stared at each other before Caleb joined in on the laughter. Zayne huffed, his friend’s tardiness erased from his mind.
~*~*~
Caleb and Zayne were like the brothers she never had. Despite going to different schools, she was there for them as they were for her. They always walked her to and from school. They studied, played, and had sleepovers. And as the years went by, the trio became inseparable. Following the boys she looked up to so much, she did everything she could to get into the same private university. Sure, it was a difficult process, but her hard work was worth it.
She loved Caleb and Zayne and she told them every single day. Yet… there was a different subtext whenever she told Caleb that, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“You’re dating the one guy in your coding class, right? Yet you set everything aside for Caleb and Zayne. Not to mention the whole saying “I love you” to them. Is your boyfriend okay with that?” The words of her friend echoed in her mind as she walked home.
“That’s a stupid question.” She muttered. “I love them, but in a familial, platonic kind of way.”
“(Y/N)!”
Her gaze shifted up from the concrete to the direction of the voice that called her. “Zayne?” She breathed out.
She stopped as he caught up to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he shook her gently. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? After our classes ended, Caleb told me that you weren’t feeling well.”
(Y/N) blinked, putting her hands up in reassurance. “I’m fine, Zayne! I just have a small headache.”
His eyes looked up and down, head tilting left and right, making sure she had no symptoms of any other illness. Zayne grumbled, cursing Caleb under his breath. She held onto his arms, comforting him. “Hey… I’m okay.”
He exhaled as he released his grip from her shoulders. “He exaggerated, didn’t he?”  He said, letting his hands drop to his sides.
She giggled, already walking past him. “I swear, you believe him a little too easily sometimes.”
“Hey, I was worried.” He said, turning to catch up with her. Now walking at her side, he continued. “I promised your grandmother that I’d watch you both.”
They continued to walk in the semi-comforting silence. The street lights lighting their way home. The conversation stopped there, leaving a lingering tension. It wasn’t a bad feeling. More like- there was something else that needed to be said.
‘It’s not me you should be concerned about. Caleb worries and cares about you more than I ever could.’
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“Hello?”
“Hello, just called to update you on the status of his exams,” Zayne replies.
“Wait, is that (Y/N)?” She heard a second voice ask.
“Of course, it’s-”
“(Y/N)! Guess what happened!” She heard Caleb butt in, taking the phone from Zayne.
She laughed. “How’d the exam go? What happened?”
“I got into the Aerospace Academy!” He cheered.
“Caleb, that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! You deserve it!” She cheered.
“Thanks (Y/N). You’ve always been my number one supporter!”
“And what am I? The understudy? I got into the top residency program in the city, can I get some applause?” Zayne mumbled.
“I heard that, Doctor Zayne!” 
“I’m not a licensed doctor yet.”
“We should go out and celebrate this weekend!” Caleb suggested.
“Of course! Just text me the details.”
“For sure! Alright, we’ll stop bugging you now! Come on, Doctor Z.”
“Give my phone back,” A small pause. “and (Y/N), don’t be like Caleb and overwork yourself, okay?”
“I won’t, but the same goes for you.” She huffed.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Good. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
CLICK!
She put her phone back in her pocket and walked back inside the library. Her boyfriend took a break from his laptop and looked up. “What was that all about?”
“Oh! Caleb got into the Aerospace Academy and Zayne got into his residency program which I think is pretty cool!”
Her rambling fell to deaf ears as he had enough of her constant babble about her friends. “(Y/N), we need to talk.”
“I’m sure we can talk about it later! Come on, we need to study!” She said, sitting back down and pulling her textbook close.
“(Y/N), will you just listen?” He groaned in frustration.
She closed her textbook. “This sounds serious. What’s on your mind?”
“What I’m trying to say is…”
“Is…?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long while now…” He paused, all prior confidence leaving him in that instant- insecurities quickly filling his mind. 
Despite Caleb and Zayne being her childhood friends, her boyfriend thought they were the type of guys that he hoped she’d avoid, but he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. They were skilled, intelligent, and popular. Who wouldn’t want to be like them?
“Hey, if you have something important to say, then say it.” She said, trying to get his attention.
“I… I want to break up.”
“Oh, okay.” Her expression softened.
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
“What else is there to say? You’re the one that wants to break up.” 
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. She wanted to say more, but she decided against it. Her eyes went back to her textbook as she slowly reached for her pencil. “We can finish this exercise and we can call it a day.” The sound of flipping pages and pencil lead scratching against the paper made the room feel so much bigger, and her feeling so much smaller. 
Once the work was completed, they parted ways. “See you at school, (Y/N).”
“Yeah, you too.” She didn’t like the heavy, yet empty feeling that sat in her heart.
~*~*~
Observant as ever, Caleb and Zayne knew something was wrong. However, it didn’t take long for the news to reach their ears. No words were exchanged when they looked at each other. They just nodded, knowing that they were going to do whatever it took to cheer up their best friend.
After classes, they made their way to the convenience store to buy ice cream and other snacks. When they got to her place, her grandmother let them in right away. She knew that if anyone could cheer her up, it was those two.
Now, actively ignoring her best friends was a bad idea, but it wasn’t her first breakup. The weight of it all was too much to bear, and she knew she had to be strong. Besides, what did they know about healing hearts? Zayne knew how to fix a heart in the literal sense, not metaphorical, and Caleb was usually the cause of his fangirls’ broken hearts. Granted, he wasn’t leading them on, he just wasn’t ready for a relationship, but that didn’t soften the blow of rejection.
Her head rested on the pillow she held close to her chest. Her hair was unkempt and the tears kept flowing down her cheeks. Earbuds were playing the music that once brought her joy. The words that made her heart flutter were now just a painful reminder of what she once had. When she saw her ex in class, he seemed unphased by the break-up. He smiled brighter. Last night, she was so nonchalant about it, so why was she crying now?
She hated being alone while being in a headspace like the one she was in now. It caused her to overthink, but she didn’t want to burden her loved ones with such trivial problems.
The sound of faint knocks on her door broke her from her spiral of intrusive thoughts, causing her to look up from her tear-stained pillow and towards the door. She sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve. 
Brushing the hair that stuck to her cheeks, she cleared her throat. “I’m fine, grandma! Just need some alone time…” She said, her voice coming to a whisper by the end.
She heard the doorknob turn which caused her to panic. She gripped onto the fabric of her pillowcase. “I said!-”
“Hey, we heard what happened,” Zayne said as he slowly opened the door. He and Caleb slowly made their way to the edge of her bed, snacks in hand.
“B-But we can leave if you want some alone time.” Caleb cut in.
Who were they kidding? How could they possibly make her feel better? Surely, she’d want the company of her girl friends. They’d know what to do, right?
She didn’t meet their gaze at first, her fingers now playing with the fabric. Could she depend on them for temporary comfort? It wasn’t until she heard the bag full of snacks being placed on the work desk that made her look up at them. She quickly grabbed the sleeve of Caleb’s jacket.
“Please don’t leave…”
“We weren’t planning to,” Caleb replied, sitting down next to her on the mattress. Zayne sat down on her other side, rubbing circles on her back.
‘If you were mine, I’d never hurt you.’ Caleb thought as she continued to cry into his shoulder. But he knew better.
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To say he had a crush was an understatement. No- Caleb was in love with her. Despite him wanting to be something more, her happiness and feelings came first. They were friends and that’s all they ever were.
“Caleb… I-”
“You need a pick me up?”
“Yeah…”
“Zayne said he’s got things to do so he can’t make it. But I’ll be there in twenty-five, okay?”
“That’s okay. Zayne has already done so much and I don’t mind spending some time with just you.”
He chuckled. “Do you want me to bring some snacks?”
“Yes, please! Do you know those honey butter chips? Could you get some of those?” (Y/N) sniffled.
“Of course. Okay, I’ll start heading over. See you soon.”
“See ya soon…”
CLICK!
When Caleb walked inside, he almost dropped the bag due to her almost immediately bear-hugging him. “Whoa, (Y/N)! At least let me put down my bag.” He said, awkwardly patting her head.
Once she let go, they walked into the living room and settled on the couch. Caleb pulled out a bag of honey butter chips and handed it to her. She mumbled a small thanks.
They both sat in silence as she munched on the crunchy heaven. He knew that something wasn’t right. He felt like he was stepping around eggshells as he tried to figure out a way to start talking to her, not knowing what to say or how to say it.
“(Y/N)… Are you okay?”
She paused for a moment and put the bag of chips down. “I’m just… having a hard time lately. Exams, some group projects that I’ve had to shoulder most of the weight, and moving on from him. I loved him! I gave my all to him, but he said I spent too much time with you guys…” She sighed.
Caleb gave her a sympathetic look, trying to understand what she was going through. Who was he kidding? He couldn’t possibly put himself in her shoes.
His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but closed back up in fear of making the situation worse. Instead of saying a thing, he moved the chip bag to the table and scooted closer to her. He gently grabbed her wrist before pulling her into a hug, holding her firmly but gently in his embrace.
He knew that under her confident, carefree yet hardworking personality, she carried the world on her shoulders. She ran fast- her head was always looking forward, preparing for the next phase of her life, always analyzing, always changing. She laughed hard- even at the most trivial things, like Zayne having rice crumbs on his face because the food was so good that all manners were out the door. And she was kind- she tried her damn hardest to accommodate everyone’s concerns.
To Caleb, actions spoke louder than words. When it came to hugging her, he knew to make sure that she was the first one to pull away. “Things will get better… Zayne and I? We’ll always be here for you. And your other friends too. Just don’t be afraid to ask for help.” He whispered.
“Thank you, Caleb.” She replied softly.
(Y/N) sniffled, burying her head into his shoulder, her tears wetting his jacket. He held her tighter, rubbing circles on her back, trying to soothe her. After a while of quiet sobs and sniffles, she pulled away, looking up at him. “Thank you so much.”
Caleb leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome.”
~*~*~
The months passed by and graduation had finally arrived. “Stop thinking too far ahead, (Y/N)! We just graduated.” Caleb said, playfully nudging her shoulder as they walked away from the university campus.
“I have to agree. You need to learn to live in the moment.” Zayne jokes, nudging her other side.
“Hey!” She squeaked as she bumped into Caleb’s side.
“Careful, (Y/N)! I won’t be here to catch you all the time~” Caleb teased, gently holding onto her arm, making sure she was steady.
Zayne huffed. “That’s why I’m here to make sure you two don’t do anything dumb.”
She rolled her eyes, playfully smacking their arms with her diploma case. “Ugh, you two are so mean to me!”
The crimson sky soon faded to a dark shade of navy blue. The stars were more evident than ever. The winter winds were making their last rounds before handing the torch to spring.
As they made their way home, Caleb and Zayne got lost in their conversation about their future endeavors. She ended up trailing behind, but still close enough to hear their rambling.
When she looked up, it came to her attention how much taller they were. Since they were little, the three of them were always similar in height. Now they were giants. Giants with plans for the future. Up until that day, she always looked forward. Now, she wanted nothing more than to look back- for this moment in time to stand still.
~*~*~
Zayne was aware of their late-night rendezvous. It started with the three of them sneaking out to buy ice cream and watch television until the ungodly hours of the night. But as he caught on to their feelings for each other, he purposefully made excuses to not go.
“Zayne didn’t answer. So I guess he fell asleep.” Caleb said, slightly relieved. 
“Let him sleep. We can hang out without him!” She cheered in a hushed tone, careful not to wake her grandmother.
“I feel bad. You’re getting good at Mario Kart. You might beat Zayne next time.” He teased, interlocking his pinky with hers.
She adjusted her hold, now fully holding his hand. “Don’t tell him that! Then I might feel bad when I inevitably win~” She said, feeding into their banter. She tugged on his hand, “Let’s go get the snacks first!”
It didn’t even register in his mind that they were holding hands until he noticed that his thumb was rubbing hers.  Caleb looked down at their hands just as she began to pull away. He took that as a sign to gently squeeze her hand in reassurance.
That night, they did their usual activities. They ate the snacks as they raced each other on different tracks. (Y/N) throwing a pillow at his face to shut him up when he groaned in frustration when she bumped him off the track on Rainbow Road. Then they proceeded to watch movies, cuddled up in each other's arms.
Every time they had their late-night hangouts, their feelings for each other increased just a bit more. They fell in love for the night, but when they woke up, they would forget- or rather, push aside said feelings- in the morning.
From an outsider’s point of view, they’d think of them as a couple. And in a sense, they were. In everything, but the title.
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“Caleb, who are we waiting for?” Rafayel asked, his hands resting on his hips. Waiting for a fifth person was not how he wanted to spend his day.
“Chill, Raf! She’s about five minutes away.” Caleb pouted.
“You’re bringing your girlfriend to our hangout?” Xavier added.
“What happened to the bro code?”
“Not his girlfriend,” Zayne mumbled.
Before anyone could say anything else, (Y/N) turned the corner. “Caleb! Zayne!” She cheered, running to the friends she missed so much. 
Caleb held his arms out, bracing for impact from her hug. Being used to her surprise hugs, he braced himself. When she ran into his embrace, she relaxed, nuzzling her face into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 
‘Lavender and vanilla.’ He thought as he caught a whiff of her perfume.
He took a step back, making sure he was steady before setting her down. Once letting him go, she went over to hug Zayne. “Sorry, Z!” She said sheepishly.
“It’s fine, (Y/N)!” Zayne said, patting her head whilst giving her a side hug.
“Care to introduce us, Caleb?” Rafayel asked.
She removed herself from Caleb’s side to introduce herself. “Nice to meet you! I’m (Y/N)!” 
“I’m Rafayel!”
“Xavier.”
After breaking the ice, the five of them started to make their way to the nearest cafe. Rafayel and Xavier had already warmed up to her. “(Y/N)! You’re so sweet and kind! Smart, but you can kick ass too!” Rafayel started.
Xavier hummed. “I thought a guy like Caleb would be the type of guy you’d avoid.” He said, continuing his friend’s train of thought.
Caleb wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Don't waste your time on jealous guys, (Y/N). You know you love us. And by us, I mean, me."
She let out a snort. “That’s subjective.”
He gasped whilst dramatically placing his hand over his chest. “Zayne! Make her take it back!” He said, earning a burst of laughter from his other friends.
Zayne shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “That’s not for me to decide.”
Seeing her interact and get along with his other friends was everything he ever wanted. As the outing continued, Rafayel had taken more of a liking to her. “You’re as cute as a goldfish!” She teased.
“Yeah, and this goldfish needs protecting! So get to it, Miss Bodyguard!”
Caleb’s head quickly turned in their direction. Wait, where was his cute animal association?
Xavier chuckled. “Oh, that’s gold. I’m never going to let you live that down.”
A blush tinted Rafayel’s cheeks. “Piss off, Xavier!”
“(Y/n)-”  Caleb started before Zayne nudged his side. They didn’t exchange any words, but Caleb understood. He knew better.
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The years went by in a flash and they were right by her side, just like they promised. When Caleb left for the Academy, their trio was reduced to a duo. Sure it was a bit difficult to adjust the dynamic of the group, but they made it work. She made sure that she and her friends never lost touch. 
But Caleb always came back for the holidays. They sat at a table at the cafe closest to her grandmother’s house. “If I had the time to do a full analysis paper on this, I would. I’m not boring you, am I, Caleb?” She asked, wondering if he’d even be interested in hearing what she had to say about her most recent hyper-fixation.
Caleb nodded. “No, please continue. You want to talk about something you love and no one should shut you down for it.” He said before taking a sip of his coffee.
She flashed a smile at him. God, he could look at that smile forever. 
He stared at her in awe. In his eyes, she was still the same girl as she was in university, ever so analyzing. During his school years, he was able to improve his people skills. Being more observant, he noticed the small things about her. The way she’d tap her feet to the beat of the song, yet her fingers were tapping the melody. The face of anticipation she had whenever she’d gotten a new idea for her next project. The list went on.
She giggled, breaking him from his thoughts. “Thanks for listening, Caleb. I feel like I have to hide this side of me from this guy I’ve been seeing. He and I have been on a couple of dates, but we never made anything official yet... I think he's still in love with his ex. And I don’t blame him. Just hearing about the way he talks about her… He’s in love with her and I don’t want to get in the way of that.” She said, rubbing the lid of her latte.
Even though she was fixated on her cup, his eyes were fixated on her. He chuckled. “I've listened to Zayne talk about anything and EVERYTHING for years. I can handle a little nerd talk from you. And you shouldn’t be with someone who makes you feel like you need to censor yourself.”
When she looked up, their eyes met and he felt it. His heart skipped a beat.
“Don’t look at me like that or I might fall in love with you.” She teased. Lies- she was already in love with him.
Caleb’s departure date was nearing quicker than expected. And she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could- she regretted not doing that with Caleb before he left the first time. 
After a full day of activities, they made their way to Caleb’s hotel room. When they reached their destination, they rushed inside and leaned against the door to catch their breath.
“Caleb… Never make me run... in uncomfortable shoes... ever again.” (Y/N) said between breaths.
“Duly noted.”  Caleb chuckled, resting the back of his head against the wall. “You know… You're the most amazing person I've ever met. (Y/N), when I'm with you I don't feel so... alone.”
A pause. “Sometimes it's better to be alone.” She said, rubbing her upper arms.
“What makes you say that?” He asked, pushing himself off the wall.
“Nobody can hurt you.” She said, trying her best to not look at him.
“(Y/N)... Are you afraid to fall in love?”  He quickly replied.
"No- I'm afraid of being the only one who falls." She turned to face him, not realizing how close they were to each other. Her mouth acted faster than her brain could comprehend. 
“I know you’re going back to the academy tomorrow. I’ll be left alone. Sure there’s Rafayel and Xavier and I don’t know them as well as you and Zayne do. But spending time without you this past year made me realize things. And I don’t know if I’m in denial or what, but I feel something for you. I can’t explain it, but my heart beats just a bit faster when I’m around you and I don’t want to assume things… So, let's both do ourselves a favor and stop this before we-”
He glanced down at her and pressed his lips against hers. Shocked at his actions he pulled away. “I’m sorry…” 
“Caleb…” She blushed before looking at his lips and then met his eyes. “Could you do that again?”
“A-Are you sure?”
“Just kiss me.” 
He nodded, kissing her once again- this time with more emotion. She froze but found herself reciprocating with the same passion. They drowned in each other. Once it started, they couldn't bring themselves to stop. He could feel the connection that was between them and she could too.
They pulled away for air. "I'm sorry, Caleb.” She apologized.
“Shh…”  Caleb leaned into her until his lips were inches away from hers. "Let’s pretend that we love each other for one night…"
… It wasn’t pretending for either of them.
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However, the topic of their feelings was pushed to the back of their minds when Caleb suggested that they spend their last night together eating snacks and watching movies.
When the sun rose the next morning, she woke up in the arms of the man she loved. Nothing happened after the kiss-it just got a bit heated. Their hands explored each other like newfound territory, but it was only on the surface: Messy hair, wrinkled clothes, and heavy breaths.
Rays of sunshine peeked through the curtains, waking her up from her peaceful slumber. Deciding to close the curtains, she tried to sit up, but the weight of Caleb’s arm wrapped around her waist prevented her from doing so. 
"It's too early for us to be up..." His husky voice rang out in the quiet room. She slowly turned in his hold to face him.
"Caleb… You’re leaving today.” She whispered, running her fingers through his bedhead. 
"I know… Can we just stay like this for a little longer?” He muttered, burying his face in the crook of her neck, making her sigh in content. They stayed like that for a while, his arms wrapped protectively around her, and she almost fell asleep, only to force herself to stay awake. 
"Caleb! We need to get you to the station."
Caleb shook his head, making her chuckle at his childish behavior. "But (Y/N)~" He pouted, his eyes still closed, as he tightened his grip on her waist, just enough to keep her at bay. Seeing no clear way to victory, she sighed, giving in for just a moment longer.
~*~*~
No amount of handbooks, study guides, or crash course videos could prepare them for this moment. Now at the train station, they leaned against the railing near the seating area. They’d gotten there in advance so they could avoid any last-minute casualties that could occur.
They spent those moments listening to Caleb’s playlist that he made consisting of songs that reminded him of their friendship. From various genres, (Y/N) smiled at the song choices. What he failed to remember was the one love song that was in that playlist.
“Let’s fall in love for the night and forget in the morning.”
“Hey! I love this song!” (Y/N) cheered.
“Yeah? Me too.”  Caleb stuttered, moving his head to the side to hide his blush. 
“Play me a song that you like, you can bet I’ll know every line.” She sang along softly, but Caleb could hear it.
“Cause I’m the boy that your boy hoped that you would avoid. Don’t waste your time on jealous guys, fuck that noise. I know better than to call you mine.” He chuckled at the line he sang.
“Caleb! Language, what would granny say!” She scolded, playfully smacking his arm.
“It’s just lyrics, (Y/N)!” He replied, rubbing the area of impact.
She smiled at him, wanting to savor their last moments together. 
They spent years hiding their feelings behind shy smiles, hugs that lasted way too long, and hand-holding that always carried a romantic subtext. They had suspicions of each other’s feelings, yet they did nothing about it after that.
The song was only 3 minutes and 10 seconds long, but to them, it felt like an eternity. They hummed along to the song, with Caleb singing the lyrics near the end. They wished they had more time.
“Cause I’m the boy that your boy hoped that you would avoid. Don’t waste your time on jealous guys, fuck that noise. I know better,”  He sang as he faced her, having the courage to hold her hands in his.
(Y/N) blinked the sudden gesture. She realized that this was it. This was his confession, albeit a somber one, but a confession nonetheless. “Caleb… Don’t finish the song…” She whispered.
“I know better…” He sighed deeply, lifting one of his hands to cup her cheek. Caleb knew that would be the last he’d ever see her until the next holiday. His eyes met her gaze as he thought about the missed opportunities.
‘She deserves better. Someone who isn’t afraid to admit their feelings.’ He thought. 
Caleb kissed her forehead. “I know better than to ever call you mine.” He sang, soft enough that only she could hear. She gasped before he pulled away. Caleb gave her a slight nod before turning to walk over to his gate. The smell of lavender and vanilla slightly lingered around him.
And like before, they fell in love for the night and forgot in the morning.
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End notes: 
Woke up and chose violence :) Every time I write angst, let’s drink a glass of water. 
I don’t think my friend is ever going to listen to sad love songs around me anymore.
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captainsophiestark · 7 months
Text
Dogfight Football
Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader
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Masterlist - Join My Taglist!
Written for Fictober 2023!
Fandom: Top Gun
Day 3 Prompt: "Okay, show me."
Summary: Hangman gets hurt during Dogfight Football. Lucky for him, he's dating a navy doctor.
Word Count: 1,715
Category: Fluff, humor, little bit of angst
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
I scowled as I scribbled in my notebook, trying to prepare for an upcoming test by making flash cards. All my friends and my boyfriend were outside on the beach playing something called 'Dogfight Football', but I was holed up here, at a table in the back of the Hard Deck, trying to memorize medical terms and procedures.
Stupid fighter pilots.
Being on temporary assignment at Top Gun at the same time as my boyfriend, Jake Seresin, was supposed to mean we got to spend more time together. And I guess we'd gotten to spend a little more time together, but I'd built it up in my mind as something much more romantic and exciting than navy training. I really should've known better, but I'd been on a ship in the middle of the ocean treating various illnesses for everyone on board for months. The romantic fantasy had been one of the only things getting me through.
At least I had tonight to look forward to. Jake and I were going to a fancy restaurant off base for dinner, then out somewhere to dance the night away. Neither of us had to report for duty until the afternoon tomorrow, so we could ditch some of our usual healthy habits.
I'd finally managed to finish my flash cards and block out most of the noise from outside when someone came bursting through the back door of the Hard Deck. I looked up to find the cause of the disturbance and found Coyote, one of Jake's best friends, staring at me.
"What happened?" I asked, shooting out of my seat immediately. Coyote looked stressed, which never happened unless something was actually wrong.
"Hangman got hurt," he said. I rushed to the bar and grabbed my med kit without hesitating, even as Coyote continued. "He was trying to pull a stunt on a touchdown in the game, and there was some pit or something hidden by the sand. I'm not totally sure what happened, but he went down hard. I think it's something with his leg."
I shook my head, cursing every last reckless aviator on that beach as I followed Coyote out the door.
"He wouldn't be the first one to fall into a literal sand trap and hurt himself. Let's just be glad he didn't break his neck showing off."
Once we got outside, I could see Jake clearly, laying in the sand not too far from the surf. The rest of the Top Gun fliers were gathered around him, and the fact that he hadn't forced himself to his feet to play it cool around them told me he was really, really hurt.
I started running as soon as Jake was in sight, cutting through the aviators and dropping to my knees as soon as I was in range of Jake. He looked up when he saw me and tried to smile, but it ended up being more of a grimace than anything else.
"Hey, Baywatch. Come to check on me?"
I snorted. "What did you do?"
"I was trying to do a flip."
"Oh my God."
"I've done one before! But when I landed, the sand just gave way, and my leg..."
He trailed off, wincing, one hand holding his leg and the other clenched in a tight fist in the sand. Nothing looked broken from here, but with his hand in the way, I couldn't be sure.
"It hurts," he said, voice a strangled whisper so that only I could hear. Jake looked at me, face tight with pain, and my heart squeezed seeing him like that. "It hurts a lot."
"Okay, show me," I said, falling into the cool calm that overtook me in emergency situations. "I need you to move your hand and show me where it hurts, alright?"
Jake nodded, then gingerly removed his hand to rest it with the other one in the sand. Coyote and Maverick had moved the others a little further away after I'd arrived, so we had some privacy. Jake groaned and barely stifled a scream as I reached out to gently touch his ankle, shin, and knee to asses. To his credit, his leg didn't move an inch.
After a few more painful minutes of assessment, I sat back on my heels and looked at my boyfriend. He looked back, body slightly less tensed but his teeth still clenched.
"So? What's the verdict, doc?"
"The verdict is you're insanely lucky," I said, turning to dig in my medical bag. I pulled out what I'd need to splint Jake's ankle, then got to work as I continued. "It's not uncommon for people to break their legs, bad, from falling into pits hidden by the sand. You, fortunately, didn't fall hard enough or twist enough or find a deep enough pit to quite break your leg. Instead, you've got a bad sprain. It's definitely not good, but based on what I'm seeing now, I think you'll have an easier time with this level of sprain than if you'd broken something."
Jake nodded, then winced again as I tightened the brace on his ankle. It wasn't good enough to last for long, but it would keep his ankle immobilized while I found a way to get him to my office where I had supplies to actually treat him more long-term.
"You're gonna be okay," I said, leaning over once I'd finished working and kissing Jake on the forehead. "I'm sorry you got hurt. Stop doing dangerous things to showboat with your friends."
Jake huffed a laugh and gave me the same overconfident, cocky smile that I'd seen a thousand times and slowly fallen in love with, albeit slightly more strained than normal.
"I can't make any promises about the last one. Thank you for taking care of me."
"Always. And you're going to hate what comes next, so... I guess just remember that it's part of what happens when you insist on doing beach-flips in a game."
"What do you-"
"Rooster!" I turned to call to the tall aviator, who'd wandered a little ways away with everyone else. He turned and started walking back as soon as he heard me.
"What's up?"
"I need your help getting Jake to my truck," I replied. Rooster grinned, and I heard Jake groan from behind me. This time, I didn't think it was from the pain.
"Sure thing. Happy to help."
"Can't you get anyone else," whined Jake as Rooster made it to us. I put my hands on my hips and stared him down.
"Rooster's the person on this beach who'll have the easiest time lifting you and carrying you out to the car. I love Coyote and everyone else, and I'm sure they'd figure it out if they needed to, but Roos is gonna be able to just do it."
Jake grumbled, and I caught Rooster with a shit-eating grin as he leaned down and picked Jake up. I just sighed and shook my head at both of them as we headed back up the beach.
"This is ridiculous," said Jake, renewing his protest as we neared the rest of the Top Gun class. "Just put an arm around me and help me up, I don't need to be carried-"
I whirled around, hands on my hips and a scowl on my face. I'd heard Jake twisting around like he was trying to get Rooster to put him down, and if he wasn't careful, he'd get dropped and hurt even worse than before. Both men froze on the spot as soon as I glared at them.
"Jake, grow up," I said, no more room for argument in my voice. "You can't walk. If you move your ankle around or put too much weight on it, you could make it much, much worse. Which is obviously bad for a lot of reasons, but would ground you from flying for who knows how long."
Jake huffed and crossed his arms, but he didn't have any comeback to that. I stared him down for another few moments, until Rooster shifted and cleared his throat.
"Hey, he's not as light as he looks, so-"
"Shut up, Chicken."
I just sighed and continued leading the both of them up the beach. I shot a few glares at Jake's peers as we went, reminding them with just a look that if they started messing with Jake, I had more than enough dirt on all of them to bury them in return. Phoenix was the only one to smile back at me in response.
By some miracle, we made it up the beach and through the Hard Deck without Rooster dropping Jake or Jake punching Rooster. Roos helped me get Jake into the passenger seat of my car, then I chased him off with a quick 'thank you' before he could give Jake any more shit. Once he was gone, I paused a second to sigh and catch my breath, then climbed into the driver's seat.
"So... what now?" asked Jake.
"Now, we go back to base so I can treat you properly and get you a real ankle brace. Maybe some X-Rays, we'll have to see. Painkillers, though, for sure."
Jake nodded, uncharacteristically quiet as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Then, after a second, he spoke, more quiet and serious than usual.
"Thank you for taking such good care of me. Seriously. And I'm sorry I messed up our date night, after we'd both been waiting for it for so long."
I sighed, then turned to Jake with a lopsided smile.
"I've always got your back, Jake. I'm your wingman in life, remember? And don't worry about date night. If you're feeling up to it, we can still go to dinner. If you're not, we've still got the evening to ourselves. I'm sure we can find something fun to do, just the two of us."
Jake chuckled. "I like the sound of that."
"Hm. Just hang in there, flyboy. We're almost back to base, and then we can get you feeling better."
"I almost hate to ask, but... what's your plan for getting me out of the car and into the doctor's office?"
I hesitated, chewing my lip before turning to Jake. He winced at just the expression on my face, because he knew me well enough to know he would need to.
"...How would you feel if I recruited a certain Vice Admiral to carry you?"
"Fuck."
****************
Top Gun Taglist: @elenavampire21
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king-krisu · 9 months
Text
A lot of random stuff/lore he said from the webinar because guess who took NOTES (these are all in order of appearance so sorry if they seem a bit scattered lol):
The photos are all stuff he sent in himself lol
His first ever debit card was an Uuno Turhapuro one (I couldn't find photos but that's what mans said)
They moved to Ruskeasanta when he was in the third grade
His mom used to work in a bank so he's been taught about financial stuff from a young age (but according to him he "forgot" a lot of it in his teens and became more like his father lol)
He used to sing in a school choir and did school plays, and after a while he found himself really liking performing
He used to get so nervous before gigs that he was shaking, and now he feels he can't perform without a proper audience (as in he feeds off audience reactions and at ESC was more nervous for rehearsals where there was no audience)
The interviewer asked if he gets nervous from something else nowadays, and he mentioned maybe being nervous about meeting the president on independence day (see: Linnan Juhlat)
His first ever summer job was at his grandparents hotel in Laukaa, where he used to mow lawns and make the beds etc for 5€/h lol
All the money he made from that job was wasted on a trip to Ayia Napa with his friends 💀
He used to be really late in the game and asked about available summer jobs in the last days of spring/first days of summer
Since his parents used to sacrifice a lot in order to get the kids new hockey gear or whatever was needed, he now has dreams of providing for his family as a way to say thank you (he mentioned his father eating scarcely for a month bcs he'd use his money on the kids, and how Mikke has also helped him pay rent etc when he was struggling financially and also during pre-UMK prep when he didn't have time to work)
When asked about school and dream jobs he mentioned applying to become an Interior architect but he didn't get in, and for a long time he also dreamed of becoming a P.E. Teacher (cursed). He also again mentioned his degree in interior design (at high school level, we call it ammattikoulu aka vocational school)
They referenced a study about finnish people mostly only planning their finances a month ahead, and he said he's already looking at his retirement plans and how to fund it. He's using the merch company money for his retirement fund, as well as other various sources, which he's splitting 4 ways (including Mikke) with the people involved. Overall his company (which he started in February and owns with his producer 50/50) pays the salaries of 7 different people with varying amounts/frequencies, and he said a lot of the tour money goes to the company to keep it afloat
Before UMK he used to photoshop house/apartment photos for Mikke (who's a photographer), as well as sell kitchens (and apparently also design them to some extent)
He used to have 5.5k followers on IG before UMK
He started gambling at 15 (it used to be legal from 15 years old in Finland until some time ago)
He moved out at 18-19 years old, and he had to quit his job quite soon after due to his illness. He lived on a lot of Kela (social sec) money, and was also helped by his family a lot
He mentioned often being anxious over his financial situation when he was younger, and was well aware that gambling isn't the best way to use money. He hopes to one day be given the opportunity to do speeches in schools etc in order to teach kids about financial security (aka do as I say not as I do lol)
Hes always lived in rented apartments, but his dream is to own his own house one day (he mentioned maybe doing it next year already)
He used to have an ASP-account (an account where you save 10% of the price of your first home and you get better loan deals) with at the most 12k€ but he had to empty it (he didn't mention what for)
When he told his family he was gonna apply for UMK and was gonna quit his job to focus on the music/preparations, Mikke said "let's make you a star" and supported him financially during that time (also his parents and grandparents helped)
He mentioned that in the future he might decline gigs if the money offered is too low, because for example 5k means he gets left with nothing because it's shared with 5-7 different people, and he says even if it means touring less he doesn't want people around him to lose money ("It's an unfortunate reality, but it's the choices you have to make as an artist if you want to be lucrative/worthwhile")
When asked about the Euro tour he mentioned (very strained I might add) that "some things" happened and he's not gonna be left with any money from it, if he'd known beforehand how it was gonna go he wouldn't do it. He was excited to see how it goes but he said he's more interested in people coming to Finland to support our economy, instead of him going abroad [and leaving the money there]
Also NEW MUSIC 15.9
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00fairylights00 · 4 months
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I Guess You Just Don’t Love Me Anymore
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GIF from @glowing-starlight on Tumblr
I was so taken by @ash-arts-but-sinful's post which mentions P being jealous of the cat and @oldworldghost’s post which contains the idea of him becoming more mischievous and sassy as he becomes human that I just had to write a little something, I hope it’s alright that I drew on your thoughts for some inspiration!
As a disclaimer, I haven’t finished my first play-through yet so this is more of a character study based off of what I’ve experienced in-game and what I’ve been seeing on Tumblr instead of delving heavily into the world-building and established story that exists within the game. So hopefully no spoilers and it’s very likely that this won’t at all line up with the in-game timeline.
Big thanks to @cupidsredcollar beloved for proofreading <3 
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For as long you had known Pinocchio you had never known him to be a jealous individual, in fact, when you’d first met that bleak, overcast morning in Hotel Krat you had been almost unsettled by his uncanny nature. 
His features were perfectly human, aside from the metal prosthetic he’d been fitted with. He had freckles and soft hair, a face that looked fashioned from a real person instead of the smiling caricatures Krat’s puppets were usually fitted with. 
But despite his boyish features, his face barely moved, he nodded along to Sophia as she gave him the task of locating his father, Mr. Geppetto, and tilted his head in question as Lady Antonia explained the concept of lying but his brows didn’t so much as pinch, his lips didn’t quirk and his eyes looked straight through you as you had wished him safety on his travels.
So watching in real time as he came into his own was something you cherished greatly, you continued to watch him grow and change, become something new. Pinocchio chose to spend a lot of his down time with you, he said he found you interesting, that you had a way of explaining humanity that made sense to him and over the last couple of weeks something had started to shift in him.
No, Pinocchio had never been a jealous individual, for as long as you’d known him.
Until today.
Your morning had started normally, woken up by the cool feeling of P’s lips against your forehead, human hand smoothing back your hair. He mumbled something about needing to go out, you tried to convince him to come back to bed, he tried to convince you to get up (he always wins).
P drags you down to the kitchen, you eat and he watches, something that was initially a little awkward but you’ve come to really look forward to, then you farewell each other at the rear entrance of the hotel. 
He holds you close to his chest, resting his lips to your hairline and making you promise to look after yourself and your companions while he’s away, you make him promise to be careful though you know he’s not always able to, often catching glimpses of Sophia muttering blessings and incantations under her breath in the foyer.
“It’s just Ergo hunting today, I’ll be more than careful.” He whispers, human arm winding around your shoulder. You breathe him in, hands to his chest feeling the odd sensation of his heart, not quite a tick but not quite a beat. 
You lean up to kiss against the slant of his jaw, his mechanical pulse jumping in response. He looks down at you, you catch the fondness in his blue eyes without mistake, he captures your lips in his, holding on for a second longer than he knows is necessary (it’s not like you mind though).
Lounging against the doorway, watching him walk towards the entrance of Elysion Boulevard, he turns and gives a last longing look over his shoulder before stepping through the wrought iron gates and disappearing from view.
You sigh, making your way back inside to start on your usual round of chores, helping where you could to take the load off of Polendina who needed more time to focus on Lady Antonia and her illness. You had just returned to the puppet butler for more tasks when you noticed movement on the top of the shelf behind the front desk. 
Sitting tall and proud was Hotel Krat’s resident sweetheart, Spring, tail swishing steadily as she kept watch of the foyer from her perch. The white and orange cat jumped down to the desk as she noticed you, laying down across the dark wood and turning over in gesture for belly rubs; which you gave happily. 
“She’s been very noisy today,” Polendina explained, stroking the cat, “I wonder what she’s trying to tell us?”
“Probably trying to manipulate us into giving her more treats, isn’t that right?” You accused lightly, you were sure that if he could, Polendina would be smiling. 
“There is another load of laundry that needs folding, could I have a hand?” He asked politely.
“Of course Polendina.”
And it seemed you had found yourself a shadow, Spring making an unreasonable amount of noise as she followed you and Polendina around the hotel. She wound between your legs, chirruped in response to your voices and bumped her head against whatever part of your bodies were within her reach. 
It was no surprise that Spring was loved by the inhabitants of the hotel, and it was very apparent that she loved them back, well everyone except for P. Not for lack of trying of course, he followed your advice of trying to build trust between him and the animal but she wouldn’t so much as let P touch her, hissing her disapproval for all to hear.
You’d often watch as P would recoil from Spring, the feline swiping and spitting at the puppet. You couldn’t tell from his expressions if the cat’s dislike for him bummed him out but sometimes as he lay next to you in bed he would lament quietly that Spring hated him, which would award him a sound of humoured pity and a kiss for the cheek.
It wasn’t clear what it was about P that set Spring off so aggressively. In all the time you had spent at Hotel Krat she’d never behaved in such an unfriendly way, even complete strangers who would seek refuge for short periods of time were welcome to interact with Spring freely. 
She would bask in the attention. You hoped that she would eventually come around to the puppet, given it looked like he would be around for the long haul and you just knew the two would be the best of friends if she would stop being so nasty.
But P was patient, far more patient than you were and it showed as you folded and unfolded the same piece of linen for the third time without realising, Polendina placed a gloved hand over your own, silently relieving you of duty.
“Apologies, my mind seems to be elsewhere Polendina.”
“You worry for the boy, it’s only natural that your mind wanders.” You sometimes forget how long Polendina has been around, having been a close companion of Lady Antonia’s for decades. You had a feeling he knew more about human emotions than he let on, somehow he always knew what to say when it came to your thoughts surrounding Geppetto’s Puppet. 
“I just can’t help it, and with him figuring out who he is, I fear he’ll get himself hurt by being too kind.” You wring your hands in your lap, focusing hard on the lines in your skin as you try to keep yourself from thinking of anything too awful.
“He has met humans who have given him trouble before and he has a good head on his shoulders. I would wager that you have nothing to worry about, but I understand that may not put your mind at ease.” 
“It doesn’t but thank you.” Your hand went to Polendina’s shoulder with a smile. “I think I’m going to find something else to do, try and get my mind off of things.”
Polendina nodded once, going back to folding the linens, “I’ll send the boy your way when he returns.”
You smiled in earnest, appreciative of Polendina’s knowing kindness. 
Spring, who had been lounging between you and Polendina, got up, stretching herself out and scampering over to your side. She meowed frantically to grasp your attention. 
Her interruptions continued as you made your way around the kitchen. It wasn’t particularly dirty given how little it was being used now, however, the repetitive action of wiping down the countertops and sweeping the floor were just the distraction you were looking for. 
Your ears perked up at the heavy steps of boots on marble floors, the jingle of P’s belt was something you could identify in your sleep. He stood tall in the doorway, all sweet smiles and fidgeting hands. Happy to see you, always happy to see you.
He was shockingly clean as he approached, resting his forehead to yours as his hands found their place on your waist, all the scolding about tracking oil and muck through the hotel was finally paying off.
You ran your hands over the intricate designs embossed onto the lapel of his coat, smoothing the fabric down before hooking your hands behind his neck.
“Welcome home, pretty boy.” You cooed, brushing your nose against his. 
He liked the small intimacies you shared, bunny kisses you’d come to find were a favourite of his.
“You can go and relax if you want, I’m just cleaning.” You offered, but he shook his head. 
Spring had also gotten bored of waiting on you, brushing up against your legs. So there you stood, sandwiched between your two favourite beings. 
And two shadows wouldn’t be so bad if they would stop getting under foot, you laughed as Spring and P fought for your attention while you made your way around the kitchen.
P hovered close, slinging his arm around your waist as you tried to pass him. You stopped short as he pressed his face into your neck, leaning back against his chest and resting your hands over his wrist. You could feel him smile against your skin, a careful, small smile that only he could manage.
At that moment Spring took it upon herself to jump up onto the counter in front of you, hissing and swiping at P, he scowled and pulled you closer.
“Beast,” he scowled, you gaped at P, smacking the back of your hand at his chest.
“Don’t be horrible, she’s just protecting her territory,” you chided, 
“I haven’t done anything to her, yet she spits at me.” He complained, you thought your ears might be playing tricks on you at the distinct sound of a whine in his tone.
“You love her.” You reminded smugly, a truth he was unable to escape.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” he mumbled, you pushed against his hold, trying to signal your want to move and he hesitantly loosened his grip. Hand ghosting over your waist as he watched you go, you threw a smile over your shoulder which he returned in kind.
You gave Spring a kiss on the head, letting her nuzzle her face against yours before scooping her up and putting her down on the floor where she went back to curling around your legs.
“Ah, so the cat gets a kiss but I don’t?” P asked. You snorted, flinging the rag you’d been using to polish the countertops over your shoulder.
You lent your hip against the counter and crossed your arms over your chest, “you never asked for a kiss, how was I supposed to know that’s what you wanted?”
“I feel like it was obvious.” He placed both of his hands on the counter, stretching his arms out straight as he pushed against the granite. 
You rolled your eyes in jest, unable to keep the fond smile from creeping onto your face, playfully exasperated you closed the short distance between the two of you. Lifting up on your tip-toes to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, he was quick to move his head once you’d pulled back. Hands to your waist and pulling you against him, sealing his lips to yours so quickly it pulled a sound of shock from your throat.
“What’s up with you today, you’ve been awfully touchy.” You teased, twisting the ends of his hair between your fingers. “Not that I’m complaining of course.”
“Missed you,” he murmured, pressing his lips to your forehead tenderly. 
“I missed you too, always miss you when you’re gone.” You placed a hand on his cheek, thumb rubbing gently under his eye.
He pulled the rag from your shoulder and threw it behind you unceremoniously, taking your hand from his cheek to drag you out of the kitchen, a laugh bubbled out of your throat that P was happy to mischievously return.
He led you to the library, seating you at the piano and turning away to rifle through the sheet music stacked in a crate on the floor. He’d been getting better day by day. 
His body wasn’t exactly built to do delicate actions but that never seemed to stop him, in fact, he was inexplicably drawn to all the soft parts of being human even if initially he was afraid to get it wrong. The last thing he’d ever want to do is hurt anyone close to him and for that reason he was acutely aware of the raw strength he possessed.
Though his conscious effort to be gentle made all the difference.
Spring decided she’d had enough of being ignored, jumping up onto the piano bench and brushing up against you, pressing close and then curling down next to you. P turned around, the particular book of sheet music he was searching for held up in his hand, his expression dropped almost comically as he noticed Spring’s position next to you, taking up what was going to be his spot.
“Move her,” he says simply, you throw your head back with a hearty laugh but P’s serious expression doesn’t change.
“No,” you start with a laugh, “Spring got here first, you’ll have to pull up a chair.”
P continued to stand his ground, you wondered if he hoped his very presence would annoy Spring enough that she’d disappear of her own accord, but the cat only opened one eye. She regarded P from her curled up position before nestling her chin back down into her tail. 
It was like Spring knew she was in his spot and was smugly showing off to him, purring loudly.
“P, I’m not moving the cat. Just come and sit on the other side of me.” You insisted, watching as his unappreciated love for the animal won out and he stalked off to get a chair. You chuckled under your breath and passed your fingers through Spring’s soft fur.
“You are so mean to him, you know? He’s quite fond of you and I think you two would be very good friends if you gave him the chance.” You whispered to the cat who ignored you, continuing to purr unabashedly.
Unbeknownst to you, P watched your interaction with the feline from the doorway, his chest feeling warm in a way he wasn’t quite used to yet. Touched by your words that you thought were falling on deaf ears.
He gave in to your fondness for the cat, pulling his chair up next to you, fingers gently flitting across the keys as you hummed softly, head resting comfortably on his shoulder. He decided he didn’t mind this so much.
Late in the evening, however, he decided he did mind. 
You were curled up in your bed a book in hand and Spring dozing lazily in your lap, he entered the room and his shoulders physically dropped.
“What’s the matter?” You asked, thumb placed between the pages of your book as a makeshift bookmark. 
“Nothing,” he mumbled, sitting down unceremoniously on the edge of your bed to take off his shoes.
You placed the now forgotten book on your bedside cabinet, the act of sitting up a little difficult with the cat in your lap. You reached for his shoulder but he shrugged off your hand, trying to hide the action by stripping off his coat.
He stood and draped the coat over the back of your desk chair and moved to unbutton his waistcoat, all while staring down Spring with a scowl.
It clicked.
“Are you jealous of the cat?” You wanted deeply to believe that your Pinocchio was not jealous of a cat, but you couldn’t come up with a more sound explanation.
“I don’t know what that word means.” He lied, avoiding your gaze entirely, unbuckling his belt and dumping it on the desk, Gemini didn’t say anything so you assumed he mustn’t be awake.
“Yes you do,” you rolled your eyes, “I remember very clearly the conversation we had about it.” 
He didn’t respond, turning his back to you and focusing his attention on rifling through the dresser drawer full of his clothes. The sleep clothes he was looking for were folded at the end of the bed.
“It’s okay that you’re jealous of-”
“I am not jealous.” Quick, concise and with no room for argument, he spun back on you. His snapping didn’t phase you.
“Uh huh,” you teased with a smirk, turning all your attention back to Spring who’d been ignoring your exchange.
Perhaps what you were doing was a little mean, given that before you hadn’t been ignoring him on purpose, but it was too fun an opportunity to pass up. P let out a disgruntled huff, shuffling around in your peripheral.
“I guess you just don’t love me anymore.” He offered with his arms crossed over his chest, your jaw dropped and a shocked laugh fell out of your open mouth.
“You take that back, immediately!” You snapped playfully, sitting up fully and annoying the cat enough for her to get up and move.
“Make me.” The challenge he’d levied would mean conceding to his childish behaviour but after all he’d been through, you thought it only fair. 
You pulled the sheets back and stood from the bed, crossing the room to him. He tried to act as though he was uninterested, tried to pretend that your hands on his chest didn’t affect him, tried to ignore the speed of his heart as it hammered under your palm.
Your hands travelled the beaten path they always did, from his chest to his collarbone, then hooking behind his neck. Trying to pull him down was useless, like trying to topple a brick wall with bare hands, but you caught him staring out of the corner of his eye.
“Look at me.” Your whisper was a command, and he had always been faithful to a fault. “I love you.”
He tried to hide the oncoming smile, dropping his chin to his chest, but you were quick to guide his gaze back to yours. There was no way you’d be missing that careful grin. His eyes were soft and gentle when they met your own, there was hesitance in them that you didn’t want to see, so you kissed him.
He melted against you, arms winding around your back and pulling you against his chest, you hummed and he couldn’t stop the full blown grin from forming on his lips; breaking away to look at you like a giddy school boy.
“Are you going to take it back?” You asked, brushing your nose against his in a bunny kiss. 
“Will I still get to kiss you if I do?” He joked, you rolled your eyes albeit in good nature, hands cradling his cheeks as he continued to smile.
“I think that can be arranged,” you mused, leaning in to kiss him again, the two of you falling into familiar rhythm with one another.
Spring slinked out of the partially open door, tail held high, she had seen more than enough.
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sky-kiss · 7 months
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Hi there, it's me, your girl, knocking on your door and asking for a tiny fic if you take to this prompt 😊
Strip poker. Lmao no. But maybe. It'd just be Tav getting naked as they lose horribly to him.
Okay actual prompt, sorry. I love possessive Raphael, it shivers me timbers.
What if after he successfully gets the Crown with Tav's help. And Tav thinks they're done forever, and is sad about it during their hurrah meal (THAT HE PROMISED US BUT WE DIDNT GET IN GAME?), but Raphael is very much not done with Tav yet. But plays them along a little, delighting in how attached they seem to be to him.
But also, feel free to do the strip poker adjacent if that appeals more. 😉 Thank you my dear!
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A/N: I’m going to be super honest, babe. I almost did the strip poker prompt. 
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“This, my dear, to a most successful partnership.” Raphael held up his glass, a beautiful crystal flute that seemed to catch the firelight; held it. Tav didn’t want to guess how rare it was, or how much it cost. Raphael seemed inclined to excess; the meal he’d promised so many moons prior reflected those beliefs. The first wine he’d served was centuries old; the second was even older. The gown he’d left provided, perfectly tailored, was set with enough jewels to sustain a small kingdom. 
Tav smiled at his toast but could not find it in herself to respond. As fine as the night had been, it held a note of finality that sat heavy on her heart. It was the bow on his victory and his crown. After this, they’d go their separate ways. 
It was objectively the correct course of action. Dealing with a devil of any sort was ill-advised; dealing with one so intimately bordered on suicide. 
Raphael smirked at her, cocking his head to the side. The firelight caught him in profile, sharpening already fine features, casting his eyes in deeper shadows. He leaned forward. “My, has the cat finally caught your tongue? Here? At the end of all things?” 
“Not in the least. Only tired.” 
“I could send you back…” 
“No!” The answer was far too quick. The devil arched a brow, smiling with teeth. He folded his hands in front of him, long fingers interlaced. Tav tried not to fixate on them, or the way his thumb shifted, stroking some invisible line across his wrist. “No, that isn’t necessary. It’s only…I supposed a part of me didn’t expect things to end so soon.”
“But it’s been months, my sweet. Are you not tired of the road? The violence?” Lower, a note of teasing crept into his voice. “My company?” Tav huffed. The adventurer sipped her wine to stop her immediate reply. The one the devil undoubtedly wanted. His eyes, bright as hellfire, glowed. “It should grieve me to leave you wanting, little mouse. You need only say that word and…” he snapped his fingers. The candles leaped with new liveliness before fading to a more intimate level. “We might find some new way to occupy our time.” 
“You have hells to conquer.” 
“And what is a conquest without dear friends?” He chuckled, and Tav fought the urge to shiver. The fireplace was far too large for the banquet hall. Avernus was naturally hot. The air in her lungs felt stagnant and overheated. “Admit it. You're curious. What will Raphael accomplish?” 
“I don’t doubt you if that’s what you’re implying.” 
“Never. I would not dream of slandering my talents or your good sense, pet.” He extended his hand, palm up. “But I would never force my suit. You are, as ever, entirely free to make your own choices.”
Tav pursed her lips. The little alarm in the back of her head was screaming. Run, it said, get far from here and far from him. She’d never been good at listening to those notes of reason. Raphael must have seen it too. The devil smirked, the right corner of his lips curling back to highlight the point of his fangs. “I wouldn’t…see us part ways. Not yet.” 
“Mmm. And why not? Indulge this…inquiring mind.” 
 She sighed, shrugging. “Because I’m…fond of you, devil.” 
“Good girl, honesty is always the best policy.” Gods, but he looked insufferably pleased with himself. Raphael leaned back, resting his chin in his palm. He drummed his fingers against his cheek. “It would be dangerous for you to stay, of course, and I could never endanger one so dear to me. Unless…” he let the sentence hang between them, full of potential and thoroughly premeditated. Tav could feel the noose tightening, the hooks he’d set in her flesh from their first meeting tugging at her soul. “A patron makes all the difference in the hells. Were you to swear yourself to me, you might remain.” 
She laughed. “Is that all? Just put myself in your hands?” 
“My hands, my lap, my bed.” His smirk took on a particularly feline quality. “Don’t look so surprised, pet. I kept the Emperor out of that lovely head. Did you think I hadn’t seen what was in it?” 
He made a vague gesture with his left hand, and those lurid imaginings came forward. The dreams that had chased Tav into an uneasy sleep for months: his touch smoothing over her hips. His mouth on her breasts. Touching, and teasing, and…
“Enough.” She swallowed, head spinning. “You’ve made your point.”
“Swear you are mine, devote yourself to me, and I will give all your imaginings form. What is one mortal life compared to pleasure eternal?” He held out his hand again. 
And Tav took it. 
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incognito-girl · 1 year
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brother - leah williamson
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“y/n?” “you alright?” you ask the blonde that is laying her head in your lap. It was your first day back together after her big euros win. She had been extra clingy with you the time apart obviously effecting her behaviour. You had never been prouder of your beautiful england captain. She led the team to victory, never let the stress get to her and remained the same sweet girl you met all those years ago in the park. You press a kiss to her forehead and she hums happily at the contact with you. “I missed you so much y/n.” “I missed you too. Im so proud of you my love.” “Thank you baby.” She grabs your hand and interlocks your fingers while rubbing her thumb over your hand. “Remember when we first met y/n?” “How could i ever forget?”
9 years before
It was June you had just moved to milton keynes from newcastle. Your mother had got a new job that required you and your family to move four hours from where you grew up. It didnt matter as much to you as you only had casual friends that you would only ever see in school. Your younger brother however was your best friend, sad yes but that didnt change anything. He was seven and ment the world to you. Your mother was a single mother and you had to mind your brother while at she was at work, basically whenever you werent at school. After the move to milton keynes your mother said that you wouldn’t need to watch him as often as she had someone that would be able to watch him sometimes from the local daycare so you would have free time to spend with friends. You were actually thrilled to find this out as you would maybe have a chance to make friends here.
Your brother loved playing football. So you decided bring him to the park so he could practice his skills. You walked hand in hand with him laughing at remarks he would make about his surroundings. Once you get there you take his Arsnel bag off your back and give him his boots, he didnt like wearing them while he wasnt playing. You laugh at his antics while he is explaining for the hundredth time why he does this, acting very mature for someone that has his front two teeth missing. You tie his laces, give him a hug, that he gladly reciprocated, and placed a big kiss to his forehead. You whispered a few words of encouragement and he ran off as he shouted “I LOVE YOU Y/N.” “Love you too honey.” you beam back at him loving every second of him not being embarrassed of you.
You immediately notice a group of girls that look about your age playing with a ball, you take notice of the blonde girl in the group. She wont take her eyes off of you. You send her a smile that she reciprocated.
You sit down on the grass and watch the blonde play for about five minutes. Once you brother gets bored of playing alone you see him running over to you. He launches himself into your arms as you pick him up and spin him while kissing his cheek. “What are you back for you monkey?” “Im bored play with me!” he shouts while holding your hand dragging you over to where he was playing beforehand.
You continued to run around and play with your brother until he kicked the ball over to the group of girls. You quickly ran over apologising to the group, especially the blonde who the ball had end up hitting. Her friend pushes her towards you and sends her a wink. “Your ok dont worry about it, it didnt seem to be your fault.” she motions towards the young boy that is now darting towards the two of you while laughing. Your brother grabs a hold of your hand and blurts out “hello who are you?” The pretty girl leans down to his height and extends her hand “Im leah, and who are you?” “Y/ns brother.” he says like it’s obvious. “well hello ‘y/ns brother’!” She looks back to you “and ill guess your y/n” “yeah, he is harry” you let out breathless while motioning to your brother as the pretty girl, leah was very close to you and her perfume was invading your senses. “Your a lot better at playing football than my sister” your brother says. “Hey! You meanie!” you say while poking his sides. “Y/n come on we need to go!” your brother says urgently. “Ok, ok. Im coming” you say while pushing him away by his head. “Ill see you around” you say to Leah while backing away slowly. “If you ever need football lessons just let me know y/n.” the blonde offers laughing at you and your brothers antics. “Alright i will” you say with a wink while laughing with her as you turn away to chase your brother.
“Someone has a crush” one of leahs friends states to the group in a sing-song voice while motioning towards Leah staring at you chasing your brother who has the ball. They all let out a chuckle as she slowly turns around a radiant smile on her face. All because of the girl she just met that was playing football in the park with her brother.
The next time you get the pleasure of seeing the blonde beauty you are walking in the park as the sun is setting with your your brother running ahead of you. You see him run up to a girl that you immediately recognise as Leah. She has her hair down, which frames her face beautifully, and is bent down to your brothers level and has a cheshire cat smile gracing her perfectly carved face. “Hi” you beam to the pair as you get closer to them. “Hey y/n, how are you?” Leah enquiries. “Im good thanks, what about you?” “Pretty good now, thanks!” “Im good too” your brother states. “Thats good Harry!” “Leah will you play football with me? I dont like playing with y/n she isnt good.” your brother asks the girl. “I would love to Harry!” “ILL GO GET MY BALL CMON!” “alright we will follow you” you tell him. “You know you dont have to entertain this” you say quietly to the pretty girl walking beside you. “what do you mean?” she questions raising her eyebrows. “You dont need to do this for him. You dont have to play football with us just because he asked you to.” “Im not doing it for him im doing it cause he has a pretty sister that i get the pleasure of talking to.” she says while looking down at you with a smile. You look at her with a big grin and a red colour taking over your cheeks. “Oh” you let out not able to hold back your embarrassed laugh. “So what year are you going into?” she asks while lightly nudging you. “Year 11, you?” “yea same, so we will be in the same year.” she says beaming down at you. You continue talking with her as you make the quick walk from the park to your house, to get the ball and then back to the park to play with said ball. You watch Leah and your brother play football together for a while before Leah walks over and sits with you. Your shoulders touching and her placing her hand on the ground behind your back. You both sit talking for a few minutes before she hands you her phone. “Put your phone number into it, maybe we can hang out one day without your brother. Only if you want of course.” she laughs shyly while finishing her sentence. “Oh don’t worry i would love to do something without him, for once” you say looking at her finally noticing the lack of space between you two. Your eyes dart to her lips, that were gracing a smirk, and then back to her eyes.
“LEAH LOOK WHAT I CAN DO” your brother suddenly yelled pulling you out of your trance. She slowly pulled away from you making the distance grow between you two. She stood up and went over to him as you lay down on the grass cursing under your breath.
Leah: hi y/n its leah xx
Y/n: hey leah
Y/n: how are you doing x
Leah: alright u?
Y/n: im good thanks x
Leah: so there is this like carnival thing coming into town in like two days and i was wondering if you would want to maybe go with me?
Leah: like only if you want no pressure
Y/n: omg that would be so good
Y/n: what day can u do cause i dont have to watch my brother thursday or friday this week?
Leah: it’s opening on thursday so id say we go friday just so it wont be as busy yk
Y/n: oh yea fair enough
Y/n: its a date then x
Leah: perfect ill be at yours at six on friday x
Y/n: see you then x
Friday 17:33
You were running around the house trying to find the top your mother said she ironed for you. “You ok there honey” your mother says to you worried while she sat on the couch. “Im fine mam. Where did you leave the black top you said you ironed?” you questioned the woman. “Hot press” she says smugly now knowing the reason for your worry, the blonde beauty that you havent been able to shut up about since you met her. After finding your desired top exactly where your mother left it you stood infront of the mirror and doubt filled your head. What if she didn’t actually mean it in a date way and u read the situation completely wrong? What if we have nothing to talk about? What if she cancels last minute? You were pulled out of your doubt filled trance by your phone buzzing. “If she is after fucking cancelling” you mumble to no one but yourself
Leah: hi im leaving now i should be at yours in about ten x
“FUCK.” you shout out. “Act like your not bothered you will be fine. Just be cool.”
Y/n: ok see u then x
“Ok thats fine.” You think to yourself as you grab your money and shove it in your pocket. You go downstairs and your mother whistles as you walk by her “MAM STOP” you yell while she laughs at you. You sit down on the couch with your mam and brother as your leg starts bouncing uncontrollably. “Honey calm down” your mam says while placing her hand on your knee to stop the bouncing. “Its going to be fun i promise, and if you dont want to be out any longer but cant come up with an excuse text me the word orange and i will call you and tell you to come home.” “Ok i will thanks mam.”
ding dong
The looming sound felt as it had stopped time. Your mothers small comforting smile growing into a beaming one full of excitement for her daughter. “You do realise you have to open the door?” “ha ha ha funny!” you say while rolling your eyes to her words and standing up to get the door.
“Hi Leah!” you beam out to her while opening the door. “Hi honey” she smiles at you while handing you a small bouquet of daisies. “Awh Leah Thank you, they are so pretty. I love them.” “Its my pleasure y/n.” “Come in for a few minutes while i put them in water.” “Alright.” she smiles at you while coming into your house. “Hi buddy” she smiles down to your brother when he comes out of the sitting room with your mother trailing behind him. “Hi im Leah” she states while extending her hand out to your mother. “Oh I know. Dont go around thinking that this one doesn’t speak about you.” “MAM STOP! Please?” you shout over to her while placing the vase filled with the delicate daisies on the counter “what? i was talking about harry??” “Ok. Ok. Bye love you guys” you bend down and place a kiss to your brothers head and give your mam a hug. “Goodbye girls, have her home for eleven. Yes?” “Ill have her home as soon as i possibly can dont you worry.” Leah states laughing along with the older woman. “Ahh a girl with a sense of humour. Good job y/n about time you found someone i like.” Your mam yelled after you two as you close the door and finally got outside.
“Sorry she is slightly insane.” you look up at the blonde while grabbing her arm to drag her with you. “She is so nice. Just remember that is how you are going to end up so dont talk too much shit.” “Shut up” you say between laughs. You continue to talk and laugh while walking together, hands grazing eachothers every few minutes sending electricity through both of your arms.
Once you arrive at the carnival she quickly takes out a five pound note and pays both of your entry fees. “Leah you dont have to pay for me. I have the money here” you say while taking out a two pound coin and placing it in her hand. “No y/n its my treat” she retorts while slipping her hand behind your back and placing it into you back pocket. “Thanks” you mutter. “But im paying for your first ride.” “Fine” she laughs while wrapping an arm around your waist.
“Ok y/n what do you want to go on first?” “Waltsers!” you say gleefully while grabbing her hand to pull her with you. You interlock your fingers with her as she follows you taking note of how perfect your hands fit together. You are first in line as a group of people had just gotten onto the ride. “Is this your favourite one?” she asks you “Yea, me and my mam used to always go on them when there was a carnival back home.”you say as look up at the blonde. “Your mam is so nice.” She smiles down to you. “She likes you, i can tell by the way she was talking to you.” Leah squeezes your hand that was interlocked with hers. You two get on the ride and hand the man managing it your token. Leah places her arm around you and holds your hand in the other before kissing it lightly as the ride begins to move.
You two went on most of the rides. Leah gripping your hand tightly throughout them as she wasnt the biggest fan and only was on them to spend time with you.
After you left Leah brought you to a little coffe shop as you still had about half an hour until you had to be home. You both ordered and you quickly handed the money to the worker as Leah sighs and mumbles in your ear “ill get it next time.” You guys went to the park you met her in to go for a quick walk and to finish your drinks. She decided to walk you home even though her house was a two minute walk in the other direction. She grabs your hand and rubs her thumb against it in a soothing manner. While speaking about some football match that she had watched earier, her words deaf to you as the dim light from the street lights were making her look more beautiful than ever.
She drags out the walk to your house pointing at random stars in the sky or teling you to stop walking and look at the moon. You just laugh and give into her looking at whatever she was pointing to.
You sadly look at her once you step onto your doorstep facing her while she wasnt on the step. You look at her, you being on the step making you the same height. Her hands rest on your waist while yours go to rest on the back of her neck and on her face caressing her cheek lighty. You smile at her and slowly lean in. “Is this ok?” you breathe out the closeness making you nervous. “It’s perfect” She says as she leans in closer to you as one of her hands begins to fall lower onto your ass. Your lips finally touched her soft lips. It was a quick kiss with lots of meaning behind it. When you pull away she places her forehead against yours and whispered “goodnight” lightly to you. You slowly separate from her and bid eachother a long goodbye while holding hands. She places a kiss to your hand and turns you around by your hips and says into your ear “its eleven cant have you getting home late, i want to be able to take you out again.” She kisses the back of your head and pushes you lightly towards your door. You open it and turn towards her again and say “Goodnight Leah. Ill see you as soon. If you let me.” “Next time your not going home.” You laugh at her. “Ok goodnight. Sleep well.” she says while backing away from you “Text me when your home.” “I will” she says as you go into your house and send her a wave. She smiles and starts on her walk home. You close the door behind you and a beaming smile takes over your face. You walk further into the house and go into the kitchen you see a note left from your mother
y/n
hope you had fun tonight im in eary tomorrow for work so you will have to bring your brother to playschool if you decide to go out. i wont be there for when you wake up so tell me your stories about tonight tomorrow once im home love you
- mam xx
You smile at the thought of maybe being able to see Leah again so soon. You start to make your way upstairs after checking if all the doors were locked.
buzz
Leah. You smile to yourself as you check your phone for her message.
Leah: made it home now xx
y/n: good to know x
y/n: i was waiting patiently for a message from you 🥱🙄
Leah: what else would you be doing tbf 🙄
y/n: stfu
Leah: 🤐
y/n: goodnight Leah x
Leah: goodnight y/n/n xx
hi thanks for reading i did it as one part as more people said that they wanted it longer sorry it took me so long to write hope you like it also if u have any requests please send me them x
440 notes · View notes
creative-crybaby · 1 year
Text
Birds of a Feather (Flock Together)
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PAIRING: yan!timeskip!Kageyama Tobio x fem!reader
GENRE: smut | dark content (18+)
Minors DNI
TAGS + WARNINGS: yandere themes, toxic friendship, nipple play, light manhandling, semi-public sex, creampie
Let me know if I missed anything.
WORD COUNT: 6.6k
SUMMARY: What was supposed to be a helping hand became an unhealthy relationship when Kageyama mistakes your kindness for something more. All characters are 18+
@creative-crybaby, do not repost or modify
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Now that you think about it, you’ve always been too nice for your own good. 
Not that it’s your fault. Your parents raised you that way; show kindness to others whenever the opportunity presented itself. The limit of knowing when to stop never came up, opting to believe that your positive behaviour would be contagious. Wishful thinking, of course. You don’t blame your parents for those drawbacks—their boundless optimism, perhaps, but that’s all. 
You wished reality showed some mercy when slapping you across the face. Sooner, too, maybe. 
When you especially wished for a backbone, you were in your first year of high school, standing before your anxious friend after offering your help. You know her pretty well, having gone to the same middle school; your brain saw no reason to process possible consequences. (Not like you could ever predict your current outcome, anyway.) If anything, the muscle was too busy thinking about how the blonde’s spine would break eventually. No ill feelings behind the idea, but it doesn’t stop your brows from furrowing in guilt. 
You worried for Yachi, that’s all. And with her bent over at a 90° angle before you, a position you both seem familiar with, you couldn’t help but sigh. 
“Hey,” you began softly. The sheepish blonde didn’t budge, and it wasn’t until you said her name a bit louder did she tilt her head to peer up at you. “It’s no problem, okay? I’d be happy to help. Besides,” you quipped with a smile for good measure, and your classmate rose from her deep bow, though kept her position so you remained above her, “this could look good on a resumé, no?”
By now, Yachi’s posture returned to normal as she offered a nervous chuckle. “I guess you’re right. It’s just that those two can be a handful sometimes, especially with each other. I don’t want to put any stress on you.”
Your arms crossed as you arched a brow, considering the new volleyball manager’s words. “Then, how about I take care of one of them and you keep the other? It’ll be easier to help if you focus on one person’s struggles, and that way they won’t bicker all the time.” A small smile graced her lips as she pondered your idea, and you leaned forward curiously. “You make them sound like an old married couple. There’s no way they’re that bad, are they?”
Yachi’s eyes widened ever so slightly before she frantically shook her hands in front of her. 
“No, no, no!” she insisted, voice raising a bit more than probably intended. A few classmates paused their conversations to glance at you two; you waved them off apologetically. “I don’t mean to make them sound terrible or anything! It’s just that they care so much about their club that,” she paused, searching for the right words, “they can’t seem to focus on anything else.”
You hummed, head tilting in thought. A valid concern, but it was a drawback most teens had with studying. Not that you needed to remind Yachi: with keeping up with a team where she somewhat understands the sport, tutoring her teammates and keeping up with her schoolwork, stating the obvious may not put her at ease.
Instead, you grinned reassuringly, and light pink dusted across the blonde’s cheeks. “Nothing I can’t handle. I got this.”
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It didn’t take long to find your tutee upon entering Class 1-3. Based on Yachi’s description, you were sure you’d seen him a few times in the hallway, a scowl seemingly stuck on his face. That expression remained as he stared at whatever was in his notebook. And with other students in the room tiptoeing as they passed his desk, you were even more sure that was who you were looking for. 
“Kageyama.” Despite your voice’s volume as you attempted to gain his attention, your tone carried its usual gentleness. It did the trick, his frown softening as his brows lowered to a neutral expression. Not as intimidating as his previous look, but you understood where Yachi’s hesitance came from as she tried to describe him. 
“You’re Yachi’s friend?” It sounded more like a statement than a question, but you nodded. He hummed. “What’s your name again?”
You are–were–kind, not a saint. The question irked you, having put effort into knowing who he is and how he worked to help him raise his grades. He can’t bother to remember your name? Surely, Yachi gave it to him.
There’s no need to get mad, you remembered. Reminded. Wired. It was just introductions; give him a chance. Give him as many as he’ll need to open up in his own way. Yachi said he wasn’t the best at communication. He’s trying. You were both trying.
You gave him your name with a smile.
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The first lesson had more to do with diving deeper into his brain than helping him study. With only a summarized description to go by, you needed more information. 
Kageyama understood onomatopoeias better than imagery. Tone flew over his head while clear instructions prepared him for the journey ahead. Studying English and Japanese had their wins and losses. (Mostly the latter, though some battles must be lost to win the war.)
The next couple of sessions weren’t any different. You wondered if the environment distracted the setter, and while it didn’t appear that way, you suggested meeting up at the library. A minor improvement, though his brain’s wiring still wasn’t completely translated to you. 
Whenever you and Yachi sat together for lunch to update each other on the tutoring, you tossed in some enthusiasm in your tone as you promised her you were getting there. Following up was a back-and-forth of the blonde insisting that you could back out of the deal whenever and you assuring her that everything was going smoothly. (Can’t say “fine.” No one believes in fine anymore.)
Now, you observed the twitch of Kageyama’s eye as he glared at the graphs, angles and equations in his notebook. You didn’t blame him: not when you were slowly running out of methods to help him. 
As time passed, so did his patience. The ravenette slammed his notebook onto his desk with a groan, hands flying to slap his face, making you jump in your seat across from him. Other students flinched as they turned to face the commotion, whispering to one another before trying to look away. 
“This is a waste of my time,” Kageyama muttered. 
That makes two of us, a fleeting thought grumbled. You swatted it away, ignoring the tightening of your chest.
His glare trailed toward the window to his left, muttering about how he could be improving his technique—or rather, something more about a certain pipsqueak needing to work on his spikes. 
You hummed. “Tell me about volleyball.”
His gaze snapped to you, brows still furrowed, though curiosity replaced the aggression in his eyes. “What about it?”
“Whatever you want,” you shrugged, placing your pencil on the desk. “I only really know the basics of the sport, but there’s no use stressing yourself out over something you’re stuck on. Consider this a little break.”
A slight pout formed on his lips, either from hesitation or pondering where to begin. 
Kageyama lived and breathed volleyball. Not his words verbatim, but his rambling told you as such. He knew his strengths and his weaknesses (even if he’d rather not discuss them), and his irritation toward his teammate sounded like complaints on the surface. Still, it came from high expectations and confidence in the ginger’s potential, and it wasn’t until he rambled on about A passes and C passes did a light flick in your brain. 
“There it is!” you exclaimed, a grin tugging the corners of your lips. You slid the notebook closer to the setter. “Try what you were just explaining to me and add it into these questions.”
It took him a few seconds to process the order, his head tilting to the side as that pout returned. A cute look on him, but that wasn’t relevant then, nor now. 
“What, my passes?” Kageyama blinked, and it seemed to click. 
You nodded. “You’re so precise with your sets. Just apply all the knowledge to these situations. It may not be exactly the same thing, but it’s possible.”
Kageyama looked at you for a bit before returning his attention to his notebook, taking his time looking over the written words before skating his pencil across the paper. You figured Yachi was exaggerating when she told you about his passion for the sport, but that assumption went out the window soon enough. But weaknesses can be strengths if you view them from a different angle, and soon the setter’s distraction became his motivation.
Not all the questions he answered were correct, but the improvement was impossible to miss. You beamed, praising him for finding his way. Despite his resting face, Kageyama’s eyes shined from the encouragement, his posture straightening ever so slightly. The baby pink dusting his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed by you, either, and you had to refrain from cooing. Holding back a chuckle as he stammered an invitation to his team’s next practice match wasn’t possible, and you agreed should he continue to work hard.
The study session ended early, with you wishing the ravenette good luck at practice and his upcoming quiz. You slouched while walking in the opposite direction, pride washing over you like a warm shower. An accomplishment, a job well done. Completed.
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You remembered thinking how you could only go uphill from there, academically speaking. What else was there? Aside from volleyball, there wouldn’t be anything else to worry about, and you weren’t even responsible for that department. All you could do was observe the sport and those who play it, learning bit by bit as you cheered for your school’s volleyball club. 
You didn’t know the opposing team or their capabilities, though you could only assume they were a challenge. Yachi sat beside you, scribbling notes and occasionally explaining whatever she learned herself. 
“I heard you found a way to help Kageyama,” she said between sets. “How’d that go?”
As if he heard you, the setter trailed his gaze toward you two, giving you a curt nod before drinking from his water bottle. You returned a small smile before giving your attention to your blonde friend.
“Figured things out a few sessions in,” you responded as the remnants of pride from that day of discovery still swirling in your chest. “He should get the hang of it soon enough. I’m sure getting to stay in this club is more than enough motivation for him.”
Yachi perked up at the news. “That’s great! Thanks again for helping out. I owe you bigtime.”
“Don’t say that.” You shook your head with a giggle. “How’s your tutoring process coming along?”
Movement teased the corner of your eye, but the shriek that echoed throughout the gym was impossible to ignore. Your attention went to the source, and the new manager almost dropped her notebook at the sound.
Kageyama held a death grip on a ginger teammate–Hinata’s–hair, roughly tugging the locks as he glared at the shorter teen. The latter continued to beg, though aside from who you could only assume to be the team captain, no one paid them any mind. As the senior student handled the situation, the setter caught your gaze. His glare faltered, but his frown didn’t disappear as he seemingly analyzed your expression. He walked away with a huff, and soon enough, the second set began.
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It was normal, apparently. You got to interact with a few of the other teammates, one of which–Tanaka, if you remembered correctly–barked out a laugh as he assured that Kageyama and Hinata fought like an old married couple all the time. You weren’t sure what kind of elders he’s been around, but so long as the explanation put you at ease, you’d take it. 
You eventually got used to the random quarrels as well. A deal was made between the setter and you that you’d see his games should he continue to work hard academically. Or rather, he’d let you know when his upcoming practice matches would be like you’d already planned on showing up. Not that it bothered you; it was probably his way of connecting with you outside of tutoring, and with your first impressions of him, you assumed making friends wasn’t his forte.
The only downside is that you also had your own club to go to. The boys’ volleyball team didn’t have practice matches too often, so you had yet to miss any, at most showing up a bit late as you’d wrap up your club’s meeting for the day. You’d catch Kageyama with his usual frown until he found you’d shown up, and his expression would soften as he straightened his posture. Having already been in the game, he couldn’t say anything about your tardiness, so you’d sneak to the balcony and observe from above, cheering on a little harder to make up for it. After the game, he’d approach you with a pout, though he’d only discuss the match with you.
It was late fall when you first missed a match. Kageyama informed you a few days prior, as you helped him with Modern Japanese, that a practice game would partake. You thought nothing of it until that day arrived, and you had yet to dismount your seat in your own clubroom. The calligraphy club was pretty straightforward, though that day, there was a meeting, one you barely recalled as your eyes continuously glanced at the clock. Along with cleaning up the classroom, you lost more time than expected, and rushing to the gymnasium did little to fix the issue. 
The game was in its second set by the time you arrived. The first thing you noticed upon entering the gym was the starting setter’s head whipping toward your direction. His alertness subsided, but his gaze stayed on you for a few seconds too many before he served the ball. You assumed things would go as usual, with you sneaking to your designated spot and watching the match until it was over. 
It wasn’t until the opponents requested a time-out did you discover how wrong you were. While the other boys went to fetch water and towels, Kageyama stomped over to you, his sweat-slicked bangs hovering over his eyes in a way that made his glare all the more intimidating.
“Where were you?” His voice was of normal volume, but his tone matched his furious expression perfectly. Your body froze.
“I had this thing,” you stammered. “My club meeting took longer than I thought, and—”
“I was waiting for you,” he seethed, stepping closer. “I even asked Coach to wait a bit so you could make it. I shouldn’t even have to make excuses for tardiness. You couldn’t have told your club that you had places to be?”
Your mouth went dry as he got louder, and by now, most of his teammates were watching the commotion. You’ve seen him frustrated, sure, angry on bad days, too. At least he’d take it out on his homework. 
Still, your habit of patience was second nature, even when it wasn’t called for. “I’m sorry—”
“Kageyama.” Daichi was behind the ravenette with a hand on his shoulder before you could further explain yourself. His tone was stern, sharp even, but nowhere near as intimidating as what you received. A warning. “Go take a breather, why don’t you?”
The setter’s gaze stayed on you a little longer than necessary. He scoffed before walking away, his back facing you as he sipped from his water bottle. You politely dismissed the captain’s apology on his junior’s behalf, assuring him you were all right.
“His Majesty’s probably just upset his girlfriend couldn’t watch him show off,” you heard Tsukishima mutter to Yamaguchi. You weren’t sure if he intended for you to catch his comment, but he wasn’t exactly out of earshot, only a couple of feet away. Regardless, you didn’t bother responding. It didn’t take long for everyone else to leave the little incident in the past, and the tall blonde’s snarky words lingered in your brain for the remainder of the match.
No one else showed up to watch these games. You were there for the tournaments, too; aside from Tanaka’s older sister and a few of the coach’s old friends, the boys’ volleyball club didn’t have much moral support. Much less Kageyama, from what you could tell. You’ve heard about his behaviour back in middle school from Hinata and Tsukishima, the latter with taunts, and the new fragments of information added pieces to the puzzle. 
Kageyama was trying. He didn’t always succeed, but it didn’t stop him from attempting to steer away from the tyrannical path he was heading. You’ve seen him reach for Tanaka’s high-fives, albeit with a confused expression, but it didn’t falter his senior’s enthusiasm. His compliments (if you could even call them that) came out as awkward and forced when he gave them to Hinata after the ginger won a point, and he wasn’t afraid to ask Azumane if he needed to adjust his sets to suit the Ace. 
Maybe you were supposed to be his tutor and nothing more. Maybe it would’ve been better that way. But with very little assistance and even lesser options, Kageyama might have considered your listening to his ramblings as a sign of friendship. You supported him in staying on the team, and now you’re watching him flourish as a result. That’s what friends do—it was only fair for him to ask you to stay as such. You’d ask yourself why not indulge, though you were probably in too deep to call it that anymore.
The following morning, you find Kageyama waiting by the school entrance, two milk cartons in each hand and a strained apology on the tip of his tongue. You smiled, the two of you sipping on your refreshments as you waited for the first bell to ring.
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Your calligraphy club disbanded at the beginning of your second year. You weren’t all that surprised at the time: there were barely enough students for it to exist in the first place. Why certain members decided to leave was beyond you, but you saw no point in pushing them to stay if they didn’t want to. Still, you missed your club: you were left to your own devices, the black ink dancing across paper lulling you to a place of comfort.
It was Yachi who suggested you joined the boys’ volleyball club as another manager. She figured you learned some things from Kageyama here and there while tutoring him, and she has no problem helping you catch up. 
“Besides,” the blonde smiled, handing you the sign-up sheet, “it’s pretty lonely now that Shimizu graduated. It’d be nice to have a friend around.” You take the paper from her, staring at it somewhat skeptically. You didn’t voice your hesitance, and after a few seconds of silence, your friend added, “I’m sure the others will be happy to have you around, too.”
With how often you dropped by to watch the team practice and compete, the club members have grown to know you. It didn’t take too long for you to warm up to them, too, usually sitting with Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita and having them explain the gameplay whenever you were lost. Otherwise, it was mainly Kageyama who kept you to himself either because you had time to assist him in his studies or simply because he wanted your attention. 
You later found out it was his idea to have you join the team as another manager, and Yachi agreed immediately. Who would complain about that? Another sweet and pretty girl to help and cheer them on was a dream come true for most. You were the only one that had yet to vocalize content, and you handed in the application sheet soon after receiving it. 
Even with the progress, you still tutored Kageyama. Seeing him more often after classes only gave you more opportunity to support him, especially when Coach Ukai would remind certain members to keep their grades up. 
Not that any of this bothered the setter. He had no problem having you continue helping him with his schoolwork. He’d listen to your instructions, try out new learning techniques whenever he struggled on a particular unit and remained patient (by his standards, anyway) with you when things didn’t work out.
You had no issue continuing your support. You knew Kageyama was trying his best, even when his brain could only focus on volleyball, and you figured you could still learn more about how he interacted with others as he tried to come out of his shell. 
His one-track mind came to a disadvantage at times. When Hinata suggested studying as a group, Kageyama quickly shut the idea down. He’d sometimes go on tangents about strategies and new techniques for the sport while you tried to help him. Tanaka and Nishinoya would quip that the setter had a crush on you and didn’t know how to express it, though you knew better than to take those two seriously. Kageyama told you that becoming a manager would be more suitable for your future than your previous club. He’s grown used to your routine of getting all your attention for tutoring, and having others there would throw him off his game. As for his rants, he’s merely passionate about the sport—you don’t need a reminder.
So, you became a manager for the boys’ volleyball club, continued your one-on-one tutoring sessions and instructed him to only speak of team strategies in English as practice. And you do so until you graduate. 
It’s where the connection between you and Kageyama seemingly disappeared, set ablaze before dwindling into disintegration. He didn’t even give you the time to say goodbye to your friends outside the club before asking them if he could steal you away. (It was more of a declaration—the questioning tone was a mere formality.)
“Ready to take your volleyball career to the next level?” You didn’t know what else to say: not after the abrupt isolation. He’s brought you one of the many hidden corners the school had to offer, away from all the other graduates and their loved ones. Sakura petals fluttered through their descent, softening an otherwise overwhelming atmosphere full of completed chapters and new beginnings. You read manga: it felt like prince charming would swoop in with a confession, second gakuran button in hand. Having blueberry eyes boring into your awaiting frame in such an environment should make the butterflies in your stomach perform their very own acrobatics number, the anticipation eating you from the inside out. And it did, the churning in your belly boiling your face as you tried to meet his gaze. Kageyama’s resting face was always a disadvantage regarding his approachability, but with three years of getting to know him under your belt, you still felt a ghost’s kisses up your spine. 
“Obviously,” he answered. You would have chuckled at the comment in your first year of high school. But even the smile you’ve managed to muster no longer seemed convincing. Part of you wondered if you could find your friends once more to keep in touch before you all left. “I should be asking you that, though.”
Your brows furrowed in confusion, yet you kept the corners of your lips upwards. “I don’t know if being a manager for a volleyball team counts as a volleyball career.”
Kageyama didn’t laugh at your quip. You didn’t expect him to, but his response caught you off-guard.
“When will you be joining me?”
Your tiring performance of halo and white wings evaporated at his question, brows further creasing as your smile dropped. A clear indication of confusion, though a hint of offence found its way into the mix. 
“What are you talking about?” Your body instinctively inched closer to your corner. The setter noticed. 
“One of the biggest reasons I’ve managed to get as far as I am with volleyball is because of you,” he stated. “From helping me keep my grades up to becoming manager. I can grow to adjust to any team I become a part of, but I need someone who gets me to be by my side if I want to continue to prosper in my career.” 
The butterflies once performing in your belly dropped dead before they had the chance to bow. The love confession you dismissively thought of boomed with laughter as it slapped you across the back. Your lungs were empty as your brain progressed his words, your face slowly morphing from one expression to another. 
Did you do this?
“Kageyama,” you began, barely knowing where to go without a map, “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but that’s not the path I’m taking.” His resting face grew sour. You forced yourself to continue. “I’m flattered, but really, you did most of the work. I just gave you a little push.” Kind words didn’t weaken the blow—his staredown didn’t falter. “I have a life outside of the sport. I’m no prodigy. I don’t work anywhere near as hard as you do. I don’t feel the same about volleyball the way you do—”
“Bullshit.”
The snap from harsh lips forced yours shut. You shrank back once more, a scolded child fearing further punishment. 
You dared to glance at him. Kegayama was seething, leaning forward with clenched fists and jaw. You didn’t want to peer out to the crowd; had anyone heard him? They either didn’t or were too afraid to jump in. You knew you would be, too. 
“You think some sweet talk is going to make any of this okay?” His voice grew in volume, and you flinched. “You learned past the basics, you understand strategy better than the average player. You’re throwing it all out the window for what? That damn club you were in before had nothing to offer. I can vouch for you if you just follow me.”
There he was: King of the Court. You always thought Tsukishima would exaggerate to gain a reaction, but that title came to be for a reason. You just never thought you’d fall victim to it. 
“Look, I’m sorry if I led you on,” even in a situation like this, your feelings seemed to fall to a second priority, “but I’m telling you now that I don’t love the sport as much as you think I do. It’s not in my future.”
“I showed you opportunity and you throw it back in my face,” he sneered, getting closer. 
“I joined because of Yachi and my old club disbanding,” you defended, voice quivering. “I don’t understand why you’re yelling at me.”
A petal landed on your cheek, and you went to brush it away until you discovered the soft touch was a stray tear. It seemed enough to silence him, if only momentarily, though his glare remained just as deadly.
He wanted to say something; you knew he did. More words of anger, most likely, but he tightened his jaw instead, opting to walk away after giving you a final look of disdain.
You didn’t hear the hopeful and cheerful banter between graduates, nor did you catch Yachi calling your name until she laid a hand on your shoulder, snapping you out of your daze. Kageyama lingered in your head for the remainder of that day; no harsh words in particular—mainly the darkening of his blue eyes as his tone became aggressive. Part of you thought you also heard a twinge of betrayal, but after such a whiplash of a confrontation, you weren’t sure you could recall that moment in your state.
Wherever he was during the remainder of graduation, you didn’t see him.
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To be more precise, you didn’t see him afterwards, either. With moving to another prefecture for school and time passing by, you eventually put that memory behind you. That isn’t to say it didn’t make your body temperature drop; on the rare occasions Kageyama would be brought up, the daggers his eyes threw your way would flash in your mind. Of course, you saw no reason to voice the issue—you only ever heard about him from Yachi whenever you’d catch up, which isn’t as often as you’d like. From what you know, he’s out of the country, furthering his career like you assumed he would. And while the setter was right about how being manager brought more skills and opportunities, your studies had nothing to do with volleyball. 
Neither does your career.
You never thought you’d set foot in Italy, much less work there after university. Your parents told you that your kindness paid off, much to your irritation. (Was school not already enough of a hassle? And the extracurriculars? The people?)
Even though the conversation was over the phone, you found yourself putting on a smile as you told them about taking the opportunity, your tone hopeful as if you still needed their permission. 
It took you who knows how long to realize you didn’t. And as soon as it hit you, you packed your bags and flew halfway across the world with barely the basics of the Italian language in your brain and newfound perseverance in your heart.
Whatever bits and pieces made you a doormat evaporated into the air as that airplane took off to your new home, and you planned on making what should be the next chapter of your life a completely different book.
Easier said than done, of course.
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The last person you’d expect to see at this pub meets your gaze, and your eyes widen from instant recognition. 
Kageyama hasn’t changed all that much. His resting face is hard to miss, the light crease in his brows making him appear far angrier than he is. And with his increase in height and muscle, his intimidation goes up, too. His hair is also somewhat shorter, though that’s all regarding his changes. 
You continue to gawk at him, though his expression remains calm like you two were back in high school and you showed up to one of his games. You should be there.
He’s wearing his jersey, you realize, and grouped up with other men in the same attire. You don’t recognize the team; you haven’t been keeping track of the setter’s career. 
One of his teammates follows his stare, and Kageyama mumbles something before approaching you. You don’t hear what the other man says in return, your attention stuck on your old high school friend. (Can you still call him that? Could you ever have called him that?)
He says your name; your feet plant themselves on the ground. “It’s been a while.”
You blink away the myriad of emotions before nodding. “Still playing volleyball.”
It wasn’t a question, but it doesn’t make you feel any less stupid for bringing it up. Kageyama tilts his head back a bit, motioning to his team with a hum. “Yeah.”
“Can’t say I’m all that surprised,” you try to quip, your fingers toying with the hem of your shirt. Even if the ravenette’s height wasn’t a prominent factor, he’d still tower over you with how his eyes bore into your frame.“Last I heard, you joined Schweiden Adlers.”
His frown deepens. “I’m part of Ali Roma now.”
You bite your lip, your face growing warm. Kageyama appears offended, what with how he slightly tilts his head back for his eyes to look down on you. His brows furrow more, and you’re surprised you still remember his quirks even after all these years.
“An Italian team? Congratulations!” You don’t mention living in the same country, working on the same soil where he now lives and breathes his beloved sport. In fact, you don’t say anything for a little too long, and your eyes glance behind him. “Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you from your team. It was nice seeing—”
“Don’t worry about them,” he says, moving towards you. “I plan on catching up with you. They’ll understand.”
He’s making you approach a corner booth, and neither your feet nor your voice can protest. Even once you’ve sat down, all you do is shift in your seat, seemingly never comfortable. And whatever you originally planned on ordering is replaced with a glass of water. If Kageyama noticed, he doesn’t comment. He sips his beer occasionally; you’re halfway with your drink in a minute. 
“So,” you hum, “you like your new team?”
The setter looks at you for a few seconds before responding. “Yeah. Full of great players.”
He sounds more like he’s being interviewed than catching up with someone from high school. You try not to deadpan at his short answer. Your habit comes back crawling, keeping up performances and your back straight, head forward and heart thumping.
Your glass is almost empty when Kageyama speaks once more. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in Italy?”
He didn’t sound offended or hurt. The question came out as curious and casual like you two were going on about your day. But you know that’s not what’s happening, and his eerie calmness makes you nearly choke on your drink.
“We kinda lost touch,” you answer steadily, briefly. “It was a pretty quick decision, too. Only a handful of people knew.”
Not a complete lie, but you consider it necessary for now.
“Had to find out from Yachi that you were here last time I played in Japan,” the setter grunts, eyes glued to his drink. Your hold on your glass tightens at his words as your head snaps up to face him, a mix of confusion and a twinge of fear making your expression. You don’t get to ask him anything, not that you’re sure you can, and he continues. “Kind of a hassle not being able to reconnect with you whenever I had time back home. Switching teams was a good call, especially with my previous contract coming to an end. And it’s not like I wouldn’t have made it into Ali Roma anyway. I guess you leaving was a blessing in disguise.”
Whatever he says afterwards, if anything, drowns out as you stare past his shoulder, and your stomach drops. The strength you gained found its cowardice as the old you that disappeared into the clouds crashes down on you like a rainstorm, soaking you to the bone and making you shiver.
You rise from your seat a little too abruptly for your liking. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Also not a complete lie, but who’s keeping track? Not a drop of alcohol touched your tongue, yet you stumble down the hall towards the sign with a female stick figure in a dress and clumsily push the door below it open. You’re unsure if you should hunch over the toilet or splash water on your face, but you aren’t rewarded with a choice, nor the time, to make it.
A knock rinses the blood out of your ears, and you can hear the cheerful and far-from-sober banter back in the bar.
“Occupied,” you stammer hurriedly, carrying yourself to the sink. The creak of the door opening has you inhaling sharply, and who you see in the reflection keeps the air in your lungs.
Kageyama stands a couple of meters from you, his brows lightly furrowed. “Why do you keep doing that?”
You don’t answer him. The ravenette takes a step forward. You flinch.
“I was right, you know,” he begins, strangely calm. “That old club of yours–the calligraphy one–it was a waste of time.” His movements are slow as he approaches you. “It’s a good thing everyone left. Even if your new job has nothing to do with volleyball, your manager position definitely brought you to where you are now.” As vague as he may be, you can’t help but move back every time he gets closer, your fist tightening near your chest. “It would’ve been better if you’d just joined me, though.”
Your back hits the wall, and you don’t register what happens afterwards as your jumbled thoughts decipher possibility after possibility over the athlete’s implications. You don’t realize he’s kissing you or grabbing hold of your face to make you return the forced affection. You’re elsewhere as he lifts your top over your breasts and your skirt past your hips. Your mind is groggy as he gropes you through your bra, soon sliding past the material to tweak your nipples. 
It isn’t until his hand slides down your body and into your panties do you awake to a nightmare. 
Your front presses up against the tile wall; you don’t recall when he turned you around, the dead end’s coolness painting goosebumps all over your body and juxtaposing the warm fresh tears cascading down your squished cheek. Kageyama’s fingers languidly glide across your lower lips before he clicks his tongue. You can hear the irritation; you always could.
Not as wet as he’d like you to be. But the setter only has so much patience. He’s human, after all. He’s human.
The thought barely registers when you hear a faint zipping sound behind you, and suddenly his hard-on presses into the small of your back. Your breathing picks up as he spreads your legs with little effort, further pushing you into the wall before doing the same with your panties, revealing your entrance to him.
He doesn’t grace you with sweet nothings and mercy: just a blob of spit in his hand to pump his cock followed by heavy panting. And when he finally enters, the silence deafens you as he chokes on a gasp. 
That’s the moment that felt never-ending; he went in and never stopped, it seems, dragging himself into your insides until he was everywhere. He is everywhere. He is inside and behind and looming and crushing.
The nicest he was to you was when he waited to let you adjust, and you hate yourself for being the sweet little high school girl who tried to see the best in people. He doesn’t deserve it. You don’t deserve this.
Kageyama makes his first few strokes slow, but they’re still deep enough to have you gritting your teeth. It isn’t long until he gasps your name and picks up speed. 
“All this way,” he rasps in your ear, almost masking the slapping noises his hips would make when colliding with your ass. “All this way to another part of the world, joining a new team, starting over and getting better, all to see you again.” You don’t hear him when he speaks, nor as he grunts extra loudly as you tighten around him. “I should’ve done this sooner.”
A large hand slides back into your bra, squeezing your breast, calloused fingers tugging at the hardened bud, while the other one further shoves your panties aside to hastily rub your clit. The dry friction does little to soothe you, and with his lack of patience, the nub receives no pattern except whatever it's offered. Still, the added stimulation makes you tighten and the ravenette more restless. Even in your position, he finds a way to slam his lips against yours again. His tongue makes its way into your cavern as his thrusts get sloppier. You can’t breathe.
Not when he pulls away from the kiss. 
Not when his hips sputter as hot ropes paint your insides white. 
And certainly not when your high follows soon after.
It wasn’t strong, and it didn’t last long, but the shame that creeps into your stomach lasts an eternity. 
Your heavy breathing syncs with his as everything finally settles into your slowly-sobering mind. Kageyama’s still inside you, his hot breath fanning the back of your neck as his hands find your wrists to grab hold of. 
You’re in high school all over again. His actions have evolved to more dangerous heights, but you’re back in that gymnasium watching him practice. Even when he finally pulls out, even when he pulls you close, even when he snuggles into the junction of your shoulder. 
Kageyama hasn’t changed one bit.
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@creative-crybaby, do not repost or modify
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written-in-flowers · 11 days
Text
The Drifter: The Sea King's Curse (1.02a)
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Pairing: siren!hyunjin x fem!reader
Word Count: 59k
Genre: fantasy, smut, fluff, adventure
Summary: When the corpses of mutilated mermaids wash up on shore, the lawmen of Levanter Bay seek YN's help to find the cause. They end up discovering this goes much farther than expected.
Tags: Graphic violence (just fist fighting and monster slaying), kidnapping, animal death (hunting out of necessity), graphic descriptions of corpses, death, autopsies, thalassophobia, fear of deep water, megalophobia (fear of large objects), sea monsters, mind control, mind manipulation, mental illness, dark magic, mentions of war, slight ptsd. vaginal fingering, p in v sex, monster fucking, bigdick!hyunjin. underwater sex, public sex, outdoor sex, monster dick
Part 1 < | > Part 3
Drifter Masterlist
***
The whale stopped right outside where you’d met Hyunjin that morning, and you lamented leaving him. You knew you’d see him again, but leaving him this moment left you empty inside. People told you sirens give that effect, so you tried not thinking too much as you swam away from him. You forced yourself to focus on whether Minho and Han had any luck with their part of the investigation. 
“More than enough luck!”
Han called as you and Chan arrived back at the station. He sat at his desk, leaning back with his feet on the top and a satisfied grin on his face. You gaped at his broken lip, and the black and yellow bruise on his temple. On his left hand, you saw a bandage wrapped around his palm, bloody in the middle. 
“Jisung!” Chan gasped, moving over to check his bruises. “What the hell happened?”
“Got into a bar fight,” he shrugged, playing it cool. “It’s no big deal.”
Chan gingerly lifted his bandaged hand, “What happened to your hand?” 
“Park Jinyoung, that’s what,” he grimaced when Chan turned his hand palm upwards. “He put a knife to me, and I had to get him off somehow.”
“With your hand?”
“It worked! I put a bullet in his leg, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. He still got away.” 
That was when you saw them. A young man and woman sat in one of the holding cells, the enchanted purple bars keeping the woman from teleporting out. The young man had the wide, long ears and black eyes of a goblin, while the woman appeared human. The goblin noticed you first, his reaction not much different from other criminals who see you. He backed up into the wall attached to the bench, pushing back as if he might melt into the stone. His sudden jolt startled his companion, and she turned to see you as well. She didn’t back away, but her eyes did widen. 
“Jennie and Eric, right?” you asked, walking past Han and Chan to the cell. Eric crouched into the corner, but Jennie kept her gaze on yours. “The mage and the accomplice.”
“So the squirrel wasn’t lying when he said they knew a demon bounty hunter,” Jennie drawled, seeing your exposed markings. “Plan on roasting us, demon?”
“Not right away,” you leaned against the side of the door, arms crossed. “I’m going to take a stab and guess the deputies already questioned you?”
“They tried,” she sniffed. 
“We don’t know anything about Alcina!” Eric squeaked, eyes squeezed shut. “I swear, we don’t know anything about her! Not at all!”
“Eric!” Jennie hissed, kicking at him. 
“Alcina, huh?” you let the name rest out in the air, “Where did you meet her?”
“I’m not talking, demon,” Jennie spat, arms crossed. “Save your breath. You’re going to need it when Jinyoung comes for me.”
“What makes you think he’s coming?”
“We’re his crewmates,” she shot at you. “He needs us. We need him.”
“Does he?” you raised an eyebrow, “He can pick up any pair of misfits off Cortuga and sail off without a second thought about either of you.”
“He’d never do that!” she said angrily, frustration bubbling inside her. “He…He isn’t that kind of captain…” she looked away from you, biting her trembling lower lip. 
“Alright, sure. I honestly can’t wait for him to get here,” you then bent and whispered to her, “Then I can cook him alive myself.”
“Demon filth…” she grumbled through her teeth. “You’ll see soon enough. You’ll all see!”
“And I’m terrified,” you seethed. 
You turned to see Minho back at his desk. He did not leave the fight unscathed. You caught the busted blood vessel in his right eye. It was most likely caused by whatever object left a cut underneath the eyelid and purple and black around his eye. Another cut on his left cheek told you his attacker got in close before he blasted them away. He placed a large book on his desk, and opened it. 
“Alcina?” you walked over to him, grabbing a chair to sit on the other side. “Does that name ring a bell for you?”
“No, but I’m assuming it’s the person they’re working for,” Minho said, “Unless you two find something to contradict her?”
You told Minho everything you learned while Chan rewrapped Han’s injured hand. He froze up when you detailed Tytos’s condition, and mentioned The Creator. 
“That’s not Brain Fog,” Minho said when you finished. “Brain Fog might make you forgetful and dazed, but it doesn’t debilitate you at the same time. You say he looked thin and frail. In what way?”
You thought about it, “In a deathly way. It was as if the curse was slowly killing him at the same time. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in days, his hair was brittle and thinning and his dry lips were cracked. Yet, when I mentioned his eldest son died, he seemed to break out of his delusion for a second before Mizu put him back under somehow.”
“How? Did you see what he did?”
“He touched the middle of his forehead,” you showed him the thumb motion Mizu had done, “And left behind some kind of black powder. Does that sound like any spell or curse you know? None of the ones I remember require that sort of touch.”
“There are a few,” he rolled his chair to the bookshelf a few feet from his desk and scanned the shelves, “Brain Fog doesn’t require any sort of physical touch. You said you’d seen this in the war?”
“Yes,” you watched him pick out one of the black leather books and came to the desk, “The mage who removed it used a stone. Yejin thinks it might’ve been a black tourmaline.”
“Yes!” he cheered reading the cover of the book, “Demonic Curses of the Dark Age! I knew I had it somewhere. I bought it at a sale in Newport. The warlock selling it says it was written by a real demon who was put to death for writing down their secrets!” He brought the book back to the desk, and opened it. “There’s a chapter in here somewhere,” he scanned the first page, “About manipulation curses. It has everything from elemental manipulation to molecular manipulation to zoological manipulation! I devoured this book in days! There’s so much!”
“Okay, Minho, that’s great,” you said, amused by his eagerness, “But does it have anything about mind manipulation?”
“It might…” he then asked, “You said the mage used a stone?”
“He did,” you nodded, “He said some sort of incantation while he did it, and the curse was gone.”
“Hmm…” he flipped another page, “Black tourmaline is a good stone for battling negative energy and psychic attacks. It’s regularly used for sapping out a curse.”
“What do you do after you have it in there?” asked Han, who winced when Chan closed the bandage. 
“You usually melt or break the crystal,” Minho said. “A lot of fairies study alchemy so they can dispose of dark matter easier.”
“And I’m going to guess you’re one of those fairies?” he grinned humorously. 
“I am,” he nodded. “We only need to find the right incantation.”
You shut your eyes as the day slowly broke down on you. “As fun as reading books late at night can be,” you yawned, slumping against the chair, “I think my brain is ready to shut off.”
“Not surprised,” he said, “Swimming around Hydrus will do that to you. You two get some rest. We won’t be finding our answer tonight.” 
“You sure you want to walk to The Pearl like that?” asked Han when he saw you stand from your chair. 
“Yes, why?” You then realized why Minho tried so hard not to look at you and why Han could not stop looking at you. 
You’d gone into Hydrus in just your bra and pants. 
“Oh, so Chan can walk around shirtless and nobody cares, but if I walk around with a bra on, it’s suddenly a problem?”
“Nobody said Chan can walk around shirtless,” Minho said, still focused on his book, “He just does it and we accept it.”
“You’ll get no complaints from me,” Han said breathlessly. 
“Jisung,” Minho snapped, something similar to jealousy in his voice. 
“Oh Minnie, you know I only have eyes for you,” he batted his lashes and blew a kiss. 
“Ugh,” you groaned and made for the door, “It’s not a big deal. Wearing my shirt and jacket would have weighed me down. It’s not much different from swimming suits.”
Han stifled a laugh, “Which can be just as deadly on a woman like you.” 
“Oh hush.” 
“Men are the worst,” Jennie said from her cell. 
“They are!”
You left the station without another word, walking out into town. Yes, you did get a lot of stares as you walked up to the White Pearl. Though, something told you it was your markings and not the lack of a shirt that caught stares. Honestly, you felt too tired to really care. Muscles aching from the constant swimming around in the ocean, you thought only about peeling off your damp clothes and crashing onto your bed. Moving through the crowded inn, you saw Felix singing up on stage. The pretty blond winked at you when you met his eyes, and you’ll admit you found him charming. 
Not as charming as the bed waiting upstairs. 
****
“I believe they are unto us, Creator. The mainlander lover and the old fool were alone with him.”
“Have they undone our work?”
“Of course not, but…one of my guards said his shark sensed somebody else in the room with us. I believe it was her half-breed son hiding in plain sight.”
“Then you must get rid of him. Our spell is almost complete. In a few days, King Tytos will die and the Seven Seas will be ours.”
“Of course, Creator. I will have my best men on it. We will kill that mainlander and whoever else stands in our way.”
The Creator remained silent in her orb, and Mizu sensed she was searching in “the beyond”. He noticed her gasp, and hesitated. “No…this cannot be. It must not be true.”
“Creator?”
“I see eternal fire within the waves,” she said. “I see…Oh, I can feel her powers now.”
“Whose powers, Creator?”
“The Vanquisher…The demon who slayed The Dark Lord…She is here…” her voice suddenly sharpened, “You must stop her! She cannot succeed!”
“The Vanquisher?”
“The Vanquisher!” she hissed. “The fire demon named Multak, who slew our master in Incheon and sent him into The Abyss! Our mortal enemy! She will foil our plans if we do not stop her!”
“What would you have me do?”
“Distract her. Keep her busy with your pirate friends while I work my magic. It appears we will have to speed up the process.”
“As you command, Creator.” 
****
“How was your adventure under the sea?” 
Changbin passed your breakfast plate to you on the bartop, and refilled your milk cup. You licked your lips at the steaming eggs, bacon, grits and biscuit on your plate. 
“Great,” you answered, digging into the eggs right away. You hadn’t noticed your hunger until you’d woken up this morning with your stomach growling. The fluffy eggs melted in your mouth and you thought you’d melt with them, “Met a pretty siren, saw some fish, and got to ride a whale. Very eventful.”
“A siren, huh?” he asked with an impressed grin. “Did you get lucky?”
“Unfortunately not,” you frowned, thinking of handsome Hyunjin’s pretty mouth. “I was there on business, so there wasn’t much room for pleasure.”
“Shame,” he said. “When you came in here without a shirt, I was hoping to hear a wilder story than that.”
“Well, I did get to sneak into a palace, so it wasn’t totally uneventful.” 
Changbin chortled, and you started telling him about your journey when a high cry broke through the morning crowd outside. You chased your food with the milk as you peered into the windows. People rushed down the dirt road, fear in their eyes and adrenaline pushing them forward. They ran into nearby buildings, calling to those inside, and shutting doors and windows tightly. Dread filled your bones, and you suddenly didn’t feel hungry. Changbin, however, knew exactly what was happening. 
“Wooyoung!” he called into the kitchen, “Pirates!” He then reached under from the bar and retrieved a double sided axe. From the notches on the wooden handle, it’d been used plenty of times. “YN, either get your steel or go upstairs.”
“Pirates?” 
You slowly stood from your stool, and went to the window. A group of children ran into the inn, going right behind the bar. You heard Changbin direct them into the kitchen, while he whistled for Honey. Their calls came from far away, but their taunts and laughter stuck in your ears. He sent them. Whether to scare you or kill you, Mizu sent these pirates to you. While a twinge of fear did hit you, Zunar’s words whispered in your ear. 
“That’s the only time we can be brave, little flame.”
You went to grab your sword. 
When you returned, Changbin and Wooyoung already ran outside. While most of the citizens of Levanter Bay hid, a select few met the invaders: Fred Pebbles with a large club and his men shooting from behind wagons and crates; Han and Minho standing atop a nearby building, taking shots with bullets and magic arrows; Changbin with his ax and bear companion: Wooyoung with twin daggers and swift kicks, and even Mayor Wallace with a heavy hammer. The smell of blood and battle hit your senses, fueling you for the fight as you went up to the porch railing. 
One of Pebbles’s farmhands stood fighting a particularly nasty looking pirate goblin, so you jumped behind the goblin with a swift kick. Once on the ground, the farmhand slammed her hammer into their skull. Your eyes scanned the invading pirates, daring one of them to come at you. One of them finally did. A bearded man with gunpowder smeared over his eyes came at you with a hatchet raised in the air, and you moved to block it easily. Your hand burning bright, you shot a fireball right into his abdomen. He cried in pain, and you kicked him away to fend off another pirate who ran up to your side. A slash up their middle had them crashing to the floor, while you shot another fireball at the bearded pirate. 
Effectively being burned alive sent the bearded back stumbling and running into a group of pirates, who moved out of his way. A woman’s cry caught you through the commotion, and you saw two men break into a boutique and start ransacking the place. You narrowed your eyes and rushed at them from behind. Levitating one into the ceiling and then slamming him to the floor, you swing your sword at his companion right as he reached for a small girl. He turned around, pain shooting up his back, to swipe a knife at you, which you returned with another fireball to his face. Your demon fire seared his skin, making him scream with pain. 
“Get somewhere safe,” you told the women inside, “And barricade the door.” When they froze with fear, you said more firmly, “Go! Now!” 
You stuck the screaming pirate with your blade, then kicked him off. When you stepped out the door, you waved your hand over the doorway where black clouds of smoke started embedding into the wood. The protection spell would keep any other pirates from breaking in. You’d stopped a pirate from attacking an elderly woman inside her stall when you saw him. 
Chan’s merfolk genes appeared to make him faster and tougher than a normal human. You watched him throw punches, dodge kicks and hands with precision and speed. You saw the weapon in his hand: a long dagger with a bone handle. Fearless, daring, and strong, you couldn’t help admiring him as you easily cut down a reptilian pirate. It’d been when he cut through another pirate that a voice rang out through the fray. 
“Where’s the demon called Multak?!”
A tall, tanned man with a small face and a square jaw came through the crowd. People around you gasped when they realized he held Mayor Wallace at gunpoint. You could tell the mayor put on a brave face even with a gun barrel in his stomach. A woman with copper skin and braided coarse hair ran out of a nearby shop, tears in her dark eyes. 
“Gerald!” Mrs. Wallace, the school teacher, cried out. She tried going to him, but Fred kept her at a distance. 
“I’m alright, Barbara,” he called out, not daring to look at her. 
“Let him go, Park,” Chan said, the fight having stopped with the captain walking onto the scene. “He’s not a part of this.”
“He is,” the captain cackled, “He is until you hand me back my first mate and bring me the demon.”
“I can’t do that, Park,” Chan replied, “She’s headed for the capital. It’d be awkward if they came for her and she wasn’t here, you know?” 
“Stop playing games, and give me Jennie, you half-breed.” 
“Call me that again, pirate,” Chan let the last word hiss like a curse, “And you’ll get your first mate alright.” 
You knew exactly how this would go if you didn’t step up. “You want me, pirate?” you stepped out from the crowd, putting yourself between Chan and Jinyoung. Removing your jacket, your markings began faintly glowing their red-orange colors. “Here I am.” 
“You’re the demon?” he huffed. “I thought you’d be taller and more…manly.”
“I thought you’d be manlier too,” you shot back. “Mizu sent you for me, and here I am. Let the mayor go.”
“Bring me Jennie,” he demanded, “Then I’ll think about giving your wimpy mayor back.”
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Park,” you said. “I’m already going to have a big day ahead of me, and I’d like to go back inside this inn and finish my breakfast at least. Wooyoung puts cream in the eggs? It makes them melt in your mouth.”
“Then you’ll have no problem handing over my Jennie.”
His Jennie? “I’m sorry, that’s not possible. You see, your first mate and her little goblin friend have information we need and, well, she just hasn’t given us what we want. We can give her back to you in between 365 to 730 business days.”
“I’m done fucking around, demon!” he shouted angrily. “Give me my Jennie!”
“Your Jennie, huh? Alright, I’ll go get her right now.” 
You turned around, eyes following you as you marched into the station behind you. He wanted to play this game? Then you’d play it too. Walking over to the enchanted holding cell, Jennie stood confidently and smiling smugly. 
“I told you he’d come for me, didn’t I?” she taunted, not scared by the anger flaring in your eyes. “He’s come for me and he’s going to burn your-Hey! Let go of me!”
Grabbing a fistful of her hair, you dragged the mage out of the cell, across the station, and outside. “You want her, huh?” you asked Jinyoung, keeping a firm grip on Jennie. “Here she is! Come and get her.”
“No, bring her here!”
You sneered, “Alright.”
“YN, what are you doing?” Chan whispered at you, but you ignored him. 
Jennie’s feet stumbled as you guided her over to her lover. You spotted the satisfaction in Jinyoung’s eyes, and it enraged you further. You threw Jennie onto the ground beside him, then spoke. 
“There she is,” you said, a growl in the back of your throat. “Let the mayor go.”
Jinyoung gave you a wicked grin. You had mere seconds. Reaching out to the gun on Mayor Wallace’s side, the heat from your hand immediately shocked Jinyoung’s body. A handprint similar to a branding covered his gun hand, which opened and dropped the gun to the floor. The mayor rushed to his wife nearby, but you kept your eyes on the pirate.
“Damnit!” he seethed, holding his shaking hand. The mark you left started steaming, burning the skin there further. “Damnit, damnit, dammit! You damn dirty demon!”
“Stop your howling,” you said. You grabbed him by a tuft of hair and growled, “I could’ve sent you to demons who’d do way worse than that.” You then asked, “Who is Alcina?”
“Who-o?”
“Alcina, the witch who cursed the king. Who is she?”
“Who?”
“‘Who, who, who’, are you a fucking owl?” You placed your hand on his shoulder, burning him once more. “Who is she? Tell me who she is or I’ll roast you alive!”
“I won’t tell you shit, demon!”
You touched him one more time, and you saw tears in his eyes. Jennie, who’d boasted about his love for her, did not move to protect or save her “lover”. 
‘They know nothing of loyalty. They turn on each other the moment the world starts crumbling.’ 
Nor’goth may have a point there. 
A gentle hand touched your arm, and Chan’s voice drowned out Nor’goth’s. “YN, don’t do this here. Everyone is watching.”
You suddenly became aware of everyone still in the square. He was right. Not here where children and soft-hearted folks could see. A flush of embarrassment and worry came over you when your fires faded. 
“Let’s take them into the station, and question them there,” he said, slowly soothing the fires blazing inside your chest. “Not torture them. Question them.” 
His soft hand touched the one holding Jinyoung up, and you released him. Han and Minho quickly collected both Jennie and Jinyoung. You turned to see the townspeople looking at you, fearful and shocked. They saw your glowing marks, your fiery hands, and saw the demon. A monster. At the end of the day, you are the monster they fear. 
“Come on,” Chan said gently. 
You swiped your jacket from the dirt and threw it over your shoulders. They’ll want you to leave after this. Nobody wants a demon in their town. It’s why you never stay. A lump formed in your throat, and you kept your head down as you followed Han and Minho into the station. You didn’t stop Han and Minho from putting Jinyoung and Jennie in another enchanted cell. Minho went to grab ointments from his desk while Han locked them up. You didn’t bother with the other two. They won’t tell you anything, but the goblin will. 
“Nam!” 
“Woah, woah, woah! Wait, wait-” Eric Nam ducked into the corner of the cell. 
You lifted him by his shirt collar. His fear dripped out of every pore becoming a fuel for the fire in you. “Who is Alcina and where is she?”
“YN!” Chan called behind you. You ignored him. 
“Who is she?!”
“She’s a witch we met in Cortuga!” he cried out, eyes shut tightly. “She said she’d make us rich if we helped her! She said all we had to do was kill a few mermaids and Jennie had to rile up some of the sea predators, and we’d be rich! I swear, that’s all I know! That’s all I know, please don’t burn me alive! Please!”
“I ain’t making promises,” you growled “Where is she?”
“I don’t know!” his voice cracked when you pushed him into a wall, “I swear, I don’t know! I don’t! We only met her once! That merman is who we communicated with!”
“Eric, you absolute coward!” Jennie called, brave now that she’s safe in another cell. 
“Merman? You mean Mizu?” Chan asked from the cell door. 
“Yes! Him!”
“Did he ever say where he meets Alcina?” he came up beside you. “Let him go, YN,” he said, hand on your wrist. 
You hated how easily you let go of Eric. On the ground, Eric took a few shaky breaths before he spoke, “He never told us, but I followed him one time. He gave us the ability to breathe underwater, and after one of our meetings, Jinyoung asked me to tail him. Jinyoung never works with anyone without knowing things about them. We thought he might be going to meet someone to do a double cross, but then I…I saw her.”
“Alcina?”
“In a cave outside of Hydrus,” he said, “In a leviathan’s lair. I can conceal myself, so none of them noticed me.”
“What did you hear?”
“Them talking about cursing the king.”
“With what?”
“They said something about mind consumption? I don’t know what that means.”
You turned to Minho, who sat nearby listening as he treated a hand-cuffed Jinyoung. He nodded, “Yes, I’ve heard of it. It’s a mental curse that slowly consumes the mind until the afflicted body deteriorates. It explains why Tytos’s body is slowly shutting down. The brain is having trouble sending signals to the rest of him.”
“Would a stone treat that?”
“It would,” he said, wrapping the pirate’s burnt hand. “I know someone who could help us.”
“Who?” 
“Our resident doctor and garden fairy, Yang Jeongin,” he said with a satisfied grin. “If anyone knows about healing crystals, it will be him.”
“You and YN can go talk to him,” Chan directed, “Han and I will watch over these three while we wait on the marshal.”
You hesitated to join Minho. Outside the windows, you saw the remaining pirates turning tail and running out of town by the docks. People coming out of the buildings convened together in the middle of the square, where they embraced loved ones. You then saw them start whispering. It might be about the pirates or about the demon who tortured one in front of them. Regardless, Minho guided you to the door. 
“You won't get the reaction you're expecting,” he assured you.
You realized that once you stepped back outside. At first, people looked apprehensive until you heard a steady clap from nearby. This clap then started a wave, and you saw bright, proud faces. 
“Thank you,” the boutique shopkeeper smiled, “Thank you for saving us! Those pirates were going to kidnap my little girl, but you showed them.”
“That goblin would've had my head if you didn't have my back!” Fred's farm hand clapped your shoulder, a toothy grin on her face, “Thank you!”
“Can you really set people on fire?!” Eunwoo, the moon elf boy from the inn, asked excitedly.
“Those pirates will think twice before messing with us again!” His friend said, swishing his stick like a sword.
“Boys, that's enough.” Barbara Wallace came up next, clutching her pearl necklace. She hesitated a moment, then said, “Thank you, YN, for saving my husband. Knowing him, he would've gotten himself killed if you didn’t step in.”
“How is he?”
“Just got a nasty bump from the fight. He's had worse injuries,” she sighed. “But, Eunwoo is right. Word will spread with time that Levanter Bay isn't as defenseless as it seems. It truly was a blessed day when you came into our town.”
“The sheriff, Han and myself were there too,” Minho pointed out, hands on hips. 
“And you handled it gallantly as always,” she patted his shoulder as she walked past him to the children nearby.
Their collective reaction silenced you. “They aren't…scared?” you looked at Minho as you continued through the square. 
“Did you want them to be?” asked Minho, amused. 
“No, but that's usually the reaction I get whenever people see, you know, me.”
“The people around here aren't like that,”  Minho said. “It’s not as if you tortured an innocent person. He was a scumbag pirate who tried to tear down the town. You did us a favor by arresting him.”
“Most people tend to think that I take it too far…the intimidation part, I mean.”
“The people who think that are idiots,” Minho scoffed. “You’re a demon, YN. Demons swear oaths to protect innocent souls and punish wicked ones, don’t they?”
“We do.”
“And that’s what you were doing: protecting innocent people and punishing the wicked ones.” He then said, “Look, if it makes you feel better, I would’ve made him think he was covered in snakes or spiders or something awful to get him to talk.”
“Psh, mind games,” you snorted, “They’re worse than physical ones, if you ask me.”
“Chan isn’t a fan of them, but it gets the job done and that’s what matters to me.” He said, “The people here aren’t like the people in the cities. They’re wholesome and quaint. They’re…accepting and open. It has to be for so many different people to coexist in the same town.” 
He wasn’t wrong. Levanter Bay, despite not having any real sun, definitely carried one of its own in the townspeople. More people thanked you and Minho as you walked down to the doctor’s office right beside the postman’s station. Above the door, someone wrote in black cursive letters: ‘Dr. Yang Jeongin, M.D.’ with a pair of fairy wings with a staff in between underneath. However, you didn’t stop at his office. Jeongin happened to already be outside, tending to a young man with a ghastly cut up his arm. 
You briefly remembered Jeongin from your last case, the handsome garden fairy who wore a gray and white hanbok, the traditional attire of his people. His long, bright green wings looked so thin they could be glass. As you drew closer, you saw the white blossoms woven into his black hair like a crown. He’d been in the process of finishing a stitch when you and Minho approached. 
“Hello, Minho,” Jeongin said without looking at him. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”
Minho drew closer, crouching to survey the stitches on the man’s bloody arm. “Your stitching has gotten better.”
“My stitches were always fine. It was yours,” he cut the thread and tied it down, “That were crooked and too tight. Pass the gauze, please.” Minho handed him a roll of white gauze, and Jeongin began wrapping it. “What is this about, Deputy? I have a lot of people who need me.”
“We have someone who may need you more.”
“Who?” 
“King Tytos.”
Jeongin stopped wrapping when he heard the name. He looked over his shoulder at Minho, “The Sea King? What’s happened to him?”
“He has mind consumption, Jeongin,” Minho said seriously. “It’s slowly killing him . The mermaid corpses on the beach, the predator attacks along the coast, and the pirates today? They all have to do with Tytos being ill. My friend and I discovered that a way we can combat it is by-”
“-Sapping it out of him,” Jeongin finished, taping off the gauze swiftly. “Mr. Song,” he went into his medical kit beside him, “Take two of these tonight, and swing by in the morning.” 
He gave the injured man a packet, then stood up with his bag. “You need black tourmaline,” Jeongin said, turning back to his office, “Which is not easy to find in these parts.”
“Please tell us you happen to have one?” you asked hopefully. 
“It just so happens I do. Come with me.” 
He led you and Minho into his office across the road. Two young garden fairies stood inside, gathering supplies from shelves and putting them into baskets. “Kira, Koya,” Jeongin called to them, “See to the wounded outside. I have some business with Deputy Lee.” 
“Yes, sir,” the twin fairies said together, bowing before leaving the room by their wings. 
Jeongin put down his kit and walked to a workbench behind a curtain. “I’m sure you know by now that black tourmaline is used to defend against negative energy, correct?”
“Yes, we do.”
“And Minho should know that certain crystals,” you heard bottles clinking behind the curtain, “Can be used in rituals to remove said negative energies.”
“Obviously,” Minho said defensively. “I only need the incantation used to remove the consumption.”
You heard Jeongin rifle through his stores before coming back from behind the curtain. He held out a black pouch to Minho, “I really should go with you to assess his condition. We don't know how deep and how long the consumption has festered.”
“I estimate about a few weeks now?” You threw out there, “The corpses showed up two days ago, but a friend of ours says his illness has carried on long before that. He shows signs of severe dehydration, malnutrition, delusion, and memory loss.”
Jeongin listened intently, nodding and thinking to himself. “What color was his skin? His eyes?”
“Pale and paler.”
“Hair?”
“He had lots of patches and sores forming where his head rests. He doesn’t have much of it left either.”
“He shows all signs of severe consumption,” Minho told him. “I need the incantation, Jeongin.”
Jeongin walked over to a bookshelf, scanning the spines until he pulled one out. It appeared much older than some on the shelf, with flesh colored leather wrapped around it. Minho gasped upon seeing the strange book.
“What is a garden fairy doing with a dark remedy book?” Minho asked, touching the stitches keeping the cover together. 
“It was a gift, if you must know,” he said airily. “I am a doctor, Minho, and doctors need to learn all kinds of arts if they're to treat anyone. Dark magic, as much as it pains me to say, has plenty of full proof remedies.” He smirked at Minho, “What? You don't have one?”
Minho glared, “I do happen to have one. All shadow fae have one. I'm only surprised a bubbly, goody-two-shoes like you would have one as well.”
“I'm not always good. You know that.”
He turned a few pages in the book until he came across a section for curses of the mind. 
“Ah, here it is,” he said, putting glasses on the bridge of his nose. “‘Combined with a crystal of light energy or protection, hold it up to the area of first contact and repeat the mantra: ‘Replenish thy mind and embrace the light’ .”
“That's it?” Minho asked, unimpressed. “Just that?”
“Sometimes the treatment is simpler than you think.” He closed the book, “Find the infection site and hold it to him while you say the words. If the king is not as far gone as you believe, then he should be fine.”
“What if he is far gone?” You asked. 
Jeongin thought for a moment, then said, “Help him remember things. Anything he may have an emotional attachment to, like a happy moment or a particular event in his life.”
You thought about the king’s reaction to you when you’d spoken as his daughter. Speaking about his dead son, hearing another acknowledge his death, broke the spell for a few seconds. 
“Thank you, Jeongin,” Minho said, peeking into the pouch to see the black stones inside, “I'll bring these back so they can be disposed of properly. We don't want anyone using them.”
“I hope it works,” Jeongin said, replacing medical supplies in his bag, “Tytos is a good man, and his people will need him. I pray the Light is kind to him.”
You waited until you left the office to tell Minho, “We need to go now. If we keep putting it off, Tytos will slip too far for us to heal him.”
“Agreed. I'll tell Chan we're going ahead of him,” he dug into the dust pocket on his belt. “You've had a siren’s kiss, right?”
“I have,” you said, remembering Hyunjin’s soft lips. 
“Good to know.” He tossed some dust into the air, and spoke into the floating particles. “Chan, we have the cure. We're going to Hydrus right away.” He blew into the dust, and it zoomed away through the crowds. “There's no time to waste. Come on.”
***
A/N: sorry this part is so long! Haha, this episode is pretty long compared to the first one. I still hope you liked it, and thanks for reading <3 please reblog and like <3
Part 3 >
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shubblelive · 7 months
Text
— BOTTLED UP
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summary : wilbur's budding music career has undergone a multitude of changes since he first started. fortunately for him, you are not one of them.
genre : fluff
warnings : i guess there's one part that's slightly suggestive?? mentions of a makeout i guess, wilbur has a few Anxiuos moments, mentions of alcohol/drinking
pairing : cc!musician! wilbur soot x reader, musicianbur x reader
pronouns : none (you/yours)
featuring : cc!musician! wilbur soot
requested : Helloo! Could you write something where Wilbur's favorite thing to soothe his pre-show anxiety is to plant loving, relaxed kisses down the reader's neck in just a really silly way?
word count : 1.1k
note : maybe a tad too much worldbuilding, but what else do you expect from me let me LIVE
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Whoever wrote “the lights are so bright but they never blind me,” clearly had not been to Sam’s. It was a dingy little joint with insane prices, but it was the closest pub to Wilbur’s flat and they gave Wilbur $50 a night to play guitar and sing a few covers. The lights directed at the “stage” in that place were enough to convince Wilbur he didn’t need glasses anymore because his vision was shot. 
He’d get up there, perform to a crowd of about twenty people (some of them were sober too!) and then crash before 9 ready to get up for his early morning retail shift.
It was a pretty good life, especially when you considered he’d just moved out of home and was also taking online classes for uni. Plus, there was his number one fan sitting at the bar every Thursday, sending him flirty looks and paying for his water.
He’d come along way since Sam’s. Performing at real venues, songs he’d written, not sweating buckets under lights so strong he could barely make out the shape of you at the bar (not usually).
That part never changed. You moved positioning with each venue. Oftentimes you were in the pit of people, off to the side with the less jumpy patrons. As they graduated to venues with seats and a real stage, you’d be off backstage with a bottle of water and a hug available (no matter how sweaty he was). 
It had been hard, his first few shows at Sam’s. Just a kid with a beat up acoustic guitar that was barely legally able to buy the alcohol he needed to even get up on stage. Said stage, a stool in the corner with a microphone that did more harm than good. There were panic attacks right at the beginning, quite a number of them. He would show intermittently. Slots at Sam’s were on a weekly basis, so some weeks he simply wouldn’t show up and ask for a slot. His anxiety would get the better of him, and then after a month, he’d suddenly regain his ego and he’d be back at it. In addition to the money from the owner (not named Sam), a lot of the patrons would leave tips for him with the bar manager (coincidentally named Sam), some weeks he would leave with over $250 for three days of playing. That would keep him going, he’d play for a few weeks and then someone would roll their eyes while Wilbur was talking and he would feel physically ill any time he even thought about picking up his guitar. 
But then, you showed up. It was during one of his ego boosts, he’d finally saved up for that electric guitar he’d lusted after for months. You had been dragged out by a friend who promptly ditched you upon seeing a cute girl from one of her classes. He’d seen you before, at student services. All his classes were online, but registration hadn’t been, and you worked the desk at student services for some extra cash. He’d tried to find you on social media but with just your first name on your nametag, it had been fruitless. He didn’t want a relationship anyway, he was fine with his friends, and his coworkers and his electric guitar, he didn’t have the energy for a relationship.
At least, that was what he said before he was dragging you out the service entrance to kiss you that first night, you laughing airily. He wanted to bottle that sound, needed it more than any liquid courage Sam could possibly overcharge him for. 
And thus, a new pre-show routine was born. A quick kiss before going back to his stool turned into a backstage hug as his crowds evolved from bargoers into fans - people who paid tickets just to hear his music.
Just a kid with his acoustic guitar was suddenly four guys with a two hundred million streams on spotify. Wilbur didn’t feel any different. He was still… just a guy. He’d swapped out his guitar, traded covers for originals, Sam’s service corridor for an actual dressing room.
The venue supported nearly a thousand people, and their manager had said they managed to seel over 80% of the tickets. That was an unfathomable amount of people to Wilbur. He’d quit his job and changed his act, but right before he went out there he was wracked with the same anxiety.
You were right beside him, your elbow tucked into his. His fingers fiddled with yours, nervous energy radiating off of him. He pulled you close, closing his eyes against the chattering from the audience, pressing a kiss to your temple.
“You’re alright,” you hummed, voice light. That same airyness he’d started to crave over the last six years skipping right past his nerves and planting itself right beside his heart, right along with the rest of you. 
He planted another kiss on your temple, then beside your left eye. You were half-sitting on a vanity, the weight of your boyfriend comforting as you traced letters up and down his arm. “I know, darling,” he whispered, breath tickling your cheek as he planted another three kisses as he moved his way down to your jawline. His mouth ghosted up and down your neck as the band manager called out five minutes until opening from the hallway. You squeezed his hand as his lips came to a stop where your neck met your shoulder. He sat there for a moment, peppering that one spot with chaste kisses. 
“You have to get out there, go meet the guys,” If he didn’t know you, he’d think you were trying to be stern. Your voice was firm, but still oh so light. Just like the kisses, over and over on the same spot of your shoulder. He hummed in recognition, and the two of you stood there for a second. His mouth connected with your shoulder again and, before you could stop him, Wilbur let out a large exhale, the vibrations on your skin letting out a loud sound that startled you. You pushed him off, laughing through faux-disgust. 
“Wilbur!” He was laughing too, giddy smile beaming at you. He heard final call and knew his time with you was limited. He gravitated back towards you, mouth hovering over yours for one last kiss before he had to get out there. You gladly met him halfway, and he could feel the curve of your smile against his. “You got this.”
He smiled breathlessly at you as frantic knocking began on the dressing room door. He probably did, he’d be fine. Even if you were wrong and he didn’t “got this,” he had you, which was just as important. 
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gingiesworld · 9 months
Text
Love Is Fickle
Part 3
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Wanda Maximoff x GN! Reader
Warnings: Angst. Fluff
Taglist: @username23345 @fxckmiup @marvelogic @dark-hunter16 @moistblobfish
Wanda had waited for a few months now to see when Y/N would return home. Although she also recieved a lot of letters, all dated from when Y/N had joined the military and dropped out of school.
Wanda,
I know that you're probably wondering why I am not there, hell if Vision has anything to do with it, you probably won't even notice I'm gone. But I had to leave Westview, I couldn't stay in a place I don't really belong anymore. My heart doesn't belong there.
I hate that I never really said goodbye to you. I hate myself for not giving you an explanation, but I hope that maybe one day in the future if we do cross paths again I would have the balls to tell you. Tell you everything.
I love you Wanda Maximoff. I always have and I always will.
Y/N Y/L/N
Wanda couldn't help the tears as she read each of the letters. Reading over Y/N's words which they most likely never intended for her to ever receive.
Wanda,
I came home for the first time since I left and I was kind of sad that I never saw you. I guess you're having the time of your life at NYU as you should be tearing that place up with your awesomeness. I wish I could have been there with you, although you probably know I lied to you about getting in. I know my mom won't ever be able to hold her own piss.
I just want you to know how incredibly amazing you are and you are destined for amazing things Wanda.
I love you so much
Y/N Y/L/N
She smiled at some of their words, laughing at some of the stories they had to tell her.
Wanda,
Nat told me about what happened between you and Vision. I'm sorry I can't be there to reassure you that everything will be fine, but everything will be fine in the end Wanda. You will find happiness again.
But the funniest thing happened to me that might make you laugh. The guys thought it would be funny to shave my eyebrows and now I look weird. I even posted a picture so you can have a laugh at it.
Y/N Y/L/N
Wanda laughed as she held the picture in her hands, tears falling as she couldn't really control herself. That was until she heard Peggy and Steve yelling.
"I can't lose you too Steve." Peggy cried out as she held onto his arm.
"I need to find them Peggy. They're our baby." He told her softly. "I need to do this. Bring them home."
"Please." Peggy pleaded with him.
"I will find them Peggy. I will bring them home." He kissed her before he left in the taxi. Peggy clutched at her chest as she cried as Wanda came running out.
"What's going on Peggy?" She questioned as Peggy shook her head. "Is it Y/N?"
"They've been officially declared MIA." She sobbed as Wanda held onto her. Tears of her own falling as all she had left was the memories she had shared in their childhood together.
"I'm going to marry you one day Wanda." 10 year old Y/N stated as the two played in the park.
"I can't wait Y/N/N." Wanda beamed as she kissed their cheek. "My knight in shining armour." The two chuckled before they raced for the swings.
-------
Wanda lay on her bed clutching her stomach, waiting for the painkillers her mom gave her to kick in. Soon to be greeted by a smiling Y/N who held an assortment of sweets, chocolate and soda in their arms.
"Your mom told me that you have got stomach pains so I thought we could watch your favourite show and binge eat." They beamed as Wanda smiled. "I also brought some heat pads." Wanda hugged them before she pulled them down onto the bed with her after setting up the Dick Van Dyke show.
"How do you know it's my period?" She questioned as she held up the countless packs of feminine products.
"You very rarely get ill and we are going through puberty." They told her. "Plus I may have done some research since I don't have a uterus and wanted to make sure you would be ok."
Wanda never realised how she had never noticed that Y/N had been in love with her, even before she started dating Vision. She was too oblivious to the possibility that she could have had something better than the mediocre love that she had with her ex.
"How stupid am I?" Wanda asked Nat as the two sat in her room. Mrs Maximoff was over with Peggy who was broken up. "If I had realised in that moment that I was in love with them, that they were my forever. They wouldn't be missing right now."
"Wanda, no one knows if things would have changed." Nat told her. "As much as they were in love with you, they looked up to their parents. Especially with their father being in the military."
"But." Wanda tried.
"I know you finally figured it out." Nat told her softly. "That's why they asked me to send you the letters they had written to you over the years, even the latest ones."
Wanda sighed as she grabbed the latest ones, looking at the one dated from the day after she went to their building. Opening it with care and shaky hands.
Wanda,
I'm sorry that I left like that, and I hate myself for it. I just hope that you can forgive me but I don't think I am ready to open myself up to you just yet. Even though I am still in love with you but I just can't because I am afraid that this is some sick joke.
I guess that maybe we can use this time apart to figure everything out between us, because I have missed you so much over the years Wanda. I hated that I never done all of the things we dreamt of doing together. And I want to make new memories.
I love you too Wanda
Wanda couldn't help but sob as she held their letter to her chest, Nat wrapping her arms around her as she cried loudly. Her heartbreaking at the thought that she may never see them again.
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hearts4golbach · 3 months
Text
The 7Eleven. (Jake Webber x Fem!Reader.)
reccomendation from @dreamcastgirl99 (i cant find their account to tag.)
i traced the lines of jakes tattoos, waiting impatiently for him to get done editing his new video. these always took forever, and i was sick of sitting around and scrolling on tiktok. i traced over the edges of the 3 8-bit hearts on his inner forearm with my nail, gently digging into his skin.
he giggled, "that tickles."
i rolled my eyes," you need to hurry! im so bored and im ready to go on our date. its our 5 year anniversary." i reminded him.
"im just as excited as you are." he gently kissed my forehead, "im finishing up the lsdt bit, then we can go. go get your shoes and shit on."
i yawned and did as told without any response. as i walked away, jake suspisciously pulled out his phone and began texting. i decided to think nothing of it, shrugging it off and grabbing my favorite beat up converse. i pursed my lips together as i laced up my shoes, suddenly nervous. jake had been distant recently, but nothing had changed in our relationship prior, as far as i knew, my stomach tingled.
"you okay, babe? you got weirdly quiet." jake called. i heard footsteps coming my way.
"yeah, sorry, i was just thinking." i looked up at him, giving him an awkwrd smile before tying up my other shoe.
"ill be right back." he said, walking out of the bedroom. he came back quickly, jangling the keys in his hand. "ready, babe?"
I nodded and he grabbed my hand, intertwining his fingers in line. no matter what Jake did or how long we were together, I still got butterflies like the first week we began dating. over the years, jake had never lost any enthusiasm in the relationship. yeah, he had his rough days with work but he was never difficult with me.
the sun was just starting to go down. I hopped in the passenger seat of Jake's car and quickly strapped on my seat belt. "are we stopping by 7-Eleven?" I asked.
"always." he smirked, reversing out of the driveway and turning down onto the street.
me and Jake met at 7-Eleven. I was having a sjitty day and yelled at him because he was taking too long to get his nachos. he felt bad and paid for my nachos, against my protests, and ended up getting my number. I'm sure you can guess how the rest of that went.
jake turned our mixed playlist on shuffle, turning it up loud before rolling the windows down. keeping one hand on the wheel, jake let his arm rest outside of the window. the warm, late summer breeze spilled in through the windows. I heard crickets singing their lullabies in the grass, the sound of other cars swooshing past, and the sound of jake humming along to whatever song was playing. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, enjoying the peaceful moment with jake. I pulled out my phone to take a picture of the scenery. tall city buildings were a dark contrast against the setting sun, making me feel warm inside. I posted the photo to my Instagram story and shut off my phone, putting it on do not disturb. jake gently nodded his head along with the song and placed his hand on my thigh, his thumb rubbing circles into my skin. I quickly took a photo of that too, planning to post it later. our soft breaths were in sync as our hair fluttered in the wind. I looked at him and smiled, enjoying every moment and small detail.
we pulled into the parking spot closest to the door and quickly got out. he came around and opened the door for me, placing a kiss on my forehead.
I walked inside, making a b-line for the energy drinks with jake by my side. I got a redbull, per usual, and he got his favorite flavor of monster.
"you should try something else." he teased, gently elbowing me.
I rolled my eyes. "you can't even talk, jakey."
he visibly cringed. he's always hated it when I called him 'jakey' which made it even funnier whenever I did it to shut him up.
he continued to grab our usual snacks, which were just takis and gummy worms before we made our way towards the nachos. he had my combo memorized, as I had his. he made our nachos as I stalked around the aisles, seeing if there were any other things we should try or get again. he found me about a minute later, gesturing for me to come on so we could leave.
as we were walking up to the register, he leaned down to whisper in my ear, "what do you think about going to the park?"
"won't we get butt fucked by mosquitoes?" I asked with a smile.
"I have bug spray, silly." he pursed his lips together and tapped my nose.
I laughed and swatted his hand away. "sounds fun."
as we got back into the car, we repeated the same ritual we always had. music, windows down, and some form of touch. it was a less than 5 minute drive to a small, local park that we have had a couple picnic dates in. picnic dates were my favorite, even though I wasn't an out-doorsy person.
"how are your nachos?" Jake smirked.
"uh, good?" I responded awkwardly, confused at the question.
"youre cute when youre shy, have i ever told you that?" his gaze softened.
i looked down at my food before looking back at him. "yeah," i giggled.
he stood up to throw away the bag and stood in front of me when he came back. "y/n/n, you're the love of my life. I wouldn't have made it as far as I have without you. you're my anchor and I have no idea what I'd do without you." he took my hands.
I laughed awkwardly. "if I didn't have you, I don't know where I'd be." I added. "but, where's this coming from?"
"you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I know that's corny." he laughed. "but, I love you, y/n." he got down on one knee and reached into his pocket, making my heart skip a beat. the next events happened in slow motion as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it up, revealing a beautiful ring. "will you marry me?"
i felt tears begin to sting my eyes. my hands flew over my mouth as i began to cry. i nodded quickly, not able to form any words. i watched as jake took my hand and slid the ring on, making me cry even more.
he hugged me tightly. "this is a haply cry, right?" i nodded again, pulling back to wipe my tears. "i love you, y/n."
"i love you so much more, jake." i stuttered, continuosly wiping tears from my eyes.
"impossible," he rolled his eyes, "come here."
i followed him to a tree near where we weere sitting. he pulled a pocket knife out of his pocket. "are you about to murder me?" i laughed and sniffled.
he rolled his eyes and carved a heart into the tree, adding his initial in the middle before handing it to me. i felt tears threaten to spill once more as i carved a plus sign and my initial in the heart. he took the knife back as i was wiping tears from my eyes and carved the date into the tree.
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genderfluid-insomniac · 11 months
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I’ll always have your back // Six-Eared Macaque x reader
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"Oh-ho-ho! Look what we have here!" The shadow demon said and smiled at you upon seeing you turn up at the edge of the woods where he often could be found since it was quiet but spacious. You bittersweetly smiled and nodded, sitting down on a torn-down tree trunk before fiddling with your finger. “Hi, could I ask you for some advice?” He hesitates for a second, trying to thoughtfully read you and then Macaque sighs, folding his arms like you're some kind of child. 
But you can see inside he’s not annoyed but concerned at your sullen mood compared to your normal happy go lucky self. “Yeah...what do you want?” You sighed and took a deep breath, wiping awaying the tears building up in your eyes and pushing out a breath.
“My entire friend group lied to me and stabbed me in the back.” Everything went silent for a minute and you felt your throat tighten but continued on, “So I’m trying to find a new friend while my old ones ignore me and play the victim while saying mean things.” Fisting your hands into the fabric of your pants and tensing your muscles in anger, the tone of your voice growing in irritation and hurt that anyone could pick up.  
“Saying my anxiety and illness “traumatized” them. I don't know what to do. All I feel is anger and hate.” Macaque nods in sympathy and looks you in the eyes. The conflicting emotions in his irises are clear as day if you know where to look. "Sounds rough, kid. That kind of betrayal is hurtful.” Both of you know he has experience when he keeps people close to them. It hasn't ended well, evident by his scarred blind eye and physically healed marks covered up by magic. 
“It's hard to trust people when you get hurt like that." He says, putting a hand on your shoulder and trying to comfort you despite the subject being completely foreign to him. Moving closer to you and wrapping his tail awkwardly around your wrist to try and ground you. "All you can do is find people that deserve your trust. People that respect you. People you know you can count on."
“Thanks Macaque. That means a lot.” A genuine and kind smile appeared on your face, grateful there was someone on your side after your shit week. "No problem, kid! Just focus on those good people in your life. Don't waste your energy on trash." He smiles, giving your shoulder a pat and chuckling. You could tell he meant it and leaned your head against his shoulder, feeling him tense at first then slowly relaxed once he got used to the weight. A little part of your heart fluttered when he wrapped his other hand around your hips and leaned his head against yours. "You just keep on being you, and you'll find your way out of this mess."
“I hope I will. Guess I’ll just have to keep looking up” Macaque shook his head and got up, quickly shifting himself to seem not affected by the physical touch. The sun had set a while ago so it was pretty dark but the lights from the outskirts of town lit up enough to see clearly. "You seem like a pretty bright kid. You'll be alright." He smiles, putting his hands in his pockets. "If you ever need some advice, you know where to find me." He says it in a way that makes it seem like he has better things to do, but he's willing to put that aside for your sake. 
It’s been that way since you got close, the shadow demon keeping up the mask he always wore and you being able to mostly see through it but not bringing it up. He seemed okay most of the time although on occasion you could tell that something was going on inside his head and asking him wasn’t the best course. The last time you tried to get him to open up wasn’t the best, you and Macaque had a yelling match about being open about your feelings with it ending with him shouting, “You can’t trust anyone!”
It was a week of silence until you found him at his dojo and apologized for triggering his trauma, after an hour of talking calmly you both set boundaries and spoke about trust.  You could see the same look on his face now, something plaguing his mind and the carefree facade that nothing was wrong. “Macaque, how are you?”
"Eh, I've been better." He shrugs. "Just trying to do the whole 'mentor' thing." He chuckles, shaking his head. He looks like he's trying to make light of the situation, but you can tell he's upset about something based on his facial expression. He looks away, his face scrunched up slightly. His voice becomes a little distant. "Anyway, you take care of yourself, okay?" He says, smiling. It seems like he might be holding something back despite the conversations you’ve both had time and time again. 
“You wanna talk about or vent? I have a good amount of experience being a mentor or er- teacher so I could offer some advice if you want it?” You didn’t want to push it, if he didn’t want to talk then you’d respect it and do the best you could to be there for him like he had for you just minutes ago. “No pressure though, just want to make sure you're doing alright. It’s not good to keep everything bottled up, talking it out could help..” Moving to the side and patting the space beside you, inviting him to sit.
You notice him hesitate for a moment, but after some thought, he nods. "Yeah, you know what? I think I need to talk about this." He sits on a nearby bench, sighing. There was noticeable tension in his shoulders and you placed your hand over his as a silent confirmation. "It's fine if you don't want to hear about it, but I think I just need to get this off my chest." Part of you panicked that you had said or done something wrong, vigorously shaking your head ‘no’.
“No, it's alright. I'm happy to listen! I won't judge, I get the feeling too.” He takes a deep breath, looking around for a moment before settling his gaze. Most likely to be sure no one else was there beside you besides the two of you. "My... my father or rather the one who raised me was a bad man." He says softly, looking into the distance, at the moon rising with the stars. There's a sad look on his face, but he takes a deep breath and continues. 
"He was cold and demanding. Always demanding, always wanting... more. Nothing was ever enough for him." He's becoming visibly more and more upset. Macaque was trembling, reliving memories from his past and wishing he could go back and do something. Anything. "Everything I did was always wrong to him." His voice becomes harsher, angry. "I wasn't good enough for him."
You continue to listen, letting him vent his emotions and be vulnerable. Tightening the grip on his hand and looking at his face, red mask on his fur framing his angry irritated golden irises and seeing them flash purple. “I'm sorry that happened. Macaque, you're amazing and deserve to be praised. You’ve helped so many people, me, MK, Bai He, and this whole city!”
He's quiet for a moment, letting those words sink in. His six ears fluttering out in the open if only for a split second before going back to two. You can see a shocked and flustered expression take over his face for a second before shifting to one of genuine thankfulness. "I... I was never praised, growing up... I learned to live without it... Thank you." He smiles, looking at you. 
A bittersweet smile forming on his face and looking back at the ground, laughing more cruelly than happily. "Do you have any idea what it's like to work your whole life to please someone, giving up everything you want for them, just to be told 'You could try harder'?" There's a glint of tears in his eyes. A wall of emotion being held back despite pounding away to be let loose after centuries of being suppressed.  
“I do.” Something pulls at your heart, like someone rubbing salt in an open wound, hearing his past and your own being pushed to the forefront of your mind. Tears prick your own eyes and you allow them to fall, wetting my cheeks and dripping into the dirt “All my life I was told I was a mistake and to try harder despite doing my damn hardest to succeed. I know how you feel all too well. It hurts and to hear it come from the person you need to hear it from the most is heartbreaking.” You wipe tears that are falling down my cheeks and trying to quiet the sobs escaping your lips. 
Macaque moves closer to you, giving you a hug. He just holds you tight for a moment, silently offering his shoulder to your grief. After a moment though, he speaks. He sounds broken at first, but his voice grows stronger as he speaks. "No one deserves that." He says, frowning. He puts a hand on your shoulder. "You hear me? No one should ever have to go through that."
You accept the hug and tightly embrace him, the warmth from both of you keeping the cold wind at bay. “You don't deserve it either. It sucks that we both had to go through that awful experience but I'm so grateful to have you in my life.” I pull back from the hug a bit and smile bittersweetly at him, looking over his expression. His face contorts into a kind smile, his eyes brightening a bit as he looks at you. "It's... it's not fair. The people who should be the one to show us love and affection, the people who should be the ones to offer a safe space in this wild world... They end up hurting us the worst." 
He sighs, shaking his head. "But at least we're not alone in it anymore..." “That's true,” You laugh, a bit broken but it’s heartfelt. “and I'm so glad I'm not alone. You're a great friend Macaque, you know that?”
"Aw, come on now..." He's blushing, laughing a little bit as he blushes. "All this to make me blush, huh?" He smiles, putting a hand on your shoulder. "You're a pretty great friend yourself, y'know? I'm not the most... social type, but I could sure as hell use the company more often." He laughs a bit. "I'm glad I have you in my life, Name."
You smiled and laughed along with him, playfully punching his shoulder. ““I'm only speaking the truth and besides you deserve every bit of it. There's no one I'd rather have by my side and I'm not that social either. I much prefer to stay in the quiet and dark places or be alone with my music.” 
He smiles softly, chuckling a bit and nudges you back. Macaque raised his hand and flicked in the direction of an abandoned brick building, shadows of figures of two people interacting with others and then separately facing away from the other. "Well, you and I, we're a pair then, aren't we? Always in the darkness, just a tad more gloomy than most?" He chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. Both people on the wall slip into a building only to see each other and go to speak simultaneously causing the other to laugh before disappearing altogether. "You never had to deal with a sunny disposition, huh?" He tries to tease you, a smile on his face. Clearly referring to Sun Wukong and intrigued to hear your answer. 
“I guess we are, hm.” You chuckle to yourself and look at the full moon giving light to the open clearing at the edge of the wood. “Someone I'm close to is the embodiment of the sun and they're very optimistic and have a bright personality. I'm definitely more of a night person, I tend to get along with moon-personality-like people but I can bare some sunny personalities.” You can recall how you met one of your best friends, one of the only people who stood by your side when shit hit the fan, when you reposted something from your favorite band and got a DM from them making a comment about your steller choice in music. 
The shadow demon raised an eyebrow, you’ve never really opened up much but in your defense he’s never asked many questions. "So someone close to you, huh? Who, exactly is that?" He asks, a mocking, teasing edge to his voice. Half of him wants to ask if they’re closer to you than him but his pride would never allow it. Not to mention your response. “It's someone you don't know, trust me, but they're pretty cool.”You rolled your eyes and attempted to change the subject but of course once Macaque got curious about something he’d never drop it. 
"Aw, come on, why be so secretive about it?" He asks, laughing. His voice is teasing, but there's genuine curiosity behind his words. "They sound like they're pretty damn important to you, that's awesome. I'm glad you have someone in your life like that!"
You laugh in response to his tail brushing against your neck and playfully bat his hands away from tickling you any further. “Fine, fine. I know you're not going to stop pushing it. Wow, you really like drama, don't you? Their name is Phoenix and they're kinda the opposite of me but I like them.”
A sly, mischievous smirk appears on his face. "Yeah? Tell me more about this Pheonix. They sound pretty, well... bright." Macaque chuckles, making a pun about their personality and their name. He sits back proudly, like he just made a great joke.
You struggle to hold back your laughter but fail. Catching the victorious smile on his face when he got you to laugh. “Ha. Ha. Very funny. They fit their name and have my back, always teasing me about this one person I have a crush on.” You trailed off and looked away from him as a blush spread across your cheeks and soft nervous laughter came out.
Macaque leans forward again, smiling. "And who exactly is this crush of yours?" His face breaks out with excitement. "I won't tell a soul... I promise." He promises with a smile and a wink. He gives you playful nudge, a teasing look on his face and knowing you could trust him. "This is your best friend, right? They must really be something special. Not many people can keep you smiling like this." He chuckles, growing closer and flicking the tip of your nose lightly.
Your blush darkens and you sputter, “I don't have a crush on Phoenix but the person I'm crushing on is someone you know but that's all you're getting out of me.” Avoiding eye contact and rolling your eyes at his teasing, trying your best to not give any reactions that would aid to your to your downfall.
His smirk turns to a grin, even wider as his expression seems to say 'I KNOW WHO'. He raises an eyebrow, his voice turning into a mocking, sing-songy tone. “Oh, do I, now?!” He looks at you with a playful look in his eye, mocking you and disappearing into a portal beneath him. “Come on. Give me a hint~…” He's clearly teasing you. His voice is echoing around you and suddenly hangs in front of you from a tree, swaying back and forth. His tone is playful, but his face holds a serious expression. He's clearly really curious to know. 
He gives you more playful nudges, his eyebrow still raised and awaiting an answer. “Alright. Fine, it's someone you know and they're a demon. Very dramatic and has quite a knack for performing.” Shyly looking at the city and smiling, you have a loving but serious look as you recall memories of him. How you first met him and how much of a disaster it was, the chaos of the city being destroyed and running into each other. “He can be very competitive and playful.” 
Macaque’s face lights up, and he gives you an encouraging wink. "Well... he sounds like a really cool guy. I'm sure you two are a perfect match." He chuckles, his voice is filled with excitement now. You still can’t tell if he knows that it's him or he’s just being himself, either way it makes your stomach do flips. "Sounds like you really like him, huh? If you're so excited about it that you're blushing?" He smiles, giving you another small nudge. He's not trying to tease you now, he's just genuinely happy for you, and a bit excited to see who the mysterious man is, at least you think. "Does he know how you feel about him?"
“No but I really love him. I don't know if he feels the same way but he's very observant so I wouldn't be surprised if he knew.” Involuntarily tensing up at the thought of him rejecting you right here and laughing it off. Macaque wouldn’t do that you know, at least not that harshly but it was still a fear of yours. “Should I tell him?” A soft but genuine grin on your face as you looked at him hesitantly and timidly asking for help. 
"Oh, definitely tell him!" He says, excitedly pumping his fist in the air. "You only get so many chances for love." His tone becomes slightly more serious now, his face becoming serious as well. His eyes are looking at you sternly, but his voice remains kind. "You don't want to let this chance slip by, Name. These kinds of chances for real love don't come up very often in life, so when they do, you gotta take 'em. So, don't you think you should go for it?" As someone who had lived for centuries, he often saw many people who were too scared to confess their feelings and succumb to fear without ever telling their beloved.
You laugh at his actions and smile sweetly, internally gathering the courage to say what you wanted to say.  “I guess so. You only live once after all... Well…” The other could clearly see you were nervous but you took a deep breath. Eventually looking at him, a very embarrassed expression evident on your face and nervously smiling.  “I.. I love you Macaque.” You anxiously waited for a reaction but couldn’t help but feel very excited, however all of your efforts are genuine and clearly heartfelt.
He's completely stunned by your confession, his eyes wide in a look of disbelief and surprise. After a moment though, he gathers himself, a wide smile of utter joy coming to his face. He nods feverishly. His eyes are full of tears, and he's speechless with emotion. He pulls you into a tight hug, squeezing you tightly against him. "I..." He sniffles, unable to find any words, just looking at you with an expression that says absolutely everything. It's clear he wants to say something else, but he's too emotional to get the words out.
You're fully shocked that you weren't rejected at first and laughed with a wide smile, jumping into his arms. “I fully didn't expect this but.... I-” You both were speechless and neither could put into words how happy you both were. “Wow. Damn you're pretty. Can- can I kiss you?” You didn’t even realize he had spoken your thoughts aloud until his face turned beet red, and he blushed profusely. However he nods, still smiling brightly. 
"Y- yes! Please do..." He gives you no time to respond, leaning in himself with a soft smile on his face. After a moment though, he pulls away. His eyes are filled with love as he looks at you, his eyes darting between your lips and your eyes. "You're just so... beautiful." His voice is full of wonder and passion as he looks at you, his heart practically overflowing with joy. "You've got me all flustered."
“Me?” You laugh and try to stop blushing so heavily. How is he more flustered than you when his teasing keeps you up at night rethinking everything he’s said? “You're the one who's been flustering the hell out of me since I started talking to you but screw it-” You lean forward and cup his face, kissing him and wrapping your arms around his neck. Breath heavy as you broke apart, “Gods you're beyond gorgeous. You don't know how long I've wanted to do this!”
He giggles, leaning into the kiss. As you kiss him, a warm, bright, almost blinding light surrounds the both of you. It's a beautiful light, like the warm embrace of the sun on a warm summer day. He chuckles. "You're really sweet ya know that?" He looks at you with a small smirk. "I think this marks the start of a beautiful new chapter in both of our lives, huh? How does 'boyfriend and girlfriend' sound to you?" He kisses you once more, a gentle, soft kiss.
The touch of his soft and smooth clothing lulled you into a calm mood. You lean into his neck and hum contently with wisps of silky black fur. “That sounds amazing but I much prefer the term significant other or lover.” Giggling and kissing him sweetly, nuzzling your face into his neck and placing small pecks on his shoulder.  
"Lover sounds great." He smirks, kissing you passionately, his warm breath in your face. He gently holds you close to him, his voice soft and sweet like honey when he talks. "What do you say?" He asks, his voice filled with love and affection. He's genuinely a little emotional, feeling his heart beat wildly in his chest. His eyes glisten with love in the soft light. He pulls back for a short moment, smiling at you. He gently brushes at your hair, taking in every detail of you. "So... official?"
“Yes please!” You do the same, tracing the marking on his face and trailing your fingers along his jaw. Happily cupping his head and weaving your fingers into hair. His face lights up with joy, his expression filled with a kind of excitement that can only be felt when you've found true love. "Oh, I'm so happy..." Macaque kissed you again, unable to hold back his excitement. After a moment though, he pulls back, his face still filled with a soft, bright smile. "So, lover, what do ya say you and I have a little date tonight and celebrate?" His excitement seems infectious, filling the air with a genuine joy and love. You can feel your demon’s genuine emotions and lean your forehead against his. Smiling so brightly and failing to hold in laughter. 
You nod rapidly and stim happily, still in disbelief that person or celestial primate is your boyfriend. “I haven't felt this happy in years! I'd be honored to have a date with my boyfriend! What did you have in mind?” Smirking at him and teasingly leaning closer and closer. His face is filled with pure joy, the smile on his face growing as you seem to mimic his own excitement. Even when you tease you, his soft smile doesn't leave his face. You can feel his happiness like a warm hug. He giggles along with you, his eyes sparkling. He raises an eyebrow, smirking. "What would you like to do?" He asks coyly, leaning in close. "Anything you say lover!" He smirks, playing along. You can practically feel his love for you. That smile is not going anywhere.
“I'm happy to do anything you want to. Although I prefer it to be something not too loud” Quickly, you press a kiss to his cheek and nose. He chuckles, his smile spreading as you kiss his cheek and nose. The soft glow seems to dimly shine around both of you, your love and companionship a beautiful sight. "Well how about this. I cook you a nice dinner, then we stay in for the night?" 
He suggests a small smirk on his face. He seems genuinely happy just at the idea of spending the night with you, a gentle warmth filling his eyes as the smile spreads across his face. "How about it, love?" *He whispers seductively, his tone gentle and kind. “That sounds amazing.” Whispering in the same tone and leaning deeper into his hold, “I wouldn't have it either way, darling. Let's go, this is not how I expected the day to end but I'm beyond ecstatic.” You close your eyes and lay your head against his chest, peacefully enjoying the warmth coming from him.
Macaque chuckles softly, his voice now a whisper. A soft, warm feeling comes over him as he holds you close. He rubs your shoulder delicately, the joy on his face matching the one in his voice. "I can't wait." He whispers, kissing you softly on the forehead. He smiles softly, closing his eyes and holding you close. His voice is soft and tender, the quiet joy he feels inside him radiates around the two of you. His voice matches the warmth of his body and his heart. You can feel the love.
“Then let's go as much as I want to stay in your arms, I'd prefer to be more affectionate in private” He chuckles softly, giving you yet another kiss on the forehead, a soft smile coming to his lips. His eyes flutter open, and he nods earnestly, holding you close to him. "Alright. Let's go, then." He stands up, lifting you up into a bridal carry. He turns and heads back towards his apartment, his face filled with a smile so bright you can see it even in the dark. He hums a soft tune to himself, as he carries you through the night. His step is light, and his demeanor is joyful with almost palpable energy. He seems to be a bit embarrassed and flustered, yet still has a bit of that smugness from earlier that day. He chuckles. His voice is soft and he smiles. His eyes gaze into yours lovingly, you feel warm inside, like the comforting light of a beautiful sunset, and your heart fills with love for him. Your boyfriend. It feels... right.
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